Rice is the staple throughout south east Asia.  It is served with every meal and generally cooked once a day for consumption throughout the day.  Leftover ice is often re-fried.  This dish is popular along the entire length of the Mekong River, hence the name.  A similar version of the dish peers in our book of the week, Hot Sour Salty Sweet. The cooked rice is flavoured with lemongrass, shrimp and shallot paste, a speciality of central Vietnam. This rice is delicious, served on its own with a Vietnamese herb and salad platter, and some dipping sauce. For a bit more extravagance, grilled fish or chicken can be served with it.

4 cups cold cooked Asian rice (or cook 2 cups raw rice)

1T dried shrimp, soaked in a little hot water for 5 minutes

1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and cut into ±2cm lengths

1 small onion

3 spring onions

1t sugar

Pinch of salt

2T oil

2T garlic, minced

3 spring onions, trimmed, and julienned into ±5cm lengths

2T roasted sesame seeds

1T fish sauce, or to taste

2 tomatoes, sliced (or 1 small cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced)

¹/2 bunch coriander, finely chopped

Freshly ground pepper

1. Place the cooked rice in a large bowl, and with damp hands, break up any clumps, and set aside.
2. Place the shrimp, with its soaking water, the lemongrass, onions, spring onions, sugar and salt in a large mortar, or spice grinder, and grind to a paste.
3. Heat a large heavy wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the oil, toss in the garlic and stir-fry for 10 seconds, taking care not to burn. Add the paste and stir-fry for ±3 minutes, until it is golden.
4. Add the spring onions and stir-fry briefly.
5. Sprinkle the rice into the wok and stir-fry for ±2 minutes, tossing and pressing the rice against the sides of the wok until well mixed, with some of the rice crisping up to golden.
6. Add the sesame seeds and fish sauce, and stir-fry for ±30 seconds. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
7. Transfer to a serving platter, garnish with coriander and pepper, and arrange the tomato slices around the rice.
8. Serve with the herb and salad platter and dipping sauce, or with chicken.

Serves 4-6

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference. Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

This recipe is basically a cheat’s version of one of Neil Perry’s favourite dishes – the Sichuan classic, Ma Po Tofu. Ma Po Tofu loosely translates as “pockmarked-face lady’s tofu”, given that its usual appearance reminded people of the acne-scarred face of the lady serving it – no, seriously. It is from his book Simply Asian - a book that is the base of one of the Asian cooking classes at Wickedfood Cooking School. In his version of Ma Po Tofu, the tofu is kept in cubes rather than being chopped up with the pork mince – this way you can enjoy the jelly-like texture of the silken tofu. Serve as a lunch or light dinner for two, with rice.

200g pork mince
1T  vegetable oil
3 long green shallots, sliced into rounds
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
120ml  soy & chilli sauce
1-2t  sugar
1 packet silken tofu, cut into 2cm cubes
1 handful coriander leaves
Pinch of ground Sichuan pepper
Finely sliced shallots, for garnish

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan until hot.
2. Add the pork mince to the wok and break up with a spoon, then continue to stir-fry until the mince starts to brown.
3. Add the shallots and garlic, stir fry for 20-30 seconds, then reduce the heat to low.
4. Pour in the soy & chilli sauce, add the sugar and carefully place the tofu into the wok. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the tofu has warmed through. Remove from the heat, gently stir through the coriander leaves and transfer to a serving plate.
5. Sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and garnish with sliced shallots. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Serves 2

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built Johannesburg cooking studio. Cookery classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – teambuilding cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our cooking lessons are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and team building cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

At Wickedfood Cooking School in our Thai cooking lessons we make some delicious skewers also referred to as sâtés, click here for one of our recipes, with a delicious peanut sauce. This recipe however comes from David Thompson’s latest book Thai Street Food. He is one of Australia’s foremost chefs, restaurateurs and food writers, and widely acclaimed as the western world’s authority on Thai food:

“I am addicted to these. Along the street there are small grills, often just a large metal bowl with a rack perched on top. I’ll stop and look and long for the fruits of their labour – smoky grilled skewers of pork. I’ll smuggle some home as if carrying a guilty secret to relish in private. Sometimes, most of the time, I’ll break into the cache on the way home.”

“Grilling is one of the more popular techniques of the streets, where there are many ad hoc pieces of equipment and the grill is one of the most common. They are everywhere, grilling pork, satays, dumplings and squid. Using a charcoal grill imparts a depth of flavour that makes meat such as this grilled pork irresistible. It is important to light the grill 30-60 minutes before using and allow the coals to burn until they glow gently. If you have a charcoal grill you’ll know how long it takes to get to the right stage. Grilling over too high a heat will char and burn the pork before it is cooked and smoky. Very often there will be a small piece of pork fat at the bottom of the skewer. This helps to moisten the pork as it grills.”

“The Thais use mangrove charcoal from near the mouth of the Chao Phraya River. Not everyone has a charcoal grill, however, and these pork skewers can also be cooked on a chargrill plate on the stove top or under a preheated grill. While the taste will be less complex, they will still be extremely agreeable.”

Grilled pork skewers. Photograph: Earl Carter

300g pork loin or neck

50g pork back fat (optional)
12-15 bamboo skewers

4tbsp coconut cream

For the marinade:

1t coriander roots cleaned and chopped
pinch of salt
1t garlic, chopped
½t ground white pepper

2T shaved palm sugar

a dash dark soy sauce

2T fish sauce

2T vegetable oil

1. Slice the pork into thinnish pieces about 2cm square. Cut the pork fat, if using, into rectangles, say 2cm x 5mm.
2. Next make the marinade. Using a pestle and mortar, pound the coriander root, salt, garlic and pepper into a fine paste. Combine with the sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce and oil. Marinate the pork and fat in this mixture for about 3 hours. The more cautious can refrigerate this but, if doing so, then it is best marinated overnight.
3. It’s a good idea to soak the bamboo skewers in water for about 30 minutes. This prevents them from scorching and burning as the pork grills.
4. Prepare the grill. Meanwhile, thread a piece of pork fat, if using, on to the skewer first followed by two or three pieces of the marinated pork. Repeat with each skewer. When the embers are glowing, in fact beginning to die, gently grill the skewers, turning quite often to prevent charring and promote even caramelisation and cooking. Dab them with the coconut cream as they grill. This should make the coals smoulder and impart a smoky taste. Grill all the skewers.
5. On the streets, they are reheated over the grill to warm them through before serving, but they are delicious warm or cool.

Makes 12-15
For more recipes from this book click here

Wickedfood Cooking School

Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

This Vietnamese chicken salad is one of the favorites at Wickedfood cooking school’s Vietnamese cooking class as well as our Asian cooking classes.  Vietnamese cuisine is considered by many as one of the healthiest cuisines in the world.  This chicken salad demonstrates that perfectly.  Although the ingredients list might seem rather long,  don’t be put off, it is a quick salads to make, and remember to serve it immediately.

Chicken

1 x 1.5-2kg chicken

1 onion, quartered

2 kaffir lime leaves or bay leaves

2 stalks lemongrass, bruised

Salad

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded, then cut into long strips

1t salt

2T sesame seeds

3 stalks celery, cut into long fine strips

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into long fine strips

¼ crisp white cabbage, thinly shredded

a large handful fresh whole coriander leaves

a large handful fresh whole mint leaves

4-6 whole lettuce leaves, such as Little Gem or Cos

Dressing

1 garlic clove
1 small red chilli
3T caster sugar
2T lime juice
3T fish sauce

Chicken

• Put the chicken into a large deep pan, together with the other ingredients, and cover with water.  Bring to a gentle boil, cover the pot and simmer on very low for 20 minutes. Allow to cool in the liquid.
• Once cool, take the chicken out, discard the skin, pull the flesh off the bones and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl and set aside. (Strain and save the poaching liquid and use it as stock for another dish.)

Salad

• Put the cucumber into a clean bowl with the teaspoon of salt. Mix well and set aside for ten minutes.
• Meanwhile, place the sesame seeds into a small frying pan over a moderate heat (don’t add oil) and dry-fry until they turn a shade darker, then take them off the heat and transfer immediately to a cool plate to prevent burning .
• Once the cucumber has been salting for ten minutes, use your hands to squeeze out any excess liquid from the cucumber. Discard the liquid and transfer the cucumber to a large bowl.
• Add the celery, carrots and cabbage, together with the chicken.

Dressing

• Peel and roughly chop the garlic then place in a mortar and pestle.
• Deseed and roughly chop the chilli and add to the garlic.
• Add half of the sugar and pound to a rough paste. Add the rest of the sugar and pound again.
• Add the lime juice  and fish sauce to the paste, mix well, then add  a splash of cold water. Taste and adjust the flavours if necessary (you should have a good balance between sweet, salty and sour.)
• Toss the salad with enough of the dressing to give a lively flavour, starting with about two-thirds of the dressing and adding more if necessary. Add half the mint and coriander leaves and mix thoroughly.
• Line a serving plate with the lettuce leaves. Pile the salad onto the lettuce, then top with the remaining coriander, mint and toasted  sesame seeds. Serve swiftly.

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.

Q: I’m looking for a quick and easy Thai green curry recipe (if one exists) as well as any other ideas that could go with the curry?

A: A Thai Curry is very quick an easy to make, and should be hot. Bought green curry paste is a perfect. This is an ideal dish to cook in a potjie, but take care not to overcook. Use any meat, chicken, beef, pork, seafood or even vegetables. At Wickedfood Cooking School, in out Thai cooking class we make this Thai green Chicken Curry, which is a classic.

2 tins coconut milk

2-4T green curry paste, or to taste

1kg meat (see above), diced into ±3cm cubes

¹/3 cup fish sauce

3T brown sugar

±¹/2 cup water

±6-8 small eggplants, quartered, or 1 large eggplant cubed to 2cm, (or 1 cup frozen peas)

¹/2 cup sweet basil leaves, torn

1 small tin bamboo shoots

1 jalapeño chilli, thinly sliced, for garnish

1. Scoop the cream off the coconut milk (±3T) and heat in a casserole dish (or potjie) which will later hold the chicken in one layer. Mix in the green curry paste and heat to boiling, until the milk splits, forming a thin layer of oil.
2. Add the chicken, fish sauce and sugar, and cook, stirring continuously so as not to burn, until the chicken changes colour.
3. Add the remaining coconut milk, eggplant and water, and cook for 5 minutes at a slow boil. Add the bamboo shoots and reheat to boiling, simmering for 5 minutes.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with basil and the chilli. The dish can stand while other preparation is done, as it does not have to be served piping hot. Serve with rice.

Serves 6-8

Wickedfood Cooking School, Sunninghill – (011) 234-3252 sunninghill@wickedfood.co.za

Wickedfood Cooking School runs cooking classes throughout the year at its purpose-built cooking studios. Classes are run in the mornings and evenings 7 days a week (subject to a minimum of 12 people). The venue is also popular for corporate events and private functions – team building cooking classes, birthdays, kitchen teas, and dinner parties with a difference.

Our classes are hands-on, where every person gets to participate in the preparation of the dishes. They are also a lot of fun where you not only learn new skills, but get to meet people with similar interests. For corporate groups and teambuilding cooking classes these events are a novel way of creating staff interaction or entertaining clients.