Sep 11

Food blogger's dinner - Medusa restaurant

Full disclosure – we were invited to dine at Medusa and try the new spring menu and we were given a reduced price on the menu.  I also apologise for the terrible quality of these pictures – it was quite dim at our end of the table.

Medusa is a new fine dining restaurant in Bardon with an amazing view out over Paddington and South West Brisbane.  Brisbane food blogger’s and media types were offered a chance to try their degustation menu (with or without matching wines) for a reduced price.  J and I decided to head along, with J trying the matching wines and me sticking to a lemon lime and bitters.

The degustation is $95 for 7 courses, and $155 with matching wines.  If J’s meal was anything to go by, the pours of wine are very generous.

Chef Minh Le is passionate about sustainability and sources as much free range, organic and local produce as possible.  Our evening was the launch of his spring menu.

I’ll summarise each dish, and my thoughts, but as an overall review, both J and I agreed that the menu felt a bit…complicated at times.  The food was all beautifully executed and presented, the seafood in particular was gorgeous and fresh.  The kitchen clearly have all the techniques and skills down to a fine art.  But, I felt that certain courses tried to do too much – there was too much on the plate, too many elements to work together as a cohesive whole.  This could also be a taste/style thing – I do tend to prefer dishes that choose a few elements to focus on, and work with the fantastic ingrediants we have at our disposal here in Queensland. I don’t think the issue is a deal breaker.  In fact, I think with a few pretty minor tweaks they could easily fix the issues (assuming of course they want to).

My other gripe on the evening was the fact that we were kept waiting nearly an hour after the start time before beginning.  This wasn’t entirely the restaurant’s fault – there were at least 6 people who didn’t show up, and there were some others who were a bit late.  Obviously the kitchen was holding out in the hope that everyone would arrive.  I understand that they had probably prepared for a certain number of people and were hoping to meet their numbers.  I think when it’s 30 minutes after the start time for an event, it’s time to get people started – after all, you can probably catch any latecomers up no?  The biggest drawback to making us wait was that we didn’t leave until quite late – after 11pm on a school night!

Spring Degustation Menu

Amuse Bouche – White bean and asparagus soup with truffle.  This was a beautiful, smooth, flavoursome soup – I love asparagus and I enjoyed this.  The truffle was a treat also!

medusaamuse

Course 1

White asparagus with roasted nuts, quinoa and quail eggs.  This course had even more going on in it than is listed – it also had truffle, walnuts, wild rice, macademias… The egg was served cold (I believe this was a deliberate choice) but I must admit I found this a bit offputting.

medusacourse1

Course 2

Hervey Bay scallops with veal sweetbread, cauliflower puree, chanterelle mushrooms and truffle jus.  I was very proud of myself for eating the sweetbreads – I am not normally a big fan of offal, but this was quite tasty.  The scallops were absolutely beautiful, but as I said above, we felt there was a lot going on in the dish.  Other’s at the table didn’t agree with us on that point though – several people commented that this dish was their favourite.

medusacourse2

Course 3

Yellowfin tuna marinated in Thai pesto with Mooloolaba prawns, nasturium leaf, asparagus, buckwheat crumble, quinoa, edamame beans and bonito vinaigrette.  My main thought with this course was that the pesto overpowered the tuna flavour, but worked perfectly with the prawns.  So I’d probably either prefer just prawns in this dish, or that the pesto be served more as a sauce, so you can add as little or as much as you wish.  The tuna was beautiful and fresh.

medusacourse3

Course 4

Cured Cape Grim beef carpaccio with morels, baby split peas, quail egg and pommes souffle.  This course was J’s favourite, and probably mine too.  The flavours all worked really well together.

medusacourse4

Course 5

Crispy skin Gooralie pork belly with chilli honey glaze, roasted apple and celeriac puree, sous vide abalone, green papaya crab salad, nuoc cham, edamame beans and salmon roe.  Abalone as an ingredient just doesn’t do it for me – and I was a bit confused about why it was in this dish.  Each of the elements of this dish had very strong and distinct flavours.  They worked better when sampled all together, but on their own were a bit overwhelming.

medusacourse5

Course 6

Buche d’Affinois with lavosh, quince paste, muscatels, apples and beetroot puree.  I’ve yet to meet a cheese platter I didn’t like.

medusacourse6

Course 7

Raspberries with violet curd, raspberry sorbet, brandy snaps and violet crystals.  I really enjoyed this dish – some of the other guests seemed to find it a bit tart, but I enjoyed the combination of raspberries and curd.

medusacourse7

Medusa Dining
Shop 1, 62 MacGregor Terrace
Bardon

Ph: 0731611858
Web: www.medusadining.com

11.09.11 | Of: , | In: Uncategorized | 2 comments

Sep 05

White pull-apart breadrolls

whitebreadrolls

My forays into breadmaking are rare, and rarely very successful. Perhaps this will change now that I have a Kitchenaid to help me with the kneading?

