It’s no secret that Australia has a love affair with food and now one cookbook is celebrating all that the nation’s culinary scene has to offer. A snapshot of Australia and the food Australians love to eat, The Great Australian Cookbook features a selection of 165 quintessential recipes from celebrity chefs, plus insights into some of the nation’s best restaurants, bakeries and markets.
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From Alla Wolf-Tasker’s Lake House in Daylesford to Darren Robertson’s Three Blue Ducks in Byron Bay, the book showcases a deliciously diverse range of culinary gems that serious foodies will love. Also now a series on Foxtel’s Lifestyle FOOD channel, The Great Australian Cookbook offers plenty of inspiration for couples dreaming of tasting their way around Australia.
Just to give you a taste (pun intended), we’re sharing Bennelong and Quay chef Peter Gillmore’s recipe for Korean Chicken Soup. Bon appetite!
Peter Gilmore’s Korean Chicken Soup
Servings: 6 – Prep time: 30 mins – Cook time: 1.5 hours – Skill level: Easy
Ingredients
1.8kg whole free-range chicken
2.5 litres cold water
100g unsalted butter
2 tbsp Korean sesame oil
2 medium onions, roughly diced
1 small knob fresh ginger, finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely diced
100g fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely sliced
150g fresh oyster mushrooms, torn into thirds
3 tsp mild Korean chilli flakes
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
300g chopped kimchi (available from Asian supermarkets)
400g thin somen wheat noodles
1 small bunch baby bok choy, finely sliced
5 Asian green spring onions, white part only, finely sliced
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
fine sea salt to taste
2 free-range eggs, beaten
3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Method
Place the chicken in a large saucepan with the cold water. Bring the chicken and the water just to boiling point, then reduce to a low simmer for 30 minutes. Carefully remove the chicken with a pair of tongs and a spoon and place into a colander. Allow the chicken to cool for 15 minutes.
Wearing gloves, remove the leg, thigh and breast meat. Return all the chicken bones and carcass to the cooking liquid and continue to simmer on low for a further 30 minutes. Chop the cooled chicken meat into small pieces and place in the refrigerator.
To a separate clean saucepan, add the butter and sesame oil and place on a medium heat. Add the onion and sweat for 2 minutes. Add the ginger and garlic and sweat for a further minute. Add the shiitake and oyster mushrooms and sweat for 2 minutes. Add the chilli flakes, fish sauce, soy sauce and kimchi. Stir and remove from the heat.
Use a ladle to remove any impurities and fat from the surface of the chicken stock. Pass the stock through a fine sieve and add it to the pan of vegetables. Simmer soup on low for 20 minutes.
Bring a separate pan of water to the boil, add the somen noodles and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the noodles and divide equally between six warmed bowls. Turn the soup up to high, add the chicken meat, bok choy, spring onions and lime juice. As soon as the soup starts to boil, turn off the heat. Taste the soup and correct the seasoning with sea salt if necessary. Stir the soup to create a whirlpool, then add the beaten egg. Serve a generous ladleful of soup on top of the warm noodles and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
The Great Australian Cookbook is available from bookstores across Australia and through the book’s official website.