Hoi An green mango, tamarind, mint and cashew salad

One of the most exciting cookbooks to come out so far this year is Gurdeep Loyal’s Flavour Heroes, an inspirational collection of recipes based on the ingredients that have come our way in the last 10 years or so.

This one is based on tamarind, an appetisingly sour fruit that is compressed into a block or, more commonly made into a paste these days. Here Gurd uses it in an appetisingly sharp-flavoured salad that is perfect for summer eating.

Incidentally I made it myself and found it made enough dressing to save some for another salad or dip. It really is absolutely delicious. Note it helps to have a julienne peeler to shred the mango and that the dressing is cooked so needs cooling before you assemble the salad.

Gurdeep writes: “H?i An in Vietnam is a miraculous place – an ancient town of winding canals, ornate temples, pagodas, bridges and beautiful stretches of paddy fields that you can cycle through all the way to the blissfully sandy shores of An Bang beach.

Street-food vendors set up shop daily along the banks of H?i An’s canals, selling such delights as báhn xèo (crispy pancakes), c?m t?m (broken rice), g?i cu?n (shrimp summer rolls) and delicious g?i xoài (green mango salad), which is sold in plastic bags with
pouches of tangy chilli-tamarind dressing on the side. This recipe evokes my memories of that special place, and those very special bags of joy.”

SERVES 2–3
10g (¼oz) dried shrimp (optional)
1 large green (unripe) raw mango or raw papaya, peeled
1 large carrot
1 large red shallot
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped
2 Tbsp caster (superfine) sugar
5 teaspoons of warm water
1 Tbsp tamarind paste 
zest of 1 and juice of 2 limes
2 Tbsp fish sauce or vegan alternative
small handful of mint leaves
fine sea salt
To garnish
20g (¾oz) roasted cashews, crushed crispy onions

Put the dried shrimp (if using) in a small bowl, pour over boiling water and soak for 10 minutes.

Use a julienne peeler to shred the mango flesh from the large seed and the carrot into long thin threads. Chop the shallot into thin rings. Tumble together into a large bowl.

For the dressing, heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan, then add the garlic and very gently sizzle over a low heat for 3–4 minutes until it just takes on a little colour. Next, add the drained shrimp and chopped chilli. Sizzle for another 1 minute. Now, add the sugar, 1 teaspoon of salt and the warm water, mixing until the sugar and salt dissolve.

Remove from the heat, then whisk through the tamarind paste, lime zest and juice, and fish sauce.

Pour into a bowl and leave to cool completely.

Once cool, whisk the dressing one last time, then pour over the shredded mango and carrots, tossing to coat everything well. Tear in the fresh mint, mixing again, then garnish with roasted cashews and crispy onions. Enjoy.

What to drink: With Vietnamese food it rather depends what else is on the table but overall I’d be inclined to go for an Australian riesling or a dry rosé. Or, if you’re not drinking, a lime soda FB

For other wine suggestions see what type of wine pairs best with Vietnamese food

Extracted from Flavour Heroes by Gurdeep Loyal, published by Quadrille at £27. Photograph by Patricia Niven.

 

 

 

 

Charred Tomatoes with Cool Yoghurt, Pomegranate Molasses and Herbs

An irresistibly more-ish recipe from Helen Graves brilliant book Live Fire. You can also cook it on a cast iron griddle

Helen writes: I have made, and will continue to make, many iterations of this tomato and yoghurt arrangement. It’s so, so good. Hot, charred tomatoes in a pomegranate molasses dressing are tumbled on top of cool yoghurt, straight from the fridge. A plate of glorious contrasts.

You may not want to use all the dressing, but personally I love the way it pools into the yoghurt. Obviously, you will want fresh flatbreads or toasted sourdough to really make the most of this.

Setup: Direct cooking

Equipment: Tongs

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Serves: 4

1 garlic clove, crushed

300 g (10½ oz/scant 1¼ cups) natural full-fat yoghurt

1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) cherry tomatoes on the vine

handful of mint leaves, chopped

large handful of basil leaves, torn

handful of pomegranate seeds

Dressing

2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

2 teaspoons za’atar (there’s a recipe in the book if you want to make your own)

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

3 tablespoons lemon juice

sea salt

— Prepare a barbecue for direct cooking over medium heat.

— Combine the dressing ingredients with a pinch of salt in a clean lidded jar or bowl and shake or whisk to combine.

Set aside.

— Combine the crushed garlic, yoghurt and a pinch of salt in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

— Grill the tomatoes over direct heat for about 5 minutes until charred and soft.

— To serve, spread the garlic yoghurt on a plate. Remove the grilled tomatoes from the vine and combine with the herbs in a bowl. Add two-thirds of the dressing and mix gently.

— Top the yoghurt with the tomato mixture and pour the remaining dressing on top. Add another drizzle of olive oil, a scattering of pomegranate seeds and some more salt, if you like.

To Cook Indoors: Preheat a cast-iron griddle pan over a high heat for at least 5 minutes and use it to char the tomatoes. You could also cook them under the grill – just make sure they get nice and black in places.

What to drink: You’d be unlikely to be having this on its own I suspect but a crisp white like a sauvignon blanc, a dry rosé or a light red like a frappato would all work well.

From Live Fire by Helen Graves, published by Hardie Grant at £26. Photography by Rob Billington

Chicken schnitzel, burnt salsa, fennel slaw

I confess I love a schnitzel especially if it’s dressed up with a salsa and slaw as it is in Thomas Straker’s gorgeous-looking new book Food you want to eat.

