Master Chef
Profession: Actor and Part time Chef
Signature Dish: Butterfly Chicken thigh fillet accompanied by Dutch Cream Potato and Bacon, garlic and onion spinach. (see recipe below)
Having appeared in some of Australia’s most loved and notable television productions, Simon Westaway has a wealth of acting experience under his belt, but is his cooking repertoire as extensive?
“I’m an enthusiastic and organised cook. I like to take care in the process and I find the whole experience of cooking, very therapeutic. I’ve cooked all my adult life and I take a lot of influence from Italian cuisine as they do things very well there, from soups to high heels.”
“The most technically difficult dish I have ever prepared is Tartufo, which is an Italian chocolate flavoured gelato dessert with a glace cherry in the middle. The highlight of creating it was making the gelato balls by rolling the freezing ice in your hands. It still gives me nightmares.”
Although willing to tackle any recipe put in front of him, Simon has an exception when it comes to ingredients. He refuses to cook tripe.
“My mother cured me of tripe at a young age. I have no reason to go back. She served it with a milk sauce or something repulsive. It was a horrible experience.”
Stuffed Chicken with Spinach Puree and Grapefruit Salad
Ingredients
Potato bake
6 medium Dutch potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
300mls thickened cream
1 cup jarlsberg cheese, grated
½ cup parmesan, grated
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tsp ground mild paprika
Stuffed Chicken
8 chicken thigh fillets
2 fresh buffalo mozzarella balls, drained and thickly sliced
8 basil leaves
Olive oil
Spinach and bacon sauce
1 bunch English spinach, leaves only, washed
Olive oil
1 brown onions, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 bacon rashers, rindless, diced
2 tbs sour cream
Salad
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
2 tbs fresh orange juice
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tbs Extra virgin olive oil
120g mesclun, washed and dried
