Chilli Con Carne West

Chilli Con Carne is one of those dishes that spark debate and opinion the world over. Though the dish can be dubiously traced back as early as 16^th century the proper use of ingredients causes as much controversy with Chilli aficionados as Kanye West did with fans of Taylor Swift during her acceptance speech at the 2009 MTV Music Awards…

The two ingredients in question are beans and tomatoes. Chilli Con Carne is the official dish of the State of Texas and you may as well add yourself to the pot as soon as add beans. They are pretty serious about their Chilli! In fact some purists say that the only vegetable that can be added are the Chillies themselves…

Throughout America, especially in the South Western States they have Chilli Cooking Competitions where home cooks and professionals slave over massive caldrons of bubbling goodness to prove that they make the worlds best Chilli… and with names like “Four Alarm Chilli” and “Old Leatherthroat Chilli Con Carne” it makes me want to hop the next plane to San Antonio and watch the masters at work!

I have taken some liberties with my Chilli Con Carne and added both beans and tomatoes, hence the name of the dish… If you are a purist please feel free to omit them… I would like to avoid being added to the next pot of somebodies Chilli! 

Beef, Pork and Andouille Sausage Chilli Con Carne with Whiskey, Molasses and Mulato Chillies

Ingredients

For the Beef, Whiskey and Mulato Chilli Stock

1.5 kg Beef Bones

10 Cloves Garlic

2 Onions Roughly Chopped

2 Stalks Celery including Leaves Roughly Chopped

2 Tomato Vine Stems

2 Tomatoes Roughly Chopped

2 Carrots Roughly Chopped

175 ml Whiskey

2 Bay Leaves

2 Mulato Chillies

2.5 Litres Water

1.5 tsp Cinnamon

1 Bunch Coriander Root

60 ml Olive Oil

For the Beef, Pork and Andouille Sausage Chilli Con Carne

750g Chuck Steak

750g Pork Loin

4 Andouille Sausages

1 Red Capsicum Deseeded and Finely Chopped

1 Green Capsicum Deseeded and Finely Chopped

3 Jalapeno Chillies Deseeded and Finely Chopped

3 Long Red Chillies Deseeded and Finely Chopped

1 Red Onion Finely Chopped

2 Tbsp Molasses

2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

1 Tin Tomato

2 Chipotle Chillies

1 Clove of Garlic

1 Tin Red Kidney Bean

250 ml Dark Beer

3 Tsp Hot Sauce/Salsa Picante

3 Tbsp Coriander Finely Chopped

1 ½ Tsp Cumin

60 ml Olive Oil

2 Litres Beef, Whiskey and Mulato Chilli Stock

Salt

Pepper

Sour Cream for Garnish 

Method

For the Beef, Whiskey and Mulato Chilli Stock

1. Heat Oven to 180 Degrees Celsius
2. Place Beef Bones and Garlic on Roasting Pan. Drizzle a splash of Olive oil, some salt and pepper and cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
3. Heat Oil in a large pot over a medium heat and add onions. Cook for 20 minutes and celery, carrots and cook for a further 10 minutes.
4. Remove the Bones and garlic from the tray and add to the pot. Place roast pan over a burner on a low heat and deglaze with Whiskey.
5. Cook until liquid has been reduced by half ensuring you scrape the juices from the bottom of the pan. Add liquid to the pot.
6. Add the water, tomatoes, tomato vine, bay leaves, cinnamon and coriander leaves to pot.
7. Using a blowtorch or flame from the burner lightly toast the Mulato Chillies until they become fragrant.
8. Add to pot and bring to gentle simmer and skim the scum off the top of the stock with a large spoon. Reduce heat to low and cover. Cook for 2 hours.
9. Take the stock of the heat and strain through a China Cap or Colander into a large bowl. Remove the bones and with the end of a ladle press all the juices through.
10. Strain the Stock again through a fine mesh strainer into a sealable container and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours… over night is better.
11. Remove the stock from the fridge and skim off the fat from the top. Reserve.

For the Beef, Pork and Andouille Sausage Chilli Con Carne

1. Using a blowtorch or a burner Heat the Chipotle Chillies until they are fragrant.
2. Place in a bowl and cover them with boiling water. Use a can to weigh them down and let them soak for 20 minutes.
3. Remove the Chillies from the water and cut off the stems and deseed.
4. In a Food Processor add the Chipotle Chillies, the tin of Tomatoes and bend together. Reserve.
5. Heat Oil in a large pot over a low heat and add onions, garlic, Jalapenos, Red Chillies and Capsicum. Cook for approx 15 min until onions turn golden.
6. Remove the casing from the Sausage and cut into bite size chucks
7. Place Pork and Beef into bowl and add Molasses and Cayenne Pepper, mix well coating all the meat.
8. Heat oil in a Cast Iron Skillet (or fry pan in you don’t have one) over a medium heat and brown the Sausage and add to the pot.
9. In the same pan add the Pork and Beef and brown well. Once browned deglaze the pan with the dark beer and scrape off all the goodness from the bottom of the pan. Reduce the beer by half and add the liquid and the meat to the pot.
10. Add the Tomato and Chipotle mix, Beef Stock, Cumin and Hot Sauce, mix well and bring to gentle simmer. Cover and cook for 45 minutes or until meat is tender and breaks apart.
11. Remove the lid and the Kidney beans and cook for another 30 minutes, Chilli should be nice and thick when you stir it, kind of like a stew.
12. Once the liquid has cooked down and thickened season with Salt and Pepper to taste.
13. Serve with Sour Cream and Coriander… always fun to have Crackers or Corn Chips on the side for something to crunch on…. Enjoy!

Jambalaya, Tell Me Sweet Jambalaya

Being a huge fan of The Wire, I recently started watching the HBO series Treme. Season 1 focuses on a group of characters from New Orleans rebuilding their lives after the devastation Hurricane Katrina. 

From Episode One I was pretty much hooked and the more I watched, it got me to thinking that I don’t cook enough Creole and Cajun food. So I decided that I needed to rectify this ASAP and make myself some Jambalaya.

I had attempted to make Jambalaya several years earlier with mixed results. Okay, that’s an understatement, it tasted pretty average indeed. I think the main reason was that the dish lacked any real depth of flavour. It came down to the fact that I used a store bought chicken stock and it really didn’t cut it. Now don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against store bought stock. Not everyone has the time to make their own stock every time nor the space to store different master stocks. But sometimes it is worth taking the time to make it all from scratch.

There are many varieties of Jambalaya; from the Creole version, which uses tomato to flavour the dish, and the Cajun that omits tomato and uses the browned meat from the bottom of the pot to colour and flavour the dish. It also tends to be smoky and spicier than its Creole cousin.

I wanted my Jambalaya to recreate the flavours of New Orleans but still tie in the dark swampy Bayous of South Western Louisiana. To emulate this I decided to flavour this stock with Roast Duck, Bourbon, Chipotle and Prawns.

I think this is a great dish to start on a Saturday afternoon in anticipation of a great Sunday dinner. It fills your home with some wonderfully dark, rich smells and if you happen to play some Dixieland in the background and close your eyes, you may just be transported to Bourbon Street New Orleans, even if it’s just for a moment.

Roast Duck, Bourbon and Chipotle Jambalaya with Black Tiger Prawns and Chorizo Sausage.

Serves 6

Ingredients

For the Jambalaya

4 x Duck Legs

2x Chorizo Sausage Cut into Slices

500g Long Grain Rice

1 x Tin Tomatoes Crushed

½ Red Onion Finely Chopped

¾ Red Capsicum Finely Chopped

¾ Green Capsicum Finely Chopped

6 x Long Red Chilli, Stems removed, deseeded and finely chopped

2 Litres Roast Duck, Bourbon and Chipotle Stock

2 Sprigs Thyme, Leaves Removed and Finely Chopped

10 x Black Tiger Prawns Shelled and Deviened (Shells and Heads Reserved)

2 Sprigs Parsley Leaves Finely Chopped

50ml Olive Oil

¼ Tsp Ground Cayenne Pepper

Salt

Pepper

For the Roast Duck, Bourbon and Chipotle Stock

2.5 Litres of Water

2 x Red Onions Chopped

2 x Stalks Celery Chopped

2 x Carrots Chopped

2 x Chipotle Chillies

2 x Duck Carcasses Roughly Chopped

4 x Duck Wings Roughly Chopped

10 x Prawn Shells and Heads (Cleaned)

175ml Bourbon

10 Cloves Garlic Peeled and Smashed

50ml Olive Oil

Salt

Method

For the Roast Duck, Bourbon and Chipotle Stock

1. Pre Heat Oven to 180 Degrees Celsius
2. Using a Blowtorch or Burner carefully heat Chipotle Chillies until aromatic. Reserve.
3. Heat a Large Pot over a low heat and add the Olive Oil and Onions
4. Cook Onions stirring constantly until they caramelise (approx 30 min)
5. Add Carrots and Celery to pot and cook until soft.
6. Place Duck Carcasses, Wings and Garlic Cloves on Roasting Tray and cook until golden brown.
7. Remove Tray from oven, place Duck Carcasses, Wings and Garlic into the Pot
8. Place Tray over a burner on a medium heat and deglaze Tray with Bourbon. Scrape all the roasting juices off the bottom of the tray and cook off ¾ of the Bourbon. Add to Pot.
9. Add the Chipotle and add enough water to just cover the ingredients. Heat until gentle simmer and cover.
10. Cook Stock for 2 hours.
11. Add Prawn Shells and Heads and cook for a further 25 minutes
12. Strain stock through a China Cap into a large bowl using a ladle to press all the liquid out.
13. Strain Liquid again this time through a Fine Mesh Sieve.
14. Cover the Bowl and place into the Fridge overnight if possible, minimum 2 hours.
15. Remove stock from Fridge and using a large spoon remove the solidified layer of fat from the top of the stock. Reserve Stock.

For the Jambalaya

1. Heat Olive Oil in a Pot over a low heat
2. Add Onions, Chillies and Capsicum and cook until Soft
3. While they are cooking heat a Griddle Pan over a medium heat and brown Duck legs.
4. Increase the heat under the Pot to Medium, add Sausage and Brown
5. Add Duck Legs, Tomatoes, Stock, Thyme a few grinds of black pepper and about a ¼ of a teaspoon of Cayenne Pepper.
6. Bring to a simmer and cook for approx 20 minutes.
7. Remove Duck Legs from pot and take the meat off the bones. Chop up into large chunks and return to the pot.
8. Add the rice to the pot and cook until almost done. Should take 10-15 minutes.
9. Add Prawns and cook for a further 5 minutes. Rice should be cooked through and the Prawns cooked until not translucent.
10. Add Parsley and season to taste with Salt and Pepper. If you want it a little hotter add a little more Cayenne Pepper and stir through well.
11. Serve with a beer, a chilled glass of white wine or for those who are truly game… a shot of Bourbon!

Prawn in the U.S.A.

I was talking to a few friends the other day about the difference between Prawns and Shrimp.

Was it just a colloquial name applied to the same thing in two different countries?

Was there an actual difference between the two?

After much heated discussion and online searches to support our arguments we came to the agreement that while prawns and shrimp are actually from two different suborders, the names are used more commonly to refer to the same thing.

That being said, what the hell are Jumbo Shrimp? The name, in fact the sentence, makes no sense to me at all.

Anyhow, it leads me to ask the question, what is a prawn in the USA?

And that night I had a dream.

In it I was standing in a crowded stadium, tens of thousands of people surrounding me. In the distance I could see a band on stage, though at first I could not make out who they were or what they were playing.

I started to push through the throng of people around me and slowly made my way closer to the stage. As I pushed my way through I realized that the band on stage was Bruce Springsteens’ backing band, The E Street band. I could see Clarence Clemons wailing away on his sax, Max Weinberg with Conan O’Brian (Don’t know why he was there) on drums and Steve Van Zandt shredding his guitar but in his Silvio Dante outfit from the Sopranos.

But there was no Bruce.

The band stopped playing suddenly and all the lights on stage dropped so as only a single spotlight could be seen, smoke swirling in the intense light. An excited hush issued from the crowd around me as a darkened figure started walking toward the light.

The figure walked out into the light, lowered its head and placed one hand on the mic. It was not Bruce Springsteen. It was a Prawn in denim jeans and a white T-Shirt.

As it raised its head it started singing in a sandy voice… “Prawn in the USA, I’m a Prawn in the USA.”

People around me raised their arms and lit lighters, swaying them in the air to the same silent beat that the prawn’s antennas moved in the soft night breeze…. they sung back to the solemn Prawn… “We were Prawns in the USA”

The crowd around me suddenly exploded as the stage lit up with a huge neon American Flag and the band played all of his hits including “Baby We Were Prawn to Run”.

As the set drew to a close they played Dancing in the Dark and the Prawn grabbed the cast members of Friends from the crowd to come and dance with him on stage.

I woke up with a start and strangely hungry….

Linguine with Pan Seared King Prawns and Prawn, Tomato and Garlic infused Olive Oil.

Ingredients

375g Linguine

3 Tomatoes Chopped Roughly

375ml of Good Quality Olive Oil

2 Sprigs of Continental Parsley

3 Cloves of Garlic Chopped Roughly

500g King Prawns Shelled and Deveined (Reserve Shells and Heads for the Oil)

Salt

Pepper

Method

1. Peel, Devein the prawns. Clean the shells and heads and reserve
2. Roughly Chop the Tomatoes, Garlic and Parsley.
3. Add the Prawn shells, Garlic and 2 tablespoons of the Olive oil to a Medium sized Saucepan and cook over a medium heat until fragrant ensuring not to burn.
4. Add the rest of the Olive Oil, Tomatoes and Parsley and heat until a low simmer, just barely bubbling.
5. Cook for approx 30 – 40 minutes testing for flavour.
6. Strain the oil through a China Cap letting all of the oil drip through. If your oil is lacking in intensity you can press the oil through but it will cloud.
7. Strain again through a fine mesh strainer and reserve.
8. Heat 4 litres of water in a large pot and bring to a rolling boil.
9. Add a good amount of salt then the Linguine, ensuring the pasta is not crowded and has room to move in pot. Cook to al dente, 6 – 8 minutes, strain and reserve
10. Heat a large fry pan with 2 tablespoons of the prawn infused oil and when at a medium heat add the prawns and cook until they are just cooked and not translucent.
11. Add the pasta and enough prawn oil to generously coat it, season with salt and pepper and toss well.
12. Serve with torn Parsley

That Chick Can Waffle On

Putting aside the slightly misogynist title of this dish (which before I get complaints, I will point out was actually suggested by my wife) this is a story about one mans search for soul food and the ridiculous lengths I will go to when it comes to eating fried chicken.

I first heard about this dish while watching the 1997 Quentin Tarantino movie Jackie Brown. In the scene where Samuel L Jackson’s character, Ordell, is trying to convince his soon to be dead associate, Beaumont, to get into the trunk, he coaxes him with the following promise…

“When we get through fucking with these Koreans… me and you go to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles on me…Think about it now…That ‘Scoe’s Special, smothered in gravy and onions…side of red beans and rice, some greens…That’s some good eatin’…”

Good eatin’ indeed.

Now while Beaumont never gets to take Ordell up on his offer as he is shot to death moments later, the idea of Chicken and Waffles was one that haunted me.

For years I would go to sleep at night and dream of this dish; crispy Fried Chicken on a bed of piping hot waffles, butter melting and oozing, the syrup pooling on the bottom of the plate. They start calling me, taunting me … and then I wake up with a start, drenched in a cold sweat like a war vet, clutching an imaginary knife and fork and screaming an order of Chicken and Waffles to an imaginary waitress. 

I needed to know more, I needed to taste it. But first I needed to know, what the hell it was.

Do you have Chicken and Waffles for Breakfast or Dinner? Waffles do lend themselves to a morning meal, but then again it could be a dessert. I realised I could eat fried chicken for breakfast, no problem. In fact, thinking about it, why wasn’t I eating fried chicken for breakfast? But this was only getting me more sidetracked and confused so I decided to research it further.

The origins of the dish are unclear and shrouded in finger lickin’ mystery. Some claim it was introduced when Thomas Jefferson bought a Waffle Iron to the States in 1790, others say it came from the Pennsylvania Dutch dish of Steamed Chicken with Waffles and Gravy. Others yet say it was born at the end of the Jazz era in 1938 at Wells Supper Club in Harlem where late night diners could not decide between breakfast and dinner. But like most Soul Food recipes it was probably handed down from generation to generation verbally and born from necessity…. which lets face it is the mother of all invention.

Continuing my search I found the most famous purveyors of the dish, Roscoe’s House of Chicken and Waffles established in 1975 in Long Beach California. Looking at the website and scanning through their menu it became clear to me that there was a whole world of food I was missing out on, and it seemed like everybody but me already knew about it. The more I looked into the dish, I found celebrities throughout the States were talking about it; Snoop Dog took David Beckham to eat it on his show Fatherhood, Gladys Knight owns her own Chicken and Waffles restaurant in Atlanta, Notorious B.I.G mentions it in his version of ‘Goin Back to Cali’, it’s in the film ‘Swingers’, hell even 30 Rock has a scene at M&G Soul Food Café in New York where they eat it.

And here I am, stuck in Australia, alone and Chicken and Waffle-less…

Dejected I knew that I would have to cross the great Pacific Ocean to sink my teeth into this, the Holy Grail of all Fried Chicken dishes.

But then, when all hope was lost and I had resigned myself to a world of healthy eating, a couple of friends asked me to join them for lunch at Sydney restaurant ‘Jazz City Diner’.

As I opened the menu my hands began to quiver. There, on the first page it sat… “Southern Fried Chicken with Waffles and Maple Syrup”. 

I looked up toward the Chef, my eyes blinded by tears and said “I’ll have the Chicken and Waffles please”.

In honor of that day I give you my humble attempt at Soul Food….

Southern Fried Chicken with Buttermilk Waffles and Maple Syrup

Ingredients

For the Waffles

500g Flour

2 Tsp Bicarbonate Soda

4 Tsp Baking Powder

2 Tsp Salt

40g Caster Sugar

150g Melted Butter

5 Eggs Beaten

750 ml Buttermilk

1 Waffle Iron

For the Southern Fried Chicken

Assorted Chicken Pieces (this one is up to you, Legs, Thighs, Wings, Breasts… they all taste good to me)

Enough Buttermilk to cover the chicken

500g Flour for dredging

Salt

Pepper

Peanut Oil amount depends on how you are cooking the chicken… we will get into that a little later.

Celery Stick (optional)

Butter

Maple Syrup

Method

1. First thing you need to do is prick the chicken pieces all over with a fork to ensure the buttermilk is penetrating the bird… if you have a large piece you can make an incision with a knife to the bone to make sure it cooks through. Once done place all the chicken in a dish and cover it in Buttermilk. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
2. In a large bowl place flour with a good whack of salt and pepper. You can add other spices if you like. Personally I like the simplicity of the buttermilk batter… but I will leave that up to you. Dredge the chicken pieces well in the flour to ensure an even coating and leave out on a rack for 15 min or so to dry.
3. Now this is where the variants for frying chicken come into play, there are so many different ways to do this. I personally use a deep fryer at 180 degrees Celsius until golden brown but if you don’t have one you can shallow fry in a large pan… Cast Iron if you want to go old school. Anyhow if you are cooking this in a pan add enough oil for a shallow fry and heat to a medium temp. Now the temperature is the key, make sure pan does not get too hot or you will burn the outside and have raw chicken in the centre. You can even add some celery to the pan for extra flavour if you want… Anyway add the chicken to the pan and cook until golden brown, turn with a pair of tongs and repeat until cooked through. Just make sure that there in no pink in the chicken. Pierce a piece to make sure and ensure the juices run clear.
4. Once finished place chicken on wax paper or a rack to drain… don’t cover as they will loose their crispy goodness!
5. Now it’s time for the waffles. In a medium bowl mix flour, bicarbonate soda, baking powder, salt and caster sugar.
6. Add the eggs, butter and buttermilk and mix into a batter… if it has a couple of lumps don’t worry… it will still taste good.
7. Heat your waffle iron, brush with oil lightly and add mixture evenly over the iron.
8. Cook for 5-6 minutes so the waffles are crisp and golden.
9. Place the waffles on a plate with some butter; add the chicken and coat the whole dish with some Maple Syrup… heaven is only a mouthful away!

The Mexican Handroll

I hear you ask, what is a Mexican Handroll?

Is it a move similar to the Mexican Wave done at sporting events?

Is it a long forgotten 80’s break-dancing move?

Or is it some sort of new Internet term that was coined around the time of LOL, BRB and a million other Internet acronyms I don’t understand?

Well it’s none of them. It’s actually a dish I cooked last week inspired by the famous Baja Fish Taco and a Tempura Prawn Temaki Sushi or Handroll as Westerners call it.

There is a little Japanese Restaurant down the road from where I live that is one of my wife’s favorite places to get lunch from. The food is fresh, delicious and very reasonably priced. One of the things I like there the most is the Tempura Prawn Handroll.

If I could, I would eat ten of them every day… but then I am pretty sure after about a year I would balloon to 700 kg and my heart would probably explode!

If you know me at all I would say the same about Tacos.

I LOVE TACOS.

So when I was researching Fish Tacos last week while eating my Tempura Prawn Handroll for lunch I was struck by a moment of inspiration. Why not combine the two?

After a bit of fiddling around deciding which elements to combine and substitute, this is what emerged…

Bar Cod fried in a Chipotle infused Tempura Batter, with Guacamole, Tomato and Red Onion Salsa, Jalapeno Mayonnaise and Habanero Hot Sauce served on a Soft Flour Tortilla

Ingredients

2 Fillets of Bar Cod or any White Fish 

1 Bottle of Habanero Hot Sauce or any Hot Sauce that takes your fancy

A few Leaves of Green Oak Lettuce (depending on how many you are making!)

Vegetable Oil to Fry

Lime to squeeze over the top at the end

For the Chipotle Infused Tempura Batter

1 Cup Flour

1 Cup Water

1 Egg Yolk

2 – 3 Tblsp Chipotle Chilli Powder

For the Jalapeno Mayonnaise

200 ml Olive Oil

1 Egg Yolk

1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard

1 Lemon Cheek

1.5 Jalapeno Chilli Finely Diced

Salt

For the Guacamole

1.5 Avocado Halved with the flesh scooped out

Half a Jalapeno Finely Diced

1 Tomato Finely Diced

1 Clove of Garlic Finely Diced

2 Tblsp Coriander Finely Diced

1 Lime Cheek

Salt and Pepper

For the Tortilla

2 Cups Flour

4 or so Tablespoons of Vegetable Oil

Salt

Water

For the Red Onion & Tomato Salsa

2 Tomatoes Cored & Seeded and Finely Diced

¼ Red Onion Finely Diced

A Handful of Coriander Finely Diced

1 Lime Cheek

1 Serious Splash Tabasco Sauce

Salt & Pepper

Method

To Make Tortilla

1. Add three cups of flour to food processor. Start to blend and drizzle in oil. Add water in slow, thin stream stopping to allow dough to clump. Don’t add too much or we will have glue here people!!!
2. When dough forms remove from processor and knead like a mad man for 10 minutes on a floured work surface.
3. Wrap in Cling film and rest for 30 min in cool dry place.

To Make Red Onion & Tomato Salsa

1. Grab 2 Tomatoes core & seed them. Lay skin out flat and cut into long strips then dice finely
2. Time to go to onion town. Peel and slice red onion, use about ¼, cut into fine dice.
3. Rip a generous handful of coriander and chop finely
4. Combine all in a bowl, squeeze some of the lime and add a good splash of Tabasco Sauce… season till your heart is content with salt and pepper.

For the Jalapeno Mayonnaise

1. In a bowl place 1 egg yolk and tablespoon of mustard. Use a whisk start to combine ingredients while adding the olive oil in a slow steady stream (you will need to add about 200 ml). Continue to do this until mayonnaise is thick, and then add squeeze of lemon and mix.
2. Add Jalapenos to Mayonnaise and with a hand blender mix until the Jalapeno has been pureed and combined into the Mayonnaise. Season to taste.

For the Guacamole

1. Grab a Mortar and Pestle
2. Add Avocado, Tomato, Garlic, Coriander, Jalapeno and a squeeze of Lime.
3. Mash together into a rough Paste and season to taste with Salt and Pepper.

For the Chipotle Infused Tempura Batter

1. In a Large bowl combine flour, water, Egg Yolk and Chipotle Chilli Powder.
2. Combine ingredients ensuring that the mixture is a little lumpy

To Cook the Tortillas

1. Set Oven to 50 degrees Celsius.
2. Divide into small ½ fist size portions and roll out with rolling pin on floured surface. Make sure you roll to the edge and ¼ turn to get a good circular shape…. Then again you may want them to have some personality so if they are not perfect, no big deal!
3. Roll dough out till it is approx 1 mm thin and repeat until you have enough for dinner… wrap and put excess dough in the fridge for another day
4. Heat a dry pan and cook on each side till brown spots appear.
5. Wrap in foil and reserve in oven

To Cook the Fish

1. Cut Fish into strips about 3 cm wide.
2. Place Fish into the batter and coat well.
3. Pour about 3 or 4 cm oil into Frypan or Saucepan and heat to 180 digress Celsius. If you don’t have a thermometer add so bread to the oil, if it browns in about 3 seconds you know it is about right.
4. Add the Fish in small batches and cook until Golden… should be max one and a half to Two minutes. Remove from heat and reserve on paper towels.

To Finish

1. Lay out the Tortillas and add a couple of spoons of Guacamole.
2. Top with some Lettuce, Fish, Salsa and some Jalapeno Mayonnaise.
3. Add a squeeze of Lime and Hot Sauce to taste.

Food That Rocks on Food24

Great news this week with Food That Rocks blogs now featured on Africas Biggest food website, Food24.

Make sure you check it out at: http://www.food24.com/

Rock On!

Aaron

New Chicks Who Love Guns Song….

Listen to the new Chicks Who Love Guns single ‘Run People’ on Unearthed. Write a review, download, love it!http://www.triplejunearthed.com/Artists/View.aspx?artistid=43537

Elmer Fudds’ Revenge

I always go for the bad guy in movies. They’re the ones we love to hate. But if we hate them so much, why are they so popular and stay with us long after the movie has finished?

There is something about those dastardly, moustache-curling menaces to society that intrigues me. Probably because nine times out of ten the villains are infinitely more interesting and complex than the hero counterpart. Sure their motivations are a bit twisted, wanting world domination and such, but hey, they keep us glued to the screen.

You cant honestly tell me that in Star Wars Saga when you first met the Ewoks or the unbelievably annoying Jar Jar Binks didn’t you want Darth Vader to come along and end your pain with a swift swing of his lightsaber.

Just try and imagine a world without them.

You cant, because without them, there would be no heroes. And I think secretly we need to see what would happen if they do get to carry out their evil deeds….

In Silence of the Lambs, we want to see what would happen if Hannibal escaped.

In Jaws, we want Bruce the Shark to keep on chomping through crowds of swimmers.

And if we didn’t, well they wouldn’t have made sequels where all that stuff happens.

In many cases it is the villains that are provoked in the first place. For example, In Lord of the Rings, all Gollum wanted was his ring back. It had been stolen, that’s right… STOLEN from the cave where he lived by a fat, greedy little hobbit.

Now sure, Gollum was a little insane, maybe he had done wrong in the past with the whole murdering his best friend incident but he had paid the price by transforming into a twisted shell of his former self.

But that doesn’t mean that Bilbo Baggins had the right to steal his most precious possession. Personally I wish they had Judge Judy in that story. I am sure she would have made Bilbo give the ring back and probably awarded Gollum damages for pain and suffering.

And don’t get me started on Looney Toons cartoons. Oh the inequity of it all!

Am I alone in thinking that The Roadrunner and Bugs Bunny were actually the bad guys?

They continually antagonized and provoked characters like Elmer Fudd and Marvin the Martian into fighting with them in the first place. These poor guys, who were innocently going about their daily business of “hunting wabbits” or preparing the world for a Martian invasion, suddenly have a carrot chomping, dress-wearing rabbit in their faces for no good reason.

And after they have had a boulder dropped on their heads, been pushed off a thousand foot cliff or had a tonne of dynamite detonated in their faces they would be subjected to the added humiliation of a gloating bunny uttering a smart ass one liner as they lay writhing in pain on the ground… if you ask me that’s more than anyone should be asked to bare!

Just for once I would have loved to see the poor, long suffering Wile E Coyote put on a pair of rocket powered roller skates and catch the Roadrunner.

Or the vertically challenged Yosemite Sam finally get some peace and quiet by ridding us of Bugs Bunny… Remember rabbits are an introduced species and considered a pest in Australia, so technically he would be doing us all a favour.

So for all of the black-hearted villains who came so close but never got to live the dream, I twirl my moustache, give an evil laugh and dedicate this dish to you…

Elmer Fudds’ Revenge… Egg Yolk Ravioli Stuffed with Rabbit Ragu, a Rabbit and Porcini Mushroom Sauce, Carrot Puree and a Radish Salad.

Ingredients

For the Rabbit Ragu

1 Large Rabbit de-boned

3 Carrots diced finely

1 Stick Celery diced finely

1 Spanish Onion diced finely

3 Cloves of Garlic diced finely

1 Bay Leaf

1 Tin Diced Tomatoes

1 Litre Chicken Stock

4 Sprigs of Thyme

100 g Pancetta diced finely

1 Cup White Wine

Splash of Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

For the Egg Yolk Pasta Dough

2 Cups Double Zero Flour

12 Egg Yolks

1 tbsp Olive Oil

For the Rabbit and Porcini Mushroom Sauce

Rabbit Bones

2 Cups Chicken Stock

1 Cup White Wine

2 Sprigs Thyme

1 Clove of Garlic chopped roughly

Pinch of Nutmeg

Pinch of Dried Porcini Mushroom Powder

For the Carrot Puree 

3 Carrots Grated

50g Unsalted Butter

100ml Cream

For the Radish Salad

3 Radishes Sliced thinly

Frisée lettuce washed and broken into small pieces

Olive Oil

Method

For the Rabbit Ragu

1. De-bone the Rabbit and reserve the bones. Prep the vegetables and Pancetta as per the ingredients list
2. Put a large pot onto the stove at a low heat and heat a large fry pan over a medium flame. Add a splash of olive oil to both and brown the rabbit in small batches in the fry pan. When finished transfer to the pot.
3. Add the Carrots, Celery, Onions, Garlic and Pancetta and cook through then deglaze the pan with white wine. Cook until the alcohol has reduced by two thirds then add to the pot.
4. Increase the heat under the pot and add the Tomatoes, Chicken stock, Bay leaf and Thyme. Season with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Cover and drop the temperature to low. Allow to simmer for one hour.
5. After an hour remove the lid and continue to simmer and reduce for about 2 hours, stirring every half hour or so.
6. Cook until the meat is braised and broken up and the liquid has reduced to form a Ragu.
7. Let cool and remove the bay leaf, thyme sprigs and any bones that may have snuck into the pot. Reserve.

For the Rabbit and Porcini Mushroom Sauce

1. Heat Oven to 180 degrees.
2. Place Rabbit bones in Roasting Pan and cook for about 15 – 20 minutes until nicely browned
3. Remove pan from oven and transfer to stovetop on low heat. Deglaze the pan with white wine and add the Garlic and Thyme.
4. Cook until the alcohol has reduced by two thirds.
5. Add Chicken Stock, Nutmeg and Dried Porcini Mushroom Powder and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.
6. Strain the contents of the pan into a bowl through a China Cap and then again through a fine mesh sieve to remove any particles in the sauce.
7. Transfer to a small saucepan and cook till until sauce consistency. Taste and season. Reserve.

For the Carrot Puree

1. Add the grated Carrots and butter to a small saucepan and heat until butter melts.
2. Cover and drop temperature to low. Cook for about 8 minutes until carrots are soft, stirring every few minutes.
3. Let cool and then add Carrots to a blender with half the cream. Puree and add the rest of the cream if is needed.
4. Pass through fine mesh sieve. Reserve.

For the Radish Salad

1. Slice the Radishes wafer thin either using a knife or a Mandoline.
2. In a bowl toss the Radish with the Frisée lettuce and olive oil. Reserve.

For the Pasta Dough

1. In a large bowl add two cups of flour and create a well. Add some salt. Then add olive oil and egg yolk and mix together in s circular motion, slowly incorporating the flour until you have a rough dough.
2. Transfer to a floured work surface and knead the dough for 8 – 10 minutes. Wrap in cling film and store in refrigerator for 30 minutes
3. Get out your pasta machine and set it to the largest setting. Divide your dough into three portions and run the first portion through the machine folding and quarter turning after each pass 17 times. Repeat for the other 2 portions of dough. Once through the largest run each [portion through, narrowing your machine one notch each time until you have passed through 6 times.
4. Lay pasta sheets on floured flat surface and portion filling on the middle of the sheet approx 3cm apart.
5. Fold sheet in half covering the mixture and gently outline the filling with your fingers. Press sheets together ensuring there are no air bubbles. Cut pasta using half of a circular pastry ring to make a half-moon. Repeat this process and then press the lip of the ravioli together with your fingers to ensure it is sealed. Flour and store on baking tray lined with floured baking paper.

To Finish

1. In a pot of salted boiling water add the ravioli and cook until the float to the surface… no more than about 2-3 min max. Remove with a slotted spoon and place into a colander.
2. Reheat Carrot Puree and Rabbit and Porcini Mushroom Sauce.
3. Heat a large fry pan with 50g butter and when melted add the ravioli tossing quickly to coat the pasta.
4. Spoon some of the Puree onto the plate, add two Ravioli and drizzle over some of the sauce.
5. Finish with some of the Radish salad and if you like some grated Parmesan cheese.

Elmer Fudds’ Revenge

New blog up very soon, Elmer Fudds’ Revenge…. Egg Yolk Ravioli Stuffed with Rabbit Ragu, a Rabbit and Porcini Mushroom Sauce, Carrot Puree and a Radish Salad.