Saturday, July 18, 2009

Luigi's Peach Tart


Serves: 6 servings


1. Make crust Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.


1 1/4 cups (179 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temperature

2 tablespoons (28 grams) sour cream


Place the flour, butter, and sour cream in a food processor and pulse to combine.


When the dough has formed a ball, pat with lightly floured hands into the bottom and sides of an ungreased10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and 1/2-inch sides, or a round au gratin dish.


Bake for about 15 minutes, until the crust is set but not browned. Let cool while preparing the filling. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F.


2. Make filling


About 6 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced If using fresh peaches, peel and thickly slice the peaches. Arrange the fresh peach slices in overlapping circles on top of the crust, until it's completely covered. Overfill the crust, as peaches will shrink during cooking.


3 large egg yolks

3/4 cup (168 grams) sour cream

3/4 cup (149 grams) sugar

1/4 cup (37 grams) all-purpose flour


Combine the egg yolks, sour cream, sugar, and flour and beat until smooth. Pour the mixture over the peaches.


Place the tart pan on a baking sheet and bake for about1 hour, until the custard sets and is pale golden in color. Cover with an aluminum foil tent if the crust gets too dark.


Transfer the tart pan to a wire rack to cool.


When cool, remove the side wall of the pan.


3. Make glaze


1/2 cup peach preserves or jelly

1 tablespoon frozen orange juice concentrate


Combine the preserves or jelly and orange juice.


Spread with a pastry brush over the top of the warm tart. Serve the tart warm, at room temperature, or chilled.


mint Garnish with fresh mint.

Friday, July 17, 2009

Luigi's Buttermilk Pancake


"Instant" Pancake Mix

Makes 3 batches of pancakes

1. Prepare mix

6 cups (852 grams or 30 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda (check expiration date first)
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
Combine all of the ingredients in a lidded container.

Shake to mix.


2. Label container

Attach label with expiration date as 3 months after today.



“Instant” Pancakes
Yield: 12 pancakes

1. Prepare equipment

Heat an electric griddle or frying pan to 350 degrees F.

If pancakes will not be served immediately,

Prepare a towel-lined pan.

Heat oven to 200 degrees F.

2. Prepare ingredients

2 large eggs
Separate whites from yolks.

4 tablespoons butter
Cut cold butter into 3 equal pieces.

Place butter in a small bowl.

Melt in the microwave oven for 30 seconds.

3. Prepare liquid ingredients

egg whites
2 cups buttermilk
Whisk together the egg whites and the buttermilk in a small bowl.


egg yolks
melted butter
In another bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the melted butter.


Combine the buttermilk mixture with the egg yolk mixture in a large mixing bowl.

Whisk together until thoroughly combined.

4. Combine

2 cups "Instant" Pancake Mix, recipe above

Pour the liquid ingredients on top of the pancake mix.

Using a whisk, mix the batter just enough to bring it together (about 10 strokes). Don't try to work all the lumps out.

5. Season griddle or pan

1 stick butter, for greasing the pan

Check to see that the griddle or pan is hot by placing a few drops of water onto to the griddle. The griddle is ready if the water dances across the surface.

Lightly butter the griddle or pan. Wipe off thoroughly with a paper towel. (No butter should be visible.)

6. Cook

2 cups fresh fruit such as blueberries, if desired
Gently ladle the pancake batter onto the griddle or pan.

Sprinkle on fruit if desired.

When bubbles begin to set around the edges of the pancake and the cooked-side of the cake is golden, gently flip the pancake.

Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes or until the pancake is set.

7. Serve or store
Serve immediately.

If not serving immediately, remove to a towel-lined baking sheet and cover with a towel.

Hold in a warm oven for 20 to 30 minutes.

Sunday, April 19, 2009

Fluffy Pancake with Lemon Twist

Makes: 4-6

Ingredients:

1 cup of self-raising flour
1 cup of soy milk delite
1 tsp rind of lemom
2 eggs, separated
1 tbsp caster sugar
pinch of salt
butter for cooking
Garnishing: banana, strawberries,
berries, cream or ice cream
Maple syrup


Method:


1. In a bowl, beat together flour, milk, rind of lemon, 2 egg yolks, caster sugar, and pinch of salt, until bubbles appear.

2. Whisk 2 egg whites until stiff and white peaks form.

3. Fold in egg whites with batter until mix.

4. Cook pancake in low to half-medium heat. Flip over once edges look dry and top stops bubbling.

Garnish berries, banana, cream or vanilla ice cream and maple syrup. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Paua Butty or Abalone

Paua Butty

 

Ingredients


  • olive oil or butter
  • onions, thinly sliced
  • garlic, minced
  • fresh chilli, thinly sliced
  • abalone/paua sliced as thin as possible
  • lemon juice
  • rocket leaves
  • buttered white bread

Method


Heat up a cast iron skillet or saute pan to medium heat. Add some olive oil, butter or both. Toss in onions, garlic and chilli. Cook, stirring occasionally until the onions begin to turn golden. Remove from pan and place in a dish.

Wipe pan with paper towel, then place back on heat to get the pan really hot.

Toss paua through oil, then put in hot pan. Let it sear for 30 seconds then stir round the pan for about a minute.

 

Season with salt and lemon juice. Stir the cooked onions back in.

 

Make up the butty/sandwich with rocket leaves and paua mix. Eat while hot.

Sicilian Groper in Foil


Sicilian Groper in Foil


 
 

Ingredients

  • 1 groper fillet about 300g
  • butter
  • bunch of dill
  • lemon slices
  • cherry tomato, diced
  • capers
  • Kalamata olives. Squeeze out the pips and tear the olives with your hands
  • eschallots, thinly sliced
  • basil, hand torn
  • foil
  • citrus oil
  • black pepper

    Method

    As this is going directly onto hot coals you will want to double the foil so as to not get any tears.

