Posts tagged potatoes

Potato & Goats Cheese Salad

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oiled new potatoes coated in melted butter and mint smell like summer in with my parents in Wiltshire and takes me straight back! Delicious served alone with salt and pepper but this recipe all started as I wanted to showcase an amazing ash rolled goats cheese I got in a cheese hamper for my Birthday! It may well be the best I’ve ever had. If you’re interested to try, I used this cheese ‘Dorsten’ from Paxton & Whitfield.

I served the salad with a Friday night steak and a glass of red.

Serves 2

  • About 8-10 new potatoes
  • 1/2 small red onion, diced finely
  • 10g (or a large handful) each of coriander, flat leaf parsley and mint (leave picked)
  • 1 lemon
  • 1 bag rocket leaves
  • 200g sugar snap peas
  • 100g green beans
  • 80-100g goats cheese of choice (Link to the one we used above).
  • 1 knob butter
  1. Boil the new potatoes for about 10-12 minutes until just cooked and soft when pierced with a knife. Drain and add the knob of butter and a good pinch of flaky salt and fresh cracked pepper.
  2. Boil the green beans and sugar snaps for 1-2 minutes before draining and keeping warm in a pan.
  3. Get yourself a large serving dish and add the finely chopped red onion and the zest of the lemon.
  4. Finely chop all the soft herbs and add to the serving bowl with the rocket leaves. Toss together.
  5. Add the warm beans and potatoes (with their buttery juices) and toss to combine.
  6. Squeeze over the juice of half the lemon and a little drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil and toss to combine.
  7. Finely, dice or crumble your chosen goats cheese over the salad and mix lightly through.

Serve! I served mine simply with a grilled steak but this simple side would be perfect for some grilled salmon, cod, chicken or anything you fancy!

Easter Lamb Shanks in Isolation

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appy healthy Easter where ever you are…likely and I hope at home.

I’ll breeze over the obvious and get straight to the recipe. Lamb at Easter is an absolute essential for me growing up. So two lamb shanks hidden in our freezer were a winner. I bought them back from a visit home to Wiltshire a few months ago so with some classic vegetables and a special bottle of wine from the archives, we indulgenced elegantly for Easter this year and talked relentlessly about how lucky we are.

The sun was just a bonus on a glorious Easter in our cosy Brixton flat. The balcony was showing at its best and the perfect setting for our late Easter lunch. This lunch feast is a simple one to put together with minimal ingredients.

Serves 2

Lamb

  • 2 x lamb shanks
  • 1 red onions, sliced
  • 2 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 1 large carrot, roughly sliced
  • 1 sprig rosemary, chopped
  • 1 lamb/beef stock cube
  • 250-350ml red wine
  • Dill & mint to serve (optional)
  • Mint sauce to serve (optional)

Potatoes

  • New potatoes – enough for 2 appetites

Vegetables

  • A mixture of greenery. I used 1 leek, asparagus and a handful peas for 2 people.
  1. Start with the lamb. Preheat the oven to 160.
  2. Heat a little oil in a heavy based casserole pan (like a Le Creuset). Season the lamb shanks and then sear in the pan until browning on the outside – just a few minutes, don’t spend too much time here. Remove and set aside.
  3. Add the onions to the pan and gently brown for about 10 minutes.
  4. Add the garlic, carrot and rosemary and cook for a few more minutes.
  5. Add the lamb back to the pan and increase the heat.
  6. Add the wine and simmer for a few minutes.
  7. Crumble over the stock cube and then top up with boiling water until the liquid just reaches about 3/4 way up the shanks. Not fully submerged.
  8. Cook with the lid on for 1 hour then remove the lid and continue to cook for another 1 hour 30 minutes.
  9. About 30 minutes before the lamb is done turn the oven tup to 190. Cut the potatoes into halves and spread on a baking tray. Season and drizzle with some sunflower oil. Roast in the oven for about 20-30 minutes until golden and crispy keeping an eye on them.
  10. Once done, turn the oven off and let everything sit and wait while you finish the veggie. Boil the vegetables for only 2-3 minutes, drain and then season well and add a knob of butter.
  11. To serve, sprinkle some chopped dill and mint over the lamb and the potatoes.
  12. Enjoy!

Spanish Tortilla with Burrata & Herbs

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t’s been a while since I’ve posted a recipe but I’ve certainly not stopped cooking. Engaged life has had me practicing my wife skills after all…!

I’ve shamefully never cooked a Spanish tortilla so I felt it was about time I added it to my repertoire. I have historically not had the best track record with eggs. Ask my fiancee..ahem. This is mainly due to my impatience but I’ve apparently gotten better! Wife points! I’ve forever ooooed at the prepacked tortillas in the supermarket ‘delis’ confidently telling myself I’ll make one so I’m glad I finally have because this really is a dish that is so simple and so delicious and much better made at home.

Makes the perfect Monday night dinner or the centre stage of a casual tapas feast for guests with lots of other Spanish treat.

*I am very aware that I’ve tainted the Spanish authenticity in this classic dish with Italian burrata but I challenge any of you to say you won’t be adding it and it doesn’t taste good!

Adapted from ‘Half Baked Harvest‘. I rather non traditionally but with my health in mind, roasted the potatoes slices to soften them rather than frying in oil!

Serves 6

  • 8 eggs
  • 3 potatoes (I used Maris piper), sliced to 1/2cm slices
  • 1 onion, finely sliced
  • Handful thyme & rosemary, leaves picked, chopped
  • 1 packet/bunch chives, chopped
  • 1/2 pack flat leaf parsley, chopped
  • Handful basil, leaves chopped
  • Handful dill, chopped
  • Olive oil
  • 4 slices parma ham/prosciutto
  • 1 packet rocket leaves
  • 1 ball fresh burrata – the best you can afford (use buffalo mozzarella if you can’t get burrata but don’t use normal/cheap mozzarella, it just won’t be the same!)
  • 1 lemon

 

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°C. Slice the potatoes and spread them evenly on a baking tray. Season and drizzle over some oil and roast for about 15 minutes or until just beginning to brown but not crisp. They should be soft at this stage but not falling apart. Set aside to cool.
  2. Heat a nonstick large frying pan on a medium heat- it is vital its non stick else you’ll have a scrambled egg mess. Add a splash of oil and gently fry the onion until soft and beginning to caramelise. Now, add the chopped rosemary and thyme and fry for a few more minutes. Set aside to cool.
  3. Turn the oven heat up to 220°C.
  4. In a bowl mix all the fresh herbs with the fried onions. Add the potatoes. Whisk the eggs well in a separate bowl and season well. Pour then eggs over the potatoes and gently stir making sure you don’t break the potatoes up.
  5. Preheat the frying pan you used for the onions on a medium heat. Pour in the potato-egg mixture moving the egg around gently at the start and then quickly spread the potatoes into an even layer.
  6. With the heat on medium low, let the eggs cook for about 5-10 minutes using a spatula now and again to tease the edges away from the sides. The aim is to let the bottom cook gently so its important not to have it too hot. Shake the pan gently now and again.
  7. Once there is a good crust around the edges and the eggs are beginning to cook in the middle, place the pan in the oven and cook for about 8 minutes or until the eggs are cooked through.
  8. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes.
  9. When ready, carefully invert the pan onto a serving platter.
  10. Top with the rocket leaves and squeeze over a little lemon.
  11. Top with the parma ham and finally the burrata.
  12. Drizzle with some lovely extra virgin olive oil and serve! Ideal at room temperature.

Roasted Indian Chicken Curry

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oasting (especially if done slowly) always brings out a flavour that can’t be beaten by quick or lazy cooking. Combining amazing spices, some ginger heat and of course some coconut milk and popping this in a hot oven care free was the ideal way to focus my time, attention and love on a juicy glass (ahem…shared bottle) of Syrah from South Africa (see foot note). I’d recommend cooking this on a Sunday if you fancy a change from a roast but with all the depth of flavour. Feel free to experiment with different spices, cuts of meat or side dishes. My nigella seed flatbreads dipped in mango chutney would work a treat. This is also a very mild curry (note, no chilli) so don’t expect to be punched by heat! But do add accordingly if that’s how you want your Sunday evening.

TIP: This can by all means be made simply roasted in tray from start to finish with no fuss! (I opted to use a tray and then a casserole dish but this can be ignored). Roasting in a deep roasting tin then adding the coconut milk gives you crispy potatoes, chicken and minimal washing up. When you ‘roast’ in a casserole dish you don’t get the circulation of air and the crispy finish that you do when in a tray so this is preferred. However, I often like to manipulate the sauce consistency so I prefer to manage this by adding to a casserole once ready to add the coconut milk. But this is up to you!!

