masterclass

Serve up a game version of the classic dinner party puff pastry parcel with mushroom duxelles, prosciutto and mustard

Venison wellington

venison

tbsp olive oil,

1½ tbsp English mustard

butter

shallot,

garlic clove, crushed

chestnut mushroom, very finely chopped in a food processor

tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves

tbsp finely chopped parsley

brandy

prosciutto

flour,

pack all-butter puff pastry

egg yolks, beaten

mashed root veg

For detailed step-by-step images to help with creating your wellington, visit our guide page. Firstly, dry the venison with kitchen paper, then season well. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sear the meat all over for about 8 mins. Brush with mustard, leave to cool, then chill for 20 mins. Reserve any juices for the gravy.

Melt the butter and soften the shallot and garlic. Add the mushrooms, herbs and seasoning, and cook for 10 mins until you have a paste-like mixture. Add the brandy and cook until it’s evaporated. Leave to cool.

Overlap 2-3 sheets of cling film on a clean surface and lay the prosciutto in 2 rows, slightly overlapping each slice. Spread the cooled mushroom paste all over the prosciutto, creating a thin, even layer.

Place the fillet in the centre of the mushroom mixture. Using the edge of the cling film, carefully draw the layer of prosciutto and mushroom around the meat.

Roll into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of the cling film as you do, to form a tight log. Chill for 30 mins to firm up.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry to a rectangle a little larger than a magazine, and trim the edges to neaten.

Carefully unwrap the prosciutto parcel and lay in the middle of the pastry.

Fold over the bottom half of the pastry. Lightly brush the rest of the sheet with beaten egg.

Roll the whole thing around the meat to encase. Neatly fold under the shorter edges to create a parcel.

Transfer to a baking sheet and, using your hands, smooth the pastry around the meat, pressing it firmly to avoid any air being trapped. Brush the pastry all over with beaten egg yolk.

Chill for at least 30 mins or up to 24 hrs. Then, using the back of a knife, mark the pastry, being careful not to cut all the way through. Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

Lightly oil a non-stick baking tray and heat until hot. Put the wellington on the tray and bake for 30 mins (35 mins for well done). Remove from oven, brush with extra egg and rest for 20 mins.

To make venison gravy, melt a large knob of butter in a medium pan, add 1 finely chopped shallot, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 thyme sprig, and cook until soft. Add 1 tbsp flour, brown for about 1 min, then pour in 250ml Port and reduce by two-thirds. Add 400ml beef stock and any reserved juices from the venison, then reduce again by two-thirds until syrupy. Season, add 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly, if you like, and strain before serving.

There are more “rules” around cooking steak than any other food, and most of them are complete nonsense.

Throw out the rule book: Adam Liaw’s expert guide to cooking the perfect steak

scotch steak,

salt and black pepper,

tsp vegetable oil,

curly parsley,

Warm a serving plate. Heat a heavy frying pan (preferably carbon steel or stainless steel) over medium-high heat until very hot. Season the steak generously with salt and pepper, then add the oil to the pan. Cook the steak to your liking (see tips below), and about 2 minutes before the steak is likely to be done, add the butter and spoon it over the steak repeatedly until the steak is cooked. Remove the steak from the pan and set aside on the warm serving plate to rest. 

To make the pan jus, return the pan to the heat and add a third of the butter for the pan jus. Add the eschalot, garlic, thyme and any parsley stems, and fry for about a minute until fragrant. Add the red wine, stock and gelatine (if using) and scrape up any brown bits from the base of the pan. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by about two-thirds. Pour in any resting juices from the steak. Whisk in the remaining cold butter, add a dash of vinegar, then strain the sauce into a warm jug or bowl.

Wipe out the pan and return it to the heat. Add a touch more oil then flash the steak for 30 seconds on each side to refresh it. Slice the steak and pour the reserved pan jus onto the serving plate. Place the steak on top and serve scattered with a little parsley.

Lift this comfort-food favourite several notches by employing simple chef-approved techniques for better-tasting mince and creamy mash.

Adam Liaw’s shepherd’s pie masterclass (plus a genius tip for browning the meat)

vegetable oil

1kg lamb mince

onion,

carrots, finely diced

celery stalk, finely diced

garlic cloves, roughly chopped

salt

tomato paste

thyme, leaves

flour

red wine

beef stock

tbsp worcestershire sauce

tbsp dark soy sauce

peas

Heat a large casserole dish over medium heat and add the vegetable oil. Roughly form the mince into a large puck and fry it as you would a giant hamburger (see tips). When the “hamburger” is well browned on one side, flip it over and add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and salt to the pan and fry for about 10 minutes, until fragrant and softened. Use a wooden spoon to break up the browned mince patty into the vegetable mixture. 

Add the tomato paste and chopped herbs, stir well, then add the flour and stir for about 3 minutes to combine with the mince and vegetables. Add the wine and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes, then add the stock, worcestershire sauce and dark soy and simmer, covered for 1 hour. 

Uncover and continue to simmer for about 30 minutes, until the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and stir the peas into the warm mixture. Transfer the mixture to a large baking dish, allow to stand and cool while you make the mash.

Heat the oven to 200C fan-forced (220C conventional).

To make the mashed potatoes, peel the potatoes and cut them into large chunks. Place in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potatoes are very tender. Test them by inserting a sharp knife into a piece of potato. It should enter and exit easily. Drain the potatoes well and return them to the warm pot over very low heat for about 3 minutes to steam off some of the residual moisture. 

Mash well, then add the milk and butter and mix vigorously with a wooden spoon to produce a smooth mash. Season well with salt and spread the mash over the filling in the baking dish. Rake a fork across the top to create texture. Bake for 25 minutes until the mash is golden brown.

Make extra sauce, freeze it, and you can have this family favourite on the table in no time flat.

Fakeaway favourite: Adam Liaw’s home-made butter chicken

chicken thigh fillets

juice of ½ lemon

tsp turmeric

¼ cup thick yoghurt

paprika

tsp coriander

½ tsp ground cumin

tsp garam masala

To prepare the chicken, trim the thigh fillets of some of the visible fat, and combine with the remaining marinade ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, heat a barbecue or grill pan over a high heat and grill the chicken for about 3 minutes on each side until charred. The chicken doesn’t need to be completely cooked through.

To make the butter chicken sauce, combine the onion, garlic and ginger in a small food processor and process to a smooth puree. Alternatively, you can grate or finely chop these aromatics. Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the butter. When the butter has melted, add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom pods and toast for a minute until fragrant. Add the onion, garlic and ginger puree and fry for about 6-8 minutes, or until fragrant and dry, but not yet browned. Add the ground coriander, cumin and chilli (or paprika, if using) and mix well. Add the tomato passata and mix well. Cover and simmer for about 8 minutes. Season with the salt and sugar to taste, then stir through the thickened cream. Simmer for a further 4 minutes. 

Cut the chicken into 3cm pieces and stir through the sauce mixture. Simmer for 3 minutes, then stir through the garam masala and fenugreek leaves. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer to a serving bowl and scatter with coriander to serve. Serve with Indian breads or rice, and a little hot lime pickle. 

Vietnamese chicken salad is a year-round Australian favourite. A great one relies on juicy shredded chicken and a beautifully balanced dressing. Here’s how.

Adam Liaw shares the secret to perfectly poached chicken in this simple, vibrant salad

chicken breast

shredded cabbage

shredded red cabbage

red onion,

mint,

coriander,

Vietnamese mint

carrot,

Asian fried shallots

peanuts

For the nuoc cham dressing, pound the chilli and garlic together in a mortar and pestle. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you can just finely chop them together. Add the sugar and lime juice and taste it, adjusting so that the mixture has a good balance between sweet and sour (see notes). Add the fish sauce to taste, then about 2 tablespoons of water to dilute the dressing.

For the chicken breast, place 1.2 litres of water in a small, heavy saucepan and bring it to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat, add the chicken breast, cover tightly, and stand for 20 minutes. If you like, you can test the internal temperature of the chicken breast with a thermometer. It should be about 64C. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, sprinkle some salt on your hands and shred it into thin strips (see note).

Combine the shredded chicken with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl, pour over as much of the nuoc cham as you like, and toss everything together with your hands. Scatter liberally with fried shallots and peanuts, and serve with extra nuoc cham on the side.

Here’s how to make Australia’s roast of choice, plus the must-have gravy and sharp mint sauce to tie it all together.

How to cook Adam Liaw’s perfect slow-roasted lamb shoulder with gravy and fresh mint sauce

brown onions,

1.8kg lamb shoulder,

salt and pepper, to season

rosemary

olive oil

tbsp plain flour

milliliters red or white wine

chicken stock

tbsp instant gravy powder (such as Gravox)

tsp red wine vinegar

For the mint sauce, combine all the ingredients together and mix to dissolve the sugar and salt. Dilute with a little water if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. 

Heat your oven to 180C fan-forced (200C conventional). Place the onions in the base of a large lidded casserole dish. Season the lamb well with salt and pepper and place on top of the onions. Add a cup of water to the base of the dish, place the rosemary sprigs on top of the lamb, drizzle with the olive oil and place the lid on the dish. Roast the lamb, covered, for 2.5 hours, then uncovered for a further 1.5-2 hours until is nicely browned and very tender. (If you prefer your lamb medium-rare, roast it uncovered only for 90 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 60C.)

Remove the lamb from the oven. Place on a large platter and rest in a warm place. Pour any liquid from the base of the casserole dish into a measuring jug. This will likely be a mix of oil and roasting juices. If you want to separate the oil from the juices, you can either spoon off the oil as a liquid, or place the jug in the fridge to solidify the oil. 

Return the casserole dish to the heat and add 2 tbsp of fat back to the dish. Add the flour and stir to mix with the fat. Cook for about 3 minutes until the flour starts to brown. Add the wine and scrape up any residue from the base of the dish. Add the stock a little at a time, stirring to remove lumps before adding more stock. Stir through the dark soy sauce and instant gravy powder. Taste and adjust the seasoning and consistency, then remove from the heat and stir through the red wine vinegar. Serve the lamb on top of the onions, with the gravy and mint sauce on the side.

What if Australia’s favourite “Singaporean” dish isn’t Singaporean at all? Adam Liaw busts a culinary myth, and shows how to make these noodles at home.

The dish everyone thinks is Singaporean? It’s not (but here’s how to cook it)

dried rice vermicelli noodles

raw peeled prawns

red capsicum, thinly sliced

char siu pork (see note), thinly sliced

1cm piece of ginger, finely chopped

eggs, beaten

curry powder

chicken stock powder

soy sauce

½ tsp caster sugar

spring

bean sprouts

Pour boiling water over the vermicelli noodles, allow them to stand for 5 minutes only, then drain well. Allow the noodles to continue draining in a colander while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Place the wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the prawns, carrot, and capsicum to the wok and toss for a minute. Add the char siu, garlic and ginger and toss for another 1-2 minutes, until the prawns are nearly cooked through. Remove the contents of the wok to a plate and return the wok to the stove.

Add the remaining oil and the eggs. Stir the eggs vigorously in the oil to form threads, then add the drained noodles. Toss to combine and fry for 2-3 minutes until the noodles are lightly toasted. Return the fried ingredient mixture to the wok and add the curry powder, stock powder, salt, soy sauce and caster sugar. Toss to combine everything, adding a little water or stock to moisten the dish, if required. Add the spring onions and bean sprouts and cook for 1 minute, then serve immediately.

France’s best-known salad is substantial enough for a main dish but light enough for hot summer days.

Adam Liaw’s extra-nice salad nicoise (plus the secret to perfectly tender boiled potatoes)

free-range eggs

heirloom tomatoes,

green beans

potatoes

½ a yellow capsicum, very thinly sliced

red onion, very thinly sliced

Lebanese cucumber, peeled at intervals and quartered lengthways

tuna chunks

black olives

Boil the eggs by pricking a hole in the base and placing them in a large pot of boiling water for 8 minutes. Refresh in iced water, then peel.

Season the tomatoes well with salt and set aside at room temperature.

For the vinaigrette, combine the mustard, garlic, vinegar and lemon juice in a large bowl and slowly whisk in the oil.

Place the potatoes in a pot of cold water and bring to a simmer. Simmer the potatoes for about 10 minutes until they are tender (a small sharp knife inserted into the potato should go in and come out easily). Remove from the pot and season with salt.

Blanch the beans for about 30 seconds then drain, season with salt, and set aside. You don’t need to shock them in iced water (see notes).

Cut the eggs in half lengthways and serve 2 halves per serve. Cut the potatoes into 1cm-thick slices (they should still be warm). Arrange all the ingredients in piles on a serving plate. Dress with the vinaigrette.

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Top 8 masterclass recipes from across the web

The most viewed masterclass recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Venison wellington

Throw out the rule book: Adam Liaw’...

Adam Liaw’s shepherd’s pie mastercl...

Fakeaway favourite: Adam Liaw’s hom...

Adam Liaw shares the secret to perf...

How to cook Adam Liaw’s perfect slo...

The dish everyone thinks is Singapo...

Adam Liaw’s extra-nice salad nicois...

The most viewed masterclass recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine