This was inspired partly by my visit to the Imperial War Museum's Ministry of Food exhibition as well as imbibing a double espresso before going shopping in a fine butcher. Canned oxtail soup is one of my favourite lunchtime treats so I was hoping this would come out as rich and tasty. I wasn't disappointed. Serves 2-4 with some mashed root vegetables (parsnips, potatoes and carrots) and some steamed savoy cabbage.
Ingredients
3 large chunks of oxtail trimmed of excess fat
2 carrots cut into chunks
1 onion cut into chunks
Few peppercorns
Few juniper berries
Few sprigs of fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon of dried
2 bay leaves
2-3 tablespoons of red current jelly
1/2 a bottle of red wine
Zest of one small orange
Brown the oxtails all over in a little oil in a casserole pan. Add the carrots, orange zest, peppercorns, juniper berries, thyme and onion then cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then cover and put in a low oven (130-140C) for 3 hours or so. Remove the oxtails from the stock and leave to cool. Strain the stock and discard the stock vegetables etc. Add 1/2 a bottle of red wine to the cooking liquor and reduce to a thick gravy like consistency. Shred the meat from the bones and add to the
gravy along with the the red current jelly.
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Friday, 31 December 2010
Left Alone In The Butchers...
My wife made the mistake of leaving me alone in a great butchers today after I'd been drinking coffee. By the time she had come back I'd bought a kilo of diced venison, 1/2 a kilo of minced beef and three large pieces of oxtail - all organic and looking very tasty.
The mince and the venison have been put in the freezer leaving the oxtail for tomorrow night's supper.
Watch this space!
The mince and the venison have been put in the freezer leaving the oxtail for tomorrow night's supper.
Watch this space!
Turkey and Vegetable Soup
Yes we are still working our way through the Turkey - despite the best efforts of our three cats. This soup is refreshingly light and tasty. Serves 2 generously.
Ingredients
Large handful of cooked turkey chopped into bite sized pieces
1 parsnip, pealed, cored and diced
1 carrot, pealed and diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
A small bunch parsley chopped
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
750ml vegetable or chicken stock
Fry the onions and vegetables in a little olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the turkey and tarragon. Add stock, bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not collapsing.
Add the parsley and check the seasoning. Serve with crusty bread.
Ingredients
Large handful of cooked turkey chopped into bite sized pieces
1 parsnip, pealed, cored and diced
1 carrot, pealed and diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
A small bunch parsley chopped
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
750ml vegetable or chicken stock
Fry the onions and vegetables in a little olive oil for a couple of minutes. Add the turkey and tarragon. Add stock, bring to the boil then simmer for 20 minutes or until the vegetables are soft but not collapsing.
Add the parsley and check the seasoning. Serve with crusty bread.
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Two More Pies
To cater for varying tastes at last night's games evening I made two varieties of pies; Fish and Game. Each of the recipes below fill 4 large ramekins and are topped by shop bought puff pastry.
Game Pie
Ingredients
8 Pheasant Thighs cut into chunks
3 small carrots cut into small diced
1 medium onion finely diced
150g mushrooms finely diced
1/2 glass of wine
1tbsp seasoned flour
4 crushed juniper berries
2 sprigs of rosemary (chopped)
Fry the onion in a little oil until softened, add the mushrooms and fry briefly. Coat the pheasant in seasoned flour and add to the pan and fry until coloured. Add the wine and the remaining ingredients and enough stock to make a thick gravy. Put in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before topping with puff pastry. Cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and puffed up.
Fish Pies
Ingredients
2 salmon stakes skinned and cut into chunks
1 small haddock loin skinned and cut into chunks
250ml single cream
Large handful of chopped parsley
1 bayleaf
2-3 shallots finely chopped
2 tspn flour
100g mushrooms chopped
large knob of butter
Salt and pepper
Fry the shallot and mushroom in the butter add the flour to make a roux then add the cream and a little milk if the sauce is too thick. Add the fish and herbs and stir to combine. Cool then add to the ramekins and top with the pastry. Then remember you have left the bayleaf inside shrug and hope that someone notices before they eat it. Cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and puffed up.
I served these pies with potato wedges and green vegetables (green kale and purple Brussels spouts) from the garden.
Game Pie
Ingredients
8 Pheasant Thighs cut into chunks
3 small carrots cut into small diced
1 medium onion finely diced
150g mushrooms finely diced
1/2 glass of wine
1tbsp seasoned flour
4 crushed juniper berries
2 sprigs of rosemary (chopped)
Fry the onion in a little oil until softened, add the mushrooms and fry briefly. Coat the pheasant in seasoned flour and add to the pan and fry until coloured. Add the wine and the remaining ingredients and enough stock to make a thick gravy. Put in a moderate oven for 30 minutes. Allow to cool before topping with puff pastry. Cook in a hot oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and puffed up.
Fish Pies
Ingredients
2 salmon stakes skinned and cut into chunks
1 small haddock loin skinned and cut into chunks
250ml single cream
Large handful of chopped parsley
1 bayleaf
2-3 shallots finely chopped
2 tspn flour
100g mushrooms chopped
large knob of butter
Salt and pepper
 |
| Frozen Veg from the garden with assistant |
I served these pies with potato wedges and green vegetables (green kale and purple Brussels spouts) from the garden.
Christmas Games Evening Menu
Had a fab evening with my wife and some good friends last night. Lots of good food and drink as well!
To start with we had Peach Fizz (Cava and peach nectar) served with smoked salmon and sour cream blinis. This was followed by minted pea soup with pan fried scallops. The main course was a choice of individual pies - game (in this case pheasant) or fish (salmon and haddock). Pudding was cardamom and orange chocolate pots with a selection of British and European cheeses to finish. All washed down with more Cava and copious volumes of mulled wine.
Surprisingly we still had room for a full English this morning!
Recipes to follow
To start with we had Peach Fizz (Cava and peach nectar) served with smoked salmon and sour cream blinis. This was followed by minted pea soup with pan fried scallops. The main course was a choice of individual pies - game (in this case pheasant) or fish (salmon and haddock). Pudding was cardamom and orange chocolate pots with a selection of British and European cheeses to finish. All washed down with more Cava and copious volumes of mulled wine.
Surprisingly we still had room for a full English this morning!
Recipes to follow
Friday, 26 November 2010
Cauliflower Risotto
I was never much of a fan of the brassica family when I was young. School dinners were probably to blame, they are probably starting to cook the Brussels Sprouts now ready for the Christmas lunch in schools around the country as I type. Now however I love them. I even grow them in the garden, and will be picking purple sprouts and kale for lunch on Christmas Day. Anyway this is a different way to use a cauliflower.
Ingredients
1 small or 2/3 of a normal sized cauliflower thinly sliced on a mandoline
2 small carrots grated
1 leak or onion finely chopped
250g risotto rice
1 clove garlic
1 glass of white wine
Chicken or Vegetable stock (750ml or thereabouts)
1/2 tsp of coarsely crushed coriander seeds
Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
Large knob of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
100g Parmasan cheese
Fry the onion or leek and garlic until transparent in the oil and half the butter . Add the carrots and fry briefly then add the cauliflower and rice. Stir to coat the rice in the oil then add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add the stock gradually stirring until evaporated and the rice is cooked. Add the remaining butter and the cheese, remove from the heat and stir. Leave to stand, covered for 5 minutes then serve.
Ingredients
1 small or 2/3 of a normal sized cauliflower thinly sliced on a mandoline
2 small carrots grated
1 leak or onion finely chopped
250g risotto rice
1 clove garlic
1 glass of white wine
Chicken or Vegetable stock (750ml or thereabouts)
1/2 tsp of coarsely crushed coriander seeds
Seeds from 4 cardamom pods
Large knob of butter
1 tablespoon of olive oil
100g Parmasan cheese
Fry the onion or leek and garlic until transparent in the oil and half the butter . Add the carrots and fry briefly then add the cauliflower and rice. Stir to coat the rice in the oil then add the wine and cook until evaporated. Add the stock gradually stirring until evaporated and the rice is cooked. Add the remaining butter and the cheese, remove from the heat and stir. Leave to stand, covered for 5 minutes then serve.
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Moroccan Meatballs
I love meatballs. The crusty savour of the outside with a moist flavoursome middle. I like my meatballs to be the size of walnuts to maximise the crusty outside to yummy inside ratio. Makes about 10 balls depending on the size.
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
350g minced lamb
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chilli powder
salt and pepper
For the sauce:
1 aubergine chopped into 1cm cubes
2 onions chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 grated carrots
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 chopped red or green pepper
1 tblsp tomato puree
1 clove garlic crushed
1/2 glass of wine.
2 tblsp olive oil
Mix the meatball ingredients together using your hands to squish the mixture together. With moist hands form the mix into balls about the size of a large walnut or a squash ball. Chill the balls for 15 minutes or longer to allow the flavours to infuse.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Fry the onions in the oil until transparent. Add the aubergine, garlic, carrots and pepper and fry until the vegetables have softened and coloured. Add the wine and then add the remainder of the ingredients. Simmer until the sauce has thickened - say 30 minutes.
Meanwhile fry the meatballs on all sides then pop in a medium oven (perhaps alongside my Baked Pears) for 10 mins until cooked through then add to the sauce and serve with plain boiled rice or pasta.
The sauce would also work well on its own with pasta or with a meaty fillet of fried fish (such as monkfish or swordfish).
Ingredients
For the meatballs:
350g minced lamb
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chilli powder
salt and pepper
For the sauce:
1 aubergine chopped into 1cm cubes
2 onions chopped
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp smoked paprika
2 grated carrots
1 can chopped tomatoes
1 chopped red or green pepper
1 tblsp tomato puree
1 clove garlic crushed
1/2 glass of wine.
2 tblsp olive oil
Mix the meatball ingredients together using your hands to squish the mixture together. With moist hands form the mix into balls about the size of a large walnut or a squash ball. Chill the balls for 15 minutes or longer to allow the flavours to infuse.
Meanwhile make the sauce. Fry the onions in the oil until transparent. Add the aubergine, garlic, carrots and pepper and fry until the vegetables have softened and coloured. Add the wine and then add the remainder of the ingredients. Simmer until the sauce has thickened - say 30 minutes.
Meanwhile fry the meatballs on all sides then pop in a medium oven (perhaps alongside my Baked Pears) for 10 mins until cooked through then add to the sauce and serve with plain boiled rice or pasta.
The sauce would also work well on its own with pasta or with a meaty fillet of fried fish (such as monkfish or swordfish).
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