Tag: Food and Drink

Braised Lentils with Pork Chops
Braised Lentils with Pork Chops

Braised Lentils with Pork Chops

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Sometimes, Lentils can seem a little… healthy.  You know when you are eating them that they must be good for you, but that doesn’t necessarily make them enjoyable.  When they are treated well though, they make a fantastic addition to a meal. So how can you get the best out of them?  For me, the answer to that question is braised lentils.  Here they are packed full of flavour and beautifully tender.  Crème fraiche and butter bring a silky texture that offsets the soft, mildly spicy flavour of the lentils perfectly. Add to that the smoky, savoury hit of crispy bacon and you have a dish that dreams are made of.

This recipe is adapted from one I saw, about a decade ago, on a Canadian TV show.  Unfortunately I can’t remember who originated it, but I have tweaked it over the years and adjusted the measurements into UK friendly values (who measures butter in cups?!). The braised lentils are really versatile, going nicely with chicken, steak or roasted vegetables, but I’m serving them here with pork chops as it is a cut of meat that I love but don’t often eat, so it feels like a real treat.

Finally don’t be put off by the length of the ingredients list – a number of items appear more than once and all are common items in the supermarket.

TIPS:

  1. You could make the lentils vegetarian by changing the chicken stock for vegetable stock and omitting the bacon. Adding a teaspoon of smoked paprika and a tablespoon of miso paste should bring some of the smoky, umami flavours that the bacon provides. You could serve with wedges of roasted butternut squash to replace the chops.
  2. While the fresh herbs bring some lightness to the dish, they are not essential. If you don’t have them to hand, just leave them out – it still tastes delicious.
  3. Experiment with adding other bits of veg. I have added finely sliced cabbage and diced pepper in the past, when I have needed to use them up. Both worked brilliantly.
  4. The exact timing for cooking the pork will depend upon the size of the chops. As a rough guide however, you should start cooking the chops at about step 4 of the lentils recipe –when the carrot, leek and onion are added to the pan.

Braised Lentils with pork chops – serves 4

Ingredients:

To pre-cook the lentils

200g dried puy lentils

½ medium onion cut into 3 wedges, root attached.

2 stalks celery, halved

½ medium carrot, halved

1 bay leaf

To braise the lentils

4 rashers of smoked back bacon, cut into strips approx. 1 cm wide

½ medium onion, diced

1 small leek, sliced thinly

½ medium carrot, diced

1 large clove garlic, minced

75ml white wine

250ml chicken stock

50g unsalted butter

3 tablespoons crème fraiche

1 small bunch of fresh soft herbs such as parsley, marjoram or tarragon, finely chopped.

For the chops

4 large pork chops or cutlets

3tbsp vegetable oil

50g butter

6-8 sprigs thyme

1 clove garlic

 

Method

Braised Lentils

  1. To pre-cook the lentils, place the lentils, onion, carrot, celery and bay leaf into a saucepan and fill with cold water to about an inch above the lentils. Simmer, uncovered until the lentils are tender – approximately 25mins.
  2. Once cooked, remove the vegetables from the pan, then drain the lentils. Set the cooked, drained lentils aside.
  3. In a large, high-sided frying pan, cook the bacon in a little vegetable oil, over a med high heat, until it starts to crisp.
  4. Turn the heat down to medium then add the onion, leek and carrot. Allow the vegetables to sweat for a few minutes, stirring regularly to avoid burning. Once the leek and onion are tender, add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
  5. Add the wine to the pan, to deglaze. Allow the wine to reduce a little before adding the lentils and chicken stock. Stir gently to combine all the ingredients then simmer for 5-10 minutes until the liquid reaches a sauce like consistency.
  6. Finish the dish by stirring in the butter and crème fraiche. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required. Stir in the fresh herbs and serve immediately.

Pork chops

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 170C (fan). Season the chops with salt.
  2. Heat a large frying pan over a high heat. Heat the oil then add the chops and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown.  Add the butter, thyme and garlic. As the butter melts, use a spoon to baste the chops in melted butter. Continue to do this for a minute or so before transferring the pan to the oven (use an ovenproof frying pan if you can –otherwise transfer the chops into a roasting pan).
  3. Roast the chops for 4-7mins (depending on size) then remove and set aside to rest while the lentils finish.

 

Leftovers?

  • If you have any lentils leftover they will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and are every bit as tasty reheated or eaten cold.
  • Reserve the water and veg that the lentils were cooked in and use it as a base for soup. Most stock cubes/pots produce about 500ml, so add the remaining stock, a peeled, chopped potato and a few other bits of veg such as carrot, pumpkin, cauliflower, cabbage etc.  Simmer everything together until all the veg is tender, liquidise with a stick blender, then strain through a sieve to remove any stringy, tough bits. The resulting soup will be a rather muddy colour, but extremely nourishing and tasty. Serve with croutons and a dollop of crème fraiche, if you like.
  • Leftover crème fraiche? Try these other recipes: Quesadillas with beef burger and peppers or Fusilli with pork, peas, leeks and mushrooms.
Quesadillas
Quesadillas with beef burger and peppers.

Quesadillas with beef burger and peppers.

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Quesadillas are a ludicrously simple thing to make, and really versatile. The only essential ingredients are cheese and tortilla wraps.  They can be made as a snack or a quick lunch and can be filled with whatever takes your fancy. You can even cut them into small wedges to create a delicious finger food – perfect for parties or to watch the rugby.

I came up with this recipe as a way to use up an unwanted burger that my three year old had turned his nose up at.  Once it was chopped up, mixed with melted cheese and wrapped in a toasted tortilla, he couldn’t get enough.  It is also a great way to hide a few veggies from more plant-phobic children!

 

TIPS

  • All quantities besides the wraps are simply a guideline. If you have a little more or less of something it will be fine.
  • The burger meat can be omitted if you want to make the recipe vegetarian, or replaced with cooked sausage meat, bits of ham, chorizo, or bacon.
  • Try adding other vegetables – if you have sweetcorn, cooked beans or peas to use up, all work brilliantly.
  • Spice everything up by adding some finely diced fresh chilli.
  • I cooked mine in a panini grill, but if you do not have one, a large frying pan can be used. Place the quesadilla into a hot dry pan and cook for 2 mins on each side, or until golden brown.

Quesadillas with beef burgers and pepper

(recipe creates 4 quesadillas).

Ingredients

100g cooked beef burgers (1 or 2 burgers depending on their size)

8 flour tortillas

160g cheddar, grated

1 red pepper, diced

1 banana shallot, finely diced

Salt and pepper to season

Crème fraiche or sour cream and pickled jalapenos to serve (optional).

Method

  1. Heat the panini grill to high – settings vary from machine to machine, but a couple of notches from its highest setting should be about right.
  2. Roughly chop up the beef burgers and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Place a tortilla on a board. Sprinkle about 20g of cheese evenly over the wrap. Next, add a quarter of the chopped burger, diced pepper and shallot, distributing them equally. Finally sprinkle on more cheese and place another tortilla on top.
  4. Repeat step 3 until you have created 4 quesadillas.
  5. Place the quesadillas into the panini grill, one or two at a time depending on the size of your grill and cook for 3-3½ minutes, or until golden brown and crisp. Keep the first batch(s) warm until all are cooked.
  6. Serve with pickled jalapenos and crème fraiche, salsa, chilli sauce or any other condiment that takes your fancy!

 

 

Leftovers?

If you have crème fraiche leftover from this recipe, why not try making fusilli with pork, peas, leeks and mushrooms?  Follow the link for the recipe.
Beans on Toast

Beans on Toast

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I feel like a bit of a charlatan calling this a recipe, but if Delia can write a recipe for boiling an egg…  I am putting a recipe for beans on toast up here simply because it is a delicious way to use up leftovers.   Stale bread will make the crunchiest toast and the rest of the ingredients are almost completely interchangeable.  Just use whatever you have in the fridge!

TIPS:

  • Treat the recipe and quantities below as more of a guideline than an absolute set of instructions.
  • Replace the bacon and sausage with any leftover cooked or cured meats, such as roast pork, gammon, ham, cooked sausages or braised beef. 150g is a decent quantity for a single tin of beans.
  • Switch the onion for shallots, leeks or even spring onions if you need to use them up.
  • Use whatever type of chilli you have around or prefer (fresh/powdered/sauce) – I often have one or two fresh ones left over when buying for other recipes.
  • Try adding other veg such as mushrooms, chickpeas, kidney beans or swiss chard.
  • Top your beans and toast off with a poached or fried egg for an even tastier meal!

