Recipes
18 August 2011
MOUNT LAVINIA HOTEL POTATO & FISH CURRY
- 1 stalk lemongrass, finely chopped
- 2 tbsps tamarind pulp
- 2 large onions, finely sliced
- 2 tbsps mild curry powder (see below)
- 2 tsps turmeric
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 green chilli, chopped
- 6-8 curry leaves
- 1 tbsp mustard seeds, soaked in water
- 1 stick cinnamon
- 2 cups water
- 2 cups coconut milk
- 1 kg baby potatoes
- 600g firm white fish, cut into chunks (Hapuku, groper)
8 2 limes, juice only
- Fresh coriander sprigs for garnish
For the mild curry powder:
- 30g coriander seeds
- 15g cumin seeds
- 10g fennel seeds
Place all seeds in a spice grinder and grind until very fine. Store in an airtight tin.
Place the lemon grass, tamarind paste, onions, curry powder, turmeric and garlic in a heavy pan or wok, and toss over a high heat. When you can smell the aromas as the spices start to toast, add the chilli, curry leaves, mustard seeds, cinnamon stick and the water. Bring to a simmer, stirring well and add the coconut milk. When the liquid comes back to simmering point, add the baby potatoes. Allow to simmer for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Taste and add salt as required. (The curry can be prepared ahead to this point.)
When ready to serve, return the curry to a simmer and add the fish. Simmer for about 2-3 minutes until it turns opaque, season with more salt and the lime juice, garnish with coriander sprigs and serve.
Serves 6 or 8 as part of a meal
Wine match: rose or an icy cold beer
CASHEW NUT, CUCUMBER AND PUMPKIN CURRY
- 3 cups thin coconut milk
- 1 fresh green chilli, seeded and split
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 1 small knob of ginger, finely chopped or grated
- 6cm cinnamon stick
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 8 curry leaves
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 250g raw cashews, soaked overnight in water
- 400g pumpkin, cut into 1cm dice
- 1 cucumber, peeled and cut into 5cm thin batons
- 2 limes
8 Salt to taste
Place the coconut milk, chilli, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon stick, lemongrass and curry leaves in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and allow the mixture to simmer gently for ten minutes.
Add the onion, soaked cashews, pumpkin and cucumber and continue to simmer until the vegetables are tender, adding a little water if the mixture reduces too much. Season with salt and the juice of 1 lime.
Serve with lime wedges and steamed rice.
Serves 6-8 as a part of a curry meal.
Wine match; riesling
FRESH COCONUT & MINT SAMBAL
1 cup fresh grated coconut
(or 1 cup desiccated coconut soaked in hot water for an hour, then squeezed dry), 1 tsp salt, 1 fresh red chilli, finely diced. 2 tbsps lime juice, ½ red onion, finely chopped, ½ cup freshly chopped mint
Combine all ingredients and stir well together. Serve with curries to add flavour.
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18 August 2011
For the following recipe, take the trouble to seek out fine imported dried pasta. You could substitute supermarket ‘house brands’ at a much cheaper price, but the resulting stodgy dish will not have the silky-light-as-air result your dinner guests will love.
- 9 lasagne sheets (Montebello Grano Duro lasagne)
- 3 tbsps olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 150mls dry white wine
- 400g snapper, cut into 3m chunks
- 200g john dory, cut into 3m chunks
- 250g shelled green prawns, sliced lengthwise
- ½ cup chopped herbs (dill, chives and parsley)
- 1 lemon, grated zest only
- 50g finely grated pecorino romano cheese
For the béchamel sauce:
* 1 litre milk
* 1 bay leaf
* 100g butter
* 80g flour
* ½ tsp grated nutmeg
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Heat a large pan of salted water, add one tbsp of the oil and bring to a rapid boil. Add the lasagne sheets and simmer for 3-4 minutes to soften. Remove, drain well and place on sheets of baking paper so they do not stick together.
In a large frying pan, gently heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, add the onion and garlic and cook until turning golden. Add all the fish and prawns with the wine and bring to a simmer for one minute. Stir in the chopped herbs and lemon zest, season with salt and plenty of black pepper and take off the heat.
To make the béchamel sauce, tip the milk into a saucepan, add the bay leaf and bring to simmering point. Turn off the heat and allow the milk to infuse with the bay leaf for 10 minutes. Melt the butter in a heavy bottomed saucepan and stir in the flour. Allow to gently sizzle until the mixture becomes straw–coloured. Slowly add the infused milk, stirring constantly. When all the milk is added and the sauce has slightly thickened add salt and nutmeg to taste.
To assemble the lasagne, take a deep dish (35cm x 25cm) and spread 2 tablespoons of the béchamel sauce across the bottom. Lay 3 sheets of the pasta on this. Spread half the fish mixture on top of the pasta and cover with one third of the béchamel sauce. Lay 3 more sheets on top of this layer and repeat the layering with the remaining fish mixture, covering with half the remaining béchamel. Cover with the final 3 sheets of pasta, and spread the remaining béchamel to cover the pasta. Sprinkle the cheese over this.
Bake for 25- 30 minutes until the top is golden and bubbling. Remove from the oven, and allow the lasagne to settle for 10 minutes before serving with a crunchy green salad.
Serves 6
Wine match: an elegant Hawke’s Bay chardonnay
* Recipe for NZ Listener by Lauraine Jacobs * Photo: Elizabeth Clarkson
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18 August 2011
- 20g dried porcini
- 3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 250g streaky bacon, cut into strips
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 large carrot, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
- 300g chicken livers, roughly chopped
- ½ cup Montebello tomato sugo (or tomato puree)
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cloves
- 300mls white wine
- 6 small pure pork sausages
- 150g dried pasta noodles (Alfieri Tajarin egg noodles)
- 100g finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Soak the porcini in two cups boiling water for at least 20 minutes.
Heat a large deep frying pan, or a sturdy cast iron casserole pan and add 2 tbsps of the olive oil. When it has heated, add the bacon and fry gently until the edges start to become crisp. Add the drained porcini (keeping the liquid), onion and carrot and continue to fry gently until the vegetables are golden. Add the garlic and cook for 60 seconds, then add the chopped chicken livers. Brown these and then add the tomato, bay leaf, and cloves and stir well together. Add the wine and reserved porcini liquid, bring to a boil, turn down to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Check to ensure the ragout does not catch on the base. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Meanwhile cook the sausages in a separate pan in the remaining olive oil until they are golden on all sides. Remove to cool a little and then slice each sausage into 3cm pieces. Add these to the ragout, removing the bay leaf and cloves.
Bring 3 litres of well salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until tender (check the packet for instructions.)
To serve drain the pasta and either toss into the hot ragout to coat completely. (You may choose to divide the pasta between six warmed plates, and top with equal servings of the ragout.) Hand the cheese separately.
Serves 6
Wine match a hearty Italian red or a rich Hawke’s Bay syrah.
Supplier: www.sabato.co.nz
* Recipe for NZ Listener by Lauraine Jacobs * Photo: Elizabeth Clarkson
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20 July 2011
This is my favourite way to have salmon, and is always an instant hit. It takes a mere 6-8 minutes to cook in the oven.
- 4 x 180g pieces of salmon or salmon steaks
- 3 tbsps oyster sauce
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- Freshly ground black pepper
For the salad:
* 2 red peppers
* 300g young tender green beans
* 1 cup rice noodle sticks
* ¼ cup chopped fresh coriander
* 1 lemon, juice and grated zest
* 1 tbsp olive oil
* salt and freshly ground black pepper
* Lime wedges to garnish
To prepare the salmon, spread the oyster sauce over the surface sparingly, with the olive oil and lay the pieces in a roasting pan. Grind fresh black pepper over. Leave to marinate for about 30 minutes. Bake at 190°C for 6-8 minutes until the salmon is almost cooked through. Serve hot with the following salad.
To make the salad, roast the peppers in a hot oven (200°C) for 15 minutes. Cool, peel and cut into thin slices. Trim the beans and cook in boiling salted water until just tender (about 4-5 minutes). Put the rice sticks into salted boiling water and simmer for two minutes. Drain and mix together in a bowl with the beans, peppers and the chopped coriander. Dress with the lemon juice and zest, olive oil and salt and pepper. Serves 4.
- Wine match: a lighter style pinot noir
- photo; Elizabeth Clarkson
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20 July 2011
- 12 small vine-ripened tomatoes
- 100ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon, zest and juice
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Keep the stalk on the vine tomatoes, and make a cross at the base of each. Blanch the tomatoes in boiling water for 5 seconds and refresh immediately in iced water. Peel off the skin, keeping the stalk on, (for garnish) and lay the tomatoes in a shallow dish. Drizzle with the olive oil, season with plenty of salt and pepper and add the lemon zest and juice, garlic and thyme. Toss well to coat and leave to marinate in this mixture for at least 6 hours.
Serve with a dollop of creamy feta and slices of crisp toasted bread. Serves 6 as a nibble.
- Wine match; a fruity sauvignon blanc
- Photo Elizabeth Clarkson
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9 July 2011
Here’s traditional rice pudding that will warm up the family on a cold winter’s evening.
- 75g round grain pudding rice
- 30g butter
- 2 tbsps sugar
- 1 vanilla pod, split
- 750mls whole milk (silver top)
- 250g dried apricots
- 6cm strip of lemon peel
- 750mls water
Heat the oven to 180ºC. Pour the milk into a pan and bring to a boil. Butter a small baking dish, and scatter the rice over the surface, adding the butter and the sugar. Top with the vanilla pod then pour on the hot milk. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour.
Meanwhile place the apricots and lemon peel in a saucepan with the cold water. Bring to a boil and cook for 20 minutes until the apricots soften. Allow to cool.
To serve, spoon rice pudding onto plates with stewed apricots. Hand around extra milk or cream.
Wine match; late harvest riesling
* Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs, Photography Elizabeth Clarkson
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9 July 2011
This recipe is one I cook constantly. Fragrant and moist, it’s perfect for serving with simple chicken and fish dishes. Use a heavy oven dish such as a Le Creuset-type casserole. Saffron gives this dish gorgeous colour but if you do not have any, the rice will still be totally delicious.
