Red pepper risotto

On Boxing day, I make risotto with left-over turkey. This year, the number of vegetarians has increased quite a bit, so I split the offering. I made a roasted red pepper risotto. I’m not that good at roasting the peppers, I lose my nerve a little. Also, it didn’t help that I was cooking on a Rayburn, which I was unfamiliar with. I would suggest a practice round. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 large red bell peppers (don’t try this with the long pointy ones)
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
  • 75g unsalted butter
  • 500g risotto rice
  • 1.5 litres of stock (vegetable or chicken)
  • salt and black pepper
  • 75g parmesan

METHOD:

  • First, roast the peppers. Heat the oven to 240C. Wash the peppers and put them on a roasting sheet, and roast them until the skins are charred. You’ll need to check on them from time to time, and turn them over to make sure the skin blackens all over. This will take 30 to 40 minutes. When they are done, put them in a bowl and cover it as the peppers cool. After about 10 to 15 minutes, you’ll be able to remove the peppers from the bowl, pull out the stems and pips, and peel off the blackened outer skin. The roasted pepper will be dark and juicy. Slice the peppers. 
  • In a large pan, melt the butter, and then gently fry the onion and the garlic until the onion is soft, around 5 to 10 minutes.
  • Add the peppers and continue to fry for another five minutes
  • Add all of the rice and stir it in until the rice grains are hot and toasted, and the mixture is dry. 
  • Bring the stock to a simmer. Add the stock, one ladleful at a time, stirring each one in and cooking until it is absorbed. Continue this way until all the stock is used up, and the risotto rice is plump and tender. 
  • Season to taste and stir in the parmesan. Leave in a warm place for three minutes before serving. 

 

Braised lamb hearts

As usual, this year when we bought half a sheep for the freezer, we asked for any offal. I don’t like waste, and so each year we get a selection of perinephric fat for white puddings, as well as a selection of kidneys, liver and hearts. This year we got four hearts, each one had been lacerated on removal from the sheep, so we couldn’t stuff them. Instead, we braised them, with the stuffing on the top. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 lamb hearts, washed in cold water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp lard
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 100g packet of smoked pancetta
  • 5-6 tbsp brown breadcrumbs or panko breadcrumbs
  • 1 tbsp chopped suet
  • 1/2 tsp dried sage
  • grated rind of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

  • Rinse the lamb hearts in cold water, and use a sharp pair of scissors to cut away the fat that contains the arteries around the top of the heart. Remove the atria and valves as well. 
  • Put the hearts in a saucepan, cover with cold water, add 1 tsp salt, and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes
  • Heat the oven to 180C
  • Meanwhile, chop the onion and pancetta finely, and fry in lard until well-cooked. 
  • Remove from the heat and mix in the breadcrumbs, herbs, lemon rind and the beaten egg. Add more crumbs if required to adjust the consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. 
  • Remove the hearts from the pan, and reserve the remaining liquor. Slice them and put them in the bottom of a casserole dish.
  • Spread the stuffing over the sliced hearts, and add around 300ml of the liquor. Put the lid on the dish and bake in the oven for 1 hour. 

We had this with sprouts and mashed potato. 

Smokey sausage casserole

Hello all. I’m using up all of the ingredients at the bottom of the freezer, ready for the mutton carcase that is coming tomorrow. I’m very excited; meat from local crofts is usually of exceptionally high quality and good flavour. 

This recipe used a pack of six pork sausages that we had bought because they were reduced. You could use more sausages quite easily. I’ve made this a few times, and think I have finally got it to my satisfaction. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pack of sausages
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 peppers, (green or red, your choice) roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp smokey paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • (as an alternative to paprika and chilli, you could use flakes of chipotle chilli)
  • 2 cans of chopped tomatoes
  • 1 can of cannellini beans or red kidney beans
  • 1 bag of spinach, around 200g

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil in the bottom of your chosen casserole dish, and fry the sausages until they are browned all over, and then set aside. 
  • In the same pan, fry the onion over a low heat for around five minutes, and when it starts to soften, add the celery, garlic and peppers, along with the spices, and cook for another five minutes. 
  • Add the chopped tomatoes, beans and sausages, and turn up the heat until the stew is simmering. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes. Check from time to time, stir and add a little water if necessary. 
  • At the end of the cooking time, rinse and roughly chop the spinach and add it to the pot. Once it has wilted, the stew is ready to serve. 

