Char Siu and Fennel Roast Chickeny Goodness

1 tbsp Spanish Spice Rub (Table of Plenty, available at coles or woolies)
2 tbsp Fennel Seeds
Char Siu Sauce (Chinese BBQ sauce)
Olive Oil
Butter
1 bunch of fresh Tarragon
1 bunch of fresh Thyme
1 Chicken
Assorted veges to roast.
180 C Oven
disposable gloves
100 mL Chicken stock



Peel veges and chop into roughly 1.5-2 cm cubes. Place veges in a plastic freezer bag then put in a good dollop of olive oil.
Twist top of bag closed  and evenly distribute oil over veges by shaking and rotating bag.
Pour in 1 tbsp of the fennel seeds then re-close bag and evenly distribute seeds over veges.
Pour out the veges into baking tray.

Put gloves on and gently shove 2 x 1cm cubed pieces of butter under skin of chicken breast on both sides, then stuff the tarragon and thyme with the butter.
Alternatively crush up the herbs with the butter and jam it under the skin.
Put chicken in the baking tray and using a knife evenly distribute some of the char siu sauce over the chicken. Also, liberally pour it over the veges.
Sprinkle some salt flakes and  the remaining fennel seeds onto the chicken then dust the Spanish rub over the chicken and veges.
Spray oil over the chicken then cook at 180 C for about 1 hour and 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.
If skin has not turned crispy and caramelised grill for no more than 2 minutes and watch very closely.

Remove Chicken and veges from roasting pan and place on a dish and cover with foil.
To make sauce try to remove as much oil/fat as possible from the drippings then add ~100 mL of chicken stock over high heat until all the char siu residues dissolve.
Reduce and/or thicken with corn starch if to desired consistency, pour into gravy separator or spoon off any remaining fat and oil.

Serve with rocket and feta salad with balsamic glaze.


http://www.tableofplenty.com.au
Table of Plenty
  

Capital Tasters Round 6 - Courgette. Wed 20 Jan 2010

The Wines:
Veuve Clicquot NV
Veuve Clicquot 2002
Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillion 2002
Rockford Basketpress shiraz 2006
Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet 1999
d'Arenberg The Noble 2008

What a great night. Service at Courgette was a little slow at the start but picked up as we got into the food. Like Paul, I loved the freshness of the NV Clicquot, however the vintage just gave a little more grunt with that toast and yeast. I wasn't a fan of the Tyrrell's Vat one. Definitely needed more time and I just couldn't get past all the slippery soap and lemon/lime.

I'm usually compelled to try the duck if it's on the menu and Courgette had both an entré and a different duck dish for main (see photos) - and I must say that this duo of duck was some of the best duck I have ever eaten.

Orange and Szechuan pepper pressed confit duck,seared Queensland scallops, apple and fennel puree

David's Prosciutto wrapped quail breast with mixed mushroom and confit quail roulade, pumpkin tortellini and truffle oil

Next off it was onto the Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet 1999 alongside the Basketpress 2006. The Petaluma was the best of 3 I had recently won in a competition and it still had lots of beautiful fruit with leather starting to emerge in the background. The Rockford was an amazingly balanced and very drinkable well made monster. Massive endless fruit that just didnt stop, WOTN. These were served with my second duck main while others enjoyed fillet of beef and pumpkin and goats cheese ravioli to name a few:

Roast duck breast and confit leg with Toulouse sausage, pickled red cabbage, baby turnips, prune and Armagnac sauce.

90 day grain fed fillet of beef with potato bobbin, pea puree, roasted baby beetroots and bordelaise sauce

Pumpkin and goats cheese ravioli with nutbrown sage butter, apple and walnut salad. Usually, Lindsay and I share mains but in this case it was so good I didnt get much of a sample  :evil:

I heard "Tastiest chips of all time" thrown around the table.
Finally it was d'Arenberg The Nobel.  Not overly sweet and a pleasure to drink - went well with my crème brulee, which although looked pretty, has to be the worst crème brulee I have ever eaten (including my own attempts). It tasted just like Paul's custard with vanilla seeds. The biscuit finger with fruit on top was was a bit bland. Probably better with a cup of tea. I should have chosen the tart which was a big hit with others.

Vanilla crème brulee with seasonal mixed berries and short bread finger.

Warm Belgian chocolate and fresh raspberry tart with vanilla cream Chantilly

This completes the first circle of Capital Tasters and looking forward to the next.

Capital Tasters Round 5 Senso Restaurant ,Fyshwick ACT

I was very excited about the venue as soon as I walked through the door. Open kitchen style is always exciting for me and this restaurant is also a school.



Unfortunately the night coincided with a rather large group, so it was expected that service might be a little dodgy at times and it turned out that this was the case. Our waiter for the evening was none other than Paul Hogan - the manservant/butler from the reality tv-series Joe Millionaire. I knew I recognised that guy from somewhere!!!!

First up was the 2000 Peter Lehman Black Queen - Black current nose. The immediate taste detected was a delicious carob chocolate flavour that soon emerged into amazing dark fruits. Unfortunately due to timing this was served with the ocean trout. Next up was the Leeuwin Estate Art Series 2005 which had an abundance of oak on the nose and tastes of buttered toast. Long finish. Good stuff.

The Penfolds 1996 bin 407 was amazingly youthful with crazy tannins, well balanced, a nice drink.

The Wagyu beef , although unforgivingly overcooked still retained exceptional flavour and the high fat content rendered the wagyu reasonably tender and dissipated some of the "overcookedness".



The Kay bros 1992 Block 6 stirred up a bit of sh$t with discussions of ozone, smells of the beach and iodine. I enjoyed this wine, but it was an interesting beast thats for sure -something I've never experienced.

Wendouree Shiraz Malbec 2003: Now here's a wine that needs some more time. And amazingly complex wine that changed constantly in the glass. Initial red-robe liquorice upon more dark liquorice which changed into an oak driven stegosaurus, however, this was all in perfect harmony with the fruit, acidity and ethanol.Overall a really great experience. I would have thought, given the hiccups at times we could have had a reduction in corkage.

1999 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque. Lunch Dec 5 2009

1999 Perrier Jouet Belle Epoque: First things first. What an amazing label. Hand painted anemones. I would love to get my hands on a set of the hand painted champagne flutes. 10 years old and a pale yellow with a fine mousse. Brioche on the nose. Very elegant and restrained on the palate with creamy yeast and a fair whack of what I think what acetic anhydride would taste like. Not big and overwhelming like Krug (which is a different kettle of fish) A very refined and beautiful wine and a very enjoyable experience At $180 I will never buy again though. Lunch: Drunk with oysters, sauteed QLD scallops in butter on a bed of avocado and prosciutto. This was a perfect combination for the wine. Avocado goes so well with so many things.

Lindsay's Raspberry and Chocolate Tart

Raspberry and Chocolate Tart

Ingredients

Sweet Pastry

2¼ cups plain flour
1/4 cup icing sugar
125g unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs (~60g each)

Filling

1 cup jam
1 cup granulated white sugar
100 ml Amaretto (see note)
250g raspberries
150g cherries, pitted
150g blueberries
1 cup boiling water
5g gelatine

Topping

100g Lindt dark chocolate; orange or mint flavoured
Fresh mint leaves


Method
For sweet shortcrust pastry, combine flour and icing sugar in food processor, process to combine. Add butter and process to fine crumbly texture. Add eggs and process until pastry comes together. Knead lightly on floured surface until base is smooth, pat the top to flatten slightly then wrap in baking paper and refrigerate 30 minutes or until firm enough to roll out.
Roll out dough on a lightly floured work surface, to 5mm-thick. Use pastry to line base and sides of a 3cm deep, 31 x 15cm loose-based tart/flan tin (lightly greased). Trim off any excess pastry; prick the base all over with a fork and then refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan forced). Place sheet of baking paper over the pastry and three-quarters fill with raw rice or beans. Bake blind for 15 minutes or until edges are light golden. Remove paper and rice and bake further 10 minutes or until base is dry and pastry golden. Remove from oven and transfer pastry to cooling rack immediately – do not allow it to cool in tin.
While the pastry is cooling, place jam, Amaretto and sugar into a saucepan on medium-to-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until jam has completed melted. Lower heat and add all berries. Note: the berries should be defrosted (at room temperature) but not drained of natural juices. Stirring regularly, cook until the berry mixture just comes to boil, remove from heat.
Bring water to boil in another saucepan. Once brought to a boil, remove from heat, cool slightly and then slowly add gelatine, stirring continuously. Never allow the gelatine mixture to boil. Keep stirring until all gelatine has dissolved.
Add gelatine mixture to the berry mixture, lightly stir for a couple minutes (until both mixtures are completed mixed) and then cool in saucepan until the mixture is just starting to set (thicken).
Pour filing into the pastry (depending on fruit used you may have access, so only ¾ fill) and refrigerate for several 4-6 hours until the filing completely sets.
To serve
Using a potato peeler, shave off strips of the Lindt chocolate. Use small, quick strokes if you want tiny shavings of chocolate or long slow strokes if you want larger shavings. Sprinkle shavings around the base of the tart and on top of the filing. Be generous!
Garnish with a few mint leaves and serve.
Notes and Tips
Amaretto is a sweet-flavoured liqueur. You can substitute it with dessert wine, port or orange juice.
When selecting a jam, choose a berry mixture (e.g. forest berries), or a berry not included in the fresh fruit (e.g. strawberry), to avoid over dominance of one berry.
Raspberry’s always result in a strong, tartly flavour, if you prefer something a more sweet tasting tart, then either decrease the quantity of the raspberry (and correspondingly increasing the amount of another) or replace with another fruit like blackberries. The types of fruit used can be easily altered to suit individual tastes.

You will most likely end up with excess pastry, in which case make a small tart case like pictured below:

Capital Tasters round 4. Anise Restaurant. Canberra Wed 18 Nov 2009

Another awesome Capital Tasters event at Anise Restaurant Canberra.
Wines:
1. August 2008 disgorgement Primo Estate Joseph Sparkling red (Australian)
2. 2003 Jacobs Creek  Steingarten riesling (Australian)
3. 2006 Fefinanes albarino from Rias Baixas  (Spanish)
4. 1973 Lindemans Hunter River Burgundy (Australian)
5. 1978 Tyrrell's Vat 9 (Australian)
6. 2002 Pintia tempranillo from Toro (the Vega Sicilia people's Toro project). (Spanish)
7. 2004 Telmo Rodgriguez MR Mountain Wine from Malaga. (Spanish)

This dinner was my first serious exposure to spanish wines. Except for cheapo Cava from 1st choice at 2 for $12.95.
 The Primo Estate Joseph sparkling shiraz was amazing. It was like Turkey flat sparkling on steroids. Very enjoyable and I will be looking to find some to cellar.The Orlando....I mean Jacobs Creek Steingarten `03 was just starting to get those characters that I like in an aged Riesling: the slight emergence of caramel brioche and butterscotch etc (it doesnt come up like avgas to me :)). Boy did this wine change after tasting the Spanish albarino which followed. Speaking of which I initially got tropical fruit fragrances with this Spanish creature which reminded me of a verdhelo. This was wine I was very enthusiastic about but couldnt get my head around whether or not i loved it or not and in the end I prefered the Steingarten. I mentioned at the dinner that there must be something missing in the olfactory part of my brain that would appreciate this wine.


The Hunter River '73 Burgundy was an interesting bottle. An old lady that's for sure. The first whiff I imediately thought of 20 year old cabernet however this immediately turned into the smell of a few almost-extinguished cinders smouldering away the next day after a long night around a campfire. This odour evolved in the glass after a few minutes into something less overt and extremely pleasant. On the palate it was just pure leather and a few sulfites - barely any fruit remaining, but nevertheless a very enjoyable drink considering the age of this beast. The Tyrrell's unfortunately had a cork problem which no doubt led to the oxidation and VA. The nose was something similar to a cross between ethyl acetate and an acrylate (that smell you get walking past those nail salons).

The Pintia 2002 was definitely a shock to the system after the oldies and was certainly a clash with the steak served with moat of red curry - not the best match and was a complete distraction for me. A marvelous wine none the less with amazing fruit character similar to that of grenache x 10^2. The finale was a sweet Spanish Mountain Wine that was a very elegant and not one of those over powering botrytis-types that we commonly encounter in Australia. The fortè of this wine was that it was not a dessert wine that u had to chew but something of subtle flowers that linger delicately - and not such a big ethanolic, apricot sugar monster in your mouth that stamps out all the nuances of the food you are actually eating. This was wine of the night for me. And what an awesome night it was.

Looking forward to Tammy's treasure trove of shiraz beauties in the next round.

Caramel banana cake with chocolate nutty goodness

A great cake/bread that's fairly easy to bake. I just chuck in any nuts or chocolate I have lying around.
This version had walnuts, slivered almond and left over Lindt orange intense and Lindt Pear chocolate.
I put the bananas in the freezer the night before then defrost them just before. Freezing the fruit busts up all the cells and makes it heaps easier to mix everything. Just use a spoon to scoop that filthy slime from the slit banana. Nuts and chocolate sink to the bottom in this recipe, so put them on the top and submerge a little.

Adapted from bananacakerecipe.com.au

Ingredients:
(3 bananas used for this recipe)
125g butter
50g slivered almonds
50g chocolate pieces, broken.
50g walnuts
¾ cup brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs (i think it really needs another egg to hold it together a bit more, although this is untested)
1 cup mashed banana
1 ½ cups self raising flour
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
¾ cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk

Method:
Grease a 14 cm x 21 cm (5 inch x 8 inch) loaf pan.
Cream butter and sugar in small bowl with electric mixer until light and fluffy, beat in eggs, one at a time, beat until combined.
Transfer mixture to large bowl, stir in banana. Stir in half the sifted dry ingredients with half the combined sour cream and milk then stir in remaining dry ingredients and sour cream mixture, stir until smooth. Pour mixture into prepared pan. Chuck on top all the nuts and chocolate then submerge them a tiny bit. Bake in moderate oven for about 1 hour (I bake it at 180 for about 50 mins at which time i need to put alfoil on top. Check with a knife,  stand 5 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.
Keeping time: 4 days

Kilikanoon The Duke Grenache 2004

Such a vibrant nose. A decent amount of fresh red cherries and a bit of leather and cigar box and a crap load of tobacco on the palate. Retails at around $70 but acquired at $32. Well worth the money at 32 but no way at 70. Was a bit too much for the random Frittata I made and backyard greens, but went quite well with salted popcorn lol!

Who loves waffles?

Favourite waffle recipe. Stolen from Good Eats. Recipe converted to metric. I also like to add raspberries and chocolate bits. Goes great with either maple syrup, whipped cream and strawberries or ice cream.

Ingredients

    * 135 g all-purpose flour, approximately 1 cup
    * 135 g whole-wheat flour, approximately 1 cup
    * 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
    * 1 teaspoon baking powder
    * 1 teaspoon salt
    * 3 tablespoons sugar
    * 3 whole eggs, beaten
    * 57 g unsalted butter, melted
    * 473 mL buttermilk, room temperature
    * Vegetable spray, for waffle iron

Experimental:

Preheat waffle iron according to manufacturer's directions.

In a medium bowl whisk together the flours, soda, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
In another bowl beat together eggs and melted butter, and then add the buttermilk.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until combined. Allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Ladle the recommended amount of waffle batter onto the iron
according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Close iron top and cook until the
 waffle is golden on both sides and is easily removed from iron.
Serve immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven until ready to serve.

Petaluma Croser 1999 Sparkling with salmon encrusted with fennel and white beans. 07-11-09

Great nose on the 99 Croser, with distinct creamy yeast and acetic anhydride. Long finish. Was a good match for the salmon. $40 a bottle - Candamber Wines

Recipe here

Dessert was a chocolate and pear cake with sweet red wine reduction. The pears are initially cooked in almost a full bottle of wine with sugar and a cinnamon stick. Good thing I didn't glaze the cake with it. The sauce was so so sweet and awesome it over powered the chocolate and pears. Will try it tonight with whipped cream and raspberries.

The sauce went really well with the Banana cake i made a few days ago though.

Wynns Coonawarra Shiraz 2008 5-11 to 6-11-2009

Drunk with tomato and ham toasted cheese sangers. I must say it did match quite well.
After a night in the fridge there was more of a candied musk flavour with the pepper well in the background. Much better served around 10 celsius.
Pretty good for only $9 at Coles 30% sale.

27-5-09

Bannockburn Cabernet Merlot 2001. Drink NOW! Bargain at $15.50

12-05-09 to 14-05-09

Richmond Grove Watervale Riesling 1998
Orlando St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon 1994
Leconfield Coonawarra NV Brut
Hennessy XO Cognac

Latest Drinkies

09/05/05 - Rockford Alicante Bouchet 2008
10/05/09 - Rockford Basket press 2006
10/05/09 - Piper Heidsieck NV

St Hallet Old Block Shiraz 2002 Opened 8/11/06

A giant Barossa masterpiece with massive but integrated oak with lucious fruit - juicy black currents and strawberries. Perhaps better value around $40
$60

Rating 8.5/10
Value 3/5

Bell Hill Chardonnay 2004 Opened 04/11/06

When we visited Bell Hill (situated at a 1920's lime quarry in the Weka Pass, North Canterbury, New Zealand) in Nov 2005 we picked up a bottle of the 2004 Chardonnay and lugged it back to Brisbane. Today we opened it with a Creamy Beef Stroganoff (pg 31 ABC Delicious Issue 51 July 2006) and was a great match. Big Creamy oak with viscous fruit that made us salivate with a nice long crisp finish. Something similar to Petaluma Chardonnay but a whole lot more elegant.
$60 NZ
Rating 9/10
Value 4/5

Penfolds RWT 2002 Shiraz Opened 3/11/06

Explosion of fruit with mega blackcurrents and massive fine oak. A massive wine very overwhelming right now. Not worth the money though.
$100

Rating 9/10
Value 2 /5

Jacaranda Ridge 1982 Cabernet Sauvignon Opened 01/11/06

3rd wine of the night with crepes. Not the perfect match but had to stick with the older stuff. The last bottle in the 6 pack and like the others all in perfect condition from the Langtons exchange (~$50). Lots of retired fruit and balanced oak with a boquet of horseshed and barnyard overtones. Aside from the bullshit it's pretty good stuff.

 

Rating 8/10

Value 3.5/10

Penfolds bin 707 1990 Opened 01/11/06

Initial Strong DMS on the nose that blew off after decanting. Then big Mocha chocolate and well balanced oak. Still some slightly green characteristics but overall a damn awesome wine which should last many years.

 

Rating 8.5/10

Penfolds St Henri 1986 Opened 01/11/06

Still plenty of juicy fruit in this beast with silky chocolate tannins and long delicious finish. Slightly ethanolic. Thanks Kirsten and Gordon for cellaring this for the last 2 decades!

 

Rating 9/10