Boxty

"Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan, if you can't make boxty you'll never get a man"

                                                                                                            
Old Irish rhyme

Many cultures have recipes for potato cakes and Ireland of course being one of the great potato eating nations of Europe is no exception. Boxty is a traditional Irish pancake made of potatoes but it's slightly unusual in that it calls for both cooked and raw potatoes. Aran bocht ti shortened to bacstai literally means poor house bread or poor house in the Irish language giving a strong clue as to the dish's humble origins. Humble though they may be they must be the most literate potato cakes in the world. As well as the ditty above they appear in the writings of Joyce, George Bernard Shaw, Kate O'Brien and Somerville and Ross among others.

Ingredients

250g cold mashed potato

250g raw potato

250g plain flour

The other bits and pieces are store cupboard/fridge staples:
1 teaspoon baking powder
Up to 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
1 large knob of butter (or bacon fat)
Some milk (about 120 ml) – buttermilk if you have it

Method


The potatoes, also known as the spuds, should by rights be floury, not waxy. Try Record, or even Kerr’s Pinks. 
Put the mashed potato into a large mixing bowl and leave it to one side. Next, grate the raw potatoes into another basin lined with a teacloth or napkin. Wring them very tightly in the cloth over the basin, to squeeze out  as much starchy liquid as possible. Put the grated potato in with the mashed potato. Melt the butter in your frying pan, very gently so that it doesn’t burn. Pour it into the potato mix. Add the flour and the baking powder, and salt. Then add some milk in small amounts until there’s just enough to form a soft dough. Spread the dough ball out onto a floured work surface. Knead the mixture lightly or, better still, mix it well with a knife and do a minimum of kneading at the end. Finally cut the ball up into about four smaller balls and shape them into flat round cakes, then gently cut each one into quarters.Pop them into your frying pan and fry them in a small amount of oil. 

Simple Asian Carrot Salad

Gold, silver bronze....!! Is watching all these super fit Olympic athletes making you feel slightly sluggish and out of shape? Well here's the perfect summer dish which might help. Crunchy raw carrots are a wonderful and healthy accompaniment to many dishes both hot and cold. Coleslaw is popular but for a change we thought you might like to try this simple Asian version which drops the mayonnaise. Here we suggest using just carrots but white cabbage, celeriac and mooli (daikon) are delicious mixed in too. This carrot salad which is best made a little in advance is incredibly versatile and great as a side to grilled chicken, red meat and fish or even pasta dishes such as lasagne and chilli con carne where the hot/cold contrast plays with the taste buds and lends interest. The quantities below are a guide. You are looking for a pleasant balance between the acidic ingredients the salt and the sweet and you'll only really achieve that by tasting. The recipe calls for a little mirin widely used in Japanese cooking. It's sweet and may contain a little alcohol but once you have it in the cupboard you will start finding many uses for it. Rice wine vinegar also called rice vinegar is one step more in the process which creates rice wine. It is also far more acidic. By the way sultanas or chopped dates or apricots will add a fruity note for variety. The mix will keep in the fridge for several days but the acids will "cook" the carrots slowly softening them.

Bright cheerful and healthy crunchiness

Ingredients

2 tbsps mirin
2 tbsps rice wine vinegar
1 1tbsp honey
1 tsp castor sugar
1 tsp salt
handful chopped walnuts
1 tsp black sesame seeds
4 to 5 carrots peeled and grated





Method

Mix the first seven ingredients in a small bowl and stir to dissolve the salt and sugar. Grate the carrots in a food processor (we find the julienne attachment gives the best results) and place in a mixing bowl. Pour in the marinade and mix well. Leave for a few minutes for the flavours to blend and the walnuts to soften slightly and loose their bitterness. The salt will draw a little moisture out of the carrots but don't worry this is normal. Either drain off or mix back into the grated carrot. Serve slightly chilled with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds.

Pol Sambol, Moju and Dal - by Ghaz

Last week Romesh and I  made a fantastic Sri Lankan curry but of course that is not the full story, so while the chicken was bubbling away we turned our attention to the supporting cast. There are numerous condiment dishes normally served which compliment and enhance the main star. For example many countries around the Indian ocean rim have a version of the coconut dish Pol Sambol. Known simply as sambal in my own country Malaysia, whilst in neighbouring Indonesia and Singapore it comes in numerous varieties such as sambal belacan made with dried shrimp, sambal goreng a fried version and even sambal tempoyak made with fermented durian and anchovies!! But before you stop reading the version which has become our favourite is actually from the island of Sri Lanka. It was Romesh of course who introduced me to this one. It is fantastic with curries, dals and pulses, grilled meats and rice which the zingy lime and chilli cuts straight through. A word of caution though it can be spicy for the uninitiated so use discretion with the chilli! By the way Maldive fish called for in the recipe is dried tuna and is a staple of those islands' cuisine as well as Sri Lanka's. It does enhance and improve the flavour but if you leave it out don't worry. Finally when grating the coconut you need to be careful it doesn't become a paste. Our local Thai shop On Hogarth Road in Earls Court has a wonderful grater and does it for us.

Ingredients
1 fresh Coconut
1 red onion or 4 shallots
2 tsp chilli powder
1 Lime
1 tbsp Maldive fish flakes (optional)
I diced green chilli
1 clove Garlic
Method
Break open the coconut shell, remove the flesh and grate with a box grater. Chop the onion or shallots very finely. Add the coconut, onion, garlic, chilli and fish (if using) together and squeeze in the lime juice and mix well.

Similarly Moju is designed to complement curry dishes. It is a Sri Lankan pickle made from aubergine, onion and vinegar.

Ingredients
Half cup Black mustard seeds
White or red wine vinegar
Garlic
Fresh ginger
Sugar
Salt
1 Aubergine
1 Onion
2 Tbsp vegetable oil

Method
Put half the mustard seed in a bowl and cover with vinegar and stand over night.  When ready to prepare slice the aubergine into strips, add salt and turmeric and allow to stand for 15 - 20 minutes to extract bitter juice. Meanwhile put mustard, vinegar and sugar in a blender with the ginger and garlic and blend until smooth paste. Heat oil and fry remaining mustard seeds till they pop . Add paste and cook for about 5 minutes. Fry aubergine and onion separately and drain and combine with paste. Add salt to taste.

Dal
Ingredients
2 cups Myshore Dal
2 Tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp Chilli powder
Half tsp Turmeric
1 Inch of cinnamon stick
1 Tsp Maldive fish (optional)
2 cloves Garlic (paste)
1 Large onion diced
8 Curry Leaves
1 Tbsp Curry Powder
4 Inch Pandan leaf
Juice of half lime
Half can Coconut milk
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
Salt to taste

Method
Rinse dal until the water runs clear then add the turmeric and boil (uncovered) in water at least one inch above the pulses until soft (about 10 - 15 minutes), topping up with hot water if necessary.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a pan and fry mustard seeds, cinnamon, chilli powder, onion, pandan leaf, curry powder and leaves until aromatic and the mustard seeds start to pop and dance! Finally add garlic and cook for a further one minute. Combine well and add to the dal together with coconut milk, lime juice and salt to taste.

Double Dip!

"...And now I've done my time in the kitchen at parties, I've done my time in the kitchen at  parties..." 
Jona Lewie 1980

Well folks it's official we are now in recession again, the so called double dip! So what to do? Have a few people around and throw a party! Here is the Incredibly Fed version of the double dip! Two fabulous vegetarian party or picnic nibbles that are absolutely delicious and guaranteed to take no more than a few minutes to prepare. Like Jona Lewie you will not spend your time in the kitchen at parties and your guests will really appreciate the authentic home made taste. We also think you might consider serving the wonderful Pimientos de Padron (See the blog below).  

Guacamole, a dip made from avocados, is originally from Mexico. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words - ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). The trick to perfect guacamole is using good, ripe avocados. Check for ripeness by gently pressing the outside of the avocado. If there is no give, the avocado is not ripe yet and will not taste good. If there is a little give, the avocado is ripe. If there is a lot of give, the avocado may be past ripe and not good. In this case, taste test first before using.

Ingredients  

3 or 4 Ripe avocados

3 spring onions chopped finely

1 Garlic glove chopped finely

1 chilli finely chopped 

1 large tomato seeds removed and finely chopped

Small bunch coriander chopped

2 tbsp olive oil 

Seasoning

Method 

Mash avocado flesh in a bowl mix in the other ingredients with oil and mix until desired consistency. Taste and adjust for seasoning. Serve with tortilla chips. 

Cannellini Bean Dip

Ingredients 

I can cannellini beans

2 tbsp pesto 

Half clove garlic

Juice of half lemon

Seasoning

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and whizz until creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning. Put in a party serving bowl

Crostini 

We always find a stale baguette is good for making bite size crostini. Use bread which is three or four days old. Cut the baguette into thin rounds and place on a baking tray. Sprinkle with a little olive oil and seasoning. Place in the oven at 180 C for about 15 minutes or until a light golden golden colour. Crostini will keep for ages in an airtight container.

Easter Sunday Salmon Pasta Brunch

Why not make something a little special this Easter? If you are having a late lunch this hearty breakfast is sure to keep you going until the roast is done! Sunday mornings, smoked salmon and eggs are made for each other. Eggs Benedict and Eggs florentine on muffins are heavenly classics.  Scrambled egg on toast topped with smoked salmon delightful. Kedgeree reminiscent of brunch in the Raj is a delicious self service brunch dish with smoked haddock curry spices boiled eggs and rice. Recently we tried a brunch dish inspired by a mix of all these classics but rather than muffins toast or rice we used pasta. In a large help yourself serving dish reminiscent of Kedgeree we put linguini topped with smoked salmon boiled eggs lemon wedges and crushed walnuts. It was very easy and quick to prepare requiring no cooking apart from the pasta and eggs and went down very well indeed.

Easter Sunday Morning on a plate! 

Ingredients

1 pack linguini
150g cream cheese
150g creme fraiche
1 tbsp capers chopped
2 tbsps sweet French mustard
Handfull Mange touts
300 g smoked salmon
3 eggs boiled quartered
50 g chopped walnuts
1 lemon cut into wedges
3 tbsps olive oil
Seasoning



Method

Boil the pasta as normal until just slightly "al dente",  add the mange touts for about 30 seconds and drain. Meanwhile mix the creme fraiche, cream cheese, mustard and chopped capers in a bowl until well blended. Let down the mixture with a little of the liquid from the capers and pour into the pasta saucepan. Pour the pasta and mange touts on top and toss until the pasta and sauce is well mixed season generously and put in a serving dish. Tear the smoked salmon slices and arrange with the egg quarters and lemon wedges on top. Sprinkle the chopped walnuts over and drizzle with olive oil. Serve with a tongs. Happy Easter!!

A wok in the park!

A wok must be one of the most useful utensils in the kitchen and is well worth the investment. No home should be without one. If you are without one and thinking of buying just make sure it is suitable for your type of hob as many are not designed for western stoves. It is worth doing a little research before you purchase. In Europe we tend to associate woks with one particular type of cooking style probably as a result of our exposure to Chinese take aways but with a little lateral thinking it can be used for many different types of cooking such as frying, stir frying, braising, deep frying, boiling and steaming, searing and stewing. Indeed over much of Asia where one ring cookers are the norm it is probably the only cooking vessel in many homes. As far as we are concerned we both discovered this style of cooking at very different times, no prizes for guessing which one grew up watching his mum and sisters cook with a wok over a fierce heat whilst the other had to wait to go to California in his early 20's to be introduced to the wonders of stir fry in 1980's. But whatever the introduction once tried it has remained a favourite cooking method ever since. It is quick, healthy and easy to master and more importantly the texture and crunchiness of vegetables along with their nutritional content is maintained better than any other cooking method we know. Besides it is one pot cooking so cuts down on mess and the washing up. A piece of cake, a walk in the park!


If you haven't cooked with a wok before and are trying one out the recipe below is simple, straight forward and fun. It is a great way to get into the mind set required and once you master this one you will be able to cook almost anything. In this recipe we have listed some of our favourite vegetables but many others can be used like carrot, celery courgettes, broccoli, French beans, cauliflower etc etc etc. The rule of thumb is of course to give the hardest vegetables the longest cooking time. Also its easiest indeed essential to have prepared all your ingredients beforehand as stir fry cooking is so fast it requires your full attention and once you start and there is very little time to do anything. The list of ingredients looks long but most are items necessary for wok cooking and once you have bought them once the will stay in your store cupboard indefinitely.Two wooden spatulas are probably best for tossing.

