sichuan chilli chicken + smashed cucumber salad + peanuts in vinegar

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Sichuan (or Szechuan) pepper from northern China has a unique aroma and flavour with slight lemony overtones which creates a tingling numbness in the mouth that sets the stage for hot spices. This traditional chicken dish demonstrates Ma la (麻辣) literally “numbing and spicy”, a combination of Sichuan pepper and chilli which is common in Sichuan cooking. Cut 650g (1½ lbs) of chicken…… Continue reading sichuan chilli chicken + smashed cucumber salad + peanuts in vinegar

tagliatelle with beef cheek and mushroom ragout

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Wonderfully rich and gamey, this ragout would work equally well with polenta. In a pressure cooker or heavy pot heat a little olive oil and sear the ox cheeks briefly before setting them aside. Add a little more olive oil to the pot and gently fry 1 diced onion and 2 finely diced cloves of garlic until the onions are…… Continue reading tagliatelle with beef cheek and mushroom ragout

poppy seed cake

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This is more like a slightly sweet bread than a cake. It’s delicious for breakfast and is actually traditionally eaten as a wedding breakfast amongst the Sorbian people, a Slavic race who number only 60,000 and live in Saxony, Germany. The recipe is adapted from the book Culinaria GERMANY. To make the dough mix 4 cups of flour with 2¼ teaspoons of dried yeast,…… Continue reading poppy seed cake

salmon on mash + roasted fennel & kale

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A fresh piece of salmon with sweet mash, lemon roasted fennel and crisp kale. Preheat the oven to 200ºC (390ºF). For the mash steam equal amounts of potato and sweet potato until very soft and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan, add 1 finely chopped shallot and cook gently. Add ¼ of a finely sliced…… Continue reading salmon on mash + roasted fennel & kale

chicken meatball and risoni soup

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A chicken noodle soup fragrant with rosemary and lemon. To make the meatballs combine 500g (17 oz) of chicken mince with 1 crushed clove of garlic, the finely grated zest of ½ a lemon, 1 teaspoon of finely diced fresh rosemary, 2-3 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Form into walnut-sized…… Continue reading chicken meatball and risoni soup

roasted jerusalem artichokes

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Looking for something a little different to serve as a side dish? Mediterranean flavours make this a perfect accompaniment for barbecued, grilled and roasted meat or fish. Peel and chop 450g (1 lb) of jerusalem artichokes. Drop them into a bowl of acidulated water as you go to prevent them from turning black. You can also add some peeled and diced…… Continue reading roasted jerusalem artichokes

piquant beef stew + pilaf + zucchini with yoghurt

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For this delectable meal I delved into PLEASE TO THE TABLE – THE RUSSIAN COOKBOOK by Anya von Bremzen and John Welchman. In Georgia this beef stew is cooked with sour plums but tamarind concentrate (available in Asian stores) makes a good substitute. I used beef shin on the bone for this stew but any stewing beef…… Continue reading piquant beef stew + pilaf + zucchini with yoghurt