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Archive for July, 2012

Garlic Mushrooms

Posted in Food, Spanish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 31 July 2012| 1 Comment »

A classic Spanish tapa dish. Don’t fork out for fancy mushrooms as ordinary button ones work perfectly here, taking on the flavours of the garlic, oil and white wine.

Champiñones al ajillo – to serve 4 as a tapa 

  • 250g button mushrooms, halved or quartered depending on what size they are
  • 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
  • ½ tsp chilli flakes (optional)
  • 4 tbsp dry white wine or 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan and sauté the mushrooms with the garlic and chilli over a medium-high heat. Add some salt and pepper as the mushrooms are cooking. The mushrooms will soak up all of the oil first and then release it again with their juices. Add the white wine or lemon juice, lower the heat and cook, uncovered, until the mushrooms are really soft, the juices have almost evaporated and the oil is sizzling through. This should take 15-20 minutes in total.

Stir in the parsley and serve with crusty bread to mop up the juices.

Drink with: a glass of rich and nutty Amontillado sherry.

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Aubergine Curry with lemongrass & coconut milk

Posted in Asian, Food, Indian, Riesling, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , on 30 July 2012| 3 Comments »

This is a really straightforward curry and we are glad to say it didn’t disappoint. The aubergine melts in the mouth and the spices are lovely and fresh as well as warming and comforting. Also takes no time at all to make.

Aubergine Curry with Lemongrass & Coconut Milk – serves 4

  • 3 large chillies, deseeded and chopped
  • 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • knob of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
  • 2 lemongrass stalks, peeled and chopped
  • 2 tbsn ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp chilli powder
  • 2-3 aubergine (approx 600g) quartered lengthways then halved
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sugar
  • 6 shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Fish Sauce (nam pla)
  • 400ml can coconut milk
  • 400ml vegetable stock
  • small bunch coriander, roughly chopped

Pulse  to a coarse paste chillies, garlic, ginger and lemongrass in a food processor. Set aside

Mix the turmeric and chilli powder together and rub it all over the aubergine wedges. Don’t worry if it look like a lot of spices – it works!

Heat olive oil in frying pan and brown aubergine in batches, setting the aubergine aside when done. Add the paste, sugar and shallots to pan and cook for a few minutes until the shallots and garlic soften.

Return aubergine to pan. Add fish sauce, coconut milk and stock, mix well and bring to the boil. Reduce heat and cook gently for about 15 minutes and until aubergine is tender but not mushy. Season and sprinkle coriander on top.

Serve hot with steamed rice.

Drink with: a aged Clare Valley riesling (at least 5 or six years old) or a fruity young Mosel Riesling.

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Sicilian Aubergine Pasta Pie

Posted in Food, Italian, Italy, Vegetarian, Wine, tagged , , , , , , on 29 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

One of those memorable dishes that combines flavours and textures to capture the Sicilian sun and bring it to a grey and wet Dublin summer evening; magic.

Timballo di Maccheroni (Baked Pasta with Aubergine) – serves 6

  • 3 Aubergine, see if you can get the round, pale violet ones for authenticity
  • sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 5 tablespoons breadcrumbs
  • 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
  • 400g rigatoni, or penne rigate
  • 60g caciocavallo, or pecorino cheese, grated

Thinly slice the Aubergine, sprinkle with salt and leave to drain in a colander for at least 2 hours. Squeeze lightly to get rid of excess liquid.

Preheat oven to 180C / 350F / Gas 4.

Grease a round cake tin with the unsalted butter; we used one that was 23cm wide and 3.5cm deep. put in 2 tablespoons of breadcrumbs and shake and turn the dish so that that they stick to the butter and line the dish.

Heat about 6mm of olive oil in a deep frying pan and sauté the aubergine slices in batches until lightly coloured. Lift out and drain on kitchen paper. Using about three quarters of the aubergine cover the base and sides of the breadcrumbed tin. Make sure that you overlap the slices so that there are no gaps.

Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat until soft, but not coloured. Add the tin of tomatoes and season with salt. Cover with a lid and simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes.

While this is cooking bring a pan of water to the boil, salt well and cook the pasta for 3 minutes less than the packet instructions, so that it is still al dente. Reserve some cooking water and then drain the pasta.

Spoon a layer of the pasta into the aubergine lined tin followed by tomato sauce, a layer of the aubergine and a layer of grated cheese. Repeat with the remaining pasta, tomato sauce, and a final layer of aubergine. Finish with the remaining breadcrumbs to form a coating on the top. Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes and until golden.

Let stand for about 10 minutes. This will allow the dish to firm up.

Put a plate over the top of the tin and holding both the plate and dish firmly, turn both over together so that the Timballo turns out onto the plate. Serve in wedges.

Serve with: a southern Italian red like Nero d’Avola or Negroamaro, both of which have a satisfying earthiness but aren’t too heavy for the flavours in this dish.

NB. if you’d like to make your own breadcrumbs, which is both easy and satisfying, then remove the crusts from stale bread, slice and put it on a baking tray in an oven at 80C for an hour to dry out. Either grate and sieve the dried bread (which gives a more random and authentic look) or blitz in a blender.

(Original recipe from Georgio Locatelli: Made in Sicily, Fourth Estate, 2011.)

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Gok Wan’s Beef in Black Bean sauce

Posted in Asian, Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , on 27 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

Gok Wan has reinvigorated our enjoyment of Chinese food. This is not the black-bean sauce we have been used to getting in restaurants and manages to be both light and have great depth with very distinctive Chinese flavours and aromas. Don’t be tempted to omit the pickled chilli as it really makes the dish.

Warning: this is nothing like the gloopy stuff you get from the Chinese take-away. Just so you know.

Beef in Fragrant Black Bean Sauce – to serve 2

  • 250g broccoli, cut into small florets
  • 3 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp groundnut oil
  • a 2cm pice of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2/3 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
  • 1 scallion, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp fermented black beans, soaked for 5 minutes in warm water and drained
  • 250 sirloin steak, fat removed and sliced into strips
  • 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
  • ground white pepper
  • 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry
  • light soy sauce, to taste

FOR THE QUICK PICKLED CHILLI

  • 1 red chilli, sliced into long diagonal strips
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 1-2 tsp caster sugar

Firs make the pickled chilli by putting the strips of chilli into a bowl and cover with rice vinegar. Sprinkle with the caster sugar and leave to soak.

Blanch the broccoli in salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and season with a drizzle of sesame oil and some salt.

Heat a wok over a high heat and add a good splash of oil. Add the ginger, garlic and scallion and stir-fry for about 10 seconds, just to soften the garlic. Add the black beans and cook for 20 seconds more.

Add the steak and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until sealed on all sides. Add the chilli, blanched broccoli and some salt and white pepper, along with the Shaoxing rice wine, 1 tsp of soy sauce and 1 tbsp water. Toss together, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

Drain the pickled chilli and serve with the beef and some rice.

(Original recipe from Gok Cooks Chinese, Penguin, 2012.)

 

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Easy Chicken & Corn Pie

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , on 19 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

One of those recipes that work because of their simplicity. The flavours all work together so there is no need to mess with them.

Easy Chicken & Corn Pie – to serve 4

  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 400g chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 150ml chicken stock
  • 325g can sweetcorn, drained
  • 6 tbsp crème fraîche
  • handful of parsey or basil, chopped
  • 750g potatoes, cuts into chunks

Fry the onion and chicken in the oil for 5-10 minutes or until the onion is soft and the chicken golden. Pour over the stock, bring to the boil, then simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Add the corn, half of the crème fraîche,  the herbs and some seasoning.

Meanwhile, boil potatoes until soft, then drain and mash with the rest of the crème fraîche and some salt and pepper. Pour the chicken into a pie dish and top with the mash. Put the dish on a baking tray and put under the grill until golden.

Drink with: a glass of full-bodied, oaked Chardonnay.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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A frugal Monday night

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Prawns, Shellfish, tagged , , , , on 18 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

With a small tub of cooked prawns we were able to use up left over ingredients from the weekend with this fresh and summery Linguine. Tasty food doesn’t need many ingredients, just good quality ones.

Creamy Prawn Linguine – to serve 2

  • 200g linguine
  • 100g cooked prawns (defrosted if frozen)
  • 2 tbsp crème fraîche
  • handful of grated Parmesan

Cook the linguine according to the pack instructions. Scoop out a little of the cooking water and reserve, then throw in the prawns before draining, just to heat them through.

Return the pasta and prawns to the pan, then add the rest of the ingredients and season well. Add a bit of the pasta cooking water if it looks dry. Serve with some extra Parmesan.

Drink with: a wine as straightforward and easy as the dish – we’d go for a light and uncomplicated Frascati from the Lazio/Rome area. Also a good match for football 🙂

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Greek Briam (oven-baked vegetables with fresh herbs)

Posted in Food, Greek, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 17 July 2012| 8 Comments »

This has such great flavours that we made it two days in a row – it’s even great cold the next day so don’t be put off by the large quantities. Serve with barbecue lamb or just some feta cheese.

Briam – to serve 8 

  • 150ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a bit extra to grease the tin
  • 500g waxy potatoes, peeled and cut lengthways into ½ cm thick slices
  • 6 garlic cloves, sliced
  • 2 large courgettes, sliced
  • 1 large aubergine, cut into 1cm thick slices
  • 1 large green pepper, cut into chunks
  • 1 large red pepper, cut into chunks
  • 1 large red onion, thickly sliced
  • 15-20g dill sprigs
  • 15-20g flat-leaf parsley sprigs
  • 200ml passata

Preheat the oven to 190ºC.

Oil a large roasting tin (about 26 x 36 cm) well and spread the potatoes on the base in a single layer. Season with salt and pepper, then scatter over the garlic and courgettes. Season again, then add a layer each of the aubergine, peppers and onion, seasoning between each layer. Scatter over half the dill and parsley sprigs, cover with tomato slices and then add the rest of the herbs and season again. Pour the sieved tomatoes over the top, followed by the olive oil.

Cover the roasting tin tightly with foil and bake for about 1½ hours or until the vegetables are tender.

If you have a lot of juices in the tin, carefully pour them into a wide pan and boil until reduced and concentrated. Pour back over the vegetables and leave to cool a bit before serving.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes, BBC Books, 2007.)

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BBQ Greek Lamb Souvlaki

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Greek, Lamb, tagged , , , , , on 16 July 2012| 1 Comment »

These Greek kebabs are easy and delicious when barbecued and served with Tzatziki (a Greek yogurt dip), sliced tomatoes, pickled chillies and sliced gherkins.

Souvlaki – to serve 8

  • 2kg boned shoulder of lamb
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 large lemon, juiced plus wedges to serve
  • 150ml extra virgin olive oil
  • Paprika for sprinkling

Trim excess fat off the lamb and cut into bite-sized pieces. Put into a bowl with the oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, 2 tsps salt and some black pepper and leave to marinate at room temperature for about an hour.

Preheat the barbecue. Thread the lamb onto metal skewers and cook on the hot barbecue, until browned on the outside but still juicy in the centre. Sprinkle with a pinch of paprika and a squeeze of lemon juice to serve.

Drink with: a southern Italian red such as Negromaro or Primitivo. Italian wines from Puglia and Calabria complement Greek foods very well which is not surprising given the very strong historical and social links between them. In this case there is a good balance of warm ripe fruits, earthy tannins and medium weight.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes, BBC Books, 2007.)

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Delicious Greek Yogurt Dip

Posted in Food, Greek, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 16 July 2012| 1 Comment »

The best Tzatziki we’ve made with great flavour and a really thick creamy texture. Totally different to the watery shop-bought versions. Serve with lightly toasted pitta breads, for dipping, or Greek lamb kebabs.

Tzatziki – to serve 6 

  • 1 large cucumber
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 500g natural Greek ewe’s milk yogurt (‘Total’ if you can find it – don’t buy a low-fat version for this)
  • 75g scallions, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill or mint
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp white wine vinegar

Peel most of the skin off the cucumber but not all of it. Coarsely grate the cucumber, put into a clean tea towel and squeeze out most of the excess liquid.

Crush the garlic into a smooth paste by adding a large pinch of salt and crushing on a board with the back of a large knife.

Put the yogurt into a bowl and stir in the cucumber, garlic, scallions, dill or mint, olive oil, vinegar and some seasoning.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes, BBC Books, 2007.)

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Asian Pork Noodle Salad

Posted in Asian, Food, Healthy, Pork, tagged , , , , , on 12 July 2012| 1 Comment »

This is really quick and healthy, with nice fresh flavours.

Asian Pork Noodle Salad – to serve 2

  • 100g rice noodles
  • 2 stalks of lemongrass, chopped
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 200g lean minced pork
  • ½ tsp soft brown sugar
  • small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
  • small bunch mint, roughly chopped
FOR THE DRESSING:
  • ½ garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • ½ tbsp soft brown sugar
  • 2 limes, juiced
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce

Pour boiling water over the noodles and leave to soak according to the pack instructions. Drain and cool under running water.

Cook the lemon grass and shallots for a couple of minutes, then add the pork and cook until browned and cooked through. Stir in the sugar and stir to dissolve.

Mix the dressing ingredients together and toss with the noodles and pork, then add the coriander and mint and serve.

Drink with: a glass of Riesling – try with one of the slightly off-dry New Zealand styles.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Easy Veggie Filo Pie

Posted in Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 11 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

This dish is easily doubled to make two pies, particularly if you are like us and had to defrost a whole packet of filo pastry.  The filo is very forgiving so don’t worry if you’re pastry sheets don’t look too neat and tidy. You could add some cooked chicken if you like things meaty.

Easy Veggie Filo Pie – to serve 4

  • 200g spinach leaves
  • 175g jar sundried tomatoes in oil
  • 100g feta, crumbled
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ 250g pack filo pastry

Put the spinach into a large pan. Add a 2 tbps water, then cook until just wilted. Drain in a sieve, then squeeze out with your hands once it’s cold enough to handle. Roughly chop and put into a bowl. Roughly chop the tomatoes (reserve the oil) and add to the spinach with the feta and eggs. Mix well.

Unroll the pastry and be careful not to tear the sheets too much. Cover with some damp kitchen roll to stop it drying out. Take a sheet of pastry and brush really well with some of the oil from the tomatoes. Drape the sheet, oil-side down, in a 22cm loose-bottomed cake tin, leaving some pastry hanging over the sides. Brush another sheet and place in the tin at a slightly different angle. Keep doing this until you have used about 3 of the pastry sheets. Pull the sides into the middle, making sure the filling is totally covered. Brush with a bit more oil on the top if necessary.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Cook the pie for 30 minutes or until the pastry is crisp and browned. Slice into wedges and serve with a salad and some tzatziki.

Drink with: a glass of Chablis which should have a saline quality to compliment the salty feta.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Retro Chicken & White Wine Casserole

Posted in Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , on 10 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

Genuinely retro, but really simple and tasty casserole.

Chicken & White Wine Casserole – to serve 4

  • 2 sticks celery
  • 2 onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 1 heaped tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tin chopped tomatoes
  • a few sprigs of thyme
  • 500g diced, boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 500ml white white
  • olive oil
Preheat the oven to 180ºC/gas 4.

Roughly chop the celery, onions and carrots. Heat a large casserole over a medium heat. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil and fry the vegetables and thyme for 10 minutes.

Add the chicken and the flour and stir well. Then add the white wine and tinned tomatoes. Stir again and season well with salt and pepper.

Bring to the boil, then cover and cook in the oven for 1½ hours. Check it after an hour and add a splash of water if it looks a bit dry.

Taste for seasoning and serve with some steamed potatoes and green veg.

Drink with: a glass of straightforward unoaked Chardonnay, like a Mâcon Villages – you might have to open another bottle if everyone wants a glass 🙂

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Ministry of Food, Penguin, 2008.)

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Courgette Linguine

Posted in Food, Healthy, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 9 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

Jono’s boss grows his own courgettes and they’re coming out his ears at the moment, so we are happily helping him eat them!

Courgette & Lemon Linguine – to serve 4

  • 300g linguine
  • 3 courgettes, grated
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tsp chilli flakes
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • handful of basil leaves, torn

Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook the linguine according to the pack instructions.

Meanwhile, heat the oil and fry the courgettes over a high heat for a few minutes. Add the garlic and chilli and cook for another minute or so.

Drain the pasta and tip into the courgettes, then add the lemon zest. Season, drizzle with some extra olive oil and scatter over the basil.

Drink with: a glass of Italian Pinot Grigio. Try and find one of the more aromatic versions from Friuli, the Alto Adige or a Riserva from the Veneto.

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Peaches Baked Two Ways

Posted in Dessert, Food, Wine, tagged , , , , , on 8 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

The peaches at the moment are really tasty so we’re gorging on them while they’re in season. Here are two easy and delicious dessert recipes to distract ourselves from just eating the peaches fresh.

Baked peaches with an almond crust – to serve 4

  • 4 ripe peaches
  • 50g almonds – no need to skin
  • 50g golden caster sugar
  • 45g butter

Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones and put them in a shallow baking dish cut-side up.

Blitz the almonds in a food processor until you have a coarse rubble. Add the sugar and butter and mi again briefly.

Spoon the almond mixture on top of the peaches and bake for about ¾ of an hour or until the peaches are super-soft and the topping is crispy. Pour a little double cream over to serve.

Baked peaches with maple syrup and vanilla – to serve 4

  • 4 ripe peaches
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • juice of a lime

Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Cut the peaches in half, remove the stones and put in a shallow baking dish cut-side up.

Pour the maple syrup into a bowl. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add to the maple syrup along with the lime juice. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the peaches are really soft. Baste them occasionally while they cook.

Drink with: a fragrant and slightly frothy Moscato d’Asti from the Piemonte region in Italy. Moscato is a completely under-rated wine that is fruity and light (about 5% alc.) and won’t overwhelm the dessert. We find that Moscato is quite often a much better match for fruit based desserts than traditional, much sweeter, “dessert” wines.

(Both recipes are adapted from Nigel Slater’s Tender: Volume II, Fourth Estate, 2010.)

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Sardinian Pasta with Sausage and Tomato Sauce

Posted in Food, Grenache, Italian, Pasta, Pork, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , on 5 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

Gnochetti sardi is a Sardinian pasta shape which is shaped like gnocchi but made of durum wheat semolina and no eggs. It is a staple in Sardinia and usually prepared with a heavy tomato based  ragù or sauce made with beef, lamb or sausage. The ragù clings to the heavy ridged pasta shape.

If you can’t find gnochetti sardi then another short pasta shape, like penne, will do. This will serve 4 as a main course but stretches to many more as a first course which is how we like to serve it.

Sardinian Pasta with Sausage and Tomato Sauce – to serve 4

  • 500g bag of gnocchetti sardi pasta
  • 15g dried porcini
  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp crushed dried chillies
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds, lightly crushed
  • 350g Italian sausages or other meaty pork sausages
  • 120 ml dry white wine
  • 400g tin chopped tomatoes
  • Pecorino or Parmesan to serve

Soak the porcini mushrooms in 100ml of boiling water for about 30 minutes. Drain the mushrooms and chop but don’t throw away the soaking liquid as you’ll need it later.

Bring a really large pan of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, skin the sausages and break the meat up into little pieces.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, then add the onion, garlic, chilies and fennel seeds and fry gently until nicely coloured.

Add the sausagemeat and mushrooms and continue to fry for another 5 minutes. Add the wine and bubble for a couple of minutes to reduce, then add the tomatoes and mushroom soaking liquid. Season well with salt and pepper. Leave the sauce to simmer for about half an hour.

Cook the pasta according to the pack, then drain and add to the sauce. Pass around the cheese and let people help themselves.

Drink with: the Sardinian red wines would work a treat, especially the ones made from Cannonau or Carignano. These two grape varieties are better known as Grenache and Carignan, so if there are no Sardinian gems in the local, find something made from these grapes and you’ll have a match.

