• 8 oz. plum tomatoes
  
• 3 garlic cloves
  
• 8 oz. tamarind pulp
  
• 8 fl. oz. pineapple juice
  
• 14 fl. oz. water
  
• 1 cinnamon stick
  
• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  
• 6 tablespoons superfine sugar
  
• 4 fl. oz. sweet soy sauce

1. Plunge the tomatoes into a heatproof bowl full of boiling water. Leave for 10 seconds. Use a slotted spoon to lift them out of the bowl and remove the skins with a sharp knife. Cut the tomatoes into halves, deseed, and finely chop.

2. Peel and finely slice the garlic cloves.

3. Chop the tamarind paste into small pieces.

4. Place the remaining ingredients in a large heavy-based saucepan. Leave to simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

5. Blend the sauce while it is still warm in a food processor and pass through a large fine sieve into a bowl to obtain as much sauce as possible.

Five-Spiced Cod

2 bunches of watercress
1 bunch each: cilantro, mizuna (or young and tender arugula leaves), Asian basil, and mint (freshly picked if possible)
4 tablespoons flour
8 tablespoons five spice powder
4 x 6 1/2 oz. cod steaks, skin on but scaled and pinboned
Sunflower oil for frying
4 limes for garnish
6 fl. oz. Tamarind Sauce

1. Pick over the watercress, cilantro, mizuna leaves, basil, and mint. Wash and combine together in a large bowl.

2. In a large shallow bowl, combine the flour and five spice powder. Roll the cod steaks through it to coat them with flour.

3. Preheat oven to 300–325°F. Meanwhile, heat some oil in a large heavy-based frying pan and when hot, seal the cod, about 1 minute on each side. Bake the cod, uncovered, in the oven, about 5 minutes.

4. To serve, place a portion of herbs and leaves on each plate (or serve in the bowl). Cut the limes in half. Place a cod steak on each plate and serve the Tamarind Sauce in individual dipping bowls beside each steak with two lime halves.