GOURMET FAST
RECIPES & STYLING EMMA KNOWLES PHOTOGRAPHY BEN DEARNLEY2 Miso noodle soup with
mushrooms and ginger
For a dish that’s light yet satisfying, it’s hard to go
past a bowl of miso soup – ours is full of mushrooms,
tofu and green tea noodles, with a good helping of
ginger to give it some kick. This is an ideal recipe to
customise to your liking – try broccolini in place of the
spinach, or swap out the tofu for poached chicken.
Serves 4
12 gm (2 sachets) instant dashi
80 gm shiro (white) miso paste
1 tbsp finely grated ginger
200 gm shiitake mushrooms, halved
50 gm oyster mushrooms, torn
50 gm enoki mushrooms
1 tbsp dried sea vegetable (see note)
300 gm green tea soba noodles
150 gm silken tofu, diced
1 bunch English spinach, trimmed
Thinly sliced spring onions, torn nori and
roasted sesame seeds, to serve1 Bring 1 litre water to a simmer in a saucepan,
add dashi and simmer for flavour to develop
(4-5 minutes). Whisk in miso, add ginger,
mushrooms and sea vegetable and simmer
for 4-5 minutes.
2 Meanwhile, cook noodles in a separate
saucepan of boiling salted water until just tender
(2-3 minutes), then drain and divide among
serving bowls.
3 Add tofu and spinach to miso mixture, stir to
wilt, then ladle mixture over noodles and serve
topped with spring onion, nori and sesame seeds.
NoteDried sea vegetables are available from
health-food shops and Japanese grocers.1 Crumbed flathead with
crunchy slaw
Think of this as a cold-weather take on fish and chips.
A crunchy slaw adds texture and keeps things light
and fresh, while the roast potatoes are a much easier
proposition than deep-fried chips.
Serves 4
700 gm floury potatoes, such as sebago,
scrubbed, thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for frying
70 gm coarse sourdough breadcrumbs or
panko crumbs
Finely grated rind of ½ lemon, plus extra
wedges to serve
1 tbsp finely chopped thyme
500 gm flathead fillets, cut into rough
10cm pieces, or four 150gm skinless
blue-eye fillets
2½ tbsp Dijon mustard
Crunchy slaw
1 celeriac, cut into julienne
1 Granny Smith apple, cut into julienne
1 pale celery stalk, thinly sliced, leaves torn
¼ white cabbage, thinly sliced on a mandolin
¼ Spanish onion, thinly sliced
2½ tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp crème fraîche
Finely grated rind and juice of ½ lemon,
or to taste
1 Preheat oven to 200C and put a roasting pan
in to heat. Combine potato and olive oil in a bowl,
season to taste, then add to hot pan and shake to
spread out evenly. Roast until golden brown and
tender (15-20 minutes). Season to taste.
2 Meanwhile, combine breadcrumbs, lemon rind
and thyme in a bowl and season to taste. Brush
fish with mustard, then toss in crumb mixture to
coat evenly.
3 For slaw, combine ingredients in a bowl, season
to taste and toss well to combine.
4 Heat a good splash of oil in a large frying pan
over medium-high heat, add fish and fry, turning
occasionally, until golden brown and cooked
through (3-4 minutes). Serve with roast potatoes,
slaw and lemon wedges.
4 Roast chicken thighs with
green polenta
Polenta can be polarising – many people dismiss it as
bland, but when you fold in plenty of mascarpone and
parmesan, along with puréed winter greens, we assure
you it won’t want for flavour. We use instant polenta
when time is tight; for a weekend version, consider
using regular polenta for extra texture.
Serves 4
2 tbsp coarsely chopped thyme
2 tbsp coarsely chopped oregano, plus extra
to serve
Finely grated rind of ½ lemon, juice of 1
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
8 chicken thighs, on the bone
200 gm mixed dark-green leaves, such as kale,
silverbeet and spinach, coarsely chopped
500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
200 gm instant polenta
50 gm parmesan, finely grated
200 gm mascarpone1 Preheat oven to 220C. Blitz herbs, lemon rind,
2 garlic cloves and olive oil in a food processor to
combine, season to taste and add half the lemon
juice. Transfer to a bowl, add chicken, massage to
coat well, then spread on a large baking tray lined
with baking paper and roast until browned and
cooked through (15-18 minutes).
2 Meanwhile, blanch greens until wilted
(30 seconds to 1 minute; see cook’s notes p176),
drain and refresh, then blitz in a food processor
with remaining garlic to a purée.
3 Bring stock and 300ml water to the boil in a
saucepan, rain in polenta, whisking continuously,
then season generously to taste. Reduce heat to
medium and simmer, whisking, until thick and
smooth (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat, whisk
in parmesan, then swirl green purée and
mascarpone through to form ripples.
4 To serve, divide green polenta among
serving bowls. Squeeze remaining lemon
over roast chicken, place on top of polenta,
drizzle with roasting juices and serve hot
scattered with extra oregano.>3 Five-cheese and ham
triple-decker toastie
This recipe makes two sandwiches but they’re on
the large side – depending on the appetite of your
audience they may serve two hungry people or four
as a snack. Some tangy pickles alongside would make
an excellent addition.
Makes 2
200 gm firm ricotta
75 gm vintage cheddar, coarsely grated
75 gm provolone piccante, coarsely grated
75 gm parmesan, finely grated
6 slices sourdough bread
Dijon mustard, for spreading
4 thin slices leg ham off the bone
200 gm buffalo mozzarella, thickly sliced
40 gm butter, diced1 Preheat oven to 180C. Stir ricotta, cheddar,
provolone and parmesan in a bowl to combine,
and season to taste. Spread two of the bread
slices with cheese mixture, then top each with
another bread slice. Spread with mustard to taste,
top with ham, then mozzarella and season to
taste. Sandwich with remaining bread.
2 Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium
heat, add sandwiches and fry until browned on the
base (1-2 minutes). Carefully turn over and brown
the other side, then transfer to the oven and bake
until cheese is bubbling (3-4 minutes). Pour the
butter in the frying pan over the top of the
toasties and serve hot with mustard.TEXT PAGEBlue dish
(with salt) from The
Fortynine Studio. Short
teal tumbler from
Maison Balzac. Green
bowl (top of stack) from
Batch Ceramics. All
other props stylist’s
own.Stockists p175.