Nothing to do, essentially all locked in our houses thanks to Sydney’s current Covid situation (🖕🏻😖😷), long afternoons under the umbrella reading and typing recipes.
And drinking this amazing cocktail by Nat.
I could get very used to this.
Ingredients
I cup fresh cut pineapple 2 large vodka shots 1.5 shots of Malibu 3cm ginger 1 tsp of honey 2.5 shots of coconut water Lime slices to garnish Ice to serve
Method
Whiz together the pineapple, ginger, honey and coconut water in a blender. Strain and return to the blender.
This is a bit of an adventurous dish, though ironically it’s the simplicity of the whole thing that is the point.
This dish from Martin Teplitzky – son of the great Gretta Anna – is all class.
Nat did this as a first course for a long-lunch we had over the past Christmas and my goodness, what a treat:
Doh. I forgot the Parmesan and chives before I took this photo.
The double whammy here is that you both need to make pasta dough and then expertly transfer egg yolks into each ravioli. I think we lost only two yolks.
Though its a fun dish to make – I helped with the pasta part – and it looks wonderful. (Yolks at room temperature are much easier to handle: pro tip.)
And as I said, it’s just the wonderful simplicity of it all.
Thankfully I nailed the other part of my limited brief which was to have a solid white wine chilled and ready.
150gm butter Grated zest and juice of 2 lemons 1 bunch asparagus, spears trimmed and cut into thirds Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Egg Yolk Ravioli (Makes about 18)
300gm type ‘00’ flour Pinch of salt 3 eggs, at room temperature Semolina flour, for dusting
Method
To make the ravioli, sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Using a fork, gently beat the eggs and gradually allow the flour to mix with them. Continue until the sauce is too think to work with the fork. Tip out onto a smooth surface and work the dough until all the flour is absorbed, then continue to knead the dough for 5 – 10 minutes until it becomes smooth. (You may need to dust the work surface with a little semolina flour if you find the dough sticking a bit.) Wrap the dough in plastic film and place in the refrigerator to rest for 10 minutes.
Dust the work surface with semolina flour, then cut off about a quarter of the pasta dough, being sure to wrap the remaining dough in a tea towel to prevent it from drying out. Flatten the first piece of dough and pass it through the widest setting on a pasta machine. Drop the setting down a notch and roll out, and again drop the setting a notch and repeat. At this point, take your dough and fold it over twice. Pass it through the pasta machine. Repeat this process 5 times on this setting, folding air into the pasta. Once you have done this, drop the setting down another notch and roll through once, then drop the setting down once more and roll your pasta dough through. You should now have a lovely thin sheet of pasta ready for cutting or filling Repeat with remaining dough it give 4 sheets of pasta.
Using a cutter, cut the pasta dough into 18 discs about 8cm in diameter for the base of the ravioli, and 18 discs about 9cm in diameter for the top. Carefully place an egg yolk in the middle of an 8cm disc and wet the edges with a little water on the end of your fingertips. Place a 9cm disc on top and press the edges together, being careful not to puncture the pasta with your fingernails, and making sure you remove any air pockets from inside the ravioli. Repeat with the remaining pasta discs and egg yolks.
The ravioli can then be dusted with semolina flour and placed in the fridge or thrown straight into a saucepan of salted, boiling water. Remove the ravioli when they float to the surface, after about 2 – 3 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-heat and sauté the prosciutto until crisp and golden, then drain on paper towel.
To make the asparagus and lemon butter, simply melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat, add the lemon zest and juice and gently sauté the asparagus for 2 – 3 minutes until they turn bright green and have softened a little. Season with salt and pepper.
Drain the ravioli, divide evenly between the plates. Drizzle the asparagus and lemon butter over top and serve with prosciutto and Parmesan, then scatter over finely chopped chives.
My mother whipped these up as part of a long, grazing lunch of cured meats and focaccia.
In the same way we should all be making our own dips for special meals, the same is true of nuts.
So here you go.
Ingredients
Cooking spray 1 egg white 3 tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp dried red-pepper flakes 2 cups mixed raw nuts of your choice
Method
Heat the oven to 150c. Line a lipped baking sheet with foil and coat the foil lightly with cooking spray.
Whisk the egg white until very foamy. Add the sugar, salt, cumin and red-pepper flakes and whisk well. Stir in the nuts and coat completely.
Spread the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake until they’re deep golden brown about 25 – 30 minutes, stirring often.
Remove the sheet from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Break up any nutty clumps. (The nuts can be made a week in advance, stored in an airtight container.)
Though in what is certainly seeming like a never-ending crescendo, the podium needs to be cleared again.
Because this dressing is superb.
Nothing less than one would expect from Thomas Keller.
The basic ingredients don’t vary from a traditional vinaigrette, though the use of the blender and the addition of the egg yolks completely transforms what would have been a vinaigrette, into the most wonderful cream.
Just add leaves and some fragrant herbs: dill, basil, coriander, chervil, tarragon, whatever you have in the fridge.
Get excited. It’s superb.
Ingredients
1 tbsp chopped garlic 1 1/2 tsp chopped shallots 2 tbsp plus 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1/4 c balsamic vinegar 1 large egg yolk 2 c canola oil Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the garlic, shallots, mustard and vinegar in a blender and blend until well combined. Add the egg yolk and blend again.
With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the dressing is thick and emulsified. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be refrigerated in a covered container for 1 week.)
For the spice paste, heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and add the coconut, cloves, cardamom pods, peppercorns and cinnamon, and cook, stirring occasionally, until coconut is golden brown. Add ground spices and cook for another minute. Cool and transfer to a blender. Add 200ml water and blend to a fine paste.
Heat ghee or oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add mustard seeds and as soon as they pop, add curry leaves, ginger and green chilli. Cook, stirring frequently until softened: 2 – 3 minutes. Add the onion and cook until golden brown: 2 – 3 minutes. Add garlic, followed by tomatoes and spice paste, stirring each ingredient for a minute, before adding the next one. Season to taste with salt.
Add chicken to the pan and cook until golden. Add 250ml hot water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to, cover pan partially until the chicken is cooked and the sauce is thickened. Serve sprinkled with black pepper, a squeeze of lemon juice and with extra fried curry leaves.
Oliver Dog (14) made this sauce for a Matt Preston burger and its a very good sauce.
I reckon with a toasted cheese, it would be amazing.
Definitely give it a go. When I say it’s not going to win awards, it actually probably could.
Ingredients
50gm sultanas 1 onion, roughly chopped 2 garlic cloves 1/3 c tomato paste 3/4 c cider vinegar 1/3 c brown sugar 2 tsp sea salt Pinch of cayenne pepper 8 canned pineapple rings 2 tsp ground coffee (or a shot of espresso) 2 whole cloves 1 tsp ground allspice 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg 1/3 c honey
Method
Blitz the sultanas, onion, garlic and tomato paste in a food processor until smooth. Scrape into a large heavy-based saucepan and stir in 3/4 c water along with the vinegar, brown sugar, salt and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Bring the mixture to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 1 hour, uncovered, stirring regularly.
Purée the pineapple rings in the food processor. Add to the pan along with the coffee, cloves, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg and honey. Simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
When the ketchup is thick, sieve and return to a thick pan. Bring to a simmer, season, adjust cider and honey and reduce until thickened.
The genius Yotam Ottolenghi’s latest book – Test Kitchen, Shelf Love – was one of my presents for Nat this Christmas just gone.
We’re spending the week post-Christmas, laying low. Waking up late, cooking or eating out, opening a Champagne each day no later than 1.
I kicked it off with this recipe last night.
It is just excellent.
With fluffy white rice and yoghurt to cool the spice kick, it is unique and particularly moorish.
The sauce can be made a day or two ahead meaning it is only a matter of frying the koftas when you need them.
Could not be easier. Could not be better for a lazy night in.
Cold beer essential.
And Merry Christmas 2021. Stay safe.
Ingredients
For the koftas
500gm firm sustainable white fish (e.g. cod, though we used barramundi) 4 spring onions, finely sliced 10gm dill plus extra to serve 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest 1 egg, beaten 30gm panko crumbs 3 tbsp olive oil
For the tomato sauce
1 1/2 dried ancho chillies, stems removed 2 tsp caraway seeds toasted and roughly crushed 1 tbsp cumin seeds, toasted and roughly crushed 6 garlic cloves, peeled 1 onion, roughly chopped 60ml olive oil 1 green chilli, halved lengthways 1 tbsp tomato paste 3 – 4 plum tomatoes, skinned and roughly grated 300ml chicken or vegetable stock 2 tsp caster sugar 25gm fresh coriander, roughly chopped Salt and black pepper
Method
For the sauce, put the ancho chillies into a small bowl and cover with plenty of boiling water. Leave to soften for 20 minutes then drain, discarding the liquid. Roughly chop the chillies, then put them in a food processor alone with two-thirds of the caraway and cumin, all the garlic, the onion and 2 tbsp of oil. Blitz to a coarse paste.
Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of oil in a large pan on a medium-high heat. Add the ancho paste, green chilli and tomato paste and cook for 7 minutes, stirring often, until softened and fragrant. Add the grated tomatoes, stock, 200ml of boiling water, the sugar, half the coriander, 1 1/4 tsp of salt and a good grind of pepper and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes. Keep warm on a low heat until needed.
