This recipe is basically a cheat’s version of one of my favourite dishes – the Sichuan classic, Ma Po Tofu. Ma Po Tofu loosely translates as “pockmarked-face lady’s tofu”, given that its usual appearance reminded people of the acne-scarred face of the lady serving it – no, seriously. In our version the tofu is kept in cubes rather than being chopped up with the pork mince – this way you can enjoy the jelly-like texture of the silken tofu. The use of Neil’s Soy & Chilli Dressing makes this dish a bit less heavy than the original, making this an ideal lunch or light dinner for two, with rice.

Neil Perry Fresh Soy & Chilli Dressing is available in the refrigerated produce section of Woolworths supermarkets.

Stir Fried Pork and Tofu with Neil Perry Fresh Soy & Chilli Dressing

Serves 2 with rice, or more as part of a shared banquet

—

200g pork mince

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 long green shallots, sliced into rounds

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

120ml Neil Perry Fresh Soy & Chilli Dressing

1 teaspoon sugar

1 packet silken tofu, cut into 2cm cubes

1 handful coriander leaves

Pinch of ground Sichuan pepper

Finely sliced shallots, for garnish

—

Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or frying pan until hot. Add the pork mince to the wok and break up with a spoon, then continue to stir-fry until the mince starts to brown. Add the shallots and garlic, stir fry for 20-30 seconds, then reduce the heat to low.

Pour in the Soy & Chilli Dressing, add the sugar and carefully place the tofu into the wok. Cover with a lid and gently simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the tofu has warmed through.

Remove from the heat, gently stir through the coriander leaves and transfer to a serving plate.  Sprinkle with Sichuan pepper and garnish with sliced shallots.

Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Photos from Neil’s lunch at the iconic River Cafe, London. Again, looks delicious and wish I could have been there!

“River Cafe – what a great restaurant. It’s all about the quality of the ingredients and beautiful, simple cooking.

We start with a shared Frito Misto

Sam is mad about broad beans in the English season and her dish with mozzarella was a study in perfection.

My crudo of beef was the same.

Every time I’m there I order the Turbot, wood-fire cooked with braised zucchini. It is a dream, a triumph, the succulent flesh gelatinous and silky on the bone. This is one of my very favourite fishes and this is my favourite place to eat it.

Wonderful simple desserts with a panna cotta with raspberries that tasted like it had a hundred vanilla beans in it, simply decadent!”

Hamburgers

Serves 4

 —

1kg freshly ground chuck steak
½ – ¾ tsp sea salt
Extra virgin olive oil
4 hamburger buns, split and toasted
Tomato sauce, barbecue sauce or mustard (any combination you like)
4 slices gruyere
4 rashers good-quality smoked bacon (I like the Schulz brand)
Lettuce and tomato slices
Sliced pickled cucumber
Freshly ground pepper

—

Place the meat in a bowl and sprinkle with salt. Mix gently, then divide into 4. Move each portion from hand to hand for 2 minutes to make a firm but not overworked patty, then shape into a ball. Gently flatten to form 2cm-thick patties. (If you’re making the patties the day before, cover and store in the refrigerator, but take them out of the fridge well before cooking so they are close to room temperature when you cook them. This will ensure even cooking and help the patties retain the heat from the barbecue or pan.)

Heat a barbecue or a frying pan to very hot. Brush extra virgin olive oil over the patties and cook for 6 minutes, then turn and cook for 6 minutes (for medium rare) or until done to your liking. Set the patties aside to rest for 5 minutes. If you want a plain burger, just place a patty on a bun, add sauce and serve.

For a more elaborate burger, place a slice of cheese on each patty to soften as it rests, and cook the bacon on the barbecue. Toast the buns on both sides.

Place the bun bottoms on 4 plates. On each bun, place lettuce, a patty with cheese, bacon, sauce, tomato and, if you wish, pickled cucumber. Add a grind of fresh pepper. Top each with a bun lid and serve with hot chips.

This recipe appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Weekend, 28th May 2011

More photos sent back by Neil, this time wandering through the Borough Market on what looks like an amazing Saturday afternoon in London.

“What a great way to spend a couple of hours, starting with a coffee at Monmouth and ending with a chorizo roll, extra spice and delicious. All manner of organic and naturally famed products as well as meals are available. Wander through Neal’s Yard Cheese Shop or grab a roast pork roll from Roast in the market… this is food heaven”

The cheese looks amazing, as do the purple asparagus and chantrelle mushrooms. We found more great London and Borough Market photos by Peter from Souvlaki For The Soul, one of the blogs we’re reading… great photos.

Monmouth Coffee

Neal’s Yard Dairy

The Ginger Pig

Rhug Estate

Chorizo Roll from Roast

This dish is a bit of a heart-stopper, but definitely worth it every once in a while.  Any time I go to Rockpool Bar & Grill (which is all too infrequent) I have to order this as a side – so rich and delicious - just looking at the photo is making me hungry! Neil’s variation with mushrooms would be perfect with a steak on a cool winter evening…

Macaroni Cheese

Serves 4

This is such a great dish to make. You can have a mac and cheese (as the Americans say) all by itself or as a side dish. I once had a roasted guinea fowl for two with truffled macaroni cheese at the legendary Joel Robuchon restaurant in Paris – now that is pure indulgence – but there is nothing stopping you from roasting a chook and throwing together a side of macaroni cheese to go with it. The most important thing is to use good-quality cheese and bacon and you can’t fail.

Ingredients

400g dried macaroni
Extra virgin olive oil
3 rashers smoky bacon, diced
500ml pure cream
125g grated good-quality Cheddar
250g grated good-quality Gruyere
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon paprika
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
80g fresh breadcrumbs
100g finely grated Parmesan

Method

Put the macaroni in a saucepan with plenty of boiling salted water and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and refresh in iced water, then drain again and pat dry with a cloth or tea towel. Heat a little extra virgin olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until golden. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add the cream to the same pan, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the cheeses, garlic, mustard and paprika and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring, until the cheese has melted and the sauce is thick. Season and add the macaroni and bacon. Preheat the grill.

Place the macaroni mixture into four bowls or one large gratin dish. Mix the breadcrumbs with a little oil. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the macaroni, then the breadcrumbs, Grill until golden brown and with a crisp crust.

Variation

-          Add flavourings to the macaroni: assorted mushrooms, sautéed in butter, oil and garlic are nice; as is braised cabbage, mixed through and the whole thing gratinéed. Vary the cheeses – there are lots of choices and they are all yours.

From ‘The Food I Love’ by Neil Perry, Murdoch Books.

Having being voted the number one restaurant in the world by Restaurant Magazine for two years running, it was a safe bet that Neil would drop in for a meal whilst on his holiday/food tour of Europe and the USA. Noma is the two michelin star restaurant run by chef Rene Redzepi who has made his name redefining Nordic Cuisine, using locally sourced ingredients. The food looks incredible, as you can see from Neil’s pics… we’re sorry that this post is a bit light on details, but we hope that you’ll appreciate how amazing the food looks – so fresh and vibrant. Neil’s only comments on the email were - ”Awesome awesome meal, so unique and so delicious, really amazing cooking and ideas. Desserts were off the charts…”

‘Moss and Cep’

‘Seabuckthorn Leather and Pickled Hip Roses’

‘Leek and Garlic’

‘Mussel’ 

‘Cookie with Lardo and Currant’

‘Bullrush’

‘Rye Bread, Chicken Skin, Lumpfish Roe and Smoked Cheese’

‘Pickled and Smoked Quails Egg’

‘Radish, Soil and Herbs’

‘Æbleskive’

Bread

‘Raw Shrimps and Sea Urchin
Beach Plants and Cream’

‘Scallops and Beech nut
Watercress and Grains’

‘Tartar and Sorrel
Juniper and Tarragon’

‘Langoustine and Söl
Rye and Parsley’

‘Oyster and the Ocean’

‘White and Green Asparagus
Pine and Cream’

‘Fresh Cheese and Forest Shoots
Mushroom and Woodruff’

‘The Hen and the Egg’

‘Sweetbreads and Peas’

”Gammel Dansk’ and Sorrel Juice’

‘Carrots and Sea Buckthorn’

‘Brown Cheese and Beetroot’

This dish brings back memories of a function we did many, many moons ago here at Rockpool. It was only a small function of maybe 20 or so guests, but it was unusual because it was held on a Monday night (which we were usually closed) so we only had a skeleton crew on. Only three of us in the kitchen (Neil, Sarah and myself) and three on the floor – quite possibly the smallest crew ever in Rockpool’s history! 

Now, staff dinners in most restaurants usually aren’t glamorous affairs – the best bits always go to the customers, and what’s left over goes to the staff in most cases. Occasionally we would get something exciting to work with, but not very often! On this occasion Neil volunteered to make staff dinner for us – this was going to be the first time Neil had ever cooked staff dinner while I had been at Rockpool – I was excited, and I wasn’t let down. Not because he pulled out the lobster with foie gras or the caviar, but because he cooked for us a simple roast chicken with veg and aioli – so simple, but done so well. The vegetables were roasted in a tray for a while to get them started, then the chickens were put on top of the vegetables so as they roasted their juices s0aked into the vegetables making them even more delicious. Nothing more than a bit of fresh bread and a generous amount of aioli were needed to top it off…

Neil Perry Fresh Aioli can be found in the refrigerated produce section at your local Woolworths store, above the salad leaves.

One-Pan Roasted Chook and Veg with Neil Perry Fresh Aioli

This dish is a great one-pan wonder – less washing up is always a good thing. The vegetables are started in the pan and allowed to cook for a little while, then the chicken is added on top and the whole lot is roasted together. As the dish roasts, the cherry tomatoes release some of their juices and mix with the roasting juices of the chicken which help to flavour the vegetables…

Serves 4

Ingredients
1 x 1.6 – 1.8kg chicken
Salt, pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
A few knobs of butter
½ bunch thyme
½ lemon
1 bunch baby carrots, washed
4 parsnips, peeled and cut into rough pieces
3 potatoes, washed and cut into rough pieces
12 eschalots, peeled
12 garlic cloves, peeled
1 punnet cherry tomatoes

Preheat an oven to 220°c.

