Feeling the wonderful warmth of soup on a chilly winter night!

9th August 2008.

Another cold, wet, and chilly day in Melbourne. The need for some warm comfort food for our evening meal was required. Parsnip and Pear Soup with Herb and Cheese Scones seemed to hit for our taste bubs.

Herb and cheese scones

3 cups self-raising flour
1 teaspoon salt
pinch cayenne pepper
50g butter, chilled, chopped
1/2 cup mixed herbs (such as oregano, rosemary and basil), finely chopped
1/3 cup grated light tasty cheese
1 cup reduced-fat milk

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray with non-stick baking paper.
Sift flour into a large bowl. Add salt, cayenne pepper and pepper. Mix well to combine. Add butter. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
Add herbs and cheese to flour mixture. Stir well to combine. Add milk. Mix with a flat-bladed knife until a soft dough forms. Knead lightly on a floured surface. Pat dough into a 2cm-thick round. Using a 5cm cutter, cut into 12 rounds. Place rounds close together on a baking tray.
Bake for 12 minutes, or until golden and well-risen. Makes 12.

Pear and Parsnip soup

30g butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

250ml milk

500ml vegetable stock

2 tablespoons plan flour

pinch cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

4 parsnips

2 pears

Cook parsnips and pear (peeled and cut) in vegetable stock, once cooked and cool, puree.

Mix butter in a saucepan, add flour, salt, and cayenne papper, cook a few minutes.

Gradually add milk and the bay leaf, bring to the boil, stirring constantly.

Stir in cooked parsnip and pear mixture and simmer for a few minutes.

Remove bayleaf and serve.

Leek pikelets with Smoked Barramundi

4 August, 2008.



While hunting though the frigde looking for something to make for dinner, I came across some Smoke Barramundi which I had forgot about. and wondered if I could use it instead of Rainbow Trout, in a recipe I found in this months copy of Australian Gourmet Traveller. I also used duck eggs instead of normal chicken.



(Recipe as found in magazine. page 90)

Leek pikelits with smoked rainbow trout and soft-boiled egg
Serves 4
Cooking Time Prep time 15 mins, cook 30 mins
110 gm butter, coarsely chopped
1½ leeks, thinly sliced
300 gm crème fraîche, plus extra to serve
1 green onion, thinly sliced, plus extra to serve
2 lemons, finely grated rind only
6 eggs, at room temperature
100 gm (2/3 cup) plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
200 gm smoked rainbow trout, bones removed, coarsely flaked (see note)
To serve: lemon wedges


1 Melt 70gm butter in a saucepan. Add leek and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until very soft (6-7 minutes), transfer to a bowl and cool slightly. Add crème fraîche, green onion and lemon rind to bowl, season to taste and stir to combine. Separate 2 eggs, adding yolks to leek mixture, then stir in flour and baking powder. Whisk eggwhites and a pinch of salt until soft peaks form, fold into leek mixture and set aside.


2 Melt 10gm butter in a large frying pan over medium heat until butter foams. Add ¼-cups of pikelet mixture and cook in batches until bubbles appear on surface (2-3 minutes), then turn and cook until golden (1-2 minutes). Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining butter and pikelet mixture, wiping out pan with absorbent paper between each pikelet. Keep pikelets warm in a low oven.


3 Meanwhile, cook remaining eggs in gently boiling water until soft-boiled (5-5½ minutes). Cool briefly under running water, then break in half. Scoop eggs from shells with a teaspoon. Serve immediately with leek pikelets, smoked rainbow trout and lemon wedges.
Note Smoked rainbow trout is available from select fishmongers and delicatessens. Substitute with good-quality smoked salmon.