Cooking Instructions / Recipes
Sweet Strawberry Pizzas
Ingredients
1 x 8gm sachet instant dried yeast
pinch of salt
400g plain flour
olive oil
1 cup warm water
pinch of sugar 20 strawberries
1 egg yolk [lightly beaten]
200g good quality chocolate bits
icing sugar
Method
Combine yeast, water, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Put flour into a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Pour in yeast mixture and gradually work it into the flour – add more water or flour to make a stiff dough. Kneed dough on a floured bench until smooth. Put dough into a lightly oiled bowl, cover and leave in a warm place to double in size. Punch down dough, kneed and leave to rise again in a warm place.
Punch down dough and kneed lightly. Divide into 4 equal portions. Roll each portion into a ball and then press with fingers into a saucer shape on a well-floured board. Fill wells with pastry beads (or dried beans) and brush edges with egg yolk. Bake in a covered outdoor kitchen at moderate heat until golden and crisp. Cool slightly and remove beads. Put chocolate bits into the hot bases and leave to melt. Top pizzas with strawberries and dust with icing sugar.
Thai Noodle Salad
Ingredients
3 bundles rice stick noodles
50g bean shoots
1 tablespoon chopped roasted peanuts
1 tablespoon deep fried shallots
1 red capsicum [halved & thinly sliced]
small bunch mint [coarsely chopped]
small bunch coriander [coarsely chopped]
2 tablespoons shredded coconut
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon red curry paste
1 tablespoon fish sauce
4 spring onions, cut into 1 cm lengths
lime wedges & 1 banana flower [to serve]
Method
Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Break noodle sticks in half and cook 1 – 2 minutes until just soft. Refresh in cold water and drain. Heat oil in a wok. Add curry paste and fry for 30 seconds. Add capsicum and spring onion and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add noodles, bean shoots, coconut, coriander and mint and toss until well combined. Add fish sauce to taste and toss again. Sprinkle salad with peanuts and fried shallots and serve with wedges of lime. The outer leaves of a banana flower can be used for individual portions.
Grilled Crayfish with Coriander Butter
Ingredients
4 crayfish tails
salt & pepper
3 tablespoons chopped coriander
1 lemon [sliced]
100g softened butter
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Method
Combine butter, lemon juice, coriander and salt & pepper to taste. Cut shell away from the underside of the crayfish tails. Cook on grids flesh side down for 2 – 3 minutes. Turn over and smear with a little butter mixture. Grill covered until cooked. Serve tails with an extra knob of coriander butter and slices of lemon.
Whole Grilled Fish Served on Banana Leaves
Ingredients
4 small fish [cleaned and scaled]
8 slices ginger
2 limes [sliced]
4 tablespoons soy sauce
4 green chillies [sliced]
banana leaves to serve
8 spring onions [trimmed]
oil
Method
Lightly oil fish. Place ingredients in cavity of fish (including ½ tablespoon soy sauce in each). Bake fish on both sides on your outdoor kitchen. When nearly cooked sprinkle remaining soy sauce over fish. Garnish fish with fresh lime and serve on banana leaves.
Honey Chicken & Grilled Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs – flattened out
100ml olive oil
juice of 2 lemons
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon chilli paste
1 tablespoon soy sauce 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar extra olive oil
variety of vegetables such as zucchini, capsicum, fennel, asparagus [cut into pieces]
salt & pepper
Method
Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, harissa and soy sauce. Pour marinade over the chicken pieces, cover and refrigerate overnight. Cook chicken on cooking grids on moderate heat. Rest covered for 5 minutes. Toss vegetables in a little oilve oil and cook until just tender on a medium-high cooking grid, turning regularly. Season with salt & pepper and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar.
Lamb & Red Onion Kebab
Ingredients
4 tablespoons olive oil
juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs
1 clove garlic [crushed]
salt & pepper
750g lamb fillet or backstrap
2 red onions cut into wedges
8 wooden skewers [soaked in cold water for 1 hour]
Method
Combine olive oil, lemon juice, herbs, garlic and salt & pepper to taste in a large bowl. Cut lamb into bite-size pieces and toss in marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Thread meat onto skewers alternating with onion. Cook on grids until done.
