Putien’s Winter Menu

Maureen
Maureen
December 24, 2012

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When the weather turns cool and breezy, it’s time to turn to comforting dishes that gives you warmth. With focus on humble ingredients best consumed this winter, such as mushrooms, spinach and bamboo shoots, PUTIEN’s chefs have designed a winter menu to evoke the feelings of the season.

Picture above is a complimentary winter appetizer that will be given to every table when you dine there, regardless if you are having the winter menu. The cauliflower, green chilli and carrots are marinated with vinegar and sugar overnight, which gives a refreshing start to the meal.

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Mushroom Pork Rib Soup ($20.90 Small, $31.90 Big)

Large pork bones are boiled in a large pot for hours in order to extract maximum flavour for its stock base. Comprising of over 6 different types of fresh mushrooms (not dried ones) such as golden mushrooms, shitake mushrooms, button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms etc, the soup is light on the palate – boasting well-balanced flavours, without the sweetness of the mushrooms overpowering the soup.

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Pine Nuts with Spinach ($6.90)

The winter in China can be extremely cold and spinach is the only leafy green vegetable that can survive the harsh winter. Plus, it is highly nutritious and extremely rich in antioxidants when eaten fresh or steamed. Hence, families in China will rely heavily on spinach to create different dishes.

At Putien, the spinach is steamed and lightly tossed with soy sauce and pine nuts to create a very healthy dish. Pine nuts are nutritional powerhouses – an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. The combination of these two ingredients make a perfect winter appetizer.

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Crystal Pig’s Trotters ($7.90)

Pork trotters are stewed for over 4 hours to turn the collagen into gelatine. NO artificial gelatine is used. Served chilled, the meat is tender and smooth.

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Braised Bamboo Shoots with Eryngii Mushroom ($16.90 Small, $25.90 Big)

In Putian, the beginning of winter is also harvesting season for winter bamboo shoots. Untouched by pollution and chemical fertilisers, these shoots are highly sought-after winter delicacies.

January and February are the best months to savour the shoots. Said to help decrease fat absorption, winter bamboo shoots are particularly appropriate during the Lunar New Year period – bringing balance at a time of continuous feasting and rich foods.

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Mutton with Radish Claypot ($19.90 Small, $29.90 Big)

In northern China, where the winters get bitterly cold, mutton hot pot has become a cold-season favorite for its hearty taste and warming properties. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, mutton is an excellent food for warding off the cold and keeping warm. Not only does it keep you cozy, it also replenishes nutritious energy and helps improve circulation. In Inner Mongolia, it’s an old tradition for new mothers to eat mutton soup to recover from childbirth.

White radish cooked wit mutton is a dish favoured in Putien during winter. To get rid of the mutton stench, the chefs marinated the meat with herbs and rice wine. Its light and creamy texture is delicately balanced. The meat texture is juicy, tender and flavourful!

Oh, I really love the white radish because it is very tasty. The chef also shared with us a cooking tip for white radish. To make white radish cook faster and look more white, cook the radish with rice!

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Purple Sweet Potato with Pumpkin Cream ($4.90)

In order to improve the chef’s culinary skills, the chefs from every Putien outlet pit their skills against each other every month. And Purple Sweet Potato with Pumpkin Cream is a winning entry from the chef in RWS Putien outlet and hence it is in the Winter menu.

Rich in flavor, the Purple Sweet Potato is packed with nutritional benefits – rich in vitamins and antioxidants. The smooth and delicate texture of the Purple Sweet Potato is further enlivened with Pumpkin Cream. It is served hot but I prefer it to be serve cold so that the Pumpkin cream won’t be too overpowering.

The winter menu is from now till 28 February 2013, at all PUTIEN’s outlets.

PUTIEN @ Kitchener Road
Address: 127 Kitchener Road
Tel: (+65) 6295 6358
Opening hours: Lunch 11.30am-3pm, Dinner 5.30pm-11pm