Camera Cuisine: Main Attraction

Hilary Biller picks her most memorable meals from the movies and shows you how to recreate them at home

NO RESERVATIONS, 2007

Seared scallops, the signature dish of No Reservations, is just one in the vast repertoire of head chef Kate Armstrong (Catherine Zeta Jones) at her Manhattan restaurant, 22 Bleecker. Simple to prepare, scallops are imported into SA and available frozen. They can be replaced with mussels out of their shell - though these are not quite as delicate.

SEARED SCALLOPS Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 60g (½ cup) cake flour
• 5ml (1 tsp) salt
• 2.5ml (½ tsp) dried oregano
• 5ml (1 tsp) dried thyme
• 30ml (2 tbsp) lemon pepper
• 16 scallops
• 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• Small bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 60ml ( cup) lemon juice

Saffron sauce:

• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1 lemon leaf, washed and finely chopped
• 125ml (½ cup) dry white wine
• Pinch of saffron threads
• 30ml (2 tbsp) fresh cream
• 125g butter, cubed
• Juice of half a lemon
• Salt and white pepper

Method:

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, oregano, thyme and lemon pepper. Roll the scallops in the flour mixture and ensure they are lightly coated on all sides. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sear the scallops on both sides. Remove and toss with parsley and lemon juice.

For the sauce, combine the shallots, chopped lemon leaf and wine in a small pot. Simmer until reduced by half, then add the saffron and cream. Increase the heat and add butter a cube at a time, stirring constantly. Don't allow it to boil. Add lemon juice and season to taste.

Serve spooned over scallops.

WAITRESS, 2007

Nothing like kneading a little dough to soothe away the troubles. Waitress Jenna (Keri Russell), trapped in an unhappy marriage, takes to the kitchen and produces magnificent pies. Not just any old ordinary pies, these are creations with meaningful names like this one.

'I DON'T WANT EARL'S BABY' PIE

Serves 6

Base:

• 240g (2 cups) cake flour
• Pinch of salt
• 125g butter, cut into blocks
• 60ml ( cup) iced water
• 1 extra-large egg yolk

Filling:

• 60ml ( cup) butter
• 3 slices ham, diced
• 8 spring onions, chopped
• 125g brie cheese, sliced
• 250ml (1 cup) freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 500ml (2 cups) fresh cream
• Pinch of ground nutmeg

Method:

For the base, sift the flour and salt together in a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Combine the iced water and egg yolk, add to the flour mixture and mix to bring the dough together. Knead gently, then roll out and use to line a 20cm loose- bottomed flan tin. Bake the pastry blind by covering with a piece of greaseproof paper weighed down with dry beans. Bake in a preheated oven at 190ºC for 10 minutes. Remove the paper and beans and bake for a further 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.

For the filling, melt the butter in a pan and fry the ham and spring onions. Spread this mixture onto the base of the pie. Lay the brie slices on top and sprinkle over the parmesan. Combine the eggs, cream and nutmeg and pour over the cheese. Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Cool slightly, cut into wedges and serve.

TORTILLA SOUP, 2001

This film made us fall in love with talented Tex-Mex chef Martin Naranjo (Hector Elizondo), who, having lost the senses of smell and taste after his wife's death, could still whip up multi-course feasts to indulge his three daughters.

TORTILLA SOUP Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 5 cloves garlic, peeled
• 10 Roma tomatoes, quartered and cored
• 45ml (3 tbsp) olive oil
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper
• 2 litres chicken stock
• 1 dried chipotle chilli, seeded
• 125g tortilla chips
• 1 bunch fresh coriander, chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 125ml (½ cup) sour cream
• 2 limes, cut into wedges

Method:

Blend the garlic and tomatoes in a food processor till smooth.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pot and fry the onion until golden brown and beginning to caramelise. Season and stir in the tomato and garlic purée. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the chicken stock and the chilli and bring to a boil. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes.

Stir in the tortilla chips and cook for a further 10 minutes to soften.

Remove the chilli and serve the soup hot with coriander, diced avocado and a dollop of sour cream, with lime wedges on the side.

BIG NIGHT, 1996

Two Italian immigrant brothers who try to save their failing restaurant in the US by making an extravagant pie (also known as timpano) made this film a cult hit. This recipe is by Italian food writer Domenica Marchetti.

TIMBALLO

A generous serving for 12

Meatballs:

• 60g (1 cup) fresh breadcrumbs
• 60ml ( cup) milk, warmed
• 125g beef mince
• 125g pork mince
• 125g veal mince
• 1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 30ml (2 tbsp) freshly grated parmesan
• 30ml (2 tbsp) freshly grated pecorino
• 15ml (1 tbsp) finely chopped fresh parsley
• Salt and black pepper
• Oil, for frying

For the timballo:

• 350g rigatoni, ziti or penne rigate pasta, uncooked
• 1.5 litres ragu (meat-based bolognese sauce)
• 3 extra-large eggs, hardboiled
• 250ml (1 cup) cubed manchego cheese (or use cubed parmesan)
• 250ml (1 cup) diced mozzarella
• 125ml ( cup) grated pecorino
• Salt and black pepper

Pastry:

• 360g (3 cups) cake flour
• Pinch of salt
• 30ml (2 tbsp) sugar
• 125g butter, at room temperature
• 2 extra-large eggs
• 80ml ( cup) milk
• 30ml (2 tbsp) water

Method:

For the meatballs, combine the breadcrumbs and milk and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Squeeze out excess milk and place breadcrumbs in a large bowl with the remaining meatball ingredients, except for the oil. Season and mix well. Wet your hands and shape the mixture into small balls.

Pour about 2cm oil into a large, non-stick pan and fry the meatballs till golden brown all over. Drain on paper towel.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente and drain. Mix with 1 litre of the meat sauce. Add the meatballs, hardboiled eggs and cheeses. Mix gently to combine and season with salt and pepper.

For the pastry, pulse the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor until combined. Drop in the butter, a couple of blocks at a time, beating continuously. In a jug, beat one of the eggs with the milk and pour into the food processor, pulsing until the dough just comes together. Cover and rest for an hour or overnight.

Divide the pastry into 2 pieces of slightly different sizes. Roll the bigger piece into a circle to cover the base and sides of a 25cm loose-bottomed cake pan. Trim the overhang so that about 3cm of pastry hangs over the sides. Spoon half the pasta filling into the pastry-lined pan and spread with half the remaining ragu sauce. Top with the remaining filling, press down to pack it firmly and top with remaining sauce.

Roll out the second piece of pastry into a circle a little larger than the diameter of the pie. Top pie with pastry and press the edges together to seal. Beat the second egg with the water and brush all over the pastry. Using a sharp knife, make a couple of slits across the top of the timballo.

Bake at 190°C for 50 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing from the tin. Slide a metal spatula between the tin and the base of the pie to ease off the pan and onto a serving platter.

RATATOUILLE, 2007

Remy is the one rat you need in the kitchen - a naturally gifted chef with a highly developed sense of taste and smell. This delightful animated feature proves its point: anyone can cook.

RATATOUILLE Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 250ml (1 cup) tomato purée
• 1 onion, finely sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 30ml (2 tbsp) olive oil
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 aubergine
• 1 fat baby marrow
• 1 long red pepper
• A few sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt and pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 180°C. Pour tomato purée into bottom of an oval baking dish.

Sprinkle over the garlic, drizzle with half the oil and season.

Slice the vegetables very thinly and arrange on top of the purée in concentric circles.

Drizzle over the remaining oil, sprinkle over the thyme and season.

Bake for 45-60 minutes until the vegetables have softened without losing their shape.