Slow Shanks (with Lemon & Spices)

I haven’t been around lately (just in case you haven’t noticed). Not only from the food “blogosphere” but mentally and physically too. Various reasons have slowed my world down. It’s been a time of reflection rather than a time of action. A moment to think. Or just read. But I can’t do that forever (as much as the introvert inside me wants to). It is time to wake up and smell the roses. Or smell the coffee, as some would say…


I am finding this family food topic more challenging than I initially thought. Growing up, we probably ate chicken 3 or 4 times a week. On those days we didn’t eat chicken we ate beef. Sometimes there was lamb. There wasn’t much variety when it came to meat in my family. But that’s okay. Now that I’m a big boy and I am free to make my own choices, and I do prefer to eat other animals than the fore mentioned ones.
My way of overcoming the lack of variety is by putting a twist on the old. In this particular recipe I have kept the flavours close to the original so as to not lose the unique nature of the dish but I have changed the cut of meat. Leg of lamb has been substituted with lamb shanks, thus altering the cooking technique from roasting to slow cooking.
Which is good, by the way, because I haven’t had much luck with lamb this spring. I have roasted various cuts, from various sources, but the lamb always turns out tough. It hasn’t made a difference either if I’ve cooked the lamb pinkish, or more well done. Something to do with the Australian drought perhaps? Thirsty animals with de-hydrated meat? Who knows…?
One thing I do know is that lamb shanks are absolutely delicious slow-cooked this way (thirsty animals or not). The flesh becoming absolutely sticky, tender and full bodied in flavour. An abundant use of lemon, pungent garlic, oregano and the aromatic spices is addictive. The aromas that assault the senses are amazing. Not to mention totally mouth-watering and divine.

Components
2 lamb shanks
1 lemon, juiced and zest juliennned
2 garlic cloves (or more), cut into slivers
1 tsp dried Greek oregano
1 tsp ground cumin
Nutmeg and black pepper, freshly grated
A pinch chili, powder or flakes
Sea salt

Process
Heat the oven to 150c. Pierce the lamb shanks with a sharp knife, here and there. Fill the incisions with garlic slivers. Make certain that they are pushed deeply into the meat, so that they will melt and perfume the meat as it cooks. Place the shanks into a covered ceramic baking dish. Use a baking dish just large enough to fit the lamb shanks without too much space. If you don’t have a covered baking dish, a roasting pan with a couple of layers of tightly sealed foil will suffice. The result however, will be superior if you use a heavy, lidded baking dish.
Drizzle the lemon juice over the shanks.
Sprinkle the salt, oregano & spices over the lamb and rub the shanks ensuring they are well coated.
Sprinkle half the lemon zest over the shanks and cover the dish with its lid (or foil).
Place into the oven for about 2 hours. They are ready when the shanks have become golden and meltingly tender. Allow to rest for about 15 minutes or so. Sprinkle over the remaining lemon zest and cover with the lid for 1 minute. The residual heat will help to release the citrus aroma from the lemon zest. Serve straight from the baking dish, with plenty of bread to mop up the sticky juices. This dish goes well with roasted or steamed asparagus.
Serves 2.

Meltingly Tender Asado (Slow Roasted)

“Asado” is the South American word for meat barbequed on a grill over hot coals. The most popular cut of meat to grill for asado is beef rib. Morcilla (blood sausage), chorizo (spicy beef and pork sausage), spatchcocked chicken, and suckling pigs can make an appearance from time to time, depending on the occasion. Asado is traditionally served with Chimichurri (herb & vinegar sauce) and Tomato Salsa. I will post recipes for both condiments tomorrow and the day after.
The alpha male traditionally grills the asado and the women organize the condiments and salads. As I am (insert sarcastic gay accent) so butch and masculine, you can probably figure out which task I assumed when I lived at home.
I wouldn’t have the slightest clue how to light a fire, heat coals or stand by an outdoor barbeque with tongs in hand turning pieces of beef ribs and sausages. Maybe one day my father will teach me how to be a “real” man…
Actually I don’t even like eating asado. I find the traditional Argentine cut of beef ribs unappetizing- too much fat, too much gristle, too much bone and not enough tender meat. But Argentines and Uruguayans love it. So who am I to argue with millions of fanatical South Americans over their beloved national barbeque?
My version, I must admit, is more “Domestic God” than “Gaucho”. I prefer to slow roast my beef ribs in the oven- the result being meltingly tender, slightly sticky meat. My father’s head will probably spin like Linda Blair’s in “The Exorcist” when he reads this. But even though my method is not traditional, I promise it is marvelously tasty.
For this recipe try to find a butcher who cuts ribs the Argentine way- that is cut crosswise, across the bone rather than along the bone (see the picture below).

