The bacon jam bandwagon

Earlier in the year, we went for breakfast at Seven Seeds cafe in Melbourne (which I should mention is a wicked cafe, by the way) and for the first time experienced bacon jam. To be precise, they served hard boiled eggs with warm bacon jam. Tasty.

I looked it up straight away and found the recipe at Not Quite Nigella and Martha Stewart. I forgot about it until a conversation about the ‘next big thing’ with the amazing Butchers Hook - and here it is. It was actually really easy to make. I was having a bit of a lazy cooking day, so the great part is that you just fry off the bacon and onion, chuck it into a pot with the rest of the ingredients and simmer for a couple of hours until it caramelises and then blend. There you have it, bacon jam.

Frying off the bacon

Give it a good simmer

A mouth watering jar of bacon jam

Bacon Jam

800 grams of smoked bacon
6 cloves garlic, chopped
2 red onions, sliced
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 shots of espresso coffee
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 bay leaf
1 tspn dried chilli flakes
Black pepper to taste
extra water

Cook bacon, onions and garlic in a frying pan over a medium heat until bacon fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Cook for two hours, until syrupy then blend to preferred consistency (I like mine fairly chunky).

Cool, then refrigerate. Or alternatively, warm a tablespoon in a pan and enjoy with eggs cooked in your favourite way!

Tags: bacon jam, baking, foodie, jam

A light supper

Do you look in to the fridge at dinner time and think “I’ve got nothing to cook”? Well here’s a simple supper from Jen, who has the ability to whip up something tasty almost out of thin air.

Cheese Scones (via Mary Berry)

225g SR flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp baking powder
25 gm butter
150gm mature cheddar
1 egg
Milk

Preheat oven to 220 degrees. Lightly grease a baking tray.
Measure the dry ingredients into a bowl. Add the butter and rub with fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in 100gm of the cheese.
Break egg into a jug and make up to 150ml with the milk.
Stir egg and milk into the dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Roll out to a 15cm circle and mark into wedges. Brush with milk and sprinkle with cheese.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Tags: baking, cheese, salad, scones

Easter feasting: prawn and smoked salmon ravioli

Mum requested that we recreated the seafood ravioli using wonton wrappers, once made at Easter about 10 years ago. We cobbled together a recipe by memory, and using Google. The end result turned out much better than expected!

Prawn and smoked salmon ravioli

=== FOR THE FILLING ===
2 tb Unsalted butter
1/3 c Finely-chopped shallot
1/2 c Finely-chopped smoked
-salmon;
Green prawn meat
1/4 c mascarpone at room temperature
2 tb Minced fresh dill
3 tb Minced fresh chives
2 tb Fresh lemon juice
Salt; to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper;
- to taste
24 Won ton wrappers (we used 80!)

Melted butter
Sour cream
Minced fresh dill

=== ACCOMPANIMENTS ===

Preparation
In a small skillet melt the butter over moderate heat and cook the shallots, stirring, until soft. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Stir in the salmon, green prawn meat, mascarpone, dill, chives, lemon juice, salt and pepper, mixing well to combine and chill, covered, for 1 hour.
Prepare the won ton ravioli: Place 1 won ton wrapper on a lightly floured surface, mound 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center ofthe wrapper, and brush the edges with water. Put a second wrapper over the first, pressing down around the filling to force out the air, seal the edges well, and trim the excess dough around the filling (we didn’t do this).
Make won ton ravioli with the remaining wrappersand filling in the same manner, transferring them as they are formed to a dry kitchen towel, and turn them occasionally to let them dry slightly.
Bring a pot of salted water to a gentle boil and in it cook the ravioli in batches for 2 minutes, or until they rise to the surface and are tender. (Do no let the water boil vigorously once the ravioli have been added.) Transfer the ravioli as they are cooked with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and keep them warm.
Serve the warm ravioli drizzled with the melted butter and topped with sourcream and minced fresh dill.

