Cooking at home during spring

Posted on October 31, 2012 by Eat Melbourne

So I’ve been rather busy lately with trips to Sydney for work, and what seemed like an endless week of birthday celebrations. So with all of that done and dusted, it’s been rather nice to spend a bit of time at home in the kitchen relaxing, as well as letting the wallet recover!

Spring in Melbourne is the perfect season for cooking and eating. You get those lovely warm sunny days perfect for lighter dishes, with great spring produce like peas, broad beans and lamb, but there’s still enough chilly days to be able to do a few more winter comfort food dishes before the idea of turning the oven on in a 35 degree house becomes unbearable. Spring is also the time of year to unwrap the barbecue and suffer the consequences of not having cleaned and sanitised it back in Autumn. One thing I did learn is that barbecuing is much easier after daylight savings kicks in, as you don’t head outside at 7pm to find it pitch black and end up trying to cook by the pale moonlight (and torch).

Below are a couple of dishes that I’ve done over the past month or so, with recipes where I have them, otherwise the general ingredients I threw together.

Chocolate fondant

So while I’ve admitted to not being a huge chocoholic, there’s something so sinfully perfect about a chocolate fondant, with that oozing molten centre.
From memory, it is a Gordon Ramsay recipe that I use.

Serves 2

Ingredients
• 50g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
• 2 tsp cocoa powder, to dust
• 50g good quality bitter chocolate (minimum 70% cocoa solids), in pieces
• 1 free range egg
• 1 free range egg yolk
• 60g caster sugar
• 50g plain flour

Method
1. Preheat oven to 160˚C
2. Butter two large ramekins, about 7.5cm in diameter, then dust liberally with cocoa, shaking out any excess.
3. Slowly melt the chocolate and butter in a small bowl set over a pan of hot water, then take off the heat and stir until smooth. Leave to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Using an electric whisk, whisk the whole egg, egg yolk and sugar together until pale and thick, then incorporate the chocolate mixture. Sift the flour over the mixture and gently fold in, using a large metal spoon. Divide between the ramekins and bake for 12 minutes.
5. Turn the chocolate fondants out on to warmed plates. Dust with icing sugar if you like and serve with vanilla ice cream.

Crispy skin salmon with chives and jalapeño smashed potato

Not much to say here, some wonderful Tasmanian salmon, done with crispy skin. Then just some roughly mashed up potato (skins on, it’s a weeknight!), with some chives, jalapeño and olive oil (dash of milk or yoghurt if you need it).

For me the way to get crispy skin is to dry the skin with a paper towel, then scrape the skin with the blade of a sharp knife, then dry with a paper towel again to get it perfectly dry. Get the pan smoking hot (no oil). Generous sprinkle of good salt on the skin just before it goes in the pan and rub it in. When the pan is smoking, add a dash of oil, then straight in with the fish, skin-side down and hold it down (gently) so the skin keeps in contact with the pan and doesn’t curl away. Then cook it most of the time on the skin and then finish with a quick go on the flesh side.

Plains Paddock lamb chops (order some here), with pea, feta and mint pasta; simple vinaigrette.

This is one of those no recipe weeknight dishes, with minimal effort and fuss. With such great tasting lamb it would be a shame to complicate things. It really is just peas, mint, feta and pasta. The dressing is basically influenced by chimchurri- parsley, garlic, chili, olive oil, vinegar.

Peas, pancetta, orzo/risoni.

Oddly enough I saw a very similar dish on an episode of Nigellissima a few days after I last cooked this dish, although I don’t do it in the same risotto-style as her. Basically just pancetta crisped up in a little oil, then cooked with peas, garlic and a little chicken stock until peas are tender; cooking the pasta in stock also. Then just combine with Parmigiano-Reggiano, a knob of good butter and plenty of fresh pepper.

Beef short rib, gentleman’s relish.

This is Andrew McConnell’s dish from the Builders Arms Hotel/Moon under Water. Wagyu short rib slow cooked with vegetables, garlic, herbs and stock, then finished in the oven, or frying pan, to give it a lovely caramelised exterior. Served with a spicy and tangy Gentleman’s relish, which is more HP than the anchovy paste of old. It’s hard not to fall head over heels in love with short rib, that gorgeous velvet smooth texture and rich flavour.

The recipe appeared in Gourmet Traveller, the link is below.
http://gourmettraveller.com.au/cape-grim-short-rib-mustard-leaf-gentlemans-relish.htm

Tiramisu.

One of those ubiquitous and often abused desserts, but when done properly it can be breathtaking. Smooth marsala-laced cream, a kick of espresso and booze from the sponge layer, and finished with a bitter cocoa note. It’s something I often lean towards when doing a family-style dinner, as it’s easy to make in large quantities and only gets better when prepared in advance.

I tend to use a recipe that uses the egg whites to lighten and thicken the cream layer, but for those who don’t like the idea of uncooked egg whites then you can use whipped cream instead (it just makes it much richer and heavier). I’ve put recipes below for both, but the top recipe is definitely my pick.

Egg-white version, serves 6

3 eggs, separated
½ cup caster sugar
¼ cup Marsala wine
400g mascarpone
200mls strong espresso coffee
2 tablespoons dark rum or brandy (or cointreau etc if you want to shake things up)
20-30 sponge fingers (Savoiardi)
100g dark chocolate, grated (or 2 tbsp of bitter cocoa)

Place egg yolks, sugar and Marsala in a heatproof bowl or in the top of a double boiler and beat until frothy. Place over simmering water and beat continuously until the mixture is thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone.
Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the egg and mascarpone mix.
Mix the coffee and rum or brandy in a dish. Quickly dip half the sponge fingers into the liquid, then lay them on the bottom of a 30cm x 18cm dish or 6 individual serving glasses. You need to dip them quickly so they do not soak up too much liquid and become soggy.
Pour over half the mascarpone and egg mix. Repeat with a layer of sponge fingers and mascarpone mix. Sprinkle the top of the tiramisu with grated chocolate (or dust with cocoa). Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving. Serves 6.

Cream version, serves 6-8

1 1/2 cups strong espresso coffee
2 tablespoons dark rum or brandy (or cointreau etc if you want to shake things up)
4 egg yolks
100 g sugar
1/2 cup Marsala wine
450 g mascarpone
1 1/2 cup cream (that will whip)
30-40 sponge fingers (Savoiardi)
150g dark chocolate, grated (or 2 tbsp of bitter cocoa)

Place egg yolks, sugar and Marsala in a heatproof bowl or in the top of a double boiler and beat until frothy. Place over simmering water and beat continuously until the mixture is thick and creamy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone. Leave to cool a little if the mix feels warm.
Whisk the cream until soft peaks form, then gently fold into the egg and mascarpone mix.
Mix the coffee and rum or brandy in a dish. Quickly dip half the sponge fingers into the liquid, then lay them on the bottom of a 30cm x 18cm dish (or slightly larger, or make an additional small serve for the cook!) or 6-8 individual serving glasses. You need to dip them quickly so they do not soak up too much liquid and become soggy.
Pour over half the mascarpone and egg mix. Repeat with a layer of sponge fingers and mascarpone mix. Sprinkle the top of the tiramisu with grated chocolate (or dust with cocoa). Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight before serving.

Comfort food Sunday

Posted on September 11, 2012 by Eat Melbourne

So it was one of those Sundays where you just want to have a relaxing evening with good food, good wine and, most importantly, good friends.

Sundays are always one of those days that make me crave good home cooking. Most likely due to all those Sunday roast lunches with the family around the table. Not only do they give you chance to relax in the kitchen, but the opportunity to share the food with friends and family.

This Sunday was about enjoying some of the last cooler days we might have (but who really knows in Melbourne!), but also about enjoying spring!

Minestrone.
One of those great soups where really there’s a million and one variations from person to person, and season to season. Basically whatever great produce you can get at the market.

Mine had pork hock base, cooked up with some borlotti beans. Then a standard sofrito (onions, garlic, celery, carrot) with zucchini, green beans, kale, and tomatoes. As well as a couple of parmesan rinds I’d been saving.

Bread out of the oven, Parmigiano-Reggiano and olive oil on top. Perfect.

Pasta.
There’s a bit of an Italian theme developing!
I couldn’t resist the fresh spring peas at the market, so after my partner and I shucked our way through a large bag of them, we made ravioli with them (another good activity for more than 1 person!)

Filling was blanched peas with garlic, lemon zest, parmesan, and plenty seasoning. Not wanting to take away from the peas, it was just served with chicken stock, more parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

For some reason, I’m always better at using rounds of pasta dough, I think because I’m used to sealing and pleating dumplings.

It’s never the prettiest dish to photograph, but you can’t beat the taste of soft, silky dough and an explosion of fresh peas inside.

Pannacotta.
I’d thought ahead a bit and made some pannacotta the night before. Often tricky to get perfect, but once you have the recipe down pat, they’re the easiest dessert to make.
Served with raspberry coulis, and a bit of cheating by using one of Burch and Purchese’s crumbles on top.

You can’t beat a pannacotta that’s barely set and wobbles as you carry it to the table, and just melts in your mouth.

I’ll post the recipe I use in another post.

From farm to kitchen

Posted on September 10, 2012 by Eat Melbourne

Cooking at home begins with one key element: the best ingredients. You can have all the technique in the world, but if you’re not cooking with the right produce, then why bother.

I love to know where my produce comes from, vegetables straight from the farm (or at least market fresh) and free-range meat where you can taste the care that went into raising the animals. Once you start eating quality produce, it’s impossible to go back to the generic, bland tasting variety.

There’s been a trend of breaking down the barriers between the farmers and consumers, usually at farmers’ markets and the like. Allowing people to buy produce directly from the person who grows, rears and makes it. An interesting development, intertwined with the Internet and social media, has been direct communication and even home delivery from farm to kitchen; something only restaurants used to be able to have.

One such farm to home service I’ve had chance to try is pork from Bundarra Berkshires and lamb from Plains Paddock, both farms located in southern NSW, right near the Victoria border. They deliver directly to your house or office in Melbourne, usually once a week, doing the deliveries themselves so there’s no courier company in the middle. You can buy separately from either company, or they do a mixed pack with cuts of pork and lamb. Adopting a nose to tail philosophy their boxes could contain any number of cuts.

The meat has a much deeper and fuller flavour than any meat you get at the supermarket, making it the true star of any dish. Bundarra Berkshire’s pork and fennel sausages had a fantastic coarse texture that you only get from proper sausages, matched perfectly with the aniseed flavour of fennel. Plain Paddock’s lamb rack had the melt in the mouth tenderness you look for and balanced well with a simple herb dressing.

My favourite dish I’ve cooked so far was the pork leg schnitzel done with a crust of sage from the garden and Parmigiano-Reggiano. The rich, almost gamey, flavour of the pork matched perfectly with the sage, and the slight saltiness of the cheese.

First, dip pork schnitzels in seasoned flour
Then, dip in beaten egg
Finally, in mix of panko breadcrumbs, chopped sage, Parmigiano-Reggiano
Pan fry until golden and cooked but still juicy and tender

I definitely recommend stocking up your freezer with a delivery from Bundarra Berkshires and Plains Paddock and taste the difference in quality.

Bundarra Berkshires
http://www.bundarraberkshires.com/
Follow @BundarraPork

Plains Paddock
http://plainspaddock.com.au/
Follow @plainspaddock

The journey so far

Posted on September 5, 2012 by Eat Melbourne

So what better way to begin than to look back to where we’ve come from. In this case, a recap at some dishes over the past year that have made it so memorable.

The two restaurants that stood out to me the most were Attica and Momofuku Seiōbo (in Sydney I know, but great food is great food, no matter where it’s located). Both of these serve dishes taking inspiration from Australia’s native ingredients, and pushing the boundaries of creativity with flavour combinations and the dining experience. Ben Shewry’s food has never been better, and Attica is rightly at the forefront of the Melbourne dining scene.

Momofuku itself has brought a mini-revolution to the dining scene, breaking free from the usual expectations of fine dining with chefs serving the food, seats right at the kitchen, and David Chang’s own musical tastes pumping into the room (and yes the booking experience!). The overall experience cannot be expressed in words, it’s a breath of fresh air. Shooting straight to 3 hats in the Sydney Good Food Guide, and winning Best New Restaurant,

In Melbourne, Vue de Monde’s new home on the 55th floor of the Rialto building has also given new life into Shannon Bennett’s restaurant. The view is breathtaking, especially when the sun sets, and an element of whimsy and theatre ensures the evening is more than just the delicious food. From the walk through the wine cellar when you arrive, the table settings and furnishings, to the playful reinterpretations of classics cooked in the open kitchen.

The past year (or so) can be marked by the abundance of two things: Salted Caramel and Mexican food. Neither of which is a bad thing in my book.

Darren Purchese of Burch and Purchese not only uses salted caramel in a wickedly decadent dark chocolate and mandarin cake, but you can also satisfy those cravings by buying it by the jar. Watch this space for a blog on their Sweet Studio Sessions coming soon.

The mexican food of days gone by has been replaced by fresh, clean flavours, usually served after a wait! Mamasita was one of the leaders in the craze of “no bookings” restaurants, difficult for customers but a necessary evil for restaurateurs. The other no bookings hit being Chin Chin, serving up modern, pan-Asian.

So here are some of the dishes and restaurants that have made the past year for me. This is by no means a complete list, but we don’t want too many spoilers for what’s to come.

Attica

The amuse perfectly sums up Attica. The walnut puree served playfully in the walnut shell, opened at the table, and a foraged cabbage flower on top.