Components
Per person
1/2 kilo Argentine style beef ribs
Sea salt
Olive oil

Process
Heat the oven to 150c.
Season the ribs with salt and drizzle with a touch of oil.
Place the ribs into a baking dish. I use a ceramic dish with a lid. The ribs should fit closely.
Cover the dish with its lid and slow roast for 2 hours. The ribs will be tender (almost be falling from the bones, but not, if that makes sense) and well coloured. If you find the meat hasn’t sufficiently browned, turn the oven to the highest setting and allow the meat to colour and crisp a little.
Serve with Ensalada rusa, Chimichurri and Tomato Salsa.

Pheasant Roasted with Orange & Cumin

Pheasant tastes like very, very good chicken. I like to roast the exotic bird with orange and cumin in a scorching oven for a short moment until barely cooked. It will have retained the gloriously sweet juices when cooked like this, making it a delight to eat. The breast will be sweet and moist. The legs however will be a little on the tough side. Unfortunately that’s the nature of the beast. Chefs like to remove the sinews in the leg. I haven’t worked out how to do this so I simply leave them as nature intended.
Don’t worry too much if the pheasant hasn’t browned in the short amount of time required to cook. In this example, taste is far more important than appearance. Overdone pheasant is an offense against heaven.
I know the amount of butter stipulated may alarm those on low fat diets. However keep in mind that pheasant like most game birds is lean, and needs a generous amount of fat to remain moist and succulent.

Ingredients
1 pheasant, backbone removed and spatchcocked
100g cultured unsalted butter
Juice of 2 oranges
Zest of 1 orange, finely julienned
1 tsp ground cumin
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
1 fresh bay leaf, finely chopped
100ml dry sherry or other fortified wine
1-2 ladles pheasant stock
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Method
Pat the pheasant dry with paper towels (the marinade will not adhere otherwise).
Melt the butter and combine it with the juice of 1 orange, the zest, cumin, garlic, rosemary, bay, salt and pepper.
Pour the mixture onto the pheasant; making sure to coat the bird completely. I do this part in the roasting tray so that none of the precious marinade is lost; it will form part of the sauce at the end.
Allow to marinade in the fridge for up 24hrs or at room temperature for a few hours.
When you are ready to roast the bird, turn your oven to the highest setting. The oven needs to be really hot- about 250c. Make sure the bird is at room temperature before roasting.
Roast the bird skin side down first, for 10 minutes. Turn over and roast for another 10 minutes.
Remove the bird from the oven and double wrap with foil. Allow to rest for 20 minutes.
Pour all the juices from the roasting pan into a small saucepan, along with the sherry, stock and remaining orange juice. Reduce until syrupy.
Check the seasoning- add more salt/ sugar.
Cut the bird into pieces or as you desire and serve with the “orange jus”.
Roast potatoes make a good accompaniment.
1 pheasant will serve 2 people nicely.

PS. Mike wanted to call this post: Pleasant Peasant Pheasant. Try saying that fast 3 times..

Reconstructed Lamb Roast Deconstructed

Rebuilding or recreating an object that has been deconstructed sounds impractical. Especially when you intend to pull it apart into smaller pieces again. Complicated? There is method to my madness- trust me on this one.
Mike brought home some very fine lamb chops from the market, this weekend. The chops were from the loin and cut thicker than usual. My original plan was to remove the small bone and tie them with string to turn into “noisettes”. Which is what Mike did to them, upon my request.
But then, I became uninterested with the idea, and I couldn’t get the motivation or find enough inspiration to carry out cooking them. I had decided already to roast some red skinned potatoes, fennel wedges and rosemary stalks with duck fat to serve along side. I also planned to put together a lemony salsa verde to accompany the lamb. Both of those ideas still appealed to me. What wasn’t appealing to me was cooking the noisettes “a la minute”. What I was really craving to eat was a succulent lamb roast, not pan fried noisettes.
So, that’s exactly what we did. Well actually, it was Mike’s idea and he did all the butch construction work of tying together the individual noisettes to reform a loin roast. It was my idea however, to anoint the slices of lamb with salsa verde before rebuilding them together. It worked unexpectedly well. The outcome was juicy and moist lamb meat infused with citrus herbaceous-ness. The fat surrounding the meat was particularly excellent to eat- slightly crisp, meltingly tender and with an unpredictably clean flavour. I have to admit that of all the animal fats, lamb is not a favourite of mine- I often find it overpowering and pungent. But not the fat from this young creature.
I am aware this does sound ridiculous. Why would you buy individual lamb noisettes to then put back together, when you can buy a whole loin etc to roast? This was just one way out of a culinary predicament and it turned out to be an excellent solution. I am not one to usually play about with food. In fact, I hate fiddly kitchen tasks but this is an exception. I would be very pleased to do it again if the outcome was the same.

Reconstructed Lamb Roast with Herbs, Lemon and Nutmeg

Ingredients
5 lamb noisettes, about 600g (of course you can use any amount. That’s just what I had)
Cooking string
300ml rich, homemade meat stock
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Lemon juice, to taste
A combination of the following fresh herbs, all finely chopped
Mint, Parsley, Rosemary, Rocket
Dried Greek oregano
Lots of freshly grated nutmeg
Sea salt
Freshly ground peppers, both black and white
A pinch sugar

Build your Salsa Verde. Combine the garlic with your chosen herbs. Use the proportions that feel right to you. You can use other herbs. I used this particular combination, because that’s what I had in the fridge and in the garden. Add an appropriate olive oil. It must be green and fruity and of excellent quality. Don’t use an aggressive, peppery oil- this oil is good for other dishes (like bean soups) and it will clash with the herbs in this receipt, making the sauce disagreeably bitter. Again let your taste buds guide you- you can have a thick paste or a fluid sauce. I prefer the fluid kind. Whisk in the lemon juice and season to taste with salt, two peppers and plenty of nutmeg. I like to add a pinch of sugar to my salsa verde. This is not usual practice, nor is the addition of nutmeg. But as the entire dish is a reconstructed /deconstructed affair, you may as well break the rules.
Preheat the oven to 220c.
Anoint the noisettes of meat with spoonfuls of salsa verde. Reconstruct the lamb roast by placing the noisettes together and tying with string. Spread salsa verde all over the reconstructed roast as well. The acidity from the sauce will help the fat to become crispy. Set aside any remaining sauce.
Weigh the roast and calculate the cooking time. For every 500g, roast for 15- 20 minutes. Add a splash of water to the baking dish before placing the meat into the oven.
Remove from the oven. Double wrap the roasted lamb with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
While the meat is resting, combine the juices from the baking dish with stock, and reduce until you have a syrupy jus. Strain into a small jug or a sauceboat.
Unwrap the meat and cut the strings. Obviously the will be no need to cut the meat. Serve with the “jus gras” and reserved salsa verde. Enough for 2 or 3 serves.

Chicken Story 1 - Wild Chook Run

Up until last week, there was no sympathy in my kitchen for the provision we humans know as “chicken”. It was prohibited from my table. Why, you may ask? Because it is unexciting, ordinary and I am appalled by the manner it is reared for commercial consumption. And as a young boy, I ate the fore mentioned fowl too many times. Boring! Yuk! Gross!
Yet, I often read in the work of well-known English food writers, of how lovely the bird is to roast and eat. I have attempted it. Who hasn’t? Is there anyone in this world who hasn’t roasted a chicken? My roast chickens have always been edible but of bland flavour and disappointing texture. I suppose they are okay, but never extraordinary as described by Nigella Lawson, Simon Hopkinson and Nigel Slater. My attempts have not been worth writing about. According to the culinary grapevine one must chose his bird wisely- corn fed, free range or organic. So, being an interested gourmet, I decided to go on a wild goose, I mean chicken, chase…

