A Weekend Away - Canberra

Last weekend we headed off to the nation's capital for the weekend. I always really enjoy visiting Canberra, particularly at this time of the year, when the Autumn leaves are out in all their colourful glory, and the air has that wonderful crisp chill to it. Usually, when we visit, we head off to the National Gallery, Parliament House (yes, I'm a bit of a politics nerd) and the local markets - but this time the visit ended up being extremely food-centric!

We usually break up the 3 hour drive with a rest break at a trucker's roadhouse (which usually involves consumption of some dodgy servo food eaten on the run) but this time we decided to take our time and check out a place that we always drive past - but I've always wanted to try. The rather twee named Grandma's Little Bakery is located in Collector and sits up on the hill, overlooking the olive groves of Fedra Olive Farm. The cafe is part of the farm complex, and serves generous, rustic and really flavoursome food using local ingredients. It was a gorgeous day when we visited, and eating lunch whilst looking out over the sun drenched olive groves was a lovely way to break up the trip.

The view as we ate lunch 

at Grandma's Little Bakery, Collector.

Grandma's Little Bakery also has a small farm shop, which sells their wonderful olive oil and olive products - as well as a range of herbs, sweet treats and kitchen supplies. I was sure to bring home a bottle of their beautiful olive oil. I think we will be making a stop to the olive farm a regular part of future Canberra road trips. It made the drive so much more enjoyable.

Award winning local Fedra Olive Oil 

which I bought to take home.

Crossing the border into the Australian Capital Territory, you could see right away that Autumn has arrived. The colours of the leaves are just spectacular - shades of ochre, scarlet red, silver and everything in between. We were treated to really beautiful weather for the whole weekend, so we got to enjoy it all in the Autumn sunshine. Nature really is magnificent.

Canberra Autumn colour.

Our favourite accommodation option in Canberra is the historic Hyatt Hotel, located close to Parliament House. It was built in 1927 to house politicians when parliament was sitting, and is a gorgeous example of Art Deco architecture. I'm a huge fan of all things Deco, so it is always such a treat to stay at the Hyatt and revel in that pared down elegance.

The Foyer - Hyatt Hotel Canberra.

We have stayed in lots of hotels in our travels, but the things that make the Hyatt one of our favourite places to stay are those generous, elegant rooms - particularly the luxurious bathrooms, which all have beautiful deep baths and so much space that two people can happily get ready in the morning without getting under each other's feet.

Art Deco Bedroom - Hyatt Hotel Canberra

We have found the standard of service in the hotel really excellent on all of our visits - and I should mention that they also do a great martini in the Speaker's Corner Bar in the evening! The hotel is famous for it's high tea, which is served in The Tea Lounge every day.

Nothing like a luxurious bathroom to make you feel spoiled.

On the Friday evening, we headed into Civic to check out a restaurant I had heard good things about - Temporada. As chance would have it, the week before we went to Canberra it received a really glowing review in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food supplement - so I thought that our chances of getting a reservation would be zilch. Turns out we were lucky and managed to get in.

The food all had one thing in common - knock your socks off flavour. As a starter, we enjoyed gorgeous South Coast oysters cooked on a wood fire in their shells. Just beautiful - and it got me thinking about using this technique at home. Then we moved on to entrees - a beautifully prepared venison scotch egg (with a luscious runny yolked quail egg inside) and a beef short rib roll served with horseradish and fermented cucumber. Sadly I don't have any pictures to share - the place had lots of "atmospheric" lighting which made it impossible to get decent shots.

For mains, Andrew chose the Bangalow pork cutlet with caramelised  brussels sprouts, mustard and speck - and for me a beautiful crispy skinned trout with charred broccolini, almonds, capers and beurre noisette. Both dishes were delicious - served in a rustic, generous way. Perfect Autumn food. We shared a dessert - salted caramel donuts, served with house made banana ice cream and toasted marshmallow. Over the top - but delicious.

Dining Room - Temporada

On Saturday, we drove to Hall - about 30 minutes out of Canberra - to Poachers Pantry for lunch. Poachers Pantry is a farmhouse on the grazing property of Susan and Robert Bruce, farmers who decided to build their own smokehouse, so they could smoke and sell their own produce. The smokehouse idea grew, and now, a couple of decades on, there is a cafe, farm shop and cellar door, selling their cool climate "Wily Trout" wines. The beautiful farm setting makes a lovely place for a weekend lunch, and there is also the chance to pick up some great products from the farm shop while you are there. I bought some of the Bruce's locally made Prosciutto, as well as an excellent Bresaola (salted, air dried beef). They also sell all kinds of smoked red meats as well as chicken and fish. The shop also stocks locally produced olive oil, condiments, preserved goods - and their Wily Trout wine range. There is also wine tasting on site.

Down the road to Poachers Pantry

So, to lunch. I kicked off with one of my favourite food combos ever. Scallops and black pudding. They were served with a lovely fresh fennel and herb salad, and a delicious sweet pumpkin puree. So simple, but wonderful. I enjoyed a glass of Wily Trout Sauvingon Blanc which was perfect with this dish.

Scallops with Poachers Pantry Black Pudding

For the main course, I went for the braised pork cheek with kimchi and lotus root. The dish was served with a rich, full flavoured master stock. The hot, spicy kimchi was the perfect contrast to the rich, buttery pork cheek. Andrew chose smoked lamb cutlets with fondant potato and parmesan crisp - he was generous enough to share some with me, so I can confirm that the lamb dish was rich and delicious.

Braised Pork Cheek with Kimchi & Lotus Root.

In the background - Andrew's smoked lamb cutlets.

My dessert choice was a beautifully light layered green tea and white chocolate mousse, served with gingerbread crumb and yuzu curd. I was really taken with the contrast of textures as well as the beautiful flavours of this dish. The citrus tang of the yuzu curd against the rich mousse and the crunchy, fragrant gingerbread was so lovely.

Green Tea & White Chocolate Mousse

with Yuzu Curd and Gingerbread Crumb

As you can see, there are all kinds of delights to be had in Canberra and it's surrounds. These are just a few of them. We had a really fantastic weekend trying some new places and soaking up the gorgeousness that is Canberra in Autumn.

In other Gourmet Goddess news, we are heading back to our beloved Tasmania in late June. After deciding that we were going to be sensible and save money by not heading over this year (we are currently saving furiously to buy a house there that will be a holiday place first, then eventually our full time home) I ended up winning two return flights to Hobart in a competition. So guess what? We're going. I take this as a sign from the universe that we were meant to visit after all. Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it! Needless to say I will be writing all about it as I always do. Each time we visit we find great new places to eat and gorgeous new destinations and produce to share with you. Can you blame me for wanting to live there?

