Category: Blog

Blog

 by 

Newsletter #5 – Carbohydrates in Diet

   

 

First apologies, I promised some pear recipes, however, the pears aren’t quite ripe yet.  Hopefully next Newsletter. Ken.

History Bites  – Carbohydrates in Diet

 

These days’ for many people, particularly older Australians who enjoy a western diet, the mention of the word carbohydrate will have connotations of some of the many foods that their doctor has advised them to avoid or limit their intake. Yes, bread, pasta, pastries and potatoes are pretty tasty and because they are so available, in so many varieties, there is a natural tendency to over consume. It is now known that carbohydrates, particularly starchy ones were essential to the evolution of modern big-brained humans and were crucial for energy, overall fitness and brain development.

Naturally occurring sources of carbohydrate have existed for tens of thousands of years and have helped shape the cuisines of every continent except Antarctica and Australia. The frozen continent far to the south is an obvious exclusion, but why Australia.

Indigenous Australians were considered Hunter-Gatherers and sourced carbohydrates from a variety of grass seeds, tuberous roots, berries, nuts, fruits and legumes. Depending on where the clan lived Bunya nuts, Millet and Kangaroo grass seeds, Mulga Wattle legumes and fruits and berries from the Kurrajong tree may have been on the menu. Australia is big so the variety matched its size.

However, Australia became a country welcoming many different ethnicities and from the time of European settlement we have relied on the naturally occurring carbohydrates sources of the other five continents. Even now few attempts have been made to commercialise indigenous foods.

Scientific evidence shows us that Oats were eaten in Eastern Europe as long ago as 30000BCE and cultivated from around 9000BCE. Think of Porridge and Welsh Oat Cakes.

Rice was cultivated around 7000BCE in China. By 3300BCE rice was a staple throughout East and South-east Asia. It’s hard to imagine Asia without rice on the menu. Rice failed to migrate into the Pacific Islands, but the Austronesian peoples, the predecessors of the Polynesians slowly populated the Pacific as far as Easter Island. It is generally believed they brought the sweet potato plant back from its native South America, where it had been cultivated for thousands of years

Sago originated in the Indonesian Archipelago and is similar to the Cassava Plant of South America, both yielding starchy “pearls”. Sago is thought to be as old as rice while cassava is a little younger. They both enjoy widespread consumption in the tropical areas of South America, South East Asia and the Pacific Islands.

We owe the Americas gratitude in coming up with Maize and Potatoes. Both can be traced back to being cultivated around 7000BCE. Maize formed the basis Central and South American cuisine, being used for tortillas, tamales, porridge and alcohol. Potatoes had a similar heritage with an estimated 3000 varieties in Chile alone, so it featured in many dishes. The Incas even had a Goddess for Potatoes; her name was  “Axomamma”.

One of the biggest cultivated crops these days is wheat and there is evidence that it was first cultivated in the Middle East around the year 5000BCE. The earliest use of wheat  was the baking of bread.

The Age of Discovery that started in the late 15th century bridged the geographic divide between the “Old and New Worlds”. The term “Colombian Interchange” is used for the exchange of cultivated plants and animals between the eastern and western hemispheres. For most of this time the “New World” received a very bad deal but it did transform the culinary landscape of the world.  Maize, Sweet Potato and Potato were among the many plants that arrived back in Europe, while the “New World” would never be the same after wheat, rye and rice found its way from the “Old World”.

By the time of European settlement in Australia, rice was the fourth most valuable export out of North America and polenta (corn meal) was entrenched in Italian cooking. The Great Famine of the mid 1800’s resulted in the population of Ireland to nearly halve by the year 1901.

So for thousands of years these very individual plants existed, separated by distance, but in the space of 400 years these same plants were being grown in many locations and enjoyed international appeal.

Today’s recipes focus on potatoes.

Who doesn’t like potatoes? Most people agree that in our diet it is not the potato that is the problem; it is the way in which it is prepared and the volume that we consume.  Moderation is the key. Keep that in mind when preparing the following recipes.

Delmonico Potatoes

Makes 10-12 portions

There are many recipes available using the name of this famous New York restaurant. Few are the same, but all share common ingredients, apart from potatoes. Dairy, in the form of cream or milk; cheese; breadcrumb and/or cheese as a topping; before finally going in the oven. Sound familiar? Pommes Dauphinoise from France as well as Australia’s very own Potato Bake comes to mind.

My recipe cooks the Kestrel potatoes in a microwave for about 16 minutes, whole, the day before and grates the cold skinned potato. Alternatively you could cook them in your oven at around 175c, covered and with a little water but it would take longer. I have also added natural yoghurt to the recipe.

If you use your microwave remember to treat with caution when removing the HOT cooked potatoes. You will need a small saucepan, a baking dish, a grater and a bowl plus your dishes for crumbing, for this recipe. I used two smaller Pyrex dishes instead of a baking dish to achieve the same result.

