1 March 2012 by jonoandjules
Real comfort food with rich and deep flavours. We took the meat of the shanks when they were cooked cause our bowls weren’t big enough!
A dish of lamb shanks with preserved lemon and swede – to serve 4
- 2 large onions, sliced into thick segments
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 4 lamb shanks
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 750ml light stock or water
- 200ml white vermouth or white wine
- a large turnip (or a swede if that’s what you call them), cut into chunks
- juice of half a lemon
- 2 preserved lemons
- 4 bushy sprigs of parsley
Preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas 3.
Warm the oil in a deep casserole and season the lamb. Lighlty brown the lamb all over in the oil, then lift it out.
Add the onions to the pan. Let them soften and colour a little , then stir in the flour.
Add the garlic, stock and wine and bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, add the turnip and the lemon juice along with the spent lemon shell, plus some seasoning.
Put the lamb shanks back in, cover with greaseproof paper and a lid and put in the oven for 2 hours, turning the shanks now and then.
After an 1½ hours cut the preserved lemons in half and scrape out the pith. Chop the skin fairly finely. Add to the casserole and continue to cook for the remaining 30 minutes or until the turnip is tender and you can easily pull the lamb from the bones.
Roughly chop the parsley leaves and add to the casserole. Let it settle for a minute or two before serving.
Wine Suggestion: We would usually pair lamb with red wine but it’s important to think about the sauce when you are matching wine with food. This dish has quite an intense lemon flavour and the sauce is rich which calls more for a full-bodied white such as an oaked Sémillon.
(Original recipe from Nigel Slater’s Tender Volume 1, Fourth Estate, 2009.)
Posted in Food, Lamb | Tagged Cooking, Food, Lamb Shanks, Recipe, Turnip | 5 Comments »
29 February 2012 by jonoandjules
We often forget how delicious curly parsley is and tend to go for the trendier flat stuff. The curly version has a stronger flavour and is certainly the star of the show here. This makes a nice mid-week dinner and leftovers are good for lunch.
Parsley soup with caper and tomato salsa – to serve 4
First make some croutons by drizzling slices of French bread with olive oil and baking at 200°C, fan 180ºC, gas 6 for about 4 minutes, turning once, until golden.
- a knob of butter
- 2 shallots, chopped
- 300g potato, peeled and chopped
- 750ml vegetable or chicken stock
- 200ml milk
- a grating of fresh nutmeg
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 160g curly parsley, tough stalks removed, the rest chopped
To garnish
- croutons (as above)
- a few Sunblush tomatoes for each bowl, chopped
- 1 tbsp small capers
Heat the butter in a large pan, add the potatoes and shallots and cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil and cook for about 15 minutes or until the potato is tender.
Add the milk, a generous grating of nutmeg, the mustard and parsley, and bring to a simmer. Immediately take the pan off the heat and leave to cool a bit. Blend until smooth.
Season and reheat when you are ready to serve. Pour into bowls and top with the croutons, Sunblush tomatoes and capers.
Wine Suggestion: This is not a fussy dish so enjoy a glass of whatever you have open.
(Original recipe from Sainsbury’s Magazine, March 2011.)
Posted in Food, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Food, Recipe, Soup, Vegetarian | 2 Comments »
26 February 2012 by jonoandjules
We’ve made Jamie Oliver’s take on this classic but this version is much superior. Peposo is a Tuscan beef and peppercorn stew. We also cooked polenta to serve this time which is a superb accompaniment and takes about the same time to cook as the stew. Don’t be put off by the massive quantities of peppercorns, they soften and give a warming rather than fiery spice kick.
Peposo – to serve 4
- 80ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 kg braising beef, shin, flank or cheek, cut into 4 cm chunks
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, chopped
- 25g whole black peppercorns
- 15g coarsely ground black pepper
- 1 bay leaf
- 250ml red wine
- 1kg tinned tomatoes
Heat the oil in a heavy casserole. Season the beef well with salt, and brown well over a medium heat for about 15 minutes. Only turn it when the bits touching the pan have gone really brown.
Add the onion and garlic and garlic and cook for another 10 minutes or until they are well softened.
Add the whole and ground black pepper and the bay leaf and fry for another minute before adding the wine and tomatoes. Taste for seasoning and bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat to very low and cook, covered, for 1½ hours or until the meat is really tender – check again for salt when it’s ready.
