Serves: 8–10
Prep Time: 3 hours (including rising)
Bake Time: 40–50 minutes

Dough

Ingredients

• 100 g sourdough starter

• 500 g plain flour

• 1 egg

• 70 g mild olive oil or vegetable oil

• 70 g sugar

• 100 g milk

• Pinch of salt

• 10 g yeast

Method

1. In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the flour, milk, starter, egg, yeast and sugar.

2. Knead on low–medium speed for about 5 minutes, until a well-combined dough forms.

3. Add the oil and salt, and continue kneading for around 15–20 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

4. Turn the dough onto a bench and shape into a ball.

5. Place back into a bowl, cover with cling wrap, and let it rise until doubled in size (1–2 hours).

6. Stretch and fold, then coil fold the dough, cover again, and let it rise for another hour.

Filling

Ingredients

• 250 g softened butter

• 15 g instant coffee

• 45 g warm water

• 100 g brown sugar

• 100 g white sugar

• 15 g cocoa powder

• 1 egg yolk

• 30 g Baileys

Method

1. Whisk together the cocoa powder, instant coffee and warm water until fully dissolved.

2. In a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugars and egg yolk until smooth and creamy.

3. While mixing, slowly stream in the coffee mixture and the Baileys.

4. Continue mixing until a thick, smooth filling forms.

5. Place in the fridge to firm up slightly, this makes it much easier to spread.

Whipped Topping

Ingredients

• 250 g thickened cream

• 250 g mascarpone

• 100 g icing sugar

• 1 tsp vanilla paste

Method

1. Beat the cream, mascarpone vanilla and icing sugar until stiff peaks form.

2. Store in the fridge until ready to use.

   

Assembly

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Grease a large rectangular tray with butter.

3. Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.

4. Roll the dough into a large rectangle, keeping it as even as possible. (Alternatively, you can portion the dough for more uniform scrolls.)

5. Using a spatula or bench scraper, evenly spread the filling over the dough.

6. Roll the dough lengthways into a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal.

7. Cut the dough into scrolls. I usually start in the middle, then halve again into quarters and eighths, but you can also just work from one end.

8. Place the scrolls into the tray, leaving about an inch between each one.

9. Cover with cling wrap and let rise for another 20–30 minutes.

10. Remove the cling wrap and bake for 40–50 minutes, or until golden.

11. Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 30 minutes.

12. Top with the whipped cream, then dust with icing sugar and cocoa powder.

13. Serve and enjoy 🤍

In this edition I’ll be taking you through a few of my favourite dishes to serve when entertaining or when I’m heading somewhere and need to bring a plate. I’m not going to include recipes for absolutely everything because that would turn into an entire novel, but I’ll share a few of my tried-and-true favourites.

Dips, spreads and breads!

Whether I’m serving a full-course menu or just putting out some nibbles to pass around, it’s paramount that my spread includes some kind of dip and some kind of bread. In this section I want to share my go-to labneh recipe, a real star centrepiece (and not to mention, super easy to make), and what I serve alongside it.

Labneh is so easy to make, it’s genuinely one ingredient: full-fat Greek yogurt.

Method:

1. I like to use a couple of layers of large cheesecloth, place them over a medium bowl, and pour a tub of Greek yogurt into the centre of the cloth.

2. Then, using a couple of chopsticks or a wooden spoon, I pull the edges of the cheesecloth up and twist the top around the spoon, fastening it in place with an elastic band.

3. This creates a kind of sack for the yogurt. I then transfer this into a tall container or jug so that the sticks hold the yogurt cloth high enough off the base of the vessel for the liquid to strain efficiently.

4. Place this in the fridge overnight (minimum 12 hours).

5. Before serving, open the cheesecloth. The yogurt should have formed a more solid ball, resembling something like a burrata.

6. Place the labneh ball into a serving bowl and gently smooth it out.

Toppings:

• Chopped pistachio

• Chopped mint

• Pomegranate seeds

• Honey

• Extra virgin olive oil

• Salt

• Pepper

I love to serve mine with crispy pita bread. To do this, I brush the pita with olive oil and sprinkle za’atar on top. I bake it until crispy and golden brown. Once cooled slightly, I break it into cracker-sized pieces.

Scatter the pistachio, mint and pomegranate over the labneh, then drizzle with oil and honey and season to taste.

