January Recipe
Seafood Chowder
1 onion
30 g butter
30 g flour
500mls fish stock
500mls milk
1 - 2 carrots
1 – 2 potatoes
1 bay leaf
Pinch of nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne
Salt and pepper
500g fresh mussels (optional)
300g-500g fresh fish
Cream to serve
Peel and chop the onion. Peel and dice the potato and carrot. Melt the butter in a small pan and when it begins to bubble add the chopped onion. Cook the onion gently until it softens, then add the flour to make a roux. Stir for a couple of minutes making sure that that it doesn’t burn. Whisk the fish stock and milk onto the onion and keep whisking until it comes to the boil then add the potatoes, carrot, and bay leaf. Add a pinch of cayenne and grate a little nutmeg. Season with salt and pepper Cook gently for a further 10 –15 mins. The potato and carrot should be tender.This is the base for the chowder.If you are using mussels, make sure they are well scrubbed and all tightly closed –if they are stuck open discard them as they are probably dead. Put the mussels into a saucepan together with a splash of white wine and water and put onto a high heat. Cover the pot with a tight lid and shake the pot until all the mussels open. This will only take a few minutes. Remove the mussels from their shells and strain off the cooking broth. The broth can be added to the chowder but be a little cautious as it may be salty.
Chop the fish into even sized chunks. Add the fish pieces to the chowder, allow it to bubble away for a couple of minutes then stir in the mussels. Cook for one minute more then serve immediately.
Some previous Recipes of the Month
Grilled Cod with Roasted Cherry Tomato and Basil Salsa
Video Recipes (click to begin videos)
December Recipes
Marinated Chicken (or whatever left over bird is in your fridge)
About 500g cooked bird – legs, thighs etc are ideal as they are moist.
50g pine nuts
2 cloves
1 star anise
50g sultanas or raisins
1-2 chillies, chopped half a lemon. juiced
100ml olive oil 1tbs red wine or balsamic vinegar
1dbs caster sugar
salt and pepper
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, sugar and vinegar together in a bowl. Stir in the star anise, cloves, chopped chillies and sultanas, Heat a small frying pan then gently toast the pine nuts. Don’t let them brown. Shred the cooked bird and stir into the marinade with the pine nuts. Cling wrap and put into the fridge for a few hours before serving.
Red pepper and Anchovies
1 small jar roasted red peppers
2-3 cloves garlic olive oil
1 can anchovies
slices of baguette or similar
Take the peppers from the jar, drain and slice into ribbons Peel the garlic and slice thinly Put a couple of tablespoons of olive oil into a pan and gently cook the garlic for a couple of minutes. Stir in the peppers, season with a little salt and pepper and continue to cook gently for about five minutes. Tip the peppers into a bowl and leave to cool off a little. Toast pieces of baguette and rub with a piece of garlic. Spoon a little pepper mix onto each and top with a piece of anchovy
Smoked Tuna Topping
100g smoked tuna
1 ripe tomato- red but not squishy
half a small red onion – about 1 tbs, very finely chopped
100ml mayonnaise
1 hard boiled egg
Piquillo peppers or a roasted red pepper – to garnish
Peel and chop the hard boiled egg and put into a bowl. Season with a little salt and pepper. Slice the tuna, then chop into a rough dice. It will be probably crumble but a rough dice is what you are hoping for. Add to the bowl with the egg. Wash the tomato and cut into quarters. Using your finger and thumb gently scrape the seeds out and discard. Put the tomato onto a chopping board and cut strips lengthwise then across . You should have a neat dice. Add to the bowl together with the finely chopped onion. Gently stir in the mayonnaise. Check the seasoning. It may need salt, pepper or a squeeze of lemon juice. Cling wrap and put into the fridge until ready to serve.
Crushed cannelini Beans and Pesto
1 can cannelinni beans, drained and rinsed
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 clove garlic peeled and cut in half
about 50mls olive oil
salt and black pepper
50g basil pesto or sundried tomato pesto
Put the drained cannelinni beans and chopped garlic together in a bowl and mash together with a fork or pulse buzz in a food processor. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper then stir in some olive oil. Slice the baguette and toast on both sides. Rub one side of each toast with the cut side of a piece of garlic. Drizzle with a little olive oil and put a little heap of the bean mix on top. Drizzle some pesto over the beans and serve.
TO SERVE 1-2 Baguettes olive oil a clove of garlic, peeled and cut in half Heat a grill or grill pan. Slice the bread into 2cm/1” slices and toast on both sides. Rub one side of each piece with the cut side of a piece of garlic and drizzle on a little olive oil. Gently place a spoonful of topping on each toast and garnish with roasted peppers, herbs etc
600g pumpkin, peeled and cubed
2 large red onions, peeled and sliced
1-2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
50ml olive oil plus oil to toss the pumpkin 7 eggs
150g white flour
2tsp baking powder
1 tsp turmeric
150g feta cheese
Salt and pepper
Pre heat the oven to 180c. Line and oil a 2lb loaf tin with some parchment paper. Toss the pumpkin pieces in a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and put on a baking tray. Roast for 25-30minutes, until the pumpkin is tender. It doesn’t need to brown so give the pumpkin a couple of shakes whilst cooking.. Heat a frying pan, add the olive oil and the sliced onions. Fry on a high heat until the onions are sizzling away then turn the heat to medium. Season with a little salt. Add the garlic and chopped rosemary and cook gently until the onions are soft. Crack the eggs into a bowl , sift the flour and whisk together with the turmeric and baking powder.. Crumble in the feta and stir in the onion mix and roasted pumpkin. Season with salt and cracked black pepper. Pour into the lined loaf tin and bake at 180c for 45 minutes.
