Posts tagged parmesan

Black pudding, Minted Pea Puree, Apple

February 15, 2014 Comments Off read Meat, Vegetables and Salads

I completely understand that black pudding is not for everyone’s palate or psychological well being. However I loose my reluctant understanding for the folk that have never sampled this fine delicacy but screw up their faces with such sincere disapproval as if instead I had announced my chosen career path as a stripper! (Case #1, my sister. And we’ll soon know if she’s actually been reading my blog if I hear her wining tones at this comment). If you’ve never tried black pudding then who knows- you could have wasted years rejecting something delicious so this recipe is a fine way to start.

I usually default away from making cliche recipes in my desperate need to experiment at any occasion that calls for food but sometimes I must admit you can’t beat the satisfaction and comfort of a classic. And, lets face it, they exist for a reason and black pudding and pea really is a classic example of two deliciously matched soul partners of the food world. Peas are sweet and fresh which is the perfect harmony for the fatty and rich black pudding. What could be more unfussy and simple than a pile of minted pea puree with a crispy fried slice of black pudding resting lazily on top….

A bowl of peas (a good handful per person)
Small bunch of mint, leaves picked
Knob of butter
Black pudding slices (1-2 slices per person)
1 apple (serves 2 people)
Lemon juice

Boil the peas for a few minutes and then drain.
Place in a food processor with some generous seasoning the knob of butter and the mint leaves and blend to a puree adding a little warm stock or boiling water to loosen to the desired consistency. Alternatively, without a processor you could eat this as a coarse pea mash which would be equally as delicious.
Cut your apple into matchsticks with a sharp knife and set aside in a bowl with a little squeeze of lemon juice to prevent it turning brown and a little seasoning.
Heat a frying pan until hot and add a tiny drop of oil if you wish. Fry the black pudding for a few minutes on each side until crispy and cooked through.
Serve on top of your warm pea puree and top with a handful of the crunchy apple matchsticks.
Drizzle with a little oil and a scattering of mint leaves and serve.

If you’ve been converted to black pudding then here are a few more of my favourite delicious ingredients that go well with it:

Butternut squash
Blue cheese
Pear, apple
Roast pork, belly is good
Cauliflower
Fennel
Mushrooms
Thyme, rosemary
Prunes
Eggs (especially little fried quails eggs)
Chicken, rabbit, monkfish (stuffed with black pudding)
Oh and of course, a fry up…..

Black pudding stuffed chicken in a mushroom and red wine sauce, wet polenta and garlic kale (Serves 4)

4 free range chicken thighs, skin on, bone removed
4 chicken drumsticks.
2-3 large thick slices of black pudding
A few rosemary sticks, leaves picked and chopped
Thyme, leave picked
1 red onion, chopped
1 large glass red wine
Stock – beef for a rich sauce, chicken for a lighter one
1 handful of dried wild mushrooms
150g quick cook polenta
400ml milk
Knob of butter
20g grated parmesan
Kale
1 garlic clove, chopped finely

Preheat the oven to 180°C. To start, heat the milk and the same amount of water in a sauce pan and add a few peppercorns and a bay leaf. Just before it comes to the simmer remove from the heat and leave to infuse to use in the polenta later.
Crumble the black pudding into a bowl and add the thyme. Mash until paste-like. Open up the chicken thighs and stuff a spoonful of the black pudding inside and roll up. You can secure these with the rosemary sticks if you wish. Season the skin well. Stuff this black pudding mix under the skin of the drumsticks too and season.
Fry the red onion in a little oil until soft and then add the rosemary leaves. Add the red wine and simmer briefly before adding the mushrooms which will soften in the liquid and remove from the heat
Place in a casserole dish and add the chicken pieces so they fit tightly. Add enough stock to come most of the way up the sides of the chicken so that the chicken can poach and roast gently as it cooks being careful not to pour it over the skin or you won’t get a crispy skin (we can’t have that!)
Place in the oven and cook for about 30-40 minutes until the chicken is golden, cooked through and the sauce is bubbling away nicely.
Meanwhile, tip the kale into boiling water for a matter of 30 seconds to wilt but drain it quickly while still bright green, soft and full or nutrients. Leave to drain the excess moisture. Heat a little oil in your frying pan from before and gently fry your garlic over a very low heat being careful not to burn it. Add the kale and a knob of butter and stir to combine. Set aside to keep warm.
I suggest leaving the polenta until last minute as it won’t wait so see to the kale first and then the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked remove from the sauce and leave to rest in a warm place. The sauces thickness with vary depending on how much stock you added but to thicken (which is what I needed to do) mix a tbsp of butter and flour in a mug until you have a paste. Whisk this paste into the red wine sauce until smooth and the sauce will begin to thicken without being lumpy. Set aside to keep warm.
Before you cook the polenta, make sure you’re ready to go -plates warming, guests hungry, wine open and aerating!
Drain the milk from earlier and bring to the simmer. Whisk the polenta in a steady stream into the milk and stir continuously as it will thicken immediately. Let it bubble for a minute until smooth and creamy. Stir in the butter and cheese and some generous seasoning (it will need salt) and taste.
Spoon into bowls immediately and top with a chicken thigh and drumstick each and a generous spoonful of the mushroom sauce.
Sit aside some warm garlicky kale and serve on a wild and windy evening with a bold punchy glass of red.

WINE RECOMMENDATION: This weekend I tried Waitrose’s Vina Valdivieso Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon from the Maipo Valley. It was bold and had lovely dark berry and fruit flavours and some menthol notes to it. Delicious with the rich black pudding.

Waitrose £9.99

Pea and Mint Arancini with Avocado Puree

February 10, 2014 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

I can’t actually decide if leftover risotto turned morphed in arancini is actually better than risotto…? See what you think

Serves 2

Leftover pea and mint risotto, chilled (or any other risotto)
1 egg, beaten
Plain flour
Breadcrumbs
Grated parmesan
Good melting cheese e.g. mozzarella, tallegio etc
Sunflower oil for frying
1 large ripe avocado
Handful of chopped mint leaves
1 lemon

Get 2 clean shallow bowls ready. Place the egg in one, the flour in another and the breadcrumbs, parmesan and some seasoning in the other.
Roll your chilled risotto into balls (mine were about golf ball size) placing a small piece of your melting cheese in the middle if you like.
Roll each in first the flour, then the egg and finally coat in the cheesy breadcrumbs. If you want a thicker coating repeat in the egg and breadcrumbs. If not, place aside on a plate and repeat with the rest before chilling (the arancini that is…feel free to chill too).
Preheat the oven to 180°C for later. I fried my arancini in shallow oil but they are delicate (unless you made a very stodgy dry risotto to start with- to avoid this see tips here). If you have a deep fryer fry each arancini until golden. If not, fry in shallow oil until crisp. Place in a the oven to warm through to the middle while you make the puree.
Scoop out the ripe flesh from your avocado and place in a food processor with some seasoning and a splash of lemon juice. Blend until thick, glossy and smooth – feel free to add flavours here you like. I added some mint leaves but lime, coriander, chilli all work well depending on what flavour your arancini are.
Once ready, serve your crispy and melt in the middle arancini on top of your silky puree with a scattering of fresh mint.

Smashed Minty Peas

July 23, 2013 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

This recipe is adapted from a Jamie Oliver recipe from the ‘Jamie at Home’ book. I have many MANY (too many I’m told….?) cook books but there are always those loyal few which I always resort to for some great recipes. This book is certainly one of them and I recommend it (it’s particularly good if you have an allotment as the recipes are seasonal and divided by ingredient). We currently have more peas than can be physically and sanely podded so this seemed like a tasty use for them. With a less bountiful broad bean supply, I adapted the recipe slightly but the end result is a fresh, sweet, minty pea mash. Jamie recommends beautiful buffalo mozzarella but it works equally well with halloumi or feta

350g fresh raw peas, podded
100g podded broad beans, blanched and taken out their skins
60g Parmesan
1 lemon, juice
Large bunch of mint
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
Sour dough bread slices to serve
1 garlic clove

Use a pestle and mortar to bash the mint leaves with a large pinch of salt and a small handful of peas to release the flavours. (You can make the entire thing in a pestle and mortar but I found it easier in the processer. However, the best way to get the flavour from the mint is by bashing so do this first).
Add the bashed minty peas along with the rest of the peas (save a handful to add whole at the end) into the processor and pulse to roughly chop into a chunky paste. Add the broad beans and pulse again.
Add about 1-2 tbsp of oil to achieve a thick paste and then add the lemon juice. Season and then stir in the parmesan cheese and the reserved whole peas.
Taste and adjust to your liking with more lemon or cheese or add more oil if it is too thick.
Peel and half the garlic clove horizontally and use it to rub your hot toasted bread as soon as it comes out of the toaster or grill to add a subtle garlic flavour. Drizzle with a little extra virgin olive oil and spoon on your pea ‘mash’. Enjoy with crumbled feta, fried halloumi or creamy buffalo mozzarella!

Green Risotto with Crispy Parma ham and Almonds

March 27, 2013 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

Risotto is such a versatile and satisfying meal even when, like last night, I was simply using up loose ends from the cupboard because I’d run out of food for the week. It can be made fancy and gourmet by the easy addition of some little tasty toppings which are totally open to interpretation….a poached egg on top is always a favourite of mine! As a risotto lover (and sane person) I always have risotto rice, parmesan cheese and butter in the house and with white wine never more than a stones throw away these few ingredients can always be used to make an endless amount of different variation on a risotto with whatever ingredients are to hand.

I tend to make risottos by instinctive quantities. It really doesn’t matter how much rice or stock you have weighted out as long as you taste as you go along and make sure that the consistency resembles that of loose porridge when ready. I usually use a large handful of rice per person and a pinch more for luck as cold risotto is perfect for arancini (see here).

Serves 2 generously

2 large handfuls of risotto rice
40g butter
1 small onion, diced
1 garlic clove, chopped finely
2 sprigs thyme, leave picked
Small glass dry white wine
Hot chicken/vegetable stock
Handful of finely grated parmesan
2 handfuls of frozen peas
Small bunch mint, chopped
Handful of rocket leaves
½ lemon
2 slices of parma ham
Small handful of flaked almonds
Creme friache

Begin by boiling the peas for a good 5 minutes. (Keep a handful aside for garnish if you like) and blend the rest in a food processor with a splash of the stock until really smooth. Set aside.
Continue by melting half the butter in a pan with a teaspoon of oil. Soften the onion gently until translucent. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another 5 minutes or so.
Turn the heat up a little and add rice and fry until really hot. Add the white wine to let the rice simmer to absorb the wine.
Now add ladelfuls of the hot stock as each addition of liquid becomes absorbed by the rice, simmering gently over a low heat. The rice takes about 18 minutes to cook so keep adding as much stock as needed until the rice is just cooked and soft. Keep stirring all the time to make sure the starches are released and you get a really creamy texture.
As soon as the rice almost appears to plump up and double in volume and it is just cooked and soft to taste, add the lemon juice and season.
Now stir in the pea puree and mix evenly. If it thickens too much, add a splash of stock to keep it loose.
Add the other half of the butter, cut into cubes, and the grated parmesan. Cover quickly with a lid and take off the heat to rest.
While it rests for 5 minutes, fry the parma ham and flaked almonds in a little oil until crispy and golden and then drain on kitchen paper.
Now stir the melted cheese and butter evenly through the rested risotto and add the rocket and mint and stir to wilt down in the residual heat. If it thickens, add a splash of stock again to get a loose oozing consistency.
To serve, pour a generous portion into a warmed bowl. Top with a few whole peas, the crispy parma ham and toasted flaked almonds and a few teaspoons of creme fraiche if you like!

For tips on the perfect risotto or more definitive measurements, see here.

Pea and Smoked Ham Tart with Parmesan parsnips

December 28, 2012 Comments Off read Meat, Vegetables and Salads

This is a pleasingly alternative and delicious use of Christmas leftovers after exhausting the usual recipes with the turkey. My brief from the family for dinner was a light, fresh but tasty meal after a heavy week of Christmas delights, rich meats and glasses of guilt. So, with a fridge full or assorted cheeses, a cooked smoked ham and a few of our giant allotment parsnips that were looking very sorry for themselves, I enthusiastically took up the mission.

Cheesey Shortcrust pastry

100g wholemeal flour
150g plain flour
125g unsalted butter, cubed
70g cheddar cheese, grated plus and reserved handful
Salt and pepper
Cold water

Filling

250g frozen peas
3 eggs
75g creme fraiche
Juice of half lemon
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard (optional)
A few large handfuls of smoked ham, cubed or flaked into pieces
Salt and pepper
Splash of milk

Begin with the pastry. Preheat the oven to 200°C. In a food processor, combine all the pastry ingredients, except the water, and blitz to form a breadcrumb-like texture. Or rub the butter into the flour by hand.
Tip out into a bowl and add cold water, spoonful by spoonful, and mix in with a knife until you have a mixture that forms a dough when your gently press together with your hands. Form a ball of dough.
Roll into a disc shape, wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, line a tart tin (I used one about 23cm wide but use whatever is to hand) with parchment and butter the sides. This recipe in my case lined two tart tins so I made two and froze one for another time.
After 30 minutes, thinly roll out your pastry on a floured surface and use it to line the tin, pressing the pastry up the sides. Prick all over with a fork to prevent it rising up while baking.
Line the tine with parchment and fill snugly with baking beans or rice if your don’t have any beans.
Blind bake for about 20 minutes until the edges are golden.
Remove the beans and parchment and bake for another 5-10minutes until the base is cooked and crisp. Brush with a bit of beaten egg to seal the fork pricks and return for 1 minutes. Remove and leave to cool.
Make the filling. Boil the peas for a few minutes until cooked. Drain and cool thoroughly with cold water.
Reserve a handful of the peas and puree the rest in a processor or mash with a fork until you form a coarse paste. Add the lemon juice, seasoning, mustard, eggs and creme fraiche. Blitz again in the processor to mix thoroughly.
Add a splash or so of milk to form a texture that is loose but not too watery, a bit like custard.
Sprinkle the base of the pre-baked tart case with the flaked ham and the reserved whole peas.
Fill this with the egg custard until distributed evenly and full but making sure it dose not overflow the edges of the pastry case. You may not need it all.
Scatter over the remaining grated cheddar and bake in the oven at 190°C for about 25-30 minutes until the middle is cooked and set.
Grate over a bit of lemon zest and serve with a green salad and some crispy baked Parmesan coated parsnips in my case….!

