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SBS Australia
01-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- SBS Australia
5 time-saving kitchen hacks Marion Grasby swears by
Marion Grasby in her studio kitchen And despite the busyness, she still loves cooking for her family – as she revealed in an takeover chat. So, who better to ask for time-saving kitchen hacks that don't skimp on flavour? Here's how the cook, TV personality, and entrepreneur gets on the table, fast. Then, the magic continues: the leftover bones go straight into a pot to make stock. 'It doesn't have to take a long time. You can simmer those bones for 20 minutes and you've got a great broth,' she promises. Grasby likes to plan a few meals ahead, but not too many, because she often cooks based on what inspires her that day. 'The freezer is your best friend when it comes to meal planning, especially if you've got kids and family,' she says. 'I will usually make batches of a curry, but I won't put the vegetables like the carrots or the potatoes in because that doesn't freeze very well.' Cooking with kids sounds chaotic (and let's be honest, it often is) but Grasby swears it's worth it. 'Getting them involved in making the food can often really help them to actually get excited and want to eat,' she says. 'So, I get my kids to help make . They love that. I get them to help chop up the vegetables for fried rice or whisk the eggs to make an omelette.' Less dinner-table drama, no need to cook separate meals, and the added bonus of training your own mini sous-chefs? We're sold. In the Grasby household, is practically a food group. She makes huge batches to stash in lunchboxes or freeze for later. Keep frozen portions of plain rice on hand too to adapt the dish to what you feel like eating that day. Keep frozen plain rice on hand, too, which is great for adapting fried rice to whatever you're craving that day. 'My Thai chicken fried rice has tomatoes, Asian greens and Chinese broccoli in it. So, it becomes something that's quite healthy for the kids to eat as well,' she says. 'You can put lots of different things in there. I'll often swap the chicken for little cubes of salmon or swap the broccoli for finely chopped-up baby spinach.' And if you don't have day-old rice (which is ), Grasby's trick is simple: spread freshly cooked rice on a tray, pop it in the freezer for about 20 minutes, and it'll be cool and ready for the wok. Grasby's pantry is never without a lineup of powerhouse condiments: different types of soy sauce , fish sauce, and (a Korean fermented chilli paste that adds instant depth to marinades and stir-fries). 'I think of my soy sauces as Asian salt. I use fish sauce and soy sauce, for example, in my bolognese,' she reveals. When it comes to spices, she always has garam masala, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and black pepper at the ready, essentials that instantly lift any simple dish. With a few clever shortcuts and a well-stocked freezer, Marion proves that weeknight meals can still be full of heart and flavour. Watch now Share this with family and friends
SBS Australia
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
For Marion Grasby, home tastes like a rich massaman curry
Marion Grasby's Flavours of Heart & Home is premiering Monday 28 April at 7:30pm on SBS On Demand and SBS Food. Credit: SBS Marion Grasby's Flavours Of Heart & Home When your mum is Thai, your dad Australian, and you've called more than a few countries home, defining what 'tastes like home' can be a complex question. But not for . 'The foods that make me feel like home are a really good bowl of fragrant, soy-braised or a ... A lovely, sweet, coconutty, creamy massaman,' she says without hesitation. It's no surprise then that the beloved cook, author, and entrepreneur opens her series on SBS Food, Marion Grasby's Flavours of Heart & Home with her version of the Thai classic, a rich, slow-cooked lamb shank massaman curry. Fans of Grasby (of which there are many) will know she's inspired by the flavours of her Thai heritage, as well as broader Southeast Asian cuisines. But she's not one to follow rules too rigidly. 'I'm probably a little bit more lenient about tradition than a lot of people. For me, food and cuisine have always been a moving landscape,' she explains. 'If you look back in history, things like chilies, that you think might be native to Southeast Asia, actually came from South America. The tomato was originally imported into Italy. So, I think cuisines are always changing, and I like to remind myself of that because I think that cuisines should be alive. They should change with the people and the context and the time.' When she cooks for her family, Grasby simply uses flavours that work together and ingredients that come naturally to her. For example, for , that might mean adding a few tablespoons of for a hit of umami. 'Some might call it fusion, but I think that merging cultures and flavours is something to be proud of and happy about. And I love that we do that in Australia. Often, we're not from one place, but from many. I think it's great to have food that reflects that,' she says. 'It's really important to celebrate authenticity and tradition, but not be too scared to bring your own context to it.' Grasby often lists her mum, affectionately known as Mama Noi – a trained chef who remains closely connected to Thailand through food – as an inspiration. Noi's garden, filled with lemongrass, Thai basil, mint, ginger, and chillies, was a kind of homegrown pantry that helped shape Grasby's own cooking instincts. 'Growing up, we had a lot of her beautiful curries, stir-fries, and spicy salads. And then we also had, what my dad would call his meat and three veg. He's a Victorian boy. All of those things have shaped the way I love to eat and cook. My food is a little bit Asian and a little bit Australian,' says Grasby. 'When I was little, spring rolls were something that we would make together and now it's something that all three generations can get into and love. And my kids are very proud when they get to take grandma's spring rolls to school,' she says. After living in bustling Bangkok for a decade, Grasby and her family have been calling Noosa home for several years. Life is quieter on the Sunshine Coast, but rich with inspiration. 'My husband is an avid fisher. And now my son Henry loves nothing more than catching crabs and fish on the weekend. I love the bounty of fresh seafood that the area offers,' she says. 'It's such a relaxed coastal lifestyle that encourages you to be outside barbecuing or picking up fish and chips and sitting on the water or going for a big walk. I love taking a homemade Vietnamese banh mi and eating that on the beach.' From massaman curry to banh mi by the sea, Marion Grasby's food is, ultimately, about connection, to memory, to place, and to the people she loves. Watch now Share this with family and friends