Tags: baking, Easter, entree, pasta, prawns, ravioli

Whoopppeeeee! Getting a taste of Whoopie Pies

 

 

The last man standing - chocolate and peanut butter whoopie

Bianca and I have been talking about whoopie pies for a while. Apparently they are going to be the new macaron, so obviously we have to try the latest baking trend. Finally it’s been rainy enough to force me into the kitchen, so I headed straight for Martha Stewart and chose the chocolate and peanut butter whoopie pies as the first port of call.

The recipe called to drop ‘tablespoons’ of mixture on to a baking tray. The resulting whoopie pies were bigger than I had expected, but nevertheless they were delish! I think that the best tip would be to go for a smaller scoop of cake mixture as it spreads quite a lot.

I went for a different peanut butter than the one suggested by Martha (which contained a bit too much butter for my liking). I added a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and squeezed a lemon to counteract the sweetness. I can’t find the recipe again so sorry, I’ll have to guess it.

Finally, my whoopie pies, which look a bit like flying saucers, are iced with melted chocolate and sprinkled with hundreds and thousands to add an element of party!

Chocolate whoopie pies (from Martha)

1. • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
   • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)
   • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
   • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
   • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
   • 1/4 cup vegetable shortening
   • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
   • 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
   • 1 large egg
   • 1 cup whole milk
   • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

   Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into a small bowl; set aside.

2. Add butter, shortening, and sugars to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on high speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add egg; beat until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add half the flour mixture, then the milk and vanilla; beat until combined. Add the remaining flour mixture. Beat together, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
3. Drop 12 slightly rounded tablespoons of batter 2 inches apart on each baking sheet. Bake the cookies in the upper and lower thirds of oven, 10 minutes; switch the positions of the baking sheets, and rotate each one. Continue baking until the cookies spring back to the touch, 2 to 4 minutes more.
4. Remove from oven; let cookies cool on baking sheets, 10 minutes.Transfer with a metal spatula to a wire rack; let cool completely. Meanwhile, line a cooled baking sheet with a new piece of parchment; repeat process with remaining batter.
5. Spread 1 scant tablespoon buttercream on flat sides of half the cookies.Top each with one of the remaining cookies, flat side down, and gently press together. Transfer pies to a tray. 

Peanut butter icing

1. • 1 jar of smooth peanut butter
   • 2 cups of icing sugar
   • milk
   • 1 tblspn butter
   • vanilla essence

Beat the butter, icing sugar, vanilla and add milk gradually until fluffy. Add the peanut butter and keep beating until pale and fluffy. Add a sprinkle of Maldon sea salt and drizzle in the lemon juice to taste. It shouldn’t be too sweet or too salty.

 

Tags: baking, chocolate cake, cupcakes, macarons, peanut butter frosting, whoopie pies

Goodbye sugar, hello panela

Coffee served with panela at the Auction Rooms in Melbourne

Evaporated pure cane sugar is all of the rage in Melbourne. I don’t usually have sugar, but how could I resist it served in a cute old tin? Wicked breakfast at the Auction Rooms in Melbourne.

A festive summer tiramisu

My sister asked me for a creamy st1rawberry recipe today, which reminded me of my Christmas berry pudding. It is basically a take on the tiramisu from an old edition of the Gourmet Traveller, that is simply delicious eaten at any time of the year. Luckily I found a photo, so here’s the recipe! (excuse the biscuits which I slightly “overcooked” in the new oven)

Summer berry and marscapone pudding

• 2 x tubs of marscapone cheese
• 6 yolks
• 6 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks
• 6 tblspns of castor sugar
• 1 tspn of vanilla extract
• 300ml single cream, whipped
• 1 packet of amaretti biscuits, crushed to coarse chunks
• 1 packet of hazelnuts, chopped
• 2 punnets of strawberries, raspberries, blueberries (and blackberries if you like)

Beat the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla until pale. Fold in the marscapone and egg whites. Add the amaretti crumbs and chopped hazelnuts.

