appetisers

Mouth-watering Asian flavours spring to life in this super-easy starter.

Chicken in pandan Leaves

chicken

tbsp good-quality satay sauce

(1/3 cup) coconut milk

milliliters (2 tbsp) fish sauce

milliliters (1 tbsp) sesame oil

garlic cloves, crushed

tbsp ginger

tbsp rice flour*

pandan leaves*

milliliters (2 tbsp) vegetable oil

These easy, refreshing and vibrant snacks are made for picnics with friends.

Crab and corn cakes

sweet corncobs, husks and silk removed, kernels removed

(1 cup) self-raising flour

fresh chives, chopped

milliliters (1 cup) milk

eggs, lightly whisked

can crab meat, drained

vegetable oil

Brighten your Christmas table with this colourful Spanish salad, dressed in a vinaigrette of garlic, sherry vinegar and olive oil.

Spanish seafood salad

mussels

dry white wine

tbsp sherry vinegar (see note) or red wine vinegar

tbsp extra virgin olive oil

garlic clove, crushed

green capsicum, finely chopped

red onion, thinly sliced

punnet cherry tomatoes, halved

coriander sprigs

olive oil

chorizo sausage,

scallops (without roe)

tsp smoked paprika (pimenton) (see note)

Saffron rice (optional) (see related recipe), to serve

Lemon

Experience this crowd-pleasing starter that will entertain your family and friends all summer long.

Thai salad with crispy whitebait

mangoes

Asian salad leaves

mint leaves

Vietnamese mint leaves (see note)

coriander leaves

Thai basil leaves (see note)

(50 grams) plain flour

tsp dried chilli flakes

fresh whitebait (see note)

Peanut oil

(60 milliliters) fish sauce

(60 milliliters) rice vinegar

tbsp grated palm sugar (see note)

red chilli, seeds removed, finely chopped

lime juice,

Double the cook means double the flavour when it comes to these twice-cooked pork ribs! Tender on the inside yet crispy on the outside, these handheld morsels are made for sharing with friends and family. Served with pineapple hot sauce on the side (make it as mild or spicy as you dare), and you’ve got the best pork ribs recipe ever.

Twice-Cooked Pork Ribs with Pineapple Hot Sauce

pork

tsp white peppercorns, crushed

4cm (1.5”) piece ginger, peeled, finely diced

garlic,

chicken stock

soy sauce

mirin

brown sugar

tbsp honey

tsp salt

potato starch (or cornflour/cornstarch)

vegetable oil,

Pineapple hot sauce

pineapple,

lime, juice only

habanero

coriander

white vinegar

white sugar, plus extra if needed

sea salt

1.Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Let’s start by making the marinade for the ribs. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the peppercorns, ginger and garlic to a rough paste, then transfer to a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken stock, soy sauce, mirin, honey, brown sugar and salt, then whisk to combine. Place the ribs into the braising liquid and ensure they’re evenly coated all over. You could leave them to marinade for a couple of hours, otherwise they’re good to go straight away.



2.Transfer the ribs to a shallow baking tray and spread out into an even, single layer. Pour the liquid over the top of them. Now cover the ribs with a layer of baking paper, followed by aluminium foil (the double wrap will keep as much steam and moisture in with the ribs as possible to help ensure they get nice and tender). Transfer tray to the oven and cook for 45 minutes, then remove from oven. Turn the ribs over and baste with the cooking liquid, then return to the oven and cook for a further 45 minutes or until tender. Once cooked, remove the ribs from the liquid (this can be discarded) and transfer to a clean tray. Refrigerate until chilled.



3.Meanwhile, for the pineapple hot sauce, place the pineapple, lime juice, habanero peppers and coriander into a food processor. Blitz until smooth then transfer to a saucepan placed over medium-high heat. Add in the vinegar, sugar and salt, adding in extra sugar and salt to taste if needed. Cook until the sugar has dissolved, then remove from heat and set aside to cool and for the flavours to infuse. 



4.Fill a wok or large saucepan one-third of the way up with vegetable oil and place over a medium-high heat.



5.While the oil is coming to temperature, place the potato starch on a large shallow tray. Transfer the ribs into the potato starch, then toss to coat them evenly all over.

 

6.Once the oil is hot (small bubbles will appear when you did in the handle of a wooden spoon), fry the coated ribs, in batches, for about 2–3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Transfer to a tray lined with paper towel to drain any excess oil. Serve immediately with pineapple hot sauce



NOTES - If you like to make ahead, you could prepare the pineapple hot sauce in advance – it will keep in the fridge for up to 1 month.

Bring new life into velvety, delicate eggplant with this vegetable side dish that’s a wonderful warm salad to share alongside your dinnertime offerings. Drizzled with my Japanese-style dressing, it’s a wonderful blend of garlic, ginger and sesame, with pops of chilli for a lovely bit of freshness, crunch and heat.

Japanese-style Roasted Eggplant Salad

(2 lb) eggplant,

garlic cloves, very finely chopped

red chilli, thinly sliced

onions

Japanese-style Ginger & Sesame Salad Dressing

sesame seeds, toasted, to sprinkle

1.Preheat oven to 200°C/390°F. Pour the oil into a large roasting dish and place in the oven for 5 minutes or until hot.



2.Carefully remove the hot dish from the oven. Add the eggplant to the dish and toss with a spatula to coat with the oil. Place into the oven to roast for 15 minutes. Remove from the over, then use the spatula to carefully turn the eggplant. Return to the oven to cook for a further 15 minutes or until soft.

 

3.Remove the dish again from the oven and stir the garlic, chilli and the white part of the spring onions through the eggplant. Place back into the oven for a further 5 minutes.

 

4.Transfer the roasted eggplant to a bowl and drizzle with the Japanese-style Ginger and Sesame Salad Dressing. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and the green part of the spring onions.

This classic Spanish chorizo and potato croquettes recipe for croquetas de patata y chorizo makes a delectable snack with a light crunchy exterior encasing fluffy chorizo-flavoured mash potatoes. They’re a popular tapas bar snack in Spain and are so popular some bars even specialise in croquettes offering a diverse array of fillings.

Spanish Chorizo and Potato Croquettes Recipe for Croquetas de Patata y Chorizo

chorizo sausage

500 g mashed potato (cold, made without butter or milk)

tbsp parmesan cheese (grated)

egg (beaten)

plain flour

tsp smoked paprika

tsp chilli powder

Sea salt (fine,

black pepper (ground,

g plain flour

eggs (beaten)

100 g dried panko breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil

If using fresh chorizo, peel and chop into small pieces. Cook in a non-stick pan over low heat. If using hard chorizo, just peel the skin off and dice into small pieces.

Mix the parmesan, egg, flour, paprika powder, chilli powder, salt and pepper into the mashed potato until well combined and then fold in the chorizo.

Line up a flat plate, two bowls and a sheet pan lined with oven paper for the coated croquettes: transfer the flour to the first plate; whisk the egg in the second bowl; and the breadcrumbs in the third dish.

Divide the mash mix into 35 gram portions and roll each into a sausage shape as you make each croquette.

Roll the croquette in the flour ensuring it’s completely covered in flour.

Dip the croquette into the egg wash. Pull out and let drip.

Roll the croquette into the panko breadcrumb mix, pushing gently to ensure its completely covered in crumbs.

Move the croquette to the sheet pan, then repeat with the other croquettes.

When you are finished with all the croquettes, place the sheet pan in the fridge for at least half an hour to firm up and dry the croquettes slightly.

When ready to deep-fry, half-fill a deep saucepan with the oil and heat to 180°C (350°F) before placing a few croquettes gently into the oil.

It should take around 3 minutes go get them golden brown.

Place on another sheet pan lined with paper towels until all croquettes are cooked.

Serve with aioli.

Dim sim is really popular here in Australia: it’s a Chinese-inspired dumpling made with meat and vegetables, and looks very similar to siu mai. Here’s how to make homemade dim sim from scratch – they’re worth every step of the process!

Marion’s Best Dim Sim

wonton wrappers

onion

soy sauce, to serve

Filling

cabbage

tsp sea salt

(7 oz) skinless pork belly

(10.5 oz) pork mince

tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)

sugar

ginger

¼ tsp ground white pepper

1.To make the filling, place the cabbage in a colander and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons of the salt. Mix well and allow the cabbage to sit over a bowl or in the sink for 10-15 minutes.

2.In the meantime, use a sharp knife to cut the pork belly into a very small fine mince (as small as you can manage). Place the pork belly in a large bowl with the pork mince, chicken stock, cornflour, sugar, ginger, pepper and the remaining teaspoon of salt.

3.The cabbage should have wilted by now. Use your hands to squeeze out as much liquid from the cabbage as possible, then add it to the pork mixture. Mix well using chopsticks or a fork.

4.Take a wonton wrapper and place it in the palm of your hand. Add a heaped tablespoon of filling to the centre and bring the edges of the wrapper together around the filling. The top of the dim sim should be open. Place onto a tray lined with baking (parchment) paper and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

5.Steam the dim sims in a steamer set over boiling water for 12 minutes or until cooked through. Scatter the 1 cup of cabbage over a serving plate. Place the warm dim sims on top. Scatter over the spring onion and chilli. Serve with soy sauce for dipping.

Delicious chicken satay is one of the most well-known and most-loved of Asian street foods. My traditional Thai version will transport you from the very first bite, and is perfect served as an appetiser or as part of a sharing platter when entertaining. While 10 minutes of marinating is absolutely fine, leaving the meat overnight cranks up the flavour, so do plan ahead if you can!

Traditional Thai Chicken Satay | Marion&#039;s Kitchen

(1 lb) chicken thigh fillets, cut into roughly 4cm cubes

bamboo

Marinade:

curry powder

Thai cucumber relish (Ajat):

white sugar

cucumber,

Asian red shallot, sliced

red chillies, sliced

Satay sauce:

peanuts

1½ tbsp Thai red curry paste

coconut milk

peanut butter

tsp fish sauce

tsp white sugar

Step 1.Place the chicken in a large bowl add the curry powder, salt and oil. Mix until well combined. Thread the chicken onto bamboo skewers. Set aside to marinate for 10 minutes or overnight if you have the time.