Ingredients:

  • One kilo Kestrel potatoes.
  • 125ml Pure cream
  • 125ml full cream milk
  • 125ml natural yogurt
  • 150g grated cheese
  • One small onion peeled; finely chopped.
  • 65g butter
  • Salt and pepper
  • 80g course breadcrumb
  • Smoked paprika

Method:

  • Rinse the potatoes in cold water and place them in a microwave safe bowl. A little water in the bowl is OK. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or microwave safe plate. Cook for about 16 minutes
  • Refrigerate the potatoes overnight.
  • The next day skin the potatoes (discarding the skins) and course grate the potato

       

  • Pre-heat your oven to 175c
  • Grease a suitable size baking dish with a little of the butter and add the grated potato. Put aside
  • In the saucepan on medium heat sweat the onion in about 50g butter. Avoid colouring the onions
  • When the onions are transparent (about 3 minutes) add the cream, milk, yogurt and half the cheese. Bring to the boil before turning down the heat. Simmer for two minutes. Season.

 

  • Pour the cream mix over the grated potato

  • In the meantime melt the remaining butter and mix into the breadcrumb
  • Top the potato with the remaining cheese and breadcrumb

     

  • Finish with a little sprinkling of paprika
  • Place the dish in the oven and bake for 30 minutes or until the cheese/ breadcrumb is golden brown

     

Notes:

  • If you prefer the finished product to be softer increase the cream, milk and yogurt proportionally.
  • This recipe works well when it is baked in a muffin pan for individual portions. Make sure the pan is well greased
  • Your finished product can be frozen

 

Croquette Potatoes

Makes 10 – 12 portions

Deliciously addictive, with the combination of the crunchy coating and creamy interior. You’ll need a saucepan to boil the potatoes plus a second similar saucepan (or clean the first one) for your temporary deep-fryer plus a fine wire sieve and a couple of bowls, a whisk, a spatula, a large spoon plus a slotted metal spoon for your finished croquettes.

Ingredients:

  • 1kg Kestrel Potatoes
  • 50g Butter
  • Two Egg Yolks
  • Salt and pepper
  • 400g Panko Breadcrumb
  • Flour
  • One Egg plus two egg whites
  • Vegetable oil (Canola or similar, but not Olive oil)

 Method:

  • Peel the potatoes, discarding any blemishes and eyes.
  • Cut the potatoes into 2cm cubes and place in your saucepan. Give them a good cold rinse before draining them.
  • Cover with fresh water and add a little salt.
  • On high heat bring the potatoes to the boil before turning the heat down to simmer the potatoes. Cook the potatoes until they are tender but not falling apart – about twenty minutes
  • Drain the cooked potatoes well. Return them to the saucepan.
  • Whisk in the butter. Check seasoning.
  • Whisk in the egg yolks, on at a time. Be sure to get into the base of the saucepan.
  • Transfer the potatoes into your sieve in batches. Push the potato through the sieve with your spoon. Continue until all the potato has all been passed through.

  • There are a couple of ways to portion the potato to make it ready for crumbing.

     

  • You can use a disposable piping bag to form long tubes and then cut or use a large ice cream scoop to do individual portions.

           

  • For both preparation methods the potato is best handled very gently at room temperature but should be chilled after crumbing to firm them up before frying.
  • Consult images below.
  • The crumbing procedure is flour egg and breadcrumb – in that order.

                                                         

 

Cooking:

  • In a small saucepan pour 400ml oil and bring to frying temp – around 175c. Keep an eye on the temperature. Check the temperature by dropping a little loose breadcrumb in. It should bubble vigorously.
  • Gently lower the croquettes into the oil. Maintain separation. Don’t overload.

                  

  • Regulate the cooking temperature, up or down
  • Cook for one minute. With your slotted spoon turn them to prevent scorching on one side
  • Total cooking time is 2 minutes or until golden brown.
  • Take the croquettes out with your slotted spoon and on to absorbent kitchen paper. Do another batch
  • You should able to do at least 3 batches without keeping the cooked ones warm
  • Serve

Notes:

  • You can substitute a generic brand breadcrumb if you wish. They tend to retain more oil and colour more quickly
  • Yes you can keep them warm in a slow oven but the croquettes will lose their crispness if kept too long
  • The finished oil should still be usable. Strain or filter the cooled oil, seal the oil in a dark container, date and label the container and keep in the fridge.

 

 

Blog

 by 

Newsletter #4 –Fruit Desserts – Apples

   

These days in Australia we enjoy year round supply of many fresh fruits. So much so that many people overlook or forget the fact that at any given period of time some fruits are not in season in Australia and hence are imported from far away. People are not even daunted by the sometimes outrageous prices, the age of the fruit or its poor quality when it is purchased at the wrong time. It is not uncommon at a supermarket to observe people lamenting the price of grapes in winter or the lack of sweetness in watermelons in August.

