Lamingtons

Sydney was just as I had expected; a sprawling modern metropolis centred around the harbour for which the city is so well known. On my second day I ventured into the Blue Mountains, on a small one-day group tour that allowed me to view some of the wonders of this natural wilderness (approximately the size of Belgium). Among them were the towering stone monoliths of the inaccurately named “Three Sisters”. Our passionate and well informed guide, himself quarter Aboriginal, helped explain the true legend of the Seven Sisters constellation and illustrated their significance to ancient cultures across the world. Back in the city, the weather was blisteringly hot, as one would expect in mid-summer, so I sought shade in the wonderful botanical gardens. From here I could capture photos of the majority of Sydneys most famous attractions. I also spoke to some other tourists who informed me that my penultimate day in the city would fall on Australia Day. Another happy coincidence.

Venturing out on this important public holiday I was greeted with a variety of street performers, artists and purveyors of fine foods. It is here I had my first and only taste of a true Australian classic, the Lamington. Like most of the recipes I post here, the methods and ingredients used can be quite contentious. I try my best to do research, but ultimately what I post is as close an approximation to what I have tasted as I can muster. The Lamington I tasted had a moist but slightly dense sponge and was sandwiched together with strawberry jam. The coating was a semi-set viscous syrup, not the crisp snap of chocolate I had envisaged. Both of these innovations seemed entirely appropriate to me, adding interest, texture and moistness to the little cuboid treat. When speaking to the proprietors at their bakery stall, I picked up some great tips for how to make Lamingtons with minimal fuss. But beware, this does add a lot of time. I am reliably informed, it is best to sandwich and portion the Lamingtons the day before consumption. That way they can be frozen overnight, meaning they do not fall apart when coating them in the luscious, syrupy chocolate coating. You are also less likely to find your icing full of crumbs. In order to make a cake that is robust enough to withstand a long bake and a night in the freezer, without becoming dry, I am using a modified sponge cake with both oil and sour cream added to ensure that essential moistness. When it comes to sandwiching the Lamingtons with jam it is simpler, if not quicker, to divide the sponge into cubes, splitting and filling each individually. But if you are confident enough, you can cut the whole cake in two horizontally before filling with jam and then cutting into portions.

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Level: high
Methods: creaming method, ganache
Skills: baking, freezing, decorating

Time: 2 hours (not including overnight freezing)
Makes:16 medium-size lamingtons

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Ingredients
125g unsalted butter, melted
300g caster sugar
250g sour cream
3tsp vanilla extract
50ml sunflower oil
5 eggs
300g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder

4tbsp strawberry jam
300g dark chocolate
30g cocoa
300g caster sugar
200ml milk
250g desiccated coconut

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Method

1. Take a 25cm square cake tin and line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.

2. Preheat the oven to 170C.

3. Pour the melted butter into a mixing bowl with the sugar, sour cream, vanilla extract and oil, then beat for a minute or so until smooth using an electric whisk.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat each one in well before adding the next.

5. Sift in the flour and baking powder, and incorporate gently but thoroughly with a metal spoon.

6. Pour the batter into the tin, cover the top with a lid of foil and then bake for about an hour (remove the foil after 40 minutes) until a skewer poked in comes out clean.

7. Cool the cake in the tin, covering the top with a tea towel, to keep it moist.

8. When cool, carefully remove from the tin and cut into 16 equal cubes. Split each horizontally and dollop on some jam. Sandwich and set aside.

9. When complete, wrap them tightly and freeze overnight to set.

10. The next day, make the coating. Finely chop the chocolate, set aside, then whisk the cocoa, sugar and milk in a pan and bring to the boil.

11. Remove from the heat, stir in the chocolate and leave until just warm before using.

12. Using a pair of forks or just your fingers, dip the lamingtons into the syrup, then roll them on a tray thickly covered with coconut.

13. Allow the chocolate to set for a few hours before eating. (They will keep well in an airtight container.)

Anzac Biscuits

From Melbourne, I ventured north to Brisbane. The city itself was a fairly innocuous metropolis, but its proximity to an array of attractions and additional destinations made it an appealing prospect none the less. Just forty minutes outside of the CBD (central business district for non-antipodeans) was a gorgeous and well appointed koala sanctuary, where I delighted in getting my photo taken, in true tourist style, with the miniature marsupial. I also fed kangaroos, spotted a sleepy Tasmanian devil and saw the prehistoric-looking Cassowary bird.

