Appendix D: Recipes

Thai Stir-fried
Morning Glory
(Pak Boong Fai
Dang)
Ingredients:

 1 large bunch pak boong (also

known as kangkong, water
spinach or morning glory)
 4 large garlic cloves
 3 large red chillies
 2 tbsp vegetable oil
 3 tbsp oyster sauce
 2 tbsp fish sauce
 2 tsp white sugar
Directions:

Break pak boong into 5cm pieces and place in a large bowl.

Use a mortar and pestle to pound the garlic and chillies to a rough paste.

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. When oil is smoking hot, add the pak boong and chilli
paste and toss together. Add the oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar. Stir-fry until just wilted.
Transfer to a serving plate.
Salt, pepper and
seaweed tofu
Ingredients:

 1 sheet nori
 600 g classic tofu (it should
be soft to the touch but not
silken)
 175 g(1 cup) potato starch or
cornstarch
 2 - 4 cups vegetable oil, for
deep frying
 3garlic cloves, roughly
chopped
 2spring onions, sliced
 sea salt and ground black pepper, to season
Directions:

Lightly toast the nori over an open flame and blend to a fine powder in a spice grinder or
small blender.

Place the tofu between 2 pieces of paper towel and place a plate on top. Stand for about 10
minutes to press to remove the excess moisture. Cut the tofu into 5 cm cubes and roll in the
starch. Allow to stand for 5 minutes while you heat the oil in a large saucepan or deep fryer
to 175˚C.

Fry the tofu in batches for about 3 minutes each batch, then drain on a wire rack.

Heat a wok over medium heat and add about 1 tbsp of the oil. Add the garlic and spring
onions and fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the tofu, season very well with salt
and black pepper and gently toss to coat the tofu in the fried aromatics. Remove to a plate,
scatter liberally with the nori powder and serve.

Notes:

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the
temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1
tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and
cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All
eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
 Grilled Rib
Eye with
Pan-fried
Tomatoes
and
Rosemary,
Caper Butter
Ingredients:

 Rib eye
 Salt block
 Rosemary sprigs
 Ripe tomatoes, sliced into wedges or chunks
 Caperberries (optional)
 Butter: *Over low heat in a small saucepan melt together butter and herbs. Let simmer
for about five minutes.

Method:

1. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Liberally season both sides of the rib eye steak with
salt and pepper.
2. Place the salt block on the grill and allow it to heat up for about 15 minutes. Once
heated, place the steak on top of the salt block and let cook for about four minutes
per side.
3. While the steak is cooking, prepare the pan-fried tomatoes and rosemary caper butter
sauce.
4. Remove steak from the salt block when cooked to desired doneness (about 55 degrees
Celsius for rare). Let rest for five minutes before serving with prepared tomato
mixture.
 Fermented Tomato Salsa
Recipe
Ingredients:

 0.5 kg of ripe tomatoes (or about 0.5 L when

chopped) – for more colourful salsa use red, yellow or
striped varieties
 1 onion
 2 garlic cloves (minced) – I certainly add more than
that!
 ¼ capsicum – add your choice of colour
 Fresh chilli – to taste; for hot salsa use more, for a
very mild one-use capsicum only
 Fresh coriander leaves (¼ cup or more) – you can
also try parsley
 Juice from 1 lemon and 1 lime
 1 tablespoon of sea salt or celtic salt
 Spices to taste (oregano, pepper, cumin, chili, cayenne)
 ¼ cup whey (optional; it adds more bacteria to assist fermenting)
Directions:

Chop tomatoes, capsicum/chilli, onion and coriander, and mince garlic. For chunky salsa do
this by hand and gently toss all ingredients in a large bowl. If you like smoother salsa, use a
food processor.

Add lemon and lime juice, then salt and spices. Stir well.

If you choose to, add whey at the end; mix it through.

Pour salsa into a 1-L size jar and close tightly. I use jars with rubber seals and springs (see
the photo below).

