Potage au Pistou (Garlic and Vegetable Soup with Basil)

This soup was super-hearty and fabulously healthy. This packs enough veg to get a whole week's worth of goodness.

This made 6 huge servings, so enough to last awhile. I did have to use a CONSIDERABLE amount of salt and pepper to get this big 'ol pot of soup seasoned properly. Also, I added in a good slug of lemon-infused olive oil at the end and it made a huge difference. Yum.

¾ cup dried navy beans, soaked overnight in 3 cups of water
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 carrots, diced (about 1 cup)
2 leeks, diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 onion, diced (about 1 1/4 cup)
pinch saffron
2-½ quarts chicken stock
6 ounces green beans, topped, tailed, cut into 1 inch lengths
1 potato , diced (about 1 cup)
1 zucchini, (UK=courgette) (about 1 cup)
2 ounces vermicelli, or angel hair pasta, broken into 2-inch lengths (about 3/4 cup)
2 ripe tomatoes, peeled, deseeded, diced
salt and pepper
½ cup basil, chopped
½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
2 garlic, chopped
⅓ cup olive oil

Toast the pinenuts. Puree the basil, Parmesan, pine nuts and garlic to a fine paste in a food processor or blender.

With the machine turning, add the olive oil in a thin stream. Scrape the sides of the bowl or blender jar as necessary. Puree until the oil is completely incorporated.

FOR THE SOUP
Drain the beans and place in a large saucepan. Add 1 quart water, and bring to a simmer. Cook until tender, about 1 hour, adding more water, if necessary, to keep the beans covered.

Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the carrots, leeks, and onion. Cook until the onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and the saffron, if using, to the vegetables, bring to a simmer, and cook, 10 minutes.

Add the green beans, potato, and zucchini. Continue to simmer, 10 minutes. Add the vermicelli and simmer until tender, about 8 minutes.

Drain the beans of their cooking liquid and add them to the soup along with the tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper and continue to simmer, 1 minute.

Add the pistou, to taste, just before serving. Serve in heated bowls.

Gelato di Pesca e Mascarpone - Peach and Mascarpone Gelato

We got some peaches with our organic fruit and veg delivery. Since they are in season, these things generally find their way into some frozen dessert. The mascarpone add such a nice creaminess to the overall texture and the peaches taste great.

You can do this without an ice cream maker, it will just take longer. Essentially, you need to take the cooled ice cream mixture and put it into a freezerproof container. Every 2 hours or so (for a bout 6 hours total freezing time) you'll want to go in there and whisk up the mixture with electric beaters or something. What you're trying to do is break up any ice crystals which will want to form as it freezes. A healthy fat content (whole milk, cream, mascarpone, etc.) will form globules around the crystals and keep them from getting too large, which is key to a creamy end product texture. Use this method for any ice cream if you don't have a machine.

Now try this.

160 g sugar
160 ml water
juice of 1/2 lemon
250 g mascarpone cheese
5 ripe peaches

Put the sugar and the water in a saucepan and heat gently to dissolve the sugar, about 4 minutes. Swirl the pan around to dislodge any crystals on the bottom, then transfer to a bowl to cool. Add the lemon juice and stir. Put in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes.

Pour the chilled sugar into a blender together with the mascarpone and process to combine.

Cut a cross in the stalk end of the peaches and put in a bowl, pour on boiling water and keep pushing the peaches under for 1 minute. Drain and refresh in cld water and the skins will slip off easily. Cut the leaches in half and lift out the stone (pit). Slice directly into the mascarpone mixture in the blender. Process the mixture into a smooth puree.

Churn using an ice cream maker. Freeze for use later. You can put this in the fridge 25 minutes before serving to loosen it up some.

Goan Prawn Curry

We had been talking about having a good, spicy curry for a few weeks now, and we finally got the chance. It comes from the aptly-titled 'Best-Ever Curry Cookbook'. Now, call me a food snob, but I usually shy away from any cookbooks which contain the words 'quick' 'easy' best-ever' or 'simple' in the title, so I was a little wary of this one when we got it awhile back.

This was actually quite good with just the right amount of heat. GENERAL TIP: ALWAYS buy raw prawns (or shrimp). You see, when you buy precooked shrimp, you never know if it was precooked by a moron. When it's raw and being cooked for the first time (by you!), you get to control the doneness. Also, with precooked, it may have been precooked and frozen 10 years ago.

When you whip up the Spice Mixture, we found that using the whole amount that the mixture yields works out to right around the 3 tablespoons the recipe calls for. Enjoy!

1 tablespoon butter, or ghee
2 garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tablespoon groundnut oil
4 cardamom pods
4 cloves
1 2 inch cinnamon
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 red chili, seeded and sliced
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
175 milliliters fish stock, or water
350 milliliters coconut milk
3 tablespoons Fragrant Spice Mix, (see directions)
4 teaspoons chili powder
salt
basmati rice, cooked, enough for four people

First, make the spice mix. Dry fry 1 1/2 tablespoons of coriander seeds, 1 tablespoon peppercorns (mixed, if available), 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds and 1/4 teaspoon fennel seeds until aromatic, then grind finely in a spice mill.

Melt the ghee or butter in a wok or large pan, add the garlic and stir over a low heat for a few seconds. Add the prawns and stir-fry briskly to coat. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

In the same pan heat the oil and fry the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon for 2 minutes. Add the mustard seeds and fry for 1 minute. Add the onion and chilli and fry for 7-8 minutes or until softened and lightly browned.

Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a slow simmer. Cook gently for 6-8 minutes and add the prawns. Simmer for 5-8 minutes until the prawns are cooked through. Serve the curry with the basmati rice.

Creamy Tiger Prawn Bisque with Cumin-Coriander Foam

Last night we had some friends over (Suzanna and Ian - Suzanna is Vanessa's Spanish teacher) and we made a Mexican meal eerily similar to one we had toward the end of March. You can check that out by looking it up in our March blog entries.

In any case, I got this new cream whipper which helps one make, well, whipped creams. And foams and other cool stuff. This was my first try with it and it's fun. We made a starter of Tequila Lime Tiger Prawns with Cilantro and Avocado and I had all of this prawn shells and bodies left over and decided to make this little amuse bouche (which means sort of 'to wake up the mouth' or 'amuse the palate'). It is typically a very small, well flavored course served first to get people ramped up about eating dinner.

This little soup packed a punch and the foam worked out very nicely too. The chile de arbol (available through a lot of spice purveyors) provided a nice heat in the back of the throat and the bisque was rich, while still managing to stay light.

olive oil
12 tiger prawns, shells only, bodies and heads
1 shallot
½ lemon , sliced
1 clementine, or half an orange, sliced
2 bay leaf
10 peppercorns
3 sprigs parsley
284 milliliters double cream
¼ teaspoon chile de arbol, ground
salt and pepper
284 milliliters single cream
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon coriander
5 sprigs fresh coriander
2 dashes cinnamon
In a large saucepan, heat some olive oil over medium-high heat. When hot, put the prawn shells in the pan and stir around. Let them cook until the shells get a nice, rich red and you can smell the aromas they are giving off, about 6-8 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir around to coat as best you can, letting it cook for another 20 seconds or so.

Add the shallot, lemon, clementine, bay leaves, peppercorns, parsley and enough water to cover everything, about 2 liters (2 quarts). Bring this to a boil over high heat, skim the scum off of the top quickly and then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes or so, skimming scum off of the top the best you can.

Strain everything into a large bowl. Push down on the shells and everything in the sieve to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the solids. Pour the strained liquid back into a clean saucepan. Bring this to a boil and reduce the liquid down to about 1 cup of reduced stock. Pour in the cream and bring this mixture just to a boil then reduce immediately to a simmer and reduce the whole mixture down to 2 cups of total liquid. Season the bisque with chile de arbol powder and some salt and pepper to taste. Set aside or chill if using later.

In a small saucepan, place the cream, cumin, coriander, fresh coriander and cinnamon just to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let the herbs and spices infuse the cream for 30 minutes. Strain the solids out. Take the cream and put into a cream whipper according to manufacturer directions. Chill. (NOTE: If you don't have a cream whipper, you can simply whip the cream up to a topping consistency using a whisk or electric beaters).

When ready to finish, bring the bisque up to eating temperature over medium heat. Fill four small glasses (tall, narrow shotglasses that are a few inches tall work best) and fill each about 3/4 of the way up with bisque. Top the rest of the way with the foam.

Serves 4 as an amuse bouche.

Great British Menu dinner

We have a few of the Great British Menu cookbooks and thought we'd give some stuff a try. As those of you in the UK might know, the TV show Great British Menu is a competition pitting the UK's best chefs (by region) against one another until a winner is finally found at the end. There is always a corresponding cookbook and the recipes are usually somewhat complex, which I like every once in awhile.

The starter is part of a trio of salads by Gary Rhodes. I'll tell you, this blue cheese dressing is the best I've ever tasted. I'm not even much of a fan of blue cheese dressing, but this was special. The main was a lamb dish that had a few elements, but came together easily enough, tasted great and looked great on the plate.

Starter: Blue Cheese Caesar Gem Salad

2 tablespoons mayonnaise, heaping spoonful
1.5 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
50 milliliters mayonnaise
100 milliliters creme fraiche
100 g blue cheese, room temperature, broken into small nuggets
1 garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon capers
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 small gem lettuce
Olive oil, to drizzle

In a small food processor, blitz together all of the ingredients, except 50g of the cheese and the lettuces, until smooth. Season with a twist of pepper. The dressing can be left with a slight coarse consistency, or blitzed for a smooth finish. If too thick, whisk in water to loosen.

Discard the outer leaves of the lettuces and separate the remaining leaves. To serve, mix the remaining blue cheese nuggets amongst the leaves and arrange in piles on the plates. Drizzle with the dressing. Serves 4.

Main: Fillet of Perthshire Lamb, Seared Kidney and Balsamic Onions, Rocket and Broad Beans with Arran Mustard Dressing

600 g lamb fillet
4 lamb kidneys, cut in half and veins and skin removed
olive oil
salt and pepper
6 red onion, sliced
20 milliliters olive oil
200 milliliters balsamic vinegar
100 milliliters lamb stock
1.5 teaspoons coarse grain mustard, such as Arran (I used an Irish Stout wholegrain mustard)
2 handfuls baby broad beans
2 handfuls rocket, washed and spun dry

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C/Gas Mark 8.

2. First prepare the balsamic onions. Sweat the onions in the olive oil, then pour over enough vinegar just to cover the onions. Slowly cook until the vinegar is almost completely reduced. Season before serving.

3. Meanwhile, season the lamb with some olive oil, salt and pepper. In a hot pan, sear the lamb fillets and kidneys in a little hot oil in a frying pan for 1-2 minutes on each side. Place in the oven and cook for 2 minutes. Remove and leave to rest 10 minutes or so before slicing.

4. While the lamb is cooking, make the Arran mustard dressing and salad. Reduce the lamb stock by half, then stir in the mustard. Reduce a little more. Meanwhile, blanch the broad beans in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh, then pop the beans from their skins. Toss the beans with the rocket and a drizzle of the mustard dressing.

5. To serve, slice each lamb fillet at a 45° angle into three pieces. Spoon the balsamic onions on to each warm plate, arrange the pieces of lamb fillet on the onions top with the kidneys. Add the broad bean and rocket salad and pour the mustard dressing over or around.

Roast Pork with a Honey-Soy Glaze, Roasted Pineapple and Sauteed Bok Choy

We were watching some show about Hawaii the other day and I got inspired to create a dish using those Polynesian-type flavors. This is the second dish this week that I made up in my mind, put down on paper, cooked, and had it turn out according to the original concept. I am really happy with this one.

I can't stress enough about the meat thermometer. You really do need to get one. Another important thing here is the internal temperature of cooked pork. Gone are the days of having to cook it to 165F/73C, which will turn it quite dry and unpleasant. I did some extensive reading online and found that the bacteria that used to be in pork (trichinosis) long ago has all but been eliminated in modern pork farming. In any case, trichinosis dies at a temperature of 140F/60C. Just to be safe, most folks nowadays recommend 144F/62C for a good internal temperature for pork.

This frees us from the days of hockey-puck consistency pork chops! This pork was marinated for 24 hours, cooked to 62C, and it turned out amazingly moist, juicy, with the faintest shade of pink to the meat and absolutely delicious.

