|
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Ben’s Cambodian Hot and Sour Fish Broth
|
|
|
Ingredients
-
1 x 1.5kg whole fish (snapper or similar)
-
2cm knob of fresh ginger, roughly chopped
-
1 clove of garlic, roughly chopped
-
1 chilli, roughly chopped
-
1 stick of lemongrass, sliced
-
1 tablespoon of tamarind pulp
-
100mls of warm water
-
1 large ripe tomato diced
-
4 kaffir lime leaves
-
1 litre chicken stock
-
2 tablespoons of fish sauce
Garnish
-
2 cups of bean sprouts
-
½ bunch of mint
-
½ bunch Thai basil
-
4 wedges of lime
Method
-
Scale, gut and wash the whole fish. If you can, fillet the fish keeping the head and tail attached whilst removing the spine and bones.
-
Pound the ginger, garlic, chilli and lemongrass in a pestle and mortar.
-
Make a loose paste with the tamarind pulp and the water squeezing all the seeds and fibre from the liquid and discard (you can use a sieve for this).
-
Add the tamarind liquid and the chopped tomato to the mortar and pestle and combine with your hands.
-
Bring the chicken stock to the boil in a large wok or suitable size pot for your fish. Season with salt and then place the fish into the simmering stock. If the stock covers the fish then cook for 15 minutes at a gentle simmer. If the fish is only half submerged then turn the fish after 7 minutes. Three minutes before the fish is cooked add the tomato mixture and the kaffir lime leaves.
-
When the fish is cooked transfer the fish to a serving bowl and add the fish sauce.
-
Serve with the herbs, limes and bean sprouts either in bowls or on the side.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Serves 4
Ingredients
Dumpling Mix
-
Peel and devein the green prawns. Reserve two whole prawns for each bowl for garnish. Then pulse a hand held blender to chop the rest of the prawns to a fine blend.
-
Pick out the cooked crab meat and mix with the blended prawn meat. Season with fish sauce
-
Chop 1 spring onion and 1/2 a teaspoon of ginger to add to the crab and prawn mixture. Mix until well combined.
-
Place one teaspoon of prawn/crab mixture in the centre of large wonton skin and brush the outer edges with water.
-
Fold together to form a triangle and then crimp together the edges. Press the edges down with a fork. Repeat this process with all of the prawn/crab mixture.
-
Bring the chicken stock to the boil and season to taste. Drop in the wontons and poach. After a few minutes, add the two reserved prawns. Then add the chopped lettuce and let it wilt.
-
Divide the wontons between four bowls and garnish with spring onions and a little chopped ginger
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Snapper & Smoked Fish Congee
|
|
|
To Serve
Ingredients
-
Soy sauce
-
White pepper
-
500 g Steamed jasmine rice
-
4 L chicken stock
-
500 g Snappers Fillets
-
200 g Smoked Mackerels Or hake
-
20 g Julianne Ginger
-
¼ cup Cashew Toasted
-
spring onion green tops sliced diagonally and white bits finely chopped
-
4 Eggs poached until still soft
-
Bring to the Boil the seasoned chicken stock and add the already cooked Jasmin rice. Simmer for about one hour; you may need to top up with a bit of water if it becomes too thick. It should resemble porridge.
-
Ten minutes before you serve, slice the snapper fillets into thick strips and pace them into the soup. Then add the flaked smoked fish.
-
Add the 4 poached eggs into a serving bowl, then transfer the mixture when the fish is cooked. Then add the ginger and the whites of the spring onion and half the cashew nuts.
-
Garnish with the sliced green tops of the spring onions and more cashew nuts.
-
Serve with white pepper and soy sauce as accompaniments
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spanish Style BBQ Bugs With Fig & Chorizo
|
|
|
Rustic Spanish potatoes
Ingredients
-
1 large red capsicum, diced
-
500 g New Potatoes
-
2 Garlic cloves
-
A Pinch of Saffron
-
100 ml Olive Oil
-
12 Cherry Tomatoes, Crushed
-
175 ml white wine
-
Salt & Pepper
Skewers
-
8 Moreton Bay Bugs meat out of shell, 2 per skewer
-
200 g dried Chorizo Sausages, thinly sliced on a slicer, length wise
-
4 Ripe figs
-
8 Fresh Bay leaves
Rustic Spanish potatoes
-
Place all the ingredients in a bowl. Combine well and season.
