Fish

Fish
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

Simple dinner on Saturday night. Got us some nice Ocean Perch fillets, brushed in good olive oil, seasoned, then under the grill (on high) for three minutes per side. Served with al dente sliced asparagus that had been pan fried in a little bit of olive oil, and had a huge dob of butter melted into it prior to serving. With a squeeze of lemon and a dash of Japanese mayonaisse, the melted butter from the asparagus blended with the creamy fish and the result was sensational. Finished the meal with Stilton, crispy apple and port.

Pine Nuts

Pine Nuts
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

My attempt to make D.'s clone of one of our favourite dishes at Spaghi's. I pan fry pine nuts in a little butter til golden brown, then fry some Italian-style BBQ sausages that have had their skin removed, chopping them with the wooden spoon while frying to make them into meatballs. All the while a few garlic bulbs are roasting in the oven. Once the sausages are done, the now soft and buttery garlic cloves are squeezed out and pan fried, and then the whole lot is blended together with some Napolatana sauce and fresh rocket. Al dente fusilli is stirred through (the doughy, hand-made variety), and the whole lot is topped with a decent handful or light, crumbled ricotta. Click through for the plated-up version, just prior to devourement!

Pork Noodles

Pork Noodles
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

D. made a simple but delicious noodle dish for Monday night dinner, accompanied with a bowl of soup made from the leftover pork. What could be easier than noodles boiled in the wok, topped with coriander, spring onion, garlic oil and pork, then mixed with sauce, a squeeze of lime juice and white pepper? Nice one. Click through for a piccie of the soup...

Chicken

Chicken
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

Another of D.'s classic dishes. Chicken thighs and sliced onions are marinated in a secret sauce and baked in the oven. Once done, the cooked chicken and onions are served on a bed of lettuce, garnished with coriander, and devoured with rice, sliced cucumber and tomato, and a well-balanced dipping sauce. Lurvely.

Leftover Lamb Pasta

Leftover Lamb Pasta
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

A quick slap-up meal of leftover roast lamb, olives, pasta and a stir-through sauce. Rich and heart, and perfect with a glass of leftover pinot. Courtesy of D.

Scrambled Eggs

Sunday Brekky
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

What to make with the leftover cream from the potato gratin? Scrambled eggs for Sunday brekky, of course. Four eggs are cracked into a bowl and beaten, then poured into a saucepan that's been greased with butter, and is on the lowestgas setting on the smallest burner on the stovetop. Patience is then required , as it needs constant stirring with a wooden spoon as it slowly starts to come together. Just when it is at the verge of being completely cooked, a liberal amount f cream is poured in, and cooking continues until done. Very nice on hot butteren English muffins.

Minestrone

Leftovers
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

D. made a sensational minestrone, which we strung out to three meals. Rich and hearty, it included bacon and anchovies, and a big thick rind of an old hunk of parmesan, which melted away. Nice one!

Lamb and Potato

After
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

D. requested that I make potato gratin, which I haven't done before, but she recalled finding it delicious when she and her sister had it in a restaurant in Perth. So I googled the recipe, and made it to accompany some nice roast lamb on Satdee night. Thinly sliced potatoes are stewed in milk, then layed out in a baking dish that has been greased with butter and had crushed garlic cloves rubbed over its surface, covered in cream and grated Gruyere cheese, then another layer of the same. Came out very nicely, if I do say so meself.

Noodles

Weekday Lunch
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

Nice to come home for lunch to this on Friday. Nice and simple - a plate of noodles garnished with stir fried thinly sliced beef, green beans and broccolini. The secret is in the sauce: oyster sauce with a *lot* of black pepper. Very nice with a squeeze of lemon.

Foie Gras

Foie Gras
Originally uploaded by Jason Hutchens.

Well, it's been a while since I blogged about food, what with the baby arriving and everything. Our diet has changed considerably, with a lot more takeaway, home delivery and quickly prepared meals, and a lot less in the way of lengthy, epicurean feasts. So, tonight, when I arrived home to a hungry wife and cranky daughter, and a bare cupboard, there wasn't too much to be scraped together. Luckily, a bit of searching revealed a small tin of Foie Gras and Black Truffle hidden away behind the Vegemite; a present from Dancing Linh back when she visited Gay Parry (or somesuch place). Out of the blue, we did have an Epicure's Delight on hand. The Foie Gras tin was opened, the contents sliced in twain and pan fried (Iron Chef style, according to D). This was then served with toasted bread and a glass of Tasmanian Pinot Noir. Very satisfying! To follow this meal with the annual serving of Bangers and Mash would have been heresy, had they not been so good. Thanks, Dancing Linh!