MAGGIE BEER’S LONG LUNCH: a hearty banquet
Pan-fried chicken livers and capers on crostini
MAKES 8 PREP AND COOK TIME 20 MINUTES 100g unsalted butter 8 small slices baguette 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 8 sage leaves 250g fresh chicken livers, cleaned and cut into quarters 2 tablespoons baby capers, drained and rinsed 2 anchovy fillets, chopped finely 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 2 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, chopped 1 Pre-heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). To make the crostini, melt one-third of the butter and then brush the slices of bread, place onto a baking tray; bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown, remove and set aside. 2 Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over a high heat, add the remaining butter, cook, stirring, until nut brown, then add the olive oil to inhibit the butter from burning. Add the sage leaves, cook for a few seconds each side until crisp. Using tongs, remove sage from pan and drain on paper towel. 3 Place the chicken livers into the same pan and cook, over high heat, for 1 minute on each side. Remove to a warmed plate and set aside. 4 In the same pan, fry off the capers and anchovies for 1 minute then deglaze with the vinegar, remove from the heat and pour over the chicken livers. 5 To serve, top crostini with the chicken liver mixture and sprinkle with parsley. Not suitable to freeze or microwave
Devils on horseback
MAKES 24 PREP AND COOK TIME 30 MINUTES. 1 orange 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 1 sprig rosemary 1/3 cup (80ml) verjuice 24 pitted prunes 24 very thin slices pancetta 1 Using a vegetable peeler, remove the rind from the orange in thin strips. Trim white pith from rind. Squeeze the juice and set aside. 2 Heat the olive oil and rosemary in a medium frying pan over medium low heat and fry for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the pieces of orange rind, the verjuice and orange juice. Increase the heat to high and simmer for approximately 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and toss through the prunes and continue to gently simmer for 3 minutes; remove and set aside. 3 Cut the rind into 24 small strips, place a strip on each prune then wrap with a rasher of pancetta and secure with a toothpick. 4 Heat a grill pan or barbecue plate on a high heat, cook prunes for 1-2 minutes on one side until browned, taking care not to burn them, then turn over and cook for another minute until the pancetta is golden brown and crisp. Serve immediately. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Bocconcini balls with dukkah
SERVES 8 PREP AND COOK TIME 15 MINUTES 8 fresh bocconcini (fresh mozzarella) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for dressing 100g dukkah spice mix 16 small caper berries, cut in half 1 Pre-heat oven to 220°C (200°C fan-forced). Line an oven tray with baking paper. 2 Drain brine from bocconcini and drain on paper towel. Place the bocconcini on a plate and drizzle with the olive oil. 3 Place dukkah into a shallow bowl and roll bocconcini in the dukkah and gently press to coat. Place on prepared tray. 4 Bake for about 5 minutes or until they just start to soften. 5 Serve warm with caper berries and drizzle with extra oil. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Broccoli tabbouleh with turmeric and buttermilk dressing
SERVES 8 PREP AND COOK TIME 20 MINUTES 500g broccoli 50g baby spinach 3 spring onions 1 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1 cup finely chopped mint 1/3 cup (45g) slivered almonds, toasted 1 large avocado, chopped coarsely DRESSING 1 tablespoon honey 1 teaspoon ground turmeric Finely grated rind of ½ lemon ½ cup (125ml) buttermilk 1 Using a large knife, shave head of the broccoli into fine pieces; place into a large mixing bowl. Chop spinach and spring onion as finely as you can; place into bowl with broccoli. Add parsley, mint and almonds, gently mix together. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. 2 DRESSING place all the ingredients into a mixing bowl and whisk together until well combined. 3 Just before serving pour the Dressing over the broccoli mixture and gently mix together. Transfer to a serving dish and top with avocado. Not suitable to freeze.
Slow-roasted lamb salad with herbs and almonds
SERVES 8 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL PREP AND COOK TIME 4 HOURS 30 MINUTES (PLUS MARINATING TIME) 1.2kg lamb shoulder, boned ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 1 cup (250ml) verjuice ¼ cup rosemary leaves 2 tablespoons lemon thyme leaves ⅓ cup (80g) raisins 1 cup firmly packed flat-leaf parsley leaves ¾ cup firmly packed small basil leaves ¼ cup firmly packed small mint leaves 1½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, extra ¼ cup (65g) good quality pesto 1 punnet micro herbs ¼ cup (20g) flaked almonds, toasted 1 Place the lamb shoulder into a large bowl and pour over 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, half the verjuice, the rosemary and thyme, season with sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Rub over the lamb and allow to marinate for at least 1 hour. 2 Preheat oven to 140°C (120°C fanforced). Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook the lamb on all sides until browned lightly. 3 Place the lamb into a medium baking paper-lined baking dish and pour over any of the remaining marinade. Cover loosely with foil and roast for 4 hours, turning every 1 hour. 4 Meanwhile, gently warm the remaining verjuice then pour over the raisins, stand for 30 minutes. Strain the verjuice from the raisins (reserving any of the verjuice). 5 Remove the lamb from the oven, transfer to a warmed plate, cover and rest for at least 30 minutes. Strain off the cooking juices and skim away any unwanted fat. 6 Just before serving, place the raisins into a mixing bowl along with the parsley, basil and mint. Add any remaining verjuice (from the raisins) and the extra olive oil. 7 To serve, carve the lamb and place onto a platter, spoon over the pesto and some of the resting juices, top with herb mixture, micro herbs and almonds. Not suitable to freeze or microwave.
Saskia’s baked ham with simple quince glaze
SERVES 12-20 AS PART OF A SHARED TABLE PREP AND COOK TIME 1 HOUR 200g quince paste, chopped ½ cup (125ml) verjuice 6kg traditionally smoked leg of ham 1 To make the quince glaze, place the quince paste, verjuice and ½ cup (125ml) water in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until smooth. 2 To remove rind from ham, score rind 10cm from shank end of leg. Run your thumb around edge of rind just under skin. Start pulling rind from widest edge of ham; continue to pull rind carefully away from fat up to the shank end. Remove rind completely and discard. Score across fat at about 4cm intervals, cutting lightly through the surface of fat in a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut through to meat. 3 Preheat the oven to 250°C (230°C fan-forced). Place the ham on an oiled wire rack that rests in a large baking dish. Pour in 1 cup (250ml) of water. 4 Brush the ham all over with half the quince glaze; bake for 20 minutes uncovered until it begins to caramelise. Remove ham from the oven and reduce temperature to 200°C (180°C fanforced). Brush the ham with remaining glaze and return to oven. Bake for a further 20 minutes or until beautifully caramelised all over. Serve with steamed baby potatoes, if liked. Leftover ham suitable to freeze. Not suitable to microwave.