![]() It is no secret that double frying your chicken gives you that ultra-crispy results. This recipe calls for the “wet” version anyway, which is widely available anywhere in Asian grocery stores. It’s hard to find that here in Minnesota. In Indonesia I remember my mom used to buy belacan/terasi that comes in block and some will toast it first before using. We call it belacan or terasi in Indonesia. To me, the cooking process turn this stinky stuff into savory, sweet, and umami kinda good! Most Southeast Asian natives love shrimp paste. It doesn’t smell as pungent after you cooked it. WHAT DO HAR CHEONG GAI SMELL LIKE OR EVEN TASTE LIKE? The chicken pieces, usually mid-section of chicken wings are marinated in shrimp paste and then deep-fried. There are many Tze Char places in Singapore that cook home-cooked meals at very affordable prices and delicious too! I miss all these food stalls at the hawker centers! But har cheong mean shrimp paste in Cantonese. Har Cheong Gai is one of the popular food you will find at the majority of Singapore Tze Char (Zhu Chao), which literally means cook and stir-fry. My daughter couldn’t stand it too! But does she eat this shrimp paste chicken? Yes she does and she likes it! Now people, first thing first! I’ve heard many people who have never tasted or SMELL shrimp paste before said “EWEE….it STINKS!” Yes, it does stink to the max! Not the kind of stink like garbage stink! But you know, it’s strong! It’s hard to describe the smell. They brought me to this place to have dinner when I was in Singapore for their wedding in 2012 and when I saw this shrimp paste chicken on the menu, immediately it drew my attention and I was eager to try it and so we did. ![]() ![]() They are my sister and brother in law! (I would like to thank them at the same time of course!). There are two people on this earth I would like to blame for my cravings to shrimp paste chicken or they call it prawn paste fried chicken in Singapore. MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH HAR CHEONG GAI AND I NEVER LOOKED BACK! A very single person or student meal.Pieces of chicken are coated with shrimp paste marinade and fried! It’s definitely not your ordinary fried chicken! Served with the crispy bits made from the marinade. This meal is ready in less than 30 minutes and with few ingredients. Good for me there is Toko or Asia speciality shop I can get my shrimp paste. It also covers the missing bottarga – for me. To my surprise, the shrimp paste ticks my Pinoy palate. Is it possible? Can it be – shrimp paste – a substitute? Surprisingly good for less than 30 minutes preparation! The spicy sauteed shrimp paste jar – Pinoy style – caught my attention! Hmmm. In my case, I don’t want to leave it as it is. However, if you have bottarga, you can use bottarga. One of the things I learned in Italy is – you do not put cheese in your pasta! I could still remember Ilaria rolling her eyes when someone asks for cheese on his or her seafood pasta. Additionally, it is healthy for me – T4 problems. The “Spaghetti con le Cozze” is one of my favourites. In southern Italy, there are many seafood pasta dishes. Do you have that day on a weekend that you just want to stay indoor and just read and watch a movie? I have a lot of those, especially when my son left for university. This recipe was an experiment when I was lazy to go to the grocery and replenish my supply. ![]()
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