Celeriac & Chestnut Soup

This soup is utterly delicious.
I had been thinking of making it for some time. When I did finally make it for the first time last week, Mike and I were so pleasantly surprised with its delicate and fragrant flavour that I wondered why I hadn’t made it earlier during the autumn and winter. I just had to write about it and share it with others.
We all know how easy frozen chestnuts are to use. I don’t recommend using fresh chestnuts unless you intend having a nervous breakdown. Peeling chestnuts has to be the most painfully tedious kitchen job of all. I am much happier to use the frozen version, if it will keep me from going insane!

Components
400g frozen, ready peeled chestnuts
1 celeriac (about 800g)
1 brown onion, finely chopped
Olive oil and unsalted butter (for sautéing)
3 fresh bay leaves
1 strip orange zest
Stock (game stock works very well)
1 slice pancetta, about 1cm thick
2 or 3 juniper berries, crushed
Sea salt
Cream, 35% milk fat

Process
Thaw the chestnuts and bring them to room temperature.
Peel the celeriac and cut it into cubes about the same size as the chestnuts. You need about 400g of celeriac for the soup.
In a soup pot, heat a splash of olive oil and a piece of butter. Sauté the onion very gently for about 10 minutes. Do not allow it to brown- the flavours in this soup are meant to be delicate.
Add the chestnuts and celeriac.
Add enough stock to submerge the vegetables.
Add the piece of pancetta, bay leaves and strip of orange zest. Bring to the simmer and cook at this steady pace for about 30 minutes- all should become tender.
Remove the pancetta and reserve. Remove the bay leaves and discard.
Puree the soup using whatever gadget you possess in your kitchen arsenal.
Season with sea salt if need be.
Cut the pancetta into small cubes. Place it into a small saucepan with a few drops of oil, and fry it gently until it has browned. During the last few moments, add the crushed juniper berries to the browning pancetta and remove the saucepan from the heat.
Bring the soup to a simmer when you are ready to serve, adding a splash of cream to enrichen the concoction. You can stir the pancetta into the soup at the last minute, or you can use it to sprinkle over at the end. Either way is delicious. Serves 4.

Mussels with Red Curry

One of my favourite foods is mussels.
These delicious little mouthfuls are so easy to prepare and fun to eat. You can use your fingers & not worry about table manners too much! Even The Gourmand was licking his fingers.

Working close to the Victoria Markets means that I can purchase fresh mussels at lunchtime, and either Paul or myself can quickly prepare them for the evening meal. Very easy & very delicious!

Components
1kg fresh mussels, cleaned
2tbl red curry paste
400ml coconut cream
Kaffir lime leaves,
Vietnamese mint

Process
Pour some vegetable oil into a large saucepan, one big enough to hold all the mussels with room to spare. Heat the oil over a medium heat, then add the curry paste. Cook the curry paste until it becomes fragrant & separates.
Add the coconut cream and a couple of Kaffir lime leaves, (crush the leaves lightly in your hand to help release the fragrance).
Simmer the sauce, stirring occasionally till it has reduced to a thick consistency. Don’t worry about the sauce being too thick as the mussels throw a lot of water when they are added, thinning the sauce sufficiently.
Turn up the heat to high & add the cleaned mussels and a handful of fresh Vietnamese mint. Put the lid on the saucepan to help steam the mussels. They won’t take long to cook & open.
Give the mussels a stir to coat them all in the curry sauce & to ensure that all have been cooked
Serve immediately with some steamed rice and Asian greens.
1kg is plenty for two.

