Half And Half - Fried Rice Fan Account

I'm sorry for the lateness of this letter. I've managed to fill my lockdown a bit too much to the brim, and have failed to find time to write. 

However, I'm back, and as if my joy for cooking. 

The other night, I had a breakthrough with a recipe I've been trying to get right for years. 

There is, imo, very few better feelings than nailing a recipe or dish that has wormed its way into your brain and taunted your tastebuds. (Better feelings are - meeting a friendly cat, a baby liking you, dough.)

Mine, for years, has been nasi goreng. It's a dish I fell for when my boyfriend introduced me to Malaysian dining, and it has since sat firmly atop my rankings of fried rice. 

I maintain that you should rarely pay for fried rice - when friends order it on Friday nights I pounce, arguing that fried rice should be composed from whatever is leftover from their takeaway feast. 

Nasi Goreng is the exception to the rule I've loved restaurants versions of it, and I will reveal below my favourite place to have it from but cooking it at home as seemed impossible. 

UNTIL THIS WEEK. 

Below is what, I consider, a perfect nasi goreng. It's not authentic.  It is vegetarian.  Feel free to add meat, but I think the veg balances the dish. 

This makes enough for two hungry people plus another for next day lunch. 

Marinade: 
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 spring onion, chopped
1 hot chilli, chopped
2 tablespoons of shrimp paste,
3 lime leaves,torn up.
2 tablespoons of kecap manis
1 lime

Tofu:
One block of firm tofu
Sambal (or any other spicy sauce)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Rice:
Three rice cooker cups of rice 
Three eggs, cracked and mixed with a fork. 
Veg of your choice, diced (I am pro Meera's brussel sprout vibe)
Spring onions, sliced
Dark soy sauce

Cucumber

Make your rice - cooking it in a rice cooker, or via your preferred method. Once done, remove from heat and leave to cool. 

Slice the tofu like a steak and pour over sambal and garlic to coat, pop to one side. 

Make the marinade. Heat up a wok and add a little bit of oil. Add in the garlic, shallot spring onion, chilli, shrimp paste, and lime leaves. Swirl about in the heat until they begin to soften, but not burn. This should be fairly quick. Remove from heat, and either grind to a paste or blend in a food processer. Mix in kecap manis and a squeeze of lime juice to taste. Adjust seasoning (don't be afraid in the paste tastes very spicy, it'll be tampered down by rice, just get the flavours to the right balance you like). 

Clean out the work and add another splash of oil. Fry the tofu for about 5 minutes, until parts are getting crispy. Remove from wok with a slotted utensil, and place aside. 

Using the remaining oil, put the wok on high heat and add your egg. Don't break it up Add a few drops of soy as the giant omelette hardens. When the edges are firm but the middle is still runny, remove from the wok. 

Put the heat down to medium. Add your veg and cook until almost done. Add a spoonful of paste, then your tofu and egg. Break them up a little bit, and add a spoonful more of paste. Add your rice and mix it into ingredients already in the pan. Taste and see if the flavouring is right for you, if not, add more paste. This whole process needs to be done fairly quickly or your rice will get mushy. Turn off the heat, add in the spring onions and soy and kecap manis to taste. Serve with cucumber. 


If I can be proud of learning this year, it's good tart pastry. 

So to celebrate, below are three tarts using condensed or evaporated milk, aka the nectar of ex-Empire countries. Tinned milk is up there with Milo as a uniting sweet signifier that your ancestors had a bad time thanks to the British. At least there's more of us than them. 

Hong Kong Egg Tarts

Hawaii's Local-Style Custard Pie

Creamy Lemon Pie

Half And Half by Rachael Krishna / Bath, United Kingdom Sent to you — Unsubscribe Delivered by