Indiabite – Food Recipes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tbs sugar
• 4 tbs water
• 2 tbs fish sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper
• 2 French shallots, finely chopped
• 700g pork rashers, rind discarded and diced
• Steamed snow peas and rice, to serve

Method

1. Make caramel syrup by simmering 2 tbs sugar in 2 tbs water until golden. Remove from heat and add 2 tbs fish sauce, 2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp ground pepper and 2 French shallots, finely chopped. Place 700g pork rashers, rind discarded and diced into a bowl, pour over marinade and set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Heat a frying pan or wok until hot. Remove pork from marinade with a slotted spoon and cook, in batches until crisp and cooked through. Remove from pan.
3. Add remaining marinade to pan with 2 tbs water. Bring to the boil and pour over pork. Serve with steamed snow peas and rice.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 750g pork fillets
• 1 bunch watercress, washed
• 1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
• 1 large ripe mango
• crusty bread, to serve

• Marinade

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

Method

1. Place pork fillets into an ovenproof dish.
2. Make marinade Combine ingredients in a bowl. Stir well. Pour over pork. Turn to coat. Cover. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Remove from fridge. Remove cover.
3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Cook pork for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through. Cover. Set aside for 10 minutes. Remove to a board, reserving marinade. Thinly slice pork on the diagonal.
4. Remove sprigs from watercress. Place into a large bowl. Add onion. Peel mango and thinly slice flesh. Add mango, pork and reserved marinade to salad. Season. Toss well. Serve with crusty bread.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 750g pork fillets
• 1 bunch watercress, washed
• 1 small red onion, cut into thin wedges
• 1 large ripe mango
• crusty bread, to serve

• Marinade

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons finely ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons caster sugar
• 1 clove garlic, crushed

Method

1. Place pork fillets into an ovenproof dish.
2. Make marinade Combine ingredients in a bowl. Stir well. Pour over pork. Turn to coat. Cover. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Remove from fridge. Remove cover.
3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Cook pork for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through. Cover. Set aside for 10 minutes. Remove to a board, reserving marinade. Thinly slice pork on the diagonal.
4. Remove sprigs from watercress. Place into a large bowl. Add onion. Peel mango and thinly slice flesh. Add mango, pork and reserved marinade to salad. Season. Toss well. Serve with crusty bread.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1 bunch watercress, washed, dried, trimmed
• 2 (about 720g) pink grapefruit
• 2 (about 350g) nashi pears, sliced
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2 tsp olive oil
• Pinch of caster sugar
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Place the watercress in a large bowl. Use a small sharp knife to peel the grapefruit and remove the white pith. Holding the grapefruit over a small bowl to catch the juice, use the knife to remove the segments, cutting close to either side of the white membranes. Reserve 2 tbs of the juice. Add the grapefruit segments and nashi pear to the watercress. Toss to combine.
2. Whisk the reserved grapefruit juice, fish sauce, oil and sugar together in a small jug. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
3. Drizzle the dressing over the salad and toss until well combined.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 x 185g cans tuna in oil with chilli
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (375ml) fish stock
• 350g arborio rice
• 100ml white wine
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan
• Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon, plus extra zest to serve
• 50g wild rocket

Method

1. Drain the tuna, reserving 1 tablespoon of the oil, and fl ake to separate.
2. In a heavy-based saucepan, heat the tuna oil over medium heat and cook the onion for 1-2 minutes or until softened.
3. Mix the fi sh stock with an equal amount (375ml) of water. Add the rice to the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring to coat the grains well. Add the wine and allow alcohol to evaporate.
4. Once the wine has been absorbed, add the diluted stock a ladleful at a time until all liquid is absorbed – this will take about 20 minutes.
5. When rice is cooked, stir in tuna, parmesan and lemon rind and juice, then season to taste. Serve on a bed of rocket and garnish with extra zest.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 limes
• 4 lemon grass stems, pale sections only, halved lengthways
• 2 140ml cans coconut cream
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 2/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh coriander
• 30 (about 1.5kg) large green prawns, peeled with tails left intact, deveined
• 3 limes, extra, cut into wedges, to serve

Method

1. Peel the rind from the limes using a vegetable peeler. Remove white pith from rind and cut the rind into very thin strips. (Alternatively, use a zester). Squeeze the limes. Place the lemon grass lengths on a board and bruise with the flat side of a knife blade.
2. Place the lime rind strips and juice, coconut cream and fish sauce in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the lemon grass, coriander and prawns and mix thoroughly. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight if time permits.
3. Preheat a barbecue or chargrill on high.
4. Drain the prawns and discard the marinade. Cook the prawns on the pre- heated barbecue or chargrill for 2-3 minutes each side or until changed in colour and just cooked through.
5. Serve immediately accompanied by the extra lime wedges.

Notes & tips

• Note: Serve the prawns in halved coconut shells -it saves on washing up and looks great! To open the coconuts, simply hold the coconut evenly in both hands and crack the centre of the shell in half against a hard surface.
• Prep: 20 rains. (+ 2 hours marinating time).

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 3 gelatine leaves*
• 200ml chardonnay
• 1 1/2 tbs fish sauce
• 200g cooked small school prawns, peeled, tails intact
• 120g cooked blue swimmer crabmeat
• 100g smoked salmon, cut into thin strips
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbs chopped dill
• Melba toasts, to serve

Method

1. Chill 4 large martini (or similar) glasses.
2. Soak gelatine leaves in cold water until softened (about 5 minutes).
3. Place wine in a pan over high heat and reduce by half. Squeeze out gelatine and add to pan. Stir until dissolved. Place in measuring jug, add fish sauce and top up with cold water to make 600ml of liquid.
4. Place seafood in a bowl with lemon and dill. Season and stir to combine.
5. Place a small layer of seafood in each glass, cover with a little wine mixture and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set. Repeat twice more, until glasses are full and completely set. Serve with Melba toasts.

Notes & tips

• * From gourmet food stores and selected supermarkets. Always check the packet for setting instructions.