Peachy

Christmas celebrations ended a month ago and here I am, still trying to finish posting about my one holiday extravaganza. It's a good thing I'm not the type to make new year resolutions or I imagine I'd still be trying to figure them all out come this time in February. Lemony peach cake, fortunately, will be a dead simple write up and, should you find yourself with four plump and juicy peaches, is just as easy to bake.
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My dad is not a sweets person. He tends to whinge and whine whenever I go about testing new cake and cookie recipes. I'll convince him to try a spoonful of whatever it is I'm making that day and he'll slowly nibble at it in silence as if it's something horribly repulsive like crunchy, hairy tarantula or fried monkey brain.
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The standard response is an uncertain:
"It's okay.." which means what? Is he being polite or does he maybe like it even just a little?
"Do you want some more?" I'll query every time, leaning forward with hope and anticipation.
"No.. It's okay" he'll say, which is my cue to slink dejectedly back upstairs to think up my next concoction.
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I'm not sure what it was about this cake that really did it for him, whether it was the richness from the almond meal or fruity simplicity, but he sat down after one bite and ate the whole slice, every crumb, even the black cherry jelly and homemade yoghurt that I'd dumped on the side.
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Lemony Peach Cake
inspired by Donna Hay

185 g unsalted butter, room temp
155 g castor sugar
8 g baking powder
3 g vanilla extract
4 g finely grated lemon zest
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
80 g almond meal
75 g plain flour, sifted
75 g yoghurt
4 peaches, sliced about 3mm thick

Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixer with paddle attachment until light.
Add baking powder, vanilla, lemon zest then eggs one at a time, beating well to incorporate after each addition.
Fold through almond meal, then flour and then yoghurt.
Pour into a greased 6 x 10 x 1.5" tin lined with non-stick baking paper.
Layer peach slices over the top.
Bake at 160ºC for 35 minutes or until golden.
Cool in tin for 10 minutes then turn out.
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Classic Combo Never Fails

A wet and chilly Spring last year saw to it that I, along with two close friends, happened across a friendly little place in Crows Nest one night called The Burlington. My first job as an apprentice four years ago took place at this very site, back in the day when it was known as Sabatini's - a horrendously run French-inspired Italian restaurant. It was the sort of eatery where the owner Mr. Walker had grand visions of an oyster bar and fried chicken was the biggest seller. I remember the head chef calling me over in hushed tones, so proudly, to show me the "secret ingredients" in his duck confit which turned out to be nothing more than a small handful of star anise and black peppercorns, oh and that time when he tried to demonstrate how to core a pear and failed miserably.

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Since then it's been transformed and improved somewhat. A chef's jacket hangs clean and starched by the door, as if waiting for Liam Tomlin to miraculously appear and direct his way into the open kitchen. I spot an ex-Claude's chef working behind the bar and there's not an oyster in sight, much to my relief. We each order a glass of wine as we peruse the menu - I have a preference for the sweeter things in life, and so I select the 2006 Escarpment Hinemoa Riesling which is lively with fruit, honey and spice. Eventually and with a little coaxing, we settle on the scallop veloute, chicken liver parfait, ham hock terrine, veg tart, baked mackerel salad and a small portion of sirloin, all to share between the three of us.
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I quite prefer to nibble on little amounts of everything as I find that consuming large quantities of one or two things seem to dull my senses contrary to a rather more enriched dining experience. As we debate over what to order afterwards, the scallop veloute and chicken liver parfait arrive, forcing us to put our thoughts of dessert aside. The veloute made with baby garden peas is seasoned to perfection and an invigorating green, the scallops cooked just so, balanced delicately with a splash of lemon. A slice of liver parfait encased with truffled butter is presented beside a quaint pile of dressed green beans and a small plate of various toasted brioche. Fi who is not a big fan of liver conveniently changes her mind as we dig in and as the brioche disappears, we end up spooning it into our mouths solo, savouring the rich presence of butter and red wine.
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Ham hock terrine and veg tart follow next. Unfortunately the terrine seems a little dry, perhaps lacking in jelly and doesn't live up to our expectations after reading numerous gushing reviews. It's nice to see pig ears being utilised. Simply breaded and fried, it holds no flavour of its own but coupled with the teaspoon of celeriac remoulade underneath, provides a nice textural juxtuposition to the terrine. The tart is simply a square of puff pastry with a few fire-roasted peppers, olives, chevre and basil thrown on top. The Mediterranean flavours would work well together if the peppers were not so bitter. Jane is somewhat unimpressed and describes the dish as being wholly underwhelming. I eat a little more just to be certain. Ex-Claude's chef comes by from the bar on the other side of the restaurant to check on us in-between courses, perhaps because we're the only patrons under 45 and it seems, the only table not to have ordered the poached chicken pot pie. How wildly inappropriate of us.
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Our skinny waiter friend forgets to reset the table again before setting down our mackerel salad and sirloin and when we point it out to the maitre d' crockery is promptly fetched with a smile. The mackerel sits atop a simple salad of sliced tomatoes and anchovies, stuffed with Sicilian olive tapenade, the flavours are intensely satisfying. My companions nonetheless shy away from this one and prefer the grain-fed sirloin served with a side of hand-cut chips, rich bearnaise and jus - a dish I'm certain I could convince them to return for. The sirloin is medium-rare and cuts like butter. Dredged in jus, it's profoundly beefy. The chips are pre-blanched with an interior so creamy and yet so crisp and the bearnaise has such an incredibly satiny mouth-feel. Or at least what I imagine eating satin would feel like were it edible.
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We need a little help deciding on dessert as the eton mess we'd heard so much about is no longer available. The waitress isn't able to aptly describe the trifle or creme catalan however and when queried on which she prefers, she replies with: "Oh! I don't really like any of them!" and scuttles off to attend to customers at the door. Very encouraging, thank you very much. When she returns we select a different platter, the treacle tart. Another disappointment unfortunately. It is rich and moist (plus, plus) but we find it overly sweet and overly salted. The balance is there but the overall flavour is much too intense for enjoyment.
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Perhaps I'm being a little pragmatic in saying this, but in the chance of experiencing so many ups and downs in one sitting that make me feel like an unmedicated manic bipolar, I most likely will not be returning. Although ex-Claude's chef and Maitre d' are both wonderfully welcoming and professional in all aspects and deserve more Friday nights off.
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http://www.burlingtonbardining.com.au/
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Back to my Christmas menu, this dish looks awfully posh and required a bit more time to put together than my usual "Wham! Bam! Thank you Ma'am!". I must say though, lobster and hollandaise is a classic combination which works so well that when stuck for recipe ideas as I was, it should never be far overlooked.

