RECIPE: Whip up a Christmas feast with an Asian-twist

JASMINE & TANGERINE CURED SALMON

1/8

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1 cup jasmine tea leaves

Zest of 1 tangerine

100g light brown sugar

150g rock salt*

500g salmon fillet, with skin on and bones removed

2 hard-boiled eggs, whites and yolks separated and coarsely chopped

3 tbsp capers

*The coarse texture of rock salt, available at major supermarkets, cures the fish without making it too salty.

DIRECTIONS

1 To make the cure, combine the tea leaves, tangerine zest, brown sugar and salt in a small bowl.

2 Line a large dish or baking pan with a large piece of cling film.

3 Pat the salmon dry and lay it skin-side down on the cling film. Pour the cure mixture over the salmon, coating it evenly.

4 Fold the cling film over the salmon and wrap it tightly. Weigh it down with something heavy, like two 1-litre cartons of fresh milk. Refrigerate for 3 days.

5 Remove from the fridge and rinse the salmon under cold running water, until all the salt is removed.

6 Pat dry with paper towels, then place skin side-down on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to cut into the salmon and then make thin slices moving diagonally off the skin. Serve with chopped egg and capers.

CREAMY CURRIED SEAFOOD

2/8

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large yellow onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

1 pinch of salt

1 tbsp Madras curry powder*

300g mussels, cleaned and beards removed

300g clams

1 cup water

200g tiger prawns

200g barramundi fillet*,

cut into chunks

200ml cooking or whipping cream

200ml coconut milk

To serve:

1 bunch coriander leaves

2 limes, cut into wedges

2 baguettes, sliced



*You can also use any other curry powder meant for meat – not seafood. And, besides barramundi, you can use cod, snapper or any other firm, white fish.

DIRECTIONS

1 Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic and salt. Stirring constantly, cook for about 8-10min or until softened.

2 Stir in the curry powder and cook for about 1min or until fragrant.

3 Add the mussels, clams and water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for about 5min or until mussels and clams open. Set aside the mussels and clams, discarding any unopened ones.

4 Add the prawns and fish. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5min. Dish out the prawns and fish, and set aside.

5 Add cooking cream and coconut milk. Simmer to thicken and cook until the liquid reduces by half. Taste and add more salt if needed.

6 Put all the seafood back into the pot. Garnish with coriander and serve with lime and the baguette slices.

 

ASSAM & HONEY GLAZED LEG OF HAM

3/8

Serves 12

INGREDIENTS

3kg plain cooked Christmas ham*

2 yellow onions, diced

1 carrot, cut into chunks

2 celery stalks, cut into chunks

1 tsp black peppercorns

300g tamarind pulp

300g honey

100ml water

½ tsp ground cloves

2 tbsp English mustard

100g soft dark brown sugar

1 cup cloves

*Choose a ham with both fat and skin for maximum flavour.

DIRECTIONS

1 Place the ham, onions, carrots, celery and peppercorns in a large pot, and fill with enough water to submerge everything. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 1 hour. This makes the ham less salty, and the skin come off easily. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

2 In a saucepan over low heat, whisk together the tamarind, honey, water, ground cloves and mustard until slightly thickened to make the glaze.

3 Transfer the ham to a foil-lined roasting tray. Slice off the skin, leaving a thin layer of fat. Rub the ham with the brown sugar.

4 With a knife, score the surface in a criss-cross pattern, and plug a clove into every

square of fat.

5 Drizzle the glaze over the ham and roast for 10min. Baste with more glaze and cook for another 10min.

6 Transfer to a carving board and slice thinly to serve.

WAGYU BEEF ROAST WITH CORIANDER SALSA VERDE

4/8

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1.5kg wagyu beef rostbif*, trussed or tied with twine

1 tbsp salt

1 tbsp pepper

2 tbsp olive oil

For the coriander salsa verde:

2 cups coriander leaves

1 garlic clove

1¼ tsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp capers, rinsed and drained

3 anchovy fillets

A pinch of coarse salt

A dash of pepper

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

*Recommended for roasts and grills, rostbif is a cut from the centre of the rump that is, in some countries, considered to be the best because of its marked flavour.

