Week 7 Term 2 – 15 September 2025

Why methods?

We teach techniques, not recipes – because techniques are the building blocks of great cooking.  All our chefs are either trade qualified or Le Cordon Bleu trained, and we teach the way we were taught – using a ‘see it, do it’ model.  This means that for most classes our chef instructors use ‘running demos’ where they show you the skill and then you copy it – with assistance from your instructor as needed.   And in our express classes you will cook at the same time as the chef, following their lead.   We will give you an ingredients list and a method for each class, but you do not have to use it.

Our chefs will explain patiently and walk you through each class.   And if your dish doesn’t work out, that is OK – we run most classes 3 or 4 times a week so you can always come and try again!  Failure is part of learning.

Use these methods below to practice at home.

1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Cutting board with paper towel under it
  • Knife
  • Cooktop
  • Large saucepan or wok
  • Blender
  • Spatula
  • Wok shovel
  • Dariole mould or small container

Ingredients

  • ½ shallot roughly chopped
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ tsp sambal oelek
  • ¼ tsp shrimp paste (v – genmai miso or other dark miso or Korean doenjang)
  • 100g chicken thigh fillet (v- 100g firm tofu)
  • 1 egg
  • 1 cup cold cooked jasmine rice/long grain rice
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 ½ tbsp kecap manis
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp fried shallots
  • 3cm piece cucumber
  • ½ small tomato or 3 cherry tomatoes
  • Salt and pepper

Method

 

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Make and cook spice paste:
    • Grind or blend fresh shallot, garlic, sambal oelek and shrimp paste to a coarse puree (like thick porridge)
    • Transfer to a small container.
  3. Cook egg and chicken
    • Slice chicken (v- tofu) into 2 cm cubes.
    • Fry egg in one quarter of the oil until crispy. Set aside.
    • Fry chicken (v-tofu) in one quarter of the oil. Set aside, separate to chicken.
  4. Cook spice paste:
    • Heat remaining oil over a medium to high heat.
    • Cook spice paste, stirring and scraping pan, until the paste darkens (about 2 minutes).
  5. Add rice, soy sauce and half of the kecap manis. Stirfry until combined.  Taste and adjust seasoning.
  6. Plate rice
    • Put rice on plate.
    • Reheat egg in frypan and add to top.
    • Garnish with fried shallots, tomato and cucumber. Drizzle over extra kecap manis.
  7. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Cutting board with paper towel under it
  • Knife
  • Cooktop
  • Large saucepan or wok
  • Wok shovel
  • 2 small containers/moulds

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cooked jasmine rice
  • 4cm piece green onion/shallot
  • 3cm piece carrot
  • 1 egg
  • 3cm piece lap cheong (v- 20g roasted unsalted cashews)
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp light soy sauce
  • ¼ tsp dark soy sauce
  • Fat pinch salt
  • Fat pinch sugar
  • Fat pinch bouillon powder (optional)
  • 3 drops sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Prepare ingredients:
    a. Wash and finely dice shallot and carrot.
    b. Slice lap cheong very finely. (v – break up cashews into approximate halves).
    c. Whisk egg in small container with 3 drops sesame oil and half the salt.
    d. Break up rice to separate grains.
    e. Make seasoning by adding light soy, dark soy, remaining salt, sugar and bouillon powder to a small container.
  3. Cook carrot in a little oil until softened. Set aside.
  4. Cook lap cheong in a little oil until it looks glazed (v – cook cashews in a little oil until they start to brown). Set aside.
  5. Cook egg – fry in a little oil, stirring gently for amount 20 seconds.
  6. Cook rice.
    a. Add rice to frypan/wok and move about, using the wok shovel from the sides of the wok, not from the centre.
    b. When hot, and grains are separated, add lap cheong (v – cashews) and carrot.
    c. Add seasoning sauce.
  7. Plate rice. Top with chopped shallot.
  8. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Beef consommé (v – vegetable consommé)

2 x 650ml containers

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Saucepan
  • Blender
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Knife
  • Bowl
  • Spatula

