MasterChef Australia season 6 contestant Sarah Todd shares her secret recipes

We have seen her in the MasterChef kitchen taking on team challenges and creating delectable dishes that impressed the judges. Whether it was the Chicken Roulade that got her back into the game or her take on a British delicacy the scotch quail egg, Sarah's dishes are unique, made with ingredients that are not hard to find and yet are impressive for their texture, taste and presentation. Here she shares two of her popular recipes that won her accolades from the judging panel. 

Scotch Quail Egg

Ingredients

Oil for deep frying
300 gms of smoked salmon, finely chopped
2/3 cup of creme fraiche
3 teaspoons capers
12 quail eggs
30 gms butter
3 shallots, finely chopped
300 gms of sausage meat (can be substituted with chicken)
1 tsp chopped parsley
1/3 cup flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup panko crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
Chives, copped for serving
Mustard to serve
Sherry vinaigrette to serve

Time : 20 minutes (preparation) 10 minutes (cooking)
Serves: 6

Method

Heat oil in a deep fryer to 180C. Place salmon, creme fraiche and capers in a bowl and stir to combine. Set aside. Prepare an ice bath. Set aside. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add quail eggs and cook for two minutes. Remove from water and place in ice bath. Once eggs eggs are cool, peel and set aside. Place butter into a frying pan and set over medium heat to melt. Add shallots and cook until translucent. Add sausage meat and parsley and cook, stirring until meat is cooked through. Remove from heat and set aside. Place seasonal flour, eggs and panko crumbs into three separate bowls. Take each quail egg and press sausage meat mixture around it. Place in flour, then egg, then panko crumbs and gently press. Place each covered egg in deep fryer and cook until golden, about three minutes. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel. Season scotch eggs with salt and pepper and serve with chives, mustard and a sherry vinaigrette.

Mint & Goat's Cheese Parfait With A Nutmeg Tuile

Ingredients 

395 gms of sugar
5 egg whites
350 gms of goat cheese, room temperature
2 tbsps cream
4 lemons, two zested and juiced and two peeled and segmented
2 bunches of mint
1 cup of vinegar
55 gms butter
35 gms flour
Pinch of nutmeg

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Place 50 gms of sugar and 1 tbsp of water into a saucepan and set over medium heat. Allow to simmer until sugar reaches 118C. While the sugar is heating place four egg whites into the bowl of an electric mixer and whisk until soft peaks from. While still whisking, slowly pour in 118C sugar and continue whisking until mixture is room temperature and is thick and glossy. Place goats cheese, cream, lemon zest and 2/3 lemon juice in a bowl and stir to combine. Add 1/3 meringue and fold in gently. Finely shred 1/2 bunch mint leaves and add with remaining meringue. Fold in gently and place in the freezer to set. Place 250 gms of sugar, 250 mls of vinegar and 100 mls of water into a saucepan and set over medium heat. Once boiling, add lemon segments, remove from heat and set aside to cool. Bring a saucepan of water to a boil over high heat, add peas and cook just until bright green. Remove from water and place in a bowl of iced water. Add remaining mint leaves to boiling water and cook just until bright green. Remove mint from boiling water and place in a bowl of iced water. Remove peas from iced water and add to saucepan of cooled lemon segments, set aside. To make the tuiles, place 35gms of butter and 35 gms of sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add remaining egg white and beat until combined. Add flour and beat until combined. Spread a thin layer on a paper lined baking tray, to measure about 30 cm x 30 cm. Place  in the oven to bake until golden (about six to eight minutes). Remove from oven, cut into eight rectangles and set aside to cool. Place 60 gms of sugar and 60 mls of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Meanwhile remove blanched mint leaves from iced water and place in a food processor. Remove sugar syrup from heat and add to mint leaves, add remaining 1/2 lemon juice and process to a fine puree. Pass through a sieve into a clean saucepan. Set over low heat. Add butter, season and stir to combine. Remove from heat and set aside. To serve place a tuile on each plate, top with parfait and then another tuile. Remove lemon segments and peas from sugar syrup and place on top. Drizzle with mint sauce. Season to taste.