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Recipes from the Markets
These delicious recipes have been provided by stallholders and supporters of The Rocks Markets.
WINE ODYSSEY 'SECRET' SPICED MULLED WINE
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Ingredients
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Method
Chop apples in chunks and quarter lemon. Cut orange in half and stud peel area with extra cloves. Place all ingredients, except honey in pot and slowly bring to simmer. Note, the longer the mixture boils, the less alcohol will remain. Add honey to taste. Enjoy on a cold winter's afternoon or evening, preferably when the Wallabies are playing rugby!
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Ingredients
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Red wine reduction
Place wine into a saucepan. Add the flesh of the vanilla pod, the pod itself, and the sugar to the red wine. Bring to the boil and reduce by half until thick and syrupy.
Delight
Whip cream and add gently and lovingly to the mascarpone cheese, add a squeeze of lemon juice. Set aside in the fridge.
Keep aside a few of each of the berries and puree these, then strain through a sieve and set this aside in the fridge as a coulis garnish.
Add the red wine reduction to the berry mixture and leave in the fridge for about an hour for the berries to suck up the luscious juices.
Assembly
Crush the meringue and add to the cream and mascarpone mixture. Bear in mind that the texture of this dish is part of its appeal so keep the meringue chunky as a foil to the smoothness of the creams. Gently fold in the berry/red wine reduction mixture. Serve in a cocktail glass topped with the berry garnish.
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Ingredients
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Method
Heat chocolate, cream, liqueur and vanilla seeds over a low heat, stirring until chocolate is melted and smooth. Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours or until firm. Line a tray with baking paper. Place cocoa powder into a bowl. Roll 2 level teaspoons of mixture into a ball. Toss in cocoa powder to coat. Place on prepared tray. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate until required. Serve. Truffles can also be coated with flaked chocolate or crushed nuts.
Variation
Once the truffles are set (you can put then in the freezer for 30 minutes). Using a toothpick, dip the truffles in melted chocolate (white or dark) and place on a clean tray. Once the coating is set, dust with icing sugar or cocoa powder.
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Ingredients
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Method
Preheat oven to 160C. Spread pistachio kernels on a tray and roast for 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Increase oven temperature to 180C. In an electric mixer, combine sugar, plain flour, polenta flour, baking soda and salt. Set the mixer on low speed and add eggs, honey and melted butter. Then add lemon zest and pistachios and mix at low speed until incorporated. Form the dough into two equal logs and place on baking paper on an oven tray. Bake for 20 minutes until firm. Remove, cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, reduce oven temperature to 90C. Using a bread knife, cut 1/2cm thick biscotti from each log and lay on baking paper. Place in oven until dry. This should take 70-90 minutes.
Makes about 30 biscotti
RICOTTA PANCAKES Serves 10
Method
Ingredients
200g ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons caster sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
200ml milk
150g self-raising flour
20g butter, melted
Juice and zest of one lemon
Double thick cream, fig jam, to serve
Whisk ricotta, sugar, lemon zest and egg together in a bowl.
Whisk in lemon juice, milk then flour.
Brush a non-stick frying pan with a little butter and heat on medium.
In batches, cook ¼ cup measures of batter for 2 minutes each side, until golden.
Stack on a plate and keep warm.
OLIVE OIL BRIOCHE
Australian's are going crazy for brioche. This superb butter and egg-rich bread has been a trending presence on local menus over the last couple of years. So keep your culinary skills up-to-date with this delicious recipe for olive oil brioche from The Rocks Markets team.
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Ingredients |
Instructions
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the yeast, water and sugar and mix. Let stand until a foam appears on the surface of the liquid, about 5 minutes. (If the foam does not appear, discard the bowl's contents and start again).
Add the olive oil, 2 eggs, salt, zests and orange flower water (or water) and stir to blend.
Add the flour a little at a time, mixing at the lowest speed until most of the flour has been absorbed and the dough forms a ragged ball.
At this point, change the paddle to the dough hook, if you have one. If not, transfer the dough to a floured board. Either way, kneed for 4-5 minutes until the dough is smooth and satiny, adding a little flour as necessary to prevent sticking. (You may have a little flour left over).
Transfer the dough to lightly-oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until the dough has doubled or tripled in bulk, which will take 8-12 hours. (You can keep the dough in the refrigerator for 2-3 days-just punch it down every time it doubles or triples).
About an hour before you're ready to bake, remove the dough from the fridge and punch it down. Remove small, even amounts of dough and roll them in a ball. Cover the rolls with a damp tea towel and let them rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 200°C. After the dough has risen for the second time, remove the damp tea towel and brush the dough with the beaten egg. Bake in the centre of the oven until it is a deep golden brown, about 30 minutes. (If you notice the bread browning unevenly, rotate the baking sheet during baking). Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a rack.
You can stuff the brioches with figs and apricots macerated in port for a Christmas treat.
This recipe freezes well.
LEMON MINT JULEP
Recently awarded three silver medals by the Dairy Industry Association of Australia, Girogi's Gelato is run by husband and wife team Nicole and Stefano Girogi. Here they share with us a recipe for a refreshing Lemon Mint Julep. You can of course pick up the accompanying lemon sorbet from Giorgi's Gelato at The Rocks Foodies Market every Friday and at The Rocks Markets every weekend!
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Ingredients 60ml bourbon 8-10 large mint leaves Heaped teaspoon of fine white sugar Dash of spring water Lemon sorbet |
Gently bruise mint, sugar and a dash of water in a Julep cup. Add bourbon and leave to stand for a couple of minutes - this will allow the mint flavour to infuse the spirit. Half fill the glass with crushed ice and stir well. Fill the remainder of the glass with crushed ice. You will know your julep is ready when bits of ice cling to the side of the glass. Garnish with lemon sorbet and a mint sprig.
'EN PAPILLOTE'
We all love opening a parcel and it's even better when there's food inside! 'En papillote' cooking involves folding and baking the ingredients in a pouch of parchment or aluminium foil. This method captures the flavour within and releases it when the parcel is opened.
To make your parcel, lay the parchment or foil out flat and grease with butter or oil. Place ingredients in the centre of the sheet (covering no more than 1/4 of the surface area). Add just a little wet ingredient (wine, stock, water, tomato concasse) as a sauce if desired. Add the hero ingredient and accompaniments including herbs, spice and seasoning. Fold the sides to close the parcel at the top and sides then roll to the edges to secure tightly.
Here's a few ideas of what to put in your parcel:
- Cook a whole fish on a bed of onions. Place lemon, fennel tops with dill attached and seasoning in the cavity and put lemon slices and salted capers on top. Leave the capers unwashed and let the salt provide additional seasoning to the fish.
- Zucchini/courgettes make a wonderful base vegetable for a parcel as this technique retains flavour. Serve skewered on rosemary branches with pieces of red capsicum/bell pepper and a little tomato/garlic/white wine sauce.
- Strawberries or other berries warmed through with brandy make a simple parcel idea. Bananas with brown sugar and rum are another treat.
Recipe ideas by Rebecca Varidel from Inside Cuisine
WHIPPED BRIE AND SALTED OAT BISCUIT
This month, to celebrate the upcoming Cheesemakers Showcase at The Rocks Markets, Inside Cuisine's Rebecca Varidel shares a recipe for Whipped brie, salted oat biscuit, leatherwood honey jelly, carrot marmalade, apple and celery from Australian Young Chefs finalist Brenden Gradidge of Urbane restaurant in Brisbane.
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Whipped brie 375g of brie Salt Pepper 2 sprigs of chervil chopped 2 sprigs of parsley chopped |
Remove mould and place cheese in food processor and whip until smooth and well combined. Season to taste. Add herbs.
Salted oat biscuit
250g oatmeal
125g plain flour
125g wholemeal flour
½ tspn bicarb soda
1 tspn sea salt
1 tspn sugar
250g butter
1 egg
Mix dry ingredients with the butter. Add eggs. With silicon paper, roll out into cylinders and cool. Remove silicon paper and cut into biscuit shapes and place on silicon paper and bake at 170°C for 15-20 min until lightly golden and set. Cool.
