Coconut Salmon en Papilote with Asian Greens

This is really easy and can be prepared hours in advance.

1 fillet salmon per person
1 sheet baking paper per fillet (about 30cm long)
3 tbs coconut milk per fillet
2 thin slices ginger per fillet
2 slices garlic per fillet
2 slices lime per fillet
Fish sauce
Raw sugar
Coriander stalks
Minced lemon grass
Salt
Sliced chilli (optional)

Pak choy
Bok choy
Grated ginger
Grated garlic
Sesame oil
2 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs kecap manis

Fold the baking paper in half then cut half of a heart shape leaving as much paper in tact as you can. Place down a few coriander stalks and some minced lemon grass next to the spine of the folded half of the paper. Place the salmon fillet on top of the lemongrass/coriander stalks. Spoon over some coconut milk, a few splashes of fish sauce, ginger slices, garlic slices, lime slices, sprinkle a little sugar, some salt and if using, chilli slices. Fold the paper over the top of the fish and begin folding the paper over on itself until you have sealed the bag. Place on a tray in the fridge until you are ready. When it is time to cook, preheat an over to 220C then baked the fish for 12 minutes and remove to a clean plate.

Cut the base from your pak choy and bok choy, rinse away any grit. Heat some sesame oil in a wok or frying pan, sear the greens in batches, remove then add in some more oil then the garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant. Add the oyster sauce and kecap manis then toss the greans through the sauce.

Load the greens onto your plate then remove the salmon and its juices to the same plate, the kecap manis and oyster sauce mix very well with the coconut milk.
Enjoy.

Pork Orange Honey and Blueberry Pasta with Roasted Onion, White Wine and Cream

Sounds complicated but it isn't, quick too. My butcher is unreal and makes these mind blowing pork orange honey and blueberry sausages (you can find them here or on Facebook by searching for Aussie Smokehouse). They're like nothing I've ever eaten before, moist but not greasy at all and the fruit/honey combo works incredibly well. Although I understand that you may not be able to get your hands on them, the method would work really well with any flavoured sausage eg Italian, pork and fennel, chicken and honey etc etc. When I first made this I used 6 or 7 large mushrooms but I was out of them last night. I like to plump up the veg content when I can. As for the onion portion of this recipe, I have a thing for roasted onion wedges at the moment but you could very simply dice and saute them. Also, use whatever pasta you like but the shells catch the mince really easily.
Enjoy

1 kg pork orange honey blueberry sausages
1 onion in wedges and separated
6 mushrooms diced
1 slice bacon diced
1 stalk celery diced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 cup white wine
150ml thickened cream
1 packet large shell pasta
Salt and pepper
2 slices grilled prosciutto
1/2 bunch parsley minced
Chilli flakes or fresh
Parmesan cheese
Extra virgin olive oil



Coat onion with a little olive oil and season, roast at 180C for about 15 minutes (keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn - get some good colour though).
Put your salted pasta water on to boil.
Season and saute the garlic, celery, mushroom and bacon in 1 tbs or so of extra virgin until soft. Squeeze the sausage contents into your frying pan, break up and cook through. When cooked deglaze with the white wine. Add in the roasted onion then reduce to a simmer, reduce by half and not smelling boozie. Pour in the cream. Add half of the parsley. Check for seasoning. Cook your pasta, reserve 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain and add to the mince mixture with the some of the cooking water.
Spoon into bowls and top with parsley, parmesan, grilled prosciutto, salt and pepper, chilli and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Pulled Brisket with Pan BBQ Sauce

This is almost too easy for the insane result. All things told, about an hour in prep, five hours slow cook, twenty minutes shredding, days drooling.
First time I cooked this we did brioche rolls with a little mayo and some basic slaw. I'm quite certain that is how it will continue into the future.
The meat costs about $30 for 3kg but there is easily 20 servings in it and the sauce that comes from the pan juices is killer. Pay the fine, do the time.

N.B. You will need a really big pan.

I needed a bigger pan...

1 piece brisket about 3kg
Paprika
Cumin seeds
Fennel seeds
Salt and pepper
Oil and butter

Brine:
4 liters water
1 cup salt
125g brown sugar
1 stick celery roughly chopped
1 onion roughly chopped
1/2 handful pepper corns
6 bay leaves
Handful of thyme/parsley/rosemary
1/2 a lemon

Got a bigger pan 2nd time around

1 chilli split

Rough chopped:
2 onions
3 stalks celery
2 carrots
6 garlic cloves
1 thumb ginger
6 mushrooms
3 slices bacon
Stems and roots from 1 bunch coriander
Handful parsley
Fist of thyme
Some sage leaves
10cm of rosemary

6 bay leaves
1 satchell tomato paste
500ml chicken stock
3 tbs brown sugar
2 tbs apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper
1 tbs chilli flakes
3 tbs tomato sauce
3 tbs barbecue sauce

To finish:
2 spring onions chopped
1 bunch coriander tops topped
Lime juice

Dissolve the sugar and salt in 1 litre of water on the stove top. Combine with the rest of the water and ingredients, bashing the garlic and squeezing the lemon (include the lemon in the brine too). Place brisket in the brine, cover and refrigerate overnight.

Prep all of the veg/bacon/herbs/sauce and have ready to go. Remove the brisket from the brine and pat dry with kitchen towel. Sprinkle a generous amount of paprika, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, salt and pepper with some oil all over the brisket and rub in. Heat a large and deep (at least 30cm in diameter) frying pan or roasting dish to medium high and when to temperature throw in some butter and some oil to stop it from burning. Place the brisket in, fatty side down first and fry until you get some decent colour. Turn the brisket over and repeat. Remove from the pan to a clean plate.
Pour in the chopped veg, garlic, ginger, bacon, herbs, chilli into the frying pan and saute. If necessary add some more oil to prevent it from burning. As you are cooking the veg, scrape all the colour off of the bottom of the pan as you go. After 4 or 5 minutes squeeze in the tomato paste and cook off, stirring through. Add the tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar and chicken stock.

Return the brisket to the pan or roasting dish, baste it and cover with a lid or foil. Place in a preheated 140C oven for 5 hours. Remove the foil and place back in the oven raising the temperature to 170C for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and check if it is 'fork tender'. Remove the brisket to a large bowl. Remove as much fat un-rendered fat from the meat and set aside as you can, allowing to cool slightly.

Pour the contents of the pan into a medium sized saucepan and blot away the fat with paper toweling until all removed. Remove the bay leaves, add some salt and pepper then blend the sauce with a hand blender until it is a thick and smooth consistency. Set aside.

Return 3tbs of the fat to the bowl with the meat. Shred the fat and meat with two forks until it is all quite stringy. Mix a few tablespoons of the sauce to the shredded meat adding more if required. To finish, stir through chopped the spring onion, coriander and a decent squeeze of lime.