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!

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Rich Fudge Sauce

Flourless chocolate cake

Prep Time	Cook Time	Serves
20 mins for cake + 5 minutes for sauce	50 mins for cake + 5 minutes for sauce	6

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.

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

BBQ Baby Octopus with Greek Salad

BBQ baby octopus

Serves 4:

1.25kg baby octopus, cleaned
Juice of 1 lemon
3/4 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons dried oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
Lemon wedges
Greek salad, to serve

1. Squeeze lemon juice into a large bowl. Add squeezed lemon halves, olive oil, garlic, oregano and octopus. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or ideally over night.
2. Heat a barbecue flat plate over high heat. Add drained octopus and cook, turning regularly for about 5-10 minutes, or until octopus is cooked through. Season with salt and pepper.
Transfer octopus onto a large serving plate. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with lemon wedges and Greek salad


Greek salad recipe

3 Roma tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 Lebanese cucumbers, halved and sliced
1 Spanish onion, halved and thinly sliced
200g block of Greek style Fetta cheese, diced into cubes
100g Kalamata olives
1/2 bunch chopped continental flatleaf parsley
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper to taste

Combine tomatoes, cucumbers, Spanish onion, Fetta, olives and parsley in a large bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.

Alexander & Taylor loves choc: Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Ingredients:

250g butter melted

2 cups sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

4 eggs

1 cup plain flour

2/3 cups cocoa powder

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

100g dark chocolate, broken into squares

icing sugar to dust

1. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla essence in a large mixing bowl. Stir until combined. Stir in eggs until just combined.

2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt into butter mixture. Fold through until just combined. Do not over mix.

3. Spread mixture into prepared tin and scatter the chocolate over the top.

4. Bake for 40 minutes, or until firm. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from tin and cut into squares. Dust with icing sugar. Best served warm.

Lamb Cutlets With Garlic And Herbs

Lamb Cutlets With Garlic And Herbs

Ingredients:

50ml avocado oil
50ml balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
2 cloves garlic crushed
1tsp each chopped fresh oregano, thyme and curly parsley
½ tsp each cracked black pepper and salt
16 Lamb cutlets French trimmed

Method:

1. Place lamb in a shallow dish. Combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, herbs and spices, mixing well and pour over the lamb. Refrigerate for 1 hour turning often.
2. Drain cutlets and reserve marinade. Grill over an open grill or in a heavy based pan till cooked as desired (around 3 minutes per side for medium rare) basting with marinade.
3. Serve with sautéed kale or spinach.


Sauteed Kale With Garlic, Chilli And Apple Vinegar

Ingredients:

450g kale, tough stems and centre ribs removed, leaves cut into 2½ cm strips
2tbs olive oil
1 small Spanish onion, sliced
1 clove garlic finely chopped
Pinch chilli flakes
1tbs apple vinegar or to taste
Sea salt

Method:

1. Cook kale in plenty of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until just tender (about 5 minutes). Drain.
2. Heat oil in a heavy based pan until hot but not smoking. Sauté onion, then add garlic and chilli flakes. Stir, cooking until garlic is fragrant.
3. Reduce to medium heat and add kale. When warmed through, remove from heat and add vinegar and salt to taste.

Churros

Churros

Bring to boil:
100ml milk
100ml water
80gm butter
1 1/2 tablespoon caster sugar
pinch of salt

Once come to a boil, add:
125g of plain flour in, stir it hard until forms a dough, keep stirrring for 3-4 minutes to cook the dough andlumps.
Put in a food processor while warm.
Crack 3 eggs then whisk quickly.
Add n the food processor for 30 seconds until it is smooth and sticky paste.
Scoop it out and put in a piping bag and ready to fry in 180 degrees hot oil.


Hot Chocolate:

Boil hot water over saucepan

Melt 250g chocolate

Bring to boil:
800ml milk
2 tablespoon caster sugar
2 tablespoon of Cocoa
Pour over melted chocolate.
Simmer hot chocoalte over boiling water.