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2 tsp dark soy sauce
1tsp light muscovado sugar juice of
lime
120ml (4fl oz) coconut milk
red chilli, seeded and finely diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
6 wooden skewers (15cm (6in) in length), soaked
This is a classic South-East Asian street food that I enjoyed on a recent trip to the region. Satay has a wonderful balance of sweet and spicy flavours that penetrate the chicken. It is perfect for cooking on the barbecue; just make sure you soak the skewers first.
First prepare the pickled cucumber salad. Place the vinegar in a bowl and stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Tip in the sliced cucumber, stir to combine and set aside to allow the flavours to develop.
Preheat a griddle pan until smoking hot, or preheat the grill. Whisk together the soy sauce, honey and curry powder in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chicken pieces. Leave to marinate for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. Heat the peanut butter in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir in the soy sauce, sugar and lime juice. Gradually whisk in the coconut milk until you have achieved a smooth sauce. Stir in the chilli and coriander, then leave to cool.
Thread the chicken pieces onto the pre-soaked wooden skewers and arrange on the griddle pan or under the grill. Cook for 4–6 minutes, turning once or twice, until cooked through.
Arrange the chicken satay skewers on warmed plates. Divide the dipping sauce between individual ramekins and place to one side of the skewers. Drain the pickled cucumber salad, add to the plates and serve at once.
Poached Oysters with Spinach and Lemongrass (#ulink_0e5497b6-be7a-5ab5-8271-ffe163222108)
Serves 4
16 oysters (Pacific if available)
25g (1oz) butter
225g (8oz) fresh spinach leaves, washed and tough stalks removed
For the lemongrass sauce
1 tsp softened butter
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and core finely chopped
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
150ml (5fl oz) dry white wine
100ml (3
fl oz) double cream
salt and freshly ground white pepper
This is the perfect recipe if you want to try cooking or eating oysters for the first time. It might sound fancy, but it’s actually very easy and guaranteed to impress your guests. You can ask your fishmonger to remove all the oysters from their shells or follow the instructions below.
Scrub the oyster shells thoroughly. Place an oyster on a tea towel on a firm surface, flattest shell uppermost and hinge towards you. Gather the tea towel around the oyster and grip it firmly so there is a thick wad of cloth protecting your hand. With the other hand, insert an oyster knife or a sharp rigid blade into the gap in the hinge and twist upwards to snap the shells apart. Slide the blade along the inside of the upper shell to sever the muscle that keeps the shells together. Lift off the top shell and run the knife under the oyster to remove it from the bottom shell. Repeat with the rest of the oysters. Clean the bottom shells and reserve for serving.
To make the lemongrass sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the shallot, lemongrass and lemon rind and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened but not browned, stirring occasionally. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, stirring at intervals. Stir in the cream and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the lemon juice. Blitz with a hand-held blender and pass through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Keep warm over a low heat.
Just before you poach the oysters, melt the butter in a large pan and add the spinach and a pinch of salt. Cook for a minute or so over a high heat until just wilted, then drain off any excess liquid and spoon a mound of spinach into each oyster shell. Arrange on heated plates and keep warm. Add the oysters to the warm lemongrass sauce, still over a low heat, and gently poach for 30 seconds, but no longer. Carefully remove the oysters with a slotted spoon and place on top of the spinach in the shells. Place the hand-held blender in the sauce and blitz to lighten, then spoon the sauce over the poached oysters to serve.
Marinated Olives (#ulink_27ea49cc-35f1-577d-9585-d72e6c9f165a)
Serves 4 | VEGETARIAN
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
225g (8oz) black or green olives, or a mixture
finely grated rind and juice of
1 small lemon
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp dried crushed chillies (optional)
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
In my opinion, the best type of olives for this dish come from Italy and have been stored in olive oil. You’ll find them at farmers’ markets or in a good deli. The longer you leave them to marinate, the better the flavour will be.
Toast the cumin and fennel seeds in a small, dry frying pan for 1–2 minutes until they become aromatic. Tip into a bowl and add the olives, lemon rind and juice, garlic, chillies, if using, and olive oil.
Toss until each olive is well coated and either drain off the excess liquid immediately and tip into small bowls to serve, or leave to marinate and allow the flavours to develop for as long as possible. The olives can be prepared up to one week in advance and stored in a bowl covered with clingfilm in the fridge.
