Oaty ginger crunch

November 10-11, 2023

   

One of Michael's running friends, Bayly, sent him home with a couple pieces of slice wrapped in foil and he kindly split them with me back at home. I'd never tasted anything quite like it! The base was dense and oaty, a bit like an ANZAC biscuit, while the twice-as-tall topping was sweet, fudgy and ginger flavoured. I think there were a few chopped pistachios sprinkled over it. This slice was ultra-buttery in the best possible way.

Bayly had explained to Michael that the slice is called Ginger Crunch, and it's well known across New Zealand. She gladly shared the version from Cloudy Kitchen she uses, and urged us to double the topping quantity. I obeyed when I gave it a go a few weeks later, timed specifically with a visit from my mum and her sister Carol.

The poor part of my timing was that I chose to make it late into an unusually hot night in Melbourne - I tried my best to stay patient but felt pretty flustered by the end. The topping is intended to be made in the last 5-10 minutes of the base baking but I took too long and the base over-browned (but didn't burn!) around the edges. Those edge pieces were pretty hard to bite into.

With all that extra topping, the quantity of slice was very large and I had to upsize on my baking dish. I should have upsized my baking paper (and possibly even double-lined the tray), because it was very difficult to detach from the pan. I stored the slice in the fridge but it was much easier to cut, and at its most perfect fudgy-buttery texture to eat, after a couple of hours at room temperature.

I sprinkled crystallised ginger over only half of the slice, because I wasn't sure how intensely gingery it would be. This was a good decision because Carol doesn't like 'bits', but I liked the textural contrast. A browse of Ginger Crunch online suggests that the rolled oats in the base aren't traditional either, but they're another welcome textural element for me.

With lots of butter and a dose of gluten, this recipe won't be for everyone, but I'll definitely make it again when there's occasion for it.

Oaty ginger crunch

(slightly adapted from a recipe at Cloudy Kitchen)

base

300g plain flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

300g brown sugar

135g rolled oats

225g butter

90g golden syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

topping

270g butter

250g golden syrup

4 tablespoons ground ginger

650g icing sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

crystallised ginger, chopped

Preheat an oven to 180°C. Line a 20cm x 30cm high-walled baking tray with baking paper, making sure there's plenty of overhang.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and ginger. Stir in the brown sugar and rolled oats until well combined. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and golden syrup. Take it off the heat, stir in the vanilla, and then pour it all into the bowl of flour. Mix until well combined. Tip the mixture into the baking tray and spread it out until it's even. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden around the edges (I pushed mine a bit too far).

When there's 5-10 minutes to go on the base baking, start preparing the topping. Take the medium saucepan (no need to clean it) and set it back over medium heat. Melt together the butter and golden syrup. Whisk in the ginger. Sift in the icing sugar in batches and whisk it thoroughly to get rid of any lumps. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla. When the base is ready, pour over the topping and smooth it out. Sprinkle over the crystallised ginger and leave the slice at room temperature to set. 

You can store the slice in the fridge, but take it out for a couple of hours to soften before serving. It's challenging to cut when fridge cold!

Momo Central Brunswick

November 10, 2023

   

I've had my eye on Momo Central for a while - the Brunswick outlet is close to a couple of my healthcare providers, to the 'fancy' IGA, and to the former location of Samba's Jhol Momo. We met up there for dinner after work on a hot Friday evening when we couldn't face cooking. Though they have some beer on tap we were both glad for the non-alcoholic drinks selection, including a carbonated Himalayan lemonade with mint and black salt and a small mango lassi.

This bought us time to cool down and browse the menu in more detail. There were lots of dish names that I was unfamiliar with, but between a photo-menu of the highlights and some googling, I figured out our options. Chicken, beef, lamb and goat were common across the menu and there were often vegan altenatives. Gluten-free options were not clearly marked.

   

Of course, we had to have a decent shot at the momos, and agreed that the vegan momo platter ($28) was the best way to do that. All the momos seemed to have the same mostly-cabbage filling, but otherwise there were four variations: plain steamed, plain fried, steamed and topped with a fresh mix of onion, capsicum, tomato and chilli (which I think is called sadheko), fried and topped with hot sauce (which I think they call chilli). We enjoyed the filling and the spiciness, but the momo wrappers were not as tender or as crisp as we'd been hoping for. 

   

We were more impressed with our first experience of bara, a Nepalese style savoury lentil pancake ($12.50). We chose the version that included egg, and it arrived hot and aromatic just as we were dividing up our last couple of momos. It had a thin and crisp crust, a medium-dense, velvety interior, and a welcome spicy side sauce.

Staff at Momo Central Brunswick were friendly, and the atmosphere was casual and bright. Its varied menu of  slightly inconsistent dishes contrasts with the one-thing-done-well approach that Samba's Jhol Momo used to take. By coincidence, migrantmeals discussed Nepalese restaurants and momos today, and there's clearly more around for us to try. If there's one more thing in Momo Central's favour, it's their proximity to Luther's Sccops.

   

____________

Momo Central Brunswick

600 Sydney Rd, Brunswick

9193 1235

menu: one, two

facebook page

Accessibility: There is a step up at the door. Low tables and chairs with backs are densely packed inside, with a wide pathway through the middle. We ordered at the table and paid at a low counter. We didn't visit the toilets.

Crushed potatoes

November 3, 2023 

   

This is it! The final recipe that I resolved to cook from Six Seasons. We love potatoes and cubed roasted potatoes are on regular rotation in our kitchen, usually teamed with carrots, broccoli, and Quorn schnitzels. These crushed potatoes looked better, but I was skeptical about the extra work they'd require. I'm pleased to report that they're excellent and something we're likely to make again.

I think the key here it cutting the potatoes down to the size of a new potato, to ensure that they're tender within 30 minutes of baking. Then they just need a gentle smush with a fork and they go into a cast-iron pan of olive oil for browning and crunch, with a little garlic tossed in at the end.

We ate these potatoes alongside sausage rolls and Moroccan carrot salad (without the yoghurt). Since they're quite rich, I think they'd be even better with brighter, fresher platemates than pastry - a lemony green salad, or some braised tofu perhaps. It'll be a pleasure to test out a few different configurations.

Crushed potatoes

(slightly adapted from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden & Martha Holmberg)

500g medium-starch potatoes

olive oil

2 cloves garlic

salt and pepper

Preheat an oven to 200°C. Lightly oil a baking tray. 

If the potatoes are large, chop them down to the size of new potatoes (halves or thirds for mine). Place them on the baking tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and bake until tender, about 30 minutes.

Crush the potatoes with a fork so that they're closer to the shape of a thick patty. Pour about a 5mm depth of olive oil in a cast iron pan and heat it up. Add the potatoes one at a time - they should sizzle a bit. You may need to work in batches. When the potatoes are browned on the first side, flip them over. A minute before they're ready on the second side, crush some garlic into the pan and add more salt and pepper. Serve, hot and golden.

Gnocchi broccoli tray bake with lemon & cheese

 October 30, 2023

   

We wanted a really easy dinner for a school night and I googled around for a tray bake that would hit the spot. This Hetty recipe fit the bill perfectly - store bought gnocchi and some very basic trimmings, stirred together and popped in the oven. The recipe promises 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking time and that's actually pretty spot on. The results are excellent too - especially if you get some decent gnocchi from the shops. The lemon, fennel and garlic keep things interesting - you could easily get away with skipping the pecorino for a vegan version of this. 

 

   

Gnocchi broccoli tray bake with lemon & cheese

(from this recipe by Hetty McKinnon on ABC Everyday)

1 large head of broccoli (about 500g)

1kg of packaged gnocchi

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

2 lemons, one thinly sliced and one cut into wedges

3 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil

leaves from a small bunch of parsley

50g pecorino, grated

salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 220°C.

Cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets, including the stem. 

In a large bowl, combine the broccoli, gnocchi, fennel seeds, garlic, sliced lemon and drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and stir everything together to make sure the flavours combine.

Spread the mixture out onto a couple of baking trays, trying to get everything into a flat layer. 

Roast for 20 minutes until the gnocchi has started to go golden and the lemon has caramelised. When it's done, stir through the parsley leaves and serve, topped with pecorino, a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil.

Broad bean & pistachio pesto pasta

October 23, 2023 

   

If I'm going to get through my Six Seasons to-cook list any time soon, I knew I needed to tackle the broad bean dish while they're in season. Pesto pasta is in regular rotation here, but it's usually a faster version that involves a jar. I had the day off so I didn't mind taking the extra time to pod peas and blanch greens, and Michael pitched in with shopping and pesto-blending.

This recipe has a couple of techniques that I wouldn't otherwise think to try: briefly blanching basil to hold onto its vibrant green, and blanching garlic to soften its flavour. I liked both of these ideas, and they seemed to work well. Our pesto of broad beans, pistachios, basil and parmesan tasted bright and fresh and was a little chunkier than the jarred stuff. Our fettuccine was just fine and I imagine some fresh pasta would take this to another level again. Everything stayed green and gorgeous for lunches of leftovers.

Pesto invites adaptation, and I can imagine many other combinations of legume, green herbs and a nut working well. I'm not sure how often we'll repeat this dish as is, but it'll be a fun one to riff on.

Broad bean & pistachio pesto pasta

(slightly adapted from Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden & Martha Holmberg)

900g broad beans in their pods

1 1/2 cups basil leaves

4 cloves garlic

1 cup parsley

1/2 cup pistachios

salt and pepper

3/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes

500g fettuccine

1 1/2 cups grated parmesan

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 cup mint leaves

Set a large pot of water on the stove to boil. While that's heating up, remove the beans from their pods. Remove the basil leaves from their stems, and peel the garlic. Prepare a bowl of ice water.

When the water is boiling, blanch the beans for 30 seconds and then remove them from the water. Drop the basil leaves into the boiling water, remove them immediately and plunge them into the ice water. Drop 2 of the garlic cloves into the boiling water, blanch them for 1 minute, and then transfer them into the ice water with the basil. Discard the hot water.

Pull the basil and garlic out of the ice water and blot them dry on a clean tea towel. Peel the broad beans. Fill the large pot up with fresh water and bring it to the boil.

In a large food processor bowl, drop in half of the broad beans, the basil, blanched garlic, parsley, pistachios and some salt. Blend to a coarse puree. With a processor running, slowly pour in 1/2 cup olive oil.

When the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to its directions and then drain it. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in the empty pasta pot and add the remaining garlic (minced or chopped) and the chilli flakes. Add in the pasta and a 1/2 to 1 cup of water. Stir in the butter, pesto, remaining broad beans and the parmesan. Serve, garnished with mint leaves.