Ice cream – at least as far as I knew – was about making custards, then combining with more creams and flavours.
So could this one work?
When I was a kid, I would put milk and Strawberry Nesquik into my parents’ ice cream maker and sure it was yummy, though frozen (icy) milk does not make ice cream.
Anyway, short of time and having promised ice cream for a lunch, I chose this Thomas Straker recipe: and hot damn: it’s awesome.
And so so easy.
Dulce de Leche (caramel) can be found at most supermarkets. So now there is no excuse.
Ingredients
500ml whole milk 400gm dulce de leche 124ml double cream
Method
Put the milk and dulce de leche in a saucepan and set over a medium heat. Stir constantly until the dulce de leche has totally melted. Set aside to cool.
Once cooled, whisk in the double cream., then transfer to an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturers’s instructions. Store in the freezer.
Thicker slices or potato and onion when compared to the far thinner slices of potato when we cook a French gratin.
The addition of the sage and bay leaves and the two types of cheese just adds to the comfort.
Nothing revolutionary here, though as a side, you’re just going to make people very happy.
Ingredients
2 tbsp unsalted butter plus more for the baking dish 2 large white onions, thickly sliced Sea salt 8 large, fresh sage leaves 1 c heavy cream 1 c whole milk 2 fresh bay leaves 1 kg medium potatoes, peeled and sliced 1cm thick 170gm Italian Fontina, grated (I substituted Gruyère) 3/4 c freshly grated Grana Padano or Parmesan
Method
Butter a large baking dish and set it aside. Preheat the oven to 200c.
Melt the 2 tbsp butter in a medium pan over medium heat. When the butter is melted, add the onions, season with 1 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are wilted, about 10 minutes.
Add the sage leaves, let them sizzle for a minute, then add the cream, milk and bay leaves. Bring to a simmer and season with 1 tsp salt. Add the potatoes, and simmer just to combine, 3 – 4 minutes.
Add the cheeses to a medium bowl and toss to combine them. Transfer half of the potato-cream mixture to the baking dish and spread in an even layer. Sprinkle with half of the cheese mixture. Repeat with the remaining potatoes, then the cheese. Cover the baking dish with foil, and bake until it’s bubbly and the potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Uncover, and bake until the top is golden brown and crusty and the potatoes have absorbed the cream and are no longer soupy (it will thicken up more as it cools as well), about 30 minutes. Discard the sage and bay leaves. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.
Nat started with a freshly baked baguette: cheese, pâté, cured meat.
What a way to start with a cold lager!
And then this dish.
Something to smile about afterwards? You absolutely bet!
This was French Bistro as good as you could imagine. Absolutely impossible to fault.
So Hubert Keller? I’d never heard of him, though he trained under Paul Bocuse, the father of modern French cooking who undisputedly set the benchmark for this style of French cuisine. (Fun fact: my parents went to a dinner he hosted in Sydney and Mr Bocuse signed a menu for me. I still have it!)
And then this cut of pork. I’ve mentioned our amazing local butcher Hummerstons and a quick text to Steve and he had it under control. 2 double pork chops with 1 bone removed, about 4cm thick. Talk about a dramatic presentation!
Nat and I debated using a thinner pork chop as an easier entry to this dish, though absolutely do not cut corners. If ever there was a time to engage your butcher and have the double chop, it is this.
The roasted cream corn with the spring onions and parmesan is just luxury and pairs perfectly with the pork and the apple. Did I mention smiles?
Occasionally you wander onto a dish that is a hero and this is one of them.
It is rude however to suggest that Nat wanders into anything when it comes to food.
This was always going to be an extraordinary meal and mopped up with a homemade baguette and glass of light red, very hard to argue that life isn’t great.
P.S. Nat says start the corn first.
Ingredients
2 double pork chops with 1 bone removed, 4cm thick 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper 2 tbsp olive oil 4 Fuji apples 2 tbsp butter 3/4 c Calvados apple brandy* 1 c apple cider 1 c chicken stock 2 tbsp chives, thinly snipped
Creamed Corn
2 ears corn, husks removed, both ends trimmed 2 tbsp softened butter Pinch salt Pinch pepper 1 c heavy cream 1/2 c chicken stock 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced 2 stalks spring onion, thinly sliced 1/4 c Parmean cheese grated
Method
Peel the apples and cut each into 6 wdges. Cut out the cores, and trim each wedge into a football shape. Reserve all peels and trimmings.
In a small sauté pan, melt butter and add apple wedges. Coover over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are browned and softened, 10 – 12 minutes. Set aside. Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper and in a sauté pan large enough to hold both pork chops, heat oil until smoking.
Lay pork chops into hot oil and sear approximately 7 minutes on each side until golden brown and the internal temperature is at 62c. **
Remove from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm whilst you make the sauce. Discard half the fat and trimmings from the pan, then add apple trimmings and sauté over medium-high heat for a few minutes.
Add Calvados and apple cider, and bring just to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, or until it becomes thick, with a syrup-like consistency. Add chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer, pushing down on the apple trimmings with the back of a spoon to remove all juices.
Put the sauce back in the pan over low heat and add the chives. Taste and adjust for seasonings.
For the creamed corn, heat the oven to 180c. Brush the corn with butter and season with salt and pepper. Warp each corn ear in foil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the corn starts to brown.
Unwrap the corn and when cool enough to handle, slice off the kernels. In a small saucepan over a medium-heat, combine cream, ginger, salt and pepper and reduce by one-third, 5 – 7 minutes. Add the corn kernels and chicken stock to reduced cream and cook for 10 minutes, or until cream thickens and is absorbed by the corn.
Remove corn from the heat, and stir in the spring onions and Parmesean cheese.
Served the pork, with apple wedges, corn alongside and the sauce ready to pour.
* Substitute 1/2 c brandy and 1/4 c apple juice.
** This will take longer. Potentially finish off in the oven if the internal temperature is rising too slowly.
This incredibly simple ice cream doesn’t even require an ice cream machine, though I did use our churner and the result was wonderful.
We had Nat’s parents over for a mid-week meal and so a streamlined menu was a must.
This ice cream absolutely nailed the brief.
Ingredients
1 – 2 shots of strong espresso per person*
Condensed Milk Ice Cream
1 can (395hm) sweetened condensed milk 600ml thickened cream
Method
To make the ice cream, pour condensed milk and cream into the bowl of an electric mixer and whip to stiff peaks. If not using an ice cream maker, transfer to a container and freeze for a least 4 hours or until firm.
Place a large scoop of the ice cream in a chilled glass and serve with a shot of espresso in a glass on the side. Pour the coffee over the ice cream and eat immediately with a spoon.
* Substitute Frangelico or similar to really dial it up!
Nat and I had this Sicilian dish as the starter of a slow lunch and what a way to start.
It hero’s lemon and it is just “incredibly delicious” as Claudia puts it in her book Med. Absolute lemon simplicity, especially with a fresh pasta as we did.
And completely elegant.
P.S. Nat wasn’t entirely sure this dish was type-up-worthy. She very much liked it, though found it very much on the lemon side. Nat suggested adding some fresh chilli to cut through.
I absolutely love lemon so this was a home-run for me, though we both agreed, as a starter only.
Ingredients
200gm tagliolini Salt Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon 6 tbsp double cream Salt and black pepper Grated Parmesan to serve
Method
Cook the tagliolini in boiling, salted water until al dente.
In a serving bowl, mix the lemon zest and juice with the cream and add salt, to taste.
When the pasta is cooked, drain and mix with the sauce.
Serve with plenty of Parmesan and a few good cracks of pepper.
I found this recipe on the blog of Lauren Allen – Tastes Better from Scratch – and it is as good as it is dense in calories.
Eggnog being a family tradition for both Christmas and Christmas in July, eggnog isn’t a thing in Australian supermarkets in July. (I’m sure many would argue that eggnog is not a thing full stop in Australia, though I conceded a long-time ago and we now celebrate Halloween.)
Availability not withstanding, store-bought eggnog is also pretty average, no matter how much Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum and nutmeg you add.
And so enter stage left Lauren Allen with this 307 calorie-per-serve cream bomb (and that’s before rum!). (I have slightly adjusted the method of the recipe.)
Firstly, it is amazing. It’s like comparing proper Italian pizza to Dominos.
Which means the calories are worth it.
Especially as it is only once (or maybe twice) a year.
I am mainly putting this recipe here as a reference for myself, though you could do a whole lot worse than to add it to your annual repertoire.
It is after all, the best day of the year and this is celebrating!
Ingredients
6 large egg yolks 1/2 c caster sugar 1 c heavy whipping cream 2 c milk 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg Pinch of salt 1/4 tsp vanilla extract Ground cinnamon, for topping Enough spiced rum to take of the edge of Christmas morning!
Method
Whisk the egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl until light and creamy.
In a saucepan over a medium-high heat, combine the cream, milk, nutmeg and salt. Stir often until mixture reaches a bare minimum.
Add a big spoonful of the hot milk to the egg mixture, whisking vigorously. Repeat, adding a big spoonful at a time, to temper the eggs.
Once most of the hot milk has been added to the eggs, pour the mixture back into the saucepan on the stove.
Whisk constantly for just a few minutes, until the mixture is just slightly thickened (or until it reaches 70c). It will thicken more as it cools.
Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla and rum. Pour the eggnog through a fine mesh strainer into a jug and cover with plastic wrap.
Refrigerate until chilled. It will will thicken as it cools. Serve with a sprinkle of cinnamon or nutmeg. (Will last a week in the fridge, though trust me, it wont last until Boxing Day.)
