Month: May 2018

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Steak, Chips and Salad

This is not so much a recipe as a guide on how to eat steak, chips and salad.

When I was growing up we would have Steak, Chips and Salad for tea every Saturday. Without fail. Even after half the family became vegetarian. They obviously did not have steak.

Steak

Use any type of steak you want. Cook it using your preferred method. Some examples:

Chips

The only choice you need to make is between Chips or Frites. Growing up it would always be chips. But Frites are equally delicious.

Salad

Grandad Salad would be my preference. Georgina Salad or Daddy Salad would also work if you don’t like lettuce.

 

Bread

Steak, chips and salad sandwiches are delicious, so serve with bread and mayonnaise.

Only use soft white bread that is really fresh:

  • Barm cakes, baps or rolls
  • Baguette baked on the same day, crusty on the outside but soft on the inside
  • Any load that is crusty on the outside but soft on the inside

Extras

Salt and vinegar on the chips, obviously.

There is no need for a sauce; all the liquid you need comes from the salad and steak. There is also no need to add grilled tomato or mushroom; its already a complete meal.

Alternatives

Steak, chips and salad is the best way to eat steak but its not the only way.

  • Steak with frites, grilled tomato and mushroom, with béarnaise sauce.
  • Steak with Caesar Salad.
  • Peppered steak with peppercorn sauce and rice.
  • Yellow curry steak

 

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Potato Rösti

Also known as the “Swiss Potato Pancake”, it’s traditonally a breakfast dish – think hash brown. Good with fried eggs. Potato rösti is also a great alternative to chips or roast potatoes at any time.

The choice of potato is important – it needs to be waxy to hold its shape, but also a bit starchy to brown and crisp.

Getting the heat just right can be tricky; too high and it will burn, too low and it will be soggy. Try a medium heat to begin with and adjust accordingly.

It is also puts the Supreme into a Bad Boy Supreme.

This recipe makes enough for 4 people

Equipment

  • A frying pan
  • A grater

 

Ingredients

  • 2 medium size potatoes
  • 1 tbsp goose fat (or any kind of animal fat)
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • Salt
  • Black pepper

Method

  1. Parboil the potatoes in salted water until just tender, but not soft.
  2. Allow to cool, and chill for at least a couple of hours, ideally in the fridge.
  3. Coarsely grate the potatoes and season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
  4. Heat half the fat in a small, heavy-based frying pan until sizzling, and then add the grated potato
  5. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes and then shape it into a flat cake, pressing down as lightly as possible.
  6. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes, then gently shake the pan to loosen the potato.
  7. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes until golden and crisp, then place a plate on top of the pan and invert it so the cake sits, cooked-side up, on the plate.
  8. Add the rest of the butter and goose fat to the pan and, when hot, slide the potato cake back into the pan the other way up.
  9. Cook for another 10 minutes, then serve.

Pictures

  1. Parboil the potatoes in salted water until just tender, but not soft.
  2. Allow to cool, and chill for at least a couple of hours, ideally in the fridge.
  3. Coarsely grate the potatoes and season with sea salt and fresh ground black pepper.

  4. Heat half the fat in a small, heavy-based frying pan until sizzling, and then add the grated potato.



  5. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes and then shape it into a flat cake, pressing down as lightly as possible.
  6. Allow to cook for a couple of minutes, then gently shake the pan to loosen the potato.
  7. Continue to cook for about 10 minutes until golden and crisp, then place a plate on top of the pan and invert it so the cake sits, cooked-side up, on the plate.
  8. Add the rest of the butter and goose fat to the pan and, when hot, slide the potato cake back into the pan the other way up.
  9. Cook for another 10 minutes, then serve.

 

 

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Bad Boy Supreme

The Bad Boy Supreme – no introduction needed.

However, if you are not familiar with the Bad Boy Supreme, it’s a turkey, bacon, cheese burger with lettuce, onion, cucumber, tomato and a potato rösti. The later is what makes it a Bad Boy Supreme; leave it out and you’ve just got a Bad Boy.

The bread must be a white, soft roll, ideally with sesame seeds. You need to use turkey breast fillets and streaky bacon. Use which ever cheese you like – cheddar, mozzarella, etc. – my personal favourite is manchego.

Equipment

All you need is a grill for the bacon and a frying pan for the turkey.

