3 Rice-Based Recipes From MasterChef’s Ping Coombes

Rice is a staple food all over the world, but it’s often dismissed as a side dish and easily cooked wrong (we’ve all been guilty of making it mushy). The new cookbook from two-time MasterChef champion Ping Coombes, Rice, showcases how to make the grain the centrepiece of your dinner table with a collection of recipes inspired by her Malaysian heritage – from one-pot wonders to rice snacks to condiments. Plus, she answers all our key questions about cooking rice, from whether we should wash it first to how to avoid overcooking. Below, Coombes shares three of the recipes from the book with C&TH.

3 Ping Coombes Recipes

Baked Honey and Soy Chicken Rice

‘Welcome to your new favourite one-pot rice dish! I have been looking at ways to add more fibre into my rice dishes to make them more balanced. What I ended up with is a dish that has flavour, texture and fibre from the lentils and sweetcorn.’

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 5 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 300g (10½oz) jasmine or basmati rice
• 1 tablespoon chicken stock powder
• 380ml (13½fl oz) water
• 160g (5¾oz) canned sweetcorn
• 340g (11¾oz) canned green lentils
• 20g (¾oz) chives, chopped, to garnish

For the marinade

• 3 tablespoons pineapple juice
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1½ teaspoons dark soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon five spice powder
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Score the top of the chicken thighs a couple of times so that the marinade penetrates deeper into the chicken and place in a bowl. Add all the marinade ingredients and marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or in the refrigerator overnight. 
2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan or Gas 4.
3. In a large ovenproof pan, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the chicken thighs to the pan, skin-side down, and fry for 5 minutes to brown the skin. Flip the chicken over and pour over the marinade in the bowl. Cook for 2–3 minutes to reduce the marinade a little, then remove the chicken to a plate.
4. Add the butter, garlic and rice to the pan and give it a good stir, then add the chicken stock powder, water, sweetcorn and lentils. Stir again to distribute the ingredients evenly in one layer. Nestle the chicken thighs into the rice mixture, cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 35 minutes. 
5. Remove from the oven and let it stand for 5 minutes before serving.
6. Sprinkle some chives on top, fluff up the rice and serve.

Rainbow Rolls with Orange and Ginger Satay Dipping Sauce

‘These rice paper rolls are super fun to make and are packed full of vegetables, herbs and fruit. Here, I use mango, but you can use peach, nectarine or pineapple. They go very well with the spicy, citrussy dipping sauce. A great one for healthy snacking, picnics or even impressing your guests as a starter or canapé.’

Makes 15-20 rolls

Ingredients:

• ½ cucumber
• ¼ red cabbage
• 2 small carrots
• 1 mango
• 100g (3½oz) dried rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 pack of 22-cm (8½-inch) spring roll (rice paper) wrappers
• 20g (¾oz) fresh coriander (cilantro)
• 20g (¾oz) mint leaves

For the dipping sauce

• 3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons satay sauce (I use Jimmy’s Saté Sauce)
• 2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 1 teaspoon granulated (white) sugar
• Small knob of ginger (about 20g/¾oz), peeled and grated
• Zest and juice of 1 small orange
• Juice of ½ lime

Method:

1. Halve the piece of cucumber, scrape out and discard the seeds with a teaspoon, then cut into thin matchsticks. Slice the cabbage thinly. Peel the carrots and mango, and cut into thin matchsticks.
2. Place the noodles in a mixing bowl and rehydrate in boiling water according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water, then set aside.
3. Prepare a rolling station. You will need a shallow dish of cold water, large enough to submerge the spring roll wrapper in and a clean chopping board.
4. Submerge a wrapper in the cold water for 10 seconds, then remove and place on the chopping board. Arrange a small amount of the chopped vegetables and mango along with a few leaves of coriander horizontally in the centre of the wrapper. Top with some noodles. Don’t overfill. Place two mint leaves face down on the top of the arrangement. Roll the edge of the wrapper closest to you over the filling, tucking it tightly with your fingers. Fold in the edges, then roll it up tightly to make a neat parcel. Place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. 
5. Repeat to fill all the rolls. Avoid letting the completed rolls touch one another on the tray.
6. To make the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients together well.
7. Cut each roll in half to create smaller bites and serve with the dipping sauce.

Steamed Aubergines in Garlic and Seasoned Soy

‘This is such a simple but delicious way of showcasing aubergines (eggplant). If you don’t like aubergines, look away now. This makes a light dinner or an accompaniment to richer dishes.’

Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

• 1 medium aubergine (eggplant)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons Seasoned Soy Sauce (see below)
• 2 tablespoons Garlic Oil, plus garlic bits (see below)
• Handful of fresh coriander (cilantro), roughly chopped

Method:

Cut the aubergine into batons, each about 2cm (¾ inch) wide and finger length. Place in a mixing bowl, sprinkle over the salt and let them sit for 10 minutes. 

After this time, discard any excess water and arrange the aubergine batons on a shallow, heatproof plate with a lip.

Set up your steamer (see page 107).

Steam the aubergines over a high heat for 15 minutes. 

After this time, remove the lid and spoon over the seasoned soy sauce. Cover and steam for another 15 minutes. 

After this time, the aubergines should be soft. Drizzle the garlic oil on top and sprinkle with the fresh coriander.

Seasoned Soy Sauce

Makes 125ml (4fl oz)

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 spring onion (scallion), roughly chopped
• thumb-sized piece of fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
• 2½ tablespoons light soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce 
• 5 teaspoons granulated (white) sugar
• ½ teaspoon MSG
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
• 90ml (3fl oz) water

Method:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add the spring onion and ginger and sauté until softened and caramelised. Take care not to burn them.
2. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.
3. Turn off the heat and leave to cool. 
4. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a jar and discard the solids.
5. It will keep in the refrigerator for 4 weeks. Use as required.

Crispy Garlic and Garlic Oil

Makes 5 tablespoons

Ingredients:

• 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 whole head of garlic, peeled and chopped

Method:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. 
2. Add the chopped garlic and swirl the pan so that the garlic is evenly distributed. Continue to swirl periodically to ensure even cooking. Remove from the heat as soon as the garlic turns golden brown, about 5–7 minutes.
3. Place a small sieve over a bowl and drain the garlic oil through it. 
4. The garlic bits left in the sieve will crisp up further at room temperature. You can use the crispy garlic for garnish or toppings.
5. Use the oil for dressing or cooking. 
6. You can also combine them back together and store in a jam jar. It will last for a week in a cool, dark place.

Rice by Ping Coombes is out now (£26, Murdoch Books). Images by Sam Folan.