Cauliflower pakoras
17 May 2013

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 190g (1 1/4 cups) plain flour
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1/2 tsp chilli powder
  • 1/2 tsp turmeric
  • 1/4 tsp ground ginger
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 250ml (1 cup) water
  • 300g cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets
  • Vegetable oil, to deep-fry
  • Fresh coriander sprigs, to serve
  • Tzatziki, to serve

Instructions

 

Combine flour, cumin, ground coriander, chilli, ginger and turmeric in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add the egg yolk.

Gradually whisk in the water until a smooth batter forms. Cover and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to rest.
 
Meanwhile, cook the cauliflower in a saucepan of boiling water for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain.
 
Add oil to a large, deep saucepan or wok to reach a depth of 8cm. Heat to 170°C over high heat (when the oil is ready a cube of bread will turn golden in 20 seconds).
 
Add cauliflower to the batter and stir to coat. Add half the cauliflower to the oil. Cook for 3 minutes or until crisp and golden.
 
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cauliflower to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat with remaining cauliflower, reheating the oil between batches.
 
Place the cauliflower in a serving bowl. Top with fresh coriander and season with salt. Serve with tzatziki.

 

Garlic & fennel mash
17 May 2013

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 bulb fennel
  • 2 large potatoes
  • 3 cloves of garlic crushed
  • 1 brown onion
  • 2 cups of full cream milk
  • salt & pepper
  • 1/2 cup olive oil

 

Instructions

Peel the potatoes, quarter and boil until soft.

Finely chop the fennel, onion and garlic and sweat for 15 minutes at med heat in all the oil until soft.

Transfer to a blender (including pan oil) and add the milk, pulse until smooth.

Mash the potatoes.

Then mix the fennel puree into the mash and serve. If you want to you can put the puree back on the stove to reheat if it has lost temperature.

 

 

Flourless orange cake
09 May 2013

Serves: 12
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • Melted butter, to grease
  • 2 oranges
  • 3 eggs
  • 215g (1 cup) caster sugar
  • 300g (3 cups) almond meal
  • 1 tsp baking powder 

Orange Syrup

  • 1 orange
  • 155g (3/4 cup) caster sugar

Instructions

 

Preheat oven to 170°C. Brush a round 22cm (base measurement) springform pan with melted butter to lightly grease. Line base with non-stick baking paper.
 
Place the oranges in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil over medium heat. Cook for 15 minutes or until tender. Drain. Return to pan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and cook for 15 minutes (this will reduce the bitterness of the peel).
 
Refresh under cold water. Drain. Coarsely chop oranges. Remove and discard any seeds.
 
Place the orange in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
 
Use an electric beater to whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until thick and pale. Add the orange, almond meal and baking powder and gently fold until just combined. Pour into prepared pan.
 
Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Set aside for 15 minutes to cool.
 
Meanwhile, to make the orange syrup, use a zester to remove the rind from the orange. (Alternatively, use a vegetable peeler to peel the rind from orange. Use a small sharp knife to remove white pith. Cut rind into thin strips.) Juice orange.
 
Place rind in a saucepan of boiling water and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Drain.
 
Return to pan with orange juice and sugar. Place over low heat and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes or until the sugar dissolves and the syrup thickens.
 
Turn cake onto a serving plate. Use a skewer to gently prick the top. Spoon over syrup. Cut into wedges to serve.

 

Sweet spiced crusted duck with carrot puree
09 May 2013

Serves: 2
Preparation time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2  duck breasts
  • 1 tsp black pepper corns
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp caraway seeds
  • 1 tsp juniper berries (if available)
  • sea salt
  • pepper
  • 300g carrots, peeled and chopped
  • brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 Pinch nutmeg
  • 50 ml full cream milk

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200. score the skin side in a diamond pattern. Pestle and mortar your cumin, caraway, peppercorns salt and turn out onto a dish.

Press the scored side into the spices. Heat a dry (no oil) non stick frying pan and cook the duck skin side down, over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes or until crisp. Cook the other side for just 3 minutes. Pour off any rendered fat during cooking to prevent burning.

Cook the carrots in simmering salted water until tender. Now sprinkle the duck with brown sugar and place in the oven for 10 minutes remove and rest. Meanwhile puree the carrots adding the nutmeg, butter and milk. Season to taste (for a healthy alternative just add olive oil & nutmeg).

Carve the duck, season well and serve on carrot puree. This goes well with blanched seasoned sugar snap or snow peas.

Broccoli Rapa a Crudo
02 May 2013

Serves: 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 litre water
  • 1 bunch broccoli rapa
  • 2 teaspooons sugar
  • 2 tablesppoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 large garlic cloves, chipped fine
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan and cook the broccoli rapa until the leaves are wilted and the stems are soft, about 12 minutes.  Drain well.
 
Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar in a small bowl.
 
Heat the olive oil in a good sized pan and cook the garlic over medium heat.  
 
Add the broccoli rapa, stirring the sugared vinegar and seasoning with salt and pepper.  
 
Cook the broccoli rapa until it is soft and the vinegar is mostly evaporated, 5 to 7 minutes.  
 
Serve immediately.