Allan Campion & Michele Curtis - Australian food and wine website

Allan Campion & Michele Curtis
www.campionandcurtis.com

Recipes
A selection of recipes are included here - mostly they are from In The Kitchen, out current cookbook.
A chapter from In The Kitchen is also available for download on the Hardie Grant website.
Campion and Curtis recipes are also available on the SBS Food website.

_{Lamb hot pot}
A piping-hot lamb hot pot is the perfect meal on a cold winter's night.
It's an all-in-one meal with a delicious mix of diced lamb and vegetables in a light sauce, all under a crust of golden potato slices.
The traditional version utilises lamb chops. If you prefer, use them in this recipe, but we choose to use diced lamb.

Olive oil for cooking
1 kg (2 lb) diced lamb, shoulder for preference
1 onion, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 carrot, diced
Potatoes for lamb hot pot

2 celery sticks, diced
1 tbsp flour
750 ml (1 1/4 pt) chicken or beef stock
1 x 400 g (14 oz) tin chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp thyme leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 kg (2 lb) potatoes
2 tbsp melted butter

Preheat oven to 180C (350F).

Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over medium–high heat, add a splash of olive oil and cook lamb in small batches until golden brown, adding more oil if needed.
Set aside lamb in an ovenproof casserole dish.
Add extra oil to the pan if needed.
Reduce heat, add onion, garlic, carrot and celery and cook for 5–6 minutes until vegetables soften, stirring often.
Sprinkle flour over vegetables and stir in, then cook for 3-4 minutes.
Add stock, tomatoes, tomato paste and thyme.
Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
Season to taste.
Pour sauce over lamb in the ovenproof dish.
Peel potatoes and slice into rounds.
Beautiful garlic

Arrange the potatoes on top of the lamb. Melt the butter and brush over the layer of potato. Place the hot pot into the preheated oven, uncovered, and cook for 2 1/2 hours.
Brush the potato slices with some of the casserole juices every half hour.

Serves 4.

_{Moroccan lentil broth}
There are times when you want a soup packed with the goodness of lentils and vegetables, without it being bland. If so, this soup certainly fits the bill.
Every mouthful is flavoured with aromatic saffron, a hint of garlic and a little fiery harissa paste.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
1 leek, thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, finely diced
2 carrots, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Fresh coriander

20 saffron stems
2 tsp harissa paste
1 litre (1 2/3 pt) vegetable stock
150 g (5 oz) red lentils
2 tbsp chopped parsley

Heat a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat and add oil.
Add onion, leek, celery and carrots and cook for 5 minutes or until beginning to soften, stirring often.
Add garlic, saffron and harissa and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant. Add stock and bring to the boil.
Rinse lentils under cold running water, then add to the soup.
Reduce heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until lentils are completely tender.
Check seasoning, add parsley and serve.

Serves 4.

_{Beef rendang}
Rendang is perfect with the usual accompaniments of steamed rice and hot roti bread.

1 tbsp peanut oil
200 g (7 oz) rendang paste (recipe below)
1 kg (2 lb) blade steak, diced
1 tbsp tamarind
125 ml (4 fl oz) boiling water
250 ml (8 fl oz) coconut cream
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
Coriander leaves to garnish 2 tbsp toasted coconut, optional Steamed rice and roti bread to serve

Heat a heavy-based casserole pot over a medium-high heat.
Add oil and paste and fry for 5-6 minutes or until fragrant, stirring often.
Add beef and cook for 5-10 minutes, or until beef starts to colour, but before spices begin to burn.
Soak tamarind in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.
Use your fingers to work pulp free from tamarind seeds, strain reserving liquid.
Add tamarind liquid, coconut cream, star anise and cinnamon to the pot.
Allow to come to the boil, reduce to a simmer, cover with a lid and cook for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove lid and continue cooking rendang until beef is tender and most of the liquid has evaporated.
Stir often to prevent sauce catching, this will take a further 30-45 minutes.
To serve sprinkle coriander leaves and coconut if using on top and serve alongside steamed rice and crisp roti bread.

Serves 4.

_{Rendang curry paste}
Rendang is a famous Malaysian curry paste that is slowly cooked to tender, aromatic perfection.

Peter Watson spices to create beef rendang

1 onion, diced
1 lemongrass stem, chopped thinly
2 garlic cloves
5 cm (1 3/4 in) peeled ginger, chopped
1 tsp salt
2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
45 g (1 1/2 oz) desiccated coconut
2 dried red chillies, soaked in water
60 ml (2 fl oz) water

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth.
Store in a clean, dry glass jar and cover surface with oil.
This will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 weeks

_Omelettes
Knowing how to make a great omelette is an essential breakfast life skill.
It's also a handy little thing to have up your sleeve for those times when there's nothing in the refrigerator except, hopefully, a couple of eggs.
Finishing the omelette under a grill or in the oven really helps to puff it up, so it's worth doing.

3 medium eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp clarified butter
Handful grated parmigiano, or your favourite cheese
Chopped fresh herbs

Whisk eggs together with a pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Give the pan plenty of time to heat properly. Add butter, allow to melt, then pour egg mix into the pan, spread evenly and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the base has set. Place cheese on half of the omelette with fresh herbs.
Fold remaining half over. Finish under a grill or in a hot oven and serve straight away.

Makes 1 omelette.
Recipe from In The Kitchen.

_{Poached eggs}
Cooking poached eggs is like riding a bike. Learning is often painful and messy, but once mastered it's a skill to relish for life.
Patience and the freshest eggs are essentials. An egg poacher will make things much easier, if you have such a thing.
Fresh eggs will ensure that the whites don't float all over the water. Some people say adding a teaspoon of acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice, will help keep eggs in shape.
To my way of thinking, this just adds an unnecessary sour flavour. MC

You will need:
A deep-sided frying pan
Eggs, probably 2 per person
A slotted spoon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot buttered toast to serve

Fill your pan with 2-3 cm (1 in) of water. Place over a medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer, with bubbles gently popping on the surface (you don't want large bubbles to break the surface). If necessary turn heat down a little. Some people like to swirl the water as they add eggs to get the whites to stay together. This works for the first egg but is very tricky for the second. (If you are using fresh eggs you won't have this problem anyway; and if a bit of white floats away it's hardly the end of the world, is it?)

_{Cherry tomato and parmigiano frittata}
This is a really light frittata packed with sweet cherry tomatoes and full-flavoured parmigiano cheese.

Olive oil
2 onions, finely diced
1/2 red capsicum, diced
100 g (3 1/2 oz) cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
6 medium eggs
100 g (3 1/2 oz) parmigiano, grated
3 tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as parsley, thyme and chives
90 g (3 oz) cooked pasta, optional

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F).

Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add two tablespoons of olive oil and cook onion and capsicum until slightly softened. Add tomato halves and cook together for 5 minutes. Beat together eggs, cheese, milk and herbs in a large bowl. Pour onto cooking tomatoes. Cook for 4-5 minutes on stove top until egg forms a cooked base. Return pan to oven to finish cooking, about 10-15 minutes. Serve warm. Serves 4-6.

_{Blueberry pikelets}
Pikelets are one of our Luke's favourite breaky foods. We vary the fruit according to the season. In winter we cook the pikelets with no fruit and serve them with poached quinces or rhubarb and with yoghurt on top.

250 ml (8 fl oz) milk
1 medium egg
150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour
Olive oil for cooking
150 g (5 oz) blueberries
Maple syrup and natural yoghurt to serve

Beat milk, egg and flour together until smooth. Heat a heavy-based pan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of oil and wipe it with kitchen paper so it is a thin coating. Add 3-4 spoonfuls of batter to the hot pan. Add 4 or 5 blueberries to each pancake and cook until bubbles start to form on the surface. Turn pancakes over and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve with maple syrup and natural yoghurt. Makes 12-15 pikelets.
From In The Kitchen.

_{Asian-inspired pumpkin soup}
This soup came about when we got totally fed up with regular pumpkin soup.
All we've done is add some Thai paste for flavour and coconut milk for creaminess. Now, it's anything but boring.
We were delighted when this recipe was included in Stephanie Alexander's updated version of The Cook's Companion.

