Three-day chicken

I LOVE THIS DISH SO MUCH THAT I MAKE IT EVERY TWO WEEKS. IT FEATURES CHICKEN POACHED IN STOCK, THEN SHREDDED AND COATED IN A SWEET MEDIEVAL-FLAVOURED DRESSING WITH RAISINS, CITRUS ZEST AND CINNAMON. THE CHICKEN IS LEFT TO MARINATE IN THE DRESSING FOR THREE DAYS, THEN IT IS TOSSED WITH AN EXTRAVAGANT AMOUNT OF PINE NUTS, PARSLEY AND OLIVE OIL.

WHEN YOU ARE ENTERTAINING, YOU DON’T WANT TO SPEND ALL YOUR TIME IN THE KITCHEN, WHICH IS WHY HAVING A DISH LIKE THIS ONE THAT CAN BE PREPARED AHEAD (A LONG WAY IN THIS CASE!) IS REALLY HANDY.

Place the chicken in a large saucepan and cover with the stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer and skim off any foam or impurities that have risen to the surface. Simmer the chicken with the lid off for 45 minutes, then remove the chicken from the stock and set aside to cool. Reserve the stock for other recipes.

To make the dressing, use a vegetable peeler to peel the zest from the orange and lemon, then slice it finely. You don’t need the remaining orange and lemon for this recipe.

Put the red-wine vinegar, bay leaves, sugar and cinnamon stick in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the pepper, raisins and orange and lemon zest and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Remove the skin from the cooled chicken and discard. Shred the meat into small bite-sized pieces. Put the meat in a ceramic or glass bowl and pour over the dressing. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2–3 days.

To serve, toss the pine nuts and parsley through the chicken and dress with olive oil to taste.

Serves 4

1.8 kg free-range chicken

1.5 litres Chicken Stock

2 cups pine nuts, toasted

½ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped

80–250 ml olive oil

DRESSING

1 orange

1 lemon

125 ml red-wine vinegar

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cinnamon stick

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 cup raisins

Cardamom chicken

NOT ALL INDIAN FOOD NEEDS TO BE HOT. THIS IS A MILD CHICKEN CURRY SPIKED WITH CARDAMOM AND LEMON ZEST, AND IT ALSO HAS EIGHT GREEN CHILLIES, BUT THEY ARE PRICKED WITH A SKEWER AND ADDED WHOLE TO ADD FLAVOUR WITHOUT TOO MUCH HEAT AT ALL.

Put the cardamom seeds and peppercorns in a mortar and grind to a powder. Add 2 tablespoons of the yoghurt along with the garlic, ginger and lemon zest and grind to a paste. Rub the paste all over the chicken pieces and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium–high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 2–3 minutes on each side, until browned. Add the remaining yoghurt, coconut milk and chillies and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the coriander, lemon juice and salt to taste.

Serves 4

20 cardamom pods, seeds extracted from husks

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

250 ml natural yoghurt

4 garlic cloves

4 cm peice of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

1 tablespoon grated lemon zest

1.5 kg free-range chicken, cut into 8 pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

400 ml coconut milk

8 long green chillies, each pricked around 10 times with a skewer

¼ cup coriander leaves, roughly chopped

3 tablespoons lemon juice

sea salt

Cardamom is native to southern India and has been used in Indian cooking for thousands of years. The pods are actually the dried fruits of a tropical plant in the ginger family, and each one contains up to twenty sticky black or brown seeds that have a strong, fruity fragrance. Cardamom seeds lose their flavour when exposed to air, so it is best to buy pods and grind the seeds as needed.

‘LOW-FAT’ LABELS

I DON’T AGREE WITH EXTREMES. I THINK ‘LOW FAT’ IS EXTREME AND NOT SUSTAINABLE, AND ALSO CONTRADICTORY. AS LOLLIES ARE LOW FAT, CAN WE EAT A LOT OF LOLLIES? NO. LABELS PROCLAIMING LOW OR REDUCED FAT SEND THE MESSAGE THAT IT’S OKAY TO EAT SOMETHING BECAUSE THE LABEL SAYS SO, BUT UNFORTUNATELY ‘LOW FAT’ CAN OFTEN DISGUISE A HIGH SUGAR OR SALT CONTENT.

Spicy quail breasts with shallot ‘butter’

YOU CAN BUY QUAIL BREASTS AT SOME GOOD-QUALITY BUTCHERS AND THEY ARE WORTH SEEKING OUT, BEING SO MUCH MORE CONVENIENT THAN BONING THEM OUT YOURSELF!

