Osso Bucco Alla Milanese

Ingredients

8 pieces of veal osso bucco, about 4cm thick.
250ml white wine.
60g butter.
1 garlic clove, crushed.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
1 bay leaf.
3 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.
1 tblsp grated lemon rind.
½ tsp ground cinnamon.
½ tsp allspice.
Flour.
Lemon wedges.

Method

Truss each piece of osso bucco with twine.
Season flour with salt and pepper.
Toss osso bucco in flour to lightly coat.
In a large, heavy-based casserole, brown the osso bucco over moderate heat with butter and crushed garlic, in batches if necessary.
Return all oxxo bucco to casserole, add wine, bay leaf, cinnamon and allspice.
Cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then add 250ml water.
Cover, continue to simmer for 3 ½ hours, adding additional water as needed.
Lift osso bucco from casserole, discard bay leaf.
Increase heat and reduce liquids until thicl.
Reduce heat, stirring constantly.
Add lemon rind, chopped garlic and parsley.
Stir well, season and cook for further 1 min.
Return osso bucco to pan until warm.
Serve with lemon wedges and polenta or risotto on the side.

Rotolo

Ingredients

800g kipfler potatoes.
60ml olive oil.
1 cavolo nero, coarsely chopped.
150g salami, coarsely chopped.
1 egg, lightly beaten.
Sheet of fresh pasta, rolled to 2mm thick and about 35cm square.
Muslin.

Method

Steam potatoes for 20min over salted water and allow to cool.
Coarsely crush potatoes.
Arrange potatoes, salami, cavolo nero on pasta sheet, seasoning well and drizzling with olive oil.
Roll sheet to form long tube containing mixture, about 5cm in diameter.
Brush joining pasta with egg and press to seal.
Wrap rotolo tightly in muslin, securing ends with twine.
Truss rotolo at intervals to secure.
Simmer rotolo for 20min in salted water.
Rest for a further five minutes, remove muslin, and serve in thick slices.

Horseradish Mayonnaise

Ingredients

100ml grape-seed oil.
50ml olive oil.
30g fresh, horseradish, finely grated
1 tsp hot English mustard.
1 egg yolk.
Tarragon vinegar.
Worcestershire sauce.
Paprika.

Method

Whisk egg yolk and mustard in a large bowl.
Combine oils, then gradually add oil mixture to egg yolk, whisking constantly to emulsify.
Whisk through horseradish.
Season well with Worcestershire sauce, paprika, pepper and tarragon vinegar.

Crispy Salmon with leek sauce

Ingredients

Salmon fillets, skin on.
Lemon.
1 leek, finely chopped.
½ onion, finely chopped.
125ml white wine.
30ml white wine vinegar.
Additional vinegar.
30g butter.
30ml olive oil.
Paprika.

Method

Begin by making the sauce.
Sweat leeks and onion in a covered pan with butter over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add wine and vinegar, sauté for a further 2 min.
Remove from heat.
Puree.
Force puree through fine sieve.
Season with salt, pepper, paprika and additional vinegar, if necessary.
Add water to correct consistency.
Place sauce aside.
Carefully bone salmon fillets.
Lightly score skin, season skin side of fillets with generous salt and a touch of pepper.
Prepare a wash of 1/3 lemon juice, 2/3 water, seasoned well.
In a heavy based pan over moderate heat, fry salmon fillets skin down with olive oil for 5 – 7 minutes, until skin in crispy.
Brush underside of fillets with wash on occasion.
Warm sauce.
Reduce heat, cook fillets a further 1 – 2 minutes (to taste) and serve with sauce.

Flounder with Normandaise Sauce

Ingredients

1 flounder, about 800g, cleaned, trimmed and head removed.
200ml dry cider.
150g Swiss brown mushrooms.
120g butter.
100g school prawns.
75g crème fraîche.
4 eschallots, finely sliced.
1 tblsp cider vinegar.

Method

Sauté eschallots with 20g butter over moderate head in a large saucepan for 5 min.
Add mushrooms, cook for a further 5 min.
Add cider and prawns, cook for a further 5 minutes.
Place aside, keep warm.
Season flounder, and cook in a large frypan with remaining butter for about 5 minutes each side.
Return saucepan to heat, stir through crème fraîche, cooking until warm.
Season sauce with salt, pepper and cider vinegar.
Serve sauce over fish.

Braised Witlof

Ingredients

2 witlof, trimmed and halved lengthways.
75ml chicken stock.
15g butter.
1 tsp demerara sugar.
Dash tarragon vinegar.
1 tbsp crème fraîche.
Nutmeg.

Method

Sauté witlof in a frypan with butter over moderate heat for 1 – 2 minutes.
Add sugar, vinegar and stock.
Bring to the boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes.
Remove witlof and keep warm.
Increase heat and reduce liquid by ½, stir through crème fraîche, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Pour sauce over witlof.
And serve…

Roast Poussin with Walnuts

Ingredients

1 poussin, about 500g.
2 rashers streaky bacon.
100g walnuts, finely chopped.
85g prunes, finely chopped.
4 eschallots, finely chopped.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
30g butter.
Additional butter.