-
Place the mixture into a BBQ proof bag and seal. Place on top of the BBQ grill over a medium heat and cook.
-
Shake from time to time until the potatoes are tender, the tomatoes have broken down and the peppers are soft. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little.
Skewers
-
Prepare the bugs by removing the meat from the half shells. To do this, remove the head. Then using a pair of scissors cut up either side of the underneath of the tail and then pull out the flesh.
-
Thinly slice the chorizo on a meat slicer (or you can ask your local deli to do this).
-
Take a metal skewer and firstly thread a Moreton bug tail. Then thread the thinly sliced chorizo, fresh bay leaf and fresh fig (alternately layer this way on the 4 skewers until you have used up the bugs).
-
Ideally you will need to be cook the skewers over a charcoal brazier but a regular grill will do.
-
Brush the skewers with a little oil and place over a high heat. Cook until the bugs are translucent, the thin chorizo is crisp and the figs are oozy and caramelised. Dress with a squeeze of lemon juice.
-
Serve with the potatoes and some fresh lemon.
NOTE
You will need 4 metal skewers for this recipe.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Stir-fry Blue Swimmer Crabs with XO Sauce and Crispy Noodles
|
|
|
Serves 4 / Preparation 3hrs / Cooking 15mins
Ingredients
XO Sauce
Method
To make the XO sauce
-
Soak the fish and scallops in water for three hours (keep the water for later). Steam the scallops for three hours then shred.
-
Soak the shrimps in hot water for 30 minutes, then drain and mince. Dice the sausage and fish into 2mm pieces.
-
Heat the sunflower oil in a wok over high heat. Add the garlic, onions and soaked dried shrimp and cook until the moisture evaporates and the mixture begins to fry. Add the chilli, sausage and fish and cook until the chilli and sausage are translucent.
-
Then add the shredded scallops and cook for a further five minutes. Season with black pepper. Transfer to a blender and pulse puree to roughly blend.
To cook the crabs
-
Clean the wok and add a 100mls of oil and heat. Add the pre-cooked noodles and fry until crispy. Turn and cook again on the other side until crisp. Transfer to a serving dish.
-
Heat the wok again and add two tablespoons of sunflower oil. Cook the crabs for two minutes, then add the chopped whites of the spring onions plus 100gms of XO sauce and fry for two
-
minutes. Add 100mls of rice wine and 100mls of the blended scallop and steam until the crabs are cooked.
-
Combine the corn flour and water to make a thin paste, stir into the boiling crab mixture and thicken.
-
Pour the crab and sauce over the noodles and garnish with the chopped green tops of the spring onions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
King prawn, haloumi and pineapple skewers with lime, chilli and mint salsa
|
Being an Aussie I feel proud to say that we have the best prawns in the world. I have some really fond memories of prawns, whether it is eating them in a swanky restaurant in Melbourne or straight from a plastic bag on a pier, after buying some from a fish cooperative on the beach. Here is a simple take on how to throw another prawn on the barbie.
|
Serves 4
Ingredients
-
12 long thick stalks of rosemary or bamboo skewers
-
12 green king prawns, peeled and deveined
-
1 pineapple, peeled and chopped into equal-sized chunks
-
250 g/9 oz Haloumi cheese, chopped into equal-sized chunks
Salsa
-
5 large red chillies, pricked with a fork
-
finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
-
1 teaspoon sugar
-
5 tablespoons peanut (groundnut) or corn oil
-
leaves of 1/4 bunch of mint, chopped
-
1 vine-ripened tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
|
|
Method
|
- Strip the leaves from the rosemary stalks, keeping a tuft at the top. Soak stalks or skewers in cold water for 30 minutes to prevent them from burning on the barbecue.
-
To make the salsa, cook the chillies on a hot griddle plate or barbecue until charred. Place in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When cool, remove the skin and seeds and tear the flesh into strips. Place in a clean bowl and toss with the lime zest and juice, sugar, oil, mint and tomatoes.
