Probably my  favourite celebrity chef, Luke’s simultaneously down to earth and passionate approach to food always inspires me.

And how good is Vietnamese cuisine with its fresh and fresher approach to ingredients!

So, Luke has prompted me to create lots of heavily herbed, astringent tasting salads that just cut through the protein & fat of any meat you are eating.

Tonight’s salad is a combination of the following; green mango slithers, finely julienned cucumber & ginger, avocado in tiny cubes, with lots of fresh mint, coriander & cress. The salad is dressed with a mixture of fresh lime juice, finely chopped lemongrass, fish sauce & sugar to season – all shaken together in a salad dressing jar.

The fish is more like an accompaniment to the salad in my eyes rather than the other way round. I have cooked some fresh barramundi fillets – lightly coated in plain flour then pan fried in a half-half  butter/olive oil mix and seasoned with rock salt.

The enjoyment lies in getting mouthfuls of the fish and salad together – watching the creation of the morsel forming on the fork and then straight onto your tastebuds. Divine . . .