ASK BING!
With Father’s Day approaching, we’d like to ask: if you had to prepare something fun and delicious to share with your dad, what would it be? And would you share the recipe?

BING ANSWERS:
This Sardines & Ritz Crackers snack is one that my Dad made when we played Carom on a lazy Sunday afternoon.  

The finished product! Image courtesy of Bing Blokbergen-Leow

A few weeks back, on my last trip to Perth where he lives with my mum, I asked if I should share this recipe and he said “Yes”.  I got my siblings to do a “taste-test”, so this recipe is tried and tested to be as close as my Dad’s.

Recipe

Ingredients

• • 300g sardines in tomato sauce, drained (1 tin)
  • 8 tbsp shallot, roughly cut
  • 4 tsp curry powder
  • 2 tsp fresh red chilli, roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp tomato sauce
  • 2 tbsp Lingham chilli sauce*

*This chilli sauce is my father’s favourite. It’s a little sweeter, similar to Thai chilli sauce.

The ketchup and chilli sauce used in the taste-test -- image courtesy of Bing Blokbergen-Leow

Method

• • Add all ingredients in the order of the recipe.
  • Mix well

Note

• • The shallots and chilli should be roughly chopped; the final dish should be chunky, a “rough rillette” instead of a “fine pâté”.
    • • The first version I tested did not have the right mouthfeel and there was not enough chilli. My husband who helped me to chop the shallots and chilli did everything too delicately!

• • The chilli and curry powder can be adjusted to taste.

Shallots and chillies should be chopped roughly; ingredient images courtesy of Bing Blokbergen-Leow

When my Dad was younger, he was very adventurous with his food choices. We ate far and wide because of him. He had several snacks that he (and, thus we) enjoyed, and he would spend time describing the food he ate. He was the OG foodie of our family!

My Dad has advanced Parkinson’s – and, now in his winter years, Dad has to have blended food. Due to Parkinson’s, he lost most of his taste buds a few years back. For a foodie, it must be terrible to eat blended food with the right health marks.  But he instilled in us a spirit of adventure and drive to eat right. This we will hold closely to our hearts.

Happy Father’s Day to all Fathers out there!