photo by izumiflowers

I just had to cancel a trip to Malaysia.  While I can't say I am going to miss the unbelievably long plane ride, I will most definitely miss the street food.  Street food is built into the fabric of life in Singapore and Malaysia, so the choices and quality are astounding.  If America could convince all those folks parading through drive-throughs to get out of the car and eat at a trailer, I'm sure the results would be just as amazing.

There are simply too many varieties and tactics in Malaysia to narrow the focus on one dish, but noodles rarely disappoint.  There are plenty of Thai and Chinese influenced noodle bowls to mix with the local favorites.

This is a very simple recipe that finds its depth in two ingredients - the sausage and the noodles.  If at all possible I use fresh made egg noodles.  You can buy fresh pasta, but its remarkably easy to make and the little machine is great fun to use.

The sausage is trickier - choose wisely.  I am lucky enough to have access to some truly fantastic sausage from Whole Foods and some stunning smoked sausage from a few of the BBQ joints nearby.  Either works well, but the preparation changes based on the sausage content.

Hakka Noodles

Handful of bean sprouts

Handful of fresh egg noodles

1 pork sausage, casing removed and diced

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

1/4 cup chicken stock

Directions

1. Bring the stock to a boil and let simmer.Boil  water for the noodles. 
   


2. Blanch the bean sprouts, then add some salt. 


3. Prepare noodles.


4. Cook the pork, dicing as it cooks.


5. Add soy and fish sauces to the bean sprouts, put noodles on top and pork on top of the noodles.


6. Serve warm broth on the side.

photo by Kristen

I recently went to an "all-inclusive" resort in Mexico.  Having never been, I expected a landlocked version of the Love Boat.  I think the hotel made a good margin on us.  We didn't eat, drink or sun ourselves into a coma.  The food was actually much better than I expected (not so the margaritas) and there was something very Epcot Centerish about wandering around "Mexicoland" on the way to white sand beaches.  Not sure we will do it again, but it was a nice way to spend a few days.

We spent one day in Playa del Carmen, sitting out in the sand with a lunch of ceviche and tacos.  It’s a nice little town if you stay away from the frog place and Carlos and Charlie's.  There is something special about sitting in the shade, drinking Mexican beer and eating snacks while listening to the waves.

Truth be told, the tacos were pretty much the best food on the Love Boat.  Once we figured out where they were, we at lunch in the same spot (there were something like a dozen restaurants) .  Watching the guy cook them to order, I realized I have never seen tacos made exactly this way before.

For those of you that don't live in Texas, pico de gallo is a ubiquitous condiment/salsa made of tomatoes, onions, peppers and lime.  Replace it with any salsa you like.

I like these tacos on the small side, with corn tortillas, but they work just as well with flour.  With the smaller tacos, the fish lasts longer.  Be gentle once you starting cooking the fish to keep the batter from coming off.

Yucatan Fish Tacos

12 oz fish prepared using the recipe for Oistins Fish Fry

1 onion, long sliced

2 Tbsp olive oil

White wine

Pinch of red pepper

1 avocado

Pico de gallo

Corn or flour tortillas

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat.


2. Sauté the onion until the onion starts to become translucent.

1. Add the fish with a pinch of hot chili

1. Once the fish starts to warm, add a splash of wine.  Allow the wine to boil off and remove from heat.

1. Warm the tortillas on a griddle or flat pan.

1. Prepare the tacos with fish, a slice of avocado and some pico de gallo

photo by daveypea

Its hard to go wrong with fried fish.  Fish and chips is not a fare landlocked in the UK, although its hard to match the popularity of UK chip shops.  As I have posted before, fried fish is common in the Caribbean Islands.

Friday's in southern Barbados brings the Oistins Fish Fry, near some of the best beaches on the island.  Dozens of fish stands appear, the tourists pour in and everyone enjoys the island version of Shriner's fried fish benefit.

I use the frozen fillets from Whole Foods.  They are excellent quality and come in the perfect portion for 2-4 people.  Be cautious not to marinate the fish too long in the lime, or you'll be frying ceviche.  I grind the panko a bit to avoid ending up with tempura, but I think the panko adds a good crunch to the breading.

Oistins Fish Fry

2 mahi mahi filets (12oz)

Juice of 2 limes

1 egg

1/2 white onion, minced

1 clove of garlic, minced

1 in grated ginger

1 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp black pepper

Pinch of clove

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup panko, ground a few seconds in a spice grinder

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tsp white pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp hot red chili

1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Rinse the fish, dust with salt and marinate it with the lime and 2 tablespoons of water for 30-60 minutes.

1. Beat the egg with a little water.   Add the onion, garlic, ginger, tumeric, coriander, cumin, cinnamon, garlic powder, clove and pepper.  Mix well.

1. Rinse the fish again and cut into 1/2" strips.  Marinate with the egg/seasoning mix for a few hours.


2. Mix the breadcrumbs, flour, panko, peppers, paprika and salt in a shallow bowl.

1. Dredge the fish the flour until covered well.

1. Fry over medium heat for 3 minutes per side.