I hate to admit it – and rarely do – though there are go-tos I have when the cooking pressure is on and we have guests for lunch. (Generally speaking we don’t cook many dishes twice.)
This is one of them.
It’s a winner on every level.
It is simple.
It looks incredible: looks that betray its simplicity. Think elegant, yet rustic: provincial.
And predictably: it tastes awesome.
As a starter. As a side. With a salad. With baby potatoes. With dressed-up fries.
Really anyway you can serve it, it’s genius.
There is a reason I’ve plated this half a dozen times at least.
(Which is all I am admitting to!)
Ingredients
1kg salmon (I use ocean trout) filet with skin, pin boned 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3/4 tsp sea salt flakes
Place the salmon on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle the salt evenly over the top. Place in the oven and roast for 40 – 50 minutes, until the fish begins to flake in the thickest part of the filet.
For the salsa, combine the shallot and vinegar for 15 minutes. In a separate bowl combine the herbs, olive oil, salt and a few grinds of pepper.
Flake the salmon into large rustic chunks (on the skin); combine the herb mixture with the shallot mixture, testing the amount of vinegar you need.
Vefa Alexiadou’s book ‘Greece – The Cookbook’ by publisher Phaidon is the sort of wonderful cooking tome you’d expect from one of the world’s best publishers of cookbooks.
The recipes are traditional and numerous. No doubt every dish would be marvellous.
Nat served these cheese balls as a starter before a long Greek, Sunday lunch.
And what a traditional treat.
Ricotta and mint is such a great savoury combination and here you have it in spades.
500gm anthotiro or ricotta cheese 1 – 2 eggs 4 tbsp all-purpose flour, plus extra for coating 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh mint 4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley Salt and pepper Vegetable oil, for deep frying*
Method
Place the cheese in a bowl and mash with a fork. Add the eggs, flour, mint and parsley, season with salt and pepper, and blend to a thick, pliable mixture. If it is soft and sticky, add more cheese.
Cover with plastic wrap and put the mixture in the refrigerator until required.
Heat the oil in a deep-fryer to 180c – 190c. Pinch off small pieces of the cheese mixture and roll between your palms to form balls the size of a small walnut. Coat with flour and fry in the hot oil, in batches if necessary, for 3 – 4 minutes or until golden all over. Drain well and serve immediately.
Nat found this recipe on Instagram and whilst we have been plenty burnt by Instagram and TikTok recipes in the past, just watch the video below and tell me we should/could have moved on?!
Like our signature Snapper Pie from The Boathouse, this pie is a labour of love. Time is your friend here. From roasting the chicken the night before. The gravy reducing for hours. The baked potato mash (will I ever do a mash that isn’t baked potato again?).
And of course, homemade shortcrust which is absolutely essential.
The sum of the parts is extraordinary. This is a signature pie. We almost feel embarrassed to have cooked a chicken pie prior to this one.
The gravy was probably the finest gravy I have ever had. Together with the pie and that incredible crust; and that mash. I am not overstating it. This is 2-hat cooking, a recipe they would never manage to take off the menu. We both agreed, a chicken pie could surely not go further. We’d well and truly found the outer limits of what a chicken pie could be.
It was a rainy Sunday in Autumn in Sydney when we (Nat) cooked this. A decanted 2019 Barolo. And it frankly doesn’t get better.
Ingredients
For the chicken 1 large free-range chicken 1/3 c extra virgin olive oil Salt and freshly cracked pepper 1 large eschalot, peeled 1 lemon, halved 4 garlic, peeled Two sprigs of rosemary
For the chicken filling 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 250gm streaky bacon, chopped 1 white onion, finely chopped 1 leek, white and green parts thinly sliced 2 garlic, thinly sliced and rubbed well through salt 1/2 bunch of flat-leaf parsley finely chopped 2 tbsp Dijon mustard Salt and freshly cracked pepper 2 1/2 tsp softened, unsalted butter 1 tbsp plain flour 1/2 c hot chicken stock 1 egg, lightly beaten for egg wash
For the gravy 1/4 c extra virgin olive oil 1 white onion, chopped 2 carrots, coarsely chopped 1 stick of celery, coarsely chopped Half a bunch of flat-leaf parsley including the stalks 7 peppercorns A good splash of Madeira (or sherry)
For the shortcrust pastry 1 c plain flour 1/2 tsp salt 115gm cold, unsalted butter cut into cubes 3 tbsp ice water
For the mashed potatoes 5 large, unwashed potatoes 1/2 c cream 80gm unsalted butter Salt
Method
Heat the oven to 200c. Rinse the chicken and stuff the cavity with the eschalot, lemon, garlic and rosemary. Drizzle over the olive oil and season well. Roast in a roasting pan for 1 1/4 hours or until cooked through, basting occasionally with the oil and juices.