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Calamari Mediterranean Style

Sunday night dinner tonight was something so rustic, simple and super tasty that I'm not even going to worry about writing down the proper recipe! Our cooler Autumn weather has receded a little here in Sydney and it was actually quite hot today, so I felt like something that would suit the weather - and the fact that my stove is out of action at the moment. To me, warm weather says seafood and BBQ, so we headed to the fishmonger this afternoon and picked up some lovely whole local calamari.

I cleaned the calamari, removing and reserving the tentacles (my favourite bit!) and keeping them whole. I then scored the calamari down the side - cutting almost to the edge so that they looked like tiger stripes. This creates rings, however not cutting them right through keeps the calamari in one piece, making them easier to handle on the BBQ. I drizzled them with some good quality extra virgin olive oil, plenty of sea salt and pepper and then cooked them on a super hot (smoking actually) BBQ. They took only a couple of minutes to become golden and charred, just the way I like them.

Grilled Calamari Mediterranean Style

I accompanied the calamari with some gorgeous organic cherry tomatoes, capers, finely chopped cucumber and onion, olives, chilli, red capsicum, fresh basil and continental parsley from the garden, a splash of olive oil, a drizzle of balsamic and a little salt and pepper - all of this was tossed together to make a rustic salsa.

Then, it was just a case of piling the salad onto the plate, laying the calamari on the top, drizzling over a little touch of extra olive oil and presto! Sunday night dinner. All of this was done in the time it would take to microwave a TV dinner. I know which option I'd prefer!!

As I mentioned, my oven is not working at present, so I predict lots of BBQ action this week until it is fixed/replaced. I had vague notions of attempting some Easter themed baking -  however this is going to depend on the fate of the oven. I even bought some groovy, rather kitsch Easter cupcake patty-pans to use in my baking dammit! Still, we may be up and cooking up a storm again in a day or two. In the meantime, have a great week everyone. Hope you get to eat something delicious!

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Lemony, Garlicky Chicken with Fregola

Summer eating really lends itself to vibrant Mediterranean flavours, so that was the inspiration for today's recipe. I had a large bowl of lovely cherry tomatoes grown and harvested from our little inner city garden and a nice crop of basil, as well as a pack of fregola that had been sitting in the pantry not yet opened, so it made sense to put them all together. A couple of lemons in the fruit bowl, as well as some lovely organic garlic sealed the deal. I had intended cooking a plain old roast chicken for dinner, but thought that there was no point leaving our lovely free range Burrawong chook out of things, so it got the Mediterranean flavour treatment as well.

Some of you might not have come across fregola before. Fregola comes from the Italian island of Sardinia and is small beads or "pebbles" of semolina pasta traditionally formed by hand, then toasted. This process gives the fregola a delightfully nutty and chewy character. Fregola is made by sprinkling water over semolina flour and quickly rubbing your fingers through the flour creating small balls of pasta. These are then sifted through different sized strainers to collect fregola of similar size so they cook evenly. Very sensible. It is used in a wide range of dishes from soups and stews to cold salads and accompaniments for meat or seafood.

As well as being very tasty, it is particularly versatile - you can pretty much use it anywhere you would use pasta, risoni or cous cous. Fregola is popping up on menus more and more, and these days it isn't overly difficult to get hold of. An Italian deli or good supermarket is likely to stock it. I have also seen it in gourmet stores so keep your eyes open for it. Although I am serving fregola today as a side dish with chicken, this would be a lovely simple vegetarian dish in it's own right if you forget about the chook part.

 Lemony, Garlicky Chicken

with Fregola

Because of our shiny new BBQ, and the fact that I'm a bit obsessed with cooking on it at the moment,  I did the chicken in this recipe on the open BBQ grill, with the lid on for most of the cooking. You can of course cook the chicken in a normal oven - I have included those instructions in the recipe below. If you are cooking the chicken in the oven, I recommend using a rack to cook the chicken on - allows better air circulation around the food and you will end up with a far better result.

You will need:
For the chicken - 1 whole free range chicken (skin on), 6 cloves minced or very finely chopped garlic, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, 1 teaspoon sweet paprika, 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 anchovies chopped or minced very fine, the juice and finely grated rind of 2 lemons, 1 teaspoon Harissa (if you don't have this, you can use minced chilli instead)

For the Fregola - 1 cup Fregola, 2 cups chopped cherry tomatoes, 1/2 cup chopped spring onions, 1 tablespoon chopped pitted black olives, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 2 anchovy fillets finely chopped, 1 tablespoon baby capers rinsed, 2 teaspoons olive oil, a handful fresh basil leaves.

To serve - extra basil leaves and lemon

Method:
Rinse the chicken with cold water. Pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, carefully cut through either side of the backbone, removing the backbone and chook's bum with it. Turn the chicken breast side up and push on the breast so that the chicken is flattened out a little.

Combine all of the other chicken ingredients in a smallish bowl and mix well. Rub the mixture thoroughly all over the chicken, including under the skin as much as possible. Put the chicken on a plate, cover and allow to the flavours to infuse in the fridge for at least an hour (overnight is even better)

When you are ready to cook, heat the BBQ to a medium/high heat and cook the chicken over the open grill for about 30 minutes, turning from time to time. Keep the lid on as much as you can. You can also cook the chicken in the oven - cook for about the same time, on 220C. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the chicken, so just keep an eye on it so that you don't over or under cook it.

Once the chicken is cooked, cover loosely with foil and allow it to rest while you make the fregola.

Combine the cherry tomatoes, 2 teaspoons olive oil, garlic, anchovies, capers, olives in a pan and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook fregola in a pot of simmering salted water for 10 minutes until al dente and drain well.

Add the spring onion and the torn basil leaves to the tomato mixture. Cook for another 5 minutes. Now add the drained fregola and mix well.

Cut the chicken into pieces and serve it with the fregola and some extra basil leaves and lemon. Serves 4-6 people.

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Middle Eastern Inspiration

In winter, I really love to eat food that is full of warm, aromatic and earthy flavours - and today's dish has this in spades. I have used a fragrant and warming middle eastern inspired spice mix to flavour frenched lamb cutlets, and added to this beautiful seasonal roasted vegetables, fresh herbs and seeds from one of my favourite fruits, the pomegranate. To top it off, a perfectly balanced sweet and slightly piquant dressing.

This dish is also my first experiement with using quinoa, that superfood favoured by the Incas and popping up on menus everywhere these days. It really seems to be the ingredient de jour, particularly amongst my vegetarian mates. I decided it was about time I gave it a try, so I included it in my lamb dish in place of the cracked wheat or cous cous I would normally use. I really loved the slight chewiness to the grain and the nutty taste. By all accounts it is also incredibly good for you - there is a reason the Incas called it the "mother of all grain"

This dish is really big on flavour, and although there are a few components, it is actually really easy. It really is worth hunting down fresh pomegranate if you can find it - the little bursts of juicy jewel coloured seeds are just beautiful, as well as looking fabulous on the plate.

