PAN
DONNA HAY’S GO-TO FOUNDATIONAL RECIPES.
There’s a beauty in mastering a basic recipe. Learning how to build on it to create distinct dishes — modifying flavour profiles and incorporating different cooking styles — is an excellent way to expand your repertoire.
After more than 15 years in food media, Donna Hay has a unique insight into what home cooks find challenging, from building-block recipes they’ve never succeeded at perfecting to fundamentals they’ve been too intimidated to try.
In her latest cookbook, Basics to Brilliance, the culinary maven translates this deep understanding into an inviting, modern and comprehensive master class. In more than 200 recipes, Hay introduces her favourite basics and includes several variations on each one.
“I like to think of it like updating your black dress,” Hay says. “For novices and even people that are great cooks, it’s nice to give them simple ideas of different ways to spin their recipes.”
Hay’s no- fail meringue mixture becomes the perfect pavlova, lemon meringue pie and a variety of mini meringues, including salted caramel, chocolate, rosewater and pistachio, and raspberry.
And a versatile chili jam is at the centre of wok- tossed chili crab, quick chili- grilled fish and barbecued chili prawn skewers.
“There are a lot of really traditional basics cookbooks but I think tastes have changed globally and access to different ingredients has changed,” Hay says. “It’s a bit more of a modern collection. And a bit more reflective of how we cook now.” Recipes from Basics to Brilliance by Donna Hay, available now for $ 49.99.