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Herb-crusted ocean trout with potato gratin.

Recipe collection

50 recipes for a Big Night In

Do you long for the buzz of a restaurant? The joy of sploshing red wine on white linen? Put on your best clothes and pull out all the stops at home instead with these fine dining recipes. Click here for more tips, tricks and playlists.

50 recipes
Forget an extravaganza. Serve up something homemade and heartfelt.

Seafood boil with champagne, lobster and prawns

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
Kylie Kwong's poached lobster.

How to poach a lobster or crayfish

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Kylie Kwong
Julia Busuttil Nishimura's burrata with zucchini, rocket and prosciutto.

Three ways with burrata

  • Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Pine mushrooms have a firm texture and earthy flavour, and hold up well during braising.

Pine mushrooms in barigoule sauce

  • Andrew McConnell
Karen Martini's frisee and pulled buffalo mozzarella salad.
EASY

Frisee and pulled buffalo mozzarella salad with capers, dill and parsley

  • < 30 mins
  • Karen Martini
Karen Martini's slow-baked tomatoes.
EASY

Slow-roasted tomatoes with paprika and oregano

  • 2 hrs +
  • Karen Martini
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Tomato tarte tatin served with goat's curd and salad leaves.

Karen Martini's tomato tarte tatin with manchego, thyme and dried olives

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Karen Martini
This decadent chocolate tart is sure to be a hit at your next dinner party.

Dulce de leche chocolate tart recipe

  • 2 hrs +
  • Darren Robertson and Mark LaBrooy
Andrew McConnell's comte tart.

Comte cheese quiche

  • 2 hrs +
  • Andrew McConnell
Neil Perry's pan-fried scallops with cauliflower puree, capers and lemon.

Pan-fried scallops with cauliflower purée, capers and lemon

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Neil Perry
Turning the chicken upside down makes for tender meat.

Roast chicken and garlic, lemon and parsley salad

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Andrew McConnell
Whole roast lamb shoulder with Sichuan sauce, coriander and mint paste and sesame flatbread.

Whole roast lamb shoulder with Sichuan sauce

  • 2 hrs +
  • Andrew McConnell
Grilled aged rib-eye with Bearnaise sauce.

Grilled aged rib-eye with Bearnaise sauce

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Neil Perry
This seasonal recipe can't be beet.

Red endive, beetroot, juniper and horseradish cream

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Andrew McConnell
Neil Perry's vanilla prune tart.

Vanilla, prune and Armagnac tart

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Neil Perry
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Steamed Blue Eye Trevalla Fillet with Red Pepper and Leek Coulis.
EASY

Steamed blue-eye with red pepper and leek coulis recipe

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Neil Perry
Herb-crusted ocean trout with potato gratin.

Herb-crusted trout with potato gratin recipe

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Neil Perry
Duck and grapefruit salad with honey-miso dressing and crispy wontons.

Duck and grapefruit salad with honey-miso dressing

  • < 30 mins
  • Adam Liaw
The crunch of the toasted pistachio crumble pairs perfectly with smooth spoonfuls of the lightly whipped caramel mousse.

Salted caramel mousse with pistachio crumble

  • 2 hrs +
  • Danielle Alvarez
Soft chocolate with almond prailine.

Soft chocolate with almond praline

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Frank Camorra
Rhubarb-almond galette from Dining In by Alison Roman, published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $48.

DIY date-night dinner recipes from Alison Roman's 'Dining In'

  • Alison Roman
Creamy pumpkin soup meets pasta.

Creamy pumpkin and blue cheese pasta

  • 30 mins - 1 hr
  • Katrina Meynink
Green and gold: Grilled, marinated zucchini topped with bottagra.
EASY

Grilled and marinated zucchini with grated bottarga

  • 2 hrs +
  • Andrew McConnell
Anchovy with tomato and garlic on grilled bread.
EASY

Anchovy toasts with tomato and garlic

  • < 30 mins
  • Frank Camorra
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Simple fennel salad with olives and lime.
EASY

Fennel salad with olives and lime

  • < 30 mins
  • Alison Roman
Seared scotch fillet with mozzarella, peas and cherry tomatoes.
EASY

Seared scotch fillet with mozzarella, pea and tomato salad

  • < 30 mins
  • Karen Martini
Duck, verjuice and celeriac ragout served with strozzapreti pasta and radicchio.

Karen Martini's braised duck, verjuice and celeriac ragout

  • 2 hrs +
  • Karen Martini
Persimmon, radicchio and comte salad.

Persimmon, radicchio and comte salad

  • Danielle Alvarez
Honey roasted jerusalem artichokes.
EASY

Roast jerusalem artichoke chips with honey and rosemary

  • Andrew McConnell
Wagyu bolognese with hand-cut pasta.

Wagyu bolognese with hand-cut pasta recipe

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Neil Perry
Figs, blue cheese, honeycomb and pecans.
EASY

Figs, blue cheese, honeycomb and pecans

  • < 30 mins
  • Darren Robertson and Matt La Brooy
X marks the spot on these cheese puffs.

Gruyere cheese gougeres with anchovy crosses

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Helen Goh
Chilled spiced tomato and spanner crab.
EASY

Chilled spiced tomato and spanner crab

  • < 30 mins
  • Matt McConnell
Pork belly and apple slaw at Red Spice Road.

Red Spice Road's pork belly with chilli caramel and apple slaw

  • 2 hrs +
  • John McLeay
Sashimi
EASY

Kingfish sashimi with sesame ponzu dressing

  • < 30 mins
  • Neil Perry
Pan-fried flounder with brown butter

Pan-fried flounder with brown butter

  • 1-2 hrs
  • Bridgitte Hafner
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