Perfect Sauteed Potatoes

Well, perfect as far as we're concerned!  The secret of a perfect sauteed potato is time.  And a non-stick frying pan.  If you rush your spud, it will brown too quickly and not be cooked on the inside.  Don't par-boil them, either, as they go mushy.  The other secret is not to stir them too often.  And use waxy new potatoes, as maincrop will just go mushy too.  OK, so that's four secrets, not one, but I like to give you value for money.  Chop as many spuds as you like, but make sure you have a big enough pan for them to be in one layer.  Cubes of about half an inch, or the metric equivalent, will be fine.  Heat 3 tablespoons of oil (I never said these were low fat!) in your pan - I like a blend of rape seed and extra virgin oil.  Keep the heat to medium and let the oil heat properly before adding the spuds, which should gently sizzle as they hit the pan.  As they do, toss them in the oil, shake them out to an even layer, sprinkle in some salt and pepper, and LEAVE THEM ALONE.  Let them cook at a moderate sizzle for a good 5 minutes without disturbing them.  Meanwhile, chop a large red onion and a clove or 2 of garlic.  After 5 minutes, stir and toss the potatoes and throw in the onions and garlic.  Stir again, then leave for another 5 minutes.  Stir every 5 to 10 minutes until all sides are brown and the onions have gone a delicious caramelly gooey texture.  Taste the potatoes after half an hour.  Add more salt and pepper, and if they are cooked through, turn up the heat and fry briskly until everything is crisp.  Keep an eye on them so they don't burn and adjust the heat accordingly.  Chop a handful of flat-leaf parsley and stir through at the very last moment before turning into a bowl and eating promptly with whatever takes your fancy - steak, fried chicken, lamb or pork chops, or grilled mackerel, which we had last night.  DEE-lish!

Tapenade

Such an easy thing to make, and SOOO expensive to buy ready-made, so if you are fond of this spread, make it yourself, and it tastes much better too.  The only consideration is whether to 'anchovy' or not.  I'm not a huge fan of the little fish, myself, so I leave it out, but add a well-drained fillet or two if you like it.  I take a jar of pitted black olives in brine, about 120g drained weight, rinsed well under a running tap.  Bung into a food processor along with a tablespoon of well-rinsed salted capers, half a clove of garlic, 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and a spritz of lemon juice.  Grind in lots of black pepper, but no salt, then pour in 3 or 4 tablespoons of good olive oil.  Zazz in the processor for 30 seconds, then scrape the sides of the bowl, add another spoonful or two of oil and zazz for another 30 seconds.  Spoon and scrape into a bowl, pour over another tablespoon of oil, and keep covered, in the fridge.  This lasts well for a couple of weeks in the fridge, and is lovely spread on toasted ciabatta, or spread on a chunky piece of fish before grilling, or as a dip for baby new potatoes, so many things.  A great supper, by the way, is a pouch of Merchant Gourmet ready-cooked Puy Lentils, piled on salad, topped with a soft-boiled or poached egg, and toasted sourdough with tapenade spread on.  I could happily live on this!  In the meantime, on toast for us tonight, to accompany a Dry Martini.  Cin cin!

Spatchcock Chicken with Rosemary, Lemon and Garlic

I do like to spatchcock a chicken!  Ahem.....it does look faintly rude when you take out the backbone and open it flat, with a sort of 'come hither' pose, but it cooks much more evenly and seems to get more flavour in.  I annointed our chook with olive oil, lemon juice, rosemary, garlic and salt and pepper and then roasted it at 200C for an hour, and it emerged crisp and golden with delicious pan juices.  So much easier to carve too.

