When i received an invitation to attend a private dining event by Chef Ming Tan of JAM recently, i knew i couldn’t turn it down. A cooking class that is focused on promoting home-cooked dishes that are delicious and easy to re-create by Chef Ming Tan!

How could i say no right? ;)

Chef Ming Tan

Surrounded by lush greenery, Cookyn Inc is just a 10 minutes walk from Queenstown MRT and a short drive from the city. Pity that our tour was done in the dark of the night where no photos would be able to do any justice to this pretty little oasis of serenity. Nevertheless, do check out their site for more information if you are interested!

Dinner was a 3 course meal whipped up by Chef Ming Tan, brought to us by FairPrice Finest.

I believe FairPrice Finest is no stranger to all of us here in Singapore. But for my non-Singaporean readers, FairPrice is basically a supermarket chain with a network of over 230 outlets comprising FairPrice supermarkets, FairPrice Finest, FairPrice Xtra, FairPrice Xpress and Cheers convenience stores, to serve the varied needs of people from all walks of life.

A little about me and FairPrice Finest — Do you know that i’ll actually drive all the way to the nearest FairPrice Finest to shop instead of going to the FairPrice that is within walking distance from my home? FairPrice Finest has everything i need and more! I can browse isle after isle for more than an hour at the branch i frequent and grocery shopping never feels complete if i were to do it elsewhere. I’m so not saying this just because my dinner was paid by FairPrice Finest ok? I’m sure many homemakers and heck, even non-homemakers too will echo my sentiments. :)

Anyway, onto our first course -

Bruschetta with fresh mozzarella and a dash of truffle oil on freshly toasted ciabatta.

Our second course –

Lime-Leaf Mussels with Linguine and a White Wine Sauce

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 bay leaf
1 Sprig of thyme
1 tbsp unsalted butter
1kg mussels
200ml dry white wine
75ml chicken stock
350g dry linguine
Juice of 1 lemon
2 lime leaves, chopped
Salt and Pepper

Steps:
Heat a large pot of lightly salted water, bringing it to a boil. Cook pasta for 7-8 minutes, removing
when al dente.

Combine the onion, sliced garlic, thyme, bay leaf and parsley with the wine in a large covered pot. Add the mussels when steam develops and cover, cooking for 3 minutes whilst stirring occasionally. Add the lime leaves to the pot and cook for a further 3 minutes, seasoning to taste

Remove mussels and set aside. Bring the mussel broth to a boil over high heat for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in tablespoon of butter.

Assemble the mussels over linguine, pour broth over and sprinkle on the parsley leaves. Serve
immediately.

And our third course was Grilled Slipper Lobster with Mornay Sauce — my favourite course for sure! ;)

But before i reveal Chef Ming’s prized recipe for his Grilled Slipper Lobster, here’s a sneak peak on one of the bloggers who DREW instead of taking photos like the rest of us!

SERIOUSLY!?!?!?!

I was loss for words!

And boy, this guy can really draw! (i sneaked behind him and peaked! :P) Amazing i tell you. Maaann, if only i have 10% of his talent!
pssttt : i can’t draw for nuts! just how bad am i? let’s just put it this way. Darcy curses and swears rather loudly and never fails to give me his you-are-really-hopeless-look whenever we play We Doodle on our iPhones! muaaahahhaahahaaa!

Grilled Slipper Lobster with Mornay Sauce

(Serves 2)

Ingredients
2 slipper lobsters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons plain flour
1.5 cups milk
3/4 cup grated cheese
Salt and Pepper
4 lemon wedges

Method
Pre-heated oven @ 150 degrees celcius

Melt the butter in a pan over medium high heat, and add the flour in bit by bit, stirringly well
with a wooden spoon. Once flour is well incorporated, let mixture bubble for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. When the colour of the mixture reaches a pale golden, add the milk to the pan and stir well for 4 minutes. The mixture will thicken considerably upon reaching a boil. Set aside when the mixture coats the back of the wooden spoon well.

Rinse the slipper lobster and cut in half, lengthwise. Pour sauce over the tops of the lobsters, then sprinkle grated cheese over. Place in oven for approximately 15-20 minutes until cheese is golden brown. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

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Thank you Joelle Kong from Siren-Communication and FairPrice Finest for the wonderful evening! :)