We’ve published hundreds of recipes since launching Broadsheet a little over 10 years ago. Cocktails, mocktails, pastas, curries, cookies, breads, burgers, soups, salads, desserts – you name it.
Over time, though, some clear audience favourites have emerged. Earlier this year we named the all-time top 10. Now here’s the sequel – the most-popular recipes, numbers 11 to 20. Happy cooking.
**11. Shane Delia’s Toum (Lebanese Garlic Paste)**
Let’s be honest. Peeling and chopping garlic is tedious. Even professional chefs agree. “I don’t use garlic at home anymore, not like raw garlic, chopped up,” says Shane Delia, the owner and chef at popular Melbourne Middle Eastern eateries Maha, Maha East and Maha Bar. “You’ve got to smash it, peel it, crush it, wash the board in the sink. It’s a pain in the arse.”
Prepare this impossibly creamy, dairy-free condiment ahead of time, and you can add a big thwack of garlicky flavour to any meal, instantly. “I’ll use it in a stir-fry, or if it’s a pasta dish and I want that really nice garlicky flavour, I’ll fold it through at the end,” Delia says says. “If you’re doing roast or grilled chicken, smear some of this on it before cooking, and it’ll become really nice and caramelised. It’s become that staple that I just need to have.”
**12. Bert’s Spaghetti Aglio e Olio**
It’s late. You’re starving. The pantry is next to empty. This garlic and oil pasta, originally published in The Broadsheet Italian Cookbook, is exactly what you need. It’s quick to prepare, doesn’t require many ingredients and only uses a single pan. “Traditional recipes don’t have Parmigiano, but I think it’s a nice addition, along with an anchovy or two for added savoury bite,” says Bert’s executive chef Jordan Toft, who once worked as a private chef in Italy.
**13. Ben Shewry’s At-Home Bolognaise**
Even world-recognised chefs enjoy a simple bolognaise at home. Ben Shewry, the owner and chef at Melbourne fine diner Attica, says he was just eight years old when his mum first showed him how to cook one. He grew up with cattle-farming parents, so there was no shortage of beef mince around.
“I love the simplicity of the process,” he says. “It’s always lovely to come back to a classic dish.”
He also recommends making this recipe in bulk – it freezes well and makes for a great toastie filling. “I like to make [it] with thickly cut slices of Baker Bleu
sourdough, lashings of good butter, Parmigiano Reggiano and Pyengana cheddar, plus freshly ground pepper and extra salt.”
**14. Rosetta’s Zucchini Risotto**
“At home, you can cook one of the best risottos in the world if you do it right,” says chef Neil Perry, the founder of Rosetta in Melbourne and Sydney (and other great restaurants, such as Spice Temple and Rockpool Bar & Grill). “The perfect risotto wants to be started, cooked through and served right away. Many, many restaurants actually have to pre-cook the risotto and then reheat it to keep up with service.”
You heard the man. Though this recipe – another highlight from The Broadsheet Italian Cookbook – is geared towards spring and summer, you can easily sub in whatever wintery or autumnal ingredients take your fancy, such as mushrooms or squash.
**15. Dan Hong’s “Self-Saucing” Cheeseburger Spring Rolls**
Sydney chef Dan Hong didn’t invent cheeseburger spring rolls, but he’s definitely responsible for popularising them in Australia – first at Potts Point mod-Asian restaurant Ms G’s (founded in 2011), and later on his popular Instagram page, which kicked into high gear during the coronavirus crisis.
“I think the reason the Ms G’s version is so popular,” Hong says, referring to the hundreds of other cheeseburger spring roll recipes he says are available online, “is that it tastes so much like a cheeseburger.”
**16. Dan Hong’s McDonald’s-Inspired Cheeseburgers**
Just want to eat an actual cheeseburger? Hong can help with that too. Inspired by the Golden Arches, these burgers put grilled beef, American cheese, raw white onions, dill pickles, Heinz ketchup and American mustard inside a soft Bread Top bun. Yum, yum, yum.
**17. Beatrix’s Smoky, Salty Chocolate-Chip Cookies**
On the vastness of the internet, there are countless chocolate-chip cookie recipes, most of them similar but for small variations. This one, from cult Melbourne bakery Beatrix, has a unique touch: ground lapsang souchong tea, which gives the cookies a delicate smokiness that can be dialled back by subbing in Russian caravan tea.
Alternately, “If you find the whole tea thing a bit spooky, just leave it out,” says Beatrix founder Nat Paull. She also recommends mixing up your toasted nut and chocolate couplings: consider pecan and white chocolate, hazelnut and milk chocolate or almond and dark chocolate. But regardless of what you put into these cookies, a long pre-bake chill guarantees a deep, satisfying colour and flavour every time.
**18. Matt Moran’s Chicken Soup**
“Whenever I feel like I’m coming down with a cold, or just want something light and wholesome to eat, I make this chicken soup,” says Sydney chef Matt Moran, the man behind Aria and Chiswick. “It’s satisfying, warms you up and makes you feel better.”
We agree. As with chocolate-chip cookies, there are thousands upon thousands of chicken soup recipes out there (every culture seems to have one). This one stands out with its homemade stock and fresh, enlivening additions such as kale and tarragon. If you’re in the mood for a deeper and heartier interpretation, Emma McCaskill’s Roast Chicken Noodle Soup is another winner.
**19. Osteria Oggi’s Polenta with Sausage Ragu**
Look at that picture. Look at it. A big pile of velvety polenta with chunks of Italian sausage – pork and fennel, per favore – bobbing on the top, finished with parsley, parmesan and chilli. How could you not want to make this dish from one of Adelaide’s top Italian restaurants?
If nothing else, the peasant-style presentation is a bit of fun. Traditionally, Northern Italian peasants ate their polenta sulla tavola (“on the table”) or alla spianatora (“on the baking board”), which is exactly what it sounds like. Polenta was served directly from the pot onto a table or, more commonly, a long wooden board pre-soaked to prevent swelling. Everyone grabbed a fork and dug in. Go on.
**20. Two Good Co’s Snapper Curry With Brown Rice and Pumpkin**
Sydney social enterprise Two Good Co plays a vital role in its community, providing meals and work to domestic violence survivors.
“Two Good’s food is comforting food: slow-cooked lamb, chicken,” says head chef Jane Strode, who started her career at Neil Perry’s Rockpool. “We want to boost people’s immunities with turmeric, onion and ginger. Our chicken soup is cooked with whole chicken, so there’s lots of fibre and it’s great for your gut biome.”
Likewise, this snapper-curry recipe is jammed with nourishing ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, coriander and a rainbow of vegetables. “I’ve been cooking it for years and years,” she says. “It’s been domesticated from a Rockpool recipe from the mid-’90s, when I started my apprenticeship.”
