Melbourne restaurant Red Spice Road has released a cookbook modernising age-old Asian dishes.
Chef John McLeay of Melbourne restaurant Red Spice Road has compiled a sumptuous collection of Asian dishes, combining centuries-old recipes with modern ingredients and know-how. McLeay takes the home cook on a journey from the jungles of Thailand to the streets of Saigon. Recipes include crab-filled betel leaves, prawn and sticky pork salad, and crispy five-spice quail, as well as favourites such as penang curry and chilli basil chicken.
Garfish with cucumber, avocado, chilli and basil
Garfish is a beautiful, sweet-tasting fish that's available in New Zealand, or could be substituted with gurnard.
Serves 4 as part of a shared meal
4 large garfish, butterflied
50ml vegetable oil
1 pinch salt
1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
1 small Lebanese cucumber, quartered lengthways, then sliced
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
1/2 avocado, cut into cubes
2 large red chillies, seeded and sliced
3 shallots, peeled and diced
10 Thai basil leaves, shredded
50ml green nam jim (see below)
1/2 a lime
1 Lightly brush the garfish fillets with some oil and season with salt and pepper.
2 Place the garfish, skin-side down, on a pre-heated grill or barbecue. Cook for about 1 minute, then carefully turn the fish over and cook for further 30 seconds. (These times might vary according to the size of the fish.)
3 Transfer fish to a serving plate and top with cucumber, tomato, avocado, chillies, shallots and Thai basil.
4 Spoon over nam jim and serve the fish garnished with lime.
Green nam jim
This is my favourite dressing. It's best used fresh so you get the full impact of the vibrant colour.
2 coriander roots, cleaned and chopped
1 handful chopped coriander stalks and leaves
2 shallots, sliced finely
2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
2 large green chillies, seeded and chopped finely
1 small green chilli, chopped finely
50g palm sugar, grated
100ml fish sauce
200ml lime juice
1 In a mortar and pestle, pound the coriander, shallots, garlic and chillies into a rough paste.
2 Add palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Mix and allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
Be in to win this cookbook
The Red Spice Road Cookbook, by John McLeay, New Holland Publishers, RRP $60. Available from Cook the Books, 81 Ponsonby Rd, Ponsonby, ph (09) 360 6513, cookthebooks.co.nz
They have one copy to give away. To enter the draw, email your name and address to books@cookthebooks.co.nz by Monday, November 22.
