Explainers

For a special meal, nothing can match duck, writes Brigitte Hafner. And roast or confit, it’s easier to cook than you think.

Now’s the time to head to your farmers’ market for a taste of ripe apples fresh from the orchard, writes Brigitte Hafner.

In this new column, Brigitte Hafner invites us into her seasonal kitchen. For May, she’s cooking rare-breed pork.

Lamb production is pretty consistently good year-round in today's Australia, but spring lamb still has that extra cachet, so we thought we'd ask Richard Gunner, the South Australian butcher and sheep and cattle farmer who is one of the nation's authorities on the subject, for his thoughts on how to get the best out of the beast right now. Here's his cut-by-cut breakdown, from the everyday to the lesser-known.

Which cut of beef is best to flatten out and make a roulade with? By Arcanum Lisa Featherby, Gourmet Traveller food editor, answers: Last year, we ran a recipe from Journal Canteen’s Rosa Mitchell for falsomagro, a classic Sicilian stuffed beef roll. Generally, I would recommend using another cut of meat for a stuffed and rolled dish, […]

I adore baking and am currently putting in a new oven. Is gas or convection better for baking? By Rosa Lisa Featherby, Gourmet Traveller food editor, responds: All of our recipes are tested on conventional (non fan-forced) electric ovens. We find this is the best way to go for baking as the heat can be […]

I have finally made a successful hollandaise sauce, but how can I keep it warm or reheat it for a dinner party?

On occasion, I have been able to source duck eggs and have heard of their wonderful qualities for baking. So far I have made basic sponges and custards but am keen to produce something that stands out in taste and texture. Any ideas? By Mandy from Adelaide Lisa Featherby, Gourmet Traveller food editor, answers: You […]

Using secondary cuts of meat maximises flavour and texture and minimises costs. Apply a little know-how and you’ll be reaping benefits in purse and on palate.

Can I substitute pork for veal in vitello tonnato? If so, which cut would you advise? By Natalie Fox Lisa Featherby, GT food editor, writes: To start, pork has a much stronger flavour than veal and may clash a bit with the tuna sauce. It also depends on the cut you’re using and whether you’re […]

Nothing says ‘celebration’ more than a freshly cooked lobster or prawns. Seafood consultant John Susman reveals his pick of this summer’s buys.

A pea eggplant is, as you might have guessed, a very small eggplant – more the size of a large marble than a pea, in truth. They’re typically cooked whole in Thai soups and curries, and pop in the mouth when you bite them, releasing a burst of bitterness that combines nicely with richness or […]

The usual cause of crystallisation in caramel is impurities in the sugar or, more commonly, less-than-clean pans...

It's hard to substitute gluten-free flours for wheat flours in particular recipes like pasta or pastry dough and achieve the same result...

“I made the raspberry ripple and white chocolate ice-cream cake for Christmas Day. Whilst the flavour was lovely, why did it have icicles throughout it? Was it the milk in the recipe and the fact that you were asked to place cling film over the top that was the cause? It looked wonderful, but after […]

The trick to turning out crème caramel.

The difference between creams to cook with, explained.

Can you tell me how to make a red wine jus to serve with braised beef? By HELEN Emma Knowles, Gourmet Traveller food director, writes: Braises, by nature, have their own sauce by virtue of the cooking method. Usually you would braise meat in wine and stock (along with vegetables and other aromatics). If the […]

Australian beef. Where do we start? By Gourmet Traveller Australian beef is big. Big overseas, where it graces the menus of leading restaurants in the US, UK, China and Japan, and big at home, where we’re buying more of it than ever for our own kitchens and paying top-dollar for it when we dine out. […]

I have a large cotechino in cryovac. I plan on poaching the cotechino in the cryovac, then grilling half (in pieces) for Easter Sunday lunch. Can I freeze the remaining poached half to reheat or grill later? By Lulu Emma Knowles, Gourmet Traveller food director, writes: The rule of thumb is that meat should be […]

We fish the Dams in Queensland and have been told that after filleting and skinning our Australian bass and yellowbelly we should soak them in a solution of salt water: 2 dessertspoons of salt to 3 cups of water. The traveller’s story has it that it takes the muddy taste from the fish, and after […]

Where can I buy tapioca pearls? By Maureen1450 Emma Knowles, Gourmet Traveller food director, writes: You can find tapioca pearls at select delicatessens and sometimes at health food stores. Another good source is Asian grocery stores and supermarkets. The Thai Kee IGA in Chinatown is a good bet in Sydney.

My German colleague is very disappointed that she is unable to locate quark in Australia as this is the vital ingredient in many German cakes and slices. Do you know of a local supplier? By Alison Wright Emma Knowles, Gourmet Traveller food director, writes: Quark is available at some health food stores and delicatessens, but […]

Titanium strength gelatine vs gold strength gelatine – what is the difference, and can one be used in place of another?

In a word, yes, you can swap dried yeast for fresh. The main difference between fresh and dried yeast is stability, although purists swear by fresh and insist it’s superior in both flavour and leavening power. Fresh yeast is available from health food shops and some delicatessens in compressed form. The fresher it is, the […]

Why do I need to soak saffron? Adelaide Lucas, Gourmet Traveller‘s assistant food editor, writes: “Saffron threads are typically soaked in warm liquid beforehand if they’re not being added to a wet dish. Soak your saffron in warm water, stock, wine or milk, depending on what you plan to add it to; this aids in […]