Kitchen Cupboards #1: Shu Han Lee, Rempapa

A delightful jumble of world flavours from the English kitchen spanning two continents behind my favourite brand of indie spice pastes.

Welcome to Kitchen Cupboards, a monthly ingredient column where, rather than exploring some of my favourite ingredients, I’m taking a peek into some of my favourite food writer, creators and producers kitchen cupboards to talk about which ingredients shape their everyday cooking.

Going forward, Kitchen Cupboards will be for paid subscribers of ingredient, but to give you all a little taste of things to come, I’ll be popping the first few interviews in front of my paywall. You can either subscribe or upgrade your subscription here, and not only will you get a peek into a new set of kitchen cupboards every month, but you’ll also receive new and exclusive recipes right into your inbox as well as the essays and monthly links roundups available to free subscribers.

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I first encountered food writer and entrepreneur Shu Han Lee at a new cookbook showcase at my then publishers offices overlooking the Thames one sunny Saturday morning, promoting her new cookbook Chicken and Rice: Fresh and Easy Southeast Asian Recipes from a London Kitchen (affiliate link). Whilst I was charmed by the books simple, evocative photography, and Shu’s informative, generous writing, it was when she and her husband Oliver launched Rempapa (named after the the Malay word for fresh spice pastes), a range of homemade spice pastes and South East Asian-inspired flavour boosters from their London kitchen did a little something from Shu’s kitchen become a permanent fixture in mine.

I keep Rempapa’s flavour matching card from one order on my fridge so I always know which flavours pair best with each of their spice pastes, though I must say their aromatic yet mellow Penang Kaffir Lime & White Pepper Paste has pretty much replaced other, lesser green curry pastes in this house. I also love their vibrant yellow Perankan Turmeric & Lemongrass paste so much I remember meeting Oliver late one evening outside a South London pub in the pouring rain to swap a few jars to use on the One Pan Pescatarian (affiliate link) cookbook shoot in return for some of my homemade blackberry jam, I thought it so essential to share in the book.

So naturally when I started brainstorming who I wanted to profile for my first Kitchen Cupboard feature, I just knew that I had to ask Shu if she’d take us on a tour of what she and Oliver keep on hand to build their everyday meals.

When she emailed me these snaps of what they’ve got in stock at the moment she explained:

As there are two cooks in the house with every different backgrounds, you'll see one side of the shelf filled with Asian seasonings, one side with olive oils and such. You'll see lots of different types of rice (I have Thai black, white glutinous rice, jasmine rice, basmati) but also pastas! And the spice cupboard is a mix of all sorts of different ones, from those typically used in Southeast Asian cooking, to Indian, to Japanese, to Cajun rubs.

Where do you do most of your food shopping? Do you tend to order online or are there a few specialist stores you love to frequent?

I recently moved just north of London to a town in Hertfordshire, which means food shopping tends to be at the local Sainsbury's or Waitrose... This means whenever I head to Chinatown I will often bring a big empty backpack and load up on the sauces, dried noodles and spices. If I can't wait, I often turn to my favourite foodie website souschef.co.uk! (Rachel: mine too!) I also often have to do sampling sessions at the delis that stock Rempapa - and I'll almost always leave with a jar or two of interesting sauces from other independent small businesses. I love delis, they're such inspirational places to shop at and I get ideas just being surrounded by their food.

What do you think of the selection of South East Asian ingredients available in British supermarkets? Do you have any tips or recommendations for people seeking the best possible ingredients?

It's gotten a lot better in recent years - I'm still surprised I can now find fresh lemongrass and fresh kaffir lime leaves in my local Sainsbury's! To find the best possible ingredients it's really worth going to an Asian supermarket as they will have a great variety. That said, as a cook, I'm a fan of making do and learning to adapt with local ingredients. In my cookbook Chicken & Rice, there is a recipe for a fennel mince pork stir fry with chilli and basil. Traditionally, you would use Thai basil, but if it's not available, I use regular sweet basil - the fennel gives the dish the aniseed scent of Thai basil!

Do you usually stick to the same brands of things, or use whatever is available? And do you tend to stockpile, or use different brands for different tasks, or are you a one size fits all for types of vinegars, sauces, etc. kind of cook?

I stick quite religiously to certain brands for oft-used things like soy sauce, rice wine, coconut milk and black rice vinegar. But for everything else, I love trying new brands. There are so many chefs and small businesses shaking up the food scene with exciting flavours or introducing the UK to flavours they grew up with - and I love supporting them. Especially since I've experienced first hand how difficult it is getting people to try and love using rempah (spice pastes) their cooking!

You mentioned that the ingredients you have on hand reflect that there are two of you from very different cultural backgrounds cooking, who cooks the most? And does what style of food you eat get reflected by who is cooking, or do you learn from each other?

We both love cooking so it really is 50-50! We don't have planned days. As we both work long and irregular hours, whoever's home first just starts dinner. We've gotten into a very good rhythm now of one automatically being sous chef (or KP) when the other is making his or her dish. I've learnt a lot about the magic of butter from Olly; while he's learnt about the balance of sweet/ salty/sour/ spicy flavours from me. 

Did you cook much international food growing up, or are there ingredients that are now essential you only discovered when you arrived in London?

I was hardly allowed in the kitchen growing up! My mum is a brilliant cook and very protective of us wandering into her sacred space and making a mess. Her larder, while likely 'exotic' to people here, was fairly confined to Chinese/ Singaporean sauces and ingredients. So I really discovered the joys of amazing olive oils and balsamic vinegar when I moved here - and they're definitely essentials now for quick salads and to add zing to Italian cooking (one of my favourite cuisines!) 

Do the store cupboard ingredients you reach for depend on the seasons?

Definitely. I love fresh sharp flavours when it's warmer; and richer ingredients when it's colder. Heat and spice all year round though!

And finally, which 5 ingredients in your kitchen cupboards would you simply not be able to live without, and why? Do you have specific favourite brands, and ways to use them?

Kecap Manis - Kecap Manis is a thick, sweet soy sauce and is used lots in South East Asian cooking. I love it for adding a deep colour and sweetness to dishes like nasi goreng.

Dried Fermented Black Beans - This adds a funky savoury depth to Chinese cooking. I use it at the start of stir fries or to marinade fish before it goes into the steamer.

Japanese Spice Seasoning - This is a delicious mix of spices and I love it just sprinkled over fried eggs in the morning. This is from the lovely Pippy Eats - I met her over Instagram over our joint love of food and spice! 

Sarawak White Pepper - My mum insists on only using white pepper from Sarawak, she sends me off with bags of it whenever I visit. It's got a wonderful unique fragrance and leaves your tongue tingling. It's what we use in our Penang Kaffir Lime & White Pepper rempah!

Nanyang Soy Sauce - This is a locally brewed soy sauce from Singapore. It's brewed the traditional way for years, so it has a deeper flavour and light sweetness to it. It's so delicious and I use it as a dip or finishing soy sauce.