Prepare the red curry paste

• Soak the dried red chilies in warm water for 15-20 minutes until they become pliable. Drain.
• In a mortar and pestle or a food processor, grind the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, and white peppercorns into a fine powder.
• In a food processor, combine the soaked red chillies, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime zest or leaves, and the ground spice mixture. Add shrimp paste.
• Blend the ingredients until you get a smooth and vibrant red paste. You might need to stop and scrape down the sides several times.
• If the paste is too thick, you can add a little vegetable oil to achieve the desired consistency.
• Store the red curry paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It can be kept for a few weeks, and you can also freeze it for longer storage.

Prepare the fish

• - Clean and score the fish. Season with salt.

Prepare vegetables

• - If using vegetables, prepare them by slicing them into bite-sized pieces.

Cook red curry paste

• - Heat a pan over medium heat and add the red curry paste. Stir-fry for a few minutes until fragrant.

Add coconut milk

• - Pour in the thick coconut milk and stir well with the curry paste.

Season the sauce

• - Add fish sauce and palm sugar. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste.

Cook the fish

• - Gently place the fish into the simmering curry sauce. Spoon some of the sauce over the fish.

Add vegetables

• - Add the vegetables to the curry sauce. Allow everything to simmer until the fish is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.

Add aromatics

• - Add torn kaffir lime leaves to the curry. Let it simmer for a few more minutes.

Garnish and serve

• - Garnish with Thai basil leaves and red chili slices.
• - Serve the Choo Chee Pla over steamed jasmine rice.

Prepare the Octopus

• Clean the octopus thoroughly under running water.
• Place the cleaned octopus in a plastic bag or wrap it tightly in plastic wrap. Freeze it for at least 24 hours. Freezing and thawing the octopus helps to break down the cell structure, making it more tender. This is a common method used in Spain.
• Remove the beak from the centre of the tentacles.
• Fill a large saucepan with water. Add the halved onion, bay leaves, and 1 tablespoon of sea salt.
• Bring the water to a boil.

Cook the Octopus

• Submerge the octopus into the boiling water three times, holding it by the head, to help curl the tentacles.
• Leave the octopus in the boiling water and cook for about 40-50 minutes or until it becomes tender. Check tenderness by inserting a fork; it should penetrate easily.
• Once cooked, remove the octopus from the pot and let it cool for a few minutes.

Prepare the Potatoes

• While the octopus is cooking, peel the potatoes and cut them into chunks.
• Boil the potatoes in salted water until they are tender but still firm.
• Once cooked, let the potatoes cool slightly. Then, cut them into thin slices.

Slice the Octopus

• Slice the octopus into bite-sized pieces. Aim for a thickness of about half an inch.

Assemble the Dish

• Arrange the sliced potatoes on a serving platter or individual plates.
• Place the sliced octopus on top of the potatoes.
• Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil.
• Sprinkle with Spanish smoked paprika and coarse sea salt to taste. Adjust the quantities based on your preference.

Garnish and Serve

• Garnish the dish with freshly chopped parsley.
• Serve Pulpo a la Gallega warm as a tapa or a main course.

Accompany with Alioli (Garlic Mayonnaise)

• Some variations of this dish are served with a side of aioli. You can make aioli by mixing crushed garlic with mayonnaise until you achieve a creamy consistency. Serve it on the side for dipping.

Stage 1 - boiling

• Place all the Stage 1 ingredients in a pan of cold water, bring to the boil and then simmer for 2 hours

Stage 2 - baking

• Make a glaze by mixing the Stage 2 ingredients in a bowl.
• Deeply score the pork belly into 2cm cubes, leaving the cubes connected. Rub the glaze into the meat.
• Place the glazed meat on a layer of foil in a baking tray, place in an oven at 220°C and cook for 30-45 minutes or until the crackling has risen and looks crispy all over. Baste the meat with the glaze from time to time.

Stage 3 - garnish

• Place the glazed meat on a flat serving plate and garnish with the Stage 3 ingredients - chopped red chillis and spring onions
• Cut off squares of meat with garnish and serve

• In a large bowl, combine the camel meat chunks with the chopped onions, minced garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, turmeric, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Mix well to ensure the meat is evenly coated with the spices. Let the mixture marinate for at least 30 minutes, or preferably overnight, in the refrigerator.
• Prepare your grill or barbecue to medium-high heat.
• Thread the marinated camel meat onto skewers, ensuring the pieces are packed closely together.
• Grill the skewers for about 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally, until the meat is cooked to your desired level of doneness. Make sure not to overcook the meat as it can become tough.
• Once the meat is cooked, remove it from the grill and let it rest for a few minutes.
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice over the grilled camel meat for added flavor.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.
• Serve the Hilib Ari hot with your choice of side dishes like rice, chapati, or Somali flatbread (canjeero).

Prepare the beef

• Wrap each rib-eye steak individually with cling wrap. Place the wrapped meat onto a metal baking tray.
• Put the tray into the freezer and let the meat partially freeze for about 2 to 2.5 hours. (The time can vary depending on your freezer setting, the thickness and size of the meat). The meat is ready if your knife goes through smoothly and you’re not having difficulties in thinly slicing it. If you do, you should put the meat back into the freezer and freeze it a bit longer.
• Remove the meat from the freezer and remove the cling wrap. Slice the meat thinly across the grain. Ideal thickness is 2mm to 3mm (1/8 inch). Now, the meat is ready to be marinated with bulgogi marinade.

Prepare the marinade

• In a mixer, combine soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, grated ginger, sesame seeds, Korean pepper sauce, pears, chopped green onions, rice wine, and honey. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
• Add the thinly sliced beef to the marinade and toss to coat. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours in the refrigerator.

Cook the bulgogi

• Heat a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add the vegetable oil.
• Once the oil is hot, add the marinated beef and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the beef is fully cooked and caramelized. You can also add sliced mushrooms and onions if desired and cook until they are tender.
• Season with black pepper to taste.

Serve the bulgogi

• Garnish with sliced red chilli.
• Serve hot over steamed rice or with lettuce leaves for wrapping the bulgogi into mouth-sized portions.

• Preheat your oven to 200°C.
• Cut the butternut squash in half lengthwise and remove the seeds with a spoon. Peel the skin off the squash with a vegetable peeler.
• Cut the squash into 1-inch cubes or wedges, depending on your preference.
• In a small bowl, mix together the minced garlic, grated ginger, orange juice, and olive oil.
• Place the butternut squash cubes in a large bowl and pour the ginger-garlic-orange juice mixture over the squash. Toss the squash until it is evenly coated with the mixture.
• Spread the squash out on a baking sheet in a single layer.
• Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the squash is tender and caramelized around the edges, turning the pieces halfway through the cooking time.
• Once the squash is cooked, remove it from the oven and transfer it to a serving dish.
• Garnish with fresh parsley, if desired, and serve warm.
• This dish is a perfect side for an autumn or winter meal and pairs well with roasted meats or as a standalone vegetarian option. Enjoy your baked butternut squash with ginger, garlic, and orange juice!

• Heat oil in a large pan or skillet over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
• Add chopped onions and sauté until they turn golden brown. Then, add minced garlic and ginger. Sauté for another minute.
• Add turmeric, coriander powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well and sauté for a minute until the spices are fragrant.
• Add chopped tomatoes and cook until they turn soft and mushy, stirring occasionally.
• Now, add the diced potatoes and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat until they are lightly browned.
• Add okra pieces and mix well with the potatoes. Cover the pan and let it cook for 10-12 minutes on low heat, stirring occasionally.
• Once the potatoes and okra are almost cooked, uncover the pan and cook for a few more minutes until the vegetables are completely cooked and tender.
• Sprinkle garam masala and give it a final stir.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with steamed rice or Indian bread such as roti or naan.

• Cut the onions in quarters, chop the cloves of garlic and slice the carrots.
• Render down the beef fat and use to caramelise the onions, garlic and carrot.
• Add fat, onions, garlic and carrot to the juices in the pan in which the beef was cooked to make the dripping.
• Add the plain flour to make a roux. (Use 1.5 tbsp plain flour for each cup of dripping)
• Then stir in the vegetable stock and red or port wine. (Use 50:50 beef stock/vegetable stock if you have beef stock on hand).
• Bring to a boil while stirring to mix the roux with the stock and reduce the wine to half its volume by simmering for 8 minutes.
• Remove the vegetables by passing the gravy through a sieve into a jug.
• Serve piping hot.