Many years ago Peter Knuckey made this beautiful piece of Mishido pottery for us. The bottom part stands in a traditional stainless steel fish poacher and has steamed many a fish in the intervening years. My good friend Fifi taught me this recipe which I always come back to. Of course it tastes just as good cooked in a round bowl over a steamer.…… Continue reading steamed fish straits style
antipasti
Always impressive and popular as a first course, many antipasti can be prepared ahead of time. The olives pictured here are homegrown and the antipasti were served with crunchy homemade sourdough bread. The red peppers should be roasted or barbecued whole until the skins are charred. Place them in a sealed container or plastic bag and allow them to sweat…… Continue reading antipasti
rhubarb ice cream with rhubarb purée and honey toasted almonds
Inspired by some magnificent rhubarb from my local market. To make the rhubarb purée wash and trim the rhubarb and chop it into 3cm (1″) lengths. The 2 bunches I bought weighed 1.35kg (3 lbs). Place in a saucepan with ½ a cup of water and 1 cup of sugar. This will result in a not very sweet purée which balances well…… Continue reading rhubarb ice cream with rhubarb purée and honey toasted almonds
spicy tofu with oyster mushrooms
Oyster mushrooms have great texture and robust flavour making this a very satisfying vegetarian meal. Heat oil in a large flat frypan or wok until smoking hot then add 2 brown shallots, 2-3 cloves of garlic and 2-4 red chillies, all finely diced. Next add large squares of tofu (classic Chinese style) and allow them to fry on…… Continue reading spicy tofu with oyster mushrooms
duck breast with sour cherry sauce
This simple recipe uses only one pan and is a quick and easy way to impress. First dry the duck breasts with a paper towel and season them with salt and pepper. Place them skin-side down in a cold pan then turn the heat to medium and cook for 6-8 minutes until golden brown, pouring off any excess…… Continue reading duck breast with sour cherry sauce
date and tamarind cake with lemon cardamom icing
A surfeit of dates and a search for ideas led me to this amazing Dan Lepard recipe. I just couldn’t resist and it didn’t disappoint. Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF) and grease and line a cake tin with baking paper. Put 200g (7 0z) of dates, 50g (1¾ oz) of tamarind paste and 300ml (10 fl oz) of water in…… Continue reading date and tamarind cake with lemon cardamom icing
dumplings
A cooking club is my latest venture. And what better way to start than with dumpling making? With our home-made dough and freshly minced meat the results were delicious, although a little tricky to keep from sticking together (I now realise they should be either cooked or frozen immediately). Many dumpling dough methods were researched before deciding to use plain unbleached…… Continue reading dumplings
lamb meatballs with lemon and herbs
Having bought a mincer attachment for my stand mixer, I decided on this meatball tagine to try it out. The meatballs were wonderfully soft and delicious. In a food processor combine ½ a brown onion and 2 tablespoons of flat-leaf parsley and process until finely chopped. Add 2 torn slices of stale white bread without crusts and…… Continue reading lamb meatballs with lemon and herbs
super soft sandwich bread + cultured butter
Many years ago I attended classes run by Carol Bates in Simply No-Knead Breadmaking. I discovered that good quality untreated flour makes for less work. This recipe makes a deliciously soft white bread. For 2 loaves, mix together 8 cups of unbleached white bread flour, ⅓ of a cup of ground or instant oats (1 sachet), 6 teaspoons of…… Continue reading super soft sandwich bread + cultured butter
butternut and basil lasagna
The arrival of autumn here and the garden still bursting with basil made this the perfect combination. Cut butternut pumpkin (squash) into pieces and toss them in a bowl with some olive oil, salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fry over low heat until they have some colour and are just soft then set them aside. In the same…… Continue reading butternut and basil lasagna
michelle picker cooks 