Take one often-forgotten cooking method and see what fragrant dish results.
Autumn seems to have quietly arrived and I have started to roast meats and make quick but charming bean casseroles for dinner. A walk along the riverbank during Easter revealed the first of the slippery jack mushrooms growing under the pine trees, their sweet earthy smell hanging in the air. They’re not quite ready for picking, though, so I won’t go back to gather any until the weather becomes damper.
Those that don’t end up being cooked at home in a little butter with some salt and a squeeze of lemon juice will end up at the restaurant. To be honest, my mother-in-law will collect most of the mushrooms for me, leaving them at the back door in a soggy cardboard box. It will become the kitchenhand’s nightmare to clean off the pine needles and dirt.
Robust flavours start to permeate my cooking as I search for more depth of flavour. Fragrant broths will bring comforting warmth, and roasted root vegetables a degree of sweetness and body, to my casseroles and stews. Thyme, bay and rosemary will become my preferred herbs, adding more savoury flavours.
Before I settle into a winter of slow-cooked secondary cuts of game or beef, I still want to eat lightly, and poaching is an often-forgotten cooking method that meets my requirements. Cheap vege-tables like spinach, cabbage and silverbeet can be added to the broth for further flavour. I always cook organic chicken, and because poaching gives me the chance to make a well-flavoured stock, I buy a whole bird rather than breast or leg cuts, as this provides me with the depth of flavour I want.
The point of roasting the potatoes in this next recipe rather than cooking them with the chicken is to introduce another texture, one that offers a slight crunch as well as a bit of richness. The potatoes will absorb some of the broth, balancing the pungent saffron flavour.
Poached Chicken with Spinach, Roast Potatoes and Saffron Broth
4 stems parsley
12 black peppercorns
1 medium onion (with skin left on)
1 tbsp salt
2 tomatoes
1 large organic chicken
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs thyme
a pinch of saffron stamens
1 lemon
1 large handful of spinach
freshly ground black pepper
Put the parsley, peppercorns, onion (still in its skin), salt and tomatoes into a large, deep saucepan. Rinse the chicken thoroughly inside and out, then place it in the saucepan with the bay leaves, thyme and saffron. Cut the lemon in half and add it to the saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover the chicken, then bring to the boil. Skim any froth from the surface, then lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook the chicken for 30 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover with a lid and leave it to poach for another hour. The meat should be tender but not quite falling off the bone. Lift out the chicken, remove the legs, separating them into drumsticks and thighs, then carve the breasts. Strain the stock, discarding the solids, then return it to the saucepan and bring back to the boil. Reduce by half to intensify the flavours. While the stock is reducing, pick the spinach leaves from the stalks, wash them in plenty of water, then drain. Just before serving, stir them into the broth, which you may need to season with a little salt and pepper. Serve the chicken – ensuring everyone gets a mixture of breast and leg meat – with the roast potatoes, in deep bowls with the spinach. Ladle the broth over the top.
Will feed 4.
Roast Potatoes
1kg potatoes, such as Agria
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter
salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
Preheat the oven to 200C. Peel the potatoes and cut into thick slices. Warm the oil and butter in a large roasting pan over a low heat. Carefully slide the slices into the pan and let them cook slowly. Season lightly with salt and pepper, stir in the thyme and bay leaves, then place the pan in the oven. Bake for 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Duck is a firm favourite of my daughter, Isabella, and frequently the only way I can encourage her to eat something like lentils or beans is to combine the two ingredients.
Duck breasts cook quickly, and have a more mellow flavour than most people expect. This is an autumn dish with hints of cassoulet. Season the duck breasts generously with salt and pepper so they will render as much fat as possible. This helps turn the skin wickedly crisp. Rest them after roasting so the juices stay in the meat rather than coming out on the chopping board. A jar of preserved capsicums, puréed until smooth, provides a quick sauce with intense flavour.
Roast Duck Breast with White Beans, Bacon and Red Capsicum Sauce
2 duck breasts, skin on
salt and freshly ground black pepper
250g smoked bacon
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato purée
390g can haricot, cannellini or butter beans
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp dijon mustard
220g jar roasted capsicums, drained
1 tsp sugar
Preheat the oven to 200C. Cut 4 diagonal slits into the skin of the duck breasts and season liberally with salt and pepper. Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat, but do not add any oil. Place the duck breasts skin-side down in the frying pan and cook for 3 minutes. Turn them over and put the pan into the oven for 12 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer the breasts to a suitable plate to keep warm, then place the frying pan over a high heat.
Chop the bacon into large pieces, add to the frying pan and cook until golden brown. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, and once it begins to smoke a bit, add the onion and garlic. Cook for 6 minutes or so until they have softened, then stir in the tomato purée. Drain the beans and add to the pan. Bring to a simmer, stir in the bay leaf and mustard, season with salt and pepper, then cook for 10 minutes.
Put the capsicums, the remaining olive oil and sugar into a food processor and purée until smooth. Pour the mixture into a small saucepan, then simmer gently for a few minutes over a low heat until warmed through. Taste for seasoning – you may need to add a little salt. Slice the duck breasts into thin diagonal slices. Spoon the beans into the centre of 2 warm serving plates and arrange the duck slices on top. Spoon the sauce around the outside, then serve.
Enough for 2.