Food

The simple truths behind the best roast chicken.

There are times when I really feel my 20th-century Australianness, and not always in a good way. Often it is when I am thinking about, or cooking, offal. With my suburban Anglo-Saxon upbringing, I was not brought up with even a notion of nose-to-tail eating. But I have developed a great fondness for the place the “offaly bits” hold in everybody else’s culture, and have tried to embrace them as part of my own. As with so many traditional offal dishes, it always seems to come down to finding ways to use absolutely everything from an animal after it has given its life.

The pipi is defined by a triangular shell and is found in the shallows of estuaries and beach sand flats. Pipis are very accessible to gather and for the next level of funk, we bring in the periwinkle. This dish is a bit of a celebration of all things shallow-water-gathering. Plus, the addition of potatoes and butter has never hurt a thing.

Tiramisu has a somewhat naff mass appeal – it’s a homely dessert that should be for everyone but the addition of raw egg, coffee and alcohol excludes children and some people from the pleasures. Bringing together two things that complete every meal – coffee and alcohol – it gives the diner the chance to indulge further without raising any suspicion.

A selection of the best drops to enjoy this summer.

This is the most foolproof way I have found of cooking a turkey for Christmas. In this recipe, I try something festive without the struggle of wrestling a whole bird, usually too large for the oven. I’ve taken a fillet, wrapped it in streaky bacon to make up for a lack of fat, and roasted it gently to maintain moisture and flavour.

The warmer weather is not the only indicator of spring. For me, the sign that spring is here is the appearance of certain vegetables. Broad beans represent the season perfectly, and always find a place on the menu when they’re available.

Live like a tycoon with this little slice of heaven.

The sweet and savoury appeal of chicken livers.