GATHER TOGETHER
FOUR COUNTRY CHEFS SHARE THEIR FAVOURITE RECIPES FOR WARMING WINTER MEALS.
Four chefs share their favourite comfort-food dishes to rustle up on a chilly, winter night.
WHAT ARE THE main ingredients for a delicious winter meal? Ask one of the four country chefs whose recipes feature in this story and they’ll tell you their idea of comfort food is hearty fare made from seasonal produce. Cold, rainy days provide the perfect opportunity to stay indoors and indulge in a slow-cooked pork or lamb dish that requires hours in the oven. Alternatively, turn dinner preparations into a family activity and have a go at making Adam Bantock’s hand-rolled pici pasta, which the Clementine Restaurant chef says is best eaten by the fire with a glass of sangiovese or tempranillo. And don’t forget the pudding — Russell Chinn of Cupitt’s Kitchen offers his take on a classic clafoutis for a satisfying end to the meal.
STEVE CUMPER, FOOD WRITER
“This is one of those ‘set and forget’ dishes in which the oven, not the cook, does all the work. Instead of the usual roast spuds, I’m serving it with a cauliflower puree enriched with almond milk and plenty of butter.”
ROAST PORK SHOULDER WITH CAULIFLOWER PUREE
Serves 6 2kg boned shoulder of pork, rolled 1 tablespoon sea salt flakes 2 brown onions, peeled, diced ½ garlic bulb, cloves separated 3 bay leaves 4 cups almond milk 2 cups white wine ¾ cup olive oil ⅓ cup red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon capers 3 drained anchovy fillets, chopped 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked 1 bunch mint, leaves picked 1 bunch basil, leaves picked CAULIFLOWER PUREE 1 cauliflower, trimmed, cut into florets 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small brown onion, peeled, finely diced 3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed 100g butter, chopped, softened ⅓ cup almond milk
Preheat oven to 220°C. Score pork rind and rub sea salt into skin. Place in a roasting pan. Roast for 40 minutes or until rind crackles. Add onion, garlic and bay leaves, and stir until coated with pan juices. Add almond milk and wine. Reduce oven to 160°C. Roast for 1½ hours or until meat is very tender. Meanwhile, place oil, vinegar, capers, anchovies and mustard in a food processor and process until combined. Add parsley, mint and basil, and process until a thick sauce forms. Season to taste. To make cauliflower puree, cook cauliflower in a large saucepan of boiling water for 20 minutes or until tender. Drain. Heat oil in a small frying pan over a medium heat. Cook onion and garlic for 8 minutes or until light golden. Place onion mixture, cauliflower and butter in a food processor and process until smooth. Add almond milk and pulse until combined. Season to taste. Transfer pork to a board and cover to keep warm. Place roasting pan over a medium heat. Bring to boil. Simmer for 10 minutes or until pan juices thicken. Transfer gravy to a jug. Slice pork and serve with cauliflower puree, green herb sauce and gravy. >
ADAM BANTOCK, CLEMENTINE RESTAURANT, YASS, NSW
“This is a great winter dish — it’s hearty and earthy, and the combination of thick noodles, butter and cheese makes it very comforting.”
