![Marron medallions with vanilla sabayon and potato crisps]()
Place marrons in the freezer for 2 hours to put them into a stupor; this is the most humane way to cook them. Place marrons in a pan of boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Immediately plunge into cold water until cool. Remove and discard heads, then, using kitchen scissors, cut down the back of the shell. Remove flesh in one piece.
Place marrons in a small saucepan, tucking tails under to ensure even cooking, and add onion, thyme, peppercorns, celery and wine. Pour in enough cold water to cover. Cook over medium heat for 4 minutes or until flesh changes colour and is almost cooked through. Remove from heat and cool in liquid. Drain.
To make crisps, fill a deep-fryer or saucepan one-third full with oil and heat over medium heat to 160°C (or until a cube of bread turns golden in 20 seconds). Working in 2 batches, drop potato slices into oil and fry, turning halfway, for 5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towel. Season with salt.
To make the sabayon, place vanilla bean and seeds, egg yolk and Champagne in a heatproof bowl. Place bowl snugly over a pan of simmering water; ensure bowl doesn’t touch the water. Using a tea towel to hold the bowl, whisk vigorously for 8 minutes or until thick and frothy.
Divide cabbage leaves among plates. Place 3 marrons on each leaf and serve with potato crisps and sabayon. Garnish with baby herbs.
Drink 2010 Joseph Drouhin Chablis, Burgundy, France ($37)Photography by Brett Steven
Meaning "chilli with meat", this dish prompts fiery debate. Where and how the classic originated is a controversial topic among various American states – although Texas, with chilli con carne (also known as chili) as its state dish, is arguably frontrunner for the title. Even more contentious is what makes the perfect "bowl o’ red". As the International Chili Society says, "Never has there been anything mild about chili".
Place marrons in the freezer for 2 hours to put them into a stupor; this is the most humane way to cook them. Place marrons in a pan of boiling salted water for 30 seconds. Immediately plunge into cold water until cool. Remove and discard heads, then, using kitchen scissors, cut down the back of the shell. Remove flesh in one piece. 
“We do this dish in many variations at 
The textures, flavours and colours of this salad are a perfect balance for a warm winter treat.
Australia has wonderful seafood and simple recipes that allow the flavour and quality of the seafood to be showcased are often the best. Unsalted cultured butter perfectly complements mussels by absorbing some of the saltiness of the mussels and providing creaminess. Live pot-ready mussels should be used such as those from Kinkawooka in South Australia.
Traditionally, tapenade is simply made with olive paste and capers. Capers are a must. Tapenade originated in the French region of Provence and the name is derived from the Provencal word for capers, ‘tapenas’. Often anchovies are also used. The great thing about tapenade is that you can add any number of ingredients depending on the flavours you like — such as garlic, pepper, chilli, basil, parsley etc. This particular tapenade is a classic combination of two traditional Mediterranean products — olives and figs. 
Pissaladiere, or as chef Michael McEnearney likes to call it, French pizza, is a beautiful way to showcase Pepe Saya’s cultured butter. In Mike’s version, the butter is the star of the show.
Chef Ashley Martin loves the flavour of goat and demonstrates a fantastic dish using this tender, versatile meat.
The important thing with roasting duck is that the legs and breasts cook very differently, so they shouldn’t be roasted together. This recipe separates these cuts for optimal cooking and uses the classic match of duck and pinot noir. Together with the mulberry molasses this dish creates a balance of fruit flavours with the savoury characteristics of the pinot noir.
This dish is a favourite for diners at Flower Drum. Anthony has taken a native Australian ingredient and used Cantonese cooking styles and flavours to create a dish with a delicate flavour that presents beautifully. Traditionally, Cantonese cook many molluscs such as abalone and conch in this way and Anthony found that this method matches the pearl meat perfectly. The pearl meat is from Broome, WA and is thinly sliced, then stir-fried with spring onion and garlic chives and served with oyster sauce.
Brent Savage, part owner/executive chef of The Bentley Restaurant and Bar, first discovered black garlic in the famous Las Ramblas market in Barcelona. Matching the black garlic with one of his favourite ingredients, the pork cheek, he has created this inspirational dish which still features on his menu at The Bentley.
Delicious, tender chicken marinated in vanilla salt and lime zest is lovely as an entrée or a great addition to your barbecue menu.
This recipe has a long history for me as it was the first dish I ever made with my mother. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have over the years.
Known as Korea’s national dish, kimchi can be used in hundreds of ways, such as in hot pots, stir-fries and braises. David Ralph and wife Jin Sun share her mother’s famous family recipe for this versatile, well-known dish.
Chef Ben Shewry, of famed Melbourne restaurant Attica, lives close to the sea where there is an abundance of edible wild plants and vegetables. Ben harvests the wild plants by hand every day for the menu at Attica. Many of his Attica dishes utilise foraged ingredients. In order to showcase the uniqueness of these ingredients best, he prefers to keep them raw and in their natural state.
Daryl Kirk demonstrates his passion for cocoa beans a different way, by cooking his famous chocolate crème brulee in a barbecue.
Strain the rice and place in a mortar. Pound with a pestle for 4 minutes, or until crushed. Stir in the stock and set aside. 
Add the vegetable oil to a hot frying pan and sauté the shallot until fragrant. Add the duck liver and a pinch of sea salt and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Soak a bamboo skewer in cold water for 30 minutes. In a mixing bowl, combine the lemongrass, dill and spring onion. Stuff the mixture into the cavity of the fish, then secure the opening using the bamboo skewer. Rub the whole fish with all the sea salt, coating it well. Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue chargrill plate to medium-high. Chargrill the fish for 10–15 minutes on each side, or until cooked through (the scales and skin should peel easily).
Pour the stock into a hot wok. When it begins to boil, add the pork meat and liver and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes, or until the meat is cooked.