tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13944728692565434962024-03-04T20:51:07.138-08:00The Ezard ChallengeAdskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-42414335781004139432007-07-02T05:35:00.001-07:002007-07-19T05:08:30.523-07:00Tempura Battered Fish with 3 Soy Dipping Sauce, Taro Chips and Sesame Salt<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082577801360814754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9b_UjDWYhbVXFP52ejpDInIhTJXmGfTAZXN-PK5ZuXzKToEO4-HijGPPQcz6-ORR37nAqHewjnjECEaKuQ1c6Fpikkj6kWcsW6cfXxHHu2LCZYn748KHBoyZdVAXVQz-mJwqfCwwNJrp/s400/Fish+Chips+011.jpg" border="0" />This recipe is the on the front cover of the book. Probably because it's so visually impressive and looks so slightly unusual. This is basically Fish N Chips, but as usual, Ezard puts his on twist on it to make it completely different and his own.<br />To start off with, your fish isn't fried in any old batter it's Tempura batter. For that matter, it's not actually your regualar Tempura batter, either the batter contains lemon juice and lime juice, instead of soda water to give it a definate zing!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082577797065847410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaiu-58_XDfKPRWmSe0VD8ypdjvoCZCSa_P71C35KT2Tj0oLti8J6xuWsoNxI7ojVhUJm7kEYAUFtahjUZFchP-nWQDZCj-Hek_rwghLiCxsOd5tgrdeQxX44JC5ITjm4IbpsI0IZ_dHG/s400/Fish+Chips+001.jpg" border="0" /><br />Your chips aren't normal chips, but they're deep fried Taro chips, which are finely shredded our julienned. You've also got nice little Taro chips to Garnish. These taste almost exactly like potato chips, but look amazing! The whole dish is seasoned with sesaame salt, which you make yourself by toasting some sesame seeds and pounding them up with sea salt. You also sift a small amount of icing sugar over the top of it all, which gives it a hint of sweetness, balancing out the saltiness and sourness from the lime served on the side.<br />The best fish to use for this one is Flathead tails as they are a nice short shape and are quick to cook when deep fried.<br />This dish is outstanding, I've made it on a number of occassions and everyone has loved it. Note the limes, which have been wrapped in muslin, so that when you squeeze it, it stops the pips from going into your food. Brilliant!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFWly5y5G1hZWCCQBSW6iOR_Bc-HQ1JzAFa3i3U74fXtBJBlwyzvQ0sGHmcALcL7fbc0aut_Os6iVgQfm05KBEc0thc8Jra70vRagAEHSmtjFU6mGLwm-AtHGsSRoXzUoHhMJTZm-RVpF/s1600-h/Fish+Chips+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082577797065847426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTFWly5y5G1hZWCCQBSW6iOR_Bc-HQ1JzAFa3i3U74fXtBJBlwyzvQ0sGHmcALcL7fbc0aut_Os6iVgQfm05KBEc0thc8Jra70vRagAEHSmtjFU6mGLwm-AtHGsSRoXzUoHhMJTZm-RVpF/s400/Fish+Chips+006.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KDi4X9mdao_cio4tl5xJs5DjrL4ULY937eInjCN15ZMXRJbeb8Il8jC-MmlILGZ9I6qajFw_81M2p84tbWkA-ApbHh1SXXYueD_6Cj1Z5ZqYEVP6RIgIruAmG5CDCgXbagQ6GQZ0Qvc-/s1600-h/Fish+Chips+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5082577801360814738" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: pointer; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5KDi4X9mdao_cio4tl5xJs5DjrL4ULY937eInjCN15ZMXRJbeb8Il8jC-MmlILGZ9I6qajFw_81M2p84tbWkA-ApbHh1SXXYueD_6Cj1Z5ZqYEVP6RIgIruAmG5CDCgXbagQ6GQZ0Qvc-/s400/Fish+Chips+009.jpg" border="0" /></a>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-3325079879540998492007-06-22T06:48:00.000-07:002007-06-22T07:32:13.131-07:00Cured Salmon Stack with Lattice Chips, Yarra Valley Salmon Pearls, Creme Fraiche and Citrus Oil<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078885860279921442" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl5ZN7a0C2ktqlibHv7kWZ0C57Ep3T2eCQRtoMMCucHdMUZ40tuyBX7Kmb6GgTYpCOUr-ImZQQoARsMtBr80xs0F6UvmDFwcZa4rZ9FJhh0gQ2jxRnNsxGZuZERMHRQmM2ondtIhOEbnco/s400/salmon2.jpg" border="0" /><br />This is one amazing looking dish! Not only does it look amazing, but it's certainly a treat to eat! So many different flavours and textures, all on one plate, but they all mesh together so well. <br />To be honest, I didn't know exactly what 'curing' was or what it exactly involved before making this dish, but now I understand completely and am kind of annoyed that I hadn't ever tried it before. <br /><br />To cure your Salmon, you need to be prepared and start the process 36 hours before you want to serve the dish. Basically you just mix together Rock Salt, Rock Sugar, Vodka and Dill and pat it onto the flesh side of the Salmon. Then place the Salmon, flesh side down on your plate and cover with glad wrap and maybe put a plate on top to keep some weight on there and place in the fridge. When you come back in 36 hours, you'll find that you have a plate full of liquid. This is because the salt has drawn a great deal of the liquid out of the Salmon flesh. You need to rinse your fillet under running water to remove the curing mix and then slice the Salmon, finely at an angle. You will find that the Salmon has dried out slightly and tastes perfectly seasoned. You'll also taste a hint of sweetness and some Dill.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078885864574888770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin86W5g_QWKGZKSoQLBNnEW-2bz3HHXxMfHH78G-BUhyi6h02WdgBUcbgnFWm4xB3H614Ad06qH3dWosP7pKPVunadYz_sa4RR5BLpVZUVX95c4wa85kwTIDRc0Uy88-Zqm1CsFwy6yvd9/s400/salmon4.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />For your Citrus Oil, you'll need to dry out some Lemon, Lime and Orange peel in the oven overnight and then blend it up with some Olive Oil. <br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078885864574888754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxJtheK0A5qjoWwCWzvSLxd5MTMktg6BklopIyBDPZZQSMZvvozaLzdZ3yEtnnA-2qIqmGiJ_pjhpUWkIw2AuQJqRXIi-aHVXsRY19XucGPHA7wb0kmH45N72I7FIvOmjrFuWDVD_3PLC/s400/salmon3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />The recipe calls for Lattice Chips, but unfortunately I didn't really want to spend $20 on a new attachment for my V-Slicer, just for this recipe, so I just used the thinnest setting on my slicer to slice the chips instead. Once sliced, you just deep fry them until crispy and golden.<br /><br />From here, you just <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Zig</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Zag</span> some Creme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Fraiche</span> on your plate, place a potato chip on the plate and start alternating with Salmon pieces, Creme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Fraiche</span> and Dill, then repeat 3 or 4 times. Drizzle some Citrus Oil around the plate and scatter some <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Yarra</span> Valley Salmon Pearls. <br /><br />How beautiful does this dish look! It's so tasty too! The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">crunchiness</span> of the chips, the saltiness of the salmon, which is balanced out by the softness of the Creme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Fraiche</span> and the tangy, pop of the Salmon pearls are all outstanding! This dish has to be one of my favourites.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN00ywa_9Or73lPOoAXyfMqRaG3fQGAS8yguF6GMet9lczZPJ4qZxyo7EeGj4X399LhsnzY_2TONVMk7tlB34dSjvAOcJxyVCufk8eu312rH2Z5oyB86FfOvoXbocleKesW5hLZI99xqJK/s1600-h/salmon1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078885855984954130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN00ywa_9Or73lPOoAXyfMqRaG3fQGAS8yguF6GMet9lczZPJ4qZxyo7EeGj4X399LhsnzY_2TONVMk7tlB34dSjvAOcJxyVCufk8eu312rH2Z5oyB86FfOvoXbocleKesW5hLZI99xqJK/s400/salmon1.jpg" border="0" /></a>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-70282386579614861562007-06-22T04:29:00.000-07:002007-06-22T06:10:53.276-07:00Roasted Barramundi with a Red Salad of Baby Beets, Grapefruit, Radicchio, Capers and Marinated Goat's Fetta and Fresh Herb Dressing<u><span style="color:#0000ff;"></span></u><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluzDbIHHx7t2hPe-Ocufg5NL101g5iI6eiUokI5uUWSFHBbz_LC0gvZwgdz4PLEWp0v9EATGkq4IAgirG-dxSm6aPyehCjXsgYL7DC1b0GXJkF6Vxayvd8g0Fptvctn1x3jErvns7Tyc0/s1600-h/redsalad1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078849907108686562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluzDbIHHx7t2hPe-Ocufg5NL101g5iI6eiUokI5uUWSFHBbz_LC0gvZwgdz4PLEWp0v9EATGkq4IAgirG-dxSm6aPyehCjXsgYL7DC1b0GXJkF6Vxayvd8g0Fptvctn1x3jErvns7Tyc0/s400/redsalad1.jpg" border="0" /></a> Well, that's got to be the longest name for a dish, ever! You'd think with a name like that, the dish would be so intricate and detailed to put together, but not this one. This is a very <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">wintry</span> dish, not because it's warming or comfort food, more because all the ingredients are available around the cooler months.<br /><br />You start off by roasting your Baby Beets in a dressing of Olive Oil, Balsamic and Brown Sugar. Roast them until soft, sticky and almost caramelized on the outside.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078849915698621186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr8WbF-ERa8eBXYWSweKp9fOvrf-iWGl7dz5CBhWLQJz4Sxjr_JFidmdRaMXwwHcuuKamp5d5mrsaEbL4LLxHBALpVm2ms5QBnPKrO5yZsZ0YO1SvDn24QH2jYPlt_qWIveQ_hio9S3Ijn/s400/redsalad3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Your red salad is made up of things that are all pretty much red. The Baby Beets, Shredded Radicchio, Ruby Grapefruit and then the non red ingredients, Capers and Marinated Goats <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Fetta</span>. Instead of Goats <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Fetta</span>, I substituted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Yarra</span> Valley Marinated Persian <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Fetta</span>, my favourite!<br /><br />Unfortunately, not one seafood stall at the <a href="http://www.qvm.com.au/">Vic Market</a> had any <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Barramundi</span> at all, which was a little unusual. It wasn't that they were sold out, it was just that they didn't have any anywhere! So, I had to make do with another firm, white fleshed fish, the trusty old Blue Eye.<br /><br />The final part of this dish is the fresh herb oil. You basically just blitz some Parsley, Basil and Mint with a few Capers. This is just to drizzle around the plate at the end.<br /><br />The colours of this dish are amazing! The green of the oil, the red of the salad and the white of the fish, it's just gorgeous! Unfortunately, the flavours aren't as exciting as I'd hoped. Of course it's tasty, but it's one of the more uninteresting dishes featured in this book. A lot of the other dishes smack you around the head and wake your taste buds right up! But this one is much more mellow and if anything it's the marinated cheese and the Balsamic on the Beet's that give this dish it's kick.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrWLjZ6TpYPV2KWZMDrQIkn99L369cqji8j-lfaO6KI4vO84feo-lne_72lyRyjb0z6-KeH-VNBvjixOqZ5I7MV1tp9AP1JpaM5R4pxnko1Bn4AWDOH1ldJkigxR3h7gTetCLFJ-P_P9K/s1600-h/redsalad2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078849911403653874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMrWLjZ6TpYPV2KWZMDrQIkn99L369cqji8j-lfaO6KI4vO84feo-lne_72lyRyjb0z6-KeH-VNBvjixOqZ5I7MV1tp9AP1JpaM5R4pxnko1Bn4AWDOH1ldJkigxR3h7gTetCLFJ-P_P9K/s400/redsalad2.jpg" border="0" /></a>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-28954552197020705282007-06-20T05:05:00.000-07:002007-06-20T05:15:32.267-07:00Five Spice Creme Brulee with Pear Chips and Spicy Sugar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37WcIyPjAgvWpNxPG5WsOTkxLvYmPQjCWFawP_K6ieVBka2DYabcECGQNV72TeRObg6J2sTrS5FCJ8KxM6gscd262HiC0WN_pjfGh8jRcMRazyTsk0ERHZQahxDWT_T9Ez0zJ8HKKRmcQ/s1600-h/pears.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5078116850680539858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj37WcIyPjAgvWpNxPG5WsOTkxLvYmPQjCWFawP_K6ieVBka2DYabcECGQNV72TeRObg6J2sTrS5FCJ8KxM6gscd262HiC0WN_pjfGh8jRcMRazyTsk0ERHZQahxDWT_T9Ez0zJ8HKKRmcQ/s400/pears.jpg" border="0" /></a> This one took me two goes, because the first time I made it, I made put too much liquid into each bowl, so they never actually set. On the second attempt, I halved the amount I put into the bowls and it set perfectly! I actually had to make the pear chips twice as well. The first time I made them, they were perfect, however, I left them out too long and they went soft again. When I made them the second time, I left them overnight in the oven, but it appears this time it was too high and the pears went dark brown. A little too dark, but not quite burnt. Unfortunately I didn't have time to make them again, so I just used these ones.<br />The Creme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Brulee</span> tasted great. Even though the idea of a Five Spiced Creme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Brulee</span> probably sounds weird to a lot of people. It really does work quite well.<br />I even went out and purchased a domestic blow torch which works a treat! The Creme <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Brulee</span> had the perfect amount of toffee on the top.<br />It took a couple of goes, but it really was a success!Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-61318520968606361462007-05-07T05:43:00.000-07:002007-05-10T03:14:01.526-07:00Cheddar-Grilled Blue Eye with Panzanella Salad and Olive Oil<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAq77PTN8NmcmF6zfDXW3m9RXL2FMTQslurZ743wKj57TJm-rCtXMVcaDNHSqziNCp2_G05J0fcd4CbTSjrePSfPtLwSWODjcS-cRkVG4y5XsmDPCDkY5ZYQhXUKumhij3KB2bduuSuXM/s1600-h/image6.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061800055437332642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMAq77PTN8NmcmF6zfDXW3m9RXL2FMTQslurZ743wKj57TJm-rCtXMVcaDNHSqziNCp2_G05J0fcd4CbTSjrePSfPtLwSWODjcS-cRkVG4y5XsmDPCDkY5ZYQhXUKumhij3KB2bduuSuXM/s400/image6.jpg" border="0" /></a> Since we're still somewhere near Italy after our delicious Gnocchi and Slow Cooked Lamb, I thought I'd try this nifty little salad with some delicious Blue Eye.<br />Nothing too out of the ordinary here. This is pretty much your standard <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Panzanella</span> Salad, but the little tip that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ezard</span> offers, is when you fry your bread cubes, also fry some Rosemary and Garlic in the same fat, to help infuse the flavour into the oil and therefore the bread.<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061798904386097298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKPjUt_e-g6lyL2GccIxDw1OHDLp2hV6gP_BC6u29J2Jg3DVg_Mcz-5FTl8WsfrcbanNcb1ZB4f_0XRo0oJUOrC4Zswykp39vRDuLzwQ4sI2vN7ntJ522e0BQtY1PgGs8O0a8rtGO6mRkT/s400/cheddar5.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061798900091129970" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiQfCC53QJCMXmxh0TMuH-mdIM_5hlskHzvd1eEaqrffnDnYSSC1Bi5luEhL0qQWGIHpb7VPSbg0IGV7V_vB-K-Wx8vnDV55i3UK1W5Wq4qbyEAdo7UJfIxovwM58Dw3SHstxfUwyTh_bV/s400/image3.jpg" border="0" /></div><div><br />You need to make sure all your Tomato, Cucumber are chopped in nice little cubes. This is where your knife skills that you've been learning will come in handy.<br /><br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061798904386097282" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaGV-7g9W8TjW2Bo39yqYH_S8QbYJKgW1R2KlaZBjBO-WEp0Zkaac-BlvJbRdR4SHMfH98BhSwGTjuH-hBf5CvD0RLhCwLC59e8Pkw847t00hl8M-PTs2iO1bI9m5OnbpQ9vksvvmnLUs8/s400/cheddar4.jpg" border="0" />Your fish will require a bit of cooking. You need to fry it first, to crisp up the skin. Then you need to transfer the fish to the oven, until just cooked. You then need to top the fish with the cheddar and grill it til bubbling and golden. I wasn't sure which side to put the cheese on and the recipe didn't specify. So, I made the executive choice of putting it on the flesh side. Normally I would put it on the skin side, but I thought the flesh side up would look a little rounder and different on top of the salad. That's all well and good, but when I grilled the cheese most of it melted off, into the pan.