Your favourite dish

Yes dear readers, it’s time for me to open the floor once again to get some feedback from within your wise and scholarly minds and well fed bellies. I need suggestions for a great dish to make for a very specific purpose.

It needs to be served cold, it needs to be able to be transported easily, and it needs to be delicious.

Think simple, think seasonal Australian summer produce, think combinations of flavours and textures. It can be sweet or savoury, a light salad, a dessert, seafood, meat, pastry, anything.

It doesn’t need to contain any special, fancy, or expensive ingredients but the end result must be something you can take one bite or fork or spoonful of, and be a little bit wowed. It doesn’t need to have a recipe, I just want ideas of things you love eating that you think are a little bit special.

You might be able to guess what this is all about, but for now allow me a little mystery.

All suggestions welcome. And if you can say why you like the dish so much that would be great too.

Come on down :)

32 thoughts on “Your favourite dish”

  1. Hey Matt, I discovered the combination of watermelon and goats cheese while over in Melbourne last year and love it.

  2. Cheers Dale,

    Interesting combination that sounds refreshing as well as earthy.

    Exactly the kind of thing I’m after… keep it coming :)

  3. beetroot cured salmon aka gravlax – served with creme fraiche & blinis
    the beetroot gives a cerise edge to the orange salmon and a nice sweet earthiness flavour
    and an extra dimension by using a flavoured vodka – i’ve adapted a Stephanie recipe with a cuisine.com.au (happy to provide details etc)

  4. It needs to pack flavour, and be seasoned correctly.

    Although if the recipient likes dessert, that could be an angle…

  5. hmmm, recipient, hey?

    If you’re after a spread rather than one item, I’d start with a mushroom and spinach/chard/sorrel tart with creme fraiche and walnuts/pine nuts.

    Then I’d have a shoulder of lamb marinated in verjuice/capers/preserved lemon/lemon juice (tks Maggie Beer), bbqed and sliced in little chunks, just warm. Some fluffy wrap bread, and a tomato/red capsicum/olive salad to wrap in with it. A garlic and yoghurt sauce if you’re very keen.

    For dessert, a couple of punnets of raspberries (with a ring hidden down the bottom?) and a bottle of very dry rose.

    1. Thanks Brad, I hope the world appreciates you as much as I do :)

      Marion, love the cured salmon idea, will have to look up your method as I’ve never heard of beetroot being used to cure before. Thanks for the suggestion.

      J: you are indeed correct, flavour packed and appropriately seasoned are a must, but desserts are also possible. Sweet teeth ahoy… More suggestions welcome.

      Zoe: Lovely ideas, I love a good savoury tart, and that’s a lovely way to cook lamb. But you’re way off the money with your underlying theme :) No rings destined for any fingers let me assure you.

      Keep em coming :)

  6. I made a dish for work that went down very well – I barbecued slices of pumpkin, eggplant, field mushrooms, sweet potato and tomato on a hotplate with olive oil and pickling spices. These were then marinaded in olive oil and balsamic and served with sliced cold rare roast beef.

  7. Hey Matt,
    The simple fresh flavours and combination of a salad done with chunks of roasted pumpkin, baby rocket, goats fetta and roasted pine nuts, drizzled with olive oil is sublime.
    It goes without saying all ingredients preferably organic turn out the best results – especialluy for the rocket.

    1. Hey Catherine, I love that idea. Perhaps even some mild blue cheese in place of the goats cheese… but the combination sounds great. Thanks :)

  8. I do a quick tomato mayo and have it with some local prawns or crays that have been cooked in sea water.

    Get some real tomatoes (grown in soil, out in the open) which are in season now. Simply wizz them with one clove of raw garlic, salt, and plenty of good WA olive oil… easy.

    Also, a bottle of one of those fine WA sparkling wines you mentioned in your last post and you have a little bit of summer luxury.

  9. What about a WA seafood sampler plate?

    Ceviche with hiramasa king fish

    Betel leaf with poached king prawn with pomelo, ground nuts, onion, peanut, chilli appropriate seasoned

    Tuna tataki – seared with black sesame seeds with a wasabi aioli

  10. Hi Matt,

    I’ve just discovered your site and i love it, am so relieved to find i’m not the only person who thinks about food way too much.

    Right now i’m addicted to guacamole = avocado, spring onions, tabasco/fresh chilli, lots of lime juice, coriander and the secret ingredient – fresh corn, it’s really crisp and juicy right now. A great dish cold and very easily transportable.

    1. Kam: Brilliant suggestion. I’ve been thinking about gazpacho, but salmorejo is a great idea long those lines. I wonder which kind of seafood would have a strong enough flavour to stand up to the soup though.

      Sue: Great suggestion, i love king fish and tuna in nothing other than themselves and a little soy to dip. The betel leaf is perhaps slightly out of my depth, but i like the small parcel concept.

      Caitlin: You certainly aren’t the only one :) There are many of us around as obsessed as you :) I do love good guacamole. The Flying Taco in North Perth make a version that I always go back for, may be a little more of a dip than a meal for what I’m thinking, but you’ve got me thinking about avocado now… which is a good thing. I hope you enjoy the rest of the site :)

  11. Chilled watermelon cubes with tabasco and mint – really really good for a hot summer’s day.

    Well would be really good – save I forgot to get watermelon today.

  12. Is this for Master Chef?

    If you’re doing it soon I’d pick something based around tomatoes as they’re all kinds of great at the moment.

    Uhhh this is all a prelude to me saying: long time reader, love your blog, please read mine at palaceusa.blogspot.com .

  13. Chinese chicken salad – poached chicken breast shredded over marinated onions (rice vinegar, salt, sugar, pepper),finely shredded carrot and cabbage…top with hot mint, fried peanuts and crispy shallots and a side of nuoc mam and use prawn crackers to scoop up…heavenly stuff..if it sits, even better as the flavours mingle..so easy, made this for 200 guests at my brothers wedding in 44′ heat…absolute success

  14. In Spain we where served really nice tuna with both the gazpacho and salmorejo. Hard boiled eggs and some crusty bread go well with it.

  15. -the other chinese chicken salad: poached shredded chicken + cucumber on top of steamed mung bean sheets, w sesame sauce
    – i second the beetroot gravlax, have the recipe if u want
    – fried school prawns w dipping salt yum
    – celery gazpacho w tabasco + tomato ice cubes
    – that thai salad where they have the usual jumble of vegies + herbs + chilli, topped w chunks of crispy pork hock

  16. oooh while i’m at it
    – chinese drunken chicken, but do it w quail or pigeon
    – lychee, ginger + lime ? or was it lemongrass? sorbet

  17. Does wine count as a dish. . . If so make mine a bottle of moscato – the perfect picnic wine. Food wise, something lovingly made by someone else always seems to taste better. I could enjoy a roast beef sandwich with horseradish sauce just about anywhere.

  18. Ciao I’ve just discovered your site and i love it to bits indeed, am so relieved to find i’m not the only person who thinks about food way too much!! i must say

    Great suggestions. all teh best for 2009

  19. My favourite summery dish at the moment is a prawn, avocado and mango salad. Prawns, sliced avo, sliced mango, mesculin leaves. Dressing: Couple of tablespoons of (freshly squeezed) orange and lemon juice, tablespoon of seeded mustard, tablespoon olive oil. When you pre-cook the prawns on the barbie throw a few slices of mango on to sweeten up their flavour.
    PS: I too love reading your blog.

  20. Matt, last Summer, Braydon got into making a modern version of the good ‘ole classic….THE PRAWN COCKTAIL!!!!
    I remember avocado, fresh dill and spanish onion with crunchy lettuce and a good creamy sauce! I think I might have to remind him to make it soon.

  21. My favourite easy to make dish at the moment is Kisir, a Turkish salad which is served in lettuce leaves, usually Cos. Here is the recipe I just posted on my site.
    http://www.thekitchenenquirer.com.au/#34806

    Another summer favourite is roasted capsicum drizzled with EVOI and topped with small chunks of chevre, ligurian olives and fresh thyme leaves.

  22. Beetroot cured fish is the nuts Matt! Marie made some for Christmas and together with a dill(y) creme fraiche dressing with just the right amount of lemon-y zip, it was beautiful!

  23. Long-time reader, first-time poster, as they say.

    One of my favourite summer dishes is mango and chicken salad – you can eat it hot or cold.

    Drizzle lemon juice, pepper and salt over two chicken breasts and cook on the stove or bbq. Once cooked, let it cool, slice it up and then serve over a salad of mixed lettuce, snow peas, cucumber and grilled capsicum (taking off the blackened skin, of course!). I sometimes add grape tomatoes or mushrooms.

    Salad dressing: 3 tablespoons olive oil, 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 3 teaspoons seeded mustard, 3 teaspoons honey.

  24. hey matt,

    how about a variation of a vietnamese fresh spring roll? they are compact, easy to transport, easy to eat, light and perfect for a hot summer’s day.

    i would suggest filling with freshly cooked prawns, slightly green mango slices, mint and cucumber accompanied with a sweet chilli, coriander and white vinegar dipping sauce.

    — cl

  25. Coconut prawn ceviche – served with sliced yellow and red pear tomatoes, spring onion and fresh coriander.
    The combination of fresh lime, coconut, and coconut vinegar is amazing. Was my first ceviche experience. So summery, so fresh and so moreish! Works just as good with chilled poached chicken (for those who can’t do shellfish).

  26. Thanks so much everyone for the great suggestions. I am honoured to have such thoughtful food loving readers :) A post is coming shortly as to why I asked in the first place… but for now thanks again for all the great suggestions and feel free to keep them coming… I won’t need to open a cook book for a while I think.

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