Piadini Steak Sandwiches
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These open sandwiches make a great light summer lunch or help-yourself barbecue meal. If you're going on a picnic, take the components separately and assemble once you're there.
- Makes 4
2 sirloin steaks
A little olive oil, for frying
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
4 piadini breads or flatbreads
4 handfuls rocket leaves
Parmesan shavings, shaved with a vegetable peeler
Beetroot relish or other relish
A drizzle of olive oil
A drizzle of vincotto or balsamic glaze
1. Heat a heavy-based frypan or barbecue grill until very hot. Coat steaks in oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper then sear, turning once, until done to your liking (about 3 minutes each side for medium-rare, depending on thickness). Remove from pan, cover with baking paper and a clean teatowel and allow to rest for about 5 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.
2. Warm piadini breads or flatbreads quickly in a frypan or hot oven or on a barbecue grill. Divide rocket leaves between piadini or flatbreads, then top with steak slices, parmesan shavings and relish. Drizzle with olive oil and vincotto or balsamic glaze, season with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Annabel Langbein's Cucumber Mint Punch
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A simple punch is a great way to break the ice when you have a bunch of people coming over. I like to mix it by the jugful. The combination of cucumber and ginger is wonderfully refreshing. You can add a little lemon juice or sugar if you like.
- Serves 6-8
1½ -2 cups fruit cup, such as Pimm's
1 cup chilled orange juice
2 cups chilled ginger ale
2 cups chilled lemonade or soda water
3 cups ice cubes
½ telegraph cucumber, very thinly sliced
2 handfuls mint leaves, torn
Place all ingredients in a big jug and stir to combine.
Shortbread Stacks with Strawberries
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For a quick summer dessert or special afternoon tea, sandwich sliced strawberries and whipped cream between Buttery Shortbread.
- Makes about 20 stacks
Buttery Shortbread
400g butter, at room temperature
1 cup caster sugar
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp cream, sour cream or creme fraiche
3½ cups flour
Cinnamon Honey Cream
½ cup creme fraiche or sour cream
½ tsp cinnamon
1 tsp honey
To serve
About 20 strawberries
Icing sugar, to dust
1. To make Buttery Shortbread, beat butter until creamy, add sugar and beat until just combined - you don't need to dissolve it. Beat in egg yolk and cream, sour cream or crème fraîche until just combined. Stir in flour just until it is evenly combined and no patches of butter remain - again, don't over-mix.
2. Divide dough in half and roll in baking paper to form 2 log shapes, each about 20cm x 5cm. Chill until firm (at least 30 minutes), store in the fridge for up to a week or freezer until needed. When ready to cook, preheat oven to 150C fanbake and line 2 oven trays with baking paper.
3. Cut logs into 5mm-thick slices and arrange on prepared trays. Bake until very lightly golden and cooked through (about 15 minutes). Allow to cool on trays.
4. To make Cinnamon Honey Cream, place all ingredients in a bowl and stir to combine well. If not using at once, cover and store in the fridge for up to a week until needed.
5. To serve, arrange a third of the shortbread biscuits on a serving tray. Divide half of the Cinnamon Honey Cream between them, then top each with about half a strawberry, thinly sliced. Repeat with a second layer of shortbreads, cream and strawberries, then top with a last shortbread. Dust with icing sugar to serve.
• For more great Annabel Langbein recipes see annabel-langbein.com