Tag Archives: cream

February 11, 2013

Classics with a Twist: Theo Randall’s Spaghetti and Meatballs

My wife bought me Theo Randall’s magnificent ‘Pasta’ book for my birthday to add to the Imperia pasta machine she bought me for Christmas. I‘ve used his basic pasta dough recipe several times now, but none as successfully as this recipe I’ve modified from the spaghetti and meatballs recipe in Theo’s book. You can use freshly made spaghetti if you like (it is a bit of effort, but well worth it – and very therapeutic) but if you don’t have the time, inclination (or a pasta machine) good quality shop-bought dried pasta is fine.

Serves 2-4

For the pasta dough (makes enough for 6-8 servings)

200g ’00′ pasta flour
100g semolina flour
2 large eggs
6 large egg yolks

For the meatballs

8 good quality pork sausages, skinned
1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated
1 tsp cayenne pepper
A little grated nutmeg

And the rest

Handful of rocket leaves
300 ml double cream
Lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. To make the pasta dough, click here for instructions. Leave to dry for at least 2 hours.

2. To make the meatballs, put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix together, then form into golfball-sized balls with your hands. Dust with a little flour. Add some oil to a frying pan and cook the meatballs until they’re cooked all the way through, approx. 10 mins.

3. Add the cream and a little hot pasta water to the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce a little, then turn off the heat. Stir through the rocket leaves.

4. Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti. Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. If you’re using fresh spaghetti, cook for around 3 mins. If dried, follow packet instructions (around 8-9 mins).

5. Stir the cooked spaghetti through the meatballs and sauce. Serve with lots of grated Parmesan.

Recipe Shed: Crispy-Skin Chicken with Parmesan Lemon Cream & Courgette Pakoras

A very simple and satisfying midweek meal. The star of this dish are the fried courgette pakoras, which are deliciously crisp with a juicy interior. The Parmesan sauce is a great dip for both the chicken and the courgettes.

Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil
2 chicken breasts, skin on

For the Parmesan Lemon Sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
200ml double cream
100g Parmesan cheese, grated
Zest of two lemons
Juice of 1 of the lemons
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the courgettes

1-2 medium-large courgette, cut into thick batons
100g gram flour
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp paprika
Half tsp salt
Water, approx. 200ml, to make a batter with the consistence of double cream
500ml sunflower or vegetable oil

1. Add the olive oil to a large frying and cook the chicken skin-side down, for approx 12-15 mins, until the chicken is tender but not dry. Turn two or three times during cooking to ensure the chicken is cooked all the way through.

2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, gently cook the garlic in the oil for 1-2 mins, then add the cream, lemon zest and juice, then the Parmesan. Stir until everything is combined, then season with pepper.

3. Make the batter for the courgettes by mixing the gram flour, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper together, then gradually adding water and whisking until you reach the desired consistency. Dip the courgette batons into the batter and thoroughly coat.

4. Add the sunflower or vegetable oil to a large frying pan and heat until a drop of the batter mixture sizzles. Use a pair of tongs to carefully lower the courgettes into the oil. Cook for 2-3 mins, until the batter is crisp and golden. Drain on kitchen paper.

6. Serve by carving the chicken into thick slices and drizzling over the cream. I also made some diced mini-roast potatoes, parboiled for 7 mins, then cooked in ghee in a hot oven for 20 mins, until crisp and golden.

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Filed under Poultry, Recipe Shed, Sous Vide Cooking

Tagged as batter, Chicken, chicken breast, courgettes, cream, Lemon, Pakoras, Parmesan, Recipe Shed, Recipes

November 11, 2012

Recipe Shed: Pork Tenderloin Medallions with Sweet Bacon and Mushroom Cream Sauce

The recipe for this sauce was given to me by Drogo Montagu, owner of Fine Food Specialist. He used it to complement pan-fried halibut (check out the video I shot of him cooking it) but I thought it would work just as well with pork, with a tweak here and there.

And although Drogo used girolle mushrooms (or ceps, as they’re also known), I’ve used common-or-garden white mushrooms (much cheaper) and the results are just as sensational: sweet, nutty and creamy, with a long lingering depth. It goes fantastically well with this juicy, tender pan-fried pork, but I’m sure it would work just as well with roasted chicken thighs or pan-fried crispy-skinned chicken breast, too.

Serves 2

For the pork

1 tbsp olive oil
1 pork tenderloin fillet
1 tbsp plain flour
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

1 tbsp olive oil
6 rashers Oscar Mayer streaky smoked bacon (this is key: it’s American bacon, which is very sweet and crisps up beautifully)
250g mushrooms (any kind)
250ml double cream
1 glass white wine
1 garlic clove
30g unsalted butter
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Dried tagliatelle, cooked in a large pan of boiling water, according to packet instructions, approx. 8-9 mins

Steamed asparagus tips, to serve.

1. Clean and prepare the mushrooms (If there is a lot of soil, you can wash them in water and pat them dry with kitchen towel)

2. Remove the stalks and reserve for the mushroom stock. Finely chop the tops.

3. Make a simple mushroom stock by adding the stalks to a pan of water and bringing it to the boil. Once it boils, add a capful of wine and a crushed clove of garlic then turn down the heat and let it simmer.

4. Add a knob of butter to a hot saucepan pan and add a splash of olive oil, which will stop the butter from burning. Add the spring onions and mushrooms and cook them down until all the water has been released (you will hear the sound change from a bubbling to a sizzling). Now add a splash of wine into the pan. The pan must be hot enough for the wine to bubble fiercely and burn off the alcohol. Once the booze has cooked off add 100ml of the mushroom stock to the mushrooms and leave to simmer.

5. Cut the bacon into a fine dice and fry off until crispy. Reserve for later.

6. Once the liquid of the sauce has reduced down again, add the cream and allow to simmer and reduce the flavours. When the sauce starts to bubble thickly it is ready. Add a tablespoon more of the mushroom stock to thin it out and then add the bacon and thyme. Season with salt and pepper to your taste.

7. Cut the pork tenderloin into six evenly-sized pieces. Flatten a little with a meat hammer or the palm of your hand. Roll in flour seasoned with paprika, salt and pepper.

8. Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan until hot. Cook the tenderloins for approx. 7-8 mins, turning every few seconds so that the flour doesn’t burn. When the pork is just past the pink stage, transfer to a plate to rest.

9. Plate up the tagliatelle, with the pork tenderloins on top, with the asparagus scattered around, then topped with the bacon-mushroom sauce.

Recipe Shed: Lamb Neck Tikka with Pistachio Cream Sauce and Coriander Chutney

This is simply a stunning way to cook Indian lamb. The resulting meat ends up soft and melting and infused with garlic, ginger and spices. The pistachio cream tempers the heat. And the coriander chutney adds a zing of citrussy freshness. And another thing that is so marvellous about this recipe is that you can reserve the cooking stock to make one of the best curries I’ve ever tasted – but more of that on another post.

Serves 2-4

For the lamb

3 lamb neck fillets (they shrink quite a lot during cooking)
4 tbsp Greek natural yoghurt
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
Thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt

For the pistachio cream

1 tbsp ghee
50g pistachio nuts, shelled
Seeds from 5 cardamom pods
100ml double cream
A few strands of saffron (optional)
A little salt
1 tsp garam masala

For the coriander chutney

Bunch of coriander, including stalks
1 large red chilli, deseeded
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Half red onion
1-2 tbsp peanuts, hazelnuts or almonds
A little salt

For the spiced chick peas

50g butter
Half onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Can of chick peas, drained
Handful of coriander, finely chopped
Salt, to taste

1. For the lamb, mix all the ingredients for the marinade together and thoroughly coat the lamb. Transfer to a slow cooker, add a little water, and cook on LOW for 4-5 hours until the lamb is meltingly tender. Remove the lamb from the stock and transfer to a foil-lined roasting tin. Cook, uncovered, in a hot oven for 15 mins to char a little.

2. For the pistachio cream, shell the nuts and mix with the cardomom seeds. Finely grind to a paste in a pestle and mortar or a food processor. Heat the ghee in a small pan and cook the nut paste for a few minutes before adding the cream. Continue to cook until the sauce becomes thick, rich and creamy. Add the saffron, garam masala and salt and cook for a further minute or so.

3. For the chutney, put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse a few times until everything is combined together.

4. For the chick peas, melt the butter and gently cook the onions and garlic until soft, approx. 5 mins. Add the chick peeas and cook for 2 mins. Roughly mash with a potato masher. Add the coriander and salt and mix through.