Sweet Red Pepper Sauce
2 red peppers
1 glass white wine
Vvegetable stock
Salt and pepper
Deseed and chop the peppers. Put into a small cooking pot and pour over the white wine and enough vegetable stock to just cover. Bring to the boil then turn to simmer for 20-25mins, until the peppers are tender. Take off of the heat and buzz to smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper and adjust the consistency if it’s too thick.
To serve put a puddle of the sauce on a plate and put a slice of the pumpkin loaf on top
As there are only a couple of ingredients in this recipe it’s important to get them right The potatoes need to be waxy, little new ones would be good, something like Charlottes have a great flavour. Don’t use floury spuds as they would disintegrate.
Halloumi cheese is a firm salty cheese from Cyprus. It has a very high melting point so it’s ideal for grilling on the barbecue.
And lastly, remember to soak the wooden skewers in water for a couple of hours before using. This will prevent them from catching fire.
600g small waxy potatoes
250g halloumi cheese
1 heaped tsp smoked paprika
2-3 tbs olive oil
salt – Maldon sea salt is excellent if you have some
wooden skewers
Scrub or peel the potatoes and cook until tender then drain and leave to cool.
When the potatoes are cool cut them into halves or quarters – the pieces need to be roughly the same size- and put into a bowl. Sprinkle one dessert spoon of smoked paprika, a little olive oil and some salt over the potatoes and gently toss until they are evenly coated.
Cut the Halloumi cheese into slices about 1 cm thick and then cut into pieces roughly the same size as the potatoes.
Carefully thread the potatoes and halloumi onto the skewers, pour any remaining marinade over them and put aside until needed.
To cook put them on a hot grill and cook for four to five minutes each side or until golden.
Eat with fresh tomato salsa.
Fresh Tomato Salsa
2 ripe beef tomatoes
1 clove garlic
a handful of fresh basil, roughly chopped
salt and pepper
1 dsp white balsamic vinegar
3tbs olive oil.
Wash the tomatoes and cut into quarters. Remove the seeds and then cut into strips and then dice into small cubes. Peel and finely chop the garlic and add to the tomatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Gently mix everything together and put aside for ten minutes to relax before eating.
Serve together with the kebabs.
This recipe for a couscous salad can be prepared a couple of hours ahead and left aside until needed. Keep it cool, but not necessarily refrigerated until you need it.
Couscous Salad
250g couscous
225ml water
25g butter
salt
1 level tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground allspice
4-5 carrots
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
1 yellow pepper
1/2 cucumber, deseeded and chopped
a handful chopped mint
large handful chopped parsley
25g currants
juice of 1/2 lemon
100ml olive oil
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Peel the carrots and slice into quarters lengthwise then dice into pieces about a centimetre thick. Toss with a little olive oil and salt and tip onto an oven tray. Roast in a pre-heated oven for about 15 minutes. Remove and put aside to cool. Melt the butter in a large saucepan and add the turmeric, allspice and 225mls boiling water then add the couscous, give a quick stir then take off the heat and cover with a lid. Leave for 3-4 minutes then fluff up the couscous with a fork and tip into a large bowl. Don’t forget to do this as if you leave the couscous too long it will become a solid lump. Allow to cool.
Cut the pepper into strips then chop into cubes. Peel and finely chop the red onion and cut the cucumber into quarters lengthwise before chopping into a dice.
Mix the vegetables, currants and herbs into the couscous.
Put the mustard into a bowl and whisk in the lemon juice and olive oil. Season with a little salt. Toss the salad together with the dressing. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Leek and Butterbean Gratin
250g cooked butterbeans
2-3 leeks
25g butter
a little milk
150g mushrooms
30g butter
30g flour
300ml hot milk
100g grated cheddar
30g grated cheese – cheddar, parmesan – whatever you have handy
100g fresh breadcrumbs
salt and pepper
Trim the leeks and rinse under the tap to remove any grit then chop into 1cm pieces. Put the leeks into a saucepan with the milk and a little salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, cover with a lid, then simmer until the leeks are tender. This will take 10-15 minutes. Drain the leeks, reserving the milk that you have cooked them in.
Slice the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a pan then add the mushrooms. Season with a little salt and pepper, toss well and cook on a high heat for a few minutes.
Gently mix the leeks and butterbeans together and put into an oven-proof dish. Scatter the mushrooms on top.
To make the cheese sauce measure the reserved leek milk and make up with fresh milk to 300mls.Heat the milk, then melt the butter in another saucepan. Stir the flour into the butter and cook gently for a couple of minutes then whisk in the hot milk, add the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper. Pour the sauce over the vegetables, giving it a little poke to mix a little.
Toss the breadcrums and grated cheese together and scatter over the dish. Bake at 180c for about 30 minutes, until golden on top and bubbling around the edges. Serve with green vegetables such as stir fried cabbage, brocolli or salad leaves and maybe some spuds on the side.
1 onion, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery, diced 1
carrot, peeled and chopped
About 500g pumpkin, peeled and cut into chunks
1 litre vegetable stock
75g red lentils
1 level tsp thai curry paste = red or green
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3cm piece fresh ginger
2-3 lime leaves
1 tbs nam pla/Thai fish sauce
I sachet of creamed coconut, about 100g
Oil
Fresh coriander
Heat a little oil in a sauce pan and add the onion and celery, cook for a couple of minutes then add the garlic and ginger followed by the carrots and pumpkin. Cook everything together for a few minutes until the vegetables soften, then add the stock, lentils, lime leaves, coconut and fish sauce.
Bring to the boil then simmer for 15-20 minutes, until the vegetables are tender. Buzz until smooth then stir in the chopped coriander and check the seasoning, Add more fish sauce or salt if necessary
Grilled Cod with Roasted Cherry Tomato and Basil Salsa
4 pieces of cod, about 125g-150g each, skin on and bones removed
About 300g cherry tomatoes
A bunch of basil
6tbs extra virgin olive oil plus a little extra to rub on the fish
salt and pepper
1 lemon
Pre heat the oven to 200c
Toss the tomatoes in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Put them into a small roasting pan or oven proof dish and put into the oven for ten minutes.
Put a heavy frying pan or a grill pan onto a high heat to get hot.
Check over the fish for any stray bones then drizzle a little olive oil over each portion and season with salt and pepper.
Cut the lemon in half. Cut one half into wedges.
Put the fish fillets, skin side down on the hot pan. Leave for four to five minutes. This will depend on the thickness of each piece of fish You should be able to see the fish turning translucent as it cooks. Turn the fish over and cook for a further three minutes on the other side. Turn the heat off and leave the fish to relax while you finish the salsa. At this stage the tomatoes should be ready. The skins will have burst and the juices will be beginning to run. Take out of the oven and stir in the basil and a good squeeze of lemon juice.
Put a portion of fish onto each plate and spoon the salsa on top. Serve with lemon wedges.
25g pumpkin seeds
25g pinenuts
150g rocket
50g Parmesan cheese
1-2 cloves garlic
Approx 150ml olive oil
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt
Heat a dry pan and gently toast the pumpkin seeds.
Place the pumpkin seeds and pinenuts into a food processor with the garlic and blitz until fairly finely ground. Add the rocket and slowly pour in the olive oil and lemon juice. Add the Parmesan and mix well. Season with a little salt and adjust the consistency by adding a little more oil if necessary. Tip into a bowl. Put a layer of olive oil over the top if the pesto isn’t going to be used immediately. This will stop the pesto from oxidising. Use within the week.
To serve with pasta, cook the pasta then take a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water and mix with the pesto to make a sauce then toss together with the pasta.
Video Recipes
The following recipies can be used in conjunction with the youtube videos made by our friend TP McCurtain
Spinach Soup (ckick to start video)
500g spinach
2tbs white flour
50g butter
1 onion
400ml milk
600ml vegetable or chicken stock
a few grates of nutmeg
cream to serve (optional)
Peel and chop the onion. Melt the butter in a saucepan and gently sautee the onions until they soften. Add the flour to the onions and stir for a couple of minutes then whisk in the stock and milk. Keep stirring until the soup comes to the boil. Wash and shred the spinach and when the soup is boiling stir in. Add a couple of grates of nutmeg and season with salt and black pepper. As soon as the spinach wilts and the soup returns to the boil take off the heat and liquidise.
Check the seasoning and serve with a swirl of cream.
Rhubarb Crème Brulee (click to start video)
1 bunch rhubarb
about 50g sugar
75g sugar
5 egg yolks
400mls cream
½ vanilla pod-split
Pinch of white flour
Granulated sugar to caramalise
Chop the leaves and ends from the rhubarb and wash in cold water.
Cut into 2cm pieces and put into a saucepan with about 50g sugar. Give the rhubarb a shake and then put the pan on the heat and cover, When the rhubarb begins to cook, turn the heat down and simmer gently for about five minutes or until the rhubarb has softened. It doesn’t need to completely collapse. Take off the heat and divide between six or seven ramekins, cups or bowls.
Put the sugar and egg yolks into a bowl and whisk to thick ribbons.Whisk in the pinch of flour. Scrape the vanilla pod into the cream and bring the cream and vanilla pod to the boil, Beat into egg mix then return the mix to the pan and heat gently over a medium heat, stirring all the time, until the mix thickens. Do not allow to come to the boil. Gently pour over the rhubarb and chill. To serve strew granulated sugar over the top of each pot and caramelise with a blow torch or under the grill.