Monday, August 2, 2010

A nice lunch or breakfast dish.

I always found the dish Kedgeree a messy one to present and also a little old fashioned. So I tried to get round the presentation problem and came up with this dish and found that although it combines two old fashioned ideas it has a modern feel to it. I hope that you like it and I'm confident that if you try it you will! Use quails eggs for canapé or snack size.

Ingredients;

4 eggs, softly boiled and shelled.
150gm/6oz pale smoked haddock, other smoked fish may be substituted.
150gm/6oz white fish,haddock,sole , whiting, etc.
250gm/2oz rice flour
1 egg, beaten with a little milk
100gm/4oz fresh breadcrumbs
salt
2 teaspoons medium heat curry powder
oil for frying

Method;
  1. blend fish together into a paste using a food processor and divide mix into four equal pieces.
  2. Using wet hands pat fish out into rounds. Place boiled egg into centre and work until completely covered and no egg shows through.
  3. Dust eggs with rice flour, then dip into egg and milk mix.
  4. Mix curry, breadcrumbs, remaining rice flour and salt together, well. Shake off excess egg and roll into crumbs. Repeat the egg and crumb twice.
  5. Heat oil in deep pan or use deep fat fryer. 180-190 deg. c.
  6. Place eggs in carefully and cook until golden place on kitchen paper to drain. Serve while hot on bed of lettuce and surround with a little cordon of curry sauce for fish or fruit. Enjoy hot or cold.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

A special request for my cousin Wendy...

Here is an old family recipe for Fried cheese known as Cheese Dippy.

Ingredients;

1kg/2lb cheddar cheese (diced)
100gm/4 oz butter or margarine
6-8 rashers smoked bacon (optional)
6-8 soft morning rolls/baps/bagels, etc..
1 cup of water

method;


  1. fry bacon in pan/skillet, if using. Remove from pan and keep warm.
  2. place cheese, butter and water in pan and return to high heat, stirring continually until mixture comes together to resemble a thick cream with some liquid.
  3. turn heat to low and keep on simmer.
  4. split baps and spoon over cheese mix and add bacon. Eat while warm. 
  5. keep pan on heat until all mix is used or mix will solidify.

Cooking aboard

This really is an ideal job. You have nice guests, lovely scenery, the best ingredients and complete autonomy over menu content, I wish it would last forever but unfortunately it doesn't, so if anyone out there needs a chef for the winter months then please contact me...

A simple version of Teryaki for fish, you can also use chicken.

Salmon in an oriental marinade

4 x 6-8 oz Salmon fillets ( scales off and bones out) ask your fishmonger to do this.
Dark soy sauce
toasted sesame oil
1-2 inch knob of ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
teaspoon honey
vegetable oil
1 chopped red chilli ( optional)

method

1. place all ingredients into bowl and whisk together.
2.Place salmon in mix and place into fridge for at least 3 hours and preferably over night.
  1. place salmon under hot grill until skin is quite dark and crisp.
  2. Rest for two minutes then brush with oil to add a glaze.
  3. Serve on a bed of stir-fried vegetables and serve with your choice of sweet chilli sauce or my favourite, oyster sauce. You can buy oyster sauce at any supermarket, it is a sauce made from fermented black beans and oysters, its quite salty butt compliments the natural sweetness of the salmon and stir-fried vegetables. You can also serve with noodles or fried rice.

This is the best haggis recipe...or so I am told!

This is a simpler version of the traditional haggis. I have taken out the heart and lungs and you don't need to stuff it into a stomach bag, all of these elements were used simply for texture and frugality, they also made a lot of people afraid to try our national dish, especially the sassenachs. I am sure if you try it you will love it. This recipe feeds 16 as a starter or 8 as a main course.

Pan haggis

ingredients;

500g/1lb minced lambs liver (ask your butcher to do this)
1 kg/ 2lb minced lamb shoulder
500g/1lb finely diced onion
250g/8oz butter
3-4 tablespoons cracked black pepper
salt
1.5 ltr/3 pints strong lamb stock (made with cubes is okay)
500g/1lb pinhead oatmeal
1 teaspoon ground allspice (optional)

method;
  1. fry onions in butter until soft
  2. add lamb and liver and brown thoroughly
  3. pour in oatmeal and cook for 3-4 minutes stirring frequently to prevent sticking
  4. pour in hot stock. The mix will look runny but don't worry.
  5. Add pepper a little at a time until the mix has the correct amount of spiciness to your taste, remember that the spice will get stronger during cooking.
  6. Pour into deep oven tray and cover tightly with tinfoil. Bake at gas mark 6 / 230c until stock is absorbed and mix is quite sticky. About 2 hours. Taste and at salt to taste. If mix is to dry then add a little water and place back into oven to soften oats. If mix is too wet then place back in oven covered with greaseproof paper until moisture has evaporated.
  7. Serve with creamy mash and turnip purée. Add a drop of whisky to serve.

If you like a stronger haggis simply substitute venison for lamb and veal or venison stock.