The Wee Kim Wee Challenge 2020

The Origins of The Wee Kim Wee Challenge

President Wee Kim Wee was the 4th President of the Republic of Singapore from 1985 to 1993. Mrs Wee Kim Wee was Patron for Girl Guides Singapore for as long as Mr Wee was President. He was also the Chief Scout for the Singapore Scouts Association for the same period. Before that, he worked as a journalist from 1945 to 1973 before he was offered the post of High Commissioner of Singapore to Malaysia by the government. He then served as Ambassador to Japan in September 1980 and also as Ambassador to South Korea in February 1981 before returning to Singapore in April 1984 and took up the position of Chairman of the Singapore Broadcasting Corporation. The Wee Kim Wee Challenge Shield was presented to Girl Guides Singapore by the late President Wee Kim Wee at the end of his term in office as President but the Shield had remained dormant for several years.

In 2007, with the blessings of Girl Guides Singapore’s Executive Committee and Council, the Guide Branch Commissioner revived the Challenge for Guide units to showcase their culinary skills. To make the Challenge even more interesting participants were encouraged to do an oral presentation on the dishes they had prepared, cooked and served. Thus, in this way the focus of the Challenge is on Mrs Wee’s culinary skills and President Wee’s journalistic background.

The Wee Kim Wee Challenge takes place once in every two years making it possible for the Champion Guide unit to hold on to the Challenge Shield for 2 years. Thereafter, the name of their school will be engraved on the Shield and the Champion school of the subsequent Challenge will keep the Shield for two years. In addition to the Challenge Shield, the Champion school will also be awarded the Crystal Plaque presented to them together with the Challenge Shield. There are a total of 4 winners – 1st, 2nd,3rd and 4th placing.

Theme for 2020

This year, the theme for the Challenge is Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity.

Important Information Date (Day) Time Hosting Venue Program 15 / 16 Oct (Thurs / Fri) 8.30am – 12.30pm Guide Headquarters Preliminary Round OR 1.00pm – 5.00pm 31 Oct (Saturday) 8:30 am to 1:00 pm Guide Headquarters Final Round

Each team consists of three Secondary 2 or 3 Guides. Each Company can send a maximum of one team.

A Guider must accompany the competing team in the respective Rounds.

For the preliminary round, Units will be split according to Divisions after registration closes. The Units will be informed of finalized time slot closer to the event date.

All teams who were not selected to the Final Round are invited to observe the Final Round so as to learn from the other teams.

The cost of participation is $10 per team.

1 Preliminary Round

Overview

Participants will be required to prepare and cook 1 of the 6 pre-selected recipes chosen from Mrs Wee Kim Wee’s Cookbook “Cooking for the President”. These pre-selected recipes can be found in Annex 1.

Participants are to study the recipes closely and pick one to prepare at the Preliminary Rounds. In line with the Challenge’s theme, Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity, participants will be required to provide a ‘twist’ to the recipe to make it their own unique dish. In doing so, the essence of the original recipe should not be changed.

Participants are given exactly ONE hour to cook their chosen dish.

If you wish to enhance your prepared dish, participants may choose to bring along no more than two pre-prepared dishes to complete your meal or place a menu card to show the judges the dish that you intend to include in your meal. The pre-prepared dishes may be prepared a day in advance or bought over the counter. The whole meal should be enough for 2 persons.

One participant will stand beside their dish and be able to answer questions (if any) posed by the judges.

The judging criteria will include hygienic method of preparation, general cleanliness, taste, presentation style, linkage to the theme and thrift in the use of ingredients (no wastage of raw materials, e.g., throwing away of half used carrot, onions etc)

Participants are required to prepare an A4-size write up on the interpretation of the recipe that they have chosen. This is to be placed by the side of the dish that they have prepared. There will be no oral presentation at the Preliminary Round, thus the write-up must be clear and concise. A template can be found in Annex 2.

An expenditure list should also be presented next to the dish to demonstrate that the team had been thrifty.

