A Good Kind of Purgatory...

I'm not a big salad person.  It's all a bit too 'good' for my liking.  This, however, is the exception. 

Roasted butternut squash, seasonal leaves, cherry plum tomatoes, creamy roquefort coated in a maple and dijon dressing and topped with parma ham reasons with me that sometimes good is not that bad!

Serves 2 healthy portions (pardon the pun)

Quantities to suit your taste of:

Butternut Squash (cut into bite sized pieces)
Olive Oil
Sprig of fresh Thyme and Rosemary

Salad:
Cherry Tomatoes
Seasonal Leaves
Roquefort or Gorgonzola Piccante Cheese
Toasted Pinenuts
Parma Ham

Maple and Dijon Dressing:
1/4 cup Maple Syrup
1 Red Onion thinly sliced
3 tbsps Wholegrain Dijon Mustard
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
1 tbsp Light Olive Oil 
Salt and Pepper to taste

Drizzle the squash with olive oil, sea salt, rosemary and thyme.  Roast the butternut squash in the oven at 200 degrees for around 20 minute until cooked through (but not falling apart).  Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients including the onions in a jar and shake well.  Refrigerate until needed.

Place the salad ingredients, excluding the parma ham, cheese and pinenuts, along with the squash into a bowl and coat with the dressing - you may not need all of it.  Plate up the salad into the centre of the plate, break up the cheese and place on top of the salad.  Top with the parma ham and grab a fork before someone else does.

See... Who Needs To Plan Ahead?

I have always extolled the virtues of being disorganised every now and again and the good things that can happen when you get sidetracked and don’t plan ahead.  Admittedly this has usually been done to get me out of a difficult situation but on this occasion I was proven right.

Have you ever find yourself wandering around the supermarket searching for inspiration?  On one occasion recently I found myself doing just that and even worse (ever the optimist I am writing this up in a thunderstorm!), even after a fairly dismal Summer I was feeling just a little bit Mediterranean.  Now that I would say is something of a conundrum.

As a result I found myself packing what can only be described as a plethora of (gorgeous) foods none of which would make a single complete dish under normal circumstances – I really should write a list.  Not one to be beaten this was the end result and one I can happily recommend for a quick but very tasty supper. 

Tuna with Creamed Chorizo (serves 4)

4 pieces of Tuna Loin (size to suit your appetite)
16 New Potatoes (just cooked and cut into bite sized pieces)
225g cooking Chorizo (you can buy the ones ready to eat but uncooked will yield better flavour) cut into ½ cm slices
1 Onion (chopped)
1 clove Garlic (finely chopped)
100ml Double Cream
100ml Chicken Stock
200g Fine Beans (just cooked and cut into 3 or 4)
Flat leaf Parsley (to garnish)
Drizzle of Olive Oil
Seasoning

In a large saucepan, heat the oil and add the sliced chorizo quickly cooking on both sides for a couple of minutes.  Remove from the pan leaving the juices.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and fry on a medium heat until translucent but not browning.  Add the potatoes and beans and coat in the juices.  Add the chorizo back into the pan, stir to combine and cook for a couple more minutes (the chorizo should be leaking gorgeous red oil which is what will predominantly flavour this dish).

Pour in the stock and the cream and leave to bubble until thickened and reduced (shaking the pan rather than stirring so as not to break down the potato).  Season to taste then remove the pan from the heat and keep warm.

Brush the tuna loins with olive oil and season.  Sear on both sides in a hot pan until cooked to your liking.

Chop the parsley finely and add to the chorizo dish.  Serve topped with the seared tuna, lemon wedges and crusty bread to mop up the delicious sauce.

P.S. equally good with Chicken.

Crab is one of those shellfish in season throughout the spring and summer months and makes for a great starter, main course or canapé such is its versatility. 

First recorded during the Jurassic period, crabs are known to exist in over 4500 varieties and are a good source of Vitamin B, Iron and Zinc.  It also has a number of trace minerals including Selenium which fights cancer and increases resistance to viral and bacterial infections.  With over 1½ million tonnes of crab eaten each year and representing around 20% of all marine crustaceans either caught or farmed, crab is obviously a favourite of our taste buds.  

