Instructions
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SHOW 1: FLAVOURS OF THE YUCATAN
Pollo Pibil
Yucatean snapper tacos with avocado salsa and black beans
Rustic tortillas
Coconut-banana fritters with chilli-chocolate sauce
SHOW 2: AUTUMN ONE-POT-WONDERS
Cheat’s lasagne
Pork and parsnip slump pie
Apple and rhubarb individual pudding with pistachio crumble and rum cream
SHOW 3: LESSONS IN SUGAR
Treacle and orange glazed pork ribs with beetroot salad
Spicy chicken in maple-chipotle glaze
Parisian sugar tart
POLLO PIBIL
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1 grapefruit
Juice of 4 oranges
4 cloves garlic, minced
100g achiote paste
salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
1.5kg chicken chopped into 8 pieces
fried red onions, sour cream and tortillas, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine the juices, garlic and achiote paste in a blender and purée until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, then rub onto the chicken pieces and set aside for 30 minutes.
2 Wrap in sheets of non-stick baking paper then place in a French oven and fit the lid. Bake for 20 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked and tender. Serve with fried onions, sour cream and tortillas.
YUCATEAN SNAPPER TACOS WITH AVOCADO SALSA AND BLACK BEANS
Serves 4
1 bunch coriander
2cm piece ginger, grated
4 cloves garlic, minced
finely grated zest and juice of 3 limes
1 red onion, very finely diced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
600g boneless and skinless snapper, cut into strips
400g can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
2 ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
12 small wheat tortillas
lime wedges and sour cream, to serve
1 Finely chop the coriander stems and roots, then combine with the ginger, half the garlic, lime juice, half the onion and the olive oil. Mix in the fish and set aside for 10 minutes.
2 Warm the black beans in a small saucepan with just a little water. Mix the avocado, tomatoes, coriander leaves, remaining garlic and onion in a bowl with the lime zest, then season with salt and pepper.
3 Grill the snapper until just cooked, then season with salt and pepper. Grill the tortillas, until softened. Serve the fish with the tortillas, salsa, beans, lime wedges and sour cream.
TRADITIONAL CORN TORTILLAS
Makes 30
4 cups nixmatalised masa flour
2 tsp fine salt
2½ cups water
1 Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl then ad the water and knead until a smooth dough forms. Divide into 30 pieces, then roll out or flatten with a tortilla press. Cook on a hot griddle until golden, then serve.
COCONUT-BANANA FRITTERS WITH CHILLI-CHOCOLATE SAUCE
Serves 4
150ml soda water
1 cup ice cubes
250g plain flour
1 tsp fine salt
½ cup desiccated coconut
2 bananas, sliced
½ cup rice flour
vegetable oil, for deep frying
2 Tbsp cinnamon sugar
300ml cream
1 long red chilli, chopped
1 cinnamon stick, crumbled
1 tsp natural vanilla extract
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), finely chopped
sour cream and mint leaves, to serve
1 Combine the soda water, ice cubes, plain flour, salt and coconut in a bowl and stir to combine. Dust the banana pieces with rice flour, then dip in the batter. Fry in hot (180°C) vegetable oil for 3 minutes, until golden and crispy, then drain on kitchen paper and dredge with cinnamon sugar.
2 Put the cream, chilli, cinnamon and vanilla in a small saucepan and simmer for 5 minutes, until aromatic. Place the chocolate in a bowl and strain in the cream. Whisk until smooth, then serve with the fritters, sour cream and some mint.
CHEAT’S LASAGNE
Serves 4
1 brown onion, finely diced
1 stick celery, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
600g beef mince
1 Tbsp dried Italian herbs
2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 cups tomato passata
salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
2 tsp brown sugar
4 vine-ripened tomatoes, diced
500g penne pasta, cooked, drained and cooled
2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
150ml cream
1 cup parmesan, grated
1 tsp ground nutmeg
crusty bread, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Sauté the onion, celery and garlic in olive oil in an oven-proof fryingpan for 5 minutes, until softened, then add the mince and dried herbs and cook for 3 minutes, until just browned. Mix in the tomato paste and passata, season with salt and pepper and mix in the brown sugar. Set aside.
2 Build layers of diced tomatoes, pasta, meat sauce and cheese in the pan, finishing with the cheese. Top with cream, parmesan and nutmeg, then bake for 20 minutes, until golden on top. Serve with crusty bread.
PORK AND PARSNIP SLUMP PIE
Serves 4
700g pork mince
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 leek, finely diced
1 swede, finely diced
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
1½ Tbsp curry powder
1¼ cup plain flour
1 cup white wine
3 parsnips, peeled, chopped and steamed
1 bunch parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp caster sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ cup milk
1 egg
1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Fry the mince in half the olive oil in a frying pan over a high heat for 3 minutes, until browned, then set aside. Sauté the leek, swede, garlic and bay leaves in the butter for 3 minutes, then add ¼ cup plain flour and curry powder, cooking until the mixture begins to stick.
2 Pour in the wine, stir well, then add the mince, parsnips and parsley. Pour into a casserole dish and bake for 5 minutes.
3 Meanwhile mix the remaining flour, caster sugar, baking powder, thyme, milk and egg in a bowl then spoon onto the pork mixture and bake for a further 15 minutes, until golden.
APPLE AND RHUBARB INDIVIDUAL PUDDING WITH PISTACHIO CRUMBLE AND RUM CREAM
Serves 4
2 firm apples, peeled and finely sliced
8 sticks rhubarb, sliced
1¾ cup caster sugar
1 cup plain flour
½ cup rolled oats
½ cup pistachios, chopped
60g unsalted butter
300ml cream
½ cup dark rum
1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Cook the apples, rhubarb and 1 cup of caster sugar in a saucepan over a moderate heat for 10 minutes, until softened. Divide between four individual pie dishes.
2 Combine the flour, ½ cup sugar, oats, pistachios and butter in a food processor and pulse until crumbly. Scatter on a lined oven tray and bake for 15 minutes, until golden. Arrange on top of the fruit mixture.
3 Put the cream, remaining sugar and rum in a small saucepan and simmer briefly. Serve with the crumble puddings.
TREACLE AND ORANGE GLAZED PORK RIBS WITH BEETROOT SALAD
Serves 4
1kg pork spare ribs
salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
4 sticks celery
½ cup treacle
½ cup brown sugar
¼ cup hoi sin sauce
juice of 2 oranges
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 large beetroot, peeled and cut into fine sticks
1 red onion, finely sliced
1 bunch basil leaves, torn
120g goats’ feta, crumbled
2 Tbsp almonds, toasted
1 Preheat oven to 160°C. Season the pork ribs with salt and pepper and arrange on celery sticks in a lined roasting pan with 1½ cups water. Cover with aluminium foil and bake for 1½ hours, until tender.
2 Combine the treacle, brown sugar, hoi sin, orange juice, garlic and vinegar in a small saucepan and boil until thickened. Drain the liquid from the roasting pan and brush the pork with half the treacle mixture. Increase the oven to 200°C and bake for 3 minutes. Baste again then bake for 2 minutes, repeating until all the treacle mixture has been used up.
3 Toss the beetroot, onion, basil, feta and almonds, then serve with the ribs.
SPICY CHICKEN IN MAPLE-CHIPOTLE GLAZE
Serves 4
2 tsp ground allspice
1½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seed
½ tsp cayenne pepper
salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
8 chicken thighs, bone-in
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup maple syrup
½ cup dry sherry
3 chipotle chillies in adobo sauce
juice of 3 lemons
2 bunches asparagus, trimmed
2 cups baby spinach leaves
½ cup lemon segments
1 Combine the spices in a large bowl and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss in the chicken pieces, then drizzle with oil. Sear in a large lidded non-stick frying pan set over a moderate heat for 3 minutes, until browned, then add the wine and fit the lid. Cook for 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
2 Mix the maple syrup, sherry, chipotles and lemon juice in a small bowl, then spoon over then chicken. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often, until glazed. Add the asparagus and cook briefly until tender, then stir in the spinach and lemon segments and serve.
PARISIAN SUGAR TART
Serves 4
7g dried yeast
50ml water
350g bakers flour
finely-grated zest of 2 lemons
1 tsp ground cinnamon
30g caster sugar
2 eggs
200g unsalted butter, softened
50g unsalted butter, finely sliced and chilled
2 Tbsp white sugar
blueberries and double cream, to serve
1 Preheat oven to 200°C. Combine the yeast and water with 1 Tbsp flour and set aside for 10 minutes, until foamy. Combine the flour, lemon zest, cinnamon and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, then add the yeast mixture and eggs. Once mixing, add the butter 1 Tbsp at a time, and mix until smooth. Knead lightly, then cover and set aside for 1 hour, until doubled in size.
2 Roll out the dough to a 35cm disc, then arrange on a lined oven tray and fold over the edges to make a pleated border. Arrange the butter slices on top, scatter with white sugar, then bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Serve warm with blueberries and double cream.