Table of contents for June 2018 in delicious

AROUND THE WORLD used to take 80 days, now it’s more like 80 seconds. Matcha lassis dominate Instagram; turmeric chai is a trending search term; Thanksgiving table settings occupy Pinterest; ramen is mainstream; chefs seek and post ideas far and wide, from San Francisco to Tokyo. Global inspiration is everywhere, which is a great thing, but how do you sift through the melting pot our lives have become? This month’s ‘global’ issue does just that: our team of experts runs a finely tuned eye over the most interesting and relevant movements, to curate and translate the trends to suit you (you’re welcome). Which cuisines are on the rise and how will you be cooking them at home? Which destinations will you be booking a ticket to next? The buzz around…

SPICED DELIGHTS Spiced cauliflower salad, p 74 Billy Button 2x2 Riesling Pinot Blanc 2016 Massaman lamb leg curry with quickled vegetables, p 66 Domaine Huet Vouvray Demi Sec Le Mont 2016 Mexican chilli chocolate tart, p 112 Toro Albalá Don PX Gran Reserva 1987  “Spices and wine – not often the easiest of bedfellows. Between the fiery flavours of chilli, through to the cooling effect of cardamom and clove, even the best wines, when paired poorly, cannot overcome the piquant flavours of spice. But think a little laterally, and imagine how the flavours of typical condiments and accompaniments would enhance the dish, and you’ll find yourself a winner. Gewürztraminer, off-dry riesling, or a fruit-forward gamay can help refresh and cleanse an overheated palate.” Simon Green, Chief Sommelier, The Wine Society…

A delicious. Produce Awards veteran (having won several accolades over the years), Cedar Street Cheeserie’s selection of handcrafted buffalo cheese is truly artisanal. Founder Trevor Hart (who is also an avid trumpet player!) uses traditional farmhouse methods and processes to produce fresh cheese that is expertly balanced in both flavour and texture. In Maleny on the Sunshine Coast, Trevor makes his cheeses by hand in small batches using milk sourced from a local buffalo farm, sometimes just hours after it has been collected. Cedar Street’s product range includes yoghurt, mozzarella, haloumi, burrata and the award-winning A Love Supreme, and is supplied to a few select restaurants in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. A true craftsman, Trevor’s astute skills are reflected in his products, which are fast gaining attention. NO SINGING THE…

SIMONNET FEBVRE PETIT CHABLIS 2015, $22 Chicken: One of the world’s top food and wine matches is roast chicken with great chardonnay. Chablis that is crisp, refreshing and a touch citrussy is a beautiful final condiment to your chook. This one is thirst-slaking and a bargain. NIKKA COFFEY GRAIN WHISKY, $135 Dark chocolate: Great whisky comes alive with dark chocolate; a little-known food and wine pairing, but those who know, know. This Japanese whisky has an ease of drinking and gentle spice and sweetness that are ideal with dark cacao. GIOVANNI ARMANI GIORGIO ROSATO DELL’AMORE 2017, $25 Pizza: Just about any wine goes with pizza, but for me, rosé works a treat in cooler months. Don’t drink this rosé icy cold;…

NOTHING BEATS A WARM bowl of laksa on a cold winter’s day. The type of laksa is dependent upon the soup base used in its recipe: either rich and savoury coconut-milk curry laksa, fresh and sour assam, or a combination of the two. Every state in Malaysia claims to have the best version, but my favourites are assam laksa and laksa Johor. Laksa Johor is, for me, very different to all the laksas found in Malaysia. It’s not as soupy, but rather more of a thick gravy consistency, and uses spaghetti noodles. Assam laksa, also known as Penang laksa, is a sour fish-and-tamarind-based soup. ‘Assam’ is the Malay word for any ingredient that makes a dish taste sour (eg, tamarind), and laksas typically use assam keping – dried slices of…

 Up your sandwich game with this delicious North African inspired recipe. The combination of Moroccan spicy chicken, harissa laced yogurt and Frico Old Dutch Master cheese is a game changer. Old Dutch Master is traditionally ripened on wooden shelves for almost a year, to create a cheese with a rich and creamy character and a sweet and distinctive flavour. Say goodbye to boring sandwiches. “Old Dutch Master has been awarded a gold medal at the World Champion Cheese Contest” MOROCCAN SPICY CHICKEN & CHEESE SANDWICH SERVES 2 1 large chicken breast fillet (flatten with a mallet in between cling film to reduce cooking time) 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon ground coriander Salt and pepper 1 small tomato (cubed) 1 tablespoon green olives (pitted & chopped)…

KARAAGE CHICKEN WITH MAYO SERVES 4 1/4 cup (60ml) cooking sake 11/2 tbs soy sauce 1 tbs finely grated ginger 1 garlic clove, crushed 4 chicken thigh fillets, cut into thirds 11/2 cups (225g) plain flour Salt flakes, to season Sunflower oil, to deep-fry Kewpie Mayonnaise, coriander sprigs and lime wedges, to serve Combine sake, soy, ginger and garlic in a glass bowl. Add chicken, stir to coat and chill for at least 30 minutes (or overnight) to marinate. When ready to cook, place flour in a bowl with a pinch of salt flakes. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding the marinade. Place chicken in flour and toss to completely coat. Half fill a wok or large saucepan with sunflower oil and heat to 170°C (a cube of bread will turn…

“Being a family-owned company, we have the ability to invest in beauty and design and create consumer-focused kitchen furniture.” – Jim Kalotheos, Smeg Australia managing director DESIGN OF THE TIMES A milestone, such as Smeg’s 70th birthday, deserves to be marked in style. Being an Italian-based home-appliance company, it’s only fitting that Smeg does this by launching the Portofino line of advanced, freestanding dual-fuel and induction cookers, available in a variety of colours, including those from a palette inspired by the village of Portofino. The line doesn’t just have good looks, it also includes features a home cook dreams about. Think 16 cooking modes with 20 automatic pre-set recipes, an energy-efficient 126-litre-capacity oven, and super-fast pre-heating times, which means it takes just six minutes to reach 200ºC. And, once…

SUPERFOOD BENEFITS - GINGER & KALE aid digestion - CINNAMON is anti-inflammatory - TURMERIC is rich in antioxidants - GARLIC boosts immunity - COCONUT OIL is anti-viral LAMB SHANK, TURMERIC, KALE & CHICKPEA CURRY SERVES 4 Begin this recipe 3 hours ahead. 2 tbs coconut oil 4 Frenched lamb shanks 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, chopped 5cm piece (25g) ginger, chopped 2 tsp each mild curry powder, chilli powder, ground turmeric, ground coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cumin 1 cinnamon quill 800ml coconut milk 4 cups (1L) chicken stock 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained 1 bunch broccolini, chopped 1 bunch kale, stalks removed, finely chopped Baby shiso leaves, to serve Heat the oil in a large cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. Season lamb and cook, turning, for 8…

MATZO BALL SOUP SERVES 6-8 Begin this recipe 1 day ahead. 2.5kg each chicken wings and frames 2 each onions, carrots and celery stalks, chopped 1 garlic bulb, halved 2cm piece (10g) ginger 10g kombu (dried seaweed – from Asian food shops) 1 bay leaf 2 tbs black peppercorns MATZO BALLS 1 tsp finely grated ginger 1 egg, plus 1 eggwhite 1 1 /3 cups (190g) coarse matzo meal (from selected supermarkets) Preheat the oven to 220°C. Grease a baking tray and line with baking paper. Place chicken wings on prepared tray and roast for 55 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, place chicken frames in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil. Drain, reserving chicken. Place onion, carrot, celery, garlic, ginger, kombu, bay leaf,…

THIS IS MY RHUBARB and red onion relish (or rubbish relish as I call it at home). Making chutneys and relishes is a great way to use up your extra fruit and vegetables, and this is one of my favourites. I make it when I’m overloaded with rhubarb. I don’t go to the effort of sterilising jars for my rubbish; I just store it in a container in the fridge, where it lasts up to a month. It’s delicious with burgers, barbecue meats, eggs, cheese and fritters! Heat1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 thinly sliced red onion, 1 tbs finely grated ginger and 1 crushed garlic clove, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 minutes or until softened. Add 1/2 tsp each…

I DON’T TRUST ANYONE who doesn’t like a prawn cocktail. For one, we have arguably the best prawns on the planet. Second, iceberg is the king of lettuces. And the tomato, Worcestershire, mayonnaise twang of Marie Rose sauce creates a holy trinity of joy. So when I eagerly pull on the bib at Shannon Bennett’s sustainably focused fish restaurant, Iki Jime, the prawn cocktail reels me in. Five Maloolabah king prawns poached in court bouillon hang their tails off the edge of a dark-grey plate. They’re sprinkled in crumbled cured duck-egg yolk, kombu, wasabi and finger lime. It’s finger food and rightly comes with a hot towel to wipe your digits. They’re fantastic, but about as far from a prawn cocktail as ABBA is from AC/DC. Iki Jime (named for…

HARISSA CHICKEN CURRY WITH BRAISED BEANS AND COUSCOUS SERVES 6 1 tsp saffron threads 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil, plus 2 tbs extra 3 onions, thinly sliced 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 1 tbs finely grated ginger 11/2 tsp each ground turmeric, cumin, coriander and cinnamon 10 cardamon pods 1 tbs nigella seeds, plus extra to serve 1/2 cup (150g) harissa 600g skinless chicken thigh fillets 400g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed 4 cups (1L) chicken stock 6 tomatoes, quartered 2 tbs runny honey 1/4 cup (70g) Greek yoghurt 400g can chopped tomatoes 400g green beans HERBED COUSCOUS 2 tbs extra virgin olive oil 200g couscous 1 cup (250ml) chicken stock Finely grated zest and juice of 2 lemons 1/2 bunch each coriander, mint and dill, leaves picked, finely…

“SOME OF THE THINGS I FIND MOST COMFORTING ABOUT VENICE ARE THE GENTLE SOUNDS THAT COME WITH DAY-TO-DAY LIFE.”  VENETIAN FOOD – AND BY THAT I mean the food eaten by Venetians – remains perhaps Italy’s most closely guarded secret. Hundreds of thousands of visitors pass through the city each month. They leave having eaten in Venice but not having eaten well, visiting trattorie that cater to a transient trade. It is the food cooked in homes and made with local ingredients, the recipes passed down through generations, that Venetians reserve for their own gratification. That is Venetian food, and that is what I write about here. Romantic and exotic, it dabbles in spices and delightfully foreign flavours. It’s pine nuts and raisins, bay leaves and sweet vinegar, heady…

SINGAPORE Clayton Wells, Blackwattle and Automata chef THE WAREHOUSE HOTEL (320 Havelock Rd) Great new design hotel in a top location. I like to stay here as it is never more than 10 minutes to anywhere I want to go. Common Man Coffee Roasters (22 Martin Rd) The place to get great coffee that is roasted on site. It’s also a good spot for breakfast. National Gallery Singapore (1 St Andrew’s Rd) I recently caught the Yayoi Kusama exhibition there (this exhibition is now closed), but the permanent collection is also excellent. Lei Garden Restaurant Chijmes (30 Victoria St) Excellent dim sum in a beautiful former Catholic convent in the middle of the city. Go there for lunch and order a roast duck when you arrive for the whole experience.…

#MAKEITDELICIOUS APRIL’S MOST-LIKED POST 2198 likes, 38 comments Autumn tends to signal the start of soup season. And while temperatures around most of Australia may currently seem more summer appropriate, when the weather finally cools you can seek comfort in a bubbling pot of soupy goodness. Like this baked sweet potato soup with blue cheese toast from @charliebmcd. Recipe in the April issue. Photo: @chriscourt Styling: @kirstenljenkins SCOTTISH CHARM: I was so excited to see Scotland’s NC500 in the April 2018 (Global Flavours, p 126) issue. My partner and I were there only a few months ago marvelling at the scenery and the food! We were thrilled to see Kylesku (wonderful lunch there), Smoo Cave and Cocoa Mountain (also soothed the chill wind for us) and noted a whole lot…

“AN INCREDIBLE FEW DAYS EATING CRAYFISH, ABALONE, NATIVE COASTAL HERBS AND EVEN WALLABY.” – PHOEBE WOOD…

WHEN YOU THINK of Mexico’s greatest exports, wine is rarely in the mix with tequila, tacos, mezcal and margaritas. However, the country’s lesser-celebrated wine-making culture is experiencing a modern-day renaissance thanks to a new wave of producers and creatives. Today, wineries exist in several Mexican states, including Sonora, Coahuila and Baja California. The latter is where you’ll find Valle de Guadalupe, ground zero for fine-wine production and the country’s wine destination du jour . Today’s renaissance can be traced to brothers Hugo and Alejandro D’Acosta, two visionaries instrumental in developing Valle de Guadalupe as a major wine hub. In 2004, French-trained winemaker Hugo founded La Escuelita (‘the little school’) where locals could learn the art of enology, while Alejandro, an architect with a penchant for upcycling, has designed many of…

GLOBALLY, IT MAY BE as controversial as that monkey-abandoning JBT (Justin Bieber t****r), but southern bluefin tuna (SBT), prized for its creamy mouthfeel when eaten raw, is, in fact, caught then grown under the world’s most stringent management practices in Australia, and it’s helped protect and rebuild the biomass. An open ocean dweller, SBT needs to feed constantly to maintain its high energy levels. This means it’s always on the prowl for smaller fish, crustaceans and molluscs. That, combined with the non-stop activity, helps build layers of fat throughout its muscles, making it incredibly delicious to eat. Most SBT in Australia is purse seined, not line caught. The tuna is captured live, in the Great Australian Bight, slowly towed back to Port Lincoln in SA and kept in large floating…

BREAKFASTS AROUND THE WORLD are more than just a bowl of Wheaties or a boiled egg. But where do I need to go to get the very best breakfast? For as very, very early health blogger Adelle Davis (1904-1974) famously advised, you should “eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper”. So, we’ve thought long and hard about this global issue, and have come up with the world’s five best breakfasts. The French or Argentinian croissant/medialuna with coffee; the bread and cheese of Denmark, Holland and the Middle East; and the idli, vada and dosa of Southern India didn’t make the cut. Neither did my friend’s favourite: “an espresso martini and a hot bloke”. EGGS TWO WAYS The ultimate egg breakfast is Tunisian in…

