Tag Archives: starter

Chicken Liver Pâté with Figs and Walnuts

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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.

Chicken Liver Pâté with Figs and Walnuts500g 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

Mexican Corn Soup with Avocado Salsa

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This recipe is slightly adapted from one which appeared in the December 2012 edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller. My daughter made it and said it was yummy. I added some sugar and a substitute for chipotle chillies in adobo for those who – like me – are unable to find them easily. When something’s not sold in the first two supermarkets, I usually look for a substitute.

The original recipe called for two avocados, but I found one large one was plenty. A couple of fine slivers of red chilli on top of the avocado salsa would have improved the photo.

Mexican Corn Soup with Avocado Salsa

6 large vine-ripened tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
¼ cup olive oil
2 banana chillies, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups (750ml chicken or vegetable stock)
2 chipotle chillies in adobo (see note)
3 cups (500g) fresh corn cut from 3-4 cobs
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1-2 tsp sugar, to taste
1-2 avocados, depending on size, diced
Juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon
½ cup loosely packed roughly chopped coriander

Preheat grill to high. Line a baking tray with foil and place tomatoes, skin side up and onions on the foil. Season then drizzle with half the oil. Grill 5-6 mins till blistering then add the banana chillies and grill for another 5-6 mins or till tender. Cool then remove skins from tomatoes. Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic until tender but not brown, stirring occasionally. Add stock, grilled vegetables, chipotle chillies and bring to the boil. Add corn, season to taste then simmer 4-5 mins until tender. Pulse in a food processor or blender until chunky-smooth. Tip back into pan and check seasoning. Mix avocado, lime juice and coriander and season to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and top with avocado salsa.

Serves 4

Note: substitute ½ tsp smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper

Beetroot, Fig & Fennel Salad with Creamy Dressing

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I grew up in a house where beetroot – boiled, peeled, sliced and doused with malt vinegar – was nearly always on the table. My mother made a dish full every week and we ate it as a side dish.

Since then I’ve found lots of different ways of serving this somewhat underrated vegetable. I particularly enjoy it without the addition of vinegar, so the lovely earthy taste shines through. Roasted and served in a salad with rocket, feta or goat’s cheese and maple-glazed pecans or walnuts it’s absolutely delicious. But I seldom served it raw until I came across this recipe which will please all beetroot fans. It’s even better the next day and goes down very well at a BBQ.Beetroot and Fennel Salad

250-400g peeled and coarsely grated raw beetroot
70g dried figs, chopped (or substitute raisins, cranberries or other dried fruit)
lots of chopped fresh herbs – whatever you have (dill, coriander, parsley)
1 small bulb fennel finely sliced
¼ cup lemon juice, or to taste
1-2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup mayonnaise (preferably home made)
¼ cup plain yoghurt
1 Tbs cumin seeds, toasted in a dry frying pan

Mix beetroot, figs, herbs and fennel, then add oil, lemon juice and seasoning to taste. Make an hour or two before serving then tip into a serving bowl or spoon onto individual serving dishes. Mix mayonnaise with yoghurt and dollop over the top. Sprinkle with the cumin seeds.

Serves 4-6

Note: the mayo-yoghurt topping is optional

Elin’s Gazpacho

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In hot weather Gazpacho, a chilled soup which originated in Andalucia in southern Spain, makes a perfect lunch or starter. I’ve tried quite a few recipes, but one of the best versions was served for lunch by my Danish friend Elin, while we were living in Copenhagen. I remember thinking how delicious it was (better than my recipe!) and how snazzy the croutons looked cut into soldiers. Elin has given permission for me to share her recipe with my readers.

Gazpacho should be made when you have tomatoes in the garden or can buy local ones in the market. Supermarket tomatoes which have been refrigerated won’t taste the same.

This recipe has quite a few ingredients so it’s not a five minute job. But the effort is well worth it. If preferred leave out the chilli altogether.

Elin's Gazpacho

4 large red capsicums (peppers)
2 chillies (preferably peperoncino)
1½ kg good quality vine-ripened tomatoes
10 semi-dried tomatoes
200ml extra virgin olive oil
2-4 cloves garlic, depending on size, crushed
4 Tbs vinegar (preferably sherry)
1 bunch fresh basil
1 Tbs lemon juice
2 small cucumbers
1 loaf day-old Italian bread
2-3 Tbs sugar (depends on sweetness of the tomatoes)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve:
1 red capsicum (pepper)
1 small cucumber
Extra virgin olive oil
The rest of the bread made into croutons

Preheat oven to 200°C. Place a piece of foil on a baking tray and place capsicum and chillies on top (saves washing up). Bake until blackened, then cool, peel and remove seeds. If they are difficult to peel you haven’t cooked them long enough. The chillies being smaller will need to come out much earlier – they are a bit fiddly to peel so just removed stalk and seeds.

Meanwhile pour boiling water over the tomatoes in two bowls, leave for 2 minutes then tip away water, peel and remove hard cores.

In a blender puree the capsicum, tomatoes, dried tomatoes, peeled cucumbers, chilli, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, basil leaves, 3-4 slices of bread with crusts removed and oil. You will have to do this in 2 or 3 batches. Taste and add sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Chill several hours or preferably overnight.

To serve: If soup is a bit too thick add a little iced water then pour into a soup tureen or ladle into individual bowls. Add some ice cubes (optional) and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Serve with the following side dishes so people can help themselves – peeled and diced cucumber, with some skin left on (to add some dark green colour) and diced capsicum. Make croutons from the rest of the loaf of bread – cut bread into “soldiers”, spray or brush with olive oil and bake until golden. For those who like spicier food you can serve some extra chopped chillies, but it was hot enough for my liking – probably because I used birds eye chillies rather than peperoncino which are much milder!

Serves 12

Note: sun-dried tomatoes as opposed to semi-dried tomatoes tend to be rather dark in colour which will result in a brownish gazpacho. So best to use semi-dried or leave them out altogether.

Cucumber Mousse

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We have recently had several days in Canberra where the mercury hit 40 degrees Celsius, which is 104 Fahrenheit for the benefit of my British and American readers. Today is due to be another scorcher, our cooling system is kaput and they can’t come and fix it till tomorrow. So what do you eat when you hardly have the energy to read a book or watch the cricket on TV? You certainly don’t want to turn the oven on and make matters worse.

We all know the expression As Cool as a Cucumber, so as I was wondering what to make with the first Lebanese cucumbers we picked yesterday I remembered a recipe for Cucumber Mousse, given to me ages ago by a UK friend called Felicity. I had some cooked peeled prawns in the freezer and always keep some Philadelphia-style cream cheese in the fridge – unopened it keeps for ages and is handy for dips – so there was no need to go and buy anything. Perfect.

Felicity’s recipe says 1 sachet or half an ounce of powdered gelatine. After reading the instructions on my packet and looking on the internet I decided an Aussie tablespoon (20 ml) would work and it did.

Back in the seventies recipes using gelatine were all the rage. I remember making salmon mousse, strawberry mousse, lemon mousse and a tart which had a biscuit base and a filling of evaporated milk – whipped furiously until thick – then set with gelatine and decorated with tinned apricots. Fortunately that recipe has well and truly died and been buried, but Cucumber Mousse is still a refreshing option for a hot day. This recipe makes a good starter or light lunch. The first day I served the mousses with two prawns and a drizzle of sauce round the plate, as a starter. The second day they became a more substantial dish for lunch, with the addition of some smoked salmon rolls – even nicer. If you wanted to be really snazzy you could arrange some very thin slices of cucumber in the moulds before tipping in the mousse.

Cucumber Mousse

1 Tbs powdered gelatine
5 Tbs white wine or cider vinegar
1 scant Tbs sugar
1 large telegraph cucumber or 3 small Lebanese ones
250g cream cheese (I used Woolies Home Brand) at room temp
150ml cream (generous half cup) sour cream, creme fraiche or thick Greek yoghurt
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Peeled cooked prawns and/or smoked salmon to garnish
Green Shallot Dressing to serve

Place vinegar and sugar in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatine over the top then zap in the microwave for about 30 secs to dissolve completely. Remove about 60% of peel from the cucumbers and trim the ends. Cut into chunks and place in food processor or blender and puree. Add cream cheese and puree, then cream and lastly gelatine mixture, stopping from time to time to scrape down the sides. Season to taste then tip into 8 half cup ramekins or one large mould and chill for a couple of hours or overnight. Dip moulds briefly in hot water, run a knife with a thin blade around the outsides, then tip out. Decorate with prawns, smoked salmon or both and chives. Drizzle some Green Shallot Dressing around the plate. If you don’t have any green shallots (spring onions) substitute chives or even basil.

Serves 8 as a starter

Julie Bishop’s Prawn Risotto

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The other evening I switched onto the ABC and watched Kitchen Cabinet. In this series political journalist and commentator Annabel Crabb visits a politician in their home for a chat about politics and life in general.  The conversation takes place over a meal – Annabel takes the dessert and the politician cooks one of their favourite recipes for the main course.