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWe2Ez-uuEAgO1lJKjYIakXKERZyEk1K6gIvBHbV2cEvVzf_DwX6fo4ojUxbdQH3pcmAwAxMf8Rs45PwJqxFOmNNazbhpRWow48mC7Wt9MQ5REcwCsXfYrxteON6U8HVhREW0ht6PPFqlI/s1600-h/cheddar2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061798900091129954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWe2Ez-uuEAgO1lJKjYIakXKERZyEk1K6gIvBHbV2cEvVzf_DwX6fo4ojUxbdQH3pcmAwAxMf8Rs45PwJqxFOmNNazbhpRWow48mC7Wt9MQ5REcwCsXfYrxteON6U8HVhREW0ht6PPFqlI/s400/cheddar2.jpg" border="0" /></a> Place your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Panzanella</span> in a large round ring to shape it on the plate. I like to use a little cake ring, without the base. Place the grilled fish on top of your salad and garnish with some parsley. Drizzle some olive oil around the plate and you're done. </div><div>Blue eye is a very <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">flakey</span>, soft fleshed fish, so use your delicate hands when moving it about, flipping it over and plating it up, otherwise you could end up with your fish in lots of pieces. <br />I have to say, that while this fish was tasty, it was the least interesting of the dishes I've made so far. It's a very quick one to put together, so it's handy for impressing at a last minute dinner party. Also, it's pretty cheap to put together, I think it cost approx $30 to serve three people.<br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5061798895796162642" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDm6S-8u7ykxViYCjye3FrAQKJPtnnl7HRbKejBivhHGf3orJhqGCL3iXfz6SBGQV-yk7zyUGJt4UO5qwq9vYLomZo2zEA6YAiC1RgcxUPfz-JbIfxh_rKr-J0sZeq6If5pvK1iLoH-M6/s400/cheddar1.jpg" border="0" /></div></div>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-8346514784320613782007-05-01T05:04:00.000-07:002007-05-01T06:05:00.280-07:00Slow-Cooked Lamb Shanks with Creamed White Beans, Gremolata and Watercress Salad<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7Wx_EqR80owBsCCpBN43zQpsEGvQOS1Es-iM4Fg0DjMChY3MH5CrML65YpGtmsdItrnabiKr0PpmhVU7JgodMvK40Ykj-nyjikpXI0OLyKmNPXlkPa8wdH5xIPkceYkly5-UJfWH6m6G/s1600-h/lamb5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059563734685781778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA7Wx_EqR80owBsCCpBN43zQpsEGvQOS1Es-iM4Fg0DjMChY3MH5CrML65YpGtmsdItrnabiKr0PpmhVU7JgodMvK40Ykj-nyjikpXI0OLyKmNPXlkPa8wdH5xIPkceYkly5-UJfWH6m6G/s400/lamb5.jpg" border="0" /></a> So, what do you cook when you're staying in a modern Farmhouse on acres of farmland in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Yarra</span> Valley? Lamb Shanks of course! Especially when the temperature drops to 7c outside and you have a roaring fire going in the next room - there is nothing better than some slow cooked meat to give you that warm comforting feeling inside.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059576937415249746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHgOn5ITsYdzK5v9o2ZprZQJ-oum-55edhsrvR-g06c0S5Lh9l6IZnT4wMWsDTwPZwQrWij2y7-0PCR9St4rSus5f3TD4I13PIV-Mq0nBcHEH6Xaifegb1DUrDpqYMZ85so8pt87WnN-3u/s400/aioli2.jpg" border="0" /> <div></div><div>Before we left for our few days away, I stopped off at a butcher shop in Victoria St, Richmond and picked up 4kg of Beef Bones ($4.50). The recipe calls for Veal Bones, but hey, beef was the best I could do in a hurry. To make your Veal stock, you need to boil and simmer your bones, carrot, celery, onion, etc, for 6 hours. I left this on ticking over on the stove, whilst I was taxi-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ing</span> the others around to some gorgeous wineries.<br /></div><div>I sourced my Lamb Shanks from <a href="http://www.healsvillehotel.com.au/">Kitchen and Butcher</a> in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Healesville</span>. The butcher there raved about them, so I couldn't wait to taste them!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059563734685781762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc9sdgD3y1J4HSXeCta4LUBXC9k_g7Y8Fk-3Voo2VtQaApR_i-o7nD22-xmyj0KMCNXWOnysUdVwR0wjzRNnOS3NtN1MSLQAE4fsyopXUMKd2w6YZnzhdPjvlpugCnPQ7ulMG9LOK5LWgi/s400/lamb4.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>Once you have made your stock, you need to strain it and leave it to cool, removing any fat and scum that rises to the surface. You then need to brown your shanks in a fry pan and then place them in the oven, covered with stock and cook for 3 hours at a low heat. That's about 10 hours of cooking all up for this dish, if you include the stock making.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059563730390814418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIjKvxhKRXTyedfbN8F6Q-jZD0yvvMreHeaO0pfOxlmo8SqPbtEYD-JsgiaF6qx6KofZg_CPmOc1axjw85ym5MGoMkPFg4GdaUY-M6rxNdnBet5n4FQc6zqE2_xEXLtu7P4IbLB2pyvAg/s400/lamb1.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div></div><div>Instead of Mash, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Ezard</span> uses Creamed White Beans. He suggests to use Haricot Beans, but they were nowhere to be found in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Healesville</span>, so I just used Cannelini Beans. You basically need to soak them, then boil til soft and then push through a sieve to remove the skins, then mix with cream to make a mash type <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">consistency</span>.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059563734685781746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeovHTS8POPcoaJe_DoGWg9EMVDgFPCOKyrFR6VteCu4uUH5EK78j27q1JQnHK1gJX9E5YgmsX0CsL_KOmcQruCEFWphFrEmig5Tpqxm4hvLVEx6Z4emK5ZrSoCvuMUkX8XY8hcn7WFLBQ/s400/lamb3.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>You will need to make a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Aioli</span> as well. If you've never made your own mayonnaise before, it's quite easy. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Aioli</span> is basically just a flavoured <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayonnaise">mayonnaise</a>.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059576937415249730" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNKbDEQdiRwN_NtxFHfsBQPBtVdG4kdHNAd_46BTBinW-7SkgyNKQlYIhUS2ZqvzUjLgSuAML55YYfqnRcNn9msb1dKymrFpwcx4wtjchfSmaYY2qfIPgUnvCROK4uDmyorb3MsGWcice/s400/aioli.jpg" border="0" /></div><div></div><div>If you watched Jamie Oliver's most recent show, where he's in his Country Garden, you would have heard him talking up <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Gremolata</span>, which is basically herbs, mixed with garlic and lemon zest. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Ezard</span> uses this in this dish to coat the Lamb shanks once cooked.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059564181362380578" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGgaR0gOJ6OLHvwBpZ2cpMrlNldJczhRKuGVJCSKgiJAlPx0ZEVX43rHxSVtI7Ilu-a-HXYVY1XOeBY9oHO8dOHGlsEsULAkj2rg0szR2UDQgxIRn1ldN1foDZ5K0xNi8G7wh5oOYZoBRw/s400/lamb6.jpg" border="0" /></div></div><br /><p>Once you've cooked your Lamb Shanks for the required 3 hours, you'll need to take out some of the liquid and strain it again, then reduce it right down. Once it's reduced, you'll need to add a little cream and reduce again. Be careful, because the sauce is extremely rich at this point. I added a little salt to season and it turned out to be too much. I had to add more water to the sauce to get rid of the saltiness, but once the sauce is reduced, it's hard to get rid of the excess salt, so it's either deal with the saltiness or deal with a runny <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">consistency</span>. I chose the latter.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059563730390814434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fYubSzFudP4pfBbP8Kq626REH-fJTTpRra2WhzsBXpfSA9OK4uOdi5yx9X3BQU2fq_M4Y05v1AY7x5NpT_c73gbOVh3aYOOVlwSyaYvBBp43LwNMwd2twI6Z3LUC54DDi9wJnypCtfdn/s400/lamb2.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Finally you'll need to roast some Tomatoes, which are part of the 'Watercress Salad.' It's not really a salad as such, just a Tomato with some Cress on top. Now you're ready to plate up all your ingredients. Basically it's just one on top of the other here. Place some Creamed Beans on the plate, then a Shank, which has been rolled in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Gremolata</span>. Place half a Tomato on top and then some Cress. Drizzle some of your sauce around the plate (hopefully it's not too runny like mine!)</p><p>As expected, the meat was so soft and tender, it was a struggle to keep it on the bone long enough to make it to the plate! The dish was delicious and perfect in our beautiful country setting. Unfortunately, it did make it a little hard to look the sheep in the eye the next day, that were wandering around the farm!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059564181362380594" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8fhL1xrlRknHqaHPnO9XYypRcrHwRdwIb89GMLuUKbqnw-SMFvbj9KoiFYQLBMicfDfxqW2QBSSdtjzLcKRnSFe1S2UPqvOpAtq5ermtJN8oe5WKeXVsUrWvq1BvJQKQzJRXRM_Bvlw65/s400/lamb7.jpg" border="0" /></p>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-14774199617691915182007-05-01T04:16:00.000-07:002007-05-01T05:03:37.633-07:00Potato Gnocchi Gratin with Taleggio, Pear and Roasted WalnutsYes, occasionally <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ezard</span> does stray away from Asian cookery and on this occasion we venture across to Italy. This dish always seems to be on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ezard's</span> menu at his restaurant, probably more than likely because it's vegetarian. However, there's more to this dish than just being vegetarian, the tastes and textures are fantastic!<br />Admittedly, I had my doubts about this recipe from the first time I read it. Mainly because there is so much liquid in the Gnocchi dough, which usually makes for a heavy and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">gluggy</span> finished product, because you need to use so much flour to keep it all together. The flour also enables you to work with the dough without it being too sticky. It wasn't until I made the dough and took it out of the food processor, that I realised how soft and light this Gnocchi was going to be! Here's how:<br /><br />Boil your potatoes til cooked. I roasted mine, so that I could minimise the liquid in the potatoes(sorry for doubting you <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Teage</span>!). Then push the potatoes through a sieve to remove all your lumps.<br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059550501891542610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY79wkgiwfsEOehd607TZxhhobcFy5jIEzMq26dZfdqlGtxvEttBM4B-Wc8Y5gkQVhQXzg_qisenSZFsgwd0av7XbCTnAF45o-WgGp2cKYIH-agMtz1m1lzR1Nu2pigUU073CZ14Mvagf2/s400/gnocchi1.jpg" border="0" /><br />Now, the secret to this recipe is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roux">Roux</a> type mixture of butter, milk and flour.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059550506186509922" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Cl51fIl7wlDuwq0e9_k2RuY2sGMskotkW4mMRIsBUYZYvF_tbYeKaTEvYqTtx_2UiYj4TWSNgL-9PzmaNnOJz224EygWrJGvTN4jHIvmpzNBMdOqv95DA33aYvMfXOfQuFjlPXVejuL2/s400/gnocchi2.jpg" border="0" /><br />I then put this Roux mixture into a food processor, along with the potatoes and added some eggs, one by one. This will create a fairly sticky dough. You will need to flour your work surface and your hands and roll this dough into even sausage lengths, similar in thickness.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059550506186509938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmqv24qdTiJPKQ7X_v6XCHbjjEfedQ-OUlWiR76J0xAaE8O4SXxJkAPJqcDO1PFGEkUdhtRQO-G6v4wCSRO8nxKpExe9OGhkWc-VC8pLbr_B0jwd35sO4zMUgvx3zFT8sPd81gf2lxm91/s400/gnocchi3.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p>Cut your sausages of dough into similar bite sized pieces, as I have below. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059550510481477250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaaVqxtBCdjEhVhjiFFkP-3FL1PX5lI477_WuQxLZw4d77irmqupXdnoc0-c6gpMT6xDKabvm8K_SK-qa1VxOQc9DOdzyBW_UhqtKd55IeLUS9U8pYtRhpiCUmabHsfRMdYWJRTVTTTOP1/s400/gnocchi4.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Now you'll want to make your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Taleggio</span> sauce. Mix together Cream and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Taleggio</span> Cheese and slowly melt the cheese into the cream over a low heat and reduce slightly. Now you might have noticed that I haven't mentioned Walnuts as yet. Well, that's because I burnt them. Yep, I forgot about them, they were meant to be in the oven for 3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">mins</span>, but I left them in for 15. They tasted like burnt popcorn and were unusable, so I left them out of this recipe. I didn't have any spare. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059551081712127650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoDBO4_i75rL_YpU5vg2DB91MTvKKewE6hsQlkDRyW9FSBwdCGaALVSV0mj72bGDCX0Q9uSECVkvLmGtpNiXhfcxmdEx3cq9vwx7ksWGrT-gGtSq1tHa71Sba6izp31givddWQhYrHONLb/s400/gnocchi6.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Boil your Gnocchi in salted boiling water, until they rise to the surface. They will puff up slightly when cooked. </p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059550510481477266" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPUIjvKAj353rp_Ihu-k4UYTME7uKpJZjYELCL3oAUsc3p8RR98c7Dc4vVHocq_l5izvWf9aSbAFW9FAepFqeYu-_SKhnais64AsGhty-tRuYRQtuQGb3QQeUb8TgHa841J60ZoIV-qGsd/s400/gnocchi5.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Gently mix together your Gnocchi with your Walnuts (if you haven't burnt them), and sliced, peeled pear and place in individual serving dishes or one large one. I only had a large one, so I just used that. Drizzle your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Taleggio</span> sauce over the ingredients and then sprinkle some chives over the top and then some Parmesan cheese.<br /><br /></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLaZ6Kqvfyu_c58R8-_7auy5pNhhYOng5p76qQeVeMczwNJBgBbrttfGJchDczZH-G4nugW-viWDF-SvOOspCV__-Mqai4-EvihsThVCwMtkW1-Jp9xmN9w0xwRh41aKAfXGPrYBvgvNc/s1600-h/gnocchi7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059551081712127666" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvLaZ6Kqvfyu_c58R8-_7auy5pNhhYOng5p76qQeVeMczwNJBgBbrttfGJchDczZH-G4nugW-viWDF-SvOOspCV__-Mqai4-EvihsThVCwMtkW1-Jp9xmN9w0xwRh41aKAfXGPrYBvgvNc/s400/gnocchi7.jpg" border="0" /></a>Place your plate under a hot grill until the mixture is golden and bubbling on top and you're done. Garnish with some parsley.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVrSY5S0wEYkLw9FOsxsf6Whxsy6GD3XusXfyjud45BL_3gFM9wVfLb8RVB3iKSvFxRrFXiFaXKRrR_kJ9Ktqi1NiOX53G6H9UwqHlMi1ftpUMXYbRgfgLLrvARLckh6roX9h-eotv-R8/s1600-h/gnocchi8.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5059551081712127682" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRVrSY5S0wEYkLw9FOsxsf6Whxsy6GD3XusXfyjud45BL_3gFM9wVfLb8RVB3iKSvFxRrFXiFaXKRrR_kJ9Ktqi1NiOX53G6H9UwqHlMi1ftpUMXYbRgfgLLrvARLckh6roX9h-eotv-R8/s400/gnocchi8.jpg" border="0" /></a> </p><p>These soft and fluffy pillows of goodness is the best Gnocchi I have ever tasted! If you like Gnocchi, I recommend going out an buying this book, just for this recipe, it's seriously amazing! The best thing is, it's so easy! </p>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-81948891417717216942007-04-10T02:23:00.000-07:002007-04-10T04:40:03.527-07:00Honeycrunch Ice-Cream with Toasted Gingerbread, Cinnamon Oil and Sugar Swirls<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051728080043083570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHslzKUAXgxmkOF1pVWCmES_mnKa_O4UveoA5i6Uyxzni47K6BtVnTkCORpQwpDOPq_qmjeBs6ZgzC-Br20EDZK8Er9qGn1OeWhEFHqWlOUaO2FiWUawDVI5j_zScR_RjMRaFm-KD5N5K/s400/honeycomb4.jpg" border="0" />I had this dessert the first time I went to <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ezard's</span> a couple of years ago, so I was looking forward to giving it a go myself, especially since I get to play with caramelized sugar, which is always fun!<br />There's a few steps to making this dessert and it takes a while, so you've got to be dedicated to it for a couple of hours.<br />First up is making your honeycomb. This is pretty simple, just caramelize some sugar, water and liquid glucose. Once it starts to colour whisk in some baking soda and you'll see the mixture start to fizz. Tip the mixture into a tray lined with baking paper and allow to set hard.