Four new recipes from Adam Liaw's cookbook Tonight's Dinner 2 (2024)

Advertisem*nt

See Also

Mongolian Chicken RecipeBlueberry Compote (Healthy + Easy Recipe) - The Simple Veganista

Affordable and achievable home cooking is the hallmark of Adam Liaw's recipes, and his SBS TV series The Cook Up is no exception.

The show inspired Liaw's cookbook Tonight's Dinner, and now he's back with a sequel, Tonight's Dinner 2, featuring 80 simple and satisfying meals, from classics to new twists on old favourites, drawing on a wide range of cuisines.

Here are four dishes to try at home.

Advertisem*nt

Tofu with sesame, garlic and chilli oil

Silken tofu is something we have at home about once a week. Often I'll top it with a bit of fried garlic, onion and soy sauce; sometimes just with a bit of salt, raw grated ginger and spring onion. This version with sesame sauce and chilli oil is absolutely delicious. If you have the sesame sauce and chilli oil already on hand, this dish is ready in a flash.

INGREDIENTS

• 300g silken tofu
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• 2 spring onions, finely sliced
• toasted sesame seeds, for sprinkling

Sesame sauce (makes extra)

Advertisem*nt

• ¼ cup (40g) sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp sugar

Quick chilli oil (makes extra)

• 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
• 1 tsp Korean chilli powder or chilli flakes
• ½ tsp sesame seeds
• ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil

METHOD

1. For the sesame sauce, toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium-low heat until fragrant. Transfer to a high-speed blender, add the remaining ingredients and blend to a smooth paste. Mix about a tablespoon of the sesame sauce with enough cold water to form a loose sauce. Transfer the remaining sauce to an airtight container; it will keep in the fridge for several weeks.
2. For the chilli oil, if using the Sichuan peppercorns, toast them in a dry frying pan until fragrant, then grind to a coarse powder using a mortar and pestle. Add the chilli powder and whole sesame seeds. Heat the oil in a small saucepan until smoking, then pour over the mixture. Cool to room temperature, then transfer to an airtight container to keep in the pantry, where it will keep for several weeks.
3. Turn the tofu out of its container and sandwich between two sheets of paper towel. Stand for 10 minutes to absorb the excess moisture. Use the container to transfer the tofu to a serving plate (so it doesn't break up).
4. Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat and add the oil. Fry the garlic in the oil for a minute or two until lightly browned. Add the soy sauce and remove from the heat.
5. Pour the soy sauce and garlic mixture over the tofu. Spoon the loose sesame sauce over, along with as much of the chilli oil as you like. Serve scattered with the spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.

Advertisem*nt

Serves 4, as part of a shared meal

Tip I've given you this recipe for the sauces as much as for the final dish. Use the sesame sauce as a salad dressing mixed with a little vinegar. Dilute it with some water and use it as a dipping sauce. And the chilli oil? That goes with everything.

Chicken marbella

This is my version of the classic chicken marbella recipe from the classic 1980s American cookbook The Silver Palate. It's a great recipe that marries briny capers and olives with the sweetness of brown sugar and the sourness of red-wine vinegar. The original recipe used a whole chicken and a whole cup of sugar, but I prefer the juiciness of chicken leg quarters and a lighter hand with the sweetness.

Advertisem*nt

INGREDIENTS

• 6 chicken leg quarters, thigh and drumstick separated at the joint
• 1 cup (250ml) white wine
• ½ cup (125ml) olive oil
• ½ cup (125ml) red-wine vinegar
• 1 cup (220g) pitted prunes
• 1 cup (175g) green olives
• 6 garlic cloves, bruised
• ¼ cup (45g) capers
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp finely shredded parsley

METHOD

1. Combine all the ingredients, except the parsley, in a large non-reactive bowl (see tips) and refrigerate overnight.
2. Heat the oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Transfer the chicken and its marinade to a non-reactive roasting pan, leaving the chicken pieces skin side up in a single layer. Roast for 40 minutes.
3. Turn the oven's overhead grill to high and grill the chicken for a further 10-15 minutes, until well browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate to rest.
4. Place the roasting pan on the stovetop. Bring the marinade to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, until the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened.
5. Spoon the sauce over the chicken. Serve garnished with the parsley.

