Beetroot Soup with Goat's Cheese and Creme Fraiche

Just a good solid soup here which features the beet. The goat's cheese and creme fraiche really elevate this from what could be just an ordinary soup.

500 g beetroot (about 4 large ones)
1-½ tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
30 g butter
1 splash balsamic vinegar
1 liter chicken stock
few thyme sprigs, leaves only
sea salt and black pepper
TO SERVE:
100 g creme fraiche
50 g soft goat's cheese
olive oil, to drizzle
small herb leaves, such as baby amaranth or purple basil (optional)

Peel and finely chop the beetroot. Heat the olive oil in a medium-large saucepan. Add the shallot and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the shallot is soft. Add the butter and allow to melt, then tip in the chopped beetroot. Stir well and cook over a high heat for another 5 minutes. Deglaze the pan with a splash of balsamic vinegar and let it boil dry.

Pour in the chicken stock and add the thyme leaves. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 40-50 minutes or until the beetroot is very soft. While still hot, transfer the beetroot to a blender or food processor, using a slotted spoon. Pour in some of the stock and blend until smooth. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a clean pan. Stir in more of the stock until you reach the desired consistency. Season generously with salt and pepper to taste. Reheat the soup if serving hot, or if serving cold allow to cool down and then chill for a few hours.

Beat the creme fraiche and goat's cheese together in a bowl until smooth. Pour the soup into individual bowls. Drop a spoonful of the creme fraiche mixture in the middle and grind over some black pepper. Drizzle with a little olive oil and garnish with some baby herbs, if you wish.

Lemon Posset with Raspberries

This was Vanessa's best kitchen effort by far. I couldn't have done better myself. I mean, it was sublime. The balance of lemon with the creaminess and the raspberry-ness was just amazing. You have truly no good reason not to try this immediately.

450 milliliters double cream
125 g caster sugar
grated zest and juice of 1 1/2 lemon
1 punnet raspberries
1 tablespoon icing sugar

Put the cream, sugar and lemon zest in a heavy-based saucepan and bring to the boil. Pour on to the lemon juice and then strain through a sieve into four glasses. Leave to cool, then place in the fridge until set.

Wash the raspberries, pat dry and dust with the icing sugar. Leave for 10 minutes, until the raspberries begin to break up. The place a generous spoonful of the raspberries on top of each lemon posset and serve.

Saikyo Grilled Salmon with Stir-Fried Mixed Sprouts

This is easily amongst some of the better salmon dishes we've had, and there have been a lot. Get good organic salmon... the flavor is unbelievable. The marinade should go for 24 hours. I only had 90 minutes and it was still wonderful. I'll give it a full night in the fridge on Tuesday.

We mixed regular bean sprouts with some mung bean and adzuki sprouts. They had an interesting, almost nutty flavor which complimented the salmon. We loved this and it was super easy.

100 milliliters sake
100 milliliters mirin
150 g sugar
300 g miso paste
4x200 g salmon fillet, skin on
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
small handful adzuki sprouts
small handful mung bean sprouts
large handful bean sprouts
lemon wedges, to serve

Heat the sake in a large, heavy-based pan and ignite it to burn off the alcohol. Add the mirin and sugar and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Carefully whisk in the mise paste a little at a time, making sure the mixture is smooth. Raise the heat a little and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring constantly to make sure the mixture does not burn on the base of the pan. Strain and leave to cool completely. It can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Place the salmon fillets in a non-metallic container, large enough to hold them in a single layer, and pour some of the cooled marinade over them, making sure that the fish is completely surrounded: save a little of the marinade for later. Leave in the fridge to marinate for 24 hours, turning the fillets over once during this time.

When ready to cook, preheat an overhead grill (broiler) and remove the salmon fillets from the marinade, wiping off any excess. Place the fillets on a non-stick baking tray and grill, skin-side down for 5-6 minutes, taking care that they do not get too dark or caramelized.

Meanwhile, put a wok on over medium-hgih heat with the two oils in it. When hot, add the sprouts and a dash of soy sauce. Stir-fry until crisp tender, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.

After the 5-6 minutes are up, turn the salmon over to cook the skin side until nice and crisp. Serve with lemon wedges and a little of the reserved marinade on the side along with the sprouts.

One Serious Damn Pot of Chili

Listen up, Britain. I love you guys and all...

but, uh...

er...

You don't know the first damn thing about what chili is supposed to taste like.

I've had some "chili" here and, well, it needs work. So rather than just complain about things I am here to offer solutions. This is a solution that may just change your life.

This will test the limits of your ability to handle spice. But it's not spice simply for the sake of it. There is a fair bit of complexity at work here as well. If you prefer something a bit milder, you might want to think about scaling back the amount of haberno chiles and/or cayenne powder.

I fed this to the folks at work and they tell me it was, in the words of my people, pretty darn good. So here you go. This recipe will feed about 8 hungry cowpokes. Feel free to double it to serve a bigger crowd.

Kevin's Truck Stop Chili

¼ pound smoked bacon rahsers, cut into pieces
3 lbs. trimmed beef brisket, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 lb. onions, chopped roughly
1-½ tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons chili powder
1-1/2 tablespoons chile de arbol powder (or cayenne)
2 teaspoons paprika (a smoked paprika REALLY does wonders here)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1 can beef broth
1 can plum tomatoes in puree
2 dried habenero chiles (you could use fresh scotch bonnets also)
salt and pepper to season as you cook

Take the dried chiles and put them in a bowl with boiling water. Put something on top to weight the chiles down and keep them submerged. Leave them for 20 minutes. If you are using fresh chiles, simply chop them up somewhat finely and set aside.

Cook the bacon in the pot until crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside in a bowl with some paper towels in it.

Over high heat, brown the beef in the bacon drippings left in the pot and set the meat aside. You will probably need to do this in batches so as not to overcrowd the pan, setting each batch aside in a big bowl. When all the meat is browned off, reduce the heat to medium, and saute the onions in the remaining drippings for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly browned and soft.

Meanwhile (if your 30 minutes chile soaking time is up) remove the chiles from the water and chop somewhat finely. Set aside.

Add the cumin, chili powder, chile de arbol or cayenne, paprika, oregano, black pepper, thyme, salt, and garlic to the cooked onions and saute for 1 minute. Add the bacon, the beef stock, 1 cup water, tomatoes, cut up chiles, and the beef along with all of the juices the beef left behind in the bowl. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover partially, and simmer for 3 hours or until the meat is very tender, adding water as needed to maintain the desired consistency. Check for seasoning OFTEN and adjust as necessary. It needs a fair bit of salt to make it right, but not so much that it makes it salty.

KEVIN'S NOTES:
-Your chili will only be as good as the ingredients you buy, specifically, the meat. I got a whole side of brisket from the butcher. Alternatively, you could use chuck, beef shoulder, rump or skirt. Make sure you trim it well of sinew and crap before you cut it into cubes. If you don't, you'll just try (unsuccessfully) to chew it up later.

-It doesn't have to be done in 3 hours. Mine took about 4 hours of simmering time before it was right. You won't hurt it by simmering it longer. Test a piece of meat if it is still too chewy, let it go a while longer. You and your guests will thank you.

-Salt, properly used, enhances the flavors of what you are cooking. So, add little by little and keep tasting.

Blackberry-Peach Crisp

Where folks in the UK have fruit 'crumble' desserts, we have the venerable 'crisp' in the US. This was a really easy to throw together dessert, which Vanessa did all by herself. It delivered huge results... the fruit was it it's peak and it was a nice, reasonable portion size. You have no excuse not to try this one...it's too simple and delicious to pass up.

I would dot the top of the crumble with a few little bits of butter just prior to putting it into a FULLY PREHEATED oven. When you pull it out, listen for the sizzle of the crisp topping. If it's not sizzling, back in the oven until it does.

Canola-oil cooking spray
1 cup fresh blackberries
1 cup fresh peaches, pitted and sliced
4 teaspoons fresh orange juice
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
3 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
3 tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
4 teaspoons canola oil
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
Little dots of butter, to top before putting in the oven
1 dollop fromage frais or creme fraiche, to finish

Heat oven to 375°F. Coat four 4-oz ramekins with cooking spray. Combine berries, peaches, juice and vanilla in a bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients with hands until moist and crumbly. Spoon fruit mixture into ramekins; scatter crumb mixture evenly over the top of each. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until fruit bubbles and top is golden brown.

KEVIN'S NOTE: A little booze in the bottom prior to putting it in the oven doesn't hurt this, specifically, Creme de Cassis works pretty nicely.

Grilled Scallops on Lemongrass and Chive Risotto

This was OK. I had to make a few modifications to the way the recipe had it laid out, but all in all, it was a fair dish. The lemongrass didn't come though as much as I would have liked. We used the scallop butter soaking liquid (and the liquid produced in the pan by cooking the scallops) to dress the plate and further season the dish as a whole. It added a nice buttery hit that it needed.

RISOTTO
5 cups fish stock
1 cup dry white wine
2 sticks lemongrass, sliced into rings
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups arborio rice
3 tablespoons lemon juice
½ cup chopped chives
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

SCALLOPS
10 scallops
90 g melted butter
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons finely chopped coriander, chopped
coriander (cilantro) leaves and slivered lemon, rind, to garnish

Place the stock, wine and lemon grass into a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat. Strain to remove the lemon grass. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and fry the rice for 1 minute. Add the stock a ladelful at a time to the rice, stirring as you go until the liquid is fully absorbed before adding another ladleful.

Cook, stirring and adding stock, for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender. Stir through the lemon juice, chives and Parmesan. Cover and keep warm.

Mix the scallops with butter, pepper and coriander (cilantro). Char grill, barbecue or pan fry for a couple of minutes each side until opaque, taking care not to overcook. (Kevin's NOTE: Drain as much of the butter mixture off as you can prior to putting them in a really hot pan. Too much butter will combine with the scallops natural juices and put quite a bit of liquid in the pan. This will stew your scallops rather than sear them.)

Place the risotto onto plates and pile scallops on top. Garnish with slivers of lemon rind and serve immediately.

White Chicken Curry

We have been on a bit of a curry kick lately and we tried this one from Atul Kochhar. I liked how it looked on the plate (i.e., white) and the flavor was quite rich and intense due to the spice paste. It was not to much fuss to throw together, either. Serve it on top of some basmati rice.

NOTE: My cilantro (coriander) went bad so I was not able to garnish it. I think it would have made it even better.

500 g boneless chicken breasts, skinned
70 g podded broad beans
450 g coconut milk
20 g ginger julienne
SPICE PASTE:
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
20 g root ginger, chopped
10 garlic cloves, chopped
2.5cm piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick
2 cloves
2 green cardamom pods
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
8 green chillies
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
30 g cashew nuts
100 g yogurt
SEASONING:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 bay leaf
1 star anise
2 cloves
2.5cm piece cassia bark or cinnamon stick
2 onions, sliced
TO FINISH:
2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
grated zest and juice of 1 lime
coriander sprigs and lime slices, to garnish

Cut the chicken into strips, about 2.5cm wide and place in a shallow dish.

To make the spice paste, heat the oil in a deep saute pan and add the onion, ginger, garlic, spices and cashew nuts. Saute lightly until the onions are softened, without colouring them. Allow to cool, then whiz to paste with yogurt, using a blender or mini-processor.

Coat the chicken with the spice paste, cover and leave to marinate in a cool place for about 30 minutes.

For the seasoning, heat the oil in the clean saute pan. Add the bay leaf and whoIe spices, and saute for a minute or two. Add the onions and fry gently until they are softened and translucent.

Add the broad beans and coated chicken strips to the pan, and saute lightly for 3-5 minutes. Add the coconut milk and ginger julienne and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer gently for 12-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Remove from the heat and add the chopped coriander leaves, lime zest and juice.

Serve the curry in bowls, garnished with coriander sprigs and lime slices. Accompany with rice.

Southwestern Spicy Goodness

We had a few friends around yesterday and word on the street was that they were not shy about spicy food. Well, we put that to the test with a few Bobby Flay recipes. For our friends in the UK, Bobby Flay is a well-known TV chef with a few restaurants in the US which specialize in the Mexican-influenced flavors of the Southwestern US.

That said, we made some pretty good stuff. The starter is one I've done before and it always delivers. The pork dish was a new one for me and I have to say, it's probably the best sauce I have ever produced. Dessert was simple and designed not to be too filling. Here goes...if you can handle the heat.

Starter: Spicy Tuna Tartare with a Blistered Serrano Hot Sauce


2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon pureed canned chipotles
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lb. tuna, cut into 1/4" -dice
¼ cup capers, drained
¼ cup thinly sliced green onion
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
Salt and freshly ground pepper
BLISTERED SERRANO HOT SAUCE
1 small red onion, peeled and coarsely chopped
10 serrano chiles, stem removed and cut in half
2 tablespoons canola oil, plus 1 cup canola oil
Salt
½ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons honey

TUNA TARTARE
Whisk together mustard, chipotle and oil in a medium bowl. Fold in the remaining ingredients until combined; season with salt and pepper.

BLISTERED SERRANO HOT SAUCE
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Combine onions and serranos in a small sauté pan, toss with 2 tablespoons of canola oil and season with salt. Roast in the oven until onions are soft and serranos are golden brown and blistered, approximately 15-20 minutes.

Transfer onions and serranos to a blender, add the vinegar, cilantro, honey and salt and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the remaining ¼ cup of oil and blend until emulsified.

Main: New Mexican Spice-Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with an Bourbon-Ancho Chile Sauce

PORK
3 tablespoons ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon pasilla chile powder
2 teaspoons chile de arbol powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground allspice
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 lbs. pork tenderloin
Chopped fresh chives, for garnish (optional)
BOURBON-ANCHO SAUCE
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons bourbon
3 ancho chiles, soaked, seeded, and pureed
5 cups Enriched Chicken Stock or low-sodium chicken broth
1 cup thawed apple juice concentrate
8 black peppercorns
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
Kosher salt

PORK
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Stir together the ancho powder, brown sugar, pasilla powder, chile de arbol powder, cinnamon, allspice, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.

Heat the oil in a medium ovenproof saute pan over high heat. Season the pork with salt on both sides, then dredge in the spice rub and tap off any excess. Place the pork in the pan and sear on all sides until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the pork to medium, 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the pork from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice into 1-inch-thick pieces. Ladle some of the bourbon-ancho sauce into the center of each of 4 large plates and top with 3 slices of the pork. Spoon more sauce on top and garnish with chives.

BOURBON-ANCHO SAUCE
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the 2 cups bourbon, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to a few tablespoons, 5 to 6 minutes.

Add the ancho puree, stock, apple juice concentrate, peppercorns, and brown sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half, 15 to 20 minutes.

Strain through a fine-mesh strainer, return the mixture to the pan, and reduce over high heat to sauce consistency, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the 2 tablespoons bourbon, cook for 2 minutes, and season with salt. This can be made up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated. Reheat before serving.

Side: Whipped Potatoes with Cilantro Pesto

3 lbs. Idaho potatoes (or any floury potato), peeled and cut into quarters
Kosher salt
1 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cup packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
1 clove garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons pine nuts
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese (1 ounce)
Freshly ground black pepper
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup milk

Put the potatoes in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover them by 1 inch. Add 1 tablespoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the potatoes are very tender when pierced with a knife, 25 to 30 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, combine the cilantro, parsley, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Add the cheese, season with salt and pepper, and pulse a few times until combined. The pesto can be made up to 1 day ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before adding to the potatoes.

Combine the butter, cream, and milk in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over low heat.

Drain the potatoes well and return them to the pot on the stove over low heat. Add the hot milk mixture to the potatoes and mash using a masher or whip with a handheld mixer until smooth. Fold the cilantro pesto into the mashed potatoes and season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Dessert: Grilled Peaches with Creme Fraiche and Molasses


8 ripe peaches, halved and pitted
vegetable oil
1 cup creme fraiche
¼ cup molasses, light or dark

Heat grill (UK=griddle pan) to high.

Brush the cut sides of the peaches with oil. Grill cut side down until caramelized and browned, about 2 minutes. Turn the peaches over and grill for 1-2 minutes more, until the flesh is almost soft.

Place the peaches cut side up on a plate. Drop a tablespoon of creme fraiche in the cavity of each half. Using the tines of a fork or a squeeze bottle, drizzle lightly with molasses. Serve immediately.

Cod with Steamed Bok Choy and Cucumber and CLASSIC DESSERT

The cod turned out wonderfully translucent, flaky and awesome. The glaze that goes over it has a somewhat strong flavor, so be sure to not skimp on the veg which accompanies it... you will need it to cut the richness of the glaze, and, it's good for you.

Dessert. Was. Fabulous.

This was a fresh blast of good 'ol 'Merican dessert making. I can't say much else about it as I am still in 'afterglow'. I will say that it is SUPER EASY and takes advantage of STRAWBERRIES IN SEASON and is completely awesome and satisfying. You should make some tomorrow.

The Cod
ONE DAY BEFORE COOKING
2 stems of lemongrass
1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and chopped
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
sea salt
a wineglass of sake or white wine
2 tablespoons runny honey
300 g miso paste
4x200 g cod steaks pinboned
ON THE DAY OF COOKING
4 bulbs of pak choi, quartered
1 cucumber, peeled, halved and deseeded
juice of 1 lime
soy sauce
optional: 1 punnet of cress snipped

So, the day before you want to cook this, start on the marinade. Remove the outside layer of the lemongrass and discard it. Smash the lemongrass up using the back of a knife to release its lovely fragrance, then chop it. Put it in a pestle and mortar or Flavour Shaker with the chilli, ginger and a pinch of salt and bash up. Place in a pan with the sake or white wine and the honey and bring to the boil, stirring in the miso paste little by little. Simmer until lightly golden. Pour it out on to a baking tray and shake it out flat so it cools down quickly.

Once the miso marinade is cool, put the fish into a clean plastic bag, pour in three quarters of the marinade and gently shake so all the fillets get coated. Squeeze the air out of the bag, tie a knot in the top and place in the fridge. Put the rest of the marinade into a pot in the fridge until needed.

On the day of cooking, heat your grill up good and hot. Put the fish on an appropriately sized oiled roasting tray under the grill and cook until the top of the fish has caramelized slightly and is nice and golden. Check it every now and again. This will only take about 6 to 8 minutes, depending on your oven. Meanwhile, lay the quarters of pak choi in a steamer or large colander above a pan of boiling water. Slice your cucumber into long, angled 1/2 inch strips and put these in with the pak choi. Steam until the pak choi is tender and cooked.

Take your leftover marinade from the fridge and stir in enough lime juice to loosen it slightly and turn it into a kind of dressing. Serve the fish next to your greens with a few drizzles of soy sauce and the miso dressing on the side.


Dessert: Old-Fashioned Strawberry Shortcake

3 ½ cups halved strawberries, divided
⅓ cup sugar
⅓ cup orange juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 splash Cointreau
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons chilled stick margarine or butter, cut into small pieces
½ cup low-fat buttermilk
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons double cream
1 teaspoon icing sugar

Combine 1 cup strawberry halves, 1/3 cup sugar, orange juice, vanilla, and lemon juice in a bowl, and mash with a potato masher. Stir in 2 1/2 cups strawberry halves and a splash of Cointreau. Cover and chill.

Preheat oven to 425°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a bowl; cut in margarine with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk, stirring just until moist (dough will be sticky).

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and knead lightly 4 times with floured hands. Pat dough into a 6 x 4-inch rectangle. Cut dough into 6 squares. Place 1 inch apart on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Split shortcakes in half horizontally using a serrated knife; place each bottom half on a dessert plate. Spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each bottom half. Top with shortcake tops; spoon 1/4 cup strawberry mixture over each top.

Mix the cream and icing sugar together and whisk to a soft peak. Top with syrup and whipped cream.

Duck Curry with Orange

This one is from Atul Kochhar, who is the first Indian chef ever to win a Michelin star. His restaurant, Benares, is on my short list of places I need to eat at soon.

Anyhow, this dish is uncomplicated in preparation but offers so many layers of flavor as you eat it. I kept finding out new tastes all the way up to the last bite. I am gad we have some leftovers of this. Yum.

