Australian Archives - Food And Recipe

February 15, 2023

Plum job: three stone fruit dessert recipes by Julia Busuttil Nishimura | Australian food and drink

Plum and frangipane tart

(pictured top)

I am extremely enamoured by fruit tarts. They always feel celebratory with their glistening tops and flaky bottoms. This one is a perfect combination of almonds, in the way of frangipane, and wonderfully perfumed plums. It is a great dessert to make ahead of time as it will sit happily on the kitchen bench at room temperature.

6 plums, halved and stones removed, sliced
1 egg, for egg wash
Demerara sugar, for sprinkling

For the sweet pastry
400g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
A pinch of sea salt
2 tbsp caster sugar
250g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 tbsp white vinegar
About 100ml iced water

For the frangipane
75g unsalted butter, softened
75g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
75g almond meal
1 egg
1 tbsp plain flour, sifted

To make the sweet pastry, mix the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture is pebbly. You want to rub the butter into flatter pieces rather than into something that resembles breadcrumbs. Drizzle in the vinegar and enough iced water to just bring the dough together. It will still be shaggy, but should hold together when pressed and not be dry or floury. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Remove the pastry from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to make it easier to roll. Line a 30cm round baking tray with baking paper.

Roll the dough out on a lightly floured work surface into a large circle about 1.5mm thick, massaging the edges as you roll to prevent it from cracking too much. Drape the pastry over the prepared tray and keep refrigerated until needed.

To make the frangipane, place the butter, sugar and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed for about four minutes, until creamy and pale, then beat through the almond meal, egg and flour until combined.

To make the tart, spread the frangipane onto the base of the pastry, leaving a 1.5cm border. Arrange the plums on top of the frangipane filling, then fold the pastry edge over itself to create a ridged edge.

Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of water, then brush the egg wash over the pastry edge and scatter generously with demerara sugar. Refrigerate the tart for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 190C.

Bake the tart for 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool before serving.

Panna cotta with roasted nectarines and blueberries

Panna cotta translates to “cooked cream” and it is one of my favourite Italian desserts. Luckily, it also happens to be one of the simplest. I love it just set – panna cotta should have a good wobble and sit on the plate droopily rather than incredibly stiff. Mine is lightly perfumed with bay and lemon and heavily scented with vanilla. Served with some lightly poached or roasted fruits – nectarines or apricots in summer, rhubarb in spring, and citrus in winter – panna cotta is such an elegant dessert, and an absolute joy to make.

Serves 4

500ml pure cream
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped
3 strips lemon peel
1 fresh bay leaf
80g caster sugar
2 titanium-strength gelatine leaves
200g creme fraiche
Ice cubes
125g blueberries
Boiling water

For the roasted nectarines
5 nectarines, halved and stones removed, cut into wedges
2 tbsp raw sugar

Place the cream in a saucepan with the vanilla seeds and pod, lemon peel and bay leaf. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook for two minutes or until slightly thickened – don’t let it boil. Add the sugar and whisk to dissolve, cooking the cream for a further one minute. Remove from the heat.

Meanwhile, soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water until softened. Squeeze the excess water from the gelatine and whisk it into the cream mixture. Whisk in the creme fraiche, then strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Reserve the vanilla pod, bay leaf and lemon peel.

Sit the bowl in a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and whisk the mixture for eight to 10 minutes, until cool. Pour the mixture into a large jug and then divide among four small bowls or ramekins. Chill in the fridge for five hours or until just set. Once the panna cotta has set, cover each bowl or ramekin with plastic or beeswax wrap and return to the fridge.

While the panna cotta is setting, prepare the roasted nectarines. Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the nectarines in a deep baking tray so they are nice and snug and scatter over the sugar. Rinse the vanilla pod, bay leaf and lemon peel that you used to flavour the cream. Add these to the nectarines along with 125 ml of water. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until the fruit is tender.

Transfer the nectarines to a large bowl and add the blueberries. Stir to combine and allow to completely cool. You can store the fruit in a container in the fridge until ready to serve.

Dip each panna cotta bowl or ramekin into a bowl filled with boiling water for 20 seconds, then invert onto plates. Serve with the roasted nectarines and blueberries.

Peach custard tart

There is something quite nostalgic, almost child-like, about the combination of peaches and custard. Here I’ve taken that combination and turned it into a rather large peach tart, spiked with lemon and nutmeg, that’s absolutely made for sharing. The pastry and custard can be made well in advance and kept in the fridge until ready to bake.