Serves 2

  • 4 x chicken pieces on the bone (2 x thighs and 2 x drumsticks)
  • 1 large red onion, sliced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 500g small potatoes/new potatoes (halved if needed)
  • 2 tsp fennel seeds
  • 2 tsp coriander seeds
  • 2 tsp cumin seeds
  • 2 tsp black mustard seeds
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 tsp ground tumeric
  • 1 x can coconut milk
  • Handful curry leaves
  • 150g frozen peas
  • Large handful green beans
  • 1 lime
  • Bunch coriander, chopped

Marinade

  • Knob of ginger, freshly grated – 2 tbsp
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 2 limes, zest only (reserve for serving)
  • 1 tsp ground tumeric
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1 large tsp ground garam masala
  • Sunflower oil

To serve

  • Popadoms
  • Mango chutney
  • Chopped coriander
  • Lime wedges (from marinade)
  1. Start by marinating the chicken (at least 30 minutes before, overnight if possible). Combine all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and add the chicken and potatoes. Add a few tsp of sunflower oil and use your hands to fully coat. Cover and refrigerate.
  2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 200°C.
  3. This can be made in either a roasting tray OR a large flameproof casserole dish however I found the combination of the two the best (see above tip). Drizzle a little oil in the roasting tray and add the sliced red onions and garlic. Remove the chicken and potatoes from the fridge and add to the dish. Make sure the skin of the chicken is facing upwards and that the chicken is sitting on top of the everything.
  4. Roast in the oven for 50 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a high heat and dry fry the fennel, coriander, cumin and mustard seeds for a few minutes, just until fragrant. Remove form the heat and grind in a pestle and mortar.
  6. Add these spices and the ground spices to the coconut milk and whisk. Add the curry leaves.
  7. After 50 minutes, remove the tray from the oven. Transfer the contents to a large casserole dish, ensuring your scrap all the delicious goodness off the bottom.
  8. Add the coconut milk (avoiding soaking the crispy chicken skin if you can) and ensure again that the chicken pieces are facing upwards, skin on the top.
  9. Bake in the oven for another 30 minutes.
  10. After this time, add the beans, peas and a generous squeeze of lime. Return to the oven for 5-10 more minutes.
  11. When ready to serve, scatter over the chopped coriander. Serve with popadoms and mango chutney.

WINE: We devoured this with a delicious Syrah from South Africa from the gorgeous Vrede en Lust. Benefits from decanting.

An evening off duty and a Spanish Roast

 

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Recently, I had the rare and deliciously appreciated privilege of being cooked dinner. With the responsibility of hosting and feeding guests stripped from my meddling hands, there was no way I could creep into the kitchen even for a quick stir of a bubbling pot. Instead, I was forced to sit back al fresco in the sun and enjoy a chilled glass of bubbly with some great appreciating company. And the food was quite simply delicious. I always love eating at other people houses as I get inspiration for flavours and ideas to try myself. A feast of grilled and sweetly glazed Spanish chorizo was first to grace the table followed by 2 lovingly handmade loaves of fluffy focaccia and an olive laced ciabatta with a glistening pool of olive oil for dipping. With enough chicken, BBQ ribs and salad to feed us hungry guests, we devoured it with pleasure! Thanks Chef Tipping!

Inspired by that dangerously moreish chorizo I was eager to try it. Come Sunday, a Spanish- style roast chicken feast was on the cards. Roasted chicken with gremolata, glazed chorizo, and some spicy roasted potatoes went down a treat in the balmy weather. Hands down my favourite gem of a recipe was Jeff’s grilled chorizo so this one comes courtesy of him!

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Serves 4

Gremolata

  • 1 roasted chicken
  • Handful of flat-leaf parsley
  • ½ garlic clove
  • Zest of 1 small lemon
  1. For the gremolata, chop the garlic finely and grate over the lemon zest. Chop the parsley finely too and then add together with the garlic and lemon and chop together to combine.
  2. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and then use to scatter over your freshly roasted, succulent chicken.

Potatoes

  • 500g potatoes
  • 1-2 tbsp tomato puree
  • ½ tsp smoked paprika
  • Olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, skinned and crushed
  • ½ lemon, juice
  • Handful parsley
  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C . Mix the tomato puree, paprika, seasoning and about 1-2 tbsp of olive oil in a bowl.
  2. Cut the potatoes into small chunks about 2-3cm in size and cover with the dressing.
  3. Place in a lined roasting tray with the garlic and roast for 40 minutes until soft, a little crisp and cooked, turning every now and then
  4. When ready to serve, squeeze over the lemon and scatter with the parsley

Chorizo

  • 1 wheel or a few sausages of raw cooking chorizo (I used the ‘Unearthed’ range. The better quality the better it will taste. I stress that this should be ‘cooking’ chorizo that is raw and not the cured kind)
  • 1-2 tbsp Membrillo quince paste
  1. Place the chorizo on a lined baking tray
  2. Grill for about 8-10 minutes until cooked and golden brown or bake.
  3. Give the quince paste a mix to loosen it and spread evenly over the grilled chorizo. Grill again for a few more minutes until the paste has ‘melted’ over the chorizo and formed a delicious crust. Add more if you like.
  4. Slice into chunks and enjoy with your roast.

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