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJFhcfhvWabnKjv29x_sUbjXbmHjIJE88Ykm04tVoZ6-v8a_QWRXEeAcKm2jYrafL-ozJhbFgsxHS8RPd6xS-s38n89roCr5z2w4LESARsIrtxdtZs08vAMwz9ogfYAXThHqEMx1pyQZC/s1600-h/honeycomb2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051728071453148946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtJFhcfhvWabnKjv29x_sUbjXbmHjIJE88Ykm04tVoZ6-v8a_QWRXEeAcKm2jYrafL-ozJhbFgsxHS8RPd6xS-s38n89roCr5z2w4LESARsIrtxdtZs08vAMwz9ogfYAXThHqEMx1pyQZC/s400/honeycomb2.jpg" border="0" /></a> You'll need to also make some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Cinnamon</span> infused oil. Bake some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Cinnamon</span> quills in a oven until fragrant and then bash them up in a mortar and pestle. Place the crushed quills into some olive oil and bring to a simmer and then let cool. Leave to infuse overnight.<br /><br />Now, you all need to make Ice-Cream, don't you? That's good, because that means I don't have to explain it here. You just need to make your normal <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Anglaise</span>, this one is very rich with 12 egg yolks! Once it's almost frozen in your ice cream machine, crush up your honeycomb and add to the mix, then freeze until needed.<br /><br />Now unfortunately, I didn't take any photos of this, but you'll need to make your Gingerbread Circles. This was the harder part. I made the Gingerbread in a standard loaf tin as suggested, but <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Ezard</span> suggested that once cooked, you could slice it into 18 x 2mm slices. There was no way I could do that with mine, I managed to get about 5 slices and that was using my V-Slicer to cut it. A bit awkward, but it did the job. You then need to cut out rounds and toast them. You have to be careful as well with this, because the rounds are so dark brown, it's hard to tell if you're burning them. When they cool, they crisp up like little biscuits.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiWLWdlbgkOg3gm_oIDzJBe4r_d8DmLTKBFiwfYZefXvsD7sT-ZVB_csOtrCArG0xJxDaciDiD39rtMbgBloN9JU6LL8yHbM43QK0odygnkngAiaqZxdrfNYNzV1ueSqUFgxEEQKqjnt6/s1600-h/honeycomb3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051728080043083554" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiWLWdlbgkOg3gm_oIDzJBe4r_d8DmLTKBFiwfYZefXvsD7sT-ZVB_csOtrCArG0xJxDaciDiD39rtMbgBloN9JU6LL8yHbM43QK0odygnkngAiaqZxdrfNYNzV1ueSqUFgxEEQKqjnt6/s400/honeycomb3.jpg" border="0" /></a> Make your sugar swirls by caramelizing equal amounts of sugar and water until it's a medium brown colour, then leave to cool for 5 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">mins</span>. The syrup will be thick now and you can pour it onto a pastry mat or baking paper, lots of fun.<br /><br />One trick I suggest with this recipe is to take your scoops of ice cream and freeze them solid <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">separately</span> as this makes it much easier to stack them up when presenting them, as they wont melt so quickly. You might also want to freeze/chill your plates to help keep it all cool.<br />Drizzle some <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Cinnamon</span> Oil around your plate and place 3 pieces of honeycomb around the outside. Place a gingerbread circle on the plate and top with a ball of ice-cream and then repeat. Place a sugar swirl on top and you have yourself a masterpiece!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qS6Yu3FSFE1kuzDG7frb2D2ZwQNeNIYWWhT7Op-leXM1-9XMZo0oMLuWsgju5RNfmwBchLj9x2A99RfO3ewKHBSsrKXqBhzGsU1btvDKwtxWqudfHr0nyf1yiWRDdEvkZ0bystAqk7PT/s1600-h/honeycomb5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051728084338050882" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9qS6Yu3FSFE1kuzDG7frb2D2ZwQNeNIYWWhT7Op-leXM1-9XMZo0oMLuWsgju5RNfmwBchLj9x2A99RfO3ewKHBSsrKXqBhzGsU1btvDKwtxWqudfHr0nyf1yiWRDdEvkZ0bystAqk7PT/s400/honeycomb5.jpg" border="0" /></a>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-514807835354059922007-04-10T02:20:00.000-07:002007-04-10T03:01:52.560-07:00Barbequed Ox Tongue with Southern Gold Potatoes, Snake Beans and Sticky Mustard Dressing<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051727667726223074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpyZyVPgMBUOqaRivRxMkIxzjxqmngiR_US8QDerafkJtdMlicwn9MV5VpyTAQUobDGuALVUKDDydrkGxII-hBoMK3USzmcD7now5GCDxszG2UCEs4TP9gv6mJcfh4dmx2GR51nOmWvn2/s400/Tongue4.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />When I first took on this challenge of cooking every recipe from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ezard's</span> book, I knew that would involve using and eating some parts of animals, which I had never thought about eating before. Having never tried tongue before (apart from the french kissing type of course), I was a little freaked out at the thought of eating an Ox-Tongue, which is why I wanted to get this one done and dusted early on in the challenge. So over the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Easter</span> weekend, I gave this one a go.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051727663431255746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-2T2uAA1vBodxeQExAlIXykwbS8nBsommPeDlEv5m2cJKmaNnTK3p9U6Xw0NmAuAiEbETIsNRSad5Gqr2Fr9TG_4-xmATbK8AhkmAzyClg6WocS_dhG02QR1T02kFw9wCWTQvN7Lfv55Z/s400/Tongue2.jpg" border="0" />My first challenge was to find some tongue! Metro nightclub was always a good option when I was younger, but that's not the sort of tongue that I was after this time. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Ezard</span> suggests that you need a tongue that has been pickled for at least 10 days. Now, I wasn't going to put just any tongue in my mouth, so I had to go to a butcher's that I knew I could trust. So, my first port of call was to Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Bouchier</span> Butcher's at David Jones in Melbourne's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">CBD</span>. These guys have some of the best looking and tasting meat around and if they don't have what you're after, give them enough notice and they can probably get it in for you. I ordered my Tongue and it was in, in just a few days. I was expecting to pick it up and have to pay about $30, but to my <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">surprise</span>, the whole tongue cost $4.50! It weighed well over a kilo too.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12sny9Rvf18D5-_yrjZxvwQj87jbTBQ09ehGiBB9bafDZdIyHONbX2kgIL-Idazq-Hw_VmUWNZVitdbdErcUHLjtAn5r1OSovADdeQT6oM7zAFMEODgPx4SGIS-qs-mSdXAMK1iAV0xW4/s1600-h/Tongue3.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051727663431255762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh12sny9Rvf18D5-_yrjZxvwQj87jbTBQ09ehGiBB9bafDZdIyHONbX2kgIL-Idazq-Hw_VmUWNZVitdbdErcUHLjtAn5r1OSovADdeQT6oM7zAFMEODgPx4SGIS-qs-mSdXAMK1iAV0xW4/s400/Tongue3.jpg" border="0" /></a>While this recipe might take a while to prepare, it's really not that hard at all to put together. Chop up some Leeks, Celery and Onion, place the tongue in the pot and cover with water and some white wine vinegar. You'll need to cook this for about 3 hours and then leave it to cool in it's juices and then refrigerate overnight. This will make it easier to cut later on.<br /><br />Your sauce with this one is basically a White Wine Vinegar, water and sugar reduction. There is meant to be Champagne Vinegar in there also, but I didn't bother with this, I just added the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">equivalent</span> White Wine Vinegar. Once you've reduced the sauce, you need to add some mustard seeds and some whole grain mustard.<br /><br />All you've got left now is your vegetables. Parboil some potatoes, chop them up and fry them in some clarified butter or ghee until golden. Blanch your beans and then mix with the potatoes with some olive oil, salt and pepper. </p><p>To prepare the tongue, you need to slice it as finely as you can. I tried my V-Slicer on the slightly thicker setting, but you need that back and forth motion of a knife, so this <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">didn't</span> work. You need to use a long thin knife to do this, to keep your slices as thin as you can. You'll find that the tongue texture is almost exactly like Corned Beef. Once you've sliced your tongue, heat a griddle pan or BBQ until white hot and sear each side quickly and plate up your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">veggies</span>, then your meat and then some sauce.</p><p>The tongue was actually really nice. It has an unusual texture, which really reminded us all of Ham Steaks - Ones like my Mum used to serve us with Pineapple when we were younger. I doubt that I would rush out and make this again in a hurry, because I honestly couldn't get the thought out of my head of what it looked like before I cooked it. It wasn't horrible though, it was quite nice. I've probably eaten hundreds of tongues before in those cheap <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">coles</span> sausages you have at <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">BBQ's</span>, so what's another one on my plate!<br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmglpY9B-AYSJO7K2Lh28IiAfkZxgotZEORfSHxXT1R7dahsduDIKOXwXsU7AjOpNsIgDgjHdBoCxFTkFhSHgWmi0MxfXd55hc3Y_qS3KwV4l4MZ9gVgtCxGTln7XAW0zj2Dy8YfMaJd7H/s1600-h/Tongue5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051727667726223090" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmglpY9B-AYSJO7K2Lh28IiAfkZxgotZEORfSHxXT1R7dahsduDIKOXwXsU7AjOpNsIgDgjHdBoCxFTkFhSHgWmi0MxfXd55hc3Y_qS3KwV4l4MZ9gVgtCxGTln7XAW0zj2Dy8YfMaJd7H/s400/Tongue5.jpg" border="0" /></a>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-52518623004457707662007-03-24T06:14:00.000-07:002007-03-26T05:27:25.272-07:00Grilled Swordfish with Baked Eggplant, Whipped Marscapone and Goat's Cheese, Red Piperade and Balsamic Syrup<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045479274739122450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj83DC06c297Hf7OZrR_l4wDxIM5Xc8K-QzuB4bi_T7w5UdP1nyWkm0IW_0tvMmJIeNsbgLGcd_sGA8gk431WBCUX1vd-GWCysYgzDsZO_w8S8scnX5PUJGakFKk7KEParl-pvFYdQIg2JH/s400/marlin6.jpg" border="0" /><br />This is another one of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ezard's</span> dishes which leaves the continent of Asia and heads over to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Mediterranean</span> for some new flavours. This is one of the easier dishes I have prepared from the book so far, simply because there aren't that many steps or ingredients.<br />The flavours have again been balanced out by each <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">component</span> of the dish; the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Piperade</span> is Sweet and acidic, which helps cut through the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">oilyness</span> of the fish, while the creamy smoothness of the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">whipped</span> cheese takes the tang out of the acidity of the balsamic syrup and the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Piperade</span>.<br /><br />The Goats Cheese I used which is from Meredith Dairy, which is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fromage_frais"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Fromage</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Frais</span></a>. I don't know a whole lot about cheese, but this stuff is delicious. For this dish, you mix it with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Marscapone</span>, Dill, Chives, Salt and Pepper. You whisk the mixture up and this is what your fish will rest on.<br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA_N2xKr-5U8-VLHQxXJ5uSYwQCFhgW2loyMW5yDXjODe30tRyQcfWDvaRaDitj8Ukvi4z8IL317F4myTcajoE8sftMrec94yfQ886PXnONkySS5MaT0pIPpncX_4-MDO_3NnB_ZuaHz_/s1600-h/marlin1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045479059990757570" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNA_N2xKr-5U8-VLHQxXJ5uSYwQCFhgW2loyMW5yDXjODe30tRyQcfWDvaRaDitj8Ukvi4z8IL317F4myTcajoE8sftMrec94yfQ886PXnONkySS5MaT0pIPpncX_4-MDO_3NnB_ZuaHz_/s400/marlin1.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Preparing your egg plant discs is easy, you just cut about 2.5cm thick slices and then sprinkle with salt and olive oil. You then fry in a pan and place in the oven for a few minutes until it's flesh is soft.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipD60oGZlFoM5LigwkWMrTop45xK-DKRTt02d7RybUWR6I9VTBg79Bk6mb2FeLXwd4IezvSzPAhe-hZx2IvWv4N426wyaw-f8ScnVQlsVGDTa4XxeKBKEn5zRInbYRRwiS7TI9AmFCkGrc/s1600-h/marlin2.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045479059990757586" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipD60oGZlFoM5LigwkWMrTop45xK-DKRTt02d7RybUWR6I9VTBg79Bk6mb2FeLXwd4IezvSzPAhe-hZx2IvWv4N426wyaw-f8ScnVQlsVGDTa4XxeKBKEn5zRInbYRRwiS7TI9AmFCkGrc/s400/marlin2.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />For the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">piperade</span>, you need to roast your peppers, you can do this on the stove directly on the flame. Once blackened all over, place into a bowl and cover with cling film. After about 10 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">mins</span>, you can run the pepper under cold water and the black skin will just peel off, leaving the sweet, roasted flesh. Make sure you prick the peppers prior to roasting or else they might explode. Finely slice your peppers <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">length ways</span>.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045479064285724898" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJeyaBlL0Pb9s9loXizxsSRAQ585G5VYpCtffjGtMkFx9JCnwlSKrbMI5TZMTfc9RQlj-zH8qKytpgQu6JpStAJ4p8Lhtb8tjMFoQVNQ77FYWpFkrmXtRuCIylPMIottbQIy3BAlGK1t__/s400/marlin3.jpg" border="0" /><br />Slice a onion and place pepper and onion in a saucepan with sugar and balsamic. Cook for about 10 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">mins</span> until soft and sweet.<br /><br /> <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045479064285724914" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvj7lJWoDlMVx5wLA6TKlbmqHvkmV_OgDDDyUGODZhM2b6kqxoZx6ZS74g-Xz-D6bB2qeNP707L8bqU4YT1237wqN2Ojb8G-aw9uUSltR6qZviPWOPq9DHthjOssWdcYNbBUeq4-AEyB5h/s400/marlin4.jpg" border="0" /><br /> Cook your fish on a grill pan or frying pan for about 3 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">mins</span> each side, then you're ready to plate up. Place a disc of eggplant on your plate, then a spoonful of the whipped cheese. On top of the cheese goes your fish - you might like to trim up your fish so it looks neat and pretty and then top with some of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Piperade</span>. Swirl some Olive oil and Balsamic around your plate and you have the most delicious meal!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-CJu6e5fwYN-YHBBRFr7rZuYlEtEtl0y_tHxO-H0qvyGxoroXQX5kTQAkmxwe83KBjAxps76Po1mzEqzg-xdgGNFAUhsE8546N2ef6Xe-AERWRVCRs3xQQbY31Yx_iQfWB0r9QjTXAF2/s1600-h/marlin5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5045479068580692226" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-CJu6e5fwYN-YHBBRFr7rZuYlEtEtl0y_tHxO-H0qvyGxoroXQX5kTQAkmxwe83KBjAxps76Po1mzEqzg-xdgGNFAUhsE8546N2ef6Xe-AERWRVCRs3xQQbY31Yx_iQfWB0r9QjTXAF2/s400/marlin5.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div></div></div>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-89008546985430832532007-03-17T16:04:00.000-07:002007-03-21T03:29:08.177-07:00Roasted Blue Eye with Hummus, Mint Yoghurt, Cumin Salt, Lemon, Pomegranate and a Crispy Onion Salad<div>I don't think it's just a coincidence that this dish seemed like it took the least least effort of all the mains I've made so far from this book and the fact that it's the least Asian recipe that I've tackled so far.<br />The inspiration for this dish is the middle east, a far cry from the majority of the recipes in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ezard's</span> book. But as different as this recipe is from the rest, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Ezard</span> still uses the Asian tradition of 'balance' in this recipe to create a perfectly rounded dish, which stimulates the taste buds in every which way possible. You can find all your traditional Asian elements in this dish; sweetness comes from the Pomegranate Molasses which is deliciously sticky, a bitterness and sourness you'll find in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Tahini</span> and Lemon blended Hummus. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Spicyness</span> and your saltiness comes from the Cumin Salt and to balance it all out you have your brilliantly green coloured Herbed <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">yoghurt</span>.<br />Textures also play a big role here, where you have the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">crispyness</span> of the Onion Salad and the soft almost mash like texture of the Hummus.<br /><br />The first thing you need to do in this dish is take your plain <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Yoghurt</span> and place it in some wet muslin cloth and leave it to hang over night, draining out most of the water in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">yoghurt</span> - there is quite a lot. Unfortunately, when I was planning on making this recipe, I neglected to note that the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">yoghurt</span> required overnight to hang. I did manage to get quite a lot of liquid out of it by gently squeezing it and leaving it for about 20 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">mins</span>, but when it came to blending it up with the mint and parsley, it did return to being overly runny - like water. Maybe it was the liquid in the herbs, but if I made this again, I'd <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">definately</span> make sure I left the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">yoghurt</span> overnight.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsYfn5n5ZyfQXQP6_x_ftQ78bm_NNexw5YR5RtNEMHIvnmVIsSvAzEHD2AiLDWiJQ_3K-7A4NzQi-AABxSvS5FTyNZVd0-JL1yJFxnPaG5O-dyQRPwz6Inspa9OyHFkV-Wdr60tNPQxKU/s1600-h/blueeye7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043034514194209778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsYfn5n5ZyfQXQP6_x_ftQ78bm_NNexw5YR5RtNEMHIvnmVIsSvAzEHD2AiLDWiJQ_3K-7A4NzQi-AABxSvS5FTyNZVd0-JL1yJFxnPaG5O-dyQRPwz6Inspa9OyHFkV-Wdr60tNPQxKU/s400/blueeye7.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Next you'll need to make your Hummus. This is pretty much your standard Hummus recipe; Garlic, Chickpeas, Lemon Juice, Salt, Pepper and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">Tahini</span>. Thankfully, when these are mixed up, you can't really take the disgusting bitterness of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Tahini</span>. I've always had something against this disgusting Sesame Paste, but kids when you're an aspiring Chef, you have to try everything, so I won't be leaving it out. You need to taste the Hummus for flavour and seasoning balance and also make sure the texture isn't too runny. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">Ezard</span> suggests to use dried Chickpeas and soak overnight. I just used tinned Chickpeas, which I find just as effective and much less time consuming. </p><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043033745395063778" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkpio6selU5CE2jnUxxaAuLy82z9jjnHNp-a2ThYKegrT5lTgvgsYG7h2zwyckbjBsaknfUB89LgSpVltt4DxYTtwRJT0yx4NCPZi308Ox7LHLC1gv5jbEgKDPRrndbakXnGiIbe7jTuFX/s400/blueeye5.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><br /><p>Cumin Salt is an easy one, just take 2 parts Sea Salt flakes to one part Cumin. Dry roast your Cumin until it's fragrant and then bash it all up in a Mortar and Pestle with the Salt.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043033741100096466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNes5Bnq2jvErym00ccg4DdFjaI8mu5VmqM5BBxof8Q8PnPRaN6D7NAvua1OEbYkXzfm7UQoewmZZNECehzGHonrudFbjekTwcdLx_iKmfLoUOENYkO45Wgkxweb0cIt-Vtq8tBOqBjfN/s400/blueeye4.jpg" border="0" /><br />This is one off the less time consuming salads that <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Ezard</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">features</span> in his book. You basically need to deep fry some onion rings until golden and then season the rings with salt and icing sugar. Once seasoned, mix them with Mint, Dill and Flat Leaf Parsley. There's not really a dressing for this salad, it just sits on top of your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">Herbed</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">Yoghurt</span>.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043033736805129138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxUvpMzJ07Z6fKWA-ugKg54J7GxnCUPmg0ECr4b4lwpHGKEMxgVqKKYp80A_naS54R__yJqJLU0pZtp94BHyopaHtb9iRljp0zljH0IYRokSDXapNN_UvN4e8tFMDtjkeki-O3z5LOhU1b/s400/blueeye2.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043033741100096450" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy8ec-fu8CvWORXMCcvLpe0MmecjcZYLwRbBo75KMQuvIlk9TYMqn2DZHryo0rlGFTaU_FDN4zQGouI4P8vBc-LGk-KFKuGNw0Teu75KwuZCISabC4LjuL-5nksrgdHCLwP-w4Y7S5OuoX/s400/blueeye3.jpg" border="0" /></p><br /><br /><p><br />Once you have everything else ready, you can start cooking your Blue Eye. You just need to season each side and then fry the fillets- skin side down, to get some colour on the skin. When golden, flip them over and put them into the oven at 200c. Leave them until cooked (about 5 - 10 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20">mins</span>) </p><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5043033732510161826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4wRrBrDXF8Tze1EVxeHA9Bvx9AifSfQR2tG0pNflO7R4WU8VV_v7_Wj_ac8F-I3hX-nAAK7Y6rAcIS7cmLviylf5GsU6RV_eF7S4sEDWPCEq-r0JVwpNKudcO9V-lvvVvlBACLRcltnQI/s400/blueeye1.jpg" border="0" /><br />Now you can assemble your plate. Place a blob of Hummus in the middle of the plate and then drizzle some Molasses around the outside, I like to use a Sauce Squeezer bottle to do this. Place a fillet of fish on top of the Hummus and then a spoon of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21">yoghurt</span>. The <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22">yoghurt</span> should be thick and stay on top, but mine was so runny, it just ran off onto the Hummus. Place a small handful of the Fried Onion Salad on top and a few segmented pieces of lemon around the outside of your plate and you've got your very own trip to the Middle East right there.<br /></p><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5044322695880884306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo7e1mSjkTUQ8lnSLPRtDbNV0nJxtvEQ4YJUuCwroTcpfPG6nzabsjh3_UXSetkx59sck7_wW4PA3y8oaDOCUyvLEnk82Bw7JOr-fyGS-04MJHFBwdR8ZtGnQvQYfRzjTzJ2bGsW1zTJ_/s400/blueeye9.jpg" border="0" /><br /><p></p></div></div>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-88500438955180182242007-03-06T01:57:00.000-08:002007-03-06T19:13:05.353-08:00Crispy Duck and Wonton Stack with Water Spinach, Candied Chillies, Sticky Soy and Sesame Oil Dressing<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAxgCehZVlN8Q0gg1eepYwEAWgcuxOURUDjrVHcNNHdofnBAnwCsUeEmrGgpmIfVeZFbjDhD7yNIt2Gfn3Lm7OkX0gEuZJAHobyEbO6d3Ibtg7MsZk8WGHqD-0ns4Pp32dqi6E9NF8WbE/s1600-h/Duck+Stack+024.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039010535973732210" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUAxgCehZVlN8Q0gg1eepYwEAWgcuxOURUDjrVHcNNHdofnBAnwCsUeEmrGgpmIfVeZFbjDhD7yNIt2Gfn3Lm7OkX0gEuZJAHobyEbO6d3Ibtg7MsZk8WGHqD-0ns4Pp32dqi6E9NF8WbE/s400/Duck+Stack+024.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><div>Since starting this Challenge, Duck has <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">definately</span> become one of my favourite foods by far. This recipe actually explains to you how to make your own BBQ Crispy Skinned Duck. For those of you who weren't aware, this actually requires you to stick a bike pump under the Duck's skin to get some air in there. This means you'll get a much crispier skin on the Duck when you're cooking it. </div><br /><div>Unfortunately, I didn't have the time (or a bike pump) to do this method, but it's one I'd love to try out sometime, when I have more time. So, on this occasion, I dropped into my favourite BBQ Duck shop in Victoria St, Richmond and picked up half a BBQ Duck for $11 (a whole one is $22) . You can either order these whole or chopped into pieces. It's <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">definately</span> a treat to watch the Duck man chop it up, he sure knows his way around a bird! </div><br /><div>You don't need to do a great deal for this recipe, especially in comparison to some other recipes in the book. You'll need to make Candied Chillies, as I've described previously. I just love how the chillies go transparent and look like little lolly rings.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038751459251470146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYgEm7gCMz68uSnPdCcHW8d0JUjGYbpsXXU1SGiiD_y0utXr8ftzrQAM5Z14PQkehugDdUkDyEkesskkABb-gkFWiqNgQCiUaR7AdmiB6JV8rxmPiVXuZULLQ1yxdR65HNlILhBnF1UWp3/s400/Duck+Stack+004.jpg" border="0" /></div><br /><div>You will also need to make a spicy powder which includes nutmeg, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Cinnamon</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">sichuan</span> peppercorns, star anise, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">chilli</span> flakes and cardamom.<br /></div><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038751515086045010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGaoiza-dU3bAsdtQyYo8OoASKKhGuQT-VNq-zxj7Rae3-6HeO2NfYuREWBdGg2GjbMu2A32bpGnwXJZy5_klnaEV7DWvpM62oLddzmp0FvYWIsXjuYbxFZjDgC46RzSgDkQmcS1LQXGe2/s400/Duck+Stack+006.jpg" border="0" /><br />You'll need to make some sticky soy, which is a reduced combination of 3 different soy sauces, it's a great garnish, but to be honest, is a bit of a pain to make, hard to clean off everything and doesn't taste all THAT different to straight up <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Kecap</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Manis</span>, which I think you could easily <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">substitute</span> for the sticky soy. </div><br /><div>You need to make a Salad, which is a pretty standard Asian Salad, which is similar to many used throughout <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Ezard's</span> book, however this one includes noodles and has an excellent little Sesame Oil Dressing.<br /><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039012692047314818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHfsKZuR0n1s3knmgn89kz9iIJgXYu32KG8wgcek6-7xVc-qeeFAdqRJaXi8ONCleudP1-BKGxoVJfFG8PIT4ToNlNS2CWByvWhpHLx-9BN5ea175VFZ6PgvzO1WJ-1xvyaSOjmyhzp8m/s400/Duck+Stack+012.jpg" border="0" />Deep fry your Won-Ton Wrappers, probably one at a time works best. You only need to have them in for a few seconds, otherwise they will get too dark, you might even need to turn them over to colour them on both sides. </div><div><br />Mix your duck in at the last minute with your salad and then <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">seperate</span> the salad into 2 small portions per person, as each stack has 2 layers. Also, sprinkle each of the Won Ton Wrappers with a pinch of the Spicy Powder.<br /><br />Drizzle some Sticky Soy in a spiral pattern on your plate and place a Won Ton Wrapper in the middle. Place some duck and salad on top and then another Won Ton and then repeat and you're done! </div><div> </div><div>The crispy texture of the spicy Won Ton's is the perfect <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">accompaniment</span> to this delicious duck salad. The sweet sticky soy mixes perfectly with the salad and the Sesame dressing. It's also a very impressive looking dish to boot!<br /><br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5039010510203928418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjbRxmbnjCdp1kwKI7YG8Nug_VAJJYBprSAQzBJhqbARabxmIq-ow8grgmh_BBU1qlZtUkQCC68HMtQaYKg95NAP8acSK7LD-ZmwEkTjtf9YRUsOalW8DjrKWYehq_-ehZvTOrWwODTU8K/s400/Duck+Stack+028.jpg" border="0" /></div>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-77713811743353144742007-03-06T00:57:00.000-08:002007-03-06T18:32:54.137-08:00Whitelaw Cheese and Fig Salad with Fine Herbs, Rockmelon, Prosciutto and Balsamic SyrupWell, it's been a long time between Ezard Challenge posts, with my Sydney holiday happening and everything else... I'm finally back.<br />I decided to pick a couple of quite easy recipes this week, the first of which is this nice little entree, which I think has the least amount of ingredients out of all the recipes in the whole book.<br />The title basically describes everything that's in the recipe.<br />Now, I don't know if I just didn't look hard enough, but I checked all the deli's at the Vic Market and none of the people there had ever heard of Whitelaw Cheese. The recipe does say that you can use another fresh curd cheese, so I got some Fresh Goats Curd. This stuff is quite expensive, I think it was about $8 or so for less than 150g! Lucky I was only feeding 3 people.<br />You want to drain your cheese using some cheese cloth and tie it up and leave it to hang for a few hours to get rid of the excess moisture.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHkCk9g9UHNkAwvb5K-J00nXt49HyxQlMp_DHOd4QX0IarNJZEwnFpH8FIMjz4dxknsNS3oTZAohDqB6vwCoRPOPlr_evhfeitqbg_-PGgua-kaFgr1Uh_-_MjOv_F7DFe1YGt8GIyIc4/s1600-h/figs+prosciutto+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038738737558339362" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvHkCk9g9UHNkAwvb5K-J00nXt49HyxQlMp_DHOd4QX0IarNJZEwnFpH8FIMjz4dxknsNS3oTZAohDqB6vwCoRPOPlr_evhfeitqbg_-PGgua-kaFgr1Uh_-_MjOv_F7DFe1YGt8GIyIc4/s400/figs+prosciutto+002.jpg" border="0" /></a>Get some nice, paper thin slices of Prosciutto and lay it on a baking tray. Sprinkle it with some brown sugar and bake until nice a crispy and the sugar has melted and caramelised.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd80ak7m_t1KXPh5rDzYDZCV3WZ6HCzQqnxxO5nK4FfS0Bow-fzAb3nlHbzK9ESNqpDZmNaAlTvOtY4ca-HJIyTd1zzS1_pTS42aes3SMwZMqAtP3d4QrlH10BtuLiMipPKQgsL_FOJqmw/s1600-h/figs+prosciutto+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038738754738208562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd80ak7m_t1KXPh5rDzYDZCV3WZ6HCzQqnxxO5nK4FfS0Bow-fzAb3nlHbzK9ESNqpDZmNaAlTvOtY4ca-HJIyTd1zzS1_pTS42aes3SMwZMqAtP3d4QrlH10BtuLiMipPKQgsL_FOJqmw/s400/figs+prosciutto+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Peel the figs with a sharp knife and slice your Rockmelon into bite sized slices. You can pretty much now start assembling your dish. There is no photo in the book to go by, so it's up to you on how to decide to present it. I placed 2 figs on each plate and then a dollop of the cheese on top (I didn't place the herbs into the cheese, I just scattered them over the top). I then stood a couple of slices of Rockmelon in the Cheese. I then took a couple of pieces of Prosciutto and stood them up in the middle, also. You then drizzle your Balsamic Syrup, which is basically a reduction around the plate and you're done. A very quick and simple one, especially for Ezard!</p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhs94gz5jKZFHc7KcNU1GBmpVpOYXfBOxrbX8JXz4ovGg1951YFybA-nllJnW1SvWeuVIU6csYrT9_hYPZweEUXt15ArgQk4U0cVGeDW6M4LzF7449kirZloNjHwqf6KRQXhqEcSm86bX/s1600-h/figs+prosciutto+018.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5038735963009466130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDhs94gz5jKZFHc7KcNU1GBmpVpOYXfBOxrbX8JXz4ovGg1951YFybA-nllJnW1SvWeuVIU6csYrT9_hYPZweEUXt15ArgQk4U0cVGeDW6M4LzF7449kirZloNjHwqf6KRQXhqEcSm86bX/s400/figs+prosciutto+018.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is one tasty dish! It brings together classic flavours with Ezard's modern twist, espeically with the interstingly sweetened, crispy Prosciutto. Fresh Goats Curd is a delicious cheese, which I'd never tasted before. It's so soft, smooth, mild and teams perfectly with the sweetness of the fruit and the sweet / salty tastes of the Prosciutto. Give this one a go...<br /><div></div>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-49742074936259305062007-01-22T03:27:00.000-08:002007-03-04T20:29:23.878-08:00Chilli Salt Squid with Asian Herb Salad and Palm Sugar-Lime Juice Dressing<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022816622146477298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgauGSVTocWvceG2orBZEXP67J2JqrTzaQUf03hgOgxrVDrV2sYQ_yz52Jid6Q32dw1Fmg7TTHssV5a0mHVF61RqXtxLkrV7HMC88pV6AXV3KexCInc5w2WgTQJsxAtKZSoyU6br71YJBNU/s400/Salt+and+Pepper+Squid+007.jpg" border="0" /><br />All of my friends seem to love salt and pepper squid, although, I can't really say that I've ever had it myself. I always wondered about the chef that invented it... were they feeling that lazy that day, that all they could come up with was deep fried squid with salt and pepper on it? If I've learnt anything about cooking since starting this challenge, it's that simple isn't always the best.... and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard's</span> recipes are rarely simple.<br />This is <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard's</span> twist on the classic, nothing much too different, the main difference being that the the salt and pepper is 'spiced up' a little to add a new dimension to the dish, giving it tad more zing than the original.<br /><br />Basically your salt and pepper consists of star anise, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">chilli</span>, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Cinnamon</span>, pepper, cardamon and salt.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022816587786738866" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvqt9ET0UQ6Opg7zvDwpUj8c_B6uAvoVtpqwHcrc4lYZoJiFjoXWhW4fpQP3OgolUvli42qYspOKs32W9ZWA0gMcHP04seHqh6gRSnNPXcsFizGIokPJzuvS-UeqAu71YREkc-OcdNFlar/s400/Salt+and+Pepper+Squid+001.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />This is the squid... two of them....chopped finely into rings....<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022816604966608082" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpXdphaap5npKz5FJPL-gktVzvrd1bFxrD3h4yL7Czbq8QnWvg58JzJz6osjXa6Tt8X1JJrs4I8YAID9yxU_mouen8m0ufuzYqlrHNsJv7h3nlhZR_MM9iFvTmuTB4QMx3-urHtOHt_lG/s400/Salt+and+Pepper+Squid+003.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Your garnish consists of finely chopped and sliced chillies, garlic and ginger, all deep fried <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">separately</span> til golden.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022816600671640770" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT1-NGQ0tNpwFDG7HLe1ZEz7qYZa-D118ClLWtIB_0lkSMH2VSH72MZ_cK4pNkCsEY6yPkN5h7IvLDrFj8gYndAJUWi8muXK6U5feoiDL1R_5VGvIlvX4zMDGK29K6ZCvobdF7VVQzJ71E/s400/Salt+and+Pepper+Squid+002.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Once you've made your salad and lime dressing that goes with the squid, you can start deep frying your squid. You need to make sure your squid is really, really dry before you start to fry it. This was my downfall on this dish. I kept the squid too moist, because I thought it wouldn't matter, but after being dipped in the rice flour, it kind of went all <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">gluggy</span> and doughy. I continued on anyway.<br />I plated up the salad and the squid then sprinkled the garnish on top. The dish looked fantastic. Piled high with salad and squid... it looked just like the book. The only problem was that because I didn't dry my squid properly, the squid didn't go crispy. The dish tasted great, but the overall texture wasn't great, I wasn't impressed at all. This had nothing to do with the recipe, but with my lack of attention to drying the squid. I hope to make this one again one day, because I'm sure it could be great, but I just have to remember to keep the squid dry!!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmeaV4lJRyR8IhzukMqqQFb_DSglBh7WzEuCJlwlJkc9IHHpAnx4YfjHAPHV722_Net5WsGPb5cVMAqTDy-DiswVg9aT_BI9LHXLVvWtVTPKzw1X-p6Vqp2_V3zgNekIf3uKMhllWQj27E/s1600-h/Salt+and+Pepper+Squid+009.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022817777492679954" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmeaV4lJRyR8IhzukMqqQFb_DSglBh7WzEuCJlwlJkc9IHHpAnx4YfjHAPHV722_Net5WsGPb5cVMAqTDy-DiswVg9aT_BI9LHXLVvWtVTPKzw1X-p6Vqp2_V3zgNekIf3uKMhllWQj27E/s400/Salt+and+Pepper+Squid+009.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3E5q8fjPlJ68amW4tH0_ybdR-HqqTfGoB7ejcY6ycyqzEIDdsgWMYFXopDy9GdG-PeCUW8lhs2M-gCpYX3akYsWsg6JlL-wlPBUseOrQlWquX9STJsMhA_AMS5du4UCOFRSsVb_NuE_i/s1600-h/Salt+and+Pepper+Squid+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022816617851509986" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-3E5q8fjPlJ68amW4tH0_ybdR-HqqTfGoB7ejcY6ycyqzEIDdsgWMYFXopDy9GdG-PeCUW8lhs2M-gCpYX3akYsWsg6JlL-wlPBUseOrQlWquX9STJsMhA_AMS5du4UCOFRSsVb_NuE_i/s400/Salt+and+Pepper+Squid+004.jpg" border="0" /></a>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-63337205244873435382007-01-22T03:09:00.000-08:002007-01-22T14:03:15.512-08:00Red Roast Baby Chicken With Prickly Ash, Green Nam Jim, Sweet Soy and Chilli SambalLet me start off by saying that I'm pretty sure that this is the best meal I have ever eaten! I loved everything about it!<br />Since I started this <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span> Challenge, I decided to purchase a neat little Sunbeam deep-fryer from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">ebay</span>. It's an awesome little gadget - I love being able to set the required temperature to what I want and a couple of minutes later, I'm right to go. Only problem is that I takes 4 litres of oil, which costs about $10. Luckily I don't have to fill it that often. <br />When I spotted this dish in the book, I thought it was kind of strange, but also cool to have a whole baby chicken, sitting on your plate. I tracked down my baby chickens from the Vic Market, which were $6 each. A tad expensive if you were cooking them for a dinner party for 6 people, so thankfully I was only cooking for 2.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022811747358596130" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1ChpwL7lQ8VYpcpssSKTSWLzlbCGl43rpyCnAw2pyzVQ72EQxqAB70kFD_nu_9EF2IPKNGyrnA5cegdFYglzvTT9SmzA2xZ38fSFe6axiuVxjm0bEv_lueFHsRv1bdLvhOepZoilzy3yQ/s400/Red+Roast+Chicken+001.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />You have to start off by stuffing the little chickens with roughly chopped ginger and spring onions. Then you have to close off the cavity using toothpicks. You then poach the chickens in master stock for about 30 minutes and then leave to cool in the stock.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022811781718334562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxZIt7jD8hvySTAZXt3Gi0TgxIOo1v16k31JGTdYyZz-eRJsB1URSQL20biNQPSAhs7CuVZKJfIITaqCWp30Duv097p6RSMdXOd5fh0g22_twrfwxNBaYPQgtqFLXS2dlWLDc7AsXSfcEs/s400/Red+Roast+Chicken+005.jpg" border="0" /><br />You've got three condiments that go with your chicken, there's your prickly ash, which is basically toasted salt and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">szechuan </span> pepper bashed up in a mortar and pestle. You've also got Green Nam Jim, which is basically lots of green chillies with shallots, lime juice, fish sauce and sugar. I unfortunately couldn't find any green birds eye chillies, so I went with red.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022811760243498034" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-w-2ZHl7TuvtHIElYE6GJ_42A7nOAB-0iwCTczC3j61LHHvnU6BMPOtc3F43WDyTWFECjiEgzO6TmPVwwqLMMXypvoexLJdoiZ9VKjq68g2A5E4x3Q2ayQezw0eCD4R87KG2YWdMqmiiF/s400/Red+Roast+Chicken+002.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022813040143752322" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFQkJbygr7XnUD28gOC4nZTSbuwrJMqyrPf6SZu7km7AJwP9SAZDxcXsRgnqzFVdxOuZpz4gDbkLx9ABDjRNlTdO2h94_iqHRza4SF8rIYpbtajmNcaq8e2Ioj7ImWUjMT6TcD-roERpe4/s400/Red+Roast+Chicken+010.jpg" border="0" /><br />The third condiment is a mixture of soy sauces.... Tamari, Kecap Manis and Light Soy.<br />With your Jasmine Rice you also have Chilli Sambal. Which is a sautee'd mix of shallots, chillies, ginger, garlic and kaffir lime. <br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022811777423367250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs3VpynzwIWTMNgdL6JWT5H2BgWrunBvwz8C_nQcFlO2dAw-t4jHrclI6LY-1Yx0NwunQNIDsqTagzB4EiFcyxl-afgveTVraoJOcBcbMW2L7PlwxT5VnNh0Xm-__a63nKqxLXhyphenhyphenFS-GZh/s400/Red+Roast+Chicken+004.jpg" border="0" /><br />Once you've got all your condiments ready to go, place them on their little plates and then place them on the plates. Ezard says to cut out a little circle of banana leaf and place it on the plate for decoration, but a pack of banana leaves it $8, so I thought I'd pass on the decoration. <br />Heat your oil to 180 and put your cooled chicken into the oil. Cook it until it's crispy and golden brown. This took about 8 minutes for mine. Take the chicken out and drain it, patting it dry with paper towel, this will help it go crispy. Make sure you drain the chicken from the cavity as well as quite a bit of oil will get stuck in there.<br />You will need to put your chicken with it's back up and use a sharp knife to remove the chicken's back bone, which will make it more pleasant and easier to eat.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2COEG3f6azYSGR_wQl2_war-XSj6whaKemA7DTwswKz_R_Gbv3yM-MZCafAqcDrMhJ0JjlXlUO8CyXgscbaVcE0s_U9VdIcq1UG56ng0yuTgFe7W1_a1jvfn8wbclDY7j8NIHh47_wefK/s1600-h/Red+Roast+Chicken+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022813005784013938" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2COEG3f6azYSGR_wQl2_war-XSj6whaKemA7DTwswKz_R_Gbv3yM-MZCafAqcDrMhJ0JjlXlUO8CyXgscbaVcE0s_U9VdIcq1UG56ng0yuTgFe7W1_a1jvfn8wbclDY7j8NIHh47_wefK/s400/Red+Roast+Chicken+007.jpg" border="0" /></a>Now you're all done. Plate it all up, place your rice in a bowl and the sambal on top and you're ready to dig in!! Don't use a knife and fork... pick it up with your hands and get greasy! (although you might need a fork for your rice) You can dip your chicken pieces into all the different condiments, it's great. The chicken is SO tender, I guess because it's been poached in the Master Stock and then Deep Fried. You can taste the Master Stock, which is what gives the chicken it's Asian flavour. I cannot give enough praise to this dish, we totally loved it. And just think if I cooked it this well, imagine how well it's done at the restaurant! If it's on the menu next time I go, I'll definately be ordering this!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWkOtaKg_ZMUoHLWrmihXHTQreAPxdn2Ou74eF_Nw22q1y8S5WybYDVJcjwYGQt_TruiTVnamTPi-Cyk9SKp4MkNrN2dg2dtJFizU8YzVWbZmvCsjApAPzgHDAse9PGgjACDDvT39SMM7/s1600-h/Red+Roast+Chicken+011.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5022813057323621522" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIWkOtaKg_ZMUoHLWrmihXHTQreAPxdn2Ou74eF_Nw22q1y8S5WybYDVJcjwYGQt_TruiTVnamTPi-Cyk9SKp4MkNrN2dg2dtJFizU8YzVWbZmvCsjApAPzgHDAse9PGgjACDDvT39SMM7/s400/Red+Roast+Chicken+011.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEbsLqt4xyeMeon269T-Ad0WmH2GPy2Q4Q5fpyBg3gMrgZw9C2Ry9nkH3aDI0QzCiNGQKaL_dylRVydzsYT1j-CrAtkJ1gHIhk90gsgA3I7zM-IGu1Xn-o555DoMJY2OQW8JpLwMkLjlmw/s1600-h/Red+Roast+Chicken+012.jpg"></a><br /><div><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTHDtdInhODt4ZastjEWMQtp2lx6jgiSqpZinjnqj3-0tFe-T2CFvH1-nDJx_ELBXPxtJSL2nGvA6yyzKIkxyLXoOKaWez4f-ReuPNr7NvSGFmi4AfoSLuG0g0ojyAstqehg4NnF8HhAVn/s1600-h/Red+Roast+Chicken+003.jpg"></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-82873900477304679532007-01-13T18:51:00.000-08:002007-01-15T23:53:34.132-08:00Tea-Smoked Duck Salad with Cucumber, Chilli, Lime and Mandarin Pancakes<img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019717755997772818" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEircJg4xI1viYWbfOt0v8GcTUVoPe3IHKVHaCm6kmqGOeTYk9L-S1WpFnR0wmiCbIHR8ll4JeMoABZyWcCt6At6AAFZ4bTEBqkPA9SCCVuJyoWwMzVDBcMtZM9NnRg5oeaU_gGKobkcGry-/s400/Smoked+Duck+Salad+009.jpg" border="0" /><br />Since it's been quite hot this week, I thought I'd try out this salad recipe that caught my eye. I had also never tried to smoke any type of meat at home using tea leaves (or anything else for that matter). It's much easier than I thought it would be, but very effective. <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/stories/s698916.htm">I've also found this recipe online as well, so give it a shot yourself</a>, it's quite easy and very tasty. The pancakes can be a little time consuming, but get someone to help you and it will cut your prep time in half. Even though they take a little while, the pancakes are actually quite easy to make, so don't be put off! Just in case you were wondering, Mandarin pancakes have nothing to do with Mandarin fruit!<br /><br />First you need to mix your tea leaves, rice and brown sugar together. The Green Tea I bought already had roasted rice in it, so I'm not sure how much difference this made to the taste, but it was still great. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AGtEuc3F1kDKsY7Y-7eJhaovPcOmztBwSzMCLrVKZzhDVDTHRq3nrwCRlAahxvIVeM7mHJaeTSR9o3n3JohxKAYLgfvLWFE9pLUYXzmgCLrZwVJNGTDfKKN78u6oZ9Ny8-PmNP4ozKVH/s1600-h/Smoked+Duck+Salad+001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019714861189815186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_AGtEuc3F1kDKsY7Y-7eJhaovPcOmztBwSzMCLrVKZzhDVDTHRq3nrwCRlAahxvIVeM7mHJaeTSR9o3n3JohxKAYLgfvLWFE9pLUYXzmgCLrZwVJNGTDfKKN78u6oZ9Ny8-PmNP4ozKVH/s400/Smoked+Duck+Salad+001.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Line your wok with some foil and put your tea mix in the bottom. Place your duck breasts on top of the tea, skin side down and then cover with the wok lid. Place the wok on a medium - low flame and heat for 5 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">mins</span> until smoking. Once smoking, leave on the heat for 15 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">mins</span>, then take off the heat - don't remove the lid or else your remaining smoke with escape. Don't worry about the smoke escaping and filling your room, because it wont happen, just make sure the foil covers the edges of your wok and you should get a snug fit with your lid.<br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3YPiez1dCjFMh3BgDB-BK7UqlQRPKig5KaHgSr0N4L00LERZqbJFDetPnVI3fv8_nZjQLqqMhMswtXzmH__8hKO-YL0YiCUlVnZ63x_MdNmIxDsKOz8EYxk9TOyGUPgoOJ4I6io_96uB/s1600-h/Smoked+Duck+Salad+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019714865484782498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3YPiez1dCjFMh3BgDB-BK7UqlQRPKig5KaHgSr0N4L00LERZqbJFDetPnVI3fv8_nZjQLqqMhMswtXzmH__8hKO-YL0YiCUlVnZ63x_MdNmIxDsKOz8EYxk9TOyGUPgoOJ4I6io_96uB/s400/Smoked+Duck+Salad+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is what the duck will look like once it's been smoked. It's still not cooked though, you'll need to cook the duck, skin side down in a dry, oven proof frying pan, until the skin is really crispy. Make sure you brush off as much of the tea mixture as you can before frying.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxtzTzFIe-FjnZHKBhWUiBGuU8vSk7Bki4V7-S93fFcIIkmkisPD8wWxhRuL06O4xG_yMrppEjjwpECdNwyyedYcfXS5YrB3YyXXj1qF-UY44whKAz-G511MCGVfrtKxyaV2agknjallQ/s1600-h/Smoked+Duck+Salad+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019714869779749810" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGxtzTzFIe-FjnZHKBhWUiBGuU8vSk7Bki4V7-S93fFcIIkmkisPD8wWxhRuL06O4xG_yMrppEjjwpECdNwyyedYcfXS5YrB3YyXXj1qF-UY44whKAz-G511MCGVfrtKxyaV2agknjallQ/s400/Smoked+Duck+Salad+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />You'll then need to cook the duck in the oven for about 8 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">mins</span> or so. Until it's just cooked, it should still be pink inside.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6U9uRXuiCqRmuoqXWTlIrY5TtGbyTbpEwlSp4yAe4VmTJzGAWgIzbf9zMiJNVqdQYyKS8ezZBzF1Itcs-lRh-qpN6Bg-gv_wTdyvXrSWXyMfTcQioABmQxCUkkkfP-iSKdjDbT2pCJw0/s1600-h/Smoked+Duck+Salad+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019714869779749826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6U9uRXuiCqRmuoqXWTlIrY5TtGbyTbpEwlSp4yAe4VmTJzGAWgIzbf9zMiJNVqdQYyKS8ezZBzF1Itcs-lRh-qpN6Bg-gv_wTdyvXrSWXyMfTcQioABmQxCUkkkfP-iSKdjDbT2pCJw0/s400/Smoked+Duck+Salad+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Here is the duck once it's been cooked in the oven and rested for about 5 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">mins</span>, then sliced <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">lengthways</span>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2VrwROCnrw1oWKK9RhJiyKiEhJN3CocgwrIsdnKw9ln5M9zj6GdX2nPGg2Zccj7zhQTvGvnQkRblECkgwOwoiqIgGJlRkSZUYddomlo_7ufO53T6OAMppefCwPtfSMv_3Dbw8YI4X9QD/s1600-h/Smoked+Duck+Salad+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019714874074717138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2VrwROCnrw1oWKK9RhJiyKiEhJN3CocgwrIsdnKw9ln5M9zj6GdX2nPGg2Zccj7zhQTvGvnQkRblECkgwOwoiqIgGJlRkSZUYddomlo_7ufO53T6OAMppefCwPtfSMv_3Dbw8YI4X9QD/s400/Smoked+Duck+Salad+005.