PAELLA

Serves 4

Ingredients

500g boned chicken pieces
4oz chorizo or other hot salami
500g marinara mixed seafood
olive oil for frying
250g long grain rice
2 cups of fish stock
1/2 capsicum

Sofrito:

2 tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
2 or 3 cloves garlic finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon saffron strands
3 tomatoes from tin
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika

Method:

Season chicken with salt and pepper, cut into cubes. Pierce chorizo a few times with a sharp knife, and put into a small
saucepan with water to cover, and bring to the boil, then simmer for 5 minutes. Drain, discard water. Slice thinly. In a large heavy frying pan heat enough oil to just cover the base of the pan. Brown chicken on all sides, remove to a plate. Brown chorizo slices, drain on absorbent paper. Discard oil in pan.

Make Sofrito:
In large heavy frying pan heat olive oil and fry onions and garlic over medium heat until soft and golden. Meanwhile
dissolve saffron in a tablespoon of boiling water. Add to pan, add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft. Add salt and paprika, and stir. Add rice and cook, stirring for a few minutes, then add the hot fish stock and bring to the boil,
stirring. Add chicken, chorizo distributing evenly over pan. Cover pan and cook on very low heat for 15 mins, then add marinara mix, pushing into rice. Do not stir. Scatter peas over the top, replace lid and continue cooking for a further 15 mins. When rice is cooked through and all the liquid absorbed, decorate the top of the paella with strips of capsicum and serve at once.

Paella changes from region to region and is wonderfully flexible. You may substitute fish for lobster, pork for chicken, squid for prawns etc. but one thing remains constant is the "sofrito" or flavour base made from olive oil, garlic and the all important ingredient: saffron.

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Disclaimer:The recipes here have been collected from various sources over the years and I have lost track of where most of them came from. If anybody believes that I have "stolen" their recipe, however, I will be happy to add an acknowledgement of the original source. To my knowledge, however, most of the recipes here do contain SOME element of originality. The element of originality, however, comes mostly from my ex-wife Jenny rather than from myself.

Comments? Email me here or here.
My Home Page is here or here.

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PARSEE PILLAU (Parsee spiced rice)


Serves 5-6

2.5 cups long grain rice
10 black peppercorns
.5 teaspoon saffron
4 cups hot water
2 tablespoons boiling water
2.5 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons ghee
rind of 1 orange grated
4 cardamon pods, bruised
2 tablespoons sultanas
1 sml cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons blanched almonds
4 whole cloves
2 tablespoons pistachios

Soak saffron in boiling water for 10 mins. Heat Ghee in heavy saucepan and gently fry cardamon, cinnamon, cloves and peppercorns for 2 mins. Add rice and continue stirring and frying for 2 or 3 mins. Add hot water, salt, soaked saffron strands and liquid, orange rind. Stir well and bring quickly to boil, then turn heat very low, cover tightly and cook for 20 mins. At end of this time, scatter sultanas over surface of rice, replace lid and continue cooking for 5 mins longer. Serve garnished with almonds and pistachios.

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Disclaimer:The recipes here have been collected from various sources over the years and I have lost track of where most of them came from. If anybody believes that I have "stolen" their recipe, however, I will be happy to add an acknowledgement of the original source. To my knowledge, however, most of the recipes here do contain SOME element of originality. The element of originality, however, comes mostly from my ex-wife Jenny rather than from myself.

Comments? Email me here or here.
My Home Page is here or here.

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MUM'S RABBIT PIE

This is an old Australian country recipe so it is good but not fancy food. It's what you use when somebody gives you a rabbit. Rabbits are a great pest in Australia so people do sometimes hunt and trap them. Fortunately, the rabbit is a fairly tasty animal. One rabbit makes a meal for two


First skin your rabbit (or have someone, who knows how, to do so)

Soak the rabbit in cold salted water (1 tblsp. salt per rabbit). Tip out water. Rinse and cut into portions. Place in saucepan and cover with fresh water and a heaped teaspoon of salt. Simmer for one hour, slowly. Remove flesh from bones and place rabbit pieces in greased casserole dish. KEEP THE STOCK. Cover liberally with sliced raw potatoes, sliced onions, salt and pepper. Top with bacon rashers.

Add one cup of the rabbit stock and one cup with one dessertspoon of cornflour mixed to a smooth paste.

Place slices of white bread in remaining stock. Squeeze out and place soggy bread over the bacon to form a crust. Dot with butter. Sprinkle with dry breadcrumbs.

Cook in a medium oven for one hour to one and a half hours without any lid on until the potato is cooked through.

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Disclaimer:The recipes here have been collected from various sources over the years and I have lost track of where most of them came from. If anybody believes that I have "stolen" their recipe, however, I will be happy to add an acknowledgement of the original source. To my knowledge, however, most of the recipes here do contain SOME element of originality. The element of originality, however, comes mostly from my ex-wife Jenny rather than from myself.

Comments? Email me here or here.
My Home Page is here or here.

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KACHUMBAR (Parsee onion salad)

Serves 4-6

2 med onions finely sliced
tamarind pulp size of walnut
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons grated palm sugar or substitute
2 firm ripe tomatoes diced
1 tablespoon fine shreds fresh ginger
3 fresh red or green chillies sliced
salt to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaves

Sprinkle onions generously with salt and leave for an hour then press out all liquid and rinse once in cold water. Drain. Soak tamarind pulp in hot water for a minute or two then squeeze to dissolve pulp in water. Strain, adding a little more water if pulp is too thick. Dissolve sugar in the tamarind liquid. Mix all ingredients together. Chill & serve.

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Disclaimer:The recipes here have been collected from various sources over the years and I have lost track of where most of them came from. If anybody believes that I have "stolen" their recipe, however, I will be happy to add an acknowledgement of the original source. To my knowledge, however, most of the recipes here do contain SOME element of originality. The element of originality, however, comes mostly from my ex-wife Jenny rather than from myself.

Comments? Email me here or here.
My Home Page is here or here.

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CHILLI CON CARNE


1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves garlic crushed
800g minced steak (1.5 lb ground beef)
1 teaspoon salt
.5 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1.5 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 x 425g cans tomatoes
6 tablespoons tomato paste (puree)
.5 cup water
.5 teaspoon sugar
1 can kidney beans, drained

Heat oil in heavy frying pan, gently saute garlic, add meat and stir until brown. Stir in salt, pepper, cumin seeds. Add tomatoes with their liquid to pan and cook for 25 mins. Blend in tomato paste, water and sugar. Cook 15 mins, add kidney beans, heat well. Taste and add more salt & pepper if desired.




Update:

Wallace of Big Gold Dog writes of the above recipe: "Not bad for an Aussie! Especially like that you have sugar and cumin....two things the average U.S. "yankee" might not have. You might try actual chili powder and for a little more central Mexico flavor try a dash of cinnamon. NOTE: in Texas don't ever, ever get caught putting beans in your chili. [that's the official stance..... me, I put black beans in mine occasionally].


************************************

Disclaimer:The recipes here have been collected from various sources over the years and I have lost track of where most of them came from. If anybody believes that I have "stolen" their recipe, however, I will be happy to add an acknowledgement of the original source. To my knowledge, however, most of the recipes here do contain SOME element of originality. The element of originality, however, comes mostly from my ex-wife Jenny rather than from myself.

Comments? Email me here or here.
My Home Page is here or here.

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DHANSAK

This is the classic dish of the Parsees -- a very affluent Indian minority -- so it takes hours to prepare but produces a meal that dinner party guests will remember. It should end up a mainly creamy consistency with pieces of lamb in it

Lentils:
1 cup toor dhal or yellow split peas
.5 cup chickpeas
.5 cup moong dhal
.5 cup red lentils

Vegetables:
1 med egg plant
slice pumpkin, peeled
1 large potato, peeled
2 med onions peeled
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled
2 cups spinach leaves

Dry ground Masala (Masala is an Indian word for blended herbs):
1 tablespoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground tumeric
.5 teaspoon ground cinnamon
.5 teasp ground cardamon
.5 teasp ground black pepper
.5 teasp black mustard seeds, bruised
.25 teasp ground fenugreek
.25 teasp ground cloves

Meat:
3 lb boned lamb or 4 lb chicken
Blended Masala (this is different from the dry Masala above. The easy way is to buy a packet of "Dhansak Masala" from an Indian food shop. Not all Indian food shops have it):
6 dry red chillies, seeded
.25 cup hot water
6 fresh green chillies, seeded
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
10 cloves garlic, peeled
.5 cup fresh mint leaves
.5 cup fresh coriander leaves

For cooking:
3-4 tablespoons ghee or oil
4 medium onions, finely sliced

Wash lentils and soak overnight. Roughly chop vegetables. Put chicken, cut into joints, or lamb cut into large cubes, into large pan with all the lentils and sufficient water to cover. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to boil, cover and simmer for 15 mins. Add veges and continue cooking for 30 mins or until meat is almost cooked. Remove chicken or meat and set aside, blend lentils and veges.

Ingredients for blended Masala should be reduced to a smooth paste in electric blender. Ingredients for dry Masala should be combined in a bowl.

Heat Ghee in large saucepan and when very hot throw in sliced onions and fry, stirring frequently until brown. Remove from pan and set aside. To ghee remaining in pan add blended Masala and dry Masala. Fry, stirring constantly, until they are well cooked and give out a pleasing aroma. Add half the brown onions, the chicken or meat and the lentil/vegetable puree. Bring to the boil once more, simmer for 20-30 minutes, adding salt if necessary. Serve garnished with rest of fried onions.

Meg & Ted have an easier but less authentic recipe for Dhansak which, although simpler, impressed them greatly. Dhansak is like that

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Disclaimer:The recipes here have been collected from various sources over the years and I have lost track of where most of them came from. If anybody believes that I have "stolen" their recipe, however, I will be happy to add an acknowledgement of the original source. To my knowledge, however, most of the recipes here do contain SOME element of originality. The element of originality, however, comes mostly from my ex-wife Jenny rather than from myself.

Comments? Email me here or here.
My Home Page is here or here.

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GUCHULPAN (Korean Spring rolls)

A lot of work but watch them disappear when you make them! Note that the wrap for the rolls is PANCAKES, not pastry. And they are served COLD

Pancakes:
1.5 cups plain flour
.25 teaspoon salt
2 eggs beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup water
vegetable oil for frying

Filling:
2 eggs separated
4 oz ham (or beef)
vegetable or sesame oil for frying
soy sauce to taste
ground black pepper to taste
1.5 tender carrots
salt to taste
6 spring onions
.5 giant white radish
4 oz zucchini
sprinkle of sugar

Dipping sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1.5 tablespoons mild vinegar
1.5 tablespoons crushed toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onions

Pancakes:
Sift flour & salt into bowl. Mix beaten egg with milk & water. Make a well in the centre of the flour & add liquid, stirring rapidly with a wooden spoon. Beat until smooth & let the batter stand while preparing fillings. Heat a large pan & grease very lightly with oil. Pour in a ladle of butter, sufficient to make a fairly thin pancake. Cook on medium-low heat so pancake does not brown. Turn & cook other side.

Fillings: Beat egg yolks & whites separately & cook separately in lightly greased frying pan to make large flat omelettes. Do not allow to brown. Turn out onto board & allow to cool, then shred into very fine strips.
Shred ham finely. If using beef, shred finely & stir in pan, adding soy sauce & pepper to taste. Beef should be well done and liquid evaporated.

Scrape carrots, cut into very thin slices then cut slices into thin shreds, finer than matchsticks. Stirfry in very little oil, adding salt & pepper to taste. Cut spring onions into similar size lengths and stirfry briefly. Peel and shred radish & stirfry until wilted. Season with salt. The aim is to keep the natural colour of vegetables so cook for only a short time and do not allow anything to brown. Do not peel zucchini -- the green skin adds to the appearance. Slice finely, then cut into fine strips and stirfry for a few minutes. Season with salt.
Mix all ingredients together when cool. Place some mixture onto pancake, roll to form spring roll. Serve cool or cold with dipping sauce.

Dipping sauce: Blend all ingredients & divide between individual sauce bowls.

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Disclaimer:The recipes here have been collected from various sources over the years and I have lost track of where most of them came from. If anybody believes that I have "stolen" their recipe, however, I will be happy to add an acknowledgement of the original source. To my knowledge, however, most of the recipes here do contain SOME element of originality. The element of originality, however, comes mostly from my ex-wife Jenny rather than from myself.

Comments? Email me here or here.
My Home Page is here or here.

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