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With tickets to the feline showdown of Cats v Lions all sold out, one of the best ways to get in on grand final fever is to invite a few friends over to watch the historic Geelong v Brisbane showdown from the couch. Ahead of first bounce at 2.30pm, prepare a spread of handheld snacks, such as Rachel Roddy’s pizze fritte or air-fryer chicken wings, and you’ve got yourself a spread to defeat any dish from the MCG.
Alice Zaslavsky’s fishfinger tacos
(Pictured above)
Nothing beats crumbing fish yourself, says Alice Zaslavsky. She makes fish fingers from scratch, opting for flathead because “its flesh is firm yet flaky and its flavour sweet and mild”. It’s covered in a Kewpie mayo and panko crumb coating, which is light and crunchy, and she blitzes frozen peas into the guacamole for extra veg protein, vibrant colour and texture. You can sub in supermarket fish fingers – but if you are up for the challenge, the cookbook author says doing it yourself will take just 20 minutes “from fillet to finger”.
Felicity Cloake’s perfect meat and potato pie
It takes a fair bit of effort, and 90 minutes, to make these pies but you’ll be rewarded with a perfect take on a footy classic. Cloake uses mutton or lamb shoulder in her meat and potato pie, but she says any finely chopped beef or alternative meat will do the trick. “Whatever meat you choose, it’s wise to cut the pieces fairly small, so they cook faster in their pastry coffins,” she says. The pastry is the star ingredient. She uses dripping or fats from the meat to give it a proper crust. You’ll need to bake them for 25 minutes, then for another 25-35 minutes at a lower oven temperature until the pastry is deep golden.
Tony Naylor’s loaded fries
Rules? There are no rules when it comes to the chips you use as your base. Any form of crispy potato works, from skinny fries to roast potatoes, says Tony Naylor. If you’re using an oven, we’d recommend potato gems, which won our supermarket hash brown taste test, or for an air fryer, try Birds Eye Golden Crunch thin and crispy chips, which Choice crowned best of the supermarket aisle.
Instead of a recipe, Naylor gives a list of possibilities for loading them. He asked experts to share their wisdom on loaded fries. “Think about balance – for example, offset soft pulled meats with something crunchy or dry,” says Zoë Perrett, co-owner of UK burger brand Slap & Pickle. “Go crazy with what you have in the fridge,” says Meriel Armitage, chef-owner at Club Mexican in London, who likes grilling vegan cheese over fries and adding a plant-based chilli, tomato salsa and chilli lime salt.
Ramael Scully’s pepped-up supermarket guacamole
You don’t need to make dips from scratch, says Ramael Scully. Even a squeeze of fresh lemon and a little extra seasoning will transform mundane supermarket dips. In this low-effort recipe, the Malaysian Australian chef uses yuzu juice and yuzu kosho to pep up a traditional guacamole dip. The yuzu juice adds a sweet/sour element, “while the kosho, which is a bit like a citrus wasabi, has a fiery kick that brings the dip alive,” he says. Stir two teaspoons of each into a pot of guacamole and then it’s done.
Rachel Roddy’s pizzette fritte
One of the most satisfying sights in the kitchen is watching a circle of yeasted dough in very hot oil, says Rachel Roddy. Frying dough is one of the food writers’s favourite smells. Her little fried pizzas only take a commercial-break friendly minute on each side to puff up and turn golden. Once she’s fried the plum-sized pieces of dough she tops each pizzette with a blob of tomato sauce, grated parmesan or pecorino and a basil leaf, and serves immediately.
Georgia Levy’s mac ’n’ cheese canapés
These mac ’n’ cheese canapés are as easy to make for50 people as they are for six. “They’re substantial, don’t give people mucky fingers or stain their new white shirt, and they’re great for kids, too,” says Georgia Levy. She likes to serve them warm or at room temperature with some frazzled spring onions spooned over. You will only need to bake the canapés for 15 to 20 minutes in the oven until they are golden on top, then let them cool for 10 minutes to help them hold together.
Rukmini Iyer’s halloumi, zucchini and chickpea fritters
Fritters are perfect for a crowd because you can make them ahead and warm them through just before serving as a bite-size snack, says Rukmini Iyer. They’re also a great way to get kids to eat vegetables. Grated zucchini and grated halloumi are mixed with mashed chickpeas, flour and egg to make a thick batter. She makes the mayonnaise, yoghurt, lemon and dill dip while the fritters are frying. You can prepare these ahead, then cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to reheat them in the oven, which takes just five minutes.
Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich’s air-fryer chicken wings with baby potatoes
Chefcouple Packer and Srulovich toss small potatoes in all the roasting juices after marinading and cooking their chicken wings with lemon, salt, mustard, garlic, oil, honey and oregano. “The bits of roast lemon turn into a sticky, sweet surprise,” they say. “Chicken wings are cheap, they cook quickly (especially in an air fryer) and are full of flavour.” They serve theirs with a yoghurt and harissa dip and parsley or celery.
