Episode 10. Recipes from Central Otago

Entree: Wild Rabbit Rillette with Crostini & Cherry Relish

Step 1. Rabbit Rillettes

Ingredients:

• 4 Hind Quarter Rabbit legs
• 200 gm Skinless Pork Belly (cut into large cubes)
• 100 gm Duck Fat
• 5 Garlic Cloves (halved)
• Pinch Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Ground Black Pepper
• 2 tsp Flakey Sea Salt
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 Tbl Thyme (leaves picked, finely chopped)
• 1 cup Cold Water

Method:

Preheat oven to 150 degrees.

Take a medium sized ovenproof dish, add and mix in all ingredients. Place the dish on the heat and bring to a gentle simmer. Cover with tin foil or lid, and place in the oven. Cook slowly for 3 to 3 1/2 hours stirring occasionally. Top up with water if the liquid has evaporated. Once tender and both meats are falling apart remove from the oven and let cool for half an hour.

Pour cooked meat and juices into a colander or similar, with a bowl underneath to catch the liquid. Remove the rabbit leg meat from the bones and discard along with the bay leaves transferring meat to a separate bowl. Using a fork or clean hands shred and mix the rabbit and pork meat together. Now add in enough of the cooking juices/fat to create a creamy texture and consistency. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Transfer rillettes into individual moulds/pots or a sterile preserving jar, and pack firmly. Pour over a little warm duck fat to create an airtight seal. Refrigerate until required.

Step 2. Cherry Relish

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Cherry Vinegar (or balsamic)
• 2 Tbl Shallots (finely diced)
• 1 tsp Thyme Leaves (finely chopped)
• Pinch Chilli flakes
• 2 1/2 cup Fresh Cherries (stone removed, halved)
• Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper

Method:

Place the cherry vinegar, shallots, thyme and chilli flakes into a small saucepan. Place on the heat and reduce gently until the vinegar has a syrup like consistency, about 20 minutes. Now add the cherries and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes until cherry relish becomes 'jammy'. Remove from the heat and allow to cool and then season with sea salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Refrigerate until required.

Step 3. Plating and Serving

Ingredients:

• Rabbit Rillettes
• Turkish Loaf
• Olive Oil
• Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
• Cherry Relish
• Cornichons

Method:

Remove the rillettes from the refrigerator about an hour before serving.

Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.

Slice the bread into strips as thin as you can, about 3 mm thick. Brush both sides of the slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on an oven tray, and bake until lightly golden and beginning to crisp up. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Place the rillettes in the middle of room temperature plates. Spoon on a generous amount of cherry relish, lay some sliced cornichons beside the rillettes and pile up a few crostinis at the rim of the plate. Season the top of the rillettes with sea salt and cracked black pepper.

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Main: Slow Roasted Merino Shoulder w/ Israeli Couscous, Apricot Chutney and Sheep's Milk Feta.

Step 1. Al's Spice Rub

Ingredients:

• 2 Tbl Paprika
• 1 Tbl Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tbl Black Pepper
• 1 1/2 Tbl Chilli powder
• 2 Tbl Salt
• 1/2 tsp Celery seeds (crushed)
• 1 Tbl Dried Oregano (ground)
• 1 Tbl Dried Thyme (ground)
• 1 Tbl Sumac
• 1 tsp Cayenne Pepper
• 2 Tbl Garlic Powder
• 1 Tbl Mustard Powder
• 2 Tbl Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbl Cumin Seeds (roasted and ground)
• 1 Tbl Fennel Seeds (roasted and ground)

Method:

Mix together all the spices until incorporated. Store in an airtight container

Step 2. Slow Roasted Merino Shoulder

Ingredients:

• 1.2 kg Merino Shoulder (bone out weight)
• 1/2 cup Al's Spice Rub
• 1/2 c Smoked Garlic
• Lemon (zest only)
• Sea Salt and Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
• Butchers Twine/String
• Canola Oil
• 2 cups Chicken Stock

Method:

Preheat the oven to 150 degrees.

Open up the shoulder on a clean chopping board, using a sharp knife, butterfly the shoulder into an even thick piece, which will be easy to roll up. Season the meat with about 1/4 cup of spice rub. Smear the smoked garlic over the meat and zest the lemon across it also then season with a little salt and pepper.

Using two hands, roll the lamb shoulder, like you would roll a magazine. Once you have an even, tight roll, use the butchers twine to tie and hold together. Rub the outside of the roll in the remaining spice mix.

Place a large skillet on the heat, add liberal amount of canola oil. Sear the merino evenly on all sides until golden, and then transfer into a suitable sized ovenproof dish. Pour the chicken stock into the oven dish, and then return to the heat until stock is boiling. Cover oven dish tightly with tinfoil then place in the oven. Cook to 2 1/2 to 3 hrs until merino is extremely tender. Top up the stock if you feel it is drying up during the cooking process. Remove cooked shoulder from the oven and allow it to cool. Refrigerate the shoulder until firm.

Step 3. Israeli Couscous

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup Canola Oil
• 2 cups Red Onion (finely diced)
• Red Chilli (seeds removed, finely chopped)
• 1/2 cup Currants
• 1/2 cup Dried Apricots (finely chopped)
• 2 Tbl Smoked Paprika
• 1 Tbl Cumin Seeds (toasted and ground)
• 2 cups Chicken Stock
• 2 Tbl Butter
• Bay Leaf
• 2 cups Israeli Couscous

Method:

Place a skillet on medium low heat. Add canola oil and sauté the red onion, chilli, currants, dried apricots and spices together until the onion has softened. Remove from the heat and hold.

Place the chicken stock, butter and bay leaf in a medium sized saucepan and heat until stock begins to boil. Add the couscous to stock and stir through. Cover saucepan and remove from the heat. Check after 10 minutes to see if stock has been absorbed and the couscous is tender. Fluff the couscous with a fork, and then stir through your onion mix. Cover and hold.

Step 4. Yoghurt and Feta

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Thick Greek Yoghurt
• 1 cup Sheep's Milk Feta (crumbled)

Method:

In a small mixing bowl, combine the yoghurt and feta together by stirring gently. Refrigerate until required.

Step 5. Smoked Paprika and Cumin Oil

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbl Cumin Seeds (toasted and ground)
• 2 Tbl Smoked Paprika (sweet)
• 3/4 cup Grape seed Oil or similar

Method:

Toast the cumin in a hot pan until smokey and popping. Remove from the heat and grind in a mortal and pestle or similar. Place cumin, paprika and grape seed oil in a small glass jar and seal. Shake up the oil and allow to sit overnight. Keep sealed jar in a cool place out of the sun.

Step 6. Cooking and Serving

Ingredients:

• Canola Oil
• Cooked Merino Shoulder Roll
• 600 gm Courgette (thick angled slices, about 1 cm thick)
• 2 Tbl Olive Oil
• Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
• Israeli Couscous
• 1/2 cup Mint Leaves (rough chopped
• 1/2 cup Coriander Leaves (rough chopped)
• Provisions Apricot Relish
• Feta and Yoghurt Mix
• Smoked Paprika and Cumin Oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 150 degrees.

Heat a large skillet to a medium/high temperature. Remove the string from your merino roll, and cut into 6 even sized portions. Add a little canola oil to the skillet and brown the merino portions lightly. Place in the oven to heat through.

Heat a griddle or skillet to high temperature. Toss the courgette, olive oil and salt and pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Char the courgette on the griddle until you get dark char lines, turn and repeat. Its important not to overcook the courgette as it will become mushy. Return to the bowl and hold.

Remove the cover from the couscous and fluff again with a fork, this time stirring the chopped herbs through, and adjusting the seasoning if necessary.

On hot plates, place a generous spoonful of couscous into the centre of the plates. Make a small pile of courgette beside the couscous. Remove the tender merino from the oven and place a portion on the couscous. Spoon a little apricot relish over the lamb, a spoonful of yoghurt on the side, and lastly a drizzle of the smoked paprika and cumin oil to finish.

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Dessert: Honey and Fresh Thyme Panna Cotta with Saffron Apricots

Step 1.

Ingredients:

• 750 ml Cream
• 200ml Milk
• 190gm Sugar
• 6 sprigs Fresh Thyme
• 2 Tbl Honey (white clover if possible)
• 4 Gelatin Leaves

Method:

In a medium sized saucepan, add the cream, milk, sugar, thyme and honey. Place the saucepan on moderate heat. Scald the cream, (careful not to boil) and remove from the heat when the sugar and honey is dissolved.

Bloom the Gelatin in cold water until soft. Remove and add to the hot cream mixture, stirring until dissolved. Strain into a large bowl, and then place the bowl on an iced water bath, stirring to cool before pouring into the panna cotta molds. Refrigerate until set. (At least 6 hours, preferably over night.)

Step 2. Poached Dried Apricots with Saffron

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Riesling (medium to sweet)
• 100gms Palm Sugar (Substitute with light brown sugar)
• 16 Dried Apricot Halves
• Pinch Saffron

Method:

Take a non-reactive saucepan and pour in the wine. Rough chop the palm sugar and add to wine. Place the saucepan on medium heat and stir continuously until the sugar has dissolved.

Now add the apricot halves and the pinch of saffron. Cook the apricots over low heat for 30 minutes until they soften up but aren't falling apart.

Remove the rehydrated apricots from the liquid and hold. Place the wine and sugar mixture back on the heat and reduce to syrup consistency. Pour back over the apricots and refrigerate until required.

Step 3. Plating and Serving

Ingredients:

• Honey and Thyme Panna Cottas
• Poached Dried Apricots w/ Saffron
• Whipped Cream.

Method:

Run a thin sharp knife around the edge of each panna cotta and invert onto room temperature or cold plates. Place a couple of apricot halves next to each and spoon over some of the saffron Riesling syrup. Finish with whipped cream and serve.

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