It’s been a big year in food and even bigger culinary journey at Gourmet Traveller over the past 12 months. From light and fresh seafood dishes kicking off our 2018 with good intentions, to Italian classics and inspired Middle Eastern favourites keeping us warm (and full) in winter, to downright decadent desserts rounding out the year. You came along for the ride; clicking, liking and pinning our recipes with great enthusiasm. Take a look back at the 20 dishes that inspired you the most.
Persian chicken
Also known as fesenjan, this Iranian dish of chicken braised in walnut sauce is both piquant and comforting. The secret? Pomegranate molasses. We can’t get enough of it and clearly nor can you.
Click count: 17,543
Lamb shoulder ragù with gnocchetti
Lamb shoulder ragù with gnocchetti
Mike Eggert, the chef behind Pinbone’s Italian pop-up Mr Liquor’s Dirty Italian Disco and now Totti’s, let us in on this hit pasta dish in our April issue and it’s been on high rotation ever since.
Click count: 7602
Lemon delicious pudding
Bethany Finn, chef at Adelaide restaurant The Mayflower, shared her mum’s recipe for this tangy pudding featuring plenty of cream in May, and it’s no surprise it inspired many of you to get baking.
Click count: 6787
Indian spiced yoghurt chicken with cardamom-coconut pilaf
Indian spiced yoghurt chicken with cardamom-coconut pilaf
This heavenly flavour combo is a clear favourite this year; the gently-spiced chicken thighs are marinated in yoghurt and served with fluffy pilaf that’s studded with cardamom and currants, with a lick of coconut milk.
Click count: 5071
Snapper curry with green beans and coriander
Snapper curry with green beans and coriander
Creamy and comforting, this Southeast Asian-ish fish curry saw us through winter. Haven’t given it a run yet? Our tip is to gently toast the yellow curry powder to bring out the full fragrance and flavour.
Click count: 4877
Chocolate and buttermilk slab cake
Chocolate and buttermilk slab cake
This lush cake is a super-simple melt-and-mix number that made our April issue – and has been baked many times since. Buttermilk is secret weapon here, adding a subtle tang to the sweet frosting and contributing to an ultra-tender crumb in the cake itself. It’s just as good a few days after baking, too – although we’ve never had the willpower to test this.
Click count: 4053
Avocado-chocolate mousse
It’s the fruit that made headlines in 2018 and while avocado might not scream “dessert”, it adds creaminess and body to this chocolate mousse, keeping the whole thing dairy-free, and reducing the setting time. Win.
Click count: 3728
Jewelled rice
Even sides got a look in this year, such as this buttery rice which appeared in our first Middle Eastern themed issue in June. It’s based on the Persian dish of tah-dig where rice is cooked until it sticks to the bottom of the pan, providing a wonderful mix of fluffy and crunchy elements in the same mouthful.
Click count: 3318
Red lentil soup with yoghurt and coriander
Red lentil soup with yoghurt and coriander
Having also won you over in June is this lentil soup that’s inspired by shorbat adas, a dish often served during Ramadan, and has many variations across the Middle East.
Click count: 3216
Cardamom nut cake
Another June hero is this fragrant, nutty cake which has a lot of moisture and richness to it. It’s not a Persian love cake, but we couldn’t help throwing a few rose petals on top for a romantic touch – and it clearly won your love.
Click count: 3213
Chicken noodle salad with turmeric-lime dressing
Chicken noodle salad with turmeric-lime dressing
We started the year off with this light and deceptively easy-to-make salad that was right up your alley. This dish recalls pad Thai but is far lighter and much simpler to throw together. The dressing also pairs beautifully with seafood straight off the barbecue.
Click count: 3037
Lamb meatballs with tahini and pine nut sauce
Lamb meatballs with tahini and pine nut sauce
Also from our June issue, this meatball recipe which riffs on the Palestinian lamb siniyah, a dish of lamb baked with tahini. We turned the lamb into meatballs and added crushed pine nuts to the tahini sauce for some more texture, and it was a cool-season hit.
Click count: 3034
Pan-fried ocean trout with cauliflower, almonds and brown butter
Pan-fried ocean trout with cauliflower, almonds and brown butter
Sometimes a quick and tasty weeknight meal is enough to impress just as this dish, from our April Indulge issue, did. A drizzle of brown butter is all it needs to turn it into something special.
Click count: 3009
Cauliflower curry with lime and coriander
Cauliflower curry with lime and coriander
Cauliflower made a comeback in 2018 so it’s no surprise this fast yet flavourful weeknight curry made the list. Keep this one filed away for next year, it’ll be just as satisfying.
Click count: 2973
Tarragon chicken thighs with crisp prosciutto, fennel and cabbage
Tarragon chicken thighs with crisp prosciutto, fennel and cabbage
Our March issue was all about fast food, not of the takeaway variety but dishes that can be on the table in a hurry. This chicken dish was right on, and you can make it even easier by skipping the frying step, wrapping the chicken thighs in the prosciutto and throwing them straight in the oven.
Click count: 2970
Spaghetti and meatballs
You can’t go past classic comfort food and it doesn’t get much better than the spaghetti and meatballs which appeared in our July issue dedicated to – you guessed it – modern comfort food. There’s plenty of room for variation with the meatballs in this version – mixing in pancetta or ricotta, say.
Click count: 2898
Vanilla custard and burnt-toffee tart
Vanilla custard and burnt-toffee tart
Is it any wonder this had you all clicking? The photo itself is a thing of beauty, and makes you imagine cracking the brittle caramel top and sinking your spoon into blissfully smooth custard. A dessert which certainly deserves a re-run before the year is out.
Click count: 2838
Beef koftas with green couscous and pistachio nuts
Beef koftas with green couscous and pistachio nuts
Whether cooked under the grill or on the barbecue, you can have this hearty Middle Eastern meal ready in 30 minutes. Despite the short cook time, these koftas made a lasting impression on many of you.
Click count: 2764
Hwayej-spiced chicken thigh cutlets
Hwayej-spiced chicken thigh cutlets
Another dish from our popular Middle Eastern issue, this tray-baked chicken is topped with a heady spice mix from Yemen, featuring caraway seeds, cumin, cardamom and more. Easy and effective.
Click count: 2402
Casarecce with pork sausage, cavolo nero and chilli
Casarecce with pork sausage, cavolo nero and chilli
There’s no beating a warm, comforting bowl of pasta. Classic Italian flavours – pork, fennel, cavolo nero and chilli – do the trick here and make sure this dish goes down as unforgettable.
Click count: 2278
