TWD - Clam Chowder Pie

This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie (Baking with Dorie) recipe is Clam Chowder Pie. Dorie describes this dish as clam chowder soup in pie form.

The recipe contains canned clams, an ingredient that is not readily available in Australia, and oysterette crackers,  which are not a thing here at all. I subbed in frozen cooked clams from an Asian supermarket and Ritz crackers.

I only made a half recipe of pie, which was still sufficient to fill a 9” enamel pie tin.

 Unfortunately this pie was not my thing. I didn’t enjoy the strong sea taste of the clams, and I didn’t love the combination of flavours, including celery, capsicum, worcestershire sauce, tabasco sauce, Old Bay seasoning (also not an Aussie thing - I used paprika) and bacon.

It is definitely an interesting idea to create a pie based on a soup, but this one was just not for me.

To see what everyone else made this week and what they thought of it, visit the LYL section of the TWD website.

Orecchiette with Prawns and Zucchini

Nigella Lawson has said that she likes to keep frozen prawns on hand to make a prawn dish whenever she fancied it.  Inspired by this, I grabbed a tray of prawns at the supermarket recently with this orecchiette dish in mind. The recipe comes from Taste.com.

This dish is a terrific all in one, and dead easy to make.  If you'd like to try it, you will need:

400g orecchiette

60ml olive oil

2 crushed cloves garlic

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed

2 small chillies, seeded and finely chopped

2 zucchini, finely diced

700g medium green king prawns, deveined and cut into 3 (I just used small prawns)

2 cups baby spinach

1/2 cup mint leaves, torn

juice of half a lemon

salt

Cook the pasta and drain, retaining 1/3 cup cooking water.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a frying pan.  Add garlic, capers, zucchini, chillies and a half teaspoon of salt  and cook, stirring, for three minutes.  Add the prawns and cook on high until the prawns are cooked through.

Add the pasta, three quarters of the mint, spinach and lemon juice to the prawn mixture and mix to combine.  Season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with the remaining mint.

Serve and enjoy!

Prawn and Leek Stir Fry

Prawns are very popular over the summer months and are wonderful to enjoy just on their own.  However, another way to enjoy prawns is in a stir fry.

In a recent edition of Woolworths Fresh magazine, there was a recipe for a delicious prawn and leek stir fry, packed with delicious, colourful vegetables.

If you would like to try this different way to serve prawns, you will need:

1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2cm knob of peeled, grated ginger
1 crushed clove garlic
600g green prawns, shelled and deveined, tails on
dark green part of 2 leeks
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 carrot sliced into matchsticks
1 bunch broccolini, sliced
1 deseeded and finely sliced red capsicum

Put the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, sugar and garlic in a medium bowl and stir to combine.  Add the prawns and stir to coat. 

Wash and roughly chop the leeks.  

Heat the peanut oil in a wok, and add the vegetables, cooking until they start to soften. Add the prawns and cook for ~3 minutes or until they change colour.  Serve with rice or noodles.

EwE - Grilled Shrimp Po'Boy - Roll It Up, Roll It Up

For Eating with Ellie this week, Margaret chose the theme of Roll It Up, Roll It Up.  I decided to interpret this as something in a roll, and made Ellie's Grilled Shrimp Po'Boy from Comfort Food Fix. 

This Po'Boy was very easy and very tasty - grilled prawns in a roll with veggies and a tasty, zingy sauce.  I had to buy a few things I don't normally use (eg horseradish) but it was worth it.  I'd make this again.

To see what everyone else made this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.

EwE - Shrimp Fra Diavlo with Spinach - I'll Have The Shrimp!

For Eating with Ellie this week, Kayte chose the theme of I'll Have The Shrimp!  In Australia, "shrimp" are "prawns", and these delicious but smelly little fellas are immortalised in the idiom, "Don't come the raw prawn with me" (ie don't try to fool me). 