Ingredients

  • 1 egg white (v – 2 egg whites)
  • 400 ml cold beef stock
  • 80g minced beef
  • 4cm piece green onion (green part only
  • ¼ small onion
  • 15g carrot
  • 15g leek
  • 15g celery
  • 2 peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Small sprig thyme
  • Salt

Method

 

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Very finely julienne green onion and set aside in a little iced water to curl.
  3. Make consommé clarifier:
    a. Roughly chop leek, onion and celery.
    b. Put egg white (v – 2 egg whites), 2 tbs stock, minced beef (v – omit) and chopped vegies into a blender and blend to a fine paste.
  4. Mix clarifier, bay leaf, peppercorns and stock together in saucepan.
  5. Bring to a simmer very (very) gently, keeping the bottom of the saucepan clean by carefully using a spatula to scrape the base from time to time. Disturb the consommé as little as possible and allow a ‘raft’ to form.
  6. When the ‘raft’ floats to the top and you can see the edges of the soup are clear, strain by ladling into a muslin/Chux/coffee filter lined chinois or strainer/sieve into a small saucepan.
  7. Heat gently and season with salt ONLY – no pepper.
  8. Pour into a bowl and garnish with curled green onion.
  9. Clean down quickly, wipe knives and boards.

Vichyssoise

Note – this soup is traditionally served cold.  You have the option of serving it cold or warm.

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Saucepan
  • Blender
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Knife
  • Bowl
  • Spatula

Ingredients

  • ½ small onion
  • 20g butter
  • 5ml olive oil
  • 1 potato
  • ½ white part of a leek
  • 250ml chicken stock
  • 50ml cream
  • Chives – 6 stalks approx.
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Nutmeg, pinch

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Prepare vegetables:
    a. Chop brown onion coarsely.
    b. Dice potatoes into small dice.
    c. Slice leek thinly.
  3. Saute vegetables:
    a. In the saucepan, heat butter and olive oil.
    b. Sweat the onions until translucent.
    c. Sweat the leek.
    d. Add the potatoes and saute with the onion and leek.
    e. Season.
  4. Make soup:
    a. Add stock and bring just to a boil.
    b. Reduce heat and simmer until potatoes are tender (15 to 25 minutes, depending on fineness of dice).
    c. Puree until smooth.
    d. Add cream and reheat if serving hot.
    e. Taste for seasoning.
  5. If wanting to serve cold, refrigerate until cold.
  6. Serve garnished with chives.
  7. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

This recipe (in Bahasa – Ajam Besengeh) is based on a Toine’s Kitchen recipe.

1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Frypan or wok
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Knife
  • Blender
  • Small bowl
  • Veg peeler

Ingredients

  • 1 tsp palm sugar
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • ½ onion
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 cm slice ginger
  • 1 cm slice galangal
  • 1 clove garlic
  • ½ mild red chilli (optional)
  • ½ spring onion/scallion
  • 150g chicken breast (v – 100g tofu and 50g mushrooms, preferable Asian e.g. king oyster)
  • 1 stalk lemongrass
  • 100ml coconut cream
  • Salt
  • White pepper
  • 1 cup long grain rice (chef to provide)
  • ½ small tomato or 3 cherry tomatoes
  • 3 cm piece cucumber