So I thought let’s celebrate Autumn and its abundance of local, delicious apples and pears, plus a few quinces.  First up we will investigate the Granny Smith apple from its accidental discovery to its world famous status. Tarte Tatin, a classic French dessert along with Apple and Quince Crumble are then on the menu.

The Granny Smith Story

When I was growing up in Epping, N.S.W, naturally I had heard of the Granny Smith apple. Later I learnt part of the story and I found out that Grannies farm had been in the neighbouring suburb of Eastwood. In 1985 a few years after our family moved away from Sydney, The Granny Smith Festival started in Eastwood and we attended the festival a number of times in the 1990’s.

You could say that I was more than surprised when, upon investigation I realised that Granny’s farm was on the street where we had lived, albeit at the Eastwood end of the street.

The leafy suburb of Eastwood was once rich farmland, famous for its orchards. It was here that Maria Ann Smith (Granny) and her husband purchased a small orchard in the mid 1850’s. Over time Maria became a prominent and successful local citizen, nicknamed Granny Smith. In the late 1860’s, on her orchard, a chance seedling of uncertain origin, was discovered and cultivated. That seedling became the apple which is named after Maria.

Maria died only two years later but her apple was already popular with Sydneysiders. Interest surged in the 1890’s and the apple started winning awards, prompting Government interest. After The Great War one of Australia’s biggest fruit exports was the Granny Smith Apple.

The rich soil of Eastwood is still there, mostly covered with houses on generous blocks. Close to where that famous orchard was, you can contemplate Maria and her apple as you sit in the Granny Smith Memorial Park.

 

Tarte Tatin

There are a number of stories about cookery mistakes with a happy ending – this is one of them. At their hotel in France the Tatin sisters created this simple dessert but with an impressive flavour you won’t be able to resist.

Tarte Tatin

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method

Ingredients
  

  • 200 ml water
  • 150 g caster sugar
  • 75 g unsalted butter
  • 5 Granny smith apples washed, peeled, cored, cut in 4- 6 wedges
  • 1 25 cm square sheet of puff pastry thawed and cut into a circle (the diameter of your dish).
  • Unsweetened whipped cream for serving

Equipment

  • Many Tarte Tatin recipes call for a skillet that you can also place in the oven. I used a 22cm glass Pyrex and hoped for the best. You could use a lined spring form but you will need to have a tray under it when it goes in the oven. You will need a small saucepan to cook the caramel and a clean wooden spoon.

Method
 

  1. Lightly grease your skillet or dish with butter
  2. Place the water in the saucepan and the pour the sugar into the centre. Turn to medium heat. Bring to boil slowly. Do not stir the sugar.
  3. Preheat your oven to 190c
  4. The sugar should have dissolved by the time the water boils. Again leave the saucepan alone. You probably have about 20 minutes before the caramel is ready.
  5. As the water evaporates the sugar becomes syrupy and shortly after you will notice a hint of light caramel colour. This is good.
  6. Turn the heat down to low the colour will darken quickly.
  7. Take the saucepan off the heat.
  8. Carefully add the butter. It will bubble vigorously. Stir with the spoon until the butter is incorporated. The caramel should have a creamy texture. Return to the heat.
  9. Add the apple. Gently stir to coat the apple. Continue the cooking process for 3-4 minutes as you stir. You need to retain the shape of the wedges but at the same time cook them a little.
  10. Arrange the apple in the base of your dish. The outside of the apple faces down, for best presentation. Once you think it looks OK fill in any gaps with smaller bits of apple.
  11. Pour the caramel mix over the apple.
  12. Finally cover the apple with the pastry round. Push the pastry down the sides. There is no need to brush the pastry with anything as the pastry forms the base of this dessert.
  13. Place the dish in the oven. Bake until the pastry is golden brown – about 35-40 minutes.
  14. When ready, take out and cool for about 15 minutes.
  15. Invert the Tarte Tatin on to your serving plate.
  16. Serve warm with whipped cream.

Granny Smith Apple and Quince Crumble

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

CRUMBLE
  • 70 g Unsalted butter softened
  • 1/3 cup Brown Sugar
  • 1¼ cup Plain flour
  • ½ cup Oats
  • ½ Coconut – desiccated or shredded
  • Couple of drops of vanilla paste or essence
FILLING
  • 2 medium G.S. apples washed, peeled, cored, cut in thin wedges
  • One Quince washed ripe, medium size, peeled, cored, cut in wedges
  • ¼ cup caster sugar
  • 2 cups water
  • ½ cinnamon stick
  • ¼ lemon

Equipment

  • Makes four individual portions (4 x 10cm diameter ramekins)

Method
 

CRUMBLE
  1. In your mixer cream the butter, brown sugar and vanilla.
  2. On low speed add the flour. Beat until breadcrumb consistency
  3. Add oats and coconut. Continue beating on low speed. After a couple of minutes the crumble should have a coarse granular appearance. Ready.
APPLE
  1. In a small saucepan over medium heat place the sugar, water, cinnamon and lemon
  2. When the sugar is dissolved add the Quince. Simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, until the Quince is tender.
  3. When done take off heat.
  4. In a separate saucepan (lidded) place the apple and a ½ cup of the Quince syrup.
  5. Bring the apple to the boil and give it a stir. Turn the heat down and lid the pot
  6. Cook for 5 -8 minutes. The apples can over cook very quickly. When tender remove from heat.
  7. Add the Quince and a little of the syrup to the apple. Gently mix the two fruits together.
ASSEMBLY
  1. Set your oven to 175c
  2. Divide the apple/quince mix between the four ramekins
  3. Spoon the crumble mix over the top of the apple generously
  4. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and then into the oven.
  5. Cook for 35 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling up the side.
  6. Serve with Vanilla ice cream.

Notes

The crumble mix keeps very well in the fridge and of course the freezer, as does the cooked fruit.
This crumble mix is suitable for all types of fruit crumbles such as berries, peaches and rhubarb.
Retain the unused syrup for future use.

Look for ‘Pears’ later in the week in newsletter # 5

 

Blog / Uncategorized

 by 

Newsletter #3 – History Bites

   

 

From Refreshment Rooms to the Ghan

In 2023 I journeyed to Melbourne, overnight on the XPT to see our son and his partner. Chris and I repeated the same trip in 2024. The route takes you through a few towns that you would normally miss if you were driving to Melbourne directly.

The XPT appeared close to capacity and would stop at various towns along the way as it travelled to the southern capital. Whenever the train pulled into a station the odd passenger would alight with their luggage only to be quickly swallowed up by the inky blackness. At other times a hug from a loved one was waiting for the ticket holder. Occasionally a passenger boarded as silently as possible only to stumble in the dim interior light as the train left the warm glow of the station. You could pick the regular passengers – they were the ones who slept regardless of interruptions after consuming whatever food they brought with them. Others like myself, nodded intermittently as I tracked the progress of the train. The buffet car was located in my carriage and offered hot and cold beverages, snacks and a menu from which you could order hot food. I chose the Chicken Curry which was surprisingly good.

At many of the stops throughout the night, there was ample evidence of a by-gone era when many stations featured refreshment rooms for travellers. By modern standards the refreshment rooms or tea rooms as they were often referred to, were unglamorous and offered very basic fare, but they were popular and many were located within grand stations of Victorian design which today are heritage listed. While never centres of culinary excellence they were there for a reason.

The age of steam meant that locomotives had to stop regularly to take on water and coal and consequently it was thought that this would also be an opportunity to feed and water the passengers. In Australia from the mid eighteen hundreds, refreshment rooms started appearing at train stations and from then they seemed to sprout like mushrooms throughout Regional Australia and naturally in the Capital cities and larger suburban rail stations. Business was good for the better part of a century, but by the 1950’s things were changing.

As steam gave way to diesel the need for the train to stop for coal and water was eliminated. Personal motor vehicle ownership was also increasing and longer distance trains were offering catering facilities on board the train. The Victorian “Spirit of Progress” train had been offering a restaurant car since the late 1930’s, while the “Southern Aurora” offered unparalleled comforts from 1962. Many of the Railway Refreshment Rooms closed, others were leased out.

Fast-forward to the present day, the “Spirit”, the “Aurora” and others have all gone. The spaces once occupied by the Refreshment Rooms have been re-purposed or replaced by fast food outlets or remain empty. I lamented that fact as I gazed down at my scrapped clean cardboard container that had contained the curry. At the time I recalled a conversation with one of the teachers from my TAFE cooking school days.

When he arrived in Australia in the 1960’s from England one of his first jobs was in a Sydney restaurant as a second chef. His boss (the head chef) explained how he made his sauces. Basically it was one big pot of béchamel sauce – with additions. Cheese sauce naturally had cheese. Gravy had Parisienne essence (brown colouring) and a beef stock cube. The only addition for the curry sauce was curry powder. You get the idea – naturally my teacher was horrified and wondered what type of culinary back water he had migrated to.

Today Train travel in Australia is either viewed as a necessity as in the case of commuters within the suburban networks or as a “bucket list” highlight on a glamour train such as “The Ghan” or the “Indian Pacific”. These trains are regarded as world class visitor/ tourist orientated experiences and passengers have a full service dining car and a lounge car with a bar.  Travelling on either of these trains is still on our own bucket list, but I can say that Chris and I were fortunate in having travelled on “The Spirit”, the “Aurora” and the “Brisbane Limited” back in the day.

Food to go – ME AND MY BIG MOUTH

Lamb Madras

The first recipe reflects the heady days of the refreshment rooms in the 1930’s. It is a curry which hopefully you will find more appealing than the Madras Curry mentioned on the menu board.

