Tod Mun Pla - Thai Fish Cakes

Ingredients

• 500 grams snapper, redfish or cod, skinned and boned
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 2 fresh kaffer lime leaves, roughly torn
• 2 spring onions, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 2 tablespoons coriander, finely chopped
• 3 snake beans (30g), finely sliced (substitute with found French beans if necessary)
• 2 small fresh red Thai chillies, finely chopped
• Oil for deep frying (preferably peanut)

Method

• Slice the fish into small pieces and the blend or process the curry paste, lime leaves, spring onions, fish sauce and lime juice until it forms a smooth paste.
• Transfer fish mixture into a medium sized bowl and add coriander, beans and chilli.
• Wet your hands and roll a heaped tablespoon of the mixture into a ball then flatten into a cake shape; repeat with remaining mixture.
• Heat oil in a wok or large saucepan and deep fry cakes in batches, until they reach a golden red colour
• Drain on kitchen paper and serve with cucumber dipping sauce.

Gravad Lax

Ingredients

• 750 grams of fresh salmon fillet, skin on
• 85 grams sugar
• 120 grams salt
• 8 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon coarse white pepper

Mustard Sauce

• 2 tablespoons mild sweet mustard (Swedish if possible)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste

1 cup vegetable oil

Method

• Scale and debone (using tweezers) the fillet, but leave the skin on the underside.
• Make some small slits across the salmon so the marinade can soak through the fish.
• Mix the salt, sugar and pepper together and rub into the fillet, then sprinkle the dill over it.
• Place a heavy baking tray on top of the fillet and leave to marinade at room temperature for 4 hours.
• Refridgerate for 48 hours, turning occasionally.
• Rinse the salmon well in cold water.
• Slice very thinly on an angle and serve with the mustard sauce, boiled new potatoes and lemon wedges.

Guri Pak (Thai Curry Puffs)

I just made these today for lunch and I am happy to say that my 17 month old tucked into them with vigour! These little Thai curry puff parcels get more addictive every time I make them. They are very easy to assemble and make a great entree to any South East Asia meal. These are the Thai equivalent to the Indian Samosa, Cornish Pasties, British Sausage Rolls, and Spanish Empandas. Serve with Sweet Chillie Dipping Sauce. Here's how to make Thai curry puffs.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 teaspoons coriander root, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and finely chopped
100 grams beef mince (minced twice)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons fish sauce (substitute with soya sauce if vegetarian)
1 tablespoon water
1 medium sized potato, finely diced
2 sheets puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method

• In a wok heat the peanut oil and add the coriander root, onion, garlic and minced beef, stirring until beef is no longer pink.
• Add turmeric, cumin and ground coriander, stir frying until it becomes fragrant.
• Add fish sauce and water and simmer, uncovered, until the mixture thickens.
• Evenly mix in mashed potato.
• Lightly dust work top with flour and cut four circles from pastry, approximately 10 cm diameter.
• Place a teaspoon of the mixture onto the centre of pastry and brush lightly around the edge of the pastry with the beaten egg.
• Fold pastry over to encase the filling and seal edges.
• Heat oil in a saucepan and deep fry curry puffs in batches until crisp and golden.
• Drain on kitchen paper and serve with sweet chilies dip.

...Sweet Chillie Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

12 fresh small red chillies, roughly chopped
8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 cups white vinegar
1 cup caster sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons tamarind paste

Method

• Combine all ingredients into a saucepan and stir, without boiling, until sugar is dissolved.
• Simmer, uncovered, for 20-30 minutes and slightly thickened.

Spanish Tapas - Albóndigas (Meatballs in spicy tomato sauce)

This is a typical tapas found anywhere in Andalucia, Spain. The Moors continue to leave their
legacy with the flavours in this aromatic and earthy dish. Here's how to make Albóndigas.

Ingredients

200 grams each of pork mince and beef mince
4 cloves garlic
70 grams dry breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil

1. Place all ingredients, apart from oil into a large ceramic bowl and mix together until contents are evenly distributed.
2. Cover and place in the fridge for about 2 hours. This will firm up the mixture and make it more easy to handle when shaping.
3. Take out of fridge and heat oil in a non stick frying pan.
4. Evenly brown meatballs in batches, ensuring you do not crowd the pan, and cook evenly till golden brown.
5. Remove from pan and drain on kitchen towel and keep warm in oven.
   

