The Australian Women’s Weekly Food Issue 80

Hello again! As we continue to adjust to a pandemic that never seems to end, I look for a little inspiration in the simple things and with me it almost always revolves around food! ‘When life gives you lemons’ is my go-to proverb that encourages me to look for the positives in our challenging times. I also love that as a cook, there’s barely a day that goes by that I don’t appreciate the unique qualities of lemons or citrus in general – they are one of my ‘desert island’ ingredients! This issue has some lipsmacking citrus recipes starting on page 12 with our sunny In Season selection. If you haven’t tried preserved lemons, you’re in for a treat with our slow-cooked Chicken, Green Olive & Preserved Lemon Tagine (page 77), where…

IN SEASON March Vegetables Bok Choy Beans Broccoli Capsicums Chestnuts Cucumbers Eggplant Eschalots Kale Lettuce Mushrooms Okra Onions Potatoes Pumpkin Sweet corn Swiss chard Tomatoes Witlof Zucchini Fruits Apples Bananas Dates Figs Finger limes Grapes Guava Kiwifruit Limes Mangosteens Nashi Oranges: Valencia Passionfruit Papaya Pears Plums Pomegranates Quinces Tamarillo HOW TO Zest citrus rind • To cut lemon (or lime or orange) rind into strips, run a zesting tool from top to bottom over the fruit. The strips can be used straight away. • To curl and crisp the strips, place them in a bowl of ice water for 5-10 minutes. • Use the strips or curls as both a garnish and flavouring. HOW TO Segment oranges • Cut top and bottom from an orange with a small sharp knife. • Cut remaining rind and white pith from orange, following the curve of…

Anyone can master a good cocktail with a bit of practice, but it’s the garnish that really elevates the cocktails you buy at a bar. Bring some flare to your cocktails at home with some dehydrated fruit garnishes. To make them yourself, use a mandolin to slice any citrus fruit you like very thinly. Then, lay them out on a baking tray and bake at the lowest possible temperature in your oven, about 60°C. The drying process can take anywhere between 6 and 10 hours, and you will need to keep an eye on your slices throughout. You can also use an electric dehydrator. Or if you haven’t got the time you can try these Tipple Topper garnishes from the Byron-based StrangeLove Beverage Co. Their blood orange wheels pair perfectly…

PREP + COOK TIME 30 MINUTES MAKES 8 4 eggs½ cup (125ml) pouring cream2 teaspoons finely chopped oregano, plus extra leaves to serve2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed32 baby spinach leaves8 sundried tomatoes, drained8 whole artichoke hearts in brine, drained, halved16 pitted kalamata olives50g mozzarella, cut into 1cm cubes pinch chilli flakes 1 Lightly grease and preheat a 4-hole (1/3-cup/80ml) pie maker. 2 Whisk eggs, cream and chopped oregano together in a jug. Season. 3 Using pastry cutter provided, cut eight large rounds (11cm) from puff pastry. Line prepared holes with half the pastry rounds; pressing into base and side. Refrigerate remaining rounds until required. 4 Place 4 spinach leaves in each pastry case; top with a piece of sundried tomato, 2 artichoke halves and 2 olive halves. Pour 2 tablespoons of egg mixture over…

Oranges Navel and Valencia oranges are the most commonly grown varieties in Australia, while Blood and Seville oranges are available in smaller quantities. Between them, oranges are generally available all year round. The winter Navel orange is seedless, easy to peel and juicy, making it a great eating orange. The summer Valencia has more seeds and its skin can be tinged green due to being ripened in warmer weather; it’s a good juicing orange. Blood oranges are a rare treat (available in late winter to early spring), with their sweet, rich flavour. The bitter Sevilles, available in late winter, make great marmalade. Lemons These are available most of the year, but are at their peak during winter. The main varieties are Eureka, which has a thick skin, and Lisbon, with a thinner, smoother…

Roast pork belly with fennel & chilli salt PREP + COOK TIME 1 HOUR SERVES 4 2 teaspoons fennel seeds2 teaspoons sea salt flakes2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes2 teaspoons finely grated lemon rind2 cloves garlic, crushed1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil1kg piece boneless pork belly, scored at1cm intervals to serve: extra sea salt flakes, roast potatoes and roast shallots 1 Preheat a 7-litre air fryer to 180°C for 3 minutes. 2 Place fennel seeds, salt and chilli flakes in a mortar and pestle; crush lightly. Add lemon rind, garlic and oil; pound to combine. Pat pork belly rind dry with paper towel. Rub fennel mixture all over pork. 3 Taking care, place pork, skin-side up, in the air fryer basket. Reset the temperature to 200°C; cook for 25 minutes until skin crackles. 4 Reset the temperature…