Rules of the Challenge 1. Each Unit can send a team of three Secondary 2 or 3 Guides to take part in the competition. The Preliminary and Final Round shall consist of the same 3 team members. 2. All Guides are in Half Guide Uniform with apron, trimmed nails and hair net/chef’s hat. 3. No additional time will be given for latecomers. 4. All teams are to practice 3 pails method (Annex 4) for clean up as to ensure no water wastage. Teams are expected to bring their own logistics for this method. 5. Zero food waste practice is emphasised and all teams shall strive towards minimising wastage. 6. All utensils / ingredients prepared must be halal. 7. The dish prepared must enough for at least 2 people. 8. All preparation e.g. cutting, cooking and peeling must be completed within the competition hour except ingredients to be blended. Ingredients to be blended/pounded/grounded can be done before the start of the competition. 9. For recipes with alcohol, participants should exclude alcohol from their recipe. 10. All ingredients that need to be soaked can be brought to the competition, pre-soaked. 11. Judges’ decision is final.

2 12. Qualifying teams for the Final Round will be notified via email by end of June 2020.

Things to prepare and brought to the venue

No. Things Description 1. Portable stoves Maximum of 2 portable stoves can be used at one time per team. Schools can make their own arrangement to borrow the stoves from HQ prior to the competition. The loan is on a first-come-first-serve basis.

2. Gas Canisters Each team is to ensure that there is sufficient gas refill.

3. Raw ingredients All preparation e.g. cutting, cooking and peeling must be completed within the competition hour except ingredients to be blended. Ingredients to be blended can be done before the start of the competition. All ingredients used must be halal.

4. Cutlery and Each team is to prepare their own cutlery and utensils needed for the Utensils competition. All cutlery and utensils must be halal.

5. Sponges/wipe cloth Each team is to practice the 3 pail method (Annex 4) for cleaning their and 3 pails own equipment.

6. A piece of A4 paper Within 500 words or less, describe with a short • how the dish is related to the WKW’s Challenge theme of description about Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity the dish [Annex 2] • the cooking method used in the dish

7. Expenditure list Complete the Expenditure List prior to the competition and submit this [Annex 3] with the Item 6.

This is the proof of thrift as each team should spend less than $20. This excludes condiments and garnishes.

3 Annex 1

CHICKEN FRITTERS | ENG HWA’s LEMON-ORANGE CHICKEN FRITTERS

The Filling • 500 g chicken meat, cut along the grain 2.5 cm x 2.5 cm thick x 3 cm long • ½ tsp salt • ½ tsp white pepper • 1 tsp light soya sauce

Sauce • Zests of 1 small lemon and 1 small orange, blanch in hot water • 60 g Chinese brown cane sugar brick or soft brown sugar • 20 g sugar • 3 cm kayu manis (cinnamon bark) • 60 ml water • 30 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice • 120 ml freshly squeezed orange juice • 120 ml freshly squeezed orange juice • 2 tsp Cognac (brandy) • ¼ tsp salt • 1 tbsp sweet potato flour, mix with 120 ml water and strain

Batter • 160 g self-raising flour • 40 g rice flour • ¼ tsp fine salt • ¼ tsp black pepper • 2 egg whites • 240 ml water

• Oil for deep frying

Method 1. Season the chicken for 30 minutes with the salt, pepper and soya sauce. 2. Make the sauce by simmering the lemon and orange zests, sugars, cinnamon bark and water in a saucepan over medium-low heat for 5 minutes until the sugars are dissolved and the zests are tender. Add the lemon and orange juices, brandy and salt, and simmer for 1 minute. Add the sweet potato flour mixture and stir until the sauce becomes clear and semi-liquid, but not stodgy. Turn off the heat and set aside. 3. Make the fritters by mixing the batter ingredients and strain. Lightly coat each piece of chicken with the batter. Deep-fry in small batches until nicely golden brown. 4. Serve the fritters freshly fried and evenly coated with the sauce.

