DIY Butchery

Not sure how much value these vids are, need to find a side of pig, a larger kitchen and commercial refrigeration to test drive...

Gluten Free != Glutton Free

Braised Rabbit and Pistachio pie, made with gluten free flour.
Had a pretty difficult time trying to get a decent firm, short pastry without wheat (catering for certain dietary requirements for important individuals, i.e. wife), this one turned out pretty well...

GF flour, eggs, salt, sugar, black pepper, butter & corn maize.

Served with a rouille, nice little snap on the crust, good colour...

Not as much success on the pasta front, rice pasta tastes like.... rice.
So your Spaghetti al Olio in transformed into greasy fried rice, your Lasagna is reborn into some Sunday yum cha pancake, etc. Not what you're after.

The search for tasty GF classic continues...

El Cerdo - Porcine Paradise Found

A truly life changing event. Stumbling across this place in KL, an ode to the pig.
German owners, Spanish chef, happy perth glutton.

I dont want to rant too much, however I really should. This place is worth travelling to KL for. Hands down the best suckling pig I've ever eaten. One of those menus you read while there is a war raging inside your head fuelled by indecision. The staff are as efficient as you would imagine they would be reporting to Germans, the wine was great (i.e. they sold it, not to be understated in KL), the jamons were luscious and glistening at room temperature. yada yada yada. I was f*kn great.

The tradition here is to cut the little sucker up with a plate, to demonstrate the crispy skin and melting succulent flesh...

And so forth...

BEST MEAL EVER.

Suckling Pig Leftovers

One suckling pig's head = the best sliders of your life!

Toasted bread, fatty headmeat, dijon mustard, seasalt, white pepper. Cancel my 3 o' clock.

Pho at Home

Full credit to Luke Nguyen, this recipe is simple to make at home and is probably the best I've tasted!
NB. I havent been to Vietnam, so I reserve judgement.

Start with getting a bit of colour on the onions and ginger, just over the direct flame.
Add the rest of the ingredients, lots of oxtail, lots of brisket, lots of delicate toasted spices, plenty fish sauce, ... then simmer

Plate up with lashings of chilli, coriander, bean sprouts, thinly sliced rare fillet or sirloin, noodles of course... Or as you like, whatever the hell you want in your pho.

All stock reserved, keeps well, solid jelly for another day

Kuala Lumpur

An assortment of goodies from the thriving metropolis that is KL...

Pot of something that would destroy an unsuspecting tourists bowel

Man wielding machete, toward head shaped coconut



Stuff

Coal roasted chicken, with young coconut water



The chef

Muddies

Chilli muddies

And of course, the O.G. Laksa

More Melbourne Debauchery

A couple more random and equally satisfying moments from Melbourne.

A breakfast stopoff at (the best shop in Australia) La Parisienne Pates.

Followed by dinner at Cutler & Co. How can you improve on Andrew McConnell's suckling pig?
A DIY suckling pig slider of course! (Must have been pissed, was good tho, great pig)

Classic Basque Tart

The best example of Creme Patissiere application. This little belter was Damien Pignolet's recipe.

Gringo's Feijoada

One from the archives...

After my return from Brazil, still recovering from my last Feijoada session, I decided to try this masterpiece at home.
Sure I was a little light on the offal front, all I had to my name was a hock, some cured fatty sausage and the motivation to eat.

So it started with a big pot.

The black beans were soaked overnight, penty of onions, pepper, bay, garlic, pig...

Simmer for hours, I think 3 or 4. Basically until it smells like it looks.
Time to plate up

Bom dia!