A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia

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This book builds on her breakout debut Indonesian cookbook, Coconut and Sambal, to explore the incredible contrast of sweet, salty, umami, sour and spicy flavours across Asia. --------'Simple, beautiful food to electrify the tastebuds' Meera Sodha'Makes me want to head straight into the kitchen' Anna Jones'Every recipe a thrilling adventure for the tastebuds and the imagination' Ixta Belfrage'Eclectic, imaginative and fun - a must-have for every kitchen shelf' Ken Hom Also included in this cookbook are beautiful, professional photographs of most of the recipes, making it difficult to decide which recipe to prepare next. There are so many good, mouthwatering recipes that cooks who have a taste for Asian dishes will stay busy cooking for months.

All told, this excellent cookbook belongs on every cookbook shelf; it will become a favorite with everyone who loves Asian food. Highly recommended.

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Layered with unique flavours, each spoonful invites a new taste; on one chew it’s the gooey ripeness of banana, on the next bite it’s soy and buttery caramel, then it’s the gentle warmth of ginger or the subtle hint of spice. Make the marinade by mixing the softened butter, miso, 1 tablespoon of the gochujang, garlic, chilli flakes, vinegar and 1 tablespoon honey together in a bowl with a pinch of salt. I like how you can choose how long the cooking time you have for many of the recipes and that some only require a kettle: that would be perfect for university students in residence trying to save money on a food plan. (I know of big eaters that have gone through their entire food plan’s money in a month and still have a long way to go to December…when it’s a card that you swipe, it doesn’t seem like real money until the account is empty and they show up at our library food bank!)

Warm the oil in a wok or wide, shallow pan. Add the ginger, garlic, lemongrass, chillies and spring onions and stir-fry for a couple of minutes until the garlic starts to colour. Take care not to let it burn. Keeping the heat high, introduce the prawns. As they turn opaque and colour slightly add the lime juice, nam pla and sugar. When all is sizzling, add the shredded cabbage, turning the leaves over as they start to darken and wilt. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frying pan on a high heat. Add the pork and cook, stirring, for 6–8 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and set aside. When the sponge is cooked, make lots of holes in it with a thin skewer and slowly drizzle 120ml of the Soy Sauce Caramel over the top, ensuring the sponge is covered evenly in the sauce. If there are only a couple of us I will still make cake – it makes a pleasing weekend breakfast bake. Spring cabbage, prawns and lime (pictured above)A Splash of Soy may not be a bible to culinary tradition but its vibrant, colourful Asian-western mash-ups would offer great inspiration for chefs considering a pop-up or themed day. Sprinkle with the ginger, if using, and leave for 10 minutes to soak up the sauce. Carefully lift the cake out of the tin and cut it into squares. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and an extra drizzle of the remaining Soy Sauce Caramel. Stir in most of the toasted coconut and cashews, reserving a little of each for garnish, and return the prawns to the pan. Toss everything together. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining coconut and cashews. For a more intimate summer lunch, I shall stand at the kitchen table and chop lemongrass and garlic, spring onions and soft, green spring cabbage, then toss them with fat, wild prawns in a very hot pan. A splash of soy and fish sauce, this is the sort of special dish that always seems better when cooked just for two. The prawns, fat and sweet, are a rare treat. For the gooseberry compote, top and tail the gooseberries, then put them into a stainless-steel saucepan with the honey. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the berries are soft and swollen.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan. Lightly grease a 20 × 30cm traybake tin and line it with baking parchment, allowing some overhang on each side so that you can easily lift it out of the tin after cooking.

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Author Lara Lee takes influence from her upbringing to a Chinese-Indonesian father and Australian mother, eulogising the contrasts in flavour, temperature and texture offered by the cuisine of her childhood. Written in Lara Lee's signature voice and style, with gorgeous color photographs of her life and her food, A Splash of Soy is the must-have guide to easy, mouthwatering Asian-inspired cooking.