Sizzling Summer with Wayne

WITH WAYNE

RECIPES WAYNE GOOD | IMAGES ASHLEE DECAIRES

I’ve had many wonderful culinary experiences in Asia, some of the best being in Cambodia. Their cuisine, to me, takes the best of Vietnamese, with a bit of Chinese thrown in for good measure. This salad was a salad I have particularly enjoyed making many times, as it is so tasty. The best cooked prawns, in my opinion, are Pams Fine Foods Prawns. They are very flavoursome and have that lovely squeaky sound when you eat them, not soft and pulpy. This dish is perfect for a summer lunch or entrée.

Salat Bangkea Kampouchea – Cambodian Prawn Salad

500g cooked prawns 2 tbsp chopped coriander 2 tbsp chopped mint 3 tbsp chopped kaffir lime leaves 3 tbsp chopped lemongrass 3 tbsp sliced shallots 2 chopped chillies 6 Vietnamese mint leaves 1 tbsp chilli paste (I use Youzhalazi brand) 1 tbsp sugar 2 tbsp fish sauce 2 tbsp lime juice 1 bag of small leaf lettuce ½ cup roasted chopped peanuts

Firstly, make the dressing. In a bowl, place the chilli paste, lime juice, fish sauce, sugar and chillies. Taste and adjust the salt, sweet and sour to suit your taste. In another bowl, place the shallots, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and the prawns. Toss to mix well. Add the dressing and finally the mint, Vietnamese mint and coriander. Mix well again. Arrange salad greens on a platter or individual plates. Mix prawn salad one more time and place on the salad greens. Sprinkle with chopped peanuts and serve immediately. This is the easiest dessert in the world! It is very rich, so a small portion will suffice. With the roasted fruit, I usually do a panful, as I love them with my muesli and yoghurt for breakfast. Use beautiful berries in December and as summer goes on stone fruit like apricots, nectarines and peaches are perfect and in winter Tamarillo’s make a great substitute.

600ml cream ¾ cup caster sugar zest and juice of 3 lemons, the juicier the better

8–10 firm stone fruit or 2 cups of berries 2 tbsp caster sugar

Place the cream, sugar and lemon zest into a large pan. (The large pan is important as it has a tendency to boil over!) Place onto the heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and bring to a rapid boil for exactly 3 minutes. Set your timer. This is important. Remove from the heat and cool. I usually sit my pan in a sink of cold water to speed the process. Once cool, whisk in the lemon juice. Pour into pretty glasses or ramekins and cool uncovered in the fridge. Makes 6. For the roasted fruit, cut peaches, plums or nectarines in half and remove the stones. Sit in a roasting pan or oven dish, sprinkle with caster sugar and splash a bit of brandy on the fruit as well.

Place into a pre-heated oven of about 180–200°C and roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until the fruit has a glazed, slightly golden look about it, and is softish. Place the posset on a plate and serve with the roasted fruit. Extra whipped cream could be served if required.

Wayne Good is a chef, interior designer and travel guide. Renowned for his hospitality, Wayne’s cooking classes and tours of France are hot tickets! Discover more at www.arkanda.co.nz