Leave the jar on the counter for approximately 2 days, then transfer to fridge or cold storage.
Unpasteurised it will last for a few weeks.
 Juicy Roast Turkey
Ingredients

 5 kg whole turkey, thawed (plain not pre brined)

 DRY BRINE RUB:

o 2.5 tbsp salt (Note 2)

o 2 tsp dried thyme, or other herb of choice

o 1 tsp paprika, sweet or ordinary

o 1 tsp garlic powder (optional)

o 1/2 tsp black pepper

 For roasting:

o 150g / 10 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

o 1 tbsp (in total) sage, rosemary and thyme, finely chopped (Note 3)

o 3 garlic cloves, minced

o 2 heads of garlic, halved horizontally

o 1 onion, halved (brown, yellow, white)

o 2 small bunch mixed herbs, sage, rosemary, thyme, parsley (optional, Note
3)

o 1.5 cups / 375 ml dry white wine, or water (Note 4)

o Salt & pepper

 Gravy (~ 4 cups/1l)

o 4 cups (1 litre) chicken broth / stock, low sodium

o 5 tbsp (60g) flour, plain / all purpose

o Salt and pepper

Instructions:

DRY BRINING PREPARATION.

Rub: Mix together the Rub.

Prep Turkey: Pat the turkey dry with paper towels., inside and out. Remove giblets or
anything else inside the turkey. (Note 5)
Sprinkle: Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt inside and use you hand to spread it (roughly is
fine). Turn the turkey upside down, then rub 1 teaspoon of the salt mixture on the underside.

Turn the turkey upright and rub the remaining salt on the turkey, using most on the breast -
even some under the skin if you can.

Wrap turkey mummy-like in lots of cling wrap or place the turkey in a sealable plastic bag
(Note 6).

BRINING (NOTE 7):

Place turkey upside down in baking pan. Refrigerate.

24 hours later: Flip turkey so it's right side up.

24 (to 48 hours) later: unwrap turkey. The skin should be moist but not wet. If wet, pat
dry. Leave out for 30 min before roasting.

PREPARE FOR ROASTING:

Preheat oven to 220C/425F (standard) or 200C/390F (fan).

Place the onions and garlic in a roasting pan. Place a roasting rack on top - if you have one
(Note 8 for sub).

Stuff bunch of herbs + 2 garlic halves + 3 tbsp butter (45g) inside the turkey. Tie drumsticks
together with kitchen twine (optional).

Place turkey UPSIDE DOWN on the rack. Twist the wings so they are on top - see video. Brush
with a bit of melted butter. Sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and pepper.

Pour wine in roasting pan.

ROASTING:

Roast for 30 minutes.

Use a tea towel to turn the turkey over. Brush with butter, sprinkle with a tiny bit of salt and
pepper.

Turn oven down to 165C/325F (standard) or 150C/300F (fan). Roast turkey 45 minutes.

Mix remaining butter with garlic and herbs. Brush turkey generously with butter.

Roast turkey for a further 30 minutes or until a) the thermometer that comes with the turkey
pops up (America) b) a thermometer inserted between the breast and leg reads 165F/75C.
(Notes 9, 10). Cover loosely with foil if browning too much.

Remove turkey onto serving plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 30 minutes before
transferring to platter for presentation and carving (see in post for styling idea).

Serve turkey with gravy and/or Cranberry Sauce.

 TURKEY GRAVY
Place roasting pan (with garlic, onion etc still in it) on the stove over medium high heat. Add
flour and cook for 2 minutes.

Add broth and use a potato masher to mash the onion and garlic into the mixture. Use a
wooden spoon to scrap the bottom of the pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened.

Strain into a bowl, pressing down to extract all the flavour out of the onion and garlic. Transfer
to gravy boat.

Recipe notes

1. TURKEY needs to be thawed.

* Thaw in fridge (long thaw) – allow 24 hours for every 1.5 – 2 kg / 3 – 4 lb of turkey (my
5.5 kg/11 lb turkey took 3 days)

* Fast thaw in water – 30 minutes per 500g / 1 lb. Turkey needs to be in a leak proof bag /
wrapping. Submerge in large sink of water, keep it submerged. Change water every 30
minutes.

Rub can be applied to partially thawed turkey as long as skin is pliable enough to rub salt in.
Add 1 tsp extra salt. Expect lots of juices from the thaw/brining process - ensure turkey is
patted dry before roasting. As it brines, liquid may be red from blood from the inside of the
turkey thawing - do not worry. Won't affect end result at all. Do not rinse, just pat dry with
paper towels.

DO NOT:

* Use this recipe for "self-basting" or pre marinated turkeys, will be too salty. Check
ingredients or nutrition - if there's salt or flavourings, the turkey has already been brined.
Typically, these include boxed and frozen turkeys at the supermarkets in Australia.

**See HOW TO COOK PRE-BRINED TURKEY box below recipe. **

2. SALT - Use 1 tbsp salt for every 2 kg / 4 lb turkey. Use kosher / cooking salt. If using fine
grain table salt, reduce by 1/4 tsp PER 1 tbsp of salt called for in the recipe. Do not use salt
flakes (too hard to measure equivalent).

3. HERBS - I used an equal mix of sage, rosemary and thyme to make up 1 tbsp in total for
basting partway through cooking. Can also use dried herbs of choice - use 2 tsp. Doesn't
sound like much but we don't want to put herbs on the skin until partway through cooking
otherwise it just burns. So by the time we baste with the herb butter, there's not much butter
left. Just imparts a subtle fragrance more than anything, could even be skipped.

Need one bunch to stuff inside the turkey, the other for the pan.

4. WINE - I use sauvignon Blanc, pinot gris (I get discount wine for cooking). Any white wine
is fine as long as it's not too sweet or woody / oaky.
5. Giblets are a parcel of turkey offcuts that are usually stuffed inside the turkey and are used
to make the gravy. It usually comprises of neck, heart and liver. Use the neck and heart for
turkey gravy.

6. BAG - you can get resealable bags in America that are big enough for turkey. But I've found
that cling wrap is the most effective - keeps the brine right up against the turkey skin.

7. BRINE TIME: 48 hours (2 days) is my base recipe, 3 days also great (a bit more seasoned).
Even overnight is better than not brining at all! I even did 4 days last year and it not any
different to 3 days, from what I could tell.

8. RACK SUB: Need to keep turkey skin elevated out of liquid in pan. Get a long strip of foil,
scrunch to make a thick "rope". Loop to make a circle and secure. Place on top of onion, place
turkey on top. Just need something to keep turkey a bit elevated off base of pan and the
onion. If skin is in contact with onion when upside down, the skin will brown unevenly once
you flip.

9. ROASTING TIME:

 5kg: 1 hr 45 min – 2 hrs

 6 kg: 2 hrs 15 min

 7kg: 2 hrs 30 min

 8 kg: 2 hrs 45min

Works out at 12 minutes per 500g.

10. INTERNAL TEMP: Insert thermometer between breast and leg. Push straight down, hit
bone, then pull back slightly.

If you don't have a thermometer (get one! Even a cheap one!), pierce the meat between the
leg and breast and if the juices run clear, the turkey is cooked.

Remember, this turkey is brined so there is a bit of leeway with the cooking time even if you
overcook it slightly, it will still be moist.
 Cantonese Roast Duck
Ingredients

 1 whole duck (2 -
2.2kg)

 30g salt

 20g sugar

 10g Gewürzhaus Duck

Duck Goose

 2 garlic cloves, minced

 6cm fresh ginger, cut

in half

 2 spring onions

 30g hoisin sauce

 1 tbsp soy sauce

 2 tbsp bicarb soda

 For the glaze

 20g white vinegar

 10g maltose syrup

 10g white rice wine

 1 tsp hoisin sauce

 For glaze:

o 20g white vinegar

o 10g maltose syrup

o 10g white rice wine

o 1 tsp hoisin sauce

Method

Gather the ingredients.

Clean the duck well. Remove the wing tips and the lumps of fat from inside the cavity. Rinse
well and pat dry with paper towels.
Rub salt over the entire duck and place it on a ceramic plate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Make the Marinade

Gather the ingredients.

Heat the oil in a small skillet. Add the green onion, ginger root, and garlic and sauté until
fragrant.

Add the rest of the marinade ingredients, stirring well, and bring to a boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer 2 to 3 minutes.

Remove from the heat and set aside to cool completely.

Prepare and Blanch the Duck

Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil.

Remove the duck from the refrigerator and tightly tie the neck with kitchen string.

Pour the cooled marinade into the cavity of the duck.

Using a heavy needle and kitchen or butcher's twine, sew closed the cavity securely.

Carefully place the duck in the boiling water, holding it by the legs. If needed, use a ladle to
pour boiling water over any exposed portions of duck until the skin has contracted.

Remove once all of the skin has tightened up (this will only take a few minutes) and dry well.

Air-Dry the Duck

Place a pan under the duck to catch any drips and hang it head-down with a heavy-duty S-
shaped hook. If you don't have hooks, make an S shape with a clean wire clothes hanger.
Alternatively, place the duck on a rack and the rack on a plate to catch any drippings. Place
in the fridge.

Let dry for least 4 to 5 hours.

Make the Glaze

Gather the ingredients.

In a small bowl or saucepan, dissolve the maltose or honey, red food coloring (if using), and
rice vinegar in warm water.

Brush it all over the air-dried duck. Repeat the brushing two more times.

Roast the Duck

Preheat the oven to 400 F/200 C/Gas Mark 6. Place a tray of boiling water at the bottom of
the oven. If you have the attachments, hang the duck head-down from the top rack. If not,
place it on a rack and the rack on a baking sheet.
Roast for 25 minutes, basting with the remaining glaze mixture.

Reduce the heat to 350 F/180 C/Gas Mark 4 and cook for 30 minutes more, basting with the
remaining glaze mixture.

The duck is done when an instant-read thermometer placed in the thickest part of the thigh
(away from the bone) reads 175 F/80 C.

Cantonese Roast Duck on a wire rack over a baking sheet

Serve the Duck

Remove the duck from the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Place the duck in a clean pan with a lip and snip the string, letting the juices drain into the
pan.

Place the duck on a cutting board and cut it into serving-size pieces.

If desired, transfer the juices to a small saucepan, skim off the fat, and bring to a boil. Reduce
the heat and simmer 2 minutes to concentrate the flavors. Serve in a gravy boat alongside
the duck.
 Biltong
Ingredients

 2 kg of game meat
 250ml vinegar (for basting)
 2 tablespoons black pepper
corns
 ½ cup whole coriander seeds
 2 tablespoons sea salt
 2 teaspoons paprika

Optional extras

 Worcestershire sauce (see

notes above)
 Garlic powder
 Cayenne pepper, ground chili, chili flakes or peri peri spice mix
 1 tablespoon of brown sugar

Methods:

1. Toast the coriander seed in a dry pan on medium heat, shaking the pan frequently so
the seeds toast evenly (about 2 minutes), then set aside to cool.
2. Grind down the seeds in a mortar & pestle, spice grinder or Vibe Blender system on
‘nut’ mode for approx. 30 seconds. When grinding, don’t turn the seeds into a fine
powder. Ideally the grind consistency should be mostly powder, with a few pieces of
seed shells left in.
3. Pour the ground spices into a bowl then add the paprika, salt and other optional spices
and stir well. Set aside and prepare the meat.
4. Using a sharp knife, following the grain of the meat, cut into thick lengths.
5. Choose a large non-metallic container to marinate the meat. (optional) Reserve a third
of the seasoning mix to pat into the meat before hanging on the hooks.
6. Sprinkle a portion of the seasoning into the base of the container. Lay strips of meat
in a single layer across the bottom. Pour a quarter of the basting vinegar over the top.
Sprinkling the meat with more seasoning. Arrange another layer of meat, then repeat
the process until the spice mix and vinegar are used.
7. With clean hands, turn and rub the strips of meat until they are thoroughly coated.
8. Place in the fridge to cure for approximately 3 hours. The longer you leave it the more
the meat will absorb. If you prefer a more pronounced flavour, then leave for more
time.
9. Remove the meat from the container, pat dry with kitchen towels, taking care not to
remove too much of the spice.
10. Optional: roll the strips of meat in the remaining spice mix.
11. Add a hook into the thickest end of each strip of meat. You are now ready to hang
your biltong strips for drying.
12. When hanging the meat, be sure to separate your strips evenly throughout the
dehydrator. It is important that the strips of meat are not touching each other, or the
sides or bottom of the dehydrator. Once you have completed hanging your meat,
simply place the lid on to the dehydrator.
13. Set the temperature to 25 °C / 77 °F and the time to 48 hours to check in. The length
of drying can vary from 3 - 5 days, depending on the thickness of the strips and the
humidity in the air.
14. Once dried your biltong will shrink by around half the size.
15. When your Biltong is sufficiently dried, cut into thin slices with a sharp knife.
16. When biltong is fresh, you can eat it within 4-5 days but when stored and packed right,
it can last for months.
Carpaccio of kangaroo with beetroot and
native fruits
Ingredients

