Dominique’s Lemon Tart with Rhubarb

Posted on 3 June 2013 by Linda Peek

When we were living in Paris I was a member of a Franco-Australian group which met once a month. We took it in turns to host the meeting which took the form of afternoon tea, with an hour speaking in English followed by an hour speaking in French. When it was her turn to host the group Dominique made this very unusual Lemon Tart. The crust is quite thick but it’s like a delicious shortbread that blends in with the filling, so it doesn’t seem to matter.

The recipe fills a normal 20-25cm (8-10 inch) round pie dish. In the photo I have used a rectangular meat-roasting pan (26x33cm) and increased all the ingredients by about a quarter. I wanted something to cut into squares to serve a large crowd. I have put those quantities, for a bigger pie, in brackets. The original recipe was sprinkled with flaked almonds, but I used rhubarb instead because it needed using up!

Pastry:
200g marzipan (at room temp) (250g)
200g butter (at room temp) (250g)
2 cups plain flour (2½ cups)
Filling:
100g ground almonds (125g)
3 large eggs (4)
1 cup sugar (1¼ cups)
1 large lemon (2 smaller ones)
pinch salt
1 Tbs flour (1 heaped Tbs)
1 cup cream or sour cream (1¼ cups)
50g flaked almonds (80g)

Pastry: Preheat oven to 170°C. Process marzipan and butter in the food processor until well combined, then add the flour and process till it starts to stick together. Tip the sticky crumbs into a tart tin or large quiche dish. Using fingertips, press pastry all over the bottom and up the sides to form the crust.

Filling: No need to wash the food processor to make the filling. If almonds are not already ground, put them in the food processor first and process till fine. Cut the lemon into quarters, remove the stalk and pips then add to the food processor with the sugar, eggs, cream, flour and salt.Mix until fairly smooth.Pour into the pastry case and sprinkle the flaked almonds all over the top. Bake for 40-60 minutes until deep golden brown. If the edges start to get too brown, cover them with a collar of foil. Serve with cream as a dessert or for afternoon tea, dusted with icing sugar.

Serves 8-10

Note: This tart is nicer if you let it get slightly over-cooked so the edges become crunchy.

Variation: omit flaked almonds and top pie with a bunch of rhubarb, washed, trimmed and cut into 6-cm lengths.

Home-made Pizza

Posted on 30 May 2013 by Linda Peek

A proper Italian pizza has a thin, crispy crust and minimal topping. Nothing remotely like the thick, soggy versions sold in many fast food chains. The Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana says that when cooked a pizza base should be no more than 4mm thick at the centre, though it will be thicker around the edges. And they should know, they invented them.

When our kids were growing up pizza featured regularly on the menu. The pizza delivery motorbikes never came to our house because my view is that anything home-made is better than the bought version, not to mention cheaper. At the time our offspring thought they were deprived, but now they have their own families and also make their own.

For a larger group make 3-4 times the recipe and form the dough into balls. Have the toppings ready in small dishes and let people choose their own. With a salad and a bottle or two of vino you’re all set for a casual meal which appeals to all ages.

15g fresh yeast or 7g dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
2 cups plain flour (preferably 00)
1 Tbs olive oil
½ to ¾ cup warm water

Mix ½ cup warm water with yeast and sugar. Leave for 10 minutes. Sift flour and salt into a bowl, add oregano, oil and yeast mixture. Mix well, adding more warm water until you have a firm, not sticky, dough. If preferred make in a food processor or in a mixer with a dough hook.

Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth and springy. Form into a ball, place in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover and leave at room temperature for an hour, or until doubled in size. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate overnight to prove more slowly.

Preheat oven to its highest temperature. If using, put pizza stone in the oven to get really hot. Knead dough lightly and form into a ball (or two balls) and leave, covered with a tea towel for about 20 mins or until doubled in size.

