16 May 2016 by jonoandjules
Moro’s Chickpea salad
If you are travelling to Spain on your summer holidays don’t leave without picking up some dried chickpeas. It takes no effort to soak them overnight and they are far superior to the tinned variety (though of course you can use these instead if that’s what you have). Serve this delicious salad all summer with grilled meat or fish.
Chickpea Salad – serves 4
- 150g chickpeas, soaked overnight with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda, or 2 x 400g tins cooked chickpeas, rinsed
- 1 garlic clove, crushed to a paste with salt
- 1 large green chilli, seeded and finely sliced
- ½ red onion, finely diced
- a squeeze of lemon
- 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 medium cucumber, peeled and finely diced
- 10 cherry tomatoes, halved, seeded and finely diced
- small bunch each of mint and coriander, roughly chopped
Drain the dried, soaked chickpeas and rinse under cold water, then put into a large saucepan. Fill with 2 litres cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, skimming off any scum that builds up, and cook for 1-2 hours or until soft and tender. Take off the heat, pour off excess liquid until level with the chickpeas, and season well. Set aside.
Put the garlic, chilli, onion, lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper into a small mixing bowl. Stir well and add the rest of the ingredients – the drained chickpeas, cucumber, tomatoes, mint and coriander. Taste for seasoning and chill before serving.
(Original recipe from Moro: The Cookbook by Sam & Sam Clark, Ebury Press, 2001.)
Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Chickpeas, Cooking, Dried chickpeas, Food, Recipe, Salad, side dish | 3 Comments »
25 April 2016 by jonoandjules
Chicken, date & lentil pilaf with saffron butter
This tasted luxurious and refreshing with the saffron butter and orange, top notch treatment for your leftover roast chicken!
Wine Suggestion: This called for an Alsace Pinot Gris, well more specifically the Bott-Geyl Pinot d’Alsace “Metiss” which is actually a blend of all the Pinot’s you can think of plus Pinot Noir to form a layered and textured wine with lovely freshness and hints of spice that brought out the saffron and orange flavours. Bott-Geyl are a brilliant, biodynamic producer and I think each vintage they build upon the past and deliver even more. This bottle we had lying in our cellar, so they age nicely for a few years, if you can resist, but don’t worry, they taste just as good fresh and young.
Chicken, date & lentil brown rice pilaf with saffron butter – serves 6
- 15g unsalted butter, plus an additional 30g for the saffron butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 300g brown basmati rice, washed until the water runs clear
- 700ml chicken stock
- 12 dates, pitted and sliced thinly, lengthways
- finely grated zest of 1 orange and juice of ½
- 200g Puy lentils, rinsed
- good squeeze of lemon juice
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 350g cooked chicken, torn in to pieces
- 25g chopped, unsalted pistachios or toasted flaked almonds
- 4 tbsp roughly chopped coriander leaves
- generous pinch of saffron strands
- 300g Greek yoghurt
Heat the 15g of butter in a heavy-based saucepan and sauté the onion until soft and lightly coloured. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another couple of minutes. Add the rice and stir until well coated with the butter and starting to toast. Add the chicken stock, dates, and orange zest and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 30 minutes by which time the stock will have become absorbed. If it starts to look dry add a little boiling water.
Meanwhile, cook the lentils in lots of boiling water until tender. They can take between 15-30 minutes so keep checking to ensure they don’t turn to mush. When cooked, drain and rinse in hot water and add to the rice. Fork through, season with salt and pepper and a good squeeze of lemon juice.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and quickly reheat the cooked chicken, then season. Gently fork through the rice and lentils along with the nuts, coriander and orange juice. Taste again for seasoning.
Quickly make the saffron butter by melting the 30g butter in a pan, add the saffron and stir so the butter takes on the colour.
Put the rice on a serving platter, spoon on some yoghurt, pour on the saffron butter and serve.
(Original recipe from A Bird in the Hand by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2015.)
Posted in Cheese, Food | Tagged Brown Rice, Cooking, Food, Leftover chicken, Lentils, Pilaf, Recipe, Roast chicken leftovers, Saffron | 2 Comments »
20 April 2016 by jonoandjules
Roast Pork Loin, Porchetta Style – serves 6
Our favourite way to eat this pork is carved as thin as possible and stuffed into crusty bread rolls with some mayonnaise and salad. You need to marinate the meat the night before.