It would be quite possible to leave out the spinach and still have a splendid stew. We like this with mashed potatoes, or with crusty bread. 

 

Wholemeal loaf

I have started making bread dough in the bread maker, and finishing it off in the oven. I find the strange shape of the pan tin in the breadmaker a bit disconcerting. The slices don’t fit well in the toaster, and I finish the loaf very quickly. 

Here is my recipe for breadmaker dough. Once the machine has made the dough, I kneed it, set it to prove and then bake it. Hello to Ronnie and Peter who were asking about this. 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 1 tsp dried yeast
  • 225g strong white bread flour
  • 225g strong wholemeal bread flour (or any ratio to total weight 550g)
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp butter or oil
  • 330ml water

METHOD:

  • Put the ingredients into the bread-maker in the order specified, and set it to the wholemeal dough bread program, or the nearest suitable setting. My machine takes just over three hours for this, including soaking the flour in the water, warming the mixture to the correct temperature, kneeding and resting the dough. 
  • When the dough is made, remove from the bread maker, kneed it again for around 5 minutes. Try not to add any more flour. If the dough is a bit sticky to start with, try oiling your hands. 
  • Shape and roll the dough into a loaf shape, and put it in a large, greased, loaf tin. Cover, and set it to one side to rise. 
  • Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C. When the dough has risen to double, put it in the hot oven and bake for 33 minutes or so. 

As I am the only person who likes wholemeal bread in the house, I put half in the freezer so it doesn’t go mouldy. You can, of course, experiment with the basic recipe to customise it. 

Brunsviger

Hello Annie – this is the recipe that Malcolm has been playing with. We’ve had several versions at home before he took it to the coastguard last night. The original recipe is from Fika and Hygge, by Bronte Aurell. Malcolm has been testing out making the sticky dough in the breadmaker. 

Brunsviger, or Brunswick Bun, is like a large flat cinnamon bun, soaked in brown sugar and spices. 

INGREDIENTS: 

For the bread base:

  • 2 1/2 tsp dried yeast
  • 250ml whole milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 350g strong white bread flour
  • 40g caster sugar
  • 100g butter
  • 1 tsp salt

For the topping:

  • 175g softened butter
  • 225g dark soft brown sugar
  • 4 tbsp golden syrup
  • vanilla extract
  • Optional, 1 tbsp cinnamon

METHOD:

  • Put the ingredients for the bread dough into the bread maker in the order on the list. Program the bread maker for dough. 
  • When the  bread maker has done its stuff, make the topping. Whisk the butter with 200g of the dark sugar, golden syrum and vanilla extract. 
  • Tip out the dough, knock it back and kneed it. If you need a little more flour it is OK to add it now. 
  • Transfer the dough to a baking tin, we used our medium roasting tin to contain any leaks. Stretch the dough to the sides of the pan, and use your fingers to poke holes in the dough as if you are making focaccia. The more holes the better. 
  • Spread the soft topping over the dough, using a spatula. Cover all the dough, and then sprinkle over the rest of the sugar. Cover with a plastic wrap or clingfilm, and leave it to prove, around 30 minutes. 
  • Meanwhile, set the oven to 200C. 
  • Once the dough has risen, remove the plastic wrap and cook for around 20 to 25 minutes. The topping should be shiny and sticky. 
  • Take out of the oven, cool, cut into squares and eat with coffee. Take time to enjoy this. 

For a stickier top, add more sugar to the topping before baking. 

 
 

Lentil and Bulgar wheat pilaf

I made this to go with the lamb rib dish that I discovered. It is nutritious enough in itself not to need any meat, and it is filling. It makes a good base for adding other ingredients. Try serving it with kale seasoned with za’atar spice blend and lime juice. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 100g green lentils
  • 150g coarse bulgar wheat
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, sliced in half and then finely sliced into half-rings
  • 350ml water or stock
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • ground pepper

METHOD:

  • Rinse the lentils and soak the bulgar wheat in cold water
  • Boil the lentils in plenty of unsalted water for around 15 minutes, then drain them and set them aside
  • Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan, and cook the onions over a low heat for around 15 minutes, until they are caramelised. 
  • Drain the bulgar wheat and add to the saucepan as soon as the onions are cooked to your liking. Stir, add the lentils and stock or water. Season with salt and pepper, and bring to the boil. 
  • Cover and simmer for around 15 minutes, then turn the heat off, wrap the lid in a teatowel and replace onto the pan, and let it rest for around ten minutes before serving. 

If you are going to make this to serve with the lamb ribs, you should start making the pilau before you sort out the ribs. 

Lamb ribs, Turkish style

I found a way to cook lamb ribs that is delicious. You know how it is, in the freezer is a bag of bits from when you got some delicious local lamb. I’m never sure of the best way to deal with these, but broth is the usual stand-by. However, for a good broth, I use the neck, and the ribs are a bit of a fiddle. 

First off, I delegated the job of sorting through the bits to my husband. He separated all of the rib bits into singles, and then we marinaded them overnight, before baking in a hot oven. We served this with a pilaf of bulgar wheat, kale and lentils, and a side-dish of small pickled cornichons. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 bag of lamb ribs – we had about a kilo
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped
  • a pinch of dried thyme
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • 2 tsp pul biber (Aleppo pepper, or other mild chilli)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper

METHOD:

  • Marinade the meat: Mix all of the marinade ingredients together, and coat the ribs with the mixture, cover and leave in the fridge overnight. 
  • Heat the oven to 200C/180C fan. Put the ribs in a single layer in a roasting tin and bake for 20 minutes. 
  • Turn the ribs over, turn the heat up to 220C/200C fan and cook for another 5-10 minutes. 
  • Let the ribs settle while you add any finishing touches to the rest of the meal; you’ll need to eat them with your fingers. 

Kale, lentil, carrot and sweet potato soup

This is very filling, we got six portions from this easily. It is more of a stew than a soup, really. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp chopped ginger
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp chilli flakes
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 250g puy lentils or similar brown lentils
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • a bunch of Kale leaves, ribs removed and chopped
  • 1 litre vegetable stock, such as Marigold
  • Salt and pepper

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil in a large pan, and fry the onion gently with the garlic, ginger, turmeric, chilli flakes and cinnamon, until soft. 
  • Add the sweet potatoes, carrots, and tomato puree, and stir. 
  • Add the stock and lentils and bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes with the pan covered, until the lentils are softening. 
  • Add the chopped kale, check and add water if required, and bring to a simmer again for 10 minutes. 
  • Check and season with salt and pepper.
 

Spicy sausage burgers

The idea for this came from Madhur Jaffrey, but I wanted something much quicker and easier, based on what I had in the fridge. I started with half a pack of reduced sausages from the co-op, the tail end of a jar of garam masala, and ended up with this delicious switch. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 4 pork sausages
  • chopped coriander leaves or parsley
  • 1 tsp garam masala
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

METHOD:

  • Skin the sausages and put the meat into a bowl with the spices and herbs, and mix. This is most efficient by hand, although it is a bit sticky. A wooden spoon does a reasonable job too. 
  • Cut the mixture into four and form into small burgers.
  • Fry the burgers on each side in a little cooking oil. 

We had these as a quick scratch meal with a yoghurt dressing, flat breads, and a green salad. 

Sausage risotto

This is a favourite. It is probably not that authentic, but it is very tasty. As usual, the technique is to make a delicious stew, and then add the rice and stock to make the risotto. I allow around 60g rice per person, and 3x as much water as rice. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 50g butter
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 4 sausages, chopped into chunks – around 200g
  • 250g risotto rice
  • 1 tbsp tomato puree
  • salt and pepper
  • 20g porcini mushrooms
  • approx 750ml hot chicken or beef stock
  • salt and pepper
  • around 50g grated parmesan

METHOD:

  • Melt half of the butter in a pan, and gently fry the onion and sausage until the sausage is cooked. 
  • Meanwhile, soak the porcini mushrooms in half a cup of hot water.
  • When the sausage is cooked, remove the soaked mushrooms from the water, chop them finely and add them to the pan, with the tomato puree and the mushroom water, to make a simple stew. Simmer for around 15 minutes. Keep an eye and add a little stock if the mixture is beginning to stick. 
  • Add all of the rice, stir to coat in the stew, and then cook gently. Add the stock one ladleful at the time, adding more stock only when the last bit has been absorbed. After 20 minutes, all the stock will be in and the rice will be cooked. 
  • Take the pan off the heat, and stir in the rest of the butter and half the parmesan cheese. Adjust the seasoning; I like a lot of pepper
  • Serve with more parmesan cheese on the side. 

I think the real version uses proper Italian sausages, but these are hard to come by locally.