CEVICHE

Ceviche? Or seviche? I really don't care how you spell it. But I have a real preference for how it is made. There is a style on the Pacific Coast of Mexico that has olives and tomato juice and a host of other things in it. I prefer this simpler style with just lime juice, raw fish, diced tomato, sliced chillies, oregano, coriander, onion, salt and a little olive oil. This is one of those incredibly refreshing dishes (like a lot of Thai salads and gazpacho) that are perfect on a summer day - or in this case, a summer evening with the sky over the ocean stained mauve by the setting sun.

CEVICHE

TEQUILA Y SANGRITA

Hacienda del Cristero is one of my favourite tequilas. It is white. Some people prefer reposados or añejos for the softening that wood ageing gives them. Blancos, though are the purest expression of tequila - and this is one of the best blancos. I have seen many different recipes for sangrita - literally, little blood. My favourite is one from Club de Industriales in Mexico City, using tomato juice, orange juice, onion, jicama, fresh serrano chillies and other goodies. There is another style made from seville orange juice (or valencia and lime juices), with grenadine, powdered chilli and salt. That is what I made today - basically because I didn't have any tomato juice. If you like tequila but don't know sangrita, Google a recipe and have a go at making some.

TEQUILA Y SANGRITA

ROASTED VEGETABLES ON SOFT POLENTA

For the carnivores or omnivores amongst us, there is a certain stigma to the word vegetarian. The feeling defies logic. It is irrational. But it is real. Vegetarian is akin to scientologist. Most restaurants now feel pressured to have at least one vegetarian dish on their menus. However, these are mostly ill-conceived and embarrassing affairs that look dowdy compared with the bravura exuded by the dishes based around flesh. We are not vegetarians. However we often eat meals without meat. Such as tonight. There is a very rich home-made chicken stock in the polenta, so a vegan would not approved. But the broccoli, capsicum, beans and zucchini on the polenta make for a filling and satisfying meal. Seriously, I did not miss the meat or bird or fish. Promise. No, really. Honestly. Scout's honour.

ROASTED VEGETABLES ON SOFT POLENTA

MALAY STYLE CHICKEN LAKSA

(Serves 4)

FOR LAKSA PASTE

1 LARGE SPANISH ONION OR 4 ESCHALLOTS, CHOPPED

4 CLOVES OF GARLIC, CHOPPED

1 TABLESPOON OF BLACHAN (SHRIMP PASTE)

2 STALKS OF LEMONGRASS, BRUISED AND CHOPPED

ZEST OF 1 LIME

1 TABLESPOON OF FRESH TURMERIC, CHOPPED

1 TABLESPOON OF FRESH GALANGAL, CHOPPED

4 FRESH RED BIRDS EYE CHILLIES

4 CANDLENUTS

2 WASHED & CHOPPED CORIANDER ROOTS

1 TABLESPOON OF WASHED CORIANDER LEAVES

1 TABLESPOON OF LAKSA (VIETNAMESE LEAVES)

1 TEASPOON OF ROASTED & GROUND DRIED PRAWNS

1 TEASPOON OF ROASTED & GROUND CORIANDER SEEDS

2 ROASTED & GROUND DRIED CHILLIES

125 MLS PEANUT OIL

FOR SOUP

2 TABLESPOONS OF PEANUT OIL

4 TABLESPOONS OF LAKSA PASTE

1.5 LITRES HOME-MADE CHICKEN STOCK

1 TEASPOON OF SALT

2 TEASPOONS OF GRATED PALM SUGAR

2 CUPS OF COCONUT CREAM

200 GMS HOKKIEN NOODLES

100 GMS RICE VERMICELLI NOODLES

4 SQUARES OF FRIED BEAN CURD PUFFS, CUT IN HALF

SLICED MEAT FROM 1/2 A COOKED CHICKEN

2 TABLESPOONS OF BAMBOO SHOOTS CUT INTO MATCHSTICKS

1 CUP OF BEAN SPROUTS

LAKSA LEAVES

CORIANDER LEAVES

MINT LEAVES

TO SERVE

ROASTED CHILLI PASTE IN A SMALL BOWL

To make the paste, blend all ingredients to a really smooth paste. This can be made ahead. The paste will keep for a couple of months in the refrigerator, covered with a film of oil.

To make the laksa, heat the oil in a hot wok. Add laksa paste and fry until fragrant. Add, stock, salt and sugar and allow to come to the boil. Add coconut cream. Reduce heat and stir frequently as it heats.

Meanwhile cook rice vermicelli in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain. Pour boiling water over the Hokkien noodles (you could use the water from the vermicelli). Drain and rinse.

Add chicken, bean curd puffs and bamboo shoots to the wok and heat, but do not boil.

Place noodles into 4 deep bowls. Place chicken, bean curd puffs and bamboo shots on top, then pour in laksa soup. Scatter bean sprouts, mint, coriander and laksa leaves on top to garnish.

To add an extra kick, a spoon of roasted chilli paste can be stirred through the soup.

MALAY STYLE CHICKEN LAKSA

TOM YAM PLA

How healthy is this stuff? Brilliantly clear gelatinous stock made using the frame of the blue eye trevalla I cooked last night. Nothing but good stuff in the tom yam paste. Then chunks of fish, tomatoes, coriander and Thai basil from the garden.

