Paul's cooking .......

Lobster Noodles - Lobster Yee Mein

I cooked this on New Years Eve and received many requests for the recipe. It's a simple dish, the only difficulty that may be presented is if you are reluctant to kill and chop the lobster yourself. That being the case I'm sure your fishmonger will do it for you!

This is a traditional Cantonese dish for Chinese New Year  - the lobster as it symbolises wealth, both in terms of its cost but also the beautiful red colour after cooking, and the noodles which represent longevity.

Ingredients (for 4)

2 live, uncooked lobsters weighing 800g- 1kg each
400g Yee Mein Noodles (shop bought)
3 spring onions (cut into 2cm length)
Finely diced fresh peeled ginger
3 tablespoons cooking oil

Sauce:
2 tablespoon light soy sauce

4 tablespoons oyster sauce

good grind of fresh black pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine

 

Having received your lobsters from your fishmonger, leave them wrapped in damp paper in the bottom of your fridge until ready for cooking. Some may prefer to place the lobsters in the freezer for an hour to reduce their conscious state, however the method described kills the lobster instantly so it’s probably not necessary.

Place the lobster on a sturdy chopping board. Take a good sharp heavy chopping knife and place the point on the central line about 2cm behind the eyes. Hold the lobster steady and quickly bring the knife down through the head of the lobster, completely dissecting the head in two lengthways. Immediately turn the lobster round and draw the knife through the shell along the length of the tail, resulting in two halves of lobster. Clean out the green stomach/intestinal tract thoroughly, remove the claws and chop the tail into pieces. Now lightly crack the lobster claws. Save any of the juices to add to the sauce when cooking. Blot the lobster dry with paper towels and place in bowl.

Heat up a large pot of boiling water and prepare the noodles as per instructions. I always drain in cold water and very quickly re-heat as the sauce is completed.

Finely chop the fresh ginger – I’m never sure how to advise on how much, it’s down to personal taste but for this dish a good 3 or 4cm long piece of ginger is required. Now mix the sauce ingredients together and set aside.

Take a large wok and heat over the highest flame/heat you have available. A really hot wok is essential as we are looking for the characteristic high heat flavour to come through. Lower heat will create a steamed lobster which is not what is required here.

When the wok is hot add the cooking oil (not olive oil as the smoke point is too low). Immediately add the finely chopped ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Add the lobster pieces and with a continuous motion stir fry until the characteristic red colour appears. Immediately add the combined sauce ingredients and continue to stir and coat the sauce nicely.Cook in this manner for no more than 2 minutes.

Whilst the lobster and the sauce are in their final cooking stage, quickly re-heat the noodles in a large pan with a little boiling water, stirring continuously – the idea is to re-heat not continue the cooking process!

Add the spring onions to the lobster and sauce in the wok.

Drain the noodles and mix the noodles and lobster with sauce immediately before serving on a large single platter.

This is a really sensational dish, rich yet fresh and completely morish!

Enjoy!

 

Bouillabaisse - the golden soup

"Bouillabaisse, this golden soup, this incomparable golden soup which embodies and concentrates all the aromas of our shores and which permeates, like an ecstasy, the stomachs of astonished gastronomes. Bouillabaisse is one of those classic dishes whose glory has encircled the world, and the miracle consists of this: there are as many bouillabaisses as there are good chefs or cordon bleus. Each brings to his own version his special touch."

Curnonsky (1872-1956)

Bouillabaisse as you probably may well know comes in many forms, and depending upon budget, availability of produce, and the will of the chef can be served as great peasant food all the way through to the highest form of fine dining.

This recipe somewhere near the top end of the scale in complexity and cost, it's an interesting and fairly lengthy process for a keen cook, quite challenging, but my ! how fantastic is the result! It's really worth the time and effort - a truly memorable meal for your guests, friends or family to enjoy!

I am going to cook the bouillabaisse in several stages.

Ingredients

for the fish soup:

olive oil

2 large fresh tomatoes

2 sprigs of fennel leaves

bay leaf

2 garlic cloves

dried orange peel

a few stands of saffron

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1.5 kg "poissons de roche" *

*Poissons de roche (literally rock fish) are small mediterranean fish of various species.There is no precise equivalent outside of France so perhaps the trimmings of fish such as halibut, red snapper, sea bream, even clams, mussels and shrimp could be used.

To begin, take a large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of olive oil and cook the flesh of the two large tomatoes with the fennel sprigs, bay leaf, peeled and lightly crushed garlic cloves, the piece of dried orange rind, a little saffron and lightly seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

After 5 minutes add the poissons de roche or as is more likely the fish trimming as above. Now add 1.5 litres of cold water, bring to the boil and immediately turn to a bare simmer. Cook for 45 minutes. Take a fine sieve and pour the soup through pushing down on the fish to extract as many of the juices as possible.

Set aside and prepare the bouillabaise.

It is very important to have the freshest fish possible, so try to use the highest quality fishmonger. Again the ingredient list here lists fish perhaps not readily available, but can easily be substituted with sea bream, halibut, red snapper etc.

Ingredients for the bouillabaise (for 6)

6 monkfish steaks

6 conger eel steaks

1 weever fish

1 John Dory

4 medium rascasse (scorpion fish)

sprigs of fennel, 3 large tomatoes, 3 potatoes, sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, a little saffron

Get your fishmonger to clean and scale the fish but ask him/her to reserve the fish livers for you (by the way monkfish livers can be huge - a whole one would be sufficient).

Aside from the freshness of the fish, the key to this dish is the marinade. Place all the fish into a large dish, and add the marinade ingredients, fennel, tomato, potato, sea salt and black pepper, a little saffron and some olive oil. Mix well, cover and leave to marinade for a couple of hours.

Now place the fish soup back onto the stove and bring slowly up to the boil. As soon as it is boiling reduce the heat and add the potatoes and all the marinade ingredients to the soup with the exception of the fish. Now simmer for no more than 12 minutes.

Add the firm fleshed fish, the monkfish, the scorpion fish and the conger eel and cook for 10 minutes. Now add the soft fleshed fish the John Dory and the weever and cook for no more than 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as required.

As a main course the bouillabaise is served with the potatoes and the broth or soup. As a starter the potatoes are omitted.

To go with the bouillabaisse there are two traditional accompaniments, garlic croutons with shredded cheese, and a rouille. I've covered the traditional rouille in a previous recipe for provencal fish soup, however there is another recipe I'd like to share which is sea urchin rouille. Sea urchin rouille is not as strong as traditional rouille and is delicious.

Ingredients

5 tablespoons sea urchin coral

fish livers - 5 small or 1/4 monkfish liver

3 garlic cloves

1 egg yolk

sea salt and black pepper

a few strands of saffron

Firstly pluge the fish liver into the hot fish soup for 2 minutes and then drain well. Using a mortar and pestle, mash the livers with the 3 garlic cloves. Add the egg yolk, a little sea salt and black pepper, a few strands of saffron and the sea urchin coral. Slowly beat in the olive oil, a little at a time to thicken like a mayonnaise.

Serve immediately, and I can assure you, regardless of your guests expectations, this will blow those expectations far and wide. It is a truly memorable cooking and eating experience.

Enjoy!!!

 

Baked Sicilian pasta with fennel and sardines

I often hear chefs saying that fish and pasta do not really work together. Well in this case, they most certainly do, particularly with a little Sicilian influence from the fennel, pine kernels and raisins!

 
 

Ingredients

400 g fresh fennel herb (or the tops of Florence fennel)

3 shallots, finely chopped

good quality extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons raisins

2 tablespoons pine kernels

3 anchovy fillets, chopped

400 g fresh sardines, gutted and filleted

a little plain flour

2 medium eggs, beaten

a little cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons chopped toasted almonds

sea salt and black pepper

400 g thick spaghetti

Unusually begin this dish by bringing the pasta water to the boil. Add the fennel herb and allow to cook until soft which should be 3 to 5 minutes. Remove and place in cold water.

Peel and dice the shallots and fry gently in olive oil for a few minutes to gain a little colour but not too brown! Add the pine kernels and raisins and fry for a further 2 minutes before adding a good splash of white wine to moisten the sauce. Chop the part cooked fennel and add with the anchovy fillets. Allow to cook gently.

