Fig Jam and Foxtrot
Page 6
FISH WITH LIME-CHIVE BUTTER AND GLAZED MUSHROOMS
Kabeljou (kob), with its firm, succulent flesh, is the perfect choice for this recipe. Fish often responds best when fiddled with least, and this is a fine example of just how good it can be when given the easy, no-fuss treatment. The mushrooms make a fabulous (also dead easy) accompaniment.
1 smallish lime
60 g soft butter
30 ml (2 Tbsp) finely snipped chives
a dash of Pernod (optional)
4 large, skinless fish fillets, preferably kabeljou (about 700 g)
oil and sea salt
Start by making the butter. Use a zester or a coarse grater for the lime, and then chop the peel finely, or snip with a pair of kitchen scissors. Reserve the shaved lime to use for juice later on. Mix the peel with the butter, chives and Pernod, if using. Roll into a long sausage, wrap in greaseproof paper and refrigerate until firm.
Shortly before you want to eat, line a shallow baking dish with greaseproof paper and brush with oil. Place the fish fillets on the paper, brush the tops very lightly with oil, sprinkle with salt and drizzle with lime juice. Bake at 180 °C until cooked through – the time depends on the thickness of the fish – probably 25 minutes. While the fish is baking, slice the butter into coins and, just before serving, place one or two coins on top of each fillet. Return to the oven until they just start to melt and spread, then serve, using a spatula to lift out onto serving plates. Serves 4.
Glazed mushrooms
These little nuggets can be prepared in advance, spooned into a baking dish, and reheated in the oven shortly before the fish is done.
250 g white mushrooms
45 ml (3 Tbsp) medium-sweet sherry
45 ml (3 Tbsp) chicken stock
15 ml (1 Tbsp) soy sauce
10 ml (2 tsp) tomato paste
5 ml (1 tsp) treacle sugar
a little chopped parsley
Wipe the mushrooms with damp kitchen paper and, if the mushrooms are large, slice into halves or quarters. Place in a wide-based frying pan in a single layer as far as possible. Mix the sherry, stock, soy sauce and tomato paste together and pour over the mushrooms, then sprinkle with the sugar. Bring to the boil and cook over high heat, tossing and stirring. The mushrooms will release a lot of liquid at first, but as the liquid reduces they will start to sizzle in their own juices – watch for burning. Remove from the heat as soon as the liquid evaporates into caramelly bubbles. Spoon into a shallow baking dish, rinse out the frying pan with just a dash of water, drizzle over the mushrooms to keep them moist, sprinkle with parsley and reheat briefly, as suggested above.
CHILLED SMOKED SALMON PATTIES WITH DILLY MAYO AND WALNUT BREAD
These make the most elegant and enticing starters: plump little patties, a drizzle of light mayonnaise, and crunchy brown walnut bread speckled with red pepper. Not too rich, not too expensive (the salmon is padded out with other things), not at all tricky to make, and everything tied up in advance – you can even make them a day ahead and refrigerate overnight. Present prettily on small plates.
160 g smoked salmon, finely snipped (off-cuts are fine to use)
1 hard-boiled free-range egg, chopped
4 slim spring onions, chopped
30 ml (2 Tbsp) finely chopped parsley
5 ml (1 tsp) capers, rinsed and chopped
5 ml (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
10 ml (2 tsp) lime juice (or lemon, but use a little less)
200 g smooth, fat-free cottage cheese
milled black pepper and a little sea salt and sugar to taste
DILLY MAYO
30 ml (2 Tbsp) mayonnaise, preferably home-made
30 ml (2 Tbsp) thick, plain yoghurt
10 ml (2 tsp) chopped fresh dill
2 ml (½ tsp) Dijon mustard
a small trickle of honey
For the salmon patties, mix everything together. To mould, you will need 4 to 6 small ramekins – flattish and shallow – 6 cm in diameter and 3 cm deep is just right. Four ramekins will give you really generous patties; six will provide small appetite-whetters – the better option if a good dinner is to follow. Line each with clingfilm, with enough overhang to cover the tops. Divide the mixture between the ramekins, pressing in gently to make a flat cake. Cover with the overhanging clingfilm and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. When needed, simply lift out of the ramekin, remove the clingfilm and out should plop a perfect patty.
For the mayonnaise, stir everything together until mixed, then cover and refrigerate. Makes just enough to spoon alongside 6 patties. Serves 4–6.