Method 

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Prepare vegetables (keep separate):
    a. Cut half the onion into 1 cm pieces
    b. Finely dice the other half of the onion
    c. Cut the white part of the spring onion/scallion into 1cm pieces
    d. Finely slice the green part of the scallion
    e. Peel the ginger and cut in quarters
    f. Peel the galangal and cut in quarters
    g. Tie the lemongrass in a knot
    h. Cut tomato and cucumber into fine dice
    i. Deseed the chilli and finely dice
  3. Prepare spice paste:
    a. Add tamarind puree to the blender with an equal amount of hot water.
    b. Add:
  • 1 tsp palm sugar
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • Chunks of onion
  • 1 tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground coriander
  • ¼ tsp ground cumin
  • 1 cm slice ginger
  • 1 cm slice galangal
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Half of the chilli
  • White part of spring onion/scallion
  1. Prepare and cook the spice paste and chicken:
    a. Cut chicken (v – tofu and mushrooms) into 2 cm pieces.
    b. Add 1 tbsp of coconut cream to frypan/wok over high heat. Cook until it clears (takes about 3 minutes).
    c. Add spice paste and cook until it dries out a bit and is no longer runny.
    d. Add finely diced onion and remaining chilli. Cook until onion is translucent.
    e. Add salt and pepper to taste.
    f. Add chicken and cook until browned but not cooked through.
    g. Add coconut milk and lemongrass and stir to combine until sauce is an even colour.
  2. Cook down sauce:
    a. When chicken is cooked, remove from pan.
    b. Turn up heat and reduce sauce by one third.
    c. When reduced, turn off heat and return chicken(v – tofu and mushrooms) to pan to warm through.
  3. Plate:
    a. Put rice on plate.
    b. Add chicken (v – tofu and mushrooms) and sauce.
    c. Garnish with sliced scallion/green onion.
  4. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

As for Espagnole and Bechamel, these mother sauces are made from a base of roux.  Hollandaise is the only mother sauce not made on roux (it is made on a sabayon base and is significantly harder to reliably produce).

2 x 650ml containers

Sauce Tomate

Equipment

  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Knife
  • Cooktop
  • Large saucepan
  • Whisk
  • 1/9 deep gastro pan or baking tray
  • Sieve for straining
  • Pastry scraper
  • Small sheet of foil (about 20cmx20cm)

Ingredients

  • 20g speck or guanciale
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • ½ carrot
  • ¼ onion
  • 4cm piece of celery
  • 1 small bay leaf
  • 1 small sprig thyme
  • Heaped 1 tbsp plain flour
  • 400g tin crushed tomato
  • 250ml beef stock
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Fat pinch brown sugar
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Preheat oven to 180C.
  3. Prepare vegetables (keep garlic separate):
    a. Coarsely chop carrot.
    b. Coarsely chop onion.
    c. Coarsely chop celery.
  4. Cut speck: Cut into fine dice.
  5. Cook speck: add to saucepan with butter over medium heat and fry until the fat has rendered out of the speck.
  6. Add vegetables, bay leaf and thyme and cook until onions are translucent.
  7. Add flour and cook over medium high heat, stirring, until flour is golden.
  8. Stir in stock, whisking until smooth.
  9. Add whole garlic and tomatoes and increase heat, bring to a boil.
  10. Transfer to gastro pan/tray.
  11. Bake partially covered with foil in oven for about 45 minutes until vegetables are soft and sauce is thick.
  12. Add sugar and salt and pepper to taste.
  13. Remove thyme and bay leaf and push all solids through sieve using pastry scraper (or blend using a stick blender).
  14. Put in container, if not using immediately cover top with baking paper to prevent a skin from forming.
  15. Clean down quickly, including cleaning and sanitising cutting boards and knives.

Note

From Sauce Tomate you can create many other sauces, including Provencale (with fennel seed, fresh thyme, rosemary and basil) and Creole (with sauteed red capsicum, white wine and vinegar based chilli sauce).

Velouté

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Saucepan
  • Whisk
  • Jug

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 350ml chicken stock (v – vegetable stock)
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • Fat pinch white pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Heat stock to just below boiling in saucepan then transfer to jug. Wash out saucepan.
  3. Make roux:
    a. Melt butter in saucepan.
    b. Add flour and combine.
    c. Cook until flour smells a bit toasted but is not browned (about 2 minutes).
  4. Add stock:
    a. Whisk in half the stock quickly, off the heat. Whisk until the sauce is smooth.
    b. Return to med heat and gradually whisk in the rest of the stock.
    c. Bring just to the boil, stirring constantly.
    d. When stock begins to boil, reduce heat and keep whisking for 2 minutes.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste.
  6. Put in container, if not using immediately cover top with baking paper to prevent a skin from forming.
  7. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Note

From velouté, you can create many other sauces including sauce supreme (with cream) or sauce vin blanc (with white wine and shallots).  By adding a liaison (egg yolk and cream) you can thicken the sauce and make a velvety base for soup.  For seafood dishes, use a fish stock.