On a particular shopping trip to the supermarket, I discovered a raw and packaged chicken labeled “corn fed”. Golden, and at a weight of 1.2 kilos, it was a perfect feast for two. It appeared authentic. Into the shopping basket it went, to be roasted that evening. Whilst I waited in line to pay for my selected items, I became bored (as one does in queues). As I reached for the nearest issue of “Gourmet Traveler” magazine, I become aware of a listing of ingredients on the avian creature. It read, upon other things- 89% chicken. Now, I am not a mathematical genius but what was the other 11% (132 grams of foreign matter, to be precise)? Maybe it was yellow food dye? Or perhaps the bird was diseased, and it was hepatitis vaccination fluid? That would explain the yellow colouring. At that moment I became rather alarmed and ran, in a state of terror back to the chicken section, to dispose of the jaundiced beast.

Since the supermarket incident I have experimented with free-range specimens and organic varieties. All have been okay, but nothing to write about. I was beginning to think that maybe English chickens are more genetically advanced than their Australian cousins. Until my discovery last week, that is. There is a stall at Prahran Market in Melbourne, which specializes in game birds. I mentioned previously of those qualities, which are thought to promise a superior bird- corn fed, free range or organic. Now until this time I had never come across a chicken, which was all three. This particular stall happens to trade poultry which possess all three attributes, and what a splendid surprise these chickens are. It is difficult to express their taste in words. Simply, the pale flesh is sweet and rich, with a firm but tender, luscious texture. This bird is so very delicious.

Spatchcock and roast the fine hen at a high temperature, smothered with an enormous amount of excellent butter. Add to the butter, lemon- both juice and zest. Include small amounts of garlic, tarragon and thyme, too. Serve the glorious bird with the natural “jus gras” from the baking pan and of course, the essential roasted vegetables. Carrots, fennel, mushrooms, pickling onions, King Edward potatoes, cherry tomatoes and turnips all work well. This is truly a feast for the gods. At last the ban has been lifted.

Roast Snapper with Duxelles and Potato

The inspiration for this dish came from The River Café in London. I have also seen Jamie Oliver do a similar dish, which is not surprising, as he worked at The River Café at some point during his illustrious career. However this recipe truly is my own version. I don’t copy the work of other chefs and I would not dream of reprinting recipes which have already been published elsewhere. I just don’t see ay merit in doing so.
This particular dish I am fond of because it goes straight from the oven to the table. I don’t think it requires anything else to go with it apart from bread, wine and a dinning partner of course!
Duxelles is chefs jargon for onion and mushrooms sautéed in butter, used to flavour dishes. I have used imported porcini mushrooms because Australia does not have native mushrooms that are of outstanding taste. I know porcini are an extravagant ingredient. If your budget doesn’t allow for such an indulgence, substitute with slices of fresh fennel instead.
If you are fussy about fish like I am, choose a whole fish at your fishmonger. Then have them fillet the fish for you. You are then certain of two equal sized fillets, of the freshest choice fish, along with the bonus of the bones and head for making stock.

Ingredients
500g waxy potato, unpeeled and thinly sliced
A ladle fish stock, or water
30g dried porcini, soaked, drained and rinsed of all grit
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped, plus extra
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (peppery), plus extra
100ml white wine
30g cultured butter
2 snapper fillets, about 400g
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Method
Preheat the oven to 200c.
Oil a baking pan. The size of the dish is important. It should be able to accommodate the potato slices along the base in one layer. Mine is 30cm by 35cm.
Layout the potato then drizzle some more oil over the potato slices and season with salt and pepper. Ladle in some fish stock-just enough to moisten the base of the pan.
Bake the potatoes for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
Turn up the oven to 230c.
Prepare the duxelles- in a wide pan and over a low heat, sauté the porcini, onion, garlic, thyme and parsley with the butter and olive oil for 20 minutes.
When the mixture is quite dry add the white wine and allow to reduce for 2 minutes or so. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the duxelles over the potato slices.
Place the snapper fillets on top of the potato slices and duxelles. Drizzle over with more extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
Roast for about 15 minutes or until the fish is just cooked.
Sprinkle over parsley and serve straight from the baking dish. Serves 2.