Meanwhile coat the sardines in flour and beaten egg before frying in a separate pan until a beautiful golden colour! Roughly chop half the crispy and golden sardines and add to the sauce, and continue cooking over a very low heat for 20 minutes.

Now pre-heat the oven to 180C.

Bring the fennel water back up to the boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Drain and then mix well with the sauce. Transfer the whole dish into a warm oven dish, lay the rest of the sardine fillets on top, sprinkle with a little salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and the toasted almonds.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and bring to the table serving immediately!

This is a wonderful supper dish, healthy and delicious, particularly at this time of the year with sardines in tip top condition!

Enjoy!

Won ton soup

Surprisingly easy to make and so much more tasty than many restaurants and take-aways, won ton soup makes for a delightful supper or soup course in a larger chinese banquet. 

 
 

Won top wrappers or skins are very thinly rolled sheets of dough made from flour and eggs, cut into squares. Ready to use won ton wrappers are readily available in Asian supermarkets, please ensure that you purchase won ton wrappers rather than other dumpling wrappers which will too thick to provide the desired silky, slippery texture of the cooked won ton.

Ingredients

250 g raw prawns, peeled and de-veined

90 g tinned water chestnuts

250 g lean ground (minced) pork

4 tablespoons light soy sauce

4 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 1/2 teaspoons roasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

1 1/2 tablespoons cornflour

30 square won ton wrappers

1.5 litres good quality home-made chicken stock

450 g young spinach leaves

2 spring onions, green part only, finely sliced

Place the prawns in a tea towel or piece of muslin and squeeze out any moisture. Then mince the prawns using a sharp knife or a quick blitz in a food processor. Try and retain a little texture, not too smooth.

Rinse the tinned water chestnuts and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute, immediately refreshing in cold water. Drain the water chestnuts, pat dry and chop roughly.

Now in a large mixing bowl, place the minced prawns, water chestnuts, ground pork, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of the shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry, if not available), 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sesame oil, black pepper, ginger and cornflour. Mix well, ensuring all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside.

Now take a teaspoon of the filling mixture and place in the centre of the won ton wrapper. Brush the edge of the wrapper with a little water, fold in half (not diagonally), ensuring all the air is pushed out. Now bring the two folded corners together over the top of the filling and press firmly. Place on a cornflour dusted tray. This recipe will make 25 - 30 won tons.

Gently bring the chicken stock up to just below the boil (to a gentle simmer) and add the remaining soy sauce, rice wine, salt and sesame oil.

In a separate saucepan bring some very lightly salted water to the boil, reduce the heat a little and add the won tons. Cook for a minimum of 5 minutes. The won tons are cooked when they rise to the surface. Remove with a wire sieve and place in the bottom of the serving bowls.

Quickly add the spinach to the seasoned chicken stock and cook for perhaps 20 - 30 seconds until wilted. Immediately ladle the hot stock and spinach over the won tons, sprinkle with the sliced green spring onions and get them to the table as quickly as possible.

Enjoy! I swear these will be the best you have ever tasted - the soup will taste wonderful, the fillings delightful and the wrappers, lovely and slippery and smooth!

Roast Cod with chorizo, mushrooms, sage and potatoes

 

This is a fabulously easy and quick supper or dinner dish that combines wonderfully the flavours of cod, mushrooms, and sage with the spice of chorizo. It is a firm favourite in our household amongst adults and children alike! Please ensure that the cod fillet comes from a good quality fishmonger and preferably from a sustainable source.

Ingredients: (for 6)

1.2 kg cod fillet

50 ml good quality olive oil

500 g mushrooms - chanterelles are excellent in this dish

4 shallots, peeled and finely sliced

300 g baby potatoes

100 g cooked chorizo, sliced

6 large spring onion bulbs, halved

12 fresh sage leaves

100 g unsalted butter, diced

100 ml white wine

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper for seasoning

Let's start with a little bit of prep work. Firstly part-cook the baby potatoes (with their skins on) in a pan of slightly salted water for 10 minutes, before draining. Whilst the potatoes are cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a good quality frying pan, add the mushrooms and finely sliced shallots and cook over a medium heat until the mushrooms have released any water. Drain and set aside in a bowl.