1 x 650ml container

  1. You will be given 3 to 5 ingredients in your mystery box. These will usually (but not always) include a grain, a protein and a vegetable.
  2. The goal of these classes is to teach adaptability – i.e. using what you have. Try to use all of the ingredients to make a meal you would like to eat.
  3. It’s not a race, please cook calmly without running or rushing. Normal safety rules apply.
  4. It’s also not a competition – this is a skills building class and if you improve your ability to adapt and improvise then you have succeeded.
  5. If you dirty it you wash it up – so it pays to be mindful of your mess.
  6. In addition to what is in the mystery box, you can access the dry store and anything in the fridge that is not marked ‘do not use’. Please do not use frozen ingredients (except ice).  
  7. When accessing the dry store and fridge, please be mindful of the needs of other students in your class (aka ‘please don’t hog the good stuff’ and use clean hands – some of our students are coeliac and it is important to keep the outside of containers gluten-free).
  8. Please use clean utensils when portioning ingredients – no double dipping between containers and no fingers.
  9. Please use ingredients like saffron, truffle paste and the like mindfully – the current ingredients pack fee for this class is inexpensive, let’s keep it that way 😊
  10. If you notice something you use is low, or you use the last of something, then please make a note on the shopping list on the side of the fridge.
  11. This is a good class to practice plating skills, if that is your jam.
  12. If you make a mistake, or burn something, or an element of the dish doesn’t work out, try to pivot. If that doesn’t work then don’t worry – there is always next week. 😊
  13. You have one hour to cook, which leaves 30 minutes to taste, plate, clean down and eat your food.
  14. The chef teacher is available to help you if you need ideas or suggestions.
  15. Remember, as always, to taste and season your food.

Note this class is not suitable for anyone with a peanut allergy or sensitivity.

1 x 650ml container

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Large frypan
  • Cutting board w paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Bowl
  • Blender
  • 2 wooden skewers, soaked for 20 minutes in water
  • Dariole mould or small container for soaking chillies
  • Small container preferably metal to keep sauce warm
  • Small piece of foil

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tbs fish sauce
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 shallots
  • ½ small tomato
  • 4cm piece cucumber
  • 80ml (4 tbsp) vegetable oil
  • 3 tsp kecap manis
  • ½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • Fat pinch chilli powder
  • 2 cm piece of ginger
  • 2 cm piece galangal
  • 1 tbsp dried shrimp (v – omit)
  • 8 cm piece of lemongrass, white part only
  • 125g lean beef rump or sirloin, lightly frozen (v – 100g tofu, 50g mixed soft vegetables eg zucchini, mushroom, cherry tomatoes, onion)
  • 125g roasted unsalted peanuts
  • 10g chilli flakes
  • 80ml coconut milk
  • 2 tsp tamarind paste
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 cup cooked rice (chef to prepare)

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Put the chilli flakes (not the chilli powder) and the dried shrimp (v – omit shrimp) into a small container of hot water to rehydrate.
  3. Prepare vegetables:
    a. Mince shallot
    b. Mince garlic
    c. Mince ginger and galangal together
    d. Mince lemongrass
    e. Slice tomato and cucumber
  4. Slice beef into strips about 5cm long and 2mm thick (v – cut tofu and mixed veg into bite sized pieces).
  5. Make marinade and marinate meat (v – tofu and veg):
    a. Mix together in a bowl:
      i. half the brown sugar,
      ii. all the fish sauce,
      iii. half the garlic,
      iv. half the ginger,
      v. half the galangal,
      vi. one quarter of the shallots,
      vii. one quarter of the lemongrass,
      viii. ½ tbsp oil,
      ix. soy sauce,
      x. 1 tsp kecap manis,
      xi. coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli powder (not the soaking chilli flakes).
    b. Add meat (v – tofu and veg) and set aside to marinate (ideally for between 2 hours and overnight, but a shorter time works too – and 20 minutes is more than long enough for the veg and tofu skewers).
  1. Blitz peanuts in blender to rough pulse stage (with some chunks of peanuts in the sauce). Set aside.
  2. Make sauce base:
    a. Drain chilli and dried shrimp mix (v – drain chilli flakes) and put in blender.
    b. Add to blender:
      i. Remaining shallots
      ii. Remaining garlic
      iii. Remining ginger and galangal
      iv. Remaining lemongrass
      v. 2 to 3 tbsp water
    c. Blend until smooth.
  1. Make peanut sauce:
    a. Add remaining oil to frypan and heat to low medium.
    b. Add sauce base.
    c. Stirfry until the oil ‘splits’ from the base – will take 5 to 10 minutes.
    d. Add peanuts and a cup of water.
    e. Add remaining sugar and bring to boil, then simmer while you make the skewers (see below).
    f. Add coconut milk and tamarind paste.
    g. Add remaining kecap manis.
    h. Bring back to boil, then turn off heat and taste for seasoning.
    i. Set aside, covered with foil.
  2. While sauce is simmering, make skewers:
    a. Remove beef (v – tofu and veg) from marinade and drain lightly.
    b. Thread half of the meat (v – tofu and veg) onto each skewer.
    c. Remaining marinade should be discarded.
  3. Cook skewers in a little oil in the pan, turning when no longer sticking to the pan (at home, a BBQ is perfect for this and even better if it is wood or charcoal fired – if using a BBQ then soak skewers for 2 hours).
  4. Plate:
    a. Put rice on plate.
    b. Add skewers.
    c. Top skewers with peanut sauce.
    d. Add tomato and cucumber on the side
  5. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.

Double Meal Prep

This class involves you preparing 2 meals to be finished on the oven or stovetop or reheated in the oven at home.  Please bring:

  • 1 x 650ml container (2 x 650ml container if making 4 serves/meal)
  • 1 x 4 litre capacity container with a lid for the rendang (you will finish this on the stove top at home).
  • 1 x casserole dish with lid – small (4 litre capacity) if you are cooking 2 serves per meal, or medium (6 to 8 litre capacity) if you are cooking 4 serves per meal.

Otherwise, you can buy ‘containers’ packs on our website for a couple of dollars each. 

Boeuf Bourguignon  (v – Mushrooms, beans and winter veg)

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Frying pan
  • Cutting board with paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Kitchen twine

Ingredients

  • 250ml chicken stock (low sodium)
  • 1 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
  • 300g beef chuck steak (v – 1/2 tin cannellini beans, drained, 200g sweet potato or pumpkin, extra 150g mushrooms)
  • 50 g speck or middle bacon
  • 2 medium carrots
  • 1 onion
  • 100g pearl or pickling onions OR an extra onion
  • 220g mushrooms
  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 2 sprigs parsley
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1.5 cups (375ml) dry red wine OR beef stock (low sodium)
  • 1 tbsp mushroom sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp plain flour
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Get all ingredients and equipment.
  2. Prepare vegetables:
    a. Peel and cut carrots into large chunks
    b. Peel and cut onion into large chunks
    c. Peel pearl/pickling onions
    d. Cut mushrooms into large pieces
    e. (v – cut sweet potato into large cubes)
    f. Tie thyme, parsley and bay leaf together with kitchen twine (bouquet garni)
    g. Mince garlic
  3. Brown beef, bacon and vegetables and add to casserole dish.
    a. Season beef (v – sweet potato) with 1.5 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper.
    b. Fry in oil until browned. Put in casserole dish.
    c. Fry bacon (v – omit). Put in casserole dish.
    d. Brown onions and carrot. Put in casserole dish.
    e. Brown mushrooms. Put in casserole dish.
  4. Toss beef and bacon (v – 100 g mushrooms and sweet potato) and browned vegetables in flour in the casserole dish.
  5. Add mushroom sauce, soy sauce, bouquet garni, red wine and chicken stock to separate 650ml container.
  6. Clean down bench. Wash all dishes and reset for second meal.
  7. At home, add stock and wine mixture to beef, stir thoroughly and cook at 160C for 2 hours covered and for 1 hour uncovered. Season to taste.
  8. Serve with crusty bread and/or boiled chat potatoes (boil in salted water until a fork goes through them easily).

