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New addiction alert: Smoked Bacon & Scallop Sandwich

14 Jun

Bacon and Scallops have always been good friends, a tried and tested combination I’m sure many of you have tried before.  Only this time, try it in a sandwich. Salty, smoky, chewy bacon meets sweet, succulent scallop, wedged in doorstep slices of the softest white loaf.  This will make you raise your eyebrows I’m sure – that was my reaction when I first heard of it. But trust me, it’s good.  Better than good.  It’s ‘Up There’ with the All Time Top Weekend Breakfasts.

Don’t mess around with crap bacon for this. It’s got to be good quality and thick cut. I had some of my favourite smoked molasses bacon from Brixton Village Market, and some very fine hand dived scallops from Moxon’s Fishmonger, roe still intact.

The choice of bread is also important – you want a super soft white loaf – cut thick enough to hold everything in place as you munch away.  After frying the bacon, I quickly seared the scallops and roe in the same pan, adding a little butter.  Once cooked I let the scallops rest, and wiped the pan clean with one slice of the sandwich bread before assembling the tastiest sandwich ever. Enough said.

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Tamago-Yaki, it’s Sunshine on a Plate!

28 May

Tamago-yaki is a perfect way to ease in to a lazy sunday morning, and seems especially good when the sun is shining!  The name translates literally as “grilled” or “fried” egg, created by rolling thin layers of egg mixture flavoured with soy and sake, and sweetened with sugar and mirin. A special rectangular Tamago pan is often used, which helps create the neat sides of the finished omelette, although I’m sure a regular pan would still give good results.

Until fairly recently, I think my experience of Tamago-yaki has mainly been of the mass made, factory variety – almost toxic yellow in colour, processed texture and not fresh at all (used in the majority of sushi chains around London and even many restaurants). Freshly made home cooked Tamagoyaki, on the contrary is totally delicious and so quick to make.

Substantial enough to eat on its own or cooked plain for a topping to sushi rice, I’ve been trying lots of variations recently (to feed my slight addiction). My first attempt was guided by Reiko Hashimoto’s recipe in Hashi Cooking and contained good quality smoked ham and english chives (recipe below). However I’ve also had them plain, or with minced prawns and chinese chives, shiitake mushrooms, shredded nori, sliced spring onions etc. etc. – the options are endless and can be based on whatever you have left in the fridge. Serve with some grated daikon seasoned with a little soy, or cucumber if you can’t get hold of daikon for a little freshness. I sometimes top this with a dollop of salmon roe, another very tasty addition!

Here’s the recipe from Hashi Cooking….let the good times roll.

Ingredients (makes 2 rolls, serves 4)
6 Large eggs
3 tbsp finely chopped chives
60g finely chopped smoked ham
1 tspn instant dashi powder
1 tbsp mirin
2 tspn caster sugar
1 tspn soy sauce
pinch salt
veg oil for cooking
Garnish – grated daikon, shiso leaves, few drops of soy
 
Method

Mix all the ingredients for the omelette in a large bowl or jug and stir well.

Heat the Tamago Pan over a medium heat and brush a little vegetable oil on the base and sides of the pan, coating evenly.

Pour about 10% of the egg mixture into the pan and tilt the pan to coat the base evenly. When the egg starts to set, lift up the edge on one side and roll upwards using chopsticks or a spatula – make sure you roll while the surface of the egg is still wet so the layers stick together. I found it helped to keep the heat very low on my first few attempts, buying more time to roll before the egg sets as it can be a bit fiddly the first couple of times.

Grease the empty part of the pan again, keeping the rolled omelette at the side of the pan furthest from you.  Then quickly pour another 10% of the mixture, tilting to cover the empty side of the pan, and lifting the roll up to allow the egg to run underneath. When it looks half set, roll the omelette backwards until you get to the other side.

And keep going – until you have used up about half the mixture.  Once it’s rolled, I let the outside colour just a little, then remove from the pan and leave to rest for 5 minutes.  Make the second omelette with the remaining egg mix.

Once the omelette has rested for 5 minutes, slice into 2.5cm thick slices (or thinner if using as a sushi topping), and serve with the grated daikon and chopped shiso leaves, and a few drops of soy.

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Wonton Dumplings (Sui Kow)

9 Apr

Sui Kow is a type of Chinese Dumpling, typically filled with minced pork, prawns or shrimp and some form of vegetable for additional flavour and crunch.  Here I added water chestnuts, bamboo and chinese chives, but they’re also great with chinese cabbage (pickled or fresh), dried shitake mushrooms and black fungus. They’re delicious on their own in a vegetable or chicken broth, or with fine egg noodles for a heartier meal.

