Full of crunchy shards of dark chocolate, the flavour of the ice cream itself is a balance of orange and vanilla. Inspired by a recipe from New Feast: Modern Middle Eastern Vegetarian by Greg Malouf and Lucy Malouf, this version uses no eggs, à la Jeni Britton Bauer. To make the ice cream mixture measure…… Continue reading stracciatella ice cream
Tag: recipe
grilled oysters
Here’s a quick and easy way to serve oysters for those who prefer them cooked. To make the topping, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a frypan and add 2- 3 finely minced cloves of garlic. When the garlic is softened but not brown, add 4 tablespoons of white breadcrumbs and cook, stirring constantly, until…… Continue reading grilled oysters
roquette pesto
Roquette, aka rocket, aragula, rucola, has a slightly bitter and peppery taste. Most often used as a salad leaf, it makes a great pesto too, especially when basil is out of season. The bitterness is moderated by the other ingredients. To a small food processor add 120g (4¼ oz) of roquette leaves, ½ a cup…… Continue reading roquette pesto
hot and sour duck
This recipe, from FIRE ISLANDS: Recipes from Indonesia by Eleanor Ford, is a deeply flavoursome and complex dish. Hot with chillies and sour with tamarind, the rich and smooth sauce still allows the duck to shine. To make the bumbu, or spice mix, roughly chop 6 large red chillies, 6 red shallots, 2 cloves of…… Continue reading hot and sour duck
marmalade gingerbread
In my pantry I found a jar of marmalade that was past it’s use-by date. A little darker but still OK, so I decided to try this Bon Appétit recipe, slightly adapted. It’s not too sweet with a bitter orange flavour, moist raisins and satisfying chunks of ginger. Preheat your oven to 160ºC (320°F). grease…… Continue reading marmalade gingerbread
fish with green sichuan peppercorns
After seeing this Chengdu recipe in Fuchsia Dunlop’s The Food of Sichuan, I bought green Sichuan peppercorns. This unripened version of the red Sichuan peppercorn has become popular in Sichuan cuisine over the last century. The flavour is brighter and fruitier than the red peppercorns. Altogether delicious. First cut 325g (11½ oz) of fish fillets…… Continue reading fish with green sichuan peppercorns
cured pork belly
This is a type of salumi which is generally thinly sliced and eaten as is. The method is the same as for lardo (cured pork fat) which has been made in Italy since Roman times. Traditionally, lardo was cured in Carrara marble boxes for six months. The method I used comes from CHARCUTERIE: THE CRAFT…… Continue reading cured pork belly
chicken with sumac, lemon and za’atar
This super flavoursome recipe for tray-baked chicken is easy to prepare any night of the week. From Yotam Ottolenghi’s first cookbook The Ottolenghi Cookbook, it was also published in The Guardian. The original recipe uses a whole chicken cut into pieces. I used bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. In a large bowl, combine 2 thinly sliced…… Continue reading chicken with sumac, lemon and za’atar
saffron and honey ice cream
Saffron is the dried stigma of crocus flowers and has been used and traded for thousands of years. At US$5K per kilo it’s the world’s most expensive spice. It’s thought to have originated in Iran and is widely used throughout the Middle East as well as Europe and South East Asia in both savoury and…… Continue reading saffron and honey ice cream
ricotta gnocchi
Light and fluffy, these ricotta gnocchi are served in a rich tomato sauce. To make the gnocchi, combine 340g (12 oz) of fresh full-fat ricotta with 2 whole eggs, ¾ of a cup of plain flour and ⅓ of a cup of finely grated parmesan. I find a pastry cutter works well, otherwise use a…… Continue reading ricotta gnocchi
michelle picker cooks 