"This is one of few dishes I can never remove from the menu. We have made slight changes here and there, but if it ever disappears, there would be riots. We are the only restaurant I have ever encountered that removes the heads from the school prawns. We are also the only venue I have ever been in where I have watched guests attempt to peel fried school prawns before they eat them!" - Alex Prichard

Ingredients

100g cornflour

100g plain flour

30g dried oregano

5g black peppercorns, toasted and crushed

5g white peppercorns, toasted and crushed

2 litres vegetable or grapeseed oil, for frying

500g Clarence River fresh school prawns, heads removed

rocket leaves, to serve

1 lemon, cut into cheeks, to serve

Lemon aioli:

6 cloves finely minced garlic

6 egg yolks

1/4 cup dijon mustard

700ml grapeseed oil

lemon juice and lemon zest, to taste

Method

1. To make the aioli, combine the garlic, egg yolks and mustard in a food processor and begin blending. Slowly add the grapeseed oil in a fine stream. If it gets too thick, add a spoonful of lemon juice. Continue blending until thick. Season to taste with lemon juice, lemon zest and salt.

2. Combine the cornflour, plain flour, oregano and pepper in a bowl and mix well.

3. Place the vegetable oil in a pot over high heat and heat until it reaches 180C on a kitchen thermometer.

4. Dust the school prawns in the flour mixture and, using a strainer, remove any excess flour. Add to the hot oil and fry, in batches, for one to two minutes until pink and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside on paper towel, patting dry. Season with salt.

5. Place rocket leaves on a serving plate and top with the prawns. Serve with aioli and lemon cheeks.

Serves 4.

Robert Marchetti's version of Insalata Caprese, with a touch of grilled chilli and creamy sheep's yoghurt, is one of Maurice's favourites. Use heirloom or different varieties of tomatoes to add vibrant colour and interest.

Ingredients

2 long red chillies

2 ripe tomatoes

100ml sheep's milk yoghurt

juice of 1 lemon

8 oregano leaves

2 tsp white-wine vinegar

100ml extra-virgin olive oil

10 basil leaves

4 pieces buffalo mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces

Method

1. With a fork, spike chillies all over (this will ensure they don't explode when cooked). Turn gas burner on your stovetop or barbecue to high. Using tongs, hold chillies directly over flame and cook until black and blistered. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for two to three minutes. Cut chillies in half lengthways and remove seeds. Cut lengthways again into strips.

2. Slice tomatoes into 5mm discs and arrange on a serving plate.

3. In a bowl, combine yoghurt, lemon juice, oregano, vinegar, oil, basil and mozzarella, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange mixture over tomato and scatter chilli over the top to serve.

Serves 2.

"Maurice always asked us to create Italian dishes that Italians would recognise, but not dishes their mother would necessarily cook. Here classic saltimbocca, typically done with veal, is applied to a meaty free-range pork chop allowing the introduction of crispy prosciutto, sage and garlic butter for moisture and flavour. When in season, Australian cherries contrast beautifully with the rich, buttery and salty pork." - Paul Wilson

Ingredients

8 slices of prosciutto

8 large sage leaves, plus extra

4 x 200g free-range pork cutlets, rind removed

30ml extra-virgin olive oil

50g unsalted butter

lemon juice, to taste

radicchio leaves, to serve

Sage butter:

250g soft unsalted butter

1 bunch of sage, finely chopped, extra

4 garlic cloves, finely grated

lemon juice, to taste

Cherry marmalade:

200g fresh cherries, pitted or whole

125ml balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp honey

2 star-anise

1 clove

zest of 1/2 orange

250ml cabernet sauvignon

juice of 1 orange

1 tbsp cornflour

Method

1. To make the sage butter, combine all the ingredients in a bowl, whipping by hand. Place onto a sheet of baking paper and roll into a sausage-like shape. Twist to enclose at each end and freeze until firm.

2. To make the cherry marmalade, place the cherries in a small, deep saucepan over medium heat. Add vinegar and cook until reduced by half. Add honey and cook for five minutes until liquid is reduced to a syrup. Add spices, orange zest and red wine, then reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 15 minutes.

3. Combine orange juice and cornflour in a bowl to form a smooth paste. Gradually add paste to cherry mixture until it coats the cherries. Reduce heat again and cook for a further 5 minutes. Set aside to serve with the pork.

4. To prepare the pork, lay out two slices of prosciutto on a work surface, overlapping to make one larger sheet.

5. Place two sage leaves and a 1.5cm slice of sage butter in the centre of the prosciutto. Top with a pork cutlet, then fold over the prosciutto to enclose. Repeat with remaining prosciutto and cutlets. Set aside in the fridge until ready to cook.

6. Preheat oven to 200C. Heat oil in a wide non-stick pan, add pork cutlet parcels and some sage leaves to the pan and cook quickly to seal. Place the pan in the oven and cook for four minutes. Baste with juices and cook for a further four minutes.

7. Remove pork from pan and allow to rest for two minutes. Transfer to serving plates. In the same pan, add the butter and cook over a medium heat until almost browned. Add a squeeze of lemon and spoon over the plated pork chops. Serve with a little marmalade on the side and radicchio leaves.

Serves 4.

"They say some of the best things come from the unexpected. This dish came about during my lockdown birthday when I was surprised with a picnic of all of my favourite things, including a honey cake. I am still a kid at heart with a big sweet tooth, and this cake was like nothing I'd ever had before. I knew I could turn the concept into something special using Malfroy's Gold honey, a premium-quality Australian honey we have been using at Icebergs for many years. The other secret here is the condensed milk - an ingredient used a lot in my home country of Canada. The amaretto adds the Italian flavour and the cake layers are based on crepe batter to make sure they have the perfect texture." - Brittany Smith

Ingredients

90g caster sugar

2 eggs

150g honey

splash of amaretto

187g plain flour, sifted

3/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda

amaretti biscuits, crushed, to serve

Honey icing:

395g can condensed milk

100g creme fraiche

150g sour cream

15g vanilla paste

1 litre pouring cream

200g Malfroy's Gold honey (see notes, below)

Method

1. Place sugar and eggs in a stand mixer and whisk until fluffy. Add honey and amaretto, continuing to mix, then fold in flour and bicarbonate of soda. Set aside and let rest for one hour.

2. Preheat oven to 160C. Cut approximately 15 x 20cm rounds of baking paper. Spread a thin layer of the cake batter on top of each round so that it is just covering as it will puff up a bit. Place on baking trays and bake for five to six minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool.

3. To make the honey icing, place all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until thick and smooth, taking care not to over whip.

4. To assemble the cake, spread a honey cake round with icing and top with another round (discarding the layers of baking paper). Top that round with icing and repeat with remaining rounds and icing. On the top layer, spread icing around the top and edges. Cover with crushed amaretti biscuits to serve.

Serves 12.