A classic warming soup which is dead easy and dirt cheap, perfect.
Makes 1 litre
Ingredients
1 ham hock (fat, bone and everything left on) soaked in water over night
Bag of split green peas
2 onions sliced
Stock veg (onion, 2 carrots, 2 celery sticks)
2 bay leaf
Drain the water from the hock and refresh. Put on to boil with 2 litres of water. Chop and add the stock veg, bay leaf and a good hit of black pepper (don't add salt yet as a lot will come from the ham.) Let it cook for over an hour until the ham is finished and the water reduced by 500ml.
Take the ham out and leave to cool. Discard the stock veg as they will have done their job. In a seperate pan, fry the 2 onions until they start to brown, then add the stock and the bag of split peas. While this is cooking, trim the fat from the hock. With the meat underneath, cut long, thin slices until you get to the bone. Add the fat and bone back to the soup. Cook this for another hour until the water has reduced another 500ml and the peas are starting to break up. Remove the fat and bone ( a lot of the meat will have come off them) and blend the rest. The peas will thicken the soup and give it a nice green colour. Now check for salt and seasoning. If you want you can add some of the ham back to the soup (chopped up), but there should be a strong meat flavour without this.
Tuesday 22 February 2011
Monday 21 February 2011
Spicy hummus
A must for a late night snack. Always have some lying around as it makes the best wraps when you're feeling healthy (with a bit of salad or leftover chicken/pork/lamb/roast vegetable).
1/2 bag of dried chick peas soaked over night
2 table spoons of tahini paste (preferably light)
2 cloves of garlic
2 table spoons of cumin seed, dry fried and crushed
2 table spoons of coriander seed, dry fried and crushed
Lemon
Red wine vinegar
Boil the chick peas for an hour or so, until they're softened. Add them to a blender while still warm (reserve the liquor.) Blend with the tahini, garlic, cumin, coriander seed and a good hit of seasoning and the juice of a lemon. Check for flavour and consistency. Add the chick pea juice to loosen it more, the red wine vinegar to add a bit more acidity, or more seasoning if needed. The flavours will enhance when it cools.
Serve with toasted pitta, bread sticks, warm ciabatta or decent crackers. Preferably with a decent chilled lager.
1/2 bag of dried chick peas soaked over night
2 table spoons of tahini paste (preferably light)
2 cloves of garlic
2 table spoons of cumin seed, dry fried and crushed
2 table spoons of coriander seed, dry fried and crushed
Lemon
Red wine vinegar
Boil the chick peas for an hour or so, until they're softened. Add them to a blender while still warm (reserve the liquor.) Blend with the tahini, garlic, cumin, coriander seed and a good hit of seasoning and the juice of a lemon. Check for flavour and consistency. Add the chick pea juice to loosen it more, the red wine vinegar to add a bit more acidity, or more seasoning if needed. The flavours will enhance when it cools.
Serve with toasted pitta, bread sticks, warm ciabatta or decent crackers. Preferably with a decent chilled lager.
Chicken, chorizo & chick pea stew
This is a deli classic. We make gallons of this whenever it's on the menu and take it to all the outdoor events as well. It takes a bit of prep, but it is worth it. It's cheap and damn tasty. It's better to start the day before. You can cheat, but it takes some of the natural flavours away. Serves 6
12 Chicken thighs *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
2 Chorizo sausages
1/2 bag of dried chick peas left to soak over night or 2 tins
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
Red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch of parsley
1 Lemon
2 onions
Smoked sweet paprika
Dried chilli flakes
*If you're using dried chick peas, these will need boiling in unsalted water for an hour or so (until they're soft.) It's a bit of a hassle, but the quality is superior and you are left with a good cooking liquor.*
Chop the chicken up into large chunks. Finely slice the garlic and chop the parsley and thinly slice the onion and chorizo. Saute the onion in olive oil on a medium heat. When it starts to brown, add the chorizo and cook on a lower heat. When the oils start to run from the sausages, add the sliced garlic, dried chilli and paprika. Cook for another minute and then add the chick peas and mix in all the juices. Splash in some red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes with all the juices, season and reduce them down by half. Next come the stocks add 100ml of the chicken stock and a couple ladels of the chick pea juice. Again reduce this down by half. Then add the juice of a lemon and check for seasoning. When it's thickened (the chick peas will help this) and tastes right add the parsley and serve with good bread and a fruity red wine, maybe a Joven Navarra or Argentinian Malbec.
12 Chicken thighs *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
2 Chorizo sausages
1/2 bag of dried chick peas left to soak over night or 2 tins
2 tins of chopped tomatoes
Red wine vinegar
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch of parsley
1 Lemon
2 onions
Smoked sweet paprika
Dried chilli flakes
*If you're using dried chick peas, these will need boiling in unsalted water for an hour or so (until they're soft.) It's a bit of a hassle, but the quality is superior and you are left with a good cooking liquor.*
Chop the chicken up into large chunks. Finely slice the garlic and chop the parsley and thinly slice the onion and chorizo. Saute the onion in olive oil on a medium heat. When it starts to brown, add the chorizo and cook on a lower heat. When the oils start to run from the sausages, add the sliced garlic, dried chilli and paprika. Cook for another minute and then add the chick peas and mix in all the juices. Splash in some red wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add the tomatoes with all the juices, season and reduce them down by half. Next come the stocks add 100ml of the chicken stock and a couple ladels of the chick pea juice. Again reduce this down by half. Then add the juice of a lemon and check for seasoning. When it's thickened (the chick peas will help this) and tastes right add the parsley and serve with good bread and a fruity red wine, maybe a Joven Navarra or Argentinian Malbec.
Roast pork and all the trimmings
Moist roast pork with crackling, stuffing, rich gravy and a ton of potatoes and vegetables is a stunning meal to serve for Sunday lunch. This recipe is for 6 people.
1.2kg pork shoulder
200g sausage meat
Potatoes (whatever is seasonal)
2 onions
6 carrots
6 parsnips
Head of Broccoli
Table spoon of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 crusts of bread
Bottle of cider
Cranberry sauce
*I've used pork shoulder as this is fattier, therefore better crackling, but when used right can be very tasty and much cheaper than loin*
Pre-heat your oven to its highest setting.
First the spuds. I've not added a weight here, because this is subjective. Personally, I always make far too many so I can eat them cold the next day with horse radish, my favourite snack. Wash, peel and wash the potatoes. Then add to a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. When it boils add a good hit of salt to the water.
*I use Maldon sea salt for cooking, it's the best. However, I always have a tub of cheap table salt for adding to water.*
Boil for about 5 minutes until they start going soft on the outside, but are still uncooked inside. Drain (reserve the water) and give them a shake to fluff up the outside. Then leave to cool down.
If you get your pork from a decent butcher, they should score the fat for you. If not, you should invest in a Stanley Knife for your kitchen. Nothing will cut through the outer skin better. Rub sea salt into the scored skin and rub with olive oil. Quarter one of the onions and place in the bottom of a pan (leave the skin on) and sit the pork on top. Put the pork on the top shelf for about half an hour, after 20 minutes keep checking on it, until the fat has gone crisp, but not burnt. While this is cooking, put a roasting tin on the bottom shelf of the oven and add fat/dripping. After a few minutes, put the tin on a medium heat and add the potatoes. Sprinkle lots of sea salt all over and a little black pepper and turn it in the hot oil (I recommend wearing an apron at this point.) Then put back in the oven.
Prep your carrots and parsnips by peeling and quartering (cut them into 6 if they're very big.) When the crackling is crisp, swap the potatoes onto the top shelf and turn the oven down to gas mark 6. Pour the bottle of cider into the roasting tin with the pork until it comes up to the top of the onions. Add the carrots and parsnips to the potatoes, season and turn them all in the oil.The pork should be checked after an hour. Insert a knife into the meat and check if the juices run clear.
For the stuffing, blitz the crusts into crumbs and add the onion, thyme and a good whack of seasoning. Pulse the blender to leave a chunky mix and add the sausage meat. Stir in together and add to a ceramic bowl. Cover in oiled baking paper and put on the bottom shelf.
When the pork has cooked, remove the crackling carefully, with a decent knife, and trim the fat until there's just a small layer on the top. Leave this in a warm place to rest (this is where a microwave comes in useful.) Keep turning the potatoes and vegetables to brown all over. Put the roasting tin with the cider on top of the hob on a medium heat. Add a couple of bay leaves and 2 table spoons of cranberry sauce. Bring to the boil and reduce to a low simmer. At this point take the baking paper off the stuffing.
Turn the broccoli into florets and add to a pan of boiling potato water and boil for a couple of minutes. Drain (reserve the water) and add the broccoli to the potatoes to keep warm. Check the cider gravy and add the potato water if it's reduced too much.
Then simply slice the meat, put everything into warm bowls on the table and open another bottle of chilled cider.
1.2kg pork shoulder
200g sausage meat
Potatoes (whatever is seasonal)
2 onions
6 carrots
6 parsnips
Head of Broccoli
Table spoon of fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 crusts of bread
Bottle of cider
Cranberry sauce
*I've used pork shoulder as this is fattier, therefore better crackling, but when used right can be very tasty and much cheaper than loin*
Pre-heat your oven to its highest setting.
First the spuds. I've not added a weight here, because this is subjective. Personally, I always make far too many so I can eat them cold the next day with horse radish, my favourite snack. Wash, peel and wash the potatoes. Then add to a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. When it boils add a good hit of salt to the water.
