Method
Ingredients
Ingredients
Eggplant Clay Pot
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 2 tsp sunflower oil
- 2 tomatoes, quartered and the seeds removed
- 1 lemongrass stick, base chopped finely and the stalk kept whole
- 1 spring onion, cut into 3cm pieces
- 2 Asian eggplants or 1 normal eggplant, cut into 4cm long & 1cm wide pieces
- 1 red chilli, sliced into strips
- 1½ tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 pinch turmeric
- 1 pinch of pepper
- Vietnamese basil if available, or normal basil
- Fresh coriander
- Mint leaves
Crispy Fish
- 1 bream
- 3 red chillies
- 3 tsp sugar
- 3 tsp water
- 3 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 green mango
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
Coconut Rice
- 60g Tilda Fragrant Jasmine Rice
- Good pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp unsweetened desiccated coconut
- 1 tbsp vegetable/sunflower oil
- Boiling water to cover the rice
- 50ml coconut milk
Method
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For the Vietnamese eggplant ‘Clay Pot’- Firstly, make the Clay Pot. Put a medium sauce pan on a medium heat, add the oil and the garlic and fry till fragrant.
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Add the tomato and lemongrass base.
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Add 2 tbsp. water and stir, simmer for 2 mins.
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Add 1 tbsp. soy sauce and ½ a tsp. sugar and mix well.
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Add the chopped eggplant, add 150 ml of water simmer for a minute, add the rest of the fish sauce and sugar.
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Mix well and add the turmeric, pepper and the lemongrass stalk. Simmer for about 12mins or until the eggplant is cooked. Add the spring onion and stir in. Cook for a further minute.
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Serve in a warm dish or clay pot and garnish with lots of chopped herbs with white rice on the side.
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For the Crispy Fish with Chilli & Green Mango - Scale and fillet the bream, pin bone and lightly score the fish fillets.
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Finely chop the chilli and garlic.
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Place the chilli, sugar, vinegar, fish sauce and water in a pan and bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the mix starts to thicken, add the garlic and continue to cook until the mix is thickened.
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Peel and julienne the green mango. Toss in a little lime juice with a pinch of salt.
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Heat a frying pan until hot, season the fish skin with a little salt and cook skin side down until crisp and golden, drizzle the skin with the glaze and then flash the fish under the grill to finish, serve on a bed of the mango with some of the mango scattered over the top, garnish with fresh Vietnamese mint and coriander.
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For the Coconut Rice - Place the rice and coconut in a small saucepan and pour in the oil and salt, stir together.
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Cover the rice by 1 cm with boiling water and then bring to the boil.
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Reduce the heat and simmer the rice with a lid on until all the water has been absorbed.
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Lightly fluff the rice, stir in the coconut milk and then place a clean tea towel over the top of the pan and recover with the lid; this will allow the rice to steam.
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Fluff the rice again before serving.
