Rinse the rice, soak in water for about 10 minutes, then drain well. Heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the rice and stir constantly until evenly dark golden brown and very fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool. Grind finely using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, then sift through a fine mesh strainer to remove any large pieces. Set aside. Thinly slice the shallots lengthwise. Finely chop the galangal, pickled scallion heads, chili peppers, and bitter orange zest. Coarsely grind the roasted peanuts. Heat a frying pan over low heat, add shredded coconut, and toast, stirring, for 2–3 minutes. Set aside. In a large bowl, combine lime juice, bitter orange juice, palm sugar, pickled scallion brine, and fish sauce. Stir until fully dissolved and well mixed. In a mixing bowl, combine dried shrimp, toasted coconut, chopped aromatics, and dressing. Mix well. Add roasted rice powder and stir again. Top with coarsely ground roasted peanuts. Place the salad on a large plate. Let each guest spoon a little onto their own small plate, wrap in leafy greens with vegetables, and enjoy in bite-size portions. For a vegetarian version, omit the dried shrimp and fish sauce. Season to taste with soy sauce and a pinch of sea salt, keeping the sweet-sour balance.
If you are using rohu fish it will usually be frozen. Soak it in cold water for 30-45 minutes to defrost and while still a little firm, descale and cut each steak into quarters and wash in cold saltwater a few times. Drain and set aside. If using an alternative such as cod, cut into 2 ½ inch chunks then rinse, drain and set aside 2 Top and tail the daikon and peel using a potato peeler. Cut in half widthways then cut each half down the middle, lengthways. Now slice into 2cm-thick half-moon pieces. Rinse and set aside 3 Place a large, shallow saucepan over a medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot add the crushed garlic and stir for a minute until pale golden 4 Add the onion paste and salt and cook for 3-5 minutes, until the onion softens and becomes translucent, stirring occasionally 5 Pour in 200ml of water then cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice 6 After 10 minutes add the ground spices and stir for a couple of minutes so that the spices cook through. Cover and cook for 5 minutes over a low heat then stir in the daikon. After a minute or so add 200ml of water. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat 7 Add the fish pieces to the pan and mix thoroughly so that the fish is coated in the spices. Gently shake the pan and cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. It is very important not to stir the pot after this stage 8 Meanwhile, boil some water. After the 5 minutes are over carefully pour 500ml hot water into the pan. When doing this pour into the sides of the pan so that you don’t pour boiling water directly onto the fish 9 Give the pan a gentle shake then cover and simmer over high heat for 15 minutes. Add the chopped coriander and chillies and continue cooking for another 5 minutes then turn off the heat. Serve immediately with rice and the lime wedges
step 1 Make the filling by placing the onion, ginger, garlic, chilli, and some salt into food processor. Purée until smooth. Heat the oil in a frying pan and pour the purée into it. Fry for 5 mins or until cooked through. Add the prawns, tomatoes and chopped coriander. Squeeze in the lime and add salt to taste. Cook for 3 mins, or until the prawns have cooked through. Remove from the heat. step 2 Drain and rinse the black-eyed peas. Pour into a food processor with the garlic and chili. Purée until smooth. Scrape into a bowl and add the onion, flour, salt, chilli powder and baking powder. Mix and roll into 16 balls. step 3 Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Heat 8cm of the palm or vegetable oil in a wok or small heavy pan. When a small piece of bread sizzles, drop 4-5 balls into the oil. Fry until golden and crisp, about 4-5 mins. Drain on kitchen paper and repeat until they are all finished. You can keep them warm in the oven while you finish. Slice the fritters open down the centre and spoon the prawn filling in. Serve with hot sauce.
Conch Stew Cooking Directions Clean conch meat and pound to tenderize. Boil conch for 2 - 3 hours or until tender. Make Sea Pie while conch cooks (instructions below). Once cool, cut conch in bite size pieces and season. Add all ingredients, except flour, to pan and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes. Mix flour with 1 cup water and pour into pan to thicken. Add Sea Pie pieces and continue to cook for an additional 10 minutes. Sea Pie Cooking Directions Make dough with flour, pinch of salt and water so that you can roll out as thin as possible, then cut into 2 ½” x 2 ½” squares. Let set for 30 minutes then stretch squares to thin them out and add to conch stew mixture. Serve with white rice, plantain, breadfruit or your choice of vegetables.
