Month: September 2023

Korean Grilled Beef Lettuce Wraps

Created on 9/27/2023

Ingredients:

  • 1.3 lb centre-cut beef eye fillet
  • 2 tbsp brown sugar
  • ¼ cup light soy sauce
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 2 tbsp finely grated nashi pear
  • 2 tbsp mirin*
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp black sesame seeds
  • ¼ tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup sliced spring onion
  • 1 red oak or butter lettuce, leaves separated
  • finely shredded cabbage, to serve
  • perilla leaves* or mint leaves, to serve
  • bean shoots, to serve
  • kimchi, to serve*

Instructions:

Step One: Wrap the beef in cling film and place in the freezer for 30 minutes then cut into 5mm thick slices.  Use your fingers to press and flatten each piece of beef to about 2.5mm

Step Two: In a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, soy sauce, garlic, nashi pear, mirin, sesame oil, sesame seeds and pepper.  Add beef slices and toss to coat.  Set aside to marinate for 20-30 minutes

Step Three: Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and add the beef. Cook on one side until liquid evaporates and beef caramelises. Turn beef slices over and cook for a further minute.  Transfer beef to a serving platter and top with spring onion

Step Four: To serve, place the beef, lettuce leaves, cabbage, perilla or mint leaves, bean shoots and kimchi in the middle of the table for everyone to make their own lettuce wraps

Notes: Mirin is a Japanese rice wine. Perilla is a herb with a minty, anise flavour but it can be difficult to find so use mint instead if it’s unavailable. Mirin, perilla leaves and kimchi are available from Asian supermarkets.

Tips & Tricks: Putting the beef in the freezer makes it firmer, which means it’s easier to slice thinly. If you’ve got a tabletop grill you can have your guests cook their own beef just like in a Korean BBQ restaurant. Slices of chicken or pork can be used instead of beef

Chop Suey

Created on 9/27/2023

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb pork fillet or tenderloin
  • vegetable oil, for cooking
  • 2 eggs, lightly whisked
  • 1 brown onion, roughly sliced
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ carrot, thinly sliced
  • ½ capsicum, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 7 oz green cabbage, roughly chopped
  • 3.5 oz shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, thinly sliced
  • 3.5 oz bean shoots
  • 1 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch), mixed with 2 tbsp water
  • finely sliced spring onion (scallions)

Marinade

  • ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1 tsp soy sauce

Stir Fry Sauce

  • 3 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine
  • ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 chicken stock cube

Instructions:

Step One: Remove and discard the sinew/membrane from the pork fillet. Using a very sharp knife, slice the pork on the diagonal – you want the slices so thin that you’re almost able to see through them. Transfer the pork slices to a bowl, then add the ingredients for the marinade. Use your hands to mix everything together until all the slices of pork are evenly coated. Set aside for around 10 minutes

Step Two: In a small bowl, mix together all of the stir-fry sauce ingredients. Whisk to combine

Step Three: Place a wok or large frying pan on medium-high heat. Add in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and pour in the beaten eggs. Spread the egg mixture out thinly to make an omelette. Cook, flipping once, for 1–2 minutes or until set. Transfer to a chopping board and cut into chunks

Step Four: Replace the wok back on the heat and increase to high. When the pan is smoking hot, add another 2 tablespoons vegetable oil to the wok, followed by the pork. Use your spatula to spread the pork out in the base of the wok to make use of maximum surface area, then leave to sear for a minute or so until lightly golden. Toss the pork around the pan then add in the onion and sauté for 1- 2 minutes, or until starting to char

Step Five: Add in the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Next, add the carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute or until just tender. Repeat with the capsicum, cabbage and, finally, the mushrooms

Step Six: Pour the stir-fry sauce around the outer edges of the wok – that way, it will immediately start to caramelise rather than stewing the rest of your ingredients. Add in the bean shoots and omelette pieces, then toss to combine. To get things extra glossy, add in the cornflour mixture and toss to combine. Add the spring onion and stir-fry until incorporated. Serve immediately

Japanese Curry

Created on 9/11/2023

Ingredients:

  • 1lb onion sliced into ⅜” wide pieces
  • 0.5lb potato cut into ⅝” cubes
  • 3.5oz carrot sliced to ¼” thick pieces
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • Box of Golden Nugget Japanese Curry cubes
  • Water according to package instructions
  • 4 cups cooked rice (hot)
  • 4 Chicken Cutlets cut into strips

Instructions:

Step One: Put oil into a pot and sauté onion pieces until the edges start browning

Step Two: Add potato and carrot pieces to the pot and stir

Step Three: Add water and bring it to a boil. Remove scum as it rises

Step Four: Add curry roux and cook

Step Five: Cook chicken cutlets and slice them

Step Six: Put cooked rice on one side of a serving plate, place cutlet pieces next to the rice

Step Seven: Pour curry on the side next to the cutlet away from the rice

Thai Fishcakes

Created on 9/11/2023

Ingredients

  • 1 lb roughly diced fish fillets e.g. snapper, cod, barramundi or salmon 
  • 7 oz peeled and deveined prawns 
  • 8 makrut lime leaves, destemmed, finely chopped (Use lime zest if you cant find)
  • 1 tbsp Marion’s Kitchen Thai Red Curry Paste 
  • 1 egg white 
  • ½ tsp sugar 
  • 2 tsp fish sauce 
  • 2 tsp sea salt 
  • Vegetable oil for deep frying 
  • diced cucumber, to serve 
  • fresh herbs, to serve e.g. basil, mint or cilantro

Drizzle sauce: 

  • 3 tbsp fish sauce 
  • 3 tbsp sugar 
  • 2 tbsp white vinegar 
  • 2 tbsp lime juice 
  • 1 long red chilli, finely chopped 

Instructions

Step One: To make the drizzle sauce, combine the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside until ready to serve

Step Two: To make the prawn & fishcakes, pulse the fish in a food processor until it forms a paste. Transfer to a large bowl. Use a knife to finely mince the prawns. Add the minced prawn to the fish. Then add the Thai red curry paste, egg white, sugar, fish sauce and salt. Use your hands to mix and ‘knead’ the mixture for about 2 minutes. Pick up the mixture and ‘slap’ it against the bowl to remove excess air

Step Three: Heat enough vegetable oil in a saucepan for deep frying. When the oil is hot, use your hands to scoop up roughly heaped tablespoons of the fish mixture and carefully drop into the oil. Repeat with another 5-6 scoops of fish mixture (don’t overcrowd the pan). Cook, turning, for 3-4 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel

Step Four: To serve, pile the fishcakes onto a serving platter. Scatter over the cucumber and herbs and drizzle with the sauce