Mid-week dinner parties can be something of an unusual event, especially at this time of year where it’s starting to get a bit colder and the nights are drawing in faster and faster meaning no-one wants to venture out of their homes, preferring to draw their blinds and wrap up warm. A Cold and dark Tuesday night at the end of October, oddly enough was just the setting for having a few friends over to break up the monotony of the working week, although the booze does not flow as freely as it would normally, say, on a Friday or Saturday. Rather brilliantly, it’s that time of year where the harvest has come in for the UK with an abundance of excellent vegetables and fruit after a long summer growing they are ready to give up their bounty for our plates and ultimately, palates. The menu comprised a four course meal, which is outlined below along with a bit of praise, plugging and information regarding some of the suppliers or local food heroes that were used in putting together my menu. With regards recipes, I am only going to share 4, which has method. Firstly it will keep this blog a little more trim and secondly, the recipes for some of the other items are too simple to bother placing here, you’ll find them across the internet or in books or indeed, you’ll have your own way! Menu Spiced Pumpkin and Cumin Soup (served with roasted crushed nuts and sourdough crouton) As stated above, it’s a great time of year for pumpkins through October and November. Being an extremely versatile fruit with a ripe melon-sweet flavour, they make excellent soups and are equally good in roasted chunks, mashed with butter or even that Thanksgiving favourite, pumpkin pie. The pumpkin I got hold of was from a local producer, who is semi-famous for their production. Pulling up to their farm shop, it was easy to see why; thousands of pumpkins lined up outside their greenhouses and piled up in wooden crates, the farmyard was a sea of orange. I also picked up a choice few other items from here, as I am hugely in favour of these places often charging far less than supermarkets like-for-like on many few produce items which are mostly grown locally (sustainability and supporting local businesses boxes ticked!). The local producer in question is Lydiate Church View Farm (website: http://www.churchviewfarm.co.uk/ ). Incidentally, I also managed to pick up a really good jar of locally produced honey from nearby Maghull which was used on the Spiced Honey Vegetables – worked a treat and has since livened up teas and toast! Selection of Tapas Dishes: Patatas Bravas, Spanish Style Tortilla, Chicken and Chorizo, Spiced Honey Vegetables, Mixed Frijole and Lentil One-pot and Lime and Chilli Gambas The decision to cook tapas was two-fold. Firstly, necessity to use up a lot of ingredients, especially a glut of vegetables obtained at a snip from the farm shop and secondly, to stimulate conversation between the guests, which is something tapas style meals invariably do well. As stated above, the recipes in this blog will not include most of these items, as they are too straightforward to warrant a slot here and also there is a glut of recipes available already for some. I will therefore cover the Spanish Style Tortilla (as I have been threatening to do for a while!) and the Frijole and Lentil One-pot. The other recipes, if people really are desperate to know them, will be available upon request. Pineapple and Crushed Chilli Kendal Mint Crepes (with crème fraiche) Some of you might be regarding this idea with a modicum of apprehension, as bizarre as it sounds, it is based it on some sound food logic at its inception. Pineapple and mint go really well together, the crème fraiche has two functions (to provide creaminess and to provide cooling to the chilli) and the crepe performs the function of the anchor of the dish. The Kendal Mint Cake addition was as a replacement for fresh mint, to champion another (relatively) local producer of some excellent wares, the rather brilliant Relish, based in Hawkshead in Cumbria. The website can provide you with many mail order treats, but it is worth swinging by their premises in Hawkshead for a visit to a veritable Aladdin’s Cave of goodies. Relish: http://www.hawksheadrelish.com/ The dish itself was met with some apprehension, but ultimately seemed to be enjoyed by everyone! Clean plates do indeed tell a story... Selection of Cheeses served with tea/coffee/digestifs The cheeses were provided from another local food hero and award winning delicatessen and restaurant, Delifonseca, who have two premises in Liverpool. They provide so much more than cheeses, cured meats and other deli items; both sites are well worth a visit if you’ve not already been. Delifonseca: http://www.delifonseca.co.uk/ This course rounded off the night in fine style allowing everyone to nibble and lean back feeling satisfied and rather full. Recipes: Spiced Pumpkin and Cumin Soup (serves approx. 8) Ingredients 1 Medium or Large Pumpkin, flesh scooped out 1 White Onion 2 Spring Onions Water to simmer the Vegetables 3 medium/large Parsnips 4 Medium white Potatoes 2 large thumb sized pieces of Root Ginger 1 Green Chilli, roughly chopped 3 Cloves of Garlic, roughly chopped 4 tbsp Olive Oil 20-50g Butter (optional) 4-5 tbsp Cumin Seeds, dry roasted and ground to a fine powder 2 tsp Coriander powder 4 Bay Leaves Salt and Pepper seasoning to taste What to do 1. Slice the potatoes, parsnips, ginger (skins removed) into equally sized chunks and simmer with the two spring onions and bay leaves in a saucepan of water (enough to cover them, an inch or two above) for approximately 10 minutes. 2. Scoop as much of the pumpkin flesh out of the pumpkin and set this to one side. You may need to do this first, as you need to add the pumpkin to the simmering vegetables after 10 minutes. Bring to the boil and then simmer for a further 10 minutes. 3. Chop the garlic, chilli and onions and fry in a little olive oil until the onions are translucent. Place these items in a liquidiser/blender with all the simmering vegetables and stock. Blitz the ingredients together with the remainder of the olive oil and butter until they form a smooth consistency. 4. Transfer the soup back into the saucepan and gently heat through for at 10 minutes and serve piping hot, adding salt and pepper to taste, stirring through to ensure even flavour. To do the crushed roasted nuts, finely chop raw hulled peanuts and cashews and place in a hot dry frying pan, as the nuts start to brown, move them around the pan to ensure they do not burn and you liberate as much of the oils inside the nuts as possible. Sprinkle these over the top of the soup to serve. Spanish Style Tortilla (serves approx. 8-10) Ingredients 4 Large Eggs 3-4 medium sized white potatoes ½ An Onion (white or red) Paprika and Oregano Salt and Pepper for seasoning What to do 1. Peel and slice the potatoes into half a centimetre wide disc shaped slices (as you would for a dauphinoise). Place these in a cold saucepan of water (ensuring all the potato slices are covered) and bring this up to the boil for approximately 10 minutes. Now slice the onion into thin strips and place to one side. One the potatoes look as though they are starting to get slightly crumbly at the edges, remove them from the heat and place in cold water to maintain their integrity. 2. Beat the eggs in a bowl as you would for an omelette. You will now need to grease a pie tin (using butter or olive oil for a more healthy option), something approximately 6-7 inches in diameter and 2-3 inches deep. Place the onion and potatoes in layers with sprinkled pinches of oregano, paprika, salt and pepper scattered conservatively across the layers. 3. Once all the potatoes and onions are in the pan, pour the beaten eggs into the pie dish and place the tortilla into the oven at gas mark 7 (220 degrees celsius) for approximately 35-40 minutes or until the top has gone completely golden and the egg has risen ever so slightly. 4. Allow the tortilla to cool down before tipping it out onto a wooden board for slicing and serving. It is usually best served cool. Mixed Frijole and Lentil One-pot (serves approx. 9) Ingredients 100g Yellow split Lentils 75g Red split Lentils 300-350g of Borlotti or Canellini Beans 100g of Green Beans ½ Red Onion – finely chopped 100ml Vegetable Stock (or very thin onion gravy mix will do) 2 tblsp Paprika 1 tblsp Ground Cumin ½ tsp Ground Nutmeg 2 tsp Ground Coriander 2-3 tsp of balsamic vinegar 2 cloves of Garlic – finely chopped or minced 1 Red Chilli – finely chopped and deseeded 1 Green Chilli – finely chopped and deseeded What to do 1. The Yellow Lentils will need to be soaked overnight or at least 12 hours before you cook with them. Once soaked and ready for preparation, simmer them in water for 40 minutes. Add the red lentils and then simmer for a further 5 minutes before adding the borlotti beans. 2. Now drain off the starchy water from the lentils and beans and replace with cold water, return the pan to the heat until it begins to simmer. 3. Simmer the mix for 5 mins and then add the finely chopped onion, garlic, all the spices and chilli. Now add the vegetable stock and balsamic vinegar, simmer for 5 mins and then add the green beans. 4. Cook the one-pot stew until it almost has a thick curry or paste-like appearance. 5. Serve piping hot! Pineapple and crushed Chilli Kendal Mint Crepes (serves approx. 8) Ingredients 1 Fresh Pineapple 300g Crème Fraiche ½ bar of Chilli Kendal Mint Cake (from Relish) – alternatively, use flaked dried chilli and plain Kendal mint cake (Optional – Rum – 4 tblsp per crepe) The Batter mix: 100g Plain Flour 3 Medium Eggs 50g Butter 1 tsp Salt 1 tsp Caster Sugar 175ml milk (semi skimmed) What to do 1. Sift the flour into a plastic measuring jug with a sieve held high above the bowl so the flour gets an airing then add the salt and sugar. Now make a well in the centre of the flour and break the eggs into it. Then begin whisking the eggs (a normal whisk or even a fork will do) into the flour and gradually add the milk into the batter, ensuring you include all the flour that sticks to the sides of the jug ensure the batter is thoroughly and evenly mixed. Place it to one side in a fridge for at least 15 minutes. 2. Chop the pineapple into 1 inch sized chunks, removing all of the tough outer skin and fibrous core. Next, crush the Kendal Mint Cake using the back of a spoon into a coarse powder. 3. Get a frying pan really hot and add a knob of butter, ensuring even coverage, but making sure it doesn’t burn the butter. Pour in enough batter to the pan to get a thin (approximately 3mm maximum) coating for the crepe, working the batter around the pan quickly and evenly. Allow this to cook through until the upside is firm, now add 4 tblsp of rum splashed across the pancake and then flip over using a palette knife if you’re not feeling adventurous! 4. Cook the crepe until it is golden on both sides and then place flat on a warmed plate. Pile the pineapple chunks on one side of the crepe, with a scattering of the Kendal Mint Cake across, then on the opposite side, add a dollop of crème fraiche. 5. Serve as quickly as possible to your hungry guests! That's all there is to it guys!! Feel free to fire over any questions or request any clarification if you're unsure about tackling any of the recipes. I'm only too happy to help. Enjoy!! Pedro.
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Buenos Dias/Tardes Mis rasa! I hope at least some of you have found some time to have a crack at making the last recipe I put on here. In a similar vein, I am sticking with a hispanic comfort foody theme for this second recipe. I have made this a couple of times now and I have given it my own slight twists in order to bring out some flavours in the dish which I though were the best bits, so before anyone goes shouting at me that it's not truly *authentic* - I know it isn't!! :op That shouldn't put you guys off though, as stated previously, it's all about picking ideas out and even putting your own take into action on any given recipe and tailor it to your, or whoever you're feeding's pallette. First, a bit of background on this dish. As the title suggests, it's a South American, specifically Chilean recipe which is taken from a traditional dish of Chile, if not the national dish of the country. It works based on the sweet and salty balance of the various ingredients and contains some unusual ingredients that may raise a few eyebrows amongst more conservative cooks among us. The Ingredients: 3 medium red or white onions, chopped, 2 cloves chopped garlic, olive oil, 700-800g or 1.5 pounds of beef mince, splash (1 tblspn) of balsamic vinegar, 100ml red wine - preferably chilean, a carmenere maybe! 3 teaspoons cumin, 2 teaspoons salt, 1-2 tsp ground black pepper, 3 cups sweetcorn (fresh or frozen will be fine), 100ml whole milk, 10g butter, 10-15 leaves finely chopped basil, 1 small spring of Thyme, 2-3 heaped tblsp of raisins, 175-200g chopped black olives, 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped, 4 shredded roasted chicken thighs. What to do: 1. First thing to do is to get the chicken thighs nice and crispy and extract some flavour to go with the beef mince, so add some olive oil to a frying pan and get it fairly hot before adding the four chicken thighs. Cook these through until the skins have gone crispy and golden (Picture 1). Place them onto a plate or a wooden chopping board to rest. Do not discard the oil in the pan as the onions and mince will now be cooked in this. 2. Fry the onions until they are translucent and starting to brown, now add the beef mince and cook through, breaking it up and mixing with the onions as thoroughly as possible (Picture 2), add the black pepper, cumin, two chopped cloves of garlic, raisins and olives once the mince has all browned. fry for another 5 minutes and then add the balsamic vinegar first, then the red wine and simmer until these are reduced by half with the juices from the beef mince. 3. Now, allow this to rest in the pan while you boil the four eggs until they are hard all the way through. You can even perhaps do this step first, drain off the water and remove all the shells from the eggs. Roughly chop them into quarters or slices as to your preference. 4. Pour the beef mince, raisins, olives and onions into a casserole dish. On top of the mince, place the chopped hard-boiled eggs. Now you will need to shred the chicken off the bone, the best technique is probably using two forks to pull the chicken off the bone and break it up as much as possible. Place the shredded chicken thighs (without the bones!!) across the beef and eggs and move to one side (Pictures 3 and 4). 5. To make the topping for the Pastel De Choclo, you will need to add the milk, butter, salt, sweetcorn, thyme and basil together in a blender and blitz them until you have a fairly smooth liquor, I usually hold back a small amount of the sweetcorn to add in after this blitzing. Add this topping liquid to a saucepan and simmer until this is reduced by approximately a third of it's original volume. You can then pour this over the top of the rest of the casserole, ensuring even coverage. The topping should be quite thick so as it stays on the top of the other meatier parts of the dish. 6. Transfer the Pastel De Choclo into an oven at gas mark 8 or around 220 degrees celsius. Cook until the crust has gone a golden brown colour, don't be put off by the green tinge given by the basil!! (Picture 5.) There you have it... it is definitely best served hot on a cold day to provide some comfort. I usually just serve it with some crusty bread or a crunchy side salad to provide some contrast. You can play about with this recipe depending on how sweet or salty you like the contrast in the meat and the corn topping. I tend to tone down the sweeter flavours, but you can add some brown sugar or molasses to the topping if you fancy making it a sweeter proposition!
