A lovely seasonal panzanella salad

A lovely seasonal salad

Today I made an Italian panzanella salad, using up the stale Irrewarra ciabatta rolls (I can’t bear to throw them away), some really ripe tomatoes and red peppers left over from a photo shoot. I came across Cath Claringbold’s recipe a few years ago when I was doing the styling on Good Weekend magazine. Believe me, it is one of those salads that you have to make.
A few tips:
It’s important to keep the capsicum whole when grilling (or roasting in the oven –as I do) so that all the delicious juices are retained. In fact, I hold the peppers over the torn bread whilst I’m peeling them, so all the juices drip into the bowl for extra flavour. Use a sieve to catch any pips if they annoy you.
The bread: the last time I made this, my bread rolls were so stale that I couldn’t tear them or even cut them with a knife. So I soaked them whole in the dressing until they were soft enough to tear up.
The anchovies: I strongly suggest Ortiz anchovies here, as they are magnificent. If you don’t like anchovies, these may just change your mind.
The capers really need a rinse if they’re packed in salt or vinegar. I prefer to use salted capers.
The olives –always buy good quality olives with the pips in. It is very easy to squash fat juicy olives with the back of a knife and remove the pips. The flavour is much better.
The basil- tear it gently with your hands as it can go black when you cut it with a knife.
And that’s it, really. Good quality ingredients, really ripe tomatoes and fragrant basil –summer on a plate. Enjoy.

Cath Claringbold’s Panzanella

2 red capsicums
2 yellow capsicums
400g very stale ciabatta
1 small red chilli
2 cloves garlic
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6oog vine ripened tomatoes
3 tbsp red wine vinegar
5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch basil
50g good quality anchovy fillets
50g baby capers
100g pitted black olives

Grill the capsicum whole until blackened all over, place in a bowl and cover with clingfilm.
When they are cool enough to handle, remove the skin and seeds.
Cut or tear each pepper into 8 pieces.
Tear the bread into rough bite-size pieces. Finely chop the chilli and crush it with the garlic and a good pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle until it is a smooth paste.
Puree one tomato and mix with the chilli garlic mix. Whisk together the red wine vinegar and olive oil to make a simple vinaigrette, then season with salt and pepper.
Mix two thirds of the vinaigrette into the tomato puree, pour over the bread and toss. The bread will absorb the liquid.
Pick, wash and dry the basil leaves.
Tear the anchovy fillets and rinse the capers.
In a large bowl, bring all the ingredients together, except for the remaining vinaigrette.
Add the basil leaves last, tearing the bigger leaves.
Season with salt and pepper and serve on a large platter with a drizzle of the remaining vinaigrette over the top.

Serves 4.

What the ****’s in my freezer?!?

When it comes to my freezer, I’m afraid that I don’t use it as well as I might. Even if I look at it from either end of the emotional scale of contemporary freezer thought, it’s an act of desperation or a whim of fancy; a depository for some fridge contents (usually some sort of raw meat or fish) that I haven’t got around to cooking before it looks like it might be going off, or a secret hideaway for some already frozen item from the supermarket that I feel belongs in a well stocked freezer and that I might, in the near future, whip up something splendid with.

After reading Matt Preston’s article about the contents of his freezer, I thought I’d better check out my own. So here is my list, warts and all. No editing, no omissions.

1. frozen raspberries

I always try to have frozen raspberries at hand, for making raspberry muffins and raspberry sorbet (see recipes below).

They’re inexpensive and seem to keep well.

Actually, I found a second bag of frozen raspberries, so now I’m doubly prepared (and obviously unaware of exactly what was already in there).

pear and raspberry muffins photo Marina Oliphant

Pear and raspberry muffins

2 cups self raising flour

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

½ (half) cup canola oil

¾ (three quarters) cup buttermilk

zest 1 lemon

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup tinned pear pieces, chopped

1 cup frozen raspberries

2 tbsp rolled oats for topping

2 tbsp raw sugar for topping

Preheat oven to 170C fanforced (190C conventional).

Line a 12 hole muffin tin with paper cases.

Mix flour with brown sugar in a large bowl and set aside.

Whisk eggs with oil, buttermilk, lemon zest and vanilla.

Gently stir into flour mix until just combined. The mixture will be thick and slightly lumpy. Do not over mix or your muffins will be tough.

Fold through pear and raspberries.

Place in 12 muffin cases. Sprinkle oats and raw sugar over the top. Bake in oven for 20 -25 minutes, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.

makes 12.

tip: to make buttermilk, mix 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice with 1 cup of whole milk. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.

raspberry sorbet

This is not a traditional icecream recipe, but it still has great ice cream-like texture. Not only is it quick and easy to make, you don’t need an ice cream machine. If you don’t mind the pips, you can put the raspberries straight into the mixer with the egg whites and sugar.

2 punnets raspberries (or 300g frozen raspberries)

½ (half) cup caster sugar

2 large egg whites

Press raspberries through a sieve to get rid of the pips. (If using frozen berries, allow them to defrost first).

Place raspberries, sugar and egg whites in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk on high speed for 5 minutes, until more than doubled in volume.

Place mixture in a 1 litre container and freeze for 4 hours (or overnight if possible).

Remove from freezer to serve.

makes 1 litre.

2. atlantic salmon fillets

These came about when I ended up with an entire salmon from a photoshoot.

I actually took off the fillets myself (I’d seen it on Masterchef!).

Fillets neatly stored in between silicon baking paper in plastic containers. It must have been a Martha Stewart moment for me! Now defrosting in fridge for standard salmon recipe (see below).

teriyaki salmon with shiitake mushrooms

 

 

4 salmon fillets (about 150g each)

¼ cup mirin + ¼ cup extra

½ cup salt reduced soy sauce + ¼ cup extra

fresh lime, to juice

1 punnet fresh shiitake mushrooms

2 tsp caster sugar (optional)

steamed vegetables to serve

Cut each salmon into 3 bite size pieces.

Place mirin and soy in a large shallow bowl with the salmon and set aside in the fridge to marinate for 5-10 minutes.

Slice the mushrooms thinly, then place in a small saucepan with extra ¼ cup mirin and soy. Add sugar to taste and cook over medium low heat for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are softened and the sauce is slightly reduced. Set aside.

Heat oven grill to high. Place salmon pieces on a foil lined oven tray and place under grill for a few minutes until the top of the salmon becomes opaque. Turn pieces to cook the other side.

Remove from grill and serve with mushrooms and steamed vegetables.

Serves 4.

3. frozen vegetables

Frozen baby peas, in my opinion, are better than fresh (unless you have your own plants that you can harvest and cook straight away). Peas that have been sitting around tend to get a floury flavour. These are a staple when you don’t have fresh greens, or need to add something to a pasta or soup. Both packs open, in different compartments of the freezer, unaware each of the other’s existence.

Frozen corn is also always there, expressly for adding to chicken and corn soup.

Frozen broad beans –I have these both podded and double podded. Quite good in a warm salad or pasta, both packs opened already and held together with rubber bands.

Useful on a photo shoot when the real thing is not in season yet (fresh broad beans are my preference, and I try to grow them and share, against my better judgement, with the neighbourhood possums).

By the way, I pick up the double podded beans from Minh Phat Asian grocery, just of Victoria St Richmond.

4. Ice bricks and blocks

Ice bricks for sporting injuries and iceblocks for drinks or chilling blanched vegetables (although I never seem to have enough iceblocks, which is rather silly, as that should be the number one item in the freezer. Note to Self –make some more ice blocks.)

5. Fake ice cream

You never know when you’re going to need it for a photoshoot, so that’s where it lives. Vanilla –if you’re wondering. I’ve put the recipe on Pinterest.

6. Kaffir limes + leaves

The limes were a gift from Jenny, who has a tree. The leaves were from a shoot- I couldn’t bear to throw the box away, even though I already have a small tree in the garden. Silly really, so now they’re in the bin.

7. Rosella flowers

From the wild hibiscus, these flowers (expensive) were from a cook book shoot. Again, I couldn’t bear to waste them (never know when you might need them again!).

However, it’s been 2 years, so they may find the bin too.

8. Candlenuts

The bag is open, so I must have used some sometime, but can’t remember. I know they are useful for Asian cooking, it’s only a small bag, so they can stay.

9. Salted black beans

Ditto.

10. Cranberries

One large bag of beautiful whole frozen cranberries (bag open). I will use them to make cranberry sauce for Christmas. (See recipe). Also good backup for photo shoots, as you can’t get fresh cranberries at this end of the world. I have successfully defrosted these to use on a packaging shoot, too.

red cranberry sauce

400g frozen cranberries

200g caster sugar

3 tbsp fresh orange juice

zest of orange

1 tbsp brandy

75ml water

Place all ingredients in a pan and bring to the boil for 15 minutes until thick and syrupy.

11. Ginger

2 small pieces of ginger (skin on), frozen and stored in small zip lock bags (another Martha moment), unaware of each other (again!) And forgotten by me too.

12. Red currants

The pack is unopened, so I must have them in there for an emergency store, in anticipation of Christmas recipes.

13. Cherries and sour cherries

The bag of cherries is opened. I think this is from my cherry column last year, used to make cherry sorbet (see recipe).

The sour cherries are also opened, a leftover from a photo shoot.

I think I may have a frozen fruit storage fetish!?!

cherry sorbet

cherry sorbet photo Marina Oliphant

This is not a traditional ice cream recipe, but it still has great ice cream-like texture. Not only is it quick and easy to make, you don’t need an ice cream machine.

