Spicy & Sweet Lamb Drumsticks

It is traditional during Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) to serve foods that are golden and sweet. The gold part is meant to symbolize prosperity. Sweetness represents a pleasant year ahead. There are many other religious points of reference when it comes to food during this time and indeed for Jewish food in general, but that’s about as far as I am willing to go with pious cooking actions.
I’m not Jewish and not particularly religious (though I do study Kabbalah), but I can’t help getting into a celebratory mood and cooking up a feast. In fact I don’t even need a reason. If I want to eat something, I’m going to cook it. And why not? Most people I know celebrate Christmas and Easter. And that includes roast turkeys and chocolate eggs, etc. Yet most of those people don’t go to church or even claim to be Christian. So with that in mind, I don’t feel the need to be Jewish to have to braise lamb shanks for the Jewish New Year either. The fact that it is springtime just makes me want to go on a lamb feast anyway.
This dish is best if you cook it the day ahead (it does take all day to cook). The flavours improve upon standing. Lamb shanks also throw a copious amount of fat during cooking- its much easier to remove the fat, once it has cooled and solidified.
I served these sweet and spicy lamb shanks with saffron rice, chickpeas and sautéed garlicky leafy broccoli- it was one of the best meals I have cooked all year.

Components
4 Lamb shanks
Olive oil or duck fat
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 red pepper, coarsely chopped
(Remove the skin if you like- I use a potato peeler)
1 dried red chili, finely chopped
1 tsp Spanish sweet paprika
1 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
1-2 pieces cassia bark or cinnamon sticks
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
150ml red wine
400g tin Italian tomatoes
Stock, to cover
Honey, a generous drizzle
Sea salt
Toasted pine nuts

Process
Heat up a spoonful of olive oil or duck fat in pot large enough to hold the lamb shanks. Brown the lamb on all sides and remove to a plate.
Put the onion, garlic and peppers, chili and oregano into the same pot. Lower the heat and cook the aromatics until they have softened- about 15 minutes.
Add the paprikas and cook for a further minute.
Place the shanks back into the pot. Splash in the wine and add the tomatoes too (I don’t bother chopping them). Add enough stock to submerge everything.
Cover the pot and simmer until the meats are tender and almost falling of the bones. It is important to cook everything very, very slowly. And patience is definitely required- mine took about 6 hours to reach the fork- tender stage. It is also a good idea to keep an eye on how the flavours are developing during cooking. You may want to remove the cassia or cinnamon once its reached the right point.
When everything is nice and tender leave it in a cool place until the next day.
When you are ready to serve the following day, scrape away most of the fat (leave some).
Put the pot over a low heat and reheat gradually. This dish needs to be reheated slowly- the meat is dense and takes time to heat through properly.
Once the temperature is right, drizzle over a generous amount of honey to flavour and sweeten the stew. Check for saltiness too.
Sprinkle over with pine nuts and parsley. Serves 4 carnivores.

Beef Braised in Red Wine with Potato Puree

If I had to choose one dish that perfectly symbolizes winter, this would be the one. Not a winter goes by without it making several appearances at my table. It does mutate a little each year though, usually by adding a little dash of something new or by the exclusion of one element or another. You know, to represent the “zeitgeist”. Similar to the way fashion evolves each season. This year I chose to add orange juice and cassia bark (to the braise) and finely chopped orange zest and parsley (to sprinkle over at the end)
Essentially it is the same as Coq au Vin. If you would like my recipe go here. Substitute well-marbled beef for the chicken. Oyster blade steak is the best in my opinion for braising and stews. The meat in marinade pictured below is so completely marbled it almost looks like wagyu.

Obviously the cooking time will be longer. You will know when it is ready- the meat will fall to pieces with the gentlest of touches.
As I mentioned earlier, it is good to add a little something extra to give the dish an individual character. Cubes of pumpkin or sweet red peppers instead of mushrooms and pickling onions make a pleasant change. Or you can vary the flavours by adding spices- cardamom, chili, cumin, and paprika. Port can be substituted for red wine. The list is endless and limited to your imagination. And I would leave out the chicken livers when doing the beef version.
Moving right along. Please don’t think that I pipe my potato puree into pretty rosettes on a regular basis. I did it for the photo. The only other time I have done it was for a dinner I cooked for a friend. I must have been desperate to impress. Oh dear- very desperate indeed!
And yes. In my house it is called “potato puree”. Not mash. I cannot stand to eat English style mashed potatoes- stodge, stodge and more stodge.

This how I have done mine for years:
For two people you will need 500g floury potatoes. I use Toolangi Delight (pictured below) - an Australian variety with a white flesh and purple skin. Peel the potatoes, cut into large chunks and steam until tender. Pass them through the mouli (the disc with the smallest holes) into a clean saucepan.
Add a splash of milk, cream and a generous amount of cultured unsalted butter. I have never measured these amounts, so I am guessing about 50ml of each. Add also 1 tsp of cumin, plenty of fine sea salt and freshly ground white pepper. Place over a gentle heat and stir like crazy until all the elements are well combined and the mixture is hot.
You can adjust the consistency by adding more or less milk. If you are making the puree ahead of time (and I often do) put it into a microwave proof bowl and cover with cling wrap. It reheats successfully in the microwave- just give it a stir every minute or so.
Following this method your puree will be light and fluid in texture, with a delicate, rich flavour.

Ossobuco braised with Tomatoes and White Wine

Traditionally, ossobuco is braised without tomatoes. If one is cooking ossobuco with tomatoes then it is incorrect to call it “Ossobuco alla Milanese” So for this reason I have refrained from naming today’s recipe as such.
This is the first time I have actually cooked my ossobuco with tomato. I usually do mine “in bianco” , that is, without tomato. I wanted to try it because it seems to be the most popular way to do it here in Australia. I did enjoy it this way, but I do prefer the traditional Milanese way - braised simply with dry white wine and finished with gremolata. It’s a more elegant approach to a delicate meat like veal. Tomato seems to mask its delicate flavour.
I also did as most Aussie restaurants do and served my tomato braised ossobuco with Risotto alla Milanese (saffron risotto). I think that was a mistake to do so. The two simply clashed! Tomatoes are just too assertive a flavour to complement the perfumed fragrance of saffron. Pureed potato or soft polenta would have been a better match. Oh well, live and learn!

Ingredients
1 kg veal ossobuco
½ tsp mustard powder
1 tbsp flour
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra
1 red onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp finely chopped thyme
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
250ml white wine
400g tin Italian tomatoes, chopped
Zest from 1 lemon, in large strips
A few pinches of freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

For the gremolata
Finely chopped lemon zest, garlic and parsley

Method
In a small bowl, mix together the mustard and flour. Use this flour to lightly coat the pieces of ossobuco. You may need more or less flour, depending on the size of the meat.
In a wide and deep saucepan, sauté the onion, garlic, parsley, thyme and rosemary for 15 minutes or until the onion has softened. Remove the onion to a small plate.
Add a touch more oil to the pan and turn the heat to high. Add the ossobuco to the pan in a single layer and cook for 1 minute each side, just enough to seal and lightly colour the meat. Remove the meat to a plate.
Throw the wine into the pan and deglaze, stirring and scraping to dissolve any caramelization on the base of the pan. Add the strips of lemon zest and the chopped tomatoes.
Return the meat and onion to the saucepan.
Add water (or stock), to barely cover the meat. Bring the stew to a simmer and cover the pan with a lid. Allow to simmer for 1 to 2 hours or until the meat is very tender. If you can be bothered, remove the strips of lemon zest. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
For the gremolata: Chop the lemon zest, garlic and parsley to a very fine powder. I use more parsley than lemon, and garlic the least. But compose your gremolata to suit youself. It should be prepared just before using, as parsley loses its fragrance within minutes.
Sprinkle over the ossobuco.
Enough for 2 or 3 serves.

Oxtail braised with Sherry and Grapes

As the days get shorter and the temperature gets cooler, I await with anticipation for winter, my favorite season. The foods that I enjoy cooking and eating the most are those cooked very, very slowly and for a long time. Like braised oxtail, which is so tasty, nourishing and simply perfect for this time of year. I get more satisfaction in preparing these types of stews than say a dish, which is quickly cooked and ready in minutes, like porterhouse steak. Don’t get me wrong, I love steak (especially if its waygu), but the texture of slowly braised meat and its dark and sticky braising liquid is unbeatable. And much cheaper than waygu steak.
Braised oxtail does require planning if you intend to make it. You may need to give your butcher notice to order it for you and it may only be available frozen. So keep in mind it will require another day to defrost in the fridge. Oxtail takes a long time to cook. That’s just the nature of the beast. The oxtail I prepared for this recipe took 12 hours to become tender! However that is unusual, and in all the years I have braised oxtail, the meat has become tender in less than 5 hours. Oxtail does throw a large amount of fat during the cooking process, so it is a good idea to refrigerate the dish after cooking to allow the fat to rise and set, so you can remove the fat easily. It is a lengthy process but an easy one and I think the result is well worth it.

Ingredients
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Fresh thyme
350ml dry sherry (or other fortified wine)
750ml stock (fake is fine)
1 kilo oxtail, chopped into pieces (ask the butcher)
1 tsp sherry vinegar
1-2 tsp brown sugar (to taste)
Fresh chopped parsley
20 red grapes
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Method
In a large saucepan, gently sauté the onion, celery, garlic and thyme with the olive oil for 30minutes or until caramelized.
Add the sherry and stock. Bring to a simmer.
Add the oxtails and adjust the heat to the lowest setting.
Cook very gently for anywhere between 4 to 12 hours. Do not allow to boil. Maintain the temperature below a simmer, so the liquid barely trembles.
During the braising process maintain the liquid level so the pieces of oxtail are submerged.
When the meat is falling from the bones, remove the pieces to a plate and keep warm.
In the meantime peel the grapes. This is done the same way as you do with tomatoes. Cut a small incision in the top of the grape. Place the grapes into a small bowl and pour over boiling water. Leave for about 1-2 minutes. The skins should peel away easily.
Add the vinegar and sugar to the braising liquid and reduce at a higher heat, until thickened to your liking.
Return the oxtail pieces with the grapes to the sauce and reheat gently for a minute. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley. Serve with potato puree. Enough for two.

Braised Squid with Clams, Mussels and White Wine

I was very surprised to learn the other day, that calamari and squid are two different creatures in Australia. All my reference books tell me they are the same. But not according to my fishmonger. When I asked what the difference was, I was told squid “has a stronger flavour” As I prefer stronger flavours, I chose the squid. I also noticed a very big difference in price. Whereas squid is very cheap at $5 a kilo, calamari was $25 a kilo. I asked why that was. Well apparently, there are more squid in the sea than calamari. I honestly think it is quite bizarre. The squid was utterly delicious, tasting of the sea and very tender. I never really gave attention to what I was buying in the past, because I always thought they were the same. I cannot help to think that maybe calamari is highly priced only because of the name. I mean “calamari” does sound more glamorous and exotic than “squid”. Who knows?

Ingredients
500g squid
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
Freshly chopped parsley
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
250ml white wine
500ml fish stock (I used fake)
2 tsp tomato paste
Fresh black pepper
10 fresh clams
6 mussels

Method.
Get the fishmonger to clean the squid for you. Ask he/she to leave it in 2 pieces- the arms and tentacles, and the body. Cut the squid in pieces-about 8cm long or so.
Put the garlic, parsley and oil in a pan and cook over a low heat for a couple of minutes. Do not allow the garlic to color.
Add the wine and tomato paste. Allow to bubble and reduce for a couple of minutes.
Add the squid and fish stock. Season with pepper. Cover the pot, turn the heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes, or until the squid is well cooked and tender. Keep an eye on the squid and do not over cook. Over cooked squid will become dry and acquire a stingy chicken-like texture. I have made this mistake in the past, and it is revolting.
Add the mussels and clams to the stew, cover and cook until they have opened. Discard any shellfish that refuse to open.
Sprinkle with more parsley and serve the seafood stew with saffron rice and lots of bread to mop up the salty juices. Serves 2.

Veal and Spinach Involtini

Try to find white, milk fed veal for this dish. I'm sorry to say, darker grass fed veal will dissapoint - it is dry and tasteless, and no magical cooking technique will correct this problem.
For this dish, veal slices are spread with a lemon and spinach paste, rolled and fastened with string. The veal rolls (or involtini) are then braised gently until they are tender.
This dish is suitable for a casual weekday dinner, or if multiplied, would do very well as an elegant dish for a fancy dinner. I like to serve this dish with braised mushrooms.

Ingredients
600g sliced veal (about 8 – 10 escalopes, palm size)
200g baby spinach leaves
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly chopped rosemary needles
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
2-3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
30g butter
sea salt
Fresh white pepper
Fresh black pepper
Freshly chopped parsley

Method
Use a meat mallet to pound the veal slices, so they are thin.
In a large saucepan, cook the spinach until wilted. Remove to a sieve and allow to drain naturally (I think people who squeeze spinach to extract the liquid are crazy!). When it is cool, chop it finely.
Cook the onion in oil gently, until soft and sweet (about 20minutes).
Add the spinach, lemon zest, rosemary, salt and both peppers. Cook gently for 15 minutes. The spinach will deepen and sweeten in flavour.
Spread the spinach mixture onto each veal slice, roll and tie with string.
In a pan large enough to fit all the veal rolls, heat 1 tbsp of oil over a high heat and brown the veal rolls on all sides.
Throw in a glass of water, lower the heat, cover and braise gently for 45 minutes. Check from time to time the pan isn’t drying up. Add more water if this is the case. I also throw in a couple of woody rosemary stalks (no leaves) for extra flavour
Remove the rolls to a plate, when they are tender.
Add lemon juice and enough water to the pan to create a sauce. Turn off the heat, and throw in the butter, amalgamating well into the sauce.
Check the seasoning and serve the sauce drizzled over the veal rolls, with chopped parsley. Enough for 2-3 people.
I don’t remove the strings before serving, but of course, do so if you wish.

Wild Pigeon Ragu

Last nights dinner was a moment of culinary perfection in my kitchen, and at my table. Eating food like this makes you realize why Italians love their food so much and, in my view, excuses their chauvinist behaviour. This is the best dish I have cooked all year.


Ingredients
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive
1 wild squab pigeon (you can used farmed, of course)
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (I used spring garlic)
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
200 ml fortified wine (Sherry, Marsala, Madeira etc)
400g can Italian tomatoes, chopped
200ml reduced stock (I used pigeon)
Sugar
Sea salt
Fresh black Pepper

Method
Check around the wing joint for any stray plumage and remove with tweezers.
Chop of the head, if still attached. Wash the bird under running water, to remove all traces blood. Pat the pigeon dry with a kitchen towel.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the bird lightly all over. This will only take a few minutes. Remove the bird to a plate.
Over a low heat, sauté the garlic and sage, just until the garlic turns white. Do not allow the garlic to colour in any way.
Deglaze the pan with your chosen wine and reduce until syrupy.
Add the tomatoes, stock and pigeon.
Add water until the bird is 2/3 submerged.
Cover the pot and simmer gently, turning the bird every 30 minutes or so, until the bird is tender and the leg pulls away easily from the body. Mine took 2 ½ hours to reach this point. The older the bird, the longer the cooking time. I do not mind in the slightest, being held hostage in the kitchen by these birds as they braise. It is well worth the end result. From time to time, you will need to add water to the pot to prevent the braising liquid reducing too quickly.
Allow to cool.
Remove all the meat from the bones. Discard the bones and skin.
Throw the meat back into the sauce. Season with salt and plenty of pepper. Add a touch of sugar to balance the acidity level, and reduce until you are satisfied with the depth of flavour and consistency.
Toss this divine sauce with the freshest and best quality tagliatelle and some butter. Serve with fresh Parmesan cheese.
This amount of sauce should be enough to coat about 300-400g fresh tagliatelle.

Braised Octopus with Lemon and Mint

This is a lovely little dish for the warmer weather. Already prepared baby octopus are cheap and cheerful. All that needs doing is cutting away the head from the body and slicing off the beak. This only takes minutes so don’t be put offa preparing this. The fishmonger has done the dirty work for you. Note that in this recipe I only use the woody stalks of the rosemary and not the leaves. This imparts a soft rosemary flavour and doesn’t compete with the mint.

Ingredients
500g Baby octopus, prepared as above
Extra virgin olive oil
6 baby onions, peeled & left whole
1 dried chilli , crumbled
2 garlic cloves, whole but crushed
1 tsp dried oregano
2 rosemary stalks, leaves removed and discarded
Fresh mint
Fresh parsley
Lemon
Fresh pepper

Method
Place the octopus, onions, chilli, garlic, oregano, rosemary stalks and a splash of olive oil into a pan.
Turn the heat to low and cover the pan. Cook this slowly for about 1 hour. The octopus will cook in its own juices and will be tender and very tasty.
Fish out and discard the rosemary stalks.
At this point I take of the lid ,season lightly, and allow it to cool.
When ready to serve I add lots of fresh herbs, a squeeze of lemon and a splash more of oil.
I serve this at room temperature as a sort of cold stew/salad thing. Accompany with steamed saffron rice and steamed asparagus.
Variation- I haven’t tried it but I imagine some currants and roasted pinenuts at the end would make a nice addition.
Serves 2