Recent Event Highlights: Roast Rib Of Beef, Cinesine Pasta with Italian Sausage, Quick Beef and Mushroom Stir Fry, Sichuan Hot and Numbing Beef, Steak, blue cheese sauce and shitake mushrooms, Sausage Meat Pasta Bake, and 44 more...
Created by holland141 on 20/04/2009
Last updated: 22/02/10 at 15:50
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This one's for Andy....£37 !Nicely agedFresh Horseradish.....looking arty ?!?1 hour 30 in the oven (20 mins blast and the rest at low heat)Total result. How happy was I !The perfect Sunday afternoon....These babies rivalled Auntie Shirley's !
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2010/02/roast-rib-of-beef.html
In celebration of our recently booked holiday to a friends awesome villa in Puglia, I decided a little Italian was in order to get myself in the mood.There's a fantastic Italian deli round the corner from me - that I tend not to use as it seems was over priced. However - I was out for a walk with Thomas - and in such a good mood I decide to patronage it.There was no plan - but there were some lovely looking Herb based sausages and I found a bag of 'very small pasta' - Cinesine apparently. I have plans for these stuff now - I think a baked dish will be great with these bad boys!Made it up....See - they are smallThe sausage was a revelation...as you can see from the fry - it was bright pink with a fantastic flavour. It really made the sauce - although next time a little less salt as the sausage was quite saltyMade a fresh tomato sauce and added the fried sausageThe finished dish. It was lovely.
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2010/02/cinesine-pasta-with-italian-sausage.html
Lou was supposed to be out and I was Baby Sitting! Great - time for Sichuan! Unfortunately Lou's night was cancelled. Not mine though :o)From the awesome Sichuan Cooking by Fuscia Dunlop you get the history of the strangely named dish....“The so-called ‘fish-fragrant’ flavour…is salty, sweet, sour and spicy, and infused with the heady tastes of garlic, ginger and spring onions. The hot taste comes from pickled chillies, which also stain the cooking oil a brilliant orange-red. The most classic fish-fragrant dishes are based on pickled chillies chopped to a puree with a cleaver blade, although some versions use Sichuan chilli bean paste instead… This delicious combination of flavours is thought ot have originated in traditional Sichuanese fish cookery, which would explain why other ingredients prepared in the same fashion whould have instantly recalled the taste of fish to those who are them, hence the name. Some food experts, like the famous chef Xiao Jianming of the Piaoxiang Restaurant in Chengdu, say the flavours conjure up the actual taste of little crucian carp (ji yu), which are widely eaten in Sichuan – another explanation for the title. The term may also be connected with the fact that whole crucian carp, which may also be connected with the fact that whole crucian carp…are sometimes actually added to vats of pickling chillies to improve their taste.”Always good to have in the store cupboard - dried cloud ear fungusI cannot resist - every time I cook Chinese it has to have a Bok Choi in Oyster sauce. kick it up a notch!Before the chilli oil does it work in terms of infusing....And after - fantasticMmmmmmmSorry Lou - it had to be cooked!
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2010/01/fish-fragrant-slivers-of-pork.html
A bit of beef and a few bits and bobs from my Chinese LarderThe holy trinity of chinese marinadesFermented Black beans
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2010/01/quick-beef-and-mushroom-stir-fry.html
On Friday night we'd had a quick Mexican fajhitas (not on the blog!). There was, as always - some tortillas and various bits left over.On Sat we were in Giraffe - and one of their brunches is Huevos Rancheros. Ah ha - Sunday evenig's tea was born.As left over meals go - this was right up there!That Chorizo had seen better days. I darn't look at the sell buy date!Cubed and friedMade a salsa with the chorizo and fresh toms.....browned off the totillas in a large pan - dumped a few eggs on top with the cheeses and lobbed in under the grillBeforeAfterServed with an obscene amount of sour cream and guacamole. Very good!
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2010/01/huevos-rancheros.html
Inspired by an elderly lady sitting next to me in Chez Paul last week, I decided to have a go at this French classic. It also helped that I was in Ridley Road market and they had some 'shin' for sale.I also got to use my fantastic shiny new casserole pot!Some bacon fryingI always chuckle when a recipe asks for this sort of thingBeforeAnd after...Unfortunately - the shin was far to 'cheap' a cut - and ended up being all gristle. Shame - as the sauce was excellent. Not the greatest dish - and certainly not like a classic Pot au Feu. You win some - you loose some.
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2010/01/pot-au-feu.html
Blimey....having a three month old certainly puts a hold on the creative cooking evenings. Well at least ones where I can also be bothered to photo and blog them. Wouldn't change it for the world though.Myself and Lou invited ourselves down to the relatives in Worthing for New Year. I great time was had by all....and myself and my cousin did the cooking.Here's the story...First - make up a fresh Garam Masalla....definately worth it when you are making this many dishes.Getting ready for a Sag GoshtDried chick peas for the Channa MasallaPlease don't tell anyone how much Ghee goes into these dishes !Muttar Paneer - a request from LouFor the pickled auberginesTwo cousins...one book....two editions...The butter chicken on it's wayI love BhindiThe Chana finished. Awesomely pungentThe finished butter chicken. Can you spot the Ghee!?!Get stuck in. Happy cooking in 2010!
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/12/new-years-eve-curry-cook-up.html
So..this was inspired by a meal in Paris a few weeks ago. Most of the food I'm eating whilst working in Paris is fairly boring, but this one stood out. I had no idea what I was ordering, and it turned out it was the speciality of the restaurant. It was certiainly superb. Thus, when I was in Riddly Road market the other day, the lure of the oxtail proved too much.Having found a few recipe ideas, I cobbled this together. The restaurant version had Foie Gras, and so I dusted off 'that' tin from the back of the cupboard.....I braised the oxtail for 3 hours........and had to stop myself eating the whole lot then and there. Such a fantastic flavourRefeshed cabbage leavesMixing in the foie grasBeforeAfterWith a lovely wine reduction. Fantastic.
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/12/cabbage-stuffed-with-oxtail-foie-gras.html
The first India dish I ever knew the literal translation of was Dopiaza, meaning 'Two Onions'It either relates to twice the amount of onions to meat, or onions cooked two ways. Either way, I love this dish when it's done well - when the sweetness of stewed onions is a magnificient feature of the taste.In this recipe (from the awesome Food Of India), I did onions two ways (minced and stewed), and probably had about twice as much as the meat - so a DoPiaza squared ?The reason for the dish....Minced onions, garlic and ginger. Cooked slowly this forms the basis of the thick sauce. It's also the basis of a basic curry gravy and can be used for many standard curry dishesFried chicken and large chunks of onions.The final dish....LovelyI decided on a little lentil side dish. Parridu. This is simply stewed red lentils, cooked in coconut milk.The secret of the dish....a spicy onion mixture made with black onion seeds and cumin....which gets added to the lentils at the last minute
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/12/chicken-dopiaza.html
Made this one up. Very nice.From Meals I've cooked at homeUsed the little casseroles for a quick potato dishPlenty of fat being releasedA great result
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/12/duck-breast-with-leeks.html
This extremely authentic Sichuan 'snack' is a right faff to make, but the results are absolutely amazing. Every time I make it - I never do enough (the meat tends to disappear).This time I cooked it whilst preparing a Roast Chicken for some friends. Yep - it was a strange starter for an English Roast....but they certainly didn't mind and we polished the lot off. It's another one from the awesome Fuscia Dunlops Sichuan Cookbook. Click on the Sichuan or Chinese cuisine links for a few more posts.As you can see - it's going to be fragrant.These are the basic marinade ingredients. I can't really se that it makes much difference, especially as they are so whole - but that it is the recipeThe marinaded beef is then deep fried until crispyAnd then slowly stewed in a fragrant chinese broth of the marinade ingrediaents, star anise, soy and sesame oil, cinamon and so on....Until you are left with a glistening sticky mess....These sichuan peppers are from my trip to China. If you've never experienced their numbing (not hot) effects - then get down to China Town now!A highly spiced dressing of sichuan pepper, chilli and sesame oil.....The finished article. Chinese billtong/jerky I suppose....but worth the hassle.Finished with some fried dried sichuan chillies.
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/12/sichuan-hot-and-numbing-beef.html
This was tremendous. Cooked from The Food of Thailand, it was probably one of the most authentic dishes I've cooked from any cookbook I own. Often with a noodle dish it ends up being...well noodles in a wok....but this was somehow different. Fantastic layers of flavour and the right balance of ingredients. Certainly helped having the full complement of bits and bobs, including the sparingly used dried shrimps.Key ingredients are the roasted peanuts and the dried shrimpI threw in a spare Thai aubergine (as you do!)I love doing this....The finished articleThe wedge of lime did make a difference
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/12/pad-thai.html
Decided on a steak....and somehow got the idea of a blue cheese sauce. Realised I didn't have a clue how to make one. Turns out it's easy....beat together some mature blue cheese with a load of butter and 'Robert is Your Fathers Brother' !A heart attack in a small chinese bowl...Grilled cooking rocksFresh shitake - can't beat 'emLovely
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/11/steak-blue-cheese-sauce-and-shitake.html
For some reason I'd got an idea for a pasta bake inside my head...Had a decent set of ingredients ready to go in the fridgeMade a fresh tomato sauce and used up the Thai basil....seemed to work OK!Nice and crispyAlso added some cabbage. This also worked very well. It was a bit of a left overs meal - but it was greatThe secret of any good pasta meal - bags of cheese.The finished article. Very good indeed.And a small homage to the baking dish. How cool/old skool is that !
