CULINARY CORNER
Culinary Corner By Chris Koehn “To eat is a necessity but to cook intelligently is an art”. Winter is still on its way and we are thinking about warming nourishing soups.
HARIRA SOUP (lamb with chickpeas, lentils & peppers) Serves 6-8
Harira - Morocco’s famous tomato and lentil soup.
500gms diced shoulder lamb
It’s fragrantly seasoned with ginger, pepper, and cinnamon, and also boasts a robust quantity of fresh herbs: cilantro, parsley, celery and onion.
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
Although made throughout the year, harira is best-loved by Moroccans during the month of Ramadan when it’s frequently served to break the fast at sunset. Some families also enjoy eating harira at suhoor, the meal taken in the early morning hours before a day’s fasting officially begins. There are many versions of this soup; I would like to share with you this wonderful HARIRA SOUP (lamb with chickpeas, lentils and peppers) with you.
2 red onions finely diced 2 capsicums diced into 1cm pieces 2tsp ground ginger 8 saffron threads toasted and crushed 1 or 2 tins of drained chickpeas 1 tin of brown lentils 10 cups chicken stock
For more recipes or any culinary enquiries you can contact me by visiting my website:
10 ripe tomatoes peeled seeded and coarsely chopped (or you can use 2 tins of chopped tomatoes) Chopped coriander leaves 1 tsp. cinnamon Lemon juice
www.myhomechef.com.au
Salt to taste
Wine matters
By Guy Surkjin
In 2012, nearly 1.7 million tons of grapes were crushed in Australia, that’s 74 kilos per capita. Given that for the same year, men weighed on average 85.9 kilos and women 71.1 kilos, Australian wineries processed approximately the combined weight of the nation’s population in grapes. Does Australia produce more red or white wine? Have a guess. If you chose red then you chose correctly, as 50% of the grapes crushed are of the black variety, in order of importance Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Pinot Noir. These leading varietals collectively represent the vast majority of red wine production in Australia. Shiraz is the number one black varietal representing about 25% of the overall production.
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3004NEWS
The mathematicians among you will already have realised that if you chose white, you were also correct as the other 50% of the grapes crushed in Australia are of the white variety. For whites, Chardonnay dominates outright followed respectively by Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon, Pinot Gris/Grigio and Muscat. In broad terms, there is almost as much Chardonnay grapes produced in Australia as there is Shiraz; both varieties account for 45% of the
total national grape production. Shiraz is produced in many wine regions across the country and can therefore vary in aroma, taste and texture depending on the region and producer’s wine making style. The most famous area is possibly the Barossa Valley. Of course, you can experience these pleasurable sensations much closer to home. Take a short 90-minute drive from our beloved St Kilda Road, blessed
1 Heat olive oil in a large pot, add diced lamb and brown, remove meat and set aside.
2 Add onions and capsicums to the pot and sauté until tender. Add the garlic and sauté quickly. 3 Then return lamb to the pot with the ginger, saffron, a quick stir then add the chicken stock and tomatoes, bring to the boil and skim.
4 Cook until lamb is tender,(about an hour)then add the chickpeas and lentils and cook a further 10 mins.
5 To serve add chopped coriander, a sprinkle of cinnamon and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, stir through and serve.
with easy access out of town, to follow some of the many winery trails found in the Yarra Valley, the Mornington and Bellarine peninsulas or the cool climate Macedon Ranges. Or easier still, pop into your local wine store. So here’s cheers to Shiraz. Our national red variety produced in an array of styles for us all to enjoy, from sparkling to still wines, from straight Shiraz to our typical Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz blend or the much loved ‘GSM’ blend of Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvedre sometimes referred to as Mataro, a blend also famously produced in the Southern Rhone wine region of France. Typically, Shiraz tends to have deep ruby or purple hues and deliver fairly full bodied wines with flavours of blackberries and spices such as pepper, mint and eucalypt. And with those characteristics in mind, I can’t help but mention that Shiraz is an ideal match to rich meaty dishes such as lamb or venison. Perfect for winter.