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Duck Prosciutto

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duck_prosciutto

I’ve just made by first batch of duck prosciutto, thanks to a simple recipe in Feast Magazine (Issue 36, October 2014). Tastes excellent.

Duck Prosciutto
 
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Recipe type: --
Cuisine: European
Ingredients
  • Two 40cm muslin squares
  • Kitchen string
  • Wire rack
  • 2 Duck breasts
  • 750 g Coarse sea salt
  • 1 tbsp Fennel seeds (crushed)
  • 1 tbsp Coriander seeds (crushed)
  • 1 tbps White sugar
  • 1 tsp Black peppercorns
  • 5 x 5 cm Orange peel strips
  • 8 Thyme sprigs
  • 8 Sage leaves
Instructions
  1. Rinse duck under cold water and dry with paper towels. Combine salt, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, sugar, black peppercorns and orange peel in a bowl. Find a container that will fit the mixture and the duck snugly. Put halt of salt mixture in container, add duck breasts, then the other half of the mixture, Make sure that all of the duck is well covered, and ad more salt if necessary. Cover and refrigerate for 48 hours.
  2. Rinse duck well under cold running water and dry with paper towel. Place half of the thyme and sage leaves on each piece of muslin. Place each piece of duck skin side down of a piece of muslin. Wrap duck in cloth and tie with kitchen string.
  3. Place duck on a wire rack in the middle of your refrigerator for at least 2 weeks. Ensure that there is good airflow around the duck and turn it every couple of days. Once opened, it will keep for up to 2 weeks.

muslin-duck

Lamb and Pistachio Kofte

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lamb-kofte

I cooked this yesterday. We didn’t have any currants so I replaced them with some prunes and raisins. This is such an excellent, simple and tasty way to make ‘rissoles’ with a difference. I have to say that I added pureed chillies to my plate. It needed more kick! I have a couple of similar recipes that I’ve made previously – lamb, fruit and nuts are a brilliant combination. I served them with charred zucchini, couscous, yoghurt and a slice of lemon.

Lamb and Pistachio Kofte
 
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Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: European
Ingredients
  • 500 g Lamb, minced
  • 1 Onion (grated)
  • 3 Garlic cloves (crushed)
  • 50 g Currants
  • 50 g Pistachios (shelled and crushed)
  • ½ tsp Sweet paprika
  • ¼ tsp Allspice (ground)
  • ¼ tsp Cinnamon (ground)
  • 1 Handful Parsley (chopped)
  • 1 Handful Mint (chopped)
  • Greek Yoghurt
  • Lemon Juice
  • Tahini
Instructions
  1. Lightly toast pistachios in a dry pan, then crush roughly with a knife or a food processor.
  2. Mix all of the ingredients (apart from the yoghurt, lemon and tahini) together, preferably by hand, for at least 5 minutes until smooth. Form into golf ball-sized patties.
  3. Heat some oil in a pan to medium. Flatten kofte and cook on both sides until golden brown.
  4. Serve with yoghurt mixed with lemon juice and a little garlic and sprinkle with some crushed pistachios. Alternatively, serve with tahini mixed with lemon juice and garlic and a little water and some crushed pistachios. Served with couscous and some grilled zucchini.

Cauliflower, Bacon and Caper Pasta

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bacon-and-cauliflower-pasta

Here’s a recipe that I’ve adapted from “The Zuni Cafe Cookbook” by Judy Rodgers.

Cauliflower and Bacon Pasta
 
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Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: European
Ingredients
  • 1 cup Bread crumbs
  • ¼ cup Olive Oil
  • ¼ head Cauliflower
  • 1 Eschallots (sliced thinly)
  • 1 tbsp Capers (chopped)
  • 4 Bacon rashers
  • 6 Garlic cloves
  • 1 Red chilli (diced)
  • 2 tbsp Parsley (chopped)
  • Pasta
  • 4 tbsp Black olives (sliced)
Instructions
  1. Toss bread crumbs in a few teaspoons of olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet and back at 220 C for about 5 minutes.
  2. Fry bacon rashers, dice and put to one side.
  3. Peel and slice eschallots and sauté gently in a little olive oil. Slice cauliflower thinly lengthwise. Keep cauliflower crumbs aside. Place stems and larger floret pieces in pan with eschallots and increase heat to medium. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add a little salt and a little more oil and gently stir. Don’t over-stir as you want the vegetables to crisp. Add capers and bacon swirl the pan. Let the pan sit until the contents go crispy.
  4. Cook the pasta of your choice - penne, spaghetti, orecchiette, fusili or medium shells.
  5. Peel and coarsely chop garlic. Lightly pound fennel seeds in a mortar and pestle.
  6. Add garlic, fennel and chilli to pan with some more oil if needed. Cook for another 3 minutes. Add parsley and olive until warmed through. Toss with pasta and breadcrumbs and top with some grated parmesan cheese.

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Bacon and Cheese Sauce

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pumpkin-gnocchi

Pumpkin Gnocchi with Bacon and Cheese Sauce
 
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Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: European
Ingredients
  • 500 g Pumpkin (Peeled and chopped)
  • ¾ cup "00" Plain flour (Sifted)
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 1 cup Parmesan cheese (Grated)
  • Black pepper
  • 1 small Brown onion (Peeled and diced)
  • ⅔ cup White wine
  • 1-15 Black peppercorns (Whole)
  • 300 ml Cream
  • 1 handful Sage leaves
  • ½ cup Butter
  • 4 Bacon rashers (Chopped roughly)
  • ⅓ cup Blue cheese (Crumbled)
  • ⅓ cup Gouda cheese (Grated)
Instructions
  1. Bake pumpkin in oven until tender. Put through a potato ricer or sieve while still warm. Fry pumpkin in 2 tbsp butter in a pan on low heat until pumpkin has dried out a bit and thickened. Remove from heat and gently fold through flour, egg, ½ cup of parmesan cheese and some black pepper. The mixture should be soft. Gently roll into long tubes bout 2 cm wide. Cut at about 2 cm intervals. Roll into balls and indent with a fork or with a gnocchi roller (cost about $4 at specialty kitchen shops). Place into fridge.
  2. Saute the chopped bacon until cooked and put aside until needed.
  3. Saute onion in a little butter with a little olive oil for 5-7 mins on low heat. Add white wine and peppercorns, increase heat and simmer until quantity reduces by half. Strain liquid and return to pan. Add cream, half of the sage leaves. ¾ of the cooked bacon and cheeses. Warm until cheese melts. If necessary, thicken with a whisked egg yolk or a tsp of cornflour mixed with a little water.
  4. Place gnocchi into a pot of boiling water. The gnocchi is cooked when it rises to the surface. It should only take a few minutes.
  5. Heat the remaining butter in a small pan until simmering. Add remaining sage leaves until they go crisp. Remove from pan immediately. Place gnocchi on plate. Cover with cream and bacon mixture. Top with remaining bacon and burnt sage leaves and parmesan cheese. Drizzle with a little of the sage butter and add some freshly cracked black pepper.