Author: jda

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Beef Stew with Dumplings

A warming, conforting one pot meal for winter nights.

Ingredients

Enough for four people.

For the stew:

  • 1 kg of shin beef cut into 4cm cubes (shin is best, but any cut suitable for braising will work)
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and chunked
  • A small swede, peeled and chunked
  • Plain flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • Handful of parsley, chopped
  • 1/2 tsp Worcester suace
  • 1/2 cup pearl barley

For the dumplings

  • Suet
  • Plain flour
  • Water

Equipment

  • Cast iron stove-to-oven casserole dish with a lid. (You can improvise with a pan and an oven proof baking dish.)
  • Frying pan

Method

For the dumplings:

For the stew:

  1. Put a cup full of flour on to a plate and season well with salt and pepper
  2. Roll the beef a piece at a time in the flour coating all sides
  3. Heat two tbsp of oil in a fryng pan on a high heat
  4. Brown the cubes of beef in small batches, until golden brown on all sides. Set aside.
  5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in the casserole dish on a high heat and then add the onions

 

 

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Breakfast, Chilli Hot!!!, Dad makes best

Chorizo, Chilli and Corriander Omlette

Quick, easy cooked breakfast. See also Chorizo and Tomato Omlette.

Ingredients

1 egg

handful of fresh corriander leaves, chopped

5cm of good quality chorizo sausage, diced

1 hot red chilli, finely sliced

Equipment

A small non-stick frying pan

Method

  1. Put the pan on a high heat
  2. Fry the chilli and chorizo until the chorizo starts to brown and crisp
  3. Turn the heat to the lowest setting
  4. Whisk the egg with a fork and add to the pan
  5. Sprinkle over the corriander
  6. Leave to cook until the egg stops glistening and the chorizo is oozing oil
  7. Eat immediately

 

 

Breakfast

Bacon Sandwich

There are many different ways of making a bacon sandwich, some combinations work and some don’t.

Firstly you will need good quality bacon. Our bacon of choice is dry cured middle (it should go without saying with the rind on) supplied by Axon’s of Didsbury.

The next decision is the bread. On no account should you use brown bread – its just wrong.

If the bread is very fresh and soft then just the bread and the crispy bacon is all you need. A soft white batch roll works well for this. You will not need any butter – the bacon has enough fat. Never add a tomato if the bread is untoasted. The additon of a fried egg with black pepper is never a bad thing.

If you are toasting then you should butter the toast. The addition of either a sliced tomato or a fried egg and plenty of black pepper also works well. This is an either/or choice, never use both together.

Ingredients

Bacon

Bread

Then depending on the bacon and bread combination possibly butter, sliced fresh tomato or a fried egg, black pepper.

Equipment

A grill

Method

  1. Grill bacon until rind is crispy.
  2. Place the bacon between the bread
  3. Eat immediately

Photos

Uncategorized

How to Make Chips

The choice of potatoes is important. Floury potatoes will give the best results.

The other thing you need to pay attention to is cutting them uniformly so that they are all the same in cross-section. You are aiming for a square cross-section measuring between 10mm – 15mm on the edge.

Ingredients

Good quality chipping potatoes

Equipment

Deep fat fryer

Method

  1. Peel potatoes and rinse with cold water. Heat the deep fat fryer to 170ºC
  2. Now cut the potatoes. Start by cutting a thin slice from one side. Next cut into slices of equal thickness between 10 and 15mm depending on preference. Then for each slice cut a thin chip of one side to create a flat edge. Then cut the rest of the slice into chips so they have a square cross-section. Repeat for each potato. This will produce uniformly square chips, some small chips of random sizes and a thin slice from each potato.
  3. Now rinse the chips in cold runnig water to remove excess stratch.
  4. Pat the chips dry with a tea towel.
  5. Place the chips in the deep fat fryer, and cook until they start to colour. This will take about 10 min. If making a lot of chips, fry them in small batches.
  6. Remove the chips from the fryer and rest on kitchen roll. Turn the deep fat fryer to 190ºC.
  7. When the fryer is up to temperature return the chips to the fryer, cook until they are crispy. You will need to keep a close eye on them as it will not take long.
  8. Drain of excess oil and place in a warmed bowl lined with kitchen roll.
  9. They are ready to eat.

Photos

           

Pudding, Sweet

Chocolate Mousse

No introduction required.

Ingredients

200g Chocolate (75% Cocoa)

3 large eggs

40g Golden caster Sugar

120ml warm water

Equipment

Whisk

Pan and bowl for melting cholate

Bowl for whisking egg whites

Method

1. Place the broken-up chocolate and the warm water in a large heatproof bowl.

2. Sit the nowl over  a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.

3. With the heat at its lowest, allow the chocolate to melt slowly.

4. Remove it from the heat and give it a good stir until it’s smooth and glossy

5. Let the chocolate cool for 2-3 minutes before stirring in the egg yolks. Then give it another good mix with a wooden spoon.

6. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites to the soft-peak stage.

7 . The whisk the sugar into the egg whites, about a third at a time, then whisk again until the whites are glossy.

8. Using a metal spoon, fold a tablespoon of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then carefully fold in the rest.

9. Pour the mousse into whatever you want to servwe them in and  chill for at least 2 hours, covered with clingfilm.

 

Photos

 

Mum makes best, Recipe, Soup

Leek and Potato Soup

The classic soup, always popular.

Ingredients

1 medium onion
2 leeks
3-5 potatoes depending on size
750ml chicken stock (or veg)
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tbsp cream (optional)
25g butter
1tbsp olive oil

Equipment

A large sauce pan
A hand blender

Method

  1. Chop onion quite small (but not really fine) & soften slowly without colouring in 1 tbsp oil & generous slice butter. Add more butter if needed.
  2. Wash leeks, slice and rinse again (use white and green parts)
  3. Once onions are translucent add the leek, stir and cover pan. Stir occasionally.
  4. Peel potatoes and cut into small dice
  5. Add potatoes to pan once leeks have softened, and stir
  6. Make stock
  7. Add stock to pan and some white pepper
  8. Bring to boil then simmer for 10 minutes
  9. Remove a couple of spoonfuls of the leek and potato
  10. Blend the soup then return the leek and potato you reserved
  11. Check seasoning
  12. Add spoonful or two of cream, if liked

Photos

 

Dad makes best

Baked Risotto

Its called baked risotto and yes, it’s baked, but it bears little relation to risotto other than the rice. It is however delicious. It is the rice-based cousin of salami pasta.

Equipment

  • Oven-proof baking dish
  • Large pan

Ingredients

  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 1 bulb of fennel , finely sliced(optional, leave it out if you don’t like it)
  • 2 cooking chorizo sausages, cubed
  • 1tbsp olive oil for frying
  • 25g butter for frying
  • a few grilled artichokes (optional, leave it out if you don’t like it)
  • 1 tbsp bouillion powder
  • 1 cup of risotto rice
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • a handful of baby spinach, wilted
  • salt and pepper to season
  • 4 vine tomatoes (or similar amount of cherry tomatoes), chopped
  • 2 balls of mozarella, finely sliced
  • Handful of fresh basil leaves

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 130°C, placing the dish in the oven to warm
  2. Heat the oil and butter over a high heat and then add the onions
  3. Cook the onions on a medium heat until they are soft and translucent
  4. Add the chorizo and sliced fennel if using and cook untilt the chorizo fat is renedering
  5. Add the rice and stir constantly for 2 minutes
  6. Add the wine, keeping stiring until mix in
  7. Add 3 cups of boiling water, followed by the bouillion powder
  8. Stir well, then bring to a simmer.
  9. Season with pepper to taste
  10. Transfer to the oven dish, and bake in the oven for 20 minutes
  11. Chop the basil and mix with the tomatoes. Season well with salt and pepper
  12. Remove from the oven
  13. Turn the oven up to 220°C
  14. Stir in the spinach
  15. If the rice is very dry, top up with boiling water. How much you add will determine how sloppy the resulting dish is, so make it how you like it.
  16. Layer the tomatoes on top
  17. Followed by the sliced mozarella
  18. Return to the oven and bake until the mozarella has browned and the mixture is bubbling
  19. Eat immediately

 

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Uncategorized

Spaghetti with Hot Sauce

This recipe needs a very specific ingredient – the hot sauce. Its actually “Condimento per spaghetti” by Tutto Calabria. You can buy it from Italian Continental Shop.

Ingredients

Spaghetti

Hot sauce

Baby spinach

Italian sausage or cooking chorizo

Parmesan cheese.

Equipment

Sauce pan with a lid

Frying pan

Cheese grater

 

Method

1. Dice the sausage and fry over a moderate heat

2. Bring a pan of water to the boil, add salt, then the spaghetti.

3. Occaisonally turn the sausgae so it cooks on all sides.

4. Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the packet.

 

5. Transfer the sausage to a plate cover with kitchen roll to soak up excess fat.

6. When ready drain the spaghetti, and return the pan is was cooked in

7. Add a 1tbsp of hot sauce per person and stir until mixed well

8. Add a handful of spinach, mix and then place a lid on the pan to steam the spinach. It is ready when the spinach is wilted.

 

9. Grate the parmesan and transfer the pasta to bowl.

10. Top the spaghetti with the sausage and parmesan.

11. Eat immeadiately. Good with Daddy Salad and a glass of red wine.

Uncategorized

Crispy Sea Bass

Sea bass fillets shallowed fried like this makes the skin very crispy and the flesh perfectly cooked. Serve with rice and greens.

Ingredients

Sea bass fillets, boned, 2 per person

Ground nut oil for frying

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Equipment

A large frying pan

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Method

  1. Pat the fish dry on both sides using kitchen roll.

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2. Put enough oil into the pan to cover the bottom of the pan to a depth of 2mm and turn the heat to full.

3. Place the fish into the pan skin side down. Be careful – the oil is hot and will splash.

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4. Fry the fish until they are no longer translucant, but and even solid colour. To help them cook baste them with the oil. Do no turn them, keep them skin side down for the whole of the frying.

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5. Remove from the pan and pat dry with kitch roll to remove excess oil.

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6. Serve immediately.

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