Unlike what we all get served up at our local Indian however, this dish by Ajoy Joshi has depth, heat and character. It is clearly a curry that doesn’t share a base with 200 other curries on the menu.
As with all Ajoy dishes, there are twists: the processed onions cooked gold in the oil is just one trick that makes this recipe special.
As part of a banquet, you could do a whole lot worse.
Ingredients
500gm (baby) spinach, stems removed 3 fresh mild long green chillies, slit lengthways 2 large yellow (brown) onions, roughly chopped 1/2 c vegetable oil 1 tsp salt 2 1/2 tbsp minced garlic 1 tsp grated fresh ginger 1/4 c whole milk 1 whole chicken (1.5kg) cut into 10 pieces, or 1kg chicken pieces (I used thigh) 1 tsp Garam Masala 1/2 tsp chilli powder 3 ripe tomatoes, finely chopped 1/2 c heavy (double) cream
Method
In a food processor, combine spinach and chillies and process until a paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Rinse and dry process, add onions and process until finely ground. Remove from the processor and set aside.
In a large, heavy-bottomed frying pan, heat oil over a medium-heat. Add onions and salt and cooked uncovered, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 15 minutes. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in the milk and cook for another 5 minutes longer.
Raise heat to high, add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until well browned, about 5 minutes.* Stir in the Garam Masala and chilli powder and cook, stirring, until all the moisture evaporates and the oil separates, 5 – 10 minutes.
Stir in the spinach purée and tomatoes. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook until the chicken is cooked throughout and tender, 20 – 25 minutes. Uncover and if liquid remains, continue to cook on a medium heat until it evaporates.
Just before serving, stir in the cream. Serve immediately.
* Respectfully, when chefs ask for meat to be browned in a sauce or gravy, I just don’t understand if this is possible without commercial cooking. Meat just doesn’t brown in milk. Just cook the meat.
Nat and I have a great tradition on those public holidays where the gathering of family isn’t a prerequisite: Labour Day, Queens Birthday, Boxing Day etc.
We lock in a babysitter for the kids and we have lunch at The Morrison, a Sydney-city institution by Sean Connolly.
Clean, crisp seafood. Great wine list. Great buzz looking out onto the street at all the trams going backwards and forwards.
The oysters are a must. The prawn cocktail is a must.
Though the biggest must is the Crab Linguini.
We order it every time and I know of at least one other mate that does the same.
And here is the receipe.
Simple as one would expect from a chef that heros simplicity.
To really go the extra mile, Nat made fresh linguini and my word, what an awesome dinner we had:
If you really want to bowl your guests over, this is how you do it!
(And when this Sydney lockdown ends, book a table at the Morrison. It really is a fun afternoon.)
Ingredients
500gm thickened cream 300gm fresh crab meat 50gm unsalted butter Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Juice of 1 lemon 1 tbsp canola oil 1 red chilli, finely chopped Handful mint leaves, torn Handful of Italian parsley leaves, chopped
Method
Heat the cream in a large pan, bring to a simmer and reduced until thickened.
Remove from the head, add the butter and a pinmch of salt, combining vigorously.
Once combined, return to the heat and add the lemon juice. Bring to a gentle simmer and reduce for a further 2 minutes.
Cook the linguini al dente and set aside.
In a heavy saucepan, heat the oil and once hot, warm through the crab and chilli. Add the mint and then the cream sauce. Season, stir through the parsley and serve.
A few years ago – actually six by my count (!) – Nat and I did a Hobart (Australia) holiday.
It is a quiet city, though it is just lovely. Good food, quiet as I said, unassuming, a very organic feel to it. Shops closed on Sunday (bless), cold, as close to the Antarctic as one can reasonably get without driving to the bottom of the island.
The sometimes forgotten state of mainland Australia. (Though one of my brothers lives there, so slightly less forgotten!)
When we were there, we travelled an hour from Hobart to a a farm run by Rodney Dunn of the Agrarian Kitchen, which at least at the time, was the number one destination for foodies in Australia.
What a brilliant afternoon. We foraged in his garden and collected everything we needed to cook. He had a greenhouse with some of the more tropical ingredients, and animals further afield that were also part of the meal we cooked.
I’ve gone from a man making signature vinaigrette’s to this as my go-to. (It’s a Caesar just easier. And frankly better. )
I think wheat was the only thing – used in a dough for ravioli – that came offsite.
Anyway, the guy is a genius and so is this salad.
You will think so to.
Ingredients
100gm mixed baby salad greens 1 radicchio, washed, dried and coarsely torn 1 frisée, washed, dried and coarsely chopped 1/2 bunch chives cut into 2cm lengths
For anchovy salad cream, pound anchovies to a smooth paste in a mortar and pestle. Stir in remaining ingredients, season with freshly ground pepper and set aside.
Combine all the salad ingredients in a bowl, drizzle with salad cream, toss to evenly coat leaves and…
Robby Dog Cooks 