To assemble pizzas place a ball of dough on a lightly oiled pizza pan and press out to size using oiled fingers, working from the middle out. If using a pre-heated pizza stone, or a wood-fired pizza oven, press dough out into a large round on a well-floured pizza paddle.

Arrange toppings on pizza – be sparing – less is more. Slide onto stone if using one and bake for about 5 minutes or until golden and crispy. Time will vary depending on your oven. Our outdoor wood-fired oven shown in the photo heats up to over 400°C, so pizzas only take about 3 minutes. In an ordinary oven they can take up to 12 minutes. Keep an eye on it.

Makes one very large or two medium pizzas

Topping suggestions:

Tomato sugo (sold in jars to go with pasta) with thinly sliced mushroom, sliced pepperoni or chorizo and grated mozarella
Pesto with sliced fresh buffalo mozarella and sliced fresh tomatoes
Pesto, peeled prawns, grated mozarella and pine nuts
Additional toppings: stoned olives, anchovies, sun-dried tomatoes, caramelized onions, extra oil, fresh herbs

Lamb Pies with Mushrooms and Herb Butter

Posted on 27 May 2013 by Linda Peek

One of my favourite places to lunch with friends is at the Palette Cafe, located in the Beaver Galleries in Deakin. They are not open in the evening and are closed on Mondays.

In the warmer months my favourite dish was the avocado and smoked salmon salad served on a spicy gazpacho-style tomato sauce. It’s so good, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve ordered it! One of my friends always has the brains with crispy bacon, which she says are to die for. I have been there umpteen times and never had a bad meal. We went there for Mother’s Day brunch and it was excellent. Anyone who can make scrambled or poached eggs which are as good as the ones you make yourself wins my vote. Hats off chef, Meaghan Pidd.

I recently ate one of Meaghan’s delicious lamb pies, served on a bed of sauteed mushrooms, so I decided to make something similar. Eight pies might be too many but you could do as I did – bake four and freeze the rest, then just make half the mushroom mixture. While meat pies are not for those trying to cut down on cholesterol, on a cold winter’s day they just hit the spot!

About 7 sheets of ready-rolled bought puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
Filling for Pies:
1 Tbs olive oil
25g butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 kg lean lamb e.g. leg, shoulder (weight after trimming)
1 cup white wine
1 Tbs brandy
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp dried thyme or 1 Tbs fresh, chopped
½ a chicken stock cube
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
3 heaped tsp cornflour mixed with 2 Tbs water
Mushrooms:
500g button mushrooms
50g butter
¼ cup sherry
1 Tbs Dijon mustard
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Herb Butter:
¼ cup parsley sprigs
1 small clove garlic, crushed
125g butter at room temperature
Pinch of salt if using unsalted butter

Heat oil and butter in a large heavy-based pan and add the onion and garlic. Cook gently, stirring often, until soft but not browned. Cut the meat into 2cm cubes and add to the pan. Turn up the heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the meat starts to brown. Add the brandy and continue to stir as it evaporates. Add remaining ingredients apart from cornflour mixture. Simmer until meat is tender. This will depend on the meat, but shouldn’t take long. If there’s not enough liquid, add a dash of water. When meat is tender add cornflour mixture, stirring until the sauce thickens. Cool, then refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Cut sixteen circles of pastry about 15cm in diameter using a saucer or bowl to cut around. You may only get one per sheet of pastry, then you will need to gather the trimmings, re-roll and cut the rest. Divide meat filling amongst 8 of the circles, leaving 2cm around the edge. The gravy will have thickened, so it can all be used. Dampen edges of pastry circles, place another circle on top. The tops will seem too small, but if you go round squeezing the edges together they will stretch to fit. You will end up with 8 flying saucer shaped pies. Invert them onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. They can be refrigerated at this stage for up to 24 hours, covered, or frozen for up to a month.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Thaw pies if frozen. Brush with beaten egg. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve on a bed of mushrooms with a slice of herb butter on the side.

Mushrooms: wipe mushrooms and cut into quarters, or eighths if they are larger. Heat butter in a non-stick frying pan and cook mushrooms, stirring, until slightly softened. Add sherry and mustard. Cook for a minute or two to evaporate some of the liquid, then season to taste.

Herb Butter: place herbs in food processor and chop very finely. Add butter, garlic and salt and process to mix well. Scrape out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Use the plastic to form butter into a small log about 2cm in diameter, wrap in the plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. It will keep for two weeks in the fridge.

Serves 8

Chicken and Squid with Rice Noodles

Posted on 16 May 2013 by Linda Peek

This recipe is based on one by Neil Perry. The original recipe only had half a cup of chicken stock. I added extra liquid to make it more of a soupy stir-fry. I also added a touch of sugar – as per my grandmother’s rule of always adding some sugar to anything savoury and some salt to anything sweet – and some ginger.

It’s a delicious, light and easily-digested supper which takes no time at all to make. If you don’t like squid (which I bought in Woolies) just increase the chicken.

2 Tbs oil
3 boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced (or 2 breasts)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 beaten egg
250-300g fresh rice noodles (I used 220g pack of Kan Tong Shelf Fresh)
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 cup chicken stock
1 squid tube, cut into thin rings
1 bunch Chinese greens e.g. Bok Choy, washed and thickly sliced
2 cups beansprouts
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tsp sugar
1 Tbs grated fresh ginger
To serve:
¼ cup crushed roasted peanuts
2 spring onions, finely sliced on the diagonal

Heat oil in a wok and stir fry chicken for 3-4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon. Add garlic and cook for a minute, stirring, then add the egg. Continue to stir-fry as you add the noodles, soy sauce and chicken stock. Return chicken to the pan with squid, ginger and greens and continue to stir-fry for 2 minutes or so. Don’t overcook or the squid will be tough. Add sugar, season to taste and at the last minute add the beansprouts, plus a little more water if necessary. Serve in shallow bowls garnished with the peanuts and spring onions.

Serves 4

Seafood Mornay

Posted on 11 May 2013 by Linda Peek

When I was at school in England we made Russian Fish Pies in cookery classes. Steamed white fish, chopped hard boiled eggs and parsley were mixed with a thick white sauce, encased in puff pastry and baked. At the time I thought it was delicious, but I now realise that the fish was over-cooked.

This recipe for Seafood Mornay uses raw seafood mixed into a thick sauce flavoured with cheese and sherry. Either top it with grated cheese and breadcrumbs or make it into pies. Both are delicious – the latter a bit more filling, but not too bad as they only have pastry on the top, not underneath. Either way the seafood is cooked al dente, the way it should be.

500g firm white fish fillets, no skin or bones
500g salmon fillets, no skin or bones
500g peeled raw peeled prawns
3 Tbs breadcrumbs (about one slice of bread whizzed in food processor)
3 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbs parsley
Sauce:
60g butter
60g plain flour (about 2 very heaped Tbs)
1½ cups milk
½ cup cream
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of nutmeg
2 Tbs sherry
150g Gruyere cheese, grated (you can substitute cheddar or Ementhal)

Cut fish into cubes about 2-3 cm square then place with prawns in a colander to drain while you make the sauce. Melt butter, add flour, cook for a minute then gradually add sherry, milk and cream. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg and cheese. Season generously because the seafood hasn’t been seasoned. Remove from heat as soon as cheese melts. The sauce will be very thick, but the fish will create juices as it cooks, especially if it’s been frozen, so you need a thick sauce to counteract this. If it seems unmanageably thick add a dash more milk. Mix sauce with seafood and place in one large buttered ovenproof shallow dish or 8-10 individual dishes.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Mix Parmesan, breadcrumbs and parsley and sprinkle over. Mornays can be refrigerated, covered for up to 24 hrs or frozen, well-wrapped, for up to 2 months. If frozen, thaw before cooking.

Bake for 30-40 mins until golden brown all over and bubbly. Serve as a main dish with a green vegetable such as beans or snow peas and rice or new potatoes.

