As I mentioned to Martin, dining at Longrain was a real turning point for me. His humble pork hock creation awakened my food consciousness and made me realise just how exciting the Sydney food scene was. I really haven’t looked back since.

Martin is such a joy to be around and his dedication to his craft is second to none. He stands by fresh wholesome produce and prefers home made alternatives to store bought ingredients – he even makes his own coconut oil!

Supported by Meat and Livestock Australia, the Barbecue Madness event featured an impressive lineup of local chefs, including Alex Herbert, Lauren Murdoch, Kylie Kwong, Craig Macindoe, Darren Robertson, Jowett Yu and David Tanis of the renowned Chez Panisse in California. Each were tasked with creating a dish on the barbecue using their favourite sustainable meat.

Martin’s meat of choice was veal, which was unexpected given that veal is very rarely used in Asian cooking. Martin’s dish was a take on Tom Kha, a spicy coconut broth traditionally made with chicken. I loved all the aromatic herbs used to finish off the broth, the shreds of chilli, flat leaf coriander and kaffir lime really make the dish in my opinion.

I was really smitten by this dish and Martin very kindly shared the recipe, I hope you will enjoy it as much as I did!

Twice cooked veal shin with spicy coconut soup & lime juice

Ingredients for braising liquid

800ml chicken stock
2 pieces veal chuck tender (approximately 600g)
200ml Coconut cream
100ml tamarind
100ml fish sauce
50ml oyster sauce
100g palm sugar
8 lime leaves
5 birds eye chillies cut in half
2 sticks lemongrass
1x 4cm piece galangal

Ingredients for final dish
80g cherry tomatoes
120g fresh rice noodles
100ml coconut cream
40g flat leaf coriander leaves
30g fried eschalots
100ml lime juice

Method

1. Bring the chicken stock to the boil and season with fish sauce, oyster sauce & palm sugar being aware that the measurements shown are a guide.

2. Seal the veal pieces in a hot pan on all sides until caramelised.

3. When the liquid has come to the boil, add the aromatics, birds eye chillies, lime leaves, galangal & lemongrass and let simmer for 10 minutes.

4. Place the veal in a braising pan & pour over the seasoned liquid & seal with foil or a tight lid.

5. Braise for 2-3 hours until very tender.

6. Remove veal from braising liquid & cool. Strain the liquid & bring back to a simmer. Taste the liquid for seasoning it should rich, aromatic & spicy. Add the tamarind to balance the richness of the soup. Add more seasoning, fish sauce, sugar, oyster sauce if needed

7. Shred the cool veal in spoon & fork size pieces. Add veal to hot liquid with cherry tomatoes

8. Put in the cut rice noodles; simmer for a further 2 minutes as the noodles have to be warmed through.

9. In a large serving bowl or individual bowls pour in the lime juice and add the herbs evenly & pour over the soup use tongs to help distribute the noodles & braised meat evenly.

Can be eaten with bean sprouts, extra herbs & roasted chilli powder on the side.

As far as dinner’s concerned, I’m all for one pot wonders that I can bang out in little less than an hour. But did you know that roast chicken is one of these quick and simple meals?

Here are my tips for a delicious chook:

* Choose a quality corn fed chicken in a smaller size, you’ll never go back to the regular kind!

* Fresh herbs make all the difference and are worth the investment

* Throw on veggies to roast alongside your chicken – pumpkin, sweet potato, swedes, brussel sprouts – the possibilities are endless!

* Make sure you cover the chicken with tin foil before it enters the oven. This ensures the chicken stays moist. You can unwrap and let the chicken brown at the very end.

Ingredients

1kg corn fed chicken, cleaned
1 medium sized lemon, halved
2 celery stalks, chopped into chunks
4 garlic cloves
Sprigs of thyme and rosemary
Cracked pepper, roasted coriander seeds and sea salt
Olive oil

Method

1. Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Clean chicken and trim excess fat. Rub with olive oil, herbs and spices and lay on a roasting dish. Throw on celery chunks and drizzle with juice from lemons.