Roasted Quail with Red Wine, Sage and Thyme

As soon as the weather turns remotely autumnal, I go nuts and start cooking everything with red wine. And by “autumnal” I mean anything under 30c. By the time March comes around I have had enough of summer (well actually, I had enough back in December) and I cant wait to start cooking with the flavours of autumn and the approaching winter.
You could do this dish with squab pigeons, just increase the cooking times. Make sure to keep the meat pink and juicy.

Ingredients
4 quail
30 ml extra virgin olive oil
10ml red wine
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp chopped sage
Fresh black + white peppers
Sea salt
600 ml rich, dark quail stock (or other stock)
300ml red wine. extra
2 tsp sugar or to taste
1 tsp of tomato paste or a splash of tomato puree (optional)
10g butter

Method
Cut away the backbone from the quails. Reserve the backbones for future stock.
Lay out the birds, as shown in the photograph, and apply pressure to the breast with your hand to flatten out. Cut away the wing at the first joint.
In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, red wine (10ml), herbs and peppers.
Rub all over the quail. Leave to marinate, either, in the fridge for a long time or for a short time at room temperature.
In the meantime reduce the stock and the extra red wine (and tomato, if using) to a glaze consistency. Add sugar to balance the acid levels. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to the highest setting. Place the quail, breast side down in a baking dish and season with salt. Roast for 6 minutes. Turn them over, so they are breast side up. Season the breasts with a pinch of salt, and roast for a further 2 minutes.
The quail will be perfectly tender and moist after this time. Don’t expect them to have browned. 8 minutes in the oven is not enough time to color them.
Allow the quail to rest while you get on with the sauce.
Bring the sauce back to the boil, and add the butter, emulsifying it into the reduction. Serve the quail with the red wine reduction and a plate of roast vegetables.
4 quail will serve 2 people.

Pork Sausages with Cider Vinegar and Herbs

As you might have guessed from earlier posts, I love discovering and using fine ingredients. I am currently obsessed with vinegar. Vinegar should provide acidity as well as flavour, and my favourite at the moment is an apple cider vinegar from Limoges, France. It is clean, sharp and fruity. This particular vinegar is beautifully balanced and compliments the richnes of pork.
I used an Italian style sausage for this recipe. My butcher sells them under the name of Sicilian sausage. These pork sausages are dense, coarse and flavoured with garlic, peppercorns and fennel seeds. Duck or a Tolouse style sausage would make an excellent alternative. Avoid those sausages with funny names, like whiskey & fennel, or teriyaki & pineapple (do people actually eat these?), or with strange fillers and dubious extenders.

Ingredients
500g Italian sausages with fennel seeds (6 sausages)
1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh sage
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
75ml extra virgin olive oil
25ml cider vinegar
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Fresh white pepper

Preheat the oven to 200c. Prick the sausages all over with a sharp implement, so they don’t explode whilst cooking. Roast them for about 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.
Mix together all the remaining ingredients to form a condiment. Serve with the sausages, either drizzled over or on the side. A very easy and comforting dinner. Serves 2.
Note- New potatoes and baby onions make a wonderful addition roasted along with the sausages. Have lots of bread to mop up the sticky juices left over in the roasting pan!

Roast Tarragon Chicken

You are probably aware by now the foods I cook are (almost) always seasonal. And every summer I like to cook the classic French style roasted tarragon chicken. Chicken and tarragon are a marriage made in heaven, and there are many versions. This one is my own.
Please use a well-bred chicken- either organic, free range, or corn fed. Or all three, if you are truly obsessed. I know they cost a bit more, but these superior birds are worth the price. I cannot bear to eat supermarket chicken anymore. I call these disadvantaged birds “concentration camp chickens” Just the idea terrifies me. These birds are kept in prison like conditions, injected with bizzare chemicals and even end up psychotic (apparently). How appetizing!
There is a noticeable difference between the maladjusted battery beast and those fine birds which have been properly reared for the table. Not only in the flavour but also in the texture of the flesh and fat. Even the bones and shape of the carcass are sightly different.
As always I spatchcock my chicken, so it cooks evenly and quickly.

Ingredients
1.2 kilo chicken (mine was organic)
2 tbsp of tarragon vinegar
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp finely chopped French tarragon
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
50g butter (cultured and unsalted)
300ml cream (35% milk fat)
50 ml white wine

Method
Cut away the backbone from your chicken, using kitchen scissors. If you are using a well-bred bird, you may notice the bones are stronger, than those birds which are bred in inhumane conditions. Lay the bird out like a book, and using your hands apply pressure, so to flatten the carcass.
Combine the vinegar, oil, 1 tbsp of tarragon, salt and pepper. Pour over the bird and massage into the skin. Allow to marinate for about 1 hour at room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 230c.
Dot the bird with butter. Place the bird breast side down in a roasting dish. Add a small glass of water to the pan. Cook for about 30 minutes or until golden brown, basting from time to time. Turn the bird over and continue to roast for another 15 minutes, or until the breast has browned. Remove the bird to a plate, cover and allow to rest.
In the meantime, deglaze the baking pan with white wine. Add the cream and reduce rapidly until you have achieved a sauce like consistency. Add the remaining tarragon and check for seasoning.
Serve the creamy and fragrant sauce with the chicken.
I like to serve the chicken with roast potatoes and roast garlic, which I have very coarsely smashed and dressed with extra virgin olive oil and chopped parsley.
A 1.2 kilo bird will serve 2-3 people.

Barramundi

I love eating this fish with its sweet, delicate flesh. This “poisson” is typical of Northern Australia and was a favorite amongst the indigenous people of Australia The Aborigines like to wrap barramundi in bark and native Australian herbs and spices and bake it in the ground
I much prefer to roast the fish whole at a high temperature, so the skin becomes crispy, and the flesh sweeter. Here is my recipe-

Roast Barramundi with Savory and Lemon


Ingredients
Per person:
1 Barramundi, whole, gutted and scaled (about 300g)
1 tsp of dried summer savory
1tsp finely chopped lemon zest
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
A squeeze of lemon juice
A splash of cream, 35% milk fat (about 50ml)
10g butter
A pinch sugar

Method
Rinse the fish under running water. Pat dry with paper towels. Place on a raoasting pan.
Rub all over with savory, lemon zest, oil and pepper. If you add lemon juice and salt at this stage, it will begin to “cook” the fish. So I add these those just before roasting.
Leave at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 230c. Use an oven thermometer (by placing the thermometer exactly where you plan to roast the fish) to ensure a correct oven temperature.
When you are ready to roast, season the fish with salt and lemon juice.
Roast for 10 minutes. Remove to a serving plate.
Place the roasting pan on the stove. Deglaze the pan with a splash of water. Add the cream and lemon juice to taste. Allow to reduce. Taste, add lots of pepper and a pinch of sugar (I add julienned lemon zest too). Remove from heat and whisk in the butter. Serve the barramundi and the lemon cream sauce on the side.

Roast Squab Pigeons with Spinach, Olive and Lemon Sauce

There are moments when I experience severe technical difficulties. Some times they occur in the kitchen (overcooked meat, burnt vegetables etc). But other times (like now) the problem seems to be mainly in my brain. And to make matters worse, I am the one to blame. I do not need to explain the universal law (or effects) of excessive partying, so for the next few weeks of this festive season, do not expect much from me in terms of eloquence. I mean, the food will still be good- when I finally stumble into the kitchen…

Ingredients per person

1 squab pigeon, spatchcocked (keep the heads and backbones for stock)
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 tsp of brandy
A generous pinch of ground cardamom
Fresh black pepper
Sea salt

Method

Combine the oil, garlic, brandy, cardamom and seasonings.
Pour the marinade over the pigeons and massage into the skin.
Cover, refrigerate and marinade for at least 24 hours
Bring back to room temperature, before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 230c. Roast the birds skin side up for 8 minutes. Turn them over and roast for another 8 minutes. They are perfect when cooked to the medium stage.
Cover the birds and allow to rest, for 10 minutes.
Serve each bird on individual plates, drizzled over with any juices from the roasting dish.

