Here is a light and fresh interpretation of jerk. Salmon is marinated with robust seasonings and pan-seared to perfection. The zesty herb salsa combines the freshness of cilantro, the heat of Scotch bonnet, and the tang of lime. If you’re not feeling herby, try the Mango Salsa (page 217) with this salmon instead. This recipe is perfect for everyday dinners and special occasions alike and embodies the bold, dynamic spirit of Jamaican cuisine. Enjoy it with a squeeze of lime to bring all the flavors together.
When I think of the foods that truly symbolize growing up on Long Island, one of them has to be the humble corn muffin. Bagel shop (or, as we call it, “bagel place”) and deli culture is something we Long Islanders take very seriously. Both establishments require great bagels, buttered kaiser rolls, bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches, thin chicken cutlets, massive slabs of crumb cake, overly sweetened iced tea lemonades (we call them half and halfs), and cakey corn muffins. No matter what you’re ordering, you always ask for the side-car corn muffin, which is cut in half, buttered, and toasted on the griddle. You’ll be handed a grease-stained brown paper bag with a massive, yellow corn muffin inside, with a quarter pound of softened margarine plopped in the center. The muffin is somehow moist yet dry. And most of the time only half of it ends up in your mouth because it shatters into a million bits on your lap. (I still think my parents are cleaning crumbs out of their cars from decades ago LOL.) Despite the mess, they are a sweet and savory staple and something I will forever crave. When creating this recipe, I wanted all the flavors of corn muffins past—but with a slightly less crumbly texture for an even more enjoyable eating experience.
An Italian contorno that combines two of our favorite things: perfectly prepared beans and cooked greens. A cima puree, essentially more blanched greens blended with olive oil until silky, holds everything together while staying on brand. The combination tastes creamy, vital, and very Italian.
It’s important to use home-cooked chickpeas and heavily blanched cavolo so the cooking liquor from both can be added as needed when you bring everything together.
One of my favorite things that I ate in Singapore was chile crab, a cultural icon. A sweet and tomatoey sauce, enriched with eggs and used to smother giant crabs. We also got a black pepper butter crab which was so buttery and peppery. We ended up combining the two crabs and it created the most delicious bite we could have imagined – peppery, spicy, and slightly sweet. I’ve encompassed that glorious bite into a burger. To make it more budget friendly I’ve opted for shrimp instead of crab, but feel free to switch out the shrimp for 8 oz / 225g lump crab meat, or even any cooked fish for an easy fish patty.
You’ll find these juicy, sticky, charred wings at Singapore’s hawker centers (or food courts), where there’s usually at least one vendor flipping them over a charcoal grill. The chicken wings are marinated in dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and garlic, then served with a spicy dipping sauce made of chiles and lime.
Gyulshah Mintash is our assistant manager at the Brent Cross branch of LEON, and this is their deliciously nutty tahini cake.
Triple onion power here, with caramelized onions, spring onions and onion powder for maximum flavour. Get your favourite crunchy crisps out and enjoy.
This aromatic bread is made with a combination of bread flour and masa harina, which gives it a wonderful corn-y flavor. The thin, crispy crust yields to a moist, tender crumb, and, as the name suggests, it’s especially good toasted. While we find it easiest to make this dough in a stand mixer, it can also be made by hand; just be mindful of the amount of flour added during kneading so that the nice tender crumb you’re going for doesn’t become too dense.
Omelettes were a huge part of my diet when I was growing up. They were something quick and easy for my dad to make for us when our mum was in hospital in Kolkata for her radiotherapy treatments. We would roll these omelettes up inside flatbreads or place them between two slices of bread toasted in a pan to make a sandwich, then eat them – always with tomato ketchup.
This is our house granola, because it is both delicious and adaptable. Swap out the nuts, sub in seeds, mix in whatever dried fruit you want. I’ve even made it with maple syrup instead of date molasses. But this is the version we like best. The date molasses and tahini swathe each morsel in an addictive, salty-sweet coating that is hard to stop snacking on. We spoon this granola onto yogurt, use it to top fruit crumbles, layer it in parfaits, and eat it out of hand throughout the day.
If you like your granola on the chewy side, bake it for less time (35 to 45 minutes) and pack it more tightly in the baking sheet; for crispier granola, bake it longer (40 to 50 minutes) and spread it out in a thinner, more even layer. As always, much depends on your individual oven.