Mains
Chicken Scaloppini in Mushroom Sauce
Serves 4
Prep time : 15 min
Cook time : 15 minutes
This method of using thin pieces of meat, sautéed and served with a sauce makes for a really tasty meal ready in min. The quantity of sauce you will get will give you plenty to flavour the pasta or rice you might make with the chicken.
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
1/8 c flour
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp nutmeg
Pepper
3 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 c chopped shallots
400 g mushrooms
1/3 c white wine
1 1/4 c cream
3 Tbsp chopped green olives
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
Method
Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic film and pound them with the flat side of a meat hammer (use a heavy object if you don’t have a hammer, such as a cast iron skillet). You want to achieve an even thickness of about 6 mm.
Mix the flour, salt, nutmeg and pepper in a dish and dredge the chicken in the flour.
Heat 2 Tbsp of butter with 2 Tbsp of olive oil over high heat in a large skillet and put the shallots to soften for a min.
Add the chicken into the skillet, cooking for 2 min on each side. Remove the chicken pieces into a dish and reserve.
While the chicken is cooking, wipe the mushrooms clean and chop them.
Add the remaining Tbsps of butter and olive oil in the pan and, turning down the heat to medium high, cook the mushrooms, stirring regularly until they have rendered their moisture.
Pour in the white wine, scraping any bits, and reduce to a glaze.
Pour the cream in and bring to a boil, leave to thicken for 2 min then put the chicken pieces back in the sauce to reheat them for 2 min. Add the chopped olives, stir them in, then taste the sauce to adjust the seasoning.
Serve garnished with the chopped parsley.
Chicken Pilav
Serves: 5-6
Prep time : 10 min
Cook time : 1 hr 20 minutes
A much loved family dish, boil the chicken to get the stock in which the rice is then cooked to become a melt in your mouth delight!
Ingredients
1 medium sized chicken
1 carrot
1 medium onion
3 cloves
Cinnamon stick
Bay leaf
A few grains of black pepper
A few grains of allspice
2 c rice
1 3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
3 Tbsp pine nuts
A little cinnamon
Method
Put the chicken in a large pot and add enough water to cover.
Peel the carrot, cut it in two and add it.
Peel the onion and stud it with the cloves then add it.
Add the cinnamon stick, the bay leaf, and the grains of allspice and pepper, cover and bring to the boil.
Cook, covered, for 1h or until you can easily detach the thigh from the chicken. If you have a pressure cooker, you can put water to come up to about 2/3 of the chicken and cook it for half the time.
Of course if any scum forms at the top of the water at first, remove it with a slotted spoon.
When the chicken is cooked remove it into a dish and pour the stock into a clean pan filtering it through a sieve.
Put the rice with 4 c of stock and the salt in a pan (don’t worry about skimming any of the fat that will be on top of the stock, that’s what will give the rice it’s incredible melting quality!). Bring back to the boil and cook, covered, over very low heat for 20 min.
While the rice is cooking, pick the chicken meat off the bone, with gloved hands preferably, and keep it warm.
Melt the butter in a small frying pan and brown the pine nuts lightly.
Put the rice in a serving dish, set the chicken over the rice and sprinkle with a little cinnamon. Put the pine nuts on top and serve.
Chicken Cashew
Serves 6
Prep time : 20 min
Cook time : 15 minutes
Chinese stir-fry make great tasting meals in no time. Serve this tender and crunchy dish with its garlic and ginger infused sauce on white rice.
Ingredients
6 chicken breasts
1 1/2 tsp salt
Pepper
1 1/2 Tbsp corn flour
1 Tbsp sesame oil
3 garlic cloves
2 x 3 cm piece of ginger
2 medium sized peppers (different colours if you wish)
3/4 c raw cashews
1/4 c chopped scallions
2 Tbsp rice wine
3 Tbsp soya sauce
3 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
Method
Prepare all the ingredients before you start any cooking as it all comes together very quickly:
Trim the chicken breasts of any fat and cut on a diagonal into thin strips. Put the chicken pieces in a bowl and add the salt, pepper, corn flour and sesame oil and mix to coat the pieces. Leave to rest covered with plastic film.
Grate the garlic and ginger in a small bowl.
Wash the peppers then cut them into dice (you should get 2 c).
Put the cashews and the scallions by the stove top.
Prepare a plate lined with paper towels.
Lastly, mix the wine and soya sauce in a small bowl.
Heat your wok on high heat then pour in 2 Tbsp of oil. When the oil is smoking, throw in the chicken and stir fry constantly for 3 min until the meat turns white, then put on the paper towel lined plate to drain.
Add the remaining 1 1/2 Tbsp of oil and put in the garlic, ginger and diced peppers and stir fry for 3 min.
Add the cashews and continue stir frying for 2 min longer until the cashews just start to colour.
Add the sauce and then the chicken and stir all the ingredients together to reheat the chicken for a minute or two.
Stir in the scallions just before serving.
Daoud Basha
Serves 6
Prep time : 30 min
Cook time : 45 minutes
The Middle Eastern version of meatballs in a tomato sauce (named after a dignitary of the Ottoman era called Daoud): the meatballs themselves are plain and simple but the sauce combines layers of flavour from the spices and aromatics used that make for a delicious dish. It is traditional to serve this with rice and vermicelli.
Ingredients
100 g bread torn into small pieces
3/4 c milk
1/4 c pine nuts
1 tsp salt
Pepper
700 g ground beef
2 medium onions
3 cloves garlic
700 g tomatoes (fresh when in season, otherwise canned)
5 Tbsp corn oil
1 tsp salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
1 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
1 tsp sugar
Method
Soak the bread (use stale bread or fresh or breadcrumbs for this) in the milk for a few min.
Toast the pine nuts in a frying pan while stirring, being careful not to burn them. Put in a dish on the side.
Add the salt and pepper to the bread as well as the beef then work it all well with your hands to get a homogeneous mixture. Let it sit while you start cooking the onions.
Slice the onions in half then thinly into slivers. Mince the garlic.
If using fresh tomatoes put a small saucepan full of water to boil to use to peel the tomatoes. Core the tomatoes and score them on the opposite side then boil them for 2 min. Remove them with a slotted spoon, slip the peel off and chop coarsely.
Heat 3 Tbsp of oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium/low heat and put the onions and garlic to soften for a few min, stirring occasionally.
Shape the meat into balls, the size of walnuts.
Remove the onions and garlic from the saucepan into a bowl and add an extra 2 Tbsp vegetable oil only if needed to brown the meatballs. Put the meatballs delicately into the pan in a single layer and raise the heat to medium high. Brown the meat on all sides, flipping the balls carefully using a thin flat shape (something like an icing spatula) to scrape the meatballs without breaking them and a spoon .
When the meat is browned, put back the onions and garlic, the tomatoes and the spices and cook, covered, over medium heat for 10 min. Stir all the contents of the pot (by now the tomatoes will have started cooking and melting) and continue cooking, bringing down the heat to low for 20 min longer.
Spinach & Ground Beef
Serves 5
Prep time : 15 min
Cook time : 35 minutes
This is family food as is loved in the Middle East: a stew where the vegetables are the most important component served on rice (I suggest rice with vermicelli). This one uses frozen spinach for ease of preparation and garlic, coriander and lemon make sure it is very tasty.
Ingredients
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 garlic cloves
2 Tbsp butter
1/4 c pine nuts
700 g frozen spinach
1 medium onion
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
350 g ground beef
2 tsp salt
Pepper
1/4 tsp allspice
1 c chicken or beef bouillon
lemon juice
Method
Crush the coriander seeds in a bowl (a flat bottomed glass works well).
Peel the garlic cloves and press them into the bowl with the coriander.
Melt the butter in a medium sized saucepan over medium heat and brown the pine nuts. Remove them with a slotted spoon and reserve in a plate.
Put the coriander and garlic into the saucepan with the butter and cook stirring a couple of min until fragrant.
Add the frozen spinach and cook, stirring regularly, until spinach melts.
Chop the onion finely.
While the spinach is melting, heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat and cook the onion to soften, for a few min.
Add the ground beef and cook, stirring and breaking any lumps, raising the heat a little until the meat is browned.
