Insalata di pesce spada (Swordfish)

4 swordfish steaks
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fennel seeds, dry roasted coarsely crushed
3 fennel bulbs, shaved, fronds reserved
2 oranges, thinly sliced
½ Spanish onion
16 large green Sicilian olives
1 cup of loosely packed mint and parsley, coarsely torn
chat potatoes
50gm butter
1 garlic clove

Dressing

Juice of 1 orange
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

Method in the Madness

Heat a frying an over high heat, brush swordfish with oil, then scatter with crushed fennel seeds and season to taste. Cook turning once until golden and a little pink inside (2 mins each side)

Dressing

Whisk ingredients in a bowl, season to taste, then pour half over the fish.

Salad

Combine fennel, orange, onion, olives and herbs in a bowl, pour remaining dressing over, toss to combine, and serve some scattered over fish. The remaining salad, add rocket and shaved parmesan to serve.

Potatoes

Place in cold water and bowl, once cook make small cuts in the tops and place in butter with crushed garlic, season to taste and serve

Rack of Lamb with lentils and quince

Lamb
Bunch of coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley and oregano
3 tsp each coarsely chopped thyme and rosemary
2 garlic cloves
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 lamb racks
4 desiree potatoes cut into 1cm slices

Quince

1kg sugar
3 quince
1 by leaf
25oml apple cider vinegar

lentils

6 shallots
1/3 cup of olive oil
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
2 celery sticks finely diced
100gm mild pancetta
90ml dry white wine
4 thyme sprigs
300gm good quality lentils
1litre chicken stock
½ cup coarsely torn flat leaf parsley

Method in the madness

Quince

Peel quince and curt into wedges (the core will be really hard so just go around)
Bring sugar and 800ml of water to boil in a large wide saucepan. Add the quince and bring to simmer. Place a piece of baking paper over the top and put a plate down as a weight. Cook over low heat until the quince turn a pink colour. Remove and store in a sterilised jar.

Lamb

Pound herbs and garlic with a mortar and pestle to a coarse paste, add 1 tsp of oil and season to taste. Score lamb and rub paste through. Set aside to come to room temperature.

Potatoes

Preheat oven to 180C. Peel potatoes and wash under cold water, slice and place in oven with oil and garlic .

Back to the Lamb

Heat a frying pan, add lamb and cook turning occasionally until brown on both sides (2-3mins) then add to the potatoes and cook for 20-30 mins (medium rare) rest lamb wrapped in alfoil 15 mins.

Lentils

Heat olive oil in a saucepan, add shallots, garlic, celery and pancetta and stir occasionally until very tender (10-15 mins), then add wine to deglaze pan. Add thyme and lentils and stir to combine, then add stock, bring to simmer, stirring occasionally. Cook until tender (30-40 mins) season to taste, cool, then add parsley, serve warm.

Serve

Lamb, potatoes, lentils and quince

Yummmmmy!!!!

San choy Bow

San Choy Bow

12 cos lettuce leafs
500gm pork mince
1/3 cup of light soy
3 ½ tbsp. shaoxing rice wine
2 ½ tsp sesame oil
8 dried Chinese mushrooms
Small tin of peeled water chestnuts
2 spring onions
2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
1 tsp of salt
1 tsp of sugar
1 tsp of cornflour

Rinse lettuce, place in some ice in the refrigerator to crisp up.

Soak the dried mushrooms in boiling water for 30 mins, then strain excess water and chop.

Mince place mince in a non-reactive container and with 3 tbsp of light soy sauce & 1 ½ rice wine and 1 tbsp of sesame oil, toss and marinate for 20 minutes.

Heat a wok over high heat, add enough sesame oil to coat the pan, once really hot add the pork mince mashing and separating until brown, drain any liquid. Remove and store. Clean wok and reheat with sesame oil, add spring onion, ginger 10 seconds. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry, 5 seconds. Add the water chestnuts stir-fry 15 seconds. Add soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil with sugar, salt, cornflour and ½ cup of water. Stir-fry, stirring constantly until thick. Add cooked meat and toss lightly.