Serves 8-10

Seafood Pies

Seafood mixture (see above)
1 egg, beaten
Sour Cream pastry:
250g plain flour
125g butter
1/3 cup sour cream
1-2 Tbs cold water
1 tsp salt

Place flour in food processor, add cold butter cut into pieces and process until fine crumbs. Add sour cream and salt and start motor again. Gradually add water through the chute with motor running. As soon as pastry forms a ball tip out and pat into a flat disc. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed.

Preheat oven to 200°C. Divide fish mixture amongst 8-10 buttered dishes, such as soufflé dishes shown in photo which have a one cup (250ml) capacity. Fill almost level with the top. Roll out pastry on a floured surface and cut circles the diameter of dishes plus 2-3cm. Dampen edges of dishes, place pastry circles on top and press pastry on to seal. Cut a hole for steam to escape. Brush with beaten egg then bake for 30-40 mins or until golden brown and bubbling through the steam vent.

Makes 8-10 pies

Tomato Baharat Jam

Posted on 5 May 2013 by Linda Peek

I’ve always made my own jams and chutneys from fruit we’ve grown or with donations from friends who have a glut. They are so much nicer than bought ones. Sometimes I freeze the fruit and make the preserve later – for example peeled tomatoes for tomato chutney or sliced cumquats for marmalade. Matthew says he married me for my tomato chutney and that running out is considered grounds for divorce. That recipe, which came from my paternal grandmother, clearly formed a crucial part of my dowry!

A recipe for a lovely bright red preserve called Tomato Baharat Jam appeared in a recent edition of Delicious magazine, as an accompaniment to chicken liver pâté. We found that it also goes superbly with cheese – especially brie and cheddar – and ham. I’ve doubled the recipe and cut down a bit on the sugar and I don’t think it’s necessary to discard the pulp and seeds, but you can if you prefer.

This is the first time I’ve made it so I’m not sure how long it will keep without refrigeration. The ratio of sugar to fruit is not high, so I think it will keep for a month or two in a dark cupboard and should be refrigerated after opening.

1.2kg tomatoes, peeled
300g sugar
6 star anise
5 cloves
4 cinnamon quills, broken in half
2 Tbs tomato paste
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chop tomatoes and place in a sieve to drain off any liquid. Discard liquid and place tomatoes in a large, heavy-bottomed pan with the sugar and spices. Simmer over medium heat, stirring from time to time, for 25 minutes. Add tomato paste and lemon juice, reduce heat and continue to cook, stirring often, for 20 minutes or until reduced and thickened to the consistency of jam or chutney. Season to taste with salt and pepper and remove the spices. The cloves might be difficult to find, so just leave them in.

Place about 8 small clean jars in the microwave without their lids. Mustard jars and small jam jars are ideal. Heat on high for 2 minutes to sterilize. Fill jars with the hot tomato jam, seal with lids.

Makes about a litre

Note: if you don’t have whole spices use ¼ tsp ground cloves, 1 tsp ground star anise and 2 tsp ground cinnamon.

Rum and Raisin Cake

Posted on 2 May 2013 by Linda Peek

When we were growing up my brother, sister and I spent many happy summer holidays on a dairy farm on the moors of County Durham in the far north of England, not far from Barnard Castle. Hill House was run by my Dad’s Uncle Hector and Auntie Vina, their youngest son Ian and his wife Mary. Sometimes we went with my parents, other times we travelled the 300 miles on our own by train and Mary would meet us in Darlington. Ian’s brothers and sisters all had farms and we spent time with all of the rellies. Dent Gate farm had a stream with trout in it. If we were patient we could catch them by tickling them. Don’t believe me? Well neither does Matthew, but it’s true!