Method

Preheat oven to 220°C.
Clean and trim poussin.
Combine walnuts, prunes, eschallot, garlic and butter well, season, and stuff poussin.
Lay bacon across poussin breast, truss poussin, season, smear with additional butter.
Roast on a rack.

Poussin cooking times:
20 minutes, plus an additional minute for every 50g above 500g.

Remove from rack and rest for five minutes.
Meanwhile, deglaze tray with 100ml water, reduce heat to a simmer, stir through 40g flour, bring to a boil for 1 – 2 min, season, and serve as gravy.

Rustic Baked Snapper

Ingredients

1 whole snapper, cleaned and lightly scored.
6 shallots, finely sliced.
3 sprigs thyme.
4 sprigs parsley.
1 – 2 sprigs tarragon.
200g Swiss brown mushrooms, cut half-ways.
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced.
250 ml white wine.

Method

Arrange ingredients in deep, greased ceramic baking tray, cover with foil and bake at 200°C for 45 minutes, checking fish after 30min for wellness.

Duck Pie

Ingredients

400g duck meat, chopped (I tend to buy a whole large duck, use the breast for a terrine, the marylands for confit, and the remaining off-cuts make about 400g).
400ml duck stock (you can use the carcass for this).
150g carrot, chopped into 1cm square cubes.
200 kipfler potatoes, chopped into 1cm square cubes.
½ onion, finely chopped.
1 sprig thyme.
1 bay leaf.
Puff pastry.

Method

Pre-heat oven to 150°C.
In a heavy based oven-proof pot, brown the duck meat over moderate head with a dash of butter.
Add stock, herbs, cover, and bake in oven for 3 ½ hours.
Remove from oven, lift out meat and reserve liquid.
In pan, sauté onion over moderate heat with butter until browned.
Lift out onion.
Return liquid to pot, return to moderate heat and stir in a dash of flour, cooking for 2 – 3 min to form gravy.
Return onion and duck to pot, add potatoes and carrot, cover, and return to over for a further 1 ½ hours.
Remove pot from oven, and increase heat to 220°C.
Spoon pie mixture into individual ramekins, covering with puff pastry.
Wash pastry with milk or beaten egg.
Bake at 220°C for about 20min, until pastry is brown.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin, about 1kg, cleaned and chopped to make 700g.
350ml beef or veal stock.
1 small onion, finely chopped.

Method

Soften onion in a large saucepan.
Add pumpkin and stock, simmer over moderate heat for 20min, until pumpkin is soft.
Puree, adding additional stock if necessary.
Season, and serve with crusty bread.

Small Duck Breast Terrine

Ingredients

700g duck breast (about 2 large breasts), coarsely chopped.
350g pork shoulder, coarsely chopped.
50g chicken or duck liver, coarsely chopped.
50g pork flare or back fat.
6-8 slices bacon or speck, very finely sliced.
75g baby spinach leaves.
30ml cognac.
1 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
½ tsp quatre-épices.
1 sprig of thyme, stalk removed, finely chopped.
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten.
25g salt.
Pinch black pepper.

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C.
Line a small (about 400ml capacity) terrine with bacon slices, leaving the edges overhanging—when the dish is full you will fold these over to wrap the terrine.
Blanche spinach for 1 – 2 min, drain well, squeeze dry and finely chop.
Combine spinach and all remaining ingredients and mix very well.
Press the mixture into terrine dish, folding over bacon to form a cover.
Cover with terrine lid (or foil) and bake in a bain-marie for 1 hour.
Reduce heat to 140°C and bake for a further 4 – 5 hours, internal temperature 70°C.
Remove from oven, allow to cool, and drain well of any fluids.
Remove terrine lid and apply a heavy weight to terrine—at least 1 kg—ensuring that even weight is applied across the terrine.
Rest, weighted, in refrigerator overnight, before removing weight and covering.
Serve with cornichons, cherries, and toasted sourdough.

Mushroom Sandwiches

Ingredients

About 200g of 4 or 5 types of wild field mushrooms.
About 4 garlic cloves.
2 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.
Lemon.
Butter.
Rye bread, thickly sliced.

Method

Sauté each variety of field mushroom individually with a touch of garlic and butter for 4 – 5 minutes each.
Combine mushrooms, season with salt, pepper, parley, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Return to pan for 1 – 2 minutes to reheat.
Meanwhile, toast buttered bread under salamander until lightly browned.
Serve as a sandwich.

Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

1 cauliflower, cut into florets.
500ml milk.
150g strong cheddar cheese, grated.
100g butter
100g flour

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Arrange cauliflower in a deep oven tray, lightly greased with butter.
Warm milk and set aside.
In a heavy based saucepan, melt butter, and add flour to form a roux, cooking for 2 minutes without browning.
Remove pan from heat.
Gradually add milk, stirring constantly.
Return to the heat stirring constantly, bring to the boil, reduce heat and cooked until thickened to make a white sauce.
Stir through cheese, and season with salt and white pepper.
Pour sauce to cover cauliflower, and bake for 20 min.

Confit Duck Legs

Ingredients

6 duck marylands.
Approx 1 ltr of either duck fat, goose fat, lard, or a combination of all three.
About 100g salt.
6 – 8 black peppercorns.
2 – 3 bay leaves.
2 – 3 garlic cloves, crushed.
2 – 3 juniper berries, crushed.
Sprig rosemary.
Sprig thyme.

Method

Liberally rub marylands with salt, then rest for 2 – 4 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 80°C.
Rinse marylands under water and pat dry.
In a large, deep oven dish or casserole, arrange marylands and herbs.
Cover entirely with fat; legs must be covered by at least 1cm of fat above top of flesh.
Cook in oven for 5 hours.
Carefully remove marylands from pan, rest aside.
Reserve fat.
Once fat and legs are cooled, strain fat through fine sieve.
Place marylands in a sterilized container, covering with strained fat, and refrigerate.
Marylands will keep like this for some time, and are best after at least 1 – 2 days.
To serve, remove marylands from fat, leaving a fine layer of grease, and either 1) pan-fry over moderate heat for 8 – 10 minutes, until crisp, or 2) roast at 180°C for 20 – 30 min, until crisp.
Serve with a salad of rocket, walnuts, and finely diced pear, dressed with a simple dressing.

Gordon Ramsay’s Pasta with Bacon and Peas

Ingredients

200g dried fusilli.
1 small onion, finely diced.
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped.
100g bacon, chopped into fine batons.
100g peas (Gordon recommends frozen, but I prefer freshly shelled).
200ml crème fraîche.
2 tblsp parsley, chopped.
2 tblsp parmesan cheese, grated.

Method

Cook pasta and set aside.
Soften garlic and onion with dash of olive oil over moderate heat for 2 – 3 min.
Add bacon, sauté for further 5 min until crisp.
Add crème fraîche, reduce by half.
Add peas, cook for further 2 min.
Remove from heat, add parsley & parmesan, season.
Stir through pasta and serve.

Steak Tartare

This dish consists of very lean beef fillets, finely chopped, and accompanied by an egg yolk, and finely chopped anchovies, capers, cornichons, Spanish onion, and parsley. These should be accompanied by slices of lemon, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt, pepper, and fine slices of sourdough bread (drizzled with olive oil and toasted in the oven for 15 min at 180°C).

Shanghai Style Fried Pork

Ingredients

About 400g pork shoulder, boned, trimmed and cut into 4 thin fillets.
30ml shao xing rice wine.
100m soy sauce.
2 tblsp white sugar.
50g corn flour.
1 leek, white part only.
30g ginger.

Method

Score fillets to flatten them, and bash a few times with the flat of a cleaver to tenderise.
Combine sugar, rice wine and soy, bash leek and ginger a few times, and marinate with pork for ½ hour.
Remove leek and ginger, keeping aside.
Toss pork in flour to coat lightly.
Heat 2 inches of oil in a very hot wok.
Add ginger and leek to wok and cook for 30 seconds.
(Leave the ginger and leek in the wok cooking for as long as possible— until they are dark brown— they will flavour the oil).
Shallow fry the pork in batches for 4 – 5minutes, until golden brown.
Before serving, return all pork to wok for 1 – 2 minutes, until deep brown, and thinly slice.
Serve with Chinese greens and rice.

Pea and Ham Soup

Ingredients

1 ham hock.
500g split peas.
2 onions, very finely diced.

Method

In a very large saucepan over low heat, soften the onion for 5 minutes with a dash of butter.
Add 3 litres of water and the hock, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1 ½ hours.
Remove hock and keep aside.
Add split peas and cook simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1 ½ hours.
Remove meat from hock, chop finely, and return meat to pan.
Give bone to dog.
Simmer for a further ½ hour, stirring more regularly.

Pommes Dauphinoise

Ingredients

Desire or Pontiac potatoes, very thinly sliced.
Garlic, finely chopped.
Milk.
50mls cream for every 100ml milk.

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C.
Combine milk and cream.
Grease a baking dish with butter.
Arrange potato in dish in layers, seasoning with salt and pepper as needed, and adding garlic occasionally.
Pour in enough milk and cream to cover the potatoes by a couple of mm.
Bake for 1 hour, covering with foil if the top of the dish browns too much.

Fish in a Bag

Ingredients

White fish fillets.
Carrot, grated.
Parsley.
Thyme.
Butter.
White wine.

Method

Individually wrap fish fillets in baking paper with a tblsp of grated carrot, a tblsp white wine, a small knob of butter, a sprig of thyme and parsley, and some salt and pepper.
Bake at 220°C for 20 minutes.

Chicken Liver Pâté

Ingredients

600g chicken livers, cleaned.
150g butter.
3 eschallots, finely diced.
2 garlic cloves, finely diced.
6 tarragon leaves, finely chopped.
45ml cognac.
Nutmeg.
Additional clarified butter.

