Recipes

We have chosen a couple of our favourites dishes from Ghillie's books for you to try.

Singapore laksa

(Taken from The Food and Cooking of Malaysia & Singapore)

There are as many laksa dishes as there are diverse regions in Malaysia and Singapore, each one influenced by the various immigrants. The basic dish consists of noodles in a spicy coconut broth, but there are subtle differences between each version. Rich and creamy, Singapore laksa was created by the Nonya women, marrying both Malay and Chinese styles. In the home-cooked version, slices of deep-fried fish cakes are often added at the end, whereas the stall laksa is often rich with seafood and topped with cockles.  Every so often in Singapore, the competition of certain dishes develops into a 'war', the famous one being the 'laksa war' in Katong (an old district in Singapore), which was wne by the Chinese lady who runs the 357 noodle stall with her unbeatable laksa.

Serves 4-6

For the spice paste:
8 shallots, peeled and chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
40g/1½ oz fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, peeled and chopped
6 candlenuts (or substitute with macadamia nuts)
4 dried red chillies, soaked until soft, and de-seeded
2 tablespoons dried prawns, soaked until soft
1-2 teaspoons belacan
1-2 teaspoons sugar   
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

vegetable oil
4-6 shallots, peeled and finely sliced
600ml/1pint coconut milk
400ml/14fl oz chicken stock
100g/3½oz fresh shrimp, shelled
100g/3½oz fresh squid, cleaned, trimmed and sliced
6-8 fresh scallops
90g/3oz fresh cockles, shelled
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
225g/8oz fresh rice noodles, or dried rice vermicelli, soaked in lukewarm water until pliable
100g/3½oz bean sprouts
a small bunch Vietnamese mint, or fresh garden mint, roughly chopped
chilli oil

Using a mortar and pestle, or a food processor, grind all the ingredients, apart from the oil, for the spice paste mixture. Bind the paste with the oil and put aside.

Heat enough oil in a wok to deep-fry. Add the shallots to the same oil and fry until crispy and golden. Drain and put aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large wok, or heavy based pan. Stir in the spice paste and cook over a low heat for 3-4 minutes, until fragrant. Add the coconut milk and chicken stock, and bring the liquid to the boil, stirring all the time. Add the shrimp, squid, and scallops and simmer gently, until cooked. Add the cockles at the last minute and season the broth with salt and pepper.

To serve, divide the noodles among individual bowls. Add the bean sprouts and ladle the broth and seafood over top, making sure the noodles are submerged in the steaming liquid. Garnish with the crispy shallots, mint, and a drizzle of chilli oil. 

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Kazandibi

(Taken from Classic Turkish Cooking)

For the 'eat sweet, talk sweet' Turks, there is one pudding, above all others, that they will insist you try. A classic Ottoman dish, that may even have had its origins in the lavish feasting of the Romans when Anatolia was once part of its Eastern Empire, it emerged from the Topkapı kitchens as tavuk göğsü, a creamy milk pudding made with chicken breasts. Over time it has developed to produce the popular offshoot, kazandibi, which is really the same pudding with a burnt top and rolled into logs. To my mind, it is the more delectable of the two. Don't be put off with the thought of chicken in a pudding, it really only adds texture rather than taste and the pudding is well worth attempting at home. Otherwise, when visiting Turkey, pop into a reputable pudding shop and try this wonderful creation.

Serves 6

1 chicken breast
5 tablespoons rice flour
850ml/1½ pints milk
300ml/½ pint cream
a pinch of salt
175g/6oz sugar
ground cinnamon for dusting

Place the chicken breast in a pan with enough water to just cover it. Bring the water to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the breast is cooked. Drain the breast and tear it into very fine threads.

In a bowl, slake the rice flour with a little of the milk to form a smooth paste, the consistency of double cream. Pour the rest of the milk and the cream into a heavy-based pan. Add the salt and sugar and bring it to the boil, stirring all the time, until the sugar has dissolved.  Add a few spoonfuls of the hot milk mixture to the slaked rice flour, then tip it into the pan and stir vigorously. Reduce the heat, stirring all the time, until the mixture begins to thicken. Gently beat in the threads of chicken and continue to simmer until the mixture is very thick.

Lightly grease a heavy-based frying pan and place it over the heat. When hot, tip the mixture into it and keep it over the heat for about 5 minutes to brown, or burn, the bottom of the pudding - you can check by gently levering up an edge and to peep beneath. Move the pan around to make sure the bottom is evenly burned, then turn off the heat and leave the pudding to cool in the pan.

Using a sharp-pointed knife cut the pudding into rectangles. Lift each rectangle out of the pan, using a spatula, and place them on a flat surface. Roll each rectangle over, so that it resembles a log, and place it seam-side down on a serving dish. Serve chilled, or at room temperature as a sweet snack or dessert. Dust the top with a little ground cinnamon, if you like.

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Tagine of yams, carrots, prunes and honey

(Taken from Modern Moroccan)

In this succulent, syrupy tagine the vegetables should be slightly caramelized. They are at their best served with grilled meats, couscous, or with lots of warm, crusty bread and a leafy, herb salad. I first had this dish in a tiny hut in the Atlas Mountains. The air was cold and the food was warming - it was quite delicious. At home, I often make this wonderfully moreish dish with sweet potatoes as yams are harder to find.

Serves 4-6

25-30 pearl onions, blanched and peeled
3 tablespoons olive oil and a little butter
900g (2lbs) yams or sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
2-3 carrots, peeled and cut into bite-size chunks
450ml (16fl oz) vegetable stock
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
150g (5oz) soft, pitted prunes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
a small bunch fresh coriander and mint, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 400F/200C/gas mark 6. In a heavy-based pan, heat the olive oil with a little butter and stir in the onions. Cook until tender, then remove half of them and set aside. Add the yams and carrots to the pan and cook until lightly browned. Add the prunes with the spices and honey, then pour in the stock. Season well, then cover the pan and pop it in the oven for about 45 minutes. Toss in the onions that had been put aside and bake for a further 10 minutes. Serve immediately sprinkled with fresh coriander and mint.

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