Cakes were a staple part of a farmer’s diet back then. They were served with morning tea at eleven and afternoon tea was a proper sit down affair back then. On Sundays they really went to town. The first time I saw the table groaning under the weight of a huge selection of cakes, sweet pastries, cold meats, chutneys, jellies, trifles and fruit salad, I couldn’t believe my eyes. Down south where I came from we were lucky if we had one home-made cake to choose from!

One day a week was set aside for baking in the temperamental wood-fired Aga stove. You couldn’t adjust the temperature and had to cook according to how hot the oven was that day. On windy days the oven would be hot and we would make blackberry and apple pies, using wild blackberries we had collected ourselves. If there was no wind the oven would be cooler and we made fruit cakes.

When I won first prize for a two egg sponge in the Butterknowle annual show I was tickled pink – but it was all thanks to Auntie Vina’s foolproof recipe. She had a huge influence on my love of cooking, teaching me all the basic skills and recipes for cakes and pastries. This Rum and Raisin cake is adapted from one of her recipes. I’ve added the cottage cheese and a bit more rum.

I never let the lack of an ingredient stop me making something, so you will see I’ve listed some substitutions below.

Ian and Mary have retired and in the family tradition Hill House is now being run by their son Jonathon and his wife Fay. It’s no longer a dairy farm as they lost all their cattle in the Foot and Mouth outbreak of 2001 and had to start over again.

1½ cups raisins
½ cup dark rum
125g butter, at room temp
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
3 eggs
1/3 cup milk
300g cottage cheese or ricotta
¾ cup ground almonds
1¼ cups self-raising flour, sifted
Icing sugar

Soak raisins in rum several hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a cake tin with baking paper. I used a 22cm (9″) square tin, but a round one will do. In food processor or in a bowl with electric beaters mix butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, milk and cottage cheese and mix well, stopping to scrape down the sides halfway. Add ground almonds and self-raising flour. Stop and scrape down, add raisins and rum and mix just enough to incorporate as you don’t want to chop the raisins. Scrape into tin and smooth the top. Bake for 40-60 mins or until evenly browned, firm to touch and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool then tip out, remove paper, dust with icing sugar and cut into squares or rectangles to serve.

Makes about 20 pieces

Note: you can make your own ground nuts in the food processor.

Substitutions: brandy instead of rum, sultanas or other dried fruit instead of raisins, white sugar instead of brown, ground hazelnuts or walnuts instead of almonds.

Instant Pavlova

Posted on 29 April 2013 by Linda Peek

We were staying with our daughter and son-in-law in Newcastle last year when they hosted an Australia Day party for about 30 friends plus kids. We ran out of time to make the desserts and bought a couple of pavlovas from Woolworths supermarket. I always make my own and was quite impressed with these bought ones which were moist and marshmallowy in the middle and crunchy on the outside. Not as good as a home-made one, which has more crunchy bits, but not bad. Once you’ve added the whipped cream and fresh berries they’re pretty good as an instant dessert.

When I was shopping for the Easter weekend Woolies had their large pavlovas, which they say serve 20, for half the normal price. So I bought one. Then I started to wonder how to make it look more home-made.

The answer is to use a stacking ring and cut circles from the pavlova. Top with the cream and fruit and voilà – an elegant dessert in no time at all. If you don’t use it all, the rest of the pavlova will keep for several days, so you can cut more circles and serve it again. If you think the pavlova circles are too big, cut them in half horizontally, then you will get twice as many smaller servings.

If you don’t have stacking rings you can make one by cutting the top and bottom off an empty metal can with a suitable diameter. If it’s deep enough top the pavlova with the cream and fruit before removing the ring, as I did for this photo, which results in a neater finish.

I doubt if anywhere other than Australia and New Zealand sells pavlovas in their supermarkets, so I’m afraid this blog post won’t help people living in other parts of the world!

1 bought pavlova
Cream, whipped until thick
Fresh berries or passion fruit pulp

Spray the inside of a stacking ring lightly with some vegetable oil, to make removal easier, then cut circles from the pavlova. If the ring is deep enough, top with cream and fruit, if not do it afterwards. If liked drizzle some raspberry coulis around the plate.

