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Archive for May, 2024

Mackerel with Udon Noodles

Posted in Asian, Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 12 May 2024| Leave a Comment »

Amazing flavours in this super quick and easy dish. We’re loving pretty much every recipe that Ixta Belfrage has a hand in.

Wine Suggestion: A really hard one to match we thought, but we pulled out Dr Loosen’s Graacher Dry Riesling … a wine he has “declassified” from Grosses Gewächse (Great Growth) as the vines are only 15-20 years old … not old enough for Ernie Loosen! A wine of both elegance and power, with a crispness that balances any oilyness of the mackeral, and joyful fruit to match chillies, limes, soy and star anise.

Mackerel udon – serves 2

  • 1 medium cucumber, peeled, halved and seeds scooped out with a teaspoon
  • 1 tsp flaked salt
  • 2½ tbsp lime juice
  • 300g straight-to-wok fresh udon noodles (not dried)
  • 2 x 115g tins of mackerel in olive oil, drained and flaked into chunky pieces
  • 2 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp black or white (or both) sesame seeds, toasted

FOR THE DRESSING:

  • 5 tbsp mild olive oil or sunflower oil
  • 40g ginger, peeled and julienned
  • 2 large mild red chillies, finely sliced into rounds (discard the seeds)
  • 2 whole star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick, bashed with the side of a knife
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1½ tbsp maple syrup
  • ¾ tsp toasted sesame oil

Cut the cucumber into half-centimetre diagonal slices. Put the cucumber in a bowl and mix with the flaked salt and lime juice. Set aside to pickle while you make the rest.

Put the udon noodles in a large bowl and, cover with boiling water, then drain well and set aside.

Put a heatproof sieve over a heatproof bowl and set aside.

Put the oil for the dressing into a medium saucepan over a medium heat and allow to get hot. Add the ginger, chillies, star anise and cinnamon and fry gently, stirring often, until the ginger is crisp and golden – about 5 minutes but watch carefully. Drain through the sieve and keep both the oil and the crispy aromatics.

Transfer 3 tbsp of the aromatic oil to a separate bowl along with the soy sauce, maple syrup and sesame oil.

Drain the cucumbers and toss with the warm noodles. Transfer them to a platter and top with the mackerel. Spoon over the dressing, followed by the crispy aromatics, scallions and sesame seeds. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

(Original recipe from Mezcla by Ixta Belfrage, Ebury Press, 2022.)

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Mushroom Carbonara

Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 6 May 2024| 3 Comments »

A great weeknight pasta dish with mushrooms instead of the traditional pancetta.

Wine Suggestion: this works really well with fuller-bodied dry whites, like a good Chardonnay. Tonight the Domaine de la Rochette Mont Sard Mâcon-Bussières was full of joyful apple and citrus fruits with layers of gentle smoky and creamy oak.

Mushroom Carbonara – serves 2

  • 200g spaghetti
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 150g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • a handful of flatleaf parsley, chopped
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 40g Pecorino cheese, finely grated

Bring a large pan of water to the boil, add plenty of salt and cook the spaghetti according to the timings on the pack.

Heat a large, deep frying pan over a medium-high heat, add the oil and mushrooms and fry until lightly golden. Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a few seconds, then remove the pan from the heat.

Drain the spaghetti, then tip into the frying pan with the mushrooms. Add the beaten eggs and two-thirds of the cheese and toss well.

Season to taste with salt and plenty of black pepper and serve in warm bowls with the extra cheese.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Suppers, Penguin: Random House, 2023.)

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Cullen Skink

Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free, Soup, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 2 May 2024| Leave a Comment »

This must be the easiest and cheapest of fish soups but that does not make it any less delicious! Particularly good after a walk out in the cold. And no it’s not made from “skinks” for all the Aussies out there who may be confused … it’s a classic Scottish soup made from smoked fish!

Wine Suggestion: We would highly recommend pairing this with a peaty whisky like Lagavulin. If this doesn’t rock your boat, or you don’t have a bottle to hand then a dry, aromatic and elegant white, like the Sybille Kuntz Riesling Kabinett makes the whole meal feel refined and very sophisticated too.

Cullen skink – serves 4

  • 50g buttter
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1.2 litres full fat milk
  • 750g floury potatoes
  • 450g smoked haddock fillet
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley, plus extra to garnish

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, then add the onion and cook gently for 7-8 minutes.

Add the milk and bring to the boil, then add the potatoes and simmer for 20 minutes until very soft.

Add the smoked haddock and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until cooked and easy to flake. Gently remove the haddock with a slotted spoon onto a plate. Leave until cook enough to handle.

Meanwhile, use your wooden spoon to squash some of the potatoes against the side of the pan to thicken the soup slightly.

When the fish is cool enough to handle, break it into chunky flakes, discarding any skin and bones. Tip the fish into the soup, then add the parsley. Serve in warm soup bowls with a little more parsley.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Simple Supper, BBC Books, 2023.)

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Singapore Noodles

Posted in Asian, Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 1 May 2024| 5 Comments »

Made to satisfy our daughter’s constant craving for noodles … and much bettter than the packets she tries to make us buy. We recommend you prep everything before you start cooking.

Wine Suggestion: we think dry Pinot Gris is great with loads Asian foods and this is no different. From Nelson in NZ, Neudorf’s Tiritiri Pinot Gris is a charmer. Great fruit and lovely texture with gentle spices mean this combination is a winner.

Singapore Noodles – serves 4

  • 200g fine egg noodles or rice noodles
  • 2 tbsp veg oil
  • 1 onion, sliced into thin wedges
  • 1 carrot, cut into fine matchsticks (use a mandonline if you have one)
  • 1 red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 10g fresh root ginger, finely chopped
  • 200g pork fillet, finely sliced
  • 225g tin bamboo shoots, drained
  • 100g frozen peas, defrosted
  • 1 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
  • 2 tsp mild curry powder
  • 2 tbsl light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice wine
  • 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 140g cooked shelled prawns

To garnish:

  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 2 scallions, finely shredded
  • 1 green or red chilli, finely sliced
  • chopped fresh coriander
  • soy sauce, to serve

Cover the noodles with freshly boiled water and leave to stand for a minute, then drain and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large work. Add the onion, carrot and red pepper and stir-fry over a high heat until they’re starting to brown. Add the garlic, ginger and pork and continue to stir-fry until the pork is coloured on all sides. Tip in the bamboo shoots, peas, spices, soy sauce, rice wine and rice wine vinegar, then add the noodles and stir to combine (chopsticks are good for separating the noodles). Leave to cook for a couple of minutes until hot, then stir in the prawns and allow to heat through. Serve with the sesame oil, scallions, chilli and coriander over the top. We like ours with extra soy sauce.

(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ One Pot Wonders by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2019.)

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