![Tanna chicken]()
Preheat the oven to 250°C.
Trim the chicken and ensure that the skin is covering the breasts.
Grind the garlic, ginger, chilli and cloves in a mortar and pestle until a smooth paste forms. Rub the paste all over the chicken, inside and out.
Combine the sweet soy sauce and chilli sauce together and rub it all over the chicken.
Stuff the chicken with the spinach, then squeeze the lime over the skin and season well.
To wrap the chicken, soften the banana leaves by running them over a flame for about 30 seconds or until they go oily. Place 2 banana leaves on a bench in a star pattern and lightly oil them.
Place the chicken, breast-side down, on the leaves and wrap it so both leaves cover the bird evenly. If necessary, use another leaf. Tie it well with butchers twine and set aside.
To make the sand casing, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until you get a sloppy paste.
Place another 2 banana leaves on your bench in a star pattern and place ½ of the sand mixture on it. Place the chicken, breast-side up, on the paste and put the rest of the paste on top. Ensure the entire chicken parcel is coated evenly with the sand and then wrap it up the same way as the first wrapping and secure with butchers twine.
Place the parcel on an oven tray and bake for 1½ hours.
Start preparing the cucumber salad half an hour before the chicken is ready. Peel the cucumber into long thins ribbons into a bowl, until you reach the core. Place the garlic and a large pinch of salt in a mortar and pestle and grind until a paste forms. Add to the cucumber, toss to combine and set aside for 30 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
When the chicken is ready, remove the banana leaves and you should have a hard rock. Remove from the oven and stand for 5 minutes.
To serve, either take the rock to the table and break it open with a hammer, or crack the rock in the kitchen and then unwrap the chicken from its second covering of banana leaves. Serve the chicken and any juices with the cucumber salad.
The origins of this treat are heavily debated. Some say the earliest cinnamon roll may have descended from a medieval fritter, while others believe the Swedes, with their slightly less-sweet cinnamon roll, known as kanelbulle, are the original creators. The American Institute of Baking suggests the early English Chelsea bun may have been the prototype, which was then influenced by the German schnecken (a coiled bun). It is believed schnecken became popular in Philadelphia in the 18th century thanks to German migration to the area, and soon the Philadelphia cinnamon roll was born. Today, there are many variations, including the caramel and pecan-laced sticky bun. This recipe is best eaten the same day – although that shouldn’t pose a problem.
At his restaurant, David Tsirekas drizzles the eggplants with a spiced yoghurt, which includes paprika, cumin, cinnamon and cloves.
Draining the yoghurt overnight produces a drier spice paste. You will need 6 x 20cm wooden or metal skewers for this recipe.
In this audio segment, we meet Stéphane Langlois, owner of La Parisienne Pâtés, a French charcuterie in Carlton, north of Melbourne. At La Parisienne Pâtés you will find all the specialties of traditional French charcuterie including sausages, pâtés, terrines and pies. Stéphane Langlois shares with us his experience and gives us the recipe of one his most popular dishes, duck and rosemary terrine.
To make the sambal bajak, place the tamarind paste in a heatproof bowl and pour over 150ml boiling water. Allow to cool, then combine well. Strain the mixture through a fine strainer, extracting as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids. 
To reconstitute the dried fish, place it in a heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Stand until the water is cool, then drain, rinse and pat dry. 
To kill the lobsters, place them in a large bucket of iced water and stand for 15 minutes, then drain and cut in half using a cleaver or large knife. Clean out the heads, but do not wash them in cold water. Alternatively, get the fish market where you bought them from to cut them in half and clean them for you – only do this if you are close to home, have an ice box to transport it in and plan to use it immediately. 
For the paste, place all the ingredients except 125ml (½ cup) of the palm oil into a spice grinder or food processor and blend to a smooth paste.
To make the base, place all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, then remove from the heat and divide among six 200ml capacity glasses. Cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.
To make the sauces, combine all the ingredients in separate bowls and set aside.
To make the mango salad, peel and dice the mango into 1cm cubes.
Pull the fat away from the fillet and remove the sinew from the sirloin, then cut away the fat and the tail end of the sirloin. Cut the sirloin into approximately six portions, season to taste and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 230°C and place a pizza stone or heavy-based oven tray inside to preheat.
Preheat the oven to 250°C.
To make the soubise, place the onions, cream, wine and a pinch of salt in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 20 minutes or until pulpy. You will need to stir the mixture every 5 minutes to prevent it sticking and burning. Transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and set aside.
Place the octopus in a heavy-based pot and slowly heat until the moisture starts coming out. Cover with a lid and steam on medium heat for about 1 hour.
For the dressing, place all the ingredients in a bowl, season to taste and combine well.
To make the batter, place all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk until a smooth batter forms. It should have the consistency of thick pancake batter. Cover and refrigerate. 
This lovely dinner party dish is made magic by the flavour of tarragon in the spring vegetables.
This French family classic was traditionally made with day-old bread but now it's often made with brioche as a breakfast treat. It's nice served with red fruits.