This honestly is such a crowd-pleaser. It works beautifully as a starter dip or served alongside a bigger meal to spread over bread, meat, veggies, or really whatever your heart desires.

Notable mentions!

• Focaccia, guaranteed to be a crowd-pleaser and goes with pretty much anything.

• Tzatziki (pictured next to the labneh). Also super easy, healthy and cheap to make in bulk. See my recipe in my Pide article.

• Flatbread. This is another option if you want to elevate your dinner parties and go the extra mile to make your own. Recipe will be coming to you in another article :)

• Charcuterie boards. Ok, so I cannot possibly make a segment on spreads and dips and leave out charcuterie boards. That would just be rude. I consider myself to be a bit of a charcuterie board connoisseur. They are just the perfect giant girl dinner. I know all of my friends will be found by the cheese board at any party. I also love them because you can customise the colours, flavours and shapes to really fit whatever vibe you’re going for. Peep the metre-long charcuterie board I made for my 23rd murder mystery party hehe… and p.s. guess what? You can put the labneh on the cheese board 😱

STARTERS

I know the previous section probably seemed more like starters, but they were more nibbly, simple foods. By starters I mean dishes that are still light, but with a little more substance to them. They can work in a casual setting, with people standing and enjoying bits at a time, or they can be enjoyed more formally while seated. I want to share my carpaccio recipe, which is best served when the party is seated, simply because carrying raw fish around with chopsticks may not be ideal.

As per the last section, I’ll also include some of my other honorary starter favourites.

Carpaccio

This starter is so fresh and vibrant, and the plate is cleared every single time I make it. Usually I head to my local fish shop and buy whatever fresh sashimi they have, it’s typically kingfish or tuna, but you could absolutely use whichever sashimi you prefer.

The flavours are loosely inspired by the kingfish carpaccio at Chin Chin. Here’s how I make it.

Ingredients:

• 300g fresh sashimi

• 2 limes

• ½ tin coconut milk

• 1 tsp fish sauce

• 4 pieces fresh or fermented green jalapeño

• 1 tbsp sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp white vinegar

• 3 tbsp grapeseed or mild olive oil

• 1 bunch coriander

Method:

1. In a blender, combine the juice of 1 lime, coconut milk, fish sauce, jalapeño, sugar, salt, vinegar, oil and half the bunch of coriander. Blend until fully emulsified and smooth (about 2–3 minutes).

2. Peel and remove the pith from the remaining lime. Slice it into thin half-moon pieces and set aside.

3. Thinly slice the sashimi crosswise, ensuring the pieces are as even as possible.

4. On a serving plate, lay the sashimi pieces out in an even layer to cover the base of the plate. Leave small gaps between the pieces, it doesn’t need to be a perfect pattern.

5. Scatter the sliced lime over the sashimi.

6. Pour the sauce over the fish to drench the entire platter.

7. Finish with a garnish of picked coriander leaves, a drizzle of olive oil and salt to taste.

Best served on its own, but also delicious on a cracker or a slice of bread.

Notable Mentions….

• Arancini balls: Easy to prep ahead and freeze, and super impressive when served with a heaping of parmesan. I love to make my favourite risotto, add even more cheese, and then roll away. I then crumb them in a flour, egg and fine breadcrumb trio, and place them in the freezer until I’m ready to fry. I learnt this trick in my first kitchen job at Piquant Catering!

• Grilled peach, heirloom tomato and buratta salad: I think we can all agree that these kinds of platters have become so common in restaurants, and for good reason, they’re delicious and pretty healthy. It’s so simple to make at home, as long as you grab good quality ingredients. I love to grill peaches in summer and add them, but honestly it’s just as good with only the tomatoes!

MAINS

Potato Bake

This potato bake is one of my go-tos whenever I need to bring something to someone else’s gathering, and I also love serving it at my own dinners. It does take a little time to prep and cook, but slicing the potatoes is definitely the most time-consuming part.

It’s the perfect dish because it’s filling and delicious. No one is ever going to be disappointed by something that contains both cheese and potatoes.

Ingredients:

• 1 kilo white potatoes

• 1 cup mozzarella

• 2 cups milk

• Olive oil

• 2 tsp minced garlic

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1 tbsp cornflour

• Parsley

• Chives

• Parmesan

• 2 tsp black pepper

Method

1. Using a mandolin, slice all of the potatoes into thin rounds. Be so careful not to slice your fingers, I’ve done this one too many times! You can also slice them with a knife; it will just be a bit more time-consuming. You can peel the potatoes before slicing, but I prefer not to because it takes so much time and honestly doesn’t make too much difference.

2. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

3. Once sliced, place the potatoes into a large bowl filled with cold, salted water.

4. Meanwhile, in a large pan over medium-high heat, warm 2 tbsp of mild olive oil and 1 tbsp of butter. Add the garlic and pepper and sauté until fragrant.

5. Add the cornflour to the pan and use a whisk to form a paste with the oil and butter. Cook, stirring, for about 40 seconds, ensuring it doesn’t burn.

6. Pour in the milk and mozzarella and continue to whisk and stir until fully combined. Keep stirring over the heat for another 2 minutes, until a creamy béchamel forms. Add salt to taste.

7. Remove from the heat and set aside.

8. Strain the potatoes and pat them dry with a paper towel.

9. Grease a large, deep tray generously with butter.

10. Spread a spoonful of the béchamel evenly over the base of the tray.

11. Arrange a layer of the sliced potatoes evenly on top of the sauce, don’t worry if they overlap!

12. Repeat steps 10 and 11 until you finish with a thin top layer of sauce.

13. Cover the tray with foil and place it in the oven for 1.5 hours. This ensures the potatoes cook through without the top burning.

14. Remove the tray from the oven and take off the foil. Sprinkle a generous amount of Parmesan (or whatever cheese you love) and a couple of pinches of salt over the top.

15. Return the tray to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown and bubbling.

16. In the meantime, roughly chop some parsley and chives.

17. Remove the tray from the oven and set aside. Let it cool for at least 10 minutes, it will be insanely hot!

18. Just before serving, sprinkle the herbs over the top.

19. Serve with a spatula and enjoy <3

Notable mentions:

It’s honestly hard to write a notable mentions section for mains because they are so vast and more complex. So I’m going to keep this short and sweet with a list of my favourites, and you can let me know if you want any of these recipes.

• Slow-cooked beef brisket: I mean, need I say more?

• Pasta salad: Easy to prep ahead, and honestly such a safe option.

• Chicken “kind of” shawarma: I like to marinate a bulk pack of chicken thighs in Greek yogurt, paprika, ground coriander, garlic, salt, cumin and pepper. I then pop them under the grill for around an hour with some halved onions. When ready to serve, it all gets shredded up. So tasty, and goes perfectly with the labneh and tzatziki.

• Beef Wellington: A classic. Quite time-consuming and sometimes stressful, but so worth everyone’s “wow” when you serve it. I love to make this for smaller family gatherings as a special treat.

Desserts and Sweet Treats

Now this section is a little different because my forever favourite dessert to serve or bring to a function will always be tiramisu, and I already have a recipe up for this. I don’t think I have ever met anyone who doesn’t like tiramisu, and whenever I serve it there are always gasps. I think something about the many layers and the pistachios on top makes the dessert seem deceptively hard to make.

Dessert is really my favourite part because I LOVE to bake. For me it’s an opportunity to test new recipes and ideas that I have, many of which I want to publish here. I do want to give a shout-out to the pavlova, another dish that just never disappoints. I love pavs because you can change the fruit and toppings every time, always creating something new.

Here are some of the desserts I love to see at a gathering. And don’t worry, I’m working on recipes for these.

I hope you enjoyed this little entertaining guide. Please let me know if you would like detailed recipes of any of the dishes mentioned! <3

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In Australia, pide has become a part of the everyday food landscape, being sold in all kinds of Middle Eastern shops and even making it’s way into bakeries. I remember eating pide with my Dad on the way home from basketball games and feeling no shame about indulging until I was bursting at the seams.

It reminds me quite a lot of fatyre, which is a Lebanese dish that my dad would make using a recipe from my Grandma, or ‘Siti’, as we call her. Fatyre is a kind of savoury pie, often containing pine nuts in the mixture, which inspired me to add pine nuts to my pide recipe.

Once again, I wouldn’t say that my recipe is by any means authentic or traditional. The first time I made pide was with my sourdough starter, I wanted the dough to be fluffy and a bit crispy. I first tried it without the butter and milk, and whilst the dough was still tasty, it was a bit drier than I wanted. After the passing of my starter (RIP Betty), I decided to develop a recipe without it, and using butter and milk really made the difference! I have included the option for adding the starter if you want to make it more gut-friendly.

