First Day of Winter

Welcome to the first day of winter here in the southern hemisphere. We could be forgiven for thinking that it would never get here, given the unseasonably warm weather that we have been experiencing. Autumn barely made an appearance at all, and frankly I feel a little bit ripped off, given how much I love the cooler weather (actually, the colder the better as far as I'm concerned). Happily, we got some welcome rain overnight and  the day has been cool, with a steely grey winter sky - just gorgeous.

I headed out into the garden to check out how my winter veges are faring, and they were looking beautiful and healthy after a soaking of rain. The lettuce is ready to start harvesting this week, I picked the last of the tomatoes, the first baby carrots should be ready in another couple of weeks, as well as the spring onions. I plan to plant some beetroot and maybe a few other vegetables in the coming weeks. Always a good idea to plant a few vegetables at different times, so you have things to pick at various times during the winter. The herbs, such as parsley, lemon balm, chives, sage and bay leaves are all powering along. I used fresh bay and parsley from my garden in today's recipe.

I thought I would welcome Winter with the comfort food of comfort foods - slow cooked lamb shanks. They are the perfect dish to cook if you are having a lazy Sunday at home. Although the cooking time is long - about 3 hours - the preparation time is short, and there are minimal ingredients. It's set and forget cooking.

To make the dish more complex, you could always add vegetables such as carrots, parsnip and celery with the meat  - but I keep mine really simple, preferring to add fresh vegetables after the meat is cooked as side dishes. With a rich dish like this, I think it's good to have some fresh greens or other vegetables on the side to balance things out a bit and provide contrast to the richness. Because the cooking time is so long, if you put veges in the pot, they are going to break down completely anyway - and believe me, these lamb shanks already have buckets of flavour, so they don't need help in that department.

A dish like lamb shanks really benefits from being served with creamy potato mash or polenta to soak up all that delicious sauce - not to mention that buttery, falling off the bone tender meat. Enjoy this gorgeous welcome to Winter dish.

Slow Cooked Lamb Shanks

You will need: 
4 lamb shanks, 2 large sliced brown onions, 1 large sliced red onion, 2 cups beef stock, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1 bay leaf, 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley stalks, 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley leaves, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 cloves finely chopped garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 4 teaspoons cornflour, salt and pepper to taste.

For the seasoning mix:
2 tablespoons plain flour, 1 tablespoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon allspice, 1 teaspoon salt, pinch of cayenne pepper.

Method: Preheat the oven to 160C.

Combine all of the seasoning mix ingredients and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a pan and while that is happening, coat the lamb shanks well in the seasoning mix. Add the shanks to the pan and cook until very well browned on all sides. Transfer the lamb to an ovenproof casserole dish.

Add the butter, and when this has melted, the onions and the bay leaf. Cook the onions on a medium heat until very soft. Add the parsley stalks, paprika, brown sugar and garlic. Cook and combine well for another 5 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the lamb.

Combine the stock and the soy, and pour over the lamb. Cover well with foil (I use 2 layers) - or a tight lid.
Cook the lamb covered for 2 hours.

After 2 hours, uncover the lamb, add half of the parsley leaves, stir well and cook uncovered for a further 30 minutes. Combine the cornflour with a little cold water until smooth. Remove the lamb from the oven and stir through the cornflour and water mixture quickly. Taste the sauce for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required. Return it to the oven for another half an hour. Finish off with fresh parsley to serve.

Note: Depending on the amount of fat in the individual lamb shanks, you may end up with a thin layer of oil on the top of the dish. I choose to get rid of this and use a big spoon to skim it off before serving.

Serves 4 people.

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Sunday Night Capers

It's been raining like crazy all day today, so it has been spent cosying up indoors, listening to the rain on the roof and enjoying a luxurious lazy Sunday afternoon. As dinnertime approached, I wanted something tasty robust tasting and comforting - but that didn't require slow cooking or lots of fuss. This dish of pan fried pork cutlet with a zingy and delicious lemon caper sauce fit the bill perfectly, especially when served with some creamy mash and beautiful seasonal asparagus. It was quick to put together, but didn't scrimp on flavour or the comfort food factor.

Andrew reminded me this week that the very first meal I ever cooked him at home was pork cutlets with caper sauce and how much he enjoyed it. I haven't really made it since, which is surprising, as this classic sauce is so simple to do and it tastes delicious. It adds a special element to an otherwise quite simple meal - and you can even make up the butter and freeze it so you have it on hand whenever you feel like it - really worth doing.

This butter based sauce works beautifully with rich meat such as pork, or if you like seafood, salmon steaks or any robust, firm fleshed fish. The acidity and saltiness of the capers, lemon and a touch of anchovy cuts through the richness of the meat, giving a lovely vibrancy to the dish. This is so easy, it barely warrants being called a recipe! Give it a try.

Pan fried pork cutlet

with lemon & caper sauce

You will need:
1-2 pork cutlets per person, 3 tablespoons butter,1 clove finely chopped or crushed garlic, 2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons finely chopped capers (I use the baby ones), 2 anchovies chopped and mashed, 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon rind, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, pinch of cayenne pepper, salt and pepper.

Method:
Combine all ingredients except the pork in a small saucepan. Set aside.

Season the pork. Pan fry or BBQ the pork until cooked as desired. I like it to retain a touch of pinkness in the middle, so it stays succulent. Let the pork rest for 5 minutes.

While the pork is resting, heat the butter in a small saucepan until it melts. Add any of the meat juices from the rested cutlets. Drizzle the butter over the pork just prior to serving (or serve in a small bowl so people can dish up their own sauce)

This dish is delicious with a creamy potato mash and a fresh green vegetable such as asparagus, green beans or broccoli.

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A Salmon Tale....

I love salmon. The lovely pinkish flesh, the delicious buttery taste and that luxurious texture. One of the best bits of the salmon is the tail - often overlooked in favour of the chunkier parts of the fish, it has a delicate marbling of fat through it that makes it moist and super tasty. It rarely has any bones (occasionaly if you buy a super large sized piece you may find one or two, but this isn't common) and it is easy to cook. Salmon tail is also a great way to enjoy this beautiful fish if you are on a budget - salmon steaks can be quite pricey, but with the tail you are not getting bones and it is not as chunky as the rest of the fish. Win!

Apart from tasting amazing, salmon is also incredibly good for you, crammed with Omega 3 oils, high amounts of protein and chock full of vitimin D. Great for your skin, your hair and the rest of you!

Regular Gourmet Goddess readers will remember the fish cooking technique I learned in Paris last year - placing the fish on a bed of herbs or aromatics, to cook the fish gently and infuse it with heaps of flavour. Well, today's recipe uses that same technique, this time with fennel as the star flavour. I know many people are hesitant to use fennel - but it really works beautifully in this dish, imparting a delicate herbaceous character to the salmon that is just gorgeous.

The salmon before it went into the oven -

nestled cosily on a bed of fennel,onions,red onion,parsley and garlic.

I decided to team the salmon with a salad of watercress and pink grapefruit. The peppery nature of the watercress and the sweet tang of the grapefruit is a lovely contrast to the rich, buttery taste of the salmon. I added a very simple poppyseed vinigarette for the dressing.

With the salmon itself, I made a very simple, throw together with one hand behind your back, caper butter. You could easily add garlic or other herbs to this if you wanted to, but it was a weeknight, I was hungry and it was "cooking night" on SBS, so I wanted something fast and easy so I could get my weekly dose of Adriano Zumbo and Anthony Bourdain!

This whole dish took about half an hour to create, so it makes a great midweek meal or stress free dinner party dish. And here it is, in it's pinky, salmon-ish glory.....

And after....succulent salmon and infused with all those great flavours,

served with caper butter, a watercress and pink grapefruit salad and poppyseed dressing.

You will need:
For the salmon - 1 salmon tail, 1 tablespoon chopped continental parsley, 2 cloves sliced garlic, half a red onion cut into thin slices, the green part of 1 fennel bulb cut into slices, salt and pepper, a splash of olive oil.

For the sauce - 1 heaped tablespoon salted butter, 2 teaspoons roughly chopped capers, salt and pepper.