In this episode Deputy Leader of the Opposition Julie Bishop produced what looked like a delicious prawn risotto. Having made a mental note of the main ingredients (prawns, rice, celery, coriander, Cinzano, pine nuts and Parmesan) I decided to recreate it this evening.

For dessert Annabel brought Eton mess, which is basically whipped cream with pieces of meringue and berries folded through. A sort of deconstructed Pavlova!

Julie Bishop's Prawn Risotto

2 Tbs oil or 25g butter
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely sliced
350-400g peeled raw prawns
1/3 cup Cinzano or other white vermouth
2 cups Arborio rice
4-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
To serve:
Lightly toasted pine nuts
Chopped fresh coriander
Grated Parmesan cheese
Steamed and buttered asparagus

Heat oil or butter in a large heavy-based pan and cook onion and celery until soft but not brown, stirring. Add rice and cook stirring until translucent. Add prawns and cook stirring for 1-2 minutes. Add Cinzano and cook, stirring to evaporate some of the alcohol. Slowly add stock, about a cup at a time, simmering until absorbed and continue cooking and adding more stock until the rice is tender. Risotto should be wet and slightly soupy, not dry like paella or pilaf. Season to taste with salt and pepper and if liked add a final drop of Cinzano.

Serve risotto garnished with the pine nuts, coriander and Parmesan and the asparagus on the side.

Serves 4

Gravlax

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Gravlax is a Nordic dish consisting of raw salmon which has been cured in salt, sugar and flavoured with dill. It’s popular all over Scandinavia and traditionally served with dark bread and a sweet mustard sauce as a starter or as part of a buffet, which they call a smorgasbord.

When we were posted to Copenhagen we ate a lot of gravlax and I acquired the recipe. It’s very easy to make, cheaper than the bought version and can be made ahead and kept in the freezer. Perfect to whip out as needed and serve to guests over the holiday season. Serve as an alternative to smoked salmon, with bagels and cream cheese or in canapes.

My original recipe said to use salmon fillets with the skin on, which is what I have always done. However, I found some very nice fillets in Costco, with the skin and pin bones all removed and decided to see how they would work. They were perfect, with no waste. Removing pin bones is a pain in the neck so all I can say is good old Costco as there are absolutely no bones. If you buy fillets with the skin on that’s fine. People love the sauce so I usually double the recipe. Any left over also goes well with smoked salmon, ham, cold roast beef or chicken.

If two fillets is too much just do one, cut in half, and sandwiched with half the salt, sugar and dill mixture.

Gravlax

¼ cup salt
¼ cup sugar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 whole salmon fillets, skin and pin bones removed, each weighing 800-1200g
1 large bunch dill, finely chopped in food processor or by hand, including stalks
freshly ground black pepper

Mix salt, sugar, pepper and dill. Place about a third in a large ceramic or glass dish about the size of the salmon fillets and spread out evenly. Then place one fillet on top. Sprinkle with another third of the salt/sugar mixture, then place the second fillet on top. Sprinkle with remaining mixture, pressing it into the fish. Cover with plastic, place a small chopping board and a weight such as a brick on top then refrigerate for 4-6 days to “cure” the fish. Each day turn the salmon over.

Remove fillets and rinse off salt/sugar/dill mixture under the tap. Pat dry with paper towels. Wrap each fillet in plastic wrap and freeze until needed. I usually cut each fillet into 3 and wrap each piece individually before freezing, but a whole fillet looks more spectacular on a buffet table. Remove gravlax from the freezer and thaw a bit. Slice thinly on the diagonal while still slightly frozen, which makes it easier. Garnish with fresh dill and lemon wedges. Some people like to serve it with a few capers and slices of red onion. If liked serve with dark pumpernickel or rye bread and Sweet Mustard Sauce.

Sweet Mustard Sauce

¼ cup Dijon mustard
1 tsp hot English mustard (powder or ready made)
2 Tbs sugar
2 Tbs white wine or cider vinegar
⅓ cup vegetable oil
3 Tbs chopped fresh dill

Place all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously to emulsify. Keep a few fronds of dill for garnish.

Veal Terrine with Cherry Sauce

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If you’re a regular reader of my blog, you will know that I get a lot out of a subscription to Delicious magazine which was given to me as a gift. I am usually inspired to make several dishes each month and have yet to be disappointed.

This recipe for veal terrine is quick and easy to make. Cherries are in season and we had some sitting in a dish in the kitchen as I read this recipe. Their fate was thus sealed. I didn’t have any pistachios so substituted macadamia nuts. Pistachios being green would have looked more attractive, but the crunch of the macadamias was great. It’s one of the nicest terrines I have ever eaten and the sauce really makes it. As you can see from the photo, I didn’t quite get the chicken layer in the middle!