I did a quick search on lobster dishes for ideas on presentation and well, when things like this come up, it's not altogether inspiring nor appetising. So I thought about fish and chips and fush and chups. Lobster on shoestring frites perhaps? Grilled with a little lime butter? Maybe halved and sitting on top of a pickled potato salad a la Gary Rhodes? Nothing really appealed to me.
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I'd put the idea aside and cut the menu to five courses when I came across a recipe for foaming hollandaise in one of Delia Smith's cookbooks. Foaming hollandaise.. Sounds fancy.. What's a fancy chip? Pommes pont neuf? I settled for fondant potatoes as I prefer the taste of butter over oil. The pulled pepper glass was inspired by ingredients in onion glass from Ideas In Food and the poached lobster is done in a similar method to Chinese poached white chicken which is just fabulous served warm with the foaming hollandaise. Onto another creation for Culinarty: ORR!
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­Poached RocklobsterPlace everything but the lobsters in a large pot and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
Throw in enough salt for the water to taste salty.
Bring back to the boil and place the lobsters into the pot.
Bring back to the boil then reduce to a simmer.
Simmer for 5-6 minutes then remove from heat and leave in liquid until blood temperature. If your lobsters are frozen thaw them first or simmer them for a little longer.
When cool, cut off the head and remove the tail flesh in one piece.
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Fondant Potatoes

2 medium rocklobsters
3 L water
3 g coriander seeds
20 g ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 shallots
sea salt

3 medium desiree potatoes
120 g unsalted butter
1 clove garlic, sliced thickly
3 sprigs of thyme

Cut potatoes into 6 neat oblongs about 6 x 2.5 x 2.5cm, placing them into cold water to prevent discolouration.
Drain and pat potatoes dry.
Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat with garlic, thyme and potatoes thrown in.
Let them cook on one side without agitation for about 10 minutes or until they're golden.
Turn over and repeat until cooked.
Remove and drain.
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Pulled Pepper Glass

32 g glucose
15 g water
10 g light agave syrup
2 g sea salt
1/2 g black peppercorns, ground

Place everything into a small pot and bring to 160ºC.
Pour onto a silpat and working quickly with gloves on, carefully stretch the caramel to make ultra-thin wafers about 8.5 x 7.5cm.
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Foaming Hollandaise

1 (55 g) egg, separated
15 g lemon juice
10 g verjuice
55 g soft butter
2 g sea salt

