The Hangry Chef

If you are new to cooking salmon, heres a great little resource for pan-frying a really good bit of fish----> http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-cook-perfect-salmon-fillets-230150 I would recommend using this method for most fish and meats. Bringing seafood or meat to room temperature before cooking and using a hot pan is key for ensuring your protein doesn't 'seize' up and go tough while cooking. Also, I recommend resting EVERYTHING before you serve it. Most people know to rest meats like beef and lamb but not many people know that fish and chicken also require a good rest time to ensure tenderness and juiciness. Always cook the side you intend to serve facing up first (chef trick), and if you are a fan of crispy salmon skin then ensure you salt the skin (just like you would crackling) and cook it first in a good bit of oil. As you can see from my images, I didn't serve skin side up as we passed on the skin this time- but it always adds a nice bit of crunchine...

I recently found a couple of rogue tomato plants that had somehow taken root in my garden beds. Now it has to be said that I have tried and failed many times to grow my own fruit, herbs and vegetables,  so I have given up and now only keep hardy succulents that I know I can't kill. But when I saw these tomato plants growing out of nowhere, I decided to leave them and see how they fared without my grey thumb touching them. So, surprise surprise, I now have two large tomato vines, both baring fruit to the tune of about 30-40 tomatoes. These beauties have thrived on my neglect and I was able to pluck two ripe ones yesterday. WINNING! In honour of the first fruit I have ever grown from a seedling in my own backyard, I decided to make the most traditional tomato dish ever- Tomato Bruschetta! Bruschetta, meaning 'toasted bread' has no limits it seems, with most restaurants serving all different incarnations of the delicious Italian snack. There is only one true brusche...

A few simple steps and you can have yummy banana bread, you can slice this loaf up, wrap it up and freeze it for lunch boxes or eat it all in one go! You will need... 3 ripe bananas 2 eggs 1/2 cup milk 1/4 cup margerine 3/4 cups caster sugar 1 tsp cinnamon 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicard soda 2 cups plain flour Method... 1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius, grease and line a loaf tin. 2. Peel all the bananas, mash two in a bowl using a fork, and slice the other banana lengthways and set aside to place on top of the banana bread. 3. Sift all dry ingredients together into a bowl. In a separate bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, add the milk and mashed banana. 4. Melt the margarine in the microwave and set aside to cool. 5. Form a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients slowly while mixing with a wooden spoon, stir well to make sure there are no lumps then finally add the melted margarine and stir to combine well. 6. Pour the batter into the pr...

You will need.. 2.5kg pork leg roast, de-boned, trussed with skin scored (ask your butcher to do this for you) 2 Tbsp sea salt 2 Tbsp olive oil 2 Tbsp lemon juice fennel seeds (optional) Mirepoix- chunky diced vegetables 1 carrot 1 onion 2 celery sticks 4 cloves garlic (leave whole in skins- just lightly bruised) Gravy 2 Tbsp plain flour 2 cups reduced salt stock (or water) Salad 1 fennel bulb, shaved 1 granny smith apple, thinly sliced 1/2 cup roasted, peeled hazelnuts 1 cup baby rocket leaves 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 Tbsp vinegar of your choice salt and pepper to season roasted vegetables of your choice- pumpkin and sweet potato go well Method.. 1. Preheat your oven to 240 degrees celsius. 2. Dice the mirepoix and in the bottom of a heavy roasting tray, and lightly drizzle with olive oil. 3. Rub a drizzle of olive oil over the skin of the pork. Scatter salt to evenly cover in a light layer over the pork skin, then drizzle lemon juice and a scatter of f...

This is a great afternoon snack or morning tea. You can make it a day or two ahead, and wrap it up nicely for lunch boxes or to serve with a nice cup of tea to fend off three-thirtyitis. You will need... 250gr packet of Arnott's Marie biscuits 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut 125gr unsalted butter, melted 2 tins sweetened condensed milk 3 lemons, zest and juice 4 eggs, room temperature, separated 3/4 cup of caster sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract extra desiccated coconut Method... Grease and line a 25x15cm (roughly) lamington or slice tray. Combine the biscuits and 2 Tbsp desiccated coconut into a food processor. Blend until biscuits become a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and pulse until combined. Spoon biscuit base into the prepared slice tray and press firmly with your hands to form an even base. Place in the fridge for 1 hr. To make the filling, combine egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lemon rind with 3/4 cup of lemon juice. Pour filling onto base and pop i...

Nothing goes better with a sausage BBQ then potato salad. This is a nice, light summery one that you're friends and family will love, which can be a good thing-but also a bad thing if they demand you make it for every occasion!! You will need... 2kg of washed chat potatoes 1/2 lemon, finely zested and juiced 1/4 bunch of dill 1/4 bunch parsley 1/4 cup capers (or more if you like!) 1/2 spanish onion 1/2 cup cornichons (again, more if you like!) For the aioli dressing... 2 egg yolks (i use smaller, free-range eggs, but if you use larger eggs one yolk should suffice) 1 clove garlic 1 Tbs lemon juice 1 tsp white wine vinegar 1 tsp Dijon mustard salt and pepper, to taste 1 cup vegetable oil 2 tbs luke-warm water Method... 1. Cook the potatoes the night before by bringing a pot of salted water to the boil, then placing them in whole* and cooking until just soft (check with a sharp knife-if you put the knife in and it slides straight out then its cooked, but it the po...

The beef I am using is organic grass-fed rump. It's totally up to you what kind of meat you use, and I'm not going to push anything down your throat, but I'm being conscious of what I put into my body at the moment. The saying goes 'you are what you eat', and that goes for animals too- so if a cow has been munching on lovely nutrient-filled grass then it's meat is likely to contain more vitamins and minerals (B & K as well as calcium, magnesium and selenium) if you'd like to read more go to;  http://www.marksdailyapple.com/the-differences-between-grass-fed-beef-and-grain-fed-beef/#axzz2hMbrtNP6 You will need... (for 2 or three people) 400gr beef rump (or you could use lamb, pork or even chicken) 1 clove garlic 1 pinch chilli flakes 1 pinch dried parsley 1 pinch dried thyme 1 pinch (you're liking my measurement system here?) dried rosemary* course salt freshly ground black pepper 1 Tbs balsamic vinegar 1 splash (again so spec...