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Garden Peas à la JC

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Fresh garden peas, in their all-too-brief season, are a complete delight. For a bit of variety over and above plain boiled peas (which are excellent), especially when the season is getting advanced and the peas are a little older, this is my version of the classic Petits Pois à la Française .

For those who would prefer the original, my variations are the initial light browning of the onion and the use of a light chicken stock instead of plain water. Adjust your methods accordingly.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: 15 mins

Ingredients

  • 30g butter
  • 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
  • 2 heads little gem lettuce, cored & coarsely shredded
  • 500g garden peas, weighed in pods then shelled
  • 250ml light chicken stock
  • beurre manié made with 15g butter & 1 tsp flour
  • salt & pepper

Method

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. When it is foaming, add the sliced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is evenly and lightly browned. Stir in the lettuce and peas and sweat them for a minute without browning. Pour in just enough light chicken stock to barely cover the peas, topping up with a little water if absolutely necessary. (We want just enough liquid to cook them, not to drown them.) Bring to boiling point then reduce the heat to maintain a simmer and cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Stir in the beurre manié to thicken the liquid slightly and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Serve, preferably with a charcoal-roasted leg of lamb studded with rosemary and garlic.


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Posted in Veggies Tagged with:

Pots au Chocolat

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Untried as yet, this one is from Waitrose Food Illustrated . Few peiople can resist a chocolate rush, though, so it should be good.

Planning

serves: 6
preparation time: 20 mins
cooking time: 12 hrs

Ingredients

  • 200g plain chocolate (70%)
  • 50g salted butter
  • 100ml whole milk
  • 100ml double cream
  • 100g icing sugar, sieved
  • 2 egg yolks
  • zest of 1 orange, grated
  • 150g amaretti biscuits (optional)
  • 100ml brandy (optional)

Method

Over a medium heat, melt the chocolate and butter with the milk and cream, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes before beating in the icing sugar, egg yolks and orange zest.

I think I’d leave it at that so I’ve documented the original recipe’s use of brandy-soaked amaretti biscuits as optional. If you want to stick to the script, proceed as follows. Break up the amaretti and divide half of them between 6 suitable serving glasses/coffee cups. Sprinkle over half the brandy. Now pour in enough chocolate to cover them and then repeat the process to add a second layer.

Alternatively, skip the brandy and amaretti and just pour the chocolate into 6 suitable serving glasses/coffee cups.

Either way, chill the pots in the fridge for 12 hours before serving.

 


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Posted in Desserts, Untested Tagged with:

Roast Pork Loin stuffed with Prunes

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One to try from the childhood archives of the excellent monsieur Raymond Blanc courtesy of his mother, Maman Blanc. I might even try this in my good ol’ trusty Weber grill.

Planning

serves: 6
preparation time: 6 hrs
cooking time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

  • 24 Agen prunes, pitted
  • 6 tbs brandy
  • 1 – 1¼kg boneless pork loin with rind
  • 15g butter
  • 1 tbs oil
  • 1 large beef tomato, pricked all around with a fork
  • 200ml beef stock

Method

Soak the prunes in the brandy for 6 hours.

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4. Open up the loin of pork, flatten it and trim off the rind to leave 3mm of fat. Lay the pork fat-side down, season it and place 8-10 soaked prunes along the centre. Roll the loin up and secure it with string/skewers.

In a suitable roasting tray, heat the butter and oil on medium heat until the butter foams. Lightly brown the pork loin. Add the tomato, cover all loosely with foil and cook in the oven for 1½ hours. Remove the tray from the oven, wrap the pork in foil and place it on a plate to rest for 30 minutes.

Remove all but 2 tbs oil from the tray. Put the tray on high heat and deglaze it with the stock bringing it to the boil. Add the remaining prunes and heat through. Adjust the seasoning.

Carve the pork remembering to add any juices released by it to the sauce.


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Posted in Meat Tagged with:

Stuffed Tomatoes

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Another from the childhood memories of monsieur Raymond Blanc. This seems to be tomatoes stuffed with what is essentially a vegetable risotto.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 40 mins
cooking time: 1 hr

Ingredients

  • Olive oil
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 sprigs thyme
  • 4 ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
  • 100g tomato purée
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 4 ripe large tomatoes (eg marmande or Jack Hawkins)
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 20g butter
  • 1 tsp thyme leaves
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 100g Carnaroli risotto rice
  • 1 carrot, finely chopped
  • 1 stick celery, thinly sliced
  • 1 courgette, thinly sliced
  • 30g peas
  • 2 tbs whipping cream
  • 85g Gruyère cheese, finely grated

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C/gas 4.

First, make the tomato sauce. Put 3 tbs olive oil, one medium onion and the garlic into a pan and soften, without colouring, over a medium heat for 3 minutes. Add the 2 thyme sprigs, the chopped tomatoes and the tomato purée and cook for 7-8 minutes. Add 300ml water, season and cook for a further 5 minutes. Remove the thyme and check the seasoning; sweeten with the sugar only if necessary. Purée the sauce and set aside.

Slice a cap off each of the large tomatoes and scoop out the pulp and juices into a bowl.

Now make the rice stuffing. Soften the onion in the butter with the thyme leaves and bay leaf. Add the rice and cook for 1 minute, stirring to coat the grains. Add 200ml water and 150g of the juices and chopped pulp from the tomatoes. Add the carrot and season. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the celery, courgette and peas together with a further 75ml water, then cook for another 15 minutes. Stir in the cream and Gruyère, check the seasoning and remove the bay leaf.

Fill each tomato with the stuffing and top each with a tomato cap. Place them on a baking dish and drizzle with a little olive oil before baking for 25 minutes. Serve them with the reheated tomato sauce.


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Posted in Starters Tagged with:

Gurnard with Nettle Butter

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This is a little curiosity I came up with in Cornwall where the gurnard (red or grey, it matters not) are usually excellent. We’d taken to travelling to Cornwall in the spring when the stinging nettles are at their prime, too. The taste of stinging nettles with a touch of good ol’ garlic compliments the gurnard very well indeed. For complete Cornish authenticity, if you are lucky enough to have a local supply, use Cornish wild garlic, too.

A 1 kg gurnard (weighed whole) will serve two admirably. (There’s quite a bit of wasted weight ‘cos gurnards have a large head.) If the fish are smaller, use one each.

Maybe I should commend this recipe to Mr Stein. 🙂

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: 10 mins
cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 (gloved!) handfuls nettle tops
  • 2 large or 4 smaller gurnard fillets
  • salt & pepper
  • 75g butter
  • 1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

Method

First, with a gloved hand, pick only the fresh, young tops of the nettles. Remove the leaves from the stems and wash them. Blanch the leaves in boiling water for 10 – 15 seconds then drain and refresh them in cold water to arrest their cooking. They are now safe to handle without the gloves. Drain the leaves once again, gently squeeze out excess moisture and dry them as best you can in a clean kitchen towel. Roughly chop the leaves and set them aside.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a frying pan large enough to hold the gurnard fillets. Season the fillets well with salt and pepper, and, when the foam subsides, add them to the frying pan. Cook the fillets for 2 – 3 minutes on each side, depending upon their thickness, turning once. Remove the gurnard fillets to warmed serving plates while you finish the nettle butter.

Stir the chopped garlic and nettles into the butter and cooking juices. Fry these gently for a minute or two before spooning the mixture over and around the gurnard fillets.

(Some boiled new potatoes – though it’s probably a bit too early for Jersey Royals – and tenderstem broccoli would be perfect accompaniments.)


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Posted in Fish Tagged with:

Merluza a la Plancha

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The Spanish love their hake. Actually, they love our hake, which they’ve been pinching for years. I’d spent a frustrating but amusing afternoon looking for Spanish Merluza a la Plancha recipes on the internet. The amusement stemmed from the absolutely dreadful automated browser translations offered of Spanish language pages. There’s clearly something about Spanish that makes it harder to translate mechanically than French, which seems to get a half-way reasonable job done. In between the tears of laughter, it was enough, however, to give me the basic idea. This is my attempt at what seems to me to be the essence of the dish.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 10 mins
cooking time: 6-8 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 hake steaks, ~2½cms thick
  • salt & pepper
  • olive oil
  • 1 large clove garlic, finely sliced
  • 2 tbs fresh parsley, chopped
  • juice of a lemon

Method

Immediately before you are ready to cook, sprinkle the hake steaks with a little lemon juice, then season them with salt and pepper. (Avoid salting it too soon because it draws the juices out of the fish.) Sprinkle a little of the parsley – about a quarter in all – on both sides of each hake steak, too.

On gentle heat, heat a little olive oil in a skillet (preferably black iron) or, if you have one a flat griddle. Toss in the garlic and stir it around until it begins to colour, then remove it with a slotted spoon. Increase the heat to moderate and put in the hake steaks. Cook the steaks for 3-4 minutes on each side – you want them to take on a light golden brown colour. Remove the hake to warmed serving plates.

Add the remaining parsley and lemon juice to the pan (you may need a little more olive oil, too). Stir this around briefly, scraping any tasty bits into the juice and pour it over the hake steaks.

This works well with the Spring Vegetables recipe and some oven-roasted vine cherry tomatoes. New potatoes with olive oil don’t go amiss, either.


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Posted in Fish Tagged with:

Smoked Haddock and Leek Tart

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Another one to try from my favourite fish man, Mr. Stein. Let’s translate this into French and call it a Quiche, eh? Something like: Quiche d’Aiglefin Fumé et Poireaux .

Planning

serves: 6-8
preparation time: 1 hr
cooking time: 50-60 mins

Ingredients

  • 25g/1oz butter
  • 225g/8oz leeks, cleaned & thinly sliced
  • 350g/12oz undyed smoked haddock
  • small bunch of chives
  • 3 1arge eggs
  • 284ml/9½ fl oz carton double cream
  • 3 tbsp finely grated parmesan (optional)
  • Savoury Rich Shortcrust Pastry made with 225g/8oz flour

Method

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry in to a round large enough to fit a 25cm/lOin loose-bottomed flan tin about 4cm/1½in deep. Prick the base here and there with a fork and chill for 20 mins.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large pan, add the leeks and some seasoning and cook gently, uncovered, for 15 mins, stirring occasionally until they are very tender. Bring some water to the boil in a large shallow pan. Add the haddock and simmer for 4 mins, until just cooked. Lift out onto a plate and leave until cool enough to handle, then break the fish into flakes, discarding any skin and bones.

Preheat the oven to 200°C/fan 180°C/gas 6. Line the pastry case with non-stick baking parchment and baking beans. Place on a baking sheet and bake blind for 15 mins. Remove the paper and beans, and return the empty case to the oven for 5 mins until cooked and lightly golden. Remove from the oven. (The pastry case, leeks and haddock can all be prepared up to a day ahead to this stage. When cool, store the pastry in an airtight container, and the leeks and fish in the fridge.)

Turn oven down to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5. Snip the chives into the leeks and scatter them over the base of the pastry case. Scatter the flaked fish over the top. Beat the eggs with the cream, parmesan and some seasoning, then pour over the leeks and fish. Bake for 30-35 mins until just set and lightly browned on top. Remove from the oven and leave to cool slightly before serving.


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Posted in Fish Tagged with:

Spring Vegetables

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An odd title considering that the canned artichoke hearts are a somewhat less-than-usual ingredient; I’d have thought a title featuring them might be appropriate. Nonetheless, this came from an Easter publication tossed out by the Radio Times. The artichokes remind me of Spain, where they are very popular and readily available, so I decided to try this with Merluza a la Plancha (Spanish griddled hake) – and very successful it was, too. 😉

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 10 mins
cooking time: 20 mins

Ingredients

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 6 spring onions, chopped
  • 2 sprigs thyme, leaves only chopped
  • 280g/10oz jar/tin artichoke hearts (~4), drained and halved
  • 350g/12oz peas
  • grated zest 1 lemon, plus squeeze of juice
  • knob of butter
  • small handful parsley leaves, chopped

Method

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, add the garlic and spring onions, then cook over a medium heat for 5 mins until the onions have softened.

Add the thyme, artichokes and peas, stir to combine. Tip in lemon juice, then cook for 5-10 mins until the peas are just done. Stir in lemon zest, butter and parsley, season to taste, then serve.


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Posted in Veggies Tagged with:

Sweet Rich Shortcrust Pastry

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This crisp and crumbly mouth-watering pastry made with self-raising flour breaks all the rules but gives a special taste and texture to all sweet pies, large or small.

Planning

serves:  
preparation time: 10 mins
cooking time:  

Ingredients

  • 8 oz self-raising flour
  • pinch salt
  • 1 oz caster sugar
  • 2 oz butter
  • 2 oz block margarine
  • 1 oz lard
  • 1 egg yolk
  • milk, to mix

Method

Sift the flour, salt and caster sugar (if using) into a mixing bowl. Rub in the butter, margarine and lard with the finger tips to the fine breadcrumb stage.

Add the egg yolk and enough milk to mix to a pliable dough using a round bladed knife.

Turn the dough on to a lightly floured surface and kneed lightly until smooth and even. Chill wrapped for 30 mins before using.


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Posted in Basics Tagged with:

Savoury Rich Shortcrust Pastry

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Planning

serves:  
preparation time: 10 mins
cooking time:  

Ingredients

  • 8 oz self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 oz butter
  • 2 oz lard
  • water, to mix

Method

Put the flour, salt and butter into a food processor and pulse together until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs (or make pastry the traditional way, rubbing in the butter by hand). Stir in 1½-2 tbsp of water with a round-bladed table knife until the mixture starts to come together into a ball. Turn pastry onto a lightly floured work surface and knead briefly until smooth. Cover and allow to rest for 20 mins in the fridge before using in y9ur chosen recipe.


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Posted in Basics Tagged with: