Paper Chef #12 - Sauces

Whitebait Tapenade Sauce

A very aromatic sauce (with hints of citrus and licorice) carried in olive oil instead of butter, perhaps better called Cafe de Perth EVOO (extra virgin olive oil), as an analogue of Cafe de Paris Butter.

4 tablespoon dried baby whitebait (anchovies)
4 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra
1 strip orange peel
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1 aniseed myrtle leaf, slivered (or substitute 1/2 teaspoon aniseed)
1 lemon myrtle leaf, slivered (or substitute lime leaves, lemon zest, lemon grass)
4 tablespoon akudjura tapenade (a vegan bush tomato tapenade described in a previous post)

Rinse the whitebait to remove excess salt and dry well. Gently fry the fish in the olive oil until crispy. Strain the oil and top up to 1/2 cup with fresh olive oil. Add the herbs and spices and gently heat for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 30 minutes for the herbs and spices to infuse.

Mill the fried fish to a fine paste. Add the tapenade and mill. Press the paste through a sieve. Remove 1 tablespoon and adjust with infused olive oil to a smooth flowing consistency for piping. Put the remaining in a sauce dish for use as a dip.



Yoghurt Cream
Drain 1 1/2 cup of low fat yoghurt in a strainer overnight to thicken. Add 1 tablespoon chopped dill gherkins, 1 tablespoon chopped chives, 1 tablespoon fresh fennel leaves, 1 teaspoon tarragon, 1 chopped lemon myrtle leaf. Place in a sauce dish or egg cup.

Melba Toast
Thinly slice (0.5 cm) a sesame crusted French stick and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 10-15 minutes. Brush with aniseed myrtle, ginger and onion olive oil infusion.

Glazed Wattleseed Figs
See Paper Chef #9


Related Articles:

Paper Chef #9 - Glazed Wattleseed Figs
Akudjura Tapenade
Australian Bush Herbs - lemon and aniseed myrtle
Paper Chef #12 - On a Budget
Paper Chef #12 - Ingredients
Paper Chef #12 - Bush Tucker Lamb
Paper Chef #12 - Orange Basil Seed Champagne Jelly
Paper Chef #12 - Sauces