bacon and mushroom baked rice

I am forever recycling leftovers by making fried rice for lunch the next day – especially now that the weather has turned and it’s too cold for salads and sandwiches. I decided to put in a little more effort today and made a parmesan and cream sauce topped baked rice. It may seem odd to include cheese and cream in what is essentially an oriental dish, but this kind of pseudo-western dish is very popular in HK and personally I think it works rather well (although B may beg to differ). Rich and somewhat indulgent, this comforting dish takes your everyday fried rice up a notch with not much extra work at all.

Bacon and Mushroom Baked Rice
serves 2

2 cups cold cooked rice
4 rashers streaky bacon, chopped
10-12 white mushrooms, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp butter
1 egg, beaten
90ml (6 tbsp) water
1 tsp chicken stock powder
2 tbsp single or double cream
freshly grated parmesan
1 tsp cornflour
1 tsp soy sauce
freshly ground black pepper
salt

Preheat the oven to 200°C (392°F).

First make your sauce. In a small saucepan heat the water, stock powder (you can also just use 90ml of stock instead of water and omit the stock powder) and cream and gently simmer for a few minutes. Combine the cornflour with a tbsp water, then add to the sauce to thicken. Keep warm.

Melt the butter in a hot pan or wok and fry the onions with the garlic for a couple of minutes until they appear translucent. add the bacon and fry until it is golden, then add the mushrooms. Once the mushrooms have also coloured, taste and season.

Add the cold rice to the pan, breaking up any clumps with a spoon. Toss the ingredients together until it is well combined and the rice is heated through. Push the rice to one side of the pan then pour in the beaten egg, stirring until almost set, then mix in with the rice, together with the soy sauce.

Spoon the fried rice into a oven proof dish and top with the cream sauce. Grate over a generous amount of fresh parmesan then bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden.

  

rabbit stew with tomato

I came across this rustic stew while leafing through the new River Cottage cookbook. I had never cooked rabbit before and this recipe looked so straight forward, I decided to give it a go. After a bit of chopping, slicing and browning the rabbit is left to slowly cook and mingle with the other ingredients in a low oven. It came out really moist and tender despite being extremely lean, and the tomato based sauce was lovely spooned over the meat and some mashed potatoes. The rabbit was however a little scrawny, with not much meat on it – at £10 a pop you’d be better off making the stew with chicken if you’re cooking for a large group, I think would come out just as good (if not better). For those of you who are more adventurous, the cookbook recommends a substitute of grey squirrels (I’ll stick to rabbit or chicken thanks).

Rabbit Stew with Tomato
(adapted from River Cottage Everyday)
serves 2

1 rabbit, jointed
2 tbsp olive oil
4 rashers streaky bacon
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
4-5 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic, chopped
5 whole black peppercorns
500g (1lb) tomatoes, skinned, deseeded and chopped
1 x 400g (280oz) tin chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
2 bay leaves

Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F).

Season the rabbit pieces generously with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pot (dutch oven) on a medium-high heat and add the bacon, cooking until brown. Add the rabbit and cook until nicely coloured on all sides. Remove the rabbit from the pan and set aside.

To the same pot add the onions, carrots and celery, cooking until they have coloured a little (add a sprinkling of water if the vegetables start to stick to the pot). Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns, and return the rabbit pieces to the pot.

Deglaze with the wine then throw in the fresh and tinned tomatoes, giving everything a good stir. Add enough water to just cover the rabbit and bring to a slow simmer.

Cut a piece of greaseproof paper into a circle the diameter of your pot and place directly on top of the stew. Put the pot in the oven to gently cook for 1 1/2 hours.

Take the pot out of the oven and remove the bay and thyme. Pick out the rabbit pieces and set aside in a warm place. Strain the sauce (if you prefer a more rustic dish you can forgo this and leave the vegetables in) and put back on the stove to reduce.

Mash the flour and butter together to form a paste and add to the sauce to thicken. once the desired consistency is reached, stop cooking and season to taste.