A woman in an orange linen dress holding a tray with a square peach and custard tart. — ‘Absolutely made for sharing’: Busuttil Nishimura’s peach custard tart. Photograph: Armelle Habib

Serves 10-12

500g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
A pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp caster sugar
300g cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 tbsp white vinegar
About 200ml iced water
1 egg, for egg wash
2 tbsp demerara sugar

For the custard
2 egg yolks
100g caster sugar
20g plain flour
20g cornflour
500ml full cream milk
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped

For the peaches
1.2kg peaches (about 8)
Iced water
A pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
3 tbsp caster sugar
Juice of ½ lemon
1 vanilla pod, split and seeds scraped

Mix the flour, salt and sugar together in a large bowl. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips or a pastry cutter until the mixture is pebbly. You want to rub the butter into flatter pieces rather than into something that resembles breadcrumbs. Sprinkle the vinegar over the top, then pour over enough iced water to just bring the dough together. It will still be shaggy, but should hold together when pressed and not be dry or floury. Flatten into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least one hour.

A woman in a orange linen dress folding in the pastry edges of a peach and custard tart. — A slice of nostalgia in the making. Photograph: Armelle Habib

To make the custard, whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a large bowl, until pale and thick. Sift in the flours, mix well and set aside. Warm the milk and the vanilla seeds and pod in a saucepan over low heat (until about 38C on an instant-read thermometer). Strain the milk and add to the egg mixture, just a few tablespoons at a time to begin with, whisking between each addition. After a quarter of the milk has been whisked in, whisk in all of the remaining milk at once. Pour the mixture into a clean saucepan and set over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly as it can scorch easily. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring constantly, for two to three minutes, until thick. Transfer to a bowl or container and cover the surface of the custard with plastic wrap. Make sure it is directly touching the custard, to stop a skin forming, then refrigerate until ready to use.

To prepare the peaches, with a knife, cut a shallow cross in the base of each peach. Blanch the peaches in a saucepan of boiling water for 30 seconds to one minute, then drain and refresh in iced water. The skins should now slip away. Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones and slice into wedges. Place in a large bowl with the nutmeg, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla seeds. Toss to combine and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 190C. Line a 40 cm × 25 cm baking tray with baking paper.

Remove the dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to make it easier to roll. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 45cm × 30cm, massaging the edges as you roll to prevent it from cracking too much. Drape the pastry over the prepared tray.

Book cover of Around the Table by Julia Busuttil Nishimura picturing a woman in a pink and white dress with voluminous sleeves setting an iced cake on a table. The table is draped with a linen tablecloth, and decorated with a vase of flowers.

Spread the custard over the base of the pastry, leaving a 4cm border. Arrange the peach wedges on top of the custard, then fold the pastry border in towards the tart to create a raised edge. Whisk the egg with one teaspoon of water and brush the pastry edges with the egg wash. Scatter the edges with the demerara sugar and bake for 45to 50 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Serve at room temperature.

January 25, 2023

Pleat, eat, repeat: three lunar new year dumpling recipes from Rosheen Kaul | Australian food and drink

My family celebrates the lunar new year in the Singaporean-Chinese tradition. And like many cultures that celebrate, the focus is on the dining table. On the menu: whole steamed fish, yee sang 魚生 (prosperity toss salad), longevity noodles, braised pork belly, abalone and pan-fried new year cake, along with more regional delicacies. Each dish symbolises health, prosperity or good fortune.

In Chinese celebrations, dumplings feature prominently, as they look like money bags, and eating them is said to bring wealth. Making dumplings is a wonderful way to bring family together, and the communal rolling, filling and pleating – and eating – is a delicious way to welcome the new year.

Of course, any time of year is a good time for dumplings. Gong xi fa cai!

A hand holding a pair of black chopsticks, and grabbing a boiled dumpling drizzled in spicy dressing. — They’re widely eaten during lunar new year celebrations in the Chinese tradition, but any time of the year is a good time for dumplings. Photograph: Dave Tacon/The Guardian

蛋饺 Dan jiao (Lunar new year egg dumplings in broth)

An egg-wrapped omelette being scooped into a bowl. — One dan jiao comprises a juicy pork and chive filling, encased in a mini omelette wrapping. Photograph: Dave Tacon/The Guardian

Dan jiao are commonly found on lunar new year banquet tables in China’s southern regions. The golden half-moons are considered lucky because of their resemblance to gold ingots. Instead of wheat flour wrappers, a tiny omelette encases a juicy pork and chive filling.

