Sam Hardinge – Sangoma (Spicers Sangoma Retreat)
Char grilled baby octopus
INGREDIENTS
- 500g baby octopus
- 200ml pomegranate molasses
- Handful chopped parsley
- 3 cloves of garlic
- Pinch of cayenne pepper (1/4 tsp)
METHOD
1. Combine all ingredients and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours
2. Char the octopus on the barbie until cooked
Sam’s tip: Eat sitting in the sun with a cold beer in hand!Â
Matt Bremerkamp – Restaurant Botanica (Spicers Vineyards Estate)
“Christmas Corn Baubles”
INGREDIENTS
- Â 4 corn cobs
- 200g corn flour
- 100g plain flour
- tsp of baking powder
- Chopped parsley
- Finely diced red pepper
METHOD
- Cut the corn off the cobs
- Blend half the corn in a blender
- Mix everything together in a bowl, adding the flour last so that you get a good sticky mixture
- Add extra corn flour as needed (this can depend on how juicy your corn is!)
- Roll into balls and deep fry until golden brown
- Season with salt
Matt’s tip: Can be served with a sweet chilli sauce or cumin yoghurt.
Dan Jarrett – The Tamarind (Spicers Tamarind Retreat)
Oysters with Soy and Finger Lime
INGREDIENTS
- Dozen oysters
- Drizzle of soy sauce (good quality)
- Finely sliced pickled ginger
- 2 finger limes (finger limes are like citrus caviar and will give the oysters a nice burst of lime)
- About 8 cups of crushed ice (for oyster bed)
METHOD
- Put the crushed ice on a large platter to make a bed for the oysters and place oysters on the ice
- Drizzle the oysters with a dash of soy sauce
- Add a sprinkle of some finely sliced pickled ginger, then squeeze some finger lime over the top
Carla Sullivan – The Balfour Kitchen (Spicers Balfour Hotel)Â
INGREDIENTS
- 500g diced wagyu
- Capers
- Cornichons
- Shallots
- Chives
- 4 eggs
- 5g pepper
- 10g salt
- 15g tobasco sauce
- 7g Worcestershire sauce
- 15g chardonnay vinegar
- 50ml vegetable oil
METHOD
- Remove the sinew from the underside of the cap and then trim the fat, keeping the fat aside
- Finely dice the meat and portion into 50g portions. Â Brunoise the capers, cornichons, shallots and chives and keep separate
- Place the rest of the ingredients (except the oil) into a narrow jug and blend until even
- Whilst blending, slowly add the oil until thick – check seasoning
- Combine the wagyu, brunoise vegetables and dressing and then quenelle on to crackers
Cam Matthews – The Long Apron (Spicers Clovelly Estate)
Spanner crab & goats cheese tarts
INGREDIENTSÂ
- 32 store bought canapes pastry cases
- 150g fresh spanner crab
- 2 tbs chopped chives, plus extra to serve
- 50g goats cheese
- 2 tbs cream
METHOD
- Preheat oven to 180°C  and place pastry cases on an oven tray
- Combine crab meat and chives in a bowl and spoon crab mixture evenly among pastry cases
- Sprinkle goat’s cheese over the crab mixture and pour cream evenly among each case
- Bake for 5 minutes or until heated through and golden brown.
- Remove from oven and place on a serving platter and sprinkle with extra chives to serve
Tomasz Kornacki – Peak (Spicers Peak Lodge)
INGREDIENTS
- A few strips of finely sliced beef fillet (100g)
- 12 x betel leaves
- 1 chilli
- 1/2 stick lemongrass
- 1 kaffir lime
- Mint
- Coriander
- Ginger
For the hot and sour dressing:
- 1 red shallot
- Finely sliced red chilli
- 1/2 tbs tamarind pulp
- 10 ml ginger juice
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 30 ml lime juice
- Few drops oyster sauce
- 1 tbs brown sugar
- 1 tbs fish sauce
METHOD
- Mix all the ingredients and pour over beef to marinate for a minute or two
- Place a little beef salad on the betel leaf, sprinkle with fried shallots, chopped peanuts, finely sliced carrot cucumber or any other vegetables of your choice.
Tomasz’s tip: This is always a winner in hot Queensland weather as it’s light and refreshing.
Ash Martin – Homage (Spicers Hidden Vale)
INGREDIENTS
- 75g butter
- 75g plain flour
- 500ml milk
- 100 finely grated parmesan
- 200g of glazed baked ham finely chopped
- 4 eggs whisked
- 250ml milk
- 300g dried breadcrumbs
- Vegetable oil to shallow fry
METHOD
- Melt butter in a saucepan over slow heat. Once melted add flour
mixing with wooden spoon. Slowly whisk in milk. - Put back on the heat and slowly cook for 5-10 minutes until thick then add parmesan
- Let cool for 10 minutes then add in the ham
- Chill for 4 hours until firm then cut or roll into small rounds
- In a bowl mix eggs and milk together then in another bowl add the bread crumbs
- Drop each piece into the egg mix and then into the bread crumbs
- Shallow fry at 180°C and serve with mustard