A Winning Recipe

Confit jowl

Ingredients
4 quail eggs
Confit jowl
2 large pork jowls
3lt duck fat or extra virgin olive oil

Method
1. Salt pork jowls for four to six hours using salt mix (below).

2. Wash and dry jowls, place in half bain and cover with duck fat.

3. Set oven to 100 degrees and cook for eight hours.

3. Remove from oil and lightly press between two trays for four to six hours.

4. Trim edges and cut into two rectangles.

5. In a medium to hot pan place jowls skin side down and cook until golden brown.

6. Place in 200 degree oven to warm through.

Salt mix
500g Olsson’s table salt
1tbsp peppercorns
4 cloves
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 fresh chilli
1tbsp coriander seeds
1tbsp fennel seeds

Place all ingredients in food processor and blend ‘til everything is incorporated.

Celeriac purée 

Ingredients
1 large celeriac cut into 2cm squares
50g butter
500mL milk
200mL cream
2 sprigs thyme
Sea salt
White pepper

Method
1. Sweat celeriac in butter until it starts to soften then add milk, cream, thyme and salt.

2. Simmer for five to 10 minutes or until celeriac is tender.

3. Over a bowl or saucepan, strain celeriac into a colander retaining the liquid and remove the thyme.

4. Place celeriac in a jug blender and purée ‘til smooth using the retained liquid to adjust the thickness. You want the purée to be thick and creamy.

5. Season further with salt and white pepper to taste

Agrodolce radicchio

Ingredients
2 radicchio (cored and leaves separated)
50mL olive oil
200mL red wine vinegar
85mL honey
30g raisins
Pinch salt
Pinch pepper

Method
1. Season the radicchio with salt, pepper and olive oil.

2. Lightly grill each piece of radicchio until it just starts to wilt and lay into a narrow dish.

3. In a pan bring vinegar, honey and raisins to the boil and pour mixture over your radicchio and leave to cool.

4. Reheat when required.

Pig’s blood cake

Ingredients
1.25L pig’s blood
100mL duck fat
2 fennel bulbs (finely diced)
6 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
½ bunch each chopped sage, thyme and marjoram
2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp all spice
1 tsp ground black pepper
125g fine polenta
375g diced pork back fat

Method
1. Sweat onions and garlic in duck fat.

2. Add herbs and spices

3. Add blood and rice, slowly rise temperature until it starts to thicken and coat a spoon.

4. Add back fat and season to taste.

5. Line a terrine dish with layers of cling wrap and pour in blood mix and cover with foil.

6. Place in a deep bain and pour water ¾ up the terrine and place in a 180 degree oven for an hour or until set.

7. Chill overnight.

8. Slice and pan fry as required.

botanicgardensrestaurant.com.au