Serve right away with the polenta below or with some bread and cannellini beans or roast potatoes. Or you can refrigerate and reheat when you need it. Leftovers make a good sauce for pasta.
Wet Polenta with Parmesan – to serve 4
This takes ages to make so if you get it on just after your Peposo it should be ready at about the same time. This recipe uses coarse yellow polenta, don’t be tempted by the easy-cook stuff as it is not the same.
- 1 litre water
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 200g coarse yellow polenta
- 100g Parmesan, freshly grated
- 50g butter
Bring the water to the boil with the salt. Add the polenta in a steady stream, stirring like mad with a wooden spoon or whisk to avoid lumps. Simmer for 90 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until thick and luscious. You should almost be able to stand the spoon in it, but add water if you actually can at any stage during the cooking. When you like the texture, stir in the cheese and butter.
Leftovers can be reheated by stirring over a low heat with a little water.
Wine Suggestion: Regional foods are generally complemented by the wines of the same region so go for a really good Chianti that will be able to stand up to this rich stew. We had a Felsina Chianti Classico which was delicious.
(Both recipes came from the Bocca Cookbook by Jacob Kenedy, Bloomsbury, 2011.)
Posted in Beef, Food, Italian | Tagged Beef, Cooking, Food, Italian, Peposo, Polenta, Recipe | 1 Comment »
23 February 2012 by jonoandjules
Tasty veggie chilli which is also healthy and low-fat. Really nice flavours.
Black bean chilli – serves 4-6
- 2tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 large onions, chopped
- 3 tbsp sweet pimenton (Spanish paprika) or mild chilli powder
- 3 tbsp ground cumin
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
- 2 x 400g cans black beans, rinsed and drained
- serve with: crumbled feta, chopped scallions, avocado chunks or soured cream
Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes or until almost soft. Add the pimenton and cumin and continue cooking for another few minutes before adding the vinegar, sugar, tomatoes and some seasoning. Cook for 10 minutes. Add the beans and cook for another 10 minutes. Serve with rice and your choice of extras.
Wine Suggestion: As this is so healthy you might decide to have a glass of water. If you decide to treat yourself you could try a Zinfandel or a Grenache which which will complement the spicy flavours without being too tannic or heavy.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Food, Healthy, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Black Beans, Chilli, Cooking, Food, Recipe, Vegan, Vegetarian | 2 Comments »
21 February 2012 by jonoandjules
The great debate continues whether it is acceptable to have fish with cheese – Italians seem particularly anti this combination. We wouldn’t sprinkle Parmesan over spaghetti with clams or prawns but have no qualms in recommending this cheesy fish bake. You can put this together in minutes and it will keep in the fridge until you’re ready to cook it. We served it with some sprouting broccoli and steamed baby potatoes and none of our guests took offence at the fish and cheese combo.
Gratin of fish with cheese, tomatoes and herbs – to serve 6
- 75g Guryère cheese, grated
- 75g Emmental, grated (or you can use all Gruyère if you like)
- 3 generous tsp Dijon mustard
- 4-5 tbsp single cream
- 18 cherry tomatoes
- 1½ tbsp torn basil
- 750g filleted and skinned flat-fish, like plaice or lemon sole
Preheat the oven to 180ºC, Gas mark 4. Mix the grated cheese with the mustard and cream and season with black pepper. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, season with salt and sprinkle with basil.
Spread half the cheese mixture in a gratin dish. Lay half the fish on top, then add all of the tomatoes and herbs. Add the second layer of fish, followed by the rest of the cheese. Keep in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Cook for 20-30 minutes until golden and bubbling (as below).
Wine suggestion: Matching a wine for cheese and fish together is a little difficult which may be a reason why Italian’s are generally not in favour of this combination; but we suggest looking for a wine that has no oak, and yet good fruit and minerality. We tried a Pouilly Fumé from fruitier, fuller-flavoured producer (Henri Beourgeois) which was a good match.
(Original recipe from Rachel’s Favourite Food at Home by Rachel Allen, Collins, 2006.)
Posted in Fish, Food | Tagged Cooking, Fish, Food, Recipe | 3 Comments »
19 February 2012 by jonoandjules
We love it when you come across great recipes by pure chance. We only made this as we had some smoked salmon leftover in the fridge and weren’t able to find filo pastry for the recipe we had originally planned. It was also late and we were grumpy and hungry. This definitely is a mood enhancer!
Linguine al Salmone e Salsa di Pomodoro – to serve 4
- 40g butter
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 120 ml brandy
- 500g fresh tomatoes, peeled and diced, or tinned chopped tomatoes (if it’s February!)
- 120g smoked salmon, cut into strips
- 100ml double cream
- 350g linguine
Melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the onion and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes. Pour in the brandy and cook until the alcohol has evaporated. Add the tomatoes and simmer for about 10 minutes until thickened. Add the salmon, season with pepper, stir in the cream and heat gently. Meanwhile, cook the linguine. Drain, tip into the pan with the sauce and toss.
Wine Suggestion: You don’t want to overwhelm the flavours and yet still need something to stand up to the cream and rich, smokey Salmon. We would choose a good Albariño from Rias Baixas in Spain, or a dry, Provençal Rosé.
(Original recipe from Silver Spoon, Phaidon, 2009.)
Posted in Food, Italian | Tagged Cooking, Fish, Food, Pasta, Recipe | Leave a Comment »
18 February 2012 by jonoandjules
This Dennis Cotter mash is so delicious! It goes really well with the mushrooms and onions here and it was so good we made it two nights in a row, the second night with sausages (sorry Dennis).
Roast parsnip mash with sage-grilled portobello & caramelised red onion – to serve 4
- 400g parsnip, peeled, cored and diced
- vegetable oil, for tossing
- 800g floury potatoes, peeled and chopped into large chunks
- 150ml milk
- 100g butter
- 1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
- salt and pepper
FOR THE CARAMELISED RED ONION
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 red onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tsp soft brown sugar
FOR THE SAGE-GRILLED MUSHROOMS
- 30g butter
- 10 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced
- 4 large portobello mushrooms
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400ºF/gas mark 6.
Toss the parsnips in a little olive oil in an oven dish, cover loosely with baking parchment and roast for 15 minutes, or until soft. Blend to a purée in a food processor.
Steam the potatoes until soft and drain them. Put the milk and butter in the pan, warm gently until the butter melts, then add the potatoes and mash them. Stir in the parsnips and chives and season with salt and pepper (we like white pepper for potatoes).
Meanwhile, heat the olive oil a small pan and fry the onions over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring. Add the vinegar and sugar, cover loosely with baking parchment and lower the heat. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, or until soft and caramelised.
Meanwhile, soften the butter for the mushrooms and stir in the sage. Spread the butter on the mushrooms, season and place them on an oven tray. Roast in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Pour any mushroom juices into the onion pan.
Spoon some mash on each plate. Serve the mushrooms on the side and scatter the onions over the top. Pour on any pan juices.
Wine Suggestion: We tried a Portuguese red from the Douro which went really well but any earthy red would be nice.
(Original recipe from Denis Cotter: for the love of food, Collins, 2011.)
Posted in Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Food, Recipe, Vegetarian | Leave a Comment »
16 February 2012 by jonoandjules
Remember chicken chasseur? It used to be very posh when I was a child (and Jono was a teenager – hehe!) Still tastes just as good if a bit retro at this stage. Serve this with some mash and greens.
Braised chicken chasseur – to serve 4
- 4 chicken legs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, thickly sliced
- 250g whole button or chestnut mushrooms
- 1 rounded tbsp tomato purée
- 300ml white wine
- 400ml chicken or beef stock
- 3-4 tomatoes, quartered and deseeded
- sprinkling tarragon and chopped parsley
Season the chicken. Heat the olive oil in a lidded sauté pan or shallow casserole. Fry the chicken over a medium-high heat until golden all over. Remove from the pan. Drain off any excess fat, leaving about 2 tbsps for cooking the onions. Add the onions and mushrooms, stirring for 6-8 minutes or until starting to colour. Stir in the tomato purée and white wine, then pour in the stock.
Return the chicken to the pan and bring to a simmer. Put a lid on the pan and cook for about 1 hr, or until the meat is really tender.
Skim any excess fat from the surface and add the tomatoes. Simmer without the lid for another few minutes to soften them, scatter over the herbs.
Wine Suggestion: You will have the rest of the bottle of white you used in the sauce so we recommend you drink that with the dish. Use whatever you have in the fridge or if you’re buying one specially try a Côtes de Gascogne which should be good value and you won’t mind putting the half of it in your dinner!
Posted in Chicken, Food | Tagged Casserole, Chicken, Cooking, Food, Recipe | 1 Comment »
15 February 2012 by jonoandjules
Another fantastic recipe from the master of vegetarian cooking, Denis Cotter, of Café Paradiso in Cork. I (Jules) went there last week and got all inspired by tofu, having never been particular excited by it before. To avoid any confusion, tofu is bean curd and not “a meat substitute that tastes and looks just like meat” as the bewildered person at the table beside me thought! There is quite a lot to do at the end of the recipe but it’s well worth the effort.
Maple-glazed tofu with rice noodles & kai-lan in a miso broth – to serve 4
- 200g flat rice noodles
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 300g kai-lan (Chinese kale) or sprouting broccoli
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced at an angle
FOR THE BROTH
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped
- 2 celery sticks, chopped
- 60g fresh ginger, thinly sliced
- 1 whole fresh red chilli
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 1 bunch of fresh coriander, including stalks
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp red miso
FOR THE MAPLE-GLAZED TOFU
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp chillis sauce
- 250g firm tofu
- vegetable oil, for brushing
First make the broth: in a large saucepan, bring 1 litre of water to the boil. Add the onion, carrot, celery, ginger, chilli, garlic and coriander. Simmer gently, uncovered, for 30 minutes. Leave to stand for a further 30 minutes.
While the broth is standing, prepare the tofu; mix together the maple syrup, soy sauce, vinegar and chilli sauce.
Slice the tofu into 16 slices about 1cm thick. Place in the liquid and leave to marinade for 20 minutes.
Heat a heavy frying pan over medium heat brush the pan with vegetable oil. Add the tofu and fry for 2-3 minutes per side, until lightly coloured. Pour in most of the marinade and continue to fry, swirling to make sure the tofu is coated, the marinade will stick to the tofu as a glaze. Add more marinade if necessary.
At the same time, bring a saucepan of water to the boil and cook the noodles according to the pack. Drain in a colander.
Finish the broth: strain out the vegetables and return the broth to the pan. Add the soy sauce.
Put the miso in a bowl and stir in a few tablespoons of the broth to get a smooth pouring consistency. Bring the broth back to the boil, whisk in the miso and hold at a low simmer.
Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a wide pan over high heat. Add the kai-lan and sauté for 4-5 minutes, adding an occasional splash of broth.
To serve, put some noodles in warm bowls. Place the kai-lan on top of the noodles. Ladle over some broth, top with slices of tofu and sprinkle with scallions.
Wine Suggestion: This is a dish which has a lot of competing flavours and components so a wine match isn’t easy. A yeasty beer or ale would work a treat like a Hobgoblin or a Leffe Brun to compliment the yeasty flavours provided by the miso.
(Original recipe from Denis Cotter for the love of food, Collins, 2011.)
Posted in Asian, Beer, Food, Vegan, Vegetarian | Tagged Asian, Cooking, Food, Kai Lan, Miso, Recipe, Tofu, Vegan, Vegetarian | 6 Comments »
13 February 2012 by jonoandjules
We have shied away from sushi recipes up until now as they tend to be a bit intimidating with all that delicate rolling and slicing. These hand rolls are really easy and by the time you’ve made 14 of them you will have perfected the skill!
Sushi hand rolls (temaki) – makes 14
FILLINGS (your choice of …)
- 150g salmon or tuna, cut into strips
- ½ an avocado, peeled and cut into strips
- ¼cucumber, seeds removed and cut into strips
- 150g cooked, peeled prawns
- 2 scallions, finely chopped
RICE
- 250g sushi rice
- 50ml Japanese rice vinegar
- 40g golden caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
SPICY CHILLI MAYONNAISE
- 6 tbsp mayonnaise
- 2-3 tbsp chilli garlic sauce
- ½ lemon, juiced
TO SERVE
- soy sauce
- wasabi
- pickled ginger
To make the rice, put it in a sieve and wash in cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain for about 30 minutes to rid of excess water.
Put the rice into a saucepan, add 250ml cold water and bring to the boil on a high heat. Cover tightly and simmer on a low heat for 30 minutes. Take off the heat and leave covered to steam for 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the rice vinegar, sugar and 1tsp salt in a saucepan. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves, then cool to room temperature.
Put the hot rice in a large bowl and add ¼of the sushi rice seasoning. Fold gently and repeat until all of the seasoning is mixed through. Cool the rice by fanning it for 5 minutes (this makes it shine).
To make the mayonnaise, mix all the ingredients together, taste and add extra salt and lemon if necessary.
Now you are ready to make your sushi hand rolls. Use the fillings in different combinations and serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi.
- Lay a sheet of nori shiny side down and cut horizontally in half to make 2 strips. Cut a diagonal corner piece from the right hand side of each strip.
- Put one strip in your palm, keeping the shiny side down.
- With a damp hand, take a ping-pong sized ball of rice and spread it over half the nori on the side closest to your thumb.
- Make a diagonal trough in the middle of the rice with your finger to make a space for your filling.
- Add a little drizzle of spicy mayonnaise along the trough (a squeezy bottle makes this easier).
- Add your choice of filling – though not too much or you won’t be able to roll it.
- Start rolling the nori from the rice-covered part by creating a triangle. You can practice this with an empty sheet before beginning. Bring the bottom corner up to enclose the filling.
- Keep rolling until the nori forms a cone – make sure it is rolled tight.
- Use a tiny ball of wasabi as glue to seal the join of your cone at the top. Repeat 14 times!
Wine Suggestion: Go for something delicate and light with some floral and fruit aromas. A dry Riesling worked well for us.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Asian, Fish, Food | Tagged Cooking, Food, Japanese, Recipe, Sushi | 1 Comment »
12 February 2012 by jonoandjules
A great weeknight supper that we cooked when Jules’ brother Peter came to stay during last week … only to discover that this is one of his reliable weeknight dinners too! Another Silver Spoon convert as we’d given him this book for Christmas.
Rigatoni con Polpettine – to serve 4
- 300g minced meat (we used a mix of beef and pork)
- 1 sprig flat-leaf parsley, chopped
- ½ garlic clove, chopped
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- plain flour, for dusting
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 celery stick, chopped
- 1 carrot, chopped
- 1 small sprig rosemary, chopped
- 400ml passata
- 350g rigatoni
- 25g Parmesan
Mix the meat, parsley and garlic together in a bowl, then stir in the egg and season with salt and pepper. Shape the mixture into small meatballs, dust with flour and set aside.
Heat the oil in a pan, add the onion, celery, carrot and rosemary and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.
Add the meatballs and turn up the heat to medium. Cook until lightly browned all over, add the passata and season with salt. Lower the heat, cover and simmer, stirring now and then, for about 40 minutes.
Cook the rigatoni in a large pan of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and tip into the meatballs. Mix well and heat through for a couple of minutes.
Sprinkle over some Parmesan to serve.
Wine Suggestion: Italian of course, but it doesn’t need to be anything fancy. We drank a delightful Chianti Rufina from Fattoria di Basciano which was perfect; full of lovely cherry fruit, fresh acidity to match the tomato and ripe, grippy tannins to work with the meatballs.
(Original recipe from Silver Spoon Pasta, Phaidon Press Ltd. 2009)
Posted in Food, Italian | Tagged Cooking, Food, Italian, Meatballs, Recipe | 6 Comments »
9 February 2012 by jonoandjules
We really only made this because there was leftover blue cheese in the fridge but it’s a perfect combination of complementary flavours. Good with some purple sprouting broccoli on the side.
Pork and pears – to feed 4
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 red onions, cut into eighths
- 2 large pears, quartered and cored – leave the skins on
- few sprigs rosemary, leaves roughly chopped
- 4 pork steaks, about 175g each, trimmed of excess fat
- 50g blue cheese, cubed
Heat the oil in a roasting tin on the hob (use 2 rings), then add the onions, pears, most of the rosemary and seasoning. Fry for 5 minutes or until just starting to caramelise.
Heat the grill to high. Season the pork, then arrange among the veg and fry for 5-10 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Scatter with the leftover rosemary and the cheese, grill until the cheese melts.
Wine Suggestion: White wine works well with these flavours and ingredients; try a Pinot Gris, a slightly off-dry Chenin Blanc, or even a fruiter style of Roussanne
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food.)
Posted in Food, Pork | Tagged Blue cheese, Cooking, Food, Pears, Pork, Recipe | 2 Comments »
8 February 2012 by jonoandjules
We’re not big fans of frozen vegetables (unless they are peas or broad beans) but we set our reservations aside to try this soup and we weren’t disappointed.
Sweetcorn & chilli soup – to serve 6
- 25g butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- ½ red chilli, finely chopped
- 800g frozen sweetcorn
- 1 litre vegetable stock
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 5 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
Heat the butter and oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and fry the onions for about 10 minutes or until golden. Add the chilli and fry for about 5 minutes, stirring now and then. Add the corn, stock and some salt, bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes until the corn is tender but still crisp.
Transfer two-thirds of the soup to a food processor and whizz to a coarse purée. Add this back to the pan and stir in the lemon juice and parsley. Season.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food magazine, February 2012.)
Posted in Food, Soup, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Food, Healthy, Recipe, Soup, Sweetcorn, Vegetarian | 5 Comments »
7 February 2012 by jonoandjules
We recently got a present of Ferran Adrià’s The Family Meal and we highly recommend it. This is far from the style of food famously served at Ferran’s legendary Spanish restaurant, elBulli. Instead this is a collection of simple and tasty menus that were eaten by the staff at elBulli before service started. The cheeseburger recipe below is part of a menu of Caesar salad, Cheeseburger & potato crisps and Santiago cake. The recipes are all given in quantities for 2, 6, 20 and 75 people so start planning your next party!
Cheeseburgers – to serve 2, 6, 20 or 75
- white bread crusts removed (7g, 20g, 65g or 250g)
- whole milk (1½ tsp, 20ml, 65ml or 250 ml)
- minced beef (250g, 660g, 2.2kg, 8kg)
- eggs (½, 1, 4 or 15)
- salt (¼ tsp, 1 tsp, 22g or 80g)
- freshly ground white pepper (1 pinch, ¼ tsp, 6g or 20g)
- burger buns (2, 6, 20 or 75)
- olive oil (2 tbsp, 6 tbsp, 400ml, 1.5 l)
- Cheddar cheese slices 2, 6, 20, 75)
To make the burgers, tear the bread into pieces and soak in the milk for 5 minutes.
Combine the meat, eggs, soaked bread, salt and pepper in a large bowl.
Stir together with your hands until the mixture is even.
Shape into burgers weighing about 135g each.
Cook the burgers with the oil in a frying pan, or under a hot grill, turning once during cooking (we used a barbecue).
Cook for 3 minutes for rare, 5 minutes for medium and 8 minutes for well done.
Cut the buns in half and toast them lightly in a dry pan or under the grill.
Top each burger with a slice of cheese and life onto a bun. Add ketchup, mayo, mustard, onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce or whatever else you like on your burger. Sandwich with the top half of the bun and serve.
Ferran suggests serving the cheeseburgers with potato crisps (50g, 150g, 500g or 2kg!). We had oven fries instead which we found a good alternative.
Wine Suggestion: A red with nice juicy fruit and a little spice; nothing too subtle or too full-bodied would work well. A medium-bodied Cotes du Rhone red or maybe a beer suits the barbecue theme.
(Original recipe from The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adrià, Phaidon 2011.)
Posted in Barbecue, Beef, Food | Tagged Adrian Farià, Cheeseburgers, Cooking, elBulli, Food, Recipe | 1 Comment »
2 February 2012 by jonoandjules
It’s endive season but what to do with it? This is another gem from Ottolenghi: the cookbook. You can prep it all in advance and finish it in the oven when your guests arrive. Our favourite starter for February!
Caramelised endive with Serrano ham – to serve 6 as a starter
- 6 endives, cut in half lengthways
- 40g unsalted butter
- 4 tsp caster sugar
- 50g sourdough breadcrumbs
- 70g Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 tbsp thyme leaves
- 120ml whipping cream
- 12 thin slices of Serrano ham
- olive oil
- 2 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley (only if you have some!)
Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Get your largest frying pan to caramelise the endive in. You will need to do it in batches as they must be able to sit flat without touching. So put half the butter and sugar in the pan and put it over a high heat. Stir to mix. As soon as the butter starts to bubble, place 6 endive halves face down in the pan and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden. You might need to press them down a bit. Don’t worry if your butter starts to brown. Repeat this with the rest of the endive halves, butter and sugar.
Line a baking tray with baking parchment and arrange the endives on top, caramelised side up and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Mix the breadcrumbs, Parmesan, thyme, cream, 1/4 tsp salt and a good grind of black pepper. Spoon this over the endives and top each one with a slice of the ham. Roast in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until the endives feel soft. Serve hot or warm, drizzled with some olive oil and sprinkled with chopped parsley if you happen to have some.
Wine Suggestion: This is a hard one cause the dish is bitter, sweet, salty and savoury – in hindsight we thought a Grenache might work. Try and find a light, fruity and slightly spicy example from Spain to complement the Spanish ham.
(Original recipe from Ottolenghi: the cookbook, Ebury Press, 2008.)
Posted in Food | Tagged Cooking, Endive, Food, Recipe, Serrano ham, Starter | 3 Comments »
30 January 2012 by jonoandjules
If you’ve heard of Jamie’s 30 minute meals, well this is one of Jono and Jules’ 10 minute meals!
We have finally used the last of our Christmas turkey from the freezer – we draw the line at eating turkey leftovers in February. If you’ve eaten all your turkey already you can easily substitute some cooked chicken or prawns instead.
Sweet and sour noodle stir-fry (with turkey, chicken or prawns) – to serve 2
- 1 tbsp tomato purée
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- a pinch of chilli flakes
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 4 scallions, roughly chopped
- 200g cooked turkey/chicken/prawns, chopped
- 2 x 150g packs straight to wok thick udon noodles
- 2 tbsp roughly chopped coriander
Mix the tomato purée, soy sauce, white wine vinegar, caster sugar and chilli flakes in a small bowl. Heat the oil in a wok or a big frying pan. Add the scallions and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the turkey, chicken or prawns along with the noodles and stir to separate the noodles. Stir in the sauce and add a couple of tablespoons of water to thin the sauce a bit. Cover and cook for a couple of minutes or until everything is heated through. Sprinkle the coriander over before serving.
Wine Suggestion: Don’t have a top-quality Meursault as we found this didn’t really work – which was absolutely no fault of the wine! A better match would be a white wine with a little bit of sugar in it to complement the spicy flavours in the dish. Something like some Pinot Gris would work well (look for the sweetness indicators on the label if it comes from Alsace which is a great region for this grape).
(Original recipe from Sainsbury’s Magazine, January 2008.)
Posted in Asian, Food | Tagged Asian, Cooking, Food, Noodles, Recipe, Turkey | 2 Comments »
26 January 2012 by jonoandjules
This is lovely and healthy too. We served it with the potato salad in the post below. The recipe serves eight so it would be really easy for a dinner party but was also really easy to adapt to feed just two.
Roast spiced salmon with coconut crumbs – to serve 8 (or divide it up to serve less)
- 50g butter
- 8 green cardamom pods, seeds removed and finely crushed
- 3 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
- 1 tbsp grated fresh root ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- generous pinch of ground turmeric
- 8 slim boneless skinless salmon fillets
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
Melt the butter in a medium pan, add the cardamom and coconut and keep stirring for a few minutes or until the coconut starts to toast and smell divine. Stir in the chilli, ginger, garlic, ground coriander and turmeric. Cook for another minute and then leave to cool.
Arrange the salmon in a single layer but not touching, in 1 large or 2 smaller buttered ovenproof dishes. Scatter the coriander over and spread the coconut mixture on top. You can cover the salmon with cling film and stick it in the fridge for up to a day. Take it out of the fridge about an hour before you want to cook it.
Turn the oven to 200C/gas 6/fan 180C. Roast the salmon for 13-15 minutes or until cooked, but still moist.
Wine Suggestion: We had a Gruner Veltliner from Austria which tends to be a little bit spicy and so complements a dish like this. A little residual sugar never goes amiss when there is chilli in the food either.
Posted in Fish, Food, Healthy | Tagged Cooking, Fish, Healthy, Recipe, Salmon | 3 Comments »
25 January 2012 by jonoandjules
This is scrummy! Like a potato salad but nice and light as it’s mostly low-fat yogurt rather than mayo. We served it with some spicy fish but it would also be great for a barbecue or a party. A dish we’ll definitely be repeating.
Potato salad with curried mayo – to serve 8
- 1.25 kg salad potatoes, halved if big
- bunch of scallions
- 1 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds, plus extra to serve
- 1 tbsp Madras curry paste (or whatever you have)
- 200g low-fat natural yogurt
- 4 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 sticks celery, thickly sliced
Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and cool for 5-10 minutes.
Meanwhile, slice the white bulb end of the scallions and keep the green parts. Heat the oil in a deep saucepan, add the mustard seeds and cook until they start to pop and hop around. Add the chopped scallion and curry paste. Cook, stirring all the time, for a couple of minutes.
Tip the mixture into a big bowl and stir in the yogurt and mayonnaise with lots of salt and black pepper. You can leave the potato skins on or off.
Chop all but 2 of the green onion stems and add to the dressing along with the potatoes and celery and carefully mix it all together.
Pile the potatoes into a serving dish. Cut the leftover scallion stems into long shreds and scatter them over the salad with the mustard seeds.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Food, Healthy, Side dish, Vegetarian | Tagged Cooking, Food, Healthy, Low fat, mustard seeds, Recipe, side dish | Leave a Comment »
24 January 2012 by jonoandjules
This tastes as nice as ever and serves a lot of people, what more can we say … Serve with baked potatoes, cheese, sour cream, mashed avocado, tortilla chips, rice or any combination of these. Try and make it a day in advance if you have time – it’s even better on day two.
Chilli – serves 6-8
- 125ml olive oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 star anise
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 1kg mince beef
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 3 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 350ml red wine
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 375ml beef stock
- 400g tin chopped tomatoes
- 400g tin red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 long red chilli, seeds removed and finely shredded
Preheat the oven to 170ºC.
Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Add the onion and star anise and cook, stirring, for 3-4 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and green chilli and cook for about 30 seconds or until you can smell them. Add the beef and cook, breaking up the lumps with a spoon, for about 5 minutes or until is is browned. Add the tomato paste and spices and cook for another couple of minutes. Pour in the wine, bring to a simmer, then cook for about 6 minutes or until the wine has reduced by half. Add the Worcestershire sauce, stock and tomato, then season well. Bring to the boil then cover with a lid and transfer to the oven. Bake for an hour or until the chilli is reduced and thick.
Stir in the kidney beans and top with shredded chilli to serve.
Wine Suggestion: Something youthful with some juicy fruit that won’t get clobbered by the chilli. We went for an 07 Manium Bierzo from Spain, suggested by Chris from The Corkscrew on Chatham Street, which was an excellent choice and good value at €14.95.
(Original recipe from Delicious: Simply the Best by Valli Little, Harper Collins, 2011.)
Posted in Beef, Food | Tagged Chilli, Cooking, Food, Recipe | Leave a Comment »
23 January 2012 by jonoandjules
Great mid-week comfort food; rich and delicious and easy to make. We had all these ingredients in the fridge or freezer too so it made our dinner really cheap. This was so delicious that if we’d have made a larger amount Jono probably would have scoffed that too! Using good ingredients helps as we had two lovely Toulouse sausages in the freezer and good quality cherry tomatoes in a tin in the cupboard. These lifted the richness and depth of flavour.
Italian Stew with borlotti beans and sausage – serves 2
- 2 Italian-style sausages (we used Toulouse which worked just as well)
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp fennel seeds
- pinch of chilli flakes
- 400g tin cherry tomatoes
- 300ml stock
- 400g tin borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
- 100g green beans or sugar snaps
Remove the skins from the sausages and roll the meat into little balls. Heat then brush a frying pan with oil and brown the meatballs until golden and any oil is released.
Remove meatballs and add the onion, garlic, fennel seeds and chilli flakes to the pan. Season and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the tin of cherry tomatoes and 300ml stock. Bring to the boil and then add the meatballs and borlotti beans. Cook for 10 minutes.
Now add the green beans or sugar snaps and cook for a further 5 minutes (until the greens are just tender).
Serve in bowls.
Wine suggestion: Great with a warm, but not heavy red. A Nero d’Avola or other southern Italian would work really well, but so would a cooler climate, New World shiraz or cabernet, particularly if it has a little bit of age to mellow out the tannins. Avoid the jammy, higher alcohol reds as these would overwhelm the dish.
(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)
Posted in Food, Pork | Tagged Borlotti beans, Cooking, Food, Recipe, Sausages | Leave a Comment »
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Jono & Jules do food & wine 