2. Cover with tin foil and place in the oven, cooking for 45 minutes or until juice runs clear when pricked.

3. Remove chicken and strain the pain juices for gravy (simply reheat with some tapioca flour). Carve chicken into fours, splash with gravy and serve with roast veggies

I couldn’t have been more relieved to hear this: his Quay cookbook – though an amazing visual read – is quite limited in what it offers the humble home cook. I wondered whether my foodie companions felt the same, as we sat in on this special masterclass organised by Electrolux.

Tackling the tricky category of seafood which many shy away from (myself included), Peter set out to show us how quick and easy it is to prepare seafood at home with two simple recipes: seared scallops with lime creme fraiche and sauce vierge and steamed snapper with soy and ginger.

Peter offers these tips:

* For scallops, the key is to sear quickly and evenly on a hot pan. The middle should still be glassy.

* One trick to cooking scallops is to line them up on a sheet of baking paper and wack it straight onto a hot pan.

* For steamed fish, Peter uses a pin boned snapper, which he squares off so the fillet cooks evenly. Steaming is a very delicate and healthy way of cooking fish requiring no oil at all.

* Microherbs and flowers make all the difference to the presentation of a dish by adding that special gourmet touch!

It’s a joy to watch Peter in the kitchen – he makes it all look so darn effortless, tossing ingredients together like an orchestrated symphony. His knack for turning simple ingredients into elaborate creations has earned him the awe and respect of diners around the world. You also see just how much Peter enjoys induction cooking. In fact, most of the entrees at Quay are prepared at a dedicated induction station in the kitchen.

The masterclass ended with a sinfully decadent caramelised French toast, which he confesses he has never made for his wife but will need it one day for when he’s in the dog house.

As Peter bid farewell, we all sat down for a five course degustation at a beautifully elaborate long table with the harbour lights surrounding us.

I’ve always been a fan of the produce Peter selects for his menu and tonight is no different – from the rich bluefin tuna belly and marbled Berkshire pig jowl to the crimson confection of vegetables that is the starter – each is a decadent highlight.

Southern Tuna, toro, pink turnips, jamon de bellota juniper, wasabi flowers

Slow braised Berkshire pig jowl, maltose crackling, prunes, cauliflower cream, perfumed with prune kernel oil

Salad of pickled rhubarb, endive, beetroot, purple carrot, rosa radish, kohlrabi, sheeps milk curd, pomegranate molasses, violets

What Peter does with textures is also quite intriguing. Take the corturnix quail breast for instance, slow cooking gives the quail a delicate, chewy, almost raw quality, yet it sits on a bed of creamy chestnut purée, milk skin and a crunchy mix of quinoa and walnuts. What a delightful and unusual contrast!

Slow cooked coturnix quail breast, pumpernickel, walnuts, quinoa, truffle, chestnuts, milk skin

While my companions were disappointed not to see the snow egg on the menu, the amazing caramelised white chocolate in the dessert certainly made an impression. The chocolate nibs had a dulce de leche taste about them with the aroma of roasted nuts, I could really see myself getting hooked on these!

Warm vanilla and palm blossom brioche, caramelized white chocolate, amaretto cream, walnuts and prune sorbet

Many thanks to Open Haus and Electrolux for the great evening, I certainly will be pulling out Peter’s recipes for the warmer months ahead!

Peter Gilmore’s steamed snapper recipe is stupefyingly simple and absolutely delicious. It’s healthy too, with lots of greens and very little oil. Earn a few extra brownie points by serving with brown rice or quinoa.

Check out other recipes from Peter Gilmore’s recent home entertaining masterclass, organised by Electrolux.