PICI PASTA WITH BROCCOLINI, MUSHROOMS & MOZZARELLA
Serves 4 (See photograph, page 75) 1 bunch broccolini, trimmed 100g Swiss brown mushrooms 100g pine mushrooms* 100g shimeji mushrooms* 100g chestnut mushrooms* 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra to serve 20g butter 110g large buffalo mozzarella, drained finely grated parmesan, to serve crusty sourdough bread and butter, to serve PICI PASTA 2½ cups 00 plain flour** ¾ cup sparkling mineral water 1 tablespoon olive oil rice flour, for dusting
To make pici pasta, place flour, mineral water and oil in a bowl and mix until combined. Using your hands, bring dough together, then gently knead until smooth. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to rest. Line a tray with a clean tea towel and dust with rice flour. Roll hazelnut-sized pieces of dough into 30cm strips (pici should look like rustic, fat spaghetti). Transfer to tray and dust with rice flour. Cut broccolini lengthways into thin pieces. Blanch broccolini in a saucepan of boiling water for 1 minute or until bright green. Drain, then refresh under cold running water. Transfer broccolini to a bowl and refrigerate until required. Cut mushrooms into uniform pieces, leaving smaller ones whole. Heat oil and butter in a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat until butter melts. Cook mushrooms for 10 minutes or until golden and liquid has evaporated. Season with sea salt and black pepper. Cook pici in a large saucepan of salted boiling water for 2 minutes or until it rises to surface. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pici to frying pan with mushrooms. Add broccolini and gently toss over a medium heat until broccolini and mushrooms are heated through and pici is coated with pan juices. Spoon among serving bowls. Tear mozzarella into pieces and arrange on pasta. Drizzle with extra olive oil, if desired, and top with parmesan. Serve with sourdough bread and butter. *Available at specialty food stores and greengrocers, and farmers’ markets. **A super-fine Italian flour grade used to make pasta. Available at supermarkets and delicatessens.
SAM SMITH, FINO AT SEPPELTSFIELD, SEPPELTSFIELD, SA
“Secondary cuts like the shoulder take beautifully to the slow-cooked comfort food that everyone craves in winter.”
LAMB SHOULDER, CARROTS & SHEEP’S MILK YOGHURT
Serves 4 1 tablespoon dry sherry 1 tablespoon red capsicum paste* 1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika** 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper 1 whole preserved lemon, chopped 1 garlic bulb, cloves separated, peeled, chopped ⅔ cup sheep’s milk yoghurt 1kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 12 pieces 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 carrot, roughly chopped 1 celery stick, roughly chopped 1 brown onion, peeled, roughly chopped 6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped 8–10 cups chicken stock 2 bunches baby (Dutch) carrots, trimmed, scrubbed ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil ½ cup pearl barley 4 pickled long red chillies ½ bunch coriander, sprigs picked ½ bunch mint, leaves picked
Place sherry, capsicum paste, paprika, ground coriander, pepper, preserved lemon, garlic and 1 tablespoon of yoghurt in a small food processor, and process until a smooth paste forms. Place lamb in a ceramic baking dish and pour over yoghurt mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator overnight to marinate. Preheat oven to 160°C. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large, deep flameproof casserole pan over a medium heat. Cook one-third of lamb, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes or until browned all over. Transfer to a large plate. Repeat, in 2 batches, with remaining lamb, adding more olive oil as required. Return lamb to casserole pan. Add carrot, celery, onion, tomatoes and enough stock to cover lamb. Bring to a simmer over a medium-high heat. Cover casserole pan with a lid or tight-fitting foil and transfer to oven. Bake for 2–2½ hours or until lamb is tender. Set aside, uncovered, for 20 minutes to cool slightly. Using a slotted spoon, transfer lamb to a bowl. Strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve set over a separate bowl. Discard solids. Return cooking liquid to casserole pan and place over a high heat. Simmer for 30 minutes or until cooking liquid is reduced by half. Season to taste. Return lamb to casserole pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, increase oven temperature to 180°C. Place baby carrots in a large roasting pan. Add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Roast for 20 minutes or until tender. Place barley in a fine sieve and rinse under cold running water. Place barley and 3 cups water in a medium saucepan over a high heat. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until barley is tender. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Drain well. Transfer barley to a bowl. Add remaining extra virgin olive oil and toss to combine. Season to taste. Spoon lamb among serving bowls and top with remaining yoghurt. Arrange whole pickled chillies and baby carrots over yoghurt. Top with coriander and mint, and sprinkle with barley mixture. *Available at some supermarkets, and at specialty food stores, delicatessens and Middle Eastern grocers. **Available at gourmet food stores and delicatessens. >
RUSSELL CHINN, CUPITT’S KITCHEN, ULLADULLA, NSW
“This is a warming winter dish that’s great for sharing, as you can literally pull the slow-cooked lamb apart at the table.”
LAMB WITH CHICKPEAS, GRILLED LETTUCE & MOJOS
Serves 4 (See photograph, page 74) 1.5kg lamb shoulder, trimmed 3 carrots, peeled, halved lengthways 2 celery sticks, trimmed 1 brown onion, peeled, quartered 1½ cups dry white wine 2 bay leaves 2 large thyme sprigs 2 cups tomato juice 2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained, rinsed 4 cooked merguez sausages, diagonally sliced* 2 gem lettuce, trimmed, halved lengthways 1 tablespoon olive oil MOJOS 2 long red chillies, halved lengthways, deseeded, chopped 8 garlic cloves, peeled 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 2 tablespoons sweet paprika 1½ teaspoons salt 1 cup olive oil
Preheat oven to 200°C. Place lamb in a roasting pan and season. Roast for 30 minutes. Add carrot, celery, onion, wine, bay leaves and thyme to pan. Cover with foil and roast for 10 minutes. Reduce oven to 140°C and roast for 6–8 hours or until lamb is very tender. Meanwhile, to make mojos, process chilli, garlic, cumin and vinegar in a small food processor until smooth. Add paprika and salt. With motor running, gradually add oil in a thin, steady stream until a smooth sauce forms. (You can make the sauce 1 day ahead to allow the flavours to mellow.) Transfer lamb and vegetables to a plate, cover with foil and rest. Skim fat from surface of pan juices. Transfer pan juices to a deep frying pan. Stir in tomato juice and bring to boil over a medium heat. Simmer for 20 minutes or until sauce is reduced by half. Add chickpeas and sausage. Cook for 4 minutes or until heated through. Meanwhile, heat a chargrill pan over a high heat. Brush lettuce with oil. Place lettuce, cut-side down, on chargrill and cook for 3 minutes or until charred all over. Arrange lamb, vegetables and grilled lettuce on a serving platter. Drizzle with mojos. Serve with chickpeas and merguez sausages in tomato sauce. *Spicy lamb or beef sausages, merguez are available at butchers, delicatessens and specialty sausage retailers.
RUSSELL CHINN, CUPITT’S KITCHEN, ULLADULLA, NSW
“The combination of heavy batter, tart rhubarb and sweet lavender cream make this dessert perfect for the colder months.”
RHUBARB CLAFOUTIS WITH LAVENDER CREAM
Serves 4 5 thin rhubarb stalks, cut into 5cm lengths 2 tablespoons caster sugar 2 eggs ½ cup plain flour ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon ⅔ cup milk 80g butter, melted, cooled extra ¼ cup caster sugar 1 tablespoon icing sugar, to serve fresh lavender flowers, to garnish* LAVENDER CREAM ¼ cup caster sugar 1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers** ¾ cup thickened cream 1 vanilla bean, split lengthways
To make lavender cream, process caster sugar and dried lavender flowers in a food processor until finely ground. Alternatively, place in a mortar and pound with a pestle until finely ground. Transfer lavender sugar to an airtight container and set aside for 2 days to infuse. (You can use lavender sugar immediately, if necessary.) Place cream in a large bowl. Using a small sharp knife, scrape seeds from vanilla bean and add to cream. Add 1 teaspoon of lavender sugar and whisk until soft peaks form. Cover and store in refrigerator until required. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place rhubarb, in a single layer, on prepared tray. Sprinkle with caster sugar. Roast for 10 minutes or until softened. Cool. Crack eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk. Sift flour and cinnamon over eggs and whisk until combined. Add milk, melted butter and extra caster sugar, and whisk until well combined. Stand for 30 minutes to thicken slightly. Grease four 12cm-diameter blini pans or flan pans. Pour batter evenly among pans until three-quarters full. Arrange rhubarb pieces along centre of each pan. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and set. Top clafoutis with a spoonful of lavender cream. Dust with icing sugar and garnish with lavender flowers. *Ensure lavender flowers haven’t been treated with sprays. **Available at specialty food stores and spice shops.