Sauces can make the simple sublime. Whether they’re sweet or savoury, basic or complex, based on butter, oil or purée, they dress our meat and vegetables to create a memorable dish. Here are my favourite sauce recipes.
Tuna Tataki Tataki literally means ‘pounded’ but in Japanese cooking it usually refers to meat or fish that’s been lightly seared then thinly sliced, so that it’s just cooked on the outside and still raw on the inside, like this tuna tataki. Some sources claim ‘tataki’ refers to the traditional accompaniment of pounded ginger, others […]
Churri Churri is the traditional accompaniment to Indian biryani and roasted meats, the fresh herbs and tangy yoghurt and buttermilk brighten up the slow-cooked meat and rich onion. Use a natural pot set yoghurt if possible, like the buffalo yoghurt from Vannella Cheese, and a natural buttermilk like Pepe Saya’s. Churri keeps well in the […]
Teriyaki Salmon Skewers I love grilled salmon, especially when it’s basted with the salty-sweet-umami-rich sauce used on these teriyaki salmon skewers. The sauce can be made and skewers threaded ahead of time, so this is a great quick and easy dish for entertaining too. Serve it as a starter, or add steamed rice and a […]
Fish Katsu Sando Use any firm, thick, white-fleshed fish for these delicious sandwiches which are traditionally made with pork schnitzel (tonkatsu). Crumbed prawns or chicken work wonderfully too – it’s really all about that spicy tonkatsu sauce. I like mine quite spicy, and serve extra Japanese mustard on the side, but you can tone it […]
Sweet & Sour Fish Marinating prawns in bicarbonate of soda is a common trick to ensure they’re plump and juicy when cooked. It’s called ‘velveting’ as it also gives them a lovely smooth texture – and it works just as well with meat and fish. Bicarb is alkaline, so lowers the pH of the protein […]
BBQ Prawns with Smoky Garlic Butter The smoky parsley and garlic butter I often serve over a grilled steak is just as good with prawns. I love this method of grilling prawns in their shells without turning them onto the flesh side (see video below); the shell protects the delicate meat from overcooking and keeps […]
Crisp Prawn-Topped Eggplant These crisp discs of prawn-topped eggplant are one of my favourite yum cha dishes and I’m grateful to my friend Cheong Liew for teaching me how to make them. When he cooks them, he adds pork mince (and back fat) to the prawn mixture, so feel free to experiment using either or […]
Skordalia Skordalia, Greece’s famous garlicky white dip, is sometimes made with bread as the thickening agent, sometimes with ground almond and sometimes potato. I love chef Janni Kyritsis’ version using both bread and almond as it gives a lovely rich flavour. Any leftover will keep in the fridge for 3–4 days and is delicious slathered […]
Patatas Bravas Named for the ‘bold’ sauce that coats them, patatas bravas are deep-fried potato cubes in a spicy, tangy tomato sauce. They’re one of my favourite tapas dishes when done well – that means freshly fried, not done ahead of time, refrigerated and reheated as happens in too many Spanish restaurants! As the sauce […]
Trofie al Pesto Genovese Like pesto?You’ll love my online Italian cooking class featuring the food of the Italian Riviera! I love this classic way of serving pesto – with the beans and potatoes cooked in the same water as the pasta it’s more like a main meal than a starter. This is done with various […]
