16 February 2015 by jonoandjules
Crab with fennel & chilli is a winning combination. Another perfect pasta dish by Ruth & Rose of the River Café.
Wine Suggestion: We find a great match for crab is a top quality Garganega and we highly recommend the Pra Soave “Staforte” which is made from low-yielding, 100% Garganega, old vines. Utterly pure and delicious.
Crab linguine – serves 4
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
- 2 dried hot chillies, crumbled
- 1 lemon, grate the zest and squeeze out the juice
- extra virgin olive oil
- 400g crabmeat
- 320g linguine
Remove the tough outer part and stem from the fennel. Slice the bulb across the grain very finely (use a mandolin if you have one). Reserve the green tops.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy-based pan, add the garlic, fennel seeds, and chilli and cook to soften. Add the crab, lemon zest, and juice, then season. Stir just to heat the crab through.
Cook the linguine in boiling water for 5 minutes, then add the fennel slices and cook together until al dente. Reserve a little of the cooking water when you drain the pasta.
Add the drained pasta to the crab mixture and toss together until well combined. You can add a little of the reserved cooking water at this stage to loosen if necessary.
Serve with your best olive oil.
(Original recipe from Italian Two Easy by Rose Gray & Ruth Rogers, Clarkson Potter, 2006.)
Posted in Food, Pasta, Shellfish | Tagged Cooking, Crab, Fennel, Food, Linguine, Recipe, River Café, Wine suggestion | Leave a Comment »
14 February 2015 by jonoandjules
Bolognese
This is our go-to recipe when we want a Bolognese ragú to go with pasta like penne (as opposed to in a lasagne). We’ve done many variations over the years and even though this isn’t entirely traditional it’s ease and relative speed, alongside a great flavour, mean that we make this more often than any other.
Pasta Bolognese – serves 6
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 carrots, finely chopped
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 100g pancetta, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- 250g beef mince
- 250g pork mince
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 100ml red wine
- 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp tomato puree
- 250ml chicken stock
- 250ml milk
- salt and black pepper
- 400g dried pasta
- Grated Parmesan to serve
Cook the onion, carrot, celery and pancetta in the oil and butter in a heavy-based saucepan over a medium heat for about 10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another minute before turning up the heat and adding the mince and thyme.
Brown the meat for a few minutes until it loses its raw appearance, then add the wine. Stir and reduce for a few minutes.
Add the other ingredients and season well. Bring to the boil, then simmer for an hour.
Cook the pasta according to the pack and toss with the hot sauce and parmesan.
(Original recipe by Jane Baxter in The Guardian, 31st May 2014.)
Posted in Beef, Food, Pasta, Pork | Tagged Beef mince, Bolognese, Cooking, Food, Mince, Pasta, Pasta Bolognese, Pork mince, Recipe | 3 Comments »
9 February 2015 by jonoandjules
Panetone bread and butter pudding
This would probably have been more useful a few weeks ago when you still had some panettone leftover from Christmas. Much fancier than the standard version!
Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding – serves 4
- 50g butter, softened
- 250g panettone
- 2 eggs
- 142ml double cream
- 225ml milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- icing sugar, to serve
- lightly whipped cream, to serve
Preheat the oven to 160C/gas 4/fan 140C.
Grease an 850ml baking dish with a little butter.
Cut the panettone into wedges and butter the slices lightly with the remaining butter. Cut the slices in half and arrange in the dish with the buttered side up.
Whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, vanilla extract and sugar and pour evenly over the panettone.
Put the dish in a roasting tin and pour hot water around to a depth of about 2.5cm.
Bake for 35 minutes or until just set and browned on top. Dust with icing sugar and serve with whipped cream.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Dessert, Food | Tagged Bread & Butter Pudding, Budding, Cooking, Dessert, Food, Panettone, Panettone Bread & Butter Pudding, Recipe | Leave a Comment »
2 February 2015 by jonoandjules
This takes a dish we all love and gives it something special. As celeriac is in season, and very cheap at the moment, we’ve made this a lot recently and thoroughly enjoyed it each time. We haven’t tried it with the optional bacon yet but it tastes great without it.
Celeriac, potato & rosemary gratin – serves 4-6
- 6 rashers bacon, chopped (optional)
- 420ml double cream
- 350ml milk
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp rosemary, finely chopped
- 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 celeriac (about 500g) peeled, quartered and thinly sliced
- 500g potatoes, peeled and very thinly sliced (use a mandolin if you have one)
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4.
If you are using the bacon, grill it until cooked and lightly browned, then set aside.
Bring cream, milk, garlic, rosemary, chilli and mustard to the boil in a medium saucepan, then turn off.
Pour a little of the cream mixture into the bottom of a gratin dish. Arrange a layer of celeriac, scatter with bacon and season. Pour over a bit more cream and repeat the process, alternating layers of potato and celeriac, finishing with a potato layer. Cover with the rest of the cream mixture, then bake for 1 hr-1hr 15 mins or until golden and tender to the point of a knife. Leave to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Food, Side dish | Tagged Bacon, Celeriac, Chilli, Cooking, Food, Gratin, gratin dish, Potato, Recipe, side dish | 4 Comments »
26 January 2015 by jonoandjules
Roasted brussel sprouts with shallots
This is one of the many Brussel Sprout recipes that celebrate this much maligned veg. We think that in the right dish and cooked properly they are fab and roasting them with shallots brings out great flavours. A good autumn/winter side dish for roasted or barbecued meats.
Roasted Brussels sprouts with shallots – serves 4
- 400g Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
- 350g shallots, peeled and halved
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- several sprigs of thyme
- a squeeze of lemon juice
Preheat the oven to 190C/Gas Mark 5.
Put the Brussels sprouts and shallots into a large roasting dish, drizzle with the oil, season with salt and pepper and toss to coat, then tuck in the thyme sprigs.
Roast for approximately 35 minutes, giving the tray a shake half way through, until everything is crispy and caramelised.
Serve with a squeeze of lemon juice.
(Original recipe from River Cottage Veg Everyday by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Bloomsbury, 2011.)
Posted in Food, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Brussels sprouts, Cooking, Food, Recipe, Roasted veg, Shallots, side dish | 5 Comments »
24 January 2015 by jonoandjules
Chianti Beef
The technique used to cook the meat is quite clever as the amount of beef is small and is only quickly, flash fried which keeps the juiciness, adds the caramelisation flavours and gives great depth to the whole dish. It’s an expensive cut but the quantity required is so small that it won’t break the bank. It’s hard to believe a dish with so much flavour takes such a short time to prepare.
Wine Suggestion: we drank one of our favourite Tuscan wines: the Selvapiana Chianti Rufina which is refined and elegant and complements the beef fillet and provides a foil to the rustic black pepper background in this dish.
Rigatoni, tomato, beef and red wine – serves 4
- 320g rigatoni
- 200g beef fillet
- 4 garlic cloves, sliced
- 50g Parmesan, grated
- 100g unsalted butter
- 600g top quality tinned tomatoes
- 350ml Chianti wine
- 1tbsp ground black pepper
- 3tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Trim the beef fillet and cut across into 5mm slices. Cut the slices into 1cm strips.
Heat the butter in a thick-bottomed pan, add the garlic and fry gently until brown. Add the tomatoes and season. Cook over a high heat for 5 minutes, stirring to break up the tomatoes, then add half the red wine. Continue to cook on quite a high heat, adding more wine as the sauce reduces. Cook for 15 minutes in total, using up all the wine, then stir in the pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a frying pan until very hot. Add the beef pieces and fry very briefly, just to brown each piece on both sides. Stir the beef into the sauce with any juices from the pan.
Cook the rigatoni in boiling salted until al dente. Drain and add to the sauce.
Serve with the Parmesan.
(Original recipe from Italian Two Easy: Simple Recipes from the London River Cafe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, Random House, 2006.)