Whisk egg yolk, lemon and verjuice in a medium bowl over a baine marie (about 5 mins).
Add butter a little at a time, whisking continuously.
Combine salt.
Whisk egg whites in a separate bowl to soft peaks.
Whisk into first egg mix until combined.
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To serve, place 3 fondant potatoes in the centre of a plate.
Carefully place a piece of pulled pepper glass on top.
Slice lobster across the grain into 4 or 5 pieces and place on top.
Drizzle over with foaming hollandaise.
If you like, garnish with baby coriander and pickled eschallot brunoise.­

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Single Course 4

This dish made an appearance as course no. 4 at my singles party during Christmas and by singles I mean just me. I cook to share, to love and it's quite a forlorn task to be doing it for oneself and with no one to appreciate all the flamboyant creations. Back in the hay day when I was living alone in the big city (..albeit apartment sharing with 5 other students) cooking for one seemed like such a daunting and tedious task that I felt it was best left to other professionals. My allocated cupboard in the kitchen contained nothing more than a box of coco pops, cheap cooking salt, tea and a crackly bag of dried shitake mushrooms.

Dinner was always easy. I'd just pop down the road past the maze of backpacker hostels and down the squeaky elevator into Coles to grab a 'Healthy Choice' microwave tv dinner. On Tuesday nights after work I'd hike over to Chinatown to pick up an order of Shanghai noodles with XO sauce from my favourite Chinese restaurant which never seemed to close. Days off would mean slow-cooked chicken soup flavoured with rehydrated shitake mushrooms, ginger and garlic and occasionally when I felt like splurging I would head across the road to Ho's Kitchen for a bag stuffed full of frozen handmade pork dumplings.

Of course, things changed a little over the course of the year. The mysterious Korean girl who enjoyed folding my laundry and leaving me cute little notes tacked to my door while I was at work eventually came out of hiding and together we shared a simple dinner of sauteed cauliflower and rice. I began baking a little every now and then, leaving apple oat muffins (or as she called them "muppin") on the countertop. I made her gag with a big spoonful of good ol' aussie vegemite and she had me on the floor in tears with a taste of scary, scary Korean chilli paste. On my nights off, we'd be found glued to the tv watching episode after episode of Full House, a Korean drama series about comic tales of love.

Lentils are a handy ingredient to use when cooking for one or two. They come dried so there's no need to consume them all at once and will keep almost indefinitely. Soaking French green lentils overnight will reduce their cooking time from 1.5 hrs to about 30 minutes. They will absorb their weight in liquid so first rinse them in cold water then cover with chicken or fish stock and leave in the refrigerator overnight to soften for speedier cooking the next day. As they bubble and squeak (and when no one else is at home) I like to lean my head just above the pot and imagine a hundred tiny mosquitoes crying out for help beneath the hot and bubbling mist. For Susan's seventh helping of 'My Legume Love Affair' I'm sharing my recipe for pan-fried ocean trout with apple glazed lentils, balsamic and crispy sage. It's a wonderful dish to cook and to share with a good friend.

Apple Balsamic Reduction

75 g modena balsamic vinegar
30 g apple glaze

Combine in a small pot, simmer and reduce for 5 - 6 minutes.
Check consistency on a cool plate. It should be like paint.

Crispy Sage

8 sage leaves
5 g olive oil
1 g sea salt

Cover a plate with clingfilm stretched tightly.
Place sage leaves flat onto the film and brush with oil.
Sprinkle with salt and wrap the plate twice again with clingfilm.
Microwave on high for 45 - 60 seconds.
Remove top layers of clingfilm carefully.
Microwave for a further 60 seconds or until dry and crisp.

Apple-Glazed Lentils

70 g French green lentils, soaked overnight & drained
7 g olive oil
44 g eschallots, brunoise
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 g sea salt
300 g chicken stock
10 g apple glaze
2 sage leaves, ripped
1 eschallot, sliced

In a small pot heat up the oil and sweat the eschallots, garlic and salt.
Add the lentils, chicken stock, apple glaze and simmer gently for 25 mins.
Add sage leaves and cook for another 5 minutes until only a tablespoon of liquid remains.
Add sliced eschallot rings, stir and set aside.

Pan-fried Ocean Trout

2 x 160 g ocean trout fillets, 1 - 1.5" thick
15 g veg oil
3 g sea salt flakes

Scrape skin with a small sharp knife to remove any scales.
Gently score the skin at 1 cm intervals to prevent shrinking and curling.
Coat fish skin with oil.
Sprinkle the skin side liberally with salt.
Heat a dry pan until smoking and place both fish into the pan skin side down.
Fry until skin becomes crisp and golden, about a minute or two.
Flip and fry for another minute or two.
If cooking fillets thicker than 2" finish in a preheated oven.

