Had a fantastic break in Yorkshire where the local produce was of a high quality and portion sizes were generous to say the least. Highlights were the home made steak and ale pies athttp://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=2967467198613204008 the Blacksmith's Arms in Lastingham. The high quality food was particularly welcome as we were half way round a walk that started in drizzle moved to hail and then to heavy rain and driving wind just before we squleched into Lastingham. An open fire and a warm welcome soon dried us out and the remainder of the walk was competed with a warm glow inside and out!
Samuels in Whitby serves very good fish and chips as well as other fish dishes and is well worth a visit.
There are a number of good farm shops and the one we stopped at for our breakfast on our journey back to London, Beadlam Grange, has fresh local vegetables, meat, bread and cheese along with very large breakfasts.
Already planning to return in next year!
Sunday, 30 May 2010
Saturday, 17 April 2010
Smoked Haddock Risotto
Rice and smoked fish, a wonderful combination. Through in lots of parsley and some slowly softened leeks and you have a bowl of comfort food. Serves 2 generously or three less so.
Ingredients:
2 medium leeks, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
175g of risotto rice
knob of butter
big handful of parsley finely chopped
1 ltr of stock (vegetable or fish, you may need more or less than this amount)
large fillet of smoked haddock (get the undyed if you can)
500ml or so of milk (just enough to cover the fish)
few peppercorns
Gently poach the haddock in the milk with a bay leaf, some peppercorns and chopped up parsley stalks. Meanwhile fry the garlic and leaks in a wide pan with the butter. When softened add the rice and fry briefly. Add the stock gradually until the rice has softened. Skin and flake the haddock and add to the rice with parsley. Stir gently to amalgamate and season to taste. Add an extra small knob of butter.
Divide between two warmed plates and grate a small amount of parmasan cheese over the top if you like.
Ingredients:
2 medium leeks, finely sliced
1 clove of garlic finely chopped
175g of risotto rice
knob of butter
big handful of parsley finely chopped
1 ltr of stock (vegetable or fish, you may need more or less than this amount)
large fillet of smoked haddock (get the undyed if you can)
500ml or so of milk (just enough to cover the fish)
few peppercorns
Gently poach the haddock in the milk with a bay leaf, some peppercorns and chopped up parsley stalks. Meanwhile fry the garlic and leaks in a wide pan with the butter. When softened add the rice and fry briefly. Add the stock gradually until the rice has softened. Skin and flake the haddock and add to the rice with parsley. Stir gently to amalgamate and season to taste. Add an extra small knob of butter.
Divide between two warmed plates and grate a small amount of parmasan cheese over the top if you like.
Saturday, 10 April 2010
Pan Fried Pigeon Breasts with Potato Rosti and Gin and Blackberry Sauce
A few weeks ago I bought a pack of pigeon breasts from the Ealing farmers market. A hard day of wondering around Amersham's charity shops brought on a fierce appetite and this seemed like the perfect thing to satisfy it. Serves two hungry shoppers.
Ingredients
4 Pigeon Breasts (check them over for any shot that might be lurking within the flesh)
For the rosti:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
large knob of butter, melted
large pinch dried thyme
Salt and pepper
For the sauce:
1 small onion finely chopped
1 shot glass of gin
5 juniper berries crushed
1 small handful of blackberries (I usually have some in the freezer)
Method:
Grate the potato and mix in the thyme, garlic, melted butter and a good grind of salt and pepper. Heat a small frying pan and add the potato mixture. Fry until richly golden on one side then turn and continue frying.
Meanwhile fry the pigeon breasts in a little olive oil for 3-5 minutes on each side then put in a warm oven to keep warm.
Fry the finely chopped onion in the pan juices (add a little oil if you need to - pigeon is very lean and will give off little extra fat). Add the crushed juniper berries and deglaze the pan with the gin. Add the blackberries and cook until they have softened to a mush.
Serve with a bitter green salad.
Ingredients
4 Pigeon Breasts (check them over for any shot that might be lurking within the flesh)
For the rosti:
2 medium potatoes, peeled and grated
1 clove garlic, crushed
large knob of butter, melted
large pinch dried thyme
Salt and pepper
For the sauce:
1 small onion finely chopped
1 shot glass of gin
5 juniper berries crushed
1 small handful of blackberries (I usually have some in the freezer)
Method:
Grate the potato and mix in the thyme, garlic, melted butter and a good grind of salt and pepper. Heat a small frying pan and add the potato mixture. Fry until richly golden on one side then turn and continue frying.
Meanwhile fry the pigeon breasts in a little olive oil for 3-5 minutes on each side then put in a warm oven to keep warm.
Fry the finely chopped onion in the pan juices (add a little oil if you need to - pigeon is very lean and will give off little extra fat). Add the crushed juniper berries and deglaze the pan with the gin. Add the blackberries and cook until they have softened to a mush.
Serve with a bitter green salad.
Sunday, 28 March 2010
Beef Casserole
One of my favourite dishes. This serves at least 4 possibly 6 if you add dumplings or a pile of mashed potatoes. Ingredients can be varied depending on what you have in the vegetable drawer. The red grape juice gives a wonderful sweet flavour.
Ingredients:
500g Beef in c.3cm chunks (braising steak, skirt or leg - I'm a skirt man myself!)
1 large onion roughly chopped
2 large leeks cleaned and sliced
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 bay leaves
6 juniper berries
3 parsnips in large chunks
4 medium carrots in chunks
A few dried mushrooms
Red grape juice (500ml-1ltr)
Handful of pearl barley
2-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 tablespoons of seasoned flour (Flour, mustard, salt, pepper, thyme)
Method:
Heat the oil in a large casserole dish. Coat the meat in the seasoned flour and brown in batches, lift out and keep warm. When all the meat is browned fry the leeks, onions and garlic. Add the root vegetables and stir to coat. Return the meat and add the pearl barley and bay leaves. Add enough grape juice to cover and the dried mushrooms.
Bring to the boil then cover and put in a low oven for 3-4 hours or until you can't take it any more. Examine occasionally, adding more grape juice or water if it looks a little dry.
Serve with horseradish dumplings or mashed potatoes or crusty bread. Make a big batch as it always tastes better the next day.
Ingredients:
500g Beef in c.3cm chunks (braising steak, skirt or leg - I'm a skirt man myself!)
1 large onion roughly chopped
2 large leeks cleaned and sliced
2 cloves of garlic chopped
2 bay leaves
6 juniper berries
3 parsnips in large chunks
4 medium carrots in chunks
A few dried mushrooms
Red grape juice (500ml-1ltr)
Handful of pearl barley
2-4 tablespoons of vegetable oil
4 tablespoons of seasoned flour (Flour, mustard, salt, pepper, thyme)
Method:
Heat the oil in a large casserole dish. Coat the meat in the seasoned flour and brown in batches, lift out and keep warm. When all the meat is browned fry the leeks, onions and garlic. Add the root vegetables and stir to coat. Return the meat and add the pearl barley and bay leaves. Add enough grape juice to cover and the dried mushrooms.
Bring to the boil then cover and put in a low oven for 3-4 hours or until you can't take it any more. Examine occasionally, adding more grape juice or water if it looks a little dry.
Serve with horseradish dumplings or mashed potatoes or crusty bread. Make a big batch as it always tastes better the next day.
Sunday, 14 March 2010
The Power of Five - Cookery Books
I have a rather large, some may say too large, collection of cookery books. These five are the ones I turn too again and again:
Dough - Richard Bertinet
I really get a kick out of making bread and this book has improved the quality of my bread. It contains a variety of interesting recipes and the technique he details makes kneading the dough much easier and the bread much lighter in texture.
Indian Cookery - Khalid Aziz
This is ancient book but the numerous stains indicate how much it has been used! A nice variety of meat and vegetarian Indian dishes.
Fish - Sophie Grigson and William Black
A description of a variety fishy species and ways of cooking them. Useful suggestions of alternate fish to use and some very tasty recipes.
The Kitchen Diaries - Nigel Slater
I adore all of Nigel's books and choosing one over the others was difficult. However this is the one I have found myself tuning to again and again. Lots of flavourful recipes, Nigel's entertaining writing and attractive photography make this a must have.