2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp Thai curry paste
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 tomato, chopped
1 kg (2 lb) pumpkin, peeled and diced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 litre (1 2/3 pints) vegetable or chicken stock
400 ml (13 fl oz) coconut milk
Coriander leaves to garnish

Heat a large heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. Add oil and Thai paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often until fragrant. Add onion, celery, tomato, pumpkin and salt. Reduce heat and cook for 15 minutes, stirring often. Add stock to the saucepan, raise the heat and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover saucepan and cook for 20 minutes, or until pumpkin is tender. Puree soup and strain into a clean saucepan. Return soup to the boil, whisk in the coconut milk and adjust seasoning. Serve with coriander leaves on top.
Serves 6-8.

Spanish Lamb Stew
Ripe red capsicums

We've cooked many variations of this dish over the yearsw, the original hailing from our good friend Phillippa Grogan.
We've added some almonds to increase the richness and we love including some broad beans if they are in season. I

1 easy-carve leg of lamb, approx 1-1 1/2 kg
Olive oil for cooking
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 red capsicums
80 g (1/2 cup) blanched almonds
80 ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
2 onions, diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tsp smoky paprika
Pinch of saffron threads
2-3 bay leaves
160 ml (2/3 cup) white wine
750 (3 cups) chicken stock
500 ml (2 cups) tomato sugo
1 kg broad beans, podded
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Couscous to serve

Preheat oven to 180 C.
Rub lamb with olive oil, salt & pepper.
Cook in preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours.
Prepare sauce by rubbing capsicums with olive oil and roasting in oven until skins blister, approx 20-30 minutes.
Place them in a plastic bag and seal to allow steam to lift skins. Peel, discard seeds and cut capsicum into 1 cm slices, then set aside.
Roast almonds in oven until golden brown, allow to cool, then grind in food processor. Set aside for later use.

Heat a large ovenproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Add olive oil and cook onions for 6-8 minutes until soft.
Add garlic, paprika, saffron and bay leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Add wine, bring to the boil and allow to reduce by half. Add stock and sugo and bring to boil.
Reduce heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

Add roasted leg of lamb to sauce and season with salt as needed.
Cover with a lid. Lower oven to 160 C and cook casserole for 2 hours in total.
After one hour, remove casserole from oven, turn lamb over, cover and resume cooking for the remaining hour.

Bring a pot of water to the boil, blanch broad beans, then refresh under cold water.
Remove outer pale green skin and set beans aside.
Lamb should be tender and falling off the bone by now.
Break meat apart into large chunks using forks and remove the bone.
Add cooked capsicum and enough roasted ground almonds to thicken the sauce.
Add broad beans and parsley, season and serve with steamed couscous and a green salad.
Serves 6.

_{Beetroot soup}
This soup is rich, warming and restorative.
It's also easy to prepare as it's a simple matter of cooking diced beetroot in an aromatic broth until tender.
It's also a great use of beetroot, a vegetable that we happen to adore.

2 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
3 large beetroots, peeled and diced 1 cm (1/4 in)
100 ml (3 1/2 fl oz) orange juice
750 ml (1 1/2 pt) chicken or beef stock
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
A little natural yoghurt or sour cream to serve

Heat a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat. Add oil, onion and celery and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic and diced beetroot and cook for a further 5 minutes, stirring often. Add orange juice, stock and vinegar and bring to the boil. Lower heat and cook for 15-20 minutes, or until beetroot is tender. Add lots of pepper, check seasoning and serve each bowl with a spoonful of yoghurt or sour cream.
Serves 4.

_{Chicken and ginger noodles}
The ginger in this dish does wonders for lifting your general wellbeing. Any type of Asian green could be substituted if preferred, try bok choy, choy sum, or even broccolini.

2 skinless chicken breast fillets
1 bunch Chinese broccoli
375 g (13 oz) Hokkien noodles
2 tbsp peanut oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 small red chilli, de-seeded and finely diced
2-3 tsp grated ginger
4 spring onions, sliced
Chicken stock or water
Soy sauce to taste

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Heat a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, add oil and brown chicken well on both sides, then transfer to baking dish and cook in preheated oven for 5 minutes Set aside for 5 minutes, then slice thinly. Wash broccoli well, remove tough outer leaves and slice stems and leaves on the angle into 2 cm (3/4 in) slices. Put the kettle on to boil. Pour boiling water over noodles and set aside. Place wok over high heat; add peanut oil, then garlic, chilli, ginger and spring onions. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning, until fragrant. Take care not to burn. Add Chinese broccoli, cook briefly, then add a splash of stock or water, cover with lid and cook for 2 minutes. Drain noodles. Remove lid, add hot noodles, sliced cooked chicken and more stock if necessary, toss, still cooking for 2-3 minutes, until well combined. Season with soy sauce to taste. Serve immediately. Serves 3-4.

