These Asian-inspired recipes will add a little elegance to your party. If using raw fish puts you off the idea of making sushi, try the easy alternative fillings in this chapter from my friend Reiko. There are plenty of sumptuous meat and vegetable canapés here too.
350 g/scant 2 cups white short-grain rice, such as sushi rice
100 ml/1⁄3 cup sushi vinegar
Makes 700–800 g/25–28 oz.
Place the rice in a sieve/strainer and lower into a large bowl of water. Wash the rice in the water with your hands until the water turns milky. Repeat with fresh water, until the water stays clear. Put the rice in a large saucepan, cover with 385 ml/12⁄3 cups water and leave for 30 minutes.
Cover the pan with a lid (ideally a lid with a little hole in it to release steam). Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Listen carefully to the water – as soon as it comes to the boil, turn the heat down to the lowest setting and leave to cook for 15 minutes, without lifting the lid. Remove from the heat and leave for 10–15 minutes to steam with the lid on.
Tip the hot rice into a large wooden bowl. Gradually pour in the vinegar, folding it into the rice using a slicing action to coat the grains and separate them. Do not stir or you will squash the rice. While you fold the rice, fan it with the other hand to bring it to room temperature. It should be shiny and sticky. Cover with a damp kitchen towel until ready to use.
pickled mackerel compressed sushi
a few pinches of fine table salt
2 mackerel fillets
150 ml/2⁄3 cup sushi vinegar
1 tablespoon pickled ginger, chopped
1⁄2 quantity prepared sushi rice (see above)
a shallow plastic container, about 17 x 11 cm/61⁄2 x 41⁄4 in. in size
Makes 35
Sprinkle the salt over both sides of the mackerel and leave for 15 minutes. Brush off most of the salt with paper towels and pat the fillets dry.
Trim the fillets to the length of the container and keep the trimmings. Place all the mackerel in the container and pour over the sushi vinegar. Cover and place in the refrigerator for 2 hours, then turn the fillets. You can leave the mackerel overnight, if you like, but it should be ready after a further 2 hours. Remove the mackerel, pat dry and carefully peel off the thin film that will have developed over the skin.
Clean and dry the container, then line it with clingfilm/plastic wrap, leaving plenty draped over the edge.
Wet your hands and place 2 cm/3⁄4 in. of rice into the bottom of the container. Gently press it down to compact it and level the top. Sprinkle over the pickled ginger and then press the mackerel fillets, side by side, flesh-side down on top. Use the trimmings to fill any gaps.
Gather the overhanging clingfilm/plastic and lay it over the mackerel. Find a lid or board that will sit just inside of the container and place this on top, then lay some heavy books on top. Leave for 2 hours in a cool room (not in the refrigerator).
Carefully lift out the compressed sushi and slice lengthways into 3 strips, then into 5 strips across to make 15 squares. Serve with soy sauce.
honey soy mackerel & daikon maki
1⁄4 quantity prepared sushi rice (see left)
1½ sheets nori seaweed
3 pea-sized drops of wasabi paste
3 x 1-cm/1⁄2-inch strips pickled daikon radish
1 fillet smoked honey soy mackerel (approx 80 g/3 oz.)
a sushi mat
Makes 18–21
Fold the whole nori sheet in half across the grain and carefully tear in two. Lay the nori, shiny-side down, on a sushi mat.
Wet your hands slightly. Take one-third of the rice and spread it evenly over the nori. Leave 1 cm/1⁄2 in. free of rice along the top edge.
Gently press the rice down and spread a pea-sized drop of wasabi paste across the length of the rice. Line one strip of daikon along the middle of the rice and one-third of the mackerel next to it. Bring the bottom edge of the mat up and roll so that the top edge of the nori meets the edge of the rice. Apply gentle pressure so that the roll is tight and the margin of nori will overlap. Put the roll to one side with the overlap at the base. The moisture present in the rice will stick the nori together.
