The tastiest salad ever...This is one of my all time favourites - the dish that started my career.

Serves 4 (entrée size) 
Prep time 10 min
Cook time 10 min
 
Ingredients
     1/4 cup rice- roasted until golden, then ground.
     400g minced chicken
     1/2 cup water
     Black pepper to taste
     1 cup mint- finely sliced
     1 cup coriander- finely sliced
     2-3 dried chillies- ground
     4 kaffir lime leaves-finely sliced
     2 tbsp fish sauce
     1 shallot, finely diced
     ½ red onion diced
     Juice 1 lemon
     Juice ½ lime

To Serve
     10 lettuce leaves
     15 beans- blanched
     ½ cucumber- de-seeded and sliced.
      
Method
​
Dry roast the rice in a small saucepan until golden. Remove and set aside to cool. When cool grind into a fine powder in a mortar & pestle.

Place minced chicken into a large saucepan on a medium/low heat, add the water and gently simmer for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Season with black pepper. You want the chicken to almost stew.

As soon as the chicken is cooked remove the pan from the heat and add remaining ingredients, including ground rice. Check seasoning and serve with cucumber, beans and lettuce.

Serves: 4  
Cooking time: 40 mins

This dish was taught to me by a true legend and inspiration Rick Stein at his place in NSW - Bannisters by the sea. It takes your taste buds on an incredible journey simply by using all the flavour available from the prawn shells - it really is next level tasty! 

Ingredients
     60ml Olivado olive oil
     2 cloves of garlic, no need to peel
     12 medium raw prawns, peeled, shells and heads reserved
     2 tbsp tomato paste
     300ml water
     350 linguine
     Salt
     60g squid rings and tentacles
     16 mussels in the shell, scrubbed
     1/4 tsp chilli flakes
     2 handfuls of cherry tomatoes, halved
     10 turns of black peppermill
     Handful of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped.

Method

1. Heat half the oil in a pan, add the garlic and prawn heads and shells and fry over heat for 5 minutes, turning them from time to time.
2. Add the tomato paste and water, simmer with the lid on for 10 minutes, then use a stick blender to blitz the mixture. Pass through a sieve and reserve.
3. Cook the linguine in plenty of salted boiling water for 10 minutes or until al dente.
4. Wipe out the pan and then add the rest of the olive oil and fry the squid and prawns over a high heat for 2 minutes. Add the strained prawn and tomato stock, then the mussels, chilli flakes and cherry tomatoes. Bring to the boil with the lid on and boil rapidly for 4 minutes until the mussels have opened. (Discard any that don’t open.)
5. Remove the lid and if necessary reduce the liquor to a sauce consistency, then season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
6. Add the well-drained pasta along with the parsley and toss together well. Serve immediately

​This amazing drunkin chicken recipe gets its name from the Shaoxing wine it's cooked in, and will not disappoint!

​Ingredients
       1 whole chicken
       380mls LKK dark soy sauce
       ¼ cup Shao Xing rice wine
       2cm knob ginger, finely sliced
       1 clove of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
       1 star anise
       1 ½ tbsp. sugar
       1⅓ cups water
       
       To serve
       2 tsp Olivado sesame oil

Instructions

Place the chicken breast side down into a saucepan just large enough to fit it. Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil over a med high heat. When boiling reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 8 minutes.

Turn chicken over and simmer for 20 minutes and baste all the time with the liquor to ensure it stays moist. Remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool.

​When cool remove the chicken and brush with sesame oil. Cut into 8 pieces and serve with a little cooking liquor on the side.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 40 mins
Serves: 4

Yum! Winter scrumptious in a bowl. It may seem like a lot of garlic but I reckon there is no such thing as too much garlic 

Ingredients
       300g baby spinach
       3 tablespoons olive oil
       7 cloves garlic
       1 red onion or 4 shallots, roughly chopped
       1 slice wholemeal bread, roughly chopped
       2 tablespoons ground cumin
       2 teaspoon smoked paprika
       1 dried chilli, kept whole
       1 teaspoon ground turmeric
       2 cups chicken stock (or vege stock)
       300g pancetta, diced (leave out for vegetarians)
       2 roasted red capsicums, skinned, cored and roughly chopped
       2 x 400g cans chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
       Sea salt & freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Instructions

Blanch the spinach in boiling water for a few minutes, then plunge into iced water. Drain and squeeze out any excess water and set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan and add the garlic, onions/shallots and bread and sauté until golden. Blend until smooth with a stick blender. While blending, add the cumin, paprika, chilli, turmeric and chicken stock and puree until smooth. Set aside.

Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, then add the pancetta and fry until golden and the fat is nicely rendered. Add the capsicums, the blended bread mixture and the chickpeas. Stir well over a low heat until heated through adding a little water if necessary.

Taste and season, taste and season! Add the spinach and fold through.

Useful tips

• This is great with a dollop of aioli and crispy bread in front of the fire. I like to sprinkle a little fresh coriander or parsley over the top.
• Remove the pancetta and you have a great vegetarian recipe.
• I like to cook the pancetta until most of the fat has rendered.

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Serves: 4

Great for a grown up party nibble, or a perfect snack when watching the footy. Serve up with some of my home-made tartare sauce and a squeeze of lemon – so good!

Ingredients
       1 cup flour
       ½ tsp salt
       1 tsp ground fennel
       1 egg, beaten
       1 cup beer
       500g firm-fleshed white fish, cut into 4cm chunks
       1 litre cooking oil
       20 mini wooden skewers
       
       For the sauce:
       1 cup mayonnaise
       1 tbsp Dijon mustard
       1 spring onion, sliced
       1 ½ tsp lemon juice
       2 gherkins, finely diced
       1 tbsp capers, diced
       2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
       salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Instructions

1. Mix the flour, salt and fennel. Whisk in the beaten egg. Slowly add the beer while continuing to whisk.
2. Skewer the fish pieces, then dip in the batter and place on a wire rack. I usually double-dip them if I have some batter left over. Wait until the first layer is dry before battering again.
3. Heat the oil in a deep fryer until a piece of bread turns golden in about 20 seconds or bubbles form around the handle of a wooden spoon when it is placed in the oil. Place the fish in the fryer and cook until the crust is lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Fry the fish in batches, draining each batch on the wire rack or on paper towels.
4. For the sauce: Place all the ingredients in a bowl, mix to combine. (This makes 1½ cups and will keep in an airtight jar for up to 2 weeks in the fridge)

Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Serves: 4

Summer in NZ is simply stunning, especially if you have time to do a little fishing. Celebrate your catch with this cracker of a dish, which works well with any firm fleshed white fish. It’s bright and full of flavour, and the addition of macadamia gives it a great texture.

Ingredients
       4 Tarakihi fillets
       3 oranges
       300g green beans
       Asparagus – sliced diagonally
       100g macadamia nuts and/or 100g pistachio nuts
       3 tbsp macadamia oil
       2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
       ½ red onion, finely sliced
       2 cloves garlic (minced)
       Small handful mint – roughly chopped
       Maldon Flaky Sea Salt
       2 tbsp capers

Instructions

The salad
Boil a large pot of water and plunge beans for 3 minutes. With 1 minute to go, plunge asparagus. After 3 minutes, plunge the lot into cold water to stop the cooking process and keep the vibrant green colour.

Roast the macadamia and pistachio nuts for 5-10 minutes until golden (watch carefully). Take out and let cool. Roughly chop.

Peel oranges and slice into wedges.

Combine drained beans and asparagus in a bowl. Squeeze a little orange juice over, then add orange. Add minced garlic, nuts, red onion, mint and coriander. Gently mix.

Blend oils and dress salad gently, then stack onto warm plates. Season to taste with the flaky sea salt.

The fish
Heat a large pan; add 2 tbsp oil, place fish skin side down for 2-3 minutes depending on size. When skin is golden and crispy, turn over for another 1-2 minutes.

Once turned, add capers to pan, squeeze over orange juice and add a knob of butter.

Place fillets on top of salad, pour pan juices over, season and serve.

​Useful tips

• Perfect with new season potatoes
• If using a thick fillet, dust in seasoned flour before cooking.
• Cook fillets for 2 minutes per side for every 2cm of thickness.

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Serves: 4

A delicious rice pudding you can put together quickly for a tasty dessert the family will love!
​
Ingredients
       2 cups milk
       1 cup Trident Coconut Milk
       1 cinnamon stick
       1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped
       1 tsp salt
       1 ¼ cups jasmine rice, washed and drained well
       1 cup white sugar
       1 ¼ cups cream
       1 tsp lime zest

Instructions

1. In a saucepan combine the milk, coconut milk, cinnamon stick, vanilla bean and salt. Bring to the boil and add the rice, give it a good stir to prevent it sticking and turn the heat down low. Cook, uncovered, until all the liquid has been absorbed, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in ⅔ cup sugar. Set aside to cool completely.
2. Whisk the cream to soft peaks and fold into the cooled rice mixture along with the lime zest. Remove the vanilla bean and cinnamon stick and then divide the rice between 6 serving bowls. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top of the rice and caramelize with a blowtorch or under a very hot grill.

Useful tip

• Demerara sugar caramalizes best with a torch.

Everybody loves to eat a rich chocolate cake that oozes deliciousness when cut into. This is one of those recipes that keeps you coming back for more. Just remember that everyone’s oven is slightly different, so always do a tester first. When removed from the oven and cut into it, should have a molten centre. Too long in the oven and you will simply have a cake. The little hint of chilli is just fantastic.

Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 10 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients
       1 red chilli, seeded and finely sliced
       50g butter
       200g good-quality dark chocolate, chopped into small, even pieces
       ¼ cup flour
       1 tbsp 70% cocoa, plus extra for serving
       4 eggs
       ½ cup castor sugar
       2 tsp vanilla extract
       Flaked chocolate and whipped cream to serve

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Grab 4 ramekins and liberally butter the insides with a brush. Once completely covered, sprinkle the insides with castor sugar (or cocoa), shaking out any excesses.
3. Place a saucepan of water on a medium heat and bring to the boil. Meanwhile take a heat resistant bowl that will fit snugly on top of the saucepan and add the chilli, butter and chocolate. Place the bowl over the simmering water and stir while everything gently melts together. When totally smooth, set aside to cool.
4. Sift together the flour and cocoa into a medium bowl. In another large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar and vanilla until pale yellow and fluffy. Add the chocolate to the egg mixture, a little at first, gently folding it in to keep the air in the egg mixture. Gently combine the flour and egg mixture.
5. Carefully fill the ramekins to at least ¾ full and place in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes.
6. Serve straight away sprinkled with cocoa or flaked chocolate, whipped cream and the raspberry coulis.

Useful tips

• These taste great with this simple Raspberry Coulis: Place 200g frozen raspberries and 2 tablespoons icing sugar or castor sugar in a saucepan, simmer until berries begin to break down. Pass through a fine sieve, then return to the heat in a clean pan and reduce to desired consistency.
• When buttering ramekins, butter from the base of the ramekin towards the top, it makes a big difference.
• Chilli can be optional if the kids don’t like it.