My, My Mary with Matt Golinski
The Mary Valley has long been a favourite hunting ground for me to find the best local produce, free range meats and quirky ingredients such as Mary Valley Yuzu. These recipes are bursting with flavours of the region. See you at GourMay Mary Valley!
Ginger, Star Anise and Soy Braised K2 Beef Cheeks with Green Papaya, Snake Bean, Macadamia and Finger Lime Salad
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 1kg K2 beef cheeks, trimmed and halved
- 2 tbs vegetable oil
- 2 spring onions, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 2 tbs grated ginger
- 4 star anise
- 2 cinnamon sticks
- 2 dried red chillies
- 1/2 cup light soy
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- 1 cup shredded green papaya
- 8 snake beans, finely shaved
- 50gm macadamias, roasted and chopped
- 1 birds eye chilli, finely sliced
- 2 kaffir lime leaves, finely sliced
- ½ cup coriander leaves
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- ¼ cup lime juice
- 2tbs brown sugar
- 1 tbs sesame oil
- 2 tbs finger lime pulp
Method:
Dry the beef cheeks on paper towel.
In a heavy based frying pan heat the oil and fry the beef cheeks until caramelised all over.
Transfer to a deep baking tray and add the spring onions, garlic, ginger, spices, soy, honey, chicken stock and vinegar.
Cover and braise for 4 hours at 140C.
Remove the beef cheeks from the liquid and strain into a small saucepan.
Reduce the liquid to a glaze and pour back over the cheeks. Keep warm.
Mix together the green papaya, snake beans, macadamias, chilli, lime leaves and coriander.
Stir the fish sauce, lime juice, brown sugar and sesame oil together until the sugar dissolves.
Pour over the salad.
Lift the beef cheeks onto a serving platter and pour over the reduced sauce.
Arrange the salad on top or serve on the side and scatter over the finger lime pearls.
Forage Farm Smoked Bacon, Leek and Vintage Cheddar Quiche with Tamarillo Chutney
Serves 4
Ingredients:
- 250gm plain flour
- 125gm unsalted butter
- 50ml cold water
- 250g smoked bacon, diced
- 100g vintage cheddar, grated
- 1 large leek, washed and diced
- 1 golden shallot, finely diced
- 1 tbs butter
- 1 whole egg
- 4 egg yolks
- 300ml thickened cream
- pinch nutmeg
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- Salt and pepper
Tamarillo Chutney:
- 8 Tamarillos, halved, skinned and diced
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
Method:
In a food processor, blend the flour and butter together until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs. With the motor running add the cold water and blend until the pastry comes together into a soft dough. Rest for 30 minutes before rolling.
Line a 26cm round or a 13 x 36cm rectangular non-stick quiche tin with the short crust pastry, and blind bake at 180ºC for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is just cooked.
Sweat the diced leek and shallot in butter until they become soft. Add the bacon and cook until lightly coloured.
Whisk together the egg, yolks, cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Scatter the bacon and leek mixture over the bottom of the cooked pastry shell, and pour in the egg mixture.
Sprinkle the grated cheddar on top of the egg mixture.
Sprinkle with thyme leaves.
Bake at 160ºC for approximately 30 minutes (the egg mixture should be just set).
Allow to cool slightly before cutting.
For the chutney, place the tamarillos, sugar, vinegar, spices, salt and pepper in a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes.
Transfer to a clean glass jar and refrigerate until needed.
Baked Ricotta and Mary Valley Yuzu Cheesecake with Persimmon and Honey
Serves 8
Ingredients:
- 150gm digestive biscuits, crushed
- 75gm butter, melted
- 500gm firm ricotta
*see BONUS RECIPE for homemade ricotta - 150gm castor sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
- Finely chopped zest of 2 yuzu
- 30ml yuzu juice
- 200ml sour cream
- 4 persimmons, peeled and diced
- ½ cup honey
Method:
Mix together the finely ground biscuit crumbs and melted butter until well combined.
Line a 23cm spring form cake tin with baking paper and press the biscuit mixture into the bottom of the tin.
Place in the fridge to chill while you make the filling.
Filling:
Place the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla seeds into the bowl of a food processor, blend until smooth.
Add the eggs, yuzu zest and juice and blend for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl and blend for another 30 seconds.
Pour the cheese mixture into tin.
Bake for 40 minutes at 160°C or until firm in the centre.
Whisk the sour cream until smooth and spread over the top of the cheesecake.
Refrigerate until cold.
Gently remove the springform tin and base and transfer to a serving plate.
Mix the persimmon and honey together and gently spoon over the cheesecake.
Enjoy!
Bonus recipe: Homemade Ricotta
If you want to make your own ricotta for this recipe, heat 2lt of good quality milk to around 90°C, remove from the heat and gently stir in 60ml of white wine vinegar.
Allow to stand for 20 minutes before scooping off the curds with a slotted spoon into a sieve lined with cheesecloth sitting over a bowl.
Refrigerate overnight to allow enough whey to drain off that you are left with 500gm of ricotta.
I always use either Kenilworth Dairies or Maleny Dairies milk for making my ricotta – quality really does make a huge difference in this case.
If you’re buying store bought ricotta, make sure you use the firm one from behind the deli counter, not the soft spreadable one that comes in tubs.
Hungry for more local flavours? Check out our recipes page.