Spinach, Green olive and Lemon Sauce

Ingredients

70g baby spinach leaves
10 large green olives, pitted and very finely chopped
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
Juice from half a lemon, or to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Wilt the spinach leaves in a saucepan. Add a few drops of water to prevent scorching.
Drain the spinach over a sieve until the liquid has drained away and the spinach is cool. Finely chop the spinach by hand.
Mix in a bowl with the olives, garlic, lemon zest, rosemary, salt and pepper.
Add enough olive oil to create a fluid consistency. Allow to sit at this stage, until ready to serve.
At the last moment, stir in the lemon juice to taste and check for salt and pepper.
Serve immediately with the roast pigeons. This will make enough sauce for 4 pigeons

Summery Roast Fish

I love the idea of “one pan cooking”. It is practical and does not require much effort and you get a fantastic exchange of flavours throughout the final dish. It is good too, because there is only one dish to wash after (not that I do the washing around here!)
Because it is Summer now, I am using summery flavours, and this combination works really well. But you could use any herbs or vegetables. Use whatever is in season or whatever looks good. The best fish for roasting are the oily ones. You could use cutlets, fillets or whole fish. The thicker the fish, the longer the cooking time-adjust accordingly.
For a vegetarian version, just leave out the fish altogether, it will still taste delicious.

Ingredients
400g fish fillets
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp finely chopped lemon zest
Fresh black pepper
Sea salt
200g kipfler potatoes, or other small waxy potato
200g ripe cherry tomatoes
200g small onions
200g olives, black and green
1 whole head of garlic, unpeeled but separated into cloves
Zest of 1 lemon, finely julienned
Fresh thyme, left on the branch
Fresh black pepper
Sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
50ml white wine

Method
Marinate the fish with the first 6 ingredients. Leave for as long as you like, covered in the fridge. Bring to room temperature, before roasting.
Place all the remaining ingredients, except the wine, in a roasting pan. It should all fit snugly, so choose an appropriate size pan. Give it a light mix, so everything is slicked with a bit of oil and bake at 180c for 1 hour. From time to time check the pan is not burning. Add a touch of water if it seems to be drying out.
Remove the pan from the oven, and leave for a while. Turn the oven to 230c and allow it to heat for a few minutes.
Lay the fish fillets over the roasted veggies and splash over the white wine.
Roast for another 10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through.
Serve straight from the pan with lots of crunchy bread. This will serve 2 people, but this recipe will double or triple very easily. Cooking times will be the same (give or take).

Bugs Bunny (Roasted)

Years ago (before I knew any better) I decided that I was going to cook a rabbit. This was after I had experienced a delicious Spanish style rabbit dish dinning out. So I chose my recipe and bought my rabbit from a rather posh butchery. When I opened the vac-pac at home I was a bit disturbed. The first thing I noticed was the perculiar smell. It was like chemicals and lavender soap. It was revolting, actually. I can honestly say that to this day I have never had any meat which gave of this odour. So I began to inspect the meat. Had it gone off? That’s when I noticed that the colour of the flesh was dark pink and the fat very yellow, but it seemed fresh (the rabbits that I have cooked since have had a paler meat and white fat). Anyway, as I am always ready for a culinary challenge, I commenced the plan of attack. I read in a book that strong tasting rabbits should be soaked in a vinegar bath, prior to cooking. So this is what I did for a few hours. It still smelled wrong. “Not to worry” I thought. ”It will taste divine” I lied to myself. I cooked the recipe. The meat was perfect in texture and falling of the bones. But the smell.Yuck! It had permeated every corner of the house and if I could smell it right now it would induce a vomiting fit. But still being in denial, I persevered. I had come this far so I may as well continue. I served myself a portion and cut the meat with my cutlery. It was the vilest (and still is) thing I have ever put in my mouth. It went straight into the bin, as did the contents in the pot. I had to wash the pot numerous times to get rid of the pungent odour. And the smell that had soaked into every crevice in my apartment didn’t leave for a few days either. In hindsight I don’t think it was rabbit. I have no idea what it was. Maybe some other type of rodent- a possum perhaps I will never know. Needless to say, the butcher who sold me the mysterious feral, has since gone out of business. Live and learn I say. I hope I haven’t put you off rabbit. To me rabbit is luxurious.
I did not eat rabbit growing up (apart from once, although it was tough and dry), so to me it is not common the way chicken is. And in fact, if it where more easily available and cheaper, I would eat rabbit more often. I guess chicken has become the poor mans rabbit. Generations ago the reverse was true. Rabbit can be tricky to cook. It is easy to end up with meat that is too tough, so the trick is to roast it quickly, or braise it slowly. The following recipe will result in meat that is tender and very juicy. Rabbit meat is lean but rich. This recipe is plenty for 2 carnivores.

