tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19249322288205492422024-02-18T19:48:09.006-08:00Savarin" A dessert without cheese is like a beautiful woman who has lost an eye" - J A Brillat-Savarinsavarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-78885591912176757362012-05-29T14:19:00.000-07:002012-05-29T14:19:09.996-07:00Great British Adventures in Meat Glue<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggL7uGcNRRZLgAk5aDfne1gxwFXxfWnTPIJ-XRs_jMcWT2ZYALuZcDn_B27Hhtt8S3sv4DUNvK8do3LoWhzAl0MxXXM9FTTQSUSPfUTGd7aOfkdcOJhN5QSvXPWYd8a4dc0_iuz6B1jtfF/s1600/DSC08513.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggL7uGcNRRZLgAk5aDfne1gxwFXxfWnTPIJ-XRs_jMcWT2ZYALuZcDn_B27Hhtt8S3sv4DUNvK8do3LoWhzAl0MxXXM9FTTQSUSPfUTGd7aOfkdcOJhN5QSvXPWYd8a4dc0_iuz6B1jtfF/s320/DSC08513.jpg" width="186" /></a></div>
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I love The Great British Menu me. It is hands down the greatest
cooking programme of the moment, attracting some of the best chefs in Britain
cooking some of the best and most exciting food in Britain. It seems to generate
more traffic on twitter than any other show or sporting event (though to be
fair I do follow a lot of chefs) and showcases more talent than anything Simon
Cowell has vomited onto our screens.</div>
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In between the cooking they mix in some nonsense about
the Olympics/Queen’s birthday/whatever it is this year and everyone pretends to
give two shits about the theme while cooking their socks off. This year has
lead to a great deal of rubbish talked about parallels between Olympic athletes
and chefs, training, focus, dedication (it’s what you need...) and most
entertainingly chefs ‘testing’ their dish on an athlete to see what they can
learn (I think I missed the gastronomic criticism event at the last Olympics,
is it part of the modern pentathlon or something?)!</div>
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Anyway, like GBM I have digressed into talking rubbish
about the Olympics. Let’s not forget the food. The use of modern ingredients
that change the texture or composition of the food is something that has really
come to the fore this year in the programme and been the subject of much debate.
These tools of so called ‘molecular gastronomy’ (a horrible phrase) are
enabling chefs to create effects such as spherification where a flavoured
liquid is suspended in a thin membrane creating caviar like balls and play
about with temperature, creating cold things that ‘should’ be hot and vice
versa. Up until now the use of these ingredients on TV has been part of the
magician’s secret, something that is used behind the scenes, for example in
helping Heston Blumenthal to create some of his spectacular illusions. </div>
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This science of food and cooking has been around for some
time; Harold McGee’s excellent <a href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/savablog-21/detail/0340831499">On Food and
Cooking</a>, first published in 1984 is a weighty and inspiring tome on the
subject and the pioneering cooking of people such as Ferran Adria was always going
to disseminate in some way to the mainstream. Companies such as <a href="http://www.msk-ingredients.com/">MSK</a> and <a href="http://www.infusions4chefs.co.uk/page/home.html">Infusions4Chefs</a> have
enabled chefs without access to laboratories and teams of researchers to start
using the products and techniques in their own creations and we are now starting
to see talented chefs who have worked with them in various kitchens and have
real experience in using them as part of their culinary repertoire to really
‘push the boundaries’ (sorry, slipping into GBM Olympic-speak again there).</div>
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So far so good then? Well no, not really. Much like
foraging, the other current hot topic, there is a real danger that these
techniques will be overused or done for the sake of it. As an example - a dish
of steak and chips, done well (though not well done!) is a thing of beauty. You
are not going to improve it by adding spherified tomato caviar, mushroom ice
cream and a Béarnaise foam just to show you can or by garnishing it with a
bushel of Parson’s Spunkflower freshly pulled from a hedgerow just because it’s
edible. If it doesn’t belong, it doesn’t belong however finely crafted or
exciting it may be.</div>
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I have to admit to having a fascination with playing with
my food though. I have in the past experimented with spherification and with
hot jellies (though I swear yer honour I did not inhale) and I am really
excited by the possibilities afforded not just by some of the newer ingredients
but by the equipment now available such as water baths and dehydrators. There
is nothing like eating a dish and being surprised and delighted by something
unexpected or a new perspective on a classic flavour. One particular ingredient
that I have fancied playing with ever since I read about it in <a href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/savablog-21/detail/1579653510">Under Pressure</a>,
Thomas Keller’s book on sous vide cooking is Transglutiminase or Meat Glue.
Basically it does what it says on the tin, combining meat protein while
remaining tasteless and undetectable. Up until recently I have only seen it for
sale in quantities too big and too expensive for my purposes (ie. messing about
in my own kitchen for the fun of it). Lately I have found a US website called <a href="http://www.modernistpantry.com/">Modernist Pantry</a> that sells it (and
other items) in small, home use packages and ships internationally, so for the
sake of about $14 I could hardly say no! Armed with my sachet of ‘Moo Glue’
(honestly that is the brand name), I set to work on a couple of experiments.
Both of the dishes below worked well and I’d encourage you to have a go if you
fancy the sound of them, whether or not you choose to use the meat glue. </div>
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Also, I would love to read your comments below,
particularly your thoughts on the whole ‘molecular’ debate. </div>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">2 ways with Meat
Glue</span></b></div>
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<b>Chicken with
Creamed Corn and Mushrooms<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Serves 2<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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This dish is actually based upon a French Laundry duck
recipe but mushrooms and corn are natural partners for chicken so it works just
as well.</div>
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1 whole chicken</div>
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3-4 large chard leaves</div>
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1 tbsp transglutiminase (meat glue)</div>
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500g sweetcorn</div>
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200g mixed wild mushrooms</div>
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1 clove garlic – finely chopped</div>
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Chopped parsley</div>
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A splash of truffle oil</div>
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For the sauce:</div>
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250ml red wine</div>
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1 large onion )</div>
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2 carrots )
roughly chopped</div>
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1 leek )</div>
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A few sprigs of thyme</div>
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1 litre brown chicken stock</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Take the breasts off the chicken. Skin them,
keeping the skin in as large pieces as possible. Trim them of the fillets and
any fat or sinew. With the rest of the chicken take off the thighs and legs to
reserve for another purpose, keep the wings and roughly chop the rest of the
carcass for use in the sauce.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Lay both chicken breasts, skin side (though
skinless obviously) down on your board and season with salt and pepper. Using a
sieve, dust the cut side with the meat glue as if dusting with icing sugar,
ensure all is covered. Lay the one breast on top, fat end to thin end (top to
tail) so the cut sides are facing each other and the skin sides are facing out.
Roll tightly in cling film to create a cylinder and put in the fridge for at
least 6 hours to set.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->To make the sauce put the chicken wings and
carcass into a hot pan and brown for at least 10 to 15 minutes or so, ensuring
you achieve a good colour to all of it. When well coloured chuck in a glass of
water and scrape away to get all the good bits off the bottom. Keep the heat
high and stir occasionally until all the water has gone. Now chuck in the red
wine and repeat the process. When the wine has all but gone throw in your
vegetables and thyme. Again, keep cooking to colour them up. When you have a
decent colour on the veg pour in your chicken stock and deglaze again. Reduce
the heat to medium and reduce the liquid. When the liquid is down to the level
of the bones (or roughly equivalent in volume to them) strain through a fine
sieve (and preferably through muslin) into a clean, smaller pan. Reduce on a
medium heat until the sauce is thick, dark and glossy.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Lay the chicken skin flat on a baking sheet and
salt generously, leave for a couple of hours. Roast at 190C for about 20-25
minutes until crisp.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Blitz about 2/3 of the sweetcorn in a food
processor and squeeze out as much juice as possible. Warm the juice in a pan
until it thickens then add the whole corns and season to taste.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Trim the chard leaves then blanch them in a
large pan of boiling salted water for a few seconds, put them straight into
iced water then to refresh them, pat them dry and reserve.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Place the chard leaves flat on a sheet of cling
film so they overlay a little and form a rectangle large enough to hold the
chicken and season with salt and pepper. Unwrap the chicken and roll in the
chard to cover. Roll tightly in cling film and tie the ends to ensure sealed.
Chill.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Poach the chicken in water that is just below
simmering until it is cooked (about 20 minutes), check by taking it out and
squeezing it to check that it is firm. If you are unsure then use a temperature
probe though if more cooking is required then wrap in another layer of cling
film to cover the hole.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Sauté the mushrooms and garlic off, finishing
with some of the sauce, the truffle oil and the parsley.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Slice the chicken into cylinders (marvel at this
point at how you have created a perfect cylinder of chicken!), serve on the
creamed corn and sauce the chicken with the mushrooms. Top with the chicken
crisp and add more sauce if required.</div>
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<b>Cod and Ham
Sandwich with olive powder and tomato<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Serves 2<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In the restaurant we had recently served a dish using
Monkfish wrapped in Parma Ham and it got me thinking about another use for meat
glue using the same flavour combination. This actually works quite well if like
me you are a fan of crisp fish skin as it allows you to have crisp skin on both
sides of a fillet!</div>
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Cod – 1 piece from the tail end of the fillet large
enough for 2</div>
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2 slices Parma Ham</div>
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1 tbsp transglutiminase</div>
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200g Black olives</div>
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1 punnet – small tomatoes (choose something with
reasonable flavour such as the cherry plum tomatoes or pomodoro)</div>
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2 sprigs Rosemary</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Slice the Cod in ½ lengthwise to give 2 pieces
of similar size and shape. Lay them skin side down on your board. Using a sieve
dust both pieces with meat glue as though dusting with icing sugar. Lay the
parma ham on top of one fillet then top with the other, keeping skin sides
facing out. Wrap in cling film and place in fridge with a small weight on for
at least 6 hours.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Blitz the olives in a food processor to as fine
a puree as possible. Place in the centre of a clean tea towel. Bring up all 4
corners together and start to twist from the top, creating a ball with the
olives in. Twist to tighten the ball and squeeze out as much moisture as
possible. Cover a plate tightly with cling film to create a drum like skin.
Spread the olive mixture as thinly as possible on the cling film. Microwave on
low power for approx 30-40 minutes until fully dried out (may take longer, keep
putting back on for 5-10 minute bursts until done). Then re-blitz.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Place the tomatoes on a baking tray and cover
with a little olive oil and some salt, scatter the rosemary over the top. Bake
at 100C for about 30 mins so slightly shrivelled but still moist. Blitz and
pass through a fine sieve, season.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Portion the cod into nice squared off pieces. Pan
fry the cod on one skin side to begin with then the other until cooked through
and with 2 crisp sides.</div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Serve with the olive powder, tomato puree and
chopped basil.</div>
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<br /></div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-71824175926478280162012-04-18T14:14:00.000-07:002012-04-18T14:14:41.105-07:00Aubergine and Sweet Potato Curry<br />
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It will come as no surprise to anyone who has the most
cursory of glances at our profile picture that we at Savarin are quite keen on
meat and an overview of our blog entries will tell you that we love to cook
fish, so what of the vegetarian dishes?</div>
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The creation of interesting and tasty vegetarian options is
one of the biggest challenges of a menu but a good one all the same. In fact we
have just launched a new one at the restaurant after months of discussion,
planning and bouncing around of ideas. Constructing dishes is one of the most fun
and interesting things that we do and after all of the creative work it is a
joy to see the finished dishes go across the pass and onto the tables of the
diners. Vegetarian dishes like anything else often start with the question
“What do I want to eat?” </div>
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At home I love to cook with Middle Eastern flavours,
pomegranate, bulgur wheat, tahini, za’atar, ras el hanout and all that. More
often than not these meals take the form of a meze style feast where everyone
tucks in to a variety of little dishes, taking a bit of this, a bit of that and
eating it all with some flatbread. This formed the initial inspiration for what
has proved to be the most popular vegetarian dish we have on our menu and while
we serve it in a composed, restaurant style, each of the elements work really
well for a more informal supper at home or with friends.</div>
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If looking for vegetarian or Middle Eastern inspired
recipes you can do a lot worse than start with <a href="http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/blog/">Yotem Ottolenghi</a> and his excellent
book <a href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/savablog-21?_encoding=UTF8&node=3">Plenty</a>.
His BBC program, Jerusalem on a Plate was fascinating as well and had me
putting pomegranate molasses in pretty much everything for a good couple of
weeks afterwards! Certainly the flavours in the Aubergine and Sweet Potato
curry and its toppings owe a lot to these sources.</div>
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The flatbread is one of my favourite things to make at
home and never ceases to amaze me in its simplicity. I can’t remember now where
I learnt how to make it or when but it is so easy and so tasty that I return to
it again and again. It still a constant surprise to me that it is basically
just flour and water, the transformation of these two ingredients feels
miraculous and if you have never made bread before then you need to have a go
at this. No yeast, no rising, no hanging around hoping it works, no specialist
equipment and pretty much no change since the dawn of human cooking. Go on...
connect with your ancient ancestors.</div>
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Right, that’s bread sorted. Next on the list of staples
then is surely cheese. In this case Labneh,
a strained yoghurt cheese. I first heard of this in <a href="http://www.flavourthesaurus.com/about-author-niki-segnit/">Niki Segnit’s</a>
book <a href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/savablog-21?_encoding=UTF8&node=3">The
Flavour Thesaurus</a>, itself an excellent resource for dish inspiration. When
I read the recipe I simply had to give it a go. Again, the simplicity is
amazing and it’s hard to believe that just 2 ingredients can create something
with so interesting a flavour, somewhere between Feta and cream cheese with a
sour yoghurt tang. All you need to do is mix a little salt with yoghurt and
hang it while the whey drains off.</div>
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I make no claim to any sort of authenticity for any of
these recipes (as a Welshman living in Hampshire it might be a stretch!), they
do taste good though and as such I would urge you to have a go.</div>
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<b>Aubergine and Sweet
Potato Curry<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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2tbsp coriander seeds</div>
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2tbsp cumin seeds</div>
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2tbsp fennel seeds</div>
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2tbsp dried chilli flakes</div>
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2tbsp sumac</div>
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5 cloves garlic</div>
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2 shallots</div>
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20g thyme</div>
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Vegetable oil</div>
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2 large onions - sliced</div>
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4 aubergines – 1cm dice</div>
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5 sweet potatoes – peeled and 1cm dice</div>
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2 tins chopped tomatoes</div>
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1 bunch Fresh Coriander </div>
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1 Preserved lemon (or zest from 1 ordinary lemon)</div>
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A handful of toasted sesame seeds</div>
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Figs – 1 per person</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Put the diced aubergine into a colander over a
bowl and toss with a generous amount of salt and leave to stand for a couple of
hours. Discard the liquid that gathers in the bowl.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Season and oil the sweet potato and roast in a
hot oven for about 8-10 mins</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Toast the whole spices in dry pan then mix with
the herbs, spices, garlic and shallots and blitz with enough oil to make a
paste</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Cook the onions in the paste in a heavy bottomed
pan over a moderate to low heat until they are well and truly soft and
submissive.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Add the aubergine and sweet potato and cook out
until the aubergine has softened</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Add the chopped tomatoes and turn the heat up a
bit, cook down until the liquid has mostly evaporated and the mixture is nice
and thick. </div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Cut a cross into the top of the figs and push up
underneath them to open them up slightly before roasting them in an oven at
180C. Place them on top of the curry as you serve. (Alternatively drizzle them
with honey and serve them as a starter/snack with some of the Labneh)</div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->Chop the coriander with the lemon, toast the
sesame seeds and top the curry with them.</div>
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<b>Pomegranate and
red onion salsa<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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1 Pomegranate</div>
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1 Red onion</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Remove the seeds from the pomegranate, most
people it seems recommend doing this in a bowl of water but check out this
video on how to whack ‘em out with a spoon (it’s better this way because the
juice will help break the onion down a bit):</div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/htDwG3T04LI?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Slice the onion lengthwise into thin slices and
mix with the pomegranate seeds and juice. Leave to sit for a while to combine</div>
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<b>Labna<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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1 ltr natural yoghurt</div>
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1 tsp salt</div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->Add the salt to the yoghurt and hang in a muslin
bag for at least 8hrs (the longer you hang it the firmer it will be).</div>
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<b>Flatbread<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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500g strong flour</div>
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300ml water</div>
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5g salt</div>
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1 tsp spice mix (optional - we use a mix of coriander,
fennel, chilli, fenugreek and cumin but you could leave it out or just use
cumin or coriander or garam masala or anything you fancy really)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Mix everything together (easiest done in a food
mixer, mix until forms a ball and cleans the sides).</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Take out and knead for 10mins or so until forms
anelastic dough.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->-<span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><!--[endif]-->Let it rest for an hour or so then tear off
small balls and roll out into rough circles.</div>
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</span><!--[endif]-->At this point there are 2 different ways to cook
the bread:</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->1.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Roll
nice and thin a put straight into a very hot dry pan for a couple of minutes
before turning it and letting it cook for another couple of minutes. A
chargrill gives a great addition to the flavour here. They will stay thin but
puff up a little and bit more like a tortilla or chapati.</div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]-->2.<span style="font-size: 7pt;"> </span><!--[endif]-->Preheat
an oven to 230C with a heavy baking tray in. When thoroughly hot open the door
and slap the bread down, closing the door quickly so stays hot. Cook for 4mins.
Cooked this way they will puff right up and make a softer bread that you can
fill along the lines of a pitta.</div>
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<o:p><br /></o:p></div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-21329061929234148222012-04-02T16:43:00.001-07:002012-04-04T02:49:55.987-07:00Hand dived scallops<div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;">
<b>Hand Dived Scallops with Satay, Crispy Cod Cheeks, Coriander and Pickled Ginger</b></div>
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Hand dived scallops are one of the most frequent ingredients seen on menus throughout the British isles and for good reason as they are every chefs best friend as an ingredient their versatility holds no boundaries they are just as happily matched with robust flavour combinations such as black pudding, pork belly or oxtail as they are to being simply pan fried with a little lemon and sea salt, my personal favourite at the moment is with boudin blanc and white raisins.<br /><br />My personal journey with the humble scallop started like many other chefs with the rather daunting prospect of awaiting the delivery every morning of the fresh scallops straight of the boats, knowing that the reality meant hours popping open the scallop shells to reveal the glorious white flesh and then gently releasing from the shell to clean ready for service for the other senior chefs. Although at the time I didn't realise how important my role was within this process it was a defining point in learning to respect the primary ingredient of any dish and one in which I am keen to reinforce in any apprentices that I have in my kitchen today. <br /><br />Hand dived scallops need to be respected as an ingredient but also as a sustainable source of harvesting the product, this process is so important to the final product and you should avoid purchasing any other type of scallop some of which are subject to some questionable practices - frozen scallops are often pumped with water to increase their size to enable then to get a better price per kg at the markets and cause an unnatural white colour avoid these at all costs or alternatively they have been dredged from the ocean floor damaging the coral and seabeds for generations. Your supplier for this amazing ingredient is as important as you are in the process always use a trusted fishmonger who will more than happy to source the scallops for you they may take a couple of days notice but I guarantee they will be worth the wait . My personal favourite wholesaler is based in the south coast in the beautiful Portland Bay their scallops are monsters bigger than your palm and sweet glorious flavour that is second to none you can contact them at <a href="http://www.portlandshellfish.co.uk/">http://www.portlandshellfish.co.uk/</a> I have used them at various hotels and restaurants for years and have never encountered any better than these guys.<br /><br />If you are interested in the sustainable nature of scallops or other sustainable fish or shellfish check out the following sites which are an invaluable tool for all fish lovers and available as an app or a downloadable pocket fish guide <a href="http://www.goodfishguide.co.uk/">http://www.goodfishguide.co.uk/</a> or <a href="http://www.fishonline.org/">http://www.fishonline.org/</a> both run by the Marine Conservation Society. <br /><br />Some of the most influential work being carried out currently is the campaign being spearheaded by Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall to find out more and sign up to the campaign petition <a href="http://www.fishfight.net/">http://www.fishfight.net/</a> <br /><br />From a restaurant perspective if you would like to know what your eating when dining out has been responsibly caught check out <a href="http://www.fish2fork.com/">http://www.fish2fork.com/</a> for informed reviews of restaurants which serve sustainable fish and if you own a restaurant you can ask to be part of their project <br />Fish2fork is the world’s first website to review restaurants according to whether their seafood is sustainable, and not just how it tastes. It is brought to you by the people behind the film, The End of the Line. <br /><br />Anyway enough of my ethical rant and back to the purpose of this post cooking and eating great scallops, this recipe has the perfect formula for success whether at home to impress or in the professional kitchen all of the work is done in advanced and just finished at the last moment </div>
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<b>Hand Dived Scallops with Satay, Crispy Cod Cheeks, Coriander and Pickled Ginger </b><br />
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2 x Hand Dived Scallops per person <br />
Sea salt and cracked white pepper<br />
20g Roe powder for cooking scallops <br />
50g Diced Unsalted Butter <br />
Sunflower Oil <br />
2 x Cod Cheeks trimmed <br />
Fine Breadcrumbs enough to coat cod cheeks <br />
100g Plain Flour <br />
1 x Whole Egg <br />
Few slices of Pink pickled ginger (available in most supermarkets now) <br />
Fresh coriander micro cress<br />
Sesame Tuile (recipe below) <br />
Satay sauce (recipe below)<br />
Bamboo skewers <br />
Red radish sliced finely and stored in water<br />
<br />
Sesame Tuile;<br />
<br />
12 egg whites<br />
300g white crab meat<br />
250g plain flour<br />
500g unsalted butter<br />
50g toasted sesame seeds<br />
<br />
Method:<br />
Mix egg white with picked crab meat until a fine paste, add melted butter at room temp but not hot, fold in the sifted flour and place in a container and chill for about an hour <br />
Spread mix onto lined baking sheets or silicone mats into required shapes and top with sesame seeds bake at 170 degrees for 7-10 mins until golden. Chill and reserve for later use.<br />
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Satay sauce;<br />
<br />
60ml veg oil<br />
2 Garlic cloves crushed<br />
1 white Onion roughly chopped<br />
5ml Ground chilli<br />
5ml Mild curry powder<br />
1 Lemongrass crushed<br />
250 ml Coconut milk<br />
150ml milk<br />
1 Cinnamon stick<br />
2 Bay leaves<br />
10ml Tamarind paste<br />
10ml Fish sauce Nam Pla<br />
45g Dark brown sugar<br />
45ml Lemon juice<br />
1 jar Chunky peanut butter<br />
<br />
Method;<br />
Puree first 6 ingredients together until forms fine paste, sauté the paste until it releases all of the aromatics<br />
Add remaining ingredients to pan and simmer until sauce thickens <br />
Remove whole spices and herbs<br />
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Remove the scallops from their shells if you are feeling adventurous then check out this short how to video clip from the fantastic great british chefs website;<br />
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<a href="http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/how-to/open-a-scallop">http://www.greatbritishchefs.com/how-to/open-a-scallop</a><br />
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It really is the best way to get hands on and buying them in the shell makes the eating experience all the more exciting, while dinner guests will be impressed and know their food is as fresh it can be.<br />
You'll need a thin, sharp knife to open them in the shell, and if you haven't done it before, I would recommend you wrap a cloth or towel around your hand holding the scallop just in case the knife slips. Then slide the knife between the shell and cut through the large white muscle with a swift, sharp movement, to release one side of the shell. If you are not feeling that adventurous ask the fishmonger to do this part for you.<br />
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Once they have been removed gently remove the orange roe, if you want to use for the roe powder dry the roe out slowly in a low oven until crisp, grind in a food processor until resembles a fine powder mix with sea salt and cracked white pepper this is then used for dipping the scallops in to form a great crust full of the flavour of the sea, it can reserved and be used at a later date for seasoning any fish or fish based sauces. <br />
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The final step in the process is to breadcrumb the cod cheeks - coat each cheek in the flour and then dip in the beaten egg remove any excess egg and coat in the breadcrumbs. <br />
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A good tip to remember is to make sure all your ingredients are ready before you cook the scallops as it's all too easy to overcook them. They're also quick to drop in temperature so make sure you serve them as soon as they're ready.<br />
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Take the scallops and coat in the scallop roe powder and pan fry in a little butter and sunflower oil until the scallop is golden brown turn over and remove pan from heat. Shallow fry the cod cheeks until crisp, skewer with the bamboo skewers and pickled ginger, place some of the satay sauce on the base of the plate and top with the scallops and cod cheeks top the scallops with the sesame tuile, radish and micro coriander cress.<br />
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One of the best bits about this dish and recipes is that it is very versatile and other elements can be utilised in other dishes, i am particularly fond of using the satay recipe with chicken and jasmine rice for a great cheeky lunch ! <br />
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Be great to hear from anyone who has tried the dish especially if you have been brave enough to attempt opening the scallops yourself ! </div>
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS8E7bcqlsNIiPfoMlfvTRkSPXYU5ru4wezI3i-u5K2UWjm0RmjZ5yxxZ6Wkc6z0o_r-zc0JV7sQLe0g4Pq7kJmpGLDu4J7rmudjdI8Wj0XV86p8r78yLqf1-uyRbfjN8qfb_6VIm460tm/" /></div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-46359983092444434872011-11-24T15:14:00.001-08:002011-11-24T15:19:53.611-08:00(Game) Seasons Greetings<br />
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Avoiding the dreaded ‘C word’ around this time of year is
getting harder and harder. Turkey recipes are popping up everywhere and we even
did our first turkey dinner function at the hotel last week (its bloody
November for crying out loud!). I should probably try and insert a “Humbug”
around here somewhere but truth be told I am not anti-C****mas; I just think
that November has a lot more to offer than Turkey anticipation. That said I would love to have a crack at a whole
deep fried turkey – see the video <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/video/2011/nov/23/how-to-deep-fry-turkey">here</a>!</div>
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Autumn and early winter is all about game for me, its
many feathered and furred varieties are reasons enough to celebrate the season.
We have a beautiful venison dish on in the restaurant at the moment that combines
a slow braised haunch with a loin cooked medium rare and a sloe gin honey (the
smell of which when warmed through is amazing). </div>
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At home I have been experimenting with rabbit, venison,
pheasant and pigeon. While venison often has a luxury price tag, a whole rabbit,
pheasant or brace of pigeon is unlikely to cost you more than a fiver and is
plenty enough to feed two generously. Nothing too adventurous or wacky here,
the main ingredient is simply seasoned, browned in a pan and finished in the
oven. Maybe chuck in some rosemary or juniper to heighten the flavours but they
are strong enough to shine through on their own. This means that you can use a
garnish with a big flavour for example a sweet and sour red cabbage or smoky
flavours as in the recipe below, even coffee and chocolate are often paired
with venison. </div>
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The red cabbage recipe below is a version of one that we
have used in the past in the restaurant, there it is cooked with the addition
of a rich Jus and so ends up truly dark, sticky and shiny. While this is
beautiful, I simply don’t have access to the huge stock pot, three day cooking
process, piles of bones, chicken wings and gallons of wine at home (sadly!).