Method

Soften the garlic and eschallots with tarragon in a large frypan over moderate heat for 4 minutes.
Lift tarragon, garlic and eschallots out of pan and keep aside.
Using additional butter as needed, sauté the livers in batches for 2 minutes, reserving pan juices.
Deglaze pan with cognac, then return livers, tarragon, garlic and eschallots to pan, flambé-ing for a further minute.
Remove pan contents, including juices, and puree well.
Force puree through a sieve or food mill.
Melt remaining butter.
Whisk melted butter through puree, to form a mousse.
Season with a pinch of nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Spoon pâté into ramekins, sealing with clarified butter.
The pâté is best after a day or two.

Scampi "Cocktail"

Ingredients

Scampi.
Baby cos.
Court-Bouillon.

For the Marie Rose Sauce:

100ml grape-seed oil.
50ml olive oil.
1 egg yolk.
1 garlic clove, crushed and ground.
1 tsp Dijon mustard.
1 tbsp tomato paste.
Few dashes Tabasco.
Dash cognac.
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

Cook the scampi for 5 minutes in boiling court-bouillon, plunge into iced water, and chill.
Remove the scampi heads, half and clean tails.

To prepare the sauce:

Whisk together Dijon, garlic and egg yolk.
Whisk in oils, to form emulsion.
Whisk in tomato paste, cognac, and Tabasco.
Season with white pepper, salt and lemon juice.

Serve scampi tails with Marie – Rose sauce and baby cos.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

400g lean beef, finely sliced into 4cm by 1cm slivers.
150g button or Swiss brown mushrooms, finely sliced.
80g sour cream.
60ml red wine.
50g flour.
50g tomato paste.
30g butter.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
½ onion, finely sliced.
Juice of 1 lemon.
1 tsp paprika.
1 tblsp chives, finely chopped.

Method

Combine flour with paprika and season heavily.
Roll beef in flour.
In a large frypan, soften onion and garlic for 3 min over moderate heat with a dash of butter.
Brown steak for 2 minutes in batches, adding butter as needed.
Deglaze pan with wine.
Return onions, garlic and beef to pan.
Add tomato paste, mushrooms and ½ the lemon juice.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in sour cream, season well with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice.
Serve with chives and rice or pasta.

Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients

400g lean beef, finely sliced into 4cm by 1cm slivers.
150g button or Swiss brown mushrooms, finely sliced.
80g sour cream.
60ml red wine.
50g flour.
50g tomato paste.
30g butter.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
½ onion, finely sliced.
Juice of 1 lemon.
1 tsp paprika.
1 tblsp chives, finely chopped.

Method

Combine flour with paprika and season heavily.
Roll beef in flour.
In a large frypan, soften onion and garlic for 3 min over moderate heat with a dash of butter.
Brown steak for 2 minutes in batches, adding butter as needed.
Deglaze pan with wine.
Return onions, garlic and beef to pan.
Add tomato paste, mushrooms and ½ the lemon juice.
Cook for 5 minutes.
Stir in sour cream, season well with salt, pepper and additional lemon juice.
Serve with chives and rice or pasta.

Clams with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

1kg clams.
3 eschallots, very finely diced.
2 garlic cloves, finely diced.
60ml Madeira or Malmsey.
400ml passata.

Method

Soften onions and garlic for 5 minutes over moderate heat in a large saucepan.
Add clams, Madeira and passata, season well, and cook for 5 minutes, until clams have opened.
Serve with Polenta.

Polenta

Ingredients

Polenta or instant polenta.
250ml milk per 100g polenta.
75g cream, per 100g polenta.
50g Parmesan, per 100g polenta.
20g butter, per 100g polenta.

Method

For standard polenta:
Combine milk with equal quantity of water.
Bring to the boil.
Whisk in polenta.
Reduce heat to low, cook, stirring constantly for 40 min.
Stir in butter, cream and cheese.
Season well.

For instant polenta.
Combine milk with equal quantities of water.
Bring to the boil.
In a second saucepan, stir hot milk and water through polenta, stirring with a fork to break up polenta.
Rest for 5 minutes.
Over low heat, stir in butter, cream and cheese.
Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 – 3 min.

Roast Lamb Loin with Ratatouille

Ingredients

Lamb loin, trimmed, rolled and neatly trussed.

For the Ratatouille:

1 red onion, chopped.
2 garlic cloves, chopped.
1 red capsicum, cored and chopped.
1 yellow capsicum, cored and chopped.
2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped.
3 Chinese eggplants, chopped.
3 zucchinis, chopped.
6 – 8 basil leaves, chopped.
30ml balsamic vinegar.

Method

Lamb(off the bone) roasting times:

Season lamb well before roasting on a rack.
Cook lamb for 10 min at 230°C, then reduce heat to 180°C and cook for 18 min per 450g.
Internal temperature should be 60°C.
Rest for 10 min before carving and serving.

Ratatouille:

Over moderate heat, soften onion and garlic for 2 min.
Add the capsicum, cook for 2 min.
Add the eggplant, zucchini, and tomato, cook for 5 min.
Add balsamic, basil, stir and season well.

Petit Farcis

Ingredients

250g pork mince.
250g veal mince.
80g fresh breadcrumbs.
50g parmesan cheese.
50g tomato paste.
80ml white wine.
2 Chinese eggplants.
2 small red capsicum.
3 small zucchini.
2 – 3 small tomatoes.
1 red onion, finely chopped.
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped.
2 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Cut eggplants and zucchini in half lengthways and scoop out flesh.
Finely chop eggplant and zucchini flesh and set both skins and flesh aside.
Remove tops of tomatoes, scoop out flesh, finely chop flesh and set aside.
Half and core capsicums.
In a heavy based saucepan or frypan, soften garlic and onion over medium heat with a dash of olive oil for 2 min.
Add pork and veal mince, browning for a further five min.
Add eggplant and zucchini flesh, cook for 3 min.
Add tomato flesh, tomato paste, and white wine, cook for 10 min.
Remove mixture from heat, and stir through cheese, breadcrumbs and parsley.
Season well.
Stuff vegetable shells with mixture, brush with olive oil, and arrange in a deep baking tray.
Fill tray with 5mm of water.
Bake for 45 min.

Beef and Mushroom Pies

Ingredients

750g chuck steak, diced into 1cm cubes.
100g flour.
500ml beef stock.
500ml stout beer.
½ onion, finely diced.
200g mushrooms, chopped.
50g tomato puree.
50ml Geo. Watkins’ Mushroom Ketchup.
50ml Worcestershire sauce.
1 tblsp English mustard.
1 sprig thyme.
1 sprig parsley.
Puff pastry.
1 Egg, beaten with a dash of water.

Method

Season flour heavily with salt and pepper.
Toss beef through flour, to coat.
Over moderate heat in a heavy-based casserole, sauté floured beef pieces for 2 minutes in batches with a touch of butter.
Return beef to casserole, add tomato, and cook for 1 minute.
Add other ingredients, except pastry, to casserole, and bring to boil.
Reduce heat, cover with perforated baking paper and cook for 1 ¾ hours.
Season.
Heat oven to 220°C
Spoon pie mixture into individual ramekins.
Top each ramekin with puff pastry, brush with egg wash.
Bake pies for 20 min, until browned.

Leeks a la Greque

Ingredients

2 – 3 leeks, white part only, cut into batons.
60ml olive oil.
30ml white wine.
30g tomato paste.
½ teaspoon white sugar.
1 bay leaf.
1 sprig thyme.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
6 coriander seeds, crushed.
8 black peppercorns.
Juice ½ lemon.
1 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.

Method

Combine all ingredients except leeks, lemon juice and parsley in a large frypan.
Bring to the boil, stirring.
Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
Add leeks, cover, and simmer for 20 – 30 minutes, until leeks are soft.
Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, sprinkle with parsley.

Scallops with Mornay Sauce

Ingredients

12 scallops, roe on, in half-shells.
1 ltr court-bouillon.
300ml milk.
100g Gruyère, grated.
50g butter
50g flour
2 eschallots, finely diced.

Method

Warm milk.

In a heavy based saucepan, melt butter, add shallots and soften for 3 minutes, without browning.
Add flour to form a roux, cooking for 2 minutes.
Remove pan from heat.
Gradually add milk, stirring constantly.
Return to the heat stirring constantly, bring to the boil, reduce heat and cooked until thickened to make a white sauce.
Stir through cheese, and season with salt and white pepper.
Place aside sauce.
Remove scallops from shells, cleaning and keeping aside shells.
Bring the court-bouillon to the boil, then reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
Poach scallops in court bouillon for 2 minutes.
Place one scallop on each shell, spooning sauce over each scallop.
Grill under salamander for two minutes, until lightly browned.

Roast Poussin with braised lettuce and spock

Ingredients

For the chicken:
1 chicken or poussin.
½ onion.
Garlic cloves.
Thyme.
Parsley.
For the lettuce:
½ cos lettuce.
200g speck, chopped into small batons.
500ml chicken stock.
100ml white wine.

Method

Preheat the oven to 400°C.
Clean and trim the chicken.
Stuff the chicken with salt, pepper, onion, thyme, parsley and garlic.
Truss chicken legs and tail.
Season chicken skin with salt and pepper, and dob generously with butter.
Roast chicken on an open rack.
Roasting time: 18 minutes plus a further 18 minutes per 500g.
For the lettuce
Sautee speck with a touch of butter in heavy-based pan until browned.
Add stock and wine, bring to the boil, reduce heat, and reduce by ¾ until thick.
Add lettuce leaves, braising for 4 – 5 minutes until soft.
Carve chicken into breast, thigh and leg, and serve over lettuce and speck, drizzling with braising liquids.

Pan-Fried Duck Breast

Trim and score duck breasts, before seasoning with salt, pepper, and a tiny touch of ground nutmeg and cinnamon.
Fry the breasts over moderate to high heat for 5 – 6 minutes each side, turning once, and beginning with skin-side downwards.
Deglaze the pan with cognac, reduce, season and serve with sautéed spinach and pommes boulangerie.

Pommes Boulangére

Ingredients

Desiree potatoes, sliced to 3mm thickness with a mandolin.
½ onion per 250g potatoes, sliced to 3mm thickness.
Chicken stock, about 300ml per 100g potatoes.
Butter.

