LUNCH
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H EI R LO OM TOM ATO TA RT Serves 6-8
80g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing 450g ricotta ¾ cup grated pecorino 1 tbsp chopped chives 1 egg 1 tsp ground sea salt ¼ tsp cracked black pepper 9 sheets filo pastry 4 heirloom tomatoes (500g), sliced 125g baby medley tomatoes, halved Olive oil, for brushing Basil leaves, to garnish
Tip Bring a touch of the Tuscan sun to the table with market-fresh produce, simple flavours and elegant eats that are easily shared
1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a 25cm x 30cm Swiss roll pan with butter. Place ricotta, pecorino, chives, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until combined. 2. On a clean surface, layer 5 filo sheets on top of one another, brushing each sheet with butter as you go. Cover unused filo with plastic wrap and a clean, damp tea towel. Lay sheets over the length of prepared pan and press into edges. Fold overhanging long ends back over until you have a 2cm high edge. 3. Repeat with remaining filo sheets and lay across the other way. Fold over ends the same way. Corners of pastry should meet. Brush edges with butter. 4. Spread ricotta mixture over base. Slightly overlap tomato slices on top and place baby tomatoes in between. Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until edges are golden. Allow to stand for 15 minutes. Brush with oil, then sprinkle with basil leaves. Transfer to a board and cut into pieces to serve.
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Tip Keep it casual by delivering dishes straight to the table
SPICED ROAST L A M B W ITH PERSI A N R ICE Serves 6-8
Spiced roast lamb 1 tbsp cumin seeds 1 tbsp coriander seeds ½ tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp sea salt flakes 1 tsp peppercorns 1.8kg boned and butterflied leg of lamb ¼ cup olive oil 2 large red onions, cut into 3cm wedges 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses ¼ cup slivered almonds, toasted
2 tbsp currants ¹/₃ cup mint leaves Extra virgin olive oil and lemon wedges, to serve Persian rice 1½ cups long-grain basmati rice 20g butter 1 large onion, finely chopped 2 tsp cardamom pods, bruised ¼ tsp saffron threads 2½ cups hot chicken stock ¼ cup Greek yoghurt
1. For Persian rice, soak the rice in a large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Drain, then set aside. 2. Meanwhile, to prepare lamb, preheat oven to 200°C. Using a mortar and pestle, coarsely grind cumin, coriander, cinnamon, salt and peppercorns. Rub spice mix over lamb.
3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a flameproof roasting dish. Brown lamb for about 5 minutes each side. Roast in oven for about 15 minutes. Place onions in a separate roasting dish and coat with remaining oil. Add to oven and roast with lamb for about 15-20 minutes or until lamb is cooked to medium and onions are soft. Allow lamb to rest, covered loosely with foil, for 10 minutes. 4. Meanwhile, to make Persian rice, heat butter in a large, deep, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion and cardamom and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add rice and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes. Combine saffron with ¼ cup of hot stock and set aside. Add remaining hot stock to pan with rice. Stir until combined. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for about 15 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Stir in yoghurt until completely incorporated. Stir in reserved saffron-soaked stock. Continue to cook, uncovered, for 10-12 minutes or until extra liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and stand, covered, for 5 minutes. 5. Spoon Persian rice onto a long serving platter. Slice lamb and arrange on top of rice with onion wedges. Drizzle with rested meat juices and molasses. Sprinkle with almonds, currants and mint leaves. Drizzle with oil and serve with lemon wedges.
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RO CK ET, SUGA R SNA P PE A, WA LN UT & FETA SA L A D Serves 6-8
½ cup olive oil 100g eschalots, thinly sliced 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 500g sugar snap peas, top and tailed 1 cup (140g) fresh peas
100g marinated Persian feta 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar Ground sea salt and ground black pepper, for seasoning 60g baby rocket leaves ¹/₃ cup walnuts, chopped
1. Heat oil in a small saucepan over a medium-high heat. Add eschalots and garlic, in two batches. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5-6 minutes or until lightly golden. Drain on paper towel. 2. Cook sugar snap peas and fresh podded peas in boiling water for about 2 minutes or until just tender. Drain and cool completely in a bowl of cold water. 3. Drain feta, reserving 2 tablespoons of the marinating oil. Combine reserved oil and vinegar in a small jug. Season. 4. Combine sugar snap peas, peas and rocket in a large bowl. Arrange on a serving platter. Crumble feta over salad. Sprinkle with walnuts and fried eschalots. Serve drizzled with dressing.