A small jaunt on from Brisbane was the Gold Coast and later Byron Bay. A popular destination for tourists and Aussies alike, the beautiful stretches of beach were the picture postcard ideal we so often see in the UK and a perfect paradise for surfers. However, after so long on the road and with the purse-strings tightening. What I delighted in most was that my accommodation had both Satellite TV and a well-stocked kitchen. This made my evening entertainment decidedly cheaper. It was in the Gold Coast that I took my first foray into Australian baking; making my own version of Anzac biscuits.

I have sampled various version of Anzacs in Oz and the best versions are always freshly baked in cafes, served warm and therefore slightly soft in the middle. My ideal so closely resembles a recipe for Oaty Cookies I use at school, that I have decided to post that here. The biscuit should be golden with an irregular crust, providing crunch on the outside and a moreish soft middle. The traditional Anzac includes coconut and so I have added it to the recipe as an optional ingredient. It’s addition does not effect the cooking times at all, just the flavour, so go with your personal tastes. Cinnamon, mixed spice, raisins and chocolate chips all work too – but by then, you barely have an Anzac at all!

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Level: easy
Methods: melting
Skills: baking

Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 12 biscuits

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Ingredients

75g plain flour

75g oats

75g caster sugar

75g margarine

1tbsp golden syrup

1tbsp milk

½tsp bicarbonate of soda

Optional: 25g desiccated coconut

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

2. Place the margarine, sugar, syrup and milk into a medium sauce pan.

3. Melt over a low heat.

4. Stir in the flour, oats and bicarbonate of soda. You can add the coconut if you’re using it.

5. Lightly grease a baking tray.

6. Use a teaspoon to place 12 small mounds of biscuit mix onto the baking tray. Leave some space in between as they do spread.

7. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes, until golden and still slightly soft in the middle.

8. Remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool fully before eating. They should be crisp on the outside and chewy in the centre.

Momos with Achar

Next I travelled east from Perth to Melbourne. It is difficult to truly appreciate the vastness of Australia until you have been. The distance between the two cities is 1700 miles, thats the equivalent of travelling from England to Turkey. Yet despite this, the two cities are on a similar latitude and the climate did not alter much. However, where Perth was small and polished, Melbourne was larger and had a different vibe altogether. The city has a slightly more bohemian quality and seems to have a more varied and eclectic makeup of people. There are myriad great places to eat and a lot of beautiful architecture. Crossing the river and venturing to the Shrine of Remembrance is well worth the trip and I also enjoyed a few hours in the State Library. Not only did it have free wifi, but the library itself is housed in a stunning building, complete with a magnificent dome and other period features.

However, I probably enjoyed Melbourne so much because I was able to spend time with some friends who live a short train ride out of the city. Together we explored St Kilda, a small beachfront enclave south-east of the city, home to a small food market with a range of modest pubs and bars to frequent. We also made it back into the city and tried some of the more fashionable bars there, including a unique watering hole, ensconced between a variety of buildings in the middle of a large city block. The bar had no roof and the floor was covered with sand, what could be more Australian than that? Ideal for a balmy summer night in the city. Despite this, my favourite day in Melbourne actually came when my friends drove me to the nearby Dandenongs. A beautiful mountain range and national park; the drive took us through some gorgeous scenery, allowing me to experience a different side of Australia. The vistas were impressive and a stop off at the quaint town of Olinda allowed me to enjoy some Australian confections, including the oddly aromatic musk sticks, which I liked despite their odd texture and floral aroma, and a biscuit called a yoyo, that resembled the alfajores I had eaten in peru, but were sandwiched together with buttercream instead of the eponymous dulce de leche. My friends and I also enjoyed a traditional Aussie outdoor barbecue on the cusp of the national park.

I contemplated posting a barbecue recipe, but all we really did was purchase some good quality produce and grill it plainly. Besides barbecue season is deicedly smaller in the UK. So instead I will post a recipe that shows the diversity of the food in Australia. Their proximity to south east asia, means that there is a massive range of cuisines from this region, brought by immigrants and restauranteurs. Amongst the many dishes I tried, my favourite was a small Nepalese dumpling known as a MoMo. I had this dish twice in short succession, both at an Asian fusion restaurant and at the Victoria night market. A MoMo is probably best described as being similar to a chinese dumpling or japanese gyoza. Only here, the paper thin steamed pastry, encapsualtes a spicy minced chicken that evoked the flavours and aromas of India. These can be hot and are normally served with a similarly spicy sauce or achar for dipping.

