Accompaniments
Roast Garlic & Rosemary Crusty Bread
Ingredients 1 head garlic 1 teaspoon olive oil 1 drizzle sesame oil sprinkle of salt to taste 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast 1 teaspoon honey 1 ¼ cups warm water 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt 2 Tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary 3 cups (360 grams) All-Purpose flour, plus extra for dusting 1 Tablespoon olive oil Method 1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius 2. Cut off the top of the head of garlic to expose the cloves inside 3. Place garlic in baking tray, drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt 4. Cover the garlic and roast for 35-40 minutes, or until garlic cloves are soft 5. Combine yeast, honey, and warm water into a large mixing bowl. Let the yeast proof for about 5 minutes until the mixture is foamy. 6. Chop roasted garlic cloves and add to the bowl along with rosemary and salt. 7. Wait a few minutes and then mix in the flour with a wooden spoon until a dough is formed. 8. Drizzle dough with olive oil and sesame oil (for a more nutty taste), ensuring the whole dough is covered on all sides. Wrap the dough in a tea towel and leave on the counter to rise for 1 hour. The dough will be ready when it is about double the size. 9. Once double in size, pour flour onto your counter and gently place the dough in the flour. 10. Gently pull each corner of the dough into the center of the loaf one at a time. Do this for each corner 4-5 times until the dough feels firm. Flip the dough over on your surface and lightly twist in circles against the counter and with your hands to make a rounded shape. 11. Place your empty cast iron dutch oven in the oven and preheat the oven to 230 degrees celsius. 12. Place flour in a mixing bowl and place dough inside. Cover with a tea towel and allow it to rise for a further 30 mins. 13. When the oven is hot, safely remove the hot dutch oven from the oven. 14. Gently tip your dough out of the bowl onto a large piece of baking paper. Ensure the 'seam' side is facing upwards to give the bread a nice crusty texture on the top. 15. Carefully place the dough on baking paper inside of the dutch oven. The baking paper will make it easier for you to remove the bread once cooked. 16. Place your lid on your dutch oven and carefully place the dough into the oven. Cook bread for 30 mins. 17. After 30 mins check that your bread is slightly browned and crusty. Sprinkle some rosemary on the top of the bread and cook uncovered for a further 10-20 mins until the bread has deepened further in colour. 18. Once the bread is cooked, carefully remove from the oven and use a spatula to remove cooked bread from the dutch oven, and place it onto a cooling rack. Cool the bread for 20 minutes and then enjoy!
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Chinese Five Spiced Roasted Almonds
Ingredients 2 cups almonds 2 tsp olive oil 1 tsp Chinese Five spice 1/2 tsp table salt 1⁄4 tsp ground cayenne pepper 1 tsp sugar Method Preheat oven to 160C. In a large bowl, toss the almonds with the olive oil. Spread almonds out on a baking tray in a single layer. Keep large bowl aside to use later. Mix the spices, salt, and sugar in a small bowl; set aside. Bake almonds for 10 minutes. Remove tray from oven and carefully pour the hot almonds back into the large bowl. Sprinkle spices over the nuts and toss well with a spoon. Pour the seasoned almonds back onto the baking tray and return to the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let almonds cool completely in pan. mStore cooled nuts in a storage container.
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No knead Focaccia
Ingredients 500 g “00” flour or bread flour 2 cups warm water 2 teaspoon instant yeast 2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil Flaky sea salt 2 sprigs Rosemary 70-80g sliced olives Method In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. Add the water. Using a rubber spatula, mix until the liquid is absorbed and the ingredients form a sticky dough ball. Rub the surface of the dough lightly with olive oil. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel, cloth bowl cover, or plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator immediately for at least 12 hours or for as long as three days. Line a oven proof baking dish (approx. 34 x 27 cm) with parchment paper or grease with butter or coat with nonstick cooking spray. Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into prepared baking dish. Using your hands deflate the dough by releasing it from the sides of the bowl and pulling it toward the centre. Rotate the bowl in quarter turns as you deflate, turning the mass into a rough ball. Place dough into the prepared baking dish. Roll the dough ball in the oil to coat it all over, forming a rough ball. Cover with a damp tea towel or plastic wrap and let the dough ball rest for 3 to 4 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Preheat oven to 220°C. Using oily fingers, press your fingers into the dough to make dimples all over the top, stretching to fit baking dish. Lightly drizzle rest of the olive oil on the top, add rosemary leaves, olive slices and flaky salt Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until nicely golden brown. Remove from oven and move the focaccia out of the dish straight away. Let it cool for about 10 minutes on a cooling rack before slicing.
