Ingredients

• Pork Belly
• Salt
• Oil

For Apple Sauce

• 2 x apples grated
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tsp sugar
• Pinch of salt
• Water OR Pan Juice from the Roast

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Lightly cover the pork with olive oil and liberally coat with a good quality sea salt flake.
2. Place the pork in the oven and monitor closely
3. After 15 -20 minutes, turn down the temperature to 150 degrees and cook for another 30 minutes
4. Take the pork out and turn the oven back to 220 degrees. Once the oven is at the maximum temperature, place the pork belly back inside and monitor closely.
5. Once the crackling is done, take the pork out and let it rest.
6. For the apple sauce mix all the ingredients together in a small pot or pan and cook until it’s very soft.
7. Pour into a container or blender and blitz until smooth. If the sauce is too thick, add water or pan juices until it’s at the desired consistency. Serve with mash, salad or roast vegetables.

Blake’s Pork Belly Tips 

• I always leave my pork in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours to dry out.
• Scoring can help you get a better crackle by allowing moisture to escape, but it isn’t necessary.
• Try to avoid vacuum packed pork, especially if you’re planning on cooking it that day. If you do have vacuum packed pork: pat it dry, score it, tip boiling water over the top, pat dry again, cover with salt and leave it in the fridge uncovered for 24 hours.
• Pork belly is probably the most difficult cut of pork to get good crackling on. If you’ve never tried making it before, use ’round cuts’ like rolled loin or pork leg. They are a bit easier to master
• Use Good quality salt. Plain table salt won’t cut it. A soft flaky sea salt is the best option as it actually heats up and can help bluster the surface.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 tbsp Honey
• 1 1 /2 – 2 tsp bicarb soda
• 200g dark cooking chocolate

Method

• Melt sugar and honey in a pot until it has a runny
• Add the bicarb soda and whisk vigorously
• Pour the mixture on to a piece of baking paper and place it into the fridge to set
• Break the honey comb into pieces and store in the fridge or freezer.
• Melt the cooking chocolate
• Poke a tooth pick into honeycomb and quickly coat it in chocolate (Be quick so you don’t melt the honeycomb).
• Place on a piece baking paper in the fridge to set.

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Ingredients

1. 250g Beef Liver (Grass fed)
2. 1 cup Milk
3. 1 cup Soy Sauce
4. 1 Garlic Clove
5. 1 Piece of Ginger (equal to the garlic)
6. Dash Sesame Oil
7. 1 cup Corn Flour
8. Oil for deep frying

Method

1. Slice the Beef Liver in to smaller nugget sized pieces
2. Soak them in the milk for at least 2 hours if possible. You can completely skip this step if you’re not worried about the liver taste.
3. Then drain and pat dry. Mix soy sauce, ginger, garlic and sesame oil in a container or snap lock bag and add the liver. Let it marinate for 2-12 hours.
4. Remove from the marinade and coat liberally in corn flour.
5. Fry in hot oil for 2-3 minutes eat side.
6. Serve with Spring Onion, Sesame Seeds and Kewpie Mayo

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INGREDIENTS
50ml Olive Oil + Extra for Serving
6 Garlic Cloves roughly chopped
1 fennel Bulb thinly sliced
1 TBL Fennel Seeds toasted and crushed
1 TSP Chilli Flakes
6 Anchovies
500g Cherry Tomatoes
300-400g Linguini Pasta or Fettuccini
125ml Dry White Wine + Some to drink
500g prawns (meat only shells on, heads on HOWEVER YOU WANT THEM)
75g of Pistachio Nuts or Sunflower Seeds toasted and crushed
Sea Salt
Pepper
1 Lemon