Add the salt, pepper and allspice and mix.
Put the spinach into the saucepan with the meat adding the bouillon at that time, mix the lot and bring to the boil. Cook the stew over low heat for 15 min.
When ready to serve, add lemon juice to taste and mix in the pine nuts.
Kibbeh
Serves 6-8
Prep time : 35 min
Cook time : 35 minutes
Middle Easterners love kibbeh, with good reason! Minced meat (traditionally lamb is used but you can easily use beef), fine bulgur, onion and spices which I suggest here that you bake until it is nicely browned and just starting to crisp at the edges. Serve it with yogurt to which you add salt, thinly sliced small pieces of cucumber and some dried mint, a delight!
Ingredients
for the filling:
1 medium onion
1 1/2 Tbsp corn oil
300 g ground beef (15 % fat content)
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
3 1/2 Tbsp pine nuts
1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
for the meat/bulgur mixture:
1 c fine bulgur
1 large onion
1 1/2 tsp salt
Pepper
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp ground cloves
400 g ground beef (15% fat content)
Method
Before starting soak the bulgur in water in a bowl.
Make the filling: Chop the onion.
Heat the corn oil in a small frying pan on medium heat and cook the onions for a couple of min.
Add the meat and cook it, breaking it up and mixing until it is evenly browned.
Add the spices and the pine nuts and mix well. Reserve.
Make the meat/bulgur mixture: Drain the water from the bulgur then take handfuls of it and squeezing the remaining water out, put in a large bowl.
The easiest way is to make this in a food processor (if you don’t have one, try to get the butcher to pass the meat through the machine 3 times to grind it finely and mix everything well by hand):
Chop the onion very finely and add the spices then pulse again.
Mix the onions with the bulgur in the bowl.
Add the meat and mix the lot with your hands.
Pass the mixture in the processor in a couple of batches twice. You can include an ice cube with each batch the first time , it helps clump the mixture.
Oil a baking dish (I use a circular 31 cm diameter dish which is equivalent to a 32 cm long rectangular one approx.) with a little bit of olive oil and start putting the kibbeh in the dish.
Keep a bowl of cold water on hand to dip your hands in if you feel the kibbeh tends to stick to them.
Using half the kibbeh mixture, take small handfuls of kibbeh (walnut size) and flatten them between the palms of your hands and lay them side by side to cover the bottom of the dish. You are aiming for a layer of between 1/2 and 1 cm in thickness. Make an even smooth layer.
Cover this layer with the cooked filling mixture.
Make the top layer of the dish by forming flat circles of kibbeh and layering them over the top of the filling so that they overlap very slightly, wetting your fingers to flatten the seams and even them out.
With your thumb, make a hole in the center of the dish, going all the way down.
Using a knife, score the top of the kibbeh through the top layer making a pleasing pattern of lozenges.
Pour some olive oil to fill the hole and then pour some oil over the top lightly.
At this point you can put the kibbeh, covered, in the refrigerator until ready to bake.
Preheat the oven to 180° C.
Cook for 35 to 40 min in the oven or until browned.
Kafta
Serves 6
Prep time : 15 min
Cook time : 20 minutes
Kafta is very popular in Lebanon, indeed versions of it abound all over the Eastern Mediterranean. Traditionally minced lamb is used and its high fatty content guarantees moistness. In this recipe I have used beef which is more widely available in Europe, the milk-soaked bread ensures that the meat stays tender. The spicy garnished bread complements the kafta and it is often served with hommos.
Ingredients
75 g bread
1/2 c milk
1 medium onion
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp allspice
Pepper
700 g ground beef
to serve:
Lebanese bread
Hot pepper paste (in Lebanon this is a mixture of red bell peppers and chili peppers)
Chopped parsley
Onion
Tomato
Sumac
Method
Tear the bread into pieces and soak it the milk in a bowl.
Chop the onion finely and put it with the bread, parsley and spices in the bowl of a food processor and run it (alternately, you can put on a large board and chop the lot, mixing, with a large knife).
Add the meat and process until you have a homogeneous mixture but do not overmix (or knead well in a bowl).
Shape the kafta into patties on skewers and grill them or fry in just a little oil.
Garnish the bread and serve with the kafta.
Chili Con Carne
Serves 6-7
Prep time : 20 min
Cook time : 2 hr
A slow cooked, spicy and flavourful chili con carne is a classic, served with rice or baking powder biscuits it is just perfect now that the weather is getting cooler. Never mind if you have left overs this dish only gets better the next day!
Ingredients
900 g beef chuck
1/4 c vegetable oil
1 large white onion
3 garlic cloves
1 yellow pepper
3 dried red chili peppers
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
2 tsp dried oregano
2 1/2 tsp salt
Pepper
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 large can whole tomatoes
1 large can red kidney beans
for serving:
grated cheddar cheese
sour cream
chopped red onion
Method
Cut the beef chuck into small cubes (1 1/2 x 1 1/2 cm approximately).
Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a large heavy pot over high heat and sauté the beef until it is no longer pink.
While the beef is browning, chop the onion and mince the garlic.
When the meat is no longer pink, remove it with a slotted spoon to a bowl and reserve.
Throw out any water that the beef could have released and pour the remaining 2 Tbsp oil in the pot.
Bring down the heat to medium and put the onion and garlic to soften for 5 min, mixing from time to time.
While the onion and garlic are cooking, chop the pepper then add it to the pot.
Deseed the chili peppers and chop them finely then add them to the pot with the cumin, coriander, oregano, salt, pepper and sugar. Cook stirring until fragrant 1 min.
Add the tomatoes, 2 1/2 c water and the reserved beef, stir the lot and bring to the boil. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 1 1/4 hrs.
Drain and rinse the beans then add them to the pot. Bring back to the boil and simmer, uncovered, for 20 more min.
Taste and adjust the seasoning (add more salt or chili powder to taste).
Fava Beans, Lamb & Rice
Serves 5
Prep time : 20 min
Cook time : 1 hr
For this dish you have to find young and tender fava beans as you are going to cook them whole, the ones that have fully developped beans inside are not suitable, the skin would be too tough. Fava beans are an acquired taste, in this dish they are perfumed with plenty of dill and are delicious eaten with greek style yogurt.
Ingredients
400 g trimmed saddle of lamb
3 medium onions
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp allspice
500 g fresh fava beans
3 Tbsp fresh chopped dill (20 g)
1 1/4 c rice
Method
Cube the lamb.
Chop the onions.
Heat the oil in a heavy casserole over medium heat and let the onions soften for about 5 min then add the lamb and brown it, stirring from time to time.
Add the spices and mix well then add 2 c boiling water and cover, letting simmer over low heat for 25 min until the lamb is cooked through (I test with a fork: if I can cut the lamb with a fork it’s done).
While the meat is cooking trim the fava beans and cut into pieces (about 5 cm strips). Rinse the fava beans in a collander.
When the meat is done, add the beans with the dill and the rice as well as an extra 1/2 c of boiling water and mix well. Bring back to the boil and cook, covered, over low heat, for about 30 min. Test the fava beans, they should be tender, if not, add a little sprinkling of water and cover and cook for a few min more.
Pull up the lid, put a folded kitchen towel over the pot and replace the lid, leaving the pot, off the heat, undisturbed for a further 10 min before serving.
Laban Immo
Serves 5
Prep time : 15 min
Cook time : 1 hr 10 minutes
Laban Immo is quite straightforward to prepare but it does require some patience as cooking the yogurt sauce is delicate: yogurt, if not treated as it should will ‘split’ and curdle. So expect to stand in your kitchen stirring gently for a little while (I always have a book and am reading as I do this). But your patience will be amply rewarded by the sheer deliciousness of the dish: a tart, perfumed sauce with tender chunks of lamb served over rice with vermicelli
Ingredients
1 large onion
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
600 g of cubed lamb
2 1/2 tsp salt
Pepper
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp cloves
1 kg sheep milk yogurt
1 Tbsp cornstarch
2 large garlic cloves
2 Tbsp chopped coriander
1 tbsp butter
Method
Take the yogurt out of the fridge.
Chop the onion finely. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over high heat and cook the onions for a couple of minutes stirring.
Add the cubed lamb and cook, stirring regularly until the meat is browned.
Add all the spices and 2 1/2 c of water and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 30 min or until the meat is cooked through (you should be able to cut it with just a fork).
Reduce the water that you have cooked the lamb in by boiling it over high heat for about 10 min or until it is no more than halfway up the sides of the meat.
Prepare the yogurt:
Empty the yogurt into a lage saucepan.
Dilute the corn starch to a paste in 1 Tbsp of water then add it to the yogurt and beat them together.
Put the pan over medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring slowly and constantly (it should take about 18-20 min). When the yogurt is boiling, leave it to simmer, still uncovered, over low heat for 10 min without stirring.
You can then add the meat with the water it has cooked in to the yogurt and mix.
Crush the garlic and chop the coriander.
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium/high heat, add the garlic and coriander and fry until very fragrant then add this to the pan with the meat and yogurt and stir, continue simmering for a further 5 min.
Serve with the rice.
Lamb Paprika
Serves 6
Prep time : 10 min
Cook time : 1 hr 10 minutes
This is a Spanish dish with a lovely lemony flavour that works perfectly with tagliatelle or buttery potatoes.
Ingredients
2 medium onions
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 c olive oil
1.2 kg cubed lamb
2 Tbsp of paprika
3 Tbsp chopped parsley
3 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt
Pepper
Method
Peel and chop the onions and peel and mince the garlic.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole on medium heat and put the onions and garlic to soften for a few min until transparent.
Trim any excess fat from the lamb cubes and add them in the casserole, raising the heat to high and cook, stirring, until the meat is browned all over.
Add the paprika, parsley and lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste, mixing well, and cover tightly (use a piece of aluminium foil if necessary, you don’t want steam to escape). Cook over low heat for 1 hr, checking halfway through and adding a little water only if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
When done, the meat should be very tender and the sauce thick enough to coat the meat.
Sambousek
Makes: 25
Prep time : 40 min
Cook time : 20 minutes
This fried meat pasty made of a flaky dough stuffed with a spiced meat filling is a finger food served primarily in mezze form in Lebanon. Here I have adapted the servings to make it into a meal, best served with yogurt and a salad on the side! You can of course bake the sambousek if you prefer 20 min in a 200° C oven.
Ingredients
for the dough:
2 1/2 c flour
1 tsp yeast
3/4 tsp salt
1/3 c olive oil
1/3 c yogurt
for the filling:
1 medium onion
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
350 g ground beef
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
Pepper
2 1/2 Tbsp pine nuts
vegetable oil for frying
Method
Make the dough:
In a large bowl, mix the flour, yeast and salt then add the olive oil, the yogurt and 1/3 c of warm water. Mix to form a dough (add an extra Tbsp or 2 of water if needed to make a supple dough).
Knead the dough a little then leave it in the bowl, covered with plastic, in a warm place to rest and rise for 1 h (this dough will not rise like a bread dough).
Make the filling:
Finely chop the onion.
Heat the vegetable oil on medium heat in a large frying pan, add the onion and let it soften in the oil for a few min.
Add the meat and brown it on medium/high heat, breaking up any lumps.
Finally add the spices and the pine nuts, mixing, until the meat is cooked through. Leave to cool.
When ready to assemble the sambousek, break off pieces of dough the size of a walnut and shape them into little balls.
Roll the dough balls on a (lightly floured only if necessary) surface into 10 cm circles shaping a few at a time.
Fill the circles with a heaped Tbsp of meat filling. Fold the circle in half over the meat and pinch the edges shut. Make sure they are well sealed by pleating them ( grab the edge of the semi circle of dough and fold it towards the centre pressing the dough down at the same time. Keep folding forward and pressing the dough using your index finger until you’ve pleated all the edge of the sambousek). Set them on a plate until ready to fry or bake them.
When you’ve finished shaping the sambousek, heat 2 to 3 cm of vegetable oil over high heat in a pan. Putting a few sambousek at a time in the pan, fry until golden turning over once (they cook very quickly). Lift them out of the oil and set on absorbant paper to drain.
Lahm B’ajine
Makes: 30
Prep time : 15 min
Cook time : 25 minutes
Tangy, delicious lahm b’ajine with so little prep time that you’ll enjoy making them to serve with drinks or any other occasion where nibbles are called for!
Ingredients
300 g puff pastry
1 medium onion
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper
1/2 tsp cinnamon
300 g minced lamb
1 Tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 Tbsp pine nuts
Method
Preheat the oven to 200° C.
Make the topping: Mince the onion finely with the spices and put it in a bowl.
Add the minced lamb, the molasses and the pine nuts and mix well (use your hand for best results).
Cut circles or squares in your puff pastry (7 or 8 cm make dainty lahm b’ajine).
Put a sheet of parchment paper on a baking sheet and position all your pieces of pastry on it (not need to leave a great distance between them).
Divide the topping over all the pastry, flattening it and bringing it all the way to the edge as it will shrink during cooking.
Bake for 25 min until the pastry is golden and the meat is cooked through.
Cod with Crusty Gremolata
Serves 3
Prep time : 15 min
Cook time : 25 minutes
This is my take on the traditional Italian gremolata usually used to liven up a meat dish which I transformed into a just as refreshing and punch-adding crunchy topping to a nice piece of white fish.
Ingredients
2 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
400 g of thick cod filet
60 g old bread (alternatively use Panko)
30 g chopped coriander (between 1/2 and 2/3 c)
1/4 tsp powdered garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 c olive oil
Zest of half a lemon
Lemon on the side to squeeze when serving
Method
If the bread is not dry enough to crumble roughly (in a food processor or using a mortar and pestle), turn the oven on to 100° C and put the bread to dry for 10 to 15 min.
Preheat the oven to 200° C.
Use a bit of the olive oil to coat a small baking dish.
Rinse the cod and dry it then put it in the oiled dish.
Chop the coriander along with the spices and the lemon zest either using a food processor or a large knife on a chopping board.
Add the crumbled bread and mix well adding the olive oil to make the gremolata.
Put the gremolata over the cod evenly.
Bake the fish for 25-30 min or until the gremolata is golden and the fish cooked through.
Leave the fish to cool and enjoy it lukewarm with a good amount of squeezed lemon juice.
Sole Meunière
Serves 4
Prep time : 10 min
Cook time : 15 minutes
Sole in brown butter sauce is a delicate dish where the fish needs very little to be at its best, it is a classic of french cuisine that you can easily make at home and enjoy. Get everything ready ahead of time but cook them just before you are ready to eat for best results.
Ingredients
4 whole soles
1/4 c flour
1 tsp salt
Pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 c butter
1/4 c lemon juice
2 Tbsp chopped parsley
Method
Preheat the oven to 120° C.
Prepare the serving plate for the soles.
Wash the soles and pat them dry.
Whisk the flour with the salt and a good grinding of pepper and spread it in a large plate.
Start cooking the first two soles: Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a large skillet on high heat. When the oil is hot, bring down the heat to medium and put in 2 Tbsp of butter, swirling the pan as you do so.
Dredge the soles in flour on both sides, shaking off any excess, and cook for 3 min on each side. Turn off the heat.
Remove the soles and put them on the serving plate, cover it loosely with aluminium foil and put it in the oven to keep the soles warm as you cook the next batch.
Wipe the skillet clean with paper towels and repeat the procedure with the other two soles.
When done, wipe the skillet dry again and star making the sauce: Put the remaining 1/4 c of butter in the pan at high heat and as soon as the butter starts browning turn off the heat and pour in the lemon juice carefully (it will splutter).
Pour the sauce over the soles, sprinkle them with the chopped parsley and serve with extra lemon wedges on the side.
Prawn & Pineapple Curry
Seerves 4
Prep time : 25 min
Cook time : 15 minutes
The only tedious step in making this otherwise delicious curry that’s quick to assemble is peeling the prawns! Don’t hesitate to double or triple the recipe and serve it for a dinner party over white rice.
Ingredients
400 g prawns
2 Tbsp lime juice
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
A 2 x 2 cm piece of ginger
1 tsp curry powder (mild or hot to your liking)
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 small can (400 ml) coconut milk
1 c chopped pineapple
2 Tbsp chopped coriander
Method
Peel the prawns, devein them, then wash and pat them dry. Mix them with the lime juice in a bowl and reserve.
