This recipe is part Heston Blumenthal, part Delia Smith. What a magic pairing.
Kilo of Wilja or Maris Piper potatoes
Scrub the skins of the potatoes until they're spotless. If they're odd sized, cut to even portions. Then boil in salted water until just cooked, don't allow them to get mushy. Drain and allow them to cool. Put them in the fridge, preferably over night without a lid on.
Pre-heat a grill on it's full setting. Cut the potatoes into even sized wedges (nice and thick.) Heat a heavy based frying pan on a medium heat and add a splash of olive oil. Salt the potatoes generously and add to the oil. Brown them on one side for a minute then turn them and place under the grill. As they start to colour, turn again and return. When they're brown and crisp all over, and the oil has dried, put them in a warm bowl and add another good hit of salt.
Tuesday 15 March 2011
Proper burgers
I got this recipe from our butcher. It's simple, but very tasty. Make sure you have a ridged pan for cooking them.
Makes 4 or 5 decent sized burgers
900g beef mince
100g suet
Tomato ketchup
English mustard
Garlic puree
Worcester sauce
Chopped parsley
*To make the garlic puree, simply skin a bulb of garlic, add enough oil (vegetable will do) to cover and blend till smooth. This should last a week if covered.*
Mix the mince well with the suet. The suet bastes the burger as it cooks, you need it throughout. Then add 2 table spoons of all the other ingredients and a very generous hit of seasoning. Take a little bit of the mix and fry it, this is the only way you can tell if you got the flavours right.
Shape into thick burgers (as the suet melts through the burger it will shrink.) Then leave in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Put a ridged pan on a high flame until it starts smoking. Add the burger and turn it down to a medium heat. after a couple of minutes flip it over. As it cooks it will release a lot of fat, you may need to drain the pan half way through. They need about 5 minutes on each side, depending how thick you made them.
We serve them in the deli on a ciabatta roll with goats cheese and chilli jam. Goes great with chunky chips.
Makes 4 or 5 decent sized burgers
900g beef mince
100g suet
Tomato ketchup
English mustard
Garlic puree
Worcester sauce
Chopped parsley
*To make the garlic puree, simply skin a bulb of garlic, add enough oil (vegetable will do) to cover and blend till smooth. This should last a week if covered.*
Mix the mince well with the suet. The suet bastes the burger as it cooks, you need it throughout. Then add 2 table spoons of all the other ingredients and a very generous hit of seasoning. Take a little bit of the mix and fry it, this is the only way you can tell if you got the flavours right.
Shape into thick burgers (as the suet melts through the burger it will shrink.) Then leave in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
Put a ridged pan on a high flame until it starts smoking. Add the burger and turn it down to a medium heat. after a couple of minutes flip it over. As it cooks it will release a lot of fat, you may need to drain the pan half way through. They need about 5 minutes on each side, depending how thick you made them.
We serve them in the deli on a ciabatta roll with goats cheese and chilli jam. Goes great with chunky chips.
Tuesday 8 March 2011
Winter Vegetable Salads
Winter can be a bad time of year for fresh salads. As most salad produce is poor quality, imported versions, you have to be more experimental with vegetables in salads. Here are 3 of my favourites.
1 - Celeriac Remoulade (This is an adaptation of a James Martin recipe)
1/2 a celeriac
1 red onion
1 lemon - zested and juiced
Cider vinegar
Decent mayonnaise
Worcester sauce
Crushed white pepper
Start by skinning the celeriac, this is done best with a sharp knife, running in an arcing motion down the body. Then grate on a thick blade. As soon as it is grated, cover in 1/2 the lemon juice to stop it browning. Next, slice the onion very fine (ideally with a mandolin) and add to the celeriac.
Mix the dressing with the rest of the lemon juice, lemon zest, a couple of table spoons of vinegar, a good few dashes of Worcester sauce and a generous hit of salt and white pepper. Whisk this up and drizzle over a decent extra virgin olive oil until it starts to amalgamate. Check the dressing, it should be almost harsh with acidity and salt, and mix well into the salad.
Finally add the mayonnaise, you can make your own, but with the strength of flavours going on it 's harder to pick up. Also this narrows the time you can store it. Personally, I use Hellmann's, it's as good a shop bought mayonnaise as you'll need. Add it a couple of spoons at a time until it has coated the salad, you don't want it clogged. This can be served straight away, but I always find it better a couple of hours later to let the flavours infuse. Great with Serrano ham, toasted goats cheese or smoked mackerel.
2 - Mixed bean salad (I tried this at The Everyman Bistro in Liverpool and have tried to recreate it)
3 types of mixed beans, smaller ones are better, flagelot, chick pea, borlotti etc.
Bunch of basil
1 onion
2 celery stalks
1 red pepper
Red wine vinegar
1 lemon
2 table spoons of chopped parsley
3 cloves of garlic
2 chillies (deseed if you don't want it too hot)
It is better to use dried beans as they are much more economical; leave them in soak the night before and boil according to the packet. You can used tinned , just check for consistency, they may need boiling a little more, you want them soft with a tiny bit of bite.
Dice the onions, pepper and celery, add to the beans. Finely chop the garlic and chilli and mix with a good glug of red wine vinegar, juice of a lemon, loads of salt and pepper and enough extra virgin olive oil to amalgamate. Mix this with the beans and add roughly chopped basil and the parsley.
This should be made the day before for the flavours to blend into the beans.
We serve this in the deli with spicy fish cakes or in a wrap with hummus.
3 - Beetroot, carrot & cumin (This can also be mixed with a bit of feta to make a main course)
Bunch of raw beetroot
4 carrots
Spring onions
3 table spoons of cumin seeds (toasted & crushed)
1 orange
Red wine vinegar
Garlic
Sesame seeds
Peel the beetroot (same as a celeriac) and the carrots and grate them on a thick setting. Chop the spring onions and add (green bits and all.) Next make the dressing, put the cumin in a bowl with some chopped garlic. Add the juice of the orange, plenty of seasoning and a good glug of red wine vinegar. Drizzle olive oil over until it combines to a loose dressing. Mix with the beetroot and serve.
1 - Celeriac Remoulade (This is an adaptation of a James Martin recipe)
1/2 a celeriac
1 red onion
1 lemon - zested and juiced
Cider vinegar
Decent mayonnaise
Worcester sauce
Crushed white pepper
Start by skinning the celeriac, this is done best with a sharp knife, running in an arcing motion down the body. Then grate on a thick blade. As soon as it is grated, cover in 1/2 the lemon juice to stop it browning. Next, slice the onion very fine (ideally with a mandolin) and add to the celeriac.
Mix the dressing with the rest of the lemon juice, lemon zest, a couple of table spoons of vinegar, a good few dashes of Worcester sauce and a generous hit of salt and white pepper. Whisk this up and drizzle over a decent extra virgin olive oil until it starts to amalgamate. Check the dressing, it should be almost harsh with acidity and salt, and mix well into the salad.
Finally add the mayonnaise, you can make your own, but with the strength of flavours going on it 's harder to pick up. Also this narrows the time you can store it. Personally, I use Hellmann's, it's as good a shop bought mayonnaise as you'll need. Add it a couple of spoons at a time until it has coated the salad, you don't want it clogged. This can be served straight away, but I always find it better a couple of hours later to let the flavours infuse. Great with Serrano ham, toasted goats cheese or smoked mackerel.
2 - Mixed bean salad (I tried this at The Everyman Bistro in Liverpool and have tried to recreate it)
3 types of mixed beans, smaller ones are better, flagelot, chick pea, borlotti etc.
Bunch of basil
1 onion
2 celery stalks
1 red pepper
Red wine vinegar
1 lemon
2 table spoons of chopped parsley
3 cloves of garlic
2 chillies (deseed if you don't want it too hot)
It is better to use dried beans as they are much more economical; leave them in soak the night before and boil according to the packet. You can used tinned , just check for consistency, they may need boiling a little more, you want them soft with a tiny bit of bite.
Dice the onions, pepper and celery, add to the beans. Finely chop the garlic and chilli and mix with a good glug of red wine vinegar, juice of a lemon, loads of salt and pepper and enough extra virgin olive oil to amalgamate. Mix this with the beans and add roughly chopped basil and the parsley.
This should be made the day before for the flavours to blend into the beans.
We serve this in the deli with spicy fish cakes or in a wrap with hummus.
3 - Beetroot, carrot & cumin (This can also be mixed with a bit of feta to make a main course)
Bunch of raw beetroot
4 carrots
Spring onions
3 table spoons of cumin seeds (toasted & crushed)
1 orange
Red wine vinegar
Garlic
Sesame seeds
Peel the beetroot (same as a celeriac) and the carrots and grate them on a thick setting. Chop the spring onions and add (green bits and all.) Next make the dressing, put the cumin in a bowl with some chopped garlic. Add the juice of the orange, plenty of seasoning and a good glug of red wine vinegar. Drizzle olive oil over until it combines to a loose dressing. Mix with the beetroot and serve.
Wednesday 2 March 2011
Poached chicken thighs
This is a great way of getting a cheap cut of chicken and making it into a number of dishes. When you poach the chicken thighs, you are left with a good tasty meat that can be added to risottos, curries, stews, anything that has a sauce. You also have the benefit of a decent chicken stock that enhances dishes in a natural way.
12 chicken thighs
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
2 onions
2 bay leaf
Add all the ingredients into a large pan, add 2 litres of water and black pepper add the salt at the end as this dish reduces quite a lot and will intensify in flavour. Bring to the boil and simmer for an hour and a half. Remove the chicken and reduce the stock till it reaches a litre.
While the stock reduces, allow the chicken to cool slightly. When it is warm, but able to be handled, take the skin and the bone off the thighs. If it is still warm, this can be done by hand, this will then allow you to feel any knuckles left over.
You now have a good portion of poached chicken flesh and a litre of natural chicken stock.
12 chicken thighs
2 carrots
2 sticks of celery
2 onions
2 bay leaf
Add all the ingredients into a large pan, add 2 litres of water and black pepper add the salt at the end as this dish reduces quite a lot and will intensify in flavour. Bring to the boil and simmer for an hour and a half. Remove the chicken and reduce the stock till it reaches a litre.
While the stock reduces, allow the chicken to cool slightly. When it is warm, but able to be handled, take the skin and the bone off the thighs. If it is still warm, this can be done by hand, this will then allow you to feel any knuckles left over.
You now have a good portion of poached chicken flesh and a litre of natural chicken stock.
Chicken, roast pepper & spinach risotto
A risotto, when done right, can be tasty, hearty and moreish.
Serves 2
4 chicken thighs in small strips *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
500ml chicken stock
1 onion finely diced
250g arborio rice
Small glass of white wine
1 red pepper
50g spinach chopped
2 tbsp grated Grana Padano
Put the stock in a pan and bring to a simmer. Saute the onion in olive oil and a touch of butter. When it's browning slightly, add the rice. Turn it in the oil and lightly saute for a couple of minutes. then add the white wine. Mix this into the rice and start adding the stock. Add a ladel full at a time, stir the rice occasionally until the stock is soaked in. Keep adding and stirring until the rice puffs up.
While the rice is cooking. Pre-heat the grill. Halve and de-seed the peppers and place under the grill, skin side up. When the skin starts to blister, turn over. Grill for another minute until they start to dry. Put half the red pepper and half the spinach into a blender with a ladel of stock. Blitz to a puree.
As the rice starts to soften, add the pepper puree. Stir this in, the same way as the rest of the stock, this allows the flavours to develop into the rice and gives it a great colour. Then add the chicken and rest of the roasted pepper and spinach. Keep stirring and a little stock until it becomes al dente, the starch starts leaking from the rice to become creamy and the chicken is warm. Stir the Grana Padano in and serve. A fruity Pinot Grigio or Kiwi sauvignon blanc will match well with the sweetness of the peppers.
Serves 2
4 chicken thighs in small strips *see poached chicken thighs in techniques*
500ml chicken stock
1 onion finely diced
250g arborio rice
Small glass of white wine
1 red pepper
50g spinach chopped
2 tbsp grated Grana Padano
Put the stock in a pan and bring to a simmer. Saute the onion in olive oil and a touch of butter. When it's browning slightly, add the rice. Turn it in the oil and lightly saute for a couple of minutes. then add the white wine. Mix this into the rice and start adding the stock. Add a ladel full at a time, stir the rice occasionally until the stock is soaked in. Keep adding and stirring until the rice puffs up.
While the rice is cooking. Pre-heat the grill. Halve and de-seed the peppers and place under the grill, skin side up. When the skin starts to blister, turn over. Grill for another minute until they start to dry. Put half the red pepper and half the spinach into a blender with a ladel of stock. Blitz to a puree.
As the rice starts to soften, add the pepper puree. Stir this in, the same way as the rest of the stock, this allows the flavours to develop into the rice and gives it a great colour. Then add the chicken and rest of the roasted pepper and spinach. Keep stirring and a little stock until it becomes al dente, the starch starts leaking from the rice to become creamy and the chicken is warm. Stir the Grana Padano in and serve. A fruity Pinot Grigio or Kiwi sauvignon blanc will match well with the sweetness of the peppers.
Tuesday 1 March 2011
Potato Gnocchi Carbonara with Spinach
This is a take on the classic Carbonara. There are many places that will serve a Carbonara sauce with cream, however in Italy they make the sauce simply from the egg and olive oil. Instead of serving it with spaghetti, I've put it with homemade Gnocchi. There are some good shop bought versions, this just works out a lot cheaper.
500g kilo of waxy potatoes
200g plain flour
125g pancetta cut into lardons
2 eggs
50g Grana padano/Pecorino grated fine
2 tbsps of chopped flat leaf parsley
50g chopped baby spinach
First, make the gnocchi. Boil the potatoes in salted water until they start to fall apart. Drain and add them back to the pan. then warm to help them dry. Mash them to a smooth consistency. Throw a load of seasoning in and add the flour a bit at a time until you form a firm dough. Then knead the dough for a couple of minutes. Roll this into sausages (about 1cm thick) and cut into little rectangles (3cm wide.) Put a large pan of water on to boil and add lots of table salt.
For the Carbonara sauce, warm some olive oil and add the pancetta (you can add streaky bacon, but it's not as good.) Brown on a medium heat then add the spinach and some black pepper and let it wilt on a lower flame. In a separate bowl add the eggs (some recipes state just yolks, but you'll need 4,) cheese (Pecorino is the classic, but Grana Padano works just as well and is much cheaper than Parmesan,) parsley and a good hit of black pepper. Mix until well combined.
Put the gnocchi in the water and bring to a simmer. After a couple of minutes when the gnocchi floats to the top scoop it out with a slotted spoon and add it to the pan of pancetta. Mix the gnocchi in the oil and add to the bowl of egg mix (including the olive oil.) As the you stir the gnocchi, spinach and pancetta in the egg, it slowly cooks and creates a sauce.
Serve with a decent, chilled dry white, possibly a white Rioja, and some good bread.
500g kilo of waxy potatoes
200g plain flour
125g pancetta cut into lardons
2 eggs
50g Grana padano/Pecorino grated fine
2 tbsps of chopped flat leaf parsley
50g chopped baby spinach
First, make the gnocchi. Boil the potatoes in salted water until they start to fall apart. Drain and add them back to the pan. then warm to help them dry. Mash them to a smooth consistency. Throw a load of seasoning in and add the flour a bit at a time until you form a firm dough. Then knead the dough for a couple of minutes. Roll this into sausages (about 1cm thick) and cut into little rectangles (3cm wide.) Put a large pan of water on to boil and add lots of table salt.
For the Carbonara sauce, warm some olive oil and add the pancetta (you can add streaky bacon, but it's not as good.) Brown on a medium heat then add the spinach and some black pepper and let it wilt on a lower flame. In a separate bowl add the eggs (some recipes state just yolks, but you'll need 4,) cheese (Pecorino is the classic, but Grana Padano works just as well and is much cheaper than Parmesan,) parsley and a good hit of black pepper. Mix until well combined.
Put the gnocchi in the water and bring to a simmer. After a couple of minutes when the gnocchi floats to the top scoop it out with a slotted spoon and add it to the pan of pancetta. Mix the gnocchi in the oil and add to the bowl of egg mix (including the olive oil.) As the you stir the gnocchi, spinach and pancetta in the egg, it slowly cooks and creates a sauce.
Serve with a decent, chilled dry white, possibly a white Rioja, and some good bread.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)