FISH SOUP

This fish soup is so delicious and easy to make. Ask your fish monger to give you the fish carcass and make a stock. I also bought a fresh crayfish head which cost only $3! This was the key to this stock.
Also put in a touch of saffron.

METHOD

Fry onion carrot and celery in large sauce pan and sweat. Place in fish bones, crayfish carcass (and any shellfish), then pour over 250ml of white wine and cook out the alcohol. Top up with 2 litres of water and cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Drain liquid and reserve any shell fish and set aside.

Add 4 tablespoons of flour and four tablespoons of butter and cook off on a gentle heat stirring constantly. Add fish stock one cup at a time until you reach desired consistancy. Add 2-3 table spoons of creme fresh. Season.

Finally add reserved shellfish meat, calamari, fish fillets or any seafood you like and poach gently.

Serve with warm bread.

French Apple pie

This apple pie recipe is a classic and very easy to prepare. I made this over the weekend and is great served with icecream or whiped cream. We also finished it off the following day with a cup of tea.

sweet short pastry
1 lb apples (such as granny smith)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup cream
3 tb cognac or calvados brandy if you have it.

Step 1: Preheat oven to 375° F / 190 °C.

Step 2: Peel, quarter, cut the apples into slices. Toss them in a bowl with 1/2 cup of sugar and cinnamon. Arrange them in the pastry shell. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes. Then let cool.

Step 3: Beat the egg and 1/2 cup of sugar until mixture is pale yellow. Beat in the flour, then the cream, and finally the brandy. Pour in the mixture over the apples.

Step 4: Return to oven for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with sugar and return again to oven for 20 minutes.

Serve with cram or ice cream!

Mussel Chowder

Mussel chowder is so easy to make and is one of the cheapest tastiest soups around.
Simply buy fresh mussels from the fish monger steam them with a glass of white wine with the lid on. Onced the shells have opened pull out the beards and chop finely. Then sweat an onion and some garlic -add a diced red pepper, chopped chilli, diced pototo fish stock and simmer till spuds are cooked. Then add the chopped mussels and fresh parsley, corriander, juice of a lime. You can also add coconut milk once it has cooled down. Serve with hot crusty herb bread!

OLIEBOLLEN- DUTCH APPLE DONUTS

I visited the Nelson Markets over the weekend and tried these delicious dutch apple donuts called Oliebollen.
They are a bit like a deep fried muffin in essence. They can't be good for the waistline but thats why they were so tasty!
Oliebllen literally translates as oil balls and are normally eaten on new year's eve and at fun fairs.
They are said to have been first eaten by Germanic tribes in the Netherlands during the Yule, the period between December 26 and January 6. The Germanic goddess Perchta, together with evil spirits, would fly through the mid-winter sky. To appease these spirits, food was offered, much of which contained deep-fried dough. It was said Perchta would try to cut open the bellies of all she came across, but because of the fat in the oliebollen, her sword would slide off the body of whoever ate them.

KISSES

When I was a kid I use to love these soft, spongy and jammy treats! They are called Kisses and appeared frequently with cups of tea at Nana's house!

I got this recipe from The Edmonds cook book. They are so easy to make and take just 8-10 minutes to bake!

Jeruselam Artichokes

It is artichoke season and they have the most amazing unique taste. The taste is like a smokey spud crossed with a parsnip. In fact it is hard to describe because of it's uniqueness. You just have to try them!
I bought my chokes from Oratia market this morning and made this beautiful soup!
Sweat an onion in butter. Add 500gm of artichokes and 250gm of potato (peeled and diced). Add 300 ml of chicken stock and 300ml of milk. 1 garlic clove. 1 tablespoon of thyme leaves. Simmer for 30 mins then whizz. Add 2 tablespoons of fresh parmesan. Pour into bowls. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with warm turkish bread!
Despite its name, the Jerusalem artichoke has no relation to Jerusalem, and it is not a type of artichoke, even though both are members of the daisy family. The origin of the name is uncertain. Italian settlers in the USA called the plant girasole, the Italian word for sunflower because of its resemblence to the garden sunflower. Over time the name girasole may have been changed to Jerusalem. To avoid confusion, some people have recently started to refer to it as sunchoke.

Hand made Ravioli

There is a new stand at Oratia Farmers Market selling fresh made pasta, ravioli and gnocchi.
I bought some roast chicken and thyme ravioli and was excellent. Here are the shots of our meal. I simply roasted some cherry tomatoes and made a sage butter sauce and finished it with parmesan. Will be back this Saturday to buy more!

French Macaroons

Macaroons are incredibly delish! When in Paris do what the parisians do and scoff them. If you want the real m'coy macaroons in NZ try them at the ellerslie markets on Epsom rd. A true Parisian has landed with his kiwi partner and they make real parisian macaroons.
I made some last night and devoured them while reading 1984 by George Orwell. A penguin classic!

Oysters

I love oysters! Bluff oysters are in season now and they are fantastic! However here are some shots I took of New Zealands beautiful pacific oyster. I rate these oysters with the best in the world!

Masterchef party

We celebrated The end of Masterchef at Pasha on the viaduct in Auckland. Here are a few snaps!

Brett Wins Masterchef!!!

Well done Brett for winning New Zealands first ever Master Chef! Also congratulations to Kelly for making it to the final. It was a pleasure living in the house with you guys and sharing some great moments!
Hope to see you at the party tomorrow night!

Masterchef final dinner

This is the dish I cooked while watching the Masterchef final!
Roast pork loin on a red cabbage and parsnip crisp with apple balsamic reduction.
I cooked the red cabbage with orange juice, white wine,red wine vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and grated apple.

Herald on Sunday Interview

On Saturady morning I was interviewed by the Herald on Sunday newspaper to have my say on who would win the final of Masterchef NZ.
I called it a bit of a game show which may not have impressed some but didn't give away too much. I was very diplomatic in my answers.

COOKING FOR HENS

Kirsty and I got asked to cook for a hens night last Saturday.
There were nine hungry guests and we started with a hand made ravioli with goats cheese garlic and basil with a burnt sage butter sauce. Main was marinated eye fillet on bok choy with potato puree, soy foam, cucumber and wasabi spheres and a parsnip crisp. Desert was a creme brulee with fresh raspberries, rubharb and mango puree and toffee waffle biscuit.
They loved it!

This is a quick snap of the dish.

Master chef Aprons

Master chef aprons are now on sale! Kelly and I were lucky enough to model these black aprons. Only $29.99 each! Bargain. Easy prezzy for Christmas!
www.mastercheftv.co.nz

Cooking for Annabelle White- Sunday Star Times

I cooked for Annabelle White last week and she profiled me and the dish in Sunday magazine.
I made pan fried gurnard on bok choy with a cannellini bean puree and roast pepper sauce.
The brief was simple fresh and something anyone could whip up.
annabelle is one of my favorite kiwi cooks and is a pleasure to be around because she is so much fun. Hopefully I can do more with her in the future.
Here is the shot they published.

ORATIA FARMERS MARKET

Every Saturday I have been getting my fruit and vegetables at the Oratia Farmers market.
Not only do they sell the freshest produce there are also a wide variety of stalls selling breads, cheeses, chocolate, icecream to name a few. Try the portugese tarts. I love them. Another of my favouite stalls sells hungarian fried bread. Try the tomato, feta basil version. Yum!

One gentleman sells fresh passion fruit. I bought a bag and will be making passionfruit puddings.
I also bought some maori potatoes which are delish. Maori potatoes originated from South America apparantly.
Check the markets out and don't eat breakfast before you get there!

MASTERCHEF EVICTION

I was evicted last night from the show and am disappointed but had a great experience!

Check out my interview here with yahoo.

http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/top-stories/6980684/cant-take-the-heat-robert-trathen-on-exiting-masterchef-nz/

Rob

KIDS CANCER CHARITY DINNER ON CLOSEUP

On Friday night live on Closeup with Mark Sainsbury three of us from Masterchef cooked a meal for Mothers with children who have cancer.
You can watch it here
http://tvnz.co.nz/close-up/special-treat-mums-3413114/video

Christine, Kirsty and myself cooked the mothers pan seared snapper with a saffron sauce, fennel and leek puree and roasted vine tomatoes.
For dessert we made individual chocolate and raspberry tarts with a raspberry coulis marscepone cream and fresh raspberries.
Each of us made a plate of canapes.
I made a prawn and mango salad which is pictured here.
It is quick and easy to make and your dinner guests will love it!


