Happy Birthday Eat Me!

It has been 12 short months since Mike and I created “Eat me!”
Since I can’t do the same thing all the time without become bored, we have both decided its time for a new look.
Mikey and I are currently discussing ideas for the blog and will be taking a short break. We would like to thank all our friends who read and visit here regularly and we will be back very, very soon.

Pink Veal in Pink Wine

(How gay can I get?)

This is my interpretation of the famous Milanese Ossobuco. I have swapped the white wine from the traditional recipe with a semi dry Rosé. I have been cooking with pink wine for the past few months where recipes call for white wine. The end result seems more balanced- white wine can sometimes taste too sour.
The traditional partnering for ossobuco is saffron risotto. With all the confident flavours of the braise, I think risotto becomes a bit misplaced. I prefer potato puree as an accessory. Playing on that theme, I have taken liberty to add saffron to the puree. The primrose hued puree looks wonderful on the plate alongside the orange of the carrot and green celery. Lots of pretty colours for the springtime!
This dish perfect right now while the weather is still cool at night. High quality pale veal is in abundance and available at the butchers at Prahran Markets, rather inexpensively I might add.

Components
1 kilo white veal ossobuco
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Flour
50g butter
50ml brandy
2 anchovy fillets
250 ml rose wine (not a sweet wine)
Stock (beef or chicken is fine)
Small carrots, peeled
Celery stalks, peeled to remove the strings
For the “gremolata”:
Orange zest, very finely chopped
Lemon zest, very finely chopped
Garlic, finely chopped
Parsley leaves, very finely chopped

Process
Season the veal with salt and pepper, and dust lightly with flour.
Melt the butter in a pot large enough to fit the veal and brown the veal on all sides. Keep an eye on the butter- it must not burn.
Add the cognac and flambé (very spectacular).
Add the anchovies, wine, and enough stock to submerge the meat. Simmer gently for about 1 hour, or until tender. The meat should be extremely tender (and it will be, if it is genuine veal), but it shouldn’t be falling of the bones. Again keep an eye on it, and stop cooking before the moment. There is nothing worse than a pot of bones with pieces of veal floating about separately.
Gently remove the delicate veal to a plate and keep warm.
Add the carrots and celery stalks to the liquid in the pot and simmer until both are cooked to your liking- the carrot will take longer than the celery. Remove the veggies and keep warm with veal.
Boil the liquid in the pot until it has reduced to a glaze.
Whilst this is happening, mix citrus zests, garlic and parsley for the “gremolata”. I use less garlic than everything else (I’m not a fan of raw garlic).
Return the veal, veggies and a few spoonfuls of gremolata to the pot. Allow to heat through for a few moments.
Serve immediately with more gremolata sprinkled over and with saffron potato puree, or risotto as you wish. Serves 2-4 people.

Saffron Rice Salad with Scallops & Seaweed

I would like to begin by saying that I don’t really eat leftovers. I never liked the idea as a child and I don’t like the idea now. It kind of grosses me out.
Allow me to clarify as to what I mean by “leftovers”.
What I mean by leftovers is tonight’s cooked dinner to be reheated the following day. Now, I’m not talking about braises, stews, thick soups etc. We all know these foods improve upon a nights rest, after slow cooking. There are foods which don’t survive the whole reheating process without turning to mush, or what I like to call “old people” food. Foods that come under this category are usually pasta, risotto, some vegetables and some meats (chicken breast and fish especially). I particularly hate the way pasta soaks up moisture, swells upon sitting, and inevitably turns to a pappy mess upon reheating.
Food to me is as much about texture, as it is about taste.
The whole point of pasta is texture. Robbing the dish of this essential quality doesn’t really leave it with much integrity. It reminds me of Monday night dinners when I was a child. We always ate Sunday’s cooked pasta leftovers for dinner the next night. I always complained. And my mother always told me to shut up and eat. The experience scarred me for life and I vowed never to eat soggy pasta ever again…
There are some exceptions to my rule.
Lasagne is okay. Its not really what I would call “al dente” to begin with anyway. And I don’t mind pizza reheated the next day. Especially if I’ve had a trashy night before. Pizza and hangovers are a culinary marriage made in heaven (or drunkenness…)
There are some leftovers that will be fine as long as they are eaten cold or at room temperature. Roast meat (not lamb, its too greasy) and vegetables. Root vegetables in particular. I usually toss cold roasted vegetables with tinned tuna and freshly made vinaigrette. It makes a quick, tasty lunch without much effort.
Which brings me to today’s recipe. I invented this dish from leftover saffron rice. Saffron is just too expensive for the compost heap. I cook my rice in one of those Asian rice cookers. I like the firm texture when its cooked that way, and I don’t need to think about it-it does all the work for me.