...Home made Tomato Sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sized brown onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic, smashed and finely chopped with at sprinkling of salt
1 glass white wine
6 of your favourite types of tomatoes, skinned, de-seeded and finely diced
2 teaspoons tomato concentrate
1 cup chicken stock
1 large spring onion, sliced
3-4 drops hot chillie oil
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Method

• In a medium sized frying pan, add oil and sauté onion and garlic till clear.
• Add wine, tomatoes, tomato paste, stock, spring onion and chillie oil.
  
• Simmer for approximately 15-20 minutes.
  
• Stir in parsley.
• Place albóndigas into a tapas dish, pour sauce over and serve piping hot.
  

Spanish Tapas - Garlic Shrimps (Gambas al Ajillo)

Here's how to make Spanish Tapas - Garlic Shrimps...ole'!

Ingredients

500 grams large shrimps, shell and head remove, tail intact
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chillie flakes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon Spanish or sweet paprika
1 tablespoon of sherry
3 tablespoons of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1 French baguette
1 lemon

Method

1. Heat olive oil over a medium heat.
   
2. Add garlic, chillie flakes and saute for 1 minute.
   
3. Increase the heat and add shrimps, paprika, lemon juice, and sherry.
   
4. Saute until shrimps turn pink
   
5. Season with pepper and salt and sprinkle parsley with.
6. Serve hot along with fresh bread.

...and that's how you make Gambas al Ajillo!

Spanish Tapas - Marinated Mixed Olives

Ingredients

2 cups mixed olives
½ onion, very finely chopped
1 fresh chilli, finely chopped
½ teaspoon garlic, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
A few slices of orange peel, cut into matchstick lengths
1 pinch black pepper
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup balsamic vinegar

Method

• Crush olives lightly and put into a glass jar with a lid.
• Add remaining ingredients and seal lid.
• Shake jar periodically so contents are evenly distributed.
• Marinate for at least 24 hours.

And that's how you marinate olives!

Scotch Eggs

Scotch eggs were an invention of the London institution, Fortunum and Mason and date back to the early 1700's.

Serves 4

Ingredients

450g pork sausage meat
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned flour (1 tablespoon flour,1/8 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 1/8 teaspoon thyme, 1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg)
4 medium sized free range hard boiled eggs
1 large egg, beaten
2/3 cup fine dry breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method

1. Sweat onions until they turn transparent.
2. Combine onions with sausage meat, Worcestershire sauce and then add the seasoned flour and blend together wit your hands.
3. Divide the mixture into four equal pieces.
4. Mould each piece of meat around and egg and carefully roll each egg between your hands to shape the sausage meat coating.
5. Place the beaten egg and breadcrumbs in two separate, shallow dishes.
6. Dip the eggs first in the beaten egg, and then in the breadcrumbs, coating thoroughly. Set aside.
7. Fill a large saucepan with enough oil to come up to 1/3 of the pan and heat.
8. Carefully lower eggs into the oil with a slotted spoon and fry for approximately 5 minutes or until they are a deep golden brown.
9. Drain on kitchen paper and serve either hot or cold.

Thai Satays

Peanut Sauce (nam jim tua)

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted roasted peanut
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 red chillies - medium strength
1/2 teaspoon of your favourite curry powder
2 teaspoons tamarind paste or lemon juice
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon fish sauce

1. Blend peanuts until finely chopped.
2. Heat oil in a wok or sauce pan and add onion, garlic, chillies, tumeric and stir until onion is soft (do not over cook or brown the onions).
3. Add crushed peanuts, tamarind or lemon and gently mix in the coconut milk.
4. Add sugar and fish sauce and stir through until hot.
5. Serve with satays.
6. The sauce will thicken as it sits so you can thin it out by adding a little more coconut milk or even water. Store in an air tight container in fridge for up to two weeks. This can also be frozen.

Chicken Satays

Ingredients

1 dozen or so bamboo skewers
700g chicken breast cut into long strips 2cm wide
3 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon corriander
1 teaspoon curry powder
2 tablespon oil
2 tablespon brown sugar
1 tablespon fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped chillie or sambal oelek

1. Soak bamboo skewers in a shallow dish long enough to accommodate them and weigh down with something to keep them submerged. Soak for a minimum of 1 hour or over night if possible.
2. Push the chicken onto the skewers, trying to keep the meat centred and skewer running up the middle of the chicken.
3. Mix together the remaining ingredients to form a paste.
4. Pour paste over chicken and massage into the meat so it is evenly coated.
5. Cover and marinade for a minimum of 1 hour or over night if possible.
6. Cook over a bbq, or in a heavy based frying pan with a little oil until tender.
   
7. Serve with peanut sauce.