LITCHI SALAD WITH SWEET CHILLI DRESSING
Serves 2-4
1 large pawpaw, sliced
12 litchis, peeled and pitted
2 avocados, peeled and sliced
1 pillow packet of rocket
2 limes, quartered
10ml olive oil
1 chilli to garnish
Dressing:
30ml brown sugar
50ml lime juice
100ml sweet chilli sauce
80ml mint leaves chopped
Arrange the pawpaw, litchis and avocados on a bed of rocket. Brush the limes with a little olive oil and cook on a hot griddle pan until griddle lines appear. Add to the salad. Combine the dressing ingredients and mix well. Pour dressing over the salad and serve immediately.
T ERIYAKI PORK FILLET WITH GLAZED LITCHI
600g boneless pork fillet
Marinade:
15ml vegetable oil
3ml ground cinnamon
125ml soy sauce
15ml honey
30ml brown sugar
5ml Chinese 5-spice powder
salt and pepper
Glazed litchis:
500ml whole or chopped litchis
30ml sugar
3ml ground cinnamon
45ml chopped coriander
Marinate the pork fillet in the combined marinade ingredients for a minimum of 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
Heat a small amount of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Remove meat from marinade and add to the hot pan. Cook for 10 minutes or until no longer pink in the centre, turning after 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove pork and keep warm.
Add litchis, sugar and cinnamon to pan. Reduce heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, covered, stirring occasionally. Add the remaining marinade and heat for 2 minutes.
Serve pork sliced with the litchis and some sauce. Sprinkle with chopped coriander.
LITCHI AND GINGER ICE
Serves 4
15ml grated ginger
150ml water
60-80ml castor sugar
250ml pitted litchis
mint for garnish
litchis for garnish
Place the ginger, water and sugar in a saucepan and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Remove and cool.
Place the litchis in a food processor together with the sugared water. Process to a fine puree. Pour the mixture into a metal mixing bowl and place in freezer for 3 hours – or until frozen.
Break the iced mixture into chunks and process again until slushy.
Return to the freezer once more until solid. Allow the mixture to soften lightly and scoop into 4 champagne glasses or rice bowls. Garnish with mint leaves and litchis.
LITCHI AND PRAWN CRYSTAL SPRING ROLLS
Serves 4
100g vermicelli rice noodles
8 rice wrappers
2 lettuce leaves, chopped
8 large cooked prawns – peeled, deveined and cut in half lengthways
20ml chopped fresh Thai basil
45ml chopped fresh mint leaves
45ml chopped fresh coriander
10 pitted litchis, chopped
Sauces:
20ml fish sauce
60ml water
30ml fresh lime juice
1 clove of garlic, crushed
30ml sugar
3ml garlic chilli sauce
45ml hoisin sauce
5ml finely chopped peanuts
Pour cold water over the noodles and set aside for 30 minutes until softened. Drain well and set aside.
Fill a large bowl with warm water and dip one rice wrapper into the water for 1-2 seconds to soften.
Lay the wrapper flat on a clean tea towel. In a row across the centre of the wrapper, make a layer of lettuce.
Top with two prawn halves, a handful of vermicelli, basil, mint, coriander, and chopped litchis, leaving about 5cm uncovered on each side. Fold uncovered sides inward, and then tightly roll up to enclose the filling. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Sauces: In a small bowl, mix the fish sauce, water, lime juice, garlic, sugar and chilli sauce. In another small bowl, mix the hoisin sauce and peanuts. Serve rolled spring rolls with the fish sauce and the hoisin sauce mixtures. - Saturday Star