Chicken with sichuan peppercorns, soy and orange

Another delightful mouth watering dish from Donna Hay.  Why not make this tray bake one of your favourites, minimal effort and maximum flavour.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorns
4 star anise
3 cinnamon sticks
45g fresh ginger, sliced
4 cloves garlic
1/4 cup (60ml) orange juice
1/4 cup (60ml) kecap manis (available from the Asian grocery section of the supermarket)
1/2 cup (125ml) soy sauce
Salt and pepper
10 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
1 orange thinly sliced
1/4 cup (90g) honey

Method

Preheat oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
In a large bowl combine, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, orange juice, kecap manis, soy sauce and salt and pepper, add chicken and toss to coat.
Let marinate for minimum 10 minutes.
In a roasting tray place the chicken skin side down in a single layer, pour over the marinade.
Cook for 15 minutes, turn chicken and add orange slices on top and pour over honey.
Cook for another 15 minutes until chicken is cooked, and is golden and sticky.

Serve with steamed rice and stir fried Asian greens.

Mamma Marmalade

Carrot and Walnut Muffins with Cream Cheese frosting

I am always surprised how easy it is to make muffins, simply mix all ingredients together in a bowl.  These muffins were discovered when the urge for something sweet hit and I had no butter in the fridge.

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup grated carrot
3/4 cup milk
1 egg lightly beaten
2 1/2 cups of Self Raising Flour
1/2 cup Oil
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon caster sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon mixed spice

Frosting

100g softened cream cheese (or use spreadable version)
75g softened butter
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind
11/4 cup icing mixture

Method

Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius.
Place paper muffin cases in a 12 hole muffin tray.
In a bowl combine flour, caster sugar, mixed spice, brown sugar, carrot and walnuts, make a well in the centre.
Add milk, egg and oil and mix until well combined.
Spoon mixture into prepared cases.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until golden and just firm to touch.
Cool completely before icing.

Cream cheese frosting: Beat using electric beaters, cream cheese, butter and lemon rind until light and fluffy, gradually add in icing mixture until well combined. Spread frosting over the muffins.

Mamma Marmalade

Osso Bucco Slow Cooked in Red Wine and Herbs

After a weekend drive through the magnificent Mt Warning NSW countryside, I was pondering what to cook for dinner. There was still just a touch of chill in the crisp evening air. I reached for my worn copy of Belinda Jeffery’s “The Country Cookbook” that showcases life, simplicity and the beautiful produce of the lush Northern NSW area we had just visited.  This is my version of Belinda Jeffery’s divine Osso Bucco recipe.  The irresistible aromas wafting from your kitchen will guarantee no-one dillydallying to your dinner table.

Preparation     15 minutes

Cooking           3 hours  including  2 ½ hours in the oven.  Allow 15 minutes to rest and serve.

Serves     4     (with left-overs hopefully)

Ingredients

8 pieces of Osso Bucco -  good- sized, cut  approx. 1 inch thick

¼ cup Olive Oil approx.

3 large brown onions – diced

3 garlic cloves – chopped

4 carrots – sliced

2 Tablespoons Sun-dried Tomato Pesto

1/3 cup plain flour – for dusting the meat

400 gram tin diced Tomatoes

1 ½ cups – 2 cups Shiraz Red Wine

¼ cup water

2 Teaspoons Sea Salt flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves

4 Bay Leaves – fresh if possible.  Crushed a little bit in your palm to release aroma

Chopped Parsley and lemon zest to garnish

Method

I use a wide deep round enamel cast iron pan with a close fitting lid

Preheat oven to 165 °C

Add flour to a plastic bag and shake to dust the meat. Shake off excess. Set aside.

Warm a little of the olive oil in the pan.

Place the meat in pan, browning well on both sides. Remove the meat from pan, cover and keep warm.

Add the onion, garlic and carrot to the pan stirring gently until softened slightly. Add a little more oil if needed.

Stir in the tomato pesto and cook down. Stir well so does not catch on base.

Pour in the red wine, water, diced tomatoes, salt, pepper thyme, rosemary and bay leaves. Stir well.

Increase heat and bring to a boil. Then reduce to a simmer.

Return the meat to the pan and ensure it is covered with the sauce.

Place a piece of Baking Paper over the meat and push to cover. (ie a cartouche)

Cover with lid.

Place in oven and check approx. every hours.  Needs 2 – 2 ½ hours in total cooking in oven.

Add a little water if liquid reducing too quickly in the pan.

Remove from oven when cooked. Leave lid on and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Check if excess oil on top of meat and use paper towels to blot up if needed.

Taste and season with additional salt or pepper if you feel it needs a little more.

Remove the bay leaves and discard.

Turn the meat over in the sauce and sprinkle with the parsley and lemon zest.

Serve with fresh steamed green vegetables or a green salad and your choice of mashed potatoes, risoni pasta or even chunks of fresh bread.

Enjoy!  Colleen

Prawns with Spiced Cauliflower and Chorizo

Cauliflowers have been so delicious lately that I have included them in almost every family dinner. I think Wilbur is almost expecting Cauliflower ice-cream to turn up in the freezer.  Love a good Cauli. Searching in my cooking treasure trove for a seafood and cauliflower recipe unearthed this gem. The original recipe by Philip Johnson uses scallops and fewer vegetables so feel free to replace the prawns with scallops.  Alternatively, if you are not a seafood fan, this would be delicious with cooked chicken breast shards.  Enjoy!

Preparation    15 - 20 minutes  (bit longer depending on your prawn peeling speed!)

Cooking           10 minutes

Serves              4

Ingredients

Mix together and prepare

1 teaspoon Ground Coriander

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Ground Fennel

½ teaspoon Smoked Paprika

¼ teaspoon Ground Turmeric

for the spice mixture 

also use

Splash Australian Olive Oil

2 tablespoons butter

1 kg King Prawns – then peel and de-vein

1 – 1 ½  good quality Chorizo – thinly sliced or diced if preferred

2 small Red Onions – finely sliced

¼  pumpkin cut into small cubes    part - cooked prior to use

½ cauliflower – cut into small florets (not too tiny) and   part - cooked prior to use

½ capsicum – finely sliced

1 cup of frozen peas – allow to thaw a little

Good handful baby spinach leaves

3 tablespoons Raisins   These are pre-soaked in the Sherry

Dash of good sherry (dry or .. I used Olo Rosso)

1 tablespoon flaked almonds – toasted

Fresh fennel fronds – finely chopped or use dill or even a little chopped parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

Sear the prawns. Remove from heat and keep warm. 

Heat a little olive oil and the butter in a wide frypan over medium heat.

Add the onions then add the part-cooked cauliflower and capsicum tossing to cook.

Sprinkle over the spices then mix through the pumpkin and chorizo. 

Add the peas and soaked raisins.

Toss the prawns in to warm through.

When the pumpkin is cooked and cauliflower still has a little bite  -  remove from heat.

Stir the spinach leaves through to wilt slightly.

Taste and add salt and pepper to your taste.

Arrange on serving plate and scatter over some of the fresh fennel and the toasted almonds

TIPS AND HINTS if you forget to pre-cook the cauliflower and pumpkin, just sauté them first prior to adding remaining ingredients.

Enjoy!   Colleen

Buttery Pears in Rich Bay leaf scented Syrup

Six seemingly lovely but rock hard pears sat forlornly in the fruit bowl.  How could they be transformed into an easy to prepare, delicious dessert? 

Look no further than the incomparable Stephanie Alexander’s “The Cook’s Companion”.  However I accidentally misread the ingredients and somehow used white wine instead of red.  Oops. I wonder how that happened??

Yet the flavours in the finished dish were so satisfying and the caramelised pears were tender and golden in a thick luscious syrup heady with the rich aroma of bay leaves and wintery pear juices. 

This is one mistake I am happy to repeat when the results are so delicious.

Preparation  5 minutes

Cooking         20 – 30 minutes depending on the texture of the pears

Serves           2 Wilbur sized dessert appetites  or   4 small servings

Ingredients

6 small – medium pears – peeled, quartered and core removed. TIP If pears are not too hard then just peel, halve and core.

30 grams unsalted butter

¼ cup castor sugar 

3 fresh bay leaves - just gently crush them slightly in your palm to release aroma

½  - 1 cup White Wine – I used Pinot Grigio. 

Method

Use a heavy based frypan with a lid. Pears need to fit in the pan in a single layer.

Gently melt the butter and allow it to foam a little.

When the foaming subsides, add the pear pieces and allow to brown a little.

Turn over in the butter and continue browning

Add the bay leaves and scatter with the sugar, turning the pears as well.

Pour ¼ cup wine over the pears to start.  Allow to bubble slightly and move gently so pears do not catch on base of pan.

Cover pan but leave lid just slightly ajar to allow steam to escape.

Reduce heat to low and simmer pears turning as needed

Add another ¼ cup of wine and shake the pan just slightly to mix.  Pears should be softening but you want tender pieces of pear not puree.

You may need to add a little more wine to increase the simmering time if pears are still tough.

Continue to simmer until pears are golden, tender and juices are thick and syrupy

Remove from heat and discard the bay leaves.

Serve warm with cream or ice-cream.

                                  Enjoy!   Colleen