Strawberry Duck

This recipe was a bit of an experiment that fortunately turned out to work! It had been a while since we had Duck, so I grabbed a couple of breasts for our Sunday Dinner without thinking about what sort of sauce I was going to serve with it. Sunday afternoon, and a quick browse of the fridge revealed a large punnet of strawberries. Fruit generally goes well with Duck - a la Orange, blackberries, etc. A quick google told me I wasn’t mad - there are recipes out there that use Strawberries with Duck. So, I investigated my herb & spice cupboard, and identified some ingredients that I could try together in order to create sweet & sour flavours with an Asian slant.

• 100 ml red wine
• 1 tbspn red wine vinegar
• 2 tspns caster sugar
• 2 tbspn dried cranberries
• 1 star anise
• 1 piece of blade mace
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/2 cinnamon stick
• Salt & Pepper to season

The two duck breasts (with skin left on) were marinated in this concotion for several hours, with an occasional turn of the breasts to ensure adequate coating.

Cooking: The duck was removed from the marinade and put skin side down into a hot griddle pan. One the skin is brown, the duck needs to be turned over to seal all sides. With the breasts skin side up, I added the retained marinade to the pan, and brought it slowly to the boil. I then added 100 ml of vegetable stock, again bringing it to the boil. I left it to simmer gently for around 10 minutes before adding the chopped strawberries (around 2 handfuls in this case). I left the sauce to simmer gently, and it started to thicken. Cooking time will vary depending on how well done you enjoy your duck - for pink duck, just as the sauce thickens should be adequate. If the duck needs more time, you can always add a drop more wine to the sauce. And of course, you can always increase the amounts of the original marinade for larger servings.

I served this will roast potatoes, but mashed potato or potato puree would have worked better in order to soak up the sauce. Vegetables can be whatever you fancy.

Raisin out! The Revels Eviction

News for chocolate fans! In a Big Brother style eviction, Mars are letting consumers decide which flavour should be given the boot. This is just a short term expulsion, as a limited edition flavour will be introduced for a short time. The flavour has not yet been announced.

The current flavours are:

Coffee, Orange, Chocolate, Caramel, Malteasers, and Raisin.

Personally I have voted to get rid of the Raisin - bleugh.  It recently replaced the Peanut flavour, which is a big mistake as far as I’m concerned. As I write this, Raisin is in 2nd place with 28% of the votes. Coffee (which I would be voting for if it wasn’t for the Raisin) takes the lead with 36% of the votes.

Voting is here, so go on, VOTE RAISIN OUT! Your selection will be disposed of in the fashion of your choice, my particular favourite being the Thelma & Louise drive off the cliff.

For the more dedicated fans, you can join in the debate on Facebook. And let’s wait and see what the new flavour is. Strawberry maybe? Bleugh again!

Stir-Fried Chicken with Noodles

When it comes to ’stir fry’, my husband likes lots of ’sauce’. It is difficult to feed him stir-fry that doesn’t come from a packet - simple soy sauce and spices is not sufficient. However, whilst flicking through an old Good Food Magazine, I came across a recipe that uses sweet chilli sauce and thought that maybe here was something I could use.  So, I read through the recipe, which turned out to be entirely cooked using a microwave (something we no longer own), and then decided to put it away, and see what I could come up  with using my trusty wok, a bottle of sweet chilli sauce, and of course soy sauce.  The inclusion of chopped peanuts isn’t one I would have thought of, so I owe that to the magazine recipe. The coriander gave it a lovely fresh tang, without being over powering - in fact it reminded me of the Pad Thai I recently ate in Minneapolis - yum!

Serves 2 (possibly with leftovers, we both had seconds, but it’s healthy, right?)

• 2 chicken breasts
• Around 100-125g egg noodles (as per pack instructions).
• 1 red pepper
• 4 spring onions
• 200g beansprouts (fresh or tinned)
• 2 tbspn sweet chilli sauce
• 3 tbspns light soy sauce (I use the lower salt version)
• 25g / 1 oz peanuts
• handful coriander

1. Roast chicken in oven at 180c for approx 20 minutes (dependent on size) until cooked through. Shred using 2 forks, and put to one side.

2. Cook the noodles according to pack instructions, these can be cooked in advance, or in tandem with the rest of the stir fry.

3. Heat the oil in a wok or heavy based pan, at a medium high heat. Then add the red pepper and spring onions. Cook for around 2 minutes until the pepper starts to soften, then add the beansprouts. Stir-in, and add the shredded chicken.  Stir-in the chilli sauce and soy sauce, so that everything is evenly coated.

4. Roughly chop the peanuts (I use a hand blender), and add to the wok along with the roughly chopped coriander. Cook for a further minute or so before adding the noodles. Mix well, and enjoy!

We enjoyed ours simply with some prawn crackers, but if you fancy a vegetable side dish then Pak Choi or tender-stem broccoli would go beautifully.

Taste of London

The weather was muggy, and the skies cloudy, but this was far better than the rain we were expecting for this outdoors event.

The Taste of London is in it’s 3rd year (we first visited in 2006, last year we did Taste of Bath), and is essentially a food festival run over 4 days in July in Regent’s Park.  It’s an opportunity for some of the best restaurants in the London area to showcase some of their favourite dishes.  In addition, there are plenty of drinks to be sampled, and merchants representing the food and drink world.  The festival has it’s own currency – the Crown.  One crown is equivalent to 50p, and can be purchased in books of £10.

We had purchased VIP tickets at a cost of £50, which included £20 of Crown.  This enabled us to join a much shorter queue to get in, and also allowed us access to the VIP tent where we were provided with a complimentary glass of Laurent Perrier.  A glance at the drinks menu inside told us that an additional glass could be purchased for a scary 20 crowns.  When we first visited in 2006, we were treated to some tasty amuse bouche in the VIP area, so we were a little disappointed that this time the nibbles were confined to olives and nuts.
The other ‘advantage’ to access to the VIP tent was a chance to mingle with the ’stars’.  I spotted Anthony Worrel-Thompson in an early scout for a table, and beat a hasty retreat.  Later in the evening, the tent became packed with people eager to listen to a performance by Jazz performer Jamie Cullum.  We were fairly close to the stage, so I was able to take a few photographs before escaping the crowds.

There were 40 restaurants represented there, but we were only able to sample a handful.  We each tried different dishes each time, and where possible tried different restaurants.

I think one of my favourites was one of the simplest – fish & chips from Tom’s Place.  I joined the crowd of people at the stand, but it was obvious what that popular dish was.  “who wants fish and chips” was answered with a  show of hands, resulting in a quicker service than anticipated.  The portion of beer battered red gurnard was generous in comparison to most of the other dishes, the chips were deliciously chunky, and tartar sauce was served on the side.  At the next stand, my husband sampled the ‘Seven hour braised lamb shoulder with balsamic onions and mash’ from Tom’s Kitchen.  It was worth the crowd and wait – the lamb was beautifully tender, and complemented well with the slightly tangy taste of onion and simple mash.
From the Arbutus stand, I found that the gruesome sounding ‘Braised Pigs Head’ was in fact delicious - moist and tender, though a little fatty.  It was accompanied by potato puree and caramalised onion (a popular combination it seems!).  Meanwhile, my husband was enjoying Canteen’s ’spit roasted pork with mash & gravy’.
The only stand where we both tried a dish was Bumpkin – he had the Bumpkin Burger – a lamb burger with rosemary and olives, whilst I tried the Charter Pie.  I had no idea in advance what this pie may contain, and found that under the light pastry lid was chicken, ham and vegetables.  Later research indicates that ‘Charter Pie’ is the traditional name for this type of pie, and was the dish that Bumpkin manager Dariush Nejad recommended for ’starving models-’  Full story here.

Also available was wine and champagne tasting classes, cooking demonstrations and book signings.  The chefs demonstrating included Gary Rhodes, Aldo Zilli, and Marcus Wareing, but we did not attend any of these events.  At last year’s Taste of Bath event we participated in a beer tasting session, and thought it was a bit of pity that there was nothing similar here.

Despite them twisting our arms (again!) into spending lots of money on wine, I really must recommend Charles Mitchell wine merchants.  Not only is Chris Pacey extremely knowledgeable, he is also friendly and happy to help you choose the perfect wine – no matter how many samples it may take!

The atmosphere was laid back, with visitors ranging from the well-heeled to the more casual, and from couples to young families.  The dishes generally are quite expensive (and small!), but if you plan carefully you can make the most of your crowns, and take the opportunity to sample dishes that you may not if faced with a larger dish.

Beef & Mushroom Pie

I cheated a little with this - I used ready made pastry. The ingredients are enough to serve 4 in a 26 cm pie dish, but I use the same amount to make 2 pies, so that one can be frozen. I served mine with boiled potatoes, and some green vegetable.

Ingredients

500g / 1lb 2oz braising or stewing steak, cubed
85g / 3 oz cubed pancetta (bacon or lardons can be used instead)
2 tbsp olive oil
350g / 12 oz onions or shallots, sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
300ml / 18floz red wine
350g / 12oz chestnut mushrooms, chopped
10g / 0.5oz dried mushrooms (Merchant Gourmet have an excellent selection)
500g / 1lb 2oz Puff Pastry (I used Jus-Rol)
1 egg, beaten

1. Heat the oil, and saute the beef & pancetta until browned. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, and put to one side. Add the shallots to the pan, and cook for around 5 minutes until the onions start to turn golden. Return the meat to the pan, and stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes, and then stir in the red wine, using it to deglaze the pan. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 1 hour.

2. Whilst the sauce is cooking, prepare the dried mushrooms by soaking them in warm water for 30 minutes.

3. Add the fresh mushrooms, as well as the dried mushrooms to the meat mixture. The excess liquid from the dried mushrooms can also be added to give added flavour. Allow the mixture to cool.

4. Heat the oven to 220c / gas mark 7

5. Roll out the pastry so you have enough to line the dish(es), with extra to make the lid(s). Fill the dish with the meat sauce, then cover with the leftover pastry, folding the edges over. Glaze the pie with beaten egg and bake for 25 minutes until pastry is puffed and golden.

Broccoli, Stilton and Bacon Soup

Last week I found myself with an excess of Broccoli in my veg box. A quick search of soup recipes revealed a few variations on Broccoli soup, but that sounded a bit bland to me. Further searches found Broccoli & Stilton which sounded better. However, after eating a Stilton & Bacon sandwich at work, I thought why not combine Broccoli, Stilton and Bacon. And so, we have the experiment. It may not sound overly appealing, it certainly doesn’t look heavenly, but the taste is definitely a winner for me.

125g streaky smoky bacon, chopped into small cubes
40g butter
1 red onion, finely chopped
500g broccoli heads
600ml vegetable stock (home made is preferable but today I used vegetable Boullion powder)
60g Stilton, crumbled into small pieces

Using a non-stick pan, fry the bacon without any fat until it starts to crisp.

Add the butter, melt, and then add the onion. Gently fry until it softens. Add the broccoli, and mix well to coat with the buttery mixture. Cook gently for about 2 minutes, and then add the stock. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, and blend the mixture to a smooth purée.

If you are eating the soup straight away, then return the mixture the pan. Gently heat, stirring continuously as you add the cheese pieces. Once heated through, serve.

If you are preparing the soup to eat later, then you can add the cheese pieces to the mixture whilst it is still in the blender. The mixture should still be warm enough to melt the cheese, and you can blend further to ensure that it completely mixes.

Serve the soup with a swirl of single cream and / or some crunchy bacon pieces.

Salmon with Ginger & Soy

This is a quick and simple recipe, that gives your salmon a far-eastern twist. I served mine with plain boiled rice, and Stir-fried Pak Choi . The Pak Choi recipe comes from Gordon Ramsay’s Sunday Lunch, and simply involves stir frying the Pak Choi with some chopped garlic, then adding oyster sauce and soy sauce. It’s a really simple and quick dish that takes me back to the delicious garlic spinach I had in China many years ago.

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan, and cook the salmon skin side down until the skin is crispy. Turn over and cook the other side for a few minutes, until the salmon is cooked through (I cooked a slighter thicker fillet as pictured, and so browned the sides too). Remove the salmon, and keep warm.

Melt a little butter, and add some spring onions (approx 3 onions per person), some finely sliced ginger (amount according to taste), and some finely sliced garlic (1 small clove per person). Fry for about a minute, then add soy sauce (around 1tbspn per person). Mix well, and briefly return the salmon to the pan to coat with the sauce.

If you want to add to the presentation, then a little fresh coriander will look good, as well as complementing the flavour.

B is for Beetroot

For most of life I avoided beetroot, having only encountered the pickled variety. Then last winter I got a 1kg bag of the stuff in my vegetable box. After asking around, I was recommended a recipe for Beetroot Chutney. My preconceptions of how it might taste were totally blown away - the other ingredients give the chutney a deliciously sweet taste. I found that it goes particularly well with boiled ham, or with bread & cheese.

1kg cooked beetroot
500g onions - chopped
400g apples, chopped
250ml white wine (or cider) vinegar
130g brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander

 

 

Place all ingredients into a pot, bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to a very gentle simmer and cook for about an hour or until it thickens.

Other suggestions I have come across are:

• Simply baked: Peel, and cube. Wrap loosely in foil and bake at 180 degrees C for about an hour, until soft
• Beetroot Risotto
• Beetroot Soup (Borscht)
• Beetroot Cake, or even better - Chocolate Beetroot Cake
• Beetroot Crisps
• Various salads (apparently combining with orange works well)

Beetroot is packed with vitamins, and has many medical uses - from being used as a headache cure, to being used for burns, or as an antiseptic.

In ancient times, people believed the colour of beetroot showed how powerful it is.

The Greeks used beetroot to ‘cool’ blood, and Romans used it to fight fever.

Legend also dictates that the patron of Beetroot is Aphrodite, and that if 2 people eat from the same beetroot, then they will fall in love. At the very least, it is considered to be an aphrodisiac.

In early times, the dye properties were used as make up - lipstick and rouge.

Sweet, sour & spicy Pork

This is an culmination of a ‘quick & dirty’ recipe from Good Food Magazine (November 2006), and more traditional methods. The GF recipe is great for speed and ease (10 mins prep, and 15 mins cook), but I prefer avoiding the specified tomato ketchup. I did find that the inclusion of a cinnamon stick gave it a slightly different element, and the addition of red pepper and mushrooms are my own (back to the old 5 a day!)

So, here goes. This will make around 4 portions.

Lean pork, cubed (I allow around 100g per person)
1 tspn olive oil or groundnut oil
1 small onion, sliced
1 small red pepper, sliced
1 tbspn light soy sauce (I used reduced salt)
200g tinned pineapple, reserve syrup.
3 tbspn rice vinegar or wine vinegar
1 tspn tomato purée
3-4 tbspn water
1 cinnamon stick, snapped in half
1 tbspn cornflour

Heat the oil in a pre-heated wok or pan, add the pork and cook until the outside is browned, but not cooked right through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon, and put aside.
Add the veg to the pan (you may need a little more oil) and stir-fry for around a minute. Add the pineapple, along with 2 tbspn of the syrup. Add the water, the cinnamon stick, vinegar and tomato purée, and bring to the boil. Simmer for around 10 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly. Return the pork to the sauce, and simmer for another 5 minutes. Thicken with the cornflour (premixed into a paste with cold water). Serve with rice, and whatever other trimmings you fancy (prawn crackers anyone?)

A is for Apple

‘An Apple a day keeps the doctor away”, a saying dating back to the 19th Century long before we were encouraged to get our 5 a day! High in Vitamin C and other antioxidants, the apple has proved the test of time as a delicious but healthy food.

The apple tree is possibly one of the earliest cultivated trees, and is a fruit associated with many legends, not to mention it’s place in Genesis. Today it is the widest cultivated fruit, with over 7500 varieties growing world wide, with 1200 varieties in the UK alone. Yet I have heard of only a small number of the names, such as Braeburn, and Cox Pippen. Whilst doing a little research for this post, I found this excellent article on The Great British Kitchen website - so now I know a few more varieties to look out for!

Savoury Ideas:

• Caramalised Apples Slices to accompany pork (there are lots of variations on this)
• Apple Chutney
• Beetroot Chutney (recipe to follow)
• Bramley Gravy
• Guinness and Apple Roast Beef

Sweet / Pudding / Dessert Ideas

• Toffee Apple Pudding - I made this for Bonfire Night one year - absolutely amazing.
• Traditional Apple Pie
• Chocolate and Toffee Apples

Apart from eating, there are a few more uses that I have come across:

• Store half an apple with cake to keep it fresh
• Place one in a paper bag with green tomatoes in order to ripen them
• Place a wedge in a sealed bag with hardened brown sugar to soften it back up again
• Excess salt in your soup or stew? Add a few wedges of apple for 10 minutes.