Serves 6

Advertisem*nt

Tips Serve this dish with crusty bread, some boiled new potatoes or simply a crisp green salad. Some bowls and cookware will react with ingredients (particularly acidic ones) to produce undesirable colours, smells and tastes. Avoid using copper, cast iron or aluminium bowls or cookware for recipes containing acids such as vinegar. Stainless steel and enamel-coated iron are fine.

Stewed spinach and mince

On The Cook Up I made this dish with kangaroo mince and warrigal greens, but using beef and spinach makes it an incredibly easy, affordable and delicious family meal. It's essentially a version of the classic Lebanese "spinach and rice".

INGREDIENTS

Advertisem*nt

• ½ cup (125ml) olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 coriander plants, stalks and roots roughly chopped, leaves reserved
• 500g minced beef
• 1kg English spinach, leaves and stalks roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp garam masala​ or baharat (Lebanese seven-spice)
• 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock (or water)
• salt and black pepper, to season
• steamed basmati rice, to serve
• ¼ cup (40g) toasted pine nuts, or roughly chopped macadamia nuts
• lemon wedges, to serve

METHOD

1. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the olive oil, onion, garlic and coriander stems and roots. Cook until very fragrant, then add the beef and fry for a few minutes until browned.
2. Add the spinach, garam masala and stock, then season well with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is a thick stew.
3. Serve over rice, sprinkled with the pine nuts, with lemon wedges on the side.

Serves 8

Tip Fully grown English spinach is better here than baby spinach leaves, not just because it's cheaper, but because of the texture of the spinach stems. If you prefer, you can use 600g frozen spinach instead.

Advertisem*nt

Black pepper beef noodles

I like the slippery "restaurant" texture that marinating the meat with bicarbonate of soda gives. If you run into trouble with fresh noodles breaking when you try to separate them, a quick zap in the microwave can solve all your problems. If you're concerned about the spiciness of the black pepper, you can simply reduce the amount, or even leave it out altogether.

INGREDIENTS

• 500g beef topside or rump, very thinly sliced
• 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
• 1kg Hokkien noodles
• ⅓ cup (80ml) vegetable oil
• 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 green capsicum, seeded and thinly sliced
• 1 bunch choy sum, cut into 5cm lengths
• 6 thick spring onions, sliced on a steep diagonal

Advertisem*nt

Meat marinade

• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp cornflour
• ½ tsp black pepper

Black pepper sauce

• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 tsp caster sugar

METHOD

Advertisem*nt

1. In a bowl, combine the beef, bicarbonate of soda and about 1 cup (250ml) water. Mix and stand for 15 minutes. Rinse the beef well, massaging it in the water for a minute or so, then rinse and drain. Combine the beef with the marinade ingredients.
2. Poke a few holes in the bag of noodles with a sharp knife and microwave for about 4 minutes, until softened. Allow to cool slightly, then massage the bag to loosen the noodles without breaking them. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the black pepper sauce ingredients.
4. Heat a wok or large saucepan over a high heat and add the oil. Fry the beef in two or three batches for about 3 minutes until browned, then remove to a bowl. (If the wok becomes very dirty, wash it out, return to the heat and add more oil before continuing.)
5. Add a little more oil if needed, then fry the garlic and ginger for about a minute until fragrant. Add the capsicum, choy sum and spring onion. Toss for a minute or two to soften the vegetables.
6. Add the noodles and black pepper sauce and return the beef to the wok. Toss to combine, frying for about 2-3 minutes, until the noodles are softened, adding a little water or stock as needed – about half a cup in total – to moisten the wok while frying.
7. Transfer to a plate and serve.

Serves 4

Tip The key with noodles like this is allowing them to be coated in flavourful oil, and also to absorb the flavour of the ingredients and sauce. Make sure you're using enough oil to coat the noodles.

This is an edited extract from Tonight's Dinner 2 by Adam Liaw (Hardie Grant), RRP $45. Photography: Steve Brown. Buy now

Appears in these collections

• Best new cookbooks of 2022

• More:
• Food
• Cookbook extracts