This National Day, we’re paying tribute to our foodie culture by whipping up a fusion feast, combining cherished local favourites and well-loved international fare by world-famous chefs.
Jamie Oliver’s Seafood Curry
What: The Naked Chef’s zingy, spicy plate of prawn, fish and mussels with homemade curry and egg noodles bursts with Asian flavours and is a breeze to make in the kitchen (half an hour is all you need!) – perfect for a quick dinner fix on a weeknight.
Honeycombers recipe hack: Laksa and curry share a handful of ingredients, including coconut milk, lemongrass, garlic and, of course, chilli, so we were certain that Jamie’s would be excellent with a local laksa inflection. Go the extra mile and work the dish from scratch with our rempah recipe in place of curry, then serve – as Jamie does – over egg noodles and garnish with a sprinkling of finely chopped laksa leaves and a dollop of sambal bellman for extra hotness.
Wine pairing: Alkoomi Frankland River Riesling 2013. This early picked, summery wine, with notes of celery, cucumber, melon and a hint of sherbet, has a neutral taste and a dry finish to balance the curry’s heavy flavours.
Heston Blumenthal’s Perfect Roast Chicken
What: The michelin-starred chef’s guide to perfect roast isn’t as complicated as you might think. His secret to crisp, golden skin and juicy, tender meat? Overnight brining (soaking the bird in salted water), and cooking at a gentle temperature for up to 4 hours.
Honeycombers recipe hack: Who can contest Heston Blumenthal roasting methods? Not us – but we’re inclined to think that his perfect roast, in all of its succulent glory, will go down well with the Samsui Ginger Sauce (skip the optional gravy in the recipe), made with young ginger, spring onions, groundnut oil, white sesame oil, sea salt and chicken powder. Have it like you would at Soup Restaurant, with crunchy raw lettuce on the side to wrap the ginger-dressed chicken.
Wine pairing: Peter Yealands Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013. A rich, silky wine with juicy ripe cherries and a lingering savoury finish that goes well with lighter meat dishes.
Donna Hay’s Almond Pavlova Stack
What: This decadent and gluten-free pavlova stack by the renowned Aussie food editor and best-selling cookbook author only takes a handful (8 to be exact) of ingredients to make to stunning results, and we love that the wine-infused peaches lend a nice, fruity-boozy touch.
Honeycombers recipe hack: Hay’s pavlova-making methods aside (no need to change a thing!), we decided to switch things up a little and top the dessert with mangoes instead. As with her original instructions, we had the fruit tossed in chilled moscato before placing atop the pavlovas. If you’re serving this at a dinner party full of mango devotees, it might be wise to throw in more fruit, or make two.
Wine pairing: Brown Brothers Moscato. Use this light and fruity wine to infuse the mangoes and serve the remainder chilled for the perfect postprandial course.
Credits: (Clockwise from top left) Donna Hay’s Almond Pavlova Stack, Heston Blumenthal’s Roast Chicken (image credit: Pinterest), and Jamie Oliver’s Seafood Curry.
Main ingredients and wine are available at FairPrice Finest.
This article was sponsored by FairPrice Finest.