Feel free to play around with the quantities of pork to prawn and balance of vegetables according to taste. You can substitute the vegetables I’ve used with carrot, green beans or even peas.  It’s one of those recipes you can be inventive with – the important thing is to achieve a bit of variation in texture and taste.

They take a bit of time but are easy to do with a little practice.  I use ready made wonton skins, best fresh rather than frozen if you can get hold of them (from chinese supermarkets) as the skin is a bit more elastic and less prone to tearing. They freeze well, so I always make a batch ready to take from the freezer and add to a simmering soup broth as the urge takes me.  No need to defrost before using.

Ingredients
(makes about 30 dumplings)
200g lean, good quality minced pork
80g raw prawns, roughly chopped
25g water chestnuts, finely cubed
20g bamboo, finely cubed
3 tbsp chives, finely chopped
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp shaoxing rice wine
1 tsp cornflour
1/2 egg white (small egg)
pinch white pepper
30 dumpling skins
 
Method

Remove the veins from the raw prawns first by running a knife on the top side of the prawn and pulling out the dark intestinal tract.  It helps if you have a bowl of water on the side so you can dip your hands in as you go, as the vein has a habit of sticking to your fingers! Roughly chop the prawns, keeping some larger chunks for texture.

Add the prawns to a bowl with the minced pork, water chestnuts, chives and bamboo and roughly mix.  Then add all the other ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Get ready to make the dumplings – have a finger bowl of cold water on the side and lightly dust a chopping board or tray with cornflour (this is to place the dumplings on once made – the cornflour will stop them from sticking).

Take a wonton skin and place on your palm.  Add a teaspoon of the mix to the centre of the skin, being careful not to over fill. With your other hand, dab the edge of the skin with a little water to help the edges stick together. Then fold over one side to make a triangle, pressing lightly at the edge to seal the dumpling and squeeze out any excess air.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

The next bit is more fiddly and takes a little practice – using your fore fingers and thumbs, crimp and pinch together the edge to make little folds.  Work inwards from the outer edge.  The skins are quite forgiving but if you happen to tear one just empty out the filling and start again with a fresh skin. Once crimped all the way to the other edge, place on the dusted tray…and keep going till all the mix is gone!

If you want to want to cook them straight away, you can plunge into simmering soup broth for about 6-8 minutes, or steam in a bamboo steamer for about 8 minutes (place a slice of carrot or cucumber under each dumpling to stop them from sticking).

To cook from frozen, they’ll take 10-12 minutes to boil, or 12-14 to steam.

To freeze them, I put the whole tray of dumplings into the freezer for a couple of hours. Once they have hardened, I then place them in a tuppaware box or freezer bag.  If you put them straight into a tuppaware box or bag when soft, they’ll stick together and deform and will be tricky to separate when you just want to grab a few.

Serve alone in a soup or with fine egg noodles, add some chinese leaf in the final minute of cooking and sprinkle liberally with spring onions and a few drops of sesame oil.

Delicious!

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Squid-Inky Orzo

8 Apr

Perhaps not the most aesthetically appealing dish in the world to some, this Squid Ink Orzo may look like Orc food, but it certainly doesn’t taste like it.  Combining two of my favourite ingredients, orzo and squid ink, the result is a silky, bouncy grain engulfed in a slick of glossy, briny ink and subtle hints of the sea.

An intensely morish dish, I had to put my spoon down a few times and remind myself to savour the taste before wolfing it down. The sautéed squid really is secondary to this dish – of course it adds contrast in both texture and colour, but is by no means the star of the show.

Orzo is a type of pasta shaped like a grain of rice, also known as Risoni.  I use it as a substitute to arborio or carnaroli rice in risottos more and more these days.  The flavour is more delicate, and not heavy or creamy like risotto rice. It’s ideal for a dish like this where you want to show off a particular ingredient such as squid ink, and need something to ‘carry’ it and absorb the flavour without giving off too much creamy starch.

Squid ink is fairly easy to get hold of these days from good fishmongers or even online. I picked up 4 sachets from Borough Market for just 2 squid quid, so it’s pretty inexpensive too. It keeps in the fridge for months, so you don’t need to worry about having to use it within a few days should you come across it.

Ingredients
1 sachet squid ink
2 whole squid, or tubes (medium size)
250g Orzo
3 shallots, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
50g unsalted butter
dash olive oil
1 glass of white wine
500ml light chicken or fish stock (approx – you may need to add more water during cooking)
black pepper
wedge of lemon
grated parmesan
 
Method

Score the squid (outer side) in a diagonal about half a cm width apart, then score on the other diagonal to give a criss cross.  Cut into strips and put to the side.

Heat up the stock in a separate saucepan so it’s ready to add to the Orzo as needed.

Add a little olive oil and half of the butter to a saucepan, add the shallots and fry on a medium heat for a few minutes to soften, without browning.  Add the garlic, and fry for a further minute or two.  Then add the Orzo grains, stirring for a couple of minutes to coat each grain.  Pour in the wine and stir until it has reduced, then add one ladle of the hot stock at a time.  Stir frequently as the orzo will stick to the bottom of the pan otherwise.  Continue adding and reducing the stock, adding a little water if you need to.

The Orzo will take about 12-15 minutes to cook – it should be soft but slightly al dente, as with any other type of pasta or risotto.  A few minutes before it’s done, stir in the squid ink straight from the sachet.

Meanwhile, season the squid with salt and pepper.  Then fry in a separate saucepan in a little butter and olive oil on a high heat for no longer than a minute. Turn off the heat and squeeze the lemon juice over the squid.  Add the last knob of butter and some grated parmesan to the Orzo and give a final whip to melt it in.

Serve immediately with the sautéed squid on top.

 

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…and another Ponzu Oyster please!

8 Apr

Seems I’ve gone a bid mad over molluscs this Easter weekend, indulging in more than my fair share of clams and oysters bought during an accidental food spree at Borough Market on Good Friday.   When it comes to dressing oysters, I’m a sucker for the sharp and fiery hit of traditional lemon juice and tabasco, but this time wanted to give something else a go. After picking up some bottled Yuzu juice (a type of Japanese lime) from the Japan Centre recently, I figured that the citrus flavours of a Ponzu style drizzle could work quite well.

Alas it did, and now I have to share the recipe with you (which is adapted from the Ponzu Dressing in Hashi Cooking, this time with less soy sauce added as the oyster is salty already).

Half of our oysters had a drizzle of Ponzu dressing, the other half lemon & tabasco. We compared side by side and I have to say that for me, the Ponzu came out tops (however the other half preferred the lemon & tabasco). I found the taste of the oyster came through more with the Ponzu, as the Yuzu lime has a far more subtle acidity, and the soy saltiness complimented the natural saltiness of the oyster well.  I also found that with the lemon & tabasco dressing, the lasting flavour is of tabasco rather than oyster.

Give it a try, I’d be pleased to know what you think!

Ingredients
2 tbsp Yuzu lime juice
1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp instant dashi powder
 
Method

Add all the ingredients to a small saucepan and simmer on a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Take of the heat and allow to cool. Shuck the oysters – I poured some of the juice from each oyster into the Ponzu Dressing. Mix again, and pour a little over each oyster.

Slurp & Go!

Aw shucks…..gone so quickly!

 
 
 

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Sea Bream with Chilli, Ginger & Spring Onions

1 Apr
 

Super simple supper that never goes wrong.  This is a very forgiving way to cook fish, and better on the bone than off. I prefer to ‘steam’ in the oven by making a parcel rather than steaming on the hob.  This way the fish juices mingle with the other ingredients instead of dripping away and being lost to a saucepan of simmering water. The result is a gloriously moist and succulent fish, and a delicious liquor for pouring over your fish and rice.

You’ll be able to tell that the fish is cooked enough when the skin lifts away easily and the flesh comes away from the bone cleanly.

Ingredients
 
Whole Sea Bream
5-6 Spring Onions
1 or 2 Red chillis, finely sliced
1 inch piece of Ginger
2-3 tbsp of Shaoxing Rice Wine
1 tbsp light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sesame Oil
Rapeseed Oil (or other neutral oil)

Trim the tail and any fins from the whole sea bream (de-scale if not already done). Score the skin on each side of the fish several times about 1 cm deep to allow more of the marinade to permeate whilst cooking.

Take a large piece of foil or baking parchment, it needs to be large enough to make a parcel for the fish to steam in.  Place the fish on top, take 2 of the spring onions and place in the cavity of the fish along with a few thin slices of ginger.

Fold up the edges of the foil a little (to stop the marinade from pouring out), and pour the rice wine, soy and sesame over the fish. Create a sealed parcel by folding over the foil and crimping the edges – use 2 layers of foil if its a bit thin.  You want to leave enough room for the fish to ‘steam’ in the marinade and juices so don’t make the parcel too tight.  Bake at about 180ºC for 12-15 minutes, depending on the size of the fish.  You’ll know the fish is cooked through when it slides away from the central bone easily.