Beans on Toast

Serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

1 small onion, diced

1 small pepper, diced

2 rashers of bacon, diced

100g ready to eat smoked sausage, sliced

1 tin of baked beans

2tsp sriracha

2 tbsp BBQ sauce

2 pieces of bread per person

75g baby spinach

 

Method

  1. In a frying pan, fry the onions and pepper until the onions start to caramelise.
  2. Add the bacon and continue to fry until crisp.
  3. Place the bacon, peppers and onions with the sausage, beans, chilli sauce, and BBQ sauce in a saucepan over a low heat. Bring to a simmer.
  4. Put the bread on to toast.
  5. Add the spinach to the beans and stir in until just wilted.
  6. Serve the beans on top of toast. Eat immediately.
Dont let food go to waste just because it has lost its shine
Reducing Food Waste: 5 tips for reducing waste at home

Reducing Food Waste: 5 tips for reducing waste at home

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Food waste is an ever growing concern.  Huge quantities of perfectly edible food get binned for various reasons: expectation that food should look ‘perfect’, poor storage and misunderstanding of best before dates to name a few.

A 2015 study by The Waste and Resources Action Program (WRAP) estimated that in the UK, 7.1 million tonnes of household food waste was produced. Of that, 5 million tonnes was edible waste. The study also estimated that household food waste accounts for more than two thirds of the total food waste produced.

Why is food waste a problem?

In simple terms, because our planet’s resources are being stretched too thin by human overpopulation.  Growing and rearing our food requires vast amounts of time, space and natural resources (water and feed).  So much so that many people believe that in the not too distant future, insects will become a major source of protein in our diets as we will no longer have the resources to rear meat.

For those of us fortunate enough to live in first world countries, and earn enough to be able to eat how we like, it can seem like there is little we can (or need to) do.  But by reducing our personal waste we can all contribute towards a more efficient food production system which will ultimately benefit everyone.  To put it another way, the longer we can go before having to eat centipede sausages, the better. It will also save you money, so there’s that too.

A big part of making a difference is taking some time to think about where you waste food, and how you can change that. To get you started, here are my top 5 tips for reducing your food waste.

  1. Plan your meals.

This might seem obvious but if you head to the shops with no idea what you are going to buy then inevitably you will find yourself with stuff rotting in the back of the fridge.

Plan your meals for the week the day before you go to the supermarket and stick to your plan.  This is a good time to have a look in the fridge to see what you need to use up.  Also, depending on how many people you are cooking for, you may often find you only need half a pack of something to make a recipe so decide now how you will use the other half.  Can it be used in another dish? Cooked off and used to make sandwiches for lunch? Or perhaps it will freeze?  If you plan ahead it is far less likely to wind up in the bin.

Finally, think about how long different items will keep when you get them home.  There is no point buying a bag of salad when you go to the shop on Monday, if you are not planning to eat it ‘til the weekend. At best it will be wilted and unappetising, if not completely inedible.

  1. Shop sensibly.

When you are in the supermarket, think carefully about the items you are picking up.  A lot of fresh meat, fish, fruit and vegetables won’t last the whole week in your fridge, so check the ‘use by’ dates*.  If you are looking for something to last 5 days in your fridge, check behind the most visible items on the shelf.  Supermarkets rotate their stock so the old stuff sells first (they want to reduce waste too) but often there will be newer stock hidden at the back.  That being said, rummage responsibly.  If you need it to last two days, don’t leave perfectly good food on the shelves in favour of the same item with a week’s shelf life.

Furthermore, resist the temptation to buy items that you don’t need because they are on offer. Buying more of something than you plan to eat might seem like good value at the time but will ultimately wind up costing you when the excess winds up in the bin.

*A side note on ‘use by’ and ‘best before’ dates.

Generally, meat, fish, dairy and fresh ingredients/products will be stamped with a ‘use by’ date.  Eating the product after this date could be harmful so should be avoided.  ‘Best before’ dates are simply an estimate of how long the item will be at its best.  Once expired, the product will be less tasty but unlikely to be harmful. So that jar of curry powder hiding at the back of your cupboard that passed its ‘best before’ date ten years ago is unlikely to make you ill, but will probably make your curry taste more like dust than dhansak.

  1. Befriend your freezer.

One of the best ways to preserve your food is to freeze it.  If something won’t last in the fridge until you plan to eat it, stick it straight in the freezer. Freeze sausages, burgers, chicken breasts, even steaks then defrost in the fridge the day before you plan to eat them.

Bread

Bread – probably one of the most wasted items in British homes – freezes brilliantly.  Sliced bread can be toasted from frozen.  When you make sandwiches for a picnic or lunch-box, bread can be used still frozen and will have defrosted completely by lunchtime. In addition, virtually all supermarkets sell a decent selection of part-baked bread. As well as having a longer shelf life than its fully baked brethren, It can be cooked from frozen in almost exactly the same amount of time.

