Food from the Sun. Neven Maguire
pinch of salt
12 small cucumber, peeled, halved, seeded and thinly sliced
For the dipping sauce
2 tbsp crunchy peanut butter
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1tsp light muscovado sugar juice of 12 lime
120ml (4fl oz) coconut milk
12 red chilli, seeded and finely diced
2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander
6 wooden skewers (15cm (6in) in length), soaked
This is a classic South-East Asian street food that I enjoyed on a recent trip to the region. Satay has a wonderful balance of sweet and spicy flavours that penetrate the chicken. It is perfect for cooking on the barbecue; just make sure you soak the skewers first.
First prepare the pickled cucumber salad. Place the vinegar in a bowl and stir in the sugar and salt until dissolved. Tip in the sliced cucumber, stir to combine and set aside to allow the flavours to develop.
Preheat a griddle pan until smoking hot, or preheat the grill. Whisk together the soy sauce, honey and curry powder in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the chicken pieces. Leave to marinate for a few minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. Heat the peanut butter in a small saucepan over a low heat and stir in the soy sauce, sugar and lime juice. Gradually whisk in the coconut milk until you have achieved a smooth sauce. Stir in the chilli and coriander, then leave to cool.
Thread the chicken pieces onto the pre-soaked wooden skewers and arrange on the griddle pan or under the grill. Cook for 4–6 minutes, turning once or twice, until cooked through.
Arrange the chicken satay skewers on warmed plates. Divide the dipping sauce between individual ramekins and place to one side of the skewers. Drain the pickled cucumber salad, add to the plates and serve at once.
Poached Oysters with Spinach and Lemongrass
Serves 4
16 oysters (Pacific if available)
25g (1oz) butter
225g (8oz) fresh spinach leaves, washed and tough stalks removed
For the lemongrass sauce
1 tsp softened butter
1 shallot, peeled and finely chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, outer leaves removed and core finely chopped
finely grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
150ml (5fl oz) dry white wine
100ml (312fl oz) double cream
salt and freshly ground white pepper
This is the perfect recipe if you want to try cooking or eating oysters for the first time. It might sound fancy, but it’s actually very easy and guaranteed to impress your guests. You can ask your fishmonger to remove all the oysters from their shells or follow the instructions below.
Scrub the oyster shells thoroughly. Place an oyster on a tea towel on a firm surface, flattest shell uppermost and hinge towards you. Gather the tea towel around the oyster and grip it firmly so there is a thick wad of cloth protecting your hand. With the other hand, insert an oyster knife or a sharp rigid blade into the gap in the hinge and twist upwards to snap the shells apart. Slide the blade along the inside of the upper shell to sever the muscle that keeps the shells together. Lift off the top shell and run the knife under the oyster to remove it from the bottom shell. Repeat with the rest of the oysters. Clean the bottom shells and reserve for serving.
To make the lemongrass sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan set over a medium heat. Add the shallot, lemongrass and lemon rind and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened but not browned, stirring occasionally. Pour in the wine and simmer until reduced by half, stirring at intervals. Stir in the cream and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly reduced and thickened. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the lemon juice. Blitz with a hand-held blender and pass through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan. Keep warm over a low heat.
Just before you poach the oysters, melt the butter in a large pan and add the spinach and a pinch of salt. Cook for a minute or so over a high heat until just wilted, then drain off any excess liquid and spoon a mound of spinach into each oyster shell. Arrange on heated plates and keep warm. Add the oysters to the warm lemongrass sauce, still over a low heat, and gently poach for 30 seconds, but no longer. Carefully remove the oysters with a slotted spoon and place on top of the spinach in the shells. Place the hand-held blender in the sauce and blitz to lighten, then spoon the sauce over the poached oysters to serve.
Serves 4 | VEGETARIAN
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
225g (8oz) black or green olives, or a mixture
finely grated rind and juice of
1 small lemon
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 tsp dried crushed chillies (optional)
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
In my opinion, the best type of olives for this dish come from Italy and have been stored in olive oil. You’ll find them at farmers’ markets or in a good deli. The longer you leave them to marinate, the better the flavour will be.
Toast the cumin and fennel seeds in a small, dry frying pan for 1–2 minutes until they become aromatic. Tip into a bowl and add the olives, lemon rind and juice, garlic, chillies, if using, and olive oil.
Toss until each olive is well coated and either drain off the excess liquid immediately and tip into small bowls to serve, or leave to marinate and allow the flavours to develop for as long as possible. The olives can be prepared up to one week in advance and stored in a bowl covered with clingfilm in the fridge.
Serves 4 | VEGETARIAN
1 tbsp olive oil
225g (8oz) roasted salted whole almonds
4 tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp sweet or smoked paprika
1 tsp freshly