34 difficult chef recipes to test your kitchen skills

Sometimes you need a one-pot mid-week wonder. Sometimes you don’t. You wouldn’t file these recipes by some of the best chefs from Australia and the world under “quick and easy”, because boy, do they put your kitchen skills to the test.

Bistro Gitan’s twice-baked Roquefort soufflé with poached quince

Bistro Gitan’s twice-baked Roquefort soufflé with poached quince

A rectangular block of light-green olive-oil ice-cream, covered with pistachio and honey, on a eggshell blue round plate, on a grey table. — Photo

Jacqui Challinor’s olive-oil ice-cream sandwich with halva and pistachio

Jacqui Challinor’s olive-oil ice-cream sandwich with halva and pistachio

Adam Wolfers’ carrot schnitzel

Adam Wolfers’ carrot schnitzel

Lau’s Family Kitchen’s tangerine duck

Lau’s Family Kitchen’s tangerine duck

Fish curry with cucumber salad and coriander chutney

Sunda’s fish curry with cucumber salad and coriander chutney

Flour and Stone’s Paris-Brest

Flour and Stone’s Paris-Brest

O Tama Carey’s black braised brisket

O Tama Carey’s black braised brisket

Rockpool Bar & Grill’s passionfruit pavlova

Rockpool Bar & Grill’s passionfruit pavlova

Guy Grossi’s Lucanian sausages with crisp cavolo nero

Guy Grossi’s Lucanian sausages with crisp cavolo nero

Overhead shot of a bowl of ramen topped with half a boiled egg, a slice of pork, nori and chopped spring onions, on a black background — Photo: Benito Martin

Chaco Ramen’s fat soy ramen and kaeshi

Chaco Ramen’s fat soy ramen and kaeshi

Angie Hong’s pho

Angie Hong’s pho

Marco Pierre White’s strawberry shortbread

Marco Pierre White’s strawberry shortbread

Victor Liong’s Sichuan sour and spicy poached fish with pickled mustard greens

Victor Liong’s Sichuan sour and spicy poached fish with pickled mustard greens

Armando Perucoco's timballo Napoletano — Photo: William Meppem

Buon Ricordo’s timballo Napoletano

Buon Ricordo’s timballo Napoletano

Guillaume Brahimi’s salted caramel and chocolate ganache tart

Guillaume Brahimi’s salted caramel and chocolate ganache tart

Ornamental glass bowl on a stand holding a trifle topped with whipped cream, banana chips and vanilla bean pods

Nik Hill’s banoffee trifle

Nik Hill’s banoffee trifle

A thick slice of charred eggplant, topped with a thick white sauce and almonds, on a marbled grey plate, surrounded by a green linen napkin and green foliage. — Photo: Alicia Taylor

Brent Savage’s coal-roasted eggplant with black garlic

Brent Savage’s coal-roasted eggplant with black garlic

Lauren Eldridge’s no-churn passionfruit ice-cream with lime sherbet and blackberries

Lauren Eldridge’s no-churn passionfruit ice-cream with lime sherbet and blackberries

Christina Tosi’s Cereal Milk panna cotta

Christina Tosi’s Cereal Milk panna cotta

Damien Pignolet’s croquembouche

Damien Pignolet’s croquembouche

Jaques Reymond’s délice soufflés of fromage blanc

Jaques Reymond’s délice soufflés of fromage blanc

Restaurant Hubert’s melon en surprise

Restaurant Hubert’s melon en surprise

Stephanie Alexander’s raspberry and rose-geranium sorbet with honey wafers, raspberries and cream

Stephanie Alexander’s raspberry and rose-geranium sorbet with honey wafers, raspberries and cream

Christine Manfield’s splice

Christine Manfield’s splice

Rinaldo Di Stasio’s lasagne con aragosta

Rinaldo Di Stasio’s lasagne con aragosta (lasagne with lobster)

Kylie Kwong’s fried eggs with XO sauce

Kylie Kwong’s fried eggs with XO sauce

Duncan Welgemoed’s peri peri chicken

Duncan Welgemoed’s peri peri chicken

Victor Liong’s white-cut chicken, aromatic chilli oil and peanuts

Victor Liong’s white-cut chicken, aromatic chilli oil and peanuts

Monique Fiso’s grilled octopus

Monique Fiso’s grilled octopus

Christine Manfield’s five-spice duck and shiitake pies

Christine Manfield’s five-spice duck and shiitake pies

Damien Pignolet’s bouillabaisse

Damien Pignolet’s bouillabaisse

David Chang’s kimchi masterclass

David Chang’s kimchi masterclass

Christina Tosi’s Crack Pie

Christina Tosi’s Crack Pie

Quay’s guava snow egg

Quay’s guava snow egg

The Gourmet Traveller Team

Gourmet Traveller is Australia’s trusted authority on food, travel and luxury lifestyle, bringing the latest news and trends to life through quality journalism, enticing recipes and evocative photography. For more than 55 years, it has been inspiring and informing Australians with the best in cooking, dining, travelling and shopping. Our critics bring the expertise of years of critical eating, drinking and writing to the table. Plus, as the country’s leading title in the luxury sector, Gourmet Traveller works closely with Australia’s leaders in the travel and hospitality industries to give our readers exclusive access. The Gourmet Traveller legacy is one of trust, prestige and relevance.