Top SA chefs and cooks share their easy and delicious five-ingredient recipes

Stuck for baking inspiration? We asked some of SA’s top chefs to share their favourite easy five-ingredient recipes including these mouth-watering cinnamon scrolls.

How many cookbooks do you have gathering dust because they’re full of recipes with an overwhelming list of ingredients?

Even South Australia’s top chefs have their repertoire of simple recipes to feed the family without too much fuss – and now, in celebration of South Australia’s premier food and wine festival, Tasting Australia, which kicks off Friday, they’re sharing their favourite five-ingredient recipes with you.

We’ve allowed them to use olive oil, salt and pepper as “freebies”, so you can season to taste.

From Duncan Welgemoed of Africola’s “cure-all tahini sauce” that’ll take any veg or protein from boring to brilliant, to a five-ingredient cinnamon scroll by former MasterChef contestant and The Middle Store co-owner, Rose Adam, these are recipes you’ll want to keep in your kit.

Adam, who created a five-ingredient version of her cult cinnamon scroll especially for The Advertiser, said recipes with just a few ingredients were perfect for when you’re short on time and energy.
She said cinnamon scrolls, which usually require a whopping 11 ingredients, were “the perfect balance of pastry and glaze”.

“I love unrolling them, which yes is the correct way to eat them,” she says. “You end up with the perfect last bite in the centre … this version just gets you there quicker.”

We’d love to see your creations! Take a pic and tag us on Instagram, @thetiser

DUNCAN WELGEMOED, Africola

Cure-all tahini sauce

Africola’s cure-all tahini sauce.

Ingredients

2 clove garlic, crushed

150g tahini paste

2 tsp white wine vinegar

Juice of 4 lemons

¼ tsp ground cumin

Method

Combine garlic, tahini and vinegar in a bowl, then whisk in lemon juice and 125ml cold water to form a creamy sauce. Stir in cumin and serve.

KANE POLLARD, Topiary

Whole boiled citrus cake

Supplied Editorial Whole boiled citrus cake by Kane Pollard. Picture: delicious.

330g citrus fruit (such as oranges)

11/2 cups (330g) sugar

330g almond meal

2 tsp baking powder

8 eggs

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160°C. Line base and side of a 22cm round cake pan.

2. Place citrus in a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil over high heat.

3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 2 hours, topping up water as needed, then remove from the pan and cool slightly.

4. Cut in half and remove and discard seeds. Place citrus in a food processor and whiz into a puree then set aside to cool.

5. Place citrus and remaining ingredients, except icing sugar, in a bowl and whisk to combine. 6. Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour 40 minutes or until the centre has levelled and springs back when gently pressed. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.

EMMA MCCASKILL, Tasting Australia food curator

Roasted Coorong mullet with olive (Serves 4)

Emma McCaskill. Photo: Mike Burton

Ingredients

60ml olive oil, plus extra 2 tbs. for cooking

8 Coorong mullet fillets, skin on (approx. 400g in total)

2 tbs. finely chopped green olives

Juice of 1 lemon

Bunch of chives, finely chopped

Method

1. In a ceramic bowl mix together 60ml olive oil, green olives, lemon and chives.

2. Place a large non-stick frying pan over high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil.

3. Place the Coorong mullet in the pan, skin side down.

4. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Turn the fish and cook for a further minute.

6. Remove from pan and finish with olive & lemon dressing. Serve with roasted potatoes or a salad.

KARENA ARMSTRONG, The Salopian Inn

Super-easy autumn chicken salad

Karena Armstrong’s 5-ingredient super-easy autumn chicken salad.

Ingredients

100g per person roasted, free-range chicken

½ bulb fennel

2 pomegranate

30g per person buffalo curd

Leafy greens

Optional seasonings – Lemon juice/olive oil/sea salt and pepper

Method

Wash and thinly slice the fennel.

Cut the pomegranate in half and give them a good whack to release the seeds.

Wash all the leaves, herb and garden fluff you have in the fridge.

Tear up the chicken and layer with the fennel, pomegranate, leaves and cheese.

Drizzle over oil and lemon and season with salt and pepper

“This is a weeknight go-to that I love,” Karena says. “When you’re busy, it’s easy to think it’s too hard (to cook).

“It’s a textural delight and deeply seasonal as we move to winter – pomegranates really are the star here. It’s also a great use of leftover roast chook or grab a BBQ chook from the shops -free range, of course.”

SASHI CHELIAH, Gaja by Sashi and MasterChef Fans & Faves contestant

Oyster sauce chicken

Sashi Cheliah's Oyster Sauce chicken recipe.

Ingredients

500g chicken thigh

1 carrot cut into circles

1 onion diced

2 cloves garlic minced

2-3 tbs. oyster sauce

optional extra: 3-4 dried chillies

Method

Saute garlic and onion (add dry chilli if you want some heat) on a large pan with 1 tbs. oil. Add chicken and cook for 5-6 mins on high heat until it begins to caramelise. Lastly add carrot and oyster sauce and cook for 2-3 mins. Serve hot.

TOM TILBURY, Press Food and Wine

Cockles in cider, saltbush and butter (serves two)

Press Food and Wine head chef, Tom Tilbury. Picture: Tom Huntley

Ingredients

500g cockles

50g good quality unsalted butter, eg Dairy Man or Pepe Saya

1 bottle of cider

2 cups of coastal salt bush leaves

1 lemon

optional extra: Black pepper to taste

Method

1. In a medium saucepan bring the cider to the boil, add the cockles and place a lid on.

2. Cook for one minute on high, then add the salt bush and stir through. Cook for 30 seconds, add butter and the juice of one lemon, stir through until butter is melted and the cockles are open. If they’re very fresh cockles you may need to open them by hand.

3. Serve with sourdough toast with a good quality butter.

ROSE ADAM, The Middle Store

Cinnamon scrolls (makes eight)

Rose Adam’s five-ingredient cinnamon scrolls.

Ingredients

2.5 cups self raising flour

2.5 cups cream

1 cup softened butter

6 tbs. brown sugar

2 tbs. cinnamon

Serve with: 5-ingredient salted caramel sauce topping

6 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup cream

1 Teaspoon salt

Whipped cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175°C and line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Combine the cream and flour in a large bowl and begin mixing with a spoon. It will resemble a crumbly mixture, when it does turn it out onto a lightly floured bench and knead until smooth, about 8-10 minutes, set aside to rest for about 30 mins.

3. Once rested, roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about 3mm thick, spread the softened butter over the dough and sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon in an even layer over the butter.

4. Starting with the bottom, roll up the dough and using a sharp knife cut into 9-12 (depending on how big you want them) even portions.

5. Lay flat on the tray and bake until golden, for about 25-30 mins. Once cooked set aside to completely cool.

To make sauce, in a small saucepan melt the butter and sugar until completely dissolved, stir in the salt and add the cream, stir until smooth, turn off the heat and set aside.

Serve scrolls with whipped cream and a generous pour of salted caramel sauce.

FABIAN LEHMANN, Maxwell Wines restaurant

Lamb / Zucchini / Asparagus (serves two)

Fabian Lehmann’s lamb, zucchini and asparagus dish.

Ingredients

1 Lamb rump (around 250g)

1 bunch asparagus

1 zucchini

1kg spinach

8 kalamata olives

Method

1. Preheat oven to 160c, take your lamb rump out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature (at least 30 minutes)

2. Season with salt and pan-fry lamb rump on fat side, flip over when golden brown and rendered, oven roast for about 20 minutes. Rest lamb on a wire rack, loosely covered with tinfoil for at least 10 minutes before carving.

3. While the lamb is resting, cut asparagus and blanch in salty boiling water until just-tender, slice zucchini on mandolin into thin ribbons and dress in olive oil.

4. Blanch spinach and refresh in ice water, dry the spinach on kitchen paper and mix in kitchen blender until smooth, season to taste.

5. Finely chop kalamata olives.

6. To assemble, place spinach puree in the centre of your plate. Slice your rested lamb and place carefully on top. Place zucchini ribbons (about 3 – 4) on top of the lamb and sprinkle with salt flakes. Place asparagus in the gaps between the ribbons, use smaller pieces for the top. Sprinkle with chopped kalamata olives and enjoy.

Optional: Decorate with garlic flowers or nasturtium flowers.

Tip: Ask your butcher to truss your lamb rump, this will ensure even cooking and the lamb rump will retain its shape.

TONY CARROLL, Fishbank

''''nduja sauce, here used with vongole (two extra ingredients)

Tony Carroll's ''''nduja sauce-spiked vongole. Picture: Meaghan Coles

Ingredients – ''''nduja sauce

2 onions, diced

1 fennel, diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

500g ''''nduja

4 tomatoes, diced

Vongole

500g vongole

200ml fish or chicken stock

Method

1. Sweat onions and fennel in olive oil for approximately 10 mins, add a good pinch of sea salt.

2. Add diced tomatoes and broken up ''''nduja, simmer for about 20mins.

3. Remove from heat season with sea salt and black pepper.

4. Place a small saucepan on the stove. When very hot add the vongole and 200ml of fish stock (if not available, chicken stock is fine).

5. Add the lid to the sauce pan, and shake the pan gently, the Vongole will steam open with a few minutes.

6. When open, drain the vongole, reserving the liquid. Return the liquid to the stove (you may not need it all), add the ''''nduja sauce, bring to a simmer.

7. Add the vongole to coat in the sauce and serve immediately with toasted ciabatta.

Note: ''''nduja is a spicy spreadable pork sausage from Calabria in Italy. You can buy it from any good Italian butcher, such as Marino Meats in the Adelaide Central Market.

OUR CHEFS