Cookery Masterclass

Last weekend was a hotly anticipated event for me as it was the 'hen do' of Egbert's mother. Rather than a scantily clad drunken troop marching the streets adorned with fluffy shiny objects, we instead got to spend the weekend in the beautiful Northern Irish countryside learning the tricks of the trade from a professional chef. What could be better!


We started the weekend with a cookery afternoon learning a variety of sauces and garnishes, then moved on to making pasta. I have to admit I've never attempted to make pasta, those who have go on endlessly about how easy and great it is, and now I've joined the club - it's so easy and great! We made a simple spinach and ricotta ravioli with a sage butter which was quick easy and tasted so light it might have been professional. We then moved on to filleting sea bass - again surprisingly simple - but I think it may have been the excellent chef teaching us rather than the process being simple. We topped this dish with ginger and chilli fried squid and topped the day off with the 'Great British Menu' recipe Bushmills chocolate terrine.


Well what can I say the location was beautiful the food amazing and most of all the chef was brilliant! We then proceeded to drink our weight in wine and eventually crawl to bed around 3 or 4am but was an excellent weekend!

Small Town Reporting

No this is not the Mid-West, I found this headline in small country town in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland with it's local paper 'The Impartial Reporter and Farmers' Journal' bearing the headline 'Barack Obama's Fermanagh Cousin'.
Really?

Lamb Shoulder Casserole

For all the bad things said and written about supermarkets the one thing our local does well is reduce meat. On a Friday evening we managed to grab a haul of lamb shoulder, lamb chops, lamb casserole pieces, lincolnshire sausages and goosnargh duck breast for about 60p for each meat. Bargain! Really, eight premium sausages for 50p, you're practically stealing. Large haul of meat in tow Egbert and I set about deciding what to freeze and how on earth we were going to cook the things we bought. So for tonights' dinner we're having shoulder of lamb casserole with rosemary potatoes followed by a summer spiced fruit tea cake. As I write these things are cooking away in the oven with hopefully a great result! So the problem I had today was finding a decent shoulder of lamb recipe that was made for a boneless cut and didn't take all day to make (Egbert has no patience plus a large hangover so there was an air of haste in today's cooking!).
Having seen the Two Fat Ladies to a brilliant lamb shoulder casserole on an old clip for Saturday Kitchen (BBC1) last week I set about recreating a similar rather fresher version.

Here's hoping...



Lamb Shoulder Casserole

500g Lamb Shoulder, de-boned (allow more weight for boned)
olive oil
sea salt
fresh ground pepper
1 tin haricot verts or berlotti beans (plus juice)
6 cloves garlic
fresh rosemary sprig or two
1 large red onion, peeled and quartered
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 sticks celery, cut into pieces
1 leek, trimmed and cut
1 tinned whole or chopped tomatoes
2 bay leaves
Half a bottle of white wine

1. Firstly preheat oven to 170°C and pop in your casserole dish with a little oil in the bottom. Rub shoulder with oil, then rub sea salt in all the nooks and crannies. Stab the rosemary sprigs into the meat.

2. Taking the heated casserole dish out of the oven put shoulder in the pan skin side down to seal it in the hot oil. Take out and place in onions and bay leaves before placing the lamb on top. Cover with the tinned beans (plus juice from tin), the garlic cloves, onions, carrots, celery, leeks and tin of tomatoes give a gentle stir to mix about - trying not to disturb the meat. Pour over the white wine and season with black pepper.

3.Cover with a lid or double layer of foil and place in the centre of the over for at least 2 and a half hours - until lamb falls apart early when prodded with a fork. Keep checking casserole in case it is drying out if so add a cup full of water.

4. When ready leave to rest for ten minutes before serving with rosemary potatoes.

Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

And that's why I love him. To come home from a horrible days work when the client has the design expertise of a flea but thinks he knows what looks good, and to have Egbert present me with his homemade roasted butternut squash soup and olive ciabatta. And no, I don't rent him out for the weekend - although think of the money to be made....

Egbert as he's having technical problems i.e. we have no internet is the house at the moment leaving him bored out of his mind in his unemployed architect state. So I will write up his lovely recipe for you all, although now all I have is my head is the Mighty Boosh song...
Soup a Soup, A tasty soup a soup
Spicy carrot and coriander
Chilli chowder
Crouton Crouton, crunch friends in a liquid broth
I am gespatchio, Oh!
I am a summer soup Mmmm!
Miso Miso, Fighting in the dojo
Miso Miso
Oriental Prince in the land of soup


Ok, sorry, will carry on with the recipe now.