300g cherries

½ (half) cup caster sugar

2 large egg whites

Pip cherries and cut in half.

Place cherries in the bowl of an electric mixer with a whisk attachment and whisk on medium speed for a few minutes to break up. Add sugar and egg whites and whisk on high speed 5 minutes, until more than doubled in volume.

Place mixture in a 1 litre container and freeze for 4 hours (or overnight if possible).

Remove from freezer to serve.

makes 1 litre.

14. Tomato sugo

This really is a useful thing to freeze, as I often don’t use the entire jar of sugo. Perfect for a quick pasta (once you have defrosted the sauce in the microwave) or adding to minestrone.

15. Careme Puff pastry

Okay, this is sounding a bit designer magazine fantasy stuff, but I really do have this in my freezer. I love this puff pastry.

I also have a block of other brand frozen puff, for not sure what. Maybe I’ll get around to making Stephanie Alexander’s sausage rolls with sorrel (to use up all the sorrel in my garden).

I’ll give it 2 weeks max, then it’s out.

16. Egg whites

I think that these are essential for making French macarons. Although we recently tried them when making meringues and the results were not good.

I’ve got about 300ml.

17. Frozen scotch fillet

two types –one piece in a plastic container, ready to become grilled steak. The other, a tray of thinly sliced beef, ready for shabu shabu –the Japanese meat hot pot that you cook at the table with vegetables and noodles. I buy this frozen from the Japanese shop –either Tokyo Deli in Elsternwick, or Fujimart in Prahran.

18. Unidentified Meat

There’s a bag of some type of meat (about 1kg?), not sure exactly what, that is now defrosting on the kitchen bench. Hopefully it will become apparent, so then I can actually do something with it.

There are also 2 plastic containers with some sort of stew/ curry that are also now defrosting. More info to come on these, when I work out exactly what they are.

And finally, yet another bag of frozen, cubed meat. Again, time to find out what it is.

Which reminds me to ALWAYS mark the lids with the name of the contents and the date they were first frozen. This is actually important, as ALL food slowly deteriorates in the freezer. So you can’t store it forever.

However, when I look at my list, it’s not that bad. I must have cleaned out the freezer, not that long ago, because otherwise it would have been FAR worse. In the not too distant past here have been lots of loose pinenuts, as they escape from their rubber banded ‘quick pack’, the odd truffle, various whole citrus (limes mostly) and other bits and bobs, unlabelled and hastily put away in the hope of a later use, only to be discarded long after their use by date.

I have also been known to freeze fish off cuts/ prawn shells, etc until bin night. Especially in summer when the daily temperature can make the garbage bin very smelly. However, I then forget to dump it in the bin on the night of and hence it stays in the freezer and makes everything smell –even the iceblocks get a fish taint.

Post script:

The frozen meat turned out to be 1kg of lamb shoulder, diced. I turned this into a quick curry with Charmaine Solomon’s Korma curry paste.

The 2 plastic containers were full of some kind of stew (left over from the last lot of recipe testing for a cook book). I couldn’t be sure, so they went to the dog. Ditto, the remaining bag of frozen meat.

I have also used the frozen sugo for a quick pasta sauce and made some more iceblocks.

The freezer, having given up its secrets, is now far more manageable.

So don’t be afraid, I know you can do it too.

Oh, and I didn’t end up making cranberry sauce for Christmas, or the sausage rolls with sorrel, which now threatens to take over the vegetable garden, but that’s another column.

Know your onions

 

Simple yet sophisticated, onions are the everyday ingredient that we can’t do without. There are two broad types of onions –mature and immature. Mature onions include brown, white, red, Spanish onions (which are yellow) and French shallots (also known as eschalots). Immature onions are young onions that still have their green stems. Some confusion persists about names here. Green (spring) onions are sold in bunches and have long slender stems. They are frequently used in Asian cooking. They are also known as scallions. The true Spring onion (salad onion) has a more pronounced bulb and is great in salads. Look out for these in Spring, for their delicate flavour.

Whilst we all cook with onions, they can bring a tear to your eye-literally. There are a few tips to make cutting onions more bearable. Firstly, be aware that young onions are not as pungent as old ones, so buy your onions where there is frequent turnover.

When cutting, a really sharp knife will help. I like to cut my onions in half lengthways, with the skin still on. Then I can pull back the skin to make a handle to grip. Two slices through horizontally, then 3 or 4 vertically through the length, and finish with a quick chop across for a fine dice.

Placing onions in the fridge can also help reduce the tears by cooling down the volatile naturally occurring chemicals. Wearing glasses or contact lenses helps provide a barrier too. If all else fails, strap on the swimming goggles for when you have commercial quantities to slice. I’m speaking from experience.

Once cooked though, onions become sweet and mellow, adding warmth and body to soups, stews, roasts and casseroles.

