Skewered Satay Chicken

Satay is a dish of seasoned skewered meat that is then grilled and served with a sauce. In the West it has become very commonly associated with chicken skewered and served with a spiced peanut sauce. It is a national dish of Indonesia but is also popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand and in former Dutch Asian colonies.

I first learnt how to make this dish when I got a job in a Malaysian owned Cantonese and Malay Restaurant when I was 13. It became a favourite dish at our home and as I got to bring food home after every shift, I would often bring this for myself and family to share.

I hope that you really enjoy this dish as much as I do.

To make enough to feed 4, you will want to have:-

800g Chicken breasts
1 egg white
10ml rice wine vinegar
1tbsp corn flour
8 skewers soaked in water for an hour
150g peanut butter (You can use some from this recipe)
2tbsp Soy Sauce
2 cloves of garlic
1 red chilli
200ml coconut milk
1tbsp honey

Star by mixing together in a bowl the egg white, rice wine vinegar and corn flour. Then chop your chickens into strips and put into the egg white mix, mix until thoroughly covered and place in fridge for an hour.

For the Satay sauce place the peanut butter, soy sauce, garlic, chillis, coconut milk and honey into a food processor and turn on until all combined. Place into a pan and cook for a minute.

Take your chickens out and thread onto the skewers and then grill on a medium-high heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Serve with the peanut sauce warm sauce.

The leftover sauce goes great as a sauce for noodles.

Curried Cashew Nut Chicken

So finally after moving and getting the flu, the Robinson clan are back on track.

So one of our first meals when I moved in was Roasted Chicken thighs in a curried cashew nut sauce. It went down a treat and really filled the holes left from moving and unpacking. It was a super easy meal in that you can make it all up and just forget about it.

To feed four hungry mouth, you need:-

4 chicken thighs
1 small onion, diced
2 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp turmeric
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tin (400ml) coconut milk
200ml chicken stock
75g cashew nuts
salt and pepper
little bit of oil

Preheat your oven to 175C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Place your chicken thighs on the tray and season with salt and pepper, give it a good rub in.

While waiting for the oven to heat up put some oil in a sauce pan and sweat your onions for about 5 minutes. Now add all the spices and stir in and cook for around a minute. Pour your coconut milk and stock and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and allow to reduce by a third.

Place your chicken in the oven and cook for an hour until the juices run clear.

To serve, heat the sauce and add the cashew nuts and pour over the chicken. It goes great with rice and naan bread.

It really is that simple, it doesn't take a lot to make good wholesome food for your family and friends.

Enjoy

Simple and Easy Spring Rolls

Springs Rolls have become increasing popular in the Western since Asian cuisine took off in the early 60's. They are normally given as an appetiser and come with various fillings. When I started working in Fortune Castle, one of the jobs I was given was making the spring rolls and for something so simple there is a technique to it.

Fast forward several years later and i'm making spring rolls still, alongside my wife and I am not boasting when I say, we make some of the best spring rolls north of the 60th Parallel. It has taken about a year, but we have also got our technique and filling down to a unbelievable tasty product. We make around 40 every couple of months or so, the idea is we freeze them down for snacks or appetisers, but they don't always get that far. However, you don't have to take my word for it, here is our recipe so you can make them yourselves.

This recipe makes 40 spring rolls (you can modify and experiment to your tastes but this is our standard):-

1 packet of 40 Spring Roll sheets (You can get these in Asian markets)
700g minced beef
100g bamboo shoots, sliced
2 medium onions, finely diced
2 medium carrots, grated
2 cloves of garlic, minced
200g cabbage, finely diced
1 paprika, finely diced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp curry spice
pot of cold water

Start by brown off your mince, then set it aside to cool down. Then mix all the other ingredients in a mixing bowl, adding the cooled down mince. Put on your deep fat fryer, or put some oil in a pan and heat up. You want the oil around 180C. If you are using a pan/wok, one trick to know how hot it is is by using chopsticks. Place them straight into the oil, if you see little bubbles, then it is hot enough. Don't do this with plastic ones as they will melt.

Now we can start putting the rolls together. To save time, instead of separating your sheets as you go, do them all at once and then cover with a lightly damp cloth. Be careful at this stage not to rip them. This is a great tip from my Wife.

 Start by putting your filling in, about a tablespoon is enough, too much and it won't cook.

Fold over tightly.

Fold until half way.

Then take the sides and fold to the middle.

Dip your fingers into the water and spread onto the unfolded side of the wrapper.

Continue folding until all wrapped.

Put onto a tray, don't pile on top of each other. Then repeat the process.

Carefully put them into your hot oil, CAREFULLY! Don't overcrowd the fryer, and allow to cook, turning them to cook evenly. Once a nice golden colour, take out and place onto a wire rack to drain. If you don't have a rack, use some kitchen towel on a plate instead. Serve immediately. 

If you want to freeze, cook them and allow to cool. When reheating,place into a preheated 225C oven for 10 minutes, turning half way through.

It really is that simple, now you can host your own Asian themed party and wow your guests. 

