Freshen up

Looking for some quick and easy inspiration for summer eats with wow factor? TV chef “Fast Ed” Halmagyi shows how simple yet perfect flavours can become unforgettable meals

WORDS LIZ McGRATH

Seasonal delights

TO CREATE THIS PERFECT SUMMER DESSERT, TURN TO PAGE 81

He has inspired many of us from behind the Better Homes and Gardens stove with his time-conscious, family friendly cooking.

Now “Fast Ed” Halmagyi shares the love with the

Seasonal Kitchen cookbook, inspired by almost 20 years of travelling across the nation with the popular TV show.

“This book is a celebration of the best we’ve done on Better Homes and Gardens, but it’s also a celebration of the best produce and flavours Australia has to offer,” Ed says.

“I’ve always believed food should be accessible, affordable and achievable. My motto is that when you do less, the ingredients can do more. There’s a real liberation in being able to cook in a way that frees you up, it’s good for your mental wellbeing.”

Ed, from Sydney’s northern beaches and father of two teenagers, says it's a philosophy that works particularly well in the summer when many of us prefer to cook and eat outdoors.

“That’s the thing about summer entertaining — when the sun is shining and you have great food and company and a glass of an Australian sparkling in your hand, it doesn’t get much better than that,” he says with a laugh.

The popular chef is no stranger to hard work. Starting his culinary career working as a kitchen hand in his teens, he continued to work in hospitality during high school and university, and still puts in seven-day weeks for much of the year.

“There's a real liberation in being able to cook in a way that frees you up, it's good for your mental wellbeing.”

But Ed believes in keeping it simple when entertaining at home with graphic designer wife Leah, daughter Luca and son Finn. “If you go to a restaurant, yes, choose something complicated. But at home, the host is the single most important ingredient so you don’t want to spend the entire evening in the kitchen — it ruins it for everyone,” he says. "People visit to spend time with you.”

While his impressive resume includes time at Rockpool and Bennelong, it was at Canada’s iconic Wickaninnish Inn on the west coast of Vancouver Island that Ed, now 46, developed a true appreciation for local, seasonal produce.

“Much of our seafood came from the surrounding waters and many of our ingredients came on the back of pickup trucks driven by local farmers and fishermen. Wild leaves, crab, gooseberries — two-and-a-half hours later they’d be on the menu.

“It was all about incredibly fresh, bright flavours, much the same as the produce we have throughout Australia. That is what this book is all about.”

CHILLI AND GINGER PRAWNS WITH AVOCADO PAPAYA SALAD

SERVES 4

• 12 green king prawns, tails on, peeled, deveined • 1 long red chilli, deseeded, diced • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 4cm piece ginger, finely grated • 2 tsp sesame oil • sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to season • ½ avocado, diced • 12 mint leaves, finely shredded • 1 cup papaya, diced • ¼ cup macadamias, chopped • 2 tbsp aioli • finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime • 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds and baby red shiso leaves or micro parsley, to garnish Saute prawns, chilli, garlic and ginger in sesame oil in a pan on medium heat for 5 minutes, until prawns are firm to touch. Set aside to cool. Season. Combine avocado, mint, papaya and chopped nuts. Stir aioli, zest and juice together. Spoon avocado mixture into bowls, top with prawns, drizzle with dressing and garnish with sesame seeds and shiso to serve.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD WITH LABNE AND HONEY DRESSING SERVES 4

• 500g sheep's milk yoghurt • sea salt flakes and freshly ground white pepper, to season • ½ bunch chives, finely sliced • 2 tbsp manuka honey • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil • 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar • 3 oranges, zested, segmented • 4 spring onions, very finely sliced • 1 bunch basil leaves • 4 slices pumpernickel bread, broken into pieces • ½ cup Brazil nuts, chopped • 4 cups mixed heirloom tomatoes To make labne, put yoghurt in cheesecloth, tie securely and hang for 2 hours to drain. Season, then fold in sliced chives. Meanwhile, mix honey, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and orange zest in a bowl, then season with salt. Combine orange segments, spring onion, basil, bread and chopped nuts in a bowl and toss well. Slice tomatoes into a range of shapes, then add to bowl. Mix, then drizzle with honey dressing. Spread labne on a platter and top with the drizzled tomato salad. Serve.

CHARRED PEACH MELBA WITH WATERMELON GRANITA AND CANDIED PECANS

SERVES 4

• ½ ripe watermelon, diced • 125g punnet raspberries • juice of 1 lime • ¼ cup caster sugar • 200g vanilla ice cream • 1 cup pecans • ½ cup icing sugar • ½ tsp fine sea salt flakes • pinch cayenne pepper • 2 tbsp orange juice • 2 peaches, halved and stoned

Preheat oven to 160C fan-forced (180C conventional). For granita, press melon through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Puree melon juice, berries, lime juice and sugar in a blender. Pour in a tray and freeze for 4 hours. Let ice cream soften slightly, then press into 4 egg rings on a tray and re-freeze. Toss together pecans, icing sugar, salt, cayenne and orange juice, scatter on a lined tray and bake for 20-25 minutes, tossing regularly, until glossy and dry. Allow to cool. Cook peach halves on a hot, ribbed griddle until lightly blackened. Put ice cream discs on chilled plates. Top each disc with a peach half, granita and pecans. Serve.

Edited recipes from Better Homes and Gardens Seasonal Kitchen with Fast Ed, published by Are Media Books, RRP $29.99.

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