Cannellini Bean Dip with Rosemary and Lemon

I appear to be on a bit of a cannellini bean trip at the moment - perhaps because my favourite brand of tinned beans, Cirio, have just become available again through Ocado.  I will never be able to convince you that this is delicious by a photo, as it looks, well, like mushed up beans.  But it DOES taste wonderful, and is a doddle to make.  Nicer than bought hummus, and cheaper too.  Drain and rinse a 400g tin of cannellini beans and tip into a food processor bowl.  Ad a clove of garlic, crushed, the zest of a lemon, a tablespoon of lemon juice, a good grinding of pepper, a teaspoon of ground cumin, a teaspoon or so of fresh rosemary leaves, roughly chopped, and 2 tablespoons of good olive oil.  Blend until smooth.  Taste and add some salt and more lemon juice or olive oil if needed.  Scrape into a bowl and serve as a dip or spread on toasted sourdough.

Wild Garlic Soup

Our regular Riverford box included a bag of the freshest and most fragrant wild garlic leaves - or ramsons, as they are known.  I used them straight away in a simple but scrummy soup.  This is a little like a watercress soup, but with the elusive and subtle taste of wild garlic.  Simply saute an onion and leek in about 25g of butter until softened, add a chopped potato and a handful of washed wild garlic leaves.  Just cover with veg stock and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add another handful of wild garlic and blend until a vivid green, smooth soup.  Add a little milk or cream if liked and tuck in before the colour and aroma fades.  We felt very healthy eating this soup, all that fresh ferrous greenery and the goodness of all the aliums.  If you have a patch of woodland near you, do gather some of this, and try it stirred into risotto or chopped and baked with potatoes in a dauphinois.  I shall add some to a stuffing for chicken on Sunday too - endlessly versatile and so good for you.

Orecchiette with Broccoli, Garlic and Chilli

There are probably as many recipes for this as there are Italian cooks, but however you do it, it makes for a cheap yet nourishing and filling supper. Do use the orecchiette pasta, though, as it has a particular texture - firm and chewy - that is 'right' for this. I think it means 'little ears' and they certainly resemble them! For 2: Whilst the pasta is cooking (it takes about 13-14 minutes, a little longer than other pasta), steam or boil a head of broccoli, broken into florets, you don't need the stem for this but do add any leaves, chopped. Then, heat 2 or three tablespoons of good olive oil in a pan and gently soften 2 or 3 cloves of chopped garlic - don't be afraid to let it go a little golden and toasty, but not brown when it becomes bitter. Add a chopped red chilli (to taste, but it should have some 'poke') and then the cooked broccoli. Continue to saute until the broccoli starts to break down a little but remains green, seasoning with a little salt and lots of black pepper. Strain the pasta, keeping back a few spoons of water, and stir through the sauce, adding the reserved water if it is dry and another spoon of oil. Serve with fresh parmesan, quite coarsely grated. Very nice for the end of the month, no money blues!

Spaghetti with Courgettes, Chilli and Garlic

Simple and delicious. Whilst the pasta (spaghetti or linguine is best) is cooking, grate a large courgette, chop about 3 cloves of garlic and finely chop half a red chilli (more if you like it really hot). Heat a couple of tablespoons olive oil in a pan over a highish heat, and throw the lot in, stirring for a few minutes until the courgette has wilted a little but is still bright green. Season with salt and pepper. Drain the pasta, holding back a few spoonfuls of the cooking water, and add to the courgettes. Toss well, adding the reserved water if a little dry, and a drizzle of oil too if you like. Serve with grated parmesan. Enough for two.

Bream Baked 'En Papillotte' with Garlic and Rosemary [#251]

This was the centrepiece of a marvellous Sunday dinner, which started with bruschetta and home-made tapenade, and finished with blueberry and peach cobbler. The bream were wonderfully fresh whole specimens, wrapped in baking parchment and foil with roasted garlic, rosemary, red chilli and a little white wine (a fine Sancerre which we drank with the fish). Twenty minutes in a very hot oven and they cooked to perfection. Here is a little video from Mitch Tonks himself, telling you how to make this dish - note he uses fillets, but his book says the whole fish, which is better, I think. The recipe is from Mitch's book 'Fish'. The bruschetta, by the way, were washed down with a cocktail called 'El Presidente' - Bacardi rum, pineapple juice, lime juice and Grenadine, shaken on ice and served in a Martini glass - ooh, we are lushes.

