Asian food has it all - contrasts of flavour and texture, straightforward dishes you can eat straight from the wok in socks and pyjamas, as well as celebratory meals your friends will talk about for months after. A Splash of Soy is full of everyday family recipes you'll love to eat. It is the simplicity and usefulness of soy that this book is named after, an ingredient so impressive it can transform a meal with just a splash. Pungent fish sauce and fragrant lemongrass bring just the right amount of flavour funk to these incredible lemongrass pork burgers. Don't be deterred if you're not a fan of fish sauce: it mellows and brings forth a pleasurable umami note that sings as the patties caramelise in the pan. Fresh tender herbs and a quick pickle complete the burger, and if you add a fried egg on top, you head into sublime territory. When I first served these burgers to my family, the first bite resulted in awe-struck looks from the surrounding faces, such was its deliciousness. You can also turn the patties into earth-shatteringly good meatballs by cooking 35g balls for five to six minutes on a high heat. Ingredients Pork patties: 500g pork mince 1 lemongrass stalk, woody outer layers removed, finely chopped, or 1 tbsp lemongrass paste 4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, or 4 tsp garlic paste pinch of fine sea salt 1 tbsp dark soy sauce 1/2 small onion or 1 medium shallot, peeled and finely chopped 1 egg, beaten 10g fresh ginger, peeled and grated, or 2 tsp ginger paste 21/2 tsp fish sauce 21/2 tsp caster sugar 1/4 tsp ground white pepper 1/2 long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 2 tbsp flavourless oil (such as sunflower or grapeseed) or coconut oil To serve: 1 Quick cucumber, garlic and chilli pickle recipe (see below) 4 brioche buns or hamburger buns, halved 2 eggs sriracha, to taste tender lettuce leaves, such as cos or baby gem 1 tomato, thinly sliced 1/2 long red chilli, thinly sliced, deseeded if you prefer less heat (optional) crispy fried shallots (optional; shop-bought are fine) handful of tender herbs, such as coriander leaves, Thai basil leaves or mint leaves 4 tbsp Kewpie or ordinary mayonnaise bamboo skewers or cocktail sticks Method 1. Make the quick cucumber, garlic and chilli pickle (see below) and set aside. Combine the ingredients for the pork patties, except the oil, in a large bowl and mix well with your hands for one to two minutes, or until the liquid has been fully absorbed. Dampen your hands and divide the mince into four patties, about 2-3cm thick; they should be the same size as the burger buns. 2. Toast the burger buns, cut-side down, in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat for one to two minutes until golden, then set aside. 3. Heat the oil in the pan on a medium heat. Add the patties, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for around seven minutes on each side, or until browned, caramelised and cooked through. Remove from the heat and set aside. Fry the eggs to your liking. 4. Drain the pickle, then assemble the burgers. Squeeze a generous amount of sriracha on the bottom of each bun. Lay the lettuce on top, then a burger, tomato, fried egg, some pickle, chilli, fried shallots (if using) and herbs. Spread one tablespoon of mayonnaise on the top half of each bun and place on top. Pierce each burger through the centre with a skewer (trimmed if necessary) or cocktail stick to hold it together. Serve immediately, with any remaining pickle on the side. Ingredients 1/2 large cucumber, halved lengthwise, deseeded and thinly sliced 1/2 long red chilli, sliced, deseeded if you prefer less heat 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed, or 1 tsp garlic paste 50ml caster sugar 50ml rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar large pinch of fine sea salt Method 1. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir together. Leave to sit for a minimum of 15 minutes, then drain and serve. Serves 4. Miso and gochujang bring all the sweet-spicy-umami richness you need to this buttery roasted chicken dish, their distinctive flavour profiles contributing an underlying funk to this (in my opinion) perfect marinade. While most marinade recipes call for long marinating times, the beauty of this recipe is that it requires no marinating time at all, owing to the deep intensity of flavour that comes from the gochujang, a crimson, fermented Korean chilli paste that is made from glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, salt and chilli flakes. Miso adds a salty, tangy, savoury depth. It's the leftover pan juices at the end of cooking that I love most. Mixed with a little extra gochujang and honey to serve, the pan juices are a blissful blend of rendered chicken fat and the buttery richness of the spicy-sweet marinade, becoming an irresistible gravy I like to drizzle over the chicken and toss with steamed rice to create a divine gravy rice that is heavenly to eat. The