Meanwhile, make the koftas. Finely chop the fish into 1/2 – 1cm pieces. Put them into a large bowl along with the spring onions, dill, chilli, lemon zest, egg, panko, the remaining coriander, the remaining caraway and cumin, 1 tsp of salt and a good grind of black pepper and mix well to combine. Form into 12 round fish cakes.
Heat 1 1/2 tbsp of oil in a large frypan on a medium-high heat. Add half the koftas and fry for 2 1/2 minutes per side, until golden. Transfer to a plate, then repeat with the remaining oil and koftas.
Bring the sauce to a simmer. Add the koftas, then turn the heat down and cook for 10 minutes, to cook through. Leave to sit for about 5 minutes then top with the extra dill leaves.
We both agreed that this meal reminded us of a meal at the original Kitchen by Mike, a wonderful and innovative Sydney institution that served sustainable, wholesome lunches:
The original Kitchen by Mike: nothing beat a lunch there with a cold glass of vino and an espresso to mop it up.
This recipe is so clean and honest, with the simple salad dressed with only olive oil and lemon juice, cutting against the sweetness of the ocean trout rub.
It’s as sophisticated as it is simple and Nat just loved it.
I appreciate that a simple Saturday BBQ can be just what is needed, though with just a bit more effort, you’ll have a brilliant lunch in the sun.
Obviously, white wine is a must.
Another Gourmet Traveller recipe win from their 2021 Annual.
Ingredients
800gm piece of ocean trout, skin on, pin-boned 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tbsp each sumac and brown sugar 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp ground cumin 1/3 c extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve 1 celery heart, finely chopped, leaves reserved 400gm can butter beans, drained and rinsed 1 c loosely packed watercress sprigs 2 tbsp lemon juice 1 c sheep’s milk yoghurt
Method
Preheat the oven to 200c. Place ocean trout, skin-side down on an oven tray lined with baking paper. Combine garlic, sumac, sugar, spices and 2 tbsp oil in a bowl and season. Rub mixture over trout and roast until medium and crust is golden, about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine celery, celery leaves, butter beans, watercress, lemon juice and remaining oil in a bowl. Season to taste.
This recipe is in the Gourmet Traveller 2021 Annual, an always reliable and always excellent publication.
So much so, we have had whole long-weekends revolve around their annual collections of the best and most popular receipts from their magazine across the year.
This dish is seriously delicious.
It’s also simple.
And it is unquestionably 1-hat territory, if not nudging some of the 2-hat dining rooms winning their hats around simplicity and brilliant execution.
What a way to start a meal.
Ingredients
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 1 Savoy cabbage (600gm) cut into wedges 1 c each dry white wine and vegetable stock 80gm butter, chopped 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 4 banana prawns, peeled and finely chopped 1 tsp caraway seeds 240gm canned chestnuts, sliced 1/2 c thickened cream, warmed 1 tbsp finely chopped chives, to serve
Method
Preheat the oven to 220c. Heat half the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over high-heat. Cook cabbage cut-side down until charred, and flip and do the same with the other cut-side. Transfer to a large roasting pan.
Pour wine and stock over the cabbage and dot with half the butter. Roast until tender, turning halfway: about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add garlic and cook until just golden and fragrant. Add remaining butter and cook until starting to foam. Add prawn meat, caraway seeds and chestnuts, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until prawns are just cooked through. Add the cream and cook until combined.
Serve cabbage wedges with prawn and chestnut mix, topped with chives.
Neil credits this recipe to Roger Vergé, one of the greatest chefs of all time; the recipe first appeared in Roger Vergé’s first cookbook, Cuisine of the Sun (1979). (This Roger Vergé recipe is one of the greatest beef recipes I have had and after you have had this dish for lunch, line this beef up for dinner.)
Paired with coral trout – my absolute favourite fish – this is a sublime dish. The texture is just wonderful.
You could be in the South of France.
Do yourself a favour and whilst the sun is still out, do this as part of a lazy lunch.
Ingredients
4 x 180gm coral trout fillets Sea salt Extra virgin olive oil Freshly ground pepper
For the sauce vierge (makes 500ml)
3 vine-ripened tomatoes, peels, deseeded and cut into a 2cm dice. 2 garlic cloves, unpeeled and halved 2 tbsp chopped chervil 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 tbsp chopped tarragon 8 coriander seeds, crushed 250ml extra virgin olive oil Sea salt an freshly ground pepper
Method
Mix the diced tomatoes with all the other ingredients in a bowl, then set aside for 1 – 2 hours to mature.
Preheat the barbecue to hot an make sure the grill bars are clean. Liberally sprinkle the fillets with sea salt an brush with the oil. Cook on one side for 4 minutes, and then flip and cook for another 3 minutes. Rest in a warm place for 3 minutes.
Plate, spooning over the sauce, twist of pepper and serve.
Robby Dog Cooks 