Food to share

As winter continues to bite it is always good to find some new inspiration for a hearty, warming meal.

New Zealand food writer Julie Biuso is always a good one to turn to when looking for a comforting, nourishing weekend meal.

The Gourmand World Cookbook Awards think so too, as they gave her latest book, written with daughter Ilaria, Shared Kitchen, the ‘‘Best in the World’’ award for the best cookbook associated with a blog.

It is the ninth Gourmand award for Biuso but the first for her daughter.

"I’ve watched Mum with so much pride over the years as she stacked up awards, but never thought for a moment that one day I’d be doing a book with her.

"To win an award for our book is pretty amazing," Ilaria said.

The pair work together on Biuso’s blog site, Shared Kitchen, which also won the best food website in New Zealand in 2015 in the Gourmand awards.

 

Crispy broccoli and potato stacks

Makes 16

700g floury potatoes

Salt

1 head broccoli (about 300g )

2-3 spring onions (scallions)

1 tsp flaky sea salt (or less of regular salt)

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

2 Tbsp chopped parsley

½ tsp chopped thyme or marjoram

1 large (size 7) free-range egg, lightly beaten

1½ cups grated tasty or vintage cheddar cheese

Oil and butter for frying

Serving suggestion

Lemon wedges

Flaky sea salt

Chutney or chilli salsa

Method

Peel potatoes and cut into large cubes. Cook in gently boiling salted water until just tender. Drain and leave to dry off.

Trim broccoli and cut into florets. Include some of the stem as long as it is not too fibrous. Cook broccoli in a saucepan of gently boiling salted water for about 5 minutes, until crisp-tender. Drain, then dry off with paper towels. Chop roughly.

Trim spring onions, slice then chop. Put spring onions in a bowl with flaky sea salt, nutmeg, herbs, egg and cheese. Add cooled potatoes and broccoli. Mix together, crushing the potatoes somewhat, but avoid turning the mixture into a mash.

Shape into 16 cakes, but don’t fiddle with them - rough is good - and if they collapse a little during cooking, you’ll get more crispy bits! Chill for 1 hour.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat. Drop in 2 tablespoons of butter, and once it is sizzling, add half the cakes.

Cook until golden on both sides, turning carefully with a spatula in one hand and a spoon in the other. Transfer to a plate.

Cook remaining broccoli and potato cakes, adding more oil and butter if needed.

Squeeze a little lemon over the top and sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Serve stacked, with chutney or chilli salsa on the side.

 

Eggplant polenta pie

Serves 8

Puttanesca sauce

5 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

23 canned anchovies in oil, drained, mopped with paper towels and mashed (optional)

2 small dried bird’s-eye chillies, crushed (optional)

2 × 400g cans crushed Italian tomatoes

1/4 cup water

2 Tbsp tomato concentrate

1 Tbsp capers, drained, patted dry and chopped

1 tsp dried oregano

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1/2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped

Polenta

1 litre water

250ml whole milk

1 1/4 tsp salt

250g instant polenta

3 Tbsp butter

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Freshly grated nutmeg

Eggplant and topping

1 large or 2 medium-sized eggplants

Olive oil

Salt

50g butter, plus extra for greasing tin

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving

Method

To make the puttanesca sauce: Put the extra virgin olive oil in a heavy-based saucepan, set it over a medium heat and drop in the garlic. Saute garlic until it turns a pale biscuit colour. Remove pan from heat, cool briefly, then stir in anchovies and chillies, if using.

Carefully tip in the tomatoes, then add water (use the water to swirl around the cans to get the last bits of tomato), tomato concentrate, capers, oregano, a few large pinches of salt and black pepper (omit the salt if you are adding anchovies - check the seasoning once the sauce is cooked).

Bring the sauce to the boil, then lower the heat. Cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 25-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes are pulpy. Add the olives and set aside.

To make the polenta:

Bring the water and milk to the boil in a wide saucepan. Add salt, then gradually sprinkle in the polenta. Stir continuously, using a long-handled wooden spoon. If you add the polenta too fast, it will form lumps (if this happens, fish them out as they rarely break down during cooking). Once all the polenta is added, turn the heat to low and cook, giving 3-4 good stirs every 20 seconds or so, for 45 minutes.

When polenta is cooked, beat in butter and parmesan cheese and a little freshly grated nutmeg to taste. Immediately tip it on to a large damp tray and, using a wet knife, spread flat to 1cm thick. Leave until cool.

To make the eggplant and topping:

Cut eggplants lengthways into long, thin slices. Heat a ridged grill pan or sturdy frying pan (skillet) over medium-high heat. Brush eggplant slices with olive oil (you will probably need to do this in batches, so just brush as many as will fit in the pan without overlapping). Cook on both sides until golden brown. Transfer to a plate as they are done and season with salt. Cook remaining eggplant.

Preheat oven to 200degC. Cut polenta into large shapes (I cut mine into diamond shapes, but squares will do).

Lightly butter a lasagne dish or smaller individual dishes and put in a layer of slightly overlapping pieces of polenta.

Add a layer of sauce, then one of eggplant and cheese, then repeat with more polenta, sauce, eggplant and cheese (keep plenty of cheese for the top). Sprinkle cheese over top of pie, melt the butter and drizzle over.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Serve hot with extra cheese.

Recipe Notes