Posted in Beef, Food, Italian, Pasta | Tagged Beef, beef fillet, black pepper, Chiani, Chianti Beef, Chianti wine, Cooking, Food, Italian, Pasta, Recipe, red wine, Rigatoni, River Café, Selvapiana Chianti Rufina | Leave a Comment »
19 January 2015 by jonoandjules
Ditaloni, mussels & white wine
A scrumptious and deliciously rich pasta dish that works perfectly as a starter.
Wine Suggestion: A textured white works best here; old-world minerality rather than bright fruit-forward styles. The Casal di Serra Verdicchio from Umani Ronchi in the Marche (central Italy) combines stonefruit flavours, hints of wild-flowers on the nose and a crisp yellow apple finish and goes with the richness and depth of the pasta.
Ditaloni, mussels & white wine – serves 4
- 1kg small mussels, scrubbed
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 4 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped
- 200g unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp extra virgin oil
- 125ml white wine
- 165ml double cream
- 300g ditaloni (or similar) pasta
Heat half the butter with the oil, then add the garlic and mussels. Pour in the wine; season, then cover and cook over a high heat until the mussels have opened. Drain the mussels and reserve the cooking liquid. Remove the mussels from the shells; discard the shells and any mussels that haven’t opened.
Heat the rest of the butter in a pan and add the mussel juices and the cream. Cook gently to reduce to a rich and creamy sauce. Then add the mussels and parsley.
Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, then drain and add to the sauce. Toss together over a low heat, and serve.
(Original recipe from Italian Two Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, Clarkson Potter, 2006.)
Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Shellfish | Tagged Cooking, Ditaloni, Food, Mussels, Pasta, Recipe, River Café, white wine, Wine suggestion | 5 Comments »
14 January 2015 by jonoandjules
We love Tom Kerridge’s food but find his recipes can require a lot of work. Not so with these sticky drumsticks but you will need to find some malt extract to go in the marinade. We got ours in a good deli but health food shops should also stock it. We’re confident you’ll like the drumsticks enough to make them again and use it up.
Beer Suggestion: to complement the malt extract it makes sense to try a malty beer and we suggest searching out one of the many craft beers in your area. Our pick this time was the Five Lamps Dublin Lager which is a pilsner style but with a malty kick.
Sticky drumsticks – serves 4
- 12 chicken drumsticks
- 2 garlic cloves, grated
- 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted lightly in a dry frying pan
- 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and finely sliced
- 1 green chilli, finely sliced (seeds left in)
For the marinade:
- 160g runny honey
- 160ml dark soy sauce
- 300ml chicken stock
- 120g malt extract
Pour the honey for the marinade into a small stainless steal pan and warm on a medium-high heat. Continue to cook until it starts to turn a deep shade of amber (easier to spot if you have a pot with a light coloured interior), then pour in the soy sauce and chicken stock to stop it cooking further. Bring the mixture to the boil and whisk in the malt extract. Take off the heat and allow to cool.
Put the drumsticks in a bowl and pour over the marinade. Mix in the garlic and ginger, cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate in the fridge for 2 hours at least or overnight if you can.
Preheat the oven to 170C/Gas 3.
Put the drumsticks in a roasting tin with their marinade. Cook for 45-50 minutes, basting a few times, until the chicken is cooked through and the meat comes off the bone easily. The drumsticks should be glossy and sticky.
Remove the tray from the oven and immediately drizzle with the sesame oil and toss in the sesame seeds. Throw in the scallions and the chilli. Roll the drumsticks around in the dish to make sure they are evenly coated.
Serve hot or cold.
(Original recipe from Tom Kerridge’s Best Ever Dishes, Absolute Press, 2014.)
Posted in Chicken, Food, Party Food | Tagged Chicken, Cooking, Craft Beer, Drumsticks, Five Lamps Dublin Lager, Food, Malt, Malt Extract, Marinade, Party Food, Recipe, sesame seeds, Sticky, Tom Kerridge | 2 Comments »
11 January 2015 by jonoandjules
Petit pots au chocolat
We find Rick Stein exceptionally reliable and when we needed a dessert for entertaining thought we’d give his recipe a go. Unsurprisingly they worked a treat and the result was a silkly, rich, and indulgent pot of chocolate to finish a meal with friends.