Set aside and allow to cool slightly Remove and discard the skin. Remove all the flesh, chop coarsely and place in a large mixing bowl. Discard the ribs. Combine the bones and remaining chicken and juices and set aside to make the gravy.
In a fresh pan, cook off the bacon until slightly browned and set aside.
In a separate pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and sauté the onion until soft. Add the leeks and continue cooking until softened. Turn down the heat and add the garlic, cooking for a few minutes and finally add the cooked bacon. Take off the heat and stir through the cooked chicken flesh, parsley and mustard. Season with pepper.
In a pan, heat the butter until bubbling. Add the flour, whisking constantly. Slowly pour in the chicken stock, continuing to whisk until you have a thickened mixture. Add to the chicken mixture, stir through and set aside.
For the gravy, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the chicken bones and juices, sautéing for a few minutes. Add the the vegetables and the peppercorns, cook until softened and then cover with boiling water and add a few splashes of the Madeira. Reduce the heat, cover and cook down until you’re close to a gravy consistency. Check the seasoning, strain and set aside.
For the shortcrust pastry, put the flour and salt in a food processor. Add the butter and process, cutting the butter into the flour until you have a coarse meal. Add the cold water and process for 30 seconds until you have a soft dough. Remove the dough, shape it into a thick dough, wrap tightly in cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Bring to room temperature prior to rolling.
For the mashed potatoes, heat the oven to 180c. Wash the potatoes well and spike all over with a fork. Bake on a baking tray for 1 1/2 hours or until cooked through. Set aside to slightly cool. Peel by hand, removing and setting aside the flesh. Heat the butter in a saucepan and using a ricer, rice the potato flesh, adding it to the butter. Add the cream and season with salt, adding more butter or cream as need-be.
Heat the oven to 220c. Lightly oil your pie tin. Roll out your shortcrust pastry and line the tin. Fill with the chicken mixture. Cover the pie with more shortcrust pastry, sealing well with a fork. Trim the edges and brush all over with the egg wash. Create a small hole in pie to let the steam escape and bake for 30 minutes or until golden.
Send the kids to their rooms. Have a bottle of good red decanted. Serve the pie with the mash and plenty of gravy and goddam, enjoy.
I really don’t think you can get any more classier than a salad of green leaves.
Add a cracking vinaigrette to mop up after a cracking bistecca or an amazing pasta and it’s almost the palette cleanser. The sign the first parts of the meal have come to an end and it’s time to open a new red, pause and talk about the cheese options on hand.
Sometimes though, things call for a salad as big as the main.
Something bold and comforting in itself.
Not just for mopping.
This salad is a great example.
It’s moorish. The second half of a pasta lunch.
It’s a meal in and of itself.
Don’t be confused. It isn’t classy.
More meaty, sans the meat.
Though it’s a lovely salad when the time calls for it.
(Sidenote! This is my 600th recipe on Robby Dog Cooks. Time flies when you’re having fun!)
Ingredients
For the vinaigrette
1 c loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves 1 c loosely packed fresh basil leaves 1/4 tsp dried oregano 2 cloves garlic, peeled 1/3 c red wine vinegar 3/4 c extra virgin olive oil Heaping 3/4 tsp salt 1/4 tsp ground black pepper 2 tsp honey
For the salad
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into large, bite-sized pieces 1 large capsicum, chopped 1 c seeded and chopped cucumbers 1 to 2 carrots, peeled into ribbons Handful grape tomatoes, halved Handful pitted olives Feta, crumbled to taste
Method
To make the vinaigrette, combine all the ingredients in a food processor and blitz.
Place all the salad ingredients in a bowl except the feta. Just before serving, add about half the vinaigrette and toss, adding more if need be. Toss in the cheese and season.
This recipe by Mattel Tine of Bar Carolina in Melbourne, is a brilliant example of Sicilian home cooking.
One of the best chicken dishes ever. Blow-away good.
Cooked by Nat last Sunday night, this was just genius. I literally sat back and watched and wow, was I impressed.
