This ceviche, in Mexican/American fusion style, was made with King Dory, a delicate flavoured fish with reasonably firm white flesh. Sole or Flounder could be substituted. Thinly slice 225gm (½ lb) of the fresh fish of your choice and place in a glass, ceramic or stainless bowl. Pour ¼ of a cup of fresh lime juice over the…… Continue reading ceviche
porchetta + brussels sprouts
Here’s some traditional Italian fare. For the Porchetta you will need a skin-on pork shoulder. Score the skin and fat all over pork. Season the meat well with 1 tablespoon of salt or more, plenty of freshly ground black pepper, crushed dry chilli flakes, some grated lemon zest, plenty of diced garlic and some fresh (if possible)…… Continue reading porchetta + brussels sprouts
classic vanilla slice
Those of you who grew up in Australia will know this slice with it’s thick, yellow, cream-free custard sandwiched between two layers of flaky pastry and topped with passionfruit icing. A glorious, messy treat! Preheat your oven to 200ºC (390ºF). Take 2 sheets of store-bought puff pastry and (on lined or greased baking sheets) bake for 10-15…… Continue reading classic vanilla slice
moules marinières
This simple French recipe of fresh mussels cooked in white wine is hard to beat. Clean and de-beard 1 kg (2 lbs) of fresh mussels and set them aside. In a large stock pot melt some butter and gently fry 2-4 diced brown shallots, 4 finely diced cloves of garlic, ½ a teaspoon of crushed…… Continue reading moules marinières
freekeh salad with lamb
Freekeh (or farik) is roasted green wheat which derives it’s name from being rubbed (farīkor) or threshed. The wheat is harvested when the grains are yellow and the seeds soft and is first sun-dried then carefully set on fire so only the straw and chaff burn. The high moisture content of the seeds prevents them from burning.…… Continue reading freekeh salad with lamb
ice cream terrine
I chose Asian flavours for this pastel creation, once again inspired by Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams. The advantages of this ice cream terrine are that it’s prepared ahead of time, easy to keep servings to an even size and it looks attractive too! The three flavours I made were guava and tamarind, salted coconut and kaffir lime leaf. For the guava and…… Continue reading ice cream terrine
steamed fish 2
Here is a Chinese style steamed fish dish. Enjoy it with steamed rice and a vegetable stir-fry. In a bowl place some white fish fillets of your choice in a single layer. Drizzle with a little soy sauce. Grate a generous amount of fresh ginger and finely slice a few spring onions and fresh red chillies…… Continue reading steamed fish 2
vietnamese pork skewers
Try these Vietnamese delights next time you’re having a barbecue. Combine 450g (1 lb) of minced pork with ½ a cup of Vietnamese fish sauce (Thai fish sauce is much stronger), 4 tablespoons of dark soy or caramel sauce (available from Asian stores), 2-3 finely diced brown shallots, 12 finely sliced garlic chives and 1 tablespoon of…… Continue reading vietnamese pork skewers
almond honey spread
Moroccan amlou is a spread (much like peanut butter) made of almonds, honey and argan oil which is generally eaten on bread for breakfast. Argan oil, which is apparently quite nutty in flavour, is endemic to Morocco and, I discovered, hard to find and very expensive in Australia! I opted for a version without it. If you love…… Continue reading almond honey spread
grilled sardines
Fresh sardines are wonderful and for those who have only had them canned, quite a different kettle of fish! This simple recipe will let them shine. If you buy your sardines whole they will have to be gutted. This is quite simple if you prefer the heads off. Just cut through the head and pull down…… Continue reading grilled sardines
michelle picker cooks 