Gordon in Malaysia

Week three of Gordon Ramsey's televised Great Escapes and the intrepid chef tackled Malaysia, or rather Malaysia tackled him.  Happier driving a motorbike with a couple of foodie Hells Angels, not confronting the traffic head on as a nervous passenger in a cycled rickshaw, viewers were subjected to more culinary shocks on this mission to find the most cringe-worthy ingredients.  Malaysia's contribution to the Yuk! stakes being Torpedo Soup for Men (made with bull's penis, apparently a very spicy soup but with muscle gristle texture).  It's amazing that these dishes seem to be in demand otherwise no one would bother making them.

Thankfully the true stars of the region's cooking were the aunties - older generation ladies revered for their expertise in the kitchen, to whom their professional executive chef sons defer.  The multi-cultural influences including Chinese and Indian cooking have greatly shaped how Malaysian cuisine has evolved.  From smoky charcoal grilled satay; marinated chicken; traditional Malaysian coconut rice; to spicy beef rendang, Gordon was introduced to the complex layers of Malaysian flavours.  It was very poignant when he was advised by the Chief Monk on the occasion of Buddha's Birthday, to  "Try your best to do good things; Try your best to think good things; Everything middle path; Try your best not to get angry."  Whether or not that had any impact on Gordon remains to be seen as it certainly didn't influence the level of coarse language.  He did look reflective though.

The greatest adventure of this week's programme was Gordon on a trek in Malaysian Borneo to harvest birds nests made of swifts' saliva (a market worth £5m a year exporting to China).  Involving river journeys, crawling through a tunnel thick with guano ("bat shit") and climbing a tall bamboo ladder - all 15stone of him, the outcome was not so much a culinary show-stopper, but a simple sweet soup which didn't impress. 

My favourite Malaysian ingredient didn't get a mention:  gula melaka (or palm sugar).  It just sounds so fabulous and tastes truly delicious in both savoury and sweet dishes (my winner being ice cream).  If you feel like recreating a taste of Malaysia at home the beef rendang recipe in Sri Owen's Encyclopedia of Asian Cooking is wonderful.  A true aunty's recipe.

Gordon in Vietnam

Refreshing pomelo salad with prawns; moorish spring rolls stuffed with wood ear mushrooms and minced pork; crispy pancakes made with rice flour filled with bean shoots, shredded chicken, coriander, mint, plus lemon basil; and succulent grilled tenderloin of beef with peanut sauce, were some of the memorable dishes I experienced whilst travelling in Vietnam.  Unfortunately Gordon Ramsey didn't fare so well on his second Great Escapes programme, which was as stomach churning as last week's episode on Cambodia.  His description of the Vietnamese being fearless foodies with the approach "if it moves, eat it" was well documented in the hour-long insight to extreme eating, but thankfully there is also a far more appealing side to the delicacies of Vietnamese cuisine.  Snake seven ways probably makes for better television, especially with Gordon downing the still beating heart in a shot of alcohol.  Personally I don't subscribe to torturous dining.  My mind and digestion couldn't cope with it, so hats off to Gordon in the line of duty.  He must have a cast iron constitution.  At least he admitted to his indoctrination to Vietnamese food as being challenging, probably his understatement of the year.  From watching ducks slaughtered by a determined chef nicknamed Mrs Duck, whom amusingly Gordon seemed scared of, to seeing a live mountain rat on display for restaurant diners to choose, the "no waste" culture is often repulsive to Western ways.  Dog is widely eaten in the north of Vietnam (not in the south), yet no reference was made to there not being any dogs around Hanoi - perhaps a distress too far for canine pet loving British sensitivities.  Shock inducing reactions aside don't be put off going to Vietnam for fear of not enjoying the food.  There is a wonderful choice of totally palatable, delicious dishes to discover and the best coffee I've ever tasted, so be adventurous!

Cooking in Cambodia

With more expletives than adjectives Gordon Ramsey's new Channel 4 television series featuring his culinary journey through southeast Asia was difficult to stomach, but the reality is Cambodia is a fascinating country. (His focus for the first instalment screened at 9pm on Monday 9th May).  Profanities aside the programme gave a vivid insight to traditional subsistence cooking from stuffed frogs to deep fried Tarantula spiders. Before going to Cambodia myself a couple of years ago I'd never heard of Khmer cuisine, but here is a centuries old culture with a wealth of delicious flavours waiting to be explored (thankfully with more acceptable ingredients).   I stayed in the chic surroundings of a beautiful boutique hotel in the centre of Siem Reap.  The de la Paix was the perfect location for exploring the stunning UNESCO world heritage site of the temples at Angkor, as well as close proximity to the colourful market and renowned Foreign & Colonial Club or FCC as it's known, complete with ceiling fans and whiff of a gin and tonic fuelled past.  At the de la Paix's renowned Meric restaurant, experimenting with so many flavour combinations I'd never had before from Banana Blossom Salad, to Amok fish (fragrantly spiced white fish in a light sauce served in a piece of hollow bamboo) , to a shot glass of coconut rice sago with an egg cup of palm sugar juice, the gastronomic delights were sensational.  With a backdrop of wonderful architecture, a balmy evening and light breeze perfumed with frangipani blooms, I look forward to returning and experiencing more of this fabulous destination.  Thank you to Gordon for inspiring me to re-visit this unsung gem.