Beer batter is light and crisp. It is very easy to prepare; spices can be added to it to give it greater complexity. When it is fried, it seems much less oily than normal batter.
Ingredients
- Potato
- Carrot
- Onion
- Capsicum
- Long beans
- Broccoli
- Cup mushroom
- Chili (red and/or green)
- Japanese tofu (white or yellow; firm)
- Olive oil
- Flour
- Egg
- Beer
- Za'atar
- Black pepper (coarsely cracked)
- Sea-salt
Preparation
Beat egg in a bowl then add flour and mix. Keep adding flour until a very thick pasty (dough-like) consistency is reached. Then pour in beer, very little at a time so that it froths and mix thoroughly. The beer will thin the mix; if it gets too thin, sprinkle more flour while mixing until it is viscous enough to nicely coat a spatula without dripping. Add za'atar, black pepper and salt to taste.
Slice vegetables into chunky pieces about 5 cm by 1 - 2 cm each.
Boil water in a saucepan and cook slices of potatoes and carrots. Peel a few small cloves of garlic and boil them as well. Don't overcook or they will become too soft. Once ready, allow to cool then dip them in batter mix.
Heat olive oil in a fry-pan. You'll only need just enough oil to cover base of pan.
Gently place battered potatoes and carrots in simmering hot oil. Allow bottom to brown then turn over and brown other side. When ready, remove from pan and place on a plate lined with paper towel to absorb the excess oil.
Do likewise for other vegetables, cooking them in small portions without overcrowding.
As for mushroom: stuff small pieces of boiled garlic cloves in between veil and stem then dip entire mushroom in batter. Cut protruding stem down so that it is level with veil. If mushroom is large (over 5 cm in diameter), ensure that there is enough oil in which to immerse it (otherwise tilt pan at an angle so as to allow more oil to cover mushroom). Also, ensure that the oil is hot enough to quickly brown the batter covering the mushroom into a thin crust without allowing the moisture inside it to escape, thus sealing its flavour.
Japanese tofu is easily obtained in blocks the size of a block of butter with a cross section of around 5 cm x 4 cm. Slice block into pieces about 1 cm thick. Allow to drip dry, then gently immerse in batter completely before placing into fry-pan. You'll need a flat spatula to lift and turn over the tofu to brown both sides. When golden brown, remove and place on plate with other cooked vegetables.
To Serve
This makes a complete and balanced meal on its own. A dipping sauce such as mild chili or sweet chili makes a good accompaniment. Or yogurt chutney. Otherwise, just have it plain as the spiced beer batter is already delicately tasty!
Complement with a pale ale, or if wine is preferred, a light Frascati or Muscadet.
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Next> Recipe #21: Grilled Ciabatta with truffle paste & extra virgin olive oil
The inspiration for this recipe comes from a Japanese restaurant in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia where, as an appetizer, crispy fried salmon skin is served.
Asians have a long fascination for making crispy skin from almost all sorts of meat: in Bangkok, you can get crispy fried chicken skin on its own as an appetizer; Thai and Hong Kong suckling pigs have rich tasty crispy skins, and the Cantonese are famous for their crispy skinned ducks and chicken. Above all, my favourite is a Cantonese roast pork with crispy skin that really gives German pork knuckles a run for their money.
Most of these are fried, roasted or baked in high temperatures; some are coated with flour, then fried.
Although some consider fried skin unheatlhy; in fact, in moderation, and if prepared properly, they're no more unhealthy than most food you find these days. Some are actually lower in trans fat, and the skins of some meats can be rather nutritious. Of course, I am no expert in this, and will not state anything other than they can be extremely delicious when prepared properly and washed down with warm sake or red wine, which really makes an uplifting combination. I would advise against cold drinks when eating any sort of fatty food, as cold liquids coagulate fats in the body, which I am sure isn't a very healthy thing.
Anyway, back to salmon skin. It is not only richly nutritious; it is also very tasty. It doesn't have much fat underneath, and when baked properly, turns into a lovely golden crisp layer beneath which are rich, juicy and very tender layers of meat that almost melt in your mouth.
Ingredients
- Tasmanian salmon steak/fillets, with skin on
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Coarse ground black pepper
- Sea-salt
- Spring onions
Preparation
Dry salmon steak with a paper towel, then rub some olive oil and salt over the skin. Sprinkle a layer of coarse ground black pepper. Coat baking dish or aluminium foil with a thin layer of oil, then place fish on dish and bake in pre-heated oven. Turn heat to high until skin begins to crisp, and the black pepper begins to exude a lovely peppery fragrance. Be careful that skin doesn't get charred; if necessary, turn heat down a little and bake until fish is fully cooked. This could take up to an hour depending on thickness of fish; less if fan-forced.
When cooked, remove and garnish with fresh spring onions (these are excellent for balancing the oil from the salmon skin).
To Serve
I prefer very simple buttered pasta, peppered and lightly salted with finely chopped spring onions.
Complement with warm sake or pinot noir.
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Next> Recipe #20: Fried vegetables with spiced beer batter
A hearty, wholesome and comforting stew for a cold winter's night (which is what the weather's been like over here).
Lamb shank is such a lovely meat when stewed; the meat is so tender and just melts in your mouth. I have, in this recipe, combined it with veal and pork spare ribs, prepared exactly the same way as the stew in Recipe #15. Just replace the topside beef with the lamb shank. The bacon can also be omitted. With lamb shanks, the longer you stew, the better. Even a small piece would need at least 2 hours, maybe 3 or more. Just make sure it is simmered very gently.
A note on the veal: as it is a very tender meat, be sure to sauté it properly. The oil must be sufficiently hot, and the meat must be dry. What sautéing, don't overcrowd the meat. Make sure it browns properly so that the moisture and tenderness of the veal is sealed inside.
I have also added potatoes although it isn't necessary as lamb shank is traditionally served with mash.
Ingredients
- Lamb shank
- Strips of pork spare ribs
- Potato
- Carrot
- Mushroom
- Tomato paste
- White onion
- Garlic (whole bulb with top cut off, or entire cloves)
- Bouquet garni comprising dried parsley, thyme and bay leaves
- Dried ground oregano
- Sea-salt
- Cracked pepper
- Plain flour
- Red wine (preferably a good Côtes du Rhône or, even better, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. If affordable, a fine Burgundy that's just about to peak. Wines from renown villages in the Côte de Beaune such as Puligny-Montrachet or Aloxe-Corton would be sublime.)
- Beef stock
- Parsley (fresh)
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
Refer to Recipe #15.
To Serve
Since I have included potatoes in this stew, I decided to serve with buttered pasta with mushrooms and cracked pepper.
Complement with a soft red Burgundy or Bordeaux. A fine Pomerol would be ideal!
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Next> Recipe #19: Crispy baked black pepper Tasmanian salmon
This is a remarkably simple dish combining some of my favourite ingredients: barramundi, truffle and mushroom, resulting in a meal that is subtly complex with delicate, mouth-watering aromas.
Ingredients
- Fillet of barramundi
- Black summer truffle paste or sliced
- Mushroom
- Extra-virgin olive oil infused with truffle or concentrated truffle oil
- Garlic
- Onion
- Spring onion
- Sea-salt
- Black pepper
- Macaroni
Preparation
Boil water in a saucepan then add olive oil, salt and macaroni. Simmer until macaroni is cooked, then drain water.
Heat truffle-infused olive oil or concentrated truffle oil in fry-pan.
Sauté chopped garlic, onions and mushrooms until golden brown, then place aside on a plate.
Place barramundi fillets in fry-pan. Be sure to dry meat with a paper towel; otherwise, they won't brown properly. When bottom of fillets turn golden, turn them over and cook other side. Gently spread a generous layer of truffle paste or sliced truffles over top of fillets. Allow fish to fully cook.