unmarinated chicken skin begins to crisp up during the first half of cooking, so don't be tempted to brush the butter on the skin until the halfway point, or the sugars in the honey and gochujang will likely burn. Halfway through, once lacquered with the buttery glaze, the chicken caramelises beautifully. It's fantastic served with steamed white rice. Ingredients 60g unsalted butter, softened 80g white miso paste 2 tbsp gochujang paste 1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed, or 1 tsp garlic paste 1 tsp chilli flakes 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar or cider vinegar 1 tbsp honey, plus 1/2 tsp for the gravy fine sea salt, to taste 8 chicken thighs or 4 whole chicken legs, skin on and bone in 2 lemons, cut into wedges Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200C. 2. Make the marinade by mixing the softened butter, miso, one tablespoon of the gochujang, garlic, chilli flakes, vinegar and one tablespoon honey together in a bowl with a pinch of salt. 3. Line a large baking tray with foil. Place the chicken pieces on the tray skin-side down, then season with salt. Rub half the marinade into the flesh side only (not the skin), ensuring all of the flesh is well covered. 4. Turn the chicken pieces over, skin-side up, and season generously with salt. Bake for 20 minutes, then remove from the oven and brush the remaining marinade onto the skin. Return to the oven and bake for a further 15-20 minutes, or until the skin is browned and the chicken is cooked through (if using a thermometer, the thickest part of the chicken will have an internal temperature of at least 75C). If the skin is starting to char (check it from time to time), cover the chicken with foil until cooked through. 5. To finish, change the oven setting to grill on the highest heat. Grill the chicken, uncovered, under the grill for two to three minutes, or until the skin has browned. 6. Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Pour the pan juices into a bowl and mix with one tablespoon of gochujang and half a teaspoon of honey. Transfer the sauce to a gravy jug. 7. Drizzle some of the gravy over the chicken, then squeeze with lemon juice and serve with extra lemon wedges and the sauce on the side. Serves 4. In this Indonesian-inspired recipe, you need only a handful of kitchen staples to create a spectacular dish bursting with warmth and salty sweetness. Chillies and garlic form the sambal base, fried in oil until the chilli begins to caramelise and wrinkle. Taking a cue from the Indonesian vegetable dish sambal goreng buncis udang (fried sambal with beans and prawns), the green beans come to life, blistering in the pan and bathing in the rich, intensely flavoured sauce. This dish sits on the crunchier end of the green bean spectrum: they're cooked to a vibrant green, with just enough crunch to stimulate the appetite. The textures are wonderful, thanks to the flaky coconut and snappy cashews, but it's the combination of kecap manis and gentle burn of the chilli that has my fork scraping the plate for more. Good-quality frozen prawns are one of the greatest emergency freezer-raid ingredients, bringing their meaty, juicy flavour and distinctive smell of the sea to any dish, which is why I always keep a stash in my freezer. Ingredients 25g desiccated coconut flavourless cooking oil (such as sunflower or grapeseed) or coconut oil 20 medium raw prawns, peeled, tails on, defrosted if frozen 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed, or 2 tsp garlic paste 4 long red chillies, deseeded and finely diced 200g green beans, trimmed and cut into 5cm lengths diagonally 1 tbsp kecap manis 1/2 tsp coconut sugar or brown sugar large pinch of fine sea salt 60g roasted salted cashews Method 1. Toast the coconut in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat for about two minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until golden. Transfer the coconut to a plate. 2. Wipe out the pan and heat one tablespoon of oil. Add the prawns in a single layer and cook for one to two minutes each side, or until they are just cooked through. Remove and set aside on a plate lined with kitchen paper. 3. Heat another tablespoon of oil in the wok or pan, still over a medium heat. Add the garlic and chillies and cook, stirring continuously, for three to four minutes, until the chillies have softened and are starting to wrinkle. 4. Add the green beans along with one tablespoon of water, the kecap manis, sugar and salt. Cook for another three minutes or so, stirring regularly, until the green beans are just cooked through with a crunchy bite. 5. 