Smoked Mackerel pate

This is very simple and easy to make once you have found the smoked fish. Luckily the local fish market in Sydney lived up to its reputation of having the exact fish you need.

It keeps a few days in the fridge so it can be used in a number of ways _ spread on bread or biscuits or with salad. It is very rich and filling but delicious.

Foodstuff you will need: 

25g crème fraiche

50g cream cheese

25g good quality mayonnaise

grated zest and juice of a ½ lemon

10 drops of Tabasco sauce

½ tsp salt

ground black pepper to taste

250g smoked mackerel fillet, skinned and flaked

Equipment:

Large bowl

Spatulla

Zester

Ramekins (for individual portions_

How to throw it together

Mix together the crème fraiche, cream cheese and mayonnaise until smooth. Add the lemon zest, juice, Tabasco, salt and ground pepper. Add the mackerel and fold through the mix.  Check seasoning and serve. Refrigerate if not used immediately.

Roast Vegetables

This is a great way to use up veg that is left over from other recipes or just a good way of cooking lots of different veg together. I avoid beetroot as I don’t like it but it could be added if part boiled separately.  This dish serves 8 easily and goes brilliantly with all sorts of BBQ meat.

Foodstuff you will need: 

Red pepper (cored and chopped)

Small swede (peeled and chopped)

2 small turnips (peeled and chopped)

2 Red onions (peeled and chopped)

6 Carrots (peeled)

6 purple carrots (peeled)

3 Zucchini (thinly sliced length ways)

Small Part boiled potatoes (skins on but washed) – enough for the number you are serving

Cloves of garlic (peeled)

180ml extra virgin olive oil

sea salt

100g unsalted butter

chopped parsley (to serve)

Equipment:

Oven

Large roasting tray

Kitchen knife and chopping board

3 Saucepans

How to throw it together

Pre heat the oven to 200C FAN or 220C conventional

Cook the purple carrots and regular carrots separately in 2 saucepans of boiling water for 12 minutes . Set aside to cool the cut in half length ways. Place on baking tray and scatter with large knobs of butter. Drizzle with oil and sea salt.

Part boil the potatoes, swede and turnip in the same saucepan

Drain all and arrange on baking tray along with the pepper, zucchini, carrots and onion.

 

Drizzle all with olive oil and sea salt.

Roast the vegetables for 20-30 minutes, until turning slightly brown at the edges.

Remove from the oven. Place all veg on a serving dish or directly to plates ad sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Slow Cooked Fillet of Beef

This is a Maggie Beer sourced recipe, but she cites that the original idea came from from Kylie Kwong. An Asian influenced Australian dish maybe?

The beef cooks very slowly and is divine. You have to be careful you do not leave it longer than recommended (unless you like your beef medium or well done) It is important to marinate it overnight in the fridge if you can.  This recipe worked perfectly for us as – surprise, surprise I found a large Hunter Valley beef fillet in Coles in Katoomba (think Tesco/Sainsbury equivalent for UK) and the juniper berries in a health food store sold for herbal tea!. Luckily all the herbs grow in our garden.  Serves 8 as a main or if you are very hungry and love beef (like us) it serves 2 for 3 days! I served this with roasted veg and roast potatoes.

Foodstuff you will need: 

1x1.8kg beef fillet – trimmed (40cm long, 6cm wide)

1 tbsp juniper berries

4x20cm stems of rosemary leaves stripped and chopped

4 tbsp roughly chopped thyme

2 tbsp orange zest – long thin strips

sea salt

125ml extra virgin olive oil plus extra for rubbing

8 fresh bay leaves

¼ cup vino cotto

Vinaigrette

Reserved beef resting juices

60ml extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp vino cotto

Equipment:

Sharp Kitchen knife and chopping board

Oven

2 Large roasting tins for marinade and for cooking

Plastic film

Kitchen string

Zester

Measuring cups/jug

Tablespoons

Meat thermometer

Large heavy based frying pan

Large baking dish

How to throw it together

Day before:

Trim the sinew off the beef fillet and tuck the skinny tail end under the fillet, securing with kitchen string. Tie the rest of the fillet at 4cm intervals to form a compact shape; this helps the beef cook evenly.

Mix the juniper berries, rosemary, thyme and orange zest, 1 tbsp of salt and the olive oil in a baking dish. Add the beef fillet then rub the marinade mix all over the beef. Top with bay leaves, slipping them in a row underneath the string. Cover with plastic film and leave to marinade overnight in the fridge (turning occasionally)

On the day

Remove the beef from the fridge and leave to come to room temperature (about 1 hour)

Preheat the oven to75C fan or 90C conventional.

Pat the beef dry and place in a roasting tin, then roast for 3-3.5 hours (turning half way through cooking) or until it feels soft when pressed with a finger and gently springs back into shape.  The beef fillet should register 60C on a meat thermometer when it is ready.