So why not let the humble onion take centre stage for once? Try one of the following recipes and let your onions be the star of the your next meal.

 

Baked shallots with raisins, balsamic and goats feta

 

Peel shallots in no time with this simple tip –a dip in hot water will loosen the skins for you.

 

30 shallots

¼ cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced

few sprigs thyme

3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

¼ cup raisins

2 Tbsp brown sugar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

200g soft goats feta to serve

 

Preheat oven to 190C fan forced.

Bring a kettle to the boil. Place shallots in a large heatproof bowl and pour over the boiling water. After a minute or so, carefully remove the shallots and peel off the skins.

Drizzle oil in a baking dish, scatter over garlic and place the shallots on top. Throw in the thyme sprigs, drizzle with balsamic and 3 Tbsp water. Tuck in the raisins and finish with brown sugar.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, stirring once or twice, until the shallots are deeply burnished and sticky.

Remove from oven and serve at the table with salt and pepper to season and a generous dollop of feta.

 

Serves 4.

 

French lentil and onion soup

 

Add some French lentils to a traditional onion soup for texture and finish off with zesty lemon and mint.

 

4 Tbsp butter

4 medium brown onions, peeled and finely sliced

4 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

1.2 lt vegetable stock, plus extra if required

250g (1 ¼ cups) Puy lentils, washed

handful fresh parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1 lemon, zest and juice

handful fresh mint leaves, roughly chopped

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

1 small French baguette, thickly sliced

150g grated Gruyere cheese

 

Heat a large heavy based pot over medium heat and melt the butter. Add sliced onions and cook for 20 until well softened and golden. Add garlic and cook for a few more minutes until garlic is soft and translucent.

Add stock and bring to a simmer. Add lentils and simmer over low heat for around 30 minutes or so, until the lentils are tender, but still holding their shape.

Remove from heat and stir in parsley, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper and finish with fresh mint to taste. If the soup is too thick, you can add a little extra stock or water.

To make the cheese croutons, grill the bread on one side, turn and sprinkle with cheese. Grill until cheese melts and turns golden.

Ladle soup into bowls and serve with grilled cheese croutons.

Serve immediately.

 

Serves 4.

 

Onion jam

 

This unusual jam is always a best seller at the local primary school fair. It’s perfect with cheese or simply dolloped on sausages.

 

1 kg (8 –10) medium brown onions

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 kg sugar

70 g mustard seeds

375ml bottle red wine vinegar

285ml bottle sweet chilli sauce

 

Peel onions, cut in half and slice thinly.

Place a large heavy based pot over medium heat, add oil and cook onions until softened.

Add sugar and mix until dissolved.

Add mustard seeds, vinegar and sweet chilli sauce.

Increase heat to high and cook until reduced and thickened, approximately 30 minutes.

Pour into sterilized jars, wipe the inside rim with vinegar and seal.

 

Makes approx. 6 x 250ml jars.

Caramel

According to Larousse, caramel is simply melted sugar that has been browned by heating. Technically, it is that simple.

 However, to explain the wondrous complexities of caramel, food scientist Harold McGee is more forthcoming. “Start with pure table sugar, a single kind of molecule, colourless, odourless, and simply sweet. Add heat, and you create caramel: many hundreds of new molecules, brown colour, rich aroma, sweet, tart and bitter.”

There are two basic methods for making caramel: the dry method, which involves heating sugar until it reaches melting point, when it starts to brown, or the wet method, which is to dissolve the sugar in water, then bring it to the boil until it starts to brown. Dissolving the sugar first is an easier and practical method for less-experienced cooks, but either way, caramel has to be constantly watched as once it starts to brown, it can easily burn. Have a bowl of cold water ready to cool the pan down, as this will stop it cooking further. I prefer the dry method, as it’s quick and I can keep stirring it all the time. With the wet method, once the sugar has dissolved and started to boil, you’re not allowed to stir it, as this can encourage the formation of crystals. You also need to use a clean pastry brush dipped in water to prevent any crystals forming at the side of the pot.

Whichever method you choose, there are plenty of wonderful recipes to make. I have included three of my favourites here.

 

Caramel bananas with banana and dulce de leche icecream

 

My childhood treat of caramel bananas is given a makeover, with the addition of a super easy ice cream and the bitter crunch of praline. Can you ever have too much caramel?

 

icecream:

4 over ripe bananas

1 cup dulce de leche*

 

praline:

¾ cup caster sugar

½ cup almonds

 

bananas:

60g butter

½ cup brown sugar

4 ripe bananas, peeled and cut in thick slices on an angle

 

To make ice cream, blend bananas in a food processor until smooth. Add dulche leche and blend. Pour into a plastic container and place in freezer for 4 hours until firm.

To make praline, line a baking tray with baking paper.

