I have a love hate relationship with Master chef. On one hand it fascinates me and on the other it has become one big weeping slobbering quest for perfection. Few people own up to watching yet it’s back into production for its 7th season. That must mean that it has a lot of viewers. I count myself in there because I would watch a fly cooking. cooking is cooking to me and I have the sickest of obsessions.
One of the most fascinating and talked about parts of Master chef, besides the way George uses a knife and fork is Matt Preston. He manages to polarize people’s feelings, I don’t really mind him as long as I don’t have to watch him chewing. I was swayed a little by meeting him back at about Master chef 4. I went to a lunch English v’s French at Felix Bistro with Marco Pierre White as the tyrant in charge of the kitchen that day. In between the cooking George, Gary and Matt were hanging around the bar, and so I might add, was I. The fun banter confirmed he is both irreverent and quite sarcastic. I didn’t mind, it felt like I was in a restaurant kitchen with a smart arse waiter or chef and that made me feel at home. It was a brush with fame in an odd way because after watching Matt act like himself for 4 seasons I felt like I already knew him, which of course I don’t. One of my favourite parts of the week on MC is the Master class, where Gary and George demonstrate their prowess in the kitchen in order to remind us that they themselves are Master chefs and are quite able to judge the efforts of others. This now includes a small section hosted by Matt Preston, who himself has quite an impressive cooking and food industry history much much too long to list, but just be assured he has earned his place behind the stoves as well as in front of them.
And why am I talking about him?. Well that would be because my niece loves him and I have just ordered her his new book – wait for it…”Cook Book” for her birthday on November 5th. I wanted to buy from a company in Australia so I ordered it from Bookworld thinking it may take a while, but it arrived in 2 days without shipping costs.
Ok so, I thought I might just cook something from it, just because it’s here. Is that bad? I chose a very simple slow cooked Lamb dish so I could do something else while it cooked. It’s a book full of very diverse recipes and sage advice for cooking for friends and family.
It’s not about the money you spend, it’s about the care you take.
And that my friends is something I firmly believe too. So I will risk my niece seeing this post and tell you what else is in the book. It’s a trip around the world in a way, in fact in the intro Matt talks about eating and friends and simple home cooked dishes on his many trips around the world. There are pages of advice rules on cooking for friends, appropriate behavior in restaurants, and menu choices when having people over. I am sure my niece will love this helpful section delivered with his customary dry, sarcastic wit. There are sliders- ok I forgive him, and there is sticky ribs, even my son Skater likes them, so this must be good. In amongst the kale chips and the breakfast smoothie are some great tips on simple doughs, for pastry, flat bread, pizza and quick breadmaking. There are multitudes of ways to make quick chicken mince dishes, lots of simple salads, pastas and vegetable dishes in fact 187 recipes that you will probably already have most of the ingredients for.
Desserts won’t freak you out either they’re mostly everyday things you might want to make without having to go and look for a recipe like banana bread and Lemon Meringue Pie. It mightn’t challenge some, but it will definitely not intimidate others.
Let me emphasize everyday ingredients. There are as many fresh as tinned ingredients but overall you could whip up something from the book in no time at all. That’s what my niece needs to do because she gets home from work late each night.
The funny thing is I have chosen a recipe that takes hours. I know that isn’t proving the speedy cooking point at all, but I pretty much put it in the oven and then went back a few hours later. One teensy little problem I hope she doesn’t notice when she gets this book is the recipe I made called Slow Roast Lamb with Risoni and Anchovies had no anchovies in the actual recipe …oops. I made it with the alternative suggestion on the top of the page and added feta, gremolata, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
I might buy myself a new book from Bookworld. Have a look at the cookbook section and tell me what you think I should buy…?
Slow Roast Lamb with Risoni
Ingredients
- 800-900 gram Lamb Shoulder chopped into bite sized chunks defatted, boned
- 300 gram onions brown chopped
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika smoked
- 400 gram tomatoes chopped peeled (1 tin)
- 270 gram risoni 1 1/2 cups
- 750 ml water boiling 3 cups
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Gremolata
- 3/4 cup chopped Parsley about 1/2 bunch
- 1/2 cup chopped mint about 1/2 bunch
- 50 gm Panko crumbs (1 cup) toasted Japanese breadcrumbs or home made from bread
- 2 tablespoons lemon zest
- 100 gram Feta creamy danish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F
- Place the lamb in a baking or casserole dish with the onion, spices, and tomato , cover and bake for 90 minutes
- Take off the cover and bake for a further 40 min to brown the meat.
- Add the pasta, boiling water and salt to the dish, recover and bake for a further 40 minutes. If the pasta looks dry add a bit more water
- Top with Gremolata, made by combining all the Gremolata ingredients ,except the feta. Dot that over the top and bake till melting
The “Cook Book” was bought by me from Bookworld but this post was produced in collaboration with Bookworld. All cooking was done by me LOL, and all opinions are of course my own
What an aazing one pot recipe!
Yum! I quite like Matt Preston too. Wow this sounds great (and how awesome that it’s a one-pot meal). I’m definitely going to make this! Thanks for joining our Fabulous Foodie Fridays party! xx
My husband and I both love lamb and this sounds like a great fall dish. Thanks for sharing the recipe, I know your niece will be excited with the gift.
One pot wonder is right, Tania! This sounds really delicious and our weather is perfect for this kind of dish. I have to make it. 🙂
I couldn’t agree more with your love-hate relationship! Masterchef, I honestly can’t watch it anymore because every single season it is the same, but I do enjoy the recipes so much! And the first two seasons were wonderful but after that, just dropped!
Your roasted lamb looks brilliant, my brother is always asking my mum to make it at home!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
What a yummy recipe Tania. I have the other judges cookbooks but not one of Matt’s yet, you certainly make it sound worth buying. I’ve always enjoyed his wicked sense of humour 🙂
I love watching Masterchef- to me it’s like a sporting event! I yell at the screen and shout advice or rude words at them. I don’t really care who wins, and hate when they try and build false drama, just love the cooking and trying to think up my own recipes for the Mystery Box 🙂
Me too Bec , me too!
I have a love love relationship with that show, but never been a fan of Matt Preston! I tried the coke and chicken wings recipe (from the Masterchef season 6) and it didn’t look like the caramelised goodness I was expecting… That being said, that slow roost lamb you made looks bloody amazing! Anything that slow roast is right up my stomach’s alley… especially when it involves lamb 🙂
I can’t watch them eat either, makes me feel ill! Having said that I do watch and I too would probably watch a fly cook. I have been known to take notes in the masterclass session.
LOL I dare MC to use “One big weeping slobbering quest for perfection” as the new tagline for the next season! Brilliant 😀
Thanks for letting me know about his book. I’d love to read the bit about restaurant etiquette. I think lamb with risoni is a wonderful combination and a great, comforting and nourishing meal. Of the trio, I have only met Gary Mehigan and I found him to be absolutely lovely xx
I have a cook book addiction so I could offer MANY suggestions – too many in fact. So I will confess to that and also to the fact that I applied to go on MasterChef! It was funny really as I said it to one of my sons (to see what he would say) and he encouraged me to do it. I was called in for an audition (of course not successful) – the killer was the mystery box. But it was a lot of fun – and I felt that even though I didn’t get there it was a very positive experience and everyone was LOVELY! And another bonus both my other sons were very proud of their mum to try out. On a funnier side one of my friends gave me some advice ”
Whatever you do, Pam – don’t cry”
How exciting Pam. Wish you had got on. You have to have nerves of steel. Great experience though for sure!
This is when I wish I ate lamb! It surely a heaven for the lamb lovers.
Oh, I still watch Masterchef if I can find the time: it does somewhat depend whether that year’s contestants ‘appeal’ 🙂 ! Have learned a lot especially from the Friday Masterclasses and changed many a method of mine !! Have had a number of mails from European blogfriends who happily wait a couple of years to be able to watch ours as they do not appreciate the show produced in their own countries [especially The Netherlands and Germany 🙂 !] Matt Preston . . . an interesting persona growing ‘bigger’ in the ‘personality stakes’ year by year it seems . . . unfortunately I am one who does not care for his cooking . . . tho’ this recipe is soulfood for certain . . .
Don’t you say anything about Matt Preston! 🙂 I used to think he was a dweeb until I saw him in action two years in a row at the Noosa Food and Wine festival. He has a tent in the celebrity cook-off each year where he comes up with a recipe and the festival kitchens prepare the food and he and his volunteer minions sell it. The celebrity with the most sales wins the day.
I volunteered at another celebrity tent and watched him in action. It didn’t matter how busy he was or what he was doing, if a fan wanted a photo, he stopped in his tracks and did it. People would ask about recipes and no question was too complicated, nor was he too busy to answer.
I was gobsmacked. At his level of popularity, you might think he was too good for all that. I met Matt Moran once and he didn’t have time for anyone — and we were all food and restaurant bloggers.
Now, about this recipe – when can I come for dinner, I LOVE one-pot-wonders and this looks amazing.
Love a one pot dish! MasterChef doesn’t have the same grip on me as it used to. They do seem determined to turn it into a manufactured sob-fest rather than a cooking show!