Remove from oven.

Rub a little salt and splash of olive oil all over the fillet.

Heat a large heavy based frying pan over a high heat, then add the beef and sear for 6 minutes, turning until evenly browned on all sides.

Transfer the beef to a large clean baking dish, the pour vino cotto over and leave to rest for 20-30 minutes; the beef should be pink all the way through.

To make the vinaigrette, mix the resting juices from the beef with the olive oil and vino cotto.

Cut the beef into thick slices and serve warm or at room temperature with the vinaigrette.

Fig Salad

Figs do not ripen after picking therefore those that have travelled great distances may be bland and dry; try buying fresh figs from local producers only in late summer/early autumn. Figs should look like they are about to burst its skin. They should be sweet, soft and wet and when squeezed lightly they should give a little.

This is a very quick starter that can be assembled at the last minute. It serves 4 or can be used as a main for 2. It is surprisingly good. Thank you Yotam OttoLenghi.

Foodstuff you will need: 

2 small red onions

3 tbsp olive oil

50g hazelnuts (skins on)

60g mixed lettuce leaves (or radicchio)

40g torn basil leaves

40g watercress

6 large ripe figs

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

¼ tsp ground cinnamon

salt and black pepper

Equipment:

Kitchen knife and chopping board

Oven

2 small baking trays for roasting

Large wooden spoon

Small jar

Serving plates

Tablespoon & teaspoon

How to throw it together

Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/ gas mark 7

Peel and chop the onions into 3cm wide chunks

Mix together ½ tbsp of olive oil, a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Spread the onions on a baking tray and pour on oil

Roast in oven for 20-25 minutes until the onion is soft and golden and turning crispy in parts. Remove, set aside to cool before pulling the onion apart with your hands into bite sized chunks.

Reduce the oven temperature to 160/140FAN/Gas mark 3.

Scatter the hazel nuts in a small roasting try and toast for 20 minutes. Try not to burn them to a cinder. Remove from the oven and when cool enough to handle, remove the skins and then roughly crush with a wooden spoon or side of a knife.

Assemble the salad on plates. Mix the lettuce/basil and cress together and place a few on the bottom of each plate. Cut the figs lengthwise into 4 or 6 pieces. Place a few figs and some roasted onion on the leaves. Top with a few more leaves and continue building the layers into a small pyramid.

In a jar, mix together the remaining oil, vinegar and cinnamon with a pinch of slat and some black pepper. Drizzle this over the salad, finish with the hazelnuts and serve.

Fisherman's Stew

This is the best and most hearty fish stew we have ever tasted/made. It is a Marcus Wareing dish that has a strong emphasis on the fish contents as opposed to the broth. We have made this several times now but i have failed to take any photos (so anxious to eat the broth!) The last time we made it we doubled the quantities of the broth and used beef stock instead of chicken (Dorette's request) and it worked just as well. It is very filling. Great if you live near a fishmonger or a fish market (Sydney residents take note!) It is a winner for a dinner party if you do not mind fiddling with seafood. :)
Serves 4

Foodstuff you will need:  
12 large raw prawns
12 fresh mussels (scrubbed and de bearded)
2 large potatoes cut into 3cm cubes
1 large fennel bulb (chopped into small pieces)
12 smalls callops
400g skinless firm white fish fillets cut into bite size pieces
200g skinless salmon cut into bite sized pieces

Broth
2tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion peeled and halved
2 carrots, peeled and cut in half
1 bulb garlic halved horizontally
1 leek (white part only) cut in half
3 sticks of celery cut across in half
4 tbsp tomato puree
pinch of saffron threads
250ml white wine
¼ bunch tarragon
¼ bunch thyme
2 litres of chicken stock

Equipment:
Large saucepan *3
Sieve
Slotted spoon
Chopping board & sharp knife
4 Large bowls for broth

How to throw it together
Peel the prawns (remove heads, tail and shell) Set aside.
Rinse the shells and heads
To make the broth, heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan. When almost smoking, add the prawn heads and shells together with the onion, carrots, garlic, leek and celery. Brown well, stirring. Add the tomato puree and the saffron, then deglaze with the wine. When reduced to a syrup, add the herbs and stock and bring to a boil.

Pass through a sieve into a second clean saucepan pressing down on the prawn shells and vegetables to extract all the liquid; discard the vegetables and shells. Bring the broth to the boil, then add the mussels. Cook and cover until the shells open. Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and remove from their shells. Discard the shells; keep the mussels warm.

Stain the broth into another pan to remove any grit from the mussels, then bring back to the boil and adjust the seasoning. Add the potatoes, fennel and cook  until almost tender. Add the prawns, scallops and fish and simmer until just cooked. Return the mussels to the stew then serve.