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Archive for October, 2024

Hot-Smoked Trout, Gnocchi & Spinach Bake

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 25 October 2024| Leave a Comment »

This is a dish we cook when we get home late and need something quick and tasty. You can easily pick up the ingredients in a supermarket on the way home.

Wine Suggestion: the more we taste them, the more we like how versatile Verdicchio is, even the entry level Villa Bianchi from Umani Ronchi in the Marche. There’s just the right level of texture and viscosity for the creamy richness, and zip, zing and minerality for the fish.

Hot-smoked salmon, gnocchi and spinach bake – serve 4

  • 500g gnocchi
  • 4 hot-smoked trout (or salmon) fillets, skin removed
  • 200ml double cream
  • 150ml full-fat milk
  • zest of 1 lemon
  • leaves from 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 3 tbsp of Parmesan
  • 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 4-6 pieces of frozen spinach
  • green salad, to serve

Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.

Put the gnocchi into a baking dish and tuck in the trout fillets.

Mix the double cream, milk, lemon zest, thyme, Parmesan and mustard together and season well.

Add the frozen spianch to the dish and pour over the cream mixture.

Place in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, give everything a gentle mix about halfway through to break up the spinach. Serve with a green salad.

(Original recipe by Anna Glover in Olive Magazine, September, 2022.)

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Easiest Ever Chicken Curry

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 24 October 2024| Leave a Comment »

This is a very tasty curry despite the short list of ingredients. Even though it’s simple, it’s perfect for a weeknight and not too spicy for children or other sensitive palates.

Wine Suggestion: We usually find most Pinot Grigio’s a bit nondescript for our tastes, but have been exploring and enjoying a number from Trentino and Friuli recently and think they go quite well with mild curries like this. Zuani make their Sodevo Pinot Grigio in a fairly standard way, though from well tended and lower yielding vineyards. The big difference is both the soils, and keeping it on the fine lees after fermentation. Look out for this last step and you should find a wine that stands out amongst the sea of ordinary Piont Grigios.

Easiest ever chicken curry – serves 4

  • 2  tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 2 tsp finely grated ginger
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 500g chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • 2½  tbsp curry powder, plus an extra 2 tsp
  • 1 x 400ml full fat coconut milk
  • 375ml chicken stock
  • ½  tsp salt
  • 200ml frozen peas
  • a large handful of coriander, chopped

Sprinkle the chicken with the 2 extra tsp of curry powder and some salt and pepper.

Heat a splash of oil in a large, deep frying pan, the remove and set aside.

Add the rest of the vegetable oil to the pan and cook the garlic, ginger and onion over a medium-high heat for a few minutes. Add the 2½  tbsp curry powder and continue to cook for another 2 minutes.

Add the coconut milk and chicken stock to the pan, then simmer rapidly for about 20 minutes or until reduced and thickened. Add the chicken back in towards the end to cook it through.

Add the peas and salt to the curry and cook for 2 minutes, season again to taste and sprinkle over the coriander.

Serve with steamed basmati rice.

(Original recipe from RecipeTinEats)

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Barbecued Chicken

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 21 October 2024| Leave a Comment »

Everyone loves a piece of barbecued chicken. This was has a tasty herb marinade.

Wine Suggestion: to hand a bottle of Domaine Gayda “Sphere” Chardonnay and we were pleased with the match. Southern French sunshine, organic vineyards, cooling mountains behind, limestone soils, wild ferment and aging on lees in a mix of concrete tanks and barrels.

Barbecued Chicken – serves 6

  • 3-4 tbsp olive oil
  • ½ tsp English mustard
  • 3 tbsp of chopped herbs – we used parsley chives and tarragon (you could also use thyme)
  • a little grated lemon zest
  • a squeeze of lemon juice
  • a small garlic clove, very finely chopped
  • 1 chicken, jointed

Combine the oil, mustard, herbs, lemon zest and juice, garlic and plenty of black pepper in a large bowl. Slash the chicken in a few places, then toss the pieces in the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least an hour or up to 4 hours.

Get your barbecue fired up.

Before cooking, pat away any excess oil, then seasson with salt. Grill on a moderately hot barbecue, turning often, until cooked through (best to use a meat thermometer and check for 74C). The breast pieces should take about 15 minutes on the hotter part of the barbecue and legs and wings on a cooler part for at least 25 minutes.

Transfer to a warm dish, sprinkle with a little more seasoning and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.

(Original recipe from River Cottage Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Bloomsbury, 2009.)

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Salmon, Veg and Black Bean Tray Bake

Posted in Fish, Food, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 20 October 2024| Leave a Comment »

Simple, tasty, and all very good for you too.

Wine Suggestion: a little indulgent, but we wanted to see how a bottle we picked up in the Loire from the winemaker was developing: the Domaine de la Taille aux Loups Montlouis les Hauts de Husseau. A crystalline Chenin Blanc from the neighbouring area to Vouvray, this was exciting, racy and edgy and exceptionally youthful. It may not be super cheap, but we’d argue still a bargain given the quality, complexity, depth and potential to age superbly. We’d even conjecture that it’s a very good option to top white Burgundy. The remaining bottles we’ll try to ignore for a few more years if we can resist.

Salmon, veg and black bean tray bake – serves 4 to 6

  • 2 red onions, cut into wedges
  • 2 sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
  • 2 red peppers, cut into strips
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil or olive oil
  • 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
  • 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp rice wine
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 5g fresh ginger, grated
  • ½  tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • fresh coriander, chopped

FOR THE SALMON:

  • 600g skinned salmon fillet, cut into large chunks
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp runny honey

Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6.

Put the onions, sweet potatoes and peppers into a large roasting tray. Drizzle over 1 tbsp of sesame oil and toss to coat, then season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 minutes.

Toss the broccoli in the other tbsp of sesame oil and add to the roasting tin. Mix the beans with the soy sauce, rice wine, garlic, ginger and Chinese 5-spice powder and add 100ml of water. Pour this around the veg and cook for another 20 minutes, turning the broccoli over after 10.

Toss the salmon in the soy sauce and honey and place on top of the vegetables. Roast for another 8-9 minutes, or until cooked.

Serve sprinnkled with the sesame seeds and coriander.

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

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BBQ Spiced Leg of Lamb & Harissa Butter

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Gluten-free, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , , , on 10 October 2024| Leave a Comment »

Just look at that stack of barbecued lamb … and it tasted fantastic! We can’t recommend this recipe highly enough. Served successfully with this chopped salad.

Wine Suggestion: We’re enjoying the wines from Portugal at the moment and for this chose the Quinta de la Rosa Tinto. From quite a special part of the Douro this wine has evolved over the past 30 years, ever since the winery pioneered dry Douro wines, into an elegant and sophisticated red with spices, dark fruits and a lovely minerality and freshness.

Barbecued spiced leg of lamb & harissa butter – serves 4 (or more if you get a leg of lamb the size of our one)

  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp hot smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp sumac
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp ras el hanout
  • 8 tbsp Greek yoghurt
  • 1kg boneless leg of lamb, butterflied

FOR THE SPICED BUTTER:

  • 100g butter, softened
  • 1 tbsp rose harissa
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • 1 tsp ground cumin

Make the spiced butter by mixing the butter with the harissa, lemon juice, cumin and a pinch of salt. Set aside.

Mix the spices and yoghurt with a pinch of salt and some pepper. Lay the lamb on a tray and spread the yoghurt mixture over both sides. Leave to marinate for at least 20 minutes at room temperature or chill to marinate for longer.

Get your barbecue going and wait until the coals turn ashen, then lay the lamb on the grill and cook for 15 minutes on each side for pink or longer for well done – we recommend a meat thermometer to get your barbecued meat cooked how you like it.

Lift the lamb onto a platter and spoon over the harissa butter, then leave to rest for 10-15 minutes.

Carve the lamb on a board, then serve with the butter juices spoon over.

(Original recipe by Tom Kerridge in BBC Good Food Magazine, August, 2024.)

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Spicy Prawn Spaghetti

Posted in Food, Pasta, Prawns, Shellfish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 8 October 2024| Leave a Comment »

We’ve had mixed success with these all-in one pot pasta dishes with some working really well and others not quite! We were pleased with this one which worked out really well. Delicious sauce and lovely fresh flavours.

Spicy prawn spaghetti – serves 2

  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 courgette, diced quice small, about 1cm pieces
  • 165g pack raw peeled prawns
  • zest and juice of ½ lemon, plus wedges to serve
  • 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
  • 1 tbsp harissa paste
  • ½ tbsp tomato purée
  • 2 tbsp vodka
  • 2 biggish tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • 600ml hot veg stock
  • 150g spaghetti
  • ½ tsp fine sea salt
  • 75g feta, crumbled
  • a handful of rocket, to serve

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a large sauté pan, then add the courgette and cook for a few minutes, until just starting to colour. Add the prawns and season lightly with salt and black pepper. Stir for a couple of minutes until the prawns are pink and just cooked. Squeeze in some lemon juice, then tip into a bowl and set aside.

Add another tbsp of oil to the pan and cook the garlic until it sizzles. Add the tomato purée and harissa and cook for 30 seconds, before adding the vodka, followed by the tomatoes. Pour in the stock and add the spaghetti, the salt and some black pepper. Bring the boil, mixing well. Cook at a brisk bubble, without a lid, for 15 minutes or until the pasta is al dente and is coated in the sauce. You can add extra water at any point if needed.

Tip the courgettes and prawns into the pan and toss until piping hot. Taste and add more lemon juice if you like. Serve in pasta bowls with the feta and lemon zest scattered over and a pile of rocket on top.

(Original recipe by Tasmin Burnett-Hall in Sainsburys Magazine, September 2024.)

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Braised Goat with Aubergines

Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Spanish, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 7 October 2024| Leave a Comment »

We buy the most amazing goat from a farm in Northern Ireland where they raise the kid goats not being used for milk. We think it’s such a delicious meat and so underused. After picking up a shoulder from the farm we just had to try this Spanish stew by José Pizarro and were rewarded amply.

Wine Suggestion: If you can find some, we’d suggest trying a Douro red with this dish. They’re full of flavour and usually not shy on tannins; this dish need both body and tannin to match. Pushing the boat out a bit, but as we had company and it was a weekend we opened something special, Wine & Soul’s Pintas Character red. Made from an old-vine field blend of 30 different indigenous grapes this has bags of personality, style, depth and character (excuse the pun!).

Braised goat with aubergines – serves 6

  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 1.5kg goat shoulder, diced into 5cm chunks
  • 1 large onion, finely sliced
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 cloves
  • 1 heaped tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
  • 1 garlic bulb, halved horizontally
  • 1 tbsp tomato purée
  • 450ml red wine
  • 500ml fresh chicken stock
  • 2 aubergines, cut into 3cm cubes
  • boiled potatoes or crusty bread to serve

Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a deep casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Season the goat meat , then add to the hot pan in batches and sear until well-browned. Set aside.

Add another tbsp of oil to the pan and gently fry the onion for 10 minutes until very soft. Add the spices and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes.

Return the meat to the pan and add the tomato purée and red wine. Let it bubble up for a few minutes, then add the stock. Cover and bring to the boil, then turn the heat down low and cook gently for 2½ -3 hours.

Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large frying pan and brown the aubergine all over. Season, then add to the goat and continue cooking for another 30 minutes. The meat should now be very tender and almost falling apart.

Serve with boiled potatoes or crusty bread.

(Original recipe from The Spanish Home Kitchen by José Pizarro, Hardie Grant Books, 2022.)

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Rigatoni with Sausage, Lemon & Mustard

Posted in Uncategorized on 6 October 2024| 2 Comments »

A delicious pasta dish for when you’re short on time.

Wine Suggestion: Despite this being a very Italian inspired dish our match was the t’Air d’Oc Syrah made by Domaine Gayda in the Languedoc. Coming from the foothills of the Pyrenees this has a wonderful balance of black fruits and a fresh peppery twist which allowed the wine to hold its own with the richness of the dish and then cut through and balance the lemony creaminess.

