Ingredients

• 1 bunch asparagus cut into 3 cm batons
• 2 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
• 1 brown onion, peeled and thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 large red chillies, sliced 
• 1 kilo green Australian prawns peeled and deveined, tails intact 
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon castor sugar
• ½ cup chicken stock
• 500g fresh thick hokkien noodles
• ½ cup loosely packed basil leaves

For the complete recipe from Love Australian Prawns, click here.

These parcels can be prepared several hours ahead of time and removed from the fridge 30 minutes before you’re ready to cook them. Serve the parcels for guests to open at the table, releasing the delicious aroma of basil.

Ingredients

• 3 tomatoes, peeled and diced
• 4 golden shallots, sliced 
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp aged balsamic vinegar (see notes)
• Salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 6x 180g sashimi-grade Tuna steaks (see notes)
• 18 basil leaves
• Green salad, to serve
• Crusty bread, to serve

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. 
2. Combine tomatoes, shallots, garlic, oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. 
3. Lay a sheet of baking paper on the bench. Place a steak in the middle, place one-sixth of the tomato mixture and 3 basil leaves on top. Bring the two long edges of the paper together and fold over twice to seal, fold the other two ends over several times towards the centre of the parcel to seal well, then tuck them under the parcel and place on a baking tray. Repeat with remaining steaks. 
4. Place the tray in the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes, until cooked to your liking (they can be served still rare in the centre). After 10 minutes, remove one parcel from the oven, carefully undo and use a fork to check the centre of the fish. Remember that the fish will continue to cook in their parcels, so it’s good to remove them from the oven before they are cooked all the way through. 
5. Place a parcel on each plate and serve with salad and crusty bread.

Notes

• Use balsamic vinegar labelled ‘Balsamico di Modena’, it’s more expensive but the taste is far superior.
• Remove the fish from the fridge 20-30 minutes before you cook it, to allow it to come to room temperature, this is particularly important if it is being served rare in the centre.
• Sashimi-grade fish is normally sold trimmed, if it is not, trim off any skin and dark muscle before cooking.
• Alternative species: Albacore, Atlantic Salmon, Bonito, Mackerel, Striped Marlin, Swordfish, Yellowtail Kingfish.

Jill Dupleix’s warm barramundi dish is a winner any time of the year. This is a versatile dish that can be served as a traditional main course with one fillet per person, or by pulling the barramundi fillets into hunks and chunks before dressing them with warm, lemony olive and tomato dressing. Serve with a bowl of tiny boiled potatoes for the perfect winter warmer.

Ingredients

• 4x 200g thick Australian barramundi fillets with skin on
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper, to season
• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp small black olives, unpitted
• 20 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 tbsp preserved lemon, rinsed and diced
• 1 tbsp tiny salted capers, rinsed
• 1 cup basil leaves, torn if large
• Handful of rocket leaves
• 1 lemon, quartered

Method

1. Season barramundi with salt for 5 minutes before cooking. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil before adding barramundi skin-side down. Press fillets flat onto pan for about 4 minutes until skin is crisp. Turn and cook for about 1-2 minutes until just cooked through. Remove and place on warm plates, skin-side up.
2. To make the warm dressing, add remaining olive oil to the pan with olives, preserved lemon, cherry tomatoes and capers. As soon as the cherry tomatoes soften and release their juices, add the basil leaves and toss well.
3. Place barramundi on individual plates and spoon warm tomato dressing over top. Scatter with pepper and rocket leaves. Squeeze lemon juice over top and serve.