To Serve
Toss sautéed garlic, onions and mushrooms into saucepan with macaroni and mix ingredients. Place on serving plate, then top with fillets of barramundi.
Complement with an aromatic complex white such as a Condrieu.
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Next> Recipe #18: Australian lamb shank stewed with veal, pork spare ribs, wine & herbs
Here I am again, with my favourite Dutch oven, (one of my new best friends), inventing another stew: osso bucco with a twist.
Conventional Italian osso bucco is stewed in white wine; I have opted for red. A strong robust red. To add a richness of texture and complexity of flavour, I also added pork spare ribs. Then to balance the oiliness of the pork, I included Szechuan pepper and fennel. The result, a rather complex dish that is neither overpowering nor over-the-top. Instead, gentle stewing in a Dutch oven makes it simultaneously complex *and* subtle, and the end result is something so upliftingly delightful that you'd never guess what went into it...
Ingredients
- Osso bucco cuts
- Pork spare ribs
- Bacon
- Red wine ( a young robust Bordeaux or powerful northern Rhone)
- Beef stock
- Szechuan pepper
- Fennel
- Carrot
- Potato
- Celery
- Parsnip
- Red capsicum
- Concentrated tomato paste
- Bouquet garni
- Oregano
- Whole garlic
- Onion
- Mushroom
- Sea-salt
- Black pepper
Preparation
Prepare meat in the same way as in Recipe #15.
Heat a small amount of olive oil in casserole and add sliced bacon. Sauté until bacon turns golden brown.
Move bacon pieces to side of casserole, or if there isn't enough space, remove them and place aside. Add pork spare ribs, sliced into pieces around 2 - 3 cm wide, and sauté until they begin to brown. If necessary, dry them with paper towel; otherwise they won't brown properly.
Remove pork spare ribs from casserole then add osso bucco. As with the pork, make sure they're dry and sauté them until they brown evenly.
Next, remove beef and add chopped carrots, celery, parsnip, potatoes, fennel, capsicums and onions then sauté in similar manner.
When vegetables are ready, combine with bacon, pork and osso bucco and stir ingredients in casserole over low heat, adding sea-salt and black pepper to taste.
Unlike Recipe #15, baking in flour is omitted.
Simmer ingredients very gently while adding a very generous amount of red wine, followed by beef stock. Ensure that wine totally immerses ingredients (but not by too much). Then place a sachet of bouquet garni & oregano. Add a generous amount of Szechuan peppers; however, if it is your first time cooking with them, start with a little to see how it suits your palate.
Continue to simmer then place covered casserole in pre-heated oven at low- to medium heat for 2 to 3 hours. Check regularly to ensure that it is simmering very gently and doesn't overheat.
If necessary, remove casserole from oven and gently stir ingredients.
While waiting for meat to stew, prepare mushrooms and sliced onions. Dry them thoroughly then sauté in butter until golden brown. Place aside when ready.
To Serve
When stew in casserole is ready, remove from oven, place on stove-top, over a very low heat. Extract bouquet garni, and if whole bulb of garlic is used, squeeze it before removing what's left of the bulb from the stew. Add mushrooms and sliced onions and stir in gently.
Garnish with chopped spring onions and parsley then serve with buttered pasta or bread slices pan-fried in concentrated truffle oil.
Complement with a red Bordeaux or northern Rhone, similar to what was used in cooking.
Leftover stew, if any, can be kept refrigerated then re-heated before eating. It might be necessary to add a little water and simmer very gently over a low heat. The ingredients will become more concentrated and in fact improve in flavour when kept overnight.
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Next> Recipe #17: Truffled barramundi sautéed in olive oil on macaroni
This is such an awesome dish; I just don't know how to describe it... Hence the openly suggestive recipe name. (Pun *not* intended... well... um...) Seriously, though, I have had stews of a great variety and this one possibly tops them all.
Inspired by the French boeuf à la bourguignonne, I went out and bought myself an enameled cast-iron casserole, also known as a Dutch oven. Although it only cost AUD$25, it is of exceptional quality and served its purpose very well.
My recipe isn't just a beef stew; it combines topside beef, pork spare ribs, bacon, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, garlic and a smooth yet robust red wine and integrates them all so harmoniously; while at the same time the pork and beef retain their rich succulence. Prior stews I have tried often end up with the meat cuts disintegrating into the stew (which can be lovely too); however, in this case, the meat cuts retained their shape but when eaten just melted like butter in my mouth.
Ingredients
- Topside beef cut into cubes
- Strips of pork spare ribs
- Bacon
- Carrot
- Mushroom
- Tomato
- White onion
- Garlic (whole bulb with top cut off, or entire cloves)
- Bouquet garni comprising dried parsley, thyme and bay leaves
- Dried ground oregano
- Sea-salt
- Black pepper
- Plain flour
- Red wine (preferably a good Côtes du Rhône or, even better, Châteauneuf-du-Pape. If affordable, a fine Burgundy that's just about to peak. Wines from renown villages in the Côte de Beaune such as Puligny-Montrachet or Aloxe-Corton would be sublime.)
- Beef stock
- Parsley (fresh)
- Spring onion
- Extra-virgin olive oil
Preparation
Heat a small amount of olive oil in casserole and add sliced bacon. Sauté until bacon turns golden brown.
Move bacon pieces to side of casserole, or if there isn't enough space, remove them and place aside. Add pork spare ribs, sliced into pieces around 2 - 3 cm wide, and sauté until they begin to brown. If necessary, dry them with paper towel; otherwise they won't brown properly.
Remove pork spare ribs from casserole then add beef cubes. As with the pork, make sure they're dry and sauté them until they brown evenly.
Next, remove beef and add chopped carrots and onions then sauté in similar manner.
When vegetables are ready, combine with bacon, pork and beef and stir ingredients in casserole over low heat, adding sea-salt and black pepper to taste. Continue stirring as a thin layer of flour is added and mixed with ingredients.
Place casserole without cover in pre-heated oven. Bake in high temperature for about 5 minutes then remove from oven, add more flour and mix with ingredients before placing in oven again for another 5 minutes. The flour creates a thin crust over the meat and vegetables which seals in the flavour and juices of the ingredients.
When ready, remove casserole from oven, place on stove-top, over a low- to medium-heat. Pour a generous amount of red wine, enough to submerge more than half of the ingredients. Then pour the beef stock until it just covers all the ingredients.
Add chopped tomatoes, bouquet garni, garlic and oregano, then allow to simmer while stirring gently.
Cover casserole with lid, then place in oven, turn down heat to low, and allow ingredients to simmer for about 2 hours. If necessary, check to make sure ingredients don't dry up. If they get too dry, just add a little more beef stock; otherwise, allow to simmer until stew reaches a slightly viscous consistency, or if a drier style is preferred, until it is thick enough for small pieces of onions or carrot to stick to the spatula, which is ideal for a taste check.
While waiting for meat to stew, prepare mushrooms and sliced onions. Dry them thoroughly then sauté in butter until golden brown. Place aside when ready.
To Serve
When stew in casserole is ready, remove from oven, place on stove-top, over a very low heat. Extract bouquet garni, and if whole bulb of garlic is used, squeeze it before removing what's left of the bulb from the stew. Add mushrooms and sliced onions and stir in gently.
Garnish with chopped spring onions and parsley then serve with buttered pasta.
Complement with a red Burgundy, similar to what was used in cooking.
Leftover stew, if any, can be kept refrigerated then re-heated before eating. It might be necessary to add a little water and simmer very gently over a low heat. The ingredients will become more concentrated and in fact improve in flavour when kept overnight.
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Next> Recipe #16: Osso bucco stew in red wine with pork spare ribs, bacon, aromatic spices & vegetables
