Super delicious and so simple to make. Recipe will follow soon!
Category: Roasts
Victor Churchill – Haute Couture butcher in Sydney
Going to Victor Churchill’s “Haute Couture” butcher shop in Woollahra, Sydney is always inspirational and it is very difficult to leave without a delicious treat in hand.
It is a total experience, being able to watch the master butchers at work and ogle the mind bogglingly array of super-delicious products. Or better still go home with some of it!
Their is a special air drying room producing delicious charcuterie and their is also House smoked salmon and trout.
If you are feeling really indulgent or running out of time, you can order home dining – certain cuts of meat and chicken are cooked on their rotisserie and word is that their roast potatoes are delicious. They also offer charcuterie platters. Their desserts are just as divine as the rest with mouth-watering meringue tarts and more to tempt.
Today it was their Terrine de Campagne that enticed us. Here’s a taste of what you can expect.
Or visit http://www.victorchurchill.com
Definitely worth a visit especially if you are looking for the best quality meats and unusual cuts.
Smashed Roast potatoes with Greek Flavours
Made these smashed roast potatoes to go with a Greek Beef Stifado(stew) last night. The resulting lemony, garlicky, crispy potatoes were delicious and be great as an accompaniment any time. Thought I’d share for your enjoyment.
Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 35 minutes or so
Ingredients:
8-10 baby potatoes
5 cloves of garlic
Juice of 1/2 lemon
4 tablespoons olive oil
4-5 cups Water for boiling potatoes
Salt
Method:
1. Bring water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pot, ensuring enough water to comfortably cover potatoes. Add potatoes and garlic cloves.
2. Heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
3. When potatoes are tender and starting to split, drain and allow to “dry out” for 5 minutes or so
4. Seperate garlic cloves from potatoes and place in a mortar and pestle. Mash garlic cloves then add lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and olive oil. Mix well together until a creamy vinaigrette is formed.
5. Cut or smash potatoes in dish and sprinkle vinaigrette over the potatoes. (You can sprinkle with some thyme at this point too if you like.) Gently mix to coat potatoes in garlic, lemon oil.
6. Roast potatoes until outside and edges crisp up and brown. Turn heat up to 250 degrees to finish if needed to get a really crispy outer.
7. Enjoy!
Spicy Roast Chicken with lemon and onions
This roast chicken is spiced up with an indian marinade and perked up by the lemon and onions that it is stuffed with. Perfect for any occasion from Sunday lunch or simple weeknight dinner. Delicious with roast potatoes, a crisp green salad and a crispy white wine!
Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken (approximately 1.5kg)
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp cummin powder
1 tspn salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
8-10 springs of thyme
1 lemon cut into quarters
1 onion cut into quarters
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Pound garlic cloves in a mortar and pestle.
Make marinade by mixing together chilli powder, turmeric powder, cummin powder, salt, crushed garlic and oil in a bowl.
Pat chicken dry, rub inside of chicken with ¼ of the marinade. Place a few springs of thyme inside the chicken, then stuff with equal amounts of the lemon and onions. (Save any leftover onions and lemon)
Truss the chicken tying together chicken legs with kitchen twine. I also use small metal skewers to close the cavity but this is not essential.
Rub the outside of the chicken with rest of marinade.
Line roasting pan with baking paper.
Lay a “bed” for the chicken with the rest of thyme sprigs, place chicken on thyme.
Throw in any leftover lemon or onion if you have any.
Roast chicken in oven for approximately 1.5 hours, checking to see if cooked by inserting skewer in the thickest part of thigh. If the chicken is cooked the juices will run clear with no sign of pink.
Remove from oven and let the chicken rest for 5-10 minutes. Then remove the lemon and onion and discard before carving.Serve hot or at room temperature.
Indian Spicy Mint and Coriander Chutney
This crunchy, spicy mint and coriander chutney, which is almost like a pesto, goes brilliantly with grilled meats, prawns and fish. It is a great accompaniment for any Indian meal, Aussie BBQ or just spread on toast! I have also used it as a chutney with cheese and biscuits.
Easy and quick to make, it will keep well in the fridge for up to a week. Best to bring to room temperature before serving.
Traditionally made by roasting and then grinding the peanuts, I cheat and use super-crunchy peanut butter which works very well to bind the herbs into a pesto like texture.
Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1 bunch mint – leaves removed from stalks and washed well
1 bunch coriander – with roots removed, washed well and chopped into large pieces
1-2 red chillies chopped into large pieces
2 cloves garlic and equal amount of ginger crushed to a paste
1 medium onion finely diced
1 medium ripe tomato finely diced
1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cummin seeds
1 stick cinnamon
2 tablespoons super-crunchy peanut butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Method:
Whizz coriander, mint and chillies in a food processor until finely chopped
Heat oil in non-stick frying pan, add cinnamon, cummin seeds and mustard seeds and cook until mustard seeds pop, but be careful not to burn
Add onions and cook slowly over medium-low heat until translucent
Add ginger and garlic paste, tomatoes and a pinch of salt and fry with onions until soft and slightly caramelised
Add mint, coriander and chilli mixture and heat through
Just as leaves start to change colour, add peanut butter and mix through as it starts to melt, cook for 1 minute, then remove from heat
Allow to cool slightly so peanut butter firms up again, then serve warm or at room temperature as an accompaniment.
Christmas Turkey Stuffing
It’s been a very busy lead up to Christmas so there hasn’t been much time to post recipes but there has been a lot of cooking going on! We have already celebrated Christmas with family in Melbourne and Sydney. And the now the requests are coming in for the ham glaze and turkey stuffing recipes are coming in so I thought I’d share with everyone.
This stuffing recipe has been in my family forever and I don’t know where it originated from. It doesn’t have fruit or nuts in it but the carrots and onions add sweetness and the finely chopped chicken liver adds texture and an almost gamey flavour. White pepper is essential and adds a tangy spiciness quite different to black pepper.
I use the stuffing in full turkey roast, turkey breast roll and also whole chicken roast. Highly advisable to make a seperate dish of it in the oven at the same time as it goes pretty quickly.
Prep time: 15 minutes Cooking time: depends on what you are stuffing but at least 1 hour in the oven.
Ingredients:
4 carrots grated
2 brown onions finely diced
4 cloves of garlic crushed to a paste
200g chicken livers with skin and sinew removed and very finely chopped, almost minced
1.5-2 cups white breadcrumbs freshly torn in little chunks from 1/2 a baguette, can include crusts
100g butter
1/2 bunch of thyme leaves stripped from stalk
2 sprigs of sage finely chopped
salt to taste
1.5-2 teaspoons white pepper
Method:
Melt butter in non-stick frying pan over medium heat
Add onions and cook slowly until transparent
Add garlic and sauté for 2-3 minutes
Add chicken livers and cook slowly until browned and colour changes
Add carrots, thyme and sage and pepper and cook until carrots are softened
Remove from heat and put into a bowl, then add breadcrumbs and salt to taste, mix well so the bread absorbs the juices and butterCool thoroughly before stuffing bird
Put extra stuffing in a ovenproof dish and bake alongside the roast