TOM YAM PLA

POACHED BLUE EYE WITH MUSHROOMS AND ASPARAGUS

When I was visiting the fishmonger this afternoon, there was a tray of really bright fillets without a label. Shane, the fishmonger, came out from the back of the shop and told me about the fish that caught my attention. It was blue eye. Trevalla. He had bought it this morning at the Brisbane markets. It was caught by some friends of his last night. They were taking their trawler north to Darwin to fish for gold band snapper, but decided to fish for blue eye just off the coast here as they travelled north. Shane was in the process of filleting the fish when I arrived. I bought a couple of fillets as well as a whole fish frame. This afternoon I made some stock, using the frame, young ginger and white peppercorns. I strained some stock into a sautée pan and poached asparagus, shimeji and enoki mushrooms and the blue eye fillets. After plating up, I spooned over a reduction of grape seed oil, light soy sauce, sambal oelek, sugar and rice vinegar. Delicious. Healthy.

POACHED BLUE EYE WITH MUSHROOMS AND ASPARAGUS

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH EPAZOTE CORN AND REFRIED PINTO BEANS

Over-run by epazote. Only thing to do is eat it. A classic old Mexican recipe of discs of corn, finely chopped chillies and epazote sautéed in butter and lard. Roasted chicken thighs and a bed of refried pinto beans. Proper peasant food, but pretty healthy - even allowing for the lard

ROASTED CHICKEN WITH EPAZOTE CORN AND REFRIED PINTO BEANS

GOLD BAND SNAPPER WITH GARLIC BROCCOLI AND CHILTEPIN TOMATO SAUCE

Some chilli experts reckon chiltepins are the original chilli. These tiny spherical chillies still grow wild. They used to rely on birds for germination. Birds would eat the chillies, shit out the seeds and somewhere in the travels through the avarian digestive system, the seeds were converted into a state of fertility so that when they landed on soil, they took root. of course, if they landed on a head, a car or a house, nothing happened. This sauce is made using these pea-sized chillies, big sweet tomatoes from the markets, garlic and lard - indispensable in Mexican cooking.

GOLD BAND SNAPPER WITH GARLIC BROCCOLI AND CHILTEPIN TOMATO SAUCE

TUNA, BEAN AND POTATO SALAD, TAPENADE VINAIGRETTE & ROAST GARLIC AIOLI

Yes, tuna again. With beans and potato? Almost a Niçoise salad. I cannot believe the good folks of Nice only make one kind of salad. Anyway, in place of whole olives, I added kalamata olive tapenade to olive oil and sherry vinegar for a Niçoise-inspired dressing - and some roast garlic aïoli, because that is also something I associate with Provence.

TUNA, BEAN AND POTATO SALAD, TAPENADE VINAIGRETTE & ROAST GARLIC AIOLI

CHIPOTLE TUNA WITH ROASTED CORN SALSA & CARAMELISED CAPSICUM

Eenie meenie ... I was in the fishmonger's shop this afternoon. He had some whole local garfish that were so fresh they were still in a state of rigor mortis. I was tempted. In the end I opted for this yellowfin tuna based on the glistening deep translucent colour of the flesh. I ground a chipotle meco chilli to a fine powder and then rubbed it on the surface of the fish before sautéing it over high heat to sear the outside without cooking the centre. A warm salsa of roasted corn & sautéed onion, with tomatoes, agave syrup, lime juice and salt added after coming off the heat.

CHIPOTLE TUNA WITH ROASTED CORN SALSA & CARAMELISED CAPSICUM

SALMON WITH ROASTED TOMATOES, CARAMELISED TOMATO BALSAMIC VINEGAR & FINGER LIME

Finger limes are brilliant things. Well, they are mostly brilliant. We planted one in our garden - and that particular plant isn't brilliant. As a plant, it looks good. As a source of fruit, it is a failure. Maybe next year. Lucky a stallholder at the markets had some. Scoop out the tiny pellets of limeness and sprinkle them on food or add them to salad dressings. Then enjoy the burst of freshness as you bite into each tiny pearl. These cherry tomatoes also came from the markets. They were slowly roasted at 80C for hours - with olive oil, salt, sugar and thyme. Simply seared salmon and a drizzle of the brilliant Robinvale caramelised tomato balsamic vinegar and that's that. A mesclun salad on the side.

SALMON WITH ROASTED TOMATOES, CARAMELISED TOMATO BALSAMIC VINEGAR & FINGER LIME

WHITING WITH STEAMED CAULIFLOWER AND ROAST GARLIC AIOLI

Every time I go into our local fishmonger, I play musical fish. Today when the music stopped I was adjacent to this gorgeous whiting. I could have sat on it. I chose to buy it. I had made some aïoli a few days ago and had a head of cauliflower in the fridge. When I saw an Alice Waters recipe for steamed cauliflower with aïoli, dinner was decided. A simple mesclun salad on the side. A nice chardonnay in front of me. Happiness.

WHITING WITH STEAMED CAULIFLOWER AND ROAST GARLIC AIOLI