Cookbook 200: Destination Flavour – People and Places

Wow, 200 cookbooks. I still have more to go (because I did start buying them again) and this will probably never stop unless people stop publishing interesting cookbooks.

Destination Flavour: People and Place by Adam Liaw is excellent. I loved all the recipes I cooked, the focaccia was amazing and I want to go back and cook several of them again (I keep wanting to make the focaccia it is that good). 5 stars out of 5. Do recommend.

Adelaide Hills Carbonara (serves 4)

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of watercress (about 2 cups – 60 g) picked leaves
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 180g pancetta, cut into thin slivers
• 500g dried spaghetti
• 2 whole eggs, plus 3 egg yolks
• 2 cups, grated pecorino

Method:

1. Pick the small stalks and leaves from the watercress, discarding any thick stalks. Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add the oil and saute the garlic and pancetta slowly for about 5 minutes, to render the fat from the pancetta and toast the garlic. When the fat has rendered, stir the watercress through to wilt it, then remove from the heat.
2. While the pancetta is cooking, bring a large pot of water to the boil and add a good amount of salt. Add the spaghetti and boil until just al dente.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs and extra yolks well, then whisk the pecorino through and grind in plenty of black pepper.
4. Reserve about 1/4 cup (60ml) of the pasta water, then drain the pasta and return it to the warm pot. Add the pancetta mixture and all the rendered oil, the egg and cheese mixture and the reserved pasta water.
5. Stir briskly until the oil, egg, cheese and pasta water have combined and emulsified to make a creamy sauce that coats the pasta. Serve immediately.

Notes on this recipe:

• This is a really great cabonara recipe. It can be made without the water cress, which didn’t add a lot to the dish apart from a little texture in my opinion. A lot of cabonara recipes feel extra heavy and this one doesn’t.

Grape and Rosemary Focaccia (serves 4 – 6)

Ingredients:

• 4 cups of strong flour, plus extra for dusting
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 2 tsp sea salt flakes
• 1/4 cup (60ml) extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling and dipping
• 200g seedless red grapes, halved if large
• 1/4 cup rosemary sprigs
• chunks of good quality hard cheese (such as Parmigiano Reggiano) to serve

Method:

1. Combine the flour, yeast and 1 teaspoon of the salt flakes in a large bowl and stir to combine. In a separate bowl or jug, combine the oil with 400ml of lukewarm water. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Gradually add the oil mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring with a fork until the dough forms a shaggy ball.
2. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured board or bench and knead for about 5 minutes, or until smooth and elastic. Place the dough into a greased bowl and roll it around to coat in the oil. Cover with a tea towel and allow the dough to prove in a warm, draught-free place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
3. Generously grease a 20cm by 30cm baking tin. Punch down the dough, then press it into the pan, pressing into the dough with your fingertips to leave small indentations. Push the grapes and rosemary sprigs into the dough, then drizzle generously with more olive oil and scatter with the remaining salt.
4. Heat your oven to 200C. Meanwhile, allow the dough to prove for a further 20 minutes.
5. Bake the focaccia for 25 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Serve with chunks of cheese, and good olive oil for dipping.

Notes on this recipe:

• You can fool people that the grapes are olives, until they bite into them and have the sweetness, salt and rosemary together. It’s really nice.
• After the disaster of the Paul Hollywood focaccia, it was really nice to make a successful bread recipe
• I’m going to retry this recipe with other toppings. Thinly sliced potato, sundried tomatoes, other herbs, etc.

Roast Pumpkin with Fennel Seed, Curry Leaf and Goat’s Cheese (serves 6 as a side)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 small Japanese or Kent pumpkin
• 6 eschalots (shallots)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• a handful of curry leaves
• 125g goat’s cheese

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 180C. Remove the seeds from the pumpkin and chip it into thick crescents; you don’t need to peel it. Peel the eschalots leaving them whole.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oil, vinegar, honey, fennel seeds and curry leaves until combined. Gently toss the pumpkin and escahalots through the mixture, then transfer to a large roasting tin. Season well with salt.
3. Roast for 45 minutes, or until the eschalots and pumpkin are well caramelised.
4. Transfer to a serving plate and crumble the goat’s cheese over the top. Grind some black pepper over and serve.

Notes on this recipe:

• It’s nice and simple, a mix of delicious flavours and looks great when served. What more to want?

Blackberry Picnic Tarts (makes 12)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups (300g) fresh blackberries
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour
• 300ml thickened cream
• 2 tbsp icing sugar

Shortcrust pastry

• 2/3 cup (100g) plain flour
• 65g caster sugar
• 1/2 cup (125g) very cold or frozen unsalted butter
• 1 egg yolk

Method:

1. To make the pastry, combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Working quickly, grate the butter into the bowl and rub the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and if necessary a teaspoon or two of cold water to bring the dough together.
2. Push a small amount of dough into each hold of a standard 12 hole non-stick muffin tin and press around the sides to line it evenly. Refrigerate for 20 minutes, or until firm.
3. Heat your oven to 180C
4. Place the berries in a bowl and stir in the caster sugar. Lightly crush the berries to release their juices, then stir the cornflour through. Spoon the mixture into the tart cases, then bake for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool.
5. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then serve the picnic tarts topped with the cream and a dusting of icing sugar.

Notes on this recipe:

• If you have a food processor, it is much easier to make short-crust pastry in that than by hand
• These were really lovely tarts. Not too sweet, and delicious with the cream – though you could skip that if necessary.
• The biggest problem with these was that there was only 12.

Eggplant with Dengaku Miso (serves 4 as a side)

Ingredients:

• 1 European eggplant or 3 Japanese eggplants, halved lengthways
• 1 tbsp rice brain oil or other vegetable oil
• toasted white and black sesame seeds, to serve
• 1 tbsp finely chopped chives, to serve

Light Dengaku Miso (makes extra)

• 100g white miso (or other light-coloured miso)
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sugar

Dark Dengaku Miso (makes extra)

• 100g hatcho miso (red miso)
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sugar

Method:

1. Heat your oven to 180C
2. Using a sharp knife, trim a little off the “cheek” of each eggplant half, to make a flat base so it sits level on the baking tray. Score a cross-hatch patter in the open face of the eggplant. Drizzle with the oil and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the eggplants are tender but still holding their shape.
3. For the light dengaku miso, mix the ingredients in a small saucepan with two tablespoons of water and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes, stirring regularly until the mixture thickens to a very thick, but still pourable consistency. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
4. Rinse the pan and repeat the process for the dark dengaku miso.
5. When the eggplant is cooked, generously top one eggplant half with the light dengaku miso and the other with the dark gengaku miso.
6. Switch the oven to a hot grill setting. Return the eggplant to the oven and grill for about 5 minutes, or until the miso is bubbling.
7. Transfer the eggplant to a serving plate. Scatter the light dengaku miso with black sesame seeds, and the dark gengaku miso with the white sesame seeds. Sprinkle all the eggplant with chopped chives and serve.

Notes on this recipe:

• Super delicious and gloopy.
• I only had black sesame on the day, but that didn’t change the flavour.