Yes, but only a few fish stand up to being skewered in this way. Use fish with firm flesh, such as ling and jewfish. These can be cut up in the same way as meat and poultry, but the pieces should be slightly larger so that they do not fall apart when threaded onto the skewer. Shrimps should be shelled and left whole. Thread one jumbo or two medium green shrimps onto each stick. Scallops can be used while, while green lobster should be cut into medallions about 2 cm thick and then threaded onto the skewer.

** Shrimp Satay Recipe **

Samphire is a native Australian plant that grows in marshes, at the back of mangrove swamps, also in the outback in low-lying areas affected by salt. There are a number of species, related to, but different from, the European variety. Gather some yourself, for it is delicious. Its soft, salty flavor goes well with fish in white sauce, and also makes a fine first course, served like asparagus with melted butter. It needs rigorous washing to get rid of any sand, but samphire should be cooked for only about 1 minute. It is done when you can suck the flesh away from the fiber in the middle of the stem.

** Australian Food **

It depends on the dish. In the case of a semi-liquid dish like a soup or stew, you can add a couple of peeled and sliced potatoes to soak up the salt: cook them until tender, then discard before serving. Alternatively, you may add a couple of spoonfuls of rice or pasta pieces, but these will have to stay in the dish after cooking. Other thick, bland foods, such as cream or yogurt, can be added to help reduce the saltiness. The damage is harder to counteract in dishes which have a thicker consistency. The only solution is to cook a second batch of half the quantity of the recipe without salt, and then to combine it with the oversalted lot.

** Asian Recipes **

Most ordinary salt is rock salt, the residue of ancient oceans mined from underground, which comes finely ground or in large crystals. Some cooks prefer to use coarse rock or sea salt (which has been evaporated from sea water, or from salt marshes), as these do not need the anti-caking additives used in many brands of finely ground salt. Sea salt is a good choice for both cooking and the table. One of the finest is Maldon salt from Essex, in England, with large soft flakes that can be crushed by the fingers.

** Asian Recipes **

Most ordinary salt is rock salt, the residue of ancient oceans mined from underground, which comes finely ground or in large crystals. Some cooks prefer to use coarse rock or sea salt (which has been evaporated from sea water, or from salt marshes), as these do not need the anti-caking additives used in many brands of finely ground salt. Sea salt is a good choice for both cooking and the table. One of the finest is Maldon salt from Essex, in England, with large soft flakes that can be crushed by the fingers.

** Asian Recipes **

A whole poached salmon can be served either hot or cold, and the cooking method varies accordingly. This accounts for the wide variation in cooking times given for whole salmon in recipe books. For a salmon that is to be served cold, put the fish into cold water or court bouillon, cover and then bring it to the boil, skimming off any scum that forms. Turn off the heat as soon as it reaches the boil and leave the salmon in the liquid to cool completely before dressing it with your chosen garnishes. It is not necessary to set the trimmings in an aspic glaze. If preferred, fresh herbs can simply be arranged decoratively on top.

For a salmon that is to be served hot, pour enough court bouillon or water to cover the fish into a fish kettle, but do not add the salmon. Bring the liquid to the boil, and then add the fish. Return it to simmering point and poach the salmon gently, allowing 10 minutes per kg. Remove the fish from the liquid, then cover and leave it to rest for 5 minutes.

To accompany the salmon, serve tiny new potatoes, freshly made mayonnaise, and a cucumber salad made with fresh dill or mint, thick natural yogurt and black pepper.

** Asian Cooking **

Saffron, which comes from a flower of the crocus family, is sold either as whole strands or in powdered form. Strands should be toasted briefly, just for a few seconds, in a dry frying pan over a gentle heat, then pounded in a mortar and steeped in a little hot liquid, stock, milk or water, in order to disseminate their flavor and color more freely. Powdered saffron can be added directly to dishes.

** Asian Recipes **

Rosewater is a clear liquid with a delicate flavoring derived from scented rose petals. When made for its scent, to freshen pillows and sheets for instance, it is made from plain water, but for cooking purposes it is made from the distilled essence of rose petals. Rosewater is used a great deal in Middle Eastern dishes and Balkan confectionery, and in some Indian cooking. It can be added to sweet syrups for poaching fruit, serving with fritters or pouring over sponge cakes to moisten them, or mixed into icings, milk puddings, cream, ice creams and cold souffles. Some savory rice dishes, such as pilau, also contain rosewater.

The other commercially available flower water is orange flower water, which is made from the flowers of the bitter Seville orange. It is used in cooking in the same way as rosewater. Commercial rosewater and orange flower water are both distilled, so it is not possible to make your own at home.

