Want to give your cooking a splash of
finesse without the fuss? Peter Gordon’s new book Peter Gordon Everyday ($38;
Jacqui Small) has the answer. Whether you’ve invited friends over for dinner or
you’re rustling up a meal for the family, Gordon the leading light of East-West
fusion cookery -has an exciting but straightforward recipe to fit the bill. ‘In
this book, I demonstrate how to create fusion-style food at home,’ says Gordon.
Using only supermarket ingredients, he guides you through 170 recipes, all with
innovative flavors and textures. ‘The recipes are tasty and daring, yet simple
and straightforward,’ he says. ‘From breakfast through to a fancy dinner party,
I guarantee you don’t need to be a chef to make them.’
The chef is so convinced his recipes are
accessible for even the most amateur cook that he chose to cook all the recipes
to be photographed for the book in his own kitchen. ‘I cook all the food for the
photos in my books at home -it’s much more relaxing than in a studio,’ he says.
Fusion cooking is based on the philosophy
that any ingredient, no matter what part of the world it originates from, can
be cooked together and enjoyed. With this in mind, there’s no reason you can’t
use a Malaysian ingredient in a Yorkshire dish or vice versa. As a
self-confessed magpie when it comes to cooking, Gordon explains that fusion
cooking refuses to adhere to politically or geographically drawn borders -taste
is paramount.
Influenced by his travels around the world
and having written seven cookbooks, Gordon really is the master of fusion
cuisine. His restaurants in London (The Providers and Tapa Room and Kopapa) all
produce food in his eclectic style. Become the master of your own kitchen with
these three intriguing
Quick tip
‘Having a few pestos is a good thing. A slightly runny one is great drizzled
over grilled meat or fish, and a thicker one is good mashed into potatoes,’
Seared Salmon On Mushroom And Rice Noodle Stir-Fry
Seared
Salmon On Mushroom And Rice Noodle Stir-Fry
Serves: 2 as
a main course
Per serving:
603 calories; 36g protein; 28g fat (5g saturated fat); 49g carbohydrate (7g
sugar); 5g fiber; 2.7g salt
·
100g dried rice noodles, any shape
·
Boiling water, to cover
·
2 tbsp olive oil
·
300g salmon fillet, bones removed, cut into 4
pieces
·
1 small leek, rinsed and sliced
·
1 carrot, peeled and thinly sliced ½ chili,
sliced
·
120g Asian mushrooms (shiitake, oyster or Shimeji)
·
1 handful mangetout (snow peas), cut on the
diagonal into 3 pieces
·
2 tbsp soy sauce
1
small leek, rinsed and sliced
1
carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
1.
Put the noodles into a heatproof bowl and pour
on enough boiling water to cover -soak for at least 15 minutes.
2.
Heat a deep frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil.
3.
Cook the fish, skin-side down, over a
moderate-high heat for 4 minutes. The skin should be crispy, but not burnt.
4.
Flip the fillets over and cook for just 10
seconds, then remove to a warm plate. Pull the skin off and reserve it.
5.
Wipe the pan out with a paper towel. Add another
tbsp. oil, the leek and carrot and cook over a moderate heat.
6.
Add the chili and mushrooms and cook for another
minute, stirring as it cooks.
7.
Drain the noodles and add, with me magnet out
and soy sauce. Cook for 12 minutes, tossing it all together.
8.
Divide the noodle mixture between two warmed
bowls, then flake the salmon on top. Tear the crisp skin into pieces and add
this in as well.