There are potentially heaps of variations you could try with this recipe - try whatever veges are in season that you like - eggplant, squash, asparagus, sweet potato would all be great. If you are a vego, leave out the lamb and make the vegetable component as a dish in itself, along with the dressing. I was also thinking that chicken thighs or even fish or prawns would work well too. Toasted almonds or pistachios would also add another texture and flavour dimension.

This dish would be lovely served on a big platter as part of a shared, buffet style meal, even at a BBQ. You will fall in love with the middle eastern influenced flavours and the delightfully varied textures.


 

Middle Eastern Lamb Cutlets

with quinoa, roasted vegetables and fresh pomegranate

You will need:
(For the lamb) 6-8 Frenched lamb cutlets, 1 teaspoon sumac, 2 teaspoons ground coriander, pinch cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon mild paprika, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon warm water, salt and pepper.

(For the vegetables) 2 cups cooked quinoa, about 6 cups assorted raw vegetables cut into chunks about 3cm square (I used red capsicum, pumpkin, zucchini, red onion), 1 cup sliced cooked green beans,1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 cup fresh pomegranate seeds, 1/2 cup fresh parsley, 1/2 cup deseeded sliced olives, salt and pepper.

(For the dressing) 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 tablespoon pomegranate balsamic (use plain balsamic if you can't find this), 1 clove minced fresh garlic, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 1 tablespoon warm water, generous pinch of salt, pepper.

Method:
Preheat the oven to 220C.

Combine the sumac, coriander, paprika, olive oil, cayenne, water and salt and pepper to make a paste. Rub the paste into the lamb cutlets and set aside to marinate.

Whisk together the dressing ingredients and set aside at room temperature until you are ready to serve.

Combine the chunks of vegetables with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Place the vegetables on a baking tray and bake for around 30 minutes, until they are well cooked.

Heat a grill pan (or BBQ) and cook the lamb cutlets - they will not take very long (about 5 minutes), so keep an eye on them so that they are not overcooked. Ideally, they should be a little pink in the middle. Set the cutlets aside to rest.

While the cutlets are resting, gently mix the quinoa, roasted vegetables, green beans, parsely, olives and half of the pomegranate seeds all together in a large bowl.

To serve, place a few generous spoonfuls of the vegetable mixture on the plate, top with the cutlets and then drizzle over a little of the dressing. Add the remaining pomegranate seeds and serve.

Serves 2 - 4 People

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Get me to the Greek!

Eggplant has been around for a long time - apparently it has been grown in various forms since pre-history and is a member of the nightshade family, closely related to the potato and the tomato. It is a technically a fruit and comes in a large variety of shapes, colours and sizes - black, purple, white and green or even lilac.They can be almost as big as your head, or as small as a baby pea. Eggplant will soak up any other flavours that you put with it, so it is great in curries, stews or coated in a marinade.

Eggplant is in season right now so they have the advantage of being inexpensive and also of a really great quality. Always buy eggplant that are firm and glossy - the skin should not be soft, dull or puckered. The green stem should be green and firm. The most common question about eggplant is - to salt? or not to salt? If I am using very young eggplant, or the long slender lebanese style eggplant, I don't bother. However larger eggplant (like the one I am using in today's recipe) benefit from being salted before cooking to remove any excess bitterness from the fruit. I have included instructions for this in my recipe.

Eggplant is very popular in Greek cuisine and this is where I got the inspiration for today's recipe - a hearty lamb and eggplant dish that is loaded with flavour - add olives and fetta and fresh herbs and you have something delicious that takes advantage of the wonderful eggplant that is in season right now. Serve it with crusty bread and a beautiful green salad and even those who aren't crazy about eggplantwill be coming back for seconds.

Lamb, Eggplant & Fetta Rolls

You will need: 2 large eggplant, salt, 500g minced lamb, 1 large chopped onion, 4 cloves garlic, 1 teaspoon dried oregano, 2 tablespoons crumbled fetta cheese, 2 teaspoons paprika, 1 tablespoon fresh mint, 1 egg, a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper, 3 cups nepolitana sauce (or passata), 1 tablespoon parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped deseeded Kalamata olives, olive oil, salt and pepper.

Method: Slice the eggplant into pieces about 1cm thick, lengthways. Place in a large bowl and sprinkle with salt. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Drain off all of the dark liquid and pat the eggplant slices dry with paper towels.

Heat a pan or grill and brush it with olive oil. Cook the eggplant slices in batches until slightly browned on each side. Set aside.

In a frypan, add a splash of oil and the chopped onion and garlic. Cook on a medium heat until the onion is soft.

In a large bowl, combine the minced lamb,oregano, paprika, mint, egg, cayenne pepper, parsley. Mix well with your hands. Now add the cooked onion and the crumbled fetta cheese. Season with a little pepper and mix well.

To make the rolls, lay a slice of eggplant flat and place about a tablespoon full of the mince mixture in a sausage shape across the middle of the slice, one third of the way down. Roll up the eggplant to encase the mixture and place in a shallow baking dish. Repeat until all of the rolls are completed.

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Pour the nepolitana sauce (or passata) over the rolls and top with the chopped olives. Bake for about 45 minutes. Serve with crusty bread and a salad, or rice.

Serves 4-6 People.

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Scrumptious Sunday Sensations

Summer isn't usually when we think about cooking a roast, but I have a favourite that is just perfect for a lazy Summer Sunday like today. Who doesn't like a roast dinner with piles of beautiful baked veges and a lip smacking gravy? Love it. But when the temperature is steamy you want something lighter right? Well, one of my favourite summer meals is slow cooked shoulder of lamb, served not with the usual roast accompaniments but with the delicious rustic Italian salad Panazella. This dish is so easy to throw together, and a great way to use up day old crusty bread that you may have left over. It is a very earthy, peasant dish popping with loads of flavour, colour and texture.

Panazella is a salad made mainly of tomatoes and chunks of crispy bread. Make sure you use the very best tomatoes - and the trick is to ensure that they are at room temperature for maximum flavour. Also try to use a variety of tomatoes for this dish - different colours and sizes look and taste fantastic. I used yellow pear tomatoes from our garden, along with romas, kumatos (the gorgeous dark fleshed variety) and a couple of heirloom varieties. The result was a riot of colour and wonderful vibrant tomato flavours.

What about the lamb? Well the lamb is ridiculously simple to cook (seriously, if you are the type of person who burns water, then you could still pull off this recipe!) and the prep work takes about 15 minutes. Then comes the "slow" part (I did say it was slow cooked). It takes about 4 hours to cook - which is why it is a perfect Sunday dish. You put it in the oven, then enjoy the rest of the day - watch a movie or read a book or have a snooze and the oven does the rest. It requires very minimal supervision and the result is spectacular. If you want the lamb to be ready for lunch, put it on when you get up in the morning and and it will be succulent and gorgeous in time for lunchtime. If you plan on making it you dinner, then put it in the oven just after lunch.

