seafood japchae

Japchae is amongst the most popular dishes in Korea. It’s a stir-fry of noodles, vegetables and, in my case prawns and squid. The transparent noodles are made of sweet potato starch and have a lovely chewy texture. Soak 6 – 8 whole dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling water for a few hours before you start…… Continue reading seafood japchae

prawns in spicy tomato sauce with caraway

This interesting recipe, from the wonderful Moro: the Cookbook by Sam and Sam Clark, hails from Turkey. In a heavy saucepan heat some olive oil and gently fry 3 thinly sliced cloves of garlic until they colour slightly. Add 1½ teaspoons of whole caraway seeds and 2 crumbled dried chillies and cook briefly. Add a…… Continue reading prawns in spicy tomato sauce with caraway

prawn and zucchini pasta

A delicious meal even with store-bought pasta. The flavour of this pasta dish is greatly enhanced by using the prawn (shrimp) heads and shells. Peel raw green prawns, approximately 6 to 8 per person. Slice the prawns in half lengthwise and set aside. Boil a large pot of salted water for the pasta and when…… Continue reading prawn and zucchini pasta

spicy prawns + vegetables in coconut

These two dishes use Belacan, a shrimp paste pressed into a block and sun-dried. It’s an essential ingredient in Malaysian cooking which adds a unique depth of flavour. Pre-roasting, a necessary step, reduces it’s very strong smell and flavour. Wrap a piece in foil and roast it over an open flame or in the oven until…… Continue reading spicy prawns + vegetables in coconut

gnocchi masterclass

My lovely foodie friend Fifi took me along to Taste of Melbourne where we attended a Electrolux Chefs’ Secrets masterclass by Scott Pickett. The attendees divided into teams and helped to prepare lunch. The gnocchi were made with 1kg (2¼ lbs) of cooked and passed potatoes, 150g (5¼ oz) of plain flour, 1 egg + 1 yolk, 80g or more (3…… Continue reading gnocchi masterclass

enoki mushroom and bean thread soup

This quick Asian style soup makes a deliciously satisfying meal. Nothing in this soup takes very long to cook. Prepare a light chicken or vegetable stock and add some finely shredded cabbage, enoki mushrooms and julienned carrots. After a couple of minutes add some bean thread noodles (mung bean vermicelli) broken into 10cm (4″ ) lengths, some sliced…… Continue reading enoki mushroom and bean thread soup

prawn omelette with fresh herbs

This thin omelette with prawn (shrimp) filling is an adaptation of a Vietnamese favourite. For the omelette whisk 4 eggs with some water, salt and a little rice flour. For the filling dice 225g (½ lb) of raw prawns and add a few cloves of finely diced garlic, a few sliced spring onions, some fish sauce and…… Continue reading prawn omelette with fresh herbs