To assemble: Layer the mascapone mixture with the mixed berries in a glass bowl and leave in the fridge to set for 3 – 4 hours.

When ready to serve, top your pudding with a wreath of berries and some star-shaped shortbread. Dust with icing sugar and get ready for the crowd to attack with gumption!

 

 

 

Tags: baking, christmas, mascapone, tiramisu

Watermelon Preserve or Waatlemoen Konfyt: a three-day extravaganza

I can’t say that I’ve ever made a preserve before, unless you count preserved lemons. So I’m not sure why I decided to attempt what would have to be the most difficult and time consuming preserve known to man – a South African classic called Watermelon Preserve (or what we’ve always called ‘Watermelon Konfyt’).

Firstly, you have to find a watermelon that’s not too ripe, as it needs to have a thick skin. Coles and Thomas Dux didn’t seem to have anything that fit the bill, but luckily Paddy’s Markets came through with the goods.

Step 1: Eat the sweet watermelon, then peel off the green hard skin and trim away the pink flesh. From what I remember  you’d usually cut off all of the pink flesh, I was a bit lazy when it came to trimming.

Step 2: Prick the rind with a fork and make sure that you’ve pierced all of the way through. Weigh the rinds at this stage. Soak the rinds in water, adding 4 tblspns of bicarb soda for every litre of water. Wait for 24 hours and wonder whether you have enough energy to make it through the next stage?

Peeling and soaking the watermelon rinds

DAY 2
Boiling happened. Lots and lots of boiling.

Watermelon - after boiling in syrup all day

DAY 3
Waatlemoenkonfyt – Watermelon Preserve

1 preserving or ordinary watermelon
25ml (2T) slaked lime or 50ml (4T) bicarbonate of soda
per 5 litres of water for 1 melon
1 kg sugar per 1 kg peel
2 litres water per 1 kg sugar
20ml (4t) lemon juice per 1 kg peel
pinch salt
2 pieces bruised fresh ginger per 1kg peel

• Slice melon, discarding soft flesh. Thinly peel hard green rind and discard. Cut remaining peel into squares, prick well on both sides and weigh pieces.
• Soak peel in lime solution for 2 days ( 12 to 18 hours for ordinary watermelon). Rinse peel well and soak in fresh water for 2 hours.
• Drain and place pieces in boiling water, one piece at a time. Boil uncovered until just tender, test with a matchstick.
• To make syrup, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, salt and ginger in a saucepan over low heat and bring to the boil as soon as sugar has dissolved.
• Place the peel in boiling syrup and boil rapidly until pieces are tender and translucent and syrup is thick.
• Pack into hot, dry, sterilised jars, fill jars with syrup and seal immediately.

Tags: baking, preserves, south africa food, waatlemoen konfyt, watermelon

Pate and pave at Bluebell Street

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while. We had lunch with our family friend Shirley a few weeks ago, which called for something special.

On the menu – Chad’s version of Rick Steins’ ‘Coarse pork and herb terrine’ followed by Bianca’s chocolate pave.