Step 2.To make the cucumber relish, heat the sugar, vinegar and salt in a saucepan over high heat for 3-4 minutes or until the sugar has dissolved. Allow to cool. Place the cucumber, shallot and chill in a small bowl. Pour over the cooled vinegar mixture.

Step 3.For the satay sauce, use a mortar and pestle or food processor to grind the roasted peanuts to a fine consistency. Set aside.

Step 4.Heat the 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the curry paste and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, roasted peanuts, peanut butter, fish sauce and sugar. Cook for a further minute. Then remove from heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning with more fish sauce and/or sugar. And keep warm or reheat when ready to serve.

Step 5.Heat a barbecue grill plate or non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken skewers for 3-4 minutes each side or until cooked through. Serve warm with the warm satay sauce and the Thai cucumber relish.

OMG, these potato pancakes are sooo good. Super crispy on the outside, they’re like a Chinese version of a hash brown, and are perfect with fried eggs and spicy chilli oil. While they’re an ideal weekend breakfast idea, you could eat them any time. Try adding chunks of pan-fried Chinese sausage to the mix, too.

Sichuan Potato Pancakes

potatoes (about 500 grams/1 lb), peeled

potato starch (not to be confused with potato flour!)

tsp ground Sichuan peppercorns*

egg, lightly beaten

eggs, (optional)

coriander (cilantro) leaves, to serve (optional)

Spicy sauce

garlic, peeled, finely chopped

tsp sesame oil

Chinese black vinegar*

tsp caster (superfine) sugar

tsp sesame seeds

1.For the dipping sauce, stir everything together in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved.

2.Moving on to the pancakes, use a box grater to grate the potatoes. Immediately transfer to a clean kitchen tea towel or muslin cloth. Gather around the potato then, using your hands, squeeze and wring to remove as much liquid from the potato as you can.

3.Transfer the grated potato to a large bowl. Add the potato starch, soy sauce, ground peppercorns, salt, spring onion and egg. Give everything a good mix until it’s well combined (it helps to get in there with your hands, I reckon!).

4.Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a small, heavy-based frying pan, over medium-low heat. Add half the potato mixture, then spread it out using the back of a spoon to form a round about 15cm (6 inches) across.

5.Cook for 6-7 minutes, or until deep golden on the underside, then turn over and cook the other side for 6-7 minutes or until golden. Keep the pancake warm while you cook the remaining mixture, adding about 1 tbsp oil more for cooking.

6.If you’re serving with fried eggs, start cooking your eggs in another pan, using a little oil and over medium-high heat, about 3 minutes before the pancakes are finished cooking. Serve with a fried egg, and drizzle over as much spicy sauce as you like. Sprinkle with extra spring onion and garnish with coriander.

NOTES: - Chinese black vinegar, also known as Chinkiang vinegar, is available in Asian grocery stores.  However, if you are unable to find it, substitute it with half balsamic and half white vinegar.

- I like to use red Sichuan peppercorns. To get the most flavour out of them, buy them whole, then give them a light toast in a hot, fry pan to release all the oils and aroma before transferring to a pestle and mortar and grinding. You can still buy pre-ground, but it won’t be as intense or aromatic then doing it adhoc. Find out more about peppercorns here.

These peanut chilli crisp pork nachos are like no other version you (or I, for that matter) have ever had before – and it seems we’ve all been missing out. Savoury, satisfying and with a heady chilli hit, the culmination of flavours has to be tried to be believed... and that’s before we even get to the tangy and nutty sauce to tie it all together. Don’t be tempted to skip the double-layering method either. It guarantees a winning cheese pull and topping with every tortilla chip.

Top 13 appetisers recipes from across the web

The most viewed appetisers recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Chicken in pandan Leaves

Crab and corn cakes

Spanish seafood salad

Thai salad with crispy whitebait

Twice-Cooked Pork Ribs with Pineapp...

Japanese-style Roasted Eggplant Sal...

Spanish Chorizo and Potato Croquett...

Marion’s Best Dim Sim

Traditional Thai Chicken Satay | Ma...

Sichuan Potato Pancakes

Peanut Chilli Crisp Pork Nachos | M...

Chinese Salt and Pepper Squid | Mar...

Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga Ba...

Top 13 appetisers recipes from across the web

The most viewed appetisers recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Chicken in pandan Leaves

Crab and corn cakes

Spanish seafood salad

Thai salad with crispy whitebait

Twice-Cooked Pork Ribs with Pineapp...

Japanese-style Roasted Eggplant Sal...

Spanish Chorizo and Potato Croquett...

Marion’s Best Dim Sim

Traditional Thai Chicken Satay | Ma...

Sichuan Potato Pancakes

Peanut Chilli Crisp Pork Nachos | M...

Chinese Salt and Pepper Squid | Mar...

Vietnamese Chicken Salad (Goi Ga Ba...

The most viewed appetisers recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine