Bocconcini Arancini

Ingredients

• 2 cups (500ml) chicken stock
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 3/4 cup (165g) arborio rice
• 1/2 cup (125ml) dry white wine
• 4 slices pancetta, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup parmesan
• 2 tbs finely shredded basil
• 24 bambini bocconcini balls (see note)
• 1/2 cup (75g) plain fl our
• 2 eggs, lightly whisked
• 1 cup (90g) dried (packaged) breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil, to deep-fry

Method

1. Bring stock to the simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Reduce heat to very low and keep at a gentle simmer.
2. Heat oil in a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add rice and stir for 2 minutes or until grains appear slightly glassy. Add wine and cook, stirring, until completely absorbed. Add 1/2 cup (125ml) stock to the rice and stir continuously until stock is completely absorbed. Continue adding stock, a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously, allowing the liquid to be absorbed before adding more. Cook for 15 minutes or until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and risotto is creamy. Remove from heat and stir in the pancetta and parmesan. Set aside to cool completely.
3. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Stir through the basil. Roll 1 tablespoonful of risotto mixture into a ball. Make a large dent in the centre and place a bocconcini ball in the centre. Use wet hands to enclose cheese with risotto mixture and place on the tray. Repeat with remaining risotto and bocconcini.
4. Place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate bowls. Dip a risotto ball in the flour to lightly coat, then dip in egg. Coat in breadcrumbs, shaking off excess. Place on a lined tray. Continue with remaining risotto balls. Repeat, dipping each ball in egg then breadcrumbs so they are coated twice. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for 30 minutes to set.
5. Add enough oil to a medium saucepan to reach a depth of 6cm and place over high heat to 180°C (to test when oil is ready, a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds). Place 1/3 of the arancini in the hot oil and cook for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown all over and heated through. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate lined with paper towel. Repeat in 2 more batches with remaining balls, reheating oil between batches. Place on a serving platter and serve immediately.

Notes & tips

• Bambini bocconcini balls are bocconcini that are about 1cm in diameter. They are available from supermarkets. Substitute with regular bocconcini cut into 8 pieces.

ENJOY

Chef Nathan

Creme Caramel

Cooking Time 60 minutes

 

Ingredients (serves 6)

1 cup white sugar

600ml thickened cream

3/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup caster sugar

 

Method

Make caramel: Place white sugar in a small, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring with a metal spoon, for 4 to 5 minutes or until sugar dissolves and turns a deep caramel colour. Tilt pan, swirling sugar to caramelise evenly (watch caramel, as it takes seconds to burn).

Pour caramel into a 7cm deep, 16cm (base) ovenproof dish, tilting dish so caramel flows evenly over base and a little up the sides.

Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine cream, milk and vanilla in a saucepan. Stir over medium heat until hot and small bubbles form at edge of pan. Remove from heat.

Whisk eggs, egg yolks and caster sugar in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Slowly add hot cream mixture, whisking constantly. Strain custard into a large jug.

Place a folded tea towel in base of a roasting pan (to stop dish base overheating, causing custard to bubble around edges). Place dish on tea towel. Pour in custard.

Pour boiling water into roasting pan so it comes half way up sides of dish (known as a 'water bath'). Bake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Remove dish from water bath. Set aside at room temperature to cool. Refrigerate overnight. Run a thin knife around edge of custard and invert onto a 1cm-deep dessert plate. Slice and serve.

Notes & tips

This is best made 1 day ahead.

ENJOY

Chef Nathan

Asian Crab Omelette

Ingredients (serves 2)

1 long green chilli, halved, seeds removed

1 cup fresh cooked crabmeat

2 tsp grated fresh ginger

6 spring onions, thinly sliced

1 cup snow pea sprouts or pea shoots, trimmed

 

3 eggs

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp fish sauce

2 tbs oyster sauce

 

Method

Finely chop half the chilli and stir in a bowl with the crab, ginger and half the spring onion. Set aside. Thinly slice the remaining chilli, then place in a bowl with the sprouts and remaining spring onion. Set aside.

Lightly beat the eggs with the soy and fish sauce to combine.

Brush a large non-stick fry-pan with a little oil and place over medium heat.

Add egg and shake pan to distribute, gently stirring with the underside of a fork. As egg begins to cook at the edges, use the fork to draw cooked egg in towards the centre (without breaking up), allowing the uncooked egg to run out towards the edge.

After 30 seconds, the egg should be just set but still soft. (You want a soft, creamy centre without too much liquid - it will keep cooking once it's removed from the heat.) Add crab mixture down the centre of the pan, then use the fork or a spatula to fold one side of the omelette over the filling. Hold a warmed plate next to pan, then tilt pan at an angle and slide omelette onto the plate fold-side down.

 

Drizzle with oyster sauce, then serve topped with sprout mixture.

ENJOY

Chef Nathan

 

Delightful Osso Bucco

Osso bucco relies on slow cooking for its rich flavour and tender, melt-in-your mouth meat. It's the perfect meal to serve the family on a cold winter's evening.