Ingredients (serves two)

1 large breast of chicken sliced
1 red onion chopped
1 red pepper chopped
Handful mange touts
Handful baby sweetcorn (halved lengthwise)
Handful roasted cashew nuts
Handful button mushrooms
3 tbsp vegetable oil (Rape seed or peanut)
2 cloves garlic chopped
2 cms ginger chopped
2 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Oyster sauce
1 tbsp mirin
1 tsp sesame oil

Method
Heat the wok over high heat until it starts to smoke lightly. Put in the vegetable oil and fry the onions until softened. Add the ginger, garlic and chicken and toss continuously until the chicken turns opaque. Meanwhile in a small bowl combine the soy sauce, oyster sauce and mirin and add into the wok. Mix until liquid is slightly thickened then add the red pepper and toss again for a few minutes until the pepper softens slightly. If  the wok become too dry or the ingredients catch pour a little water in. Finally add the mange touts button mushrooms, cashew nuts and sesame. Toss for about 20 seconds and then turn out into serving bowls

Sweet Potato Parcels

Like the bhajis mentioned in this blog some time ago these little parcels make a deliciously sweet/savoury and surprisingly light snack. Slightly more substantial than a canape, they can be stuffed with a variety of fillings such as mushroom, feta cheese and spinach. In this case however, we strongly recommend using sweet potatoes that much underrated root. They are great value, easy to prepare but more importantly they are full of enzymes and extremely healthy. Originating in Central and South America sweet potatoes have been domestically cultivated for at least 5,000 years and have spread throughout the world. They are an amazing source of Vitamin A, C, B6 and iron and calcium and their cultivation is heavily promoted in Africa and other developing areas where a nutritional diet is crucial. All this sounds rather worthy but don't let this put you off. Although not widely grown in Europe they are becoming more and more popular in our cuisine and work particularly well in this dish. Their sweetness being deliciously counterpointed by the salt and chilli.

Ingredients (40 parcels)
2 or 3 sweet potatoes
1 red onion finely chopped
2 cms of chopped ginger
Tsp chilli flakes
Celery salt
Crushed pepper
Handfull of chopped cashew nuts.
1 Packet Filo pastry
200 g melted butter
Cinnamon powder

Method
Soften the un-peeled sweet potatoes. (An easy way to do this is to pierce the potatoes skins and put them in a supermarket shopping bag in the microwave for about 5 minutes or until soft). In the meantime fry the onion in a little olive oil with the chilli flakes. When the potatoes are soft enough scrape out the potato flesh and discard the skins and allow to cool before adding to the onions. Prepare the pastry by dividing the filo sheets into 4 equal strips lengthwise. Brush each strip with butter. Place a table spoon of the mixture at one end and then fold up in a triangle from side to side using all the pastry strip so the filling is completely sealed in. Brush the parcels with butter and place on a baking tray in the oven at 200 C for about 20 minutes or until they have turned golden. Sprinkle with cinnamon powder and serve hot or cold.

Spanish Tortilla....Ole!!

Spanish Tortilla is a wonderful standby. It's ingredients are inexpensive, tasty, easily available and apart from a base of eggs and potatoes almost infinitely variable. But come to think of it even the potatoes are negotiable. A large tortilla can be kept in the fridge for several days to be sliced up in small or large portions as and when the need arises. Last year when we made a king size one on a skiing trip in Baquera in the Pyrenees it proved incredibly popular at 4 pm when every one came home more than a little peckish and fancied a little apres ski nibble while they waited for their turn in the shower. It should be pointed out that it also seemed to disappear at breakfast and for that matter at lunch time as well. In fact so popular was it that a second had to be russled up but this time we substituted spaghetti for the potatoes.

Made in Baquera

I suppose you could describe Spanish tortilla (not to be confused with Mexican tortilla - a type of flat bread) as a thick omelette which is cooked in a skillet but not turned over. The ingredients which usually include potatoes (waxy varieties are best) are arranged and then covered with whisked eggs. Spaghetti also makes a lovely tortilla, just cook the pasta, drain, allow to cool and press into the pan with any other ingredients and continue as normal. Tortillas can be plain but extra flavour and interest can be added by ingredients such as onion, garlic, pancetta, chorizo, chilli or tabasco, cheeses, vegetables such as peppers, asparagus or peas or even fish such as flaked mackerel or prawns. Below are the basic ingredients but feel free to choose your own or use up whatever is in the fridge.

