5 Ingredients, an Urban Family series where we sit down with a Shanghai-based chef and ask for a family-friendly meal using 5 Ingredients easily found in Shanghai; let us help you start the week with a simple five-step recipe!
This week we talked to Alexander Bitterling, Executive Chef at The Living Room by Octave, a wellbeing restaurant serving fresh produce sourced from certified organic farms along with their own roof-top garden.
He tells me, "I’m basically spending most of my time cooking, perhaps because I don’t have children yet. From time to time I meets with friends and others in the industry. I am really interested in building relationships with farmers and those who grow produce within China and to collaborate with them at some point. I believe there is so much more to explore while also supporting a future of more traceable and cleaner ingredients.
Two and a half years ago I moved to Shanghai from Thailand, where I had been working in a boutique resort for three years. In total, I have 15-year experience in hotel and resorts, catering and high-end restaurants. I’ve always focussed on the actual cooking and I am still in love with cooking today."
Can you tell me about the dish you are helping us prepare this week?
We will be making a steamed egg white dish, which is very simple and fun. Eggs are a really great product and their varieties are endless. It is definitely a change from the everyday omelette or egg dish and can be easily made with seasonal ingredients, or even beans.
What five ingredients do we need?
2 egg whites
25 grams shallots
60 grams mushrooms
1 tablespoon vinegar
1 teaspoon honey
Additional seasoning: Salt, pepper, thyme, spring onions
What is the five-step recipe?
1. Clean and cut the shallots and mushrooms and sear together in a small pan with olive oil.
2. Season the shallots and mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper, then add the vinegar and four tablespoons of stock or water.
3. Allow to cook for one minute and add the honey, a little fresh thyme and spring onions. Then, place everything into a bowl.
4. Whisk the eggs until stiff, then place over the mushroom mix and steam for seven minutes in a bamboo steamer.
5. Remove the bowl carefully and sprinkle salt on top, as well as a few fresh seasonal herbs. Enjoy!
What’s your advice on your dish of the week?
Make sure you buy great eggs and be careful not to over whisk the egg whites. You can be creative with the filling ingredients at the bottom, use what you have in the fridge. Finally, this dish is best eaten while still warm.
Tell us something that’s happening with your business at the moment that our Urban Family community can enjoy.
The Living Room by Octave is a well-being center which offers classes and family focused activities in our Family Learning Center with day care. Parents can enjoy themselves while their children play during our weekend brunch at Thought For Food and during summer we will bring back our courtyard BBQ and other exciting activities.
See listing for Thought For Food and The Living Room
For more 5 Ingredients recipes, click here.
