Saba-Recipes

RECIPES

Recipe on page 36

TAKING ON

THE TAKEAWAY

Saba proves that take-out doesn’t have to mean cutting
corners with its range of delicious to-go meals made
from scratch. Now you can go the extra mile and
recreate their most popular take-away dishes at home

Photography Harry Weir | Assisted by Brian Clarke

Taweesak Trakoolwattana and Noraset Pradubwate

RECIPES Green machine 1 To prepare the sauce, put coconut milk,
cherry tomatoes, ginger, mint leaves, coconut
Pictured on page 35 The caveman/paleo diet has become hugely oil and sea salt in a blender. Mix well. Keep to
popular recently and this is a lovely dish one side.
Black pepper squid that really represents that trend. But don’t
let that put you off. It’s really very tasty as 2 Bring the wok to a medium heat, add the
This has been on our menu since day one and well as being healthy sauce and cook until you get a nice aroma.
continues to be one of our most popular
dishes, both in the restaurant and within the Serves 2 3 Add the kale, bok choi, broccoli, carrot
to-go range. There are people who just come and sugar snap peas. Stir for about two
in for this dish continuously 160g kale, sliced minutes until the sauce and the vegetables
160g bok choi, sliced are mixed. Serve with lime wedges and
Serves 4 as a starter 160g broccoli florets, par-boiled cashew nuts on top
160g carrot, sliced and par-boiled
360g frozen squid, defrosted 120g sugar snap peas Tip Make sure the
1 dessertspoon crushed black 2 lime wedges
peppercorns 50g cashew nuts vegetables are still crunchy.
1 dessertspoon soy sauce
100g plain flour For the sauce
500ml vegetable oil for deep-frying 200ml coconut milk
100g cherry tomatoes
For the sauce 80g ginger, chopped
4 dessertspoons light soy sauce 10g mint leaves
1 dessertspoon black soy sauce 4 dessertspoons coconut oil
4 dessertspoons sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt
30ml water
30g ginger, finely grated/minced
1 teaspoon cornflour
5ml water

1 To make the sauce, combine the soy
sauce, sugar, 30ml water and ginger in a
saucepan and cook on a low heat for
approximately three to four minutes. Blend
the cornflour with a little water and add to
the sauce to thicken. Cook slowly and stir
continuously until the sauce thickens. Remove
and allow to cool. Strain the sauce to remove
the ginger if preferred.

2 If you are using fresh squid, ask your
fishmonger to clean and prepare it for you, or
you can do it yourself. Remove the gut, the
black membrane and the pink membrane that
cover the outside skin. Take out the cartilage
that runs the length of the fish and clean the
squid under running water.

3 Take the squid, score with a criss-cross
using a sharp knife, and cut it into strips,
2cm x 6cm approximately, or you can cut it
into rings.

4 Mix the black peppercorns and soy sauce
in a bowl and cover the squid in the mixture
for a few minutes. Then remove and dip each
piece of squid in the flour and coat all over.

5 Using a deep fat fryer or heavy bottomed
saucepan, heat the oil until very hot and
deep-fry until crispy, about three minutes.
Be very careful not to overcook the squid or it
will be chewy. Remove and allow to drain on
kitchen paper to absorb the excess oil.

6 Serve with the ginger soy sauce
for dipping.

Tip The scoring really is

the trick to cooking this dish.

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Tip The only way to eat these

is with your fingers, so get messy.

Chicken wings with 3 dessertspoons honey 4 Put the marinated chicken in the
honey glaze 2 dessertspoons soy sauce oven, cook for 20 minutes and then
2 dessertspoons white vinegar allow to cool.
This is the second most popular dish from our 4 dessertspoons water
take-out range but people also love coming 5 To make the sauce, mix together the
into the restaurant for this one and having 1 Heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. tomato ketchup, sugar, honey, soy sauce,
wings with noodles and a Tsinga beer. It’s vinegar and water.
pure comfort food and kids love them 2 To prepare the chicken wings, trim the
chicken wings by cutting them at each joint 6 Bring a wok to a high heat, add the oil,
Serves 4 as a starter and discard the piece with the tip, which has then the chicken and stir-fry for a couple
no flesh. If you buy from a butcher, they of minutes.
1kg chicken wings will do this for you.
3 dessertspoons soy sauce 7 Once the skin on the wings has
1½ dessertspoons paprika powder 3 Mix together the soy sauce and paprika crisped, reduce the heat and add the
2 dessertspoons vegetable oil for frying powder and marinate the chicken pieces for sauce. Stir until the chicken is well coated.
1 dessertspoon roasted white sesame at least one hour. To serve, put on a plate and sprinkle
seeds, to garnish with roasted white sesame seeds.