-
Thread a prawn, a piece of pineapple and a piece of cheese onto each skewer. Repeat once more, finishing each skewer with a prawn.
-
Grill on a hot griddle plate or barbecue until the prawns are cooked through and the pineapple and cheese are slightly charred, 5–8 minutes. Serve with a liberal drizzle of salsa.
|
|
|
|
|
Tuna ceviche with aromatic salad
|
Buy a nice fresh piece of tuna from your fishmonger. Things to look for are a deep red colour, a firm smooth flesh that doesn’t appear dull or watery and the cut surface should have a rainbow-like shimmer across it. Always have a smell; it should be fresh and a little salty.
|
Serves 4 - 6
Ingredients
Marinade
Garnish
-
200 mL/7 oz vegetable oil
-
100 g/31/2 oz Thai pink shallots (Asian shallots), finely sliced lengthways
-
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced lengthways
Salad
-
3 loosely packed cups frisée;
-
purple basil leaves;
-
curly endive, smaller inside leaves;
-
mint;
-
baby basil leaves
-
leaves of 1 bunch fresh coriander
-
500 g/1 lb 2 oz fresh tuna
-
2 avocados, diced
-
salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
1 teaspoon lemon juice
* Available at specialist Asian food shops.
|
|
Method
|
- To make the marinade, mix all the ingredients together in a ceramic bowl.
-
To prepare the garnish, heat 150 mL/5 fl oz of the oil in a small pan. Fry the shallots and garlic separately until golden. Be aware that the colour will increase after they have been fried. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Cool and reserve.
-
Rinse and drain the cress, endive, mint, basil and coriander leaves. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and place in the refrigerator, until required. Using a very sharp knife, neatly cut the tuna into 1 cm/1/3 in slices. Place in the marinade, covering all the slices well, and leave for 5 minutes. Season the avocados with salt and pepper and toss with the lemon juice.
-
Gently drain the tuna, then arrange on a serving plate. Top with the avocado and drizzle over a little of the remaining oil. Toss the last of the oil with the cress and coriander and arrange on top of the avocado.
-
Grind the fried shallots and garlic with 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and sugar in a mortar and pestle to give a crumbly texture. Sprinkle over the salad and serve at once.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is a fiery curry, so if you prefer a milder flavour, reduce the chilli powder to taste. Freeze any leftover paste for up to three months, or double the recipe to serve four, cooking the crabs in batches.
|
Serves 2
Ingredients
Curry paste
-
2 tbs coriander seeds
-
11/2 tbs cumin seeds
-
1 tbs black peppercorns
-
1 white onion, chopped
-
50g desiccated coconut
-
1 large green chilli, chopped
-
3cm piece ginger, chopped
-
5 garlic cloves, halved
-
150ml white wine vinegar
* Available from selected greengrocers.
|
|
Method
|
- Put crabs to sleep by freezing them for 2 hours. Remove legs and crack shells with a rolling pin. Remove top of shells and discard. Using a spoon, scrape off and discard feathery-looking gills. Wash out guts and wash the heads under running water. Chop bodies in half.
-
For the curry paste, grind coriander, cumin and peppercorns using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Transfer to a food processor, add onion, coconut, chilli, ginger, garlic and vinegar, then process to a rough paste. Set half the paste aside for future use.
-
Heat oil in a large wok over medium-low heat and cook remaining paste for 8-10 minutes until fragrant. Add tomato, curry leaves, turmeric and chilli powder and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Add crab and 1/2 cup (125ml) water, then bring to the boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.
|
|
|
|
|
Cajun Silver Cobbler with a Spicy Beer Sauce
|
Ingredients
Spice Mix
Sauce
Method
- To make the spice mix combine all the spices in a blender and pulse. Keep this in an air tight container.
-
In a non-stick pan melt a tbsp of butter with a tblsp of sunflower oil until it starts to foam.
-
Dredge the fillets in the spice mix and then place carefully into the foaming butter and cook for a few minutes each side. Remove the fillets before they are cooked to a plate.
-
In the same pan add the chopped chilli and a tspn of spice mix and fry for a minute. Deglaze 100ml of beer, and then reduce this almost completely. And season.
-
Add the chopped tinned tomatoes and 50gm of cold butter and reduce by half then add the fish to cook.
-
Serve the fish with some sauce and lemon rice and garnish with chopped coriander.
|
|
|
|
|
Octopus salad with tomato, lime and chilli
|
Serves 4
Ingredients
-
1 large octopus, weighing about
-
1.5 kg/3 lb 5 oz
-
2 carrots, finely chopped
-
1 onion, finely chopped
-
3 garlic cloves, peeled
-
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
-
1/4 bunch parsley, chopped
-
1 bay leaf
-
salt
-
large square of muslin
Dressing
-
500 g/1 lb 2 oz ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
-
4 red chillies, grilled, peeled, deseeded and chopped
-
juice and finely grated zest of 3 limes
-
250 ml/9 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
-
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
-
1 iceberg lettuce, washed and finely sliced
-
lime juice and olive oil, for dressing
-
1/4 bunch of coriander, leaves picked and chopped
|
|
Method
|
- Remove the eyes and beak from the octopus and wash thoroughly. Place in a large saucepan with the carrots, onion, garlic, peppercorns, parsley and bay leaf. Cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for about 2 hours or until the octopus is very tender.
-
Wearing rubber gloves, remove the octopus from the pan and place on muslin. Roll the octopus up into a ball so that all the legs fold inwards, then twist the muslin into a very tight ball and tie tightly with string. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate until cold. The octopus will set firm. The best results are after chilling for 24 hours.
-
To make the dressing, combine the tomatoes, chillies, lime juice and zest and olive oil in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
-
Dress the lettuce with a squeeze of lime juice and some olive oil (or some of the liquid from the tomato dressing), and arrange it in a mound on a serving plate. Using a sharp knife, slice across the octopus and arrange the slices on the lettuce. Dress liberally with the tomato dressing and finish with the coriander.
|
|
|
|
|
Whole poached Asian barramundi
|
Serves 4
Ingredients
Marinade
-
250 ml/9 fl oz Shaoxing rice wine *
-
Thick, 3 cm/11/4 in piece ginger, peeled and julienned
-
1/2 bunch of spring onions, sliced finely on the diagonal
-
150 ml/51/2 fl oz light soy sauce
Sauce
-
2 teaspoons grated palm sugar
-
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
-
3 tablespoons yellow bean sauce or yellow bean paste
-
500 g/1 lb 2 oz wing beans, blanched
-
4 spring onions, chopped
-
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
-
coriander leaves, to garnish
* Shaoxing rice wine is a traditional Chinese yellow rice wine. If unavailable, dry sherry or vermouth may be substituted.
Method
- Score diagonal cuts across the thickest part of the barramundi, down to the bone, and place in a large shallow ceramic dish.
-
To make the marinade, combine the rice wine, ginger, spring onions and soy sauce and pour over the fish. Cover and refrigerate for 2–3 hours.
-
Place the fish in a large fish kettle or frying pan and pour over the marinade and enough water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes or until the largest spine can be pulled out easily.
-
Transfer the fish, reserving the poaching liquid, to a serving platter.
-
To make the sauce, combine the palm sugar and a little of the poaching water in a wok over a medium heat. Add the soy sauce and yellow bean sauce and stir. Add the wing beans and 100 ml/31/2 fl oz of the poaching liquid and bring to the boil for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the spring onions and sesame oil and pour over the fish. Garnish with coriander and serve.
|
|
|
|
|
Crab and fennel tagliatelle
|
Ingredients
Method
- Put a large pot of salted water on to boil.
-
Discard the tough outer leaves of the fennel bulbs, reserving the green feathery tops for garnish. Slice the bulbs into thin wedges and reserve.
-
Force the dark crabmeat through a sieve and add to a saucepan with 3-4 tablespoons of water.
-
Add the butter and place the mixture in a pan on a low heat to melt the butter and heat through. If the sauce is too thin, continue cooking until it reduces.
-
Meanwhile, put the fennel wedges and the pasta into the boiling water to cook.
-
Add the truffle oil to the crab sauce, and lemon juice to taste. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Drain the fennel and pasta when it is al dente and return to the pan.
