wine braised pork shoulder

Brasing is my newly found love. I have learnt that several different braising techniques co-exists: but I like to stick with what works best for me.
Basically the trick is searing off the meat gently on a fry pan in order to trap all the juices inside, and then proceed to slow cook either in the oven (ideally with a cast iron braiser or a dutch oven). I also had brilliant results with a slow cooker (crockpot).

Here's my recipe for 4 servings:
400gr pork shoulder
vegetable stock
1 garlic clove (crushed)
1/2 litre of red wine
mixed dry herbs
pinch of flour
olive oil or butter
Freshly ground black pepper

Marinate the meat overnight in the refrigerator, soaking it in red wine and garlic.
Thye following day filter the wine and set aside.
Pat dry and meat and gently massage it with either olive oil or butter, then rub in the herbs and black pepper.
Sprinkle a little flour throughout the pork shoulder, this will help thickening the edges for better searing.
Heat the olive oil in a fry pan and brown the meat each side. Be careful not to burn it! The better the searing the tender the meat will be, so this is worth the extra care :)
Add the vegetable stock and the wine you had set aside and remember NOT TO cover the meat with the liquid as it needs to poach gently.
Cook on low for 20 mins then transfer everything in the crockpot for about 3 hours on high.

The meat will be so tender and the wine gravy will have thickened by then.
Once cooked, let the pork rest on a cutting board before carving...

I normally served this dish with polenta patties, crunchy veggie and roast potatos..

Prawn, ginger and lemongrass stir-fry

One of my old favourites when I find myself in my beloved Malaysia and enjoy the local free markets. I cannot believe how much would I normally spend in London whenever I shop for Kaffir Lime leaves! Such a rip-off! Say £2,00 at Waitrose of a tuny handful of leaves vs. 3.00 Malaysian Ringgits for the whole bunch!
Well I hope you are luckier than me and if in lack of Lime leaves I have used grated Lime zest. Not perfect but it dies the trick.
Back to the recipe, here's what you need for 4 servings:

3-4 tbsp vegetable oil, 2 tbsp finely sliced or grated fresh ginger, 1 tbsp finely chopped lemon grass, 5 Lime leaves, 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced, 500g peeled green prawns, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 2 tbsp palm sugar, 1 tbsp water, 3 handfuls thai or sweet basil

Heat oil in a wok. Once oil is shimmering add ginger, lemon grass, lime leaves and garlic and fry on high for 2-3 minutes. Be careful not tu brown the garlic!

Add prawns and fry for 2 minutes. Add fish sauce, palm sugar and water and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat, toss through basil and serve with rice or noodles of your choice. 

Singaporean/Vietnamese Steamboat

This little trick saved me heaps from my local Vietnamese haunt: For an impromptu dinner I used my old my rice cooker instead of the portable gas stove but it worked great!
Steamboats refer to a variety of soup dishes in East Asia - It is quite easy to prepare and a lot of fun to eat with a communal pot, with a similar approach of the French cheese fondue!
Your ingredients will be slowly simmering into a flavoursome broth and your guests can choose what they'd like to poach in it!  My choice was the following:

ASIAN GREENS: 
Japanese Enokitake Mushrooms,
Baby Bok Choy,
Tang Oh,
Fresh Coriander,
Thai Sweet Basil,
Fresh Egg Noodles,

BROTH:
1½ litres good-quality chicken stock
3 lemongrass stalks, bruised
3 cloves garlic, crushed
3cm piece ginger, sliced
2 spring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal


MEAT AND FISH OPTIONS:
I always use shabu shabu or sukiyaki cuts of pork and beef, which is a Japanese style of thinly sliced meats which are perfect for steamboat. The meat is cut by machine so finely that it will be cooked within seconds of dipping in hot broth. 
Suitable fish include blue eye, snapper, halibut and sea bass.I also like to toss some cuttlefish (Sotong) balls - Which I can easily source from my local Asian grocery store.

Once you've got all the ingredients sorted and in a nice display, start by making the stock, then add in the spring onions, garlic, ginger and lemongrass and simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

When you and your guests are ready to dine, place the steamboat (electric rice cooker in my case!) ideally in the centre of the table and invite your guests to choose their own meat, fish and veggies to cook in the simmering stock. 
Noodles are to be added to the pot towards the end of the meal for a full-flavoured stock.

Thai Chicken Satay

One of my favourite Thai appetizers ever!

FOR THE MEAT:

1 or 2 thick chicken breasts, cut into strips 1 package wooden skewers
SATAY MARINADE:1/4 cup minced lemongrass, fresh or frozen1 garlic clove, mincedpinch of chili flakes (dried)1 thumb-size piece of ginger, grated2 Tbsp. ground coriander2 Tbsp. teryaki saucepinch of brown sugar

Preparation:

1. If using wooden skewers, soak them in water while you prepare the meat (to prevent from burning). 

1. Cut chicken into thin strips and place in a bowl.

1. Place all marinade ingredients in a food processor or chopper. Process well.

1. Taste-test the marinade - you will taste sweet, spicy, and salty. The strongest tastes should be SWEET and SALTY in order for the finished satay to taste its best. Add more sugar or more teryaki sauce (in place of salt) to adjust the taste. You can also add more chili if you want it spicier.

1. Pour the marinade over the meat and stir well to combine. Allow at least 1 hour for marinating, or longer (ideally up to 24 hours).

1. When ready to cook, thread meat onto the skewers. Tip: Fill up to 3/4 of the skewer, leaving the lower half empty so that the person grilling has a "handle" to easily turn the satay during cooking.

1. Grill the satay on your BBQ, OR on an indoor grill, basting the first time you time it with a little of the leftover marinade from the bottom of the bowl. 

For the Dipping Sauce:1 cup fresh-tasting dry roasted peanuts, unsalted1/3 cup water1 clove of garlic, minced1/2 tsp. teryaki sauce2 tsp. sesame oil2 Tbsp. brown sugar 1/2 Tbsp. lime juice1 tsp. Thai chili sauce (more or less to taste)1/3 cup coconut milkPreparation:

1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend or process until sauce is smooth. If you prefer a runnier peanut sauce, add a little more water or coconut milk.

1. Do a taste test, adding more teryaki sauce if not salty enough, If too salty, add a squeeze of fresh lime juice. If you'd prefer it sweeter, add a little more sugar.