Garlic Lamb with Peperonata
Ingredients
2 mini roast lamb
salt & pepper
2 cloves garlic, cut lengthways
2 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion [chopped]
1 eggplant [cubed]
800g tinned tomatoes, chopped
splash of red wine
salt & pepper
1 red and 1 yellow capsicum, seeded & diced
3 tablespoons green olives, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, torn
Method
Using a small sharp knife, make cuts into each roast and push a piece of garlic into each hole. Brush meat with olive oil and season with salt & pepper. Place meat in the centre of the cooking grids, close the cover and cook until done but still pink in the middle. Rest in a warm place covered for 15 minutes. Slice and serve on a bed of peperonata.
Peperonata can be made ahead of time and re-heated. To make peperonata, heat olive oil in a wok or frying pan. Fry onion until soft. Add capsicums and eggplant and fry until vegetables are just tender. Add tomatoes and red wine and reduce to a stew over medium heat. Stir occasionally and add a little water if necessary. When ready to serve, stir through the olives, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with basil leaves.
Trout with Almonds & Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients
4 small trout
4 teaspoons butter
4 tablespoons flaked almonds
salt & pepper
lemon wedges
olive oil 2 tomatoes [halved]
2 red onions, thickly sliced
16 asparagus spears [trimmed]
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 medium field mushrooms [stalks removed]
Method
Brush fish with olive oil. Cook on griddle or in a fish basket for easy turning. Put almonds into a small pan and stir over low heat until golden. Serve fish smeared with a knob of butter, sprinkled with almonds and a wedge of lemon. Cook onions and tomatoes on oiled hot plate. Rub asparagus with a little olive oil and cook until just tender on cooking grids. Put a small knob of butter into each mushroom cap and cook on a grill plate without turning. Serve vegetables sprinkled with parsley.
Bacon, Eggs & Potato Rosti
Ingredients
2 large potatoes [peeled and grated]
salt & pepper
1 tablespoon self-raising flour olive oil 8 middle rashers of bacon
2 tomatoes [halved]
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
4 eggs
4 slices sourdough bread [lightly brushed with olive oil]
Method
To make potato rosti – combine potato and flour and season to taste with salt and pepper. Brush hot plate lightly with oil and fill 4 egg rings with potato mixture, pressing down with a spoon onto the hot plate. When potato is soft, remove rings and press flat. Cook both sides until crispy. Cook bacon and tomatoes on the barbecue hot plate. Toast bread on cooking grids.
To poach eggs – bring a frying pan or wok of water with 1 tablespoon of vinegar added to a gentle rolling boil. Swirl water gently in one direction with a large spoon. Carefully crack an egg into the centre of the whirlpool. Poach egg just until white is firm. Remove egg to a serving plate with a slotted spoon. Top egg with a little chopped parsley and serve with warm toast, bacon, rosti and tomato.
Fish & chips
Ingredients
4 tablespoons plain flour
2 eggs [beaten]
1.2 litres vegetable oil for deep frying
sea salt 100 – 150g wholegrain breadcrumbs
lemon wedges
600g potatoes [peeled and cut into chips]
600g boneless white fish fillets [small or cut into 8 pieces]
Method
Rinse chips in cold water and pat dry. Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan to 145°C. Cook chips until pale and soft. Drain on absorbent paper. Increase heat of oil to 180°C. Pat dry the fish fillets and dust with flour, dip in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs. Fry chips in batches until golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Fry fillets in batches until golden. Drain on absorbent paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with wedges of lemon.
Red Beef Curry
Ingredients
600g beef [cubed]
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 small onions [peeled] 600ml coconut milk
1 – 3 tablespoons red curry paste
fish sauce
2 kaffir lime leaves
dried chilli flakes
1 tablespoon sweet paprika
2 tablespoons deep fried shallots
Method
Heat oil in a wok or saucepan over medium heat. Add curry paste and fry for 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Add meat and stir to coat with paste. Fry for a further few minutes until meat is coloured. Add onions, lime leaves, paprika and coconut milk and cook over gentle heat until beef is tender and sauce has thickened. Add fish sauce to taste, sprinkle with fried shallots and chilli flakes if desired.
Serve with steamed rice.