For the salad - 1 bulb fennel sliced finely (white part only - you will use the green part for the roasting of the fish), 1 pink grapfruit cut into segments with the white pith removed, half a red onion sliced finely, a couple of handfulls of watercress (trim the larger tough stalks off so that you are mostly left with the delicate leaves)

For the salad dressing - 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil, 2 teaspoons poppyseeds, 1 teaspoon sugar, pinch of salt, pinch of cayenne pepper, a little black pepper to taste.


Method:
First, preheat the oven to 220C. Then, line a baking tray with baking paper.
Combine the parsley, garlic, onion and green part of the fennel and place it on the baking tray in a thick layer the size of the salmon tail.

Check that the salmon does not have any bones by feeling the surface of the flesh - it is unlikely that you will come across any in the tail, but if your fishmonger has given you a large peice, you may occasionally find one or two. Use tweezers to remove any that you find.

Rub the salmon all over with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Lay the fish on top of the fennel mixture. Set aside.

Now make the salad dressing - simply whisk together all of the dressing ingredients until it starts to emulsify (you will know this is happening when it has thickened slightly) Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Set aside.

Place the salmon in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the salmon. Watch how it is going so that you do not overcook it - the flesh should yield slightly when you press on it.

While the salmon is cooking, toss together your salad ingredients and arrange on your serving plate, without the dressing.

Now make the caper butter - just combine all of the ingredients in a warm pan until the butter is melted. Set aside.

When the salmon is cooked, take it out of the oven and allow it to rest for 5 minutes. Lift the salmon off the bed of fennel and place on your serving dish. Spoon the caper butter over the salmon.

Dress the salad and serve with the fish. Delicious.

Serves 2 for a main course or 4 for an entree.

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Pate - Gourmet Goddess Style

I haven't made pate for ages and I had a bit of a craving for it last week, so I decided to whip up a batch. Making pate is very easy. I think the thing that puts a lot of people off is dealing with the chicken livers, however it isn't as messy or difficult as you think. Choose very, very fresh livers (I would go to a butcher to get them as opposed to a supermarket if you can)

You can make the pate by itself or you can go one step further like me and make a beautiful glossy consomme aspic for the top. This kind of topping not only gives an extra dimension of flavour and texture, it also stops the pate from discolouring and also looks professional and pretty. I added fresh chervil leaves to mine, but you can add any soft herbs that you may have on hand. I didn't make the consomme myself - I just chose a supermarket brand for convenience and it worked beautifully.

I like my pate very smooth, so I blend it for quite a while until I am happy with the texture. You may prefer a more rustic pate - go with whatever you prefer. Sometimes I actually put the mixture through a sieve if I want it to be extra velvety. I didn't on this occasion, but still ended up with a very, very smooth result.

The pate will last for 4 or 5 days if you don't scoff it all before then. Keep it well covered in the fridge.This batch didn't last long - we had polished off one large pot by day two and I took my friends Justin and Marek a pot when I visited them for dinner the other night, which we later enjoyed with a few glasses of French champers as a starter. Very nice.

If you have never made pate, give it a try - it is not hard and flavour is just wonderful. I think the best way to serve pate is with toast, but crackers of freshly cut crudites (raw vegetables) are also nice.

Gourmet Goddess Chicken Liver Pate with port and chervil

You will need:
(for the pate) 500g chicken livers, 3 rashers streaky bacon (rind removed and chopped into small pieces), 6 eschallots sliced, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 200g unsalted butter, 2 bay leaves, a couple of pinches of freshly ground nutmeg, 1/3 cup port, salt and pepper, a splash of olive oil + 2 teaspoons butter.

(for the aspic topping) 400ml cold chicken consomme (I just used a store bought one) 100ml boiling water, 1 tablespoon powdered gelatine, 2 tablespoons fresh herbs - I used Chervil, but any soft leafed herbs such as Thyme (stalks removed of course) parsley or chives would all work well.

Method: First, cut any of the visible connective tissue from the chicken livers, so that you are left only with the livers. Rinse the livers under cold water, drain them and then pat them dry with paper towels.

Heat a splash of olive oil and the 2 teaspoons of butter in a frypan. Cook the chicken livers on a high heat for a few minutes until they are nicely browned on the outside. Do this in a couple of batches so that you do not overcrowd the pan and cause the livers to stew and not brown properly. The livers should be cooked until still a little pink in the middle. Set the livers aside.

