SOMETHING FI-SHY

The paella is, to a foodie like me, synonymous to the Spanish flag.  When I think Spain and there is one – paella, two – jamon, and perhaps three – tapas, (maybe four – sangria) and so on.  My interpretation of the paella is that it has to be colourful, loud and almost wild, and my favourite has to be a seafood only version i.e. without meat or chorizo.  The paella is also a perfect one-dish shared meal where you simply need a glass of merlot or pinot gris and you won’t need anything else for the night (not even dessert!).

One key ingredient to make the base of my paella is the beautiful blue swimmer crab.  I was at the Sydney Fish Markets recently, and at $17.99 a kilo it worked out to be about $6 per crab, which is already plenty for one pan of paella.

However, by far the most important ingredient is the rice.  There are two rices that are perfect for the paella – bomba and calasparra.  Both varieties are short-grain and absorb 30% more liquid (or stock) than other types of rice (such as aborio rice for risotto, or jasmine rice in the oriental diet), making cooked paella rice much more flavoursome.  As the rice grain absorbs liquid and expands, it is still able to maintain its shape on its own, as opposed to risotto rice (which becomes creamy) or jasmine rice (which could become sticky).

Calasparra rice originates from yes Calasparra, in the Murcia region, northwest of Spain.  Rice cultivation is big in the area due to the fields being a bit above sea level (450m) and that 4 rivers run through the immediate region facilitating the necessary irrigation method suitable for rice growing.  The package below is from The Essential Ingredient, Balmain.  Cooperativa del Campo is name of the company that developed and marketed by association 95% of rice produced in this area for cultivation since 1962 (Source: biomanantial).

Bomba rice is the other suitable variety for the paella.  Below is a vacuum-sealed packet of bomba rice from Moli de Rafelet, apparently available in Australia exclusively at The Essential Ingredient.  This rice is grown, handmilled and packaged in the Ebro River Delta Natural Park in Northern Spain (source: The Essential Ingredient).  The bomba rice expands sideways as it cooks and absorbs liquid (similarly 30% more than usual rice varieties) – so the result is a grain that doubles in size and has much more flavour than using usual rice varieties.

The Steps

The first step is to prepare the ‘base’.  Heat a paella/pan over medium heat, add olive oil and fry the sliced garlic, chopped onion, chopped red capsicum, until fragrant (without browning).  Then add the blue swimmer crab portions and fry until the crab loses its blue colour.  Then add one tablespoon of smoked paprika, a bay leaf, chopped tomato, and mix through.  Then add sliced fresh calamari rings.  This forms the base of the paella.

It is now time to add the rice.  Assessment how much rice you can possibly fit into the pan with all the ingredients, and how much stock you have available.  And remember that paella rice expands to about twice its grain size.  This paella was for a few big stomachs so I did add a lot more rice than I would have done it on my own.

After adding the rice, add a chicken or vegetable stock that has been infused with a small pinch of saffron.  Throughout the cooking, gently move the pan around like a wheel to make sure the rice doesn’t stick to the pan.

After a couple of minutes, you can start decorating the paella with other seafood in the order of most cooking time i.e. mussels, pipis, then fish (such as ling), prawns, with scallops added in last.  Season to taste.  Finally, sprinkle a handful of blanched peas, and insert lemon wedges around the edge of the pan, and sprinkle with chopped flat-leaf parsley.  Discard any mussels or pipis whose shells are still closed after cooking for a further 10-12 minutes.

The pan should still look a little bit on the runny side just before the cooking stops.  It has to rest for 10 minutes before serving – during the resting period, the rice will continue to absorb more liquid.

____

Other versions:

1. A rustic version of the Valenciana paella

Paella masterclass in Gourmet Traveller that demonstrates a recipe that uses saffron, meat and vegetables.

2. Seafood paella during a trip to Toledo, Spain

Here’s a closer look at the local version – see each grain is beautifully plump and separates from another.  The saffron adds the bright yellow-y colour to the dish.

3. Asian paella?

I had this for lunch at a friend’s place – a Cantonese version based a recipe by an acclaimed TV chef and food writer Lisa Fong – it uses jasmine rice, cooked in clear chicken stock, and the ingredients (prawns, scallops, mushrooms and peas) cooked with butter (instead of olive oil).  Not the real deal but it does away with ingredients that may otherwise ‘surprise’ an Asian palette.