Steamed snapper fillet with soy and ginger, stir fried snow peas, spring onions and chili threads

Serves 8

2 large 800 gms snapper fillets with skin on
100 gms fresh ginger root
2 bunches spring onions
100 mls salt reduced soy
50 mls mirin
300 gms young snow peas
2 punnets snow pea sprouts
2 large pinches Korean chili threads (optional)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 teaspoons grapeseed oil

Method

1. Take one bunch of spring onions using only the first 12cm of the white and firm green part. Julienne this finely and place in cold water to soak. Put aside. Choose a large dish that will fit inside your steam oven with shallow sides. Stainless steel or ceramic would be preferable. Slice the remaining bunch of the spring onions thinly using mainly the white and solid green stems. Discard the top 15 cm of tips. Peel and finely slice the ginger. Place the spring onions and ginger on the bed of your dish.

2. Make sure the snapper has been fully scaled and any pin bones removed. Your fish monger should be able to do this for you. Cut through the snapper skin into five diagonal cuts about ½ cm deep. Place both fillet on the bed of ginger and spring onions. Mix the salt reduced soy and mirin together. Pour this mixture over the fish allowing it to run down and settle in the bottom of the dish. Cover the dish tightly with cling film. Cut a few small holes in the top of the cling film to allow some steam to escape. Place the fish into a preheated steam oven on high and steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until the fish is just cooked. (Note: a standard steamer over a stove will give you the same result).

3. Remove the fish from the oven and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. Carefully remove the fish fillets to your serving platter using a fish slice or palette knife. Keep the fish covered and warm. Strain the ginger, spring onions and juices through a fine sieve. Discard the solids and place the juices in a small saucepan. Reduce the juices by half to intensify the flavour. Put aside and keep warm.

4. In a wok place the sesame and grapeseed oil. Add the snow peas and stir fry for 30 seconds. Add the pea sprout tips. Place the snow peas and tips over the top of the fish fillets, pour the juices over the fish and peas. Garnish with spring onion and chilli threads. Serve with steamed rice.

The key to great scallops is high heat, a hot pan and an even sear. One simple trick to achieving this is to line up the scallops on a sheet of baking paper and popping the whole thing on a hot pan so they cook evenly all at the same time.

Check out other recipes from Peter Gilmore’s recent home entertaining masterclass, organised by Electrolux.

Seared sea scallops with lime crème fraiche and sauce vierge

Serves 8

24 large shucked sea scallops
50 mls olive oil
200 mls crème fraiche
1 lime
Sea salt

Sauce vierge:
20 large basil leaves
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
1 lime
1 punnet ripe grape tomatoes
1 punnet baby basil leaves
Sea salt
Black pepper
200 mls olive oil

Method

1. For the sauce vierge lightly toast the coriander seeds in a dry pan then place them in a mortar and pestle. Grind the seeds with two pinches of sea salt. Add the large basil leaves and two tablespoons of oil and bruise well. Squeeze and add the juice of one lime, a few grinds of black pepper and the rest of the oil. Allow to infuse for 30 minutes. Strain the contents through a filter bag or fine sieve. Discard the solids and keep the oil. Whisk the oil well and put aside.

2. Cut the grape tomatoes in half, brush with a little olive oil and place on a baking sheet with silicon paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and dry the tomatoes in the oven at 120° Celsius for 30 minutes. Allow the tomatoes to cool and put aside. Just before serving add the dried tomatoes to the infused oil.

3. In a small bowl add the crème fraiche and the fine micro planed zest of one lime, a pinch of sea salt and the juice of half a lime. Mix well. Heat a non stick pan on high on your induction stove. Brush the sea scallops with olive oil on both sides and season with sea salt. Sear the scallops in the hot pan for one minute on the first side and 30 seconds on the second side. Remove the scallops from the pan and allow to rest on a plate.

To serve

Place a spoonful of the lime crème fraiche on the centre of each serving plate. Spread the cream out to form a thick band over the plate. Place 3 seared scallops on the crème fraiche. Dress the scallops with the sauce vierge and garnish with baby basil leaves. Serve immediately.