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Once you've made your salad and dressing, mix the duck with the salad and plate the salad up. Serve on individual plates with the pancakes on the side. You then eat the duck and salad like a Peking duck. The dressing is kind of like a runny BBQ duck glaze, so it really is like a Peking Duck Salad. You could easily serve this as an main course, but I served it as an Entree - absolutely delicious!<br /><br /><br /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019717747407838194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ0jMBibJGS6wd9d_WynLenLF2pvYWFlvEmpzgJiTBn_8tP3on1WXE_us25p84fN7FI3jlnll_29jDG5uXbxCa1bmq-UfEVyAr3mPJEjpSixFOgMBUEqqdZ7FRxht2CilBRx9zJ6CS5OGh/s400/Smoked+Duck+Salad+007.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019717751702805506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX4NLsbnOCVWybGyI-YuTiYd6SoEK27GchZJmzTWKnkiYFU0wypIJ0Q_oqA0HyxO6S32xA7BdnJ-wBXs_380Uyx4UGp1F93B5zS3qumJwIVNQu9YqSUyOK31MdNtJQxj8_xCMF3Rt8N7X6/s400/Smoked+Duck+Salad+008.jpg" border="0" />Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-39045715303086853352007-01-13T18:45:00.000-08:002007-01-17T01:58:41.012-08:00Roasted Barramundi With Yellow Curry Dressing and Baby Shoot SaladAbout a year ago was the first time I'd ever tried Yellow Curry, I absolutely loved it! I can't believe I hadn't tried it sooner. I think because it was called 'curry' I used to just assume that that meant 'hot.' But Yellow Curry isn't hot, it's got a slight heat to it, which is why I love it.<br />I'd never made Yellow Curry from scratch before, so I was excited to be trying this recipe!<br />Unfortunately, I left my shopping too late in the day on Saturday, so I wasn't able to find any <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Barramundi</span>. Fish shops in Victoria St, Richmond had some, but I think it was actually Perch rather than <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Barra</span>'. I then tried Vic Market and they'd ran out as well, so I decided to go with Swordfish instead. The fish aren't that similar in taste or in texture and the swordfish had no skin, but I thought it would go great with the Yellow Curry Dressing.<br />First you start off making your coconut milk. Break open your 2 coconuts using the back of a cook's knife or cleaver (carefully!!) You'll get plenty of juice going everywhere, so either do this outside or over the sink or even the bath! You'll need to remove the 'meat' from the broken pieces of the coconut.<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019713310706621250" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLJ2uprVF7Lz9VefPJobNiNP0dXiytFwTyJkSu0A4stnAB2HAZekb9stocFnLW83nYPu6DU_PwgE6V0OgYqNI-sLFELlirvC3b62dA2ZBwBt5btBBBhuXV9s1zIIMDnKnG8pXREXMZ0AFJ/s400/Yellow+Curry+Barramundi+001.jpg" border="0" /><br />The best implement I've found for this is a long, flat headed screw driver, which you can wedge under the 'meat' and prise it out. (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span> suggests here to toast the coconut flesh on the stove flame. I passed this step, simply because it takes quite a while. Once the meat is out, chop it into smaller pieces and put it into your blender with a small amount of hot water. You can then blend it all up. You might like to make this a little easier to blend by doing it in smaller batches. You'll then have a big pile of juicy grated coconut. What you need to do now is grab a couple of handfuls and put it in some muslin or a tea-towel and wring the grated flesh into a bowl or jug. There you go, there's your coconut milk!<br />If you leave it to stand for a while, you'll find that the coconut milk and coconut cream will <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">separate</span>. These can have different uses, but you can mix them back together and use them as you would coconut milk. I got about a litre from 2 coconuts.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019713319296555874" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoRqeHZXovAMCfXTEZHeHvJZBHHY6QF01PAQ3xCCfF36C0ARpCm2cb5lR8J-gXF57aoI0WQyU7B4JHxDyEoRyVqszO2wXKdc6ogdsRj1BBBClUdMM58QiHGh2GD4FYCDqKqo_YgR7zOkqH/s400/Yellow+Curry+Barramundi+003.jpg" border="0" /><br />Next you need to make the Curry paste. A lot of ingredients go into this including <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">chilli</span>, garlic, ginger, fresh <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">tumeric</span>, shallots (ten of them!), <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">kaffir</span> lime leaves, <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">candle nuts</span> (available from <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Asian</span> stores) and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">galangal</span>. I started off bashing this lot up in the mortar and pestle, but once I added the shallots, it was too much for my mortar and pestle - even though it's the biggest I could find! So, I moved it all across to the food processor and whizzed it up, which is the curry paste you see below.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu7SOijqU-zN6dMKyVQCHGbFMcoWalsDtqu6Cix-nb-pmxJWZlrggXVhjVlSGj9KoOj5cXcNtucC1X-EAROuJVUoKqCtWuFPzjvn9i4XQMADfXGc1JZN7tgbkB0BiWcI1eGB7pFi0Jzkr/s1600-h/Yellow+Curry+Barramundi+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019713315001588562" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRu7SOijqU-zN6dMKyVQCHGbFMcoWalsDtqu6Cix-nb-pmxJWZlrggXVhjVlSGj9KoOj5cXcNtucC1X-EAROuJVUoKqCtWuFPzjvn9i4XQMADfXGc1JZN7tgbkB0BiWcI1eGB7pFi0Jzkr/s400/Yellow+Curry+Barramundi+002.jpg" border="0" /></a> You need to fry this paste off in a wok for about 10 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">mins</span> until it becomes fragrant, making sure you don't burn it. Then you add your coconut milk. Bring the mixture to a simmer and then turn off, until it's cool. Once cool, you need to strain the mix, to remove the chunky paste pieces. You'll be left with a smooth coconut dressing, infused with yellow curry goodness! </p><p>Cook your Chinese <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Broccoli</span> by chopping up the stalks and leaves, keeping them <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">separate</span>. Blanch the stalks and refresh in cold running water. Then you stir fry the lot in some peanut oil, this will go under your fish and on top of your rice. </p><p>Your salad to garnish basically consists of Asian Cress, Garlic Shoots and Coriander tossed together.<br />Cook your fish by frying on the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">skin</span> side and then bake in the oven until cooked through (this is assuming you have fish with skin on it.) You'll also need some steamed jasmine rice. </p><p>You're now ready to plate up your dish and enjoy this delicious yellow curry and crunchy salad. This wasn't too hard to put together at all. You will need to go to an <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">Asian</span> store though to find all the ingredients as I don't think <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">safeway</span> or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">coles</span> sells fresh <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">tumeric</span> (this stuff stains your hands, so you might like to wear gloves if you get a bit sensitive about these things.) Obviously I used a different fish, so the choice of fish is up to you. This was one of the cheaper <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span> dishes I've made so far, I guess the price really depends on the type of fish you buy. <br /><br /></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDiH8_uG3O1GL-vxqQkgjyK8a3fY1mMcB7gBhZE5_RY9iuh1AXFXczSEfYP0D4XJVgSOPIaputOh6x3yKHftkB11s-gWC2uGrrdj9ZBD7ayunz6iw7nSYcLhkrfMphdoa1x_sTDToGGBS/s1600-h/Yellow+Curry+Barramundi+007.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019713323591523186" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrDiH8_uG3O1GL-vxqQkgjyK8a3fY1mMcB7gBhZE5_RY9iuh1AXFXczSEfYP0D4XJVgSOPIaputOh6x3yKHftkB11s-gWC2uGrrdj9ZBD7ayunz6iw7nSYcLhkrfMphdoa1x_sTDToGGBS/s400/Yellow+Curry+Barramundi+007.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvfqCSTXbzk9rsfM4ikO611kXaDjQCcasMyihux6PCFzyOkrnBNs0XC3h1pEezsygvPFaLCIw816As6xRFwrZsHcCm7vDyLKPMHtpmIBsifRIYWg2NsYBNEBcFZ3AdPKDYFW0icyu6SNn/s1600-h/Yellow+Curry+Barramundi+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5019713327886490498" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcvfqCSTXbzk9rsfM4ikO611kXaDjQCcasMyihux6PCFzyOkrnBNs0XC3h1pEezsygvPFaLCIw816As6xRFwrZsHcCm7vDyLKPMHtpmIBsifRIYWg2NsYBNEBcFZ3AdPKDYFW0icyu6SNn/s400/Yellow+Curry+Barramundi+006.jpg" border="0" /></a>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-57567349766938426092006-12-25T01:30:00.000-08:002006-12-25T02:54:51.605-08:00Five spiced pannacotta, with poached pears and dark palm sugar syrup.<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ok</span>, I've realised there's no point anymore saying that these recipes are time consuming, because they all seem to take quite a while to put together. That's probably why they taste so damn good though. When you make 5 spice yourself, it tastes completely different to that stuff that you buy in powder form in the shops. I was a little unsure at first about infusing the 5 spice in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Cotta</span>, but if <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span> says it works, then I'll go along with it until I try it myself.<br /><br />There are 3 parts to this one. There's the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Cotta</span>, there's the poached pears and then <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">there's</span> the dark palm sugar syrup.<br /><br />For the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Cotta</span> you need to roast your spices for 5 minutes to bring out the aromas and then bash them up roughly in a mortar and pestle.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012395781040668434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZsXQLI2-aZQJv2wH-OZI5TPRM8kmJin9mvpHgL7IJgoQraygvignLxvBP5rU73CANObltxpy6onuEZ_SZEvRUzgMJIyCcggbczXQb3uA0dcTe56x5XYTxjEqgj8OEYGDyc7UpWZI7l-4q/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+002.jpg" border="0" /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012395785335635746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjguegaIQBVccGYGOWIml9b8KoJUzbBT4ixMNUNWtpBopsRpD0fJmjbPME8nSG1h2Hip1YUCkhrJbuw25bCe0xod0roYdo0YQ4mJfGdmnsIfcyc-kXfVywMT9S5o400B32_Uwi2b3ciwgFY/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+003.jpg" border="0" /><br />You then need to put the smashed spices into your milk and simmer over heat for about 10 minutes. Then leave it to infuse overnight. I <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">didn't</span> have time to leave it that long, so I left it about 10 minutes.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012395789630603058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghemwWm4Q8kJfqlBRScwdqddCd4TWhR4fo3ZsHm6PfcNTSaefUEeU032DtSuLwGhEupYLhnK7GvNAyP1Fre_siFaMpxAFU9G25TE65Sj_9tg2ZhmlFlc0wiLLStITGgfx2GYTQKWEntPYt/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+004.jpg" border="0" /><br />You then need to soak your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">gelatin</span> leaves in cold water and place it in a bowl with sugar and honey. You then strain your milk into a bowl and then over the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">gelatin</span>, sugar mixture. You can then re heat it all slightly so it all dissolves. <br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012397013696282466" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiakdJfsrsYCp3gY1_02o0zAAwNEH_HdepvrHX7IxGZiKRBtEphftHSRlyGWV6llx02cIS_f2yOsGMIwq-zXXhdnIhqdxOUhD964rJrH7GhEhTEFn5BTLWVBIOcks8U1vFT33Lt8uiBhKEw/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+007.jpg" border="0" /><br />You then need to cool your mixture in the saucepan over a bowl of iced water until it is almost set. This happens within about 5 - 10 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">mins</span>, so keep your eye on it. You then need to whip your cream and fold it into your milk mixture. As the cream is cold, it will thicken your mixture even more. <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012397026581184386" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyYZcMEWRK-8T-VlCI8Srebb0I_7xSb6QSS5KsbUU2TYUHNwLrtIQmPgyrF9gmEzULy8nWW_7VfadlMZNqoocOgBWYPdRknpz8sL3CaT_2EP89IwKMDfi-3_Gr7wraFP0KQBkLdzbX49GL/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+009.jpg" border="0" /><br />You can then pour the mixture into your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">cotta</span> moulds and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">refrigerate</span> until set.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012397030876151698" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNlKDClxS7TcDK-dkfJVJMCGgi_XISu195wmUytmmSoGpPHMcIhyphenhyphenF162lXQT-Dze_KlJeTxIFKHwrx7Nur7E_61TJhWV9zPE_jYHpV3Za-U0MsWbjA_oAM3oTb5xFZobtxTe9lIwxQPzzv/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+010.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />You can now make your poaching liquid for your pears. The poaching liquid contains similar ingredients to 5 spice, but with some orange rind and and lots of palm sugar thrown in.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012397035171119010" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivh0qKc0Xm-2503EANbUPqZr2cipiwLJiaNWWBCliMptHxrpUcmIj8ZkDGOLrrz8tZy3jOK1mXv_aR2EjoirX7wLbaBhQNz8mu22lzLlKgrzw94zcUJaCjG7fl6JSh6HnqARu1bFkB7wH6/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+011.jpg" border="0" /><br />Peel your pears and cut them into quarters, you can keep them in 'lemon water' to keep them from darkening while you prepare your poaching liquid.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012397022286217074" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidflfOITYosj5ny4hP3I3huYDRZ5gxiizRlsYdNWix4vd8umJ7utaPauKpfdsI3ip6oR06Z71BWF-DJ5s_IZpkDwm6bD2UUgF_YOogFUCd8TZjuQAZm_80gBSc6Ohm5QZK-1ottTUOe9ro/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+008.jpg" border="0" /><br />You then bring the poaching liquid to the boil and pop your pears in there. Simmer them gently until they're soft and tender. <br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012400793267503026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zQ1rHAtIO9ABrAEZ-YHETI6EDyHuMChPMYpMnwQp28rYexOxHehltXtDAQJQ5Bd5Du90OYepb1yb2tVj4u09TOL6qvrAIhPL5E5tmPPp1IdJYdK7Wbv7PfkVAXBgQGTQN40wrYV6kqF9/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+012.jpg" border="0" /><br /><br />Then let them cool in the liquid and then <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">refrigerate</span> until needed.<br /><br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012400810447372258" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj54WUGPR5-e-0AW7-HHCwuS4IxEW4iIVEGAM4bwSesTvudlmY32g7pCORcje_9B3P6cg6-ht9BN5Vw5TcdjHqmTT-THnYSpnmkG74d5zdrhElIr-89cSTexMvuOk3BAMy5NhP49oyMehMV/s400/Poached+Pears+with+Panna+Cotta+001.jpg" border="0" /><br />While this is all happening, you can make your dark palm sugar syrup. If you've ever made caramel, it's a very similar method. This takes about 10 <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">mins</span> or so. <br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012400801857437634" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmIhq3rejArIb6QApDb0O6PfUgqrHX8XythPTXkRpn90-sf2yPKkFSys2bZbcjJhcomwhup9jLPUIsLB_XSfAgx4dMJONA8bRGyC9oDJgxJjHp-xORBP_ExJ3tOrmyAKfm_URUJMZI0Fwn/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+013.jpg" border="0" /><br />Not only is it an expensive time to buy fish at Christmas, but trying to track down Persian Fairy Floss on Christmas eve is almost impossible. Normally I can get it for about $4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">ish</span>. But all my regular shops were sold out, so I had to resort to The Essential Ingredient at the last minute and ended up paying $15 for 200g!! I have to admit, it has a much silkier texture than the stuff I buy cheaply. It was a yellow saffron flavour too, which I thought would go great with the dish.