Lamb rogan josh

Lamb. Most North Americans will now be shaking their heads and proclaiming their dislike for this meat, something that has always astounded us Brits. "It's too gamey", "the smell is too strong" they lament. In shops the poor misunderstood flesh is usually squeezed into a tiny area between the beef and pork, sometimes, in some supermarkets and butchers, there is none at all. In Europe we adore it, (and the Middle East and parts of Asia too). Try a shank or leg slowly simmered Greek style with oregano and garlic, cooked for so long the meat is falling from the bone. Or, British style, roasted in the oven and served with mint sauce and savoury gravy, or, of course, Indian style, like this wonderful curry. At our class nearly everyone commented surprisingly that their favourite dish was the lamb,  the chef nodding knowingly that he hears that all the time...

Recipe : Lamb Rogan Josh

1 kg lamb shoulder on the bone, cut into pieces

100gms ghee

2 green cardamoms

2 black cardamoms

2 cloves

2 cinnamon sticks

200gms onions, peeled and sliced

40gms ginger and garlic paste

150gms plain yogurt, full fat

1 tsp red chili powder

1/2 tsp turmeric

2 tsp ginger powder

1 tsp fennel

Notes:

5 grams is equivalent to 1 tsp

Whisking yogurt before using will help to ensure it doesn't curdle or split while cooking. Likewise, full fat is best for this also. (If your curry does split, you can try taking a few teaspoons out, placing in a bowl and whisking with a few more tbsp yogurt until smooth. Add this back to the curry and whisk well to amalgamate).

The ginger powder and fennel are traditionally very important for this dish and will give an authentic flavour.

Black cardamoms are stronger and nuttier than green. They are good with lamb and beef, but not really suitable for chicken or pork where the strong flavour could overpower.

You can tell a curry sauce is ready when the oil rises to the top. If using meat, it may need longer cooking to become tender, but the dish is ready to eat  if the main ingredient is also cooked, (eg. fish or vegetables).

    

Heat the ghee in a large pan over medium - high heat and saute the cardamoms, cloves and cinnamon.

Add the onion and saute, stirring frequently, until browned. 

Add the ginger and garlic paste, chili powder, turmeric, ginger powder and fennel. Cook for 2 minutes.

Add the lamb and cook, stirring constantly to brown for about 10 minutes.

Add the yogurt and reduce the heat to medium.

Cover the pan and let the curry gently cook until the lamb is very tender, about 1.5 - 2 hours.

Baked chicken with saffron rice

Recipe : Baked chicken with saffron rice

Adapted from Under the walnut tree by Anna and Fanny Bergenstrom

I adapted the recipe to include chicken stock instead of water for the cooking of the rice as I felt it needed a little extra flavour.

 

1 cup basmati rice

2 tbsp olive oil, separated

3 cups chicken stock

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp saffron strands

2 tbsp hot water

4 chicken thighs

1 tbsp butter

4 whole cloves

4 whole green cardamoms

1 one inch piece of cinnamon stick

1 red onion, finely chopped

1/2 tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp almonds

2 tbsp sultanas

2 bay leaves

salt and pepper

First, toast the almonds in a dry pan over medium heat, shaking quite frequently until they are golden brown and smell wonderful. Set aside.

Place the rice in a colander and rinse several times with cold water, then place in a bowl with lots of water to soak for 1 hour.

Bring the drained rice, chicken stock, 1 tbsp oil and 1 tsp salt to boil in a pan over medium heat, cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Drain away the excess liquid and set aside.

Place the saffron in a bowl with the 2 tbsp hot water and let infuse for about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the other 1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp butter in a frying pan over medium heat and fry the chicken thighs until golden and cooked through. Place on top of the rice in the pan with any juices accumulated. 

Add the cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, onion, cumin, almonds and sultanas to the pan and drizzle with the saffron water. Tuck in the bay leaves, season with salt and pepper, cover, bring to the boil, then simmer, very gently for about 35 minutes until fragrant and fluffy. You can fleck the whole thing with some butter or maybe even ghee before serving if you like..

Cheesy squash and potato burritos

 

Recipe : Squash and potato burritos

2 potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 small squash, cut in half and seeded

1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and pepper

a handful of kale

1 tbsp black pitted olives

1 tbsp harissa paste

juice of one lemon

a little salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tortillas

1 cup grated cheese

sour cream and hot sauce to serve

Preheat the oven to 400oF and place the  potato, squash and onion onto a baking dish. Drizzle with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Bake for around 40 - 50 minutes or until everything is soft. Remove and allow to cool. Remove the squash flesh from the skin and leave in fairly large chunks to match the potato.

 

Transfer the squash, potato, onion and 2 tsp oil to a pan set over medium heat and add the kale, olives, harissa and lemon juice. Fry gently, stirring frequently until the kale has wilted. Taste and adjust seasoning if you like. 

 

Lay each tortilla out on a clean, flat surface and place a quarter of the filling in a line down the middle. Sprinkle with about an eighth of the cheese. Roll up and repeat with the other tortillas.

Place the burritos carefully onto a baking tray, ensuring that the join is at the bottom and sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top evenly. Grill, (broil) under high heat until the edges of the tortillas are crisp and brown and the cheese is melted. Serve with the sour cream and hot sauce and enjoy. 

Beet, apple & apricot salad

This recipe is a little of Autumn with the earthy beets and tangy apples and a little of Summer with the sweet apricots, perfect for this time of bridging the two seasons when one day can be hot and sunny and the next cold and dark. We had this salad with some roast pork, (of course), but it could easily hold it's own for a lunch.

Recipe : Beet, apple and apricot salad

2 beets, 1 peeled and chopped into chunks and 1 peeled and very finely sliced into slivers

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and finely sliced

2 apricots, peeled and chopped into thin slices

a handful of seasonal mixed greens

Dressing:

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

1/4 tsp agave syrup or honey

1/4 tsp mustard

a little salt and pepper

First, bring a pot of water to the boil over medium heat and add the chunked beet. Cover and let cook until the beet is soft enough to be pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes or so. Drain well and let cool. Place the apple slices, beet slivers, apricots and greens in a large bowl and add the beet chunks when cool. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and taste to ensure you have a balance you like, then pour over the beets and other ingredients. Mix well and serve.

Balinese chicken

Recipe : Balinese chicken 

(adapted from Food and Wine magazine, June 2011)

2 chicken breasts

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 chilies

1/2 small onion, peeled and chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

2 bay leaves

Juice of half a lime

 

 

Whizz everything except the chicken and bay leaves together in a food processor to create a paste.

Transfer the paste to a pan and heat, stirring, over medium heat until it becomes fragrant and slightly browned, let cool.

Place the chicken onto a baking tray and rub the marinade well into both sides, (I cut some slits in the chicken also to help the marinade penetrate). Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for as long as you can, (preferably overnight or 8 hours).

 

When you're ready to cook the chicken, remove from the fridge and allow it to come to room temperature. Place a bay leaf on top of each one. You can whack the grill (broiler) up to high and grill for around 20 minutes until cooked, (ensure the juices run clear) or grill on a barbecue or even bake in the oven.

 

Recipe : Peanut sauce. 

 (This makes a nice sauce to complement the chicken or can be used with satay or as a dipping sauce). Adapted from Weight Watchers 'New complete cookbook'.

 

3 tbsp smooth peanut butter

1 clove garlic, peeled

2 tbsp soy sauce

4 tsp sugar

2 tbsp water

1 and 1/4 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 tbsp chopped cilantro or mint

Blend everything together in a food processor and chill until needed.

 

Recipe : Cucumber and chili salad

1/4 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into chunks

1 small chili, seeded and sliced

2 radishes, sliced finely

1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped finely

1/4 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp white wine vinegar or fish sauce

Mix everything together in a bowl.

Mexican chicken & grilled veg salsa

Recipe : Mexican chicken

1 chicken, spatchcocked

1/2 block of prepared anchiote paste mixed with about 6 tbsp water until smooth

juice of half a lemon

3/4 cup sour orange juice or orange juice mixed with juice of half a lime

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp dried Mexican oregano

1 tsp salt

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 medium onion, finely chopped

To spatchcock the chicken, lay it on it's back, cut down through the back bone and flatten out like a book, (you can cut the backbone out as well if you like). Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a shallow baking dish, add the chicken, turn to coat and leave to marinade, covered, for a minimum of 2 hours up to 24.

Other ingredients:

2 large mild chili peppers, cut into chunks and de seeded

1/2 red onion, cut in half

8 tomatillos, cut in half

Barbecue the chicken over indirect medium heat for about 45 minutes until cooked through and crispy on the outside.

Place the vegetables on a perforated or flat barbecue cooking grill and grill over medium to high heat.....

.... for about 15 minutes until softened and slightly charred in places. Remove from the grill.

Let the veg cool slightly then chop into equal small dice for your salsa, perhaps adding a little touch of salt and lime juice.

To serve, place a little piece of chicken on a warmed tortilla with a spoonful of salsa, a little sour cream and a dash of hot sauce. Roll up and nosh.

 

Recipe : Yucatecan pork

This was unbelievable. Incredibly tender, literally falling apart and spicy, savoury and toothsome. Gorgeous.

1/2 tsp cumin seed

1/2 tsp black peppercorns

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1 dried arbol chili

1/4 block anchiote paste

a little water

4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tsp salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup white vinegar

1/2 large onion, chopped

3 lbs pork shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces

2 large frozen banana leaves

1/4 cup water

First, thaw your banana leaves and toast them. To do this you can either hold them over a gas flame, moving them back and for or over an electric burner. Either way, they will start to lose their whitish coating and become shiny and bright green. Set aside.

Toast the cumin, peppercorns and chili in a small dry pan over medium heat until fragrant. Grind to a powder, adding the allspice. Transfer to a large bowl. Dissolve the anchiote paste in a little water, stirring and mashing until smooth and add to the bowl. Finely chop the garlic and mash to a paste with the salt. Add this to the bowl also with the orange juice, oregano and vinegar. Stir well then add the pork and onion. Cover, refrigerate and marinade the pork for up to 24 hours, minimum of 2.

To roast the pork, heat the oven to 325oF. Line a baking dish with the banana leaves, leaving enough overhang to cover the pork and lay the meat and onion inside, evenly spreading out. Sprinkle with the water then wrap the banana leaves over the pork, covering with foil if necessary to keep it in place. Also cover the whole pan with foil and bake in the middle of the oven for 3 - 3 1/2 hours until very tender and juicy.

To serve: shred the meat with two forks and eat with warmed tortillas, cheese, pickled red onions and cilantro.