23 July 2018 by jonoandjules
Super simple weeknight pasta that tastes delicious.
Wine suggestion: A youthful Sangiovese from Tuscany is our pick with the wine at hand the Rocca delle Macie Vernaiolo which we find a great unoaked and fresh red wine. We like to put it in the fridge for 30 minutes before opening at this time of the year.
Linguine with creamy tomato, rosemary & caper sauce – serves 2
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
- a pinch of chilli flakes
- 2 tsp chopped rosemary
- 1 tin of plum tomatoes
- 1 tbsp capers
- 3 tbsp double cream
- 150g linguine
- Parmesan, grated, to serve
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, then add the chilli & rosemary and cook for another minute. Add the tin of tomatoes.
Simmer the sauce for 20 minutes, squashing the tomatoes with a wooden spoon occasionally so they break down into a thick sauce. Add the capers and cream and simmer for another 3-4 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the linguine according to the pack, then drain well. Tip the pasta into the sauce and toss together. Serve in warm bowls with some Parmesan for sprinkling over.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe IN: BBC Olive Magazine, May 2015.)
Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged Capers, Cooking, Easy, Food, Pasta, Recipe, Rosemary, Tomatoes, Vegetarian | Leave a Comment »
17 July 2018 by jonoandjules
This is an easy version of an Italian dish which is perfect for a tasty mid-week dinner. A great combination of chicken, ham & sage. Also easily halved if you are only two.
Wine Suggestion: When considering a match for the salty prosciutto and savoury sage we thought of two wines straight away. The first a good Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi from the Marche in Italy, like Sartarelli. The second a choice between a good Pinot Blanc or Gris from Alsace. Each should have a minerality, nuttiness and textural spices on the palate with a good balance of vibrant fruit.
Chicken saltimbocca – serves 4
- 4 chicken breasts (skinless & boneless)
- 8 thin slices of prosciutto
- 8 sage leaves
- 2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 25g butter
- 100ml dry white wine
- juice of ½ a lemon
- 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Flatten the chicken breasts between two sheets of cling film by bashing with a rolling pin. Cut the flattened chicken in half lengthways. Put a piece of prosciutto and a sage leaf onto each piece of chicken and attach with a cocktail stick. Coat the chicken in the flour.
Heat half the oil in a large frying pan and cook 4 of the chicken pieces at a time for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown but a little undercooked. Set aside and cook the rest of the chicken in the remaining oil.
Wipe out the frying pan with a piece of kitchen paper, then add the butter. Heat until frothy, then add the wine and lemon juice and bring to the boil. Bubble the sauce for about a minute before adding all of the chicken back to the pan and cooking for a further 2 minutes. Sprinkle the parsley over the top and cook for another minute, then serve immediately with the sauce.
Serve with new potatoes or green veg.
(Original recipe by Aldo Zilli IN: BBC Good Food Magazine, May 2001.)
Posted in Chicken, Food | Tagged Chicken, Cooking, Easy, Food, Italian, Prosciutto, Recipe, Sage | Leave a Comment »
16 July 2018 by jonoandjules
We love tarts made on a puff pastry sheet, they always give the impression you’ve made more effort than you have. Smoked haddock and spinach is a super combination.
Wine Suggestion: The Languedoc produces some great white wines, as well as many red, and the best of them have a salinity, freshness and stoniness along with joyful fruit. Our choice tonight was the Les Terrasses de la Negly, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Muscat Petits Grains and Muscat d’Alexandria. Lively citrus and crisp apple flavours along with the saltiness that complimented the haddock and Spinach.
Smoked Haddock & Spinach Tart – serves 4
- 250g smoked haddock
- 200g spinach
- 5 tbsp double cream
- 50g gruyère, grated
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 sheet of ready-rolled puff pastry
- watercress salad to serve
Fill a frying pan with cold water and heat until boiling. Lower in the haddock, cover with a lid, then turn off the heat and leave for 10 minutes.
Put the spinach into a colander and pour over a kettle of boiling water to wilt it. Wait until cool enough to handle, then squeeze out the excess water with your hands. Chop the spinach.
Heat the oven to 200C/Fan 180/Gas 6.
Whisk the cream, cheese, and egg in a bowl. Flake in the smoked haddock (remove any skin and bones) and stir in the spinach. Season with salt and black pepper.
Unroll the pastry and score a 2cm border around the edge. Put onto a baking sheet and prick insider the border. Bake for 10 minutes. Gently push down the pillowy middle with the back of a large spoon. Spoon over the fish mixture then return to the oven for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Serve with a watercress salad.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in BBC Olive Magazine, July 2013.)
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
9 July 2018 by jonoandjules
We’re just back from holidays in France and there seems to be a little heatwave going on. You can’t get more straight forward than this for tasty barbecued chicken and a cheat’s aïoli. Less time spent inside and more time to sit in the sun. We actually cooked this back in May when the sun was also shining – serve with some seasonal veg or salad.
Wine Suggestion: one of the wines we picked up on our trip was Chateau du Hureau’s Foudre blanc, 100% Chenin Blanc made and matured in large 20hl oak casks. A good choice.
Chargrilled pepper chicken with lime aïoli – serves 2
- 4-6 skinless boneless chicken thighs
- 1 lime, juiced
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- ½ a clove of garlic, crushed
Trim any big bits of fat off the chicken thighs. Lay them out on a piece of cling film and put another piece of cling film on top. Gently bash the chicken with a rolling pin to flatten.
Put the chicken into a dish and add half of the lime juice, 1 tbsp of olive oil, some salt and lots of black pepper. Leave to marinate for about 15 minutes.
To make the aïoli, put the mayonnaise into a dish and add the rest of the lime juice, the garlic and some seasoning. Stir together until combined.
Shake off excess marinade and cook the chicken on a hot griddle or barbecue for about 4 minutes on each side.
Serve with the aïoli. Some chips would also be good.
(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, June 2011.)
Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Gluten-free, Healthy | Tagged Aïoli, Barbecue, BBQ, Chicken, Chicken Thighs, Cooking, Easy, Food, Gluten-free, Lime | Leave a Comment »
23 June 2018 by jonoandjules
A weekend lunch treat for the three of us as we had courgettes lying around begging to be used.
Wine Suggestion: a crunchy white was demanded here and an old favourite was opened to match; the Chateau du Hureau Saumur Blanc “Argile”. A vibrant Chenin Blanc with texture, vibrant, crunchy, apply fruit plus a real sense of place.
Courgette & lemon risotto – serves 2
- 50g butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 180g risotto rice
- 1 litre of hot vegetable stock
- zest and juice 1 lemon
- 2 lemon thyme sprigs
- 250g courgette, diced
- 50g parmesan, grated
- 2 tbsp crème fraîche
Melt the butter in a deep frying pan and gently fry the onion until softened, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for another minute. Pour in the rice and stir for a couple of minutes until it glistens.
Add a ladle of the stock to the rice, along with the lemon juice and thyme. Bubble over a medium heat, stirring constantly. When almost all the liquid has been absorbed, add another ladle and continue to stir. Tip in the courgette and keep adding the stock, stirring every now and then until the rice is just tender and creamy.
Season to taste and stir in the lemon zest, Parmesan and crème fraîche.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Italian, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Courgettes, Easy, Food, Gluten-free, Italian, lemon, Recipe, Risotto, Vegetarian | 1 Comment »
15 June 2018 by jonoandjules
This is really simple and fresh and we love it on a Friday night with a glass of chilled white wine. By all means cook a crab but our local fish shop sells cooked and picked crabmeat which makes this extra quick and easy.
Wine Suggestion: One of our stand-by wines for seafood is Muscadet and for this dish it was a good choice. A long standing favourite, the Domaine de la Chauviniere Muscadet sur lie always has good fruit, great texture and freshness and accentuated the flavours of the crab in a very nice way.
Spaghetti with Crab, Cherry Tomatoes and Chillies – serves 4
- 500g spaghetti
- 8 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 medium hot red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
- 200g cherry tomatoes, halved
- 100ml white wine
- 200g white crabmeat
- 3 tbsp freshly chopped chives
Cook the pasta in a very large pot of boiling salty water until al dente.
Meanwhile, gently heat the oil in a large frying pan and fry the garlic and chilli for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes before adding the wine and bringing to a simmer. Add the crab and cook for a minute to just warm through.
Drain the pasta well and tip into the pan with the crab sauce. Stir to combine, sprinkle over the chives, and serve.
(Original recipe from Pronto! by Gino D’Acampo, Kyle Books, 2014.)
Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Side dish | Tagged Cooking, Crab, Easy, Food, Italian, Pasta, Recipe, Shellfish, Spaghetti | 1 Comment »
10 June 2018 by jonoandjules
We served these on New Year’s Day with other canapés but by the time we’d typed up the recipe we thought everyone might be a bit partied out. So we’ve saved this post for summertime when these tasty bites would be delicious served outside with cool drinks before dinner.
Feta & Cucumber Bites – makes 24
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 200g feta
- 100g ricotta
- 4 tbsp chopped dill, plus extra fronds, to garnish
- 1 large cucumber, halved lengthways, seeds scooped out and discarded
Whizz the garlic, feta, ricotta and dill in a food processor until smooth but thick.
Fill the scooped out cucumber with the cheese mixture and smooth over. Cut into 3-cm thick slices. Grind over some black pepper and garnish with some more dill.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food.)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Party Food, Vegetarian | Tagged Canapés, Cooking, Easy, Food, Gluten-free, Party Food, Recipe, Starter, Vegetarian | 1 Comment »
7 June 2018 by jonoandjules
There’s definitely a move away from comfort food in our house but a bunch of fine looking Irish parsnips were just too hard to resist and why not enjoy them for a while longer.
Wine Suggestion: we opened the Cline Lodi Zinfandel from California and it was delicious with this.
Spiced Shepherd’s Pie with Parsnip Mash – serves 4
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 500g lamb mince
- 1 heaped tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- a good pinch of chilli flakes
- 2 good tsp of plain flour
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 400ml lamb or chicken stock
FOR THE MASH:
- 1kg parsnips, peeled and cut into chunks
- butter
- cream/crème fraîche
Put the parsnips in large pot and cover with cold water, season with salt and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until very tender. Drain well and mash with plenty of butter, a splash of cream and seasoning.
Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and cook the onion, celery and carrot with a pinch of salt for about 5 minutes or until softened. Turn up the heat then add the lamb and cook until browned. Add the spices and continue to cook for another minute, then stir in the flour and cook for a minute more.
Stir in the tomato purée and stock then simmer for about 15 minutes until thickened.
Heat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas 6.
Tip the lamb into a baking dish and top with the parsnip mash. Use a fork to mark the top and dot with a little more butter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until browned and bubbling.
(Original recipe by Janine Radcliffe IN: BBC Olive Magazine, May 2014)
Posted in Food, Lamb | Tagged Cooking, Easy, Food, Parsnip mash, Parsnips, Recipe, Shepherd's Pie | 2 Comments »
1 June 2018 by jonoandjules
This is particularly good with purple sprouting broccoli when it’s around. Don’t be tempted to strip off the leaves they’re just as good to eat as the florets. Hardly a recipe at all but very satisfying.
Wine Suggestion: try an Italian white from the Marches or Abruzzo. Our choice this evening was the La Piuma (feather) Pecorino Terre di Chieti; charming fruit and with little twists of nuts, herbs and citrus that played with the food in a great way.
Cheese & broccoli pasta – serves 2
- 200g pasta (use whatever you have)
- a bunch of purple sprouting broccoli – about 6 to 8 stems (or a head of ordinary broccoli)
- about 250g of ripe Gorgonzola
Cook the pasta in a generous amount of boiling salty water.
Cut the broccoli into small florets and thin pieces of stalk (discard any thick woody stems).
Lightly salt another pan of boiling water and cook the broccoli for a few minutes or until tender.
Put the cheese into a large warm bowl, then add the hot drained broccoli followed by the lightly drained pasta (a bit of water will help make a sauce). Stir until melting and serve.
(Original recipe from Appetite by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2001)
Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged Broccoli, Cooking, Easy, Food, Gorgonzola, Pasta, Purple sprouting broccoli, Recipe | 1 Comment »
25 May 2018 by jonoandjules
Do it now when there is lots of asparagus in the shops! If you have peas and broad beans growing you should of course use these rather than our frozen substitutes.
Wine Suggestion: we had opened a delightful Touraine Sauvignon Blanc from Domaine Octavie which not only matched the food, it also matched the sunshine with us this evening.
Risotto Primavera – serves 4
- 200g frozen broad beans
- 4 medium shallots, finely chopped
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 1 small garlic clove, finely chopped
- 250g asparagus, woody ends snapped off and chopped into 4 pieces
- 1.3 litres of good chicken or vegetable stock – homemade if you have it
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 85g butter
- 350g Carnaroli or other risotto rice
- 100ml dry white wine
- 140g frozen peas, defrosted
- 100g Parmesan, finely grated
Tip the broad beans into boiling water and simmer for 1 minute, then drain and remove the skins.
Meanwhile, bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan.
Heat the oil and half the butter in a heavy, wide pan. Add the shallots, scallions & garlic and cook for a few minutes until soft and translucent but not browned.
Keep the heat at medium and add the rice to the pan and stir for a few minutes so it gets toasted and very hot. When it starts to hiss, pour in the wine and stir for another minute or so until the wine has evaporated.
Set a timer for 20 minutes, then start adding the stock starting with a ladle and a half. It should be gently simmering and you need to stir continuously until the liquid had been absorbed. Keep adding the stock a ladleful at a time and allowing it to be absorbed before adding another.
After 14 minutes, add the beans and peas to the rice with some seasoning. Meanwhile, add the asparagus pieces to the simmering stock and cook for 4 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and add to the rice. Start tasting the rice to check if it is done – you’re looking for soft rice with a little bite. Keep adding stock until cooked, then take the pan off the heat and add half the Parmesan and the remaining butter along with another splash of stock. Cover with a lid and leave to rest for a few minutes.
Serve with the rest of the Parmesan.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Italian, Vegetarian | Tagged Asparagus, Broad beans, Cooking, Food, Italian, peas, Recipe, Risotto, Spring | 1 Comment »
24 May 2018 by jonoandjules
Sometimes the simplest of ideas turn out the best.
Wine Suggestion: we had a glass of the Adi Badenhorst Secateurs Chenin Blanc which he’s now experimenting with a little bit of skin contact. We don’t disagree, it adds a touch of extra texture and complexity to such a great value wine.
Lemon & basil linguine – serves 2
- 200g linguine
- 1 large lemon, juiced
- 75ml good olive oil
- 75g Parmesan
- a large handful of basil leaves
Put a large pan of water on to boil, add loads of salt and cook the pasta according to the time suggested on the packet.
Put the lemon juice, olive oil and Parmesan into a large warmed bowl and beat with a small whisk to combine and thicken. Tear the basil leaves into the bowl and add plenty of black pepper.
Drain the pasta and toss with the mixture in the bowl.
(Original recipe from The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2005.)
Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged Basil, Cooking, Easy, Food, Italian, lemon, Linguine, Pasta, Recipe | Leave a Comment »
20 May 2018 by jonoandjules
A real burst of summer freshness that we assembled using frozen broad beans on a grey winter day. It is now Spring however and you might be the lucky person with some freshly picked broad beans. You can of course use frozen beans which for us are right up there with peas as an absolute freezer essential.
Wine Suggestion: We opened a vibrant Verdicchio from Umani Ronchi; their CaSal di Serra. Thirst quenching and pure peach, apple and lemon fruits that match the season as well.
Ricotta & Broad Bean Bruschetta – enough to make 4
- 4 slices of rustic sourdough bread
- 1 clove of garlic, halved
- 200g broad beans (podded weight)
- 250g ricotta
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- a few small mint leaves
- a few basil leaves, shredded
Toast the bread until light golden brown, then rub on one side with the cut garlic clove.
Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the broad beans for 2 minutes, then drain and run under cold water. The beans will now be very easy to pop gently from their skins.
Break the ricotta up with a fork and add the lemon juice, then stir to combine. Spread the ricotta mixture over the toasted bread and drizzle lightly with olive oil. Toss the broad beans with the mint, basil, lemon zest and remaining olive oil. Pile on top of the ricotta and season with salt and black pepper.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)
Posted in Food, Vegetarian | Tagged Broad beans, Bruschetta, Cooking, Easy, Food, Italian, Recipe, Ricotta, Starter | 1 Comment »
19 May 2018 by jonoandjules
Tastes like Summer! Use chicken thigh fillets if you can rather than chicken breasts as they don’t dry out as easily. Serve with baked potatoes and salads for an easy barbecue for friends.
Wine Suggestion: We’ve found that a little known, but classic combination of Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from Cheverny in the Loire is the perfect match for this. We want to try this with some Greek white’s too being inspired by the dried oregano.
Chicken skewers with oregano – serves 4
- 8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 1 red pepper, cut into squares
- 1 green pepper, cut into squares
FOR THE MARINADE:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tbsp sweet smoked paprika
- ½ tsp cinnamon
Cut the chicken thighs into 4, trimming off any larger bits of fat.
For the marinade, whisk the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and the honey in a bowl until the honey is dissolved. Add the oregano, paprika, cinnamon and plenty of seasoning. Add the chicken and stir to coat. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 3 hours or ideally overnight.
Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before you want to cook. Thread the chicken pieces onto skewers, alternating with the pepper pieces.
Heat the barbecue until very hot, then grill the skewers for 15 to 20 minutes or until cooked through. Baste with the leftover marinade as they cook. Serve with a few lemon wedges if you like.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Mediterranean Adventure by Si King & Dave Myers, Seven Dials, 2017.)
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Barbecue, BBQ, Chicken, Cooking, Easy, Food, Kebabs, Peppers, Recipe, Skewers | 5 Comments »
15 May 2018 by jonoandjules
A light and tasty stir-fry to use up bits of veg leftover from the weekend. Feel free to use what you have rather than the suggestions below and prep all the ingredients before you start as this takes minutes to cook. Serve with rice or noodles.
Wine Suggestion: If you can find it, the Zind Humbrecht Muscat Grand Cru Goldberg 2013, was an amazing match. This is a truly astonishing wine that confounds the stereotype of Muscat because of the terroir and winemaker, being fresh, vibrant and dry. Alongside the ginger and soy this danced a fine line of complementary and contrasting flavours.
Ginger Pork Stir-fry – serves 4
- 25g root ginger, peeled and cut into thin matchsticks
- 1 tbsp finely grated root ginger
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 200g pork fillet, trimmed and sliced into 5mm slices
- 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed/grated
- 150g carrots, peeled and finely sliced
- 150g purple-sprouting broccoli or small broccoli florets
- 1 red or yellow pepper, finely sliced
- 75g kale (stalks removed), shredded
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 1-2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp roughly chopped coriander (leaves & stalks)
Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil, add the sliced ginger and boil for 1 minute, then drain.
Get a wok or a large frying pan smoking hot, then pour in the oil and stir-fry the boiled ginger for 30-60 seconds, remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Add the pork, garlic, grated ginger and carrots. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the pork is cooked, then add the broccoli and peppers.
Keep frying for another minute, then add the kale and toss for briefly to wilt.
Finally, add the sesame oil, soy sauce and chopped coriander. Toss together quickly then serve over rice or noodles and garnish with the crispy ginger.
(Original recipe from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen by Rachel Allen, Harper Collins, 2013.)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Pork | Tagged Cooking, Easy, Food, Ginger, Gluten-free, Pork, Recipe, Stir-fry | Leave a Comment »
14 May 2018 by jonoandjules
We were so happy when we found a little jar of dried morels, until we got to the counter and realised they cost €25. We almost put them back only we had our hearts set on cooking this pie for dinner. We think they were worth it, but we’ll be better prepared for a shock at the till next time. It turns out morels are far from easy to come by and must be hand foraged and hence the princely sum. The fresh ones can be used for this dish too (though good luck finding them!) but you miss out on the nice mushroom stock from soaking the dried ones. If you see either sort and you’re feeling flush, we recommend trying them.
Wine Suggestion: We think this goes well with earthier reds like Pinot Noir or Nebbiolo especially if they have a little age and development.
Chicken, morel mushroom & asparagus one-pan pie – serves 4 to 5
- 30g dried morels (or 100g fresh morels thoroughly cleaned)
- 200ml chicken stock (you only need this if you have fresh morels)
- 50g butter
- 2 shallots, finely sliced
- 3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tbsp plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- 100ml dry sherry or white wine
- 200ml crème fraîche
- 6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into large chunks
- bunch of asparagus, snap off and discard the woody ends, then cut into 4cm pieces
- half a pack of tarragon, leaves roughly chopped
- 375g block of puff pastry (preferably all-butter)
- 1 egg, beaten, to glaze
If you are using dried mushrooms put them into a bowl and cover with boiling water, then leave to soak for 10 minutes. Remove the mushrooms from the liquid and cut in half (keep the liquid and make it up to 200ml with some more water if necessary). You can set a couple of the nicest looking morels aside to decorate the top of the pie if you like.
Heat half the butter in a frying pan and fry the morels for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Heat the rest of the butter and cook the shallots gently in the pan with the thyme and bay. When the shallots have softened, stir in the flour and cook for a minute or until a paste forms.
Pour in the sherry or wine and sizzle, then stir in the mushroom liquid (leave any grit in the bowl) or chicken stock, followed by the crème fraîche. Season well and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the chicken and poach in the sauce for 10 minutes or until just cooked through. Remove and discard the bay leaves, stir in the asparagus, tarragon and fried morels, then remove from the heat and transfer into a pie dish.
Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 8.
Roll the pastry out onto a floured surface to the thickness of a euro coin, then cut to fit the dish, and drape it over the pie mixture (a rolling pin helps with this). Liberally brush with egg, season the pastry with flaky sea salt, and arrange the reserved morels on top. Bake for 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Asparagus, Chicken, Cooking, Food, Morel mushrooms, Morels, Pastry, Pie, Recipe, Tarragon | 2 Comments »
13 May 2018 by jonoandjules
We really loved this dish and it works really well with Golden Couscous. Simple and super tasty.
Wine Suggestion: We opened a delightful Grenache from the south of France, the Les Paiens Paria made by Domaine Ventenac. As it wasn’t too tannic it didn’t fight with the spicy sausages and harissa.
Spicy merguez and cod tray roast – serves 6
- 8 merguez sausages, cut into chunks
- 2 onions, chopped
- 2-3 tbsp harissa, depending on how spicy you like
- 2 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes
- 100g Nocerella green olives
- 800g cod loin, cut into 6 pieces
- a bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- 2 lemons, cut into wedges
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/Gas 6.
Put the sausages in the bottom of a roasting tin and bake for 10 minutes, then stir in the onions and bake for another 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and harissa and put back in the oven for another 20 minutes.
Stir in the olives and sit the cod pieces in the sauce, drizzle them with a little olive oil and season. Put back into the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Scatter with parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe IN: BBC Olive Magazine, April 2017.)
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Cod, Cooking, Easy, Food, Harissa, Merguez, Recipe, White fish | Leave a Comment »
10 May 2018 by jonoandjules
A tasty side dish that works at any time of the year provided you’ve a stash of broad beans in the freezer.
Broad beans with pancetta – serves 4
- 500g frozen broad beans
- 70g cubetti di pancetta
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- a small bunch of flatleaf parsley, chopped
Cook the beans in boiling water for 2 minutes then drain and remove from the skins.
Fry the pancetta in a dry pan until the fat runs, then turn the heat up and brown well. Add the shallots for a couple of minutes to soften, then add the broad beans to heat through. Stir through the parsley and season before serving.
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish | Tagged Bacon, Broad beans, Cooking, Easy, Food, Gluten-free, pancetta, Parsley, Recipe, Shallots, side dish | 1 Comment »
7 May 2018 by jonoandjules
Reblochon cheese from the Alps arrives in the cheese shops from May and reminds us to make tartiflette, the famous dish from France’s Haute-Savoie region made with cheese, bacon, potatoes and onions. This version also has chicken and kale and it needs no accompaniment. It makes a hefty portion but it’s hard not to go back for more.
Wine Suggestion: We would suggest finding a white from the Jura, usually made from Savagnin, Chardonnay, or a blend of the two. Even better try to find a Vin Jaune, which is aged in oak under a Voile, similar to the Flor of sherry, and with similar characteristics. We had a beautiful Côtes du Jura, the Cuvée de Garde by Anne & Jean-François Ganevat. An equal blend of the two grapes and held under voile for 48 months (not long enough to classify as a Vin Jaune) which allowed the fruit to sing alongside the nutty, voile aromas.