PA N NA COTTA TA RT W ITH PI N K GR A PEFRU IT J ELLY Serves 10
Almond pastry ½ cup ground almonds 1 cup plain flour 2 tbsp caster sugar 125g cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 egg yolk 1 tbsp cold water Panna cotta 300ml thickened cream 300ml milk
2 tsp vanilla extract ¹/₃ cup sugar ¼ cup boiling water 2½ tsp powdered gelatine Pink grapefruit jelly 1 cup water ½ cup pink grapefruit cordial 2 tsp powdered gelatine Pesticide-free edible flower petals, to garnish
1. To make pastry, put ground almonds, flour, sugar and butter in a food processor and process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add egg yolk and water, and process until mixture begins to form a ball. Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 20 minutes. 2. Roll pastry out on a floured surface to form a 35cm circle. Line a 26cm x 3cm quiche tin with removable base with pastry. Trim edges. Using your index finger, push pastry into fluted sides so pastry comes slightly above edges. Put in the freezer for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 200°C. 3. Line pastry shell with a piece of baking paper and fill with uncooked rice or blind-baking beans. Place on an oven tray. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 180°C. Remove paper and beans and continue to bake for 15 minutes or until lightly golden on the edges. Set aside to cool (see tip). 4. To make panna cotta, put cream, milk, vanilla extract and sugar in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture comes to a simmer. Remove from the heat. 5. Put boiling water in a heatproof jug and sprinkle gelatine over water. Stir until most of the gelatine has dissolved. Microwave on high/100 per cent for 10 seconds. Stir until dissolved completely. Add to cream mixture and stir to combine. Set aside for 30 minutes. 6. Strain mixture into a jug. Pour into tart shell, being careful not to overfill, leaving 5mm edge to fit jelly layer. Chill for 3 hours or until set. 7. Meanwhile, to make jelly, put water and cordial in a small saucepan and heat until hot. Remove from the heat. Sprinkle gelatine over mixture. Whisk until dissolved. Transfer to a heatproof jug with a good pouring lip. Set aside at room temperature until cool while panna cotta is setting in fridge. When panna cotta is set, slowly pour jelly on top, see note below. Chill for 3 hours or overnight to set. Decorate with petals just before serving. Note Pouring the jelly layer and then carrying the tart to the fridge without it spilling can be tricky. To avoid this, ensure you have plenty of fridge shelf space with ample height between shelves in Step 6. Pull the tray and tart out of the fridge slightly in Step 7, keeping it level. Slowly pour jelly onto the set panna cotta layer until it almost reaches the top edge of pastry. Slide gently back into fridge to set. Make sure there are no holes or split edges in pastry case. If there are any holes after baking paper and beans are removed in Step 3, use leftover pastry to gently patch holes.
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Tip Draw inspiration from nature for an alfresco meal. Arrange blooms picked straight from the garden for a centrepiece with meaning and pretty garnishes to match the occasion
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OR A NGE , GR A PEFRU IT, FEN N EL & ROAST BEETROOT SA L A D Serves 8
Serves 6–8
2 tbsp olive oil 1 large onion, thinly sliced ¼ cup brown sugar 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 2 tbsp water 2 medium (1kg) sweet potatoes, scrubbed Olive oil cooking spray
Ground sea salt and cracked black pepper, for seasoning Piece of parmesan Micro chervil or other micro herb, to garnish Dry pink peppercorns, to garnish
1. Heat oil in a medium non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until soft but not brown. Crumble sugar over the top and stir for about 1 minute or until dissolved. 2. Stir in balsamic and water, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8–10 minutes or until thickened and caramelised. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and allow to cool. This can be made up to 1 week ahead and stored in the fridge. 3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Grease two oven trays with oil. Cut sweet potatoes into 1cm-thick rounds. Spread on trays and spray with olive oil. Season. Roast for about 30 minutes or until tender and lightly golden. Cool on trays. 4. Arrange sweet potato rounds on a platter and top with caramelised onion. Use a vegetable peeler to flake parmesan. Arrange flakes on top. Decorate with micro herbs and cracked peppercorns. Serve.
Micro red garnet or other micro herb, to garnish Dressing 1 tbsp honey 2 tsp seeded mustard 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Trim the stems from red and golden beetroot, leaving 1cm intact. Scrub beets under cold water. Cut red beets into quarters. Place red and whole golden beets in a small roasting pan. Pour in enough water to come 1cm up the sides of pan. Cover pan with foil, and roast for about 1 hour and 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with the tip of a knife. 2. Remove from oven, transfer to a dish, cover with foil and allow to cool. Peel off skin and stems, and discard. Cut beets in thick wedges. This can be done up to two days ahead and stored in the fridge. 3. Trim both ends from fennel, reserving frilly, dill-like tips. Peel away coarse outer leaves. Cut fennel in half lengthways and shave into thin slices using a vegetable peeler. Place in a bowl of cold water with mint leaves and place in the fridge while preparing salad. 4. To make dressing, whisk all ingredients in a jug. Set aside. 5. Peel lime, oranges and grapefruit, making sure there is no pith remaining. Cut lime into very thin slices, then cut oranges and grapefruit into 1cm-thick slices. Arrange on a serving plate. 6. Drain fennel and mint, place in the middle of salad and scatter some over fruit. Chop reserved fennel tips and sprinkle over top. Scatter beetroot wedges around salad. Spoon dressing over and sprinkle with red garnet to serve.
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Photography (this page & opposite) Chris Warnes
SW EET POTATO CROSTI N IS W ITH CA R A M ELISED ON ION & PA R M E SA N
2 medium beetroot 1 bunch baby golden beetroot 1 bulb fennel ½ cup small mint leaves 1 lime 2 oranges 2 ruby red grapefruit 2 yellow grapefruit
Simple equals sumptuous with bite-sized starters and an elegant salad that blends citrus with heartiness
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ROAST SA LMON W ITH TH Y M E & PEPPER LE A F DU K K A H Serves 8
Dukkah 1 tbsp white sesame seeds 1 tbsp coriander seeds 1 tbsp cumin seeds 2 tsp lemon thyme leaves 1 tsp ground sea salt 1 tsp ground mountain pepperleaf, see note
1.5kg side of salmon, skin removed 1 tbsp lemon-infused olive oil, plus extra to drizzle ¼ cup roasted macadamias, chopped 2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander Lemon wedges, to serve
1. To make dukkah, dry-roast white sesame seeds in a medium frying pan over a medium heat until lightly golden. Tip into a small bowl. Dry-roast coriander and cumin seeds in same pan for about 2 minutes or until fragrant. Transfer to a mortar, add thyme and salt and coarsely grind with pestle. Tip into bowl with sesame seeds. Stir in pepperleaf. Set aside. 2. To prepare salmon, preheat oven to 200°C. Line a large, rectangular oven tray with baking paper. Place salmon on top and drizzle with half the lemon oil. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons dukkah. Roast for 12-15 minutes for medium, or cook to taste. Lift salmon from tray to a serving platter. Cover and stand for 5 minutes. 3. Sprinkle with some of the remaining dukkah, macadamias and coriander. Drizzle with remaining lemon oil and serve with lemon wedges. Cut or flake into pieces and serve.
Photography Chris Warnes
Note Find ground mountain pepperleaf at herbies.com.au or substitute it with ½ teaspoon dried mint and ½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Store remaining dukkah in a jar for up to one month.
