The Hangry Chef

Best for warming you up from the inside out! I'm really not appealed by the thought of a fish stew made with cream and the idea of it actually used to turn my stomach, but once I made this chowder and tried it for myself I seriously regretted any preconceived ideas about this dish and really now it's one of my favourites. You will need... 1 small brown onion, peeled, diced finely 1 carrot, peeled, cut into 1cm cubes 1 celery stick, diced into 1cm pieces 2 medium washed potato, peeled and cut into 1.5cm cubes 1 garlic clove, crushed 185gr sweet corn kernels (fresh or tinned doesn't matter) 100gr bacon (smoked is best, but not essential) 1kg fresh black mussels, de-bearded, washed and drained 400gr white fleshed fish, skinned, cut into 2cm cubes* 50gr butter 40ml olive oil 1 cup white wine 1.5Lt pure cream Parsley, chopped Cracked black pepper Method... 1. Place a large saucepan over a high heat. Add t...

This book is pretty much the best book ever. Next to my trusty (and crusty or 'well-loved' as some would say) Cook's Companion , this book is always a fantastic reference when I'm mucking around in the kitchen, for finding out what goes with what. I could sit here all day talking about what flavours compliment one another and there's definitely a science to it, really it can be as simple as how tomato and basil work together or something as complex as the components on which most Asian dishes are built on; sweet, salty, spicy & sour. Ingedients that need to live harmoniously together in order to create the perfect balance of flavour. But honestly, you're better off having something like this to reference so you can look up the specific ingredient you're using and try different combinations. It's definitely a must-have for any aspiring cook or chef! http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Flavour-Thesaurus-Niki-Segnit/9780747599777

No blabbing, just straight to this one... W hite Stock (2 Litres) You will need... 1Kg Raw Bones - beef, veal, chicken whichever you require 1 Brown onion, peeled, diced 1 Carrot, peeled, diced 1 Stick Celery, diced 1 Bouquet Garni* 6 Peppercorns 2.5Lt Water Method.. 1. Cut up the bones and remove any excess fat or ask your butcher to trim them for you 2. Place the bones in the stock pot, cover with cold water, blanch and refresh** 3. Put the bones in a clean stock pot, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. 4. Using a ladle, skim the scum from the surface (if you leave it your stock will be cloudy) then add the washed and cut vegetables, the bouquet garni and peppercorns. Re-boil, then turn down to simmer, and continue to skim any scum from the top. 5. Chicken stock will be ready after 3 hours, beef and veal will take 4-5 hours. 6. When straining, use a clean heatproof container, and strain through a fine sieve- I like to use muslin cloth or an oil-filter to g...

There's more to cooking then just throwing ingredients together, you need to be organised in the kitchen otherwise things are just going to fall apart. Cooking shouldn't be stressful unless you're serving an 18-course menu to 150 people all coming in at separate times, and really, even then if you're prepared it shouldn't feel like you're being raped by all those people simultaneously. I read this blog today and it gave me a really good laugh, not because of how funny she is but because I know where she's coming from. http://diaryofanapprentice.blogspot.com.au/2013/07/i-can-cook-better-than-you.html If you're a chef, married to a chef, have a chef in the family or have ever run into a chef on the street you'll know that we're an angry bunch and we hate it when people think they can waltz into a kitchen at home and do what we do. It's pretty unrealistic to think you're a Masterchef (and I really hate that term) when cooking is your h...

Going with the theme of Gluten-Free today (I promise I won't do too much of this), I thought I'd share my other favourite recipe, which I love to portion and keep in my freezer to warm up and serve with my favourite vanilla, caramel and macadamia icecream on nights I feel like eating something sweet and naughty. It really is your classic gluten-free cake, using whipped egg whites to help it rise and keep it light and fluffy in the absence of a raising agent such as self-raising flour... Some of these kinds of cakes can still be quite dense and heavy (which isn't necessarily a bad thing!), but this one sits on the boarder line of being not too heavy but still not quite light which I love. Again, the trick is to use good quality ingredients, I used Callebaut Belgian Dark Chocolate in the Select range which has 53.8% cocoa solids which basically means its got a lovely rich well-balanced chocolate flavour without being overly bitter. You can check out the different ...

This recipe was introduced to me by a friend, she brought it to my house for dessert on one of our treasured girls nights in and I fell in love with it. I later discovered the recipe on taste.com and never looked back. It's Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free, but don't let that trick you into thinking its healthy! It's got a decent amount of sugar in it (which I'm sure you can trade for a sugar-replacement like Stevia if you wish to, or even limit the amount of sugar you use), and it really goes best with a dollop of double-cream and a handful of blueberries. I changed up the recipe by adding a little bit of desiccated coconut and vanilla bean so you can just taste a hint of a little something extra. I also like this cake done in a Lamington/brownie tin, so you can cut it into bite-sized squares to serve at parties, but you can do it in a cake tin if you wish or even muffin trays for individual cakes, just adjust the cooking time. You will need... 2 L...

As I mentioned before I'm a chef and I'm Hangry, but now that its after lunch and my hunger has been satiated, I can begin with my first and favourite recipe. This is one of the first proper recipes I ever made even before I was an apprentice chef and as a result it stuck with me. Being of Italian heritage, this is a staple in our diet, and when I make it I don't do it by halves, I make a large batch and freeze it in portions and I rely on it for weekdays when I really just want comfort food and couldn't be bothered cooking. Dinner is ready in the time it takes to boil the pasta. It's evolved with me over the years and now I'm confident to say it's my perfect Bolognese. It's my versatile best friend, I make Lasagna and Moussaka with it, I cook it down a bit with some Mexican seasoning for awesome meaty nachos, tacos and sloppy burritos. I eat it by itself with a hunk of bread when I'm feeling extra Hangry. Everyone has their own spin on Bolog...