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NYONYA TAU YU BAK

Braised pork belly with soy sauce

SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 5 MINS // COOK 2 HOURS

“This rustic dish reminds me of Dongpo pork, the braised pork

from Hangzhou in China, made famous by the 11th-century

poet-scholar, Su Dongpo,” says Tan. “Called tau yu bak by the

Hokkiens, it means meat (bak) cooked in soy sauce (tau yu), and

it is one of my mother’s favourites. It does not grace the menu of

many restaurants, though one of the best versions I’ve had lately

was at Tek Sen, a super-casual eatery in Penang. A cinch to

prepare, it tastes even better served a day or so after it’s cooked.

Pork belly is traditional, though any other meat may be used.

Some families add firm bean curd called tau kwa and boiled eggs,

while others pop in five spice and star anise for extra kick.”

1-2 tbsp vegetable oil

7 garlic cloves, skin on,

lightly crushed

1 tbsp caster sugar

½ tsp freshly ground black

peppercorns

600 gm pork belly (see note),

cut into large (about 5cm)

pieces

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tsp light soy sauce

Sambal belacan, to serve

(optional; see recipe below)

1 Heat oil in a saucepan over

medium heat and fry the garlic

until light golden (1-2 minutes).

Add the sugar and pepper

and cook until sugar caramelises

(2-3 minutes). Add pork, stir to

coat well, then add the soy

sauces, stir to combine and cook

for flavours to develop (about

1 minute). Add 750ml water and

bring to the boil, skimming any

impurities. Cover, reduce heat to

low and simmer gently, topping

up with water if necessary, until

the meat is fork tender and the

sauce is syrupy (1½-2 hours.)

2 Adjust seasoning to taste

with soy and sugar, and

serve with sambal belacan.

NoteIf you don’t like the porky

smell, blanch the pork in boiling

water and rinse before cooking.

Wine suggestion Rich, earthy

mourvèdre.

KERABU TIMUN

Cucumber salad

SERVES 4-6 // PREP TIME 15 MINS (PLUS SOAKING)

“With its hot, spicy, sweet and sour flavours, this Nyonya salad

is particularly delicious with the addition of torch ginger flower,”

says Tan. “Called bunga kantan in Malay, torch ginger is now

grown in Queensland and the Northern Territory. It is sold frozen

in many Asian grocers, but if you can’t find it, this salad is still

tasty without it. It uses two essential elements: dried shrimp and

sambal belacan. Once you have these, you can virtually add any

vegetable, such as okra or winged beans, and fruits including

young papaya and mango, to make this delectable salad.”

30 gm dried shrimp (see note),

soaked in hot water for

10 minutes

1 torch ginger flower

(see above)

2 Lebanese cucumbers

2 tbsp lightly toasted

desiccated coconut

Handful each of mint and

coriander leaves, to serve

(optional)

SAMBAL BELACAN

4-5 long red chillies, deseeded

for a milder heat, coarsely

chopped

1 tbsp roasted belacan

(see note)

Juice of 2 limes, or to taste

1 tbsp caster sugar, or to

taste

1 Drain shrimp and crush with

a mortar and pestle. Set aside.

2 For the sambal belacan, grind

chillies and roasted belacan to

a fine paste with a mortar and

pestle or small food processor.

Transfer to a bowl with lime juice

and sugar, and stir to combine.

3 Pull of the first couple of

petals of torch ginger and

discard. If using a fresh flower,

slice thinly crossways from

the tip, otherwise peel of each

petal from a frozen flower until

you reach the core (discard core)

and slice crossways.

4 Halve cucumbers

lengthways, and scrape out

the seeds with a teaspoon.

Slice into 1.5cm pieces then

mix well in a bowl with

pounded shrimp and sambal

belacan to taste. Add shredded

torch ginger and toasted

coconut and serve scattered

with mint and coriander.

NoteDried shrimp, and belacan

• a shrimp paste – are available
  from Asian grocers. To roast
  belacan, wrap in foil and
  roast at 180°C until pungent
  (10-15 minutes).➤

114 GOURMET TRAVELLER