*I use Maldon sea salt for cooking, it's the best. However, I always have a tub of cheap table salt for adding to water.*
Boil for about 5 minutes until they start going soft on the outside, but are still uncooked inside. Drain (reserve the water) and give them a shake to fluff up the outside. Then leave to cool down.
If you get your pork from a decent butcher, they should score the fat for you. If not, you should invest in a Stanley Knife for your kitchen. Nothing will cut through the outer skin better. Rub sea salt into the scored skin and rub with olive oil. Quarter one of the onions and place in the bottom of a pan (leave the skin on) and sit the pork on top. Put the pork on the top shelf for about half an hour, after 20 minutes keep checking on it, until the fat has gone crisp, but not burnt. While this is cooking, put a roasting tin on the bottom shelf of the oven and add fat/dripping. After a few minutes, put the tin on a medium heat and add the potatoes. Sprinkle lots of sea salt all over and a little black pepper and turn it in the hot oil (I recommend wearing an apron at this point.) Then put back in the oven.
Prep your carrots and parsnips by peeling and quartering (cut them into 6 if they're very big.) When the crackling is crisp, swap the potatoes onto the top shelf and turn the oven down to gas mark 6. Pour the bottle of cider into the roasting tin with the pork until it comes up to the top of the onions. Add the carrots and parsnips to the potatoes, season and turn them all in the oil.The pork should be checked after an hour. Insert a knife into the meat and check if the juices run clear.
For the stuffing, blitz the crusts into crumbs and add the onion, thyme and a good whack of seasoning. Pulse the blender to leave a chunky mix and add the sausage meat. Stir in together and add to a ceramic bowl. Cover in oiled baking paper and put on the bottom shelf.
When the pork has cooked, remove the crackling carefully, with a decent knife, and trim the fat until there's just a small layer on the top. Leave this in a warm place to rest (this is where a microwave comes in useful.) Keep turning the potatoes and vegetables to brown all over. Put the roasting tin with the cider on top of the hob on a medium heat. Add a couple of bay leaves and 2 table spoons of cranberry sauce. Bring to the boil and reduce to a low simmer. At this point take the baking paper off the stuffing.
Turn the broccoli into florets and add to a pan of boiling potato water and boil for a couple of minutes. Drain (reserve the water) and add the broccoli to the potatoes to keep warm. Check the cider gravy and add the potato water if it's reduced too much.
Then simply slice the meat, put everything into warm bowls on the table and open another bottle of chilled cider.
Sunday 20 February 2011
Chicken fajitas and Mexican side dishes
This is one of my favourite meals when you've got friends coming over. Spicy chicken with Guacamole, pickled vegetables, fragrant rice and all the accompaniments for a fajita. A lot of the work can be done before hand and finished at the end, and it looks and tastes amazing.
Recipe for 6
12 Chicken thighs *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
Wraps (plain)
Basmati rice
Tin of chopped tomatoes
Mild cheddar/Lancashire grated
Sour cream
Lemon
2 ripe avocado
2 onions
6 spring onion
Bunch of coriander
6 garlic cloves
6 red chillies
Cauliflower
Red pepper
Green pepper
Yellow pepper
6 carrots
2 stalks of celery
Red wine vinegar
Cumin seeds - dry fried and crushed
Sweet smoked paprika
Oregano (dried is fine)
2 bay leaves
Turmeric
To start, prep the veg for pickling. Turn the cauliflower into small florets, de-seed and slice 2 chillies, roughly chop the celery, slice the peppers and the onions thinly, slice the garlic as thinly as possible and peel and slice the carrots. This can all then be softened in a large pan with a little olive oil, a pinch of the cumin and plenty of seasoning. After a minute or 2 add the oregano and bay leaves and a 50/50 mix of red wine vinegar and water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Check the veg at this point, you want it to be slightly softened but still al dente. Check it now for seasoning and acidity and adjust accordingly. When it's ready transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Next the guacamole. Skin, de-stone and chop the avocados, slice the onion, de-seed and chop 2 chillies and chop 1 table spoon of the coriander leaves. Add all of these to a blender and add a pinch of cumin, olive oil, red wine vinegar and the juice of 2 limes. Then pulse until it is smooth, but with a few lumps left (this adds texture.)
Finally pick all the leaves off the coriander. Chop roughly and put in a bowl for later. Next chop the coriander stalks very finely, it's criminal to throw this part away. Add this to finely sliced spring onions and chopped garlic (I prefer not to crush garlic to retain the oil) and put in a bowl for later.
All of these jobs can be done in the morning, leaving you just to prepare the last parts as people arrive. For the final stage - start with the rice. I always use basmati rice in Mexican/Chinese/Indian cooking. I find it the easiest to work with. This way with rice is a version of Ken Hom's and is almost faultless. Wash the rice until the water comes clear, this can take about 10 minutes. In a saucepan, add some olive oil and lightly fry a table spoon of the coriander/onion/garlic mix. Then add the rice and coat it well in the flavoured oil. add enough water to come 1 inch above the rice and add seasoning and a table spoon of Turmeric. Bring to the boil with the lid off and don't be tempted to turn the down the gas. Keep it boiling ferociously until the water cooks below the level of the rice (you should see little craters.) Then turn the gas to its lowest setting and put a lid on top (this needs to be tight fitting, if not add a tea towel and then the lid.) Cook it like this for 5 - 10 minutes until the rest of the water has disapearred, then simply turn off the heat and leave it to stand for 5 minutes - perfect rice every time.
While the rice is cooking prep the spicy chicken. De-seed and slice 2 chillies. Add the rest of the coriander/onion/garlic mix, a large pinch of the cumin and the chillies to some olive oil and bring slowly to a light sizzle. Add the tomatoes, season and let it bubble away at a medium heat. When the tomato liquid reduces a little, add a dash of red wine vinegar. Then add your chicken and the juice of a lemon. Let the chicken warm in the sauce and check it for seasoning. When it is ready add the coriander leaves and transfer to a warm bowl.
Serve the chicken with a pile of tortilla wraps, sour cream, grated cheese, the rice, Guacamole and pickled vegetables. With all the different bowls and colours, it looks and tastes amazing.
Recipe for 6
12 Chicken thighs *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
Wraps (plain)
Basmati rice
Tin of chopped tomatoes
Mild cheddar/Lancashire grated
Sour cream
Lemon
2 ripe avocado
2 onions
6 spring onion
Bunch of coriander
6 garlic cloves
6 red chillies
Cauliflower
Red pepper
Green pepper
Yellow pepper
6 carrots
2 stalks of celery
Red wine vinegar
Cumin seeds - dry fried and crushed
Sweet smoked paprika
Oregano (dried is fine)
2 bay leaves
Turmeric
To start, prep the veg for pickling. Turn the cauliflower into small florets, de-seed and slice 2 chillies, roughly chop the celery, slice the peppers and the onions thinly, slice the garlic as thinly as possible and peel and slice the carrots. This can all then be softened in a large pan with a little olive oil, a pinch of the cumin and plenty of seasoning. After a minute or 2 add the oregano and bay leaves and a 50/50 mix of red wine vinegar and water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. Check the veg at this point, you want it to be slightly softened but still al dente. Check it now for seasoning and acidity and adjust accordingly. When it's ready transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Next the guacamole. Skin, de-stone and chop the avocados, slice the onion, de-seed and chop 2 chillies and chop 1 table spoon of the coriander leaves. Add all of these to a blender and add a pinch of cumin, olive oil, red wine vinegar and the juice of 2 limes. Then pulse until it is smooth, but with a few lumps left (this adds texture.)
Finally pick all the leaves off the coriander. Chop roughly and put in a bowl for later. Next chop the coriander stalks very finely, it's criminal to throw this part away. Add this to finely sliced spring onions and chopped garlic (I prefer not to crush garlic to retain the oil) and put in a bowl for later.
All of these jobs can be done in the morning, leaving you just to prepare the last parts as people arrive. For the final stage - start with the rice. I always use basmati rice in Mexican/Chinese/Indian cooking. I find it the easiest to work with. This way with rice is a version of Ken Hom's and is almost faultless. Wash the rice until the water comes clear, this can take about 10 minutes. In a saucepan, add some olive oil and lightly fry a table spoon of the coriander/onion/garlic mix. Then add the rice and coat it well in the flavoured oil. add enough water to come 1 inch above the rice and add seasoning and a table spoon of Turmeric. Bring to the boil with the lid off and don't be tempted to turn the down the gas. Keep it boiling ferociously until the water cooks below the level of the rice (you should see little craters.) Then turn the gas to its lowest setting and put a lid on top (this needs to be tight fitting, if not add a tea towel and then the lid.) Cook it like this for 5 - 10 minutes until the rest of the water has disapearred, then simply turn off the heat and leave it to stand for 5 minutes - perfect rice every time.
While the rice is cooking prep the spicy chicken. De-seed and slice 2 chillies. Add the rest of the coriander/onion/garlic mix, a large pinch of the cumin and the chillies to some olive oil and bring slowly to a light sizzle. Add the tomatoes, season and let it bubble away at a medium heat. When the tomato liquid reduces a little, add a dash of red wine vinegar. Then add your chicken and the juice of a lemon. Let the chicken warm in the sauce and check it for seasoning. When it is ready add the coriander leaves and transfer to a warm bowl.
Serve the chicken with a pile of tortilla wraps, sour cream, grated cheese, the rice, Guacamole and pickled vegetables. With all the different bowls and colours, it looks and tastes amazing.
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