Recipes from Katie Quinn Davies' new cookbook

Noodles with prawns and pickled cucumber

Serves 4 as a light lunch

800g uncooked prawns, heads removed but tails left intact, deveined
180g soba noodles
2 long red chillies,
seeded and sliced coriander, to garnish
tamari or light soy sauce, to serve

Soy and ginger marinade:

2 tbsp tamari or light soy sauce
tbsp brown rice vinegar
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp castor sugar
½

Pickled cucumber:

1 tbsp castor sugar
tbsp black sesame seeds
1 tsp nori seaweed flakes
1 long cucumber, cut into 1cm cubes

For the marinade, whisk all the ingredients together in a large, shallow, non-reactive dish. Add the prawns and toss to coat, then cover with plastic film and marinate in the fridge for one hour.

Meanwhile, for the pickle, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes. Taste and add more salt or sugar if desired, then set aside.

Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat. When hot, add the prawns and the marinade and cook for two minutes, turning halfway through, until the prawns are cooked and the sauce has reduced. Remove from the heat and leave to cool completely.

Cook the noodles in a saucepan of simmering water for three minutes, then drain and rinse well under cold running water.

Place the noodles, prawns, pickled cucumber and chilli in a bowl and toss to combine. Turn out onto a platter, then drizzle with tamari or soy sauce to taste and garnish with coriander.

Chorizo and tomato tart

Serves 4 for a light brunch

1 sheet good-quality puff pastry
1 free-range egg yolk mixed with a little milk
220g good-quality chorizo sausages, thinly sliced
8-10 (400g) tomatoes, sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
1 small handful basil, plus extra to garnish (optional)

Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced and line a baking tray with baking paper.

Lay the pastry sheet on the prepared tray and brush with eggwash. Using a small, sharp knife, score a 1.5-centimetre border around the edge of the pastry

Blind-bake for 20 minutes, then remove the tray from the oven. Remove the weight and baking paper, then line the pastry with the chorizo and the sliced tomato, overlapping slightly if you need to. Season with a little salt and pepper and drizzle over one tablespoon oil, then bake for 25–30 minutes or until the pastry is puffed around the edges and golden brown.

Meanwhile, blend the basil and the remaining oil to a smooth paste, then season to taste.

To serve, drizzle the basil oil over the tart and garnish with extra basil or micro herbs and flowers, if using.

Victoria sponge with limoncello and balsamic strawberries

Serves 8

175g unsalted butter, softened
175g castor sugar
3 free-range eggs
tsp vanilla extract
175g self-raising flour, sifted
tbsp milk
1 tsp lemon juice
200g mascarpone

Limoncello and balsamic strawberries:

400g strawberries, hulled and quartered
2 tbsp castor sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 small handful mint, finely chopped

Preheat the oven to 180C fan-forced and grease and line two 20-centimetre springform tins.

Cream the butter and sugar in a stand mixer for five to six minutes or until pale and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating between additions.

Add the vanilla and half the flour and beat until incorporated. Add the milk and limoncello or lemon juice and beat to combine, then add the remaining flour and beat until combined.

Divide the batter between the prepared tins and smooth the tops, then gently tap the tins on the benchtop to remove any air bubbles. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the centre of each cake.

Remove from the oven and leave the cakes to cool in the tins for five minutes, before turning out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, for the limoncello strawberries, place the strawberries, sugar, limoncello or lemon juice and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, add the mint and simmer for two to three minutes (the fruit should be soft but still holding its shape).

Drain the mixture, reserving the syrup. Set the strawberries aside in a bowl. Return the syrup to the pan and place over medium heat. Simmer until reduced by half, then pour over the strawberries and leave to cool completely.

Whisk together the mascarpone and cream until smooth and thick enough to hold its shape. Spread the mascarpone cream over one cake and place on a serving platter large enough to catch any juices from the filling.

Top with the strawberry mixture, then sandwich the second sponge on top and dust liberally with icing sugar.

Recipes from What Katie Ate at the Weekend, by Katie Quinn Davies. (Lantern, $49.99.)