“ISTANBUL IS ONE OF THE GREAT FOOD CITIES OF THE WORLD. WHETHER IT’S A KEBAB ON THE STREET, A FINE-DINING RESTAURANT OR A FISH SANDWICH BY THE DOCKS, IT’S DONE WITH PASSION AND LOVE.” @chef_andrewmcconnell “I fell in love with the various flatbreads I ate in turkey.” GARLIC FLATBREAD WITH WHIPPED CURD CHEESE SERVES 6 AS STARTER OR PART OF A SHARED MEAL “I‘ve adapted this flatbread recipe from my trip, and now it‘s on the menu in our wine bar, Marion. We serve it brushed with plenty of garlic butter, and with house-made whipped curd cheese on the side for dipping.” Begin this recipe 4 hours ahead. 1 tsp dried yeast 1/2 tsp caster sugar 310g strong (baker’s) flour, sifted, plus extra to dust 100g unsalted butter, softened…

WE LIVE IN A time when stews with dumplings or potatoes are a little on the nose among the snooty culinary elite. And the rest of us have caught on to the con of those so-called ‘one-pot meals’ that still rely on dirtying a second pot for the rice, mash or, maybe, polenta to soak up all those juices. The tray bake is the acceptable modern face of one-pot cookery, as well as harking back to a time when everything for the Sunday roast – except the peas and carrots – was cooked in the roasting tray. Tray bakes are also a little magic, as this technique of roasting and braising ingredients together can be adapted to making pretty much every recipe easier with far less washing up. It’s just…

APPLE, GIN & JUNIPER TARTE TATIN SERVES 4 375g frozen butter puff pastry, thawed 2/3 cup (150g) caster sugar 1/2 cup (125ml) gin 1 vanilla bean, split, seeds scraped 11/2 tsp juniper berries 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cores removed, quartered 50g unsalted butter Vanilla ice cream, to serve Preheat oven to 180°C. Cut pastry into a 24cm round. Place sugar, gin, vanilla pod and seeds, and juniper in a 22cm ovenproof frypan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until light golden, then add apples, core-side facing up, and cook for 1-2 minutes or until light golden. Add butter and remove from heat. Lay pastry over apples and, using metal tongs, carefully tuck in edges. Bake for 20 minutes or until pastry is golden…

APPLE, CINNAMON & DATE MUFFINS MAKES 12 1/2 cup olive oil (see note) 3 eggs 1/2 cup milk of choice 1 tsp vanilla essence 1/2 cup coconut sugar 2 red apples (400g), cores removed, chopped into small pieces 1/2 cup fresh pitted dates, chopped 3 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp cinnamon 11/2 cups White Wings Wholesome Blend Plain Flour Preheat oven to 180°C (fan-forced). Line a 12-hole,1/3-cup muffin pan with paper cases. In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, eggs, milk, vanilla essence and coconut sugar until creamy. Add three-quarters each apple and dates, and stir to combine. Sieve baking powder, bicarb and cinnamon into a separate bowl. Fold flour and cinnamon mixture into wet ingredients. Pour combined mixture into prepared pan holes. Top…

french connection Enjoy a little je ne sais quoi with The Wine Society’s range of wines from the world’s favourite wine country. Add a touch of French flair to any occasion, with wines from Bordeaux to Burgundy and, of course, Champagne. Visit: winesociety.com.au star seasoning Maldon has been producing the finest natural sea salt for 135 years and is a favourite among top chefs. Harvested by hand, the salt has a flaky texture and distinctive taste that will elevate any dish. Visit: mayers.com.au kewpie with a kick Tap into the Kewpie craze with the cult-favourite brand’s new formulation of its wasabi-flavour mayonnaise. The Japanese condiment is perfect for sushi, sashimi and yakitori, or just on a humble sandwich. Visit: oriental.com.au pasta masters Family owned…

SWEET OR SAVOURY? Usually savoury, but I do have a thing for Cinnabons (a US bakery chain) and Ladurée macarons! DESSERT DOCTRINE Lady M’s mille crepes (a cake of paper-thin crepes layered with light cream), or my daughter Josephine’s pies and cakes. She is an incredible baker. TIPPLE TIME I always drink vodka. And water, of course. Always need to hydrate. GLASS HOUSES I use different kinds of glasses, and not necessarily matched. Different shapes, weights and proportions. For Vera Wang Wedgwood, we use various types of crystal. ECLECTIC DINNERWARE We design everything from extremely modern, minimal and textural pieces to dinnerware with a slight touch of classicism. I use it all. HEAVY MATTERS I use Vera ‘Bande’ cutlery. I love the weight and proportion. For me, weight implies quality.…