Melbourne cookbook author Julia Busuttil Nishimura is known for her uncomplicated, seasonal recipes, many inspired by her Maltese heritage and time spent living in Italy. Her latest collection, Good Cooking Every Day , is about creating harmonious meals from simple dishes that celebrate an everyday moment, season or ingredient. “When I lived in Italy, I was inspired by the Italian way of eating,” she writes in the book’s introduction.
“Every meal was something to celebrate – the first zucchini flowers at the market, a casual dinner with friends, a long birthday lunch in the garden. “It didn’t matter what the occasion, there was an unspoken pleasure in food and sharing it with others that was invigorating to be part of.” Here are three recipes to make and savour at home.
Tarragon chicken I can count on one hand the dishes I ate growing up that weren’t Maltese. This was one of them – a legacy from my mum’s dinner-party days of the 1970s. It’s a classic, and for good reason.
French tarragon is prized in my kitchen for its subtle aniseed flavour and sweetness – it also happens to be one of the herbs I grow successfully. If you don’t want to use a whole chicken, the equivalent weight of skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs works well, too. I love to serve this simply with mashed or roast potatoes and steamed spinach.
INGREDIENTS METHOD Serves 4 Chargrilled marinated lamb leg with romesco This recipe is one I lean on a lot. The marinade – which uses a whole.