From the northwestern Spanish region of Galicia, pulpo gallego is a dish of boiled octopus dressed with smoky paprika and olive oil. Traditionally, the octopus is dipped into boiling water three times before being immersed and boiled. I’m not sure whether this achieves anything but I gave it a go. You will need to boil some water first, enough…… Continue reading octopus
Tag: recipe
christmas 2016
Christmas day 2016 was a hot 37ºC day, so we opted for some cold dishes in our 5-course menu. We started with an amuse-bouche of naked cherry tomatoes from this recipe by Chef John. This method really brings out the flavour in tomatoes. The second course was a wonderfully fresh chilled green gazpacho soup with burrata…… Continue reading christmas 2016
hazelnut cake
Italian in style and dotted with pieces of dark chocolate this cake is glazed with an apricot jam. Perfect for afternoon tea! Preheat your oven to 180ºC (350ºF). Grease a spring-form cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper. In the mixer, cream 100g (3½ oz) of butter and ¾ of a cup of sugar until light and…… Continue reading hazelnut cake
stuffed zucchini and peppers
Thanks to Thomas for this delicious meal. Cut the red peppers in half (remove all the white membranes and seeds) and cut the zucchinis lengthwise. Scoop out the centre of the zucchinis with a melon baller, chop the centres finely and set aside. In a frypan heat some olive oil and fry a finely chopped small onion, a…… Continue reading stuffed zucchini and peppers
pork fillet with sage and garlic
Succulent, pink and juicy, these pork fillets were cooked by the sous vide method. Hassle free and perfect for Christmas lunch! Salt the pork fillets with approximately ½ a teaspoon per 450g (1lb). At this stage I sealed mine into a cryovac bag, however it’s possible to re-create this method using a very well sealed ziploc bag and…… Continue reading pork fillet with sage and garlic
aniseed and blackberry ice cream
The inspiration for this ice cream flavour comes from a favourite bonbon of mine – white liquorice surrounded by tart blackcurrant. Happily, I managed to create a very similar flavour, despite flavouring the ice cream with anise instead of liquorice and using a blackberry swirl instead of blackcurrant. For the ice cream measure 2 cups of milk. Remove 2…… Continue reading aniseed and blackberry ice cream
lentils with mushrooms, bacon and sage
This hearty lentil dish makes a satisfying meal. Heat some olive oil in a saucepan and fry some chopped bacon, onion and celery, some chunky pieces of carrot and some finely diced garlic. When the onion is soft add a little red wine vinegar to deglaze. Add the lentils (I used du Puy lentils) and hot water…… Continue reading lentils with mushrooms, bacon and sage
salmon wellington
Milan made this impressive salmon wellington (or should I say Saumon en croute), as the main course of a delicious lunch in Villeneuve-lès-Avignon. He didn’t pass on the recipe so I hope he approves of this one. Cook 70g (2½ oz) of well-rinsed quinoa for about 15 minutes until tender. Drain, cool under running water, drain again, then set aside.…… Continue reading salmon wellington
chocolate babka
A traditional Eastern European Jewish cake, Babka or Kranz is a cinnamon and/or chocolate-filled, doubled and twisted length of yeast dough typically baked in a high loaf pan. David Lebovitz had already adapted a recipe which I used, although instead of being visible on top my layers of chocolate are hidden inside. For the Babka dough mix 2 teaspoons…… Continue reading chocolate babka
gnocchi masterclass
My lovely foodie friend Fifi took me along to Taste of Melbourne where we attended a Electrolux Chefs’ Secrets masterclass by Scott Pickett. The attendees divided into teams and helped to prepare lunch. The gnocchi were made with 1kg (2¼ lbs) of cooked and passed potatoes, 150g (5¼ oz) of plain flour, 1 egg + 1 yolk, 80g or more (3…… Continue reading gnocchi masterclass
michelle picker cooks 