Walnut and red pepper batter bread
A savoury, wholesome quick-mix bread, perfect with the patties. Serve lightly buttered, sliced into fingers.
500 ml (2 cups) white bread flour
500 ml (2 cups) wholewheat flour
7 ml (1½ tsp) sea salt
15 ml (1 Tbsp) instant dry yeast (not quite a 10 g sachet)
1 small red pepper, finely diced
a little chopped parsley for colour
15 ml (1 Tbsp) light brown sugar
50–60 g walnuts, chopped
15 ml (1 Tbsp) soft butter
about 500 ml (2 cups) very warm (but not hot) water
Mix together the flours, salt, yeast, red pepper, parsley, sugar and walnuts. Stir the butter into 250 ml (1 cup) very warm water and, when melted, mix into the dry ingredients. Slowly add the remaining water (or just enough) to make a soft, sticky batter. Turn into a 26 x 9 x 7 cm loaf tin, first oiling the base and sides and then lining with baking paper. Cover lightly, and leave to rise in a warm place until the batter reaches the top of the tin – 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on room temperature. Bake at 200 °C for 30 minutes, then at 180 °C for a further 20–30 minutes until firm and brown. Stand for 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack, remove baking paper, and leave to cool.
SPICY INDIAN-STYLE BUTTER CHICKEN
This dish really does taste as good as it looks: tender nuggets of chicken in a smooth red sauce, fresh green coriander and saffron-tinted basmati rice – the colour combination is brilliant. Skinless thigh fillets are just perfect here – they’re not bulky or greasy and, unlike breast fillets, they won’t dry out despite the long, slow simmer. This dish may be made a day ahead and chilled overnight in a suitable container.
2 x 410 g cans Indian Diced Tomatoes (with curry leaves and spices)
45 ml (3 Tbsp) oil
1.2 kg skinless chicken thigh fillets
60 ml (4 Tbsp) butter
10 ml (2 tsp) each ground cumin, curry powder and paprika
5 ml (1 tsp) ground cinnamon
about 20 ml (4 tsp) finely chopped, peeled root ginger
a pinch of crushed dried chillies (optional)
about 10 ml (2 tsp) sea salt
15 ml (1 Tbsp) sugar
a little fresh lemon juice, if necessary
90 ml (6 Tbsp) thick, plain yoghurt
10 ml (2 tsp) garam masala and a handful of fresh coriander leaves to garnish
Empty the cans of tomatoes into a blender and whizz until smooth, then set aside. Heat the oil in a wide, deep saucepan. Add the chicken, toss until just sealed and pale beige on both sides, then remove and set aside. Immediately reduce the heat to very low, add the butter and, when melted, sprinkle in the ground spices and ginger. Sizzle briefly until aromatic, then return the chicken and mix in the blended tomatoes, as well as the chillies, salt and sugar. At this stage the mixture will seem too thick, but don’t add any liquid, the sauce will soon thin out sufficiently. Cover and simmer very gently, stirring now and then for 50–60 minutes, or until the chicken is very tender and the sauce medium-thick and richly coloured. If the flavour needs a little lift, add a dash of lemon juice, then swirl in the yoghurt, sprinkle with the garnishes, and heat through without boiling. Ladle the chicken and sauce alongside servings of saffron basmati rice, and accompany with a bright green vegetable or salad. Serves 6–8.
TARRAGON AND LEMON CREAM CHICKE
N BREASTS
Subtly flavoured and richly sauced, this is stove-top chicken at it’s elegant best. Surprisingly few ingredients are required, and the chief players – lemon grass, honey and crème fraîche – combine quite brilliantly.