When you are buying lamb shoulder, make sure that it is on the bone - not the rolled boneless shoulder of lamb that you will also see in the butcher shop window. If you can't see lamb shoulder with the bone in, ask the butcher - they will be sure to have some out the back and can cut it for you. It is a cheap cut of meat, so if you are on a budget it is a great substitute for the more expensive leg of lamb. The catch though, is that it needs very long, slow, loving cooking to be just right. The end result is so tender you don't even really require a knife to cut it - it will just come away from the bone in juicy morsels.

So, tonight's dinner consisted of the lamb that had been cooking all afternoon and the beautiful Panazella salad and it was a big hit. So tasty and lip smacking was this combination, that we actually abandoned cutlery all together and ate the whole meal with our hands, tearing the meat off the bone and licking our fingers. Uncouth? Sure. But lots more fun. I did say it was a peasant dish, didn't I? Anyway, food always tastes better when it's eaten with your hands I say. Here was the dish before it was devoured....

Slow Cooked Shoulder of Lamb with Panazella

So, how do you make this lovely rustic creation? Well, for the slow cooked shoulder of lamb, firstly preheat the oven to 220C. Then take the lamb shoulder and pierce a few small cuts into the meat, filling them with halved garlic cloves, lemon rind and rosemary. Rub the meat all over with olive oil and season very well with salt and pepper. Heat a frypan and cook the lamb on a high heat for a few minutes each side, until it is golden.

Place the lamb in a baking dish. To the frypan, add about 1/3 cup verjuice (I love the Maggie Beer one, available from delis, gourmet stores and some supermarkets). If you don't have verjuice, you can substitute white wine. Now add 4 cups of chicken stock to the verjuice in the pan. Stir over the heat for about a minute, then tip the liquid into the roasting pan.

Cook the lamb for 30mins on 220C, the reduce the heat to 190C and allow it to cook for a further 3 and a half hours. Check the meat every hour or so and top the pan up with water if it looks like all of the liquid is evaporating - you want there to always be at least 1cm of liquid in the pan at all times.

Once the cooking time is up, remove the lamb from the oven, wrap loosely in foil and allow it to rest for at least 20 mins. When you are ready to serve the lamb, the meat will be buttery and tender. You may not even want to use a knife to cut it - just pull it from the bone with a pair of tongs. Bliss.


For the Panazella, first tear up some good quality Italian crusty bread into bite sized chunks. Don't even consider using soft sandwich loaf or something similar - you need proper old school bread that has a decent crust and substance to it, or the dish just won't work. I used white Italian bread, but you could use grainy or wholemeal for the extra rustic touch. Put the pieces of bread on a baking tray lined with baking paper and cook them in a moderate oven until they dry out - they should be dry but not browned.

In a bowl, combine chunks of cucumber,red and green peppers or capsicum, thinly sliced red onion, black olives, a couple of tablespoons of roughly chopped continental parsley, and a selection of roughly chopped tomatoes, preferably a few different colours or varieties. Season generously with salt and pepper. Just before serving, drizzle a couple of teaspoons of white balsamic (use white wine vinegar if you don't have the balsamic) and a generous slurp of good quality olive oil over the mixture. Add the dried bread and quickly toss through. Serve immediately. Easy!

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Christmas and Clams!

Regular followers of Gourmet Goddess could be forgiven for thinking that I had fallen off the face of the earth, given my lack of posts over the last couple of weeks. Things have been incredibly hectic, as we run headlong into to the end of 2010. There has been quite a lot of eating out (damn you silly season!) with the occasional sneaky midweek pizza delivery (oh yes, it's not all "plating up" and degustation in the GG kitchen. Even me, who adores cooking suffers from days when I just can't face entering the kitchen - ok, well not that many days....but believe me, they do happen!)

I'm lucky to be able to take a couple of weeks off over the Christmas break and this year I really feel like I need it. 2010 has been huge - amongst other things I have moved 2 households and created a new one, got engaged, visited 7 countries, attended cooking school in France, moved workplace into a new office, started my first vegetable garden (with composting!), crawled underground through Viet Cong fighting tunnels, eaten river snake on a stick and fried crickets in Cambodia, eaten raspberries warm from the sun on the steps of Sacre Couer in Paris and had the pleasure of experiencing the best meal of my life thus far at Tetsuya's (check out my recent review for all the details) Looking back over the year, it has been completely amazing. I'm looking forward to using the next few weeks to regroup and relax before the new year begins (and 2011 is already shaping up to be another biggie)

Now that I am offiicially on holiday and Christmas is only 5 days away, I really need to sort out what I am cooking for Christmas lunch - how are the rest of you going in the Christmas planning department? My problem at the moment is too many ideas! I never really do the "traditional" lunch (you know, the full pudding and turkey thing, usually in 40 degree heat- memories of childhood Christmas dinners in Perth) This year is rather special, as I will be cooking Christmas dinner for the first time for my lovely in-laws-to-be. Well, no matter what I decide to cook, I do have a few bottles of French champagne stashed away for the occasion, so that's a start!

When I was out yesterday talking to my fishmonger about possible menu items for Christmas day, I noticed he had some lovely fresh vongole (clams) for sale. I really love vongole and usually serve them the traditional Italian way - cooked with chilli, garlic and oil and served with spaghetti. This time, I thought I would do something a bit different to my usual recipe. I went for a tasty tomato based sauce, with the delicious addition of leeks, olives, rocket, roasted capsicum and a hint of chilli - a really tasty and a great way to serve the clams.

I chose a garlic, basil and celery linguine for the pasta this time - a lovely variety that I purchased recently, made in Australia by the award winning pasta company Bellata Gold. They are a family company based in Tamworth NSW, who produce a beautiful range of pure durum wheat semolina pastas. To learn more about them and their great product, check out the website: http://www.bellatagold.com.au/  I purchased a few varieties at a gourmet store in Canberra last weekend, but looking at the prices on the Bellata Gold website, I bought mine at a big markup. I will be buying direct from the producer next time - a whole lot cheaper!

So, here is this week's recipe - packed full of flavour and easy to put together. Just make sure that your seafood is super fresh and you can't go wrong.

Vongole linguine

with leek, olive and rocket sauce

You will need:
About 500g fresh vongole (clams), 375g linguine or spaghetti, 1 leek sliced finely (use only the white and pale green part), 3 cloves garlic, 1 small red chilli seeds removed and chopped finely, 1 heaped tablespoon chopped black olives, 1 heaped tablespoon finely diced roasted red capsicum (you can buy this at the deli or continental shop - or try the olive/pickle section of your supermarket - you can get decent one roasted capsicum in jars), 2 cups diced tinned tomatoes or passata (I prefer passata, but tinned tomatoes are fine), 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 bunch rocket finely chopped, a splash of olive oil, 1 tablespoon salted butter, Salt and pepper to taste.

