Month: November 2021

Posted on

Roast Chicken (or partridge)

a roast chicken is a lovely thing. Either with roasties, or ciabatta – always feels like a treat.

Prep: 2min Cook: 90min (depends on bird)

Ingredients

1 Chicken or 2 Partridge

50ml sherry

olive oil, salt, water

Method

  1. preheat oven to 200c (fan)
  2. pour the sherry into the body cavity(s), add about 100ml of water to the base of the pan, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  3. Cook and baste. For partridge cook for 30 min, baste every 10 and turn the oven down to 175c after 15min. For Chicken, baste every 20min, cook for 45min/kg + 20min and turn the oven down to 175c after 20min.
A roast chicken, 15min to go…

I put water into the pan to keep a moist atmosphere while the bird cooks. The high initial temperature and the use of olive oil and salt means the bird will still brown, but will also be succulent. I use sherry to flavour the bird, and because unlike using herbs or spices it doesn’t overly distort the flavour from the stock I make from the bones.

If you like you can use a bit of thyme, then the stock is excellent for paella. Or Cumin, then the stock is ideal for couscous or curry. you can also drape a partridge with a couple of slices of streaky bacon and leave the oven at 200c, but you still need to baste to get the best from it.

To serve I simply joint the bird, parsons nose, legs, wings, breasts. Then pull the remaining meat off. Leftovers are for breakfast or the following days tea.

I will very occasionally roast a partridge, but normally stick to chicken. I think you can do much better with partridge in other dishes, and plucking is a pain! I don’t roast pheasant for two reasons, firstly you have to pre-pull the leg tendons with pliers, and as I said – plucking is a pain,

Posted on

Venison Chilli

One of the few ‘ready meals’ I make in big batches and freeze. While it does rob it of a little heat, you can always add fresh chilli either at the end or during the reheating, and it’s best cooked for a long time – so making batches is the right thing to do.

Prep: 30min Cook: 100min Cool: 90min

Ingredients

1.5 kg venison mince

3.5 l passata or 9 tins of chopped tomatoes

8 onions, diced

4 carrots, diced or grated

3 tins of kidney beans washed well

12 chillies, chopped, ideally two types

1 tblspn cumin

1 dstspn paprika

1 dstspn fresh ground pepper

1 dstspn salt

50ml olive oil

75g dark chocolate (optional)

Method

  1. Add the olive oil and onions and carrots to a large pan and cook until the onions start to turn translucent and soften.
  2. Add the venison, and cook until the venison mince is browned and starts giving up juices.
  3. put the cumin, chilli, pepper and paprika into the pot stirring well. After about 30 seconds you’ll smell the change in the cumin and chilli –
  4. Immediately add the pasata/tomatoes, stir, bring to the simmer then turn right down (3/10 on induction), with the lid nearly on and cook for 90min stirring occasionally
  5. If you’re adding the chocolate add it now grated and stir through.
  6. Add salt to taste, and check the depth of flavour, add more cumin if needed, and more chilli until it’s almost too hot for your taste.
  7. Place the pot to one side, off the heat, stir through the kidney beans and leave to cool before bagging as 400ml potions (you should have 10-12 of these)

Serve with rice (brown rice is good), sprinkle extra chilli if you want it or black pepper, then grated cheddar, then sour cream, and finally a dust of paprika.

Venison is the king of meat for chilli in my eyes, you can use beef mince, but venison packs a greater flavour. If you use beef add a couple of stock cubes and halve the salt to get more flavour in there.

The chocolate add an extra layer to the taste, it also tones down the chilli a little, so mix it before you test for heat. And talking of heat, I tend to use whatever chillies I’ve grown. My ideal is 2/3 cayenne and 1/3 a hotter variety like a pubescens chilli. Or if I buy them in then a couple of scotch bonnet. Mixing chillies really improves the flavour as each pepper is distinctive, but you have to taste it through the heat to really get that.

If you’re not a fan of hot you can reduce the chillies, but to keep the flavour I would add a couple of finely chopped sweet peppers with the onions. Marconi peppers for preference but red bell peppers will do just fine. That’s a personal taste thing, I think Marconi peppers go better with chilli hotness than red bell peppers, and green peppers would be the wrong taste.

Posted on

Tomato Basil Pasta

A super simple summer pasta.

Prep: 5 min Cooking: 12 min

Ingredients

4 deseeded tomatoes chopped into small (less than 1cm) squares

1 mozzarella cut into small cubes

a handful of fresh basil leaves roughly ripped

200g spaghetti or linguini

Method

  1. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water, add a drop of olive oil to stop it foaming.
  2. When the pasta is ready for your taste drain well, drizzle a little olive oil and serve.
  3. Sprinkle the tomato, then mozzarella, then basil on top of the pasta add a sprinkle of salt and fresh black pepper.

This dish is so simple – but incredibly fresh and tasty. I first had this in Rome as a tiny out of the way restaurant. With fresh tomatoes from the garden, still warm from the vine, and home grown basil (which is stronger and more pungent than shop bought), this is tangy and feels luxurious, like being on holiday.

Posted on

My Spice Shelf Part 2 (G-Z)

Garam masala: A mix of spices used in lots of Indian (and other) dishes. When I was growing up I found out that lots of families had their own personal mixes passed down through generations to make their families food their very own. Beautiful and romantic as that is, and while a basic mix is made up of other things on the shelf, the skill in the blend and the roasting is beyond my skill to make consistently and my own. So for simplicity I use the pre-mixed stuff.

Mixed Spice: As it says a mix of spices – it contains things I don’t keep on the shelf – like allspice and mace. Used in some spicy dishes but just as often in cakes and desserts.

Nutmeg (whole): Whole nutmegs keep for ages without losing their edge, even better if they have their kernels on – not only do they keep better but you can get the fresh mace, wrapped like lace, around them too. Even without this and in their inner case they keep for years. Fresh ground is an aroma that fills the kitchen and add to cakes, syrups, spiced food, tea, the list goes on…

Paprika: Dried and ground red peppers. It adds a taste of capsicum without the heat and colours dishes a deep almost oily red. For me it’s though some Spanish and Mediterranean dishes. It adds a depth and a pungency which is hard to get with anything else. I’ll sometimes add it to tomato sauces to spice them up instead of (or along with) chilli, and it goes amazingly well with shellfish, rice dishes, as a sprinkle on chilli and (of course) in sausages.

Paprika (smoked): The louder bigger brother of paprika – the smokiness works better when using a darker heavier meat, like goose or venison. It can add a hint of BBQ to kebabs from the oven and packs a real punch when added to a sauce.

Sea salt (Maldon flakes and large granules): I like sea salt. It tastes stronger to me and therefore I use less. I use sea salt granules for salting water, and Maldon salt for everything else. I’ve tried other salts and basic table salt is so much less tasty – I end up over-salting everything. So I spend more and use less. It has the added advantage of (when sprinkled on top) of adding a crunch and intense shards of flavour. Some ingredients are worth the extra and to my mind sea salt in all it’s incarnations is definitely one of these.

Turmeric: A root, vaguely like ginger root in appearance (same family), and like ginger you can grow it in the UK with a little care. To my taste buds turmeric is a bitter drying taste, with a depth of almost overpowering earthiness, but on top (or underneath) that is a complexity – acid when fresh, acidic in aftertaste when dry. Brilliant with lime or lemon flavours and a colour that makes my potato curry look just right. Often overlooked in my opinion, a really versatile spice that brings out the flavours and adds contrast to a host of dishes.

So that’s it… Not too many, and all refreshed at least every year through use. I’m having a go at growing saffron, but we’ll see if that makes it onto the shelf, or not… I’ll keep you posted

Posted on

My Spice Shelf Part 1 (A-F)

I like to minimise the number of spices I have on my shelf as much as I can. The reasons? well mainly it’s so they don’t get too old before they’re used. And when I made the shelf I kept it small to enforce the rule.

The time was that I’d slavishly follow recipes, and buy herbs and spices especially for one dish, but no longer. Gone are the days when, reaching the end of the supermarket aisles I would still be missing one ingredient and would have to trapes back round replacing things and wondering what the hell I was going to cook now?

It’s also worth saying I don’t keep dried herbs on my shelf. I grow pretty much all the herbs I use and tend to freeze the tender ones as a paste or make flavoured oils to take me though the winter. The spices are ones I use often and I’ve found can substitute for others in recipes if I need too.

So, whats on the shelf…

Black pepper corns: In a grinder – used in just about everything and with a taste a world away from pre-ground pepper. I buy 500g bags and keep them in air-tight bags inside an air-tight box to keep them as fresh as possible.

Beef stock cubes: For when I don’t have the bones or the time to make fresh.

Bisto gravy granules: Because they are easy and work well for gravy in pies, but not used in anything else…

Boullion: An excellent veg stock powder that adds good flavour to other stocks without adding too much salt. I’ll often fortify my stocks with a teaspoon of boullion, or use it to add a bit more depth to a spice mix.

Cardamon pods: I buy these in bulk too, 250g bags. I use the seeds, but they keep better as pods. In rice, cous cous, curries and even in some cake recipes – love the aniseed flavour. I’ll use them interchangeably with Fennel seeds (which I collect from the garden in season). And of course anything that needs an aniseed edge gets them in as a substitute for star anise for example.

Chinese 5 Spice: Most of my Chinese style recipes have this in – it’s easy and smells like my earliest memories of Chinese food. Not sophisticated but a great staple flavouring.

Cinnamon: Who doesn’t like the smell? in muffins, cous cous, danish, some curries, syrups – awesome spice. Don’t use much but couldn’t be without it.

Cloves (ground): A strong pungent flavour – not for the faint hearted… As part of a rub on a roast ham, in some curries or pickles – packs a real punch. Typically added in tiny quantities but really makes its presence felt.

Cumin: A mainstay of my cooking. From Africa through to the far East. Cumin is at the heart of many, many spice mixes. Just try a roast chicken rubbed with cumin and olive oil and try not to drool as the smell fills the kitchen – go on I dare you! Again I buy in 500g bags and it lasts maybe 3 months…

Curry powder: A simple mix for basic curries. You can mix your own (and I sometimes do) but sometimes speed and ease is more important…

Fennel seeds: From the garden. I harvest some in the autumn, but the birds love them too. Most often used through naan-style breads (or similar) to add an aroma that, to me, turns bread into joy. I’ll only use a teaspoon through a bread, and this is the one ‘herb’ I dry to prolong the shelf life. But in reality 80% plus of the seeds are eaten by the birds and I only keep about 1 spice jars worth for us to use over the winter. Because as soon as it’s spring I’ll use the fresh fronds instead.

Posted on

Potato Curry – well a few types really…

Potatoes are a great ingredient, and I love a good potato and spinach curry. However, I don’t keep all the ingredients in the house for a proper saag aloo, and getting paneer is a four or five hour round trip… So I get a little creative.

Prep: 5 min Cooking : 10 min

Ingredients

150g potatoes cubed, skins on (Charlottes for preference)

75 g leaves (spinach, mustard, land cress or rocket) washed and shredded if needed

Optional – mozzarella cubed

1 garlic clove crushed or chopped

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp tumeric

2 cardamon pods – seeds only

Method

  1. Par boil the potatoes, for 2.5cm cubes – 6 min in either stock or salted water.
  2. Part way through the cooking time wilt the leaves with a tiny bit of veg oil in a wok.
  3. Add the spices and stir, immediately drain the potatoes and add these (keep a little of the water/stock).
  4. Cook for a further 2 min adding water/stock if required
  5. If adding mozzarella, turn off the heat, mix the cheese through and serve immediately.
Potato, Spinach and Mozzarella curry (with Venison Tandoori in Tomatillo sauce)

Saag Aloo normally contains mustard seeds, spinach and stuff like ginger. I don’t keep mustard seeds in the house, but when I use shredded mustard leaves it gets closer to the ‘authentic’ flavour. But this, as a side dish, is more than good enough for my taste buds. The key flavour is the Turmeric, and if this is served with another dish with Turmeric in it they complement incredibly well.

Because I can’t source paneer locally, to mix things up I often add a Mozzarella. The trick is to add it only at the end so it warms but does not melt.

And as for potatoes. Well you can use what you want. I grow Charlottes and sometimes others, but Charlottes are the ideal for me because they are a little waxy and keep their shape well on par boiling. If you use a flourier potato like King Edward, then reduce the par boiling time by 2-3 minutes. And while I like keeping the skins on feel free to peel if you prefer.

Posted on

Partridge (or Chicken) Risotto

My take on a classic based on what’s available where I live.

Prep: 7 min Cooking: 25min

Ingredients

2 partridge breasts (or one chicken breast) chopped into small piece

100g (about 1/4) of a Red Kuri squash cubed

100g mushrooms (chestnut for preference) cubed

200g cheap rice (with starch so it goes sticky)

1 onion finely sliced

1 garlic clove crushed or chopped

750ml stock (chicken, pheasant or partridge) or 650ml stock and 100ml white wine

1 tblspn sour cream

parmesan, salt, pepper and tarragon oil

Method

  1. start frying the onions in a pan, when they just start to colour at the edges add the rice and garlic, stir for about 10-15 seconds then add the wine then stock after a minute (or just add the stock if your not adding wine). Stir to separate the rice, turn down to 4/10 and put the lid on. Set the timer for 10 min.
  2. when the timer goes, in a frying pan fry the mushrooms and squash using olive oil, after about 5min the mushrooms will be cooked and the squash taking colour.
  3. Add the meat, mushrooms and squash to the risotto, stir and put the lid back on.
  4. After about another 5min the risotto will have sucked up all the stock it’s going to. So take the lid off and see if you need to reduce it for a few more minutes.
  5. When you’re happy with the consistency grate some parmesan into the risotto and add a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir this in then add the sour cream and stir.
  6. Dish up, drizzle with tarragon oil and a final grind of pepper.
Basic risotto

If you don’t have tarragon oil don’t worry – tastes good without it, you can add a sprinkle of herbs if you like but I like it plain. It’s comfort food for me and warming after a day outside.

I use cheap rice because I can easily buy it, Arborio does give a better texture, but you use what you’ve got.

Posted on

Pasta with Spinach and Pine nuts

Quick and easy pasta tea, with a glass of wine this is perfect for an easy evening.

Prep: 5 min Cooking: 12 min

Ingredients

200g pasta (twists)

30g pine nuts

4 rashers smoked streak bacon chopped finely

75g spinach, well washed

100g sliced mushrooms (chestnut for preference)

1 garlic clove crushed/finely chopped

1 dstspn sour cream

parmesan, salt papper

optional – small know blue cheese

Method

  1. Put the pasta into boiling salted water, stir once to stop it sticking together.
  2. In a dry frying pan add the pine nuts and toast lightly. keep a close eye on them as they brown suddenly. reserve in a small dish.
  3. Return the pan to the heat, add olive oil and bacon and mushrooms, cooking until it starts to colour. If you’re using field mushrooms (the white ones) wait a minute before adding them as they give up water and stop the bacon frying.
  4. Next add the garlic, spinach and a pinch of salt. The spinach will give up liquid after a few seconds stopping the garlic cooking too fiercely – but this also stops the bacon browning any more. Depending on your tastes and the bacon it might not need salt – up to you.
  5. When the spinach has wilted turn the heat right down, and when the mix has cooled add the sour cream. If you’re adding the blue cheese do this now and stir through.
  6. Drain the pasta and add this and the pine nuts along with a grinding of black pepper -stirring it all through. You may want to add an extra drizzle of olive oil, both for the taste and to help the sauce and pasta come together
  7. Serve in big pasta bowls and grate parmesan and a bit more pepper on top.
  8. Pour some wine and enjoy!
Simple heart pasta

Like I say a quick and easy pasta, you can substitute other greens for the spinach, using land cress or rocket you just cook it the same., depends what’s available in the garden.

Posted on

Rosemary Salt

Whenever I make roasties – whether pumpkin or beetroot or potato, then this is the sprinkles…

Prep: 2 min

Ingredients

small bunch of rosemary finely chopped

generous tsp of sea salt

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

Method

Place the ingredients in a pestle and give them a good grind, crushing the chopped rosemary lets all the flavours our and the small amount of moisture in the leaves, along with the aromatic oil this releases makes the salt and pepper a tiny bit sticky so it will sit nicely on the roast veg.

Rosemary salt ready to go…

Posted on

Mango or Plum spicy dip

A super simple dip I make to go with Poppadoms. When I have it I use my home made plum conserve for this because it’s lower sugar and I can make it with good chunky pieces of plum. But for part of the year I rely on mango chutney as the base.

Prep: 1 min Marinade: 20+ minutes

Ingredients

3 Dstspn on Mango Chutney or Plum jam

1/2 Cayenne chilli chopped

1/2 Tsp salt

Method

Mix the ingredients in a bowl, cover and leave for a couple of hours for the flavours to develop.

That’s it – a wee bowl of dip!

This dip is super easy, and really tasty. Using plums you get a hot/salt plum taste which I think is divine. I grow Victoria plums and when I make a conserve I cut them into 6 or 8 and use 20% by volume soft brown sugar. This isn’t enough to properly preserve it, so proper sterilisation is key, and keeping it in small jars and using it quickly when open. But the easier option is either to use more sugar or just use mango chutney. Both work really well, I just don’t have a sweet tooth.