Peach & Mint Granita
A dilemma I often face in summer when I have friends over for barbecue’s, is that their appetites start to wane, with all the food thrown at them. It may...
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All posts by Paul Hegeman
Paul was a personal chef to exclusive clients in Sydney, Australia and worked at every level of professional kitchens, from the deep fryer in a local burger joint to Head Chef in five-star hotels. Born in the Netherlands, Paul moved to Canada at a very young age. Experience with traditional European meals at home and the diverse multicultural influence of Canadian cuisine gave him a great appreciation for different culinary styles. His recipes emphasize natural, uncomplicated flavors and fresh ingredients, inspired by Mediterranean and Southeast Asian cuisines. Paul is also the founder of Chef's Pencil, though he is no longer affiliated with the magazine.
Egg Freshness Test
Not sure if that egg you’re about to crack is fresh or not? Here’s a quick way to tell before you find out the hard way and ruin that cake...
How to Make Clarified Butter (Ghee)
Before learning how to clarify butter it’s helpful to understand what clarified butter really is. This will make the process as well as its uses much simpler to understand. What...
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce | Capsicum Sauce
This roasted red peppers (capsicum) sauce is so simple and tasty that you’ll find yourself making it over and over again. Try it with coconut crumbed fish or grilled chicken. Play...
Tuna Carpaccio with Basil Oil, Lemon and Caper Berries
Tuna is the world's most popularly eaten fish. Unfortunately much of this huge consumption is aided by millions of can openers and a lot of cheap mayonnaise. Such a shame...
Helen’s Christmas Cake
This recipe belonged to my wife's Mother, Helen. It's delicious, and without a doubt the best christmas cake I have had. Did I mention it's delicious? Helen recently passed away...
How to Make Tomato Concassé (Explained by a Chef With Photos!)
The term concasser as defined by the Larousse Gastronomique (The Chef's bible) defines it as: "The French term for chopping or pounding a substance, either coarsely or finely. When skinned...
Classic Tiramisu Recipe
Tiramisu is one of those dishes that is widely available as almost every restaurant serves some variation of it. Unfortunately it is this same widespread availability that means it can...
Venison Steak with Red Wine Jus and Caramelized Eschalots
I have had venison on 3 different continents and on each occasion it has tasted completely different from the last. Wow!! Does that ever sound pompous; when you write that...
Peeling and Deseeding Tomatoes
Ever wonder how they get the skins off the tomatoes you buy in cans? It's really quite a simple process. In this tip I'll show you exactly how and also...
Pecan Pie
Personally I am not a huge dessert eater, I like to taste it but after 1 or 2 bites I’ve had enough. So what usually happens is that I just...
Classic Pavlova Recipe
We had some friends over for a summer barbecue the other weekend and my wife Julie asked if I could show her how to make Pavlova. I said no problem....
Potato Rösti with Smoked Salmon & Dill Crème Fraiche
Next time you are entertaining and you want your first course to be a definite crowd pleaser, then look no further than this recipe. The beautiful tangy crème fraiche is...
Shucking Oysters (From the Front & Back)
Shuck em yourself and you'll know they're fresh. Shucking oysters is something every Chef has done at some stage. When I was initially taught we were always taught to go...
Sesame-Crusted Ocean Trout on Choy Sum & Mirin Vinaigrette
This is a shining example of the less complicated a dish is, the better it is. Each ingredient in this recipe is served very near to its natural state and...
Mirepoix
Three simple vegetables that add so much flavour to so many dishes. A mirepoix is a finely diced mixture of; carrot, celery and onion. It is often sweated off in...
Minestrone Soup
Now that winter is upon us once again, I thought it was time to pull out my Minestrone Soup Recipe, one of my favourite wintertime recipes. This soup always takes...
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
Mash Potato, sounds like a recipe right there doesn't it. Pretty simple dish to prepare, one would think, yet based on the amount of times I have ordered it and...
Salt & Pepper Squid
I still am blown away by how many people keep salt and pepper on their dining or kitchen table. Personally I keep my salt and pepper in one place, right...
Homemade Lobster Bisque Recipe
Lobster bisque, a name many of us haven’t heard in restaurants for quite some years. I suppose it may be because too many of us who do remember it being...
Chef Tip: How to Sharpen Knives
I'm sure you've heard it before, "a dull knife is more dangerous than a sharp one" well like most cliches it becomes a cliche because it is partly true. A...
Chef Tip: How to Keep Knives Sharp
One of the first things they teach in culinary school is how to look after your knives. There's good reason for that as well, without a nice edge on your...
Stuffed Mushrooms on Herbed Polenta w/ Buttered French Beans
This dish is great to cook if you are vegetarian and just as good if you aren’t. As a person that is completely content in their carnivore ways, I can...
How to Poach an Egg
You can't make eggs Benedict until you master the simple art of poaching. When I worked at a restaurant that specialised in breakfast I remember poaching over 400 eggs every...