_{Chilli beef stir-fry}
This is one of the quickest stir-fries around, and one of the tastiest. I like it because it's quick, spicy and great for a quick iron hit, not to mention the decadence of using eye fillet. All you'll need is a bowl of steamed rice or some noodles to serve with it. MC

400 g (14 oz) eye fillet
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 bunch baby bok choy, leaves separated and washed
4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
4 tbsp soy sauce
3 spring onions, thinly chopped
100 g (3 1/2 oz) roasted peanuts, optional
Steamed rice or hot noodles to serve

Cut eye fillet into 1 cm (1/3 in) slices, then cut each slice into 1 cm (1/3 in) strips. Heat a wok over a high heat, add oil, swirl around wok and add beef. Toss and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until beef is well browned. Add bok choy, stir well, then add chilli sauce, soy sauce and spring onions. Allow to heat through and serve immediately with steamed rice or hot noodles. Serves 4.
Recipe from in the Kitchen.

_{Indian lamb, spinach and potato curry}
The long, slow cooking results in tender meat beautifully coated with a smooth rich curry sauce.

2 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground turmeric
200 g (7 oz) natural yoghurt
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 kg (2 lb) diced lamb, such as leg
Oil for cooking
2 onions, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, peeled and diced
400 g (14 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 g (3 1/2 oz) spinach leaves, washed
Steamed rice and naan bread to serve

Combine spices, yoghurt and lemon juice in a large bowl. Add lamb, mix well and set aside to marinate for at least 2–3 hours, or better still overnight.
Place a large heavy-based saucepan over a medium–high heat. Add a splash of oil, the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Add lamb mixture, potatoes, tomatoes and tomato paste. Bring to the boil, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 1–1 1/4 hours or until lamb is tender.
Check seasoning and add spinach. Cook for a further 2–3 minutes, or until spinach softens.
Serve with steamed rice and naan bread. Serves 6.

_{Roast chicken and vegetables}
chopping vegetables

Don't put off a roast chicken dinner until Sunday night; this is just what you need after a hard day at the office.

3-4 potatoes, peeled
3 carrots, peeled
2 onions, peeled
5-6 garlic cloves
3-4 thyme sprigs
2-3 rosemary sprigs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 chicken, size 16 (3 lb)
Olive oil

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Depending on size of vegetables cut them to achieve evenly sized pieces. Place the potatoes, carrots and onions in a large deep roasting tray. Add garlic, herbs and salt and pepper. Place chicken in the middle of the vegetables, making sure vegetables aren't trapped underneath. Drizzle with oil. Cook in preheated oven for 1 1/4-1 1/2 hours, until skin is golden brown and crisp. Check chicken is cooked by inspecting juices for any sign of blood (pinkness). The juices should be clear. Allow to rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serves 4.

_{Roast beef with Yorkshire puddings}
We always had trouble finding a small cut of beef for roasting - until we tried scotch fillet. Scotch is usually considered to be a steak cut, rather than a roast, but it's actually very good for roasting, particularly with Yorkshire pudding. Just make sure any excess fat is trimmed from the top, leaving a nice thin layer to baste the meat while it's in the oven.

1 kg (2 lb) potatoes, peeled
Olive oil for cooking
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.5 kg (3 lb) scotch fillet, trimmed of excess fat
300 ml (10 fl oz) milk
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
2 medium eggs

1 cup self-raising flour
Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).
Cut potatoes into similar-sized pieces. Place in a deep baking tray, drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Rub beef all over with oil, salt and pepper. Place beef on a baking rack over the baking tray (allowing fat to drizzle down over the potatoes - yum!) and cook in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Lower temperature to 180°C (350°F) and cook for a further 1 hour, for medium-rare. Remove beef; wrap in foil and rest in a warm place. Continue cooking potatoes until golden brown; don't worry too much about the oven temperature going up and down, just keep an eye on them. While beef is cooking, whisk milk, oil, salt, eggs and flour together until smooth. Allow to stand for 30 minutes.

