Stir-fried green soy beans with snow vegetable (xue cai mao dou)
Young green soy beans, commonly known as edamame, are one of my favourite vegetables, small and exquisite, their colour a sweet emerald green that brightens up any supper table. You may serve them...
View ArticleVegetarian “gong bao chicken” (gong bao ji ding [su])
At the Baoguang temple, an hour away from Chengdu, if you walk through the grand courtyard just within the entrance gates, past the racks of burning incense and candles and slip off to the right, past...
View ArticleRadishes in chilli oil sauce (qiang luo bo)
This is a beautiful and stunningly simple dish to rouse the appetite at the start of a meal. Small red radishes are not a traditional Chinese vegetable, but a recent import. This recipe is based on one...
View ArticleGolden egg curry
Burmese egg curry is a beautiful way of presenting eggs. They’re first boiled, then peeled and fried in medium-hot oil. The smooth whites blister and firm up into an attractive golden crust. Only then...
View ArticleRiver fish celebration
Far upriver from the coast of Rakhine State lies Mrauk U, a sleepy tourist destination of villages and Buddhist ruins. On my last night there, the main dish for supper at the guesthouse where I was...
View ArticleLemongrass-ginger sliders
The original Shan recipe is for meat balls made with ground beef or pork flavoured with minced lemongrass, ginger, and garlic. I’ve found it easier in a North American kitchen to flatten the balls and...
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Braised chicken drumsticks with black bean and chilliBraised chicken...
For me, chicken drumsticks are total comfort food — so affordable and accessible, especially now that free-range chicken is more widely available. Tossing the drumsticks in flour gives them a lovely...
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Crab omelette with pickled white radish and fresh herbsCrab omelette with...
With its combination of crab, shallots, radish and vinegar, this dish takes its inspiration from France, but I’ve given it an Asian twist. I love the subtle and soft colours of this omelette, the...
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Crispy soy roasted pork bellyCrispy soy roasted pork belly
Everyone I know just loves pork crackling, and this recipe results in a great layer of crackling. To get good crackling, it’s important to follow the steps here closely, especially the initial scalding...
View ArticleRaspberry shortbread pancake
Pancake batterCombine all the dry ingredients in a bowl. Lightly whisk the milk and egg yolks together. Slowly add the milk mixture to the dry ingredients mixing well with a whisk until all the milk...
View ArticleZumbo pancakes with banana and caramel cream
To make the pancakes, put the dry ingredients in a medium bowl.Lightly whisk the milk and the egg yolks in a jug, then slowly whisk into the dry ingredients until well incorporated and smooth. Put the...
View ArticleProper cornflour custard
You can flavour custard with lemon zest, vanilla bean, a bay leaf or cardamom. I’ve used orange because it goes so well with the gooseberry. Custard will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for...
View ArticleCucumber and spring onion salad
Cut cucumbers into quarters lengthwise. Remove seeds, then cut in half widthwise.Place sugar, vinegar, chillies, ginger and 250 ml water in a saucepan over medium heat and stir to dissolve sugar. Bring...
View ArticleHoisin noodle salad
To make dressing, whisk together all the ingredients in a jug until combined. Set aside.Place noodles in a bowl of hot water and stand for 10 minutes to soften. Drain and rinse under cold running...
View ArticleRolled lamb roast with provolone and olives
Soften breadcrumbs in milk for 15 minutes, then process in a food processor with olives, onion, herbs, garlic and 1 tsp salt until finely chopped. Add cheese and egg, and process until combined. Season...
View ArticlePepperonata
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onions and cook for 4 minutes or until softened. Add capsicums and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until capsicums are...
View ArticleRoast potatoes with green olive tapenade
Preheat oven to 190C. Place potatoes, oil, oregano and garlic in a roasting pan and toss to combine. Roast for 1 hour or until potatoes are golden. Season with salt and pepper. To make green olive...
View ArticleZucchini carpaccio
To make mustard mayonnaise dressing, whisk together egg yolk, mustard and lemon juice in a bowl until combined. Whisking continuously, gradually add oil in a thin steady steam until mixture is...
View ArticlePanzanella
Toss tomatoes, garlic and ½ tsp salt in a bowl. Tear bread into pieces and toss with tomato mixture. Stand for 1 hour to let bread soak in juices; add a little water if bread is too dry. Add oil,...
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