Ingredients
1 farmed rabbit
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp red wine
1 garlic clove
1 rosemary sprig (small)
Salt
Fresh black pepper

Method
Ask your butcher to joint the rabbit for you- 2 hindlegs, 2 forelegs, and the saddle. So a total of 5 pieces. You only need the 4 legs. The saddle tends to dry out. So reserve it for making stock, along with the kidneys and liver (if your butcher has included them)
Process the garlic, seasoning, rosemary, oil and wine in a baby processor (for best results). Massage the rabbit pieces with this marinade and leave for a few hours at room temperature.
Preheat your oven to 180c. The temperature is important here. I use an oven thermometer to be sure.
Place the rabbit dishes into a baking dish and roast for 15 minutes. Turn the pieces and sprinkle them with a bit of water- about ½ tbsp on each piece. Roast them for a further 15 minutes.
A very fine dish indeed. I served this with roast Kipfler potatoes, Swiss brown mushrooms, onion, pancetta and thyme. My palate tends to be rather extravagant (really), so I made a reduction of clarified rabbit stock, flavoured with red wine. But that requires another recipe in itself.

2 Ways with Artichokes

Artichokes are not difficult to prepare, but you must be aware that there is a lot of wastage and that you must work quickly. Artichokes oxidize rapidly, much quicker than any other vegetable. Begin by setting aside a bowl of water, with the juice of a lemon. This acidulated water will slow down the oxidation. Prepare one at time. Trim the stalk to about 5cm in length. Now begin to rip of the leaves until you reach the tender, yellow leaves. Slice of the top of the artichoke. Using a vegetable peeler, peel of the green skin from the stalk. Also peel the base of the artichoke where the tough leaves were torn away. Place into the bowl of lemony water and continue with the rest. You may also choose to remove the choke with a small spoon. I usually do not- the chokes do not bother me. The following are 2 artichoke recipes. I love them both.

Roast artichokes

Ingredients per person
1 artichoke, prepared as above
1 garlic clove
Fresh herbs-parsley, rosemary, thyme, bay Leaf
Salt
Fresh black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Butter
Fresh lemon, for the table

Method
Preheat the oven to 220c.
Place one artichoke on a piece of foil. Stuff the cavity with the garlic clove. Place your chosen herbs by the artichoke. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle the oil over and add a nut of butter.
Wrap up the artichoke with the foil and roast for 30 minutes.
The artichokes will be tender like butter and beautifully perfumed by the aromatics.
Squeeze over lemon at the table.
These are especially good with grilled fish.

Vignarola
No crisp vegetables here, save them for another time! This is a Roman vegetable braise which is only ever prepared in the spring, with the freshest vegetables. I cheat and use frozen peas and broadbeans. I honestly cannot be bothered with shelling these. This dish goes very well with grilled lamb.

Ingredients
300g frozen broadbeans
200g green onions, finely chopped (These are called salad onions in the state of Victoria)
100g prosciutto, in one thick slice and cubed
3 artichokes, prepared as above
1 tbsp of e.v.olive oil, plus extra
20g butter
200g frozen baby peas
Pinch of sugar
Fresh black pepper
1 tbsp of freshly chopped mint
1 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley

Method
Boil the broad beans for one minute only. This will loosen their skins. Cool by running under cold water. Pinch of their skins and set aside.
Gently fry the onion and the prosciutto in the oil and butter. Do this slowly, it should take about 15 minutes. The onions will melt down and become lightly golden and sweet.
While this is happening, cut the artichokes into quarters. Remove the hairy choke if you wish.
Add them to the pan. Give the whole a stir and cover. Allow the artichokes to braise gently for 10 minutes.
Add the peas and sugar to the pan with a splash of water, cover and cook gently for another 10 minutes.
Now add the broadbeans and another splash of water. Cook again for another 10 minutes.
Season with the pepper. Off the heat add the herbs.
Add a generous drizzle of extra virgin olive oil- a green peppery oil will add a new dimension to this dish.
The final result should be a khaki green colour and a bit messy. Dont let the hideous appearance fool you-the flavour is divine. You can serve this warm or at room temperature-it is delicious both ways.