Tip “When it comes to white wine, the way to get to the correct serving temperature is to take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving” Mitchell Taylor - CEO and winemaker, Taylors Wines
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Tip We love this simple take on a summer cocktail – just add some ice, fresh basil, diced strawberry and a squeeze of lime to sparkling wine for a hint of zing! BLUSH I NG PE ACH E S I N PI M M ’ S SY RU P Serves 8
8 firm medium white or yellow peaches ¹/₃ cup water ½ cup Pimm’s 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup ¹/₃ cup caster sugar 1 tbsp lemon juice Whipped cream or ice-cream, to serve Greek basil, to serve (see tip) 1. Preheat oven to 220°C. Cut peaches in half and remove or cut out stones. Place peaches in a roasting dish. Combine water, Pimm’s and honey, and pour over fruit. Sprinkle with sugar. 2. Roast peaches for about 15 minutes or until soft but not collapsed. Carefully remove peaches from dish with a spoon and set aside to cool. 3. Return dish with Pimm’s liquid to oven and cook for a further 5 minutes or until thickened to syrup. Remove from oven and stir in lemon juice. Transfer to a heatproof jug and allow to cool. 5. Serve peaches at room temperature with whipped cream and syrup spooned over. Sprinkle with Greek basil to serve. Note Choose slipstone peaches. Cut in half, through stem, and twist apart. Make sure peaches are firm but not hard or overripe and too soft. Greek basil is available from some nurseries and greengrocers. You can use small regular basil leaves instead.
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Photography Chris Warnes
4. Once peaches have cooled, peel off skin and discard.
Tip Outdoor table settings call for light, refreshing crockery with luxe natural linens that feel as seasonal and ‘sourced from nature’ as this salad
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CH I LLI GA R LIC LOBSTER LI NGU I N E (See page 52) Serves 6
1 x 350g lobster tail, see note 3 x 100g lobster tails 500g linguine ¼ cup olive oil 40g butter 4 cloves garlic, crushed 2 long red chillies, thinly sliced ½ cup white wine ¾ cup chicken stock 2 tbsp soy sauce ½ cup chopped flat leaf parsley, plus extra to serve ¼ cup lemon juice Ground sea salt and cracked black pepper, for seasoning Grated romano cheese & dried chilli flakes, to serve
ROM A N E SCO, RO CK ET & AVO CA DO SA L A D W ITH FETA DR E SSI NG Serves 6
450g romanesco broccoli, separated into florets 125g sourdough, cut into 1cm cubes 2 tsp smoked paprika 2 tsp cumin seeds 1 tsp sea salt flakes ¼ cup olive oil 100g baby rocket leaves, rinsed 1 Lebanese cucumber, thinly sliced
3 baby avocados, quartered 2 tbsp chopped chives ¼ cup natural flaked almonds, roasted Dressing 150g tub marinated Persian feta, drained 1 tbsp lemon juice ½ tsp smoked paprika 1 tbsp olive oil or reserved feta oil ¹/₃ cup water, plus extra
1. Use kitchen scissors to cut up the centre of underside of each lobster tail, then use a sharp, heavy knife to cut in half through shell. 2. Cook linguine in a stockpot of boiling salted water until al dente, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water. 3. Heat half the oil and half the butter in a large, deep non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add garlic and chilli and cook, stirring for 3 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove and set aside. 4. Add remaining butter to pan over same heat. Add lobster tails, flesh side down. Cook small ones for 3-4 minutes before turning over and the larger one for about 5 minutes longer, or until cooked through when flesh becomes white and shells turn orange. Remove small tails when cooked through, cover to keep warm. Remove lobster meat from larger tail and cut into pieces.
1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line two oven trays with baking paper. Combine romanesco and sourdough in a large bowl. Combine paprika, cumin, salt and oil in a separate small bowl. Add to romanesco and sourdough and toss until coated. Spread on trays. 2. Roast for 20 minutes or until sourdough is golden and crisp. Remove sourdough and place in a large bowl. Turn romanesco and continue to roast for 10-12 minutes or until golden. Allow to cool.
5. Add wine to same hot pan and bring to the boil. Boil for about 2 minutes or until reduced by half. Add stock and soy to same pan and boil until reduced slightly. Add linguine, lobster meat, parsley and lemon juice to pan and toss until coated. Add enough reserved pasta water to loosen linguine if required.
3. Meanwhile, to make dressing, combine all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Stir in extra water to thin dressing to desired consistency.
6. Season well. Drizzle with remaining oil. Divide among serving bowls. Place a small half tail on top of each. Sprinkle with romano, extra parsley and chilli flakes to serve.
4. Combine romanesco, bread and rocket. Toss lightly and place in a serving bowl. Arrange cucumber and avocado among salad leaves. Drizzle with dressing and sprinkle with chives and almonds. Serve.
