13 April 2017 by jonoandjules
Perfect with many Greek dishes, but none mores than barbecued lamb cutlets or kebabs/souvlaki. You could also serve it as as starter with some crusty bread. A very popular salad in our house when the days get warmer. In fact, we blogged it here a few years ago and it’s still a firm favourite.
Greek Salad – serves 4
- 450g ripe tomatoes
- ½ a cucumber
- 1 red onion (we only use half an onion)
- 200g Greek feta cheese
- 4½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp ouzo/Pernod
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 20 small black olives
- large pinch of dried oregano – Greek if you can find it
Cut the tomatoes into chunky pieces and cut the cucumber in half lengthways and then across into thick slices. Slice the red onion as thinly as possible (a mandolin is good for this if you have one). Crumble the feta into chunky pieces.
To make the dressing whisk the olive oil, ½ tsp salt, the red wine vinegar, ouzo/Pernod and some black pepper in a large salad bowl. Add the tomatoes, cucumber and onions and toss gently. Add the feta, dill and olives and mix briefly.
Drizzle with more olive oil, sprinkle with the dried oregano and some coarsely ground black pepper.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes, BBC Books, 2007.)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Greek, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Cucumber, Feta, Food, Gluten-free, Greek, Greek salad, Ouzo, Pernod, Recipe, Salad, Side, Starter, Tomatoes | Leave a Comment »
4 April 2017 by jonoandjules
A really quick and easy lasagne full of Spring flavours. You don’t have to buy fresh pesto from the fridge as this tends to be more oily and makes this dish very rich; we successfully used a jar from a shelf instead.
Wine suggestion: A grassy European styled Sauvignon Blanc which tends to have a longer, if cooler, growing season is a good match. Avoid the big flavoured Sauvignon’s with the kiwi / tinned asparagus flavours that you might typically find from NZ and Chile as these flavours clash a bit. Exceptions to this always exist like the Dog Point Marlborough Sauvignon, but a good Touraine or Sancerre would be our match.
Pesto Lasagne – serves 4 to 6
- 190g jar of pesto
- 500g tub mascarpone
- 200g bag spinach, roughly chopped
- 250g frozen peas
- small pack of basil
- small pack of mint
- 12 fresh lasagne sheets
- 85g Parmesan, finely grated
- 50g pine nuts
- Green salad & garlic bread to serve
Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4.
Put the pesto, half the mascarpone and 250ml vegetable stock in a saucepan. Heat, stirring, until smooth and bubbling. Add the spinach and peas and cook for another few minutes until the spinach has wilted and the peas have defrosted. Add the herbs and season but go easy with the salt.
Put a third of this pesto mixture into the base of a baking dish (approx. 18 x 25cm). Top with 4 lasagne sheets, then repeat with 2 more layers of sauce and lasagne sheets, finishing with a layer of pasta. Mix some milk into the remaining mascarpone to make a sauce consistency, season then pour over the top of the dish. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and pine nuts, then bake for 35-40 minutes or until brown on the top and bubbling. Scatter over a few basil leaves before serving.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food Magazine, February 2014.)
Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged Basil, Cooking, Easy, Food, Lasagne, Mint, Pasta, peas, Pesto, Recipe, Vegetarian | 5 Comments »
1 April 2017 by jonoandjules
Prawns in their shells are more often a holiday treat for us but they’re so easy to do and it’s nice to eat dinner with your hands. Finger bowls of warm water and lemon slices are useful – or you could lick them 😉
Wine Suggestion: If you are serving this as a special treat for two then go for a good pink sparkling. We had this as on a Friday night and luckily had a half-bottle of Billecart Salmon Rosé champagne which turned it into an extra special evening. On nights when this isn’t an option you should find a good Fiano, Verdicchio or Alvarinho.
Buttery Chilli Prawns – serves 2
- 25g butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped (leave the seeds in)
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- 12-20 large raw ing prawns with shells (12 should be enough for a starter for 2, for a main course about 20 is better)
- 1 lemon, juiced (plus a few extra slices for finger bowls if using)
- ½ a small bunch of parsley, roughly chopped
- crusty bread – warm it in the oven before serving
Melt the butter & oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic, chilli and paprika and cook for a coupled of minutes or until golden. Turn up the heat and throw in the prawns. Fry for a few minutes until they turn pink, don’t be tempted to cook them for any longer. Take the pan off the heat, season and stir in the lemon juice & parsley.
Serve with warm crusty bread for wiping the bowl.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Prawns, Shellfish | Tagged Cooking, Easy, Food, Garlic, Garlic prawns, Gluten-free, Main, prawns, Recipe, Seafood, Shellfish, Starter, Wine Match, Wine Pairing, Wine suggestion | 1 Comment »
27 March 2017 by jonoandjules
Another success from Sam & Sam Clark of Moro. Great textures and interesting flavours. Works as a starter or a side with grilled meat.
Feta salad with spinach, crispbread, sumac & pinenuts – serves 4
- 500g young spinach, washed and dried (in a salad spinner ideally)
- 200g good-quality feta cheese, crumbled
- 1 dessertspoon fresh oregano or marjoram leaves
- 75g pinenuts, very lightly toasted
- 25g butter
- 2 pitta breads
- ½ garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
- 1 tbsp good-quality red wine vinegar
- 2 tsp sumac
- 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Melt the butter. Split the pitta in half lengthways and brush the melted butter on both sides. Put the pittas on a rack in the middle of the oven and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Remove and cool.
Whisk the garlic, red wine vinegar, sumac, olive oil together to make a dressing. Season to taste with the salt and pepper.
Put the spinach, roughly broken crispbread, half the feta cheese, the oregano/marjoram and pinenuts into a large bowl. Pour over most of the dressing and toss together. Serve with the rest of the feta and dressing on top.
(Original recipe from Moro: the cookbook by Sam & Sam Clark, Ebury Press, 2001.)
Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Easy, Feta, Food, Middle Eastern, Moro, Recipe, Salad, side dish, Sumac | Leave a Comment »
21 March 2017 by jonoandjules
Jono’s birthday treat this year was a rabbit, which we ate. Orlaith (the 3 year old in the house) also ate it despite being very attached to her favourite fluffy ‘Bunny’. If you’re nervous about rabbit don’t be, the flavour is really good and not too gamey. We highly recommend this mustard & tarragon sauce too.
Wine Suggestion: A classic French dish needed a classic French wine to go with it. Our choice was a favourite, the Patrick Javillier Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée Oligocene, in reality a good Meursault. Well worth seeking out.
Rabbit with Mustard & Tarragon – serves 3-4
- 1.5kg rabbit joints
- 25g unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 500ml chicken stock
- 100ml double cream
- 4 tsp Dijon mustard
- a good squeeze of lemon juice
- leaves from 8 springs of tarragon
Season the rabbit joints with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a deep frying pan and brown the rabbit pieces, then remove from the pan and set aside. Cook the onion in the same pan until soft and golden. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and return the rabbit pieces to the pan. Simmer very gently, covered, for 1.5-2 hours or until tender and still moist.
Take the rabbit back out of the pan, put into a warm dish and cover. Add the cream to the stock and reduce by about half. Add the mustard, lemon juice and half the tarragon. Reduce again until the sauce is the consistency of single cream but be careful the sauce doesn’t reduce too much and become sticky and salty.
Return the rabbit to the sauce to heat through and add the rest of the tarragon just before serving.
(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free | Tagged Cooking, Dijon, Food, French, Mustard & tarragon sauce, Recipe, Tarragon | Leave a Comment »
18 March 2017 by jonoandjules
When it is done right a sausage roll can be a real treat, but too often they’re a bit disappointing. This is usually due to grey pastry and cheap sausage meat stuffing but this is easily remedied by making your own. They’re just the trick if you’ve overindulged the night before.
Wine suggestion: if you feel like wine make it an easy, juicy and inexpensive new world shiraz like the Beelgara Estate Shiraz from the Riverland in Australia. Satisfying and flavoursome but uncomplicated and fruity.
Sausage & Sage Rolls – makes 8
- ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
- 6 good quality sausages
- sage leaves (optional)
- milk
Heat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.
Gently split the sausage skins with a sharp knife and remove. They should come off very easily in one piece. Squeeze the skinned sausages together with your hands to form a fat log.
Unroll the pastry sheet and place the sausage meat lengthways down the centre of one side. Lay a few sage leaves on top if you like. Brush the edges of the pastry with milk, then fold over the sausagemeat and seal the edge. Cut slashes along the top of the sausage roll with a sharp knife.
Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into slices to serve.
Posted in Food | Tagged Cooking, Food, ready-rolled puff pastry, Recipe, Sausage Rolls, Sausages | Leave a Comment »
15 March 2017 by jonoandjules
This is how Julie’s Granny served champ, with a great big lump of Irish butter in the middle!
Irish Champ – serves 4 as a side or 2 on it’s own
- 700g potatoes – it helps if they are roughly the same size
- salt and white pepper (no black pepper please)
- 6 tbsp milk
- 4 scallions, finely chopped
- 50g butter (plus extra to serve)
Put the potatoes (unpeeled) in a pot and cover with cold water and a good pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then simmer until completely tender (usually about 20 minutes but keep checking and don’t let them go to mush).
Heat the milk with the scallions for about 5 minutes.
Drain the potatoes and peel while still hot. If you have a potato ricer you could use that but we tend to use a standard masher.
Beat the butter into the mashed potato with a wooden spoon, then stir in the warm milk and scallions. Season well with salt and white pepper.
Serve the potatoes in a warm bowl. Make a dip in the middle with the back of a spoon and add a lump of good quality (preferably Irish) salted butter.
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Irish Food, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Champ, Cooking, Food, Gluten-free, Irish, Irish Food, Paddy's Day, Potatoes, Recipe, Saint Patrick's Day, side dish | 2 Comments »
10 March 2017 by jonoandjules
We’re forever trying new chillies and this one has become the current favourite. Great for feeding a crowd and it tastes even better if cooked the night before. It’s also worth using dried black beans though you have to soak them overnight. If you’re using tinned beans make sure you buy Mexican black beans rather than fermented black beans used in Chinese dishes.
Wine Suggestion: an easy choice here, juicy and red. We chose a Primitivo from Puglia in Italy, the Biancardi Ponteviro which had a wonderful depth of brambly fruit and a hint of menthol freshness. A really good Zinfandel from California (Ridge I’m looking at you, but there are a number of others) would be a good alternative if that’s easier as it’s the same grape.
Chunky Beef & Black Bean Chilli – serves 6
- 200g dried black beans, soaked overnight
- olive oil
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 2 green chillies, seeded and finely chopped
- 750g beef shin, trimmed and cubed
- 3 tbsp tomato purée
- 2-3 tbsp chipotle paste/chipotle chillies in adobo sauce
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 cinnamon stick
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- 500ml beef stock
- 2 tbsp malt vinegar
- 2 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 2 x 400g tins of cherry tomatoes
- sour cream (to serve)
- tortilla chips (to serve)
- cooked basmati rice (to serve)
FOR THE GUACAMOLE:
- 2 avocados, peeled & stoned
- 1 small red onion, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- a good pinch of ground cumin
- 2 limes, juiced
- a handful of coriander, chopped
Put the soaked pans into a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a fast boil and cook for 30 minutes. Drain & rinse.
Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide casserole dish, add the onions and cook until soft and golden. Add the garlic and chilli and keep cooking for another minute, then scoop out onto a plate.
Heat another tbsp of oil in the same dish and use to brown the meat in batches. When all the meat is browned put it all back into the dish and add the onion mixture, the tomato purée, chipotle paste, spiced and dried oregano. Cook for a minute, then add the stock, vinegar, sugar and tined tomatoes. Season, stir well and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer, cover with a tight lid and continue to cook for 2½-3 hours or until the meat is very tender.
To make the guacamole, mash the ingredients roughly together with a generous pinch of salt.
Serve the chilli with the guacamole, sour cream, tortilla chips and basmati rice.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in BBC Olive Magazine, October 2013.)
Posted in Beef, Food, Gluten-free | Tagged Avocado, Beef Shin, Black Beans, Chilli, Cooking, Easy, Food, Gluten-free, Guacamole, Mexican, Recipe | 1 Comment »
6 March 2017 by jonoandjules
Another suggestion for using up a leek. Chicken, mustard and leeks are natural friends and make for a delicious mid-week dinner.
Wine suggestion: choose a classic pairing with this and go for a Chardonnay. Your choice of which one but both simple and unoaked or sophisticated and expensive white burgundy will work.
Braised chicken with mustard & leeks – serves 2
- olive oil
- 4 chicken thigh fillets
- 1 leek, chopped
- 100ml white wine/chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp double cream
- 1 tbsp chopped tarragon
Heat a splash of oil in a wide, deep frying pan and cook the chicken thigh fillets until golden on both sides.
Add the leek to the pan and cook until softened.
Add the wine or stock, then cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
Stir in the Dijon mustard and double cream and continue to simmer with the lid off until slightly thickened.
Stir through the chopped tarragon, season to taste and serve with either some steamed rice or mashed potatoes.
(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, January 2015.)
Posted in Chicken, Food, Gluten-free | Tagged Chicken, Chicken thigh fillets, Cooking, Dijon mustard, Easy, Food, Gluten-free, Leeks, Recipe, Tarragon | 1 Comment »
1 March 2017 by jonoandjules
We’re regularly left with a rogue leek in the bottom of the fridge and it usually finds its way into a dish like this, particularly if there is some cream lurking as well. Quantities don’t matter too much here so use what you’ve got.
- Baking potatoes
- Butter
- Leeks, sliced finely
- Cream
- Cheddar cheese, grated
Heat the oven to 220°C.
Rub the potatoes with olive oil and place on a tray in the oven to bake for 20 minutes. Turn the oven down to 200ºC and continue to cook for about another hour.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large frying pan and gently sauté the leeks until they are meltingly tender. Add the cream and bubble together until you have a thick sauce.
When the potatoes are soft, cut them in half and scoop out the centres, leaving a thin layer of potato on the skins. Mash the removed potato, mix with the creamy leeks and season with salt and lots of pepper. Pile this mixture back into the potato skins and sprinkle over the grated cheese. Return to the oven for a few minutes until the cheese has melted and started to brown.
Serve this on its own for a midweek supper or as a side dish with chargrilled chops or sausages.
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged cheese, Cooking, Cream, Food, Gluten-free, Jacket Potatoes, Leeks, Recipe, Side, Vegetarian | Leave a Comment »
27 February 2017 by jonoandjules
We love a good risotto and this simple one doesn’t disappoint. Perfect cold weather comfort food.
Wine Suggestion: as this is a richer flavoured mushroom dish our first choice would be to head to a Nebbiolo, especially a good Barolo. With the addition of the spinach which has a fresh, iron bitterness we would swing back to a full-bodied white and go for a good Alsace Pinot Gris. The depth of flavour of this dish can balance a really intense Pinot Gris like one from Zind- Humbrecht, which sometimes can be edgy and a bit much for many foods. This one can handle it so push the boat out for flavour and enjoy.
As we had this as a weeknight treat, however, we found that a more humbleVilla Wolf Pinot Gris from the Pfalz also worked.
Porcini & spinach risotto – serves 2
- 25g dried porcini mushrooms
- 50g butter
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 200g chestnut mushrooms, sliced
- 150g risotto rice
- a glass of white wine
- 750ml veg stock, simmering (we use Marigold Swiss Bouillon powder)
- 100g spinach, washed & chopped
- parmesan shavings
Soak the porcini mushrooms in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes. Strain the liquid through a sieve to remove any gritty bits and keep for later. Roughly chop the porcini.
Heat the butter in a wide shallow pan and cook the onion and garlic until softened. Add the chestnut mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes, then add the porcini and risotto rice and stir until coated.
Pour in the wine and bubble until it has been absorbed by the rice. Gradually add the stock and porcini soaking liquid, stirring until the rice is al dente (you may not need all of the stock). Stir through the spinach until just wilted and serve sprinkled with shavings of parmesan.
(Original recipe by Janine Ratcliffe in BBC Olive Magazine, February 2009.)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Italian, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Dried porcini, Easy, Food, Gluten-free, Italian, Mushrooms, Parmesan, Recipe, rice, Risotto, Spinach, Vegetarian | Leave a Comment »
24 February 2017 by jonoandjules
This makes such a lovely weekend dish and looks really attractive served on a large platter in the middle of the table. It requires a few hours in the oven but is hardly any work at all and uses just a few ingredients.
Wine Suggestion: this dish cries out for a Moorish influenced wine and nothing quite achieves this more than a Spanish Tempranillo. Our choice of the evening was the Carmelo Rodero Ribera del Duero Crianza which is juicy, powerful and also manages to achieve a perfumed elegance with exotic eastern spice hints.
Pomegranate & slow cooked lamb couscous – serves 6
- 2kg lamb shoulder (or get your butcher to give you a forequarter if the lambs are small)
- 1 onion, sliced
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses, plus extra to serve
- 300g couscous
- butter
- 1 tsp harissa
- a small bunch of mint, leaves roughly chopped
- seeds from 1 pomegranate
Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5.
Put the lamb into a roasting tin with the fatty side facing up. Scatter the onion around the lamb. Score the lamb with a sharp knife and rub in the pomegranate molasses with your hands. Season well. Add 2 mugs of water to the tin, then cover with foil and roast for 4 hours. Rest for 15 minutes before pulling chunks of the lamb off the bone with 2 forks.
While the lamb is resting, put the couscous into a large bowl with a large knob of butter, the harissa and seasoning, then add enough boiling water to just cover. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave for 5 minutes before fluffing the grains gently with a fork. Put the couscous onto a platter and arrange the shredded lamb on top. Pour off any fat from the roasting tin and pour the juices over the lamb and couscous plus a little more molasses. Scatter with the mint and pomegranate seeds.
(Original recipe by Lulu Grimes IN: BBC Olive Magazine, February 2014.)
Posted in Food, Lamb, Roast | Tagged Cooking, Couscous, Food, Harissa, Lamb, Lamb shoulder, Mint, Pomegranate, Pomegranate Molasses, Recipe, Roast, Roast lamb, Slow cooked lamb | 2 Comments »
20 February 2017 by jonoandjules
A really nice soup with or without the Kabanossi sausage (so you can leave this out if you like) though it does add an extra layer of smoky flavour. Most supermarkets stock Kabanossi sausages near the salami and other dried sausages.
Winter vegetable & bean soup with Kabanossi sausage – serves 8 to 9 (freezes well)
- 225g rindless streaky bacon, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 225g onions, chopped
- 275g carrot, cut into 5mm dice
- 125g parsnips, cut into 5mm dice
- 200g white part of 1 leek, cut into 5mm slices
- 1 Kabanossi sausage (optional), cut into 5mm slices
- 1 x 400g tin of good-quality tomatoes (Italian brands are good)
- 225g haricot beans, soaked and cooked (see note at end)
- 1.8 litres home-make chicken stock
- 2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Blanch the bacon, refresh and dry well with paper towels. (To do this y0u need to cover with cold water, then bring to the boil and simmer for a few minutes before draining into a sieve and rinsing with cold water. This process removes some of the saltiness.)
Put a large saucepan over a medium heat and warm the olive oil. Add the bacon and sauté until crisp and golden, then add the onion, carrots and celery. Cover the pan and sweat for 5 minutes, then add the parsnip and leeks. Cover again and continue to sweat for another 5 minutes.
If you are using the Kabanossi sausage add it now. Chop the tomatoes roughly in the tin and add to the vegetables with the cooked beans. Season with salt, pepper and sugar, then add the stock. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until all the vegetables are cooked. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with lots of brown bread & butter.
To prepare the haricot beans
Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water. Drain the beans and cover with fresh cold water, add a bouquet garni (a bay leaf, sprig of parsley & spring of thyme tied with string), a carrot and an onion, then cover and simmer until the beans are soft. This will take between 30 minutes and 1 hour depending on the age of your beans. It’s important to check them often and stop cooking before they turn mushy. Season with salt when the beans are almost cooked. Drain and discard the vegetable and bouquet garni.
(Original recipe from Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course, Kyle Cathie Ltd., 2001.)
Posted in Food, Soup | Tagged Cabanossi, Cooking, Dried haricot beans, Food, Kabanossi, Recipe, Sausage, Soup, Winter vegetable | Leave a Comment »
16 February 2017 by jonoandjules
Our butcher had some guinea fowl on the counter and February is the month for a two person dish. This 1.2 kg bird gave enough for two people plus delicious sandwiches the following day. Guinea fowl tastes like really flavoursome chicken so a good way to try out game birds with tastes that aren’t too unfamiliar. Don’t worry too much about the size of your bird, just follow the usual timings for roast chicken.
Wine suggestion: if you’d like a white wine seek out the Sartarelli Verdicchio Superiore Tralivio or for a red an earthy Pinot Noir like the Sylvain Loichet Cotes du Nuits Villages. Neither will disappoint.
Roast guinea fowl with sage & lemon mash – serves 2
- 1 small guinea fowl, about 1kg
- 1 onion, thickly sliced with the skin left on
- ½ a small bunch of sage
- 75g softened butter
- 1 small lemon, zested
- 6 rashers of streaky bacon
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 350ml strong chicken stock
- 350g floury potatoes peeled and cut in to large chunks
- 2-3 tbsp cream/milk
- 2 handfuls of watercress to serve
Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Put the onion in the bottom of a small roasting tin that will fit the guinea fowl snugly. Finely chop 5 sage leaves and mix with 50g of the butter, the lemon zest and seasoning. Push some of the butter mixture under the skin of the bird, then rub the rest all over. Stretch the bacon strips over the breast, then halve the zested lemon and put inside the cavity with the remaining sage. Place the bird on top of the onions and roast for 15 minutes.
Lower the oven temperature to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and continue to roast for another 35-45 minutes or longer if your bird is bigger than 1kg. Check the bird is cooked by piercing the inside of the thigh and making sure the juices are clear.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes until tender, then drain and mash with the remaining butter and a splash of milk/cream.
Lift the bird onto a platter and keep warm. Scoop the lemon halves from the cavity and keep aside. Pour the roasting juice into a jug and leave to settle, the fat will rise to the top. Spoon 1 tbsp of the fat back into the tin. Put the tin over a low heat and stir in the flour. Gradually add the stock and any meat juices (discard the extra fat from the jug). Mash some of the reserved lemon pulp into the mash with some salt and pepper.
Carve the bird and serve with the lemon mash, gravy and watercress.
(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, February 2014.)
Posted in Food, Game, Roast | Tagged Cooking, Food, Game, Guinea Fowl, Lemon mash, Poultry, Recipe, Roast, Sage | Leave a Comment »
12 February 2017 by jonoandjules
We’ve made this a couple times recently as Cavolo Nero is around and we keep on being drawn to it. Especially as we’re starting to tire of root veg and looking forward to all the treats that will come with Spring.
The dish is creamy and cheesy, with load of garlic and iron rich Cavolo Nero. Fairly rich for a main course in our opinion but absolutely perfect served in small starter portions.
If it suits you can blanch and dry the Cavolo nero and make the garlic puree in advance which leaves very little to do to get the dish on the table.
Wine suggestion: An old favourite came to the rescue here in the form of the Sartarelli Verdicchio dei Castelli di Jesi Classico Superiore “Tralivio” which has a great weight but also a freshness and vibrant texture. The flavour of the food isn’t shy, so make sure whatever you choose has enough body to cope.
Conchiglie al Cavolo Nero – serves 6 as a starter
- 900g Cavolo Nero
- 300ml double cream
- 7 garlic cloves, peeled
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2-3 dried chillies, crumbled or 2 tsp chilli flakes (adjust to your heat preference)
- 150g Parmesan, freshly grated
- 250g conchiglie or other shell-shaped pasta
Remove the central stalk from the Cavelo Nero leaves and cut each one into 3 or 4 pieces. Blanch the leaves in boiling salted water for 3 minutes by which time they should be tender and bright green. Drain and dry in a clean tea towel.
Put the double cream and 5 of the whole garlic cloves into a pan and simmer until the garlic is soft, about 15 minutes. Purée in a blender.
In a separate pan, heat the olive oil and fry the remaining 2 garlic cloves, cut into thin slices, and the chilli. When the garlic has coloured, add the blanched Cavolo Nero, stir & season. Pour in the cream and garlic purée, bring to the boil, and cook for 5 minutes until the Cavolo Nero is coated and the sauce has thickened. Add the Parmesan.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling salted water, then drain well before mixing well with the sauce.
(Original recipe from The River Cafe Cookbook by Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers, Ebury Press, 1995.)
Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged Cavolo Nero, Conchiglie, Cooking, Easy, Food, Italian, Pasta, Pasta shells, Recipe, River Café, Starter, Wine Match, Wine suggestion | 1 Comment »
6 February 2017 by jonoandjules
Making lasagne is a bit of a labour of love but if you take it in stages it can be assembled in advance and baked when you need it. Always worth the effort in our opinion. This veggie version is particularly good.
Wine Suggestion: we found the Rustenberg Chardonnay from Stellenbosch really matched this dish with it’s masterful balance of oak, fruit and freshness. This is one of South Africa’s classics and one of the best value Chardonnay’s we know. It is picked, crushed and gently settled before fermenting by itself (wild yeasts) and after gentle care in oak barrels on fine lees it is bottled. Only at this stage do they add a touch of sulphur to keep it stable in the bottle. A natural wine without the faults of other proponents of this term.
Roast Squash & Spinach Lasagne – serves 6
- 750g butternut squash
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 500g spinach, washed
- 1 tbsp butter
- whole nutmeg
- 6 fresh lasagne sheets
- 100g Parmesan, grated
FOR THE TOMATO SAUCE:
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 celery stick, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 400g tin cherry tomatoes
- 2 tsp light muscovado sugar
FOR THE BECHAMEL SAUCE:
- 500ml full-fat milk
- 6 peppercorns
- ½ onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 50g plain flour
- 50g butter
Heat your oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
Halve the squash, peel and deseed, then cut into slices about 1cm thick. Toss with the oil in a roasting tin, season well, then roast until tender and beginning to char at the edges – about 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the tomato sauce. Soften the onion in the oil for 5 minutes, then add the celery and garlic and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes & sugar, then leave to simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until you have a thick puree. Season.
Wash the spinach and put into a saucepan with the water that clings to the leaves. Place over a medium heat and toss for about 4 minutes or until completely wilted. Leave to cool, then squeeze as much water as you can out of the spinach with your hands. Chop and put into a pan with the butter, then gently heat and toss together so the spinach is coated in butter, season with salt, pepper and a good grating of nutmeg.
To make the bechamel, bring the milk to the boil in a pan with the peppercorns, onion and bay leaf. Set aside for 5 minutes to infuse, then strain into a clean pan. Add the flour & butter and whisk over a gentle heat until you have a thick smooth sauce.
Heat your oven again to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
To assemble the lasagne start by buttering a baking dish – about 1.4 litres capacity. Put a layer of roasted squash in the bottom followed by a layer of tomato sauce. Place lasagne sheets on top of this, making sure they don’t overlap (you can cut them with scissors to fit your dish). Add a layer of bechamel, followed by a handful of spinach and half the grated cheese. Top with more lasagne, pumpkin, tomato sauce, more lasagne and a final layer of bechamel. Sprinkle the rest of the cheese over the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until bubbling and golden.
(Original recipe by Diana Henry in BBC Good Food Magazine, December, 2016.)
Posted in Food, Pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged Butternut Squash, Cooking, Food, Lasagne, Pasta, Recipe, Roast squash, Spinach, Vegetarian | Leave a Comment »
2 February 2017 by jonoandjules
Meehra Sodha describes this as a Workers’ Curry variations of which are eaten all over India. We love the flavours and textures here and have eaten this part of a wider spread of dishes and also on its own with some naan bread from the local takeaway. It’s worth soaking your own chickpeas if you can as they have a better texture. Thi
Wine suggestion: a simple, medium-bodied and earthy red is required here, nothing fancy. We had a bottle of the Monfil Garnacha from Cariñena in Spain which is uncomplicated but satisfying.
Chana masala – serves 4
- 200g dried chickpeas (or 2 x 400g tins of chickpeas)
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 green chilli, roughly chopped
- salt
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 onions, sliced
- 1 tin of plum tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ¾ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp chilli powder
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
Put the dried chickpeas into a large bowl, cover with cold water, then add the bicarbonate of soda and soak overnight or for at least 6 hours. Rinse and drain the chickpeas, then cover with more cold water and boil for 30-45 minutes, until soft, keep spooning off any scum that rises to the surface. (If you are using tinned chickpeas you just need to rinse and drain them.)
Crush the ginger, garlic & green chilli together in a pestle and mortor with a pinch of salt to make a paste.
Put the oil into a large frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook for 10-12 minutes, or until golden brown. Stir the ginger and chilli paste through the onions, then tip in the tomatoes, crushing them with your hands. Add the tomato puree, stir well and cook for 8-10 minutes or until you have a rich, thick sauce.
Add the garam masala, 1½ tsp of salt, cumin, chilli powder & turmeric, and cook for a couple of minutes before adding the drained chickpeas. You can add some water at this point to thin the sauce a bit, start with about 5 tbsp and add more if necessary. Taste and season.
Serve with naan breads or as alongside a few other Indian dishes.
(Original recipe from Made in India by Meera Sodha, Penguin, 2014.)
Posted in Food, Gluten-free, Indian, Vegan, Vegetarian | Leave a Comment »
28 January 2017 by jonoandjules
This is not your average pea and mint soup and has the most amazing sweet & salty flavour. A delicious starter to impress a few friends and very little work to prepare.
Wine Suggestion: a lighter weight red with spicy, peppery tannins was our choice, making sure it had a wonderful freshness of acidity too. We opted for a regular favourite, the unoaked Jesus Romero Rubus from Teruel in Spain. The absence of oak seemed to accentuate the “Spring” freshness of the peas and helped lift the grey, windy and damp January day.
Pea Soup with Jamón & Mint – serves 4
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- ½ medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely chopped
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 150g jamón serrano (Spanish cured ham), finely chopped
- a small bunch of mint, roughly chopped
- 500g podded peas (frozen are fine)
- 1 litre chicken stock (it’s worth using home-made for this recipe)
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and golden, then add the carrot and bay leaves. Fry for another 5 minutes, then add the garlic, two-thirds of the jamón and half the mint. Fry for another minute or so before adding the peas. Cook for a couple of minutes, then add the stock and simmer gently until the peas or tender, 2-3 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and liquidise until smooth. Return the soup to the pot, season with salt and pepper and add the reserved mint. Serve with the rest of the jamón on top and drizzle with olive oil.
(Original recipe from The Moro Cookbook by Sam & Sam Clark, Ebury Press, 2001.)
