Karen Martini’s book Cook celebrates the strong fascination Karen has with many different cuisines and contains her best-ever recipes from the simple to the elaborate, for all skill levels and occasions. It’s a book that will help those who are tentative about cooking while bringing texture, colour and flavour to more experienced cooks. Cook well and life is good.

IMAGES: © Mark Chew

This is an edited extract from COOK by Karen Martini, published by Hardie Grant Books, RRP $100. Available in stores nationally.

Tarte tatin

This is a classic tarte tatin, bursting with buttery, caramelised apple flavour. It’s such a simple presentation, yet it takes my breath away every time I flip it over. And the scent of apples cooking in the house almost sets me in a trance – I find the aroma so soothing. This dish may seem a little intimidating at first, but it’s really not hard to get a great result. A copper tarte tatin pan is perfect, or you can use any appropriately sized ovenproof pan with curved sides (and preferably with a removable handle). This recipe is rather special, as it’s from my sister Odette, who is a fabulous pastry chef. Serves 6–8

400 g (14 oz) Classic puff pastry, Rough puff pastry, or a 400 g (14 oz) block of quality puff pastry

200 g (7 oz) chilled unsalted butter, finely sliced

200 g (7 oz) caster (superfine) Sugar

1 vanilla bean, sliced on an angle (optional)

12 large granny smith apples

Roll out the pastry to about 1.5 cm (½ in) thick, then cut out a 30 cm (12 in) circle. Rest on baking paper in the fridge until required. (Always rest the pastry after rolling, and keep it chilled, otherwise it will shrink too much.)

Line a 28 cm (11 in) ovenproof pan or copper tatin pan with the butter, smearing it in to cover evenly. Evenly sprinkle over one-third of the sugar. Scatter with the vanilla, if using.

Peel the apples, then cut the flesh away from the cores in cheeks. Slice about 5 mm (¼ in) thick, fanning the apples into the pan as you slice, working in a spiral from the middle out, continuing until the base is covered and you have used half the apple.

Sprinkle another third of the sugar evenly over the top, then fan the remaining apple slices around in the same fashion, finishing with the remaining sugar.

Cover the apples with a circle of baking paper, then seal with foil. Place the pan over a low heat and cook for 45 minutes. The apples will cook and the sugar will caramelise very slowly.

Near the end of cooking, preheat the oven to 210°C (410°F) fan-forced.

Take the pan off the heat and remove the foil and paper. There will be quite a bit of liquid, which may seem odd, but don’t worry. Cover the pan with the pastry, quickly tucking the overhang down the sides of the pan.

Bake for about 30 minutes, until the pastry is golden. There will be syrup bubbling at the edges of the pan; it’s important to let this set and be absorbed before trying to invert.

Remove from the oven and stand for about 20 minutes, until the syrup has started to thicken.

Cover the pastry with a serving plate larger than the pan, then gently flip the tart over. Serve

warm or cold.

Pair with

Whipped cream, ice cream or Vanilla crème anglaise.

Rough puff pastry

Rough puff and classic puff pastry work on a similar principle, with similar results, as both doughs are loaded with butter. As the pastry cooks, the water expands and tries to escape, while the fat in the butter stops the flour forming bonds and creating structure – so the pastry puffs, and you get these flaky layers enriched with butter. It’s a gorgeous little reaction. The more layers you have, the flakier the pastry. With Classic puff pastry (opposite), the butter is pressed into distinct layers between the dough, while rough puff simply incorporates everything together. With rough puff, you won’t get defined layers, but you still get a flaky and buttery result, with less effort. It’s a great place to start your puff pastry journey, and it’s really not hard at all. However, it is very important to work quickly and with well-chilled butter. A hot kitchen or warm butter will mean you’ll need to add too much extra flour, which will make the pastry heavy. Streaks of butter through the dough are exactly what you’re looking for, so don’t panic if it’s not uniform. Remember, it’s rough puff. Makes about 1 kg (2 lb 3 oz)

500 g (1 lb 2 oz/3⅓ cups) plain (all-purpose) flour

1 teaspoon fine sea salt

400 g (14 oz) unsalted butter, diced and well-chilled

2 teaspoons lemon juice

225 ml (7½ fl oz) water

Tip the flour and salt onto a clean bench, then top with the chilled butter. Chop through with a pastry scraper or large spatula until roughly incorporated. Make a well, then pour in the lemon juice and water. Combine quickly into a rough dough. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour – but you shouldn’t need to if working while the butter is still cold. Wrap in plastic wrap or place in a clean reused freezer bag and rest for 30 minutes in the fridge.

With your hands, shape the rested dough into a rough rectangle, then roll out to about 30 × 40 cm (12 × 15¾ in). Fold in three as you would a letter, ensuring that the pastry meets neatly at the corners. Wrap and rest for another 20 minutes in the fridge. Place the rested dough on the bench, with an open edge facing you. Roll out to 30 × 40 cm (12 × 15¾ in), fold in three again, then chill again for 20 minutes.

Repeat the process, refrigerating for another 20 minutes.

The pastry is now ready to use. Alternatively, you can double wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days, or freeze for 10–12 months. Thaw frozen pastry in the fridge for about 4 hours before using.

Rockling with Thai caramel sauce & herbs

Hot and fragrant Thai caramel is marvellous with fish. A quick cook under a hot grill, a vibrant salad and rice is all that’s needed for a stunning meal. Serves 6

oil, for shallow-frying

6 stems of curry leaves

½ bunch of mint, leaves picked

½ bunch of Thai basil (optional), leaves picked

3 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, peeled and sliced on an angle 3 cm (1¼ in) thick

1.2 kg (2 lb 10 oz) rockling, snapper or blue-eye trevalla fillets, skin off, bones removed, cut into 120–150 g (4½–5½ oz) pieces

1 × quantity Thai caramel, hot to serve

5 snake beans, chopped (optional)

Staples

S&P

Heat 2 cm (¾ in) of oil in a small frying pan for 3 minutes over a medium heat. Fry the curry leaves, on their stems, for 2 minutes, until translucent, then drain on paper towel – they will become crunchy.

Preheat the oven grill (broiler) on high. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

Meanwhile, combine the herbs and cucumber in a bowl.

Season the fish pieces with salt and pepper, then lay them on the baking tray. Grill (broil) for about 6 minutes, then set aside to rest for 2 minutes to finish cooking.

Plate the fish. Spoon over the caramel. Scatter with the herb salad, finish with the curry leaves and snake beans, if using, and serve.

Thai caramel sauce for fish

This is classically sweet, salty, sour and hot, as Thai sauces typically are, but there’s a level of richness and depth of flavour in the caramel that makes it engagingly spicy and somewhat decadent. It can be used to dress almost any fish, whole or fillets, pan-fried, baked or grilled. Just support the dish with a salad showcasing an array of herbs – Thai basil, coriander (cilantro), mint, Vietnamese mint. Makes about 500 ml (17 fl oz/2 cups)

300 g (10½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar

100 ml (3½ fl oz) water

400 g (14 oz) cherry tomatoes, cut in half

2 garlic cloves, smashed

12 red bird’s eye chillies, finely sliced

2 lemongrass stems, white part only, sliced on a steep angle

2½ tablespoons tom yum paste

8 small dried shrimp

6 lime leaves

2½ tablespoons fish sauce

juice of 3 limes

Add the sugar and water to a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat and cook, without stirring, until the mixture turns a medium–dark caramel, 6–8 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir the tomatoes through. The caramel will seize a little, but just put the pan back on the heat and add the garlic, chilli, lemongrass, tom yum paste, shrimp and lime leaves, then stir to combine. Once simmering, add the fish sauce and simmer until the tomatoes start to soften, 2–3 minutes.

Set aside to cool a little, then stir in the lime juice. (If you add the lime while it’s still very hot, it will cook the lime flavour and you’ll lose the vital freshness.)

This sauce is best served straightaway, but it will keep in the fridge for several days if necessary. Gently reheat to use, refreshing with more lime juice before serving.

Prawn & poached chicken vermicelli salad

Thai and Vietnamese salads are always ultra-bright, zapping you with an intense vibrancy of flavour, sour lime, exhilarating herbs and dressings laced with heat and sweetness. They’re my ideal hot summer’s day lunch or afternoon snack, especially when I don’t think I can eat anything. I have poached a breast here, but you could easily use shredded left-over roasted bird, or leave the chicken out entirely. The sweet mango dressed in fish sauce and lime is a real hero for me here. Serves 4

2 large chicken breasts, about 250 g (9 oz) fish sauce, for seasoning

2 large ripe but firm mangoes

2 long red chillies, finely chopped

1 lime, plus lime cheeks to serve

400 g (14 oz) bean thread noodles or rice vermicelli

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

8 cooked king prawns (shrimp), peeled and sliced in half lengthways

1 × quantity *Nuoc cham

50 g (1¾ oz/⅓ cup) small salted roasted red-skinned peanuts

Cucumber, celery heart & herb salad

2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, semi-peeled in stripes and sliced 5 mm (¼ in) thick

2 limes, segmented and cut into small triangles

1 celery heart, leaves picked, sliced

2 handfuls of snow peas (mangetout), finely sliced

2 handfuls of Vietnamese mint leaves

2 handfuls of Thai basil leaves

2 handfuls of snow pea (mangetout) sprouts, or pea shoots

2 long green chillies, sliced

Add enough water to just cover the chicken (but don’t add the chicken yet) to a saucepan, with a splash of fish sauce. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, then add the chicken. Reduce the heat to low and poach, with the water not moving, for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stand for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken, then rest for a few minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile, slice the cheeks off the mangoes. Cut the flesh into a checkerboard pattern, then cut each cheek into quarters. Dress on the serving plate to catch all the juices – sprinkle with the red chilli, splash on some fish sauce and squeeze the juice of a lime over.

Cook the noodles as per the packet instructions, then refresh in cold water and cut into shorter lengths.

Add the noodles to a bowl with the oil and 1½ tablespoons fish sauce, then toss to combine. Pile on the serving plate, then arrange the chicken and prawns next to the noodles.

Add the salad ingredients to a bowl. Dress with a little of the nuoc cham and toss. Pile the salad next to the noodles and chicken. Spoon the nuoc cham generously over everything, then scatter the peanuts over. Serve with any remaining nuoc cham, and the lime cheeks on the side.

Make it different: The poaching technique used here can be used whenever you need poached chicken, with the water seasoned with salt rather than fish sauce, depending on the application.

*Nuoc cham

A great all-rounder for dressing and dipping, nuoc cham is a classic Vietnamese sauce of lime, fish sauce, lemongrass, chilli and sugar. Like its Thai counterpart prik nam pla (chopped bird’s eye chillies with grated garlic, fish sauce, lime juice and a pinch of sugar, combined raw and used immediately), its success relies on a balance between sweet, salty, hot and sour – though the perception of that balance is entirely personal, so you may prefer it less or more hot, sweet, or salty. Makes about 625 ml (21 fl oz/2½ cups)

120 ml (4 fl oz) fish sauce

3½ tablespoons finely grated palm sugar (jaggery), or caster (superfine) sugar

300 ml (10 fl oz) water

2 small garlic cloves, smashed

juice of 3 limes

4 red bird’s eye chillies, finely chopped

1 lemongrass stem, white part only, finely chopped

80 ml (2½ fl oz/3 cups) rice vinegar

Add the fish sauce, sugar, water and garlic to a small bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar. Add the remaining ingredients and leave to infuse for 5 minutes. Adjust with more lime, sugar, chilli or fish sauce to taste and serve.

The sauce will keep in a clean airtight jar in the fridge for up to a week.

@karen_martini

Want more? Click here for Zucchini Noodle Salad with Cucumber and Feta