Note You can use fresh or defrosted lobster tails. You can use any size tails – we chose the smaller ones that we could leave in their shells to garnish and showcase the indulgence. For a less-expensive alternative, you can use 250g crabmeat and 500g peeled, deveined and halved green prawns.
Note Romanesco broccoli is a bright green edible bud with a spiral of tree-like florets, resembling a cauliflower. It has a mild broccoli-and-cauliflower flavour. If you want an alternative, use cauliflower for this recipe.
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CH I LLI G A R LIC L OB STER LI NGU I N E (SEE PAGE 5 1)
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GR EEN G ODDE SS PE STO & MOZZ A R ELL A FL AT BR E A DS Serves 6-8
Flat bread 2 cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting 120g cold butter, cubed Pinch salt ½ cup chilled water Topping ¹/₃ cup grated parmesan 2 medium (200g) zucchini 170g jar marinated artichoke quarters, drained, halved 110g fresh mozzarella, drained Toasted pine nuts, basil leaves and sea salt flakes, to serve Green Goddess Pesto ½ cup firmly packed basil leaves ¼ cup firmly packed parsley leaves 2 chopped green onions or shallots ¹/₃ cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, crushed 2 anchovy fillets 1 tbsp lemon juice Ground sea salt and cracked black pepper, for seasoning
Tip Tempt guests with this delicious dish to start. Place on a table for self-serving and allow the conversation to continue
1. To make pesto, place all ingredients in a food processor. Process until smooth. Season. Cover and set aside. 2. To make flat bread, preheat oven to 200°C. Flour two oven trays. Place flour, butter and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add water and process until mixture forms a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until just smooth. Cut dough in half. 3. Roll out, one at a time, to a 30cm x 20cm oval. Place on prepared oven trays. Spread each with 2 tablespoons of the pesto. Sprinkle each with half of the parmesan. Use a vegetable peeler to slice zucchini into ribbons. Place on top of pizzas then top with artichokes. 4. Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until golden. Serve topped with torn mozzarella. Drizzle with some of the remaining pesto. Sprinkle with pine nuts and basil leaves. Season with salt and cut into pieces to serve.
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LEMON & PASSION FRU IT TA RT Serves 10
1¹/₃ cups plain flour, plus extra for dusting 2 tbsp caster sugar 150g cold unsalted butter, cubed 1 egg yolk ¼ cup chilled water
Filling 10g gelatine leaves 450ml thickened cream 1½ cups milk ¾ cup caster sugar 4 eggs 2 egg yolks ¹/₃ cup strained lemon juice ½ cup passionfruit pulp
1. To make pastry, put flour, sugar and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add yolk and water, then process until mixture begins to form a ball. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until just smooth. Flatten to a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 15 minutes. 2. Flour the base of a 24.5cm x 4.5cm-deep flan tin with removable base. On a floured surface, roll out pastry to fit tin. Lift one end of pastry over rolling pin and carefully lift into prepared tin. Press pastry into tin. Trim edges. Freeze for 20 minutes. 3. Preheat oven to 200°C. Line pastry case with baking paper. Spread uncooked rice or baking beans halfway up sides. Bake for 15 minutes then reduce temperature to 180°C. Remove baking paper with rice or beans, then bake for another 10-12 minutes or until pastry is lightly golden. Allow to cool. Pastry will shrink once baked. 4. To make filling, place gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water to soften. Set aside. Place 400ml of the cream, milk and sugar in a large saucepan over a medium heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer. 5. Meanwhile, whisk eggs and egg yolks in a large heatproof bowl. Gradually add hot cream mixture while gently whisking until combined. Place bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water, making sure bowl does not touch the surface of the water. Stir frequently, with a wooden spoon (not a whisk) to prevent bubbles, for about 20 minutes or until thickened slightly. 6. Add juice and pulp and stir until thickened. Squeeze liquid from gelatine leaves and add to custard mixture. Stir until melted. 7. Put pastry case on an oven tray. Ladle filling into pastry case. Spoon remaining cream on top of filling. Use tip of the spoon to swirl mixture. Carefully carry tray and place on a shelf in fridge for 4 hours or overnight to set. Cut into wedges to serve.
Tip You may find it easier to ladle the custard mixture and swirl cream once the tart is resting on a shelf in the fridge, to avoid spilling any custard over the sides 54
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