Adventures of Katsudon

This is one of Katsudon’s favourite dishes in the whole world. I used to patronise a little Italian restaurant on Lygon St which served a tantalising version, and was bitterly disappointed when after a few years the chef seemed to have left, or got Alzheimer’s, and the dish became an awful, sloppy mess. I never went back and since then have been experimenting at home to make a similar version. Fortunately it’s not that hard, and Neil Perry’s book “Food I love” has quite a good recipe for it. Clams are really not that expensive so this dish is really value for money (and a waste of money if you have it outside!!) Feel free to adjust the chilli as you please! The recipe also calls for some dry white wine - you can get a great cleanskin at Dan Murphy’s for about $4. And you must cook the dish with a glass of sauvignon blanc on hand.

Ingredients

1kg clams
250ml olive oil
4 shallots, finely chopped
1 or 2 small red chillies, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
60 ml dry white wine
400g dried spaghetti
1/3 bunch chopped flatleaf parsley

Clean the clams by rinsing in cold water. Cook the spaghetti in boiling water. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the garlic, shallots, chillies, chilli flakes and bring to the boil. Add the wine, then the clams and shut with a tight lid. Shake the pan once or twice and cook, covered, for 3-4 minutes or until all the clams are open. Turn off heat and add the spaghetti and parsley and toss well. Season well with sea salt and pepper. (I like to also add another splash of olive oil at this stage).

Serves 4

This is a great winter warmer and (almost) as easy as opening up a can of soup. It’s hearty, chunky and full of wonderful antioxidants and other healthy things to boost immune systems and prevent cancer. Not that that’s the reason why I made it - it’s really because it tastes so yummy. You may never buy a can of tomato soup again.

Preparation time about 25 minutes

Ingredients

3 red capsicums
4 large Roma tomatoes
1 onion
4 cloves garlic, unpeeled
350ml vegetable or chicken stock
1 tbsp tomato paste
chopped flatleaf parsley to garnish

Preheat the oven to 200C.
Halve and seed the capsicums. Place the capsicum and the tomatoes, onion and garlic, all unpeeled, in a baking dish lined with baking paper. Roast for about 30minutes or until well browned and tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Peel vegetables and blend with half the stock until smooth. Return to saucepan and add the rest of the stock and the tomato paste. Season to taste and heat and serve garnished with freshly chopped parsley.

… said my Korean friend, in delight, when she joined us at Hwaro BBQ. It seems like the entire Korean population in Melbourne thinks the same, as they literally swarmed in to sit around communal barbecues to grill marinated meats over hot coals. Always a sign of truly authentic food. It’s not just the warm wooden interiors or the impressive list of shoju on offer that reminds Koreans of home, but also the most essential ingredient of all - the ubiquitous kimchi. With just the right spiciness and sourness, I reckon it’s the best kimchi in town, and it looks like everyone agrees.

The menu is not for the faint-hearted, featuring ox tongue, pork belly and a hefty Scotch fillet. Neither is the shoju - be warned, it may result in embarrasing behaviour and a few regrets the day after! You won’t regret the food, though - and you’ll be hankering for your next dose of kimchi again soon.

I have a confession to make - I have never had authentic gumbo. Purists may gasp, as the gumbo that I make at home is a quick version of the real thing. Apparently to make really authentic gumbo, one must start with the roux. This determines the quality of the gumbo. To make the roux, one cooks some butter and some flour, stirring constantly for an hour (I think there might be brandy in there too) - an hour - until the roux is a rich dark brown. Well, Katsudon loves cooking, but not THAT much, so I’ve made do with an express chicken gumbo recipe. As I said, I’m not sure how real gumbo tastes but this tastes pretty damn good - the spices, the creaminess, the sweetness of the prawns… It’s almost like a laksa. It’s also low carb and reasonably low fat to boot. Makes for an excellent winter dish.

Ingredients

2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 green capsicum, diced
2 chicken breast fillets, cubed
2 rashers bacon, diced
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp saffron threads, soaked in 2 tbsp warm water
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp brandy
2 tbsp plain flour

1 L chicken stock
3/4 cup basmati rice

1tbsp olive oil
6 large unshelled prawns
300g okra, thickly sliced

1 small can evaporated milk (or 2tbsp cream for those of us who don’t mind a bit of saturated fat)
3 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

Heat the oil in a large stockpot, and add the bacon, garlic, onion, capsicum, chicken, cayenne and allspice. Cook, stirring for 5-8 minutes or until golden brown. Sitr in the saffron and soaking liquid, brandy, tomato paste and flour, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously.

Gradually add the stock and bring to the boil. Add the rice, reduce heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile heat the olive oil in a pain and fry the prawns and okra for 2 minutes or until the prawns change colour. Add to the gumbo, then stir in the evaporated milk, parsley and tabasco sauce and heat for 1-2 minutes. Serve in big bowls with extra Tabasco sauce to taste.

This starter is so embarrasingly simple that you will probably never pay outrageous amounts to order it in an Italian restaurant again. The Mediterranean diet which is rich in olive oil is very heart healthy, so go ahead and enjoy!

Ingredients

French stick or two
olive oil
chopped garlic
tomatoes
parsley

Chop the tomatoes and parsley and mix with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Slice the bread and grill under a preheated grill for a few minutes. Brush with olive oil and sprinkle with chopped garlic. Garnish with the chopped tomatoes and parsley and enjoy as part of an antipasto spread. Mmmm!!