Method:
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the leek. Cook on a medium heat until it starts to soften. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute. Add the chilli and the tomatoes/passata. Combine and allow to simmer gently for 5 minutes. Add the sugar, olives, capsicum and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Put your water on to boil for the pasta, with a teaspoon of salt. When it starts to boil, add your pasta, give it a good stir and let is boil. In the meantime.....

Rinse the vongole under cold water and drain well. Add to the tomato mixture and put the lid on the pan. Allow the vongole to cook for a few minutes. When they are cooked they will pop open. Disgard any that don't.

Add the rocket and butter to the mixture and stir it through. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

When your pasta is cooked, drain it and toss the sauce through.
Serve right away.

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A seafood BBQ

As the weather gets warmer and daylight savings is upon us (YAY!!) it is time to head outside, crank up the BBQ and enjoy some of the fantastic seafood that Australia has to offer. Scallops are in season right now and I couldn't resist picking up a dozen of the flat shelled beauties at the fishmonger on the weekend. They are a great price at the moment and as they are my favourite kind of seafood I will be indulging as often as I can. I also noticed that my fishmonger has started stocking the beautiful Crystal Bay prawns, and picked up a handful to have with the scallops.

I chose to cook the scallops simply on the shell, with a touch of well seasoned garlic butter on the top and a sprinkling of chives. I put them right on the BBQ and used a teaspoon to turn over the scallop flesh in the shell to ensure that they were cooked evenly. They only took a few minutes to cook through. So delicious.

With the prawns, I went for my own version of that Greek taverna favourite Saganaki Prawns. Instead of cooking the prawns in the red sauce, which is how they are usually done - I marinated them first, cooked them on the BBQ for a wonderful char grilled taste and added them to the dish at the last minute. I was really happy with the result - so tasty! We ate ours with warm flatbread to mop up the delicious sauce. I have included the recipe below.

I am in the process of planning the menu for a casual housewarming lunch that Andrew and I are having this Saturday. I am thinking something with a Mediteranean vibe - big robust flavours, spring lamb, vibrant colour and generous serving platters. I will post the results and the menu next week so you can see whta I did. In the meantime, you might want to give my Saganaki Prawns a go.

Grilled scallops with garlic butter and chives

Crystal Bay Saganaki Prawns

To make the Saganaki Prawns.....

You will need:

1 kg shelled raw prawns (I leave the tails on - extra flavour and nice presentation), 1 tablespoon olive oil, 3 cloves crushed garlic, 2 heaped teaspoons paprika, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, 2 teaspoons minced chilli (more or less, depending on your taste), 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, 2 cups of your favourite nepolitana sauce  (I put a generous amount of chilli in mine for extra punch, along with fresh oregano and thyme from my garden), 1 tablespoon pitted black olives (I cut mine in half), 1/2 cup crumbled fetta cheese.

To serve:

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley.

Method:

Combine the olive oil, garlic, thyme, paprika, chilli, salt and pepper. Marinate the prawns for about 15 minutes. You can also do this overnight if you like.

Heat your BBQ hotplate until it is smoking and cook the prawns, turning often. They will only take a couple of minutes to cook through. Be careful not to overcook the - you want them to be sweet and juicy.

Heat your nepolitana sauce, stir in the olives and pour into a serving dish. Gently fold in 3/4 of the fetta cheese. Add the BBQ prawns and combine them gently in the sauce. Top with the remaining fetta, thyme and parsley. Serve with crusty bread or warmed flat bread to soak up the tasty sauce. Serves 4.

For more info about delicious - and sustainable-  Crystal Bay prawns, check out their website: http://www.crystalbayprawns.com.au/

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Gourmet Goddess welcomes Spring

Nothing signals the start of Spring to me more than the sight of fresh asparagus. I love this time of year when so many of my favourite fruits and vegetables start coming into season. As the season progresses, the quality and supply gets better and the price drops - you have to love that! I am a devotee seasonal eating. I've never understood why eating the same food all year round is perceived as a good idea. In order to eat food out of season, we are required to ship food from long distances, with all the negative environmental impact that has, as well as sacrificing quality and increasing price. Eating seasonally makes sense for your tastebuds, your wallet and the environment too.

It is really worth going online and researching what is in season at particular times of the year and planning menus around that. I always include seasonal suggestions on the right hand side of my blog page, so you may also want to start there for ideas. When buying produce, always check the origin - if your grocer doesn't diplay this information, then ask why - they should. Same goes for seafood and meat. Food that has travelled a long way has not only contributed to more carbon emissions, but has also been handled multiple times to get to you - quality can only suffer. Buy close to home as much as you possibly can to get the very best produce and to do your bit to minimise negative environmental impacts.

Now, to today's recipe - This dish is so simple to make, but is also pretty enough to serve at a dinner party. I love the effect of the sage leaves through the veil of proscuitto. Juicy chicken, salty proscuitto, the lovely herbal aroma of sage and a garlic infused, buttery mozzerella centre make this Italian inspired dish one that you and your guests will love. I served this dish last night with some asparagus (of course!) - I just threw the asparagus spears in a grill pan for a couple of minutes with a touch of olive oil and salt and pepper. Don't forget to chop off the thick, woody ends before you cook them.

To accompany the asparagus, I chopped up some baby roma tomatoes and black olives, which I seasoned well with salt and pepper and tossed with a drizzle of olive oil and a little balsamic. The whole meal was done in under half an hour. Perfect to throw together after work when you don't have a lot of time. This dish would also go well with grillled vegetables - zucchini and eggplant would be great, or an Italian inspired salad - think cos, rocket or  radicchio leaves, basil, roasted capsicums, olives, artichokes, fetta or bocconcini cheese - whatever is in season. Give it a try - it is maximum flavour and presentation with minimum effort.

Chicken with proscuitto & sage

served with grilled asparagus and baby roma tomato and olive salad

You will need:

2 chicken breasts, 6 slices proscuitto, 10 sage leaves, 1 clove minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon butter, 1 tablespoon grated mozzerella cheese, salt and pepper.

Method:

Trim any fat off the chicken breasts and gently cut a pocket along the length of the breast, taking care not to cut right through. You want the chicken to still be in one piece.

Finely chop 2 of the sage leaves and combine with the cheese, butter and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon half of the mixture into the pocket you have made in the chicken breast. Repeat with the second one.

Lay 4 sage leaves on top of each of the chicken breasts and then wrap the chicken in 3 pieces of proscuitto each. Tuck under any stray bits of proscuitto so that the surface is smooth.

Bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes. Some of the butter will flow out of the chicken - use this to gently baste the chicken. Allow the chicken to rest for at least 5 minutes before serving and drizzle over the remaining pan juices.

