Sandy, one of our regular listeners has had problems with “smelly chicken”…….

“I cannot tell you how many times I buy chicken that smells either “off” or not quite right!!

So my question is………. when you smell fresh chicken, should there be any kind of smell at all?  Or can chicken have a strong smell earthy kind of smell from hormones or grains or whatever, even though it isn’t off?”

We thought we would go straight to the chook’s mouth, so to speak, and contacted the chicken company who supplied the produce, and the Australian Chicken Meat Industry (ACMF), for their comments and advice.

“Fresh chicken should not have a strong smell but if stored in container or bag with liquid from bird  can have a mild odour.

To prevent and elevate this issue we suggest the following:

• On purchasing  product should be taken directly home and taken out of plastic bag and washed under water.

• After wash pat dry and store in a  clean covered container in fridge .

• As per recognised best food handling product should be cooked within the next 48 hours .

As per the comment on hormones/ grains – it has been against the law from the early 1960s for the use of hormones in the production of  chicken  in Australia.”

Most raw meat has naturally occuring bacteria, so should be handled and stored correctly. To make it easier the Australian Chicken Meat Industry (ACMF) has issued this useful fact sheet.

Chicken is a nutritious, healthy food – low in fat and cholesterol and an excellent source of protein.

Food safety guidelines aim to prevent the bacteria naturally present in most food from spreading and multiplying. The following simple tips can keep bacteria at bay:

Safely eating chicken meat

• The Food Safety Information Council promotes these simple guidelines to ensure the food you’re eating is safe:

• Keep hot food steaming hot

• Keep cold food refrigerated

• Cook food properly

• Separate raw and cooked foods

• Keep kitchen and utensils clean

• Wash hands with soap and dry thoroughly

• As raw meat juices may contain bacteria, prevent it spreading by avoiding keeping utensils such as chopping boards and knives used on raw meat away from utensils and chopping boards used for other foods.

• Keep everything — hands, fridge, freezer and storage containers — clean, particularly during the food preparation process. Clean ‘in between’.

STORING

Refrigeration

• Most raw or cooked chicken can be stored safely in the fridge at 5°C or lower for 2-3 days – minced poultry for just one day.

• Keep raw chicken away from other foods in the fridge AND during preparation, so raw chicken juices do not contact other food that will be eaten raw, such as fruits or vegetables.

• If you are storing for more than 2-3 days, chicken products should be frozen.

Freezing Tips

• Freeze fresh chicken as soon as possible to maintain quality.

• Use moisture proof wrap or bags when freezing chicken and label packages with the content and date it was frozen.

• Thaw frozen chicken:

–       in the refrigerator

–       in cold water, changing every 30 minutes

–       in the microwave

• NEVER thaw chicken at room temperature.

COOKING

§        The time needed to cook chicken depends upon the cut and size – a rule of thumb is to cook for an hour per kilo.

§        Your chicken is thoroughly cooked when:

(1) The chicken meat is no longer pink inside and

(2) The chicken juices run clear.

You can use a food thermometer to check the temperature at the centre of the thickest part of the meat.  When it reaches 75 degrees C, it is thoroughly cooked.

Why is it important to cook chicken?

§        All raw meat and many other foods contain bacteria – most are harmless.

§        However, some bacteria, when eaten in sufficient quantities, can cause food poisoning.

§        All bacteria are very easily killed by normal cooking and are harmless and tasteless to people once killed.

The Chook Infoline 1300 4 CHOOKs (1300 424 665) and the website on www.chicken.org.au are two convenient places where consumers can get answers to these and many other questions regarding chicken meat.

And what better helpers than some true blue Aussie lifesavers from North Bondi, even if we did have to remind them not to stand so close to the BBQ while they were cooking in their possibly flammable shorts!

For lots of seafood recipes, the new YouTube preparation of seafood videos and species information have a look at FISHline at http://www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au.

Marty (middle) and Owen (left) help check if the fish pieces are cooked....

Checking the fish is cooked

Owen did a great job making a fish parcel, to help keep the fish moist…..

Making a fish parcel

All done, so we could enjoy some time out – I have such a great job!

Time out from the BBQ with my lifesavers in Martin Place on Australia Day

And for dessert, Planet Cakes of Balmain had made a replica of the Sydney Opera House – all in chocolate cake.

Opera House chocolate cake

It seemed a terrible shame to cut such a creation, but we couldn’t let all that cake go to waste!

They shall eat cake!

As discussed on ABC NSW radio 1233 with Carol Duncan on 8 December 2010

A few weeks ago Carol & I were discussing chillies, or more specifically ‘chilli burn’, after handling chillies, being especially nasty for males next visit to the bathroom. One of our helpful listeners rang in with a sure fire remedy using banana. I hadn’t heard of that one and thought it could be interesting to test out. Finding someone who shared my enthusiasm enough to give it a go proved difficult.

Husband first. No amount of persuading, even in the name of science or accurate radio reporting, would entice him to give it a try. Next a work colleague. Nope. Maybe it’s an age thing, being older and wiser, so I handed it over to my daughter, Alice, to ask amongst her friends and work colleagues. Finally, we had a taker! According to her, this is how it went……

Alice & me

If someone told you to jump off a bridge, would you do it? Unlikely. Thanks to the logical part of our brain, we’re hard-wired to avoid life-threatening, tummy-turning, knee-trembling situations. So, you’d (logically) assume, if a person asked you to rub chilli on your, er, willy, that same brain region would kick into overdrive. That’d be a resounding “HELL YES!”, right? Well, not quite. One brave soul (let’s call him Tom*, shall we?) decided to ignore his better judgement, quell his rational inner voice (most of which were coming from South-based anatomy), and get his hands dirty. Literally.

Allow me to break it down for you:

The Experiment:

To test the theory suggested by a listener on Carol Duncan’s radio program (ABC NSW 1233), banana soothes oops-I-forgot-to-wash-my-hands-before-I-went-to-the-bathroom burn after handling chilli.

Instructions:

Prepare one red chilli, as per standard cooking instructions. i.e cut it down the middle, and scrape the seeds out using your finger tips.

Do not wash your hands. Do not pass Go and do not collect $200.

Wait for mother nature to call.

Um, do your business.

The end result:

“Red hot nuts”…

To put it a lil’ more eloquently, the banana theory bombed and certain anatomy burned. Although, we should note, there was a delay between cause and effect. If you’re brave enough to try this experiment at home, don’t go nuts (pardon the pun) and keep touching/rubbing the area, thinking you’ve been too easy on yourself. Just like when you stub your toe, the pain takes a while to kick in.

The banana was smashed, smeared and rubbed, to no avail.

Despite hearing rumours water is easily the worst solution to searing temperatures, Tom jumped in the shower, hoping, wishing and praying, for some relief.

What ensued was yet another excruciating heat wave. Throw into the scenario a red rash, and you have an extremely concerned man (one can assume thoughts of amputation and/or infertility were running through his once fearless mind).

Thankfully, ye old cyber world came to the rescue, in the form of Google search for “chilli burn”. One of the results? Lime juice. Another suggestion? Olive oil. In an act of sheer desperation, Tom splashed his manhood with a combination of the two.

Thankfully, it worked. The pain slowly dissipated and the ’000′ speed-dial was cancelled.

The moral of the story:

If you’re going to cook with chilli, wear rubber gloves, use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds and ALWAYS wash your hands post-preparation.

If you forgot, don’t reach for the banana. Do as Tom did, and try the lime/oil route. We also hear yoghurt and beer works. Tom… How’d you feel about testing out theory numero duo?

Alice Treloar
Writer & Editorial Coordinator

Women’s Health and Men’s Health Magazines

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Come and see the Blessing of the Fleet at Sydney Fish Market.  Stay for the day and enjoy oyster appreciation, sustainability talks and join me for cooking demonstrations and tastings, using some of the lesser known and under-valued seafood, Bonito and Cuttlefish.   Saturday 23 October, 10am – 5pm.

Blessing of the Fleet

One of the oldest traditions of the fishing community, the ‘Blessing of the Fleet’ ceremony, is being held at SFM for the first time in 10 years in association with the Bagnara Association.

The centuries old blessing originates from Italian fishing villages and is said to bring a bountiful season and safe journey for fishermen.

The colourful ceremony, steeped in Catholic tradition, will include parading the statue of the Madonna through SFM to the wharf where it will board a fishing vessel with a priest.

The ceremony will then be conducted on the water, as the Madonna and priest take to Blackwattle Bay, blessing each vessel as it passes.