Making these dumplings is a delicate process but worth every tender, savoury mouthful. The egg wrapper absorbs the juices from the meat filling as it cooks, and the dumplings swell with flavour, enriching the broth they’re served in.

The technique for making the wrappers varies, from swilling the egg mixture in a hot ladle rubbed with ginger, to cooking them in the very centre of a wok on low heat. I’ve found success using a small non-stick frying pan, and a thin rubber spatula to lift the edges of the egg wrapper over itself. Once you get the hang of it, they come together quickly and easily.

A hand spooning an egg-wrapped dumpling into a bowl. — Making dan jiao is a delicate process, but worth every mouthful. Photograph: Dave Tacon/The Guardian

Prep 15 mins
Cook 25 mins
Serves 2-4

For the filling
250g pork mince
100g garlic chives, finely chopped and coated with 1 tbsp vegetable oil
20g ginger, grated
1 egg
½ tsp ground white pepper
3 tsp soy sauce
2 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil

For the egg wrappers
6 eggs
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tsp water
Neutral-flavoured oil, for frying

For the broth
1 litre seasoned chicken stock
2 small bunches of leafy green vegetables, such as wombok, bok choy, gai lan
Soy sauce, sliced spring onions and sesame oil, to serve

To make the filling, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir vigorously. Continue stirring and working the mixture until it is thoroughly combined and resembles a smooth paste. Allow to marinate for 30 minutes.

To make the egg wrappers, thoroughly whisk the eggs, cornstarch and water and set aside. In a non-stick frying pan, heat a small amount of oil over medium heat. Gently spoon two tablespoons of the egg mixture into the pan to form a pikelet-sized circle. When the base is cooked but the top is still setting, spoon a teaspoon of filling into the middle of the circle, then use a spatula to fold the egg over. Gently press the edges to seal. Slide on to a plate and repeat with the remaining egg mixture and filling. Note: the dumpling filling is still raw at this point.

In a large pot, bring the stock to a boil and drop in the dumplings. Lower to simmer, and add leafy green vegetables. The dumplings are ready when they float to the surface.

Divide dumplings and vegetables into serving bowls, ladle over the broth, and garnish with soy sauce, spring onions and a sprinkling of sesame oil.

Green chilli and pork guō tiē 鍋貼 (pot stickers) with crispy skirt

Close-up image of fried pork dumplings with a crisp lace on a floral plate. — Lattice appreciate Rosheen Kaul’s green chilli and pork guō tiē with crispy skirt. Photograph: Dave Tacon/The Guardian

These guō tiē (pot stickers) were a recent discovery from my sister’s refrigerator, and they’ve quickly become one of my favourite dumpling fillings. The green chillies lend less spice or heat, and more of a vegetal flavour. Paired with Sichuan peppercorn and a sprinkling of coriander, they are simply delicious. The dumplings are steam-cooked in a slurry of cornstarch and vinegar, and the result is silky, bouncy dumplings with a lacy golden crust. A non-stick pan is absolutely essential here.

I’ve provided a recipe to make your own dumpling wrappers, but feel free to use store-bought white gyoza wrappers instead. Wonton wrappers will not work – they’re too thin for potstickers and won’t withstand this type of cooking.

Prep 30 mins
Cook 15 mins
Makes 50-60 dumplings

For the dumpling wrappers
(This recipe was originally published in Chinese-ish, the book I co-authored with Joanna Hu)
400g plain flour
240g water
4g salt

For the filling
20g Sichuan peppercorns, whole
120ml hot water
1 tbsp neutral-flavoured oil, such as vegetable oil
20g ginger, grated
100g long green chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
500g pork mince
50g coriander, finely chopped
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 egg

For the crispy skirt
1 tsp cornstarch
½ tsp plain flour
½ tsp white vinegar (can substitute with rice vinegar or white wine vinegar)
100ml water

To serve
Soy sauce
Chinkiang black vinegar
Chilli oil

To make the dumpling wrappers: Combine all ingredients and mix by hand, or with a stand mixer, until a smooth dough is formed. Leave to rest for 15-20 minutes before rolling out dough into a long tube roughly 3-4cm in diameter. To make one wrapper, slice off a piece of dough 1-2cm wide. The technique here is to spin the dough with one hand while working the rolling pin with the other, rolling outwards to flatten the dough on a floured benchtop. You’re aiming for a circular shape with a few millimetres of thickness, however, anything more oblong or rectangular is workable. Cover the dumpling wrapper with a damp tea towel to prevent it from drying out. Repeat with the remaining dough to make 50-60 wrappers.

