2 red capsicums
1 yellow capsicum
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp capers in vinegar,
drained
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 ciabatta loaf, split
horizontally
Softened butter, for brushing
Aioli, for spreading
150 gm mortadella, thinly sliced
130 gm sopressa, thinly sliced
130 gm bresaola, thinly sliced
2 bufalo mozzarella
balls, torn
60 gm Pecorino Romano,
coarsely grated
60 gm Swiss cheese,
thinly sliced
½ red onion, thinly sliced1 Cook capsicum over a
gas flame or on a barbecue,
turning occasionally, until skin
is blackened and blistered
(15-20 minutes; see note).
Transfer to a bowl, cover with
An epic ciabatta toastie
SERVES 8-10 // PREP TIME 15 MINS // COOK 45 MINS (PLUS COOLING)
An everyone-gets-a-slice, Netflix-night-in kind of toastie.
plastic wrap and stand until
capsicum cools and softens
(15-20 minutes). Peel capsicum
and remove seeds, then thinly
slice. Place in a bowl with
vinegar, capers and oil, season
to taste and stir to combine.
2 Preheat oven to 200°C. Line
an oven tray with baking paper.
Brush outside of ciabatta halves
with butter and place cut-side up
on another large sheet of baking
paper. Spread halves with aioli,
then layer base with capsicum
mixture, sliced meats, cheeses
and onion and season to taste.
Sandwich with top and wrap
in the baking paper. Place on
prepared tray (halve if required)
and bake, rotating tray once,
until golden and cheese has
melted (20-25 minutes).
NoteAlternatively, brush
capsicums with oil and roast at
200°C, turning occasionally, until
blackened (30-40 minutes). Or
use bought roasted capsicum.3 small live lobsters
(450gm each)
8 hotdog rolls, sides trimmed,
pocket cut into the top
lengthways
Thinly sliced chives, to serve
BROWN BUTTER SAUCE
150 gm unsalted butter, plus
extra for greasing
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 tbsp lemon juice, or to taste
¼ tsp smoked paprika, cayenne
or chipotle powder (see
note), plus extra to serve1 Place lobsters in freezer
to render them insensible
(30 minutes), then split
lengthways through the head
(see cook’s notes, p168). Cook
lobsters in a large saucepan of
rapidly boiling salted water
(4 minutes), then refresh in iced
water. Drain, then, when cool
Hot buttered lobster rolls
MAKES 6 // PREP TIME 30 MINS // COOK 25 MINS (PLUS STANDING)
Cold lobster rolls with mayonnaise are great for summer; come
winter, it’s all about the comfort of hot butter and toasted buns.
enough to handle, separate tail
and head by twisting and pulling
in opposite directions. Remove
meat from tails and legs,
coarsely chop tail meat and
refrigerate until required.
2 For brown butter sauce, cook
butter in a saucepan over high
heat until browned (3-4 minutes).
Add garlic, lemon and paprika,
season to taste and keep warm.
3 Butter sides of rolls and fry
in a frying pan over high heat,
turning, until golden (1-2 minutes
each side). Keep warm.
4 Add lobster to saucepan
with brown butter sauce and stir
over low heat to warm through.
Spoon into rolls and top with
chives and paprika to serve.
NotePowdered chipotle –
smoked chilli – is available
from Herbie’s Spices
(herbies.com.au).