Add the eschallots, bacon, bay leaves and garlic to the pan and saute until the eschallots are soft and transparent. Return the livers to the pan and add the port. As the port is bubbling up, use a wooden spoon to scrape up any small pieces from the bottom of the pan - don't miss any, as there is a lot of flavour in those small caramelised bits. Add nutmeg, a touch of salt and some pepper and stir through the mixture. Remove the bay leaves from the mixture.

Transfer the contents of the pan to a food processor and blend for 5 minutes until fairly smooth. Cut the butter into pieces and gradually add the butter a few chunks at a time, blending well in between. Keep blending until the mixture is very smooth. At this point, pour the mixture into ramekins or pate pots. If you want a very velvety pate, then you can pass the mixture through a sieve before doing this, to make it extra smooth.

It is a good idea not to overfill the pate pots - leave enough room for your aspic topping and to give enough space to cover them later without ruining the top of your aspic.

To make the aspic, combine the gelatine and the boiling water until very well dissolved. Strain the liquid (I use a tea strainer) and then whisk the mixture into the consomme. Gently press your fresh herbs into top of the pate and spoon over the consomme mixture.

Cover the pates with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the aspic sets - about an hour. Overnight is even better.

Serve with hot toast or crackers.

**This recipe will make 2 large or 4 small pots of pate. You could also make one batch in a smallish loaf tin. If you do this, I recommend making the aspic first. Let it set completely in the loaf tin, and then add the pate mixture. This means that when you turn it out, the aspic will be on the top and you can then slice it into pieces.

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Comfort food - Italiano!

Is there a person alive who doesn't love a good schnitzel? I think it rates as one of the ultimate comfort foods and the other night I really felt like some comfort, so I decided to do a simple chicken schnitzel. As it turned out, I also had some eggplant in the fridge so what started as a basic schnitzel turned into something else entirely, with a distinctive Italian flavour. I simply prepared the chicken schnitzels as you normally would - well seasoned flour, then some beaten egg and breadcrumbs and in the fridge to firm up for 10 minutes or so before shallow frying the chicken.

While the chicken was chilling, I sliced the eggplant thinly and then cooked the slices in a very lightly oiled pan until it started to colour. I also made a simple tomato based sauce at the same time. Once I had cooked the chicken, I spread on a thin layer of the tomato sauce, topped the chicken with the eggplant, then some more sauce. I then added a mixture of mozzerella and parmesan cheese and baked the chicken in a moderate oven for about 10 minutes or so. Easy.

Chicken Melanzane

with asparagus, baby carrots and white anchovy and caper butter

I had been to the organic market the day before and had bought some lovely baby carrots and asparagus as well as some white anchovies and these formed the basis for a side dish to serve with the chicken. The butter that I used as a dressing for the vegetables would also work really well as a simple sauce for filled pasta, such as tortellini or ravioli. You can also make a batch of the butter and freeze it.

To make the butter, I just finely chopped a handful of capers and 5 or 6 white anchovies. Add this to a couple of tablespoons unsalted butter, along with a pinch of cayenne pepper and a generous amount of black pepper. Mix well and then just toss through the hot vegetables. Delicious.

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A lovely fig tart for Autumn....

You will remember that I purchased half a dozen lovely organic red figs at the Addison Road market on the weekend, so I decided to use those as the centerpiece for a quick and easy tart. I had to bake something for a work morning tea and I wanted something I could throw together easily - This tart fits the bill perfectly.

I am also in the process of trying to use up various bits and pieces in the freezer and pantry - something I do each season. It is always good to have a good pantry clear out at  least a few times a year and it is a good excuse to create ways to use up bits and pieces that you might have leftover from other culinary ventures.

I discovered I had some almond meal (just a handful), some hazelnuts and some walnuts so I ground them all together and used those on the base of the tart. Other random leftover ingredients were a couple of sheets of puff pastry in the freezer and some maple syrup in the cupboard. These also helped to create this dish. This tart is of the rustic, freeform variety - I didn't fuss around with it or attempt to make it particulary perfect or pretty. You can if you want to. You could also do individual ones. This tart can be served warm or cold and would be nice with a little double cream as a dessert. This is a great way to enjoy the beautiful new season's figs that have started to appear in the greengrocer, welcoming in Autumn.

Walnut, almond & hazelnut tart with organic red figs.

You will need: 1 sheet pre packaged puff pastry, 6 figs sliced, 1 cup maple syrup, 3 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup each of ground hazelnuts and walnuts, 2 tablespoons almond meal, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 2 Tablespoons caster sugar, 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1 egg lightly beaten.

Method: Preheat the oven to about 220C.

Melt the butter and combine well with the nuts, vanilla, sugar and nutmeg.

Lay the pastry sheet on a baking tray (I use baking paper on the tray - no washing up!) and spread the nut mixture over the pastry, leaving about 2cm free around the edges of the pastry.

Lay the sliced figs over the nut mixture. Fold up the edges of the pastry and pinch around the edges so that it sticks together and stays put. Bake the tart until golden.

When you remove it from the oven, brush with the maple syrup when it is still warm.

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To Market, To Market....

This morning I finally got around to checking out the Eveleigh Farmer's Market @ Carriageworks. There seems to more and more small farmer's markets popping up around Sydney, and I have to admit that there is a real appeal to buying produce direct from the producers. I also love a market atmosphere. To me , a market environment inspires me and encourages me to try new things. I love the interactions with the stallholders, the opportunity to taste and touch ingredients and the "buzz" that a market always seems to have.

Although the Eveleigh Farmer's Market is pretty small, I really loved what was on offer. Organic fruit and vegetables, artisan breads, organic meat, poultry and smallgoods, freerange eggs, organic milk and dairy products, flowers, stalls selling homemade cakes, jams, confectionery. There is a stall that sells the gorgeous Toby's Estate coffee, as well as food stalls selling pastries, pies and other treats if you haven't got around to having breakfast yet. This morning, I was starving by the time I walked to the market, so I was definitely up for some brekky. I sampled a delicious bacon and egg roll, cooked while you wait with organic bacon, freerange organic eggs and organic bread, topped with homemade BBQ sauce. Yummo!

So, what did I buy? Well, a few things caught my eye, and you will be seeing some of these ingredients in the coming days as I turn them into various dishes. Here they are.....

Today's selection was a bunch of golden beetroot, which you rarely see in your average greengrocer, so just I had to bring home a bunch! The beautiful blue tinged Kale (Tuscan Cabbage), Blood Oranges, A loaf of stone ground organic "La Tartine" sesame/sourdough bread, organic Pecorino cheese from Highland Organics in Picton, a tub of organic salted Jersey Butter, lovely vine ripened Conchita Tomatoes (sold by the delightful Sorbello family, who also sell a range of heirloom tomatoes and zucchini), fresh Rosemary and a massive bunch of Rununculi flowers to pretty up the house.

On the meat/smallgoods front, I tried a truly outstanding spicy goat sausage from Eumundi Smokehouse (made just a few suburbs away in Dulwich Hill) but it was their stunning Chorizo, robust with plenty of chilli and red wine, that won me over. I'm already regretting that I only bought one! I was also rather taken with the lamb on sale from "Mirrool Creek" (a farm near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales) I ended up bringing home 4 frenched lamb shanks from them (not pictured) which I think I will cook tomorrow. They also had lovely looking legs of lamb, shoulder, cutlets, rumps and minced lamb.

The Eveleigh Farmer's Market is only open from 8am to 1pm on Saturdays and is located on the corner of Wilson and Codrington Streets, Eveleigh. It operates rain or shine, as it is undercover. For more info, check out their website: http://www.eveleighmarket.com.au/farmers.html

I really enjoyed my first visit to the market this morning and I will definitely be going back. It is a nice way to start the weekend with good coffee, a delicious breakfast and surrounded by flower stalls and all that wonderful seasonal produce. A helpful hint though, most stalls only take cash, and there is no ATM on the premises, so come cashed up. I got caught out this morning and had to make a detour to the pub in the next street who did have an ATM. If you are someone who loves fresh flowers in the house like I do, this market had a beautiful selection, with really great prices and good quality. I picked up 3 bunches of Rununculi for $15, which is really good value. Generally, I thought the prices were reasonable, considering the quality of what was on offer. Almost all of the produce was organic and all of it is seasonal and direct from the producers. A visit to this little inner city gem is recommended.

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