Coddled Eggs

Not long after dinosaurs roamed the earth I bought an egg coddler. I had a brand new baby and a husband flying in C-130 Hercules transport planes. The aircrews had been stretched with medical evacuations, search and rescues and exercises, leaving the squadron with cranky, unhappy wives and grizzling children bringing up the rear.

Then out of nowhere, to calm the mutiny, came an invitation for the wives to go on a 'jolly'. Now this could not happen today as the scrutiny, accountability, insurance etc would make such a trip prohibitive. However, in the shadow of the fossilised footprints of the dinosaur this was still possible. 

A day training flight was set up to go to Norfolk Island and back with a stopover of a couple of hours on the island itself. The husbands were dispatched to stay at home and mind the children and, knowing that Norfolk Island was a duty free stop we, the nearly mutineers, bulked up the wallets and flew off to Norfolk. 

We returned in the early evening after a, hopefully, productive and educational training flight for the aircrew. I was greeted by a husband carrying a baby who had apparently had reflux all day. One of my duty free purchases was a Royal Worcester egg coddler that I bought to make coddled eggs for the reflux one. I am reasonably certain that until this very morning I never used the egg coddler. I found it in a cupboard yesterday, took it out of its box, read the instructions and decided to coddle an egg this morning. It's not a hard thing to do and hardly a recipe.

Coddled Egg

Butter to grease the inside of the coddler

1 egg

Chopped parsley and chives

Teaspoon of cream (optional)

Salt and pepper

Toast

Butter the inside of the coddler. Crack your egg and put it into the coddler. Top with some of the parsley and chives and then the cream if using.

Put the coddler, with its lid now on, into a pot of boiling water up to the neck of the coddler and boil, not too violently, for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the pot, unscrew the lid, add salt and pepper to taste and serve with toast.

There are recipe variations of course and I will try a few to see if it worth my while hitting ebay to buy some more coddlers. I do see them in charity shops sometimes and I will probably snap them up. Coddled eggs would make a fine appearance at a brunch - thinking smoked fish or pancetta, mushroom or even using them to go down the chawan-mushi Japanese route. It took me 35 years but I just knew I would need the coddler one day.

Pea and Ham Epiphany

Unless you have been away on the other side of the planet (like my neighbours sending me postcards of their travels in the sun) there is no getting away from the fact that it has been cold in Canberra. It will be great for the spring bulbs but not so good for the rest of us.

When the temps get this cool my culinary creations lean towards long, slow cooking in the oven (it helps to warm the kitchen) or to soups and stocks for the freezer. Just in time for the cold weather my oven finally died, well not completely, but if  it was a person you would certainly be calling your local religious person of choice.  In keeping with this religious/spiritual theme there is a hallelujah moment today! The new oven arrived 10 minutes ago and it will be installed at midday by my very own saviours, Bob and his mate.

So, as a send off of sorts to the old oven (it actually was rubbish and I am delighted to see the back end of it) I will tell you of an epiphany I had a couple of weeks ago when, in the depths of despair, I pulled out a container of pea and ham soup mid morning.

I know everyone thinks they have the best pea and ham soup in their repertoire but unless you have the best ingredients and are prepared to put a bit of time into it I do know this not to be the case at all! If all you use are some bacon bones then you will end up with pea and bacon bones soup. If you use a mass produced, shrink wrapped by 'Colesworth' ham hock then you are skating on very thin Canberra ice. You could strike it lucky but why go to all the bother and end up with an inferior soup.

Just as important as a tasteless ham is one that is too salty. This is another reason to be on good terms with your butcher, or deli person. Get to know your ham hock and you won't have to go to all the palaver of bringing the ham hock to the boil and then starting again having thrown out all the salty water. I have found that sometimes it will still be way to heavy in the salt department.

I have a butcher (ooh that is also a bit spiritual) who does pig really, really well. It is my experience that all butchers have a specialty. My butcher at Florey Fine Meats, Craig, smokes his own hams and also smokes big, generous pork hocks. Anything he does with pig is great.

 I often buy a hock just to cook up in a pot as a meal on its own. I just cover it with water, add the usual onion, carrot and celery suspects and simmer till nearly falling off the bone. If you add some potatoes and fresh carrots towards the end you only have to add something green (I like a wedge of cabbage or brussels sprouts) and some hot mustard and you have heaven. I imagine slow cookers and pressure cookers could do this too. There is an added advantage here. Once the hock is removed and the veg are taken out, you are left with a good ham stock that can be reduced down and frozen.  I am never without ham stock in the freezer. Not only can it be used to pep up that supermarket ham hock you had to buy because nothing else was available, but ham stock is great to give good flavour to any beans or pulses. Many soups can be given a ham boost with this stock. Ordinary potato soup which is nothing more than butter, onions and potatoes is great made with ham stock.

So, once you have your ham hock (or two, as I often make a cauldron of pea and ham soup so that I have heaps for the freezer) the next most important ingredient is the pea factor. I do not recommend yellow split peas at all. It is green dried split peas for me. I either use the Mckenzies brand or I get them from Natural Living at Belconnen Fresh Food Markets. The green ones are so much sweeter and taste like peas! Any pre-soaking of the peas will of course reduce the cooking time but I find that if I sit the peas in a bowl of water while I prepare the ham hock and vegetables for the pot the peas can go in at the same time and by the time the hock is done the peas will have collapsed. If you are organized and soak them for a few hours or use the quick method on the back of the packet then give yourself a pat on the back. For one ham hock I allow the full packet of split peas (500g). If I am making a cauldron, and use two hocks, I will usually go for 750g but I have been known to use 1kg. It all depends on the size of your cauldron! The following recipe will be using just one big fat ham hock.

Ingredients

1 large ham hock
500g rinsed green split peas, soaked (optional soaking)
1 large onion, peeled
2 onions diced
1 large carrot, peeled
2-3 carrots, peeled and chopped into chunk
1 stick celery, cut into 3 or 4 pieces
3 sticks celery, cut in 1cm slices
2 or 3 potatoes, peeled and cut into  chunks
Parsley to garnish

Method

Put the ham hock in a stockpot with the whole onion, the peeled carrot and the celery stick pieces. Bring slowly up to boil and then turn down to keep it at a simmer. Drain the split peas and put them into the pot.
I skim the impurities as they come to the top but don't be too fussy about it. Cover the pot but leave a bit of a gap to keep an eye on things! Depending on the hock size count on a couple of hours for it to be cooked.
Once it is coming close take the hock out of the pot. Remove vegetables from the pot and discard. Put in all the chopped vegetables and bring back to the simmer. I like the ham left in good bite size pieces so cut the rind off the hock and shred or chop the ham and replace in the pot. Once the vegetables are tender you are there! Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy.

Ok, so where is the epiphany? Let's go back to the mid-morning retrieval of the soup from the freezer. While I was reheating the soup I decided I really felt like a boiled egg. And the rest as they say is history.

Postscript - The new oven is installed and the old is awaiting collection. The oven is dead, long live the oven.

Julia Child The French Chef- Salade Nicoise

I was reading a comment from a reader in The Guardian this morning in response to some bean recipes by Yotam Ottolenghi. The reader posted a youtube link mentioning Julia Child and salade Nicoise so for me it was an automatic response to investigate.

I sat mesmerised watching Julia and, more importantly, listening. Her French accent (listen to her buying potatoes in the market) and very own special way with a turn of phrase is just delightful!

I love a good salade Nicoise. The best was eaten some years ago in Le Lavandou in the south of France. I suspect the memory is helped by the very happy time we spent there. It was only for a week but living in Suffolk in the UK at the time we thought it was worth the drive just to see some sun. The food fulfilled all my romantic expectations and I remember that salade Nicoise, and the lovely rose wine I had with it, so vividly!

The worst salade Nicoise, is without a doubt, one I had in Paris a couple of years ago. It was the French summer holidays and many cafes were closed. This one was unfortunately open.What they were thinking I do not know.

