Hi everyone,
I am finding out that lots of people are actually reading this blog but I didn't even know they were. I was actually wondering if I was writing it for myself but it appears I am not. If you are enjoying this blog, can you please become a follower, leave a comment or email me at moomookane@yahoo.com.au. Knowing that people care will help keep me inspired to write!
Stay tuned for some great Thai recipes coming in the next few days!!!
lots of love,
Moo Moo
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Delicious Boiled Orange and Chocolate Cake
Well, as usual, I ended up entertaining a whole group of people last Thursday - I just can't help myself...I was born to host!!! It was originally meant to be just 2 girls but a few others heard about it and, before I knew it, I had 7 old school friends invited over for morning tea. (old as in from a long time ago obviously, not meaning that we are getting old!)
I had asked everyone to bring a plate but still couldn't help myself from cooking up a storm. One of the things I made was a boiled orange and dark chocolate cake. It was very popular and I have been asked for the recipe by a few people so I thought it best to share it on here. It is such an easy recipe to make and I love it because the most time-consuming part of the recipe can be done up to 48 hours before you need to make the cake, leaving only about 10 mins of prep on the day (plus 60 mins of cooking time). I must say that this wasn't my best attempt at the cake as my eggs were huge and the mixture ended up a bit too moist which meant I had to cook it longer which meant I burnt the top - I have never had this problem before so maybe I was just "off my game" that particular day. Anyway, it still tasted nice but wasn't as good as usual.
This recipe is beautiful served warm as the chocolate is all gooey and soft - it is also fabulous with a nice dollop of thick cream. It reheats nicely in the microwave so you can eat it warm and gooey for many days after making the recipe...assuming it lasts that long obviously. The other great thing about this recipe is that it is gluten and dairy free but is absolutely gorgeous and decadent even without those thing!
I have decided to add extra info for the recipes such as prep time, cost etc. - let me know if you think I should add anything else!
So, without further ado, here it is...
Boiled Orange and Chocolate Cake
Serves: easily serves about 8-10 people as it is rich
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 2 hours to boil oranges plus 1 hour to cook cake (note, oranges can be done in advance)
Cost: Roughly $10 plus extra for the cream if you use it!
2 large oranges, washed
6 eggs
300g ground almonds
250g caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free baking powder available if required)
100-150g dark chocolate chopped into bite-sized chunks (good quality - I use Lindt or Plaistowe)
Icing sugar to dust if desired
Step 1: Put oranges in a pot and fill with water until almost covered. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 hours. Please make sure you top up the water occasionally - I forgot to once and the burnt mess in the bottom of the pot was not pretty!!! If you are fussy and want to ensure the oranges are not bitter, simmer for 1/2 an hour, discard water and do the final 1.5 hours in the fresh water. I do this step but am not really convinced it makes a difference as I have tried it both ways. Please note that the orange boiling step can be performed 24-48 hours in advance and the whole oranges can just be put in the fridge until required. If you are in a rush and can't be bothered with the boiling, you can apparently pierce the skins with a fork, then microwave on high for 8 mins (turn every few minutes and adjust timing for size of fruit). I have never tried this method but my lovely friend Robyn has and she said it was fine!
Step 2: Preheat oven to 190ºC/170ºc fan forced and line the base and sides of a spring-form tin with baking paper.
Step 3: Cut oranges in half and remove any pips (i have never found any personally) and then process the oranges (including peel) in a food processor or blender.
Step 4: Cream eggs and sugar together with a beater. Add all of the remaining ingredients and fold through.
Step 5: Pour batter into prepared tin and cook for 1 hour - check during the cooking process and pop a piece of baking paper over the cake if it seems to be burning. The cake should be moist but not wet so, if it is not cooked properly after 1 hour, leave it a little longer.
Step 6: Allow to cool in tin, remove gently, dust with icing sugar and serve with thick fatty dollopy cream...prepare to swoon!!!
I had asked everyone to bring a plate but still couldn't help myself from cooking up a storm. One of the things I made was a boiled orange and dark chocolate cake. It was very popular and I have been asked for the recipe by a few people so I thought it best to share it on here. It is such an easy recipe to make and I love it because the most time-consuming part of the recipe can be done up to 48 hours before you need to make the cake, leaving only about 10 mins of prep on the day (plus 60 mins of cooking time). I must say that this wasn't my best attempt at the cake as my eggs were huge and the mixture ended up a bit too moist which meant I had to cook it longer which meant I burnt the top - I have never had this problem before so maybe I was just "off my game" that particular day. Anyway, it still tasted nice but wasn't as good as usual.
This recipe is beautiful served warm as the chocolate is all gooey and soft - it is also fabulous with a nice dollop of thick cream. It reheats nicely in the microwave so you can eat it warm and gooey for many days after making the recipe...assuming it lasts that long obviously. The other great thing about this recipe is that it is gluten and dairy free but is absolutely gorgeous and decadent even without those thing!
I have decided to add extra info for the recipes such as prep time, cost etc. - let me know if you think I should add anything else!
So, without further ado, here it is...
Boiled Orange and Chocolate Cake
Serves: easily serves about 8-10 people as it is rich
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 2 hours to boil oranges plus 1 hour to cook cake (note, oranges can be done in advance)
Cost: Roughly $10 plus extra for the cream if you use it!
2 large oranges, washed
6 eggs
300g ground almonds
250g caster sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten free baking powder available if required)
100-150g dark chocolate chopped into bite-sized chunks (good quality - I use Lindt or Plaistowe)
Icing sugar to dust if desired
Step 1: Put oranges in a pot and fill with water until almost covered. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 hours. Please make sure you top up the water occasionally - I forgot to once and the burnt mess in the bottom of the pot was not pretty!!! If you are fussy and want to ensure the oranges are not bitter, simmer for 1/2 an hour, discard water and do the final 1.5 hours in the fresh water. I do this step but am not really convinced it makes a difference as I have tried it both ways. Please note that the orange boiling step can be performed 24-48 hours in advance and the whole oranges can just be put in the fridge until required. If you are in a rush and can't be bothered with the boiling, you can apparently pierce the skins with a fork, then microwave on high for 8 mins (turn every few minutes and adjust timing for size of fruit). I have never tried this method but my lovely friend Robyn has and she said it was fine!
Step 2: Preheat oven to 190ºC/170ºc fan forced and line the base and sides of a spring-form tin with baking paper.
Step 3: Cut oranges in half and remove any pips (i have never found any personally) and then process the oranges (including peel) in a food processor or blender.
Step 4: Cream eggs and sugar together with a beater. Add all of the remaining ingredients and fold through.
Step 5: Pour batter into prepared tin and cook for 1 hour - check during the cooking process and pop a piece of baking paper over the cake if it seems to be burning. The cake should be moist but not wet so, if it is not cooked properly after 1 hour, leave it a little longer.
Step 6: Allow to cool in tin, remove gently, dust with icing sugar and serve with thick fatty dollopy cream...prepare to swoon!!!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Restaurant Review - Six Keys, Beaumaris
OK, so clearly I am in the mood for a few restaurant reviews but I do promise some yummy recipes next time!!! I have been out a bit in the last week so I figured I may as well share the experiences.
On Saturday night I had a lovely girls night out to Six Keys restaurant which is at 6 Keys Rd, Beaumaris - I do visit restaurants outside of Beaumaris by the way - you just wouldn't think so from my blog! Note to self...must leave own suburb occasionally!
So anyway, this was the second time I had been to Six Keys and I have had a lovely experience both times. The first time I had the veal saltimboca followed by a chocolatey dessert and the second time I had the chicken coq au vin and a raspberry souffle with amaretti ice-cream. I have to say that my versions of the main courses are probably just as good (but hey, who am I to complain about getting the night off cooking), but the desserts were "to die for", particularly the souffle - it was divine (please note spelling CC). Yum, Yum, Yum...Beautiful! Worth going just for the souffle to be honest.
As for the other elements, the decor is modern and eclectic...a nice welcoming feel with a classy but not snooty ambiance. The service was quite good but the main guy who runs it is a bit arrogant and rude. He looked at his watch pointedly when he came to take our orders and we had been too busy drinking bubbles to even look at the menu. I mean, seriously, doesn't he understand about priorities? We were getting to the menu...eventually. Needless to say we had smartened up our act and selected something by the time he came back. At least he stopped slightly short of eye rolling :-) The other waiting staff were all very nice so I won't mark them down too much for the guy with the broom up his back-side.
Anyway, overall I really would rate this restaurant quite highly. I found it really expensive first time round, but in hindsight, I now realise we were a large group and drank a lot that night. I hadn't realised some people were drinking spirits as well and apparently they are expensive so might be worth having an aperitif before you go! Anyway, it cost me half as much this time so I am willing to ignore the initial bill and refrain from calling the restaurant "expensive". Main courses range from $19 - $35 and desserts are all around $15. I didn't really look at entree costs as I had my heart set on pudding, but I know they are around $15 too. As far as families go, they do have a kids menu so do seem open to the idea, but I probably wouldn't take them there on a Saturday night as I didn't really pick up a "kid-friendly" vibe from the other restaurant patrons. I would recommend only taking well-behaved kids there as it isn't your "let the kids roam free" kinda place! To be honest, I think it is a restaurant far better enjoyed with a baby-sitter fee added!!! Anyway, based on all the elements, I would rate Six Keys an 8 out of 10. Definitely worth a visit!
On Saturday night I had a lovely girls night out to Six Keys restaurant which is at 6 Keys Rd, Beaumaris - I do visit restaurants outside of Beaumaris by the way - you just wouldn't think so from my blog! Note to self...must leave own suburb occasionally!
So anyway, this was the second time I had been to Six Keys and I have had a lovely experience both times. The first time I had the veal saltimboca followed by a chocolatey dessert and the second time I had the chicken coq au vin and a raspberry souffle with amaretti ice-cream. I have to say that my versions of the main courses are probably just as good (but hey, who am I to complain about getting the night off cooking), but the desserts were "to die for", particularly the souffle - it was divine (please note spelling CC). Yum, Yum, Yum...Beautiful! Worth going just for the souffle to be honest.
As for the other elements, the decor is modern and eclectic...a nice welcoming feel with a classy but not snooty ambiance. The service was quite good but the main guy who runs it is a bit arrogant and rude. He looked at his watch pointedly when he came to take our orders and we had been too busy drinking bubbles to even look at the menu. I mean, seriously, doesn't he understand about priorities? We were getting to the menu...eventually. Needless to say we had smartened up our act and selected something by the time he came back. At least he stopped slightly short of eye rolling :-) The other waiting staff were all very nice so I won't mark them down too much for the guy with the broom up his back-side.
Anyway, overall I really would rate this restaurant quite highly. I found it really expensive first time round, but in hindsight, I now realise we were a large group and drank a lot that night. I hadn't realised some people were drinking spirits as well and apparently they are expensive so might be worth having an aperitif before you go! Anyway, it cost me half as much this time so I am willing to ignore the initial bill and refrain from calling the restaurant "expensive". Main courses range from $19 - $35 and desserts are all around $15. I didn't really look at entree costs as I had my heart set on pudding, but I know they are around $15 too. As far as families go, they do have a kids menu so do seem open to the idea, but I probably wouldn't take them there on a Saturday night as I didn't really pick up a "kid-friendly" vibe from the other restaurant patrons. I would recommend only taking well-behaved kids there as it isn't your "let the kids roam free" kinda place! To be honest, I think it is a restaurant far better enjoyed with a baby-sitter fee added!!! Anyway, based on all the elements, I would rate Six Keys an 8 out of 10. Definitely worth a visit!
Restaurant Review - Rickett's Point Cafe
This one is definitely a favourite with the locals...and why not? A huge display cabinet full of amazing cakes, gorgeous chai lattes, a huge big deck to sit on, and all topped off by lovely views over the beach. What more could you ask for?
Well, some decent service for a start!!! I could not believe it...we went there the other day and had the rudest, most incompetent waiter I have ever come across! You order your food at the counter so, thankfully, we avoided 1 interaction with him but when the food arrived, that's when the fun started! Firstly, he dumped a chocolate cake in front of me that was not mine. I pointed out where it needed to go and he completely ignored me and placed the other cakes down incorrectly as well. He then brought back the coffees - he put mine down in front of me and then asked where the cappucino was going - I pointed over to my 91 year old grandfather (diagonally across from me) and this waiter just handed me the coffee and walked off. Did you hear what I said? He handed me the coffee (ie. to my hands, not placing it on the table) and let me hand it diagonally across the table to my grandfather. Please note, the waiter had full and free access to walk around the table! My mouth dropped open - I was astonished and everyone else was too. I am surprised I didn't have to make it myself! Thankfully, I managed to escape without burning my hand or anyone elses in the coffee passing process!
So, what can I say...the cake was beautiful, the chai latte was beautiful but this stupid, incompetent, arrogant waiter ruined it all. Ok, maybe he didn't ruin it fully as I now get to write a blog tearing strips off him which is quite fun but really, it was appalling!!!
So, what would Moo Moo Kane score this cafe? 9 out of 10 for cakes and coffee, 0 out of 10 for service!!! You won't keep me away though....great cakes will always win over a bit of burn-threatening hot coffee passing any day!!!
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
One for the Kids - Yummy Date and Apple Loaf
I made this one on Tuesday morning for some visitors and it is really delicious. Not only that but it is an easy one to make with the kids. It does have a bit of sugar in it but makes quite a big loaf so the amount of sugar in each serving is fairly minimal. Personally, I am of the opinion that I would much prefer my kids to eat a home-made cake with a bit of sugar in it than some processed, pre-packaged rubbish with goodness-knows-what in it but, if you are hugely sensitive about the sugar, you could try reducing it to half the amount.
The recipe I originally found was for date loaf cake but, in my usual tradition, I completely changed the base recipe and did my own thing. So, here it is...enjoy and have fun!!!
PS. This recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make so best made fresh - I did it while getting the kids brekkie!
Date and Apple Loaf Cake
1 cup (155g) dates, pitted and chopped (if you are lazy like me, you can buy pre-chopped dates!)
1 cup (155g) brown sugar
60g butter
275 mls water
2 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped into small cubes
255g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
Step 1: Preheat oven to 200 degrees (adjust up or down based on your own oven function). Grease and flour a 22cm x 12cm loaf tin.
Step 2: Put the dates, sugar, butter and water into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 mins. If you are stretched for time, you can reduce the water amount to 250mls of boiling water, pour it over the dates, sugar and butter and leave it for 15 mins. I feel the boiling process gives a bit of extra yumminess though!
Step 3: Stir in flour, baking soda, chopped apples and vanilla (no need for sifting).
Step 4: Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 40-50 mins. Check part way through cooking and cover with a sheet of baking paper if it is burning.
Step 5: Cool before serving, slice and serve with butter/margarine or just by itself!
The recipe I originally found was for date loaf cake but, in my usual tradition, I completely changed the base recipe and did my own thing. So, here it is...enjoy and have fun!!!
PS. This recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make so best made fresh - I did it while getting the kids brekkie!
Date and Apple Loaf Cake
1 cup (155g) dates, pitted and chopped (if you are lazy like me, you can buy pre-chopped dates!)
1 cup (155g) brown sugar
60g butter
275 mls water
2 golden delicious apples, peeled and chopped into small cubes
255g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
2 teaspoons vanilla essence
Step 1: Preheat oven to 200 degrees (adjust up or down based on your own oven function). Grease and flour a 22cm x 12cm loaf tin.
Step 2: Put the dates, sugar, butter and water into a saucepan. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 mins. If you are stretched for time, you can reduce the water amount to 250mls of boiling water, pour it over the dates, sugar and butter and leave it for 15 mins. I feel the boiling process gives a bit of extra yumminess though!
Step 3: Stir in flour, baking soda, chopped apples and vanilla (no need for sifting).
Step 4: Pour mixture into prepared tin and bake for 40-50 mins. Check part way through cooking and cover with a sheet of baking paper if it is burning.
Step 5: Cool before serving, slice and serve with butter/margarine or just by itself!
Scottish Oat Cakes
As most of you know, I spent 5 years of my life living in beautiful Scotland. One of my favourite foods there was not deep-fried Mars Bar but actually, the good old humble oat cake. These are gorgeous cracker-style biscuits to serve with cheese and, in Scotland, there are numerous different varieties, brands etc. In Australia, I have barely found any, let alone any decent ones!
On Monday I was going to a friend's house and decided to take a cheese platter. So I thought, what better to go with the cheese platter than some home-made oat cakes. I did my usual trick and searched the internet for some recipes. I did find one on the "Undiscovered Scotland" website and thought it sounded quite good. My only reservation was that the recipe used lard which is something I have never cooked with but I thought, how bad can it be...haha, words that would come back to haunt me. I didn't even know if I could buy it here to be honest but thankfully Safeway was ever-faithful and I did manage to get my hands on some.