Pre-heat the oven to 170 C.

Take the cod fillet and carefully brown on all sides in a hot pan  with a little olive oil. We're not looking to cook the cod here, just to add a little colour, particularly on the skin side. A couple of minutes on each side should be sufficient.

Now take a deep baking tray or a heavy casserole dish, grease ever so lightly with a little olive oil and arrange the part cooked potatoes, the mushroom and shallots, the sliced chorizo and the halved spring onions across the bottom of the dish. 

Evenly distribute the sage leaves across the mixture and also scatter the diced butter on top. Pour over the white wine. Carefully lay the cod fillet on top, skin side up, season with a little more sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and place in the pre-heated oven.

Bake in the oven for at least 15 minutes, possibly a few minutes more if the cod fillet is particularly thick.

Bring to the table with a large serving spoon and serve direct from the baking dish. Wonderful with a cool green salad!

Enjoy!

Nandu kari - Crab curry from mangalore

 

Mangalore is a relatively small city on the south-west coast of India. It has however, great renown for it's cuisine which relies upon the abundance of sea-food available and the use of locally grown coconut.

Here's a lovely dish making use of crab and produces a beautifully succulent curry with an amazingly rich gravy combining the fresh coconut, spices and coconut milk. It's simple, easy to prepare and delicious - what could be a better combination!

Ingredients:

4 live crabs - weighing 250 - 300 g each

2 tablespoons oil

1 teaspoon black mustard seeds

3 sprigs of curry leaves

2 bay leaves

3 green chillies - halved lengthwise

pinch of asafoetida powder

1 teaspoon chili powder (mild or hot depending on personal taste)

2 large tomatoes chopped

3 medium sized onions sliced

1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder

250 ml of coconut milk

30 g freshly grated coconut (or moistened desiccated) 

Firstly take the live crabs and plunge them into a large pan of boiling water for 2-3 minutes. Remove and allow to cool. When cool take a large knife and chop into large pieces. Clean and remove the spongy grey matter. Set aside.

Now for the fun and fragrant bit! Take your trusty wok and fry the mustard seeds in a little oil over a medium high heat until they start popping. Add the curry and bay leaves plus the green chillies and stir fry over a slightly lower heat for 60 seconds, before adding the asafoetida. Asafoetida is an interesting spice known amongst other things as devils dung, stinking gum and "food of the gods". Uncooked it is pungent and must be stored in airtight jars, however when cooked smells deliciously of fried onions and garlic. Medicinally it also reduces flatulence.....

Add the onions and cook until transparent, then sprinkle the turmeric and chilli powders. Stir fry for 1 minute before adding the crab pieces and the chopped tomatoes. Place the cover on the wok and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 10 minutes, remove cover and add the coconut milk and a sprinkle of salt. Bring gently to the boil, remove from the heat and add the grated coconut.

Place in a large serving bowl, garnish with a little coriander if desired and serve with plain boiled rice. Steamed okra would be an ideal accompaniment 

Enjoy this wonderful Indian dish - you'll not be disappointed I promise!

Penang Char Kway Teow - stir fried flat rice noodles

 

Nothing stirs an image of the delicious "hawker" food of Penang than a plate of char kway teow, and in Penang itself, that food-obsessed island of the west coast of Malaysia, nothing causes so much discussion as to the best place to buy your char kway teow.

For us less-fortunate souls that don't have the luxury of char kway teow on our doorstep, it's a dish that is with a little care, relatively easy to replicate at home, particularly as the once common charcoal burners are replaced by gas rings on the streets of Penang.

Before the health police turn up, yes I'm using real lard in this recipe! Nothing else will do!

Here's my take on this justifiably famous dish...

Ingredients

Chilli Paste

    10 small dried chillies, soaked in water until soft

    2 fresh red chillies

    5 shallots, peeled

    1/2 teaspoon sea salt

    4 tablespoons cooking oil

5 tablespoons of lard

2 tablespoons of chilli paste (above)

2 cloves garlic

200 g medium sized prawns, shelled

1 chinese sausage, thinly sliced

400 g fresh flat rice noodles 

1 teaspoon light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon salt (to taste)

4 eggs - duck eggs for a luxurious version!

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 tablespoon water

200 g bean sprouts

50 g chives (chinese preferably)

150 g cockles (optional)

100g crab meat (optional)

Let's start by making the fresh chilli paste which once made will sit comfortably in the fridge for use in other dishes. Begin by roughly cutting up the chillies and the peeled shallots. Pound together with a large mortar and pestle. It may be necessary to add a splash of water. For an easier method blend using an electric blender. Season to taste with a little sea salt.

Now in a shallow pan, heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat and fry the paste, stirring continuously until fragrant. The oil should separate from the paste. Set aside.

Now to make the kway teow!

Take a large seasoned wok (a seasoned wok is one that has been gradually seasoned through successive coatings of oil over heat, never washed in soap, producing a non-stick surface that actually enhances the flavour of the food) add 2 tablespoons of lard and heat over a medium flame. When hot add the chopped garlic and fry for 20 to 30 seconds until aromatic but not coloured. 

Now turn up the heat and immediately add 2 tablespoons of the chilli paste (amount can vary subject to personal preference, but I recommend 2 as a minimum) and continue to stir fry until the chilli becomes aromatic. Once aromatic, add the prawns and the sliced chinese sausage, fry for a further 20 seconds before adding the kway teow. (The kway teow can be sourced from good asian/chinese supermarkets, I'm assuming they are fresh in this recipe. If bought dried, follow packet instructions to soak noodles before frying). Stir fry very briefly, 10 to 15 seconds before adding the light and dark soy sauces plus a little salt.

Quickly make a well in the centre of the kway teow and add a further tablespoon of lard into the middle. Crack the eggs,whisk briefly and pour into the well,seasoning with the ground white pepper. Now allow the egg mixture to set slightly before continuing the stir frying for up to 1 minute. For a richer dish, use duck eggs rather than hen eggs.

Add a tablespoon of water, the bean sprouts, chives and cockles (if using). Cockles have always been used in char kway teow but in recent times have more frequently than not disappeared from the dish as concerns, particularly in Asia, grow over the health risks associated with contaminated cockles. However if you have a good supplier such as your local fishmonger you may still wish to include in the dish.

Stir fry for a further 20 - 30 seconds before serving. You may wish to top off the dish with fresh crab meat

This is a recipe for a minimum of 4 servings. You may if you wish cook and serve separate portions, in a similar manner to the very best hawker practitioners of Penang!

The dish has a number of distinctive characteristics if cooked correctly and authentically. Firstly the colour - the use of the light and dark soy sauces plus the chilli paste give a wonderful light brown colour to the dish. Secondly the dish should have a characteristic charred aroma which can only be created through the use of a well seasoned wok and cooking quickly over a high heat.

The use of lard is critical to the dish which gives an amazing depth of flavour - please don't be tempted to use anything else! Finally the best char kway teow has an even covering of sauce over all of the noodles, best and easiest obtained by cooking individual portions.

This is a fantastic dish, hot and spicy from the chilli but with a wonderful depth from the sauce, noodles and chinese sausage with that great slight smoky, charred flavour!

Enjoy!

A traditional kedgeree

 

The origins of kedgeree are hotly contested amongst those that care! Christopher Trotter, author of The Scottish Kitchen has traced the origins for the kedgeree recipe to books by the Malcoms dating back to the year 1790. However the general opinion is that it was originally an Indian dish, and indeed remains so, as evidenced by the popularity of the dish throughout the subcontinent.

What is without doubt however amongst afficionados is how tasty and delicious this dish is! Traditionally considered to be a grand breakfast, today it is considered a lunch or light supper dish. Regardless of the time of the day, it is a delightful dish to cook, serve and eat!

Ingredients: (serves 4-6 people)

500g smoked haddock

80g butter

1 onion, finely chopped

175g basmati rice

½ - ¾ tablespoon mild curry powder

150 g peas (frozen or fresh)

3 chopped hard boiled eggs

chopped parsley

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

 

Firstly take the smoked haddock, place in a large dish and cover with boiling water. Allow to stand for 5 minutes. Now drain, but reserve 900 ml of the liquid (add water if not sufficient). Take the haddock, and skin and flake into a separate bowl, removing any bones. Set aside.

