I saw this recipe in a magazine on the way over to France and made it there. I can't think of anywhere else that could be better to make it because it relies on having amazing peaches.
Buffalo mozzarella (the crazily expensive kind)
Ripe juicy peaches, I think white or yellow would be equally good
Parma ham
Olive oil
Balsemic
Pepper
Arrange nicely but not too neatly on a flattish dish.
mmmmmmmmmm :-)
Saturday 12 March 2011
Saturday 1 January 2011
The Cheryl Cole of Fish Pies
I may be risking political incorrectness here, forgive me, but I think this recipe is what would happen if you took the most celebrated Girl Aloud and recreated her in fish pie form. Fish pie is a salt-0f-the-earth, populist meal. But this recipe takes a simple, everyday pie and coiffes, glosses and preens it to levels of sophistication and beauty that cause jaws to drop.
This is diva-style cooking that involves fiddly processes and too many pans. The first time I made it, I nearly burst into tears of frustration half way through and had to call help in the form of A who came armed with wise counsel and dish cloths.
So let's be clear, I found this recipe daunting. But, the drama and tantrums did pay off in the end; it's a show-stopper and worthy of being served as a posh dinner with a bottle of champagne.
It comes from 'Fish Etc' by Mark Hix, chef director of Le Caprice, The Ivy and J Sheekey. He suggests flavouring the potato topping with more cheese, herbs or saffron. Sounds good to me!
Ingredients
1kg floury potatoes
500ml fish stock
2 tbsp dry vermouth
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, cored and sliced
250g white fish fillets such as cod or haddock, skinned and cut into 3cm chunks
175g salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 3cm chunks
150g peeled raw prawns (optional)
2 tbsp chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, dill and chives
A little milk
20g fresh white breadcrumbs
20g grated Parmesan
30g butter
Sauce:
50g butter
50g plain flour
175ml double cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp anchovy essence
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Boil the potatoes in their skins for about 20 mins or until tender. Drain and leave to cool slightly
3. Meanwhile, in a large pan, bring the stock and vermouth to the boil, add the onion and fennel, and cook gently for 8 minutes. Add the fish and prawns and poach gently for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid and leave to cool.
4. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-based pan over a low heat, stir in the flour and cook gently for a minute. Gradually add the reserved fish cooking liquid, stirring till it has all been incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cream and simmer for 10 minute or so until thick. Stir in the mustard and anchovy essence. Season with white peper and leave to cook for 15 minutes.
5. Fold the fish, prawns, fennel and onion into the sauce with the herbs. Spoon into a large pie dish filling to 3cm below the top. Leave to set for 30 minutes.
6. Peel the potatoes. Mash with the butter and just enough milk to get a soft consistency. Season and spoon or pipe onto the fish mixture.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Scatter on the breadcrumbs and Parmesan and bake for 10-15 minutes me until golden. Serve piping hot with loads of peas.
This is diva-style cooking that involves fiddly processes and too many pans. The first time I made it, I nearly burst into tears of frustration half way through and had to call help in the form of A who came armed with wise counsel and dish cloths.
So let's be clear, I found this recipe daunting. But, the drama and tantrums did pay off in the end; it's a show-stopper and worthy of being served as a posh dinner with a bottle of champagne.
It comes from 'Fish Etc' by Mark Hix, chef director of Le Caprice, The Ivy and J Sheekey. He suggests flavouring the potato topping with more cheese, herbs or saffron. Sounds good to me!
Ingredients
1kg floury potatoes
500ml fish stock
2 tbsp dry vermouth
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 fennel bulb, cored and sliced
250g white fish fillets such as cod or haddock, skinned and cut into 3cm chunks
175g salmon fillet, skinned and cut into 3cm chunks
150g peeled raw prawns (optional)
2 tbsp chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, dill and chives
A little milk
20g fresh white breadcrumbs
20g grated Parmesan
30g butter
Sauce:
50g butter
50g plain flour
175ml double cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp anchovy essence
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees
2. Boil the potatoes in their skins for about 20 mins or until tender. Drain and leave to cool slightly
3. Meanwhile, in a large pan, bring the stock and vermouth to the boil, add the onion and fennel, and cook gently for 8 minutes. Add the fish and prawns and poach gently for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid and leave to cool.
4. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a heavy-based pan over a low heat, stir in the flour and cook gently for a minute. Gradually add the reserved fish cooking liquid, stirring till it has all been incorporated and the mixture is smooth. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the cream and simmer for 10 minute or so until thick. Stir in the mustard and anchovy essence. Season with white peper and leave to cook for 15 minutes.
5. Fold the fish, prawns, fennel and onion into the sauce with the herbs. Spoon into a large pie dish filling to 3cm below the top. Leave to set for 30 minutes.
6. Peel the potatoes. Mash with the butter and just enough milk to get a soft consistency. Season and spoon or pipe onto the fish mixture.
7. Bake for 20 minutes. Scatter on the breadcrumbs and Parmesan and bake for 10-15 minutes me until golden. Serve piping hot with loads of peas.
Spaghetti Pie
This is not the most elegant dish. It may not get onto many dinner party menus, but it has a beauty all of its own.
I like to think that A invented this dish because it makes me feel a nice swell of daughterly pride. In truth, I don't know for sure that Spag Pie is a Lapping invention, but it does have A's stamp of culinary innovation in the face of crisis. (Anyone who's seen her ingenuity in pulling back kitchen mishaps from the brink of disaster will get what I'm talking about. This is a woman who doesn't even blink when her pavlova meringue case cracks moments before dessert is served. Ta-daaaaa - it's Eton Mess! Doesn't even break a sweat; nerves of steel.)
When you next make spaghetti and tomato sauce for dinner make double the amount you think will get eaten. Take the leftover spaghetti and sauce, mix together then lay out in a dish.
Sprinkle with cheese - plenty of parmesan and cheddar.
Put in the freezer.
Defrost and eat on a day when a plate of delicious stodge is required at short notice.
I like to think that A invented this dish because it makes me feel a nice swell of daughterly pride. In truth, I don't know for sure that Spag Pie is a Lapping invention, but it does have A's stamp of culinary innovation in the face of crisis. (Anyone who's seen her ingenuity in pulling back kitchen mishaps from the brink of disaster will get what I'm talking about. This is a woman who doesn't even blink when her pavlova meringue case cracks moments before dessert is served. Ta-daaaaa - it's Eton Mess! Doesn't even break a sweat; nerves of steel.)
When you next make spaghetti and tomato sauce for dinner make double the amount you think will get eaten. Take the leftover spaghetti and sauce, mix together then lay out in a dish.
Sprinkle with cheese - plenty of parmesan and cheddar.
Put in the freezer.
Defrost and eat on a day when a plate of delicious stodge is required at short notice.
Flap's Matzoh Brei: Let battle commence
Beat eggs. Two per person is my ideal quantity. Others are meaner. Once the eggs are fully beaten, crumble in matzoh. One-and-a-half squares per person is my ideal. Others use more. When the matzoh is fully soaked in egg - ie. after they have stood absorbing each other for three or four minutes and been mixed together a couple of times - pour mixture into a heated frying pan in which plenty of salted butter - a couple of ounces - has melted. (Again, some people favour less buter. I think they're seriously wrong. This may be an issue that leads to war).
Some people even favour frying the mixture before the two elements are fully integrated on the grounds that they like the matzoh to remain crispy. Oy vey! Meshugenahs. Fry the egg-and-matzoh mixture gently, moving it round the pan all the time. Don't rush it. Don't let the mixture burn or even brown. Matzoh brei should end up yellow, not brown. (Again, some differ). Serve straight from the pan onto people's plates.
This, as can be seen, is less a recipe than an argument. But done my way, it's delicious. And, I hate to admit this as I may have to fight a war over it, even done other ways it's still a fine breakfast/lunch/snack/life-saver.
Some people even favour frying the mixture before the two elements are fully integrated on the grounds that they like the matzoh to remain crispy. Oy vey! Meshugenahs. Fry the egg-and-matzoh mixture gently, moving it round the pan all the time. Don't rush it. Don't let the mixture burn or even brown. Matzoh brei should end up yellow, not brown. (Again, some differ). Serve straight from the pan onto people's plates.
This, as can be seen, is less a recipe than an argument. But done my way, it's delicious. And, I hate to admit this as I may have to fight a war over it, even done other ways it's still a fine breakfast/lunch/snack/life-saver.
Friday 31 December 2010
Tuna & Sweetcorn Soup (NB - Controversial)
When my friend Nikki had her bridal shower, (the first such ritual I'd attended...involved lots of 'ooohs', 'aaaahs', gossip and spectacular cakes) guests were invited to present the bride with a few trusted recipes.
What a lovely idea! A chance to share treasured recipes for dependable dishes that bring moments of delight and comfort to domestic life. This legacy of accumulated feminine knowledge (that's 'feminine' Claude not female - you can't call me on my use of gender here!) is offered days before the bride sets sail on her marital odyssey to aid her transition from mortal woman to Nigella goddess.
Excited by the challenge of picking legendary recipes I opted for My Brownies, Anne's Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic (plus instructions that there's no disaster whose impact can't be softened slightly by putting one of these babies on to roast) and Tuna and Sweetcorn Soup. Nikki didn't comment on the brownies or chicken, but she couldn't mask her disgust at the sound of T&S Soup. I was quite offended. It had never crossed my mind that the 'meal in a dish' soup could be considered anything but delicious. The Lapping girls were brought up on this Seventies (?) delicacy.
I think the addition of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley and turmeric may be recent innovations but I don't feel they interfere with the integrity of the original recipe. If anything I think they bring a nice, modern touch.
2 cans tuna in brine (use the liquid from the tins as well as the fish)
1/2 bag of frozen sweetcorn
2 tblspoons plain flower
2-3 oz butter (should be enough to combine with the flour to make a soft paste)
1 1/2 pints milk
2-3 tspoons medium curry powder
1 tsp turmeric (for nice colour)
Big handful flat leaf parsley
Melt butter, flour curry powder and turmeric in saucepan, stir until butter melts and mix to make a paste. Cook the paste on a low light for a few minutes. Remove pan from heat and then pour in a small amount of milk and stir until the liquid is combined smoothly with the roux. Continue to add the milk in small amounts and combining until there's no milk left.
Put pan back a low heat and stir every now and then. Pour in half a bag of frozen sweetcorn and add the mashed up tuna and its brine. Cook slowly until the soup starts to thicken up (5-10 mins depending on heat/saucepan sturdiness etc) and has a nice creamy texture. At this point I sometimes decide the soup isn't satisfactorily yellow and I add a sprinkle more turmeric. (I like a yolky yellow against the very green parsley.) Remove from heat and stir one chopped handful of parsley through the soup. Use the second handful of parsley to garnish each bowl.
Yum, I pity Nikki and any other T&S disbelievers.
What a lovely idea! A chance to share treasured recipes for dependable dishes that bring moments of delight and comfort to domestic life. This legacy of accumulated feminine knowledge (that's 'feminine' Claude not female - you can't call me on my use of gender here!) is offered days before the bride sets sail on her marital odyssey to aid her transition from mortal woman to Nigella goddess.
Excited by the challenge of picking legendary recipes I opted for My Brownies, Anne's Roast Chicken with Lemon and Garlic (plus instructions that there's no disaster whose impact can't be softened slightly by putting one of these babies on to roast) and Tuna and Sweetcorn Soup. Nikki didn't comment on the brownies or chicken, but she couldn't mask her disgust at the sound of T&S Soup. I was quite offended. It had never crossed my mind that the 'meal in a dish' soup could be considered anything but delicious. The Lapping girls were brought up on this Seventies (?) delicacy.
I think the addition of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley and turmeric may be recent innovations but I don't feel they interfere with the integrity of the original recipe. If anything I think they bring a nice, modern touch.
2 cans tuna in brine (use the liquid from the tins as well as the fish)
1/2 bag of frozen sweetcorn
2 tblspoons plain flower
2-3 oz butter (should be enough to combine with the flour to make a soft paste)
1 1/2 pints milk
2-3 tspoons medium curry powder
1 tsp turmeric (for nice colour)
Big handful flat leaf parsley
Melt butter, flour curry powder and turmeric in saucepan, stir until butter melts and mix to make a paste. Cook the paste on a low light for a few minutes. Remove pan from heat and then pour in a small amount of milk and stir until the liquid is combined smoothly with the roux. Continue to add the milk in small amounts and combining until there's no milk left.
Put pan back a low heat and stir every now and then. Pour in half a bag of frozen sweetcorn and add the mashed up tuna and its brine. Cook slowly until the soup starts to thicken up (5-10 mins depending on heat/saucepan sturdiness etc) and has a nice creamy texture. At this point I sometimes decide the soup isn't satisfactorily yellow and I add a sprinkle more turmeric. (I like a yolky yellow against the very green parsley.) Remove from heat and stir one chopped handful of parsley through the soup. Use the second handful of parsley to garnish each bowl.
Yum, I pity Nikki and any other T&S disbelievers.
Thursday 30 December 2010
Mantaray - Salmon salad
I ate a dish at my fave restaurant and have tried to replicate it. It seemed to work pretty well and tasted good though it wasn't quite the same without the beachfront setting and incredible margharitas at Mantaray.
Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
2 handfuls of shelled whole hazelnuts
1 very large bunch of flat leaf parsley (the parsley is acting as lettuce rather than as a herb so should be loads of it)
1 lemon
Olive oil
Rock salt
Pepper
Poach the salmon fillets until they are cooked but still slightly pinky in the middle.
Toast hazelnuts in the oven until they are light brown then chop roughly - they should still be chunky.
Chop the parsley coarsley.
Flake the salmon into bite sized pieces and combine with the parsley and hazelnuts adding in enough olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to season. It should have quite a sharp lemony kick.
At Mantaray this is one dish amoung lots of mezze dishes you can pick from a selection of plates the waiter brings to your table. It's a really clever technique as it's pretty much impossible not to grab way more food than you can eat because it all looks so good. They serve the mezze with hot freshly baked focaccia with lots of rock salt and olive oil....mmmmmm
Ingredients:
2 salmon fillets
2 handfuls of shelled whole hazelnuts
1 very large bunch of flat leaf parsley (the parsley is acting as lettuce rather than as a herb so should be loads of it)
1 lemon
Olive oil
Rock salt
Pepper
Poach the salmon fillets until they are cooked but still slightly pinky in the middle.
Toast hazelnuts in the oven until they are light brown then chop roughly - they should still be chunky.
Chop the parsley coarsley.
Flake the salmon into bite sized pieces and combine with the parsley and hazelnuts adding in enough olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to season. It should have quite a sharp lemony kick.
At Mantaray this is one dish amoung lots of mezze dishes you can pick from a selection of plates the waiter brings to your table. It's a really clever technique as it's pretty much impossible not to grab way more food than you can eat because it all looks so good. They serve the mezze with hot freshly baked focaccia with lots of rock salt and olive oil....mmmmmm
Friday 2 April 2010
Cheese biscuits
Ingredients
300g mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
200g plain flour
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g butter, diced
2 free-range egg yolks
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 180ºC (350ºF). Lightly grease 2-3 baking sheets with butter and line with non-stick baking paper.
Mix the grated cheese, flour, cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt and some black pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub together until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the egg yolks with a kitchen knife until the mixture comes together in a ball. Tip out onto a work surface and knead briefly until smooth. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick.
Using a small round biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them spaced a little apart on the prepared baking sheets. Re-knead and roll the trimmings once or twice to make more biscuits. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until richly golden around the edges. Remove and leave to cool on the baking tray. Once cool, sprinkle with paprika. Store in an airtight tin once cold.
300g mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
200g plain flour
½ tsp cayenne pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g butter, diced
2 free-range egg yolks
Method
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 5, 180ºC (350ºF). Lightly grease 2-3 baking sheets with butter and line with non-stick baking paper.
Mix the grated cheese, flour, cayenne pepper, ½ teaspoon salt and some black pepper together in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub together until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
Stir in the egg yolks with a kitchen knife until the mixture comes together in a ball. Tip out onto a work surface and knead briefly until smooth. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick.
Using a small round biscuit cutter, cut out the biscuits and place them spaced a little apart on the prepared baking sheets. Re-knead and roll the trimmings once or twice to make more biscuits. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Bake for approximately 10 minutes or until richly golden around the edges. Remove and leave to cool on the baking tray. Once cool, sprinkle with paprika. Store in an airtight tin once cold.
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