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Irish Buffalo Mozzarella Salad

Posted in Cheese, Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 4 July 2012| 1 Comment »

Some industrious fellow has imported real live Water Buffalos and is making proper Irish Buffalo mozzarella in Macroom. Well done him! This stuff is truly delicious and deserves to be the star of the show so we suggest serving it generously with some complementary bits (instead of putting it on a pizza!). Here’s what we tried first and we’ll defo be back for more. If you’re in Dublin you can pick some up in Fallon & Byrne on Exchequer Street or at any Real Olive Company stall at your local market.

Real Live Irish Buffalo Mozzarella Salad (with beetroot, capers & tomatoes) – to serve 4

  • 4 balls of fresh buffalo mozzarella (don’t substitute the cheaper cows milk stuff for this recipe)
  • 4 medium-sized beetroot
  • 4 ripe plum tomatoes
  • 2 tbsp salted capers, rinsed and drained
  • 1tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp top-quality extra virgin olive oil
  • handful of torn basil leaves
Cook the beetroot in boiling water for about an hour or until tender (the cooking time will vary slightly with different beetroot sizes so best to cook them earlier in the day and leave to cool). Peel and cut into chunky slices. Slice the tomatoes into chunky slices too.
Make a dressing with the vinegar and olive oil and pour into a bowl. Add the beetroot, tomatoes and capers, season well and toss gently.
Serve the salad with the mozzarella and scatter over the basil leaves.
Drink with: a northern Italian red. Try Dolcetto for freshness, Barbera for a bit of earthiness or Teroldego for freshness and gentle pepper spices.

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Barbecue Monkfish Kebabs

Posted in Albarino, Fish, Food, Healthy, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , on 3 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

This is a Basque inspired dish where fresh fish is cooked really simply over hot coals. Firm fish like Monkfish, or Grouper, will not fall apart as easily so make them perfect for barbecuing. Serve with a green salad and some bread.

Barbecue Monkfish Kebabs – to serve 4

  • 1 kg monkfish fillets, cut into large chunks
  • 12 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
  • 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
  • 3 tbsp lemon juice

Light the barbecue and wait until it is really hot before you start cooking.

Thread the monkfish onto 4 metal skewers. Make a marinade using 6 tbsp of the olive oil, the lemon juice, 3 tbsp of the white wine vinegar and 1 tsp salt. Brush this lightly over the kebabs and barbecue until the fish is browned and cooked through. Keep brushing with the marinade as the fish cooks.

Put 6 tbsp olive oil, the garlic and chilli flakes into a small pan and heat over a high heat until the garlic turns golden (but don’t let it go brown as it will turn bitter). Take off the heat and stir in the parsley, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and ½ tsp salt. Drizzle over the fish and serve.

Drink with: a chilled glass of Txakoli if you can find it. This Basque speciality is hard to find outside Spain but an Albarino from Galicia makes a more than satisfactory substitute.

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Roast Tomato & Basil Orecchiette

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 1 July 2012| Leave a Comment »

There is huge quantity of cherry tomatoes in this but they break down into a great pasta sauce. You can serve this as a main course for 4 people or a starter for 6-8. It’s really quick and easy to throw together.

Roast tomato & basil orecchiette – to serve 4 (or 6-8 as a starter)

  • 1.3kg cherry tomatoes
  • 4 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
  • olive oil
  • 500g dried orecchiette
  • 30 large basil leaves
  • 4 tbsp double cream
  • grated Parmesan or pecorino
Pre-heat the grill.
Put the tomatoes in a single layer in a large roasting tray. Scatter the sliced garlic over the tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil. Put the tomatoes under the grill and leave until starting to burst and turning black in places. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the packet.
Crush the tomatoes with a fork, then stir in the basil leaves. Stir in the cream and a handful of grated Parmesan or pecorino. Season to taste and serve with more cheese for people to add themselves.
Drink with: a light Chianti Rufina.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater: the kitchen diaries, Fourth Estate, 2005.)

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