Leatherwood honey
125g leatherwood honey
125g pure natural honey
85g water
6 leaves gelatin
Soak gelatin in cold water. Bring honey and water to the boil, remove from heat and whisk in gelatin until dissolved. Place in suitable container and cool.
Carrot marmalade
210g finely grated carrot
20g lime juice, zest of ½
40g lemon juice, zest of ½
50ml orange juice, zest of ½
200g caster sugar
Place all into a saucepan and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender and syrup has reduced. Cool.
Pipe or spread brie onto plate, arrange other ingredients around. Garnish with slices of fresh green apple and a punnet of micro celery or the centre leaves of a bunch of celery.
BREAD AND BUTTER PUDDING
For this month, Rebecca Varidel from Inside Cuisine shares her recipe for Bread and Butter Pudding using a Walnut and Fig Loaf from Brassiere Bread, who you can find at The Rocks Foodies Market every Friday. But if you don't have access to Brassiere Bread's beautiful loaf, other type of bread or brioche will make a satisfying substitute.
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Ingredients |
Cut the Walnut and Fig Loaf in slices, then triangles and butter on one side. Place triangles in a greased shallow ovenproof dish. Add sultanas, raisins, crystallised ginger, Inca berries or your choice of other dried fruit in between layers.
Make a custard mix with 1/4 cup sugar, 2 eggs, 150ml milk and 150ml cream.
Slowly pour the custard mix over the bread and dried fruit. Sprinkle with ground nutmeg and a couple of small knobs of extra butter.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until the custard is lightly set and the top has nicely browned.
DATE COFFEE LEMON SLICE
This Month, InsideCuisine's Rebecca Varidel shares her recipe for Date Coffee Lemon Slice using Danieli Coffee from Café Danieli who you can find at The Rocks Foodies Market every Friday.
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Ingredients |
Combine dates, coffee and rind in a saucepan. Slowly heat uncovered just under boiling for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has been absorbed; cool.
Beat softened butter, castor sugar and eggs in a small bowl with an electric mixer until well combined. Stir in sifted flours; press mixture together.
Roll 2/3 of dough between sheets of greaseproof paper until large enough to cover base of pan. Spread filling over base. Roll remaining dough between sheets of greaseproof paper until 3mm (1/8") in thickness. Cut dough into 2cm (3/4") wide strips. Arrange a lattice pattern over the filling.
Brush top of slice with milk, and sprinkle with the raw sugar.
Cook in a moderately hot oven 1900C for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to moderate oven 1800C and cook for a further 15 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool in the pan before cutting.
*Grab your dates and other fresh goodies from Action Farm Produce at The Rocks Foodies Market every Friday.
BARLEY MINESTRONE VEGETABLE SOUP
As the weather gets colder, a hearty winter soup is easy to prepare and can be made the day before and reheated. This delicious vegetable soup is a healthy and nutritious one-pot vegetarian meal with additional nutrition from pearl barley and kidney beans. Recipe by Rebecca Varidel from InsideCuisine.com.
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Serves 8 |
In a large pot, lightly sauté the diced onion in the olive oil. Add potatoes, carrots and celery (with the optional parmesan rind) and stir over a low heat for a further 10 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, tomato juice, water and pearl barley. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Add kidney beans, peas and thyme leaves. Simmer for a further 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the parmesan rind. Check for seasoning and add salt only if necessary. To serve, top each bowl with grated parmesan then finely chopped parsley.
*Grab a bottle of Pukara Estate olive oil, and all your fresh vegies from Action Farm Produce, at The Rocks Foodies Market every Friday.
PERSIAN SPICED CHICKEN WITH PARSLEY RICE
What better way to warm up as the weather gets cooler than with deliciously hot spices from Pure Blends at The Rocks Markets. Check out this cosy winter recipe for Persian spiced chicken with parsley rice. This recipe from Rebecca Varidel of food and travel blog InsideCuisine.com is not only simple to cook and satisfying to eat, it's also healthy. The spices and lemon juice substitute for salt, and the spices add their own healthy properties. The recipe was developed by Rebecca especially for The Rocks e-newsletter readers.
