The original version of this dish appeared in my newsletter, To Vegetables, With Love, a few years ago. It was created as a holiday centrepiece, as there is no celebration table without Brussels sprouts. Here, five-spice powder lends a heady perfume to roasted sprouts and mushrooms; they are then tumbled through nutty soba noodles and smothered in a luscious maple syrup and soy sauce caramel. Soy sauce is a magical addition to caramel, adding a welcome deep savouriness. The hint of spice also tempers the sweetness. This caramel feels ceremonial and elegant. Don’t let the word “caramel” scare you off. This version made with maple syrup is easier to control and reduces the risk of burning.
Soba with roasted brussels sprouts, mushrooms and maple-soy sauce caramel
Serves 4-6
Vegan and gluten free
Ingredients
• 650g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
• 500g mushrooms (any variety, such as Swiss brown, button, oyster, king oyster), halved
• 1 tsp five-spice powder
• extra-virgin olive oil
• sea salt and black pepper
• 225g soba or thick rice noodles
• toasted white or black sesame seeds, to serve
• handful of coriander leaves, to serve
Maple-soy sauce caramel
• 3 tbsp maple syrup
• 30g (1½ tbsp) unsalted vegan or dairy butter
• 3 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
• 1 tbsp coconut milk or cream
• ¼ tsp red chilli flakes
Substitute
• coconut milk/cream: dairy milk or cream
• five-spice powder: ground coriander
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the Brussels sprouts and mushrooms on a baking tray. Scatter over the five-spice powder, drizzle with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and season well with 1 tsp of sea salt and black pepper. Toss to combine. Roast until the sprouts and mushrooms are golden and tender, about 25-30 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil and add the noodles. Cook according to packet instructions until al dente. Drain and refresh the noodles under cold water.
To make the caramel, place the maple syrup in a saucepan over medium heat until it comes to the boil and bubbles aggressively, about 2-3 minutes. Immediately and carefully whisk in the butter, and when that has melted, whisk in the soy sauce or tamari, coconut milk or cream and red chilli flakes. Whisk constantly until the caramel sauce is bubbling and thick enough to coat a spoon, about 2-3 minutes. Pour into a bowl and let cool. It will thicken further as it cools.
Place the noodles on a serving platter and top with the Brussels sprouts and mushrooms. Drizzle over the soy sauce caramel (it’s potent, use less if you like). Scatter with sesame seeds and coriander leaves. Serve at room temperature.
Vegemite slaw with crispy Vegemite chickpeas
I have longed to create a salad centred around the iconic Aussie sandwich spread. But given the punchy, often divisive, flavours of Vegemite, it took a decade or so of internal deliberating to arrive at an idea I felt would work. This salad really came about from the Vegemite chickpeas I made one night for fun. The chickpeas are coated in Vegemite and butter, and when they come out of the oven, they are crunchy and salty, with deep umami that highlights the caramelly notes of the yeast extract. This mild yet textural slaw is a mellow canvas for the dark flavours of the chickpeas and vinaigrette. Since the roasting time for the crispy Vegemite chickpeas is considerable, I recommend doubling the chickpea recipe so you have extra for snacking.
Serves 4-6
Vegan
Ingredients
• ½ small savoy or green cabbage (about 350g), core removed and thinly sliced
• 2 medium carrots (about 180g), julienned
• 2 green onions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• handful of coriander leaves
• handful of mint leaves
Crispy Vegemite chickpeas
• 40g (2 tbsp) vegan or dairy butter, melted
• 1 tbsp Vegemite
• 250g cooked chickpeas (400g can, drained)
Vegemite vinaigrette
• 4-5 tsp Vegemite
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• 1 tsp brown sugar or maple syrup
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
For gluten free
• use gluten-free Vegemite
Substitute
• cabbage: Brussels sprouts
• carrot: beetroot, celeriac
• Vegemite: Marmite, Promite
Method
Preheat the oven to 220°C. To make the crispy Vegemite chickpeas, place the butter and Vegemite on a medium baking tray or dish and transfer to the oven for 1-2 minutes to allow the butter to melt and the Vegemite to soften (you could also do this in the microwave). Remove and stir together as much as you can – it won’t emulsify fully. Add the chickpeas and toss to coat. Place in the oven and roast for 40-45 minutes until golden and crispy.
Meanwhile, make the Vegemite vinaigrette. Place the Vegemite in a small bowl and warm in the microwave for 8-10 seconds (or in a small saucepan on low heat, stirring). Add the rice vinegar, garlic, brown sugar or maple syrup, olive oil and 1 tablespoon of water. Whisk until smooth.
Place the cabbage, carrot, green onion, coriander and mint in a shallow bowl. Add the dressing and toss to combine. To serve, top with the crispy chickpeas.
Plum and cardamom galette
Before my last visit to Copenhagen, I regarded cardamom with the cursory respect of someone who considers spices elemental to good cooking, but I didn’t think of it affectionately or notably. This all changed after my first bite of a kardemummabullar, a traditional Swedish cardamom bun. Warm from the oven, the sticky, sugary knotted yeasted buns were light and airy, the interior fluffy, buttery and oozing with cardamom sugar. It was more cardamom than I’d ever tasted in a single dish and I was hooked. Kardemummabullar taught me that one should be brave with cardamom. That is what I’ve done here ‒ a plum galette where cardamom spikes both the pastry and the fruit. Still, the floral notes of cardamom don’t overwhelm but rather complement the tartness of the plums. Choose plums that are just ripe – firm with only a little give. If your plums are not particularly sweet, dust the finished galette with icing sugar or drizzle with honey.
Serves 4-6
Vegan and gluten free
Pastry
• 240g (12∕3 cups) gluten-free plain flour or plain flour, plus more for dusting
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp ground cardamom
• 2 tbsp white sugar
• 110g cold unsalted vegan or dairy butter, cut into 1cm pieces
• 80-125ml (1∕3–½ cup) ice-cold water
• milk of your choice, for brushing
• 2 tbsp turbinado sugar
Filling
• 5 just-ripe plums (about 500g), halved
• 2 tsp ground cardamom
• 3 tbsp white sugar
• zest and juice of ½ lemon
• 1 tbsp cornflour
• ¼ tsp sea salt
Substitute
• plum: peach, apricot
• turbinado sugar: brown or white sugar
Method
To make the pastry, place the flour, salt, cardamom and sugar in a mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Add the butter and toss to coat each piece in the flour, then, using your fingertips, squeeze the butter to flatten the pieces (the butter does not have to be uniform in size) and toss it thoroughly through the flour mixture. Add about 80ml (⅓ cup) of iced water to start and, using your hands, toss well to hydrate the flour. If the mixture is still dry, slowly add another tablespoon of water and toss well again. Continue to hydrate the dough with a tiny amount of water at a time until it just comes together. Don’t add too much water – if you are using wheat flour, you want the dough to come together but not be at all sticky; if you are using gluten-free flour mix, it may feel slightly sticky. When the dough is ready, shape into a flat disc, wrap in plastic or reusable wrap and refrigerate until chilled, about 30 minutes, or overnight. (If chilling overnight, remove from the fridge about 10-15 minutes before rolling).
To make the filling, cut the plums into thin slices and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the cardamom, sugar, lemon zest and juice, cornflour and salt. Toss to combine so the plum is coated in the lemon juice and sugar.
Preheat the oven to 200°C and place a sheet of baking paper on a work surface and place the dough in the centre. Dust a small amount of flour on top and roll the dough into a circle roughly 30cm in diameter. Spread the plum mixture on the base of the dough, leaving a 2.5cm border. Using the baking paper as a guide, fold the edges of the dough inward over the filling, pinching together any tears in the dough. Brush milk over the exposed crust, then scatter the turbinado sugar over the crust and plum mixture. Carefully transfer the baking paper with galette to a baking tray.
Bake until the crust is golden, 25-30 minutes. Rest for 10-15 minutes, then cut into slices and serve as is, or with vanilla ice cream, mascarpone or whipped cream.
An edited extract from Linger, by Hetty Lui McKinnon (Plum, RRP $49.99).
