Singapore laksa pesto

Serve with fish or grilled prawns, lamb chops, or stirred into minced meat to make meatballs. Alternatively, it makes for a good topping on a bowl of laksa soup or a plate of stir-fried noodles.


Makes about 100g

50g raw cashew nuts
60g fresh coriander (leaves and stems)
25g fresh mint leaves
2 garlic cloves
1 tbsp lime juice
A pinch of sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
3 tbsp olive oil

1 Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Toast the cashew nuts, shaking frequently until they have become lightly browned.
2 Put all the ingredients in a blender and whizz up to form a thick paste.

Pesto

BASE:

* 4 Tbs Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese
* 2 bunches Fresh basil
* 1/2 Cup Fresh walnuts
* 1 Piece Garlic cloves
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* 3/4 Cups Extra virgin olive oil
* 1 Pinch Salt
* 1 Pinch Black pepper

# Add the first 4 ingredients to food processor, process to start the breaking down of the basil leaves. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding oil.

# Slowly drizzle in olive oil.

Re-season if needed with salt and pepper


Cooks Note: Use on pasta, in soup, on crisp bread, on grilled fish etc..
Buy good oil, cheap supermarket olive oil will give terrible results. It's all about the oil.
ENOUGH FOR ABOUT 300 g OF PASTA (SERVES 2)