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Serves 4 |
For the chicken
Slowly heat a frypan and add the olive oil, sliced onions and ground spices. Add the chicken breasts as the heat increases, turn when starting to brown. Once the onions are translucent, add the lemon juice, half the water (one and a half cups) and the saffron threads. Cover and slowly simmer for 15 minutes or so until just cooked through.
For the sauce
Remove the chicken breasts from the pan and rest on a clean dish covered with alfoil (shiny side down).
Place the remaining ingredients from the frypan (onions, spices, lemon juice and water) in a blender and process until smooth. If necessary return to the pan to reduce and/or reheat before serving.
For the rice
Put the remaining 1 ½ cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring to the boil. Add the rice and cook until just tender (about 15 minutes). Drain.
Separate the parsley leaves. Roughly chop and stir the parsley through the rice.
Plating
Put the parsley rice to one half of each plate. Slice the chicken breasts. Spoon the onion spiced sauce over each chicken breast. Works well on a shared platter or on individual plates.
MUESLI ANZAC COOKIES
Based on the traditional ANZAC biscuit recipe, which dates bake around 100 years, this recipe replaces rolled oats and coconut with untoasted Oak Road muesli from The Rocks Foodies Market (Fridays, 10am - 4pm, Jack Mundey Place).
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Ingredients 1 3/4 cups lemon myrtle wattle seed muesli 1 cup (plain) flour 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 1 tablespoon golden syrup 1 1/2 teaspoons bicarbonate of soda 2 tablespoons boiling water |
Method
Mix Oak Road muesli, flour, and sugar. Melt syrup and butter together. Mix bicarbonate of soda and boiling water, then add to the melted syrup and butter mixture. Mix the liquid into the dry ingredients. Place small dessert spoons of mixture on a greased baking tray. (Place rounds of mixture well apart, as they spread.)
Bake in a slow (130oC) oven for 20 minutes. Leave biscuits to cool on tray for 2 to 3 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.
Recipe courtesy of Rebecca Varidel of Inside Cuisine.
Throw a salmon steak on the barbie
Salmon is tasty, healthy and a great dish to throw on the Aussie BBQ anytime of year. Just ask chef Damian Heads and the team from Pony Lounge and Dining who fire up the BBQ every Friday at The Rocks Markets. Wood fire grilled salmon, fetta couscous and rocket tops their market menu.
The popular dish is on offer each week as the wood fire lends itself so well to the salmon. The idea, says Heads, is to provide tourists, local visitors and regulars to the market with a restaurant quality dish that showcases Sydney. So popular is the dish that if they happen to sell out, some customers refuse to have anything else.
Just in case you miss out at the markets, you can find Heads' recipe for Wood fire grilled salmon with fetta couscous and rocket at The Rocks online.
WOOD FIRE GRILLED SALMON, FETTA, COUSCOUS, ROCKET, LEMON
Serves 6
800g - 1kg salmon fillet, pin boned
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil
Couscous salad
350g couscous
150g fetta, Greek style
100g roasted red capsicum
|½ bunch parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
½ bunch mint, leaves picked and roughly chopped
½ bunch shallots, outer leaves removed and stem thinly sliced
1 pinch chilli powder
1 squeeze lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
To garnish
500g rocket, washed and spun, leaves checked through
1 each lemon, cut into wedges
200g yoghurt, natural
- Place the salmon skin down on a cutting board (If you would like the skin off - cut it off with a long sharp cooks knife from the tail to the head) cut the fish into 6 equal portions* (120-150g portions)
- Soak the couscous according to packet directions.
- When cool, mix the crumbled fetta, capsicum, herbs and shallots through the couscous
- Season with chilli, salt, pepper. Add lemon juice and olive oil and set aside.
- Pre heat your BBQ or grill plate over a medium to high- flame.
- Season salmon with salt and pepper, coat with oil and grill for 2-3 minutes on each side.
