Fish Trip Cafe

Flowers for you.

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— Olive and Rosemary Bread Rolls (8 rolls) —

350g strong white flour

1 teaspoon salt

7g fast action dried yeast

200ml warm water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

80g Kalamata olives, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon rosemary leaves, finely chopped

Some Kalamata olives and rosemary leaves for decoration (optional)

Creamy pumpkin risotto. Dreamy pumpkin head.

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— Creamy Pumpkin Risotto (serves 2) —

1 tablespoon butter

4 sage leaves

40g butter

300g pumpkin, peeled and chopped into 1 inch cubes

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

160g risotto rice

100ml white wine

500ml hot chicken stock or vegetable stock

50ml single cream

40g parmesan cheese, grated

Black pepper

Some shaved or grated parmesan cheese for garnish

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Place the 1 tablespoon of butter in a frying-pan and heat over medium heat. Place the fresh sage leaves into the heated butter and cook until crispy (about 30 seconds each side. Don’t make them brown). Remove them on a kitchen paper. Set aside.

Melt the 40g butter in a flying-pan over medium heat, add the chopped pumpkin and stir-fry until just tender. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the chopped shallots and garlic, sauté over medium heat until softened.

Add the risotto rice, stir for 5 minutes until the rice start to turn translucent at the edges.

Add the white wine, cook and stirring until all the wine has been absorbed.

Add the cooked pumpkin and pour in a ladle of chicken stock, stirring continuously. When the stock has been absorbed, stir in another ladleful. Continue adding the stock in this way until all the stock has been absorbed.

Add the single cream, stirring until it has been absorbed. The rice should be al dente. Stir through the grated parmesan cheese.

Transfer the risotto to serving plates, sprinkle with black pepper, garnish with parmesan cheese, top with the sautéed sage leaf.

These simple dressed salads are called aemono (it means “dressed things”).

Aemono are usually served very small portions, meant to accompany main dishes or as appetisers.

There is wide range of ingredients and dressings for aemono. Today’s recipe is one of the most basic and popular aemono dressings – Karashi-ae: mustard dressing, and Goma-ae: sesame dressing (this sweet and nutty flavored sesame dressing is my favourite one!).

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— Tenderstem Broccoli with Mustard Dressing (serves 2) —

1/2 teaspoon karashi mustard paste or english mustard

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon dashi stock
(see how to make dashi stock, and dashi stock for vegetarian)

100g tenderstem broccoli

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Mix the mustard, light soy sauce and dashi stock in a bowl.

Bring a pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt. Cook the tenderstem broccoli until soft but still crunchy (about 30 seconds – 1 minute), rinse in cold water and drain.

Cut the tenderstem broccoli into 1.5 inches. Toss with the mustard dressing.

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— French Beans with Sesame Dressing (serves 2) —

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

2 teaspoons light soy sauce

2 teaspoons sugar

100g french beans

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Roast the sesame seeds in a dry frying-pan over medium-low heat until golden.

Transfer the roasted sesame seeds in a mortar and pestle, grind the sesame seeds into a paste. Add the sugar and soy sauce and mix well.

Bring a pot of water to boil and add a pinch of salt. Cook the french beans until soft but still crunchy (about 30 seconds – 1 minute), rinse in cold water and drain.

Cut the french beans into 1.5 inches. Toss with the sesame dressing.

This is a traditional Vietnamese curry.

The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes and coconut milk contrast against the curry spices, giving the dish a depth of flavour.
Sweet and strong – just like the Vietnamese women who I met in the mountain.

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— Vietnamese Chicken & Sweet Potato Curry (serves 2) —

2 tablespoons curry powder

1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric

250g skinless chicken thighs

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely chopped galangal or ginger

1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped

1- 2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes (adjust chilli to your taste)

200g sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

2 tablespoons nuoc mam (Vietnamese fish sauce)

1/2 tablespoon palm sugar

300ml coconut milk

Hand full of fresh coriander leaves, chopped

Cooked basmati rice (for serving)

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Combine the curry powder and ground turmeric in a small bowl.

Place the chicken thighs in a bowl and coat with the half of the spice. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a wok or heavy pan, stir-fry the chopped shallots, galangal and lemon grass over medium heat until fragrant.

Add the spiced chicken, the rest of spice and chilli flakes and then stir-fry about 2 minutes. Add the sweet potatoes and stir-fry another 2 minutes.

Add the nuoc mam, palm sugar, coconut milk and 50ml of water. Bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes or the chicken is tender. stirring occasionally.

Add the coriander leaves.

Serve with basmati rice.