Wonderful Winter Warming Recipes
Slow roasted lamb with Radicchio and grilled rosemary crumbs
The ingredients and the cooking methods in this dish read like a description of the flavour of a good, rustic, earthy red wine made from Grenache. The sweet fattiness and pungency of the lamb itself echo the inherent sweetness and perfume of the Grenache grape. The deep savoury earthiness is there in the root vegetables, deepened by the addition of butter, and in the dry starchiness of the borlotti beans.
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp currants
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 60 ml(¼ cup) olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- ½ cup rosemary, coarsely chopped
- 250 gm coarse breadcrumbs from day-old sourdough
- 60 gm parmesan, finely grated
- 45 gm (¼ cup) pine nuts
- 1 boneless lamb leg (about 1.5kg)
- 125 ml dry white wine
- 2 heads of Radicchio, washed and pulled apart
Method:
- Soak currants in 2 tbsp vinegar in a bowl (30 minutes).
- Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat, and onion and garlic, stir occasionally until tender (7-8 minutes), add ½ rosemary, stir until fragrant (1-2 minutes) and set aside to cool.
- Add 1/2 breadcrumbs, parmesan, pine nuts and currant mixture, stir to combine and season to taste.
- Preheat oven to 150C.
- Place lamb leg on a work surface, press stuffing over lamb, season to taste and roll to enclose stuffing. Tie with kitchen string, place in a casserole, add wine, cover and roast until tender (4-5 hours).
- With the other ½ breadcrumbs and rosemary toss in a hot pan with olive oil, allow to crisp and brown and set aside.
- Place washed Radicchio in an earthen and dress with remaining red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Finally dress with rosemary breadcrumbs and serve.
Damn Fudgiest Brownie Ever
Ingredients:
- 250 grams good-quality chocolate
- ¾ cup butter, melted
- 1¼ cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Method:
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Chop the chocolate into chunks. Melt half, then save the other half for later.
- Mix the butter and the sugar, then beat in the eggs and vanilla for 1-2 minutes until the mixture has become fluffy and light in colour.
- Whisk in the reserved melted chocolate (make sure the chocolate is not too hot or else the eggs will cook), then sift in the flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
- Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, being careful not to overmix as this will cause the brownies to be more cake-like in texture.
- Fold in the chocolate chunks, then transfer the batter into a parchment paper-lined square baking dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, depending on how fudgy you like your brownies, then cool completely.
- Slice, then serve with a nice cold glass of milk!