Ingredients

3 x mangoes (sliced into small strips)
2 x tablespoons of fish sauce
1 x bunch of coriander finely chopped
6 x kaffir lime leaves chopped finely
1 x fresh chili chopped finely
2 x tablespoons of crushed peanuts (unsalted)
2 x tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 x tablespoon of palm sugar
2 x bulbs of fresh garlic

Prawns

Fresh raw prawns
sesame oil
1 x tablespoon of lime juice
1x finely chopped garlic bulb

Method

Marinate prawns for 30 mins in sesame oil, a dash of lime juice and some garlic
BBQ or pan fry prawns

Combine all mango salad ingredients and place on a chinese spoon and top with grilled prawn!
Mango salad is also great served as a side to a main.

FREE RANGE BUTCHER

I always buy my meat from the Westmere Butchery in Auckland. It is a free range butchery and sells only top quality meats. There is none of this bright red unaged supermarket meat which is as tough as an old shoe! They also make their own sausages and their beef sausage is award winning.
Some people say they can't afford to buy good quality food. Try staying away from the supermarkets one week and try this idea!
Spend $60 at the butcher and $60 at the green grocer! You will eat like a king for a small family and the ingredients are restaurant quality! You will be amazed at how much produce you can buy and the variety (Do be sensible buying the meat- buy cheaper cuts of meat also to throw in the slow cooker as well as mince for Mousaka or lasagne).

CHOCOLATE AND BLUEBERRY ROULADE

This is a take on the roulade we cooked on Masterchef but I added cocoa and fresh blueberries to make this delicious desert.

ingredients

4 x egg whites
1 1/2 cups of caster sugar
1x teaspoon of vanilla essence
1x cup of blueberries
250ml of fresh cream
1x tablespoon of cornflour
1x tablespoon of cocoa powder
A pinch of salt

Method

Beat egg white until you achieve stiff peaks
Slowly add in sugar a small amount at a time
Add vanilla essence
Add cornflour and cocoa powder and a pinch of salt
Spread onto lightly oiled baking paper
Bake at 180 degrees for 15 mins
Once cooled spread with whipped cream and blueberries
Roll into a roulade
Dust with icing sugar
Slice and serve

ROBS INDIAN CURRY

CHICKEN CURRY ON A SPICED POTATO CAKE WITH RIATA


INGREDIENTS

Canola oil
1 X Handful of Fresh curry leaves
6 X Cloves
Cinnamon bark (The size of your little finger)
1 X Star Anise
1 X Onion finely chopped
1 X Tablespoon of Ginger finely chopped
1 X Tablespoon of Garlic finely chopped
1 X small punnet of Tomato paste
2 X Cans of chopped tomato's
1 X Tablespoon of sugar
1 X Teaspoon of hot chili powder
1 X Tablespoon of coriander powder
1/2 a Tablespoon of cumin powder
1/2 a tablespoon of Garam Masala powder
800g of Chicken thighs (boneless) diced
1 X Cup of fresh coriander
150 ml coconut milk

POTATO CAKE

3 X Large agria potato's
1 X Teaspoon of mustard seeds
1 X Teaspoon of cumin seeds
1 X small onion
1 X heaped teaspoon of Garlic
1 X heaped teaspoon of Ginger

RIATA

200ML of natural yogurt
2 X Tablespoons of finely diced cucumber
1/2 a cup of coriander

METHOD

Fry cloves star anise and cinnamon in a little oil then add curry leaves
Fry chicken peices in the fragrant oil until sealed and set aside
Sweat onion and add ginger and garlic
Add tomato puree and simmer for 2-3 minutes
Add the chicken pieces that you previously reserved
Add tomatoes and sugar
Add cumin and coriander powder chili powder and garam masala
Simmer with lid on for 20 minutes
Simmer with lid off for 20 minutes until sauce has thickened
Finally add coconut milk and chopped coriander

Potato Cake

Dry fry mustard seeds and cumin seeds for a couple of minutes and set aside
Sweat onions then add ginger and garlic and add dry fried spices
Boil potatoes until only just cooked and add to spiced onions
Add curry leaves
Season

Mould into a cookie cutter and stack with chicken curry then drizzle with riata around the plate!

CUPCAKES FOR CARLOS

These crazy cupcakes were made with Carlos in mind! I decided to make some cupcakes with what I had in the pantry which included cola! They are an original just like the man himself!

COFFEE, COLA AND CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES

Ingredients

225gm butter
2 x Eggs
2 x tubes of Nestle coffee and milk (which is made with condensed milk hence no sugar)
300gm flour
3 x teaspoons of baking powder
60 white chocolate buttons
1 x teaspoon of vanilla essence
300ml cola
2 x teaspoons of powdered ginger

METHOD

Preheat oven to 175 degrees celcius
Cream the butter and sugar
Add Nestle coffee tubes
Add eggs
Sift all dry ingredients and add to mix
Fold in cola and vanilla essence
Spoon mixture into cupcake cases
Top with approx five buttons to each cupcake
Bake for 20 mins
Remove the tins from the oven and cool for 5 mins. Then remove the cupcakes and cool on a rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

CHRISTINE EXITS THE MASTERCHEF HOUSE

Unbelievably I stood next to Christine in the MasterChef audition queue so we chatted a lot together and had very similar personalities. I had a chat with Christine as she left the MasterChef house. Here is what she had to say!


Rob: How did it feel to be eliminated first?

CJ: Actually, just secretly, I was hugely relieved. The tension in that kitchen for that challenge was huge and I couldn't see myself coping well with that amount of stress in later challenges. Also I felt really bad for Karyn and the way she was spoken to for drinking the beer and I would have hated to see her go instead of me.

Rob: If you had another shot would you do things differently? What would it be?

CJ: Hind sight is so wonderful - I always wish I'd had it beforehand... I wouldn't do the experimental thing again. I should have done something simple and elegant like a laksa or a cardamom cream chicken dish - I knew them so well too!

Rob: Would you like to turn food into a career or business?

CJ: I have every intention of persuading my husband (hope he's not reading this...) to join me in a country or beach-side general store where the food, the coffee, the people and the lifestyle are the focus. (Oh, and for Stew's benefit - the profit is important too). I can see it now... in fact I might follow Kerry Spackman's advice and get the photograph of us standing in front of it up on the wall... tonight!

Rob: I know you love desserts! Can you share with us really simple tasty recipe a busy parent could whip up at a dinner party?

CJ: Desserts and me are an item! I always think a stack of meringues is a really spectacular way to go - as long as it's not a diabetics dinner party. I love Jo Seager's recipe for espresso meringues which you can find here. Dress up a plain stack of white meringues with berries amongst them and a pot of syllabub to dip them in (simply whip 300ml cream to soft stage, then add up to 1/4 cup lemon juice and 2 tbsp white wine and beat to a thicker consistency). Or use my really quick method for poached kiwifruit: make a sugar syrup with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup sugar. Heat slowly while stirring then boil until all the sugar is dissolved. In place of the water you can use any or all of the following: orange or lemon juice, white wine or limoncello. Add mint or basil leaves and orange zest, then add peeled and quartered kiwi fruit and stir till they're covered and hot through. Add some orange slices if you like. This can be made in about 10 minutes, no fussy ingredients, and serve with the same syllabub as above.

But wait ... home made brandy snaps! And baklava is really quick and easy. So is feijoa sponge... perhaps you'd better visit my blog and see what I'm cooking there.. http://www.foodnz.blogspot.com/

Check out Christines Blog!

Thanks Christine

All the best

Rob

COLIN MATHURA -JEFFREE FROM NZ'S TOP MODEL TEACHES ME TO COOK PURI!

You saw me cook Puri (Indian bread) on MasterChef to accompany my curry. They didn't work out as well as I normally make them, so I invited Colin Mathura-Jeffree from New Zealands top model to show me how it is done! Thanks Colin


COLINS PURI RECIPE
Ingredients

1 cup of flour
1/2 cup of self raising flour
50g butter (cubed)
pinch of salt
a dash of warm water to form the dough
canola oil





1. Knead the butter into the flour and add a good pinch
of salt.















2. Pour in a dash of warm water (just enough to bind). Add a dash of oil.
3. Form into a ball and need the dough (until the dough springs back when pressed).
4. Wrap in clingfilm and rest for 30mins





5. Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it is roughly
1mm thin.














6. Cut the dough with a cookie cutter or the bottom of a glass.













7. Fill a heavy saucepan with canola oil and deep fry
once the oil reaches 180 degrees celcius.
Be careful oil is very dangerous. Use an oil
thermometer!


8. Et Voila . Colin's Famous Puri!!!

CARLOS TALKS ABOUT HIS MASTERCHEF EXPERIENCE

I caught up with Carlos after he got eliminated from Masterchef.
Here is what he had to say!

Rob: How did it feel not to make the final 12?

Carlos: I was disappointed to not get into the house and continue with the competition, but I think the judges made the right decision and chose the TOP 12.


Rob: Would you do anything differently if you were in it again?

Carlos: Use dishwashing liquid! haha!


Rob: Are you going to pursue cooking as a career?

Carlos: Not really, more of a hobby and as a way to pursue complete life.


Rob: What have you been cooking lately?

Carlos: Tonight we had empanadas...have you tried these? They are a half moon pastry, which are filled with pulled beef, chicken and cheese. They are a traditional Venezuelan snack.

I love empanadas! At the Alexandra Park markets in Auckland there is a stall there which sell them. I love that market!

Thanks Carlos

All the best

Rob

AN INTERVIEW WITH EVA THE VEGAN

I spoke to "Eva the Vegan" and asked her a few questions about Masterchef.

Rob: How did you feel about not making the top 12 fianlists?

Eva: At first I was obviously upset to not make the final 12, but it was fair as I didn't perform well enough in the challenges. I was hoping on getting into the house and showing the culinary adventures that are possible aside from eating weird animal parts. From my experience after living her for the past 5 years, I think New Zealand is open-minded and accepting enough to explore some alternatives to porridge, surf and turf and mince pies.

Rob: If you did make it to the final 12 could you have cooked a meat dish?

Eva: Yes, I could have cooked a meat dish. I would have pulled out beef rouladen like my grandma used to make them.
Not something I would have enjoyed but in this kind of competition it is about showing your determination and also displaying professionalism which may mean putting yourself last and the customer first.

Rob: Are you going pursue cooking as a career?

Eva: Yes and no. I am planning to open my own cafe next summer, so I am going to bake and cook for that but also be the owner and have the opportunity to connect with the customers in a much different way compared to working in a restaurant kitchen.

Rob: What have you been cooking lately?

Eva: The latest dinner party was a vegan, mostly raw buffet style dinner for my family who was visiting from Germany. I also invited my best friend who is a raw vegan, too. We had a blast and everyone actually enjoyed the food, despite their initial skepticism. It's always great to surprise people who have very conservative, boring preconceptions about foods, meals and especially what should be the "main dish".
Aside from that I am hosting a party soon for friends and colleagues so more experimenting is on the way.

Rob: Thanks Eva all the best!

FILLETING FISH/ BLUE COD

After winning the salmon filleting challenge on Master Chef I thought I would show you how to fillet a blue cod!


It is imperative to use a sharp flexible filleting knife, and you have to feel the blade run closely to the back bone.

1. MAKE A CUT JUST UNDER THE WING STRAIGHT DOWN.

2. TWIST KNIFE AND PREPARE TO CUT ALONG BACK BONE

3. CUT ALONG THE BACKBONE AND KEEP AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO IT

4. RUN THE KNIFE ALL THE WAY ALONG UNTIL THE FILLET COMES OFF

5. FLIP THE FILLET OVER WHILE IT IS STILL ATTACHED

6. SLICE THE FILLET RUNNING THE KNIFE ALONG THE SKIN

7. FOLLOW YOUR FINGERS ALONG THE BONE AND CUT OUT THE BONES IN A V SHAPE.

I like to simply cook fish as follows:

Dust each fillet in flour just before cooking (dust also in a hint of garlic powder....top tip)! Season well, and pan fry in knob of butter for 1and1/2 mins each side ( Depending on thickness of fillet).

Enjoy with a glass of Savignon Blanc or Pinot Gris. If you like Chardonnay then there are some great Chardonnays which will compliment fish. Remember your palate is always right so drink whatever you like!