Recipes

Asian Duck Salad

This month’s recipe is created by none other than our very own winemaker Josef Orbach. The Asian duck salad is ideal for the warmer months. Leave it as a side dish or let it shine as a main meal. Don’t forget to pair it with a glass of our 2008 Side Gate Sauvignon Blanc from the Strathbogie Ranges. Enjoy!

Ingredients

Meat:

• 2 x Duck Breasts

Salad:

• 4 x bok choy roughly chopped (rinse well)
• 1 x cup fresh bean shoots
• 1 x medium carrot, julienne cut
• 2 x Lebanese cucumbers (peeled and seeds removed, julienne cut)
• 1 x fresh corn (stripped off the cob)
• 1 x Spanish Onion, finely sliced
• 200g x Snow peas, finely sliced
• ½ cup fresh coriander, chopped
• ½ cup fresh basil chopped
• ½ cup fresh English Mint chopped
• 1 x peeled orange (cut into small pieces)
• ½ cup roasted peanuts, crushed
• ½ cup Vietnamese roasted shallots

Place all the above ingredients in a salad bowl.

Dressing:

• 80g x Palm sugar dissolved in ¼ cup of boiling water
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 x tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• ½ x tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 x tablespoon sesame oil
• ½ x tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 x teaspoon grated ginger

Combine all of the above in a jar and shake well.

Method

1. Pan sear duck breasts until golden brown
2. Start skin side down to render the fat then flip
3. Then oven roast at 180° for 20 minutes.
4. Remove to rest.
5. When cool, finely slice and add to the salad bowl.
6. Drizzle sufficient amount of dressing to salad just before service.

Macademia & Lemon Myrtle Drumsticks

This month’s recipe is perfect for your Grand Final Barbeque and a great addition to the usual sausages and steaks. For larger groups of people, try chicken drumette’s! This recipe is intended for 6 large drumsticks, adjust to suit your proportions.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ tablespoons of Olive Oil
• Australia Bush Spices (White Meat Spices) or alternatively make your own mix by adding:
  • Macadamia (finely chopped)
  • Lemon Myrtle
  • Sesame Seeds
  • Finger Lime (finely chopped)
  • Salt & Pepper

• 2 Garlic cloves
• Oil spray for the barbeque

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°c
2. Place the drumsticks in a large bowl then pour over the olive oil.
3. Time to get your hands messy by giving the drumsticks a good coating
4. Now add your spice mix and also ensure it is evenly coated
5. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
6. Let’s get cooking – the best way would cook them on the barbeque or griddle plate to a nice colouring. Then placing them in the oven to ensure the meat is white and tender.
7. Enjoy – and sit back and watch the game begin.

Rabbit & Leek Pie-

Great for the colder months, as featured in our inaugural BG Club Newsletter. Makes 10 individual pies. Made by none other than Josef!

You will need:

• 1 whole rabbit (cut up into 8 pieces)

Poaching Stock Ingredients

• 1 large onion cut into 4
• 4 Bay leaves
• 10 Pepper corns
• 3 sticks of celery (10cm)
• 1 parsnip (roughly chopped)
• 2 carrots (roughly chopped)
• 2  garlic cloves (chopped in half)

Pie Mix Ingredients

• 2 potatoes diced into small cubes (1cm x 1cm)
• 2 large leeks, chopped finely and rinsed of sand
• Dob of butter
• Dash of olive oil
• White pepper
• Salt
• Big pinch of sage or tarragon
• 2  tablespoons corn flour
• 300 ml of saved rabbit stock (freeze the remaining stock for a fungi risotto)