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/11/sausage-meat-pasta-bake.html
I can think of nothing more relaxing than cooking a curry from scratch. This was fairly extreme even for me- down to the real coconut cream! Followed the recipe from the Food Of Thailand - and it was superb.It was all inspired by a trip to China Town where I saw this fantastic bunch of Thai Sweet BasilThe ingredients for a proper green curry pasteOne of my fav kitchen gadgets - the mini blenderI've learnt to only use the soft middle layers - so no more picking woody bits from my teeth!The finished paste - with enough in the pot for the freezer!And so to the fresh coconut creamIf you ever cook Thai - then invest in some Palm Sugar. Seems to keep for ages and adds a lovely depth to the sweetnessThai Eggplants - ooops - I mean auberginesOnce all the above is made- the rest is straightforward
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/11/thai-green-chicken-curry.html
Another one from the fantastic Rasa Malaysia blog. It was Friday evening, and I'd not cooked much this week - my three week old son has other ideas :o)As I work close to China Town I decided to pop in on the way back. I settled on this one as I'd always wanted to get a proper Chinese Clay Pot (after a particularly awesome meal in Malaysia once - a Claypot chicken in a massive street food restaurant in the shadow of the Petronas Towers). However, I was very disappointed as the China Town supermarkets only had a few cheap looking very expensive options. No opportunity for a new cooking toy......Le Crueset it is then!Tofu again...I really have got into this amazing ingredient. Only fresh though!Lightly fried until golden (I remembered to get Firm not Silken this time !)Decided on a few Sichuan Peppercorns. I love that tingleReconstituted dried mushroomsBefore braising (with a liberal amount of white pepper)A small side of Bok Choi with Oyster and GarlicChinese in Indian (fusion!!??!!)Post braising...in my "Le Crueset Clay Pot"Lovely. Thanks Rasa Malaysia.
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/11/claypot-tofu-with-mushrooms.html
I really don't like AWT. Never have. It was compounded one day whilst watching one of his shows with the phrase "I'm going to cook a Tagine, but we can simply do it in a saucepan. No need for the fancy cookware".Hmm....What laziness. The whole point of a Tagine is that it is cooked in the conical shape dish that allows the steam from the cooking process to flow up to the point of the cone, where is condences (as it's colder), and falls back down into the middle of the dish. It forms a fantastic 'self-basting' type effect that keeps all dishes amazingly moist (infact - most of mine somehow seem to add water and end up spilling over the side. Why could AWT not be bothered to mention this before cooking it in a saucepan. Ho Hum!This is from Food of Morocco. A recent addition to the excellent Food Of series.Normally not a fan of fruit in cooking - but the middle eastern / north african dishes are an exception, where they seem to be core to the dish, rather than a fancy addition.These dates are soooo moorish (joke?)Colour the chicken with onions, cinammon & powdered garlicAdding the saffron and dates. Does 'Sainsbury's saffron really make a difference???And that's why it's important to do it properly. Imagine the juices flowing to the top of the conical lid, and condencing as it's colder, to drop right back into the middle of the dish. A perfect design.Where did that liquid come from???Fantastic. Juicy sweet chicken and a homemade spicy Cous Cous
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/11/chicken-and-date-tagine.html
First day back at work after paternity :o(Lou was back at home and little Tom had decided to play up a bit. She rang and said she would like something ‘plain’. Damn I thought – as I always think of a spicy curry, or fragrant Chinese as my fist cooking options. I’d settled on a creamy pasta dish when we passed a Domino’s pizza. Ah ha – that’s a better idea!Once I’d then convinced myself not to cook my version of an American Hot – I thought – I know lets go cheesy, so to speak, and have a Hawaiian!Made a fresh pizza baseAnd some fresh tomato sauce I love Mozzarella…but would it be enough? Well – it is a Hawaiian! Secret to a good pizza – use less sauce. Pizzas I made at University (a few years ago now!) would end up swimming and never have a crispy base. Simple – watch the guys make it in New York and see how little they actually use. Even this is too much reallyBefore…After – very very nice (but I’d prefer a bit more cheese – just because….)
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/10/hawaiian-pizza.html
Rather perversely I had a real desire to cook Coq Au Vin for some time now. Perverse in the fact I’m spending so much time in Paris and complaining about the boring food, & I am due to return next week after 2 weeks paternity.However, never let that stand between a cook and his belly!So, off I went to get some standard ingredients. I’m using a recipe from the Food Of France – great book – great series as I’ve said many times. Check out the links to the right.The onions were from a new green grocers near us. Just an unassuming place near Stoke Newington Green – we have 100’s like it. However, this place is very different. The guys who run it (Turkish?) stuff the place full of the most fantastic fresh & varied vegetables and salad. It’s only been around for a few months – and is busy all the time. Check out the street map link. View Larger MapMarinated the chicken in red wine, bay leaf and thyme. Used just thigh as my current fav chicken bit – and I think I will skin it next timeSome pancetta (ok- not particularly French)Fried off the onions and mushAnd the chicken. Should have done a couple of batches – didn’t crisp as much as I’d likeAfter 40 minutes bubblingReally nice….sauce at just the right consistency. Made plenty for the freezer
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/10/coq-au-vin.html
An old skool one. This is from the inspirational Appetite by Nigel Slater. A simple concept - just cook to enjoy....experiment and see what happens....the whole book is written by giving a 'starter' receipe and then several ideas for how to cook it in different ways. I think this book still has a lasting effect on my cooking approach today.So - having been 'inspired' by this receipe almost a decade ago when my cousin cooked it for me and my mates (and earned great respect in doing so), it seemed like a good idea to try again.Take a belly of pork...And a few ingredients for a marinadeMash it all upAnd marinadeSome fresh runners in a local shop - had to be doneCook the pork on a rack - over the pots. Plenty of mess everwhere - but hey - who cares when the pots taste that good !Ooh Baby !Richie boy looking forward to itPerfect
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/10/roast-pork-belly-on-rack.html
One of Lou's this one (including the photos). From Marcus Wareing's Perfection. Interesting concept for a cook book - he takes a simple dish and shows several techniques for how to cook to perfection. So...does it work....let's find out.....Braise your Shank (ooh err)The stock gets goings...Thsi is known as a cartouche (getting the idea of the book?)After braising for several hoursStop playing with your food!So - the verdict.Lovely photos - shame about the food. It was nice - but not perfection. The lamb did not really pick up much flavour from the sauce - which itself was too liquidy. Possibly needed a bit longer - but we were hungry!
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/10/lamb-shanks.html
A totally made up one this.....We'd been shopping in Hackney and came across the small aubergines and the okra.I love Bhindi Bhaji - and this was a very passible effort.Decided to bake these little beautiesI love OkraThe bhaji on it's way. This is simply made by frying the Okra with the usual suspects (Corriander, Cumin, Turmeric etc.) The secret is then quite a lot of water and allow it to turn into a rich smooth sauceEh VoilaSalmongridled....The okra was 10/10 - the salmon lovely - and the aubergines needed something
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/10/salmon-with-bhindi-bhaji.html
Bit of a states-side theme tonight.We are still waiting for the little 'un to arrive - and so we had a free weekend. We asked some good friends of ours - Nic and Andrea - around, and they obliged by flying in from Greece for the evening. All set for the evening...This Jambalya receipe came from Emeril Lagasse. If you ever watched food programming in America you'll know what I mean by Kick it up a notch... . I food hero of mine. Below are the ingredients for his Cajun Essence!And this is what is looks like - freshly madeThe holy trinity of Cajun food - onions, peppers and celeryShould have been Duck.....but nothing wrong with a bit of thigh ;o)How cute is that ? (Lots of onions!)Fresh Guacamole (note MOLE - see previous post)Arty shot of GuacamoleNot forgetting the JambalyaLou says I'm not allowed to say I thought it was a bit stodgyAnd not forgetting Lou's tremendous Key Lime Pie
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/10/jambalya-guacamole-and-key-lime-pie.html
There's a story that Mexicans use chocolate in their chilli. I'm not convinced. I think people are thinking of Mole....a Mexican 'stew' - heavily based on chillis (but not the searingly hot kind), but famously having up to 40 other ingredients and often including chocolates. In fact - myself and Lou discovered a fair few of them on our trip to Mexico a few years ago...the famous 7 moles of Oaxaca. It's a strange dish...mainly because there's an expectation of chilli-con-carne, yet it looks like a classic British sloppy joe curry, and actually it tastes of neither. At Xmas I'd bought this kit..and it seemed like a good way to spend a few hours on a Sunday. The 'kit' was superb...and certainly not a 'throw it all in a microwave' job. I think we used most of the kitchen implements! Mexicans use chocolate in their chili don't you know.. Almonds, raisons and chilesFrying the chillis really brought out the oils (in this instance mulato, ancho & pasilla chillis)Post frying - they softened up and gave an amazing flavour - not at all like a typical red/green sainsbury chilli....Almonds and garlic frying - adding to the layers of the dishRaisons frying. Never done this before - they plump up lovelyRoasted tomsThis was the roasted toms blitzed with the almond, garlic, raisons and a marisa hassa spice mix - oh and the chocolate (can you tell!)The pulped chillis. An amazing flavour and texture. Maybe a bit bitter (as I used some of the soaking juices)Mixing the two mixes.....it looked nice....Chicken thighs - and off to the oven for 40 minutesOnce cooked.....And servedI really liked it. It had many flavours - in fact genuine 'layers' of flavour - from the chocolate to the almonds - to the midl sweet bitter chillis. I served it on it's own - not sure if that was the best thing to do....but had no idea (apart from rice) what to server with it
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/09/mole.html
Sunday morning.Years ago, some friends of ours (Keith and Cathy) made us a fantastic omlette on a Sunday monring whilst we were visiting their fabulous Trullo. I've never forgotton how nice it was (Keith's addition of some Indian spices) and I've often tried - and failed to recreate it.Success this Sunday!Frying the mushrooms, onions and chilliAdding the well beaten eggDropped it on the stove !Eh Voila !The addition of a pinch of Garam Masalla was the secret for me. Keith ?
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/09/indian-omlette.html
After a fanstastic weekend golfing with the lads down at St Mellion, talk turned to what to eat when we all got home. I was with Russ and Jez, and we were musing over the various different types of Roast. (Russ pines for pork as his better half doesn't think much to it).At this point Lou txt'd to say she was shopping and what did I want.....Say no more....Here is the result...Not the best cut of meat - but well cooked (as in not WELL cooked)And in memory of one of my true hero's - Keith Floyd - who sadly died this week...A nice fat close up please Clive
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/09/roast-beef-possibly-best-sunday-meal-in.html
This weekend was the second annual Keytree BBQ. If we keep growing at this rate then we'll not be having this at my place next year...a good and a bad thing.So anyway - with 30+ people coming round - it was the perfect excuse to fire up the Tandoor. However - this time Lou stole the show with her fantastic array of side dishes as you will see below.Not many pictures of the cooking process in this post - far to much going on, but I did manage a few of the end result.A mountain of sausagesOne of Lou's - baked chickpeas with roasted pine nuts. Fantastic.Still has trouble getting the tandoor super hotBut the results were worth itGrated beetroot with yoghurtHomemade coldslawBulgar wheat salad. Thanks Lou
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/09/tandoori-chicken-and-other-bbq-treats.html
Being eyeing this one up for ages. It's from the awesome The Food of India - if you take a look at the other entries in this blog you'll see how much I adore this series of cook books.Anyway - we'd got back from the NCT class (wait for the mashed banana recipes), and this looked like a quick one. As it turned out - it was quick - largely because it wasn't realy a curry - more a chinese/indian stir fry mix. So...out went cumin and corriander and in came lemon juice and soy. The result was genuinely lovely with an almost strange mid asian flavour. A random set of ingrediant for 'indian'.....Didn't have any potatoes - so decided on Aubergines instead. Worked really well.The sauce was a combination of soy / chilli powder / lemon juice and tomatoe paste.Well it is called beef fryFrying the onions separately made them crispy and distinct in the final dishThe peas cooking in the reduced sauce.Before adding the beef and potatoes (OK - aubergines)Pungent & spicy - and the beef stayed lovely and tender
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/kerela-beef-fry.html
Still working in Paris most of the week - so the chance for a cook-up at home and something non-European is great.Another one of the Sichuan favourites I'd been meaning to cook for sometime (again from the awesome Fuschia Dunlop book).The usual suspects (but this time with some black vinegar involved)It's noodles with pork mince - think of it as a Chinese Spag bog and you are not far wrongWe bought (and used) too much pork. Less would have been more as I think it changed the balance of the overall dish. That said - the pork was fantastic.The sauce that ends up being poured over the final dishBuilding the dish with some wilted bok choi firstBit of a mess after the noodles, pork and sauce are thrown togetherThe finished dish. Fantastic again. I LOVE Sichaun food!Loving close up (as Keith Floyd might say)
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/dan-dan-mian.html
Somehting about going to Lou's parents cottage brings out the home cook in me. Last birthday I made a superb spicy apple chutney.As it was promising to be a nice weekend I decide on some real lemonade.First take some LemonsBlizz 'emSieve 'em (did three 'pressings')Relax
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/real-lemonade.html
Went to Roy's of Wroxham with an ingredient list for Green Chicken Curry. However - with a fabulous display of local veg - I decided to do a simple homage to theseI was going to make a Ratatouille. I always prepare and cook the veg separately. In the end I decided to cool them and keep seperate as Anti pastaTrying the arty photoGriddled the lambServed it up Jamie style - and ended up knocking the chilli bowl on the floor !!
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/norkfolk-vegetable-anti-pasta-with.html
Went to Roy's of Wroxham with an ingredient list for Green Chicken Curry. However - with a fabulous display of local veg - I decided to do a simple homage to theseI was going to make a Ratatouille. I always prepare and cook the veg separately. In the end I decided to cool them and keep seperate as Anti pastaTrying the arty photoGriddled the lambServed it up Jamie style - and ended up knocking the chilli bowl on the floor !!
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/norkfolk-vegetable-anti-pasta-with.html
I've mentioned before I am a fan of Roys of Wroxham. I was therefore intriged to see this cut of meat.....Great I thought - BIG BACON!Actually - it they were far more 'chop' than 'breakfast' - needed to be far more salty for my morning taste buds. Still felt like an American for a few minutes!PS: Tinned tomatoes. A breakfast is not breakfast without them.
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/breakfast-pork-chops.html
We were up in Lou's folks lovely Norfolk cottage. As always, Jamie's cookbook - Jamie at Home - came with us. A great book that supported an awesome TV series. Simple homecooked food with the Jamie twist. Nice one boyo.Anyway - we decided on this one, as we had had our eye on it for a few months, and it seemed appropriate for the late sumer tea.I boned the chicken thighs and cut them into strips.We found some yellow toms in the awesome Roy's of Roxham. I am SUCH a fan of this place - I really look forward to getting the supplies in when we go up to Norfolk. Yes - I know it's now owned by Nica - but serioulsy - they have a dedication to local produce that is not matched in London. It really is a village store dressed up as a small supermarket.The secret to this dish is to fry the chicken strips before assembling, making sure the skin is nice and crispy. Even after an additional 40 mins in the oven the chicken was still moist.The recipe calls for a oregano, oilve oil and red wine vinegar 'sauce'. Unfortunatley we could only get dried oregano and I think the result was poorer for itThe dish assembled before the cooking. Squash the pots with your thumb Jamie style!And 40 mins laterActually - we were slighly disappointed. It needed a bit of a boost - some garlic or chilli or something. Maybe with fresh oregano - but still not sure. However - managed to polish it off !
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/jamies-crispy-sticky-chicken-thighs.html
At the moment I'm lucky enough to be working in Paris during the week. However - despite trying hard, I've not yet found any totally brilliant places to eat.So, when I got back from the Eurostar on Friday - Lou had bought some steak and I thought - we'll lets see what we can do. Took a quick look at Food of France to get inspiration and then off we went.....Coated the steaks in plenty of mixed peppercornsFried in butterFlaumbe with congac (and it was a hot night!!)Better than any meal in Paris (this time round)Note the Laguiole knivesSome oyster mushrooms finished it off
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/peppered-steak.html
Working from home. Lou was there too. Fancied cheese on toast. Tarted it up and 'eh voila' ...now I can charge Eur15 for this !!Enjoying lunch in the garden.
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/croque-madam.html
Decided to break open the smoker for a Sunday afternoon.Quite an amusing cut of meat if you have my sense of humour...The beginning of a piquant cabbage salad. I thought this ended up superbA good mate Mac bought us these little le Creuset mini-cassoroles for our wedding. Been waiting to try them for ages. Thanks Mac. After 5 hours....Only problem is it doesn't crisp the skin (which I did under the grill later)The finished dish..Main problem was the pork was way too satly to be enjoyable. Not sure if I should have soaked it before hand??Looks good though!
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/08/smoked-pork-hock.html
After a fantastic weekend in Exmoor (Badger Watching)- a quick curry from the fantastic Food of India. It was needed after a weekend of (great) pub food.Always always roast the cumin / corrianderLots of yoghurt for me please...The finished arcticle. Very good indeed.
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/07/sag-chicken.html
Been reading Michael Booth's Sushi and Beyond, and as well as making me almost jump on a plane to Japan today - I also decide to brush off my Japanese cook books. Having spent the week in Paris working (tough life eh - see www.stevieholland.co.uk for all the gory details), we decided it would be reasonably 'lite'. Noodle soup it was then. Since we were in town shopping for baby stuff (!) - I managed to get a quick trip to the Japan Centre on Picadilly.Bought some 'proper' Ramen Noodles and a Random Seaweed. I know they were 'proper' because I couldn't read a thing on the label :o)I have had Japanese Food and Cooking for a few years now. There are some great (non-sushi) recipes in there. After reading Michael Booths book - I think I'm going to dive deeper - wait and see....Weird stuff this type of seaweed. Started off very small - but absorbed a hell of a lot of water during the soaking phaseHad ot make Cha-Sui Pork. Didn;t have any pork belly - so ended up bashing a couple of steaks and tying them in a roll. Worked well. Not so sure about the effort to cook the pork seperately - tasted like pork!Sauce was nice though (not sure you were supposed to eat it...I did!)Always nice to have a cheeky Sake whilst you are cookingThe finished Cha-SuiAnd the finished Soup. Absolutely lovely....(if maybe a bit overpowered by the seaweed)
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/07/tokyo-style-ramen-noodles.html
I haven't used the smoker all season and was itching to.Being non-American - the hardwood comes from a bag!I saw a bit of rolled brisket in Tesco's. About 300% smaller than you should really cook on the smoker - but never mind...These weber charcoal starters are the total business!Coals in place, and water tray filled. All ready for a slow 3 hour cook.....The 'slaw I adapted from a wonderful cookbook called Home, which is the cookbook from the restaurant of the same name in NYC. It specialises in home cooked American food - and jolly good it was too. I found out about it on the awesome Foods Of New York walking tour - which I've done about 5 times ! (Managed to get the cook book hidden on the bill - so expensed it....I should be a politician!) Made up a baked bean recipe...Started with bacon, onion and green pepperReduced some fresh tomsSieved for more refinement !After 3.5 hours in the smoker....Note the purple smoke tingeStill nice and juicy and very smokeyAll together now...
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/07/smoked-brisket-with-home-made-slaw-and.html
So this was another one from Fuschia Dunlop. This time it's the Hunan cookbook called Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook. Another awesome book - a lovely mix of (great) authentic recipes and background info on life and culture in a specific part of China.Lou gets in on the act.I also cooked from the Food of China (see ther blogs). Decided on a simple dish - steamed Chinese cabbage with mustard. It amused me that I was using the quintessentially English ingrediant in a Chinese recipe.A mustard mix (with Rice wine and sesame oil) is applied to blanched cabbage leaves..... And rolled...And steamedAnd finished.Absolutely fabulous. Lovely mustard with a strong cabbage flavour. A dish to go with a western option (i.e. lamb steak!)The tofu had to be fried. Missed this (!) when I was quickly deciding what to cook. Lou was not pleased!Could not believe how much this 'looked' like the photo in the book. Tasted pretty good alsoAnd together....Nice roll!
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/07/pengs-home-style-bean-curd-peng-jia-dou.html
When it's cold a wet and dark during an English winter, and I'm sat in some boring office somewhere, I often think of summer, and having the opportunity, whilst working from home - of taking break and having a 'Nice Lunch'.However, so often it never happens, and I end up just working through and not taking advantage. Not the other day though. Quick run up the road to the local Sainsbury's local - and a steak sarnie in the garden.Every now and then, when I'm griling steak, I'll use this Montreal Steak Seasoning. I picked it up in the states once when I was working there - and it's fantastic. Something about the blend makes the steak so juicy. Get some and give it a try.Yum yum. Note the chunky crystals from the blend....Secret to a good steak sarnie - slice the steak thin. This way it doesn't all pull out when you take a big mouth full!Still can't work out why Picasa seems to dull the photo colour ?
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/07/steak-for-lunch.html
The BBQ is getting a bashing this year (so far!)I really like the idea of keeping the onions whole whilst BBQ'ing. Not always easy.Still whole....Yes - did it! Bit of mash and the weird looking blob in the foreground is a spoon of my homemade mushroon ketchup. About a year old now - so maturing nicely!
