Fish Trip Cafe

YES. I LOVE DEPTFORD.

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— Anchovy & Garlic Toasts (8 slices) —

8 slices rustic bread

8 anchovy fillets in olive oil, drained

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon white wine vinegar

50ml extra virgin olive oil

Some flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

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Mince the anchovy fillets.

Place the anchovy, minced garlic, white wine vinegar and olive oil in a bowl, mix well to combine.

Lightly toast both side of the bread.

Spread the anchovy mixture over one side of each bread.

Place the bread slices (spread side up) on a baking sheet and toast under broiler for 1-2 minute.

Sprinkle with the finely chopped parsley.

Shumai is a traditinal Chinese dumpling  and it’s one of my favourite Dim Sum dish.

I added a little bit of Thai flavour into a basic pork and prawn shumai recipe and it works well.

Small but mighty dumplings.

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— Steamed pork & prawn Shumai (18 dumplings) —

200g minced pork

60g raw prawns, peeled, finely chopped

50g water chestnut, finely chopped

2 tablespoons coriander leaves, finely chopped

3 tablespoons corn flour

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon ginger, minced

18 sheets won ton pastry

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— for garlic chips —

2 garlic cloves

3 vegetable oil

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— for dipping sauce —

3 tablespoons soya sauce

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

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To make garlic chips: cut the garlic cloves into very thin slices. Heat the oil in a small pan over law heat and sauté the chopped garlic until golden brown. Drain the excess oil on kitchen papers.

To make dipping sauce: mix soy sauce and rice vinegar in a small bowl.

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Place all the dumpling ingredients except for the won ton pastry.

Mix everything until the ingredients are well combined.

Hold a wonton pastry sheet on your palm, spoon 1 tablespoon of filling mixture on to the middle of the pastry, gather up the pastry and lightly squeeze the top of edges together, leaving the top open.

Place the dumplings in a steamer. Steam over boiling water for about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle with crushed garlic chips and serve with the dipping sauce.

I love British potatoes. They are simply delicious.

I’ve leaned many variety of potato dishes since I moved to England. Baked, fried, boiled or grilled… potatoes are true all rounders.

This fritter recipe is used Japanese tempura cooking method. It’s light, crispy and the smoked bacon delivers an extra addictive flavour.

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— Crispy Potato and Bacon Fritters (serves 2)—

1 large floury potato (250g), such as Maris Piper, Desiree

80g smoked bacon

5 tablespoons plain flour

3 tablespoons ice cold water

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

Some flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Some ground black pepper

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Heat deep-frying oil to 340F/170C in a deep pan.

Peel the potato and shred. Cut the bacon into fine strips.

Place the ice cold water in a large bowl, add the flour lightly mix. Add the shredded potato and bacon in the bowl, toss to coat with the butter.

Pick up one-tenth of the potato mixture with a cooking tong and gently drop into the oil (the butter act as ‘glue’ to keep the mixture together).

Deep-fry until crisp and golden.

Drain well on kitchen papers to remove any excess oil.

Sprinkle with chopped parsley and ground black pepper.

Okonomiyaki is a very popular Japanese savory pancake.

The name “Okonomiyaki” means “cook what/as you like”. The base ingredients are usually flour-batter and cabbage, then your favourite toppings (meat, seafood and vegetable etc.) are blended into the batter. I chose vegetables and cheese for my Okonomiyaki this time.

It’s a hot summer day in London today, almost too hot for me, my head is spinning around, and the sauces are spinning around on Okonomiyaki too.

Spinning around round round.

