Yam ring basket adds colour to your festive feast
Yam ring basket is a delightful old-fashioned dish that can easily be a colourful and impressive centrepiece.
Given how hectic preparing festive foods can be, I find it more economical and easier to get a store-bought yam ring.
I used to deep-fry the yam ring in a wok of oil.
This time, upon the suggestion of the yam ring retailer, I used an air fryer.
You do not need to use any added oil as the yam ring itself has already been fried. All you need to do is heat the yam ring until it is hot and crispy.
Air-fry the yam ring at 170 deg C for 15 to 20 minutes.
Do not defrost it. If you do, the yam ring will get moist from condensation and will not crisp up.
I chose to have a seafood filling of scallops and prawns.
Use store-bought baked cashew nuts for added convenience and lesser oil.
Dried bean vermicelli is the only ingredient you need to deep-fry.
INGREDIENTS
- 8 medium-sized prawns (200g) — remove shell, leave head and tail
- 6 scallops (180g)
- ¼ tsp sugar
- 1½ tsp cornflour
- 1 frozen store-bought yam ring (220g)
- 100ml cooking oil
- 60g Thai dried bean vermicelli
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- 3 garlic cloves (25g), chopped
- 1 red onion (100g), sectioned
- 2 stalks celery, lightly peeled, sliced diagonally into 2cm-thick pieces
- 1 red bell pepper (120g), diced
- 2½ tbsp oyster sauce
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 tbsp light soya sauce
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 150ml chicken stock
- Dash of white pepper
- 50g baked cashew nuts
METHOD
1. Place prawns and scallops in bowl. Add sugar and cornflour. Mix. Place in fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.
2. Place yam ring into air fryer immediately after removing from the freezer. Air-fry at 170 deg C for 15 to 20 minutes until crispy.
3. Heat 100ml of oil in wok over medium heat.
4. Divide the dried bean vermicelli into four bunches. Place one bunch of vermicelli into the hot oil. It will puff up. Make sure entire length of each strand of vermicelli is puffed up. Fry one bunch at a time.
5. Place fried vermicelli on kitchen towel to drain off excess oil and place on serving plate.
6. Once yam ring is cooked, place on top of vermicelli. Take some vermicelli and place these inside the yam ring.
7. In clean wok, heat 3 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
8. Add onion, fry for 30 seconds. Add celery and red bell pepper. Fry for 30 seconds. Add oyster sauce, sugar and light soya sauce.
9. Mix cornflour with 150ml of stock and pour into wok.
10. Season with white pepper.
11. Stir-fry for 2 minutes until prawns and scallops are cooked.
12. Add in cashew nuts and stir-fry for 20 seconds. Turn heat off.
13. Spoon seafood mixture into and around yam ring.
14. Serve immediately.
Watch this space for more festive recipes in the coming weeks. Follow Hed Chef @hedchefhedykhoo on Instagram for more culinary adventures
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