The Chef's Day Off

An autumn delight - Mulled cranberry & fennel soup

2009-09-24T00:18:00.004+01:00

Today i came across the wonderful revelation that autumn is finally upon us. Seasonally, i know that the autumn fayre does not really mellow down into autumn for the next few weeks. But there are things i like about late summer that give us a hint of the richness of autumn.

In readiness for the wondrous season (often a chefs favourite, the autumn), I decided that as the weather was getting cooler, i would bring forward a few weeks a taste of the autumn. Embodied here, in this intruiging soup...

"Mulled cranberry & fennel soup".

More of a broth really. But not to worry about semantics. Here's the good bit:

Ingredients (serves about 10)

1 vanilla pod, opened

1/2 carton orange juice

1/2 carton cranberry juice

100g fresh cranberries, or cranberry compote

1 whole star anise

1 tsp mixed spice

about 6 green peppercorns

3 bay leaves

3 large red onions or about 6 shallots

3 cloves garlic (crushed)

1 litre vegetable stock

1 orange, zested and juiced

large glass red wine

Ill warn you now, this may take a while...

First things first. Chop the onions and fennel into thin slices, the shape doesnt mater so much really we are going to caramelise them at some juncture. if you haven't already, zest the orange and juice it, and crush the garlic. Have your vegetable stock heating up also in a pan, to minimise cooking time.

In a heavy bottomed pan, put the onions, garlic, mixed spices and peppercorns onto a very low heat, stirring occasionally. Do not add any fat or oil whatsoever, we are aiming here to extract the sugar from the onions, which is best done slowly.

After a little while you will notice things getting a little sticky. Not to worry this is exactly what we wanted to achieve. At this point add the wine and the vanilla pod, and allow it to reduce by half. You can turn up the heat at this point if you like.

Once reduced, add the star anise, fennel, cranberry juice,orange juice and zest, bay leaves and the cranberries, and allow also to reduce by half. Pour in the stock, and allow to simmer until reduced by a third.

Strain and decant into your required serving apparatus. A very autumnal and warming broth awaits.

The gripes of a friday

2009-09-11T14:48:00.002+01:00

Infuriating!

Why do chefs write menus? For me it is a work of development, comprising a balance between creativity, resourcefulness, display of skill, sensory stimulation involving all five physical senses, an appeasement to the profit margin & a focus on customer satisfaction. there are times however, when I wonder why we bother.

The whole operation of the professional kitchen spirals out from the menu. the ordering and selection of ingredients, staffing costs, labour time, preparation an service are all carefully (or should be) considered in the development & design of a menu, aside from the pleasure and sensory reception of the physical senses.

For many professional chefs the menu is the focus of dedicated application & passion within their lives. Case in point, i spend between forty and sixty hours per week at work, approximately 5 hours sleeping each day. Seven hours per week (or thereabouts) traveling to and from work, and have two days off per week (that is approximately fourty eight hours, give or take the ending and beginning of the next and previous shift). This leaves approximately sixteen hours per week (aside from my days off and sleeping time) at home (that's an average of about two to three hours per day). Approximately half of that time is spent on research & development regarding food, and menu.

Thus as you may have gathered a chef's life is pretty much that. Being a chef (as previously stated) this all spirals out from the menu. I have no gripe with that. I accept that my time is predominantly applied in servitude to the menu, its development & preparation, its operation & service and the embodiment of many hours (and sometimes days) of hard work.

My gripe is the lack of appreciation, the defiance and ignorance of the general public. Today we had a customer offer an insulting question (intentional or otherwise) to a member of staff. The dish, a stuffed, eight ounce chicken breast filled with apricot & brie, wrapped in parma ham, and served with a fondant potato & sauteed fine beans, and a white butter sauce (buerre blanc to you foodies). Priced at less than ten pounds (GBP), and clearly labelled on the menu as to tis composition and components on the menu.

They asked "Do I not get veg with it?"

My conclusions regarding this incident reached two possible junctures. Either the customer was extremely greedy (and i have no problems with that, we serve seasonal vegetables as a side order), and had no concept of how much a fair price for the dish should value. Or perhaps they have little or no appreciation for the application and hours of labour that have passed since the sparks of imagination and inspiration ignited the birth of that particular menu (we operate several). Or perhaps both.

My conclusion was indeed secured when they ordered chips as a side order. Clearly suffering from carbohydrate addiction, and the need to fulfill the cravings that they subject themselves to. The insult to the price of the dish also conveyed their greed in their desire for a "something for nothing" approach to life.

I often jest about customers writing their own menus. "Give them a pen and paper" I often joke. Yet the undertone is quite serious. My ideal situation involving this would be to arrange a day when customers can book an appointment with senior chefs such as myself. They can spend as long as they like in development of a menu tailored to their very likings and requirements. Consequently we will (according to our salaries) work out an hourly rate, then invoice them for the amount of time they spend with us. Would this be an adequate means of appeasement?

Walk into a department store, on any high street. Pick out an item that takes your liking, but upon point of sale ask for ti to be customised in some way. And complain about the price. "I love this kettle" say. "But im not entirely fond of the colour of the switch, and the cord is a bit too long, and its two centimeters taller than I expected". Can you alter it for me?

What would happen I wonder? Would your sales assistant call the designers and manufacturers in an attempt to alter your product? I very much doubt it. Unless of course, you were willing to foot the bill.

Winter Warmers - Carrot & Ginger Soup

2008-11-21T12:34:00.003Z

Carrot & Ginger Soup

Ginger provides a fragrant flavour that bridges the gap between sweet & savoury. Using it in this instance provides a means to fight off the cold this winter, with a soup that is best served hot, but holds equal merit when cold. Using a root vegetable such as coarrots also provides a winter dimension to it, with earthy and sweet flavours.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons of butter, or a few of splashes of olive oil (or half of each)

Small pinch of salt

1lb large carrots, chopped

1 medium onion, chopped

4 tbsp brown sugar

1 stalk of celery, peeled and chopped (peeling gets rid of the "strings")

1 teaspoon ginger, chopped or grated. You can use ground ginger if you like, but be careful otherwise the flavour may be too overpowering.

5 cups chicken broth or stock; or use vegetable stock for vegetarian version.

Preparation

Heat butter or oil in soup pot on medium low. Add the chopped onions, carrots, celery and salt. Saute until onions and carrots are soft. Add ginger. Cook for a minute or two more. (If ginger is chopped instead of grated, add it earlier). Add the sugar until caramelised, then add the stock. Bring to the boil, then cook for 20 minutes at a simmer.

Use blender, food processor or hand-held immersion blender to puree the soup.

Serve with a swirl of cream, and chopped herbs to garnish

Enjoy!

The perfect buffet addition

2008-11-15T09:57:00.004Z

Canape's and other little morsels are ideal for buffets and small functions. They add an amount of elegance and finesse to a function when presented elegantly, and the contrast of flavours presented can also provide a pleasant tone for you and your guests. This recipe, presents a beautiful and classic combination, providing earthy tones and sweet overtones, levelled out with a fromage presentation. I will be serving these at the Church Lodge Christmas party, which amongst other ides should go down a storm.

This recipe is not one of my own, although there have been modifications made to it to suit various tastes of my own, and that of other guests. Hereby I will share it with you, in order for you to also enjoy its beauty.

Ingredients:

1 venison steak (the leaner the better)
12 small pastry cases, mini
4 tbsp cranberry sauce, preferably home-made
4 tbsp Soured cream (In this instance i prefer to use creme fraiche,with chopped chervil or parsley)
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 pinch long chives, to garnish
1 pinch ground black pepper

Method

Heat a ridged griddle pan until smoking hot. Put the venison on the griddle to sear for 2-3 minutes. Turn over and cook for a further three minutes. This is for rare meat cook for 2-3 minutes longer for medium rare.

(Please be aware that these guidelines are dependant on thickness of steak, fat content, weight etc, and should be adjusted accordingly)

Lift onto a plate, cover with foil and leave to rest for ten minutes to allow the Venison to relax. You can leave this to become completely cold. Slice up as thinly as you can.

Set out the pastry cases on a tray. Spoon a teaspoon of cranberry sauce into each case. Top with a twisted slice of rare venison. Add a blob of soured cream, a sprinkling of chopped chives and a couple of long chives to garnish. Grind over some black pepper and serve immediately before they go soggy.

Enjoy!

Home favourites... (1) - Home baked oven "chips"

2008-11-05T01:42:00.005Z

Since the weather was rather dreary, and the temperature unfavourable in our (great?) city today, I considered something homely would be served at the table of Church Lodge. The best part about this home favourite, is it can be achieved remarkably on a budget, and also is moderately healthy too.

As an accompaniment, this recipe is very versatile. It can be served with anything from chicken legs to chilli. As with anything, the key is in the preparation.

You will need (Ingredients)

Dried garlic (milled if possible)

Sea Salt

4 Baking Potatoes

Olive Oil

Hot water

Equipment:

Moderately Hot Oven (220 C)

Baking Tray

Greaseproof paper / non stick mat

Saucepan

Sharp knife you are comfortable with

Cutting Board

- Mise En Place -

I have chosen baking potatoes for this recipe in particular, because of their versatility, and cheapness. They are a very soft potato, when cooked properly, and have a remarkable sweetness especially in the peel. If you shop carefully, you can find baking potatoes phenomenally cheap. Stores like Aldi, and Netto, can provide baking potatoes by moderately large amounts. (Last checked at £0.69 GBP per 2.5kg). This also works out at about (excluding energy costs) about £0.12 GBP per portion.

Cut the potatoes into chip sizes. Don't worry about the peel, as keeping the peel on will provide you with an extra dimension of flavour and texture. I like them quite chunky, but it is entirely up to you. If you have a fancy tool that can cut chips for you, by all means use it. I prefer to get to knowing the knife personally, but this isn't Haute cuisine, it's home cooking. Besides, after a hard day's work, you'll probably want to make this as effortless as possible.

In the saucepan, put enough water in to cover the chips, then bring to the boil.

Time / money saving tip: You can of course save time (and money, what with the rising gas prices) by boiling the kettle beforehand. This can give you a very quick source of hot water. :D

Add the chips to the water if you have not done so already, then leave to simmer for about 6 minutes. When the chips have just begun to soften on the outside (you can test this by poking with a knife), strain them off and put them on your greaseproofed oven tray. If you have a teflon mat, I would highly recommend its use in place of greaseproof paper. They provide a flawless application for oven work, and literally nothing is going to stick to it. They are inexpensive (about £3) and will last for years if looked after properly.

Drizzle the chips generously with olive oil, and season with the dried garlic and sea salt

Place in the preheated oven on the middle shelf. Give them a shuffle every five minutes or so, to ensure even cooking. When golden brown, slightly crisp on the outside, and soft on the inside, they are ready to eat. They should take about 20 - 30 minutes, depending on the efficiency of your oven.

Time saving tip: You can of course prepare the chips in the morning before you leave for work, play, or other mischief. Be sure to keep them under water however, or they will have spoiled upon your return.

Tuna Steak with roast tomato & pepper salsa

2008-10-23T21:36:00.004+01:00

This recipe is added especially for Steve, one of the waiters in the venue I work at. It uses fragrant and sweet flavours to complement a really "meaty" fish. Tuna is a versatile meat and can be used in a multitude of ways. This recipe uses more of a latin influence, which is also versatile in its demeanour.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

4 Tuna Steaks
3 Tbsp Tomato Paste / Tomato Puree
6 Cherry Tomatoes
1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow capsicum (bell) pepper
1 red onion
2 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
Juice of Half a lemon
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp chilli flakes
2 tbsp brown sugar
tbsp Olive Oil
50ml water.
Sea Salt & Black Pepper

Equipment

Cutting board, and sharp knife you are comfortable with
Heavy bottomed saucepan
Steak Pan / Frying Pan
Roasting tin
Wooden spoony

Method

Peel the red onion, and dice finely (brunoise). Take the storks out of the peppers and cut these in the same fashion. Cut the cherry tomatoes in half, then put them into the roasting tray. Coat with a tbsp of olive oil, then put into the oven at approximately 200 degrees Celsius for approximately 10 - 12 minutes.

Place the pan on a moderately low heat, add the olive oil, onions, peppers and garlic, and saute slowly until soft. Do not be tempted to turn up the heat as this will encourage the vegetables to burn.

When the onions have softened, add the chilli flakes and stir for approximately a minute, then add the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar. Keep the same heat until the vinegar has redu ced to a syrup, then add the brown sugar. Stir the mixture continually, adding the tomato paste as you do this. Add the water, then stir together. Turn the heat down to simmer, then allow salsa to reduce by a third.

Remove the tomatoes from the oven, and add to the finished salsa.

In the frying pan, heat strongly 1 tbsp olive oil. Season the tuna steak with the sea salt & black pepper, then fry the tuna for 10 seconds each side. If the tuna is very thick, seal the edge around the steak also, and allow to rest for a minute.

Serve on a main course plate, salsa first, then place the tuna on top.

Enjoy!

Tomato & Goats Cheese Tart

2008-10-08T19:42:00.001+01:00

The tomato & goats cheese tart is a popular appetiser dish, using a light and contemporary Mediterranean approach. Using Ingredients such as creamy goats cheese, fresh basil, extra virgin olive oil and juicy beef tomatoes, this is a fun dish that many of our customers favour.

Ingredients (for one tart)

2 thin slices of beef tomato (the riper the better)

½ one shallot

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 leaf of fresh basil

2 slices goats cheese (be sure to remove the rind first!)

1 squares of filo pastry (approx 5’’ square)

2tsp extra virgin olive oil

Pinch black pepper

Equipment

Heavy bottomed pan

Preheated oven (to 180 degrees C)

Sharp knife you are comfortable with

Chopping board

Shallow Yorkshire pudding tin (with depressions approx. 3’’ in diameter)

Method:

Peel & chop the shallot into thin slices, about a matchstick thickness (julienne). In the heavy bottomed pan, add 1tsp olive oil, then place on a medium heat until the oil has heated so that it moves easily around the pan. Add the sliced shallots, then stir periodically for about 5 minutes until they begin to soften. Be sure to not have the heat too high, otherwise the shallots will burn. Our intention here is to release the sugars from the shallot.

When the shallots have begun to “froth” after softening, stir for another minute. Add the balsamic vinegar then reduce until the vinegar has turned to a syrup (the consistency of honey, respectively). Remove the reduction from the heat and allow to cool.

Roll the basil leaves into very small sausage shapes tightly, and slice very thinly. The slices should give appearances of small spirals. This cut is called “chiffonade”. Add one third of the chiffonades of basil to the balsamic reduction, and allow to infuse for approximately 15 mins.

Grease the Yorkshire pudding tin. In the Yorkshire pudding tin, layer the two squares of pastry so that they overlap at right angles. This should give you a “sunburst” appearance with the edges of the pastry. Make sure that the pastry lines the tin so that it will “cup” the mixture we are about to put into it.

Put one slice of beef tomato in the centre of the tart, and overlap with one slice of goats cheese. Add half of the basil chiffonades on top, then glaze with the shallot and balsamic reduction. Repeat this process with the other slice of tomato and goats cheese. Add the remaining basil on top. Drizzle the tart with the olive oil, then put into the preheated oven for approximately 4 -5 minutes until the pastry has gone golden brown, and the cheese has begun to melt.