Method

Preheat oven to 350°C.
Grease a lidded casserole dish with butter.
Arrange the potatoes in dish in layers, adding a thin layer of onion to every three or four potato layers.
Bring the stock to boil in a saucepan.
Pour enough hot stock to completely cover potatoes into dish.
Bake for 1 hour, or until potatoes are cooked.

Braised Beef Cheeks

Ingredients

3 or 4 (600g) beef cheeks.
100g bacon or speck.
500ml beef stock.
300ml red wine.
½ onion, chopped.
2 garlic cloves, chopped.
1 celery stalk, chopped.
1 orange zest.
1 bay leaf.
1 sprig parsley.
2 cloves.
50g butter.


Mash.
Baby carrots, sautéed in butter and seasoned.

Method

Marinate the beef cheeks overnight with the onion, celery, red wine, garlic, orange zest, cloves and herbs.
Remove the beef from the marinade and pat dry.
Season cheeks well.
Strain the marinade, reserving liquid and solids.
In a casserole over moderate to high heat, sear the beef cheeks with butter for 2 minutes on each side.
Deglaze the casserole with a touch of marinade liquid.
Add marinade solids, and soften for 5 minutes.
Add beef cheeks, bacon and remaining marinade.
Season well.
Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer covered for 2 ½ hours.
Remove the cheeks, wrap in foil, and keep aside.
Strain the braising liquids, discarding solids.
Return liquids to pan and reduce until thick.
Warm the foil packets in oven for 5 min at 350°C.
Serve with mash and sautéed carrots, finishing with reduced sauce.

Sardine Ripene

Ingredients

10 sardines, clean and butterfly filleted.
50g pine nuts.
20g fresh breadcrumbs.
4 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.
1 fennel bulb, very thinly sliced.
1 small onion, very finely sliced.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
½ lemon.

Method

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
In a frypan over moderate heat, brown the garlic, onion, fennel and pine nuts with a dash of olive oil.
Add 1 tbsp of parsley and ½ the breadcrumbs and cook for 30 seconds, stirring very well, and place aside.
Mix in the remaining breadcrumbs and parsley and set aside.
Place the sardines skin down on a greased baking tray.
Cover with the breadcrumb mixture, and drizzle with a touch of olive oil.
Bake for 5 – 7 minutes.

Cabbage and Pork Soup

Ingredients

400g minced pork.
½ Chinese cabbage, chopped.
1 egg.
2 tblsp flour.
60ml soy sauce.
3 tbsp shao xing rice wine.
15g ginger, 1/3 of it finely grated, the other 2/3 finely chopped chopped.
½ small onion, finely chopped.
3 shallots, white part only, finely sliced.

Method

Combine pork, egg, flour, grated ginger, and 1 tbsp rice wine with salt and pepper.
Knead well, forming into a large pattie, about 20cm in diameter and 2cm thick.
Place aside.
In a ceramic bowl over high heat, cook remaining ginger, shallots and onion for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add remaining rice wine and soy sauce.
Cook for a further 30 seconds.
Add 1 litre water and cabbage.
Bring to the boil.
Rest pattie on cabbage, ensuring that it is cover by at least 1cm water.
Add additional water if necessary.
Return to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover, and cook for 7 minutes.

Tuna Bake

Ingredients

200g long-grain rice (uncooked weight), cooked.
200g canned tuna.
100g canned corn kernels.
100g cheddar cheese, grated.
200ml milk.
25g flour.
50g butter.
1 tblsp Dijon mustard.
Breadcrumbs.

Method

Preheat oven to 200°C.
First make a white sauce by melting 25g butter in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat, adding flour, and cooking for one minute, stirring constantly to form a roux.
Remove from heat, stir in milk and mustard.
Return to heat, gently bring to the boil, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Grease a casserole dish with some of the remaining butter.
Layer rice, tuna, corn, cheese and white sauce in dish.
Top with bread-crumbs.
Dob remaining butter across crumbs.
Cook casserole in oven for 20min, or until well browned.

Veal Involtini

Ingredients

Veal fillets, tenderised very well.
1 asparagus spear per fillet.
1 thin slice mortadella, per fillet.
Strong Italian cheese, such as provolone, grated.
Flour.
White wine.
Parsley, finely chopped.

Method

Wrap each spear with mortadella.
Sprinkle veal with cheese.
Wrap veal and cheese around spears, securing with twine.
Season well, and roll lightly in flour.
Sear packages for 3 minutes on each side with a dash of olive oil.
Deglaze pan with white wine and reduce.
Serve pan juices over Involtini, season and sprinkle with parsley.

Le Croque Monsieur

Ingredients

Shaved leg ham.
Bread, sliced 1cm thick.
Gruyere cheese, grated.
Salad.

For the sauce:
30g butter.
30g flour.
2 tsp Dijon mustard.
150ml milk.
Pinch nutmeg.

Method

To make the sauce, combine the milk and mustard, stirring well.
Melt butter over low heat in a heavy-based saucepan and stir in the flour, cooking for 1 minute to form a roux.
Remove from heat, and gradually stir in milk/mustard mixture.
Return to heat, bring to the boil, reduce heat and stir until thickened.
Add a pinch of nutmeg, and season.

On a slice of bread arrange ham, gruyere and a layer of sauce.
Top with another slice of bread to form a sandwich.
Over medium heat, fry sandwich for 1 to 2 minutes on each side with a dash of butter.
Slice in half and serve with some salad.

Baked Crab with Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

2 blue swimmer crabs.
200ml canned diced tomatoes.
1 tblsp coriander leaves, finely chopped.
1 tblsp coriander root, chopped and ground.
2 tsp paprika.
2 tsp turmeric.
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed.

Method

Clean and gut the crabs.
Using a mallet or seafood cracker, split the shell and larger claws.
Combine the ingredients and marinate crabs for at least four hours.
Separate the crabs and marinade, and tightly wrap each crab with a ½ portion of marinade in 3 - 4 layers of aluminium foil.
Bake each crab packet for 20 – 25 minutes in hot coals.

Lamb Kofta

Ingredients

400g lamb mince.
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped.
2 tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped.
1 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.
2 tsp ground cumin.
1 tsp cayenne pepper.
4 wooden skewers.

For the sauce:
1 tblsp mint, finely chopped.
125ml yoghurt.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
Lemon.

Method

Soak the skewers in water for at least one hour.
To make the sauce, combine ingredients and season with lemon juice and salt and pepper.
To make the kofta, combine all the ingredients well, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Form into 8 balls.
Using pressure, thread two balls onto each skewer, forming the balls into a torpedo shape.
Barbeque for 4 minutes on four sides, brushing occasionally with olive oil.
Serve with sauce and sliced lemon.

BBQ Haloumi

Ingredients

Haloumi, sliced into 1cm thick pieces.
Lemon.
Mint, finely chopped.

Method

Barbeque the haloumi over hot coals for 30 seconds to 1 minute on each side.
Season with salt and pepper, a squeeze of lemon.
Serve with a sprinkle of finely chopped mint.

Brown Sauce Noodles

Ingredients

500g boned pork thigh or shoulder, chopped very finely to the consistency of mince.
400g Shanghai noodles.
125ml Chinese chicken stock.
100g bean sprouts.
5 shallots, white part only, finely chopped.
2 shallots, green part only, sliced into batons.
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped.
½ cucumber, finely sliced into batons.
4 tblsp brown bean sauce.
1 tblsp hoi sin sauce.
1 tsp brown sugar.

Method

Blanche the bean sprouts in boiling water for 15 seconds and set aside.
Boil the noodles in water for 5 minutes.
Mix together the stock, brown bean sauce, hoi sin sauce and sugar.
In a searingly hot wok, toss the garlic and white shallot for 30 seconds.
Add the pork, and continue to cook until the pork is browned, about 3 minutes.
Add the sauce mixture, reduce for 4 minutes.
Serve pork sauce over noodles accompanied by bean sprouts, green shallot, and cucumber.

Shellfish Broth

Ingredients

4 balmain bugs.
600g pippies.
100g (dry weight) short pasta such as cencioni or farfalle, cooked.
1 small onion, chopped.
1 leek, white part only, chopped.
4 baby carrots, peeled and chopped.
500ml white wine.
100g butter, room temperature.
1 tbsp tarragon, finely chopped.
1 stalk thyme, leaves only, chopped.
Lemon.

Method

Steam bugs for 2 minutes over boiling water.
Remove tails, chop, lengthways and discard heads.
In a heavy-based pot, sauté bug tails with carrot, onion, leek and 20g butter for 3 minutes over moderate heat.
Add wine, and clams, increase heat, bring to the boil.
Cook, covered, for 4 min.
Remove lid, add pasta and herbs, cook for a further 1 min.
Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Whisk in butter until melted.

Smoked Trout and Potato Cakes

Ingredients

1 smoked rainbow trout.
600g desireé potatoes, peeled and chopped.
1 tblsp chives, finely chopped.
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped.
2 eggs, beaten.
Flour.
Breadcrumbs.
Lemon wedges.
Aioli.
Garden salad.

Method

Steam potatoes over salted boiling water for 10 – 15 minutes until cooked.
Leave to cool.
Skin trout and remove trout meat, using a fork to shed flesh.
Roughly mash potatoes.
Mix herbs, trout and potato well.
For mixture into cakes, roll in flour, then in beaten eggs, and crumb.
Fry over moderate heat with a touch of butter for 4 -5 min each side.
Serve with aioli, lemon wedges, and a garden salad.

Seafood Pasta

Ingredients
Pasta.
150ml white wine.
150g baby octopus, cleaned and halved.
200g prawns, shelled.
300g vongole.
8 scallops, shells and roe removed.
3 tomatoes, skinned, seeded, and finely diced.
1 calamari tube, cleaned, sliced, and scored crossways.
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped.
1tblsp parsley, finely chopped.
Pinch saffron threads.
Lemon wedges
Method
Place saffron in wine and set aside.
Cook and drain pasta.
Steam vongole in covered bowl with 150ml water for 1 min.
Remove vongole, reserving liquid.
In a deep frypan over moderate heat, cook garlic and tomato with a touch of olive oil for 30 seconds.
Add wine and saffron mixture, and reserved steaming liquid.
Reduce liquid by 2/3.
Add prawns, calamari, and octopus and cook for 3 minutes.
Add parsley, scallops and vongole and cook for 1 ½ minutes.
Season.
Add pasta to pan, toss well over heat for 30 seconds.
Serve with lemon wedges.

Aioli

Prepare using the same method and ingredient as mayonaise, adding a ground garlic clove to the initial egg yolk, and using lemon juice instead of vinegar.

White Wine Mussels

Ingredients

1kg mussels, scrubbed and bearded.
1 onion, finely diced.
2 eschallots, finely diced.
3 garlic cloves, finely diced.
500ml white wine.
25g butter.
2 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.
Chips.
Mayonnaise.

Method

Soften onions, eschallots and garlic with butter over low heat.
Add wine, bring to the boil, reduce heat.
Reduce wine by ½.
Season.
Return mixture to boil, add mussels and cover, cooking for 3 ½ min, shaking pot regularly.
Remove mussels, stir through a dash of fresh white wine, add parsley, season, and pour over mussels.
Serve with chips and mayonnaise.

Mayonnaise

Ingredients

100ml grape-seed oil.
50ml olive oil.
1 egg yolk.
White wine vinegar.

Method

Whisk egg yolk and mustard in a large bowl.
Combine oils, then gradually add oil mixture to egg yolk, whisking constantly to emulsify.
When all oil is added, season well with salt, pepper and white wine vinegar.

Hamburgers

Ingredients

Soft bread rolls, halved across-ways.
Butter.
Cornichons, thinly sliced.
Tomato, sliced.
Baby salad greens.
Tomato relish.
Simple dressing.
Cheddar cheese, grated.
150 – 200g beef mince, per patty.

Method

Season the beef well with salt and pepper.
Mix well, and shape into 150 – 200g patties, 1 inch thick, applying heavy pressure.
Butter rolls and lightly toast under salamander.
Generously sprinkle top half of rolls and return to salamander until melted.
Dress salad.
Cook patties in a shallow pan over medium heat for 5 minutes each side, turning once only.
Internal temperature should be 65°C.
Serve patties on buns with other ingredients

.

Tomato Relish

Ingredients

½ Spanish onion, finely diced.
400g canned diced tomatoes.
30g Demerara sugar.
30ml balsamic vinegar.
1 tblsp mustard seeds.
2 tsp Keen’s curry powder.
1 tsp allspice.
1 tsp ground cumin seeds.

Method

Soften onion with a dash of vegetable oil in a saucepan over low heat.
Add spices, and cook for a further minute, until aromatic.
Add tomatoes, sugar and vinegar.
Reduce for 20 – 30 minutes.

Leek & Potato Soup

Ingredients

2 leeks, white part only, chopped.
500g desiree potatoes, peeled and chopped.
1 onion, peeled chopped.
500ml chicken stock.
25g butter.

Method

Sweat leek and onion with butter over low heat for 10 min.
Add stock and potato, bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 min.
Drain vegetables, reserving liquid.
Process vegetables until smooth.
Whisk in reserved liquid until correct consistency is obtained.
If soup is still too thick, add additional water.
Season well with salt and pepper.

Hainan Chicken Rice

Ingredients

For the chicken:
1 chicken, about 1.3 kg, trimmed and carefully cleaned of gut.
20g rock salt.
10g ginger, chopped.
2 shallots, chopped.
1 garlic clove, chopped.
2 chicken carcasses, or 1kg chicken bones and trimmings.
50ml shao xing cooking wine.

For the rice:
500g long grain rice.
50ml coconut milk.
For the chilli sauce:
5 bullet chillies, seeded and very finely chopped.
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped.
10ml vegetable oil.

For the ginger sauce:
20g ginger, finely grated.
5ml peanut oil.
5ml shao xing cooking wine.

To serve on the side:
2 bullet chillis, finely chopped.
25ml soy sauce.
1 cucumber, sliced.

Method

Place the chicken breast down in a snug-fitting ceramic pot.
Add salt, garlic clove, ginger, 1 chopped shallot, and cooking wine.
Add enough water to cover the chicken.
Over high heat, bring to the boil.
The moment the chicken boils, remove from heat, cover, and stand for one hour.
Remove chicken from pot, and plunge into iced water until chilled.
Cover in cling film and stand aside.
Add chicken carcasses and additional shallot to pot.
Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours.
Strain the liquid reserving.
Combine all ingredients for each sauce and rest for at least ½ hour.
Cook rice using stock from chicken, reserving excess stock.
Once the rice is cooked, stir through coconut milk.
Warm remaining stock.
Combine soy sauce with chopped.
Chop the chicken on the bone into bite-sized pieces, serve with chicken stock, chilli and garlic sauce, chicken rice, sliced cucumber, and chilli and soy combination.