Thank You For Smoking

This was my first attempt at hot smoking in my kitchen at home. It sounds mighty fancy but it really isn't too difficult at all! I first learned this method during a short stint working as an apprentice at Cafe Sydney in Circular Quay. I was only there for a few good months before being offered a position at another hatted restaurant nearby. It was a decision which I fretted over for weeks and sometimes look back on with regret. The Cafe was a place I'm sure I could have learned much from and ultimately I chose something different. It's a bit sad really, but at least I've come away with some fond memories and this awesome smoking recipe. You'll need a pot and rack that will fit inside or alternatively you could use a metal steamer insert. For Culinarty ORR I've made a sort of Asian-inspired pickle salad to go with it.

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Smoked Kingfish

2 x 300 g kingfish fillets, skin on
180 g castor sugar
200 g rice
16 g green tea leaves

Pat kingfish dry with paper towl and leave in fridge uncovered for a few hours to dry further.

Combine sugar, rice and tea. Set aside.

Line a medium pot with 3 layers of foil and pour in the rice mix.

Place the rack on top, making sure it sits well above the rice.

Heat over medium until it begins to smoke.

Place fish skin side down onto rack and cover.

Smoke for 15 - 25 minutes, checking for doneness by inserting a sharp knife into the thickest part of the flesh. If cooked it should be white through.

Remove fish and rack with tongs and cool.

Allow rice (now burnt caramel) to cool until solid then discard.

Peel away fish skin and flake as desired.

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Classic Roasted Aioli

1 bulb garlic
30 g olive oil
3 g lemon juice

Remove the top of the garlic so that all the cloves are exposed.

Place in a small pan with 1 cm of water.

Cover with foil, bake at 200ºC for 1 hour.

Remove foil, bake for additional 25 minutes.

When cool, squeeze out the cloves and puree with oil and juice.­

Pickled Fennel Salad

150 g baby fennel
240 g telegraph cucumber
22 g castor sugar
12 g sea salt
21 g brown rice vinegar
a few handfuls of coriander leaves

Slice fennel, deseed cucumber and slice thickly.

Toss with sugar and salt to coat, set aside in fridge for 1 hour.

Drain liquid, toss through vinegar, coriander and some kingfish.

Serve with roasted aioli and a drizzle of olive oil.

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Sherry Cures All

I've been slightly obsessed with the idea of vodka-cured trout since catching a glimpse of the Pink Salt menu on series 2 of 'My Restaurant Rules' back in 2005. Living in the western suburbs of Sydney makes it fairly challenging to find anything other than cooked prawns, mushy barramundi and frozen kangaroo tail at the local fish market so I never quite got around to even considering it until recently. Of course, ideas seem to slowly morph whilst stewing in my subconscious over time and this was no different. Vodka-cured trout became trout cured in La Goya Manzanilla sherry with vanilla and star anise. When I first tasted it I thought to myself "Oh God! What monstrosity have I created?!" and promptly threw it back into the fridge. Twelve hours or so later the flavours had mellowed nicely and it was surprisingly delectable.

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La Goya-Cured Ocean Trout

150 g ocean trout fillet, skin on
106 g rock salt
40 g cane sugar
1 vanilla pod, split and scraped
3 g star anise, crushed
3 g orange zest
25 g La Goya sherry

Remove any pin bones from fillet with tweezers, set fish aside.

Combine all ingredients and spread 1/3 into a bowl.

Place fish on top (skin side down) and cover with remaining salt mix.

Cure for 24 hours in refrigerator, rinse then pat dry.

Skin fillet then slice thinly.

Serve with a wedge of lemon, horseradish cream and good crusty bread.

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Don't Look! It's Dressing!

Everyone loves beauty in its natural state, let's not deny it. Sashimi is one very simple way to showcase wonderfully fresh seafood. Tuna, kingfish, salmon and trout are probably the most common here but other species such as carp, mackerel, bass, monkfish, even squid and abalone can also be used. When slicing fish fillets for sashimi place the fillet so that the tail end is facing away from you and the thicker side is closest (this will prevent stretching and tearing of the flesh). Then with a long sharp knife slice pieces about 3mm in thickness against the grain in one movement. This is the very simple sweet, salty, sour dressing which I served alongside the sashimi of Yellowtail Kingfish and Petuna Ocean Trout as first course for Christmas.

Ginger Dressing

8 g cane sugar
6 g water
21 g tamari
20 g brown rice vinegar
10 g lemon juice
16 g green ginger shoots
8 g eschallots

Combine sugar and water in a small pot and caramelise until dark.
Whisk in tamari, vinegar, lemon juice and remove to a small bowl.
Finely slice ginger shoots, brunoise eschallots and throw everything together.
Set aside for an hour or two to let the flavours infuse.