Mustard With Mutton

DIARY OF A GLUTTON

Sep 14, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Banoffee Pie

Caramel, cream, bananas – need I say more!  I’m not sure if the origins of this pie are English or American but the name is obviously derived from the toffee and banana combination.  If you’re able to buy condensed milk that has already been caramelised in the can (Nestle’s make this in Australia) then it’s a cinch to make this pie.  If you can’t, then you need to go through the process of simmering your cans of condensed milk in a large saucepan covered with water for 3 hours.  The water must never get below the level of the cans otherwise they’ll explode and you’ll have one almighty mess to clean off your ceiling.

Ingredients 

3 cans of caramelised condensed milk (see note above)
125g unsalted butter, chopped
375g digestive biscuits, halved  (or other plain biscuit such as Graham Crackers)
300ml thickened cream
4 bananas
30g dark chocolate, finely grated

Method

Start this recipe a day ahead. Melt butter in a small saucepan, and then cool slightly. Using a food prcessor crush biscuits to fine crumbs, add the butter and process briefly to combine. Press crumb mixture over the base of a 28cm loose based tin then refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm the base. Open cans of condensed milk and spoon caramel evenly over the biscuit base and refrigerate overnight to firm. To assemble pie – using an electric mixer whisk cream to stiff peaks. Cut bananas into thin slices. Spoon or pipe half the whipped cream over the caramel filling, then place the bananas in an overlapping circle working from the outside in. Top with the remaining cream and sprinkle with grated chocolate. Remove pie from tin and loosen base and place on a serving plate

                               
                               

Sep 13, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Corned Beef Hash

One of the best things about making corned beef is the leftovers.  In fact I always try to buy a piece of beef that is bigger than what we require to ensure that there are leftovers.  Our favourite ways to use the remaining meat is to make toasted Rueben sandwiches with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut or better yet corned beef hash.  This is often served at breakfast or brunch but I love it for dinner. Topped with a fried sunny-side up egg it feels like indulgent nursery food. The key to making this super tasty is to take the time to really slowly caramelise the onions and the potatoes.

Ingredients – Serves 2

Leftover Corned beef, about 11/2 cups worth finely shredded or sliced
2 red onions, finely chopped
2 potatoes, chopped into 1 cm dice and par boiled for about 5 minutes
1 heaped teaspoon tomato paste
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper
Finley chopped parsley
2 free range or organic eggs
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

Method

In a large skillet or frypan heat the oil and add the onions along with a pinch of salt.  Cook the onions over medium heat, stirring frequently until they are golden brown.  Add the potatoes and continue to fry them until they too are golden all over, adding more oil if the pan is running too dry.  At the stage when the potatoes are added you don’t want to stir too often – let the potatoes colour well on one side before giving them a stir.  Add the tomato paste and stir to combine it well with the onions and potatoes. Add the corned beef and cook until the beef is warmed through.  Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.

  

Whilst the meat is heating through heat a little more oil in a small frypan and fry the eggs until just cooked through.  Serve the hash topped with chopped parsley and a fried egg.

Sep 12, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Miso Roasted Spatchcock with Cucumbers & Sticky Mushrooms

These two recipes came from a recent edition of Donna Hay Magazine.  Whilst they were in the same section I’m not sure that the two dishes were meant to be served together but they were certainly a great match.  Spatchcock are actually small chickens weighing roughly 500g (I believe they may be referred to as Cornish hens in the States).  Given their small size I find that one spatchcock per person is usually an accurate serve. These are truly delicious and they’ll definitely be going on our regular recipe rotation.  The mushrooms and cucumber may seem like and odd combination but they were amazing.  The original recipe for the mushrooms included green tea soba noodles but I omitted these.

Ingredients – Serves 2  Adapted from Donna Hay Magazine

1/4 cup red iso paste
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon mirin
1 teaspoon caster sugar
2 x 500g spatchcocks (baby chickens) trimmed and halved

Hot & Sour Cucumbers with Sticky Mushrooms

60ml cup rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon dried chili flakes
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
2 Lebanese cucumbers, peeled, deseeded and sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 punnets shimenji mushrooms (about 400g)- or you can use shitake or oyster
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 spring onions, white and green parts thinly sliced

Method

Preheat oven to 220C.  Place the miso, vinegar, mirin and sugar in a bowl and mix to combine.  Add the spatchcock and toss to coat.

Place in the oven and lower the heat to 200C and cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through and golden.

To make the mushrooms place the vinegar, lime juice, chilli, sesame seeds and cucumber in a bowl and mix well to combine, set aside. Heat the oil in a large non stick pan over a high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes or until soft. Add the oyster sauce and stock and cook for a further 2 minutes. Place the mushrooms in a dish, top with the cucumber and spring onions and serve.

    

Sep 11, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Tuna Mornay

This recipe might not win any awards for culinary expertise but its very simplicity is what makes it such a comforting dish. It’s easy to throw together which makes it a perfect midweek meal.  I didn’t add any pasta to this as we wanted a carb free night and  we actually didn’t miss it.  But if you wanted to stretch this out to feed the family then by all means add some cooked small shaped pasta to the mixture before toping it with the cheese and bread crumbs.

Ingredients – Serves 2
30g butter
3 celery stalks, washed and sliced
1 leek, washed, trimmed, cut in half lengthways and sliced
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup grated cheese – gruyere or cheddar
2 cobs of large corn, kernels removed or 3/4 cup frozen corn kernels, defrosted
3/4 cup frozen peas, defrosted
400g tinned tuna in brine, drained and any large chunks broken up
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup extra finely grated gruyere or cheddar
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Method

Preheat the oven to 180C. Melt the butter over medium heat in a saucepan, add the celery and leeks and cook until soft – about 4 minutes.

Add the flour and cook, stirring for another couple of minutes.  Add the milk and keep stirring until the flour has incorporated into the milk and the mixture has thickened.  Add the cheese and stir until melted through. Take off the heat and add the corn, peas and tuna.

Stir gently to combine then pour the mixture into an ovenproof dish.  In a small bowl combine the breadcrumbs, extra finely grated cheese and parsley and sprinkle over the tuna.

Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes or until the crust is golden.  Serve with a green salad.

Sep 10, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Moroccan Meatballs with Moghrabieh

The best way to describe what Moghrabieh are would be to say that they’re Lebanese couscous.  Much larger in size than regular couscous and larger still than Israeli couscous, these pearl like buttons are made from semolina flour and have the consistency and texture between a gnocchi and a dumpling, with a slight chewy bite to them.  The meatballs are full of flavour and the tomato based sauce is spiked with lots of Moroccan spices.  The meatballs can also be served with rice or regular couscous.

Moroccan Meatball Tagine – Serves 4   Adapted from Delicious Magazine

600g lamb mince (you could also use beef)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds
1 tsp freshly ground coriander seeds
1 tsp paprika
3 tbsp chopped fresh mint, plus extra leaves, shredded, to garnish
1 tsp salt
2-4 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for oiling
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 x 7.5cm cinnamon stick
3cm piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
1 teaspoon tumeric
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp clear honey
150ml lamb or chicken stock
1 cup of greek yogurt

For the chermoula
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp harissa paste or ½ tsp minced red chilli from a jar
1 tsp freshly ground cumin seeds
1 tsp freshly ground coriander seeds
¾ tsp paprika
Small pinch of saffron strands (optional)
1 tbsp lemon juice
20g fresh mint, leaves picked
2 tbsp olive oil

For the Moghrabieh   Adapted from Julie le Clerc, Taking Tea in the Medina

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, finely diced
1½ cups moghrabieh
3 cups stock (vegetable or chicken)
15g butter
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt & pepper to taste
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley
¼ cup finely chopped fresh coriander
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint

Method

Put all the chermoula ingredients into a mini food processor and blend to a smooth paste (or grind in a pestle and mortar). Set aside. For the meatballs, put the mince into a bowl with the crushed garlic, cumin and coriander seeds, paprika, chopped mint, salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Mix well with your hands, then shape into 2.5cm balls (about 35g each) with lightly oiled hands. Heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil in a small flameproof casserole or large saucepan, add the meatballs and fry briefly on all sides until lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Remove with a slotted spoon to a plate.

                            

Add the remaining oil (if needed), chopped onions and cinnamon sticks to the oil left in the pan and fry gently for 6-7 minutes until the onion is soft and lightly golden. Stir in the grated ginger and turmeric and fry for a few more minutes. Add the tomatoes, honey, stock and 2 tbsp of the chermoula, then bring to a simmer.

                           

Drop the meatballs into the sauce, part-cover with a lid, then simmer on very low heat for 40 minutes, stirring now and then, until the sauce has reduced and thickened nicely. Take a few tablespoons of the sauce and whip it into the greek yogurt, set aside.  Stir in the remaining chermoula to the meatballs, season, scatter with the shredded mint leaves and serve toped with some of the yogurt mixture.

To make the Moghrabieh, heat olive oil in a large saucepan and sauté onions and garlic until soft but not browned. Boil water in a large saucepan. Cook moghrabieh for 5 minutes then drain. Add moghrabieh to onion mixture, add stock and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring regularly. The moghrabieh should become tender and most of the liquid should be absorbed. Stir through butter, herbs and lemon juice.

Sep 7, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Egg White Cake with Strawberries in Raspberry Sauce

I have a problem with wasting food – I just can’t bring myself to throw anything out. Which is why I always seem to have a lot of small ziplock bags in my freezer filled with egg whites from making ice cream or mayonnaise. I needed to use up some of these egg whites over the weekend but didn’t want to make the usual meringues or pavlova.  I found this Egg White Cake recipe in  Manuela Darling-Gansser’s book Winter in The Alps.  This is a beautiful pictorial cookbook full of delicious winter fare.  This cake is very light and not overly sweet.  It’s perfect with a cup of tea or coffee but as I was having the family over for dinner I wanted to serve it as a dessert and paired it with some strawberries in raspberry sauce.  To serve this cake as dessert it definitely needs the fruit element – poached pears would also be lovely.  If you haven’t got time to make the cake these strawberries are wonderful as a dessert just by themselves topped with  whipped cream.

Ingredients 

Egg white Cake – Adapted from Manuela Darling-Gansser, Winter in the Alps

125g unsalted butter
8 organic or free range egg whites
200g caster sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
125g self-rasing flour
100g slivered almonds
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Strawberries in Raspberry Sauce

450g strawberries, hulled and large ones cut in half
250g raspberries (frozen is fine)
1 tablespoon icing sugar

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.  Grease a 25cm springform cake tin.  Melt the butter and leave to cool a little.  Beat the egg whites until they start to hold peaks then, while still beating, slowly add the sugar, reserving about a tablespoon for dusting, until the mixture becomes stiff and shiny.  Add the vanilla and salt to the melted butter.  Fold a little of the butter into the egg whites, then fold in some of the flour.  Continue this until all the butter and flour have been added.  Pour the mixture into the tin.  Combine the almonds, cinnamon and extra sugar.  Sprinkle this evenly over the cake mixture.

               

Bake the cake in the oven for about 40 minutes, or until it springs back a little when touched.  Cool the cake on a rack before serving. To make the strawberries place the raspberries into a fine metal or plastic sieve and push them through to extract all the juice.

Discard the pulp and add the icing sugar to the extracted juice and mix well.  Add the raspberry puree to the strawberries and combine them well so as each strawberry is coated in some of the puree.

Sep 6, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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White Coleslaw

A good coleslaw is a great side dish to have in your repertoire.  Coleslaws go so well with barbecued food, anything from hotdogs and burgers to ribs.  I’ve tried a lot of different recipes but my favourite is this coleslaw from Annabel Langbein.  It has a lovely refreshing tang and whilst it does have some mayonnaise in the dressing it’s still very  light with none of the heavy salad cream clagyness of most coleslaw dressings.  The trick to making the cabbage very soft is to shred it as finely as possible and then vigorously massage the shredded cabbage between your fingers, this softens the cabbage and creates a much nicer texture.

Ingredients – Serves 4

1/2 a head of white cabbage, finely shredded and rubbed between your fingers and massaged (see note above)
1 green capsicum finely diced
4 spring onions, white and green parts finely sliced
3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
1/2 cup good quality whole egg mayonnaise – I use Hellmans
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons horseradish
3 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

Place the cabbage, capsicum, spring onions and parsley in a large bowl and mix to combine.

In a separate bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, horseradish and rice wine vinegar.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Add the dressing to the cabbage and mix thoroughly.  The coleslaw will taste better if you can make it ahead of time and let it sit in the fridge for a while for all the flavours to mingle.

Sep 5, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Smoky Barbecue Ribs – The Best Homemade Ribs Ever

There are many different schools of thought regarding ribs and the arguments about which method produces the best ribs can get very heated.  There are dry rubs, wet marinades, smoking, mopping – it can all get a bit confusing so when I decided to make some ribs for dinner my head was reeling with information overload.  I finally decided to ignore it all and use a combination of all the different methods.  Whilst I wanted to barbecue my ribs I didn’t have the time or inclination to cook them on the grill and smoke them for 5 or 6 hours, but I still wanted my ribs to have that falling off the bone succulence from long slow cooking.  So after massaging my ribs with a dry rub and leaving them to infuse overnight, I cooked them in the oven covered with foil for a couple of hours and then finished them off on the grill, mopping them at this stage with a homemade smoky barbecue sauce.  My husband declared these the best ribs he’s ever had and I’d have to agree.  Whilst they need a bit of time with all the marinading and pre-cooking they’re actually very easy and worth every minute spent in preparation.  I highly recommend you serve these ribs with this white coleslaw – it’s a heavenly combination!

Ingredients – Serves 2

1kg rack of meaty pork ribs (baby back ribs) – I cut this into 2 sections to make them easier to handle
White vinegar

Dry Rub
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoons salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Smoky Chipotle Barbecue Sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 cup tomato ketchup – I use Heinz Organic
1/3 cup water
1/2 tablespoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1/2 teaspoon chipotle chilli powder
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
A few drops of liquid smoke
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Mix all the dry rubs ingredients together and massage into the pork ribs.  Place into a dish, cover and refrigerate overnight if possible but 2 hours would also work.

Preheat oven to 160C.  Place the ribs on a rack on top of a foil lined baking sheet and add enough white vinegar to cover the base of the pan without touching the ribs.  Cover tightly with foil and bake in the oven for 2 hours.

Whilst the ribs are coking prepare the barbecue sauce. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the ketchup and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer until thickened, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool for about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste, then pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature.

Once the ribs have finished cooking remove them from the pan, they’ll be very tender at this stage so handle them gently.

When you’re ready to eat heat the grill and baste the ribs with the barbecue sauce.  Place them on the grill and cook, turning every few minutes, basting them each time they’re turned until the ribs have coloured – they’re already cooked through you just want to infuse them with the flame of the grill and char them a little.  Eat straight away and serve any remaining barbecue sauce on the side along with some coleslaw.

Sep 4, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Cauliflower Gratin

Gratin is the term used for any dish that is topped with a browned crust, usually using breadcrumbs or grated cheese.  You can make a gratin using just about any vegetable – potatoes, zucchinis, spinach are a few popular examples.  This cauliflower gratin is one of my favourites and makes a wonderful winter side dish.  It’s creamy and cheesy and goes well with any roast meat.   I served it with this corned beef and it was the perfect accompaniment, eliminating the need for the traditional white sauce.  You could also make the cauliflower florets smaller and add some cooked pasta for a delicious pasta bake.

Ingredients – Serves 2-3

1 small head of cauliflower
40g butter
1/4 cup plain flour
2 cups milk
1 cup grated Gruyere cheese
1 cup grated cheddar
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Method

Wash the cauliflower, remove the core and cut into medium sized florets – not too small as you don’t want them to become mushy.  Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil, add the cauliflower and cook for about 5 minutes or until the cauliflower is just cooked through. Drain carefully as the cauliflower will be quite tender and delicate, and put to the side.  In the same saucepan heat the butter over medium heat until melted.  Add the flour and cook stirring the flour for a few minutes.  Add the milk and cook whisking all the time until the mixture comes to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes until slightly thickened.  You want the sauce to be the consistency of custard..  Take it off the heat and add three quarters of the Gruyere and cheddar.  Stir until the cheese is melted and season with salt and pepper.

                     

Preheat the oven to 200C.  Choose a small shallow sided baking dish that will hold the cauliflower snugly in one layer and add a little of the cheese sauce to the bottom of the dish.  Place the cauliflower florets on top of the cheese and spoon the remaining sauce over the cauliflower, making sure that all the cauliflower is well coated.  In a small bowl combine the remaining cheese and the breadcrumbs.  Top the gratin with the bread and cheese mixture and bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbling.

Sep 3, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Roast Fish in Coconut Broth

This recipe comes from the Red Spice Road Cookbook and restaurant based in Melbourne. The broth has wonderful Thai flavours with just a little bit of a chilli kick.  The broth and mushrooms are good enough to eat on their own but the addition of the crispy skin fish makes it an amazing meal.  This is simple enough to serve for the family and yet elegant enough for company.  You won’t need any accompaniments other than plenty of steamed jasmine rice to soak up the delicious sauce.

Ingredients – Serves 2   Adapted from The Red Spice Road Cookbook by John McLeay

1 cup coconut milk
1 cup chicken stock
1 lemongrass, white part only, sliced finely
3cm piece of galangal, grated
3 eschalots, peeled and sliced
2 coriander roots, chopped
3 kaffir lime leaves, sliced finely
1 small red chilli, seeded and chopped – use more of less depending on how spicy you want it
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 teaspoons castor sugar
1 250g packet of oyster mushroom – large ones torn in half
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 fillets of firm white fish, skin left on – I used barramundi
15 sugar snap peas, cleaned and trimmed
Handful of coriander leaves
2 kaffir lime leaves, sliced very finely
1/2 large red chilli, sliced

Method

In a small saucepan bring coconut milk and stock to the boil.  Add lemongrass, galangal, eschalots, , coriander root, lime leaves, chilli, fish sauce and sugar.  Simmer for about 20 minutes.  Taste the mixture and add more fish sauce, chilli or sugar to suit your taste.

Blend the mixture using a stick blender, the strain through a sieve.  Discard pulp.  Add the mushrooms and simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the mushrooms are soft, then add the lime juice and set aside until required.

Preheat oven to 220C.  Heat the oil in a heavy based ovenproof frypan and when hot place the fish skin side down in the pan.  Cook for a couple of minutes then transfer to the oven and cook until the fish is ready, approximately 5 minutes (time will vary depending on the thickness of the fish).

Whilst the fish is cooking, bring the broth back up to a simmer, add the sugar snap peas and simmer for another minute.  To serve, transfer the fish to a deep serving platter, ladle the broth around the fish and garnish with the coriander, lime leaves and chilli.

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