News

Spring is a time when a young man's fancy turns to love and mine, well, turns to the food I love. Here are some of my favourite early-spring dishes using newly available vegetables for an excellent menu for entertaining.

ORRECHIETTE WITH CHICK PEAS AND DANDELION GREENS

There is a famous Puglian recipe for dandelion greens and chick pea puree that I love. Here I have deconstructed it to make a savoury pasta dish with another Puglian specialty - orrechiette. Look for young organic dandelion greens if possible. They are full of flavour and not bitter. Serve as an appetizer.

What you need

250 grams (8 ounces) orrechiette

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onions

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

½ teaspoon chili flakes

About 8 cups dandelion greens, stems and bottom of leaf.

540-millilitre (19-ounce) can chick peas, drained and rinsed

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Garnish:

½ cup grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon olive oil

What you do

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add orrechiette and boil for 9 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Strain, reserving ¾ cup pasta cooking water.

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté 3 minutes or until soft then stir in garlic and chili and sauté 1 minute longer.

Add dandelion greens and sauté for 1 minute or until greens are limp then add chickpeas. Pour in ½ cup pasta cooking water and let mixture cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until everything is heated through and the tastes are amalgamated. Season with salt and pepper.

Add cooked pasta and stir together. If mixture seems a little dry, add the remaining pasta cooking water. Drizzle with olive oil. Taste for seasoning adding more salt and pepper as needed. Serve sprinkle with Parmesan. Serves 4

CHICKEN WITH FAVA BEANS AND MORELS

A quick and easy recipe that has lots of flavour and colour. You can use defrosted lima beans or green peas as a substitute for favas. Serve with lentils or rice. If fresh morels are not available, use dried ones (in my opinion, they are nearly as good), or use oyster mushrooms. To blanch and skin favas - first peel them from the pods. Add to a pot of boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Drain and refresh with cold water. Slip off hard outer skins. The bright green bean nestled inside is what you eat.

What you need

4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts (about 1 kilogram)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

50 grams (2 ounces) bacon, chopped

125 grams (4 ounces) fresh morel mushrooms, thinly sliced, or 25 grams dried

2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced

Sauce:

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 cup fava beans, blanched and skinned

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

What you do

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add bacon and sauté until slightly crisp. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat.

Add chicken breasts and brown about 1 minute on each side. Remove and add mushrooms and leeks. Sauté for 1 minute or until softened. Lay chicken on top.

Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until juices are no longer pink. Remove chicken, bacon, mushrooms and leeks and keep warm. Drain any fat from skillet.

Add wine and stock to skillet, bring to boil over high heat and reduce by two-thirds, about 5 minutes. Add cream, bring to boil and boil until sauce lightly coats a spoon. Add beans to sauce and heat up together. Return chicken, bacon, mushrooms and leeks and simmer together for one minute, or until breasts are reheated. Garnish with parsley. Serves 4

ROASTED RHUBARB CONFIT WITH CARAMEL SAUCE

This is the quickest way to make a sweetly delicious rhubarb dish and requests for seconds are always guaranteed. Make ahead of time and gently rewarm in the microwave or stove top before serving. I served this recently with a pavlova that got lots of raves.

What you need

500 grams (1 pound) rhubarb cut into 1-inch lengths (about 4 cups)

¼ cup white sugar

¼ cup corn syrup

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup blood-orange juice

What you do

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Butter an oven-proof dish. Toss rhubarb with white sugar and place in baking dish in a single layer. Roast rhubarb for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender.

Combine syrup, brown sugar and orange juice in a small pot. Bring to boil over medium heat and simmer for 10 minutes or until mixture thickens.

Remove from heat, cool a little and pour over rhubarb and toss gently to combine. Serve warm in glass dishes with ice cream or over slices of pound cake. Serves 4