So here's cheers to having time for a long lunch on a warm autumn Sunday at Fico restaurant in Hobart. It takes us back to our travels in Italy were the Sunday long lunch is a tradition
Italian Trip
Sunday 25 August 2024
Monday 29 April 2024
Kwan Ho Chinese - Wrest Point Casino - Tasmania
Hobart
Sichuan Kou Shui Chicken - Commonly know as mouth watering chicken.
That sometimes could be - because of a different chef working in the kitchen that day - a seasonal change or perhaps as simple as the phase of the moon, where the werewolf's are howling at a full moon!.
We were told that this is from the Sichuan peppers, hmmm we both thought, we have had Sichuan peppers in other Chinese dish before but not with this lip tingling experience so there has to be a cheffy trick or some other added ingredients that was omitted from the description on the menu.
The dish on the menu read as - A cold steamed white cut chicken, peanuts, pickled cabbage, shallot, Sichuan chilli oil.
Ok, we can see the white cut chicken, which was a super moist breast with the skin on poached and sitting proudly on some kind of Asian pickled vege, but not the mentioned pickled cabbage. It was a yummy little island surrounded by but not totally flooded in a fragrant broth with an orange oil slick that once you smelled it you can tell it is sesame oil (one of my favourite Asian tastes), topped with finely cut shallots, fresh chillies and sesame seeds.
So with more chatting with the chef about the tingles it is from the Prickly Ash Oil, ah so there is a tricky little ingredient that was missed on the menu.
Sunday 9 July 2023
The Kiln, Ranelagh, Tasmania
and pomegranate.
To go with desert we sipped a cheeky little Eau de Coing which is a French quince liqueur that was just like drinking quince paste!
All great dishes at this eatery, the food outstanding! the ambiance welcoming yet stimulating and great staff all added to a really good dining experience.
Osteria @ Petty Sessions - Franklin - Tasmania
Such a peaceful spot overlooking the Huon River
Thursday 6 July 2023
Sunday 2 July 2023
Cotolette - Hamburgers
Another of the scrummy dishes from the cooking class, these hamburger were from the leanest beef mince I have ever seen.
1 egg, 1/4 cup chopped parsley or mint, drizzle of olive oil
Once all is mixed in a bowl you then make into hamburgers, for a leaner still mix add more bread crumbs.
Interesting Italian cooking method from our teacher was to put some onion, garlic, mushroom, herbs, salt and ground chilli with olive oil in a cold fry pan, cook from a cold start, put the hamburgers on top of the vegetable mix.
As the vegetable mix starts to cook, move the hamburgers under the mix, turning the hamburgers as cooked, by do it this way you don't overcook the garlic and onion, to finish add some marsala.
Peperoni Ripieni - Stuffed Capsicum
Using the same mince mix stuff vegies
Add some grated pecorino at the end of the cook and brown.