Spiced Glazed Almonds (#ulink_45560dc4-7169-5836-8995-1259c041509b)
Serves 4 | VEGETARIAN
1 tbsp olive oil
225g (8oz) roasted salted whole almonds
4 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
These crunchy spiced nuts make an excellent snack to go with a few drinks. I like to use almonds but cashew nuts or pecan halves also work well.
Heat the oil in a frying pan set over a medium heat and add the almonds, stirring to coat. Sprinkle over the sugar, paprika and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until the almonds are golden brown and the sugar has caramelised.
Spread out on a baking sheet to cool and harden, then break up any clusters as necessary before piling into small bowls to serve.
Poultry (#ulink_2f41c612-c1c3-528f-9ae1-16275225183d)
Turkey Moussaka (#ulink_98dfddae-869a-5cf5-8714-35c577f8124c)
Serves 6–8
175ml (6fl oz) olive oil, for cooking
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
750g (1
lb) lean minced turkey
175ml (6fl oz) white wine
tsp ground cinnamon
tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 bay leaves
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 x 400g cans of chopped tomatoes
4 medium aubergines plain flour, for dusting
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chunky Greek Salad, to serve (see page 111)
For the cheese sauce
75g (3oz) unsalted butter
75g (3oz) plain flour
900ml (1
pints) milk
75g (3oz) Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
100g (4oz) Gruyère cheese, grated
1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks
Moussaka is a Greek dish made up of layers of minced lamb and aubergine, covered with a cheese sauce. Here, I’ve used turkey instead, which is economical and quite low in fat, but you could always make it the traditional way if you prefer. There are a few stages to the recipe, so it is best prepared in advance and then cooked just before serving.
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large flameproof casserole dish. Add the onion and cook gently for 6–8 minutes, stirring at intervals. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened but not browned.
Put a little olive oil in a frying pan set over a fairly high heat, then tip in half the minced turkey. Cook until lightly browned, breaking up any lumps with a wooden spoon, then empty onto a plate. Repeat until all of the turkey is cooked, then deglaze the pan by adding just a little white wine and scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen any sediment, allowing the liquid to simmer until it has reduced slightly.
Stir the cinnamon, allspice, oregano, bay leaves and thyme into the casserole dish with the onion mixture and cook for about a minute, stirring. Add the cooked turkey and the reduced wine, along with the remaining wine and the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 45–50 minutes until the turkey has broken right down and the liquid has reduced.
Meanwhile, cut the aubergines into slices 1cm (
in) in thickness and layer them up in a colander, sprinkling with salt between each layer. Set aside on the draining board for 30 minutes to allow the salt to draw out any bitter juices.
To make the cheese sauce, melt the butter in a large non-stick saucepan set over a low heat and stir in the flour. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk, then return to the heat and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring continuously, until the sauce is smooth and thick. Remove from the heat again and stir in 50g (2oz) of Parmesan and 50g (2oz) of Gruyère until melted.
Add salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly, then whisk in the egg and egg yolks to combine.
Set a large frying pan over a high heat. Rinse the aubergines under cold running water and pat dry with kitchen paper. Dust the aubergine slices with flour. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to the frying pan and fry the dusted aubergine slices in batches for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until cooked through and golden. Replenish the oil for each new batch. Drain the cooked slices on kitchen paper. You are now ready to construct the moussaka.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), gas mark 4. Spoon a third of the turkey mixture (discarding the bay leaves) into the base of an ovenproof dish measuring about 30 x 20cm (12 x 8in). Cover with half of the aubergine slices. Repeat the layers, finishing with a layer of the turkey mixture, then pour over the cheese sauce. Sprinkle the remaining Parmesan and Gruyère on top and bake for 50–60 minutes, until bubbling and golden brown. Allow the moussaka to settle for 5 minutes before cutting into squares and arranging on warmed plates with the chunky Greek salad.
Spicy Chicken and Mango Noodles (#ulink_a63d4718-ea84-58ff-b1ec-32b5ce47ff1a)
Serves 4
450g (1lb) skinless chicken fillets
100g (4oz) vermicelli rice noodles
1 red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
small bunch of fresh coriander
handful of fresh mint leaves
1 ripe mango, peeled, stone discarded and cut into fine strips
4 tbsp roughly chopped toasted cashew nuts
For the marinade
