delicious Australia - May 2020

EXTRACT.
SIMPLE COOKING IS what I’ve always known and loved. It is the sort of food I grew up
eating – thoughtful, considered and uncomplicated, in the best possible way. If we had
good ingredients to begin with, little was needed to make a beautiful meal.
Food and family are so intertwined. While cooking for family is, of course, to satisfy
hunger, it is so much more. ‘Family food’ is generous and unfussy and demonstrates
love and care – it is perfectly imperfect. For me, it is also about making rituals and
creating special moments together; even something as simple as eggs on toast can be
a joyous occasion when you are all together around the dining table. That notion of
being together and sharing food at a table is a practice that is often lost in the
busyness of our lives. No matter what the day has brought us, the dependable act of
setting the table and enjoying a simple meal is comforting and ever-reassuring.
A Year of Simple Family Food by Julia Busuttil Nishimura, Published by Plum, $39.99,
Photography by Armelle Habib
@juliaostro
PORCHETTA
SERVES 12-15
Begin this recipe 1 day ahead. You will
need kitchen string.
1 x 2.8-3 kg piece pork belly (rump end)
or shoulder, bone removed, skin scored
SEASONING
2 tbs sea salt
1 1 /2 tbs fennel seeds, freshly ground
2 tbs finely chopped sage leaves
2 tbs finely chopped rosemary leaves
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
SALSA VERDE
1 garlic clove
Small bunch parsley, leaves picked
1 tbs salted capers, rinsed
2 anchovy fillets, drained
Juice of 1 lemon
1 /2 cup (125ml) extra virgin olive oil
Ensure the pork is dry by patting down skin
and flesh with paper towel. Lay the pork,
skin-side down, on a clean work surface.
For the seasoning, mix all of the
ingredients together in a bowl.
Rub seasoning into the meat then
roll up the belly and tie tightly using
kitchen string. Place on a wire rack over
a tray and refrigerate, uncovered,
overnight. This allows flavours to develop
and skin to dry. Allow pork to come
to room temperature before moving onto
the cooking.
Preheat oven to 170°C. Place the pork on
a wire rack over a baking tray and roast for
3 hours. Increase the temperature to
200°C, then cook for a further 30 minutes
or until the skin is crackling and golden.
Remove and allow to rest for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the salsa verde, finely
chop garlic, then add parsley and continue
to chop, adding capers and anchovies and
continuing to chop until everything is
roughly incorporated. Transfer to a small
bowl, squeeze in the lemon juice and mix
in enough olive oil so that sauce is a
drizzling consistency. Season to taste. Cut
the porchetta into slices and serve with the
salsa verde.
CAVATELLI WITH SAUSAGE AND
CAVOLO NERO
SERVES 4
400g semolina flour, plus extra to dust
1 /4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely diced
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 sage leaves
Pinch of dried chilli flakes, plus extra
to serve
3 pork and fennel sausages (about 300g),
casings removed
400g canned whole peeled tomatoes
1 bunch cavolo nero (about 150g), stems
removed, leaves roughly chopped
Grated parmesan, to serve
To make the cavatelli pasta, place the flour
onto a clean work surface and mix with
a large pinch of salt. Make a well in the
centre and slowly pour in 3/4 cup (180ml)
warm water. If the dough feels very dry
or difficult to bring together, sprinkle over
a little extra water. Using your hands,
bring a little flour at a time into the water
until you have a rough dough. Use a pastry
scraper to bring it all together. Knead for
10 minutes or until smooth. Cover with
plastic wrap and set aside for at least
30 minutes.
Divide the pasta dough into 4 pieces,
cover with a clean tea towel and set aside
until ready to use. Working with 1 piece at
a time, place dough, on a lightly floured
work surface, roll dough into a rope about
1.5cm thick. Cut the rope into 1cm lengths
and use your finger to press down and roll
to create a small cavern. This is best done
on a flat wooden board. Place the cavatelli
onto a board or tea towel generously
dusted with semolina flour. Repeat with the
rest of the dough, arranging cavatelli in a
single layer to ensure they don’t stick to
each other.
Warm the olive oil in a large frypan over
a low-medium heat. Add the onion and fry
gently for 15 minutes or until soft and
beginning to colour. Stir in the garlic, sage
and dried chilli. Increase heat to mediumhigh
and add the sausage meat. Break up
the meat with the back of a wooden spoon
and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden. Add
tomatoes and simmer for 5 minutes, then
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