Batch Cooking

Batch cooking food and freezing portions is another great way to reduce food waste. It can be a huge time saver too.  Make large pots of pasta sauces, stews or casseroles, then portion and freeze whatever you don’t need right away. Next time all you need to do is defrost and reheat.  Even if you have only a few spoonfuls of Bolognese left after dinner, pop it in the freezer.  Then next time you make the dish, chuck the old batch in with the new.

My final tip on freezer use is to buy a whiteboard pen. While the freezer is a great tool for keeping food fresh, it is easy to forget what is in there. Label the bags and Tupperware you use with the contents and the date. Keep things in a logical order.  Take a little time when putting stuff into the freezer and you will get a lot more out of it!

  1. Keep a well-stocked larder.

Most of the tips I have given so far have been about avoiding leftovers and needless purchases. In real life however, there will always be odds and ends that don’t get eaten. Plans change, leftovers happen, life gets in the way. Finding a way to use up these stray bits of food can be a real challenge.  Keep a cupboard stocked with canned and dry goods like rice, pasta, lentils, tinned tomatoes and other non-perishable items. This creates a toolbox of ingredients that can be used to turn odd scraps into decent meals.

  1. Find recipes that use the ingredients you often throw out.

There are all sorts of recipes that can make use of food that is perceived to be past its best. Try my banana bread recipe, which uses overripe bananas or mushrooms on toast – stale bread is perfect for toasting.  Keep an eye on future recipes on this blog for more ideas on how to use odds and ends.  Recipes will include tips for using spare/alternative ingredients wherever possible.

  1. Bonus Tip: Don’t be too hard on yourself.

Any reduction in waste, however small, IS making a difference. If every person in Britain were to reduce their food waste by just one kilogram per year (roughly equivalent to half a banana per month), then as a nation we would reduce our food waste by 63000 tonnes. It may take a little effort to change your habits, but the long term benefit will be felt by everyone. There will always be some waste. Picky children, droppages, culinary disasters, fridge malfunctions – the list goes on. So if a block of cheese goes blue or a lettuce goes limp, don’t fret. Food should bring us pleasure, not be a source of stress.

Have you got any food waste tips of your own?  Share them in the comments below!

 
Drinks Friday – Cider!

Drinks Friday – Cider!

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In a poorly judged and frankly completely failed attempt to lose some weight, I decided to stop drinking beer (as much) this month.  As you might imagine, my entirely lukewarm approach to dieting was in part responsible for the failure.  The other contributing factor was that I replaced beer with cider.  There was some logic to this: I tend to drink cider more slowly. I think. Bottom line is I didn’t lose any weight but I did drink some interesting apple based beverages that I hadn’t tried before, so it wasn’t a complete loss.

Here is a run-down of three of the more interesting drinks I drank. Drunk? Drinked? Yay for cider!

 

  1. – Thatchers Leaf Twister

This is a sparkling cider with a clean taste similar to eating a fresh apple, a little sweeter than I was expecting but with enough sharpness to balance it.  The overall effect is very refreshing and deceptively easy to drink.  At 5% it is stronger than it tastes but the cans are small so you can go crazy (drink responsibly).  On the subject of the cans – when did cider makers decide to adopt the weird, matt feel cans that so many craft beers come in? It’s not that I don’t like them, but it’s a really strange, pointless trend.

The name of this drink is a point against it too.  If it was simply named ‘Leaf Twister’, I wouldn’t have an issue, but its full name is: ‘Original cider crafter Stan’s Thatchers leaf twister full-bodied sparkling cider’. I would drink this again, but probably out of a glass so other people couldn’t see what I was drinking and mistake me for a hipster.

 

  1. – Elk Warning – Blackberry

This Swedish cider is similar to Kopparberg and Rekordalig in style using a fairly neutral apple base and allowing the fruit flavours to shine.  I am not normally a fan of this style of cider but actually quite enjoyed this one; the blackberry flavour tastes natural (I find many fruit ciders taste very synthetic) and is allowed to shine.  It is a bit too sweet for my tastes, but has proven to me that I can enjoy this style of cider.  The hipster can makes another appearance here, and this cider is also available in strawberry flavour, but the less said about that the better.