 Take 30g of the butter; melt in a large pan with a little vegetable oil. Add the diced onion and cook gently until tender but not browned. Make a paste with the curry powder and a little of the reserved liquid and add to the cooked onions. Now add the rice and stir, mixing thoroughly for 2 minutes. Pour in the reserved liquid and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to a minimum, and cover with a tight fitting lid.

 Allow the rice to cook undisturbed for 8 minutes, and then stir in the flaked haddock and the peas. Cover again and allow to cook for a further 5 minutes until the rice is completely tender. If necessary add a little more water, but sparingly!

Whilst the rice is cooking hard-boil 3 eggs.

Remove from the heat, dot with the remaining butter, cover and allow to stand for 4 minutes. Now add the eggs and the parsley and fluff up the rice with a fork.

 Taste and adjust for seasoning.

Serve immediately – perhaps with some mango chutney!

Besugo al horno - oven baked sea bream

 
Picture of gilt head bream by Mat of The Chelsea Fishmonger

I was given a wonderfully fresh gilt head bream by our local and excellent fishmonger Mat of The Chelsea Fishmonger and was asked to come up with a recipe to offer his customers.

Well a little bit of research led to me to this interesting dish, which I discovered is served on Christmas Eve in Spain, as the main dish of the Christmas celebrations, so in effect it is the "Spanish turkey". Lo and behold, it turned out an excellent dish, and what is more wouldn't require getting up at 6am on a Christmas morning should you consider swapping the turkey for this!

Ingredients

1 sea bream weighing 1.8 kg, or more likely 2 weighing in at a kg each (gutted and scaled)

juice of 1 lemon

800 g potatoes (I used King Edwards) peeled and thinly sliced

1 red onion, thinly sliced

4 garlic cloves, chopped, not too finely

pinch of saffron strands

5 tablespoons chopped parsley

extra virgin olive oil

a little water

lemon zest

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Start by pre-heating your oven to 190 C. Take your bream, or breams and with a sharp knife slash each side a couple of times across the thickest part of the flank. Season the fish well with the sea salt and black pepper inside and out. Now squeeze over the lemon juice and rub well into the fish, again inside and out. Set aside.

Take a pestle and mortar and create a paste with the garlic, saffron, parsley and a teaspoon of sea salt. Slowly work in 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 4 tablespoons of water. Now take a greased oven-proof baking dish (not too deep) and carefully layer the sliced potatoes and onions. Spoon over the mixture from the mortar, ensuring an even covering. Place in the oven and bake at 190 C for 40 minutes, by which time the potatoes and onions will be nearly cooked.

Remove the dish from the oven and place the fish on top of the potatoes and onions. Spoon over a little more olive oil and bake in the oven for another 20 to 25 minutes until the bream is just cooked through.

Sprinkle with a little parsley and the lemon zest and serve at the table immediately.

I always get a great deal of pleasure when simple dishes, look and taste so much greater than the effort involved in making them, and this is one of those dishes. Of course, the freshest fish are required to maximise the taste experience - but it's a dish that's worthy of the centre piece of any celebratory meal!

Deep-fried soft shell crab

Ingredients

8 soft shell crabs, halved

batter

150g plain flour
150g cornflour
150ml iced soda water

 

dressing

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

3 or 4 small red chillies, finely chopped

coriander sprigs for garnish

 

It is very difficult to find fresh soft-shell crab in the UK, almost all is frozen. However don't despair as they still taste delicious and in frozen form readily available in asian supermarkets.

Firstly make the dressing. Simply place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well to combine. 

Before making the batter start to heat the oil in the wok (or deep fat fryer) to 160 C. Now make the batter by sieving both the plain flour and the cornflour into a bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the ice-cold soda water. Mix with a fork very lightly. Leave it lumpy as this will lighten the batter during the frying.

Dip each crab into the batter and lower into the heated oil. Cook in batches depending on size of wok/deep fat fryer to prevent the temperature of the oil dropping. Cook 2-3 minutes or until crispy; remove and drain on absorbent paper. Repeat with the remaining crabs and batter.

Serve immediately with the dressing garnished with a little coriander and enjoy the wonderful south-east asian shell fish flavours - a great way to lift a gloomy wet day!