These sandwiches make fabulous Melbourne Cup or cocktail party fare and are also good to take on picnics.

Poach the chicken or turkey breasts in 2 litres of simmering water for 10 – 15 minutes. Remove from water and strain. When cool, cut into pieces and pulse in the food processor until roughly chopped.
Place chicken in a bowl with remaining ingredients.
Combine well and season to taste.
Lightly spread the butter over each slice of bread.  Spoon mixture onto buttered side and top with another.  Remove crusts and wrap in plastic wrap.  Refrigerate until ready to use. Cut just before serving.

Tip: For extra flavour, poach the chicken in 1.75 litres water combined with 250ml dry white wine, a bouquet garni and six whole black peppercorns.  You can also add a small bulb of finely diced fennel and the leaves from a bunch of chervil (roughly chopped) to the sandwich filling, if liked. Chopped fresh pistachios are also a nice addition.

You’ll find these fabulous pancakes on the menu at the Byron Beach Café. The recipe is courtesy of chef Christian Poulsen, just one of the many talented chefs who’ll be part of the Sample Food Festival. The Festival kicks off at 9am on  Saturday 10/9/11 at the Bangalow Showground – entry is free. A Gala Dinner will be held on the night at The Byron at Byron Resort and the winners of the Golden Fork Award will be announced at the dinner.

To make the beetroot pancake batter, first cook the beetroot. The best method is to use oven-roasted beetroot for improved intensity of colour and flavour; boiling beetroot dilutes these things and the result is inferior. Dress the beetroots with the olive oil, then place in a small roasting tin, sprinkle with salt, add 1 cm of water to the tin, cover with foil, and bake in a 160°C oven for about 45 minutes, or until tender. Leave to cool before peeling and dicing; reserve 250 g diced cooked beetroot.
Place the reserved beetroot in a food processor and process to a purée. Add the sugar, salt, eggs and buttermilk and continue to process until smooth. Transfer to a mixing bowl and gradually add the flour, whisking to make a smooth, thick batter — if it is quite wet add a little more flour. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
To make the orange dressing, put the sugar and 50 ml water into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. As soon as it starts to caramelize, remove from the heat and add the vinegar to seize the cooking process. ‘Cracking caramel’ with a liquid causes the caramel to boil and spit. If you haven’t done it before ensure you do it over the sink and in a saucepan with reasonably high sides. Allow to cool slightly, then stir in the nectar, canola oil and salt. Pour it into a sauce bottle or airtight jar so you can shake it — the mixture should resemble a vinaigrette.
Heat a frying pan over low heat and grease the base with a little canola spray. Pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan at a time to make crumpet-sized pikelets. Cook for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until golden. You should be able to cook these in batches of three. Remove to a plate and keep warm while cooking the remainder — you should make about 12 pancakes in total.
To serve, place a pancake on each serving plate with 2 slices of orange on top, then repeat to make a stack of 3 pancakes. Spoon some of the goat’s curd on top, then drizzle over the orange dressing and scatter over the macadamia nuts and watercress.

Ricardoes Tomatoes and U-Pick Strawberry Farm is located just north of Port Macquarie in Blackmans Point Road. If you’re travelling along the Pacific Highway, on the mid north coast of NSW, it’s a good place to turn off and stock up on ripe red tomatoes and strawberries (which you can pick yourself) and enjoy a meal or Devonshire Tea. This recipe is included in Tastings of the Hastings, a lovely little book with recipes from chefs in the Hastings region.

Quarter the tomatoes and finely dice the Spanish onion. Finely chop parsley leaves to make approx. 1/4 cup.
Combine olive oil and vinegar and drizzle over the tomato/onion mix.
Serve with lightly toasted, sliced Turksh bread. The freshly toasted bruschetta can be lightly rubbed with a clove of garlic before serving.

Photo by Jay Beaumont, The Creative House Publications

Ricardoes Tomatoes
221 Blackmans Pt Rd,
Port Macquarie NSW

Tastings of the Hastings festival will be held from 5 to 29 October 2011 with the main event on Sunday October 23rd which will feature more than 70 food and wine exhibitors, cooking demonstrations and family entertainment. The event features a dedicated ‘Paddock to Plate’ arena and is held at the Port Macquarie Race Course from 10.00am to 3.00pm.:

Maddison Fogarty (who is currently living in Hong Kong), made a batch of these scones from Mini Chef – Cooking with Kids the other day.  Didn’t she do well? You can serve them with butter or whipped cream and jam. For soft scones, wrap in a clean tea towel for ten minutes as soon as they come out of the oven. For crusty scones, cool on a wire rack.

Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 16–18 minutes

Equipment you will need:
Measuring cups and spoons
Mixing bowl
Baking trays
Baking paper
5–6cm (2–2½inch) scone
cutter or glass
Pastry brush

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 230ºC (210ºC fan-forced/500ºF/Gas mark 9). Line a baking tray with baking paper.
2. Sift the flour, salt and sugar into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the cream and water. Mix all ingredients together to make a soft but not sticky dough.
3. Knead lightly on a floured bench top and pat out to 2cm (1 inch) thickness. Be careful not to overwork the dough. Turn over so that smooth side is on top.
4. With a scone cutter or glass dipped in flour, cut into 5cm (2inch) rounds and place close together on the baking tray— this helps them to support each other as they rise, and to
retain their moisture.
5. Brush tops with milk and bake for 15–18 minutes or until well risen and golden.

Variations: For fruit scones, stir through 2 x 40g (1oz) mini sultana and apricot or sultana and apple packs or ½ cup sultanas and a little mixed spice.

It's going, it's going...it's scone

The Reuben was created in New York City in 1914 by Arnold Reuben and was recently named the hottest food item in Sydney for 2011.  Made with prime Wagyu salt beef, served on hand sliced freshly baked rye, Swiss cheese, homemade dill pickles, sauerkraut & mild mustard mayo. According to Craig Claiborne in The New York Times Food Encyclopedia:
Late one evening a leading lady of actor Charlie Chaplin came into the restaurant and said, ‘Reuben, make me a sandwich, make it a combination, I’m so hungry I could eat a brick.’ He took a loaf of rye bread, cut two slices on the bias and stacked one piece with sliced Virginia ham, roast turkey, and imported Swiss cheese, topped off with coleslaw and lots of Reuben’s special Russian dressing and the second slice of bread. He served it to the lady who said, ‘Gee, Reuben, this is the best sandwich I ever ate, you ought to call it an Annette Seelos Special.’ To which he replied, ‘Like hell I will, I’ll call it a Reuben’s Special.’

This is how Sydney chef Michael Moore makes his Reuben sandwich which you’ll find at Reuben & Moore on Level 5 of the Westfield Food Court in the Sydney CBD:

My Reuben is made as follows

Wagyu silverdside salt beef is cooked for 5 hours until tender.
Freshly slice light rye bread add a slice of swiss cheese.
Place the hot sliced salt beef on top.
Add homemade sauerkraut pickled cabbage
Add sliced fresh made dill pickles. Drizzle with a blend of mild and hot mustard mixed with my( 80 year old spiced vinegar recipe).
Place the second slice on and serve.
I do not toast the bread.

Reuben & Moore also serve the cold Rachel Reuben twhich is made with Russian dressing (coleslaw) pickles cheese and homemade brined, rubbed, smoked and slow roasted wagyu pastrami (this is unreal) – and the  Georgia Reuben which is made with shaved turkey.

The recipe for this luscious tart was given to me by Courtney Bracks, the talented owner/chef of Ciao Thyme and Café Viva in Darling St., Balmain, Sydney.  Courtney has cooked for the stars – but doesn’t have stars in her eyes.

Preheat oven to 220degC/200degC Fan Forced.  Grease a 35cm x 13cm tart dish with removable base.
Make the pastry: place flour, butter, salt, nutmeg and sugar in the food processor and pulse until crumbly.  Add water and process until it forms a ball around the blades.  Turn out, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Roll out pastry to fit the tart dish and level edges. Place in freezer for 20 minutes.  Remove tart base from fridge and bake blind in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside while preparing the fruit.
Prepare the fruit: cut the plums (or figs) in half, remove stones and toss in sugar.  Caramelise the fruit in a frying pan with some butter until well coloured.
For the frangipane filling: cream together the butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time then beat in the almonds and brandy.
To assemble the flan: fill tart case with cold frangipane filling, top with the plums (or figs). Lower oven temperature to 180degC (160degC fan Forced) and bake tart for 30 – 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.  Cool a little before serving.

The recipe for this luscious tart was given to me by Courtney Bracks, the talented owner/chef of Ciao Thyme and Café Viva in Darling St., Balmain, Sydney.  Courtney has cooked for the stars – but doesn’t have stars in her eyes.

Preheat oven to 220degC/200degC Fan Forced.  Grease a 35cm x 13cm tart dish with removable base.
Make the pastry: place flour, butter, salt, nutmeg and sugar in the food processor and pulse until crumbly.  Add water and process until it forms a ball around the blades.  Turn out, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Roll out pastry to fit the tart dish and level edges. Place in freezer for 20 minutes.  Remove tart base from fridge and bake blind in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and set aside while preparing the fruit.
Prepare the fruit: cut the plums (or figs) in half, remove stones and toss in sugar.  Caramelise the fruit in a frying pan with some butter until well coloured.
For the frangipane filling: cream together the butter and sugar, add eggs one at a time then beat in the almonds and brandy.
To assemble the flan: fill tart case with cold frangipane filling, top with the plums (or figs). Lower oven temperature to 180degC (160degC fan Forced) and bake tart for 30 – 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.  Cool a little before serving.

Note: the pastry can be left in the freezer for 2 weeks.  The frangipane filling and fruit can be prepared two days before – you’ll find that the frangipane puffs up better if left in the fridge.

Ciao Thyme
212 Darling Street
Balmain Sydney
(02) 9555 5455

Cafe Viva
4/189 Darling Street
Balmain
(02) 9810 9028

Kulich is a Russian sweet bread, similar to panettone or stollen, served during Russian Orthodox Easter celebrations. It is baked in tall, cylindrical tins (see note below), and when cooled is decorated with white icing drizzled down the sides, colourful flowers, and XB, the traditional Easter greeting meaning  “Christ is Risen”.  You will need to start preparations the day before serving.

Combine the milk, yeast and sugar in a mixing bowl and set aside until frothy.  Add the 4 cups sifted flour, using a dough hook to knead it in (or tip it out of the bowl and knead it on a lightly floured bench).  Form into a ball, dust with flour, cover with a cloth and leave to prove (rise).  When doubled in quantity, knead in the salt, butter, icing sugar and egg yolks until well combined.
Knead in the flour.  In another bowl, whisk the egg white to soft peaks. Using a slotted spoon, stir a large spoonful of whites through the dough. Fold through remaining whites. You should have a soft dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and a tea-towel and leave to rise again until doubled.
Knead in the remaining ingredients.
Preheat oven to 180degC.  Lightly grease 4 x 900ml date roll tins (8.5cm diameter/20cm height) and line with non-stick baking paper, extending the paper 2 – 3 cm outside the tin. Fill moulds one-third full.  Leave to rise until two-thirds full, then bake for 45 – 60 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer – if it comes out clean the cakes are cooked. Carefully slide each kulich out of its tin onto a soft tea-towel.  Gently roll each one as it cools to keep the cylindrical shape.  Don’t stand them upright until they have cooled and firmed.
When cool, top with icing white frosting.
To make the frosting: combine sifted icing sugar with enough water to make a paste, then drizzle over tops of each kulich.

Tip: You can also bake the kulich in two Aussie billy cans or  2 x 2kg dried milk tins. Grease well and line with non-stick baking paper, allowing a 4cm collar at the top.

Here’s Tony Worland’s recipe for the Chicken Terrine I had for lunch at “Anything Grows” (54 Summer Street, Orange) lat week. Tony is owner/chef of Tonic restaurant at Millthorpe and supplies delicious tarts and terrines to “Anything Grows” and to La Boucherie in Millthorpe.

You’ll need a terrine, approx 30cm in length, and with a lid (or use foil) to cover.
Preheat oven to 160degC.
De-bone chicken marylands and cut the flesh into strips.  Slice duck liver and pears into similar size pieces.
Line terrine mould with strips of prosciutto – lay them out to cover bottom and sides, allowing them to hang over the sides. Place half the baby spinach leaves along the base of the mould.
Fill with the remaining ingredients, randomly placing them inside the terrine until full. Place remaining spinach on top and fold excess prosciutto over the top, wrapping like a present.
Place lid on mould and bake in a slow oven for aproximately 1.5 hours, checking every half hour, until knife comes out hot.
Remove and cool. Place in refrigerator overnight to set. Serve cold.

These crisp savoury rice flour crepes are very popular in Vietnam and are generally eaten as a snack.  Some versions are made with coconut milk, but this one is both delicious and simple to prepare. The pork is optional but adds flavour.
Make sure to prepare the fish sauce before you start making the crepe.

Make the pancake batter: in a small bowl mix the rice flour together with the 8 tablespoons water. Stir until smooth.  It should be the consistency of pouring cream – add a little more water if needed. Stir in the turmeric and season with salt and pepper.
Heat a medium non-stick frying pan (20cm base measurement), add half the oil and when hot, add the prawns, pork and onion. Cook over medium high heat for 1 – 2 minutes. Turn up the heat and pour in the batter, swirling the pan so that it covers the base of the pan – the batter should sizzle as it hits the pan. Scatter the pancake with the green onions and beansprouts. Cover with a lid and steam 1 – 2 minutes or until batter is cooked through.  Remove lid and drizzle the remaining oil around the sides of the pancake (this helps to make it crispy) – it is cooked when the edges are crispy and golden.  Remove pan  from heat, fold pancake in half and serve with the fish sauce and an assortment of fresh green herbs (basil, mint, coriander) and lettuce leaves.
To make the fish sauce: pound the garlic and chilli in a mortar and pestle until smooth.  Add the sugar and pound for another minute. Stir in the fish sauce, water and lime juice, tasting as you go.
Note: Vietnamese people often cut the the pancake into pieces, wrap it in a lettuce leaf, top with fresh herbs and fish sauce and eat with their hands – a delicious version of the better known ‘sang choy bow’.
This recipe was given to me by Hhan Nguyen, sous chef at Six Senses resort, Con Dao, Vietnam where I was a guest courtesy of Travel Indochina.

www.sixsenses.com/SixSensesConDao/
www.travelindochina.com.au