¼ cup honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup mirin
20 g ginger, fresh, grated
1 kg pork loin, skin on
1 large pineapple, skinned, quartered, cored, cut into 1/2" chunks
¼ cup Cognac
200 milliliters chicken stock
1 head bok choy
salt and pepper
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Mix the honey, rice vinegar, soy, mirin, ginger and whisk together in a bowl. Put the mixture into a resealable bag and add the pork loin. Move the pork around in the marinade to coat evenly. Marinade for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.

Remove the pork from the marinade and put aside, reserving the marinade, making sure to leave at least 1/4 cup of it for the sauce at the end. Take the pineapple chunks and put them in a roasting pan. Put a roasting tray on top of the pineapple and then place the pork on top. Baste the pork with a few spoonfuls of the reserved marinade. Put the pork in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 180C/350F. Cook the pork for an additional 50 minutes, spooning over a few spoonfuls of marinade every 15 minutes until a thermometer registers 62C/145F. You may need to cover the top of the pork with foil if the skin starts to go black.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow the pork to rest for at least 10 minutes on a cutting board. Remove the pineapple from the pan the put to one side. Pour off most of the fat from the pan and put on the stove over medium-high heat. When hot, deglaze the pan with the Cognac, making sure to scrape up any bits left on the bottom. Add the chicken stock, and reserved 1/4 cup of marinade, bring to a boil and allow to reduce until you have about 3/4 cup of nice sauce. Strain this off and add a pinch of salt and some sugar as necessary. Pour off into a clean bowl.

Get a wok or saute pan hot over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl to coat. Add the bok choy leaves and some salt, pepper and sesame oil and saute until it starts to wilt, about 1 minute, moving the leaves constantly. Remove from the pan. Cut the pork into slices.

Place some bok choy leaves on the bottom of each plate. Place some pork medallions on top of the bok choy and then top with some of the pineapple and sauce. Serve hot with some crackling, if desired.

Carrot and Coriander Soup

Vanessa came up large with this tasty (and spicy!) soup. The yogurt cuts through some of the heat. And there WAS some heat to this. Perhaps a little more cayenne than called for made its way into the soup, which is fine by me. If you are not a spicy food eater, you may want to back off some of the cayenne.

Also, I know I have mentioned before about smoked paprika. It really is the greatest thing ever. Get your hands on some as use it here... it just adds a whole new dimension to the soup.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
800 g carrots, peeled, roughly chopped
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoons paprika
1.25 liters chicken stock
½ cup yogurt, thick and natural
2 tablespoons fresh coriander, chopped

Heat the olive oil in a saucepan, add the onion and carrot and cook over low heat for 30 minutes.

Add the bay leaf and spices and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes, or until the carrot is tender. Cool slightly, then blend in batches in a food processor (or puree with a stick blender). Return to the saucepan and gently reheat. Season as necessary with salt and pepper.

Combine the coriander and yogurt in a bowl. Pour the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of the yogurt mixture. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Moroccan Lamb and Aubergine Stew with Chickpeas

We got this eggplant with our organic vegetable box and I had to figure out what to do with it. We could have gone Indian with this, but in the end, we decided on Moroccan. I was pleased that this lived up to the concept in my mind. It did need a lot of salt as I went along to make it taste right.

One other important note: ALWAYS use lamb neck fillet for any stews which involve lamb. It is perfect for low heat, long cooking time applications with lamb. It really turns all melty and awesome. I am proud of this creation and hope you give it a try.

1 large eggplant, (UK=aubergine), cut into 1/2" cubes
salt
olive oil
600 g lamb neck fillet, cut into bite-sized chunks
1 large onion, diced
2 garlic, minced
1 tablespoon coriander
1 tablespoon cumin
1.5 teaspoon paprika
1.5 teaspoon cinnamon
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon tomato puree
300 milliliters beef stock
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 handful cilantro, chopped

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Rinse the lamb off and pat dry with paper towels. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. When the pan is hot, add a good drizzle of olive oil, shake the pot to coat the bottom evenly and add the lamb. You may need to do the lamb in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Sear the lamb on all sides and remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl. Leave the lamb to rest in the bowl.

Pour off all but a tablespoon or so of the fat and oil left in the pan (or add some olive oil if there's not enough) and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and garlic and sweat down for about 5 minutes or so, just to soften them but not put any real color on them.

Add the spices and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir around briefly until fragrant. Add the tomato puree, stir to combine and let cook for about a minute; it should turn a little darker. Turn the heat up to high. Add the beef stock and deglaze the bottom of the pan by scraping up any bits the meat left behind. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, add the lamb and any juices that may have been left behind in the bowl they were resting in, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, cut the aubergine into cubes and place them in a colander in the sink. Sprinkle a generous amount of salt over them and leave them to sit for at least 30 minutes, as the salt will draw a lot of moisture out of the aubergines. Rinse the aubergines off and pat them dry on some paper towels.

Add the aubergines and chickpeas to the pot and stir through to combine. Allow the stew to cook about 30 minutes more, until the meat is tender and the chickpeas have cooked through, but aren't mushy.

Add the fresh coriander and stir through. Check the seasoning, adjust if necessary, then serve hot in warmed bowls.

Oatmeal Waffles with Cointreau-Strawberry Compote and Clotted Cream

We love breakfast. Good 'ol American breakfast. It seems back in the States, you can't walk 10 feet without running into an IHOP (International House of Pancakes) or a Denny's or a Perkins (for those of you from the Midwest). Not so here in the UK. I get the impression folks steer a little more toward the 'proper fry-up' with eggs and sausage, meat, toast and the like.

Well, you can imagine that every once in a while, we just have to have waffles or pancakes or something. We had some strawberries left over from our fruit and veg delivery. We decided that the time had come to put it on some waffles. And why not through in a little liqueur? It would be uncivilized not to. These had a great texture and got nice and fluffy on the inside. The topping was a winner and it screamed out for a little clotted cream. I suppose these would make good pancakes, too, if you don't have a waffle iron. Scrummy!

3.5 cups flour
1.3 cups oatmeal, or rolled oats
½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch ground cloves
7 eggs
1 quarts buttermilk
½ cup butter, melted

For the Compote:
250 g strawberries
2 tablespoons Cointreau, or Grand Marnier
¼ cup water
¼ cup sugar

¼ cup clotted cream

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, oatmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and make a well in the center.

In a separate bowl, combine the eggs with the buttermilk and mix well. Pour the egg mixture into the center of the dry ingredients. Stir mixture until the dry ingredients are 3/4 moistened. Add the butter and stir only until the butter is worked in. Do not overmix. The batter is ready for use now, or can be refrigerated for up to 12 hours.

