Author: drceit

Deep-fried squid rings

On a whim, I purchased a bag of frozen squid rings from Barratlantic. I had never cooked them before, so I tried a few recipes. I made a rather unsuccessful pasta dish, so I need to work on that. Tonight I deep-fried them, following the method outlined in ‘Dear Francesca’ by Mary Contini. I added a squeeze of lemon juice and mayonnaise and it was lovely. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Squid rings, rinsed and patted dry
  • A dish of plain flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • Lemon
  • Sunflower oil or rapeseed oil

METHOD:

  • Season the flour with salt and pepper
  • Heat the oil in a saucepan, until it is hot enough to make a bit of bread sizzle when you drop it in. 
  • Dip the squid rings into the seasoned flour, shake of the excess flour and then drop into the hot oil. Don’t do too many at a time. 
  • As soon as the squid rings start to take on a flush of golden colour, scoop them out and onto a plate, and serve with a squeeze of lemon. 
  • Do the squid in batches, according to how much you have, and eat immediately. 

You can do the same to other foods, including other fish, and vegetables. Time to experiment. 

Sliced venison with mushrooms, Hungarian Bakony style.

This is anothe recipe from ‘The cuisine of Hungary’. The recipes so far have been striaghtforward and the results, very tasty. The original recipe asks for 450g wild mushrooms, which is a big ask, so I used 40g mixed dried wild mushrooms and a small punnet of chestnut mushrooms. I served this with rice, as suggested in the original recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 600g venison
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 30g plain flour
  • 30g lard
  • 2 small onions, finley chopped
  • 1 tbsp hot paprika
  • 120ml stock
  • 40g dried mushrooms
  • 50g fresh mushrooms
  • 3 tbsp sour cream

METHOD:

  • Soak the dried mushrooms in cold water for 30 minutes. 
  • Cut the meat into 2cm thick slices. Lay them flat, sprinkle with salt and then dredge them with flour on each side. 
  • Melt the lard in a frying pan, and fast-fry the venison on both sides, then put the meat into the bottom of a large casserole dish. 
  • Fry the onions in the same pan until golden in colour, then add 1 tbsp cold water and the paprika. Doing this stops the paprika from scorching. Cover the pan and cook until the liquid has evaporated. 
  • Slice the soaked mushrooms and add to the meat, followed by the onion mixture, along with a little stock. Cover tightly and simmer over a low heat until the meat is half-cooked. 
  • Slice the fresh mushrooms, and fry them in the same frying panfor a minute, before adding to the casserole once the meat is half-cooked. Cook for another thirty minutes. Keep checking on the casserole and add a little stock to keep it from becoming dry. 
  • Mix 1 tbsp flour with the sour cream, and stir into the casserole. Bring the stew back to the simmer and serve with rice. 

Hungarian style venison cutlets

This is another dish from George Lang’s book. The Cuisine of Hungary. My daughers loved it because of the green peppers. I have adapted slightly, as the original recipe did not suggest skinning the tomatoes, and I regretted not doing it. I served this with plain rice. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 600g venison, for example boned leg, sliced into cutlets and pounded to make them flat
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tbsp lard
  • 1 large onion, peeled and diced
  • 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
  • 2 tsp hot paprika
  • 2 medium tomatoes, skinned and sliced
  • 800g large potatoes, peeled and cut into long segments.
  • 3 green peppers, sliced

METHOD: 

  • Prepare the cutlets, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Fry them in 1 tbsp lard and put them into the bottom of a large pan.
  • In a frying pan, melt the rest of the lard, and fry the diced onion until it starts to brown. 
  • Add the caraway seeds, and then a minute later add about 100ml cold water, stir and add the paprika. Cover the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.
  • Pour the onion mixture over the meat, as well as a little water, and cook over a low heat. Check every five to ten minutes, topping up with a little water if required.
  • Once the meat is almost done, add the tomatoes, peppers and tomatoes. The cooking time will depend on the meat, but if you gave it a good bashing, then it won’t take too long. 
  • Continue to cook for another half an hour or so, so that the potatoes are done. Adjust the seasoning before serving. 

Hungarian lamb and spinach stew ‘Banat style’

I have been trying out some traditional Hungarian recipes, using a book called Cuisine of Hungary by George Lang. It includes a history of Hungary, it’s regions and culinary styles. The recipes I have tried so far are very straight-forward with ingredients that are readily available locally. 

Banat is a germanic region in central Europe, including the south of Hungary, Romania and Bosnia. One of the features of this area is the use of cream cheeses, and more lamb than in other regions. This recipe benefits from using local lamb with lots of flavour.

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 kilo of lamb for stew. I used lamb chops because that was what was available. 
  • seasoned flour
  • 100g lard
  • 1 large onion, peeled and sliced
  • 1 tsp hot paprika
  • 1/2 tsp salt 
  • 600g spinach
  • 50g ricotta
  • 100ml sour cream
  • Optional: a pinch of tarragon

METHOD:

  • Coat the meat in the seasoned flour, and then fry it in hot lard until it is seared, and then remove to a plate. 
  • In the same fat, fry the sliced onion until it starts to colour
  • Scoop the onion into the bottom of a casserole dish, and mix in paprika and salt to taste
  • On top of the onion, add the meat and then the spinach, and then around 150ml water or lamb stock. Bring to a simmer and cook at a low heat for around an hour. Check every 10 minutes or so and add a little water if required. Only add small amounts of water each time. 
  • Once the meat is cooked, stir in the ricotta and sour cream, and any herbs. Simmer for a few minutes.
  • Serve with rice. I also added a side dish of carrot salad. 

 

 

Venison Tagine

I have no idea if this is authentic, but it is very good. It could be made with the spices listed here, or by substituting Ras el Hanout, a mixed spice blend from Morocco. It is derived from a similar recipe in Norman Tebbit’s book, The Game Cook. 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 1kg diced venison
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 tsp hot paprika
  • olive oil
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic
  • a handful of chopped mint
  • 1/2 tsp allspice
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 1.5 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 
  • (or use 2 tbsp ras el hanout instead of all of the spices)
  • 600ml stock
  • 250ml red wine
  • 4 tbsp tomato puree
  • 250g carrots, chopped into large chunks
  • 250g chopped butternut squash
  • Sweet peppers, chopped into large pieces. 
  • 250g ready-to-eat dried apricots
  • juice of a lemon
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

METHOD:

  • Mix the venison with the salt, a pinch of black pepper and 1 tsp paprika, and leave to allow the flavour to develop for at least an hour. 
  • Set the oven to 160C
  • Heat the oil in a large casserole dish, and fry off the meat, remove and set aside. 
  • Add the onions to the oil, and as they start to soften, add the garlic, and fry for another five minutes or so. 
  • Add half of the mint and all of the spices, mix well, fry for a minute, and then add the red wine, stock, and tomato puree. Bring to a simmer and add back the venison, and the chopped carrots. 
  • Cook in the oven for around an hour and half to two hours. 
  • Add the butternut sqush, apricots and peppers, along with the lemon juice, the rest of the mint and cayenne pepper to taste. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes, so that the vegetables are done. 

 

New potatoes with peas, coriander, pickled lemons

I sourced some pickled lemons from Eriskay shop, amazing well-run and well-stocked little shop at the hall. (Other local retailers may also stock them). I used them in this dish from Ottolenghi’s book ‘Simple’, which also made use of some fantastic fresh new salad potatoes from Tagsa Horticulture Project. I served this with some sausages, absolutely lovely. They would also be good as a side dish with lamb. 

INGREDIENTS: 

  • 300g frozen peas
  • 2 green chillies, finely chopped
  • 1 preserved lemon, pips out, 
  • 15g coriander leaves, roughly chopped
  • 60ml olive oil
  • 1 small lemon, use zest from 1/2 the lemon, and around 5ml juice
  • 750g new potatoes, chop the larger potatoes in half if required.
  • salt and pepper to taste

METHOD:

  • Add boiling water to the peas in a small pan, bring back to the boil and cook for one minute before draining. Set aside until you need them. 
  • In a food processor, add 2/3 of the peas, the preserved lemon, green chillies, coriander leaves, olive oil, the lemon juice and zest, and give the mixture a buzz to create a rough paste, and set aside until needed. 
  • Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the new potatoes, with their skins still on. Boil them for around 15 minutes, and then drain. 
  • Return the potatoes to the large pan, and give them a squish with the masher so that some of the potato chunks are still whole. Stir in the cooked peas and the blitzed pea mixture, stir and season to taste. You could add another squeeze of lemon and a coriander leaf garnish. 

 

Chanterelle mushrooms with fried potatoes.

It is chanterelle season on the mainland. Chanterelle mushrooms grow in damp acid soil, usually woodland, with lots of leaf litter. The mycelium lives in symbiosis with the tree roots, and in the later part of the summer, it produces delicious yellow mushrooms. We were lucky enough to be given a large container full, so I split it with my daughter. I think she cooked hers with spaghetti. I went with this recipe from ‘Dear Francesca’ by Mary Contini. 

This recipe is very free in quantities. Use what you have and divide it between the people who are with you. Add other options to the plate, such as hot-smoked salmon, or an omelette, or a steak. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Chanterelle mushrooms, cleaned and sliced, around 200g
  • 2-3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • Chopped parsley
  • black pepper
  • a squeeze of lemon (optional)
  • 4-5 salad potatoes, such as charlotte potatoes
  • A blob of butter

METHOD:

  • Boil the potatoes until firm and tender. Cool and chop into bite-sized cubes. 
  • Warm the oil in a wok or wide-based saucepan, and fry the garlic with a little parsley.
  • Once the garlic is beginning to cook, turn up the heat and add the sliced mushrooms. Keep stirring. As they cook they will release quite a bit of water. Once the mixture is at its wettest (you’ll have to guess a bit) scoop out the mushrooms and set them aside. 
  • Add the blob of butter, and once it has melted, add the potatoes, and cook on a high heat until the potatoes are browned and crispy on the outside. 
  • Return the mushrooms to the pan, warm through and season with black pepper and a little lemon juice. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve. 