Posted in Food, Soup, Spanish | Tagged Cooking, Food, Frozen peas, Gluten-free, Jamon, Mint, Moro, Pea & mint soup, Recipe, Soup, Spanish | Leave a Comment »
21 January 2017 by jonoandjules
The traditional fish used for this dish from Central Asia is sturgeon, which we don’t see so often in Dublin, so we substituted monkfish to very good effect. Don’t be shy with the pepper as this really informs the character of the dish providing a warm and distinctive flavour. We were really excited by the flavours here and have made this a few times now as we enjoy it a lot.
Wine Suggestion: Black pepper has it’s own umami-rich tannins which for some people means that it won’t work with wine very well. What you need to do, though, is work with this and use either a red with appropriate tannins or spices, or a white with pepper characteristics too. We chose a rich, dry F.X. Pichler Grüner Veltliner Loibner Loibenberg which we picked up from our friend Gerard Maguire in Glasthule. A stunning wine that stood up magnificently to the bold pepper flavours; a lighter wine would have felt short and inadequate.
Fish & Saffron Pilaf – serves 4
- 275g basmati rice
- 4 onions (1 halved and 3 thinly sliced)
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
- a small bunch of flatleaf parsley
- 4 sturgeon, monkfish or halibut fillets
- 4 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 carrots, sliced into matchsticks
- a small handful of dill
- 1 tsp dill seeds (optional)
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- large pinch of saffron strands, soaked in 3 tbsp water
- 120g sour cream
- juice of 1 lemon
Put the rice into a large bowl, cover with water and leave to soak.
Bring 1 litre of water to the boil in a large pan and add the halved onion, crushed peppercorns, bay leaf and parsley stalks (keep the leaves aside for now). Season the water well with salt and gently lower in the fish fillets. Cook at a very gentle simmer until just opaque, about 10 minutes depending on how thick your fillets are. Remove the fish with a slotted spoon and set aside. Strain the cooking liquid and reserve. Set the pan aside for using again later.
Heat a second large cooking pot for cooking the rice. Heat the sesame oil until almost smoking, then add the onions and carrots. Stir-fry until starting to soften. Drain the rice and add to the pot, smoothing it down with the back of a spoon. Pour over the fish broth until it covers the rice by about 1cm and add plenty of salt. Bring to the boil and cook on a high heat until the broth has boiled off. Poke a few steam holes in the rice with the end of a spoon to help it along. Cover with a lid or tight-fitting layer of foil and remove from the heat. Leave to steam for 20 minutes by which time the rice will be cooked through.
Chop the parsley and dill and add to the empty fish pan. Add the dill seeds (if using), ground black pepper, saffron and its soaking liquid and season with salt. Stir in the soured cream and set over a low heat to warm through. Carefully return the fish fillets to the pan to warm through before serving.
Turn the rice out onto a large platter and squeeze over the lemon. Spoon the fish and creamy sauce over the top.
(Original recipe from Samarkand by Caroline Eden & Eleanor Ford, Kyle Books, 2016.)
Posted in Fish, Food, Gluten-free | Tagged Central Asia, Cooking, Food, Gluten-free, Monkfish, Pilaf, Recipe, Saffron, Samarkand, Sturgeon, White fish | Leave a Comment »
18 January 2017 by jonoandjules
This minestrone soup is from Jamie Oliver’s very first cookbook, back when his recipes were from the heart, had a simplicity and weren’t designed to be chucked together in 15 minutes. If you bake a ham be sure to reserve the water that you cook the ham in before baking, it makes a great ham stock for soups like this one.
Minestrone Soup – serves 6
- 2 tins of chopped tomatoes
- 3 carrots, peeled and diced into 1 cm cubes
- 2 leeks, remove the outer leaves and dice into 1 cm cubes
- 5 sticks of celery, remove the stringy bits with a vegetable peeler and dice into 1 cm cubes
- 2 red onions, peeled and diced into 1 cm cubes
- 1 cabbage, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
- 1 heaped tbsp of chopped rosemary
- 850ml gammon/ham stock (or chicken or vegetable stock)
- 3 handfuls of basil
- 170g spaghetti
- Parmesan cheese, grated
Put the olive oil into a warmed heavy-based pan and sweat the carrots, leeks, celery, onion, garlic and rosemary over a medium heat until just tender – around 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes, skimming off any froth that comes to the top. Add the cabbage, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes, then rip in the basil leaves and add the pasta. Simmer for a further 5 minutes. Taste and season.
Serve garnished with the grated Parmesan and a slug of good olive oil.
(Original recipe from The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver, Michael Joseph, 1999.)
Posted in Food, Italian, Soup, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Food, Italian, Jamie Oliver, Minestrone, Naked Chef, Recipe, Soup, Vegetarian | Leave a Comment »
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