Robert Armstrong’s commitment to his land and olive groves, in the foothills of the Great Dividing Range (near Crookwell, NSW) has led to ALTO Olives becoming Australia’s most awarded extra virgin olive oil. His agrodolce (bitter-sweet) vinegars are the best Australian vinegars I’ve found too.
Spice-Rubbed Leatherjacket I love the thick flaky texture of the fish in this spice-rubbed leatherjacket recipe, but you could use any firm-fleshed fish, whole or fillets, including some of the oilier ones like mackerel or tuna as they’ll stand up well to the rich Mediterranean flavours. When you remove the pan from the oven, drape […]
Salmon with Fregola Salad This baked salmon with fregola salad is a great dinner party dish as it’s both easy and impressive. The fregola salad was taught to me by chef Giovanni Pilu, from Pilu at Freshwater, who usually serves it with lamb (see video below). Fregola is a reminder of the Arabic influence in […]
Mojo Octopus Octopus is great barbecued, especially after a bath in this delicious Cuban-inspired mojo marinade. Unlike most seafood, octopus (and its cephalopod cousins squid and cuttlefish) can be marinated overnight, though a few hours at room temperature will do if you’re short on time. Prawns work well with this versatile marinade too and are […]
Blue Mackerel with Romesco Sauce Spaniards love oily fish, including mackerel, sardines, tuna, bonito and anchovies; and their tangy, slightly spicy Romesco sauce is a great accompaniment to any of these (see video below). I love blue mackerel for their thin plate-sized fillets and gorgeous edible patterned skin. The thin fillets only need a few […]
Swordfish in Orange Sauce I find that meaty swordfish has quite an affinity with orange. This recipe was inspired by duck à l’orange, so you can call it poisson à l’orange if you want to be fancy. Swordfish has a tendency to dry out if overcooked, so I prefer to buy sashimi-grade fish and keep […]
Swiss Cucumber Salad Discover more delicious Swiss dishes on my small group food & wine tour of Switzerland! This easy Swiss cucumber salad is a refreshing side dish for almost any main course. The yoghurt dressing adds a touch of acid which cuts through the richness of creamy or fried dishes. A good natural pot-set […]
Swiss Kohlrabi & Herb Salad Discover more Swiss specialties on my small group food & wine tour of Switzerland! The Swiss love creamy salad dressings, often using yoghurt to supply both the creaminess and a little tang. Finely sliced root vegetables such as kohlrabi or celeriac are often served this way. As celeriac are much […]
Potato Focaccia I love authentic focaccia made with a generous amount of olive oil. My recipe is inspired by Ligurian-born restaurateur, Lucio Galletto, who uses more water and oil in his recipe than many I’ve seen, which is what makes his focaccia so delicious. I love how versatile focaccia is and especially enjoy potato focaccia […]
Sharbat Sekanjabin Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Persian cooking class! Sharbat is Persian cordial, a syrup flavoured with fruits and/or flowers, usually with a sour touch, that’s then diluted with water and served over ice. The word is related to sherbet, sorbet, shrub (in the drinks sense) and syrup, via the Arabic šariba […]
Kashke Bademjan (Persian Eggplant Dip) Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Persian cooking class! Bademjan is Farsi for eggplant, kashk is fermented whey, and kashke bademjan (roasted eggplant dip) is one of my favourite Persian dishes. My friend Parya-joon made a huge bowl of it for my last birthday party which was a great […]