600 g skinless duck breast fillets
100 milliliters vegetable oil
½ teaspoons cumin seeds
5cm cassia bark or cinnamon stick
2 cloves
4 green cardamom pods
200 g onions, sliced
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
3 green chillies, chopped
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
100 g tomatoes, chopped
½ teaspoons salt, or to taste
300 milliliters orange juice
finely pared zest of 1 orange
1 tablespoon coriander leaves, chopped
½ teaspoons garam masala

Cut each duck breast into 4 or 5 pieces. Heat the oil in a large deep saute pan, add the whole spices and saute until they begin to crackle. Add the sliced onions and saute until softened and light brown in colour.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and chillies; cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. the chilli powder, turmeric and cumin, and saute for 30 seconds.

Add the duck pieces to the pan and saute until light brown in colour all over. Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt, then add 100ml water and half of the orange juice. Bring to a simmer and cook gently for 20 minutes or until duck is almost cooked.

In the meantime, cut the orange zest into julienne strips and blanch in boiling water for 1 minute, then drain and set aside.

Add the orange zest julienne and remaining orange juice to the pan and simmer until the duck is cooked. Check the seasoning and sprinkle with chopped coriander and garam masala to serve.

Chicken with Vinegar

The thing I love about cooking anything out of Fuchsia Dunlop's Chinese cookbooks (Sichuan Cookery and The Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook - both of which I highly recommend) is that once you get the main pantry items stocked in your cupboard, you usually need only to buy some type of protein and some fresh spring onions and you can make almost anything in the book.

This one was really nice and had many layers of flavor and a pleasing heat to it. The best part about it was the texture and juiciness of the chicken. The key is to JUST cook it through and it can be so succulent. This one takes no time to throw together and was a winner!

300 g chicken breasts
MARINADE
1-½ teaspoon Shaoxing wine
½ teaspoon salt
BATTER
2 tablespoons egg white
2 tablespoons cornflour
SAUCE
1-½ teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons black Chinese vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon cornflour
3 tablespoons stock or water
3 stalks celery
200 milliliters groundnut oil, for frying
2 tablespoons pickled chilli paste
3 teaspoons ginger, finely chopped
3 teaspoons garlic, finely chopped
2 scallion, sliced into tiny rings

Cut the chicken breasts as evenly as possible into 1cm strips and then diagonally into small lozenge shapes. Place in a small bowl and add the marinade ingredients. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Remove the stringy bits from the celery sticks, slice them in half lengthwise and the chop into small lozenge shapes to match the chicken pieces.

Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

Add the bater ingredients to the chicken and mix well, stirring in one directions.

Heat the groundnut oil in a wok over a medium flame to about 100C. Add the chicken, followed closely by the celery, and prod gently with a chopstick to separate the pieces. Keeping an eye on the oil temperature, which shouldn't rise above 90C after the chicken is added, stir very gently until the pieces of chicken have separated and are just turning white. Remove immediately from the wk with a slotted spoon and drain off excess oil. The chicken will still be half raw - resist the temptation to cook it through or you'll find the finished dish less than succulent.

Tip off most of the oil in the wok, leaving behind just two tablespoons. Heat this over a medium flame until hot but not smoking. Add the chilli paste and stir-fry for about 20-30 seconds until the oil is a rich, deep red. Add the ginger and garlic and continue to stir-fry for another 30 seconds until they are cooked and fragrant. Return the chicken and celery to the wok and stir in quickly. Still working swiftly, give the sauce a stir and add to the wok. Fling in the scallions , stir or toss a few more times until everything s well mixed and the sauce has thickened, then turn onto a serving dish. The chicken should be just cooked and very tender - test the largest piece to make sure it's cooked through.

Stew with Potato and Rocket Pasta Cushions

Say what you want about Jamie Oliver, but we have yet to find something of his that hasn't worked. Take this stew, for example.

I was not able to get veal cheek, so we used lamb neck fillet instead and it was gorgeous. After 3 hours of simmering, the lamb just melted away when we bit into it. The pasta cushions were totally out of control. I mean REALLY good. If you don't have one of those pasta "makers" you ought to invest in one. Fresh pasta is just awesome.

FOR THE STEW
800 g veal cheeks or another stewing cut
olive oil
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 carrots, finely chopped
2 red onions, finely chopped
3 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely chopped
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
a bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked
1 heaped teaspoon flour
½ a bottle of white wine
2 cans good-quality plum tomatoes
1 basic pasta dough recipe
extra virgin olive oil
a small bunch of fresh flatleaf parsley, leaves picked
FOR THE FILLING
500 g floury potatoes
½ a nutmeg, grated
3 large handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
a big bunch of rocket, chopped
a large knob of butter
zest and juice of 1 lemon

Get yourself a casserole-type pan and put it on a medium heat. Pat the veal cheeks with a little olive oil and sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Fry on all sides until golden, then add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, thyme and rosemary to the pan. Allow to sweat slowly for about 10 minutes until all the veg has softened. Stir in the flour then add the wine and tomatoes. Stir gently then lightly season the sauce and put a lid on the pan. Simmer slowly for 2 to 3 hours, or until the meat falls apart - it should be so tender that you can pull it apart using two forks. If the sauce seems to be cooking a little dry, make sure that the heat isn't turned up too high and just top it up with a little water.

While the sauce is simmering, make your pasta dough. To make the filling, preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F/gas 6. Prick your potatoes with a fork, then roll them in a little salt and bake them in the oven for about an hour, or cook them for 25 minutes in a pressure cooker. When cool, cut them in half and scoop the potato out into a bowl, discarding the skins. Add the grated nutmeg, Parmesan, rocket, butter and lemon zest and juice. Mix this all together well, then season to taste. To make the cushion ravioli, go to page 88 - you've got plenty of time to put them together while the stew is simmering. Once they're done, put them to one side on a floured tray.

As soon as the meat is good and ready and falling apart, break it up using a fork. Give it a mix, taste it and adjust the seasoning if you need to. The sauce should be like a stew, but if it looks too thick then simply add a little water to loosen it and keep it simmering for a short while longer.

Put a pan of salted water on to boil, and get your family or guests round the table. When the pan of water is boiling fast, add your pasta parcels and cook for 3 minutes. Remove them from the water using a spider or slotted spoon, or drain them very carefully in a colander. At this point you can stir the cushions through the stew, but I prefer to drizzle them with extra virgin olive oil in the colander then give them a very light shake and just pour them on top of the stew. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, put a spoon in the pan and take the whole thing to the table so that everyone can help themselves.

Pizza by a Person Who is Tired But is Still Compelled to Cook Good Food

Pizza: Seared Duck Breast Pizza with Roasted Red Pepper and Cherry Tomato Sauce, with Artchokes and Oregano

I am SO tired, so I'll make this short. We had some good stuff today. I made some more pizza dough bases and used one of them to make a pretty good pizza tonight. I roasted a red pepper, a punnet of cherry tomatoes (halved) and a few cloves of garlic... drizzled some olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. I roasted those off until the skins were starting to char, then took them out and peeled the skins off of the red pepper. I didn't bother with skinning the cherry tomatoes because that's tedious and, like I said, I'm tired.

Put the roasted veggies into a blender and pulsed it up so it remains chunky somewhat and give it a bit more salt and pepper. Grate some Parmesan cheese (a small handful) and put that to the side. Set aside a few jar-marinated artichokes (cut up), some red pepper flakes, some oregano or basil and some olive oil. Just have it ready.

Now the coup-de-grace....duck breast! Follow the "Rule of 6" for a duck breast. First trim all of the silverskin and sinew off of it. Score the skin in a crosshatch pattern and seaosn both sides well with salt and pepper, rubbing the seasoning down into the skin.

IN A COLD PAN (this is KEY!), put the duck breast (skin-side down) over medium high heat. When it starts to sizzle, set your timer for 6 minutes. When time is up, flip it and just seal off the meaty (non-skin side) briefly. Drain the fat out of the pan and put the whole thing (skin-side down again) in a 200C oven for, you guessed it, 6 minutes.

Pull it out of the oven and out of the pan and rest it for, what's that you say? 6 Minutes? That's right. This produces perfect duck breasts every time. Slice it thinly on the diagonal and have it handy.

Now, you should make your own pizza dough because it tastes really good. Check out one of my earlier posts entitled 'Pizza Night' for the low-down on how to make your own. I would include it here but I just want to go to sleep. This pizza WAS fab, though, and you should try it.

So, assemble the pizza. Scatter some cornmeal on the preheated pizza stone so it doesn't stick. Drizzle with a little olive oil. Lay down your sauce, then the duck breast slices and artichoke chunks. Then the cheese and some fresh oregano or basil and a sprinkle of red pepper flakes. Maybe a touch of salt. Bake until the cheese is gooey and yummy. Mozzarella would work here, too.

Dessert: Cava Sangria Ice Cream


SPECIAL BONUS: Remember the Cava Sangria from the other day? Well we had some left over Sangria-soaked fruits (about 1 1/2 cups worth) and an extra punnet of frozen mixed berries (400g). We whizzed it up in the blender with about 1 1/2 cups of fromage frais and 70g sugar. We slapped it into the ice cream maker, et voila! Cava Sangria Ice Cream. It's good.

Good night.

Kakavia

This is another soup which hails from Greece. I made a few modifications to it to make it more interesting. A little chilli oil gives it a lift without making it too spicy.

Word of warning: this takes quite a bit of salt and pepper to season is it makes a whopping 8 servings! Add a little at a time until it's right.

1 onion, finely sliced
1 can chopped tomatoes
750 g potatoes, cut into 5mm slices
¼ cup fresh oregano leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 liters fish stock
1 kg white fish fillets, such as cod, snapper, haddock, pollock, etc.
500 g raw prawn meat
½ cup lemon juice
parsley, chopped, for garnish
chilli oil, to drizzle (optional)

Layer the onion, tomato and potato in a large, heavy-based saucepan, seasoning with salt, pepper and oregano between each layer. Add the oil and stock and bring the mixture to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, or until the potato is cooked through and tender.

Add the fish and prawn meat and cook for 5 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked. Add the juice, spoon into bowls and top with parsley.

Ulster Vegetable Soup with Bacon Dumplings

I know what you're thinking. Vegetable soup. Bo-ring! I have to tell you...this really hit the spot on a day like today with crappy weather. The tarragon makes this whole dish work, and well, bacon doesn't hurt anything. Best of all, no real fuss to throw this together.

This serves two as a dinner main course or four as a small soup starter. Good, fresh veg tastes fantastic in this soup. The recipe is from Great British Menu (Richard Corrigan from Ireland). I hope you try this on the next rainy, windy day.

600 ml vegetable stock
small bunch of fresh thyme
olive oil
50 g onion, chopped
1 ½ garlic cloves, chopped
2 carrots, neatly chopped
1 celery stick, neatly chopped
1 courgette, neatly chopped
1 small leek, neatly chopped
pepper
freshly grated Parmesan to serve
DUMPLINGS
4 rashers of good unsmoked bacon
olive oil
50 g finely chopped onion
1 large garlic clove, chopped
25 g parsley, chopped
25 g tarragon, chopped

First make the dumplings. Cut the rind off the bacon rashers; reserve the rinds for the soup. Mince the bacon very finely in a food processor - if the bacon is minced too coarsely it will not roll into dumplings and bind properly and the dumplings will break up. Transfer to a bowl.

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan, add the onion and garlic and sweat over a low heat until soft but not coloured. Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and tarragon. Leave to cool, then add to the minced bacon. Season to taste with pepper. Roll the mixture into walnut-sized dumplings, pressing firmly together. Keep covered in the fridge until ready to use.

For the soup, put the vegetable stock in a saucepan and add the bacon rinds and thyme. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain.

Heat a little olive oil in the saucepan, add the onion and garlic and saute over a moderate heat for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the carrots and saute for 2 minutes. Add the celery and courgette and saute for another 2 minutes. Finally, add the leek and saute for 2 more minutes. Pour the stock into the pan and bring to the boil. Simmer for 7-8 minutes or until the vegetables are just tender but still a little crunchy.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the dumplings. Return to the heat and bring the soup almost to the boil. Simmer gently for 7 minutes.

Check the seasoning, then serve, sprinkled with Parmesan.

Spanish Feast

We had some friends around last night, a few folks for the first time, for what was kind of a thrown-together-at-the-last-minute affair. As is the case with most of our dinner parties, it descended into a bunch of drunken Wii playing by the end of the night. The food and drink, though, was pretty good I think. There's a lot to get through here so take your time.

Drink: Cava Sangria

3 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons sugar
4 strawberries, quartered
½ cup raspberries
½ cup blueberries
½ cup blackberries
1 bottle dry red wine, preferably a Spanish red, such as Rioja or Tempranillo
¾ cup orange juice
½ cup Grand Marnier
1 bottle Cava, or similar sparkling wine

Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and let cool.

Combine the fruit in a bowl. In a large pitcher, combine the sugar-water, wine, orange juice, and Grand Marnier. Add the fruit and stir gently to combine. (The sangria can be prepared ahead to this point and held in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours before serving.)

Just before serving, add the Cava to the pitcher. Serve the sangria in wineglasses with some of the wine-soaked fruit in each glass.

Tapas Plate: Meatballs with Peaches

FOR THE MEATBALLS
½ slice stale white bread
2 tablespoons whole milk
¼ lb. ground beef, coarsely ground
1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
FOR THE SAUCE AND FRUIT
2 teaspoons pine nuts
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium peach, peeled, halved, pitted and sliced into 12 segments
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1-½ cups chicken stock
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon parsley, finely chopped

MEATBALLS
Place the bread in a small bowl and pour the milk over it, using just enough milk to soften the bread. Let it sit for one minute.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef, milk-soaked bread, garlic, parsley and egg. Using a spoon, mix all the ingredients together. Add the salt and continue mixing. Place the flour on a plate. Form 1 inch balls of the meat mixture (you should end up with 12 meatballs), and roll them in the flour. Shake off any excess flour, and set the meatballs aside. Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over a medium flame. When the oil reaches 350F, add the meatballs in small batches. Pan-fry until brown all over, about 4 minutes. Set the meatballs aside on paper towels to drain.

SAUCE
In a small saute pan, toast the pine nuts over medium-low heat, stirring regularly to ensure they don't burn, until they turn light brown, 3 minutes. Remove the pine nuts from the pan and set aside.

Place a large saute pan over low heat, add the sugar, and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Stir the butter into the sugar and allow it to melt. Then add the peach slices and saute until they are brown on all sides, about 2 minutes. Remove the peaches and set them aside. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the stock, reserved pine nuts and the cinnamon stick. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken, about 3 minutes.

Add the meatballs to the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes, moving the pan constantly to ensure the meatballs cook evenly. he sauce should end up being thick and syrupy. Return the peach slices to the pan and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Tapas Plate: Sweetbreads with Sofrito

FOR THE SWEETBREADS
2 carrots, sliced
1 leek, halved and rinsed well, or 1 small onion, halved
1 stick celery
1 bay leaf
juice of 1/2 a lemon
salt
FOR THE DISH
2 eggs
1 tablespoon olive oil
80 g breadcrumbs
1.2 kg sweetbreads
250 ml sunflower oil
2 sprigs fresh parsley
TOMATO AND ONION SOFRITO
10 ripe plum tomatoes
1-1/2 cups Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
4 small Spanish onions, chopped fine (about 4 cups)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon pimenton (Spanish sweet smoked paprika)
1 bay leaf
Salt

PREPARE SWEETBREADS
Put the sweetbreads in a saucepan and pour in water to cover. Add the carrot, leek or onion, celery, if using, bay leaf, lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, drain off the hot water and refresh the sweetbreads in cold water, then drain well. Peel off the membrane and remove any gristle, fat, ducts, membrane or traces of blood. Place the sweetbreads on a tea towel and fold back over them so that they are covered, then put something heavy on top, such as a light chopping board. Leave for one hour, then slice thickly according to taste.

FOR THE TOMATO AND ONION SOFRITO
Cut the tomatoes in half. Place a grater over a large mixing bowl. Rub the cut side of the tomato into the grater until the flesh is gone. Discard the skin. Strain the mixture.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over low-to-medium heat. Add the onions and the sugar. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the onions are tender with a light brown color. You want the onion to caramelize. If the onion gets too dark, add water to keep cooking the onion evenly without burning.

Add the reserved tomato puree, the pimeton and the bay leaf. Cook for another 20minutes at medium heat. You'll know your sofrito is ready when the tomato has broken down and deepened in color and the oil has separated from the sauce. Add salt to taste and scoop out the sauce with a slotted spoon, leaving as much oil behind as possible. The oil can be used to drizzle over Spanish food. (NOTE: You'll need 3 tablespoons of this for the paella)

FOR THE DISH
Beat the eggs with the olive oil and a pinch of salt in a shallow dish. Coat the sweetbreads first in the egg mixture and then in the breadcrumbs, pressing the crumbs on with your fingertips. Heat the sunflower oil in a frying pan over low heat. Add the parsley sprigs and cook for a few minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon and set aside. Increase the heat until the heat is enough to brown a cube of day-old bread in 30 seconds. Add the sweetbreads and cook until golden brown. Remove with a fish slice and drain well. Put the sweetbreads on a warm serving dish and garnish with the parsley. Serve immediately offering the tomato sauce separately.

Main Dish: Lobster Paella

600 g small Maine lobster
2 tablespoons Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces fresh squid, cut into small pieces
¼ cup sofrito (see above)
1 garlic clove, finely chopped (about 1 teaspoon)
3-½ cups fish stock
1 pinch Spanish saffron threads
1 tablespoon salt
1-½ cups Spanish Bomba or Calasparra rice

Using a very sharp knife, separate the lobster head from the tail. Cut the lobster head in half, putting the blade between the eyes. Slice through the head cleanly, then cut it into quarters, and cut the claws in half. Cut the tail into 6 medallions. In a paella pan over high. heat, sear the lobster medallions in

the olive oil for 1 minute. Remove them from the pan and set them aside. Add the squid to the pan and sear for 15 seconds. Add the sofrito, stir, and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 3 minutes.

Pour in the fish stock, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Crush the saffron and add it to the pan. Season with the salt. (Make sure it's just a little bit salty; the rice will balance out the saltiness.) Add the rice, taking care not to dump it in a pile-spread it evenly around the pan. Cook for 5 minutes over high heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. You'll see the rice floating
around the pan at this stage. If it's not, the mixture is too dry and you should add another 1/2 cup of stock or water.

Place the lobster head, claws, and medallions on top and reduce the heat to low. After this point, never put your finger or anything else in the rice. If you do, you will break the natural film that forms on top of the paella and the rice will cook unevenly. Maintaining a slow boil, cook for 10 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed.

Set the paella aside for 3 minutes; then serve right away.

Dessert: Strawberry Ice Cream

1 lb. frozen strawberries
½ cup fromage blanc or plain, low-fat yogurt
¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
small bunch of mint

In a food processor, puree the strawberries with the fromage blanc, sugar and mint for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and serve immediately.

If using fresh strawberries, follow the above instructions then put into an ice cream maker. Freeze for a few hours before serving.

Indian-Spiced Lamb Steaks with Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice Salad

I used this barbecue sauce on some pork ribs last week, which turned out great. We had all f this sauce left over, which I didn't want to go to waste. We picked up some lamb steaks and whipped some some coconut rice to accompany it. It turned out pretty good, and to be honest, I would be quite happy to use this barbecue sauce on anything off the grill. Both are Bobby Flay recipes.

FOR THE INDIAN-SPICED BARBECUE SAUCE
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 Spanish onion, coarsley chopped
6 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and grated
1 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 can chopped tomatoes
½ cup light brown sugar
3 tablespoons tamarind concentrate
1 jalapeno, coarsely chopped
¼ cup cilantro
salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE RIBS
3x450 g racks of pork ribs
olive oil, for brushing
salt and freshly ground black pepper

FOR THE SAUCE
Heat the olive oil until almost smoking in a large saucepan over medium-high heat, and cook the onion and garlic until soft. 4 to 5 minutes. Add the gingerroot and cook 2 minutes. Add the spices and cook until the flavors have mellowed, an additional 20 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juice, the brown sugar, tamarind paste. and jalapeno, and stir to combine. Cook until thickened, 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and add the cilantro. Place in a food processor and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. May be refrigerated, covered, up to 3 days; use at room temperature. Makes about 4 cups.

FOR THE RIBS
Preheat a gas grill heat to medium low. If using a charcoal grill, fill the entire grill with a shallow layer of charcoal and light the left outer edge only. As the fire moves from left to right, you will have consecutive areas of medium-low heat.

Brush the ribs on both sides with olive oil and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill with the cover closed until tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. During the last 15 minutes of grilling, baste with some of the Indian-Spiced Barbecue Sauce.

Remove from the grill and, if serving immediately, brush with more of the sauce, cut into single ribs, and place on a large platter.

The ribs may be grilled up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated, in which case do not brush them again as they come off the grill. Before serving, place on the grill until heated through. Remove from the grill, brush immediately with sauce, cut into single ribs, and place on a large platter.

Coconut-Cashew Basmati Rice Salad

4 tablespoons mild vegetable oil, such as canola
1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
Salt
2 cups basmati rice, rinsed several times with cold water and drained
1 (14-ounce) can unsweetened coconut milk
2 ¼ cups water
Freshly ground black pepper
½ cup raw cashews, halved
8-12 scallions, thinly sliced (1 cup)
½ cup grated fresh or shredded unsweetened dried coconut

Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a medium, heavy saucepan with a tight-fitting lid over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger, sprinkle with salt, and cook, stirring, until soft, 4 to 5 minutes; do not brown. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes.

Meanwhile combine the coconut milk and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the hot liquid to the rice, season with salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to very low, cover tightly, and let cook undisturbed for about 20 minutes, until the rice is soft and has absorbed all of the liquid.

While the rice is cooking, heat the remaining tablespoon oil in a small pan over medium heat. Add the cashews and cook, stirring, until light golden brown. Drain on paper towels and season with salt.

When the rice is cooked, transfer it to a large serving bowl and fold in the scallions and coconut, fluffing the rice and breaking up any clumps. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with the cashews and serve hot or at room temperature. (The salad can be made a few hours in advance, covered, and set aside at room temperature.)

Jerk-Rubbed Chicken Thighs with Homemade Habanero Hot Sauce

We had a barbecue at work last week and I was put in charge of meat (which I begged to do). This is one of the dishes I used which is a Bobby Flay recipe. The sauce is awesome, tangy, sweet and spicy at the same time. You may have to add quite a bit more honey than the recipe calls for in order to counteract the tanginess from the vinegar.

Serve this with a side salad, shown after the chicken recipe.

FOR THE SAUCE
2 tablespoons mild vegetable oil,, such as canola
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, and coarsely chopped
2 habanero or serrano chiles, seeded and chopped
1 tablespoon honey, or more to taste
1 cup white wine vinegar, or more to taste
Salt
FOR THE JERK RUB
2 tablespoons ground coriander
2 tablespoons ground ginger
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons habanero chile powder, or cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
FOR THE CHICKEN
8-10 skin-on chicken thighs, preferably boneless
Salt
½ cup jerk rub
Mild vegetable oil, such as canola
Mango slices
Fresh cilantro leaves

FOR THE SAUCE
Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 8 minutes; do not brown. Add the mangoes and habaneros and cook for 10 minutes, stirring often. Add the honey and vinegar and simmer until slightly thickened, IS to 20 minutes.

Transfer the mango mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Strain into a bowl. If the mixture is too thick to pour, add a few tablespoons of warm water. Season to taste with salt, vinegar, and honey. (The sauce can be made up to a day in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and mix well before serving.)

FOR THE JERK RUB
Combine all ingredients on a bowl or jar with a tight-fitted lid and mix well. (The rub keeps well for months stored at room temperature in a jar with a tight-fitting lid.)

FOR THE CHICKEN
Heat your grill to high. Season the chicken all over with salt. Rub the skin of the chicken with plenty ·of spice rub. Drizzle with oil and place the thighs skin side down on the grate. Grill until the skin is golden brown and crusty, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, reduce the heat to medium or move to a cooler part of the grill, close the grill hood, and cook until just cooked through (page 5), about 4 minutes more (bone-in thighs will take longer).

Remove the chicken to a platter, garnish with mango and cilantro, and serve immediately. Pass the sauce separately.

Salad: Grilled Cherry Tomato and Watercress Salad with Green Garlic Vinaigrette

FOR THE GREEN GARLIC VINAIGRETTE
2 scallion, (white bulb and three inches of green) coarsely chopped
¼ cup parsley
¼ cup spinach
4 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
¼ cup rice vinegar
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon honey
FOR THE GRILLED CHERRY TOMATO AND WATERCRESS SALAD
900 g cherry tomatoes, cut in half
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
450 g watercress, cleaned

FOR THE GREEN GARLIC VINAIGRETTE
Combine the green onion, parsley, spinach, garlic, and vinegar in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor"running, slowly add the olive oil until mixture is emulsified. Add honey and season with salt and pepper. May be refrigerated for 1 day. Serve at room temperature. Makes 1 1/4 cups.

FOR THE CHERRY TOMATO AND WATERCRESS SALAD
Preheat a gas or charcoal grill to high. Toss the tomatoes with the olive oil in a medium bowl, and season with salt and pepper.

On the grill or in a wire basket, grill the tomatoes until they are just cooked through but still hold their shape, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Toss the watercress with 1/4 cup of the Green Garlic Vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper, and arrange on a platter. Top with the tomatoes and drizzle with more of the vinaigrette. Serve any remaining vinaigrette alongside.

Ashburton Cookery School

Well, I'm just back from a two-day cookery course at the Ashburton Cookery School in Devon. I was really impressed with the facility and the broad range of courses that they had. Travis and I undertook the 'Gastro Plus' course which focuses on local ingredients and some complex dish composition. The ladies did a 'Wine Appreciation' course while we handled the cooking, which they say worked out just fine.

There were a load of recipes that we did over the course of a few days, but I'll just put a few here. You'll likely see more of them as I get a chance to cook through them over time. Some of these take awhile to put together, but the duck dish in particular was exceptional.

I would recommend the school to anyone and plan to go back (probably a few times). Google it and check out what they have to offer if you're interested.

Starter: Salad of Red Mullet with Poached Quails' Eggs, Crispy Parma Ham and White Truffle Oil

FOR THE RED MULLET
2x100 g scaled red mullet fillets
lemon juice
olive oil
sea salt and cracked black pepper
FOR THE CRISPY PARMA HAM
2 slices Parma ham
FOR THE QUAILS' EGGS
6 quails eggs
splash white wine vinegar
mixed green salad, with optional edible flowers
truffle oil, for drizzling

FOR THE RED MULLET
Remove all the pin bones from the red mullet with tweezers and leave the skin on the fish (a good fishmonger will pin bone the fillets)

Place the red mullet fillets skin side up on a baking tray lined with a silicone mat and drizzle a little virgin olive oil over the skin and sprinkle with a little sea salt and cracked black pepper

Bake in a pre heated oven 200°C for 4 minutes until the fish is just cooked. Squeeze over a little lemon juice and serve

FOR THE CRISPY PARMA HAM
Preheat an oven to 200°C. Cut each slice of Parma ham into 3 lengthways. Lay strips of Parma ham on a baking tray lined with a silicone mat. Bake in the oven for approx 10 mins until the Parma ham goes very crispy. Place on a cooling rack and allow to cool

FOR THE QUAILS' EGGS

Carefully crack 3 quails eggs into a ramekin. Add a splash of white wine vinegar and leave for 30 minutes.

