spanish omelette

When Sunday breakfast calls for a something a little bit more special than googy eggs and toast soldiers (which are still pretty darn cool), here's an easy Spanish Omelette recipe you can prepare quickly. It's all about minimal effort and maximum compliments on Sunday mornings.



Ingredients

2 roasted dutch cream potatoes, coarsly chopped
1 roasted capsicum, skin off, sliced
6 or 7 cherry tomatoes, roasted
1 small zucchini, cubed
1/2 a Spanish onion, finely sliced
6 large eggs. I don't need to tell you they should be free range.
2 strips of flat pancetta, sliced.
A generous chunk of ash goats cheese
parmesan cheese for grating
a splash of milk
1 tablespoon of duck fat



Method

If you're stuck for time, do this first bit the night before:

Peel and par boil potatoes for 15 minutes

Preheat an oven to 230 with a baking tray containing 1 tablespoon of duck fat

After 10 minutes, add the potatoes and half a head of garlic, with the tops chopped off

After a further 20 minutes, turn the heat down to 190 degrees and add the capscium, halved and cored and the tomatoes

Roast for a further 20 minutes and remove the tray from the oven when the capsicums and tomatoes have collapsed.

Keep the veggies in the fridge overnight.

In the morning:

Preheat oven to 190 degrees

Chop potatoes into large cubes, remove skin from capsicum and slice into strips.

In a frying pan (that can be put in the oven), on a medium heat, sautee pancetta, zucchini, roasted garlic, onion until the onion becomes translucent. There is no need to add oil if you start cooking the pancetta first, as the fat will render out.

Add sliced capsicum, potatoes and tomatoes

Beat the eggs in separate bowl, adding a dash of milk and season with grated parmesan, salt and pepper

Pour the egg mixture into the pan and crumble the goats cheese on top

Allow to remain on the stove at medium heat for 5 minutes

Put the pan in the oven and allow to cook for a further 15 minutes or until the egg has set

Remove from oven and allow it to cool slightly before running a knife around the edge to loosen the omelette.

Serve with sourdough toast and a strong cup of English breakfast.

Tip: make enough to keep leftovers...this one makes a great midnight snack.

help save fbi radio

For those of you who live in Sydney, you'll know FBi radio as a young, independent voice amongst the radio world. Purveyors of new music talent, with fingers on the pulse of what's hot to trot, and not. They're even kind enough to let me ramble about food on my segment at 4.30pm Fridays, with Sweetie and Shag.

A lack of funding means that this thoroughly brilliant station is at risk of closing down, meaning one less channel of original thought to keep you alive in your office, car or home. Not normally one for throwing out a hand to ask for money, if you do have a heart and a few loose dollars spare, there is something you can do to support FBi.

Simply click below to find our more about:

1. The amazing gigs being thrown around Sydney to support the cause, including bands like The Paper Scissors, Urthboy, Decoder Ring and The Midnight Juggernauts.
2. How to donate a few spare coins
3. How to become an FBi supporter

You can even win a trip to VFest in London on business class Virgin, or a business class trip to LA..courtesy of Mr Richard Branson, himself. Now THAT's a prize!

burger king's print ad fail

The lines between food and sex do tend to blur from time to time. Oysters and prosecco, for one, is known to be a killer combo, and who's to say that old adage about strawberries and chocolate sauce doesn't work wonders for some?

But a 7 inch hamburger? Spare me.



Burger King in the US have just launched a new product to it's menu - the "mind blowing" (their words, not mine) burger contains a single beef patty, topped with American cheese, crispy onions and the A1 Thick and Hearty Steak Sauce.

The print campaign contains an unfortunate model doing her best blow-up doll impression, as the burger in question heads towards her mouth, in "here comes the aeroplane" fashion. Blow jobs. Penises. Mind blowing orgasms. Yes, Burger King - we get it. But the bigger question is "Where the hell did you find your copy? Did it come in a brown paper bag from the local adult xxx store?"

In an increasingly desensitised world, we may have lost a fair few virtues along the way - though we hope taste remains a last bastion of hope (for some). Perhaps Burger King should consider it as a featured ingredient in their next campaign.

patchett's pies

Monday to Friday

7am to 3pm Sarah Street, Mascot
Phone: (02) 9667 3799
Fax: (02) 9317 3771


The guys at Patchett's Pies, really know their stuff. They should, having been at it for 27 years.

Started by Sue Patchett and now run by Dan, this little gem plays wholesale factory cum cafe, hidden away in a back street of Mascot. Food foragers should mark this one on their 'To Eat' list if you are at all inclined by way of pie.



Supplying to retailers around Sydney, such as David Jones food hall - it's possible you've tried them without knowing the true source (or is that sauce?) of pie goodness.




There are pies, and then there are pies. A few cornish pasties (Sue is a Yorkshire lass), empanadas and other exotic pastry varieties, but if you're after a true pie experience, start with the pork pie.



Made with a traditional flour and water crust, the pork filling is suspended in gelatine and is served cold. Pork pie virgins take heart - you will be coming back for more once you've tried it.



Pork pies aside, the chicken and leek pie is also a winner - subtle gravy, actual presence of leek and generous pieces of chicken encased in a flaky, buttery pastry that won't give way should you decide the knife and fork is superfluous.

Though it's worth the trip alone to be greeted with the cheerful ladies behind the counter, dolling out these delectable savoury pastries to the lunch crowd, starting at around $5 - you might as well grab a couple for the road, too.

celeriac and celery soup with fennel and parmesan cigars

Soup season is well and truly upon us, so here's another to add to your arsenal of cold-fighting, belly-filling, toe-warming recipes.



Ingredients:

Soup

1/2 bunch of celery, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 celeriac root, peeled and chopped
4 Dutch cream potatoes
1 brown onion, chopped
900 mls of vegetable stock
1 carrot, peeled and halved
Salt and pepper for seasoning
1 tablespoon of goose fat

Fennel cigars:

1 sheet puff pastry
Parmesan for shaving
1 heaped teaspoon of fennel seeds
milk for brushing

Method:

Soup

On medium heat, fry onion, garlic, carrot, celery and celeriac in goose fat until the vegetables have softened and become translucent.

Add vegetable stock, potatoes and top with two cups of water

Bring up the temperature to simmer

After an hour or so, the soup should have reduced by about a third

Remove carrots and puree the contents using a hand blender, season with salt and pepper to taste (the carrot's purpose is to add flavour to the soup, and can be discarded and used in something else at this point).

Continue to simmer for 20 minutes or until you've reached a satisfactory thickness. You can add a long dash of cream if you want give the soup a creamier texture.



Fennel and Parmesan cigars

Cut pastry into four long strips

Season with salt and pepper and add shaved parmesan

Roll it up!

Brush with milk and press a pinch of fennel seeds into the top

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until golden and crisp

Serve with the soup. The fennel seeds release their oils into the pastry in the baking process and the ainseed flavour works well with the creamy celeriac. A great vehicle to dip into soup.

hot smoked trout quiche with goats cheese, zucchini and pine nuts

Quiche. Once only the domaine of ladies who lunch, and in particular some broad named Lorraine.

This recipe is inspired by a recent trip to Everleigh farmers markets, and more specifically the excellent produce Delicious Foods are putting out there, by way of bright coral hot smoked trout and other smoked fish products. Sydney's groundswell of farmers markets often see the same purveyors, much to critics and food whore's disdain. Really though, if providores are selling great quality produce - isn't it just spreading the love?

Ingredients

Two sheets of puff pastry (the guys at Careme do it best if you're buying premade)
100 grams piece of hot smoked trout, coarsely flaked
5 large (freerange) eggs
1/4 cup of milk
1/2 a zucchini
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano, grated
salt and pepper to taste
50g soft goats cheese, crumbled

Method

Preheat the oven to 190% c

In small pie dishes, trace the circumference of the pastry (allowing for an edge) and cut the pastry to fit in each dish.

In a bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and cheese. Season with salt and pepper.

Using a vegetable peeler, peel ribbons of zucchini

Pour half the egg mixture into each pastry case, arrange the zucchini ribbons, goats cheese, trout and pine nuts and top up with egg mixture

Top each quiche with more cheese, salt and pepper

Bake in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes, or until the pastry is golden and the egg is almost set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool (this will allow the egg to further set)

cooking with armando percuoco

Casa Barilla
4 Annadale Street
Annandale, NSW 2038

There are many adjectives one might use to describe a chef. Most of them involve coupling them with expletives and result in painting the picture of a passionate but cocky, rude and often tyranic ruler over gas flames and cowering minions in a kitchen near you.



Not so when it comes to Armando Percuoco, owner and head chef of Darlinghurst's Buon Ricordo. At least, not when he's conducting amateurs at the winter season of CIRA (Council of Italian Restaurants in Australia) cooking school.

This particular Saturday morning, the notoriously charming Mr Percuoco walked our motley crew of hens weekenders, Masterchef wannabes and chef whores through a 'cucina povera' or peasant food-themed look at Italian food and how to master it at home. Held in Annandale's Casa Barilla, the set up is geared towards being able to see, hear, smell and taste everything demonstrated before replicating it yourself under the gentle guidance of a master.

A combination of passionate ramblings, a few pointed lessions in pronounciation ("It is pronounced 'broo-sket-ta'!") and invaluable kitchen and life tips, Armando demonstrates a starter, entree and main designed for busy professionals and Italianofiles alike.

The aforementioned bruschetta was easy enough, though the carciofi stufate - braised artichokes with bacon illicited a few confused looks as each table was presented with a bouquet of the shiny green, purple-tinged members of the thistle family.



Thankfully Armando's laid back approach to home cooking put most at ease. So to, I suspect did the glass of vino that accompanied our victory over the first part of the class.



Several more anecdotes, glasses of wine, flourishes and cooing of "Bella, you married?" and we've succeeded in producing pagello con fiori - goldband snapper fillets with zucchini flowers, complete with crisp golden skin with mint-infused floral accent.



The results were simple and pleasing - and most of all tasty, leaving everyone with a greater sense of confidence, fanned by Armando's compliments and reassurance. This being my first proper cooking class since home economics at high school, I don't think I did too badly!

Thanks to CIRA for sending me along - their winter cooking school continues into August, so there's pleny of time to check the likes of Danny Russo from The Beresford, Lucio Galetto from Lucio's and more in action.

in search of pork crackling

A few weeks ago, I attended a Yultide dinner at Restaurant Atelier, hosted by Australian Pork.

Not one to shun a goodie bag, I was delighted to find not cosmetics, hairdressing vouchers to hip salons or even holidays...but I did find a rack of moisture infused pork.

Having thrown down the gauntlet to the other guests at the dinner, here's my dish:

Pot roasted rack of pork with ruby grapefruit and parmesano reggiano salad and pancetta roasted portobello mushroom

The recipe is loosely based on Darren Templeman's pot roasted pork with winter spice cure.

Ingredients:

1 pork rack containing four cutlets
1 carrot (diced)
1 stick of celery (diced)
2 echallots (diced)
1 mild chilli, halved
1 bulb of garlic, top chopped off
500 mls of meat stock (I used chicken, but veal or beef will work well)
1/2 cup red wine
3 strips of pancetta
2 portobello mushrooms
1/2 ruby grapefruit
Parmegiano reggiano shavings
salad greens
plenty of salt and pepper to season
Merlot verjus

Method

Pork

Step 1 (cut a hole in the box)..not quite but I did have a lot of fun using my filleting knife to remove the skin from the rack in order to create what would hopefully be successful crackling later on.



Tie each cutlet with string. This will help keep the moisture in the pork and looks like you know what you're doing.

Season the pork with salt and pepper and in a hot frypan, brown the outside of the rack.

Pop it in a pot with the head of galic, lid on and into a pre-heated oven at 170 degrees for one hour.

Mushrooms

Lay mushrooms on a tray, top with olive oil chopped pancetta and freshly ground pepper (no salt as the pancetta will season the mushroom for you).

Place the tray at the bottom of the oven to do it's thing.

Jus

Heat the stock in a pot to simmering temperature.

In the frypan you browned the pork in, heat the pan to medium, add a splash of olive oil and the diced veggies and chilli. Sautee until the veggies become coated and translucent.