Parmesan Parsnips

2-3 parsnips, peeled and cut into batons shaped
200g brown bread crumbs
100g finely grated Parmesan cheese
Handful of flour
2 beaten eggs
Sunflower oil or light olive oil

Preheat the oven to 190°C
Boil the parsnips in water for about 4-5 minutes until tender and soft when pierced with a knife but still with a bit of resistance.
Drain and allow to steam for a few minutes.
Set up 3 bowls. Fill one with seasoned flour, another with beaten egg and the third with the breadcrumbs combined with the grated cheese.
When the parsnips have cooled slightly, dip into the flour, then the beaten egg and finally coat in the breadcrumb mix.
Repeat this with the remaining parsnips and place them on a lined baking tray.
Drizzle generously with sunflower oil and bake in the oven, turning halfway through, for 30 minutes until crisp and golden

Pumpkin, Pancetta and Sage Risotto with a poached egg

November 7, 2012 Comments Off read Vegetables and Salads

This seasons allotment pumpkin harvest certainly and surprisingly earnt its keep this year which is my excuse for the popular pumpkin theme these last few weeks. As ten chubby, overfed pumpkins sat apprehensively on the wall outside my backdoor, I had originally thought them unsuitable for eating, I had already devised a family tree of characters to make my own set of halloween faces! However, as I cut into their dense, creamy flesh, I realised they were much too good to waste.

So I knocked up a vat of oozing, cheesey, creamy and vibrantly orange halloween-themed risotto. Topped with a poached egg, or as pictured, a cool quinelle of mascarpone, it went down a treat. I roasted my pumpkin to get the most from its flavours with a little added crushed coriander seed to give you a crackle of surprise in every other mouthful.

Serves 4

1 small pumpkin/butternut squash
1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed in a pestle and mortar
3 garlic cloves, left in their skins
Olive oil
200g risotto rice
Hot chicken or vegetable stock (about 1 pint)
1 glass dry white wine
1 onion, chopped
Few sprigs thyme
25g butter
Parmesan, grated
Handful of sage leaves
150g pancetta or smoked bacon
1 egg/Mascarpone to serve

Preheat the oven to 190°C. Cut the pumpkin in halve and scoop out the seeds and reserve (you can fry these in oil). Cut into small quarters or large chunks and drizzle with oil, scatter with salt and pepper and the coriander seeds. I chucked in a few garlic cloves in their skins here too, as I never miss this opportunity as they go all sweet and sticky.
Roast for about 40-50 minutes until the flesh is soft and scoopable. Use a spoon to scoop the flesh out into a food processor or a large bowl and throw the skins away. Squeeze the sugary garlic from their skins and add to the pumpkin. Mash in a processor with a splash of hot stock to loosen or with a masher in a bowl. Set aside to keep warm.
Meanwhile or afterwards, begin the risotto base. Melt the butter with a splash of oil in a large pan over a medium low heat. Soften the onion until translucent and then add the thyme leaves and season.
Add the rice and stir until beginning to turn translucent and it is hot to touch. Add the wine and simmer until absorbed.
Now turn the heat down so that it gently simmers and add ladlefuls of your hot stock to the rice, adding another once each had been absorbed. Don’t let it dry out however. (For tips on the perfect risotto see here) The whole process should take about 15-18 minutes with continual stirring.
Meanwhile, heat a hot frying pan and cook the pancetta or bacon until crisp. Add the sage leaves at the end for a minute until crisp then set aside.
After about 15 minutes, test the risotto. The rice should be nearly done or a little al dente.
Now stir in most of the pumpkin puree. It will thicken considerably so add more stock to get a oozy, loose and molten texture.
Stir in the pancetta and sage and season to taste.
Once the consistency is loose enough and the rice is cooked, take off the heat. Add the parmesan and a squeeze of lemon and cover with a lid and let it sit for a minute or so to rest. Then stir together when the cheese has melted.
Spoon into shallow bowls and top with extra sage, and if wanted, a spoonful of creamy mascarpone or a ‘runny-in-the-middle’ poached egg!

This recipe is also lovely with walnuts or chestnuts for added crunchy texture!