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.