STIR-FRIED PRAWNS WITH BEANS RECIPE. MORE COOKING TIPS. HOW TO CLEAN AND STORE WHOLE CHICKEN

STIR-FRIED PRAWNS WITH BEANS- a Vietnamese/ Cambodian recipe 

TEN COOKING TIPS 
1-How do you soften hardened bread? Wrap it in a damp towel and pop it in a warm oven for a few minutes. A few seconds in the microwave can "revive" bread 

2-How are baked potatoes cooked so that the skin is hard and yet the inside is soft? Use potatoes of the same size- Rub them first with olive oil to get the crunchy skin, start the oven higher (220C?) and then turn it down to 180 when the skin is harder. 
Use skewer, to check if they are cooked. I bake them at a high temp, 450F, the timing depends on the size of the potatoes and just check with a fork to see if they are tender 

3-If clams aren't spitting out sand are they dead? No. Clams that are dead will open up. Live ones use their muscles to stay shut. This rule works with mussles and oysters too. PS. Cockles will be just the opposite, if open, is definitely alive, if closed, they may still be alive too or dead.

4-What are the functions of egg in cookery? Among other attributes, eggs act as a binding agent as well as a setting agent in many foods from cakes to meatballs. The whites may be beaten to add volume to various dishes such as mousses and meringue. 
Eggs help the food coagulate, coat, glaze, or set the food Eggs are extremely useful just cooked as they are, coming in their own hygenic packaging (their shell), are quick to cook by boiling (soft or hard) frying, poaching, scrambling and as omelet, and also for their dense nutritional value. 

5-What can you use instead of eggs in chocolate chip cookies? You can use whip cream 

6-What signifies a guest is done eating? If a guest is done eating then they should put both their fork and knife together in the middle of the plate. it is common courtesy and good manners. 

7-How many ounces in a cup? In liquid measure: 4 oz equals 1/2 cup. In dry measure: 4 oz (e.g. walnuts) equals 1 cup. Also 16tbsp in a cup.

8-How full can you fill a crock pot? Allow about about one and half or two inches at the top of the crock pot. That allows for the heat to circulate and upon boiling, will not overflow. 
How to soften brown sugar that has hardened like rocks? Place a piece of bread in the box and close it. Leave it there overnight. It will soak out all the fluid that made it hard. ... wiki answers 

10-How to clean and store a whole chicken? After all pin feathers are removed- Evisceration in chicken, (inard) involves the removal of the contents of the body cavity plus the feet and head. Wash and squeeze the heart to force out any remaining blood. Carefully trim away the green gall bladder from the liver. 

Split the gizzard, should do lengthwise and wash away contents, next, peel and discard the lining away.. Clean the chicken body. Personally, i (cooking varieties), will soak it for half hour in water, with 4 tablespoons heap wheat flour added- that guarantees your fowl will not smell foul in the least bit. Rinse when done. To my nose, chicken does have a smell, even if it is so-called fresh. 

There is no need to put tamarind juice as in cleaning fish. If birds are to be frozen, wrap the gizzard, heart and liver with waxed paper and place it inside the body cavity. Spread in some nutmeg to improve taste while in storage. Store in a moisture/vapor proof bag and freeze.. wiki has taught me well.

RECIPE
Here is a simple and very appetizing dish, a Vietnamese/ Cambodian fried prawn recipe, which is not a far variance from ours. I saw this recipe from cookipedia - i tried, but made some slight adjustments to certain ingredients. I like this dish because the prawns were marinated 

PRAWNS STIR-FRY WITH BEANS, galangal and garlic – 

A Vietnamese / Cambodian style dish, serve with rice.

You may substitute galangal with ginger, tho it means a bit inferior in taste. I have reduced the soy sauce by more than half.. too salty since the fish sauce is salty as well. I used green beans instead, they are crispier. I kind of like the ghee for a twist in aroma and taste in stir fried prawns.

To my point of view, the lemon zest, lemon grass, galangal, fish sauce and ghee are base/ superior ingredients for this recipe. They should not be compromised.

Servings for 4

    Ingredients:

3 tbsp vegetable oil or ghee (be original)

4 garlic cloves- peeled and crushed

25 g galangal, (after peeling and grating)

450 g fresh prawns, peeled and deveined

1 medium size onion, peeled and chopped finely

450 g French beans, topped and tailed                            

4 tbsp dark soy sauce

Ingredients for marinade

2 tbsp fish sauce (3 as in original recipe- salty)

Juice of  two limes and zest of one

10 ml (2 teaspoons) jaggery or sugar

2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

1 stalk lemon grass – cut into 3 and crushed

METHOD

MARINADE FOR PRAWNS

1.  Add  fish sauce, lime juice and zest, sugar, garlic and lemon grass and whisk until the sugar has dissolved

2.  Add the prawns and marinade for two hours in the fridge

COOKING

1.  Heat 2 tablespoons of the ghee in a wok and add garlic and galangal.

2.Just as the garlic starts to color, add the prawns.

3.Stir fry until the prawns turn pinkish

4. Tip the prawns and juice into a bowl and set aside

5.Using the same wok, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of ghee and stir fry the onions for 3 minutes or until they color/ wilt.

6 Add the beans and soy sauce plus 2 tbsp water and cook for 3 minutes or so

7.  Tip the prawn mixture back into the wok and heat for a minute or two until the beans are cooked crisp tender

8.  Serve immediately