Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew) – Go Bigos or Go Home

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Make Bigos (Polish Hunter’s Stew) – Go Bigos or Go Home

I don’t often get requests for Polish food, but when I do, they’re usually for bigos. Which makes perfect sense, since this meaty stew is one of the most delicious dishes you’ll ever taste. It’s also low-carb, highly nutritious, and very simple to make, as long as you don’t consider having to wait a day to eat it, “complicated.”

While you can eat this as soon as it’s made, and I bet most of you do, it’s much better the next day, as all the flavors have time to properly meld together. You can also really customize this to your personal tastes by changing up which meats you use.

Traditionally, this is made with wild game, such as venison, boar, and other shootable animals, but is perfectly acceptable, if not amazing, using easier to find domestic livestock. Regardless of which meats you include, be sure to use a lot of them, as I think this stew should be at least 50% meat.

Since you can, and should make this ahead of time, it’s perfect for feeding large groups, especially when the weather turns cold and dreary. But, no matter what it’s doing outside, I hope you give this a try, and have a pot simmering inside soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 portions:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 packed cups drained sauerkraut

1 small head green cabbage, quartered and sliced (2 pound head before trimming)

4 strips bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces

1 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 lb beef chuck, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 lb polish sausage links, sliced (or any other sausage)

1 large onion, peeled and chopped

3 pitted prunes, diced

1/4 cup dried porcini mushrooms, soaked until soft and chopped

1 cup dry red wine

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon caraway seeds

1/2 teaspoons dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1 large bay leaf

freshly ground black pepper

salt to taste

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Deliciously Rustic!

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Make Deliciously Rustic!

This recipe with purple sprouting broccoli has wonderful contrasting textures with broccoli and toasted hazelnuts, making for a simple, rustic broccoli side that will go perfectly with delicious roasts as well as other vegetarian dishes.  Further enhance the hazelnut flavor by toasting them and then adding hazelnut oil.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Hazelnuts

Serves 10

Total time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 2/3 lb of purple sprouting broccoli, woody bottoms trimmed

3 1/2 oz of hazelnuts

5 tbs. of hazelnut oil

2 tbs. of olive oil

sea salt

Directions

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil (fairly salty). Cook the broccoli in the salted water for 3-4 minutes until the stem is just tender, then place into cold water to stop the cooking immediately. After 5 minutes drain well, it should still have a crunch

Toast the hazelnuts in a pan, then remove from the pan and roughly chop. Add the hazelnut oil

Toss the broccoli in olive oil and season with sea salt, place under a hot broiler and flip each piece after 1-2 minutes

Don’t worry if some of the leaves start to burn just a little, the bitter notes are good. Once hot and slightly charred, dress with the hazelnuts and serve.

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It's Never Too Early to Practice Making a Holiday Desert!

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Make It's Never Too Early to Practice Making a Holiday Desert!

This delicious bread pudding may lean towards a Christmas theme, but I won't tell if you won't!  Cranberries seem to usher in the holidays, but if you think about it, how often have you used dried cranberries in salads and the like?.....ok, then it's agreed.  Let's make this beautiful dessert and dismiss the urge to play holiday music!

White Chocolate and Cranberry Bread Pudding

Serves 8

Total time:  1 hour, 30 minutes

Ingredients

Bread Pudding Base

10 slices of stale bread, white

1 1/4 stick of butter

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

5 1/3 oz of cranberries, semi-dried

8 oz of white chocolate 

2 tbsp of brown sugar

Custard

4 eggs

6 egg yolks

1/3 cup of  sugar

2 cups of milk

2 cups of heavy cream

Satsuma and Cranberry Suzette

6 satsumas (mandarin)

2 2/3 oz of cranberries, semi-dried

1 cup of caster sugar

1 stick of butter

3/4 cup of fresh orange juice

Mint or lemon Verbina leaves

Directions

Custard

Beat the eggs and sugar together in a bowl until pale and smooth. Add the milk and cream to a pan, bring to a simmer, then remove from the heat. Pour the hot milk over the eggs and sugar, mixing well as you do. 

Grease an ovenproof dish with some butter. Remove the crusts from the sliced bread and butter all of the slices on one side. Cut the slices in half.

Spread out a layer of the buttered bread to cover the bottom of the dish, slightly overlapping each slice. Sprinkle with a good pinch of pumpkin pie spice, some cranberries and some of the white chocolate.

Pour over some of the custard to cover the first layer. Repeat this process to make more layers of both the bread and custard until used up, leaving a little custard for serving. Press down firmly, cover with cling film and leave to set in the fridge overnight to allow the bread to soak up the custard.

Satsuma and Cranberry Suzette

Begin by segmenting the satsumas. Add the sugar to a non-stick pan and heat until a golden caramel forms. Remove from the heat and add the butter.

Gently stir the sugar mixture adding the butter, and orange juice and return to the heat. Bring to a boil and reduce until it reaches the consistency of a caramel sauce. Stir in the cranberries and satsuma segments and warm through.

Preheat the oven to 325°F/

Remove the bread and butter pudding from the fridge and sprinkle over some Demerara sugar. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until it feels firm when pressed lightly - do not overcook!

Remove from the oven and spoon over some of the warm satsuma and cranberry suzette. Serve with a spoonful of the remaining custard and a mint or lemon verbina leaf for garnish.

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Another Classic with a Twist!

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Make Another Classic with a Twist!

This duck salad recipe is similar to a salad Niçoise with duck legs and sausages replacing tuna. Lyonnaise sausages traditionally contain pistachios adding an unexpected elevation in the flavor profiles and along with the other delicious ingredients, makes for one of the more perfect salads.

Duck Leg Salad Lyonnaise

Serves 6

Total time:  2 hours 15 minutes, plus overnight marinating time and 2 hours to confit

Ingredients

Duck

6 duck legs

8 oz of duck fat

1/2 pound of green beans

6 vine plum tomatoes (on the smaller size)

3 Lyonnaise sausages (or your favorite mild flavored sausage)

2 frisée lettuces

1 small red onion

6 Charlotte potatoes (small white fingerling)

6 eggs

3-4 tbs. of capers

12 silver skin anchovy fillets, marinated

several cornichons

sea salt

black pepper, freshly ground

Dressing

1/2 cup of  quality olive oil

1/2 cup of vegetable oil

4 tbs. of hazelnut oil

2 tbs. of white wine vinegar

2 tbs. of red wine vinegar

2 tbs. of Dijon mustard

1 shallot, peeled and finely sliced

1/2 garlic clove, peeled and finely sliced

1/8 bunch of basil

sea salt

black pepper, freshly ground

Black Olive Tapenade

7 oz of black Kalamata olive, pitted

3 1/2 tbs. of olive oil

1/2 un-waxed lemon, zest and juice

First make the dressing. Place all of the ingredients into a bowl, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Directions

The Dressing

Place all of the ingredients into a bowl, cover and leave in the fridge overnight.  Remove from the fridge and blitz the ingredients in a blender. Pass through a fine sieve, store in an airtight container and refrigerate.

For the tapenade, combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blitz until it reaches your desired smoothness. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate.(The tapenade will keep for up to 3 months).

The Duck Legs 

Place the legs in a shallow pan and cover with the duck fat. Gently simmer in an uncovered pan for 2 hours, or until the meat is tender and coming away from the bone.

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, add the beans and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the beans from the pan, refresh under cold running water and set aside.

Score a cross into the bottom of the tomatoes, then drop into the boiling water (you can use the water that the beans were cooked in). Blanch for 12 seconds so that the skins start to come away from the flesh. Remove from the pan and refresh under cold running water to stop them cooking. Peel the skins away and discard.

Heat a pan of salted water until simmering. Add the sausages and poach for 5 minutes, leave them to cool in the water. Remove from the pan and cut each sausage into 4 equal pieces.

Remove and discard the tough outer green leaves and keep the yellow hearts from the frisée. Separate from the stem, wash thoroughly and place into a bowl. Peel the onions and slice into fine rings. Set aside. 

Preheat the oven to 400°F

Scatter some sea salt onto a baking tray and arrange the potatoes on top. Bake in the oven for 40 minutes, until tender

Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil and lower in the eggs. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove and refresh under cold running water. Once cool enough to handle, peel the eggs then cut in half across the egg, taking care not to spill any yolk

Pour a few spoonfuls of dressing over the frisée hearts and beans. Drain the capers and cornichines add to a bowl, along with the remaining dressing.

To serve, remove the potatoes from the oven and slice off the ends. Mix the potatoes and the frisée salad. season to taste with the dressing and place into the center of the plate.

Scatter the eggs, sausage, anchovies, onion slices and tomatoes around the plate and place the duck into the center. Finish with a few dollops of the olive tapenade around the salad before serving.

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Coffee, Tea or Veal?

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Make Coffee, Tea or Veal?

Coffee adds both aroma and depth to these marinated veal ribs, which are then cooked slowly in oil to ensure they stay incredibly tender.  Spiced coffee marinade for the ribs before cooking then finishing the dish with a coffee sauce to cut through the rich, creamy potatoes and sweet, succulent meat  truly creates a dish that won't be soon forgotten.

(This recipe requires more than one (1) day preparation. Think Sunday dinner with friends and family)

Coffee Marinated Veal Rib with Creamed Potatoes

Ingredients

Serves 4

Veal Ribs

4 veal short ribs, approx. total weight, 2 lbs., bone-in

1 1/2 tbs. of coffee beans

1 1/2 tsp. of rosemary

1 1/2 tsp. of thyme

1 1/2 tsp. of marjoram

1 tsp.of coriander seeds

1 garlic clove

1 tbs.  of sea salt

2 quarts of extra virgin olive oil (Veal ribs need to be covered completely in a evoo bath)

Creamed Potatoes

1 1/8 lb of white finger potatoes

1/2 cup of milk, warmed

2 tbs.of unsalted butter

salt

Coffee Sauce

3 tbs. of espresso coffee

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp of red wine vinegar

1 1/2 cups of veal stock

To Serve

watercress

nasturtium leaves

edible flowers, such as geranium petals

ground coffee (finely ground to a powder) 

Directions

Begin with the coffee marinade for the veal. Place the coffee beans, herbs, spices, garlic and salt in a pestle and mortar and pound together to make a paste. Rub the paste evenly over the ribs and cover, leaving to marinate in the fridge for 24 hours.

Preheat the oven to 225°F

Brush any excess marinade from the ribs and place in a deep roasting tray. Cover with the olive oil and cook slowly for 6 hours until tender and well-browned.

When the ribs have 30 minutes left to cook, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Add the potatoes and cook for 10–15 minutes until very soft.

Meanwhile, prepare the sauce. Add the sugar to a pan and allow to caramelize briefly over a medium heat. Stir in the vinegar and continue cooking until it evaporates.

Stir in the coffee for a few seconds, then add the veal stock and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 5 minutes until slightly reduced, then remove from the heat and keep warm until ready to serve.

Drain the cooked potatoes and, once cool enough to handle, peel and discard the skin. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl and mix in the warmed milk and butter until completely smooth, seasoning to taste.

To serve, divide the creamed potatoes between serving plates. Drain the cooked ribs from the oil and place on top of the potatoes then drizzle a little of the coffee sauce over the veal. Garnish with sprigs of watercress and nasturtium, edible petals and a final light dusting of coffee powder.

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Zombie Meatloaf – Better Than Brains

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Make Zombie Meatloaf – Better Than Brains

After seeing various versions of this Halloween-themed, zombie meatloaf on social media over the years, I decided it was time to post my very own. I’ve seen many approaches to this; such as covered in “blood,” or mummified in strips of pastry, but the ones wrapped in bacon always looked the most realistic, and the most appetizing.

Ironically, “appetizing” is the last thing you want this to look like, but if we’re going to do some kind of gimmicky, holiday recipe, it might as well taste great, and this most certainly did. It’s been a while since I posted a meatloaf recipe, and I was very happy with how this one came out. You can use a food processor make chopping the mushrooms a bit easier, but don’t leave them out. They add a lot of flavor, as well as help keep the meat moist, and tender. 

By the way, if you're trapped in one of these households where certain people don’t eat mushrooms, add them anyway, since they’ll never be able to tell they’re in there. Then, next week, after they’ve eaten this, and loved it, you can come clean. Trick or treat, indeed.

Having said that, this zombification will work with any of your favorite meatloaf recipes, and you won’t be hurting my feelings. Much. Regardless of what you use, I really hope you give this fun-to-make, even funner-to-eat, zombie meatloaf a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 large portions:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/2 cup diced celery

1 1/2 cups diced yellow onion

8 ounces brown mushrooms, chopped fine

3 cloves minced garlic

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

3 pounds ground beef

3 teaspoons kosher salt

3 tablespoons milk or buttermilk

1 large beaten egg

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

3/4 cup plain dry bread crumbs

1 pound strip bacon for  zombie “facial muscles”

1 onion for eyes and teeth

- Bake at 325 F. for about 1 hour, or to an internal temp of 155 F.

- I went for a realistic muscular look, but if you’d rather have something that looks like crispy bacon, go ahead and put foil over the eyes and teeth, and pop this under a hot broiler, until it looks just right.

- Serve with “blood sauce,” which is made with equal parts SFQ bbq sauce and ketchup, spiked with hot sauce.

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A Hearty Fish Dish for a Weekday Dinner

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Make A Hearty Fish Dish for a Weekday Dinner

I say weekday because this baked fish dish is easy enough to prepare after you get home from work leaving you a little time to relax before dinner and most certainly after.  The tomato and thyme vinaigrette adds an extra fresh zing to this beautiful baked salted cod recipe. Delicious sliced chorizo and crushed potatoes round off this hearty fish dish.

Salted Cod with Crushed Potatoes, Chorizo, Tomato and Thyme Vinaigrette

Ingredients

Serves 4

Tomato and Thyme Vinaigrette

3/4 cup of plum tomatoes, skinned and de-seeded

5 sprigs of fresh thyme

1/2 cup of tomato juice

1 tbs. of sherry vinegar

Salted Cod

1 lb of cod, cut into 4 - 4 oz pieces, salted for 25 minutes

1 quart of full-fat milk

1 sprig of fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

salt

1 bunch of rocket or other small leafed greens

Crushed New Potatoes

3/4 lb. of new potatoes

1 chorizo sausage, thinly sliced

1/2 cup of  extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Cod and Potatoes

Rub the fillets with salt and set aside for 25 minutes. While the cod is salting, place the potatoes in a pot and bring to a simmer until tender. Drain and crush in a bowl while still warm, add the evoo (extra virgin olive oil) and salt. Mix through, being careful not to mash too much.

The Vinaigrette

Add all the vinaigrette ingredients into the blender and blend until smooth. Season with salt and pass through a fine chinoise or fine sieve.

Back to the Cod

Rinse all the salt off the cod and place in a large saucepan with the cold milk, thyme and bay. Bring to a simmer, cook for 4 minutes, remove and place on absorbent towel.

To finish, heat a little evoo in a pan on a medium heat. Add the sliced chorizo and cook until golden, add the crushed potato and heat through. 

Spoon some of the vinaigrette into a shallow bowl or plate.

Place the potato in the middle of the vinaigrette*, followed by the cod. Garnish with a little rocket.  

*For presentation, rather than just mounding the potato chorizo mixture on the plate, try using an empty vegetable can with both ends cut out as a mold. Set the open ended can in the middle of the vinaigrette on the plate/bowl and fill with about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of the mash. Then top with the baked cod and greens.

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A Savory Beef Dish That Takes Us into Fall

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Make A Savory Beef Dish That Takes Us into Fall

Cooler weather brings all kinds of delicious recipes back to life in the kitchen that were put away during spring and summer.  Heavier, heartier dishes with gravies and reductions, roasted vegetables and mashes all brought together in mouthwatering combinations for us to luxuriate in as we sit in front of a fire sipping on a velvety smooth glass of red wine.  And for those who are still experiencing temperatures in the 90's.....keep this recipe someplace safe, but in plain sight for that first cool day that tells you that fall has arrived in your  part of the world! 

Pan Roasted Loin of Beef with Butternut Squash, Girolles and Treviso

(Chanterelles and Radicchio)

Ingredients

1 1/2 - 2 lbs. Beef tenderloin cut into 4 equal pieces

1 butternut squash, peeled, halved and seeds removed

7 1/16 oz of golden chanterelles, washed (or wild mushroom mix)

3 tbs. of chicken stock

1 radicchio, cut into 12 leaves 

1 lemon

1 tbsp of parsley, chopped

1 pinch of rock salt

pepper

butter

olive oil

salt

Directions

Slice the butternut squash into 12 thick, even sized chunks*(pieces) and set to one side. Use the trimmings (not the peel) from the butternut squash to make the purée; place them in a pan with a little butter and cook gently over a low heat until the trimmings are soft but not browned. Transfer the butternut squash and butter to a blender or food processor and blend until a silky purée is made. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Add a dash of oil and a little butter to a large pan and place over a medium heat. Season the beef and saute', turning continuously until it has color on all sides but retains a pink interior. Take care not to overcook the beef, 4-5 minutes on each side should be enough. Remove the beef from the pan and let it rest in a warm place, covered, until ready to serve.

In the same pan, add the pieces of butternut squash along with a dash of oil and cook until lightly browned. Reduce the heat a little, and add the chicken stock. Simmer until the butternut squash chunks are beginning to soften. Add the chanterelles to the pan and increase the heat.

Cook for another minute or so, tossing (stirring) the pan a couple of times to prevent the squash and mushrooms from sticking. Add the radicchio to the pan, maintaining the heat until the lettuce leaves have wilted. Turn off the heat add the chopped parsley along with a knob of butter, squeeze of lemon and salt and pepper to taste.

Cut each piece of tenderloin into slices using each piece (4) for individual servings

To serve, gently warm the butternut squash purée and use a teaspoon to place dots of it around the plate. Arrange the butternut squash, treviso, girolles and slices of the beef loin in the center of the plate and drizzle over a small amount of the cooking juices. Finish with a pinch of rock salt and serve immediately. (refer to image for presentation)

* When cutting the butternut squash into chunks, make them a proper size for the plate making sure that they are all even in size and shape to enable even cooking and of course for eye appeal on the finished plate.

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Buttermilk Pie – The Best Pie You’ve Never Heard Of

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Make Buttermilk Pie – The Best Pie You’ve Never Heard Of

I can understand certain recipes being relatively unknown, but this buttermilk pie is not one of them. Not only is this easy to make, and beautiful to look at, it’s also bursting with the kind of bright, tangy flavor that no other custard-style pie can touch. Like I said in the video, this is sort of like a vanilla custard, meets lemon meringue pie, meets very light cheesecake. Except better.

I’ve never had much trouble finding buttermilk, even in regular, non-fancy grocery stores, but depending on where you live in the world, apparently that’s not the case. There are many “hacks” for making a substitute, usually using milk and lemon juice, or vinegar, and I’ll let you Google those at your leisure, but I’d be more inclined to try some yogurt, thinned out with some milk.

I think that would be closer to the tanginess of buttermilk, but as far as the recipe “working,” one cup of any type of dairy product should yield similar results. Once your pie is made, it can be served “as is,” or topped with seasonal fruit. I went with raspberries, mostly for the pictures, but if you were going to do this for the holidays, some persimmons, and/or pomegranate seeds would also be very nice. Regardless of how you serve it, I really do hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for one pie:

Enough pie dough for a 9-inch pie dish
(I used half a recipe of our butter crust dough)

For the filling:

1 1/2 cups white sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

zest from one lemon

juice from one lemon juice

1 cup buttermilk

- Prebake crust at 350 F. for 15-20 minutes, let cool, then fill and bake for another 45-55 minutes, or until the filling is golden and “set.”

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Time for Something a Little Lighter in Fare....Perfect for the Transitional Weather!

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Make Time for Something a Little Lighter in Fare....Perfect for the Transitional Weather!

A fantastic twist on a regular potato salad recipe. Crunchy asparagus, smoked salmon and provocative horseradish. Serve this as a great accompaniment to any quiche or savory tart, or as a light lunch/brunch item!

Smoked Salmon Potato Salad with Asparagus and Horseradish Dressing

Ingredients

6 oz of smoked flaked salmon, shredded

1 1/2 lb of new potatoes

6 oz of asparagus

1-2  spring onions, finely sliced (using light green leafy part)

3 1/2 tbs. of creamed horseradish

3 1/2 tbs. of crème fraîche (sour cream can be used as a substitute)

salt to season

pepper to season

Directions

Cut the new potatoes in half and steam or boil for 15-20 minutes. Cool under cold running water and drain. Set aside.

Steam the asparagus spears until tender, roughly for 3-4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the spring onions, crème fraiche, creamed horseradish and season.

Cut the potatoes into small chunks, the asparagus into bite sized pieces.  Add the potatoes, asparagus and smoked salmon to the salad bowl with the horseradish dressing and toss gently to coat. 

Serve.

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I Love This Time of Year

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Make I Love This Time of Year

A seasonal favorite...too bad we have to wait till the weather cools off before we enjoy it.....or do we? There are so many delicious recipes that almost seem to beg us NOT to make them until the thermometer drops so that we can really dig in and feast! Here is one of them!

Butternut Squash Soup

Ingredients

2 1/4 lb of butternut squash

1 large onion

2 sticks of butter

1 quart of water

3 cups of milk, or as much as needed, warmed (or half milk, half heavy cream)

Salt

1 pinch of cayenne pepper

Directions

Peel the butternut squash, cut in half length ways and scrape the seeds out. Slice the squash with a mandoline as thinly as possible.

Peel the onion, cut in half and slice as thinly as possible.

In a pan large enough to hold all of the ingredients, melt 1 1/2 sticks of the butter over a low heat, being careful not to let the butter burn. Add the onion and butternut squash and sweat off over a low heat for 10 minutes.

Increase the heat, add the water and simmer for 30 minutes, or until the vegetables are completely soft.

Remove from the heat and puree the soup. Pass through a fine sieve, then stir in enough milk to obtain a silky-smooth consistency. Be careful that you do not add too much milk, or the flavor will be diluted.

To finish the soup, whisk in the rest of the butter, check the seasoning and stir in a dash of cayenne pepper. Serve immediately

Garnish with chopped crisp bacon bits, chopped chives, small garlic croutons and finely grated white cheddar.

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Simplicity as its Best!

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Make Simplicity as its Best!

Simple, clean, unadulterated and of course delicious!  The perfect Sunday Brunch item. As stunning to look at as it is to enjoy.

Capri Lobster with Tomatoes, Rocket Salad and Marinated Spring Onion

Ingredients

Lobster

2 lobsters (1 1/2 - 2 lb. lobsters each)

3 1/2 qrts. of water

1 1/4 oz of coarse sea salt

1 1/2 oz of white leeks, roughly chopped

1 1/2 oz of carrots, roughly chopped

1 1/2 oz of celery, roughly chopped

1 oz of shallots, roughly chopped

1 lemon, zested

2 bay leaves

6 black peppercorns

1 tbsp of fresh coriander

1/4 oz of ginger, sliced

Mayonnaise

1 1/4 cup of sunflower oil

8 1/2 oz of egg yolk (approximately 4 egg yolks)

3/4 oz of lemon juice

salt

(or use a high quality mayonnaise)

Rocket Salad

1 spring onion, julienned

1/2 cup of white wine, preferably Falanghina (light fresh white)

1 handful of rocket

1 beef tomato

Olive oil

Salt

Black pepper

Directions

Mayonnaise 

mix together the egg yolks and lemon juice. Slowly whisk in the oil until emulsified, season with salt to taste and set aside.

Lobster

Combine all of the ingredients (except the lobsters) in a large saucepan and bring to the boil. Skewer the lobster and boil for 5 minutes. (skewering helps keep the lobster tail from curling up)

Refresh lobster in iced water then remove the meat from the shell, being careful to keep it whole.  Slice the tail meat about an 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick pieces, reserving the tail shell and head for presentation.

Rocket Salad

Marinate the spring onions in the wine for 10 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on kitchen paper to drain. Toss the rocket leaves in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.

To serve, thinly slice the tomato and arrange on the serving plates. Add the rocket and spring onion and top with the sliced lobster. Pipe dots of the mayonnaise on the sides of the salad along with a touch of lemon zest and garnish with the reserved lobster tail and head.

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Side Dish or Main Dish...You Tell Me!

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Make Side Dish or Main Dish...You Tell Me!

Let's embark on a journey exploring some delicious and a little out of the ordinary dishes that will never play second fiddle the the main attraction at dinner.  With just a little imagination and a few simple change ups with ingredients, we will re-create some standards into new an exciting dishes and introduce a few new ones as well!  A delicious dish from Southern India, Chettinad mushroom adds flavor and excitement to any main. Perfect to serve year round, this vegetarian side is simple and economical to make.

Chettinad Mushrooms

Ingredients

8 3/4 oz of mushrooms, portobello, shitake and chestnut quartered

fresh ginger, 1 inch, chopped

6 garlic cloves

1 tsp poppy seeds

3 tsp fennel seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coriander seeds

4 cashew nuts

2 tbsp of coconut, grated

2 tbsp of coconut oil

1 cinnamon stick

3 bay leaves

1 tsp kalpasi (in local Indian stores it may be found as dagad phool)

2 shallots, chopped

3 tomatoes, chopped

2 sprigs of curry leaves

3 tbsp of coriander leaves, finely chopped

1/4 turmeric powder

2 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder

Salt to season

1 tbsp of vegetable oil

1 2/3 fl oz of coconut milk

Nasturtium leaves

Directions

In a food processor or wet grinder, grind the ginger, garlic, poppy seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, coconut, cashew nuts and 2 tsp of the fennel to a smooth paste, adding water by the tablespoon until the right consistency has been achieved.

fresh ginger, 1 inch, chopped

Heat the coconut oil in a thick-bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Add the cinnamon, bay leaf, fennel and kalpasi and sauté for 30 seconds.

Add the shallots, tomatoes, curry leaves and coriander leaves to the pan, stirring well to combine. Cook for 5 minutes on high heat.

Add turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder and the freshly ground curry paste to the pan, mixing well. Cook on a low heat for 20–25 minutes or until the oil begins to separate.

 

Meanwhile, heat a dash of oil in a small wok. Add the mushrooms to the wok and sauté, then transfer the cooked mushrooms to the curry pan, stir well and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the coconut milk, mix well and cook for a further 1 minute. Check the seasoning and serve, garnishing with the nasturtium leaves.

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Potstickers – For When You Can’t Decide Between Fried and Steamed Dumplings

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Make Potstickers – For When You Can’t Decide Between Fried and Steamed Dumplings

Potstickers (or Pot Stickers, depending on which style guide you’re using) are very fast and easy to make, unless you only do them once or twice a year, in which case they’re going to take a little bit of time to fold and shape. 

Just for fun, find a video that shows professionals doing these, and marvel at how they come together in seconds. That's what happens when you do hundreds each day, for years.

Having said that, every second spent producing these, is a second well spent. The play between the crispy, crusty bottom, and the tender parts, makes for a truly unique dumpling. They’re also very versatile, since you can fill them with anything you want. No matter what you use, you’ll know exactly what you’re biting into, which is not always the case when you get these out.

Don’t get me wrong; I love the occasional take-out binge, and its associated mysteries. But, it’s nice being able to control the contents, as well as the generosity of the filling. There is nothing worse than biting into one of these, and realizing it’s only half-full. So, for all those reasons, and more, I really hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

One production note: While I’ve made these many times, I’ve never actually measured the ingredients before, so I ended up with extra filling. So, I’ve increased the dough amounts from what I used in the video. Instead of getting 24 wrappers, you should get more like 32 (cutting each quarter dough into 8, instead of 6 portions), which should be a better match. Of course this depends on exactly how much you fill, but it should be close.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

1 pound ground pork

4 cloves minced garlic

1/2 cup finely chopped green onions

3 tablespoons very finely minced ginger

2 tablespoons soy sauce plus 1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

pinch cayenne

1 1/2 cups finely chopped green cabbage

For the dough:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup hot water (about 130-150 F.)

For the dipping sauce:

1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

1/4 cup soy sauce

Optional: You can spike dipping sauce with things like hot sauce, garlic, minced green onions, ginger, etc.

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Was that a Groan I just Heard? Another Chicken Recipe?

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Make Was that a Groan I just Heard? Another Chicken Recipe?

It sure is, but I bet you won't look at a chicken breast the same way ever again!  Just because chicken, well, is chicken, doesn't mean that it has to be boring or the same ole same ole thing.  Take a look at this recipe and see and taste for yourself!

Roast Chicken Breast with Potato Purée and Pine Nuts

Ingredients

Serves 4

Chicken

4 chicken breasts

1 stick of  unsalted butter

1 sprig of fresh thyme

2 tbsp of pine nuts, toasted

Salt

Black pepper

1 tbsp of olive oil

Potato Purée

1 lb of small Yukon or white fingerling potatoes, peeled and cut into approx 3/4 inch dice

1 stick of unsalted butter, cubed

1 1/2 tsp. oz of salt

1/8 cup of milk (or more to achieve the right consistency of the puree')

Potato Lattice

1 large potato, peeled

Salt

4 tbsp of olive oil

Spinach

14 oz of spinach

1 tbs. of unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

Directions

Potato Purée

Steam the potatoes for about 35 minutes or until tender.

Place the potatoes in a blender, add the milk and butter and blend on full power for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides. Taste for seasoning and add more as needed.

Re-blend for a further minute. Keep warm

Potato Lattice 

Heat the oven to 350°F

Using a mandolin, slice the potato into the thinnest slices possible. Then cut the slices into fine strips and season with salt. 

Place an ovenproof frying pan on the heat and pour in enough oil to just cover the bottom. Once the oil is hot, place the potato strips into the pan in a lattice shape or just "sprinkle" the potatoes into the oil. (see above illustration for what you are trying to achieve).

Place the pan in the oven and cook for 5-10 minutes or until golden, then remove from the pan and drain on an absorbent cloth.

The Chicken 

Remove the chicken from the fridge 1/2 hour before cooking.

Place a pan over a high heat and add 1 tbsp of oil. Once hot, cook the chicken breasts on a until colored evenly all over. Turn down the heat, add a pad of butter and continue to cook until nicely caramelized, approximately 5-7 minutes. Season and place in the oven for 6-7 minutes.

Strip the thyme leaves from the stem and sprinkle over the chicken. Remove the chicken from the pan and rest on a plate with all the cooking juices.

The Spinach

Sweat the spinach in the butter and drain well - pressing it between 2 cloths to soak up the excess water.

Presentation/Plating

Spoon some of the potato puree onto the center of the plate. Gently place a small mound of the spinach on top of the potato puree.

Slice the chicken breasts into diamond shapes and roll in their juices before placing on top of the spinach. Add some potato lattice and sprinkle around some pine nuts and herbs (fresh or micro greens). You may also want to add 2 or 3 small pitted Kalamata olives for additional color in your plating.

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