Category Archives: buona vita

Ottolenghi Odyssey

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A friend of mine recently loaned me her copy of ‘Ottolenghi The Cookbook’, a book that anyone who is serious about food, flavour and adventure – should have a copy of. The book is written by Yotam Ottolenghi who along with his business partner Sami Tamimi opened a small shopfront in Notting Hill that took London and now world-wide food lovers by storm. Soon after returning Michelle’s copy I bought my own which I treasure as part of my weekly menu planning, along with ‘From Tapas to Meze’ by Joanne Weir, ‘French Bistro Cooking’ by Patricia Wells and ‘Moorish’ by Greg Malouf.

Last weekend, armed with my copy of Ottolenghi and some beautiful wines that my long weekend buddy brought along, I cooked exclusively from his cookbook. Below are the three dishes out of the six that I cooked that really were above and beyond either of our expectations. And made our Sunday afternoon and evening a very flavoursome memory! It wasn’t that the others weren’t enjoyable at all, I’ll tell you about them at a later date though.

I need to preface this also by saying that you really must follow the order and quantities of his recipes, don’t try and get clever – it will end in tears!

Etti’s Herb Salad

This was my dish of the day. I love herb salads and the simultaneous complexity and elegance of this dish was second to none. This does require you though to focus and coordinate your timing so as it gets to the table, perfectly.

35g coriander leaves

40g flat leaf parsley leaves

20g dill leaves

35g tarragon leaves

30g basil leaves

40g rocket leaves

50g unsalted butter

150g unskinned almonds

1/2 tsp course sea salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp olive oil

Gently immerse the herbs leaves in cold water, being careful not to bruise them. Drain in a colander and then in a salad spinner (or by spreading them over a dry cloth)

Heat the butter in a frying pan and add the almonds, salt and pepper. Saute for 5-6 minutes over a low to moderate heat until the almonds are golden. Transfer to a colander to drain – making sure that you keep the butter that’s left in the pan. Leave it somewhere warm so as it doesn’t set. Once the almonds are cool enough to touch, chop them roughly.

To assemble the salad, place the herbs in a large bowl. Add the almonds, cooking butter, lemon juice and olive oil. Toss together gently and season to taste before serving.

Seared duck breasts with blood orange and star anise

This was a stunning dish. If you can’t get your hands on blood oranges as they are only in season for a short time, use mandarins instead.

Serves 4

4 ducks breasts, weighing 180-200g each. If you can get either Muscovy or Pekin Aylesbury duck breasts, these are ideal.

2 tbsp fennel seeds

pinch dried chilli flakes

2 tsp ground cumin

2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

1 tsp coarse sea salt

240ml blood orange juice (from about 4 oranges) plus 4 extra oranges

180ml red wine

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

16 star anise

6 dried chillies

Score the skin of each duck breast in three or four parallel incisions, without cutting into the meat. Repeat this process at a 90° angle to the other cuts to get square shaped incisions. Mix the fennel seeds, chilli flakes, cumin, black pepper and salt together then rub them into the duck breasts with your hands. Place on a plate, cover and put them in the fridge for at least four hours, but better if it’s overnight.

To prepare the oranges, use a small sharp knife to cut the top and bottom off each orange. Stand them up on your board and neatly (and slowly) follow the natural curves of each orange. Cut each orange horizontally into 6 slices. Remove the pips and put all the pieces into a bowl and set aside.

It’s now time to sear the duck. Thoroughly heat a large heavy based frying pan (make sure it has a lid). Place the duck breasts, skin side down, and cook for three minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Turn over and cook the other side for three minutes. Remove the breasts from the pan and let them rest in warm place. Discard most of the duck fat from the pan and add the wine, orange juice, vinegar and star anise. Bring to the boil and simmer 5-6 minutes until reduced by half. Taste and season if necessary. Return the duck breasts to the pan and cost with the sauce. Cover with the lid and simmer gently for 7 minutes

Take the dried chillies, orange slices and any additional juice and place closely to the breasts in the pan, continue simmering for 3 minutes. At this stage, the breasts will be medium rare. Remove the duck breasts and place on a board and allow to rest 3-4 minutes. Check the sauce again and season again if necessary. Slice each breast at an angle into pieces that are 1cm thick and place on serving plates. Pick some of the orange segments from the pan and place on the plate next to the sliced breast. Gently spoon over the top of the breasts and serve the rest on the side.

We loved this dish! Etti’s Herb Salad was a great accompaniment, as was the fennel salad below.

Fennel and feta with pomegranate seeds and sumac

In its purest form, this salad is just a festival of colour and flavour. It’s crisp, aromatic and over delivers in all its sensory pleasures, especially the heady fragrance of tarragon and fennel together.

1/2  pomegranate

2 medium fennel bulbs

1.5 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp sumac, plus extra to garnish

juice of half lemon

4 tbsp tarragon leaves

2 tbsp roughly chopped flat leaf parsely

70g of good quality Greek feta cheese, sliced

salt and pepper

Start by releasing the pomegranate seeds, The best way to do this is the halve the fruit along it’s belly then hold one half with the seeds facing your palm and start hitting the back of the fruit with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to hit too hard so as you don’t bruise the fruit.

Remove the leaves from the fennel, keeping a few to garnish the salad later. Trim the base, making sure that you leave enough of it still attached to hold the slices together. Slive very thinly (a mandolin is very handy to do this).

In a bowl, mix the olive oil, sumac, lemon juice, herbs and some salt and pepper. Add the fennel and toss well. Taste for seasoning remembering that the feta will add saltiness.

Layer the fennel, then the feta and the pomegranate seeds into your serving dish. Garnish with fennel leaves, sprinkle over some sumac and serve.

 

Cutler & Co. – Gertrude St, Fitzroy

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I recently had the sheer pleasure of dining at Cutler and Co for the second time this year. The first time was with a bunch of hospitality and wine professionals, which to say the very least was exquisite. This time though it was with my partner and we were completely blown away by the attention to detail, the sensation throughout the night of being thoroughly spoiled and of the course the menu that was offered.  Cutler, as well as serving some of Melbourne’s smartest, not to mention sexiest food, it’s also one of the most accessible and stylish restaurants this city has to offer. Mc Connell’s menu is easy to interpret, stunningly presented and very reasonably priced. Likewise the wine list. Selections are interesting, affordable and complement the menu perfectly. FYI – they have been voted by Australian Gourmet Traveller as the third top restaurant in the country. Nice one.

Like Mc Connell’s other restaurants, Cutler is a feast for all your senses. It’s cutting edge design is chic in its elegance and simplicity. The music is barely audible but resonates a perfect beat and genre for the dining room. And the most important asset for your senses of course (aside from Mc Connell himself) are the staff. Professional, discrete, obliging and knowledgable – together they keep your senses on the simmer and you don’t even know it – and that is truly an art.

So getting down to business, we started by sharing six freshly shucked Claire de Lune and Petit Clair oysters – both from Bateman’s Bay in NSW. A half bottle of 2008 Kumeu River Estate Chardonnay was a great accompaniment to these as well as the rest of our entrees. Following the mandatory oyster obsession we shared Cured Kingfish with pickled cucumber, avocado, octopus and ginger as well as Poached Chicken, foie gras, spring onion, quinoa & prune.  Both dishes were elegantly presented and full of flavour, texture and interest. I just loved the combination of ingredients and cooking methods. As a mid course ‘gift’ Cutler’s Assistant Manager organised a Jerusalem Artichoke soup, Hervey Bay scallops, apple and chestnuts. The chef added a couple of slices of Abalone that just happened to be in the kitchen, taking the evening’s pampering to a whole new level.

We’d pre ordered a half bottle of 2007 Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanee and asked for it to be opened so as it had some time to breathe up for our main courses which like the rest of the menu so far were just beyond what we were expecting.  We shared Suckling Pig with Morcilla (Spanish Blood sausage), sweet and sour shallots and almond. The presentation was classic and elegant, the flavours and aromas were deeply resonating. This dish alone, is one that I would return for. To balance the richness of the pork we selected the Wild Barramundi with Crystal Bay prawns, young garlic, grilled leek and nettle. Sublime.

I was so content by this stage, but as they say, there is no rest for the wicked and the desserts at Cutler do inspire a sense of caloric wickedness -in a good way of course!. We shared the Pain Perdu, spiced ricotta and rosemary poached quince. It was incredible. Pain Perdu is like the royal version of French toast. The dish and its components were nothing short of modern and sophisticated, a pleasure to indulge in. Not to be out done we finished with the Chocolate ice-cream sandwich, vanilla parfait and salted caramel. As soon as I read ‘salted caramel’ I was there. And what sensual dessert this was to finish on.

Cutler and Co is a restaurant that you can dine in and feel as though you are truly anywhere in the world. The menu is inspiring, the wine list is intriguing and the staff are devotees to the school controlled indulgence. The best part of course is that an experience at Cutler and Co will not leave you on the verge of pennilessness. This truly is a restaurant that should be on your list of ‘must visits’ in 2011. And if it isn’t? Well I think you know what to do.

http://www.cutlerandco.com.au/

little treats catering

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Finally Kathryn Read (who also happens to be my cousin in law lucky me!) has decided to harness her culinary knowledge and skills and has launched her own catering business Little Treats Catering

Kathryn has been my go to girl for all things fresh and fabulous in Melbourne for over 15 years. Not only has she been cooking for me for that long but also is seriously in the know for preferred suppliers in Melbourne. When in doubt I ask her. Kathryn takes great pride in the very freshest ingredients, simple honest food that speaks for itself.

Best for

Feta stuffed crumbed olives served with aioli

Rare tuna spring rolls with lime & soy

little treats catering
PO Box 439 Ashburton 3147 Victoria
         0408 510 316

Neils Meats Prahran Market- quite possibly the best butcher in Melbourne

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I am always asked where I buy my meat from and my answer has been the same for over 10 years. When I first moved to Melbourne I was introduced to Neil McNair (who has since been taken over by his son Paul) and have never looked back. I love a family run business, generations of family working side by side perfecting their craft, the McNair’s have been doing this for over 45 years.Tucked in the far end of the butcher section at the Prahran Market, Melbourne they are hard to miss.

It is a family run business where the service is second to none.They take pride in old-fashioned personalised service. Not only do they specialise in dry aged beef from the Western Districts to Warnambool, they also have an amazing understanding of all things meat, their suppliers and who does what best.

Over the years with all my odd requests, nothing is a hassle, nothing is too much for them. My family has brought Neil’s amazing turkeys and a wombat sized ham every year for as long as I can remember. For truly exceptional product and service- come and see Paul and his team.

Best for

Milk fed veal

Sausages

Racks of Pork

French lamb shanks and their spring lamb

Porterhouse/ New York cut steak

TBones

Butterflied Greek Legs of lamb

Neil’s Meats

Prahran Market Shop 508

163 Commercial Rd, South Yarra VIC 3141

03 9827.6574

Open Tues/Thurs/Fri/Sat

Winter Wonderland at Carousel….

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Terroso are delighted to be associated with the Lighthouse’s Mums and Bubs Fundraiser last night at Carousel. Well done to all that attended, ate drank and donated!

what a beautiful night!

visit http://www.lighthousefoundation.org.au/ to read more about the very wonderful and inspirational Susan Barton and all that she does for homeless youth and of cause the Mums and Bubs House in Heathmont who this dinner was in aid of.

 

Decent coffee in Ashburton- wonders never cease…

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I’ve only been waiting for 5 years for my local stomping ground to produce a coffee that makes my morning bearable! Totally sick of burnt, bitter and badly made coffee, I was having to buy elsewhere which totally goes against supporting local business.

Along come TwoSeeds- hallelujah!

186 High St, Ashburton tucked in beside a funny little jeweller and a $2 shop this is my new hang! Ashburton was once just another suburban strip. With businesses springing up now that really know their product and service, Ashburton is slowly creeping into the year 2011.

Will Finlay has added a breath of fresh air to the coffee scene in the South Eastern suburbs. Using Dimattina coffee http://dimattinacoffee.com.au, fresh simple food, and friendly unaffected service, TwoSeeds are worth a visit.

186 High St, Ashburton

03 9885 1364

Breakfast, lunch, catering, coffee

 

Ten great things to do in a Melbourne Winter (that involve food and wine of course!)

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  • Rug up, take a big empty basket and hit your local farmers market. Not only are you supporting small independent local businesses, you get to taste, sample and stock up http://www.vicfarmersmarkets.org.au/
  • Ask your Nan for her marmalade recipe and do something with all those lemons from your tree (or your neighbours)Just think 101 ways with a lemon
  • Pack a picnic, a thermos with hot sweet tea, a bottle of Pinot, a baguette and terrine from La Parisienne on Lygon St, a couple of gold bars from Burche and Purchese and a BIG blanky. Head to any one of Victoria’s amazing beaches and live on the wild side. http://burchandpurchese.blogspot.com/
  • Sunday Yum Cha at 12-1 and 1-2 fantastic for kids too! Shark Fin Inn, Little Bourke St
  • Make a curry from scratch, think pale ale, plenty of naan, chutney and Monsoon wedding
  • Winter is the peak time for OYSTERS! Best in season are Sydney Rock, Coffin Bay and Smokey Bay (SA). Make sure you’re shucking and sucking, oysters oxidize super quick, best consumed as they are opened, with a glass of Chablis!

If all else fails…

Turn the heating to 28, put your swimmers on and your best Ibiza tracks and mix a mimosa!

 

Top Shelf Fruits

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I had my reservations in doing this feature not because I had any kind of qualms in recommending this little beauty but because of the potential influx of people to my little sleepy local village once people find out about it.

I had shopped successfully at Prahran Market for many years but had moved further afield  and needed to find a new local .I found it hard as I kept making comparisons back to Pino’s. By the way I had been totally spoilt with superior personalised service but I needed to find a new local. My cousin Kathryn who is totally in the know about all things gastronomic and a local pointed me in the right direction, explaining in great detail where to go and who to ask for. This kind of info is priceless!

Top Shelf not only have one of the most beautiful, freshest ranges of fruit and veg in Melbourne but they are super serious about their suppliers and staying true to what they are good at. I love the fact that they know who does what from all over Australia and beyond and who’s the best at it. If it’s the best you can guarantee it will be on their shelves.

They are all about value and treat their relationships with their existing and new customers as something really special and as a member of their family. They just don’t miss and are the place to go for a truly whole food experience. I love the fact that they keep surprising me with their produce and products. Everything from Truffles to Italian candy to a virtual forest of mushrooms. Heaven!

No I’m not on the take and sadly I’m not a member of the family but seriously don’t waste your time and money elsewhere visit my friends at Top Shelf Fruits and tell them I sent you and remember sssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhh…………

Ashburton Store
225 High St
Ashburton, VIC 3147
(03) 9885 2242  (by the way this is my local there are 2 others)

Beaumaris Store
1 South Concourse
Beaumaris, VIC 3193
(03) 9589 2170   

Brentford Square Store
21c Brentford Square Shopping Centre
Brentford Square, VIC 3131
(03) 9878 0909

http://www.topshelffruits.com.au/