Bring a small pan of water to the boil, regulate to a simmer and add a splash of white wine vinegar to the water. Gently place the 3 quails eggs into the simmering water and poach gently for approx 1 min (it is important that the yolk remains runny)

Place the quails' eggs immediately into cold water to stop them cooking. When they are cold remove them from the cold water and place into a container covered with a sheet of damp kitchen roll.

Reheat the eggs, when required, in simmering water for approx 20 secs and serve immediately.

Serve over a salad, dressed with a light vinaigrette and edible flowers. Drizzle with truffle oil.

Main: Pink-Roasted Duck Breast with Confit Duck Leg Lettuce Parcel, Cassis Jus, Potato Rosti, Green Beans and Carrots

FOR THE MARINADE
15 g sea salt
1 tablespoon cracked black peppercorns
4 cloves
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
FOR THE CONFIT
duck or goose fat, to cover
5 cloves garlic, unpeeled
5 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
FOR THE PARCEL FILLING
1 confit duck leg
2 duck livers, chopped
2 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon mixed parsley and thyme, chopped
cracked black pepper and sea salt
FOR THE PARCEL
1 baby gem lettuce
duck confit mix
FOR THE DUCK BREAST
2x200 g duck breasts
1 large pinch five spice
sea salt
FOR THE CASSIS JUS
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cassis
150 ml red wine
300 ml brown beef stock or chicken stock
10 g unsalted butter
12 large blueberries (cut in half)
FOR THE GREEN BEANS AND CARROTS
1 handful handful green beans , topped and tailed
2 carrots, cut into batons
sea salt and cracked black pepper
olive oil
FOR THE POTATO ROSTI
1 medium potato (Maris Piper or Desireel)
2 tablespoon corn oil
25 g unsalted butter
sea salt and cracked black pepper

FOR THE MARINADE AND DUCK CONFIT
Place all of the ingredients, expect the brandy, into a pestle and mortar and pound to break down the herbs and spices. Massage the herbs and spices into the duck legs by hand and drizzle with the brandy and leave to marinade for a minimum of 12 hours.

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Warm the duck fat gently in a stainless steel pan. Scrape the marinade off the duck legs and lay them in a roasting tray or casserole dish.

Pour over the duck fat so the legs are completely submerged. Add the thyme, garlic and bay leaves. Bake for approx 5 - 6 hours at 160°c or until you see the leg meat coming away from the bone.

Remove from the oven and allow too cool slightly. Take the duck legs out carefully making sure they don't fall apart. Strain the cooking fat through a sieve to remove any bits. Place the legs in a suitable container and cover with the fat. Store in the fridge until required.

FOR THE PARCEL FILLING
Remove the duck leg meat from the bone and discard the skin. Chop the meat into small pieces.

Sweat the sliced shallots and garlic in a little unsalted butter until softened and add the chopped duck livers, continue to cook gently for a further 2 minutes. Mix the cooked shallots, garlic and duck livers with the chopped confit leg meat. Add the balsamic vinegar and the chopped parsley and thyme. Season with cracked black pepper and a little sea salt. The mix should be wet enough to stick together

FOR THE PARCEL
Remove the outside leaves of the baby gem lettuce and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds to soften. Refresh immediately into cold water and drain onto kitchen towel.

Line a mould, pudding basin or ladle with cling film. Place two or three blanched baby gem lettuce leaves into the mould, slightly overlapping. Fill the mould with duck confit parcel filling mixture. Bring together the top of the lettuce leaves to seal the parcel mixture in then bring the cling film over and seal it tightly

Keep the parcels from the mould and chill until required.

To reheat the parcels, leave them wrapped in the cling film and place into a steamer for 10 minutes until hot in the middle. Unwrap, drain onto kitchen paper and serve.

FOR THE DUCK BREAST
Score the skin of the duck breast several times, then rub in a little salt and the five spice. Place in a cold frying pan skin side down, then place the pan on to the heat and cook gently for 6 minutes with no additional oil.

Carefully remove any excess fat from the pan. Turn the duck over and seal for 1 minute. Turn the duck back over onto the skin side, season the flesh side with a little more salt and place into a hot oven at 220°c for 6-8 minutes until the duck breast is medium rare.

Remove the duck from the oven, place on a chopping board and allow it to rest for five minutes before carving.

FOR THE CASSIS JUS
Sweat the shallot in half of the butter until softened. Add the red wine and reduce until thick and syrupy.
Add the stock and reduce until you have approximately 100 mI of the stock left. Add the blueberries and continue to simmer. Shake in the other half of the unsalted butter and then add the cassis to finish the
sauce. Season the sauce if necessary and keep warm.

FOR THE GREEN BEANS AND CARROTS
Blanch the green beans and carrots separately in boiling salted water and refresh immediately in cold water to stop the cooking. Place onto kitchen roll to drain off any excess water. Reserve to one side until required.

Reheat the beans and carrots in a pan with a little olive oil, water and seasoning. NOTE: the vegetables will reheat very quickly in approximately 2 minutes over a high heat.

FOR THE POTATO ROSTI
Wash and peel the potato. On a clean tea towel grate the potato using the coarse side of the grater. Wrap the potato in the tea towel and squeeze out as much moisture as possible. Season the potato with salt and pepper.

Place a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add the corn oil and unsalted butter. When the butter has melted and started to foam, place a handful of grated potato into the pan. Carefully push down and shape into a round using a palette knife.

Cook gently until golden brown on each side regulating the flame regularly to prevent them from burning.
When they are cooked place them onto a baking tray and re heat as required. Drain them onto kitchen roll to absorb any excess oil and then serve.

TO ASSEMBLE
Place the rostis on the plate and the sliced duck breast on top. Top with the cassis jus. Place some carrots and beans off to the side with the parcel on top. Add more sauce if desired. Serve.

Dessert: Plymouth Gin and Tonic Sorbet

150 ml Plymouth gin
500 ml tonic water
250 ml water
250 g caster sugar
Zest of 1 lemon and 1 lime
Juice of 1/2 lemon and lime

Mix the water and sugar together in a small pan and over a low heat bring up to boil until the sugar dissolves. Allow the stock syrup to boil for 4 minutes, remove from heat and cool. Combine the tonic water; gin, lemon and lime zest and juice together and then add this to the cooled syrup mixture.

Churn in an ice cream machine until thick and slushy. Place into a container and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.