To make the filling: Soak the peppercorns in 120ml of hot water to infuse the flavour. Allow to cool, then strain. Reserve the water, and discard the peppercorns.

In a medium frying pan, heat oil until smoking. Sauté the ginger and green chillies for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine the pork mince and ginger-chilli mixture. Gradually add the peppercorn-infused water and continue combining until the mixture resembles a smooth paste. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir to combine. Check the seasoning by pan-frying or microwaving a small amount of mixture, and adjust to your taste if required.

To fold the dumplings: If you’re using store-bought wrappers, you’ll need a bowl of water on the side. Wet your index finger to seal the edges of the wrappers. If you’re using your own-made wrappers, this won’t be necessary – the dough will still be pliable and seal on its own by pinching.

Place wrapper on a floured surface. Place a tablespoon of filling in the centre, then draw up the sides of the wrapper, and pinch to seal. You can get fancy with pleats, if you so desire. Repeat with remaining wrappers and filling.

To cook the dumplings: In a large non-stick frying pan, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Arrange 8-10 dumplings in the pan, and fry until the bottoms turn light brown.

For the crispy skirt: Whisk the cornstarch, plain flour, vinegar and water thoroughly, then pour a thin layer into the pan and cover tightly with a lid. Steam-cook for approximately 5-6 minutes, then remove lid and continue cooking until all the liquid evaporates and a crispy, golden-brown skirt forms. Invert a plate over the frying pan and in one quick motion, flip the dumplings onto the plate (be careful – the pan will be hot!). Repeat the cooking process with remaining dumplings, while re-whisking the slurry mixture between batches. Serve with a dipping sauce of soy sauce, black vinegar and chilli oil.

Spicy mackerel, lemon and dill shui jiao 水饺

A plate of boiled fish dumplings with a spicy dressing on a floral plate.spicy mackerel, lemon and dill shui jiao. — Rosheen Kaul’s spicy mackerel, lemon and dill shui jiao. Photograph: Dave Tacon/The Guardian

Prep 30 mins
Cook 15 mins
Makes 50-60 dumplings

500g Spanish mackerel flesh, bones and skin removed
100g prawn meat, coarsely chopped
50g garlic chives, finely chopped and tossed with 1 tsp vegetable oil
50g dill, finely chopped
100ml Shaoxing wine
4 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 lemon, zested
20g ginger, finely chopped
½ tsp white pepper powder
White dumpling wrappers (such as gyoza wrappers)

For the spicy dressing
2 bird’s eye chillies, thinly sliced
1 stalk spring onion, thinly sliced
2 tbsp Chinkiang black vinegar
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli oil
¼ tsp sugar

In the bowl of a food processor, blitz the fish to a smooth paste and transfer into a larger mixing bowl. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and stir vigorously to combine. Allow to marinate for 20-30 minutes. Fill the dumplings (see the above green chilli and pork guō tiē recipe) and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add the dumplings, taking care not to crowd the pot (choosing a large pot will help). Stir with chopsticks or a sieve so they don’t stick together. Return the water to a boil. Add one cup of cold water, return to the boil again, and simmer until the dumplings float to the surface. Repeat with any remaining dumplings.

Meanwhile, while the dumplings are cooking, make the spicy dressing. Combine all the ingredients.

Arrange dumplings in a shallow serving bowl and spoon dressing over the top. Serve immediately.

January 3, 2023

Use it up jam recipe: turn a soggy fruit salad into a long-lasting preserve | Australian food and drink

Picture this: it’s the day after a big party – perhaps it was a summer picnic – and among the empty glasses and used plates, slightly soggy crackers and decidedly secondhand-looking wodges of cheese, there’s an assortment of leftover fruit.

Maybe it’s berries or passionfruit that weren’t used on the pavlova, or excess flesh not used in the mango float. More than likely, there’s some sliced lemon that never realised its dream of becoming a garnish. Whatever it is, there’s not really enough of any one thing to do much with, so chances are these odds and sods will either sit on the bench or in containers in the fridge until they’re definitely no good to anyone.

Enter: use it up jam! This recipe allows you to turn bits and bobs of fruit into a delicious preserve that has the potential to last for years in the pantry. It works best with soft summer fruits like cherry, strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, mango, passionfruit, peach, apricot, nectarine and plum.

Anna Matilda’s leftover fruit jam recipe works well with summer berries and stone fruits. Photograph: Anna Matilda

If you’ve never jammed soft fruit before, don’t stress – it’s really not difficult. Boiled down (forgive the pun), it basically amounts to:

Mix fruit with ¾ its weight in sugar.
Leave until it goes runny.
Heat until it goes jelly-like.
Seal it in a very clean jar.

Seriously easy!

Of course it’s important to make sure you do stuff safely – like sterilising jars – but if you’re ever feeling overwhelmed about trying a traditional-type skill for the first time, just remember that once upon a time, people used to learn said skill with no fancy cookbooks, no TV shows, and definitely no internet.

I’ve given an example of weights, but you can absolutely tailor this recipe to whatever you have. Just be sure to add ¾ (75{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889}) as much sugar as you have fruit, and you’ll be fine (from a food-preservation point of view).

Ingredients

Fruit that has gone runny after being left to macerate in sugar for a couple of hours — Macerating the fruit allows you to boil it to a set more quickly. Photograph: Anna Matilda

Basic:
Soft fruit
Sugar
Lemon

Example:
350g mixed raspberries, blueberries and mango
262g sugar to suit our fruit weight (350g x 75{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} = 262g)
About ½ a lemon’s worth of slices, 1-2 lemons is good for most quantities

Wash the fruit in warm water, then trim off any manky bits.

Chop larger fruit into similar-sized chunks and remove any pips from stone fruit. Lightly smoosh blueberries if using. Combine with sugar in large pot.

Wash lemon, slice in half (if not already in slices), and squeeze juice into the pot, then add the leftover skin and pulp.

Stir until well combined, cover and leave to macerate for a few hours. Macerating is the process of drawing the juices of fruit out using sugar, which turns the sugar into liquid. This allows you to quickly boil jam to a set – meaning the fruit is more likely to stay in pieces rather than turning to mush.

Once the sugar has liquefied, put the pot on the stove and bring it to a rolling boil.

Test to see if a jam is set by dripping a bit on a cold plate, letting it cool, then giving it a poke. Photograph: Anna Matilda

Keep the jam boiling until it sets. A jam or jelly is at setting point when it gels enough to form a wrinkled skin when you push your finger through it. The simplest way to test this is to drip a bit of boiling jam or jelly on a cold plate, letting it cool for five minutes or so, then giving it a poke. If it doesn’t look gelled enough, continue boiling for another five minutes and try again.

Being careful not to burn yourself on the hot, set jam, remove the lemon pieces.

Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal while hot.

Store in a cool dark cupboard, for potentially years before opening, then keep it in the fridge once you’ve cracked the jar.

Notes

Most berries and soft fruits can be frozen, so if only have a tiny bit of fruit on hand, just add them to a container in the freezer until you have enough to make a batch of jam. No need to thaw the fruit before macerating.

Due to the low pectin levels in ripe strawberries and blueberries, this recipe might make a slightly runnier jam than you’re used to. Be sure to add any white bits of strawberry, as these have more pectin in them and can help reach a set.

If your jam just doesn’t want to set, rather than continuing to boil it until it becomes toffee, just jar it up runny and call it syrup! Excellent on ice-cream or yoghurt as a dessert.

Hang on to the bits of lemon you pull out of the jam before jarring up – either dehydrate them to enjoy as sticky, gooey candied treats, or pop into a glass with G&T or bubbles. Deliciously frugal!

Anna Matilda, AKA the Urban Nanna, uses permaculture principles to teach traditional skills, crafts and methods of living in the framework of a modern-day world. Visit her website for more jam-making tips.

December 11, 2022

It takes $2 to mango: 15 recipes for the summer fruit glut | Australian food and drink

It takes to mango: 15 recipes for the summer fruit glut | Australian food and drink

Forget Take a look at cricket scores and desire costs – mango selling prices are the summertime figures to check out. Mango period is set to peak in early December, with some 600,000 trays flooding the current market each individual 7 days, according to the Australian Mango Marketplace Association. Production of the tropical fruit is up 14{d2b09b03d44633acb673e8080360919f91e60962656af8ade0305d5d8b7e4889} from final 12 months, with amplified offer translating to falling prices for people.

Mango and beer, together at last in this mango shandy. — Mangoes and beer, with each other at last in this mango shandy. Photograph: Dan Matthews/The Guardian

Kensington Prides, also recognized as Bowens, are characterised by their slight pink blush and solid aroma. They’re the archetypical Australian mango, but the dilemma continues to be: when will this mango shandy grow to be the archetypical Australian tipple? Also on your summer time cocktail record: the mango tango, and a champagne lassi.

Calypsos are prized for their sleek, organization and fibre-much less flesh. They maintain their condition well when sliced or cubed, building them suitable for tropical fruit salads, boozy fruit salads, and the topper to Adam Liaw’s pavlova.

Thomasina Miers’ chilled mango salad in anise-lime syrup, with optional tequila. Photograph: Johanna Parkin

It’s heading to be a Honey Gold kind of Xmas, with crops from Katherine entering the industry from mid to late December. Their sweet, prosperous flesh holds up in this chilled rice pudding with the heady aromas of pandan and passionfruit. Marginally underripe mangoes work effectively in this paneer and mango salad with tamarind and shallots.

Paneer and mango salad with tamarind and shallots. — Underripe mangoes? They’ll perform perfectly in Meera Sodha’s paneer and mango salad with tamarind and shallots. Photograph: Emma Lee/The Guardian

Imagine environmentally friendly mangoes – the sort best suited for cooking in south and south-east Asian savoury dishes – and you are likely imagining of unripe Nam Dok Thai mangoes. You will most probably discover them in Asian grocers get a several and transform them into Palisa Anderson’s “party dish” of yum mamuang (deep-fried snapper with green mango salad), or this salty, spicy and bitter som dtum from her late mom and doyenne of Thai cookery, Amy Chanta. Past salads, there’s also this Keralan fish curry with mango.

Yum mamuang, deep-fried snapper with green mango salad. Photograph: Brett Stevens/Chat Thai

Experience additional like a lazy summer time? Attempt this no-churn mango ice-product, and this no-bake mango, ginger and lime tart. The recipes from our British isles colleagues connect with for tinned mango pulp, but Australians have the luxurious of opting for new. Kensington Prides are the best Australian substitute – they have softer, far more yielding, far more blender-welcoming flesh. They’ll also function very well in Meera Sodha’s mango and cardamom lassi.

And if, for some motive, you’ve remaining your mango to overripen in the fruit bowl, panic not – it is destined for this mango sizzling sauce.

September 29, 2022

Seek kelp! Hetty McKinnon’s seaweed recipes | Australian food and drink

Hijiki baked rice wrapped in nori

You could call these lazy sushi rice rolls, or seaweed rice tacos, but we eat some iteration of this meal at least once a fortnight (which is a lot in our family, as we have a huge repertoire of favourites).

The beauty of this dish is that it requires zero thought, it’s nutritious and filling, and it can be topped with whatever vegetables you have on hand. Cucumber or raw zucchini are nice toppings, but you could also add sweetcorn, pan-fried mushrooms, wilted spinach and more. Seaweed snacks, the small sheets of salty, crispy nori, are a staple in our house and they add a fun, cheeky element to this meal.

‘Lazy sushi rice rolls’: McKinnon’s baked rice with nori Photograph: Supplied

Serves 4

6g dried hijiki, soaked in 750ml of hot water
900g cooked white or brown rice (from 400g uncooked)
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp roasted sesame oil
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp white sugar
140g podded edamame beans
Extra-virgin olive oil or neutral oil
Kewpie, regular or vegan mayonnaise
Sriracha chilli sauce or hot sauce
Furikake or vegan furikake
4 packs roasted seasoned seaweed snacks
1 avocado, sliced

Preheat the oven to 230C.

Drain the hijiki in a fine sieve and rinse with cold water. Drain again, then transfer to a large bowl. Add the rice, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sea salt and sugar and mix to combine. Add the edamame beans and fold them through.

Drizzle a deep baking tray (about 43centimetres by 30 centimetres) with oil and add the rice mixture, pressing it down so it is spread right to the corners and edges. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until there are a few golden spots on top of the rice. Remove from the oven.

