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40 Episodes 2008 - 2008
Episode 1
25 mins
Simon and Maggie stroll back into the kitchen for a new season to dish up a refreshing summer feast. Maggie uses delicious second flush raspberries to adorn a fail proof sponge while Simon works magic with a raspberry, lamb, and pea combination. Simon then treats us to a saucy fish curry using fresh territory barramundi, while Maggie adds layers of sweet tang to her barra with a lemon confit.
Episode 2
25 mins
To check out the Northern Territory's claim that they produce the best crocodile meat, Simon visits a farm near Darwin and talks to zoologist Adam Britton, who explains why it's not just the skins of these extraordinary creatures that we should be looking at.
Episode 3
25 mins
Maggie meets food legend Rick Stein and they discuss the gentle art of cooking fish. Back in the kitchen, Maggie works her magic on an impressive piece of farmed Kingfish, while Simon is inspired to try out one of Rick's recipes, a mouth-watering fish pasty. Simon and Maggie also get cracking on some crab dishes, inspired by Simon's visit to Australia's first commercial mud crab farm, all the way up North in the Territory.
Episode 4
26 mins
Maggie and Simon dish up a bit of mango madness with two tropically inspired dishes that showcase the unique flavours of green, unripe mangoes. Maggie then whips up a 'sandwich' using delicate puff pastry and a bitey cheddar balanced with sweet quince paste, while Simon has spectacular success with twice baked goat cheese souffles.
Episode 5
25 mins
Maggie loves her herbs and couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit Rob Foster who grows baby, or micro, herbs which are 'early' versions of greens or herbs that are intensely flavoured and beautiful to look at. They are usually harvested after seven to fourteen days and though small in size. micros are packed with flavour and nutrients. With plenty to go around, both Maggie and Simon are inspired by make their own micro salads. Maggie combines beetroot and goat's cheese and Simon, pumpkin seeds, garlic chips, and smoky lemon pieces, two culinary delights that taste and look fantastic.
Episode 6
25 mins
Maggie and Simon work their magic with lamb and cockles. Maggie's a huge fan of Suffolk lamb and she cooks it slowly to keep it tender and succulent before moving on to a Spanish-inspired dish of cockles, chickpeas and blood sausage. Simon prepares a merguez sausage then shows us his take on the classic French seafood dish, Bouillabaisse.
Episode 7
27 mins
Maggie and Simon cook with lamb and cockles. Maggie creates a Spanish-inspired dish of cockles, chickpeas and blood sausage. Simon also shows us his take on the classic French seafood dish, Bouillabaisse.
Episode 8
25 mins
Maggie shares some great tips on how to prepare succulent octopus and Simon tackles another exotic ingredient from the far North - sea cucumber. Inspired by his visit to Darwin's Rapid Creek markets Simon also tackles a snake gourd curry, while Maggie passes on a country cook's recipe for a delicious Dutch-style ginger biscuit cake.
Episode 9
26 mins
Maggie makes a chocolate cake with whiskey soaked raisins while Simon conjures up a spectacular Bombe Alaska. Maggie follows her cake with a twist on traditional Moussaka and Simon shows us how to keep a beautiful cut of lamb moist and tasty in a Lamb Mousseline.
Episode 10
25 mins
Maggie performs some magic with a light lemony cake cooked with plump sultana grapes. Simon makes a tangy, spicy lime pickle with lots of chilli while watching Maggie combine fragrant quince with rosemary to make a beautiful savoury jelly while .
Episode 11
25 mins
If you enjoy the smell of freshly baked, you won't be able to resist Maggie's oat, raisin and fennel bread. Irresistibly rich, it's perfect at any time, but especially for breakfast. But if you're like Simon and not a morning person, then he's got just the remedy for you. A delicious 'granola' style cereal, with a unique kick to start your day.
Episode 12
25 mins
Maggie and Simon demonstrate why salt and pepper feature as giants in culinary history. Simon makes a real pepper sauce that turns a steak into so much more than a pub meal, while Maggie pot roasts a pheasant to succulent perfection with apple brandy. Simon then transforms a salted cod into a creamy tasty dip while Maggie uses the curing properties of salt to turn rabbit into a melt-in-the-mouth dish.
Episode 13
25 mins
Maggie uses her trout in a green tomato salsa, combining sweet and savoury flavours to perfection. Simon shows us how to smoke our own trout and combines big flakes of the fish with mayonnaise in a chunky, satisfying sandwich. Maggie and Simon then transform the humble egg into a melt in the mouth egg and bacon pie and superb egg ravioli.
Episode 14
25 mins
Maggie's lightly cooked marinated roo sits perfectly with beetroot and anchovy butter, while the bold texture of Simon's emu holds up to a slow cook in a rich, sweet curry. Maggie then features lightly textured, milky buffalo mozzarella with roasted red onions while Simon uses the porcelain white cheese in a simple but impressive souffle.
Episode 15
26 mins
Maggie and Simon demonstrate how good nutrition and flavour can go hand in hand. Maggie's spelt pasta with pumpkin, and her mushroom, barley, and sherry soup are not only unctuous and satisfying, but tick all the boxes for good fibre, low fat, low sugar and moderate carbohydrates. Simon's noodle broth with his trade mark layering of flavours is also a healthy choice.
Episode 16
26 mins
Simon visits a Vietnamese supermarket, and he's like a kid in a candy store. Maggie has asked Simon to pick up some bonito and dried shiitake mushrooms, but he's also looking for inspiration for his own dish. Owner Chang Khou helps Simon to navigate the slightly bewildering range of weird and wonderful dried goods on offer and encourages him to buy some salted jellyfish and strips of wood fungus. Simon can't help himself, though, and also leaves with a shiny golden dog.
Episode 17
24 mins
Maggie tells the story of how and why she developed her love for this unusual fruit and takes us back to the planting of her Quince Orchard. She goes on to prepare a Quince dessert that emerges from the oven as a burnished orange masterpiece.
Episode 18
25 mins
The Cook and the Chef is 100 episodes old and to celebrate Simon's organised a visit from Peter Cundall of gardening Australia. Peter has a look at Simon's garden and suggests a few potatoes he could grow and Simon takes up the challenge and cooks a potato and chickpea curry. Maggie uses her potatoes to make a great gnocchi and prawn dish.
Episode 19
25 mins
The Cook and the Chef cross the Tasman to explore New Zealand, a land with rugged mountains, pristine waters and - most importantly - great produce. Maggie and Simon kick off their journey in Rotorua, where they find out how the local Maori people have cleverly harnessed the famous geothermal properties of the area for cooking purposes. Kiwi TV chef Pete Peeti treats Maggie to a traditional Hangi, and she and Simon are both inspired to try out some unusual cooking methods.
Episode 20
25 mins
Maggie and Simon show us more beautiful produce from the Land of the Long White Cloud. Maggie finds some delicious Kumara, a Maori word for sweet potato while Simon discovers New Zealand Venison.
Episode 21
25 mins
Maggie and Simon's culinary adventure in New Zealand continues this week as we find Simon on the South Island checking out the amazing Wasabi plant and visiting a salmon farm near Mount Cook where the fish are so good they've caught the attention of the Emperor of Japan.
Episode 22
25 mins
Maggie and Simon continue their food Odyssey in the Land of the Long White Cloud. On New Zealand's North Island, Maggie discovers a microclimate responsible for some wonderful produce.
Episode 23
25 mins
Maggie and Simon continue their culinary adventure around New Zealand. Native to South America, the Feijoa is very popular in New Zealand where a major effort has been made to hybridise the fruit and turn it into a commercial crop. On his visit to the South Island, Simon met Mike McGrath who grows Feijoa on his property near Nelson. Meanwhile, the majority of the Kiwi fruit crop is grown around the beautiful and aptly named Bay of Plenty, on the East coast of the North Island. Maggie met up with Steve Saunders who showed her around some of the regions amazing kiwi fruit orchards.
Episode 24
25 mins
Maggie and Simon conclude their six-week New Zealand tour. Saffron is one the world's most exotic spices with the majority grown in Iran, but both Australia and New Zealand are now producing some very good product. While in Hawkes Bay on the north island, Maggie visited saffron grower Mark Tyro to discover why, at around $35,000 per kilo, this spice is so expensive. On the South Island, Simon met self-proclaimed 'wild man' and organic lamb farmer, Tim Gow. Tim farms Wiltshire sheep, a hardy meat sheep dating back to Roman times, which is ideally suited to organic farming. One of the pioneers of organic farming in New Zealand, his stock have been free of vaccines, chemicals and drenches for over twenty years and he produces a sweet, fine grained meat.
Episode 25
25 mins
After their six week adventure in New Zealand, Maggie and Simon are back in Australia. Maggie treks through mud with vegetable grower Dominic Scarfo in search of a vegetable that is often overlooked and undervalued: the swede. She then whips up a dish of braised swedes followed by a warm guinea fowl salad, while Simon shows up the traditional Irish dish of colcannon and stuffed guinea fowl.
Episode 26
26 mins
Simon takes his nephew harry shopping at an outdoor market where they purchase fresh brussel sprouts and King George whiting. Back in the kitchen Simon, convinced that whiting is a fish for even the fussiest of fish eaters, prepares a Whiting Paupiette while Maggie lightly pan fries her whiting in nut brown butter and serves with crunchy home made chips. The real star of her fish and chip dish is a tartare sauce made with creamy mayonnaise and flavoured with capers, cornichons and lemon zest. Port Lincoln fisherman Jo Ciura also takes Simon out on the water to see his Mulloway being farmed.
Episode 27
26 mins
Simon meet his fruit and veg supplier Chris Abbot at the Adelaide Produce Markets where he is introduced to Virginian cauliflower grower Frank Musolino. Back in the kitchen Simon prepares a delicious salad featuring his newly purchased cauliflower while Maggie uses hers in a hearty, warming winter soup. Later In Duranbah, on the New South Wales North Coast, Maggie meets David Peasley, a horticulturalist who's trying to re-ignite our passion for passionfruit.
Episode 28
25 mins
Gerard Buchanan, otherwise known as Buck, is a farmer of finger limes in Northern Rivers Regions of NSW. Maggie visits him on his property to hear his story and bring back some finger limes and Kaffir lime leaves to the Barossa Valley. Back in the kitchen, Maggie makes a delicious dish using scallops, limes and chervil. Simon makes coconut rice, a unique combination of jasmine rice, coconut milk, lemon grass and ginger, to accompany his Thai chicken curry.
Episode 29
25 mins
Sustainable foods consultant Latarnie McDonald takes Simon to the Fern Avenue Community Garden in Fullarton, where local residents can apply for a small plot to grow their own vegetables. There Simon tried Brendan's chillis before heading off with some of Vida's brussel sprouts. Maggie visited farm manager Aymon Gow at tropical Fruit World for a lesson in he different varieties of avocados grown. Back in the kitchen Maggie uses the leaves and hearts of Brussels sprouts in a warm salad which includes hazel nuts, bacon and lemon and served with a tender chicken scaloppine. Simon makes a mornay by smothering gently steamed Brussels sprouts with a cheese topped béchamel sauce before dishing up some delicious avocado ice-cream.
Episode 30
25 mins
Maggie visits the village of Nimbin, in the Byron Bay Hinterland, commonly known as Australia's hippy capital. There Maggie discovers the beautiful Djanbung permaculture gardens, and owner, Robyn Francis, shows Maggie her gardens winter offerings and in particular native lemon myrtle. Back in the kitchen, Maggie re-visits one of her favourite deserts, the 'crumble' while Simon combines lemon myrtle into a glorious Beetroot and Citrus salad. Simon later visits brick oven guru, Russell Jeavons, who explains when built and operated correctly, these ovens can go far beyond cooking pizzas and bread. Simon then uses a "pizza stone" to bake Calzone while Maggie shows us how to fry a pizza.
Episode 31
25 mins
Maggie travels to Bangalow on the New South Wales north coast where farm manager Lindsay Bryen gives her a tour of his macadamia plantation. Once back in the kitchen Maggie makes a macadamia pesto mixed with moist swordfish and celery to create a delicious textured warm salad. Simon uses macadamias as a worthy substitute for candle nuts in a creamy, tangy Singapore vegan laksa. Maggie later meets up with Zeta Grealy who shows her how they produce their boutique coffee. Maggie makes a delicious chocolate and vino cotto pavlova, a dessert to be served with the perfect coffee.
Episode 32
25 mins
Simon heads to Woodside in the Adelaide hills to meet artisan cheese maker Kris Lloyd and try one her latest creations. He loves it so much he has decided to only use this particular cheese in his restaurant from now on. He makes a leek, potato and cheese tart, served warm with a mixed leaf and herb salad. Maggie uses another of Kris's cheeses to make chestnut pikelets with goats cheese, served with a blood orange reduction. Later, Maggie meets Craig Wraight, a young fisherman who's been catching these deep sea crabs for two years in the small fishing village of Brunswick heads on the Northern NSW coast. Back in the kitchen Maggie produces a Spanner crab salad.
Episode 33
26 mins
Andrew Everest gives Maggie a tour of his banana plantation in the Tweed valley. Back in the kitchen in the Barossa, Maggie puts her twist on the banana split, creating a rich and irresistible composition of brandy, bananas, roasted macadamias, ice-cream and crème fraîche, while Simon whips up a green banana curry. Simon later visits market gardener Tony Scarfo, whose family have been growing globe artichokes for over fifty years. Maggie then shows us her artichokes and hollandaise recipe while Simon produces a spring Pot au Feu.
Episode 34
25 mins
Simon and his hotel's Maître d' Atef are looking at some changes in the menu and need to decide on a corresponding change in the recommended wine match. Simon uses a great red as the basis of a French classic, Coq au Vin, while Maggie uses a sparkling white to give excitement to her Chicken Pie. Simon then prepares an unusual wine-based dessert, sangria with burnt meringue.
Episode 35
26 mins
After Maggie provides us of the history of Anlaby, one of Australia's first grand South Australian rural properties, she replicates the beautiful lamb pies that she created for a charity event held there, while Simon gives shepherd's pie a vegetarian spin. Maggie then shows us how to make the dessert that was served at Anlaby, a chocolate ganache tart. Simon also shares his recipe for a chocolate soufflé.
Episode 36
26 mins
South of Hobart, Tasmania in the delightfully named Sandfly, Simon found Dr. Gordon Brown and his wife Jane Brown growing an unusual crop: Green Tea.
Episode 37
27 mins
Simon travels to Tasmania's Huon Valley where he meets microbiologist Warwick Gill and his team, and he quickly discovers that growing mushrooms is a rare and specialised art. Back in the kitchen he makes a mushroom gratin while Maggie shows us how to make a mushroom tart. Maggie travels to kangaroo island when Ian Somerfield shows her his rock lobster fishing business. Once back in the Barossa, Maggie uses succulent pieces of lobster in a saffron tomato jelly. Served in delicate shot glasses the lightly tinted jellies with their suspended lobster pieces are finished perfectly with a dollop of home made mayonnaise. Simon combines his Rock Lobster with crab meat, chorizo, chicken, tomato and okra in a Gumbo, a dish Simon loves because it represents a melting pot of cultural influences.
Episode 38
25 mins
The East Coast of Tasmania has to be one of the most beautiful stretches of coastline anywhere in the world, but when Simon visits he's not just interested in the dazzling scenery.
Episode 39
25 mins
Maggie shows us that after taking Peter Cundall's advice on the poor state of her beetroot earlier in the season, she has managed to produce a fine crop. She sets about combining the beetroot with Cannelloni beans, garlic, rosemary and mint to create a lively, refreshing dip, while Simon makes a beetroot ravioli. Simon also visits Tasmania where he meets up with Dan Puller who takes him around his property to show him the fiery native pepper he cultivates. French chef Christine Huderset prepares a dish of wallaby that incorporates the pepper in the meal.
Episode 40
25 mins
Simon helps out with the lunch time crowd at Adelaide's Hutt St Centre and discusses the centre's work and support for the homeless and others in need and in the lead up to Christmas with Sister Gwen Tamlyn. Maggie enjoys working with her five grandchildren to prepare a favourite mince tart in preparation for Christmas. Back in the kitchen, Simon re-visits his childhood and makes white chocolate crackles while Maggie makes her fruit mince, an irresistibly rich mixture of dried fruit, fresh apple, sherry and spices.