Pound the garlic with the salt then add the red pepper, grate the ginger and add it, then add the curry powder and pound together.
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat and cook the spice mixture, stirring for a minute until fragrant then pour in the coconut milk and the pineapple and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered, for 10 min.
Add the prawns with the lime juice and 1 Tbsp of the coriander and cook for 3 min. until the prawns are just cooked through (be careful not to overcook as the prawns will become dry and chewy). Serve with the remaining coriander sprinkled on top.
Mushroom Pot Pie
Serves 6
Prep time : 15 min
Cook time : 50 minutes
A flavourful mushroom pot pie with a smoky touch and a flaky pastry, comfort food indeed. Enjoy it with a green salad!
Ingredients
for the pastry:
200 g flour
Pinch of salt
100 g butter
for the filling:
750 g cremini mushrooms
3 Tbsp butter
150 g thinly sliced pancetta
1/3 c chopped shallots
1/4 tsp salt
White pepper
1 tsp herbes de Provence
Nutmeg
1/3 c heavy cream
1 egg
Method
Make the pastry by mixing the flour with the salt in a bowl.
Add the butter cut into small dice and mix in rubbing between your fingers until you achieve a sandy mixture (or do the above steps in a food processor).
Add one or two tablespoons of iced water and mix (or process) to form a dough. Form the dough into a flattened circle.
Leave the dough to rest while you continue with the preparation of the pie.
Preheat the oven to 200° C.
Trim the mushrooms, clean them and slice them.
Melt the butter in a pan over medium high heat and put the sliced mushrooms to cook, stirring occasionally until they have rendered their water.
While the mushrooms are cooking, cut the pancetta into small pieces and chop the shallots.
Transfer the mushrooms to a medium sized bowl.
Put the pancetta into the same pan used for the mushrooms on medium high heat and as soon as it has rendered its fat, add the shallots and stir to allow those to soften. Turn down the heat to medium low and cook for a few min stirring regularly.
Add the cooked pancetta and shallots (with the fat from the pan) to the mushrooms.
Add the spices and herbs as well as the cream and mix well.
Roll the pastry on a lightly floured surface to cover a small pie dish (around 22-23 cm).
Put all the filling in the dish.
Add the layer of pastry and crimp the edge decoratively. Cut a few vents in the top of the pie.
Beat the egg in a small bowl adding 1 tsp of water to it then brush this egg wash over the top of the pie.
Bake for 35 to 40 min until golden.
Gnocchi with Brown Butter, Sage & Hazelnuts
Serves 4
Prep time : 25 min
Cook time : 35 minutes
Homemade gnocchi are totally different than those you can get in the store: they are soft and light. Gnocchi go well with various sauces. This one combines brown butter with fresh sage and crunchy toasted hazelnuts.
Ingredients
500 g potatoes
2/3 c flour
1 tsp salt
1 egg yolk
for the sauce:
1/4 c butter
12 fresh sage leaves
1/2 tsp salt
Pepper
1/4 c hazelnuts
Parmesan shavings
Method
Put the potatoes in a small saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to the boil and cook the potatoes until tender 20 min or more, testing with a fork.
Peel the potatoes while warm and mash them onto a flat dish or on your work surface using a ricer if you have one or a fork if you don’t.
Add the flour, the salt and the egg yolk and start incorporating them into the potatoes with your fingers using a blending then kneading motion. Don’t over knead, you just want everything to come together into a ball.
Prepare a jelly roll pan by covering it with a dish towel and dusting that liberally with flour.
Dust your work surface with flour and cut the ball of dough into sections. Roll each section with the palm of your hands into a 2 cm rope.
Line up 2 or 3 sections at a time and cut them with a sharp wide blade and a flicking motion to push the gnocchi away from the blade, into 2 cm pieces.
When you’ve cut all the sections, if you have a gnocchi board use that to shape each gnocchi by pushing with your thumb and rolling the piece so that you have an indented side and a ridged side. Your finger tip and the tines of a fork will work as well!
Place each shaped gnocchi on the floured towel without overlapping them.
Leave the gnocchi to rest while you make the sauce or put in the refrigerator for later use.
Set a large pot of water to boil.
Roughly chop the hazelnuts and toast them in a skillet until fragrant. Put them in a bowl to cool.
In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium high heat and leave it to brown while you slice the sage leaves thinly.
When the butter is brown, add the sage leaves, the salt and some pepper an take off the heat.
When the water is boiling, bring the jelly roll pan close to the cook top then gather the corners of the towel and drop the gnocchi carefully into the water (splashing will occur!). Cook them until they rise to the surface, about 1 min. Remove them with a slotted spoon and put them in the skillet to coat them with the sauce.
Serve the gnocchi with the toasted hazelnuts and shavings of parmesan.
Leek Tart
Serves 6-8
Prep time : 20 min
Cook time : 40 minutes
A light flaky shortcrust pastry serves as a base for the leeks that are simply cooked with a little butter ‘à l’étouffée’. Serve as a light lunch with a salad or as part of a buffet.
Ingredients
for the pastry:
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 c butter
Pinch of salt
for the filling:
3 large leeks
2 Tbsp butter
3 eggs
1/3 c sour cream
1 tsp salt
Pepper
Method
Make the pastry: mix the flour with the salt in a bowl, dice the butter and add it, then, rub using your fingers (or pulse in a food processor) until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 2 to 3 Tbsp cold water and mix to form a dough.
Butter the pie dish you are going to use to bake the tart. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured sheet of wax paper into a circle slightly larger than the dish. Fold the dough into quarters and transfer it into the buttered dish, open it and shape the edges of the pie nicely. Reserve the wax paper and refrigerate the dough for half an hour.
Preheat the oven to 200° C. After the 30 min. have elapsed blind bake your pastry by laying the reserved sheet of wax paper on it and weighing it down with pulses. Cook for 15 min. Remove the pulses and the paper.
Prepare the leeks: Cut the base of the leeks and peel the outer leaves, trimming any green parts that seem tough. Cut leeks into halves lengthwise and chop. Wash them well in a large bowl of water, changing the water a few times as grit tends to lodge itself between the concentric circles of the leeks. Strain the leeks. Melt the butter on low heat in a saucepan and sweat the leeks, covered, for 15 min, mixing a couple of times.
Beat the eggs in a small bowl, beat in the sour cream and the salt and pepper.
Spread the cooked leeks (if there is any water in the pan, make sure you do not pour it into the tart as it would soften the pastry) evenly on the pastry, then pour in the egg mixture on top.
Cook for 25 min. or until puffed and golden. This tart is best eaten warm.
Potato Tortilla
Serves 5
Prep time : 10 min
Cook time : 30 minutes
This recipe requires what seems like an inordinate amount of olive oil but that’s what gives it its lovely distinctive fruity flavour. Do save the oil in a jar and use it another time to dress a potato salad for example. This dish is perfect for a picnic or a buffet table, a non-stick pan is essential.
Ingredients
2 large potatoes (500g)
1 large onion
2 garlic cloves
Olive oil
5 eggs
3/4 tsp salt
White pepper
Method
Wash and peel the potatoes then slice them thinly.
Peel the onion and slice it thinly, keep the garlic cloves unpeeled.
Put the potatoes, the onion and the garlic in a frying pan and cover with olive oil. Turn on the heat to high and when the oil starts sizzling, turn down the heat to medium low and cook for 15 min or until the potatoes are done without allowing them to colour.
Remove the potatoes and onions with a slotted spoon from the oil, discarding the garlic at this time, and put them in a bowl.
Beat the eggs with the salt and some white pepper and pour them over the potatoes and onions and mix.
Pour out the excess olive oil from the pan into a jar and pour the egg and potato mixture back into the pan over medium to medium low heat. If you need to, pull away the edges of the tortilla to let the egg drizzle to the side as you would for an omelet. Cook for 10 min.
Take a plate slightly larger than your pan and flip the tortilla on it then slide the tortilla back into the pan to cook the flip side. Cook for a few min until set.