There is something truly satisfying about sharing good food with family and friends. While traditional dining will always have its place, the shared plate is casual and intimate, friendly and laid-back, encouraging conversation and interaction around the table and a more relaxed cook! Whether its a lazy weekend brunch, casual supper for friends at the kitchen table, special-occasion lunch, or drinks with nibbles, Luke Mangan has all your options covered for the most delicious sharing plates. Over 100 recipes take inspiration from around the world Spain and Italy, Scandinavia, the Middle East and Asia with a chapter of Lukes famously divine desserts to complete the feast. A little taste of everything, for just about everyone, for just about any occasion. Luke Mangan is a leading Australian restaurateur and chef, whose influence on the food industry can been found across five countries in 19 different restaurants, as well as in the air on Virgin Australia Business Class and at sea, on board five P&O cruise ships. Internationally regarded as a leading example of Australias culinary culture, Lukes restaurants range from casual to fine dining establishments and share a consistent philosophy of showcasing the relationship between Australias finest ingredients in a clean and contemporary manner.
Luke is also the co-founder of Australias largest hospitality awards program, the Appetite for Excellence program, enabling the development of young chefs, waiters and restaurateurs in Australia.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Firstly, a big thank you must go to my Group Head Chef, Joe Pavlovich, for making this book come to life; from working with me on the recipe creation and testing, right through to the final photography. There are some amazing recipes in this book, some inspired by our travels, but most served in our restaurants today, from our founding restaurant glass brasserie, to Salt tapas in Singapore and soon Ginza, Tokyo. Joe is one of my longest serving chefs and I cant thank him enough for his commitment to this company. A huge thank you to Rebecca McNeilly, my amazing PA (jack of all trades and master of all) for also working so closely with Joe on every detail of this book. A big thank you to all my restaurant staff, from chefs, waiters and bar staff to our restaurant managers: your passion and service to provide our customers with the best dining experience possible does not go unnoticed.
To my head office staff who keep the wheels rolling behind the scenes: your integrity and loyalty to the Luke Mangan brand has helped to make this company what it is to today. To my partners in Australia and overseas Hilton Hotels, Virgin Australia, Volvo, P&O Cruises, Electrolux and Trippas White Group I thank you for your ongoing support of our company and we look forward to continuing our great partnerships for many more years to come.
INTRODUCTION There is something truly satisfying about sharing good food at a table with family and friends. While formal dining will always have its place, many people are steering away from the traditional notion of sitting down to a three-course meal of starter, main dish and dessert, and are instead embracing a more laid-back style of eating, sharing a few different plates of food. This way of eating is nothing new, of course the Spanish, with their countless tapas bars, have been excelling at it for centuries. So have the Chinese, with dim sum or yum cha, the Koreans with their banchan and the Indians with their thali.
Scandinavians are known for their smorgasbords, the Middle Easterns enjoy meze plates and the Italians are famous for antipasti. And why not? Sharing food creates interaction and conversation at the table, allowing diners to explore more tastes and flavours in one sitting. When choosing a selection of shared dishes for a gathering, think about balancing flavours and textures, how much time you have for preparation and what elements of the menu can be made well in advance, leaving you free to enjoy some leisurely grazing and feasting. A selection of tasty fingerfoods, or a platter of oysters, sashimi or tapas-type nibbles, is perfect for sharing if you are having people over for a few drinks. To avoid a confusion of flavours, and to keep menu planning easy, its often simplest to stick to a general style of cuisine, for example Asian, Spanish or Mediterranean but dont be afraid to be a bit adventurous too. This book offers a whole range of great ideas for shared plates, from leisurely breakfasts and elegant brunches to warming winter dishes and light, lazy summer fare, to bar snacks and fun, informal foods to enjoy with a bunch of friends.
Whatever the occasion, youre sure to find something perfect for sharing.
At the end of a long working week, theres something quite ceremonious about sharing a leisurely weekend breakfast or brunch with family and friends, whether its at home at the kitchen bench or at a favourite caf. In this busy day and age, many of us, most working days, just grab a quick breakfast on the run, or even skip it altogether in our rush to dash out the door making it all the more special when were able to enjoy a lingering morning repast with family and friends. When Im at home, mid-week breakfast is pretty basic, such as a simple bowl of oats with a nice cup of tea or a strong coffee but at the weekend its a whole different story. Most recipes in this chapter can be enjoyed for both breakfast and brunch. And theyre not necessarily time consuming to pull together, such as our jazzed-up toasted sandwich () and simply assembled when guests arrive.
But dont be limited to the recipes in this chapter: youll find so many brunch-style dishes throughout this book, such as the English muffins with swordfish . All very lovely ways to ease into the day.
Quail eggs benedict with chilli kale on mini muffins What an elegant way to start the day. Dont be fooled by their tiny size quail eggs are beautifully rich in flavour. Most good butchers will stock them. MAKES 8 4 , split in half and toasted splash of olive oil 8 quail eggs 8 thin slices double-smoked ham 150 ml (5 fl oz) Hollandaise sauce (see below) HOLLANDAISE REDUCTION extra virgin olive oil, for pan-frying 3 French shallots, chopped 2 garlic cloves, sliced 300 ml (10 fl oz) white wine 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups) white wine vinegar 2 teaspoons dried tarragon 4 bay leaves 1 teaspoon white peppercorns bunch tarragon HOLLANDAISE SAUCE 4 egg yolks 2 tablespoons Hollandaise reduction (see above) 300 ml (10 fl oz) warm melted clarified butter or ghee pinch of cayenne pepper juice of 1 lemon CHILLI KALE 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 French shallots, finely diced 4 large curly kale leaves, chopped 1 teaspoon chilli paste FOR THE HOLLANDAISE REDUCTION Heat a saucepan over low heat with a splash of olive oil.