Tag Archives: food

Duck & Pork Terrine

May 10, 2022 The Captain & the Cook Leave a comment

This duck and pork terrine is a favourite of mine that I have been making for years. It is easy to make and looks impressive. It is excellent for an entree or starter at a dinner party. And perfect for a picnic lunch, served with a fresh garden salad.

Ingredients

Bacon rashers (remove rind) to line the terrine pan*
2 bay leaves
2 thin slices of orange
2 Tablespoons of duck fat or butter
1 onion (200g), half finely diced and half roughly chopped
15g minced garlic
70g bacon, diced
500g pork mince
565g duck breast, skin removed, roughly chopped
165g of chicken tenderloins, diced (small)
3 Tablespoons of green peppercorns
4 Tablespoons of pine nuts (or pistachios)
3 teaspoons of dry sage leaves
1 teaspoon of dry thyme leaves
1 teaspoon of salt
1 egg

*the amount will depend on the length of the rashers. If using long rashers, you will need about nine.

Method

Line a terrine or loaf pan with baking paper. Place the two bay leaves into the base of the pan and top with the slices of orange. Line the pan with bacon rashers, overhanging the pan. Set aside.

Heat half the butter or duck fat, and sauté the roughly chopped onion to soften, do not brown. Remove from the pan and allow it to cool.

Heat the remaining butter (duck fat) and sauté the bacon for a minute; add the finely diced onion and sauté for another minute. Add the garlic and sauté for a further minute. Remove from the pan, and put the ingredients into a large mixing bowl.

Blend the sautéed roughly chopped onion and pork mince in a food processor. Mix well until the pork is finely minced. Add the pork to the mixing bowl with the bacon, onion and garlic.

Add the duck to the food processor and chop for a few seconds (depending on your food processor). You will want the duck minced but not as finely as the pork (keep it a little chunkier). Put the duck into the mixing bowl with the pork.

Add the diced chicken to the mixing bowl. Add the peppercorns, pine nuts, sage, thyme, salt and the egg and mix well.

When the meat is well mixed, add it to the terrine pan, pressing n firmly. Fold the rashers of bacon over the top of the terrine. Cover tightly with aluminium foil and place it into a deep roasting tin. Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the terrine and bake for 2 hrs or until a skewer comes out hot from the middle of the terrine. Top up the water while baking if needed.

Once removed from the oven, press the terrine as it cools. Use some cardboard (cut to fit the loaf tin). Place it on top of the terrine (still wrapped in foil), then top with something heavy. I used canned tomatoes. Cool the terrine to room temperature, and then refrigerate overnight.

Serve with french bread and caramelised onion or cornichons.

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Fingerfood, From the pantry

Roasted Garlic Hummus

January 4, 2022 The Captain & the Cook 18 Comments

Since tasting the most delicious hummus in a restaurant, I have been trying to recreate it. It had a delightful garlicky taste, and it wasn’t until I roasted the garlic (and used 2 bulbs) that I got the flavour I was after.

Ingredients

2 bulbs of garlic
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 can of chickpeas
2 – 3 tablespoons of tahini
1 tablespoon of lime juice (or lemon juice)
1/8 teaspoon of ground chilli or cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon of ground cumin
Salt

To garnish

Olive oil
A sprinkle of smoked paprika
Roasted pine nuts

Method

To roast the garlic

Cut the tops off the garlic bulbs, drizzle with a little olive oil, cover loosely in alfoil (tin foil) and roast for 35-45 minutes on medium heat. The garlic is ready when the cloves are soft. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Gently squeeze the cloves from the bulb (I weighed my prepared cloves to know how much garlic I put in (47g).

To prepare the chickpeas

Place the chickpeas into a colander and rinse them under cold water. To peel or not to peel? I peeled, which was easy as I gently squeezed each chickpea from its skin. But you don’t have to. Peeled chickpeas do give a slightly smoother finish, though. But the smoothness will ultimately come down to the food processor you are using.

Blend it all up!

Add the chickpeas, garlic, olive oil, tahini, lime juice, chilli, cumin, and salt into a food processor and mix well until creamy and smooth.

To serve

Scoop it into a serving dish and drizzle with a little olive oil, and sprinkle with smoked paprika and roasted pine nuts.

Can I freeze it?

I have frozen mine in small containers and defrosted them overnight in the fridge. I find it is still delicious and creamy. Just stir it and then garnish as above to serve.

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From the pantry, No-Cook Bliss Balls and Slices

Date and pecan energy balls

July 19, 2021 The Captain & the Cook Leave a comment

I don’t usually make many sweet treats because I don’t have much of a sweet tooth. However, there are times I do crave something sweet. I love these date balls as I get to stave off the cravings with a big nutritional hit.

These energy balls fuel your body with superfoods, filling an empty tum and providing energy to burn.

Ingredients

1 cup of dry dates (about 30) soaked in water for 3 – 5 hours
2 tablespoons of honey
1/4 cup chia seeds
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/2 cup pecans, roughly chopped
1/2 cup shredded coconut
1 1/2 cups almond flour

Method

Drain the water from the dates, reserving 1/4 cup of water.

Put the dates, reserved water and the honey into a small food processor/blender. Process until smooth, or leave it a little lumpy with tasty date chunks.

Pour the date mix into a bowl and add the chia seeds. Mix the chia seeds well. Let it sit for two minutes.

Add the almond flour, cinnamon, pecans and shredded coconut to the bowl, and mix well.

Roll the dough into bite-size balls and coat with your choice of finely crushed pecans, shredded coconut or cinnamon, or leave them plain.

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Australian, Breakfast/Brunch, Campfire Cooking, From the pantry

Fruit and Nut Damper

March 17, 2021 The Captain & the Cook Leave a comment

Traditional damper, developed by the Aussie stockmen, is made with plain flour and water and typically cooked in the ashes or coals of a campfire. Nowadays, there are hundreds of variations to the original recipe.

I usually make beer damper, just flour and beer. However, on a recent road trip from Darwin to Adelaide, I decided to try something different and threw in a heap of fruit, nuts and cinnamon for a sweet treat.

Chocka-block full of fruit, nuts and seeds, I didn’t bother adding a sweetener. I got Dwayne, who likes things a little sweeter than me, to add his sweetener with honey or jam. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and enjoy my damper with dripping hot butter.

Our Camp Kitchen

I made this yummy fruit and nut damper when camping at Burra Creek Gorge with Dwayne, our friends Kate and Martin, and their dog Boris.

Fruit & Nut Damper – Ingredients

3 cups of self raising flour

2 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 cup of raisins

1/2 cup of walnuts, roughly chopped

1/2 cup of pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup of sunflower seeds

About a cup of water

Method

Mix all the ingredients with a wooden spoon or your hands and shape into a cob shape.

Line the camp oven with grease baking paper or a layer of flour to stop the damper from sticking.

Put the damper in the camp oven, put the lid on and coat the lid with hot coals.

To cook the damper with hot coals.

If you want to cook on coals from a campfire, you need to burn large logs to create hot coals. It can take an hour or so for your campfire to make enough coals to cook upon. Be sure to factor the process of producing the embers into your prep and cooking time. Alternatively, if you have time limits or a lack of good wood, use heat-beads as they heat up quickly and hold their heat well.

The easiest way to cook in a camp oven over hot coals is to lift the coals out of the fire with a long-handled shovel. Select a safe place next to the fire and put a small amount of *coals on the ground. Place the camp oven onto the coals. Get some more coals from the fire to place on top of the oven. Getting the right amount of coals is not always easy. Be aware of cooking the damper too hot and burning it. It will take some experimentation to get the temperature right. Therefore, check the damper after 10 minutes to make sure you are not cooking it too hot or not hot enough.

*You only need a small number of coals under the camp oven or none at all. Too many, and you will burn the bottom of the damper.

Many factors determine the heat of the coals, such as ambient temperature and wind. If you have wind, the coals will cook hotter. Make allowances for wind by reducing the number of coals used.

The time it takes to cook the damper is directly related to how hot you cook it. It should take approximately 30-40 minutes. You can tell when the damper is cooked by tapping on the top. If it sounds hollow, it is ready. Alternatively, stick a knife in it, and if it comes out clean, it should be ready.

To Serve

Serve with butter, maple syrup, jam and cream, chopped fruit or any other topping you desire.

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Fruit and Nut Damper cooked on the campfire over hot coals. Full of dried fruit, nuts, seeds and cinnamon. #campfirecooking #fruitandnuts #damper #campcooking

Breakfast/Brunch, From the galley, New Zealand

Corn fritters with avocado, bacon, egg and warm tomato relish

February 22, 2021 The Captain & the Cook Leave a comment

Breakfast in New Zealand, the land of my birth, is as varied as the eclectic variety of people representing ‘Kiwis’. Porridge, fruits and yoghurts are popular, as are eggs Benedict and French toast. However, it’s the addition of lambs fry and bacon, savoury mince, and corn fritters on the menu, that indeed reveals you are dining in a New Zealand cafe.

The last time I was in New Zealand, my dad and I breakfasted in Ahuriri, Napier. Dad ordered the corn fritters, served with bacon, avocado and sour cream, and seeing that he enjoyed it so much, I remarked that I could teach him how to make them at home. Therefore this recipe is dedicated to my dad…. time to cook breakfast old boy.

I decided upon serving my corn fritters with avocado, bacon, an egg for additional protein, and warm tomato relish. Make the relish first and have it slowly simmering on the stovetop while you make the fritters. Once cooked (keep fritters warm in the oven), but before you cook the eggs, take the tomato relish from the heat and allow to cool slightly, while you fry or poach your eggs. The following recipe will feed four people.

For the warm tomato relish

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/2 a small onion, finely chopped (approximately 3 tablespoons)
2 large tomatoes, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons brown sugar (loosely packed)
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
Salt to taste

Heat oil in a small saucepan and lightly sauté the garlic and onion for a minute or two, do not brown.

Add the tomatoes, pepper, vinegar, sugar and mustard, and simmer gently, occasionally stirring, while you make the fritters. Add water as necessary.

Remove from heat for a few minutes before serving.

For the corn fritters

¾ cup plain flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1 egg, beaten
440g can cream-style corn
440g corn kernels
3 spring onions, finely sliced

Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper into a bowl.

Add the egg, mixing well to combine. Stir in the creamed corn, corn kernels and the spring onion.

Spray a large fry pan with oil spray and heat. Carefully spoon fritter mixture into the pan, creating two or three fritters about eight centimetres in diameter. Cook until golden brown, flip and cook the other side.

Remove from the pan, place on a plate with absorbent paper, put it into the oven, set on low, and keep warm. Repeat until you have eight fritters.

To serve

8 rashers of bacon, cooked to your liking
4 eggs, cooked to your liking
1 avocado, peeled and sliced

Place two corn fritters in the middle of each plate, top with sliced avocado, bacon and an egg. Finish with a couple of spoonfuls of tomato relish.

Bon appétit

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Popular New Zealand breakfast dish. Delicious and easy to make! #corn #creamedcorn #avocado #bacon #egg #tomato #relish #recipe #food #cooking #cookingonaboat #cookingatsea

Breakfast/Brunch, Campfire Cooking, eggs

Camp Oven Eggs in Purgatory

July 13, 2020 The Captain & the Cook 1 Comment

I’m not sure where the term ‘Eggs in Purgatory’ originated. Does it refer to the bubbling red tomato sauce? I’m not sure. However, this recipe is perfect for cooking in the camp oven over a campfire. Perfect for an Aussie bush brunch, this dish is high in protein and super tasty.

Camp Oven Eggs in Purgatory

Our Camp Kitchen

We cooked our Eggs in Purgatory while camping at Mount Bundy Station at Adelaide River in the Northern Territory.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon oil
1 Red onion, finely chopped
3 Cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 Can of tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon of dried Italian herbs
1/2 – 1 Teaspoon dried, crushed chilli
1/2 Teaspoon beef/veg stock powder
1 Can of mixed beans
4 Eggs
Grated cheese
Cracked black pepper

Method

Heat the camp oven in the campfire* and heat oil. Add onion and garlic, and sauté until onion is translucent.

Add the tomatoes, herbs, chilli and stock powder, and cook for a few minutes until tomatoes start to thicken.

Add the beans and cook for a few more minutes.

Crack eggs into the tomato bean mix, and sprinkle with grated cheese and black pepper.

Put the lid on the camp oven. Top the camp oven with hot coals and cook at moderate temperature until eggs are cooked to your liking.

*Sautéing over the fire in a camp oven can be uncomfortably hot. There are several ways I cook with an open pot, depending on what sort of fireplace we have (e.g. iron fire pit or open fire). One way is to hang your camp oven over the fire with a tripod or, in our case, a star-dropper. Another way is to take a shovel load of coals from the firepit and, in a safe place near the fire, place them on the ground, put your camp oven on top and cook over the coals.

Star dropper instead of a tripod for cooking over the fire.

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Australian, Campfire Cooking, Game

Camel ‘Aussie’ Burger

June 22, 2020 The Captain & the Cook Leave a comment

This is the good ole Aussie burger with a twist. Instead of the standard beef mince, that the Aussie burger is known for, I have used camel mince.

Why? Are camels even Australian?

Well, they are as Australian as cows. But no, camels are not native to Australia, but we do have our own particular camel… The Feral Camel.

There are reportedly over a million feral camels roaming Australia. First introduced to Australia in the 1840s, camels, imported from India and Afghanistan, were used as ‘beasts of burden’ during the exploration and settlement of Australia, especially in arid areas.

Camels were released into the wild after motorised transport replaced the use of camels in the early 20th century. The releases, as well as escaped or stolen camels, resulted in a fast-growing feral population.