 

  1. – Orchard Pig Hog Father

This is the kind of cider that would get me into trouble. It is dry and crisp, with just enough sweetness to keep it going down easily. It is lightly sparkling – effervescent without leaving you feeling bloated, and it packs a punch.  A very respectable 7.4% ensures that it tastes strong and grown-up.  While I enjoyed the previous two drinks, this is the one that I will keep buying. Of these three ciders,  Hog Father is definitely my top pick: It tastes great, has a sneaky Discworld reference in its name and perhaps most importantly, given that I have apparently got a bee in my bonnet about  little cans, It is sold in big, brown, glass bottles.

 

Have you got a favourite cider to recommend?  Share your thoughts in the comments below.  Next month’s drinks Friday will be a good one – I will be selflessly working my way through a beer advent calendar over the next few weeks ready to review it before December starts.  I know, I’m all heart (conditions).
Catch and Cook Fishing Trip

Catch and Cook Fishing Trip

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At the time of writing this, ‘England’s Seafood FEAST’ is well under way. It is a two week event, running from the 22nd September until the 7th October, celebrating the wonderful array of restaurants, produce, and experiences that Torbay has to offer.  When I looked at the schedule I quickly decided that the one event I had to take part in was the catch and cook fishing trip run by the Cantina Kitchen and Bar in Paignton.  I have been looking for an excuse to go Mackerel fishing for about 3 years. Now was finally the time.

Bad Omens

It’s lucky I’m not superstitious as my journey from Exminster to Paignton would have probably been enough to put most people off going to sea.  An accident on the main road forced me to detour though country lanes and villages, relying on the sat-nav on my phone to steer me through, while also trying desperately to get hold of the bar to let them know I was delayed.  Poor signal and low battery threatened to derail me at any moment.  Queues of cars squeezed past one another as we all inched our way along what we hoped was the lesser of two evils. Each time we came to a halt I peered anxiously at the ETA displayed on the screen, and watched with horror as the meeting time of 5 o’clock became a distant dream.

Upon my arrival in Paignton I ran from the car park to the harbour – desperately hoping that the boat, ‘Our Joe-L’ would still be there. To my horror, as I rounded the corner into the harbour, I spotted the boat just pulling away from the harbour wall. In a last ditch effort, I legged it towards the boat, ready to jump from the wall like a slightly asthmatic, less grumpy Liam Neeson.  Fortunately, no such heroics were required (I do not have a very particular sets of skills). The boat was just picking someone up from the other side of the mouth of the harbour and came back for me moments later.

Quickly getting my breath back, and apologising to everyone for keeping them waiting, I boarded the boat and tried to put the past, profanity filled hour behind me.

Catch and Cook: Out to sea

It didn’t take long.  We were blessed with the perfect evening for a boat ride, with the sun still warm but low in the sky, bathing the sea, coastline and us in a glorious golden glow.  I have always been a fan of autumn, and it is because of days like this one; they feel like a reminder of the summer days that have been and gone, but more valued because of their scarcity.   If we had failed to catch a single fish I don’t think I would have been disappointed.  Fortunately that was not going to be a problem.

I am happy to report that I caught the first fish of the night. This was in no way due to any particular skill on my part however; I was still being shown how to cast the line in when I felt something pull on it. And my fellow fishermen and women quickly got off the mark too.  Shaun, our skipper, was kept very busy helping to unhook fish, but before long everyone was mucking in and helping each other as the fish were reeled in.

Just as the sun was beginning to sink behind the headland we turned for home.  We had caught more fish than we could eat in a week, but none of it was going to waste.  Shaun kept some of the smaller fish to use as bait, but the rest of the catch was strung together and after reaching the harbour we strolled proudly back to the restaurant with our catch.

Dinner

On arrival at Cantina we handed the fish over to the kitchen who busied themselves with prepping dinner.  We had a table reserved for us with a view of the kitchen so we were able to watch them working, while we chatted over a well-deserved drink. One of the highlights for me was the demonstration of how to prepare the fish including gutting and filleting it.  I was given the opportunity to have a go myself and discovered it was actually really simple, and very satisfying to successfully remove the fillets; no more getting the fishmonger to do it for me!

This was followed by a wonderful two course meal that was included in our ticket price.  To start we had a scallop, with pea puree and bacon crumb – a classic combination of flavours that was executed brilliantly: the scallop sweet and succulent, the puree velvety and the bacon crumb providing a little seasoning and a hit of umami flavour.  This was followed by our freshly caught mackerel, served with horseradish mash and Swiss chard. Again the dish was beautifully balanced – the oily fish matched brilliantly with the heat of horseradish.  Undoubtedly this fish tasted all the sweeter for being a part of our own catch, but the skill, care and passion of the chefs was what really made it shine.

When it came time to leave I was genuinely sad to go.  We were looked after in a friendly, informal but diligent way throughout, and felt like we had been not just customers for the evening, but welcomed into the community for a time.  I will definitely be back.

Many thanks to Kate and all her team at Cantina for looking after us and to Shaun for his exceptional fish finding. Also a special thanks to one of my fellow fishers, Tina, who provided many of the pictures above after my phone gave up the ghost!

Links

The boat we fished from, Our Joe-l is available to charter for fishing trips, wildlife observations and more. Click here for more details

Cantina Bar and Kitchen is a gem of a place. Family and dog friendly, the atmosphere is relaxed and informal and the food is excellent.  They organised the catch and cook event as part of ‘England’s seafood FEAST’ but have regular events advertised on their website. They even have their own craft gin, which I will definitely be trying next time I go. Find out more at www.cantinagoodrington.co.uk

There is still lots happenening between now and the 7th October. Find out about the other events that make up ‘England’s seafood FEAST’ by clicking here.

If you are interested in taking part in the Catch and Cook trip, it is running again on the 3rd October and details can be found here
Drinks Friday: Negroni

Drinks Friday: Negroni

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So for tonight’s ‘Drinks Friday’ I am keeping things simple:  the negroni.  This is a cocktail that is fairly ubiquitous right now, appearing on every hipster cocktail menu up and down the country (for the record, I was drinking it long before it was popular).  But here is the secret – it is really easy to make.

To be fair it is not to everyone’s taste; it is bitter and strong, so if your idea of a great cocktail is something made with a ton of fruit juice then a negroni is probably not for you.  But if you do like it then you will probably find yourself making these at home fairly regularly – I know I do.  I have one rule: when I can no longer remember how to make it, it is time for bed!

Tips

  • You can premix the ingredients in bulk – great if you want to serve these as an aperitif for a dinner party. Simply mix in equal parts and store in a clean, sterilised bottle. When you are ready to serve, simply pour over ice and garnish.
  • Try using different gins (and gin-based liqueurs) to change the flavour.  Sloe gin works brilliantly, as does blackberry gin. Just remember that the prominent flavour of Campari is bitter orange – choose something that complements that and you won’t go too far wrong.

The Negroni

Ingredients

35ml Gin
35ml Campari
35ml Sweet vermouth
Orange peel to garnish
Ice cubes

 

Method

  1.  Fill a glass with ice.  Pour the gin, Campari and vermouth into the glass. Stir for a few seconds. Garnish with a piece of orange peel.

 

I told you it was easy.

 

That is it from me – I’ve got a cocktail to drink! Happy Friday everybody – please drink responsibly(ish) and let me know what your favourite variations on the classic negroni are in the comments. Cheers!
To salt or not to salt?

To salt or not to salt?

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The Great Food and Drink Show

At the weekend I spent a few hours at The Great Food and Drink Show, held at Westpoint , Exeter.  Usually when attending these kinds of events I drag my wife and son with me, meaning that keeping a two year old entertained becomes the priority, and meaning that actually sitting down to watch cooking demonstrations is something of a non-starter. Yesterday however, I struck out on my own so was free to soak everything up at my leisure.

Compared to some other food and drink shows, this was on a slightly smaller scale; however it was actually rather nice to be able to take everything in and not have to elbow my way through crowds to get to each of the exhibitors.  It also meant that it only took me 15 minutes or so to shuffle round and see what took my fancy, before turning my attention to the demo stage.

Jean-Cristophe Novelli

Among the celebrity chefs booked for Sunday’s demos was Jean-Cristophe Novelli.  I must confess I didn’t know a great deal about his career or cooking style though.  I have seen him on TV at various times over the years but never paid close attention to his career.  But Jean-Cristophe’s demo on cooking without salt, and using fat and sugar sparingly has really stuck with me.

I am always rather sceptical about fad diets which is why I enjoyed reading The Angry Chef so much. But what Novelli is suggesting is not a detox diet or fad.  He is showing ways to cook that will help to keep salt, fat and sugar consumption down. He is simply trying to stick to levels that are generally agreed to be healthy.

Too much salt

Of particular concern to Jean-Cristophe is the quantity of salt we all consume.  According to the NHS, the recommended daily intake of salt for an adult is 6g. That is approximately 1 teaspoon.  I can confidently state that I regularly exceed that, and I’m sure I’m not alone. Estimates put the average daily consumption of salt in the UK somewhere between 8-12g.