Heat a heavy based frypan over high heat. Slowly sprinkle in the sugar, allowing it to melt before adding more. As it melts, stir with a wooden spoon to ensure it doesn’t burn. Keep adding the sugar and stirring until it is a dark golden brown colour.

Quickly add the almonds and pour the mixture onto the tray.

Allow to cool, then break into large chunks and place in a food processor. Pulse until roughly crushed.

For the bananas, melt butter in a pan over medium heat, add brown sugar and stir. Cook for 5 minutes or so, stirring, until caramel forms. Add sliced banana and continue to cook until banana is soft and golden.

Remove from heat and drizzle over any extra caramel from the pan.

Serve with a scoop of ice cream and sprinkle with praline.

Serves 4.

 

*To Make Dulce de leche:

 

Place a tin of condensed milk in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 hours, topping up with extra water to keep the tin covered. Remove and allow to cool.

 

Salted Butter Caramel

 

These caramels can be made with any type of sugar and butter, but the flavour is better with great quality ingredients.

 

375g Raw Castor Sugar

250g good quality salted butter, diced and chilled (plus extra for greasing the tin)

5 Tbsp crème fraiche

sea salt flakes to garnish

 

Grease and line a 20cm square slice tin with baking paper.

In a heavy based saucepan place the sugar over a medium heat. Cook to quite a dark caramel. Turn the heat down low and carefully add the butter, a few cubes at a time, making sure that it is all incorporated before adding more. Stir in crème fraiche and continue to cook until thickened (118C on a digital or sugar thermometer).

Pour into tray and sprinkle over extra salt flakes. Allow to cool, then refrigerate until set.

Cut into squares to serve.

 

Caramelised pork belly

 

Inspired by Alvin’s recipe on Masterchef series 2, the caramel sauce for the pork belly is flavoured by the chinese master stock. The stock can be frozen and reused.

 

Chinese master stock:

6lt water

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 knob ginger, sliced

1 handful green onion ends

1 cinnamon stick

2 star anise

375 ml light soy sauce

375 ml shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine)

75 g chinese rock sugar

 

For the pork:

1 kg pork belly

300g brown sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

handful fresh coriander leaves

2 french shallots (eschalots), finely sliced and soaked in 1 tbsp asian vinegar

1 long red chilli, deseeded and sliced

1 tbsp black sesame seeds

 

To make the master stock, place all ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to the boil. Taste the stock for balance of flavours and adjust as required.

Add pork belly to master stock and gently simmer for 1 hour.

Remove and set aside to cool.

Heat brown sugar in deep sided frypan, stir and cook over medium heat until caramelised. Add 1 cup of master stock, fish sauce and lime juice. Cook over high heat until reduced and thickened. Cut pork belly into slices and add to sauce.

Mix together the coriander leaves, sliced shallots and chilli.

Place slices of caramelised pork on a plate, garnish with salad and sprinkle over sesame seeds.

Serves 4.

 

To store master stock:

Allow stock to cool. Strain through a fine sieve and refrigerate until needed.

Master stock, once cooled, strained and refrigerated can be used again and again.

Replenish the stock with fresh garlic, ginger, green onions and aromatics each time you use it and the flavour will continue to intensify.

This stock can also be frozen.

 

Hot to go

Cast your eyes over café menus right now and you’re sure to find some delicious hot sandwich options, in many disguises. On display in glass-fronted cabinets, fancy breads such as pides and piadinas vy for shelf position alongside thickly sliced sourdough and artisan-made rolls in all shapes and sizes.

The displays are as mouth watering as the fillings. Vegetables roasted to reveal their natural sweetness, every type of cheese you can think of and all the usual cured meat suspects (think prosciutto, salami, etc). Smoked salmon, succulent chicken, slow roasted pork, lamb and beef add more flavour to sandwiches already bursting at the seams. Pickles and chutneys, aioli and mayonnaise add the finishing touches. Combinations range from classic to clever and sometimes unexpected.

Trawl the local café scene and I think it is entirely possible to eat a sandwich every day for a year and not have the same thing twice.

Below are three of my favourite recipes at the moment. The mushroom burger is inspired by Melbourne’s Market Lane café at Prahran market, where on Saturday mornings you’ll find portabello mushrooms barbecued to perfection with lashing of herb butter and spicy chipotle mayonnaise.

The chicken souvlaki is a classic combination of juicy chicken with garlicky yoghurt sauce whipped with feta on soft homemade pita. Or try my indulgent steak sandwich with thinly sliced steak and caramelised onions on toasty sourdough.

Oh, and for good measure, a side serve of crunchy onion rings. Tuck in.

mushroom burger and onion rings photo Marina Oliphant

Fried onion rings

Crunchy onion rings are the perfect accompaniment to a hot sandwich. Watch out, as these are spicy!

 

1 tbsp paprika

1 tbsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp onion powder

1 cup buttermilk

1 tbsp Tabasco sauce

2 large brown onions, peeled and cut into 1cm thick rings

1 cup plain flour

Vegetable oil, for frying

In a bowl, mix paprika, cayenne and onion powder. Set aside half of this spice mix to add to the flour. Combine the buttermilk with tabasco sauce and half the spices. Add the onion rings and press to coat. Marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

Heat a deep fryer to 180C.

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with remaining spice mix. Dredge the onions in the seasoned flour, coating each ring evenly. Shake off any excess flour and dip back into the buttermilk mixture. Finally, recoat with spiced flour. Carefully place the rings in the hot oil. Fry until golden brown, turning to cook evenly and prevent sticking, about 3 minutes per batch. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels.

Serve hot.

Mushroom burgers with haloumi

Portabello mushrooms are barbecued to perfection with lashings of herb butter, finished with hot and salty haloumi and a healthy dollop of chipotle mayo.

125g unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp finely chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, basil, oregano)

1 anchovy fillet (optional)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tsp curry powder

1 lemon, for juicing

4 large portabello mushrooms

sea salt and black pepper to season

1 cup good quality mayonnaise

1 tbsp chipotle in adobo*

4 slices haloumi

plain flour for dusting

fennel pickles to serve**

4 large crunchy burger buns, toasted on the cut sides

Mix butter with herbs, anchovy, garlic, curry powder and a squeeze of lemon juice to make a spreadable consistency.

Heat a grill pan or bbq until hot, brush mushrooms with herb butter, season and grill for 5 minutes on each side, or until well cooked. Brush liberally with herb butter whilst cooking.

Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise with chipotle sauce and set aside.

Dust haloumi with flour and place on grill to cook on both sides until golden. Remove from heat and place on top of mushroom. Squeeze over some lemon juice and dollop with spicy mayonnaise. Add some pickles and serve on toasted buns. Immediately!!

(Any leftover herb butter can be kept refrigerated or frozen until next time).

Serves 4.

*chipotle in adobo are spicy Mexican style chillies available to buy in tins from selected supermarkets and specialty stores.

** fennel pickles are available at selected food stores. Substitute any pickles if you can’t find these.

chicken souvlaki photo Marina Oliphant

Chicken Souvlaki:

Warm juicy chicken with a garlicky yoghurt sauce in soft home made pita bread. Fast food never tasted this good. Skip making the pitas when you’re short on time, but trust me, once you’ve made them, you won’t buy pita again.

Pita bread:

1¼ cups lukewarm water

1½ tsp dry yeast

1½ tsp caster sugar

450g plain flour

½ tsp sea salt

½ cup olive oil, plus extra for brushing

chicken marinade:

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 ½  tsp chopped fresh oregano

2 Tbsp olive oil

½ tsp salt

4 garlic cloves, minced

500g boneless chicken thighs

Tzatziki Feta Sauce:

½  cup plain Greek style yoghurt

125g Greek style feta cheese

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 Lebanese cucumber, seeded, coarsely grated and drained

To make the pita, mix together water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl and leave in a warm spot for 20 minutes until mixture foams.

In a bowl of an electric mixer with a dough hook, mix flour and salt. Add olive oil and the yeast mix and combine. Continue to mix until the dough becomes smooth. Turn out on to a lightly floured bench and knead a few times then shape into a ball.

Put it back into the bowl and cover with a tea towel and leave to prove for around 15 – 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, marinate the chicken. Combine lemon, oregano, oil, garlic and chicken in a shallow bowl. Cover with clingfilm and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

To prepare tzatziki feta sauce, combine yoghurt and feta in a bowl and blitz with a stick blender until smooth. Add lemon juice, garlic and blitz again to incorporate. Add cucumber and stir through. Season with salt and pepper if required and set aside.

Preheat the barbeque or grill plate to a medium heat.

Divide the dough into 12 and roll out into flat thin even disks approximately 16cm in diameter.

Brush the flat bread with some olive oil and place it on the grill. Gently brush a little oil on top as well.

Cook for 20 seconds or until the bread puffs up, then turn over and cook for 20 seconds more. Do not cook for too long or they will dry out too much and become crisp.

When they are cooked stack them on top of each other and wrap tightly in a clean tea towel to keep warm.

Remove chicken from bag; discard marinade.

Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 8 minutes or until chicken is done, turning once. Remove and rest on clean plate, then shred roughly into bite size pieces.

Place chicken in each pita bread, top with tzatziki and serve with fresh salad.

Serves 4-6.

steak sandwich photo Marina Oliphant

Quick steak sandwich

Thinly sliced fillet steak, or, if you prefer, use rump. Pan-fried onions, wilted spinach and good tomato chutney on grilled sourdough with all the meat juices soaking into the bread. Yum. Some people like to add mushrooms, even a fried egg. Whatever you choose, make it your own, but make it now.

 

600g eye fillet steak

4 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing

2 red onions, thinly sliced

8 thick slices sourdough bread

150g baby spinach leaves

salt and pepper to season

good quality chutney or relish

 

Thinly slice the steak into 8 pieces. Set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and cook onion until softened. Lower heat and continue to cook for about 10 minutes until onion starts to colour and get deliciously crunchy around the edges.

Brush sourdough with a little oil and cook on a hot grill plate for a few minutes either side. Or, if you prefer, simply toast the bread.

Wilt the spinach for a few minutes in a small non stick pan (no need to add any oil).

Cook steak in a very hot pan with a little oil for about 30 seconds either side. Season with salt and pepper and set aside, keeping warm.

Pile the wilted spinach onto a slab of toast, top with two slices of steak and lashings of onions. Dollop with some good quality chutney, sandwich with the other slice of toast and tuck in!

Serves 4.

Picnic

 

 

As the warmer weather approaches, the outdoors beckons and it suddenly seems like a good idea to set off for an old-fashioned picnic.

Roll up a travel rug and pack a picnic basket. Be sure to pack travel-friendly food such as terrines and pates, quiches and frittatas. Think of substantial salads with grains or pulses that won’t wilt. Some robust salads can be dressed ahead of time to let the flavours blend and intensify. For more delicate salads, pack dressings separately in screw-top jars.

For something sweet, try an old-fashioned slice. It can easily be transported in its baking tray.

If your mood is more spontaneous, there are plenty of great delis and food stores where you can purchase all manner of ready-made goodies. Throw in some good quality fresh bread, a slab of cheese, slices of cured meats such as prosciutto, bresaola, salami and chorizo, smoked salmon or smoked trout, ready made dips and seasonal fruit.

As you venture into al fresco dining, there are some important points to remember. Most food needs to be eaten within an hour or two of being removed from the fridge. You’ll need a cool bag or esky to transport all your provisions. Tupperware really comes into its own as you pack and stack everything. Make sure you have tight fitting lids to avoid spills.

Freeze individual bottles of water and pack around the food to keep it cool. The drinks will be chilled by the time they are required. Put whole pieces of fruit in a container with a lid and surround with ice cubes to chill it down.

If the weather’s warm, why not pack iced coffee or iced tea instead of hot beverages? A thermos is handy for keeping drinks cold, too.

For some unknown reason, everything always tastes better outdoors, and if you’re really clever, there will be no washing up.

broad bean salad with preserved lemon

 

2kg broad beans in the pod

4 tbs olive oil

juice 1 lemon

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 tbs ras al hanout

1 preserved lemon, skin only, finely diced

small bunch fresh coriander, leaves picked

small bunch fresh mint, leaves picked

handful black olives, pitted

salt and pepper

jar marinated feta cheese

 

Pod the broad beans. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Put the beans in the pot and boil for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh beans under cold water. Slip off the tough outer skin and discard. Set aside the bright green double podded beans.

Make the dressing by combining the oil, lemon juice, garlic, spices and preserved lemon. Drizzle over the broad beans, season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh herbs and olives.

Add the marinated feta just before serving.

 

serves 4.

Damien Pignolet’s simple country terrine with fresh herbs

 

12 slices rindless smoky bacon

1 bunch spinach, stalks removed

400g pork shoulder, coarsely minced

300g chicken mince

200g chicken livers, coarsely chopped

300g pork back fat, coarsely minced

1 clove garlic, chopped

half tsp quatre epices

half tsp ground black pepper

50ml brandy or cognac

sea salt: weigh all the meat and allow 18g per kg

half cup chopped parsley

4 chopped sage leaves

4 sprigs fresh thyme

1 egg, lightly beaten

 

serves 10 – 12

 

Use the bacon slices to line a terrine with a capacity of about 1.4 -1.6 litres, laying the slices crossways and allowing the ends to hang over the edges.

Thoroughly wash the spinach, blanch for two minutes, then squeeze really dry and chop roughly – you should have about ½ cup chopped spinach leaves. In a large bowl, combine this with all the remaining ingredients and mix well. If time permits, allow to marinate in the fridge for a few hours.Preheat oven to 160C. Press the mixture into the bacon-lined terrine, and fold the overhanging ends of the bacon over the top. Cover with a lid or foil and bake in a bain-marie for about 1 hour, then reduce the oven temperature to 140Cand continue cooking until the internal temperature of 70 -72C is reached or the juices run clear when the terrine is pierced with a skewer.

Weigh the terrine until cool, then refrigerate overnight.

Serve with pickled cherries or cornichons and toasted sourdough bread.

gingerbread slice

 

 

 

150g unsalted butter

125g dark muscovado sugar

150g treacle

200g golden syrup

2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp bicarb soda

2 eggs, beaten

250ml milk

300g plain flour

200g icing sugar

1-2 tbs lemon juice

 

Preheat oven to 180C.

Grease and line a slice tin approx. 22 x 32cm with baking paper.

Place butter, sugar, treacle, syrup, ginger and cinnamon in a medium sized saucepan and heat until butter is melted and all ingredients are incorporated.

Remove from heat and stir in bicarb soda.

Add eggs and milk and mix well.

Pour mixture into flour and stir well until there are no lumps.

Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake in oven for approx. 35 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean when tested.

Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

To prepare the icing, sift icing sugar and mix with the lemon juice until the icing is a spreadable consistency. Spread over cooled slice.

 

One Pot

One of the best things about winter is a pot of something delicious gently simmering away on the stove top, warming the kitchen and filling the house with wonderful aromas.

Make use of lovely vegetables like sweet potato, pumpkin and parsnips for a vegetarian braise.

Take a chicken and give it a makeover with asian flavours. Cooking the meat on the bone keeps it moist and tender.

For something a little spicy, try the black bean chilli. It is perfect for less expensive cuts of meat, which are full of flavour, as the longer cooking time ensures the meat is meltingly tender.

 

Sweet potato, pumpkin and parsnip with chickpeas and spinach

photo Marina Oliphant

This vegetarian braise is great for meat-free Mondays. Look out for pearl cous cous, which is larger than regular cous cous. The lemony yoghurt adds a refreshing zing.

 

2 tbsp oil

2 onions, cut in half then thinly sliced

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tsp coriander seeds

500g sweet potato, cut in 1.5 cm thick chunks

500g pumpkin, cut in 1.5 cm thick chunks

2 parnips, cut 1.5cm thick

800ml vegetable stock

2 tbsp honey

50g unsalted butter

1 cup pearl cous cous

2 x 400g tins chickpeas, drained and rinsed

100g baby spinach leaves

fresh coriander leaves to garnish

fresh mint leaves to garnish

yoghurt sauce:

100g greek yoghurt

juice and zest 1 lemon

Heat oil in large wide based pan, add onions, cumin and coriander seeds and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until softened and golden.

Add potato, pumpkin, parsnips, stock, honey and butter. Bring to the boil, then reduce heat to simmer for around 15 minutes.

Add pearl cous cous and cook for a further 15 minutes until vegetables are cooked and liquid has reduced.

Add chickpeas and spinach and cook for a few minutes until spinach has wilted.

Remove from heat and set aside to rest whilst you make the yoghurt sauce.

Mix the yoghurt with lemon juice and zest and put in a jug to serve with the  vegetables.

Garnish the stew with fresh coriander and mint and serve with the yoghurt sauce.

serves 4.

Chinese braised chicken

 

Ask your butcher or poultry supplier to joint the chicken. Alternatively, use chicken casserole pieces.

 

2 tbsp plain flour

1 tsp five spice powder

1 size 16 free range chicken, jointed

60 ml vegetable oil

1 onion, finely chopped

4 garlic cloves, sliced

knob ginger, peeled and grated

½ bunch spring onions, finely sliced + extra for garnish

1 long red chilli, deseeded, finely chopped

2 Tbsp brown sugar

3 Tbsp chinese rice wine

1 cinnamon stick

3 Tbsp dark soy

500ml chicken stock

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

Mix flour and five spice, then coat chicken pieces.

Heat oil in a large heavy based pot and brown the chicken in batches. Remove and set aside. Add onion, garlic, ginger, spring onion, chilli and cook for a few minutes. Add the remaining ingredients to the pot, along with the chicken and bring to the boil.

Reduce heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Serve with extra spring onions for garnish.

Serves 4.

Black bean chilli

 

Chilli con carne just got easier with the availability of tinned black beans. If you can’t find these, then soak your beans overnight and add them to the pot with the beef, as they will need a longer cooking time.

 

2 tbsp olive oil + extra if required

2 brown onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

500g chuck steak, cut into small pieces

2 tbsp plain flour

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes

2 x 400g tins black beans, drained and rinsed

1 red capsicum, diced

1 ripe avocado

1 punnet cherry tomatoes

½ red onion, diced

handful fresh coriander leaves, plus extra to garnish

1 lime, juiced

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to season

4 Tbsp sour cream to serve

Preheat oven to 150C.

Heat oil in a large heavy based oven proof pot and cook onion, garlic and chilli until softened. Remove from pot and set aside.

Toss steak in flour to coat then cook in batches in the pot until browned, adding extra oil if required.

Return the cooked vegetables to the pot and stir in the tomatoes. Put on the lid and place in oven to cook for 1½ hours.

Remove from oven and check if meat is tender. Add beans and capsicum and return to oven for a further 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the salsa. Chop avocado into small dice, quarter the cherry tomatoes and mix with red onion and coriander leaves. Squeeze over lime juice and season with salt and pepper.

Remove chilli from oven and serve with salsa and sour cream.

serves 4-6.