Annabel's Pantry

Nothing defines a culture like its eating protocols. Our own Western table rules prohibit fidgeting, dribbling, scratching, sniffing, playing stick-up with our chops, baring our teeth, chewing loudly or for that matter making any kind of noise while eating our food. Any exhibition of personal bodily function is a no-no.

We can thank the Italians for introducing the fork to our lives. The first document describing the use of one dates back to the 11th century, by the wife of the Venetian Doge, Domenico Selvo. Yet it took 800 years before the fork became the indispensable table utensil of the West, the article which transcended our culture to new and dizzy heights of sophistication, far from the grubbiness of eating our food with our fingers.

On the other side of the globe chopsticks, universal to the tables of China and Japan, show polite restraint and much less threat than the fork. What menace in an implement that neither cuts, pierces nor wounds, but instead selects, unravels, shift or prods. As might be expected, there are rules about what you can and can’t do with a chopstick. Japanese bad table manners include neburi-bashi (licking chopsticks with the tongue), komi-bashi (forcing several things into your mouth at the same time using chopsticks), saguri-bashi (searching with chopsticks for any special tidbits in the the bowl) and sora-bashi (putting food back from your own bowl into the central dish). Rattling your chopsticks against the bowl, says an old Chinese proverb, means you and your descendants will always be poor. It is, however, very good manners in both China and Japan, in fact imperative as a sign of good taste and appreciation, to slurp loudly as you eat your noodles.

CHILLI-LIME CHICKEN AND NOODLES

2 tbsp flavourless oil (eg grapeseed)
zest of 1 lime
1 red chilli, finely minced or ½ tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice
500g cooked or fresh noodles
chilli-lime flavours (left)
100g cooked chicken, sliced
50g snow peas, sliced
½ cup coconut cream
¼ cup chopped mint or coriander
2 spring onions, very finely sliced

IF noodles are fresh place in a sieve and run under cold water to moisten. Drain and place in a frypan with chilli-lime flavours. Stir-fry over medium heat for 1-2 minutes.

ADD remaining ingredients and stir-fry another 2 minutes to fully heat through.

To extend Add 2 cups lightly cooked vegetables, eg broccoli, peppers, mushrooms, and 1 cup bean sprouts.

From Annabel’s book, Savour the Pacific: A Discovery of Taste.
Photography by Kieran Scott

CHILLI LIME & COCKLE NOODLE BOWL

This light, tangy broth makes an excellent foil for any kind of shellfish. I prefer the texture of thick udon noodles but any type of noodle will do.

1 tbsp neutral oil, eg grapeseed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½-1 tsp chilli flakes
2 stalks lemon grass, bruised
2 kaffir lime leaves
about 2.5kg fresh cockles or mussels
¼ cup sake
2 cups chicken or fish stock
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp brown sugar

To serve:
¼ cup chopped coriander, 1kg cooked udon noodles or 400g dried noodles

Heat oil in a large pot. Sizzle all the flavourings for a few seconds then add the shellfish and sake. Cover pot and cook over high heat, removing shellfish as they open.

Remove kaffir leaves and lemon grass. Add all remaining ingredients except coriander and noodles to the liquid in the pot and bring to a boil. Add coriander.

Cook or heat noodles as per manufacturer’s instructions. Divide hot noodles among bowls, top with cockles and pour over boiling broth.

From Annabel’s book, Eat Fresh: cooking through the seasons.
Photos by Aaron McLean.

Pad Thai Noodles

Pad Thai is perfect for a meal on the run – take some dried noodles, a couple of eggs, chicken or prawns, some fresh herbs and you are in business. Of all the recipes I have tried, this version of the Thai classic, which is loosely based on one by Rick Stein, is my favourite – neither too sweet nor too sloppy. Like all stir-fries, you need to prepare all the ingredients ready for cooking before you start.

250g dried rice sticks or about 500g fresh rice noodles
3 tbsp fish sauce
¼ cup Thai sweet chilli sauce
2 tsp peanut butter
3 tbsp safflower oil
Optional: 1 tbsp tamarind sauce
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1-2 red chillies, seeds and pith removed, finely minced
1 boneless skinless chicken breast, finely sliced
Optional: 10-12 large raw prawn tails, peeled
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 spring onions, finely sliced
100g (4 handfuls) bean sprouts
½ cup chopped coriander
½ cup peanuts, roasted and coarsely chopped
To serve: juice of 1 lime, extra chilli sauce and/or chopped peanuts mixed with finely chopped fresh chillies

Set a pot of water on to boil for the rice noodles. If using dried noodles, soak in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and set aside. Combine fish sauce, chilli sauce and peanut butter. Set aside. Heat oil and optional tamarind sauce in a wok or frypan and stir-fry garlic, chillies, chicken and prawns over high heat 2-4 minutes until cooked. Add beaten eggs and stir-fry until scrambled and just set. Drop soaked or fresh noodles into boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and add to pan. Lower the heat. Add sauce mixture and toss for 1-2 minutes over medium heat to fully coat. Mix in most of the spring onions, bean sprouts, coriander and peanuts (reserve some of these for garnish). Toss over heat for a minute to combine. Serve in bowls topped with reserved garnishes. Squeeze over lime juice. Serve small bowls of chopped peanuts and/or chilli sauce for people to help themselves.

From Annabel’s book, The Best of Annabel Langbein: Great Food for Busy Lives.
Photography by Kieran Scott

Malay Laksa Base

Laksa flavours (see below)
400ml coconut cream
1 litre fish stock or chicken stock
2 tomatoes, cored and chopped
salt & grinds of pepper

LAKSA FLAVOURS
2 tbsp flavourless oil
2 tsp minced fresh ginger
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped, or ½ tsp chilli flakes
2 fresh kaffir lime leaves
zest of 1 lime, finely grated
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp brown sugar

HEAT oil and cook ginger, turmeric and chilli for a few seconds.

ADD all other flavour ingredients, coconut cream, stock and tomatoes and simmer 5 minutes. Season well with salt and pepper. Remove kaffir leaves. Cool, cover and chill for up to 2 days if not using at once, or freeze. Recipe is easily doubled or trebled.

Storage Base will keep in the fridge for several days or can be frozen.

From Annabel’s book, Assemble: sensational food MADE SIMPLE.
Photos by Nick Tresidder.

Prawn Laksa

½ recipe Malay laksa base 300g cooked rice noodles 6-8 large prawns 2 eggs, hardboiled ½ Lebanese cucumber or ¼ telegraph cucumber 1 cup bean sprouts ¼ cup coriander leaves

ADD prawns to hot laksa base and simmer 5 minutes. DIVIDE noodles between serving bowls and top with laksa and prawns.

GARNISH with halved eggs, diced cucumber, sprouts and coriander.

From Annabel’s book, Assemble: sensational food MADE SIMPLE.
Photos by Nick Tresidder.

Chilli Lime Dressing

Great over any salad where you want an Asian twist.

In a small jar shake together ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice, 2 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp neutral oil, eg grapeseed, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1-2 small hot red chillies, seeded and very finely diced, the finely grated zest of 1 lime and 1 kaffir lime leaf, finely shredded (optional). Cover jar and chill if not using at once.

Dressing will keep in the fridge for 2 weeks. Good to make in bulk.

From Annabel’s book, Eat Fresh: cooking through the seasons.
Photos by Aaron McLean.

Spicy Prawn & Glass Noodle Salad

1 recipe Chilli lime dressing (see pg 84)
500g raw prawns, shelled

Glass noodle salad:
60g (1 small packet) glass noodles (bean thread noodles)
2 spring onions, whites and greens, sliced very finely on the diagonal
3 packed cups mixed fresh Asian herbs, eg 1½ packed cups torn mint and ¾ cup each coriander and torn basil leaves

Garnish:
½ cup chopped roasted peanuts

Place dressing ingredients in a jar and shake thoroughly until sugar has dissolved. Mix half dressing through prawns in a bowl or clean plastic bag and reserve remainder. Cover prawns and chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 2 hours. Preheat a heavy pan or grill plate until very hot, add a little oil and cook drained prawns 2-3 minutes each side or until cooked through. Place prawns in a bowl, pour over reserved dressing and mix through. Leave to stand while preparing the rest of the salad components. Place glass noodles in a separate mixing bowl and pour over boiling water to cover. Stand until transparent, about 2 minutes, then rinse under cold water, drain thoroughly, dry with paper towels and cut into shorter threads. Combine noodles, spring onions and herbs with cooked prawns and dressing, tossing to combine. Mound salad in centre of serving plates and scatter over chopped peanuts. Serve immediately.

From Annabel’s book, Eat Fresh: cooking through the seasons.
Photos by Aaron McLean.

For more great noodle ideas check out check out Annabel’s cookbooks:

Celebrate: A Calendar of Cakes for Special Dates
Eat Fresh: Cooking Through the seasons
The Best of Annabel Langbein: Great Food for Busy Lives
Assemble: Sensational Food Made Easy
Cooking to Impress: Without Stress
Savour Italy: A Discovery of Taste
Savour the Pacific: A Discovery of Taste