Smoked Trotter Stew

Ham hocks are not quite the trotters nor the legs of of a pig but rather more the ankles. Full of fat, tendons and other grisly bits, they don't appear to be quite as popular as other below-the-waist cuts yet their flavour is tremendous and they're cheap to boot. Smoked hocks are my favourite, simmered in stews to impart a sensuously deep and lingering kiss. Partnered with the humble and understated cannellini bean and a few fragrant herbs and spices, this stew served cool is the perfect foil for those hot summer nights. If you have a tasty, tasty legume recipe make sure you join in this months 'My Legume Love Affair' event!

Smoked Trotter Stew

4 pork trotters
50 g duck fat
1 brown onion, sliced
3 tsp salt
1 head of garlic, halved
3 cinnamon quills
1 knob of ginger, sliced thickly
4 star anise
1 C. shaoxing (Chinese rice wine)
3 celery sticks, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
600 g smoked ham hock (on the bone)
5 bay leaves
4 small sprigs of rosemary
2 C. cooked cannellini beans
1 handful of parsley leaves

Remove skin from the trotters with a small sharp knife and discard.
Heat duck fat in a large pot and brown trotter bones. Remove and set aside.
In the same pot sweat off the onion with salt until translucent.
Throw in the garlic, cinnamon, ginger, star anise and stir it all around for a bit.
De-glaze with shaoxing and cook for a minute more until almost dry.
Return trotters to the pot with celery, carrots, ham hock and 3.5 L of water.
Bring to the boil and skim off any impurities that rise to the surface.
Now you can add the bay leaves and rosemary.
Reduce heat to a bare simmer and leave it alone for 2 hours. Top it up if need be.
The hock should be nice and tender now so fish it out while it's still hot, set it on a plate and strain everything out of the stock.
Drop the hock back into the stock and let it cool (this will keep it tender and juicy).
When it reaches room temperature pull it out onto a wide chopping board and peel off the skin, discard and separate the flesh from the bone.
Chop the smoky flesh into bite-sized pieces and divide into serving bowls with a handful of cannellini beans and a sprinkling of parsley, roughly chopped at the last minute.
Taste the stock and perfect the seasoning.
Ladle into bowls over the pork and beans.
Best enjoyed cool.

Hooray For Spring!

Spring has well and truly sprung and before the official commencement of summer it's best that we take full advantage of all the glories that the season has to offer us right now. Buckets of rain and loads of sunshine mean that domestic herds have finally stopped chewing on old winter hay and moved onto the new lush Spring growth that's creeping up the hillsides. With a sharper flavour and lower fat content than bovine milk, goat's milk carries strong aromas of grass and flora. I don't need much more convincing and as the saying goes, 'There's no better time than the present!'

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This is quite a simple recipe but a good one all the same. Tangy berries and biscuity base are matched with all things dairy for a sumptuous Spring treat. Fresh goat's curd is mellowed with rich cream, offset by the sharpness of fruit and ice cream with just a hint of honey.

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Raspberry Ice Cream

210 g milk
35 g honey
3 g salt
5 egg yolks
40 g castor sugar
210 g cream
70 g raspberries

Scald milk, honey and salt in a medium saucepan.

Whisk eggs and sugar in a large bowl until creamed.

Temper eggs with milk by pouring milk in slowly and whisking continuously.

Cook in a large bowl over a baine-marie until it reaches the nappe stage (84ºC), stirring continuously with a large spatula.

Strain, add cream and raspberries.

Refrigerate until cold then churn in an ice cream machine.

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Tart Pastry

280 g flour
70 g castor sugar
4 g salt
140 g unsalted butter, chopped
115 g cream
1 egg white

In a large bowl rub together the flour, sugar, salt and butter.

Stir through the cream and knead until it comes together.

Shape into a flattened circle, wrap and refrigerate until cold.

Roll out the dough to 2.5 - 3mm thickness.
Trim to fit a 20cm diameter fluted tart pan.
Pierce base with a small sharp knife and freeze until completely set.
Blind bake at 180ºC for 10 - 15 mins.
Remove weights, rotate pan and continue baking until golden.
Lightly beat egg white and brush to coat the inside of the tart pastry.
Return to the oven for 1 minute until dry then remove to a rack to cool.

Goat's Curd Filling

200 g goat's curd
100 g cream
2 eggs
55 g castor sugar
2 g salt
1 lemon, finely zested
30 g lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients together and pour into the cool tart pastry.
Bake at 150ºC for 25 minutes or until just set.
Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing.
Serve with a scoop of ice cream and a generous scattering of fresh berries.

Tea For Dessert Looks Peachy

Anger was the motivation behind this dish. A passing comment from a waitress after service and an offhand remark from the Sous Chef about the quality of the current dessert (which for the record is not of my design) was enough to send me into a "fuck-you-I'll-show-you-better!" mood. Sunday night saw me storming straight out the door and down Oxford St to Coles in World Square.

The original idea that popped into my head while crossing Pitt St was peach panna cotta with mandarin tea (an infusion made with mandarin peels), slices of peach and pistachios. However the acidity present in the peaches was enough to curdle the milk which I had attempted to cook the fruit with. I tried folding peach puree through the mix at a later stage but the flavour didn't carry well so I abandoned the idea and switched to classic vanilla.

Mandarins were simply unavailable so I took a risk on rosehip tea (an organic brand infused with ginger and lemongrass) which I sweetened with small spoonfuls of honey until it was just right.

I suppose in a round about sort of way, you could say that this dessert is based on a popular Chinese item: almond milk jelly which is often served with a cocktail of fruit pieces, only instead of almonds I used pistachios and placed them on the side as a sweet garnish. Rosehip tea adds a unique floral note which works surprisingly well but if you don't have any on hand, a jasmine or green tea can be used.

The panna cotta (albeit a healthier modern version containing no cream whatsoever) is the hero here and care must be taken not to let the milk reduce or the result will be a rubbery jello. The sidekick peaches are not infallible even in their simplicity, so make sure you pick only the sweetest and most luscious of fruit to sit alongside the panna cotta.



There's no trick with the nuts but don't try to rush it, just go nice and slow so that the pistachios have time to cook in the syrup. Keep stirring it over a gentle medium heat. You don't want them to get any colour and as soon as the syrup dries, remove the nuts onto a silpat mat and press them apart with the back of a wooden spoon. They won't look like they're crystallising in the pan but you'll see it as soon as they begin to cool.

Vanilla Milk Panna Cotta

360 g milk
1 vanilla pod, seeds only
2 g salt
56 g castor sugar
3 gelatine sheets (gold strength)

Bring milk, vanilla, salt and sugar to the boil.
Place gelatine sheets in cold water to 'bloom' until soft.
Squeeze out excess water and stir into milk to dissolve.
Cool until room temperature.
Pour into moulds greased with vegetable oil and refrigerate for a few hours until set.

Rosehip Tea

260 g boiling water
12 g honey
1 g organic rosehip tea

Combine all ingredients and allow to infuse until cool.
Strain and refrigerate.

Frosted Pistachios

50 g rosehip tea
50 g castor sugar
50 g pistachios

Simmer all ingredients in a small pot, stirring continuously for 5-10 mins until the syrup crystallises without colouring.
Spread nuts onto a silpat and separate with a spoon.
Cool at room temperature.
Store in an airtight container.