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
Tag: recipe
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
dan dan noodles + cold dressed eggplant
In Sichuan (Szechuan) dan dan noodles or dandanmian is any dish served with a spicy sauce containing preserved vegetables, mustard stems, chilli oil, Sichuan pepper and spring onions (scallions). This version, from Everything You Want To Know About Chinese Cooking by Pearl Kong, Tien Chi Chen & Rose Tseng, includes sesame paste, peanuts and dried shrimp and is served with a bowl of chicken…… Continue reading dan dan noodles + cold dressed eggplant
lemon syrup cake
A tree full of lemons and some leftover whey (from cheese-making) inspired this cake. Grease and lightly flour a 20cm (8″) ring tin. Cream 240g (8½ oz) of butter, 1 tablespoon of grated lemon rind and 1 cup of caster sugar. Separate 3 eggs and beat in the egg yolks one at a time until combined. Sift 2 cups…… Continue reading lemon syrup cake
prawns in almond sauce + mexican rice
Nuts have been used to enrich sauces in Mexican cooking since Pre-Columbian times. Peanuts, or cacahuate, are thought to be indigenous to South America and were widely cultivated in Mexico. Almonds were introduced into the cuisine later, after the Spanish conquest in the 16th Century. This way of cooking prawns (shrimp) is quite simple and absolutely delicious. Soak 1 dried…… Continue reading prawns in almond sauce + mexican rice
michelle picker cooks 