TOM YUM PASTE
INGREDIENTS
50g chili paste (from soaked, deseeded and blended dry chilies or a chilli paste of
your choice)
40g bokkom powder (or more to taste)
½ cup tamarind pulp water
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 pieces kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped
A thumb ginger, finely chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, white parts only, finely chopped
½ large red onion, finely chopped
1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground coriander
METHOD
- Blend the paste ingredients together until a paste forms or use a pestle and mortar to bash it up finely. Keep in a jar in the fridge.
THE TOM YUM
INGREDIENTS
BROTH
2-3 tablespoons tom yum paste
2Tbsp neutral tasting oil like sunflower oil or peanut oil
3-3 ½ cups bokkom broth
6cm piece of ginger (sliced into 6 pieces)
2 cups chicken stock (or 2 cups milk)
¾ -1 cup mielie meal
1 cup parmesan
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp butter
FILLING
2 king oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
½ red bell pepper, sliced
½ cup coconut milk *optional
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
2-4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
180g ramen noodles, cooked
A handful dune spinach
2 soft boiled eggs
METHOD
- To make the paste, blend all the ingredients together or grind to a paste in a pestle and mortar.
- Heat the oil in a wok, add the tom yum paste and cook for a minute. Then add the bokkom stock and ginger.
- Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the oyster mushrooms, tomatoes, red peppers, coconut milk, coriander, lime juice and ramen noodles.
- Plate up into bowls, add the eggs (and the dune spinach (pick individual leaves off the stem).
*To make the bokkom broth cook 1/2 a bokkom in chicken, vegetable or shrimp broth for 20 minutes to infuse.
DISH 2 - SMOKED TERIYAKI AUBERGINE SERVED WITH CRISPY FRIED RICE & BOKKOM MAYO
INGREDIENTS
2 aubergines, halved
¼ cup teriyaki
¼ cup soy
¼ cup ponzu
2 tsp garlic and chilli paste
2 tbsp honey
METHOD
- Cut each aubergine in half and then criss-cross the inside, pop into a pan large enough to hold 4 halves and add enough water to almost cover the aubergines.
- Cook with a lid on for 10 minutes.
- While its cooking mix the teriyaki, soy, ponzu, garlic paste and honey.
- Drain the water.
- Add the teriyaki sauce mix to the saucepan and cook the aubergine in the sauce until it starts to thicken and caramelise but be very careful so it doesn’t burn.
- Make sure its flesh side down towards the end so you have nice caramelisation.
CRISPY RICE
INGREDIENTS
2-3 cups cooked sushi rice (best when its 1 2 days old and cold)
2-3 tbsp sunflower or peanut oil
METHOD
- Take the leftover rice and place it into a plastic wrap lined 20cm frying pan and press until it’s about 2cm thick.
- Carefully remove and place onto another freezer safe plate.
- Freeze for at least 20 minutes. Dust both sides with flour or corn starch.
- Heat a non-stick pan with the oil and fry the rice cake until crispy and golden brown on both sides be careful when you turn it around so it doesn’t break.
- Top with teriyaki aubergine, dollops of bokkom mayo and some freshly foraged sea leaves.
BOKKOM MAYO
INGREDIENTS
2-3 bokkom pieces, blended to a powder
½ cup kewpie mayo
METHOD
- Grind the bokkoms to a powder in a coffee grinder or bash up with a pestle and mortar and blend into the mayo.
- Pour into a squeeze bottle.
TO PLATE
- Put whole crispy rice disc onto plate, add aubergine, pipe dollops of bokkom mayo on.
- Garnish with fresh sea pumpkin.
TAGS: recipes, Homegrown Tastes South Africa