Thank you to everyone who braved the 42 degree heat of last Sunday at Crush 2011 when Sticky Rice Cooking School, with teaching Chef Ali Seedsman, demonstrated 2 delicious recipes during the day at Nepenthe Winery.
As promised the recipes have been updated here for you all to enjoy and for those of you who need a bit more guidance, you might like to come along to the full length cooking classes with Chef Yukiko Anschutz whose classes Taste of Asia and Stars of Siam include these recipes amongst others.
Chicken Laksa- Taste of Asia Class- Chef Yukiko Anschutz
Serves 4
100g dried rice noodle
100g bean sprouts
4 pieces fried bean curd, cut in a half
250g chicken breast fillets
Paste
1 teaspoons coriander seed, roasted
1 teaspoons cumin seeds, roasted
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 fresh medium size chilies (deseeded)
3 candle nuts
25g galangal
25g fresh ginger
5 cloves garlic
15g fresh turmeric or 1/2 tablespoon of turmeric powder
1/2 ( 50g) red onions
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
10g roasted shrimp paste
25ml or more vegetable oil
800ml chicken stock
250ml creamy coconut milk (chef choice brand)
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
4 kaffir lime leaves, de-veined
15 curry leaves
15ml light palm sugar
30ml or more fish sauce
To make laksa paste
Pound all spices together and add salt and chillies to pound together. Add remaining ingredients in the order they are listed, reducing each one to fine paste before adding next.
To make laksa soup
Heat 20ml of oil in a pot and fry the laksa paste with reduced heat for several minutes until fragrant.
Add chicken stock, kaffir lime leaves, curry leaves and lemon grass. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 20 minutes. While the stock is simmering, add chicken breast fillets in the stock. Take the chicken out when it cooked.
Remove lemon grass and all leaves.
Add coconut milk, fried bean curd and adjust the flavor by adding more salt, sugar or fish sauce to taste. Simmer the soup until ready to serve.
In another pot, bring 3 litres of water to the boil. Precook the noodles and bean sprouts. Place them into individual serving bowls.
Slice the cooked chicken fillets and serve on top of the noodles.
Pour a generous serve of the hot Laksa soup with a piece of bean curd into each bowl.
Garnish with Vietnamese mint, coriander leaves, fried shallots and chilli.
Sweet Pork and Peanut- Stars of Siam Class- Chef Yukiko Anschutz
(Makes about 24)
2 cloves or more of chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander roots
1/4 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons oil
250g minced pork
1/4 cup crushed unsalted roasted peanuts
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2-3 tablespoons palm sugar
Pound the garlic and coriander roots and black pepper together.
Heat oil in a wok and fry the mixture on a low heat for a few minutes.
Add the pork and seasoning with the nuts and continue to stir fry until mixture is well cooked.
Serve on Lettuce or with Cassava Crackers