Honey and Mustard Fruits

I don’t very often make my own preserves and pickles. However once in a blue moon, I don’t mind. Amusement more than anything is usually the reason, as opposed to abundance of an ingredient, which was the motivation for making such concoctions in past times.
This one is based on Italy’s famous “mustard fruits” and I found the recipe in Stephanie Alexander’s multi-coloured striped cookery bible: "The Cook's Companion".
The flavour and texture are different to the commercially available product. It’s a pleasant balance of sweet, sour and pungent components.
I know it is probably the wrong time of year to be posting this recipe (late winter here in Australia). I had actually made this a few months ago, and I had forgotten all about it. Readers in the northern hemisphere may find it of use though. Better late than never.
This bizarre condiment goes well with roasted game meats, pork, and sausages. It is also a good accompaniment to a simple and lovely boiled dinner.

Components
130g dried apricots
130g dried figs
1 cup honey
250ml mild white wine vinegar
1 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
1 tsp mustard powder
½ tsp salt

Process
Cover both fruits with boiling water. Allow to soften and cool for 1 hour. Strain the water from the fruits and keep 60ml. Discard the remaining liquid.
Place the honey, vinegar, mustard, salt and reserved liquid into a saucepan. Simmer gently for 5 minutes.
Add the fruits, cover and simmer until the fruits are soft, about 15 minutes.
Ladle into a hot sterilized jar and store in a cool and dark cupboard.
Leave it for a few weeks for the flavours to infuse and develop. Refrigerate after opening.

Tangelo Chiaro-Oscuro

Pork with Apple Sauce

I love reinventing old dishes. Pork and apple sauce is one such dish. This version is far superior in flavour than the traditional version and a lot quicker to make too. Its one of those dishes you can put together swiftly and easily- perfect for when one isn’t particularly in the mood to be performing fancy tasks in the kitchen.
My favourite cut of pork is neck, otherwise known as scotch fillet. It is full of flavour and extremely juicy and tender. Buy it in one big piece and cut into steaks yourself.
I never cook pork until well done. I think it is absolutely revolting and very old fashioned cooked that way. I like mine seared on the outside and cooked medium, so the meat is tender within.

Components
250ml bottled apple juice (not freshly juiced)
1 clove garlic, whole but crushed
¼ cup brown sugar or maple syrup
Fresh thyme or rosemary
Pinch of chili powder
500g pork neck, cut into steaks
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Process
Combine the apple juice, garlic, sugar (or maple syrup), herbs and chili. Add the pork steaks and allow to marinate for about an hour or so, at room temperature.
Remove the pork from its bath and pat dry with paper towels. Reserve the marinade. Smother the steaks generously with olive oil and season them salt and pepper.
Heat your char grill until it is scorching hot. Cook the pork steaks on the grill until cooked to your liking. Allow the cooked steaks to rest a few minutes before serving.
In the meantime reduce the reserved marinade, until thickened and somewhat syrupy.
Pour over the pork steaks and serve with duck fat sautéed potatoes.
Steamed broccolini tossed with hazelnut oil makes a good accompaniment too. Serves two.

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.

Foul Guinea Fowl

Game birds are my favourite meats to eat- especially pigeon and pheasant. I was looking forward to roasting and eating a guinea fowl, of which I had been planning for a time. Guinea fowl I had never eaten, and to my dismay and I hate to admit, I found this particular bird insipid, dull and flavourless.
As most roasted game birds are usually a bit on the chewy side when it comes to the legs, I wasn’t too bothered. However, I found the breast meat bland and the skin thick and tough. Mike agreed, and we were both disappointed. Luckily the King Edward potatoes I had roasted on the side kept us from hunger.
To my understanding the bird was correctly cooked. I marinated it with fennel seeds, garlic, juniper berries, olive oil, rosé wine and shallot. I laid slices of pancetta over the breast to protect the flesh and roasted it for 20 minutes in a scorching oven. Half way through cooking, I removed the pancetta slices to allow the bird to brown nicely. The meat was pink (as it should be). I allowed the bird a 20-minute rest before serving.

Have any readers had similar experiences with guinea fowl?
Did I do something wrong, or are those qualities the nature of the bird?
Maybe I purchased a dud bird?
I would love any suggestions as to how to how to prepare a more succulent and appetizing bird.

Any ideas?