Watch The Cook and the Chef online: Episode 39 Beetroot & Pepper

Tonight Maggie and Simon demonstrate how to bring out the best of the brilliant beetroot, and then spice up some delicious dishes with Native Tasmanian Pepper berry. It was a cold and blustery day when Maggie’s good friend, Peter Cundall, dropped in to see her winter garden. Peter loved the Kale, Rocket and Pumpkin she was growing but informed her, in his own special style, that her beetroot was the most "miserable" he’d ever seen. Peter’s advice was that she should grow the beetroot from seed and so Maggie did just that. The result in spring was a beautiful crop of enormous beetroots that Maggie was only too happy to show off to Simon. In the kitchen Maggie combines the Beetroot with Cannelloni beans, garlic, rosemary and mint to create a lively, refreshing dip. The colourful concoction is served with deliciously earthy fennel and chick pea crispbreads. Not to be outdone in showing off the colour of the beetroot Simon makes a beetroot ravioli. The almost iridescent pasta is filled with the creamy textures and luxurious flavours of ricotta, mild goat’s cheese, chives and garlic and served with a layer of similar flavours carried in a buttery sauce and topped with toasted walnuts. It’s a dish that is beautiful on the plate and divine on the palate. The Cook and the Chef fans would be well acquainted with Simon’s love of all things hot and spicy, so when he got wind of a fiery native pepper being cultivated and sold in Tasmania he just had to check it out. Dan Puller explains to Simon that the plant is pretty fussy about where it grows, preferring rich volcanic soils and high altitude; this is why it’s sometimes known as mountain pepper. Dan points out the distinctive, vivid red stem of the plant which makes it easily identifiable in the wild and also acts as a warning of the heat to come! Simon loves using the ground leaf of the plant but is slightly wary of the pepper berries, which pack a real spicy punch. Dan tells Simon that thanks to the internet the plant is now in big demand with pepper lovers all around the world, who value it for its complex flavours. Local chef Christine Huderset cooks up some beautiful local wallaby for Simon and adorns it with a delicious native pepper and blackcurrant glaze. Simon loves the complex notes of the pepper, which include eucalyptus, clove and even citrus. In the kitchen Simon uses the aromatic, "citrusy" Pepper leaf in a beer based damper. The rise is perfect and the complex tang of the Pepper leaf really brings the Aussie bread to life. Maggie treads carefully with the hot Pepper berry, combining it in a beautiful warm smoked chicken salad. The combination of olive, prunes, mustard fruits and peppery greens ensures that every mouthful of this salad is its own little taste experience, while the Pepper berry provides an occasional hit that cuts through the flavour blend. Recipes: - Beetroot, Cannellini & Pear Dip - Beetroot Ravioli - Warm Smoked Chook Salad - Pepper Leaf Damper - Rosemary Chickpea Crispbread

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