Enough pancetta, streaky bacon or proscuitto to line terrine
1 Tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp thyme leaves
750g pork and veal mince (you could substitute chicken, pork or turkey mince)
1 egg
½ cup fresh breadcrumbs
½ cup pistachio kernels
1 cup pitted cherries
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 chicken breast cut into slices

Cherry Sauce:
1 cup pitted cherries
1 cup dried cranberries
finely grated zest and juice 1 orange
⅓ cup sugar
1 cinnamon quill
¼ cup Marsala, port or other fortified wine

Preheat oven to 170°C. Line a 1.5L terrine or silicone loaf pan with pancetta or bacon, leaving enough overhang to fold over the top. The original recipe calls for 20 slices of pancetta. I used about 8 slices streaky bacon and didn’t bother with the overhang.

Heat oil in frying pan and cook onion, garlic and thyme for 3-4 mins, stirring, over medium-low heat until soft. Place mince, egg, pistachios and cherries in a bowl. Add onion, season well and mix thoroughly.

Press half the mixture into terrine and arrange chicken slices down the centre. Pack with remaining mixture and fold excess pancetta or bacon over the top. Cover with foil and place in a deep roasting pan. Add boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the terrine. Bake for our hour, cool to room temperature. Place terrine on a tray, cut a piece of cardboard to fit top, weigh down with cans and chill overnight.

Place all ingredients for sauce in a pan and simmer for 15 minutes or until thickened. Cool. Turn out terrine. Slice and serve with the cherry sauce.

Serves 8

Variation: when cherries are out of season use canned ones or leave them out, increase the veal mince to 850g and use 2 cups of dried cranberries in the sauce.

Chilled Carrot and Orange Soup

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On a very hot day you can’t beat a bowl of ice cold soup. Not everybody will agree with me on this – chilled soups are something you either like or you don’t.  My Dad didn’t like them, even though he was quite adventurous, loved Asian food and most of the things I put in front of him.

The best known cold soups are probably Spanish gazpacho and Russian Borscht, a soup made with beetroot which can be served hot or cold and which is popular in many Middle European countries. I have about three other favourite recipes including this one for Carrot and Orange. The soup is equally delicious served hot.

Chilled Carrot and Orange Soup

500-600g carrots, peeled and sliced
1 large onion, chopped
25g butter
3 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1½ – 2 cups orange juice (fresh or from a carton)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Pinch of sugar
Finely chopped fresh dill and cream to garnish

Cook onion in butter till soft, add carrots, stock, sugar and simmer until tender. Blend till smooth in blender, add orange juice to reach desired consistency, check seasoning and chill.  Serve garnished with dill and a swirl of cream. Can be served hot.

Serves 6

Variation: for a creamier soup replace ½ cup of the orange juice with cream.

Crab and Leek Quiche

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A slice of quiche and a large salad makes a perfect evening meal in summer. People with bigger appetites can add some boiled new potatoes, with butter and chopped parsley or chives, sprinkled with sea salt and lots of black pepper.  If you have teenage kids a loaf of good old garlic bread won’t go amiss. Leftover quiche is nice for lunch next day.

One round or rectangular quiche shell made from shortcrust pastry
1 leek, chopped
1 Tbs butter
1 cloves garlic, crushed
100g pancetta, diced
2 Tbs white wine
1 Tbs flour
2 eggs
3/4 cup cream
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbs chopped fresh herbs (I used Marjoram, but could be dill, parsley)
250g crab meat
200g brie or camembert, thinly sliced

Pre-heat oven to 180°C.  Bake the quiche shell blind (with foil and beans to weigh down) for 5-10 mins, then remove foil and cook for a few more mins until fully cooked but pale golden in colour. This is the secret to a good quiche which doesn’t have a soggy bottom! Meanwhile in a medium sized frying pan cook leek and garlic in butter over moderate heat until soft, but not coloured.  Add pancetta and continue to cook, stirring for 3-4 mins.  Add wine and cook till evaporated, stirring.  Add flour and mix well.  Add herbs and spread into quiche shell.  Top with crab, then cheese.  Beat eggs with cream and season to taste.  Pour carefully into quiche so it’s evenly spread.  Bake for 25-30 mins or until well risen and golden.  Serve warm or at room temperature with salad.

Serves 6-8

Variations: use grated hard cheese instead of soft cheese on top.  Use a splash of sherry instead of white wine.  Use a can of drained salmon or tuna, or some whole peeled prawns instead of crab.  Use bacon or ham instead of the pancetta.