This was a recipe I had saved in my google reader for several months, waiting for the right occasion to make it. One cool weekend I made a big batch of soup, and I thought these rolls would be the perfect side. Fortunately I was right. They kept quite well also, with J enjoying them for the next few days.

You’ll see in the picture that I may have browned them slightly more than I should have. They weren’t quite burnt but they were on the cusp. One day I will work out this oven! They actually work very well quite browned, it gives them a nice crunch on the outside whilst remaining soft and forgiving on the inside.

The recipe I used is from here. It is a vegan version, but I simply de-veganised it by using 2 tbs of butter instead of the Earth Balance, and an egg instead of the egg replacer.

Next time, I’d like to try using half wholemeal flour. I’m reluctant to use only wholemeal flour as the few times I’ve tried the final product has the texture and density of a brick.  If anyone knows how to avoid this please let me know!

05.09.11 | Of: , , | In: Uncategorized | 3 comments

Aug 28

Sides - Zucchini bake with sourdough stuffing

zucchini-bake

I came across a recipe for zucchinis stuffed with a tangy sourdough stuffing and thought I’d give it a whirl for dinner this week.  Of course, when I got to the supermarket late on Sunday afternoon, there were only tiny zucchinis left – none even close to big enough to stuff.

Well necessity is the mother of invention after all, so I rethought my approach and adapted the recipe to a bake instead.  I think it worked quite well.  In some ways it might even be better than the original – surely I’m not alone in always ending up with far too much stuffing for my vegetables?  This way, you get to use all the stuffing, without any of the stuffing around (I’m sorry, I couldn’t resist).

Originally I had planned on making this for dinner – but somehow stuffed zucchini didn’t sound nearly as filling when converted to zucchini bake.  Instead, I served it beside a tomato and feta salad, and a potato and broccoli frittata.  This would make a great side to take to a BBQ or as part of a pot luck dinner.  I think it tastes pretty good – and I caught J stealing bits of the topping…

Zucchini bake with sourdough stuffing
Posted August 28, 2011 by Leah in

Details
  • Prep Time:
    10 min
  • Cook Time:
    25 min
  • Ready Time:
    35 min

Ingredients

  • 4 small Zucchinis, sliced lengthways
  • 100 grams Butter
  • 1 Onion, finely diced
  • 2 cloves Garlic, crushed or diced
  • 1-2 Roasted red capsicums or peppers
  • 3 tablespoons Flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon Dried oregano
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 100 grams Sourdough breadcrumbs
  • 1/4 cup Grated pecorino or parmesan

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 180*.
  2. Slice the zucchini thickly and layer in a greased casserole dish.
  3. Melt the butter in a large frypan over a medium heat.
  4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the onion and garlic.  Gently fry for a few minutes until the onion is soft but not coloured.
  5. Add capsicum, parsley, oregano, lemon zest and breadcrumbs and stir until well combined.
  6. Remove pan from heat and season with salt and pepper.
  7. Sprinkle the zucchini with the stuffing.
  8. Grate pecorino or parmesan cheese over the top to taste.
  9. Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes or until the zucchini is soft and the stuffing browns slightly.
28.08.11 | Of: , | In: Uncategorized | 3 comments

Aug 24

Vanilla bean cupcakes and a KitchenAid

kitchenaid-christening

This recipe is taken from the Crabapple Bakery Cupcake Cookbook, by Jennifer Graham. It was a book that came up in our work “book club” and I couldn’t pass up a book devoted entirely to cupcakes.  I must confess that I haven’t made many of the recipes – I need an occasion to make cupcakes and they don’t seem to happen too often before you have children!

This is a great, classic cupcake recipe and it was a fantastic way to christen my brand new “Cinnamon” KitchenAid.  The KitchenAid was an indulgence justified by using wedding money/vouchers.  I’m lucky to have married a man who can appreciate the need for a shiny new appliance with the primary purpose of looking good.

I adapted the recipe slightly by using vanilla bean instead of vanilla extract.  I love the look of the speckled vanilla beans in the icing, so I kept the icing white.  I am definitely not a pastry chef – I had so much trouble icing the cakes neatly!

cupcakes
Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Posted August 24, 2011 by Leah in

Details
  • Prep Time:
    15-20 min
  • Cook Time:
    18-20 min
  • Ready Time:
    33 min

Ingredients

  • 2 3/4 cups Plain flour
  • 2 teaspoons Baking powder
  • 200 grams Softened, unsalted butter
  • 1 3/4 cups Castor sugar
  • 4 Eggs
  • 1 Vanilla bean, beans scraped out
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 100 grams soften, unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract or vanilla bean
  • 4 cups Icing sugar, sifted

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 170*.
  2. Line two muffin trays (12 holes) with cupcake papers.
  3. In a large bowl, sift the flour and baking powder.
  4. In the bowl of your KitchenAid or other mixer cream the butter for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Add the castor sugar 1/3 at a time, beating for 2 minutes after each addition.
  6. After all the sugar is beaten in, continue beating until light and fluffy and the sugar has almost dissolved.  This will take quite a few minutes.
  7. Then, add the eggs one by one.  Beat for 1 minute after each addition, ensuring the egg is well combined and the mixture light and fluffy.
  8. Scrape in your vanilla beans (or add vanilla extract) and beat until combined.
  9. Whilst beating on a low speed, add 1/3 of your flour until combined.
  10. Add half of the milk and beat until combined.
  11. Repeat the process with the remaining flour and milk.
  12. Once the final lot of flour is combined, stop your mixer - be careful not to overmix.
  13. Spoon the mixture into your cupcake papers - you want to fill about 3/4 full.
  14. Bake the cupcakes for 18-20 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
  15. Remove the cupcakes from the oven and then remove from the trays immediately so they don't continue cooking in the pan.
  16. Cool cupcakes on a wire rack for 30 minutes before icing.
  17. To make your icing, cream 100g of softened, unsalted butter for 1-2 minutes.
  18. Add 1/4 cup milk, more vanilla beans/vanilla extract and 2 cups of sifted icing sugar.
  19. Beat for at least 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
  20. Add the remaining 2 cups of sifted icing sugar and beat for another 3 minutes until light and fluffy.  You want the mixture to be spreadable without being liquidy - add more milk or icing sugar if needed to get the consistency right.
  21. Ice your cupcakes, decorating as desired.
24.08.11 | Of: , , | In: Uncategorized | 2 comments

Aug 21

Gordon Ramsey's Chocolate Venison Stew

Last year I bought some venison from the farmer’s markets at the Powerhouse and J used it to make this recipe.  Nearly a year passed before I came across some venison at SuperButcher the other day, and I knew I had to try to recreate it.  This time it was my turn to slave in the kitchen over the recipe.

The recipe is from Gordon Ramsey and produces a beautiful thick, tender stew.  The recipe can be found here.

A word of warning – this is a Sunday dish, a labour of love.  Nothing too hard is involved but it requires a fair bit of cooking time and has quite a few steps.  However, I think it’s worth it.

venison
21.08.11 | Of: , , , | In: Uncategorized | 2 comments

Aug 11

Winter warmer - Chicken and Leek Pie

Flaky pastry, chicken and leek filling rich with the aroma of thyme and some fresh green beans for the side. Sounds like a great winter night to me!

I made this dish (adapted from the Donna Hay Winter 2011 issue) when we had guests over for dinner (Hi S and D!). The reviews were positive and there were even leftovers for my lunch!

chickenpie
Chicken and Leek Pie
Posted August 8, 2011 by Leah in

Details
  • Prep Time:
    30-40 min
  • Cook Time:
    40 min
  • Ready Time:
    1 h, 10 min

Ingredients

  • 2 cups Plain flour
  • 1 cup FInely grated parmesan
  • 150 grams cold butter, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon cold milk
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 chicken thigh fillets, chopped (about 900g)
  • 40 grams butter
  • 2 small leeks, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 2 tablespoons thyme leaves
  • 1/4 cup plain flour
  • 2 cups milk
  • sea salt and pepper
  • Egg or milk wash

Directions

  1. Prepare your shortcrust parmesan pastry.  The recipe says to prepare twice this much, but I'm sure I only did one quantity and it was sufficient.
  2. Place the 2 cups fo flour, cheese, 150g of butter and salt into a food processor and process for 1-2 minutes until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
  3. Add the egg and milk and process for another 2 minutes until a smooth dough forms.
  4. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180*.
  6. In a large frying pan heat the olive oil over a medium heat.
  7. Cook the chicken in batches until golden and cooked through.
  8. Remove from the pan and set aside, keeping warm.
  9. Turn the heat down slightly.
  10. Add the butter, leeks, garlic and thyme to the pan and cook for around 7-8 minutes or until softened.
  11. Add the flour and cook out the flour taste for about 2 minutes.
  12. Then add the milk, salt and pepper and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring, until thickened and no lumps.
  13. Return the chicken to the pan and refrigerate until completely cool.
  14. Try to avoid dunking bread into the mixture while it is cooling on the bench.  Fail but enjoy the delicious taste of failure.
  15. Take your pastry out of the fridge and split in half.
  16. Lightly grease your 31cm pie tin (cooking spray works fine).
  17. Roll half of  the pastry out between 2 sheets of non-stick baking paper (this makes it much easier to line the tin).  Your want your pastry to be around 3mm thick.
  18. Line your pie tin with the pastry and push into edges.
  19. Fill with the cold chicken mixture.
  20. Roll the remaining pastry out between the sheets of baking paper to 3mm thick.
  21. Place on top of the pie and trim any excess pastry.  Use excess pastry to make crispy decorations on top of the pie (optional).
  22. Brush with an egg or milk wash and bake for 35-40 minutes until the pastry is flaky and golden.
11.08.11 | Of: , , | In: Uncategorized | One comment
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