Germaine Borg and her family grow wonderful potted herbs on their family farm, Windy Hills Farm, near Camden. The herbs last for weeks on the kitchen counter, and months in a garden bed or planter and are perfect for snipping off just what you need for a dish.
Char-grilled Five Spice Prawns Char-grilled five spice prawns are a great filling for Vietnamese rice flour crepes, bánh xèo, or served simply with a platter of fresh herbs and leaves – such as perilla, Vietnamese mint, Thai basil, bean sprouts and lettuce – and steamed rice. They can be threaded onto skewers for a barbecue […]
Coriander & Mint Sauce This slightly spicy coriander & mint sauce is a riff on hari chutney, the traditional accompaniment to that colourful crunchy Indian street-side snack, chaat. My recipe is inspired by a sauce Ajoy Joshi serves at Nilgiri’s Indian Restaurant in Cremorne. I was tempted to call it a chutney, until I remembered […]
Black Bean & Chilli Prawns with Crisp Noodles This black bean & chilli prawns recipe is a riff on Chinese cuisine’s classic black bean and chilli combo often seen with clams, especially pipis. It’s a very versatile seasoning and great with any seafood, including simple piece of pan-fried fish. Sichuan chilli sauce is made from […]
Prawn Laksa Lemak There are as many different versions of laksa as there are cooks, every Singaporean and Malaysian adds their own spin and there are distinct regional variations. Not all laksas contain coconut milk, but laksa lemak always does. Laksa lemak originated around the Straits of Malacca and lemak, meaning ‘creamy’ in Malay, indicates […]
Garlic Squid Spaniards love meat or seafood cooked in oil and garlic: garlic prawns, garlic chicken and garlic squid. I use beautiful southern calamari for this simple tasty dish of calamares al ajillo as I love their delicate flesh, but you could use any squid, mussels, clams, even chunks of salmon, tuna or chicken; the […]
Crispy Octopus with Prickly Ash The Chinese double cooking method of poaching or braising then frying is rarely used with seafood due to its delicate texture. The exception is octopus, which can be tough if not cooked correctly; large octopus tentacles benefit greatly from this technique, but it also works well with baby octopus. Prickly […]
Octopus Cooked Ossobuco-style With its firm texture, octopus lends itself perfectly to the long slow braise that makes traditional ossobuco so delicious and fall apart tender. Large ‘hands’ of octopus tentacles can be cooked this way as well: cut them into large bite-sized pieces and bake for 2½ hours covered then 20 minutes uncovered. Octopus […]
Portuguese Clams in White Wine Clams are very popular in Portugal. Amêijoas com vinho branco (Portuguese clams in white wine) are typically cooked over an open fire in a traditional cataplana, a metal vessel made of two concave halves that clip together to tightly enclose and steam the ingredients. Pork is often added in the […]
Guangxi-Style Smoked Trout Salad This Guangxi-style smoked trout salad is inspired by a versatile pork salad by Spice Temple chef Andy Evans. It’s more a concept than a recipe; Andy usually makes it with char siu (see video below) and it’s just as delicious with cooked prawns, barbecued squid or even sashimi salmon or tuna. […]
Baked Herb & Lemon Leatherjacket Baked herb & lemon leatherjacket trunks are a great introduction to whole fish. The coarse skin and large head (with its threatening spike) have been removed, and the thick white flakes of flesh lift easily off the bone. It’s also a very forgiving fish, remaining succulent even if you leave […]