With all of the fresh herbs and the lemon, it is such an aromatic dish. The risotto – especially the risotto dumplings – are amazing. And despite my misgivings about roast potatoes, they just work in this dish.
Line this up for Sunday night. Open a Pinot. Dim the lights, put on some music and enjoy the Covid lockup in style.
Ingredients
1.8kg chicken 100ml olive oil 1 cup each courses chopped flat-leaf parsley, rosemary and sage Juice of two lemons 5 roasting potatoes, peeled and quartered
Rice Stuffing
60ml (1/4 cup) olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 300gm ( 1 1/2 cups) quality risotto rice 600ml chicken stock 80gm (1 cup) Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano, finely grated 50gm (1/2 cup) fine breadcrumbs 1 egg Zest and juice of 1 lemon 1 tbsp each finely chopped oregano and flat-leaf parsley
Method
For rice stuffing, heat oil in a casserole over low-medium heat. Add onion and garlic and stir until translucent and aromatic (4 – 6 minutes). Add rice and stir (1 minute, then add chicken stock and cook stirring continuously, until rice has absorbed the liquid and is al dente (6 – 8 minutes; you want the rice to be undercooked).
Spread the rice over a tray to cool (15 minutes). Add remaining ingredients and mix well to combine.
Preheat over to 200C. Stuff rice stuffing into chicken cavity to fill completely, then roll remaining stuffing into walnut-sized balls.
Combine oil, herbs and lemon juice in a bowl. Season to taste. Place the chicken in the baking dish and then place the potatoes and dumplings around the chicken. Brush the chicken all over with the herb dressing. Pour 5mm of water into the pan and roast until the chicken is cooked through (1 1/2 hours). Set aside to rest (30 minutes) then carve and serve.
P.S. This post is dedicated to Alexa Donovan. I’ve known her since she was born, I’ve watched her grow up into a wonderful, thoughtful young woman, she has babysat my three kids plenty of times… and she can cook. (And cooks (or at least reads) this blog. I’ll see if she can do a guest post!)
This is a recipe I pulled from the Weekend Australian Magazine by David Herbert and it is really quite good. I’ve been more hit than miss with his stuff in the past, though as far as a clean, healthy, spring salad goes, this is a winner.
If you haven’t cooked with bulgar, it is worth the effort to find it in your local organics shop.
It is less abrasive than quinoa, healthy, packed full of protein and fibre, and filling. Add the fresh herbs and vegetables and you have a salad that looks great, tastes great and is easy to prepare.
Try it with steak or lamb and you’ll be pleased you did.
Ingredients
150gm bulgar ¾ cup roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley ½ cup roughly chopped fresh mint 200gm cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped 1 Lebanese cucumber, peeled and diced 1 clove garlic, crushed Seeds 1 pomegranate 3 spring onions, chopped Juice, 1 lemon 2 – 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Method
Place bulgar in a bowl and cover with 500ml boiling water. Soak for 30 minutes and then drain well, removing all excess water.
Combine cooled bulgar, parsley, mint, tomatoes, cucumber, garlic, pomegranate, spring onions and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season well with the salt and freshly ground pepper. Pour over olive oil and toss well.
The spicy lamb meatballs are divine, what with the richness of the egg and the sweetness of the tomato sauce. And it all presents beautifully.
Sadly, so well that you will struggle to make a lunch out of it the next day. This really is a dish that is hard to stop eating.
Both of the boys loved them with Oliver describing them as ‘better than better’. Little did he know he was eating chilli, sumac and coriander.
A winner on all fronts.
Ingredients
1 tsp chilli flakes
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cumin
½ bunch parsley, finely chopped
½ bunch coriander, finely chopped
2 tsp salt
½ onion, finely diced and cooked with a little oil until soft
500gm lamb mince
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
7 eggs
½ bunch parsley, leaves picked
½ bunch coriander, leaves picked
2 tbsp sumac
8 tbsp tomato passata
1 lemon, juiced Method
Preheat the oven to 180c.
Place spices, chopped parsley and coriander, salt, onion, lamb, 1 egh and breadcrumbs in a large bowl and combine well with your hands.
Roll lamb mixture into 8 oval football shapes, coat in parsley and coriander and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Sprinkle with sumac and bake for 15 minutes; remove from the oven.
Spoon passata into an ovenproof dish, place meatballs on top, crack 6 eggs over the top and bake for 12 minutes or until the eggs are cooked to your liking. Squeeze over the lemon juice and serve.
Robby Dog Cooks 