Japanese Grilled Chicken Satay

The secret with Japanese grilled chicken is to BBQ the chicken several times, with steeping in a marinade in between. The sugar and ginger in the marinade gives the chicken a very different taste, caramelizing the outer surface. This is a traditional Japanese dish, but all the ingredients are available locally.

Cooking method

Soak the skewers in water for 10 minutes. Wash chicken breasts, and cut into bite sized pieces and then thread on to skewers. Place over a charcoal BBQ or under the grill until partially cooked.
Mix sake, soya sauce and sugar and pour into a wide flat bowl. Lay skewered chicken in the marinade for five minutes, then turn over and leave for another five minutes.
Now return to the BBQ and grill for another two minutes each side. After this, return to the marinade and repeat the marinade process. Now complete the final BBQ grilling while brushing the remaining marinade over the skewered chicken, to produce a dark shiny glaze. Sprinkle with the powdered ginger.
Shred the cucumber and sprinkle with salt and serve the chicken skewers on small plates and garnish each with a mound of cucumber.

 

Ingredients	serves 2-3
Chicken breast fillets	6
Sake	½ cup
Dark soya sauce	1/3rd cup
Sugar	60 gm
Powdered ginger	2 tspns
Cucumber	1 small
Salt to taste
Skewers	6

Bell Pepper Oysters

After finding that the Mantra restaurant has “Oysters and Bubbles” on a Monday night, reminded me of the versatility of oysters, from natural, Kilpatrick, Mornay and this one, Bell Pepper oysters. The alternative name for this dish is ‘Oysters Casino’.
Oysters are plentiful and cheap. You can buy a bottle of shelled oysters for less than B. 200. This recipe calls for the oysters to be baked at 450 degrees, so no worries about eating raw oysters either.

Cooking method

Put a layer of rock salt along the bottom of a baking dish. Embed the 24 oyster shells on the rock salt and now place the oysters on the shells. In a small mixing bowl, cream butter; blend in onion, parsley, and green pepper. Add a teaspoon of lemon juice and add salt and black pepper to taste. Spoon butter mixture on to oysters and top each with a small piece of the partially cooked bacon. Bake at 450 degrees until bacon is crisp and oysters have curled at the edges. Serve with additional lemon juice.

Ingredients	serves 4
24 oysters and 24 shells
Butter	1 cup
Chopped onions	½ cup
Chopped fresh parsley	1/3 cup
Green bell pepper finely chopped	2 tbspns
Bacon, partially cooked, cut in quarters	6 strips
Rock salt
Fresh lemon juice
Salt and cracked black pepper

Super Cheeseburger

This recipe is more of a “how to” than an original recipe. However the end result is definitely worth it, and you can decide the fillings for the burger. If you are feeding Australians, remember to include beetroot and onion!

Cooking Method
Combine cheese, bacon pieces, and BBQ sauce in a bowl. Stir together and refrigerate.
Season the ground beef with salt and pepper in a large bowl, and mix in with your hands to ensure even mix.
Roll ground beef into tennis ball size and place on a parchment lined baking tray.
Using a clean, empty soft drink can, press the can into the ball of beef to create a deep bowl. Make sure to smooth out any cracks.
Remove the cheese mixture from the refrigerator and fill the bowls and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Preheat the grill to 175 C.
Cook burger bowls over indirect heat for 25-30 minutes.
Place lettuce on an opened bun, and place the cooked bowl on top of it and another piece of lettuce on top and then close the burger bun and serve.

Ingredients	Makes six burgers
Cheddar cheese, shredded	1 ½ cups
Bacon cooked, cut into pieces	½ cup
BBQ sauce	½ cup
Ground beef	1 kg
Salt	1 tspn
Pepper	2 tspns
Burger buns	6
Lettuce	12 pieces

Malaysian “Tom Kha”

This Malaysian soup is similar in some ways, but is not to be confused with the Thai Tom Kha Gai. This Malaysian recipe calls for the coconut cream from the can, not the thinner coconut milk. Secret is to open the can without shaking and gently pour off the milk, reserving the cream. You can spice it up even a little more by increasing the chilli paste, but first time, I would recommend leaving it at one teaspoon. There are many Malaysian curry pastes which will do, Yeo’s mild Malaysian curry paste is very suitable for this recipe.

Cooking Method

Slice the chicken breast into thin strips and put aside. In the wok put the chicken stock, sliced onions, curry powder, chilli paste and dried shrimps. Stir and boil for five minutes. Now put in the coconut milk and the sliced chicken, stirring gently as the soup thickens.

Bring to the boil again, add the lemon juice and salt and serve immediately.

 

Ingredients	Serves 2-4
Chicken stock	200 ml
Sliced skinless chicken breast fillet	200 gm
Sliced onions	2
Malaysian curry powder	1 tspn
Chilli paste	1 tspn
Dried shrimp	2 tspn
Coconut milk thick	300 ml
Lemon juice	2 tspn
Salt	to taste

Japanese Grilled Chicken Satay

Bell Pepper Oysters

Super Cheeseburger

Malaysian “Tom Kha”

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