1. The steaks should be fully defrosted and then seasoned with pink salt and pepper – Note: season immediately before they go on the grill. I’ve seen people “prepare” the steaks hours before only to have the salt get rid of the essential juices before they even hit the barbie.
2. Have your BBQ/grill (or pan) HOT! You want the steak to sizzle when you place it on the grill, turn it down if needed afterwards but make sure it sizzles to start.
3. Only turn the steak once and don’t keep prodding it with the tongs – I call the constant turners/prodders “steak botherers” (or, alternatively and somewhat unfortunately, brothers-in-law).
4. Lastly, how to tell if a steak is ready. The important thing is NEVER cut a steak to see if it’s ready as this releases the beautiful juices you’ve worked so hard to retain. Instead, try the touch test…

The touch test:
Rare - hold your right hand out flat and touch the meaty muscle at the base of your thumb with your left index finger. If this feels the same as when you touch your steak, it’s done to perfect rare (the steak that is, not your hand!).

Medium Rare – just touch (and I mean just touch, don’t put any pressure on) your right index finger to the tip of your right thumb forming a circle and tightening the muscle slightly. Then, with your left index finger, touch the meaty muscle at the base of your right thumb. That’s how a medium-rare steak should feel if you touch it with a finger.

Medium - Doing the same with the second finger again tightens the muscle slightly and that’s how a medium steak should feel.

Medium-well – Touching the ring finger to the thumb gives how a medium-well steak should feel

Well - …and the little finger, you guessed it, is how a well done steak should feel.

Testing this way doesn’t destroy the steaks and also gives you an excuse to lick the beautiful brown meat caramel off your finger giving you a little chef’s preview to the great taste!

The quick version

Cover with COLD water
Bring to boil, take off heat and let stand
Soft – 1 to 5 minutes
Hard – 15 to 17 minutes
Stop cooking in cold water

The Full Version

Difficulty – Easy
Time Required – up to 25 minutes

Method

• Place eggs in a single layer in a saucepan.
• Cover with at least one inch of cold water over eggs.
• Cover the pot and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• As soon as the water comes to a full boil, remove from the heat and let the eggs stand in the water.
  • Large soft-cooked eggs – stand 1 to 4 minutes (depending on taste)
  • Large hard-cooked eggs – stand 15 to 17 minutes.
• When cooked to the desired level, drain off hot water.
• To stop the eggs overcooking, immediately cover with cold water and add a few ice cubes.
  • Soft-cooked eggs – let stand in cold water until cool enough to handle then serve immediately.
  • Hard-cooked eggs – let stand in cold water until completely cooled and use as needed.

Tips:

• Never boil eggs, it makes them rubbery.
• Use older eggs, fresh ones won’t peel properly.
• To keep eggs from cracking while cooking, before placing in the water, pierce the large end with a needle. This will also make them easier to peel.

Ingredients
Serves 4 to 6

1 beef fillet (approximately 1 – 1.2kg)
black pepper, crushed
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 cloves garlic thinly sliced
Extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
3 – 4 bay leaves
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped

Method
Trim the sinew from the beef fillet (or ask your butcher to do this for you) and tuck the skinny tail end under the fillet, securing with butchers twine. Tie the rest of the fillet at 4 cm intervals. Place fillet in a roasting pan. Mix the black pepper, rosemary and thyme and rub all over the fillet, top with sliced garlic, and bay leaves. Pour the balsamic over, cover and leave to marinate for a couple of hours or overnight, turning occasionally.

Pre-heat the oven to 70C, and bring the fillet up to room temperature. Remove from the marinade, pat dry and place in a clean roasting dish. Cook for 4 hours.

Once cooked, remove from the oven. Rub a little salt all over the fillet and seal on all sides in a large frying pan. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 20 to 30 minutes. The fillet will be beautifully pink all the way through.

Starting at about 4pm with platters of cheese with muscatels and quince paste, various p

You can also make it and set it in the fridge on an oiled tray. Then you cut it into shapes (I use triangles) and grill or BBQ it to go with just about any meat dish. Try flavouring it with a little chopped chilli (even out of a bottle) or some lightly fried herbs like rosemary. YUM!

Hint – in Australia, the polenta you buy from supermarkets can be a bit course. If you mix it 50/50 with semolina, it makes a much nicer polenta mixture. If you’re from Brissy, try Samios on Annerley Rd in Woolloongabba for the ingredients (of this and any other continental dish).

2 cups milk
2.5 cups water
1 cup polenta
herbs or chilli to taste (optional)
2 tbl butter

Bring milk and water to the boil. Pour polenta in while whisking vigorously. Keep whisking over high heat until mixture thickens. Lower heat and keep stirring with a wooden spoon until mixture starts to leave the sides of the pot (can be 3 – 20 mins depending on the type of polenta). Add flavourings and butter and mix until blended. Serve hot or tray up if you are going to set it.

Serves 4 as an “easy second plate” (separate course)

Time – 50 mins

Wine – Riesling dell’Isonzo (or a good Aussie semillion blanc would be fine also)

Note – this is not a Weight Watchers’ receipe but is yummy!

1 Kg potatoes
1 large onion
2 tbl good olive oil
Salt and pepper
.5 Kg cheese “latteria” (basic dairy cheese like cheddar)

Peel potatoes and slice into > .5 cm slices. Fry onion in oil over low heat untill transparent. Add potatoes, mix through and raise heat to moderate. Add salt and pepper and keep turning potatoes. When the potatoes are nearly cooked, add cheese, lower heat and cover for 20 mins. Turn the “frico” with the help of the cover and increase heat to medium. When golden on both sides, turn out onto a plate and serve very warm accompanied by some polenta.

1.5 cups water
500g brown sugar
1 cup coffee chicory essence (we use Dickfords)
1.5 cups dark rum
.5 cups Malibu (or any coconut rum)
1.5Kg raisins
1 vanilla pod – split

Boil water and sugar for 5 mins stirring. Remove from heat. Add coffee chicory essence, rum and Malibu. Put raisins and vanilla pod into a large airtight jar and pour mixture over. Stir and seal. Leave 3 – 4 weeks minimum.

These were conceived and prepared on our trip to the US as thankyou dinners for our very generous hosts. There are 5 menus that range from a BBQ to a formal sit down steak dinner. Hope you enjoy them as much as we did!

Menu 1 – serves 6 with leftovers
Barbecued Apricot and Chile Chicken
Barbecued balsamic asparagus
Great Potato Salad
Garden Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette

Barbecued Apricot and Chile Chicken
6 boneless chicken breasts skin on
Marinade
2 cups tinned apricot nectar
2 jalepeno peppers seeds removed and finely chopped
1 tsp ginger freshly grated
1 tsp garlic freshly grated or finely chopped

Combine marinade ingredients in a large bowl and add chicken coating well. Let sit for at least 1/2 hour. When the barbecue is ready but not too hot, barbecue the breasts until cooked through, immersing in the marinade when turning. When ready, slice each breast in half and set aside in a covered dish in a warm oven to wait for serving. Serve on a warmed platter with the asparagus. This with the potato salad, garden salad and wine of your choice make a yummy meal.

Barbecued balsamic asparagus
Chop the woody base ends off a bunch of asparagus and lightly coat with olive oil (I toss them in a bowl to do this). Place on the barbecue and let cook until lightly browned on all sides. Remove from the barbecue to a serving plate and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and cracked pepper.

Great Potato Salad
18 small red skinned potatoes
1 cup real mayonnaise
2 tbl olive oil
1 small bunch chives chopped
1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
1/4 tsp salt (optional)

Wash the potatoes and place whole into a large pot of hot water. Bring to the boil and cook until the potatoes are just tender. While potatoes are cooking, combine all the rest of the ingredients and stir well until the oil is well mixed in. When the potatoes are cooked, drain them and slice each in half or quarters (depending on size). While they are still hot, gently stir through the mayonnaise mixture and leave to stand until ready for serving.

Garden Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Mixed salad leaves
2 ripe tomatoes
1 handful black olives (optional)

for the vinegarette…
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 heaped tsp whole grain mustard
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper (optional)

Wash and spin the salad leaves and place in a salad bowl. Slice the tomatoes into segments and toss over the leaves with the black olives. Place all the vinegarette ingredients into an old jelly jar and shake the crap out of them. Pour over the salad just before serving.

Fetuccini with moroccan spiced squash, chicken, cashews and fetta
1 butternut squash, peeled, cleaned and 1

Roast Lamb with Port Wine Sauce
2 (3 – 4 pound) boneless legs of lamb, rolled, tied, and trimmed of excess fat
4 to 6 cloves garlic, cut in half
4 to 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 cup port wine

for the port sauce…
1 cup port wine
1 tablespoon butter

Fresh rosemary sprigs for garnish

To prepare leg of lamb, cut 1-inch slits on all sides of the lamb. Insert garlic halves into the slits and weave rosemary sprigs in the string used to tie the lamb (some butchers may use a mesh-like material). Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place lamb into a deep baking pan; pour port wine over lamb. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight (best overnight). Preheat oven to 325