No, not cigarettes, but the cooking technique.

I love the subtle ‘lift’ smoke can bring to a dish and the wonderful earthy flavours that seem to go hand in hand with poultry.

I didn’t realise smoking was as simple as throwing together tea leaves, rice and sugar on a stove. I gave this technique a spin using some lovely quail from Game Farm, which are bred and grown locally in the Upper Hunter Valley.

I was really pleased with the results, the quail had an even smoke and golden caramel colour. Though my kitchen did smell like burnt cigarettes at one stage!

Oolong tea smoked quail

Adapted from Patricia Yeo

Ingredients

Marinade
2 tablespoons Sichuan pepper
3 tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 teaspoon finely diced ginger, skin on
6 whole quail

Smoking
1/2 cup oolong tea leaves
1/2 cup demera or raw sugar
1/2 cup raw rice
Strip of orange zest
3 cinnamon sticks
2 star anise
2 cloves

Method

1. Combine the pepper, salt, zest, and ginger in a bowl. Rub the marinade all over the quail, inside and out, and set aside for two hours.

2. Line a large, deep pot, such as a stock pot or an old wok, with a generous amount of foil. Make sure the inside is completely covered and there is a foil overhang of about 3 to 4 inches. Line the lid with foil. Place the smoking ingredients in the bottom of the foil-lined pot. Place an oiled rack securely inside the pot, at least two inches above the smoking mixture (you can use empty tin cans to support the rack). Brush off excess marinade from each quail and place them on the rack.

3. Put the pot over high heat, and when the mixture begins to smoke, place the lid securely on the pot. Smoke for 5 minutes. Do not smoke for longer as it will overpower the quail and taste terrible.

4. Remove the pot from the heat to a well-ventilated spot, and loosen the foil slowly, pointing away from you so you are not hit with a blast of hot smoke. Cook the quail for a further 10-15 minutes in the oven at 200 degrees.

Thanks to Game Farm for the introduction to cooking quail at home!

I’ve adapted Jamie’s recipe with a few small tweaks, such as searing the beef before popping it in the oven. Give it a try tonight!

Jamie Oliver’s perfect roast beef

Ingredients

* 1kg scotch fillet or rump
* 2 medium onions
* 2 sweet potatoes
* 2 sticks of celery
* 1 bulb of garlic
* a small bunch of fresh thyme, rosemary, bay leaf or a mixture
* olive oil
* sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Take your beef out of the fridge 30 minutes before it goes into the oven. Preheat your oven to 240°C.

2. There’s no need to peel the vegetables – just give them a wash and roughly chop them. Break the garlic bulb into cloves, leaving them unpeeled. Pile all the veg, garlic and herbs into the middle of a large roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil.

3. Drizzle the beef with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper, rubbing it all over the meat. Seal over a hot pan for a few minutes until you reach a nice colour.

4. Place the beef on top of the vegetables and place in the oven. Turn the heat down immediately to 200°C and cook for 45 minutes for medium (around 60 degrees with a meat thermometer). If you prefer it medium-rare, take it out 5 to 10 minutes earlier, or for well done, leave it in for another 10 to 15 minutes. When the beef is cooked to your liking, take the tray out of the oven and transfer the beef to a board to rest for 15 minutes and cover with foil.

5. When ready, slice and serve with roast vegies.

My favourite of the bunch is the gai yang, a fragrantly tantalising grilled chicken that’s traditionally served with a side of som tum (a spicy paw paw salad) and kao niao (sticky rice).

The key to this recipe is to marinate the chicken ahead of time (I leave mine in a large freezer bag to lock in the flavours). Also remember to keep a close eye on the chicken so it doesn’t overcook or dry out.

Gai yang

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4 coriander roots, scraped
1 lemongrass, white party only, finely chopped
1 tsp coarsely ground white pepper
30 grams tamarind pulp, dissolved in 50ml hot water, strained and solids discarded
15 grams light palm sugar, crushed
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 free range chicken (around 1.5kg), butterflied

Nahm jim

4 garlic cloves
1 coriander root, scraped
1 long red chilli, coarsely chopped
375ml rice vinegar
220 grams white vinegar

1. Pound ginger, coriander root, garlic and lemongrass in a mortar and pestle, or process in a small food processor. Transfer to a non-reactive container with tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce. Slash chicken at intervals with a large knife then add to tamarind mixture, turn to coat, rubbing with marinade, refrigerate to marinate (overnight).

2. Meanwhile, for dipping sauce, pound garlic, coriander root and chilli in a mortar and pestle to a paste. Trnasfer to a suacepan with viengar, sugar and 200ml water and cook over high heat until sauce is syrupy. Refrigerate until required.

3. Preheat a coal barbeque or char-grill pan to high heat. Grill chicken turning regularly, until charred and cooked through (25 minutes). Cut into portions and keep warm.

Som tum

5 red birdseye chillies
2 garlic cloves
1 small green papaya, shredded
6 snake beans, cut into 6cm lenghts plus extra to servce
8 cherry tomatoes
1 tbsp ground perserved fish sauce
4 limes, juice only
60ml fish sauce
30 grams light palm sugar, crushed
2 tbsp dried shrimp
Roasted peanuts to serve

1. Pound chilli and garlic in a large wooden mortar and pestle to a paste. Add papaya and beans and pound to combine, folding mixture over with a large metal spoon as you go. Add remaining ingredients, pound and fold to combine, add peanuts, adjust seasoning to taste and serve.

Recipes extracted from Gourmet Traveller’s February 2011 issue

In this season, Luke will journey through the northern regions of Vietnam, starting in imperial Hue, and travelling north toward Hanoi and Sapa. Luke explores nine regions of Northern Vietnam over ten colourful half hour episodes.

We were so inspired by the first season that we decided to visit Vietnam for our honeymoon at the end of the year. We’ll be spoiling ourselves silly with food, markets, scooter tours and stays at some beautiful resorts. More importantly, we’re going to retrace Luke’s steps and journey from Saigon up to Hanoi, visiting Con Dao, Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue and Ha Long Bay along the way.

Braised pork spare ribs, or suon ram man is featured at the end of the second episode in Vinh. Despite the rain, Luke attracts a small congregation of locals at the central market who aren’t shy about bossing him around. This is what I love most about the series, Luke really does get ‘down and dirty’ with the locals and they’re all keen to help out.

I decided to cook this dish in a clay pot to obtain a richer flavour from the pork. The longer you simmer, the more flavorsome it becomes. Just make sure the fire is on low and there is plenty of coconut water to keep the dish moist. The coconut water adds a lovely sweetness to the dish and is surprisingly light on the palate. The pork is slightly sticky, very aromatic and great to tuck into with some steamed rice.

Braised pork spare ribs with coconut

2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
1 red Asian shallot, chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
500g pork spare ribs, cut into 2 x 3cm pieces
Vegetable oil
1 can or 300ml young coconut juice
1 onion, sliced into thin wedges
2 red chillis, sliced
A few small coriander sprigs

1. In a bowl, combine garlic, shallots, fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and freshly ground black pepper. Mix well, then add the pork ribs and stir to coat well. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for 20 minutes.

2. Pour the oil into a wok and heat until the oil begins to bubble when a wooden chopstick is dropped in (Luke’s signature method!). Add the pork in batches and deep-fry over medium heat for 3 minutes or until brown. Remove the pork and drain on paper towel.

3. Bring the coconut water to boil in the claypot and add the pork ribs. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the coconut water forms a thick syrup.

4. Add the onion and chilli and cook for a further 10 minutes.

5. Garnish with pepper and coriander and serve.

In complete contrast, Casa Barilla was a breath of fresh air and the atmosphere was incredibly relaxed: no one was here to be the next Guy Grossi, they were just looking for some inspiration to jazz up their tired repertoire. Plus, there was plenty of bubbles and vino to go around.