Wine Suggestion: Chocolate is notoriously difficult to pair with wine so we’d probably skip the wine altogether and go for a liqueur to complement this dish – Grand Marnier, Cointreau, Whiskey… choose your poison.
Petit pots au chocolate – makes 6
- 225g plain chocolate, minimum 60% coco solids
- 15g soft butter
- 4 egg yolks
- 150ml double cream
- 150ml full-cream milk
- 50g caster sugar
- 6 tsp crème fraîche and a little cocoa powder, to decorate
Break the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and melt over a pan of just-simmering water. Remove and stir until smooth, then stir in the softened butter and egg yolks.
Put the cream, milk and sugar into a small pan, bring to the boil and then stir into the chocolate.
Pour the mix into six 100ml receptacles (we used small glasses but you could also use espresso cups or ramekins) and leave somewhere cold to set, but don’t refrigerate.
Decorate the pots with a little quenelle of crème fraîche and dust with cocoa powder to serve.
(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s French Odyssey, BBC Books, 2005)
Posted in Dessert, Food | Tagged Chocolate, Cooking, Dessert, Food, Recipe | 4 Comments »
9 January 2015 by jonoandjules
Pork & Pineapple
A classic sweet and sour combination but with a few modern twists. The pork ends up meltingly tender and there is no ketchup required!
Wine Suggestion: This was a hard match given the spices, sweetness and sourness which really fights the components of many wines but the solution is a good, dry Riesling which will cut through the fat, complement the spices and balance the sweetness of pineapple. The aromatics in Riesling also add new layers of flavour to the meal. We drank a superb Dönnhoff QbA dry Riesling (their entry level dry wine) which just hit the mark in terms of weight, poise and flavour.
Sticky Pork & Pineapple – serves 8
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1½ kg pork shoulder steaks, each cut into 4 thick strips
- 3 onions, roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- small bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped and leaves reserved
- 3 Thai red chillies, 2 sliced, 1 left whole and pricked
- 3 star anise
- 100g dark soft brown sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 600ml chicken stock
- 350g fresh pineapple, cut into chunks
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole. Season the pork and brown in batches for about 5 minutes or until golden. Set aside.
Stir the onions into the remaining fat, then cover and allow to soften for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic, coriander stalks, chillies and star anise to the dish, sizzle for 1 minute, stirring often, then mix in the sugar and tomato puree. When they have melted, return the pork and any juices to the dish and add the fish sauce and stock. Tuck the pineapple chunks in.
Bring to a simmer, then cover the pot but leave a small gap for steam to escape, and put in the oven for 2 hours. When there is 30 minutes to go, skim some of the fat off the top and return to the oven.
If you want to thicken the sauce a bit you can remove the pork to a warm dish and simmer the sauce on the hob until slightly thickened. Leave to cool for 5 minutes, then season to taste and pour over the pork.
Garnish with the coriander leaves and serve with rice.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Asian, Food, Pork | Tagged Chillies, Cooking, Food, Pineapple, Pork, Pork shoulder, Recipe, Sweet and Sour | Leave a Comment »
5 January 2015 by jonoandjules
From the geniuses at River Café is this deeply delicious and flavoursome pasta which keeps on reprising itself on our menus. We love that the ingredients list is simple and short and yet the dish is packed full of flavour and style. Don’t shy away from the generous quantity of butter – it’s what gives the dish its richness.
We’ve given a separate recipe for the tomato sauce. You will have too much for this recipe but it’s good served as it is with some tagliatelle and freezes well.
Wine suggestion: earthy, medium bodied red wines work well with this and we returned to an old favourite, the very smooth Selvapiana Chianti Rufina which is pure elegance in a glass. Really fine and supple tannins make this sing with a freshness that adds depth to the food.