Ingredients

  • 1 soft white roll
  • 1 turkey breast fillet
  • 2 rashers streaky bacon
  • Potato rösti
  • Thinly sliced cheese
  • Sliced tomato
  • Slice onion
  • Sliced cucumber
  • Shredded lettuce (iceberg, butterhead, romane)
  • Mayonnaise
  • Optional additional sauces (Chilli, Burger, Tomato)

Method

  1. Prepare the tomato, lettuce, onion, cucumber and cheese.
  2. Season the turkey well with salt and pepper.
  3. Make the potato rösti.
  4. Heat the oil and butter in the frying pan over a high heat until bubbling.
  5. Fry the turkey to a golden crust on each side.
  6. Meanwhile grill the bacon until its crisp.
  7. Now you can assemble your Bad Boy Supreme.
  8. First tear the roll in half and cover each side with mayonnaise. If using other sauces add them now.
  9. Then layer the lettuce, onion on to the lower half of bread.
  10. Next add the potato rösti. The slice of rösti should be the same in size as the bread.
  11. Place the turkey on top of the rösti, the cheese on top of the turkey and the bacon on top of the cheese.
  12. Next add the cucumber, followed by the tomato. Season the tomato by grinding over black pepper.
  13. Carefully position the top half of the bread roll to finish.

Pictures

  1. Prepare the tomato, lettuce, onion, cucumber and cheese.

  2. Make the potato rösti.
  3. Season the turkey well with salt and pepper.
  4. Heat the oil and butter in the frying pan over a high heat until bubbling.
  5. Fry the turkey to a golden crust on each side.

  6. Meanwhile grill the bacon until its crisp.

  7. Now you can assemble your Bad Boy Supreme.
  8. First tear the roll in half and cover each side with mayonnaise. If using other sauces add them now.

  9. Then layer the lettuce and onion on the bread.

  10. Next add the potato rösti. The slice of rösti should be the same in size as the bread.
  11. Place the turkey on top of the rösti, the cheese on top of the turkey and the bacon on top of the cheese.

  12. Next add the cucumber, followed by the tomato. Season the tomato by grinding over black pepper.

  13. Carefully position the top half of the bread roll to finish.

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Lamb chops with houmous and tomatoes

Not so much a recipe, but a easy, quick and delicious meal.

Good with warm pitta bread.

You can make your own houmous if you really want to, but shop bought is just as good and much easier.

This recipe makes enough for 2 people.

Equipment

  • Oven proof dish for roasting tomatoes.

Ingredients

  • 4 Lamb chops (2 per person)
  • 2 Tomatoes (1 per person)
  • Salt and pepper
  • Tub of houmous
  • 2 Pitta bread
  • (Optional) chilli sauce

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Season the lamb chops well with salt and freshly ground pepper
  3. Cut the tomatoes in half, put in the oven dish and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Put the tomatoes in the oven and leave for 20 minutes
  5. Put the grill on to a high heat.
  6. The lamb chops will take no more than 10 minutes
  7. Put the lamb chops under the grill.
  8. After 5 minutes, turn the lamb chops
  9. After another 5 minutes, remove the lamb chops from the grill and the tomatoes from the oven.
  10. Put two pitta bread under the grill. After 1 minute, turn them over. Then after another minute remove from the grill.
  11. Put the lamb chops, tomatoes, houmous on to a plate.
  12. Serve immediately with the grilled pitta and optionally chilli sauce.

Pictures

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Season the lamb chops well with salt and freshly ground pepper.
  3. Cut the tomatoes in half, put in the oven dish and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  4. Put the tomatoes in the oven and leave for 20 minutes
  5. Put the grill on to a high heat.
  6. The lamb chops will take no more than 10 minutes
  7. Put the lamb chops under the grill.
  8. After 5 minutes, turn the lamb chops.
  9. After another 5 minutes, remove the lamb chops from the grill and the tomatoes from the oven.
  10. Put two pitta bread under the grill. After 1 minute, turn them over. Then after another minute remove from the grill.
  11. Put the lamb chops, tomatoes, houmous on to a plate.
  12. Serve immediately with the grilled pitta and optionally chilli sauce.
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Braised Vegetables

Almost a meal in itself. You can vary the vegetables you use. The classic combination (as below) is leeks, carrots and peas. Lettuce, fennel, mange tout and green beans also work well in this dish.

This recipe will make enough for four people.

Equipment

  • Pan with a lid (a sautee pan is ideal).

Ingredients

  • 15g of butter
  • 1 clove of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup of cubed pancetta
  • 4 spring onions, sliced. Separate the green parts from the white parts
  • 4 carrots, diced
  • 4 leeks, sliced  into pices about 15mm thick
  • bowl of frozen peas
  • 1/2 chicken stock cube
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Finely slice the garlic, dice the carrots and slice the leeks.
  2. Slice the sping onions dividing into white and green parts. They will be added at different times so need to be separated.
  3. Melt the butter in the pan on a medium heat
  4. When the butter has melted and is bubbling add the pancetta, white parts of the spring onions and carrots. Fry for 5 minutes stirring regularly.
  5. Add the gralic and fry for a minute.
  6. Add the leeks and fry until soft, stirring regularly.
  7. Make the stock and add 125ml to the pan.
  8. Season with black pepper.
  9. When the stock starts to simmer, put the lid on the pan and move on to the lowest possible heat. Stir after 5 minutes.
  10. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, stir and then add the peas and green parts of the sping onions.
  11. If there is no liquid, add more stock.
  12. Turn the heat up to medium, bring the liquid to a simmer.
  13. When the peas are cooked, its ready.
  14. Serve immeadiately.

Pictures

  1. Finely slice the garlic, dice the carrots and slice the leeks.
  2. Slice the sping onions dividing into white and green parts. They will be added at different times so need to be separated.
  3. Melt the butter in the pan on a medium heat.
  4. When the butter has melted and is bubbling add the pancetta, white parts of the spring onions and carrots. Fry for 5 minutes stirring regularly.
  5. Add the gralic and fry for a minute.
  6. Add the leeks and fry until soft, stirring regularly.
  7. Make the stock and add 125ml to the pan.
  8. Season with black pepper.
  9. When the stock starts to simmer, put the lid on the pan and move on to the lowest possible heat. Stir after 5 minutes.
  10. After 10 minutes, remove the lid, stir and then add the peas and green parts of the sping onions.
  11. If there is no liquid, add more stock
  12. Turn the heat up to medium, bring the liquid to a simmer.
  13. When the peas are cooked, its ready.
  14. Serve immeadiately.
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How to Make Chips

There are lots of different ways to make chips. This one deep fries the chips twice, once a low heat and then in oil as hot as you can get it. The first cooking makes the insides fluffy; the second cooking makes the outsides crispy.

Much of the skill in making chips come in cutting them correctly. The easiest way to do this reliably and consistently is to cut a thin slice of one slide; this creates a flat side. Put the potato flat side down and it will be stable whilst you slice it. Slice along the potato’s length for long chips. (Slicing across the length will give smaller slices and so smaller chips.) For chips, you should be aiming for 10-15 mm square crosss section, so thats how wide your slcies should be. Then take each slice, and cut into individual chips.

Choose your potatoes carefully. You want potatoes that have a high dry matter content, such as Cara or Maris Piper. Try to avoid the more waxy varieties. You also want them to be quite big, otherwise you will have small chips.

Vary the number of potatoes to make the desired amount of chips.

Equipment

  • Deep fat frier

Ingredients

  • Potatoes
  • Oil for frying

Method

  1. Heat the deep fat fryer to 140°C.
  2. Peel the potatoes.
  3. Cut the potatoes. The easiest way to do this reliably and consistently is to cut a thin slice of one slide; this creates a flat side. Put the potato flat side down and it will be stable whilst you slice it. For chips, you should be aiming for 10-15mm square crosss section, so thats how wide your slcies should be. Then take each slice, and cut into individual chips.
  4. Rinse the chips well under running cold water.
  5. Dry the chips on a tea towel.
  6. Fry the chips for 8 minutes. The aim at this stage is to cook them through, so they should be soft, but not yet golden.
  7. Take the chips out and leave to rest.
  8. Turn the fryer up to its maiximum heat (usually about 190°C).
  9. When it is up to temperature return the chips to the fryer.
  10. Cook the chips until the they are golden and crispy. This will take at least 5 minutes. You will need to look every minute or so to check on how they are doing.
  11. When they are done to your liking, tips the hips into a bowl lined with kitchen roll to soak up excess frying oil.

Pictures

    1. Heat the deep fat fryer to 140°C.
    2. Peel the potatoes.
  1. Cut the potatoes. The easiest way to do this reliably and consistently is to cut a thin slice of one slide; this creates a flat side. Put the potato flat side down and it will be stable whilst you slice it. For chips, you should be aiming for 10-15mm square crosss section, so thats how wide your slcies should be. Then take each slice, and cut into individual chips.
  2. Rinse the chips well under running cold water.
  3. Dry the chips on a tea towel.
  4. Fry the chips for 8 minutes. The aim at this stage is to cook them through, so they should be soft, but not yet golden.
  5. Take the chips out and leave to rest.
  6. Turn the fryer up to its maiximum heat (usually about 190°C).
  7. When it is up to temperature return the chips to the fryer.
  8. Cook the chips until the they are golden and crispy. This will take at least 5 minutes. You will need to look every minute or so to check on how they are doing.
  9. When they are done to your liking, tips the hips into a bowl lined with kitchen roll to soak up excess frying oil.