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Archive for December, 2012

Anna Del Conte’s Ragù alla Bolognese

Posted in Beef, Food, Italian, tagged , , , , , on 28 December 2012| Leave a Comment »

Ragu alla Bolognese

We love Anna Del Conte’s Gastronomy of Italy which is where we found this excellent Bolognese sauce.

Ragù alla Bolognese – to serve 4

  • 50g unsalted butter
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 100g unsmoked pancetta, finely chopped
  • 1 small onion, very finely chopped
  • 1 small carrot, very finely chopped
  • 1 small celery stalk, very finely chopped
  • 350g lean braising steak, minced
  • 5 tbsp red wine
  • 1½ tbsp tomato purée
  • 100ml hot meat stock
  • 5 tbsp milk

Heat the butter and olive oil with the pancetta in a deep, heavy-based saucepan. Fry gently for a few minutes and then add the chopped vegetables. Keep frying over a medium heat until the vegetables are soft.

Add the mince and cook until it is sealed, breaking any lumps up with a spoon. Pour over the red wine and boil briskly for a few minutes until the liquid has almost evaporated.

Dilute the tomato paste with the stock and add to the pan. Season well and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Meanwhile, bring the milk to simmering point in a small pan.

Pour the milk over the meat and stir well. Cook, uncovered, over the lowest heat for at least 2 hours. You don’t want the ragù to boil, but just break a few bubbles on the surface. Stir now and then as it cooks and adjust the seasoning at the end. Serve with tagliatelle.

Wine Suggestion: You need something red with high acidity. Try something Sangiovese-based from Italy and you won’t go far wrong.

(Original recipe from Anna Del Conté’s Gastronomy of Italy, Pavillon, 2001.)

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Ditalini with Anchovies and Sun-dried Tomatoes

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, tagged , , , , , on 27 December 2012| Leave a Comment »

This pasta dish has really strong and delicious flavours. We don’t recommend trying it on your non-anchovy loving friends.

Ditaline rigati con acciughe e pomodori secchi – to serve 4

  • 6 anchovies in oil
  • 120g dried breadcrumbs*
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tsp garlic oil**
  • 12 sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped
  • 120 ml white wine
  • a pinch of dried chilli flakes
  • 400g ditalini rigate 
  • 1 tbsp parsley and garlic ***
  • 60g pecorino cheese, grated

Drain the anchovies, and cut 3 of the fillets into long strips.

Toast the breadcrumbs in a dry pan over a medium heat, until they are a good dark golden brown but be careful that they don’t burn.

Heat the olive oil and garlic oil in a large pan over a medium heat, add the 3 whole anchovy fillets and cook very gently, stirring, for a minute, to break them up and melt them a bit. Stir in the tomatoes, then add the wine and bubble up so it evaporates. Add the chilli flakes.

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add plenty of salt, and put in the pasta. Cook for about a minute less than the advice on the pack, so that it is al dente. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, add to the anchovy and tomato sauce and toss together, adding a spoon of the cooking water if needed to loosen. Add the parsley and garlic and toss again. Serve sprinkled with the toasted breadcrumbs, the cheese, and the strips of anchovy.

* You need to use good quality bread to make good breadcrumbs (so stay clear of the sliced white stuff). Cut the crusts off your stale bread, cut it into slices, put it on a baking tray and bake at 80ºC for an hour. When the bread has dried out, grate it (or use a food processor if you prefer) to make breadcrumbs. Keep in a sealed jar until you need them.

** To make garlic oil: mix 2 finely chopped garlic cloves with 50ml olive oil and leave for a day in the fridge before using. It will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

*** Use 1 garlic clove and about 4 handfuls of flat-leaf parsley. Crush the garlic with the flat of a kitchen knife to make a paste. Put the parsley on top and chop it finely.

Wine Suggestion: Try a textural southern white like Greco di Tufo or a Grillo from Sicily.

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

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Romanesco & Parmesan

Posted in Food, Italian, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 24 December 2012| 3 Comments »

A side dish from Lazio that celebrates the unique and delicious Romanesco Cauliflower. We never cease to be amazed at the shape of these and the flavour is delicious and enhanced by the simple additions.

Romanesco and Parmesan – to serve 4

  • large head of Romanesco broccoli
  • 6-8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • a few shavings of Parmesan or Pecorino Romano

You should cook the Romanesco in really salty water which will season it as it cooks and preserve the delicate flavour.

Snap off any large or bruised leaves from the outside of the broccoli, but leave any small ones attached. Trim off the end of the stem, to where the leaves start. Cut a cross in the base of the stem.

Boil the whole broccoli head until completely tender, about 12 minutes. Lift it out of the water and let it steam dry for a few minutes, then put it in a large dish, break into florets, and douse with olive oil.

Season with pepper (you shouldn’t need salt if you’ve used enough salt in the cooking water), scatter with parsley and cheese, and serve.

(Original recipe from Jacob Kenedy’s Bocca Cookbook, Bloomsbury, 2011.)

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Christmas Cranberry Sauce

Posted in Food, Party Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 22 December 2012| 1 Comment »

Happy Christmas! We’ve been asked to re-blog this post which was previously known as Thanksgiving Cranberry Sauce but it works just as well a month later. This will keep in the fridge for up to a week to have with the leftovers.

Chilli Cranberry Sauce

Gently heat 100g golden caster sugar and 175ml white wine in a saucepan. Wait until the sugar has dissolved and then bring to the boil.

Add 1/2 a mild red chilli (chopped and with seeds left in) and 300g of fresh or frozen cranberries, bring back to the boil and then simmer for about 10 minutes. You want the berries to burst but not collapse completely. Take the sauce off the heat. As it cools it will continue to cook and thicken.

 (Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Mince and Onion Pie

Posted in Beef, Food, tagged , , , , on 17 December 2012| 2 Comments »

Jamie's Easy Meat Pie

This is a Jamie Oliver recipe but we’ve reduced the amount of stock in our adaptation below as we thought the filling was too liquid. Easy and tasty for mid-week. We always have peas with pies.

Classic mince and onion pie – to serve 4

  • 3 medium onions
  • 2 carrots
  • 2 sticks of celery
  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
  • olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 500g minced beef
  • 1 tsp English mustard
  • 1 tsp Marmite
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tsp flour, plus a bit extra
  • 1 beef stock cube
  • 1 large egg or some milk

Peel and roughly chop the onions, carrots and celery. Finely chop the rosemary leaves.

Heat a large casserole pan over a high heat. Add a couple of tbsp of olive oil , the vegetables, rosemary and bay leaves. Cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and have started to colour.

Stir in the minced beef and break up the chunks with a wooden spoon.Add the mustard, Marmite, Worcestershire sauce and 2 tsp of flour.

Dissolve the stock cube in 500ml of boiling water and add to the pan. Bring to the boil. Turn the heat down  and simmer with the lid askew for an hour, stirring occasionally.

Fill a large baking dish with the mince filling and allow it to cool. Take the pastry out of the fridge about 10 minutes before you want to use it.

Heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas 4.

Dust the work surface and your rolling pin with some flour, then roll out the pastry to the thickness of a £1 coin and big enough to cover your dish easily. Cover the dish with the pastry and run a knife around the edge of the dish to trim off any excess. Use a fork to crimp the edges and make a hole in the middle with a knife. Brush the top of the pastry with beaten egg or a little bit of milk. Bake on the bottom shelf of the oven for 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden.

Wine Suggestion: an easy red wine, like a Cotes du Rhone or a Shiraz blend from Australia would work well; something juicy and with a moderate body but not too heavy at the same time. Easy drinking to match the easy eating!

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

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Spiced Baked Quinces

Posted in Dessert, Food, tagged , , , , , on 15 December 2012| 1 Comment »

Baked Quinces

A Nigel Slater inspired dish that has a heady aroma and flavour. The star anise really pair quince well. Some quince varieties will bake to an exotic golden reddish colour and others to this more golden yellow – both are delicious. Serve with a big dollop of cream if you like.

Roast quinces – to serve 4 

  • 4 heaped tbsp sugar
  • 500ml water
  • 4 cloves
  • 2 star anise
  • 4 small quinces
  • half a lemon
  • 4 tbsp maple syrup

Bring the sugar and water to the boil in a saucepan. Add the cloves and star anise. Peel and halve the quinces, scoop out the cores and rub them with the lemon to stop them turning brown. Add the quinces to the sugar syrup and simmer for about 25 minutes or until tender (they may take longer).

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/Gas 4. Lift the quinces out of the syrup and put them in a shallow baking dish. Take 150ml of the cooking liquid, add the maple syrup and pour them over the quinces, along with the cloves and star anise. Bake for about 30 minute or until really soft. Serve with the cooking juices and some whipped cream.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Tender Volume II, Fourth Estate, 2010.)

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Hot Smoked Salmon & Dill Spaghetti

Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , on 14 December 2012| 1 Comment »

Hot Smoked Salmon Spaghetti

The Christmas parties have well and truly started at this stage and we already feel like we’ve eaten enough food to do us until the middle of January! Here’s a healthy pasta dish if you manage to get a night off and you only have to pick up a few ingredients on your way home.

Hot smoked salmon & dill spaghetti – to serve 4

  • 150g pack hot smoked salmon
  • 400g good quality spaghetti
  • 100g frozen petits pois
  • small bunch of dill
  • 3 rounded tbsp crème fraîche

Flake the salmon into bite-size chunks. Bring a large pan of generously salted water to the boil.

Cook the pasta according to the pack and throw the peas in for the last couple of minutes.

Throw away the dill stalks and roughly chop the fronds. Keep about 4 tbsp of the pasta water, then drain and return to the pan with the reserved water. Put the pan over a really low heat, then add the salmon, dill, crème fraîche, salt and loads of black pepper. Toss together and heat briefly, then serve.

Wine Suggestion: A richer Chardonnay from a cool climate (think Burgundy or the Macedon Ranges in Australia rather than the Barossa Valley) should go well with the hot smoked salmon.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Pork with Cashews, Lime and Mint

Posted in Asian, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , on 12 December 2012| 1 Comment »

Pork with Cashews, Lime & Mint

A cracking stir-fry from one of Nigel Slater’s older books. The key to stir-frying is to crank up the heat and keep it there for the entire cooking time. It seems a bit scary at first but it’s the only way to guarantee everything is cooked through and the whole thing doesn’t end up soggy.

Pork with cashews, lime and mint – to serve 2

  • 400g pork fillet/steak, sliced into short bite-size strips
  • 6 tbsp groundnut or other flavourless oil
  • 90g unsalted cashew nuts, chopped fairly fine
  • 4 scallions, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • a 4cm piece of ginger, peeled and finely shredded
  • 4 small, hot red chillies, seeded and finely chopped
  • zest and juice of 3 big, fat limes
  • 2 tbsp nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
  • a handful of mint leaves, chopped
  • a handful of basil leaves, torn

Get your wok really hot over the highest heat, then add 3 tbsp of the oil. When the oil crackles add the pork and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until sealed and golden in parts. Stir not and then as is cooks. If you end up with a load of juice your pan is not hot enough but you can just pour it off and carry on cooking. Don’t be tempted to turn the heat down.

When the meat is browned and sizzling, tip it on to a warm plate along with any juices. Get the wok really hot again before adding the rest of the oil, then add the scallions, garlic, ginger and chillies and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the nuts, fry for another couple of minutes, then return the meat and its juices to the pan. Stir in the lime zest and juice and the nam pla and fry for two more minutes, then stir in the mint and basil. Serve right away with some fried rice.

Wine Suggestion: The trickiest flavour to match here is the lime so it’s probably best to work with it rather than against it. Perhaps an Australian Riesling such as Petaluma or a Pewsey Vale.

(Original recipe from Nigel Slater Real Food, Fourth Estate, 1998.)

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Colcannon

Posted in Food, Potato, Side dish, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 December 2012| Leave a Comment »

Colcannon

A very Irish side dish but good enough to eat a big bowlful on its own. If you want to restrain yourselves a bit you could balance this with a nicely barbecued sausage. The diet starts after Christmas!

When seasoning make sure you use white pepper as it makes all the difference. The pink pepper mill in the photo is our “white pepper mill”.

Colcannon – to serve 6 as a side

  • 1kg potatoes, scrubbed (cut the bigger ones in half)
  • 100g butter
  • ½ a small Savoy cabbage, finely shredded
  • 150ml double cream

Put the potatoes into a large pan of water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer goes through without resistance.

Heat about 25g of the butter in another saucepan and fry half the cabbage for about 5 minutes.

Drain the potatoes and peel while they are hot, then mash until smooth.

Heat the cream with the rest of the butter and, when almost boiling, beat into the potato. Add the cabbage to the potato, mix well and season (with salt and white pepper).

Heaven!

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Crab and Sweetcorn Soup

Posted in Asian, Food, Gruner Veltliner, Shellfish, Soup, tagged , , , , , , on 8 December 2012| Leave a Comment »

Crab & Sweetcorn Soup

This soup is absolutely delicious and super simple to throw together. We made a main meal out of it by serving it with some shop-bought spring rolls. Try and use freshly ground white peppercorns if you can as they give a subtle spiciness that works really well with the aromatic ginger.

Crab & Sweetcorn soup – to serve 4

  • 125g white crabmeat
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1 tbsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp water
  • 1.2 litres chicken stock
  • 2.5cm knob of fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
  • 225g tinned sweetcorn, pulsed to a rough purée in a food processor
  • sea salt and freshly ground white pepper
  • 2 scallions, finely sliced

Lightly beat the egg whites until frothy. Add the egg whites to the crabmeat along with the blended cornflour and stir well.

Put the stock and ginger into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the sweetcorn and bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat slightly and simmer for a few minutes. Add the crabmeat mixture and some seasoning. Let it simmer gently and keep stirring for a few minutes until the soup has thickened. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary. Serve in warm bowls with the scallions scattered over the top.

Wine Suggestion: We didn’t actually try this but, having discussed it at length, we reckon an Austrian Grüner Veltliner might work here. Grüner has a savoury peppery character which should complement the peppery flavour of the soup. You don’t want it to be too heavy though so go for one that is no higher than 12.5% alcohol.

(Original recipe from Gordon Ramsay’s World Kitchen: Recipes From the F Word, Quadrille.)

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Crushed Olive Salad

Posted in Food, Italian, Vegan, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 3 December 2012| 2 Comments »

Green Olive Salad

We can’t encourage you enough to try this salad. The list of ingredients is not instantly inspiring but the result is fabulous!

You will have far too much dressing left over but it will keep in the fridge for up to 6 months and can be used on any salad (it will separate but just give it a good shake each time before serving).

Crushed olive salad – Insalata di olive verdi schiacciate – to serve 4-6

  • 450g good quality green olives in brine
  • 6 celery stalks, with leaves, all finely chopped
  • the leaves from 10-12 stalks of mint, finely chopped
  • 40ml dressing (see below)
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE DRESSING (makes approx. 375ml): 

  • ½ tsp sea salt
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 300ml extra virgin olive oil

First make the dressing:

Put the salt into a bowl, then add the vinegars and leave aside for a minute or two to allow the salt to dissolve. Whisk in the olive oil and 2 tbsp of water until it emulsifies. Pour into a clean bottle and keep in the fridge (it should last for about 6 months); it will separate but just give the bottle a good shake before serving.

Drain the olives and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut the flesh away from the stone (try slicing 3-4 times from end to end then carefully cutting away each segment). Put the olive pieces into a bowl and add the celery, celery leaves, and mint. Toss with 40ml of the dressing, season and serve.

(Original recipe from Georgio Locatelli’s Made In Sicily, Fourth Estate, 2011.)

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