4 skinless chicken breast fillets (about 400 g)
15 ml (1 Tbsp) oil and a small pat of butter
375 ml (1½ cups) chicken stock (home-made makes a huge difference)
4–6 spring onions, chopped
5 ml (1 tsp) dried tarragon
5 ml (1 tsp) very finely grated lemon rind
2 stalks lemon grass (whole, white, lower stems, outer layer peeled)
15 ml (1 Tbsp) runny honey
2 ml (½ tsp) sea salt
75–90 ml (5–6 Tbsp) crème fraîche*
Make a few shallow slashes on the skinned side of the chicken, then flatten the breasts slightly by thumping gently with a rolling pin – be careful not to tear them. Heat the oil and butter in a large frying pan and seal the chicken on both sides; do this quickly – they must not brown at all. Remove from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat and add the stock, spring onions, tarragon (crush this with your fingers as you sprinkle it in), lemon rind, lemon grass, honey and salt to the pan. Stir to mix, then simmer, half covered, for 12–15 minutes until slightly thickened and reduced. Discard the lemon grass and stir in 75 ml (5 Tbsp) of the crème fraîche and, when smoothly combined, return the chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer very gently until the chicken is just cooked through – about 6 minutes. Now check. The sauce should be medium-thick and fairly generous, so if it reduced too much at the start, you might want to add more crème fraîche, or a little extra stock – at this stage you have to play it by ear, at the same time being careful not to mask the delicate flavour of the sauce. When you’re happy, serve. Rice timbales (rice cooked in stock with bright things added, like parsley and chopped red pepper, then moulded and unmoulded) are not much trouble to make, and suit the dish well. Serves 4.
* A French-style, smooth, very rich, thick cultured cream. If unobtainable, substitute cultured sour cream.
BUCKINGHAM CHICKEN WITH LITCHIS AND ALMONDS
Everyone knows and loves Coronation Chicken. This is a new take on the theme. It’s quicker, easier and somewhat lighter, without compromising on the splendid flavour of cold chicken in a creamy curry sauce.
4 large free-range chicken breasts (about 900 g), with bone and skin
500 ml (2 cups) water
a few slices of onion
a few sprigs of parsley
5 ml (1 tsp) turmeric
2–3 bay leaves
a sprinkling of sea salt
1 large bunch spring onions, chopped
1 x 410 g can pitted litchis, drained, slivered and patted dry
toasted almond flakes to garnish
DRESSING
250 ml (1 cup) low-fat or fat-free thick, plain yoghurt
250 ml (1 cup) choice, thick mayonnaise
45–60 ml (3–4 Tbsp) curry paste (not powder) e.g. Pakco
about 5 ml (1 tsp) honey
Poach the chicken in the water with the onion, parsley, turmeric, bay leaves and salt. Cook gently, turning once and, when done, leave to cool in the stock. Remove the flesh by pulling it off with your fingers, shredding it into pieces and discarding the skin, bone and gristle. Place in a large bowl, mix in the spring onions and litchis, then slowly drizzle over about 125 ml (½ cup) of the strained stock. The chicken flesh will slowly absorb the stock; when it starts to run to the base of the bowl, add no more.
To make the dressing, mix the yoghurt, mayonnaise and curry paste (start with 45 ml) with the honey (even a touch of honey really rounds out the flavour, particularly if you have used fat-free yoghurt). Taste and add more curry paste if wanted, then pour two-thirds of the dressing over the chicken, tossing gently until thoroughly combined. Cover and refrigerate for a few hours, or overnight; refrigerate the extra dressing as well. To serve, spoon the chicken onto a large, flat platter, pour the extra dressing over the top (or serve it separately), and finish off with the almonds. Serve with chutney, a rice or couscous salad, and something fresh and green. Serves 6.
FILLET OF BEEF WITH PORT AND MUSHROOMS
This is a special occasion, rather extravagant and sensually rich dish, with redcurrant jelly and crème fraîche adding a gourmet touch. It’s also very quick to prepare, and has to be served immediately, so have everything ready and waiting because once you’ve started cooking you’ll have nearly finished.
30 ml (2 Tbsp) oil
20 ml (4 tsp) butter
4 slices beef fillet of equal size and thickness, weighing about 125 g each
sea salt and milled black pepper
6 slim spring onions, chopped
200 g brown mushrooms, wiped and sliced
90 ml (6 Tbsp) port
300 ml (11/5 cups) hot beef stock
7 ml (1½ tsp) Dijon mustard
10 ml (2 tsp) redcurrant jelly
45–60 ml (3–4 Tbsp) crème fraîche (or thick sour cream)
Heat the oil and butter and, when sizzling, add the steaks. When deeply browned on one side, turn and do the other. If you don’t want them rare, reduce the heat to medium and cook just until they’re done to your liking, then remove, season lightly and keep warm. Add the onions, mushrooms and port to the pan juices and cook for a few minutes until almost dry, then add the stock, mustard, jelly and crème fraîche. Simmer uncovered until slightly reduced and thickened, check the seasoning, and then either nap the waiting steaks with the sauce, or serve it alongside, or make a pool on warmed plates and place the steaks on top. It might sound strange, but simple mashed potatoes are really good with this steak; alternatively, use tiny jacket potatoes, and bright vegetables. Serves 4.