Ingredients (serves 4)
1 tbs olive oil
8 (about 1.5kg) veal osso bucco
2 brown onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 cup (250ml) dry white wine
1 tbs tomato paste
Gremolata
1/4 cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tsp shredded lemon rind
Creamy parmesan polenta
4 cups (1L) chicken stock
1 cup (170g) polenta (cornmeal)
1/2 cup (125ml) thin cream
1/2 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan
Method
Preheat oven to 140°C. Heat the oil in a flameproof casserole pan over high heat. Add the veal and cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until brown. Transfer to a plate. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Return the veal to the pan with the tomatoes, wine and tomato paste and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat.
Cook in preheated oven, covered, turning occasionally, for 2 hours or until veal is falling off the bone. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, for the gremolata, combine parsley, garlic and lemon in a small bowl.
To make the polenta, bring the stock to boil in a large saucepan over high heat. While stirring with a whisk, gradually pour in the polenta and stir continually. Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until polenta is tender. Remove from heat. Add the cream and parmesan and stir to combine. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon polenta among serving bowls. Top with osso bucco and sprinkle with gremolata to serve.

ENJOY
Chef Nathan

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 450g fresh thin Hokkien noodles
• 1 tablespoon peanut oil
• 3cm piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 small red chillies, deseeded, finely chopped
• 6 cups reduced-salt chicken stock
• 500g chicken breast fillets, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 3 teaspoons brown sugar
• 4 green onions, thinly sliced diagonally
• 1 bunch baby bok choy, chopped
• finely shredded green onions, to serve

Method

1. Place noodles in a heatproof bowl. Cover with boiling water. Stand for 3 minutes or until tender. Drain and separate noodles.
2. Heat peanut oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ginger, garlic and half the chilli. Cook for 30 seconds. Add 2 cups stock. Cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add chicken. Cook for 5 minutes or until just cooked through. Transfer chicken to a chopping board. Slice crossways into strips.
3. Add remaining 4 cups stock, soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar to soup. Cover. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to the boil. Add green onion and bok choy. Cook for 1 minute or until leaves just wilt.
4. Divide noodles between bowls. Top with chicken. Ladle boiling broth into bowls. Top with shredded green onions and serve with remaining chilli on the side.

Salt-and-pepper tofu with braised eggplant

Serves 4 

Tofu
900 gm silken tofu
100 gm (2/3 cup) plain flour
50 gm (1/3 cup) cornflour
1 tbsp finely ground black pepper
2 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
For deep-frying: vegetable oil
To serve: boiled rice
Braised eggplant
1 kg (about 3) eggplant
½ cup vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
80 ml (1/3 cup) light soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
2 tbsp golden caster sugar
½ tsp sesame oil


1 For braised eggplant, halve eggplant crossways then cut lengthways into thick wedges. Heat 2 tbsp vegetable oil in a large saucepan, add eggplant and cook over high heat for 5 minutes or until golden, add garlic and ginger, reduce heat to medium and sauté for 2 minutes or until fragrant, add remaining ingredients and 1 cup water and bring to the boil, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 40 minutes or until tender.
2 Cut silken tofu crossways into 1cm slices. Combine flours with pepper, salt and five-spice powder. Heat 6cm oil in a deep frying pan or saucepan to 180C, dust tofu in flour mixture, add to oil and deep-fry for 2 minutes or until golden, drain on an absorbent paper-lined plate and repeat with remaining tofu.
3 To serve, spoon eggplant among bowls, top with tofu and serve immediately with rice passed separately.

ENJOY

Chef Nathan

Moroccan Spiced Lamb Casserole with Sweet Potato and Olives

Preparation Time 

25 minutes

Cooking Time 

120 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 red onions, sliced
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tbs plain flour
• 3 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 1/2 kg boned lamb shoulder, trimmed of fat, cut into 2.5cm cubes
• 750mls (3 cups) chicken stock
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 600g orange sweet potato (kumara)
• 150g Kalamata olives
• 1 lemon
• Salt & ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 tsp brown sugar, or to taste
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh coriander
• Couscous, prepared, to serve

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C.
2. Heat 1 tbs of the olive oil in a large, heavy-based ovenproof saucepan or flameproof casserole dish with a lid over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for 5-8 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute. Remove t from the pan/dish and set aside.
3. Combine the flour, cumin seeds, turmeric and paprika in a medium bowl. Add the lamb and toss to coat it in the flour mixture.
4. Add 1/2 the remaining oil to the pan/dish and heat over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 the lamb and cook for 2-3 minutes or until browned. Remove from the pan/dish and set aside. Repeat with the remaining oil and lamb.
5. Add about 1/2 the stock to the pan/dish and bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Cook for 1 minute, scraping the base of the pan/dish with a wooden spoon, to dislodge any residue left on the base.
6. Return the onions and lamb to the pan/dish and add the remaining stock and the cinnamon sticks. Bring to the boil over high heat. Cover and cook in preheated oven for 1 hour.
7. Peel the sweet potato and cut into 2cm pieces. Add the sweet potato and the olives to the lamb and cook for a further 30 minutes or until the lamb and sweet potato are tender.
8. Meanwhile, use a vegetable peeler to remove the rind from the lemon. Remove the white pith and cut the find into thin strips. Juice the fruit.
9. Remove the pan/dish from the oven and use a large metal spoon to skim any excess fat from the surface of the casserole. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the lemon rind, 1 tbs of lemon juice, the brown sugar and coriander.
10. Taste and add a little more sugar or lemon juice if necessary. Serve spooned over the couscous in bowls.