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Level: high
Methods: novel dough
Skills: sauteeing, steaming, roasting

Time: 2 hours
Makes: 24 momos (serves 4-6 as a starter)

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Ingredients
Olive oil, to grease
4 ripe tomatoes, halved
2 long fresh red chillies, deseeded and coarsely chopped
1tbsp mustard seed oil (olive oil is fine too)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tsp grated fresh ginger
2tsp ground coriander

400g chicken mince
2 shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped
3tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2tsp ground cumin ground cumin
1/2tsp chilli powder
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tsp grated fresh ginger
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

300g plain flour
Pinch of salt
125ml hot water

Olive oil, to grease
40g butter

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Method

1. To make the tomato achar, preheat oven to 200°C.

2. Brush a baking tray with olive oil to lightly grease. Place the tomatoes on the tray. Roast in oven for 45 minutes or until golden and the skin loosens.

3. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

4. Use your fingers to remove the skins and discard. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor. Add the chilli and process until smooth.

5. Heat the mustard seed oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft.

6. Add the coriander and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the tomato mixture.

7. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

8. To make the momos, combine the mince, shallot, coriander, cumin, chilli, garlic, ginger and nutmeg in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

9. Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the hot water. Use a table knife to mix until almost combined, adding extra water if necessary.

10. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth.

11. Place back in the bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside for 20 minutes to rest.

12. Brush a large baking tray with olive oil to lightly grease.

13. Roll 1 tablespoonful of dough into a ball. Use the palm of your hand to flatten. Use a rolling pin to roll out to an 8cm-diameter disc.

14. Holding the dough disc in the palm of your hand, place 1 tablespoonful of mince mixture in the centre. Bring the dough together to enclose the filling, pleating and pinching the edges to seal.

15. Place on the prepared tray and cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the remaining dough and mince mixture to make 24 momos.

16. Add enough water to a pan or wok to reach a depth of 5cm. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Brush a steamer with olive oil to lightly grease.

17. Place one-third of the momos in the steamer and cover. Place over the pan and cook, covered, for 12 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a large plate.

18. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with remaining momos.

19. Heat half the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook half the momos for 2 minutes or until bases are crisp. Repeat with remaining butter and momos.

20. Serve with tomato achar.

Potato-topped Meat Pies

I tried a fair few meat pies in Australia. As you would expect the pie fillings are very diverse, but the classic seems to be cubes of beef in a rich glistening gravy, accented with herbs or generous amounts of black pepper. The traditional pie has a shortcrust base and is topped with glistening, flaky, puff pastry. While I am going to stick to tradition for the filling, I did sample one delicious pie that was topped with fluffy buttery mash. I thought this was an excellent idea and have attemtped to recreate it here.

To make this recipe it is best to do all the prep at the beginning, including making the pastry and mash. This means you can relax for an hour or so before getting on with the task of assembling them. Ideally the pies should be portioned individually. This recipe makes around 6 pies, using individual 10cm (4-inch) pie dishes.

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Level: medium
Methods: rubbing-in
Skills: sauteeing, stewing

Time: 3 hours
Makes: 6 individual pies

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Ingredients
600-700g white potatoes, peeled and chopped
25g butter
4-5tbsp milk

200g plain flour
100g butter
2-3tbsp water

100 g smoked bacon, cut into 1cm strips
1 medium onion, sliced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1-2tbsp plain flour
400g well-marbled braising steak, trimmed of hard fat or gristle
250ml real ale
250ml quality beef stock
2tdp tomato purée
4 sprigs of thyme, leaves stripped from stalks
2 bay leaves
2tbsp cornflour, blended with 2tbsp cold water
100g chestnut mushrooms, wiped and halved or quartered if large
salt and pepper to taste

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Method

1. Bring the peeled and chopped potatoes to the boil in lightly salted water. When boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook for around 20 minutes.

2. Drain and return to the pan over a low heat, to remove excess moisture. Add the milk and butter, then mash.

3. Place in a bowl and set aside until needed.

4. To make the pastry, rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips. Keep rubbing until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

5. Gradually add the water a spoonful at a time, mixing with a table knife, until you have a cohesive dough that leaves the side of the bowl clean. It should not be wet or sticky.

6. Wrap in clingfilm and allow to rest in the refridgerator.

7. Now, to make the filling, heat a tablespoon of oil in a deep frying pan or large saucepan. Fry the bacon strips with the onions until pale golden brown, stirring regularly.

8. Add the garlic and fry for a minute or two until softened. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions, garlic and bacon to a plate.

9. Coat the beef with the flour.

10. Fry the meat in the same oil, in 2 or 3 batches until well browned all over. Add extra oil if the pan seems dry. Transfer the beef to the plate as it is browned.