     

    Lay out the foil big enough to wrap the fish in. Smear butter onto the foil then lay out 4 – 6 slices of lemon and then a big bunch of dill on top of the lemon.

     

    Now lay the groper fillet on top of the dill. Scatter over the fillet the eschallots, diced tomato, capers, torn olives and torn basil leaves.

     

    Drizzle some citrus oil over everything and finally a few turns of freshly ground black pepper. Wrap the foil bringing each side up and twisting together to create a neat tightly sealed parcel. The fish will steam as well as roast in this package.

    Place on hot coals and cook for about ten minutes. Carefully open the foil and check for doneness by how the fish flakes. If not cooked wrap up and cook a little longer. If cooked eat directly out of the foil package savoring all of the lovely juice created by the fish, butter, lemon and veggies!

    Monday, April 13, 2009

    Flourless Chocolate Cake with Rich Fudge Sauce

    Flourless chocolate cake

    Prep TimeCook TimeServes
    20 mins for cake + 5 minutes for sauce50 mins for cake + 5 minutes for sauce6


    Ingredients
    • 250g dark chocolate, chopped
    • 100g unsalted butter, chopped
    • 1/2 cup strong black coffee
    • 2 tsp vanilla essence
    • 6 eggs, separated
    • 1/2 cup caster sugar
    • 200g ground almonds
    • Extra 1 tbsp caster sugar
    • Sifted cocoa, for dusting

    This chocolate almond cake with rich fudge sauce is flourless. Great served warm with a scoop of ice-cream or a spoonful of softly whipped cream. The fudge sauce can be poured over hot, or wait till it cools then spoon over a generous dollop.

    Here's how

    1.  Preheat oven to moderate 180C. Brush a deep 20cm-round cake tin with melted butter and line the base and sides with baking paper. Place chocolate, butter, coffee and vanilla into a heavy-based pan and stir over a low heat until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and cool until lukewarm.

    2. Place egg yolks and sugar into the small bowl of an electric mixer and beat until the mixture is light and creamy. Gradually add the chocolate mixture and beat on low until just combined. Transfer to a large bowl. Add almond meal and mix well. Wash and dry the beaters.

    3. Place eggwhites in the large bowl of an electric mixer and beat on high until soft peaks form. Add the extra sugar and beat for 1 minute longer. Add eggwhites to the chocolate and fold through using a large metal spoon.

    4.  Pour mixture into prepared tin. Gently shake tin to settle the mixture. Bake for 40-45 minutes or until cooked through when tested with a skewer inserted in the centre. Leave in the tin for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Dust with sifted cocoa powder, if desired. Serve with rich fudge sauce.


    Rich fudge sauce

    • 300ml thickened cream
    • 200g dark chocolate, chopped
    • 100g marshmallows, chopped
    • 1/4 cup Kahlua or Tia Maria

    Put cream, chocolate and marshmallows in a heavy-based pan. Stir over a low heat until smooth and melted. Remove from the heat and stir in the Kahlua or Tia Maria. The sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

    Sunday, February 22, 2009

    Rib Roast Served with Aussie Beer Bush Damper

    Rib Roast
    Ingredients:

    6 beef ribs
    6 eschallots
    4 cloves of garlic
    1 tbls of cracked black pepper
    ½ tbls raw sugar
    440g can of chopped tomatoes
    3 bay leaves
    1 sprig of Rosemary
    Pinch of salt
    1 bottle of red wine
    Olive oil
    green beans


    Method:

    1. Trim the ribs of excess fat and then brown on all sides in a hot pan (that can be used in the oven) in the olive oil.
    2. Once browned, remove ribs from pan (keep them warm). Add the eschallots and garlic cloves to the pan and brown those a little.
    3. Put the ribs back in the pan, then sprinkle with the pepper, sugar, salt and give them a stir and then add the tomatoes.
    4. Give it all a stir and bring to the boil then add the wine, bay leaves and the rosemary.
    5. Stir it all again and bring to the boil. Put a tight fitting lid on the casserole dish and put in the oven at 160 degrees fan forced or about 180 normal and cook until fall apart tender – about 1 ½ half hours.
    6. When cooked carefully remove the ribs from the cooking liquor, strain the liquor and put in a clean pot and bring to a firm simmer until it has reduced to a consistency you are happy with – probably reduced by ½ to a 1/3. While the sauce is reducing trim the gristly skin flaps from the ribs so that all you have left is just cubes of meat (the fat would have rendered during the cooking leaving the gristly skin and the bones will have fallen out during the cooking process and discarded when you strained the sauce.
    7. Serve 3 or 4 pieces of the meat on a plate, spoon the sauce around and over the meat and serve with a side of steamed green beans. You could also serve with a mash of some kind or even some polenta however the rib meat is unctuous and rich and just fine with the beans.




    Aussie Beer Bush Damper

    Ingredients:

    3 cups of self raising flour
    1 tsp salt
    3 tsp of Akudjura powder – ground bush tomato
    2 tsp native Mountain Pepperleaf powder
    ½ tsp of roasted ground wattle seeds
    ½ bottle of stout


    Method:

    1. Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a bowl and then gradually add the beer.
    2. Mix with a wooden spoon until the mix comes together.
    3. Turn out of the bowl and knead for several minutes until the dough is smooth.
    4. Form the dough into a round loaf shape and score the top of the loaf in six wedges. Put in a hot oven on baking paper on the tray or wire rack and cook at 200 degrees or 180 fan forced – spray with water and cook for about 25 – 30 minutes.
    5. The damper is ready when it is crispy on the outside and sounds hollow when tapped. Turn out on a wire rack and cool or rip it apart straight away, slather it in butter and eat with a cup of tea