So, without further ado, I set about making the recipe. On smelling the raw lard I wasn't overly impressed but decide to proceed anyway. The biscuits looked beautiful and I was so excited to have reproduced an old favourite. Before leaving, I decided to taste one of the biscuits to make sure they were OK...
OH MY GOODNESS...DISGUSTING!!! All I could taste was the lard and they were so, so horrible! I couldn't even swallow the small mouthful I had taken and had to immediately throw that and all the remaining biscuits into the bin! I also threw the remaining lard in the bin to ensure I am never ever ever tempted to cook with it again...disgusting!!! I guess it is probably to be expected when you cook with something described on the label as "animal fat". Oh dear...Yuk, yuk, yuk.
I am obviously not going to give you the recipe for this one!!!
On Monday I was going to a friend's house and decided to take a cheese platter. So I thought, what better to go with the cheese platter than some home-made oat cakes. I did my usual trick and searched the internet for some recipes. I did find one on the "Undiscovered Scotland" website and thought it sounded quite good. My only reservation was that the recipe used lard which is something I have never cooked with but I thought, how bad can it be...haha, words that would come back to haunt me. I didn't even know if I could buy it here to be honest but thankfully Safeway was ever-faithful and I did manage to get my hands on some.
So, without further ado, I set about making the recipe. On smelling the raw lard I wasn't overly impressed but decide to proceed anyway. The biscuits looked beautiful and I was so excited to have reproduced an old favourite. Before leaving, I decided to taste one of the biscuits to make sure they were OK...
OH MY GOODNESS...DISGUSTING!!! All I could taste was the lard and they were so, so horrible! I couldn't even swallow the small mouthful I had taken and had to immediately throw that and all the remaining biscuits into the bin! I also threw the remaining lard in the bin to ensure I am never ever ever tempted to cook with it again...disgusting!!! I guess it is probably to be expected when you cook with something described on the label as "animal fat". Oh dear...Yuk, yuk, yuk.
I am obviously not going to give you the recipe for this one!!!
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Restaurant Review - Aashirwad Tandoori Restaurant, Beaumaris
Fabulous...a mum's group night out to see Sex and the City, followed by a sumptuous feast at our local Indian Restaurant! So, was it "all that"?
As far as the movie goes, I have 2 comments...Liza Minnelli and shoes...1 of these things I loved and 1 I hated!
As for the restaurant, the decor is basic, the service good and the food quite nice. We had the non-vegetarian banquet and the one thing I would say is, do not eat anything for at least 24 hours before going if you intend to have the banquet...you will need every spare centimetre of space available to fit it all in. From the entree dishes, the lamb was devine and everything else was quite nice, but please do steal someone else's lamb if you can - they say info is knowledge and, trust me, this knowledge is definitely worth having!!!
All of the main dishes were yummy but the prawns were definitely my favourite. In a comical moment, our whole table started choking, coughing and spluttering during main course...no, we were not being poisoned but the sizzle platter dish was smoking out the whole restaurant and I very nearly had to go outside to avoid dying of smoke inhalation. Thankfully, it disappeared after a few minutes and we all survived the experience.
Most of us finished with some Kulfi for dessert and that was definitely an underwhelming experience. The Kulfi was too creamy, a bit flavourless and presented most unappealingly. Not a great way to end the meal but the rest of it was good enough to keep the rating reasonable!
I would class this restaurant as family-friendly, reasonably priced and great for a casual night out. It is BYO with minimal corkage charged so that is definitely appealing too.
Overall, Moo Moo would rate this restaurant 6.5 out of 10 as far as Indian restaurants go. I would definitely eat there again but wouldn't necessarily make it a firm favourite.
One final thing to note if you look this restaurant up on-line as I did, is that you will find the address and suburb completely wrong on most listings. It is in the Beaumaris Concourse, Beaumaris not Beaumaris Parade, Highett!
As far as the movie goes, I have 2 comments...Liza Minnelli and shoes...1 of these things I loved and 1 I hated!
As for the restaurant, the decor is basic, the service good and the food quite nice. We had the non-vegetarian banquet and the one thing I would say is, do not eat anything for at least 24 hours before going if you intend to have the banquet...you will need every spare centimetre of space available to fit it all in. From the entree dishes, the lamb was devine and everything else was quite nice, but please do steal someone else's lamb if you can - they say info is knowledge and, trust me, this knowledge is definitely worth having!!!
All of the main dishes were yummy but the prawns were definitely my favourite. In a comical moment, our whole table started choking, coughing and spluttering during main course...no, we were not being poisoned but the sizzle platter dish was smoking out the whole restaurant and I very nearly had to go outside to avoid dying of smoke inhalation. Thankfully, it disappeared after a few minutes and we all survived the experience.
Most of us finished with some Kulfi for dessert and that was definitely an underwhelming experience. The Kulfi was too creamy, a bit flavourless and presented most unappealingly. Not a great way to end the meal but the rest of it was good enough to keep the rating reasonable!
I would class this restaurant as family-friendly, reasonably priced and great for a casual night out. It is BYO with minimal corkage charged so that is definitely appealing too.
Overall, Moo Moo would rate this restaurant 6.5 out of 10 as far as Indian restaurants go. I would definitely eat there again but wouldn't necessarily make it a firm favourite.
One final thing to note if you look this restaurant up on-line as I did, is that you will find the address and suburb completely wrong on most listings. It is in the Beaumaris Concourse, Beaumaris not Beaumaris Parade, Highett!
Tea-Smoked Duck
After seeing a few recipes for "smoking" things, I was desperate to try the process myself (obviously, I am discussing the innocent food-related smoking process, not anything else here!).
So, a bit of a hunt around and I found a devine recipe for Pete Evan's Tea-Smoked Duck on the MasterChef website. All in all, it didn't sound too difficult so I thought, what the heck, let's give it a go.
A visit to T2 Tea Shop for some yummy smoking teas (and a disgruntled husband mumbling about expensive teas, mortgage payments etc.) and I was almost set to go. The last item required was the duck breast (thankfully I had everything else already!!!) - simple, a visit to the local poultry shop where I can always, always get duck and I will be ready to go! Ho hum, not to be...of course they had run out of duck breast that day. Well, have you ever seen anyone in tears at the poultry store...yep, that was me...insane!!! Seriously, how embarrassing. I think I had poured so much emotion and courage into making such a different dish that I just couldn't face not making it that day. Thankfully, the poultry store had duck legs which, although not ideal, turned out to be fine with some complicated deboning applied (by my further disgruntled husband :-))
So, off I went with the whole smoking thing. After spending half an hour getting the smoking mix together and pouring it into some foil at the bottom of my bessemer pot, I waited patiently for it all to happen...smokin!!! The smoke is definitely a give away and it really did happen for me despite my reservations. So, on went the duck and away it all went. Six minutes later and I had devine tasting, deliciously tender duck to serve with the gorgeous orange sauce and some shop-bought pasta. I completely chickened (ducked :-)) out of making the ravioli in the recipe but, after a further review, have decided it was probably easy enough so will try it in future. I did attempt the fried ginger to sprinkle on top but sadly, when David asked what had happened to the ginger, I had to point him towards a bowl full of black charred bits. The lesson...don't have your frying oil too hot!!!
So, without further ado, here is the recipe after my top tips as follows:
1. Discard the T2 bag and transfer your teas into generic packaging before entering the house.
2. Purchase your duck at least 1 day before you plan to make the recipe in case you have trouble finding it! If you cannot do this, make sure you have tissues on hand to use at the poultry shop! Furthermore, if you can only get the legs, practice your helpless female act to ensure your partner debones the duck!
3. Do not char your ginger bits!
4. Trust the recipe - it sounds bizarre and goes against the grain but it really does work and tastes delicious!
Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with Duck Liver Ravioli
(courtesy of MasterChef and Pete Evans)
So, a bit of a hunt around and I found a devine recipe for Pete Evan's Tea-Smoked Duck on the MasterChef website. All in all, it didn't sound too difficult so I thought, what the heck, let's give it a go.
A visit to T2 Tea Shop for some yummy smoking teas (and a disgruntled husband mumbling about expensive teas, mortgage payments etc.) and I was almost set to go. The last item required was the duck breast (thankfully I had everything else already!!!) - simple, a visit to the local poultry shop where I can always, always get duck and I will be ready to go! Ho hum, not to be...of course they had run out of duck breast that day. Well, have you ever seen anyone in tears at the poultry store...yep, that was me...insane!!! Seriously, how embarrassing. I think I had poured so much emotion and courage into making such a different dish that I just couldn't face not making it that day. Thankfully, the poultry store had duck legs which, although not ideal, turned out to be fine with some complicated deboning applied (by my further disgruntled husband :-))
So, off I went with the whole smoking thing. After spending half an hour getting the smoking mix together and pouring it into some foil at the bottom of my bessemer pot, I waited patiently for it all to happen...smokin!!! The smoke is definitely a give away and it really did happen for me despite my reservations. So, on went the duck and away it all went. Six minutes later and I had devine tasting, deliciously tender duck to serve with the gorgeous orange sauce and some shop-bought pasta. I completely chickened (ducked :-)) out of making the ravioli in the recipe but, after a further review, have decided it was probably easy enough so will try it in future. I did attempt the fried ginger to sprinkle on top but sadly, when David asked what had happened to the ginger, I had to point him towards a bowl full of black charred bits. The lesson...don't have your frying oil too hot!!!
So, without further ado, here is the recipe after my top tips as follows:
1. Discard the T2 bag and transfer your teas into generic packaging before entering the house.
2. Purchase your duck at least 1 day before you plan to make the recipe in case you have trouble finding it! If you cannot do this, make sure you have tissues on hand to use at the poultry shop! Furthermore, if you can only get the legs, practice your helpless female act to ensure your partner debones the duck!
3. Do not char your ginger bits!
4. Trust the recipe - it sounds bizarre and goes against the grain but it really does work and tastes delicious!
Tea-Smoked Duck Breast with Duck Liver Ravioli
(courtesy of MasterChef and Pete Evans)
2 duck breast
50g pâté
25g water chestnuts, diced
25g pear, diced
4 gow gee or wonton wrappers or thin pasta sheets
¼ cup (60ml) blood orange sauce – recipe to follow
3 cups baby spinach
Vegetable oil
2 tablespoons julienned ginger
Tea Smoking Mixture
½ cup oolong tea leaves
½ cup jasmine tea leaves
Zest of 3 oranges
4 pieces of dried orange peel
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup of brown sugar
5 star anise
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
6 pieces cassia bark
Orange sauce
60g caster sugar
¼ cup (60ml) red wine vinegar
2 cups (500ml) blood orange juice or orange juice
1 cup (250ml) Peking duck stock or chicken stock
Zest of 1 orange
50g of butter, diced
Method
Serves 2
1. For the orange sauce, place sugar in a cold pan and melt it down slowly (careful not to burn). Then add vinegar and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Add orange juice and reduce by half. Then add the stock and reduce by half.
2. Add zest and blend the sauce with the butter and seasoning.
3. For tea smoking mixture, combine ingredients in a bowl.
4. Line a wok with foil then place the smoking mix on top and turn on the heat to medium and wait for it to start to smoke. Once smoking, place the duck breast skin side down in the middle tray of a steamer or on a rack that fits into the wok. Cover with a lid and cook for 7 minutes or until rare.
5. To make the ravioli, mix the pâté, water chestnuts and pear together with a touch of salt. Lay 2 gow gee wrappers on the bench and brush with water, place 2 mounds of the pâté mix in the center of the gow gee wrappers and place the top gow gee wrappers over the mound and press down firmly around the edges to seal so you have 2 ravioli.
6. Place the duck skin side down in a frying pan and cook until fat has rendered and skin is crispy and let rest for a few minutes in a warm spot and then slice.
7. Add spinach to same pan and cook until just wilted, season with some sea salt and pepper and then drain any excess liquid out of the spinach in a strainer. Then drop the ravioli in a pot of boiling water to cook for 1 minute.8. Pour vegetable oil into a small frying pan until one quarter full. Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Deep-fry ginger for 3-4 minutes or until golden and crispy. Drain on paper towel. Set aside.
9. Heat up the orange sauce.10. To serve, place the spinach on plate, then top with the sliced duck, the ravioli, drizzle a tablespoon of sauce over the ravioli and duck and top with the fried ginger.
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