Potato and cauliflower curry

Serve this simple and quick curry alongside a little chutney and some steamed basmati rice.

a tbsp vegetable oil
1 medium yellow onion, finely sliced
2 green chillis, deseeded and finely chopped
1 bunch of coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves reserved for garnish
a tsp coriander seeds
a tsp fennel seeds
a tsp mustard seeds
6 cardamom pods, roasted and ground
2 medium-sized waxy potatoes, peeled and cut into generous-sized chunks
1 thumb of ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
a tbsp fish sauce (you can use a light soya sauce if you prefer)
a tbsp tamarind paste
a tbsp palm sugar
1kg ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tin coconut milk
1 head of cauliflower, broken into 1-inch florets

Place a large, heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat on top of the stove and add the oil.

Once the oil is warm, add the onion, chilli, coriander and crushed spices. Cook for 10 minutes until the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the potatoes and cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic, fish sauce, tamarind and palm sugar.

Stir once or twice, allowing the palm sugar to dissolve as you do so. Then add the chopped tomatoes and coconut milk and cook for 20 minutes, by which time the potatoes should be tender but not falling apart.

Add the cauliflower and cook for a final 5-10 minutes – I like the cauliflower when it still has a little crunch.

Baked sea bass with ginger, chilli and coriander

Eat this sea bass with nothing more than a small bowl of jasmine rice. The rice will absorb the sauce in which the fish has been cooked and the sea bass will be tender, aromatic and comforting. Ask your fishmonger to gut and scale the fish.

1 whole sea bass, weighing about 1.5kg
1 thumb of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into fine batons
1 red chilli, finely sliced
1 small bunch of coriander, leaves only
200ml light soy sauce
200ml water

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Rinse the sea bass under cool running water, to ensure any residual blood is cleaned away from the cavity.

Lay the fish on a clean board and, using a sharp knife, make three incisions right down to the bone on both sides.

Then lay the fish on a rack. Place the rack in a baking tray and scatter over the ginger, chilli and coriander. Mix the soy and water together in a bowl then pour gently over the fish.

Cover tightly with foil and place on the middle shelf of the oven and roast for eight to 10 minutes or until the flesh is cooked right down to the bone (the flesh will no longer be translucent).

Remove from the oven and allow to cool for a couple of minutes before carefully moving on to a warm plate. Spoon over the liquid from the baking tray and serve.

Ribs

3kg pork spare ribs

For the marinade:

300ml tomato ketchup
300ml soy sauce
125g clear honey
5cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
4 garlic cloves, crushed
5 tbsp dry sherry
1 tspn ground star anise
1 tbsp chopped rosemary

Do not buy ready marinated foods – they are pretty average and you can do better yourself without too much time or hassle. You can buy sheets of spare ribs, which can be left whole or cut into manageable lengths for cooking, then cut into individual ribs once they have been barbecued. Serve with potato skins and chargrilled corn on the cob, with napkins and finger bowls on hand for those sticky fingers.

Put all the marinade ingredients in a large shallow dish, then mix thoroughly to combine. Add the ribs and turn them in the mixture to coat evenly. Cover and leave to marinate in a cool place for 2-4 hours, or in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Put the ribs in a large, deep saucepan – you may have to split the sheet in half to fit. Pour over the tomato ketchup mixture and add just enough water to cover the ribs completely. Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook over a medium heat for about 1 hour until completely tender. Remove the ribs from the heat and transfer to a large, shallow, non-metallic dish. Allow the ribs to cool in the marinade, then chill until ready to put on the barbecue. They can be kept in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

When ready to use the ribs, carefully scoop off the fat from the top of the mixture and discard, then allow the mixture to come back to room temperature. Drain off all the marinade and pour some into a large, wide saucepan. Cook it over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until reduced to a sticky coating consistency.

Set the ribs on the barbecue grill over medium-high heat and cook for 8-10 minutes each side, occasionally basting or painting the ribs with the reduced marinade until lightly charred.

Cut into single ribs to serve.

Remember, marinade is a noun, marinate is a verb.

Crab salad with chilli, pumpkin, curry leaves and lime

250g butternut squash
250g freshly picked white crab meat
1 red chilli, sliced in half lengthwise, seeds removed and finely chopped
8 curry leaves

For the dressing:

1 tsp freshly chopped ginger
1 tsp palm sugar
the juice of half a lime
2 tsp fish sauce

Peel the squash, discarding any seeds, and chop into small cubes. Put in a saucepan and cover with cold water, adding a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until tender when pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside to cool.

Now make the dressing. Gently pound the ginger and palm sugar with a pestle and mortar to a smooth paste. Squeeze over the lime juice and stir in the fish sauce.

Put the crab, chilli and cooled pumpkin into a bowl. Using a sharp knife, finely chop the curry leaves and add to the salad. Finally, spoon over the dressing and toss together lightly with your fingers. Divide between four plates and serve at once.

Lobster curry

This is a luxurious curry, and something of a treat due to its price. The dish’s base is fairly mild, as it is important that the flavour of the lobster is not overpowered. If you prefer, you can substitute the lobster with any firm-fleshed white fish – monkfish is perfect, although it is endangered. Sea bass would work, as well – though it need not be cooked beforehand, merely added right at the end so that it is no more than just cooked through.

4 live lobsters, weighing 500g
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 white onions, peeled and finely sliced
2 red chillies, diced with seeds left in
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
5cm piece of root ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted and ground
5 ripe tomatoes, chopped
1 tbsp palm sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp tamarind water
400ml coconut milk (preferably fresh, though tinned will do)
75g dried coconut flakes, lightly toasted

Bring a large pan of well-salted water to the boil; once the water is boiling vigorously, add the lobsters and cook for seven minutes, then remove and set aside until cool enough to handle. To remove the flesh from the shell, make an incision all the way down the underside of the body. Remove the flesh in one whole piece. Crack the claws gently and remove the flesh there, also in one piece if possible.

Heat the oil in a heavy-based pan, add the onions and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Now add the chillies, garlic, ginger, coriander and tomatoes, then turn down the heat and cook for a further 10 minutes.

Add the sugar, fish sauce and tamarind water and cook for five minutes, then pour in the coconut milk. Raise the heat just slightly and cook for 10 minutes, then turn the heat to low and add the lobster. Cook gently for three to four minutes, then remove. Divide the lobster in its sauce between four warmed soup plates and garnish with toasted coconut. Serve with half a lime and flat bread or jasmine rice.

Chilli Jam

This is good with so many things – lamb, beef or just a grilled cheese sandwich.

2kg roasted tomatoes
1 tbsp mustard seeds
150ml red wine vinegar
75g fresh ginger, peeled, finely chopped
7 cloves of garlic, peeled, finely chopped
5 red chillies, deseeded, chopped
140g caster sugar
4 tbsp fish sauce

Place the tomatoes in a large saucepan. In a separate pan, toast the mustard seeds until they pop. Remove from the heat and grind with a pestle and mortar. Add the seeds and all the other ingredients to the tomatoes and cook over a very low heat for 2-3 hours, stirring every now and then. Remove from the hob and allow to cool before spooning into jars and placing in the fridge. You will now have a rich jam – sweet and sour, hot and slightly salty all at the same time.