The Cook & The Chef Recipes
Enjoy these delicious recipes from our Scenic Rim Food Ambassadors Javier Codina, Josh Lopez, Kate Raymont and Simon Furley.
JAVIER CODINA’S TRADITIONAL CATALAN PAELLA RECIPE
Serves 8
Ingredients:
100ml extra virgin olive oil
8 calamari or cuttlefish, cleaned, cut, scored
16 green tiger prawns, shell and heads on
16 Hervey Bay scallops
200g lobster (cut into 25mm rounds) or WA scampi
200g Snapper or Australian salmon, cut into 25mm pieces
200g chicken thighs, boned, diced
200g pork belly, skin off, diced
Sofrito – Basic Catalan aromatic sauce base
1 brown onion, finely chopped
1 green capsicum, finely chopped
1 red capsicum, finely chopped
4 medium tomatoes, very ripe, finely chopped
Sea salt
Black pepper
800g Bomba or Calasparra rice
1.6 litres fish stock / fish soup
½ teaspoon Spanish saffron
200g black mussels, scrubbed
100g Tua Tua clams, scrubbed
200g green peas, shelled
Lemon wedges
Sea salt to taste
Method:
In a paella pan on a medium heat, heat 100ml olive oil then for approx. 3 minutes sear the calamari, prawns, scallops, lobster and fish. Remove from pan. Reserve in a heatproof bowl.
Sear the chicken thighs and pork belly. Remove from pan. Reserve in a heatproof bowl.
Into the paella pan, on a low heat, add the onion and stir until just cooked. Repeat for the red and green capsicums then repeat for the tomatoes. Season to taste.
Into the sofrito, add the seared meats
Add the rice and stir for 1 minute. Add the stock, stir and bring to the boil. Adjust seasoning and add the saffron. Boil for 10 minutes.
For presentation, place the cooked seafood, the mussels and clams evenly around the pan. Add the green peas and adjust seasoning
When the liquid is evaporated, turn the heat off and allow the paella to rest for 10 minutes. Place a cloth or two clean tea towels over the surface of the paella to form a crust. Place the lemon wedges on top of the paella and serve immediately.
JOSH LOPEZ’S CARROT TARTE TATIN
Ingredients:
500g carrots – (baby coloured if possible)
50g unsalted butter
50g raw honey
2 sprig thyme
1tbsp Budburst apricot vinegar
Flake salt – to season
60g Feta cheese
1 sheet butter puff pastry (cut a couple of cms larger than cake tin size)
Carrot tips – for garnish
Method:
Preheat oven to 180 deg C fan forced oven. Prepare a lined 25cm cake tin with baking paper.
Prepare carrots by cleaning them, leaving skin on. Cut in quarters (lengthways) if they are a normal or in six if they are a larger size. Heat a medium saucepan on a medium heat and place honey and butter, once the butter has melted add the carrots, salt, thyme and carefully coat the carrots in the liquid. Add a lid to the pan and continue to cook carrots in the bubbling butter and honey until they are tender (but not collapsed), this should take around 10 – 12 minutes. Remove lid and add vinegar, then reduce the liquid until thick and glossy. Allow to cool slightly.
Transfer the carrots and liquid into lined cake tin making sure to create an even layer of carrots. Top with crumbled feta cheese and place sheet of puff pastry on top, making sure to tuck in edges. Make a vent cut in the centre of the pastry and bake in oven for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. Allow to rest for 10 minutes on a cooling rack. Carefully flip onto cutting board. Season with flake salt, cut into wedges, garnish with carrot tops and enjoy.
KATE RAYMONT’S APPLE CIDER VINEGAR PICKLES
Makes 4 x 300ml jar
Ingredients:
750ml apple cider vinegar
500ml water
¾ cup white sugar
1 tbsp salt
Method:
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan stir well.
For carrot pickles:
Cut tops off 2 bunches baby carrots leaving a little stem. If they are large cut lengthways in half. Place standing in a large jar which has been cleaned and sterilized.
Place 1tbsp yellow (or brown) mustard seeds in the jar then pour in hot pickling liquid. Place lid on jar and seal well.
For cauliflower pickles:
Cut ½ medium sized cauliflower into florets. Place florets in a cleaned and sterilized jar with 1tbsp fennel seeds and a couple sprigs of fresh dill. Pour in hot pickling liquid. Place lid on jar and seal well.
KATE RAYMONT’S RED WINE/PLUM VINEGAR BEETROOT PICKLES
Makes 2 x 300ml jars
Ingredients:
250ml Budburst plum vinegar (or red wine vinegar)
250ml water
½ cup sugar (if using red wine vinegar add a little more sugar to taste)
½ tbsp salt
½ tbsp carraway or cumin seeds
4 medium beetroot
Method:
Place vinegar, water, sugar, salt and spices in a medium sized saucepan. Heat until sugar and salt are dissolved.
Peel beetroot and slice thinly in rounds with a mandolin (or using a sharp knife). Place beetroot in cleaned and sterilized jars and pour over pickling liquid. Place lid on jars and seal well.
SIMON FURLEY’S SMOKED COAL DRESSING
Ingredients:
4 organic chicken yolks
50ml olive oil virgin / 200 ml plain oil
100ml plain water
Tbsp malt vinegar
Salt / pepper
1 hot smoking coal
Method:
Whisk together the vinegar and the yolks then slowly incorporate the coal oil until thick and glossy.