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Luscious Lamb

Today's dish is a simple but delicious salad that makes a great weeknight meal. You can throw it all together in about 20 minutes and it is full of flavour and a lovely contrast of textures. I created this just out of what I had in the fridge, along with some beautiful saltbush lamb rump that I had purchased from the Addison Road Organic Market the weekend before. (See the bottom of this post for more information on saltbush lamb - if you have never tried it, I highly reccomend it!)  

I think that this recipe would work really well with beef or even pork if you aren't that keen on lamb. It would also make a nice shared salad for a buffet or BBQ - just place it on a big platter and let people help themselves. We ate our salad with some warmed flatbread, which was ideal for wrapping around the filling and also mopping up all the delicious juices from the meat and the dressing. Yummo!

I used organic cow's milk fetta and tiny black wild olives from South Australia for this dish, but use whatever olives or fetta you like - I also think that this would work with a touch of goat cheese, mozzerella or even some nice fresh ricotta in place of the fetta. This salad has quite bold flavours, so it calls for quite robust salad leaves, which is why I chose lovely crunchy Cos lettuce (which is also my favourite variety) I would avoid any greens that are too flimsy or delicate.

This recipe serves two people.

Saltbush lamb salad with pumpkin, fetta, mint and pomegranate

You will need:
(For the salad) 2 lamb steaks, 1 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon olive oil, cracked pepper, 1 baby cos lettuce (use a few handfuls of fully grown cos lettuce if you can't buy the baby version) 1/4 thinly sliced red onion, 1 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves, 1 tablespoon pomegranate seeds, 1 cup diced, cooked pumpkin (I just microwaved mine until soft), 1 tablespoon olives (I used tiny black, wild olives from South Australia), 1/2 cup cubed fetta cheese.

(For the dressing) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons white balsamic (you can use the dark balsamic if you can't get the white one), 1 tablespoon maple syrup, generous pinch of salt and pepper.

Method:
Combine the lamb steaks, teaspoon of olive oil, paprika and a generous grind of black pepper. Mix well and set aside. (You can do this a few hours ahead if you have the time)

Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or pepper if required. Feel free to also add more balsamic if you want the dressing to be particularly tangy. Set aside.

Heat a pan and cook your lamb steaks to your liking - I like my lamb pretty rare but obviously go with whatever makes you happy. When the steaks are cooked, put on a plate, cover with foil and allow them to rest while you assemble the salad ingredients.

Using all of the salad ingredients - except the dressing, assemble your salad. Slice your lamb steaks (across the grain) into pieces. Add to the salad.

Tip any juices from the plate that the lamb has been resting on into the dressing and whisk together.
Drizzle over the salad. Serve right away.

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About Saltbush Lamb

I source my lamb from Drover's Choice, based in Coonamble NSW. The lamb grazes on saltbush, a native plant which gives them a rich source of minerals and nutrients not readily available from other sources. Because it is a deep rooted perennial plant, it assists with sustainable land management as it helps to prevent salinity. Saltbush requires very little water to grow, so it does not need irrigation or watering by the farmers. It also allows native wildlife to co-exist with the flocks, which means it is more environmentally sustainable. And finally, saltbush gives the lamb a spectacular flavour, so both your tastebuds and the environment win.

To find out more, or to get a list of locations where you can purchase saltbush lamb, check out the Drover's Choice website:  http://www.saltbushmeats.com.au/

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Shopping & Cooking - Sunday Organic Market

I have lived in Marrickville for quite a few years and can't count the number of times I have passed the badly written sign at the Addison Road/Victoria Road intersection advertising the Addison Road Organic Sunday Market. A few times I have thought "Hmmm...must check that out one Sunday" - but never actually got my act together to go (despite it being only a 15 minute walk away from my house - pathetic, isn't it?) I also think that the sign was so crappy and amateur that I had visions that the said organic market would comprise of a few hippies selling some dodgy produce from a sarong draped card table. Well, on Sunday I woke up to a beautiful autumn morning and I needed to buy some supplies anyway, so I thought I would get out in the sunshine and pay the market a visit. The market is situated at 142 Addison Road in Marrickville, New South Wales - which is part of the Addison Road Centre - apparently the largest community centre in Australia. It houses a number of not for profit organisations and community groups, as well as hosting the market from 9am to 2pm each Sunday.

Fresh from the farm

We arrived right on 9am, and already there were groups of people heading down the driveway entrance with kids, dogs and shopping bags. A band was setting up under the trees and the aroma of coffee was completely seductive. I imagine that as the morning wears on, it could get quite busy, so I recommend an early start to ensure ease of shopping, and that you get your pick of the best stuff. The market is lovely to walk around being surrounded by trees and away from the main road. It is also the perfect spot to enjoy breakfast outside in the fresh air, which is what we did.

Actually, I confess to indulging in not one breakfast but two. (Degustation brekky anyone?) I could not resist the lure of beautiful, flaky, stretchy Roti Canai, (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roti_canai) served with a mildly spicy dahl to dip it into. Memories of breakfasts in Singapore came flooding back. The stall that sold these also had a beautiful selection of mostly Malaysian curries and treats - all of which smelt and looked amazing. I'm definitely going to pay them a visit again.  Breakfast number two was from a stall selling a variety of traditional German Sausages - we chose bratwurst that we devoured with saurkraut, onions, mustard and sauce served in a lovely fresh roll. Delicious. There are lots of other breakfast options, including fresh fruit juices, steamed dumplings, bacon and egg rolls, vegetarian treats and a few choices of coffee stalls (including Fairtrade) I plan on working my way around to all of them!

The first stall that caught our eye was Brasserie Breads - a Botany based artisan breadmaker that offered a stunning selection of organic savoury and sweet sourdoughs, pastries and other baked treats. After sampling a number of the breads on offer (and a deliciously aromatic sliver of freshly baked hot cross bun) we settled on a large traditional sourdough loaf, and a garlic loaf studded with masses of beautiful, gooey caramelised garlic. It smelt so good, I wanted to rip into it with my teeth right there! I managed to control myself and explored the rest of the market.

I love mushrooms so a stall specialising in mushrooms got my attention - I have never seen such a range of varieties for sale in one place. I was particularly interested in the lovely orangey, saffron coloured wild pine mushrooms. The lovely bloke running the stall told me that due to the recent rain, the pine mushroom harvest was particularly good. I couldn't leave without buying some of course!

Pretty mushies

Wandering through the stalls, I also picked up some gorgeous Tuscan cabbage (kale), fresh herbs, organic black figs (which I hope to turn into something delicious in the coming days), organic fetta cheese and some duck fat for those times when I want to feel all French and indulgent.

Another great stall I discovered was one specialising in various varieties of potatoes and garlic. I was very excited to see some types I didn't recognise and chose the deliciously named Dutch Cream variety to take home. I decided that those potatoes had a date to keep with my newly purchased duck fat later that evening...