For the sauce
4 dessertspoons tomato ketchup
1 dessertspoon sugar

RECIPES

SABA IS AN AWARD-WINNING THAI AND VIETNAMESE
RESTAURANT ON DUBLIN’S CLARENDON STREET, run by
proprietor Paul Cadden and head chef Taweesak Trakoolwattana
(aka Tao) since 2006. Quality of ingredients and authenticity is
hugely important to the Saba team, which is why some essential
ingredients are flown in from Asia on a regular basis to ensure the
highest quality but local produce is also used wherever possible.
This same ethos is equally important when it comes to the Saba
To Go range based in Rathmines, where food is cooked from
scratch on a daily basis under head chef Noraset Pradubwate
(aka Saek). Thai food can also be quite healthy, which is why Saba
teamed up with nutritionist Erika Doolan last year to launch a
healthy, calorie-conscious menu that still tastes great to cater for
those who are watching their waistlines, but also would like to
enjoy a decent take-away.
SABA TO GO 13 Rathgar Road, Rathmines, Dublin 6.
Tel: +353 (0)1 4060 200; www.sabatogo.com
SABA 26-28, Clarendon Street, Dublin 2.
Tel: +353 (0)1 679 2000; www.sabadublin.com

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Red beef curry Egg fried rice

This is a pure comfort dish – curries are like Serves 2
warm hugs. You can make this with
chicken or duck also. For the latter, we use 6 teaspoon ground white pepper
lychees, grapes and pineapple. This dish is teaspoon sugar
less than 400 calories without the rice teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
Serves 4 2 cupfuls cooked Thai Jasmine rice
4 dessertspoons rapeseed oil
3 dessertspoons sunflower oil 2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 heaped dessertspoons red
curry paste 1 Mix the ground white pepper, sugar, salt
800ml coconut milk, 21% fat and soy sauce together with the cooked rice
200ml water and keep to one side.
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn
3 dessertspoons fish sauce 2 Bring a wok to medium to high heat,
1 dessertspoon or 20g palm sugar add oil and eggs and allow to cook briefly.
480g beef fillet, finely sliced Add rice before the eggs become scrambled
80g Thai round aubergine, cut in 6 and cook for 30 seconds.
or pea aubergines, whole
50g bamboo shoots, sliced
80g string beans, cut to 4cm
80g mixed peppers, diced
2 chillies, sliced
10g sweet basil, torn

1 Warm a saucepan or wok to a medium
heat and then add the oil and red curry
paste and stir until you get an aroma.

2 Add the coconut milk and the water,
cook for a few minutes to bring to a
simmer and then add the kaffir lime leaves.
Season with fish sauce and palm sugar.
This dish can be made in advance as far as
this step. It will keep in the fridge for up to
three days.

3 Add the beef and Thai aubergine
followed by the bamboo shoots, string
beans, mixed peppers and chillies. Cook for
another minute or two before serving but
don’t allow the vegetables to overcook.
Garnish with basil leaves.

Tip Buy a good quality curry paste.

It’s best to get them in good Asian stores
rather than supermarkets.

