While most of us were counting down till 4 May when Circuit Breaker measures would be lifted (and for some of us to be finally reunited with McDonald’s), it seems that recent announcements have now altered our plans to 1 June.
Following the Prime Minister’s speech yesterday, not only will the current Circuit Breaker be extended for another four more weeks, but tighter regulations have been imposed with the temporary closure of formerly dubbed essential businesses that also includes standalone F&B outlets who sell only beverages (i.e bubble tea), packaged snacks, confectionery, and desserts.
Though this may be a temporary farewell to some of our daily WFH perk-me-ups, it does not mean that we can’t continue to enjoy a version of these delights at home. Since the start of the global pandemic and lockdown in various parts of the world, there’s been an increase in the release of once-secret recipes from big brands such as McDonald’s, Disney Parks, Pizza Express, and now IKEA to give us an opportunity to replicate their popular dishes while we do our part to combat COVID-19 by observing the mandatory guidelines at home.
We know that the extension of the next few weeks is going to be tough for everyone so to bring a little bit of joy to you (and your stomachs), here are five famous recipes that you can try at home using simple ingredients that you can easily find in the supermarkets!
IKEA’S MEATBALLS
Remember those days when we would travel all the way to IKEA just for their meatballs? Following the United Kingdom’s fourth week of lockdown, IKEA decided to unveil the recipe for their famous meatballs to tide everyone over until they can eventually taste the real dish again. So, even though the SG stores will now be shut till 1 June, it doesn’t mean that we can’t still enjoy the Swedish delight in the comfort of our homes.
INGREDIENTS (FOR MEATBALLS)
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- 500g of minced beef
- 250g of minced pork
- 1 finely chopped onion
- 1 clove of garlic (crushed or minced)
- 100g of breadcrumbs
- 1 egg
- 5 tablespoons of whole milk
- Generous amounts of salt and pepper
INGREDIENTS (FOR CREAM SAUCE)
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- Dash of oil
- 40g of butter
- 40g of plain flour
- 150ml of vegetable stock
- 150ml of beef stock
- 150ml of thick double cream
- 2 teaspoons of soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
INSTRUCTIONS
Step One: Combine beef and pork mince and mix with your fingers to break up any lumps. Add finely chopped onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, egg, and mix. Add milk and season well with generous amounts of salt and pepper.
Step Two: Shape mixture into small, round balls. Place on a clean plate, cover and store it in the fridge for 2 hours. Doing this will help the meatballs hold their shape whilst cooking.
Step Three: In a frying pan, heat oil on medium heat. When it is hot, gently add the meatballs in and make sure that they are brown on all sides.
Step Four: When the meatballs are all brown, add them to an ovenproof dish and keep them covered with an aluminium foil. Place in a hot oven (180°c for conventional or 160°c for fan) and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Step Five: (For the iconic sauce) Melt 40g of butter in a pan. Whisk in 40g of plain flour and stir for 2 minutes. After, add 150ml of vegetable stock and 150ml of beef stock and continue to stir. Add 150ml of thick double cream, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard. Then, bring it to simmer and allow the sauce to thicken.
Step Six: After the meatballs are cooked, you can serve them with potatoes (mashed or boiled) drenched with the iconic cream sauce!
MCDONALD’S SAUSAGE & EGG MCMUFFIN (WITH HASHBROWN)
Since the announcement of McDonald’s temporarily suspending its operations in Singapore until 4 May, a lot of us have been left wondering how we can get our breakfast fix. Even though there are other options for fast-food breakfast, some of us still prefer the taste of a Macs brekkie. Hearing the call of its loyal fans, McDonald’s has released the recipe for its beloved Sausage and Egg McMuffin that can now satisfy our cravings all-day, complete with the hash brown!
INGREDIENTS
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- 2 pieces of English Muffin
- 75g of sausage meat
- 2 eggs
- 1 slice of American cheese
- 1 potato
INSTRUCTIONS
Step One: Season the 75g of sausage meat with a pinch of salt and pepper then shape it into a ball. After, flatten the ball into a patty shape and cook on a pre-heated grill for 6 to 7 minutes on each side (or as per instructions on the packaging if available).
Step Two: Brush the inside of a metal ring with a little oil and place it in a small frying pan. Pour in just enough water to cover the base then bring to boil. Crack 1 egg into the ring, cover the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
Step Three: Toast the 2 slices of English Muffin.
Step Four: Assemble your McMuffin by layering the patty and egg on top of 1 slice of American cheese.