Serve the stew with fluffy mashed potatoes and steamed greens.

st. john bar & restaurant

There aren’t many serious foodies who have not heard of St. John, the restaurant made famous by former head chef and champion of nose-to-tail eating, Fergus Henderson. Favoured by chefs, critics and punters alike for its good honest British cooking, it currently holds 14th spot on the highly regarded San Pellegrino world’s best restaurant list. We have eaten at St. John Bread & Wine in Spitalfields, but never at its more celebrated sister restaurant – somehow our plans to dine there always fell through.

It so happens T is in town again, and having already introduced her to a good number of our regular haunts on her previous visit, we seized this opportunity to try something new, heading with her in tow to St. John today for a late lunch (they started opening on sundays last month). The restaurant was at best a third full when we arrived at our designated 1:45pm slot which left us wondering why we had been told there was nothing available earlier. Those thoughts were pushed aside as our waitress set the menu in front of us – it was after all nearly 2pm and we were ready to eat.

There wasn’t much that caught my eye starter-wise, I would usually opt for the marrow but I didn’t want to begin with anything too heavy (yes, I know St. John may not be the best choice for a light meal) so I decided to be adventurous and try the Rolled Pig’s Spleen and Bacon. Compared to my dining companions’ first courses, mine was pitifully small which as it turns was a blessing, seeing that I did not care for it at all. It had an unappealing texture and strong livery taste, with no trace of bacon at all (which I imagine would have helped in making it more palatable). I ended up giving most of it to B, who actually quite enjoyed it perked up with the accompanying cornichons, sliced red onion and red wine vinegar.

T ordered the Roasted Bone Marrow with Parsley Salad I had dismissed, which with its reputation couldn’t really have been anything but excellent – and it was. Still, I was glad I bypassed it as the hefty serving of four towering bone sections and two slices of sourdough would have signaled an early end to my meal. It really was lovely though, rich molten goodness piled on top of toasted sourdough with a good sprinkling of flavoured sea salt.

Of all the starters, my favourite had to be B’s tasty Potted Pork and Rabbit which had a lovely creamy consistency. Mixing the two meats together was a great idea as the mild rabbit mellowed out the porkiness, making what was essentially a rillette, a lot lighter than expected.

For mains we shared the ox heart, the pie special and a side of greens. The sliced Ox Heart was delicious, with a strong, robust beefy flavour and a slightly springy texture. It paired really well with the sweet roasted beetroot and punchy horseradish, and I could have easily wolfed down the lot. I guess it’s a matter of taste though as although B and I loved it, T was not as keen, likening it to an overly tough piece of steak.

The Chicken and Ox Tongue Pie was good too, with a surprising (but totally successful) combination of moist chicken meat and tender ox tongue, bathed in a creamy white wine sauce. We did however find the suet crust too stodgy (a puff pastry lid would have been preferrable), and ended up leaving most of of it, choosing to eat the filling with the leafy greens instead.

None of us really needed any more food after our mains but we went ahead and ordered pudding anyway – a Pear and Treacle Sponge to share with a side of Honey and Nutmeg Ice Cream. The warm airy sponge soaked in treacle was the perfect pudding for a cold day, and delicious eaten with spoonfuls of lightly spiced ice cream.

It was a great meal, but one we all agreed that we couldn’t (for the sake of our waistlines) repeat too frequently. B and I literally ate enough for two meals and skipped dinner altogether, in fact it’s just turned midnight as I type this and I’m still so full I can hardly move. Yes, it definitely was a good move not ordering the marrow.

apple tarte tatin

When it comes to autumnal desserts, there’s nothing better than a well executed tarte tatin – soft tart apples with deep chewy caramel and flaky buttery puff pastry, topped off with vanilla bean ice cream or crème fraîche. Last night I tried two tarte tatin recipes – the first was a bit of a disaster (hence the need for a second), calling for far too much butter causing the caramel to split immediately. I was a little skeptical about how the second would turn out but I was pleasantly surprised as it actually wasn’t half bad. I would however increase the caramel to apple ratio the next time round and dust the puff pastry with icing sugar before popping in the oven for a little extra sugar crunch on the base.