- 1 good pinch saffron stigmas
- 2 tablespoons boiling water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
- 1½ litres well flavoured chicken stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to 180˚C. Put the saffron into a tiny ramekin and pour the boiling water over. Allow the stamens to steep for at least 10 minutes to develop colour and flavour. Meanwhile, in a heavy casserole heat the oil, add the chopped shallots and garlic and cook very gently for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the rice and the saffron and stir well. Add the stock (the level of stock should be at least 3cm above the rice) with salt and pepper and continue stirring until the rice comes to a boil. Place the lid on the dish and put into the oven for 25 minutes. Check once or twice to see the rice is not drying out (if there’s danger of that, add a little extra water) and when cooked, remove from the oven and leave to stand for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Serves 6-8.
* Wine match: chardonnay
* Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs, Photography by Elizabeth Clarkson
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27 June 2011
- 1.5kg fresh mussels in the shell
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp curry powder
- 2 eggs, beaten
- 3 tbsps flour
- 2 tbsps coconut cream
- 2 tbsps chopped parsley
- Salt and pepper
Wash the mussels and place in a pan with a cup of water over high heat. As the mussels start to open, remove them with tongs from the pan. When all are opened, remove the mussels from the shells, discarding the beard and the dark, tough foot from each mussel. Divide the shelled mussels in half. Process half in a food processor so they are almost pureed, and roughly chop the remaining half so they are chunky.
Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a heavy frypan and add the onion and curry powder, stirring often until the onion is soft and cooked through.
In a bowl beat the eggs with the flour and coconut cream to form a smooth batter. Add the mussel puree and the chopped mussels with the parsley and seasoning. Allow the batter to stand for at least 10 minutes.
To cook the fritters, heat some of the remaining oil in a heavy frying pan. Drop tablespoons of the mixture into the heated pan, and cook over a gentle heat until golden. Turn, cook the other side and then remove to a heated plate. Cook about 5-6 at a time, adding a little oil as needed. Makes 18-24 fritters to serve warm with a wedge of lemon or lime.
Serves 6.
* wine match: chardonnay
* Recipe by Lauraine Jacobs for NZ Listener
* Photo by Elizabeth Clarkson
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27 June 2011
Sue Pilkington shared this recipe. It is wickedly rich. I used Valrhona cocoa and Valrhona white chocolate ‘nibs’, imported by Sabato, but if these are not available, find another high quality substitute. Take care not to overcook brownies as they should have a fudgey consistency.
- 2 cups caster sugar
- 4 eggs, lightly beaten
- 250g melted butter
- ½ cup cocoa, sifted
- 1 tbsp vanilla essence
- 100g flour
- 200g macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
- 250g white chocolate bits
Preheat oven to 170°C. Whisk together sugar and eggs and when well mixed, add butter, cocoa, and vanilla until combined.
Fold in the flour, add the chopped nuts and chocolate bits.
Spoon into a lined Swiss roll tray lined with baking paper and bake for 35-45 minutes. The mixture should still cling slightly to a skewer when tested. Cool the brownie in the tin.
When cold, put onto a board, cut into 3 x 4 strips, then cut the squares in half diagonally if you wish. Sprinkle the top with icing sugar.
Serves 24
* Wine match: a sweet sherry
* Photo: Elizabeth Clarkson
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27 June 2011
Duck can be expensive, so I try to buy it on special, and freeze it for later. If duck is not a regular on your supermarket shelves, order it on-line as I often do.
- 4 duck Maryland portions (leg and thigh)
8 3 tbsps flour
- Salt and pepper
- 4 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
- 4 medium leeks, sliced into 3cm rings
- 12 -15 pitted prunes
- 2 oranges
- bay leaves
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 5-6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tbsps chopped parsley
Trim a little of the fat from the duck portions. Dust with flour, seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a heavy frying pan, and brown the duck well on all sides. Remove to a heavy casserole dish. Tip out extra fat from the pan so that about 4 tablespoons remain.
Pre-heat the oven to 190°C.
Add the leeks to the pan and fry gently for about 4-5 minutes until they soften, then add the prunes, juice and zest of one of the oranges, and the bay leaves and toss well together over the heat. Add the wine, stock and thyme sprigs, and bring this to a fast simmer. After about 5 minutes, tip this mixture over the duck legs and allow the casserole to return to a simmer.
Cover with the lid, and place the dish in the oven and bake for an hour and fifteen minutes. Remove the casserole and check that there is still plenty of liquid, adding a little water if it is starting to dry out. If the meat is starting to fall from the bone, it’s ready, or it may need a further 15 minutes to ensure is “cooked until delicious”. Allow the dish to stand for about 5 minutes before serving, peel and segment the remaining orange, and add to the duck with the chopped parsley. Accompany with mashed potato and steamed green beans. Serves 4.
- Wine match: a soft Marlborough pinot noir
- Supplier; www.rubyslist.co.nz
- REcipe for NZ Listener by Lauraine Jacobs
- Photo: Elizabeth Clarkson
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