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Steak a l’Echalote

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From Claude Bosi: this is an absolute staple at any French bistro. There are variations, but this uses caramelised shallots and red wine which creates a beautiful glossy sauce for the meat.

I was getting there when I did my Guineafowl Breast with a shallot sauce on holiday in France. That uses a rose wine and I really don’t think the garlic is necessary or, indeed, helps.

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: 50 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 4 échalion shallots
  • 3 cloves garlic (not sure)
  • a few sprigs thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 375ml Beaujolais red wine
  • 200ml beef stock
  • 25g salted butter
  • 2 ribeye or rump steaks
  • 1 tbs vegetable oil
  • 25g salted butter
  • 1 clove garlic, bashed
  • 4 sprigs thyme
  • 1 sprig rosemary
  • Salt & pepper

Method

For the sauce, put 1 tbsp oil in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic and herbs; season. Cover with a lid and sweat over a low heat for 10-12 minutes until soft.

Take the lid off the shallots, pour in the red wine, then turn up the heat to medium-high and reduce to a glaze (12-15 minutes). Pour in the stock and simmer for a further 10 minutes, until reduced and slightly syrupy: strain through a sieve into a measuring Jug. You should have about 100ml sauce: set aside.

Brush the steaks with 1 tbsp oil and season. Heat a frying pan over a high heat, add the steaks and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Add 25g butter plus the garlic, thyme and rosemary; baste for 1-2 minutes (for medium-rare), ensuring all cut edges are browned. Transfer the steaks to a warm plate to rest for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, set the pan back over a low-medium heat, pour in the sauce and add the butter. Heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring until the butter is melted.

Slice the steaks against the grain and arrange on plates with the shaltot sauce poured over. Serve with a dressed salad (Little Gem Lettuce works well).


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Posted in Meat Tagged with:

Devilled Butter

Posted on by JC — 2 Comments ↓

On an unsettled weather spring visit to Cirencester, I found a pub/restaurant with an interesting menu for lunch. What I could not resist was a dish of Lambs Kidneys on Sourdough Toast with Devilled Butter. It was excellent.

I’d already done some research into Devilled Kidneys but this seemed to top the pile so I went in search of a Devilled Butter recipe. Here it is, as yet untried but it will be as soon as I can get some more Lambs Kidneys.

This uses both Cayenne Pepper and Paprika so I may try using Spanish Hot Smoked Paprika as a personal variation.

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: 5 mins
cooking time: n/a

Ingredients

  • 4 tbs butter
  • 1 tsp mustard
  • ½ tsp curry powder
  • ½ tsp malt vinegar
  • ¼ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ¼ tsp paprika

Method

Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Melt the butter over gentle heat. Stir in the dry ingredients then add the vinegar and mustard.


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Posted in Sauces Tagged with:

Onion Gravy

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I found a source of Faggots – British “meatballs” made of minced pork and pig liver – of which I’m very fond. Onion gravy seems to be the traditional accompaniment so off I went.

A thought occurred to me as I was making it. Pour this over faggots in England and it’s Onion Gravy. Top it with a crôuton and grated cheese in France and it’s French Onion Soup. Funny old world.

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: 5 mins
cooking time: 15mins

Ingredients

  • 2 medium-large onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbs sunflower oil
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 1 tbs red wine vinegar
  • 1½ tbs plain flour
  • 500ml beef stock
  • Salt & pepper

Method

Fry the onions in the oil until starting to turn golden. Add the sugar and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until caramelised. Tip in the vinegar and sizzle off the astringency. Stir in the flour to blend it well. Now pour in the stock and stir well. Continue stirring and cooking gently until it thickens to your liking (you can adjust with a flour/oil mixture or water as necessary).

I used this poured over faggots and baked in the oven at 160°C for an hour.


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Posted in Sauces Tagged with:

Pappardelle with Chicken Livers

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I love offal and I’m a huge fan of Chicken Livers, which are very versatile. They make a wonderful warm salad (salade tiède) and the Spanish love ’em as a tapa.

I need to try this approach from Mark Hix, though, ‘cos it sort of echoes a chicken liver and pasta dish we loved in Spain. I tried Mr. Hix’s Sea Bass with Ras el Hanout which was an unmitigated disaster, the Ras el Hanout doing the Sea Bass absolutely no favours whatsoever, in my opinion. This looks a lot more conventional and safe, though.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 10 mins
cooking time: 25 mins

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 banana shallots
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 400g chicken livers
  • 100ml Marsala
  • 100ml chicken stock
  • 400g pappardelle
  • 60g butter
  • 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
  • Parmesan, freshly grated, to serve
  • Salt & pepper

Method

Clean and chop the chicken livers into rough 1 inch/2.5cm pieces

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan and gently cook the shallot and garlic without colouring. Turn up the heat. Season the livers and add them to the pan, frying them over a high heat and stirring every so often until they begin to colour (a couple of minutes).

Tip the livers on to a chopping board and chop them finely with a large knife then return them to the pan along with the Marsala and stock. Cook on a high heat until the liquid has reduced by about half and the sauce has thickened a little. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Meanwhile, cook the pappardelle in boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, until al dente, then drain.

Stir two-thirds of the sauce through the pasta, along with the butter and parsley. Transfer to warmed plates, then spoon over the rest of the sauce. Serve with some grated Parmesan.


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Posted in Meat Tagged with:

Venison Wellington

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This is a James Martin recipe that we like to make for New Year, assuming Aldi gets its excellent Venison fillets. This uses genuine mushroom duxelles, instead of a mushroom paté, to coat the fillet so it would be worth doing as a more traditional Beef Wellington, though the timings would need a little adjustment.

Planning

serves: 6
preparation time: 50 mins
cooking time: 90 mins

Ingredients

  • 700g loin of venison, trimmed
  • olive oil
  • 1½ tbs English mustard
  • 50g buter
  • 1 large banana shallot, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed
  • 400g chestnut mushrooms, very finely blitzed
  • 1 tbs thyme leaves, chopped
  • 1 tbs parsley, chopped
  • 2 tbs brandy
  • 12 slices prosciutto
  • plain flour (for dusting)
  • 375g butter puff pastry
  • 2 egg yolks, beaten
  • Salt & pepper

Method

Firstly, dry the venison with kitchen paper, then season well. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sear the meat all over for about 8 mins. Brush with mustard, leave to cool, then chill for 20 mins. Reserve any juices for the gravy.

Now the duxelles. Melt the butter and soften the shallot and garlic. Add the mushrooms, herbs and seasoning, and cook for 10 mins until you have a paste-like mixture. Add the brandy and cook until it’s evaporated. Leave to cool.

Assemble the Wellington, part 1. Overlap 2-3 sheets of cling film on a clean surface and lay the prosciutto in 2 rows, slightly overlapping each slice. Spread the cooled mushroom paste all over the prosciutto, creating a thin, even layer. Place the fillet in the centre of the mushroom mixture. Using the edge of the cling film, carefully draw the layer of prosciutto and mushroom around the meat. Roll into a sausage shape, twisting the ends of the cling film as you do, to form a tight log. Chill for 30 mins to firm up.

Assemble the Wellington, part 2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry to a rectangle a little larger than a magazine, and trim the edges to neaten. Carefully unwrap the prosciutto parcel and lay in the middle of the pastry. Fold over the bottom half of the pastry. Lightly brush the rest of the sheet with beaten egg. Roll the whole thing around the meat to encase. Neatly fold under the shorter edges to create a parcel. Transfer to a baking sheet and, using your hands, smooth the pastry around the meat, pressing it firmly to avoid any air being trapped. Brush the pastry all over with beaten egg yolk. Chill for at least 30 mins or up to 24 hrs.

When ready to cook, heat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/gas 7. Using the back of a knife, mark the pastry, being careful not to cut all the way through. Lightly oil a non-stick baking tray and heat until hot. Put the wellington on the tray and bake for 30 mins (35 mins for well done). Remove from oven, brush with extra egg and rest for 20 mins.

To make venison gravy, melt a large knob of butter in a medium pan, add 1 finely chopped shallot, 1 crushed garlic clove and 1 thyme sprig, and cook until soft. Add 1 tbsp flour, brown for about 1 min, then pour in 250ml Port and reduce by two-thirds. Add 400ml beef stock and any reserved juices from the venison, then reduce again by two-thirds until syrupy. Season, add 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly, if you like (I don’t), and strain before serving.


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Posted in Game, Meat Tagged with:

Champagne Cocktail

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In my view, the greatest movie ever is Casablanca. I’ve watched it so many times I can pretty much recite the script. There was, however, one memorable component that I needed a recipe for, the Champagne Cocktail as ordered by Victor Laszlo, played by Paul Heinreid.

At long last I intend to try it on New Year’s Eve, 2023. The true recipe (as here) includes a sugar cube which, in deference to a spot of type 2 diabetes, I will be omitting. Mine has a Spanish twist, using Spanish brandy and Spanish Cava, as opposed to the much more expensive French ingredients.

Planning

serves: 1
preparation time: 2 mins
cooking time: n/a

Ingredients

  • 1 sugar cube
  • ¼ tsp Angostura bitters
  • 10 ml Cognac/brandy
  • 75 ml COLD Champage/Cava/Prosecco
  • strip of orange peel

Method

Put the sugar cube on a small dish and drizzle with the bitters, turning a few times to coat all sides. Drop the cube into the bottom of a Champagne flute. To avoid the sugar, just shake a few drops of the bitters directly into a Campagne flute. Add the brandy then slowly pour in the fizz.

Pare a strip of orange peel, give it a twist and add it to the glass.


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Posted in Drinks Tagged with:

Sweet Potato Chips

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I have to say that I am generally not a big fan of Ottolenghi. This may be because he seems stuck in one or two flavour ruts which don’t appeal. One rut is za’atar, which just doesn’t do it for me. The other is sumac, which has a citrus note that I simply don’t care for. The latter features in his Sweet Potato Chips recipe, so I omitted it. The remaining ingredients work very well, particularly the addition of polenta.

I like to serve these, instead of frîtes, with Moules Marinière, along with mayonnaise for dipping.

Planning

serves: 4
preparation time: 15 mins
cooking time: 30 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 large sweet potatoes (~1.2kg)
  • 30g fine polenta
  • 1 tbs sweet smoked paprika (pimenton)
  • ½ tsp hot smoked paprika (or cayenne)
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • Maldon sea salt
  • olive oil

Method

Heat the oven to 220°C fan.

In bowl mix together the polenta, sweet and hot smoked paprikas, and 1 teaspoon Maldon salt.

Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into roughly 1cm chips. In a large bowl, toss together the chips with a few darn good glugs of olive oil. Crush in the garlic and mix well. Now throw in the polenta/spice mix and stir to distribute as evenly as you can. This can sit for a while.

When ready to cook, line a roasting tin with something non stick like a “teflon” sheet or baking parchment. Spread the chips out in the lined roasting tin and pop them in the oven. After 15 minutes, remove the chips from the oven and turn them over. Since all ovens vary, check progress with the heat of yours and adjust if necessary. Return the chips for a further 10 or 15 minutes.


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Posted in Veggies Tagged with:

Savoy Cabbage with Caraway

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I think my long-standing opinion of caraway seeds may have been (dis)coloured by Kümmel, a caraway flavoured liqueur, or possible Seed Cake from a grandmother or two. Given that I like most things alcoholic, you can definitely keep the Kümmel.

However, recently I dragged up a distant memory of using caraway seeds with cabbage and, Savoy Cabbage being my favourite cabbage, whilst being simplicity itself, this recipe actually worked quite nicely. I served it alongside good ol’ Beef Goulash since reducing my carbohydrate intake was making me avoid the noodles that I’d kill for.

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: 5 mins
cooking time: 10 mins

Ingredients

  • ½ large Savoy Cabbage, trimmed & shredded
  • olive oil
  • 1 banana shallot, halved & sliced
  • 2 tsp caraway seeds

Method

Boil the cabbage in salted water for 3 mins until tender, then drain.

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over moderate heat and add the shallot. Cook for 2-3 mins until starting to soften. Mix in the caraway seeds and cook for a further 2 mins until fragrant. Stir in the cabbage and heat through.


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Posted in Veggies Tagged with:

Lentil Soup

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Red split lentils have a wonderful, natural peppery flavour which, IMO, should be the dominant flavour of Lentil Soup. Hence, this is little in the way of recipe and more of a note about quantities.

Planning

serves: 2
preparation time: n/a
cooking time: 50 mins

Ingredients

  • 1 ltr light, homemade chicken stock
  • 150g red split lentils
  • Salt & pepper

Method

The culinarily fastidious may wish to rinse the lentils first but note that these do not need soaaking, unlike many dried pulses.

Tip the (rinsed) lentils into the chicken stock in a suitably sized saucepan and bring gently to the simmer, stirring occasionally to stop the lentils sticking to the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Red split lentils disintegrate, retaining just a little texture, so blitzing isn’t really necessary but if you want a perfectly smooth finished soup then use a stick blender. Adjust the seasonong. I use only salt because of teh natural pepperiness of the lentils.


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Posted in Soups Tagged with:

Devilled Kidneys

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OK, I admit it, I’m an offal fan. There is something alluring about the idea of this traditional old English breakfast dish so here’s one to try. Recipes vary greatly; this version is the Guardian’s approach. Naturally, the spice can be adjust to suit your personal palate. (I’m tinkering with the idea of using a hot, and I do mean hot, chilli sauce instead of cayenne.)

I don’t really do cooked breakfasts, normally, but this is easy enough and tasty enough to make a decent light lunch or a starter for your more adventurous guests.

Planning

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

Ingredients

  • 4 lambs’ kidneys
  • 2 tbsp flour, seasoned
  • 25g butter, softened
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • ½ tsp mustard powder
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp anchovy essence, or 2 anchovies, mashed
  • 2 thick slices bread
  • Salt & pepper

Method

Remove the suet from around the kidneys if necessary, along with the thin membrane that might still encase them. Slice in half laterally, so they retain their kidney shape, and use a pair of scissors to snip away the membranes that attach the white fatty core to the meat. Dust in the seasoned flour.

Mash the butter with the other ingredients, and adjust to taste.

Heat a small frying pan, then add the butter. Turn down the heat to medium. Shake the excess flour off the kidneys, then cook them for two and a half minutes on each side. Meanwhile, toast the bread.

Serve the kideys and juices atop the toast as a traditional breakfast or lunch.


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Posted in Starters Tagged with: