Gordon's Great Escape

This slow-cooked Malaysian dish with beef in a lemongrass and coconut sauce is well worth the wait.

Serves 6

• 2-3 tbsp corn oil
• 1kg rib-eye beef, trimmed and cut into thin slices
• 1 litre coconut milk
• 250ml water
• 1 piece asam kapin (sour apple)
• 2 tbsp kerasik (ground, toasted coconut)
• Kaffir lime leaves, shredded

For the rendang paste

• 10cm piece ginger, sliced
• 5cm fresh turmeric, sliced
• 10cm piece galangal, sliced
• 6-8 lemongrass, finely sliced
• 8-10 small birds eye chillies (red and green)
• 20 dried chillies, re-hydrated and de-seeded
• 4-6 onions or shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 10-12 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

For the rendang spice mixture

• 1 tbsp coriander seeds
• 1 tbsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• 4-6 candlenuts

For the Nasi Kerabu

• 3 cupfuls basmati rice
• 4 cupfuls water
• 3-4 edible blue flowers (to colour)
• Ginger flower, finely sliced
• 6-8 long green beans, finely sliced
• Small handful kaduk leaves, finely sliced
• Small handful cekur leaves, finely sliced
• 2 lemongrass stalks, finely sliced
• 6 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
• 1 crispy fried fish fillet such as mackerel
• Drizzle of chilli paste

1. For the beef rendang, begin by making the paste (it will be necessary to do this in a couple of batches). Place the sliced ginger, turmeric, galangal and lemongrass into a blender. Add enough water to get a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2. In the same blender blitz the bird's eye chillies, dried chillies, onion, garlic and enough water to again make a smooth paste. Add this paste to the original and stir to combine.

3. To make the spice mixture, toast the coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds and candlenuts in a frying pan over a medium heat for 2-3 minutes to release the aromatic flavour. Once toasted, pound or blitz until smooth. Add the spice mixture to the fresh paste and combine.

4. Heat the corn oil in a large wok. Fry the paste for a few minutes then stir in the beef and continue to sauté for a further 5-6 minutes. Add the coconut milk followed by the water. Bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for approximately 1 hour, or until the beef is tender. Towards the last 10-15 minute of cooking, stir in the asam kapin and kerasik and season to taste.

5. Meanwhile make the nasi kerabu. Put the basmati rice into a large saucepan along with the water and blue flower. Bring to a simmer and cook for up to 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. To serve the rice, spoon into a bowl and turn out onto a serving plate. Garnish by arranging the ginger flower, long bean, kaduk, cekur, lemongrass, turmeric leaf and lime leaf around the edge. Serve the fried fish on top, season with salt and pepper and drizzle with chilli paste.

6. Once the rendang beef is tender, stir in the shredded lime leaves and serve with the rice.