Tag: garlic

• 

  PK’s Favourite Nam Jim Dressing

  Wikipedia writes ‘Nam jim (น้ำจิ้ม) is Thai for “dipping sauce”. It can refer to a wide variety of dipping sauces in Thai cuisine, with many of them being a combination of salty, sweet, spicy and sour’.

  I use this dressing in my PK’s Thai Beef Salad.

  I use a blender (don’t tell anyone please) instead of a mortar and pestle because I am lazy. You will get a more visually appealing result if you use the former, though I hope the taste is similar. I primarily use this dressing on my Thai Beef Salads and they have a lot going on visually anyway.

  Edit: Last time I made this dressing I used a mortar and pestle and the results were worth it 🙂

  If you haven’t already, please go and have a read of my post PK’s Curry Paste Kit. It will show you just how off the charts bonkers I am about using whole spices and the freshest ingredients when making your own pastes etc. Actually maybe give that post a miss ;).

  STEPS:

  1. Gather the ingredients
  2. Mix in the wet blender
  3. Serving

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 tsp powdered kashmiri chili
    • 5 coriander roots (cilantro)
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • 2.5cm piece fresh ginger root
    • 3 Tbsp fish sauce
    • 3 Tbsp lime juice
    • 1 Tbsp palm sugar
  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a tablespoon
    • a teaspoon
    • a medium sized bowl
    • a wet blender with a small bowl
    • a dry mill (optional)
    • a small serving bowl for the middle of the table

  Gather the ingredients

  Steps:

  1. Dry mill your whole kashmiri chilis to get 1 tsb. Mostly I use store bought powder though.
  2. Wash the 5 coriander roots thoroughly if you have just harvested them. I have a stash in the freezer though of roots retained after using the rest of the plant. See my post Herbs – Coriander (Coriandrum sativum).
  3. Peel and rough chop the 3 garlic cloves.
  4. Peel and rough chop the 2.5cm ginger root.
  5. Bring the 3 Tbsp fish sauce, 3 Tbsp lime juice and 1 Tbsp palm sugar together.

  

  Mix in the wet blender

  Steps:

  1. Pop everything into your wet blender and pulse till you get the look you are after.
  2. Have a taste and add a bit more of anything you think is under represented. For example I normally add a bit more fish sauce for the saltiness factor.

  

  Serving

  Pop the lot in a serving bowl. I do this so that every one can build their own Thai salad at dinner. I haven’t tried storing this in the fridge for very long but the salt content of the fish sauce should let it keep for a while. You might just want to freshen up the citrus flavour by adding a bit of lime or lemon juice.

  I would love to hear about your favourite Thai salad dressing or dipping sauce.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  June 12, 2016

• 

  PK’s BBQ Western Rock Lobster With Garlic Butter

  Seafood has an unfair advantage over other foods in the looks department. Even if you don’t like seafood you have to admit the colours and textures are eye catching. Nothing epitomises this more for me than lobsters and crayfish.

  I am new to this seafood cooking business so this is the only way I know how to cook lobster. I am glad to say though that it did the massive Western Rock Lobster, caught by a friend of mine in the waters off Perth, proud.

  This method is so easy, even if a fresh whole lobster looks a bit intimidating. Indeed, the first time I halved a whole one I wondered how to even get started :).

  This is a great point scorer with my wife and I am also very happy that I get to make my garlic butter using ingredients from my kitchen garden.

  STEPS:

  1. Halve the lobster
  2. BBQ time
  3. Serving

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • table salt to taste
    • cracked pepper to taste
    • enough garlic butter to coat the flesh side of lobster halves
  • Equipment
    • a long sharp knife
    • kitchen scissors
    • a chopping board
    • a barbecue or frypan

  Halve the lobster

  Steps:

  1. Place the lobster right side up and, starting in the middle of the carapace, use a long sharp knife to cut the hard outer skeleton stopping at the start of the tail.
  2. Flip the lobster over, repeat the cut so that the body is sliced in half.
  3. Using kitchen scissors cut the tail’s hard outer skeleton length ways, first the top and then the bottom. This way you probably won’t break the intestinal tract and you can pull it out easily.
  4. Finish cutting all the way through the tail meat with the knife now.
  5. To be safe I scooped out all the tomalley (the gunky brown stuff in the head and body) and gave the halves a good rinse.
  6. I now cover the flesh side of the lobster halves with garlic butter, pushing it into all the nooks and crannies. Then I add lots of black pepper and a bit of salt.