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. Make it vegan: Omit the prawns and cook the rest of the recipe just as is for a tasty side dish, or swap the prawns for slices of tempeh or marinated firm tofu, patted dry and pan-fried until golden. Serves 4. My husband considers himself something of a brownie connoisseur (I'd probably describe it as a chocolate addiction), and he told me these tamarind caramel brownies were the best he'd ever eaten. I'll let you be the judge of that (since he is blinded by the extreme bias of love), but what is clear is that tamarind's sharpness takes flight in sweet desserts, its sweetly sour profile offsetting the richness of the caramel in this deeply chocolatey brownie. Served warm straight from the oven, it's a dessert brownie, the kind you serve with a scoop of ice cream. Served chilled or at room temperature, it's the kind of pick-me-up, snacking brownie that you might nibble in the warm afternoon sunlight while sipping your last coffee of the day. A little espresso powder enhances the spice and caramel notes of the chocolate, because coffee and chocolate share the same flavour characteristics. The addition of macadamias is a nod to my Australian roots; it's a famous nut Down Under that is buttery and creamy, adding blissful texture to the fudginess of the brownie (and yes, these brownies are the fudgy kind!). You can substitute the macadamias with most nuts, such as walnuts or pecans. To prevent your brownie mixture from splitting, make sure your eggs are at room temperature before adding them. You can freeze any leftovers for up to three months, but the brownies will last for about three to four days in an airtight container at room temperature, or up to a week in the fridge. Ingredients 100g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped 250g unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for greasing 275g dark chocolate, preferably 70% cocoa, chopped into small pieces 250g caster sugar 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt, plus extra for sprinkling 4 eggs, at room temperature, beaten 165g plain flour, sifted 1 tsp espresso powder, or instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 tsp hot water Tamarind caramel: 50g golden syrup (or maple syrup) 70g caster sugar 50ml double cream 20g unsalted butter large pinch of flaky sea salt 25ml tamarind paste Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200C and set up the middle shelf for baking. Roast the macadamia nuts for six to eight minutes, or until golden brown, then remove and set aside. 2. To make the caramel, melt the golden syrup and sugar together in a small heavy-based saucepan on a medium-low heat. Swirl the ingredients in the pan together, rather than stirring them. Once the sugar has dissolved and the caramel starts bubbling, continue cooking on a gentle simmer until it begins to bubble and foam, about three to five minutes in total. 3. Remove from the heat, then stir in the cream and butter until melted and combined. Finally, add the salt and tamarind and stir well. Transfer to a wide bowl (this will help it cool faster), cover and leave to cool in the freezer for 20 minutes or in the fridge for around 30 minutes, until thick and gooey. 4. Grease and line a 20 x30cm tin with baking parchment, ensuring there is some overhang of paper over the edges so you can easily lift the brownies out of the tin later. 5. Begin making the brownie batter. Gently melt the butter in a small saucepan. Once melted remove from the heat, add the chocolate and leave to sit for two minutes, without stirring it. 6. Stir the chocolate and butter together after two minutes; they should have melted together. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and combine with the sugar and salt. 7. After the chocolate has cooled down for two to three minutes, add the room-temperature beaten eggs gradually, a little at a time, mixing well in between additions by hand. Fold in the sifted flour, macadamia nuts and espresso powder (or instant coffee and water mixture) until well combined. 8. Pour half the brownie mixture into the prepared tin. Remove the tamarind caramel from the freezer or fridge and drizzle half of the caramel over the brownie mixture in the tin. Cover with the remaining brownie mixture and smooth the surface with a spatula. Drizzle with the remaining caramel, covering the surface as evenly as possible. 9. Using the end of a dessert spoon, gently ripple the caramel through the brownie mixture. To do so, dip the end of the spoon about 1cm deep into the mixture and draw squiggly lines and figure of eight shapes all over the surface until the caramel is evenly distributed. 10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked but gooey in the middle. Test with a skewer; there should still be a few moist crumbs on the skewer when inserted into the centre of the brownie, or a very slight smear of brown goo, but you don't want wet batter. Sprinkle over a large pinch of sea salt while the brownie is still hot from the oven. 11. Leave in the tin until completely cool. Lift the brownie out of the tin using the baking parchment and transfer to a chopping board, then cut into squares and serve. Makes 24 squares. Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: