Travel & Living Magazine

FOOD Cook the macaroni to al dente in plenty of boiling salted water. Drain well, cover and keep warm. For the sauce, heat a little of the olive oil in a large saucepan and cook the bacon on medium heat until golden and slightly crispy. Drain well on a paper towel. Add the cream to the same pan, bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the cheeses, garlic, mustard and paprika, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring until the cheeses have melted and the sauce is thick. Season with salt and pepper, then add the macaroni and bacon to the sauce and stir to heat through. Finally, stir in the chives and serve. Serves 4 DESSERT STRAWBERRY TART MAIN RIB EYE ON THE BONE 4x360g rib eye on the bone Sea salt Extra virgin olive oil for grilling 4 lemon wedges To cook the rib eye, heat the barbecue or grill – whether using wood, charcoal or gas – until extremely hot. Salt and oil each side of the steaks and allow to reach room temperature. Place steaks on the grill, cook for approximately 5 minutes, then rotate each steak 90 degrees to achieve the cross pattern on the meat half way through cooking. Turn the steaks over and cook for another 4 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for a few minutes off the grill, then place on a cutting board and cut each into five or six slices. To serve, form the meat back to its original shape and put on a plate with a sprinkle of salt, drizzle of olive oil and a wedge of lemon. Serves 4 4 individual blind-baked pastry cases* 80g strawberry jam (see recipe below) 60g crème patisserie 40g whipped cream 160g diced strawberries 20g balsamic dressing (see recipe) 10–12 medium-sized strawberries, sliced Dried strawberries, crumbled (optional) STRAWBERRY JAM 400g strawberries, washed, hulled and cut into quarters 100ml orange juice 55g sugar Juice 1 lemon BALSAMIC VINEGAR DRESSING 50g castor sugar 100g hot water 100g balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract *Pastry has been baked using weights (rice or pastry weights) to keep from rising while baking. To make the jam, combine all of the ingredients and place in a medium- sized pot. Stir over medium-to-low heat to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat to medium and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Allow to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. For the vinegar, pour the balsamic into a small pot over a medium heat, then reduce the vinegar by half. Heat a small pan over a medium heat and when hot, add the sugar and let caramelise until a rich golden colour. Add the hot water to the caramelised sugar and, while stirring, return to a boil to ensure all the caramel is dissolved. Remove the caramel from the heat and add to the reduced balsamic vinegar with the vanilla. Store in a container in the fridge. To make the tarts, place the tart cases in the centre of each plate. Divide the jam between the cases and spread over the bottom of each. Mix the crème patisserie and whipped cream together until smooth, then spoon evenly over the jam in each case. Toss the diced strawberries and balsamic vinegar dressing together, then spoon on top of the cream. Finally, lay the strawberry slices over the top of the tarts, keeping in line with the edge of the pastry to create a circular lid effect, but leaving the centre empty. To serve, place a scoop of ice cream (at Rockpool, we like to use our balsamic vinegar ice cream) in the centre of the strawberry lid, and sprinkle with some crumbled dried strawberries if desired. Serves 4 All recipes © Rockpool Group Photos © Earl Carter travel&living 29

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