If you’re using regular mayonnaise, add a splash of water (just one to two teaspoons should do it) to make it more pourable. Spoon or drizzle the mayonnaise (I like Kewpie brand the best) over the rice in a zigzag fashion, and then do the same with the sriracha chilli sauce or hot sauce. Scatter the furikake all over the surface.

Serve with the seaweed snacks and avocado on the side. To eat, place a scoop of rice on a sheet of seaweed, add a slice of avocado and roll it up.

Seaweed burnt butter pasta

The gateway for seaweed sceptics: tossed in burnt butter for an umami hit. Photograph: Supplied

Consider this a gateway recipe for seaweed sceptics. Dulse, in this recipe, is a red lettuce-like leaf that grows wild on the shorelines of the Pacific and north Atlantic oceans.

Sold dried, it is unique in that it can be eaten raw as a snack (a tip from my friends in Nova Scotia). When pan-fried or toasted, it takes on smoky and intensely savoury characteristics that are reminiscent of bacon.

Serves 4

6g dried dulse
110g unsalted regular butter or vegan butter, at room temperature
½ tsp sea salt
¼-½ tsp red chilli flakes
500g linguine or other long pasta shape
Extra-virgin olive oil
2 eschalots or 1 brown onion, finely sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 tbsp white (shiro) miso
Sea salt
Handful grated sharp cheese, for topping (optional)
Furikake (or vegan furikake), to serve (optional)

Place a small frying pan over the lowest heat setting and add the dulse. Toast, stirring often, for 10 minutes, until it is crispy and feels very dry (take care not to burn it).

Place the dulse in a blender or food processor and pulse four or five times until it looks like chunky crumbs (you can also use a mortar and pestle). Slice the butter into smaller pieces and add it to the seaweed, along with the salt and red chilli flakes. Pulse another four or five times until blended – it doesn’t have to be completely smooth.

Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the pasta. Cook according to the packet instructions, until al dente. Drain and reserve 250 millilitres of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Drizzle with one tablespoon of olive oil, add the eschalot or onion and cook for eight to 10 minutes, until very soft. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, then add the seaweed butter. The butter will foam as it melts – once melted, cook for two to three minutes, until it becomes toasty brown, with a rich nutty aroma. Immediately add the miso paste and stir vigorously to combine with the butter (you could use a small whisk to do this if you prefer).

Add the pasta, along with 125 millilitres of the pasta cooking water, and toss well to coat. If the pasta needs a bit more moisture, add a little more of the pasta cooking water. Taste and if required season with sea salt.

Top with the cheese and furikake, if desired. Serve immediately.

Triple treat salad

McKinnon’s ode to a salty, spicy salad at a beloved Chinatown joint in Manhattan – full of flavour and restraint. Photograph: Supplied

The vaguely named “triple salad” at Spicy Village, a beloved pocket-sized eatery in Chinatown, Manhattan, is one of my favourite dishes in the city. It’s a very simple dish of long, crunchy strips of seaweed, twisted with firm tofu and crisp chunks of cucumber, tossed in a salty, slightly spicy dressing.

This is my ode to triple salad – it can be eaten as a side dish, or with a bowl of rice or noodles as a full meal.

Serves 4 as a side

Neutral oil
400g extra-firm tofu, cut into 6–7 mm thick slices
Sea salt and white pepper
5g (about 1 heaped tbsp) wakame, soaked in water for 10 minutes
2 Lebanese cucumbers (about 200 g), diagonally sliced
1 tbsp toasted white or black sesame seeds

For the dressing
1½ tbsp roasted sesame oil
3 tsp rice vinegar
2 tsp soy sauce or tamari
½-1 long red chilli, finely chopped
½ teaspoon sea salt

Tenderheart by Hetty McKinnon — Photograph: Supplied

Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add about one tablespoon of oil, then add the tofu slices in a single layer (fry the tofu in batches if you need to). Season well with sea salt and white pepper. Pan-fry the tofu for four to five minutes, until golden (it doesn’t need to be crisp), then flip over and do the same on the other side. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Slice the tofu slices in half.

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir.

Drain the wakame and squeeze out any excess liquid. Place the wakame in a large bowl, along with the cucumber and tofu, then pour the dressing over the top and toss to combine. Taste and season with sea salt and white pepper. Serve topped with the sesame seeds.