  I do the same thing if I am using just the tails:

  

  BBQ time

   

  Steps:

  1. Place the lobster halves flesh side up on a preheated medium flame grill.
  2. The garlic butter will start to sizzle and some of the flesh will start to go white. That is when I turn them over.
  3. When the flesh side is opaque white and looking chargrilled, whip them off the grill and serve immediately. You will need to experiment a bit to make sure they are not under cooked nor turned to rubber 🙂

  Serving

  As this was a massive beastie I simply served one half to each adult with a fresh green salad. It was perfect and I got to bank lots of brownie points.

  

  I would love to hear how you cook lobster or crays or any improvements on the above.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  June 2, 2016

• 

  Welchy’s Easy Mushroom Soup

  There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s night than to sit down and tuck into something hot!

  Whether it be a curry, casserole or soup…I love nothing more than eating a dish that warms you right down to your bones!

  Mum has made soups all my life. As a kid, she may as well have put hearts and livers on a plate and put it in front of me. There was nothing worse than the idea of soup, let alone Mushroom soup. But as with most dishes, nostalgia tends to set in and I have a newfound appreciation of all things my mum cooked as a kid and how much I wish to be there again.

  This dish is about 10 minutes of prep (if you are slightly mad and enjoy cracking the stem of the mushroom off and then peeling each..and every…single…mushroom). And then 20-30 minutes simmering.

  Ingredients

  • 1 kg mushrooms, stems removed if you wish and peeled
  • 1 brown onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup thickened cream

  Method

  1. Melt butter in a Crock pot or large saucepan. Cook the onion until partly softened. Add garlic and cook until onion is browned and softened.
  2. Now add in the mushrooms and cook until they are lightly browned, stirring often so they don’t stick to the pan.
  3. Add the vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Once the mushrooms are tender and cooked through, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  6. Use an electric mixer to puree the soup (I personally like it to be slightly chunky, but puree a bit longer if you like a smooth soup).
  7. When ready to serve, stir in the cream and top with freshly chopped basil. And as always…enjoy!

  

  Enjoy,

  Welchy

  Here are more soup posts and Welchy recipies:

  Written by

  lilwelchy

  ·

  May 19, 2016

• 

  Welchy’s Winter Warmers – Mushroom Soup!

  There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s night that to sit down and tuck into something hot! Whether it be a curry, casserole or soup…I love nothing more than eating a dish that warms right down to your bones!

  Mum has made soups all my life. As a kid, she may as well have put hearts and livers on a plate and put it in front of me. There was nothing worse than the idea of soup, let alone Mushroom soup. But as with most dishes, nostalgia tends to set in and I have a newfound appreciation of all things my mum cooked as a kid and how much I wish to be there again.

  This dish is about 10 minutes of prep (if you are slightly mad and enjoy cracking the stem of the mushroom off and then peeling each..and every…single…mushroom). And then 20-30 minutes simmering.

  Ingredients

  • 1 kg mushrooms, stems removed if you wish and peeled
  • 1 brown onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup thickened cream

  Method

  1. Melt butter in a Crock pot or large saucepan. Cook onion until partly softened. Add garlic and cook until onion is browned and softened.
  2. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, stirring often so they don’t stick to the pan.
  3. Add the vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Once the mushrooms are tender and cooked through, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  6. Use an electric mixer to puree the soup (I personally like it to be slightly chunky, but puree a bit longer if you like a smooth soup).
  7. When ready to serve, stir in the cream and top with freshly chopped basil. And as always…enjoy!

  

  Written by

  lilwelchy

  ·

  May 19, 2016

• 

  The Easiest Coriander And Garlic Sauce

  Coriander based sauces provide a real flavour boost to your dishes. I love drizzling them in everthing from salads to steaks and potato side dishes,  If you give the  ingredients below a whizz in a blender (rather than a fine chopping) you will get an amazing dipping sauce for spring rolls and the like.