Thai Chicken Soup

Posted on 23 April 2013 by Linda Peek

When we go to Europe to visit friends and family we usually spend a week in Thailand on the way home. All that galloping around seeing people and having a good time, not to mention all that eating, is exhausting. Breaking the journey allows us to adjust to most of the time difference and arrive feeling refreshed. We love the Thai people, the food and the wonderfully therapeutic massages.

This soup is quite filling, so it’s a main-course or lunch time kind of soup rather than a starter. On the table in less than half an hour, it’s full of delicious contrasting flavours and textures.

1 large onion, finely chopped
2 Tbs vegetable oil
1 Tbs curry paste (preferably Thai Green or Red, but any will do)
About 400g raw chicken meat (breasts or thighs) finely sliced
1 tin coconut milk (400ml)
1 litre water and 1 chicken stock cube (or use homemade chicken stock)
2-3 heaped tsp grated ginger
2 stalks lemon grass, finely sliced (optional)
1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbs palm sugar or brown sugar
2 Tbs Fish Sauce
Juice one lime or ½ large lemon
200g quick cooking Chinese noodles (see note)
2-3 thinly sliced spring onions – white and some of the green part
1 cup beansprouts
½ cup fresh, roughly chopped, coriander
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a large heavy-based saucepan and cook onion until soft but not brown, stirring often. Add curry paste and chicken and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add remaining ingredients down as far as the lime or lemon juice. Simmer for a few minutes until chicken is cooked. Add salt to taste, then turn off the heat and add the noodles and spring onions. Cover and leave to stand 2-3 minutes. Place a small handful of beansprouts in 4 large soup bowls. Ladle soup on top and garnish with coriander.

Serves 4

Note: any quick-cook noodles will do, including individual packs of instant noodles.

Chicken Liver Pâté with Figs and Walnuts

Posted on 20 April 2013 by Linda Peek

This recipe has evolved over many years, with slight adjustments and more recently with the addition of the nuts and figs.While they are optional I think the sweetness and crunch contrast beautifully with the silky smoothness of this savoury pâté. In fact it’s so smooth it’s almost like foie gras. As you can see in the photo I usually serve some extra figs and nuts in small bowls.

You can use any mold or dish for this pâté and it doesn’t have to be turned out. I have a triangular metal mold which is perfect. The pâté doesn’t fill it, but it doesn’t matter. If you prefer, use two smaller molds or small dishes.

500g chicken livers, trimmed and rinsed
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp dried thyme or 4 tsp fresh
250g butter
2 Tbs brandy or cognac
Salt and pepper to taste
To garnish:
250g dried figs (choose soft plump ones)
About 1 cup red wine
1 cup walnut or pecan halves
To serve:
French bread stick, thinly sliced and toasted
Or crackers

Line a mold with plastic wrap. If it’s a bit wrinkled it doesn’t matter. Heat 50g of the butter in a frying pan and cook onion and garlic gently until soft, stirring often. Dry chicken livers on paper towels. Add to pan with thyme, turn up the heat and continue to stir fry for 3-5 minutes until chicken livers are browned but still a bit pink inside.

Tip contents of frying pan into food processor with the brandy and purée till smooth, adding remaining butter in pieces, a few at a time and stopping to scrape down the sides from time to time. Push paté through a metal sieve, discarding any which won’t pass through. This is not essential but results in a much smoother paté . Season to taste then scrape into mold and smooth the top. When cool, cover with overhang of plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Trim stalks from figs, place in a saucepan and cover with red wine. Bring wine to the boil and simmer until liquid has cooked away and figs are glazed. Stir often towards the end to prevent sticking or burning. Remove figs and cool on non-stick paper overnight. Toast nuts by stirring over moderate heat in a dry frying pan for a minute or so.

To serve, unmold pâté onto a serving dish. Decorate with the nuts and figs. Serve with the toast or crackers.

Serves 12 or more

Café Cat

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