In the 1970’s I worked at the Sydney Hilton Hotel. After a couple of promotions I became Chef Saucier and later Chef in Charge, lunch service, of the Hotels premier restaurant, The San Francisco Grill. While there we prepared our own curry powder, for “Major Grey’s Lamb Curry”, a feature item on the luncheon menu. The care we used in the preparation of this dish was a far cry from both the one advertised on the menu board and the curry sauce that my teacher was exposed to in the 1960’s.Keep in mind that back in 1930’s it was probably mutton not lamb.

I find the preparation of a single portion of any curry harder to do because it is difficult to get the flavour balance right. A Lamb Madras recipe (enough for four persons) follows. You will need a non stick frypan, a blender or stick blender and a lidded saucepan.

https://meandmybigmouth.com.au/tales-railway-refreshment-rooms/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lamb Madras

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 600 g lamb shoulder trimmed and diced (2cm dice) to give you about 600g net.
  • I x large onion peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 x garlic cloves peeled
  • 2 ½ tsp minced ginger
  • 40 ml vegetable oil
  • 40 g ghee
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 2 ½ tbsp medium hot curry powder
  • ¾ tsp tamarind paste
  • ½ tsp ground fenugreek
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • 10 ml lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp tomato paste
  • 2 medium size ripe tomatoes blanched, peeled and de-seeded, chopped
  • 400 ml of full fat coconut milk
  • Coriander leaf natural yoghurt and thinly sliced chillies, to garnish
  • Boiled rice

Method
 

  1. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and a little of the oil to your food processor and blend to a paste.
  2. Heat a little ghee in a frying pan over a high heat. Add the onion mixture and fry for approx. 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until starting to turn golden brown. Turn the onion mix out into a lidded saucepan. Turn the saucepan to a low heat setting
  3. Add the rest of the ghee to the pan and when hot sear the lamb. When the meat is sealed, add all the dry spices and salt to the pan. Stir and cook for a further minute. Add the meat and spices to the saucepan.
  4. Add the coconut milk, tomatoes, lemon juice and tomato paste the pan. Bring to the boil and add to the saucepan.
  5. All the ingredients are now in the saucepan. Give it a good stir. Turn up the heat and stir until simmering. Lid the pot and turn the heat down until it maintains a slow simmer.
  6. The lamb may take more than 2 hours until its tender. Give the pot an occasional stir. Add a little water if you feel it is too dry, but it shouldn’t need it.
  7. When ready serve with boiled rice. Top with garnishes.

Notes

I boned out a 1.2 kilo lamb shoulder to achieve a little over 600g of relatively lean meat. I would suggest you purchase the lamb already diced.
This perfect dish to cook and freeze. While freshly cooked rice is best you can portion the curry with cooked rice and freeze. Don’t forget to label and date.
You can extend the recipe by adding diced potatoes to the curry for the last hour of cooking.

 

The Ghan

The pre-prepared meals offered on the XPT, as you would expect are vastly different to the quality of the food on offer on The Ghan.

The menus on this famous train are compact, table d’hôte style and well balanced for the three day journey from Adelaide to Darwin.

Preparing tasty, well presented meals on a moving train is a quite a bit different to the kitchens on terra firma. Apart from the obvious fact that the train is moving, the true genius lies in the layout of the galley and its use of space plus the chef’s planning ability, for the chef has limited options in going to the shop if something has been forgotten.

Browsing through a few of The Ghan’s dinner menus I spied a dish that appealed to me – well everything looked good, but I liked this one because once the various sauces had been pre-prepared the final cooking and assembly was only two or three minutes. Perfect if you were working in the galley and have lots to do.

However, my trip to the shops for ingredients didn’t go according to plan and I had to change my interpretation from The Ghan dinner menu but in hind sight it is probably easier to prepare than my original thought.

This recipe, the second for today reflects how the modern customer’s tastes have changed and would be suitable as either a main course or an entree. Salsa Verde is a cold emulsion sauce and sounds more appealing than the English translation – green sauce. The Heirloom tomatoes are delicious and available in specialist fruit and veg shops. Get the market to portion the fish for you.

A non-stick fry pan and a blender or stick blender are required to prepare this dish.

