A Splash of Soy: Everyday Food from Asia

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Author Lara Lee takes influence from her upbringing to a Chinese-Indonesian father and Australian mother, eulogising the contrasts in flavour, temperature and texture offered by the cuisine of her childhood.

Make the marinade by mixing the softened butter, miso, 1 tablespoon of the gochujang, garlic, chilli flakes, vinegar and 1 tablespoon honey together in a bowl with a pinch of salt. We are experiencing delays with deliveries to many countries, but in most cases local services have now resumed. For more details, please consult the latest information provided by Royal Mail's International Incident Bulletin.Stir in most of the toasted coconut and cashews, reserving a little of each for garnish, and return the prawns to the pan. Toss everything together. Transfer to a serving plate and sprinkle with the remaining coconut and cashews.

Australia, she says, has always explored playful interpretations of the dishes introduced by the country's immigrant communities. Accordingly, A Splash of Soy is not a homage to authenticity but features recipes that retain traditional flavour combinations with simplified technique and fun twists. A Splash of Soy is full of everyday family recipes you'll love to eat. It is the simplicity and usefulness of soy that this book is named after, an ingredient so impressive it can transform a meal with just a splash.

For a more intimate summer lunch, I shall stand at the kitchen table and chop lemongrass and garlic, spring onions and soft, green spring cabbage, then toss them with fat, wild prawns in a very hot pan. A splash of soy and fish sauce, this is the sort of special dish that always seems better when cooked just for two. The prawns, fat and sweet, are a rare treat. Put the sugars, mashed bananas, oil, eggs and salt in a large bowl and whisk them together with electric beaters for 2–3 minutes, or until thoroughly combined. To serve, scoop 2 large spoonful’s of the mixture into each lettuce cup, top with curly spring onions and serve with lime wedges. Sprinkle with the ginger, if using, and leave for 10 minutes to soak up the sauce. Carefully lift the cake out of the tin and cut it into squares. Serve warm with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream and an extra drizzle of the remaining Soy Sauce Caramel. Dessert will be a yoghurt cake, soft like a sponge but with a nod to cheesecake. There will be berries too, cooked with honey to spoon on top. The gooseberries are finally here and to be celebrated with any form of dairy (fool first, crumble and cream next, then as a compote with yoghurt).

This book builds on her breakout debut Indonesian cookbook, Coconut and Sambal, to explore the incredible contrast of sweet, salty, umami, sour and spicy flavours across Asia. To make the salad, peel the cucumber, cut in half lengthways and remove the wet, seedy core. Slice the flesh into pencil-thin pieces and put them in a bowl. Cut the gherkins or cornichons in half lengthwise then add them to the cucumber. Scatter over the bottled green peppercorns. Add the green beans along with 1 tablespoon water, the kecap manis, sugar and salt. Cook for another 3 minutes or so, stirring regularly, until the green beans are just cooked through with a crunchy bite. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large frying pan on a high heat. Add the pork and cook, stirring, for 6–8 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and set aside.

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The first bite of this banana pudding may well result in an exuberant ‘aaah’ moment, such is the beauty of the golden crumb of this magnificent cake. Soy sauce caramel soaks deep inside the banana sponge, adding moisture and soy’s savoury complexity. It’s a dessert worthy of a celebration, and lasts for several days in the fridge, magically reborn in just a few seconds in the microwave (or a few minutes in the oven, covered in foil). For the gooseberry compote, top and tail the gooseberries, then put them into a stainless-steel saucepan with the honey. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and continue cooking for 10 minutes or until the berries are soft and swollen. Ongoing Covid restrictions, reduced air and freight capacity, high volumes and winter weather conditions are all impacting transportation and local delivery across the globe. Fill two bowls with ice-cold water and soak the lettuce leaves and spring onions to crisp them up while you prepare the other ingredients. Drain well before use.

Add the lemon zest to the yolk mixture. Stop the machine, remove the bowl then stir in the yoghurt, using a large metal spoon. Sieve together the flour and cornflour then mix this into the batter. Place all the ingredients in a saucepan and warm gently on a low heat. Stir the ingredients together once the butter has melted, and contiune to cook until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and transfer to a serving jug or store in an airtight container in the fridge. Sometimes, summer lunch is a small event but nonetheless special. If this is an intimate lunch I am happy to make something for just two of us to share – a stir-fry, perhaps, (something I will never consider for a large group) that can be cooked while you chat, the kitchen doors wide open to the sunshine. Here you’ll find inventive brunch ideas like a Tom Yum Bloody Mary, spicy sides like Sambal Patatas Bravas, easy noodles like Cheesy Kimchi Linguine with Gochujang Butter and many more punchy curries, stir-fries and rice recipes from glazed meat to fragrant veg.If there are only a couple of us I will still make cake – it makes a pleasing weekend breakfast bake. Spring cabbage, prawns and lime (pictured above) Toast the coconut in a wok or large frying pan over a medium heat for about 2 minutes, shaking the pan frequently, until golden. Transfer the coconut to a plate.