1. Preheat oven to 200°c
2. Rinse rabbit and remove kidneys
3. Place all of the above ingredients in pot, cover with cold water
4. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for I hour or until meat is tender
5. Drain stock through sieve and save fluid only (Discard veggies)
6. Remove rabbit portions and allow to cool
7. Using your fingers, pick the meat from the bone and finely chop
8. Boil potato cubes until slightly soft then immediately chill in cold water
9. Fry leeks in olive oil & butter until wilted and soft (cool in fridge)
10. Dilute corn flour in 3 table spoons of cold water, add rabbit stock, then bring to boil, stirring until thickened
11. In a mixing bowl, add/mix rabbit meat, spuds, leek, salt, pepper, herbs
12. Gently fold in the hot corn flour rabbit fluid until all is combined
13. Brush each pie with egg wash
14. Bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown

Pastry

Make your own or purchase frozen short pastry sheets (8)

1. Butter line each pie tin and lay pastry into position

(Follow the instructions on the pastry packaging) after adding the rabbit mix filling, Cut the pastry lids to shape, and punch a breather hole

Lamb Shanks braised in Yoghurt Cardamom sauce

Korma or slow braising in the classic Indian technique used to prepare lamb in Mogul cooking. There are several basic recipes, varying in spicing, but essentially all korma dishes use Ghee (butter) and all yoghurt/cream braised meat dishes are perfumed with Mogul spices. I like to accentuate the flavour of cardamom and the vibrant colour of turmeric. Enjoy this SHAHI (royal) KORMA with a glass of our 2006 Broken Gate Sunbury Shiraz

- Josef Orbach

• 4 or 6 frenched Jonathan lamb shanks
• 125g ghee or light vegetable oil
• 1 large brown onion sliced finely
• 1 tablespoon crushed garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
• 50g slivered blanched almonds
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• Small pinch of each : ground cinnamon, cloves and white pepper
• 6 whole cardamom pods cracked open with back of knife
• 500g plain yoghurt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander leaves
• 2 green chillies seeded and minced (optional)
• Milk or cream

1. Heat 4 tablespoons of ghee in a heavy based pan and add onions. Over a medium heat fry the onions until scotch brown (15mins) stirring constantly to prevent burning.
2. Add garlic, ginger, almonds and fry until almonds are lightly coloured (5mins). Add ground cardamom, salt, pepper, turmeric, cracked cardamom pods and fry briefly to release flavours. Add half a cup of hot water to de-glaze pan.
3. Put the entire contents of the pan into the container of an electric blender. Add yoghurt, cinnamon, cloves and finely puree the mixture. Set aside.
4. Pat dry shanks with paper towel. Add more Ghee to dry pan, maintain high heat and brown lamb shanks one at a time.
5. Place browned shanks in a baking dish, cover with the yoghurt sauce and tightly cover with aluminium foil.
6. Place baking tray in pre-heated 150 degree Celsius oven for 2-3 hours. Check frequently for moisture levels, top up with milk if necessary. Ready to serve when meat starts to fall off the bone.
7. Plate up and garnish with coriander leaves and green chillies. Serve with steamed Basmati rice infused with raw baby spinach leaves.

Image Credit: Spice Lines

Chilli, Prawn & Lime Pasta

A quick and easy meal to warm up your winter. It’s best to have all the ingredients ready and to serve the dish fresh off the stove! As shown below, it’s best to add heaps of parmesan shavings when serving!

• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
• 20 Tiger Prawns peeled with tails on
• 8 cloves finely chopped Garlic
• 5 Spring Onions chopped
• 1 teaspoon fresh Oregano chopped
• 3 Limes zest and juice of 2
• 4 Roma Tomatoes deseeded & thinly sliced
• ¾ cup White Wine
• 1 tablespoon heaped Butter
• 2 finely chopped Birds Eye Chilli’s
• 1 packet Spaghetti (cooked)
• ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped Parsley

1. Start by heating oil, then add prawns & garlic and sauté for about 1 minute (being careful not to burn the garlic).
2. Add the spring onions, fresh oregano & lime zest cook for another minute or so.
3. Pour in white wine and reduce a little, for roughly a minute.
4. Add butter, tomatoes, chilli, freshly cooked pasta & the juice from the limes and toss about until it is all heated      through and the pasta is completely coated in the flavours.
5. Toss in the grated parmesan, parsley, salt & pepper and serve immediately.
6. Top with a few extra shavings of parmesan for taste and garnish. Enjoy!

Inspired from: Anna Gare

Chocolate and Almond Biscotti

A lovely snack to enjoy over tea and coffee, or even as a gift this Valentine’s day. This recipe was inspired by Bill Granger’s Pistachio Biscotti. You will need to cook this twice, once as a whole loaf, then slice it up to be baked again. Voila Biscotti!

• 2/3 cup of caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups of plain flour
• 1/2 a cup of good quality cocoa powder
• 80g of almonds
• A handful of chocolate bits

1. Preheat oven to 180c. Line a large baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
2. Chop up the almonds. Beat the sugar and eggs together for 3 minutes, or until thick & pale.
3. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, stir with a wooden spoon until almost combined. Toss in the almonds, using your hands to mix!
4. Divide the mixture in half and shape into 2 logs about 15cm long. Place the logs on the prepared tray and flatten slightly to 2cm thick.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until firm and brown. Remove from the oven & leave until completely cool.
6. Heat the over to 120c. Cut the logs into thick slices so they look like Biscotti.
7. Spread out lying flat, onto an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes, turning once during cooking time.
8. Allow to cool, then wrap them up and give as a delicious gift to your Valentine! DELICIOUS!

Coconut Bread

This recipe is a slightly updated version of a recipe by Bill Granger.   Perfect for a morning treat, slathered in butter! It also tastes great toasted, and will last for days! One loaf will be enough for breakfast for 4!

• 2 eggs
• 300ml butter milk or plain milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups plain flour
• ½ cup wholemeal self raising flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp mixed spice
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 150g shredded coconut
• 75g unsalted butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Find a loaf pan and moisturise with butter. You can line or flour if you desire.
2. Throw the butter in a saucepan to melt it.
3. Find a mixing bowl and throw in the eggs, milk and vanilla extract. Give a light little whisk.
4. Find another bowl and sift in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon and mixed spice.
5. Now toss in the sugar and the coconut and stir it and mix it.
6. Make a little well in the center of all dry ingredients. Gradually stir in the egg mix.
7. Drizzle in the melted butter and stir until mixture is just smooth (do not over-mix. Keep it minimal).
8. Pour it into the baking tin. Throw in the oven and bake for 1 hour or until it’s cooked and bouncy. Like you will be after eating it.
9. It should be as gorgeous and brown! It’s ready if you tap on it and it sounds empty.
10. Let it cool for about 5 minutes and then turn it out on a wire rack.

Serve it toasted or warm in thick slices with lashings of butter.

Ande’s Scampi Canapes

These were invented on Grand Final day, 2008 and were an absolute success! Perfect for the forthcoming spring racing carnivals!

SCAMPI MIX INGREDIENTS

• 400g of green scampi, prawn meat or shrimp
• A few cloves of garlic
• Garlic chive strips (from Asian grocery, if with flowers, use them for decorating the platter)
• Small Asian cabbage
• Olive Oil
• 2 tbs of your favourite Mayonnaise
• Pepper & Seasoning (which ever you love best)

1. Lightly sautee your shellfish meat in a saucepan with one or more cloves of garlic
2. Remove from pan and set aside to allow it to cool. Then chop into small pieces.
3. Finely chop 1 – 2 garlic chive strands and sautee lightly in same pan. Add to the chopped shellfish.
4. Finely shred 2 handfuls of Asian cabbage, sautee with olive oil until softened. Allow to cool.
5. Add to the mixture. Now add a generous amount of Mayonnaise, seasoning and mix gently. Place in air-tight container and refrigerate.

INGREDIENTS FOR CROUTONS

• Roughly 10 slices of bread without grain (wholemeal, sourdough or rye bread)
• Canola or Olive Oil spray

1. Cut crusts of bread and cut each slice into six rectangles, or eight squares
2. Spray a thin baking tray with Canola or Olive oil spray, add bread, spray generously.
3. Bake at 120c, turning occasionally until golden and crispy.

PREPARATION

1. Place a deep scoop of each on a crouton and decorate with something colourful (sauteed red capsicum strips or tiny herb flowers).
2. The scampi mix can also be used in a small bowl and used as a dip.
3. Now serve with bubbles, our NV Cuvee Brut is fabulous value or my ultimate favourite, our Side Gate 2008 Sauvignon Blanc, in moderation of course!

May you have great success and a fabulous time over the ensuring cup season!

- Ande

Heart Healthy Cookies

This month’s recipe is all about making cookies that are heart friendly, which use up all the odd left overs in your pantry.

• 1 cup of Logical or olive oil margarine
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tbs of water
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 cups of wholemeal flour
• 1 tsp carbonate soda
• ½ tsp of salt

The recipe can be altered to suit the contents of your pantry. All that matters is that the contents equal 6 cups. The original recipe is as follows:

ORIGINAL

• 2 cups of Oats
• 2 cups cereal flakes
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup of sultanas

ALTERNATIVES

Nuts, Sesame seeds, Dried Fruits (incl. frozen berries), Sunflower seeds, Left over Cereal flakes (i.e. Weetbix) & Linseed.

= MUST EQUAL 6 CUPS IN TOTAL

1. Mix Margarine and sugar together

2. Add eggs, water & vanilla essence

3. Sift in flour, soda & salt

4. Add rest of ingredients (equalling 6 cups)

5. Make tablespoon sized drops on trays covered in baking paper

6. Cook in moderate oven for 15mins

Pickled Lemons

Pickled lemons are the perfect cooking aid in any recipe that requires a salted lemon taste. This preserve goes particularly well with oven-baked fish and chicken (recipe will follow next month) and deserves to be enjoyed with our award winning, Side Gate Sauvignon Blanc 08 Strathbogie Ranges in hand.

MAKES 5 250G JARS

• 12 lemons
• 2 tablespoons cooking salt
• 850ml white wine vinegar
• 12 black peppercorns
• Large piece of fresh ginger root, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

1. Using a sharp knife, cut the skin of the lemons lengthwise without cutting flesh. Rub salt into the cuts.
2. In a shallow bowl let the lemons stand 5 days in a cool place.
3. Turn the lemons occasionally. Drain and reserve the liquid left-over.
4. In a large saucepan bring the reserved liquid, vinegar, peppercorns and ginger to boil.
5. Reduce the heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Add the lemons and then simmer for another 30 minutes.
7. Wash 5 (250g) jars in hot, soapy water then rinse. Ensure these jars will fit at least 2 lemons each. Keep hot until needed.
8. Using a slotted spoon, pack the hot lemons in hot jars. Add the garlic to the liquid and increase the heat to a boil.
9. Remove ginger and scum. Ladle hot liquid over lemons.
10. Wipe rims of jars with a clean,damp cloth then cover. Enjoy as a cooking aid to chicken and fish.

Bombay Red Tomato Chutney

Starting this month, we will be adding a recipe every month which has been tried, tested and loved by the Orbach’s. The first one is a Bombay red tomato chutney. Home-grown tomatoes give the best flavour but try making this chutney with tomatoes you can often buy quite cheaply on market stalls.

MAKES ABOUT 1.5-1.75 KG

• 1kg ripe tomatoes
• 225g sultanas
• 450g onions
• 175g muscovado sugar
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons of ground ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 175ml vinegar
• 2 teaspoons cumin powder
• 3 teaspoons turmeric
• 1 teaspoon curry powder

1. Place tomatoes in a large bowl, cover them with boiling water and allow them to stand for 30 seconds.
2. Then drain, peel and chop them together with the sultanas. Finely chop the onions.
3. Mix all the ingredients in a large saucepan and bring them to the boil, stirring continuously.
4. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer the chutney for 75 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it does not stick to the pan. Uncover the pan and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes.
5. Transfer the chutney to warmed jars and cover these immediately with airtight lids. Allow to mature for 1 month before saving.