Add a splash of Merlot verjus to deglaze the pan and pour the contents into the stock, along with the wine. Boil this mixture down for an hour until reduced and thickened.

Once the jus is on the boil, turn your attention to the pork skin.

Crackling

Score the skin with a sharp knife and generously rub with olive oil and plenty of salt on both sides. Kick off the browning process by frying the skin side in a hot pan for 5 minutes before placing it on a wire rack near the top of the oven. (be careful..fat splatter burns aren't attractive)

After an hour, remove the pork (and the mushrooms) from the oven and let it rest. Dress the mushrooms with a few drops of balsamic vinegar.

Pour the juices from the pot into the jus and continue to simmer. Season the jus to taste with salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar.

At this point, crank the heat up to 230 in the oven to crisp up the crackling for another 20 minutes.


Salad

Peel the grapefruit flesh from the skin and slice finely.
Toss this into a bowl of salad greens, shaved reggiano, along with a good splash of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Done.




Serve each cutlet with the salad and half a mushroom, the roasted garlic and the reduced jus.



And the crackling? Slice it up and let them fight for it!

red oak beer cafe

Red Oak Beer Cafe

201 Clarence Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone (02) 9262 3303
Fax (02) 9262 3304

www.redoak.com.au

Most people tend to flee Sydney’s CBD as soon as the gong hits 5.30pm. The Fred Flintstone punch card gets stamped and people march (heads hung low) from whence they came. For many, post-work calls for a relaxing atmosphere and a cleansing ale and, if beer is indeed your schtick, then Red Oak may give you something to linger for in this neck of the woods.

The beer seriously good: It should be; brewer David Hollyoak created his first when he was 14 (ok, so it was ginger). Red Oak has consistently won awards for its subsequent brews since it opened in 2004, making it one of the stayers in Sydney’s boutique beer dynasty. Incidentally, Hollyoak also holds an Associate Diploma in Brewing from Ballarat University – now there’s a course of study to focus hard on.

Step inside this beer hall and you’ll be transported to a warmly lit, wood-lined space which calls on the atmosphere of yesteryear, complete with iron pressed ceilings and period lighting fixtures.

Start with the Belgian style Framboise Froment, a signature fave. Infused with raspberries, don’t be fooled into thinking this is merely a girly beer – the tart flavours and fruit aromas will please anyone who’s interested in truly interesting beer. On the unexpected infusion tip, there are also versions marrying mango, honey and even chocolate with the much loved beverage. Far from being a novelty, they’re crafted to compliment the ingredients, flavours and brewing styles; resulting in something pretty special.

If you’re more of a traditionalist, there’s a lot to whet your appetite here – everything from pilsners (light and crisp), bocks (medium and golden) and stouts (dark and rich) to choose from depending on your preference. Don’t know where to start? The very helpful staff will point beer novices and experts alike in the right direction of a suitable ale.

As is custom with brewery bars such as this, there are tasting boards (smaller versions) to try, so you can sip and compare before you commit to a schooner, stein or pint. For $20, they’re matched to your preference in food (meat, vegetarian, seafood or cheese) so you’re not tasting on an empty stomach.

The seafood flight takes my fancy - the seafood chowder with herb infused cream is warming, is a balance of sea and herb-infused flavours and is far to small in my opinion. The meat tasting, containing a confit of pork tenderloin topped with tomato confit probably has one 'confit' too many in the name but the pork is tender and the tomato brightens and compliments Kolsch beer you'll sip with it. There’s also a full dining menu, starting at $16 – with each dish coming with a recommendation on a complementary beer...how’s that for helpful?

Those who believe beer cannot be appreciated in the same highbrow manner as wine are sorely mistaken. Wine wankers step aside, at Red Oak, you’ll learn that a blackberry hefeweizen (German wheat beer) carries the flavours of banana and clove in its light, cloudy depths, for example. Not unlike the new Local Taphouse in Darlinghurst, you’ll also learn what to look for in different types of beer; a creamy head of foam here, or a velvety texture there. It’s not required learning though – it’s really all about enjoying the journey of discovering a new favourite friend.