Roast Chicken with Grapes is a simple one-tray dinner made with golden chicken Marylands, purple grapes, shallots, white wine and fresh tarragon. As everything roasts together, the pan fills with flavour, creating a rich sauce that’s perfect spooned over the chicken at the table. A friend first made a version of this for me years…
Category: Dinner
Spanish Garlic Chicken (Pollo al Ajillo)
Some dishes instantly take you back to a place. For me, this one brings back a tapas stop in Malaga — cold drinks on the table, warm evening air, and one of those gloriously garlicky dishes that arrives with absolutely no pretence and disappears almost immediately. The version I had was closer to tapas-style chicken…
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,…
Spanish White Bean & Clam Stew (Fabes con Almejas)
This Spanish white bean and clam stew is a simple, deeply flavourful dish made with tender beans and fresh clams in a light, savoury broth. Known in Spain as Fabes con Almejas, it’s the kind of recipe that feels rustic but surprisingly elegant. I first had Fabes con Almejas in Oviedo, in northern Spain. White…
Mushroom Ragù
This mushroom ragù is rich, slow-cooked and deeply savoury — the kind of sauce that feels comforting without being heavy. Built using classic Italian technique, it relies on finely chopped mushrooms, olive oil, red wine and time to create depth and body. Rather than slicing the mushrooms, they’re chopped finely and cooked down slowly, allowing…
Traditional Carbonara
If there’s one pasta dish that’s endlessly misunderstood outside Italy, it’s carbonara. Creamy versions with bacon, garlic or onions are everywhere, but in Rome, carbonara is something else entirely — eggs, extra yolks, guanciale, pecorino, black pepper and pasta water. That’s it. This kind of cooking — where flavour comes from restraint rather than extra…
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…
Kimchi Udon Noodles
This is the kind of dinner I make when I’ve left it too late to plan properly and still want something I’ll actually enjoy eating. Kimchi udon noodles come together fast, use what’s already in the cupboard, and hit that sweet spot between comforting and light. The noodles only need a few minutes in the…
Prawns with Nectarine Salsa
There’s something about summer that has me reaching for quick seafood dishes, and this one has become a new favourite in our house. I first made it after a beautiful market haul — perfectly ripe nectarines, bunches of coriander, and a bag of sweet medium prawns from Faros. It’s the kind of recipe that feels…
Duck Marylands with Cherry Vermouth Sauce
Every summer I arrive home from the markets with far more cherries than we can possibly eat fresh. It’s the perfect excuse to cook with them, and duck Marylands are my favourite way to lean savoury. The cherries soften into a bright pan sauce with thyme and vermouth, and the whole dish feels special without…