A Day In Hong Kong by ArChan Chan
A Day in Hong Kong by ArChan Chan is a culinary journey through one of the world’s most vibrant cities—full of iconic dishes to create at home.
Photography: Alana Dimou
Dan taat (egg tarts) from A Day In Hong Kong.
A Day In Hong Kong captures the flavours of Hong Kong at home with 70 recipes and insider tips on where to find the best local eats.
A Day In Hong Kong by ArChan Chan is out now.
Steamed scallops with glass noodles from A Day In Hong Kong.
Hong Kong-born chef ArChan Chan adopted her love for food from a young age, watching her grandmother prepare each meal bursting with flavours and most importantly a desire to nurture, connect and share precious moments with her family over food. After relocating to Melbourne, ArChan worked in the kitchens of the city's most iconic restaurants, before being appointed head chef at Ricky & Pinky. Today, she i heading the kitchen at Singapore’s LeVeL 33.
ArChan’s new cookbook, A Day In Hong Kong, is a culinary journey through one of the world’s most vibrant cities— a destination that’s bursting at the seams with incredible food and the people who love to eat it. Experience the city through its most iconic dishes, then recreate your favourites at home.
A Day In Hong Kong includes 70 recipes and insider tips on where to find the best local eats. From bustling wet markets to fine-dining restaurants, the book takes you on a culinary adventure from breakfast through to dinner, showcasing the diverse tastes and ingredients of Chinese cuisine. Start the day with a traditional Hong Kong breakfast: congee (rice porridge) and yau cha kwai (oil fried bread sticks). As the day progresses, street eat recipes include Sichuan-style chao shou (wontons), fresh and steaming har gow dim sum (steamed shrimp dumplings), and ngau lam mein (beef brisket noodles).
Below we share a recipe from the new cookbook: Dan taat—egg tarts.
This is an edited extract from A Day In Hong Kong by Archan Chan—published by Smith Street Books. Purchase the book online now here.
Char siu (barbecued pork) from A Day In Hong Kong.
A Day In Hong Kong is the ultimate book for food and travel enthusiasts alike.
DAAN TAAT–Egg Tarts
Egg tarts are a Western-influenced Cantonese dessert, which was first introduced into Hong Kong in the 1940s by chefs from Guangzhou, in southern China. Unlike the English or Portuguese custard tarts, this Cantonese pastry is traditionally made with lard rather than butter. The tart is filled with a soft, rich egg custard and can be made with two types of crusts: a flaky puff pastry crust or shortcrust pastry. The shortcrust is a little easier to make, so that’s what I’ve done here, but each version has its own group of fans.
Makes 14
INGREDIENTS
75 g (2¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
250 ml (1 cup) hot water
3 large eggs (and by this I mean 70 g/2½ oz eggs), at room temperature
125 ml (½ cup) evaporated milk
½ teaspoon natural vanilla extract
Shortcrust pastry
60 g (2 oz) icing (confectioners’)
sugar
135 g (5 oz) unsalted butter,
at room temperature
15 g (½ oz) beaten egg
200 g (1⅓ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus extra for dusting
2½ tablespoons milk powder
METHOD
Lightly grease sixteen 5 cm (2 in) round tart tins.
To make the pastry, place the icing sugar and butter in a mixing bowl. Using your fingertips, rub the sugar into the butter. Work in the egg, followed by the flour and milk powder until the mixture is just combined (try not to overwork the dough). Wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 5 minutes in the fridge.
Roll out the dough into a cylinder shape on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into sixteen pieces (about 25 g/1 oz per piece), roll each piece into a ball and gently press out into 7 cm (2¾ in) rounds. Press the rounds into the prepared tins, pushing the dough slightly higher than the top edge. Place the tins on a tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Place the sugar in a heatproof bowl, add the hot water and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool completely. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, evaporated milk and vanilla – you just want to loosen the egg here so don’t whisk too vigorously. Pour in the cooled sugar mixture and stir to combine, then gently strain through a fine sieve to get rid of any air bubbles.
Pour the custard into the tart shells until they are four-fifths full. Immediately place the tarts in the lower part of the oven (to help the pastry and custard cook at the same time) and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180°C (350°F) and cook for another 5–10 minutes, until the filling is just set. Serve warm.
The tarts are best eaten on the day they’re made, but can be stored in an airtight container and eaten the next day.