Can't make it to the Cafe, then try these recipes from Cafe Chef, Luke Watson, at home.

STARTERS

Pumpkin and Pumpkin Seed Dip

Ingredients

• 200g roasted pumpkin
• 1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
• 1/4cup extra virgin olive oil
• 2 cloves fresh garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• Salt & pepper to taste

To Prepare
In a mortar & pestle lightly pound seeds, garlic and thyme then add to pumpkin, oil and seasonings, crush all ingredients together, serve garnished with extra oil, paprika and thyme.

Beetroot and Horseradish Dip

Ingredients

• 200g fresh beetroot, boiled or roasted until tender
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated horseradish
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste

To Prepare
Peel and rough chop the beetroot, add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until the consistency you desire. Season to taste.

Rocket and Cashew Pesto Dip

Ingredients

• 200g fresh rocket leaves
• 50g grated grana padano parmesan
• 80g roasted unsalted cashew nuts
• 2 cloves freshly crushed garlic
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 a lemon
• Salt & pepper to taste

To Prepare
Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend until a rough but even texture is obtained. Season to taste.

The Chef's Chestnut, Porcini Mushroom & Potato Soup
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 60g dried porcini mushrooms
• 150ml extra virgin olive oil
• 2 shallots - finely diced
• 3 to 4 sprigs rosemary leaves - finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves - finely chopped
• 1.5kg small Desiree potatoes - quartered & chopped
• 1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock
• 12 roasted chestnuts - peeled & quarted
  (To prepare chestnuts, roast in hot oven or over a medium heat in a heavy pan. Make an X incision just under the pale hat of the nut & roast until the shells start to pop & the husks start to curl or until outer skin can peel away easily.)
• 100g freshly grated parmesan
• 1 handful flat-leaf parsley - chopped to garnish

To Prepare
Soak porcini mushrooms in 600ml of warm water for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over a low heat.
Add the shallots and cook until translucent then add rosemary, garlic and potatoes and cook for 5 minutes or until fragrant and starting to golden.
Add the remaining olive oil, combine and cook for a further 10 minutes. (Yes it seems like a lot of oil but you need to trust Chef Luke Watson on this!)
Add the stock, chestnuts and porcini mushrooms with their soaking liquid.
Increase heat to medium and cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally until the potatoes are tender. Finish the soup with grated parmesan, chopped parsley and a little salt and pepper.
Best served with fresh crusty bread or garlicky croutons.

MAIN COURSE

The Sous Chef’s Singaporean Chilli Crab
A spicy treat from the Cafe's Sous Chef - Siva Sehkar
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 2 whole Mud Crabs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons fresh ginger - minced
• 2 tablespoons fresh garlic - minced
• 3 fresh red bird's-eye chillis - seeded & minced
• 1 tablespoon regular soy sauce
• ½ tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 egg yolks
• ¾ cup tomato sauce
• ¼ cup chilli sauce
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Salt to taste

To Prepare
Pull the main shell off the crab and discard it, remove the gray gills and the soft insides, then
cut the crabs into quarters with the legs attached. Remove the claws and crack with the back of cleaver. Rinse, pat dry and set aside.
Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over moderate heat until hot. Stir-fry ginger, garlic, and chillies until fragrant. Add crab and stir-fry for about a minute. Stir in tomato, chillie and soy sauces, rice vinegar, sugar, salt and 1 cup water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered stirring frequently, until crab meat is fully cooked.
In small bowl, whisk together corn starch and 2 tablespoons water. Stir into crab mixture in pan and simmer, uncovered, until sauce thickens.
Stir in egg yolks to create a rippled ribbon effect on the dish and simmer, uncovered, until the yolks are cooked.
Serve immediately with steamed Chinese buns (mantou), toasted bread, baguette slices or even steamed rice!

The Chef’s Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken
(Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 600g Skinless Chicken thigh fillets
• 2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
• 1 Tbsp Caster Sugar
• 1 Tbs hot Curry Powder
• 3 Garlic cloves – finely sliced
• 1 Lemongrass stem (use bottom ½ of stalk, finely chopped)
• 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
• 1 small Brown Onion - 4mm slices
• 2 sprigs Spring Onion - finely sliced
• Small bunch fresh Coriander 

To Prepare
Cut the Chicken into finger size strips.
Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat.
Add Oil and Garlic, cook until Garlic starts to brown then add Onions, stir 1 minute, add Lemongrass and Curry Powder, stir 1 minute or until fragrant.
Add Chicken strips and sauté gently for about 3 minutes, lower the temperature and add about 80ml of water (use chicken stock if you have it), Fish Sauce and Sugar. Cook partially covered for approx 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Serve in to a warm dish, sprinkle over the spring onion and coriander, best served with steamed Jasmine Rice. 

The Chef's Meatballs ‘n Mash
(With due deference to Luke's mum! Serves 4)

Ingredients

• 3 thick slices of white bread - crust removed, torn into chunks.
• ½ cup Tahbilk red wine
• 500g lamb mince
• 1 small onion - grated
• 2 garlic cloves - finely chopped
• 1 egg - lightly beaten
• 1 tbs chopped parsley - extra for garnish
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 500ml readymade or homemade Napolitano sauce
• 2 tbs Olive oil
• Mashed potato to serve

To Prepare
Pre-heat oven to 180C.
Line a baking tray with baking paper.
Soak bread in wine for 5 minutes then lightly squeeze the excess wine from the bread reserving the liquid for the sauce.
Combine bread, mince, onion, garlic, egg, parsley and spices in a bowl. Season and mix well with hands then shape into 16 balls and bake on tray for 20 minutes until browned.
Pour in the reserved wine, olive oil and tomato sauce, baked for another 25 minutes turning and coating the meatballs every 5 minutes.
Serve meatballs and sauce with mashed potato and extra parsley.
(Chef’s Note: Ensure baking tray is just big enough to fit the meatballs.)

The Chef's Pork Ravioli
(Serves 4)

Filling

• 300g pickled free range pork - poached for 1 hour
• 100g soft chevre cheese
• 1 egg - beaten
• Soft fresh herbs (chives, sage, parsley) to taste

Pasta Dough

• 125g '00' pasta flour
• 1 extra egg yolk
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

Lightly shred the pork, mix with herbs and allow to cool, covered.
Mix all pasta dough ingredients in a food processor until combined then knead on a floured bench for five minutes. Rest it for 1 hour. Pass through a pasta roller to create thin sheets, keeping your work space lightly floured. Using a pastry cutter approx 10cm cut discs for the top and bottom of your ravioli's. Place 1 teaspoon of chevre in the centre of each disc, top with shredded pork. Using one beaten egg, brush around the edge of the bottom disc and place the top disc over the top stretching it slightly so as to line it up with the bottom. Press edges to secure. Store covered on a tea towel in the fridge.

Parsley Sauce

• 300ml full cream milk
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 clove
• 1/4 peeled onion
• 25g butter
• 25g flour
• 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
• 1/4 Cup grated cheese
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• Salt & white pepper to taste

To make the sauce, simmer milk, bay leaf, onion and clove for 5 minutes, keep warm. In a separate pan melt butter add flour and stir over low heat until flour starts to cook but do not colour (3-4 minutes). Allow to cool, whisk in the strained warm milk, stir constantly until combined then cook gently over low heat for 4-5 minutes. Add cheese, mustard and seasoning - extra milk can be added for a thinner sauce. Add parsley moments before serving.

To Serve

Simmer ravioli's in salted water until tender, strain, place on warm plate & cover with parsley sauce.
Serve with braised cabbage or great with left over bubble'n'squeak.

Rabbit, Baby Leek and Chardonnay Terrine
(Serves 8)
Take the time to prepare - it will be worth it.

Ingredients

• 800g dressed Free-Range Farm Bred Rabbit
• 1 bunch Baby Leeks
• 1 White Leek - cut into 2 batons.
• Bouquet Garni (1 bay leaf, 3 sprigs thyme & 4 large sprigs parsley - including stalks)
• 1 Onion - diced
• 3 cups clear Chicken Stock
• 1 cup Tahbilk 2009 Chardonnay
• 2 tablespoons Honey
• Gelatine - to set 1 litre of liquid
• 1 bunch fresh Herbs.

To Prepare
Cut the Rabbit into 4-5 chunks and then into a saucepan of cold stock with bouquet garni and onion, simmer for 30 minutes.
Add the trimmed baby leeks and other leek and continue to poach gently for 15 minutes.
Add the gelatine, honey and Chardonnay - season and then allow to cool.
Strain and set aside separately the cooking liquid, Rabbit meat and the leeks.
Remove rabbit meat from the bones.
Line a terrine mould with foil or cling wrap & cut open the large leek creating sheets. Line the walls of the terrine allowing enough leek to overlap the top.
Fill the terrine with 1/3 Rabbit meat, then half the baby leeks long ways, 1/3 Rabbit meat, second half of the leeks and then remaining meat.
Fill terrine with the cooking liquid and fresh herbs, fold over the remaining leek sheets and cover.
Set in the fridge for 12 hours.
To serve, turn the terrine out onto a cutting board and cut 3cm slices with a sharp knife.
Place on a chilled plate and serve with your choice of salad and relish.

Spinach and Ricotta Gnocchi with Nut Butter
(Serves 2)

Ingedients

• 250g ricotta - drained
• 350g spinach - cooked & well drained
• Half cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• Half cup plain flour - plus extra flour for dusting
• 2 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• Freshly ground nutmeg
• 100g butter
• Several sprigs of sage
• 1 tablespoon pine nuts

To Prepare
In a bowl thoroughly mix spinach, ricotta, parmesan, flour, eggs and seasoning - refrigerate covered overnight.
Dust a board with flour then shape mixture into small balls or cork shapes then sift a light coating of flour over the balls/shapes.
Using a large wide saucepan bring 3-4 liters of salted water to simmer.
Drop in gnocchi in small batches and cook until they float. Remove the gnocchi allowing them to drain, then transfer to a buttered dish and keep warm.
Place 100g of butter into a frying pan and cook until almost nutty brown, add sage leaves and pine nuts. Continue cooking until the butter becomes nut brown, remove from the heat quickly and pour over and around the gnocchi.
Serve at once with extra shavings of parmesan.

DESSERT

The Chef's Plum Pudding Ice-Cream
(Serves 4)