By Christine Salins.
Donna Hay has made it her career to show people how to cook simply, easily, without fuss. Somehow, magically, she makes the food look stylish without any effort at all. Cleverly, she peppers her recipes with a few big, punchy flavours rather than a swag of ingredients that you have to drive all over town to find.
One Pan Perfect, her latest book, published by HarperCollins ($49.99), is a continuation of that theme. Hay knows what it’s like to be busy. Her publishing empire has spilled over into producing kitchenware, a food range, television shows, and even streamed cooking classes that have been a huge hit during the pandemic. And she’s the mother of two teenage sons.
She’s always looking for shortcuts, and that’s what One Pan Perfect is about really. It’s a loose interpretation of throwing everything into a single pan. Her All-in-one Crispy Baked Tacos, for instance, are baked with the filling in the tortillas but the filling is mixed in a bowl first and the accompanying lime yoghurt is mixed in another bowl.
So too with Any Fruit Tart, Hay’s go-to tart for any occasion. The fruit is baked with the pastry but the almond filling is mixed in a bowl first.
The book is more about finding ways to cook faster and smarter, making things as easy as possible without compromising on flavour. Pavlova, for example, is turned on its head, her Upside-down Summer Pavlova recipe featuring a bounty of beautiful summer stonefruits that are baked long and slow with the meringue mixture dolloped on top.
The book is full of tips, tricks and how-to’s to shortcut your way through the kitchen. You can even scan QR codes throughout the book to bring up videos that will help you lift your cooking game.
These are recipes that will take you from the kitchen to the table in no time, all with plenty of wow factor. Donna Hay’s trademark simple and light approach in another gorgeously luxe hardcover book would make a lovely Christmas gift if you are thinking ahead to the festive season.
Balsamic Pot Roast Chicken
Serves 4
½ cup (125ml) balsamic vinegar
1 cup (250ml) good-quality chicken stock
¼ cup (60g) firmly packed brown sugar
8 sprigs oregano
6 cloves garlic, halved
1 x 1.6kg whole chicken
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1 kg medium roasting potatoes, cut into large chunks
600g parsnips (about 3), peeled and halved
extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Place the balsamic, stock, sugar, oregano and garlic into a deep ovenproof saucepan. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan, breast-side down. Add the potatoes and parsnips and drizzle with oil. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, place in the oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes.
Remove the lid and carefully turn the chicken over. Baste the chicken with the pan juices and cook for a further 10 to 15 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
Note: You can swap the parsnips for carrots – either way, this easy pot roast is a meal in itself.
Recipe and image from: One Pan Perfect, by Donna Hay, photography by Chris Court, published by HarperCollins, $49.99.