METHOD

• Start by bringing a big pot of salted water to the boil.
• While we are waiting for the water to boil start by adding some oil to a large skillet or large pot. Add your oil and throw in your garlic and fennel stirring until soft and brown.
• Add your crushed Fennel seeds chili flakes and anchovy's, stirring and breaking up the anchovy. Add the tomatoes and cook until they have all burst and started to caramelize. Taste and season with salt and pepper at this stage if needed.
• Add in the wine and leave to simmer and reduce by half.
• By now your water should be boiling so bang your pasta in and cook according to the instructions on the packet. I like cooking until just before el dente – better to go a little under with pasta to stop over cooking in the next step.
• Take your prawns. You can deshell them, however you could throw these in whole if that how you like it but for now these are ready to go into the tomato mixture. If it is becoming a little too thick add a splash more wine to help poach the prawns and scallops. Simmer with the lid ON for about 5-7 minutes.
• Once your pasta is cooked drain it off. If your pot or skillet holding the tomato sauce allows tip the pasta in and toss it all together otherwise find a large bowl to transfer the tomato sauce to and gradually mix in the pasta to that.
• Serve in to a large platter and garnish with fresh parsley, more chilli if you like, crushed sunflower seeds or pistachio nuts for a bit of texture and wedges of lemon. Don't forget some crusty bread to soak up the sauce.

To download this recipe visit Our State on a Plate

Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 60 mins

Ingredients
2 Mottainai mini lamb roasts (about 500g)
1 brown onion, diced
Juice and zest from 1 lemon
1tsp salt
1tsp honey
500g parsnips, peeled and chopped
200g thickened cream or butter
1 bunch rainbow carrots, tops on
Small mint leaves for garnish
For balsamic reduction:
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1tbsp honey
Instructions

Preheat your oven to 220C. For the marinade, put the onion, lemon zest and lemon juice into a blitzer and blitz to combine. Pour the marinade over your lamb roasts, making sure they are completely coated. The flavour will soak into lamb within minutes, but you can leave it in the fridge for longer if you want. Heat a little bit of oil in a pan and put your lamb in. Sear the lamb off, trapping all the juices inside. While the lamb is cooking, put your carrots into an oven dish. Add a drizzle of oil and a pinch of salt. Toss them around with your hands. Take your lamb out of the pan once it’s seared and put it in the oven dish with the carrots. This can then go in the oven for 60 minutes. While it’s in the oven, bring a pot of water to boil. For the parsnip puree, chop and dice your parsnips. Put the parsnips in the pot and boil them until they’re really soft. Drain off the water and add cream. Combine the parsnip and cream using a stick blender. For the balsamic reduction, put the balsamic vinegar and honey in pan. Let it simmer until it has reduced down to a nice glaze. When plating, put the parsnip puree on first and place the lamb and carrots on top. Drizzle over the balsamic reduction and garnish with mint leaves.

​Available for download over at Our State on a Plate

Ingredients

• 1 TBL Vegetable Oil
• 500G Free Range Pork Mince
• 3 TBS Laksa Paste 
• 1 Lime (Juice of)
• 1 Garlic Clove (Crushed)
• 1 Long Red Chilli (Seeded and thinly sliced)
• 1 Small Red Onion – Very Finely chopped
• 10 Snake Beans Chopped
• 200g Water Chestnuts
• 3 TBL Fish Sauce
• 3 TBL Oyster Sauce
• 1 Cup Thai Basil Leaves
• 150g Crispy Fried Shallots *garnish
• 1 Cucumber Shaved *garnish
• 1 Bunch Corriander * garnish
• Kecap manis drizzle
• Cos Lettuce or Bay gem Lettuce Leaves Separated, Washed and Dried
• 200g Crushed roasted peanuts
• OPTIONAL - 4 Quail eggs (1 per lettuce cup)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a wok over a high heat and add red onion.
2.Add the Laksa Paste, Oyster Sauce, Fish Sauce, Minced garlic, and pork mince and cook, tossing for 5-6 minutes until fragrant and combined.
3. Add Lime Juice, ½ Thai Basil, Snake beans, Water Chest Nuts and ½ Chilli and 125ml Water. Cook until water has evaporated and being soaked up by the pork.
4. Take off heat, toss through remaining basil and half of remaining chilli and set aside
5 . Shallow fry eggs in VERY HOT vegetable oil.
6 . Serve in lettuce cups and top with fried egg
Garnish with remaining chilli, coriander, and friend shallots, roasted peanuts and drizzle with Kecap Manis

 Click below to download printable PDF

INGREDIENTS
2 Large Beurre Bose Pears
1 Sheet of Puff Pastry
1/ 4 Cup Brown Sugar
 50g Butter
Mil Lel Pamesan Cheese (Available at Coles)
2 Star Anise
1 Cinnamon Quill
1 Tsp Cinnamon Sugar
Fresh Thyme for Garnish
 Pedro Ximenes for drizzle

METHOD
1. Start by pre heating your oven to 18o'C.
2. Next remove your Puff Pastry from the freezer and place on a clean bench to thaw out.
3. Next slice your Pears in to quarters or wedges and then make thinner slices from these about 2-3mm thick. Use a Mandolin to save time and mess. but watch your fingers!
We used Beurre Bose Pears because they keep a nice firm texture when cooking.
4. Toss the Pears in to a pan and cook off with the butter, sugar, cinnamon and star anise until the pears are soft and caramelized. Don't let the pan get too hot or the caramel will burn and separate from the butter. Use a slow heat - this should take about 10-15 minutes.
5. Meanwhile. cut a sheet of puff pastry in to 4 even size squares. About 1 cm from the edge of each smaller pastry, score a square on the inside - this will be the puffy pastry edging for the tart. Arrange the pastries in a baking tray.
6. Once the Pear has finished cooking remove from the pan. Let most of the caramel drip off (if you use too much it can make the pastry soggy). Place the pear mixture inside the squares on each piece of pastry. Top with parmesan cheese (as much or as little to your liking) and drizzle with the caramel sauce. Then brush the edges of the pastry with an egg wash and sprinkle with brown sugar.
7. Pop in the oven to cook for about 20 Minutes or until puffy and golden around the edges and the cheese has melted and is brown. To serve. use a zester to shave some fresh parmesan over the top. sprinkle with Thyme and a drizzle of Pedro Ximenes or even some Balsamic Glaze for a unique zing!​

INGREDIENTS
1 cup (200g) Sunrice Naturally Rice & Quinoa
2cups of Water
 
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1 cup fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon freshly grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 long red chilli, seeded, finely chopped
1 lime, zest finely grated, and juiced
60ml Olive Oil
3 teaspoons fish sauce
3 teaspoons of soy sauce
 
4 skin-on Cone Bay Barramundi Fillets
60ml Grapeseed Oil
280g baby spinach leaves / Or Bok Choy / Or Broccolini (Seasonal Green)
 
METHOD
Step 1.
Use a rice cooker and follow directions on rice packet.
For Brown Rice it is usually 1:2 Ration of Rice > Water
Leave with lid on to stand after cooking until ready to serve.
 
Step 2.
Chuck in to a processor (or chop and combine in a bowl) basil, most of the coriander (keep some to garnish), ginger, garlic, lime zest, lime juice, olive oil and fish sauce and whizz to combine together. Transfer coriander-lime sauce to a small bowl and stir in sliced chilli. Set aside.
 
Step 3.
Wipe down and pat dry the barramundi skin until completely dry! Preheat a big non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Add grapeseed Oil (We use this as it has a higher smoke point).
Season the Barramundi with salt all over and really rub in to the skin.
Once the oil is hot place the Barramundi in the pan and HOLD DOWN so the skin doesn’t curl up. The key here it to keep it flat to get perfect even crispy skin. Cook for a further 3-5 mins or until skin is crisp and golden brown or until the flesh is warm to touch on top and almost cooked through. Turnover and cook for 1-2 mins or until just cooked through. Transfer, skin-side up, to a plate to rest.
 
Step 4
Pour excess fat / oil out of the pan and return to heat and throw in the spinach and cook stirring for 2 mins or until mostly wilted. Remove pan from heat and stir spinach until wilted. Sprinkle with salt and olive oil and set aside.
 
Step 5. Heat up the Coriander Lime sauce in a small pot until sizzling.
 
Step 6.
Divide rice and spinach among 4 plates. Top with barramundi. Spoon sauce around and serve immediately. Be sauce not to pour on the barramundi skin as it will soften it.
There should be enough sauce in the bottom of the serving dish for the barramundi to be dipped in.