Dalia's Kitchen: July 2010

Balinese Seafood Satay

To be honest, I’m not such a big fan of Satays usually.. Apart from the dipping sauce, I don't find these skewers that exciting.. But Chef Stefan definitely changed my mind when we did these beautiful minced Seafood Satays.. Loved them..

You will need the Seafood Spice Paste I posted a few days ago for this recipe..

Makes 8-10

600g snapper fillet, skinned & boneless (not frozen)
1 cup shredded coconut
1/2 cup Seafood Spice Paste
5 pcs lime leaves, chopped
1 tsp crushed black peppercorns
1 tsp salt
2 TBL palm sugar
3-5 chopped chilies (depends how hot you like it)
8-10 lemon grass stalks or satay skewers

Mince the fish in a food processor, add all other ingredients in a bowl and mix well.. Then mold a full tablespoon of the mixture in your hand, and then around the skewer.. Grill the skewers until they are golden brown and slightly firm to the touch, not forgetting to turn once in a while to evenly cook your satay.. Voila, yummy and juicy seafood skewers perfect for a starter or cocktail tidbits :)

Steamed Little Pumpkin Cakes

This is another recipe I made in Bali with Chef Stefan, it's called "Sumping Waluh" and is so easy to make it's amazing! These little cakes are so incredibly delicious, plus they are dairy free & gluten free.. It's the perfect way to end a meal or enjoy as a little snack when you're in the mood for something sticky & sweet.. Use parchment paper instead of banana leaves if you don't have any..

Makes 4 small cakes

250g shredded Pumpkin
100g shredded Coconut
75g Rice flour
50g Sugar

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl, taste and add more sugar if needed.. Knead everything with your hands until you create a sticky paste and divide it into four portions, then wrap it in the banana leaves (or parchment paper) like a parcel.. Arrange to steam the cakes for 30-35 minutes, then remove the cake from the parcel and serve it warm.. Yummy :)

*You can use a steamer or a pot with simmering water, place the cakes suspended above the liquid, and cover the pot tightly.. You can also substitute the pumpkin with banana.. It’s Lovely!

Green Papaya Salad with Prawns

This is one of my favourite Balinese dishes, and also one of the recipes I made with Chef Stefan on my Balinese getaway.. It's such a flavorsome and original salad, and yet so simple to make.. Beautiful! If you do not have green papaya, then use cabbage instead.. You will need the Seafood Spice Paste, which I posted yesterday for this dish..

400g Green papaya cut into strips & blanched (cook in boiling water just a bit, until tender but still crisp)
120g shredded Coconut, (roast in hot pan for a bit, until golden)
2-3 TBL chopped Shallots (fry until golden)
2 TBL chopped Garlic (fry until golden)
2-3 lime leaves

dressing:

2 TBL sunflower, canola oil
25g Seafood spice paste (find recipe on the blog)
250g medium or small Prawns, cleaned & de-shelled (remove tails also)
125ml Coconut Cream
50ml chicken stock
2 TBL Lime juice
salt & cracked pepper to taste

Prepare the dressing.. Heat oil in a pan, add the Seafood spice paste, sauté for a few minutes and add the prawns.. Cook just for a minute or so, then add the stock & coconut cream, bring it to a boil and simmer for another minute.. Season with salt and pepper, set aside and allow the dressing to cool..

In mixing bowl combine all ingredients (just keep some of the shallots aside), add the dressing and toss everything together.. Sprinkle with remaining shallots and serve.. Perfect :)

My Balinese Journey - The Spice Paste

I deeply fell in love with Bali.. The scenery, the vibe, the people, just simply everything.. I will certainly return, and next time for longer than a week as I clearly didn't have enough time to do everything I wanted to.. But of course, I didn't miss out on learning something new in the kitchen, and the next few posts will be dedicated to the dishes I created with the fabulous Chef Stefan at the Alila in Uluwatu..

This paste is the base of many Balinese dishes, and also the main ingredient in the recipes I will post next.. You can freeze the paste, so you don't have to make this every time..

Try to find the below ingredients in the Asian specialty isle of your supermarket, if you cannot find them, I have specified substitutes, it will obviously differ a little from the real deal, but it will turn out very yummy nevertheless :)

Base Be Pasih (Spice Paste For Seafood)

450g large red chilies chopped & deseeded 
50g garlic cloves 
225g peeled shallots 
175g fresh turmeric (substitute with 2 tsp turmeric powder) 
200g tomatoes halved & deseeded 
100g chopped ginger 
125g candlenuts (substitute with macadamia nuts) 
2 TBL crushed coriander seeds 
2 1/2 tsp dried shrimp paste (substitute with concentrated/reduced fish sauce) 
150ml coconut oil (substitute with canola or corn oil) 
2 1/2 TBL tamarind pulp (substitute with lemon or lime)
 250ml water
3 Salam leaves (substitute with bay leaves)
 3/4 tsp salt
 2 stalks of lemon grass, bruised (bang the root a little basically)

Combine all the ingredients apart from the tamarind, bay leaves, water, salt and lemongrass in a food processor, and grind everything coarsely.. Place paste in a saucepan, add the remaining ingredients, and cook for about an hour on medium heat, or until the water is evaporated and the paste has turned golden.. Let it cool before using it.. Voila, your own fresh spice paste.. Thank you Chef Stefan!

Homemade Crunchy Granola Bars

I just returned from beautiful Bali, and am getting ready to post my lovely Balinese dishes, but I woke up this morning craving Granola, so I decided to share this for today, as they are just sumptuous!! As you may know by now, I love breakfast.. And the best feeling is waking up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee and something baking in the oven.. Yumm! These crunchy yet gooey granola bars keep quite well for a few days, so you can always do them in the afternoon if you're not an early riser :)

Make 14-16 bars (depending how large you make them)

1 can (395g) condensed milk
1 cup oats
1 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 cup chopped unsalted peanuts
1/2 cup chopped unsalted almonds
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/3 cup shredded coconut
1 TBSP honey
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
any seeds you love, the more the merrier.. pumpkin, sunflower and raisins or any dried fruits (I don't like raisins in my foods but please go ahead if that's your thing ;)

Preheat oven to 150C

Pour the condensed milk in a large mixing bowl and add all the above ingredients.. Mix all ingredients until they are well combined and set aside.. Line a 24cm baking tin (or similar) with parchment paper, and spoon in the granola mixture.. Use the spoon to smoothen out the surface, and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes (until it turns golden brown).. Remove the granola from the tin, and wait about 10 minutes before you cut the slices.. Let it cool before serving so that you can enjoy the real crunch.. Enjoy!

Chop up these granola bars and enjoy with milk or yoghurt and some fresh berries.. Beautiful!!

D from Bali..

I'm in incredible Bali for the week.. The Alila in Uluwatu is a new villa resort which is truly breath taking.. The place is stunning, the service is exceptional, the attention to detail is just amazing and the food is delightful! I just wanted to thank Sean for taking such good care of us.. And a big thank you to Chef Stefan who brought me to the exciting food markets in Jimbaran, and then showed me some of his lovely recipes.. Will post those when I get home.. D's Balinese Cuisine coming soon!

xx D

Spicy Creamy Prawns

One of my favourite dishes at Nobu is the spicy creamy shrimp.. But I prefer to make it lighter, so I don't deep fry the shrimp in a tempura batter.. I also like it a little spicier and less creamy, so this is my version of the dish.. You'll be amazed at how yummy yet simple this is ;)

Serves 3 persons

12-14 large prawns (de-shelled & de-veined, keep the tails)
2 egg yolks
1 TBL rice vinegar
1/2 tsp of white pepper
1/2 tsp of salt
4 TBL garlic chili sauce (find it in the Asian isle)
1 cup sunflower oil
1 TBL chopped chives
1 tsp Togarashi (optional - find it in the Asian isle)
some flour for drenching

In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the vinegar, salt & pepper.. Add the sunflower oil very slowly to the egg mixture, constantly whisking until you get a creamy consistency.. Then add the garlic chili and the togarashi if you wish (this makes it a little spicier) and set aside..

Drench your prawns in a little flour and set them aside.. Heat a pan on med- high heat, add sunflower oil and fry the prawns about 1-2 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness).. When they are ready and start to curl, take the pan of the heat and add the spicy creamy sauce.. Toss the prawns in the sauce and place the pan on low heat for just a little to heat the sauce, but not long enough for it too curdle too much.. Now sprinkle with chives and voila! You can serve this delicacy on its own, with a salad, steamed rice or egg noodles.. Enjoy!

*Little tip.. If you wish to deep fry using a tempura batter, (either home-made or a pre-made one from the Asian isle) follow the same steps as above but add more oil to your frying pan.. The sauce will curdle less as the dough absorbs most of it.. Also yummy!

Truffled Capellini & Salmon Eggs

Growing up in Paris, my family would often feast on Oysters, but as a little girl, I didn't like these gooey little buggers! My sis Joujou would tease my brother and I endlessly during lunches at L'auberge d'Ab or La coupole (famous Parisian seafood spots).. But of course, a few years later I discovered my BIG love for oysters.. And as the years go by, that love has turned into an addiction to those sea treasures.. I love them with a little vinegar and diced onions.. A la Francaise!

I got some lovely ones yesterday and Ronnie, Nuffy and I devoured them in seconds! I decided to use the shell for a pasta dish I have been craving.. You HAVE to like seafood for this recipe as the taste is very particular and Salmon Eggs are not for everyone.. But if you do like them- you will go crazy over this simple yet intense Capellini dish.. And you must admit - the presentation there is just gorgeous ;) Enjoy this little extravaganza..

Serves 3 persons

400g of Capellini pasta (angel hair)
100g of Salmon Eggs (they come in little tins by the fresh fish)
1/2 tsp of seaweed salt (you can find it at Waitrose)
2 TBL of butter
1 cup of light cooking cream
cracked pepper to taste
drizzles of truffle oil

Heat a pot of boiling salt water and cook your pasta al dente (2-3 minutes).. Reserve some pasta water for the sauce later, and drain the Capellini.. In a pan over medium-heat bring the butter & light cream to a very slight boil, add the seaweed salt and pepper to taste, then the salmon eggs and cook just to blend everything together.. Toss the pasta into the pan, add the reserved pasta water, and combine everything well before you start to plate your dish.. Drizzle the truffle oil at the end, and garnish with some more salmon eggs on top.. Bon Appétit!   

*Adjust the cream-to-pasta ratio to your liking.. I don't like to drench my pasta in sauce, so pls follow your preference ;)

Stir-fried Beef Tenderloin over Rice

I am in LOVE with red meat, juicy, succulent and medium rare.. I started thinking about lunch after breakfast this morning already, and I really felt like something Asian, gooey, and very flavorsome with beautifully sticky rice! So that's what I did for lunch today :)

Serves 2 persons
(Not sure how many normal people it serves since we seem to be eating for plenty at the moment!)

400g of beef tenderloin (cut into thin slices)
10 Chinese cabbage leaves (remove some of mid part, the rib & cut in slices)
1 big TBL brown sugar
2 TBL oyster sauce
2 TBL sake
1/4 cup soya sauce
2 tsp brown rice vinegar
2 TBL grated ginger
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 TBL chopped chives
some nut oil for frying

*Cook 1 cup of short grain rice (follow instructions on the pack).. When it's cooked, add 2 tsp of rice vinegar and blend well with a wooden spoon before serving..

In a bowl, mix the sugar, oyster sauce, sake, soya and vinegar.. Mix everything until the sugar is dissolved, then add the meat, cover and let it marinate for about 15 minutes.. Drain the meat, but make sure to reserve the juices for later..

Heat a generous amount of nut oil in a wok, add ginger and garlic, fry it a just a little before adding the meat and stir-fry for a few minutes.. Add the cabbage and the reserved marinade and cook until the sauce thickens over medium-high heat.. Take it off the heat, place it on to top of your rice, and sprinkle with chives.. Delish!

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