-
Pour in the crab sauce and the white crab meat. Toss to coat.
-
Serve with a sprinkling of the chopped fennel tops.
|
|
|
|
|
Creamy cod poached with white wine and milk
|
Ingredients
-
1 tbsp vegetable oil
-
4 fresh cod fillets, weighing about 180g/6¼oz each
-
salt
-
freshly ground pepper
-
1 lemon, zest only
-
1 dried chilli
-
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
-
125ml/4¼fl oz dry white wine
-
500ml/18fl oz skimmed milk
-
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese
-
4 tbsp chopped basil
To serve
creamy mash
Method
- Warm the oil in a pan large enough to accommodate the fish fillets in a single layer.
-
Season the fillets with salt and pepper and place in the pan.
-
Seal on both sides over a low heat, without colouring the flesh.
-
Add the zest, chilli and garlic, and fry gently to allow the flavours to develop, about 1-2 minutes.
-
Add the wine and milk, increase the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce to a very gentle simmer and cover, with the lid gaping slightly.
-
Poach the fillets until just cooked through, 4-8 minutes, depending on their thickness. When done, the flesh will flake when pressed gently. The sauce will appear slightly curdled.
-
Remove from the heat and transfer the fish to warm serving plates. Gently pull off the skin.
-
Add the mascarpone to the pan and stir into the sauce.
-
Taste for seasoning and add the basil at the last minute.
-
Serve the cod with creamy mash and plenty of sauce spooned over the top.
|
|
|
|
|
Lobster cerviche, with avocado, and preserved lime
|
Ingredients
-
1 Lobster 1kg
-
2 Shallots finely sliced
-
200gm Cherry vine tomatoes blanched peeled and de-seeded juice reserved
-
1-2 Limes juiced
-
Zest of 1 preserved lime finely diced
-
1 bunch Coriander picked
-
1 ripe Avocado diced
-
2-3 tablespoons of Olive oil
-
Salt
-
Pepper
Method
-
Place the lobster into cold water and bring the temperature up to 70 degrees. Remove from the water and place on ice or cold water to cool.
-
Remove the tail meat from the shell. This should be easy as the cooking method helps loosen the flesh from the shell.
-
Dice the lobster meat into nice bite size pieces, place into a bowl along with the shallots, the halved cherry vine tomatoes and their juice, the limejuice, the preserved lime and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Then season well with salt and pepper and allow marinating for anywhere from 10 minutes too 2 hours depending on how well you like your lobster cooked. I think that 20minutes is the best.
-
To serve, simply dice the ripe avocado and season with limejuice salt, pepper and olive oil and place in side a large pastry cutter in the centre of a plate (a 1/4 of an avocado per plate). Gently mix the picked coriander with the lobster mix and then divide between the rings.
-
Garnish the plate with the remaining dressing and a drizzle of olive oil.
|
|
|
|
|
Targine of snapper with preserved lime, chickpeas, tomato and chenin blanc
|
Ingredients
Paste
-
4-5coriander roots washed / tops reserved for garnish
-
2 garlic
-
1-2 pinches of saffron
-
400gm chopped and peeled tomato
-
1 preserved lime skin only finely diced
-
1 teaspoon cumin
-
1 glass white wine
-
Juice of one lime
-
1 teaspoon fresh ginger fresh
-
1 cup chickpeas tinned
-
2 table spoons of olive oil
-
1/2-cup crispy fried onions
Method
- Ask your fishmonger to gut, scale and fillet your fish but to leave the head and tail attached so as to just remove the spine and pin bones!
-
In a mortar and pestle pound the garlic, coriander root, cumin and ginger with a little salt to a fine paste. Then add the tomato, limejuice and preserved lime zest and white wine.
-
Pour this over your fish and allow to marinate for tem minutes. In a targine or heavy saucepan warm the olive oil. Add the fish and marinade as well as the chickpeas. Bring to a simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes continually spooning the sauce over the fish. You may need to turn the fish half way through.
-
Correct the seasoning, and garnish with the remaining chopped coriander tops and the fried onions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
© Copyright Ben O’Donoghue 2009 | {c55}
|
|
|
