Parmesan Crusted Wiener Schnitzels

Sometimes you just want a good old fashioned winter warmer. My partner is from German-Hungarian stock, so a love of meat is part of the genetic identity. A childhood favourite of hers growing up was Wiener schnitzels and fries.

The concept of the Wiener (Viennese Style) Schnitzels are for butter fried crumbed thinned escalope veal slices that by the regional standard must be veal and are traditionally served with potatoes and a wedge of lemon.

I tend to keep the base mix and method the same, whether I make it of veal (wiener), pork (wiener vom schwein) or chicken (wiener hühnerschnitzel).

Crocodile – Green Curries & Thai salads

Crocodile is a delicious, if not unusual, meat. It’s best described as having the composition of chicken, with a delicate white fish flavour. Since the flavour is so delicate, it is difficult to choose how to cook it. The composition allows it to be used as in recipes that would call for chicken as easily as its flavour allows it to substitute for fish recipes.

In the past, I have made it into a stir fry with fresh broadbeans, shallots, chinese broccolli and hrin sauce or as a mince with macadamia nut and lemon myrtle which was used to fill ravioli. This time, however, I decided to utilise as the central ingredient in a Thai Green Curry.

Unless you actually live near an authorised crocodile farm, chances are you’ll get your crocodile meat pre-packed and frozen. So, secret number one — unless you plan on marinading it and using the marinade in the cooking, don’t thaw it. The thawing process will rob the meat of most of the moisture, which in turn decreases the flavour. We, however are going to marinade it.

Ratatouille (Roasted)

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Tossed vegetables.

Basically, that’s what we’re talking about when we talk about Ratatouille.

There is no “right” or “wrong” way to make it other than to follow a basic set of premises. It should be made of fresh vegetables. Traditional ingredients should include tomatoes, garlic, onions, zucchini, eggplant, capsicum and a mix of green herbs. It should be low in fat, low in calories, high in nutrients and complex in flavours.

Whether you believe that the vegetables should be steamed and tossed in a salad ala Ratatouille Nicoise, stewed like the samfaina or fried like tombet … the versions are endless. Heck, I even made a stack version a while back.

To be quite honest, I often forget about making Ratatouille as a standalone dish. It isn’t until the end of the week when I have all of these wonderful produce in the fridge that I recall the need to make a vegetable dish.

This recipe makes a huge tray of ratatouille – enough for a good dozen people in fact. But the quantity allows for seperating into batches and freezing for instant meals or sides during the week when one doesn’t have time to cook complicated meals.

Dark Chocolate Fettuccine & Vodka-Berry Ragu

A few decades ago, there was an establishment that opened up that premised its entire existence on the concept that chocolate could be the primary ingredient of every meal and that dessert could be served in three courses. Death by Chocolate was ahead of its time. Chocolate toast served with chocolate butter made way to a variety of cakes, mousses and drinks … but perhaps people just weren’t ready for chocolate pasta, chocolate chilli or chocolate roast lamb.

I was thinking about this the other day after I unwrapped my birthday gift of a electronic pasta machine. I wanted to christen the new machine by creating a pasta recipe I have not done before. One thing I have never done before? Dessert pasta!

Thus the idea was born.

Hamilton’s Lamb Pie

This recipe is a modern tribute to older styled nose to tail eating that was once the norm of country life a few hundred years ago. Taking inspiration from antique recipes such as the Welsh Sheeps Head Pie, Mrs Beetons Lambs Brains and a few other variations I have perused and read.

The property I have in North Central Victoria can be traced back to the original squatting by William Hamilton in the 1830s. The Hamiltons made a large impact on the area running a mob estimated to vary between 8,000 and 15,000 merino sheep.

Thus the recipe pays tribute to a colonial heritage both in interpretation and name.

Orange Glazed Roast Turkey

Over a decade ago, we used to have an orphan’s Christmas on boxing day amongst a group of friends. One year, I realised I would be away from my kitchen for a few days and simply would not have the opportunity to provide a hot roast for lunch … so I decided I would try and create a roast that could be served cold as a picnic meat or sandwich filler.

 

I have played with the recipe a few times over the years but the following is the richest version that seems to be a resounding success every time. 

Fricassea de Agnello E carciofi (Lamb Fricassea with artichokes)

We went to a great little Greek restaurant a while back where the menu item “lamb & artichoke fracais” was featured and took our fancy. The meal was mesmerising, with a wonderful tender pieces of lamb interspersed with artichoke hearts and a tangy creamy sauce that was a pleasure to mop up with some sour dough bread.

Now, I’m not going to claim I reverse engineered the recipe from that establishment, but thinking the flavours over and adding a little mix from my own Italian background to the mix has brought out a recipe that is a pretty tasty replica.

My initial attempts included using wild and black artichokes, the flavours were too strong for the dish, so standard artichokes are recommended. I also tried Jerusalem artichokes but found they were too bland in the mix and the texture out of place.

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My interpretation of a traditional ‘ragù alla bolognese’

I should state a few things from the very start:

• A “true’ traditional ragù is much more likely to be made from chunks of meat than mince – but mince is easier to acquire and work with.
• Even in Bologna, the exact mix of ingredients, herbs and even the specific cuts of (let alone type of!) meat is contested within the same street … 
• That said, this methodology for the Bologna style of ragù, however, is true to form and tradition.

Taco pie …

 

I saw a picture of a taco pie the other day on somebody’s tumblr and thought “wow, that looks pretty good” so i clicked through to end up at a pinterest board which just looped back to other pinterest boards and after being pinterested to death I still couldn’t find a recipe for the damn thing.

So, I started experimenting – and this is what i have come up with as my version of a taco pie.