Step Five: (For the hash brown) Grate the potato into a bowl. Mix in 1 egg then season with salt and pepper. Heat some oil in a pan then add in a spoonful of the potato mix. Flatten and cook until it turns golden brown on both sides.
DISNEY PARKS’ DOLE WHIP
Whether you’ve tried this before on your visit to one of the Disneylands, or if this might be your first time hearing about this, the Disney Parks’ Dole Whip is a frozen pineapple treat that we can all appreciate and enjoy in this hot Singapore weather. Shared through the Disneyland App, here’s how you can recreate this popular theme park dessert at home.
INGREDIENTS
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- 1 big scoop of vanilla ice cream
- 4 ounces of pineapple juice
- 2 cups of frozen pineapple
INSTRUCTIONS
Step One: Add all the ingredients into a blender.
Step Two: Blend until it is smooth.
Step Three: To recreate that familiar swirl, take a plastic storage bag and cut a small hole in the corner. Put your blended Dole Whip into the bag and squeeze it out through the hole into your cup or bowl.
PIZZA EXPRESS’ DOUGH BALLS
Early this April, the popular pizza chain shared their recipe (on IG) for the famous dough balls and even though we still can get our Dough Balls fix through the Pizza Express outlets here in Singapore via delivery or takeaway, there’s no harm in recreating our own version at home, especially on days when we just wanna stay in.
INGREDIENTS (FOR TWO PORTIONS)
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- 150ml of warm water (roughly 27°c)
- 1 teaspoon of sugar
- 15g of fresh yeast or 2 level teaspoons of dry yeast
- 225g of plain flour (plus extra for working)
- 1 and a half teaspoons of salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
- 4 teaspoons of butter
- Half a teaspoon of chopped garlic
INSTRUCTIONS
Step One: Add the sugar and crumble the fresh yeast into the warm water. Allow the mixture to stand for 10 to 15 minutes in a warm place until froth develops on the surface.
Step Two: Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and pour the yeast mixture in.
Step Three: Lightly flour your hands, and slowly mix the ingredients together until they bind.
Step Four: Generously dust your kitchen counter surface with flour. Throwdown the dough and begin kneading for 10 minutes until it is smooth, silky and soft. Leave the dough to rest until soft to the touch but not too springy.
Step Five: Preheat oven to 230°c.
Step Six: Then, roll dough into a 1.2m long tube. Chop into 16 chunks and place them in an ovenproof pan. Leave Dough Balls to rest in the pan for 30 minutes. Then, bake in the oven for 6 minutes until golden.
Step Seven: (For the garlic butter) Blend 10ml of olive oil and chopped garlic into a paste. Pour the mix over butter and blend with a spoon.
KFC-INSPIRED FRIED CHICKEN
Though we can still have our favourite KFC fried chicken delivered to our house or picked-up as a takeaway, we also have the option of recreating the dish at home when we want to. While there may not be an official release of the Colonel’s secret recipe just yet, there’s been a couple of inspired recipes with one, in particular, making headlines created by British KFC super-fan Dan Fell, who had supposedly replicated an almost identical tasting dish after 18 months of trial-and-error.
MAIN INGREDIENTS
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- Unseasoned chicken
- Self-raising flour
INGREDIENTS (FOR THE SEASONING)
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- 5 cups of plain flour
- Half a tablespoon of oregano
- Half a tablespoon of thyme
- 1 tablespoon of ginger
- 2 tablespoons of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of mustard powder
- 1 tablespoon of celery salt
- 1 tablespoon of black pepper
- One-third tablespoon of sea salt
- 2 tablespoons of white pepper
- 4 tablespoons of paprika
INGREDIENTS (FOR THE EGG WASH)
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- 1 egg
- Dash of milk
INSTRUCTIONS
Step One: Mix all of the seasoning ingredients together in a bowl.
Step Two: Mix the seasoning and self-raising flour in a 3:1 ratio respectively.
Step Three: Take the chicken (that has been thawed at room temperature) for cooking and give it a light salt seasoning. Coat the chicken in the flour mix, give it a good egg wash, and add another coating of the flour mix.
Step Four: Put the chicken in the fryer which has oil at approximately 163°c for around 5 to 6 minutes. If you’re batch cooking, keep the fried chicken in the oven at 80°c between batches, then fry again for around 90 seconds before serving.
👩🍳 KEEP SAFE, STAY HOME, AND HAPPY COOKING! 👨🍳
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