P.E. Teacher turns Online Chef

Jointly reported by:
Ng Ting Hui Sr2ScF 16915
Sophia Ng Szu Fei Sr1ScA 17685
Tan Ginny Sr1A 17893

On 5^th of June (Friday), Mr Chong Chao Ming, Teacher of the Physical Education Department conducted an online cooking class via Zoom video platform. There were about 80 participants along with a few teachers. Using his phone, he demonstrated two healthy and delicious breakfast recipes, which were scallion pancakes and poached egg toasts. His son joined the livestream event, too!

Ingredients for scallion pancake
1. 4 cloves of garlic
2. All-purpose flour
3. 3-4 stalks of scallion
4. Sugar
5. Salt
6. Oil

Firstly, mince the garlic. At the same time, heat up some oil corresponding to the amount of garlic. When the oil is fully heated up, fry the garlic till it is golden brown at medium heat. One can chop up scallions as the size of a pinkie while waiting. As soon as it turns golden brown, dim the fire and add flour into the oil. Stir the mixture until it is smooth. “A little water can be added if it’s too lumpy,” he mentioned. Moving on, add the scallions into the mixture with a bit of pepper as a side spice.

Again, heat up the pan and brush some butter on it. When bubbles form, scoop up the mixture with a ladle and pour it on the pan. A mold is not needed to create the perfect circle as it will naturally form when there’s even heat. The trick to cooking a good pancake is decided by its consistency. Therefore, one must pay close attention to prevent overcooking. Mr Chong mentioned that one should flip when there are bubbles in the centre. It will create a beautifully crispy brown surface. Circulate the pan in a clockwise direction and pick it up when the sides are floppy. A good scallion pancake can then be served in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients for poached egg toast
1. Bread
2. Butter
3. Eggs

The 2nd dish he prepared was the poached egg sandwich. Start off by toasting the buttered bread in the microwave and boiling water for the eggs as well. Mr Chong shared his seven-minute technique with us in order to get the perfect poached egg. While waiting for the poached egg, Mr Chong made himself a freshly brewed coffee to serve alongside the poached egg sandwich. The last step was to put the egg on the toasted bread and voila, a perfect poached egg sandwich is ready to serve!

Before he wrapped up the livestream session, Mr Chong recommended the participants to try and cook the dishes themselves as it is fun and easy to prepare. The vegetarian participants were told to private message him for a vegan recipe.