savannahcooks-blog

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Salt Slab Salad 

Have you been seeing salt slabs around? It’s become a bit of a trend- you can cook with them (hot) or do what I have done. I got mine for $15.95 at Essential Ingredients.

I recommend only making this salad in Summer. Tomatoes taste so much better in Summer, especially when you buy them from a local farmer. I also highly recommend not substituting the white anchovies for regular anchovies as the acidity and sweetness really makes the salad. 

Ingredients

4 REALLY yummy tomatoes

That's Amore bocconcini or buffalo mozzarella

1 pack white anchovies (can be found in Italian delicatessens) 

Method

Cut tomatoes into slices, not too thick/not too thin

Cut cheese the same

Drain liquid from anchovies (into a cup and reserve for another salad dressing?)

Wet salt block, place on serving plate of choice 

Starting with tomato, alternate tomato/cheese/tomato till salt block full

Lay white anchovies on top 

Make sure that you do not overcrowd, as you want the tomato and cheese to be resting on the beautiful salt block. 

You will have left over cheese and tomato. I put these on the side, so I could restock the salt block when the first lot were taken. 

[savannahcooks-blog]

My Tomato Tar Tar Tar (with help from Maggie Beer)

Please follow the recipe for Maggie Beers' sour cream pastry I have found that this is the most successful and tastiest recipe I have come across. https://www.maggiebeer.com.au/recipes/sour-cream-pastry

Ingredients

Tomatoes 2kg roma or truss tomatoes 1 tablespoon high quality balsamic vinegar 8 garlic cloves, still in paper Nice pinch of salt Good splash of olive oil

Sauce 200 ml creme fraiche 8 roasted garlic cloves 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar Nice pinch of salt

Method

Set oven to 160 degrees fan forced Quarter tomatoes and place on baking tray Splash balsamic vinegar and EVOO over (toss if you like, being careful not to break the tomato quarters) Then add the whole garlic cloves and a nice pinch of salt over tray Put in oven for close to two hours Tomatoes should not burn, but dry and slightly caramelise

While tomatoes are cooking, make pastry *** After putting the pastry in the tin with dry rice or whatever your baking weights may be- place in freezer for 20 minutes to cool the tart down (this is so the tart doesn’t shrink when entering the oven). Pastry shrinks because of water evaporation (better to bake very cold tart where water has less time to escape)

After taking tomatoes out of the oven, turn to 220 degrees for the tart Take the garlic cloves and squeeze the roasted garlic out of the shell/paper into a bowl Mash with a fork, then gradually add creme fraiche (some people may like a stronger garlic taste than others) Add balsamic vinegar and salt (use your own senses to create the perfect balance, remembering that the tomatoes will bring acidity and sweetness)

Once tart is cold, spread creme fraiche Starting on the outside add tomatoes in a circular manner You might have extra tomatoes, serve these on the side

[savannahcooks-blog]

Mint Leafs’ Crab Ravioli

Ingredients

Dough 3 cups flour 4 eggs

Crab Filling Big guzzle of olive oil 4 Garlic cloves finely sliced 1 anchovy fillet finely chopped 1 Red chilli, some seeds removed finely chopped 225g Blue swimmer crab 100ml White wine 100ml Hot water 50g Butter About 1 lemon juiced 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley (use sharp knife so as not to bruise the parsley)

Pseudo Beurre Blanc 250ml white wine Reserved liquid from crab filling

Finishes Parsley Mint

Method

Flour in bowl, make a well, drop eggs Using a fork, whisk together, slowly incorporating flour Once formed, turn onto flour surface Knead until elastic, around 15 minutes Rest for more that 15 minutes

In the meantime, make the filling

Cut all ingredients ahead of time, important to chop as finely and as beautifully as possible as this adds to the aesthetic of the ravioli Place large saucepan on stove, low heat Add garlic, this must sit in oil for 15 minutes on a low heat, the flavour of the garlic will infuse in the oil Turn up the heat to medium, add chilli, seeds and anchovy fillet Cook till garlic just about to brown Add crab, turn heat to high, wait till hot (sizzle can be heard), add wine Cook till wine almost evaporated Add water and butter - cooking to emulsify the sauce Add lemon, check for taste- season if necessary Turn off heat, add parsley

Place a sieve in a bowl and then pour filling to sieve. This is done so the ravioli will not be too wet. Place in fridge to cool down.

Using your pasta rollers, roll out dough to sheets in usual way Dough is at right thickness on number 7 Cut out circle shapes from the pasta sheet, making sure surface is floured Using a teaspoon place filling in the middle of the pasta circle Wipe beaten egg around the edge to act as a seal Place another pasta circle on top, starting from one edge Pick up, and using your fingers, work around the circles, making sure no air is caught inside, sealing as you go Make all ravioli

Put on large pot of water, salty like the sea Once boiled cook ravioli for around 5 minutes

In the meantime, make the pseudo beurre blanc Add 250ml of white wine to saucepan, reduce till 1/4 left Gradually whisk the reserved liquid from crab filling

After ravioli cooked, add to pan with finish PBB Serve with shredded parsley and mint