Filed under: Buzz's Recipes
It’s not often I’ll pass on pasta but tonight I did just that. Having arrived home after the rest of the family had just finished bowls of pasta with cheese and ham, for once I couldn’t be bothered boiling more water and making up a sauce.
After a day of dashing around Auckland between meetings and sites, I wanted a quick no-nonsense meal with simple flavours, no surprises and I didn’t want to spend more than 10 minutes in the kitchen making it. All this pointed me towards the tinned goods shelf in the larder and in 10 seconds flat I had all I needed to whip up a two course meal that would warm me, provide solid comforting flavours for me to enjoy and give me a healthful jolt of Omega 3 oils to boot.
First up was a one serving tin of premium brand minestrone soup, thoroughly heated through and seasoned with cracked black pepper. While that was warming, I toasted three slices of granary bread, one of which I ate whilst I finished off the cooking (chef’s privilege!). The other two were topped with a little olive oil spread and tinned tuna that had been drained of oil and then flaked with a smallish tablespoon of decent mayonnaise and more cracked black pepper. To finish, I sprinkled shreds of chiffonade lettuce across the tuna. Chiffonade, from the French for ‘made from rags’, refers to the practice of rolling a lettuce (or other vegetable) leaf and then chopping the roll to obtain thin shreds of lettuce, like those used to bulk out cheapskate prawn cocktails with way too much rose-marie sauce way back when.
As a meal, the soup and the open tuna sandwiches were more than ample to satisfy both the eyes and the stomach and a no-brainer to prepare. Premium brand tinned soups are usually a pretty safe bet though a little caution with the heating can be the difference between the tasty flavours the manufacturer intends and that slightly tainted taste soup can take on if allowed to boil. I have also seen a few nasty tuna mayonnaise sandwiches in my time, with too much mayonnaise, tuna reduced to paste or fancied up with watery tomatoes and limp cucumber. As with most things in life, the ‘keep it simple, stupid’ principle applies; just enough mayo to bind nice big flakes of tuna and just enough lettuce to provide a little crispness to each bite. By all means serve tomatoes and such as a side garnish but, people, let a good sandwich speak for itself!
For a different point of view on another classic sandwich that’s a favourite of mine, read Heidi Swanson’s recent piece entitled Egg Salad Sandwich (the only one I’ll eat).
Seeing as Tuesday is the only night I get away from Dante’s, I decided to knock-up a roast for two. Inspired by Buzz’s recent post, Sunday Roast, I rushed to a little French deli in Mt Albert called Pyrenees. They have a good selection of French produce and the best Baguette’s I’ve tasted in NZ, pictured above. Whilst there I saw this lovely piece of Lamb ready seasoned with fresh rosemary. I myself also agree with Buzz, that meat especially lamb should never be shadowed with excessive seasoning.
On the return journey home, I think to myself ‘What would be a good wine to accompany this dish’. Luckily enough, we live in a area known as vineyard heaven surrounded by some of NZ’S best wineries. One of my favourites is Coopers Creek. So after way too many tastings, we leave with a 2004 Merlot/Cabernet Franc recommended to us.
Roast Lamb Noisette with Buttered Cabbage, Roast Potatoes and Garlic.
500g of Lamb noisette all-ready seasoned. (unstuffed)
4 Medium floury potatoes peeled.
As much garlic as possible.
1\2 a Cabbage with the leaves removed and wash.
A good lug of olive oil.
A nice Knob of unsalted butter.
Flaky sea salt. The best you can get. Well worth it.
Freshly ground black pepper.
Set your oven to 200 c, and two large pan’s of salted water to the boil with the lid’s on. In the mean time, cut your peeled potatoes into large bite size pieces. Now remove all the garlic from it’s bulb, leaving the garlic cloves with the skin on, and set aside. By now you should have two pan’s of boiling water, add your potatoes. Now grab a medium sized black skillet or frying pan and sear the lamb on all sides without burning the rosemary. Once seared, lightly smear the lamb with olive oil and season with the sea salt and a little fresh black pepper, and place into a good sized roasting pan, and into the oven for 20 Min’s for medium. Keep an eye on the potatoes. Using a small sharp knife check your potatoes. Don’t over cook’em, when done drain and cover with olive oil and sea salt and place into the oven next to your lamb, along with all the garlic. Now add you cabbage to the second pot of boiling water and reduce the heat to a very lite simmer with lid off. Once the 20 Min’s is up remover the lamb from the oven and let sit for 10 Min’s in a warm place. Check your potatoes, garlic and cabbage. When ready drain your cabbage and add a knob of butter. Slice up the lamb. Now serve with the roast potatoes and garlic. Along with the cut baguette and your choice of wine.
I’m just back from a three day business trip to Melbourne and thought I write a few words about the eateries I visited before the jet-lag finishes me off.
Blue Train Cafe – hip and stylish cafe in the heart of the South Bank. I had three extremely flavoursome minted lamb cutlets served on a Lebanonese styleflat bread heaped with toasted almond tabouleh, rocket salad & yoghurt dressing. This plus a freshly made lemon, lime and bitters and coffee for under $25 made a great value lunch.
The Courthouse – a very pleasant local restaurant located in the suburb of Berwick. After a Leffe blonde beer and a squint at the menu, I opted for the lemon and pepper calamari followed by three porks with pickled cabbage. Neither dish really stood out when compared to my companions’ meals and, while the pork chop was tender, the gammon was dry and salty and the belly limp and lacking flavour. Redemption came in the form of the sorbets I had for dessert and a superb Marlborough pinot gris. I didn’t pick up the tab for this meal but, despite nice decor and efficient service, I’m not convinced my meal justified the prices on the menu.
Eating House – This large airy restaurant in Lynbrook has been open less than a week but still provided a lunch for seven hungry business folk in quick order. Despite a large menu of modern Australian dishes, I choose a Caesar salad with barbecue chicken, which was pleasant with well balanced flavours if a little lacking in presentation. All the dishes were well-proportioned and offered good value for money, as did the Sauvignon Blanc we shared. I’ll be back to try more when I fly back to Melbourne in a few week’s time.
La Camera Southgate – this was my second visit to this down to earth Italian-influenced restaurant. Dips, warm olives and flat bread paved the way nicely for a firm fleshed marlin steak served with a rich tapenade and roast Mediterranean vegetables. The fish was excellent and the vegetables a good enough supporting act to help balance things out. We baled out early in order to grab rich sweet desserts and coffee at Zampelis Cafe Greco near the Crown Casino. I ordered a lemon cheesecake but failed to eat more than two mouthfuls – too sweet for my savoury tooth and too large for my at-capacity stomach.
We have invited one of our neighbours over for Sunday dinner. She has recently broken her hand and we thought she could do with a little TLC to help the healing process. We often invite folks to share our Sunday brunch or dinner as it is a great way to be neighbourly, share good food and let people know that they have a special place in your life.
Recently, Wendy and I started to plan our meals a little further ahead to reduce shopping hassles and the seemingly inevitable silence when we ask the kids what they want for supper. Instead, we have worked out family meals for the month and will shop accordingly. Deviation from the planned meals is OK but we wanted to send a signal that we’ll be serving healthy nutritious food that the majority like on a daily basis so if your favourite isn’t being served tonight, it probably will be tomorrow.
For instance, in the past we have habitually tended towards roast chicken with all the trimmings as this is one of the few meals that all six of us will eat without altering to accommodate likes and dislikes. I love roast chicken but one can have too much of a good thing. We still allow for Wendy’s ‘no red meat’ preference but have added a little variety by introducing a different roast every other weekend.
Last weekend, it was roast lamb. While one can do great roast lamb with all sorts of additional ingredients, I needed to keep the kids ‘on-side’ so I chose to keep it simple.
Roast lamb with rosemary and garlic
By using the classic combination of just olive oil, garlic and rosemary, I focused on enhancing the lamb’s natural flavour rather than counterpointing it with another. I’m not claiming there’s anything new in this – Elizabeth, Delia, Jamie and many more besides all have their own variation – but this is about as simple as it gets. Judging by the fact there was just enough left to make a nice sandwich for Monday lunch, I’d say I hit the mark.
2kg leg of lamb
Fresh rosemary
Clove of garlic
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Salt
Pre-heat the oven to 220°C/420°F. Very lightly score the skin all round the leg, like scoring the top of a loaf ready for baking, taking care not to score too deeply. With the leg standing on end, insert a boning knife along side the bone and work around it, carefully separating the meat from the bone to the depth of your index finger (as in the picture) – needless to say, do not insert knife and finger at the same time! Rub the outside of the lamb all over with the cut lemon. Grind the rosemary and salt with a mortar and pestle, adding the garlic and a little olive oil to make a granular paste. Rub this all over the joint and into the gap you made next to the bone. Season with salt, a little black pepper and more rosemary. Add olive oil to cover a pre-warmed roasting tray and add the lamb. Cook for 15 mins and 15 mins per 450g for a medium roast and turn every 20 minutes or so to brown all sides. Remove and rest under a foil tent for 20 minutes minimum to relax the meat before carving.
Filed under: Buzz's Recipes
Sometimes, after a long day, culinary experiments are the last thing on my mind. Like everyone else, I just want to eat food that requires little effort, will cook in minutes and will taste great. Unlike many, a TV dinner in the microwave never really appeals. While perhaps not the most balanced of meals, tonight’s dinner ticked all those boxes and left me smiling – to follow hearty sausages with a simple garnish, there’s nothing quite so juicy as fruit fresh from one’s one tree.
Sausage Sandwich
Beef, basil and tomato sausages
Granary toast
Mayonnaise
Honey mustard
Crisp lettuce
Kaitaia Fire sauce
Assemble and eat.
Homegrown Mandarins
Mandarins from our grove/orchard by the water tank.
Rinse. Peel. Eat.
Filed under: News
A typical Friday night at Dante’s Pizzeria is madder than an Italian with soggy meatballs. So given that a staff member decides to ring in sick, followed shortly by your backup chef who manages to slice his hand within 5 minutes of arrival, you now understand the mammoth battle that awaits. So armed with my pizza paddle in one hand, a pizza ball in the other, I start to wade through the Friday night trade. About two hours before closing time and dreaming of that cold Heineken that awaits, I hear this cheeky comment, as I look up I’m greeted by my mate Buzz, happy as always . “You alright mate”. Buzz, am I glad to see you. Within minutes I set Buzz to work taking orders, washing up, as well as saucing and dressing pizza’s.
Well what can I say. Buzz mate, ya saved me bacon.
Filed under: Buzz's Recipes
Here, at the bottom end of southern hemisphere, autumn is in full swing with morning mists, golden brown vines and red wines preferred over the summer’s whites. While the cooler weather makes me think of soups and stews, I like to cook the odd dish full of summer flavours and recall the warmer days. Paprika, tomatoes and tarragon all work well with chicken and make this a flavoursome dinner to share with friends and family while leafing through pictures of those long summer days.
Chicken with tarragon, paprika and sun-dried tomatoes
5-6 skinless chicken breast fillets
8 tablespoons lemon juice
2 rounded teaspoons paprika
1 large garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh chopped tarragon
2ozs unsalted butter
12-14 sun-dried tomatoes (in oil)
½ pint double cream
salt, chilli powder
generous bunch rocket leaves to garnish
Slice the chicken breasts thinly across and place them in bowl with lemon juice, paprika, garlic. Chop tarragon and add to bowl. Stir breast slices to coat them evenly with the mixture, then cover and leave to absorb the flavours for at least 30 minutes at room temperature. Melt the butter in a large, deep, heavy-based frying pan over a low slow heat. Add the chicken mixture and cook gently, stirring now and then, for 8-10 minutes. While the chicken cooks, slice each tomato into 3-4 pieces. Using a slotted spoon or spatula, remove the chicken slices from the pan to a plate and place to one side. Raise the heat under the pan juices for a couple of minutes to reduce them slightly then remove the pan from the heat and slowly stir in the double cream. Bring the mixture back to the heat and boil stirring for about 2-3 minutes or until it has thickened slightly. Check and season to taste with salt and chilli powder before returning the cooked chicken to the sauce, together with the sun-dried tomatoes. Stir over the heat for another minute then spoon into a shallow pre-warmed serving dish and cover loosely with foil. The dish can be kept warm for up to an hour in a very low oven without spoiling. This can be served in a variety of ways; over tagliatelli or ribbon noodles, alongside moulded saffron rice, in hollowed-out rolls, the list is endless. However, you serve it, sprinkle with torn rocket leaves to add that final peppery touch.
