Eggplant harvest
Had a great time at the second Sample Food festival in Bangalow. Beautiful weather, sensational local food and drinks. For those who came along to the cooking stage and watched me present “Cooking with Maccas” here are the recipes as promised. For those who missed it, give the recipes a whirl.
This recipe is from ABC Organic Gardener magazine Jan 2012 issue.
Szechuan eggplant
Serves 4 as entrée 6 as a side dish
Macadamia oil for deep-frying
6 Lebanese eggplants, trimmed and cut into 6-7cm lengths
Salt and Pepper mix
1 tablespoon Szechuan pepper
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon rock salt
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 long red chilli, sliced
4 green onions
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
½ cup unsalted macadamias, toasted and roughly
1/4 cup coriander leaves, roughly copped
2 green onions, extra for garnish
1 bunch pak choy or Asian green of your choice
Heat Szechuan, black peppercorns and salt in a dry frying pan over a moderate heat until salt is slightly browned, stirring constantly to stop the spices from burning. Remove from the heat and pound to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
Pour enough oil into a wok or deep saucepan to come to a depth of 10 centimetres. Heat over medium-high heat to 180C. Deep-fry the eggplant in two batches until tender, 2-3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain well on paper towels. Remove the wok from the heat and carefully remove the oil and reserve.
Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the reserved oil with the sesame oil. Add the garlic, ginger, chilli, green onions and 1 tablespoon of prickly ash, stir fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Add the stock, sauces and limejuice and reduce the heat to medium and cook for 5 minutes until sauce thickens slightly. Stir through the macadamias and pour the sauce into a serving bowl. Reheat the wok to a high heat and add the Pak Choy, stir frying until wilted.
Place the Pak Choy onto a platter and top with the eggplants. Garnish with coriander leaves, extra green onions, an extra sprinkle of salt and pepper mix and pour the sauce over the eggplants and serve with steamed rice.
This macadamia recipe is one I developed for the Australian Macadamia Society 2012 calender. This was Miss January. Enjoy!
TRIO OF MACADAMIAS
Roasted Macadamias with Australian Sea Salt and Wattleseed
100gms raw macadamias
Australian Sea Salt
1 tablespoon wattleseed
Preheat an oven to 200°C fan forced.
Prepare a baking pan by generously sprinkling salt across the bottom. Add the macadamias to the pan in a single layer, and sprinkle over the wattleseed and generously sprinkle more salt over the macadamias.
Roast the macadamias in the oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until the nuts are golden and fragrant.
Allow the macadamias to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.
Roasted Macadamias with Australian Pepperberry & Bush Tomato
100gms raw macadamias
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons macadamia oil
1 tablespoon bush tomatoes, roughly crushed
1 teaspoon Australian pepperberry
1 teaspoon Australian salt
Preheat oven to 200°C. Toss macadamias, garlic and oil in a medium bowl to coat. Add the bush tomatoes, Australian pepperberry and salt and toss well. Spread macadamias in a single layer on a baking tray lined with non-stick baking paper
Roast until fragrant, about 10-12 minutes. Cool macadamias on baking tray before storing in an airtight container.
Roasted Macadamias with Australian Honey & Lemon Myrtle
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons macadamia oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 teaspoon Australian sea salt
100gms raw macadamias
2 teaspoons lemon myrtle
Preheat oven 180°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Combine the honey, macadamia oil, garlic, and sea salt in a small frying pan over low heat. Stir until the honey has melted and the mixture is well combined.
Transfer the honey mixture to a large bowl. Add all the nuts and lemon myrtle and stir until they are evenly coated with the honey, lemon myrtle mixture.
Spread the macadamias on the prepared baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove and set aside to cool completely before serving.
Note
- These nut mixtures can be stored in an airtight container.
