To Cook
Mix the duck breast in 2 tbsp of the oil, sliced garlic, chilli and lemongrass and marinate for 15 minutes.
Place 2 tbsp of the oil in to a pan and cook the duck skin side down until it has become crispy. Once the skin is crispy begin searing on all sides before placing the duck in to an oven and baking for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.
Add the last of the oil in to the pan and fry the onions till they start to brown. Add the coconut milk to the pan and let the sauce reach a simmer.
When the sauce has reached a simmer, add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, tamarind and palm sugar. Stir and continue to simmer until the palm sugar has dissolved fully.
In a separate bowl, blanch the vermicelli noodles.
When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and add the Thai basil leaves and mix.
To serve, spoon the sauce mixture on to a plate, place the vermicelli noodles on top of the sauce, and finish with slices of the duck. Garnish with more basil and chillies.
Boil
Chicken and Chinese Angelica Root Soup
To Cook
Blanch chicken pieces in a pot of boiling water for a few mins until you see the scum float up. Drain and rinse the meat. Set aside.
Rinse all the dried herbs briefly and drain. Place the dried herbs and water into a claypot and bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces and then bring to a boil again.
Reduce the heat to the lowest, place lid on the claypot but leaving a small gap, and allow simmer for 2 hrs.
Season with salt and serve.
Tempura Prawn Soba
To Prepare
For the stock, combine the water and kombu in a pot to soak for 30 mins. Prepare all the ingredients.
Prepare the shrimp for cooking by making small cuts in the prawn and straightening the prawn flesh.
Add the flour, baking powder, ½ tsp salt and chilled water in a bowl and combine until the mixture is smooth.
Cover the shrimp in batter and deep fry. When it is cooked, ensure that no excess oil is on the shrimp.
Bring the 500ml water to a boil on medium heat.
As the water approaches a boil, remove from heat and add the bonito flakes.
Return to heat and simmer for 1-2 mins, ensuring it does not boil.
Strain the stock into a pot and add the salt, soy sauce, mirin and sake. Once the soup has boiled for 1-2 mins, remove it from heat.
Cook the soba noodles according to the packet instructions.
Divide the prawns, soba noodles and soup between the two bowls and add spring onions for garnish.
Beef Ribs Stew (Galbi Jjim)
To Prep
Soak beef in cold water for at least 30 mins, and then drain.
To Cook
Boil a pot of water with garlic, ginger and onion. Cook meat in hot water briefly, about 5 mins. Drain meat and wash off impurities. Discard garlic, ginger and onions.
Place meat in a pot again with cold water, the water level should just cover the meat.
Bring the ribs to a boil and cook in moderate heat for about 20 mins. Take the ribs out and reserve the stock. Make a few slits in each rib meat.
Place the meat back into the stock. Pour in Obap marinade and mix well. Bring the ribs to a boil and simmer gently over low heat for at least 1½-2 hrs. Add extra water if needed.
At the last 30 mins of cooking time, add the vegetables and spring onions.
Tips
If cooking will be left unattended, use a slow cooker in Step 4.
You can also add peeled chestnuts, gingko nuts and jujube to the stew.
To rehydrate shiitake mushrooms, soak them in a bowl of cold water for at least 45 mins.
Add blended pear for extra flavour to the dish when cooking.
Vietnamese Prawn Bowl
To Cook
In a saucepan, add hoisin sauce, peanut butter, sesame oil and garlic. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Slow stir in a little bit of water at a time until sauce is glossy and texture is smooth and slightly runny. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Heat oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Fry off garlic until fragrant. Add prawns and pan fry for 30 secs. Add lemon juice to pan to coat prawns. When prawns are fully cooked, remove from pan onto a plate and set aside.
To assemble, add cooked vermicelli into a bowl. Top with red cabbage, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, mint leaves, prawns and peanuts. Drizzle over peanut hoisin sauce and serve.
Vegan Spicy Soy Milk Ramen
To Prep
To make vegan dashi, soak shiitake mushrooms and kombu in hot water for at least 30 mins.
Pour liquid with shiitake and kombu into a saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat. Remove kombu just before the liquid reaches a boil. Once boiling, remove from heat and set aside.
To Cook
In a saucepan or pot, heat sesame oil over medium-low heat. Add garlic, ginger and spring onion whites and stir-fry until fragrant.
Stir through miso and chilli bean paste. Add in sake to deglaze the bottom of the saucepan or pot.
Next, add sesame seeds and soy sauce.
Slowly add soy milk, and then ½ cup of vegan dashi. Add salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, add a serving of cooked ramen noodles into a bowl. Ladle over ramen broth, and then top with corn, spring onion greens, bok choy and nori.
Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli Salad
To Cook
Soak rice vermicelli in hot water for 2 mins. Drain and set aside.
Saute prawns in a pan with oil. Cool slightly, slice in half length-ways and set aside.
Dissolve brown sugar in lime juice over low heat. Remove from heat; add fish sauce and water and cool.
Add prawns, celery, capsicum, mint, basil and bean sprouts to the lime juice mixture. Place rice vermicelli on plate and top with salad mixture.
