SO: Sarawak Pepperpot

SARAWAK PEPPERPOT

A hearty brew of beef and vegetables with its flavour heightened by black peppercorns. Serves 10.



Ingredients
150gm ox tripe
200gm beef tenderloin, diced
2 onions, halved
1 bay leaf
1 clove
30gm butter
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 cloves garlic, chopped
80gm okra, diced
80gm eggplant, diced
80gm tomatoes, diced
80gm young corn, diced
20gm tomato paste
50gm rice
3 litres beef stock
salt
ground black pepper
chopped spring onions
fried shallots

Method
1. Cook the tripe in water with onions, bay leaf and clove until tender. Remove and dice the tripe.
2. Melt butter in a stock pot and saute garlic and peppercorns.
3. Add the diced vegetables and tomato paste and saute for a further minute.
4. Add washed rice and the beef stock.
5. Bring to boil and skim.
6. When rice is three-quartered cooked, add diced beef tenderloin and tripe.
7. When rice is cooked, season to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
8. Serve with spring onions and fried shallots.

SO: Peppercorn Chicken Soup

PEPPERCORN CHICKEN SOUP

Chicken broth is a dish found in almost every country.
There is a comforting quality about it.
Here is one which is warmly spiced with black peppercorns. Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients
30gm butter
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed
80gm leek, diced
80gm celery, diced
80gm carrot, diced
200gm chicken, diced
1&1/4 litres chicken stock
salt
10gm spring onions, chopped
1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves

Method
1. Melt butter in a stock pot and saute peppercorns.
2. Add vegetables and saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the chicken, chicken stock and cook until vegetables and chicken are tender.
4. Garnish with chopped spring onions and coriander leaves before serving.

STT: Prawn and Fish Umai

PRAWN AND FISH UMAI

The Melanaus of Sarawak who are traditionally fishermen, pride themselves in preparing the raw fish dish called Umai. The fresh fish is pickled in asam paya, a very sour fruit, ideal for marinating and flavouring. Lime juice or vinegar can be used as substitutes for asam paya. Serves 4.

Ingredients

120gm fillet of red snapper (or a firm white fish)

150gm medium sized prawns

30gm green peppercorns

50gm onion, sliced

25gm ginger, sliced

5 red chillies, sliced

juice of 3 asam paya

(alternatively 3 times and 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar)

Method

1. Dice fish.

2. Peel and devein prawns.

3. Place both in a mixing bowl and mix in the rest of the ingredients.

4. Add salt and sugar to taste.

5. Sprinkle with ground white pepper.

6. Allow to rest for two hours. Serve chilled.

Note: It is very important to use fresh fish and prawns.

STT: Caesar Salad with peppercorn dressing

CAESAR SALAD WITH PEPPER
CORN DRESSING

This is an elegant salad which originated from Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas. Since then, it has become an American classic. In some fine restaurants, the Caesar Salad is prepared at your table side, with the art of making it a show for the diners. The order of adding the ingredients is vital.

Ingredients
300gm lettuce (romaine is preferred)
3 egg yolks
25gm French mustard
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon green peppercorns, chopped
2 tablespoons white vinegar
20gm anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 drops Tabasco sauce
8 drops Lea and Perrins sauce
salt
20gm Parmesan cheese (freshly sliced)
croutons
green peppercorns

Method
1. Assemble all the ingredients.
2. Place the egg yolks, mustard, garlic, chopped green peppercorns, vinegar and anchovies into a bowl and mix.
3. Slowly whisk in the olive and cooking oil. Season with salt, Tabasco sauce, Lea and Perrins sauce.
4. Add the lettuce (make sure it is dry). Toss the lettuce in the dressing so that each piece is coated.
5. Slice some Parmesan cheese into the salad and dress with croutons and fresh green peppercorns.

STT: Asian Seafood Salad with pepper vinaigrette

ASIAN SEAFOOD SALAD WITH PEPPER VINAIGRETTE

This is a light seafood salad with an unusual perky touch from the pepper vinaigrette dressing. Serves 5.


Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
100gm sole fillet
100gm sea perch fillet
100gm lobster meat
5 large prawns
60gm clams
2 tablespoons light garlic mayonnaise
100gm lettuce
50gm cucumber, julienned
50gm tomato, julienned
pepper vinaigrette

Method
1. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry fish, lobster, prawns and clams gently until cooked. Set aside.
2. Pour mayonnaise on plates. Arrange lettuce and seafood on top. Garnish with cucumber and tomato.
3. Season with the pepper vinaigrette.
4. Serve with garlic bread.

Pepper Vinaigrette
8 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
70gm chopped gherkins
70gm chopped white radish
15gm chopped capers
10gm green peppercorns, crushed
30gm green capsicum, diced
1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves
2 boiled eggs, mashed
10 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon pepper oil

Method
1. Mix all the ingredients together except the oils.
2. Slowly, whisk in the oils.
3. Add sugar and salt to taste.

STT: Quail Breasts with wild ferns

QUAIL BREASTS WITH WILD FERNS

Two Malaysian wild ferns, paku and midin, have in recent years made their appearances on restaurant menus. The shoots of these jungle ferns are crisp and fresh. Quail, though classified as game, is the daintiest of meats, pleasing in taste and colour. In combining the wild ferns with the game fowl, an exotic east-meets-west dish is created.

Ingredients

10 quail breasts

salt

ground black pepper

4 teaspoons cooking oil

20gm butter

2 shallots, chopped

80gm abalone mushrooms, sliced

100gm paku

100gm midin

50gm tomato, diced

1 teaspoon green peppercorns

raspberry vinegar

Method

1. Cut out the quail breasts. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

2. Heat 2 teaspoons of cooking oil and 10gm of butter. Pan-fry the quail breasts until medium rare.

3. Heat remaining cooking oil and butter and saute the shallots lightly. Add the mushrooms. ferns, tomato cubes and green peppercorns and fry for a few minutes. Sprinkle with raspberry vinegar. Remove from heat.

4. Place the ferns in the centre of plates with the quail breasts on top and pour sauce around.

QUAIL SAUCE

Quail bones

50gm onion, diced

20gm tomato, diced

50gm carrot, diced

30gm leek, diced

1&1/2 litres chicken stock

bay leaf

juniper berries

thyme

Method

1. Fry the quail bones in a hot pan until brown. Add the diced vegetables and fry further.

2. Add the chicken stock. Boil, skim and add herbs.

3. Cover and cook slowly for 2-3 hours until sauce is reduced to one-third.

4. Strain and keep warm.

STT: Smoked Duck Breast with orange salad

SMOKED DUCK BREAST WITH ORANGE SALAD

Smoking introduces flavour into the meat. The addition of crushed green peppercorns in the fuel for smoking imparts a sweet fragrant aroma to the duck. Orange segments complement the rich taste of duck in this salad. Serves 4.

Ingredients

2 duck breasts

A. 1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns, crushed

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

4 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons honey

2 teaspoons port wine

2 teaspoons brandy

2 oranges, peeled and segmented

2 tablespoons lemon grass dressing

1 teaspoon green peppercorns

FOR SMOKING

1 bay leaf

10 juniper berries

2 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon rosemary

1 star anise

pandan leaves

lemon grass

1 clove

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

1 cup wood of chips or coarse sawdust (do not use chips from a resinous wood)

Method

1. Mix ingredients A together and rub over the duck breasts. Marinate for a day.

2. Burn the fuel and place in a smoking oven. Alternatively, place the burning fuel in an old wok and the duck on a rack and cover with a lid. Smoke for 10 minutes and allow to cool in the oven.

3. When cool, remove and slice thinly.

4. Arrange duck and orange with some leafy vegetables on a plate. Sprinkle with lemon grass dressing and green peppercorns.

LEMON GRASS DRESSING

1 stalk lemon grass, crushed

3 parts olive oil

1 part lemon juice

salt and pepper