Potatoes sautéed with parsley and garlic

This dish is served throughout France, is very easy to perfect and a delicious alternatives to French Fries. It can be cooked on its own, or with garlic and parsley as in this recipe for a delicious accompaniment to most meats, especially beef steak (see previous recipe). Preparation time: 30 minutesCooking time: 30-40 minutesServes 6 

Slow roasted whole fillet of beef with sauce bordelaise

Steak frites is a perennial favourite of most people, served deliciously in bistros and brasseries the length and breadth of France. This version involves long slow roasting of an entire fillet at very low temperature, and is ideal for a dinner party where you can put it in the oven 4-5 hours before your guests

Fish Couscous

I first had this unexpected but delicious dish in the village of Scopello, near Castellemare del Golfo on Sicily’s north western coast.  If you ever visit this beautiful little  village, do eat at the Ristorante La Terrazza, where  you will be seated at an outdoor table with views of the bay while you agonise over 

Tagliatelle with crab and lemon sauce

I first had a dish very similar to this a few years ago at a restaurant on the Amalfi Coast, which is one of the epicentres of glorious Italian seafood cuisine. It draws upon the freshest of seafood and lemons, both abundant local ingredients  in this lovely part of the world. The dish can be

Truffled Egg Pasta

This is my approximation of the standout dish at Armando Percuoco’s iconic Sydney restaurant Buon Ricardo.  It is a rich dish, made with cream and truffled eggs,  which have been stored in an airtight jar with fresh truffle for a few days, infusing the egg with truffle through its semi porous shell. Truffled eggs are

Slow roasted shoulder of lamb

This dish can be found throughout the Mediterranean, with minor variations. When I lived in France, it would take no longer than two and half hours to cook at low heat  because lamb in France is sold younger and therefore more tender.  In Australia older lamb requires double the cooking time  to achieve the same

2 course seafood dinner

First course: Spaghetti ai gamberi (spaghetti with prawns) This is a great dish  and can be cooked with a wide variety of shellfish, either on their own or in combination. I have used prawns in the recipe, but you can substitute  scallops, mussels , baby octopus or squid if you prefer. I’m serving it here