Serve hot or cold, with dressed seasonal leaves.

Spinach & Feta Filo Parcels

2008-10-08T19:41:00.002+01:00

The spinach & feta cheese parcel is a popular main course, which is favoured by vegetarian and meat eating customers alike. Using ingredients such as filo pastry, with feta cheese & spinach, a healthy direction is taken whilst maintaining a luxurious, yet rustic Mediterranean approach. This dish has a flavour that is not invasive, whilst providing a delicate balance between a slightly salty cheese, with the sweetness and silkiness of buttered spinach.

Ingredients (for one portion):

Approx 200g Feta Cheese

12 Leaves Fresh Spinach

½ clove crushed garlic

1 Tsp lemon Juice

1 tsp butter (unsalted)

2 teaspoons whipping cream

2 sheets filo pastry (approx 10’’ x 8’’)

2 Leaves fresh basil

1 egg. Beaten.

Equipment:

Heavy bottomed saucepan

Greaseproof lined baking tray

Pastry Brush

Wooden spoon

Mixing bowl

Sharp knife you are comfortable with

Teaspoon (for measurement purposes)

Cutting board

Preheated oven (to 200 degrees C).

Cold hands.

Method:

For the spinach & feta mix, place the butter into the saucepan and heat gently on the hob until melted. Add the crushed garlic and spinach, and stir for approximately three minutes until the spinach has begun to soften. Extract garlic and spinach from the saucepan into a mixing bowl. Add the cream, feta cheese and lemon juice, and stir together with a wooden spoon. Chop the basil leaves into a fine confetti (approximately ½ a centimetre square) and stir into the mix.

Lay out one sheet of pastry with the shorter edge towards you, and spoon half of the mix onto the edge closest to you leaving a gap of about an inch at each edge. Align the mix into a sausage shape about an inch thick.

Take the edge closest to you, using the gap to cover the mix on top, then roll the parcel until the pastry just covers the entire mix. Fold in the edges (this assures the mix does not leak in the oven) and continue to roll the parcel until the sheet is used up. Repeat this process for the other sheet.

Place the parcels on the baking tray, then use the beaten egg to glaze the parcels with a pastry brush, then put on the middle shelf of the preheated oven for approx 10-12 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown.

Serve on a warmed main course plate, with dressed seasonal leaves.

The Perfect Yorkshire Pudding...

2008-08-04T17:43:00.004+01:00

Long has it been the contest at The Church to create the biggest and best Yorkshire Pudding. Every Sunday we hold with baited breath how successful our Yorkshire Puddings are going to be. This Sunday, I decided I was going to use a modification of the standard mix, in order to create height as well as excellent flavour in this classic British accompaniment.

Ingredients:

1 Pint of eggs
1 Pint of plain flour
1 Pint whole milk
25 ml Malt Vinegar
2 Chicken Stock Cubes
Sunflower / Vegetable Oil

Equipment:

Yorkshire pudding tray (One with deeper pots should give taller yorkshire puddings)
Hot oven (Approx 200 degrees C)
Large mixing bowl
Pint Glass (or smaller vessel if required)
Whisk or blender

there shouldn't be an issue. Using these proportions, the mix should yield approximately 48 Yorkshire Puddings or so. For a smaller yield, use a smaller container. As long as the flour / milk /egg ratio remains the same, this hsould not affect the mixtures composition.

The presence of the vinegar in the mix acts as an agitating agent, allowing the mixture to rise quickly amongst the hot oil (using displacement theory). The chicken stock gives a wonderful meaty flavour to the yorkshire puddings, and since it is in the form of a powder, will not affect the baking process.

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degreees C.

In the pint glass measure out a pint of milk, a pint of flour, and a pint of eggs, Combine in the mixing bowl, and wisk together until smooth. If you wish to use a blender this is alot quicker, and can get more air into the mixture. Sieving the flour beforehand also works tremendously.

Add the vinegar (if using a smaller amount of mixture, adjust accordingly) and crumble the stock cubes into the mixture. Whisk again, until smooth.

If you wish to allow the mixture to rest, then do so, however this mixture requires little resting, and can be used straight away.

In your Yorkshire Pudding tray add a tablespoon of oil to each Yorkshire Pudding compartment. once the tray is oiled, put it in the oven to heat up the oil. Remove the tray from the oven after approximately 3 minutes, and add enough mixture to fill each Yorkshire Pudding pot approximately 3/4 full. Put the tray in the oven, and come back in approximately 20 minutes.

DO NOT open the oven until then otherwise your prized Yorkshires will deflate.

The finsihed product:

When I made these on Sunday i added a pint glass to the image to show the scale and height of these wonderful Yorkshire puddings. Enjoy!

Black Cherry Sauce (ideal with duck and pheasant)

2008-07-24T14:31:00.000+01:00

This sauce shows how a sweetness with tremendous flair and flavour can be used to complement game and similar tasting meats. Using a haute cuisine / a la carte approach, this sauce always goes down well in dinner parties and restaurants alike!

(Approx 10 - 12 servings)

You will need...

Moderate sized saucepan
Black Cherries (Canned ones are excellent, beacue theyre already pitted and have their own syrup)
Garlic Clove x 2 (Crushed)
Game Stock (Chicken if not available)
Tarragon (1 tsp dried, or 1 stem of fresh)
Water

Put the cherries in saucepan, if pitted. If not cut in half and remove seeds, and then add to pan.
Add approx 10& water to the mix.
Peel and crush garlic cloves, and add to mix.
Add game or chicken stock to the mix. If fresh stock not available, use 1 tbsp bouillon or 1stock cube
Add tarragon to mix

Bring mixture to the boil, and then simmer until reduced to approx 80% of original volume. Make sure cherries have fallen or softened sufficiently.

Serve with game, ideally duck or pheasant.

Game Sauce St. Clements

2008-07-24T14:29:00.001+01:00

This sauce also goes well with all game dishes. With a distinct Citrus Flavour, this sharp tasting sauce provides the perfect compliment to game whilst adopting a traditional approach.

(Serves approx 10 -12 Portions)

You will need

4 Large Oranges
2 Large Lemons
Garlic Clove x 2 (Crushed)
Thyme (1 sprig fresh, 1 tsp dry)
3 tbsp sugar
Fruit Zester
Sharp Knife
Juice Extractor (Optional)
Moderate Sized Saucepan
Water (1 cup)
Arrowroot powder

Zest the oranges and lemons then cut in half horizontally. Leave one orange and one lemon uncut. Put the zest int he pan, and squeeze the juice from the oranges and lemons into the pan. Add 1 cup of water and the thyme, then add the sugar.

Peel and segment the remaining orange and lemon, and add the segments to the mix. Add the remaining juice to the mixture also.

Bring mixture to the boil, and then simmer until fruit has softened sufficiently. If necessary use arrowroot powder to thicken mixture.

Serve with game such as duck, pheasant or turkey.

Cod & Chicken "Parcel" with fragrant herbs

2008-07-24T14:27:00.000+01:00

This amazing recipe combines eastern flavours with a Thai / Oriental flavour, whilst at the same time, obeying a western / european influence.

You will need:

Chicken Breast
Cod fillet
Parma Ham
Fresh Coriander
1 Lime
Paprika
Butter
Chilli Powder
Dash White wine
1 tsp. Honey
1 Clove Garlic
Butter

Equipment:

Tinfoil
Kitchen Kinfe
Roasting Tin (small preferrably)
Oven.

Serves 2

Fisrt of all take the chicken breast and slice in half, so that you have two equal pieces (roughly square). Do the same with the cod fillet.

Place 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh corainder on top of the chicken breast, and put the cod fillet piece on top. Place a few more sprigs of corainder on top of this pile, and wrap with the parma ham (2 slices). You should now have two moderately sized "parcels".

Line a roasting tin with tinfoil, and place the parcels inside the tin. Cut the lime in half, and squeeze the juice out of both halves, over the parcels. Add in the spent lime halves, and sprinkle the parcels with 1 tbsp of paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder. Drizzle parcels with a teaspoon of honey. Crush the clove of garlic, and half of each clove to the top of the parcel.

Add four teaspoons of butter (2 for each parcel) on top of each parcel, and cover the top of the tin in tinfoil.

Place in moderately hot oven (160 degrees Celsius) for approximately 45 mins.

Serve with green vegetables, and potatoes. If you wish, a good sauce that goes well with this is hollondaise / bearnaise.

Delicious!

Monkfish tails, with lime & thyme butter

2008-07-09T03:42:00.007+01:00

This recipe was originally designed to be put on the new menu at The Church, but was amended in the butter department to accommodate economy of resources with other fish dishes on the menu. I have always liked monkfish. The standard way of doing things these days with monkfish tails is to wrap them in parma ham (Proscuito di Parma), pan fry them and then finish them off in the oven, and serve with something sweet (and possibly spicy) such as a salsa or a compote.

The approach I used for this dish showed promise in its simplicty, ustilising the base flavour of the fish, then accenting and complimenting it with the zesty flavour of lime, and the fragrant tone of thyme, bound with the wonderful texture of butter. I have, for a long time, favoured using butter with fish - in particular white fish. When cooked with butter, the fish adopts a wonderful colour and glaze, and keeps the texture of the fish wonderfully tender.

You will need: (Serves 2)

1 Monkfish tail
1 Lime (zested)
2 sprigs of thyme
1/2 block of butter
1 tbsp olive oil

Equipment:

Small roasting tin, or ceramic cooking dish.
Heavy bottomed frying pan
Chopping board Sharp knife you are comfortable with.
Fruit zester or canelle knife.
Ceramic or glass bowl.

Mise en place..

Firstly, prepare the monkfish tail. It should come already skinned for you, but you will still need to remove the membrane from the meat of the fish. This can be done very easily, by making a small incision at the thin end of the tail into the membrane. You can then lift the membrane and it should then peel off very easily, without damaging the meat. Cut the tail into six even pieces, (which makes three each) and set to one side whilst you prepare everything else.

For the butter, place the block of butter in a saucepan and heat gently until melted. Add the melted butter to the ceramic bowl. Zest the lime, or cut ribbons from the zest with a cannelle knife. Cut the lime in half and squeeze over a sieve to extract the juice (but not the pips) into the ceramic bowl. Add the zest to this mixture, then strip the thyme from the stem and add to the butter. Leave to cool for a short time then refrigerate (for use later).

Service

Set your oven to 200 degrees C. Add the oil to saucepan and heat until it begins to smoke slightly. In the pan, sear both sides of each monkfish piece until golden brown. When the fish begins to color, remove from the heat immediately and add tot he roasting tin / ceramic dish. Add the butter to the roasting tin with the fish, then place at the lowest point in the oven for approximately 8 minutes.

The texture of the fish should be soft yet springy. The butter will have flavoured and "braised" the fish in this time also, helping to keep the meat tender. You will also notice a pleasant glaze present on the fish after cooking with butter. When ready, serve!

Note: White fish can be served when still slightly pink, and often this is the optimum texture for white fish. I always cook white fish slightly under, to allow for resting period and texture (just like a steak).

Enjoy!

My stance on food.

2008-06-19T00:41:00.005+01:00

Tonight I had a discussion that has inspired me to mention my perspective on food and the job I do. It is interesting to see that alot of the world goes out to work, picks up a wage, comes home, and gets up the very next day to do the same thing. For me that is immensely boring. I could not cope with humdrum, the same things day in and day out. For me work is much about life as it is about earning your keep. We are all human beings, we all have something we love.

In the job I do I constantly see difference and contrast, colour and depth. Every leaf of a herb is different, every vegetable has a slightly different shape, every fruit it's own unique colour. Every piece of meat is different in texture and in tenderness. Every fish has a different set of scales.

In all fairness, I just find that everything has its own beauty. If you try to use that instead of trying to change it into something else, then the work you do becomes so much more beautiful. So many times I have seen things becoming masked by other things. Nature has provided us with something beautiful - let it shine!

From shape and texture, to colour and depth. It is all important. It is the basis of my approach to food. It is heartbreaking to see how many chefs do not embrace that. To know that the food in front of you from a nature point of view, is probably a year in the making. If it is a vegetable it has been nurtured by the ground, if it is meat then it has been nurtured and grown by its family.

I always wonder how much I have grown, since the food in front of me was born, either from seed or in the womb of its mother, or from an egg. For me food is like life - no two moments are ever the same, everything is always changing, ever evolving. If you bring that ideal into food, you will always be inspired.

Food, next to sex, is the only thing that can appeal to ALL of your senses at once. It should look good, in colour, arrangement, and in presentation. It should smell good, and appeal to your other senses with its aroma. It should sound appealing, and describe the essence of the dish when presented on a menu, or described. When you eat it, the texture should be a balance between everything you exected from its appearance, yet also sit correctly with the other textures of the dish. And finally it should taste good. When you taste its combination of flavours, you should feel good, and be pleased by its depth, its demeanour, and its tone.

Food can be a most beautiful experience. If it is ever not a beautiful experience for you, find out why. Is it too salty? Too sweet? Too earthy? Too light? Too fragrant? Is the texture putting you off? Get to know your palate, to see what suits you and does not. Find out what colours and shapes you resonate the most with. Discover the textures of as many foods as you can. The experience of food is only as gratifying as you allow it to be, and how deeply you see into what is in front of you.

In all senses of the word food is indeed fuel, for our lives. We eat to live. Yet life itself provides the great diversity of food presented to us, and provides us with some beautiful examples of the greatness of nature. When you see this, you begin to enjoy not just the food in front of you, but also the life that it came from. Whatever it is that you are eating, one can gurantee that it was at one time, living life also.

Broccoli, Potato & Onion Gratin

2008-06-12T01:35:00.004+01:00

This dish was originally served as a main meal to sit alongside the orange baked rainbow trout for a vegetarian guest, but can easliy be used as a sundry for accompaniment to a main meal, not unlike daupinoise potatoes (which are a particular favourite of mine).

This is a relatively simple recipe and requires minimal ingredients and preparation. It can also be cooked in a ceramic serving dish for family serving, so that the entirety of your tribe can dig in and enjoy.

You will need:

(Serves 4)

Ingredients:

50 g soft cream cheese
150g grated gruyere cheese (if not available cheddar will suffice)
8 medium sized washed potatoes, unpeeled.
250 ml single or whipping cream
3 cloves garlic, crushed.
1 Small head broccoli
2 large red onion.
1 tsp herbs de provence (or mixed herbs)

Equipment:

Ceramic serving dish (capable of withstanding the heat of the oven)
Chopping board
Sharp knife you are comfortable with.
Hot oven (Approx 180 degrees C)

Begin by slicing the potatoes into 1/2 cm slices, keeping the peel on the potatoes. With the broccoli break off into even sized florets and wash if necessary. Peel & dice the red onion (approx 1cm dice).

Layer the dish with some of the potatoes, add 1 garlic clove (crushed), then add a layer of broccoli and red onion on top, and repeat the process until your dish is 3/4 full, putting in a crushed garlic clove on each layer. Pour in the cream enough to cover the potatoes and vegetables, but not so much that it "drowns" them. Sprinkle in the herbs, and put into the oven for approximately 20 /25 mins. Whilst you are waiting for this, you can mix together the cream cheese and the grated cheese in a mixing bowl ready for use shortly.

When the potatoes begin to soften (you can test this by prodding the mixture with a fork), remove the dish from the oven and add the cheese on to the top of the mixture. Return the dish to the oven until the cheese has begun to brown.

Serve and enjoy, immediately.

Orange Baked Rainbow Trout

2008-06-12T01:23:00.006+01:00

An interesting week. With the development of a new menu next week, and the implementation of various staffing strategies, I have found myself with a little more free time than usually available. Aside from an ongoing project of monitoring personal calorie consumption and absorption, (the calculations required can be particularly extensive) as a means to implement a healthier and better performing diet, i have found time to cook a lot more in personal time.

Today I finally got the opportunity to try out the recipe I was intending to try out last week - The orange baked rainbow trout. I had two friends come over tonight to test the recipe, but alas one of them was not a fish fan, and as a result of such I cooked a vegetarian dish just for her - a broccolli, potato and onion gratin (not unlike a variation on dauphinoise potatoes). The beauty of this dish as a gratin is that it can be served as a main meal, or in fact as a sundry to accompany almost any kind of meal. the flavour is really delicious and delicate, and if you have the time it is well worth the effort.

Looking back to the trout though,this recipe is in fact moderately cheap. I obtained two rainbow trout from Aldi, which were a phenomenal bargain. £2.50 (GBP) for the pack of two, which were of an excellent size and quality. The only downside to this is that they were frozen, but not to worry. Since I purchased them two weeks ago I put them in the freezer until I found the time to use them.

The beauty of this recipe is that it is remarkably simple. There is little preparation required providing the fish is already de-boned. If the head and tail are intact its a fair bet it will not be, which means you will have to split, de-bone, and de-head the trout yourself which will only take a matter of minutes. You can find instructions for preparing rainbow trout here .

You will need: Ingredients:

(serves 2)

2 Cloves crushed garlic
2 Rainbow trout (prepared - see above)
1 Large orange (zested)
2 sprigs thyme

Equipment:

deep baking tray / tin
Tinfoil
Medium oven (about 150 degrees C)

Once you have a prepared trout, (head, tail and fins removed, and deboned), open out the fish. Inside the fish add half of the orange zest, one thyme sprig and the crushed garlic clove. Fold the fish back over and repeat with the other trout.

When ready place the trout in the baking tray with a knob of butter. Cover the tray in foil, then place the tray int he oven for approximately 15 - 20 mins until the fish is tender, and is cooked all the way through. You can test this by opening the fish and making a small incision into the flesh to see.

Before serving, be sure to discard the zest and the garlic from the centre of the fish.

This dish is ideally served with broccolli or fresh asparagus, and steamed or boiled salad potatoes.

Sausage & Apple Frittata

2008-06-06T15:52:00.005+01:00

Apologies for this weeks late post, as I have not had a day off this week. Circumstances have left me and the team to cover in the absence of our esteemed leader, whilst he sees to his paternity duties. He is currently celebrating the new arrival of a beautiful new daughter called Paris.

In his absence I have found a new gear and speed at which to work, tying up loose ends and partially stepping into his shoes. This has also meant I have had the early shifts also, which means I get to get up earlier, enjoy the longer day that we are graced with, and burn more calories. I have also discovered the advent of the energy giving properties of the banana. One banana in the morning with a bowl of cereal has in fact given me enough energy to see through until mid afternoon. I found this absoloutely amazing. I have always loved banana, its texture, its flavour and its wonderful aroma.

Alas I digress. I would like to share with you one of my dishes from the breakfast menu at The Church - The sausage and apple frittata.

This is a simple dish, which can be made very easily at home. In essence all a frittata is an oven baked omelette. the version we do at The Church is in fact two small fittata on a crouton, with a sweet hickory smoked sauce. The recipe remains largely the same, and makes a wonderful breakfast dish. It is however a bit too rich for me for breakfast - hence I will stick to my cereal and banana approach for now.

You will need:

2 pork sausages
1 sweet apple (golden delicious, braeburn etc are fine for this)
2 eggs.
25 ml cream
1 Slice wholemeal bread
Egg / Tiane Ring / Pastry cutter
1 tbsp Cooking Oil

For the sauce:

3Tbsp barbecue sauce (home made is much better)
1 tbsp Maple Syrup
Dash Red Wine
1/2 crumbled chicken oxo cube, or equivalent dry stock.

Equipment:

Shallow yorkshire pudding tin
Pallete knife / spatula
Sharp knife you are comfortable chopping with
Chopping Board
Whisk
Mixing Bowl
Saucepan.
Baking tray.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees C.

Put the sausages on a baking tray, and put int the oven to cook. Whilst the sausages are cooking, make the fritatta mix.

For the mix, first chop the apple into small thin slices (Julienne). Put these into the mixing bowl along with the eggs, and cream. Add 1 tbsp of the barbecue sauce, and season with salt and pepper if you wish. Whisk together contents until eggs and cream are evenly mixed. Let the mixture rest for a minute or two, whilst we prepare the next stage.

In the yorkshire pudding tin, add 1/2 tbsp of the oil to each compartment (you are going to make two of these) and put in the oven to heat up the oil. After about a minute take out the tin and add the mixture to each compartment. With the egg ring / pastry cutter, cut a crouton out of the wholemeal bread.

Put the tray back into the oven and leave to cook for approximately 5 minutes. After 5 minutes add the crouton to a spare compartment in the tin for it to toast. By the time the bread has toasted, the frittata should be ready.

Whilst you have this five minute gap, in the saucepan add the remaining barbecue sauce, red wine syrup and chicken stock, whisk together and bring to the boil. Turn down to simmer.

When the sausages are cooked, cut into thin slices. You'll need them shortly, so keep them in the sauce to keep warm.

When both are ready, in the centre of your serving plate add the crouton, glazed sausages, and frittata. Repeat sausage and frittata layer to stack the dish. Drizzle remaining sauce around the edge.

Serve!

Slow roasted gammon, with port & garlic sauce

2008-05-26T12:45:00.005+01:00

Apologies for not posting a recipe last week. The moving house initiative and lack of broadband created difficulties in developing a recipe (and posting it on here), and therefore it fell by the wayside. Not to worry. This weeks recipe will indeed be more than luxurious and homely enough to make amends.

At some point during last week, I decided to cook gammon, to give the slow cooker a good run for its money. It was well worth it.

If you have a slow cooker, the following recipe is ideal if you wish to go away and leave this for the better part of a day. Ideally, this can be prepared in the morning and set to run for when you return home after work / play / other mischief. I gave the gammon approximately 9 hours to cook, which did the trick tremendously.

If you do not possess a slow cooker not to worry. A cool oven and a good foiled roasting tin can do the trick just as well.

I have always been fond of gammon ham. When soaked then roasted, it gives a wonderful flavour that is complemented greatly by the sweet region of the palate - using orange, cranberry, pineaapple, and any sweet fruit can produce tremendous results. With the advent of the slow cooker, we also give ample time and direction for flavour development, which in this case is immense.

For this recipe you will require the following (serves 2 /3)

Small ham / Gammon joint
1/4 bottle of ruby port
3 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 clove
Pinch Nutmeg
Mixed herbs (approx 1 tsp)
Pinch Black pepper
2 chicken stock cubes
2 Medium sized red onions.

Accompaniment:

3 baking potatoes, sliced thinly
knob of butter.
pinch sea salt

Equipment:

Slow cooker, or deep roasting tin (foiled)
Sharp knife you are comfortable with.
Chopping board.
Saucepan.

First of all I would advise soaking the gammon joint before cooking. This allows the excessive salt in th joint to disperse effectively. After soaking, cut the gammon joint into steak sized slices (depending on how many people you are serving). Put the steaks in the slow cooker, with enough water to generously cover them.

Chop the onions into a fine dice, and keep half of the onion to one side. (You will need it later)

Add the remaining diced onion, mixed herbs, 1 clove of crushed garlic, 1 clove, the nutmeg, and a generous dash of the port to the pot. Cover the slow cooker and return in approx 6 hours. The longer the better.

For the accompaniment:

If you have not already done so, slice the potatoes thinly, and arrange on a baking tray. break up the butter evenly, then add to a hot oven, using the seas salt to season the potatoes. After approximately 8 minutes turn the potaoes over to roast the other side. Alternatively you can saute these potatoes of in a frying pan, to achieve the same result.

When presenting the meal, place the potatoes in the centre of the plate, and place the gammon steaks on top. drizzle sauce around the edges.

For the sauce:

In the saucepan, add the remaining red onion, and a small amount of butter. Saute the onions until soft. When the gammon is ready, drain off approximately 1/2 of the liqour from the pot, and add the remainder of the port in the saucepan. Add the remaining garlic and bring to the boil. Crumble in the 2 chicken stock cubes, then allow to simmer and reduce to desired thickness.

Serve! And most of all, enjoy.

Sea food, eat food.

2008-05-12T14:05:00.005+01:00

After yet another busy (and incredibly warm) weekend, I have now found time to get back to you, my devoted readers. The warm weather and my recent ideas for a housewarming party (I'm moving on Thursday, so stay tuned for that) have inspired me to share with you one of my most favourite of seafood items. The Lobster.

The lobster provides a unique and luxurious flavour, which is praised in many schools of cooking. From the indulgencies of the carribean, to the more uiformed and prestigious french and European schools of thought, the lobster is prized at the height of the seafood ideal. In all honesty one can understand why this is so. unlike crab and crayfish, lobster has a very rich flavour. The only downside is that generally lobster is remarkably expensive. Unless you are friendly with a good fishmonger, lobster is expensive at best. The price of fish and seafood has rocketed recently, even in canned fish and seafood.

That said, should you come across lobster at a reasonable price, the best lobster you can obtain is Scottish lobster. Chefs like the great Gordon Ramsey swear by it, and utilise only the best produce available.

The recipe for today I am going to share with you, therefore will consist of what I will be putting on the barbecue for my housewarming. This recipe has a wonderful summer feel, which is ideal for informal social occasions, and barbecues. With a south east asian / japanese feel, this recipe will be perfect for balmy evenings (and the smell will make your neighbours most envious).

Mischief: It is also remarkably tempting to keep one lobster live, in order to chase unsuspecting party guests for entertainment value.

You will need: (adjust proportions accordingly)

1 Live lobster (Frozen lobsters can be useful, but you lose a good deal of texture and flavour when cooking lobster that has been killed for a period of time and frozen).

For the marinade.. (for 1 lobster)

1 large red onion
Roughly 50g fresh coriander
1 tsp wasabi (Japanese green horseradish mustard)
2 tbsp honey
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tbsp sweet chilli
275 ml medium / sweet white wine. (If you can get sake, even better)

Equipment:

Sturdy, and very sharp knife.
Chopping Board.
Tongues (To extract the lobster). Lobsters have large claws, which can hurt. Save yourself the hassle by using tongues to pick them up with. It is however remarkably entertaining to see someone fighting off a lobster.

Marinade:

Chop the onion into a fine dice (Brunoise). Rougly chop the coriander to similar proportions.

Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a large bowl. Place the lobsters in a suitable container (Tupperware works just fine) and pour over the marinade. Cover the lobsters and place them in the refrigerator to marinate for 30-60 minutes before cooking.

Steady Now..:

Kill the lobster humanely by stabbing them through the cross in the centre of their head (this will kill them instantly), then cut through the rest of the lobster to cut them in half. Remove the internal track and the grey sack in the head. Remove the claw from the body and crack the claw with the back of your knife.

Place the lobsters with their claws flesh side down on a moderate-high barbecue. Cook the lobster for 5-8 minutes on each side. Alternatively cook the lobsters under a hot grill. The lobster shell should be red when they are ready and the flesh should be pink and white.

Chef's Favourite Steak Sauce

2008-05-05T15:33:00.004+01:00

Today I have spent alot of time shopping for an outfit for this evenings festivities. Myself and other staff members are hitting the town with a "Hawaiian" theme. Before this ordeal occurs however, I feel that after a long weekend, once again, it is time to update you my fellow readers, with something delightfully tasty.

Looking back on a previous post (The steak debate), and since I have been cooking steak all weekend, I felt it was time to let you in on a little "saucy" favourite of mine.

The are numerous steak sauces out there. At The Church we have a complement of classic sauces that go with steaks phenomenally well, ranging from the humble "au poivre" (Peppercorn), through dijon, garlic and stilton.

When I eat a steak I would rather have something a little more luxurious. I find that to complement a steak, it would be a good idea to utilise a contrast and balance approach. Beef naturally has a slightly flavour, with an earthy feel. In this instance my favourite sauce for steak, would be a port and stilton sauce. Utilising the salty and intense flavours of the stilton, and the sweet and luxurious flavour of a fine ruby port, such balance is found to be exquisite.

This sauce is phenomenally easy to make also, which makes it all the more enjoyable.

You will need:

1 Portion of red wine sauce
about 30g stilton
1 measure (approx 50ml) fine ruby port. (White port works just as well, but I prefer the ruby port)
25 ml cream

Equipment:

Saucepan
Whisk.

Combine all ingredients except the cream into the pan, and bring to the boil. Whisk in the stilton to the main body of the sauce as it melts, to create a smooth texture.

Simmer for 3 minutes, then whisk in the cream to finish.

Serve with pretty much any steak, although my preference is rib eye, sirloin or fillet. These are the more flavoursome steaks, whilst allowing for texture. Be sure not to overcook steak, as it will taint and lose its flavour the further it is overcooked.

Duck & Portwine Pate

2008-04-28T13:36:00.005+01:00

Welcome readers!

It has been an interesting, yet tiring week.

Following the last few weeks of indulgent foods, in a variety of shapes, sizes and forms, This week I have decided to indulge you with a favourite of mine. The well known luxury. known as Pate.

Pate can be a beautiful thing, full of flavour, a texture that appeals to almost every palate, and with a sense of richness that will leave even the most refined of appetites satisfied. That said, pate does not need to be a complex exercise. Beauty can be found in the simplest of arrangements.

Making pate should be a simple affair in my opinion. Too much "faffing" can in fact cause problems. To combat this things should be kept to a simple and straightforward process. The following recipe combines luxury ingredients (which can be obtained extremely cheaply in most circumstances), with a simple cooking, arrangement and construction philosophy.

I almost forgot to mention. It is extremely tasty.

(Makes approx 3 litres)

You will need:

1 lb Streaky Bacon (chopped)
3 lb Duck Liver
3 Cloves (Crushed) Garlic
1 lb Butter
3 sprigs rosemary
2 Sprigs of thyme
2 Large Onions (red)
3 Stalks of celery
2 large carrots
Approx 275 ml ruby port
Pinch Ground Cloves
Pinch Ground Nutmeg
1 tbsp Mixed Herbs
Pinch Cracked Black Pepper
3 Slices wholemeal bread.
1 small jar redcurrant jelly.

Equipment:

1 Large Baking Tin
Large Saucepan
Chopping Board
Knife you are comfortable with
Hand Blender

Chop the carrots, onion and celery into approx 1cm dice, into a mirepoix arrangement. Chop the butter into smaller pieces, and add the mirepoix and the butter to the roasting tin. Sprinkle the mixture with the mixed herbs, and the black pepper. Put the tin in the oven on a medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften.

Whilst the vegetables are cooking, in your saucepan combine the redcurrant jelly, port, rosemary
and thyme and allow to simmer whilst your vegetables are softening.

When vegetables are soft, remove the tray from the oven, add the liver, bacon and garlic, and stir the contents until evenly mixed. Return tray to the oven for approximately 20 min (until liver is cooked), stirring every 5 mins to ensure even cooking.

Once the liver is cooked, add the liver to the pan with the port and redcurrant, along with the bread (torn into smaller pieces) and using your hand blender, blitz the mixture into a paste.

Allow to stand for 30 mins, then decant the mixture into smaller containers. refrigerate for 6 hours at least.

Serve.

Soup Medley.

2008-04-25T00:06:00.004+01:00

I'm sorry. It's not my day off again. However, I have made two particularly interesting soups today which endeared me to bring them to you, and so will pass on the recipes to you, following my short diatribe.

The thing I love about soups is the variety and creativity you can add to a soup. In supposition no two soups are the same. the interpretation of a recipe from chef to chef can vary greatly, dependent on the focus for the soup, the amount of flavour extraction and development, and the balance of flavours within a soup. Combined wit the preference of texture and sweetness, a soup can be a masterpiece in one respect, and a disaster in another. To quote Einstein, one would suppose "It's all relative".

That said, balance can be an important thing. Too much of any one thing, no matter what it's prominence might be, can be a little disappointing. Following a discussion I had with one of the other chefs today, we agreed that nothing should be masked in good cooking. Instead, a palate should be able to discern one flavour from the next, and wherever possible, be able to pick out the ingredients within any dish, one by one. If any flavour disappears in the cooking of a dish, it is likely that the ingredient in question has been overcooked, or overpowered by another.

Here are two little delights I put on today whilst implementing the soups for the days service. Each of them providing a balance and prominence of flavour entirely of their own. Feel free to reinterpret the recipes expressed here, if necessary - but remember! Balance is particularly important.

Soup 1 - Roast Nut, Parsnip, & Spiced Apple Soup.

With a late winter / early spring focus, this soup will warm the coldest of winter days, and bring a little spark of sunshine to April showers.

This soup turned out particularly thick and "homely", which was fortunate. I wanted a soup that had a good robust texture, as it will add to the homely warming flavour which its combination suggests.

(Serves 4)

You will need:

2 Large Bramley Apples
50g Cashew Nuts
25g Pistachio Nuts
25g Peanuts
2 Large Parsnips
Ground nutmeg
2 Cloves Garlic (Crushed)
1 Litre Vegetable Stock
25g brown sugar
Pinch Cracked Black Pepper
25g Herbs D'Provence
3 Tbsp Clear Honey
125g Butter / Baking Spread / Margarine

Equipment:

Knife you are comfortable chopping vegetables with
Rolling pin
Teatowel
Chopping Board
Large Saucepan.
3 Oven Trays.
Hand blender.

First things first. Core the apples, and dice into approx 1cm cubes. Top and tail the parsnips, and chop into 1cm dice also. Do not bother peeling them, just wash them in advance. The peel will add to the rustic texture of the soup.

On separate trays, put the chopped parsnips and the apples into a hot oven (200 degrees C), adding approximately 1/4 of the butter between them. Roast the apples until they begin to go soft. At this stage add 1/2 of the brown sugar, and when the sugar turns to a syrup, remove from the oven and allow to cool. When the parsnips have softened and begin to brown, add the other half of the sugar, and repeat process for the parsnips. The apples should only take half of the time that the parsnips do, as a rule of thumb.

In the large saucepan heat up the vegetable stock, until boiling. Turn the heat down until barely a simmer.

For the nuts, combine nuts in a teatowel and fold so that they cannot escape. Crush the nuts in the towel with the rolling pin, and then combine in an oven tray. Add a further 1/4 of the butter, the garlic and the herbs d'Provence to the mixture and roast in a hot oven (middle shelf) for approx 10 mins. Remove and allow to cool.

Add the roasted nuts, parnsips and apples to the simmering vegetable stock. Allow to simmer for a further 10 - 15 mins, until the ingredients begin to disintegrate in the stock. At this stage the parnsips, apples and nuts should be very soft. Add The nutmeg and the black pepper to the soup, and simmer for a further 1 minute.

Using the hand blender, blitz the mixture until you have a smooth texture. If the mixture is too thick, add a little more vegetable stock to the soup until desired texture has been achieved. Serve!

Garnish with a drizzle of honey upon serving.

Soup 2 - "Cheeky" Broccolli & Stilton Soup.

This soup uses the fundamental ingredients of broccolli & stilton, whilst providing extra texture and flavours from other ingredients such as courgettes, to create a silky textured soup, with a warming and homely feel.

You will need:

1 Head of broccolli
50g Stilton
2 Courgettes (Zuccini)
50ml Cream
1 Shot Brandy (25ml)
1 litre vegetable stock
25g mixed herbs.
Pinch Cracked Black Pepper

Equipment:

Knife & Chopping Board
Large Saucepan
Hand Blender.

Bring the vegetable stock to the boil in the large saucepan. Chop the courgettes into a 1cm dice. Add the broccolli (broken into florets), the black pepper, the mixed herbs, and the courgettes to the stock and leave to simmer until the broccolli has cooked to a really soft texture. At this point the courgettes will have almost turned to mash.

Break into small pieces then add the stilton to the soup. Allow to simmer for a further 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. Add the cream and the brandy to the soup and use the hand blender to blitz the soup into a silky texture.

Serve immediately.

Getting Cheesy!

2008-04-14T13:40:00.008+01:00

Last week, my mother had a session of baking, and (in my opinion) the pierce d'resistance product to come out of such a session, was in fact a tasty cheese flan.

I know what you're thinking. A cheese flan is hardly the most gourmet of meals. But with a simple rustic approach, food can be beautiful and heart warming without the tremendous heirs and graces of the fine dining experience.

The flan itself is a simple affair. Simple shortcrust pastry with a good filling that provides an excellent snack or a meal. In this particular circumstance, my mothers cheese flan consisted of a mix of red onion, mature cheddar, mashed potato and leek. Baked in a hot oven for a short while, the taste produced was a homely, and particular favourable "hug" within a shortcrust pastry case. When it was delivered to me last week, within an hour in my house, it had vanished. It was remarkably tasty and moreish.

Since it's my day off again, I decided I would add my own interpretation to the already wonderful cheese flan which my mother made. Using fine dining approaches and finishes, i will hereby present to you my own "spin" on the cheese flan.

You will need:

For the flan mix..

Chopped Chives (25g) (preferrably fresh, but dried will suffice if necessary)
1 Sprig Rosemary
1 tbsp Cranberry Sauce
1 Large Red Onion
25g approx. Brown sugar
1 Leek
300g Gruyere Cheese (grated)
1 Large Baking Potato
100 ml double cream
1 blade of mace

For the pastry:

4 Oz Plain Flour
2 Oz Butter
Pinch Sea Salt
Pinch Black Pepper

Method.

Make the pastry first. I would highly reccomend you do this in a cool area if possible, and make sure your hands are cold when combining and rolling the pastry. Combine the flour and butter together into a mixing bowl, and mix (preferrably with your bare hands) whilst adding the seasoning. When you have mixed and folded together to form a dough, roll out the pastry into a sheet with a rolling pin, and line a baking tin or a flan dish with the pastry. Leave a lip of pastry over the edge of the tin, and chill in a refrigerator whilst you are preparing the rest of the dish.

For the mix...