Roast Spiced Chicken

I wanted something along the lines of tandoori chicken as a change from just a simple roast chicken. I knocked up a paste of lemon juice, fresh ginger, garlic, onion, garam masala, paprika and turmeric. A free-range chicken was skinned and slashed, then the paste was rubbed in and all was left for several hours to flavour and tenderise the meat. A slow-roasting with a little oil and water to stop sticking and burning, and we were presented with a gorgeous, juicy, spicy bird - no jokes, please. Served with Roast Butternut Squash with Ginger (see next entry) this made a great alternative Sunday dinner.

Paprika Steak Kebabs

Yum! A rare treat of red meat - we are eating much less these days, but when we do, it is a treat indeed. These were cubes of 21-day aged beef rump, marinated in paprika, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil, then threaded onto wooden skewers with cherry toms and sizzled on a chargrill. Served with fat oven-baked chips and some local asparagus, it was very nice and a quick supper.

Watercress Soup with Kohlrabi and Wild Garlic

Based on a Simon Hopkinson recipe that uses turnip, but as I got kohlrabi in the veg box this week, I substituted that instead. The wild garlic also arrived in the veg box and was so pungent that I had to put it outside, as it made the whole flat smell! This is just a classic watercress soup recipe with some additions: a couple of leeks, whites only (or onions if you don't have leeks) sweated in some butter, along with the whites of the wild garlic - about two stems. Add a good 250g of peeled chopped kohlrabi or turnip and allow to sweat until all is soft. Add a pint of light stock and bring to the boil, then simmer until everything is really tender, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, wash a bunch of watercress and chop the toughest stems off. Chop them finely and add to the simmering soup. Save the leaves of the cress and garlic until last. When all is cooked, throw in the watercress leaves and finer stalks and the reserved wild garlic green leaves, bring to the boil and then immediately blend until smooth. 'Let' the soup down a little with some milk or cream, but not too much. Eat as soon as possible before that wonderful vibrant green goes.

Swiss Chard two ways

Inspiration here from Simon Hopkinson and his wonderful book 'The Vegetarian Option'. He suggests making a gratin with the chard stems, which are steamed and then gratineed with a light parmesan sauce. Then, the dark green leaves are braised with olive oil, garlic and a little chilli. Wonderful served with Jersey Royals and a crisp, slow-roast duck. Sadly, I have a heavy cold and couldn't taste a thing, but Hubby tells me it was all yummy. We are greedy pigs!

Chicken and Asparagus Salad with Garlic and Parsley Dressing

Another great way of using asparagus - chargrilled this time, and then tossed with chunks of roast chicken in a dressing made from loads of finely chopped parsley, some grated garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Served on a bed of fantastic lettuce from our Riverford veg box, with some Jersey Royals and roast tomatoes. I must say, the veg box is really inspiring me - just the most fantastic seasonal veg which included, this week, some Swiss chard (making a gratin of that for Sunday to accompany roast duck), the lettuce we used here, the freshest and most pungent spring onions I have ever seen, more asparagus, vigorous leeks, mushrooms - it is very exciting. Next week promises kohlrabi, which I've never used before, so watch this space for a recipe!

Roast Lamb with Cumin, Mint and Lemon, with Roast Carrots [#231]

Another class recipe from Nigel Slater - although I am enjoying a wide range of recipes from across 12 books this year, I am missing the total immersion in all things Nigel, so it is a treat to cook with him again, using some of his favourite flavours. A lovely half leg of lamb is doused in a slushy rub of grated garlic (lots), finely chopped mint, a little cumin, lots of lemon juice and olive oil, then roasted for 50 minutes or so until juicily pink. Nigel adds carrots to the tin too, to roast in the fragrant juices, and with a pan gravy made with a large glass of white wine, the whole thing sang with flavour. We drank a very fine bottle of New Zealand Marlborough Pinot Noir with this, to celebrate a day when Spring well and truly felt like it was on the way.

Hummus [off Challenge]

Some things are so much better made at home.......I find that supermarket hummus is often sharp, with too much tahini in it. Homemade is creamier, cheaper, and you can adjust the seasoning to suit. My recipe:
1 400 g tin of good organic chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon tahini (or to taste)
2 cloves of crushed garlic
the juice of a lemon
3-4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil - a peppery Greek Kalamata works well
salt and pepper, and a little cayenne pepper

Bung it all in a food processor and blend well, scraping the sides of the bowl every now and then. If too thick, add a tablespoon of hot water. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with a spoonful of reserved whole chickpeas, if liked, with more oil poured over and a sprinking of cayenne.

Grilled Pork Chop with Vermouth and Fennel [#184]

Very nice way with a pork chop, marinated in rosemary, garlic and lemon juice and then (in my case) fried until still succulent and served with a pan gravy of vermouth and caramelised braised fennel. Nigel recommends grilling, but I felt I needed the sauce you get with a sauteeing. We drank a delicious Pinot Gris d'Alsace, not too sweet, with this and it set it off beautifully.

Duck Fat Potatoes with Garlic [#178]

What's not to like? Duck fat makes just the best roast potatoes, even better than goose fat, in my humble opinion. The garlic (and some thyme) introduces a nice twist to the usual recipe. However, I did change the cooking method here - rather than pan-frying for 40 minutes (splattery and messy) I cut into dice, par-boiled, drained, mussed in the pan, then crisply roasted them, with chopped garlic and thyme to season them. Lovely with roast lamb with rosemary, savoy cabbage and braised carrots. Mm-mmmm! (note that the online recipe here, from the Guardian, also included Pumpkin, which would be an excellent variation, I should think).

Roast Pork with Grapes, Juniper and Vin Santo [#173]

Another one that went straight into the Top 10. We roasted a lovely free-range pork loin with good crackling, and the resultant sauce, made from the pan juices, roasted Italia grapes, garlic, juniper berries and a mixture of dry Madeira and Marsala (Vin Santo is just too expensive, sorry, Nige!) was totally delicious. We made this round at our lovely friends', Jonathan and Jess, and it was a perfect dinner party dish. We drank a delicious light, fruity Barbaresco with this, which matched the slightly sweet sauce and the succulent pork marvellously. This is a definite candidate to make again, and is special enough for Christmas, I think. Sorry, no pics taken so I have 'borrowed' one to give an idea of what it looked like. photo courtesy of tamarindandthyme.wordpress.com

Sweet and Sticky Chicken Wings [#166]

...or skinless chicken thighs in my case, as I'm not hugely keen on the skin and bones of chicken wings. Lovely, sticky coating of lemon, honey, mustard and garlic, and the chicken cooked to a glossy umber succulence. Nigel suggested a salad of beanshoots and cucumber to follow, so we went back to the May section of the Diary for a very nice Hot, Sour Beanshoot Salad (see next entry). Washed down with Vintage Somerset Cider, this was a yummy Saturday supper! One tip if you cook this - you should fastidiously and copiously line the baking sheet with foil, or else you will be washing up for a week.

A Squid in the Fryer [#156]

Lovely fresh squid in the Covered Market today. I under-bought and was short of enough for us both, so supplemented this dish with some fresh king prawns too. I didn't cook this very well, as the squid rings (and prawns) were supposed to emerge crisp from a dousing in flour and a fast fry in a little oil. I think I over-crowded the pan as the fish came out soggy. Still, it tasted delicious - not at all rubbery, and tossing it in finely-chopped red chilli, garlic and coriander (with a spritz of lime too at the end) made the flavours sing. So I shall know next time to a) buy more squid and b) cook it in batches. Very nice with rice and stir-fried spinach and courgette with sesame oil. No online recipe, sorry - but then, it is scarcely a recipe in the book, either, more a narrative of a cooking method.