I don’t need to tell you that I adore cookery books. I could happily while away time flicking through my cookbook library, unfortunately there are never enough hours in the day and I always end up feeling rather guilty for having ‘wasted’ time… even if these days I have the excuse of ‘research for Menu Mistress’. Anyway, one advantage for my family is that it’s always easy to choose a present for me! Unsurprisingly I received quite a few new additions to my collection last Christmas, so since the new year, I’ve been enjoying ‘trying and testing’ them.  One of those books is  ‘Agak Agak’ which is a cookbook of everyday recipes from Singapore. It was an inspired gift as this month, for the first time, I’m visiting Singapore and Malaysia. This cookbook by Su Han Lee has been whetting my appetite for the authentic food which I’m looking forward to trying. The cookbook itself has lots of inspiring recipes, I’m gradually making my way through the book but one recipe which I’ve made and particularly liked is ‘Hainanese Pork and New Potato Curry’. So this month I thought I’d share this so that you too can escape with me, at least for an hour or two, to South East Asia!…

This month’s Menu One is the aforementioned recipe, ‘Hainanese Pork and New Potato Curry’. It’s a sweet and mild dish with a depth of moreish fragrant flavours. It’s one of those curries which the whole family will love – they’ll be wanting second helpings so you might want to double the recipe! Menu Two has totally different flavours but is none the worst for it. ‘Peppered Rack of Lamb with Creamed Flagelolet Beans’, is perfect for making the most of the new season’s spring lamb. It’s a recipe which I found in an old cookbook, ‘5th Floor Harvey Nichols’ by Henry Harris. The original recipe was made with a rump of lamb but I prefer a rack, however, feel free to use the cut you like, just adjust the cooking times. The creamed flageolet beans should be noted as a ‘stand-alone-recipe’, as they make a great side for lots of other dishes and are super easy to make!

Menu One

Hainanese Pork and New Potato Curry (Serves 3- 4)

This recipe, from the Singaporean cookbook ‘Agak Agak’, is a sweet and mild dish with a depth of moreish fragrant flavours. It’s one of those curries which the whole family will love – they’ll be wanting second helpings so you might want to double the recipe!

500g pork shoulder, cut into 3cm chunks

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

2 lemongrass stalks, bashed lightly

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

200ml coconut milk

About 250ml water

250g baby new potatoes, unpeeled, left whole, larger ones halved

3 tablespoons light soy sauce or to taste (gluten-free if required)

2 teaspoons light brown sugar or to taste

For the spice paste:

100g shallots, roughly chopped

15g piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 teaspoons Kashmiri chilli powder

1 teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground turmeric

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Big pinch of sea salt

1. For the spice paste, pound the shallots, ginger and garlic using a pestle and mortar or whizz in a blender until you get a smooth paste. Then mix in the ground spices and salt. Coat the pork chunks with the spice paste and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
2. In a wok or shallow casserole, fry the whole spices and the lemongrass in the oil over a medium heat for about 1 minute, to help release their fragrance.
3. Add the marinated pork, scraping in all the spice paste, then fry for about 10 minutes until the pork browns.
4. Next stir in the coconut milk and enough water to just cover the pork. Bring to a gentle boil, then turn the heat down to low and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
5. Gently tip in the potatoes and season the curry with soy sauce and sugar. Pop the lid back on and cook for another 20 minutes, or until the pork and potatoes are very tender. Taste and adjust seasoning with more soy sauce or sugar if you like. Serve with rice.

Menu Two

Peppered Rack of Lamb & Creamed Flageolet Beans (Serves 4)

This is a recipe which I found in an old cookbook, ‘5th Floor Harvey Nichols’ by Henry Harris. The original recipe was made with a rump of lamb but I prefer a rack, however feel free to use the cut you like, just adjust the cooking times. The creamed flageolet beans should be noted as a ‘stand-alone-recipe’; they make a great side for lots of other dishes and are super easy to make!

2 x 400g cans flageolet beans, drained and rinsed

250ml whipping cream

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 sprig of rosemary, finely chopped

2 racks of lamb (six cutlets each)

1 tablespoon peppercorns, lightly crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

60g butter

4 tablespoons cognac

250ml strong lamb stock

1. Combine the beans, cream, garlic and rosemary in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the cream thickens, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm until ready to serve.
2. Sprinkle the lamb racks with the crushed peppercorns and press in with the palm of your hand, then season lightly with salt (it’s important to do it this way as if you salt first and then pepper afterwards, the pepper is likely to fall off).
3. Add the olive oil to a frying pan. When it is hot add the racks and fry briskly until they have a golden crust.
4. Place the racks on a baking tray and roast in a preheated oven (200’c fan) for about 25-30 minutes (if you have a meat thermometer it should register 65-70’c). Rest for 5-10 minutes then slice into cutlets.
5. Meanwhile, pour off the olive oil from the frying pan. Add the butter, cook for a few minutes until it goes a gentle nut brown. Add the cognac and cook for a further minute or so to drive off the alcohol. Add the stock and bring to the boil and reduce, whisking regularly, until a good syrupy sauce is achieved.
6. Finally, spoon the beans on to warm plates, arrange the cutlets on top and serve with a little of the sauce.

Menu Mistress will be away for a couple of weeks…

I will be back 25th March with a ‘Tuesday Treat’!..