From the potato/garlic man - I chose the Dutch Cream variety

As well as a good selection of fruit and vegetable stalls, the market has much more on offer - fresh flowers, organic cheeses, homemade preserves, herbs, eggs, honey, cakes and pies. There are also some plant stalls, second hand clothing, jewellery and bric a brac for those who like to fossick. The fun and relaxed atmosphere of the market made for a really enjoyable morning. It would be very easy to just sit under those trees drinking coffee, listening to the music and watching the eclectic passing parade all day if you wanted to. All shopping should be this enjoyable. I was impressed by the pricing of the produce on offer at Addison Road - sometimes choosing organic can be insanely expensive, but I felt that it was all pretty reasonable. Some of the trendier organic markets I have visited make choosing organic cost prohibitive for many of us, but this market seems to be more aimed at the local community and was a lot more reasonable. Certainly worth checking out  - even just as a pleasant Sunday morning breakfast excursion if nothing else.

What I bought on Sunday

I had already decided to try the Dutch Cream potatoes cooked in duck fat for dinner on Sunday evening and I teamed these with a salad of organic baby rocket (another market purchase), the organic fetta cheese, grape tomatoes and olives which I just drizzled with some olive oil and balsamic. I also slow cooked a leg of lamb with garlic, olive oil, a touch of white wine, lemon and rosemary (5 hours in my favourite cast iron/enamel pot at 190C) and added some of the gorgeous sticky garlic bread from Brasserie Breads for good measure.

What I cooked on Sunday

Sunday dinner was delicious - and there was plenty of left over lamb which I am already dreaming up plans for. I always like finding ways to create new dishes from leftovers - I'm notorious for over catering so it is a skill I'm trying to work on! I imagine you will see the lamb in some other incarnation in the coming days. The potatoes were a knockout - crispy on the outside and creamy and fluffy in the middle. I scored them all over with knife before I cooked them to maximise the surface area and to allow all that gorgeous duck fat to permeate through the potato. I used a tablespoon of the duck fat, which was plenty and just seasoned them with some sea salt and pepper. The potatoes had great flavour but weren't in the least greasy. If you see Dutch Cream potatoes for sale, give them a try - they are beautiful.

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Dinner with friends

Last night I hosted my first dinner at home for 2010 and I decided that I wanted something with big flavours that would be good for sharing around my living room table. Although I do have a small dining room (a converted second bedroom that I figured would get more use as a place to dine) I often serve dinner around my oversized coffee table. It makes for a much more chilled out atmosphere and we can all just lounge around without the formality of a dining room. The menu I put together for my guests was heavily influenced by spanish cuisine, starting with a whole selection of tapas style dishes that were served with warm crusty bread and plenty of wine. I followed this with a big bowl of fresh local mussels, a grilled vegetable salad and the chicken dish I cooked earlier in the week (I told you that it freezes well!) For dessert, I took advantage of the beautiful white peaches that are in season right now, and poached them in a vanilla and orange blossom water syrup. I served them with some double cream and topped them with some Pomona glace oranges.

I tried something new last night - I have seen various kinds of stuffed chillies served as part of a tapas selection and also in mexican and asian menus and I always like the idea of them. I made up my own recipe, which comprised of chorizo, breadcrumbs, garlic,and a touch of passata to moisten the mixture. I whizzed this all in the food processor and then split and de-seeded the chillies and filled them with the mixture. They were then put in a hot oven drizzled with olive oil for about half an hour. They were spectacularly good - smoky and melty and sexy. I swear I could eat a huge plate of them without stopping, they were so moreish. Perfect as a snack with beer but also great as a tapas/antipasto option. My only regret was not making a lot of them! I will be featuring these in many a menu in the future I think.

Here are some pretty pictures of what was on offer at Casa Gourmet Goddess last night.....

Warm mixed marinated olives, Green Sicilian olives, Chorizo stuffed chillies

From left: Grilled haloumi with lemon, Mixed chorizo (chicken and pork),

cheese stuffed peppers, red figs with proscuitto

Paprika crusted squid with aioli

Grilled vegetable salad with pomegranate balsamic dressing

Chicken with capers and olives

Steamed mussels with rich tomato and garlic butter sauce

Poached white peaches with orange blossom water and vanilla syrup

PS: Before I sign off, I have to thank Justin and Marek for treating us to a couple of bottles of my favourite fizz, Veuve Clicquot to kick off the evening in fine style. Thanks boys XX

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By special request....

Here at Gourmet Goddess we are all about satisfying the culinary cravings of those we care about, so this week when my friend and fellow food lover - the lovely Emily - asked me if I had a recpe for a mediterranean style chicken casserole dish, I promised her that I would whip one up on the weekend and post the recipe. This chicken dish I have chosen is very rustic and the flavours are bold, with the addition of fennel, olives and capers. The sauce also contains anchovies. Now, if you hate anchovies, don't go all skittish on me (you are already screwing up your nose, aren't you??) Anchovies add a beautiful piquant quality to the sauce and I promise you that it won't taste even remotely fishy. They really do add something special to the dish, so don't be tempted to leave them out. I really love capers in a whole range of dishes and they really work well with mediterranean flavours. Generally I prefer to use the salted capers - you just need to rinse the salt off them before use. If you can only get the ones in vinegar, that's fine - just drain them well. The smaller capers are much nicer than the really large ones too, so look out for the smaller "baby" capers.

This dish can be made ahead and is actually even more delicious the next day. Perfect for entertaining if you want a "set and forget" meal that will not keep you away from your guests. It is also ideal for freezing, which is what I am doing with the batch I've made tonight. It is gorgeous as a pie filling too. Put the mixture in a dish or in individual ramekins and whack some puff pastry on the top. Cook until the pastry is puffed and golden and presto! Mediterranean chicken pie. This casserole is lovely with polenta, green vegetables such as broad beans or zucchini or with crusty, garlic grilled bread.

So, here you are Em - hope you enjoy this one....

Mediterranean chicken with olives and capers

You will need: 1kg boneless chicken thighs, 2 tablespoons plain flour, 2 tablespoons mild paprika, 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 2 large onions, 1 small fennel bulb, 4 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup roughly chopped pitted olives (I used a mixture of red and green), 1 tablespoon capers, 1 bay leaf, 4 anchovies finely chopped, olive oil, 1 litre chicken stock, 1 tin crushed tomatoes, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper.

Method: Trim the excess fat from the chicken thighs and if the chicken thighs are all in one large piece when you buy them, cut them in two. Combine the plain flour, cayenne, a generous amount of black pepper and 1 tablespoon of the paprika - coat the chicken well in that mixture. Heat some olive oil in a casserole dish on the stovetop and brown the chicken till golden, a few pieces at a time. Don't overcrowd the pan - you want to brown the chicken at this stage, not stew it. Put the chicken aside.

