Tried and Tasted:
A week of cooking from The Broadsheet Sydney Cookbook
What happened when the recipes of some of Sydney's best cafes and restaurants were put to the test in a real home kitchen.
The four recipes tested from The Broadsheet Sydney Cookbook.
Cooking from a cookbook is one thing, cooking through it is another.
Each week in Tried and Tasted, I cook from a single cookbook, not just one recipe, but a handful, tested over a week in real-life conditions. No pressure, no ratings, just honest reflections on what I cooked, how it went, and whether I’d make it again.
This week, I dived into The Broadsheet Sydney Cookbook, a collection that promises the flavours of Sydney’s most loved cafés and restaurants in your own kitchen. Could the dishes capture the spirit of the city beyond the dining room, and make eating at home feel like dining out?
Here’s what happened.
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Bootsdarling's Zucchini and Corn Fritters with Streaky Bacon, Poached Eggs and Salsa Verde - Broadsheet Sydney pg. 55
Zucchini and Corn Fritters with Streaky Bacon, Poached Eggs and Salsa Verde by Bootsdarling
In the Kitchen
The first job was grating a mountain of zucchini - double digits worth. I sped things up with the grating attachment on my food processor, and it was done in minutes. The zucchini then needed to be salted, rested, and squeezed dry to remove excess moisture.
While that worked its magic, I roasted the corn and prepped the salsa verde. By this point the kitchen already smelled fantastic.
Once dry, the zucchini was mixed with the rest of the fritter ingredients: corn, cheeses, onion, flour, egg, and herbs. This part has to be done by hand (messy, but satisfying). The mixture was then shaped into 12 fritters. I used a circular mould to get them neat and uniform.
From there, it was simply a matter of frying until crisp, baking in the oven, then poaching eggs and frying bacon. Everything came together beautifully on the plate: fritters, bacon, and eggs layered over rocket, salsa verde, and cherry tomatoes.
The Verdict
Wow. I suspect I’ll be saying this a lot with this book, but this meal was outstanding. The salsa verde was sharp and vibrant, cutting through the creamy fritters, salty bacon, and runny yolk. Paired with peppery rocket and sweet tomatoes, it felt like a proper café brunch at home.
It’s a big dish, one fritter was plenty for me, but it’s deeply satisfying.
Would I Make It Again?
Yes, without question. Ideal for when friends or family come over and you want to impress. It looks gorgeous and many components can be made ahead.
Worth Knowing
The fritters freeze well. Shape them, freeze flat on a tray, then transfer to a snap-lock bag. Thaw before cooking.
No corn cobs? Roast frozen kernels instead. The result is the same and it saves time, especially out of season.
If you own a food processor with a grating attachment, use it when preparing the zucchini. It turns a long prep job into minutes.
Chur Burge's Lamb Burger - The Broadsheet Sydney Cookbook pg. 121
Lamb Burger by Chur Burger
In the Kitchen
If there’s a recipe in a cookbook with a New Zealand link, chances are I’ll try it. Especially if the book’s Australian. Enter the Lamb Burger from Chur Burger.
First up was the aioli. The recipe calls for quality mayonnaise as a base, so I made my own for maximum freshness. Then came the mint liquor (mint sauce), a quick pot job that filled the kitchen with a smell that reminded me of my dad, who put mint sauce on everything when I was a child.
The patties were straightforward, just lamb mince shaped into rounds. I used a mould to keep them uniform and seasoned with salt and pepper (a step Chur skips, but I can’t make a burger without it). They cooked fast in the pan, though not without plenty of smoke. I went with the shorter cook time for juicy, pink insides.
On top went thick slices of feta. Even from a firm block, they crumbled a little, but they worked. Assembly was classic: sesame seed bun, aioli, lamb patty with feta, red onion, and mint liquor. I served them with the suggested side of sweet potato (kumara) fries.
The Verdict
Absolutely delicious. I had high hopes for this book, but this burger exceeded them - a nostalgia-packed flavour bomb. The mint sauce tasted like childhood, and the lamb was spot on. 12/10.
Would I Make It Again?
Definitely. It’s quick, easy, restaurant-quality, and reminds me of home.
Worth Knowing
The mint liquor is runny, not spoonable, and will drip down into the bun. Add it just before serving to avoid sogginess, and assemble the burger on a board before transferring to a plate.
The patties smoke a lot in the pan. If you are cooking inside and don’t have a strong extractor fan, I would recommend opening a window or door. Otherwise if you have a barbecue you can always cook them outside.
Faheem's Fast Food's Beef Korma - The Broadsheet Sydney Cookbook pg. 185
Beef Korma by Faheem Fast Food
In the Kitchen
This was the easiest recipe I cooked from the book, mostly hands-off, with the curry left to bubble away.
It started with an onion paste that quickly filled the kitchen with an incredible smell. Once blitzed, I moved on to searing the beef with spices. If the onions smelled good, this step was even better.
After the beef was well-coated, in went the yoghurt, onion paste, and stock. Everything was stirred together, then left to cook for about 40 minutes. The recipe says medium–high heat, but a steady simmer worked best. Because this is a dry curry, it’s worth stirring now and then to avoid sticking (and using a splatter guard helps keep things tidy).
After lowering the heat for a final simmer, the korma was ready. I served it with rice, naan, and a topping of coriander, fresh chilli, and crispy garlic.
The Verdict
Fantastic. Incredibly simple, yet with flavours that rivalled my favourite takeaway. The contrast between the rich, spiced beef and the freshness of chilli, coriander, and garlic was perfect, and scooping it up with naan made it even better.
Would I Make It Again?
Yes, definitely. Next time I’ll take the book’s advice and try one of the suggested wine pairings alongside it.
Worth Knowing
This is best eaten fresh. While leftovers keep in the fridge, reheating dries it out and the beef turns chewy.
Organic Bread Bar's Afghan Cookies - The Broadsheet Sydney Cookbook pg. 229
Afghan Cookies by Organic Bread Bar
In the Kitchen
It’s rare to see a New Zealand-inspired recipe in an Australian cookbook, let alone more than one, but the Broadsheet Sydney Cookbook delivers. The Organic Bread Bar's twist on Afghan biscuits swaps the classic cornflakes for sourdough breadcrumbs (an improvisation, apparently, that happened when they ran out of cornflakes one day). As a Kiwi, I had to give it a go.
The recipe itself is simple: cream the wet ingredients, mix in the dry, then divide the dough into 13 equal pieces. For accuracy, I recommend weighing them. Each piece is rolled into a ball, flattened slightly on a tray, and baked low and slow for 25 minutes. They don’t spread or rise, so how they go into the oven is how they come out.
Once baked, the biscuits cool and then chill in the fridge, important so the ganache sets on contact. Making the ganache is as easy as whisking dark chocolate into warm milk, spooning it generously over each biscuit, and finishing with half a walnut on top before chilling again to set.
The Verdict
These were a winner. My fiancé, who lived in New Zealand for eight years, absolutely loves them and swears the sourdough texture makes them the best Afghans he’s ever had. He requests them constantly.
For me, while I enjoyed them, I still prefer the crunch that cornflakes bring. That said, my brother-in-law (a first-time Afghan eater) thought they were incredible and managed to eat most of a batch himself.
Would I Make It Again?
I already have, several times, at my fiancé’s request. Given he’s declared them his favourite biscuits ever, I suspect they’ll be a regular fixture.
Worth Knowing
These biscuits are best stored in the fridge, though I’d bring them to room temperature before eating.
Breadcrumbs freeze brilliantly. Just blitz bread to your desired texture, store in a snap-lock bag, and keep in the freezer ready to go. They don’t clump and thaw instantly. I always keep sourdough crumbs on hand now, mainly for this recipe.
Cooking from The Broadsheet Sydney Cookbook felt like being handed a restaurant’s playbook, no shortcuts, just the real deal.
The ingredients weren’t cheap, but compared to dining out, the value was unbeatable. More importantly, the results were stunning: bold, vibrant, utterly impressive dishes that tasted like Sydney on a plate.
These are recipes I’ll come back to again and again, and I can't wait to try even more from this book. Whether I want to treat myself or wow a table of guests, I know these recipes will deliver.
Want to Try It Yourself?
If The Broadsheet Sydney Cookbook sounds like your kind of book, restaurant-quality dishes, bold flavours, and a true taste of Sydney, you can pick up a copy below.
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