Marsala Pasties

Ingredients

4 Large potatoes, peeled and quartered 

1 Brown onion, finely chopped
2 Tblsps of ghee  
1 Tspn cumin seeds  
1 Tspn mustard seeds  
1 Tspn turmeric 
1 Tblspn grated ginger  
3 Cooked chorizo sausages, cut into small bite size pieces (optional)
¼ Bunch of spinach  
6 Button mushrooms, diced  
1 Finely chopped green chili  
1/2 Tspn salt (adjust to taste)  
1 Tblspn lemon juice  
2 Tblspn chopped coriander  
4 Sheets of short crust pastry  
¼ Cup milk (for brushing)

Method 
Boil the potatoes until they are soft and set aside to cool. In the meantime, preheat the oven to 210 degrees Celsius.  

Roughly mash the potatoes. Heat the ghee in a frying pan on medium high until hot & smoking. Add the cumin and mustard seeds. As the seeds crack, add the chopped onion and turmeric. Fry on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.  

Next, add the ginger and chopped chorizo, fry for a further 2 minutes on a medium heat. Add potatoes, spinach, mushrooms, green chili and salt. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.  

Add lemon juice and coriander while folding through mixture carefully. Take the mixture off the heat and set aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, Cut four 12cm (diameter) rounds from each shortcrust pastry sheet. Spoon 2 tablespoons of potato mixture onto the top half of each round. 

 Brush pastry edges with water to seal. Bring pastry edges together to form a semi-circle. Pinch edges to seal and form frills.

Place pasties on a lined baking tray. Brush with milk and bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until golden. 

Serve with a sweet chutney.

Roast Goose

Ingredients
1 Medium Sized Goose (between 2.4 - 3 kilograms), thawed completely
2 Tbspns Vietnamese Salt & Pepper Mix (Muo'i Tieu)
2 Granny Smith Apples, cored and cut into quarters
1 Bunch of Sage, washed & roughly torn
1-2 Litres of Water

Equipment
4 Bamboo Skewers
Kitchen Towel
Large Baking Tray, Rack & Lid (or foil lined with baking paper as foil will stick to the skin of the goose)

Method
Preheat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius. Meanwhile, pat dry the skin of the goose using kitchen towel and place the goose breast side up on the wire rack in the baking tray.

Insert the quartered apples into the cavity of the goose. Before and after each piece of apple, add a small amount of the torn sage leaves. When the cavity is full, use the skewers to close the cavity and secure the legs into position.

Sprinkle the salt & pepper mixture over the goose, ensuring the skin has an even coverage of seasoning. Note, do not rub the salt & pepper mixture as it may clump together.

Pour the water carefully to the bottom of the baking tray until it reaches a depth of 1.5cm, be sure that no water comes in contact with the goose.

Cover the baking tray with the lid or with foil and baking paper. Place the goose carefully into the centre of the preheated oven and roast for 1 hour.

At the end of the first hour, remove the goose from the oven and carefully uncover the lid or foil. Return the goose back to the oven for a further 45 minutes to an hour uncovered. Be sure to check that the bird is browning evenly and is not over cooked.

Remove the goose from the oven and rest for 10 minutes before carving and serving. This sized bird should feed 4 people as a main or 6 as an entree.

Roasted Marrow Bones with Parsley Salad

Ingredients
1.2Kg (approx 6-8, 8-12cm long) Pieces of Calf/Yearling Marrow Bones
        (tip: get your butcher to cut the bone into the required lengths)
1 Bunch of Flat Leaf (Continental) Parsley, chopped roughly
2 French Shallots, very finely diced
1 Tbspns Capers, roughly chopped
2 Tbspns Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbspns Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
A Good Quality Salt, such as Murray River Salt Flakes or Fler de Sel Salt
8 Thick Slices of Toasted Artesian Bread, check out our awesome finds: http://the2littlepiggies.blogspot.com/search/label/Bakery



Method
Preheat the oven to 220 degrees Celsius. Place bones, cut side up on a baking tray/Corning Ware/ovenproof frypan.

Carefully place the bones into the oven and bake for around 15-20 minutes. Please note, if the bones are very cold (i.e. straight from refrigerator), the baking time might be increased to around 25 minutes.

Check the bones at the 15 minute mark to see if the marrow is soft and has begun to separate from the bone. Note: remove bones from the oven just as the marrow begins to ooze out.

Meanwhile, combine chopped parsley, finely diced shallots and chopped capers in a small mixing bowl.

Just before serving combine olive oil and lemon juice and whisk. Drizzle dressing over  the parsley mixture and toss (best using one’s hands) until just coated in the dressing.

Place roasted bones, parsley salad, salt and toast on a large plate. To serve, scoop out the marrow, spread on toast, sprinkle with a little salt and top with parsley salad.  Suggested cutlery: crab, lobster picks and digging tools work well in getting the marrow out & onto your toast.

Egg Free Chicken Schnitzel

Ingredients
1 Kg Chicken Breast
1 1/2 Cups of Milk
2 Tbspns Maggi Seasoning
1 Tbspn Paprika
6 Garlic Cloves, crushed
3 Cups of Bread Crumbs for coating
1/2 Cup of Olive Oil for frying

Method
In a large mixing bowl, add the milk, garlic, paprika and Maggi seasoning. Whisk together until the mixture is combined. Set aside.

Lay a chicken breast down on a plastic cutting board. Carefully slice the chicken breasts (parallel to the board) in half starting at the thickest end. Repeat for each breast fillet.

Place the chicken into the marinade mixture, ensuring that all of the chicken has been coated in the marinade and return the bowl to the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

On a large plate, lay out half of the bread crumbs. Remove the chicken from the fridge and crumb each fillet with bread crumbs.

In a large non-stick frypan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Carefully place the crumbed chicken onto the hot pan and cook for 7 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove schnitzels from the pan and place onto absorbent paper for 1 minute.

Serve with your favourite condiments such as lemon, mustards, sweet chilli, Piri Piri and BBQ sauces.