Lebanese lamb and okra stew, known as bamieh, is built on a small number of ingredients cooked slowly until everything comes together properly. The lamb becomes tender, the tomato thickens into a sauce, and the okra absorbs all of that flavour. There are variations from household to household, but the structure stays the same. Lamb,…
Category: Ingredients
Chicken and Corn Soup (Using Leftover Roast Chicken)
A roast chicken in this house is never just one meal. There’s always something left, and while a quick salad or sandwich is fine, this is what I actually want to make when the weather cools down. Something warm, simple and properly satisfying. This chicken and corn soup uses leftover roast chicken and builds flavour…
Marinated Octopus with Celery, Capers & Olives
I had a version of this marinated octopus salad at a small bar in Surry Hills that I haven’t stopped thinking about. It arrived almost instantly, which made perfect sense once I tasted it — everything had clearly been prepared ahead and allowed to sit. The octopus was tender, the celery just softened, and it…
Classic Aussie Beef Rissoles
Golden, juicy Aussie beef rissoles with plenty of gravy — it’s the kind of dinner that never really goes out of style. A couple of weeks ago I went out for dinner with some friends at a new restaurant — the kind of place where you’d expect small plates and wine, not rissoles. And yet,…
Eggplant Parmigiana (Melanzane alla Parmigiana Recipe)
The first time I ate proper eggplant parmigiana in Italy, I remember thinking: what have they done to this? The eggplant was silky and rich, the tomato sauce deeply flavoured, and the cheese used with a much lighter hand than many versions I’d tried before. Instead of feeling heavy, the whole dish felt balanced —…
Fabes con Almejas (Spanish Beans with Clams)
I first had Fabes con Almejas in Oviedo, in northern Spain. White beans and clams in a light garlic and olive oil broth. It didn’t look like much, but it was one of the most comforting things I ate on the trip. There was no heavy sauce, no theatrics. Just creamy beans, sweet clams and…
Flank Steak with Chimichurri
Flank steak is one of those cuts that doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. It’s lean, full of flavour and — importantly — far more economical than many other steaks, which is exactly why I like cooking it at home. One good-sized flank steak, cooked properly, sliced thinly and shared, is often more than…
Crispy Smashed New Potatoes with Olive Oil & Thyme
These crispy smashed new potatoes are one of those sides I make without even thinking about it. If we’re grilling something outside or throwing together a simple midweek dinner, a tray of these usually goes into the oven while everything else is happening. They’re especially good next to my Grilled Lamb Cutlets with Herb Sauce,…
Clear-Out-the-Fridge Frittata
This is the frittata I make when I need to use things up before they go bad. A half capsicum, a few mushrooms, some asparagus that’s been sitting in the crisper a bit too long, good eggs from the markets — it all goes into one pan and gets finished under the grill. Sometimes I…
Quick & Easy Bún Chả Vermicelli Bowl
Bún Chả Vermicelli Bowl are one of those dishes I never hesitate to cook at home. Smoky pork cooked hot and fast, cold rice vermicelli, crisp lettuce and generous handfuls of herbs, all brought together with a sharp, savoury-sweet nuoc cham. It’s the contrast that makes it work so well — warm, charred meat against…