BRAISED LAMB STEAKS WITH WINE AND HERBS
The ‘proper’ meat to use here would be stewing mutton, which requires long, slow cooking, but there’s nothing wrong with treating steaks in the same way – they won’t turn out pink, but that matters not when it comes to the taste test: savoury, succulent lamb stew to serve with sprouts and spuds in fine British tradition.
4 lamb steaks (about 600 g)
30 ml (2 Tbsp) oil and a nut of butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
30 ml (2 Tbsp) red wine
a pinch of sugar
2 leeks, thinly sliced
4 slender carrots, diced
30 ml (2 Tbsp) flour
1 sprig of fresh rosemary and 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
125 ml (½ cup) extra red wine
250 ml (1 cup) hot beef stock
5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
a little sea salt
125 g brown mushrooms, wiped and sliced
20 ml (4 tsp) redcurrant jelly
Carefully pull off the thin outer rind from each steak and then slice each into four. Heat the oil and butter in a large, deep saucepan (unless you have a very large, deep frying pan), and brown the lamb well on each side, then remove from the pan. Add the onion, the 30 ml (2 Tbsp) red wine and the sugar to the pan, and cook until the wine has evaporated and the onion has started to brown. Add the leeks and carrots (if there’s no more fat left, add a dash of water to prevent burning). Stir for a few minutes, then return the meat to the pan, sprinkle with the flour and, when that’s absorbed, add the herbs, the extra red wine, the stock, Worcestershire sauce, bay leaves and salt. Cover securely and simmer over very low heat for 1 hour, shaking the pan (or giving the contents a gentle stir) occasionally. After an hour the meat should be tender and the gravy thickened. Remove the bay leaves and herb stalks – the leaves will have fallen off – and add the mushrooms. Cover again and simmer for 15 minutes while they release their juices, then stir in the jelly and allow to melt. If time allows, cool the stew for a while and then reheat gently, for the finest flavour. Makes 4 generous servings.
PORK CHOPS WITH CIDER, APPLES AND SAGE
Cider crops up frequently in Briti
sh cooking. There’s cider cake, cider pears, cider with brisket, cider with duck, cider with mussels – but in the end the marriage that seems most natural is that of cider with pork. Add in some apples, fresh sage and a few other bits and bobs, give it all a slow-bake, and out comes a homely but very good casserole to serve with cabbage and mash.
15 ml (1 Tbsp) oil and a dab of butter
1 really large onion, sliced into thin rings
4 large pork leg chops (650–700 g), 2–2.5 cm thick, rind and excess fat removed
a little sea salt and ground cinnamon
30 ml (2 Tbsp) flour
125 ml (½ cup) hot, seasoned chicken stock
250 ml (1 cup) extra-dry cider
about 6 fresh sage leaves, roughly torn
10 ml (2 tsp) Dijon mustard
a few rinsed and chopped capers (optional)
15 ml (1 Tbsp) light honey
2 medium dessert apples (not Grannies), peeled and chopped
Heat the oil and butter in a wide frying pan. Add the onion and cook until just beginning to colour – adding a pinch of sugar helps. Transfer to a baking dish just big enough to take the chops in a single layer, and deep enough to hold the sauce. Spread the onions over the base. In the pan, fry the chops on both sides; keep the heat to medium (high heat toughens pork chops) and remove when they’re lightly toasted in colour. Place on top of the onions and sprinkle with salt and a little cinnamon. Stir the flour into the pan drippings (if there aren’t any, add a spoon of oil or butter) and, when it starts to colour, add the stock and the cider. Bring to the boil, stirring vigorously to smooth out any lumps, then remove from the heat. Add the remaining ingredients and slowly pour over the chops, tucking the diced apples wherever there’s room in between. Cover the dish with greaseproof (not waxed) paper and then with foil, and bake just below the centre of the oven at 160 °C. (Bake the potatoes for the mash at the same time.) Leave the casserole alone for 1½ hours, then turn the chops. Recover, and bake for a further 30 minutes, or until the chops are very tender in a savoury gravy, remembering that they’re thick, and have little bone to conduct the heat, so they might take longer than you would expect. Serves 4.