Method:
Use a non-stick pan. Slice the onion and fry in the oil with garlic, chilli flakes, chorizo and or bacon until translucent. Add the potatoes and allow them to soak up some of the flavoured oil. Season the dry ingredients. Meanwhile whisk the eggs with milk and butter, season and pour over. Make sure the egg penetrates through all the ingredients. Cook on a low heat to avoid burning the base of the tortilla which will become the top. After a few minutes switch the heat source to the top by placing the pan under a grill. When almost cooked (that is the egg is solid) remove from the heat. The residue heat will continue the cooking process. Allow to cool slightly. Run a knife around the edge of the pan. Take a large plate and place upside down over the pan. Quickly flick the tortilla onto the plate. This is always a heart stopping moment but hopefully you will have a lovely round and slightly browned tortilla cake. One final suggestion. Cut the tortilla into small cubes skewer with cocktail sticks to make a dainty canape.

"Pa Amb Tomaquet" Tomato Bread

In the early 90's I bought a house off the King's Road. It turned out to be the very one that Simon Cowell shared with Sinitta and sold reluctantly when things went pear shaped for him in the days before the heady successes of the TV talent shows for which he is now (in)famous. Shortly after moving in I answered the phone one day and instantly recognised the voice at the other end, it was none other than David Hasselhoff ringing from the U.S. looking for Simon. It turned out he needed a place to stay for a few nights as he was doing a gig at the nearby Hammersmith Palais! If you recall he had a single out at the time! We chatted for a while but the conversation came to an abrupt end when he asked me did I ever catch his TV show Baywatch, then a global phenomenon. Just to irritate him I said I'd never heard of it! He hung up. The Hoff in a huff so to speak! 

For a while we lived with no furniture and sat on cushions on the floor. We had a series of lodgers to help pay the mortgage including an aspiring shoe designer from Japan. (That was the reason I couldn't offer the spare room to David Hasselhof) Eventually a young Catalan man moved in and we have been close friends ever since. He was from Barcelona a city I had never visited and brought some (to us) quaint and curious Spanish customs with him such as running the washing machine on a full cycle just to wash a pair of socks and underpants!! Another was his penchant for Tomato bread. We used to laugh when he started the preparation ritual. What a waste of a good tomato I used to think but that was before I tasted the result. Now we don't laugh any more and tomato bread has become a table staple which somehow always tastes even better when we are in Spain! Tomato rubbed bread is a minor classic and is eaten as a snack, tapas or accompaniment to many meals at any time in Barcelona.

Ingredients:
1 ciabatta or about 8 slices of sourdough
4 Garlic cloves halved
4 Ripe tomatoes
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt





Method:
Slice the ciabatta crossways and then into sections, place on the grill rack and toast. While still warm rub with garlic halves then with the cut side of the tomatoes. Drizzle with oil and season to taste.

Mel I Mato amb Figues

Here is another easy Catalan classic. Honey and fresh soft cheese with figs. Mato is a type of Spanish ricotta (which can be substituted) If figs are not in season many other fruits will work just as well eg. fresh peaches apricots or for texture try chopped walnuts or pistachios. (Makes 4 servings)

Ingredients
450g mato or whole-milk ricotta cheese
4-6 ripe figs
175g light aromatic honey eg. orange blossom

Method
Cut the cheese into cubes and place in small dessert dishes. Cut the figs in quarters and arrange on top. Drizzle the honey evenly over and serve.

Lamb Tagine and couscous

Quite often when we prepare party menus we are asked to include something a little more substantial than canapes. A dish we did recently and which went down well was lamb tagine accompanied with couscous. This is a delicious North African dish actually named after the vessel it is cooked in, a tagine which is usually ceramic bowl with a tapering conical lid and features dried fruit usually but not necessarily apricots. Sultanas, dates and prunes can also be used. It is a rich slow cooked lamb stew which is quite easy to do and you definitely don't need a tagine to cook it in, a simple casserole or oven dish with lid will do just as well.
The lamb cut we generally use is the neck fillet which we trim. (This is a succulent cut of meat which although slightly pricey is well worth it. We also use it in kebabs and brochettes where the marbling of fat melts and adds extra flavour ensuring the meat retains its wonderful tenderness and juiciness). You could also use shoulder of lamb.
There are many spices you can use, for a degree of authenticity we use Ras al Hanout a Moroccan mix of herbs and spices. We are lucky that we have the wonderful resources including the many Arab food shops of North End Road in Fulham relatively close at hand but this ingredient should be available however in any specialist shop or you can order it on line. Other spices which are commonly called for are ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, saffron cayenne pepper, paprika, cumin, chilli flakes etc etc
Below is a basic recipe and method but I would strongly recommend that after reading this post you Google lamb tagine where you will find many recipe ideas and variations and pick and choose the suggested spices which you most like. Like all casserole / stew dishes there is room for more than is little alchemy so don't be afraid to put your own stamp on it. You can even substitute beef for the lamb and prunes for the apricots.

Lamb tagine and couscous served in party size portions

Ingredients
1.5 kg lamb
1 red onion
2 garlic cloves
2 tins chopped tomatoes
300 g dried apricots
125 ml red wine
Worcestershire Sauce (Optional)
Tabasco Sauce (Optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
Fresh parsley or coriander
100 g Toasted flaked almonds or pine nuts
Seasoning





Method
Cut the meat into bite sized portions. Heat the butter and oil in a pan and brown the meat in batches. Set aside. Add the chopped onion and garlic and fry in the oil. Deglaze using the red wine. Return the meat to the pan and sprinkle with Ras al Hanout. Add the tomatoes and bring to the boil. Cover and stew for about an hour. If more liquid is needed add a little lamb stock. Add the dried fruit and Worcestershire and Tabasco sauce (if using) and season to Taste. Cook for a further 20 minutes. Serve with a garnish of parsley or coriander and flaked almonds.

Coucous

The classic accompaniment is couscous which is again very easy to prepare, requires no cooking and can be done in advance. (Having said that you can "toast" the dry couscous on a dry pan prior to adding the liquid which gives an extra roasted flavour). Equal amounts of liquid to dry couscous are usual but brands may vary so follow the instructions on the pack. We generally use chicken or vegetable stock for extra flavour. After a few minutes fluff up with a fork. 

Strictly speaking it is now ready to eat but couscous in itself is pretty bland so we would recommend adding ingredients with strong flavours. Good options are spring onions. sun dried tomatoes, lemon juice, roasted peppers or root vegtables, olive oil, cashew nuts or peanuts, sultanas, paprika or cayenne pepper and of course plenty of seasoning. 

Seri Muka

Seri Muka (one of the most popular of Malaysian Kuih – bite-sized desserts or cakes) is a steamed dessert in two layers: a bottom layer of glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk; and a thick custard-like top layer flavoured with the juice of pandan leaves (which provides the vibrant green colouring).

There are many Seri Muka recipes available and while most have a similar approach to the bottom layer, the balance of ingredients in the top layer can vary wildly. Some people use more eggs and very little flour and others prefer fewer eggs, using more flour or tapioca flour to provide the necessary stiffness. We prefer the following recipe which uses a combination of eggs and flours to create a custard with a slight cake-like texture.

Ingredients:

Bottom Layer

400g Glutinous Rice (pre-soaked for 4 hours and drained)

300ml Coconut Milk

½ teaspoon Salt

Top Layer

2 Large Eggs

120g Castor Sugar

100 ml Pandan Water (blend 8 to 10 pandan leaves in 100ml water)

320ml Coconut Milk

100g Plain White Flour

3 tablespoons Tapioca Flour

¼ teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Pandan Paste (optional)

Method:

Bottom Layer

1. Pre-soak the glutinous rice in water for about 4 hours and drain it.
2. Mix in the coconut milk and salt and steam for about 30 minutes on a medium heat.
3. Set aside to rest for about 10 minutes then transfer into a 22cm square loose-bottomed cake tin.
4. Press quite firmly into an even layer, making sure it forms a good seal with the tin around the edges. 