When beef is cooked and resting, raise oven temperature to 220°C (350°F). Brush muffin tins with oil and heat in oven for 5 minutes. Pour batter mix into hot tins and return to the oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until risen and golden brown.
Slice beef and serve with puddings and gravy in a warmed jug alongside. Serves 6.

_{Allan's gravy}
I can never understand why people go to the trouble of roasting meat and vegetables and then use 'instant' gravy mixes. Gravy takes only 5 minutes to get ready, then 15 to simmer gently. There's nothing hard about that. To get maximum flavour for your gravy, make it in the dish the meat was roasting in while the meat is resting. Or just make it in a saucepan from scratch. Vary stock and wine to suit your roast. AC

2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp red or white wine
1 tbsp tomato paste
375 ml (12 fl oz) stock
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

If using the roasting dish, pour excess fat away. Place it over a medium-low heat, add butter and melt (if not using roasting dish use a small saucepan). Stir in flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring often. Add wine, tomato paste and stock and bring to the boil, whisking often. Reduce heat and allow to simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring often. Check seasoning, add juices that come from resting meat and serve in a warmed jug alongside roast. Serves 6-8.

_{Sage and onion stuffing}
Sage and onion are the traditional flavourings for meat stuffing. Feel free to adapt or adjust them to your own tastes.

200 g (7 oz) day-old sourdough bread
2 tbsp butter
4 onions, sliced
2 tbsp chopped sage
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 medium egg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Tear bread into large chunks and soak in cold water. Squeeze well to remove all water and crumble bread into a bowl. Heat a small saucepan over a medium heat. Add butter and onions and cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring often until onions soften but don't burn. Add cooked onion, sage, parsley, egg and lots of salt and pepper to the bread. Mix well to combine. Either stuff into bird or spoon into a small greased baking dish and cook alongside the roast for 30 minutes, or until crunchy on top. Serves 4-6.

_{Tomato sauce # 1}
This recipe is your classic, tasty tomato sauce for pasta of all types. Sergio de Pieri, musician brother of cook Stefano di Pieri, revealed the secret of this sauce when we discussed with him the idea for this book. We were amazed at the depth of flavour that comes from this simple method of cooking the garlic in olive oil before adding any tomatoes. (Sergio is also a keen exponent of the need for a 'big' pasta pot.)

4 tbsp olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic, coarsely crushed
2 x 400 g (14 oz) tins chopped peeled tomatoes or 800 g (1 lb 10 oz) chopped fresh tomatoes Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Pasta of your choice, 100 g (3 1/2 oz) dried per person

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over a high heat. Add a large pinch of salt.
Heat a medium-sized saucepan over a low heat. Add oil and heat for 3-4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes, until light brown. Add chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer sauce for 10 minutes. Add pasta to boiling water and stir until water has returned to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook pasta at a fast simmer for 8 minutes. Check that pasta is cooked, drain and toss with the sauce. Serves 6-8.

_{Spaghetti with breadcrumbs, tuna, parsley and lemon}
This dish is supposed to serve four, but when we're around it's lucky to serve two. Coarsely chop the fresh breadcrumbs for a nicer texture in the finished dish. A good sourdough bread is best as it has a strong, gutsy flavour.

Olive oil for cooking
175 g (6 oz) sourdough bread, chopped into coarse breadcrumbs
2 garlic cloves, crushed
8 tbsp chopped parsley
Chopped zest and juice of 1 lemon
125 g (4 oz) parmigiano, grated
350 g (13 oz) tinned tuna, drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
400 g (14 oz) dried spaghetti

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over a high heat. Add a good pinch of salt. Add pasta and stir until water has returned to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and cook pasta at a fast simmer for 8 minutes. Heat a large heavy-based frypan over a medium-high heat. Add a very generous splash of oil and breadcrumbs and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring often until breadcrumbs are golden and crunchy. Add garlic, parsley, lemon zest, juice, cheese, tuna, salt and pepper. Cook briefly. Drain pasta and toss to coat well with tuna / breadcrumb mix and serve.

Serves 4.

Raspberry and gin trifle
We love trifle, particularly in when fresh fruit is so magnificent. A huge bowl of trifle will have your friends coming back for seconds. If you don't have any gin in the house, use any other white spirit or dessert wine. This gorgeous recipe is from our new book, Food with Friends, which was launched this week at our publishers home. We emjoyed this dessert to enjoy with our 'models' while photographing the book and it's a stand out dish.

3 x 5 g gelatine leaves
750 ml (3 cups) apple juice
60 ml (1/4 cup) gin
40 g (2 tbsp) caster sugar
Fresh apples

4 peaches, sliced
150 g raspberries
6-8 slices panettone
2 egg yolks
55 g (1/4 cup) caster sugar, extra
1 tbsp plain flour
500 ml (2 cups) milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
300 ml whipping cream
2 tbsp pistachios, sliced or 2 tbsp flaked almonds

Soak gelatine sheets in cold water for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Remove and squeeze excess water away. Set aside.
Place apple juice and sugar in a saucepan and bring to the boil.
Remove from heat, add gelatine leaves and gin and stir until dissolved.
Strain into a large serving bowl. Refrigerate until almost set, at least 4-6 hours.
Only then add peach slices and raspberries. If you add them to early they will sink to the bottom.
Arrange panettone slices on top of jelly

Make custard by beating egg yolks and extra sugar until pale, then stir in flour until smooth.
Bring milk and vanilla to the boil. Whisk milk into egg yolk mixture and return to a clean saucepan over low heat.
Stir constantly as custard comes to the boil and thickens. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool.

Spread custard over panettone and chill until ready to serve.
Whip cream, spread over panettone and sprinkle with nuts.
Feeds 6-8

Mango and orange blossom trifle
This beautiful combination of tart mangoes in a citrus jelly, topped with almond flavoured biscuits is hard to beat. Once the jelly is made the rest of the preparation is plain sailing. The pistachio praline is an additional extra, but it's like air-conditioning in the heat of summer- you've just got to have it.

110 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
250 ml (1 cup) water
Zest of 2 oranges
Zest of 2 lemons
250 ml (1 cup) orange juice
80 ml (1/3 cup) lemon juice
250 ml (1 cup) apple juice
15 g gelatine sheets
2 tbsp orange blossom water
2 mangoes, peeled and diced 1 cm
110 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar, additional
80 ml (1/3 cup) water
75 g ( 1/2 cup) shelled pistachios
200 g amaretti biscuits, crushed
2 tbsp orange blossom water, additional
250 g (1 cup) marscapone
Icing sugar to taste

Place sugar and water in a saucepan and heat gently until sugar dissolves.
Add zest and fruit juices and bring to the boil.
Remove from heat, add gelatine sheets and stir until dissolved.
Strain, discarding zest. Cool slightly, add orange blossom water and stir to combine.
Pour into a large glass bowl, or 8 individual glasses.
Place in refrigerator until almost set, then add diced mango.
If you add the mango before this it will sink to the bottom. Refrigerate jelly until set.

To make the caramel place additional sugar and water in a saucepan.
Cook over a low heat until sugar dissolves. Raise heat and boil liquid.
Cook for 12-15 minutes, or until liquid begins to colour.
The desired colour is a lovely mix of gold and caramel, not dark brown.
If needed, carefully swirl the saucepan to mix the caramel.
Remove from the heat, add pistachios and tip onto a baking paper lined tray.
Allow to cool, then chop roughly.

Lightly crush arametti biscuits and spoon onto the jelly.
Sprinkle with additional orange blossom water.
Beat marscapone until smooth and add icing sugar to taste if desired.
Spoon mascarpone onto top of the biscuits. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Add chopped praline and serve.

Serves 8.

Rosewater meringue stack with red summer berries

This dessert is basically an overgrown layered pavlova with lots of extras. If you're entertaining for a large group over summer, you'll need one of these. Serve it in all its glory and allow people to help themselves.

6 egg whites
440g (2 cups) caster sugar
2 tablespoons rosewater
1 tablespoon cornflour
1 1/2 teaspoons white vinegar
600ml thickened cream
500g cherries, pitted
250g red currants, destalked
300g raspberries

Preheat oven to 180°C.

Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Add sugar, one third at a time, allowing each third to be well incorporated so that you end up with a thick, glossy meringue.
Fold through rosewater, cornflour and vinegar.
Line 3 baking trays with greaseproof paper. Shape one disc of meringue onto each tray, the first approximately 20cm in diameter, the second 15cm and the last 10cm.
Place in oven, lower temperature to 120°C and bake for 45 minutes. Turn the oven off, leaving the pavlova to cool inside the oven.
Whip cream until thick.
Lay largest meringue disc on serving platter. Spread with some cream and top with almost half the fruit.
Place medium-sized meringue on top, and cover with cream and fruit. Repeat with the final meringue, using up the remaining cream and fruit.

Serves 8-10

_{Rhubarb crumble}
Rhubarb looking perfect

Rhubarb crumble, along with apple, is probably the most popular of all crumbles. Crumbles are a great thing for teenagers to try if they show an interest in cooking, as they are virtually no-fail.

2 bunches of rhubarb
60 g (2 oz) caster sugar
2 tbsp water
150 g (5 oz) soft butter, diced
250 g (8 oz) plain flour
150 g (5 oz) soft brown sugar

Trim off the leaves and root ends from the rhubarb and cut into 2 cm (3/4 inch) chunks. Heat a heavy-based pot over medium heat. Add rhubarb, sugar and water. Reduce the heat to low, cover with a lid and cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring often. The rhubarb should be reduced to a chunky paste. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Rub together soft butter, flour and brown sugar until they resemble fine breadcrumbs. Place stewed rhubarb into a baking dish, top with crumble mixture and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with cream or thin custard. Serves 4-6.

_{Steamed lemon pudding}
A good steamed pudding is one of the most popular of desserts. Despite the few ingredients and the easy cooking method, a huge variety of different-flavoured puddings can be made by swapping the lemon with othe ringredients, a real favourite of ours is to use cumquat marmalade.

125 g (4 oz) soft butter
125 g (4 oz) caster sugar
2 medium eggs
200 g (7 oz) self-raising flour
Chopped zest and juice of 2 lemons

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one by one, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next. Stir in flour, then stir in lemon zest and juice. Butter a 1-litre (1 2/3 pt) pudding bowl and spoon in the pudding mixture. Cover with buttered greaseproof paper and foil. Tie down tightly with string under the rim of the pudding bowl or, easier still, use a large elastic band. Place pudding bowl into a large pot and pour in enough water to come three-quarters of the way up the bowl. Bring water to the boil; reduce to a simmer, place the lid on the saucepan and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Check the water level from time to time and add more if needed. Remove pudding bowl from the water and allow to stand for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and greaseproof paper. Run a small spatula around the edge of the pudding and unmould onto a platter. Serve with thin custard.
Serves 4-6.

_{Thin custard}

Nothing compares to a really good pot of custard, especially when served with a steamed pudding or over fruit crumble, stewed fruit or baked apples. Be warned, though: there is an art to making good custard, and it's one that develops with plenty of practice.

5 egg yolks
125 g (4 oz) caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
500 ml (1 pt) milk

In a bowl beat egg yolks and sugar until pale and thick. Place milk and vanilla into a saucepan and bring to simmering point. Whisk hot milk into egg yolk mixture, then pour it into a clean saucepan. Place custard over a medium-low heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon in a figure of eight to prevent the custard catching on the bottom of the saucepan. As it approaches (but isn't allowed to reach) the boil, the mixture will begin to thicken. Remove immediately from the heat and strain into a cold bowl. This will slow the cooking and remove any eggy bits from the custard.
Serves 6-8.

_{Lemon tea cake}
Also known as Madeira cake, this is one of our favourite types of cake: quiet and unassuming, but somehow extremely more-ish. If you can leave it alone for a few days, it gets better with age.

220 g (7 2/3 oz) soft butter
180 g (6 oz) caster sugar, plus additional for sprinkling
Grated zest of 2 lemons
3 medium eggs
lemon tea cake

200 g (7 oz) self-raising flour
90 g (3 oz) plain flour
3 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest. Add eggs one at a time, allowing each to be incorporated before adding the next. Stir in flour and lemon juice and keep stirring until incorporated. Spoon into a greased and lined loaf tin 23.5 x 13.5 x 7 cm (9 x 5 x 2 1/2 in), sprinkle with additional caster sugar and bake for 1 hour. Test the cake by inserting a skewer; if it comes out clean the cake is ready. If it doesn't, cook for a further 5 minutes and test gain. Allow to cool in tin before removing. Serves 6-8.

