Archive for the ‘Recipes’ Category

Bite-sized Italian nibbles will make an interesting alternative or addition to traditional dim sum this Chinese New Year. Try , canederli (Italian dumplings with speck), ricotta and parmesan dumplings or arancini (deep fried risotto balls)…

Serves 4

10ml olive oil
160g carnaroli risotto rice
40ml white wine
350ml vegetable stock
30g Parmesan (grated)
40g plain flour
1 egg
80g white breadcrumbs
vegetable oil, enough to deep-fry
salt and pepper
150g n’duja

In a saucepan, gently heat the olive oil. Add the risotto rice to the pan and stir until the rice starts turning opaque at the ends. Add the white wine and stir until absorbed. Then add the stock, a ladle at a time until evaporated. After about 15 minutes, check the rice is cooked and take off the heat.

Add the butter, Parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Add the egg and mix well. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for 10 more minutes until cold.

Now divide into 8 portions. Make a small ball of nduja and surround with rice to make a ball. Lightly dust each ball in flour, then dip into beaten egg and then breadcrumbs.

Heat the vegetable oil to 180C in a deep-fat fryer or medium sized saucepan. Fry the arancini for a few minutes until golden brown, then drain well on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.

4 medium eggs
175g light muscovado unrefined cane sugar
160ml sunflower oil
200g self-raising flour
300g purple carrots, grated
1tsp mixed spice
100g flaked almonds
25g Turkish raisins
grated zest of 1 orange

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4 and grease a loaf tin, then line with baking paper.

Now mix the eggs and sugar in a large bowl, whisking until thick and creamy, then gradually add in the sunflower oil. Sieve the flour into the mixture and gently blend together. Add the rest of the ingredients.

Finally, pour the mixture into the prepared tin and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, until firm to touch and golden brown.

For a luxurious finishing touch, ice it with cream cheese mixed with a little icing sugar once cool.

Serves: 4

12 scallops
4 rosemary stalks, leaves removed, but kept
pared zest and juice of 2 amalfi lemons
12 bay leaves
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Thread 3 scallops onto each rosemary stalk, alternating with three pieces of lemon zest and three bay leaves. Put the skewers in a roasting tin.

Pound the rosemary leaves and oil together (in a pestle and mortar if you have one) until fine and pour over the scallops. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.

Then preheat the oven to 200C. Season the rosemary skewers and put the roasting tin in the oven to bake for eight minutes only.

Enjoy!

Using a salt crust will make your fish incredibly flavoursome and succulent. Just a dash of good quality olive oil and lemon juice will finish the dish perfectly.

a generous amount of coarse sea salt
200ml water
1 whole red snapper
1 lemon
bunch of fresh thyme or wild fennel
extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Preheat the oven to 180C.

In a bowl stir together the salt and water until combined.

On a large baking sheet spread half of salt mixture in a rectangle just larger than the red snapper and set fish on top.

Halve the lemon crosswise and cut 3 slices from 1 half, reserving the remaining half. Insert the slices into the cavity of the fish and fill with the herbs. Pat the rest of the salt mixture over fish to cover completely and bake in middle of of the oven for 30 minutes.

Tap all around the edge of the salt crust with the back of a large spoon to loosen, then lift the top off. Squeeze the juice from your reserved lemon half over the fish, drizzle with olive oil and carefully lift off the bottom crust. Serve with buttery seasonal vegetables and new potatoes.

Perk yourself up this January with a refreshing, seasonal salad…

1 orange
1 pink grapefruit
1 fennel bulb, sliced
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds

Peel and segment the orange and grapefruit, segment and remove the pith. Add the segments to a bowl.

Thinly slice the fennel and add to the citrus. Lightly mix and set aside.

Dry-fry the coriander and cumin seeds to release their aromas, then crush to a coarse powder in a pestle and mortar or food processor. Mix the crushed seeds into the salad.

Serve and enjoy!

Serves 2

2 lemon sole fillets
100g plain flour
2 eggs
100g breadcrumbs
2 large handfuls of fresh mixed herbs
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice

Put the flour onto a flat plate, season with salt and pepper.

Beat the eggs, pour them onto a different plate.

On a third plate, lay out the breadcrumbs.

Dip each sole fillet first in the flour, then the egg, then the breadcrumbs to coat.

To make the pesto, finely chop all the herbs and mix with vinegar, oil, salt, pepper and lemon juice.

Fry until each side is nicely golden brown. Remove from the heat and place on some kitchen towel to absorb any excess oil.

Transfer the fillets to a plate and spoon the pesto over the top.

Try serving this with some fresh new potatoes and a crisp green salad.

400g brussel sprouts
200g Roquefort
30g butter
50g walnuts
20g breadcrumbs

Prepare the sprouts by removing the outer leaves if damaged, and wash thoroughly.

Steam or boil until tender, and place in individual ramekins.

Crumble the cheese and sprinkle on top of the sprouts, then add a spoonful of breadcrumbs to each ramekin.

Clarify some butter in a pan (fry gently until the foam subsides), then pour one tbsp over the breadcrumbs on each pot.

Finally sprinkle a teaspoon of crushed walnuts and bake in the oven for 10 minutes at 220C. Grill for the last two minutes. Decorate with a whole half walnut and serve hot.

4kg goose (with giblets)
6 slices of white bread, crust removed
500ml milk
400g coarsely ground pork
4 chicken livers, ground
1 goose liver, ground
3 shallots, finely chopped
nutmeg
cinnamon
cloves
ginger
2 eggs
750g peeled and boiled chestnuts
2 onions, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 tomato, chopped (peeled and seeded)
salt and pepper

Soak the bread with the milk in a bowl.

Place all the ground meat in a bowl, season with salt and pepper then add the bread (after having squeezed out excess milk), the shallots, the spices and the eggs. Mix very well and then add the chestnuts.

Season the inner cavity of the goose with salt and pepper, stuff with the chestnut meat mix and sew it closed. Season the outside and place it side down on a roasting dish.

Add to the pan the diced vegetables (onion, carrot tomatoes) and the chopped giblets. Cook for 40 minutes at 180C, basting every 10 minutes. Turn the bird on the other side and cook for a further 40 minutes. Turn on the first side again and cook for 30 minutes, then on the second side again for 30 minutes. Finally turn on its back and cook for ten minutes, then breast side down for a final 10 minutes. Remember to baste regularly.

Transfer the vegetables to a plate, then strain the cooking juice and put in a sauceboat on the table. Serve with the goose.

This beautiful soft nougat will make a delicious gift for any sweet-tooth!

250g blanched almonds, roughly chopped
250g blanched hazelnuts, roughly chopped
200g honey
400g icing sugar
1 egg white
ground toasted hazelnuts to cover

Beat the egg white until very firm. Then gently add the honey and keep beating until light in colour. Stir in the sugar.

Cook on a low heat (this is best done in a copper pan) until it reaches a firm consistency.

Remove from the heat and add the roughly chopped nuts, stirring to mix well.

Sprinkle a cold surface with the ground hazelnuts. Pour the mixture over this, cover with more ground nuts and shape into a rectangular log.

Leave to cool, then cut into pieces.

200g unsalted butter
200g dark chocolate (70% cocoa)
3 eggs
300g granulated sugar
2tsp vanilla extract
125g plain flour
a pinch of salt
100g white chocolate chunks
40g walnut pieces
40g hazelnut pieces
40g almond pieces
100g dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 180C (gas mark 4). Grease a deep baking tray and line with greaseproof paper.

Break up the dark chocolate and place with the butter in a bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Melt gently, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool slightly.

Beat the eggs with the sugar and vanilla extract until thick and creamy. Stir in the melted chocolate mixture. Sift in the flour and salt then fold in gently. Add the white chocolate chunks, nuts and cranberries and mix gently.

Pour the mixture into the baking tin and cook for 20 minutes. The top should have a glossy film and the centre should still be slightly gooey. Leave to cool before cutting into squares.