 

             

Pan grilled Barramundi Fillet, Salsa Verde, heirloom tomatoes and green oak lettuce

Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 200 g per portion Barramundi fillet, skin off
  • 1 heirloom tomato. Firm ripe, cold washed, gently cored. Sliced thinly
  • Green oak or butter lettuce leaves washed and pat dried
  • 70 ml per portion Salsa Verdi
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Lemon wedge
SALSA VERDE - MAKES ABOUT 2 CUPS
  • 1 small bunch Continental Parsley Net about 40g picked and washed
  • 3 Anchovy fillet
  • 2 Garlic cloves peeled
  • 1 Egg yolk
  • 10 ml Lemon juice
  • 10 ml White wine vinegar
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • 170 ml extra virgin Olive oil
  • Parmesan cheese optional
  • Dijon mustard optional

Method
 

  1. Place all ingredients (except oil) in your blender or in a suitable container or jug and use a stick blender.
  2. Blend for a minute or two until you have a thin paste.
  3. Gradually add the oil and continue to mix with the blender.
  4. You should have sauce consistency.
  5. Check seasoning.
  6. Use immediately or seal and refrigerate. Good for one week in the fridge.
COOKING THE FISH
  1. Pre-heat your non-stick frypan with a little oil.
  2. Pat the fish fillet dry. Season very lightly.
  3. Place the presentation side of the fish fillet in the hot oil. (The inside, opposite the skin side).
  4. Leave for 2/3 minutes until it forms a golden crust. Turn the fillet.
  5. Cook for a further 2/3 minutes. Take the pan off the heat. Push the pan to the back of the stove. Cover the fish. There should be enough heat in the pan to finish cooking the fish, without overcooking. Leave for a further 1 ½ minutes, while you quickly finish the garniture.
ASSEMBLY
  1. Some fish are served with the skin on. I think this dish works better skinless.
  2. The Salsa Verde can be used as both an accompaniment for the barramundi and also as a salad dressing.
  3. Plate the grilled fish with either the sauce on the side or separate and the lettuce and tomato also on the plate.
  4. For larger thinner fish fillets you might consider cutting the fish into three pieces and then layering them (lasagne style). i.e: three layers of barramundi interspersed with two tomato/lettuce layers, but you will need to work quickly before the lettuce wilts.

Notes

NOTES:  SAUCE: 
Parmesan can be added unless you want it dairy free.
I added a teaspoon of Dijon mustard to my sauce.

 

Blog

 by 

Newsletter #2 – Life in the Village.

   

Welcome to Seniors in the Kitchen Newsletter #2.  Newsletter #1 can be found in the drop down menu – Blog Archive – on the website.

Newsletter #2 – Life in the Village.

I am told that the residents of our Over 55’s Village are regarded as extremely active and involved and you need to look no further for evidence of that than the attendance at two of our recent community activities within the village.

The first was our Anzac Day Dawn service on Friday the 25th April where around 90 residents, ex-servicemen and a sprinkling of dignitaries gathered from 5.30 am, outside our Community Centre, with the service starting around one half hour later. The location of this yearly event changed a little from 2024, with a more sheltered position selected by the organiser. This was much appreciated by all and the resulting ceremony went off like clockwork.

The Service gave cause for reflection by all who attended and after woods the sombre veil lifted a little, as stories were shared during a breakfast of an orange juice, egg and bacon roll, coffee and an Anzac Biscuit in our Community Centre.

This event would not happen without the generous efforts of all our volunteers. Whether it is our community shed people making flagpoles, the selection of music for the service, the crocheted red poppies or our Men’s Cooking Group turning up at 5.00 am to ensure that breakfast is available, events such as this don’t work without not only community involvement but also someone taking the reins to co-ordinate everything.

The second of the two events was our Monday night dinner, promoted by our Social Sub-Committee. This is also held in our Community Centre with the Men’s Cooking Group turning out to prepare and cook a two-course dinner for 75 residents. The ladies from the Social Sub-Committee served and as usual other attendees assisted in the clean-up. This was our sixteenth dinner and as always this dinner books out in less than one day. The menu for this dinner was Pojarski Cutlet, mash and green bean bundle. We served two accompanying sauces –a sour cream sauce and a roasted tomato sauce. The dessert was a Warm orange and almond cake, citrus syrup and vanilla ice cream.

Throughout the year we only do five of these dinners with the cooking group, but there are other days that we support with Anzac Day being one of them. Other days include Australia Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve, as well as a number of charity events.

The recipes for the ANZAC biscuit, The Pojarski cutlet, the two sauces and the onion jam for the bacon and egg roll, follow.

ANZAC BISCUITS

Read a little of this biscuit’s story in History Bites on our web site.

This recipe has good keeping qualities in the unlikely event that they are not eaten as soon as you bake them.

ANZAC biscuits.*

What’s in a name? Well quite a lot when it comes to these famous biscuits, with enforceable regulations relating to its commercial production and use of the term ANZAC. In short the recipe has to contain certain ingredients. Fortunately those regulations don’t apply when you make them at home. But why change a good thing.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Snack
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Ingredients:
  • 1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted
  • 1 cup traditional rolled oats.
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar.
  • 3/4 cup Desiccated Coconut.
  • 150 g unsalted butter.
  • 2 tbsp golden syrup.
  • 1 1/2 tbsp bi carbonate of soda.
  • 1 1/2 tbsp water.