Salade Nicoise is one of my 'go to' dishes when I just need something to cheer me up or when I need something to prepare ahead to serve to a good number of people. If I am preparing a fair way ahead I keep the lettuce separate to all the other ingredients, as I have done in the photos below, and then close to serving time I dress the lettuce and allow people to help themselves to the rest of the salad. If it is just at home I assemble as I go along which is the method I will give you now.

I haven't really changed my recipe/method much over the last 30 odd years (yes, I was making it when Julia was making it). Sometimes I use little chat potatoes when they are lovely and new and certainly don't peel them then. Other times I will steam waxy potatoes and I skin them after peeling. I dress the potatoes while they are still warm.
.

What is missing in the photos here are the black olives which I forgot to put in until I sat down and realised something was dreadfully wrong! Julia adds capers but I never have. I love the salt of the anchovy, the tuna and the olives and don't really feel the need for capers but throw them in if you like.

The salad will be as good as the ingredients you use. I made this in summer when I had my own tomatoes and beans growing, in fact that is why I chose to make the salad.

I know that many people like fresh tuna in their salad. I love fresh tuna but in this recipe it is always good quality tinned tuna in olive oil for me. I use Sirena brand tuna in olive oil. It is the same with the anchovies. You do not want the marinated white ones here. I love the Ortiz brand of anchovies but they are not cheap so  find a brand you like without sending you broke. The dressing can be varied but I have two, both including garlic. One uses lemon juice as the acid and the other red wine vinegar. I think I prefer the red wine vinegar but it is personal choice.

I imagine the Guardian commenters would find something to tongue lash me about in my salade Nicoise but I think Julia would say it was pretty good.

The quantities of each ingredient are up to you. Both Julia and I agree on the dressing of the layers as you put it together. These quantities are enough for two at least with some bread on the side.

INGREDIENTS ( in the order they go onto the plate)
Lettuce leaves
Steamed new or waxy potatoes, skinned and cut into desired size
Fresh baby beans, blanched
1 can 425g tuna in olive oil
Finely sliced red onion
8-10 cherry tomatoes, halved
2-3 boiled eggs, cut into quarters
black olives, stoned and sliced in half
anchovies, as many as you like
parsley, chopped

For the dressing
1-2 cloves garlic crushed with sea salt
Juice of a lemon or 1 tblsp red wine vinegar
2-3 tblsp ev olive oil or to your taste.

METHOD
Layer the dressed lettuce on your platter or individual plates. Top with the dressed potato and then the beans. Now place the drained tuna on top keeping it in chunky pieces and then the onion. Place your tomatoes, eggs and anchovies on top and sprinkle with parsley. When just about to serve drizzle some more of the garlicky dressing over the top.   

Rick Stein's Marinated Tuna with Passionfruit, Lime and Coriander

If I could lay claim to inventing one dish it would be this one. Unfortunately all credit lies with Rick Stein and I am a mere disciple.

I am a huge fan of raw fish whether it be sashimi, ceviche, kinilaw, ika mata, poisson cru, gravlax or any of the many other raw fish salads that thankfully have survived down through the centuries.

What makes this recipe so different, and so exciting, is the addition of passionfruit. It also differs from many other procedures in that the dressing is only poured onto the raw tuna for the last 10 minutes.

The only variation I made when making it was to substitute a medium-hot yellow/orange chilli called Cheyenne which I had great success growing this year, but the green Rick calls for would be fine.

As with any raw seafood dish the freshness of the tuna here is essential. Buy sashimi grade tuna unless of course you are lucky enough to catch your own! Do take a couple of minutes to trim the fillet of any sinew.

If you make no other raw fish dish, make this one! It is easy, fast and delicious. I served it on one platter instead of individual dishes but serving on individual plates allows each diner to do what I did anyway and literally drink the leftover dressing.

This makes a brilliant appetiser or, served with some leaves and melba toast, an elegant entree.

This is Rick Stein's recipe from his book Coast to Coast. I have abbreviated it somewhat.

Marinated Tuna with Passion-fruit, Lime and Coriander 
Serves 4

3cm thick piece of tuna loin fillet, about 400g
2 small, ripe and wrinkly passionfruit about 35g each
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 tablespoons sunflower oil
1 medium-hot green chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon caster sugar
1 and a 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander
1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Put the piece of tuna loin fillet on to a board and slice it across, in very thin slices. Lay them side by side but close together over the base of four 25cm plates (or on one platter). Cover with cling film and leave in fridge until ready to serve.

Just before serving, make the dressing. Cut the passionfruit in half and scoop the pulp into a sieve set over a bowl. Rub the pulp through the sieve to extract the juice and discard the seeds. There should be a tablespoon of juice. Stir in the lime juice, sunflower oil, green chilli, sugar, coriander, salt and pepper.

To serve, uncover the plates, spoon over the dressing and spread it over the surface of the fish with the back of a spoon. Leave for 10 minutes before serving.

The Prodigal Returns

After a year away I am back. I have a hoard of photos, drafts and ideas all ready to go. My absence has been a combination of things but to be honest I really have just been distracted by life itself.

This morning I was reading the Lifestyle section in the Guardian UK and felt the need to share the following article. Although there is so much unpleasantness on this planet it heartens me that there are seriously good writers and journalists out there beavering away to ensure that people like me who have lost their way are put firmly back on track.

Before even getting out of bed I had been transported back to where I wanted to be in the middle of new restaurants, current food trends, great links to follow up and, vicariously, eating and buying food from around the world. We all need a little helping hand to put the fire back in the belly every now and then.

Guardian UK article

Oysters Again

For many years the joy of oysters passed me by. My father, on occasion, and usually for no special reason, would arrive home with oysters. He brought them home in tall thin bottles looking suspiciously like specimen jars.

I don't think it was until my mother and I started our illicit outings to Long Reef on Sydney's northern beaches that I came to appreciate an oyster. There was no pre-meditation from recollection. The outings usually involved taking our young kelpie pup (named Haggis by my Scottish father as he said she was a bit of everything) in the car down to Long Reef. Once on the reef, my mother would produce a screwdriver from her pocket, (last seen in the boot of the car in the toolbox - perhaps there was an element of pre-meditation after all) and away we would go. We never took any home. We just had a feed and left.

Years later I ate oysters bought at a pub in Sydney. It was 1978 and, along with a couple of thousand other Australians, I had a terrible bout of gastroenteritis after heavy rain had caused contamination by sewage. It was over two weeks before I realised I wasn't going to die! For information on this outbreak here is the link.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/514174.
The good news is, however, that oyster farming is seriously monitored these days in Australia and around the world.

 It does amaze me the amount of literature written about these precious bivalves. Way at the top of the Nobel Prize for Oyster Writing would have to be  Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher's, 'Consider the Oyster' (1941) although it certainly isn't the earliest. I have recently read Sex, Death and Oysters by Robb Walsh and it has inspired me to learn more about their place in culinary history and to also look at current day farming methods, sustainability and where to go from here. For those with an interest in the oyster industry, especially on the south coast of NSW, you could do worse than follow David Maidment Oysters blogsite.  For recipes, The House of Oysters is hard to beat and also includes interesting sections on the life of the oyster and the history of oysters in Tasmania.

My interest in oysters also gives me an excuse to delve into the wonderful world of accessories for oyster dining! These vintage oyster plates I found on Pinterest are glorious!
 http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/06/e9/87/06e98774700540f982de10dc09695c5c.jpg
I have already started my collection although I have yet to find a Limoges oyster plate at my local Narooma New and Used or the Narooma Vinnie's but I live in hope. And don't let me start on oyster print fabric!

Consider the oyster and enjoy.

Wagonga Inlet Oyster Blogsite Link

David Maidment is such a good ambassador for the oyster industry on the south coast. His blog is certainly worth following for anyone interested in the whole oyster industry right up to eating them as he has included oyster recipes. I love that you can order them straight from the source! I will be giving the process a tryout and will report back.

Here is the link:

http://davidmaidmentoysters.wordpress.com/