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Stuffed Baby Red Onions
If you can’t find baby onions use the smallest red onions available – they will be less fiddly to prepare but may be impossible to eat in one bite!
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6-8 small or baby red onions
2 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 anchovy fillets
185g can tuna, drained
2 tablespoons sundried tomato pesto
2 slices toast white bread, crusts removed
2-3 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
Feta and fresh thyme to garnish (optional) |
Preheat oven to 180°C. Halve onions and remove about 3 inner leaves to make a cavity for the stuffing. Dice inner onion pieces and sauté in 2 tablespoons oil with garlic and anchovies until softened. Stir in tuna and pesto.
Process bread and parsley leaves to course crumbs. Stir half into tuna mixture. Press tuna stuffing into onion shells and place in a shallow ovenproof dish. Sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs and drizzle with 1/4 cup oil. Bake 20 minutes or until onions are soft and crumbs golden. Serve warm garnished with thyme and crumbled feta. Makes 12-16
Recipe: Jo Wilcox
Photograph: Rachael Hale
Issue: October 2005
Smoked Chicken Risotto Balls
Serve these inviting morsels skewered with toothpicks.
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25g butter
1 small onion, diced
1/2 cup risotto rice
2 cups chicken stock, heated to a simmer
1/2 cup smoked chicken cut in small dice
1/2 cup grated tasty cheddar
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
16 pistachios (optional)
About 1/4 cup sesame seeds
Oil for shallow or deep frying |
Heat butter in a medium saucepan and sauté onion until soft. Add rice and stir to coat grains. Add hot stock in 3-4 batches, stirring in between and cooking until slightly absorbed. Reduce heat, cover pan and cook 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until rice is soft and liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and stir in chicken, cheese and breadcrumbs. Cool.
Mould spoonfuls of mixture into balls, pushing a pistachio into the centre of each one. Roll in sesame seeds and chill 2 hours or more before frying in oil until golden. Drain on paper towels. Makes 18-20
Recipe: Jo Wilcox
Photograph: Rachael Hale
Issue: October 2005
Potato and Herb Slice with Ham and Sweet Chilli Cream
Chilling this slice before cutting it with a sharp knife will ensure a neat result.
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1 cup cream
4 eggs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, eg parsley, chives
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
4 potatoes, cooked and diced
100-125g brie, diced
Topping:
Shaved smoked ham
½ cup sour cream
1-2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
Microgreens or fresh herbs |
Preheat oven to 180°C. Whisk together cream, eggs and herbs. Season well. Add potato and brie and mix gently. Pour into a greased 20cm square cake tin and bake until coloured and set, about 30 minutes. Cut into small squares when cooled. Top each square with a teaspoonful of combined sour cream and sweet chilli sauce and a rosette of ham. Garnish with green leaves. Serve warm. Makes 20 small portions
Recipe: Jo Wilcox
Photograph: Rachael Hale
Issue: November 2005
Feta and Ricotta-stuffed Courgettes
Once you get the hang of it, coring and stuffing courgettes is really not too fiddly, and the results are deliciously impressive.
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10-12 small courgettes (10-12cm long)
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
30g (2 tablespoons) butter
250g ricotta
100g feta
¼ cup grated parmesan
1-2 tablespoons dry breadcrumbs (if needed)
Freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil and sea salt | Cut ends off courgettes and carefully hollow them out using an apple corer, a thin-bladed knife or a vegie peeler with the blade on the end.
To prepare stuffing, sauté onion and garlic in butter until soft and translucent. Remove from heat and stir in ricotta, feta and parmesan. If mixture is very loose add breadcrumbs to absorb excess moisture. Season well.
Fill courgettes with stuffing (a piping bag or a small plastic bag with the end snipped off works well). Splash generously with olive oil.
Preheat a grill pan, heavy frying pan or barbecue hot plate and cook courgettes over medium heat, turning to sear each side, until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and drizzle with pan oil. Cut into portions, sprinkle with sea salt and serve. Make about 20 portions
Recipe: Jo Wilcox
Photograph: Shaun Cato-Symonds
Issue: Feb 2006
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