Seafood Risotto – alla Pescatora

Seafood and risotto is such a lovely combination which is perfect as a light lunch or dinner.  The aroma and flavours will make you feel like you are in the Mediterranean sipping a glass of white wine, listening to the waves crashing onto the beach. This recipe is so easy and tasty you will never need to splurge in expensive restaurants anymore!

My secret to a good risotto is all in the stock. Use a great vegetable stock instead of water and you will end up with a magical dish filled with a beautiful scent. Chop up the seafood so they are in small bite sizes and remember to never overcook them. I blanch the seafood in salted boiling water for about 30 seconds and add it to risotto last to ensure it is still tender and juicy.

Risotto is a popular Italian delicate rice dish cooked in broth to a creamy consistency. To make good risotto isn’t difficult, but will require your full attention. You can’t just whack it in a pan, crank up the heat, and come back in 20 minutes hoping it is all done. It actually takes a fair bit of TLC, but then again, all food should be given the same treatment. You should use good quality ingredients; Arborio rice and a top vegetable stock to produce a good risotto. Gently stir it under a low to medium heat while you slowly add the ingredients. If you treat your food with love, the results are always overwhelmingly rewarding. Cooking a good risotto is all about this philosophy. 

READY TO COOK?

1. Clean your seafood under some cold water.  Roughly chop up the seafood into little bite sizes.
2. Heat the stock up in a pan to a simmer.
3. In a large pan, heat up some olive oil to a simmer and fry the garlic, rice, and onion for 2 minutes.
4. Add the white wine and stir until liquid is absorbed.
5. Add a ladle of stock until liquid is absorbed, continue to do so until stock is all used up.
6. In a separate pot, fill it half way with boiling water and a pinch of salt. Blanch the seafood for 30-40 seconds and then drain it in a colander.
7. Add the saffron, butter, parsley, and half the Parmesan cheese to the risotto, stir until liquid is absorbed.
8. Cook the rice until it is al dente. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Add the seafood and stir in well.
9. Place on a warm plate and shave some fresh Parmesan on top before serving.

INGREDIENTS (serves 2)

• 150g seafood (anything you desire, I love it with squid, mussels, and prawns)
• 200g Arborio rice
• half onion – finely diced
• 1 clove of garlic – finely chopped
• 5 table spoons of white wine (not too cheap, something you would drink)
• 600ml (1 pint) of vegetable stock
• 40g Parmesan cheese – grated
• 1 table spoon of finely chopped up parsley
• 1 pinch of saffron strands
• 3 knobs of butter
• sea salt and pepper

Morning Glory

What’s the story, Morning Glory?

Ever try a veggie called ‘Morning Glory’? This super food grows in South East Asia and is called by many names. In Thailand it is commonly called ‘Pak Boong’, and in English it goes by a much cooler name, ‘Morning Glory’. Morning glory is almost like a crunchy spinach, rich in flavour and extremely healthy. This dish is typically stir-fried with oyster sauce or found in many noodle dishes in the kingdom of Thailand.

I serve this up with some crispy garlic and bird’s eye chilli to put a bit of va-va-voom in your palette. The dish’s real name is Pad Pak Boong Fai Daeng, and is one of the street foods that you can find anywhere in Thailand. It is so easy to cook at home. Add a splash of oyster sauce and you have an amazing dish made in under 5 minutes. This dish is goes ever so well with some Thai jasmine rice, you really have to give this a go! It’s super easy, quick and the dish costs almost next to nothing to make.

READY TO COOK?

1. Chop the morning glory into 3 inch long pieces.
2. Smash up 3 garlic cloves with the side of your knife.
3. Roughly chop up 2 bird’s eye chilli.
4. Heat up your wok or frying pan on a high heat with 1 table spoon of vegetable oil.
5. Fry the garlic and chilli for 30 seconds.
6. Throw in the morning glory and stir constantly. Cook for 2 minutes.
7. Pop in the oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and 1 table spoon of water.
8. Stir in well and serve straight away.

It is almost like a Thai spinach.

INGREDIENTS

• 250g morning glory
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2-3 bird’s eye chilli (more if you dare)
• 1 teaspoon of white sugar
• 1 table spoon of light soy sauce
• 1 table spoon of oyster sauce
• 1 table spoon of water or vegetable stock
• 1 table spoon of vegetable oil

Pla Kròp – Crispy sea bream with a wicked Thai sauce

Cripsy fish done Thai style. Topped with fried garlic, spring onions, and coriander. Don’t forget the seafood sauce!

Pla Kròp translates into ‘crispy fish’ and combined with this Thai seafood sauce, this dish is just electrifying. Fish will no longer taste the same once you dip it into this sauce. Done in proper Thai fashion, this dish will leave you wanting more. Sea bream is one of my favourite fish and can be commonly found in your local fish market. The flavour and texture is similar to sea bass with its wonderful ocean flavours. Shallow fry in vegetable oil until it is golden and crispy. If you cannot find this fish, any meaty sea fish that isn’t too boney will do just fine. A tip to picking a top quality fish is in the freshness. Make sure it smells like the ocean and its eyes aren’t blurry.  Top it up with fried garlic and herbs,  you are one step closer to heaven already. The seafood sauce is just as important in this dish. It combines a mixture of sourness from fresh limes and delicate sweetness from the palm sugar. Pound in some garlic and chilli to put it into overdrive. Absolutely bangin’, you will not be disappointed.

READY TO COOK?

1. Preheat your oven to 220ºc.
2. Clean the fish thoroughly under cold water. Gut the fish and score 3 slices into the fillet on each side.
3. Season the fish with white pepper and sea salt, then put aside.
4. Using a pestle and mortar, bash up 1 garlic clove, chilli, palm sugar.
5. Add the juice of 2 limes, 3 tablespoons of fish sauce, and 1 handfull of chopped coriander and grind it all together.
6. Taste and adjust to your liking. Add more sugar for sweetness or fish sauce for more saltiness.
7. Place the sauce into a small bowl and put aside.

1. In a non-stick pan, heat up 1-2 cups of vegetable oil under a medium heat.
2. Pop in the chopped up garlic and fry until it is golden brown. Remove the garlic from the oil and place it on kitchen towels to drain the oil, then put aside.
3. Gently place the fish into the pan. Be careful as the oil may splatter.
4. Cook the fish for about 5 minutes on each side until the fish is crispy and gold in colour.
5. Place the fish on a baking tray (preferably with a metal grill insert so the oil drips to the bottom).
6. Let the fish cook in the oven for another 15 minutes to achieve a very crispy texture and most of the oil would have dripped to the bottom.
7. Place the fish on a platter of mixed leaves. (Any salad of your choice)
8. Top the fish with the fried garlic, spring onions, and coriander. Serve straight away.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 whole sea bream (gutted, cleaned and scored like in the picture)

• 6 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
• 1 tablespoon of palm sugar (use white sugar as a substitute)
• 2 limes
• 2 birds eye chilli (or more if you love heat)
• 3 handfulls of fresh coriander (roughly chopped)
• 2 spring onions (roughly chopped)
• 3 tablespoons of fish sauce

Pad Thai with tiger prawns

You simply can’t go wrong with Pad Thai.

I present to you the ultimate of Thai street foods, the delightful ‘Pad Thai’. This dish can be found all around the country whether you’d be sitting in a street café of Koh Samui or in a night baazar of Chiang Mai. Pad Thai is typically sweet and nutty in flavour. It is enjoyed with jumbo prawns and crunchy bean sprouts, together making a unforgettable combination. Squeeze in some fresh lime and dried chilli just before you tuck in to complete this awesome dish. I have simplified the recipe so it is quick and very easy to make. It has been tried and tested countless times and has proven to be very popular on the dinner table. It is worth investing in some big prawns from your seafood store rather than the small frozen sort you get in the supermarket. This dish deserves that respect and you will be rewarded with the final outcome.

READY TO COOK?

1. In a large bowl, soak the dried noodles in some cold water for 15 minutes.
2. In a non-stick pan, add 1 table spoon of vegetable oil and lightly fry the prawns for 1 minute on each side, then put the prawns aside in a small bowl.

1. In a large wok, add 1 table spoon of vegetable oil and scramble the eggs roughly.
2. Add another 3 table spoons of vegetable oil to the eggs and the soaked noodles.
3. Turn the noodles with a spatula so it does not stick to the pan for about 3-4 minutes. (add more oil if it is sticking a lot)
4. Add the Pad Thai paste and stir well for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the sugar, fish sauce and vegetable stock into the mix and stir well for another 1 minute.
6. Throw in the spring onions, coriander (optional), bean sprouts, and prawns and stir for another 2 minutes.
7. Plate the Pad Thai on to individual dishes or 1 large serving plate.
8. Garnish the Pad Thai with the ground nuts and dried chilli. A lime wedge sits on the side and is squeezed on top of the noodles just before eating.

INGREDIENTS

• 600g (1.3 pounds/21 oz) fresh prawns – peeled and cleaned

I buy fresh prawns from the market rather than the frozen supermarket variety. The flavour and texture is far superior.

• 300g Thai rice noodles (wide flat type that looks like linguine or fettuccine)
• 4 table spoons of Pad Thai paste

• 500g bean sprouts
• 3 eggs (free range)
• 1/2 cup ground roasted peanuts
• 1 fresh lime (cut into wedges)

• 1 table spoon ground dried chilli
• 1/2 cup of roughly chopped spring onion
• 1/2 cup of roughly chopped coriander (optional)
• 1 table spoon of white sugar
• 3 table spoons of fish sauce
• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock (you can use ready-made stock)
• 5 table spoons of vegetable oil

Tóm Yum soup

Packed with herbs, spices, and vegetables.

I present to you the Don of Thai soups, the notorious ‘Tom Yum’. This soup is packed with flavour and has magnificent health benefactors. Food will simply never taste the same after you try this.  Tom Yum is a spicy and sour soup packed with herbs and vegetables.  It’s traditionally eaten with large fresh prawns, but chicken or this seafood version are just as good. If you’re feeling a bit under the weather and battling against a cold, then look no further. Tom Yum contains lime juice, ginger, lemon grass, coriander and chilli ,which will boost your health and get your immune system armed to the teeth. It’s rich in herbs which swim in a pool of intense flavours. Check out your local China shop for Tom Yum paste and start cooking! It can be enjoyed with Thai jasmine rice or simply on its own.

READY TO COOK?

1. Pour 3 pints of water and vegetable stock into a large pot, bring to boil.
2. Pop the ginger, lemon grass, and Tom Yum paste into the pot. Simmer for 15 minutes.
3. Add your mushrooms, chilli, and kaffir lime leaves. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Add the juice of 2 and a half limes, fish sauce, and sugar. Stir well.
5. Taste and adjust to your liking. Add more sugar for sweetness or fish sauce for more saltiness.
6. Once the soup is ready, pop in your prawns and squid. Simmer for 1 minute.
7. After you have dished it out into a large soup bowl, add a handful of coriander to finish off.

INGREDIENTS

• 600g (1.3 pounds/21 oz) fresh prawns – peeled and cleaned

• 1 large fresh squid – sliced into large 2 inch chunks
• 4 table spoons of Tom Yum paste

• 3 sticks of lemon grass (sliced into 2 inch portions)
• 100g ginger (pealed and sliced into 1 inch portions)
• 400g oyster mushrooms (ripped into large slices)

• 3 fresh limes
• 4 birds eye chilli (use 1 if you like it mild or more for extra punch) – roughly chopped.
• 5 kaffir lime leaves (can be found in the frozen section of your local China town shop)

• 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken stock (you can use cubed or ready-made stock)
• 1 tablespoon of palm sugar (or white castor sugar if you can’t find any)
• 5 tablespoons of fish sauce