3 large paperbark sheets, plus extra to make thin strips 

12 duck eggs 

Light a fire. Soak the sheets of paperbark in water for 5 minutes. Tear or cut the paperbark into 6 pieces, each large enough to encase one egg. Crack each of 6 eggs into the pieces of paperbark and tie the tops with the extra thin strips of paperbark. To cook, move some hot coals away from the hottest part of the fire and place the paperbark eggs on top for about 10–12 minutes or until cooked through. 

The remaining eggs are baked in the fire. Move some hot coals to the edge of the fire. Using a stone, crack a small hole in the top of each egg. Submerge the eggs into the coals and cook for 6–10 minutes.

120g (3⁄4 cup) polenta (cornmeal)

1 tsp salt

125g (1 cup) corn kernels

1⁄4 brown onion, finely chopped

1⁄2 bunch chives, finely chopped

1 egg, lightly beaten

150g (1 cup) plain flour

1½ tsp baking powder

CORN PUREE

2 tsp olive oil

30g unsalted butter

1⁄4 brown onion, 

roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

125g (1 cup) fresh corn kernels

125ml (1⁄2 cup) vegetable stock

VEGETABLE SOUP

1⁄4 cup olive oil

1⁄2 brown onion, roughly chopped

1 leek, white part only, roughly chopped

2 large carrots, peeled and chopped

2 celery stalks, trimmed and chopped

1 garlic clove, thinly sliced

200g Swiss brown mushrooms, halved

1.75lt (7 cups) vegetable stock

To make the corn puree, heat the oil and butter in a frying pan over medium heat, add the onion and garlic and cook for 4 minutes or until translucent. Increase heat to medium, add the corn and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes or until softened. Add the vegetable stock, season with salt and pepper and bring to a rapid simmer for a further 4 minutes or until the stock has nearly evaporated.

Remove from the heat, cool slightly before pureeing in a blender. Set aside.

Place the polenta in a saucepan with the salt and 1 cup water, over medium-high heat and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until thick. Reduce the heat to low and cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir through the corn puree, corn kernels, onion and chives. Leave the mixture to cool slightly before mixing through the egg. Sift 1⁄2 cup flour and the baking powder together and mix through the corn mixture. Depending on the mixture you may need to add additional flour – the balls should come together without falling apart.

Place the remaining flour in a bowl. Shape the doughboys into 31⁄2 cm balls and lightly coat with the flour. Place on a tray and set aside. 

To make the vegetable soup, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, leek, carrots, celery, mushrooms and garlic, season with salt and pepper and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.

Add the vegetable stock, increase the heat to high and bring to the boil. Add the doughboys to the soup and simmer for 10 minutes or until cooked inside. Divide between bowls to serve.

1 small desiree potato (about 115g), peeled and chopped

150g (1 cup) plain flour, sifted, plus ¼ cup extra for dusting

60g unsalted butter, finely chopped

50g (½ cup) finely grated vintage cheddar

1 tsp native thyme leaves

1½ tbsp canola oil

200g streaky smoked bacon, finely diced

150g quark or cottage cheese

Place the potato in a small saucepan of cold water over high heat and bring to the boil, cooking for 5–10 minutes or until tender. Drain and mash until smooth.

Place the flour in a bowl and, using your fingers, rub in the butter until fine crumbs form. Add the mashed potato, cheese, thyme and a pinch of salt. Bring together with your hands until a dough forms. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 6mm thick. Cut out biscuits with a 6.5cm round biscuit cutter. Reroll any excess dough and repeat the process until it’s all used.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced/gas mark 6/400°F. Heat a chargrill pan or barbecue over a medium heat and brush with the oil. Lightly dust each biscuit with flour on both sides and cook 5–6 minutes each side or until charred lines form.

Place biscuits on oven trays lined with baking paper and bake for 10 minutes or until cook through. Meanwhile, in a frying pan with a touch of oil, cook the bacon until almost crispy.

Place 1 teaspoon quark in the centre of each biscuit then sprinkle bacon over the top. Return the biscuits to the oven to bake for a further 5–7 minutes or until the biscuit is crisp and the quark is slightly melted. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

15g butter 

1 small onion, finely chopped 

100g (1 cup) natural walnuts, chopped 

75g (1 cup) grated cheddar cheese 

115g (1 cup) fine breadcrumbs 

juice of 1 lemon 

250ml (1 cup) milk 

2 sprigs thyme, leaves removed 

Buttered breadcrumbs 

30g (2 tbsp) melted butter 

65g (½ cup) fine breadcrumbs 

Mushroom cream 

40g butter 

200g Swiss brown mushrooms, quartered 

½ garlic clove, thinly sliced 

60ml (¼ cup) sherry vinegar 

250ml (1 cup) single cream 

125ml (½ cup) milk 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced/gas mark 6/390°F. Lightly grease and line a 17cm square cake pan with baking paper. Place the butter in a non-stick frying pan with the onion and 1 tbsp water. Cook over medium heat for 3 minutes or until softened. Add the walnuts, cheese, breadcrumbs, lemon juice, milk and thyme, season with salt and pepper and mix well to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon. 

To make the buttered breadcrumbs, combine the melted butter and breadcrumbs in a bowl until well coated. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the top of the nut and cheese loaf and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Leave to cool in the pan. 

To make the mushroom cream, heat the butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat, add the mushrooms and garlic, and cook for 6–8 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated. Deglaze the pan with the sherry vinegar and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the cream, stirring to combine, then add the milk and season with salt and pepper and cook down for a further minute. 

Slice the loaf into pieces and serve with the mushroom sauce poured over.

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces 

1 large Dutch cream potato, peeled and cut into 2cm pieces 

1/3 cup vegetable oil 

17g (2 tbsp) cumin seeds 

15g (3 tbsp) coriander seeds 

15g (1 tbsp)  fenugreek seeds 

7.5g (1 tbsp)  ground Tasmanian mountain pepper 

20g (2 tbsp) ground turmeric  

5g (2 tbsp) ground sweet paprika  

½ large onion, finely chopped 

2 garlic cloves, crushed 

½ leek, white part only, finely chopped 

3 stalks celery, finely chopped  

¼ cup chicken stock (see recipe below) 

¼ cup pure cream 

¼ cup frozen green peas 

40ml vegetable oil 

28 scallops, roe on 

100ml white wine 

420g shortcrust pastry (see recipe page 113) 

10g unsalted butter 

½ bunch chives, finely chopped 

315g store-bought puff pastry 

1 egg, lightly whisked 

Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan forced/gas mark 6/390°F. Line a baking tray with baking paper. Place the carrot and potato on the tray, coat with 1 tablespoon oil and season with salt. Roast for 35 minutes or until just cooked through. Set aside. 

Meanwhile, place the cumin, coriander and fenugreek seeds in a small pan over medium-high heat and cook for 1–2 minutes or until the aromas are released. Remove from the heat, add the mountain pepper, turmeric and paprika and mix to combine. Transfer the spice mix to a vitamiser and blitz to a fine powder. Sift through a fine sieve and set aside.  

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic, leek, celery and 1½ tbsp spice mix for 7–9 minutes or until softened. Then add the chicken stock, cream and green peas and simmer for 4 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Remove from the heat and mix through the roasted carrots and potatoes. Cool to room temperature before refrigerating until completely cool.  

Add vegetable oil to a hot pan and sear scallops briefly, 1 minute each side, then deglaze with white wine. Remove from the heat and set aside.  

Preheat the oven to 230°C/210°C fan forced/gas mark 8/450°F. Remove the shortcrust pastry from the fridge 45 minutes before use. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil and butter together in a saucepan. Brush 7 pie tins (12cm wide x 3cm deep) with the butter mixture. Roll out the shortcrust pastry to 5mm thick. Using a small sharp knife and the pie tin upside down as a guide, cut 7 rounds. Press the pastry into the prepared tins, with 2cm border overhanging the lip of the tin. Divide the pie filling between tins and top with the scallops and chives. Using a ring cutter cut out 7 x 10.5cm puff pastry lids, and place on top of each pie. Fold the shortcrust pastry over the top of the puff pastry and crimp to seal. 

Refrigerate pies for 30 minutes or until cold. Brush the top of the pies with whisked egg and, using a fork, create some holes in the lids of the pastry for steam to escape. Bake the pies for 24–27 minutes or until the pastry is golden. Allow to sit in the tins for 10 minutes before turning the pies out onto a wire rack to serve.