I chose Ellie's Shrimp Fra Diavlo (Shrimp "Brother Devil") with Spinach from So Easy, a recipe featuring pasta, shrimp and a spicy sauce, with wilted spinach added.  The pasta was supposed to be spaghetti, but I used macaroni instead because that is what I had in the pantry.

I really enjoyed this tasty dish - I made a half recipe, and ate half for dinner one night and half for lunch the next day.  This is definitely a repeat dish.

To see what everyone else had for Ellie's shrimp dishes, visit the LYL section of the Eating with Ellie website.

Spinach Fettucine with Salmon, Fennel and Asparagus

Cook with Jamie is one of my favourite cookbooks.  I have owned it for years, and I used to cook out of it regularly.  The other day, I was fed up with making the same lunch over and over and was looking for something different.  I flicked through Cook with Jamie, because Jools' Favourite Sunday Pasta is also one of my favourites.   However, this time, my eyes lighted on Jamie's Crab Linguine.  I thought that would make for a perfect lunch!  You can find the recipe, slightly modified, online here. 

I ended up taking the idea of Jamie's crab linguine and making something a little different.  I already had spinach fettucine in the pantry, so I used that instead of linguine.  Crab meat, even the tinned variety, was outrageously expensive, so I used canned pink salmon instead.  I kept the lovely fennel and asparagus and Jamie's dressing of lemon juice and olive oil.  The end result is strongly inspired by Jamie's recipe, just with a couple of ingredients swapped out to save some dollars.

This pasta was beautifully light but still tasty.  I was very happy with my version of "crab linguine". 

EwE - From the Sea - Wok-Charred Lettuce and Spinach Noodle Stir-Fry with Shrimp

This week's Eating with Ellie theme, From the Sea, was chosen by Margaret.  In Weeknight Wonders, there is a whole chapter devoted to seafood, so that is where I went to choose my dish.

I selected Ellie's Wok-Charred Lettuce and Spinach Noodle Stir-Fry with Shrimp (in 'Straya, that's prawns).  This dish comprised spinach fettucine, prawns, gem lettuce, spinach, shallot and garlic all stir-fried with soy, sriracha, vegetable broth into one delicious dish.

This was easy to make, and quite tasty.  I would make it again.

To see what the other Ellie cooks made this week, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.  

EwE - Shrimp Pad Thai Salad

For Eating with Ellie this week, Glennis chose Shrimp Pad Thai.  This was a healthy version of pad thai - no egg noodles or peanuts here, just rice noodles and spicy sauce with cabbage and carrots and prawns and bean sprouts.

I actually didn't mind this at all - it is not as tasty as a traditional pad thai, but it is also not as fattening.

To see hat the others thought of this dish, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.

EwE - Shrimp Creole

It was my turn to pick for Eating with Ellie this week, and I chose Shrimp Creole.

I went seriously off piste with this recipe.  I found I had no onions, so I used leek.  I bought a yellow, not a green, capsicum.  I used Cajun seasoning as Creole seasoning is not a thing here, and Cajun sounded pretty close.  I also used frozen spinach instead of fresh baby spinach, as I used up all the baby spinach on something else, not realising that I needed it for this.

I really enjoyed this dish.  It had a bit of zing, with the Cajun seasoning and tabasco sauce, and tasted really good.  This is definitely one I'd make again.

To see what everyone else thought of this dish, visit the LYL section of the EwE website.

FFWD - Seafood Pot-au-Feu

This is a momentous occasion, because this week, we have finally made it through all of the seafood recipes in Around My French Table - hooray!!

Our final dip in the ocean for French Fridays with Dorie is a Seafood Pot-au-Feu - salmon, scallops and mussels cooked in a light vegetable broth.  I made sure that I chose really nice scallops and used good stock to make sure that this dish tasted delicious.

I liked this, though I have to say it is best to try and finish it all while it is fresh, as it is nowhere near as good the next day.

I had never cooked with salmon, mussels or scallops until FFWD, so this was a culmination of learning to cook all three.  One of my mussels didn't open properly, and I reckon I confirmed Dorie's advice that you really shouldn't use those - I pried it open and it was a gross pasty white instead of a healthy, glowing orange - into the bin it went. 

To see what the other FFWD cooks thought of this week's dish, visit the LYL section of the FFWD website.

FFWD - Vanilla-Butter-Braised Lobster

 

She's your lobster!

                                                   Phoebe Buffet, Friends

 

For French Fridays with Dorie this week, we are back on our extended trip to the seaside.  However, today we are trying something very different - Vanilla-Butter-Braised Lobster. 

 

I had never previously tasted, let alone cooked, lobster, and I was kind of like a rabbit in the headlights for a while.  This was compounded by the fact that Dorie's unabridged recipe involved using 4 live lobsters and 700g of butter!  I didn't even know where to buy live lobster.

 

Once I had time to take a step back, my plan of action was clear.  I would go to the fishmonger in a posh neighbourhood, where they were more likely to stock lobster, and I would ask for frozen lobster (ie one that someone else had conveniently dispatched for me).

 

In this vein, I ventured off to the balmy climes of Hawksburn Village, where indeed I was able to acquire frozen lobster.  However, frozen lobster tends to mean just the lobster tail.  I was fine with that, especially as the cheapest said lobster tail (singular) cost $25.95!

 

The lobster tail went into the freezer until Valentines Day, when I invited Tim to dinner to share in my rather pricey lobster entree.

 

I scaled down the clarified butter to 125g (as a guess), and prepped butter and lobster before Tim came over.

 

To prepare the lobster for braising, you have to dunk it in boiling water for a few minutes.  It goes from this:    



to this:

Inside, once the shell is peeled away, you get very pretty red meat:

The lobster had its revenge somewhat, as its shell is remarkably spiny, so I had to take care in removing it.  However, the shell thankfully yielded up the meat very easily, even if it did prick my fingers.

Once you have your prepped lobster meat and vanilla flavoured clarified butter (yep, you read correctly) ready, it is a very simple matter to braise the meat in the butter.  I halved the lobster tail for an entree sized serving.

I served the lobster meat on a bed of lemon steamed spinach, as suggested by Dorie.  I was pleasantly surprised by this dish - the vanilla flavour was quite subtle (Tim couldn't detect it at all),  and the overall dish was very tasty.  However, with the price of lobster, I won't be serving it too often!

To see what the other Doristas thought of this dish, visit the LYL section of the FFWD website.

If you are a fan of fashion, do check out my travel blog post on the Jean Paul Gaultier exhibition which was recently hosted by the National Gallery of Victoria.

EwE - Japanese-Style Savoury Vegetable Pancakes with Prawns

I am a fan of My Kitchen Rules on Channel 7.  I told myself that this year, I wasn't going to get hooked - but it's already happened, and I am in, at least for the instant restaurant round.  Last night, I was very excited to see my home town featured.  It looked so pretty, and made me a little wistful for home. 

In my kitchen, I recently made Japanese-Style Savoury Vegetable Pancakes with Prawns for our new Thursday cooking group, Eating With Ellie.  This week's recipe was selected by Chaya.

I made an approximation of a quarter of the recipe for breakfast one morning.  It may be because I am not very good at cooking this sort of thing properly (too dark on the outside, not quite cooked enough in the middle), or maybe because prawns aren't my thing early in the morning, but I wasn't taken by these.  I want to steal Margaret's pancakes (as pictured on the Eating with Ellie website), as they look so crispy and golden.  For this reason, my indifference is probably more about my personal execution of the dish than the recipe.

To see what the other members of our group thought of these pancakes, visit the LYL section of the EwE website. And if you'd like to join us, just contact any one of the EwE members and get a hold of  copy of Ellie Krieger's Weeknight Wonders, the book from which we are cooking.

FFWD - Winter Ceviche

For French Fridays with Dorie this week, we made Winter Ceviche.  As you may expect, this was another seafood dish, but this timer with scallops.  Although labelled as a winter dish, this ceviche is perfect in summer too, as it uses bright, fresh ingredients and is quite light and served cold. 

Instead of investing in mango nectar for the citrus and mango marinade, I used peach juice from a can of tinned peaches instead.  I imagine the end result would be similar, as both the nectar and the peach juice are sweet and fruity.

You are supposed to serve the marinated scallops on a bed of tarragon, but I issued baby spinach instead.

I enjoyed this winter ceviche (after all, it is based on  the luxury of scallops), but it didn't excite me.   I probably wouldn't make it again, as there are ways to serve scallops that I like better.

To see what the other Doristas thought of this dish, visit the LYL section of the FFWD website.

Eating with Ellie - Shrimp with Spinach, Garlic and Smoked Paprika

Welcome to week one of our new group, Eating with Ellie.  Each Thursday, we will be cooking out of  Ellie Krieger's book, Weeknight Wonders.  I am not familiar with Ellie or her cooking, but I am up for an adventure, so I am joining in.  I am especially keen on the fact that Ellie states that the recipes in Weeknight Wonders can be made in 30 minutes or less - perfect.  I am usually time poor, so the quicker that a recipe can yield tasty results, the better.  

For our first week, Kayte chose Shrimp with Spinach, Garlic and Smoked Paprika.  This recipe can be found online here.

I really enjoyed this dish.  It is deceptively simple - some prawns mixed with a few spices and served on a bed of wilted spinach.  However, it tastes marvellous - no other sauces or condiments are required, which surprised me, as the juices from the spinach and the prawns meld with the spices to provide their own sauce.

To see what the other EwE cooks thought of this dish, visit the LYL section of the EwE website. 

FFWD - Curried Mussels and Mussels with Chorizo make-up

 

Mussels always remind me of the hammam. When we'd go there I'd hear the elders open their souls as mussels do when steamed.

Fanis Iakovides, A Touch of Spice

This week for French Friday with Dorie, we revisited mussels, this time as Curried Mussels.  The mussels are presented in a simple but delicious sauce of curry powder, onions, thyme, chilli, shallots and cream:

This is my favourite mussel recipe out of Around My French Table so far, and I delightedly soaked up the sauce with bread.

I also did a make-up recipe in the form of Mussels with Chorizo:

I had to do this because I had accidentally made Moules Mariniere twice - here and here.  While the Mussels in Chorizo, with its spicy sausage and tomato sauce, was tasty, it did not have a patch on the curried mussels for me:

At least after all this practice with mussels, I am now an old hand at de-bearding them (which I hate doing).  Sometimes, I just can't yank the whole beard out, so I have learned how to get rid of it after cooking.  I tell you, after biting into a gobful of beards the first time I cooked mussels, I learned fast.

To see what the other Doristas thought of yet another fishy week, visit the LYL section of the FFWD website.

The Drunken Admiral, Hobart - Take Two

 

If you are a seafood lover, I hope that the above picture caught your eye.  It was taken at the glorious Drunken Admiral Seafarers Restaurant in Hobart in December. It was Tim and I's second visit to this revered establishment, having first dined there in November 2013.

 

A suitably piratic skull 'n' crossbones sign marks the location of the restaurant at Constitution Dock:

 

 
while a figurehead, presumably of the Admiral, peers down at you as you enter:
 

 
Once inside, nautical memorabilia jostles for space with ye old advertising signs, making for a cosy if eclectic atmosphere: 

 
For entrée, both Tim and I made the very wise move of ordering the Fish Market Chowder ($15.50):

 
This is seriously one of the best things I have ever tasted, sweet or savoury.  It was simply devine, and if there is a next time, I will order this as a main.  It is just that good.

For main course, Tim ordered "Hook, Line and Sinker" - tempura fish with garlic, cumin, coriander, oregano, paprika and lime, with sticky ginger dip, fried and salad ($33.90): 

 
I got to try the sticky ginger dip on some fries, and it is seriously good.

My choice of main course was Port - Starboard ($35.90) - a hot and cold seafood banquet featuring chilled tiger prawns, fried scallops, a Bloody Mary oyster shooter, fried prawns,  chilled marinated octopus, beetroot and vodka cured salmon, ocean trout pate and crackers, tartare and cocktail sauces, and fried:

I did not like the Bloody Mary oyster shooter and was so so about the octopus and fried prawns.  However, I loved the tiger prawns, and my favourite of all was the delicious, smooth ocean trout pate, which would have been lovely all by itself.

For good reason, we were so full by the time we finished all of this that we skipped dessert altogether.

The Drunken Admiral has sittings as early as 5.30pm, and is very popular, so be sure to book if you want to be assured of a table.

The Drunken Admiral is a winner with us - we'd go again.

The Drunken Admiral

 17-19 Hunter St. Old Wharf

Hobart Town, Tasmania

Ph: +61 3 62 341 903

WWDH - Paella

We are going Spanish on Wednesday with Donna Hay this week, as Kayte chose Paella from p144 of Modern Classics I.

I have never made paella before, so I found it an interesting  exercise.  Donna's recipe calls for clams and mussels.  To the credit of the Malvern fishmonger, they stocked both - but mussels cost $12.50 for a small packet, and the clams cost $31.50!!!!  As I am neither a major seafood aficionado or having a dinner party, I skipped over to Woolies and bought marinara mix instead.  Sure, it isn't as picturesque without those shells popping open, but it is way more wallet friendly.

I made only a third of a portion of Donna's recipe, enough for me for two meals.  I quite enjoyed this dish, after being initially a little dubious.  I'd definitely make it again, especially as it is a much simpler paella recipe than others that I have seen.

To see how Kayte, Margaret, Chaya and Sarah fared with this dish, visit their websites.

FFWD - Crab-avocado “Ravioli”

We are still by the seaside for this week's French Friday with Dorie, this time dining on crustaceans - in particular, crabs.  This dish is called Crab-avocado “Ravioli”, and the quotes are there for a reason - this is not ravioli at all, but rather, herbed crab meat sandwiched between two thin slices of avocado.

I am sorry Dorie, but I did not understand this one at all.  Sure, I understood how to make it.  I even made my mandolin cut through the avocado pit, a delicate task given that I had to abandon the hand guard and press the avocado across the blade with force to make it cut.  But why Dorie, why? 

This tasted OK - crabmeat and avocado, what's not to like?  But I think this combination would have been much better as the base for a salad, as a number of Doristas have said they would do.

To see whether this was hit or miss with the other Doristas, visit the LYL section of the website.

WWDH - Fried Rice

This week's Wednesday with Donna Hay pick is Fried Rice from Modern Classics I, chosen by Margaret.  You can also find the recipe online here.

My experience with Fried Rice in the past has been from dubious Chinese takeaways, and it hasn't really impressed me.  However, this is not your average Fried Rice - it is somehow lighter and more flavoursome than the Chinese takeaway equivalent.  I think it was even better on day two.

I have never made Fried Rice before, but was surprised at how easy it was.  This one is definitely a keeper.
  
To see what Margaret and Sarah thought of this week's picks, visit their websites. 

FFWD - Moules Mariniere

This week's French Fridays with Dorie recipe is a classic - Moules Mariniere (mussels in white wine broth).  This is only the second time I have cooked mussels, but I learnt my lesson about the beards well, and this time, there were no nasty surprises in my mussels.

I used Sauternes as the wine, as I had some in the fridge.  There's not much else to say about this dish - just that it was good. 

I could only buy 1kg of mussels (for one person!), so with the leftovers, I made a mussel omelette the next day: 

This was pretty good too.

To see what the other Doristas thought of this week's dish, visit the LYL section of the website.