RECIPES
Chicken liver pâté with Mountain Pepper
Preparation: 25 minutes Cook: 30 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ small onion finely chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• ½ tsp freshly ground Mountain Pepper berries
• a good pinch of sea salt
• 400g chicken livers, trimmed and roughly chopped
• 50ml brandy
• 100ml of pure (double) cream
• 120g unsalted butter, cubed
Butter Topping
80g unsalted butter
Whole fresh or dried Mountain Pepper berries and leaves to decorate (optional)
Method
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallots and thyme and cook gently for five minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic, Mountain Pepper berries, and salt and cook for a further two minutes, or until fragrant.
2. Add the chicken livers to the pan and fry for 6-8 minutes, or until just cooked through. To test if it is cooked remove a piece of liver from the pan and cut it open; it should be moist and have a slightly pink tinge in the centre (not bloody). Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
3. Return the pan to the heat and pour in the brandy. Stir to deglaze the pan and allow to reduce by half. Add the cream, stir, and simmer for two minutes. Allow to cool.
4. Combine chicken liver mixture and cooled brandy mixture in a food processor and blend until well combined. With the motor running, gradually add the cubed butter and blend until smooth.
5. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl and then divide between four ramekins. Bang the bottom of the ramekins against the work surface to ensure a level surface, then place in the fridge to chill while you prepare the butter topping.
6. Melt the butter in a saucepan spoon over the pâté. Decorate with whole fresh or dried Mountain Pepper berries and whole Mountain Pepper leaves. Refrigerate for two hours before serving with slices of toasted baguette or sourdough bread.
Cheese, Chive and Mountain Pepper Scones
Preparation 20 minutes Cook 20 minutes
Makes approximately 16 scones
Ingredients
• 3½ cups SR flour
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• 60g butter, chopped
• 1½ cups milk
• 3 tbsp finely chopped fresh chives
• 1 tsp dried, ground Mountain Pepper leaf
• ½ cup grated Tasty Cheddar cheese
• extra milk for brushing
• ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle on top
• Butter, to serve
Method
1. Preheat oven 200°C/220°C fan forced. Lightly dust a baking tray with flour or line with baking paper.
2. Place flour, sugar, salt and dried, ground Mountain Pepper leaf in a large bowl and stir. Add butter and rub into the flour until mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3. Add the chopped chives and tasty cheese and stir.
4. Make a well in the centre and add the milk. Use a flat-bladed knife to quickly stir until the dough almost comes together. Turn out onto a floured surface.
5. Knead gently to bring the dough together and gently shape it into a 3mm thick round. (Be careful not to overwork it.)
6. Dip a 4cm cutter into flour and cut rounds from dough. Gently reform remaining dough to repeat.
7. Place scones, just touching, onto prepared tray. Brush with extra milk and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
8. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes or until lightly golden.
9. Remove from oven to a wire rack and allow to cool slightly before serving with butter.
Excite your tastebuds!
Mountain Pepper Crackers
Preparation: 10 minutes Cook: 15 minutes
Makes approximately 24 crackers
Ingredients
• 150g plain flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp castor sugar
• 1 tsp dried ground Mountain Pepper leaf
• 80ml water mixed with 2 tbsp olive oil
Method1.
1.Heat oven to 200C (fan). Put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine to a rough dough. If it’s sticky, add a little more flour so it’s nice and smooth.
2. Turn dough onto a sheet of baking paper lightly sprinkled with flour and gently knead into a smooth ball, adding a little more flour if necessary. Divide dough into half.
3. Roll each ball of dough to approx. 2mm thick, then use a knife or a pizza cutter to cut it into shards or desired shape.
4. Prick each square a couple of times with a fork.
5. Carefully transfer onto a baking tray, separate each cracker a little, and bake in the hot oven for 12-15 mins or until the crackers are slightly golden. When cool, delicious served with cheese . Store in an airtight container for up to two weeks.
Baked Ricotta with Lemon and Mountain Pepper
Preparation: 5 minutes Cook: 15 minutes
Serves 6 as an appetizer
Ingredients
• 500g whole milk ricotta
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
• 2 medium cloves of garlic crushed
• 1 tsp freshly ground Mountain Pepper berry
• 1 tsp fresh lemon zest
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ¼ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp ground Mountain Pepper leaf
To serve
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (additional)
• Fresh bread to serve
Method
1. Preheat oven to 180°C
2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well-combined.
3. Spoon into 6 lightly oiled ramekins or a 23cm pie dish, drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with ground Mountain Pepper leaf.
4. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes, or until just golden on top.
5. Remove from oven, then serve immediately with fresh or toasted bread drizzled with remaining tbsp of olive oil.
Mountain Pepper BBQ Steak
Preparation: 10 minutes Cook: 20 minutes
Serves 2
Ingredients
• 2 pieces of eye fillet or scotch fillet steak, 180g – 200g each (2.5 cm thick)
• 1½ tbsp ground Mountain Pepper berries
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method
1. Remove steaks from the fridge 1 hour before preparing to allow them to come to room temperature.
2. Preheat barbecue to high.
3. Combine ground Mountain Pepper and salt on a plate.
4. Brush both sides of steak with olive oil then press into Mountain Pepper berry and salt mixture.
5. Place meat on barbecue and cook on high heat for 3 minutes (for medium). Turn and cook for a further 3 minutes then turn barbecue off. Turn meat again and let rest for 5 minutes covered by barbecue hood or hood of aluminium foil.
Australian Grown Produce
Oven baked Mountain Pepper chips
Preparation: 15 minutes Cook time: approx. 35 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
• 1½ kg Desiree potatoes
• 1 tsp salt and water to parboil
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp dried, ground Mountain Pepper leaf
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried onion flakes
• 1 tbsp sea salt flakes
Method
1. Wash and peel potatoes and cut into chips.
2. Place in a large saucepan, cover with water; add salt and bring to boil. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes to partially cook. Remove from heat, drain, and allow to steam dry.
3. Preheat oven to 220C.
4. When chips are cool enough to handle, place in a mixing bowl, sprinkle with the remaining ingredients and toss to thoroughly coat chips.
5. Line a large oven tray (or 2) with baking paper and spread chips oven in a single layer. Bake in hot oven for 25 -35 minutes or until golden brown, turning to ensure even cooking
6. Serve with additional sea salt flakes to taste.
Mountain Pepper Focaccia
Preparation: 25 minutes plus approx. 1hr 40 minutes 5 hrs rising time & 30 minutes cooking time
Serves 10 - 12
Ingredients
• 8g instant /rapid rise yeast (about 1.5 tsp.)
• 5 cups (625 g) plain flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 2½ cups lukewarm water
• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus more for hands
• Butter to grease pan
• sea salt flakes
• 4 tsp ground dried mountain pepper leaf
Method
1. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt, and dry yeast.
2. Add 2½ cups lukewarm water and mix with a rubber spatula until all combined and a it forms a shaggy dough.
3. Pour 4 tbsp. extra-virgin oil into another bowl large enough for the dough to rise in. Transfer dough to bowl and turn to coat it in oil. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, 30 – 40 minutes.
4. Generously butter a 13x9" baking pan to ensure the focaccia does not stick. Pour 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil into the centre of the pan. Keeping the dough in the bowl and using a fork in each hand, gather up edges of dough farthest from you and lift it up and over into centre of bowl. Give the bowl a quarter turn and repeat process. Do this this twice more to form it into a rough ball.
5. Transfer dough to prepared pan. Pour any oil left in bowl over and turn dough to coat it in oil. Let rise, uncovered, in a dry, warm spot until almost doubled in size, at least 30 minutes.
6. Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 220C. To check if the dough is ready, poke it with your finger. It should spring back slowly, leaving a small visible indentation. Lightly oil your hands. Tip dough into the baking pan and stretch it out evenly. Press your fingers to the base of the pan to create deep dimples all over. Brush with remaining 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with ground mountain pepper leaf and sea salt flakes.
7. Bake focaccia until puffed and golden brown all over, 20–30 minutes.
Savoury Mountain Pepper Rice
Preparation: 40 minutes
Serves 4 as a side dish or 2 as a main
Ingredients
• 1½ cups long grain rice
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large clove garlic, crushed
• 6 button mushrooms
• 6 young beetroot stalks and leaves or rainbow chard
• 2 rashers of bacon (omit for vegetarian option)
• 1 cup grated tasty cheese
• 2 tbsp chopped chives
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 2 tsp freshly ground Mountain Pepper
Method
1. Cook rice according to packet directions (absorption method).
2. Chop beetroot stalks into 2 cm lengths, chop leaves and slice mushrooms
3. Melt butter and oil in frypan and saute beetroot stalks with garlic and chopped bacon for 4 minutes or until stalks are softened.
4. Add mushrooms, leaves, chives, and parsley and cook until just soft.
5. Add cooked rice, grated cheese, and ground mountain pepper. Gently stir over heat to mix altogether.
6. Add salt to taste and top with a sprinkling of ground pepperberry to serve.
Native Bounty
White Bean and Mountain Pepper Dip
Preparation: 5 minutes
Makes approximately 2 cups
Ingredients
• 1 x 400g can of cannellini or haricot beans drained - (reserve the liquid)
• 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 medium cloves of garlic, crushed
• ¼ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp ground Mountain Pepper berries
To serve
• ¼ tsp ground, dried Mountain Pepper leaf to sprinkle
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil to drizzle
Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor; process, adding reserved liquid as necessary, until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste.
2. Spoon into a serving dish, sprinkle with ground Mountain Pepper leaf and drizzle with a little olive oil.
3. Serve with fresh crudités.
Mountain Pepper Parmesan Biscuits
Preparation: 10 minutes Cook: 15 minutes
Makes approximately 42 biscuits
Ingredients
• 100g cold salted butter cut into cubes
• 100g finely, freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 95g plain flour
• 2 tsp ground, dried Mountain Pepper berries
Method
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processer until mixture forms a ball.
2. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead into a firm ball then divide into 2 equal portions.
3. Roll each portion into a log approximately 3cm in diameter and 15 cm long.
4. Wrap logs in cling wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or until firm.
5. Preheat oven to 180°C. Line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
6. Remove the logs from the fridge and cut into 7mm rounds with a sharp knife.
7. Place biscuits onto the baking trays at least 2cm apart and bake for 12 minutes or until golden.
8. Remove from oven and let stand on trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool.
Mountain Pepper Berry Ice cream
Note: This recipe requires an ice cream maker with the inner bowl fully frozen.
(Place it in the freezer overnight before use.)
Makes approximately 600g
Preparation: Approximately 35 minutes plus approximately 40 minutes in ice cream maker
Freeze time: 2-3 hours
Ingredients
• 4 egg yolks
• 300ml thickened cream
• 250 ml full cream milk
• 100g castor sugar
• 10g dried mountain pepper berries crushed well
Method
1. In a saucepan, heat the milk slowly but do not let it boil. Remove from heat.
2. Add the finely ground mountain pepper berries and allow to infuse for 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar together until thick and creamy.
4. Gradually stir the infused milk from the saucepan into the egg mixture.
5. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and heat gently, stirring until custard thickens. Do not let it boil or it will separate.
6. When the custard forms a film over the back of your spoon remove from heat and allow it to cool.
7. When the custard is cool, stir in the cream and transfer to an ice cream maker.
8. Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker to achieve a semi-frozen consistency.
9. Pour into a container, cover, and place in freezer to completely freeze.