4 SOK HIONG’s BUNGAH PEKKAK TOW EU KWAY | STAR ANISE SOYA SAUCE CHICKEN

The Filling • 1.5 kg chicken, cut 12 meaty pieces and the rest into 10. • 2 tsp sugar • 2 tsp white pepper • 1½ tsp thick dark soya sauce • 2 tbsp light soya sauce • 1 tsp salt

• 80 ml oil • 4 large bungah pekkak (star anise) • 120 ml water • 20 g garlic, peel and pound very finely • 2 tsp tapioca flour, mix with 2 tbsp water

• 1 cucumber, peel and cut 6 lengthwise grooves, then crosswise 3 mm thick • 2 red tomatoes, cut crosswise 4 mm thick

Method 1. Season the chicken for 30 minutes with the sugar, pepper, soya sauces and salt. 2. Fry the star anise in hot oil in a wok over high heat 5 seconds. Fry the chicken and its seasoning over medium-low heat about 10 minutes until semi-dry and intensely aromatic, taking care not to burn. Add the water, cover the wok and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until tender and the flavours develop, then push aside the chicken. Add the garlic to the remaining liquid and oil in the wok and stir few seconds. Add the tapioca flour mixture and stir 5 minutes until the sauce thickens a little and oil appears. 3. Serve the chicken hot or at room temperature with hot rice. Decorate the serving plate with the cucumbers and tomatoes. salt, pepper and soya sauce.

5 NONYA LAKSA | NONYA RICE VERMICELLI IN SPICY COCONUT MILK

Chilli Tumbok • 200 g large and small red chillies • ¼ tsp salt

Sambal Chilli • 120 ml oil • Cut into small pieces and pound very finely in this order: • 100 g small red onions • 50 g dried red chillies, soften in hot water • 1 ¼ tsp blachan powder • Salt to taste

Gravy • 360 ml oil • 6 stalks seray (lemon grass), crush the bulb and tender stem

Rempah Kuning • Cut into small pieces and pound very finely in this order: • 35 g buah keras (candlenut) • 200 g lengkuas (galangal), peel and grate • 30 g kunyit (turmeric), scrape off (kerake) the skin • 15 g dried red chillies, soak in hot water to soften • 90 g large red chillies • 300 g small red onions, peel

• 2 tbsp blachan powder • 15 g ketumbar (coriander seeds), prepare freshly ground powder • 175 g dried prawns, wash, drain and pound very finely • 200 g cooked fish meat, obtained from 350 g fresh parang or tenggiri, steamed and deboned • 500 ml prawn stock • 500 ml reserved fishcake-fishball liquid • 3½ coconuts, grate and squeeze for 840 ml 1st coconut milk and 3 litres 2nd coconut milk • 2 tbsp salt, adjust to taste

Noodles • 500 g beansprouts, discard the roots, blanch, refresh in cold water and drain • 2 kg tam chor bee hoon (fresh coarse rice vermicelli) or mix with mee tai bak (fresh rice drops) • 350 g uncooked fishcakes (hee piah), boil and cut into strips 5 mm thick. Reserve the fishcake liquid. • 350 uncooked fishballs (hee uan), boil and cut each in half. Reserve the fishball liquid. • 1 kg small raw prawns devein, boil with salt and shell. Cut in half vertically, if large. Reserve the heads and shells for the prawn stock.

6 Garnish • 1 large cucumber, peel and cut into strips 1.5 mm thick strips • 40 sprigs daun kesom (laksa leaves), pick the leaves, roll and cut (iris) 1mm thick

Method 1. Prepare the Chilli Tumbok by pounding the chillies and salt into a fine paste with a mortar and pestle. Do not machine grind. Set aside. 2. Prepare the sambal chilli by frying the rempah in hot oil in a wok over medium-low to low heat until aromatic. Add the blachan powder and salt, and fry until semi-dry and aromatic. Set aside. 3. Prepare the gravy by frying the seray in hot oil in a wok 10 seconds over high heat. Add the rempah kuning and fry over medium-low to low heat until light brown and aromatic. Add the blachan powder and fry few seconds. Add the ketumbar and fry until aromatic. Add the dried prawns and fry until aromatic, then push aside. Add the fish meat and fry over low heat for 2 minutes. 4. Simmer the fried ingredients for 15 minutes in a stockpot with the prawn stock, fishcake- fishball liquid, and 2nd coconut milk. Add the 1st coconut milk and bring to boil. Add the salt and turn off the heat. 5. Bathe the fishcakes and fishballs with the hot gravy to absorb the gravy flavor. Drain and set aside. 6. Assemble to serve by heating up (but do not boil) the gravy. For 1 serving, put 1 tablespoon beansprouts and 100 g rice vermicelli or mix with rice drops in a bowl. Bathe twice with the hot gravy, draining it back into the stockpot. Ladle in some hot gravy to barely cover the surface of the vermicelli. Top with 6 strips fishcake, 3 pieces fishballs and 3 pieces prawns. Garnish with cucumber strips and 2 teaspoons daun kesom, in that order. 7. Serve the laksa immediately, as a one-dish meal, accompanied by chilli tumbok and sambal chilli.

7 SATAY AYAM GORENG REMPAH TITEK | SPICY COCONUT MILK FRIED CHICKEN

• 300 ml oil • 2 stalks seray (lemon grass), crush the bulb and tender stem

Rempah Titek • Cut into small pieces and pound very finely in this order: • 20 g buah keras (candlenut) • 4 g dried red chillies, soften in hot water • 30 g large red chillies • 140 small red onions, peel

• 1 tsp blachan powder • 700 g chicken meat, cut 18 pieces. Or use 1.5 kg whole chicken, cutting 18 meaty pieces and the rest into 8. • ¼ coconut, grate and squeeze for 60 ml 1st coconut milk and 60 ml 2nd coconut milk. If using whole chicken, use 180 ml more 2nd coconut milk. • ½ tsp sugar • ½ tsp salt • ½ tsp freshly ground ketumbar (coriander) powder

Method 1. Fry the seray in hot oil in a wok over high heat for 10 seconds. Add the rempah and fry over medium-low to low heat until semi-dry, light golden and aromatic. Add the blachan powder and fry few seconds. Add the chicken and fry over medium to low heat until intensely aromatic and the rempah turns golden. Avoid over-frying the rempah or the dish will look pale brown (birat). Add the 2nd coconut milk and fry until the chicken is just tender, adding a few tablespoons water, if dry. Add the sugar, salt and ketumbar and fry few seconds. Add the 1st coconut milk and fry few seconds. 2. Serve the chicken hot or at room temperature with hot rice, accompanied by sambal nanas.

8 CHAP CHAI | NONYA CHOP SUEY

• 1/3 cup oil • 40 g garlic, peel and pound semi-finely • 20 g light brown towchew paste (Chinese preserved soya bean paste) • 150 g belly pork (sam chan bak), simmer in water with some salt until just cooked. When cool, cut lengthwise 1.5 cm wide and crosswise 6 mm thick. Reserve the pork liquid. • ½ tsp salt • 1 tbsp light soya sauce • ½ tsp dark soya sauce • 1 tsp sugar • 50 g small raw prawns, shell and devein. Reserve the heads and shells for the prawn stock • 60 ml prawn stock • 240 ml reserved pork liquid • 240 ml reserved mushroom water • 500 ml water • 20 g medium-size dried Chinese black mushrooms, wash and soften in water. Snip off the stems, then cut in half. Reserve the mushroom water. • 30 g kiam tek ark kee (dried savoury beancurd stick), snap 5 cm long and soften in water • 1 large towkwa (firm beancurd cake), cut into triangular halves, then cut 8 wedges each and deep-fry till golden • 3 towkwa pok (fried beancurd puff), scald in hot water and squeeze between 2 plates. Cut 6 rectangles each • 500 g cabbage, shave the rib to thin out, cut in half along the rib and tear into pieces 4.5 cm x 6 cm • 100 g carrots, peel and cut 6 lengthwise grooves, then cut diagonally 4 mm thick (or cut flower patterns) • 40 g kim cham (dried tiger lilybuds), snip off the hard ends, tie every 2 strands into a knot, rinse and drain • 50 g tee tek ark kee (dried sweet beancurd wafer), wipe, cut 2.5 cm wide and deep-fry over moderate heat until light brown and blisters appear, but not crispy • 25 g bok jee (dried Chinese black fungus), soften in water and snip off the hard bits

Method 1. Fry the garlic in hot oil in a wok over low heat until light golden and aromatic. Add the towchew and fry 5 minutes over low heat until aromatic. Add the pork and fry 5 minutes until aromatic. Add the salt, light soya sauce, dark soya sauce and sugar and fry few seconds then push aside. Add the prawns and fry few seconds over high heat to cook through. Add the prawn stock, pork liquid, mushroom water and water. Bring to boil. 2. Add and simmer the main ingredients in the liquid in this order, to ensure that none are over-cooked: mushrooms, kiam tek ark kee, towkwa,towkwa pok, cabbage, carrots, kim cham, tee tek arkkee and bok jee. Turn off the heat and steep the cooked ingredients in the liquid for 1 hour. 3. Serve the dish hot with hot rice. Sambal blachan with lehmoh kerturi is the classic accompaniment.

9 TEMPERA AYAM | CHICKEN IN SWEET VINEGARY SOYA SAUCE

• 1.5 kg chicken, cut 14 meaty pieces and the rest in 10 • 1½ tsp thick dark soya sauce • 4 tbsp light soya sauce • 4½ tbsp Chinese rice vinegar • 2½ tbsp sugar • 120 ml oil • 250 g large red onions, peel and cut in half lengthwise, then crosswise 8 mm thick • 2 large red chillies, cut diagonally 4 mm thick • 2 large green chillies, cut diagonally 4 mm thick • 120 ml water • 200 g red tomatoes, cut each vertically into 4 wedges

Method 1. Season the chicken for 30 minutes with the soya sauces, vinegar and sugar. 2. Fry the onions in hot oil in a wok over medium-low heat until light brown and aromatic. Add the chicken and its seasoning and fry about 10 minutes over low heat until semi-dry and intensely aromatic, taking care not to burn. Add the chillies and fry few seconds. Add the water, cover the wok and simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally until tender and the flavours are developed, with some sauce remaining in the wok. Add the tomatoes and simmer 1 minute. The sauce should not be thin and watery, but full-bodied. 3. Serve the chicken hot or at room temperature with hot rice.

10 Annex 2

Girl Guides Singapore Wee Kim Wee Challenge Shield 2020

Expenditure List

No. Item Amount spent ( $ )

Total $

11 Annex 3 Girl Guides Singapore Wee Kim Wee Challenge 2020

Name of Guide Unit: ______

Description of Dish

Name of the dish:

Brief description of the dish with cooking method(s) and how it links to the theme Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity.

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Annex 4 Girl Guides Singapore Wee Kim Wee Challenge 2020

3 – Pail Method

Before starting, Guide should ensure that the food particles is cleared cleanly from the utensils/dish/pot/container. Food particles should be disposed into a trash bag.

Set up three pails side-by-side.

First Pail: Fill the pail ¼ with warm water and a few drops of detergent. Start with the cleanest dish/utensil/pot/container and then progress to the dirtiest dish/utensil/pot/container last. Pots and pans are generally kept to the last. Once the item is entirely clean, shake off any excess detergent back into the pail and proceed to the next step.

Second Pail: Fill the pail halfway with hot water. Use a cup or bowl to pour water over the dish/utensil/pot/container within the pail.

Third Pail: Put the rinsed dishes in the third pail for a full minute fully submerged in the pail filled ¼ with warm water and a few drops of sanitizing agent. Pots and pans go through this step by pouring the solution in them and swishing it around to sanitize the entire inside of the pot. Towel dry the item.

How to dispose of the dishwater: Strain the dirty water using a kitchen strainer to remove as many food particles as possible and put the food particles in a trash bag. The dish water should then be appropriately disposed.

https://www.freshoffthegrid.com/washing-dishes-while-camping

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