delicious February 2018

SUMMERTIME, AND THE EATING is easy. There’s seafood on the barbecue and a spritz at hand. The days are long and there is never a better time to entertain. Yet it’s also a season when we look to take time out from festive excess. Deprivation has never been our thing at delicious. , and everything we do has to taste great. But the most exciting development in recent years is that it’s never been easier to make healthy-ish feel delicious. In fact, eating health-fully has never been so, dare I say it, indulgent. Our line-up of experts prove it’s possible in this issue, from seafood feasts to super-grain salads, friendly fermenting to Asian flavours, and wholesome baking or grilled stone fruits right through to popsicles minus the refined sugar. And while…

#MAKEITDELICIOUS PHOTO OF THE MONTH Made Yotam Ottolenghi’s pistachio and rosewater semolina cake (November 17, p 116). It certainly didn’t disappoint! #makeitdelicious@ingrid.j.p LONG DISTANCE: My best friend and I share our love of delicious. through gifted subscriptions. We live on opposite sides of the country, but chat about the recipes we’ve made. Thank you for being more than just a gorgeous food mag and making the tyranny of distance more bearable. Bonnie McBeath DAILY DOSE: Thank you for all the hard work that goes into making delicious. possible. I’ve been subscribing for a number of years now and I’m still impressed with the quality and content of the magazine. Recently, I renewed my subscription and, as a result, received the delicious. daily cookbook. I love it and used it last weekend when cooking dinner…

TREAT YOURSELF AFTERNOON TEA Prawn spring rolls with classic sweet & sour sauce, p 67 Tim Smith Wines Eden Valley Riesling 2017 Chocolate & raspberry roll, p 21 Morris of Rutherglen Classic Liqueur Muscat NV Nectarine, strawberry & basil galette, p 114 Sensi Collezione Moscato d Asti 2015 “You can’t go wrong with crisp riesling and prawns. With two very different sweet dishes, balance the weight of the food with the weight of the wine. A delicate and fragrant moscato and a decadently sweet but fresh topaque hit the spot for both.” Chris Herringe, Buyer, The Wine Society CLEAN EATS MAXIMUM FLAVOUR Steamed eggplant with soy and sesame, p 21 Konpira Maru Admiral Semillon 2017 Coconut & chilli poached chicken with mixed rice, p 86 Krinklewood Wild White 2017 Pineapple, lime & pink peppercorn sorbet, p 107 Massolino Moscato d Asti 2016 “This menu cries out…

FIRST SUMMER SOIRÉE AT SMOKE BY MATT YOU’RE INVITED... TO AN EXCLUSIVE delicious. event at Smoke – the stunning rooftop cocktail bar crowning Matt Moran and the Solotel Group’s just-opened three-storey Barangaroo House in Sydney’s newest waterfront precinct. Marble, velvet and brass inform Smoke’s luxurious indoor bar space, which opens onto an incredible outdoor deck rich with native flora. You’ll be free to explore every corner of this next-level venue while enjoying generous canapes from Barangaroo House’s head chef, Cory Campbell, designed to showcase Smoke’s new menu. Food will be matched with wines selected by The Wine Society, and Matt will be on hand as host. Don’t miss out – book your spot today! WHERE ‘Smoke’, Level 2, 35 Barangaroo Avenue, Sydney WHEN 6.30pm, Monday, February 5 MENU Roving canapes to showcase Smoke’s exciting new menu PRICE…

STEAMED EGGPLANT WITH SOY AND SESAME SERVES 4-6 AS A SIDE 2 x 500g eggplants, quartered lengthways 1/2 cup (125ml) light soy sauce 1/4 cup (60ml) dark soy sauce 2 tbs brown sugar 1 tbs Chinese rice wine (shaohsing – from Asian food shops) 1 tsp sesame oil 4cm piece (20g) ginger, finely grated 2 spring onions, shredded Toasted white sesame seeds, to serve In 2 batches, place eggplant in a steamer over a saucepan of simmering water and steam for 15 minutes or until tender. Set first batch aside, covered with foil, on a tray and repeat with remaining eggplant. Meanwhile, combine light and dark soy, sugar, rice wine and sesame oil in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium and cook for 3 minutes or until reduced slightly. Stir through ginger and…

“Country cooking with a sophisticated edge” is how Rodney Dunn distils the ethos of The Agrarian Kitchen, his revered cooking school and respected eatery in Tasmania’s Derwent Valley. Along with his wife, Séverine Demanet, Dunn founded the educational facility in 2008, attracting scores of students eager for immersion in its seasonal, sustainable farm-based fare. Even the illustrious American chef Alice Waters once praised it as her “dream cooking school made real”. Only a year old, the associated restaurant is already regarded as a Tassie treasure. As the recipes on these pages reveal, Dunn’s affinity for mixing pastoral and polished notes runs deep. Eggplant is steamed, not grilled or baked, an idea he gleaned from a Hong Kong native who visited the school. “We often get blinkered with certain vegetables,” Dunn says.…