  

  I used this recipe originally from http://www.tarladalal.com (this site is amazing FYI)  and I am going to experiment a bit with the amount of garlic and sugar.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 Tbsp coriander leaves (cilantro)
    • 1 Tbsp fresh green chilis
    • 0.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tsp white vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp water

  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a medium sized bowl
    • a serving bowl
    • optional: a wet blender with a very small bowl

  Making the sauce

  

  Steps:

  1. Rough chop the 1 Tbsp of coriander leaves.
  2. Peel and finely chop the 2 garlic cloves. I use the knife to gently smash the garlic clove first to make it easier to peel.
  3. Finely chop the 1 Tbsp worth of green chilis.
  4. Pop those ingredients to a bowl.
  5. Squeeze about 0.5 Tbsp of lemon juice and add this to the bowl along with:
     • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
     • 2 tsp white vinegar
     • 2 Tbsp water

  Now you can either mix the sauce with a fork for a  a crunchier sauce or blend it in the wet mixer for a few pulses.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more sauces, condiments and dips along with other cooking staples: 

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 8, 2016

• 

  PK’s Coriander And Garlic Sauce

  I first had this sauce (store bought) when I was in Darwin 2016.

  It is simple to make but it packs a real astringent wallop. I used this recipe originally from http://www.tarladalal.com/ (this site is amazing FYI)  and I am going to experiment a bit with the amount of garlic and sugar . I also blended it the first time and I think that made it too potent :).

  It goes great drizzled on a green or your Asian salad of choice. You can even use it as a dipping sauce for spring rolls and the like.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
    • 2 cloves garlic
    • 1 Tbsp coriander leaves (cilantro)
    • 1 Tbsp fresh green chilis
    • 0.5 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
    • 2 tsp white vinegar
    • 2 Tbsp water

  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a medium sized bowl
    • a serving bowl
    • optional: a wet blender with a very small bowl

  Make the sauce

  

  Steps:

  1. Rough chop the 1 Tbsp worth of coriander leaves and add them to a bowl.
  2. Peel and finely chop the 2 garlic cloves. I use the knife to gently smash the garlic clove first to make it easier to peel. Chuck this in the bowl.
  3. Finely chop the 1 Tbsp worth of green chilis and (you guessed it) add it to the bowl.
  4. Squeeze about 0.5 Tbsp of lemon juice and add this to the bowl along with:
     • 1 Tbsp brown sugar
     • 2 tsp white vinegar
     • 2 Tbsp water
  5. Now you can either mix the sauce with a fork or optionally blend it in the wet mixer for a few pulses.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 8, 2016

• 

  How To Make A Nyonya Rempah Paste

  This Malaysian curry paste looks hard to make on first glance. After a few goes though you will be able to make it blindfolded  and I hope like me you find it an enjoyable process :).

  I make it well ahead of time for my favourite south-east Asian curry, a sticky Nyonyan Chicken Curry (see the post here). Please give this paste recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed. The only drawback is that you might not look at store bought pastes in the same light ever again.

  Look at the colourful ingredients:

  

  Note:

  1. All my recipes have their chili quota curbed at my family’s request. I am slowly increasing the amount on the sly so don’t tell them :). Add extra chili for that authentic taste if you can get away with it.
  2. The paste freezes well.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 tsp table salt
    • 1 tsp brown sugar
    • 3.5 Tbsp whole coriander seeds
    • 1.5 tsp whole cumin seeds
    • 1.5 tsp whole fennel seeds
    • 1 tsp powdered kashmiri chili (at the minimum)
    • 1 Tbsp dried belacan (shrimp paste)*
    • 1 Tbsb powdered turmeric
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 270g red shallots (sliced)
      
    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • Note *: I sometimes use a treacle consistency type of belacan but it is so sticky and harder to blend than the dried version.

  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a small bowl
    • a small plate
    • a wet blender with a very small bowl
    • a dry spice mixer or a mortar and pestle

  Make the rempah

  Steps:

  1. Bring all of the rempah ingredients together (see What Does Mise en Place Mean?.
  2. Dry fry the  whole spices (3.5 Tbsp whole coriander seeds, 1.5 tsp whole cumin seeds and 1.5 tsp whole fennel seeds).
  3. Let them cool and add to your spice mill. Mill them in bursts to avoid cooking the spices further in the heat caused by the blades. Keep going until you get a fine powder. Add this powder to your wet mixer and enjoy the aroma.
  4. Roughly chop the 270g red shallots and 3 garlic cloves and add to the wet mixer.
  5. I use Sim Seng Lee brand dried belacan (1 Tbsp worth), it stores really well and doesn’t smell out the house! Add it to the wet mixer.
  6. Add the rest of the ingredients to the wet blender (1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp kashmiri chili and 1 Tbsb powdered turmeric).
  7. Blend to a smooth paste, spoon it into a bowl and place in the fridge.

