bunyip's Profile

From: Melbourne, VIC Australia

Joined: December 27th, 2009

About me: I've been cooking for over thirty years, and I can remember the days before EVO, couscous and (ghasp!) microwaves. My cookbook collection reflects this personal and national gastronomic history. My own cooking has actually got simpler over the years, and I can do much of my repertoire without looking at a recipe. But I still love collecting cookbooks, although these days I'm a bit over food porn with great big colour photos - I really prefer food writing to recipes.

Favorite cookbook: The Cook's Companion

Salmon with macaroni from A Year of Good Eating: The Kitchen Diaries III

Simple but delicious. Poaching the fish in 600 ml of cream (that's two bottles), which is then poured over the fish and pasta, sounds richer than it is. This is partly due to the dill in the crumb topping. I... read more >

recipe reviews (225)
book reviews (106)
useful review votes (103)

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bunyip's Reviews

4 recipe(s) reviewed. Showing 1 to 4Sort by: Title | Date | Rating

Cooking on the Bone: Recipes, History and Lore

By Jennifer McLagan
Grub Street - 2006

Oxtail is always a bit of a bother because of the fat, but the method for this makes it easy to deal with. After an initial slow braise in wine and stock, remove the meat and discard the aromatics. You can then deal easily with the fat - I've got one of those nifty pouring jugs, but it will solidify in the refrigerator.

Next day simmer the jellied sauce with more red wine, pour over the meat, scatter blanched veggies on top and give it another hour uncovered in a moderate oven.

I was only making half quantity of the meat and veggies, but I have frozen the surplus sauce for use with steak or roast beef.

Absolutely delicious!

useful (1)  

The sauce includes, among other things, soy sauce, ginger, star anise and orange juice. I would never have thought of using it for beef, but it was absolutely delicious. A complete change from the usual tomato based sauce.

As usual with oxtail you do the main cooking a day in advance.

useful (0)  

Fabulous, richly flavoured winter comfort food. Pieces of neck slow cooked in a suce of anchovies, garlic, rosemary, red wine and red wine vinegar. I make it in an Emile Henry braiser and serve with Stephanie's cauliflower and potato 'pie'.

Only drawback, if that's how you choose to look at it, is hanging about for two and a half hours, turning the pieces every half hour. Worth it, no question!

useful (0)  

You can't get Madeira round here for love nor money, it seems, so substituted dry sherry. Pan frying followed by finishing in the oven is definitely the way to go with veal chops.

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