Her recipes in Plated have come from years of cooking first for her family and later as a caterer, drawing on that experience of cooking for a crowd.
‘‘There is no doubt this book has been a long time coming but somehow life and cooking just got in the way. It’s an eclectic mix of recipes that go right back to cooking alongside my mother from the age of 7, so I can honestly say I’ve been cooking for more than 60 years.’’
She is one of six children so found her happy place in the family farm kitchen where her mother was a wonderful teacher. In later years her mother would often be at her side helping in the kitchen at events and weddings until well into her mid-80s.
Duncan started out professionally as a dental nurse before she went travelling, met her future husband and went from motor racing to farming. It was not until the 1990s, the mother of four girls finally launched herself professionally into a food career and operated White Tie Catering for 15 years.
So it is not surprising her book is divided into chapters based on entertaining with recipes that make larger quantities than might be normal but can be scaled down.
‘‘I never seem to be cooking for less than six people, and usually many more than that. Some recipes are very simple while others take time, so make sure you read the recipe thoroughly before you start.’’
One of the motivations behind the book is to make entertaining easier, so she has included notes on parts of the recipes that can be made ahead of time.
‘‘I want you to feel confident and have everything well prepared so you can entertain with ease.’’
She is not a fan of garnishes, believing the food needs to speak for itself and recommends buying a set of digital scales immediately if you do not already have them.
‘‘Everything gets weighed on them, even liquids. I find it so easy to be able to put a bowl or pot on them, zero the measure, and then add ingredients, zeroing in between.’’
Duncan also recommends having a good relationship with a butcher who will sell you the best, are a font of knowledge and will go out of the way to get what you want.
She has also added QR codes to some of the recipes which link to videos with more tips and tricks for the technique or recipe.
THE BOOK
Plated: A lifetime love affair with food by Tina Duncan, Camberdown Press, RRP $60.
Yoghurt pannacotta, chocolate granola, boozy cherries
The absolute perfect start to a celebratory breakfast or brunch and I have also served it as a dessert.
The chocolate granola is a huge hit with my grandchildren!
Serves 8
Panna Cotta
8 serving glasses
2 tsp gelatine powder
125ml cream
50g caster sugar
200ml milk
500g unsweetened Greek yoghurt
Granola
1½ cups rolled oats
½ cup chopped nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, and so on)
4 Tbsp shredded coconut
½ Tbsp coconut or raw sugar
1 Tbsp chia seeds
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
½ tsp flaky salt
4 Tbsp oil coconut or vegetable oil
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup dark chocolate, roughly chopped
Boozy cherries
2 x 400g tins cherries
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground cinnamon
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 orange, zested and juiced
1 cup red wine
¾ cup caster sugar
Method
Panna cotta
Sponge gelatine in ¼ cup cold water.
Heat cream and sugar to dissolve sugar and just bring to the boil.
Remove from heat and add gelatine. Stir to dissolve completely.
Add milk, followed by yoghurt. Gently mix and carefully pour into glasses.
Granola
Preheat oven to 170°C. In a bowl, add oats, nuts, coconut, sugar, chia, cocoa powder and salt and mix.
In a saucepan, warm oil and maple syrup until combined and pour over oat mix, stirring well.
Spread out evenly on a lined baking tray and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Stir halfway through.
Remove from oven and let cool before adding chocolate pieces. Store in an airtight container.
Boozy cherries
Drain cherries, reserving juice, and set aside. Pour cherry juice into a small saucepan and add all remaining ingredients. Bring to boil and simmer to reduce by half. Add the cherries back into the syrup.
To serve: Top panna cotta with granola and spoon over cherries.
Tips
★ Panna cottas can be made the day before and refrigerated.
★ Granola can be made up to 2 weeks before and kept in an airtight container.
★ Cherries can be done the day before.
★ Red wine can be replaced with port.
Breakfast toad in the hole, Marmite mayo
I love that this can all be prepared the night before and just put together before it goes in the oven.
Perfect for family or if you have guests staying over and you want to serve a hearty breakfast.
I’ve had fun with the Marmite mayo (or Vegemite if you must!).
This could be made vegetarian by replacing the meat with a combination of vegetables.
Serves 8
Ingredients
300g flour
½ tsp salt
1 Tbsp wholegrain mustard
6 eggs
300ml full-cream milk
4 Tbsp canola oil
8 breakfast sausages
150g chorizo, sliced
8 large button mushrooms
4 small red onions, peeled and quartered
100g prosciutto
8 small vine tomatoes
To serve
Serve with Marmite mayonnaise.
Method
Preheat oven to 210°C. Combine flour and salt in a bowl, make a well in the centre and add the mustard, eggs and milk. Whisk to a smooth batter and set aside.
Oil a large roasting dish or gratin dish and evenly arrange all the ingredients except the tomatoes. Drizzle over the oil and place in hot oven for 10 minutes so that the sausages begin to brown, and the oil is very hot.
Whisk the batter thoroughly. Remove the roasting dish from the oven and working quickly to keep the heat, carefully pour in the batter all around the ingredients and place the tomatoes on top.
Return to the oven and cook for about 30 minutes until puffed and golden.
Marmite mayonnaise
150g Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Marmite
½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
Squeeze of lemon juice
Method
Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.
Tips
★ Batter can be made the night before and kept covered in the refrigerator. Remember to whisk again before cooking.
★ Ingredients can be placed in roasting dish the night before ready for baking in the morning.
★ I love to use Wild West Worcester sauce - it’s a whole different taste experience.
Breakfast apricot trifle
Why should trifle be reserved for dessert?
This is pretty made in individual serving glasses but you could also make a larger one in a glass bowl.
Serves 8
Ingredients
8 serving glasses
1 loaf brioche, about 300g
900g unsweetened Greek yoghurt
Poached apricots
1 kg apricots, halved and stoned
1 cup water
1 tsp ground cardamom
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp lemon juice
Apricot puree
6 ripe apricots
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp honey
Crunchy topping
1 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp oil
½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup long thread coconut
Method
Poached apricots
Combine all in a saucepan and simmer gently until apricots are tender. Cool.
Apricot puree
Puree in a blender until smooth.
Crunchy topping
Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine honey and oil and heat together to melt honey.
Add almonds and coconut and toss together to thoroughly coat with the oil and honey.
Spread on to a baking paper-lined oven tray and toast for about 5 minutes until golden brown.
Stir occasionally while toasting to ensure even colour. Cool.
To put together
Slice brioche into 1cm slices and cut to fit size of glass or bowl.
Layer in the glasses beginning with brioche, then poached apricots, juice and fruit.
Top with yoghurt and repeat layers finishing with a yoghurt layer.
Finally top with apricot puree.
Refrigerate overnight and top with a cluster of the crunchy topping to serve.
Tips
★ Make a day ahead.
★ Tinned apricots could be used as a replacement but the flavour won’t be as good.
★ Apricots and puree can be made 2 days ahead.
★ Substitute with other fruit if out of season.
★ For a festive touch at Christmas, decorate with a little edible gold leaf.
