Risi e Bisi e Gamberi #rice #peas #prawns

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This recipe is a Venetian classic, based on an Elizabeth David classic recipe with some delicious twists contributed by word of mouth by some very well known Sydney chefs who my husband Adrian hangs out with.

Here’s the Elizabeth David recipe:

The big difference of course is using frozen peas which don’t take as long to cook, so to recreate a bit more pea flavour, I added some of the frozen peas to the onion mixture and cook along with the rice, in addition to adding peas towards the end as well.

Adding seafood to this dish is optional but makes for a lovely meal in itself. The sweetness of the peas and the creamy texture along with prawns and calamari flavours is delish!

For 2 people as a main course:

Ingredients:

1/2 onion finely diced

50-60g fatty pancetta diced

50g butter

1 cup Arborio or carnali rice (round rice)

500ml chicken stock

250ml water

3 cloves of garlic

1.5 cup frozen peas

6-8 raw peeled and deveined prawns

150g thinly sliced calamari rings

Grated Parmesan

Method:

1. Melt 40g butter along with pancetta and cook gently in flat bottomed pot until pancetta fat starts to melt.

2. Add onion, garlic and cook until starting to soften, add half a cup of frozen peas and cook until peas and 1/2 cup stock and cook until pea “start to absorb the stock, fat and butter”. Smash peas with the back of a wooden spoon or fork to release pea flavour into the cooking liquid, simmer until liquid evaporates and butter/fat is “evident” again.

3. Add 1 cup rice and mix gently to cover grains of rice in butter fat mixture, then add 1.5 cups stock and simmer without stirring much until liquid just starts to disappear, stir and add then add 1 cup of water and simmer again.

4. Check rice to see if just cooked, add more water if necessary, then add rest of the peas, prawns and calamari and simmer for 5-6 minutes until peas and prawns just cooked through.

5. stir through the rest of the butter and half a cup of grated parmesan cheese, and serve either wedge of lemon, and extra parmesan, pepper on the side.

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Balinese Pandan Coconut Pankcakes

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Yesterday was Nyepi here in Bali, it is the day of silence when you stay in reflect on the year that has been and the year to come, in the lead up to the Hindu new year.

We strictly followed the rules but had planned ahead to make a small Balinese feast for ourselves in our villa in Penastanan.

Our dessert was Dardar Gulung, startlingly green pandan flavoured pancakes with coconut filling topped with coconut cream and coconut sprinkle.

Having tried these in restaurants before I thought it was time to make them whilst I have easy access to fresh pandan leaves abundant here in Bali, even with the limited kitchen equipment in our holiday villa.

To make the pandan extract is easy, you just chop up the leaves.whizz with water and then strain and let sit to seperate the extract from the water.

Anyway, I just asked the nice people at the local organic juice store to do it for me!

Definitely worth the effort if you can get your hands on fresh pandan leaves.

Ingredients:

For about 10-12 pancakes

125g plain flour

6 tablespoons pandan extract (4-5 fresh or frozen pandan leaves) or 2 teaspoons pandan essence available in Asian grocery stores

300ml milk

1 beaten egg

Pinch of salt

1-2 tablespoons coconut or other vegetable oil

For filling:

150g freshly grated coconut or shredded desiccated coconut

50ml water

50 g palm sugar or brown sugar

For serving:

Thick coconut cream

1-2 tablespoons coconut filling reserved

1. To make pandan extract yourself you will need 4-5 fresh or frozen pandan leaves, chopped into small pieces and then whizzed in a blender with 1 cup of water. Then strain and allow the mixture to settle so extract sinks to bottom. Pour off the weak green water at the top and use the bright green extract at the bottom.

Fresh pandan extract

2. Put flour, pinch of salt, beaten egg, milk and pandan extract in a bowl. Whisk until flour has dissolved, mixture is smooth and there are no lumps of flour. Just remove any small lumps that are left if needs be.

3. In a small non-stick frying pan, pour in 50ml water, sugar and simmer until sugar dissolves and then add the coconut and cook until coconut browns and is lightly caramelised. Set aside in a bowl while you make pancakes. (I didn’t have brown sugar but using palm sugar or brown sugar is even better)

Coconut caramelised with sugar…better with palm sugar or brown sugar!