An hour before you begin cooking take the chicken out of the fridge. Remove the wing tips and parsons nose from the chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Place the thyme and lemon inside the chicken cavity. Drizzle the chicken all over with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat a roasting pan in the oven or on the stove top. Add enough olive oil to barely cover the tray and a few knobs of butter, then add all of your vegetables except the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper, toss well and place the pan in the oven. Cook the vegetables in for about 20 minutes – they should be just starting to brown.

Remove the tray from the oven and add the cherry tomatoes. Place the chicken face up into the pan and return to the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Remove from the oven, lightly cover with foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes before serving.

Serve the carved chicken with the vegetables, fresh bread and plenty of Neil Perry Fresh Aioli.

On the 7th June 2011 Rockpool, in conjunction with World Class, will be hosting the final of the World Class Cocktail Competition to find the nation’s top bartender.

Phil Wood, Head Chef at Rockpool will be cooking a 5 course degustation to be matched by cocktails from the finalists using exclusive luxury spirits from the Diageo Reserve portfolio. At the conclusion of the meal guests will be asked to vote on their favourite cocktail, with the final verdict made from both the guests votes and that of the expert panel.

The World Class cocktail dinner is priced at $185 per person with limited seats available. For bookings please contact us at Rockpool on +612 9252 1888 or email reservations@rockpool.com.  

Read the press release for more information. 

Spicy Lamb and Sweet Potato Curry

Serves 4

—

 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

500g lamb shoulder, cut into 2cm dice

5 kaffir lime leaves

2 lemongrass stalks (outer leaves removed), bruised and cut into 4cm lengths

300g sweet potato, diced

1 ½ tablespoons grated palm sugar

1 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

Juice of 1 lime

Spice Paste

2 teaspoons black peppercorns

8 candlenuts (available from Asian grocers), roasted until golden, chopped

4 long green chillies, deseeded and chopped

2 long red chillies, deseeded and chopped

4 small wild green chillies (available from Asian grocers and greengrocers such as Harris Farm), chopped

4 red shallots, chopped

1 knob galangal, chopped

½ knob ginger, peeled and chopped

2 fingers fresh turmeric, chopped

1 teaspoon sea salt

 —

For the spice paste, pound all ingredients in a mortar with a pestle, or use a blender, to make a fine paste, adding water if necessary.

For the curry, heat a wok until just smoking. Add the oil and, when hot, add the spice paste and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, or until the rawness has gone and the paste is fragrant.

Add 1 litre water and bring to the boil. Add the lamb, lime leaves and lemongrass, cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for a further 15 minutes, or until the lamb is tender and the sauce has reduced and thickened slightly.

Meanwhile, steam the sweet potato for 15-20 minutes, or until tender. Stir it into the curry, then season with palm sugar, fish sauce and lime juice.

Serve with steamed rice and greens – snow peas would be nice.

—

This recipe appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald Good Weekend, 21st May 2011

This used to be our go-to staff dinner up at XO Surry Hills – when we were short of time (or inspiration) and had to get something together quickly, this was it. Never having a shortage of cooked rice in the coolroom (the advantage of being an Asian restaurant), the boys had to get creative with their fried rice. The skill came down to what else you would put in there… sometimes BBQ pork, sometimes white-cut chicken, sometimes Chinese sausage - more or less whatever was at hand! But that is the beauty of this dish – no set rules as to what the ingredients should be. We did however have one rule when eating our fried rice – plenty of Sri Racha chilli sauce with it! If you like chilli sauce and haven’t tried this one, go out and buy some today!

Classic Fried Rice

Fried rice is a great thing to make with left-over rice, so make sure you always cook more rice than you need and keep it in the fridge or freezer. This is so simple but utterly delicious. The key is not to use freshly cooked rice – it sticks together easily and soaks up too much of the flavouring. You can add anything you like, or take stuff away, depending on what suits your mood or what you can get your hands on. I use two types of soy here, as the yellow bean adds another layer of complexity, but just use one type if that’s easier. I love this as a quick lunch – just a drizzle of chilli sauce and I’m in heaven.

Ingredients

3 cups cooked rice

3 tablespoons peanut oil

4 large green king prawns, peeled, deveined and roughly chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger

150g Chinese-style barbecue pork, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1 tablespoon yellow bean soy sauce

½ teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

3 spring onions, cut into julienne

A pinch of freshly ground white pepper

Method 

Heat a wok until just smoking. Add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil and, when hot, stir fry the prawns until just cooked, then remove.

Reheat the wok, add the eggs and move them around the wok gently until just set. Turn out the egg onto a plate and roughly chop with your wok spoon.

Wipe the wok clean and reheat with the remaining peanut oil until just smoking. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, then add the pork and cook for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir-fry for another minute, then return the prawns to the wok. Add the soy sauces, sea salt, sugar, oyster sauce and sesame oil, and stir-fry until the rice is coated with the sauce. Add the egg and spring onions and toss together. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with ground pepper to serve.

—

From ‘Balance & Harmony’ by Neil Perry, Murdoch Books.