Cooking demonstrations (recipes below):

12 – 12.40pm

3.40 – 4.20pm

For more information, recipes and seafood seasonality information go to www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au.

Have a seafood question? Make use of the free consumer advisory service offered by FISHline at Sydney Fish Market.

Email FISHline at "> or call 02 9004 1122.

RECIPES

BARBECUED CHILLI CUTTLEFISH WITH RED CAPSICUM & TZATZIKI

Serves 4 as an entrée

½ cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
3 small red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
1½ teaspoons chopped oregano leaves
500g Cuttlefish, cleaned and cut into strips or honeycomb

2 red capsicums, seeded and cut into chunks

Tzatziki
1 small Lebanese cucumber
1 clove garlic, crushed
200g Greek-style plain yoghurt
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

• Combine the olive oil, garlic, chilli and oregano in a bowl. Add Cuttlefish, cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

• Make the Tzatziki: halve the cucumber, discard the seeds and grate coarsely. Place in a clean tea towel and squeeze to remove any excess moisture. Combine with garlic, yoghurt, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

• Heat a barbecue or char-grill plate.

• Arrange the capsicum on the grill, skin-side down. Cook until the skin starts to blister, turn, cook for another minute or 2 until it colours, then remove and set aside. Remove the Cuttlefish from the marinade and cook on the grill for 2 – 3 minutes, turning occasionally, until the skin is brightly coloured.

• Arrange capsicum on a serving platter, pile the Cuttlefish on top and serve with Tzatziki on the side.

• Alternative Species: Octopus, Calamari or Squids, large green Prawns.

Recipe courtesy of Sydney Fish Market’s FISHline service.  For more great recipes and species information visit www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au.

BONITO, WHITE BEAN & TOMATO SALAD WITH CAPER MAYONNAISE
Serves 4

800g Bonito fillets
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 punnet cherry tomatoes, halved
220g canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
¼ cup small black olives
2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Caper Mayonnaise
1/3 cup whole-egg mayonnaise (see notes)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon small salted capers, rinsed and dried
Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

• Make Caper Mayonnaise: whisk all ingredients together, thin with a little warm water if necessary to give a thick pouring consistency.

• Cut fillets in half lengthways, trimming away any bones and dark meat. Make 2-3 diagonal cuts through the flesh. Brush fish with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

• Place tomatoes, cannellini beans, olives and parsley in a large bowl.

• Heat a frying pan over medium heat, add oil and, when hot, add fish and cook for 4 minutes on one side, then turn and cook other side for about 2 minutes, until flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork.

• Break fish into large chunks, add to salad mixture, drizzle with Caper Mayonnaise and toss gently to combine.

• Notes: If you don’t want to make your own mayonnaise, use one made from whole eggs such as Paul Newman’s Own or Thomy.

• Alternative Species: Albacore, Tunas.

Recipe courtesy of Sydney Fish Market’s FISHline service.  For more great recipes and species information visit www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au.

We have just done another of the ‘Taste Walking Food Tours’. In October it was the Taste of Asia food tour through Bankstown NSW, this time the Middle Eastern tour through Greenacre, NSW.

Led by Zizi, who introduced the group to many of the locals, we learnt and tasted our way through what seemed like a very quick 3 hours.

Such fun, very informative and great value!

The next tour on Saturday 16th October is Sugar & Spice and Saturday 20th November is World Fare.

Organised by the Benevolent Society, for information go to www.tastetours.org.au or call 1800 819 633.

Take a look at some of the highlights of the Middle Eastern tour, from the Lebanese grocery store to the Lebanese feast at the popular local restaurant and the mouth watering baklava and sweets.

Plenty of fresh vegetable at the local one-stop grocery store

Vegetables on display

Vegetables on display

Shanklish – Lebanese fetta cheese and Labni, drained yoghurt, eaten with lots of pita bread.

Lebanese fetta cheese

Labni

Flat leaf parsley is a common ingredient in many Middel Eastern dishes, including the salads, tabouli and fattoush and the vine leaf parcels, Dolmades. All part of the Lebanese feast we enjoyed, along with pickles, dips, falafel and lemon yoghurt chicken.

Flat leaf parsley

Tabouli

Baba ganoush - chargrilled eggplant dip

Humus - sesame seed dip

Mixed plate - olives, pickled turnip, cucumbers, chillies, tomatoes

Falafel & garlic yoghurt

Fattoush - salad with crunchy pita bread

Persian love cake

A few weeks ago, ABC Online’s chief political writer Annabel Crabb, created quite a flurry when she mentioned a Persian Love Cake – “I am telling you, the persian love cake is the nightingale of cakes.  Looks drab, but close your eyes and it’s heaven.”