Bake the potato in a hot oven until soft. Alternatively you can use a microwave for this, as it takes alot less time. You are going to mash the potato anyway, but cooking the potato in the oven gives the time for the peel to develop its sweetness. I'll leave that up to you.

Whilst waiting for the potato, chop the red onion and the leek into a fine dice (brunoise), and lightly saute them in a frying pan. Just before the onion and the leek begin to soften, add the brown sugar and stir in so that the onion and leek begin to caremelise. When the sugar has turned into syrup texture, remove from the heat and spoon out into a mixing bowl.

Add the chives, blade of mace, and the sprig of rosemary to the bowl, as well as the cream. When the potato is coooked, add this also and mash in the bowl with a vegetable masher so that the mixture combines with the other ingredients. Don't worry about the peel, it will add texture and sweetness to the final product. When the potato is sufficiently mashed, and the cranberry sauce and the grated cheese and mix throughly. I chose gruyere for this recipe because of its salty edge, which would provide a good balance to the sweetness of the cranberry and caramelised onions. You can substitute any kind of cheese really, although I reccommend cheddar, edam or gruyere because of their robust texture.

Obtain your chilled baking tin and pastry from the refrigerator, and spoon out the mix onto the pastry in the tin. Smooth out the mixture, and trim the pastry from the edges. You can discard these at this point, or roll them out further into strips to make a lattice on top of the pastry. I'll leave it up to you.

Place flan in a hot oven (about 180 C) for about 20 minutes. After this time you will notice that the pastry has cooked and the flan mixture has browned on top. Remove from oven and cool.

Serve warm or cold. This recipe is absoloutely delicious, and has its place in almost all of occasions, particularly lunch or elevenses.

Enjoy!

It's all about colour

2008-04-07T13:33:00.001+01:00

Ok. I may be breaking the rules a little today. It's not my day off, i'm actually between shifts. This means the advantage is twofold, since its likely you will get two posts this week, and also, I will get the chance to incorporate two things into the fold this week. The first of which however, I will share with you now.

This morning i decided to go with an elegant variation of soup. usually when we me make soup in our kitchen, it is an affair of whats available, what we had yesterday etc. I am always searching for variety, and do not like to do the same soup twice in any one week if i can help it. Today i went for a simple and elegant affair, which is probably one of the easiest soups to prepare and assemble in my opinion. A consomme.

I remember back when i was working at Blush, the consomme ideal was an easy affair to develop, since it required little preparation and requires only assembly when prepared. In this respect, since chef and myself were in fact just wanting to get the job done this morning, I opted for a spring vegetable (since it is now spring) and roast chicken consomme.

For this cheeky little number you will require the following:

(Serves 4)

2 Litres Chicken Bouillon (stock). - If you have stock such as oxo etc you can dilute that with boiling water to make stock.
1 Large Carrot
2 Celery Stalks
2 Aparagus
1 Red onion
1 Red pepper
1 Tbsp. French Mustard
Arrowroot Powder
2 Chicken Breasts, cooked. (you can use any chicken meat for this if necessary)

Method:

Bring stock to the boil in a large saucepan. Whilst waiting for this you can take the time to prepare the vegetables, and the chicken. The best way would be to cut the vegetables into Julienne (Half matchstick thickness), and about 2 1/2 inches in length. For the asparagus use a vegetable peeler to get some nice thin ribbons, they make a wonderful decoration. Today for a little extra bite, I used some canelled orange rind also, but it's not necessary. For the chicken, cut into strips approximately 1 inch in length, and about 1/4 of an inch wide. The meat can be broken by hand if necessary for a more rustic finish.

When the vegetables are prepared, and the stock is boiling, turn down the heat to a simmer. Add the french mustard, and wet down the arrowroot powder (about 25g should be adequate) into a thin paste. Stir in the arrowroot with a whisk, and allow a few moments for the stock to thicken.

Add the prepared vegetables and the chopped chicken to the liquid. Leave to simmer for a further 5 minutes, then serve.

The End Result

When tasting you will notice that the french mustard has given the consomme a sweeter edge, which is what I prefer. It gives the consomme a little more definition and depth of flavour. For an even sweeter and more luxurious feel you can also add a tablespoon of honey, or redcurant jelly.

Soups and aperitif like this are wonderfully decorative, and can be a great idea for a starter or first course at a dinner party. Give it a try! consomme is generally a slightly thickened stock, with the vegetables and other items added for decoration. Some chefs add a swirl of cream on service, although I'm not fond of that. I prefer to keep things "as is".

Enjoy!

The Steak Debate

2008-04-01T14:41:00.001+01:00

Once again its chef's day off. After catching up on a few personal endeavours (and recovering from a long night the night before), it's time to update things for all you readers out there. This week, I contemplate the disputes and discussions of the previous week. In particular one issue that has raised its head in a matter of difference of opinion, is the long standing (and often a bone of contention for chefs) steak debate.

This week I had a dispute with my head chef over a "medium to well done" steak. In my opinion it was almost well done, but chef argued it was medium. I could not see how this was, since it was barely pink on the inside, had no traces of blood, its juices were running clear, and its texture was already tougher than that of a moderate medium-well.

After service i suggested that we establish a set of standards for the venue, and decide on a standard (after reaching a measure of compromise) which could incorporate our opinions mutually. It did at the time cause a potentially heated discussion.

I love steak. I love the flavour and texture of a juicy, succulent steak. But how do you eat yours?

I prefer mine rare / medium rare, although on occasion i have been known to eat it blue. In my opinion a rare, or medium rare steak (depending on the cut of meat) provides the perfect balance between texture and flavour of the meat.

The well done steak is in my opinion an abomination and a waste of good meat. But if you want it that way and are a paying customer, I will not dispute the money in the till. I will however slightly frown at the preference of the customer, but that is my own personal gripe. The world is a place full of variety. Well done steak however cooked from start to finish will turn out a dried up, leather like steak which will be incredibly chewy and have hardly any flavour whatsoever. Is it possible to have a well done steak that is in fact tender, and juicy, and flavoursome?

The answer is yes, and this is an extra length i go to, to increase the enjoyment for a customer. I will cook the steak to a normal medium, and following this will have a pan of meat stock preheated, and gently braise the steak in the stock until it reaches the well done region. This keeps the flavour of the meat in the steak, and should it lose any of that, it will be replaced by the flavour of the meat stock. The water present in the stock keeps the meat tender also, so the customer does not end up with a dried up piece of leather.

Different cuts of steak provide different textures and flavours, some more delicate than others. My favourite steaks used in the common ground of the restaurant trade are as follows:

Fillet: The fillet of the cow is in fact the most tender steak cut, and also the most lean. It contains almost no fat, and therefore benefits from little shrinkage when cooking. The flavour of a fillet (especially rare or medium rare) is beautiful and delicate. The texture at this level is pretty much a melt in the mouth affair. It is however, moderately expensive.

Sirloin: So acclaimed "Sir Loin" since the Tudor times. Henry VIII is acclaimed to have labelled the loin of beef "Sir Loin" after his fondness for the particular cut of meat, prompted him to knight the entire loin "Sir Loin of beef" in a banquet whilst moderately inebriated. Sirloin is in fact moderately robust as a steak, and has a similar flavour depth.

Rib Eye: Taken from the rib area of the cow, the eye in the steak is in fact a rib bone. The flavour of a rib eye steak is wonderful, and provides flavours from the marrow in the rib bone itself, creating an intense beef flavouring which is not aparrent in alot of other steaks.

Whatever cut or way you prefer to cook it, steak is a wonderful thing. So, when cooking be sure to keep this in mind. The beast has already been killed to get the steak to you. Appreciate it's flavour and its texture, cook with care and a love for what you do.

But, first and foremost, enjoy it!