ANGIE REDFERN and the Ripe Deli team are back with the fourth addition to their successful cookbook series – Thought for Food.
It’s been 20 years since Angie flung open the doors of the first Ripe store in Grey Lynn and to celebrate, the Ripe team has curated a collection of their tried-and-true dishes, including true classics like Tan Espresso Slice and new favourites like Amy’s Crushed Falafel Salad with Sumac Coconut Yoghurt Whip. With a focus on salads and sweets, the 100+ recipes are sure to inspire and delight.
PORCHETTA w/ Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme
serves 8 | GF
This recipe was created for our Christmas Feast menu by Mark McAllister. It’s a super simple and stress-free way of cooking a beautiful pork belly and we hope it has you singing along to ‘Scarborough Fair’ by Simon and Garfunkel.
INGREDIENTS
- 2kg pork belly, deboned
- butchers string
- 2 tbsp rock salt, to rub onto the skin of the belly overnight
Stuffing
- A small bunch of parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme, finely chopped
- 60g hazelnuts, toasted and chopped into small pieces
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed and finely chopped
- 50g butter, melted
- Zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
- ½ tsp pink salt
To prepare the pork belly: place the belly skin side up in a large container and rub the skin with the rock salt. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. This helps draw out any moisture in the skin so you get a nice crispy skin when roasted. Then next day wipe off all the salt and pat the belly dry with paper towels.
To prepare the stuffing: in a small bowl mix, all the ingredients together.
To prepare the porchetta: trim one-third of the skin off the belly. Turn the belly over so it’s skin side down. Spread the stuffing mix over the flesh, making sure it is evenly spread all over the belly (don’t rub it on the skin). Then roll the belly up starting with the skinless part. Once rolled, securely tie the rolled belly with butcher’s string.
To cook the porchetta: preheat the oven to 220°C fan bake and line a roasting dish. Place the porchetta in the roasting dish. Place in the middle rack of the oven and cook for 30 minutes at a high temperature.
Reduce the temperature of the oven to 160°C and roast for 2 hours. If the skin isn’t evenly crispy at the end of the cooking time, crank up the oven again to at least 200°C and roast for 10 – 15 minutes longer to let the skin get nice and crispy (keep an eye on it). Remove from the oven and allow the pork to rest for 10 minutes, before removing the string and slicing.

LOUISIANA PUMPKIN PIE
Serves 8 to 10 | Vegetarian
Megan Dunbar has always placed a recipe in our books, so in keeping with tradition here is one of her fab desserts. What makes it even more special is that Maya Paddy, Megan’s daughter, has been working with us, learning the craft of baking at Ripe over the last few years during her school/Uni holidays.
INGREDIENTS
Pastry
- ½ quantity sweet short crust pastry (see pg 261 in book) or 2 sheets frozen sweet pastry
Filling
- 500g crown pumpkin, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 25g butter
- ½ cup (80g) soft brown sugar
- 3 tbsp castor sugar
- 1 egg
- Zest and juice of ½ orange
- A pinch of salt
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
Nut Topping
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp castor sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) maple syrup
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp butter, melted
- ½ cup (60g) pecans, roughly chopped
To prepare the pastry: make the Sweet Short Crust Pastry or defrost the frozen pastry. Preheat the oven to 170°C fan bake. Grease the base of a 25cm flan tin or a loose bottomed tart tin. Lay the pastry into the tin and prick the base with a fork a few times. Place in the freezer and chill for 15 minutes.
To prepare the pumpkin: place the pumpkin in a saucepan and cover with hot water. Place over a high heat and boil until cooked through. Remove from the heat and drain really well. Tip the pumpkin back into the saucepan and mash well.
Note: if the pumpkin seems quite wet, pop the pot over a low heat and gently stir for a couple of minutes to help dry the pumpkin out. You want to end up with a slightly heaped cupful of mashed pumpkin for the recipe.
To prepare the filling: using a cake mixer fitted with a balloon whisk or handheld electric beater, beat the butter and sugars together. Beat in the egg, orange juice, zest and spices. Finally add the pumpkin and mix until smooth. Set aside.
To prepare the topping: in small bowl, whisk the sugars together with the maple syrup. Add the egg and butter and whisk until frothy. Stir in the pecans and set aside.
To cook the tart: place the filling into the chilled pastry case. Pour over the topping and using a knife gently smooth over the filling making sure it is evenly covered. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for approximately 35–45 minutes or until the filling is firm and the pastry is cooked through. Delicious served with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.
‘RIPE: Thought for Food’ by Angela Redfern & The Ripe Deli Team, RRP $60.00, www.beatnikpublishing.com Photographs: Sophie Merkens