Repeat with the other 2 nori sheets and the remaining ingredients, keeping the finished roll covered. Slice each roll into 6 (or 7 if you like the look of filling coming out of the end, as pictured overleaf).
crabstick & avocado maki
¼ quantity prepared sushi rice (see left)
1½ sheets nori seaweed
3 pea-sized drops of wasabi paste
1 just-ripe avocado, halved and stone/pit removed
120 g/4 oz. good-quality crabsticks, sliced into thin strips (or cooked prawns/ shrimp)
Makes 18–21
Fold the whole nori sheet in half across the grain and carefully tear in two. Lay the nori, shiny-side down, on a sushi mat (or folded kitchen towel).
Wet your hands slightly. Take one-third of the rice and spread it evenly over the nori. Leave 1 cm/1⁄2 in. free of rice along the top edge.
Gently press the rice down and spread a pea-sized drop of wasabi paste across the length of the rice. Slice the avocado into thin strips.
Line one-third of the avocado strips along the middle of the rice and one-third of the crabsticks next to it. Bring the bottom edge of the mat up and roll so that the top edge of the nori meets the edge of the rice. Apply gentle pressure so that the roll is tight and the margin of nori will overlap.
Put the roll to one side with the overlap at the base. The moisture present in the rice will stick the nori together.
Repeat with the other 2 nori sheets and the remaining ingredients, keeping the finished roll covered. Slice each roll into 6 (or 7 if you like the look of filling coming out of the end, as pictured overleaf).
Overleaf from left to right: honey soy mackerel & daikon maki (p71), crabstick & avocado maki (p71), pickled mackerel compressed sushi (p70).
smoked salmon, enoki & white miso cucumber boats
I always welcome light bites like this, served as a refreshing palate cleanser amidst heavier or richer canapés. Make sure the enoki are very fresh and clean.
2 x 200-g/7-oz. cucumbers, cut in half and deseeded
200 g/7 oz. smoked salmon
4 tablespoons white miso paste
100 g/31⁄2 oz. enoki mushrooms
60 g/2 oz. sliced pickled ginger
1 tablespoon black or white sesame seeds, to garnish (optional)
Makes 40
Take each cucumber half and peel a strip of skin from the curved side so that it will sit flat on the work surface. Slice the cucumber at a right angle into 2-cm/3⁄4-in. wide strips.
Cut the salmon into 40 pieces (5 g/1⁄8 oz. each) and place a piece on each slice of cucumber.
Spoon a pea-sized amount of white miso paste on the base of each piece of salmon.
Cut the top 4 cm/11⁄2 in. off the enoki mushrooms and place a few at a time on each of the dots of miso.
Top with a little pickled ginger and serve sprinkled with a pinch of sesame seeds, if using.
tofu, ginger & lime spoons
With refreshing, delicate flavours, this canape is the perfect accompaniment to a glass of fizz to kick off a summer party. I love the light, zing of a lime or a splash of yuzu, but you can substitute with a little soy or tamari if you'd like something richer. You can use silken tofu, the most important thing is that it is fresh and great quality. The best kind to go for is the tofu you find stored in a tub of water in Asian supermarkets.
500 g/1 lb. 2 oz. fresh, firm tofu
90 g/3 oz. grated fresh ginger
2 spring onions/scallions, thinly sliced
freshly squeezed lime juice, to serve
32 canapé spoons
Makes 32
Place the tofu on a few layers of paper towels to absorb the excess liquid. Slice the tofu into small cubes that fit nicely onto your spoons (roughly 2.5 x 3 cm/1 x 11⁄4 in.).
Place a piece of tofu on each spoon and gently place a pinch of grated ginger on top. Place a pinch of the spring onions/scallions on top of the ginger and, just before serving, sprinkle a little lime juice over each spoon.
10 slices (slightly stale) white bread, crusts removed
30–40 coriander/cilantro leaves to garnish
5 tablespoons sesame seeds
400 ml/13⁄4 cups groundnut/peanut or vegetable oil
plum or sweet chilli/chili sauce, to serve
For the topping
6 spring onions/scallions, roughly chopped
450 g/1 lb. raw prawns/shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon freshly chopped coriander/cilantro
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 egg white
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon cornflour/ cornstarch
Makes 30
To make the topping, whizz the spring onions/ scallions in a food processor. Add the rest of the ingredients and whizz again.
Spread the topping onto each slice of bread. Sprinkle the sesame seeds on a plate and gently press each slice of bread, prawn-/shrimp-side down, into the seeds. Cut each slice into 3 fingers and press a coriander/cilantro leaf into one end.
