Tonno Crudo con Finocchio (fennel, garlic and olive oil Tuna carpaccio)

As per my earlier Salmon interpretation of this pesce crudo dish, I also made a Tuna interpretation. In this instance, I decided to match it with the subtle aniseed flavour of fennel fronds, garlic and olive oil.

Salmone Crudo nel Arancio Sangue (aka Blood Orange Salmon Carpaccio)

There was once a range of recipes under the italian class called “crudo” which simply means “raw”. Whilst today, any of the recipes that fall under this category are called carpaccio, the truth is that only one dish was given that name – the Harry’s bar interpretation of the beef dish “Carne cruda all’Albese” which was named after the tonal works and inspiration of the Venetian painter by the same name.

Yet, since the 1950s it seems that all “crude” have been renamed. So, for the sake of simplicity, I have placed the recipe under both titles.

My interpretation of this pesce crudo dish with salmon was to match it with the sweet acidity of the blood orange, which lends itself to a great range of flavour pairings.

Candied Orange slices & peel

I think candied peel is one of those things that fits with my whole philosophy of using everything you can from the food you produce and purchase. Whilst not in the same league as Grapefruit peel, lemon and orange peels are just as tasty and even easier for me to get hold off and thus make.

The process makes the peel become sweet, losing the bitterness, yet still holding onto that tartness, and once used to cook with a second time – such as on a baked ham or on top of cakes, takes on a crystal like transformation that is chewy and just a true decadence.

There are hundreds of recipes to make this – each with their own twists, but here is my version:

A basic cockerel Stock

CHICKEN (Cockerel) STOCK

An old chicken or cockerel White Wine

Schmaltz Sofrito Mix (Carrot,Onion, Garlic, Celery)

Lemon Myrtle Pavlova

Australia Day is coming up, and the Mrs asked me to make something special for her to take to work for the Australia Day Morning Tea they were organising.

Whilst Pavlova is actually a New Zealand dish, Australians have appropriated it … and unlike Russell Crowe, have not regretted that association.

I decided it may be nice to infuse the Pavlova meringue base with the unique scent of the lemon myrtle to provide a citrus quality to the base, which could then be decorated with some candied lemons and kiwi fruit, to make a “green and gold” Pavlova.

My interpretation of ‘conejo en mole’

As I said, I’ve been hooked on raw cacao and recipes that utilise it lately. After experimenting with the ox cheeks, I looked up some classic Mexican dishes and found a hundred versions of chocolate and chilli based sauces. One that caught my eye was a brown mole sauce used with chicken and light coloured game. Which led me to creating this interpretation of Rabbit with mole dish.

chocolate braised ox cheeks with wild mushroom casserole

I’ve been hooked on raw cacao and recipes that utilise it lately. Taking inspiration from some Catalonian dishes, I thought I would experiment with a slow cooked braised ox cheek. 

Roasted Pumpkin Soup (& dip base!)

This works for practically all pumpkin types, I actually prefer the Queensland Blue, but have made it with Japanese and Butternut as well.

The thing I love about this recipe is that it is a thick mix, which means you can then use it as a base for a thinner soup, continue to reduce it for a pasta sauce or add some creamy cheese (or sour cream or yoghurt) to turn it into a dip!

Roast Spatchcock with Orange-chestnut stuffing

An instant classic at my place was this little dish.

A succulent little roast bird, stuffed full of the autumn-winter flavours of chestnuts, blood orange and vegetables steaming forth with an aroma that just says roasts are meant to be part of the winter menu.