Adventures of Katsudon

… said my Korean friend, in delight, when she joined us at Hwaro BBQ. It seems like the entire Korean population in Melbourne thinks the same, as they literally swarmed in to sit around communal barbecues to grill marinated meats over hot coals. Always a sign of truly authentic food. It’s not just the warm wooden interiors or the impressive list of shoju on offer that reminds Koreans of home, but also the most essential ingredient of all - the ubiquitous kimchi. With just the right spiciness and sourness, I reckon it’s the best kimchi in town, and it looks like everyone agrees.

The menu is not for the faint-hearted, featuring ox tongue, pork belly and a hefty Scotch fillet. Neither is the shoju - be warned, it may result in embarrasing behaviour and a few regrets the day after! You won’t regret the food, though - and you’ll be hankering for your next dose of kimchi again soon.

V has been hankering for another taste of this dish since he first tried it some 2 years ago in a Thai restaurant in Newtown, Sydney. He goes on and on about how good it is! Surprise surprise, wannabe chefs, this is child’s play to make! Do try this at home…

First you have to get hold of some good quality Chinese roast duck. Half a duck is plenty. In Melbourne you can try the famous Pacific House in Richmond or South Yarra. We actually got our duck from a very busy roasting house in Springvale, somewhere in the main shopping center… Make sure they chop the duck into pieces for you. It’s also quite good to get the duck the day before and put it in the fridge. The next day all the duck fat has coagulated and is easy to remove from the meat. For those who are feeling a bit health conscious laa!

Then you need some good quality Thai red curry paste. We got some that came in a small can and unfortunately I can’t remember the brand, but it started with M. We have tried the Volcom brand too and that’s not bad. Just don’t go for an Australian brand like Asia at home or something like that - Just no kick in it, strictly for kwi low tastes only laaa! So, stick to something from good old South East Asia. Well, this latest curry paste we got certainly packed a punch!! woohh!

Other ingredients:

400ml coconut milk
3 kaffir lime leaves
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
1/4 cup chopped coriander leaves
brown sugar to taste
vegetables as desired (potatoes and eggplant are good)

Heat some oil in a wok and fry the garlic and spring onion and curry paste (About 2 tbsp depending on your tastebuds) until fragrant. Watch out, the curry paste tends to spit!!

Add the coconut milk, lime leaves and the vegetables. Bring to a boil and simmer until the vegetables are slightly underdone. This takes about 20 minutes with cubed potatoes. Add brown sugar to taste (I added about 2 tsp I think). You may also need to add more liquid - chicken stock or milk is fine.

Add the duck pieces and bring to the boil again then simmer gently until the duck is heated throughout. Don’t rush this part - underheated poultry makes for bad gastro. Add the coriander leaves in the last few minutes.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice, of course, topped with more freshly chopped coriander.

Yumm!! Will last for days and is even better the next day. Definitely deserves a five katsudon rating.

The first time I tried a dish similar to this was in Perth at the legendary Blue Duck in Cottesloe. A big bowl of steaming mussels with a coconutty milk sauce, lashings of chilli, and the freshness of lemongrass…. Mmmm!! Now this is what I call Fusion cuisine…

Tonight I made this delightfully simple dish at home, and it just blew our minds. perhaps because I quadrupled the amount of chilli that was prescribed!! Well I am a chilli freak… Anyway, it certainly had enough kick to send the endorphins rushing, and send me on a natural high!

This dish would set you back some $25 in a reasonably fancy establishment, but shouldn’t - it is child’s play to make, and costs very little.

(recipe modified from Gordon Ramsay’s in this month’s delicious magazine).
Ingredients

1 kg mussels (we bought Tasmanian ones for $8.50 a kg. There are cheaper local ones which are probably just as good).

1 stalk lemongrass

4 small red chillies (Chillipadis) - or less if you aren’t as masochistic as we are

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 thumbnail size pieces of ginger, grated

2-3 kaffir lime leaves

200ml coconut cream

1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp lime juice

small handful each torn basil and coriander leaves

Methods

Clean the mussels by washing in cold water, scrubbing off any barnacles, and pulling the beards off. Discard any that don’t close after a firm tap.

Remove the outer layers of the lemongrass and cut in half; chop the inner part of the lemongrass finely.

Heat some oil in a large saucepan and gently fry the chilli, lemongrass, ginger and garlic until fragrant

Add the Mussels, coconut cream, outer lemongrass parts, and lime leaves, shake to mix, and cover

Steam for 4-5 minutes, shaking the pan a few times
Add lime juice, fish sauce and sugar to taste (Add less first as it is difficult to adjust otherwise) then add herbs and serve with lots of crusty bread and a delicious Sauvignon blanc preferably from the Marlborough region in New Zealand.

Don’t plan anything energetic for after your meal as you will be in a food coma!!!

This recipe serves two people as a small main meal (Plan another simple dish to serve with it, or else increase the quantities).

ps. I think it would be great to add a pinch of turmeric to the mussels to give the sauce a lovely yellow colour.