With a long weekend upon us, it could be time to have another go at those culinary challenges that have got the better of you in the past. Perfect poached eggs? Yes, please. Freshly baked bread? You got this. A lump-free bechamel or gravy? Piece of cake. Pasta from scratch? Oh, yes.
Hopefully these moreish nuggets of wisdom are enough to give you a little more confidence to whip up something delectable and brag worthy.
Best ever bechamel
I love a bechamel and I have mine down pat. I never look at a recipe for this, it's all about feel. Here are my best bechamel tips:
- Use a generous amount of butter to start, at least 50g.
- When the butter has melted remove the pot from the heat (this is key)!
- With pot off heat, add flour, one tablespoon at a time until you have a smooth, fairly thick mixture.
- Return to heat again for 1 minute until mixture is bubbling.
- Remove from the heat again.
- Add your milk slowly, off heat, stirring with a whisk until you have a fairly smooth mixture that is not too thick. You want to have added at least 1 cup of milk.
- Return to low heat, whisking gently.
- If it thickens too fast, remove from heat and add a splash more milk.
- Repeat this process until you have a smooth sauce thickened to your liking.
- Season and add a grating of nutmeg.
Patience and pasta
I am a kitchen nerd who likes to do things from scratch, but even I have always shied away from making my own pasta until very recently. I had this idea that you need special skills or equipment, but finally curiosity got the better of me and I gave it a go. Turns out that it's really easy, messy and fun and you don't need any special gadgets.
Why are we so intimidated by pasta? Maybe it's more of a pragmatic decision. Why would I want to go to all that trouble when I can buy it for less than $2 from the supermarket?
If you are someone that enjoys the creative process of making food and really getting in there with your hands, then definitely give it a go. If you are trying to impress friends, family or your partner this is also highly recommended. It just takes some time and elbow grease and the end result is orgasmic.
To make pasta you only need five things:
Flour - approximately 21/2 cups
Eggs - 4 large room temperature
Olive oil - tablespoon
Salt - teaspoon
Rolling pin
To make your pasta dough, add all of your ingredients to a food processor, pulse till combined, then knead on the counter until you have a smooth ball. Let it rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. Then you move on to the fun part, making pasta. I turned my dough into pumpkin and pine nut ravioli that was out of this world. Here's the recipe:
Homemade pumpkin ravioli with sage butter sauce
Ingredients
For the ravioli:
Half a butternut, peeled and cut into a small dice
4 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chicken stock powder
¼ cup of water
A small knob of butter
Toasted pine nuts
A small handful of crumbled feta
2 Tbsp grated parmesan
1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Pasta dough (if you have made the volume suggested above you only need half, wrap and freeze the rest)
For the sauce:
100g butter
20 sage leaves
1 tsp chilli flakes
Salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
- Simmer garlic in butter till fragrant. Add pumpkin, vinegar, stock, water. Put lid on, simmer 15 mins. Take lid off, add thyme, simmer till liquid absorbed, checking often. Allow to cool. Then add pine nuts, feta and parmesan.
- Roll out dough took very thin and almost see through. Cut into circles with cookie cutter. Put small spoons on pumpkin mixture in circle, brush edge with water, and top, press together and then seal edges with a fork.
- Boil ravioli for 2-3 mins or until they all float to top.
- Meanwhile melt butter, add sage leaves, simmer till fragrant, then add chilli flakes and season.
- Drain ravioli, serve topped with sage butter sauce and generously grate over parmesan.
Sunny side up
There are two main variables that will determine the success of your poached egg: the freshness of the egg and the water temperature. My biggest tip when it comes to getting your egg right is this: if you have an electric stove don't try to boil, then reduce to a simmer. Instead, use your kettle. That way you don't have to wait for your element to cool down.
To check if your egg is done, pick it up with a slotted spoon after about two minutes and give it a jiggle. If it's still runny, pop it back in for another 30 seconds. I don't use vinegar and I don't salt the water, but if that works for you keep it up. I did a test earlier this week, one egg made with a little vinegar in the water and one without. I had more white threads without vinegar, which meant less egg to enjoy as a result, but it was perfect and didn't taste like vinegar, so this is definitely my preference.
Poached egg with vinegar in the water:
My non-vinegar poached egg:
My perfect poached egg tips are:
- Boil the water in your kettle and then add to a saucepan on medium-low.
- Crack your egg into a small bowl or mug.
- Wait until a few bubbles form on the bottom of the pot.
- Start a gentle whirlpool going and gently slide in your egg.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Remove with a slotted spoon.
- Top with chilli flakes if you like it spicy.
Feeling the knead
I love kneading bread by hand - it's so relaxing. If you hate it, but have a stand mixer with a dough hook you are living on easy street. My bread tips are:
- Don't over-knead.
- Always add your water (and oil) before your flour. It is much easier adding more flour to a wet mixture than trying to get water into a dry one once a ball has formed.
- Add some olive oil for moisture and depth of flavour.
- Don't just blindly follow a recipe as the absorption rate of flours varies widely. Add your flour a little at time, checking the consistency of your dough as you go.
- It should be a smooth ball of dough with a slight tackiness, but it shouldn't feel sticky. A good rule is if the ball of dough looks shiny and there are no bits sticking to the sides.
- Temperature will affect your rise (proofing) big time. Keep checking on it. You want it to roughly double in size. When it has lots of bubbles and sinks back when you prod it, you are good.
- Shaping it doesn't have to be scary, just massage it into a rough ball, tucking loose parts underneath.
- Cut the top into a + shape with a very sharp knife to let out steam.
- Bake on a baking tray lined with baking paper.
- To check if it is done you can knock the bottom of the loaf like a door and it should sound hollow.
- Allow your bread to cool fully before slicing.
- Slather with copious amounts of butter.
That's just gravy
Most of the time when I make a pan gravy, I use the juices from a roast I have made in my slow cooker, so I strain the juices, pushing any veg with the back of a spoon to get all of the liquid out. I then get it to a medium-high heat and let it simmer as I add some magic – balsamic vinegar, mustard, dried herbs, tomato paste, even barbecue sauce all work well, and if the juices are not "meaty" enough, add a little dried stock. I even sometimes add a spoon or two of powdered gravy for depth – simmer for 10 minutes until it has slightly reduced a little, then you want to thicken it.
I know flour is traditional, but I prefer to use a tablespoon of corn flour mixed with a little water, added slowly. This ensures your gravy is not lumpy. If you end up with lumps, don't panic, that's what sieves are for and no one needs to know.
Short and sweet
Making your own short crust pastry is easy. All you need is a food processor and to remember to use cold butter. Then simply combine your ingredients in your food processor, pulse until you have a dough, wrap and let it rest in the fridge for a few hours. Then, the only thing you need to remember is to thoroughly blind bake. Roll out your dough and lay it in your pie pan, cover with baking paper and fill with baking beans, and bake. Remove the baking beans for the last five to 10 minutes. You can even prep to this point ahead of time and then keep your crust in an air tight container. Homemade short crust is light years better than store bought and it is really easy. Use it to make quiche or a comforting winter apple pie. Give it a go!