GRILLED HOISIN SEA BASS WITH BASMATI AND CRISPY CHILLI OIL
This is one of our go-to quick dinners at home. Back in New Zealand, I used to grow chillies on the windowsills, and drying them for an oil was the perfect way to make use of the occasional generous harvest.
SERVES 2
340g basmati rice
100g hoisin sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp finely grated root ginger
6 spring onions, thinly sliced
2 x 425g sea bass fillets
For the crispy chilli oil (makes 500ml)
200g whole dried chillies, blitzed or crushed
1 tbsp light soft brown sugar
1 tbsp flaky sea salt
1 tsp sesame seeds
400ml neutral oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp chopped root ginger
2 shallots, chopped
1 tsp sesame oil
1 To make the chilli oil, place the chillies, sugar, salt and sesame seeds in a saucepan and set aside. In a pan, heat the neutral oil to 150C. Stir through the garlic, ginger and shallots for 20 seconds, then turn off the heat. Carefully add a ladleful of the oil into the chilli mix and stir to combine. Repeat until all the oil is added, then stir in the sesame oil. Pour into a clean 500ml jar, seal and store chilled.
2 In a large bowl, rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain and tip the rice into a saucepan. Top up the pan with double the volume of cold water to rice. Place the pan over a medium heat, bring to the boil, then cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook the rice for 12-15 minutes or until all the water has absorbed.
3 Preheat the grill to its highest setting. Meanwhile, in a baking tray, mix together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, garlic and ginger. Sprinkle over the spring onions and top with the fish fillets, skin-side up. Use a pastry brush to brush the fish with some of the sauce.
4 Cook the sea bass under the hot grill for 1-2 minutes or until the skin is blistered and crisp.
5 Remove the lid from the pan of rice. Fluff the grains with a fork, then divide between two plates and add 2 tablespoons of the crispy chilli oil. Top each with a fish fillet and any residual sauce from the baking tray.
BEEF SHORT RIB, TOMATO AND LEMON ORZO
We discovered this on a trip to Crete [Monica is married to sommelier David Galetti]. The addition of orzo pasta makes it a perfect all-in-one meal. We’ve been visiting Crete since our daughter Anais was seven – she’s now at university – so it holds a special place in our hearts (and stomachs).
SERVES 4-6
3 tbsp plain flour
4 beef short ribs
1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced
2 tbsp tomato purée
400g tin of chopped tomatoes
200ml red cooking wine
700ml beef stock
190g dried orzo pasta
2 lemons, zested
3 tbsp pitted green olives, halved or roughly chopped
2 tbsp roughly chopped oregano
1 In a large bowl, season the flour with salt and pepper. Dust the beef in the flour.
2 Heat the olive oil in a large casserole over a medium heat. Add the meat and cook for a few minutes, until it’s taken on colour all over. Scoop out the meat to a plate and set aside.
3 Add the onion to the casserole and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic, followed by the tomato purée. Add the chopped tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Pour in the red wine, bring to the boil and cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock and the beef. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 1½ hours.
4 Remove the lid and stir in the orzo. Cook for 8 minutes until the orzo is tender.
5 Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the lemon zest, olives and oregano and serve.
EMMA’S EGG FOO YUNG
The influence of the Chinese community in Samoa is clear in the islands’ cuisine, which blends local and Asian flavours beautifully – one reason egg foo yung has become such a Samoan favourite. My stepmother Emma makes the best version, with fluffy, golden omelettes and perfectly seasoned fillings.
SERVES 4
12 eggs
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp vegetable oil
300g streaky bacon slices, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 tbsp finely chopped root ginger
450g raw tiger prawns, shells removed and deveined
1 bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced
1 Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk until combined.
2 Heat a wok or large frying pan over a high heat. Add the oils and bacon and cook for 5 minutes until golden.
3 Add the onion and fry, stirring, for another few minutes, until softened. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for 2 minutes.
4 Add the prawns and cook for another 2 minutes, stir in the spring onions, then pour in the beaten eggs. Gently and occasionally stir as the eggs start to set – you’re looking for a runny omelette consistency.
5 Use a fish slice to divide the egg mix into portions and gently turn these over to cook for 1 minute before serving. Lovely served with steamed rice.
OVEN-BAKED KALE AND COCONUT PALUSAMI
This is a classic Samoan dish of taro leaves, coconut milk and onions, traditionally slow-cooked in an umu – an earth oven heated with volcanic rocks. In this version, I’ve swapped in cavolo nero. My hubby and daughter love it as a side to roast chicken or pork.
SERVES 6
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 tsp mild curry powder
300g cavolo nero, stems removed, leaves chopped
700ml good quality, thick coconut milk
150g smoked haddock fillet, chopped
6 sourdough slices
1 Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
2 Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and the onion. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the onion turns translucent but hasn’t taken on any colour.
3 Add the garlic and curry powder, then the cavolo nero. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes, until wilted.
4 Add the coconut milk and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, stirring regularly. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, put the smoked haddock pieces over the top and cover with foil. Place in the oven and bake for 40 minutes, stirring halfway through the cooking time.
5 Remove the foil and bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly for 5 minutes.
6 Meanwhile, heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Drizzle the sourdough slices with the remaining olive oil and toast for a few minutes on each side. Serve the palusami with the toasted sourdough.
MINI ALMOND, ELDERFLOWER AND FIG FINANCIERS
I first made financiers while working at the two-Michelin-starred Le Gavroche in London. Years later, on our 2004 honeymoon touring Michelin restaurants in the South of France, one of the quietest pleasures was a bowl of freshly baked financiers, enjoyed as the sun dipped behind the hills. That delicate, buttery sweetness has stayed with me ever since.
MAKES 16
6 medium fresh figs, chopped
40g light muscovado sugar
70ml elderflower cordial
30g chopped almonds
200g unsalted butter
200g egg whites (approximately 7 eggs)
200g icing sugar, sifted
80g plain flour
80g ground almonds
1 In a saucepan over a medium heat, add the figs, muscovado sugar, elderflower cordial and chopped almonds. Cook for 8-10 minutes until all the liquid has evaporated and a thick jam remains. Set aside to cool.
2 Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. In another saucepan over a medium heat, melt the butter, stirring now and then until it turns a golden nut-brown colour. Set aside to cool slightly. In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy and aerated, but not meringue. Whisk in the icing sugar, followed by the flour and ground almonds. Beat in the browned butter and whisk into a thick batter.
3 Divide the fig jam between the holes of a silicone mini muffin tray. Top each up to two-thirds full with the financier batter and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the moulds and serve while still warm. The financiers will keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
SEARED RICE PAPER PARCELS WITH SOY, HONEY AND SESAME DIPPING SAUCE
I’ve eaten parcels like these while travelling through China, often filled with prawns and served fresh and steaming, but this version leans more towards Korean flavours. The wrappers are the same delicate rice papers used across much of Asia. I love what happens when they hit a hot pan – the gentle sizzle, the edges turning crisp while the centre stays tender.
MAKES 6
2 tbsp olive oil
20g root ginger, cut into thin strips
1 small carrot, halved lengthways and thinly sliced
150g oyster mushrooms, shredded
60g Chinese leaf cabbage, thinly sliced
1 small mouli, cut into thin strips
1 bunch of spring onions, thinly sliced
1 tbsp soy sauce
6 rice paper sheets
1 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper, to taste
For the dipping sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 red chilli, chopped (retain the seeds, if you prefer it spicy)
1 tbsp runny honey
1 tsp coconut vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1 Place a saucepan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of the olive oil. Add the ginger and carrot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, cabbage, mouli and spring onions, stir to combine, and cook for another minute. Add the soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of water, stir again and season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
2 In a bowl, whisk together all the dipping sauce ingredients and set aside.
3 Soften the rice paper sheets in a little water, one at a time or they will tear. Lay a softened rice paper sheet flat onto a chopping board and place a spoonful of the cooled mix near the edge. Roll while gently pressing in the mix, keeping the parcel firm. Fold in the edges from the ends – you can secure them with a toothpick, if you like. Repeat until all of the rice paper sheets are filled with the mix.
4 Wipe the same saucepan you used earlier and add a little fresh oil. Place back over a medium heat. Add the remaining olive oil and the sesame oil. Place the parcels seam-side down in the pan and cook for 2–3 minutes on both sides until lightly golden all over. Serve warm with the dipping sauce on the side.
TUALA’S KOKO SAMOA RICE PUDDING
In Samoa, a title is like becoming a chief of the family – the person entrusted to guide and support the village. My dad held a title over two villages, carrying with it enormous responsibility. Tuala is his official chief title, an honour that would take a whole book to explain fully.
Koko, the traditional Samoan hot drink, is made from sun-dried cocoa beans that are roasted and ground into 100% pure cocoa, and koko alaisa is the cocoa rice we all grew up with. I’ve adapted it into a dense chocolate rice pudding which I think my dad would say could do with a little more sugar. It’s wonderful served warm or cold.
SERVES 4
100g koko Samoa or 100% cacao chocolate, broken into chunks + extra for finishing
2 tbsp water
150g pudding rice
1.65 litres milk
400ml good quality, thick coconut milk
1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthways
80g caster sugar
1 Place the koko in a heatproof glass bowl with 1 tablespoon of the water and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds to soften. You can add a little more of the water and heat for a further 30 seconds if needed. Tip into a blender and blitz until smooth.
2 Place the rice and milks in a saucepan. Stir in the blended koko, the vanilla pod and the caster sugar and place over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low and gently simmer, stirring often, for 30 minutes, until the rice is cooked and tender.
3 Fish out the vanilla pod and serve the rice pudding warm, or cover, cool and then chill in the fridge for up to 3 days. I always like to grate over a little extra koko before serving.
NOW BUY THE BOOK
Our recipes are from Gathering by Monica Galetti with photographs by Yuki Sugiura, which will be published by Pavilion on 8 October, £26. To pre-order a copy for £22.10 until 11 October, go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937. Free UK delivery on orders over £25.