The executive chef of dine by Peter Gordon at Sky City answers your cuisine questions.
I'm planning on cooking roast lamb for Christmas lunch, but often have trouble with roasting it for too long. Is there a rule of thumb for how long to cook one, based on its weight, and at what temperature? Also, would you mind sharing your favourite lamb stuffing recipe?
- Sandra
You're always better to cook for a little less time than planned and then rest the lamb, covered tightly with foil and a tea towel, to let the juices stay in the meat. Lamb stuffing for me for a New Zealand Christmas would include rosemary, feta, dried sliced dates and a little paprika. To replace the usual mint sauce, try plain yoghurt with lots of shredded mint leaves, a little grated raw garlic, and a dash of extra virgin olive oil. Beef + Lamb New Zealand have plenty of great recipes on their website - check out recipes.co.nz.
Where am I going wrong with my short pastry? I use about 200g of butter to 2 cups of flour and mix it in a food processor. It turns out like a cross between flaky and tough pastry. Am I kneading it too long?
- Joy
I'd use 200g unsalted butter (diced, cold from the fridge) and 230g plain flour. Rub the butter into the flour along with a pinch of fine salt (food processor is fine but don't turn into a paste), then mix in 1 Tbs cold water or milk and just combine it, don't overwork it. The less handling the better.
I have a simple fabulous toffee nut brittle recipe: 1 cup caster sugar, 3/4 cup water. Simmer 10-12 minutes, then pour over a cup of roasted nuts. If I get it right I have crystal-clear toffee but if I don't, the toffee can become cloudy. Why is this?
- Susan Ewen
Usually cloudy toffee is caused by stirring it while it's boiling, causing sugar crystals to crystallise. The trick is to use less water, say 1 cup sugar and 1/3 cup water. Bring to the boil slowly, stirring with a metal spoon (wooden spoons can contain impurities from the last thing you cooked or the dishwasher) until the sugar dissolves. Then turn to a rapid boil and cook without stirring (you can gently shake the pan to help it cook evenly) until dark caramel.
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