BetterHomesAndGardensAustraliaDecember2015_

festivefeast

225

Crispy calamari with
chilli lime seasoning
Preparation time: 15 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serves 6

Vegetable oil, for frying
500g calamari tubes,
cleaned
¹⁄³ cup cornflour
¹⁄³ cup self-raising flour
¹⁄³ cup water
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Halved lime cheeks, to serve

CHILLI LIME SEASONING
2 tsp sea-salt flakes
1 tsp powdered chicken
stock
½ tsp freshly ground
black pepper
Finely grated zest of ½ lime
Pinch dried chilli flakes

1 Line a large baking tray
with foil, then top with 4 layers
of paper towels.
2 To make chilli lime
seasoning, combine salt,
powdered stock, pepper, lime
zest and dried chilli in a small
bowl. Set aside.
3 Pour enough oil into a
medium saucepan to reach
5cm up side of pan. Heat over
a medium-high heat until oil
is hot (180°C) or until a cube
of bread turns golden in
30 seconds.
4 Meanwhile, slice calamari
tubes in half lengthways, then
cut each half widthways into
1cm-thick strips.
5 Put cornflour on a large
plate and set aside. Put self-
raising flour, water and olive oil
in a large bowl and combine
until a smooth paste forms.
Add calamari, tossing until paste
coats calamari. Toss ¹⁄³ of the
calamari in cornflour, then
carefully drop one by one in
hot oil, adding pieces to pan
quickly. Cook for about

3 minutes or until golden and

crispy. Transfer to prepared tray

to drain. Sprinkle with a little

chilli lime seasoning. Repeat

twice more with remaining

calamari, cornflour and

seasoning, allowing oil to reheat

between batches, if necessary.

6 Wrap baking paper into

cone shapes and pop into

6 tumblers or stemless wine

glasses. Divide calamari among

glasses, sprinkle with remaining

seasoning and serve with lime

cheeks on the side.

Mains

Rack of roast pork with

pickled pineapple chutney

Preparation time: 15 mins

plus 6 hours drying

Cooking time: 2 hours

Serves 6

1.7kg 6-bone pork rack,

French trimmed, skin on

½ medium pineapple

(about 800g), peeled,

cored, cut into 2cm pieces

2 green apples, peeled,

cored, roughly chopped

2 brown onions, halved,

thickly sliced

1 cup sultanas

350ml white wine vinegar

1 cup caster sugar

1 tsp fennel seeds

1 tsp sea-salt flakes

1 cup water

¼ cup basil leaves, finely

chopped

2 Tbsp Australian extra

virgin olive oil

2 tsp fine salt

Basil sprigs, to serve

1 Line a tray with plastic wrap,

then paper towels. Sit pork on

top and pat skin dry with extra

paper towels. Refrigerate,

uncovered, for 6 hours

(preferably overnight) to allow

skin to dry out.

2 To make chutney, put

pineapple, apples, onions,

sultanas and vinegar in a large

saucepan over a medium heat

and cook, stirring occasionally,

until mixture comes to the boil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer

for 15 minutes. Stir in caster

sugar, fennel seeds, salt and

water and cook, stirring

occasionally, for a further

45 minutes or until rich and

thick. Remove pan from heat

and cool to room temperature.

Stir in basil, spoon chutney into

serving dish and set aside.

3 Preheat oven to 250ºC.

Put a wire rack in a large

roasting tray.

4 Using a Stanley knifeor

very sharp knife, score pork rind

in parallel lines at about 8mm

intervals ²⁄³ of the way into fat

layer, being careful not to cut all

the way through to meat.

5 Rub oil into rind, then rub

in salt. Put pork, rind side up,

on rack in tray and roast for

20 minutes or until rind blisters.

6 Reduce heat to 170ºCand

roast for a further 20 minutes,

then increase heat to 230ºC

and roast for a further

15 minutes or until pork is just

cooked through and rind is well

blistered. Garnish roast pork

with basil sprigs and serve with

chutney on the side.

Salmon with pickled red

onion and cucumber

Preparation time: 15 mins

plus 45 mins standing

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves 6

¹⁄³ cup white wine vinegar

1 Tbsp caster sugar

1 Lebanese cucumber,

sliced into thin rounds

½ red onion, finely sliced

1.3kg side of skinless

salmon, pin-boned

100ml sauvignon blanc

Crispy calamari

Roast rack of pork

Salmon with pickled onion

▲

Cook’s tip

Rack of roast

pork with pickled

pineapple chutney

You can make the chutney

a day (or more) ahead.

It also makes a great

gift. Just spoon mix into

sterilised jars and store

in a cool dark place.