Wine Suggestion: Rich, round and white plus you have to make sure there is a good freshness too to cope with the pork fat. Naturally a good, oaked Chardonnay calls out but we’ve also tried some more unusual wines like the Adi Badenhorst’s Family White which is an amazing blend of 10 grapes from the Swartland in South Africa. It’s quite like a St Peray white in style with hints of aromatics, stone fruit and crisp apples alongside a rich nuttiness and layers of texture. A bit of a wine anoraks wine but we love it.
- 2kg loin of pork, off the bone with skin removed and about 1cm of fat left on
- 6 garlic cloves, sliced
- 3 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 4 rosemary sprigs, leaves chopped, plus more for the roasting tin
- about 8 bay leaves
Lay the pork on a board with the flesh side up. Pierce all over with a sharp knife and fill the holes with the slivers of garlic. Rub the fennel & rosemary all over the flesh, along with some olive oil, pushing some into the holes with the garlic. Season generously with salt and pepper. Made a bed in a roasting tin with rosemary springs and bay leaves and put the pork on top with the fat side down. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring to room temperature before cooking.
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/425ºF/gas mark 7.
Tie the loin at intervals with kitchen string, not too tight. Put into the roasting tin fat side up on top of the herbs (make sure the herbs are well tucked under or they will burn) and cook for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 180ºC/350ºF/gas mark 4 and cook for 1 hour 40 minutes, basting occasionally.
Take out of the oven, cover with foil and rest for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)
Posted in Food, Pork | Tagged Cooking, Food, Porchetta, Pork, Recipe, Roast pork | 1 Comment »
9 April 2016 by jonoandjules
Baked Pappardelle with Pancetta & Porcini
What a delicious hug of a recipe, a sort of fancy baked pasta. The crusty baked top, cheese, mushrooms and smoky ham are enough to make two people very happy. We also learned that even after many years of perfect béchamel you’re never to old to balls it up and have to start again. It was worth it!
Wine Suggestion: with all the earthy porcini and the rich sauce with Parmesan this begs for a Nebbiolo with a little bit of age so you get some of the leathery, mushroomy characters emerging. Ideally pick a Barolo or Barbaresco from a good vintage, but equally joyful with something like the Pira Luigi Langhe Nebbiolo which also has lovely youthful morello cherry fruit with hints of roses and truffles to compliment the pasta. Significantly, and importantly, Nebbiolo also has high tannins to work with the rich proteins in the Parmesan and high acidity to cut through the rich cheese, pancetta and butter.
Baked pappardelle with pancetta & porcini – serves 2
- 500ml milk
- 20g dried porcini
- 40g butter
- 25g plain flour
- 100g pappardelle pasta
- 50g thinly sliced pancetta, cut in 2cm pieces
- 4-5 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºF/gas mark 6.
Warm the milk in a saucepan and soak the porcini in it for about 10 minutes. Drain the milk through a sieve over a bowl, pressing lightly on the porcini with the back of a ladle to extract all the milk. Set the mushrooms aside.
Rinse out the pan, then use to melt the butter. Tip in the flour, stir and cook gently for a few minutes without letting it colour. Pour in the porcini-infused milk and whisk vigorously until smooth. Cook over a very low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 10 minutes or until thickened (not too thick). Season lightly with salt and generously with black pepper. Cover and set aside.
Cook the pasta in lots of salty boiling water until a little underdone. Drain, tip into a large bowl and mix with the sauce, porcini & pancetta pieces. Tip the mixture into a lightly-buttered dish and tap down lightly. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of Parmesan over the top and bake for 30-40 minutes or until bubbling and browned. Serve with the remaining cheese.
(Original recipe from The Good Cook by Simon Hopkinson, Random House, 2011.)
Posted in Food, Pasta | Tagged Cooking, Food, Mushrooms, Pappardelle, Pasta, Porcini, Recipe | Leave a Comment »
29 March 2016 by jonoandjules
Pork Souvlaki with oregano
Have you got your barbecue out yet? We’ve had a few sunny days in Dublin and the cold breeze is gradually starting to ease; the clocks have gone forward and we’re looking forward to much more time spent outside. We have to confess to using the barbecue all year round and have been caught out in the snow or rain grilling up a feast and this is one of our favourite ideas. Nothing beats some good chips with your souvlaki.
Wine Suggestion: to celebrate the Spring sunshine we broke out a Provence rosé from Chateau Vignelaure, a lovely and serious wine that delivers a great texture and structure as well as summer fruit flavours to inspire us.
Pork Souvlaki with Oregano – serves 4
- 400g pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes
- 30ml lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 small garlic clove, grated
- ½ tsp salt
Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the meat. Marinate for an hour or so, then thread onto skewers. Cook on a preheated barbecue for about 10-12 minutes.
(Original recipe from Venice to Istanbul by Rick Stein, BBC Books, 2015.)
Posted in Barbecue, Food, Pork | Tagged Barbecue, BBQ, Cooking, Food, Greek, Kebabs, Pork, Recipe, Rick Stein, Souvlaki | Leave a Comment »
23 March 2016 by jonoandjules
Spiced Meatballs in tomato sauce
We weren’t so sure about the cinnamon in this meatball recipe but it added a delicious warmth so don’t be tempted to leave it out or reduce the quantity. Much satisfied slurping!
Wine Suggestion: Tuscany beckons for this dish and the juicy red fruits of Morellino won this time to good effect. The MorisFarms (Spanish heritage but longtime settled in the Maremma in Tuscany) Morellino for our mind hits the spot and has an honesty and vitality of winemakers clearly part of their landscape. Bright red fruits and a delightful juiciness that only coastal Tuscany can deliver.
Spiced meatballs in tomato sauce – serves 6
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 2 x 400g tins cherry tomatoes
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 oregano sprigs, strip off the leaves and discard the stalks
- ½ tbsp tomato purée
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp soft light brown sugar
FOR THE MEATBALLS:
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and chopped
- 900g beef mince
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tsp ground mixed spice
- 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- Cooked pasta to serve (allow 100g per person) .
Make the sauce first. Put all the ingredients into a saucepan together and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes. Stir occasionally and add a bit of water if necessary. Taste and season.
For the meatballs, heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan and cook the onion until soft and pale gold. Add the garlic and chilli, and cook for another 90 seconds or so. Put the cooked onion mixture into a bowl with the beef, spices and parsley and season really well. Use wet hands to form the mince into pingpong ball sized meatballs.
Heat the rest of the oil in a frying pan and brown the meatballs in batches. They don’t need to be cooked the whole way through at this stage just nicely browned on the outside. Return all the meatballs to the pan, add the tomato sauce and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Stir the cooked pasta and meatballs together in a warm shallow bowl and serve.
(Original recipe from Food From Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)
Posted in Beef, Food, Italian, Pasta | Tagged Cooking, Food, Meatballs, Pasta, Recipe, Spaghetti, Spicy | 5 Comments »
21 March 2016 by jonoandjules
Steak & Mushrooms
What could be better than steak, mushrooms & chips? Nothing too groundbreaking here but we do recommend taking some inspiration from the Greeks when cooking your mushrooms.
Wine Suggestion: We always fall for a big red when having steak and this dish caused us to try one of our 2009 Bordeaux’s lying waiting in the cellar; this time the Ch Capbern Gasquetton. Full of flavour and still very youthful but the seven years from vintage has brought it all together and made it a great match.
Grilled steak with village mushrooms – serves 4
- 4 rib-eye or sirloin steaks (rib-eye would be our preference), about 250g each
- 50ml olive oil, plus a bit extra for brushing on the steaks
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- ½ a lemon
- 200g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 25ml balsamic vinegar
Brush the steaks with oil, season with salt, pepper and half the oregano, then grill on a hot barbecue until cooked the way you like.
Sauté the mushrooms in the 50ml of olive oil with the garlic, balsamic vinegar, ½ tsp salt, 20 turns of the black pepper mill and the rest of the oregano. Serve with the steak (and some chips if you like).
(Original recipe from Venice to Istanbul by Rick Stein, BBC Books, 2015.)
Posted in Barbecue, Beef, Food, Greek | Tagged Barbecue, BBQ, Cooking, Food, Greek, Mushrooms, Oregano, Recipe, Rick Stein, Steak | Leave a Comment »
18 March 2016 by jonoandjules
Turkish carrots with lentils & herbs
We seem to permanently have a half-empty bag of carrots in the bottom of the fridge. This side dish puts them to excellent use and any leftovers are perfect for lunchboxes.
Turkish Carrots & Lentils with Herbs – serves 4-6 as a side dish
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1½ tsp coriander seeds, crushed
- ¼-½ tsp dried chilli flakes
- 100g green or Puy lentils
- 6 large carrots, sliced
- 2 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tsp caster sugar
- 275ml vegetable stock/water
- 2 tbsp chopped mint, parsley or dill
- good squeeze of lemon juice
- extra virgin olive oil, to serve
Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the onion until soft and pale gold. Add the garlic and spices and cook for 2 minutes. Then add everything else except the herbs, lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.
Bring to the boil and cook until the carrots are tender and the liquid has been absorbed – about 30 minutes.
Taste, add the herbs and lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Add a generous slug of extra-virgin olive oil and serve warm, hot or at room temperature.
(Original recipe from Food From Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)
Posted in Side dish | Tagged Carrots, Cooking, Food, Lentils, Recipe, side dish, Turkish, Vegan, Vegetarian | 1 Comment »
13 March 2016 by jonoandjules
Roussillon baked potatoes
Very simple and utterly delicious. Baked potatoes reach a whole new level when you mix the cooked potato with the toppings before baking for a second time.
Roussillon baked potatoes – serves 2
- 2 baking potatoes
- 30g butter
- 4 streaky bacon rashers, 2 chopped
- ¼ onion, finely chopped
- 30g blue cheese, crumbled (we used Roquefort)
- 1 small egg, beaten
- ½ tsp finely chopped parsley
Preheat the oven to 200ºC/400ºC/gas mark 6.
Wash the potatoes and pat some salt flakes over the skin, then bake for about 1 hour or until tender.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a frying pan until foaming, then add the chopped bacon and onion. Cook until the onion is soft but not coloured.
Halve the potatoes, scoop out the insides without breaking the skins. Mash the scooped out potato with the fried onion & bacon, cheese, egg, parsley and some freshly ground pepper (we prefer white pepper for potatoes but black is fine too). Pile the potato mixture back into the potato skins, top with the 2 uncooked bacon rashers and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.
(Original recipe from Food From Plenty by Diana Henry, Octopus Publishing, 2010.)
Posted in Food | Tagged Bacon, Baked Potatoes, Blue cheese, Cooking, Food, Jacket Potatoes, Recipe | 2 Comments »
11 March 2016 by jonoandjules
Greek Lemon roast chicken
Sooo delicious! We never tire of variations on a roast chicken dinner and the potatoes are the best bit here which doesn’t take away from the delicious chicken! This variation has been made multiple times in our kitchen which says something as we’re always trying something new.
You need to roast chicken for 20 minutes at 190C/375F/gas 5 for each 500g, plus an extra 10 minutes.
Wine Suggestion: a rich white is the business with chicken, and Chardonnay is the usual go-to variety. For this dish, however, we’ve successfully opened oaked Godello from Spain, the Dominio de Tares Bierzo; and an oaked Alvarinho from Portugal, the Soalheiro Alvarinho Reserva. Both brought delicious nuances to the chicken and are really worth seeking out.
Greek lemon roast chicken with potatoes & oregano
- 2.2kg chicken
- 4 lemons
- bay leaves
- 2 large red onions, peeled and cut into wedges
- 1kg small waxy potatoes, halved
- 2 heads of garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
- dried oregano
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/gas mark 5.
Season the outside and the cavity of the chicken. Put half a lemon and a few bay leaves inside and place in a very large roasting tin.
Drizzle some olive oil over the skin, squeeze over the other lemon half and roast for about 1 hour and 50 minutes.
Cut 2 of the lemons into wedges and put in a bowl with the onions, potatoes and garlic cloves. Add some olive oil, salt and pepper, ½ tbsp dried oregano and the juice of half a lemon. Toss everything together until well coated.
45 minutes before the roasting time is up, put the vegetables around the chicken, sprinkle another 2 tsps of oregano over the top and return to the oven.
(Original recipe from Food From Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)
Posted in Chicken, Food | Tagged Chicken, Cooking, Food, Greek, lemon, Oregano, Recipe, Roast chicken | Leave a Comment »
8 March 2016 by jonoandjules
Baked butternut squash, chickpeas, pepper & pomegranate
This was tasty for a mid-week veggie night. The pomegranate molasses add a pleasant sour note but if you don’t have any you can substitute a few tablespoons of lime juice and a teaspoon of soft brown sugar drizzled over the top.
Baked butternut squash, chickpeas & green chilli – serves 6
- 1kg butternut squash, deseeded and cut into chunks
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- medium piece ginger, grated
- 1 green chilli, finely diced
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 400g tin chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds, mint & Greek yoghurt and couscous to serve
Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
Put the squash onto a baking tray, drizzle with 2 tbsp of the oil, season and toss to coat evenly. Roast for 25 minutes or until soft.