What a tease! What is Persian Love Cake?  Carol being the foodie that she is,  couldn’t resist either, sparking a search for not only how it got its name but how to make it.

The history of its name proved to be a bit elusive, recipes not such a problem. It seems there are actually two quite different cakes, both named Persian Love Cake. So, here’s a quick run down on both.

Version 1 as described in Epicurious, is ‘a chiffon cake filled with rose-scented whipped cream is inspired by the aromatics found in Persian, Turkish, and Indian confections’.

Version 2 appeared in Australian Gourmet Traveller by Gerard Yaxley of Qom restaurant at Coolum, Queensland. He described it as…

“This cake has a nutty, caramel-flavoured base, and is topped by a creamy, nutty filling. The texture is not really cake-like – it is more like a cross between a streusel and a pudding. It is moist and almost melt-in-the-mouth, while the edge of the cake is caramelised and crispy.

I am not sure how authentically Persian this recipe is, but it is a truly gorgeous cake. Rather than lemon chiffon with rosewater buttercream, like the Epicurious version, this cake consists of almond meal, pistachios, brown sugar and Greek yoghurt.”

Although the photo of the chiffon-style Version 1 looked soft and pretty, it was the more biscuit-like version 2 that appealled. My type of ingredients that I had readily available, but more importantly it was less fiddly, which is definitely my style of cooking! If you want to try the light, fluffy, pretty version, see the recipe below or to read more go to http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Persian-Love-Cake-232273#ixzz10hZlZmsu but here’s the Version 2 recipe I tried….

Persian Love Cake (recipe by Gerard Yaxley)

Serves 8

Prep time 15 mins Cook time 40 mins (plus cooling)

Ingredients

360 grams (3 cups) ground almonds

220 grams (1 cup) raw sugar

220 grams (1 cup) brown sugar

120 grams unsalted butter, softened

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, lightly beaten

250 grams (1 cup) Greek-style thick natural yoghurt (I used Biodynamic Organic)

1 ½ tbsp freshly grated nutmeg

¼ cup pistachio nuts, unsalted, coarsely chopped (had none so used pepitas instead. At least they’re green!)

Pure icing sugar for dusting and more yoghurt to serve

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180ºC or 160ºC fan-forced.
  
• Grease and line a 25 cm (10″) spring form tin.
  
• In a large bowl, combine ground almonds, both sugars, butter and salt. Rub with fingers until coarse crumbs form, or pulse in the food processor.

Rub with fingers until coarse crumbs form

• Put half the mixture into the prepared tin and press down gently with your hand to evenly cover the base.
  

Flatten crumbs with hands

• Add eggs, yoghurt and nutmeg to the remaining almond mixture, and mix well until smooth.

Mix ingredients

• Pour over the top of the prepared base, scatter the pistachios around the edge.

Spread mixture evenly over the base

• Bake for approximately 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
  

Nuts or seeds scattered around edge & cook until golden

• Cool in the tin on a wire rack. Serve with a spoonful of yoghurt and dusted icing sugar.

• Notes: Keeps well in an airtight container for up to a week. Can be cooked in a baking tray to make a slice.

Persian love cake

Version 1: chiffon-style cake recipe

Epicurious Persian Love Cake Recipe

Candied rose petals

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup sugar

Petals from 2 organic roses
Cake

1 cup cake flour

14 tablespoons baker’s sugar or superfine sugar, divided

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

3 large eggs, separated

6 tablespoons water

1/4 cup canola oil

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

1/4 teaspoon whole cardamom seeds (removed from about 5 green cardamom pods)
Frosting

2 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream, divided

Pinch of saffron threads

2/3 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon rose water

2 tablespoons natural unsalted pistachios

Preparation

For candied rose petals
Whisk egg whites in small bowl until foamy. Using pastry brush, brush rose petals on both sides with egg whites; sprinkle on both sides with sugar. Dry on nonstick rack at least 6 hours or overnight.

For cake
Preheat oven to 325°F. Butter two 8-inch-diameter cake pans with 1 1/2-inch-high sides. Line pan bottoms with parchment paper; butter parchment. Sift flour, 7 tablespoons baker’s sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl. Whisk yolks and next 4 ingredients in small bowl until smooth. Add yolk mixture to dry ingredients; whisk until smooth. Beat egg whites in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add 7 tablespoons baker’s sugar; beat until whites resemble thick marshmallow fluff. Fold whites into batter in 3 additions. Divide batter between prepared pans. Bake until cakes are golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool in pans on racks 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks, peel off parchment, and cool completely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap and store at room temperature.)

For frosting
Combine 1/2 cup cream and saffron in small saucepan. Bring to simmer. Remove from heat; let steep 20 minutes. Chill until cold.

Beat remaining 2 cups cream, powdered sugar, and rose water in large bowl until soft peaks form; strain in saffron cream. Beat until peaks form.

Place 1 cake layer, flat side up, on platter. Spread 1 cup frosting over. Top with second cake layer, flat side down. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Chill at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours. Garnish cake with rose petals and pistachios.
Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Persian-Love-Cake-232273#ixzz10hZlZmsu

We were having friends over to play Mahjong so needed to get dinner organised beforehand. Decided to cook this in the morning to allow plenty of time for flavours to develop and blend and then it only had to be reheated.

Chicken pieces on the bone could be used as they have good flavour but they’re fiddlier to eat. Anyway, had some skinless chicken thigh fillets in the fridge so they were perfect. They have a richer flavour and more moisture than chicken breasts and can withstand long slow cooking without drying out.

I cooked on a low heat on the stovetop but it’s perfect for a slow cooker.

Make extra as it reheats perfectly for lunch or dinner the next day. The flavours only get better!

I didn’t have any ground ginger but found tucked away in the back of the cupboard some ginger honey, bought originally from a farmers market in the country. So… I added half regular honey and half ginger honey instead of ground ginger.

Couscous with chickpeas, sultanas, nuts & mixed seeds

Moroccan Chicken

Serves 6

Ingredients

1.5kg chicken thigh fillets

50g butter or olive oil

4 teaspoons ground cumin

3 teaspoons cinnamon

3 teaspoons ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

2 large brown onions, cut in thin wedges

2 cups (500ml) chicken or vegetable stock

1 cup (about 140g) pitted dates

2 tablespoons honey

6 coriander sprigs, to garnish

2 tablespoons pistachios or almonds, toasted

Serving suggestions

Couscous with chickpeas, sultanas, nuts & mixed seeds (see separate recipe)

Steamed green beans, drizzled with olive oil

Method

§         Trim any fat from the chicken. Lay chicken flat, cover with plastic wrap and hit gently with a meat mallet until even thickness.

§         Melt butter in a large pot. Add the spices and stir over low heat for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium and cook the chicken, in batches, for 1-2 minutes each side, without allowing the spices to burn.

§         Remove chicken and add onion to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

§         Add chicken, stock, dates and honey to the pot and cover. Cook over a low heat for at least 45-60 minutes.

§         Put chicken in a serving dish and scatter coriander leaves and pistachios over the top. Serve with mixed seed couscous (see recipe below).

Couscous with chickpeas, sultanas, nuts & mixed seeds

Packets of mixed seeds are available from selected supermarkets but could be substituted with just sunflower seeds or pepitas or nuts.

Serves 6

Ingredients

1 cup mixed seeds

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 cups chicken or vegetable stock

2 cups instant couscous

400g can chickpeas, drained & rinsed

1/2 cup sultanas

1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley

2 tablespoons butter, melted, or olive oil

Salt & cracked black pepper

Method

Put seeds and almonds in a large frypan and cook on a medium heat until golden, stirring occasionally. Heat stock in a saucepan until hot then pour over the couscous. Leave to stand 5-10 minutes until all liquid is absorbed. Fluff couscous with a fork to break up any lumps. Stir in chickpeas, sultanas, parsley and butter. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Slow Food Sydney (www.slowfoodsydney.com.au) is a convivum of Slow Food, an international non-profit organization which counteracts fast food and the disappearance of local food traditions. Founded in Italy in 1986 by Carlo Petrini, our movement affirms the principle of an eco-gastronomy, which is about respecting natural rhythms of seasons and sharing food at a convivial table, with awareness and responsibility.
Slow Food Sydney comprises today members from all walks of life, including home cooks, families, chefs, caterers, students, wine makers, farmers and scientists: anyone who is interested in supporting food traditions and local growers. We consider ourselves co-producers, not consumers, because – by being informed about the food we eat, where it comes from and how our choices affect the rest of the world – we become a part of the production process.

Find out more about us and what we do.

8 Jun

Slow Seafood Night

Posted in PAST EVENTS | No Comments »

If only learning had always been so enjoyable and so delicious.  For a start, Brigid Treloar showed us how easy it is to clean squid – well, it looked easy when she did it, prepare a sea mullet for the hot plate and come up with simple recipe ideas for ling fillets.

Professor Iain Suther who came to tell us about the work being done at the Sydney Institute  of Marine Science turned out to be a hands-on seafood scientist when he cooked that delicious sea mullet and handed it around.  We understood why so many professional fishermen tell us that mullet is their favourite fish.

All the seafood we ate that night were sustainable species from the waters around Sydney, and that greatly under-appreciated resource to our north, the 100 navigable kilometres of the Hawkesbury.  A hugely productive fishery – not just for prawns but oysters, mud crabs, calamari, eels, mulloway, bream and mullet.

The sea mullet – in perfect nick as it heads out of the estuary from March until end of June / beginning of July – and the Broken Bay Pacific Oysters all came from the mighty secret river.  The ling – also in season at this time – hails from waters north of Sydney.

Steve Jones and his wife Sally came down from Brooklyn to bring us six dozen of their beautiful Broken Bay Pacific Oysters and to share with us the story of how triploid (sterile) pacific oysters come to be growing in an environment more knows for Sydney Rocks Oysters.  It’s a story that proves you can’t keep and oyster farmer down – and having tasted the meaty and flavoursome Pacifics, we’re looking forward to the revival (post QX virus) of the Hawkesbury Sydney “Rock”.

Steve reminded us that the waters of the Hawkesbury are now so pristine, the oysters don’t need to be ‘depurated’ (washed in fresh water under a blue light) before we eat them: which means the full oyster flavour remains.

He also taught us how to open our own oysters and as we discovered that night, freshly opened is the only way to go.

Iain Suthers took off his apron, broke out the power point and gave us an only too brief taste of the work he and his team are doing at SIMS.  He currently holds four grants dealing with eddies of the East Australian Current, gelatinous zooplankton, and coastal migrations by freshwater and estuarine fish.  And if that sounds dry, not the way Iain delivered.  We’ve already been to SIMS at Chowder Bay, but we’re planning another night there.

Rachel Appleton from Krinklewood in the Hunter, whose magnificent 2008 Semillon we were drinking, dispelled a lot of myths about biodynamic farming, and gave us an insight into why the 2008 Krinklewood Semillon we were drinking was so good.  It had exactly the right acid/fruit balance to hold up to complement the flavours of all the seafood on the plates that night.

The commitee would like to thank everyone who came, sponsors Steve Jones and Krinklewood, and Brigid Treloar and Iain Suthers for donating their time and expertise.

6 Jun

Chermoula Sea Mullet

Posted in RECIPES | No Comments »

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 x 150g Sea Mullet fillets, skin off, bones removed

Couscous & lemon wedges to serve

Chermoula

1 bunch coriander

1 bunch flat-leaf parsley

6 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

Sea salt to taste

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons sweet paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

100ml lemon juice

250ml extra virgin olive oil

Method

• To make the Chermoula, finely chop coriander, parsley leave and garlic together in a food processor.  Add remaining ingredient and mix well.
• Place each Sea Mullet fillet on a sheet of baking paper or blanched banana leaf.  Spread the Chermoula over the fish.  FOld the paper to enclose the fish in a parcel and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.
• Place parcels on a baking tray and cook in a hot oven 200C for 8-10 minutes or until flesh flakes when tested with a fork.

Notes – Chermoula fillets can also be cooked (either directly or wrapped in parcels ) on a preheated lightly oiled barbeque, fry-pan or char-grill plate for 2 minutes on one side, turn over and cook a further 1-2 minutes until flesh flakes easily when tested with a fork.

For more fish recipes vsit www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

6 Jun

Kaffir Lime Leaf Pink Ling with Horseradish Yoghurt

Posted in RECIPES | No Comments »

serves 4 as an entre

Ingredients

400g Pink Ling fillets

kaffir lime leaves or lemon leaves

1 cup thick yoghurt

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish sauce

2 tablespoons chopped chives

1.5 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

Lemon wedges to serve

Method

• Cut the Pink Link into 4cm pieces.  Place a lime or lemon leaf on both sides of fish pieces.
• Combine yoghurt, horseradish, chives, lemon juice and salt and papper.  Set aside.
• Heat a large frying pan, grill plate or barbeque to moderately high heat.  Brush well with oil and cook Pink Ling for 2 minutes.  Carefully turn using a spatula and tongs and cook a further 1-2 minutes or until just cooked through.
• Serve fish with horseradish yoghurt and lemon wedges.

Notes – Fish could also be steamed in a bamboo steamer.

Mayonnaise or sour cream can be used instead of yoghurt.  Wasabi can be an alternative to horseradish.  Other suitable seafood you could try for this recipe include prawns, blue-eye Trevalla, Tuna, Marlin, Swordfish, Kingfish, Salmon and Ocean Trout

For more fish recipes, visit www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

6 Jun

Char-grilled Salt & Peper Squid

Posted in RECIPES | No Comments »

Serves 4

Ingredients

750g Loligo Squid, cleaned (see notes below)

1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns

2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes, medium heat

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

Salad ingredients

2 cups finely shredded carrot

1/4 cup finely shredded daikon (white radish) or small red radish

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon caster sugar

generous pinch of sea salt

Method

• Soak shredded daikon and carrot in separate bowls of chilled water for at least 15 minutes
• Make salad dressing by combining vinegar, sugar and salt, stirring until sugar dissolves.
• Heat Szechuan peppercorns, salt, chilli and black peppercorns in a dry frying pan over a moderate heat until salt is lightly browned, stirring constantly to prevent burning.  Pound to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle.
• Drain carrot and daikon well.  Toss together with salad dressing.
• Pat the Squid dry with paper towel.  Heat a large frying pan, grill plate or barbecue.  Lightly oil barbecue and cook Squid over a high heat for 1-2 minutes, turning once.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper mix.  Serve with salad.

To prepare squid, grasp the arms and pull firmly to separate head from tube trying to not break the ink sac as the ink stains.  Cut below the eyes and discard head and guts, push beak (mouth) out from between the arms.  Remove quill, peel skin off by grasping side fins and peeling aroudn the tube.  Wash and use tentacles.

Cut tubes open, lay out flat and wipe the inside clean with paper towel.  Slice into strips or score with diagonal cuts to make a diamond patter, then cut into larger chunks. Trim any hard suckers from the tentacles or drop legs into boiling water for 60 seconds.  Drain and strip suckers off with the back of a knife or with paper towel.  Cut think legs in half lengthways.

Notes – Lare Squid can benefit from being tenderised by gently hitting with a meat mallet before cooking.  Salt and pepper mixes are available from selected delicatessens and food stores.

For more squid recipes visit www.sydneyfishmarket.com.au

6 Jun

Butterfly Sea Mullet

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Professor Iain Suthers, Sydney Institute for Marine Science believes simple is best for this naturally flavoured fish.  ”This is an old method – hardly a recipe – shown to me by Bill, an 88 year old oyster grower from Wallaga Lake back in 1980.  He had ‘em laid out, scales down onto the coals, as we lay back in the sand dune drinking from a flagon of muscat.”

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 whole Sea Mullet.  Alternatively use Australian Salmon, Tailor, Blue Mackerel, Silver Trevally and Pilchard

Olive Oil

Salt & pepper to taste

lemon wedges and green salad to serve

Method

• Rinse the fish and pat dry with paper towel.  Lay the fish flat and fillet one side only on the top (dorsal) side from behind the head to the tail, gently pushing the knife against the rib cage to release the flesh, or simply cut through the ribs on one side. Separate the fillet from the base of the tail but do not cut through the belly of the fish.
• Gently pull the fish open like a book and clean out the guts (although the roe could also be cooked or smoked).  A band of fat along each side of the backbone (depending on the season) may be left to melt and baste.  Rinse the fish and pat dry.  Season with salt and pepper.
• Lightly oil a preheated barbecue or chargrill and cook the fish, scales and skin side down, over a moderate heat.  By coring the fish with a heatproof baking dish, lid or lightly oiled foil, there is no need to turn the fish.
• Cook for 20 minutes or until flesh turns opaque and flakes easily when tested with a fork.  Cooking is perfect when the skeleton and ribs can be lifted free intact.
• Remove the fins (and head) and serve fish with lemon wedges and salad.

Notes – The skin protects the Sea Mullet flesh during cooking but can be removed before eating to reduce the oiliness and the stronger flavour found in the darker meat beside the skin.

P.S. Pilchards are now called “Australian Sardine”

As heard on MORNINGS WITH DEBORAH CAMERON 8.30AM – 11AM on ABC 702 (www.abc.net.au)

20/01/2009 , 1:16 PM by Jen Lacey

Inspired by the discovery of a sardine, whiting and a red mullet inside a squid, Deborah invited food consultant and author Brigid Treloar to share some recipes and tips on cephalopods – better known as squid, calamari, cuttlefish and octopus.

Deb turned her added surprise into a stock, but Brigid reckons that as long as they’re intact, they would have made an ideal entree.

But what else can you do with squid?

General tips for cooking squid:

On a low heat – very slowly for 30 – 90 minutes until tender.
Oven baked – stuffed with cooked rice or breadcrumbs, currants, herbs (parsley, thyme, sage), covered with fresh tomato sauce, in covered baking dish, moderate oven.
Braised – covered saucepan with red wine, garlic, thyme.

OR

On a high heat – very fast, in batches until flesh changes from translucent to white, for 1-2 minutes.
Barbecue or pan fry with red capsicum, zucchini, baby eggplant.
Stir fry with fresh asparagus spears, lemon juice, tomatoes.
Grill by brushing with oil & lemon or lime juice.
Shallow or deep fry (see below for Salt and pepper squid).

Salt & Pepper Squid:
(Pan fry, deep fry or barbecued)

Combine equal quantities of sea salt flakes, cracked black pepper and szechuan pepper in a mortar and pestle or food processor. Coarsely crush and sprinkle over cooked squid.

For a crisp coating, dip squid in lightly beaten egg white then salt and pepper mix with cornflour, tapioca or potato starch.

Shallow fry, deep fry or barbecue for 1-2 minutes.

Barbecued squid apple and cashew salad:
Serves 4

Ingredients:
450g squid
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 medium red chilli, seeded & chopped
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
Oil

Dressing:
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon castor sugar
Generous pinch salt

Salad:
1 red apple, thinly sliced, skin on
1 avocado, diced
70g snow pea sprouts, tailed, thinly sliced diagonally
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1/3 cup coarsely chopped unsalted roasted cashews
1/4 cup coarsely chopped coriander leaves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves

Method:

• Clean Squid, remove head and eyes, reserve tentacles. Rinse and pat dry. Cut tube open, lay flat and score the flesh (on the inside) and flaps with angled cuts, turn the Squid and repeat to form a diamond pattern. Cut Squid and legs into bite size pieces.
• Place Squid in a bowl with lime juice, garlic and chilli, and marinate for 15-20 minutes.
• Heat barbecue or char-grill plate.
• Combine dressing ingredients in a large bowl.
• Brush barbecue with oil and cook Squid, including garlic & chilli, in batches if necessary, over a high heat until just cooked, when the flesh changes from translucent to white, about 1-2 minutes.
• Remove Squid from heat, toss with dressing and set aside to cool.
• When squid is cool toss with apple, avocado, snow peas, green onions, cashews and herbs.
• Salad could also be served in baby cos or iceberg lettuce leaves.

Alternative Species: Cuttlefish, Calamari or Baby Octopus (omit scoring, cut into quartes).

Roasted Eggplant Dip

Ingredients (serves 6-8)

1 large (700g) eggplant (aubergine)

2-3 garlic cloves, skin on

2-3 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste)

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 green onions, finely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley, to garnish

Generous pinch paprika, to serve (optional)

Method

• Preheat oven to 200°C.
• Place eggplant and garlic on baking tray lined with baking paper.
• Cook for 35 to 40 minutes or until eggplant is soft. Set aside to cool for 15 minutes.
• Cut eggplant in half lengthways. Using a metal spoon, scoop out flesh and coarsely mash or chop.
• Squeeze flesh from garlic into a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice, tahini, 1 tablespoon oil and salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until well combined. Stir into eggplant and add green onion. Taste and add extra lemon juice, if preferred. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Spoon dip into a bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and paprika with a drizzle of remaining oil, to serve.