I hope you enjoy the recipe, please post pictures or let me know your thoughts! 🫶

*For the pide pictured, I used feta instead of mozzarella and topped it with chopped parsley :)

PIDE (Turkish Pizza)

Dough

Ingredients

• 3 cups flour

• 1 tbsp yeast

• ½ cup milk

• ½ cup warm water

• 2 tbsp melted butter

• 2 generous pinches of salt

• 1 tsp sugar

*If using sourdough starter, use 70g starter and only ¼ cup milk.

Steps

1. In your stand mixer bowl, combine the warm water, milk, yeast, sugar, and sourdough starter (if using). Let the yeast bloom for a couple of minutes.

2. Add all remaining ingredients to the yeast mixture.

3. Using the paddle attachment, mix on a low–medium speed for roughly 5 minutes, until a shaggy but well-shaped dough ball forms. Resist the urge to add extra flour!

4. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and set aside to rise somewhere warm for 1 hour. The dough should double in size.

5. Remove the wrap and drizzle a little EVOO around the edge of the dough. Stretch and fold the dough in the bowl, then coil-fold it to reform a dough ball.

6. Cover and repeat steps 4 and 5 once more.

7. After the second rise, gently turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

8. Divide the dough evenly into 6 pieces. Feel free to make more smaller pieces or fewer larger ones, and don’t worry at all about them being perfectly even! Unless you’re a perfectionist 🙂

9. Knead the dough portions and shape them into smooth, rough balls. Place them on a lined baking tray, cover with wrap, and set aside to rise until doubled in size.

10. In the meantime, make your filling.

Meat Filling

Ingredients

• 500g minced beef

• 500g minced lamb

• 1 white or yellow onion

• 1 handful of chopped parsley

• 1 tbsp paprika

• 1 tbsp cumin

• 1 tbsp ground coriander seed

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder

• 1 tsp minced garlic

• 2 tbsp cold water

• 2 tbsp EVOO

• 3 tbsp toasted pine nuts

• 1 tsp ground pepper

• Salt to taste (I used about 1 tsp)

• Cheese of your choice

Steps

1. Peel and grate the onion.

2. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.

3. Wearing gloves (or not, if you enjoy touching meat!), use your hands to thoroughly work the mixture together until the meat, spices, and onion are very well combined. There should be no large chunks of mince.

4. Set aside until ready to assemble the pides.

Assembly

Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C and line 2–3 large baking trays with baking paper.

2. On a floured surface, place your dough balls. One at a time, roll each piece into a large oval shape, about ½ inch thick. Mine were roughly 6 inches long, but again, the size is completely up to you.

3. Pinch around the edges of the dough, creating a raised border about 2cm in, and lightly flatten the centre.

4. Take a handful of the meat mixture and evenly press it into the centre of the dough, making sure to leave the raised crust. Really press the meat into the dough.

5. Fold the edges of the dough slightly over the meat so it stays neatly enclosed.

6. Repeat steps 3–5 with the remaining dough balls.

7. Transfer the pides to your lined baking trays. At this stage, you can top them with cheese if you like — I personally love mozzarella, but they’re honestly amazing without cheese too.

8. Bake for 25–35 minutes, or until the dough is golden brown.

9. Slice or serve whole with lemon wedges and tzatziki, and my personal favourite — fattoush salad.

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My culinary love in Aussie summer, or summer anywhere, is the fruit. As someone who has disliked breakfast since I knew what it was, fruit has always been my go-to. I was always excited for summer to come around because of the arrival of plums, peaches, mangoes and watermelon in our kitchen 😍. At work, we have a new menu item, a nectarine salad. Every time I make the salad I taste a piece. It brought on a pastry and stone fruit craving.

I knew I wanted to make some of my flaky pastry so I brainstormed what I would do. Initially, I set out with the plan to make a peach and fig galette (figs are my all time favourite). I could not find figs in any store, even specialty shops! I decided that I wouldn’t let that deter me, and I would do a peach and pear galette. However, when I got to slicing and tasting my fruit, I realised I had grabbed savoury Asian pears :( So, I guess that was a sign to make it a fully peach galette? And hey, it turned out perfect! I think I will attempt to make kimchi or marinate steak with the leftover pears.

I had never made whipped ricotta before, so I knew I wanted to experiment with that. I also love any excuse to use our honey, which comes from the bees that my Dad raised. The maple pecans are kind of a staple for me; I love using them as a topper for so many of my desserts. They add a lovely crunch and nutty flavour. I also experimented with my pastry ratio — I added an egg yolk this time, and I really think it elevated my pastry, adding more shine and flakiness.

This galette was an absolute winner. I really cannot fault it, which doesn’t happen often when I develop recipes for the first time. It’s so interchangeable as well; you could use pretty much any fruit of your liking (within reason). I served my piece with a load more of the whipped ricotta, but it’s also amazing with vanilla ice cream.

You could also freeze the galette, before or after baking, and refresh it when you want a tasty dessert. I hope you enjoy the recipe and let me know your thoughts if you make it!! <3

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Recipe

Flaky Pastry 🥧

Ingredients

• 200 g cold unsalted butter, diced

• 400 g plain flour

• 30 g white sugar

• 20 g brown sugar

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 egg yolk

• ⅓ cup cold water

Method

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and flour. Mix on low speed until crumbly chunks form. You can absolutely do this by hand by rubbing the butter and flour together with your fingers.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms.

3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently work it into a slab, being careful not to over-knead.

4. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate until needed.

I doubled this recipe and froze the other half — it’s great to have a backup for whenever you’re craving a pastry dessert. You can also make this savoury by removing the sugar and using salted butter.

Peach Filling

Ingredients

• 5 large yellow peaches

• 50 g melted butter

• ⅓ cup caster sugar

• ¼ cup plain flour

• Zest of ½ lemon

• 1 tbsp cold water

• Pinch of salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.

2. Slice the peaches to your liking. I cut mine in half, removed the stones, then thinly sliced each peach, but you could also cut them into eighths — make it your own.

3. Place the peaches on a plate and squeeze lemon juice over them to prevent browning and add extra flavour.

4. In a bowl or mixer, whisk together the melted butter and caster sugar until smooth.

5. Add the flour, lemon zest, salt and cold water, and mix until a smooth batter forms.

Maple Pecans

Ingredients

• 100 g pecans, chopped

• 3 tbsp maple syrup

Method

1. Place the pecans and maple syrup in a saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Gently stir with a wooden spoon.

3. Once the syrup has thickened and most of the moisture has evaporated, tip the pecans onto a sheet of baking paper to cool.

4. Once completely cool, remove from the paper and roughly chop into smaller pieces.

5. Set aside.

Keep an eye on these — they only take about 4–5 minutes and can burn quite easily.

Whipped Honey Ricotta

Ingredients

• 350 g full-fat ricotta

• 1 tbsp honey

Method

1. Using a stand mixer or hand-held mixer, beat the ricotta and honey until smooth and light, like whipped cream.

2. Transfer to a piping bag or container and store in the fridge until ready to use.

Assembly

Ingredients

• Chilled pastry dough

• Peach filling

• Sliced peaches

• ¼ cup white sugar

Method

1. Line a baking tray with baking paper or lightly grease it. I used a circular tray.

2. Roll out the pastry dough into a large circle, about ½ cm thick. It doesn’t need to be perfect — the beauty of a galette is that it can be any shape your heart desires.

3. Carefully transfer the pastry to the prepared tray.

4. Spoon the filling mixture into the centre of the pastry and spread evenly, leaving a 1-inch border around the edges.

5. Arrange the peaches over the filling, making sure everything looks even and beautiful.

6. Gently fold the edges of the pastry inwards to form a raised border.

7. Bake for 40–50 minutes, or until golden brown.

8. Remove from the oven and sprinkle the galette evenly with the white sugar.

9. Return to the oven and bake under the grill setting for another 5–10 minutes, keeping a close eye on it to prevent burning.

10. Remove from the oven and allow to rest — don’t try to slide it off the tray too early or you risk breaking the pastry.

11. Once slightly cooled, pipe or spoon the whipped ricotta over the galette, or serve it alongside each slice.

12. Slice, serve and enjoy <3

After a week of abominably hot weather in Sydney, we had a ‘cold’ and rainy day yesterday. This immediately made me crave a comforting, wintery soup. It was, however, still too hot to have a bowl of soup, so I settled on making my juicy poached chicken with a brothy laksa sauce. I also decided to make a jar of chilli crisp because I was craving it as a topper.

The great thing about this poached chicken is that you can use any kind of flavouring for the poaching water, and any kind of sauce that you like. It’s super versatile and actually very healthy.

The chilli crisp is a great staple to have. I keep mine in the fridge, and it can last for up to a year, but you will probably get through it pretty quickly because I am warning you, it is addictive!

Juicy Poached Chicken and Homemade Chilli Crisp

Chilli Crisp

Ingredients

• 1 medium white onion, finely diced

• 3 large garlic cloves, finely diced (not minced)

• 1 knob ginger (about the size of 2 garlic cloves), finely diced

• 2 tbsp sesame seeds

• 2 tbsp chilli flakes

• 2 star anise

• 1½ cups neutral oil (I use mild olive oil)

Method

1. Heat half of the oil in a pan over high heat.

2. Add the onion and cook until translucent, then add the ginger and garlic.

3. Fry the aromatics until golden brown, about 5 minutes.

4. Line a plate with paper towel. Using a slotted spoon, remove the aromatics from the oil and transfer to the plate to drain excess oil.

5. Add the remaining oil to the pan oil and bring back up to a high heat.

6. In a heatproof bowl, combine the sesame seeds, chilli flakes, star anise and fried aromatics. (Optional: add 1 tsp salt, chilli powder or sugar to taste.)

7. Carefully pour the hot oil over the chilli mixture.

8. Using the end of a chopstick, gently stir to evenly distribute the aromatics and spices.

9. Allow the chilli crisp to cool completely before transferring to a jar.

10. Store in the refrigerator and use to elevate your favourite Asian dishes!

Juicy Poached Chicken

Ingredients

• Free-range chicken breasts (I used 3, but use as many or as few as you like)

• 3 slices fresh ginger

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• 1 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

• Pinch of salt

• Pinch of ground white pepper

Method

1. Place the chicken breasts in a pot and cover with cold water that doubles the height of the chicken. (For 3 breasts, this is roughly 6 cups of water.)

2. Add all remaining ingredients to the pot and stir gently to combine.

3. Place the pot on the stove, cover, and bring to a boil, flipping the chicken breasts after a couple of minutes.

4. Once boiling, remove the lid and allow to boil uncovered for 2 minutes.

5. Remove from heat, cover, and set aside for 10–15 minutes.

6. Test doneness by poking a chopstick into the thickest part of the chicken. If it creates a clean hole without resistance, the chicken is ready.

7. Remove the chicken from the pot and wrap in foil for a few minutes to rest, and set aside for serving.

*This poached chicken can literally be made with any flavour or sauce that your heart desires. I like to slice mine into cm-thick pieces and place them over rice best.

Laksa Broth

Ingredients

• ½ large white onion, diced

• 1 tbsp minced garlic

• 1 tbsp minced ginger

• 1–2 tbsp laksa paste

• 1 tsp Chinese five spice

• 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 1 tsp brown sugar

• Salt, to taste

• Ground white pepper, to taste

• 1 cup water (or reserved poaching broth)

• 1 tin coconut milk

Method

1. Heat neutral oil in a large pot or pan over medium heat.

2. Add the onion and cook until translucent, then add the garlic and ginger.

3. Cook the aromatics for 1–2 minutes, stirring gently, then add the laksa paste, Chinese five spice and chicken bouillon powder.

4. Once the paste begins to catch on the pan, pour in the water and stir until mostly evaporated. Add the coconut milk.

5. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and stir in the remaining ingredients.

6. Simmer for 4 minutes, then reduce heat to low, stirring occasionally.

7. Season with salt to taste.

8. Serve the sliced poached chicken over rice and generously ladle the laksa broth on top until the chicken in drenched in the sauce 😉

9. Finish with chopped chives and a spoonful (or five) of homemade chilli crisp.

10. Served best with rice or vermicelli noodles, and sautéed asian greens!

*This Tiramisu sat in the freezer for 30mins pre serving to act more like a cake.

Boring Backstory

Tiramisu has been one of my all-time favourite desserts since a young age. It was always my first pick from the array of desserts at Christmas lunch. I don’t think that any of the tiramisus I grew up with in Australia were, by any means, traditional, but they were always delicious.

My first memories of making tiramisu were using sweet whipped cream, instant coffee, and ladyfinger biscuits. I remember on one of my solo tiramisu-making ventures, sifting coffee grinds as a layer on top, mistakenly trying to replicate the powdered layer on top of store-bought tiramisus. However, after choking on coffee grinds, I realised that the brown powder was, in fact, chocolate, and a decent amount of my parent’s coffee grinds had been depleted...

In 2024, I was eating one of those iconic watermelon cakes from Black Star Pastry, where there is a layer of an almond-y, spongey cake. I immediately thought of the best tiramisus that I had eaten and realised they all had a spongey texture to the biscuit. I got to experimenting at home and baked a thin sheet pan sponge cake, which I soaked in espresso and layered between a cream and mascarpone mixture. I topped it with cocoa powder and pistachios and called it a ‘Pistachio Tiramisu Cake’. It is safe to say this was a showstopper (I can concur that it was delicious), but I still wasn’t ready to call my recipe a day.

After returning home from our recent Christmas, I realised that, in the stress of assembling and admiring my pavlova, I completely forgot to take a serving of tiramisu for dessert. This left me feeling void of my favourite flavours. After having a week of rotting at home and wallowing over Heated Rivalry, I decided to make myself a tiramisu and experiment a little.

I love using a thick homemade custard in my wet mixture, and my custard recipe always uses four egg yolks, which often left me with egg whites that I couldn’t be bothered to use. I had planned on buying some ladyfingers, but decided to be proactive and experiment with the egg whites to create my own biscotti. It really turned out deliciously, and I think my sister would agree. I modified my recipe slightly after the first trial of the biscotti and came up with the following recipe. I hope you enjoy it and make it your own!

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RECIPE

Custard

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks (save the whites!)

• ½ cup caster sugar

• 1 cup whole milk

• Pinch of salt

• 1 tbsp cornflour

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 tbsp butter

Method

1. In a saucepan, gently heat the milk and sugar until dissolved and just beginning to simmer.

2. While the milk is heating, whisk the egg yolks and cornflour together in a separate bowl until smooth.

3. Once the milk reaches a light simmer, slowly stream half of it into the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly.

4. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan through a strainer to remove any lumps.

5. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened (about 5 minutes).

6. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract and butter until fully incorporated.

7. Transfer the custard to a container and refrigerate until completely cool.

Biscuit

Ingredients

• 4 reserved egg whites

• 1 tsp cream of tartar

• 1½ cups caster sugar

• 1 pinch salt

• ¼ cup water (or amaretto)

• ¼ cup milk

• ¾ cup cornflour

• ½ cup plain flour or almond flour

• 1 tsp almond extract (if not using amaretto)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C.

2. In an electric mixer (e.g. KitchenAid), beat the egg whites, salt and cream of tartar until a foamy mixture forms.

3. With the mixer running on medium-high speed, gradually add the caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, allowing it to fully dissolve before adding more.

4. Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form (7–10 minutes).

5. Slowly beat in the remaining ingredients, scraping down the sides as needed, until the batter is smooth and fluffy, resembling a light and airy cake batter.

6. Line a large rectangular baking tray with baking paper (My tray is 39cm x 27cm).

7. Pour the mixture onto the tray and spread evenly, it should cover the entirety of the pan.

8. Bake for 25–35 minutes, or until golden brown all over.

9. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

Assembly

Ingredients

• Cooled custard

• Biscuit

• 2 cups espresso, cooled

• 1 container mascarpone

• 250 ml thickened cream

• ¼ cup icing sugar

• Cocoa powder and/or shaved dark chocolate

Method

1. In an electric mixer, whip the thickened cream and icing sugar until soft peaks form.

2. Slowly beat in the mascarpone, followed by the cooled custard, until fully combined.

3. The mixture should be thick, fluffy and mousse-like, similar to a pre-baked meringue.

4. Set aside.

5. Break or cut the biscuit into ladyfinger-sized pieces.

6. Choose your serving vessel — a cylindrical or deep cake tin works beautifully, but any shape is fine.

7. Spread a thin layer of cream mixture over the base of the container.

8. Quickly soak the biscuit pieces in espresso (1–2 at a time) and arrange in an even layer over the cream.

9. Spoon about 1 cup of cream mixture over the biscuit layer and spread evenly.

10. Repeat the layers until all ingredients are used, finishing with a thin, even layer of cream.

11. Cover and refrigerate for at least 5 hours, preferably overnight, to allow the tiramisu to set and flavours to develop.

12. Before serving, generously dust with sifted cocoa powder, shaved chocolate, or both.
    Optional extras: crushed pistachios or fresh raspberries are also incredible.

13. Serve with a large spoon and enjoy!

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