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— Okonomiyaki (serves 4) —

— for the batter —

150g plain flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

200ml dashi stock (about dashi, vegetarian dashi)

50g yam, peeled and grinded (option)

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4 eggs

700g cabbage

100g spring onion

8 dried shiitake mushrooms

4 tablespoons red pickled ginger (beni-shoga)

100g cheddar cheese

Vegetable oil for frying

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— for the sauce —

*Okonomiyaki-sauce is available at Japanese grocery store, or you can make the similar sauce; mix the following ingredients

4 tablespoons brown sauce

1 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon ketchup

1 tablespoon brown sugar

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Some mayonnaise

Some green nori-seaweed sprinkle (aonori)

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Mix the flour, baking powder, the dashi stock and grinded yam in a bowl. Cover with cling film and rest the batter for at least 1 hour in the fridge.

Meanwhile, prepare the toppings; soak the dried shiitake mushrooms for 15 minutes into warm water, remove stems and chop into finely. Cut the cabbage into 0.2 inch pieces, finely chop the spring onion and finely chop the red pickled ginger and cut the cheddar cheese into 0.3 inch cubes.

To make 1 set of okonomiyaki, place 1/4 amount of the batter in another bowl, add 1/4 amount of the chopped cabbage, spring onion, shiitake mushroom, red pickled ginger, cheddar cheese and 1 egg. Stir and mix everything together.

Heat the oil in a frying-pan over medium-low heat, pour the batter in the pan and make a round shape, around 0.8 inch thick.

Cook for around 5-7 minutes, carefully flip over and cook on the other side for a further 5-7 minutes.

Transfer the okonomiyaki onto a plate, pour the okonomiyaki-sauce and mayonnaise, sprinkle green nori-seaweed over the sauce.

Risotto balls with melted mozzarella cheese and fresh basil filling. Yum.

No wonder why this snack is Italian’s favourite.

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— Arancini (makes 10) —

1&1/2 tablespoon butter

1/3 onion, finely chopped

200g arborio rice

700ml chicken or vegetable stock

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

A pinch of black pepper

80g mozzarella cheese

2 eggs, beaten

5 basil leaves, torn in half

100g dried breadcrumbs

Oil for deep-flying

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Melt the butter in a heavy pan, add the finely chopped onion and sauté over low heat about 3 minutes until softened.

Add the rice and stir for 1 minutes to seal the rice.

Add the stock little by little, stirring frequently for about 20 minutes over medium-low heat until the rice is al dente.

Remove from the heat, stir in the parmesan cheese and the half amount of beaten egg. Season with the black pepper. Leave to cool completely.

Cut the mozzarella cheese into 10 cubes.

Divide the rice into 10 portions, take one portion in your hand , press the basil leaf and a cube of mozzarella cheese into middle. Shape the rice ball into a ball.

Roll the rice balls in beaten egg, then bread crumbs. Set aside.

Heat the deep-flying oil to 350F. Deep-fly the rice balls until evenly golden brown.

Serve hot with tomato sauce.

I love watermelon.

It reminds me of my childhood summer memories (watermelon is one of the summer symbol in Japan), and the fresh red colour makes me cheerful.

Well, is watermelon a fruit or a vegetable?  I’ve been questioning it since I was a child.

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— Watermelon Salad (serves 4) —

1/4 seedless watermelon

100g feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup fresh mint leaves, chopped

1 tablespoon red onion, finely chopped

1/2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

3 extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of salt and black pepper to taste

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Cut the water melon into bite-sized cubes.

Arrange them on a plates, top each one with crumbled feta cheese, chopped mint leaves and finely chopped red onion.

Mix the fresh lemon juice and extra virgin oil in a small bowl, drizzle on the watermelon salad.

Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste.

I saw a man who looks exactly like “Curry-pan-man” in the street yesterday.

“Curry-pan-man” is a famous cartoon hero in Japan. His head is made from curry filled bread. He is hot-tempered and very hot curry sports from his head when he fight the enemy.

I was obsessed with curry bread after I saw him, and decided to make it.

This is a very popular food in Japan (as it became a hero character), it’s a filling snack and you can quickly get enough energy to be like Curry-pan-man.

