Jill Jones-Evans and Joe Gambacorta have created a beautiful High Tea at the Victoria Room cookbook. They have also shared one of the delicious recipes with us. A perfect autumn treat.
Spiced Apple Tea Cake
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Eating ‘in between’ seasons can sometimes prove a challenge - Strike a balance between the months by taking a little piece of each, as in this light yet filling pie. With poached, milky flakes of smoked cod, bursting sweet corn and creamy mash, it’ll feel like you’ve taken the best of all seasons.
Serves 4
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Sydney Pemberton, who is an accomplished cook, cookbook author, caterer, and our only female contender, served up a delicious warming recipe to rival our professional chefs! If you want to see more from Sydney who is a slow food guru then visit www.spfoodworkshop.com.au
Sydney Pemberton
- 4-5 Chorizo (fresh) Sausages (about 600gs)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 leek, washed and thinly sliced
- 2 sticks of celery, roughly chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed and finely chopped
- 1 x 400 grams tinned tomatoes
- 1 x 400 grams tinned black beans, drained and rinsed
- ½ cup chicken stock
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves
- Sea Salt and ground black pepper to season
Slice the sausages into about 2 cm rounds, heat the oil in a saucepan and fry off the sausages until browned, remove and set aside.
Add more oil if necessary to the pan and then cook the leeks, celery, carrot and fennel for 5 minutes with the lid on over a low heat until soft.
Stir in the tomatoes, black beans, stock, bay leaves and thyme leaves and bring to the boil. Turn the heat down and add back the sausage, season with salt and pepper and cook for a further 10-15 minutes over a low heat. Taste for seasoning and serve in bowls.
For Salsa
- 3-4 truss tomatoes, roughly chopped
- Finely chopped fresh green chili
- 1 tablespoon chopped coriander leave
- Fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to taste
Mix the salsa ingredients together and serve separately in a bowl to spoon onto the chorizo.
James Kidman
James Kidman from Otto, brought us this beautifully presented veal dish, which was had a particular winter garden feel to it.
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Michael Moore
Michael was our first contender. He brought in this mouth watering dish, which FoodinFocus host, Natascha, replicated for a dinner party and it was a huge success. Read More …
This tasty recipe is not only low in fat and simple to prepare, but a filling winter warmer.
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Serves Four
Ingredients
12 x plump extra large king prawns/tiger prawns (approx 50g each)
For the garnish
½ crisp iceberg lettuce
One red capsicum
Clove of garlic, sprig of rosemary and thyme, splash of extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar
¼ thin baguette
¼ frissee lettuce
Pinch of cayenne pepper
For the sauce
4 extra large tbs thick mayonnaise
1 tablespoon tomato ketchup
Good splash of the following: brandy, Grand Marnier and Worcestershire sauce
Small splash of Tabasco. (If you like it spicy add as much as you like!)
Method
Remove the head and shell from the prawns. Remove the spine, by cutting down the back and pulling out with your knife. Rinse in ice-cold salted water, and dry well. Place in fridge until needed.
Cut the capsicum in half and remove the seeds. Cover with salt, pepper, olive oil, vinegar, garlic and thyme and place in oven on 150c for around 45 minutes until almost soft. Peel while warm and slice into thin strips. Drizzle strips with remaining juices and place in the fridge. Add another pinch of salt if needed.
Wash the iceberg well and spin dry. Slice very fine and then place in the fridge. Mix all of the ingredients for the sauce together, and season to taste. Slice the baguette thinly, place onto a tray and drizzle with a little olive oil. Bake until golden brown then allow to cool. Prepare the frissee by removing all the green bits and leaving the golden bits; wash and spin dry. Place the shredded lettuce in the bottom of the four martini glasses and top with the plump prawns. Arrange the peppers and frissee around the prawns and cover with the sauce. Place croutons on top, add a pinch of cayenne pepper and serve.
Recipe by Guest Chef Justin North, Owner Chef- Becasse & Etch
Serves 4
800g lamb shoulder, boned and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 pickled onions
3 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
3 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 cinnamon stick
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons paprika powder
6 dried apricots, chopped
600 – 800 ml vegetable stock
400g chick peas, canned
350g fresh cherries, pitted
Salt
1 tablespoon almond flakes, toasted
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
Place meat and oil in a large heavy-based saucepan.
Add onions, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, coriander, bay leaf, paprika and apricots and toss together over medium heat, then pour in 600 ml of stock.
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat, then cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile rinse chick peas in a sieve under cold water until the water runs clear.
Add chick peas and cherries to the tagine.
You may also need to add a little more liquid at this point. Simmer for about 30 minutes or until meat is tender. Season with salt.
Serve in a traditional tagine dish if you like.
Sprinkle with toasted almond flakes and parsley before serving.
Serve with buttery couscous.
(makes about 2 ½ cups)
350ml red wine vinegar
350g caster sugar
40g ginger, peeled and chopped
1 cinnamon stick
4 gloves
1 onion, peeled and chopped finely
100 g dried apricots, chopped
2 apples, peeled and seeded and cut into small pieces
700 g fresh cherries, pitted
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
Heat vinegar and sugar in a large saucepan stirring occasionally until sugar has dissolved.
Add ginger, cinnamon, gloves, onions, apricots and apples and let simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add cherries and simmer for another 40-50 minutes or until it thickens and becomes syrupy.
Stir in salt and nutmeg.
Remove from the heat and allow to stand for 15 minutes.
Spoon into sterilized jars.
Seal with lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