** Asian Recipes **

Resting meat after roasting allows the fibers of the meat to relax. The juices, which expand during roasting, shrink as the meat cools so the joint deflates and the fibers consolidate. The meat is then firmer and easier to carve. If you try to carve it straight from the oven, the slices will be ragged and steam from the hot juices can cause scalding.

Large joints weighing more than 2 kg should be covered in foil and rested for 20-30 minutes. Small roasts need 10-15 minutes and can be rested uncovered.

** Asian Recipes **

Roasting is a method of cooking food, usually meat, in the oven with no liquid other than fat. The food is regularly basted to prevent the upper part of the meat drying out, and to enhance the flavor. In spit-roasting, meat is skewered onto a rod and cooked in front of or above an open fire, being turned regularly to ensure cooking throughout and to run the fat and meat juices over the surface. Nowadays some ovens or grills have electrically operated spits, known as rotisseries, built into them.

** Asian Recipes **

Too much milk can make the pudding thin and runny. You may also be using the wrong rice. Short-grain rice, also known as pearl, round or pudding rice, contains more starch than long- or medium-grain rice so that it absorbs a large quantity of liquid and becomes quite sticky and very soft.

To enrich the mixture, replace some of the milk with the same quantity of fresh cream, and dot 2 teaspoons of butter over the top before baking. You will also achieve a creamier result if you stir in the skin 30 minutes into the cooking time, and again about two-thirds of the way through.

** Asian Recipes **

Not really. Rice pudding is always best cooked slowly, so that the rice will absorb all the milk and soften. It is normally baked at a low temperature for a couple of hours, but may also be simmered on the hotplate in a covered saucepan, as long as the heat is kept low and the mixture is stirred frequently.

The only way to speed up the process is to use a microwave oven but it will still take about an hour, and care must be taken as milky puddings have a tendency to boil over in the microwave.

** Asian Recipes **

Wild rice is actually not a rice at all. It is an aquatic grass with thin black grains that is indigenous to Canada and the northern United States. Wild rice absorbs four times its volume of liquid during cooking and takes much longer to cook than ordinary rice; anything from 35-60 minutes. It has an intriguing nutty flavor and is extremely nutritious as it contains all nine of the essential amino acids. Wild rice is also a good source of fiber, is gluten free and low in kilojoules and cholesterol.

** Asian Recipes **

As an accompaniment to a curry or a stew, 60-90 g of uncooked rice per person is the accepted norm. A rice salad for two people will require a greater quantity of rice, as much as 125 g per person. For a risotto or a paella, where the rice makes up the greatest part of the dish with extra meat, fish and vegetables added, the quantity of rice required could also be as much as 125 g per person. In Spain the rice traditionally used for paella is a creamy variety from Valencia. It is not easy to find outside the region, although some quality supermarkets and specialist food stores stock it. You can use arborio rice instead.

** Food and Culture **

No, there is very little similarity between risotto and pilau dishes, although both are savory and often combined with a mixture of meat or fish, spices and vegetables. The Italian risotto is authentically made with a long, large-grained Italian rice called superfino, a variety that includes the arborio and canaroli rices, though a fino rice called vialone, a long and tapering grain, is also used. These can be found in well-stocked delicatessens and some supermarkets.

Risottos are cooked in a heavy-based pan to which simmering stock is added a little at a time. The rice is stirred continually as it cooks so that it absorbs the liquid, becoming creamier and stickier as the starch in the grain is released. The risotto is cooked when the rice grains have swollen to about three times their original size and are still slightly crunchy in the center.

Pilau is Indian in origin although many Middle Eastern and North African countries cook pilaf, which is similar. The rice (usually basmati) for a pilau or pilaf should be washed and then left to soak in plenty of cold water for an hour or so before cooking to remove the excess starch and soften the grains, so that they do not stick together. The rice is first fried in butter or oil, then as soon as the liquid is added the rice is left undisturbed until the grains are cooked through.

Pilaf can be cooked either in a pan on top of the stove, or in a casserole dish in the oven, with the ingredients arranged in layers so that they cook evenly. In either case, use a pan with a tight-fitting lid.

** Asian Recipes **

Stirring rice while it is cooking makes it more sticky as the action releases the starch in the grain. You should only stir rice once, at the beginning of cooking, to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan. However, when you cook a risotto, which needs to be sticky, it is important to stir the grains continually, which releases the starch as the rice cooks and absorbs the liquid in which it is cooking.

** Asian Cooking **