Saturday, December 26, 2009

Christmas Cake




After listening to Kate Nelson, also known as Floral Apron, on ABC radio I was inspired to bake my first Christmas cake. After all, we were going to be the host family for the Christmas 2009 Rellie Bash. I was somewhat apprehensive as baking was not part of my culinary  repertoire. Needless to say true to her word this was a really good foolproof recipe and judging by the feedback from family it was an outstanding success. This may have been due to the half bottle of brandy lovingly brushed on to the cake for the weeks leading up to Christmas.



Ingredients
3 cups (500g) sultanas
1 1/2 cups (250g) raisin chopped
 2/3 cup (140g) red glace cherries, quartered
3/4 cup (125g) dried currants
 3/4 cup (125g) mixed peel
2 tablespoons marmalade
 1/2 cup (125ml) brandy
250g softened butter
grated orange rind of one orange
 grated lemon rind of one lemon
 1 cup (200g) firmly packed brown sugar
 4 eggs
2 cups (300g) plain flour
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 tablespoons brandy extra for brushing the cake when cooked

Method

 Line the base and sides of a 19cm deep square or 22cm deep round cake tin with 3 thicknesses of baking paper, bringing the paper 5cm above the edge of the cake pan.
Mix fruit, marmalade and rum in a large bowl.
Beat butter, rinds and sugar in a small bowl with electric mixer until just combined and then beat in the eggs, 1 at a time, until just combined between additions.
Using a wooden spoon stir the butter mixture into the fruit mixture then mix in the sifted flour and spice.
Spread mixture evenly into the prepared cake tin.
Bake in a slow oven for 3 1/2 hours. (Or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.)
Cover the cake with foil if top is browning too fast.
When cooked, brush extra brandy over top, cover the hot cake still in the pan with foil and allow to cool completely.
Wrap the cake in foil and store in cool dry space.
The cake can be made and stored for several months. 


Tip: Brush the top of the cake with 2 tablespoons brandy every few weeks and you will be rewarded by extra flavor and a beautiful moist cake when it is finally ready to be eaten.


Beverage: A nice cup of tea, Orange Pekoe or English Breakfast would go down a treat. Or perhaps a Morris of Rutherglen liqueur tawny port as suggested by Long_Mach.  

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Ema datshi - Chillie and cheese


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Recently when visiting Bhutan I was introduced to Ema datshi or chillie and cheese stew. The Buhtanese eat chillie as a vegetable and there are many variations to this recipe. This is the basic version minus the yak cheese for which I have substituted  equal portions of low fat cottage cheese and Costello Blue.

4-6 large green or red chillies
100 gms low fat cottage cheese
100 gms Costello Blue cheese
2-3 cloves Garlic
1  tsp salt (2 if you don't suffer from hypertension - Buthanese like lots of salt in their food)
1 tbs Ghee or butter
1 cup water

Cut the chillies in half  lenghtways and remove the membrane and seeds (if you want a milder version) then cut the chillies into wide diagonal strips about 4 per half chillie.
In a small fry pan add the butter, water, chillies, garlic and salt and gently bring them to a simmer for several minutes until the chillies soften and liquid reduced by half.
Add the cheeses to the mixture stirring untill the cheese has melted into a nice cheese sauce consistency.
Remove from the heat and serve with red or white rice.

Serve ema datshi as a side dish with any curry or bbq beef or lamb.
Leftovers are great as a dip or on toast for breakfast.




Spinach Paneer Curry

This is a beautiful vegetable curry which can be served with another vegetable, fish or chicken curry. Paneer cheese is available in most Asian grocers or well stocked supermarkets. A firm feta can be used as a substitute. Likewise silver beet with stalks removed can be a good substitute for spinach.


750gms baby spinach
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp ground/crushed cumin seeds
1 large onion, chopped
Thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into long julienne
1½ tbsp chopped garlic
1-2 green chillies, whole
2 tsp ground coriander
Pepper and salt, to taste
250gms Paneer cheese cut into cubes, or use firm Feta cheese.
½-1 tsp garam masala
6 tbsp whole milk
1-2 tsp lemon juice, or to taste


Blanch the spinach in hot water for three minutes or until wilted. Drain into a colander and run cold water over it until cool. Place in a clean tea towel and squeeze out any remaining water. Place spinach in a food processor and blend to a smooth paste and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the cumin and fry for about 30 seconds, until fragrant, then add the onion and fry over a low heat for about six minutes, until soft. Add the ginger, garlic and chillies and cook for a further minute.


Add the ground coriander and salt to taste. Cook for another 30 seconds then add the spinach and a splash of water if necessary. The mixture should be loose but not watery. Bring to a boil and then simmer for three minutes.


Add the paneer cubes, garam masala and milk or cream. Stir and cook for a few minutes or until the spinach is nice and creamy. Stir in the lemon juice to taste.

Serve with steamed rice or naan bread.

Fish Curry

This fish curry has been a family favorite since I first made it a few years ago. The recipe needs a firm fleshed fish,  I have used Rankin Cod and Pearl Perch both work well.

3-400 gms Rankin Cod or Pearl Perch cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 cup Olive oil
1 Red or green chillie very thinly sliced * optional
1 Brown onion thinly sliced
1 tbs Fresh ginger thinly sliced into match stick sized pieces
2 Garlic cloves thinly sliced
1½ teaspoons Garam masala
2 teaspoons Paprika
1½ teaspoons Turmeric powder
2 teaspoons sea salt
½ cup water
½ cup Plain Greek yoghurt  (preferred as it will not split when heated)
Lime

On a medium temperature heat the olive oil, adding the chillie*, onion, ginger and garlic so as to soften the vegetables just to the point of being light brown. This should take about 10 minutes.
Add the garam masala, paprika, turmeric powder and sea salt, stirring for a further 2 minutes or until aromatic.
Add water and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Add fish to pan and stir gently to cover fish with sauce and simmer for 2-4 minutes.
Add yoghurt and lime juice, remove from heat and stir gently.
Serve with steamed rice. Garnish with fresh coriander.
An excellent vegetable accompaniment with this curry is Spinach Paneer Curry.  

Wine a good Semillon or Chardonnay would go well with this dish.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Real “Healthy”Sausage Rolls

Ingredients


  • 750-800gms pork mince obtained from 6 thick Italian pork sausages (I prefer to use a mixture of hot and normal Italian sausages purchased from a quality Italian butcher like M and M Princie Butchers North Perth.)
  • Medium zucchini coarsely grated
  • Medium carrot coarsely grated
  • 1 large brown onion finely chopped
  • 2-4 cloves garlic minced finely or crushed
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 egg wash*(for sealing pastry and glazing pastry)
  • 4 pieces Papas Puff Pastry (low fat)
  • Sesame or poppy seed


Method
Squeeze out all water from zucchini in tea towel to avoid soggy pastry.
Mix all wet ingredients except the egg ensuring everything is evenly mixed.
Brush edge of puff pastry with egg wash.
Spoon and spread sausage mixture (about the size thickness of a thin bbq sausage) on pastry edge.
Gently roll pastry towards the edge brushed with egg wash.
Sausage rolls can be cut to portion sizes at this stage prior to baking.
Place sausage rolls on baking tray lined with baking paper ensuring the sealed base is placed on the baking sheet.
Allow 10mm space between each sausage roll to allow even baking and avoid pastry sticking.
Brush sausage roll top and edges with egg wash.
Sprinkle with sesame seed or poppy seed.
Bake in preheated fan forced oven 200 C for 20 minutes then check if necessary gently turn over to ensure bottom of pastry is cooked and bake further 5- 10 minutes as required.

Serve with tomato relish or ketchup.

Notes

This recipe has been adapted from Marg Johnsons original recipe posted on the ABC Radio web site. It has been used for many family gatherings and has always been a favourite. You can also add some grated Tasty cheese to the mix by reducing an equal amount of sausage mince. The recipe should provide you with 48 cocktail size sausage rolls.

Beverage Match

To bring out the Italian in you try a soft red wine like a Farnese, Montepulciano D'Abruzzo from Italy or a local Sangiovese. If it is beer that you fancy why not try a cold Peroni Nastro Azzurro.

Ciao amici.

Monday, October 26, 2009

A bit about me and my cooking background:

Now that I am a man of leisure, I can focus on writing about one of my favourite topics; food and all the good things associated with epicurean pleasures.

My interest in food preparation was inherited from my Polish/Ukrainian heritage where traditional recipes and appropriate beverages were always the cornerstone for special occasions with family and friends. I guess that is no different from other European cultures. My father was the one who dominated in the kitchen and was my first mentor teaching me how the traditional Polish and Ukrainian dishes were prepared.

Leaving home in my teens and living with a few blokes who mostly lived on pub counter meals, takeaways and breakfast cereals provided me with the opportunity to put into practice some of the skills learned in my days at home with the folks.

Conscription for National Service in 1970 provided me with the opportunity to follow my passion for food. After completing 10 weeks basic training at Puckapunyal in Victoria, conscripts were given the opportunity to do trade training in an appropriate army corps. I chose catering and was transferred to Bonegilla which was an old revamped migrant camp near the New South Wales, Victorian border town of Albury. There we where given an Australian Army Cook Manual and intensive training on all that an army cook needed to know to feed the troops. Working in the butcher shop was a very valuable experience. Learning about breaking up beef, lamb and pork carcasses and preparing the various cuts for the kitchen was part of the training. We were taught all the various cooking skills including baking and I can recall making 100's of bread rolls for the mess. Menu preparation and pantry management were also valuable skills which I acquired.

At the end of the 12 weeks training I was lucky enough to be posted to the SAS Regiment at Swanbourne. Thankfully still with the Catering Corps, so I didn't have to do the soldiering stuff. On meeting the Warrant Officer Caterer (boss of the cooks) I was asked what experience I had in cooking. I told a white lie telling him I worked for Kings Park Restaurant, when actually I worked there as a part time cleaner. That meant I was destined for better things and not the O.R. (Ordinary Ranks) Mess. I spent the remainder of my National Service time working in the Officers' Mess.

My mentor there was a civilian cook, an Italian gentleman named Santo Ferrarra; he was may savior from all the regular army stuff, teaching me all his skills, tricks and recipes. We worked really well as a team after I got my feet on the ground. I learnt heaps, catering for officers who demanded better meals than the average digger, lots of catering for special functions and even a few weddings. When the Gurkas stayed in the mess during their brass bands visit for the Royal Show I even was taught some of their ways of preparing really good curry with tin bully beef, but that's a story for another blog.
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