Garnish with peanuts and serve.
Vietnamese Rice Paper Rolls with Prawns
To Make Rice Paper Rolls
Put the rice noodles in to a heatproof bowl and pour enough boiling water to cover them.
Let noodles cook until they soften before draining the water and rinsing the noodles under cold water.
Dip the rice paper sheet in to a bowl of water before draining it and placing it on to a clean work surface.
Arrange on to the rice paper sheet 2 of the prawn halves, 2 mints leaves, and some of the rice noodles.
Fold the sides of the rice paper roll before folding the bottom half of the wrapper over the fillings.
Before rolling to finish the roll, stick a couple of the chives on to the roll and then finish rolling.
Transfer to a serving plate and then repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Serve with chilli sauce or hoisin sauce!
Malaysian Pan Mee
Making the dough
In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Make a well in the centre and add in the egg. Mix the egg with the flour.
Add 1 cup of water and mix. Add more water as needed to form a soft dough.
Knead the dough for 8-10 minutes until elastic. Pick up the dough and throw onto the work surface 10 times in between kneading the dough. Do this 3-4 times throughout kneading.
Divide the dough into 4. Place into 4 bowls and wrap each with cling wrap. Set aside and allow to rest for at least 1 hr.
Making the broth
In a large pot, add the anchovies and water. Bring the water to boil over high heat.
Once boiled, turn the heat to medium and let simmer uncovered for 15 minutes.
Remove the anchovies with a sieve or a slotted spoon. Season with salt, white pepper and sugar to taste.
Meat and Mushroom Topping
Heat a pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil and fry the garlic and meat. When the meat is almost cooked, add the mushroom.
Turn the heat to medium high and add the oyster sauce, soy sauce, thick caramel sauce, sugar, salt, sesame oil and white pepper. Stir to combine well. Once cooked, add the water, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Remove from heat and set aside.
Cooking the Noodles
Flour pasta machine and work surface. Starting at the highest setting on your pasta machine, roll out your dough. Fold dough in half and roll out again. Gradually lower setting until your dough is about 2-3mm in thickness.
Cut dough into fettucine-sized strands using your pasta machine or a sharp knife. Toss your noodles into a bowl with flour.
Over high heat, bring a pot of water to boil and add your noodles, cooking a handful at a time.
Once the noodles float, let it cook for 1-2 more minutes (depending on the thickness and size). Remove cooked noodles with a slotted spoon and set aside.
To Assemble
Add noodles, bok choy and soup into a bowl. Top with meat and mushroom and fried anchovies. Serve immediately.
Korean Rice Punch (Sikhye)
To Prep
Soak powdered malt barley in 10 cups of water for 1 hr. Twirl barley a few times to loosen the husks.
Strain malt barley in a fine colander or a fine muslin over a bowl. Squeeze the barley thoroughly before discarding the husks.
Leave the strained malt water in a bowl and let it rest for about 4-5 hours. You should have the top part of malt barley water clear and the bottom white with sediment.
To Cook
Place cooked rice at the bottom of a rice cooker. Pour the top part of the malt barley water over the rice, taking care not to pour in the white sediment at the bottom of the bowl. Make sure that the rice is fully covered.
Put on the “keep warm” option in your rice cooker for around 4-5 hours or until the rice granules start rising to the top. Alternatively, use a double boiler at 55-60°C instead of a rice cooker.
Turn off the rice cooker and strain the sikhae liquid through a colander into a bowl. Rinse the rice with water a few times and drain thoroughly in a colander. Store dried rice in the fridge and set the sikhye liquid aside.
Pour strained sikhye liquid into a pot and add 1 cup sugar. Bring to a boil and skim off any impurities that float to the top. Simmer for about 8 mins over medium to low heat. Add more sugar if necessary. Turn off heat, let the sikhye cool to room temperature and store in the fridge.
To serve, pour chilled sikhye into a small bowl or glass, spoon in some rice granules and sprinkle with pine nuts.
Cold Soba (Zaru Soba)
Prearing the mentsuyu (dipping sauce)
Prepare mentsuyu according to this recipe. Allow to cool in the refrigerator for 1 hr.
To cook
Cook the soba only right before serving. Drain the soba in a colander and rinse the noodles under cold, running water until the noodles are cooled. Transfer to a bowl filled with cold water.
To serve, divide the soba among 4 plates and sprinkle nori on top. Pour the dipping sauce into 4 small cups with the 1 tbsp spring onions and a dab of wasabi paste (optional) on the side of each plate. Reserve the remaining mentsuyu for top-ups.
To eat, add the spring onions to the mentsuyu. Dip the soba into the mentsuyu and make sure to slurp when enjoying the noodles!
Mochi with Sweet Soy Flour (Kinako Mochi)
To Prep
Mix the soybean flour and sugar evenly.
To Cook
Place the mochi in a pot of water, heat on high until slow boil. Move the mochi to prevent the bottom sticking to the pot.
Lower the heat to simmer for 2 mins then turn off the heat. Leave the mochi in the hot water for 1 min.
Remove from water and coat in the sweet soy flour mixture. Serve.