MY RULE FOR THIS DISH IS THAT YOU MUST MAKE IT WITH TWO CHILLIES SO IT IS NICE AND SPICY. THE ‘BUTTER’ IS ACTUALLY MADE OF YOGHURT, WHICH ALWAYS HELPS TO COOL THINGS DOWN. THE DISH IS DELICIOUS SERVED WITH CHILLI COLESLAW.

Combine the garlic, chilli, oil, soy sauce and spices in a large bowl and mix together. Stir in the quail breasts, coating them well, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

Put the ingredients for the shallot butter in a food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate until ready to use. Preheat an oven grill to medium. Place the quail breasts, skin-side up, on an oven tray and grill for 5–6 minutes, until golden brown. Serve topped with the shallot ‘butter’.

Serves 4

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 long red chillies, finely chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon ground cloves

16 (600 g) quail breasts, skin on

SHALLOT ‘BUTTER’

4 shallots, roughly chopped

¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves

2 tablespoons natural yoghurt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Roast chicken with preserved lemon stuffing

THE ZINGY AND WARM FLAVOURS OF PRESERVED LEMON AND GINGER PERMEATE THIS CHICKEN AND ITS COUSCOUS STUFFING. THE STUFFING BECOMES A FLAVOURSOME SIDE DISH.

To make the stuffing, put the couscous and oil in a medium bowl. Pour over 250 ml of boiling water and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to stand for 10 minutes, then uncover and fluff up the couscous with a fork. Stir through the almonds, preserved lemon and ginger and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Combine the spices in a small bowl and mix well.

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Lay the onion slices in 2 rows down the centre of a roasting tray with them just touching one another. Rinse and pat the chicken dry and place it on top of the onions. Dust the top of the chicken with the spice mix and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the chicken with the couscous, then tie its legs together. Pour the wine into the tray and place the tray in the oven. Roast for 15 minutes, then baste the chicken with the tray juices and turn the oven down to 180°C. Continue to cook the chicken for a further 45–60 minutes, or until cooked through. Cut the chicken into pieces and serve with the couscous stuffing.

Serves 4

1 cup couscous

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 tablespoons slivered almonds, toasted

¼ preserved lemon, skin only, finely sliced

2 cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated

sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

2 onions, sliced into thick rounds

1.6 kg free-range chicken

250 ml white wine

Foolproof chicken

THIS IS ONE DISH YOU CAN BE CONFIDENT WITH REGARDLESS OF YOUR CULINARY SKILLS. IT’S GREAT TO SERVE AT DINNER PARTIES AS THE CHICKEN IS EXTREMELY SUCCULENT AND DEFINITELY A CROWD PLEASER. THE SUCCULENCE OF THE MEAT COMES FROM IT BEING STEEPED IN A LIQUIDY MARINADE THAT VERGES ON A BRINE. SERVE IT WITH GREEN-ENVY VEGETABLES.

Combine the ingredients other than the chicken in a large bowl. Add the chicken breasts – they should be covered in the liquid. Cover and refrigerate for 2–3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Remove the chicken breasts from the liquid and place in a baking dish. Cover with a lid or foil and bake for 30–35 minutes until cooked through.

Serves 6

125 ml apple-cider vinegar

80 ml honey

1 lemon, zested, and juiced to give 2 tablespoons juice

1 lime, zested, and juiced to give 1 tablespoon juice

3 garlic cloves, crushed

12 sage leaves, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 litre water

6 x 200 g free-range chicken breasts, skin on

KNOWING HOW FOOD AFFECTS US

I DON’T BELIEVE IN TOTALLY EXCLUDING FOODS FROM YOUR DIET, OR THAT ANYTHING IS COMPLETELY GOOD OR BAD FOR YOU. WHEN IT COMES TO WHAT WE EAT, NOTHING IS BLACK AND WHITE. HOWEVER, THERE ARE SOME FOODS WE SHOULD BE STEERED TOWARDS, AND OTHERS WE SHOULD ONLY EAT IN MODERATION. WHITE RICE, FOR EXAMPLE, IS REALLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU TO JUSTIFY THE AMOUNT THAT PEOPLE EAT. IN REGARDS TO ITS GI, MOST WHITE RICE IS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN SUGAR. IT’S NOT THAT RICE IS ULTIMATELY BAD FOR YOU AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL TIMES – BUT NOT EATING IT ALL THE TIME IS THE KEY, AND EATING SMALLER PORTIONS. AND GENERALLY KNOWING HOW WHAT YOU CONSUME AFFECTS YOUR BODY.

Chicken tenderloin skewers

ASIAN FLAVOURS WORK INCREDIBLY WELL WITH CHICKEN, AND THEN WHEN YOU ADD THE FLAME-GRILL TASTE OF THE BARBECUE – IT ROCKS. THESE SKEWERS ARE FLAVOURED WITH CORIANDER ROOT, AND ARE A PERFECT FOLLOW-UP TO COOL THAI CURRY SOUP.

Put the peppercorns in a mortar and grind to a powder. Add the coriander root and garlic and crush finely. Stir in the oil, turmeric, salt and sugar.

Put the tenderloins in a bowl and cover with the marinade, mixing well. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight if possible.

Soak some bamboo skewers (enough for 1 per tenderloin) in water for 30 minutes.

Thread the tenderloins onto the skewers. Heat a large frying pan or barbecue grill over medium heat. Cook the tenderloins for 3–4 minutes on each side, until cooked through. Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.

Serves 6

4 teaspoons black peppercorns

12 coriander roots, cleaned and roughly chopped

2 garlic cloves

6 tablespoons peanut oil

2 tablespoon ground turmeric

4 teaspoons sea salt

2 teaspoons sugar

1 kg free-range chicken tenderloins, trimmed of fat

lemon

I am a big fan of coriander root. When I buy bunches of coriander, I always cut the roots straight off, clean them (I use a stainless-steel scourer) and put them in a bag in the freezer. There are so many recipes that benefit from their subtle flavour – milder than coriander leaves. They work particularly well in marinades.

Green chicken curry

THIS IS MY VERSION OF A TRADITIONAL THAI GREEN CURRY, A DISH THAT EVERYONE SEEMS TO LOVE. IN TERMS OF FLAVOUR, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE HOMEMADE CURRY PASTE, WITH THE ADDITION OF A FEW EXTRA KAFFIR LIME LEAVES. I LIKE TO SERVE THE CURRY WITH STEAMED GREEN BEANS.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat and add the curry paste, lime leaves and chilli. Fry for 2–3 minutes, until fragrant. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar and bring to the boil.

Add the chicken and bamboo shoots and cook for 25–30 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Add the zucchini, snow peas and mushrooms and continue to cook for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Remove from the heat and garnish with the herbs.

Serves 4

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 tablespoons Green Curry Paste

4 kaffir lime leaves, finely shredded

1 small green chilli, sliced

750 ml coconut milk

1 tablespoon fish sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

600 g free-range chicken breasts, sliced

1 small tin of bamboo shoots, rinsed

1 zucchini, finely sliced on an angle

200 g snow peas, strings removed, cut in half

250 g button mushrooms, sliced

mint, Thai basil (or regular basil) and coriander leaves to garnish

Kaffir lime leaves pack a punch in the flavour they can add to a dish. They are also freezer friendly, which means you can use them all year round.

Chicken larb san choi bao

THIS MAY BE THE FIRST RECIPE YOU SHOULD MAKE FROM THIS COOKBOOK, AS IT IS SO EASY. IT IS THE KIND OF DISH THAT AFTER MAKING IT ONCE, YOU CAN TAKE OWNERSHIP OF AND BEGIN ADDING A LITTLE MORE OF THIS OR THAT.

LARB IS ACTUALLY A MINCED-MEAT DISH FROM NORTHERN THAILAND, WHILE SAN CHOI BAO IS THE CLASSIC CHINESE PREPARATION OF FLAVOURSOME MINCE SERVED IN LETTUCE CUPS – I THINK YOU WILL AGREE THAT THE TWO WORK VERY WELL COMBINED! FOR A QUICK MEAL ON YOUR OWN, YOU CAN SKIP MAKING THE LETTUCE CUPS AND SHRED IT INSTEAD AND CHOW DOWN.

Drain the lettuces and bang them, core-side down, on a bench to help loosen the cores, then use your hands to twist the cores out. Gently peel off the leaves one by one and use scissors to trim around the leaves to form neat cups. Reserve the trimmings and any broken leaves for a salad.

Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the minced chicken and fry for 4–5 minutes, breaking up any large lumps with a wooden spoon. Season with white pepper. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, spring onion and kaffir lime leaf and continue to cook for another 2–3 minutes.

Remove the wok from the heat and stir in the lemongrass, chilli, herbs, nahm jim and lime juice. Add salt to taste.

Serve in the lettuce cups garnished with the cashews.

Serves 4 (or 12 as a starter)

2 iceberg lettuces, soaked in water for 30 minutes

1 tablespoon peanut oil

500 g minced free-range chicken

freshly ground white pepper

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons sesame oil

3 spring onions, finely sliced

1 kaffir lime leaf, finely shredded

2 lemongrass stalks (white part only), finely chopped

1 long red chilli, finely sliced

1 cup coriander leaves

1 cup mint leaves, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons Nahm Jim

80 ml lime juice

sea salt

3 tablespoons cashews, roasted and roughly chopped

Eucalyptus-infused turkey

THIS DISH CAME ABOUT WHEN I WAS IN THE KITCHEN STARING OUT THE WINDOW AND WONDERING WHAT TO COOK FOR DINNER. A EUCALYPTUS TREE CAUGHT MY EYE AND I THOUGHT ABOUT HOW I COULD USE EUCALYPTUS IN MY COOKING.

EUCALYPTUS LEAVES GIVE FLAVOUR AND AROMA TO THE SUCCULENT TURKEY TENDERLOINS, AND THERE’S AN EXTRA FLAVOUR BOOST FROM KAFFIR LIME LEAVES. IT’S A GREAT DISH TO SERVE FOR AUSTRALIA DAY IF YOU’RE THAT WAY INCLINED. I LIKE TO SERVE IT WITH QUINOA WITH SILVERBEET OR A SIMPLE GREEN SALAD WITH A MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE.

Put the sugar and water in a medium saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, add the eucalyptus leaves and simmer for 1 hour, or until reduced and syrupy. Strain the liquid, discarding the leaves, and leave to cool to room temperature. Stir through the macadamias.

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lay out four 20 cm squares of foil on a work surface. Place a turkey tenderloin in the middle of each square and bend and fold the foil up around the turkey to form a ‘boat’. Spoon the eucalyptus and macadamia sauce over the tenderloins, giving each an even crust of macadamias.

Use a small, sharp knife to cut 4 slits in each kaffir lime leaf, keeping them intact. Place 4 leaves on top of each tenderloin. Transfer the foil packages (open at the top) to an oven tray and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the turkey is cooked through.

Serves 4

3 tablespoons sugar

500 ml water

50 young eucalyptus leaves

1 cup macadamias, roasted and chopped

4 x 180 g turkey tenderloins

16 kaffir lime leaves

Everyone knows someone with a citrus tree. Citrus is a great flavour enhancer. I use citrus juice in a lot of my recipes, but also plenty of grated zest. Be careful to use just the very outside of the rind as the white pith can be very bitter. I recommend using a super-fine grater such as a microplane.

When talking about red meat, it’s important to mention cuts, portion sizes and how regularly you should eat it. Lean cuts are what we should go for – as they are highest in protein and obviously lowest in fat – while big servings of fatty or processed meats such as sausages should be avoided. Red meat is an excellent source of iron, zinc and B vitamins, and lean red meat has been found to have no negative effects on cholesterol and can even be part of a cholesterol-lowering diet.

For portion sizes, yours is probably a lot less than what you think it is, or what restaurants might lead you to think it is. Use the palm of your hand as an indicator of how much you should be eating – it varies for each person. If I’m having steak, I would much rather it be smaller and high quality than massive and average.

I eat red meat including beef, kangaroo, lamb or pork around twice a week. Eating beef less often is definitely a more sustainable option because of the environmental issues with cattle, including the emissions of greenhouse gases such as methane. Where possible, I go for organic grass-fed beef rather than mass-produced grain-fed beef. The reason is that grass-fed cows live a more natural life grazing in paddocks, but also that their meat has a good balance of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids (1:3 versus around 1:20 in grain-fed meat). While grain-fed meat can sometimes have a softer texture, grass-fed beef wins in flavour. Organic grass-fed beef is pricier than mass-produced beef, but with meat I think we should buy the best quality we can afford and remember not to buy or consume too much of it. Protein should be part of your meal, not all of it, and small portions of high-quality lean meat consumed less often is the way to go for a healthy, balanced and more sustainable diet.

I love kangaroo as another red-meat option in the kitchen, as it is incredibly lean and just as versatile as beef. Its flavour is similar to venison. The idea of eating kangaroo can be quite foreign to many Australians even though it is one of our native animals, but it can be cooked in the same familiar ways, such as roasting or grilling. I give a recipe for marinated fillets served with a sauce spiked with chilli, coffee and dark chocolate. The dish was inspired when I was travelling in Europe and had venison paired with chocolate, which was amazing. I added the chilli – as the combination of chocolate and chilli is another one I love – and the coffee adds a lovely layer of smokiness that reminds me of eating kangaroo cooked on the fire in the Australian bush.