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— Curry Bread (6 pieces) —

— for filling —

200ml curry sauce (your favourite sauce)

1/2 onion, finely chopped

1/2 carrot, finely chopped

1/2 egg, beaten

Some breadcrumbs

Vegetable oil for deep frying

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— for dough —

220g plain flour

4g dry yeast

1/2 egg, beaten

20g butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

20g sugar

Some vegetable oil

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— to make filling —

Heat the vegetable oil in a frying-pan oven medium heat, add the finely chopped onion and carrot and stir-fry until cooked. Add the your favourite curry sauce and make thick curry.

(*you can use minced meat instead of vegetables if you like)

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Place the dry yeast and a pinch of sugar in a bowl, mix in 100ml lukewarm water. Set aside in a warm place for 5 minutes, until bubbles appear on the surface.

Place the flour, beaten egg, salt and sugar in a different bowl, add the yeast mixture and mix well by hand.

Transfer the dough to a floured surface board and knead for about 10 minutes.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and roll to coat. Cover the bowl with cling film and and let rise about 40 minutes in a warm place.

Punch down the dough and divide it into 6 pieces and shape into balls.

Roll out each piece into a flat round. Put a large spoonful of curry in the center. Gather up the opposite edges of dough and pinch to seal well. Repeat this for the other pieces.

Coat all sides of the bun with the beaten egg, then coat with breadcrumbs.

Lay the buns on a tray, leave in a warm place for about 20 minutes.

Heat the oil to 340F, and deep-fry the buns until light golden on both sides, place it on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

Crackers are blooming.

Carrot and cheese flowers.

Yum!

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— Carrot & Cheese Crackers —

150g plain flour

100g carrot, grated

3 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

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Preheat oven to 180C/350F.

Mix the flour, grated parmesan cheese and salt in a bowl.

Add the grated carrot and vegetable oil in the bowl and mix all together.

Place the dough on a lightly floured board and roll out about 2mm thick.

Cut out with cookie cutters  and Prick each crackers with a fork. Lay them on a baking try lined with baking paper.

Bake for about 20 minutes.

Allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

My mum always told me that onions make my brain work good.

I don’t know if there is any evidence of it, or maybe she just tried to make me eat onions.

Anyway, I eat onions today.

I need to be a little bit clever this week.

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— Caramelised Onion & Goat Cheese Tarts (4 x 4 inch tarts) —

1 onion

100g goat cheese

200g puff pastry

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Some fresh thyme leaves

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Preheat oven 200C/400F.

Slice the goat cheese thickly (4 slices).

Slice the onion thickly (4 slices). Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, place the onion slices and cook for 3-4 minutes each side until they start to soften.

Roll the puff pastry on a light floured work surface into a sheet. Cut 4 x 4 inch rounds from the pastry and place on a baking try lined with baking paper.

Place the goat cheese slice on the middle of pastry and put the fried onion on top.

Mix the balsamic vinegar and brown sugar in a bowl and drizzle over the onion slices. Sprinkle the fresh thyme leaves.

Bake for 20-30 minutes until puffed and golden brown.

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— Spinach & Bacon Soufflé (serves 2) —

4 egg yolks

4 egg whites

100g spinach leaves

80g smoked bacon

50ml single cream

2 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated

2 pieces of mozzarella cheese (30g each)

1/8 teaspoon salt

A pinch of ground nutmeg

Some olive oil (for frying)

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Cut the bacon into small pieces.

Heat some olive oil in a frying-pan over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crispy. Add the spinach leaves into the frying-pan and stir fry about 30 seconds. Set aside.

Place the egg yolks, single cream, parmesan cheese in a large bowl and mix together until well combined. Season with the salt and nutmeg.

Beat the egg whites in another bowl until they form medium to firm peak, gently fold the egg white into yolk mixture.

Divide the bacon and spinach into 2 x 1cup ovenproof dishes and top with the egg mixture and mozzarella cheese.

Bake in a preheated 200C/400F oven for about 25 minutes until golden.