Apple Tarte Tatin
(adapted from Novelli’s Your Place or Mine)
serves 4

6-8 cox (pippin) apples (depending on size of pan)
1/2 cup caster sugar
2 tbsp water
2 tbsp butter, cubed
ready-rolled puff pastry

Preheat oven to 220°C (425°F).

Peel, core and quarter the apples. Set aside. Cut your puff pastry sheet into a circle about 2-3 cm larger than the circumference of the frying pan (or pie dish) you are using.

In a medium pan or circular pie dish (I used a crepe pan) melt the sugar and water on a medium heat, stirring until the sugar has melted and takes on a golden hue – take care not to burn it.

Once the caramel is ready take off heat and stir well to incorporate the butter. If the mixture splits at this point return the pan to a gentle heat and stir until combined.

Remove from heat and arrange the apple pieces in the pan, packing them in tightly.

Place the puff pastry sheet over the apples, tucking the edges in around the sides and leave to rest for 15-20 minutes (you can prepare the dessert up to this point, have dinner then pop it in the oven after your main).

Bake for 25-30 minutes until the puff pastry top is puffed up and golden. Remove from the oven, leave for a minute then flip over while still hot onto a serving plate (if you leave it upside down to cool it will stick to the pan and not turn out nicely).

Serve immediately with vanilla ice cream and/or crème fraîche.

“sandwich day”

This sandwich was inspired by the 30 Rock “Sandwich Day” episode where the TGS staff celebrate their annual Sandwich Day, when the teamsters treat the crew to “secret” sandwiches from a undisclosed Brooklyn deli. This was no fictional sandwich and was actually molded around the ones found in Hoboken’s Fiore’s deli, renowned for their fresh cow’s milk mozzarella, made in-house. Fiore’s famous sandwich consists of a long Italian loaf, Fiore’s own roast beef, their fresh mozzarella and gravy made from caramelised onions and beef drippings (no doubt what the “dipping sauce” that accompanied the 30 rock sandwiches was based on).

We made ours (in answer to Chickenless Kitchen’s 30 Rock TV dinner challenge – thanks CC, great theme!) with a lightly toasted ciabatta style baguette, lovely fresh organic mozzarella, rare roast beef from Baker and Spice and our own caramelised onion sauce served spooned over the beef, but also on the side to stay true to the dipping sauce depicted on the show. Not having ever tried the ones from Fiore’s I have no basis for comparison but these were very good indeed. Really good.

Roast Beef and Mozzarella Sandwiches with Caramelised Onion “Dipping” Sauce
serves 2

1 large baguette, halved and split lengthways
1 large fresh mozzarella (made with cow’s milk)
6 thin slices rare roast beef
1 large onion, sliced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
250ml (1 cup) beef stock
1 1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
2 tsp corn flour

First make the sauce. Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the onions and sugar. Sauté on a low-medium heat until onions have browned, stirring frequently to prevent them from burning.

Once the onions are nicely caramelised add the beef stock and bring to a boil, let it cook for 2-3 minutes until reduced by half.

In a small bowl, blend the worcestershire sauce and corn flour well then pour into the pan and mix well. After a few minutes on medium heat the sauce will be ready – it should be thick and glossy. Set aside and keep warm.

Open up the baguette halves and line with thick slices of mozzarella. place under a hot grill until the cheese begins to melt and the bread is slightly toasted. remove and place over the roast beef, spoon on a generous helping of the caramelised onion sauce. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side. Enjoy!

lemongrass prawn skewers

Cooking for one tonight so just put together something with what was in the fridge (not much). There were some prawns I picked up at Wholefoods on a whim, and a few stalks of lemongrass, a couple of limes and chillies (from last saturday’s tom yam soup). I made a Vietnamese inspired marinade for the prawns, skewered them on the lemongrass to impart extra flavour as they cooked, and griddled them on a hot pan. The prawns came out really juicy with a lovely balance – sweet, salty and tangy, and just a hint of heat from the chillies. Don’t worry if the edges burn a bit as the sugar cooks – it just adds to the flavour! Serve with steamed rice and veg, or as I had them – on their own with plenty of lime juice squeezed over.