For the compote, hull and slice the strawberries and put into a bowl. Splash the Cointreau over the top and mix around briefly. Set aside. Combine the water and sugar in a small saucepan and put over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the strawberries and any liquid left in the bowl. Raise the heat to medium-high until it starts boiling. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let it bubble away for 20 minutes or so, until the strawberries have broken down and the liquid has become quite syrupy.

Preheat the waffle iron to medium-high. Pour in about 3/4 cup of batter into the waffle iron and cook the waffles until they are crisp, golden and cooked through, 3-6 minutes per waffle. Serve at once with strawberry compote over the top and a dollop of clotted cream. SERVES 8.

Eat Like a Parisian!

Guests of this blog know that I like a good cookbook. Thomas Keller, widely regarded as the best chef in the United States, has a few books out and they really deliver. No recipe delivers like this one (from the cookbook Bouchon - which I have a link to on the right side of this page) and it is the simplest thing in the world to make.

A lot of people ask me what I would have as a last meal. This is probably it. Nothing in my mind beats the simplicity and reward of a perfectly roasted chicken. I mean, the smell of the kitchen as it is cooking all the way up to the eating is sheer anticipation. And, as I said, the preparation is ridiculously simple.

We usually just eat the chicken as is, but this time we decided to throw a little sauce on it and see what happened. We weren't disappointed. That said, it is PERFECTLY ACCEPTABLE to just have the chicken. It doesn't NEED a sauce. You can do one if you want.

The side dish is another one we have every now and again, but this time we made it with ingredients from our organic box. We left the red peppers raw (the recipe calls for them to be roasted) and the crunch and flavor of the red pepper was astounding. I have never said that about a raw red pepper before, but a really good quality pepper elevated the dish quite a lot. Anyhow, this was a fantastic, simple meal that delivers SO MUCH. EAT IT NOW.

Final Note: Get a meat thermometer. If you want consistent results, you need to exercise control over the meat. If you overcook meat (e.g., cook it too long), it turns out dry and crappy. Getting your meat out of the oven before this point is ESSENTIAL. For instance, I have a fan-assisted oven (which I hate) that causes me to guess about timing. The only way I know for sure is to check the meat temp every once in a while. This recipe calls for 50-60 minutes, but my oven gets it done in about 35-40. Another checkpoint is to pierce the under side of the thigh and watch the juices come out. If the juices run clear, it's ready. Any pink in the juice, and it needs more cooking. Thermometers are cheap and will help you to produce consistent results.

Main: Roast Chicken with Mushroom Tarragon Sauce

1.5 kg chicken
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons thyme, minced
butter, optional

The Sauce:
30 g butter
olive oil
100 g mushrooms, sliced thinly
2 shallot, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Cognac
3 tablespoons white wine
50 milliliters heavy cream
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped

Preheat the 450F. Rinse the chicken, then dry it very well with paper towels, inside and out. The less it steams, the drier the heat, the better.

Salt and pepper the cavity, then truss the bird. Trussing is not difficult, and if you roast chicken often, it's a good technique to feel comfortable with. When you truss a bird, the wings and legs stay close to the body; the ends of the drumsticks cover the top of the breast and keep it from drying it out. Trussing helps the chicken to cook evenly, and it also makes for a more beautiful roasted bird.

Now salt the chicken - I like to rain salt over the bird so that it has a nice uniform coating that will result in a crisp flavorful skin (about one tablespoon). When it's cooked, you should still be able to make out the salt baked into the crisp skin. Season to taste with pepper.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan (with a rack of you have one) and, when the oven is up to temperature, put the chicken in the oven. I leave it alone - I don't baste it, I don't add butter; you can if you wish but I feel this creates steam, which I don't want. Roast it until it's done, 50 to 60 minutes (or until the internal temperature taken at the thickest part of the thigh registers about 70C/158F). Remove the chicken from the from the oven and add the thyme to the pan. Baste the chicken with the juices and thyme and let it rest for 15 minutes on a cutting board.

While the chicken is resting, make the sauce. (NOTE: This chicken is AWESOME without any sauce. Consider any sauce for this chicken to be optional.) Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Add the butter and a drizzle of olive oil. When the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and let them cook down for about 5 minutes. When almost all of the liquid has ben absorbed, add the shallots and stir through and cook for another minutes or so. Add the wine and Cognac and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits clinging to the bottom of the pan. Let this liquid reduce by half then add the cream and season with salt and pepper (and another little hunk of butter, if desired) and let it come to a simmer. Add the tarragon and stir to combine. Check the seasoning and remove from the heat and put into a bowl or gravy boat. Set aside.

Remove the twine from the chicken. Separate the wing joint and eat that immediately. Remove the legs and thighs. I like to take off the backbone and eat one of the oysters, the two succulent morsels of meat embedded here, and give the other to the person I'm cooking with. Cut the breast down the middle and serve it on the bone with one wing joint still attached to each. The preparation is not meant to be superelegant. Slather the meat with fresh butter (if not using the sauce). Serve hot. Eat with your fingers.

Side: Parisian-Style Potato Salad

1.5 lb. new potatoes, red, if possible
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons red bell pepper, roasted, finely chopped
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil, extra-virgin
8 kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
4 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
2 garlic, minced
parsley, to garnish (optional)
anchovy fillets, whole (optional)

Place potatoes in a large saucepan, and cover with water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes or until tender; drain and cool slightly. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Combine potatoes, 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt, and pepper; toss gently. Let stand 5 minutes.

Combine 1 tablespoon vinegar, bell peppers, and remaining ingredients except parsley sprigs and whole anchovy fillets in a bowl; stir with a whisk. Pour over potatoes; toss gently to coat. Garnish with parsley sprigs and whole anchovy fillets, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Razor Clams with Chorizo

This is a recipe from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall which we dug up on the Channel 4 website. We've been talking about trying razor clams for a long time, but had never fit it in to our busy eating schedule. Well, this time we set some time aside for a razor clam lunch. Putting it with chorizo is a winner; the clams themsleves have a flavor quite like scallops. The recipe say that it serves 4 as a starter, and we figured that it meant it would serve 2 as a main course. I'll say, it was a big too much as lunch went on, but I would definitely have this again as a smaller starter course.

16 razor clams, scrubbed in cold water
150 g chorizo picante, cut into chunks
75 g butter
olive oil
2 garlic, finely chopped
1 red chili, finely chopped
1 glass white wine
1 small bunch parsley, chopped
salt and pepper

Heat a large, deep frying pan or wide, shallow saucepan over a high heat. Add the chorizo and fry in a little olive oil for about 5 minutes. Add the butter and a dash more olive oil. After the butter melts, add the garlic, the chilli, if using, and the clams to the pan with the chorizo.

Toss the clams in the butter, then let them fry for a couple of minutes until they start to open. Pour in the wine and let it bubble for a further minute, then add the parsley and season with salt and pepper.

By this time, all the clams should be open (discard any that stay firmly shut) and the flesh perfectly cooked. Serve the clams in warmed dishes, with the delicious cooking liquor spooned over them. Some good bread for mopping juice is essential.

Broccoli Soup with Stilton Crumble

You might be looking at this and asking yourself, "Where's the crumble?" Well, in the end, the soup was just a little too thin to support the weight of the crumble. Next, time I'll probably puree half of the broccoli and leave the other half on small chunks. No matter what, the soup was delicious and ridiculously simple to make.

50 g unsalted butter, diced
4 bay leaf
1 head broccoli, large, chopped into small pieces
1 liter chicken stock, hot, or vegetable stock
500 milliliters milk
sea salt and pepper
125 g brown bread, sliced, toasted, crusts removed
125 g blue Stilton cheese

Melt the butter with the bay leaves in a large pan over low heat. Allow to infuse for a couple of minutes, then add the broccoli and seasoning followed by the hot stock. Bring to the boil and boil for one minute. Discard the bay leaves and blitz in the blender. Pour into a clean pan and mix in the milk. Taste for seasoning. Set aside.

Get the grill hot.

To make the crumble, pulse the toasted bread in a food processor to make large chunky crumbs. Crumble the cheese into a bowl and mix in the breadcrumbs. Bring the soup to a boil, then ladle into flameproof bowls set on a baking tray. Dot the crumble on top. Grill until golden. Serve hot.

Pavlova with Kiwi and Passion Fruit

This was a complete knockout and SUPER EASY to make. I can't say enough about it... the texture of the pavlova is just right; crisp outside, gooey inside.

4 egg white, room temperature
250 g sugar
2 teaspoons corn flour, (US=cornstarch)
1 teaspoon vinegar
250 milliliters whipping cream
3 passion fruit, pulp only
2 kiwi fruit, skinned, sliced

Preheat the oven to 160C/315F. Line a 13 x 11 inch tray with baking paper.

Put the egg whites into a CLEAN stainless steel or glass bowl with a pich of salt. Any hint of grease and the egg whites will not foam. Using electric beaters, whisk slowly until the egg whites become foamy, then increase the speed until the bubbles in the foam have become small and even-sized. Continue whisking until stiff peaks form, then add the sugar gradually, whisking constantly after each addition, until the mixture is thick and glossy and all the sugar has dissolved. Don't overbeat or the mixture will become grainy.

Using a metal spoon, fold in the sifted cornflour and the vinegar. Spoon the mixture into a mound on the prepared tray. Lightly flatten the top of the pavlova and smooth the sides; pavlova should have a cake shape and be about 1 inch high. Bake for 1 hour, or until pale cream and crisp on the outside. Remove from the oven while warm, carefully turn upside down onto a plate and cool to room temperature.

Lightly whip the cream until soft peaks form and spread over the pavlova. Decorate with passion fruit pulp and sliced kiwi. Cut into wedges and serve.

(NOTE: The addition of cornflour and vinegar gives the meringue a marshmallow-soft center.)

Dong'An Chicken

Here's another recipe out the the Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook, which focuses exclusively on Hunan provincial food. I had my doubts about it coming out of the wok. But once I got it into the bowl and the flavors started working together, it really became a sublime success. The spice picks up some as you work your way down to the bottom of the bowl. Be careful to not overcook the chicken. Put this over white rice.

2.5 liters water
1.25 kg chicken, free range
50 g ginger, fresh, unpeeled
3 scallion
1 red chili
3 dried chilies, optional
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
½ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns
salt
¾ teaspoon corn flour, mixed with 2 tsp cold water
1 teaspoon sesame oil
4 tablespoons groundnut oil

Bring the water to a boil in a large saucepan over a high flame. Add the chicken and return the liquid to the boil, skimming the surface as necessary to remove impurities. Crush half of the ginger and one spring onion with the side of a cleaver (or heavy object) then add to the pan with the chicken. Reduce the heat and poach the chicken for 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the cooking liquid and allow it to cool; reserve the cooking liquid. The chicken should be about three-quarters cooked.

When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the flesh from the carcass and cut as far as possible into bite-sized strips, along the grain of the meat. (Do not discard the skin!) The bones and scrappy pieces of meat can be returned to the cooking liquid and made into stock.

Cut the fresh chili in half lengthwise and discard the seeds and pithy part, then cut into very fine slivers about 1 1/2 inches long. Peel the remaining ginger and cut it into slices then slivers similar to the chili. Cut the green parts of the remaining 2 spring onions into slivers of similar length. Set aside.

Heat the wok over a high flame until smoke rises, then add the groundnut oil and swirl around. When the oil is warming up but before it is smoking hot, add the fresh chilies and ginger, along with the dried chilies and Sichuan pepper and stir-fry until fragrant, taking care that the seasonings do not color or burn.

Add the chicken and continue to stir-fry. Splash the Shaoxing wine around the edges of the chicken. Add the vinegar and salt to taste. Add up to 100ml of the cooking liquid (if the chicken is very juicy no additional liquid will be necessary), bring to the boil and then turn the heat down a little and simmer briefly to allow the flavors to penetrate the chicken, spooning over the liquid.

Add the cornflour mixture to the liquid and stir as the sauce thickens. Throw in the spring onion greens and stir a few times. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve.

Carolina Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Lexington Red Sauce and Haitian Coleslaw

Say what you will about the United States' contribution to world cuisine. I will tell you this: we know how to barbecue. This recipe turned out FANTASTIC even despite not having a barbecue, yet this dish recreated BBQ flavor, thanks in no small part to the smoked paprika. I can't tell you the last time I had a pulled pork sandwich, but this really hit the spot. I might has well have been eating it in the Carolinas, and that's no joke.