I created this dish when looking for a light starter (by light clearly I am referring to texture and taste rather than waistline) that could also be used in other courses and [I believe] it works.  As for the little bit of cream, surely all that goodness you receive from the crab outweighs any dietary negatives?

Crab Mousse (serves 6 for a starter)

1 Dressed Crab (brown and white meat picked over to ensure no bits of shell)

¼ Leek (white part)

1 Shallot

2 Sticks of Celery

1 Red Pepper

1 clove Garlic

½” piece Fresh Ginger

2 Egg Yolks plus 1 extra white

1 tablespoon Double Cream

1 tablespoon Cream Cheese

Pinch Cayenne Pepper

Seasoning

Squeeze Lemon Juice

1 tablespoon chopped Coriander

Drizzle of Olive Oil

Melted Butter to grease moulds
Finely grated Parmesan to coat moulds
Coriander to garnish

Take 6 small timbale moulds or ramekins and grease with a little melted butter.  Empty in a little grated parmesan cheese and shake the timbale to coat the sides and bottom.  Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Finely dice the leek, shallot, celery, pepper, garlic and ginger and sauté in a little olive oil on a low heat until translucent (no browning!).  Remove from the heat, empty into a liquidiser (or food processor). 

Add all of the remaining ingredients and puree to a smooth consistency.  Season to taste. 

Pour into the moulds and place in a deep baking tray.  Pour boiling water into the baking tray so it reaches about half way up the moulds (bain-marie style).  Cover with foil and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until set.  Remove the foil for the last 8 minutes of the cooking time keeping an eye on them as they do not want to brown.

Remove the moulds from the bain-marie and leave to cool on a rack then refrigerate until you need them. 

To serve, run a knife around the outside of the mousse and invert onto a plate.  Garnish with coriander and serve with brown bread and butter and a little salad. 

To beautify the plate even more, try serving with a mild chilli, mango and tomato salsa.

  

Mejadarah with Spiced Chicken

I should firstly tell you before I explain about its origins (or at least those of its name) that this dish tastes wonderful so no matter how you feel, stay with me on this one...

Mejadarah is derived from the Arabic word ‘Mujaddara’ meaning Smallpox.  Whoever created and named this dish believed one of the key ingredients - the lentils – resembled the pockmarks left by Smallpox.  I know... tempting!  Meaning aside, this dish is great hot or cold and with or without any accompaniment.  I like to serve mine with spiced chicken.

This recipe was first recorded in 1226 so clearly there are a lot of us out there who are willing to take a few things on faith where food is concerned.  My introduction to Mejadarah (and this recipe) is from Yotam Ottolenghi. 

So now that I have got you positively drooling with anticipation of trying this recipe, I shall tease you no more...

2 tbsp Sunflower Oil

4 medium Onions, thinly sliced 250g Brown Lentils 2 tsp Cumin Seeds 1½ tbsp Coriander Seeds 200g Basmati Rice 2 tbsp Olive Oil ½ tsp ground Turmeric 1½ tsp ground Allspice 1½ tsp ground Cinnamon 1 tsp Sugar Salt and Black Pepper 350ml Water (plus extra if boiling dry) Yoghurt, fresh Mint and Coriander, Tomatoes to serve.

Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan and when very hot add a third of the onions cooking until golden brown and turning crispy.  Transfer these to a colander and sprinkle with salt.  Repeat with the other two batches of onion.

Meanwhile put the lentils in a small saucepan, cover with plenty of water, bring to a boil and cook for 12-15 minutes or until the lentils have softened but still have a little bite.  Drain and set aside.

In a saucepan fry off the cumin and coriander seeds for a couple of minutes until these release their aromas.  Add the rice, olive oil, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, sugar, salt and plenty of black pepper.  Stir to coat the rice with oil, add the cooked lentils and water.  Bring to a boil, cover and simmer on a very low heat for 15 minutes.  

Remove from the heat, lift off the lid and cover the pan with a clean tea towel replacing the lid to seal it tight.  Leave for 10 minutes and it will continue to cook off the heat.

Tip the rice and lentils into a large mixing bowl.  Add half the fried onion and stir gently with a fork.  Empty into a shall serving bowl and serve with yoghurt, fresh mint and coriander and diced tomatoes.  Any leftovers are great cold for lunch the next day.

To serve with the spiced chicken, simply coat boneless and skinless chicken pieces (thighs work well for their flavour) in the following marinade.

Spiced Chicken Marinade

1/2 tsp ground Cumin

1/2 tsp ground Turmeric

1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 tbsp fresh Coriander (chopped)

2 tbsp fresh Mint (chopped)

1 clove Garlic (chopped)

1 small pot Plain Greek Yoghurt

Leave for 30 minutes to marinate.  Place in a hot oven (200 degrees) for 10 minutes then turn the oven down to 180 degrees and continue to cook for a further 15 minutes until cooked through.

Reviving Old Classics

For me classics are called so for a reason and rarely need to be messed around with but this month I have been playing around with an old classic – Fish Pie.  

I love fish, I love potatoes but the combination in fish pie does not always work for me.  The potato tends to soak up the sauce and if you are not careful the fish can easily become overcooked. 

As we are moving into the lighter, sunnier time of the year it also makes for a lighter version in terms of taste if not calories.

So my fish sits in a basket of thinly rolled pastry and is finished off with a crispy breadcrumb and parmesan topping (I know some would say fish and cheese is wrong but there’s nothing wrong with bucking the trend).  The filling is indulgently made from whatever fish is your favourite, capers, boiled eggs and dill with a sauce made from mascarpone cream cheese.  

Don’t be tempted to cook the fish beforehand, it will cook just fine in the tart. 

I know it sounds odd but try it, you may be converted!

Makes 4 individual tarts or 1 large one.

For the short crust pastry:
125g Plain Flour
Pinch of Salt
55g Butter
2-3 tbsp cold water

For the filling and topping:
1 small tub Mascarpone Cream Cheese
1 tbsp chopped fresh Dill
1 tbsp chopped Capers
1 Egg (hard boiled and grated)
16 Tiger King Prawns
3 Salmon Fillets
1 Haddock Fillet
Breadcrumbs mixed with finely grated Parmesan (enough to suit your taste)


Combine the salt and flour.  Add the butter in cubes and rub in with your fingers (you can use a food processor for this job but short bursts rather than continuous to avoid overworking the pastry).  Add the water until the mixture comes together then wrap in cling film and rest the pastry in the fridge for 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry and line your tart cases.  Blind bake at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes until cooked and just turning golden brown.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.


Skin and cut the fish fillets into chunks.  Combine all the ingredients into a bowl (it's easier to do this with fingers rather than a spoon).  Season to taste and fill the tart cases pushing the mixture into the edges gently (or you run the risk of breaking the pastry).


Sprinkle with the breadcrumb-parmesan mixture and place in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 180 degrees until golden brown.


Serve with new potatoes and asparagus or a simple salad.

The Accidental Roulade

I know, I know, you are looking at this photo and thinking I cannot possibly eat this and not feel a) sick to the stomach or b) gain 10 pounds.  You can.  Think positively.  It is important to try everything in life (or as much as possible) and a) the tart blackberries cut through the sweetness and are good for you and b) you can always go for a long walk afterwards!

This dish started life as a Pavlova.  Unfortunately after taking it out of the oven slightly too early (lack of patience on my part), and initially looking like a masterpiece, it quickly changed personality and sank spectacularly.  Whilst pondering how on earth I was going to make such a glorious mess look good, it took one eureka moment and a little creative thinking for the most perfect dessert to emerge from the disaster.

Roulade originated in France from the word 'rouler' (to roll).  Roulades are not confined to marshmallow loveliness filled with cream and fruit; they can contain any type of ingredients and are commonly meat based in Europe.  But for today we must summon our inner strength and indulge in the sweet variety.

The fresh fruit in this works really well and is a little bit different from the norm.  If you want to make it slightly differently use raspberries or blueberries or even leave out the fruit and fill it with a combination of Dulce de Leche and fresh whipped cream - and call it a Sticky Toffee Roulade.

300g Fresh Blackberries

8 large Egg Whites

400g Caster Sugar

4 tsp Cornflour

2 tsp White Wine Vinegar

300ml Double Cream (whipped to soft peaks)

200g White Chocolate Chips

Cooking instructions: 180 degrees for 30 minutes.

Whisk the egg whites until stiff then gradually add the caster sugar a little at a time until fully incorporated.  The eggs should be stiff and glossy by this time. Finally add the cornflour and white wine vinegar and whisk again to incorporate.  

Empty on to a swiss roll tin covered with baking parchment.  It should be thick and shaped like a rectangle to enable it to be rolled up when cooled.

Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes until lightly browned and risen.  Leave to cool.

When is it completely cold (you can leave this in a cool place overnight to make you resist the temptation to roll up to quickly), invert the meringue onto another sheet of baking parchment dusted with icing sugar.  Dust the underside and using the parchment roll up keeping the paper inside (it will be removed later).

Melt the white chocolate in the microwave for 2.5 minutes and stir to fully melt any remaining bits.  Whip up the cream until thick, add the chocolate and quickly whisk to combine.  Unroll the roulade - it may well crack but don't worry, that’s all part of the charm.  Empty the cream over the roulade, spread to the sides and throw over the blackberries.  Re-roll the roulade using the paper to assist the rolling process.

Transfer to a serving plate, dust lightly with icing sugar.  This will serve around 14 people or better yet, skip lunch, invite a couple of friends over and share it amongst you.

truffle by name...

I feel no guilt whatsoever about diving straight into Chocolate and dragging you carelessly with me.

With origins dating as far back as 1900BC the significance of chocolate worldwide is beyond question.  Maya and Aztec cultures used cacao as gifts and beverages for royalty and religious events and later some parts of the world even used cacao beans as a form of money.  Today two thirds of the world’s beans are produced in Western Africa but the chocolate we know (confectionary) was first created in 1849 by the Chemist John Cadbury through development of an emulsification process to solidify cocoa into a bar.

Dark chocolate is well documented for both psychological and emotional benefits.  Chocolate contains flavonoids which are pigments found in plants that act as antioxidants and it stimulates endorphin production – and these things make you feel good!  If all that were not enough to convince you why you should eat chocolate the Latin name for the cacao tree is Theobroma Cacao meaning ‘Food of the Gods’.  Surely that can’t be bad?

Chocolate Truffles with Hazelnut Praline

100g Hazelnuts (skinned and roasted)

1 cup Sugar

1/4 cup Water

200g Milk Chocolate (high cocoa content)

1/2 cup Double Cream

Place the hazelnuts on a greased tin or piece of silicon matting.

To make the praline place the sugar and water in a saucepan and melt over a low heat until it turns golden amber.  Do not stir the caramel as this will make it crystallise, if you need to move it around just swirl the caramel around the saucepan by tipping it slightly.

Pour the caramel over the roasted hazelnuts and leave to set.  When it has hardened break up the praline.

Place into a food processor and grind.  It will turn firstly to a powder and then to a paste as the oils are released from the nuts.  Place in an airtight container until you need to use it.  It will keep for several weeks.

Place the double cream in a saucepan and heat to boiling point.  Remove from the heat and pour over the chocolate pieces.  Leave for 30 seconds and then stir to combine, the chocolate should melt into the cream and you should end up with a thick glossy chocolate sauce. 

Add half the praline paste (more or less dependent on how nutty you want the truffles) and stir to combine.  Place in the fridge and leave to set for a couple of hours or overnight.

