My Kitchen Rules: Try out Queensland Team Simone and Viviana’s winning recipes

In an intense final round Tuesday night, Simone and Viviana were crowned this year’s My Kitchen Rules champions.

The pair, who are both originally from Italy, beat second-place Tasmanian team Caz and Fergus by two points to take out the $100,000 prize.

In a showcase of their Italian heritage, Simone and Viviana served up an entrée, seafood, meat, and dessert dishes.

Try your hand at the winning dishes with the full recipes below.

Cappellacci Fagioli e Cozze

Prep time: 1 hour 30 mins

Cook time: 45 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• Ciabatta croutons and flat leaf parsley leaves, to serve

Pasta

• 400g 00 flour
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp squid ink

Filling

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 400g can cannellini beans, drained
• 2 tsp finely chopped rosemary
• 85g mascarpone
• 25g parmesan, finely grated
• finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon

Mussels

• 1 tbs olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 eshallot, finely chopped
• 160ml dry white wine
• 100g butter, chopped
• 1kg mussels, de bearded

Beurre Blanc

• 200ml dry white wine
• 100ml white wine vinegar
• 2 eschallots, thinly sliced
• 4 black peppercorns, bruised
• 400g cold butter, cubed

Method

1 To make pasta, pulse flour, eggs and ink to form a crumbly dough. Knead dough on a lightly floured bench for about five minutes or until smooth and elastic (it will lose its rough, floury texture). Stand, covered, for 20 minutes to rest.

2 To make filling, heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic until soft. Add beans, rosemary and mascarpone. Cook, covered, for five minutes or until hot. Transfer to a processor. Add parmesan, lemon zest and juice. Process for form a smooth puree. Transfer to a piping bag.

3 Divide dough into quarters. Pass quarters through a pasta machine on the widest setting, dusting dough with flour between rolls, increasing settings until about 2mm thick.

4 Cut sheets into 8cm squares and place a teaspoonful of filing in the centre of each. Working with a square at a time, brush edges with a little water and fold into a triangle, gently pushing out air and pressing around filling to seal. Brush tips with a little water, then bring to the centre, and press together to seal and form the cappellacci shape.

5 To cook mussels, heat oil in a large saucepan or stock pot over medium-low heat. Add garlic and eschallot. Cook until eschallot is soft but not coloured. Stir in wine. Simmer until reduced by half. Add butter and cook until melted. Season. Add mussels. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes or until mussels open, shaking pan half way through (discard any unopened mussels). Strain cooking liquor into a bowl. Remove mussel meat from shells and place in cooking liquor to prevent drying out. Drain to serve.

6 To make beurre blanc, place wine, vinegar, eschallot and peppercorns in a small saucepan. Simmer until reduced by half. Strain and discard solids.

7 Return strained reduction to a saucepan over low heat. Gradually whisk in butter, a cube at a time, ensuring each cube is fully melted and incorporated before you add the next. Whisk until smooth and thick.

8 Cook cappellacci in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and transfer to pan with beuure blanc. Toss to coat. Divide cappellacci and sauce among serving plates. Top with mussels. Garnish with croutons and parsley.

Tips

Alter the size of the cappellacci as desired. You can serve several small or a few large per serving.

Lobster & Guanciale Taco

Prep time: 1 hour 20 mins + resting

Cook time: 30 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 250g butter, chopped
• 3 raw lobster tails, peeled
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 200g guanciale, cut into 1cm dice
• 2 large avocados, chopped
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 2 Lebanese cucumbers, seeded, thinly sliced lengthways
• Coriander leaves and thinly sliced red chilli, to garnish

Tortillas

• 375g plain flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 80ml vegetable oil
• 80ml warm water
• extra plain flour, for dusting

Pickled onion

• 125ml red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• ¼ tsp yellow mustard seeds
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced

Method

1 To make tortillas, process flour, salt and oil to form crumbs. Add water and pulse to form a dough.

2 Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth. Wrap in cling film and set aside for 30 minutes.

3 To pickle onion, heat vinegar, sugar and mustard seeds in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot. Remove from heat and add onion. Set aside to cool and pickle. Drain to serve.

4 Meanwhile, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add a lobster tail and cook for about 5 minutes or until lobster flesh is opaque and just cooked through. Remove and set aside. Repeat with remaining lobster tails.

5 Slice lobster tails into 5mm thick slices. Just before serving, toss with the olive oil and lemon juice. Season.

6 Heat a non stick frying pan over high heat. Cook guanciale until browned and crisp. Drain on paper towel.

7 Blend or process avocados and lime juice until smooth. Season.

8 Cut rested tortilla dough into six portions and roll each portion into a 20cm round.

9 Heat a heavy based frying pan over high heat. Add a tortilla and cook until puffed up and browned. Turn and cook until browned again. Transfer to a plate and cover with a tea towel to prevent it drying out. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

10 Arrange tortillas on serving plates. Top with cucumber, lobster, pickled onion and guanciale. Spoon or pipe on avocado puree. Garnish with coriander leaves and thinly sliced red chilli.

Lamb Rump with Pecorino Zabaione and Asparagus

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 50 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 800g lamb rumps
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 50g butter, chopped
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 4 bunches asparagus, trimmed, cut into 2cm lengths
• 2 tsp olive oil, extra
• Finely grated lemon zest and freeze dried raspberry powder, to garnish

Pecorino Zabaione

• 4 egg yolks
• 125ml dry white wine
• 80g pecorino, finely grated on a microplane
• 125ml thickened cream, whipped to soft peaks

Method

1 Preheat oven to 190C. Bring lamb to room temperature.

2 Heat oil and 25g of the butter in a large flameproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook lamb, in batches, turning, for about 10 minutes or until browned all over and fat has rendered (press down on lamb to help caramelisation). Return lamb to pan and top each rump with rosemary and remaining butter. Transfer to the oven and roast for about 10-15 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Transfer to a rack over a tray and lightly cover with foil to rest for 20 minutes. Slice to serve and drizzle with resting juices.

3 Cook asparagus in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until tender. Drain. Dress with extra olive oil and season.

4 To make pecorino zabaione, whisk egg yolks and wine in a large heatproof bowl until thick and pale.

5 Place bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Whisk until egg mixture is light, frothy and thickened and the whisk can leave a clean trail at the bottom of the bowl. Whisk in pecorino until melted and dissolved. Remove from heat. Fold through cream in two batches.

6 Serve lamb and asparagus with pecorino zabaione. Garnish with finely grated lemon zest and freeze dried raspberry powder.

Tips

If you have and would like to use a siphon gun, pour zabaione into siphon and charge with cartridges. Shake vigorously (to evenly distribute gas). Dispense to serve.

Paris-Brest with Hazelnut Praline Cream

Prep time: 3 hours + refrigeration

Cook time: 1 hour 30 mins

Makes: 14

Ingredients

• Sifted icing sugar, to dust

Craquelin

• 120g butter, at room temperature
• 120g golden caster sugar
• 120g plain flour

Choux buns

• 125ml water
• 125ml milk
• 80g butter, chopped
• 130g plain flour
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• ¼ tsp fine salt
• 4 eggs, at room temperature

Hazelnut Praline

• 150g roasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 220g caster sugar
• 125ml water

Hazelnut Cream

• 500ml milk
• 100g caster sugar
• 30g cornflour
• 4 egg yolks
• 25g butter, chopped
• 1 quantity hazelnut praline
• 200ml thickened cream, whipped to firm peaks

Method

1 To make craquelin, using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until pale and creamy. Add flour and mix on medium-low speed until a dry crumbly mixture has formed. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape into round. Roll out between two sheets of baking paper until 30cm x 35cm. Place on a tray and refrigerate for 30 minutes or until firm. Using a 5cm round cookie cutter, cut out rounds and place on a baking paper lined tray. Return to fridge.

2 To make choux buns, place the water, milk and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until butter melts and mixture just comes to the boil.

3 Combine the flour, sugar and salt in a bowl. Add to the butter mixture and use a wooden spoon to beat until well combined. Place over low heat and cook, stirring, for 1-2 mins or until the mixture forms a ball and begins to come away from the side of the pan. Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and cool for 5 minutes.

4 Whisk one egg in a small bowl and set aside. Whisk the remaining eggs in a bowl, then add it to the flour mixture. Beat on medium or until just combined. With motor operating, add a little of the reserved egg, beating until the mixture just falls from the paddle, but still holds its shape.

5 Preheat oven to 200C. Grease three large baking trays with spray oil.

6 Trace seven 5cm circles, 6cm apart on two large pieces of baking paper (so you have 14 circles in total). Trace fourteen 4cm circles on another piece of baking paper (these will be for the smaller choux).

7 Flip paper over and use to line trays. Lightly flick each tray with a little water. Transfer dough to a piping bag fitted with a 1.5cm-diameter round piping nozzle and pipe dough into circles.

8 Use a water-moistened finger to smooth down the peaks. Top each larger choux bun with a round of craquelin.

9 Bake for 30 mins or until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and turn the oven off. Use a skewer or a small knife to pierce the base of each choux to release the steam. Return the choux to the oven and leave for 15 mins to dry out. Remove the choux from the oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool. Cut choux au craquelin in half horizontally. Make a small slit in base of small choux buns.

10 To make praline, line an oven tray with baking paper. Spread nuts on tray in a single layer. Stir sugar and water in a medium heavy-based saucepan, without boiling, until sugar dissolves. Use a wet pastry brush to brush down any stray sugar crystals on side of pan. Bring mixture to a boil. Boil, without stirring, until golden brown. Carefully pour caramel over nuts on prepared tray. Cool. Break into shards. Process to form fine crumbs.

11 To make hazelnut cream, stir milk and sugar in a saucepan over low heat until sugar is dissolved and mixture is hot.

12 Whisk egg yolks and cornflour until smooth and combined. Gradually whisk in hot milk in a thin steady stream.

13 Return mixture to saucepan and cook, stirring, over low heat until thick. Whisk in butter. Pass through a sieve and into a bowl. Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold. Transfer to an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Mix until smooth and creamy. Add praline. Whisk until smooth and combined. Fold in whipped cream in two batches. Transfer to a piping bag and refrigerate until cold.

14 Pipe hazelnut cream into choux au craquelin and smaller choux buns. Stack together, using a little of the remaining cream to adhere. Dust with sifted icing sugar.