The key to success here is to have a little digital-read thermometer. This turned out wonderfully juicy. It you cook things too long and the internal temperature gets too high, you will dry everything out and be left rather disappointed. Follow the temperature guidleines to the letter and you will be pretty happy with this. Serve this alongside the Haitian Coleslaw (from an earlier post) and you'll get a little taste of the southeastern US.

2 tablespoons brown sugar, turbinado, if available
2 tablespoons black pepper, coarsely ground
2 tablespoons paprika, smoked, if available
1-½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground red pepper
2.5 kg pork shoulder, bone-in
1 cup cider vinegar
2-¼ cup water, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon canola oil
cooking spray
1 cup cider vinegar
⅓ cup ketchup
¼ cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Combine turbinado sugar and next 4 ingredients (through ground red pepper); reserve 2 tablespoons sugar mixture. Rub half of the remaining sugar mixture onto pork. Place in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and refrigerate pork overnight.

Preheat oven to 225F/107C.

Remove pork from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature 30 minutes. Rub remaining half of sugar mixture onto pork. Meanwhile, combine reserved 2 tablespoons sugar mixture, 1 cup vinegar, 1/4 cup water, 1 teaspoon salt, and oil in a small saucepan; cook over low heat 10 minutes or until sugar dissolves.

Bake for 3 hours or until a thermometer registers 60C, gently brushing pork with vinegar mixture every hour (avoid brushing off sugar mixture).

Turn oven up to 250F/120C.

Bake at 250F/120C for 1 hours or until a thermometer registers 70C. Remove from oven. Let stand, still wrapped, for 1 hour or until pork easily pulls apart. Unwrap pork; trim and discard fat. Shred pork with 2 forks.

To prepare sauce, combine 1 cup vinegar and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1 1/4 cups (about 5 minutes). Serve sauce warm or at room temperature with pork.

Grilled Halibut with Tomato Relish and Cucumber-Mint Salsa

We got our vegetable box last Thursday and were supposed to get courgettes (zucchini). I didn't look that closely at them until it came time to use them in this. I had originally planned to included them in the tomato part. Upon finding out that they were, in fact, cucumber, I made a quick adjustment and made a cold salsa out of it. The contrast of hot fish and tomato with cold temperature cucumber (with and extra cooling kick from the mint) worked really nicely. You'll want some lemon-infused olive oil (or a squeeze of lemon juice) at the end to bring it all together.

600 g halibut, steaks
olive oil
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic, peeled and crushed
2 sprigs thyme
250 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
3 spring onion, finely sliced
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cucumber, peeled, deseeded, diced
15 mint leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ tablespoon white wine vinegar
salt and pepper
olive oil, lemon-infused, for drizzling

Take the halibut steaks and drizzle with olive oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a saute pan over medium heat. When hot, add the garlic and thyme and let it sizzle away for 30 seconds or so. Add the cherry tomato quarters and spring onions. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes; the tomatoes should start breaking down somewhat. While the tomatoes are cooking, get a grill pan hot over medium-high heat.

When the tomatoes have cooked down some, add the splash of balsamic and the sugar and toss through to coat. Cook for another 1-2 minutes to allow the balsamic to cook and sweeten a bit. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Combine the cucumber, mint, olive oil, white wine vinegar and salt and pepper and stir through to combine. Keep in the fridge.

In the grill pan, add the halibut. It should sizzle loudly. Cook for about 2 minutes on each side (this will vary depending on the thickness of the fish). Remove from the pan.

On a plate, place some of the tomato relish in the center. Top with a halibut steak and some cucumber salsa. Drizzle with lemon-infused olive oil and serve.

Salt and Pepper Squid

We've booked the Chef's Table at the Maze restaurant in London for late August. Maze is run by Chef Jason Atherton and he is considered to be among the rising stars on the London restaurant scene. I bought his cookbook and gave it a page through. Some really nice looking stuff. This one caught our eye as we had been talking about frying up some squid.

This was exquisite. I mean, the squid was the perfect consistency and the batter nice and light. The lime and chili played nicely together along with the salty and peppery hit. This was like popcorn... I could have just kept eating it all day. This makes enough for four starters. Trust me... if you make this for four people, you will be a star. They WILL want more and you'll have to just tell them, "Sorry, maybe next time." Always leave them wishing they had more.

400 g squid, baby, cleaned
85 g flour
1 tablespoon corn flour
½ teaspoon salt
200 milliliters mineral water, cold
5 teaspoons flour
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
groundnut oil , for deep-frying
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 green chilies, sliced thinly for garnish

Set aside the squid tentacles and slice the body pouches into rings. Pat the squid dry with kitchen paper.

Make the tempura batter. Combine the flour, corn flour, salt and mineral water in a bowl and whisk until smooth. Set aside.

Put the flour, salt and pepper in another bowl and mix well to combine.

Heat the groundnut oil in a deep-fryer or other deep, heavy pan to 180C/350F. A piece of bread dropped into the hot oil should sizzle vigorously. Dip the squid rings into the seasoned flour to coat all over and then shake off the excess. Deep-fry them in batches in the hot oil for 1-1 1/2 minutes until lightly golden and crisp. (Make sure you don't overcrowd the pan or the temperature of the oil will drop too low, making it all a soggy mess.) Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you deep-fry the remaining squid rings.

Now draw the squid tentacles through the tempura batter and deep fry these until lightly golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.

Sprinkle the deep-fried squid rings and tentacles with a little coarse salt. Divide between warm plates and scatter over the sliced chili. Serve at once with lime wedges.

Peppered Fillet of Beef with Whisky and Mushroom Sauce and Saute Potatoes

This is from the Great British Menu cookbook and this particular recipe is from Nick Nairn from Scotland. The best part about this dish was using an aged, island whisky which brought plenty of peaty, earthy smokiness to the sauce. Using a good whisky will make the difference here between average and extraordinary in the sauce. Let me be clear: the sauce was good.

Peppered Fillet of Beef with Whisky and Mushroom Sauce
3 tablespoons black peppercorns
700 g beef fillet
4 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
50 g butter
200 g mushrooms, sliced
50 milliliters whisky, blended
8 tablespoons beef stock
4 tablespoons double cream
sea salt and pepper

Crush the peppercorns coarsely in a mortar and pestle (or grind using a pepper grinder on a coarse setting). Alternatively, you can grind the pepper in a spice mill but then you must tip the pepper into a fine sieve and shake out all of the powder. This is very important as the powder will make the steaks far too spicy.

Spread the peppercorns out on a small plate. Smear both sides of the steaks with the dijon mustard, then coat them in the crushed peppercorns (just on the top and bottom). Season the steaks with salt. If you add the salt before this stage it draws out the moisture, preventing the pepper from sticking to the meat.

Heat a large heavy-bottomed frying pan until nice and hot. Add the sunflower oil and then the steaks, and brown both sides, turning once only. Don't fiddle with the steaks once they are in the pan or the peppercorn crust will fall off - the aim is to produce a good crusty coating on each surface.

Now add the butter and allow it to color a nut brown, but don't let it burn. Add the mushrooms and work around in the butter. As the mushrroms start to absorb the juices, turn the steaks again and allow them to cook 3-4 more minutes on each side, turning once or twice and moving them around the pan to make sure the whole surface has plenty of color and the edges of the meat are well seared. Transfer the steaks to a baking tray and set aside in a warm place.

Add the whisky to the pan and cook over a very high heat for 1 minute to boil off the alcohol. (WARNING: The whisky is likely to burst into flames. If this worries you, have a large lid ready to whack on the pan. Add the stock and reduce until really thick, then pour in the cream. Reduce again, scraping and stirring together and gooey bits from the bottom of the pan. When it boils fiercely, it's ready.

To serve, pour any juices from the resting meat back into the sauce and place a steak on each warm plate. Spoon the sauce with the mushrooms over the steak.

Saute Potatoes

16 new potatoes, washed but not peeled
1 sprigs thyme
1 garlic, lightly crushed
salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
85 g butter, cold, diced
sea salt

Put the potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water and the thyme, garlic and a good pinch of fine salt. Cover the pan and bring to the boil over high heat, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer gently (don't boil) for about 20 minutes.

Check the potatoes by piercing the center of one with the tip of a small, sharp knife - it should go in easily with just a little resistance (you'll be cooking the potatoes again). Drain and leave to cool.

Cut each potato in half, then slice any large ones into 1cm-thick discs. Heat the oil in a large, non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat until it gives off a light haze. Place the potatoes in the pan, spread them out and season with fine salt. Saute for 3-6 minutes until golden brown underneath. Turn the slices over with a knife, season with salt again and cook for another 2-3 minutes until golden brown.

Add the butter and allow to melt. Baste the potatoes with the butter for 30 seconds or so, then with a slotted spoon, lift the potatoes out and put onto some paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with sea salt.

TO FINISH:
Put a layer of potatoes down on a plate and rest the steak on top of it. Pour the sauce over and serve.

Orechiette with Red Wine Ragu

I like to make pasta. This one is from a few nights ago, it just took me a bit to get it posted. This sauce is a variation of my original and ultra-reliable pasta sauce. This time, however, I used ground beef. We hadn't actually MADE a meaty pasta sauce in forever; usually, we go with a simple yet spicy tomato sauce with some herbs. We had some ground beef laying around in the freezer and figured we'd give it a go. It's also our first use of the orechiette (or "little ears", in Italian) and I have to say, they are PERFECT for this as they essentially make little bowls out of themselves that the pasta and meat sort of pools up in. Adding a little pasta cooking water to the sauce here is key, as it helps everything stick to/in the pasta. For those of you after something a little more simple to prepare, yet delivering hugely on flavor, this one is for you.

2 tablespoons olive oil
300 g ground beef
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
¾ tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 onion, finely chopped
6 garlic, peeled, finely chopped
1 red chili, fresh, deseeded, finely chopped
¾ cup red wine
2 cans chopped tomatoes
1-½ teaspoon dried oregano
salt and pepper
500 g orechiette pasta, or any small shell-shaped pasta
Parmesan cheese, for grating

Get a large pot hot over medium-high heat. Drizzle in the olive oil. When hot, add the beef and cook, stirring frequently, until just browned. Pull the pot off the heat and, using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a bowl and set aside.

Add a little more olive oil (if necessary) and return the pot to the heat and reduce the heat to medium. When the pan is hot add the fennel seeds and red pepper flakes and just stir until they start to become fragrant, about 15-30 seconds. Immediately add the onion and garlic and just cook until they become soft and are starting to go translucent, about 5-7 minutes.

Return the meat and any juices it produced to the pan and season with some salt and pepper. Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up any tasty bits that are on the bottom of the pan. Let the wine bubble away until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Now add the tomatoes and the oregano. Stir through completely and allow it to start bubbling. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Stir through occasionally, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. You're looking for good levels of spice, oregano herbiness and enough salt to bring those flavors out.

While your sauce is simmering, make the pasta. Get a large pot of water boiling. When boiling, add a good handful of salt. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions. Reserve a 1/2 cup or so of the cooking water before draining the pasta. DO NOT RINSE the pasta. Simply give it a shake in the colander.

Add the cooking water to the sauce and stir through. Add the pasta and stir to coat the pasta evenly in the sauce. Ladle into bowls and top with grated Parmesan and a drizzle of some good olive oil. Serve hot.

White Onion and Thyme Veloute

We really enjoyed this. Again, it comes from Marcus Wareing's "One Perfect Ingredient". We had a bunch of onions and put them all into this one. We added a touch of cream at the end, toasted some bread (and put a big slice on top) and topped with thyme. I forgot the olive oil to drizzle over the top but will do that when we have the leftovers. The onions end up extremely sweet when you sweat them down slowly in the butter. Really lovely.

150 g unsalted butter, diced
6 large white onions, finely sliced
1 bunch fresh thyme, tied with string
1 head garlic, cloves separated and peeled
600 milliliters skim milk
600 milliliters chicken stock
sea salt
olive oil, to drizzle

Melt the butter in a large pan and ad the onions and thyme. Sweat over a low to medium heat, stirring occasionally for 15-20 minutes until all the liquid has gone. Take care not to let the onions color.

Meanwhile put the garlic cloves in another pan, cover with water, and add a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, then drain and rinse under a cold tap. Repeat this blanching process one more time using some milk (not the 600ml of milk) rather than water. Drain the garlic again and refresh with cold water.

When the onions are done, add the blanched garlic cloves to the pan. Stir in the 600ml of milk and the stock, and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and discard the thyme. Blitz the soup up in a blender until smooth, then pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan.