“We try to keep it as much fun as possible and to give a true Italian experience to the attendees from the minute they walk through our doors, until they leave. The locals love it and embrace it, so we keep working hard to improve it at all times,” says Luca Ciano, Casa Barilla’s Executive Chef who explains that Casa Barilla opened in 2008 with the aim of sharing the diversity of Italian cuisine with Australians.

“We only focus on Italian cooking, no twist no gimmicks, it’s simple and easy to understand and people can go home and truly replicate the dishes demonstrated.”

The class format is relatively easy to follow – first, Luca demonstrates the steps involved in putting the dish together and then the class breaks to their stations and replicates what they’ve just seen. The process is made a little easier with an elevated LCD which provides an aerial view of what Luca is doing.

I was won over by Luca and his assistant Angelo’s nonchalant attitude to cooking. They were also a great laugh and I really didn’t think a cooking class would be this enjoyable. Luca doesn’t profess to be an expert, but simply provides you with the basics for creating great dishes at home and giving you freedom to interpret and adapt however you wish.

Many of the classes are built around different regional dishes in Italy. The class we attended was inspired by the region of Lombardy in Italy’s north. On the agenda was Osso Buco, Salame di Cioccolato (Chocolate Salami) and Polenta.

Osso Buco is a Milanese specialty of veal shanks cooked in meat broth, flavored with white wine and vegetables. Slowly braised, this relatively tough, yet flavorful cut of meat becomes meltingly tender, and the connective tissues and marrow dissolve into the sauce, making it rich and creamy. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the luxury of time with our Osso Buco. I would really like to give the recipe a go in a slow cooker: a slow braise over six or seven hours will really soften the meat and bring out greater flavour in the dish.

Osso Buco alla Milanese
Serves 4

Ingredients
½ onion, finely chopped
½ carrot, finely chopped
½ stick of celery, finely chopped
100g unsalted butter
4 veal osso buco (300 – 350g each)
100g plain flour
1 glass white wine
2 glasses veal stock
1 tin peeled tomatoes or 3 fresh vine-ripened tomatoes (optional)
100g green peas

Gremolata
30g lemon zest
¼ bunch parsley
1 garlic clove
Salt & pepper and olive oil

Method

1. In a large casserole, gently cook the onion, carrot and celery in butter until golden.

2. Coat the osso buco in flour, season them and sear on both sides in the same pan.

3. Add the wine and let it evaporate. Add the stock and tomatoes and simmer with a lid on for an hour and a half.

4. To make the gremolata, finely chop the lemon zest, parsley, garlic and mix with a little olive oil and season to taste.

5. Five minutes before serving, add the peas and season to taste. Serve with gremolata.

Barilla Polenta

375 grams Barilla polenta flour
1.5 litre water
1 tbs salt
1 tbs exra virgin olive oil
60 grams grated grana padano
20 grams unsalted butter

1. Bring to boil the water in a large pot, add salt and oil.

2. Once boiling, add the polenta a litle at a time, whisking constantly.

3. Cook on gentle heat for 3 minutes.

4. Remove from the heat and add butter and grana padano, allow melting and mix well.

Salame di cioccolato

100 grams dried biscuit, crumbled
50 grams almonds finely chopped
80 grams unsalted butter, room temperature
150 grams caster sugar
1 whole egg
1 egg yolk
2 tbs dark cocoa powder
1 tbs rum

1. In a large bowl mix the eggs with butter, sugar, cocoa and liquor.

2. Add the biscuits and almonds and mix well.

3. Place the mix onto the grease proof paper and roll it into a salami shape.

4. Allow to rest for for 2 hours in the freezer before serving.

For more information about Casa Barilla’s upcoming cooking classes, please visit www.barillaaus.com. Classes are priced from $50 per person.

Casa Barilla
4 Annandale Street
Annandale NSW 2038
www.barillaaus.com