  Better than a store bought paste by a long shot:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 5, 2016

• 

  PK’s Nyonya Rempah

  This Malaysian curry paste looks hard to make on first glance. After a few goes though you will be able to make it blindfolded  and I hope like me you find it an enjoyable process :).

  I make it well ahead of time for my favourite south-east Asian curry, a sticky Nyonyan Chicken Curry (see the post here). Please give this paste recipe a try, you won’t be disappointed. The only drawback is that you might not look at store bought pastes in the same light ever again.

  Note: All my recipes have their chili quota curbed at my family’s request. I am slowly increasing the amount on the sly so don’t tell them :). Add extra chili for that authentic taste if you can get away with it.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 1 tsp table salt
    • 1 tsp brown sugar
    • 3.5 Tbsp whole coriander seeds
    • 1.5 tsp whole cumin seeds
    • 1.5 tsp whole fennel seeds
    • 1 tsp powdered kashmiri chili (at the minimum)
    • 1 Tbsp dried belacan (shrimp paste)*
    • 1 Tbsb powdered turmeric
    • 3 cloves garlic
    • 270g red shallots (sliced)
      
    • 1/3 cup olive oil
    • Note *: I sometimes use a treacle consistency type of belacan but it is so sticky and harder to blend than the dried version.

  • Equipment
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a small bowl
    • a small plate
    • a wet blender with a very small bowl
    • a dry spice mixer or a mortar and pestle

  Make the rempah

  Steps:

  1. Have a quick read of my PK’s Curry Paste Kit post if it has been a while.
  2. Bring all of the rempah ingredients together. I use a small plate to make it easier to add the ingredients to the frypan or blender.
  3. Dry fry the  whole spices (3.5 Tbsp whole coriander seeds, 1.5 tsp whole cumin seeds and 1.5 tsp whole fennel seeds).
  4. Let them cool and add to your spice mill. Mill them in bursts to avoid cooking the spices further in the heat caused by the blades. Keep going until you get a fine powder. Add this powder to your wet mixer and enjoy the aroma.
  5. Roughly chop the 270g red shallots and 3 garlic cloves and add to the wet mixer.
  6. I use Sim Seng Lee brand dried belacan (1 Tbsp worth) and it stores really well and doesn’t smell out the house! Add it to the wet mixer.
  7. Add the rest of the ingredients to the wet blender (1/3 cup olive oil, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp kashmiri chili and 1 Tbsb powdered turmeric).
  8. Blend to a smooth paste, add to a bowl and place in the fridge for short-term use or the freezer otherwise.

  Better than a store bought paste by a long shot:

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  May 5, 2016

• 

  Welchy’s Prawn Stack

  In the spirit of Good Friday and sticking to my parents tradition (and somewhat of my own), I took the opportunity to make something new and exciting. Growing up my brother and I used to dowse fish in tomato sauce or insist the fillets were bread-crumbed just so we could eat it. Dial ahead 12 years and I am finally in a position where I a) enjoy fish and b) can repay my parents by cooking for them … albeit with a little more culinary bravery this time.

  The  prawns are cooked in a lime sugar syrup, then layered between crunchy golden Wanton sheets and topped with a cucumber, tomato and avocado salsa. The prawns and salsa are fresh, light and sweet and just what you need to offset the richness of the wanton wrappers on each layer. For those that are a little more adventurous, have a go at popping a few chili slices on top as well for that extra punch of flavour.

  Serves 6

  

  Cooking skill: Beginner/Intermediate cooks

  Ingredients:

  • 18 Wanton sheets
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
  • 3cm piece ginger, peeled and diced
  • 1/3 coriander (fresh is best but dried is also fine)
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 600g prawns, peeled and de-veined
    

    Salsa

  • 2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 small cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 small avocado, finely chopped
  • 2tsp lime juice

  Steps:

  1. Add enough oil to the pan to shallow fry, about 2cm deep should do. Heat over medium heat, and cook the wanton sheets 2 at a time for 30 seconds or until golden and puffed. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and continue on with the rest of the sheets until all cooked. Set aside.
  2. Add garlic and ginger to the oil. Cook until golden (should be about a minute). Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside. Add the coriander to the oil, cooking for 30 seconds or until crisp. Transfer to the plate with the garlic and ginger.
  3. Heat a large pan over high heat. Add the lime juice and brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cook the prawns in batches and stir for 3 minutes or until the prawns change colour. Transfer to a bowl and continue with the batches until all the prawns are cooked.
  4. In a bowl, combine the chopped tomato, cucumber, avocado and the 2 teaspoons of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.
  5. To serve, place a wanton sheet on the plate. Place two to three prawns on the sheet, drizzle a spoonful of the tomato mixture and a sprinkle of the garlic and ginger mixture. Continue with another wanton sheet, prawns and tomato and garlic mixture. Finish with a wanton sheet and the tomato mixture, and top with a few slices of chili if you choose. Squeeze a lime over the entire stack for an additional pop of flavour!

  I served this with squid rings marinated in a bush spice rub and a garden salad, but with the salsa in the stack this dish would be just as good on its own! Fresh, zingy, zesty and creamy…what more could you want from a dish?! Now to sit back with a glass of wine and the comfort of my family…Enjoy!

  

  Written by

  lilwelchy

  ·

  March 28, 2016

• 

  Welchy’s Wanton Prawn Stack And Salsa

  In the spirit of Good Friday and sticking to my parents tradition (and somewhat of my own), I took the opportunity to make something new and exciting. Growing up my brother and I used to dowse fish in tomato sauce or insist the fillets were bread-crumbed just so we could eat it. Dial ahead 12 years and I am finally in a position where I a) enjoy fish and b) can repay my parents by cooking for them … albeit with a little more culinary bravery this time.

  The  prawns are cooked in a lime sugar syrup, then layered between crunchy golden Wonton sheets and topped with a cucumber, tomato and avocado salsa. The prawns and salsa are fresh, light and sweet and just what you need to offset the richness of the wonton wrappers on each layer. For those that are a little more adventurous, have a go at popping a few chili slices on top as well for that extra punch of flavour.

  Serves 6

  

  Ingredients:

  Stack

  • 18 Wonton sheets
  • 4 garlic cloves, peeled and diced
  • 3cm piece ginger, peeled and diced
  • 1/3 cup coriander leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
  • 1/4 cup lime juice
  • 600g prawns, peeled and de-veined

  Salsa

  • 2 tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 small cucumber, seeded and finely chopped
  • 1 small avocado, finely chopped
  • 2tsp lime juice

  Steps:

  1. Add enough oil to the pan to shallow fry, about 2cm deep should do. Heat over medium heat, and cook the wonton sheets 2 at a time for 30 seconds or until golden and puffed. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and continue on with the rest of the sheets until all cooked. Set aside.
  2. Add garlic and ginger to the oil. Cook until golden (should be about a minute). Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel and set aside. Add the coriander to the oil, cooking for 30 seconds or until crisp. Transfer to the plate with the garlic and ginger.
  3. Heat a large pan over high heat. Add the lime juice and brown sugar and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cook the prawns in batches and stir for 3 minutes or until the prawns change colour. Transfer to a bowl and continue with the batches until all the prawns are cooked.
  4. In a bowl, combine the chopped tomato, cucumber, avocado and the 2 teaspoons of lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.
  5. To serve, place a wonton sheet on the plate. Place two to three prawns on the sheet, drizzle a spoonful of the tomato mixture and a sprinkle of the garlic and ginger mixture. Continue with another wonton sheet, prawns and tomato and garlic mixture. Finish with a wanton sheet and the tomato mixture, and top with a few slices of chili if you choose. Squeeze a lime over the entire stack for an additional pop of flavour!

  I served this with squid rings marinated in a bush spice rub and a garden salad, but with the salsa in the stack this dish would be just as good on its own! Fresh, zingy, zesty and creamy…what more could you want from a dish?! Now to sit back with a glass of wine and the comfort of my family…Enjoy!

  

  Love Welchy.

  Here are some seafood posts and more from Welchy: 

  Written by

  lilwelchy

  ·

  March 28, 2016