Farmhouse Cookery - Reader's Digest
My mum had a copy of this and eventually I managed to find a copy for myself via the internet. This is great for traditional recipes (crumbles, dumplings etc.).
This was a difficult job as there are a number of other books I would like to have included (Rick Stein, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Madhur Jaffrey et al).
Dough - Richard Bertinet
I really get a kick out of making bread and this book has improved the quality of my bread. It contains a variety of interesting recipes and the technique he details makes kneading the dough much easier and the bread much lighter in texture.
Indian Cookery - Khalid Aziz
This is ancient book but the numerous stains indicate how much it has been used! A nice variety of meat and vegetarian Indian dishes.
Fish - Sophie Grigson and William Black
A description of a variety fishy species and ways of cooking them. Useful suggestions of alternate fish to use and some very tasty recipes.
The Kitchen Diaries - Nigel Slater
I adore all of Nigel's books and choosing one over the others was difficult. However this is the one I have found myself tuning to again and again. Lots of flavourful recipes, Nigel's entertaining writing and attractive photography make this a must have.
Farmhouse Cookery - Reader's Digest
My mum had a copy of this and eventually I managed to find a copy for myself via the internet. This is great for traditional recipes (crumbles, dumplings etc.).
This was a difficult job as there are a number of other books I would like to have included (Rick Stein, Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson, Madhur Jaffrey et al).
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Pear and Cardamon Crumbles
I made these in individual large ramekins to use up a glut of pears from our Abel and Cole vegetable box. Serves 5.
Ingredients:
5 or 6 pears depending on size
75g plain flour
10g porridge oats
85g butter
75g vanilla sugar plus a little to sprinkle on top
6 cardamom pods (seeds only, ground)
Work the butter and flour and oats together until a breadcrumb texture is achieved. Add the sugar and cardamom. Dice the pears and share between the individual ramekins or in a single dish. Loosely spread the topping on top sprinkle a little extra sugar on top then cook for 20-30 minutes in a 200C oven until the top is browning. Serve with custard or ice-cream.
Ingredients:
5 or 6 pears depending on size
75g plain flour
10g porridge oats
85g butter
75g vanilla sugar plus a little to sprinkle on top
6 cardamom pods (seeds only, ground)
Work the butter and flour and oats together until a breadcrumb texture is achieved. Add the sugar and cardamom. Dice the pears and share between the individual ramekins or in a single dish. Loosely spread the topping on top sprinkle a little extra sugar on top then cook for 20-30 minutes in a 200C oven until the top is browning. Serve with custard or ice-cream.
Monday, 22 February 2010
Swordfish with Lentils
Cooked during my stay in a cosy apartment in York, just about the only holiday let that I've stayed in that had decent pots and knives. Other firm white fish (monkfish or haddock) would work just as well (as long as it wasn't hacked about by the person doing the filleting as ours was). Serves 4 (for a change!)
Ingredients
4 fillets of firm white fish
Two large handfuls of Puy lentils
Two or three carrots
One red onion
2 cloves garlic
4-6 small tomatoes
6-8 black olives
Fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in olive oil till transparent. Add the finely diced carrot and fry again for a few minutes before adding the olives (pitted and halved). Add the chopped tomatoes, some dried herbs, the lentils and enough stock (or water) to cover.
Bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are cooked, try not to let the lentils boil dry as they will burn on the bottom of the pan.
When the lentils are almost cooked, season and pan fry the fish and serve on top of the lentils along with some sugar snap peas and green beans for a contrasting texture and colour.
Ingredients
4 fillets of firm white fish
Two large handfuls of Puy lentils
Two or three carrots
One red onion
2 cloves garlic
4-6 small tomatoes
6-8 black olives
Fry the finely chopped onion and garlic in olive oil till transparent. Add the finely diced carrot and fry again for a few minutes before adding the olives (pitted and halved). Add the chopped tomatoes, some dried herbs, the lentils and enough stock (or water) to cover.
Bring to the boil and simmer until the lentils are cooked, try not to let the lentils boil dry as they will burn on the bottom of the pan.
When the lentils are almost cooked, season and pan fry the fish and serve on top of the lentils along with some sugar snap peas and green beans for a contrasting texture and colour.
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