Wicked Fruit

I've always considered myself to be the wicked dessert girl. Chocolate, cream and pastries over a fruit salad any day. Yet of late I've found myself opting for more and more fruit based desserts. As Autumn sets in I think of apple puddings with toffee syrup, berry cobblers and baked quinces. Of course with enough butter and cream fruit can be wicked too.

This is also my contribution to Weekend Herb Blogging this week hosted by Sher of What Did You Eat?

Baked Quinces with Red Wine Syrup

2 quinces peeled and quartered
2 cups water
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp butter
a dash of vanilla

Preheat your oven to 200 C/ 400F. Using an ovenproof pan on the stovetop add te butter and sugar. When sugar begins to dissolve and bubble place quinces into the caramel syrup. Reduce heat to prevent burning and allow quinces to caramelize for a few minutes on each side. Add the red wine and vanilla and allow the quinces to absorb the winey juices for a few minutes before adding the water. Pop in the oven for 1 hour covered with a lid or foil. Remove fruit and place pan back on stove top. Allow syrup to reduce to desired consistency and then spoon over fruit. Serve with double cream.

Poor Old King

I make no claims as to authenticity. I use what I have on hand and what tastes good. I combine cuisines without shame and take short-cuts all too frequently but I don't think my dishes are any worse for it. Rather they seem to benefit from a few cultural influences and hit the table a little more quickly than the originals. Here I've combined Middle Eastern influences with Indian.

These dishes would work well with either bread or rice, a simple salad of diced cucumber, tomato and red onion and a side of natural yoghurt.




Kakori

The story goes that there was once an Indian Maharaja who had a great love of kebabs be they skewers of chicken, the whole bird or lamb cutlets. This poor royal had the great misfortune to become toothless in his old age but was determined not to give up his favourite food. He commissioned his chef to create a kebab that was so tender and soft even if he could consume it. So the clever little chef came up with this gem for his toothless king. I've eaten several versions of this dish but nobody knows the original recipe for two reasons. Firstly because being a largely oral culture these things are often lost with the passage of time or distorted Chinese whispers style. Secondly because there was a great tradition of famous chefs keeping their recipes in the family so their offspring would be sure of employment if they were associated with dishes of such fame that nobody else knew how to prepare. This is my version.

450g lamb mince
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp minced garlic
few strands of soaked saffron with soaking liquid
2 tbsp thick natural yoghurt
salt
2 tsp red onion water*

*Puree a red onion and then squeeze out the liquid from this mixture. The puree can be used as a base for curries but for this you want the water. These kebabs cook so quickly there is insufficient time for the onion to cook through and a raw onion taste would be overpowering.


In a food processor, combine the mince, spices and saffron with the soaking liquid, yogurt and onion water. Puree until smooth. The texture of this should be like a spreadable pate to ensure toothless diners have no trouble. Form the mixture into cigar or round patty shapes and refrigerate them overnight so the flavours can infuse.

In a tandoor oven or on a covered bbq flat plate cook the kebabs on a very low heat, turning once. It shouldn't take much longer than 10 minutes. Allow to rest before serving.





Smoked Eggplant Dip

If you are unfortunate enough to be serving picky eaters that express a dislike for eggplant, don't fear! What they don't know won't hurt them and this tastes vastly different to the original product so they're unlikely to know any better.

1 large eggplant
1 tsp minced garlic
2 roast garlic cloves, skins removed
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp dukkah
salt

Roast the eggplant over a gas flame or bbq until the skin is charred and black. Rest loosely covered with foil for 10 minutes before removing the skin. Blend with the remaining ingredients and serve as a dip or accompaniment.


Moong Dahl

1 cup green mung lentils
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp tumeric
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp oil
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 diced onion
1 tsp corriander power
2 tsp cumin power
1 tin diced tomatoes
corriander leaves
natural yogurt

Soak the lentils overnight. In a large saucepan cover lentils with water and cook with salt, sugar and tumeric until softened- around 20 minutes. In a separate pan sautee 1/2 tsp of cumin seeds and a 1/4 tsp of mustard seeds in the ghee and oil mixture. When they begin to splutter add the grated ginger and minced garlic. Allow these to cook off before adding the diced onion. Allow the onion to soften before adding the corriander powder and cumin. Sautee for a couple of minutes before adding the tinned tomatoes. Once the tomatoes melt into the mixture add this to the softened lentils. Cook over medium heat for around 10 minutes. Serve garnished with corriander leaves and a dollop of natural yogurt with rice or bread.

A Pot of Goodness

The Writer has been sick of late which got me thinking of the ultimate comfort food. This is 'the' soup. The one I make at the first sign of crisp autumn weather and the one that carries me through those last grey winter days when I'm desperate for a little sunshine. It's hearty, chunky and flavourful.

It's not the sort of elegant course that lends itself to glossy photos in Gourmet Traveler but given I most often eat it in my PJs while watching TV, I think that's best for all concerned.


Apart from a little chopping there is minimal labour involved. The perfect bowl food to cradle at the end of the day.

La Potee

A note on the title. There's nothing distinctly French about this but I'm rather fond of the rustic farmhouse image it conjures up. It was also the title of one of the dozens of recipes that inspired this pot of goodness.


180g/ 6oz piece of pancetta cubed
180g/6 oz green-brown lentils (canned are fine)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot chopped
2 medium onions, peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks, sliced
225g/ 8 oz tin crushed tomatoes
3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1.75 litres/3pints stock ( If it's 8pm midweek a nice short-cut is stock made up from chicken stock cubes and bacon stock cubes)
225g/ 8 oz cabbage, finely shredded
salt and freshly milled black pepper

In a large pot fry the pancetta without any additional fat until browned. Watch it carefully to prevent burning. Add in chopped carrots, onion and celery and allow to cook in the fat released by the pancetta. Stir in the lentils plus the contents of the tin of tomatoes followed by the crushed garlic then the stock.

As soon as the soup comes to the boil, put a lid on and simmer, as gently as possible, for about 1 hour. About 15 minutes before the end add the cabbage. This is a good time to warm up some bread in the oven. Season to taste. Serve with warm crusty bread.

This freezes brilliantly. Next time you want to be spared an hour aimlessly searching the supermarket for dinner inspiration, pick up some crusty bread and heat up a bowlful instead.

Heart Foundation Approved

Even Mc D's can get a heart foundation tick these days and being the competitive type I can't help but feel that surely I can do better than that. Just in case you were starting to worry that I was all egg yolks, butter and cream let me prove you wrong.

Every recipe writer, restauranteur and celebrity chef seems to be having a love affair with figs at the moment. As a child we had a treeful but a ripe one never made it to my greedy little mouth due to an ongoing battle with the native birds that were always one step ahead of me. Accordingly I find it a little difficult having to fork out for these babies nowadays. Who needs a swimming pool? I want my next house to have a fig tree. No birds thanks.






Fresh figs with balsamic syrup and greek yogurt

2 figs
2 tbsp greek yoghurt
slivered almonds

Balsamic syrup
3 tbs balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp water
3 heaped tsp brown sugar

In a shallow pan heat the vinegar. Keep well away, this mixture lets off some lethal fumes. After 1 minute add the water and sugar. Allow to bubble and thicken until you reach a runny caramel consistency. Allow to cool.

To serve plate figs with a dollop of yoghurt and almonds slivers. Spoon over cooled syrup.

Rich Chocolate Semifreddo

There comes a time when you have to draw the line. I have a popcorn maker, a juicer and almost as many sandwich grills as fingers. Most of these appliances haven't seen the light of day in years. Accordingly I refuse to buy an ice cream maker so thank goodness for semifreddo. All you need is a stove and a freezer. Simple.




Rich Chocolate Semifreddo

This is not so much rich in the sense of artery clogging ingredients (although it has those too!) but rich in terms of the depth of chocolate flavour. Make sure you take this out a good 20 minutes before you intend to serve, perhaps less on a summer day. Semifreddo should only ever be partially frozen. That way you can enjoy the delicate moussey texture that sets this apart from your standard supermarket tub.




100g dark 85% chocolate (no less please!)
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup caster sugar
dash of vanilla
1 1/4 cups single cream
2-3 tbsp chocolate or coffee liqueur ( I supplemented mine with the spicy poaching liquid from this) to add another layer of flavour
half a cup white or dark chocolate bits or raspberries (optional)

Melt the chocolate until smooth by your preferred method. In a saucepan, double boiler or even the microwave. I think if you're using good chocolate it deserves the heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water method. Don't let the water touch your bowl and be vigilant with taking it off as soon as it is smooth and melted. Allow to cool and then fold through the liqueur.


Place the egg, yolks, vanilla and sugar in another heatproof bowl over the saucepan of simmering water. Whisk for 5 minutes until you have a thick and pale mixture. Please don't fear if nothing happens for the first 4.5 minutes. The last thirty seconds will be magic.

Whip the bowl off and beat until cool. About 5 minutes with an electric mixer or 10 minutes for those who like a hand whisking workout. I fall into the latter group.

Fold through the melted chocolate mixture and the raspberries or chocolate bits if using and set aside.

In a separate bowl beat the cream until soft peaks form. Even by hand this doesn't take long and is strangely satisfying.

Fold the chocolate egg mixture through the cream. Line a loaf tin with cling wrap and baking paper for easy plating later. Pour the mixture into your tin and cover. A good bowl licking usually happens at this stage. Freeze for 4-6 hours or until firm. You can lift it out easily by pulling out the baking paper and then peeling it off.

To serve allow to soften for 10-20 minutes and serve in slices with a drizzle of melted chocolate or berries.

"Love and Hot Fat"

Gordon Ramsay is a believer that this is the secret to perfect yorkshire puddings and I have to agree. My childhood classics included spag bol and roast lamb but yorkshire pud is something I've come to later in life. Light modern dishes have their place but quite frankly I like a bit of stodge and fat.

Having the afternoon off, I decided to put on a small dinner party. I don't have any heirloom recipes to turn to but thanks to Ed I've got Gordon to guide the way. As always I've tainted it sufficiently to not worry about Gordon's IP rights.

Roast Beef and Red Wine Gravy

1 kg scotch fillet
2 tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves
1/3 bottle red wine
1 cup stock

Heat the oven to 200C. Place garlic cloves still in their skins and a little olive oil in your
roasting pan while you sear the beef. That way when you transfer the meat to the pan it will develop a wonderful crust upon hitting that hot oil. Season the beef well and sear in on the stovetop with a little olive oil to brown on each side- about 4 mins. Transfer to oven and roast for 20 mins per 450g for medium.

When the beef is cooked transfer to a warm plate to rest, lightly covered with foil while you make the yorkshire puddings and gravy.

Using the roasting juices, pour off the excess fat and place over medium heat. Mash the garlic cloves gently before removing skins. Scrape off the treasures from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and bring to simmer. Add
the stock and allow to bubble for around 10 minutes until reduced by half. Strain out garlic and check seasoning.




Yorkshire Puddings


Makes 6 muffin size puddings

110g plain flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
150ml milk
2 tbsp fat

Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl. Add the beaten eggs and half the milk. Beat until smooth then add remaining milk.

Put the oven up to 230C and place 1tsp of fat in each muffin hole. Pop in the oven until the fat is almost smoking. Give the batter a final mix.

Whip out the tray and quickly fill each hole until almost full. Sizzling sounds are good! Immediately place it back in the oven and bake 15-20 minutes until the puddings are risen, golden and crisp. Don't open the oven to check lest they collapse!


Roast Potatoes




4-6 King Edward potatoes peeled and cut into thirds
fat (preferably goose)
garlic cloves
salt
rosemary

Parboil the potatoes for a few minutes. Drain well and roughen up with a thorough shaking or use a fork to create lots of rough textured surfaces. Season well.

Place fat in a hot tray and pop in a hot oven- around 230C although you could cook it with the beef if necessary. Remove fat laden tray when almost smoking and quickly pop in potatoes and a few whole garlic cloves- watch out for splattering fat- lethal stuff!

Pop tray back in oven and bake 30-45 mins depending on how large your potatoes are. Add rosemary sprigs only for the last 10-15 mins to avoid shards of burnt rosemary.

Carve beef thinly and serve with gravy, potatoes and yorkshire puddings. Add greens of choice- I love lemony green beans to cut through the richness and peas for something a little sweet. Tonight I added a little roast pumpkin and green beans.




I know most people don't need to be told how to make a roast dinner but sometimes it's nice to be reminded that we should make them more often.

Charcuterie 101

I have a few embarrassing weekend rituals. Inspecting properties out of my price range, lingering a little too long sampling at the deli counter and watching animal documentaries so I can share interesting little discoveries like the fact hippopotamuses may be carnivores. I kid you not. It appears there's a new habit to add to the list - making charcuterie. Perhaps the deli ladies will be spared my indecision now.

For my birthday I received the insightful book Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. You couldn’t get further from Donna Hay. This book means business and it truly is the encyclopaedia of salting, smoking and curing. It is divided into chapters on salt-cured, dry-cured, smoked food, sausages, confit and terrines. This is not heart foundation approved stuff. I admit some of the ingredients are hard to source and the authors have a minor obsession with kosher salt but this is my sort of recipe book.



Some people are wine snobs. I am a small goods snob, probably to the detriment of my waistline. I lust after jamon, soppressa and chorizo. I am fascinated by the smallest variations in taste and texture and disturbingly excited about the ability to create my own. Weary of getting in over my head, however, I decided to begin with something simple. Having missed the joys of 70’s entertaining I decided to begin with a pâté.


Pâté Grandmére

This is a basic, inexpensive, hearty, country style paté. No fancy in-lays or ingredients. Perfect to smear generously on crusty bread. I’ve bastardised this recipe sufficiently to feel comfortable reproducing it without major copyright infringements.

500g chicken liver cut into chunks
1 tbsp (kosher) salt
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 bay leaves
olive oil
1/4 cup shallots diced
2-3 tbsp brandy
2 slices white bread, crusts removed and chopped
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 tsp grated nutmeg

In a large bowl toss the chunks of liver with salt, pepper and the bay leaves. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Pre-heat your oven to 150C/300 F and freeze your processing blades and bowls. The chilling is crucial if you want the mixture to bind correctly.

In a large sauce pan over high heat sear the liver in batches until you get a good crust. The more crust the more flavour so make sure your liver is in chunks for the maximum crust to liver ratio. Once all are seared transfer to a plate and refrigerate.

In the same pan add your shallots and cook until translucent. Deglaze the pan with brandy and transfer to a bowl. Chill.

Combine the bread, milk, cream, eggs and nutmeg. Set aside.

Process the liver, shallots and bread binding mixture until smooth. Pour into a chilled bowl and stir until the mixture takes on a sticky consistency.

Line a terrine or baking tin with plastic wrap or baking paper with excess to cover. Pack the mixture in tightly and tap to remove air bubbles. Fold over the excess paper or wrap and cover with a terrine lid or foil.

Place the tin in a roasting pan filled with hot water to come halfway up the sides of the terrine. Bake for 1 hour.

Remove the tin from the water bath and set aside to cool. Place a 1 kilogram weight on top to ensure it reminds tight as it sets. Allow to cool to room temperature before refrigerating overnight. Will keep for up to 1 week.



Next on the list is homemade prosciutto.

Poached

Poaching is often my cooking method of choice. My standard breakfast order is two poached eggs. Hainanese chicken rice is my comforting cure-all meal and salmon poached in a fragrant Thai broth a standard mid-week dinner. It seemed time to venture from the savoury to the sweet.

Aromatic Poached Peaches




This makes a deep aromatic poaching liquid that would be perfect for any stone fruit. The sweet and spicy broth is ideal for under-ripe fruit in need of a flavour kick. Don't even think of discarding this liquid after use, it is an excellent soaking liquid for dried fruit!

200g sugar
750g water
3 cracked cardamom pods
2 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
vanilla pod or extract
2-3 swigs sweet liquor or dessert wine (I am such a precise cook!)
3 peaches halved

In a wide shallow saucepan bring the sugar and water to the boil. Allow to simmer 2-3 minutes until reduced slightly. Pop in the cracked cardamom pods, peppercorns, bay leaf and vanilla extract or scrape out a pod. Let boil for another 2 minutes and add liquor or wine. Reduce the heat before adding fruit.

Halve peaches and if seeds come away easily, remove at this stage. Otherwise remove after poaching. Gently ease peaches into poaching liquid. Allow to cook through until tender but not mushy. Around 10 minutes for under-ripe fruit. Make sure to turn fruit during cooking process.

Remove from liquid and allow to cool before slipping off peach skins. Serve with meringues, cream, custard or ice cream.

Don't throw away the remaining cooking liquid. It is excellent for soaking dates or raisins before use in cakes or puddings.

Keep it Simple

I am a big believer that when the produce is good the cooking should be kept to a minimum but particularly with seafood. I ate this prawn dish during my recent trip to India and it is a far cry from the usual preparations involving a dozen spices. The prawn juices and buttery garlic were gorgeous served over basmati rice in India but tonight's experiment proved they are equally excellent with pasta or noodles.

Garlic and Chilli Prawns


1-2 tbsp oil (I used olive)
1-2 tbsp ghee (butter is fine)
8 large prawns
3 dried chillis
4 cloves crushed garlic
limes


The amount of oil and ghee you need depends on the size of your prawns.

Place oil, ghee, dried chilli & garlic in a frypan and heat gently over low heat. Kept the heat to a minimum to prevent the garlic burning. When the oil is hot, add the prawns increase heat and cook for 2-3 minutes. Don't be tempted to remove the heads of the prawns- think prawn stock, this is where the flavour comes from!

Nobody likes an overcooked prawn so take it off the heat as soon as they are cooked through and squeeze over half a lime. Serve on a bed of rice or pasta and extra lime.

The perfect quick pre-West Wing dinner following an afternoon in the pub. As an ex-Sydney girl I raised the question, where does one buy fresh oysters in Victoria? Any ideas?

Nostalgia

Kitchen Wench is hosting a one-off event devoted to nostalgia.

We all have that dessert that Nanna used to make. This is mine. The one that my grandmother knew she could serve me seconds of without question. The one that made me scrape at the bowl for the last spoonful. Most importantly it is the one that helps you remember someone with warm memories rather than sorrow after they're gone.

Unlike everyone else in my family my Grandmother was a woman that avoided shortcuts. She was after all a woman that made fresh bread daily. My mother will happily make this pudding with evaporated milk while my Grandmother much preferred to stand over the pot for an hour, stirring constantly so the milk thickened to perfection. As a little trip down memory lane, I've decided to do it her way.

Dima's Payesh (Cardamom Rice Pudding)

(serves 8)

2 litres milk
5 tbsp brown sugar or 2 tbsp fresh palm jaggery
5 cardamom pods (cracked)
3 tbsp raw rice
rose water
4 tbsp chopped pistachios
3 tbsp raisins
flaked almonds
rose petals

Wash the rice and leave to dry. Heat the milk in a large sauce pan. Pop in cardamom pods. Stir constantly as it simmers until reduced to 3/4 the original volume- between 10-20 minutes. Don't be tempted to leave this alone as the milk will form a skin and stick to the bottom of the pan.

Add the rice at this stage and continue to stir until the rice is tender. Watch it carefully, it is not as forgiving as risotto and is likely to bubble over. Again this will take 10-20 minutes.

When rice is tender add the sugar and raisins. Feel free to fish out the cardamom pods if you feel your guests would be less than pleased with this spicy surprise in their pudding.

Let it boil and keep stirring until it reaches a thick creamy consistency- about 1/2-1/3 the original volume. This shouldn't take longer than 20 minutes but the final thickening happens rapidly and it will continue to thicken after taken off the heat.

Pour into a serving dish and top with a sprinkling of rose water and garnish with pistachios and almonds. Chill before serving and top with rose petals.

Note: If you can get palm jaggery stir it through after taking the pudding off the heat and skip the sugar.

Kitchen Confidential

This is not my worst confession but something I am finally ready to admit; I hate having people in my kitchen. I dislike the sort of open plan kitchens that mean guests walk in and poke around in your pots. I'd much rather just present them with the finished product. I am a spiller, a dropper and sometimes a burner. These are all acts my guests need not know about. The exception is when I'm cooking dishes that aren't particularly fiddly. Risotto springs to mind, as does roast lamb.

Menu

Rack of lamb with preserved lemon, pine nuts and olives
Artichoke salad with lime and garlic dressing




Rack of lamb with preserved lemon, pine nuts and olives

1 rack of lamb
4 cloves garlic
10 pitted marinated kalamatas (chopped)
1 preserved lemon (finely sliced)
handful of chopped mint
white wine

Rub the rack of lamb with olive oil and season well. Smash and chop the garlic and rub into lamb.

Seal the lamb for a few minutes on both side in an oven proof pan. Add a splash of white wine to the pan and with fat side upwards, finish in the oven at 220C for 10-15 minutes. Let lamb rest while you prepare the topping.

Combine the chopped olives, sliced preserved lemon, a little preserved lemon juice, chopped mint and salt to taste.

Slice the rack into double cutlet servings. Top with olive mix and serve with salad and fresh bread. Alternatively try minted potatoes or cous cous.

Artichoke salad with lime and garlic dressing


4 marinated artichokes chopped
lettuce mix of choice
halved cherry tomatoes

juice of 1-2 limes
olive oil
1 minced garlic clove
salt

Whisk together the dressing ingredients, adjusting to taste. Toss through salad.

We finished the meal by raiding the leftover cheeses in the fridge. We broke the cardinal rule of sticking to just a few cheeses but to no harm.

Sunday Lunch

One of the few things Gordon Ramsay and I agree about is the importance of the Sunday Lunch. Thanks to Ed I now have my very own copy of Gordon's wise words on this subject.

Last spring my better half and I made a bit of a habit of Sunday Lunch. Each week we made a variation of the season's best produce- Spring Lamb, combined with a salad and vegetables made from whatever took our fancy at the market that morning. Accompanied by a nice bottle of white and finished off with fresh fruit, a light cake or just a few truffles from Monsieur Truffe at the Prahran Markets, this is a habit I am happy to keep.

I also agree with Gordon that the Sunday lunch can be a simple family affair and need not be on a Sunday. Even a Friday night will do so that's exactly what I did. Note that I have warned you, in the title no less, that I am an amateur cook. Nevertheless, as a lover of food, like all good food blogs, this one will of course have the obligatory recipe posts. This menu features the lesser known but magical variety of Surf and Turf- seafood and charcuterie.




After a gruelling week of law firm interviews a Friday night pottering around the kitchen was just what I had in mind.

Menu
Pancetta wrapped scallops with rocket salad
Steamed black mussels with tomato sofrito and chorizo
Cheese platter, quince paste and a bottle of sticky


Pancetta wrapped scallops with rocket salad

3-4 large scallops per person
1 coil of (pepper crusted) pancetta per scallop
1 handful of rocket per portion
freshly shaved parmesan
1 lemon
olive oil

Cut the pancetta into strips and wrap around each scallop. If you want to turn this into finger food you can pierce them onto a rosemary twig (leaves removed)

Brush with a little olive oil before grilling for a couple of minutes each side.

While scallops are cooking, dress the rocket simply with olive oil and lemon juice and season well. Place a small pile on each plate and top with scallops and shaved parmesan.

Steamed black mussels with tomato sofrito and chorizo
(from a Gourmet Traveller Fare Exchange circa 2005)

Serves 4

1 tbsp olive oil
2 chorizos quartered lengthways and coarsely crumbled
1.5 kg black mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
125 ml dry sherry
2 tbsp coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Crusty bread, to serve

Tomato sofrito
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
6 vine-ripened tomatoes peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 tsp sweet paprika
1⁄2 tsp smoked paprika

Method

For tomato sofrito, heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large frying pan and cook onion and garlic over low heat until soft and beginning to caramelise. Add tomatoes and simmer for 4 minutes or until pulpy, then increase heat to medium and simmer for another 3-5 minutes or until thickened. Add sweet and smoked paprika and season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground white pepper.

Heat oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan, add chorizo and fry over high heat until golden. Add mussels and sherry, cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook, shaking pan continuously, over high heat for 3-4 minutes or until mussels have opened. Remove lid and stir in parsley and tomato sofrito, then serve immediately with crusty bread.



Dessert
While I had picked out a lovely assortment of cheese during my Fitzroy and Carlton stops we decided something sweet was also in order and finished the night at Gelobar on Lygon Street. There is no better place to be on a summer night.



Produce

Seafood- I generally trek out to Springvale for all my fishy needs although I do have a few good spots in Richmond as well. There is nothing I detest more than being stuck next to some Armadale housewife at the Prahran markets insisting she needs fish X because Jamie Oliver said so although the wise fishmonger is telling her it has been frozen and fish Y is far fresher. Yes I'm a terrible person. This time I tried Canals on Nicholson Street, Carlton. The variety isn't huge but the staff are honest and helpful which I appreciate.

Cheese, Paprika and Chorizo - Casa Iberica for a basque blue and queso manchego and of course the quince paste. They have several chorizos on offer and I have never been disappointed by their spice range. Milawa Cheese Shop on Nicholson Street is also worth a stop.

Bread- a pasta dura from the Nicholson Street Bakery.


Pancetta- I didn't need to buy any but the IGA on Sydney Road is where I go. The staff aren't terribly knowledgeable but the variety of cheese and charcuterie is better than most delis. It's not surprising giving the demographic they are catering for and freshness is guaranteed. Best of all the staff are used to my better half and I having out weekly conflict over how many slices of proscuitto we need and take my side without fail.