Components
200g cold, cooked saffron rice (basmati)
100g cooked chickpeas (tinned)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
A piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
20 ml of dark soy sauce
40 ml peanut oil
Chili powder
10 fresh scallops
5ml rice vinegar
5ml light soy sauce
5ml fish sauce
Fresh coriander, leaves
Roasted seafood strips
Lemon or lime wedges

Process
Combine the garlic, half the ginger, dark soy, a pinch of chili and 20ml peanut oil. Toss with the scallops and place in the fridge to marinate for an hour or two.
In the meantime whisk together the rice vinegar, dark soy, fish sauce, another pinch of soy and remaining peanut oil and ginger. Set aside and allow to infuse
Remove the scallops from the fridge. Wipe away the excess marinade. Grill the scallops until just cooked.
Toss the rice with chickpeas, reserved dressing and coriander leaves.
Pile it onto 2 plates. Place the scallops around the rice. Top the salad with seaweed strips and serve with lemon or lime wedges.
Eat immediately. Serves 2.

How to Prepare Artichokes

A lot of people (in this country, anyway) are afraid of artichokes because they are uncertain of how to prepare them. And that’s understandable.
I must admit that it’s a lot easier to just open up a tin. It does save a lot of time and mess doing it that way. I often do it myself and that’s absolutely fine. The tinned ones come in an acidic liquid, which invariably alters the flavour. They are fine for salads that way, but not for a lot of other dishes. If you find the taste of tinned artichokes too sour, soak them in plain water for a while.
Fresh artichokes have a distinct green scent and taste, which is evocative of the springtime. I like to choose small artichokes (about the size of an egg), more out of laziness than anything else. The smaller ones haven’t developed the hairy choke and that means the preparation is easier. Make sure the stalks are firm and crisp- definitely not soft and spongy like the artichokes (and most other green vegetables) they sell at the supermarket. Seriously, does anyone really buy dead vegetables, which are on the point of decay?!
Okay, so to prepare artichokes it does require some effort. I’m not going to deny that fact, but once you get the hang of it is a straightforward task.

• You need to prepare some acidulated water. Begin by filling a large bowl (not metallic, it reacts with the artichoke) with cold water. Add the juice of a couple of lemons. Artichokes begin to oxidize and turn black upon cutting, very, very quickly. For this reason it’s also a good idea to work with the cut artichokes as fast as you can manage. Soaking them in acidulated water will help to slow the oxidation process. Have also another large container to hold all the wastage left from preparing the artichoke -it will be substantial.
• Take one artichoke and begin to strip away the leaves. As you do so, you will notice the leaves will go from green, to yellow. The leaves will also become softer, rather than tough and fibrous. Stop removing the leaves, once you reach those supple, blond leaves.
• The next stage is to prepare the stem. The stems themselves are absolutely delicious (they taste like the heart) so don’t cut all of it away -it will depend on how you are cooking them. Using a potato peeler, remove the skin from the base of the flower (where you removed the leaves previously) and from the stalk too. The colour of the stalk will change from vivid green to pale green as you do so. Don’t use your expensive, fancy vegetable peeler for this. The artichoke fibers are tough and will blunt your instrument. Buy a cheap peeler and replace it as need be- you have been warned…
• Trim the top of the artichoke. Cut way about 1/3 from the top of the stripped vegetable. At this stage I place the prepared artichoke into the prepared bowl of water and lemon. Proceed with the rest of the artichokes. Just before cooking you can cut them into halves, quarters etc.
• If the artichokes you’ve selected are large, or you intend to stuff them, then you will need to remove the hairy choke. The easiest way is by using a small spoon.
• Alternatively, and obviously this will only work if you are not stuffing them, you can just roast them whole and get the people to remove the choke at the table. That’s what I usually do. Just don’t forget to tell people.

Discard all the tough leaves and peelings (or use them for the compost). The artichokes are now ready for cooking.

Golden Braised Artichokes and Kipfler Potatoes

Homemade Strawberry Jam

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.

Barramundi Parcels with Blood Orange and Spices

Incase you haven’t noticed, I have a thing for savory foods combined with sweet, fragrant flavours. This wasn’t always the case though. It has only been in the last couple of years that I’ve developed a taste for savory/sweet combination. I assume our palates are constantly changing. The same way that ours lives evolve, reflecting our mood and personality at the time. Who knows, maybe I have become a sweeter person in general and that’s reflective through my diet.
Anyway, that’s enough of the philosophical banter.
I thought it would be a nice idea to make use of the striking blood oranges that are available right now. The season for the fragrant and scarlet orange is rather fleeting, so I like to make to buy some whenever I see them.
I like to eat them the same way I like to eat tangelos- that is peeled and segmented with a very sharp knife to produce thin wedges, without any of the tough membrane that holds the fruit together. I squeeze over any of the juice from the carcass (which will be quite a bit). I then sweeten with homemade vanilla sugar, and leave them to sit for a few minutes, so all the components merge together. Whilst the blood orange (or tangelo) segments are macerating, I sweeten some crème fraiche with more vanilla sugar. I serve the oranges in huge amounts with some of the crème fraiche to dip each citrus segment, before eating. This combination is divine and I think it leaves strawberries and cream for dead.
This recipe is another excellent way of combining fragrantly sweet with salty. Barramundi is quite a popular fish here in Australia, however it can be on the pricey side. It is delicious though, with a sweet and delicate white flesh and I thought it would go well with blood oranges and spices. If you can find fillets from a small fish, by all means use those. I think they are much nicer, than fillets from a massive fish.
They are baked in a foil parcel and served at the table straight from the oven. There is a certain anticipation and thrill about ripping the parcel open at the table.
River Café London was the inspiration for the following recipe.

Components
2 Barramundi fillets or other white fish
1 Blood orange
A pinch of fennel seeds
A pinch of chili powder
Cinnamon
20g melted cultured butter (unsalted)
20ml vermouth
20ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Foil

Process
Preheat the oven to 220c. Squeeze the orange juice. You only need a dash of juice- about 20ml. Remove 2 strips of orange zest and set aside. Crush the fennel seeds and a small piece of cinnamon, until you have a powder. Mix in a small bowl all the ingredients, minus the fish. Pour half of this over the fish fillets and allow it to marinade for a few minutes.
To make the parcels, use a length of foil 5 times the length of the fillet. Fold the foil in half, shiny side out. Place the fillet at one end and pour over half the remaining orange and spice mixture. Top with a strip of orange zest and season with salt and pepper, then fold the foil over the fillet and seal by folding the two ends together, three times, creating a very tight seal. Repeat with the other fish fillet.
Place both parcels on a baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven until both parcels have puffed up to their full capacity.
Serve immediately by placing the unopened parcels on a plate.
This dish goes well with a plate of wilted dark, leafy greens of whatever sort. Serves 2.