Ottolenghi, the odyssey continues….

As is usually the case when I buy a new cookbook – I just can’t stop until I’ve tried at least a dozen recipes

Ottolenghi Odyssey

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.

 

Delicious Spring fare- chicken schnitzel with a red cabbage, pear and dill slaw

 

I love this recipe so much I wanted to share.

Pretty much anyone can crumb chicken but I really love this combination. This ‘slaw’ sings of spring and even the fussiest small people ate it with gusto. I think the freshness of the herbs and the pear/fennel is super pretty too. This is a definate polo/races kind of picnic recipe I would use again.

Perfect with 2010 Tupari Sauvignon Blanc

By the way this is a gorgeous Blog too… love the styling!

trotski & ash recipe

Oxtail braised with Cinnamon and Preserved Lemon

Another one of Greg Malouf’s recipes that has become a favourite in our household. Oxtail is a cut that is not everyone’s cup of tea, this recipe however turns those nobbly bits of meat into flavoursome, sticky deliciousness. When cooked slowly, oxtail is good old fashioned comfort food during the colder winter months….

It’s important that this dish is cooked slowly so you get the full spectrum of rich sweetness and texture that develops as it cooks. The other bonus of dishes like this is that they are one pot wonders. Once your prep is done and everything is in the pot, you’re basically done!

3kg oxtail cut into pieces

1 generous tbsp of powdered ginger

150g plain flour

80 ml olive oil

2 large brown onions, roughly diced

3 cloves garlic, finely sliced

4 sticks celery, roughly chopped

1 tsp cinnamon

1 Preserved Lemon

8 cloves

1 tsp sweet Paprika

2 x 400g cans crushed tomatoes

100g pitted Green Olives

400ml gutsy red wine

2 bay leaves

Peel of 1/2 orange

around 500ml stock or water

Preheat the oven to 160°

Ask your butcher to to trim any large lumps of fat away from the oxtail for you and cut into little sections that are about 5 cms long.

Mix the ginger into the flour and dust the oxtail pieces.

Heat the oil in large heavy base casserole dish (with a lid) and brown the meat all over. Once coloured, remove the meat pieces from the pan and set aside. Add the onions, garlic and celery with the cinnamon, preserved lemon, cloves and paprika. Stir until everything is well mixed. Add the tomatoes, olives and splash in the wine. Tuck in the bay leaves and orange peel and return the oxtail to the tomato base. Pour in enough water or stock to just cover the meat, raise the heat and bring to the boil.

Put the lid on the casserole dish and put into the middle of the oven. Leave it for about an hour then remove from the oven and stir gently. Return to the oven and cook for a further hour, by which time the meat will be a lovely glossy dark brown. The sauce should have reduced to a sticky glaze. Serve with a big boil of garlicy mashed potatoes and steamed green beans. Or if you’re not wanting to have such a heavy accompaniment, serve with steamed rice or couscous.

Delish!

little treats catering

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

http://www.littletreatscatering.com.au/

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

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

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

Top Shelf Fruits

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/

 

Bright Young Things Culinary Event Makers

 

 

Bright Young Things

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Algerian eggplant jam

 When I first moved to Melbourne a friend of mine cooked this recipe for me. Mind you he was a chef so of course it was fantastic but I was hooked and had to have the book that it came from. It took two years for Tim White from Books for Cooks to source it for me, but it was happy days when he did. It’s from the original ‘From Tapas to Meze’ by Joanne Weir.

3 medium eggplants

Salt and freshly ground pepper

7 tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp sweet paprika

2 tsp ground cumin

Half cup water

Half tsp Harissa (optional)

3 to 4 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Lemon slices and tomato wedges to serve

Crusty country style-bread

Preheat oven to 200°C. Cut the stems off the eggplants. Peel off skin in vertical strips so you get a striped eggplant. Slice the eggplant horizontally into half inch slices placing in colander and then salting to remove any bitterness. Let them stand for about 30 mins. Rinse them well and pat dry.

Using about 3 tbsp of the olive oil, brush a baking sheet liberally. Brush the eggplant slices lightly with 2 tbsp oil. Place the eggplant slices in a single layer on the baking sheet and bake, turning occasionally, until they are light golden brown on both sides. It should take about 20 – 30 mins.

Place the eggplant slices in a bowl and with a fork (or a Magimix!) mash the eggplant with the garlic, paprika, cumin, water, salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp of olive oil in a large frying pan and fry the mashed eggplant very slowly. Cook until the water evaporates which should take about 20 mins. If you need to add some more oil to prevent the eggplant from sticking, then do so. It’s important to keep stirring to prevent this. Stir in the lemon juice and cook for about 1 minute more.

You can either serve this as a condiment to BBQ lamb and or chicken, as a starter with the crusty bread or some flat bread….or you could just grab a spoon and a bottle of Grenache and treat yourself. Garnish with the chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

PS If you make this one day ahead it will taste even better the next day. This is best served warm for maximum texture and flavour.

Sticky prune pudding with spiced caramel sauce

I love Karen Martini. While her food is sophisticated, it’s also really accessible and so full of flavour…it never ceases to please. My girlfriend Michelle is also a big fan and it was this recipe that I made for her for a Mother’s Day dinner that she cooked in May this year. This recipe is from ‘Where the Heart Is’.

 

225g pitted prunes

450ml water

1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

90g soft unsalted butter

220g castor sugar

3 eggs

225g self raising flour

5 tbsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 tsp vanilla extract

Vanilla ice cream, to serve

Spiced caramel sauce

165g brown sugar

250ml pouring cream

180g unsalted butter

1 cinnamon stick

3 cardamom pods, crushed

2 tsp ground ginger

pinch saffron threads, optional

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Grease 20×26 cm cake tin and line with baking paper. Place prunes and water in small saucepan. Bring to the boil over medium heat, then simmer for 10 minutes or until prunes are very soft. Add bicarbonate of soda and stir. Set it aside to cool.

Place butter and sugar in a bowl and beat with electric mixer until pale and thick. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure to beat them well after each addition. Sift flour, cocoa and spices together and stir well into the butter mixture. Add vanilla and prune mixture and stir again. Be careful not to over mix.

Pour pudding mixture into prepared tin. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. To make the sauce, combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Simmer for 2 minutes. remove from heat and set aside for 5 minutes, then strain into a jug. Serve warm. Serve pudding warm, topped with vanilla ice-cream and spiced caramel sauce.

It was such a great night, our families enjoying dinner together while our kids ran around in fairy dresses for most of the night. That is what it’s all about. Food, wine and friends. Of course we polished dinner off with a 2004 Pfeiffer Shiraz, stunning!