How to perfectly match your meat. Photo / Thinkstock
How to perfectly match your meat. Photo / Thinkstock
I'm sure there are times when you follow a recipe to a T, other times you customise it to your own taste, and then occasions when you might make it up completely. This is a handy guide to flavours that work well with each other. So if you're ever staring into your fridge wondering what you might serve with that piece of left-over pork, you can find inspiration here.
Ingredients that love chicken
* Herbs like parsley, tarragon, coriander (cilantro), chives, thyme and rosemary. * Vegetables such as carrots, celery, potato, pumpkin (winter squash), leek, mushrooms, fennel, Asian greens and peas. * Chicken loves being cooked with, or wrapped in, salty ingredients; bacon or olives work perfectly.
Ingredients that love lamb
* Herbs like thyme, oregano, mint and rosemary. (Don't buy rosemary! I guarantee someone you know has a big bush of it in their garden.) * Vegetables such as asparagus, green beans, zucchini (courgettes), parsnips, carrots and peas. * Salty ingredients like olives and anchovies work brilliantly with lamb, as do sweet ingredients such as currants, pomegranates and honey.
* Herbs like coriander (cilantro), chives, parsley, thyme and oregano. * Vegetables like celery, fennel, leek, leafy greens, cucumber, broccoli and tomatoes. * The flavours of aromatic ingredients penetrate beautifully into fish. Try lemongrass, lime leaves, star anise, citrus fruits, ginger, garlic, white pepper and dill.
Ingredients that love beef
* Herbs such as thyme, tarragon, coriander (cilantro) and parsley. * Vegetables such as chillies, potato, pumpkin (winter squash), tomatoes, dark leafy greens, mushrooms and onion. * Other hero ingredients such as red wine, bacon, horseradish, mustard and black pepper are perfect for bringing out the best in a beef dish.
Ingredients that love pork
* Herbs like sage, rosemary and thyme. * Vegetables such as fennel, cabbage, celery, radishes, parsnips, tomatoes, Asian greens and bitter leaves. * Cider and dry white wine are both great ingredients for pork recipes needing a splash of liquid. * Spices like cinnamon, star anise and fennel seeds love pork. * And for a hint of sweetness, pork also loves all types of fruit: apples, pears, figs and cherries all cut through rich pork dishes beautifully.
* Extract from I'd Eat That, by Callum Hahn. The book, published by Murdoch Books, is available now. RRP $29.99.
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