Spice up your New Year

If you really want to impress guests this summer, have a go at these sizzling pancakes, writes Gretchen Lowe

Like everyone, both my mind and my to-do-lists have been in overdrive most of December, so New Year’s for me is truly a time to slow down and connect with precious people I don’t often see.

This year, we’re all heading home to Mum and Dad’s in Opotiki for New Year’s with many beach days and barbecues to follow.

This one’s going to be extra special as my sister Bec is home from the UK. I decided to recreate our two favourite dishes from an unforgettable trip to Vietnam, when we ate our way north from Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi.

These are both fairly simple entertaining dishes with nods to Vietnamese caramel — one of the cornerstones of local cooking.

It’s a sticky, savoury sweet glaze that, when combined with fish, pork or chicken, makes a sublime dish, especially with mountains of fresh greens.

If you really want to impress, have a go at these sizzling pancakes (banh xeo). They’re fairly simple with just a few tricks to pulling them off — the batter needs to rest at least 30 minutes or (even better) overnight and the pan must be smoking hot. Traditionally they’re served with pork belly and prawns but I’ve simplified by using pork sausage.

Caramel is incredible on salmon, especially when the rich sweetness is balanced with a tangy mango slaw. Cooking the fish at a low temperature allows it to heat up slowly, helping the proteins to relax. You’re left with salmon that looks almost the same as it did when it went into your oven but is now fully cooked and meltingly tender.

Find Gretchen Lowe on Instagram @myweekendtable