Also, even if I did it would probably be a bit excessive for a cabbage side for
two people. </div>
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<b>Venison with red
cabbage and smoked potato croquettes</b></div>
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2 individual sized pieces Venison Loin </div>
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5/6 Juniper berries</div>
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Cold butter</div>
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Salt & pepper</div>
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Crush the juniper berries with the salt and used to
season the venison. Pan fry to desired level of ‘doneness’, chuck in a couple
of knobs of the butter towards the end of cooking to baste the meat as it foams.
Check seasoning and rest well before serving</div>
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<b>Red Cabbage</b></div>
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1 Red cabbage</div>
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1 Red onion</div>
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1 Apple</div>
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200ml Balsamic vinegar</div>
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200ml Red wine</div>
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3 Star anise</div>
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2 Bay leaves</div>
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Water/stock</div>
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1 jar Redcurrent jelly (you won’t use all but judge it to
taste)</div>
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Chiffonade the cabbage, red onion and apple and sweat
down in a saucepan. Turn up the heat and add the star anise and bay leaves. Then
chuck in the balsamic vinegar and let reduce a little before adding the red
wine and reducing again. Top up with stock (or water) to cover and turn down to
a simmer. Let it simmer for a good few hours (anywhere up to about seven) until
there is only a little bit of liquid left, raising the heat at the end to
reduce if you need to. At this stage you can chill the cabbage down and it will
keep for frankly ages as it is pretty much pickled. Finish by adding a good
dollop of redcurrent jelly to taste and picking out the anise and bay. The
balance of vinegar and redcurrent should give a big, sweet and sour flavour and
finishing with the jelly will make it sticky and shiny.</div>
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<b>Smoked Potato
croquettes<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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2 medium sized Potatoes</div>
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A couple of sprigs of Thyme</div>
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Egg</div>
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Flour</div>
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Breadcrumbs</div>
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Barbecue smoking chips</div>
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Peel and dice the potato. Steam in a bamboo steamer above
a pan of water until cooked through and soft. When the potato is cooked take
the steamer off (leave the potato in it) and tip away the water. Dry the pan, sprinkle
in a small handful of the wood chips and put back on the heat, shaking
occasionally. When the wood starts to smoke put the steamer back on and after a
minute or so take off the heat and leave to allow the smoke to absorb for about
5 minutes.</div>
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Chop the thyme leaves and mix through the cooked potato
along with some salt and pepper, crushing it up as you go. Roll in cling film
to form a sausage approximately 2cm in diameter and chill.</div>
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When the potato is well chilled, slice into 6cm long
pieces(ish... make them as big as you want, it’s your dinner after all). Dip
first in flour, then egg then breadcrumbs to completely coat and then deep fry
at 180C for about 4 minutes.</div>
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<b>Roast Pheasant
with pheasant sausage and game chips</b></div>
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1 Pheasant</div>
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1 Pork sausage (get a decent sausage from your local
butcher but go for a plain pork one)</div>
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100g Black pudding</div>
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2 Onions</div>
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1 Carrot</div>
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3 sticks celery</div>
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1 leek</div>
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1 parsnip</div>
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500ml red wine</div>
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Prep the pheasant and make stock:</div>
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Take the legs and thighs off the pheasant, debone them
and dice the meat. Take the breasts off on the bone in one piece; trim the wing
bone down for presentation. Strip off any remaining bits of meat and reserve. Roast the carcass along with the leg bones for
about 30mins at 160C. In the meantime brown off 1 onion, celery, carrot and leek
in a stockpot. Put in the roasted carcass and deglaze with ½ the wine. Top up
with water and simmer gently for as long as you have (put it on the night
before if you can). Pass through a fine sieve and reduce by a ½ and set aside.</div>
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Pheasant sausage:</div>
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Take the sausage meat out of the skin and mix well with ¾
of the chopped leg meat and chopped black pudding. Cook a small piece and check
for seasoning. Roll into balls or into sausage shapes and chill.</div>
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Game chips:</div>
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Peel the parsnip then use the peeler to slice it along
the length. Deep fry until golden brown, drain on kitchen paper and salt.</div>
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To finish – colour the pheasant breasts in a hot pan and
then roast in a hot oven for 15-20mins or until done. Fry off the sausages and
finish in the oven. Colour the meat off cuts and the remaining ¼ leg meat and
the other onion, chopped. Stir in a tablespoon of flour and cook for a couple
of minutes. Deglaze with the rest of the wine, reduce by 2/3 and then add hot
stock until you are happy with the consistency and colour of the sauce. Take
the breasts off the bone to serve and top with the game chips, serving with the
sausages and sauce (plus some veggies and stuff obviously, maybe roast
potatoes, a celeriac or carrot puree or whatever you fancy really).</div>
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<br /></div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-43973992172504637092011-10-15T17:00:00.000-07:002012-04-05T06:54:31.575-07:00The French Laundry Pop-up<br />
The name Thomas Keller is probably better known amongst the chef community in this country than to the wider populace. He has never made a programme encouraging parents to feed their kids fruit, dragged reluctant vegetarians to an abattoir or screamed F words at a hapless celebrity for cocking up a Coq au Vin, in fact until recently I had never seen him on TV. He is however one of the most innovative and influential chefs of the last decade, best known for his, almost legendary, restaurant The French Laundry. One of only 4 restaurants globally to have claimed the title of the best in the world in the <a href="http://www.theworlds50best.com/">’50 best’</a> list (along with El Bulli, Noma and The Fat Duck), awarded 3 coveted Michelin Stars and based in the Napa Valley in California it has always seemed out of reach to someone like me. That was until the announcement that Chef Keller would be bringing TFL over for a 10 day pop-up restaurant based in Harrods, fixtures, fittings, staff, crockery all included.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR_n1wDoejHxpe-varEBwszHUv7l4XeBL3QsNlXemkCS_nrbjSjds9JbItzW_42EROa2PeE8_g7OKa3yGu1sXGY7I9JbeZ7vv-40qox6uCIjFiMeywZZskrRsGp72IpjusQPeVcchzfgc/s1600/DSC08241.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlR_n1wDoejHxpe-varEBwszHUv7l4XeBL3QsNlXemkCS_nrbjSjds9JbItzW_42EROa2PeE8_g7OKa3yGu1sXGY7I9JbeZ7vv-40qox6uCIjFiMeywZZskrRsGp72IpjusQPeVcchzfgc/s200/DSC08241.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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10 days, 70 covers and massive demand, I was extremely lucky to get a booking for this once in a lifetime event and that is exactly what it was. I make no pretence that I will attempt in any way a balanced and objective review, I simply intend to give you some of my thoughts on what passed my way during a blissful couple of hours.<br />
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Suffice to say it was an extraordinary meal. 11 courses, fantastic ingredients (huge spoonfuls of white sturgeon caviar, truffles, oysters, frozen foie gras grated over the food at the table, vegetables from The French Laundry’s own gardens, Black Mission figs, Noble Maple Syrup and much more) , amazing technique, beautiful presentation and impeccable service from knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff. In the 2 or so years since turning my slightly weird, obsessive passion for food and cooking into my career I have learned a huge amount and this has been another stage in my development. I have come away from the experience inspired by what can be achieved at the top of my profession. Topped off with an invitation into the kitchen to meet Chef Keller himself as he was at the pass sending meals to other tables, it was truly an extraordinary day for a curious and hungry food geek like me.<br />
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<b>The French Laundry - my view</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxymXY_ELReUuMd0z9w_1mDsI_dVOjo-0ozLyFo9AWyxlided5H6NRJ_LkClB3e1AMDqH9EXarr2wpDoJ29X7HdlK8PlRRJ6AFoZJ4NfNM6tZNoDPmgNkxE4j3aYEsAEtYUmId4cXRf_mJ/s1600/DSC08216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuHIFPEeKo1N9hKdN4hwcShHPa-LDoS95DN7VIx5dyQFrseFavJLTxzDgTckBoLCKLx16PilC7_hUQpK4b2WyNwXVLODIXGFyOJDCKWJUY9I5IJiBBMqwVu8WiakG3F9KbgzSuTcF0SgWW/s1600/DSC08217.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxymXY_ELReUuMd0z9w_1mDsI_dVOjo-0ozLyFo9AWyxlided5H6NRJ_LkClB3e1AMDqH9EXarr2wpDoJ29X7HdlK8PlRRJ6AFoZJ4NfNM6tZNoDPmgNkxE4j3aYEsAEtYUmId4cXRf_mJ/s320/DSC08216.jpg" width="320" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></div>
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There is no denying just how weird it is to walk through the colourful and noisy toy department of Harrods to emerge in front of the facade of The French Laundry, placed incongruously within the formal confines of the Georgian Restaurant. An astroturf lawn with picnic tables and chairs, champagne bar and TFL concession stand complete the surreal scene. In all honesty the artifice is never really forgotten, the curtains that surround the dining area lend the whole affair a slightly theatrical feel. A glass of champagne helps along the willing suspension of disbelief though and we are soon seated and browsing the wine list (after careful consideration of a bottle priced at £9,900 we opt for something much more modestly priced). After checking that we are free of restrictive dietary requirements, our menus are taken from us with a promise that they will be returned in our goody bag at the end of the meal.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcy-mMjTJ-2TncINZ05ded4b4P8Bl-op7blBAlHxUeSyXW-m_96-VcHSDQ6mol0weQeRlw50JcPmSkhm3-ZJ7TrwsG80g20Mfy_-rHEUL0zLiR8Q6d49kYGbmvz5kQLXMxs91xj4q0ODGW/s1600/DSC08228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcy-mMjTJ-2TncINZ05ded4b4P8Bl-op7blBAlHxUeSyXW-m_96-VcHSDQ6mol0weQeRlw50JcPmSkhm3-ZJ7TrwsG80g20Mfy_-rHEUL0zLiR8Q6d49kYGbmvz5kQLXMxs91xj4q0ODGW/s320/DSC08228.jpg" width="320" /></a>The first canapés arrive - a smoked salmon and red onion tartare coronet and a gruyère gougere, apparently the start to pretty much every meal at both TFL and it's sister restaurant Per Se. These are followed by the 'seated canapés'. We are advised to eat from left to right, beginning with a freeze dried tomato with olive oil gel and basil powder, my favourite part of this course. The tomato has the consistency almost, of a Wotsit (I know, I'm like well cultured and stuff), but explodes with a sweet tomato flavour, the combination of all components giving the full flavour of the originating salad for a just a fleeting moment. The olive oil, it is explained to us is unique in terms of the amount of 'phenols' and I could have eaten the gel by the bowlful. This is followed by a crab beignet which is lovely, then Keller's take on an 'English Tea and biscuits'. A shortbread base with foie gras topped with a tea jelly was interesting but I'm not sure I really 'got' the tea and biscuits thing. Finally a 'BLT' (pork belly, lettuce and truffle in this case), which is rich, fatty, crispy, earthy and everything you want it to be (except 6 foot square).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3ztyhJXkS1vGmw7UwIOM6S7JFl-KA3vJV282oTli7YS_YV8OucnFvqCrREWJ_wY29b_iMkAJCohN9qtfXBiw6yBJdRkDrD2ISzEIaGO0Y5KwbCOpC7lMoXiivuK5MlQYPsHmjxk6RLvD/s1600/DSC08232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi3ztyhJXkS1vGmw7UwIOM6S7JFl-KA3vJV282oTli7YS_YV8OucnFvqCrREWJ_wY29b_iMkAJCohN9qtfXBiw6yBJdRkDrD2ISzEIaGO0Y5KwbCOpC7lMoXiivuK5MlQYPsHmjxk6RLvD/s320/DSC08232.jpg" width="320" /></a>Next up is the famous 'Oysters and Pearls', a signature dish from the original restaurant. A tapioca sabayon topped with a Maldon Oyster, White Sturgeon Caviar and chive butter. I had high hopes of this dish, particularly as there was a good chance of getting two helpings as my girlfriend and co-diner Jen, normally has an aversion to oysters because of their texture. Sadly I was to be disappointed on this count only, the oysters had been trimmed down to just their meaty heart and the whole was silky smooth. This is the only disappointment though, the dish is rich, buttery, ozoney(?), sweet, the shock of contrast between the cold (generously portioned) caviar and the warm butter, oyster and tapioca ensures that each spoonful reignites the flavours and stops it from becoming simply comforting. An incredible dish that suffers only from being half the amount I had hoped for!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol_D3Up_w2FjQ4YOcAsPD3AYuzW5UUAf_Uisczt5r9wrDkbPR6a_augAVZuYPUAjx1kAh69iSQkFRmKC34sIhJTH9ZPioiabfcJosUWi1OvVFcW2rhyy2RfBnUH0QdagqLfimGKg0Hkmt/s1600/DSC08239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjol_D3Up_w2FjQ4YOcAsPD3AYuzW5UUAf_Uisczt5r9wrDkbPR6a_augAVZuYPUAjx1kAh69iSQkFRmKC34sIhJTH9ZPioiabfcJosUWi1OvVFcW2rhyy2RfBnUH0QdagqLfimGKg0Hkmt/s200/DSC08239.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcztsqb-om196icNAMHO2Zn5H7jSzGKDO31ByK12KhqKPteNkItEers-hejSat1b9pRffjr0vL1sCue15K5S1YXTqSkd4inzsOgvcqZJ4ztLgYwJLuVL7lT13-OUl6ZZh7fP3qoIFvuIv/s1600/DSC08236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcztsqb-om196icNAMHO2Zn5H7jSzGKDO31ByK12KhqKPteNkItEers-hejSat1b9pRffjr0vL1sCue15K5S1YXTqSkd4inzsOgvcqZJ4ztLgYwJLuVL7lT13-OUl6ZZh7fP3qoIFvuIv/s200/DSC08236.jpg" width="132" /></a>A 'salad' of Hawaiian Palm Hearts is, we are informed 'the healthiest thing we will eat today'. </div>
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It is delivered with plenty of information about the origins of the vegetables in the French Laundry's own gardens. It is a very pretty dish, the highlight of which are the crunchy Pili nut.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2thWdY3zBZOnxu7eDQ3VtF0fIrpZH_GL9jcp7W0fgydOIfcn3x13zELvAvzKY7OZtyWawArXBtTBospQ08fiQzwQP-xOfsbQjcXo-0LRoD9jajwWUi6us21dejf7VNSn_6AiQpx5l5QS/s1600/DSC08243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB2thWdY3zBZOnxu7eDQ3VtF0fIrpZH_GL9jcp7W0fgydOIfcn3x13zELvAvzKY7OZtyWawArXBtTBospQ08fiQzwQP-xOfsbQjcXo-0LRoD9jajwWUi6us21dejf7VNSn_6AiQpx5l5QS/s320/DSC08243.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1T1FfyxjiNZtnT-5vyhysDH0mucj29d-wXa7vHS7jdZObxbOc9cobcBzBitQ0aS5Ig7D_R-yMH3D3QNpyCjNkxKTRSNYNgfOpaRy4Sr95ctYJB9UirDsCeI7OwfxZi0ihR1tknYQhYta/s1600/DSC08246.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr1T1FfyxjiNZtnT-5vyhysDH0mucj29d-wXa7vHS7jdZObxbOc9cobcBzBitQ0aS5Ig7D_R-yMH3D3QNpyCjNkxKTRSNYNgfOpaRy4Sr95ctYJB9UirDsCeI7OwfxZi0ihR1tknYQhYta/s200/DSC08246.jpg" width="200" /></a>A deconstructed 'chowder' follows featuring a delicately smoked sturgeon, lightly cooked with a razor clam foam. Tiny cubes of potato and a sweetcorn powder complete the flavour profile of a classic chowder. The fish is exquisite, perfectly cooked and the foam packed full of flavour.<br />
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Clever and delicate but somehow still as much a comfort food as the original soup, again it is gone all too quickly.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5uEDO6iDXfKRi1rOWqaCJUX7WtnF1mVjbenHZVMThX7FXgm0Uaq7rj7H3PuDPg0SMySMMsRApa5U-xVIV8EIqoD2UNm2HdosZq5hk084yFOcJhlE99q3miIMboCdSmr5BYSSpAPDXJAE/s1600/DSC08254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5uEDO6iDXfKRi1rOWqaCJUX7WtnF1mVjbenHZVMThX7FXgm0Uaq7rj7H3PuDPg0SMySMMsRApa5U-xVIV8EIqoD2UNm2HdosZq5hk084yFOcJhlE99q3miIMboCdSmr5BYSSpAPDXJAE/s320/DSC08254.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim5uEDO6iDXfKRi1rOWqaCJUX7WtnF1mVjbenHZVMThX7FXgm0Uaq7rj7H3PuDPg0SMySMMsRApa5U-xVIV8EIqoD2UNm2HdosZq5hk084yFOcJhlE99q3miIMboCdSmr5BYSSpAPDXJAE/s1600/DSC08254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><br />
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Butter poached Maine lobster with a tasting of beetroot ups the ante though. Before being presented with the plates our waiter tells us that he thinks this is going to be one of the highlights of the meal for us. He is not wrong. A sheet of potato glass is impressive and adds much in terms of presentation. Though I may be somewhat biased here, I find it difficult to remember much about this dish except for the flavour of the lobster. It is incredible, barely cooked (in Jen's opinion undercooked which gets me a bonus mouthful at the end - win!) and tasting fully and completely of itself. If you have been a very, very good lobster in life, perhaps the Mother Teresa of the lobster world this must be where you go when you die.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFtZ3lmxJ5QEFjN9NJIhtZdXIEh13qleT03udmlG9fkRzStXIU6tm0A9QTsPdZ1dlzkHPnaM8nhBaroAPvujveZIR3IEUsAWjcV4nRBXRMEOtH9J6ma_lepmSyqb3bCiBGa4TaTYDcUMv/s1600/DSC08252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKFtZ3lmxJ5QEFjN9NJIhtZdXIEh13qleT03udmlG9fkRzStXIU6tm0A9QTsPdZ1dlzkHPnaM8nhBaroAPvujveZIR3IEUsAWjcV4nRBXRMEOtH9J6ma_lepmSyqb3bCiBGa4TaTYDcUMv/s320/DSC08252.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
The garnish is lovely and looks great (just look at that glorious swipe of bright red beetroot in the photo above), it's just that it formed part of my plate that wasn't lobster and so faded a little into the background.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8Ev5-yYRAH32flu5vT-nkiOh6Yngemq9L5m-euCei8G36B1lKsU9DfbwUcu8HD3hiMpp13IJk3hK3hMM8VpFpjLnvnUxbyOaXzs8vkoRXZr8n4a_ItD5rvYQxJpOqHgK1uQ1z2LNh55j/s1600/DSC08257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_8Ev5-yYRAH32flu5vT-nkiOh6Yngemq9L5m-euCei8G36B1lKsU9DfbwUcu8HD3hiMpp13IJk3hK3hMM8VpFpjLnvnUxbyOaXzs8vkoRXZr8n4a_ItD5rvYQxJpOqHgK1uQ1z2LNh55j/s320/DSC08257.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5ff2A9RmNYETEh_09MbFPXbP5gIzL0dDW13BMfWylMBUQXJG0ydxzjQLHqWONW7uuqwvciRgpYDl9i2qfoTY_wMWhblYa0uFqeIoXU14h7Lg_exE3gyEWlcWOZ-RkBTz5ev0SXqDqmp7/s1600/DSC08258.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK5ff2A9RmNYETEh_09MbFPXbP5gIzL0dDW13BMfWylMBUQXJG0ydxzjQLHqWONW7uuqwvciRgpYDl9i2qfoTY_wMWhblYa0uFqeIoXU14h7Lg_exE3gyEWlcWOZ-RkBTz5ev0SXqDqmp7/s320/DSC08258.jpg" width="320" /></a>.<br />
We stride undaunted into the meat courses next, beginning with Poularde in Brioche with truffle, apple and turnip. As the dish is placed in front of us a waiter follows with a massive torchon of frozen foie gras which he proceeds to grate over the plate.<br />
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An almost crystallised piece of apple and perfect baby turnip add crunch and freshness to counterpoint the main part which is rich and delicious beyond belief.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline; color: #0000ee;"></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistkZ-4kXs6ZwCh3P9rQlV-9caT_6oCLL2T8qHfchs-VK3mHJvVCk2inWDTaSjUWllgRgrzMBIcT4wHN4A6oHvts1VScRef65_rI9oiRz1A0NQjQzkZKUKcXiRuf184mlvgHr5AOtgAwEG/s1600/DSC08260.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEistkZ-4kXs6ZwCh3P9rQlV-9caT_6oCLL2T8qHfchs-VK3mHJvVCk2inWDTaSjUWllgRgrzMBIcT4wHN4A6oHvts1VScRef65_rI9oiRz1A0NQjQzkZKUKcXiRuf184mlvgHr5AOtgAwEG/s320/DSC08260.jpg" width="320" /></a>Prime Midwestern 'Calotte de Boeuf' follows, combining braised brisket with water-bathed and seared cap of rib. The rib is extraordinary with a real 'char' flavour to the seared outside, salty and smoky and contrasting well with the melt in the mouth rare meat inside. A duxelle made from Trompette de Mort mushrooms bursts with mushroomy goodness (I know, I know but I've given up at this point, I just don't know that many synonyms for 'delicious flavour') and must have taken a stack of mushrooms to produce.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4gcdJARa9dtkLlmptk2YenKvTvljVk3E8Ddj8ydukV4EtXhw4TjzgQtnSWKKcP1lZmpxDNKKaEksbOdXAiajDZSyLVbJQAaZmiJ1ZvTu116ySv2Gzc9Wrw5zL1kY0UccB8KmSAQ6FZ92/s1600/DSC08267.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="141" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd4gcdJARa9dtkLlmptk2YenKvTvljVk3E8Ddj8ydukV4EtXhw4TjzgQtnSWKKcP1lZmpxDNKKaEksbOdXAiajDZSyLVbJQAaZmiJ1ZvTu116ySv2Gzc9Wrw5zL1kY0UccB8KmSAQ6FZ92/s200/DSC08267.jpg" width="200" /></a>It must be said that we have been finding trompettes a little hard to get hold of for the restaurant of late and I think I have now found the reason. Given how many of them must have been needed to make enough duxelle for every diner the truth is out - Keller got them all!<br />
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A cheese course follows and is a play on a cheese and ham sandwich featuring Iberico ham and Noble Maple syrup. By far the stand out feature though are the figs which are simply beautiful. A huge part of the French laundry ethos is about using the best possible ingredients without compromise and the simple fig with the breathtaking flavour is a stunning example of just why this can work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL0kqyrxrJVc-8OYbcBeHgf_7EsIPu2Dalf6kU7xnESrkQy8LxTQHGAKHpR8aHV1oiz_qkQmShryztVEir7ZQUXRs-LqOB3DvgHPFHEfZXZuLfc68sDTnmrGjIIcg6ti_hB7JlxJkHqR7/s1600/DSC08280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTL0kqyrxrJVc-8OYbcBeHgf_7EsIPu2Dalf6kU7xnESrkQy8LxTQHGAKHpR8aHV1oiz_qkQmShryztVEir7ZQUXRs-LqOB3DvgHPFHEfZXZuLfc68sDTnmrGjIIcg6ti_hB7JlxJkHqR7/s320/DSC08280.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG5rkB-Wa_R-3WD4l5GoMJL6B-8tBf3QDoVysa1pA0VXWB6GSfP8FyhrpHujI53-awNF6HkaRvsDvogB4N-vDaR-BWhW4Z-RLkG-fMBWXGrmshkK5uCT5Kz1A674sM9eBcB4kNBrbwPjP/s1600/DSC08275.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtG5rkB-Wa_R-3WD4l5GoMJL6B-8tBf3QDoVysa1pA0VXWB6GSfP8FyhrpHujI53-awNF6HkaRvsDvogB4N-vDaR-BWhW4Z-RLkG-fMBWXGrmshkK5uCT5Kz1A674sM9eBcB4kNBrbwPjP/s200/DSC08275.jpg" width="200" /></a>Into the desserts then and quite definitely into the US of A, we kick off with a Huckleberry sorbet with Verbena foam and Huckleberry muffin. Huckleberries are a new one on me and very much an American ingredient, this is my first taste of them and what a taste it is. Sweet, sharp, heady and perfumed the best way I can think to describe the flavour as being almost a cross between blackberry and lavender. The muffin at the base feels superfluous but the dish fills the senses and cleans the palate beautifully.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqqtdy7K9h9o2gLYu_JyIuZsWgEBep625U9e9NdaolUO1zjmbuuhUwNupVsdZ8N0C4RwE4wMRI4p8un2ExIWwmZEYs36gV9OSDy3xW8df5kS74izrjPJkch40EA3tZqm1avVuzPS9FPnu/s1600/DSC08282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmqqtdy7K9h9o2gLYu_JyIuZsWgEBep625U9e9NdaolUO1zjmbuuhUwNupVsdZ8N0C4RwE4wMRI4p8un2ExIWwmZEYs36gV9OSDy3xW8df5kS74izrjPJkch40EA3tZqm1avVuzPS9FPnu/s320/DSC08282.jpg" width="320" /></a>On then to classic American desserts part 2. 'S'mores' are a traditional campfire treat for American kids, presumably something they eat 'at camp' where their parents send them to spend the summer holidays. While there is no real British universal tradition in the same vein, an equivalent would be toasted marshmallows on a stick. Americans, being Americans though have taken the humble toasted marshmallow and said "hmm... yes, that's nice but really it should be supersized" and then added Graham crackers. And popcorn. And caramel. And peanut butter. And chocolate. Obviously...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLlWpc0H5WYTQk3WRVZ8zIyAdgoxhJ1wdjMJG-rTwB2_KpGVCW3_6JpG4HZWLl_bHyzGNlW43kmlq5IZGfRX8H90xl_t5ZWrA3QpFw7hE8uEPayX1OoAqIBNBO8579KQjowq547PtitSO/s1600/DSC08286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgLlWpc0H5WYTQk3WRVZ8zIyAdgoxhJ1wdjMJG-rTwB2_KpGVCW3_6JpG4HZWLl_bHyzGNlW43kmlq5IZGfRX8H90xl_t5ZWrA3QpFw7hE8uEPayX1OoAqIBNBO8579KQjowq547PtitSO/s320/DSC08286.jpg" width="320" /></a>While missing the sense of nostalgia that would truly elevate this dish to the sublime, it is easy to see why Keller wanted to revisit the flavours of this dish. It is a complex, overwhelming dessert, nutty, sugary, toasted, crispy, soft, pretty and as subtle as a caramel coated chocolate filled peanut brittle sledgehammer to the forehead. I break out in sugar sweats by the end. It may be angelic in appearance but this is truly a demonic, filthy and beautiful finish to the meal.<br />
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We end with petit fours and coffee, the truffles themed as 'A Night at the Movies'. At this point we are informed that it may be possible to go through to the kitchen to meet Chef before being given our last course which is an Angel Cake in our goody bags.<br />
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Indeed we are taken through to the kitchens to meet the man himself who is on the pass inspecting and directing dishes as we enter. He is calm and softly spoken throughout, everything has the appearance of running very smoothly indeed and everyone is listening in to him and taking his direction. At a break between tables we are introduced and have our picture taken (on my phone and posted on my twitter and facebook in no time at all!). I would love to tell you that I engaged him in a sparkling debate about the restaurant scene in the UK and the merits of particular cooking techniques but I was stuffed full, in awe of the best restaurant meal I have ever eaten and simply mumbled about it being really good or something, thank you very much sir, it's a pleasure etc. etc. I think I may even have tugged my forelock and curtsied at one point. Obviously I know it was a great honour for him and all that but he hid it well behind a charming and friendly façade.<br />
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Before I know it I am stood outside, blinking in the sunlight, goody bag in hand (menu, purveyors booklet, Per Se magazine, angel cake and jam), unsure what to make of it all. In many ways it is daunting, a level of technique and finesse that it is hard to imagine my ever being able to achieve. However it is a display of what can be done and above all a hymn to the value of great ingredients handled with care and respect and in as much it is hard not to be inspired.<br />
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<br /></div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-42476364566548283212011-08-22T08:12:00.000-07:002012-04-05T06:37:36.380-07:00Hough it up...*<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"mmmm... pig" - H.Simpson</div>
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Ubiquitous on restaurant menus over the past few years whether as terrine, croquette, shredded or some other variant, the ham hock is popular with chefs all over the country. As yet though they seem underused in home cooking, as evidenced by the difficulty you will have finding them in supermarkets. The reasons they are so beloved by chefs apply just as much in home cooking as professional and if you have never tried cooking with them I would urge you to have a go. </div>
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A long slow cook reveals huge flavour and is required to really make the best of them. Picking the rich, moist and sticky meat out from the fat, skin and gristle is an easy enough job once they are cooked. This meat is delicious in itself and can be used anywhere you would normally use ham; in sandwiches, salads, in pies, with egg and chips and so on. Whilst ham can be pretty expensive, particularly when bought ready sliced in little packets from the supermarket. This is certainly not the case with ham hocks (or ‘houghs’ if you prefer). This is a real highlight and one very good reason why it is such a popular component of restaurant menus. They are cheap. Really cheap. Our favourite local <a href="http://www.uptonsbutchers.co.uk/">butcher </a>sells them from free range pigs at just £2.50 each. To give you some idea the recipe below uses just two hocks and would easily yield 10 or so portions as a starter! </div>
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As suggested above, you won’t find them in the supermarket. My (not very) extensive research suggests that the closest you will get is in Waitrose where they sell it ready cooked and picked at £1.99 for just 90g. Speak to your local butcher though or go to a farmers market and you won’t have any difficulty. Braise them nice and slow with some veggies and flavourings, and then why not make yourself a terrine? There are plenty of recipes available on the internet. In fact if you scroll down a bit I'm sure it will come as no surprise to learn that there is one on this page. They're really easy to make and while time consuming are not labour intensive. Just slice to order when you are ready to plate up your dinner party starter for a fancy first course in seconds. Alternatively hack off a nice big fat slice when you get back from the pub for a satisfying snack, or pack in a bag with some cheese and pickle when heading out for a picnic. However you choose to enjoy the hock don’t forget the liquor it was cooked in, if not too salty it will make a great base for soup.</div>
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Frugal food at its best.</div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 12pt;">Cider Braised Ham Hock and Black Pudding Terrine<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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This is a slightly modified version of the classic which in fact isn’t a terrine at all (the word refers to the specific shaped container which this is not cooked or pressed in). Using a cider and apple juice braise rather than stock or water really comes through in the meat as a sweet apple note that is really complemented by serving it with an apple puree or crisp. It is worth getting quality black pudding for this recipe but as you are going to have to go to a butcher or farmers market anyway this shouldn’t be an issue.</div>
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2 ham hocks</div>
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1 ltr dry cider</div>
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1 ltr apple juice</div>
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1 large onion</div>
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1 leek</div>
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4 sticks celery</div>
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2 carrots</div>
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1 bunch parsley (leaves chopped, reserve stalks)</div>
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200g black pudding</div>
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Put the ham hocks into a deep pan with the veg and parsley stalks and cover with the cider and apple juice. Bring up to a gentle simmer and cook until the hocks are done. You can tell they’re done when the smaller of the two bones can be easily pulled out (will be a good few hours, at least 4).</div>
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While the ham is cooking crumble the black pudding and fry it off briefly before chilling it.</div>
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When the hocks are done pick them down to bite-size chunks and remove the fat, skin and gristle. This is best done while still reasonably hot and while wearing gloves.</div>
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Line a deep, flat dish with cling film (approx 12” square I reckon), layer ½ of the ham to cover the dish then put the black pudding over it in a single layer and then top with the rest of the ham. Cover the whole as evenly as possible (I’d suggest a few layers of cardboard cut to size) then weigh down (I use a cling film wrapped brick) and place in the fridge overnight.</div>
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Remove after pressing and re wrap with fresh cling film. It is now ready to slice up.</div>
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* sorry, couldn't resist.<br />
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<br /></div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-12550470762811356172011-08-16T15:57:00.000-07:002011-08-16T15:57:12.191-07:00Baking chocolate brownies with the family - everyday should be a brownie day ........<br />
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I have yet to meet someone who doesn't eat those decadent little brownie treats but the blondies (White chocolate versions) in my opinion should be avoided at all costs white chocolate has too higher fat content to work effectively.<br />
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The biggest question is which style of brownie suits you, for me they fall into two categories - rich melted chocolate versions or the cake like cocoa nibbles - I like both but the two camps can get quite heated about the outcome and finished results and brownie purists will argue about the addition of anything other than chocolate, eggs, flour and sugar but you try adding a few nuts to adorn the basic recipe and you might aswell have asked them to eat a blondie !!!!<br />
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For me the better the ingredient the better the brownie whether it is the best quality chocolate you can afford or the best cocoa you can afford, in the restaurant I always go for the rich fudgey chocolate versions as I feel the guests deserve that little piece of luxury whether it be a brownie slice for the bar, the base for a rocky road sundae for the kids or an a la carte assiette of chocolate...... <br />
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But at home I always opt for the cocoa version as the kids prefer them lighter and fluffier but they are still decadent nuggets of goodness and all we have to do is reach for the cocoa inside the store cupboard.....<br />
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It’s easy to see that the brownie got its name from its dark brown color. But as with most foods, the origin of the brownie is shrouded in myth, first appearing in print in the early 20th century. The legend is told variously: a chef mistakenly added melted chocolate to a batch of biscuits...a cook was making a cake but didn’t have enough flour. The favorite, cited in Betty Crocker's Baking Classics and John Mariani’s The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, tells of a housewife in Bangor, Maine, who was making a chocolate cake but forgot to add baking powder. When her cake didn’t rise properly, instead of tossing it out, she cut and served the flat pieces. Alas, that theory relies on a cookbook published in Bangor in 1912, six years after the first chocolate brownie recipe was published by one of America’s most famous cookbook authors, Fannie Merritt Farmer, in 1906 (and the Bangor version was almost identical to the 1906 recipe).<br />
From what we can find in the historic record, the actual “inventor” is most likely the great cookbook editor Fannie Farmer. The super-chocolate fudgy brownies we now known were developed by her protégé, Maria Willet Lowney.<br />
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Here is the recipe I use at home for the cocoa brownies - use it as a base or adapt your own brownie. As you will have probably guessed a brownie can be highly personal and everyone enjoys them in a different way........<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOnIRkobYpNBadAnBkC3DYwGnE6fmev2udkKhrsl-EQuZGueva2sMXVGJQtQQo4TmScOGIMk1aV7-8DYIGiP1HrqRAXJ4wRpX2ZB9uSvotAPyviGmSqSa3dsMr4djVrNk6rAf2gg4weVx/s1600/close+up+finished+brownie.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvOnIRkobYpNBadAnBkC3DYwGnE6fmev2udkKhrsl-EQuZGueva2sMXVGJQtQQo4TmScOGIMk1aV7-8DYIGiP1HrqRAXJ4wRpX2ZB9uSvotAPyviGmSqSa3dsMr4djVrNk6rAf2gg4weVx/s320/close+up+finished+brownie.JPG" width="243px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Easy Brownies made with cocoa</div><div style="text-align: center;">Yield: 12-15 servings</div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;">Ingredients</div><div style="text-align: center;">170g unsalted butter </div><div style="text-align: center;">330g caster sugar </div><div style="text-align: center;">2 teaspoon vanilla extract </div><div style="text-align: center;">3 free range eggs</div><div style="text-align: center;">85g plain flour </div><div style="text-align: center;">75g cocoa powder </div><div style="text-align: center;">1 teaspoon baking powder</div><div style="text-align: center;">a pinch of salt (optional)</div><div style="text-align: center;">chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Method</div><div style="text-align: center;">Preheat oven to 180 deg c.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Line a 13 x 9 in (33 x 23 cm) cake tin with grease proof or other non-stick paper and grease the tin. Melt the butter.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-BFkTMzl8O7vyvmdO6Vb7lZDoQ4p53GYMXipLypg1XDXlQMG2szhEud65Th3aNP2-k2IryzFV0pBsUvNGJKkQoPebl3yGSlXZM1Z28UIgBgB3qgBzTnGEOCWBjF1t9rCN_Zj1rCFuk27/s1600/giles+pouring+bowl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX-BFkTMzl8O7vyvmdO6Vb7lZDoQ4p53GYMXipLypg1XDXlQMG2szhEud65Th3aNP2-k2IryzFV0pBsUvNGJKkQoPebl3yGSlXZM1Z28UIgBgB3qgBzTnGEOCWBjF1t9rCN_Zj1rCFuk27/s200/giles+pouring+bowl.JPG" width="200px" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4PLAq7P7VKqRS5mQPwFMBVEHgGNBJpNNTbU08S9J9ZR6u5IYyb5sq3F_JXebZdNx2phN54t7oh6lXMisIWwHec0DgIx4rZT6sTJVpWAhvSkxjtGJdNgLIQ-uRqAAso8ja2q40v1gTKvZ/s1600/boys+mixing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="151px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-4PLAq7P7VKqRS5mQPwFMBVEHgGNBJpNNTbU08S9J9ZR6u5IYyb5sq3F_JXebZdNx2phN54t7oh6lXMisIWwHec0DgIx4rZT6sTJVpWAhvSkxjtGJdNgLIQ-uRqAAso8ja2q40v1gTKvZ/s200/boys+mixing.JPG" width="200px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Beat eggs with sugar, and add vanilla, flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt (optional) and melted butter.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Add chopped nuts.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="200px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqXAcwUO99apacHeOEMRlu4IupIx7nh7ziKdpB3CVQ3w77gbNHJQsc_JIi_kp-wAuxbiTdgiClskxpMs40lMwYgSM6jyMewAZWDWva1v2Y-cxpfsKtWdy8FWb_TN5CPk2pl8tH7YdXy1GV/s200/giles+adding+fluid.JPG" width="151px" /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFjtZJq47HxnerlKO8qMM9_lxA2rYxDkb0oCW0STCf9Ww727UHEblHeLY4RSlRZtTWKx8oSBdqsTd8OGiLLesIjkmwFHPASAaewPxsnTn-rvuhoRl5EFUdXRI7aSoeAYHpC4wnP9P7-VZ/s1600/mixing+bowl.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivFjtZJq47HxnerlKO8qMM9_lxA2rYxDkb0oCW0STCf9Ww727UHEblHeLY4RSlRZtTWKx8oSBdqsTd8OGiLLesIjkmwFHPASAaewPxsnTn-rvuhoRl5EFUdXRI7aSoeAYHpC4wnP9P7-VZ/s200/mixing+bowl.JPG" width="150px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Bake at 180 degrees until a wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, approximately 20-30 minutes.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYlSM4ID0vNmTAPQEHurmnpMV-B1ne_eglXEeaInTrg09zmKnzvl5p6q3HNzGr_mOwz5DlX0JXD0Dp9ge_dAc3C7iPJPvW9XZ34DVmLaqt20JtQe8SgQLCM2fo9hyuFFMdDiLs7rjzDUn/s1600/giles+oven.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnYlSM4ID0vNmTAPQEHurmnpMV-B1ne_eglXEeaInTrg09zmKnzvl5p6q3HNzGr_mOwz5DlX0JXD0Dp9ge_dAc3C7iPJPvW9XZ34DVmLaqt20JtQe8SgQLCM2fo9hyuFFMdDiLs7rjzDUn/s320/giles+oven.JPG" width="243px" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Cool the cake on a cooling rack</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">Dust with icing sugar or extra cocoa powder and portion as large as you like !!!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; text-align: center;">and don't forget the most important part of baking the ultimate in spoon licking !!!!!!!!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupLqa1sMZ3qZKRCVTslaprowReDog5nwS2sTrZl1BbC_g8fk9ikKj794NWB4RoH2ouSdUqVgyth52uEVFn2cW0NPa2-YLhbX2PzEMpVa-qv_QcNeJ7S_3wRuI7u6HZ3Wi6snSCetVx4VM/s1600/giles+licking+spoon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgupLqa1sMZ3qZKRCVTslaprowReDog5nwS2sTrZl1BbC_g8fk9ikKj794NWB4RoH2ouSdUqVgyth52uEVFn2cW0NPa2-YLhbX2PzEMpVa-qv_QcNeJ7S_3wRuI7u6HZ3Wi6snSCetVx4VM/s320/giles+licking+spoon.JPG" width="243px" /></a></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElxaY705WtpxL7rFbvAOLveJNVgelFjbrjrsjIjWWNUecCYonjfinpPSa9AtoJe33jx2PneMZzD9NNbl57sVIFGk8cWOQuvGKoVKdD3ngssqOfNjIlaR5PG0sEwWV8LOWG093pVCFgMgM/s1600/giles+licking+spoon+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400px" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhElxaY705WtpxL7rFbvAOLveJNVgelFjbrjrsjIjWWNUecCYonjfinpPSa9AtoJe33jx2PneMZzD9NNbl57sVIFGk8cWOQuvGKoVKdD3ngssqOfNjIlaR5PG0sEwWV8LOWG093pVCFgMgM/s400/giles+licking+spoon+2.JPG" width="301px" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what chocolate ??</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-91414399658574901672011-07-31T16:00:00.000-07:002011-07-31T16:00:30.865-07:00New menu fun/Shepherds Pie recipe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbyXgVjQUSgA9O8mM26RxRLTetGeLrryRO-rSia0MoyudWk9-uNM5PGxdlOmYcjHtbFZHpocyijKREBa0QWDxA4VrUbgzn7Gp_4G4hqsNIgpNPqEiaVueKKnItHnWF9w8tEIa9iV6hKok/s1600/DSC07898.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="104" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEbyXgVjQUSgA9O8mM26RxRLTetGeLrryRO-rSia0MoyudWk9-uNM5PGxdlOmYcjHtbFZHpocyijKREBa0QWDxA4VrUbgzn7Gp_4G4hqsNIgpNPqEiaVueKKnItHnWF9w8tEIa9iV6hKok/s320/DSC07898.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Almost from the moment we implemented the current menu in the restaurant we began discussions around ideas for the next one. There are few things more exciting than talking about food, planning dishes, coming up with ingredients and combinations, thinking about how logistics in service or prep will work, considering crockery, working out how to get the maximum flavour out of any one component (possibly just me...) and we have spent a fair bit of our quieter times in the kitchen doing just that over the past few months.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Talking is fun. Doing is way more fun. This week we have begun to put into practice the ideas and theories, putting physical form to them, figuring out the recipes and playing with presentation. We have now begun putting on some of the new dishes as weekend specials to give them a test drive. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGIqYngRuGZ599Cvmqrg0EsARjPvq_F4-8lbX9A9mq0U09tHGTrqlMe91cDXgWrfvgbVZZ7uGpA0LvlX4_KbIbY-4p3RfMIellSYr4Wg5Admjyn0j8lPSU5axEijN6HrZJWZ51luilX27/s1600/DSC07909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMGIqYngRuGZ599Cvmqrg0EsARjPvq_F4-8lbX9A9mq0U09tHGTrqlMe91cDXgWrfvgbVZZ7uGpA0LvlX4_KbIbY-4p3RfMIellSYr4Wg5Admjyn0j8lPSU5axEijN6HrZJWZ51luilX27/s320/DSC07909.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFUUcY58m-lcie2-pUFy_X_lt96ZAeZS5qCpNpKj51RJ0C2F3C6T8OjeZDxBU_a7UlnCDCUiHYZRg3H5-CHzhvQLYGIWmjOYHsAY4fVWmvN7zK9J2-UDA6bKIA5kGGwf5oiG1VBaZINRx/s1600/DSC07907.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFUUcY58m-lcie2-pUFy_X_lt96ZAeZS5qCpNpKj51RJ0C2F3C6T8OjeZDxBU_a7UlnCDCUiHYZRg3H5-CHzhvQLYGIWmjOYHsAY4fVWmvN7zK9J2-UDA6bKIA5kGGwf5oiG1VBaZINRx/s200/DSC07907.jpg" width="133" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">First up in the batting order is a trio of lamb that was one of the very first concepts that we discussed. The idea behind making this a trio is pretty much fuelled by greed, we love lamb in all its forms so why settle for cooking it in just one way when we can do three!? This particular version includes a roasted rump served medium rare, a slow braised shoulder croquette, a mini shepherd’s pie, mint jelly, celeriac puree and spinach. A variety of textures, tastes and techniques combined to make a dish greater than the sum of its parts.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9R6uTSZhgYPQyW260Z13uYpVk6SQyGzBNRHZigvhvTeksueDgF1CJJmFBnsoHQNc0Ly_3AcQ6wItWJa0w12zrXJfBliWxEGIVLoVLb6XoWkeJKoxpKE7awJt4-1__eZ3RPJO2W-QTbrJ/s1600/DSC07904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy9R6uTSZhgYPQyW260Z13uYpVk6SQyGzBNRHZigvhvTeksueDgF1CJJmFBnsoHQNc0Ly_3AcQ6wItWJa0w12zrXJfBliWxEGIVLoVLb6XoWkeJKoxpKE7awJt4-1__eZ3RPJO2W-QTbrJ/s320/DSC07904.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">It’s not all about the ideas and the recipes though. As a busy restaurant serving anything up to 150 covers in a night it is equally important that we are able to replicate the dish time and time again regardless of how busy we are. This is why the opportunity of a test run is so useful. Any change to routine or procedure can cause a hold up, as can taking time to figure out how exactly to do something. In this particular case we had a pretty good idea of how we would cook the rump, shoulder and garnish but we ended up experimenting with three different ways of heating up the shepherd’s pie (including a particularly explosive, ill-advised foray into the microwave) before deciding on the best method. This is relatively easy with just one new dish, we are pretty well dialled in on the rest of the menu as it has been on for a few months now, an entire new menu in one go is a pretty big push though.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">We are in an exciting period right now and I’m looking forward to next weekend and another new dish or two to play with</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt;">Shepherd’s Pie<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">This is our take on a classic. While we use it as part of a taster plate of lamb but it could easily be a meal in itself. The basic recipe has been around since Victorian times and is traditionally a quick an easy way of using up leftovers from the Sunday Roast. This version though is one to take your time over and the pie is a worthy goal in its own right.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpylgu79VzXjqti4EtP9NU7paGywdHhjHM-GdZWpiQ6ZZjDQuqjb1xGiSlnk5FI0xqkOjSxChd1xUca5oxnR6S6IPYbiuLWBcCP7wp9m4S_CUuWCy-RYxNXiFPFqvldLDPko_hSjIAn-2H/s1600/Untitled-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpylgu79VzXjqti4EtP9NU7paGywdHhjHM-GdZWpiQ6ZZjDQuqjb1xGiSlnk5FI0xqkOjSxChd1xUca5oxnR6S6IPYbiuLWBcCP7wp9m4S_CUuWCy-RYxNXiFPFqvldLDPko_hSjIAn-2H/s320/Untitled-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">If you’re not a fan of offal then don’t be put off by the kidney and liver, they melt in at the beginning and add richness and depth to the whole dish without being discernable in the finished pie.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">For the Lamb Stock</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->5kg lamb bones</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->4 large onions</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->6 carrots</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->1 head celery</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->2 leeks</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->750ml red wine</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">For the mash</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Potatoes</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Double cream</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">For the filling</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->2kg lamb mince</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->2 lamb’s kidney</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->1 lamb’s liver</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->3 carrots</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->2 sticks celery</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->2 onions</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->4 cloves garlic</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->2 tbsps Tomato puree</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->500 ml red wine</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">-<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Bouquet Garni consisting of rosemary, thyme, bay</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Make the lamb stock the day before – roast the lamb bones at 160C for about 40mins. Also roast the veg off for about 20 mins. Reduce the red wine by 1/3 then put all together in a pot and cover with water. Bring up to just under a simmer (ie. a trembling rather than bubbling surface) and leave on overnight.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Pass the lamb stock through a fine sieve and then reduce by about a ½</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->For the pie, first blanch the mince by covering in cold water and bringing up to the boil then taking off and draining. This will render off some of the fat and make the end result less greasy (we omitted this stage first time around and ended up warming the mix and hanging it in a muslin bag to drain off excess fat).</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Sear the mince in a hot pan large enough to hold all of the filling in batches and remove to hold until later, lower the temperature on the pan. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Dice all of the veg (it’s worth taking some time over this, particularly with the carrots as they will show in the final result) and sweat them off.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Trim the liver and kidney and chop in a food processor. Add this to the vegetables with the tomato puree and cook off.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Add back in the seared mince and the red wine, reduce until nearly all absorbed then add half of the stock and the bouquet garni.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Cook slowly over several hours until sauce has reduced to almost nothing. Season with salt, pepper and a dash of balsamic vinegar.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->While the filling is cooking reduce the rest of the stock to about half again.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Bake the potatoes on a baking tray with lots of salt until cooked through. Push through a drum sieve (or use a potato ricer) and beat in cream and seasoning until taste and consistency is correct.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->To construct the pie – stir in some of the reduced stock to the hot pie mix to loosen it up and put into the pie dish. Top with hot mashed potato and place under a grill until browned.</div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-50643767342328969542011-07-19T16:25:00.001-07:002011-07-20T13:23:59.145-07:00Roast Fillet of Grey Mullet, Bouillabaise Jus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkgCs60MZfRpMuguAHzEMAh9MVoNE3J_6Tx52XH4T-JZTkuiftLKOC_sDL8sKaTN8s-5lm8MdQxhNJMRAOYExvZj1NaHiOn5nBllMf2Z5QevJiB0WkxhRiNrt6_ecwOBIRqXzPGlIYOkm/s1600/grey_mullet.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRkgCs60MZfRpMuguAHzEMAh9MVoNE3J_6Tx52XH4T-JZTkuiftLKOC_sDL8sKaTN8s-5lm8MdQxhNJMRAOYExvZj1NaHiOn5nBllMf2Z5QevJiB0WkxhRiNrt6_ecwOBIRqXzPGlIYOkm/s320/grey_mullet.gif" t$="true" width="320px" /></a></div>Ever even heard of grey mullet before ? red mullet maybe or seen it on a menu or in the local fishmongers and thought mmm.. not sure might just stick with the old favourites you know the ones - all the species that are on the unsustainable and nearly extinct list!!! Take note though because grey mullet is almost a 1/3 cheaper than most other well known fish and it is a small round fish which looks similar to a Seabass but with a distinctive grey/silver shine to the skin and comes in similar size to the bass although the grey mullet does have a more dense texture but is certainly full of flavour <br />
Time for a change try this delicious recipe and i am certain you will change your mind - we recently had this on in the restaurant as part of a 6 course tasting menu and this dish was the intermediate fish course and it went down a storm (sorry no more seafaring jokes i promise )<br />
The sauce is a take on a classic french bouillabaise without the hassle of the different elements just the beautiful fresh flavours of the bouillabaise in a rich decadent sauce and is a match for just about any other fish <br />
but in all seriousness do not worry this dish is within every competent cooks reach !!!<br />
<br />
<i><b>Roast Fillet of Grey Mullet, Bouillabaise Jus</b></i><br />
<br />
2 large fillets from a 2-3kg Grey Mullet (ask your fishmonger to scale and pinbone for you will be great to do yourself but will save a lot of time in the long run)<br />
50ml vegetable oil<br />
2 litre fresh fish stock <br />
3 whole fennel heads chopped<br />
3 whole small white onions chopped <br />
1 celery chopped <br />
3g Saffron filaments <br />
100ml Pernod or Vermouth<br />
100ml White wine<br />
3 Bay leaf <br />
2 Star anise<br />
5 cloves of Garlic crushed <br />
1 whole Orange skin only but no pith<br />
6 whole beef tomatoes chopped and deseeded <br />
1 bunch Dill chopped stalks reserved<br />
35g diced cold butter<br />
<br />
Method;<br />
Portion the Grey Mullet to the size you require and give a thorough wash and pat dry season the fish with sea salt and white pepper and leave to one side<br />
In a large thick based saucepan heat a little vegetable oil and start to sweat (cook without colouring) the garlic and onions until soft and translucent then add the celery, fennel and saffron cook for a further 2 mins until the saffron starts to release some of its aromatics you should have a wonderful aromatic soft vegetable mass add the pernod and white wine and reduce by 1/2.<br />
Add the bay leaf, star anise, orange and tomatoes and cook until a puree then finally add the fish stock and reduce by 1/2 again it should have the consistency of a thick broth.<br />
Remove from heat and let cool for a couple of mins and then blend ideally using a stick blender once the sauce is a smooth thick consistency pass through a conical sieve or strainer but not too fine as you want to keep most of that flavour within the sauce, once passed reserve the sauce for later.<br />
Now time for the mullet heat a non-stik pan until it is just smoking slightly then add a little olive oil and place the fish skin side down into the pan and hold slightly to prevent the fish from curling up, leave on skin side until the edges turn a golden brown and then turn you should have a beautifully crisp skin cook for a further 5 mins and then remove from heat and add a little butter once off heat to creat a nice glaze for the fish.<br />
Reheat the sauce and add the chopped dill and the extra butter to give the sauce a good finish<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDByDQGZVfrVNTBc1DlX3ZuxlZYWc-CqYcErHIzBjQ8BDF1M0nL1ladTVuUGVYOGMr7BfTlptrRBppuAsM9eDiaAh55pRAX2koaEVhw8O5tMF-LDnyYt6YN_LAZBkTkM2xWHg9gj2nNSpO/s1600/BOUILLAIBAISE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDByDQGZVfrVNTBc1DlX3ZuxlZYWc-CqYcErHIzBjQ8BDF1M0nL1ladTVuUGVYOGMr7BfTlptrRBppuAsM9eDiaAh55pRAX2koaEVhw8O5tMF-LDnyYt6YN_LAZBkTkM2xWHg9gj2nNSpO/s1600/BOUILLAIBAISE.jpg" t$="true" /></a></div>i like to serve this with buttered spinach and fresh bread at home or at work we usually serve with a fine dice of sunblushed tomatoes,maris piper potatoes, celery, leek and fennel placed into a ring and sit the mullet on top surrounded by the sauce and finish with a little fennel cresssavarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-75883423406270006682011-07-17T13:20:00.000-07:002011-07-18T02:54:00.970-07:00Dorset Seafood Festival 2011 (plus John Dory with Sauce Vierge)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Visited on a sunny weekend in July, Weymouth has the feel of a proper, old fashioned British seaside town. Deckchairs, Punch and Judy, Penny Arcades, sun, sea and sand, Weymouth has it all. The only thing needed to complete the picture is the traditional fish and chips but this particular weekend we could go one better than this old favourite with the fourth annual Dorset Seafood Festival.</div><div><br />
</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYkfAOqGDQHLIMtcSnWov1myzf1wOrPZOESojANS2PN3aHQkcfHbN0pS95gZJsUa0PqldFW8N2cUnOGKN30VHY8pnLAjP_BFFMm5y0g0lxyMXqlj_TzMExAuFeF4p07ox-qbkmOnU_RIv/s1600/DSC07837.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBYkfAOqGDQHLIMtcSnWov1myzf1wOrPZOESojANS2PN3aHQkcfHbN0pS95gZJsUa0PqldFW8N2cUnOGKN30VHY8pnLAjP_BFFMm5y0g0lxyMXqlj_TzMExAuFeF4p07ox-qbkmOnU_RIv/s320/DSC07837.jpg" width="214" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ6O9B6fYHriBekdi_ltybkcHNPXEyvGlTG1p5xeWpWIIfARFbLob59BdpuaMvCMEqX0P-Hf2S9jr8pJ_ityH-kEp7UowhTffHvXtWivcYHV4Gf6Hk_34j2-hYL6cRo0NnpPBXesdv8gP/s1600/DSC07840.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaZ6O9B6fYHriBekdi_ltybkcHNPXEyvGlTG1p5xeWpWIIfARFbLob59BdpuaMvCMEqX0P-Hf2S9jr8pJ_ityH-kEp7UowhTffHvXtWivcYHV4Gf6Hk_34j2-hYL6cRo0NnpPBXesdv8gP/s320/DSC07840.jpg" width="214" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZL0CM1OeGyiitpK2y41IIMD_-AjGTyM4bRZhUlXPti1AUMqTyEmWYlklilMCCJsddFNEJBJPqeMaAweZwLA953v01_eufKjhoC2zMnByY90pgtQtdRvs827tFvbBk9TMN7kuzvcEf36s9/s1600/DSC07866.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZL0CM1OeGyiitpK2y41IIMD_-AjGTyM4bRZhUlXPti1AUMqTyEmWYlklilMCCJsddFNEJBJPqeMaAweZwLA953v01_eufKjhoC2zMnByY90pgtQtdRvs827tFvbBk9TMN7kuzvcEf36s9/s320/DSC07866.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">We kick off with a breakfast of Aussie style Scallop and King Prawn kebabs from the South West Sushi stand and a glass of champagne from main sponsors Pommery and get the day off to a good start.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBYyxmWxtWn1_lkKPdNPqgdyOLCc9tC3bjgZ8XdEH8f6iUpsTSVppIGqc5exWp1Bxb7WoQSG9_FIkdRLx5S6lWB-WuGir-_KFDLXVIRpEeSeRLW9BB8eoo0_vMtjJ2MaYZP7RwH35GnwV/s1600/DSC07855.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="102" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZBYyxmWxtWn1_lkKPdNPqgdyOLCc9tC3bjgZ8XdEH8f6iUpsTSVppIGqc5exWp1Bxb7WoQSG9_FIkdRLx5S6lWB-WuGir-_KFDLXVIRpEeSeRLW9BB8eoo0_vMtjJ2MaYZP7RwH35GnwV/s200/DSC07855.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNRKZbCL7QxfvvdVplbjF_MwYO71voD5K_zyuKWNFt6WYv4JRk3o34_dp6w7M8ig4tCBSqbu7xtBaHiRntT771OwrLTaGjG3YbLTzr7eJNranSH6NCTbYugcoTuW8uJNFJi1CBTy44iqq/s1600/DSC07857.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyNRKZbCL7QxfvvdVplbjF_MwYO71voD5K_zyuKWNFt6WYv4JRk3o34_dp6w7M8ig4tCBSqbu7xtBaHiRntT771OwrLTaGjG3YbLTzr7eJNranSH6NCTbYugcoTuW8uJNFJi1CBTy44iqq/s200/DSC07857.jpg" width="142" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">This is followed up with more scallops, this time on a stick with chorizo from Weymouth based Perry’s restaurant. While always a good pairing, chucking scallops down your throat left right and centre enables you to be a little bit picky and they weren’t quite as fresh and plump as the first lot. There is undoubtedly something magical though about the combination of fish, pork, sun and outdoor cooking.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r4_ancNKsui3s87trglMroMzu4zFut9-npnWRKoyd6KOCiZOJw61XzbIPvmHx6vRhTYhqEN8uuG1viyoSxjlp9I3xLH33I3AhCV2IFo14mHtnJnnWQ_tJNKLte1hs0eq9QRGFMxasIom/s1600/DSC07873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0r4_ancNKsui3s87trglMroMzu4zFut9-npnWRKoyd6KOCiZOJw61XzbIPvmHx6vRhTYhqEN8uuG1viyoSxjlp9I3xLH33I3AhCV2IFo14mHtnJnnWQ_tJNKLte1hs0eq9QRGFMxasIom/s200/DSC07873.jpg" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie10pkLKZ1YwgSpVur3xa578H4arHruIO2GpDmvCAYuvAENlhaxrvLcnnvC57qL_lCOAew-sy6wc4A14C3SAot2ghIUBuZ9ckp1FC2wstsWM9yK45w6_93NCWCmM825RjMoNnJXu52sp3C/s1600/DSC07862.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie10pkLKZ1YwgSpVur3xa578H4arHruIO2GpDmvCAYuvAENlhaxrvLcnnvC57qL_lCOAew-sy6wc4A14C3SAot2ghIUBuZ9ckp1FC2wstsWM9yK45w6_93NCWCmM825RjMoNnJXu52sp3C/s200/DSC07862.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">OK. This could go on a bit so I’ll summarise. There was bbq’d lobster, oysters, crab sandwiches, fish cakes, Chilean wine, New Zealand wine, Ringwood beer, no razor clams (they’d sold out – I was gutted) and a fair bit of sunburn if I’m honest. Also, a fair few dishes we didn’t even try, the day could have turned out very expensive if I had eaten everything I fancied.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Now and then we took a break from eating and drinking to stand still and watch one of the many demonstrations taking place throughout the weekend, a couple of highlights were:</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEk4YRextfiJBKz4NvubrQq-VcOavZ3SsogMXseHqy-A_jVb7YUtX_VcWHvt1iGQntCEL3G2RiNtgyoWKgcGUrJfk_SsBtn2SSd_eXDILngV2X-hFdFi3WKPa5ydxtNLSmOiFZEJ9Ecba-/s1600/DSC07843.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEk4YRextfiJBKz4NvubrQq-VcOavZ3SsogMXseHqy-A_jVb7YUtX_VcWHvt1iGQntCEL3G2RiNtgyoWKgcGUrJfk_SsBtn2SSd_eXDILngV2X-hFdFi3WKPa5ydxtNLSmOiFZEJ9Ecba-/s320/DSC07843.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p> </o:p>Duncan Lucas from <a href="http://www.passionateaboutfish.co.uk/">Passionate About Fish</a> gave a demonstration of virtuoso fish filleting, making it look ridiculously simple and finished by deboning a whole plaice, creating a ‘pocket’ that he filled with water and held above his head in just 60 seconds (a challenge in aid of the <a href="http://www.fishermensmission.org.uk/">Fishermen’s Mission</a>)!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8ygBKchUonSsEZGiS0yBTLzCssU0VCFwPMF3ZGx3oACTcSGglBUZnvRiUKOCufR6-7CrLXF9Cgd2_blFvjIH0iEqDyROkdI4c2_l1_CcYIdjBtxFthSPCbAiONhciYNxMQbOVbZ5npG-/s1600/DSC07871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8ygBKchUonSsEZGiS0yBTLzCssU0VCFwPMF3ZGx3oACTcSGglBUZnvRiUKOCufR6-7CrLXF9Cgd2_blFvjIH0iEqDyROkdI4c2_l1_CcYIdjBtxFthSPCbAiONhciYNxMQbOVbZ5npG-/s320/DSC07871.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">River Cottage’s John Wright gave a frankly hilarious, rambling talk that was vaguely about foraging seaweed with demonstrations of a lavabread cake with bacon and oatmeal and a carageen pannacotta using the seaweed as a substitute for gelatine. Later on Richard Bertinet cooked mussels and mackerel. Sadly, unable to be in more than one place at once and spend the entire weekend in Weymouth, we missed Matt Follas, Shaun Rankin, Nigel Bloxham and Mark Hix amongst others but hey, there’s always next year!</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Pan Fried John Dory with Crushed New Potatoes and a Sauce Vierge<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">While not from the seafood festival as such, John Dory is a great fish. It’s ugly as hell but does taste good. As a weekend special recently we presented it with crushed new potatoes and a tarragon sauce vierge for a simple but classic summer dish.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">John Dory – 1 fillet per person</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">For the Sauce Vierge<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">1 Finely diced shallot</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">2 Tomatoes – deseeded and finely diced</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Olive oil</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">A small bunch Tarragon chopped</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">A few Basil leaves chopped</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">For the crushed new potatoes<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">New potatoes</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Butter</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Parsley</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Chives</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Steam the new potatoes until soft then crush in your hand</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Sweat down the shallot, when soft add the tomato and herbs and warm through. </div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Top up the sauce with olive oil to give a loose consistency and season with salt, pepper and lemon juice, keep warm</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>In a sauce pan warm the potatoes through with plenty of butter and salt until hot and soft and stir through the herbs</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Cut the John Dory fillet in half lengthwise to give two long, thin fillets. Season and oil</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Fry skin side down in a hot pan, flip when cooked a third of the way up and finish with a couple of cubes of cold butter and lemon juice</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">-<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Serve with buttered spinach</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFfO2CSSHcFarKI6Wdmxp6DPrXS_LAPZkMgHUBFKzGi1b5Po4dqjLTn1cZuVWiq7txCPbYC4XJqG2xrXPNXH4cKDlZ9E2_oIIe-6a7SisLvmAvi69B42icxtH8ZvueZTbW33cgxvqnsnF/s1600/DSC07860.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRFfO2CSSHcFarKI6Wdmxp6DPrXS_LAPZkMgHUBFKzGi1b5Po4dqjLTn1cZuVWiq7txCPbYC4XJqG2xrXPNXH4cKDlZ9E2_oIIe-6a7SisLvmAvi69B42icxtH8ZvueZTbW33cgxvqnsnF/s320/DSC07860.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;"><br />
</div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-62948235566381733462011-07-02T08:41:00.000-07:002012-04-18T04:23:23.413-07:00Tricks of the Trade No. 1: In Praise of the Pastry Knife<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
Having entered the restaurant kitchen relatively late in life, my perspective is a little different from one who has led their whole professional and home cooking lives in tandem. Ten years as a keen (read obsessive and fairly geeky) home cook, reading, experimenting, watching TV, buying gadgets and playing around in my kitchen taught me a lot and left me well equipped (in some ways) for life in the cheffing world. It has been really interesting though, over the past couple of years to learn various tricks and tools that are well known ‘on the inside’ but a revelation to my home cooking self. </div>
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Deciding what equipment to buy in the early stages of my career was always going to be a key decision. Most chefs have big bags or boxes full of kit mostly centered around knives designed do various different jobs collected over the lifetime of their career when needed or available. </div>
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Knives are expensive. </div>
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There was never going to be any way that I could afford a full set straight away, so where to start?</div>
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There is one knife that pretty much every chef I have met owns. Pretty much no home cook I know has one. I bought one within days of starting out and have since used mine to chop stock veg, finely dice shallots, cut steaks, joint chicken, make sandwiches, carve roasts, slice tomatoes, dice pancetta, prep fish and countless other tasks.*</div>
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It is the Pastry Knife.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7mFKGlmV2cGJT6GB3yffDoR4bSyF0xjtlTHNAkyhf1bC8VUCGA4HmU5QZ_6C83d4G-9WM0N58x1TgnR9XBg76a-zrtpRY-5l8FQjI4Zb7sVkNOMuafJV51JSUioMd11cEiaeRMcd1aNL/s1600/DSC07799.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv7mFKGlmV2cGJT6GB3yffDoR4bSyF0xjtlTHNAkyhf1bC8VUCGA4HmU5QZ_6C83d4G-9WM0N58x1TgnR9XBg76a-zrtpRY-5l8FQjI4Zb7sVkNOMuafJV51JSUioMd11cEiaeRMcd1aNL/s320/DSC07799.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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I have not used it to cut pastry. </div>
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Yet.</div>
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It is also cheap.</div>
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It is a little unwieldy the first time you use it. They are quite large and it seems strange initially to be using a serrated blade. It is, though, as sharp as hell and the curve to the blade makes it easy to get the rocking motion required for quick, smooth chopping. Serrations mean it doesn’t slip on smooth surfaces but surprisingly cuts cleanly. When eventually it gets ground down through use and sharpening (through home use we’re probably talking decades) then it still works well as a straight edged carver and it’s only about £20 to get a replacement.</div>
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Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against expensive knives. In fact I would really like some expensive knives. If anyone reading this feels an urge to buy me gifts then <a href="http://www.wusthof.com/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-74/52_view-99/categories-99">here</a> would be a good place to start. Actually just chuck me a few thousand pounds; I shouldn’t have too much trouble spending it. </div>
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Most people though don’t have endless bundles of cash to spend on equipment but, even if I did, then the Pastry Knife would still be in my kit box. It seems unbelievable to me that every home doesn’t own one (mine certainly does now) but for some reason it remains the preserve of the professional, little known outside the stainless steel and striplight world and was a revelation to me that I would like to share with you.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuhwcl7cHJ0xvrQ4JZB6xkUQPIxwpqj0TdPrMVqrfOoaEnKM7HFjYm0yuGY7vq3QCget-_qcbvEHahooXIZy0Hd1csENzBevVvo-1_snpRmgv2pqqPGIEW6WFYZQew7RIBjJxScev310W/s1600/DSC07805a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="85" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuhwcl7cHJ0xvrQ4JZB6xkUQPIxwpqj0TdPrMVqrfOoaEnKM7HFjYm0yuGY7vq3QCget-_qcbvEHahooXIZy0Hd1csENzBevVvo-1_snpRmgv2pqqPGIEW6WFYZQew7RIBjJxScev310W/s320/DSC07805a.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Amazon has a fewone<a href="http://astore.amazon.co.uk/savablog-21?_encoding=UTF8&node=2"> here</a> if I have managed to convince you.</div>
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*I have also cut myself with it a few times ;o)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlhHO86Tg4wqEmVUbJo6HA49CVCmH-_QTdcSGfndbOMdTHiI2xw2iZhNINWVKSFVtt5TIaBv7XY_8PlfAzLVYq4ca-6XbnTZDwzVl4_nsepIe1jTJGx0vYSclD7YxReqt1xfJ1BJkyfzX/s1600/P1060877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixlhHO86Tg4wqEmVUbJo6HA49CVCmH-_QTdcSGfndbOMdTHiI2xw2iZhNINWVKSFVtt5TIaBv7XY_8PlfAzLVYq4ca-6XbnTZDwzVl4_nsepIe1jTJGx0vYSclD7YxReqt1xfJ1BJkyfzX/s320/P1060877.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br /></div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-67457835120851814462011-06-29T15:50:00.000-07:002011-06-29T15:50:00.143-07:00Blog, blog, bloggingBlog, blog, blogging we have been talking for a very long time about starting this blog and now it is time to engage our culinary brains and put fingers to the keyboard to share and impart some of this knowledge (interesting or not) to anyone who is willing to read our humble blog !<br />
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We share a passion for all things culinary and foodie whether it be ingredients, dishes, stories or just the randomness of our life within food and we are lucky enough to be able to translate all of this to our work. <br />
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One of us has been a professional chef for many years and has been lucky enough to travel around the world (at least a couple of times) to ply our trade in several different countries, picking up invaluable food knowledge and stories, I cannot always promised they will be interesting but I hope to share what I can<br />
