The Most Popular Recipes We Published This Summer

Don’t shoot the messenger (me), but summer is officially ending. To soften the blow, we’ve crunched the numbers to find the recipes that dominated your kitchens (and group chats) over the last three months.

It might be getting cooler, but many of these dishes can be adapted year-round. That includes two standout summer-produce tarts by Elizabeth Hewson and Melbourne’s favourite cheesemonger.

Other recipes – like a famous Penang chicken curry and a one-pot rice-and-bean bake – will provide comfort in the cooler months to come. Get cooking and keep the summer nostalgia strong.

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Market-style guacamole

Turns out you’ve been making guacamole all wrong. Forget the fork. You’re pulling out the mortar and pestle for this traditional style, from Adelaide restaurateur and cookbook author Daniella Guevara Muñoz. Plus, there’s a trick involving the aromatics that unlocks way more flavour.

Zucchini, pancetta and leek tart with creamy burrata

That’s Amore knows its cheese. The top Melbourne fromagerie supplies restaurants and cafes right across Australia, but is best known for its creamy burrata. Last year, the team released a cookbook all about the not-so-boring blob, with more than 60 Italian-inspired recipes. It includes this terrific tart recipe, which makes the Apulian cheese sing alongside seasonal zucchini and golden pancetta.

Din Tai Fung-inspired fried rice

The Taiwanese dumpling giant Din Tai Fung ceased its Aussie operations last year. This recipe, by restaurateur and social media star Vincent Lim, is as close as you’ll get to the real thing without flying to Taipei. And, contrary to popular opinion, Lim says just-cooked rice is best.

Kari kapitan, a hit Penang chicken curry

This wonderfully rich chicken curry was first made by the Peranakan community in the Malay Peninsula, who pioneered “a whole new genre of curries”. It’s straight from A Day in Penang – a new cookbook that offers a vibrant dawn-to-dusk tour of one of Malaysia’s most exciting food hubs.

One-pot rice and bean bake with salsa verde

This recipe, from Brisbane food writer Clare Scrine, is for when you can’t be bothered cooking. “This meal is hands-off … and feels far tastier than it should be, given its simplicity,” writes Scrine in her latest cookbook, The Shared Kitchen. Plus, you can easily adapt it with whatever veggies you’ve got in the crisper.

Japanese cotton cheesecake with citrus

Melbourne baker Patti Chimkire is best known for her vintage-style bakes – which stand out in the cake crowd with elaborate piping and pastel palettes. In this recipe, from her debut cookbook Mali Bakes, she goes back to basics with the famous Japanese cotton cheesecake. Chimkire adds her own citrusy spin with mandarin zest in a recipe you’ll want to make “again and again”.

Greek-style honey chicken wings

These sticky wings are pure barbeque bliss. Featuring a “magic combination” of tangy galotyri cheese and a herbaceous oil, they’re a true crowd-pleaser for sunny-day picnics or even hosting at home.

No-bake peaches and cream tart

When you need to make dessert in a flash, Elizabeth Hewson’s blitz-and-chill tart delivers with peaches and a biscuit base that’s ready in minutes. It’s super versatile (in fact, the Saturday Night Pasta founder says you can skip the base altogether). Beyond the summer months, pile it high with fruits like apples or pears.

Mexican-style charred corn

Turning corn into elotes, or Mexican street corn, is one of the best ways to eat the starchy staple. When making it at home, follow the lead of Daniella Guevara Muñoz – who grew up eating the flavour-bomb side. She re-creates it here with a punchy dressing and a hit of lime.