RECIPES

Tempura vegetables Serves 4 as a starter 1 Prepare the vegetables by 6 Put the mayonnaise, English
with mustard removing the hard end of the mustard and milk in a bowl
mayonnaise 100g asparagus spears asparagus. Hold the end and the and, using a whisk, slowly pour
100g carrots middle of the asparagus, bend it in the sugar, vinegar and salt
This is a lovely, light starter and a 100g purple aubergine gently and the hard inedible bit mixture, whisking until they are
great way with fresh vegetables. 100g baby corn, halved will snap off. Cut the remainder well blended.
We always ensure we use really 100g broccoli florets into 5cm pieces.
good quality vegetables for this and 1 litre sunflower oil, 7 Using a deep fat fryer or heavy
a nice mixture. We like to stay true for deep-frying 2 Cut the carrots lengthways saucepan, heat the oil to a sizzling
to original Thai and Vietnamese into slices approximately ½cm 180°C. Dip the vegetables in the
recipes and fly in certain ingredients For the batter width. Then slice into pieces 5-6cm batter, drop into the sizzling oil and
that we just can’t get here every 200g self-raising flour in length. cook until crispy and golden, about
couple of weeks. We fly the baby 400ml ice cold water one to two minutes.
corn in from Thailand, as the ¼ teaspoon salt 3 Cut the aubergine lengthways
quality is just totally different. into slices approximately ½cm 8 Remove and place on to kitchen
It was really important to make For the mustard mayonnaise width and cut each slice into paper to absorb any excess oil.
sure that same quality remained for 2 dessertspoons sugar four pieces. To serve, arrange a selection of
our Saba To Go range 1 dessertspoon vinegar different vegetables on each plate
¼ teaspoon salt 4 To make the batter, mix the and serve with mustard
1 dessertspoon water self-raising flour with ice-cold mayonnaise on the side.
100g mayonnaise water and salt until you have a
20g English mustard smooth batter. Tip Vegetables cook at different
25ml milk
5 To make the mustard speeds so start with the carrots,
mayonnaise, mix the sugar, vinegar, followed by the asparagus, the baby
salt and water in a saucepan on a corn, broccoli and finish with the
low heat until the sugar and salt aubergine, but keep them crunchy.
have dissolved. Leave to cool.

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Beef noodle soup 1 To make the stock, put all the Tip You can make this as hot or
ingredients into a big saucepan, bring
This main course dish originates in Hanoi. it to the boil and simmer gently for mild as you like – it all depends on
It’s nice to serve soups such as this with lots of two to three hours or until the stock has whether you include hot chilli sauce.
fresh sweet basil and bean sprouts. The stock reduced by half. Pass it through a
is extremely important so no cutting corners sieve and keep to one side.
– it’s best to make your own and give it time
2 Soak the rice noodles in cold water
Serves 4 for about 30 minutes until soft, drain and
keep to one side.
200g rice stick noodles
200g bean sprouts 3 Bring a pot of water to the boil,
1 litre water cook the noodles and bean sprouts for 20
240g beef fillet, thinly sliced seconds, drain and put into four large,
warmed soup bowls.
For the stock
1kg beef bones 4 Bring the stock to the boil, add the
4 litres water sliced beef and cook for 30 seconds. Pour it
1 onion, quartered over the noodles, top with spring onions,
2 sticks celery parsley and sweet basil.
30g galangal, sliced
1 teaspoon white peppercorns 5 You can also garnish it with any
4 star anise combination or all of the following: bean
2 sticks cinnamon sprouts, hot chilli sauce, lime wedges,
8 dessertspoons soy sauce bird’s eye chillies, and fish sauce.
4 dessertspoons black soy sauce
2 dessertspoons sugar
30g coriander root

To garnish
30g spring onions, sliced
10g parsley, chopped
10g sweet basil
50g bean sprouts
4 dessertspoons hot chilli sauce
1 lime, quartered
6 bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced
Fish sauce

RECIPES Phad Thai For the tamarind sauce
8 dessertspoons tamarind juice
Tip Unsalted peanuts can be Phad Thai is a hugely popular dish in Ireland, 3 dessertspoons or 60g palm sugar
but there are so many versions that don’t 2 dessertspoons sugar
baked in the oven at 150°C/gas stay true to the original recipe that we like to 1 dessertspoon dried chillies, crushed
mark 2 for five minutes or heated call some of them ‘Paddy Thai’. It’s essential ¼ teaspoon salt
in a wok until golden and crunchy. to use tamarind and palm sugar – it makes
all the difference to the flavour To serve
1 lime, quartered
Serves 4 2 dessertspoons unsalted, roasted
peanuts, crushed
12 medium prawns 1 dessertspoon dried chillies, crushed
450g rice stick noodles
4 dessertspoons sunflower oil 1 To prepare the prawns, remove the shells
300g chicken fillets, finely sliced from the prawns, leaving the tail on and
3 eggs, beaten carefully remove the dark vein that runs
100g bean sprouts down the centre of the prawn using the point
4 spring onions, diced of a sharp knife or tweezers.
4 dessertspoons unsalted, roasted
peanuts, crushed 2 To make the sauce, put the tamarind
1 dessertspoon dried chillies, crushed juice, palm sugar, sugar, crushed chillies and
salt in a saucepan, bring to the boil and
simmer until the palm sugar has dissolved.
Allow to cool.