DIRECTIONS

1 Rub the beef with salt and pepper, then rest at room temperature for at least 2 hours so it cooks evenly later.

2 Preheat the oven to 220 deg C.

3 Baste the beef with olive oil and place it on the middle rack of the oven. Place a roasting pan on the lower rack to collect the juices.

4 Roast for 15min, then turn the heat down to 110 deg C and cook for 1.5- 2 hours for medium-rare doneness, or until a food thermometer inserted into the middle of the beef reads 45 deg C.

5 Remove and cover loosely with foil. Rest for 20-30min before serving.

6 To make the salsa, coarsely chop all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. Then add olive oil and set aside.

7 Drizzle some of the meat juices into the salsa verde before serving it with the beef.

TIP Have the butcher truss your beef. This helps the meat keep its shape and to hold in the juices during cooking. 

SESAME FINE BEANS

5/8

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

6 tbsp salt

2 litres water

500g fine beans*, trimmed

2 tbsp sesame oil

Juice of ½ lemon

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

*Fine beans are also known as haricots verts. They are more tender than French beans, which are a good substitute if you can’t find them.

DIRECTIONS

1 Combine the salt and water in a large pot and bring to the boil.

2 Blanch the beans for 2min, so they are crisp yet tender. Drain and toss with sesame oil and lemon juice.

3 Season with salt and pepper, then garnish with sesame seeds before serving.

LEMONGRASS & SPICE-ROASTED POTATOES

6/8

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

1kg new potatoes*, rinsed and dried

2-3 litres water

4-6 tbsp salt

2 stalks lemongrass, sliced

6 garlic cloves, crushed

3 sprigs fresh thyme

½ tsp smoked paprika

¼ tsp turmeric powder

3 tbsp olive oil

A dash of pepper

*The skin on new potatoes is super thin and does not have to be peeled before cooking.

DIRECTIONS

1 Place the potatoes in a large pot, and cover with the 2-3 litres of water so they are submerged. Add 2 tbsp salt for every litre. Boil for 15min, drain and cool before cutting into cubes or wedges.

2 Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.

3 Marinate the potatoes with the remaining ingredients, then spread on a baking tray. Roast for 20-25min on the middle rack of the oven until they are crisp and golden brown, turning them over midway so they cook evenly.

 

COCONUT PANNA COTTA WITH PINEAPPLE, LIME & PAPAYA SALSA

7/8

Makes 6

INGREDIENTS

For the panna cotta:

1 tbsp powdered gelatin

50ml cold water

1 litre coconut milk

500ml whipping cream

70g caster sugar

1 vanilla pod, pod and beans separated

For the salsa:

¼ sweet pineapple, diced

¼ papaya, diced

Zest and juice of 1 lime

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp dark rum (optional)

1 tbsp chopped mint leaves

DIRECTIONS

1 Soak the gelatin in cold water for 5min. 

2 Mix the remaining ingredients for the panna cotta, including the empty vanilla pod, in a saucepan and bring to a simmer, and then remove the pod.

3 Whisk in the gelatin until it dissolves.

4 Pour the mixture into ramekins or short glass tumblers. Chill for at least 4 hours.

5 Mix all the salsa ingredients in a bowl, and chill for at least an hour.

6 Garnish with the salsa and serve.

CRANBERRY, LEMONGRASS & LIME SPRITZER

8/8

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

60g caster sugar

60ml warm water

6 stalks lemongrass, outer

leaves removed

2 cups ice cubes

180ml fresh lime juice

3 litres cranberry juice

2 cans chilled soda water

DIRECTIONS

1 Dissolve the caster sugar in warm water to make 60ml of sugar syrup. Set aside.

2 Slice 5 stalks of lemongrass and muddle them in a jug to release the flavour and aroma.

3 Add ice cubes, lime and cranberry juices, and the sugar syrup. Top with soda water and serve the spritzer with the remaining lemongrass stalk, so your guest can use it to stir the drink as it melts.