Beef with Leeks (with mustard and red chilli oil)

450g beef, sliced finely
1 tsp salt
1 ½ tsp cornflour
1 egg white
3 slices root ginger, shredded
225g (3) leeks, sliced finely slantwise
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 oz lard
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp good stock
1 tbsp english mustard
2 tsp red chilli oil

Method
1. Rub the sliced beef with salt and toss with corn flour and egg.
2. Heat oil, when hot fry ½ the ginger for 30 secs, Add leeks and stir fry for 1 ½ mins, remove.
3. Add the lard, when hot stir fry the beef for 1 ½ mins. Add soy and remaining ginger.
4. Add the leeks back into the pan and stock. Toss for 30 secs.
5. Transfer to serving dish. Drizzle the mustard and red chilli oil.

Fish cakes, cutlets

I love Sri Lankan fish cutlets. They can only add to any occassion. The frying bit puts me off making them. Too much oil, too much mess, and I did not know what fish to use as the recommendation of a mackerel was again a bit oily. Watching the 'herb' lady (an english food program) making her version of a thai style fish cake, I was inspired. Thai fish cakes has sliced beans in them. A hidden vegetable, my secret passion!.

Her fish cake went like this:

1 tin salmon
1/2 cup cooked white rice
3 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
2 spring onions, finely sliced
3 sprigs coriander leaves (optional)
4 french beans, finely sliced,
1 tbsp red curry paste
2 tbsp natural yoghurt, (maybe more to bind)
1 tsp fish sauce
pinch of salt
Breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten (optional)
2 tbsp oil

1. Mix all but not the breadcrumbs, egg and oil in a mixing bowl.
2. Shape them into the size you want, then cover and refrigerate them for 1/2 an hour.
3. Heat pan and when hot add the oil. While this is happening, start patting breadcrumbs around the fishcakes. If you are not confident the fishcakes will stick together, dredge the fishcakes in a beaten egg before coating it with breadcrumbs. This generally seals the fishcakes together and forms a 'dough' around it. I think this just absorbs more oil. Just the breadcrumbs round the fishcake is fine, fragile to cook and will be prone to crumbling.
4. When oil is hot flatten the fishcakes on the pan. When the crumbs brown slightly turn. If it looks like the breadcrumbs are turning black, add more oil to the pan. The ingredients are all cooked and so there is no worry about being undercooked.

With Nathan I would make 2 batches - one for the adults (with more curry paste) and one batch for him. I would mix in the curry paste last after removing Nathan's batch. So I went back to the traditional fish cutlet recipe but added more herbs and vegetables. Here is one variation:

200g white fish
1 small potato
3 sprigs coriander leaves, chopped finely
2 spring onions, chopped finely
3 kaffir lime leaves, julienned
1/2 cup crunchy vegetable - cabbage, beans, finely chopped
Lots of pepper
Salt
1 egg, beaten
breadcrumbs
3 tbsp oil

1. Mix all, but the last 3 ingredients together. Roll them into bite sized pieces, cover and refrigerate for 1/2 an hour.
2. Dredge each piece in the beaten egg then roll them in the breadcrumbs.
3. Heat pan and oil. Flatten and fry them in the oil.

Supermarket

Never seen so many varieties of salt.

A healthy snack - fish bones

Here's how they sell salad leaves...

I'd seen this picture on - 'those crazy Japanese' photos.

But there - with my own eyes - a square watermelon!!!!