Chicken tartiflette – serves 4 (generously)
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium chicken, about 1.5kg, jointed into 8 pieces (we used 8 chicken thighs)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
- 200ml white wine
- 2 litres chicken stock
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 2 bay leaves
FOR THE TARTIFLETTE:
- 1kg waxy potatoes, like Charlotte, sliced 1cm thick
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200g smoked bacon lardons
- 1 large onion, thinly sliced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 50g plain flour
- 300ml double cream
- 400g curly kale, blanched in boiling water for 3 minutes and roughly chopped (discard any thick stalks)
- 400g Reblochon cheese, broken or cut into pieces
Start by cooking the chicken. Heat a large sauté pan over a high heat, add the olive oil and the chicken pieces – skin side down to start. Cook until browned all over, about 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan then add the onion and garlic and sweat until the onion has softened. Add the white wine and reduce until almost evaporated. Add the chicken stock, thyme and bay, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a very gentle simmer (you might need to transfer to a large pot to fit it all in).
Return the chicken pieces to the pan and cook very gently until just cooked – about 10 minutes for the breasts. Remove any breast pieces from the pan with some of the broth and leave to cool in the broth. Continue to cook the leg meat for another 30 minutes, then take off the heat and leave to cool in the broth.
When cooled take the chicken out of the broth, remove the skin and bones and cut into large pieces. Strain the broth and reserve for later.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
Simmer the potato slices in boiling, salted water until almost tender, then drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a pan, add the bacon lardons and cook until coloured, then remove from the pan and add the onion. Cook until the onion is translucent, then stir in the garlic. Add the flour and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the cream with 200ml of the reserved strained chicken braising liquid and slowly bring to a simmer, stirring. Remove from the heat and season.
Fold the chicken and bacon through the cream mixture, along with the kale, 300g of the cheese and the potatoes. Pour into a large baking dish and top with the remaining 100g of cheese, then bake until golden brown (about 20 to 30 minutes).
(Original recipe from The Skills by Monica Galetti, Quadrille, 2016.)
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alps, Bacon, Cooking, Food, French, Garlic, Potatoes, Reblochon, Recipe, Savoie, Vin Jaune, Wine Match, Wine suggestion | 3 Comments »
4 May 2018 by jonoandjules
Such a nice tomato salad with lots of delicious dressing for which you will require some crusty bread. You do need to skin the tomatoes but it actually takes no time at all if you follow the instructions below and it allows them to soak up the dressing so don’t be tempted to leave that step out.
Cherry tomato salad with wholegrain mustard – serves 4 to 6
- 900g cherry tomatoes
- 50g walnuts, coarsely chopped
FOR THE DRESSING:
- small bunch of tarragon
- 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 heaped tbsp wholegrain Dijon mustard
- 125ml walnut oil or olive oil
Peel the tomatoes by cutting a slit in the base of each then putting them into a large bowl. Pour over some boiling water from the kettle and immediately drain – the skins should peel of easily.
Keep a sprig of tarragon to garnish and remove the rest of the leaves from the stalks. Coarsely chop the leaves and discard the stalks. Whisk the vinegar and mustard together with some salt and pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil so the dressing thickens slightly, then whisk in the chopped tarragon.
Pour the dressing over the tomatoes, mix gently and taste for seasoning. You can leave at room temperature for a couple of hours at this point. Pile into a salad bowl and sprinkle with the walnuts and the reserved tarragon just before serving.
(Original recipe by Anne Willan IN: BBC Good Food Magazine, April 2002)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Cherry Tomatoes, Cooking, Food, Gluten-free, Mustard, Recipe, Salad, side dish, Tarragon, Walnuts | 1 Comment »
2 May 2018 by jonoandjules
We love this green salad with barbecues as the scallions taste amazing and you’re not likely to get the barbecue out just for a green salad.
Watercress & scallion salad – serves 8 to 10
- 6 tbsp olive oil
- 4 shallots, sliced into fine rings
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 3 bunches scallions, trimmed
- 4 bunches of watercress (or failing that a bag of mixed salad leaves as we had to resort to this time but it we prefer it with watercress)
Heat a pan over a medium heat, then fry the shallots for a few minutes with a splash of oil, then add the sugar and vinegar. Bring to the boil, then set to one side.
Toss the scallions in a little oil then cook on a hot barbecue for a a couple of minutes on each side (use a griddle pan if that’s easier). Put the scallions in a bowl with the shallots and the rest of the olive oil. Season and toss with the watercress.
(Original recipe by James Martin IN: BBC Good Food Magazine, April 2008)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Barbecue, BBQ, Cooking, Easy, Food, Gluten-free, Recipe, Scallions, Vegetarian, Watercress | Leave a Comment »
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Jono & Jules do food & wine 