Lemongrass Prawn Skewers
serves 2

12 large prawns, peeled
5 stalks lemongrass
1 small (birds eye) chilli
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp sugar
lime wedges (to serve)

Cut the chilli and 1 stalk of lemongrass finely and place in a bowl with the prawns. Add all other ingredients and mix well. Leave to marinate for 2-3 hours (or overnight).

When ready to cook, remove the prawns from the marinade and skewer onto the remaining lemongrass stalks – 3 prawns per stalk.

Heat a griddle pan on a high heat and cook the skewers, for 2-3 minutes on each side (depending on the size of your prawns) until coloured and cooked through. The prawns can also be grilled or barbecued if you prefer.

Serve immediately with a generous squeeze of lime juice.

  

lentil, pancetta and oregano soup

I’ve never been particularly fond of pulses – kidney beans, chickpeas and pinto beans just don’t do it for me. But over the last couple of years I’ve slowly taken to the lentil – delicate puy lentils, lovely with roasted fish and the more rustic brown lentils which are wonderful in soups, taking on all the flavours of their pot-mates. I came across this one day while flipping through Allegra McEvedy’s cookbook, and have made it numerous times since. It’s a real winner – wonderfully earthy and packed full of flavour, with a smoky sweetness from the pancetta. Totally satisfying and frugal to boot, if ever there was a reason to love the lentil, this soup is it.

Lentil, Pancetta and Oregano Soup
(adapted from the Leon cookbook)
serves 4

1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp olive oil
140g (5oz) pancetta, diced
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 1/2 sticks celery, finely chopped
3 bay leaves
1 tsp dried oregano
4 cloves garlic, sliced
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
140g (5oz) brown or green lentils
1 1/2 litre (3 cups) chicken stock

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large pot over a high flame, once hot add the pancetta and fry until crispy and golden. Add the chopped vegetables, then lower the heat slightly to gently cook until tender (about 12-15 minutes).

Once the vegetables have taken on some colour add the bay leaves, oregano and garlic, stir, and cook for another 5 minutes.

Add the vinegar, tomato paste and the lentils, making sure to give it all a good stir so the lentils are well combined with everything in the pot. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil, then turn the heat down and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper if desired (I find that I never need to as it’s so tasty as is). Serve in large bowls with some crusty bread, or ladled over a poached egg (which was what I did for lunch with the leftover soup the next day – awesome!).

    

thai fish cakes

Over the weekend B made a Thai feast of Tom Yam Soup, Pandan Leaf Chicken and these delicious little Thai Fish Cakes. These are great as party finger food, especially as you can make them ahead of time, freeze, then just reheat in the oven from frozen on 180°C (356°F) for 12-15 minutes. B made the red curry paste (recipe also below) from scratch which requires a lot of pestle and mortar action, but it’s not essential to do so – just pick up a jar from your nearest Thai/Asian deli instead. If you can’t get hold of kaffir lime leaves you can replace them with the juice and zest of 2 limes, same goes for the snake beans which can be substituted with about 40 green beans if need be.

Thai Fish Cakes
makes 40

500g (1lb 2oz) white fish (any kind) fillets, minced
5 tbsp red curry paste (recipe below)
4 tbsp fish sauce
1 egg, beaten
80g (8 tbsp) tapioca flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp palm sugar
10 kaffir lime leaves (thinly sliced, stems removed)
8 long snake beans – thinly sliced
500ml (2 cups) vegetable oil (for deep-frying)

Mix all ingredients in a large mixing bowl by hand (or with a large spoon) until well combined. Make small 5-cm wide patties with the mixture.

Heat the oil in a large wok on a medium high heat. When the oil is hot add the fish cakes, and fry them in batches, about 6-8 at a time. They will take 2-3 minutes to cook through, if the fish cakes start to colour too quickly tune down the heat – you want them to be golden but not dark brown.

When done, remove and drain on kitchen towels. Serve while still hot with your favourite bottled sweet chilli sauce.

Red Curry Paste
makes enough for one portion of fish cakes

1 tbsp coriander seeds
2 cardamon pods
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp salt
10 large dried red chillies, seeds removed
1 tsp galangal, skin removed and chopped
2 tsp lemongrass (white part only), chopped
1 tsp lime zest
1 tbsp coriander root, chopped
3 tbsp shallots, chopped
1 tsp shrimp paste
10 small red (birds eye) chillies

Soak the dried chillies in water for 15 minutes. Drain and finely chop. set aside.

Dry roast the coriander seeds and cardamon pods for 2-3 minutes in a small pan on a medium heat until brown. Add to the black peppercorns and grind to a powder using a pestle and mortar.

Add the rest of the ingredients and continue pounding with the pestle for about 10 minutes, or until you achieve a smooth paste. You can also use a blender or food processor but you may need to add a little water for it to liquidise properly.

lemon, garlic & riesling pot-roast chicken

I often come across the question “What is your favourite ingredient?” and always struggle for an answer – I’m fond of so many, it’s hard to settle on just one. But if I were forced to choose, my luxury option would be the glorious white truffle and my pauper pick, the humble chicken. Actually, after thinking it through it really is a no-brainer – apart from being incredibly versatile, chicken features prominently in many of my favourite dishes – chicken pot pie, buffalo wings, chicken karaage, chicken katsu curry, chicken noodle soup, roast chicken (preferably poulet de bresse!), hainanese chicken rice…the list goes on. Tonight’s plump corn-fed chicken got the one-pot treatment, slow cooking on the stove with lemon, garlic, shallots, brandy and riesling, then finished off in a hot oven. Moist, succulent bird and only one pot to wash? Perfect Monday night meal!

Lemon, Garlic and Riesling Pot-Roast Chicken
serves 4

1 medium whole chicken
1 lemon, halved
3 tbsp olive oil
1 head garlic, halved
12 shallots, peeled
large bunch parsley
1 bay leaf
500ml (2 cups) riesling
250ml (1 cup) chicken stock
60ml (4 tbsp) cider brandy
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
black pepper
sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).

Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the parsley and lemon halves, then tie the legs together with string. Rub the bird with 1 tbsp of the oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

Heat the remaining oil in a cast iron pot (dutch oven) over a medium flame and toss in the garlic and shallots. Cook for until lightly browned and fragrant, then add the chicken, breast down, to the pan. Sear, undisturbed, for 5 minutes, then turn over and colour the other side for a further few minutes.

Pour in the brandy to deglaze the pan (making sure you scrap of the bits stuck to the sides and bottom of the pot). Add the wine, stock and bay leaf, then bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and leave to simmer gently. After 30 minutes, remove the lid and roast in the preheated oven for an additional half hour, or until the chicken is cooked through.

Remove the chicken and let it rest on a serving dish. Return the pan to the heat and boil the cooking liquid until reduced by a third. Roughly mash together the butter and flour then add to the pan to thicken the sauce. Simmer for another 2 minutes then strain the sauce into a serving jug.

Carve at the table and serve with the gravy and a side of steamed veg (green beans or spinach would do nicely).

  

butternut squash, bacon and barley broth

When it’s cold outside nothing beats a hot comforting bowl of soup for an easy weekday supper, and this butternut squash number is one of the mainstays in our household during autumn. What I like most is that it’s a light broth, and not thick and stodgy like many pumpkin soups – for me there’s nothing worse than a starter reminiscent of puréed baby food. Despite its thinner consistency, this soup is no lightweight when it comes to flavour – sweet butternut squash countered with salty bacon, all mellowed out by the mild nutty pearl barley and deep, earthy broth. This really is a heck of a good soup!

Butternut Squash, Bacon and Barley Broth
serves 4

1 butternut squash
1 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup pearl barley
pinch ground nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper
500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
1 litre (4 cups) water
250g (1/2lb) unsmoked bacon (or ham) joint
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt

Peel and seed the butternut squash, then chop into large dice. Remove the rind and fat from your bacon joint.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot over a medium flame and gently fry the garlic and onions. Once the onions are tender and translucent, add the nutmeg, cayenne pepper, squash, barley, stock, water and bacon joint, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil, skim, then leave to simmer for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove the bacon joint and shred the meat, adding half (or more if you prefer) back into the broth. Add the nutmeg and cayenne pepper and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.