Butternut Squash Soup

15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil (and extra for drizzling)
30g (1 oz) butter
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
900g (2 lbs) butternut, peeled and sliced
900ml (1½ pints) vegetable or chicken stock
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp cream, for garnish

Cut the butternut squash into large chunks (2in) and spread out onto a baking tray, drizzle with a little olive oil and season. Put into the oven at 190c until cooked through (test with a fork to see if soft). When squash is ready heat the oil and butter in a large saucepan, add the onion and garlic and gently sauté. When the onion has softened after about 5 minutes, add the butternut and stock and stir well. Bring to the boil then allow to cool for a few minutes.
Blend the soup with a hand-held blender. Season to taste and garnish with a swirl of cream.

Pear and Ginger Treacle Tart (& Lamb Shank too)

Last weekend the family descended on my tiny (but beautifully formed) house to have a mothers day lunch - minus my father as it was a day for the ladies. So as it was up to me to coordinate the lunch (my sister bought the ingredients for the lamb shank as her contribution!) with a selection of crab and smoked salmon pates, with some Scottish smoked salmon with lemon slices - simple yet effective!

As Egbert and I were running behind the lamb shank went in a little late but in the true style of my family everyone else was late so it seemed perfect timing.
The lamb shank has to be the simplest of recipes with the most amazing return for very little investment. Buy you lamb shanks for the butcher if you can as you tend to get a bigger meatier shank than the supermarket. As there were five of us we had to use a combination of Sainsbury's and the local butchers - both worked very well but the butcher were not only cheaper but much bigger. I've written as accurately as I can my lamb shank recipe but usually I go but estimates, it's very hard to go wrong with this recipe! Famous last words...


Lamb Shank with Root Vegetables

Ingredients
4 lamb shanks
200g butter (softened)
Olive oil, for coating lamb
1-2 leeks, finely chopped into matchsticks
4 Carrots, finely chopped into matchsticks
1 head Garlic, broken up into cloves (unpeeled)
4 Bay leaves (optional)
4 sprigs Thyme
4 sprigs Rosemary
375ml White wine (about half a bottle will be plenty)

Mix the softened butter in a small bowl with the thyme until a combined paste. Next wash and pat dry your lamb shank. Looking at the bottom of the shank (wide part) make an incision with a small knife up the shank alongside the bone. A small pocket should already exist but often needs to be opened up. Stuff the butter mixture down this cavity in the shank until the mixture fills it. Spike the sprig of rosemary into the lamb alongside the butter. Rub shank all over with a little olive oil and season well.
Next make four squares of foil large enough to completely cover the shank and fold in the edges slightly to stop any ingredients falling off. Onto each piece of foil divide the carrots and leeks between the four pieces and pile in the centre of the foil - season well. Sit the lamb shank on top and place a clove or two of garlic alongside it and the bay leaf if desired. Bring the sides of the foil up to the top of the shank making a parcel with the exposed bone poking out of the top. Making sure all the sides are sealed pour in the wine (a few glugs is usually enough) which will help make the gravy.

Put into the oven at about 200c for a fan oven for two hours. When ready take out shank and put vegetables and gravy onto a deep plate sitting the shank on top. Serve with mash or potatoes dauphinoise.


For desert I decided to make a pear and ginger treacle tart and dug out this recipe from Good Food Magazine that had been lurking in my cookery folder desperate to be made. I started by making pastry in my new/old magimix (my god it's amazing) adding a touch of ground ginger to the pastry, using Rachel Allen's short-crust recipe and adding ginger. So by adapting the recipe made the most amazing tart ever! I have since had to stop myself from making it for dinner instead of a main course. But it's so so nice, calories shmalories.


Pear and Ginger Treacle Tart

500g pack sweet shortcrust pastry or make your own (see below)
a little flour , for dusting
300g granulated sugar
3 lemons , zested
5 firm pears , peeled
300g (one tin) golden syrup
50g caster sugar
1 ball stem ginger, finely chopped, or a third of a tub of pre-chopped glace ginger.
180g breadcrumbs
3 eggs

Pastry
400g plain flour, sifted
Pinch of salt
200g (3½oz) chilled butter, cubed
2 medium eggs, beaten
just under 1 tsp ground ginger

For the Pastry
Put the flour, butter and a pinch of salt in a food processor and process briefly.
Add half the beaten egg and continue to process. (You might add a little more egg, but not too much as the mixture should be just moist enough to come together.) If making the pastry by hand, rub the butter into the flour until it resembles coarse bread-crumbs then, using your hands, add just enough egg to bring it together.
With your hands, flatten out the ball of dough until it is about 2cm thick, then wrap it in cling film or place it in a plastic bag and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or, if you are pushed for time, in the freezer for 10–15 minutes, before using.

For the Tart
Roll out the pastry with a little flour and use to line a loose-bottom 23cm round tin (it needs to be about 5cm high). Leave the excess pastry overhanging the sides, then chill for 30 mins.
In a large saucepan, melt the sugar with 800ml water and the zest of 1 lemon. Increase the heat until just simmering, drop in the pears, then cover and poach for 12-15 mins until almost tender (7-10 if the pears are already ripe). Lift out the pears, then set aside on some kitchen paper.
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line the pastry case with baking paper, fill with baking beans, then bake blind for 15-20 mins until a pale biscuit colour. Remove the paper and beans, then bake for a further 5 mins. Meanwhile, put the golden syrup in a small pan with the sugar, remaining zest, juice of 1 lemon and the chopped ginger and syrup, then warm until runny. Tip the breadcrumbs into a large bowl, then stir in the warm syrup and eggs.
Reduce oven temperature to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Slice a little off the bottom of each pear so they stand upright, then space them out in the tin. Carefully spoon in the filling and bake for 50 mins-1hr until golden and set. Cool to room temperature, slice off the excess pastry to neaten the edges, then serve with cold cream or hot custard.

Lemon Meringue Pie

Ah the lemon meringue, paradise in a pie. Sharp lemon curd with sweet soft meringue in a buttery pastry combines all the indulgences with not so much of the guilt usually associated with a slice of desert this large. For years I've tired variations on a theme, strawberry meringue pie, lime pie to name a few and nothing compares to the combination of lemon and sugar. For the event of my sisters dinner party (and our first snoop round her new house) I spent the best part of the evening creating the pie of champions - well very feminine champions.

Having scoped out all my recipes I settled on Angela Nilsen's 'Ultimate Lemon Meringue Pie' as it involved making everything from scratch and had the word 'Ultimate' in the title!
First I made the pastry by hand, but as it requires the lightest touch to create the perfect short-crust I would recommend a magimix to keep your warm hands away from it which turns it into cardboard. Having purchased a new ceramic tart tin from Sainsburys (£2.99 - bargain) I was determined to make it work without the help of a metal tin but apart from having to blind back the pastry for about twice as long as the recipe suggests it was a success! As I had to work around Egbert, who was enthusiastically making mushroom risotto, and to avoid eau de rice meringue the curd had to sit out for a while, I'd recommend heating it back up slowly and a dash of water to sort out the lumps created s it sets. Apart from tat the recipe was a success and while I prefer my meringue golden you may want to cook it for a little less time to create that just-cooked look.



For the Pastry
* 175g plain flour
* 100g cold butter , cut in small pieces
* 1 tbsp icing sugar
* 1 egg yolk

Lemon Filling

* 2 level tbsp cornflour
* 100g golden caster sugar
* finely grated zest 2 large lemon
* 125ml fresh lemon juice (from 2-3 lemons)
* juice 1 small orange
* 85g butter , cut into pieces
* 3 egg yolks and a 1 whole egg

Meringue

* 4 egg whites , room temperature
* 200g golden caster sugar
* 2 level tbsp cornflour

1. For the pastry, put the flour, butter, icing sugar, egg yolk (save the white for the meringue) and 1 tbsp cold water into a food processor. Using the pulse button so the mix is not overworked, process until the mix starts to bind. Tip the pastry onto a lightly floured surface, gather together until smooth, then roll out and line a 23 x 2.5cm loose-bottom fluted flan tin. Trim and neaten the edges. Press pastry into flutes. The pastry is quite rich, so don't worry if it cracks, just press it back together. Prick the base with a fork, line with foil, shiny side down, and chill for 1⁄2-1 hour (or overnight).

2. Put a baking sheet in the oven and heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Bake the pastry case 'blind' (filled with dry beans) for 15 mins, then remove the foil and bake a further 5-8 mins until the pastry is pale golden and cooked. Set aside. (Can be done a day ahead if you want to get ahead.) Lower the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas4

3. While the pastry bakes, prepare the filling: mix the cornflour, sugar and lemon zest in a medium saucepan. Strain and stir in the lemon juice gradually. Make orange juice up to 200ml/7fl oz with water and strain into the pan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth. Once the mixture bubbles, remove from the heat and beat in the butter until melted. Beat the egg yolks (save white for meringue) and whole egg together, stir into the pan and return to a medium heat. Keep stirring vigorously for a few minutes, until the mixture thickens and plops from the spoon. (It will bubble, but doesn't curdle.) Take off the heat and set aside while you make the meringue.

4. Put the egg whites in a large bowl. Whisk to soft peaks, then add half the sugar a spoonful at a time, whisking between each addition without overbeating. Whisk in the cornflour, then add the rest of the sugar as before until smooth and thick. Quickly reheat the filling and pour it into the pastry case. Immediately put spoonfuls of meringue around the edge of the filling (if you start in the middle the meringue may sink), then spread so it just touches the pastry (this will anchor it and help stop it sliding). Pile the rest into the centre, spreading so it touches the surface of the hot filling (and starts to cook), then give it all a swirl. Return to the oven for 18-20 mins until the meringue is crisp and slightly coloured. Let the pie sit in the tin for 30 mins, then remove and leave for at least another 1⁄2-1 hr before slicing. Eat the same day.

Enjoy!

London: Tourist at Home

The benefit of being an English tourist in England is that you can put your head down and power round the tube like you live there (London, not the tube that is) and grumble at other tourists without feeling hypocritical. The other strange thing is that we were a rare breed, amongst the French, Indian, African, Polish, Russian and many other nationalities - not lest the several million Australians that populate London we felt like tourists in our own capital city. Surrounded by the chatter of every language but English we felt like we could be anywhere in the world, and felt sorry for those tourists seeking an 'English' experience because in London, you're not going to get it.

Aside from these strange elements we had a cracking weekend, and in oder to bring you the best review of London we felt inclined to dine at the best restaurants and drink in the most luxurious bars. Such a hardship.


First up was a little pre-theatre experience right next to the Lyceum Theatre (for the superb Lion King) called Indigo, part of the One Aldwych Hotel. With two courses priced at £16.75 and the most efficient service this well oiled machine is perfect pre-theatre. We had beautifully cooked sea bream of steamed vegetables followed by the most beautiful desert of basil creme brulee, sounds strange tastes like heaven.


Saturday we headed over to Scott's of Mayfair (part of the Le Caprice and Ivy family) for a late lunch/early dinner event. Apart from a little haphazard service - due to the switch over of staff from lunch to dinner, we had en excellent meal. Starting with a dozen Maldon Rocks oysters we went on to try the days special of Turbot in Bernaise sauce (between two), Fillet of Gurnard and John Dory with a clam and saffron broth and Atlantic halibut with smoked salmon cabbage and chive butter sauce - all of which were excellent, especially the turbot which was to die for.
We polished off our extravagant lunch with a honeycomb ice cream with hot chocolate sauce which set very pleasingly on top to create a chocolate shell - desert heaven. Finally we were presented with a plate of macaroons with a happy birthday message for me on - very sweet of them! The macaroons made me jealous, I must try harder with mine. Damn it.


Our third meal was Sunday lunch at the world famous Ivy restaurant in Covent Garden. Celebrity spotting aside the meal was beautiful, and the service to the highest standard, with an air of old fashioned fine dining. My started of Gorgonzola dressed spinach salad with pine nuts shocked my taste-buds in the best possible way - I have never had such an exciting salad experience, well who has? Then onto the main course, I indulged myself with a skate wing, amid biological explanations from Moo about how they're not really skate, regardless it was beautifully cooked, topped with tiny shrimp and caper butter. The finish the weekend of excess we had to go for the signature desert of Baked Alaska. The waiter appeared with the unbaked Alaska then processed to light the jug of brandy infused berries and pour over the meringue, while it cooked he sliced the pieces and topped with the flaming sauce to ensure hot meringue with ice cream inside. The fruit was so boozy my mouth was numb, which was calmed by the sweet Italian meringue and cold ice cream. Imaginative, spectacular and so so tasty.

First Class Food

Taking the morning First Class Virgin from Liverpool to London was not only comfortable and a lovely way to start my trip but the food was shockingly good!
My memories as a student of heated processed cheese sandwich passing as a hot meal on my way back up Glasgow were just that - distant memories. Faced with a choice of full english, scrambled egg with smoked salmon, or fruit I opted for the riskiest option - the scrambled egg.

I'd like to point out, I am not a snob in general but when it comes to scrambled egg I am very much a snob. No Egbert, scrambled egg in the microwave is not real scrambled egg. So watery, rubbery eggs cooked in the microwave with some shriveled morsels of salmon was what I was expecting, but to my surprise out came a plate of freshly cooked, creamy soft, pan made eggs, with fresh beautifully smoked salmon. Shock. Where did this come from! It was amazing, and I hate to say it but the Virgin train chef makes better scrambled egg than me, and he's on a moving train. Followed by freshly warmed croissants and a pot of breakfast tea it was the perfect breakfast whilst whizzing through the sunning English countryside.

Train: 09:45 from Liverpool Lime St, to London Euston sitting in First Class with advanced tickets costing from £21 one way 2hrs 20mins.

This Week I Want: A Milk Carton Vase

This week I mostly want the week off, but as that is not possible I would really like a milk carton vase. Found on my latest addiction, designmuseumshop.com this vase combines retro milk carton with single flower vase - two brilliant things!

My love of ceramics it verging on the obsessional, with ceramic plastic cups, more plates than I could ever eat off and don't even ask about the teacups. However I may let this addition into the collection...

Check out the ceramic egg carton, typeface top-trumps, and Zaha Hadid centrepiece here.

Pancakes: Doing It Alone

As it was pancake day (evening really) I felt although Egbert is away I must partake in the ritual pancake nightmare. After the usual search for a new recipe I settled on the same one I use every year, however incorporating baking powder to make thick mini pancakes almost resembling blinis. As I was all alone I decided the best way to celebrate was to buy a small pack of smoked salmon and utilise the ageing yogurt and the elusive caviar lurking at the back of the fridge. Yes I had the poshest pancake day ever, but sitting cross-legged on my sofa eating blinis with smoked salmon, make-shift sour cream and caviar I felt indulged in a way chocolate or a naked man could ever do. It was the sort of comfort food luxury you can only have when you're alone for fear of being labeled a snob or having Egbert devour the pancakes before we get the smoked salmon on.


Oh and the big plus point was, the same amount of batter for one pancake did my entire lot of blinis for a whole meal - low calorie (ish) and budget friendly! (Provided you have ageing caviar in the fridge).

Bread: The First Attempt

Apart from an experimental classroom exercise with bread making when I was about six years old which involved dubious shaped globes of a rock-hard yeasty substance, I have never attempted to make my own bread. Aware that it is the staple activity of the Waitrose-shopping fifty-something ho-rah Henry, I felt a little young and un-horsey and poor to be partaking in the endevour of bread making.

Nevertheless I set about making my first loaf on a cold Sunday afternoon after deciding it was too cold to venture to Sainsburys, and I'd have to locate not only socks but shoes aswell, and plus think of my 30p saving and the feeling of achievement.
I was right about one thing, the feeling of achievement was immense, I can make bread, if the world fell apart I could make bread and survive! Oh the dreams of having a bakery are alive again.

So investigating my enormous collection of recipes I settled for the fool-proof option of Jamie Olivers simple basic bread recipe. Involving only honey, white bread flour, water, yeast and salt it was the least complex.

• 1kg or just over 2lb strong bread flour
• 625ml or just over 1 pint tepid water
• 30g/1oz fresh yeast or 3 x 7g/¼oz sachets dried yeast
• 30g honey or 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 level tablespoon fine sea salt
extra flour for dusting




The first task is to get half a pint of tepid water (warmish) and mix in the honey, salt and yeast until dissolved. Then making a well in the pile of flour poured out of the table you pour the yeasty mixture into the well, swirling it around to incorporate the flour until its been absorbed. Massive problem for me here was a river of yeasty mixture escaping out of the side of the flour and shooting across the table - not good. Next time I'd do it in a large bowl to save losing half the yeast!

Next add another 1/2 pint of tepid water and mix with your hands until a dough forms - by kneading it like mad for about 5 minutes. Yes, it sticks to your hands but just rub them together and it comes off, and plus it feels pretty nice really.

Ok, next you need to flour the dough ball, and put in in a bowl, cover with cling-film and leave somewhere warm to prove until it doubles in size.

When its doubled in size knead it again for a minute then shape into anything you fancy, plaits, baguettes, balls, or opt for miscellaneous shapes like mine. Score the top to make cool patterns like a proper baguette, and leave to prove until doubled in size again (about 30 mins - an hour).

Carefully put on a flour dusted baking tray in the preheated oven at 180c/350f/Gas 4 and bake away! Don't slam the door you'll knock all the air out of it and have lumps of rock.

You know when it's done when golden and when you tap the bottom it sounds hollow. Leave to cool, or eat hot with loads of butter....

You can experiment by kneading in cinnamon and raisins, or try sun dried tomatoes.
And there you have it bread. Amazing.

Cucake Overload

Ok, I know it's a bit of a food day today on Egbert and Sparklehorse, but it is Thursday and the weekend although close is still not upon us, so in order to make it through the week I recommend a calorie free visual gorge on Cupcake Bakeshop. Page upon page of gorgeous beautiful cupcakes destined to make one aspire to patisserie goddess level. Go gorge, but I'd recommend making the Pear and Vanilla Bean Chocolate Cupcakes - for research purposes only of course...