Whilst the fish is cooking, shred the chilli, ginger and spring onions. Remove the fish from the oven and allow to rest. Meanwhile heat a little oil in a frying pan on a moderate heat.  Add the ginger, fry for 30 seconds, then the chilli, fry for 30 seconds, then the spring onions and fry for 30 seconds.  You want the spring onions to soften a little but retain their vibrant green colour so careful not to overcook.  Open the fish parcel (breathe in the fragrant aromas!) and transfer the fish to a serving plate.  Pour over the cooking liquor, and top with the fried chilli, ginger and spring onions.

I like to eat this with plain steamed rice and a leafy chinese green such as Morning Glory or Kai Lan.

 

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Holy Grail Chili Oil

1 Apr Dried Chilli and Scallops

There was a time when I was afraid of chili.

Like many kids, I used to bite my nails. However unlike most parents (who would pop down to Boots and buy some ”Stop ‘n’ Grow”), mine would dunk my fingertips in chili powder.  A rather crude way of trying to get me to kick the habit I think, not surprisingly it gave me a bit of an aversion to anything spicy till I was in my early teens.

I can’t remember what turned me or at which moment I became a chili fan, but it’s something I can’t get enough these days.  It’s not the pure heat I crave (although I have been known to challenge people over Mad Dog 357), I prefer something with more depth, or flavour layers. 

This addictive holy grail of condiments can be used on just about anything – it packs a lot of fire but also has an intense depth of flavour from the dried scallops, salted fried dace and black beans.  It’s really a hybrid between XO Sauce and a more traditional Chili Oil, and suits western food as well as the more obvious asian dishes, from dim sum, noodles and rice to pork chops and even poached eggs (hangover breakfast!).

It’s surprisingly quick to make and lasts a long time.  A typical XO sauce normally calls for dried shrimp, I didn’t have any so used 1/2 a tin of Salted Fried Dace with Black Beans (Dau Si Laing Yiu) – you can get hold of this in any chinese supermarket.

Ingredients

Small handful of birds eye chili
10 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch ginger, finely chopped
Small handful of dried scallops
1/2 tin Dau Si Laing Yiu – Fried Salted Dace with Black Beans
Rapeseed oil – approx 150ml
 
Steam the dried scallops in a bamboo steamer for 10 minutes then blitz in a food processor till you have fine shreds.
Blitz the birds eye chilis till you have a coarse mix.
 
Take 1/2 tin of Salted Fried Dace with Black Bean and finely chop.
 
Add a couple of tablespoons of a neutral oil to a pan and set on a low heat.  Add the garlic, ginger, scallops and salted dace with black beans and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to stop it from catching. The mix will turn a deep brown colour. 
 
 
 
Take off the heat and stir in the dried chili. Transfer to a sterilised jar. Heat approx 150ml of neutral oil in a pan till its hot but not smoking.  Then pour into the jar over the chili mix.  Give it a thorough stir, then seal and allow to mingle for at least a day before using. 
 
Add a teaspoon or two during cooking or drizzle generously at the end.  

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Japanese Coleslaw

29 Mar

A lighter and more fragrant alternative to traditional Coleslaw, from Hashi Cooking.  Perfect for grilled meat or fish.

Ingredients

For the Slaw
200g Chinese Cabbage
2 tsp Salt
1 Carrot
150g Daikon Radish
2-3 tsp Black Sesame Seeds
 
For the Dressing
1/2 cup Japanese Mayonnaise
1 tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 tbsp Sake
1 tsp Japanese Mustard (not wasabi) or 2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp Sesame Oil
3 tsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Sugar
1/4 tsp White Pepper
 

Method

Finely slice the cabbage and add to large bowl.  Cut carrot and daikon into very thin matchsticks and place in a colander, sprinkle with salt and roughly mix by hand, then allow to sit for 5-7 minutes.  Rinse with cold water and squeeze out any excess moisture with your hands.  Pat dry with kitchen paper.

Put all the ingredients for the dressing in a mixing bowl and mix until combined and smooth texture.  Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

Add the daikon, cabbage and carrot in a bowl and mix.  Toss the mixture with black sesame seeds and dressing just before serving.

 

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BBQ Chicken Yakitori Skewers

29 Mar

Copius amounts of sunshine, a BBQ and a few of delicious recipes from Reiko Hashimoto’s ‘Hashi Cooking – A Japanese Cookery Course’ make for a good evening.  I’m delighted with the results of my first BBQ this year.

These Chicken Skewers are seriously good on the BBQ - the Teriyaki marinade takes on a lovely charred flavour with the chicken thigh meat staying gloriously succulent and moist. I made mine substantially bigger than the delicate nibbles in Reiko’s book so they could take a bit more of a hit on the BBQ without overcooking.  The key to a gloriously sticky skewer is to keep turning and basting, a few minutes at a time.  I served this with a Prawn, Wakame and Cucumber Salad and Japanese Coleslaw (recipe links below).

