Pork Riblets Braised in Vietnamese Caramel Sauce

Ginger Chilli Shrimp

GINGER-CHILI SHRIMP
Prep time: 20 min | Cooking time: 10 min | Serves: 2

15-20 large 1 medium 1 tbsp 1 tbsp 2 tbsp 1 tbsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1 tsp 2-3 tbsp

shrimp, peeled and deviened onion, finely sliced ginger, finely chopped tomato paste soy sauce lime juice turmeric powder red chili powder crushed red chili flakes light cooking oil salt, to taste chopped green onions, for garnish

MARINATE shrimp with turmeric, chili powder and lime juice for 20 minutes. Fry in a bit of oil till crisp on both sides. Set aside.

HEAT remaining oil and saute ginger till fragrant. Add onions and fry for a few minutes till tender and pink.

ADD chili flakes, salt, tomato paste and soy sauce, and stir-fry for a few minutes till it starts to give out oil from the sides. Add shrimp, and stir fry for a minute or two blending spices well.

GARNISH with chopped green onions and serve alongside plain rice and a large pitcher of ice-cold water.

CHICKEN SATAY WITH SPICY PEANUT SAUCE
SKEWERED CHICKEN STRIPS WITH A SPICY PEANUT-BASED SAUCE

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Marination Time: 1-2 hrs, Prep time: 15 min, Cooking time: 25 min | Serves: 4

for the Satay

8-10 boneless chicken strips, or 2 chicken breasts cut into strips 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped 2 tbsp green onions, finely chopped 1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp white pepper 1 tsp pure sesame oil 1tsp light cooking oil 2 tbsp honey 2 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp lime juice salt, to taste

MARINATE chicken pieces with all the ingredients, for 1-2 hours in the fridge.

GRILL on skewers till tender and done.

for the Spicy Peanut Sauce

1 cup soomth peanut butter 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 tbsp Thai red chillies, finely chopped 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped

1/2 tsp red chili powder 2 tbsp lime juice 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp pure sesame oil salt, to taste

HEAT oil in a non-stick pan and fry onions, garlic and chillies till till tender and fragrant.

ADD rest of the ingredients and cook by constant stirring till it starts to give out oil. If peanut butter begins to thicken, thin it out by adding a little water.

SERVE warm Satay with room-temperature sauce and slices of cool cucumber.

Chicken & Bean Coconut Stew

CHICKEN & BEAN COCONUT STEW

Prep time: 20 min | Cooking time: 45 min | Serves: 2-4

2 large boneless chicken breasts, diced into 1-inch cubes 1 medium onion, finely chopped 1 small tomato, chopped 1 tbsp garlic, finely chopped 1-2 atalks lemongrass, bruised and cut into 2-inch lengths 1 large potato, diced into cubes 1 can white kidney beans 1/2 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 1/2 tsp coriander powder 3-4 cardamom pods, bruised 2-3 cloves salt, to taste 1 cup coconut milk 2 tbsp light cooking oil a handful fresh coriander leaves, chopped for garnish

SAUTE garlic, cardamom and cloves, in hot oil in a deep pan till fragrant. Add in onions and cook till tender and pink.

ADD red chilli powder, turmeric and coriander powder, and fry for a few seconds before adding beans and chicken. Mix carefully to evenly coat with spices. Add coconut milk, lemon grass, potatoes, tomatoes and salt. Cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes till chicken and potatoes cook through and become tender.

STIR occasionally in between, adding water if necessary to form desired consistency. Once done, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve warm over a bed of rice or with a side of thick crusty bread.

Thai-inspired green curry with pineapple and prawns

For the curry paste :
A good fistful of cilantro
Several leaves mint
2 small shallots
3-4 cloves garlic
1-2 serrano peppers
1 small knob ginger, peeled
Zest of one lime
Juice of two limes
1 tsp curry powder
1 Tbsp turmeric
3 Tbsp peanut oil

Throw it all in a food processor and pulse until it forms a paste.

For the curry:
1/2 small pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2" chunks
1 lb prawns, peeled and deveined
1 stalk lemongrass
Several leaves basil
1/2 medium red onion, cut in 1/2" squares
2 small scallions, chopped
1 can coconut milk

Cut small incisions in the lower, white portion of the lemongrass stalk, keeping it in one piece. Heat a small amount of peanut in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and sauté until softened, just a couple minutes. Add the curry paste, toss with the onions and fry until most of the moisture has evaporated off. Add the pineapple, toss, and cook for another minute or so. Add the coconut milk and prop in the lemongrass stalk; bring to a boil. A few minutes before you're ready to serve, add the prawns, scallions and basil leaves and cook just until the prawns are done. Serve with jasmine or white basmati rice.

Red onion-cucumber salad
1 English cucumber, peeled in stripes and cut thinly on the bias
1/2 medium red onion, slivered
1 serrano pepper, seeds and ribs removed, very finely slivered
Several leaves mint, julienned

Zest of one lime
Juice of two limes
2-3 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar

Whisk together the lime juice, zest, fish sauce and brown sugar until thoroughly combined. Toss with the remaining ingredients and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

Deviled eggs

Boil more eggs than you intend to serve. Inevitably, one or two will get damaged either in cooking or peeling.

6 hard-boiled eggs (see below)
1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 Tbsp good Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp sweet relish, drained
1-2 tsp cider vinegar
paprika, salt and pepper

Peel the eggs, and slice in half lengthwise with a very sharp knife or a wire cheese cutter. (I found the latter to make a cleaner cut.) Remove the yolks and pass through a sieve into a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients, altering to taste, and mix until creamy. Pipe or scoop the filling into the eggs, dust with paprika and serve.

How to boil an egg

There's a million different ways to do it, but this works for me: Puncture the shell with a tack at the blunt end, creating a small hole just big enough to allow the air bubble to escape. Place your eggs in a pot and cover with cold water by at least one inch. Bring to a rolling boil over high heat; keep at the boil for exactly 10 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and cover with running cold water until cool to the touch.

Once cool, crack the shell all over by tapping it gently on a flat surface. The shell should stick to the membrane underneath, making peeling easier.

Coconut Fish Curry

COCONUT FISH CURRY
Prep time: 10 min | Cooking time: 20 min | Serves: 4

2-3 1 small 8-10 1 tbsp 4-5 2 cups 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/4 tsp 1/2 tsp 1/4 tsp 1 tsp 1 tbsp

fish fillets, cubed onion, finely sliced cherry tomatoes garlic, finely chopped curry leaves coconut milk curry powder turmeric powder red chili powder coriander powder black pepper powder dried fenugreek leaves light cooking oil salt, to taste

SAUTE curry leaves, garlic and onions in hot oil till frangrant and tender. Add curry powder, chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric and black pepper and fry for a few seconds.

ADD coconut milk and stir till spices blend well. Allow it to come to a boil, and then add fish pieces, cherry tomatoes and dried fenugreek leaves. Season with salt and allow to cook covered for 8-10 minutes till fish is done.

SERVE warm over a bed of rice

Fishcakes with not-mushy peas

Two medium-large russet potatoes (approx. 1.5 lbs or more in all)
1 large (approx. 10-12 oz.) fil(l)et sturdy, white fish, such as haddock or cod
1 pint milk, any kind
10 oz. frozen peas
1 Tbsp mint jelly
2-3 Tbsp. white flour, seasoned
1 egg, beaten
1 c. breadcrumbs or panko
Peanut of vegetable oil for frying
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Peel and cut the potatoes to about 3/4" dice. Cook in rapidly boiling water until soft, 10 minutes or so. Drain, and return to the pot to steam off. (I used the potato water to thaw my peas. Why waste perfectly good hot water?)

Meanwhile, place the fish in a large skillet and cover with milk. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat and let rest until done, about 5 minutes. Drain off well, discarding milk, and flake the fish into the potatoes. Add the drained, thawed peas and mint jelly. Mash well using a potato masher (not a mixer -- you don't want to create glue.) Season with salt and pepper (and anything else you care to add) to taste; remember, everything is already cooked at this point, so you can actually taste. Form the mixture into 4-6 cakes, depending on the size you want.

Variations: Of course you can purée the peas if you do in fact want mushy peas. Also, I flaked the fish before mashing the mixture as I thought that was what DPaul would prefer. If you want bigger chunks of fish in your cakes, mash first and then flake the fish in and mix gently.

Dredge the cakes first in flour, then egg, then breadcrumbs, being sure to cover all sides. Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet over medium-high heat, until shimmering and wisps of smoke begin to appear. Fry the cakes until golden and crispy on all sides. You may need to stand them on end to get the edges well browned. Drain on a paper towel and serve warm.

Malay Stir-fried Noodles (Mee Goreng)

Ingredients:

100 g rice noodles or vermicelli
2 cups finely sliced cabbage
1 cup bean sprouts
2 cloves minced garlic
¼ cup thinly sliced onion
2 eggs
1 tbsp curry powder
1 chopped tomato
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp chili powder
Salt, to taste
3 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

Soak noodles in cold water for 20 minutes and drain.

Beat eggs in a small bowl, with a pinch of salt and fry in a non-stick pan. Remove and slice egg into strips.

Heat oil in a wok and sauté garlic and onion over medium heat till onions become soft. Add cabbage and bean sprouts and sauté for about 2 minutes.

Add curry powder, chopped tomatoes, chili powder and soy sauce, and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

Add noodles and stir-fry until cooked. Top with crispy anchovies and sliced egg-strips before serving.

Pork Riblets Braised in Vietnamese Caramel Sauce
Serves 2 as a meal or 4 as a starter

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/3 cup fish sauce
1/3 cup sliced shallots
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 slab baby back ribs (1.75 to 2 lbs)
sawed lengthwise in half

Spread the sugar in the bottom of a wide heavy-based skillet. Pour over 1/4 cup of the water and the lemon juice. Let it sit for a minute. Then heat over medium heat until the sugar begins to liquefy. Reduce the heat the medium low and let the caramel boil until it turns red.

Remove it from the heat and slowly pour 1/4 cup water and the fish sauce into the caramel. Return to the heat and stir. Let boil for a few minutes, until the sauce is smooth and a bit thick. Add the shallots and pepper and simmer for another 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Separate the pork ribs into individual riblets by cutting down between the bones. Add them to the caramel sauce, stir to coat, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cover and braise, stirring every 15 minutes with tongs, for 90 minutes. Don’t let the caramel sauce boil; if the heat is too high then use a diffuser. The ribs are done when they have become tender enough to pull easily away from the bone and are a deep mahogany colour. At this point, you can serve them or store them. If you want to store them, let them cool and then store in the fridge for 1 to 3 days. To reheat, pop them in an oven preheated to 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.