Penne, tomato and dried porcini – serves 4
- 320g penne
- 40g dried porcini
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley leaves, chopped
- 50g Parmesan, grated
- 5 tbsp tomato sauce (see below)
- 100g unsalted butter
- extra virgin olive oil
Soak the porcini in 200ml boiling water for 10 minutes.
Drain the porcini, straining the liquid through muslin or a paper towel, reserving the water. Rinse the porcini and chop coarsely.
In a thick-bottomed saucepan, melt the butter and add the garlic. Add the porcini and fry until soft. Add a little of the porcini liquid and simmer until absorbed. Stir in the parsley. Add the tomato sauce and season.
Cook the penne in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain and stir into the pasta sauce.
Drizzle with olive oil and serve with the Parmesan
Tomato sauce – serves 4
- 2 garlic cloves, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 x 400g tinned tomatoes
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed pan and fry the garlic until soft but not coloured. Add the tomatoes and season. Cook over a medium heat for 20-30 minutes or, until the sauce is very thick and the oil comes to the top.
(Original recipes from Italian Two Easy: Simple Recipes from the London River Cafe by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers, Random House, 2006.)
Posted in Food, Italian, Pasta, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Food, Italian, Pasta, pasta sauce, Porcini, Recipe, River Café, Tomato Sauce | 2 Comments »
2 January 2015 by jonoandjules
Chicken Schnitzel with an apple slaw
Wine Suggestion: Whatever you happen to have in the fridge will do nicely.
We liked the apple coleslaw which made this simple schnitzel dish really fresh and tasty. Great mid-week meal.
Chicken schnitzel with apple coleslaw – serves 4
- 4 small chicken breasts
- 3tbsp grated Parmesan
- 100g flour
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 75g dried breadcrumbs – we always use panko
- 75ml vegetable oil
FOR THE COLESLAW:
- 300g white cabbage, shredded
- 1 large carrot, peeled and grated
- 6 scallions, sliced diagonally
- 1 red-skinned apple, grated
- 150g pot natural yogurt
- juice half lemon
- 2 tsp English mustard
Mix all the coleslaw ingredients together in a large bowl and season.
Put the chicken fillets between two pieces of cling film and bash with a rolling pin until they are an even thickness of about 2-3mm.
Put the flour on a plate and season, then put the egg on another plate. Coat the chicken in the flour first, shake of the excess, then coat with the egg.
Mix together the Parmesan and breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken in the mixture until completely coated in crumbs. You can put the schnitzel in the fridge now until you’re ready to cook them.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a fairly high heat and cook the schnitzels two at a time. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side or until completely golden, then drain on kitchen paper. Keep warm in a warm oven while you cook the rest.
Serve with the coleslaw.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Chicken, Food | Tagged Apple, apple slaw, Chicken, Chicken Schnitzel, Coleslaw, Cooking, Food, Recipe, Schnitzel | Leave a Comment »
29 December 2014 by jonoandjules
Spiced Potatoes with Spinach
This is a great Friday or week-night dish which you can easily eat on it’s own, preferably in front of the TV!
Potatoes with Spices & Spinach – serves 3
- 800g large floury potatoes, cut into large pieces
- 5 banana shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp dried chilli flakes
- 1 tsp of crushed garlic
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsps sea salt flakes
- 4 tbsp groundnut oil
- a couple of large handfuls spinach
- plain yoghurt
- fresh coriander
Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.
Cook the potatoes in plenty of salted boiling water for about 15 minutes or until almost tender.
Drain the potatoes and put them in a bowl. Add the shallots and toss with the cayenne, chilli flakes, garlic, cumin and turmeric. Add the salt and oil, then tip into a roasting tin and bake for about 30 minutes or until crisp.
Wash the spinach leaves and put into a pan over a moderate heat, cover with a lid and leave for a couple of minutes to wilt.
Toss the spinach with the potatoes and garnish with a little yoghurt and coriander.
(Original recipe from Eat by Nigel Slater, Fourth Estate, 2013.)
Posted in Food, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Food, Potatoes, Recipe, Spiced Potatoes, Spicy, Spinach | Leave a Comment »
22 December 2014 by jonoandjules
Salmon Tartare
A perfect starter for the festive season. Get the freshest and best salmon you can as it will make all the difference; ours was meltingly tender while cutting it up and we were rewarded with a melt in the mouth starter.
Wine suggestion: Try an appropriately festive and indulgent Vintage Champagne like the Billecart-Salmon Blanc de Blanc which has a richness and depth alongside a minerally freshness and great purity of fruit. Alternately if on a budget, but another classic match, would be a zippy and herbaceous Sauvignon Blanc or for a bit of a lemony twist a Verdejo from Rueda in Spain.
Smoky salmon tartare with lemon and capers – serves 6
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 lemons, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
- 400g skinless salmon fillet
- 200g smoked salmon
- 2 tbsp chopped dill
- 2 tbsp small capers
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp crème fraîche
- olive oil
- melba toast, to serve
Put the shallot into the lemon juice and leave to soak.
Cut the salmon into tiny cubes and finely chop the smoked salmon. Put all of the fish into a bowl, add the dill, capers, mustard, crème fraîche, 1 tbsp olive oil and the shallot and juice. Fold together gently and season with salt and black pepper.
Serve in rounds with the melba toast and a drizzle of olive oil.
(Original recipe from BBC Olive Magazine, December 2014)
Posted in Fish, Food | Tagged Capers, Cooking, Fish, Food, lemon, Recipe, Salmon, Smoked salmon, Starter | 2 Comments »
21 December 2014 by jonoandjules
Leek Gratin
A true comfort food if there ever was one, and a versatile side for simply barbecued meats, roast chicken and a whole host of mains. It’s fairly rich so a little goes a long way.
Baked Creamy Leeks – serves 6 as a side dish
- 800g leeks, roughly chopped and rinsed well in a sieve
- 2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
- 2 knobs of butter
- olive oil
- 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 100g Cheddar cheese, grated
- 200ml single cream
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°C/gas 6.
Warm a large frying pan over a medium heat and add the butter with a splash of olive oil and the garlic.
As soon as the garlic starts to colour, add the leeks and thyme leaves and stir. Turn up the heat and continue to cook for about 10 minutes or until the leeks have softened.
Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper. Add the cream and half the cheese. Mix well in a suitably sized baking dish (you want a layer about 2.5cm thick). Sprinkle over the remaining cheese and bake for about 20 minutes or until brown and bubbling.
(Original recipe from Jamie’s Ministry of Food, Penguin, 2008.)
Posted in Cheese, Food, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Cheddar cheese, cheese, Cooking, Cream, Food, Gratin, Leek Gratin, Leeks, Recipe, side dish, Vegetarian | 1 Comment »
16 December 2014 by jonoandjules
Obica: Linguine with Yellowfin Tuna
A simple but delicious dish from a cool restaurant called Obicà that we found on our last trip to Florence. They insist that it’s best made with fresh tuna (and they’re probably right) but we made it with top quality tinned tuna and it worked for us.
Wine Suggestion: Classic Italian matches for tuna depend on the region. If you are in Sicily a great match is their native Grillo grape, a textural, slightly salty and mineral wine with good body but not weighty. For this dish though we drank a Vermentino, made by Morisfarms, from the Tuscan coast. It has a great vinous texture and savoury character which combined with fresh fruit and minerality matches this Tuscan combination of tuna, tomatoes and olives.
Linguine with Yellowfish Tuna – serves 4-6
- 2 tins top quality plum tomatoes (the Italian brands are good)
- 500g yellowfin tuna
- 4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a bit extra
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- a pinch of chilli flakes
- 80ml white wine
- 30g salted capers, soaked and drained
- 100g pitted black olives (Gaeta or Kalamata)
- 500g linguine
- chopped fresh parsley to serve
Drain the tinned tomatoes and cut into strips.
Cut the tuna into 2cm cubes. Heat the oil in a pan and sauté with 1 sprig of rosemary and the chilli flakes.
Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, then add the capers.
Add the olives and tomatoes and cook over a high heat for 15 minutes.
Cook the linguine until al dente, then drain and add to the pan of tuna sauce. Toss gently.
Sprinkle on the parsley, drizzle with some more olive oil, and garnish with the remaining rosemary.
(Original recipe from Obicà: Mozzerella Bar, Pizza e Cucina, Rizzoli, 2014.)
Posted in Fish, Food, Italian, Pasta | Tagged Capers, Cooking, Food, Linguine, Olives, Pasta, Recipe, Tuna, Yellowfin Tuna | Leave a Comment »
30 November 2014 by jonoandjules
Rack of Pork, apple & cider butter
A delicious pork dish from our favourite book about pigs – Pork & Sons by Stéphane Reynaud. The apple and cider butter would be a great addition to any pork dish.
Wine Suggestion: We drank a regular favourite: the Secateurs Chenin Blanc from Swartland in South Africa. Adie Badenhorst manages to coax depth, personality, minerality and freshness from this bargain. It has enough richness and weight to match the pork and cider butter and a wonderful complimentary yellow apple flavour. Well worth seeking out.
Rack of Pork with Cider & Apple Butter – serves 6
- 1 rack of pork with 6 chops
- 500ml dry cider
- 6 Granny Smith apples
- 3 onions, sliced
- a pinch of ground cinnamon
- a pinch of ground ginger
- 100g unsalted butter, chilled
Cook the rack in a flameproof casserole, over a medium heat, until well browned all over. Baste with a little of the cider, lower the heat, then cover and cook for an hour, basting often.
Peel, core and quarter the apples. Add them to the casserole with the onions, the rest of the cider and the spices and cook over a low heat for another 10 minutes or so or until the apples and onions have softened.
Remove the rack from the casserole, tent with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Add the butter and beat into the apple mixture. Cut the rack into chops and serve with the cider and apple butter.
(Original recipe from Pork & Sons by Stéphane Reynaud, Phaidon, 2007.)
Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a Comment »
24 November 2014 by jonoandjules
Sunshine Haddock Curry
This has a delicate flavour and is more about the fish than the curry – in a good way. Great fresh flavours and excellent served with the Sesame Pak Choi.
Sunshine Fish Curry – serves 6
- 6 white fish fillets e.g. cod, haddock, whiting, pollack or ling
- 1tsp cumin seeds, toasted and finely ground
- 1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and finely ground
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 x 400ml tin of coconut milk, whisked to remove any lumps
- 1/2-1 fresh red chilli, deseeded (or not if preferred) and finely sliced
- squeeze of lemon juice
Place the fish on a plate. Mix the ground seeds with the turmeric and salt, then scatter over the fish to coat.
Place a wide saucepan or large frying pan on a medium heat and pour in the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté for 7-10 minutes or until very soft and colouring at the edges.
Lay the fish on top of the onion and scrape in any seeds and spices from the plate. Cook the fish for 2-3 minutes on each side or until light golden.
Pour in the coconut milk and add the chilli. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. To finish, add a squeeze of lemon and more salt if needed.
Serve immediately with steamed rice and the pak choi below.
Sesame Pak Choi – serves 4 as a side dish
- 500g pak choi
- salt
- 25g sesame seeds, toasted
- 15ml sesame oil
Remove the stems from the pak choi and cut into similar-sized lengths.
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the stems and cook for a minute or two or until just tender, then stir in the leaves and drain immediately.
Place in a dish, sprinkle over the toasted sesame seeds and sesame oil and serve.
(Both recipes originally from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen by Rachel Allen, HarperCollins, 2013.)
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23 October 2014 by jonoandjules
Chicken & Ham Pie
This is a great way to use up leftover roast chicken (or dare we say turkey?) and ham. Almost as good as the roast chicken dinner itself and we are definitely considering this as a dish to use Christmas leftovers.
Wine Suggestion: This dish works well with a rich white wine. We tried it with an oaked Semillon, which on it’s own was delicious but with the pie the crisp acidity made it fall a bit flat. We’d suggest a good, oaked chardonnay instead which has much better weight in the mid-palate to work with the rich creamy chicken and ham. Yum.
Leftover Chicken & Ham Pie – serves 6-8
- 25g butter
- 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 400g broccoli florets
- 25g plain flour
- 225ml cream
- 225ml chicken stock
- 675g cooked chicken and ham, cut into 2cm chunks
- 1 tbsp chopped tarragon or marjoram
- mashed potato (made from 1kg of potatoes)
Preheat the oven to 180ºC, Gas mark 4.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the onion and fry gently for 8-10 minutes or until completely soft.
Put a saucepan of water over a high heat and add a good pinch of salt. When the water boils, add the broccoli florets and cover until the water comes back to the boil. Remove the lid as soon as the water boils and cook the broccoli for 2-4 minutes or until just tender.
Add the flour to the onion and whisk for 1 minutes, then pour in the cream and stock, whisking all the time. Bring to the boil, then simmer for a minute or two until slightly thickened.
Stir the chicken, ham, herbs and broccoli in to the sauce and season with salt and pepper. Pour into an ovenproof dish (approx. 20 x 30 cm) and top with mashed potato.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and bubbling.
(Original recipe from Rachel’s Everyday Kitchen by Rachel Allen, Harper Collins, 2013.)
Posted in Chicken, Food, Pork | Tagged Chicken, Cooking, Ham, Leftovers, Mash, Pie, Recipe, Roast chicken | 1 Comment »
29 September 2014 by jonoandjules
Tomato party
This dish celebrates all the juicy tomatoes we’re picking in our garden at the moment. We only had red ones when we made this but a week before we had a glut of yellow toms too. It doesn’t matter which you use, they’ll all taste great.
Wine suggestions: We have tried a couple of very successful wines with this dish, but the trick is to make sure the wine has a slightly higher acidity and good minerality; try smaller, quality winemakers and this will be a good guide. Successful wine matches have been Umani Ronchi’s Vellodoro Pecorino and Casal di Sera Verdicchio – both great matches, Joguet’s Chinon Cuvée Terroir (delicious Cabernet Franc), and the Gulfi Cerasuolo from Sicily.
Tomato Couscous – serves 4
- 125g couscous
- olive oil
- 150ml boiling water
- 150g fregola (giant couscous)
- 300g medium vine-ripened tomatoes, quartered
- ¾ tsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
- 150g yellow cherry tomatoes, halved
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped oregano
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped mint
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 1 small green tomato, cut into thin wedges
- 100g tomberries or halved cherry tomatoes
- salt and black pepper
Preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3.
Put the couscous in a bowl with a pinch of salt and drizzle of oil. Pour over the boiling water, stir and cover the bowl with cling film. Set aside for 12 minutes, then remove the cling film, separate with a fork and leave to cool.
Put the fregola in a pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 18 minutes, or until al dente. Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Leave to dry completely.
Meanwhile, spread the quartered vine tomatoes over half of a large baking tin and sprinkle with the sugar and some salt and pepper. Drizzle the balsamic vinegar and some oil over the top. Place in the oven. After about 20 minutes take the tomatoes out of the oven and increase the temperature to 200ºC/Gas Mark 6.
Spread the yellow tomatoes over the empty side of the baking tin. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Return the tin to the oven and roast for 12 minutes, then remove and allow to cool.
Mix the couscous and fregola in a large bowl. Add the herbs, garlic, cooked tomatoes with all their juices, the green tomato and tomberries. Very gently mix everything with your hands. Taste for seasoning and add salt, pepper and olive oil as needed.
(Original recipe from Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi, Ebury Press, 2010.)
Posted in Food, Party Food, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Couscous, Food, Fregola, Recipe, Salad, side dish, Tomato Party, Tomatoes, Vegetarian | 7 Comments »
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