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The Malaysian Insider :: Food

Estonians brace for Christmas blood-sausage binge

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 09:35 PM PST

Estonian blood sausage are boiled in Tallinn, Estonia. — Afp pic

TALLINN, Dec 22 — As Christmas looms, residents of the Baltic state of Estonia are bracing to wolf down tonnes of blood sausage, a staple of their holiday table.

Trade data in the European Union nation of 1.3 million show that at least 600 tonnes of the pork-based delicacy are consumed in the Christmas period, or around half a kilo per person.

"We expect to sell around 300 tonnes, or around 40 percent of our annual blood sausage production," Triin Looke, marketing director of the Rakvere meat company, told AFP.

"We have five blood sausage types with different tastes and both in pig and sheep guts. This year we also introduced new type of blood sausage — with pumpkin and pumpkin seeds," she added.

For many rural Estonian families not only eating but also making blood sausage is a Christmas tradition, meaning the actual consumption is likely to be even higher.

"I learned how to make blood sausage from my grandmother and now we're teaching the younger generation how to make it. This year we have had special course at the local cultural centre," said Siina Taal, 72. Making the delicacy is not for the squeamish, however.

"It takes at least a day, the guts of a pig, a litre or a little more of pig blood, meat, pepper, salt, onion," said Taal. Mixed with a grain porridge, that's enough to produce 10 kilos of sausage.

"The first thing is to clean the guts and start making porridge, which takes several hours, usually seven or even more," she explained. "The blood's added at the very end when the porridge is cold enough to be handled. We also add meat and different spices to porridge — every family has its own version.

When the mix is cooled down, the filling of the guts starts." Finally, the sausages are boiled for 15 minutes and are ready to be baked or fried.

"Eating blood sausage is a must in Estonia at Christmas," Taal said. — Afp-Relaxnews

An old favourite, all sparkly and glammed up!

Posted: 21 Dec 2012 04:05 PM PST

The restaurant is a sparkly, glittery gem... breathtaking

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 22 — It was the restaurant where I had my first taste of toro, that exquisite fatty tuna belly; where I had dinner in a private room while the chef sang a Japanese song; where its Sunday buffet lunch was the stuff of legends and used to need a month's advance booking. That was Kampachi at the Hotel Equatorial Kuala Lumpur.

When it closed its doors in March this year, with the hotel slated for demolition and rebuilding, it was greatly missed. Though there is already a Kampachi at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, it was not the same, as it features a more open concept.

Now there is the newly-opened Kampachi at The Troika which is breathtaking from every angle; lights dripping from the magnificent high ceiling and the dramatic backdrop of a Kyoto temple. It's beautiful and elegant. Even the sushi counter draws attention with the textured wooden wall that glows amber in the lighting.

Even the sushi counter looks great in this chic restaurant.

There is an even more dazzling view of the main restaurant when you look down from the upper level where finishing touches are being made to the teppanyaki counter. The whole décor oozes New York chic.

Little wonder then that Kampachi at Troika has been drawing a crowd since it opened on December 10. Executive chef How Yoke Seng is an old familiar face and he holds court here, explaining to us each course of the menu for dinner we were having.

First was the Simmered Eel with Japanese Pepper Sauce, tender and sweet in an intense sauce.

Akagai or red clam in the sashimi platter.

Then I clapped eyes on the toro, thick and pink with marbling, having the pride of place on the Sashimi Okonomi, the chef's selection of raw fish, together with akagai or red clam, scallops, shrimps and squid. It's a feast of the freshest seafood flown in directly from the Tsukiji market in Tokyo.

You can tell from the firm bite of the toro, velvety and exquisite in your mouth. Or the sweetest slivers of akagai that didn't really need any sauce or condiment. It was a sumptuous sashimi platter.

Toro in the sashimi platter... absolute indulgence.

We had a choice of two types of soy sauce for this — a low salt and normal one. I thought the low salt sauce was slightly sweet.

The Ogon Anago Shirayaki or Grilled Deep Sea Conger Pike with Salt was unforgettable. The most delicious aroma trailed the conger pike as it was brought to the table and it had been grilled, just touched with salt.

The pike or eel was firm yet springy to the bite, and lusciously sweet. It was accompanied by sudachi, a Japanese lime. A drop of this very fragrant lime juice, and it perked up the taste of the pike.

Ogon Anago Shirayaki or Deep Sea Conger Pike with Salt.

The Fugu Kara Age or deepfried marinated puffer fish from the Yamaguchi Prefecture, lost out to the conger pike in taste and texture. The perfectly fried fish was a little tough but it got a flavourful lift when eaten with the plump green chillies.

Gyuniku Enoki Maki is a Kampachi signature dish. It's beef rolled with enoki mushrooms and grilled teppanyaki style. The tender beef roll is laced with the juices of the mushrooms. Two sauces were presented with this — ponzu, and a truffle sauce. I liked it with the ponzu.

Chef How worked his magic at the table, with the Ishiyaki Uni Meshi — hot stone pot fried rice with sea urchin, shimeji mushroom, anchovies, flying fish roe, vegetables and egg. He was swift and deft, frying the rice in the super hot stone bowl, adding each of the ingredients. "You have to fry it for five to 10 minutes," said the chef, as he added in the flying fish roe, and then folding in gently the delicate sea urchin at the last.

A special sauce of soya, mirin and bonito had been used in the fried rice. I was totally bowled over by the scrumptious rice that was sticky and sweet, with sparkly bursts of roe contrasting with the creamy, custard-like sea urchin.

The divine Japanese melon.

To end, we had the Japanese rock melon which is always a treat with its impossibly sweet juices, marshmallowy texture and fragrance. It's all you can do to prevent the juices running down your chin. It is so, so good! It's the best and most expensive during winter, at RM75 a slice.

The superb conger pike or anago is also winter bounty.

The cost of our dinner was RM320 per head, but it's worth it for the amazing and fresh ingredients, and the dining experience.

Kampachi is located on the ground floor of The Troika in Jalan Binjai, Kuala Lumpur, Tel: 03-2275 7846.

Kredit: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com

Jumaat, 21 Disember 2012

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

The Malaysian Insider :: Food

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