How to make Chicken Cacciatore

CHICKEN CACCIATORE: Tips and Tricks
Chicken Cacciatore is a chicken casserole prepared with tomatoes and mushrooms and herbs in the Italian style. Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian. In cuisine, "alla cacciatora" refers to a meal prepared "hunter-style" with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, herbs, often bell pepper, and sometimes wine. Cacciatore is popularly made with braised chicken (pollo alla cacciatora) or rabbit. The salamino Cacciatore is also a small salami, popular amongst Italians.

Chicken Cacciatore Ingredients
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 (about 1.4kg) chicken thigh cutlets
200g button mushrooms, trimmed
1 brown onion, finely chopped
4 pancetta slices, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 anchovy fillets, drained, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125ml) white wine
2 cups (500ml) tomato sugo (tomato sauce)
1 cup (175g) kalamata olives
2 tbs salted baby capers, rinsed, drained
1/4 cup oregano leaves

Step 1
Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large deep frying pan over high heat. Add half the chicken and cook, turning occasionally, for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
Step 2
Add half the remaining oil to the pan over high heat. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate. Heat remaining oil over medium heat. Add onion and pancetta; cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add garlic and anchovy and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until anchovy dissolves.3 Add the chicken and mushrooms to the pan. Pour over the wine and bring to the boil. Add the sugo and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, turning occasionally, for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and sauce thickens slightly. Add the olives, capers and half the oregano; stir to combine. Remove from heat.
Step 3
Spoon among serving plates. Sprinkle with remaining oregano and serve.

How to make Lamb Flatbreads

LAMB FLATBREAD RECIPE
Serves 4
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 25 minutes (plus 1 hour resting time)


Lamb Flatbread Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) plain flour
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup (125ml) hot water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 brown onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1/2 tsp allspice
- 1/2 tsp ground ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground turmeric
- 250g lamb mince
- 1/4 cup (45g) toasted pine nuts
- 100g feta, crumbled
- Natural yoghurt, to serve
- Mint leaves, to serve

Step 1
Place the flour and salt in a medium bowl; make a well in the centre. Add the water and 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and stir until combined. Gently knead in the bowl until a soft dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 1 hour to rest.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 230°C. Place a pizza stone or baking tray in the oven to heat.
Step 3
Heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add the cumin, coriander, allspice, ginger and turmeric and cook, stirring, for 1 minute or until aromatic. Add the lamb and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon to break up any lumps, for 5 minutes or until lamb changes colour and is cooked through. Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Divide the dough into 4 even portions. Roll a dough portion out on a lightly floured surface to a 20cm diameter disc. Repeat with remaining dough portions. Remove the preheated tray from the oven. Place 2 discs on the tray. Spoon the lamb mixture over each fl atbread. Sprinkle with pine nuts and feta. Return to oven and bake for 10 minutes or until the bread is golden and crisp. Remove from oven. Repeat with remaining flatbreads, lamb, pine nuts and feta.
Step 5
Place the fl atbreads on serving plates. Drizzle with yoghurt and sprinkle with pomegranate and mint leaves. Serve immediately.

Photography: Ian Wallace
Styling: David Morgan
Published in Notebook Magazine
Issue: October 2009

How to make Fettuccine Carbonara

FETTUCCINE CARBONARA RECIPE
Pasta alla carbonara (usually spaghetti, but also fettuccine, rigatoni or bucatini) is an Italian pasta dish based on eggs, pecorino romano, guanciale, and black pepper. The recipes vary, though all agree that cheese (parmesan, pecorino, or a combination), egg yolks (or whole eggs), cured fatty pork, and black pepper are basic. The pork is fried in fat (olive oil or lard); a mixture of eggs, cheese, and butter or olive oil is combined with the hot pasta, cooking the eggs; the pork/bacon is then added to the pasta. Other Anglo/Franco variations on carbonara may include peas, mushrooms, broccoli or other vegetables added for colour.

Carbonara Ingredients
- 375g fresh fettuccine
- 100g pancetta, coarsely chopped
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
- 2 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup (40g) finely grated parmesan
- 1/2 cup (125ml) thickened cream
- Shaved parmesan, extra, to serve

Step 1
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of salted boiling water until al dente. Drain well.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat a medium frying pan over high heat. Add the pancetta and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 minutes or until just crisp. Remove from heat.
Step 3
Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, parmesan and cream in a medium bowl until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 4
Return the hot pasta to the pan. Add the pancetta and pour over the egg mixture. Gently toss until just combined (the heat of the pasta should cook the eggs; do not overcook).
Step 5
Divide evenly among serving bowls. Top with shaved parmesan and serve immediately with mixed salad leaves, if desired.

Photography: Ben Dearnley
Styling: Michelle Noerianto
Published in Notebook Magazine
Issue: August 2009

How to make Pork & Onion Sausage Rolls

PORK & ONION SAUSAGE ROLL: RECIPE
A sausage roll is a type of convenience food commonly served at parties. The basic formula for a sausage roll is generally a sheet of puff pastry sliced into two and wrapped into tubes around a filling based on sausage meat, blended with softer ingredients such as soaked bread, onion and egg, before being cooked. They can be served either hot or cold. Some variations on the basic recipe include chopped vegetables and other seasonings such as herbs and spices.

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes
Makes 8

Sausage Roll Ingredients
- 20g butter

- 1 brown onion, thickly sliced
- 
1 medium fennel, trimmed, thinly sliced

- 500g pork sausage mince
- 
1 cup (70g) fresh breadcrumbs (made from day-old bread)
- 
1 tsp ground fennel

- 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
- 
2 sheets (25cm) ready-rolled puff pastry
1 egg, lightly whisked

- Fennel or caraway seeds, to sprinkle

Step 1
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium-low heat until foaming. Add the onion and fennel and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until onion and fennel are very soft and slightly caramelised. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 220°C. Place onion mixture, sausage mince, breadcrumbs, ground fennel and caraway seeds in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Line an oven tray with baking paper. Divide sausage mixture into 4 portions. Using wet hands, shape a portion into a 25cm-long log and place along the edge of a pastry sheet. Roll pastry to enclose filling. Use a small, sharp knife to score pastry. Cut log in half and place on the lined tray. Repeat with remaining sausage mixture and pastry. Brush rolls lightly with egg and sprinkle with fennel or caraway seeds.
Step 4
Bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until cooked through and pastry is puffed and golden. Serve with chips, salad and tomato sauce, if desired.

Sausage Roll TIPS:
These rolls can be made ahead to the end of step 3 and frozen, or cut into pieces for a cocktail party. For a flavour twist, try adding fresh sage or using grated apple instead of fennel.

Photography: Scott Hawkins  
Styling: Michelle Noerianto
Published in Notebook Magazine
Issue: August 2009

How to make Lentil and Chickpea Dhal

LENTIL AND CHICKPEA DHAL: RECIPE
Dhal (also spelled dahl, dal, or daal) is a preparation of pulses (dried beans, lentils etc.) which have been stripped of their outer hulls and split. It also refers to the thick, spicy stew prepared therefrom, a mainstay of Nepali, Indian, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi cuisine. It is regularly eaten with rice and vegetables in Southern India, and with both rice and roti (wheat-based flat bread) throughout Northern India. Dhal is a mainstay in Indian vegetarian cooking, since it provides the requisite proteins for a balanced diet.

Dhal Ingredients
- 2 tsp peanut oil
- 
1 brown onion, finely chopped

- 2 tsp finely grated ginger

- 1/4 cup mild curry paste

- 400g can diced tomatoes

- 400g can lentils, rinsed, drained

- 400g can chickpeas, rinsed, drained

- 250ml can coconut milk
- 
Natural yoghurt, to serve
- 
Cucumber ribbons, to serve
- 
Baby pappadums, to serve

Step 1
Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and ginger and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion softens. Add the curry paste and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until aromatic.
Step 2
Add the tomatoes, lentils, chickpeas and coconut milk and stir to combine. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from heat. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Step 3
Spoon the dhal evenly among serving bowls and serve immediately with yoghurt, cucumber and pappadums, if desired.

Photography: Ben Dearnely  Styling: Jane Hann
Published in Notebook Magazine
Issue: September 2009