Around the world in 80 dishes: Thailand and Denmark

THAILAND: Rice noodles with pork and black bean sauce by Vatcharin Bhumichitr

Ingredients to serve 4

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

225g rice vermicelli noodles, soaked in warm water for 5 minutes, rinsed and drained

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

225g lean pork, finely sliced

1 tablespoon black bean sauce

2 tablespoons fish sauce

250ml pork stock

1 teaspoon cornflour, mixed with 4 tablespoons water

225g Chinese broccoli, finely sliced

1 teaspoon sugar

Half a teaspoon ground white pepper

Method

In a wok, heat oil, add the noodles, stir quickly, then add the soy sauce and stir well. Turn onto a serving dish. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and the garlic and fry until golden. Add the pork and stir-fry for 1 minute. One by one add the bean sauce, fish sauce, pork stock, cornflour mixture, Chinese broccoli, sugar and white pepper, stirring well. Continuing to stir well, stir-fry until the pork is cooked through, then turn onto the noodles and serve.

From The Big Book of Noodles by Vatcharin Bhumichitr (Kyle Cathie, £16.99) Photograph by Will Heap

DENMARK: Skagen fish soup by Trina Hahnemann

Ingredients to serve 4

2 litres fish stock

100ml dry white wine

1 tablespoon lemon juice

200ml double cream

Half a teaspoon saffron strands

1 leek, thinly sliced

1 carrot, cut into small cubes

200g crayfish tails

12 giant prawns

100g salmon fillet

100g Pollack fillet

Salt and pepper

Dill sprigs, to garnish

Method

Put the white wine in a large saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the fish stock, lemon juice, cream and saffron and bring slowly to the boil. Add the leek, carrot, crayfish and prawns. Simmer for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the salmon and pollack into 2cm cubes. Add the cubed fish and simmer for 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then serve garnished with dill.

From The Scandinavian Cookbook by Trina Hahnemann (Quadrille, £20). Photograph by Lars Ranek