Gulai Daun Singkong Tumbuk, Brunei. Olympic Food Challenge

That's enough messing around in Africa and Europe for a bit, Time for the second Asian recipe of the Olympic Food Challenge.

Brunei, a sovereign state on the Island of Borneo in southeast Asia. A member of the IOC since 1984, they have no medals to their name and that doesn't look likely to change with only 3 athletes being sent to London.

This recipe is similar to one I had recently at a Thai restaurant and so was expecting much of the same.

Gulai Daun Singkong Tumbuk

Ingredients

Thumb sized piece fresh ginger, sliced

1 Onion, sliced

1 or 2 fresh, hot red -chilies, seeded, sliced

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Turmeric

1 tin of Coconut milk

1 Whole red snapper or-similar fish, about 1 pound, gutted and cleaned.

small piece of galangal

2 Stalks lemon grass or two slices of lemon

1/4 lb Spinach or Swiss chard,-coarsely chopped

Method

Blend the ginger, onion, chili, salt, sugar, turmeric and 1/4 cup of the coconut milk into a smooth paste. Set aside

Grill fish over charcoal or in a gas or electric broiler for 2 minutes on each side.

Put the remaining coconut milk and the spice paste in a large skillet and bring to a boil over moderate heat. Add the galangal and lemon grass and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the fish and greens, cook for 15 minutes basting occasionally. 

Verdict

Lovely creamy sauce with soft flaky fish. The sauce needed more heat, some more potent chillis would do the trick nicely. My only problem with this dish is cooking the fish whole, it's slightly irritating picking through bones to get to the fish. Next time I will probably fillet and cook that way.