Author: Andy

Banana upside-down cake with rum sauce

Banana upside-down cake with rum sauce

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Servings: 8 serves
Course: Dessert, Platter
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1/3 cup maple syrup 80ml
  • 3 small bananas
  • 120 g unsalted butter softened
  • 200 g brown sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 11/3 cup self-raising flour sifted, 200g
  • 100 g pecans toasted, finely ground
  • 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 200 g thick Greek-style yoghurt
  • 2 tbs Bundaberg rum or other dark rum
  • Ice cream to serve
  • BUDDY RUM SAUCE
  • 80 g unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup thickened cream 125ml
  • 1/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar 80g
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup 80ml
  • 1 tbs Bundaberg rum or other dark rum

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Grease and line a 20cm square cake pan (if you are using a loose-bottomed pan, place a folded sheet of foil around the base in case some of the maple syrup leaks).
  2. Pour maple syrup into the base of the pan. Slice bananas in half lengthways and layer them, cut-side down, in the pan. Using a stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until thick and pale. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla, then fold in the our, nuts, bicarb and cinnamon.
  3. Fold in yoghurt until combined. Carefully spread the batter over bananas in pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Pierce hot cake all over with a skewer, then drizzle over rum.
  4. Set aside for 2 minutes to soak, then remove the cake from pan and transfer, bottom-side up, to a wire rack to cool slightly.
  5. For the Bundy rum sauce, place the butter, cream, sugar and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the butter melts. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until thickened slightly.
  6. Remove from heat and stir through rum. Set aside to cool slightly . Drizzle warm cake with a little rum sauce and serve with ice cream and remaining sauce on the side.

Lamb sliders with harrissa and mint

Lamb sliders with harrissa and mint

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Servings: 10 sliders
Course: Entree, Main Dish, Platter
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1.8 kg lamb shoulder or leg bone in
  • 2 tbs harissa plus extra to serve
  • 2 cups Chicken stock 500ml
  • 1 onion quartered
  • 1 garlic bulb halved
  • 1 lemon halved
  • 1/3 cup mayonnaise 100g
  • 10 small brioche or fresh buns partially split through the top
  • leaves Mintand snow pea sprouts to serve

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Place lamb in a deep roasting pan and rub all over with harissa. Add chicken stock, onion, garlic and lemon to the pan.
  2. Roast for 4 hours or until lamb is very tender. Cool, then shred lamb into pieces, discarding bone.
  3. Spread the mayonnaise inside the buns, adding extra harissa, then fill with lamb, mint leaves and snow pea sprouts. Serve warm.
Author Posted on Categories Lamb

Mango Toast with Hazelnut-Pepita Butter

Mango Toast with Hazelnut-Pepita Butter

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Servings: 4
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup blanched hazelnuts
  • 1 cup raw pumpkin seeds pepitas
  • kosher salt
  • 1/4 cup freeze-dried blueberries or substitute for 2 tablespoons of raw sugar
  • 2 teaspoons mild red pepper flakes such as Aleppo-style or Urfa pepper
  • 4 slices sourdough bread toasted
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
  • 2 large ripe mangoes peeled sliced
  • honey for serving
  • Flaky sea salt

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 180°. Toast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet tossing once, until golden brown, 20–25 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, toast pumpkin seeds on a separate baking sheet, tossing once, until just beginning to brown in a few spots and very fragrant, 14–16 minutes.
  3. Let hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds cool. Purée in a food processor until a smooth paste forms (this will take several minutes and you will need to scrape down sides a few times.) Taste and season hazelnut–pumpkin seed butter with kosher salt.
  4. Finely grind blueberries, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of kosher salt in spice mill or with mortar and pestle. Drizzle toast with 2 Tbsp. oil and spread 2 Tbsp. hazelnut–pumpkin seed butter over each. Top with mango; drizzle with honey and oil. Sprinkle with blueberry–red pepper mixture and sea salt.
Author Posted on Categories Mango

FISH FILLETS WITH TOMATOES ZUCCHINI & BASIL

FISH FILLETS WITH TOMATOES ZUCCHINI & BASIL

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Servings: 4
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups thinly sliced zucchini (use yellow as well ig you can find them)
  • 1/4 cup sliced shallots
  • 1/4 cup sliced fresh basil divided, plus 1/4basil leaves
  • 20 cherry tomatoes halved
  • 4 tablespoons dry white wine
  • 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil divided
  • Sea salt flakes freshly ground pepper
  • 4 200 g white flaky fish fillets such as snapper or barramundi

Method
 

  1. Place four 14x12" sheets of parchment paper, or heavy-duty foil if grilling, on a work surface. Divide zucchini among parchment sheets, arranging on one side of sheet in thin layers. Sprinkle shallots and sliced basil over, dividing equally. Scatter tomato halves around zucchini. Drizzle each packet with 1 Tbsp. wine and 1/2 Tbsp. oil (add 1/2 Tbsp. water to each if grilling). Season with salt and pepper. Place a fish fillet atop each portion. Season with salt and pepper; drizzle 1/2 Tbsp. oil over each.
  2. Fold parchment over mixture and crimp edges tightly to form a sealed packet. DO AHEAD: Can be made 4 hours ahead. Chill. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes before continuing.
  3. Preheat oven to 200c. Place packets in a single layer on a large rimmed baking sheet. Alternatively, build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Bake or grill fish until just cooked through (a toothpick poked through the parchment will slide through fish easily), about 10 minutes. Carefully cut open packets (steam will escape). Garnish with basil leaves.
Author Posted on Categories Fish

Honey Roast Peach Slab Pavlova With Honeycomb

Honey Roast Peach Slab Pavlova With Honeycomb

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Servings: 12
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

Slab Pavlova Base
  • 6 egg whites room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 330 g caster sugar 1 1/2 cups
  • 2 teaspoons white vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon cornflour
Honey Roast Peaches
  • 6-8 small ripe loose-stone yellow peaches
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or essence
Honey Comb
  • 125 g white sugar 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons
  • 100 g golden syrup 1/4 cup
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
Mascarpone Cream
  • 250 ml cream 1 cup, heavy cream in US
  • 200 g mascarpone
  • 250 g creme fraiche
  • 30 g icing sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Method
 

Honey Comb
  1. Line a small baking tin with baking paper (we used 20 x 20 but the exact size doesn’t matter)
  2. In a medium heavy based pan, heat the sugar and golden syrup over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Meanwhile, measure the baking soda into a small container, ready to use quickly, and have the baking tin nearby.
  3. Increase the heat and bring the sugar to the boil. Boil for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t burn. you’ll see it turn a slightly darker caramel colour.
  4. Add the baking soda and quickly stir to fully combine - the honeycomb will froth up and lighten.
  5. Quickly pour into prepared tin. Don’t worry about spreading it out evenly.
  6. Leave to set until cold and then break into pieces. If it has been a very humid day, you might find that it gets a bit sticky - just keep it in the freezer until you need it and it will much easier to snap and crumble
  7. You will probably have extra left over after using it for the pavlova - dip leftovers in melted chocolate to make them even better!
Slab Pavlova Base
  1. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Using a 20x 30cm tin or a ruler, trace out a roughly 20 x 30cm rectangle on your baking paper with a pencil - this gives you a guide for shaping the pavlova.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180°C (not fan bake).
  3. Wipe out your stand mixing bowl with a bit of lemon juice or vinegar to remove any bits of grease from last time you used it - you want your bowl and beater attachment to be super clean and dry.
  4. Add the egg whites and salt to the bowl and beat using the whisk attachment on high speed until frothy.
  5. Still on high speed, start adding the caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it is all absorbed and the egg whites are stiff and glossy. This should take about 10 minutes, and when you rub a bit of meringue between your fingers you shouldn’t be able to feel any sugar granules.
  6. Whisk in the vinegar. Sift the corn flour over the meringue and gently fold through with a spatula.
  7. Use a big spoon to drop dollops of meringue onto your traced rectangle. Use an offset spatular similar to spread it gently into a rectangle, creating a few swirls and peaks as you go.
  8. Place it in the oven. Immediately turn the heat down to 130°C and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Turn off the oven and leave it in the oven without opening the door until completely cool, ideally overnight.
Honey Roast Peaches
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C
  2. Halve and stone the peaches and place cut side up in a single layer in a rectangular roasting tray or baking tin with sides. In a small bowl, combine the honey, brown sugar, water and vanilla. Pour over the peaches.
  3. Roast for 30-40 minutes, basting the peaches with the honey syrup occasionally, until the peaches are tender and starting to caramelise around the edges.
  4. Set aside in a bowl to cool, including the honey syrup. Use at room temperature - if they are still hot they will start making the mascarpone cream runny.
Mascarpone Cream
  1. Whip the cream to soft peaks.
  2. In a separate bowl, mix together the mascarpone, creme fraiche, icing sugar and vanilla. Fold in the softly whipped cream.
To assemble
  1. Spoon the mascarpone cream over the cooled pavlova base.
  2. Top with the cooled caramelised peaches and shards of hokey pokey.
  3. Serve immediately

Crispy Skin Snapper & Salsa Verde

Saddletail Snapper & Salsa Verde

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Servings: 4
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Italian, Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

SALSA VERDE
  • Large Bunch parsley
  • Large Bunch basil
  • Large bunch mint
  • 3 Anchovies
  • 1 Tbsp Capers
  • 1 clove Garlic
  • 200 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  • Squeeze of lemon juice.
SALAD AND FISH
  • 500 g Waxy new potatoes
  • 200 g cherry tomatoes
  • 200 g Asparagus spears or french beans
  • 4 snapper or white fish fillets skin on

Method
 

  1. Pick only parsley leaves, otherwise the sauce will be very bitter. Add all the other salsa verde ingredients in a food processor and blitz until smooth. Taste and season with salt and pepper and the lemon juice.
  2. Cut all the tomatoes in half. Cook the potatoes until soft and half again.
  3. Blanch the green beans/asparagus for 1 minute 30 seconds. As they are still hot, trim into 2inch pieces and add to the salsa. The same with the potatoes. This helps the salsa flavour the ingredients, rather than sit on the ingredients.
  4. Heat a frying pan over a medium high heat. Add the fish skin side down. Season with salt and pepper. Leave in the pan until all the sides are white (cooked) and the skin is just turning brown at the edges. Flip, cook for 1 minute then turn the heat off. Leave the fish in the pan as you plate up.
  5. Once you’ve plated up, then place a fish fillet directly on top.
Author Posted on Categories Seafood

Easy Italian Peach Crumb Cake

Easy Italian Peach Crumb Cake

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Servings: 8
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

CRUMB CRUST2.5 cups flour
  • cup .5sugar 100 grams
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • cup .3+ 3 tablespoon butter very cold
  • 1 egg
PEACH FILLING
  • 2 1/2 cups sliced peaches (peeled sliced then halved)
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Method
 

  1. Pre-heat oven to 180° celsius.
  2. Grease and flour an 20cm. A spring form pan best.
  3. In a medium bowl mix together peaches and sugar, set aside.
  4. In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, add butter using a pastry blender, or fork combine to form a crumbly mixture, add the egg and continue to mix only until still crumbly.
  5. Add approximately 2/3 of the crumbly mixture to the cake pan, spoon peach mixture on top and sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture.
  6. Bake for approximately 30-40 minutes or until lightly golden on top. Let cool.
  7. Serve with vanilla ice cream if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

Notes An easier way to cut in butter, is to first place the butter in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes, then grate it directly into the bowl, stir with a fork and there you have a crumbed mixture.

Cherry, Roasted Chilli & Herb Salad

Cherry, Roasted Chilli & Herb Salad

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Servings: 4 as a side
Course: Entree, Platter
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 2 red chillies
  • 500 g fresh dark pitted cherries
  • 1 cup coriander leaves
  • 1 cup ⁄2walnut halves toasted and roughly chopped
  • 3 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 1 ⁄2 tbsp. pomegranate molasses
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Heat oven grill to high. Place chiles on a baking sheet; grill, turning as needed, until charred and tender, 4-5 minutes.
  2. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let sit 5 minutes.
  3. Discard stems, skin, and seeds from chiles; finely chop and transfer to a bowl.
  4. Add cherries, coriander, walnuts, oil, molasses, juice, salt, and pepper; toss to combine.
  5. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Notes

You can make pomegranate molasses by reducing 2 cups of cranberry juice over a medium heat until around 1/2 cup remains - It will thicken more on standing, so don't over reduce.

Nectarine and peanut chicken salad

Nectarine and peanut chicken salad

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Servings: 2
Course: Entree, Main Dish, Platter
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1  skinless chicken breast
  • 50 g watercress
  • 2 nectarines
  • 8 g asparagus spears
1/2 cucumber
2 tomatoes or 10 cherry tomatoes
50sugar snaps
2 tablespoons chopped fresh corinader
  • 1/2 red chilli peppers chopped
  • 2 tablespoons roasted peanuts
  • 2 tablespoons oil
marinade
  • 40 ml soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  • tablespoon juice and lemon zest of 1/2 lime
1honey
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
peanut sauce
  • 1 clove garlic  minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon chopped chilli pepper
  • 1 tablespoon grated ginger
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • juice and zest of 1/2 lime
  • 200 ml coconut milk
  • 100 g peanut butter
  • 2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
  • black pepper and salt

Method
 

  1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl.
  2. Cut the chicken into thin strips, put in a clean bowl and toss with 3/4 marinade. Place in the fridge.
  3. Cut the nectarines into small pieces and toss with the rest of the marinade.
  4. Heat the coconut oil in a small saucepan, sauté the garlic and the ginger over low heat. Add the chili pepper and stir, pour coconut milk and bring to a boil. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and cook over low heat until the peanut butter has melted and the sauce is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
  5. Cook the sugar snaps in salted water. Cut the tomatoes and the cucumber into small pieces.
  6. Preheat your grill pan to high heat. Rinse the asparagus under cool water and remove the woody stems. Drizzle with oil and grill for 10 minutes until soft.
  7. Grill the nectarines for 2-3 minutes or until light char marks appear, flip and grill another 2-3 minutes.
  8. Thread your chicken onto the skewers. Grill until the chicken is cooked through and light grill marks appear, turn from time to time so the meat doesn’t burn.
  9. Arrange the watercress on the plates, add cucumber, tomatoes and sugar snaps. Add the grilled asparagus and nectarines and top with the chicken. Drizzle generously with peanut sauce, add the chopped peanuts, chili pepper and fresh corinader. Enjoy!

Peach Curd With Meringue Clouds

Peach Curd With Meringue Clouds

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Servings: 4
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Modern Australian
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 3 large eggs separated, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup plus 1/3plus 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 medium peaches 1 pitted and chopped, 2 cut into 1/4-inch wedges, about 500g total
  • 1/2 cup plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
  • 3 tablespoons white rum
  • 5 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter cut into pieces

Method
 

  1. Preheat oven to 90°C. Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on medium-high speed until frothy, about 1 minute. With the motor running, add 1/2 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time, and beat until medium peaks form, about 5 minutes. Continue to beat until stiff, glossy peaks form, 10–12 minutes.
  2. Transfer meringue to pastry bag and cut off tip so opening is 1/4" wide. Pipe four 3 1/4" rounds onto a grease proof-lined rimmed baking sheet. Bake meringues until dry, firm, and peel easily off of baking sheet around 90–105 minutes. Turn off oven and let cool in oven with door slightly ajar.
  3. Meanwhile, pulse chopped peach in a food processor until smooth. Transfer peach purée to a small bowl.
  4. Toss peach wedges with 1 Tbsp. sugar and 1 tsp. lime juice. Let sit, tossing occasionally, until peaches release their juices.
  5. Bring a medium pot of water to a simmer. Whisk rum, egg yolks, and remaining 1/3 cup sugar and 1/4 cup lime juice in a medium bowl. Place bowl over a pot of barely simmering water and cook, whisking constantly, until mixture is foamy and thickens slightly, around 5 – 6 minutes. Whisk in butter a few pieces at a time, incorporating completely before adding more. Stir in peach purée and let cool slightly.
  6. Strain through a fine-sieve into a small bowl. Press plastic wrap directly onto surface and chill until cold, at least 2 hours.
  7. Gently break each meringue and divide among bowls. Spoon peach curd over and top with macerated peaches.

Notes

Do Ahead: Peach curd can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.