EXTRACT.4 cups (1L) water2 tbs rock salt500g pickling cucumbers2 garlic cloves, roughly sliced1 /2 bunch dill, fronds picked2-3 tsp caster sugar (optional)To pickle the cucumbers, add the waterand salt to a large saucepan and bringto the boil. Remove from the heat andset aside to cool to room temperature.Pack 2 wide-mouthed sterilised jarstightly with the cucumbers. Divide thegarlic and dill between the jars, pourover the cooled brine and seal tightlywith the lids. (If you like your picklesa little sweet, you can add a few teaspoonsof caster sugar at this stage, too.)Leave the jars somewhere cool anddark for about 7 days, then give oneof the pickles a try. If it is salty and sour,then transfer the jars to the fridge;if not, leave the jars where they areto keep pickling. Jars will keep in thefridge until needed.HOT CRAYFISH ROLLSERVES 4“I grew up on the coastline ofsouthern Australia, famous for its rocklobster (aka crayfish), so it made sensefor me to include this take on thefamous New England lobster roll here[at The Hot Chicken Project]”.1 × 600g crayfish4 store-bought brioche buns80g unsalted butter, melted2 baby cos lettuces, leaves separatedSAUCE1 cup (250g) whole-egg mayonnaiseJuice of 1 /2 a lemon1 tbs apple cider vinegar2 tsp Dijon mustard1 tsp tomato sauce1 /2 cup (125ml) grapeseed oil1 /2 tsp chilli powder1 /2 bunch dill, finely choppedDRESSING100g unsalted butter100ml extra virgin olive oil1 tsp smoked paprika1 tsp cayenne pepperBring a large saucepan of salted water tothe boil. Carefully add the crayfish to thepan and boil for 7-8 minutes, then turn offthe heat, cover with the lid and leave to sitfor a further 2 minutes. Remove crayfishfrom the pan and plunge it into a bowl oficed water to stop the cooking process.For the sauce, whisk together themayonnaise, lemon juice, vinegar, mustard,tomato sauce, grapeseed oil and chillipowder in a bowl. Season to taste, thenfold through the dill. Set aside.For the dressing, melt the butter and oiltogether in a small saucepan over a lowheat, then add the paprika and cayenneand whisk together to combine. Set asideand keep warm.Remove the crayfish from the iced waterand cut off the tail. Cut lengthways downthe tail and break away the shell, thenchop the meat into rough pieces. Transferthe chopped meat to a bowl, sprinkle witha pinch of salt flakes, spoon over the sauceand mix everything together well. Seasonto taste.Split the brioche buns down the middleand brush the insides with melted butter.Place a large frypan over high heat, thenadd brioche to the pan, buttered-sidedown, and leave for a few seconds untillightly charred.While the bun halves are still warm,bring them together and pile them highwith the baby cos leaves and the saucedcrayfish meat. Spoon over the butterydressing to serve.HAND PIESMAKES 15“I don’t have much of a sweet tooth, sothese are perfect. You can fill these withanything you like, really – fresh berries,stewed fruit, canned fruit – and they canalso be easily adapted to make them workfor savoury fillings, just omit the sugar fromthe pastry. If you can’t get hold of cakeflour, just sift 1 tbs of cornflour with thesame quantity of plain (all-purpose) flour,less 1 tbs.” Begin this recipe 1 day ahead.You will need a kitchen thermometer.600g seasonal fruit such asblueberries or strawberries,cut into small chunksVegetable oil or lard, to fryIcing sugar, to servePASTRY280g unsalted butter, chilled90g lard, chilled650g cake flour, sifted1 1 /2 tbs caster sugar2 tsp salt235ml ice-cold waterFor the pastry, cut the butter and lardinto 1cm cubes and place in the freezerfor 10 minutes or until firm.Combine the flour, sugar and salt ina bowl. Add half the butter and lardcubes and toss to coat, then transferthe mixture to the bowl of a stand mixerwith the paddle attachment and beattogether on medium speed, graduallyadding the remaining butter and lardas you go, until the mixture resemblesa coarse meal. Add the cold water andbeat again slowly until it forms a roughdough. Remove from the mixer, wrapthe dough in plastic wrap andrefrigerate overnight.On a lightly floured work bench,roll the dough out to 4mm thick andcut it into 13cm circles. You will haveapproximately 15 circles.Cover half of each pastry circlewith seasonal fruit, leaving a small borderaround the edge, then fold the pastryover to cover the fruit and press alongthe edges, pinching and folding to seal.Transfer the pies to the freezer for20 minutes to firm up.When ready to cook, half-fill a largedeep heavy-based, saucepan ordeep-fryer with oil or lard and heatto 180°C. Working in batches of2 or 3, carefully lower the pies into thehot oil, shaking the pan gently sothey don’t stick together, and cookfor 8-10 minutes, turning every minuteor so, until golden and crisp all over.Remove from the oil, drain on paper toweland dust with icing sugar while hot,to serve.
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