Around the Table by Julia Busuttil Nishimura
Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s latest cookbook, Around the Table, celebrates the joys of coming together, nourished by good food and shared experiences.
Photography: Armelle Habib
‘As our boys grow up, it feels even more powerful to be cooking it together at home – I love seeing them be so proud of their culture and it really binds us together as a family,’ says Julia Busuttil Nishimura. Photo: Armelle Habib
Panna cotta with roasted nectarines & blueberries from Around the Table by Julia Busutill Nishimura. Photo: Armelle Habib
Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s Fish and tarragon pie with parmesan pastry from her latest cookbook, Around the Table. Photo: Armelle Habib
For Julia Busuttil Nishimura, nourishment comes in many forms – good food, human contact and shared experiences.
Her latest, (and third!) cookbook Around the Table, is a collection of her favourite recipes influenced by her Maltese heritage, time spent traveling around Italy and Japanese dishes she has learned from her husband, Nori.
‘When I first began cooking Japanese food alongside Nori, it felt quite transportive. It reminded me of our holidays there together, and Nori of his childhood or university days,’ says Julia.
‘As our boys grow up, it feels even more powerful to be cooking it together at home. I love seeing them be so proud of their culture and it really binds us together as a family. On surface level though, it is of course just really delicious and simple cooking which is what I’m always drawn to.’
Around the Table is a book about the power of food – it’s about coming together with family and friends and experiences shared around a home table.
‘I think the true value of gathering around food with friends and family is a feeling of connectedness to each other,’ says Julia.
Within the book you will find recipes such as lemon risotto, mushroom gyoza with seasoned bean sprouts and blackberry, peach and thyme pie.
Below we share a recipe from the book: Pear & polenta torte.
‘While I love to keep things pretty simple in the kitchen, it is still so nice to lay a beautiful table and make it feel like it’s an occasion too,’ says Julia Busuttil Nishimura. Photo: Armelle Habib
Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s Maritozzi from her latest cookbook, Around the Table. Photo: Armelle Habib
“The act of sharing a meal is actually such an intimate experience and one that I don’t take for granted as I feel like it nurtures so much of ourselves. Nourished by good food but also human contact and shared experiences.”
‘'I really do love a Sunday lunch at home when there are no plans except to be at home in the kitchen and prepare something beautiful. Simple, elegant and just a true celebration of produce, season and occasion,’ says Julia Busuttil Nishimura. Photo: Armelle Habib
Julia Busuttil Nishimura’s Pear & polenta torte (recipe below) from her latest cookbook, Around the Table. Photo: Armelle Habib
“When I first began cooking Japanese food alongside (my husband) Nori, it felt quite transportive. It reminded me of our holidays there together, and Nori of his childhood or university days.”
Pear & polenta torte in the making. Photo: Armelle Habib
‘I think the true value of gathering around food with friends and family is a feeling of connectedness to each other,’ says Julia Busuttil Nishimura. Photo: Armelle Habib
PEAR & POLENTA TORTE
I first ate this wonderful tart in a small restaurant in Turin. I was so in awe of its beautiful delicate pastry and perfectly poached pears. It is visually very stunning, but more importantly shines because of just how simple it is.
The poached pears and pastry can be made a day in advance, which means that on the day of serving, assembly is all that’s required. The sauce is traditionally the poaching liquid reduced to a thick syrup, but I like to serve it with crème anglaise instead.
Serves 8
INGREDIENTS
5 firm beurre bosc pears
1 egg, for egg wash
pure icing sugar, for dusting
crème anglaise (see Note), to serve
POACHING LIQUID
400 ml medium-bodied Italian red wine, such as Dolcetto or Nero d’Avola
180 g caster sugar
1 cinnamon stick
3 cloves
2 strips of lemon peel
POLENTA PASTRY
180 g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
150 g fine polenta
80 g caster sugar
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of sea salt
200 g cold unsalted butter, cubed
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
3–4 tablespoons iced water
METHOD
Begin by making the poaching liquid for the pears. Combine the ingredients with 600 ml of water in a large saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally to help the sugar dissolve, for 8–10 minutes, until the liquid is reduced slightly.
Remove the stems from the pears, then peel, halve and core them. Add the pear halves to the poaching liquid. Cut a piece of baking paper to the size of the pan and cut a hole in the middle, then carefully press the paper onto the surface of the pears (this stops the liquid evaporating too much and also keeps the pears submerged).
Simmer the pears for about 20 minutes, until tender. To check, insert a knife into the thickest part of a pear. If there isn’t much resistance, the pear should be ready. Begin checking the pears at around 15 minutes, as the timing will depend on the pears you are using and how firm they were to begin with. Allow them to cool in the poaching liquid (I do this overnight), then transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to dry. They need to be cooled and completely dry before you assemble the tart.
To make the polenta pastry, combine the flour, polenta, sugar, lemon zest and salt in a large bowl or on a clean work surface. Add the butter and toss it through the flour mixture to coat. Rub the butter into the flour using your fingertips until the mixture is pebbly. You want to rub the butter into flatter pieces rather than into something that resembles breadcrumbs. Make a well in the centre, add the beaten egg yolks and start to gently incorporate the flour mixture into the egg to begin to form the pastry. Add the iced water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until you can press the pastry dough together and there are no dry bits of flour left. Shape into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Remove the pastry dough from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes to make it easier to roll. Take two-thirds of the dough and roll it out on a floured work surface until it is about 3 mm thick. Gently lift the pastry and drape it into a 27 cm round fluted tin with a loose base. It is a rather fragile pastry, so if it tears, simply patch it up as you go. Arrange the cooled pear halves over the pastry base in a circular shape, flat-side down. Now roll out the remaining pastry to the same thickness and lay it over the pears, using your hands to shape it over the pear halves. Trim any excess overhanging pastry and press gently to secure the pastry edges together, tucking the edges into the tin a little.
Whisk the egg with 1 teaspoon of water and brush the tart with the egg wash. Pierce two holes in the pastry top to allow for steam to escape, then transfer to the oven and bake for 30–35 minutes, until the pastry is a sunny golden colour and cooked through.
Allow the tart to cool completely in the tin, then transfer to a serving plate and dust generously with icing sugar. Serve slices at room temperature with crème anglaise. The tart is best eaten on the day it is made.
NOTE: To make crème anglaise, place 150 ml of full-cream milk and 150 ml of pure cream in a saucepan, along with a vanilla pod split in half and the seeds scraped. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, taking care that the mixture doesn’t start to boil. Allow the vanilla to infuse for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk 4 egg yolks with 50 g of caster sugar in a large bowl until frothy and a little lighter in colour. Pour the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture, a few tablespoons at time to begin with, whisking constantly until combined. Return the mixture to a clean saucepan and stir over low heat for 5–6 minutes, until the anglaise thickens and coats the back of a spoon – you should be able to run your finger through the anglaise without the custard pooling back into the centre of the spoon. Strain the crème anglaise into a bowl set over ice to immediately cool it down, whisking every few minutes until just warm. Keep warm and use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
