Time for a Quickie?

This is a dish for those days when you just do not have the time to spend in the kitchen. Very quick and very tasty (and inexpensive too).

Blue Grenadier with Olives and Thyme

Ingredients.
1 whole side fillet of Blue Grenadier
Fresh thyme
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
About 50ml white wine
Extra virgin olive oil
200g black and green marinated olives
Lemon wedges, to serve

Method
Preheat your oven to 220c.
Lay out the fillet on a baking dish skin side up. Strew over thyme branches. Season with salt and pepper. Leave it to come to room temperature-about 15minutes.
Splash over the white wine and drizzle generously with olive oil. A chef friend once told me that roast fish needs a lot of oil or butter to keep moist and I heed to his advice.
Scatter the olives around the fish and roast for about 10 minutes. Blue Grenadier is a delicate fleshed fish, so careful to not overcook. It is better to have underdone fish, than overdone fish. It is ready as soon a you can just flake the flesh with a spoon.
Serve with lemon wedges and a dish of braised silverbeet with tomatoes (if you like). Serves 2-3 people.

Spanish Style Duck

I do not eat duck very often, but I do love it. Roasting whole ducks can be a little tricky to get right, but more on that at a later date. Duck breasts though are quick and easy. The meat is rich and surrounded by an insulating layer of fat. Most of it is rendered during the cooking process. And there will be a substantial amount of fat left over from the cooking. Do not throw it out (duck fat costs about $20 a can from specialty food stores, so think of it as liquid gold) Keep it, like the French do and use it instead of oil. It will keep for a long time, in the fridge. It is delicious. Duck is available from poultry suppliers.

Ingredients
2 duck breasts
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp of Spanish paprika
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 dried chlli, crumbled
½ tsp of dried greek oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp of freshly chopped parsley, plus extra to finish
1 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
A couple of ladles of fresh stock ( I used vegetable)

Method
Take a sharp knife and cut 3 diagonal slashes across each breast.
Now mix together everything but the stock in a bowl.
Add the breasts and rub this marinade all over. Cover and leave to rest at room temperature for a few hours.
Preheat the oven to 220c.
Rub as much of the marinade as you can off the duck breasts, but do not throw out any of it. Place the breasts in a pan just large enough to fit snugly. Roast for about 12 minutes. They should be pink in the middle. (you can cook them well done if you like, but they will be on the dry side) They will be swimming in their own fat. Pour this away for later use
Take the breasts and leave them to rest on a warm plate. In the meantime, add any of the left over marinade to the pan with the stock, deglaze and reduce, over the stove, until syrupy.
Slice the breasts thinly and toss with hot reduction and extra chopped parsley. Arrange on a serving dish and eat. This goes well with braised broad beans and peas. Serves 2.

40 Cloves?

I was afraid to cook this dish for a long time. The idea of cooking a dish with 40 cloves of garlic sounds rather vulgar. But in reality, it is actually quite nice. When cooked properly, the garlic is gentle and not at all invasive or smelly for that matter. The reason I decided to do this dish was because I was experimenting with spring garlic, which is available right now. This garlic is fantastic. It is moist, plump and extremely tender. The bulbs that I purchased had not developed their papery inner skin, so you can eat each clove whole. The skins just seem to melt away. It has a stronger than usual fragrance, but the flavour is quite mild, once cooked. I really enjoyed this and I will definitely make it again.

Chicken Saute with 40 cloves of Garlic

Ingredients
3 tbsp olive oil
2 kilo chicken drumsticks (organic)
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
40 cloves garlic, unpeeled (spring garlic if you can get it)
Fresh thyme
125ml stock ( I used fresh vegetable stock. Careful with using fake stock here. The juices are reduced at the end and fake stock may be too salty)
125ml white wine

Method
Heat the oil in a pan large enough to hold the chicken in a single layer. You can also do this in 2 pans simultaneously (adjust the amount of oil)
Add the drumsticks to the pan and brown on one side for 5 minutes.
Turn the pieces over and do the other side. Season the chicken as you do this.
Now turn down the heat to medium and throw in the garlic cloves.
Continue to cook for another 10 minutes, turning the chicken over and shaking the pan, so everything cooks evenly.
Add the thyme, stock and wine. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan (or pans) and cook for another 15 minutes
Remove the chicken and garlic to a serving dish, reduce the juices in the pan and pour over.

Serves 4 people. I served this with a Russian salad, tossed with a mustard vinaigrette rather than the usual mayonnaise. The combination worked really well.

Rich and Decadent

Brillat-Savarin (1755-1826), the French gastronome, once said “Chocolate is one of the most powerful restoratives. Let any man who has spent working a considerable portion of the time that should be spent sleeping, let any man of wit who feels himself temporarily become stupid, let any man who finds the air damp, the time long, and the atmosphere difficult to tolerate, let any man who is tormented by an obsession that prevents him from thinking clearly, let all those men dose themselves with a good half litre of amber-coloured chocolate…and they will see a miracle”. Well, that’s a rather dramatic statement. If only chocolate was the answer to mankinds problems! What I do know is, hot chocolate is divine. And when I say hot chocolate, I mean real hot chocolate- made with fine dark chocolate (no cooking chocolate please), milk and aromatics. You should think of this as liquid chocolate dessert, rather than chocolate flavoured milk. It is rich, subtly sweet and aromatic and best served in espresso cups with little spoons. This is the only chocolate dessert I make. It is by far, easier to make than any mousse or cake and far more satisfying.

Rich and Decadent Hot Chocolate

Ingredients
500ml milk (I use organic and unhomogenized)
100 g dark chocolate (85% cocoa fat)
2 tbsp of good honey
½ vanilla pod (or a cinnamon stick or both)
1 tbsp of port (or brandy, or rum)

Method
Bring the milk and the vanilla (or cinnamon) to scalding point. Turn of the heat.
Add the chocolate (in pieces) and the honey, and leave it alone. The vanilla will do its job and the chocolate will melt. Traditionally hot chocolate is supposed to be prepared up to this point and then left to sit overnight. However proceed as you wish.
Remove the vanilla pod (or cinnamon), scrape out the seeds and add them to the chocolate. Discard the vanilla pod.
Reheat the chocolate gently (do not boil, or else you will burn the chocolate and the milk).
Add the port (or other spirit). Now, either pour this into the blender or use a stick blender. Process for about a minute, until the mixture has thickened slightly and you have a foam (like cappuccino).

Serve immediately in espresso cups. This amount is enough for 4 espresso cups, with enough for a few second helpings. In my experience, even though this is rich and best served in dainty cups, people always want more. It is rather addictive.

Calorie Counting...

This is another recipe in following with yesterday’s theme, “light and easy”. You see summer is just around the corner (despite the wintry Melbourne weather we have been experiencing) and I am afraid I may turn into a fat pig (or butter ball, as my partner calls me). Its time to lighten up with the diet and hit the gym…That’s enough of my weight issues, this is supposed to be a good food blog, and diet food rarely fits into that category. I suppose just like every other human being who enjoys their food, there are times when one needs to make a few changes to his diet. And that’s not a nice thought at all. Maybe I can run 20 kms every day so I can continue with my rich diet! The idea of exercising seems more appealing than giving up the foods I love. Anyway diet or no diet, here is an elegant dessert that is light on sugar but delicious nonetheless.

Strawberries and Ricotta

Ingredients
1 punnet of strawberries, washed and hulled
2 tsp honey (not honey from the supermarket. These are a poor quality. Try the healthfood store. They usually have a far better range)
2 tsp of balsamic vinegar
Ricotta

Method

The most important aspect of this dessert is the Ricotta. It must be super fresh. Buy from an Italian deli or a cheese shop. Get them to cut it for you in one big hunk. Ricotta is delicious when really fresh, and just plain boring when not so fresh. Let your eyes guide you when buying, its easy to tell if it is fresh or not. The fresh stuff will look glossier and firmer. Ricotta that has sat for a week will look a little dry and a bit sunken. If you cannot find fresh ricotta don’t bother with this. And please do not use ricotta from tubs, at the supermarket.
Mix together in a small bowl the balsamic and honey.
Pour over the strawberries and mix lightly. Leave to macerate for 15 minutes.
Serve the strawberries tumbled over the ricotta.
I serve one punnet of strawberries per 2 people.