Chad's pork and veal terrine

Coarse pork and herb terrine

2 tbsp olive oil
175g/6oz onions, finely chopped
1kg/2¼lb rindless boned pork belly, cut into small pieces
175g/6oz rindless back bacon, cut into small pieces
175g/6oz lamb’s or pig’s liver, cut into small pieces
2 small garlic cloves, finely chopped
large handful parsley leaves, finely chopped
1½ tbsp chopped rosemary
1½ tbsp chopped thyme
1½ tsp salt
1½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
pickled blueberries and beetroot chutney, to serve
Preparation method
Heat the oil in a frying pan, add the onions and fry gently until soft but not browned.
Transfer to a large mixing bowl and leave to cool.
Put the pork belly into a food processor and chop, using the pulse button, into a coarse mixture.
Add to the onions in the bowl. Put the bacon and liver in the food processor and again, coarsely chop, then transfer to the bowl.
Add the garlic, chopped herbs, salt and freshly ground black pepper and mix everything together really well – the best way of distributing the ingredients evenly is with your hands.
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Put the mixture into a lightly oiled 1.5 litre/2½ pint terrine dish or loaf tin and slightly round off the top.
Cover with a lid or some foil, put into a small roasting tin and pour enough hot water into the tin to come half way up the sides of the dish. Bake for 1½ hours.
Uncover the terrine and cook for a further 15 minutes, until it is lightly coloured on top.
Remove the dish from the roasting tin and leave to cool. Then weight down the terrine overnight in the fridge. The easiest way to do this is to cut out a piece of cardboard that will fit inside the rim of the dish, cover it with foil, then place it on top of the terrine and place a few weights or unopened cans on top.
To serve, remove the terrine from the dish in slices. Accompany with lots of crusty bread, pickled blueberries beetroot chutney and some cornichons.
For the pickled blueberries, put 1.2 litres/2 pints of distilled malt vinegar into a pan with 30 garlic cloves, 12 allspice berries, a 5cm/2 inch piece of cinnamon stick, 4 small dried red chillies and 900g/2lb granulated sugar.
Bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar, remove from the heat and leave to stand for 2 hours.
Pack 175g/6oz of blueberries into sterilised 450g/1lb jars and pour over the cool syrup. Seal with vinegar-proof lids and leave for 2-3 months before using.
For the beetroot chutney, (makes 7 x 450g/1 lb jars) peel 900g/2lb raw beetroot and coarsely shred on a mandolin or by hand.
Put into a preserving pan with 450g/1lb chopped onions, 750g/1½ lb peeled, cored and roughly chopped cooking apples, 450g/1lb raisins, 3 tbsp ground ginger, 2 tsp dried chilli flakes, 900g/2lb granulated sugar, 1.2 litres/2 pints malt vinegar, 30g/1½oz salt and juice of 1 lemon.
Heat gently, stirring, until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer gently, uncovered, for about 2 hours, until well reduced and quite thick but don’t forget that it will thicken even further as it cools.
Spoon into warm, sterilised jars, cover with waxed discs and then seal with vinegar-proof lids. It will keep for up to one year.

Bianca's chocolate pave

Tags: baking, chocolate, pate, pave, terrine

Berry Sourdough Bakery and Cafe – a hidden treasure

It’s been a while between posts due to a few weekend holidays! We drove down to Currarong in the South Coast and (after a raving recommendation from mum and dad) stopped at the Berry Sourdough Bakery for lunch on the way back.

I must admit that I always thought of Berry as a tourist trap, but I take that back as our lunch was one of the best I’ve had in a while. Simple, no fussy foams – and most importantly – tasty!

As it was a cold and rainy day, I went for the crumbed pork cheek with lentil and cornichon salad. The pork cheek was melt-in-the-mouth tender and the slivers of cornichon in the lentil salad freshened it up.

Fred considered ordering a sandwich, but with a bit of convincing was talked into ordering the beef pie. It was a beautiful pie packed full with a tender chunks of beef.

Crumbed pork cheek with lentil salad

Beef pie with caramelised onion and potato mash

After lots of “oohs” and “aahs” after a meal this good we simply HAD to try dessert. A chocolate bread and butter pudding topped with cinnamon poached figs and clotted cream. Need I say more?

Okay I will say one thing, this is a recipe I’d like to conquer one day. I scanned around in search of something similar – as far as I can tell you add cocoa to the egg/milk mixture and scatter pieces of 70% chocolate in between the layers of bread. Amazing!

Chocolate Bread Pudding

Tags: bakery, baking, Berry, bread and butter pudding, pork cheek, recipes, south coast

Cupcakes!

From Mally & Bianca’s bakery.

Tags: baking