In Thailand, I kept trying other meals but I kept returning to their well known green curry. The term curry is something of a misnomer being borrowed from Indian cuisine by the British. The Thai name refers to a spice…
Category: Basics
Satay Sauce
Nasi Goreng featured quite heavily as a reliable staple during our trip to Sri Lanka, where it was usually served along with a Chicken Satay skewer. Once back at home, luckily before the distressing bombings of Easter 2019, I found…
Posted in Basics
Nasi Goreng Paste
Nasi Goreng became a bit of a staple on my trip to Sri Lanka. It all starts with the paste to give its distinctive flavour. Planning serves: 4 preparation time: 15 mins cooking time: n/a Ingredients 2 banana shallots, roughly…
Sweet Pastry
My pastry chef says that this recipe makes a very maleable, easy-to-handle dough. It is basically a cheating approach to a more traditional French pâté sucrée. Planning serves: n/a preparation time: 10 mins cooking time: n/a Ingredients 175g plain flour…
Thai Red Curry Paste
This is really just the red chilli version of the Thai Green Curry Paste. It’s a combination of a spice mix by for a Thai-style curry by Nigel Slater and Muoi Khuntilanont’s Kitchen. Muoi’s original uses 15-30 red birdseye chillis;…
Sweet Rich Shortcrust Pastry
This crisp and crumbly mouth-watering pastry made with self-raising flour breaks all the rules but gives a special taste and texture to all sweet pies, large or small. Planning serves: preparation time: 10 mins cooking time: Ingredients 8…
Savoury Rich Shortcrust Pastry
Planning serves: preparation time: 10 mins cooking time: Ingredients 8 oz self-raising flour 1 tsp salt 3 oz butter 2 oz lard water, to mix Method Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse…
Potato Gnocchi
Unlike fresh pasta, the commercial versions of which are so good now that it hardly seems worth making it yourself (unless for special ravioli), commercial potato gnocchi are relatively heavy compared to their homemade equivalents. Making your own is, therefore,…
Shortcrust Pastry
A shortcrust pastry, in either sweet or savoury form, which seems to break many of the accepted pastry rules but which works well. Planning serves: preparation time: 10 mins cooking time: Ingredients 8 oz self-raising flour pinch salt…
Mrs Mopp’s Rough Puff Pastry
This is a cheat’s substitute for puff pastry which is really popular. The grating of the frozen butter is still hard work but it is, I am assured by my pastry chef (Carol), a darn site easier than traditional puff…