3 Soak the noodles in cold water until soft,
about 30 minutes, then rinse under cold
water and keep to one side.

4 Bring a wok to a medium heat, add three
dessertspoons of the oil, then the chicken and
stir for 2-3 minutes before adding the prawns
and stir for another minute. Add the noodles,
stir for one minute, then add the sauce and
stir well to cover the noodles. Bring the
noodles to one side of the wok.

5 Add the remaining oil and the beaten
eggs. Stir and turn the noodles over on top of
the eggs and mix them together.

6 Add the bean sprouts, spring onions,
dried chillies and crushed peanuts. Toss them
through quickly for just 30 seconds to make
sure the vegetables remain crunchy.

7 To serve, put on a serving dish, sprinkle
with crushed chilli and peanuts and serve the
quartered limes on the side.

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Tip Use minced

chicken or beef instead.

Pork dumplings 4 Bring the wok to a high heat with the 6 Put the dumplings on kitchen paper to drain
rapeseed oil. Add vermicelli noodles, then deep off any excess oil. Place the dumplings on a plate
This dish was created for our to-go range. fry until they get a nice golden brown colour. and top with the crispy vermicelli noodles.
Chef Tao created this aromatic and fruity Remove the noodles and drain on kitchen paper.
recipe, which is a nice mixture of both sweet 7 Bring the sauce to a medium heat and add
and sour. The dumplings can be deep-fried, 5 Bring the wok and oil to a medium to high the peppers, then bring it to a boil.
which works well for the pork, but for a heat again. Add dumplings, then deep fry for
healthier version, steam and then grill the about two to three minutes until they are a nice 8 To serve, pour the sauce and peppers over the
dumplings golden brown colour. top of the dumplings and noodles.

Serves 2 as starter

400g minced pork
80g carrot, finely chopped
50g shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
1 dessertspoon coriander stalks,
finely chopped
30g ginger, finely chopped
3 dessertspoons oyster sauce
2 dessertspoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
80g vermicelli noodles, cut into 5cm
300ml rapeseed oil, for deep-frying
50g mixed peppers, finely diced

For the sauce
100g tomato ketchup
50ml pineapple juice
50ml orange juice
40ml rice vinegar
100g sugar
½ teaspoon salt

1 Mix the minced pork with carrot, shitake
mushrooms, coriander and ginger in a bowl.
Season with oyster sauce, soy sauce and
sugar. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and place
into the fridge for at least two hours.

2 Remove from fridge and make 5cm
dumplings. Put water into a steamer pot and
put onto a high heat. Then put the dumplings
on a tray or small plate and steam for 10
minutes. Keep to one side.

3 For the sauce, place a saucepan over a
medium heat; add tomato ketchup, pineapple
juice, orange juice, rice vinegar, sugar and
salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20
minutes or until the sauce thickens. Keep to
one side.

RECIPES

Mango Tango 25ml mango purée
3 chunks pineapple
Our mixologist, Karim Mehdi, has paired 40ml Havana Club 3 years old
the Mango Tango cocktail with the 20ml grapefruit juice
Green Machine because it could be 20ml honey syrup
considered a paleo cocktail using only fresh 1 pinch salt
fruits and raw honey. The tropical notes
works really well with our paleo sauce 1 Place all ingredients into a shaker, shake
contents for approximately 30 seconds. Pour
Serves 1 cocktail mixture over crushed ice and garnish
with a mango slice and a sprig of mint.

Black velvet

Karim Mehdi has paired the Black Velvet
cocktail with our Phad Thai, as its rich,
smooth flavours complement the classic
dish well

Serves 1

3 Luxardo maraschino cherries
3 fresh blackberries
40ml Sailor Jerry's spiced rum
20ml fresh lime juice
30ml fresh pineapple juice

1 In a shaker, muddle the cherries and
blackberries to extract their juice. Add
all the other ingredients and ice cubes.
Shake until it is cold. Fine strain into a
chilled cocktail glass and serve.

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