BBQ Chicken Yakitori Skewers

Ingredients

600g Chicken thigh (boneless and skinless), cut into 1-2 inch pieces
2 Courgettes, sliced (or 5 Baby Leeks and 1 Red Pepper in Reiko’s recipe)
Bamboo Skewers (12-16 for Small Skewers or 5-6 for Large Skewers)
Seven Spice Red Chili or Sansyo Pepper (for dipping)
 
For the Teriyaki Sauce
200ml Soy Sauce
100ml Sake
100ml Mirin
3-4 tablespoons sugar
 
Method

To make the teriyaki sauce, mix all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and simmer on lowest heat for about 20-30 minutes until you are left with a sauce thick enough to baste with.

Allow the sauce to cool, loosen with a little water and marinade the chicken for a day if possible, or at least 2-3 hrs.

Soak the skewers in water for 5 minutes to prevent them from burning on the BBQ.  Skewer the chicken pieces, alternating with a slice of courgette (or baby leeks and red pepper as per Reiko’s recipe) and lay on a tray.  I continued to baste these with left over marinade whilst the BBQ was getting ready.

Cook the skewers on the BBQ, basting and turning every few minutes.  These large skewers took about 15 minutes to cook.

To serve I sprinkled with a few Toasted Sesame seeds.

Devine!!

Prawn, Wakame and Cucumber Salad
Japanese Coleslaw
 
 
 
 
 
 

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Tomato & Shallot Tarte Tatin

24 Mar
Ingredients
 
For the Filling
Tomatoes (1 per person)
Shallots (1/2 per person)
Thyme, destalked
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp sugar
Short Crust Pastry / Puff Pastry (ready made
Rocket Salad
Parmesan Shavings
Balsamic Reduction
Toasted Pine Nuts to serve
 
For the Short Crust Pastry
200g Plain Flour
100 Unsalted Butter – cold and cubed
1 Egg
Pinch of Salt
A little grated Parmesan (optional)
Splash of cold water
(this will be enough for at least 10 Tartes)
 

Method

Take the tomatoes and core the tops out of them.  Peel the tomatoes by blanching in boiling water and plunging into ice cold water.  Cut into Quarters (or thirds if large tomatoes) and place on a baking tray (seed side up).  Peel the shallots and blanch in hot water for 30 seconds and place on the baking tray.  Sprinkle with Thyme, Olive Oil, Balsamic, Salt and Pepper and a pinch of Sugar.  Roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes at 170°C.  Remove and leave to cool.   Keep an eye during the cooking, adding a splash of water to avoid the bottom catching if it looks a little dry.  Once cool slice the shallots in halves or quarters lengthways.

Meanwhile, make the savoury Short Crust Pastry.  Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt and butter.  Rub the mixture together with your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs, keeping palms faced up to ensure the mix stays cool.  Add the parmesan.  Make a well in the centre and add 1 lightly beaten egg.  Using the handle end of a metal fork or spoon, roughly mix the egg in with the rest of the mixture (this avoids your fingers getting coated!).  Add a splash of cold water, and lightly knead to bring the mixture together into  a ball.  Only add a splash of water at a time as the pastry can become too wet quickly (a good tip is to dip your fingers into a little cold water to bring the final bits of the mix together).  Avoid kneading too much, as soon as the pastry comes together pack into a ball and wrap with cling film.  Once wrapped, roll the pastry into a fat sausage shape the same width as the ramekins for the tart and place in the fridge to rest for 30 minutes – doing this means you don’t have to roll the pastry and cut out before using, you can simply cut each slice off before it goes on the Tarte.

Make a caramel by melting sugar on a medium heat with a tiny splash of water until all the water has boiled out and you have a nice amber colour.  Pour a little of the caramel mixture into the bottom of each ramekin.  Arrange 4 tomato quarters on top of the caramel, seeds facing inside, followed by 3-4 slices of shallot placed in between the tomato and a few in the centre.  Sprinkle with parmesan shavings.  Unwrap the pastry and slice a thin disc (less than 1cm) and place on top of the ramekin, tucking in the edges a little.   Cook for 20-25 minutes at 180ºC until the pastry is golden.

To turn out the Tartes I quickly flip the ramekin upside-down onto a side plate (hold with a tea-towel), then slide the ramekin onto the serving plate before lifting the ramekin up.  If you do this whilst its still hot it comes out easily – don’t let it cool too much or the sugars will harden and stick to the ramekin.  Serve with dressed rocket salad and sprinkled with a little parmesan and some toasted pine nuts.

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