Crispy-skin Chicken

Serves 4

2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 x 700g spatchcocks, rinsed & dried
1 lemon, halved
2 L water
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder, extra
1 1/2 tablespoons salt, extra
3 tablespoons honey
3 cups water, extra
oil for deep frying
lemon wedges, to serve

Combine the Chinese five-spice, salt & cinnamon & rub inside the cavities of the spatchcocks. Place a lemon half inside each cavity & tie the legs together with kitchen string. Place the spatchcocks in a large deep heatproof bowl.
Bring the water & half the extra Chinese five-spice & half the extra salt to the boil. Pour over the spatchcocks & allow to stand for 10 minutes.
Drain, then use tongs to place the spatchcocks on a baking rack in a baking dish.
Heat the honey & extra water, stirring, in a saucepan over medium heat until honey dissolves, then pour over the spatchcocks.
Place the spatchcocks in the fridge for 3 hours or until the skins are dry.
Remove the lemons from the cavities & cut the spatchcocks in half.
Fill a large deep saucepan or wok two-thirds full with oil & heat over medium heat. Carefully deep-fry the spatchcocks one half at a time for 8-10 minutes or until the skin is crispy & golden brown.
Serve with remaining combined Chinese five-spice & salt, lemon wedges, rice & jasmine tea (or a nice semillon).

Lemon Cake with Passionfruit Syrup

Serves 8-10

125g butter
1 cup caster sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
2 1/2 cups self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Passionfruit syrup
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
2/3 passionfruit pulp

Preheat oven to 180ºC.
Place the butter & caster sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer & beat until light & creamy.
Mix through the sour cream, lemon juice & rind, flour & baking powder.
Spoon the mixture into a 23cm round cake tin lined with non-stick baking paper. Bake for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
To make the syrup, place the sugar, water & fruit in a saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved, then increase the heat & boil the syrup for 4-5 minutes or until it thickens slightly.
Leave the cake in the tin for 5 minutes then place on a rack over a plate.
Pour half the hot syrup over the top. Allow to stand for 5 minutes then serve with the remaining syrup & thick cream or ice cream.

This one from the lovely Lisa:

Citrus Pork

Serves 4

4 lean pork chops/medallions
1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4 cup unsweetened apple juice
1/2 teaspoon each dried mint, rosemary & tarragon
cracked black pepper
2 mandarins

Heat the oil & brown the pork quickly on both sides. Remove them from the pan & rest them on paper, drain any fat from the pan.
Add the apple juice, herbs & pepper, and heat until boiling.
Add the chops, reduce the heat, cover & simmer for 15 minutes.
While you're waiting for that, peel, de-pith & segment the mandarins. Add them to the meat & simmer for a
further 5 minutes.
Remove the chops & fruit from the pan with a slotted spoon & put them on a warm serving dish
Boil the liquid until it thickens, & then pour it over the chops.
Serve it with stir-fried veggies and noodles. Mmmm...

I served this last night to my girlfriends:

Mustard Pork with Mushrooms & White Wine

Serves 4

4 pork fillets (each ~15cm long)
mustard of your choice (I use a combination of Dijon & wholegrain)
oil for frying (~2 tablespoons)
2 cups vegetable stock
1/2 cup white wine
handful field mushrooms, sliced
2 teaspoons cornflour
cold water

Coat fillets generously with mustard.
In a medium-large frypan, heat oil over high heat. Fry fillets till well-browned (to seal completely).
Add stock & wine, then simmer (medium-low heat) for 30-45 minutes or until cooked through, but still tender. Add mushrooms in last 5 minutes of cooking.
Remove meat (but not mushrooms) from sauce, slice into 2cm thick pieces & set aside, keeping warm.
In a cup, mix cornflour with a little cold water to form a smooth paste. Add to sauce, stirring on medium heat till bubbling. Stop stirring & leave to thicken & reduce (5-10 minutes).
Add meat to sauce & serve immediately over rice or mash potato, with salad if desired.

Some peary goodness:

Veal with Pears & Verjuice

Serves 4

40g butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 thick veal steaks
3 small pears (eg corella)
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup verjuice (available from specialty stores)
1 tablespoon lemon thyme leaves
sea salt & cracked pepper

Heat a large frypan over high heat.
Add the butter & oil &, when bubbling, cook the veal for 3-5 minutes each side or until browned. Remove meat & keep warm.
Slice each pear into 6, discarding the cores.
Cook in the frying pan for 3 minutes or until just tender. Remove pears & keep warm.
Add the stock & verjuice to the pan & simmer, scraping the brown pieces from the base of the pan.
Add the lemon thyme, salt & pepper & cook for 5 minutes until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Serve the veal immediately with the pears & verjuice sauce.

Vanilla Risotto with Caramelised Pears

Serves 4-6

3 1/2 cups milk
1 vanilla bean, split & seeds scraped
40g butter
1 cup arborio rice
1/4 cup (white) sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
40g butter, extra
1/4 cup water
4 small pears (eg corella), halved

Place the milk, vanilla bean & seeds in a saucepan over medium heat for 5 minutes or until hot but not boiling.
Melt the butter in a separate saucepan over medium heat & add the rice.
Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until the rice is translucent.
Add the hot milk mixture to the rice, 1 cup at a time, stirring in between additions until each cup of liquid is absorbed & the rice is al dente. Stir through the white sugar.
While the risotto is cooking, cook the pears. Place the brown sugar, extra butter & water in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
Add the pear halves & cook, cut side down, for 8 minutes or until golden brown.
Turn the pears & cook for 5 minutes or until tender.
To serve, spoon the risotto into bowls & top with the pears & some syrup.