Heat the oil in frying pan/skillet. Cook the toast topping-side down for a couple of minutes. Flip over and cook for 40 seconds more, until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Serve with plum or sweet chilli/ chili sauce.
crushed yellow bean prawns
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 fresh red chilli/chile, deseeded and finely chopped
2.5-cm/1-in. piece of fresh ginger, grated
20 raw king prawns/jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails left on
3 tablespoons yellow bean sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
1 tablespoon caster/granulated sugar
1 fresh red chilli/chile, sliced, to garnish
Makes 20
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan/skillet over high heat. Add the garlic, chilli/chile and ginger.
After 10 seconds, add the prawns/shrimp and toss to combine.
Then add the yellow bean sauce, Shaoxing wine, 1 tablespoon water and the sugar.
After 4 minutes, check a prawn/shrimp to see if it is cooked. Scatter with fresh chilli/chile and serve.
chilli devilled eggs
12 hard-boiled/hard-cooked eggs, peeled
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1–2 tablespoons chilli/chili shrimp paste
salt and ground white pepper
2 spring onions/scallions
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds, to serve
Makes 24
Halve the eggs lengthways and remove the yolks. Put the yolks into a bowl and break them up with a fork.
Mix in the mayonnaise and chilli/chili shrimp paste to taste. Season with salt and white pepper. When smooth, either spoon back into the eggs or pipe with a star-shaped nozzle, if you have one.
Sprinkle over the sliced spring onions/scallions and black sesame seeds and serve.
with ginger jammy plums
You could roast a duck if you want it crispy, but it will take a couple of hours. I prefer to cook the breast to save on roasting and shredding time – it’s juicy and easy to portion. The ginger jammy plums is something I do, not only to add flavour, but because I think they look gorgeous.
175 g/6 oz. duck breast
10 ready-made Chinese pancakes (about 14 cm/51⁄2 in. in diameter)
2 Chinese teaspoons five spice mixed with 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
For the jammy plums
2 plums cut into 20 wedges
freshly squeezed juice of 1 orange
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon caster/granulated sugar
10 teaspoons hoisin sauce
1⁄2 a cucumber, cut into matchsticks
5 spring onions/scallions, cut into matchsticks
Makes 20
To make the jammy plums, simmer the plums in the orange juice, ginger and sugar for 3 minutes in a shallow frying pan/skillet until they take on a jam-like texture.
Take the duck out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking. Score the skin of the duck and trim off any excess fat around the sides.
Rub the five spice and salt mix all over the duck. Put it in a frying pan/skillet skin-side down and turn on the heat.
When the pan is hot and you can hear the duck start to sizzle, let it cook for 5 minutes.
Sear the duck on the sides and the bottom, cooking for a further 5–8 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
Take the pan off the heat and leave the duck to rest.
Lay the pancakes flat on a chopping board and cut in half.
Spoon 1⁄2 teaspoon hoisin sauce on a half-pancake and arrange a piece of duck, a wedge of jammy plum and a few matchsticks of cucumber and spring onions/scallions on top. Tightly roll into a flat cone. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and serve.
1⁄2 a ripe mango
1 ripe hass avocado
3 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
2 teaspoons freshly chopped coriander/cilantro
100 g/31⁄2 oz. white crabmeat
freshly squeezed juice of 1⁄4 of a lime
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1⁄2 a medium fresh red chilli/chile, finely chopped
Tabasco, to taste
8 x 18 cm/7 in. rice papers
Makes 16
Cut the mango and avocado into thin strips.
In a bowl, mix together the spring onions/scallions, chopped coriander/cilantro, crab, lime juice, mayonnaise and chilli/chile. Add Tabasco to taste.
Lay out a clean kitchen towel. One by one, place a rice paper onto a shallow tray or plate and pour over hot water. Make sure the rice paper is totally submerged. When soft, lift it out, shake off any excess water and lay it on the kitchen towel, smoothing out the edges.
Divide the crab mix into 8 portions. In the bottom centre of a rice paper, pile up one portion of the crab mix along with a few slices of mango and avocado. Roll tightly from the bottom. Halfway up, fold the sides inwards. Continue rolling until you have a tight parcel. Just before you are ready to serve, slice each roll into two with a sharp knife.
tuna, daikon & wasabi rolls
7.5-cm/3-in. piece of cucumber, deseeded and cut into matchsticks
7.5-cm/3-in. piece of daikon radish, cut into matchsticks
3 spring onions/scallions, cut into matchsticks
4 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon wasabi paste
freshly squeezed lime juice, to taste
80 g/3 oz. sashimi-grade tuna steak
2 tablespoons soy sauce
8 x 18-cm/7-in. rice papers
a few fresh coriander/cilantro leaves
sesame seeds (optional)
Makes 16
Lay the cucumber, radish and spring onions/scallions on paper towels. Mix together the mayonnaise and wasabi, and add lime juice to taste Cut the tuna into 8 strips and put it on a plate. Sprinkle over the soy sauce.
Lay out a clean kitchen towel. One by one, place a rice paper onto a shallow tray or plate and pour over hot water. Make sure the rice paper is totally submerged. When soft, lift it out, shake off any excess water and lay it on the kitchen towel, smoothing out the edges.
Divide the ingredients into 8 portions. In the bottom centre of a rice paper, place a couple of coriander/cilantro leaves, then pile up one portion of ingredients and spoon a little wasabi mayo on top. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and roll tightly from the bottom. Halfway up, fold the sides inwards. Continue rolling until you have a tight parcel. Just before you are ready to serve, slice each roll into two with a sharp knife.
These rolls are inspired by the interactive, must-have dish for Chinese New Year celebrations, ‘Yee Sang’.
Traditionally, all of the ingredients are piled on a plate, then everyone uses their chopsticks to toss the shredded vegetables into the air and shouts out their dreams and aspirations. It’s believed that the higher you toss, the greater your fortunes!
I simply fell in love with the flavours, so I put them in summer rolls.
You can add a little raw fish or smoked salmon if you wish but I love this vegetarian version. You can prepare all of the ingredients ahead and refrigerate, but only make the rolls up to half an hour before serving.
10-cm/4-in. piece of cucumber, skin on, deseeded
1⁄3 a pomelo (or ½ pink grapefruit), cut into segments
3 spring onions/scallions, cut into matchsticks
10-cm/4-in. piece of daikon radish, cut into matchsticks
10-cm/4-in. piece of carrot, cut into matchsticks
4-cm/1½-in. piece of fresh ginger, cut into matchsticks
For the sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
3 tablespoons plum sauce
3 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
a small handful of toasted peanuts, finely chopped
½ teaspoon Chinese five spice
a pinch of white pepper
a squeeze of fresh lime juice, to taste
8 x 18-cm/7-in. rice papers
Makes 16
Put the cucumber and pomelo on a few sheets of paper towels to soak up any excess liquid.
Mix together the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl.
Lay out a clean kitchen towel. One by one, place a rice paper onto a shallow tray or plate and pour over hot water. Make sure the rice paper is totally submerged. When soft, lift it out, shake off any excess water and lay it on the kitchen towel, smoothing out the edges.
Divide the ingredients into 8 portions. In the bottom centre of a rice paper, pile up one portion. Spoon on a little sauce and roll tightly from the bottom. Halfway up, fold the sides inwards. Continue rolling until you have a tight parcel. Just before you are ready to serve, slice each roll into two with a sharp knife.
Top to bottom: tuna, daikon & wasabi rolls (p80), yee sang rolls (p81), crab, mango & avocado rolls (p80).
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced on the diagonal
freshly squeezed juice of 1⁄2 a lime
1 teaspoon sesame oil
5 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
4 tablespoons clear honey
500 g/1 lb. 2 oz. salmon fillet, skinned and boned
black sesame seeds to garnish
Makes 26
Put the garlic, ginger, lime juice, sesame oil, soy and honey in a large bowl. Stir well to combine.
Slice the salmon into 26 bite-sized pieces. Toss the salmon in the sauce.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) Gas 5.
After 10 minutes, drain the salmon and reserve the sauce. Skewer the salmon and place on the prepared baking sheet and cook in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
Meanwhile, reduce the sauce in a small saucepan on a low-medium heat for about 3 minutes, or until thickened and glossy.
Remove the skewers from the oven and brush or spoon the reduced sauce over each salmon piece, along with a sprinkling of sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
gochujang chicken skewers
Gochujang is a wonderful chilli paste from Korea. It has a deep, earthy flavour from fermented soya beans and a rounded kick from chilli powder. It finds its way into a lot of dishes I cook at home, and always into chicken wings. If you can find its partner in crime ‘doenjang’ try replacing half the soy with a teaspoon of it.
500 g/1 lb. 2 oz. chicken thighs, skinless and boneless, cut into 40 pieces
sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onions/scallions, to garnish
For the marinade
2 garlic cloves, grated
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon clear honey, plus extra to taste
1 heaped teaspoon medium-hot Korean Gochujang paste
20 wooden/metal skewers a baking sheet, greased
Makes 20
Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces to the bowl and leave to marinate for no more than 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) Gas 5.
Put 2 pieces of chicken onto each skewer and lay them on the prepared baking sheet. Cook the chicken for 10–12 minutes.
While the chicken is cooking, reduce the marinade in a small saucepan on a low-medium heat for about 3 minutes, adding a little more honey to taste.
When the chicken is cooked, brush or spoon the sauce on top and sprinkle with the sesame seeds and spring onions/scallions.
I had my first Okonomiyaki at my friend Reiko's home, one cold evening. It was like a big, warm, umami hug in the form of a savoury pancake. Okonomiyaki does taste best with dashi and okonomiyaki sauce (I like the Bulldog brand). However, you can use chicken stock and brown sauce/steak sauce respectively as substitutes.
1 egg
125 ml/1⁄2 cup of dashi stock (1 teaspoon of dashi powder in 125 ml/1⁄2 cup of water)
60 g/1⁄2 cup plain/all-purpose flour
150 g/5 oz. cabbage, finely shredded
5 spring onions/scallions, finely chopped
2 thin slices of bacon, finely chopped
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
For the garnish
okonomiyaki sauce, to taste
Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise (or regular mayonnaise in a squeezy bottle), to taste
bonito flakes or shredded spring onion/scallions, to sprinkle
Makes 15
Beat the egg in a large bowl and lightly whisk in the stock. Slowly whisk in the flour, ensuring there are no lumps.
Add the cabbage, spring onions/scallions and bacon to the bowl.
Put a non-stick frying pan/skillet on a medium heat and add half the oil. When hot, add a heaped teaspoon of pancake mix to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes on each side before transferring to paper towels. Squeeze over a little sauce and mayonnaise and top with a pinch of bonito flakes or spring onions/scallions.
miso-glazed aubergine skewers
2 large aubergines/eggplants or 10 mini aubergines/eggplants (mini aubergines, shown opposite, look prettier but large aubergines/eggplants taste better)
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
For the glaze
2 tablespoons (dark) miso paste
3 tablespoons mirin
1 teaspoon caster/granulated sugar
To decorate
sesame seeds or finely sliced spring onions/scallions
40 mini wooden skewers
Makes 40
Combine all of the ingredients for the glaze in a small saucepan and whisk over a medium heat for a couple of minutes until the sugar has dissolved.
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
Slice each large aubergine/eggplant lengthways into 4 pieces, then cut each quarter into 5 pieces. If using mini aubergines, cut each crossways into 4 pieces.
Brush both sides with a little sunflower oil, place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until just cooked through.
Remove from the oven and preheat a grill/broiler.
Brush the glaze over each piece of aubergine/eggplant and grill/broil for a minute or so until the glaze starts to bubble. Be careful, it can burn easily.
Remove from the grill/broiler, skewer a piece of aubergine onto each skewer, sprinkle with sesame seeds or spring onions/scallions and serve.
These flavourful and juicy fish cakes take minutes to whizz up in a food processor. You can make them ahead of time, cover them in clingfilm/plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or freeze a week ahead.
5 spring onions/scallions, roughly chopped
600 g/1 lb. 5 oz. skinned and boned white fish (such as cod, coley or hake)
a handful of fresh coriander/cilantro
3 teaspoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 teaspoon chopped lime leaves
100 g/31⁄2 oz. French beans, finely chopped
4 tablespoons groundnut/peanut oil
sweet chilli/chili sauce, to serve
Makes 30
Blitz the spring onions/scallions in a food processor.
Cut the fish into chunks and add to the spring onions/scallions.
Blitz together with the coriander/cilantro, fish sauce, curry paste and lime leaves until you have a paste.
Empty the contents into a bowl, mix in the beans and mould into bite-sized balls, slightly flattening them.
Heat the oil in a frying pan/skillet and when very hot, fry the fish cakes in batches for a minute or so on each side until cooked through.
Remove, drain quickly on paper towels and serve while still hot with a bowl of sweet chilli/chili sauce.
coconut calamari
Crunchy, tender squid with a little heat. This one is a real party pleaser.
8 baby squid
1 x 400-ml/14-oz. can coconut milk
50 g/2 oz. desiccated coconut
100 g/31⁄2 oz. cornflour/cornstarch
1 teaspoon salt
11⁄2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
500 ml/2 cups sunflower or peanut/ groundnut oil
sweet chilli/chili sauce, to serve
1 tablespoon freshly chopped coriander/cilantro (optional)
chopped red chillies/chiles, to garnish
Makes 40
Pull out the tentacles and cut each squid into 4 rings.
Place the rings and tentacles into a bowl and cover with the coconut milk. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
In a large bowl, mix together the cornflour/cornstarch, desiccated coconut, salt and cayenne pepper.
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan until it reaches 170°C–180°C (325°F–350°F), or until a flick of flour sizzles when dropped in the pan.
Drain the squid and lightly toss it in the flour mix.
Fry in batches for a few minutes or until the batter is crunchy. Drain on paper towels.
Serve with sweet chilli/chili sauce, mixed with the coriander/cilantro, if using.
crab, chilli & lime filo tartlets
3 sheets of filo/phyllo pastry (about 135 g/43⁄4 oz.)
100 g/1 stick minus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
Crab filling
400 g/13⁄4 cups fresh, cooked white crabmeat
5 spring onions/scallions
10 g/1⁄2 cup fresh coriander/cilantro
2 red chillies/chiles, deseeded
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
freshly squeezed juice of 2 limes
Tabasco sauce, to season (optional)
12-hole muffin pan, buttered
Makes 40
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
Stack the filo/phyllo sheets in a pile and use a sharp knife to cut them into 40 6-cm/21⁄2-in. squares, each of which will have 3 layers of pastry. Keeping all other filo/phyllo squares covered with clingfilm/plastic wrap to prevent them drying out, take one set of 3 three squares. Lay one square onto a chopping board and brush lightly with melted butter. Top with a second square, offset to allow corners to show.
Brush lightly with melted butter and repeat with the final square.
Gently press the layered pastry into the hole of the muffin pan and repeat to fill the pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes, until golden brown. Cool and store in an airtight container until required. Repeat with the remaining pastry.
To make the crab filling, drain the crabmeat and place in a bowl. Chop the spring onions/scallions, coriander/cilantro and chillies/chiles very finely. Mix with the mayonnaise and season with lime juice, Tabasco, salt and white pepper.
Fill each tart with the crab filling and serve immediately.
asian slaw & prawn tartlets
¼ red cabbage
¼ white cabbage
1 Gala apple, peeled
1 large carrot, peeled
1 spring onion/scallion
1 fresh red chilli/chile, deseeded
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sour cream or mayonnaise
17 cooked and shelled prawns/shrimp
34 filo/phyllo baskets (see above)
For the dressing
2 limes
1 teaspoon caster/ granulated sugar
3 teaspoons fish sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Makes 34
Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl. Set aside.
Either using a mandoline or sharp knife, slice the red cabbage very finely and place in a bowl. Shred the white cabbage, apple, carrot, spring onion/ scallion and chilli/chile in the same way and place in a separate bowl.
Season both bowls with ½ teaspoon salt and mix well. Add half the dressing to one bowl and the other half to the second bowl, let sit for at least 10 minutes but no longer than 30 minutes.
Drain the vegetables and mix together just before serving so that the red cabbage doesn’t turn everything pink. Add the sour cream.
Spoon a little slaw into each filo/phyllo basket and top with half a prawn/shrimp. You can pinch the ends of the prawns/shrimp together to add height.
