MamaMag Oct/Nov

Fish shawarma-style wraps

Ingredients:

250 g peeled raw prawn tails 3/4 teaspoon bicarb soda 1 generous thumb-sized knob fresh ginger, peeled 2–3 garlic cloves, peeled 2 tablespoons oyster sauce 1 tablespoon light soy sauce 1 tblspn shaoxing rice wine 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 tablespoon cornflour ½ cup (125 ml) water, plus an extra ½ cup (125 ml) on standby 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 2 bunches of asparagus, cut into 5 cm lengths 6 spring onions, white and green bits cut into 5 cm lengths, plus extra thinly sliced spring onion to serve 1 cup (150 g) roasted macadamias Steamed jasmine rice, to serve

Method:

To ‘velvet’ the prawns, slice the tails in half through the centre and massage the bicarbonate of soda into the flesh, then leave to rest for 15 minutes. Finely grate half the ginger and all the garlic. Slice the other ginger half into rough chunks and reserve. In a bowl, whisk together the grated ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, cornflour and ½ cup water until combined. Set aside as your stir-fry sauce. Rinse the prawns thoroughly in a colander and pat dry with paper towel. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan until very hot. Add the prawn meat and stir-fry for 30–60 seconds then set aside. Wipe out the wok with paper towel and reheat the remaining oil. Pop the asparagus and spring onion into a colander and into the sink, then pour boiled water over them. Drain well, then add to the hot wok and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Give your stir-fry sauce another whisk to reincorporate everything, then pour it into the hot wok and bring to the boil. Toss the prawns and nuts through. The sauce should be silky and glossy, which will happen almost instantly. If you find the liquid gets absorbed way too fast, splash in another ½ cup (125 ml) water and allow this to incorporate, too. Taste for seasoning. Serve topped with extra spring onion, with bowls of steamed jasmine rice, and add this to the weekly rotation.

Serves: 4

What I love most about this stir-fry is how quickly everything comes together. By the time you’ve rinsed your jasmine rice and got it cooking away, the prawns will have ‘velveted’ and the rest of the ingredients will be ready to roll.

Place any left-over dough on a piece of baking paper, roll up into a log (twisting the edges so it looks like salami) and stash in the freezer. When you have a hankering, simply slice off 1 cm pieces and bake as normal.

Lady Marmalade melting moments

Smoky whole eggplants with crispy Ingredients: 1/3 cup (40 g) icing sugar chickpeas, olives and tahini 250 g unsalted butter, softened 1½ cups (225 g) plain flour, plus extra for dusting (see Subs) ½ cup (75 g) custard powder 1 teaspoon baking powder ¼ teaspoon salt flakes Marmalade buttercream” 100 g unsalted butter, softened 2/3 cup (85 g) icing sugar, plus extra for dusting Zest and juice of ½ orange 1 heaped tablespoon orange marmalade

Method:

Line two light-coloured baking trays (ideally biscuit trays) with baking paper. If your icing sugar is lumpy, pop it into a food processor and blitz, or mash with a rolling pin. Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter until uniformly soft, then add the icing sugar and beat until the mixture is pale and creamy. Sift together the flour, custard powder and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture, along with the salt, and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Use a teaspoon measure dusted with a smidge of flour to scoop out 2 level teaspoons (5 g) of the mixture, rolling into walnut-sized balls between your hands. Evenly space the balls out on the baking trays. Pop the trays in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. Preheat the oven to 150°C. Use a floured fork to press each dough ball into a 2 cm disc. Bake for 15–18 minutes, until the biscuits are set enough to be dislodged with a gentle prod, are custard-yellow in colour and the bottom is still blonde. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack before filling. Make your buttercream in the stand mixer by creaming the butter and icing sugar together until super pale. Add the orange zest, juice and marmalade. PIpe buttercream onto halfthe biscuits, or spread a teaspoon of filling over them. Pop the unfilled biscuits on top squashing ever so slightly. Give the whole lot one last dusting of icing sugar as a final flourish. The biscuits will keep in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 5 days. They can also be frozen (filled or unfilled) for up to 3 months.

Makes: 25.