11. Deglaze the frying pan with half the ale. Bring it to the boil while stirring hard to lift all the sediment from the bottom of the pan.

12. Add the remaining ale, then the stock, tomato purée and herbs. Add the meat and onion mix back to the pan along with any remaining juices.

13. Bring everything to the boil, then cover and reduce to a gentle simmer for 1½-2 hours or until the meat is very tender.

14. When tender, stir in the cornflour paste and cook for a further five minutes or until the juices have thickened. Adjust the seasoning to taste and leave to cool slightly.

15. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

16. Heat some oil in a small frying pan and fry the mushrooms over a high heat for about 5 minutes until golden, then add them to the meat.

17. Roll out the shortcrust pastry on a lightly-floured surface until about 4mm thick. Cut out circles using a saucer or small side plate and line each tin. You may need to re-roll the dough, so do not overwork it.

18. Fill each pie about three quarters full with the filling, then top with a generous mound of mashed potato.

19. Place the pie dishes on a baking sheet and bake in the centre of the oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

Aussie Pea & Ham Soup

After a rejuvenating christmas at home, catching up with loved ones, I again ventured out into the world, to restart my travels. At the start of the new year I headed to Australia. It was a long first flight and it took approximately 24 hours to reach my hotel in the city of Perth. Perth is the largest city on the west coast and is home to some 2.5 million residents. The city itself is lacking in traditional tourist destinations, but is a delightful place none the less. During my short stay I enjoyed a relaxing day in the stunning botanical gardens that are perched atop a high ridge along the edge of the city, allowing for some simply stunning views. I also visited a street food market, where I stuffed my face with assorted global treats. It is this that best illustrates the nature of Australian cuisine. Like at home in the UK, the Australian nation is made up of such diverse peoples and has historically had such high degress of immigration that much of their cuisine is not authentically “native.” Modern (post-colonial) Australia is also a very young country so the depth of their foodie history is somewhat shallow.

I did make it my mission to taste some Australian food however and was able to do so when visiting the quaint nearby port town of Freemantle. Freemantle is a glorious seaside town, that despite its proximity to the city and dependance on tourism, remains relatively quiet and untouched. Here I tried a unique dish, that even some of my Australian friends have not heard of – a pie floater. This is a traditional beef pie, atop a thick and nutritious bowl of pea and ham soup. Most people I have spoken too balk at this idea, but the soup is sufficiently flavoursome and thick to support the pie, acting as both gravy and a starchy base akin to mashed potatoes. My research suggests that these two dishes are only paired together on the south western corridor of Australia, between Perth and Adelaide. Whilst seperately, they are available nationwide. For this reason I will post the two recipes individually, so they might be enjoyed however you wish.

First the soup. This Pea and Ham soup seems to have its roots in northern Europe and the Netherlands where a similar dish named Snert is popular. It is possible emmigration from this area saw this dish imported and appropriated by the Aussies. It is made with dried split peas, instead of petit pois like is traditional at home. The ham in question is usually pork loin or ham hock (I prefer loin as it is cheaper.) The meat is used to flavour the soup during cooking, before being chopped up and readded prior to serving, to provide both protein and an interesting flavour contrast. The taste is deep, wholesome and very savoury. This is a brilliant dish for autumn/winter nights. The soup itself is an unattractive colour and so it is good to garnish it – a drizzle of sour cream, some crispy bacon and fresh flatleaf pasley, or any combination thereof are all suitable. The soup will keep for a couple of days in the fridge and freezes very well.

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Level: low
Skills: poaching, simmering

Time: 3 hours approx.
Makes: 4 generous mains or 8 small bowls

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Ingredients
500g green split peas
2tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 sticks celery, trimmed and chopped
1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
290g pork loin steaks
2 litres water (+ 1 chicken stock cube)
1/2tsp mixed herbs
1 bay leaf
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

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Method

1. Rinse split peas under cold running water until water runs clear. Drain.

2. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the carrot, celery, onion and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until the onion softens.

3. Add the split peas, pork and water. Bring to the boil over high heat. At this point, add the herbs and stock cube (one cube is sufficient as the soup reduces and the pork provides plenty of seasoning.)

4. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, for 2 – 2 1/2 hours or until the pork is tender and the peas have started to disintegrate and thicken the soup.

5. Remove the meat from the pan. Coarsely chop meat and set aside.

6. Taste the soup and season to taste. If the peas are still hard, or the soup too liquidy, then continue to cook until the desired consistency is reached.

7. When ready, add the rested pork and serve in large bowls.