4 minute read
RECIPES FOR HOME COOKS WITH SEAN CONNOLLY
from THE DROP ISSUE 03
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Tomato, Watermelon, Strawberry Salad
Ingredients
1/2 a punnet of cherry tomatoes 1/2 punnet of strawberries - sliced 1/4 watermelon - one inch cubes 1/2 cup of torn mint 1/2 pomegranate seeds, when available 100g marinated fetta, diced 1/2 sliced red chilli
Dressing 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar 1 cup extra virgin olive oil pinch of sea salt fakes 4 twists of freshly ground pepper
Place the ingredients in a jar & give it a good shake
Try with: No.1 Family Estate Rose Pinot Noir Methode Traditionelle Rose NV — $49.99
Method
This is a very easy salad to put together - throw in the cherry tomatoes, strawberries & watermelon, along with the chilli & the premixed vinaigrette. Give it a gentle toss.
Spoon the red fruity salad onto a nice bowl or plate, pouring on any spare juices. Tear the mint leaves so the beautiful oils are released and scatter over the red fruit.
Sprinkle a small knob of the feta over the top & fnish with a sprinkle of sea salt fakes (preferably Murray River) & a cheeky drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. This salad could go either at the beginning of a meal, as a snack, or at the end - it could almost be a dessert. (tomatoes are a fruit after all!).
Lamb Cutlets ‘Scottadito’
For 4-6 people to share 1 cup chopped fat leaf parsley 1 cup chopped mint 1 cup chopped basil 2 large garlic freshly chopped 3-4 anchovies fllets fnely chopped 2 teaspoons of dijon mustard 2 teaspoons of capers roughly chopped 4 twists of freshly ground pepper 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 1/2 cup of light extra virgin olive oil Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and put to one side to let the favours steep. This is perfect for a starter or a main dish with sides of your choice. Note: Salsa Verde is best chopped by hand, but you could throw everything in a food processor un-chopped - blend, stopping & starting every three seconds, about 5 or 6 times. In Italian the word 'scottadito' literally means ‘burnt fngers’ - because the lamb cutlets are so delicious that you can’t resist eating them sizzling hot, straight from the grill.
This is a super easy recipe. Pick the best 12 lamb cutlets you can fnd. Drizzle & massage them with a touch of olive oil. Season with sea salt & freshly ground pepper on both sides. Place on a medium heat barbecue cook for 3 minutes either side. Let them
rest for 6 minutes & serve with the sauce below. Try with: Church Road McDonald Series Syrah — $39.99
Sean's restaurants: Esther, QT Auckland - The Wild Flower Bar & Dining, Killcare - The Bon Pavilion, Gosford - Steak & Co by Sean Connolly, West HQ - The Morrison Bar & Oyster Room, Sydney - The Balcony Bar and Oyster Co, Byron Bay - Sean’s Kitchen, Adelaide
Try with: Petaluma Project Company Chardonnay — $29.99
Caprese Salad
Method
A Caprese salad is a simple salad made with ripe tomatoes, mozzarella cheese and basil. For the best results it's important to use quality ingredients!
Ingredients
Makes 4 servings, best as a starter. 4 vine-ripened or heirloom tomatoes (the redder & riper the better!) 2 balls of fresh Buffalo mozzarella or Burrata Buffalo cheese Handful fresh basil leaves Maldon sea salt Freshly ground white pepper
Copious amounts of good extra virgin olive
Slice tomatoes into thick slices. For a more rustic salad with lots of shapes and textures I leave some slices as full circles and slice a few into quarters.
Tear the mozzarella cheese into large chunks. Tear larger leaves in halves.
Arrange half of the tomatoes onto a serving plate and lightly season with salt and pepper.
Add a light drizzle of the olive oil, and then tuck some of the basil and a few pieces of the torn mozzarella in and around the tomatoes.
Repeat with the remaining tomatoes, seasoning them with salt and pepper, and layering in more basil and mozzarella.
Set the salad aside for 5 to 15 minutes. In this time, the salt with draw some of the juices out of the tomatoes, which makes an incredibly delicious dressing at the bottom of the plate, perfect for mopping up with bread.
Caprese salad is best served within an hour or two after making, but must be at room temperature - be careful or the tomatoes will lose some of their texture!