To serve, reheat and add salt, if necessary. Finish by stirring in a little double or whipping cream (optional) and drizzle with some good-quality olive oil.

Fresh Tagiatelle with Broccoli and Toasted Almond Pesto

This was really interesting. I mean, in theory, you could make pesto out of almost anything green with some type of nut thrown in. This pesto recipe is out of Marcus Wareing's "One Perfect Ingredient". I decided to make some fresh pasta simply because I had the time and it had been awhile. Oh, and fresh pasta is really gratifying to eat.

3 egg yolks
300 g pasta flour, "tipo 00" if available
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium broccoli
100 g almonds, blanched, then toasted
100 milliliters olive oil
sea salt and pepper

FOR THE PASTA: Combine the egg yolks, flour and olive oil in a stand mixer and mix on medium speed until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead a bit more. Wrap in plastic wrap and let chill in the fridge for 30 minutes or so.

After 30 minutes, pull the dough out and pass it through a pasta machine in batches, keeping any dough you're not working with wrapped up so it doesn't dry out. As the sheets are finished, flour them and set them aside to dry over a broomstick or something (set between two chairs) for at least 15 minutes.

When you've finished making all of the sheets you need, start with the first one you made and make the tagiatelle using the correct attachment. Dry them on the broomstick, as before. When you have worked through all of the sheets, let them hang until ready to use.

OPTION: You can wuss out and just buy some fresh tagiatelle.

FOR THE PESTO: Cut the head of broccoli in half lengthways, down through the stalk. Carefully shave off the very tops of the florets from one half using a sharp knife, to make a small amount of broccoli crumbs. Set the crumbs aside.

Break both halves of the broccoli into florets, then trim off the ends of the stalks. Plunge the florets into a pan of boiling salted water, bring back to the boil, and simmer for 4 minutes until just tender. Drain and plunge into a bowl of ice water. Leave to cool, then drain.

Put the almonds in a blender and chop until they look like coarse breadcrumbs. Add the oil and blanched broccoli florets and pulse until just combined. Remove from the blender and fold in the broccoli crumbs with seasoning to taste.

TO FINISH: Get a large pot of salted water to the bowl. When boiling, drop the pasta in and cook for just a minute or two (fresh pasta cooks quickly!) until al dente. Keep a ladleful of cooked water and drain the rest into a colander. Set aside.

Get a medium to large saute pan hot over medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil. When hot, add the pesto and pasta cooking water and heat through for a minute or so. Add the cooked pasta and toss through to coat. Taste for seasoning, adjust if necessary, and serve hot with some grated Parmesan cheese.

The Return of Team Travis and Maria

Our friend Travis is finally back from a long deployment (8 months!) and has reunited with his lady, Maria. We love to spend time with them and last night was the first time since October that we have gotten together for the inevitable food and drink extravaganza.

Had some great lunch over at their palatial penthouse apartment, not the least of which was a fantastic corn and langoustine soup. He'll have to start his own website so we can all get our hands on that one.

After pub crawling our way from their place to ours, we eventually made our way around to getting dinner going. Fortunately, two of the three courses were already prepped and chilling. The main called for brill, but they had just sold out of it at the fish market. I used turbot instead, which is a WONDERFUL fish that I had never cooked with before. Great stuff. Followed by another fine dessert by Vanessa.

Starter: Spicy Melon and Grapefruit Salad

1 cantaloupe, ripe
1 grapefruit, ripe
12 mint leaves
pepper
½ cup wine, dessert, such as Sauternes or Late Harvest Semillon

Cut the melon in half and seed. Using a melon baller, scoop out the melon flesh and place into a mixing bowl. Using a serrated knife, peel the grapefruit and remove the white membrane around each segment; remove the seeds.

Add the grapefruit segments, 4 mint leaves, black pepper and dessert wine to the melon balls. Gently combine all ingredients. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Divide the salad among 4 bowls. Spoon the liquid over the fruit and garnish each serving with 2 mint leaves.

Main: Herb-Crusted Fillet of Turbot with Minted Jersey Royals

4 large turbot fillets
250 g cherry tomatoes
2 shallot, finely sliced
1 small bunch basil, plus extra for garnish
4-6 slices bread, stale, made into crumbs
150 g Parmesan cheese, grated
1 medium bunch parsley
500 g new potatoes, Jersey Royals, if available
small bunch mint leaves
25 g butter
200 g green beans, topped
2 shallot, finely sliced (to go with beans)
olive oil
sea salt and pepper

In a blender, thoroughly mix all the herb crust ingredients together (bread, Parmesan and parsley), season and set aside.

Fill about 2/3 of the volume of water up in a medium saucepan and a small saucepan. Scrub the potatoes and cut larger ones in half. Put the potatoes into the medium saucepan over high heat, salt the water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Put the small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil. When boiling, add a good little handful of salt. When the potatoes are done, drain them, slice, then set aside.

Meanwhile, place the brill fillets on a plate and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a little olive oil in a hot pan and sauté the fish for approximately 1 minute on each side, or until they’re golden brown. Remove to rest on a baking tray.

To make the salsa, chop the tomatoes in half and finely slice the shallots. Add a little more olive oil into the now empty fish pan, heat and add the tomatoes and shallots. Sweat them off together and season. Pick the basil leaves, roll them together and chop before adding to the tomatoes and shallots. Cook for a further 2 -3 minutes until the tomatoes are just beginning to break down.

Spoon the tomato salsa lightly over the fish, spreading it out evenly over the fillets. Next take your breadcrumbs and spoon them over the tomato. Bake in the oven at 350F/170C for 8-10 minutes until the crust is golden and the fish is cooked.

Heat a little butter in a pan with a spoonful of water, roughly chop the mint leaves and add to the butter/water emulsion. Add the potatoes and sauté until lightly golden.

Meanwhile, blanch the beans in the small saucepan of boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Sauté the shallots in hot olive oil until soft. Drain the beans thoroughly and add to the shallots, sauté for 2 -3 minutes.

Place the fillets in the centre of the plates, drizzle a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar around and serve with the potatoes and shallots. Garnish the fish with an extra pinch of basil.

Dessert: Lemon Posset

900 milliliters double cream
250 g sugar
juice of three lemons

Boil the cream and sugar together in a pan and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the lemon juice and mix in well. Leave to cool slightly then pour into six glasses and leave to set in the fridge. The pudding is now ready. It is nice to pour a little more liquid cream on top before serving.