Satay Chicken - What they didn't tell you (Recipe)

I spent many many many years trying to figure out why my chicken satay recipes ended up all wrong - basically every cookbook I had from Thailand tended to overcomplicate things, listing every damn ingredient that was in the dish but failing to mention that most of these ingredients were actually part of a different product, e.g. red curry paste.

This is ridiculously annoying - basically all Thai cookbooks omit either a huge step in the method for making dishes or they forget to mention that you need a particular kind of ingredient. This recipe I finally cracked with the help of some sleuthing and experimentation which over 20 different satay recipes.

Essentially, chicken satay is a common street food in Thailand which is prepared over hot coals by vendors in the street. I absolutely love it done this way, the marinade thickens out and sludges up wonderfully. Having had my BBQ season interrupted by thunderstorms, I decided eventually to make this at home using a grill pan.

Yakibuta Ramen (Pork Noodle Soup)

I'm a great fan of the youtube series "Cooking with the Dog" which details great recipes and steps for making Japanese dishes. My favourite of all time is Yakibuta Ramen, however I've found that there is a little bit of a problem with the recipe that is detailed there - frankly - the pork rib that you end up with is dry as hell and practically flavourless. The soup is fantastic but the actual pork garnish is really disappointing. So here's my take on this dish using belly pork instead of pork rib. Although health freaks will scream at the amount of fat on the belly slices, the actual cooking process actually eliminates most of it, while the remaining ensures that the meat doesn't dry out and lose its flavour.

Indie Glassware for your Food

I found this glassware artist that I just love - if you're into Asian food and want pretty plates to present sushi - her plates are fantastic and hand made. Ainsley Francis' shop is here.

Pecan Smoked Chinese Chicken Aspic with Walnuts and Mushrooms

Frankly I would be lying if I said that this dish wasn't inspired by Lea Linster's Aspic Duck Foie Gras Terrine dish. I set out to create something that would be pretty, presentable, simple(-er) to assemble that would also be an interesting combination of earthy flavours.

Blog Updates

Hi all, just so you know, this blog is going to undergo some major changes. The design is going to get revamped and also there will be a name change. I will of course post a temporary redirect to the old URLs but not before I update you again. Hope you understand that this means that my posts will stop for a short while.

Alexis

Variation on Heston Blumenthal's Filtered Consomme

I love Heston's series "How to cook like Heston". The problem I found with the recipe on his consomme with the chicken was - frankly - that unless you buy yourself an expensive chicken and don't mind shelling out at LEAST 15 - 20 euros/pounds for the ingredients - you end up with a consomme which is more salty than "chickeny" - and - frankly - rather uninteresting. The touch of a jasmine flower helps hide this fact.

A beef shank with the marrow add so much flavour, you'll never think again about Heston saying that you'll never think again about consomme.

100% working Aga Beef Jerky

One of the more delicious things in life is beef jerky. However it is extremely expensive to buy in packets, a 25 gram bag costing almost £4. As per usual I set out to conquor the market by producing my own more cheaply.