Mushrooms and bere berries

Last year Malcolm and I went to Orkney on a jaunt (or was it the year before). We visited the splendid Barony Mill, a traditional set up. We bought a range of flours, and we also bought some bere berries. I used these to make a traditional spanish dish with mushrooms, totally wonderful. 

Bere is a grain similar to wheat, and can be used in the same way as barley in orzotto, soups and similar dishes. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 50g bere berries
  • 1/2 onion
  • 400g mushrooms (could be a mixture of wild and cultivated, try adding porcini)
  • 5 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves of garlic, chopped roughly
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1 bunch of coriander leaves, chopped
  • Juice of 1/2 small lemon
  • salt and pepper

METHOD:

  • Simmer the bere berries with the half onion in a litre of water for around 1 hour. Once the bere berries are tender, drain the mixture.
  • Pick over the mushrooms and chop  them roughly. 
  • Heat the olive oil in a large pan over a medium heat, and add the garlic. 
  • As soon as the garlic starts to brown, add the cumin and the mushrooms, lower the heat and cook for around five minutes
  • Add the bere berries, coriander leaf, leom juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. 

This is delicious as a snack or side dish. Serve with salad, warm flat bread, a green salad, wine. 

 

 

Pasta, peas, tarragon, mushrooms

I sometimes buy very freshly picked vegetables from the Tagsa Horticulture Project, a local charity working to improve our food security. It includes community gardens, polytunnels, and it is inclusive, working with groups and volunteers of all ages. 

Anyay, I digress. I got some mange tout peas, and I made this pasta dish. 

INGREDIENTS PER PERSON:

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil 
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
  • 75 to 100g mange tout, chopped into large pieces
  • 75 to 100g mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 100g pancetta or bacon, in small cubes
  • 1/2 tsp dried tarragon
  • 1 tsp thick cream
  • salt and pepper
  • A grating of nutmeg
  • 75g pasta such as spaghetti or linguini
  • 25g grated parmesan

METHOD:

  • Boil a pan of salted water, and cook the pasta for around 8 to 9 minutes, according to the instructions on the packet. 
  • While the pasta is boiling, start cooking the rest of the dish. Over a medium heat, fry the garlic in the oil, then as it starts to colour a little, add the bacon. When the bacon fat begins to run, add the mushrooms. When the mushrooms begin to brown, add the peas.
  • Add the cream to the vegetables, along with salt, black pepper and a grating of nutmeg and the tarragon. Keep warm while the pasta finishes cooking.  
  • When the pasta is done, drain it and add it back to the pan with a spoonful of pasta water. 
  • Stir the vegetables through the pasta, then stir the cheese in. Really delicious. 

 

Frangipane tart

This recipe came to me from my aunt Gill, and I am passing it on at the request of the knitting crew. I am going to have another go at it soon, as I don’t think I have got a proper grip of my current (and new to me) oven. 

You can vary the jam to taste, something slightly tangy works well, such as apricot, raspberry and lemon, rhubarb and fig, cherry, blackberry and apple etcetera. 

PASTRY INGREDIENTS:

  • 60g icing sugar
  • 270g plain flour
  • 135g soft butter
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 to 2 tbsp cream

FRANGIPANE AND JAM FILLING

  • 240g soft butter
  • 240g caster sugar
  • 240g ground almonds
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 1 tbsp + cream
  • 200g jam of your choice
  • flaked almonds
  • icing sugar to dust at the end. 

METHOD

  • Preheat the oven to 200C
  • Mix the flour and icing sugar together and rub in the butter, OR put these ingredients into a food processer and whiz until you have fine breadcrumb texture. Mix in the egg yolk and enough cream to make a very soft dough. Do not over-work, as this will affect the texture of the pastry. 
  • On a well-floured board, roll the dough out to around 1/2 cm thick. Use this to line a 27cm flan dish. The pastry will tear, but it is so soft you can just squish it back together again. 
  • Bake blind: Prick the base with a fork, and then weigh it down with baking beans on a layer of baking paper. Bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry is crisp. I took the beans out after 15 minutes. (I wish I had the silicon bag that I have seen on the television, but not available when I look online).
  • Remove from the oven and allow to cool. The base should be dry and the edges almost crisp. 
  • Make the frangipane filling. Start by whisking the soft butter and the sugar together, then add the ground almonds and the beaten eggs and stir well to combine. 
  • Turn the oven down to 190C. Spread the jam over the pastry case, then pour the frangipane mixture over the jam. Sprinkle with plenty of flaked almonds, and bake for 25 minutes. The filling should be firm and golden brown and the nuts should look slightly toasted. 
  • Cool the tart, and dust with a little icing sugar. 

This is best served with cream.