“You’ll always leave Tony’s classroom full – both of dim sum and a new perspective on Asian cooking. In this book, he’s sharing his lifetime of expertise and experience with the world. Let Tony be your teacher.”
– Yotam Ottolenghi

“Tony Tan is an Australian national treasure.”
– Helen Goh

“An irresistible journey… where global spices and stories collide in some of the world’s most scintillating flavours.”
– Fuchsia Dunlop

“Tony Tan isn’t an authority on Asian food in Australia – he’s the authority on Asian food in Australia.”
– Pat Nourse

Tony Tan has been cooking, eating, teaching and writing about the foods of Asia for more than four decades. In Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class, he shares for the first time more than 150 of his most cooked, beloved and personal recipes from his vast collection. A book for beginners and connoisseurs alike, Tan teaches his contemporary, sometimes adventurous approach to the most important inspirational and evergreen dishes from Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and beyond. From wok sensations to more elaborate dishes, street foods and original creations, Tan’s warmth, erudition and rigour set his food apart. He moves seamlessly between traditionally distinct cuisines, contextualising them for the home cook.

This stunning hardback, which features patterned sprayed edges and elegant, stylish photography, is enhanced with insight on subjects from the wonder of the wok, to the art of cooking with duck and the essential pantry, this book is a joyful celebration of modern Asian cooking.

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Isaan-Style Grilled Wings

Gai yang is a north-eastern Thai street food that is so delicious it’s now found throughout Thailand. Often eaten with green papaya salad and sticky rice, this is the quintessential Issan meal. The traditional recipe uses a whole chicken that’s split open and flattened, rubbed with a marinade rich with ginger, lemongrass and coriander, then grilled over a moderate charcoal fire until fragrant. This is a beautiful way to make this dish, but I often make it like I’ve described here, with small chicken drumsticks or wings, which are excellent at cocktail parties. The chicken can be marinated overnight, which frees you up to make other dishes and leaves only the grilling at the very end.

Serves 8-10

2 kg (4 lb 8 oz) chicken wings 

Sticky rice, to serve 

CHILLI SAUCE 

4 long red chillies, finely chopped 

2 birds eye chillies, finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

2 coriander (cilantro) roots, finely chopped 

80 g (2¾ oz) caster (superfine) sugar 

2½ tablespoons white vinegar 

MARINADE 

2 tablespoons finely chopped ginger 

2 tablespoons finely chopped lemongrass (white part only) 

2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander root 

4 garlic cloves, peeled 

1 cup (250 ml) light soy sauce 

2 teaspoons caster (superfine) sugar 

1 tablespoon black pepper

For the chilli sauce, combine all the ingredients and 1 cup (250 ml) water in a saucepan. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the liquid forms a thickish syrup. Season to taste with salt, stir well and transfer to a small bowl or jar (see note). For the marinade, add ginger, lemongrass, coriander root and garlic to a food processor or mortar and blend or pound with a pestle until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients. Add the chicken wings to the marinade, toss to coat, then refrigerate for 6 hours, or overnight, to marinate. Heat a barbecue or a charcoal grill to low heat. Grill the wings slowly, turning occasionally, for 15 minutes or until charred and cooked through (see note). Serve with the chilli sauce and sticky rice.

Chilli sauce will keep refrigerated for a week. You can also roast the chicken wings in a 180°C (350°F) oven.

Recipe published with permission from Quarto Books.