Category: Other recipes

Venison goulash

This is inspired by the excellent shops online, selling Hungarian food. I tried out ‘best of Hungary’ which did me proud, but there are many others. I would love to visit Hungary, I am googling the methods on ‘the man in seat 61’.  I bought a tube of goulash seasoning to appease my longing. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 tbsp beef dripping or lard
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 200g celery, diced
  • 1 1/2 tsp caraway seeds, ground for preference
  • 2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 2 bayleaves
  • 2 1/2 tbsp hot smoked paprika (or use mild smoked paprika if you prefer) 
  • 900g stewing venison, in small cubes
  • 1 can tinned tomatoes
  • 2 red peppers, skinned and sliced into rings (or use 2 tbsp red pepper puree)
  • 1 tbsp goulash paste
  • 1 litre beef stock
  • 2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 parsnips, peeled and sliced
  • 400g waxy potatoes, diced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • A bunch of parsley stems
  • a litre of hot water
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 100g csipetke – Hungarian pinched pasta – or use Italian soup pasta or orzo pasta. 

That seems like a lot of ingredients, but the recipe is easy. 

METHOD:

  • Heat the lard in a very large saucepan or casserole dish. Add the onions and celery and cook over a low-medium heat for around 8 minutes, stirring so they don’t burn.
  • Add the caraway seeds, black pepper and bayleaves and cook for a further two minutes.  
  • Turn off the heat, and add the paprika, and stir in well. Add a little stock or hot water to help it mix. It is a lot of paprika. 
  • Add the venison and garlic, stir it all together and cook over a medium heat until the meat starts to brown. 
  • Add the tomaotes, peppers, goulash paste and the stock. The meat should be covered well buy the stock. 
  • Cover and simmer for an hour and a half. 
  • Add the carrots, parsnips and potatoes, along with the parsley, and add enough hot water to cover the ingredients by a couple of centimeters. Season with salt, bring to the boil, and then simmer, uncovered, for around 15 minutes.
  • Add the csipetke pasta and boil uncovered for another 15 minutes. Check the seasoning before serving.  

This is excellent with red wine, and cabbage as a side-dish. 

Chanterelles with garlic and potatoes

I have been given some delicious foraged chanterelles from the mainland, and it is not an ingredient I get too often. I tried this very simple Italian recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • Approx 125g chanterelles, cleaned and sliced
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 clover of garlic, peeled and chopped
  • 1 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • salt and pepper
  • approx 250g cooked salad potatoes, chopped
  • 15g butter

METHOD:

  • Heat the oil in a large pan, and add the garlic and the parsley, and cook gently for a couple of minutes
  • Turn the heat up a bit and add the sliced chanterelles, and cook for around five minutes. Remove them from the pan using a slotted spoon, and mix in the lemon juice.
  • Add the butter to the pan, and then add the potatoes. Cook them on a high heat until they are getting crispy, and then return the chanterelles to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Serve once the mushrooms are warmed through. 
  • You could garnish with chive flowers, or chopped parsley. 

 

Frittata with asparagus

There has been quite a lot of reduced asparagus in the co-op lately, and this is a quick meal to use it up. I made it with local free-range eggs. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 pack of reduced asparagus, around 100g
  • 25g butter
  • 4 eggs
  • salt and pepper
  • finely chopped parsley
  • about 10g grated parmesan
  • about 10g crushed dried bread e.g. panko breadcrumbs (optional)

METHOD:

  • Wash and dry the asparagus, and chop into 2cm lengths
  • Prepare the egg mixture; beat together the four eggs, parsley, breadcrumbs, seasoning and cheese. 
  • Melt the butter in a small omlette pan, and fry the asparagus on a high setting for around three minutes
  • Pour the egg mixture over the asparagus, and reduce the heat. Once the frittata is almost set, turn it over and cook the other side. 

You can do this for other vegetables, for example try with little courgettes fried with onions in olive oil. I served this with brown toast. 

Mushroom and leek risotto

I had guests and a lot of leeks, so we made this as a quick after-work dish. It was delicious. The leeks were the end of season weeny ones left in the ground, we’d enough to make a substantial dish.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 litre marigold stock
  • 2 x 25g butter
  • 200g mushrooms (one punnet)
  • salt and pepper
  • Chopped fresh sage, thyme and parsley
  • 200g leeks, cleaned and chopped
  • 200g arborio rice
  • 100ml dry white wine 
  • 50g grated parmesan cheese
  • Another 25g butter

METHOD:

  • Heat a large saucepan over a medium heat, and add the first 25g butter. Hwn it melts , add the chopped mushrooms, salt and pepper, and fry for around 4 minutes, until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.
  • In the same pan, add another 25g butter, and add the leeks and herbs and saute for 2 minutes, until browning. 
  • Add the arborio rice and keep on cooking until the rice is glossy and coated in butter
  • Add the white wine and bring to a simmer, stirring until the liquid is absorbed
  • Add the hot stock a ladle-ful at a time, stirring until the liquid is absorbed, and then adding the next scoop. Kepp on with this with the mixture just about simmering. When the rice is tender and al dente, stop there, and add the cheese, 25g butter, mushrooms and stir. Check the seasoning and leave to rest for a couple of minutes 
  • Serve garrnished with herbs. 

Red lentil and coconut curry

 
INGREDIENTS
 
    • 1 tbsp rapeseed oil or sunflower oil
    • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
    • 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
    • 1 tsp ground turmeric
    • 1-2 fresh green chili peppers (you can omit these, depending on how hot you like your food)
    • 1 tsp ground cumin
    • 1 tsp ground coriander
    • 1 tsp chili powder, according to taste. We had kashmir chili powder
    • 2 tsp Madras curry powder
    • 1 tsp garam masala
    • 1 tsp salt
    • Black pepper, to taste
    • 200g red lentils
    • 500ml vegetable stock
    • 1 tin of chopped tomatos
    • 1 tin of coconut milk
    • juice of half a lemon
    • chopped leaf coriander

METHOD:

  • Rinse the lentils in cold water
  • Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat. Once it is hot, add the garlic, ginger, and chili pepper and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir to prevent the garlic from sticking and burning.
  • Add the other spices and stir for a minute, then pour in the stock, tomatoes and lentils, and stir to mix well. Make sure you mix in any spices that have stuck to the bottom of the pan. 
  • Bring to a simmer and reduce the heat to low. Cook for around 20 minutes, checking from time to time to ensure that the mixture is not sticking. You might need to add a little more water and cook for longer, to ensure that the lentils are nice and soft. 
  • Add the coconut milk, salt and pepper, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or so, until the curry is thickened. 
  • Stir in the lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves, beat a little to break up the lentils slighty. 

Serve with rice, or a flatbread. You could serve this with a number of other Indian dishes with rice as part of a feast. 

Mushroom and leek orzotto

I have been in a fizz of pedantry. Why call a dish made with pearl barley a risotto. It isn’t a risotto, it is an orzotto, thanks to Wiki for sorting that one out. Risotto is made with rice. The italian for pearl barley is orzo (and hence why orzo pasta is so named as it has the same shape). And then – orzotto.

Now I have got over the nomenclature, I have made this delicious dish, using mushrooms from a mushroom kit and some leeks and thyme from the garden. 

INGREDIENTS:

  • 60g butter (2x30g)
  • 1 leek, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 250g mushrooms. cut into large pieces.
  • 1/4 tsp dried thyme (or use rosemary)
  • black pepper
  • salt
  • 300g pearl barley
  • 150ml white wine
  • 1000ml stock (low salt if possible)
  • 50g grated parmesan
  • 2 tbsp mascarpone – optional
  • squeeze of lemon juice – optional

METHOD:

  • Lightly toast the barley in a large pan, be very careful not to burn. This step is optional, but adds a lovely toasted flavour to the final dish. 
  • In a large saucepan, melt half the butter, and add the leeks and garlic, frying until soft.
  • Add the mushrooms and herbs, and season with pepper. Continue to fry for another five minutes. Keep stirring, so nothing sticks. Don’t add salt until the end, because the stock and the parmesan will alter the saltiness. 
  • Add the rest of the butter, and then the toasted barley. Cook for a minute and then pour in the glass of wine, and cook for another three minutes, so the barley absorbs the wine. 
  • Add a ladleful of stock. I used beef stock, other stocks also work. I also added a tablespoonful of mushroom ketchup. Bring to a simmer over a medium heat, and cook and stir until the broth is almost absorbed, before adding the next ladleful. Continue in this way, stirring and simmering gently, and adding the stock a bit at a time. Keep going until all of the stock is added. The barley should be tender to the bite, and you may need to add another little bit of boiling water or stock until it is to your liking. 
  • When you are ready, add the grated parmesan, and taste to see if you need to add any salt. You can also add the optional mascarpone or a squeeze of lemon juice. Leave to stand for a few minutes before serving. 

Chestnut Bourguignon pie

My lovely sister was making me jealous with tales of the lovely harvest of apples, pears and plums from the surrounding orchards, down in kent where she lives. She suprised me this weekend by sending me a box full of plump, shiny, perfect chestnuts – freshly picked of course.

I knew exactly what I was going to do with them – make my favourite vegetarian pie. If you don’t have a lovely sister to send you fresh chestnuts, then you can sometimes buy tinned or vacuum packed ones locally or alternatively, buy them dried online. This recipe is taken from the BBCGood Food magazine. It is wonderful with creamy mash and sweet potato.

To prepare the fresh chestnuts, snip of the tip of each nut, and bake at 200C for around 8 minutes. Let them sit for a couple of minutes until they can be handled, and peel.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 250g/8oz of fresh chestnuts OR 125g/4oz dried chestnuts, soaked for 6-8 hours
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary or 1 tsp/5ml dried rosemary
  • 210ml/7fl oz red wine
  • 300ml/10fl oz Marigold vegetable stock or water
  • 25g/1oz butter or soya margarine
  • 8 small pickling onions or shallots, peeled
  • 125g/4oz chestnut mushrooms, wiped
  • 125g/4oz button mushrooms, wiped
  • 2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 2-3 tbsp tamari or soy sauce
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 225g/8oz pastry. You could use Gluten Free Pastry.

METHOD:

  • Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
  • Place the soaked chestnuts, herbs and 150ml/5fl oz of wine in a saucepan with vegetable stock to cover and cook until just tender – approximately 50-60 minutes.
  • Drain the chestnuts, reserving the liquid.
  • Melt the butter in a frying pan and sauté the onions until slightly browned.Add the mushrooms and cook for a further 4-5 minutes.
  • Add the chestnuts, the remaining red wine and sufficient chestnut cooking liquor to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer for 20-30 minutes to reduce the liquid a little.
  • Stir in the mustard, tamari and black pepper to taste and cook for a further 5 minutes.
  • Check seasoning and adjust as necessary. Spoon the mixture into a pie dish. Roll out the pastry on a floured surface and place on top of filling. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden.

Tagliatelle with carrot and tarragon carbonara sauce

Trust me: this is good.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped onion
  • 1 tbsp olive oil or butter
  • 250g tagliatelle
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 50g grated parmesan
  • 1 tbsp tarragon
  • salt and pepper

METHOD:

  • Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, put in the tagliatelle, and cook for 8 minutes.
  • While the tagliatelle is cooking, fry the onion and carrot in the olive oil or butter until cooked, about 6 minutes.
  • Mix the eggs, tarragon, salt and pepper and parmesan in a bowl.
  • When the pasta is cooked, drain it, and stir in the carrots, onions and egg mixture, and stir until the sauce is hot but still creamy; do not try to get the egg set, that is not the point
  • Serve quickly, while still good and hot, with pepper and more parmesan, to taste.

Pork and Saffron Risotto

This recipe comes from Valentia Harris’s excellent book on risotto, which I use frequently. This is the only recipe for risotto that I have found that uses pork. I used a piece of a hand of pork, and some dripping that Malcolm had clarified.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 75g pork dripping, lard or pork belly fat
  • 1 finely chopped onion
  • 300g finely cubed pork, eg from shoulder or hand of pork
  • 1/2 glass dry white wine
  • 1 tin organic chopped tomatoes
  • pinch of safron strands soaked in a little warm water
  • 500g organic risotto rice
  • 1.5 litres hot stock
  • 50g freshly grated pecorino/parmesan cheese
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD:

  • Fry the onion in the pork dripping slowly so that it softens, then add the cubes of pork
  • Cook together and add the dry white wine, until the pork is browned.
  • Add the tomatoes and mix well, then add the saffron and the water in which it soaked, and bring to the simmer.
  • Continue to simmer gently for about an hour, adding water if required to keep the mixture moist. At the end of the cooking, the pork should be almost falling apart.
  • Add all the rice, and stir until it is heated through and well coated.
  • Start adding the hot stock a little at a time, stiring it in as you go. Make sure that all the liquid is absorbed before adding the next bit of stock.
  • When the rice is cooked, firm, yet velvety and the sauce is creamy, take the risotto off the heat and add the cheese, salt and pepper. Let it sit for a few minutes and stir before serving from a warmed platter.

Truffle Risotto

Mm. A recipe to start early, it doesn’t take 20 minutes, more like 3 to 4 hours. It involves making a mega rich stock, and then adding the rice. This is from one of my favourite recipe books, ‘Risotto Risotto’ by Valentia Harris.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 40g pork fat or lard
  • 40g prosciutto crudo
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, finely sliced
  • 1 celery stick chopped well
  • 400g beef offcuts or skirt
  • 1.5 litres boiling water
  • salt and peppper
  • 400g risotto rice
  • 75g butter (
  • 75g grated parmesan
  • white truffles, preferably fresh, but can be bought as a paste or in oil

METHOD:

  • Put the pork fat, onion and prosciutto in a blender and whiz to make a thick paste.
  • Put the paste in a large and heavy pan, and fry until soft and golden, at least five minutes, then add the carrot and celery and fry for another five minutes.
  • Add the beef and brown on all sides. Cover with the boiling water, season with salt and pepper and put a lid over the pot. Simmer for three hours.
  • Remove the meat and set aside. If you have used a very rough cut like the skirt, then discard this. We used left-overs, which we shredded and added back later.
  • Put the remaining stock through the food processer so that it is really smooth, and add boiling water to make up to 1.2 litres.
  • Bring the smooth stock to the boil, add all the rice and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until there is no free fluid
  • Add the butter and cheese and any reserved beef that is tender enough to eat. Stir and leave to relax for five minutes.
  • Cover the risotto with shaved truffles, or stir in the white truffle paste, and serve.