everyday experiments with food
This is simple and tasty.
Flathead tails rolled in freshly ground coriander seeds, black pepper and salt, pan-fried.
Carrot puree – boil carrot for about 25 mins. Puree with butter and a little cream.
Cauliflower – mixed with olive oil and salt. Baked at 200C for about 25 mins.
Corn – cob boiled for 10 mins. Shaved kernels toasted in oil and butter.
Toasted pine nuts.
Blood orange zest.
Reduced juice from 2 blood oranges, thickened with a little arrowroot, drizzled badly on the plate!
After tasting some sensational sausages at Sethro’s BBQ in Geelong, Victoria, I had to try making my own. I looked at a few recipes and then added some of my own ideas. Here’s my recipe.
2 kg pork shoulder, minced
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp smoked paprika
3 large jalapeno chillies, diced small
200gms cheddar cheese, diced small
2 tsp tomato paste
3 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
Mince the pork (or use minced pork), add the other ingredients and cool in the fridge.
I made the sausages and then smoked some with apple chips at 100C for two hours. I then finished them off in the frypan (they were almost but not entirely cooked through).
We had them with salsa and rice. The following night we had some more in a veg sauce and tortillas.
Tasted excellent. We’ll be doing this again and again.
Last night’s entree consisted of oysters with a kingfish carpaccio with an orange and Campari dressing.
The recipe came from Delicious magazine, Issue 191, April 2019. Delicious is a fantastic magazine and I recommend that you subscribe.
Dressing
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp Campari
Zest of 1 orange
2 tbsp orange juice
2 tsp caster sugar
1 1/2 tbsp chardonnay vinegar (or white wine vinegar).
The quality of the olive oil (use a lighter oil) and the vinegar will make the difference in this dressing.
Whisk the above ingredients.
Slice the kingfish thinly. Top with thinly sliced fresh radish. Drizzle with the dressing. Top with micro-greens (we’re growing several kinds of these at home).
I added a little cracked black pepper and sea salt.
This was accompanied by an excellent Arras bubbly from Tasmania. A fantastic entree.
The main course consisted of coriander, fennel and orange flathead fillets on a cauliflower puree with a lentil stew and pickled cauliflower leaves.
Since moving to Victoria I’ve been spoilt by seafood choices, with several markets around. A big shout of the “The Big Fish” Fish Market at Carrum Downs for fantastic fresh fish, every single day. This is the first time I’ve bought “live” scallops.
This simple steamed scallop recipe comes from Ken Hom’s “Hot Wok”. It’s out of print, but Kwn has a bunch of cookbooks and it probably features in another one.
2 red chillies, seded and chopped
2 tsp chopped fresh ginger
1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3 tbsp finely chopped spring onions
Mix the above ingredients and spoon over scallop shells. Steam gently for five minutes.
Simple and delicious.