Straker became famous for his ‘All Things Butter’ videos on YouTube and TikTok so thankfully the book includes those recipes as well but, as this recipe shows, he has other delicious dishes in his locker. 

Thomas says: There is something quite special about a smashed chicken breast covered in breadcrumbs and fried in oil. This dish is crunchy, juicy and slathered in a sharp, spicy tomato salsa with a refreshing fennel slaw. It was the first recipe video I made during lockdown and it was something I always knew people would connect with.”

Serves 4

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts 
100g plain flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200g panko crumbs, or a mix of fresh breadcrumbs and panko
vegetable oil
sea salt flakes and freshly cracked black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges, to serve

For the salsa
300g cherry tomatoes
1 onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, peeled and bashed with the side of a blade
1 long red chilli
leaves from 30g bunch of coriander, finely chopped
80ml olive oil
60ml white wine vinegar

For the slaw
2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons bought or homemade mayonnaise 
juice of 2 lemons

Start by preparing the chicken schnitzel. Use a sharp knife to cut each breast horizontally nearly in half, leaving a piece attached so it remains in a single piece, then open it out to butterfly the breasts. Place the first between sheets of clingfilm or baking paper. Gently bash them out one by one with a rolling pin to an even thickness of ½–1cm.

Put the flour, eggs and crumbs into 3 separate shallow bowls and season the flour well. Get 2 baking trays lined with baking paper ready for the breaded schnitzels to rest on later.

First, dip an escalope into the seasoned flour, shaking off any excess, before passing it through the eggs. Finally, press into the crumbs, applying a little pressure to ensure the whole escalope is coated. Try to keep 1 hand dry at all times by alternating between the wet and dry bowls. Put on to a lined baking tray until ready to cook, then repeat to coat all the schnitzels. If preparing them in advance, be sure to keep the escalopes separate; you can stack them on a plate if each is separated by a sheet of baking paper.

Next, make the salsa. Place a cast-iron or heavy-based pan over a high heat. Once hot, add the whole cherry tomatoes, onion, garlic and chilli and cook for 3–4 minutes until everything is well- charred all over. Remove from the pan and allow to cool, then finely chop. Put in a bowl with the coriander, olive oil, vinegar and salt to taste. Set aside at room temperature.

To make the slaw, mix the fennel, mayonnaise, lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt in a bowl. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt as needed.

Heat 2cm of vegetable oil in a large frying pan until hot (you want it to reach 180°C). Gently lower in 1 schnitzel and cook for about 2 minutes until golden, turning to ensure it cooks evenly. Remove to a wire rack or baking tray lined with kitchen paper and season with sea salt flakes. Repeat until all the schnitzels are cooked.

Serve the chicken schnitzels topped with the tomato salsa and fennel slaw, with lemon wedges for squeezing.

What to drink: Normally I’m a fan of grüner veltliner with schnitzel which appropriately enough also comes from Austria but with this charred salsa I’m thinking a light red would work as well if not better. The vinegar in the salsa and the lemon juice are going to have the effect of making any wine taste softer and sweeter than usual so I’d go for a young Italian red like a Refosco or a natural red like a Poulsard or Trousseau. A zesty sauvignon blanc would work too. FB.

Extract taken from Food You Want to Eat by Thomas Straker (Bloomsbury Publishing, £25, Hardback). Photography © Issy Crocker.

 

 

 

Courgettes with Georgian Spices and Walnuts

I’m a huge fan of Caroline Eden’s writing and this is a recipe from her latest book Green Mountains, the final part of a trilogy on her travels through the Balkans and Central Asia. 

This volume is based on the Caucasus, specifically Armenia and Georgia, a country I visited a few years back and absolutely loved, myself.

It has ingredients you don’t find - or at least I haven’t found -anywhere else though Eden helpfully suggests substitutes for the harder-to-find ingredients. 

She recommends you serve the dish alongside salads and bread as part of a wider meze spread.

SERVES 4

1 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling

1 onion, finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

80g/2 2 3/4 oz walnuts, toasted and broken into pieces

100g/3 1/2 oz sundried tomatoes

1 tbsp khmeli suneli (a mix of coriander seed, dried marigold petals, chilli pepper and blue fenugreek; if you don’t have khmeli suneli then make a spice mix combining at least the chilli and the coriander seed)

1⁄2 tsp sweet paprika

3 courgettes (zucchini), cut into 1cm/1⁄2in diagonal slices

Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

70g/2 1/2 oz feta, crumbled

Handful of fresh summer herbs (a mixture of coriander (cilantro), parsley, mint, tarragon, dill), chopped

Line a large roasting tray with foil that will accommodate the courgettes in a single layer and preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas mark 4.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onion until soft and starting to colour, then add the garlic and cook for another minute or so. Remove to a bowl. Combine the walnuts, sundried tomatoes and spices, then combine with the onion mixture.

Arrange the courgette slices in a single layer on the lined tray, then cover thickly with the nutty, spicy tomato mixture, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for around 25–30 minutes, gently stirring the topping halfway through and, if it’s looking a bit dry, drizzle over a little more oil. Serve garnished with crumbled feta and the fresh herbs.

What to drink: Given this comes from Georgia it would seem perverse not to drink an orange wine with it - a lighter style without too long a period of skin contact I suggest. Otherwise dry rosé would work perfectly well. FB

Extracted from Green Mountains by Caroline Eden, published by Quadrille at £28. Photograph by Ola O. Smit.