Recipes
 Summer is one of my favorite times to play in the kitchen, bringing the wonderful flavors of the outdoors onto the plate. The warmth brings such a wealth of vegetables and fruit bursting with color, aroma and flavor, you need to do so little cooking to make a simply stunning dish. As the summer draws to a close and Autumn brings that welcome chill, buy up those stone fruit and summer vegetables to freeze or preserve for the colder months.
There’s a certain magic that surrounds fresh, wild salmon and Pinot Noir – the rich, flavorful salmon with its velvety texture, paired with a supple, generous wine with a touch of acid, and lingering finish. By adding the wine into the cooking process you just heighten the experience, almost beckoning the welcoming bed of mash to bring us back to reality.
Grilled Mustard Salmon with Red Wine Sauce
Serves 4- 4 fillets fresh salmon, bones removed
- 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground pepper
- 1 tablespoon oregano
- 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup red wine
Mash
- 6 medium white potatoes, peeled and halved
- 1/4 cup buttermilk or milk
- 2 tablespoons butter
- freshly ground pepper to taste
To make the mash, place the potatoes in a large saucepan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer until tender. Drain well, add the buttermilk, butter and pepper, and mash until smooth. If too stiff, add a little more buttermilk or milk. Keep warm.
Brush the salmon with a little of the olive oil. Combine the mustard seeds, pepper and oregano and spread on a plate. Press the flesh side of the salmon into the mixture to form a crust. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and cook the salmon for 1-2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a baking dish, cover with foil and keep warm in a very low oven. It will continue to cook, so make sure you take it out of the pan just a little underdone. It should still be a rich pink and moist inside. Pour the red wine into the same pan and cook until the wine reduces to a thin sauce consistency.
Place mounds of mashed potato on plates, rest the salmon on the side and spoon over the red wine reduction.
This light, yet rich in flavor salad is the ideal ‘meal-in-a-bowl’. The salt and pepper flavors of the feta and arugula make a delightful balance to the sweet potatoes and tender pink Australian lamb.
Warm Australian Lamb and Sweet Potato Salad  Serves 6- One leg of Australian lamb, butterflied*
- 2 large or 3 medium sweet potatoes, or yams (about 2 pound)
- olive oil
- freshly ground pepper
- sea salt
Red Wine Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons red wine or sherry vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- juice and grated zest of ½ orange
- 2 bunches arugula, torn
- 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
To roast the sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 375F. Peel and dice the potatoes into ½-inch pieces and toss with olive oil to coat. Place on a baking sheet and cook for 20-30 minutes, or until tender and golden brown. To prepare the lamb, trim and season with pepper and salt. Heat a barbecue or grill pan to medium high and cook lamb for 5 minutes on each side, turning occasionally. Cover barbecue or transfer lamb to the oven and continue to cook for 8-10 minutes or until medium rare and an internal temperature of 125-130F. Cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for 15 minutes.
While lamb is resting, whisk together the dressing ingredients and season to taste. Toss the arugula, onion and warm potatoes together in a bowl, add half the dressing and mix well. Place on a platter or individual plates. Slice lamb thinly across the grain and arrange over the salad. Scatter with the feta cheese and drizzle with remaining dressing.
* Open lamb leg and pound to about 1-2 inch thickness
I love this dish for those times when you have friends coming for dinner and feel like serving something a little special for dessert, but want to enjoy your friends rather than the kitchen. I make the pastry triangles a day or two ahead of time (and don’t tell the kids where they’re hidden), whip the filling before they arrive, so then all I have to do before serving is assemble and dust with sugar. Try with any fruit you prefer, such as kiwi fruit, mango, grapes, papaya, peaches, plums or your own selection.
Berry & Moscato-Mascarpone Mille-Feuille
Serves 4
Pastry
- 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts, try hazelnuts, macadamias, walnuts or almonds
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 4 sheets filo pastry
- 1/3 cup melted butter or oil
Filling
- 8oz fresh ricotta cheese
- 4oz crème fraiche or mascarpone (or light cream cheese for a real low fat version)
- 1 teaspoon orange flower water or vanilla
- 2-3 tablespoons icing sugar, or to taste, extra
- 1 teaspoon grated orange zest
- 2 cups mixed berries, try blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries or fruit in season
- Icing sugar for dusting
Preheat oven to 350F. Combine the nuts, sugar and cocoa in a small bowl. Lay 2 sheets of filo pastry on a clean, dry work surface. Brush lightly with oil and scatter with half the nut mixture. Lay another 2 sheets on top and brush again. Sprinkle top with remaining nuts. Cut stack into 12 triangles or squares and place on lined baking trays. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool. These can be stored for 1-2 days in an airtight container.
With electric beaters, whip together the ricotta cheese, crème fraiche, orange flower water and icing sugar until light and fluffy.
To serve, place a filo triangle on each plate, top with a spoon of the whip and scatter with some berries. Repeat, then top with last triangle. Dust Mille Feuille with icing sugar just before serving.
* Try and get fresh ricotta for the smoothest and creamiest whip.
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