Simple and Tasty Nasi Goreng

My wife and I love Prawn Crackers, we love them so much that we normally produce a meal to accompany them rather than the normal way round. Nasi Goreng, like all types of fried rices, was a way in which to use up the leftover boiled rice as the frying killed off the dangerous microbes that love to gather on rice. It has its origins in Indonesia (where it is often labelled as the national dish), however it has now spread across many of the Asian countries and also is big in Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.

This recipe produces enough to feed four people:-

375g long-grain rice
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons of sesame oil
1 small onion, finely diced
2 cloves of garlic
1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
500g Chicken breast, cut into 1cm thick strips
250g cooked peeled prawns
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
Prawn crackers, to serve, i'll let you decide how many you want

Put a pan on to boil, add some salt to it. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and add the rice, about 20 minutes. Then drain and rinse under cold water and the set aside in a colander to drain thoroughly.

Then make an omelette with the eggs. Then roll it up and cut it into strips, then put it aside.

In a mortar crush the onion, garlic and chilli into a paste.Then put the oil in a wok and fry the onion paste for a couple of minutes until you start getting a beautiful fragrant smell from it. Then add your chicken strips and stir-fry until it starts changing colour on all sides. Add the prawns and soy sauce, stir fry until the chicken is tender.

Now add the rice to the wok, toss until the rice gets hot. Throw in the omelette strips, season to taste and then serve.

So simple, so tasty. So give this amazing, healthy Asian dish a go, you won't be disappointed.

Beef and Sweet Potato Curry with Cinnamon and Cardamom Scented Rice

I love a good curry, who doesn't? I have cooked many curries throughout my career as a chef, normally though they were Korma, Madras and Tikka. This time I decided to try something a little different, a contrast of spice with some sweetness. The Cinnamon and Cardamom Scented Rice was inspired by several similar recipes online.

You'll find this curry very simple, doesn't require a lot of effort but is packed full of flavour.

This makes enough for four people:-

600g Stewing Beef
200g sweet potato, diced
1 onion, thinly sliced
5g fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2tsp chilli powder
2tsp ground coriander
1/4tsp cardamom
1/2tsp turmeric
1/4tsp nutmeg
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
200g yoghurt (I used Turkish)
juice of half a lime
2tsp cornflour with 2tsp water
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
100ml water
seasoning
some olive oil

Firstly heat up a little olive oil in a cast iron pot (you can also use a normal pot if you want) and brown the meat with the spices and onion. Once meat is browned and the onions are starting to be soft, add the tomatoes, water and seasoning and reduce the heat and cover, cook for about an hour and a half, until the meat starts becoming tender. Add the sweet potato and cook for another 20 minutes. Then add the cornflour, take off the heat and stir in the yoghurt, lime juice and fresh coriander. Taste and correct seasoning if needed.

For the Rice you will need:-

300g long grain rice
fresh coriander
one cinnamon stick
2tsp cardamom
2tsp turmeric
juice of half a lime
seasoning

In a pot  pour in 450ml of water and bring to boil. Then add the Rice, cardamom, cinnamon and turmeric and cook until tender. Drain and put in a bowl, stir in the lime and sprinkle some fresh coriander on top.

Enjoy, I hope this meal gives you a little extra spice in your food life. Goes great with Naan Bread.

Sesame Seed Prawn Toast

In the UK (as well as other countries) Sesame Prawn Toast is a big hit at the local Chinese Restaurants. It is an adaptation of the old Chinese Dim Sum 'Hatosi'. When I started working for a local Malay and Cantonese Restaurant in my home town, one of the first things I learnt to make was this. It is a very simple appetizer and only takes a few minutes to knock up a large batch. It is great when served with Satay or Sweet Chilli Sauce.

You will need (To make enough for a 4 person starter):- 

300g peeled pre-cooked Prawns
1 egg white
1tsp salt
1 clove garlic
1tbsp corn flour
2 spring onions
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch of chilli powder
8 slices of bread (I like to use wholemeal but it is up to you)
sesame seeds (About two handfuls)
cooking oil, about 2-3 inches deep

Firstly put all the ingredients except the oil, bread and seeds into a food processor and blend until you get a paste. The remove the crusts from the bread and lay them out flat, spoon some of the paste onto each slice, press it down as much as possible. Now put your sesame seeds on a plate and then press the bread, prawn side facing the seeds, onto the seeds then gently lift. Then cut into triangles, I cut them into four mini triangles but you can just make two if you want. 

Gently heat the oil in a pan (Be really care, always have a fire blanket in your kitchens and wear proper clothing, or alternatively use a deep fat fryer). You will know it is hot when you can see a little ripple and the heat, do not let it smoke. Then carefully (DO NOT DROP THEM IN) put the triangles, about 3-4 at a time, into the oil and fry for 30-50 seconds. Take out with a metal slotted spoon and put onto kitchen towel to help the oil come out. 

Put onto a plate and serve immediately. 

How about challenging your friends to see if they can eat them with chopsticks. 

Bon appétit!