Australian cuisine is such a wonderful melting pot of influences from every corner of the world. We have a huge range of beautiful produce, some introduced and some indigenous and we’re not afraid to break the old world rules in combining them to create Australian recipes. Here are some of my favourite Aussie recipes.
Baked Herb & Lemon Leatherjacket Baked herb & lemon leatherjacket trunks are a great introduction to whole fish. The coarse skin and large head (with its threatening spike) have been removed, and the thick white flakes of flesh lift easily off the bone. It’s also a very forgiving fish, remaining succulent even if you leave […]
Baked Rainbow Trout With their colourful skin, baked rainbow trout make a gorgeous centrepiece for any table. I developed this recipe for Christmas Day to go with Matt Moran’s rough mint sauce (see video below), and versatile rainbow trout are just as good served with salsa verde or Cheong Liew’s cumquat sambal, depending on whether […]
Seafood Pot Pies I love pot pies as there’s no pastry base to fiddle around blind baking, just a flaky golden pastry lid. You can bake them in a ramekin, ovenproof bowl or soufflé dish and fill them with virtually anything you like so, with a roll of Carême sour cream shortcrust pastry in the […]
BBQ Prawns with Smoky Garlic Butter I love this method of grilling prawns in their shells without turning them onto the flesh side – the shell protects the delicate meat from overcooking and keeps them deliciously juicy. I find it easiest to cut off the heads before cooking them as they fit in my char-grill […]
Date Scones This recipe is inspired by Matt Moran’s date scone recipe in Australian Food, which is in turn inspired by the scones his Nan Valda used to make. The dates and mixed spice make them so tasty I don’t think they need jam or cream, just lashings of Pepe Saya butter – but feel […]
Herb Scones I love herb scones alongside a bowl of soup, but they also make a great savoury addition to afternoon tea. Use just one herb or a mixture of any fresh herbs you like: parsley, chervil, dill, chives, tarragon or thyme – even a little very finely chopped rosemary – in this versatile, tasty […]
Cheese Scones Given scones British heritage, I like to use a good crumbly cheddar in my cheese scones; most of it mixed into the dough and a little saved to sprinkle on top. Depending on your oven, the topping may brown unevenly, so check after 10 minutes and if necessary turn the tray around to […]
Pumpkin Scones Pumpkin scones are perhaps the most Aussie scone of all, made famous by Lady Flo Bjelke-Petersen, wife of a Queensland Premier. Use leftover roast pumpkin if you have some (you’ll need about 1 cup mashed), in which case you may need to add a splash more milk. These pretty orange pumpkin scones are […]
Crispy Smashed Potatoes These crispy smashed potatoes combine the crunchiness of roast potatoes with the creaminess of mash – what’s not to love?! The most important thing in this simple dish is the best ingredients. I use Burbank potatoes from The Gourmet Potato because the high moisture content guarantees a creamy centre while allowing ALTO […]
Aussie Solomon Gundy Solomon Gundy is a classic Jamaican spread (also called solomon-a-gundy) made from heavily salted herring so strongly smoked that the flesh turns a reddish brown (thus ‘red herrings’). The rather odd sounding name comes from the old-fashioned English term salmagundi, referring to a highly-seasoned dish made from a mixture of meat and […]