 250 gm kangaroo fillet (see note),

trimmed of sinew and patted dry with
paper towels
 8 quandongs, halved (and defrosted
if frozen; see note)
 5 radicchio leaves, cut into 4cm
rounds with a biscuit cutter
 To serve: extra-virgin olive oil, finely
grated horseradish and purple basil
leaves

Salt baked beetroot

 200 gm Murray River pink salt flakes,
plus extra, to serve
 100 ml olive oil
 1 tbsp each coarsely chopped thyme
and rosemary
 1 large beetroot (about 300gm),
scrubbed and trimmed without exposing flesh

Native currant and beetroot agrodolce:

 350 gm (about 3) small beetroot, trimmed, peeled and quartered
 125 gm native currants (see note)
 125 ml (½ cup) merlot vinegar or other aged sweet red wine vinegar
 60 gm caster sugar

Illawarra plum purée:

 100 gm Illawarra plums, coarsely chopped (see note)
 25 ml merlot vinegar or other aged sweet red wine vinegar, plus extra to season
 25 gm caster sugar
 20 gm cultured butter (such as Pepe Saya), diced

Method:

1. Roll kangaroo fillet tightly in plastic wrap to form a tight log, seal ends as tightly as
you can, and freeze (at least 2 hours). Unwrap and slice meat very thinly, then place
in a single layer on a piece of baking paper, cover and refrigerate.
2. For salt-baked beetroot, preheat oven to 160C. Combine salt, oil, herbs, 1 tsp coarsely
ground black pepper and 60ml water in a bowl. Spread over a piece of foil large enough
to enclose beetroot, wrap beetroot and bake directly on an oven rack until beetroot is
 tender when pierced with a metal skewer (1¼-1½ hours). Cool in foil (1½ hours), then
unwrap, discard salt crust and wash and peel beetroot, then cut into 2.5cm-thick slices.
Cut as many rounds out of each slice as possible with a 4cm round cutter, then slice
crossways into thin rounds. Reserve trimmings and refrigerate rounds until required.
3. For native currant and beetroot agrodolce, juice beetroot in an electric juicer, place
125ml in a saucepan with currants, vinegar and sugar, bring to the boil, then set aside
to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer, pressing currants with the back
of a ladle to extract as much juice as possible. Reserve 100ml liquid, return remaining
liquid to a small saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and reduce to a
sticky syrup (8-10 minutes). Set aside at room temperature.
4. Bring reserved agrodolce liquid to a simmer in a separate small saucepan, add
quandong and set aside to cool.
5. For Illawara plum purée, coarsely chop 100gm reserve beetroot trimmings (discard
remaining), then combine with plums, vinegar, sugar and just enough water to cover
in a small saucepan. Place a round of baking paper directly on top, then simmer over
medium heat until water has almost evaporated, and plums and beetroot are tender
(6-8 minutes). Cool briefly, then process in a small blender, adding butter gradually,
until smooth. Season to taste with vinegar and sea salt.
6. To serve, drizzle kangaroo with olive oil and season to taste, then arrange on serving
plates, alternating kangaroo, beetroot and radicchio in a circle, spoon on quandongs,
dot with plum purée, scatter with horseradish and purple basil leaves, then drizzle with
agrodolce dressing and olive oil to taste.
 Spanish fried toast with smoked duck
heart (Torrija de ahumado corazon de
pato y guanciale)
Ingredients

 vegetable oil
 10smoked duck hearts
(see note)
 100 ml sherry vinegar
 100 ml fig vincotto
 200 g guanciale (cured
pork cheek), thinly
sliced
 Salt and freshly ground
black pepper, to taste
 Blood mustard leaves,
to serve