Beef rendang (v – jackfruit)

This recipe is based on a Nomadette recipe, with alterations for meal prepping and convenience.  It is a dry curry and requires you to cook it on the stovetop to get the necessary reduction of the sauce.  You can cook it in a slow cooker or pressure cooker but you will need to strain out the sauce and reduce it in a saucepan before serving.

Equipment

  • Cooktop
  • Frypan
  • Cutting board w paper towel
  • Chef’s knife
  • Bowl
  • Blender
  • Square of muslin/chux and kitchen twine

Ingredients

  • For kerisik (caramelised coconut)
  • 60g desiccated coconut
  • 1 tbs coconut cream
  • For spice paste:
  • 2 tbsp chilli flakes
  • ½ onion
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1 cm ginger
  • 1 cm galangal
  • 5 cm lemongrass (white part only)
  • 1 cm fresh turmeric or ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp coriander seeds
  • ½ tsp fennel seeds
  • ½ tsp cumin seeds
  • For curry base:
  • 400g chuck steak (v – 400g jackfruit – fresh, tinned or frozen are all fine)
  • 10 cm green stalk lemongrass
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 2 star anise
  • 3 cloves
  • 3 cardamom pods (green or black)
  • 3 makrut lime leaves
  • 1 tsp tamarind paste
  • 200ml ( ½ tin) coconut cream
  • 1 tbsp palm or brown sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups cooked short grain rice (provided by chef)

Method

  1. Get ingredients and equipment.
  2. Soak chilli flakes in hot water for 10 minutes (use enough to generously cover).
  3. Toast spices for spice paste:
    a. Heat frypan.
    b. Add coriander, fennel and cumin seeds.
    c. Toast gently until fragrant.
  4. Make kerisik:
    a. Mix desiccated coconut with 1 tbsp coconut cream.
    b. Dry fry mixture in frypan until uniformly browned.
    c. Remove from pan and cool.
  5. Prepare vegetables
    a. Chop galangal, ginger and tumeric roughly
    b. Chop white lemongrass roughly
    c. Chop onion and garlic roughly
    d. Tear makrut lime leaves
    e. Bruise green lemongrass and tie in a knot.
  6. Put star anise, cloves and cardamom pods into muslin/chux and tie with twine.
  7. Make spice paste by blending the following in a blender:
    a. Drained chilli flakes
    b. Kerisik
    c. Chopped onion, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, galangal and turmeric
    d. Toasted coriander, fennel and cumin seeds.
    e. Water, if needed to loosen paste.
  8. Make curry base
    a. Cut beef into large pieces (about the size of a golf ball)
    b. Heat oil in a saucepan to medium high and fry beef in batches. Remove to a bowl.
    c. Lower heat and add spice paste, cook until it darkens.
    d. Add all remaining ingredients. Stir to combine.
  9. Clean down, including sweeping floor, wiping and sanitising cooktop and benches, washing and drying up, and cleaning and sanitising knives.
  10. At home, put in a large heavy based saucepan. Bring just to a boil, then turn down the heat as low as possible, cover with a lid or alfoil and stew for 2 hours, stirring every 20 to 30 minutes and scraping the bottom of the pan. Add a little water if it looks like drying out before the 2 hours is up.  Add a little time if the meat is not ‘falling apart’.  Note that this is a dry curry and the sauce should be very reduced and sticking to the meat. If the meat starts to ‘fall apart’ before the sauce is fully reduced, remove the meat from the pot and reduce the sauce over medium heat, stirring continuously, until it is reduced enough to stick to the meat. (v – cook uncovered in a saucepan for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until sauce is reduced and dark). Remove the bag of cloves/cardamom/star anise before serving.
  11. Serve with rice. This is also good with cucumber sprinkled with a bit of rice wine vinegar and a couple of pinches each of salt and white sugar.
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