To make the truffles, take a teaspoon of the mixture and roll into a ball (it gets messy from here).  Place on a piece of greaseproof paper or silicon matting and put back into the refrigerator.


You can either coat in cocoa or chocolate.  To coat in chocolate, melt slowly in a bain-marie and dip the truffles into the chocolate coating thoroughly allowing the excess to drip back into the melted chocolate.  Place on a greaseproof sheet and put them back in the refrigerator to set.  Dust with cocoa just before they set.  


Send any friends and family out and indulge... this is no time to share.

Celebrating the Great Chieftain o’ the Pudding Race

When you enter into a friendship with a Scot you become ingratiated into a world of traditions incorporating both the bizarre and the wonderful.  No one would assume that a group of friends arranging what can only be called a dinner party to celebrate the life of one their own in 1802 would today be such a worldwide calling.  Such is the story of Burns Night.

I can talk about this with authority.  I have been welcomed into the world of Robert Burns through many friends over the years and can attest to the sometimes strange and random occurrences these particular celebrations involve.  They also seem well able to always deliver the ‘I’m never going to recover’ hangover the next day.  I am currently reflecting on the most recent.

Each year on the 25^th January people all over the world celebrate the life of Robert Burns and Scottish heritage, (it is apparent that you do not need this to participate).   

It is on this evening that you will eat foods you would never normally consider eating, drink whisky with your meal (supposedly just a wee dram – don’t believe it!) and eat more oats in one meal than you would normally eat in a year’s worth of breakfasts.

Many of the traditions suggest you know the people you are dining with very well and are not in the least bit surprised by their behaviour during the evening. 

Welcomed into the home with the first ‘wee dram’ of Whisky from a friendship goblet this tradition assumes you already know what ailments your friends currently have and intend to share with you or you really are such a good friend that you don’t mind in the slightest. 

Before you actually eat a number of things will happen.  Firstly, a cacophony of ear burning sounds will resonate throughout the house as the bagpipes are played in honour of the Haggis being transported to its final resting place.  At this point one should be appreciative of the difficulty in playing this instrument if not of the sound itself.  Secondly, the latent inner thespian of one of your party will recite an ode to Robbie Burns by way of an ‘Address to the Haggis’.  Now suddenly faced with a close and personal friend dressed in a kilt and showing an alarming amount of knee whilst talking passionately to a less than tempting lump of meat on a plate can only make you wonder if you have wandered into the wrong house.  You can muse over this while trying to understand what exactly is being said to the aforementioned dish. 

Then we come to the food itself.  It is at this point that, if you started to consider what you were eating, you may well put on a serene smile and explain that you have recently turned vegetarian.  You should not do this.  Not only is it rude but you would be missing out of one of the great (if somewhat unexpected) dishes out there. 

Let’s be honest... the Haggis itself is no beauty.  Although it is known as the ‘Great Chieftain o’ The Puddin-Race’, it does in fact look exactly like the ingredients it is.  So, in the name of continuous development of your inner gourmet, see if for a moment you can imagine a dish made from sheep’s heart, liver and lungs not so subtlety flavoured with lashings of spices, suet, oatmeal and stock encased in a sheep’s stomach and cooked for several hours.  I know what you're thinking but it really is very good.

Accompanying this alien style of food will be Tatties and Neeps (or mashed potatoes and turnips to the uninitiated). 

For those who have a penchant for sweet things, pudding usually comes in the form of more oatmeal.  Clootie Pudding (made from suet, oatmeal, fruit and spice) or Cranachan (oatmeal, double cream and Drambuie) are the preferred options should you have any room left for more food.

More whisky ensues (assuming generous hosts) followed by laughter, merriment and after a few drams, some quite interesting dancing which everyone will later agree is best forgotten. 

Far from the traditional dinner party, Burns Night offers gourmet experimentation, theatre, full stomachs and plenty of laughter – definitely something to try. 

Like I said... from the bizarre to the wonderful all in one evening, how can you possibly resist?

Beef Wellington

Writing for the February edition of a magazine, the thought process was Shrove Tuesday.  A tenuous link admittedly but the dish does have pancakes in it...

Shrove Tuesday is historically a day of feasting before Ash Wednesday and the period of Lent.  Pancakes are a tradition on this day (being one to eat lots of fat in preparation for fasting) and personally I can think of nothing better than feasting on a lovely Beef Wellington.  If you make plenty of pancakes (or buy them), you can always do the Pancake Day thing as well and serve them as pudding with oranges and sugar.

1.5kg Beef Fillet (trimmed, left whole)

3 thin Pancakes

250g finely chopped Mushrooms (shitake, oyster and chestnut work well)

2 Shallots (finely chopped)

1 tsp Thyme

2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)

6 Juniper Berries

Sea Salt & Pepper

1 tbsp chopped fresh Parsley

1 pack Puff Pastry

10g Butter

Olive Oil

1 tbsp Crème Fraiche

1 tbsp Marsala Wine or Dry Sherry

Egg Wash (for glazing)

Marinade the beef.  In a pestle and mortar, grind the juniper berries with the salt, pepper, thyme leaves, parsley and garlic.  Add a drizzle of olive oil and mix to a thick paste.  Rub over the entire beef fillet and leave at room temperature for 1 hour.

Sauté the shallots in the butter and a drizzle of olive oil until softened but not brown.  Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.  Add the marsala wine and cook until evaporated, add the crème fraiche and season to taste.  Cook until you have a thick pate like consistency.  Remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Take the beef and brown all sides in a frying pan quickly (you are not trying to cook it at this stage).  Place in the oven at 180 degrees for 10 minutes covered with foil.  Remove from the oven and leave to cool.

When all the ingredients have cooled to room temperature, assemble the wellington.

Roll out the puff pastry to a size which will cover the entire fillet.  Brush the edges with egg wash and lay the pancakes down the middle of the pastry.  Spread the mushroom mixture over the pancakes and the pastry leaving a 2 cm edge all around.  Place the fillet of beef on top in the centre and roll up the pastry around the fillet and seal.  Up end the wellington so the seal is underneath and brush all over with egg wash.  Place on a baking tray and refrigerate until ready to cook or for at least 1 hour.

Place in a hot oven (210 degrees) for 25 minutes (rare) to 35 minutes (medium) or until golden brown and risen.  Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes before carving.  

The resting is important as it will allow the meat to relax and the juices to go back into the beef and tenderise the meat.

Chorizo and Prawn Jambalaya

This January I am working through my freezers rather than buying food (the meat and fish variety).  Madness you may think (and be correct) but this started as a bit of a competition with some friends and seems to have turned into a personal mission for me.  Given there is enough in my freezers to keep going for several months this should not be a problem.

So this dish started off as a Paella but due to not having clams and mussels in the freezer and not being able to find the chicken until I get further down (at which point I suspect I will find the equivalent of a chicken farm’s worth), I have quickly transformed this into a Jambalaya.  Ah, such versatility...

1 cup of Long Grain White Rice

8 uncooked Chorizo and Pork Sausages (cut into 1” pieces)

200g Tiger King Prawns (cooked)

1 tbsp Paprika

1 tsp dried Oregano

400ml Chicken Stock

1 tbsp Tomato Puree

1 glass Dry Sherry

1 thinly sliced Red Onion

1 clove Garlic

200g Bacon (diced)

Olive Oil

Pinch of Sumac (optional)

Chopped Parsley to finish

Start off by sautéing the onion and garlic in a drizzle of olive oil until translucent but not browning. 

Add the bacon and sausage followed by the oregano, sumac and paprika. 

Add the tomato puree and stir to combine. 

Add the sherry and cook until it has almost evaporated then add the rice and stir into the other ingredients to coat. 

Add the stock, bring to the boil and then place in the oven for 15-20 minutes until cooked through (this will depend on your rice).

Add the prawns.  Season to taste and stir through the chopped parsley. 

Serve this beautiful dish with great aplomb suggesting to others that you have been slaving away for hours!