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The other part of this dynamic duo has been an avid foodie and curious cook for many years but has only just recently taken the plunge and completely changed career paths (and salaries) only to find that his destiny lay within the professional kitchen. He turned up one day at the back door of a local hotel where I happened to be the executive chef and asked to be given a chance (I felt sorry for the little urchin) and he has never looked back he even followed me to another hotel - what a glutton for punishment.......<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpKOUac8KRItwl13KydObg_voBIw889kd4-qEeNSEV2xg3TqOSYs2Xb70kbBAry3Dj43G-EqXbmKxk5IwhBKuac0FvPimIwR9I79GV-kGeV_iCbf9NZiXJBEEg9-cpZLHEnm9oUspzPgD/s1600/giles+and+seb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240px" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGpKOUac8KRItwl13KydObg_voBIw889kd4-qEeNSEV2xg3TqOSYs2Xb70kbBAry3Dj43G-EqXbmKxk5IwhBKuac0FvPimIwR9I79GV-kGeV_iCbf9NZiXJBEEg9-cpZLHEnm9oUspzPgD/s320/giles+and+seb.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We hope this blog will give you an interesting insight into our little foodie world, it could be dishes we are developing at work, ingredients that are in season, random food related issues that are important to us and the food that we cook a home and share with our families. I am sure at some point that my two boys, Giles and Sebastian, will make an appearance as they seem to enjoy eating the spoils and maybe even a couple of friendly chickens along the way........</div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-89706667652497193632011-06-10T01:43:00.000-07:002011-06-22T05:05:03.262-07:00Some fresh Wild Seabass<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-indent: 36.0pt;">Seabass is a fantastic ingredient at any time but we were lucky enough recently to get some ultra fresh wild fish in the restaurant. It’s a shame with anything this good to do too much to it and indeed this recipe keeps things fairly simple, complementing the fish and letting it sing as the star of the dish.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"> Not only delicious, Seabass also rates well in terms of sustainability. Fish caught wild locally to us here in the UK rates as a ‘2’ (“still a good choice”) on the Marine Conservation Society’s scale of 1-5. The MCS website is well worth checking out at <a href="http://www.fishonline.org/">www.fishonline.org</a>. Here you can search on pretty much any fish and get a relatively simple run down on the pros and cons from a sustainability perspective. From there you can dig deeper, really get underneath the issue and gain an understanding of the many and complex issues surrounding the sustainability of our fish stocks.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"> While you are on the subject, why not head over to <a href="http://www.fishfight.net/">www.fishfight.net</a> for a chance to make a difference above and beyond your shopping choices. Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall has certainly brought a lot of publicity to the subject through his TV programmes and the ‘fight’ continues through this site and his visits to supermarkets, fishermen and the European Parliament.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Seabass with Crispy Potato, Bacon and Fennel Cress Salad<o:p></o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sdY9Wsn0KCX2pp8KP0rCJvSKduEaOSMubTQlVtXe5bg23_kLD2Wc6OgNfyo1V_jgqkKhoMK4aH65O6SMI21GbyOcZ_v5cIBFGkF9seZZ7ytYeaVyG-aUDPbSraT-3GdpZvVKnGzivHlS/s1600/DSC07784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3sdY9Wsn0KCX2pp8KP0rCJvSKduEaOSMubTQlVtXe5bg23_kLD2Wc6OgNfyo1V_jgqkKhoMK4aH65O6SMI21GbyOcZ_v5cIBFGkF9seZZ7ytYeaVyG-aUDPbSraT-3GdpZvVKnGzivHlS/s320/DSC07784.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p><br />
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</o:p></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Seabass</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Pancetta</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">New potatoes</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Samphire</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Nori dried seaweed</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Fennel Cress</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing">Olive oil</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Make a seaweed dressing by shredding the nori sheets and putting them into a sieve, pour boiling water over them and through the sieve. Put the cooked, wet sheets into a blender and blend with enough olive oil to give a pourable consistency.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Steam the potatoes until cooking but still firm, slice lengthways to give approx two 1cm thick slices per potato.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Dice the pancetta to give 1cm cubes, place in a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Once boiling, drain the pancetta, spread on a baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 160C</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -18.0pt;">4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Pin bone and portion the Seabass, making a couple of slashes in the skin.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 18.0pt;">To serve:</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>In a hot pan, fry the potato slices in some clarified butter until crisp and browned, add the pancetta and toss to coat.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Season and oil the fish before pan frying.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Add the samphire to the bacon and potato mix and toss together until just wilted. Season the mix if required.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing" style="margin-left: 36.0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -18.0pt;">4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman';"> </span>Serve in a warm bowl, placing the fish on top of the mix, surrounded by the fennel cress with a drizzle of the seaweed dressing.</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1924932228820549242.post-65180525088754718042011-05-28T16:09:00.000-07:002011-07-23T01:36:30.003-07:00First Barbecue of the Year<div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">After having lived in rented places for the past 15 odd years we bought our first house last year and the opportunity to put our own stamp on our home means that I have been slightly DIY crazy recently. I have been working on various projects that I have always wanted to have a crack at but was never able to. One of these is the building of a brick barbecue. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Put in context, I am pretty much entirely useless at anything remotely practical and had never laid a brick in my life. No problems though, the internet has the answer to everything! I read through various instructions until I thought I could have a reasonable stab.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I have learnt many things from this building project, chief amongst which is that I really, really, really hate bricklaying! Most projects that I have tried in the past have had some redeeming feature but I came out of the three days hard, boring, hot and sweaty labour with my back, legs and arms aching for days afterwards. I would love to say that I have been left with a masterpiece in masonry but in truth what I have is wonky, full of ‘character’ and reminiscent of the architecture of ancient Rome (took more than a day to build, is basically a ruin and I fully intend to fiddle while it burns. Sausages that is).<br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" /> <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHigCc2KfF4kcUpF0-6vO_pSV7t3h1weDcizfAN5enIjfbWQiwH0bWZ58CfQF-IdVrPkKxE-omNd5GAo_ub58QY8UEl3KsrcVKlk-z6XbjJ2jEYndAyYU4B-0UhlEKuzluf9OUeKCdy6o/s1600/IMAG0088.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHigCc2KfF4kcUpF0-6vO_pSV7t3h1weDcizfAN5enIjfbWQiwH0bWZ58CfQF-IdVrPkKxE-omNd5GAo_ub58QY8UEl3KsrcVKlk-z6XbjJ2jEYndAyYU4B-0UhlEKuzluf9OUeKCdy6o/s200/IMAG0088.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><v:shapetype coordsize="21600,21600" filled="f" id="_x0000_t75" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" stroked="f"> <v:stroke joinstyle="miter"> <v:formulas> <v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"> <v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"> <v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"> <v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"> <v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"> <v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"> <v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"> </v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:f></v:formulas> <v:path gradientshapeok="t" o:connecttype="rect" o:extrusionok="f"> <o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"> </o:lock></v:path></v:stroke></v:shapetype><v:shape alt="IMAG0088.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_2" o:spid="_x0000_i1028" style="height: 78.75pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 131.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"> <v:imagedata o:title="IMAG0088" src="file:///C:\Users\Alan\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image001.jpg"> </v:imagedata></v:shape><v:shape alt="IMAG0090.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_1" o:spid="_x0000_i1027" style="height: 78.75pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 131.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"> <v:imagedata o:title="IMAG0090" src="file:///C:\Users\Alan\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image002.jpg"> </v:imagedata></v:shape><v:shape alt="IMAG0098.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_0" o:spid="_x0000_i1026" style="height: 78.75pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 131.25pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"> <v:imagedata o:title="IMAG0098" src="file:///C:\Users\Alan\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image003.jpg"> </v:imagedata></v:shape></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Having put all the work in now it seems only appropriate to get as much use out of it as possible and so a midweek celebration in the form of an impromptu outdoor dinner is the only way to go.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
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</span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Barbecue Ribs & Marinated Chicken<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Bit of a crazy, mis-match of a meal this but then that’s what barbecues are supposed to be like isn’t it? The barbecue sauce used on the ribs is pretty much generic and will work on whatever meat you want it to (or veg I guess but if you’re only interested in cooking veg on the Barbie then you may be missing the point). Serve with various salads, bread, cold beer, wine and whatever takes your fancy...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUe5pFS3x2nfd8aroPq6MhnyAlJhU9exsYLXRhNjN-4i_Sa3Z1ZglgD7fkyDJ7W4X6oGUSMyLQgEfPRrjbv9z4GsJnz4WTYqnx3zMlS9q8gwrwXYcfuNSGEnQiRlFs4qzOZ6bWlSO7YI_m/s1600/DSC07768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUe5pFS3x2nfd8aroPq6MhnyAlJhU9exsYLXRhNjN-4i_Sa3Z1ZglgD7fkyDJ7W4X6oGUSMyLQgEfPRrjbv9z4GsJnz4WTYqnx3zMlS9q8gwrwXYcfuNSGEnQiRlFs4qzOZ6bWlSO7YI_m/s320/DSC07768.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p><br />
</o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><v:shape alt="DSC07768.jpg" id="Picture_x0020_3" o:spid="_x0000_i1025" style="height: 167.25pt; mso-wrap-style: square; visibility: visible; width: 234.75pt;" type="#_x0000_t75"> <v:imagedata o:title="DSC07768" src="file:///C:\Users\Alan\AppData\Local\Temp\msohtmlclip1\01\clip_image004.jpg"> </v:imagedata></v:shape></span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Braised Ribs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1x Rack of pork ribs<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Chicken Stock<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Mirepoix (Onion, carrot, celery, leek etc chopped up)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Put the lot in a dish big and deep enough to enable you to cover the ribs with the stock. Cover with foil and put into a 150C oven for 2 ½ to 3 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Barbecue Sauce<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">4 tbsp tomato ketchup<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">330ml (ie. a can) Cola<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1 tsp cayenne pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2 tsp Chinese 5 spice<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">2 cloves garlic, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Thumb size piece ginger, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1 tbsp soy sauce<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Put all into a pan and reduce by about a ½ <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Barbecue Ribs<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As the braised ribs are cooling, paint them with the barbecue sauce a few times over. Put them onto a hot barbecue grill, continue painting with warm sauce until suitably caramelised, sticky and ready to eat.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Marinated Chicken<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1 whole chicken<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">½ bunch thyme<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">3 cloves garlic, chopped<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Juice of 1 lemon<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">½ glass white wine<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Split the chicken into 10 pieces (2x thighs, legs, wings and 4x ½ breast pieces).Put all ingredients into a vac-pac bag and seal. Leave for an hour or so and then put into a pan of not quite simmering water for 30-40 mins. This will work perfectly well marinated traditionally for longer and then poaching or steaming the chicken or using a well sealed freezer bag in a pan of water. When cooked remove the chicken and chill. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Later on season and finish the chicken pieces on a hot barbecue until the skin is crispy and all pieces suitably brown.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Herb Bulgur Wheat<o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">250g Bulgur Wheat<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1x bunch flat leaf parsley<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">1x bunch coriander<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Extra virgin olive oil<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Cover the bulgur wheat in boiling water - just over twice as much, allow to absorb until cooked, sieve off any excess. While it’s cooking blitz the herbs with the oil, mix with the bulgur wheat while still warm and season to taste.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNoSpacing"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p>- Alan</o:p></span></div>savarinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07396043231978131206noreply@blogger.com0