As a wine recommendation (for those waiting for one), something Chilean would be spot on, at the moment, Asda are doing a very very affordable Cabernet Sauvignon-Carmenere called Gran Tierra, it hits the spot and goes pretty well with this dish. The beauty of the Asda stuff is that it's only £4 a bottle at the moment whereas I have seen it in other supermarkets pushing £9. Bargain (at the time of writing the blog that is!!). For me, any decent Carmenere would go well with this dish as it is robust enough to handle the red meat, saltiness and the sweetness of the crust. Have fun and enjoy guys!! Pedro. Hi Everyone!! I think my first effort for some of you to try (those who have already salivated at the photos I have shown on my phone at least may have already guesssed.....) will be a nice and warming casserole dish using some hearty ingredients with a bit of hispanic influence. As with many of my recipes, there are many tweaks and adjustments to be had if you're confident of what you're doing (it's not rocket science anyway! I have faith in you all!!), feel free to play about with the recipe and see where it takes you. Any improvements you think you have made, please feel to throw them at the comments below or in the feedback section of my blog. Anyway, on with the protocol for this little gem - first off, here's what you'll need to put this one together: The Roasty bit - 8 Plain Pork Sausages (that is - not herby ones!), 110g Chorizo, chopped into chunks or discs to your preference, 420g cooked Red Kidney Beans, 1 Whole Red Onion, 1 Whole Red (Bell) Pepper, 2 Chillies - 1 Red and 1 Green - preferably sweet larger ones for this recipe and deseeded, 3-4 finely chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp Tomato Puree, 150ml Chicken or Vegetable Stock, 100ml Red Wine, 2 Cloves of Garlic, 1 tsp dry-roasted and crushed/ground fennel seeds, 1 large piece/square of dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids or greater). The Topping - Sliced White Potatoes (enough to cover the casserole - depends on dish size!), Flaked Red Chillies, Salt and Pepper, Olive Oil, 1 tsp Paprika (either sweet or smoked is fine). What to do: 1. Heat the oven to 230 degrees. Chop the red onion into strips, scatter half of these across the bottom of the casserole dish with a sprinkling of olive oil. Now cut all of the pork sausages in half and place these on top of the onion, place in the over for 10-15 mins. Add slices of red pepper over the top, scattered equally - see Picture 1. 2. While the pork sausage and onions are roasting, slice the chillies, garlic, rest of the onion and the chorizo up into small chunks or discs and place in a frying pan, fry until the edges of the chorizo start to blacken and the onion slightly caramelises. Now add the chopped tomatoes, tomato puree, stock and red wine and the cooked kidney beans, simmer until reduced by a third and add the dark chocolate, stir through and if still not thick enough for your tastes, add a little roux at a time (1/2 tsp cornflour in milk will do the trick - be sure to stir through properly to avoid lumps). 3. In a separate frying pan, dry roast the teaspoon of fennel seeds until the pan is lightly smoking, transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder, add this to the reduced and slightly thickened, chorizo-stock-wine and bean mixture. Stir through and then pour this over the top of the pork sausages, peppers and onions. Over the top of the casserole, place slices (around 0.5cm thick) of the white potatoes, which should cover the sauce and sausages underneath. Season the potato topping with salt and pepper, flaked red chillies, paprika and a generous drizzle of olive oil. 4. Place the casserole back in the oven at 250 degrees for around 35-40 minutes, the potatoes should be crisping up and golden brown with some of the sauce bubbling up at the sides... it'll then be ready to serve as shown in picture 4! 5. The serving suggestion below (picture 5) shows the casserole with some wilted spinach (with a tiny bit of butter and olive oil) and some fresh sourdough bread for mopping up any leftover sauces. You can of course use flour tortillas or some rice if you so choose.... Hope this tickles people's fancy anyway, it certainly did the trick on a gloomy sunday evening where only something comforting and filling would do the trick. Enjoy! Pedro. |
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