Stir-Fried Eggplant with Homemade Chilli Sauce

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants, trimmed, halved
5 tbs peanut oil
½ bunch coriander leaves, stems and roots, finely sliced
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 tsp Sichuan pepper and salt

For the homemade chilli sauce
½ cup peanut oil
6 long red chillies, roughly chopped
10 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
7cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
1 tbs tamari soy sauce

For the Sichuan pepper and salt
1 tbs Sichuan peppercorns
3 tbs sea salt flakes

Method:

1. Cut eggplant into 5cm irregular and same-sized pieces, then sprinkle well with sea salt and spread onto a tray in one layer. Set aside for at least 30 minutes. Rinse well, then drain and pat dry with paper towel.

2. To make the chilli sauce, heat the oil in a wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly. Add chillies, garlic and ginger and stir constantly over medium heat for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low and cook, still stirring, for a further 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, then stir through the tamari.

3. Dry-roast peppercorns and salt in small heavy-based frying pan until the peppercorns are fragrant and begin to ‘pop’. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool, then grind to a powder in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. (You can store the mixture in an airtight container).

4. Heat the peanut oil in a wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly. Add eggplant and stir-fry over high heat for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium and stir-fry for a further 5-7 minutes or until eggplant is tender.

5. Add the chilli sauce to the eggplant and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the coriander and spring onions, tossing to combine.

6. Transfer to a large serving plate and season with Sichuan pepper and salt. Serve immediately.

Serves 4-6 as part of shared meal. Serve with rice, bread or roti.

Source: www.masterchef.co.au - Kylie Kwong

Hearty Beef Stew

This is a lovely stew and a meal in itself. Use whatever meat you want or even omit the meat and make it a vegetable stew. Just start with frying the onions.


Serves 2 -3 people
200 gms beef cut into cubes (1 use one steak and cut it up)
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 carrot chopped
1 bell pepper chopped
6-7 mushrooms sliced (I use white button)
1 cup peas
2 medium or 1 large potato cubed
1 tsp garlic paste or 2-3 cloves garlic chopped fined
1-1 1/2 cups beef stock
1 sprig rosemary leaves stripped and chopped
a handful of parsely chopped
3/4 cups cream
1 tsp cornflour
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsps oil (i use olive but you can use any cooking oil)


1. Heat oil in a pan. Dry the beef and brown it. (the beef must be dry or it won't brown properly). Take the browned beef out and keep aside.
2. Tip in the onions and fry till it becomes translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add rosemary and stir.
3. Add the carrots and potato and fry for a 2-3 mins. Add mushroom and bell pepper and stir. Cook for another 3 mins  on medium heat.
4. Add beef and mix. Then add stock  (enough to cover the meat and veg) and cover pan. Let it simmer for about 10 mins. Check after about 7 mins to make sure it is not catching at the bottom of the pan.
5. Add peas, check if the meat is cooked by piercing through with a fork. If it pierces easily it is cooked.
6. Dissolve cornflour in a little water/stock and pour into the pan. Mix well.
7. Add the cream and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the stew come to a gentle boil. Add the chopped parsley reserving some to garnish.
8. If the liquid seems to be too thick, add a bit more stock and boil.
9. Serve hot with bread or rice and garnished with the remaining parsley.


I had it with Zopf and it was divine!