BEETROOT RISOTTO WITH GOATS CHEESE

I've posted beetroot risotto before. This is slightly different. I made an oriental duck stock from the frame of the Chinese duck used in two previous dishes - and used that stock in place of chicken stock for this risotto. Since duck and beetroot are an ideal combination, it worked. Just take my word for it.

BEETROOT RISOTTO WITH GOATS CHEESE

DUCK AND SWEET POTATO CURRY

The observant amongst you might have noticed I did a Chinese duck stir-fry last night. this is the other half of the duck. It's the left side - if you're standing behind the duck. The right if you're in front of it. Not that it matters. Each side more or less matches the other. Unlike we humans who favour one hand over another, I don't believe ducks favour one wing over another. If they did, they'd fly in circles. Same goes for their feet. But if the did favour one side over the other, you could expect to find that the favoured side was bigger than the other. This doesn't matter either - but it's a nice way to pad out these notes about what is a simple Thai curry. if you have a good Chinese BBQ place near you, buying a cooked duck makes a dish like the stir-fry and this curry a breeze. AND after you've removed the flesh, you have the frame from which you can make a great Asian duck stock (which I used to make the beetroot risotto that follows in the next post.

DUCK AND SWEET POTATO CURRY

DUCK WITH ASPARAGUS AND TIANJIN PRESERVED VEGETABLES

A simple stir-fry. Barbecued duck, asparagus, Tianjin vegetables, light soy sauce, caramel sauce, ginger and garlic. That's it.

DUCK WITH ASPARAGUS AND TIANJIN PRESERVED VEGETABLES

COBIA WITH SMASHED POTATO, CARAMELISED CAPSICUM, BABY ROMAS AND TACHOGOBI

Tachogobi sounds Japanese. It's Mexican. Specifically, it's from the Yucatán. I don't know that state as well as neighbouring Oaxaca, but I imagine there are similarities in some of the local languages. If true, then the languages they speak in the Yucatán might sound Asian - as do Zapotec and some of the other languages in Oaxaca. That's enough of an ethno-linguistic lesson for now - and especially for a food blog. So what we have here is a decidedly red and white meal. A bit early for Christmas, perhaps the best known red and white event of the year. But red and white all the same. Some cooks would want to see a bit of green - just because they like to see green. They might sprinkle some chiffonade of basil or finely chopped parsley over the top. I prefer my meals unadorned. There's enough tarting up already with the placement of the baby roma tomatoes.

COBIA WITH SMASHED POTATO, CARAMELISED CAPSICUM, BABY ROMAS AND TACHOGOBI

SPAGHETTI WITH YELLOWFIN TUNA, LEMON, CHILLI AND FRIED CAPERS

This could be Sicilian, but it probably isn't. I doubt if it's Sardinian, but it might be. It's unlikely to be Bhutanese, and I'm confident about that. Or maybe it's just something I made up and it doesn't belong to any recognised cuisine. It's definitely food. And quite tasty. And very easy.

SPAGHETTI WITH YELLOWFIN TUNA, LEMON, CHILLI AND FRIED CAPERS

PONZU MAHI MAHI WITH MISO SAUCE AND SNOWPEA TENDRILS

An encore performance from the mahi mahi. This time it gets a Japanese treatment. Marinated in home-made ponzu sauce then sautéed in grapeseed oil. A simple miso sauce and snowpea tendrils dressed on soy sauce, sesame oil, grapeseed oil, and chilli.

PONZU MAHI MAHI WITH MISO SAUCE AND SNOWPEA TENDRILS

MAHI-MAHI WITH LAKSA REDUCTION AND HERB SALAD

I don't know what you keep in your fridge, but I'm hoping there are some great science projects in there - growing bacteria on neglected sauces, seeing how long it takes to turn a white cheese blue ... that sort of stuff. I think these make fridges much more interesting than just using them to keep beer and milk. Something I have in my fridge most of the time are various containers of pastes - tapenade, laksa paste, Thai curry paste. I'd made some laksa paste a short time ago, so used a couple of tablespoons and some coconut cream to make the sauce that went under this mahi-mahi caught off Mooloolaba.

MAHI-MAHI WITH LAKSA REDUCTION AND HERB SALAD

PORCINI RISOTTO

Porcini risotto was one of the first risottos I cooked. I think I was 2. Risottos are dead easy to cook. They just need extended love - like about 30 minutes of gentle stirring. I like to think of it as foreplay. They also need quality ingredients - decent rice like the vialone nano I used here, a good aged parmesan, rich home-made chicken stock, good butter (I used a hand-churned butter bought at Everleigh Markets last weekend).

PORCINI RISOTTO

CUMIN CRUSTED TUNA, CAULIFLOWER CAKE AND GARLIC JAM

The observant amongst you will notice that the cauliflower has made a comeback from the other night. I had some purée left over, so I used it to make these panko-crusted patties. These same observant ones amongst you will notice that the garlic jam has also made a comeback. I am pretty sure that it's first time around for the tuna - although if you believe in reincarnation, then it might have been here before - as a librarian, perhaps. The yellowfin tuna got a dusting of roasted organic cumin seeds, which make regular (that is, non roasted and non organic) cumin seeds seem wishy-washy.

CUMIN CRUSTED TUNA, CAULIFLOWER CAKE AND GARLIC JAM

CARAMEL CHICKEN WITH BASIL. BRAISED CABBAGE

There's a thick, black sweet sauce available from Asian grocery stores that's called caramel sauce. Combined with light soy sauce, garlic, ginger and a little peanut oil, it makes for a great and simple stir-fry. The Chinese cabbage was also stir-fried - with red vinegar and shaoxing (which I have also seen Anglicised as shao hsing). Ten minutes start to finish. Fast food with ordering take-away.

CARAMEL CHICKEN WITH BASIL. BRAISED CABBAGE

RED EMPEROR WITH ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PUREE, SILVERBEET & GARLIC JAM

Fish and two veg ... well, three if you count garlic as a veg. Red emperor, for those of you outside Oz, is a reef fish, and a damn tasty one. Everyone knows (and many hate) silverbeet. I reckon slowly braised with olive oil and garlic is the only way to have it. If you haven't tried roasting cauliflower before puréeing, give it a go. The flavour becomes richer and nuttier. Not much else to explain here - so I won't.

RED EMPEROR WITH ROASTED CAULIFLOWER PUREE, SILVERBEET & GARLIC JAM

OCEAN TROUT WITH SPRING VEGETABLES

This is a dish you can only do for 3 months of the year. I'm not awarding prizes for those of you who guess which 3. A fun few days spent in Sydney for an extended birthday celebration. This was day 2. Dinner at the home of dear friends Clare and Steve. Fat spears of asparagus, tiny zucchini and crisp butter beans.

OCEAN TROUT WITH SPRING VEGETABLES