4. Dip a pastry brush into oil and lightly brush small non-stick frying pan, heat pan over medium heat, then add enough batter mixture 3-4 tablespoons to lightly coat pan with batter.

5. Cook on on side until pancake starts to bubble, then carefully flip to. Cook lightly on the other side. Be gentle or the pancakes will fall apart.

6. Repeat until you have 10-12 pancakes.

Pandan pancakes

7. Put 3-4 teaspoons of coconut mixture at the top of a pancake., fold over sides and roll to make a neat package.

Coconut filled pandan pancakes

8. Place 4-5 parcels on a plate, drizzle with coconut cream and leftover coconut filling if you have some. Serve to enjoy deliciousness.

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Rendang and Rawon rock at Waroeng Bernadette #penastanan #ubud

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We were so excited to hear that a new Waroeng Bernadette had opened earlier this year in Penstanan, just on the outskirts of Ubud central.

Having visited their old establishment in Ubud central in the past, we knew already from friends who live in Penastanan that the new restaurant is living up to high expectations from diners.

Serving authentic Javanese specialities, Warung Bernadette will definitely be giving one of our other old favourites Warung Mendez a run for its money! (But Mendez does have a wider range of dishes in their menu)?

We started with crispy Indonesian sweetcorn fritters, followed by beef rendang and beef rawon.

Crispy Indonesian corn fritters

The slow cooked beef rendang is melt in the mouth and served with pickled vegetables, tofu, tempe, greens in a delicious coconut sauce. Crackers and rice.

Beef rendang

The beef Rawon soup was redolent of the unique flavour of the keluak nuts which give it the trademark almost black colour. One of the best Rawon soups I’ve tasted, served with preserved egg and crackers.

Beef Rawon soup

Beautifully designed interiors, great service and just down the road from our villa in Penastanan.

Waroeng Bernadette in Penastanan, Ubud

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Grilled figs, Burrata and rocket salad

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This was a delicious combo …drizzle honey with over figs and grill until slightly caramelised then combined with rocket, Burrata and sprinkle of balsamic vinegar, sea salt and black pepper.

Lovely salad with our bbq tonight.

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Almost Vegee Thai Fried Rice

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I’m always surprised when I remember that Thai Fried Rice has tomato sauce in it! But it does make it quick an easy to make. This version is completely vegetarian except for the addition of some chopped bacon (because I had some).

It’s a great way to use up leftover rice and is a satisfying and yummy dish in it’s own right.

Almost vegee Thai Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 onion finely diced

1 carrot diced

Handful of green beans chopped

1/4 cup corn kernels

1 tomato cut into sixths

1/2 cucumber cut into half moon pieces

1 beaten egg

2 rashers bacon, rind removed and diced (optional)

1.5-2 cups cooked rice, preferably chilled from fridge (jasmine best, but any leftover rice will do)

2 tablespoons tomato sauce

1 teaspoon Thai red curry paste

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Coriander to garnish

Lime to serve

Method:

1. Heat oil in a wok or frying pan, fry curry paste until fragrant, add onion, carrot and bacon if using and cook until carrot is cooked. Add green beans and cook for a minute.

2. Mix tomato sauce and soy sauce together and add to carrot mixture.

3. Move vegetable mixture to side of pan , add beaten egg and scramble before mixing through rice.

4. Add rice, then corn, tomato and heat through until green beans are softened and rice is warm.

5. Garnish with cucumber and coriander. You can also throw in some shredded baby spinach leaves if you want to up the green content. Eat with a squeeze of lime! Leftovers are great for lunch too.

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Prawn and Coconut Rice Biryani #keralaflavours

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Inspired by the mint, curry leaves and green chillies growing in our little courtyard garden, the flavours of Kerala recipes came to mind.

This light, bright biryani is quick to make and is delicious with a zesty salad and Spicy mint and coriander pesto

It has flavours of Prawn Caldine imbued into a delicious coconut rice topping finished off cooked “dum” style in the oven.

Recipe to come….but here are some photos to whet your appetite!

Prawn and Coconut Rice Briyani

Fresh curry leaves

Fresh mint

Green chillies

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