4. Jamie Oliver’s “favourite” paella

In his book, Jamie does Spain Italy Sweden Morocco Greece France – Easy twists on classic dishes inspired by my travels (Penguin, 2010), Jamie uses chorizo AND pork belly in his, as well as mussels, clams, squid and prawns.

Who is getting put off by the latest Coles TV ad?  Has Curtis Stone gone a bit too far?  Is this imperative in the face of the raging war, I mean, a price war between the two dominant supermarkets these days (read SMH article, It’s all shelf interest in a price war, from 21 April 2012) as both lay their cards to win over customers, and continue to drive profits up (hopefully).

Now could this machine save WOW, for now?

A friend’s client, who is a seafood importer, has introduced into Woolworths, on an exclusive basis, a machine that seals a foil bag of fresh fish fillets.  The gimmick is that, the sauce is free - the slogan ”Free Sauce with Fresh Fish” is the catch to draw shoppers attention.  I actually heard about the importer’s talks with both Coles and Woolworths, and obviously Woolworths won the deal, which has it exclusively, in selected supermarkets.  Not to be confused with the fresh food people’s “fresh or free” guarantee, this product was quite popular amongst shoppers today.  So I decided to try it once as a test.

So step 1 is to pick a type of fish, and then step 2 pick one of the sauces available (thai sweet chilli, teriyaki & ginger, roasted garlic & herbs and lime & chilli fusion).  Then the staff member will place the piece of fish in the foil bag, add the sauce from the sauce pumps and bring the bag to the machine to seal on the 4 corners.  What’s so special about this bag, is that it is oven-ready.  I took home a small piece of fresh atlantic salmon, in teriyaki & ginger sauce, like so:

Following the cooking instructions for a fan forced oven, given the weight of the piece of fish, mine was to cook for 12-15minuts, at 170C – it really is a lazy person’s meal.  What I didn’t understand was “Step 2 Pierce the film and pop in the oven” – how much to pierce, how wide to pierce, and for the stupid people like me, where is the ‘film’?  Nevertheless, I used a sharp knife to pierce a couple of openings on the clear section of the bag, and popped it into my oven.

Well, here is a piece of fish, cooked in the most brainless way.  The cooking time was just under, making the piece of fish still pink.  However, the way it is cooked doesn’t allow the skin to go crispy at all.  The time between the fish is marinated to when it is cooked doesn’t allow the sauce to really ‘marinate’ the piece of fish.  The excitement kind of ends here, unfortunately.  Add all the bones too ….

I probably won’t want to try it a second time, as I prefer to pan fry fish fillets or otherwise I like to cook fish in a way that I can touch and feel it, and I don’t mind the fuss/mess at all.  Having said this, I believe this is a great product for all the right reasons:

• 1. The fish doesn’t come in contact with the sauce until it is purchased (i.e. close to cooking time), keeping the piece of fish fresh.
• 2. The market is moving towards ‘fast’ food, to cook at home – it is like the Indian rices and tikka boxes that simply needs reheating.
• 3. The shopper can choose a different sauce for different types of fish, giving the customer, seemingly, more variety.
• 4. For home cooks at any level, it is very convenient to cook and is really no mess.

Seriously, if Woolworths continues to provide such new product ideas, it might have as big a trump in the Coles vs Woolworths battle.  This oven-ready bag is, in effect, a premium ‘home brand’ product to stay competitive against a relatively wide fresh seafood range that the Coles supermarkets may already be offering.

Our second stop during our Easter break was at Orange, which is further west from Katoomba, and further away from Bathurst.  By distance it is about 200km from Sydney, and it could well make a day-trip on its own if you reside in Sydney.  It was a beautiful Autumn day, as the colours of the trees are starting to turn into bright warm colours.

1. Beekeeper’s Inn

After passing Bathurst and before reaching Orange, we stopped by this Goldfield’s Beekeeper’s Inn on the highway.  There is a well preserved (and restored) antique display from the old Cobb & Co Inn (built in the 1850s) – what used to be a hotel and then a changing station for Cobb & Co horses.

At the front of the Cobb & Co Inn is a farm house with a good range of local produce such as olive oils, jams, condiments and teas.  Watch the live bee display and sample the different honeys available.  We loved Bloodwood, Mahogamy and Leopardwood which are all not just straight sweet honeys but have more depth in their flavours.  There is also a nice cafe for those keen to grab lunch before even reaching Orange.

2. Lunch at Byng Cafe, Orange

The Orange tourist information office recommended this newly opened (in 2011) on Byng Street, in Orange city.  A beautifully renovated ‘house’ that sits conspicuously on the corner of Byng and Clinton Streets, with bright red signs.  Byng Cafe is local gourmet fare – casual, chic and clean – it also bakes its own loafs (see below).

There is no menu – only what is in the fridge display and lunch specials are written on the whiteboard.  Clearly, the winner of the day was the Ocean Trout Fish Cake with Aioli & Rocket for $9.50.

The fishcakes taste so fresh they have gotta be made on the day.  Generous portions, fluffy potato mash and herbs, and perfect with a bite of fig which right in season.

My chicken and coleslaw foccacia is a lovely sample of fresh vegetable ingredients.

I felt in love this sturdy but trendy tea set – English breakfast tea with a complimentary petit four.  The cafe is designed for mainly outdoor sitting, along the verandah on the 2 front sides of the cafe.

3. Up and coming Winery, Word of Mouth Wines

Time for some wine tasting after lunch.  As we only made plans to visit one winery, we picked Word of Mouth which is truly an up and coming vineyard/winery in the market, amongst more established brands such as Philip Shaw and Ross Wines.  On Easter Saturday, the cellar was absolutely packed with young holiday makers!

As Orange is on a relatively high altitude (approximately 2,800 ft), the region is suitable for cool-climate wine making.  The grapes displayed below are grown in the Word of Mouth vineyard – the dark grapes on the furthest left is the pinot noir grape, and the green grapes just behind these dark grapes are the pinot gri- variety.

Take home a refreshing 2011 Pinot Grigio, a zesty yet has a nice subtle fruity finish that doesn’t come across to be such a dry style of wine.

4. Teahouse on the way to Mt Canobolas

With a little bit of wine to get us excited (but not too much as we still had to continue driving), we headed towards one of the key attractions of our Orange trip, which was the summit of Mt Canobolas, the highest point on a line between Perth and Sydney.  Below is a little tea house at the turn off point towards the mountain.

5. Mount Canobolas (alt 4,577 ft)

Nothing like a Middle Eastern safari ride, but the ride up hill was certainly adventurous enough – half of the journey was on very sandy road, bad news if cars were trailing behind one another.  Do not wash your car before the ride.  Look at the stunning view from the mountain – the weather was also much cooler, meaning it must be a very good getaway in the heat of the summer.

‘Canobolas’ has the meaning of ‘two shoulders’ from the Wiradyuri (Aboriginal) words, in reference to the two peaks – Old Man Canobolas and Young Man Canobolas.  The mountain has a volcanic origin, but is not extinct.

There are several bushwalk tracks to do – we did a 1km walk to Young Man Canobolas (picture below) and back.  This 2km walk felt like 5km but we saw some 3-year-olds doing the track so it mustn’t be any riskier for 30-something.

Something Fi-shy enjoying a sip of water after the walk, as well as the 360-degree views from the summit, amongst a group of tourists.  What a way to end the afternoon.

6. Other attractions

• Lucknow Heritage Walking Trail
• Australian artist Joy Engelman’s studio in Orange
• Walking tours with Anna’s Cuisina – The Fruit Cake, Pudding & Shortbread Specialist

Sorry for the lack of action on Something Fi-shy’s part.  If there were to be an excuse, it’d be watching too much Masterchef – the Professionals (UK) - there have been thrilling rounds of eliminations leading up to this week’s finals.  Is it going to be Ash, Claire or Steve to win?  I just love the UK production so much more than the Australian shows which tend to be over-edited to too dramatic; the UK production also allows contestants to cook at some top restaurants in Europe.

I am glad to be back in Sydney to catch the grand final this week, after spending the long weekend in the Blue Mountains and Orange region.  En-route from Katoomba towards to Orange, we made a mid-morning stop at Oberon, instead of through Jenolan Caves which we had been before.

As it was only a short stop (we were heading towards Orange through Bathurst), the markets made the perfect choice for us to check out what’s for breakfast/morning tea.  Here’s the entrance into the markets which is basically the front lawn of St Barnabas Anglican Church;  look at the postboxes for sale behind the sign!

We checked out the Anglican church where the markets are located.  The church doors were wide open allowing visitors to come by; the atmosphere with the markets made the community quite a welcoming one.

How often do you see farmers this passionate about their product – here’s a potato and pumpkin stall – with about 6 varieties of potatos, for $2 a kilo.  There were also golden nugget pumpkins (2 for $1) which taste absolutely surreal, beautifully soft and sweet when roasted.

The same farmers were selling these cute little quack quacks

This trailer makes an easy stall – just parked and started selling his Oberon Plateau Farm Trees for the garden.  Other stalls included knitwear, daffodil bulbs, cakes, devonshire tea, local wines, and lotsa fruits (figs are definitely in season, so are pears and apples).

Smelling food this side of the markets, these lovely ladies were at work as we ordered our pizza.  We could choose amongst ham, salami or vegetable – fresh dough and ingredients, and baked on the spot.

Here is the boss in charge of the oven – he is a good man.  As the pizzas come out of the oven, you can choose more toppings including chopped tomato and/or sour cream, olive oil, salt & pepper.

While waiting for my pizza, there was just enough time to queue for the mid morning coffee by fish river roasters, a name I saw several times around the region, and of course within Oberon.  The roasters do organic coffee beans (see the packets on the right hand side of the coffee cart), but the coffee used at this cart is only partly organic.

So what do you think by the look of these coffees?  I thought it was pretty decent coffee!

After 10 minutes, here’s my breakfast on a chilly but sunny Easter Saturday morning.

Just outside the markets on the main road is this cute little farmhouse restaurant called The Hungry Hare.  The menu advertised at the front is a Baked Figs in Prosciutto topped with Gorgonzola sauce, La Porchetta served with roast Potatos and Spinach, and Fragipane Tart, for $48 per person.  Sounds appealing enough, but unfortunately we were only going through Oberon.  Next time maybe!

Here’s some products from the region – the Marmalady Ginger Marmalade was bought at the Oberon markets.

References

• The Oberon map is sourced from the Oberon Australia website: http://www.oberonaustralia.com.au/
• Here is a listing of farmers (stalls) at the markets: listing.
• Oberon Farmers Markets is open on the first Saturday of each month.

_______

Please stay tuned for upcoming blog posts (in no particular order):
1. A day in Orange
2. Two mystery restaurants in the Blue Mountains
3. Lilianfels or The Carrington Hotel?

So you’re in the mood for pasta, noodles or anything spaghetti-like, and don’t want to cook.  What are the options?  Something Fi-shy has some ideas for you which are not the usual suspects, and these restaurants have all got something to offer other than their doughy dishes.

I don’t think pasta is something that should be confined to only ‘Italian cuisine’ but the Italians have indeed made this aspect of their cuisine flourish and developed it into so many varieties, shapes and sizes, unsurpassed by any other culture.  Having said this, adaptations of the Italian pasta, and arguably origin of the pasta (the noodle) are all about the texture of the dough and the sauce/broth it is served in, right?  The difference only lies in mastering both.

1. Something different – Hot spring egg & spicy cod roe spaghetti @ Sushi Tei

The spaghetti itself is average, but the creamy sauce with spicy cod roe gives it a sea-salty flavour, plus a barely poached hot spring egg that finishes off the sauce with more texture – together this dish is wonderful.  For around $14 in the middle of CBD, this is not bad value.  When I most recently visited this place (February 2012), we could get a free bottle of wine if we used a citibank credit card to pay the bill!

And these days, I have been following the UK program on Lifestyle Food, Masterchef: the Professionals (2011).  - absolutely in love withChef Monica who rids the shreds out of sub par techniques.  This Japanese pasta at Sushi Tei reminds me of a dish that the grandson of British fine dining Godfather Michel Roux Jr cooked. Watch this video on Youtube:

Youtube: Michel Roux Jr cooks fresh pasta with seafood

2. Something conventional – Spaghetti alla Carbonara @ Cafe Sopra, Potts Point

Well, it can be debated whether Cafe Sopra (or Fratelli) is or isn’t a usual suspect.  If it is so that ordinary, I wouldn’t think people would want to wait 20 minutes at least for a table at night.  It is all worth it in my opinion – with a modest Italian wine list, and staples on the food menu (written on the black board each day).  Try the Spaghetti alla Carbonara, a simple but clasic dish ($20); try also the Ragu alla Bolognaise ($22).

3. Something exotic – Lamb bershbemak @ Poplar

It is a delight to find such dish which is a specialty of Kazakhstan (its national dish).  In Central Asia, this dish should be horse meat based, but obviously it is not legal to eat horse meat in Australia and so lamb has become a substitute.  Here is stewed lamb on soft pasta sheets in a clear lamb broth – can you picture yurts everywhere and horses roaming the fields – I can!  Try also the lamb skewers – absolutely a favourite.  Read my earlier blog post – “Poplar – no Borat here! And no Horse!”

4. Something Asian –  Noodle with Chicken Soup  @ Shanghai Stories 1938

The newly opened Shanghai Stories 1938 boasts of bringing back the opulent and prosperous era of Shanghai in the 1930s.  To be fair, although a (small) step up from the sister restaurants, Taste of Shanghai, the menu very quickly reveals that the difference in the positioning between the two ‘brands’ seems to lie in cosmetic elements only.  Nevertheless, it is another a good hang out in an area which embraces a cultural change with rising  Asian/Chinese population.  Cultural change brings food changes, which is fantastic!  This moist and substantive Noodle with Chicken Soup is only $8.80.  Try also their Xiao Long Bao (Steamed Pork & Broth Dumpling) ($6.80/6 pieces).

5. Something sensational – Dan Dan Noodle @ Grape Garden Beijin Cuisine

This noodle shop is by far my favourite, if I was after some authentic handmade noodles.  Located in the run down Lemon Grove food court in Chatswood, this takeaway shop really is the best kept secret, a real gem.  All noodles and dumpling dough are freshly (and loudly) made, and the noodle is nice and chewy.  If you can take the heat, try this spicy version of handmade noodles (Dan Dan Noodle) around $9.  Read up on a blog entry by Food is our Religion, about a restaurant opposite Willoughby Girls which is apparently owned by the same person as the takeaway shop.

This leaves one big question still unanswered, did Marco Polo, the Venetian, bring into China the noodle or did he bring the technique back to Europe?

Recently, I have changed my diet quite dramatically – I am sticking to a protein-to-plant food ratio of 1:2, as a guideline to each meal.  This diet also means that more refined carbs such as jasmine rice, white bread, Chinese bread rolls etc don’t get counted in the 1:2 ratio.  With 3 other goals of: increasing my anti-oxidant intake for general health and well-being, my magnesium intake to aid in muscle repair after exercising, and increasing my fibre intake to 25g per day, I would have to find different sources of protein, such as nuts and quinoa (“keen-wah”).  So far so good, my energy level indeed has increased and the body is certainly thanking me for not taking in crappy fast food or instant noodles anymore.

Lettuce Deliver?

So the organic theme continues with a health-conscious obsession.  As I start reading up on organic businesses and especially with buying organic produce, it actually can be quite addictive.  Remember I said after visiting about life, that I would be trying out a box of goodies from one of the many organic produce delivery companies.  Since then I have also started to drink organic milk and I am still loving organic eggs and carrots as well.  Here I want to show off the 2 boxes of goodies that were delivered this week by Lettuce Deliver, a supplier recommended by a trusted source for certified organic fruit & vegetable.

Organic greengrocers vs Coles & Woolies

This company, as do many organic greengrocers, works on sourcing produce by the customer order, so produce is supposed to come from the farm close to the time it is delivered to the door. If it is organic, it means that the fruit/vegetable should be chemical and GE free; and the company supplies mostly what is in season (as opposed to what can be sourced but is NOT in season).  It also educates the consumer how to store organic product carefully to not lose produce due to poor handling.

Contrast, the mainstream market’s supply chain that is dominated by Coles and Woolworths, where suppliers may use synthetic fertilisers and petrochemical pesticides for their crop.  These conventional farmers, as you can imagine, will do all they can to ensure their survival, and so will accommodate to the supermarket chains in terms of uniform colour, shape and size, leaving the ‘ugly’ or ‘unique’ items unsold (eventually thrown away) or made available to greengrocers who have relatively less bargaining power in the game against these farmers.  Furthermore, as the market does demand the same range of produce to be available all year round, supermarkets do what they can to ‘store/freeze’ produce for months, or source it from overseas, so that it can be made available all year round.

Comparing the two, I think I would definitely get organic where possible.  It is more expensive, but I would sacrifice other luxuries in life anytime just so that I don’t have to worry as much about hormones, chemicals or petrochemical pesticides.  I can also be supportive to farmers closer to home, and hopefully the organic theme catches on.

As I opened the boxes, I just had freshness bursting in my face.  Incredible.  Items such as meats, lettuce and herbs were kept in a sealed foam bag to keep cool, and have not been sprayed with a misty hose to look fresh (like they do in the fruit shops) because they are truly nice and fresh.  The best items I have had so far have been 1) corn fully in its outer layers or skin and soil – beautifully sweet, too good; 2) crimson grapes that are absolutely sensational.

Homegrown goodness

Thought I would show off my dad’s gardening results – tomatoes grown in his backyard.  Unfortunately, they had to be picked while still green otherwise insects will start getting into the whole batch; we just have to wait for them to ripen before cooking them.  The tomatoes cost nothing to grow – just odd tomato seeds thrown on the ground, watered regularly and long sticks to support the vines and here we are, purely homegrown goodness.

Reference

One of the best books recently is the following, by someone truly passionate about sustainability.  Very interesting section especially on beef.

Jensen, Mark, The Urban Cook – Cooking and Eating for a Sustainable Future, Murdoch Books 2011

Image from the Red Lantern website: http://www.redlantern.com.au/news/news-detail.php?a=the-urban-cook—cooking-and-eating-for-a-sustainable-future–by-mark-jensen&b=index.php

…. cont.

So the rest of our mains included a Hunan style crisp pork belly with fresh and dried chillies and mushroom soy ($32) – we were told to best not eat those dried chillies (but the dish was so full of them). The pork belly, while in the ‘melt-in-the mouth’ style’, is too fatty for my liking; but nevertheless it is well seasoned meat.  The problem with this dish was the texture of the beans (that squeaky feel as you bite in) which is why the meat disappeared in seconds while the beans were still untouched for a long while.

Our last main dish was what I would call “Neil Perry’s version of “Sanbeiji” - Three shot chicken Beer,chilli and soy ($35) – this dish is special only because it is ‘cooked’ in front of you.  The menu doesn’t state the origin of this dish, but I know that “Three shot chicken” (or Sanbeiji) is a very popular dish in Taiwan and also found in Cantonese cuisine; the dish originated in Jiangxi, apparently a prison chef used sweet wine, lard and soy sauce to braise a chicken for Wen Tian Xiang, a scholar-general in the Southern Song dynasty.

We were first shown the pot of main ingredients (chicken thigh, carrot, mushrooms, 3-times braised garlic) and then the ’3 sauces’ (here they are tsingtao beer, chilli oil & soy sauce).  In comparison, the “3 sauces” used in Taiwan today are rice wine, soy sauce (sweetened with sugar) – usually no additional fat is added because the oil from the chicken skin is believed to be sufficient, as it is braised in the pot, to lend an extra level of flavour.

The sauces were mixed into the pot and cooked next to our table.   Therefore, the Spice Temple version does away with the chicken skin of a traditional Sanbeiji.  Unfortauntely, I did find this the most ordinary dish of the evening. (It is too much like homestyle cooking.)

____

Now onto desserts and my favourite Pu’er

Dessert and Pu’er is to me kind of like Cheese and Wine.  Some people like dessert on its own, or pu-er tea on its own.  Some like it together.  As desserts were ordered, we got to sip on a Pu’Er Many years standing ($4) – Pu-Er really is my favourite Chinese tea (a red tea) as I find it really calming.  A good earthy pu-er served properly can also be very refreshing to the body and mind.  The tea we had at Spice Temple was not bad – the only let down was the tea cup was too hot to handle

As these awesome looking desserts arrived, I was starting to regret ordering something else (see below).  This Mango pudding with condensed milk chantilly ($16) is topped with a soft creamy layer of condensed milk whipped with chantilly, and 2 slices of a rolled sesame seed ‘biscuit’.  The most brilliant way of serving such an “Asian” dessert as mango pudding.

The inside of the pudding looks like this – soft and fluffy and refreshingly fresh mango flavours.

I had a Chocolate & caramelised peanut parfait ($18) and wondered where the Asian influence is.  Well, it didn’t matter, it was a nice and rich dessert but probably better to be shared between 2 people.  The inside of this cylinder is a chocolate cream that would slowly ooze out as the sticky and crunchy outer shell breaks.   I was still jealous of the mango pudding which I didn’t order …

If Spice Temple were to do a sugar hit, I would be back for just desserts – yes, mango pudding + pu’er or dessert wine.

___

Overall, considering all whole dining experience, I would give Spice Temple a 6.5/10.  Some brilliant dishes like the flathead, mango pudding and the aromatic duck.  But there are also some very ordinary dishes, a menu that tries to run in too many directions, and the general ambience (i.e. the low level of lighting).

___

References:

Wikipedia on Sanbeiji: http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/三杯

I have always been a fan of Neil Perry’s restaurants, so I gathered I should give Spice Temple a go.  First impression counts and I was certainly surprised by how hideous the entrance to Spice Temple is, even it is just next door to Rockpool Bar & Grill which has a grand marble entrance.  It was like, am I in Melbourne Chinatown or New York City?  No, I am in the middle of the CBD on Bligh Street.  And then I recalled how ‘dark’ the appearance Spice Temple website is … there is definitely nothing misrepresented there!

Then as we entered the door, we had to go down a flight of ‘fire stairs’ – if I took my mum here, I am sure she would have started whinging about the minimal lighting already.  We finally made it safely to the bottom of the stairs, to find the maitre d’ to take us to our table.  The interior is just dark dark and dark!   The next thing that crossed my mind was ‘what a perfect place for a blind date!’ – one could barely see the person next to them – each table is lit dimly by a downlight at the centre of the table.

Spice Temple

Spice Temple does apparently the following 6 different regional cuisines.  Sichuan, Hunan, Guangxi, Jiangxi, Xinjiang and Yunnan - anything but Guangdong (Cantonese) which is the least on the flavour weight scale.

The cocktail list is one worth reading – as there is a cocktail for each of the 12 Zodiac signs of the Chinese calendar.  If you’re are Dragon 龍, how about a lemongrass and rose soda, tanqueray gin, citrus ($18).  For me, I had a non-alchoholic soda – a buttermilk yogurt, stewed rhubarb, bitters ($10), perfect for cleansing the mouth after each dish.

The first entree is a Fried salt and pepper silken tofu with spicy coriander salad ($19) – crispy on the outside and flavoursome still all the way into each square of tofu.  I didn’t dare to spoon too much of the chilli paste at the bottom so I wasn’t able to taste the whole dish.

The second entree is a cold dish – Aromatic duck salad with tea eggs and coriander ($18) – probably the better of the two entrees.  Distinctive flavours of a marinated duck and the tea (soaked eggs) and beautiful fresh coriander.  Very well balanced flavours.

My next favourite dish of the night, was a Steamed flathead, Jiangxi style Pickled mustard green and turnip with chilli ($32).  Behind this dish must have been a lot of love because as a Chinese, I just know how difficult it is to steam a fish to just cooked.  The fillet was heated all the way through but was still soft and delicate.  Regardless of the sauce that went with it, this was a really brilliant dish.

However, the rest of the mains were fairly ordinary.  Stay tuned for Part 2, to see how the rest of the dinner panned out.

____

• Spice Temple
• Lunch Monday to Friday
• Dinner Monday to Saturday
• (02) 8078 1888
• 10 Bligh St, Sydney (corner Hunter St)
• Average price (based on 4 persons sharing 2 entrees, 2 mains, 1 side, rice, desserts and tea) $60.
• Information about the restaurant sourced from the Spice Temple website 13 Mar 2012

____

So Thomas & Carla on MKR are on the verge of being eliminated – they are going to face the sudden death round next week!  I wonder how their combination of chicken, blueberries & goat’s cheese taste like for a breakfast filo pastry?  I wonder if they will be eliminated by next week? One thing for sure – the dramatic Peter & Gary seem to be doing OK – their technically challenging duck “galantine” really looks amazing – trust a doctor to be able to stitch, truss and un-stitch a duck!!  I seriously want to see more Peter & Gary, their personalities are  too funny!

As a continuation of the poultry theme, and some what inspired by MKR, I went for a whole chicken recipe in Matt Moran‘s self-titled cookbook for this month’s recipe trial.  Here is a one-dish meal –  Roast Chicken with Lemon and Herbs.  I must admit this is still not perfect, as I tend to think a 1.8kg chicken is a bit too big to handle.  I think an ideal size would be about 1.3kg-1.5kg, but I am sticking to what the recipe says for the proportions!

For this recipe, I have used an organic chicken which I would recommend you do too.  And I would recommend using a good quality butter (e.g. Lurpak).  As this is my third attempt, by now I know the key really is to stick to the proportions of ingredients (like garlic, lemon and herbs) for the size of the chook, so that the flavours won’t overpower the bird.  The second most important thing is not to start with a chicken that comes straight out of the fridge to bake, otherwise, there is a chance of the inner parts of the chicken to be still very pink while the meat on the outer parts are already overcooked.

Ingredients

• 1 x 1.8kg chicken
• sea salt
• half a lemon
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled but left whole
• 25ml olive oil

Lemon and herb butter

• 50g cultured unsalted butter, softened
• juice and finely grated zest of half a lemon
• 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked and chopped
• a handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
• 1/4 bunch oregano, leaves picked and chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped

Method

For the herb butter, place the softened butter in a bowl and then mix together the herbs, lemon juice & zest and chopped garlic.

Carefully ease the skin away from the breast of the chicken and slowly push the herb butter underneath the skin, spreading it evenly.  Then smear any remaining herb butter over the skin of the chicken.  Sprinkle with sea salt.  Then place a half lemon and 2 cloves of garlic inside the cavity.  Drizzle with olive oil across the bottom of a roasting tin.

Roast the chicken in a pre-heated oven to 200C, for 20 minutes, basking once or twice.  Then turn the oven down to 180C and roast for a another 25 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and rest in a warm place for about 15 minutes.  Then serve with a salad.

Last night, I made a warm salad of baby spinach tossed in some olive oil roasted carrot, pumpkin and sweet potato, which were dressed simply with a Fuchs Caramelised Balsamic Vinegar. So we had some greens as well as carbohydrates.

And finally, here’s a page from Matt Moran’s self-titled book, Lantern Penguin Books, 2006.  His recipe uses 2 x 1.8kg chickens so my adapted recipe above has halved it.  Note also, the chickens have been trussed which really is optional, it keeps the shape of the bird while cooking for better presentation!  Read up on trussing a chicken on the Reluctant Gourmet.com Blog!

I started watching the new season of My Kitchen Rules last week and I am absolutely addicted to it!  Last night’s restaurant was Emma and Andrew’s (the Engaged Scientists from WA) – I must say, without repeating what anyone on the show has said, the menu (at least the entree and the dessert) looked like it could pose some serious threat to the other contestants.  With refinement in the prep and presentation, they really could have done a rendition of a China Doll or Spice Temple.  Unfortunately, the main course really put Pete and Manu off, with the undercooked wontons filling and an over-concentrated stock – if it wasn’t for the “inedible” (as Pete called it) main course, Emma and Andrew would have beaten Thomas and Carla who were at the bottom of the competition so far.  I really don’t like Thomas and Carla after their episode as they really don’t have a sportsmanship spirit!

Looking back one episode to Megan and Andy’s seared scallops the other day which scored quite highly, it really makes the competitiveness inside me wanna say, “I can do that – it’s all about the quality of the scallops purchased – how hard it that?”.  This is because I really think unless one is hopeless in the kitchen, if the quality of the meat/seafood is good, it is very hard to stuff things up.  There are many examples in my cooking where the ingredient spoke for itself – freshly caught and filleted snapper, well-marbled grass-fed sirloin, quality Japanese scallops, fresh quality berries in a dessert, even just using organic plant food .. and the list goes on and on.

Recently, I had a crack at Jamie Oliver’s grilled fillet steak in his “Cook with Jamie, My Guide to Making You a Better Cook”, and I was ecstatic what a nice piece of beef Hudson Meats from Lane Cove sold to me, and the meat made all the difference.   The recipe called for “200g well-marbled fillet steaks preferably free-range or organic, 2.5-4cm inches think”, and this butcher gave me close to what I needed – I took home a 500g piece (approximately $26 in total) of grass fed, chemical and hormone free, ox beef fillet, for 3 persons.

How close do you think this looks to the version in the book?  Very close!  Here I go, “Grilled fillet steak with the creamiest white beans and leeks“.  All I did was lightly season the piece of fillet (with cracked black pepper, sea salt & olive oil) and seared it in a really hot pan (takes about 20-30 seconds); then I transferred it to a pre-heated convection oven at 200C to continue cooking for 15min.  Let it rest for about 10minutes and the piece of meat is ready for slicing.  Look at the beautiful pink  colour and in reality it did just melt in the mouth.

The creamy white beans and leeks are made by first sweating leeks, thyme and garlic with a bit of olive oil and butter in a heavy-based saucepan on low heat for 20minutes until soft and sweet.  Then turn up the heat and add some white wine, once the wine comes to the boil, add butter beans and a splash of water, to almost cover the beans.  Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes until the beans are lovely and creamy.  Add parsley, creme fraiche and more olive oil and season.

Jamie Oliver’s wine recommendation is an Italian red.  As our new half dozen wines from Wine Selectors had just arrived, we picked the nicest bottle out of that, which was a Taltarni 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from Pyrenees Victoria, the most charming and elegant red I have tasted for a long time!

Reference:

Oliver, Jamie, Cook with Jamie, My Guide to Making You a Better Cook, Penguin Books, 2006 (NB: this truly is an awesome book, not only does the author give a personal comment at the start of each recipe, at the start of each section e.g. meats, the author goes in depth, like a teacher, about breeds, rearing, feeding, hanging, how to cook meat, and best of all “how to be a better meat shopper”.  How nice is that?