Recently appointed the new chief executive of History SA, Mackie was also founder of the Adelaide Festival of Ideas and has held roles with Adelaide Writers’ Week and Feast Festival. In 2002, the former public servant’s service to arts and culture was recognised with a Medal of the Order of Australia, but he refers to himself simply as an “ideas wrangler”.

As History SA prepares to host the 2016 History Festival, which runs from May 1 to 31 and offers a program of more than 600 events, Mackie takes time out to give us a peek inside his pantry and share a favourite recipe.

In the kitchen I am …
Much lazier than once was the case. I love all things Mediterranean – Italian and Greek – but I have been spoiled over the decades by my partner Jonathon, who loves cooking. I do a good kitchen clean-up after savouring home-cooked delights.

The fridge is nearly empty – what do you cook for dinner?
Spirali pasta with tinned tuna in brine, tomato, Kalamata olives (pitted), avocado, olive oil, lemon juice and grated Parmigiano. If there is no avo on hand, you can substitute with almost any tinned bean. Add a shake of dried chillies, some freshly cracked pepper, and some basil and parsley from the garden.

Most useful cooking tool?
A saucepan for rice, pasta or sauce-making – everything else is a variation on a saucepan.

Three essential grocery items?
Pasta (it can turn any leftovers or even just the pantry reserves into a meal), grated Parmigiano Reggiano (it tastes great and keeps well in the freezer), tinned tuna (there is always a meal possible with minimum stress) – and lemons, olive oil, fresh garlic, salt and freshly grated pepper. I know, that’s more than three things!

How did you learn to cook?
Women’s Weekly Dinner Party Cookbook, circa late 1970s, and trial and error. Crickey, things were more complicated back then!

Favourite restaurant?
Seriously? This town is too small to name names and too big to have only one, but for special occasions I am loving Botanic Gardens Restaurant and Leonards Mill at Second Valley. Both excel in tastes and presentation that I would never attempt myself but do so savour.

Favourite recipe?
A Rosa Matto classic shared with me by another Rosa – Rosalba Arthur – over 20 years ago. I add a bulb of fennel, sliced lengthways when in season, and a handful of Kalamata olives if they are on hand.

Chicken Stew with Tomato, Saffron and Pernod

Ingredients

4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped (or two tins whole peeled tomatoes, drained)
2 large onions, quartered
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons best South Australian extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup Pernod or similar licorice-flavoured liqueur
Generous pinch of saffron
Small handful of fresh thyme (or several teaspoons dried thyme)
4 fresh bay leaves
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 Kangaroo Island free-range chicken cut into pieces (or a dozen chicken thigh portions, bone in and skin removed)
500g boiling potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 cups chicken stock (if cooking on stove, less if baking in oven)

Method

The day before you plan to serve the dish, combine the tomatoes, onions, garlic, olive oil, liqueur, saffron, thyme, bay leaves and seasonings in a flame-proof casserole dish. Add the chicken pieces and stir to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

A few hours before you plan to eat, remove casserole dish from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature. Add the potatoes (and olives and fennel, if using) and chicken stock and simmer until the potatoes are cooked then continue for an additional 30-45 minutes. Taste for seasoning.

While the chicken is cooking, make a gremolata garnish by combining the grated peel of one lemon with three very finely chopped garlic cloves and 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley.

Serve chicken stew in warmed shallow soup bowls garnished with gremolata.

Serves 6