Recipe: Thai Vegan Curry Soup

Those who know my penchant for spicey food can't be surprised that I would manage to come up with a curry soup but this is sweet and tangy with orange vegetables and not overpowering. It's perfectly warming in winter and the Thai spices are great for a cold . This has the the added bonus of being Vegan and still quite special.



Thai Vegan Curry Soup

1 large brown onion
1 large carrot
1 large sweet potato
1/2 butternut pumpkin
400ml can of coconut milk/cream
3 tablespoons green curry paste
1 sprig coriander
1 spring lemon grass
2 tablespoons vegetable (Olive) oil

Method

• Heat the vegetable oil in a good soup pan, add the onions and fry slowly while preparing other vegetables. First peel and dice the carrot and add to the onion, stirring occasionally.


• Cooking vegetables at the right speed is usually about density - hard vegetables take longer to cook.





• Then peel and dice the sweet potato and add to the existing vegetables, by now the carrot should be looking reasonably softened. Dice the pumpkin into large pieces as pumpkin disintegrates quickly.


• Add a little water and the green curry paste and stir until all the vegetables are coated. Be very careful when choosing a Green Curry Paste as many of them contain fish sauce or shrimp paste Lee Kum Kee which you can buy in all Asian supermarkets and some larger Western supermarkets is animal product free. Otherwise you can make your own paste to this recipe - Galangal and lemon grass are key, do not substitute these spices as the taste is unique.





• Now add the coconut cream and enough hot water to cover the vegetables; should be at least 2 more cans worth of water. Allow to boil until the vegetables are soft and the pumpkin begins to misshape when you poke it with utensils.





• Take the soup off the heat and add the minced coriander and lemon grass; if you do not have easy access to fresh herbs many good quality varieties are available in jars in the Asian section of supermarkets.


• With a stab mixer blend the soup until smooth, the sweet potato and coconut should lend this a creamy consistency once mixed.





• This is great on its own or with toast, or for a crunchy topping try a small amount of bamboo shoots, fresh lemon grass or strips of capsicum.

Easter Marshmallows

When I was a kid these were a real seasonal treat because they only ever appeared at school fetes in my life. Accordingly I get unreasonably excited about them in a way other people don't understand. Most people I talked to about this didn't actually have such things in their childhood so I wonder why it was so big in mine; and enough for my local Coles to have it at the bakery also.



Junior Bunny Mallow 3 for $1.50 Coles Bakery

They're soft fluffy marshmallows poured into a bunny shaped mould and covered in coconut. Often these would be loathesome Easter colours of yellow, pink or green, some would even have little red piercing eyes dotted on in food colouring. They're totally horrible empty calories and I love them as I love all foods that only come once a year.

Recipe: Roast Lamb

A nice simple one but hard to beat; I got jibed about my Catholic education when I suggested we have a roast lamb at Easter but it was tasty as anything so here's a guide for those who aren't sure how to roast meat well.



Roast Lamb

1 bundle fresh rosemary
1 lemon
1 tbspn sea salt
1 tbspn extra virgin olive oil
water for roasting

Method

• Buy a large piece of lamb preferably on the bone and with skin; if this is not possible buy a rolled shoulder piece that has been properly strung by the butcher.


• Preheat the oven to 180C


• Rub the skin with good quality sea salt and leave large grains on the skin.


• Pierce the skin all over and place small bundles of fresh rosemary under the skin with the leaves poking out as seen here.


• Drizzle with the juice of the lemon and the olive oil


• Place on a roasting rack with plenty of space underneath to collect the drippings lamb is a fatty meat and large amounts of fat will come out of the joint.


• Pour 1 cup of water into the roasting tray under the meat; this will ensure that the meat stays moist.


• Place the roast into the oven uncovered and roast for 1 hour.


• Take out the meat, pour another cup of water into the roasting tray and then cover the joint with aluminium foil.


• Roast for a further hour and then remove the meat, take off the foil and then roast uncovered for a further 30 minutes.


• If you are unsure of the size of your meat then use a meat thermometer and this doneness guide.


• When the roast is done take it out of the oven and leave to rest while covered for at least 15 minutes before serving.


• Serve with gravy made from the drippings and plenty of vegetables.

Real country breakfast

Free range eggs, thick rashers of bacon, grain toast and tomato and basil lifted straight from the garden



What a spread!

Recipe: Leche fritta - Fried milk

In my house these were called "pellas" but I can't for the life of me find a reference to that name online so I suspect that's the Basque (Euskadi) word for the dish. Leche fritta is "fried milk" in Spanish but really it's a very thick roux based custard which is fried and dusted with sugar and spice. Not an every day dish by any stretch of the imagination but creamy and light textured with a crisp shell it's a winner with kids and parents alike. A real childhood sense memory for me and a real Spanish classic that's common in most of the Latino world.



Leche fritta

1 cup cornstarch
1 cup sugar
4 cups (1 litre) full cream milk
1 cup cream
3 egg yolks
4 whole eggs
1 cinnamon quill
1/2 tspn nutmeg
Rind of 2 small lemons
50g butter
1 tspn vanilla extract (natural)


For dredging

2 cups plain flour
2 eggs

For dusting

1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tbpsn ground cinnamon

Method

Lightly oil a glass baking dish or slice pan or line with plastic food wrap.



Separate the egg yolks and ensure that the eggs are left to reach room temperature. In a medium heatproof bowl, mix the cornstarch with 1 cup of the sugar.



Slowly whisk in the cup of cream. Add the egg yolks and 4 whole eggs and whisk until smooth.



In a medium saucepan combine the milk, nutmeg, cinnamon bark and lemon rind. Heat the milk over moderate heat until small bubbles begin to form around the edge of the surface.



Strain out the bark and then gradually whisk the hot milk into the egg mixture. Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over moderate heat, mixing constantly. The mixture will thicken quickly once it reaches the right temperature; do not stop stirring with a steady hand or the custard will become lumpy.



Once it is as thick as porridge take the custard off the heat and stir in the butter and the vanilla; do not add the vanilla before the mixture is off the heat as it will lose much flavour if added too early.



Scrape the custard into the prepared baking dish and smooth the surface; let cool slightly. Refrigerate until very firm, at least 3 hours or overnight or place in the freezer for 90 minutes.



In a pie plate, whisk the remaining 2 eggs with a little milk. Spread the flour in 2 more pie plates.



Cut the custard into 4cm squares. In a large, deep nonstick skillet, heat 1/2 inch of vegetable oil until shimmering. Working with 6 pieces of custard at a time and keeping the rest refrigerated, dip the custard rectangles in the beaten eggs, then dredge in the flour.



Fry the custard over moderate heat, turning once or twice, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a rack lined with paper towels and immediately sift cinnamon sugar over them.

Repeat with the remaining pieces of custard. Serve warm or at room temperature, can be served with ice cream but it really doesn't need it.

Note for this recipe I use all lactose free products; do not substitute for soy or other as the taste is too strong for the subtle citrus and cinnamon flavour.

Review: Ichi-ban boshi, Sydney CBD

Let it be said that Ichi-ban Boshi has the ramen that all other ramens are held against; I have yet to find tantan ramen as good anywhere in the world that compares to theirs even in Japan.

Ichi-ban Boshi is a little piece of home for a constant stream of Japanese students, it's about $10-12 for a bowl of authentic fresh ramen and that's about all that anyone is here for. The service is fast but very unfriendly, though often it's better if you know enough Japanese to get requests out to the wait staff as often the language barrier is a significant issue. There is one surly looking Western girl that works there but she can be seen nattering to the staff in Japanese and I suspect she lived in Japan for some time. When we first started going here it was unusual to see another Westerner in the room, now it's about 50/50 and the word is out. I'm very happy for their success however the wait times are becoming crazy and it's no longer a before movie dinner option due only to the queues.



A very common sight, people sitting on the floor after waiting significant times to be served.

As with many Asian eateries in Sydney you can't book a table so expect to wait in a utilitarian fashion regardless of your stature in society, and wait people do. If you come up at a standard lunch or dinner time you can expect to wait about half an hour for a table. If you are willing to share a table this can shave significant time off the wait, and depending on the nationality of your dining companions this can be very inobtrusive regardless. Keep an eye out for the "sign up sheet" because without a number you will not get a table.



Sharing a table I get a slightly innappropriate photo of my dining companions; note the Tokyo ramen and grilled ox tongue.

This is a 'churn and burn' restaurant and they are eager to get the waiting crowd in the door and back out as soon as possible. Often waitresses will flutter by for empty plates before you've even finished your meal and if you dare to sit and talk after the meal they will promptly deliver the bill to your table as a hint. This can be a little brusk but really, at these prices for this food they can afford to be rude, and really... ramen is often eaten standing at bars in train stations... ceremony can be skipped.

Probably the largest draw card for me here has to be the noodles. Hand made in huge quantities on a daily basis the noodles have a fresh chewy body that is lost in the drying process taken on by other restaurants. Combined with cheap prices, fresh vegetables and excellent stocks you just can't beat a great version of a simple meal.



Cold tofu with shaved bonito, ginger and shallots $5

Plenty of ginger, fresh shallots, large shavings of good quality dried bonito. I'd have preferred a little more soy but after the disappointment of recent outings at other eateries this will do me fine!



Gyoza with Ponzu sauce, Japanese leeks and chilli jam $6.50

The gyoza here are quite good quality. The meat and vegetable ratio is well balanced and good shallots are used throughout, the dumpling skin is soft but holds its texture. The addition of leeks, chilli and a fresh light ponzu make a "classier" feel to a common dish.





Tantan tsukemen $12

Tsukemen if you're not aware is "dipping noodles" - often referred to in Chinese restaurants as "dry type" soup noodles. Wet noodles are tossed in light oil and left to cool on a bamboo presentation tray, served with a smaller bowl of soup. The idea being that you pick up a small quantity of noodles and dip them in the soup before eating. This isn't really a meal recommended for those who aren't practiced with chopsticks but for those who are it's a nice twist on a delicious traditional ramen.

Usually I would order the Tantan ramen as per normal but after many rounds of the same meal at different restaurants I thought it would be more interesting for me to talk about the tsukemen, and the tsukemen at Ichi-ban Boshi is excellent. The soup is slightly thicker and richer than their standard tantan ramen. I think perhaps they water it down or water is taken on from the noodles when it is given in soup format. In this version it is thicker and clings to the noodles when dipped; I feel it is also saltier than normal as a warning and they add small blanched tomatoes for unknown reasons that I always pick out.

What's there to say about this meal? It is one of my favourite meals at one of my favourite kitchens without a doubt. The soup is rich and filling, spicy but not overpowering so that you can taste it the whole way through. An fresh free range egg is boiled and takes on the soup well, the vegetables are plentiful and fresh. The noodles are fresh, chewy and delicious. The meat is good quality but fatty enough to dissolve into the soup. It's good, it's all so very good. Upon discovering this restaurant I once went there 3 days in a row for lunch because I simply could not stop thinking about it.



Miso ramen $9.30

If you're expecting miso as it comes with sushi you will be surprised by this dish. It has a strong pork stock and rich miso paste which has a lot more body than the thin white miso soups often served at Japanese restaurants. It is served with a slice of roasted pork, sweet corn and fresh bean sprouts and plenty of thick chewy noodles. As one of their "basic" soups you can order this dish as part of a set for quite cheap although the servings here are such that even our favourite Japanese starters are questioned before ordering.

I will later post other dishes from their menu, as everything on their ramen menu is excellent. Prior to discovery of tantanmen I was strongly obsessed with their geki-kara ramen Ichi-bansuper hot chilli ramen) and frequently order their fried tofu ramen which is a miso based pork stock soup. One of the best things about their menu is their willingness to alter it. The ramen menu comes with a list of extras that may be ordered from kim chi, buttered corn, karaage chicken, extra vegetables, extra chilli or even fried tofu squares... meaning you can take their delicious base soups and alter them to your wishes.

Highly, highly recommended, it's worth the wait.

Ichi-ban Boshi
http://www.ichibanboshi.com.au/
Level 2, The Galeries Victoria Bldg (Next to Kinokuniya bookstore)
500 George Street
Sydney, NSW 2000
Australia
(Note there is another location at Bondi, Please refer to their website for details)

7 days a week 11am - 9pm
Serves Japanese beer and sake only
Bookings are not taken

Review: Caesar's, Leichhardt

We live in the Italian Forum in Leichhardt so we get a bit unexcited about Italian food and local eateries however it was the boy's birthday and we needed somewhere family friendly as he has a 6 year old niece and 2 one year old nephews.

We settled on Caesar's as we've liked them in the past. Being a resident of the Forum you have a few added requirements when eating out in the area - are they respectful, do they have an irritating hawker at the door, is the restaurant full of the kind of drunken idiots that keep you up at 2am. Caesar's is one of the only restaurants that reliably remembers we are residents and doesn't screech at us about coming in for dinner every time we want to go to the post office. We went in early to ask about the family aspect and the manager was extremely helpful. He reserved us a table outside with enough space around it for prams and organised two high chairs for us.

Stupidly I was too taken up with family moments to remember to take pictures of the entrees but I will add that the mozarella they use on their caprese is excellent as is their bruschetta, classical based breads/pizzas and I've yet to work out their brand of olive oil but it's wonderful (for reference I use Carbonell Extra Virgin because... well old habits earnt from my parents).

I had intended to go and get the prices for the restaurant as we'd lost the bill, but it's been a while and I haven't posted enough recently so instead you get it without the prices. Pizzas are all $15-20 and pastas are much the same from my recollection. Fairly reasonable but not a cheap cheap bargain.



Spaghetti Calabrese

This was my dish and excellent, a not heavy sauce mostly oil and chilli pan fried with the sun dried tomatoes and italian sausage. For some reason they added ham in that I could have done without but the rest was filling but not overly so and an excellent autumn lunch dish.



Wiener Schnitzel, Chips and Salad


Good large schnitzel and plenty of chips and salad, it's hard to convince yourself to order restaurant schnitzel with the price of decent pub meals in Sydney but this was a real winner and came with plenty of lemon and enough chips for the kids to steal.



Risotto al funghi

It gets the thumbs up for approval! This was thick and beautiful with wild mushrooms, not my cup of tea but the owner of the dish was fighting off others so I gather it was good.



Gnocchi Napoletana (with added chilli)

The gnocchi are all hand made and shaved or crumbled parmesan is available at request; they were also more than happy to alter the meal on request with this added touch of chili.



Gnocchi Gorgonzola

This is the real star of this restaurant and I suspect the main reason the boyfriend wanted to come here. It's really best as a meal to share though with another main as the chick creamy cheese sauce is very heavy on the stomach but the kind of luxury really worth going for in cooler weather.

Caesar's Cucina Italiana
The Italian Forum
Shop 30 (At the bottom of the stairs to the Piazza)
23 Norton St
Leichhardt 2040 NSW
Phone: (02) 9569 0444

Fully licenced
Booking not necessary but does get busy on weekends so consider reserving

Recipe: Leek and Potato Soup

I have a cold and it's rainy and miserable so here's my tried and true leek and potato soup recipe.



Leek and Potato Soup

2 leeks
5 large potatoes
1/2 head of cauliflower
50g of butter/margarine
1 clove of garlic
2 cups of vegetable stock
Water
Sour Cream
Smoked Paprika to dust

Method

• Melt the butter in a large soup pan and leave on low heat. If serving to lactose intolerant guests be sure to use a dairy free margarine.


• Cut the leeks into small rings, about 1/2 cm in height. Add to the pan with the garlic crushed and fry until the leeks are soft.


• Peel and cube the potatoes into 1 cm cubes and add to the pot, stir fry with the leeks until the cubes are warm.


• Cut up the cauliflower into inch cube pieces, be sure to include the stem as well as the florets and add to the pot.


• Cover the vegetables in the stock and top up with water so that the califlower floats above the potatoes, turn to Medium - High heat.


• Bring to the boil and then return to Medium heat, leave simmering until the potatoes and cauliflower are soft and lose structural integrity.


• Take the soup pot off the heat and use a "stick" blender to puree the vegetables. The soup should be as thick as custard, if you have added too much water return the soup to simmering heat and boil off some of the liquid.


• Serve the soup into bowls, add a dollop of sour cream to those who eat it and sprinkle heftily with smoked paprika. Best eaten with crusty white bread.


• If you are not keen on cauliflower replace with another 2-3 potatoes, to bulk out the recipe add 1-2 onions and fry with the leeks.


• To make this recipe vegan/non dairy replace the butter with soy based margarine and omit the sour cream for serving, the soup is strong enough on its own to stand without it.

Recipe: Vegan Chilli

This recipe is a repost of one of our sharehouse favourites; it's full of vegies that the kids will eat and perfect for any vegetarian or vegan visitors. For the more standard eaters add some cheese and sour cream and you're set.



Vegan Chilli

1 large brown onion
2 cans kidney beans (or 1 large bowl of kidney beans soaked in water over night and then par boiled in salt)
1.5 cups sweet corn
1 large capsicum
1 large can of diced tinned tomatoes
1 tablespoon chilli flakes
1 tablespoon chilli powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspon oregano
1/2 teaspon marjoram
Olive (or other vegetable) oil for frying

Method

• Dice the onions and fry in a small amount of salt with a fair quantity of oil - make a pool about the size of the palm of your hand in the pan. Add the chilli flakes to the onion, and garlic if desired.


• Add the beans with a little of the juice, more of it adds a slightly thicker consistency to the chilli from the bean proteins. The secret to really good thick chilli is to take a potato masher at this point and mash about half of the beans once they are hot from frying. This allows you to 'refry' the insides and releases much more of the protein into the sauce


• Dice the capsicum and fry with the beans and onion, once this is soft add all the spices and fry into the vegetable mixture, add more oil if required. Once the vegetables have fried with the spices for about 2 minutes then add the tomatoes with a cup or two of water. Remember if you're feeling lazy you can add a pack of taco or chilli con carne seasoning rather than individual spices; be sure to check for animal stock powders though and remember that these spice packs usually contain bean flour or corn starch and so may require a little more liquid or oil to counteract.


• Once at boiling point add the sweet corn and turn the temperature down to reduce the sauce some what. If you have the time over the course of a day, adding more water and then reducing multiple times makes a softer thicker chilli as the beans and corn are softened.


• You can serve this with just corn chips or rice cooked with chilli; however my favourite is to serve it in white flour tortillas with shredded lettuce, guacamole and tomato. Tortillas and plain salted Corn Chips should always be Vegan friendly but check for animal sourced preservatives on the packaging. Rosita's Mexican Meal Range are available at all Woolworth's and are not only Vegan friendly but damn good quality and Australian owned and made.


• For those intent on animal products... This recipe works quite well with meat, just replace half the beans with some lean beef mince and reduce the amount of oil used. Service with sour cream and cheese for the dairy tolerant and thin of waist.

Review: Restaurant Balzac, Randwick

I fell in love with Balzac's melt in the mouth beef and pudding at Taste of Sydney and simply had to try their full menu. Due to my hectic project schedule I had had to delay our anniversary dinner so we had an excellent excuse to visit. We decided upon a degustation to get a full appreciation of their menu. At $130 with matched wines and $85 without it's reasonably affordable as degustations go.

So... Restaurant Balzac as a whole what do I say? I had failed to notice until I went to the bathroom that the restaurant had won a number of hats from the Sydney Morning Heralnd Good Food Guide; which is probably why the staff looked at me so oddly when I said I had not heard of the restaurant at the festival. I'll put it down to me being a relative new comer to Sydney and save embarassment, though I'll admit that I find many of the 2 and 3 hat restaurants are just too wanky to be enjoyable and I tend to scour the menu for a dish that contains neither scallops or foams.

The venue itself is beautiful and I liked the added touch that the bathrooms gave a brief timeline of the history of the building including a very surprising entry in the mid 80s as a Pizza Hut. The wine cellar is quite reasonable, though not at the caliber of a much larger restaurant; the bar staff evidently work hard on their selections and maintan relationships with the wine makers and the existence of a cellar door dinner in their function room was definitely a good sign. The bar staff even let me listen in and try some of their alternative dessert wines which was lovely of them.

On the whole though there was as slightly off edge to the service. We were served by several people, incuding what seemed like rather random entrances from function and kitchen staff bringing dishes. Some of them were excellent, unfortunately the girl we had most of the night was quite off; her rounded service was entirely lacking and she seemed if anything to be a little arrogant about working there, without stopping to realise that we were the ones paying to eat at the restaurant. She forgot items, failed to see handsignals and her notes on the wine were emotionless and read from an internal autocue, if I were a betting woman I'd put money on this girl being a wannabe actress trying to rote learn lines from the sommelier, but if her Stoppard is anything like her service she's not going to make the movies.

I think our biggest issue with Balzac is that the boy and I have specific tastes and we're often privy to excellent food; we like warm real food, served by warm real people and Balzac missed something in this note. At other degustations we have had responsive service, wines changed, dishes explained with a passion linked to the food and that was missing here. I would hazard a guess that this was a real gem that has gotten lacklustre through fame and good reviews, and it's now a real cut above many restaurants but it was a step below the other "hat" restaurants we've attended and were surprised to see that it had retained its 2 hats last year based on our experience.

The boy would obviously have preferred another night at Atelier, but you can't have the same degustation every time, and I think his disappointment was born mostly out of being spoiled. I would definitely try Balzac if you like fine food and a good degustation however I for one am more interested in trying their other establishment The Burlington to see if it retains a little more "soul" with its casual dining claim.

On to the food...



Hors d'ouevres: Salt Cod Croquette with Champagne Foam

I had this with a glass of Pelorus NV Pinot/Chardonnay sparkling from New Zealand though it was not included with the meal $14. This was lovely and light and a wonderful accompaniment to my sparkling wine, it is only a shame that a sparkling is not included on the matched wine lists.



Amuse bouche: Parsnip Veloute, Lemon and Basil



Entree alternative: Puree of pea with pea foam, fresh garden vegetables and a breaded quail's egg

I had this rather odd moment with the waitress where she mentioned that we were able to change the menu at will and then seemingly objected when I asked for an alternative to the gravlax and gazpacho dish. Her tone sounded almost offended, she then offered to serve the dish without the fish and when I said that if this was the only alternative I would prefer they brought the original dish over she seemed put out. Eventually I feel someone in the kitchen must have said something to her about this being inappropriate because she came back later to say that they had offered to put this fresh light vegetable dish together instead and I'm glad they did as it was well suited to my palette and struck just the right note of fresh colour.

Unfortunately the Austrian Gruner Veltliner (1997 Nigl) that had been matched with the fish was far too strong for the vegetables but nonetheless I do like to try interesting varietals on occasion.





Entree: Gravlax of Hiramasa Kingfish, 'Gazpacho' and Creme Fraiche Sorbet



Fish Course: Panfried Mahi Mahi with Confit Fennel, White Beans, Olives and Tomatoes

I'm not sure you could have asked for a dish that was more suited to the boy, especially the freshly prepared semi dried tomatoes. The meaty flesh of the fish went well with the French pinot gris, though French pinot rarely suits my tastes.



Poultry course: Roast Duck Breast, Fig 'Tarte Fine' Madeira Jus

Then it was my turn to have a dish almost custom built to my palette. I wish somewhat that the menu was slightly more descriptive on how the "tarte fine" was built. It was some form of caramelised fig sitting on a butter or perhaps even lard strip of pastry. Both items had taken on the duck fat and sweet madeira concentrate of the jus and had me in eye rolling happiness. The wine was a slightly unimaginative but still very good 2006 Yarraloch Pinot Noir; negative points to the waitress for bringing this out as soon as it was poured as it really needed a few minutes of air and a little warmth before it reached its full potential, something she should have known (or the cellar keep warned her of) with such a young pinot.



Meat course: Wagyu beef, Braised Shin, Celeriac and Truffle Puree, Bordelaise

Based on the festival I was really looking forward to the full extent of this dish however I'm not sure they've failed to play to the strengths of the food here. Firstly the braised shin portion was significantly smaller than when it was served on its own but also I think they really did this wagyu a disservice by its plating. The meat had been sliced fairly thinly and I'm unsure if it was left to cool too long or simply sliced too fine but by the time the dish was served to us the fat had solidified and was almost gelatinous in texture, served with a glistening circle of its own marrow this may have delighted others but to me it was merely a little over done and perhaps only of interest to those who do not have ready access to kobe/wagyu of high marbling counts.

Before I dismiss the dish too far though I must say that the truffle puree, the bordelaise sauce and the aged shin were to die for and saved the plate for me. I played havoc with their tastings and chose the wine they had matched for the Pork to be served with the Beef (2007 Castillo Del Baron Monastrell, Yecla, Spain) however I do love Spanish wines and I have a soft spot for the northern monastrells (mourvedre to you).



Cheese course: Blue cheese with accompaniments - additional $14

I was really looking for a "down" note to the meal at this stage though I couldn't have stomached a whole cheese plate, so we ordered a single blue. This was a creamy cow's milk blue from Piemonte, Italy the name of which escapes me entirely. I ordered a Portugese port with this (not on the matched wines) which annoyingly the waitress forgot to tell me the label of and is missing from their online wine list. The table next to us did order the entire platter and I'm glad I didn't as it was ridiculous. I must note the use of this pear paste with the blue cheese as it was excellent together and I usually use quince paste.



Pre-dessert: Strawberry Eaton Mess

I really prefer a palette cleanser at this stage of the meal and it is lucky I have an incredibly sweet tooth because this sugary concoction was a real hit on the palette after the soft tastes of the meats and wines. The boy was unable to finish his and gave it to me, though this was more to do with the choice of strawberry than the sweetness. Knowing his distaste of strawberries I asked why he hadn't asked to have it changed when I altered my entree and like a boy he had been too distracted by the meat to even notice the sweets.



Dessert: Tatin of Caramelised Plug with Almond Ice Cream and Brandy Anglaise

The boy was in general disappointed with the sweets though this was definitely my kind of tastes; caramelised fruit with nuts and creamy sauce? Beats the hell out of chocolate any day of the week. This came with a 2007 Josef Chromy Botrytis Riesling dessert wine; I so rarely order either dessert wines or anything even hinting at a riesling though this was quite nice. To be honest though it needed to be in a smaller serving as it got a strange almost petrol like nose as it warmed.



Hot beverage course: Petit fours of Gateau Opera, coffee and the remains of my port

Thanks to my father and grandfather I believe that coffee at the end of a big meal should always come with a strong port or stiff cognac so saved the remainder of my glass from the cheese course for this part of the meal. The coffee was good, strong, well made and made properly to order. Unsurprisingly they had no soy milk however I'd come loaded with a handbag full of Lactaid so that I could enjoy the cheeses and sauces without worry. The gateau was a liquer soaked wonder that was so rich it didn't actually need the top layer of ganache. Thankfully the portion was only about the size of a lump of billiards chalk or it would have been troublesome.

Restaurant Balzac
http://www.restaurantbalzac.com.au/
141 Belmore Road
Randwick NSW 2031
Tel: + 61 2 9399 9660

Friday Lunch 12-3
Dinner Tuesday to Saturday from 6:30

Bookings essential
Fully licensed with high quality wine cellar
Monthly themed degustations and daily degustation with menu updated weekly.

Recipe: Tuna Mornay

This is one of those meals that I just cannot make look as appealing as it tastes. But it's warm and filling, it's cheap and tasty and it really doesn't take that long to cook. Most importantly it's the kind of meal you can usually throw together from what's in your cupboard when it's the end of the pay cycle. It also freezes very well for next day/leftover day meals.

Props to the boy for this variation on the recipe as it kicked the hell out of mine.



Tuna Mornay

1 medium sized brown onion
1 stick celery
450g tin of tuna
1 cup milk
50g butter
2 tbspn plain flour
1 tbsp seeded mustard
1 cup vegetable stock
1/2 cup shredded cheese

2 cups dried pasta
water for boiling
pinch of salt

Lemon juice or wedges to serve
Additional cheese to taste

Method

• Put the pasta on to boil with a pinch of salt.


• Dice the onions, I find this meal is best with chunky style onion strips throughout the sauce for texture.


• Fry in a very lightly oiled pan on medium heat until sweated. Owing to the white sauce component a non stick high walled saucepan is best.


• Dice the celery thinly and add to the pot. Fry until the celery is transparent.


• Turn the pan to low heat and add the butter, stirring until melted.


• Add the flour and stir thoroughly, ensuring that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. The mixture will become quite solid and almost dough like.


• In alternating small amounts add the milk and the stock, stirring slowly and carefully until all the liquid is in the mixture and it has a sauce like consistency.


• Drain the tuna and add to the pot, stir well and then add the mustard.


• Once thoroughly combined add the shredded cheese and let to simmer while the pasta boils. Ensure you stir regularly to avoid the sauce sticking.


• Drain the pasta and serve into bowls with the sauce. The recipe serves around 4 people.


• Top with shredded cheese and a lemon wedge or splash of lemon juice.


• As I'm quite lactose intolerant I make a varation on this recipe by using the oil from the tinned tuna instead of butter and using soy milk in place of cow juice. The taste is almost identical and recommended for those trying to drop cholestorol or have problems with dairy. Guests generally fail to notice that I have used soy.


• For a less tart variation omit the mustard and lemon juice and add a cup full of sweet corn.