Light and Easy

I made this last night for dinner. It is easy, light and delicious. It is also prepared in no time (yesterday was one of those days). I guess the yoghurt is optional. But it does add a certain zingy-ness. Substitute with thick cream if you are feeling that lazy. Serve this spring soup with a plate of prosciutto or Spanish jamon and crusty bread.

Cream of Zucchini (or Courgettes)

Ingredients
30g butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 green onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tsp coriander seeds, crushed (use the mortar and pestle)
1.2 kilos of zucchini, washed and cubed
2 sprigs of fresh basil
2 sprigs of fresh parsley
1 tsp dried greek oregano
About 1 litre of chicken stock (fake is fine)
Salt
Fresh black pepper
Toasted pinenuts, for crunch (optional)

Method
Saute the onions, garlic and coriander seeds in the oil and butter for about 10 minutes, until softened.
Add the zucchini and herbs, pop the lid on and sweat for 10 minutes over a gentle heat.
Add the stock, bring to the simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
Allow to cool and then puree with whatever gadget or machine you have. Reheat and season well.
This will make enough soup for 6 soup bowls. Serve it a sprinkling of pinenuts, a dollop of mint yoghurt and a drizzle of extra virgin.

Note- of course feel free to adjust the texture and thickness of this soup, to suit your taste.

Lemon and Mint Yoghurt

Ingredients
250g sheep milk yoghurt
3 tbsp of finely chopped fresh mint
3 tbsp of finely chopped fresh parsley
3 tbsp of extra virgin
10g green onion, very finely chopped
1 lemon, zest finely chopped
½ lemon, juiced
Salt
Fresh black pepper

Method
Mix all the ingredients to combine. Apart from this soup (which is what I invented it for), serve with grilled audergines (eggplant), lamb and potatoes.

Clam, Prawn & Scallop Risotto

I have written about Risotto in the past. This one is made in the style of Venice, where they like the risotto “all’onda”. This translates literally as “wavy”. I love the descriptions Italians give their food. I was never taught to make risotto by anyone, instead I learnt from the instructions of Marlena De Blasi in her book “ Regional foods of Northern Italy”. I recommend this book to anyone who loves Italian food, indeed any food. This risotto is delicate. Its success lies in the ingredients. Use Vialone Nano rice. Arborio will be too starchy for this “wet” risotto. Make a delicate fish stock. Failing fish stock, use a neutral vegetable stock. And needless to say, buy the freshest seafood (really). Originally, I had planned to use squid. However I did not like what I saw in the market place, so I chose clams instead.

Ingredients
1 brown onion, finely chopped
15g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
100ml white wine
200g vialone nano rice
fish stock, kept hot
70g deveined prawns
70g scallops
150g clams (when I asked for this amount, the lady serving me gave me a dirty look and said ‘That’s too little!” So I explained that I was combining it with other seafoods for the risotto. I hope you do not encounter bitchy fish mongers)
Lots of coarsely chopped fresh parsley
I garlic clove, finely chopped
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method
Cook the onion gently for about 10 minutes. Do not brown it. You want it softened only.
Add the rice, turn the heat up a bit and toss it about for a few minutes.
Splash in the wine, over the heat until absorbed.
Now begin to add the hot stock progressively whist stirring, until no more can be absorbed. The rice should be al dente and there should be enough fluid to make the dish velvety and moist.
While the rice is cooking, add about 1 cm of stock to a small saucepan.
Bring it to the boil and add the seafood. Put a lid on and cook until the prawns turn pink, and the clams have opened. This wont take very long at all
Add to the rice, with any of the juices in the pan.
Finish with the garlic, parsley, salt, pepper and olive oil. Serves 2.
Note- fish stock is the easiest of stocks to make. In a large stockpot with water, cook fish bones, an onion, a celery stalk and a fresh bayleaf. I never boil or simmer stock. Just under simmering point is the right temperature. This way the stock will remain clear and clean tasting. Fish bones should cook for 20 minutes only (they are bitter) Strain through a clean chux wipe and use or freeze.