Global Goodies

Travel around the world with this delicious taster of recipes from Maeve O’Meara’s latest book.

These recipes are edited extracts from Food Safari: Earth Fire Water by Maeve O’Meara, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $60, which is available in stores nationally.

Natalie's Broccolini Salad

This salad is courtesy of chef Joseph Abboud’s wife, Natalie. Serves 6

Ingredients

3 bunches broccolini

1 small handful of pistachio nuts

1 small handful of pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

1 small handful of sunflower seeds

Extra virgin olive oil

1 handful of green beans

seeds of ½ pomegranate

1 bunch flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, leaves picked

1 handful of mint leaves

Best-quality apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

Feta (optional)

Method

Cut the broccolini into small pieces, making sure the stalks are very thinly sliced. Put in a large serving bowl. Toast the nuts, pepitas and sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat then toss, warm, onto the broccolini. Drizzle a little olive oil on top and season. Slice the beans into 1cm pieces and add to the salad. Add the pomegranate seeds, toss, then add the herbs. Add a little vinegar and check the seasoning. Adjust the oil, vinegar, salt and pepper to taste. Crumble over your favourite feta if desired.

Dal Makhani

One of Australia's most respected Indian chefs, Ajoy Joshi, says there is nothing like the taste of dal made next to the tandoor – 'next to' as the ambient heat of the oven helps the soaking beans and lentils to soften up overnight but keep their shape. There's an astounding amount of butter in this recipe, but Ajoy says it mellows the flavour and adds a rich texture. Cooking on a rack over the tandoor is a slow-cooking method. Serves 4 as part of a meal.

Ingredients

100g whole black lentils

50g rajma red kidney beans

50g split chickpeas (chana dal), available at Indian stores

1 small cinnamon stick

2-3 green cardamom pods

2-3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp Kashmiri chilli powder

400ml tomato passata (pureed tomatoes)

250g unsalted butter

1 tbsp dried fenugreek leaves, crushed

Method

Wash the three pulses in cold water. Place in a bowl, cover with water and soak overnight. Light a fire in the tandoor and preheat for about an hour or until there are hot coals. Place the cinnamon stick, cardamom pods and cloves in a small piece of muslin (cheesecloth), bring up the corners to form a bundle or bouquet garni and tie with kitchen twine. Place the lentil mixture in a large heavy-based saucepan and add the muslin bundle. Simmer on a rack over a low-fire tandoor until the lentils are fully cooked – about 4 to 5 hours. Add hot water, if necessary, to keep the lentil mixture covered. Stir occasionally. If cooking on a stove top, use the lowest heat for 2½ hours, or until the kidney beans are soft. Remove the bouquet garni and mash the cooked chickpeas along the side of the pan. One at a time, add the garlic, ginger, chilli powder, passata and butter. Let it come back to the boil, then simmer for 45 minutes on the tandoor or 10 minutes on a stove top. The consistency should be like thick soup. If too thick, add a little water. Check the seasoning and adjust as required. Add the dried fenugreek leaves and serve hot with rice or Indian bread.

Pan-fried Red Spot Whiting

Seafood chef Steve Hodges is on a mission to open our eyes to new species, including this delicious small, sweet fish, butterflied, skin on and ready to be simply pressed into breadcrumbs and fried quickly in ghee, salt and a squeeze of lemon. Simplicity and deliciousness. Serve immediately! Serves 4.

Ingredients

4 red spot whiting, butterflied and filleted

Dry breadcrumbs to coat

1 tbsp ghee

Salt and lemon to serve

Method

Press the skin side of the whiting into a tray of breadcrumbs. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Add the ghee and heat until hazy. Place the fish skin side down into the pan and weigh down with a fish weight. Cook for less than a minute. Turn the whiting over and remove from the heat immediately – it should be glassy rather than chalky. Season generously with salt and a squeeze of lemon.

Pasta Alla Norma

This simple Sicilian pasta dish by Guy Grossi sings with the taste of summer, using the goodness of tomatoes captured in passata and beautiful ripe eggplant. Serves 8.

Ingredients

2 eggplants

200ml extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to serve

1 onion, finely diced

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 long red chilli, halved

30g flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, finely chopped

1 bunch basil, torn

80g tomato paste (concentrated puree)

2 x 750ml bottles tomato passata (pureed tomatoes)

Salt and pepper

800g garganelli (penne or macaroni)

Ricotta salata, grated to serve

Method

Peel the eggplants and cut them into rough 2cm chunks. Place into a colander in the sink, sprinkle with salt and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse and pat dry. Heat 50ml of the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the garlic and cook until the onions caramelise. Add the celery, chilli, parsley and half the basil. Sweat until the celery softens. Add the tomato paste, then the passata. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan over high heat. Fry the eggplant in batches until golden, making sure you don’t overload the pan. Add to the sauce and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Check for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Strain and return to the pan. Add the sauce and mix through. Shave over the ricotta salata, the remaining torn basil leaves and drizzle with a little olive oil before serving.