Friday, June 24, 2011

George's mum's authentic Greek moussaka

George Colambaris's mum made this on Masterclass Masterchef today. It seemed really easy, delicious and wholesome, a 1 dish wonder, great for having guests. I am writing from memory so that I remember all the tips, and have to look up on Masterchef's recipe to complete the portions required for some of the ingredients. Will update soon!

Serve 6p
Bechamel
100g butter
100g flour
600ml milk, warm
100g Greek "head" cheese, or parmesan as substitute
1 egg

Filling:-)
Vege Layers
1 large eggplant
2 large potatoes
Meat Layer
mince beef
mince veal
mince pork
chopped oregano
chopped rosemary
chopped parsley/thyme?
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
chopped tomato
tomato puree
tomato paste

Preheat oven to 180 deg

Peel eggplant in stripes ie leave some skin on.
Spread eggplant on a large baking tray, and salt. This takes away the bitterness.
Cover eggplant with teacloth, and leave for 20-25 minutes. This also helps to draw out the bitter juice. You will see the eggplant has sweated.
Using the teacloth, wipe off the moisture. Do not wash, as eggplant will absorb the water like sponge!
Fry the eggplant lightly with olive oil, to partly cook. Do not cook through or it will become mushy after complete cooking in oven. This way, there will still be some texture.
Leave aside.
Peel potatoes, sliced, fry lightly, to partly cook.
Leave aside.
In a pot, line with olive oil, heat up.
Sautee the mince meat. When turn colour, add in all the rest of the "mince layer" ingredients.
When all the layers are ready, line a large baking dish as follows:-
- thin layer of mince
- potatoes
- eggplant and potatoes
- layer of mince
- eggplant and potatoes
- layer of mince
-bechamel sauce.
Grate cheese over the top of the bechamel sauce.

Bake in oven for 45 minutes, put on grill in last 2 minutes.

Bechamel sauce
Melt butter in a pot
Add flour, stir, add milk, and stir - till smooth silken mash potato consistency.
Add cheese, stir.
Break in an egg, to stir, this gives flavour and a gloss, and "roast" beautiful.
Bon Appetite!

Braised lamb shanks in white wine, with thyme, fennel, orange, cinnamon, butter beans

This is a slow cooked lamb shank, which when cooked, is very tender and falls off the bone, with rich hearty flavours of citrus, herbs and spices.

I cooked this for Andrew and his parents last night. Andrew gave me a brief for this lamb shank, ie no tomatoes, no red wine. Little did I know he was trying to relive his memories of a french braised lamb shanks with white beans that he had in a french restaurant some years back. So, I made it with white wine, and because I wanted to use up my fresh fennel and leftover orange (from zesting for a chocolate cake), I started thinking more moorish instead of french, with cinnamon and spices. Had I thought french, I would not have included the coriander and cumin! Overall, everyone enjoyed it. We had it with fresh fennel, grapefruit salad, and turkish bread with homemade hummus.

Prep time 30 minutes. Cooking time 2 1/2 hours. Resting time 15-30 minutes.

Ingredients
4 large lamb shanks
1 cup flour
A bouquet gani (I used a handful of fresh thyme and bay leaves)
2 red onions, cut in squares.
1 carrot, cut into squares/quarters.
1 stalk of celery
All end stalks of one large fennel.
2  cloves of garlic
1 cinnamon stalk
1 can of butter beans
Juice of 1 orange ( I used whole orange, and the rind created some bitterness)
1 whole bottle of white wine
1 cup chicken stock.

 (Note: My original recipe had freshly grounded coriander and cumin, but I have removed it from here, as the spices, white nice, overpowered the fresh herbs.)

 Preheat oven to 180deg fan force.

Wash and pat dry lamb shanks with paper towel.
Remove fats and sinews from lamb shanks.
Meanwhile, medium heat up a thick based pot that can also cook in the oven, with a dash of olive oil.
Pour a cup of flour onto a large plate. Lightly coat lamb shanks in flour.
Evenly sear all sides of lamb shanks in the heated oil, heat should be hot enough such that it should brown within a minute or 2.
Remove shanks and put aside.

Saute garlic and onion in the pot till softened.
Then, add all the other vegetables, spice and herbs, and saute.
Deglaze pot with a few splashes of white wine.
Pour in remaining bottle of white wine, and boil on high heat to evaporate the alcohol (or alternatively light a fire above the surface of the liquid for the same purpose)
Immerse the shanks into the pot.
Add cup of chicken stock.
Liquid should preferably cover the shanks, if not press a piece of aluminium foil over the top of the meat, before closing the lid, to protect the top part from drying out.
Cook in oven for 1 hour.
Add beans, and continue cooking for 1 1/2 hours.
Rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

Bon Appetite!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Orange Lemon Apricot Slice

I wanted a small cake, and to make use of the citrus fruits I have in the fridge. This turned out to be a very moist cake, probably a little richer than I would like. A tad too much butter and egg. Next time, I will reduce butter to 90g and just have 2 eggs for a "healthier" cake.

For size of 1 loaf pan
Juice of 1 large orange and 1 lemon (roughly 2/3 cup full)
Zest of the orange and lemon
110 g self raising flour
55g almond meal
1/3 cup castor sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp thickened cream
110g chilled butter
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 eggs and 1 egg yolk
12 dried apricots, diced up.

Preheat oven to 170 deg fan force.
Line bottom of a loaf pan with baking paper, and grease the sides.

Soak the zest and apricot into the juice.
Add 1/3 sugar into the juice.
Separately, add 4 tsp of the juice and mix with the milk.
Mixed up all the dry ingredients, and 1/3 of the sugar.
Using your fingers, rub the cold butter into dry ingredients, till breadcrumb texture. Create a "well" in the middle.
Whisk the eggs till creamy, add milk, whisk till frothy, then add 1/3 sugar to stabilise air bubbles.
Pour juice and fruit into the well, immediately followed by whisked eggs.
Mix to combine, try not to over stir, to prevent gluten developing.
Pour into loaf pan and bake in oven immediately.

Bake for 40 minutes.

Rest and cool cake for at least 1 hour before serving.

Bon Appetite!

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Gary Mehigan's Veal Osso Bucco with Canelloni Beans

Ossobuco or osso buco is Italian for "bone with a hole" (osso bone, buco hole), a reference to the marrow hole at the center of the cross-cut veal shank.
Originally, Ossobuco is a Milanese specialty of cross-cut veal shanks braised with vegetables, white wine and broth. It is often garnished with gremolata and traditionally served with risotto alla milanese.

This dish's primary ingredient, veal shank, is common, relatively cheap and flavorful. Although tough, braising makes it tender. The cut traditionally used for this dish comes from the top of the thigh which has a higher proportion of meat to bone.[4] The shank is then cross-cut into sections about 3 cm thick.

The version below was cooked by Gary during Masterclass on Masterchef, I liked how it looked and tasted.

1.5kg bobby veal shin, cut 2.5cm thick (about 12 pieces)
1 cup plain flour
100ml olive oil
2 stalks celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 carrot, peeled and diced
¼ bunch parsley stalks, leaves picked and roughly chopped, stalks reserved
4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
250ml white wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
6 sprigs thyme
Zest of 1 lemon
400g tin crushed tomato
2 cups veal stock
100g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight

To finish
Freshly cracked white pepper and sea salt
½ bunch parsley leaves, roughly chopped
Zest of 1 lemon
1 loaf crusty bread, thickly sliced

Preheat oven to 180⁰C.

Season meat with salt and white pepper and toss in flout to coat, shaking off excess. Heat oil in a frying pan, add meat and panfry until caramelized. Add celery, onion, carrot, reserved parsley stalks, garlic and cook10 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes and deglaze with wine.

Add remaining ingredients. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 ½-2 hours.

Remove lid, cook for 45 minutes until sauce has thickened.

Remove from oven, sprinkle with cracked pepper, sea salt, chopped parsley and lemon zest.

Serve with crusty bread.

Bon Appetite!

Malaysian Curry Laksa

Rick Stein is my favourite Chef. I love his cooking/travel shows, and his cooking - very local, fresh, yummy.

He made this during Masterclass last nite on Masterchef, in Kuala Lumpur! I have to say I was impressed. It is made from fresh local ingredients, and I would say more authentic than some. What strucked me most was that he fried up the heads and shells of the prawn to create the stock, something which I never imagined for laksa - yum yum! I can imagine, a real seafood taste in the laksa. So, this is a must try for me.

250g raw unpeeled prawns
Vegetable oil for frying
200g firm tofu, cut to 1cm thick slices

Laksa spice paste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying
20g piece ginger, chopped
3 fat garlic cloves
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped
75g shallots, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons dried shrimp, rehydrated in boiling water for 5 minutes and drained well
1.5 teaspoons shrimp paste
20g cashew/candle nuts
2 teaspoons fish curry spice
20g fresh turmeric
4 fresh long red finger chillies
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

SoupLaksa spice paste
Prawn stock
400ml coconut milk, fresh if available
1 tablespoon palm sugar
160g chicken breast, cut into 1cm slices
Reserved peeled prawns
2 tablespoons fish sauce
400g fresh egg noodles, loosened
To serve100g bean sprouts
100g cooked fine green beans, halved
3 spring onions, trimmed and thinly sliced on the diagonal, to serve
A handful of mixed mint and coriander leaves, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
Sambal oelek, to serve

Peel prawns, reserving the heads and shells. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan, add prawn heads and shells and stir-fry for a couple of minutes until they are crisp and golden.

Add 1 litre of water, bring to the boil, reduce heat and leave to simmer for 30 minutes. Strain liquid into a large jug and discard heads and shells.

Cut tofu into 1cm thick pieces and fry in hot oil until crisp, drain well on a paper towel-lined plate.

For laksa spice paste, place chillies into a mortar and pestle and pound into a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and pound to a smooth paste.

For soup, heat oil in a large frying pan or wok over a high heat, add all the spice paste and fry gently for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously until mixture starts to smell fragrant and split. Add prawn stock, coconut milk and palm sugar and begin to reduce. Add chicken and prawns and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Pour in 1-2 tablespoons of fish sauce and stir to combine.

Drop in the fresh egg noodles and leave to heat through for a few seconds.

Taste Laksa and season with more sugar and fish sauce if desired.

To serve, arrange bean sprouts, cooked green beans, fried tofu and noodles in the bottom of a serving dish. Ladle over curry soup, trying to divide the prawns and chicken pieces equally between each bowl. Garnish with spring onions, mint, coriander and a squeeze of lime juice. Serve with a spoonful of sambal oelek.

Bon Appetite!

Otak Otak Kukus


I watched Rick Stein made this in Kuala Lumpur on Masterclass. It looked yummy and very "local". Usually, I dont fancy otak-otak much, but I like the ingredients he used, all very fresh, and they seem to go very well together.

500g boneless fillet Spanish mackerel /ikan tenggiri
4 fresh long red chilies, halved
3 eschallots
2cm piece fresh turmeric
2 lemongrass stalks, thinly sliced
2cm young ginger
4 candlenuts
1 large clove garlic
Juice of 1 lime
1 small fresh turmeric leaf, chiffonade
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup fresh coconut cream
10 pieces of banana leaf the size of an A4 paper, gently heated over a naked flame to soften.

Chop the fish fillet very finely with a cleaver to form a paste and place in a bowl. Can use a food processor instead.

In a mortar and pestle pound fresh chilies to a pulp. Add eschallots, turmeric, lemon grass, candle nut, and garlic and pound into a fine paste for 10-15 minutes.

Add this paste to the fish paste with turmeric leaf, salt, sugar and coconut cream, mixing well to combine.

Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of mousse onto each sheet of banana leaf and fold the individual leaf up to make a parcel.

5. Place the parcels in a hot steamer and steam for 15 minutes until cooked through. Serve warm.

Bon Appetite!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Craig's Spanish Harissa

Today me and Andrew visited Craig's Cheese Shop, which is our favourite cafe and cheese shop (near our house). It serves the best pie in Sydney! Today we had the best sri lankan curry chicken pie I have ever eaten. It tasted like authentic curry, no wonder, as the Chef Craig, his grandmother is Sri Lankan. After the yummy pie, Craig let me taste his beautiful harissa and kindly provided me with the ingredients. When I tried it, I couldnt help imagining it going really well with hot roast chicken or any meat, or as a stew sauce. And for an added twist, add some lemon juice or maybe even some chopped fresh mint.

3 tsp heated caraway
3 tsp cumin
4 cloves garlic
100g pepper (the big red ones, that looks like giant chillies).
2 tsp tomato puree
2 tsp red wine vinegar
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp smoked paprika

Just toast/grill the pepper, remove chargrilled/burnt skin. Alternatively, used the chillies preserved in vinegar sold at deli etc. Blend all the ingredients together, and that is all to it!

Bon Appetite!

Wai Fun's Apple Crumble

My friend June (Wai Fun) made this for us during my recent visit to Melbourne. It was the best apple crumble I ever had. The apples were still mildly crunchy, ie not mashy soft, and it had a lovely rose fragrant, but there was actually no rose syrup, just the lovely scent from the Pink Lady apples. The crumble was crunchy and yummy. And it sounded real simple to make!

For 1 pyrex square bakingdish of roughly 25cm x 18cm:-
60g cold butter)
1/2 cup flour   ) for the crumble
1/2 cup sugar  )
6 small granny smith green apples
2 large pink lady apples
2 tbsp cinnamon
Sugar to taste, maybe 3-4 tbsp.
Additional 10g of butter. Chopped to bits.
Optional: Shortcrust pastry for base, if you want a pastry base

Preheat oven to 180 deg

Cut apples into bite size squares roughly 2cmx2cm.
Put apples into baking dish and toss with sugar and cinnamon
Cut the cold butter up into bits. Mix it using fingers, with flour and sugar, till breadcrumb texture for the crumble. (Can also use a food processor).
Note: Do not heat the butter to melt it. It would change the texture of the crumble!
Sprinkle crumble mix on top of the apples.
Sprinkle additional butter bits all over top of crumble.

Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or till golden brown.

Optional - Tuck shortcrust pastry at the bottom of the dish before adding apples, if you desire a base.

Serve with vanilla icecream or like me, I love it just on its own!

P/S I recently tried it with Williams pears and Granny Smith apples, I didnt like the combination as the pears turn mushy soft after baking. I will stick to Wai Fun's apple combination the next time, or as she suggested to me, we can use Fuji as substitutes for the Pink Lady.

Bon Appetite!