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Asparagus and prawn risotto

I make a few different risotto’s and this is one of them… light delicate tastes, the fresh asparagus is amazing and tender when just picked…

Ingredients board

Prep: 10min Cook: 25min

Remember that for the stock you want a light taste – use a raw partridge carcass (or two) and 1/2tsp bouillon, or a raw chicken carcass, or shellfish shells to make a delicate stock. Using cubes is a no-no, the salty taste is too powerful.

Ingredients

1 finely chopped onion

100g chopped mushrooms (chestnut for preference or field mushrooms)

100g chopped squash (red kuri or other light soft squash)

8 spears (about 75g) chopped asparagus

125g prawns cut into small pieces (halves or thirds)

1 dstspn sour cream

175g stick rice

500ml stock

1 garlic clove (crushed) or cook it in the stock then discard

black pepper and a grating of parmesan

Method

  1. Soften the onions and squash on a medium heat with a little butter and a little olive oil.
  2. When the onions are translucent add the mushrooms. and continue cooking until the mushrooms soften.
  3. Add the rice and stir for a few seconds before adding some stock. If you want to add white wine to deglaze the pan, do this before adding stock and cook off the alcohol before adding the stock – use a dry, crisp wine (about 50ml).
  4. Add the garlic now if it’s not infused into the stock and cook on a low-medium heat (5/10 on induction) for 18min, adding stock if you need too.
  5. When the rice is just a few minutes off cooked turn it down to 3/10 and in a separate pan lightly fry the asparagus for 90sec in a little butter with a sprinkle of salt.
  6. Add the prawns and asparagus to the main dish, stir and grate parmesan and black pepper on top, add the cream and gently stir to mix and melt the parmesan.
  7. Serve

A few things to look out for. Don’t over-cook the prawns – they will only take 45sec to cook and will carry on cooking as you dish up and take things to the table. For the asparagus – you want a bite so when you fry it, as soon as it bruises when you press it lightly with the spatula – it’s done – 2minutes tops. The parmesan adds salt, so while you may need a little – you wont need much at all.

You can substitute the asparagus for samphire – I do if I can get it. I use 1/2 as much and just mix it though with the prawns at the end. The salty crunch is divine.

If you don’t have prawns, then frying or grilling a delicate white fish to go on the top is a great alternative (sea bass is excellent), cook it with a little olive oil and a squeeze of lemon.

Risotto with fried sea bass
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Wild Garlic Carbonara

A quick simple pasta, the wild garlic adds a woodland vibe.

Prep: 3min Cook: 12min

Quick carbonara

Ingredients

200g spaghetti or linguini

125g portabella or chestnut mushrooms roughly chopped

4 rashers smoked streaky bacon chopped

Small bunch wild garlic leaves, shredded

1 egg, beaten

2 dstspn sour cream

grating of parmisan,

ground black pepper

Method

  1. Put the pasta on to cook in boiling salted water.
  2. When there is about 7 min to go start cooking the bacon with some olive oil in a frying pan on a high heat.
  3. As the bacon starts to colour, turn the heat down slightly and add the mushrooms.
  4. Cook the mushrooms to remove excess water, when they are done turn off the heat and mix through the wild garlic to wilt it.
  5. In a bowl, mix the egg, sour cream, parmesan and black pepper to a smooth emulsion.
  6. When the pasta is cooked, drain it and place it back in its pan on a low heat (2/10 on induction), immediately mix through the bacon/mushroom/garlic mix and then ass the egg mix.
  7. Stir this though for 15sec and the heat will cook the egg and produce a lovely emulsion covering the pasta.
  8. Serve.
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Gyoza, two fillings, pork and prawn.

Gyoza are a treat. I serve them with three dips: soy sauce, sweet chilli dipping sauce, and chilli relish. Cook them in batches of 6 and eat them straight away before cooking more. They are supposed to be a side/starter, but when I make them they become the whole meal.

I’ve got 2 fillings I use, one pork, one shellfish. For the shellfish you can use prawns, lobster, scallops, and for the pork you can substitute razor clams (spoots), or veal if you fancy.

Pork filling

150g pork fillet chopped

60g water chestnuts chopped

small sprig of chopped chives (or a spring onion)

1 small chilli chopped

4 or 5 shredded baby cabbage leaves

salt and pepper

Prawn filling

150g prawns, chopped

60g water chestnuts chopped

small sprig of chopped chives (or a spring onion)

a small handful of chopped spinach

salt and pepper

Method for prepping the filling

  1. Mix the ingredients in a blender and blitz to a grainy mix – not a paste, but not chunky.
  2. Dry fry for a couple of minutes to cook everything and drive off any excess water.
  3. Put to one side in a bowl

Making up the Gyoza

  1. Lay out your Gyoza skin, on one half place a good sized teaspoon of the filling.
  2. Fold over the skin and then fold over and press the edges. Trim the skin if you need to before you fold and press. You shouldn’t need any liquid or oil – the skin should just stick. But use a little if you feel the need.
  3. You can make them pretty with the way you fold, or not. Just make sure it’s stuck…

Cooking

  1. Steam the Gyoza for 3-4 minutes. If you don’t have a steamer then a colander over a pan of water works fine (but keep a lid on). This cooks the pastry. It is also possible to dunk the Gyoza in just simmering water for 60sec, but you risk losing them if they split.
  2. Transfer to a pan and shallow fry in veg oil, about 1min per side until golden. If you’ve done them beautifully then they will be vaguely triangular in cross section and you get to fry three sides. But if you’re like me it’s a bit hit and miss.
Gyoza – served on a napkin and ready to dip…
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Gyoza skins

Gyoza are Japanese dumplings. I first came across them in Waggamama, and it was a few years before I was brave enough to attempt them myself. They are 1/2 moon shaped dumplings that are steamed then fried, with sauce for dips, and they are utterly delicious.

Because I live in the middle of no-where my choices for the pastry are either to buy it online, or make it. Big supermarkets sell the gyoza skins and that makes the whole process a lot less fiddly. But, for me, the fiddle is part of the fun…

I use a recipe that includes oil in the pastry – some don’t, but it’s what I like. I also use the flour I keep in the house rather than authentic Japanese flour.

The finished, but uncooked gyoza

Ingredients (for 24 skins)

90g strong bread flour

90g plain flour

1/5tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp veg oil

~100ml hot water

Method

  1. Mix the flours together and add the oil and salt, stirring with a fork
  2. Add about 2/3 of the water (just off the boil from the kettle) and quickly mix it in with the fork.
  3. Add more water if needed to just bring the dough together and no more (be slightly sparing if anything)
  4. Turn out onto a board and knead/roll to get a lovely smooth, silky and elastic dough.
  5. Wrap in cling film and place in the fridge for 20min.
  6. take to cooled dough and roll it into a sausage. Cut the sausage in half, then half again making 4 nice round mini-sausage. Each of these is cut into 3 and rolled out on a lightly (plain) floured board into circles about 10cm diameter.

The hot water makes the dough really silky and elastic – and is essential because you will be rolling these out really thin (translucent thin). When they are rolled you can stack them with either a little flour in-between or using baking paper (I use flour). Use them that day.

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Haggis Neeps and Tatties

Traditional for Burns night, but good anytime…

There are two simple ways of doing this dish, as three things on a plate, or as a pie, in layers. Personal choice I tend to make the pie. But whatever you do the ratio is king – 1/3 of each, and every forkful carrying a little of each – it’s the combination that makes this dish.

You can make your own haggis (I have), however, it’s not so easy to get a ‘pluck’ (the offal including the lungs) and when you make a batch if you get it wrong then there’s a lot of it gone wrong. If you want to try making it there are good recipes online. I’d recommend using pin-meal oats, and make a small one to get the technique and flavour right, making sure you keep a good record of your ratios and cooking. Them make up the rest – you’ll need to do it all on one day because the pluck doesn’t keep well. You have been warned.

Easier to buy the haggis and grow the veg…

Ingredients

I buy MacSween Haggis, for me there is no substitute. You used to get it in sheep’s stomachs, but now it comes in a wrapper. So if you want to go all Burnsy and do the ode you’ll need to get a wrapper for effect.

Ingredients

Haggis 150g/person

Potatoes for mashing 200g/person – I use Charlotte.

Neep (Swede) 200g/person

Butter

Method

This is simplicity itself.

  1. Peel and chop the neep into cubes, put it onto boil for 20min in salted water.
  2. Peel and chop the potatoes, put them onto boil for 18min in salted water.
  3. When you’ve got about 5minutes to go break the haggis into chunks in a bowl, add about a tablespoon of hot water and start microwaving it – I do 3 batches of 2 minutes on increasing power (stirring between) for a 400g haggis. Add a bit more water if it needs it to fluff up and be moist but not wet.
  4. When the potatoes are cooked, drain, put on the hob for a few seconds to dry off, then add butter and mash.
  5. Do the same for the neep but no butter – you’ll find they give up a little water when they are mashed which does the job nicely. Use a sturdy masher for the neep as they are more resistant when cooked than potatoes.
  6. Option 1 serve immediately, or option 2, layer them in a pie dish, haggis on the bottom then neep, then potato and in a pre-heated oven at 225c (fan) for 12 min.

Simple, you can get haggis sauce, or make it – but really for me it’s best just the three on a plate.

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Pheasant Paella (or chicken or rabbit)

Before you get upset and say this isn’t Paella, remember my recipes aren’t authentic – they are just mine. The names are how I will find them in my blog…

This is a great recipe for late autumn, just into pheasant season, or a cold spring day. If you use rabbit – I joint 2 rabbits into 5 pieces (legs and saddle) for this dish, miss out the prawns and cook the rabbit to flavour the stock first. Otherwise it’s the same.

If I use a pre-made chicken stock it is from the bones of a roast – adds more flavour.

Prep: 15min Cook: 2hours if your making the stock as you go

Ingredients:

1 portion of chicken or 2 pheasant breasts

1 onion chopped

1 pepper chopped

2 garlic cloves crushed

1tsp smoked paprike

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp black pepper

20g chorizo finely cubed

125g prawns

25ml sherry or white wine

1 tsp fresh thyme leaves chopped

1 chopped fresh tomato

175g basmati rice

~500ml stock

Method

  1. make the stock – if your using chicken I put 1 leg one wing and a carcass with 1/2 tsp of bouillon in water to simmer for 90min. If Pheasant I use pre-made pheasant stock. Strain and strip the meat from the bones.
  2. In a wide iron dish, fry the onions, peppers and chorizo in olive oil until the onions and pepper are softened.
  3. Add the pepper, paprika and garlic and fry for 15sec
  4. Deglaze with the sherry and add the rice, stir for a few seconds to drive off the alcohol and add the stock and thyme, turn it right down, and cook for 20min.
  5. When the stock is almost all absorbed, add the tomato and 2min later add the prawns. Be brave, as soon as the prawns aren’t grey serve with a drizzle of lemon juice, the prawns will carry on cooking on the way to the table.

This recipe has lots of ingredients – but they all play an important part in the flavour. The thyme and chorizo are the core of flavour here, with the paprika’s just adding more depth.

It’s important not to over-cook the tomato, if the tomato breaks down into the sauce it’s too much – you want it as warm chunks. And I use basmati rice because I only keep that and sticky rice in the house – a decent long grain will do well – you want something that stays separated.

If you want to be fancy you can decorate the top with nasturtium flowers – looks impressive and the flavours go really well.

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Pizza Toppings

This is a list of the toppings and mixes I use for my pizza base. I’ll typically pick two different ones to do at once.

Venison and Blue Cheese: 1/2 onion sliced; 100g of venison fillet into thin strips; 100g soft blue cheese as small chunks; 1/2 a mozzarella as small cubes.

Add the onion first, then venison, then cheese. First had this in Finland – awesome combo.

Balsamic Onions: finely slice an onion and soften with olive oil and 1dstspn of really good balsamic – drive off the acetic acid, then top the pizza and sprinkle 1/2 a mozzarella as small cubes.

If you use a watery balsamic add 4-5times as much and cook it off part way before adding the onion to the pan.

Ham and Pineapple: 1/2 onion finely sliced; 3 slices Parma ham torn into pieces; 2 pineapple rings cut into small pieces and patted dry; 1/2 a mozzarella as small cubes.

A classic, you can do it like this or if you want you can use a tomato base as well – cook down passata to 1/3 to 1/2 volume and a couple of tblspn will cover the base.

Partridge and Pear: 2 partridge breasts cut as thin strips; a ripe pear, peeled cored and cut into ribbons with a potato peeler; 2 smoked streaky bacon rashers cut as tiny pieces; a 1/4 onion or shallot finely sliced, 1/2 a mozzarella as small cubes. (optional add a few cubes of soft blue cheese or goats cheese)

Smoked Bacon and Mushroom: 3 rashers smoked bacon cut into thin strips, fine slices of 1/2 a portabella mushroom, small handful of fresh basil leaves ripped in half, 50ml thick tomato sauce, 1/2 a mozzarella as small cubes

Partridge and Chilli: 1 partridge breast as small batons, 1 chilli finely chopped, 50ml thick tomato sauce, 1 small sprig of thyme finely chopped, a small handful of rocket, 1/2 a mozzarella as small cubes. (optional – goats cheese)

Margarita: 50ml thick tomato sauce, small handful of torn basil leaves, pepper, grating of parmesan and 1/2 a mozzarella as small cubes.

Courgette and Bacon: 1 or two small (baby) courgette as ribbons (use a potato peeler), one or two courgette flowers ripped, small handful of basil leaves ripped, 2 slices smoked streaky bacon as fine baton. Tiny drizzle of tarragon oil, 1/2 mozzarella as small cubes.

Rocket, pear and ham: 3 slices Parma ham torn, 1 small dessert pear peeled cored and as fine slices, handful of rocket, 1/2 a mozzarella as small cubes.

Venison tomato and chilli: 100g venison sirloin as thin batons, 1 finely chopped chilli, 1/2 finely sliced onion, a few fine slices of a beef tomato patted dry, 1/2 mozzarella as small cubes.

Prawns, rocket and garlic: 1/2 pack of prawns, 1/2 onion finely sliced, 30ml olive oil with 2 crushed garlic cloves, handful of rocket, 1/2 mozzarella as small cubes.

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Pizza Base – light and crispy

Pizza is a great dish – but it’s only as good as the base – this is my favourite, enough for 2 large bases that cover the biggest baking trays that fit in my oven.

Prep: 10 min Prove: 1hr Prep: 10min Prove: 1hr Cook: 12min

Ingredients

75g semolina flour

175g strong bread flour

1/2tsp salt

30ml olive oil

1 dstspn sour cream

1/2 pack (3.5g) yeast

~80ml water

1/2tsp sugar

Method

  1. Add the yeast and sugar to the water and stir, leave it for a few minutes to activate the yeast.
  2. While that’s happening mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, then add most of the yeast mix.
  3. Mix until you have a dough, add more of the yeast if you need it, or more strong flour. Knead for 5min until you have a soft springy dough.
  4. Place in an oiled bowl and cover with a damp cloth, leave it to at least double (about 1hr at room temp).
  5. Split the dough in half, place each half on an oiled nonstick baking tray and roll out as thin as you dare.
  6. Put them somewhere to rise for another hour (20min in a proving oven).
  7. Preheat the oven to 225c (fan) cook for 6min then add the topping and cook for another 6-8min.

The first cooking period makes sure the bread is going to be crispy in the middle – it helps against the topping making it soggy. The oil is also important as it crisps the bread to a lovely golden crunch. Use olive oil as it’s a better flavour and gives a better colour.

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Not a Naan Bread

When I cook curry, more often than not I’ll make a bread to go with it. I suppose it comes from the Balti houses I used to go to when I was in Birmingham. For me a curry is made better by a bread.

I don ‘t have the right sort of oven for cooking naan, and pre-bought just don’t pass muster for me (sorry), so I make this bread instead. It’s not authentic by any stretch, but it’s tasty and fresh and always disappears.

I’ve listed different fillings below, my favourite is almond.

Prep: 10min Proving: 2 lots of 2 hours Cooking: 8min

Ingredients

40g semolina flour

135g strong white flour

1 dstspn sour cream

1 dstspn veg oil

pinch of salt

1/2 pkt (3.5g) dried yeast

1/4 tsp sugar

80ml water

Method

  1. Mix the yeast sugar and water and set to one side for a few minutes to wake up the yeast (gives you a quicker and more even rise)
  2. Mix the flour(s), cream, oil and salt in a bowl
  3. Add the yeast mix and work into a dough. Knead the dough for 4-5min until smooth. Add extra water/flour as needed to get the right consistency. (if you’ve got a bread-maker you can get it to do the mixing and kneading for you, just check the consistency after a few minutes)
  4. Leave it to rise (cover with a damp cloth) about 2 hours room temperature or 30-45min in a proving oven.
  5. Halve the dough and flatten each half to the size of a frying-pan (use flour to stock it sticking to the board). Add the filling to one half, put the other half on top and seal. Leave to rise for another 2 hours (or 30min in proving oven)
  6. fry for 4min each side in a little butter or ghee. Cut like a pizza and serve.

Fillings:

You can use garlic butter, finely sliced garlic, fennel seeds, sultanas, chopped figs or a spoonful of ground almonds – they all work. You just need a thin coating – don’t be too heavy handed.

For garlic it’s better to boil it for a few minutes then cool before cutting. It stops it being raw and crunchy because the bread takes so little time to cook.

I’ve also found it’s better to fill the ‘not naan’ than mix the fillings with the dough – they can really slow the rise – and they make the bread heavier and tougher. It should be light, tiny air bubbles in the dough, slightly golden in places from frying.

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Goose and Beetroot curry

In the run up to Christmas I often get grey-leg goose. They are hunted around here and are plentiful ‘fair-game’. However, unlike the goose you buy from a butcher, they can be tough. So as a rule of thumb look at the beak – the less thick and ridged the younger and more tender the bird will probably be (no guarantee).

If I’m lucky enough to get 4 then I’ll keep one to pluck and either roast or turn it into crispy Chinese goose, the others are for curries, hot pots etc. For these birds I remove the breasts, wings and legs, getting 4 portions per bird (leg+wing = 1 portion).

Goose is an awesome taste, and it goes well with a bit of sweetness. The season is right for beetroot, so they form the basis of the sauce.

Prep: 15min Cook: 40min

Ingredients

1 Goose breast cubed

2 beetroot cubed

2 beetroot grated

1 chopped onion

250ml stock (pheasant for preference)

2 tsp cumin

2 tsp corriander

2 tsp garam masala

contents of 6 cardamon pods

2 chillies chopped

pinch of cinnamon

pinch of fresh grated nutmeg

25g sultana or chopped dried fruit (optional)

1 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp sea salt

Method

  1. Fry the onion until soft and translucent in veg oil.
  2. Add all the spices and the cubed goose, seal the goose and fry off the spices (about 30 sec).
  3. Add the beetroot and stock (and fruit if using), stir well and cook on a low heat for 35min, cook the sauce to a thick sticky consistency. Add more water/stock if required.

The grated beetroot and onion make the sweet and sticky sauce. The extra fruit increases the sweetness and so can be omitted or balanced with an extra chilli.

The cardamon is important as an aromatic, it lifts the dish, you can substitute with fennel seeds.

If you find it too sweet you can add the juice of 1 lime towards the end, the acidity will cut through the sweetness, but adds an extra layer to the flavour. I find a contrasting side or pickle better.

Normally served with Naan and a veg side dish.