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012400806152404946" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBBr_54r_krvS2l2Rs8g5_fhD7lE1PMAJk_n8ICPElLtwK6LM7wtGvQrtVv0fX7fK34X7H8F9GxpKDEPbyFfWQWSVU5S-zGEcsgUXH92AsYzAGdgCiyFP11u4h12nIVn85xs12ufL0w392/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta.jpg" border="0" /><br />Once you have had everything chilled in the fridge, you can serve it when you're ready. Tip the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">cotta</span> onto a chilled plate (if you've been a good kid like me, you will have remembered to oil your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">cotta</span> moulds with veg oil before you put the mixture in. Then cut your pears into 4 slices and surround the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">cotta</span> with the pears. Then drizzle some syrup around the plate and top the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">cotta</span> with the fairy floss.<br />This dish has amazing flavours, spicy, yet sweet, very sweet. The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_27">textures</span> are amazing too. The softness of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_28" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_29" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">cotta</span>, the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_30">stickiness</span> of the syrup and cold fruity spice of the poached pears. My fears of the 5 spice in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_31" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">panna</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_32" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">cotta</span> faded very quickly with every mouthful, it was something like I'd never tasted before and the closest I can relate it to might be a kind of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_33" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Chai</span> Tea flavour. <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_34">Definitely</span> one to try!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpBZKlKLVn5JrWX7zcZfJU3IZTw-tp3mkCR96hGL39Kz3oqneH-5-Fn3iFltf56OXnNOrSdZNt8mvbNm1i8A4Qf2pCBf3zgxQbvA4cJnuiCZMfkGjjAyTrDPOSD1WaDjXFuIoMU9ISzw7/s1600-h/Poached+Pears+with+Panna+Cotta+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012402073167757298" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDpBZKlKLVn5JrWX7zcZfJU3IZTw-tp3mkCR96hGL39Kz3oqneH-5-Fn3iFltf56OXnNOrSdZNt8mvbNm1i8A4Qf2pCBf3zgxQbvA4cJnuiCZMfkGjjAyTrDPOSD1WaDjXFuIoMU9ISzw7/s400/Poached+Pears+with+Panna+Cotta+003.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcO5UbkiFwq5cwb_QCvy0B3Xrzxd0n_57vo7guesO92BOiUU7Tk7sOkklMrk26tHyxG86OcxqPHwOv3xR5oDEOZ4V49P_uHCDdLDCvnUN5HATK8-2MFphE-QOQ9XU5cRCTIQT0pAlyqWqY/s1600-h/Poached+Pears+with+Panna+Cotta+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012402077462724610" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcO5UbkiFwq5cwb_QCvy0B3Xrzxd0n_57vo7guesO92BOiUU7Tk7sOkklMrk26tHyxG86OcxqPHwOv3xR5oDEOZ4V49P_uHCDdLDCvnUN5HATK8-2MFphE-QOQ9XU5cRCTIQT0pAlyqWqY/s400/Poached+Pears+with+Panna+Cotta+002.jpg" border="0" /></a>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-76356051780789255972006-12-25T00:24:00.000-08:002006-12-25T01:29:39.498-08:00Soy Glazed Snapper with avocado, mango and pink grapefruit, candied chillies, crispy shallots and lime syrup dressing.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0dRapKCeA6bS80GlvZSACh0DtKiFtGO9IGQtEIAXIPv0jkTrwgBAiWkZI4jK4C89Kx2buM6F8NWCQCTsCPwUB2QlDnXyNPopslQC46CqVb_wvdw5Ka5VQdGsnw44NYXH_hkO4vEsRqsq/s1600-h/Soy+glazed+snapper+006.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012380933338726098" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0dRapKCeA6bS80GlvZSACh0DtKiFtGO9IGQtEIAXIPv0jkTrwgBAiWkZI4jK4C89Kx2buM6F8NWCQCTsCPwUB2QlDnXyNPopslQC46CqVb_wvdw5Ka5VQdGsnw44NYXH_hkO4vEsRqsq/s400/Soy+glazed+snapper+006.jpg" border="0" /></a> A few friends over for a Christmas Eve dinner was a good enough excuse to whip up two of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard's</span> recipe for my challenge. However, shopping for fish on Christmas eve, isn't the best idea - everything goes up dramatically in price- even at my favourite fish shops in Victoria St, Richmond. At least I did manage to get up and arrive there as the shops opened, so I avoided the rush busy Christmas rush.<br /><br />This dish just screams summer to me, with the Mango, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad, with lightly cooked Snapper, fresh from the ocean.<br /><br /><br /><br />This dish has 5 parts, the salad, the lime-syrup dressing, the sticky soy glaze, the Crispy Shallots and then the fish itself. For quite simple sounding recipe, it was actually quite time consuming, to prepare each individual part of the dish. As I've said before in my <a href="http://totallyaddictedtotaste.blogspot.com/">other blog</a>, I reckon <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard's</span> recipes are the reason why apprentices were invented! Unfortunately mine was on holidays in Darwin (Hi <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Rach</span>!!) so it was me flying solo on this one.<br /><br />First is the soy glaze. Basically you're just reducing a mixture of 2 soy sauces and honey until it's the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">consistancy</span> of Jam.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012387680732348162" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTDesC8ChyphenhyphenIuSg7cBIcCKfLA9fxTXe0aDnDeh-kFWbU4-1igrdqTtb3P3-QTbDQXVHGXNEVjTz_XQGsTGnRgfnf_p86EVDgd2B1DVkNY86_C9Yn_Bh3-VeRQXV10bpdVgESj2ytf4sfsg/s400/Poached+Pear+with+Panna+Cotta+013.jpg" border="0" /><br />Next is the lime syrup dressing, which is basically a reduced palm sugar syrup, with lime juice, lime rind and chillies. The recipe actually make way more than you need for this dish. It's a very sweet and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">chilli</span> hot dressing, but the cool, slippery fruit balances out any real heat from the syrup.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIivMabrx8b-y2bk2zdn3SBE_zasyG6QCzqu7KNhTlKgNASJpLywG2pPB_G1Yfrf8DOY5GPGFHRA5zfn2PGQM1YQRx5_zkZBoTsl-c4cHEUSTGBcj7kIFJQN2hf7IpnW4F9pSyrXisC84_/s1600-h/Soy+glazed+snapper+002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012378884639325826" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIivMabrx8b-y2bk2zdn3SBE_zasyG6QCzqu7KNhTlKgNASJpLywG2pPB_G1Yfrf8DOY5GPGFHRA5zfn2PGQM1YQRx5_zkZBoTsl-c4cHEUSTGBcj7kIFJQN2hf7IpnW4F9pSyrXisC84_/s400/Soy+glazed+snapper+002.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Next is the crispy Shallot garnish. This is a mixture of deep fried shallots, chillies, garlic and ginger. I actually bought a snazzy deep fryer just for the purpose of my <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span> Challenge. There's a fair bit of deep frying involved, so it's going to come in very handy, I'm sure!<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnZkQBU8dnKX-pPYYw7_uSTWyoiAMl-AIHDsYMgRxpI6QFHrLCuCz9DJ3v1y4ZNd9ttA-9KXmca0p-_tnzCocTgqITw9s1GDsNhk_muL3zdObXgGSo6KckCHlG2F3YQMwta5EAObItSoL/s1600-h/Soy+glazed+snapper+003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012378888934293138" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAnZkQBU8dnKX-pPYYw7_uSTWyoiAMl-AIHDsYMgRxpI6QFHrLCuCz9DJ3v1y4ZNd9ttA-9KXmca0p-_tnzCocTgqITw9s1GDsNhk_muL3zdObXgGSo6KckCHlG2F3YQMwta5EAObItSoL/s400/Soy+glazed+snapper+003.jpg" border="0" /></a> The salad was a bit time consuming, especially trying to excavate the mango and avocado from their skins, keeping them visually appealing. Then you have to dice them into 1cm dice. The ruby grapefruit I had never had before, mainly because I remember grapefruit as being so sour it wasn't edible. My Mum used to sprinkle it with sugar and leave it overnight to make it edible at all. This one did have a hint of sourness, but was sweet at the same time. Perfect for Thai style cooking. The salad also has <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard's</span> candied chillies, which I just love- they look great, especially in with the fruit. There's also a handful of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">vietnamese</span> mint in there for some minty greenery.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPZGZ_pQTS2cMHun5hjtrLV9MlM3Y6w7UdrPG-1mqrrt-TvJFJ27pPJX51UyW0EPcK8iyvaFTMD21IshhWkTko3-km_xQiDMZtX54U76KtBgpuE0rdzIkLOjZXLdM1T0Pp210_A9oHJN7/s1600-h/Soy+glazed+snapper+003.jpg"></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQEW1jFci-xSCb90jgMhs0444PDmRKFJTOwEEzhSqI5ZjN_J2b1KqN4UnjE9ZKHeYJuk2UTipe7Vvadg07twOekyMaplIu9UbVuff-MDIgLx-BFvv9CvZtCktE0diBQMNzcQkkv19QE0u/s1600-h/Soy+glazed+snapper+004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012378901819195058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtQEW1jFci-xSCb90jgMhs0444PDmRKFJTOwEEzhSqI5ZjN_J2b1KqN4UnjE9ZKHeYJuk2UTipe7Vvadg07twOekyMaplIu9UbVuff-MDIgLx-BFvv9CvZtCktE0diBQMNzcQkkv19QE0u/s400/Soy+glazed+snapper+004.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />This is the Salad, all nicely plated up, but when I put the fish on top, it kind of wrecked the presentation of the salad. You also drizzle some of the syrup on the salad.<br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFL_b4fCvQ40U-ymobp58mZ9DipdVXNliDhM2kb5mwZg0BIrAOTK_VqBgIvA8TjrV5qG3RDN7cAXOm6Qc9tyCSjkNwuwcnYr5I0f2zLilYhtfRIaE6e-7gpeW_BNv6p25Nv8ObuTXzKtob/s1600-h/Soy+glazed+snapper+005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012378906114162370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFL_b4fCvQ40U-ymobp58mZ9DipdVXNliDhM2kb5mwZg0BIrAOTK_VqBgIvA8TjrV5qG3RDN7cAXOm6Qc9tyCSjkNwuwcnYr5I0f2zLilYhtfRIaE6e-7gpeW_BNv6p25Nv8ObuTXzKtob/s400/Soy+glazed+snapper+005.jpg" border="0" /></a>From here, you basically fry the fish, skin side down and then coat with the soy glaze and transfer to a hot oven until cooked. Then you remove it, and cut the fillets in half and lay nicely on top of the salad. Drizzle some syrup around the plate and garnish with some crispy shallot mix. This dish was a very easy one to prepare, if not a little time consuming, but hey, the best restaurant in Melbourne really isn't going to put 5 minute recipes in their book now are they?<br />I love fruit with fish, especially during Summer. When the fruit is teamed with lime juice and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">chilli</span>, you've got yourself a winner. My only recommendation is to avoid cooking this around Christmas or Easter, when fish is expensive!!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012380937633693410" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDSPrDivRGjNgFq-QWyYv-4MxEKl29JBJ3CGAaMf4iJdWsGtQAEbVmkweZDqSjrNKsBoKUrle2CK62d8R9YFFV3YtGLgWCneGRFZcW_SyPqGJvLq4TFdGJaW8VzXPu-hWXIPfu4gJO1tz/s400/Soy+glazed+snapper+007.jpg" border="0" /></p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012380941928660722" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyoJ2qoictY1RPG2dXKmQmoVefBtgrGlLCKkVmFCQREJvC_eq5wMdEzw_yqCRTHZALLnhyphenhyphenrinF0OuxBT5Go43aHxH9KqdsltCtfJ1S2yq5JIgdW3qZDyAE91E4lMsNWz3lWGg9B3OQagKm/s400/Soy+glazed+snapper+010.jpg" border="0" />Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-64146021610632317472006-12-24T23:19:00.000-08:002006-12-25T00:22:36.948-08:00Crispy Fried Pork Hock With Chilli Caramel with Steamed Rice And Spicy Thai SaladLet me tell you, December is the worst time of the year to make this recipe, simply because it’s Christmas time. Christmas time means everyone is buying legs of ham and these legs of ham all have the Hock attached, so almost no butchers are prepared to sell you a pork hock, unless you order them in advance. After searching every butcher at South Melbourne Market, I came across one butcher at the Queen Vic Market which had Pork Hocks! I bought 3 hocks for $7. Not bad for feeding 6 people.<br />From what I can make out, this is one of the longest preparation times for a recipe in Ezard’s book. First you have to make the stock and leave it overnight, then you have to roll the hocks and cook them in the stock for 3 hours and leave them to cool in the stock until cold. Once cold, you remove them and leave them in the fridge for at least 12 hours. Then you’ll have to deep fry the hocks, as well as make the dressing, sauce and salad. You have to be dedicated to this dish if you’re planning on making it, but believe me you and your guests will not be disappointed, the dish is absolutely amazing and you can taste why this is one of Ezard’s signature dishes.<br />I have actually found this <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/melbourne/stories/s661647.htm">recipe listed on the ABC Radio’s website</a>, so on this occasion I can give you the recipe.<br />Most of the dry ingredients for this recipe I found at Laguna Asian Supermarket, at QV in the city. You’ll probably need to go to an Asian Supermarket to find things like the cooking wine, licorice root and dried mandarin peel. Everything else like salad ingredients, etc, I grabbed from the grocery stores down at Victoria St, Richmond.<br />This is a surprisingly cheap dish to make, all up it cost me about $25 to feed 6 people. However, the price is kept down by shopping at the remarkably cheap Asian stores. If you were to buy the same/similar ingredients at Coles, Safeway, etc, I can see this dish costing at least double that price.<br /><br />First of all you need to make your Master Stock as per the recipe. You will need to leave this infuse for at least 12 hours in the fridge, like a big cup of fragrant tea.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012362469274320370" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHl3WN5sYUkbu1JkBx3PkXRVjnci2U1ZJrJ367uemJXLOLDoGMbywPTYqcX4AQXW7epxfbMlKoTd4asDUhMaB30pLHOOwMKEqCAgRz_DyYxIgxKyxqzeqd4VkvKK_Ha8AWQRHR1lwVBil1/s400/Pork+Hock006.jpg" border="0" /><br />Next day, you will need to roll up your pork hocks in muslin, keeping the skin on the outside and then tieing them up in a nice, neat little package.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012362456389418434" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMzuSNqyajNbmdznGDkLu1gPqGobP2sLdmeg0siCZa3DlXcOiE_JwLxxv2iLJAQI-yt6VaWcUiwDSwA4FVBTCUg10ptGYvZBotBA0K_Wt_OX4mK0iFTP7MwBOV-uEDD1WApYTWi_zTsZm/s400/Pork+Hock003.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012362460684385746" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1yZXKwGcBLWxhzeS8i6qErCPwqvfkz6Si7Ra-nl1ZXBxCdfWPbOEB98lSprYsZlGFf1od9LlklQh3-pjWS5-_U6mrwveOs8iLgYkcUuP-XRJiHJ09A6wYKiEpxCz781M9DSFdJ95hDv3y/s400/Pork+Hock001.jpg" border="0" /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012362464979353058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0YdM8c0-Q3Jxy5JQBe_3Qar0xU484lW1iRRRmwbwMdUFZcVzceyQTKQtZ6EQhCKdT5la6TA_RBuUY596TRFjOvqA-y7jyxX8mao_oATcfRRpVT8U9EqDmVl9xdQMmZf0DFb9CT3Zs80Kg/s400/Pork+Hock005.jpg" border="0" /><br />You then need to bring the stock back to the boil and place your hocks in the stock and place the pot into the oven, covered for about 2 – 3 hours. I left mine for the full 3 hours.<br /><br />Then you need to leave them cool until cold in the stock. Once cool, take the hocks out and pat dry with paper towel. When they’re dry, place them on a plate and put into a fridge and leave overnight. This will help them hold their shape for when you deep fry them.<br /><br /><div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012364277455552066" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL-ARYC4whobI2_V7hfqgfzCm06W3EkUoqB-Tw6cpp9jR1gjuV3AufSR6J9scU4GFbvzM7vj0nCvH8t0S1tZlehbRuGpKwd55LmaY-XeyT6GWCMA-VkzLmCB9r1D_9PKERaSEyA9asH4Ff/s400/Pork+Hock005.jpg" border="0" /><br />After at least 12 hours, your pork hocks will be ready for cooking, so prepare your salad, your caramel sauce and your salad dressing.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012364260275682834" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilv9-qcmi4RI42Xip1GNGSKVBVnAVYD2BiOgqdEQfjiHZKMp7p5tMG0617rGiNHKoSCF7f77rPFqfoiK7WdJPs1NMm_OlJeCUM0O6IPWh7B2m4MaaE-BfZJbD3sj6BjTlrL5iqFKtsAtLO/s400/Pork+Hock001.jpg" border="0" /><br />Ezard’s book calls for a Crispy Fried Shallot garnish, but the picture shows the hocks with candied chillies, which I thought looked very cool, so I did those instead. These are basically just chillies cooked in a sugar syrup for 10 mins. After 10 mins the chillies go translucent and look great! You will also need to cook some Jasmine Rice to serve with your hocks, which help balance out the sweetness of the caramel sauce.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012364281750519378" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-DiSGDRY-j7SA95scNVoYakyumq-Eb15VfMYVXR0ZMG59QzIP-V9BIzxEpF6tCFimH6XoKl-yDmkH1fez755j_j4_tEl_NKEFJmwTtnb10dnwWTS9GQrZ0eK07ohucX7c4k_-r3zhYStN/s400/Pork+Hock006.jpg" border="0" /><br />When you’ve got all of your extras ready, you’re ready to cook your pork hocks.<br />You will need to get at least 2 litres of vegetable oil into a wok to deep fry them (the recipe called for 4 litres, but that would have been too much for me. You will need to heat the oil to 180c and slowly add the pork hocks. Now be VERY careful here, the pork hocks in oil do spit and is VERY dangerous. I copped a couple of nice burns to my arms and forehead, so be careful and consider some safety eyewear like I’m sporting in my photo.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012364273160584754" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbcDJv3x43LGLaoWbUfpkkY1gqndW-1oPRvZxUDEw798tf_U1ZsbddvmGVaDn_Y7CSdLp26mhHLoSZfW8p6xNpG4lVyKdtfcgA9zSJ5V3KtUJmwWS_hAUTEc5dKgutZ6dznEhY6NhIKqNu/s400/Pork+Hock004.jpg" border="0" /><br />The pork hocks are ready when the skins are dark and caramelized. Unfortunately, when I was cooking the hocks, I was at a friend’s house and they have an electric stove, which makes it extremely difficult to get the oil to the correct temperature. I kept my hocks in the hot oil for 10 minutes, but they still didn’t go crispy or really cook brown enough. This is just really because the oil wasn’t hot enough. I didn’t really want to leave them in much longer, because a couple of them were starting to unroll and lose their shape. </div><div><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012362477864254978" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjb98cd_pQiBVP-u7YgrjQtBQawhu3UBLr5_PCEgorarBRJbyFjy5_Q05Tah27aYFobxnyRNcmjbKAZ0Qj0HaQfw90HohHffthrMwrZG-6A-TCXimdLXhUhI4wjjL_XYcGstEhLLF9onu/s400/Pork+Hock002.jpg" border="0" /><br />Place the dressed salad on the plate.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012373352721448546" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFWUqzaiTGLyRSty7rWiaAd7ZX2xmMOtW9IhPYr0YrSnHAcBWdCFcx1AwsXarP4E7QsnjnXjnppEF2vrprbB8-WesdxsMpPdbjHvc_k5VCDg8r1QAIlhC_rhdE9IxqMC4cJWW57FM13PzA/s400/Pork+Hock007.jpg" border="0" /><br />Drizzle some caramel sauce around the plate, top with a pork hock and put your garnish on top. Presto!<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5012373357016415858" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNffoKA_qSVHaA87QA0-nNQDKoPMhkBByYZtIfRcYwz1fTH2XW9Z9OZIxUtx8eii9GqwsXCchfnVJeDWvtvw1LCBZxoTYUruXkc5iKJsbLAtnd6DtM7mV_7n84-h3cwPYhqqRBDrLALNoL/s400/Pork+Hock008.jpg" border="0" /><br />The people I was cooking for were definitely impressed by this dish and the fact that the meat literally melts apart on the plate, it is one of the most delicious meals I have ever eaten! It was a pity that the skin didn’t go crispy, but everyone still loved it.<br /><br />If I ever make it again, I would make sure firstly that the oil was hot enough and also that I cooked my caramel out for a bit longer until it was more golden. Unfortunately as I left the caramel until the last minute, I wanted to stop it early for fear of burning it. However, I don’t think the taste would have changed all that much and was still delicious!<br /><br />If ever you want to impress your friends and are willing to take a couple of days to prepare a dish, this one is the go! It’s really not that hard and is definitely worth the effort! </div></div>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-10071387103320758152006-12-11T03:47:00.000-08:002006-12-13T00:19:27.346-08:00Baby Snapper with Roasted Rice Crust, with Cucumber, Coriander, Shaved Coconut Salad and Red Nam JimSo, here we are, my first recipe from the book. No excuses now... I've started the challenge and I'm going to see it through!<br />This recipe is really perfect if you are new to Thai cooking and don't quite understand the whole 'flavour balance' <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">thang</span>. Especially when making the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Nam</span> Jim, because you use so much of each flavour you don't really have to be perfectly accurate in the balance, there's a little room to move, but you still want a good balance of hot (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">chilli</span>), sour (lime), sweet (palm sugar) and salty (fish sauce). My problem with the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Nam</span> Jim, was that the only limes I could find were $3 each, so getting the required amount of lime juice from fresh limes was going to be quite expensive. As an alternative, I used <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Volcom</span> Lime Juice out of a bottle. The flavour wasn't bad... not like some lime juices out of squeeze bottles, but still nowhere near the same as a fresh lime.<br />The <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Nam</span> Jim is the perfect dressing to go with the salad and the crunchy fish.<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHZIzmwqn50__7SVp5oz78Dr3q5O8ccDHK0pPyTt33O8KjqsG7OpN988AK2eveXF8tteBZNQE3Y5FbThkVw5KjNuGpseBl5-d03XaCImDqeuh7K4v0CI5evPjZl-Ea3jIX0UoFeo-Qr5H/s1600-h/snapper001.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007236399937878418" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHZIzmwqn50__7SVp5oz78Dr3q5O8ccDHK0pPyTt33O8KjqsG7OpN988AK2eveXF8tteBZNQE3Y5FbThkVw5KjNuGpseBl5-d03XaCImDqeuh7K4v0CI5evPjZl-Ea3jIX0UoFeo-Qr5H/s400/snapper001.jpg" border="0" /></a> A little trick I used for the Salad, when slicing up the cucumber, I sliced it using a little shredder type grater, which basically Juliennes your vegetables for you. I picked one of these up for $6 from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Minh</span> Phat Supermarket (oh how I love this place!!) on Victoria St, in Richmond. It comes in handy for all your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Asian</span> salads. I used much less coconut in the salad than the recipe suggested, simply because we were also making a coconut sorbet, so I only added the leftover coconut to the salad.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOCwemhTS5nyxlz36wsHVKrZ0L_p66U2i5cMsQo37LFRzyH3lbHWKphD2bnBFzvw1HBua5KpCIC82zB1s0HD6DwUhkQ0-a0DLPoX_iFAc1iokFtOqjpmF9cFimDBlLxvwZAqFB96D_huq/s1600-h/snapper002.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007236408527813026" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKOCwemhTS5nyxlz36wsHVKrZ0L_p66U2i5cMsQo37LFRzyH3lbHWKphD2bnBFzvw1HBua5KpCIC82zB1s0HD6DwUhkQ0-a0DLPoX_iFAc1iokFtOqjpmF9cFimDBlLxvwZAqFB96D_huq/s400/snapper002.jpg" border="0" /></a> I couldn't find any Baby Snapper when I was shopping (admittedly I <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">didn't</span> look too hard since it was 42c outside!) I managed to pick up 2 good sized Snapper for $17 down Victoria St again, which was fine for the 3 of us.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqz0gcCPNkpJLiz4hrvzdfITYO-dDMXYvbcbUn72bbUcjjIg7tubEKWsl6EOqnRiUU6M7XOHmq23YpPBdzC0wk7XVMAC8W4fhY9yKgzeyn8CnA9EyRs1BV2ej41htrDCC4UHMo9UbaZhlu/s1600-h/snapper003.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007236412822780338" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqz0gcCPNkpJLiz4hrvzdfITYO-dDMXYvbcbUn72bbUcjjIg7tubEKWsl6EOqnRiUU6M7XOHmq23YpPBdzC0wk7XVMAC8W4fhY9yKgzeyn8CnA9EyRs1BV2ej41htrDCC4UHMo9UbaZhlu/s400/snapper003.jpg" border="0" /></a> I filleted the Snapper myself. I've never filleted Snapper before (can you tell?) so I got a bit stuck with what to do around the rib cage, but I managed to get the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">fillets</span> with out too many rips or tears in the flesh.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp1tN_5YAK5WoawspSB30hZpieT6M-F-tjd_nf37qP98KLmIcpW_smoQLAnxYINMM9JsiXf4aHDWFRPiAKUYQSxPbthKidXOK5vUGDYVuWKKL1VYJE2VjzHBMMjpeTW4NjQips5oK_t4v/s1600-h/snapper004.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007236417117747650" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIp1tN_5YAK5WoawspSB30hZpieT6M-F-tjd_nf37qP98KLmIcpW_smoQLAnxYINMM9JsiXf4aHDWFRPiAKUYQSxPbthKidXOK5vUGDYVuWKKL1VYJE2VjzHBMMjpeTW4NjQips5oK_t4v/s400/snapper004.jpg" border="0" /></a> This is the Nam Jim. The recipe calls for quite a few chillies, but once you've removed the seeds and bashed them up in the mortar and pestle and mixed them with the rest of the ingredients, they're <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">surprisingly</span> quite mild. You get the taste and colour of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">chilli</span>, more than any great heat, it's very, very tasty.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRWY-kilUC-SPigPIG_e9SqbucxFqL2buEKLv6tWuDuTZB_6mlh7YKRHnOXCgGVDOti5JWhEOwA2lVUOJd3RISf7xuVpBCnK005dNshyMl9QfSuV1peslH7Argy1dddvuj4xWwm3nuDU2/s1600-h/snapper005.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007236421412714962" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRWY-kilUC-SPigPIG_e9SqbucxFqL2buEKLv6tWuDuTZB_6mlh7YKRHnOXCgGVDOti5JWhEOwA2lVUOJd3RISf7xuVpBCnK005dNshyMl9QfSuV1peslH7Argy1dddvuj4xWwm3nuDU2/s400/snapper005.jpg" border="0" /></a> When you're trying to get your balance of flavours with the Nam Jim, make sure you add the ingredients, little by little, so that you can adjust the flavours to your liking.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007238336968128994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJxCviaDwD2DmDC5cI7JytSiN7W0JvdRm5Pod6_jaNGFEHcwj0gV-cZYe88H9ks44euTakCr-XpYrGCs84TQE4PUD3IKrqm6XA3slPTC_n4cM3Raz8FR6JJXNr1ZP7ZCiBT5S3Vo9QOThyphenhyphen/s400/snapper006.jpg" border="0" /><br />Place a little mound of the salad on the plate.....<br /><br /><br /><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007238362737932802" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg43EPYX3NtPBoxTy7-ZU7BINIMpkjAHUuiNQtRIA25JP1TGKSBDYwkKcQoRSGGpN11K879u6e87mKOJ55P8jw29efymVjR6MYhEw-IXAS9C4pRtiH6fC89G9nwLLsQO3IMxqksnEPE-4MC/s400/snapper009.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>Drizzle with some of the Nam Jim Sauce and top the salad with a the halved fillets.<br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span> has a special deep fried shallot garnish, but seeing it's a bit of a hassle to deep fry, just for the garnish, I cheated a just bought a pack of deep fried shallots, not quite the same as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard's</span>, but it gets still looks <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">OK</span>, it just doesn't have the height or the heat of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">chilli</span>.</p><p><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5007238371327867426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEium3xi_w0xmwRggHbY7Y2gQkFmSuDpeVRD6-uULShJMIJKI7VELTVKhEqM_d4MAO7oY5GuxFlHU3v4XrsEv0aaFR73EB_QkC59KNp8McYVWwysEApojvXVZ1omsHFIBgzpG7-GSSeLviMf/s400/snapper010.jpg" border="0" /></p><p>If I made this again, I'd <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">definately</span> use fresh limes and I'd also leave the fish to fry for longer in the pan, to colour the skin side a little more, as you can see it's still a little pale. A fantastic tasting dish though and not too hard for my first recipe of the challenge.<br /></p>Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1394472869256543496.post-69176679118611132902006-12-11T03:34:00.000-08:002006-12-13T15:59:30.630-08:00The Challenge....Hi there,<br />My name is Adam, I'm 28 and from Melbourne, Australia. I'm relatively new to the world of blogging, but like to think I'm a bit of alright in the kitchen. Last year I completed my Certificate 2 in <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Commercial</span> Cookery, just for fun (I don't work in the industry, but am seriously considering it.) If you've seen my other blog which I started a few months ago, <a href="http://totallyaddictedtotaste.blogspot.com/">Totally Addicted To Taste</a>, you might have noticed that I'm a big fan of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Teage</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard's</span> cooking (and restaurants for that matter). <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Teage</span> has 2 restaurants here in Melbourne; <a href="http://www.ezard.com.au/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span></a> @ <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Adelphi</span> and <a href="http://www.gingerboy.com.au/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Gingerboy</span></a>. He also has 2 restaurants in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Hong</span> Kong, which from what I can tell are based on his 2 restaurants in Melbourne. They are located at <a href="http://www.jiahongkong.com/JIA.html"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Jia</span></a> Boutique Hotel.<br />When I first laid my eyes on <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Teage's</span> first book '<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Ezard-Teage/dp/1740661850/sr=8-1/qid=1165916524/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-1542904-7520935?ie=UTF8&s=books"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span></a>,' I instantly fell in love with the presentation of his dishes; the crispy garnishes, the sticky soy swirls on the plate and the high rise desserts just look outstanding!<br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 181px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 178px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" height="216" alt="" src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/1740661850.01._AA240_SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg" border="0" />Back when I discovered this book a couple of years ago I never thought I'd be able to cook recipes from the book, as they do appear to be quite complicated to the novice cook. Nowadays, even though some of the recipes have more than 30 ingredients, I find the recipes to be more exciting to cook, rather than complicated. Although, I wouldn't be exaggerating when I say I feel a slight rush of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">adrenalin</span> when I know I have to cook one or more of these dishes for a dinner party!<br />I've counted 65 recipes in this book and I've decided to cook every single one of them. My goal is to make at least 1 dish per week. Now you might be thinking that 1 recipe per week isn't much of a challenge, but as I mentioned earlier- some of these recipes have 30+ ingredients or take 24 hours+ to prepare. Not to mention the fact that cooking such intricate dishes can get quite expensive. So one dish a week it is (at least) until I've cooked them all.<br /><br />Why am I doing this? Well, firstly for fun. I love cooking and I love <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard's</span> food, so at the very least, I'll have fun and eat some damn good food.<br /><br />I'm also hoping that by doing this, I'll be able to learn some cooking techniques that only a world renowned chef like <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span> could teach me. And since I don't work in a kitchen learning from a chef's book is the best I can do for the moment.<br /><br />I have already cooked some of the recipes previously in this book, but for the purpose of this challenge, I'll make them all again, to show you how I go.<br /><br />I just want to point out also, that unfortunately I won't be publishing the recipes on this blog. I don't want to take away from book sales from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14" onclick="BLOG_clickHandler(this)">Ezard</span> or breach copyright. So, if you're wanting the full recipes, you will need to pick up the book yourself. ($50 available signed from the restaurant). I will be taking photos though, to show you some of how I put together the meals and also obviously the finished dishes. So, it looks like my friends are going to be eating some of the best food of their entire lives! (even if I do say so myself!)<br /><br />So, come and join me on a journey through the back streets of Melbourne, around Italy, through the Middle East finishing up in Asia for a tour of the taste buds!!<br /><br /><br /><br />Here goes..... wish me luck!!Adskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01369613293742260040noreply@blogger.com1