Thai Grilled Green Mango

Ingredients

• 2 fresh Thai bird chiles or other small hot chiles, seeded and minced
• 1-1/2 Tbs. fish sauce
• 1-1/2 tsp. water
• 1 Tbs. very finely chopped lemongrass (peel away the outer layer and use only the bulbous part at the end)
• 1 Tbs. brown sugar
• 3 to 4 green (unripe) mangos
• 2 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
• About 8 mint leaves and 10 basil leaves, each stacked, rolled into a cylinder, and cut into thin strips. 

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  Preparation

  • In a small bowl. mix the chiles, fish sauce, water, lemongrass, and brown sugar. Pit each mango by holding it with the narrow side up and cutting through on each side of the large, flat, central pit to give you two big pitless pieces. With a sharp knife, peel these pieces and cut them into spears about 3 inches long and 1 inch thick. Peel the skin from the remaining pit section and cut the flesh near the pit into spears, if possible. (You can peel the mangos before slicing, but they become quite slippery.)
  • Pour the marinade over the mangos and toss to coat. Let marinate for at least 20 minutes but not more than 1 hour. Have ready a moderately hot fire. Grill the fruit to soften its texture, letting it brown slightly, about 2 minutes per side. When cooked, transfer it to a platter, pour any remaining marinade over the mangos, and sprinkle with the cilantro, mint, and basil. Serve warm as an appetizer

Spinach and turkey bacon quiche

INGREDIENTS

• 1 9-inch deep dish frozen pie crust
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots
• 4 large eggs
• 1-1/4 cups heavy cream
• Pinch ground nutmeg
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded Gruyère, packed 
• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and wrung free of water
• 2 slices turkey bacon microwave for 2.5 minutes and chopped. 

• INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven to 400°F and set a rack in the middle position. Remove the pie crust from freezer and thaw until just soft enough to easily prick with a fork, about 10 minutes. Prick the bottom and sides all over with a fork (pricking about an inch apart). Bake until fully cooked and lightly golden, 10 to 15 minutes. (Keep an eye on it...if it puffs up while cooking, gently prick it with a fork so it will deflate.) Don\"t worry if the crust cracks while baking; see my note below on how to fix it before proceeding. Set aside and turn oven down to 325°F.
  2. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium-low heat. Cook the shallots until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown. Set aside to cool.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, heavy cream, nutmeg, salt and cayenne pepper.
  4. Place the cooked pie crust on a baking sheet (this makes it easy to move in and out of oven). Spread the shallots over the bottom of the cooked crust, then sprinkle the shredded Gruyere over top. Scatter the spinach and bacon evenly over cheese, breaking up the clumps as best you can. Pour the egg and cream mixture over top.
  5. Bake at 325°F degrees for 50 to 55 minutes until the custard is set and top is lightly golden. Serve hot or warm.

Gulai Nenas

 

Ingredients:
1 Pomfret, or other white-fleshed fish

(A) To grind:
1½ large onion
3 cloves garlic
1" fresh tumeric (OR 1 tsp tumeric powder)
3 fresh red chillies
a little belacan (toasted)

4 cups water
15-20 asam jawa (mixed with ¼ cup water)
1½ tsp salt 
3-4 Tbsp sugar
a few stalks daun kesum
1 pineapple, sliced

Method:

1. Add (A) to water, air asam & pineapple & boil.
2. Once boiling add fish, daun kesum, salt & sugar.
3. Remove once fish is cooked.

Itek Golek

 Ingredients:

1 duck, about 1.5kg
1 coconut to obtain 500ml thick santan and 1.5l thin santan 

To grind fine:
1 Tbsp jintan manis (fennel)
2 Tbsp jintan putih cumin)
1 Tbsp ketumbar (coriander)
1 Tbsp black peppercorns
1" ginger
15 cloves garlic
7 shallots

Cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and assam keping

Method:

1. Duck must be cleaned and the oil glands at it's back removed. Be careful not to perforate the gland as the smell will seep into the duck.
2. Fry all the spices, add in the liver, neck pieces and the thick santan. When the santan starts  exuding it's oil, cool it and stuff into the duck. Put the duck in a big pot, add in the thin santan  and cook over a low flame. Add assam gelugor, about 2 pieces, and salt. Cook until tender and  the gravy is thick.