Author: Robert Beerworth

I love cooking, wine, travel, my three boys, and two girls, Avalon and my beautiful wife and best friend and cook, Nat...

(Dime a dozen) Sri Lankan Fish Curry

.Reading time 1 minute.

Serves: 4

A simple and really tasty Sri Lankan fish curry I pulled from the Internet and whipped up for Sunday dinner for Nat and me.

They really are a dime a dozen these curries, though I’m typing this one up because it is about as down the line and traditional as they come… well, in my experience of cooking Sri Lankan fish curries!

This would be best served with some saffron rice, some steamed green vegetables and of course, cold beer!

Ingredients

30ml (2 tbsp) groundnut oil
2 small onions, finely sliced
1 tbsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
20 fresh curry leaves
2 long green chillies, chopped
2½ cm (1in) root ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp ground turmeric
300ml fish stock
150ml light coconut milk
4 fillets firm white fish, skinless, 140g each
2 tomatoes, chopped

Method

  1. Heat the oil in a pan, add the onions and cook until lightly golden. Add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the chillies, ginger, garlic and turmeric and cook for a further 2 minutes.
  2. Add the stock and coconut milk, bring to the boil and simmer. Gently place the fish into the curry sauce and cook for 5 minutes, turning the fish once. When you’re ready to serve, stir through the tomatoes.
  3. Remove the lid from the rice and gently fluff it up with a fork. Serve the curry alongside the rice and your favourite steamed green vegetables.

Chicken Salad with black grapes, walnut and celery

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 4

I whipped up this salad a few years back and it was great. I did it again a few weeks ago and it was just as good. Time to type it up, right?!

It is originally from Gourmet Traveller whose recipes have always seemed slightly adventurous and daunting to me; though which have almost always turned out fabulous, much like this recipe.

Make Saturday lunch special and give this dish a go.

P.S. I used Neil Perry’s aioli recipe and have included it below.

Ingredients

1 celeriac (500gm), diced
2 tbsp olive oil
100gm walnuts
170gm seedless black grapes, halved
1 celery heart, thinly sliced, leaves reserved
3 golden shallots, thinly sliced
140gm good-quality aïoli*
Juice of 1-2 lemons
1 tsp Champagne or Dijon mustard

To serve: crusty baguette

Roast chicken

1 chicken (1.5kg) (cornfed if you can)
4 thyme sprigs
2 garlic cloves, bruised
1 tbsp olive oil

*Aioli (Neil Perry)

3 egg yolks
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Sea salt
2 tbsp lemon juice
375ml half olive oil and half extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground white pepper

Method

  1. For the aioli: Put a saucepan large enough to hold a stainless steel bowl on a bench. Place a tea towel around the inside edge of the pan and place the bowl on top of the pan to hold it steady while you whisk.
  2. Put the yolks in the bowl and whisk. Add the garlic, sea salt and lemon juice and while whisking, slowly drizzle in the oil. As the emulsion starts to form, add the oil in a steady stream. Don’t let the oil sit on the surface as this can cause the aioli to split. Add a grind of pepper and check for salt and lemon juice.
  3. Or do all of this in a food processor, starting with all the ingredients but the oil and then drizzling the oil in slowly with the motor running.
  4. For the roast chicken: Preheat oven to 180C. Rinse chicken inside and out and pat dry with absorbent paper. Season to taste inside and out, place in a roasting pan, stuff cavity with thyme and garlic and drizzle skin with oil. Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through (1-1¼ hours).
  5. Meanwhile, cook celeriac in a saucepan of salted boiling water until tender (3-5 minutes). Drain well, then transfer to a large bowl.
  6. Heat oil in a small frying pan over medium heat, add walnuts and stir occasionally until golden (2-4 minutes). Drain, cool and add to celeriac with grapes, celery and shallot.
  7. Coarsely shred chicken (discard skin, bones and sinew) and add to bowl. Add aïoli, lemon juice to taste and mustard, season to taste and toss to combine. Scatter with celery leaves and serve with crusty baguette.

BBQ Thai Basil and Ginger Pork Chops (with Tomato Salad)

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4

There is this wonderful website (well, Instagram) I follow called What to Cook.

It is by a father/daughter team where he cooks really simple, fresh and fun food and she takes great photos of the food. They look like they have so much doing it and they are obviously eating well.

I have only cooked one of their recipes (this one) though I have a bunch more lined up. Its modern, bistro-quality food and during the week, that’s just fine.

I let this marinate for two nights before BBQing and together with the salad, a bottle of white we opened and my favourite travelling companion Nat, we had a perfect weeknight in.

Ingredients

4 large pork chops,
1 Thai chilli, finely diced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
½ c fresh thai basil leaves
Pinch of salt
Juice of 1 lime

Tomato salad

1 bunch butter lettuce, leaves torn
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, sliced
1 oxheart tomato, sliced
2 baby cucumbers, sliced
½ cup bean sprouts
¼ cup fresh mint leaves

Salad dressing

3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tsp palm sugar, grated

Method

  1. Place the chops in a dish, then add the chilli, ginger, garlic, salt Thai basil, lime juice, cover and marinate in the fridge for 2 hours (or as long as you want).
  2. Preheat your BBQ over a high heat. Once preheated, BBQ the chops until cooked and then cover with foil and rest for 5 miutes.
  3. To serve; assemble the salad on the plates and drizzle with the dressing. Add the chops and (in their words) “enjoy”!

Nat’s Keema (Lamb (or beef) mince with peas)

.Reading time 3 minutes.

Serves: 4

So we have a new rule in the house.

If we find a recipe though it needs a solid change in method or ingredients, we are calling it our own. So introducing Nat’s Keema: a beef (or lamb) mince masala with peas.

We originally had this dish at a fabulous local Indian restaurant a fortnight ago and promised to reproduce it if only because it was a mince recipe; mince falling only slightly behind brisket and pork shoulder/belly in the genius stakes in our opinion.

Though there is a surprising lack of such recipes online for Keema, including on P-interest (Pinterest) which has become a bit of a destination where we swap recipes whilst at work.

The ingredients in the original recipe we finally sourced were fairly right though the method was shot.

We regrouped, changed tact, quadrupled the peas (because they are amazing) and here you have it.

It won’t change the world though it is a damn comfortable mince, low calorie and pretty special for a Monday dinner and lunch the next day. And the mushrooms are a hit.

Enjoy! (And thank Nat later…)

Ingredients

1kg extra lean beef mince (or lamb mince as per the original)
4 green chilies, diced
2 handfuls of fresh coriander
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
20 small mushrooms, diced
2 onions, sliced
500gm frozen peas
400gm fresh tomatoes, diced (a few tomatoes)
4 tsp garam masala
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Method

  1. Heat the oil in the pan and add the onion and the garlic; cook until the onions are soft and starting to become golden.
  2. Add the mince and cook down until the liquid has evaporated and the meat can start to brown.
  3. Add the tomatoes, ginger, salt, turmeric and chilli. Mash the tomatoes and other ingredients to add a shine to the meat.
  4. Add the mushrooms, lower the heat, add a cup of water and cook down for 45 minutes until the mushrooms are soft and cooked through. Add more water if necessary and stir regularly until the liquid evaporates.
  5. Add the garam masala, coriander and peas. Cook for a few minutes more, stirring until the peas are cooked through.
  6. Season, spice it up if you want and serve.

Arni Psito (Greek Roast Lamb)

.Reading time 1 minute.

Serves: 4 – 6

This dish is a classic recipe from my incredibly capable mother.

She cooked this countless times for us as teenagers and we had it again last night and my two boys loved it. Talk about a generational recipe!

The original recipe is from the New York Times Cookbook, though she adapted it so that the onions, parsley and mushrooms cook on top, caramelise and blacken. This is where the genius of this dish comes from and I just cannot recommend it enough.

We had it with Greek potatoes, green beans and a wonderful Greek salad and the memories came rushing back.

Thank you Ellen for introducing me to food. What a life skill and a fantastic way to spend a weekend!

Ingredients

1 leg of lamb
Salt and pepper
Dried oregano
Chopped garlic or garlic powder
¼ c butter, melted
Juice of 1 lemon
Diced onion
Chopped parsley
Sliced or chopped dried mushrooms

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 250 C and place the lamb on a rack.
  2. Season the lamb with salt, pepper, oregano and garlic.
  3. Arrange the onion, parsley and mushrooms over the lamb and carefully pour over the butter and lemon juice.
  4. Add ½ cup of water to the pan and roast for 20 minutes.
  5. Add another ½ cup water, lower the temperature to 180 C and roast for 22 minutes per 450gm, basting occasionally.
  6. Serve the lamb with the juices and vegetables spooned over.

Donna Hay’s classic spaghetti and meatballs

.Reading time 3 minutes.

FullSizeRender(3).jpg
Yes, they are not cooked at this point.

Serves: 4 – 6

Nat and I don’t have nearly as many long, liquid lunches as we would like to.

But on occasions, the stars align and there we are, contemplating a third dessert whilst working our way through the cheese plate and a fancy red of some description.

Cooking and eating pasta is also about a rare as these long lunch occasions.

And that’s because the two are linked.

For you should only eat pasta when nothing else will do.

And nothing else will do than pasta after a long lunch and a few bottles of vino.

And so here we were, a long lunch at Gowings completed and ready for our pasta hit.

Enjoy this one. It is everything you’ll want and nothing you won’t. Just make sure you make it in advance like I did.

Ingredients

1½ c fresh white breadcrumbs
½ c milk
500g veal (or beef) mince
500g pork mince
2 eggs
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ c sage leaves, finely chopped
Sea salt and cracked black pepper
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, extra, crushed
2 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 c (250ml) beef stock
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
¼ c thyme leaves, chopped
500g spaghetti
1 c basil leaves
Finely grated parmesan, to serve

Method

  1. Place the breadcrumbs and milk in a large bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes or until the milk is absorbed.
  2. Add the beef and pork mince, eggs, garlic, sage, salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Using wet hands, roll tablespoons of the mixture into balls.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a deep, large frying pan over high heat. Cook the meatballs in batches, turning frequently, for 4–5 minutes or until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  4. Reduce the heat to medium, add the remaining oil, onion and garlic to the pan and cook for 5–7 minutes or until lightly golden. Add the tomato paste and balsamic vinegar, stir to combine and cook for 1 minute. Add the stock, tomatoes, thyme, salt and pepper, stir to combine and bring to the boil.
  5. Add the meatballs and simmer for 15–20 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and the meatballs are cooked through.
  6. While the meatballs are cooking, place the spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted boiling water and cook for 8–10 minutes or until al dente.
  7. Drain and serve the spaghetti topped with the meatballs, basil leaves and parmesan.

Salmon with mustardy celeriac mash

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 2

All I can say here is don’t judge a recipe by it’s cover.

Because what this recipe seemingly lacks in ingredients it quite commensurately makes up for in flavour and of course, ease of preparation.

Celeriac might be a bit hard to find – as hard as finding a Harris Farm – though that really is the hardest thing about it all. And at about 300 calories each for the celeriac and maybe another 200 for the salmon, it is a healthy dinner to boot.

This dish really surprised us. Very pleasantly so.

Ingredients

2 salmon fillets
700gm celeriac, peeled to remove all the skin and cubed
2 tsp wholegrain mustard
2 tsp lemon juice
100g baby spinach leaves
Pinch of sugar
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly cracked pepper

Method

  1. Brush the salmon lightly with olive oil and season. Set aside ready to grill.
  2. Boil the celeriac until tender; about 12 to 15 minutes and drain, reserving 1 tbsp of the water.
  3. Whisk together the mustard and lemon juice, sugar, 1 tbsp olive oil and season.
  4. Heat the grill or a pan and cooked the salmon on both sides for a few minutes and cooked to your liking.
  5. Return the celeriac to the pan and mash; alternatively, use a food processor or a ricer. Heat the celeriac over a low heat, adding the spinach until it is wilted. Stir through 1 tbsp mustard mixture and reserved water and season.
  6. Spoon the mash onto two plates, place a salmon fillet on top and splash with the remaining mustard mixture.

Nat’s Vegetable Jalfrezi (Indian Style Stir Fry)

.Reading time 2 minutes.

Serves: 4 – 6

Being boring and healthy, we had a fridge full of vegetables. Brussel sprouts, squash, cauliflower, boring. The plan was to prepare them, steam them, hold our breath and eat them as quickly as possible with some tandoori salmon and rice.

But no amount of being boring or healthy deserves three servings of steamed, untouched vegetables. Not even wine can make up for it.

So borrowing from a jalfrezi recipe we found online, we invented our own stir-fry of vegetables, Indian style.

There is no limit to the vegetables that could be used. Carrot, cubed potato, peas, eggplant, you name it. Served on toast or had cold as I did the next day at work, this takes boring and healthy to amazing and healthy enough and that seemed like the right place to be for us.

And served with some BBQed tandoori salmon and brown rice, this was just heaven.

(We also had a wine because life is short.)

Cook up the latest in Nat’s repertoire and thank her later.

Ingredients

1 onion, thinly sliced
1 c julienned bell peppers (capsicum)
2 c cauliflower florets
2 c brussel sprouts, quartered
2 c squash, quartered
1 c diced tomato
1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tbsp white vinegar
1½  tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Method

  1. Steam the cauliflower, brussel sprouts and squash for a few minutes until just cooked through. Drain and submerge in cold water.
  2. Heat ½ tbsp oil in a heavy saucepan over a medium heat’ add the onions and bell peppers and saute until they turn slightly golden. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the pan and once hot, add the cumin seeds. Stir and then add the tomatoes and cook until they go mushy.
  4. Add the paprika, garam masala and salt. Mix well. Add the onion-pepper mixture and the reserved vegetables (brussel sprouts etc).
  5. Add the ginger and vinegar and heat well until the vegetables are fully cooked through. Test for seasoning and spice and serve!

Goan Pork Vindaloo Curry

.Reading time 2 minutes.

FullSizeRender(1)
Lordy!

Serves: 4

What happens when you bring together a spicy curry with flaking pork shoulder?

Everything and anything that is good about food!

This is a cracker of a curry. Really distinct and rich flavour, incredible texture of the pork, especially after the effort of really browning it off, great spice from the chillis. Yum!

Cooked at Nat’s parent’s place where we were dog-sitting, we served this with a chutney and some rice with coriander and it seriously hit every spot.

Ingredients

1kg pork shoulder cut into 3cm pieces
15 dried long red chillis
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tsp fenugreek seeds
5 cardamom pods, crushed
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground turmeric
⅓ c white vinegar
¼ c vegetable oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tbsp finely grated giner
1 fresh bay leaf (or 2 dry)
2 c chicken stock
Chutney to serve

Method

  1. Place the chillis in a small bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 10 minutes or until softened. Drain, discarding the stems and seeds.
  2. Using a mortar and pestle, grind soaked chillis, cumin, mustard seeds, fenugreek and cardamom until fine: better still, if you can outsource this part of the process! Transfer to a small bowl, then stir in the coriander and turmeric.
  3. Heat a small frying pan over a low heat and add the spice mixture and cook, stirring for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, stir in the vinegar and set aside.
  4. Heat oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Season pork, then, working in batches, cook until the liquid evaporates and the pieces are browned all over. Transfer to a plate.
  5. Reduce heat to medium, add the onions and cook, stirring for 5 minutes or until softened.
  6. Add garlic and ginger, stirring for 1 minute or until fragrant. Add reserved spice mixture, bay leaf and chicken stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to low, return pork to the pan, cover and cook for 1½ hours or until pork is tender.
  7. Serve immediately with chutney.

Lamb marinated in yoghurt

.Reading time 3 minutes.

FullSizeRender(2)
Lamb sans glug.

Serves: 4

Super simple Matt Moran recipe I pulled from The Australian Financial Review in 2008! Gives you some indication of the backlog.

I was introduced to ras el hanout about 10 years back and it is one of the most versatile spice mixes you can get. Ras el hanout means ‘house spice’ and in Northern Africa and parts of the Middle East, every spice shop competes with their own version of it.

Some interpretations have up to 30 spices included in it.

You won’t find it at Coles though Herbies and David Jones (Food Hall) have it.

I haven’t made it myself though I have included Matt Moran’s take on the spice and once I am out of my current supply, I will give it a go.

I served the lamb with cous cous (which according to Natalie I cannot master and so she refers to it as ‘glug’) with chicken stock, almonds, currents and coriander and at Nat’s highly successful recommendation, roasted red onion pieces and baby carrots, sautéed in the pan with honey.

You’re welcome!

Ingredients

600gm lamb backstrap
100gm natural (fat-free) yoghurt
1 tsp ras el hanout
Bunch of mint, roughly chopped
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp preserved lemons thinly sliced

Ras el hanout

2 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp ground ginger
2 tbsp table salt
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp ground fennel seeds
3 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cloves

Method

  1. For the ras el hanout, combine all the ingredients well and store in an airtight container.
  2. To prepare the lamb, cut the lamb into 3cm pieces. In a bowl, mix the yoghurt and ras el hanout with half the mint. Place the lamb in the bowl and coast with the marinade. Marinate overnight.
  3. To prepare the skewers, soak some bamboo skewers in water for an hour (to prevent burning).
  4. Pre-heat the grill to hot. Place four to five pieces of lamb on each skewer and season with a little salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil.
  5. Grill the skewers for a minute on each side.
  6. Serve the lamb and scatter over the preserved lemon and remaining mint.
  7. Glug.