Rigatoni with sausage, lemon & mustard – serves 4

  • 300g rigatoni
  • 450g herby pork sausages
  • olive oil
  • 1 tsp fennel seeds
  • 200ml white wine
  • 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • ½ lemon, zested
  • 150g crème fraîche
  • a small handful of parsley, chopped

Cook the pasta then drain but save a little pasta water.

Remove the skins from the sausages, break the meat into little pieces and cook in 1 tbsp of oil in a non-stick frying pan. Fry until golden and crisp, then add the fennel seeds and cook for a minute.

Pour in the wine and let it bubble up, then stir in the mustard, lemon zest and crème fraîche. Simmer until the sauce is the consistency of single cream, then toss with the pasta, a tbsp or so of pasta cooking water and the parsley.

(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in Olive Magazine, July 2014.)

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Pasta with Broccoli, Anchovy and Cumin

Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 5 October 2024| Leave a Comment »

Back to school routine and quick fixes are required. This one is nice!

Wine Suggestion: An uncomplicated, but tasty dish requires similar from a wine. Tonight’s choice was Graziano Pra’s “Otto” Soave Classico with classic green apple and almond flavours. Fresh and lighlty floral with a gentle texture that helps it pair with food.

Pasta with broccoli, anchovy and cumin – serves 4

  • 300g dried fusilli or other short pasta
  • 90ml olive oil
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 6 anchovy fillets, drained and finely chopped
  • zest and juice of ½ lemon
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 370g jarred chickpeas, drained (but don’t rinse)
  • 1 tsp aleppo chilli powder
  • 200g tenderstem broccoli, cut into 2½ cm lengths
  • 30g Parmesan, finely grated

Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add plenty of salt. Add the pasta and cook for 3 minutes less than the time indicated on the pack.

Meanwhile, pour the oil into a large sauté pan and put over a medium heat. Add the garlic and fry for a minute, then stir in the anchovies, lemon zest and cumin, and cook for another couple of minutes. Add the chickpeas, chilli and a good grind of black pepper, mix well and turn off the heat.

When the timer goes for the pasta, add the broccoli to the pasta pot and cook for the remaining 3 minutes. Reserve about 100ml of the pasta cooking water, then drain and add the pasta and broccoli to the chickpea pan. Scatter over two-thirds of the Parmesan, then return the pan to the heat and toss well for a minute, adding enough of the reserved pasta water to make a sauce that coats the pasta.

Spoon into warm bowls, add a squeeze of lemon juice, a pinch of aleppo chilli and the remaining Parmesan.

(Original recipe by Yotam Ottolenghi in The Guardian, 13 Apr 2024.)

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Chicken with Olives & Lemon

Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free, tagged , , , , , , , , on 1 October 2024| Leave a Comment »

A dish full of all the flavours we love!

Wine Suggestion: Choose a white with a definite Mediterranean aspect. We opened a bottle of Domaine Ventenac’s “Dissidents” Cassandre. Made from Vermentino which is found in quite a few countries around Europe under a load of names. This was dry and tasting of grapefruits with hints of apricot and a really nutty, textural oiliness that matched the olives in this dish. Sunshine with substance in a glass.

Chicken with olives and lemon – serves 3

  • 6 skin-on chicken thighs
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced
  • a good pinch of saffron strands
  • a handful of green olives
  • a handful of coriander, roughly chopped
  • olive oil

FOR THE SPICE PASTE:

  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • a few pinches of smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp ground turmeric
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • olive oil

Make the spice paste first by crushing the garlic with a good pinch of sea salt using a pestle and mortar. Add the smoked paprika, turmeric and cumin seeds and grind to a paste, then mix in a couple of tbsps of olive oil or enough to make a paste that will coat the chicken.

Put the chicken thighs in a bowl, then add the spice paste and toss to coat. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate at room temperature for an hour or overnight in the fridge.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a large, shallow pan. Add the onions and soften a little, before adding the chicken thighs and cooking until coloured lightly on both sides.

Add the lemon to the pan and enough water to come halfway up the chicken pieces. Stir in the saffron, season well, then cover with a lid and simmer for 25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Add the olives and coriander and serve.

(Original recipe from The Kitchen Diaries II by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2012.)

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