_{One-pot chocolate cake}
Aha, the best, simplest chocolate cake in the whole world. No need for a mixer, or anything difficult, just a pot and a wooden spoon. This cake is ideal for adults because we love the rich chocolate and coffee, but it's also a great cake for a children's party because it's so dense. And it's perfect all round because it gets better with age. The longer in advance you make it, the moister and deeper the flavours become.

250 g (8 oz) soft butter
150 g (5 oz) dark chocolate, chopped
300 g (10 1/2 oz) caster sugar
250 ml (8 fl oz) strong coffee
150 g (5 oz) plain flour
100 g (3 1/2 oz) self-raising flour
50 g (1 3/4 oz) cocoa
2 medium eggs

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Place butter, chocolate, sugar and coffee into a large saucepan. Cook over a medium heat until everything melts, stir occasionally. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Sift flours and cocoa together and add to cool chocolate mixture along with eggs and beat well until everything combines. Spoon into a greased and lined 22 cm (8 1/2 in) springform cake tin. Bake for 45 minutes. Test the cake by inserting a skewer. If it comes out clean the cake is ready; if it doesn't, cook for a further 5 minutes and test again. Serves 6-8.
From Every Day in the Kitchen.

_{Chocolate ganache}
This is the shiny icing used on European cake shop cakes. Be sure to place your cake on a cooling rack over a plate before pouring the warm ganache over.

2 tbsp cream
90 g (3 oz) dark chocolate, chopped

Warm the cream to just below boiling, then remove from heat. Add chocolate and whisk to incorporate. Pour over cake, taking care to cover sides as well as top. Makes enough for one cake.

_{Plum and yoghurt muffins}

The yoghurt makes this muffin mixture nice and creamy, which is a perfect contrast for the tart pieces of plum.

75 g (2 2/3 oz) soft butter
100 g (3 1/2 oz) caster sugar
50 g (1 3/4 oz) natural yoghurt
1 medium egg
150 g (5 oz) self-raising flour
3 ripe plums, cut into small slices

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add yoghurt and egg and beat well. Stir through flour, then plum pieces. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown and risen.
Makes 6 large or 12 small muffins.

_Shortbread
There's something essentially wholesome about shortbread; it's always so crisp and satisfying. It can also be adapted to produce new versions such as orange, chocolate or spice flavoured.

260 g (8 1/2 oz) plain flour
115 g (3 1/2 oz) rice flour
250 g (8 oz) soft butter, diced
125 g (4 oz) caster sugar
Pinch of salt
Water, if required

Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
Rub together flours, butter, sugar and salt. Knead well until combined. Add a little water if it is very dry. Roll to 1/2 cm (1/4 in) thickness and cut into large fingers or 5 cm (2 in) circles. Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10-12 minutes. Makes 30.

_{Passionfruit yoyo biscuits}
filled biscuits

Yoyo biscuits are a classic combination where two simple biscuits are joined with a vanilla filling.
We like to think we have improved on this classic by using a passionfruit filling - we'll leave it to you decide whether we have or not.

300 g (10 1/2 oz) plain flour
300 g (10 1/2 oz) soft butter
100 g (3 1/2 oz) icing sugar
100 g (3 1/2 oz) custard powder
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 passionfruit
60 g (2 oz) melted butter
240 g (8 oz) icing sugar

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).
Beat together flour, butter, icing sugar, custard powder, salt and vanilla. Roll into small balls and place on a greased baking tray. Press down with the prongs of a fork to form a round biscuit. Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes, until cooked but not coloured. Allow to cool completely. Strain the pulp from passionfruit to remove seeds. Mix with butter and icing sugar until smooth. Spoon a small amount of passionfruit butter onto one biscuit and top with another biscuit. Makes 18.

_{Gingerbread hearts}
The flavour of ginger is one that people either love or can't stand at all; this one is for all the ginger lovers we know.

125 g soft butter
70 g brown sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely chopped
1 medium egg
125 ml warm honey
450 g self-raising flour
4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
30 blanched almonds
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
Raw sugar

Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add zest and egg and beat until smooth. Stir in honey. Sift together flour, ginger and cinnamon and stir into wet mixture. Wrap biscuit mixture in cling film and chill for 30 minutes. Roll biscuit mixture out onto a floured surface and cut out heart shapes. Lay biscuits on a lined baking tray. Push an almond into the centre of each. Brush each biscuit with beaten egg and sprinkle raw sugar over. Bake in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow biscuits to cool. Makes 30 biscuits.