Chin Chin’s Ultimate Weekend Brunch

April 16, 2020

With your fave corner cafe closed at the mo, nail the ultimate weekend brunch at home thanks to enduring Melbourne superstar and Superette go-to Chin Chin. Try out their fast and fiery Asian-style brunch from their book, Feed Me to kick your bubbles day off with a bang!

VIETNAMESE COFFEE

Ingredients

– 2/3 cup (50g) ground Vietnamese coffee (from Asian food shops – substitute 2/3 cup regular ground coffee or 1/3 cup instant coffee combined with 11/3 cups (330ml) boiling water)
– Ice cubes
– 2/3 cup (165ml) condensed milk

Method

1. To make 1 drink, press 2 tbs coffee into the filter-lined coffee dripper. Half-fill a glass with ice cubes and spoon over 2 tbs condensed milk. Place dripper over the glass. Pour 1 tbs boiling water into the filter and leave to steep for 30 seconds, then add 1/3 cup (80ml) hot water. Leave to drip slowly (it can take up to 5 minutes).

2. Alternatively, pour 1/3 cup (80ml) instant coffee mixture over ice and condensed milk. Stir well before serving.

3. Repeat with remaining coffee, ice and condensed milk to make 4 drinks.

STIR-FRIED NOODLES, SAUSAGES & BROCCOLINI

Ingredients

– 2/3 cup (165ml) sunflower oil
– 4 pork sausages
– 2 eggs
– 1kg cheong fun (fresh rolled rice noodles – from Asian food shops), separated, cut into 3cm lengths
– 1/3 cup (80ml) soy sauce
– 2 tbs caster sugar
– 1 bunch broccolini, cut into 4cm lengths
– 3 lap cheong (Chinese sausages – from Asian food shops, optional), thinly sliced
– 1/3 cup (80ml) kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
– 1/3 cup (80ml) oyster sauce
– 1/4 cup loosely packed Thai basil leaves
– 2 tbs shredded sawtooth coriander leaves (from Asian food shops – substitute coriander)

Method

1. Heat 2 tbs oil in a large frypan over medium-high heat. Add pork sausages and cook, turning occasionally, for 6-8 minutes or until cooked through.

2. Remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes to cool slightly, then slice sausages on the diagonal into 1cm pieces. Set aside.

3. Heat remaining 1/2 cup (125ml) oil in a wok over high heat until just smoking. Add eggs and cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute or until just set and scrambled. Add noodles and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes or until noodles start to blister and become translucent. Add soy and sugar, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute or until soy is absorbed. Add broccolini, sliced sausage, lap cheong, if using, kecap manis and oyster sauce, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes or until broccolini is just cooked and mixture is dry and caramelised.

4. Season with a large pinch of white pepper, then transfer to a serving plate. Sprinkle with Thai basil and coriander, and serve immediately.

DUMPLING NOODLE SOUP

For the Soup

– 1.5L (6 cups) chicken stock
– 1/3 cup (80ml) light soy sauce
– 2 tbs Chinese rice wine (shaohsing – from Asian food shops)
– 2 tbs oyster sauce
– 5cm piece (25g) ginger, shredded
– 1 tsp caster sugar
– 1 tsp sesame oil
– 200g thin egg noodles
– 1/4 (about 350g) Chinese cabbage (wombok), shredded
– 1 carrot, shredded (we used a julienne peeler)
– Coriander leaves, to serve

For the Dumplings

– 75g pork sausages, casings removed
– 75g mixture of raw prawn meat or crabmeat (substitute all prawn or all crabmeat), finely chopped
– 1 coriander root (including 3cm stalk), washed, finely chopped
– 1/2 long red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped
– 12 square wonton wrappers
– Cornflour, to dust
– Thinly sliced green chilli, to serve

Method

1. For the dumplings, line a tray with baking paper. Combine sausage meat, seafood mixture, coriander and chilli in a bowl. Lay wonton wrappers on a clean work surface. Place 1 tsp sausage mixture in the centre of each wrapper. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the edges of each wrapper with water, then fold in half, enclosing filling. Gently press edges to seal and remove any air pockets. Lightly dust with cornflour and place on prepared tray. (Dumplings can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored, covered and chilled.)

2. To make the soup, combine stock, soy, shaohsing, oyster sauce, ginger, sugar and oil in a saucepan over high heat. Bring to the boil. Add noodles, cabbage and carrot. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 4-5 minutes or until noodles are cooked.

3. Meanwhile, place dumplings in a steamer basket over a separate saucepan of boiling water and steam for the final 4 minutes of soup cooking time or until cooked through.

4. Divide soup among serving bowls. Add 3 dumplings to each and scatter with coriander and chilli to serve.

CRAB OMLETTE

For the Omlette

– 3 eggs
– 100g cooked brown crab meat (from good fishmongers – substitute cooked white crab meat, cooked chicken or cooked pork mince)
– 1 tbs fish sauce
– 1/4 tsp finely grated palm sugar
– 1/2 cup (125ml) sunflower oil
– Sriracha, oyster sauce & 75g white crab meat (substitute cooked chicken or cooked pork mince), to serve

For the Hot & Sour Salad

– Juice of 1/2 a lemon
– Juice of 1 lime
– 1/2 tsp dried chilli flakes
– 2 tbs fish sauce
– 1/4 bunch each coriander, mint & Thai basil, leaves picked
– 2 spring onions, shredded
– 1 long red chilli, thinly sliced

Method

1. For the salad, whisk lemon and lime juices, chilli flakes and fish sauce in a bowl. Add coriander, mint, Thai basil, spring onion and chilli, and toss to coat. Set aside.

2. To make the omelette, lightly whisk eggs, brown crab meat, fish sauce and sugar in a bowl until just combined (you don’t want the eggs to break up entirely).

3. Heat oil in a wok over high heat until smoking. Add egg mixture. When mixture starts to bubble, gently lift at the edges with a spatula. Cook for 40 seconds or until the base is golden. Tilt the wok and, using a slotted spatula or spoon, carefully flip omelette. Cook for 20 seconds or until just cooked. Remove and drain on paper towel, then roll up and transfer to a plate.

4. Drizzle omelette with sriracha and oyster sauce, and top with white crab meat and hot and sour salad to serve.

TOM YUM BLOODY MARY

Ingredients

– 4 cups (1L) tomato juice
– 1/4 cup (60ml) each fish sauce and oyster sauce
– 160g tom yum paste
– Crushed ice
– 200ml vodka
– 1 Lebanese cucumber, cut lengthways into 6 pieces
– 3 lemongrass stalks, halved lengthways, cut into 8cm-long pieces
– 4 stems Thai basil, finely chopped

Method

1. Combine tomato juice, sauces and tom yum paste in a serving jug.

2. Add lots of ice to 6 tall glasses. Divide vodka among glasses, top with tomato juice mixture and stir to combine.

3. Divide cucumber and lemongrass among glasses. Sprinkle with Thai basil and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

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