The best meal is outdoors

On picnics in the late afternoon/evening

May 07, 2023

Hello!

I hope life has been going swimmingly for you but if not, know that you’re not alone and we are riding the waves together! Apart, but together in spirit. And if life hasn’t been very nice to you, maybe a little time outdoors basking in nature and soaking up the *evening* (crucial, because the weather hasn’t been very nice lately) sun will help a little? Maybe in the form of a picnic?

I love picnics a bunch. It could be a spontaneous one, but spontaneous picnics are quite difficult to achieve in Singapore. The grass isn’t very nice, the weather is pfffft, picnic-able areas aren’t aplenty (there isn’t much btw, and I blame the government for developing every. plot. of. grassed. land.). You can’t really just grab a nicely baked loaf of bread, some good butter (that won’t turn to grease in 2 seconds), some ripe seasonal fruit and, say, walk to the beach and take in the waves rolling towards you while you graze.

iggy’s bread, pepe saya butter, jam by jam lady jam (fav!)

(I had a couple of mighty fine semi-picnics with a good friend while in Australia last year. We had plenty of good treats from Flour and Stone, Akimbo and Monforte! And just a nice time grabbing grub and chatting.)

So, planned picnics it is. It’s hard not to feel like everything is good, everything is okay when you’re seated/lying on the grass, surrounded by birdsong, wind in the trees, clouds going by, wine/beer/beverage of choice in your hand, good company. The sun slowly going down, bathing everything in the warm evening glow. True luxury is having a picnic on a weekday, when there are no crowds. Balm for my soul.

The loveliest sunset I ever caught was during a picnic. See below!!

the sky really was on fire all around us. it was such a sight.

Picnic essentials

Picnic mat - I think everyone gets their outdoor stuff from Decathlon. The bigger, the better for maximum relaxation. I have the 140x170 cm one but definitely plan on getting the bigger one one day. Important features are quick-drying, waterproof, COMFY and washer-friendly.
Chiller bag - for chilled beverages or hot food
Reusable cutlery - again, decathlon for a basic set but tons of options out there
Tissues, wet wipes etc
Mosquito repellent if in the park
These double-walled Bodum tumblers WITH LIDS so your drinks stay cold for longer and don’t spill if you accidentally knock them over, too easy on uneven ground.
tried and tested
A nearby toilet. Very crucial if you’re spending a long time and/or drinking. Not technically something you can bring but something you’d want to pay attention to. Unless you’re a dude. I won’t tell.
Trash bag
Maybe a fan if you get real hot.
Delicious food!! Food that you want to eat and that isn’t difficult to eat!
Something fun to drink. If you’re into alcohol, natural wines are light and fun. Dry riesling is always fun, as is sparkling sake or makgeolli. Fruited beers from Megobrebi, available at Elixir Code, are a firm favourite. They drink like smoothies and I can never get enough of them. Especially good at the beach. Anchor is ooookay, I won’t judge.
an ispahan sour - DIVINE

Picnic food

Now, we don’t have to get all fussy. But whenever I can, I usually prep a couple of things that I know my party (usually me and my partner) will enjoy eating. It just feels nice and special.

Off the top of my head, some things I remember making/bringing:

Rice balls
Salad and guacamole
Chopped salad
Ham and cheese sandwiches, spam and egg sandwiches
Fruit like crunchy grapes / watermelon, chilled
Simple cake for a birthday
Braised sausages - which I will be sharing a not-recipe recipe for below
A nice wine / fruited beer

These are all communal foods to share (minus sandwiches), because eating together but in solitude isn’t my idea of intimacy. And, in general, I detest eating “finger food” / overly processed food. It makes me feel icky and trashy. I think it would really diminish the whole picnic experience for what it could be!!

If you don’t have time to prepare anything, which is totally fine, I hope you’re near a good supermarket or have some nice options around. Some sausages / a roast chicken would be nice, or cold cuts and delicious cheese on crackers / bread work very nicely too! I have grabbed some sushi/sweet potatoes/rice balls from Donki on many occasions on the way to the beach and have had a sublime time. If you’re near a M&S, they have many antipasto options as well (that I cannot swear by). McD’s would fly too, if that’s your thing.

Here’s something my partner prepared recently: mayak eggs and gamjjatang! While I cannot vouch for the authenticity of these dishes (hahahha), I enjoyed them in the evening sun. And the gesture of someone else cooking for you is always nice — food is always tasty when there is love and intention behind it.

Picnic spots I frequent

Gallop extension, Botanic Gardens. This one’s a bit of a pain to get to — I definitely recommend driving but then you won’t be able to drink (much). If you’re taking public transport, you could walk from Farrer Rd MRT to Woollerton gate or take a bus a couple of stops down from Napier MRT and walk in.
Marina Bay East. Lovely spot by the water but more crowded with lots of bicycle / skate traffic. Toilet is also like, 500m away. Getting there is also a bit of a pain.
Botanic Gardens - I always get lost here and just settle for a patch of grass because the heat and humidity are tiring.
Tanjong Beach
Fort Canning - I wouldn’t say I frequent this spot; I went once and night fell and a shrew was moving under my bag of brioche and I was petrified.

To be honest any outdoor area you’re comfortable in/at would be swell!! I generally prefer quiet and being surrounded by nature.

Braised sausages with peppers, onions and harissa

a rare one-dish picnic, with baguette i was testing

This dish took me about 45 minutes start to finish, but you could totally do this in 30 minutes. I added too much liquid so had to spend extra time cooking that off for the consistency I wanted.

Beside going out to get sausages, this was very much a pantry dish / raid-the-fridge situation.

You’ll need:

2 packets of sausages (8 - 12)
A couple rashers of bacon, chopped or sliced. I had some thick cut bacon from Bacon King. If you love bacon, use more! the whole pack!
1 - 2 onions, sliced. Yellow, preferably, but if you have red, they’ll work. A mix is fine.
4 or more garlic cloves, depending on your appetite for them. Thinly sliced or minced, up to you.
Chili, sliced, if you or whoever you’re cooking for like/s chili. I used two green bullet chilis.
2 peppers, sliced, or 3 - 4 smaller ones. I had some smaller orange and yellow ones.
1 cup vermouth (or more). I find vermouth adds savouriness and depth
½ cup chicken stock
2 tbsp harissa (optional). Something else that could work in place would be sambal oelek or maaaybe sambal belacan? Know that the flavour will change!
1 -2 tbsp tomato paste
½ - 1 cup tomato sauce - I was testing some of Marcella Hazan’s and threw that in. Very delicious. In a pinch, canned tomatoes will work, but you’ll want to use less as it’s going to be brighter and more acidic. Please use good canned tomatoes if you can - they make all the difference between a umami-rich, moreish sauce and a mouth-puckering sour, tart, unpleasant sauce.

I love Pan Pacific’s sausages - nicely sized and tasty. I like Evergood’s and they were on sale (the only time I ever buy them), but these Linguica ones were a little floury. I’m not sure if it was a batch issue, but the pineapple ones are really good. I’m not a fan of cheese sausages but if you are, go ahead!

Cook bacon for a bit to render fat and get it a little crispy.
Prick your sausages to avoid them splitting / bursting. Brown sausages in bacon fat, adding oil if necessary. Ah, our favourite part of the process.
Remove sausages to a plate. If necessary, add some oil, then dump in your sliced peppers, onion, garlic and green chili. This recipe is fuss-free and we’re not going to add them in step by step. Stir through and let them go for 5ish minutes, till they’re starting to turn translucent. I made this in a rush and how far you want to cook these onions before the next step is up to you. If you have more time and want jammier onions and peppers, go longer. If you don’t have time, don’t worry - they will braise in the liquids you’re about to add.
Make a little space in your onions and peppers, pouring a little oil and squeezing your tomato paste in there to caramelise for 1-2 minutes. Once caramelised, stir it through your vegetables. The tomato paste will darken in colour - that’s how you know you’ve caramelised it.
Add vermouth (my cheat for everything these days) and chicken stock, deglaze. Let boil and reduce till almost evaporated.
Then, add bacon and harissa. Stir through. At this point, you can taste. More harissa? More vermouth? Salt?
i love making harissa but don’t have the luxury of time always. this paste is very nice - spicy, floral. BUT please buy it from providore at $2.50 and not from little farms at like $7 or some shit like that
Finally, add your tomato sauce/canned tomatoes. You should have a nice amount of liquid - enough to cover your vegetables. Bring to a boil.
you can do less liquid than this!
Add your sausages back into the pot. Reduce heat to simmer (a more aggressive simmer is okay here as the texture of sausages won’t be affected by boiling).
Cover your pot and simmer for 20 minutes. If you, like me, added too much liquid, you can leave it uncovered to simmer. As there is quite a bit of liquid and no starch in this, it shouldn’t catch at the bottom, so you shouldn’t have to stir. But you can always be extra careful.
Once it’s done, taste! Season again to your liking.