5 Ingredients, an Urban Family series where we sit down with a Shanghai-based chef and ask for a family-friendly meal using 5 Ingredients easily found in Shanghai; let us help you start the week with a simple five-step recipe!
This week we talked to Hamish Waddel Executive Chef @ M on the Bund and M Glam. Hamish and his wife Larissa moved to Shanghai 6 months ago for his position with the M group, and he has quickly fallen in love with the city; from the markets, to the back-street eateries and all the new produce he is using, it’s a far cry from where he has previously worked. Originally from New Zealand, Hamish was raised sharing many experiences in the kitchen with his grandmothers, who are both amazing cooks. This has largely contributed to him cultivating a love of all things culinary, especially the enjoyment of bringing people together over a shared meal.
What dish are you helping us prepare this week?
It’s called ‘Ika Mata’ a traditional Cook Island's dish that I grew up with, also known as Kokonda. It’s a refreshing cured fish salad. I spent my childhood collecting fresh seafood a 2 minutes walk from my parents beach house, and cooking it on an open wood fire BBQ. It’s still my favorite thing to do when I go home to New Zealand, nothing beats true raw cooking, in its purist form.
What five ingredients do we need?
200 grams of firm white fish fillet (I use leather jacket fish)
2 red chillies, deseeded
1 lettuce gem (baby coz or romaine)
3 lemons
150 milliliters fresh coconut cream (canned can also be used)
What is the five-step recipe?
1. Dice the fish fillets into 5 millimeter cubes and place in a bowl.
2. Add the lemon juice.
3. Cure the fish in the lemon juice for 1 hour.
4. Pour out the lemon juice and add the coconut cream, diced chilies and lemon zest.
5. Mix together and place all the ingredients on crisp gem lettuce leaves and season to taste.
What’s your advice on your dish of the week?
My advice with this dish is the same as any other, to have fun with it. I’ve also made this dish with mussels, prawns, scallops, and you can even add seaweed and fish eggs to be creative. It tastes even better served with a nice crisp Pinot Gris!
Tell us something that’s happening in your restaurant at the moment, that our Urban Family community can enjoy.
We recently had a pop up restaurant collaboration between M Glam and Peggy Chan from Grassroots Pantry in Hong Kong. There was organic, vegan and local produce available over a three day weekend. It was a great success and we will soon be offering a vegan brunch menu once a month at M Glam.
See listing for M on the Bund and M Glam.
For more 5 Ingredients recipes, click here.
