Summer is here! Stinking hot days, muggy evenings followed by cooling thunderstorms and all in one day! One thing about living in Dubai that you could be fairly sure about was what the weather was showing for the morning would pretty much remain for the day (I miss that). Sure there was the odd sandstorm and rain (yes), but you generally always knew it was going to be perfect (winter months, like now), hot, very hot, and unimaginably hot. It was reliable, which is anything but what Sydney weather has shown us since our return. I’m adjusting….
S is for Salmon
I’m almost a whole year behind schedule. I am a finisher, so rather than abandon the plan to complete an alphabet of ingredient posts by the years end, I’ve just altered the year in which it will be completed! I feel a bit rusty on writing the posts, and so much has happened in our lives since the last post, but I’ll try to keep it simple….
R is for Rabbit
Since the last post we have celebrated 3 family birthdays, Christmas, a trip home to Sydney and a fresh start seeing in the New Year. School and work are back in full swing.
This weekend has marked the 1 year anniversary of my dad’s passing. A sad reminder of the love we have lost, but always remembered. My sisters and I cooked some of his favourite meals at our homes in Sydney and Dubai. This included lobster pernod pasta, and a delicious dessert featuring salted caramel. I had planned rabbit for my R blog, and since time got the better of me last year, it seems fitting to make this recipe now….
Q is for Quince
What a weekend. We went camping. The first of the cooler season and the first time with kids in tow (which means we last went camping more than 6 years ago!). We have all the gear now, and starting to get a bit of an idea – specifically of our 3 bedroom tent, plus a big middle living room! It not the most efficient to put up and down, but it does provide options. I know I certainly spent parts of the night in a couple of the rooms, and if like my son and are sick of the fuss your little sister is making, you can simply zip up your compartment and pretend they are not there….
P is for Pomegranate
I have had this recipe in my mind as the P post for some time. I have finally found some time to move forward with my alphabet of posts, but I think its time to admit it won’t be finished by the end of 2015. Perhaps end of the financial year?
Pomegranate, the fruit that is born from the Punica granatum tree is a beautiful apple-shaped fruit. The thick, inedible skin houses hundreds of tiny seeds (arils) that are sweet and juicy and mostly ruby red in colour. Some varieties are white with a rose tinge to it. This fruit is very commonly used in a arabic dishes and given the hardiness of the plant, tends to grow well in the middle easter and Mediterranean regions. They are well known for high levels of antioxidants and medicinal purposes.
The whole fruit is super impressive as a table decoration. Releasing the seeds can be a pain and a bit messy so we are lucky enough here to be able to get them already seeded and packaged up year round. At the moment they are super sweet and juicy. Did you know Grenadine (derived from the french word grenade, meaning pomegranate) is originally a syrup made from pomegranate juice and sugar. And that’s my lesson for the day.
Pomegranates bring a lot of travel memories; freshly squeezed as juice bought from street stalls in Istanbul and we even had them growing in our holiday villa in Spain this past July. The colour is just so amazing. It can liven up any dish just by sprinkling them over a pavlova, a green salad and is so festive. Coming into the Christmas season, this fruit certainly has its place here and this dish could very well be a highlight as part of a yuletide meal.
This recipe is from my favourite, Ottolenghi’s new book, Nopi. I’m so excited by this book!!! This recipe uses pomegranate in the seed form, in a salsa, and also the reduced syrup (known as pomegranate molasses), thick sweet and sour at the same time.
Its a bit of a unusual combination of flavours but the saltiness and fermented nature of miso against the sharpness and sweetness of the pomegranate is a taste sensation.
I used chicken supremes and didn’t actually use all of the miso butter so have put it in the freezer for a quick mid week dinner.
The salsa is so fresh and tasty, it could be used as an accompianment to other meat dishes quite easily.
We are camping in the desert this weekend. The first time since having children, our packing list has somewhat altered. We have a fancy tent, 5 sleeping bags and the essentials. I’ll keep you posted…
Chicken with Burnt Miso Butterscotch and Pomegranate Salsa
Prep time
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Total time
PS - I halved the recipe but the full one is written here PPS - I didn't have mirin or sherry vinegar so substituted with no problem
Author: adapted from Ottolenghi
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 150g white miso paste, room temperature
- 50ml mirin (I used sherry)
- 30g light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
- 40g unsalted butter at room temperature
- 4 chicken breast supremes (or 8 deboned quails or 8 chicken thighs)
- Salsa
- 150g pomegranate seeds (1 medium pomegranate)
- 70g walnuts, chopped and toasted
- 35g pickled walnuts, rinsed and chopped ( I omitted these)
- 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses (I used 1 tablespoon)
- 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (I used white balsamic)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 20g parsley chopped
Instructions
- Pre heat the oven to 160 degree celcius
- On a lined baking sheet, spread the miso into a thin, even layer and bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden caramel colour with burnt edges.
- Remove from the oven and set aside to cool
- Scrape the miso into a small food processor along with the mirin, brown sugar, butter, rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon of water and blitz into a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Place all the salsa ingredients in a bowl and stir until flavours are combined and set aside.
- Using a fry pan, add a little olive oil, season the chicken with salt and pepper and fry until golden, about 10-15minute.
- In a baking tray, place the chicken supremes, and smother with the miso butter and bake for about 10 -15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
- If you prefer to cook the chicken fully, do this. Smother with a layer of miso, then place under a hot grill for a couple of minutes until golden and bubbling.
- Serve with a generous serving of salsa.
O is for Oranges
This recipe is a simple one. It is a bit retro and I remember my mum making these back in the day, and it was quite something. Its amazing that such a basic recipe and a simple drizzle of toffee over fresh orange completely transforms the orange from yum to absolute decadence. I’ve added my twist of a pinch of cinnamon to the toffee, possibly a nod to Moroccan flavours.
I love making a whole orange (flourless) cake, I LOVE chocolate and orange (channelling Terrys Chocolate Oranges – we can get them in Dubai!), I mean who doesn’t love a Jaffa Cake. Orange segments in an asian salad or seafood dish create a new dimension of sweetness and balance.
Reminiscing about our recent trip to Spain, specifically Mallorca, we stayed in a villa that had it’s own vineyards, olive groves and orchards that guests were welcome to when staying. Every morning, we picked fresh juicy oranges for juice, and also for freezing quarters for afternoon tea by the pool. The kids loved it and it was so great to be able to show them exactly where fresh produce came from, other than the bright lights of the supermarkets.
Back to the caramelised oranges. Make sure this is enjoyed within a few hours, otherwise the toffee melts into the orange, and make sure the oranges are the best you can find and super cold! I found super juicy, richly coloured Navel oranges from Australia.
Caramelised Oranges with Cinnamon
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PS Feel free to omit the cinnamon, use cardamom instead
Author: Edwina Stuart
Serves: 6
Ingredients
- 4 large navel oranges
- 250g caster sugar
- 125ml water
- pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
- Peel the oranges with a knife so there is no white pith.
- Slice the oranges in 5mm circles and arrange on a platter in one layer
- In a saucepan, place the sugar, water and cinnamon on a high heat.
- Bring to the boil and don't stir the mixture at all, swirl only, if you must.
- When the toffee is golden amber colour it is ready. Too pale will have no flavour, too dark is bitter.
- Carefully drizzle the toffee in a thin layer over the top of the oranges.
- Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
- A good dollop of tangy greek yoghurt will cut through the sweetness nicely.
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