Torrija
 1 Litre milk
 2 cinnamon sticks
 1 orange, rind peeled with a vegetable peeler
 5 whole eggs
 5 egg yolks
 1 small loaf day-old sourdough bread
 150 ml vegetable oil, for frying
 Plain flour, for dusting
 2 tsp cinnamon, finely ground
 100 g caster sugar

Duck liver pate:

 100 g bacon, roughly chopped
 250 g onion, roughly chopped
 50 g garlic, roughly chopped
 100 ml white wine
 100 ml brandy
 50 ml white port
 200 gun salted butter
 500 g duck liver
 200 g eggs (about 4)
 1egg yolk
 2 tsp salt
  ½ tsp curing salt (see Notes)
 ½ tsp finely ground black pepper
 1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Method:
Marinating time overnight

For the torrija, place the milk, cinnamon sticks and orange rind in a non-reactive saucepan
over medium heat until it reaches boiling point. Remove from the heat and stand until cooled
until room temperature.

Place the whole eggs, egg yolks and cooled milk in a bowl and whisk to combine.

Slice the sourdough bread into 1.5 cm-thick slices and cut off the crusts. Cut the slices into

4 cm squares and place in a container deep and wide enough for the bread to be submerged
in the milk mixture. Don’t pack the bread in more than 3 layers on top of each other. Pour
the milk mixture on top of the bread, making sure all the bread is submerged. Cover and
refrigerate overnight.

Meanwhile, for the duck liver pâté, place the bacon, onion and garlic in a frying pan over
medium heat and cook, stirring regularly until soft and translucent, without any colour. Add
the wine, brandy and port and boil for 1 minute to infuse the flavours. Remove from the heat
and rest for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid, discard the solids and cool the liquid over an ice
bath.

To clarify the butter, melt the unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan over low heat until the
bubbling ceases and the liquid turns clear. Strain through a fine sieve, being sure to leave
any solids in the bottom of the pan. Stand until cool but still liquid.

Half fill a deep heavy-based baking tray with water and place on the stove over low heat.
Bring to 68˚C. Have about five 250 ml (1 cup) capacity mason jars and their lids ready for
filling.

Place the cooled infused alcohol, duck liver, eggs, egg yolk, salts and spices in a food
processor and blitz until smooth. With the motor running, gradually add slowly add the
clarified butter until emulsified. Working quickly, pass the puree through a fine-mesh sieve.
It’s important to be speedy to ensure that your mixture doesn’t begin to oxidize. Pour the
mixture into a jug, then pour the mixture into the jars, leaving about 4 cm free from the top
(that way you can submerge the jars in water to the point where all the pate is submerged
but not the whole jar). Twist the lids until just barely closed and still possible to open with
your fingertips.

Place the jars straight into the preheated water and cook for 90 minutes. If using larger jars,
extend your cooking time by 30 minutes. The core temperature of the spread should reach
68˚C. Once cooked, carefully remove the jars and place on a wire rack to cool, then refrigerate
overnight. The pâté will keep refrigerated in the jars for at least 5 days. Just before serving,
transfer the pâté to a food processor and blitz until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag.

When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 150˚C. Place the sliced guanciale on a baking
paper lined baking tray, ensuring the slices aren’t touching. Cook for 10 minutes or until
golden and crisp. Drain on paper towel and set aside.

For the duck hearts, cut off the first couple of millimetres from the top of the hearts (the
larger end, not the pointy end). Heat the vegetable oil a frying pan over high heat until
smoking hot. Add the smoked duck hearts and quickly sear on each side until caramelised
but not cooked through. Remove from the pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. The hearts
should be served medium rare, otherwise, they will be tough. Return the pan to medium-high
heat. Add the sherry vinegar and vincotto and simmer until reduced and slightly sticky.
Remove from the heat and pour into a bowl to stop it from cooking further.