Equipment

  • Pre-heat your oven to 190c. You’ll need two baking sheets lined with baking paper (silicon paper) to fit the 24 plus biscuits or alternatively bake two single batches if you only have one tray.

Method
 

  1. In a bowl combine all the dry ingredients; mix well.
  2. In a small saucepan, over low heat, melt the butter and add the golden syrup; mix well; avoid boiling; warm is OK. Leave off the heat.
  3. In a small bowl combine the bi carbonate soda and water.
  4. Stir into the butter mix. It will foam up a little.
  5. Add the butter mix to the dry mix. Combine well to form dough. It will have a greasy texture which is a little warm.
  6. Now portion the dough and roll into balls about two thirds the size of a golf ball.
  7. Position on your baking sheet with and flatten slightly leaving a 5cm gap between each biscuit.
  8. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes. The shorter cooking time will give you a chewier biscuit, while the longer time will give you the traditional crispiness.

Notes

 
Notes:
• While not traditional, treacle or honey can be substituted for golden syrup.
• Experiment with brown sugar instead of caster sugar.
• Do not use instant oats as a substitute for traditional rolled oats.

Pojarski Cutlet

Veal Pojarski had its origins in Russia in the early 1800’s. Originally made with minced veal or beef and a little later with minced chicken. By the mid 1800’s it had been absorbed into classic French Cuisine and the French naturally added some alternative flavours including hare, grouse and fish.

With the arrival of the Soviets, minced pork became the meat of choice. As technology developed, cheap versions in the form of patties, with little resemblance to its origins became available for the masses.

 

Pojarski Cutlet

A key component of the traditional Pojarski is the incorporation of butter and cream to help maintain the cutlets moist texture. The butter can be in the form of softened butter. My recipe uses all the butter from the cooked vegetables. The two different sauces work well with this dish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Main Course
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • Ingredients mince mix:
  • 100 g mushrooms cold rinsed, dried, sliced.
  • One medium onion peeled, medium size chop.
  • One medium carrot about 120g, peeled, medium size chop.
  • One stick celery washed, string removed either with a peeler or pulled off with finger tips. Alternatively use the tender inside sticks. Medium chop.
  • 40 g butter
  • 2 xsprigs fresh thyme leaf only.
  • 500 g minced veal pork or chicken, or a mixture of all three, but not just chicken.
  • 100 ml thickened cream.
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp ground pepper.
  • ½ tsp ground nutmeg.
  • 2 x egg yolks
  • 80 g white bread made into breadcrumbs.
  • Olive oil or other good quality vegetable oil for shallow frying.
  • Ingredients coating:
  • One egg.
  • 60 ml milk
  • 50 g plain flour.
  • 200 g approx. packet of Panko crumb.

Method
 

  1. In a lidded pot and melt the butter. Add the vegetables and Thyme.
  2. Turn up the medium heat, give them a stir and lid the pot. Turn the heat down. Avoid colouring the vegetables. You are “sweating” the vegetables and they will need an occasional stir and this should take about 12 minutes until they are tender.
  3. When ready, cool the mix a little and using a spatula turn the vegetables and the melted butter into your blender. Blend to a coarse paste. Cool this mix in the fridge.
  4. In a suitable sized bowl place the mince, seasonings, nutmeg, egg yolks and the white breadcrumbs. Mix well.
  5. Add in the chilled vegetable mix. Continue mixing until well combined. The mixture will have a sticky texture. Cover and refrigerate.
  6. Meanwhile in a new separate bowl prepare the egg wash with the egg, milk and leftover egg whites
  7. In a separate shallow dish place the flour, while the Panko crumb should be placed in another shallow dish. You will be crumbing the meat mix. Other terms used for the same process are “breading” and the French term “pane”.
  8. Preheat your oven to 180c.
  9. Divide the meat mix into four and form the portions into large meatballs.
  10. In order pass the meatballs through flour, brushing off excess. Next the the egg wash and finally the crumb. Press the down crumb firmly (avoid wet spots) before placing the crumbed meatball on a clean tray.
  11. While on the tray flatten the meatball to about 2cm thick and at the same time shape it into something similar to a pork loin cutlet or veal cutlet or an elongated kidney shape.
  12. When all done place them in the fridge until you are ready to cook.
  13. Heat the oil (medium heat) in a fry pan (about 3mm) and place the Pojarski Cutlets in. After about 3 minutes, when golden brown turn them and achieve the same on the other side.
  14. Remove the cutlets and place on an oven tray and then the oven.
  15. The cutlets should be cooked in around 20 minutes.
  16. Accompanying sauces are Sour cream sauce and Roasted tomato sauce (recipes follow).
  17. The cutlets were served with mashed potato and green beans wrapped in bacon.

 

Sour cream sauce 250ml (approx.)

Print Recipe
Course: Side Dish
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 15 g butter.
  • 15 g flour.
  • 200 ml chicken stock.
  • 20 ml lemon juice.
  • 50 ml sour cream
  • Salt
  • Ground white pepper
  • 1/3 bunch chives picked, cold rinsed. 1mm chop.

Method
 

  1. In a small pot melt the butter. Turn to medium hot heat.
  2. Add flour. Mix in. This mix is called a roux.
  3. Cook the roux for 2-3 minutes. Continue stirring the roux. Avoid browning.
  4. Take off the heat and add the chicken stock and lemon juice.
  5. Put the pot back on the stove and whisk the liquid to break up the roux totally.
  6. Bring the mix to the boil, stirring all the time. Turn the heat down to simmer the sauce.
  7. Simmer for a further 4 minutes. Stirring with a silicon spatula will be helpful here to keep the sauce from sticking.
  8. Stir in the sour cream.
  9. Take off the heat. Season with the salt and pepper.
  10. Keep warm.
  11. Add chives just before serving the sauce.

Notes

Thin this sauce, if needed, with a little white wine and/or stock.

 

Roasted tomato sauce 250ml (approx.)

Pre-heat oven at 175c.
Print Recipe
Course: Side Dish
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 30 ml Olive oil.
  • One medium onion peeled, rough 1cm dice.
  • Four medium size ripe truss tomatoes, washed, cored, halved.
  • 2 cloves garlic.
  • One bay leaf.
  • 6 x basil leaf.
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste.
  • Salt Cracked pepper.
  • 60 ml dry white wine.
  • Chicken stock or water.

Method
 

  1. Place the Onion, tomatoes, bay leaf, basil and garlic in a small baking dish and sprinkle with all of the oil.
  2. Place in the oven and roast for at least half hour.
  3. Turn oven done to 150c and continue roasting the tomatoes for another half hour.
  4. Occasionally check to make sure the mix does not burn. Stir occasionally. Replace evaporated juices with a little stock or water.
  5. Eventually the tomatoes will ‘collapse’ and the onions will be transparent and ready to take out of the oven.
  6. Discard the bay leaf. Spatula all of the tomato mix into your blender. Season with salt and pepper. Add white wine. Puree the mix. Check seasoning. The sauce is finished. Keep it warm for service.

Notes

Adjust the consistency with stock or water.
You can pass the mixture through a fine sieve if you prefer a smooth finish.
You could add a little chopped chilli at the beginning to give the sauce a little kick.

 

Onion jam

yields around three cups of jam.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Course: Side Dish
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 x white or brown onions peeled, quartered and thin sliced.
  • 1 tbsp olive oil.
  • ½ tsp salt.
  • One bay leaf.
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper.
  • ½ cup Balsamic vinegar.
  • ½ cup red wine vinegar.
  • 1 cup brown sugar.

Method
 

  1. On a medium heat add the oil to a saucepan, followed by the onions, bay leaf and seasoning.
  2. Sweat the onions for 10-12 minutes until they are translucent. Avoid burning.
  3. Add vinegars and brown sugar. Stir the mix. The sugar will dissolve quickly.
  4. When the mix boils, turn the heat down to keep the mix simmering.
  5. The jam will be a light brown colour.
  6. Over the next half hour the colour will gradually darken as the water evaporates and the sugar cooks.
  7. Stir occasionally. The mix shouldn’t stick until the liquid is syrupy.
  8. When the mix reaches the ‘hot jam’ consistency it’s ready. Check seasoning.
  9. At this point you may want to make it sweeter or more vinegary. You could adjust the flavour now if required but continue cooking to achieve the correct consistency.
  10. The jam is best served at room temperature.

Notes

Also called Caramelised Onion or Onion Marmalade, this is very much a personal taste accompaniment. You could increase the sweetness or piquancy, or add suitable herbs or even citrus. You could also use Spanish onions. My recipe is easy, with good keeping qualities in the fridge or you could bottle it (using traditional methods) for longer term storage

 

 

Bonus – assembly of ANZAC day egg and bacon roll.

We received many great comments for our egg and bacon roll and I reckon the secret was the choice of a milk bun combined with the onion jam.

The milk bun should not be confused with the brioche bun, even though they can be similar in appearance. Milk buns are lighter than and not as sweet as the brioche roll.

Our rolls were purchased and delivered, fortunately at a wholesale price (based on volume) from a bakery in Hornsby. They offered to split the rolls which helped immensely on the morning of the 25th. The onion jam was prepared the day before. The bacon was cooked in our community centre ovens and the fat drained off before being finished on the BBQ.

After our ANZAC service and before the sun had cleared the tree line our assembly line of volunteers churned out 80 or more egg and bacon rolls. The order of assembly follows:

  • Opened roll presented on a plate.
  • Onion jam spread on the base.
  • Spinach leaves.
  • Fried Egg.
  • Streaky bacon
  • Tomato or BBQ sauce (optional)
  • Top half of roll popped on.

 

YUM!