food
food
food June 24, 2017
Ricotta dumplings with burnt butter, pine nuts and sage
I’ve called these ricotta dumplings, but they could be called ricotta gnocchi. There is no strict reason for this, but I thought I would go for a controversial opening. I’m not fussed. They’re delicious either way. This recipe is somewhat...
food June 10, 2017
Beef brisket braised in mead and pickled walnuts
This recipe asks for more protein than is possible to eat in one sitting for the prescribed number of people. This is definitely intentional: I love leftovers. Leftover brisket shredded into strands and tossed through a mustardy cabbage salad spiked...
food June 3, 2017
Prawn and chicken dumplings with spiced vinegar
I think I’ve said before that you can’t trust someone who doesn’t like dumplings. I’m yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like a good dumpling. Most European or Asian countries have their own variation on the theme. I’ve been making these dumplings for a...
food May 27, 2017
Chestnut, rosemary and pine nut cake
The real name for this is castagnaccio, which I can’t pronounce responsibly so I call it chestnut cake. It’s a recipe I first encountered in Italy quite a few years ago and enjoyed immensely. Back in Australia, I couldn’t find it anywhere so I made...
food May 20, 2017
Beetroot salad
This recipe could be made with canned beetroot, but if you do have the time, I would definitely encourage you to buy baby beetroots and poach them. What you get is greater freshness and more satisfaction, and some leaves that can be shredded and...
food May 13, 2017
Orecchiette with cauliflower and anchovy
A confession: I’ve never tried to make orecchiette, because it looks really difficult. There are various techniques to achieve the perfect, ear-like shape, with its smooth indentation and the cracked surface to hold sauce, but I won’t go into them...
food May 6, 2017
Raw Brussels sprouts salad
Traditionally, Brussels sprouts were boiled or steamed for an inexplicably long time. This gave them a grey tinge and a bad name. But then we started treating them with a bit of dignity and bacon, and life was good again. Brussels sprouts have...
food April 29, 2017
Rollmops
Few dishes are as evocative of a place as pickled fish. The word “rollmop” is German in origin, derived from the words rollen (to roll) and mops (the German name for pug dogs and also “blockhead”), but the dish itself is Danish. Rollmop specifically...
food April 22, 2017
Baked celeriac and potatoes with honey, cinnamon and thyme
This potato cake of sorts is layered and slowly cooked. It can be pre-prepared and warmed later in wedges or as a large puck that can be sliced at the table. Cutting the whole thing into wedges and roasting in individual servings yields a crisp golden wedge.
food April 15, 2017
Gougères
I never tire of this recipe. I started cooking it when I started my apprenticeship. It was one of the first things I learnt to cook. This week in the restaurant we cooked the same recipe as a snack at the bar. Admittedly, the one I cooked 25 years ago used local cheddar. The one we cooked this week used 18-month-aged Gruyere de comté.