The Confident Cook
Salmon, Spinach and Mozzarella in Pastry
Despite limited time to prepare meals, all really good cooks love to get busy in the kitchen with a dish that requires some care and loving attention. When you’re looking for something to really impress, this is a wonderful party piece that can be served warm or cold. The salmon is wrapped in a mixture of chopped spinach and mozzarella and encased in a light puff pasty.
Sausage ‘Frittata’
We’re so lucky to be able to buy a variety of terrific sausages now. My favourites are the sweet fennel pork sausages that Greg Scopas of Salumeria Fontana makes and sells in the Matakana market. However, if you cannot find them, just use your own favourite sausage in this recipe. I’ve used the term ‘frittata’ loosely here, and suggest you bake it in a loaf tin so that it can be cut into easy-to-eat slices. The combination of sausage, onions and feta cheese is tasty, with red...
Savoury Lamb Racks in a Vegetable Broth
It’s my firm belief that a little fat makes everything taste better. However, the fat on meat needs to be crisp for us to really enjoy it. Trim all the fat off these racks, as they are gently poached in a soothing broth made up of a mix of baby vegetables, and have no chance of becoming crisp.
The essential ingredient for flavour is the rigani, dried Greek oregano. Try to find this imported herb, or use dried oregano. Fresh...
Savoury Tomatoes
When tomatoes are at their best at the end of summer, try stuffing them with a well-seasoned mixture of rice, cheese and herbs before baking in the oven. This could be served as an entrée or a lunchtime dish, accompanied by a garden-fresh salad.
Shallots and Steak Sandwich
A wonderful steak sandwich is probably the thinking foodie’s hamburger. These sandwiches are a real treat for friends and family as the beef is roasted ahead, kept warm, sliced thinly and served with candied braised shallots, a light red wine sauce and watercress on crusty sourdough. Yum!
Vincotto is a rich, sweet fruit vinegar made with grapes from Lecce in Italy.