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/07/bbq-sausage-onions-and-mash.html
This was an attempt at a light dish - as it's soo hot at the moment.Had a quick look through Marcus Waering's How to Cook the Perfect. An interesting idea for a cook book - as the basic receipe is given - but then he gives loads of (well illustrated) tips for making the particular receipe 'sing'. That said - writing this a few days later I can't remember what they were for this receipe. Maybe that's 'cos Lou bought and cooked most of it!The star of the show...Nuts! The roasted cashews were superb in this...Well...it was hot...and Broccoli and Lamb sounded nice...Lou in actionOh yes !Need to get the camera 100% above the dish for the perspective....A lovely quick summer meal...Thanks Lou xx
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/06/broccoli-with-nuts.html
What a great name !This is a staple Sichuan recipe. It was one of the first I cooked from the Food of China cook book (easily my most bashed up cookbook!). I chose it then for the name...but my current obsession with Sichuan led me here again. I checked for the recipe in the Fuschia Dunlop book - and yep it's there...but I decided to stick with the FoC recipe for nostalgic reasons (god I'm sad!). (They weren't too different anyway)So...a few picks...Hello Boys !Just as I suspected...Bead Thread Noodles are also Vermicelli....I decided to use up some whole bamboo shoot. Buying it this way is far far better than tinned slicesAnd here it is. It's called Ants Climbing Trees cause when you pick up the noodles in your chop sticks, the little bits of pork are supposed to look like ant's climing trees !This was sweet and sour bamboo shoots. The sourness was from Black Rice Vinegar, and the sweetness from bags of sugar. The original recipe was with chinese lettuce. Should have sticked with that - and left the bamboo shoots for a stir fry!Can you see 'em climbing ?
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/06/ants-climbing-trees.html
just a quick BBQ meal one evening. This was inspired by a photo from Pork and Sons - I remember a beautiful pork chop smothered in crispy shallots.This wasn't a bad attempt. The pork stayed very moist on the BBQ.
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/06/bbq-pork-with-shallots-and-beans.html
Food Festivals 2009 - Times Online: "FEBRUARY15, The World's Original Marmalade Day, Dalemain House & Gardens, Dalemain, Penrith, Cumbria CA11 0HBA marmalade competition, workshops and tastings are part of this citrus-themed day out."
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/05/food-festivals-2009-times-online.html
...and very very tasty..The only way to cook a chicken...under the spit....This one was so tender it ended up falling off the spit as it came apart. Still fantatically juicy though Get in....Cripsy, dry pots - runner beans and some grated carrot sweated down with shallots and white wine. That'll do !
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/05/roast-chicken-plain-and-simple.html
It was Lou's hen night - which gave me the perfect opportunity for a cook up. Several hours of poring over the cookbooks - and then a quick whizz around the net and I'd settled on Boiled Beef in a Fiery Sauce. This recipe is from the FANTASTIC Sichuan cookery book by Fuchsia Dunlop. An awesome cookbook (and that praise even though it has a disappointing number of photos - call me shallow eh.)The cast of ingredients is below. Probably the most important of these is the Sichuan Chili paste (Toban Dijan). Luckily I can get this from China Town....and it's used pretty frequently these days so I'll need to stock up soon.A select of dried mushrooms re hydrating. I love the texture of these once fried. Texture is a major part of understanding and enjoying proper Chinese.I bought silken Tofu by mistake. Didn't hold up to cutting - let alone frying - but still it was great. This is the Chili Paste being fried for a few minutes. Awesome pungent flavours coming off this. It gives the oil it's red tinge, and adds heat to the whole dish.Fried dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorns. This is little mixture was subsequently chopped up and added to the final dish. I am getting worryingly short of the Sichuan peppercorns I brought back from China. Need to find an authentic supplier in the UK.The finished dish....Absolutely superb.My broken up braised silken tofu with Chinese mushrooms (and a spare yellow pepper)!A close up. The celery is really great. Note the deep red of the oils and the sprinkling of fried chili and sichuan peppercorns. A fantastic dish
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/05/boiled-beef-in-fiery-sauce-shui-zhu-niu.html
I'd been out the night before to a great South India restaurant in Leicester, and for some reason was feeling very full all day. So - on the drive down the M1, at the point I normally start to think about that evenings meal (i.e. at the first junction!), I was annoyingly distracted by the fullness of my belly. Not that it didn't stop me thinking about hefty meals - it's just that I thought I shouldn't try and 'fit one in'.I know - a salad!And in my mind - this is the Daddy of salads. Thinly sliced slivers of charred beef, briefly marinaded in a spicy lime and fish sauce marinade, and served on a bed of salad leaves with plenty of fresh mint and corriander. Perfect!This is adapted from another of the 'Food of' series - the Food of Thailand. I can't stress again how excellent these books are.I'm not normally a mint fan. I hate it drenched over lamb (it's way too overpowering). However, I think it makes this meal. Along with the steak.........I'd racked up the grill pan to super hot - to get that lovely combination of char-grilled outside and pink and moist in the middle.Very thinly slicing the meat makes all the difference...(this is how I do my steak sarnies also - sooo much easier to eat)Added some sliced yellow pepper and a scotch bonnet! Phew! A nice fat close up - and very nice it was too....
http://shrestaurants.blogspot.com/2009/05/thai-hot-and-sour-beef-salad.html
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