Put half the squash into a medium casserole dish and set the rest aside. Heat a medium-sized frying pan and add the rest of the oil, then the onion, garlic, ginger, chilli and paprika. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the onion is soft. Add the tomatoes, pomegranate molasses and chickpeas, then simmer for a minute before turning off the heat.
Pour half the tomato sauce over the squash in the casserole dish in an even layer. Arrange the rest of the squash on top then finish with the rest of the sauce. Cover with a lid, transfer to the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
Remove the casserole from the oven and serve hot or at room temperature, scattered with chopped parsley, pomegranate seeds, and mint, with the yoghurt on the side. Serve with couscous.
(Original recipe by Bill Granger in BBC Good Food Magazine, March 2011.)
Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegetarian | Tagged Butternut Squash, Cooking, Easy, Food, Healthy, pomegranate seeds, Pomegrante molasses, Recipe, Tagine, Vegetarian | 1 Comment »
6 March 2016 by jonoandjules
Haddock Pie
We are mad about fish pie and this one is particularly good. Yet another excuse to never through away our old food magazines!
Wine Suggestion: you need a fresh, vibrant white with a medium to full body; try to avoid heavily oaked and super-rich wines though. A good choice would be Chenin Blanc and the choice here is getting better each day. We’ve tried well made but simple ones from both the Loire and South Africa to good effect as well as some more complex ones like Adi Badenhorst’s Secateurs from Swartland and some Savennieres too.
Haddock Pie – serves 6
- 1 small onion, thickly sliced
- 2 cloves
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 600ml creamy milk
- 300ml double cream
- 450g haddock fillet with skin
- 200g undyed smoked haddock fillet
- 4 eggs, plus 1 extra egg yolk
- 100g cooked peeled prawns
- 100g butter
- 40g plain flour
- 5tbsp chopped flatleaf parsley
- pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 1.25kg floury potatoes, such as Maris Pipers, peeled and cut into chunks
Stud a couple of the onion slices with the cloves and put into a large pan with the bay leaf, 450ml of the milk, the cream, haddock and smoked haddock. Bring to the boil and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Lift out the fish and strain the cooking liquor into a jug.
Wait for the fish to cool and meanwhile hard boil the whole eggs for 8 minutes, then drain, cover with cold water and leave to cool.
When the fish has cooled a bit, break it into large flakes, discarding the skin and any bones. Sprinkle the flakes of fish over the base of a shallow 1.7 litre ovenproof dish. Scatter the prawns over the top. Shell the eggs and cut into chunky slices. Arrange these over the fish and prawns.
Melt 50g of the butter in a saucepan, stir in the flour and cook for a minute. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually add the reserved fish cooking liquor. Return to the heat and slowly bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Take the sauce off the heat, stir in the parsley and season with nutmeg, salt and white pepper. Pour the sauce over the fish and leave to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/Fan 180C.
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for 12-15 minutes, or until tender. Drain, mash well and beat in the egg yolk and remaining butter. Season with salt and white pepper and beat in enough of the remaining milk to make a smooth mash that’s easy to spread.
Spoon the mashed potato over the filling and mark the surface with a fork. Bake for 40-45 minutes until piping hot and golden brown.
(Original recipe by Rick Stein in BBC Good Food Magazine, June 2001.)
Posted in Fish, Food | Tagged Cooking, Fish, Fish pie, Food, Haddock, Recipe, Rick Stein, Smoked Haddock, Wine suggestion | 2 Comments »
3 March 2016 by jonoandjules
Pomegranate molasses chicken
Oh my goodness, how lovely this is. We bought Honey & Co., by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, after reading many a rave review and every time we try one of their recipes we are impressed all over again. This is just delicious and you can make your work colleagues very jealous if you’re lucky enough to have leftovers for your lunchbox.
Pomegranate Molasses Chicken with Bulgar Wheat Salad – Serves 4
- 8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil, for frying
FOR THE MARINADE:
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
- 1 green chilli, sliced
- 3 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE SALAD:
- 200g bulgar wheat
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 200ml boiling water
- 50g shelled pistachios, roasted and coarsely chopped (half reserved to sprinkle over before serving)
- 75g currants
- 2 tsp dried mint
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 50g fresh pomegranate seeds (1 tbsp reserved to sprinkle over before serving)
- 15-20g mint, roughly chopped
- 15-20g parsley, roughly chopped
Mix the marinade ingredients together, add the chicken and stir to coat completely with the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. (You can do this and refrigerate for up to 48 hours in advance.)
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas mark 6.
Place the bulgar in a bowl with the salt and oil, pour over boiling water and cover with cling film for 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff up with a fork. Add the rest of the salad ingredients except those needed for the garnish and stir.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large oven-proof frying pan over a medium heat and put the chicken thighs in smooth-side down. Season with salt and pepper and fry for 2-3 minutes or until the thighs have taken on a good colour, then flip over and cook for another 2 minutes. Put the frying pan in the oven for 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.
Spoon the salad onto plates or a large platter and top with the chicken and any juices from the pan. Sprinkle with the remaining pistachios & pomegranate seeds before serving.
(Original recipe from Honey & Co. by Sarit Packer & Itamar Srulovich, Saltyard Books, 2014.)
Posted in Chicken, Food | Tagged Bulgar wheat, Chicken, Cooking, Food, Pomegranate, Pomegranate Molasses, Recipe | 4 Comments »
29 February 2016 by jonoandjules
Lemon, Prawn & Parsley Spaghetti
We try to keep a bag of frozen raw prawns in the freezer as they always feel like a special treat. This is good if you fancy a special treat on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday…
Wine Suggestion: to match this dish you can’t go wrong with a good Albariño (Spain) / Alvarinho (Portugal). What you need to look for is a bit of body as some are just a bit thin; the best have a real depth of flavour along with vibrant freshness. Perfect for the prawns and lemon.
Lemon & Parsley Spaghetti with Prawns – serves 2
- 175g spaghetti
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 140g large raw peeled prawns, thawed if frozen
- zest & juice 1 lemon, plus wedges to serve
- bunch flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Cook the pasta.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the prawns and fry quickly until pink all over.
Add the lemon zest and juice, parsley, 2 tbsp of the pasta cooking water and salt and pepper, then heat through.
Drain the spaghetti, add to the pan, then toss it all together.
Serve with lemon wedges.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Food, Pasta, Prawns, Shellfish | Tagged Cooking, Food, lemon, prawns, Recipe, Shellfish, Spaghetti | 2 Comments »
27 February 2016 by jonoandjules
Mussels in a creamy sauce
We can’t get enough of mussels and love them in any kind of sauce. This is a nice easy one to serve 2 with some crusty bread (or hot chips!).
Wine Suggestion: try to find a good Alvarinho from Vinho Verde in Portugal. We’re big fans of Soalheiro whose wines have a delicious vibrancy and freshness that really work with mussels.
Mussels in a Creamy Sauce – serves 2
- 1kg mussels
- 250ml white wine
- 25g butter
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 parsley stalks
- few thyme sprigs
- 3 tbsp finely chopped shallot
- 100ml single cream
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley leaves
Scrub the mussels under cold water, scraping off any beards or barnacles. Discard any that are damaged or those that don’t close completely when tapped against the sink.
Put the mussels in a large pan with the wine, butter, bay leaf, parsley stalks, thyme and shallot. Cover, bring to the boil and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the mussels have opened. Drain, keeping the cooking liquor, and discard any mussels that have not opened. Discard the parsley stalks and bay leaf.
Put the cooked mussels into two serving bowls and keep warm. Return the cooking liquor to the pot and boil rapidly until slightly thickened. Now pour in the cream and add the chopped parsley and cook gently until thickened further. Season, then pour over the mussels and serve immediately.
(Original recipe by Greg Wallace for BBC Good Food Magazine, February 2008.)
Posted in Food, Shellfish | Tagged Cooking, Cream, Food, Mussels, Recipe, Shallots, Shellfish | Leave a Comment »
25 February 2016 by jonoandjules
Venison & Chorizo Cassoulet
Cassoulets are rich gamey stews with white beans and baked in the oven; they are perfect for cold winter days. We used a very lean cut of venison and were concerned about the long cooking time, but as the temperature is so low, the meat becomes meltingly tender. This couldn’t be easier to assemble and gives you plenty of time to relax and read a book by the fire.
Wine Suggestion: Ideally you would pair this with an equally rich & gamey wine – perhaps an old Northern Rhône Syrah, a red Burgundy or a good Oregon Pinot Noir.
Venison & Chorizo Cassoulet – serves 4
- 600g venison, diced
- 100g cooking chorizo, diced
- 20g butter
- 50g mushrooms, sliced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled & chopped
- 150ml red wine
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 200g tinned haricot beans, rinsed and drained
- a pinch of dried tarragon
- 2 tsp redcurrant jelly
- 300ml chicken stock
Heat the oven to 150C/Fan 130C/gas 2.
Put all of the ingredients into a casserole with a lid. Stir, season well and cover with the lid.
Cook in the oven for 2½ – 3 hours, or until the meat is very tender.
If the sauce is a bit thin, transfer the dish to the hob and simmer gently with the lid off until you get a nice consistency.
That’s it!
Posted in Food, Game | Tagged Cassoulet, Chorizo, Cooking, Food, Haricot beans, Recipe, Stew, Venison | 5 Comments »
15 February 2016 by jonoandjules
Mushroom stroganoff
We like a good stroganoff, and this vegetarian version doesn’t lack anything that the classic beef one has in terms of flavour. We’ve served this to dedicated carnivores with no complaints.
Wine Suggestion: Jono recently tasted the Höpler Blaufrankisch from Burgenland, Austria and thought it would match the richness, was wonderfully fresh to cut through the cream, and was spicy and juicy in a very complimentary way. We think there’s a new generation of red wines from Austria that are definitely worth seeking out.
Mushroom Stroganoff – Serves 8
- 1 large onion
- 2 cloves of garlic, peeled
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 250g shiitake mushrooms
- 275g button mushrooms
- 250g chestnut mushrooms
- 250g Portobello mushrooms
- 100g butter
- 1 tbsp Maldon salt/1½ tsp table salt
- 4 tbsp Amontillado sherry (or white wine)
- 1 tbsp paprika
- ½ tbsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 x 142ml tubs sour cream
- 4-5 tbsp chopped parsley
Peel and quarter the onion and process with the garlic cloves until finely chopped.
Heat the oil in a large wide pan and cook the onion and garlic until soft but not coloured.
Remove the stalks from the shitake mushrooms and slice them; quarter the button mushrooms and slice. Slice the chestnut mushrooms, and peel and quarter the Portobello mushrooms, discarding the stalks first.
Melt the butter in the pan, then add the mushrooms. Turn the mushrooms to coat with the butter, then cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes. (You can cook up to this point earlier in the day)
Take the lid off the pan (reheat first if you’ve done to this point earlier) and add the salt, sherry, paprika, nutmeg and sour cream. Stir over the heat for about 5 minutes, then stir in most of the parsley. Put the stroganoff into a warmed serving dish and scatter the remaining parsley over the top.
Serve with steamed basmati rice.
(Original recipe from Feast by Nigella Lawson, Chatto & Windus, 2004.)
Posted in Food, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Food, Mushroom Stroganoff, Mushrooms, Nigella, Recipe, Vegetarian | 7 Comments »
8 February 2016 by jonoandjules
Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie
We love a chicken pie, particularly with sweet leeks and a rich creamy sauce.
Wine Suggestion: the classic suggestion, and our first thought, was to drink a lighter chardonnay with this, but we found a great alternative in the Salwey Weissburgunder “RS” which is a Pinot Blanc from Baden in Germany. An amazing wine with lovely fruit and a texture that holds it all together giving it a long finish and makes a good match with the creamy sauce and pastry. Every time we taste this wine we are impressed and think it is one to put Pinot Blanc back on the wine drinkers lists.
Chicken, Ham & Leek Pie – serves 4
For the filling:
- 450ml chicken stock
- 3 chicken breasts fillets
- 75g butter
- 2 leeks, cut into 1cm slices
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 50g plain flour
- 200ml milk
- 2-3 tbsp white wine
- 150ml double cream
- 150g piece thickly carved ham, cut into 2cm chunks
For the pastry:
- 350g plain flour
- 200g butter
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp cold water, plus an additional egg, beaten, to glaze
Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan. Add the chicken breasts and bring a gentle simmer. Cover with a lid and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken breasts and set aside, then pour the stock into a jug.
Melt 25g of the butter in a large heavy-based saucepan over a low heat. Stir in the chopped leeks and fry gently for a couple of minutes, stirring now and then, until softened. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another minute, then set aside. Add the rest of the butter and stir in the flour as soon as it has melted. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk to the pan, stirring well between each addition. Then gradually add 250ml of the reserved stock and the wine until the sauce is smooth and slightly thickened. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 3 minutes.
Season the sauce, remove from the heat and stir in the cream. Pour into a large bowl and cover with cling film to stop a skin forming on the top. Set aside until cool.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6 and put a baking tray into heat.
To make the pastry, put the flour and butter into a food processor and pulse until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs. Keep the motor running while you add the beaten egg with water and blend until the mixture comes together in a ball. Carefully remove from the processor and set aside about 250g of the pastry to make your lid.
Roll the remaining pastry out on a lightly floured surface, turning frequently until about 5mm thick and larger than your pie dish. Lift the pastry over your rolling pin and gently place into the pie dish. Press firmly up the sides of the dish and make sure no air bubbles remain. Leave the excess pastry hanging over the sides.
Cut the cooked chicken into 3cm pieces. Stir the chicken, ham & leeks into the cooled sauce, then pour into the pie dish. Brush the rim of the dish with beaten egg and roll out the reserved pastry to make a lid.
Cover the pie with the pastry lid and press the edges together firmly to seal. Trim off any excess pastry.
Make a small hole in the centre of the pie with the tip of a knife. Glaze the top with beaten egg. Bake on the hot baking tray in the centre of the oven for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown and piping hot.
(Original recipe from The Hairy Bikers’ Best of British).
Posted in Cheese, Food | Tagged Chicken, Chicken & ham pie, Cooking, Food, Hairy Bikers, Ham, Leeks, Pastry, Pie, Recipe | Leave a Comment »
1 February 2016 by jonoandjules
Honey, orange blossom and pistachio ice-cream
This is hedonistically rich and full of flavour; Jono thought it was devine and Julie thought it was all a bit much. A conversation piece at least to end your next Middle Eastern feast.
Pistachio, Honey & Orange Blossom Ice Cream – 4-6
- 200g pistachios
- 150g caster sugar
- 600ml full-fat milk
- 600ml double cream
- 3 tbsp clear honey
- 200ml orange blossom water
- 400ml unsweetened evaporated milk
- finely grated rind of 2 oranges
Whizz 150g of the pistachios with the sugar in a food processor until finely ground.
Put the milk, cream, honey, orange blossom water and the pistachio mixture in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Simmer gently for 20-25 minutes or until reduced by a quarter. Keep stirring to prevent it boiling over. Set aside and leave to cool.
Chop the remaining pistachios. Add the evaporated milk to the cooled mixture and stir in the grated orange rind and chopped pistachios. Mix well, then chill in the fridge overnight (or for a minimum of 2 hours).
Pour the chilled mixture into an ice cream machine and churn for 25-30 minutes. If you don’t have an ice cream machine, pour the mixture into a large shallow container and freeze for 2 hours. Remove the container from the freezer and fork through to break down the ice crystals, then freeze again until firm.
(Original recipe from Persiana by Sabrina Ghayour, Mitchell Beazley, 2014.)
Posted in Dessert, Food | Tagged Cooking, Dessert, Food, Ice cream, Orange Blossom Water, Persiana, Pistachio, Recipe | 1 Comment »
25 January 2016 by jonoandjules
A classic recipe that we always find full of flavour and very satisfying. A good veggie dish for a cold night.
Spinach & ricotta cannelloni – serves 4
- 60g butter, plus a bit extra
- 300g spinach
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 425g ricotta cheese, drained
- ½ tsp grated nutmeg
- 16 dried cannelloni tubes
- 45g plain flour
- 450ml whole milk
- 40g Grana Padano cheese (or use Parmesan)
Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
Grease a medium-sized, shallow, oven-proof dish with a little butter.
Bring a large pan, containing 1cm depth of water, to the boil, add the spinach, and stir until wilted. Drain and press out the excess water, then chop.
Melt 15g of the butter in a medium pan and sauté the garlic for a couple of minutes. Stir in the spinach and season well. Take off the heat and stir in the ricotta cheese and nutmeg. Fill the cannelloni with the spinach mixture and arrange the tubes in a single layer in your buttered dish (use both ends of a teaspoon to help fill the tubes).
Meanwhile, melt the remaining 45g of butter in a large pan. Whisk in the flour over a low heat and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and gradually whisk in the milk. Return to the heat and cook, stirring, until thickened.
Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Season the sauce generously with salt and pepper and pour over the filled cannelloni tubed. Sprinkle the cheese over the top, place on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes.
(Original recipe from Family Kitchen Cookbook by Caroline Bretherton, DK, 2013.)
Posted in Food, Italian, Vegetarian | Tagged Cannelloni, Cooking, Food, Italian, Pasta, Recipe, Ricotta, Spinach, Spinach & Ricotta | 2 Comments »
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