By Adam Liaw
We Australians love to travel to Asia.
It's one of our closest neighbours, just hours away and full of interesting foods, sights and cultures.
Gado Gado Salad.Credit: William Meppem
Food is our best connection to travel and often one of the most exciting and sensory parts of our time away. We plan our days around where we're going to get our three square meals and when we return home, we tell stories of the great things we ate. Perhaps we even try to recreate them in our own kitchens.
But what about before we go? An excellent way to prepare for a trip is to look at the food we might want to eat abroad, and even try some versions closer to home to get ready for the adventure. The flavours of a peanut-y Indonesian salad or spicy Thai grilled pork can make us just as excited for our time away as the pretty pictures of a guidebook.
Coconut and chilli pork steaks.Credit: William Meppem
GADO GADO SALAD
SERVES 4
This Indonesian salad inspires memories of peanut and sweet-sour tamarind flavours. Add fried tofu for a truly authentic version
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• ½ head cabbage
• 12 green beans, trimmed
• 2 cups raw bean sprouts, washed
• 1 Lebanese cucumber, sliced into rounds
• 2 ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
• 4 hard boiled eggs
• prawn crackers, to serve (optional)
• 2 tbsp fried shallots (optional)
Peanut dressing
• 1 large red chilli, seeds removed
• 1 cup unsalted roasted peanuts
• 2 tbsp palm sugar, or brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tbsp tamarind paste dissolved in
• 1 cup hot water
For the peanut sauce, process the chilli, peanuts, sugar and salt to a coarse paste in a blender or small food processor. Add the fish sauce and lime juice and dilute to a thin dressing by gradually adding the tamarind liquid. Adjust for seasoning and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the salt and sugar. Boil the cabbage for 5 minutes until just tender and drain very well. Blanch the beans and beansprouts separately for 30 seconds each, bringing the water to a boil between each vegetable. Arrange the blanched cabbage, beans and beansprouts on a plate with the raw cucumber and tomatoes, as well as the halved eggs. If using, cook the prawn crackers according to the manufacturers directions or in the microwave (see tip). Serve the salad with the dressing and scattered with fried shallots.
COCONUT AND CHILLI PORK STEAKS
SERVES 4
Pork is an underrated meat. It carries flavour well and is simple to prepare.
Whether slow cooked or quickly fried, it remains tender and succulent.
Combine the pork and the remaining ingredients – except the oil, coriander and lime – in a plastic press-seal bag and refrigerate overnight. Grill the pork steaks on a barbecue or hot frying pan for about 4 minutes each side until cooked through.
Rest for a further 3 minutes and serve scattered with the coriander and lime wedges.
800g pork neck steaks (often called pork
scotch fillet)
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 large red chillies, chopped
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ⅓ cup coconut milk
• 1 tbsp oil, for frying
• coriander and lime, to serve