RECIPE NOTE: This take on a classic carbonara comes with loads of crispy garlic, Chinese sausage and fish sauce for extra umami, and a touch of sweetness for balance.
Craving comfort? Khanh Ong has you covered. The cook (and ex-MasterChef star) knows a thing or two about what makes for the ultimate comfort food dish.“Comfort food is how I survive,” he says. “I travel a lot, and when I come home, these are the kind of dishes that I want. I grew up in a Vietnamese household, and we always had something saucy or creamy with our meals, whether that’s a soup, a curry or just a really good sauce. Food, for me, has always been a place of comfort; it’s where I feel the safest.”
But ‘creamy’ doesn’t need to mean bland. This collection of recipes is designed to be simple to make at home (“When you’re wanting comfort, you don’t need to feel flustered!” Ong says), with big hits of flavour coming from hero ingredients like ‘nduja, lap cheong, kimchi and even Vegemite.
And then there’s the Vietnamese chicken curry – our cover star this issue –