- Divide the couscous between six plates. Place a bundle of rocket leaves and a lemon wedge on each plate.
- Place the freshly grilled salmon on top of the couscous salad.
- Mix the yoghurt with enough water to loosen it up. Drizzle over the salmon.
You can also try these ideas for BBQ salmon from food writer Rebecca Varidel of Inside Cuisine.
1. Tumble the barbecued salmon on good old Aussie pikelets, top with sliced avocado and drizzle with a dill sauce.
2. Slice two onions. Simmer in 1 cup of red wine and 1/4 cup brown sugar until reduced to a sticky onion jam. Serve with the BBQ salmon and a side of boiled new potatoes tossed in butter and chopped parsley.
3. Slowly reduce 2 cups of cream with 2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard. Cook your favourite pasta. Break the BBQ salmon into rough segments and loosely stir with the cream reduction through the pasta. Garnish with a scattering of baby capers.
RATATOUILLE
This month special guest foodie Rebecca Varidel tells you how to make a delicious summer ratatouille using ingredients from The Rocks Foodies Market.
One of life's joys is celebrating seasonal produce. Ratatouille is a celebration of summer. While the traditional Provincial recipe bakes this dish in a casserole, I like to take it easy, and keep the kitchen cool, by making this summer dish stovetop. It's a great one pot dish.
You can find out more by following Rebecca on twitter: twitter.com/insidecuisine or twitter.com/frombecca or via travel website insidecuisine.com.
Method
Slice eggplant and lay on a cake cooler over the sink. Sprinkle liberally with sea salt to degorge the bitter juices. After half an hour, turn the eggplant and repeat the process. When the eggplant has released its juices, rinse and drain, then squeeze dry in a clean cloth or paper towel. Cube the eggplant, fry in a pan until golden, remove to one side.
In the meantime, skin the capsicum by scorching over a gas flame, or baking in the oven, until the skin is black. While still hot, seal the whole capsicum in a plastic bag or plastic container. This will release the skin from the flesh. When cool, skin and remove seeds, and cut the capsicum into wide strips. This can be completed at anytime up to 2 days before you start making your ratatouille.
Bring a pot of salted water to the boil. Have a large bowl of ice water at the ready. Core the tomatoes, and score the base with a cross. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water for less than a minute, until the skin starts to lift. Immediately refresh the tomatoes in the ice water. When cool, skin the tomatoes, remove seeds and cut into large wedges.
Prepare the garlic cloves, peel and skin, then crush them with some of the sea salt and the back of a large knife. Peel and skin the onion, and julienne (cut into small strips). Heat a large pan on the stove: low to medium temperature. Drizzle the pan with olive oil and sauté the onion. Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. When the onion is translucent, add the crushed garlic, and stir. After a short time, add the prepared tomatoes, sliced zucchini, and half the red capsicum with the bay leaf and sprigs of fresh thyme. If you'd like to use the optional red wine then please add at this stage. 'Stew' for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little water or additional red wine, if and when the mixture becomes dry.
Add the remaining ingredients: the other half of the red capsicum and the prepared eggplant cubes. Cook for a further half an hour or more, slowly and gently, retaining the shape of some of the ingredients. Though it is not traditional, I like to enrich the ratatouille with a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste. Remove the bay leaf. Taste for seasoning and adjust with salt and/or pepper if required.
Ratatouille can be served as a main course or as a side dish. In a hot Australian summer, it makes a lovely dish at room temperature or can be served hot (or gently reheated). You can serve it with pasta, rice, potatoes or bread. Or, try ratatouille as a side to scramble eggs, or as a 'dryer' mix in a filling for an omelette or crepes.
Variations
- 1. Add good quality salted anchovies, (salted not brined) capers and black olives to add more depth of Mediterranean flavours
- 2. Top with softly boiled or poached egg and black olives to create a (hot or cold)'Nicoise' - sprinkle generously with freshly chopped parsley
- 3. Layer and bake the evenly sliced vegetables to create the 'byaldi' as styled by the celebrity Chef Thomas Keller and popularised in the movie Ratatouille
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