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Cast Iron No Knead Bread
Ingredients 500 ml water½ tsp dried yeast550 g bread flour1½ tsp saltFinely-ground semolina for dusting Method Add water and yeast into a jug and stir to dissolve. Place flour into a large bowl. Add the yeasted water, salt and mix roughly using a spoon or spatula. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12-18 hours at room temperature. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lift the risen dough out of the bowl and onto a floured surface. Give it a quick knead to bring it together. Fold the dough onto itself one or twice and then make into a ball. Place the dough, seam-side down in a cast iron pot lined with baking paper and generously dust the top with semolina. Cover with a lid and stand at room temperature for 1-2 hours or until risen by two thirds. To test if the dough is ready, poke it gently with a finger. If the finger leaves a little indent but the dough almost completely springs back it is ready. Sprinkle the top with semolina, score top with a blade or a knife to help evenly cook. Place the cast iron pot with lid on into an oven and turn on to 250°C and bake for 40 minutes. Remove lid and bake for further 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned in colour. Remove the cast iron pot from the oven, place bread onto a wire rack removing the baking paper if still attached. Let the bread cool for at least 1 hour before slicing.
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Agadashi Tofu
Serves 6-8 Ingredients 600g Japanese silken tofu potato starch vegetable oil to fry ¼ daikon radish, grated 1 tsp ginger, julienne bonito flakes 1 spring onion, sliced 400ml instant dashi stock 40ml mirin 30ml soy ½ tsp caster sugar 20ml cooking sake(optional) Method Heat the dashi stock and add the mirin, soy, sugar and sake. Adjust seasoning to taste. Remove tofu from packaging and place on paper towel to blot dry. Cut into squares and roll generously in potato starch. Heat oil in a deep fryer or wok and gently fry the tofu until lightly golden. Drain on paper towel. Arrange tofu in a large serving bowl and pour around the dashi stock. Top with grated daikon, ginger, bonito flakes and spring onion.
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Steamed Chicken & Shitake Mushroom Dumplings
Makes 50-60500g chicken thighs 3 cloves garlic, chopped 1 inch piece of ginger, chopped 1 chilli, chopped ½ cup coriander, chopped 1 small can water chestnuts, finely diced 3 spring onions, finely sliced 1 egg white 30g braised mushrooms, finely sliced (stalk removed) ½ cup Chinese celery leaf, chopped (optional) 2 tablespoons soy sauce pinch salt ½ tsp freshly ground white pepper 1 tablespoon sesame oilGow gee wrappers or wonton wrappers Dice chicken thighs and place in a food processor with the egg white an pulse. Add the sesame oil, soy sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, chilli and ginger and pulse until fine. Tip into a bowl and fold through the mushrooms, water chestnuts and herbs. Place a teaspoon of mix into the centre of a gow gee wrapper and pinch the ends in towards the centre. Place into the steamer tray and repeat. Steam for 3- 5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through. Serve hot with chilli dipping sauce. The raw dumplings are suitable to freeze, defrost before steaming. For the braised mushrooms 60g dried shitake mushrooms 2 dried chillies 2 whole garlic cloves 2 pieces dried mandarin peel 4 slices ginger 500-600ml water 40ml Megachef Soy sauce 60-80ml Megachef Mushroom soy 2 spring onions, tied in a knot Place all ingredients in a saucepan and allow to steep for ½ hour. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes and set aside to cool. Store any left-over mushrooms in an airtight container in the fridge for later useStrain and reserve the poaching liquid and use as a rice stock or the base of a delicious soup.
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Corn and Spring Onion Fritters
Makes 24 fritters Ingredients 2 cobs of sweet corn, kernels removed 2 tablespoons shichimi togarashi spice mix 1 nori sheet, sliced finely 3 spring onions finely sliced 120g ‘00’ pasta flour 20g corn flour 5g salt 1 egg white 250ml cold soda water vegetable oil to fry lemon to garnish Method Combine flours and salt together. Place corn kernels, spring onion, nori and spice mix in a mixing bowl. Toss with a small amount of the flour. Whisk the egg white and slowly add 250ml cold soda water. Add the flours and then fold through the corn mix. Heat oil in a wok or saucepan and fry at 180 degrees until golden. Serve on a platter with lemon wedges and a sprinkle of togarashi spice mix. Ingredients for Shichimi tÅ garashi spice mix 2 tsps dried chilli flakes 1 tablespoon poppy seeds 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground 1 sheet nori, sliced 1 tsp dried mandarin or orange peel , blended to a powder 1 tsp ginger powder 2 tablespoons white sesame seeds 2 tsp Szechuan pepper, ground 2 tablespoons black sesame seeds Combine all ingredients together and store in an airtight container and set aside
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Shallot Cakes
Makes 24 Ingredients 2 sheets of puff pastry 3-4 spring onions, finely sliced 5 spice powder ½ tsp julienne ginger soy sauce 1 chilli sliced vegetable oil to fry Method In a small dipping bowl add soy sauce, sliced chilli and ginger. Set aside on a serving platter. Lay puff pastry sheets on your work surface. Sprinkle liberally with five spice powder and spring onion. Roll up tightly into a roll and slice into 12 even rounds. Press down with your palm to flatten and place on a tray. Heat enough oil in a frypan to shallow fry, add the shallot cakes in batches and cook on medium heat until golden and puffy on both sides. Drain on paper towel and repeat until all are cooked. Arrange onto serving platter with dipping sauce. Sprinkle with a little spring onion and enjoy.
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Preserved Lemons
salt lemons clean jars aromatics if desired (cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, chillies) Wash lemons and cut into quarters from the top but not completely down to the base as you want them to hold together at the base. Fill with cooking salt (1-2 tablespoons) and place into clean sterilised jars. Keep pushing them down and the lemons will start to juice out as you press more lemons in. Allow to sit for a few hours or overnight. This enables them to soften and release juice so that you can add more lemons. Add aromatics if desired. Repeat and add a few more lemons until the jars are tightly packed. Top with lemon juice or top up with a combination of water and lemon juice to cover the lemons. Seal the jar tightly and store in a cool dark place for at least one month before using.They store well in a cellar or cool dark cupboard and will last sealed for a year or two. Once opened, store in the fridge.Uses - cut away the flesh (rinse if desired, I like the salt, then there is no need to add extra salt into the dish you are cooking) and slice the soft rind into dressings, cous cous, tagines, and braised dishes. The lemon jelly is also good to flavour roast chicken, roast vegetables, fish dishes, marinades and dressings. No need to add extra salt as it is very salty, so use sparingly.
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Cauliflower Steak Salad
Ingredients 100g Quinoa 1 cauliflower, cut into steaks or florets 1 tbsp. ras el hanout 1 pear, julienned 2 tblspns currants 2 tblspns red wine vinegar 60g walnuts, toasted 30g pumpkin seeds toasted 1 spring onion, finely sliced 1 tbsp. bunch dill chopped 1 tbsp. parsley chopped 2 lemons 1 tablespoon chopped preserved lemon 50ml Olive oil Salt and pepper Method In a large bowl combine olive oil, salt, pepper, ras el hanout, zest and juice of 1 lemon, add the cauliflower and toss. Place on a lined baking tray and roast for about 10-15 minutes in a hot oven. Cook the quinoa in boiling salted water for a few minutes until tender. Drain. Add chopped herbs, spring onion, preserved lemon, juice of 1 lemon, currants and season with salt and pepper. Place the pear in a bowl and add chopped dill and parsley Dressing 2 tsps. capers, chopped 1 tsp Dijon mustard 40mls cider vinegar 80ml Olive oil 3 tbsps. chopped parsley 3 tbsps. chopped dill Combine all ingredients in a bowl and season to taste To assemble Place quinoa on a platter and top with the roasted cauliflower. Drizzle with a little dressing and top with the pear. Sprinkle over toasted walnuts and pumpkin seeds.
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Chunky Tortellini Soup
Yields 8-10 as a starter, 6 as a main Ingredients 400g fennel and pork sausages (optional) 30ml olive oil 500g spinach and ricotta tortellini 1 tsp ground cumin 1 tsp Hungarian paprika 3 sprigs fresh thyme 3 sprigs fresh marjoram 3 tomatoes, chopped 1 brown onion, diced 3 cloves garlic, crushed 1½ -2 litres chicken or vegetable stock ¼ bunch kale, stems removed, chopped 1 Lemon, juice and zest Parmesan optional Chopped parsley and basil to garnish (optional) Method Heat olive oil in a cast iron pot and add the sausage meat, casing removed. Stir and break apart to form small pieces. Add the onion and garlic and stir for a few minutes. Add the herbs and spices and lemon zest. Add the tomatoes and stock and season with salt and pepper. Add the tortellini and cook for a few minutes until cooked then add the kale. Add the lemon juice. Spoon into bowls and garnish with grated parmesan and fresh herbs. Enjoy with a nice sour dough loaf.
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Hawaiian Rice
Serves 81 cup cooked basmati rice1 onion10-12 cooked Australian prawns¼ pineapple, diced4 spring onions, sliced50g toasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped30g toasted shredded coconut½ punnet cherry tomatoes, sliced in half1 firm mango, sliced1 avocado, diced1 shallot, finely sliced1 small cucumber, sliced¼ bunch coriander, roughly chopped1 chilli, finely sliced1 tablespoon, grated ginger2 cloves garlic, crushed30ml soy sauce2 limes, juicedsalt and pepperCombine the ginger, garlic, soy and lime juice together. Adjust seasoning and season with salt and pepper. Combine all ingredients together and toss with dressing. Place into a serving bowl and serve.
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