Wash crabs and boil in large pot of water for 15 minutes, remove from boiling water and cool. Crack legs and open backs to remove all meat, set aside. Remove seeds from scotch bonnet pepper and dice pepper and onions. Sauté onions and scotch bonnet peppers in oil over medium heat until onions begin to get transparent. Add crab meat, black pepper and salt, stirring occasionally. Cook over medium heat for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with “bread kind”, a local dish that consists of a variety of starchy vegetables including pumpkin, squash, plantain, potato, cassava and breadfruit. Optional: Seasoned crab meat may also be stuffed in cleaned crab backs and baked. Cover stuffed backs with foil paper and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks, put them in a medium pot and cover with water and ¼ teaspoon of salt. Bring the potatoes to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until fork tender about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes and mash with a fork or masher and set aside. Filling: In a large sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and add the onion, tomato, scallions, garlic, cumin, azafran, pepper and salt. Cook for 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent, add the beef and cook stirring occasionally about 10 – 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. To make the batter: In a medium bowl place all the batter ingredients and whisk until smooth and set aside. To Form the Stuffed Potatoes Divide the potato mash into 10 equal sized portions, about ⅓ cup each, and form each portion into a ball by rolling between the palms of your hands. Flatten into patties and place 1 ½ tablespoons of the filling in the center of each one. Shape the potato mixture with the filling into balls to enclose the filling completely. Fill a large heavy pot with vegetable oil and heat over medium-high heat to 360° F. Dip the stuffed potato into the batter and carefully place them in the hot oil and fry for about 4 minutes or until golden, turning over halfway through. Remove the potatoes from the oil using a slotted spoon and drain in a plate with paper towels. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with Ají. Notes For a vegetarian version:Use the same ingredients in the meat filling except the beef and add 1 cup frozen carrots and peas
1. In a medium bowl, combine the coconut milk, red curry paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and broth, whisking until smooth—this ensures no lumps in the sauce. 2. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat (about 350°F) for 30 seconds until shimmering. 3. Pour the coconut milk mixture into the skillet and bring it to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally, which should take about 3-4 minutes. 4. Add the fish cubes and kaffir lime leaves to the skillet, submerging them fully in the sauce. 5. Reduce the heat to low, cover the skillet, and let it cook for 10 minutes until the fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork—avoid overcooking to keep it tender. 6. Stir in the beaten egg slowly, cooking for 2 more minutes until the sauce thickens slightly, which adds a rich, custard-like texture. 7. While the curry simmers, prepare the banana leaves by briefly passing them over a gas flame for 10 seconds to make them pliable, or use parchment paper as a handy alternative. 8. Spoon the curry into the center of each banana leaf square, folding the edges to form a tight packet to trap steam. 9. Place the packets in a steamer basket over boiling water and steam for 10 minutes until heated through and fragrant. 10. Carefully unwrap the packets and garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges before serving
Add macaroni to large pan with sufficient water to cover (approximately 4 cups). Add salt and bring to boil until tender (approximately 25 -30 minutes). Meanwhile, beat eggs and sugar together, then add vanilla and nutmeg. Mix well and set aside. In a separate medium sauce pan, heat evaporated milk plus 1 cup of water and butter to almost a boiling point. Remove from heat and add to sugar mixture. Drain cooked macaroni. Add macaroni and raisins to the milk mixture and stir well. (This mixture will have quite a bit of liquid, but this will form a nice custard textured pudding once baked.) Grease a large baking dish with butter or margarine, add the macaroni mixture and sprinkle with additional nutmeg. Bake at 350° F for 1 hour or until golden brown. (Pudding should be firm enough to cut, but moist and not dry).
step 1 Mix together the hearts of palm, tomatoes and spring onions. Whisk together the sherry vinegar and olive oil. Drizzle over the salad. Sprinkle with the parsley, toss everything together and serve.
Fry the ginger in plenty of oil until golden and slightly crispy. Set aside for later. Cut the fish into strips. Dredge the fish in a very thin layer of tempura flour. Fry the fish in plenty of oil until golden brown and crispy. You can use the same oil as you were using to fry the ginger. Crush the garlic and chop it into small pieces. Chop the spring onion. Drain the fermented soybeans using a colander. If you are using salted beans (soybeans in a very salty brine), you need to wash the beans in water before you add them to the dish. Add a tablespoon of oil to a deep pan or a large pot, and sauté the garlic until slightly golden. Add the soybeans and stir fry for a few minutes. If the soybeans are very salty, add ¼- ½ tablespoon sugar to balance the flavor. Add water and fry for a minute. Just before serving, stir in the fried ginger, the spring onion, and the crispy fish. Serve with steamed rice.
Clean mushrooms – I usually wash them under cold water, dry them and remove the stems. Cut mushrooms into thin strips. Melt butter in a small pot. Add the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes, until the mushrooms release liquid. Combine the flour and water, whisk to remove any lumps and add to the pot. Add the salt and milk. Cook for 10 more minutes. In a small bowl or jar combine the garlic and vinegar. Serve the soup with 1-2 tablespoons (or more) of the garlic and vinegar mixture and hot red pepper.
Bring water to a boil and add the broken-up macaroni, elbows, and salt. Cook uncovered until tender but not overcooked (about 8 minutes). Preheat a moderately hot oven to 350F, 180C, or Gas Mark 4. Drain the macaroni thoroughly, put it back into the same hot saucepan cooked in, and mix in the butter. Grate the cheese and mix it with the macaroni while it is still warm. Whisk the egg until fluffy, and add the milk, onion powder, white pepper, salt, pepper sauce, and mustard. Pour in with the macaroni and mix. Place in a greased ovenproof casserole dish. Top with butter, some grated cheese, and fine breadcrumbs. Bake in the center of the oven for about 30-45 minutes, depending on the dish’s depth.
These delectable fish balls can also be made with salmon or fish fillets. Substitute one large can of salmon or one pound of any white fish for the cod. Soak for twenty-four hours: 1 salted cod, or bakijow Discard the water. Place cod in saucepan with fresh water to cover. Simmer gently until the fish flakes easily when tested with the tines of a fork. Strain, reserving a bit of the broth. De bone the cod and set it aside for later use. In a saucepan, bring to boil in water to cover: 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced When the potatoes are tender, drain them well. Add the cod and mash the two ingredients thoroughly together. Place in the container of an electric blender: 1 tomato, peeled and chopped 1/2 green pepper, chopped 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped 1 clove garlic, slivered 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce, or minced hot pepper Dash of nutmeg Salt and pepper to taste Blend for a few seconds and pour the sauce over the mashed fish mixture. Combine these ingredients well and add 1 egg, beaten Mixture should be stiff enough to mold into balls about one and a half inches in diameter, If it's too dry, add the fish stock a tablespoon at a time. Fry the balls in hot, deep fat until golden brown.
1 In a large heavy saucepan, combine the peanuts, sugar and water. Bring to a boil; cook until syrup has evaporated, about 10 minutes. 2 Spread peanuts in a single layer in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan; sprinkle with salt. 3 Bake at 300° for 30-35 minutes or until dry and lightly browned. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container.
1. To prepare the dough, sift the flour with 1tsp of salt into a mixing bowl. Slowly mix in as much of the water is required, until a stiff dough is formed. Knead on a clean work surface for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is elastic and shiny. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside for about an hour. 2. Put the chopped lamb, onions, chilli, 1 tsp salt, ground pepper and spices in a bowl and mix thoroughly. 3. Divide the dough into 4 small balls, and roll out to a thickness of 1.5mm, cutting into 10cm squares. Into each square, place 1 heaped teaspoon of the lamb mixture. 4. Take two opposite corners and bring them to join in the centre by nipping together firmly between your fingers, and then bring together to other two corners in the same manner. Note that the mantu should not be entirely closed, as the steam has to be penetrate and cook the filling! 5. Using fat to grease the shelves of the steamer, place your mantu so that there is a small space between each one. Steam for 30-45 minutes over a medium heat. 6. Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Heat the oil in a pan, add tomato puree, and bring to the boil. Stir and simmer on a low heat until the mantu are ready. 7. Remove the mantu carefully from the steamer and place on a large, warm dish. Spoon the tomato sauce over the top, followed by the strained yoghurt, and sprinkle with chopped coriander to garnish.
Make the sauce by combining all the ingredients and grinding them into a paste. Put the prawns on the skewers and brush with sauce. Grill until done (they should lose their translucent color), about 3-4 minutes on each side. Serve with extra sauce on the side.
step 1 Put the sugar in a large shallow pan, along with a small splash of water. Heat gently, swirling the pan, until the sugar has dissolved. Increase the heat and bubble the syrup until it turns a dark amber colour. Add the fish sauce, most of the chilli and ginger, then splash in 1 tbsp water to dilute. Boil again until syrupy, then add the fish fillets, skin-side down, and the bok choi, cut-side down. step 2 Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 4-5 mins until the fish is cooked and the bok choi has wilted. Turn off the heat, squeeze over the lemon and scatter with the remaining chilli, ginger and the coriander sprigs. Serve with rice.
STEP 1 To make the dough, rub the butter into the flour and then add the egg white and half the yolk (keep the rest), vinegar, a pinch of salt and enough cold water to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and then wrap and rest for 30 minutes. STEP 2 Heat the oven to 180c/fan 160c/gas 4. Trim the green ends of the spring onions and then finely slice the rest. Heat a little oil in a pan and fry them gently until soft but not browned. Add the chilli and garlic, stir and then add the prawns and cook until they are opaque. Season well. Scoop out the prawns and bubble the juices until they thicken, then add back the prawns. STEP 3 Divide the empanada dough into eight balls and roll out to thin circles on a floured surface. Put some filling on one half of the dough, sprinkle the feta on top and fold the other half over. Trim the edge and then fold and crimp the dough together so the empanada is tightly sealed, put it on an oiled baking sheet either on its side or sitting on its un-crimped edge like a cornish pasty. Repeat with the remaining dough and mixture. Mix the leftover egg yolk with a splash of water and brush the top of the empanadas. STEP 4 Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and slightly crisp around the edges.
step 1 Heat the oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and cook the curry paste for 1 min before adding the stir-fry veg and prawns. Cook for 3 mins until the prawns are mostly pink, then add the coconut milk, veg stock and noodles. step 2 Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 mins until the noodles are cooked through and the veg is tender but still has a bite. Divide between two bowls and sprinkle over the herbs, chilli and spring onion.
You can also use sugar snap peas for this recipe. Save prep time by prepping the peas, ginger, and garlic while the shrimp is marinating. Marinate the shrimp: Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl, then add the shrimp. Toss to coat. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes while you prep the peas, ginger, and garlic. Stir-fry the ginger and garlic: Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat for 1 minute. Add the peanut oil and let it get hot, about 30 seconds. Add the ginger and garlic and toss to combine. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp, snow peas, soy sauce, stock: Add the shrimp and all the marinade to the pan (scrape out all the marinade with a rubber spatula). Add the snow peas, soy sauce and chicken stock. Stir-fry until the shrimp turns pink, about 2 minutes. Add the scallions and finish with sesame oil: Add the scallions and stir-fry 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and add the sesame oil. Toss to combine once more and serve with steamed rice.
step 1 Cook the noodles following the pack instructions, drain and set aside for later. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and pour in the beaten egg. Swirl around the pan to make a thin omelette, cook for 1-2 mins, then flip over and cook the other side for 1 min. Tip out and slice into thin strips. step 2 Add the chilli and ginger to the pan, fry for 1-2 mins then tip in the noodles, prawns and egg. Splash in the soy sauce and stir-fry for 1 min more. Throw in the chopped herbs and pour over the lime juice and zest, then sprinkle over the chopped peanuts and serve.
step 1 Season 6 sea bass fillets with salt and pepper, then slash the skin 3 times. step 2 Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add 1 tbsp sunflower oil. step 3 Once hot, fry the sea bass fillets, skin-side down, for 5 mins or until the skin is very crisp and golden. The fish will be almost cooked through. step 4 Turn over, cook for another 30 seconds - 1 minute, then transfer to a serving plate and keep warm. You’ll need to fry the sea bass fillets in 2 batches. step 5 Heat 2 tbsp sunflower oil, then fry the large knob of peeled ginger, cut into matchsticks, 3 thinly sliced garlic cloves and 3 thinly shredded red chillies for about 2 mins until golden. step 6 Take off the heat and toss in the bunch of shredded spring onions. Splash the fish with 1 tbsp soy sauce and spoon over the contents of the pan.
Season the salmon, then rub with oil. Mix the dressing ingredients together. Halve, stone, peel and slice the avocados. Halve and quarter the cucumber lengthways, then cut into slices. Divide salad, avocado and cucumber between four plates, then drizzle with half the dressing. Heat a non-stick pan. Add the salmon and fry for 3-4 mins on each side until crisp but still moist inside. Put a salmon fillet on top of each salad and drizzle over the remaining dressing. Serve warm.
step 1 Ask the fishmonger to clean the squid; little ones often come ready-cleaned. Using kitchen scissors, cut open the body and open out. Wash well, then pat dry. If you have a large squid, cut the body into four portions, roughly square. Small squid can just be opened up. step 2 Using the tip of a very sharp knife, score the top in a neat criss-cross. Brush with oil and set aside while you heat the barbecue or griddle until ready to cook. step 3 Mix together 2 tsp sea salt, Chinese five-spice and 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle on both sides of the squid just before cooking, according to taste. You may not need it all. Heat the griddle pan to hot and cook about 1 min each side, until it starts to curl. Remove with tongs to a serving plate and drizzle with a little sesame oil. To serve, garnish with coriander leaves and serve with small bowls of sweet chilli sauce to dip into.