During his demo he produced two dishes – ratatouille served with seafood and steak with mushroom and blue cheese sauce.  At no point in the cooking of these dishes did he reach for the salt pot.  The ratatouille had about half a dozen olives in it, while the blue cheese brought some saltiness to the mushroom sauce, but the fish and the meat were not seasoned at all.  There was fat present in both dishes – oil was used to dress the fish, double cream used as a base for the mushroom sauce – but none was used to fry any ingredients.  This all felt rather counter-intuitive and yet the food that was produced was divine.  I was sure that the ratatouille would taste insipid without salt, but it was fresh and zingy with herbs and the sharp-sweet flavour of tomato. I was convinced that the steak – completely unseasoned – would be crying out for salt, but the quality of the beef and the addition of the earthy, tangy sauce made for a delicious plate of food.

Of course you may be thinking ‘Yeah, but would it have tasted better with salt added?’ and the answer is yes.  Salt does what it does and would have probably turned the volume up on both these dishes. But these dishes demonstrated that it is perfectly possible to get exceptional flavour without adding excessive quantities of salt.

What now?

So am I about to flush the table salt down the loo in a scene reminiscent of Goodfellas? Do a terribly middle-class good deed and donate my smoked Maldon sea salt to charity? Force salt-piety on friends and family whenever I cook for them?  No.  But I will think a bit more carefully about where and when to use it.  If I am throwing a dinner party – cooking for pleasure – then I will probably ignore a lot of this advice. When I am cooking for my family – for health, sustenance and nourishment – these ideas become a lot more valuable.

I spoke to Jean-Cristophe after the demo and he addressed the conflict between this style of cooking and the food that he has made his name with, going so far as to call himself a traitor.  But he seems to genuinely believe in the message he is promoting. That belief extends to considering whether or not food cooked in this way could ever get Michelin’s attention.  It is hard to see his ideas being adopted by the culinary establishment completely, but with the way we eat changing all the time, and talented, driven proponents like Novelli, perhaps healthy eating and fine dining won’t always be at odds.

Links

If you are tempted to see how a dish can taste without added salt, try making my ragù recipe by following the link below.   I created this dish specifically for feeding a toddler, so deliberately avoided adding salt.

 Pork and Beef Ragù.

If you want to find out more about Jean-Cristhope Novelli’s ideas, he incorporates many of them into the courses at the Novelli Academy.
Drinks Friday – G&T Time!

Drinks Friday – G&T Time!

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So from now on, the last Friday of each month will be ‘Drinks Friday’  where I will focus on the wonderful world of alcohol and the  multitude of magnificent drinks that it makes possible.  I am going to start with one of life’s simplest and greatest pleasures – Gin and Tonic.  If you haven’t already caught wind of the extraordinary boom in craft gins that has taken place over the past few years then you have probably been living under a very dry rock.  It seems like only yesterday that I was working in the bars and restaurants of Edinburgh and a handful of people in the know would ask for Hendricks and then sneer when I explained that I didn’t have any cucumber to garnish it (I didn’t say I worked anywhere classy).  Now there are bars focussed entirely on gin, like the excellent Crocketts on Gandi Street in Exeter, and enough different varieties of the stuff to suit literally any taste.  Unless you don’t drink at all, in which case, why are you reading this?  Go on – move along.  Nothing to see here…

One gin that has recently caught my attention is Black Dog Gin from the Dartmoor Distillery.  It claims to use 22 botanicals – juniper berries, orange and lemon peel, and ‘Dartmoor botanicals’.  Clearly the good people at Dartmoor Distillery aren’t about to give up their secrets, but the idea that the botanicals used are from the area surrounding the distillery is certainly an appealing one, and it tastes great too.  There are strong notes of citrus, and a heady, floral aroma, but what makes it particularly enjoyable is the finish.  It seems to dance between pine and liquorice, changing from one sip to the next.  I have been drinking this with plain tonic water and garnished with lemon which seems to work very nicely with the citrus flavour of the gin.

So, it’s Friday, the weekend is just beginning – here are my top 5 tips for a perfect G&T

  1. Find a gin you like.  If you are not sure – and there are so many choices out there, it is hard to keep track of and harder still to choose – head to a bar that specialises in gin. Talk to the staff, and try some out.  You will quickly find something you like, and there are worse ways to spend an evening.
  2. Find a nice glass.  Sure, you could drink out of a jam jar or that old ‘world’s greatest [insert relation here]’ mug, but this is about enjoying what you are drinking, and that starts with how it looks and how it feels in your hand.  There is probably some scientific study about what shape of glass best suits gin, but for me this is about ceremony. I like a heavy bottomed high-ball glass. I like the weight and feel of it in my hand and I like being able to watch the bubbles rise gradually and haphazardly through the ice. But if you like to drink your gin in a wine glass or a tumbler or stein then do it.  What’s more, enjoy the fact that others might disapprove.  This is all about taking some time for yourself. And it is always good to stick two fingers up at booze snobbery.
  3. Use lots of ice.  One or two cubes will do little more than dilute your drink.  The ice will melt very quickly once exposed to alcohol, and will likely have little effect on the temperature of the drink.  If you fill your glass with ice the whole drink becomes colder faster and the ice will remain solid for longer.  This has two benefits: your drink stays cold and it doesn’t immediately become diluted.  Which brings me to my next point:
  4. Make it strong.  This is not about getting pissed quickly. If you are drinking a nice bottle of gin, there is no sense in drowning it in tonic water (unless you want to – see Booze Snobbery).  You have spent your hard earned money on something a bit special, make sure you can taste it. I generally pour roughly 1 part Gin (50ml) to 3 parts tonic (150ml).  I find this allows the tonic to complement the gin rather than hide it, while still providing a long enough drink for me to enjoy.
  5. Experiment.  The tips above will provide a good basis for creating a drink that you can take some pleasure in, but there are so many products out there right now, that there is a lot of fun to be had trying new things. Lemon is a good garnish for a G&T but changing the garnish can totally change the drink – try to find out what botanicals have been used and try matching the garnish to one of them to accentuate that flavour.  Try savoury garnishes like cucumber or herbs.  Consider different tonic water or even try other mixers. And of course try other gins!

Do you have your own ‘perfect G&T’? Or suggestions for other gins worth trying? Let me know in the comments below.

Cheers!

 
Beef, and Shmeji Mushroom Stir-fry

Beef, and Shmeji Mushroom Stir-fry

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This recipe is something that I came up with one evening when I was eating alone – I simply threw some of my favourite things together, including some amazing shmeji mushrooms from Forest Fungi.  My first attempt was a little too salty, but the recipe below is the tweaked and (hopefully) improved version. I have also scaled the original recipe up to feed 2 people, but I would advise against trying to double it up to feed four – the pan will likely lose its heat and you will end up with a stew rather than a stir-fry.  Save this one for a cosy date-night!

Tips:  The quantities in this recipe do not need to be followed precisely.  If you buy a bunch of spring onions and there is 7 in there?  Chuck them all in.  Can’t find exactly 300g of steak? A little bit more or less won’t make a lot of difference. In particular check the quantity of oyster sauce that you use – I have found that some varieties are much saltier than others so when you make the marinade, check the seasoning before using it.  For this recipe I used Blue Dragon Oyster Sauce due to its wide availability (most supermarkets).

If you can’t get your hands on shmeji mushrooms, you could use oyster or shiitake mushrooms instead.

You will also need a large wok.

 

Beef, Spring Onion and Shmeji Mushroom Stir-fry

Serves 2

Ingredients

For the marinade:
1 birds eye chilli
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp dry sherry or rice wine
1 tbsp tamarind paste
2½ tsp ginger paste
2 tsp garlic puree
2tsp rice wine vinegar

 

For the stir-fry:
300g rump steak
150g shmeji mushrooms
6 spring onions
75g curly kale
3 tbsp water (if needed)
Fresh coriander to garnish

 

Method

 

  1. Finely chop the chilli and place into a glass bowl with all the other marinade ingredients. Mix together and taste. If it tastes too sour add a little more oyster sauce. If it is too salty add a little more tamarind.  Thinly slice the steak and add to the marinade, stir to ensure the meat is coated and leave on the side, covered, for twenty minutes.
  2. While the steak is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Separate the mushrooms and brush off any dirt. Slice the spring onions lengthways, then slice thinly on the diagonal.  Lastly remove any stems from the kale and chop the leaves into bitesize pieces.  Keep these ready for when you start cooking
  3. Heat a large wok over a high heat. When it is smoking hot, add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil.  Once the oil is hot, lift the meat out of the marinade and place it into the wok. Do so gently as it will spit.  Stir-fry for two minutes or until the meat is just coloured, then add the mushrooms, spring onions, kale and any remaining marinade and fry for a minute or two more. If the pan starts to get too dry, add the water – once the kale softens it is ready.
  4. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve with boiled rice and steamed tenderstem broccoli, which is especially good if dressed with a little sesame oil and soy sauce once cooked.