Slice the onion and fennel (only use the white part of the fennel bulb). Heat a splash of olive oil in the pan and cook the fennel and onion until it starts to soften. Add the bay leaf, garlic, anchovies, olives and capers and combine well. Add the chicken, stock, tomatoes, balsamic and 1 tablespoon paprika. Bring to a simmer and then cover the pan and transfer it to a moderate oven.

Cook for 1 hour with the lid on, stirring a few times during the cooking. After the 1 hour mark, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if required. Turn the oven up high and cook the chicken for another 20 minutes so that the sauce reduces furter before serving. Serves 4-6 people.

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Spring Chicken

Hi everyone - I am away in Brisbane for work this week, so I'm doing lots of eating out! But....here is something that I cooked last Sunday. I was in the mood for a roast, but with lighter flavours and something a bit more spring-like. I decided on Italian flavours and served the chicken with a simple salad of cherry tomatoes, bocconcini, basil and olives (and just a splash of white wine vinegar and good extra virgin olive oil) 

This chicken is made super moist by making up a small amount of garlic butter that is put under the skin, so as it cooks it is infused by garlicky gorgeousness. You could use the same principle with chicken pieces if you like. The stuffing is quite light and fresh tasting and I didn't make any gravy to serve with this. It has enough great flavour by itself - just pour the pan juices over. Delicious.

Garlicky roast chicken with proscuitto and lemon stuffing

You will need: 1 x Number 14 chicken (1.4kg), 1 tablespoon salted butter, 3 cloves finely chopped/minced garlic, 2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, 1 egg, 6 thin slices proscuitto chopped finely, 1 onion finely chopped, 2 tablespoons chopped continental parsley, 1 tablespoon chopped capers, 1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon rind, 1 tablespoon grated parmesan, salt and pepper.

Method: Combine the garlic and the butter well. Set aside. Rinse the chicken in cold water in and out, dry with a paper towel and set aside.

Combine all remaining ingredients to make the stuffing. Mixing it with your hands is the most effective method. Stuff the chicken with the stuffing.

Take the butter and gently push it under the skin of the chicken, taking care not to tear it.

Bake the chicken in a preheated oven at 240C for an hour and fifteen minutes. Allow it to rest for 15 minutes before serving.

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The taste of Spring - Lamb

As you all know, I purchased some beautiful Mirrool Creek lamb shanks at the Eveleigh Farmer's Market on the weekend. On Sunday I took advantage of the fact that I was at home all day to treat myself to the delight that is slow cooked lamb shanks. To go with the Spring theme, I decided to serve the shanks with some crispy sliced potatoes and a fresh watercress, Kalamata olive and blood orange salad, drizzled with a small amount of good extra virgin olive oil.

I flavoured the shanks with the rind from the organic blood oranges I bought from the market, garlic and fresh rosemary. The result was absolutely delicious. The meat was meltingly tender and the flavour of the orange and the rosemary was perfect with the sweetness of the lamb. This dish was so, so simple to put together, with very few ingredients. It is the long, slow cooking that really allows all of the flavours to shine and makes this dish special. It is worth the wait, believe me!

Slow cooked lamb shanks with rosemary and orange

You will need: 4 Frenched (trimmed) lamb shanks, 3 x pieces of orange rind about 6 cm long (remove as much of the white pith as you can so that it does not make the dish bitter) 1 large brown onion cut into medium sized pieces, 4 sliced cloves garlic, 1 x sprig fresh rosemary about 6 cm long, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1 cup water, salt and pepper, 1 tablespoon flour, 1 teaspoon paprika.

Method: Ideally, you should use a casserole dish for this that can go from the stovetop to the oven- a heavy cast iron dish is perfect. If you do not have one of these, you will need to do the first step in a frypan and then transfer the shanks to lidded casserole dish for the oven cooking part of the process.

Mix the flour, paprika and some pepper in a plastic bag. Add the shanks and dust them with the flour. Heat the oil in a pan on the stove and sear the shanks until they are browned. Add the onion and garlic and let these cook for about 5 mintues. Add the water, orange rind and rosemary and combine well.

Put the lid on the dish and transfer the shanks to the oven. Cook covered, on a low/medium heat for 2 hours. From time to time check the shanks and turn them, also give the onions a stir, adding a little more water if they start to dry out. There should be about a 1cm layer of liquid in the pan at all times. Eventually the onions and orange rind will break down to a puree-like consistency. This will form the sauce to spoon over the meat.

When the meat is done, let it rest out of the oven with the lid on for 15mins before serving.
Serve with crispy potatoes and a salad. Serves 4.


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Spring Chicken

The whole stuffed chicken breast thing is a bit old fashioned and retro I know, but I wanted something more than just a plain old grilled chicken breast for dinner last night. I put together a simple but really tasty filling of ricotta and italian flavours and served it with some beautiful green peas and beans jazzed up with mint and fetta for a fresh side dish. The result was a dish that felt very spring.

Chicken breast is always the least flavoursome of the various cuts of chicken, and it is always a challenge to cook it through whilst keeping it moist and succulent. I can't count the number of times I've been served overcooked, dry and tasteless chicken! The technique I used for this recipe is a great way to ensure that your chicken breast stays moist and retains as much flavour as possible. Sear first, then bake in the oven and be sure to rest it before serving for a tender result.

I made this dish up as I went along last night, but I think I will be cooking it again. The lightness of the dish and the lovely fresh flavours were really enjoyable. It would make a great do-ahead dinner party dish - just prepare the chicken a few hours ahead up to the searing stage and refrigerate until you are ready to cook it. The side dish only takes a few minutes, so you could have everything done in under half an hour. Anyway, here it is......

Ricotta, olive and tomato filled breast of chicken

with minted beans and fetta

You will need: For the chicken (Per person)1 skinless chicken breast, 1 tablespoon ricotta, 1 teaspoon chopped black olives, 1 teaspoon grated parmesan, 1 teaspoon semi dried tomatoes, 1 teaspoon finely chopped spring onion, salt and pepper, olive oil.

For the side dish:(Serves up to 4) 1 cup peas, 1/2 cup sliced green beans, 1/2 cup peeled broad beans, 1 tablespoon finely sliced fresh mint, 2 tablespoons crumbled fetta, pepper, salt, a squeeze of fresh lemon (plus some extra lemon slices to serve), extra virgin olive oil.

Method: Combine the ricotta, olives, parmesan semi dried tomatoes, spring onion and salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Carefully cut a deep pocket in the chicken breast/s. Gently fill the cavity with the stuffing. Rub the outside of the chicken with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Heat a frypan/grill pan and sear the chicken till golden on both sides. Transfer the chicken to a baking dish and bake in a moderate oven for about 15 mins. Allow the chicken to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

To prepare the veges - steam the green beans, peas and broad beans. When cooked, toss through the mint, fetta, salt and pepper and a generous splash of olive oil. Serve with the chicken and some extra lemon and be sure to pour any juices from the chicken over the dish.

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