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Tartiflette (Reblochonade)

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This is instant cardiac arrest stuff, if ever there were any, and should come with a government health warning. Belly-building lunch from the French ski resorts.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 20 mins
cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients

  • 3 lbs potatoes (not floury)
  • 2 large onion, halved & sliced
  • 8 oz smoked bacon cut into lardons
  • 1 Reblochon
  • 2 glasses dry white wine
  • pepper

Method

Using a sauté pan, soften the onions in a little butter. Add white wine to deglaze and reduce completely. Reserve the onion mixture for later.

In the same pan, cook the lardons until all the fat runs. Remove the lardons from their fat and reserve them for later. Cut the potatoes into rounds and add them to the pan. Mix well to absorb all the bacon fat. In a small saucepan, briefly boil the wine to drive off all the alcohol then add it to the potatoes. Cover the pan and cook the potatoes over gentle heat until the potatoes begin to soften. Do not overcook! Add a little water during cooking if necessary.

In an ovenproof earthenware dish, put a layer of the potatoes followed by the reserved onion and bacon and finish with another layer of potato. Slice the Reblochon in half horizontally, then cut each half into quarters. Lay each pirece of Reblochon on top of the potato skin side up. Heat in a hot oven for 15-20 minutes.

Serve with salad and white wine.


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Posted in Meat Tagged with:

Tabbouleh

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I don’t think there is any such thing as a “classic” Middle Eastern tabbouleh since there appear to be as many variations in terms of quantities as there are people. Some use huge amounts of herbs and little bulgur wheat, others do quite the opposite. This version, though, seems to me to capture the essence and generally accepted ingredients but you should feel free to vary the balance to your own liking with gay abandon. This is basically similar to the Moro version with the addition of cucumber (which many recipes seem to include).

Many commentators claim that bulgur wheat is ready after only a few minutes soaking in cold water but I haven’t yet found one that’s ready in less than an hour. Maybe I have never found a truly fine bulgur wheat? Anyway, be prepared for some variability.

Planning

serves: 6 – 8
preparation time: 2 hours
cooking time: n/a

Ingredients

  • 100g bulgur wheat
  • 400g tomatoes, deseeded & finely diced
  • ½ cucumber, deseeded & finely diced
  • 8 spring onions, finely chopped
  • 3 small bunches flat-leafed parsley, roughly chopped
  • 1 small bunch mint, roughly chopped
  • 1 small clove garlic, crushed with salt
  • ¼ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground allspice
  • salt & pepper
  • 2 tbs lemon juice
  • 4 tbs olive oil

Method

Soak the bulgur wheat in cold water until it loses its crunch. I find it takes an hour or so but your wheat may vary so bite it frequently to check how yours is progressing. When it is ready, strain it in through a sieve and leave it until it is reasonably dry and can be fluffed up with a fork.

Make the dressing. Add the garlic, spices, salt & pepper to the lemon juice, then stir in the olive oil.

An hour or so before you are ready to eat, mix together the bulgur wheat, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, parsley and mint. Mix the dressing into the salad ensuring that everything is well coated. The hour should allow the flavours to blend without allowing the herbs to wilt too much.

Tabbouleh is traditionally scooped up with lettuce leaves but an interesting alternative is chicory leaves; red chicory if you can find it.


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Posted in Starters Tagged with:

Swordfish with Salmoriglio

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One to try from the Sicilian leg of Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes . (Note to self: I need to try this and check the water content in the salmoriglio.)

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 30 mins
cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 6 tbs olive oil
  • 3 tbs water
  • 1½ tbs lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tbs fresh oregano, chopped
  • 1 tbs fresh celery leaves, chopped
  • 1 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
  • 4 swordfish steaks, ~2cms thick
  • olive oil
  • crushed dried red chillies
  • salt & pepper

Method

First, make the salmoriglio. Place the olive oil and water into a bowl and whisk together until emulsified. Add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt to taste. Stir in the garlic & herbs (oregano, celery leaves, parsley) and mix well.

Either fire up a barbecue and let the flames die down or preheat a ridged griddle pan until very hot. Brush the swordfish with olive oil and season on both sides with crushed chillies, salt and papper. Cook the swordfish, either on the barbecue or griddle for about 4 mins on each side until cooked through.

Serve the swordfish steaks drizzled with the salmoriglio.


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Posted in Fish Tagged with:

Sweet Potato Rösti

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This adaptation of the Swiss rösti is great as a light snack topped with a little more crumbled goat’s cheese. It also makes a more unusual accompaniment to meat dishes.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 10 mins
cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 lb sweet potatoes
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 3 oz fresh goat’s cheese (Pant-Ysgawn)
  • 2 medium eggs, beaten
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • pepper

Method

Peel the sweet potato and grate it; wrap it in a clean tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Place it in a mixing bowl.

Peel and thinly slice the onion and sauté it in a tablespoon of the olive oil until soft and golden. Add the garlic and sauté for another 30 secs. Add this to the grated sweet potato.

Crumble the goat’s cheese and add it to the sweet potato. Season generously with freshly ground black pepper then stir in the beaten eggs and mix well.

Form the mixture into rounds of about 4 in (10 cm) by ½ in (1 cm) high, either by hand or in some suitable rings. Place them on a non-stick sheet and bake in the oven at gas mark 7, 220 °C for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned.


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Posted in Veggies Tagged with:

Suprêmes de Volaille au Roquefort

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This recipe was a result of experimenting during a trip to San Francisco when I was trying to cook something for some friends. It is breast of chicken in a white wine and cream sauce flavoured with Roquefort cheese. If you have a consuming passion for cheese, particularly blue, then this is for you. Treat the Roquefort as a seasoning; adjust the amount suggested to suit your particular taste.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 20 mins
cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 chicken breasts (boned)
  • 1 oz unsalted butter
  • 1 shallot, finely chopped
  • 1½ oz Roquefort cheese (or blue stilton, if you prefer)
  • 10 fl oz dry white wine
  • 5 fl oz single cream
  • salt and pepper

Method

Crumble the blue cheese and moisten it with 2 tbs. of the cream. Mix this to a paste (ignoring the colour!) and season lightly with a little salt and pepper.

Finely chop the shallot. Use a sauté pan that has a lid and will take the 4 chicken breasts comfortably. Melt the butter over medium heat, add the chicken breasts and brown them lightly on both sides. Remove the chicken from the pan and gently soften the shallot in the sauté pan without allowing it to colour. Return the chicken breasts to the pan moving them around a little to get them into the shallots. Cover the pan with the lid, lower the heat and cook the chicken covered until just cooked through (about 10 mins but test them – it depends how big your breasts are :)). There should now be some liquid in the bottom of the pan. Remove the chicken breasts and keep them warm while you finish the sauce.

Increase the heat and reduce the pan juices until they become slightly syrupy. Add the white wine and repeat the reduction process down to about one third. Add the cream and bring gently to simmering point stirring all the time. Lower the heat add stir in the blue cheese mixture until it dissolves. Adjust the seasoning (bearing in mind that blue cheese is inherently salty).

Serve the chicken breasts either nouvelle cuisine style on top of the sauce or “vielle cuisine” style underneath the sauce.


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Posted in Poultry Tagged with:

Stir-Fried Pak Choi and Asparagus

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From an idea on a Waitrose packet of pak choi, adjusted to suit a non fish-eating audience. It makes a good vegetable addition to a Thai or Chinese meal.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 5 mins
cooking time: 6 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs groundnut oil
  • 1 in piece fresh ginger, peeled & shredded
  • 1 clove garlic, peeled & crushed
  • 1 pkt pak choi
  • 1 pkt fine asparagus
  • 2 tbs oyster sauce

Method

Separate the leaves of the pak choi, wash it and cut it into lengths of about 3 cm. Trim the dry ends of the asparagus stems and rinse them also.

Heat the oil in a wok and fry the ginger and garlic for about 30 secs. Toss in the pak choi and asparagus and stir fry for about 3 mins when it should be starting to soften. Thin the oyster sauce with an equal quantity of water and add this to the wok, continuing to cook for 1-2 mins.


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Posted in Veggies Tagged with: ,

Soufflé Au Grand Marnier

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This is a transcription of a recipe from The French Cookery School published years ago in parts in The Observer Magazine from Anne Willan of La Varenne, in Paris.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 30 mins
cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients

  • ½ pt milk
  • 2 oranges
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 2 oz sugar
  • 1 oz plain flour
  • 3 – 4 tbs Grand Marnier
  • 5 egg whites
  • icing sugar (for sprinkling)

Method

Butter the soufflé dish being careful to butter the rim generously to prevent sticking. Sprinkle the dish with sugar, discarding any excess.

Scald the milk by bringing it just to the boil. Zest the oranges and beat this together with the egg yolks and half the sugar until thick and light. Stir in the flour. Whisk the boiling milk into the yolk mixture, blend well and return it to the pan. Whisk over gentle heat until boiling and smooth. Simmer for about two minutes or until thickened, remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Stir in the Grand Marnier. Rub the surface of the mixture with butter to prevent a skin from forming. (This can be prepared 3 ? 4 hours ahead.)

Remove all pith from the oranges and segment them.

20 – 30 minutes before serving, set the oven to very hot (220°C, 425°F, gas 7). Whip the egg whites until stiff, add the remaining sugar and beat 20 seconds longer until glossy. Reheat the Grand Marnier mixture until hot to the touch, remove from the heat and stir in about ¼ of the egg white mixture. Add this combination to the remaining egg white mixture and fold together as lightly as possible. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish, smooth the surface and quickly decorate with the orange segments. Bake at once in the preheated oven for 12 – 15 minutes or until the soufflé is puffed and brown.

Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve at once.


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Posted in Desserts Tagged with:

Skate with a Herb Crust

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This recipe is from The Fish Course by Susan Hicks. Skate is a tasty, easy to eat fish courtesy of its flat bone (well, cartilage, really) structure. This dish has the added advantage of being reasonably healthy since the fish is steamed before being given its herb crust.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 skate wings
  • pepper
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 tbs olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 tbs fresh mixed herbs, finely chopped
  • 4 oz fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs

Method

Wash the skate wings, dry them and sprinkle them lightly with the freshly ground black pepper. Prepare a suitable steamer and place the skate wings on the steamer platter. Since skate wings taper, it is a good idea to overlap them, thick end to thin end, to help them cook more evenly. Steam them for about 12 minutes depending upon thickness until barely cooked (they are to be finished under a hot grill).

Meanwhile, mix the olive oil with the garlic and one tablespoon of lemon juice. Also, mix the breadcrumbs with the chopped mixed herbs.

Preheat the grill. Line the grill pan with aluminium foil and brush it lightly with olive oil. When the skate has been steamed, remove it from the steamer, separate the wings and place them both in the grill pan. Brush each wing generously with the olive oil mixture and scatter the breadcrumb mixture on top. Drizzle over the remaining olive oil mixture and place them under the hot grill for 1 or two minutes until they are browned and sizzling.


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Posted in Fish Tagged with:

Skate with Chilli Beans

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A wonderful, interesting way to cook skate from the pre-eminent Mr. Stein’s Seafood (based upon his cookery school). I’ve no idea of the provenance of this dish but it seems to be Mexican/Spanish to me, given the use of chillies, paprika and sherry vinegar. Wherever it’s from, if you like a little spiceyness, this is definitely for you. The beans are so moreish!

Let’s face it, buying fresh fish is a spur-of-the-moment thing and rarely affords planning ahead time for the soaking dried beans. Go ahead and use tinned cannelini beans; they are perfectly fine. I usually use two tins for two people and have some left over for lunch. Just miss out the soaking and pre-cooking stages.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: 45 mins

Ingredients

  • 350g dried cannellini beans, soaked overnight
  • 2 tbs olive oil
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 2 medium red chillies, deseeded & finely chopped
  • 1 medium onion, peeled & finely chopped
  • 350ml chicken stock
  • 3 medium tomatoes (skinned, if desperate) & chopped
  • 2 tsp chopped tarragon
  • 4 x 225g prepared skate wings
  • 1 tsp ground paprika
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 50g butter
  • 3 tbs sherry vinegar
  • salt & pepper

Method

Drain the cannelini beans and put them in a pan with plenty of fresh water to cover. Bring them to the boil, skim off any scum which rises, cover and leave them to simmer gently until just tender (about 1 hour). Drain the beans and set them aside.

Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Dry the skate wings with kitchen paper and sprinkle on both sides with paprika and black pepper.

To make the chilli beans, heat the olive oil together with the chillies and garlic in a pan. When sizzling begins, add the onion and fry for about 5 minutes until soft but not brown. Add the beans and 300ml of the chicken stock. Bring this to simmering point and cook for 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and cook for a further 10 minutes. Stir in the chopped tarragon and season to taste with salt and pepper. Turn off the heat and cover to keep these warm while you cook the skate.

Melt the butter in a roasting tin on top of the stove and add teh skate wings, lightly browning them for 1 minute on either side. Sprinkle with a little salt and roast them in the top of the oven for 10 minutes.

Divide the chilli beans among four warmed serving plates and place a skate wing on top of each pile. Place the roasting pan over moderate heat and deglaze it with the sherry vinegar and remaining 50ml chicken stock. Boil it briefly scraping all the flavour from the bottom of the pan into the liquid. Season the juice to taste then strain it over the skate wings.


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Posted in Fish Tagged with:

Skate with Beurre Noisette

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The classic skate recipe. The aroma of the black butter is guaranteed to get the digestive juices flowing.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: 45 mins

Ingredients

  • 1½ ltr water
  • 75 ml white wine vinegar
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 12 whole black peppercorns
  • 1 onion, peeled & thinly sliced
  • 2 carrots, peeled & thinly sliced
  • 2 sticks celery, peeled & thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 x 225g prepared skate wings
  • 175g lightly salted butter
  • 30 ml red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbs brined capers, drained

Method

First, make a court bouillon. Put all the ingredients down to and including the salt together in a large pan. Bring this to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain the liquid off the vegetables, discard the vegetables, and return the liquid to the pan.

Add the skate wings to the court bouillon and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, turn the heat off, cover the pan and leave the skate to poach in the hot liquid for about 10 minutes. The actual length of time they take to cook will depend upon their thickness – 10 minutes is about right for wings approximately 2½cm (1 inch) thick. Remove the skate wings and drain them on kitchen paper, then put them on warmed serving plates while you make the beurre noisette.

Melt the butter (salted butter browns more readily) in a frying pan over moderate heat. Agitate it gently while it is cooking and watch it carefully. When it is foaming and turning brown it should begin to smell quite nutty. At this point, toss in the red wine vinegar and boil it for a minute. (This is where the gastric juices start going mad.) Turn off the heat and stir in the capers. Immediately, pour the beurre noisette over the skate wings, giving everyone a fair share of the capers of course, and serve immediately.


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Posted in Fish Tagged with: