Last Thursday evening I chatted with Danny McCubbin about his new book, The Good Kitchen, which takes the name of his social enterprise in central Sicily. The thirty or so guests who gathered at Lawson Flats in Perth wanted to hear about the story of how he came to be based in Mussomeli but that story can’t be told without his time working with Jamie Oliver and the people he met there.
An edit of that discussion will be in your inbox later in the week but I wanted to share this recipe from the book, by Anna Jones. As Danny mentions below (and in our discussion), Anna is a “graduate” of Oliver’s own social enterprise, Fifteen. The rest is, well, culinary history. As I said to our small audience - once you’ve bought Danny’s book please do check out Anna’s. I am as always, pushing cookbooks.
On the note of buying Danny’s book there’s a while-stocks-last supply of signed copies available from Melbourne Books. Buying the book doesn’t just get you another one for the shelf - with guest recipes from Anna, Jamie, Gennaro Contaldo, and Stephanie Alexander - but it also sees money go back to fund the kitchen. A true feel-good cookbook puchase.
An Extract from The Good Kitchen by Danny McCubbin
“I will always be grateful for the opportunities that were presented to me in London when I worked for Jamie Oliver. I started in early 2003 just when the first group of Fifteen apprentices were graduating. From my very first day of working for Jamie, I was encouraged to get involved and help out as much as I could. Our office was right above the restaurant and I will never forget the day that the second group of apprentices started.
I immediately bonded with one of the apprentices, Anna Jones, and we have remained friends ever since. I have enjoyed watching Anna thrive as a brilliant cook, food writer and mum as well. I love how we always laugh from the moment we see each other to the big goodbye hug. Keep going, my friend ...”
“This is a perfect recipe for a crowd and works brilliantly on the barbeque rather than the grill, if you like. One thing to ensure is that your aubergines are buttery and soft; raw aubergine has to be one of the worst things to eat. Aubergine is a pretty resilient vegetable, so be brave when you cook it, and give it long enough to make sure it’s cooked through. Try to get your hands on the longer, thin aubergines, as short fat ones will take much longer to cook through.”
Anna Jones
Anna’s Buttery Aubergines with Toasted Couscous
Serves 4
Approximately 1 hour
Images: Ros Atkinson
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