To serve, heat the oil for frying in a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Remove the
pieces of soaked sourdough from the liquid, dust in flour and pan-fry until golden on each
side. Drain on paper towel, then dust the fried bread with a mixture of the ground cinnamon
and sugar. Pipe the duck liver pâté onto the bread.

Cut the smoked duck hearts in half lengthways and place on top of the pate along with the
crispy guanciale. Drizzle with the fig glaze and garnish with the blood mustard leaves.

Notes

For the smoked duck hearts - unless you have a smoker at home, you’ll have to be very
crafty. Place some woodchips in the bottom of a metal tray, then place another perforated
metal tray on top of that with the duck hearts in it. Seal the top tray with plastic wrap to
ensure the smoke stays inside. Place the tray onto an open flame such as a gas stovetop and
wait for the woodchips to light. As soon as you see the tray filling with smoke, remove it from
the heat and place it somewhere outside where you won’t trigger the smoke alarm!

The curing salt helps retain a very light pink colour in the pate, but as it’s only for aesthetics,
don’t worry if you can’t find it from specialist butchers.
 Confit Duck Leg with Pine Mushrooms
Ingredients

Confit Duck
 2 thyme sprigs,
snipped
 1 rosemary sprig,
snipped
 2 garlic cloves, halved
 1 teaspoon black
peppercorns
 1 star anise
 1/2 cup rock salt
 2 duck marylands
 500g duck fat

Mushrooms:
 60ml olive oil
 500g pine mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, sliced
 2 eschalots, finely chopped
 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
 2 thyme sprigs
 2 tablespoons roughly chopped parsley
 80ml (1/3 cup) sherry vinegar
 2 tablespoons duck jus
 Chopped black truffle, to taste (optional)

To serve:
 Picked watercress, to garnish

Method:

 Preheat oven to 130C.

 Lightly pound thyme, rosemary, garlic, peppercorns and star anise in a mortar and
pestle to release flavour. Add salt and continue to pound until coarsely ground.
 Place 1/3 of the salt into a bowl, then place one leg on top. Sprinkle with another third
of salt, place remaining leg on top, followed by remaining salt. Refrigerate for at least
2 hours, preferably overnight.
 Rinse legs well under running water, then pat dry with paper towel.
 Meanwhile, heat duck fat in a deep ovenproof frying pan over medium heat until
melted.
 Place duck legs into the fat, and cover with a cartouche made from baking paper,
snipping the tip off the end. Place in oven and cook for 2-3 hours or until very tender.
 Allow duck to cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan, reserving fat.
  Chop the knuckle off the drumstick of the duck legs.
 Press the duck in-between two trays, lined with baking paper, skin side up in the fridge
until cool.
 Heat 1 tablespoon of the confit oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat.
Cook duck legs, skin-side down until golden and crisp. Remove from pan.
 For the mushrooms, heat oil in a frying pan over high heat. Cook mushrooms for about
2 minutes until starting to colour, stirring regularly. Season with salt and pepper. Add
eschalots, garlic and thyme, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring well until mushrooms
are tender. Add parsley, vinegar and jus, and toss to combine. Stir through truffle, if
using.
To serve.
 To serve, divide mushrooms among plates, drizzle with duck jus, top with duck legs
and garnish with watercress.
 Baked red mullet with lemon dressing
Ingredients

 4 large red mullet (about

24cm long), cleaned, fins
removed
 1½ cups (loosely packed)
dill, coarsely chopped
 2 tbsp olive oil
 1½ cups (loosely packed)
flat-leaf parsley, coarsely
chopped
 1 cup (loosely packed)
mint, coarsely chopped
 8 anchovy fillets, finely
chopped
 5 golden shallots, finely
chopped
 To serve: lemon wedge

Lemon dressing:
 1 garlic clove, finely
chopped
 ½ tbsp Dijon mustard
 25 ml lemon juice
 25 ml Sherry vinegar
 25 ml extra-virgin olive oil
 100 ml lemon-infused olive oil

Method:

 For lemon dressing, stir garlic, mustard and ½ tbsp sea salt flakes in a bowl, add lemon
juice and vinegar, whisk to combine, then add oils and set aside.
 Preheat oven to 180C. Cut 2 incisions in each side of fish and stuff half the dill into
incisions. Heat oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Add mullet
in batches and cook, turning once, until golden (3-4 minutes), then return mullet to
pan, transfer to oven and bake until cooked through (6-8 minutes).
 Add parsley, mint, remaining dill, anchovy and shallot to lemon dressing, stir to
combine, season to taste, spoon dressing over fish and serve hot with lemon wedges.
 Crab mac 'n' cheese bake
Ingredients

 100g butter, plus extra for greasing

 500g macaroni
 100g flour
 1l milk
 200g mature cheddar, grated
 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
 1 tbsp tomato ketchup
 1 tsp cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce
 150g fresh, brown crabmeat

For the crab topping:

 150g white crabmeat
 100g crème fraîche
 juice ½ lemon
 ½ small pack dill, finely chopped

Method:

 Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and grease a medium baking dish. Cook the
macaroni following pack instructions.
 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a thick-bottomed pan and add the flour to make a thick
paste, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Add the milk, little by little, to the
paste, mixing until smooth. Cook over a medium heat, stirring continuously until the
mixture thickens.
 Remove from the heat, add 150g cheese and whisk until smooth. Mix in the mustard,
ketchup and cayenne. Drain the macaroni and return to the pan. Stir the cheese sauce
into the cooked pasta, fold in the brown crabmeat and season.
 Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining 50g cheese
on top and bake in the oven for 25-30 mins until heated through. Remove from the
oven and stand for 10 mins.
 Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine all the ingredients for the crab topping with some
seasoning. Serve a big spoonful on top of each portion of the bake, then scatter over
the dressed rocket (see 'Goes well with'). If making ahead, cool completely and leave
in the fridge overnight. The next day, cut into slabs and reheat (covered in foil) for 10
mins in the oven at 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
 Pan-fried river prawns
Ingredients

 20 g butter
 1 tsp olive oil
 2 French shallots, finely
chopped
 8 large green prawns
 30 ml Pastis (or any other
anise-flavoured spirit,
such as ouzo)
 1 tomato, diced
 Pinch of salt and pepper
 1 small handful of
parsley, finely chopped
 Crusty bread, to serve,
optional

Method:

 Melt half the butter with the oil and add the shallots. Cook for a minute to soften and
lightly colour. Add the prawns and cook on high heat for 1 minute or until they begin
to change colour.
 Carefully pour in the Pastis and tilt the pan towards the flame to ignite. Shake the pan
to allow the alcohol to burn off. Add the tomato, salt and pepper and cook for a further
minute before adding the parsley and remaining butter.
Cook's notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the
temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1
tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and
cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All
eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
Almond 'Feta' Cheese with Herb Oil

Ingredients

 1 cup whole blanched almonds

 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
 3 Tbs olive oil plus another 1/4 cup olive oil,
divided
 1 clove garlic, peeled
 1/2 cup water
 1 1/4 tsp salt
 1 Tbs thyme leaves
 1 tsp rosemary leaves

Method:

 Soak almonds in large bowl of cold water for 24

hours. Drain, rinse almonds under cold water, and drain again.
 Purée almonds, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons oil, garlic, salt, and 1/2 cup water in food
processor for 6 minutes, or until creamy.
 Place large strainer over bowl and line with triple layer of cheesecloth. Spoon almond
mixture into cheesecloth. Bring corners of cloth together and twist around cheese,
forming into a ball and squeezing to extract moisture. Secure with rubber band. Chill
overnight. Discard liquid.
 Preheat oven to 90-95 C (200 F). Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Unwrap
cheese and transfer to prepared baking sheet. Flatten to form 7.5cm-10cm thick
round. Bake for 40 minutes, or until top is firm. Cool, then chill.
 Warm remaining 1/4 cup oil, thyme and rosemary in saucepan over medium-low heat
for 2 minutes, or until very hot but not simmering. Cool. Drizzle herb oil over cheese
just before serving.