Top Layer

1. To make the pandan water, chop the pandan leaves into small pieces and mash them up in a blender with the water until you get a good smooth pulp. Strain the pulp through a sieve and squeeze it out to get a beautiful dark green fragrant water. Discard the pulp.
2. Mix the pandan water with all the other ingredients for the top lawyer in a largish bowl (it doesn’t matter in what order you add them – just throw them all in together!).
3. Beat with a hand whisk or electric mixer for a couple of minutes until the mixture is nice and smooth.
4. Strain through a sieve to get rid of any little lumps. Let it rest for a few minutes while you finish off the bottom layer.
5. Once you have pressed the bottom layer into the tin properly, pour the top layer mixture on top of the rice and steam again for 30 to 40 minutes over a medium heat.
6. Remove from heat once the top layer has stiffened throughout and leave to cool before removing from tin and cutting into squares or diamonds.

Steaming can be done in a bespoke steamer if you have one big enough to take the cake tin. Otherwise it works quite well by placing a square tin in a large wok with a lid on and water at the bottom below the tin. Make sure it doesn’t boil dry.

Chicken Liver Pate

We love chicken liver in all it's forms but especially when just simply fried and served with a little lambs lettuce and honey/mustard vinaigrette dressing. Delicious! We also love to make pate which is more or less just the buttery spreadable version of the simple fried dish. It has one major advantage though you can play endlessly with flavours, textures and nuances by varying the supporting ingredients according to your mood. True to say that no two pates we ever make are exactly the same.

When thinking about making a pate we generally look and see what's in the fridge. For example some diced chorizo is a wonderful addition which you can enhance by adding a few pinches of paprika, smoked paprika and/or cayenne pepper. More conventionally some diced smoked streaky bacon can be added for extra flavour. If using fry them off with the onion at the start. To add texture we might put in a few dried mushrooms which have been soaked in boiling water for a few minutes beforehand or even some diced dried fruits like apricot or fig. To add heat and a little kick garlic and chilli are good, or a little tobasco, sweet chilli sauce or Worcestershire works wonders but you do need to be careful not to add too much liquid as this may cause problems down the line when trying to set the pate. A splash of Port or sherry can be used to lend sweetness.

Once made the pate will last for several days in the fridge and can be served as a canape on crostini with a chutney, as a starter with Irish soda bread, as stuffing for example in beef wellington or chicken breasts or even as a flavour enhancer to mince meat when making something like Bolognaise sauce or cottage pie. The recipe below is for a basic pate which you can enhance with some of the suggestions above.

Ingredients

250g pot of chicken livers
2 red onions
2 garlic cloves
Handfull of Bacon lardons
50g butter
Tbl spoon olive oil
Salt and Black pepper

Method

Sweat down the onions and garlic in a skillet with a little butter and olive oil. if adding any further spice powder such as paprika do it now so it has a chance to cook out with the onions. Add the bacon. In the mean time make sure all the livers are free of sinew and are roughly the same size. Once the onions are translucent and the bacon cooked push to one side of the pan and throw in the livers and keep turning them for about a minute then remove from the heat, don't worry they will continue to cook in the residue heat. Allow to cool slightly and put in a food blender. Again the final pate texture can range from course or rustic to creamy smooth depending on your preference just by varying the length of whizzing. Put in an airtight container and re-fridgerate. Pate in preserving jars makes a nice present. Clarified butter can be used as a seal which stops the pate oxidising. Decorate with cornichons halved lengthwise.

Pimientos de Padron

Whenever we go to Spain there are a few things which we just can't wait to eat. Most are relatively simple everyday foods and whilst theoretically available in the UK too somehow just don't seem to taste the same. One of those is Pimientos de Padron. These are small green peppers which interestingly engage you in a game of Russian roulette whenever you have them. They are easy to prepare and make a great tapas dish but due to some genetic anomaly about one in ten is considerably hotter than it's companions. We once served them to a friend and as luck would have it the first one she tried was a hot one so suspecting my motives she could not be persuaded to try any more completely disbelieving my protestations that this was the exception rather than the rule.

To cook them we generally put a splash of olive oil in a skillet. Throw in the pimientos and cook until slightly charred. Season and sprinkle with a little garlic salt. Serve immediately.

Amaze Bouche!

This combination of a small virgin mary served in a shot glass together with a Parmesan snap can all be made in advance and is ideal to serve as a little amuse bouche to kick off a meal. The drinks can be served either with the cheese biscuits or without.

The Virgin Mary

Pour a few drops of Worcestershire sauce into the bottom of each shot glass. Make up a jug of tomato juice with a dash of Tobasco and a pinch of salt. Pour into the glasses and put a teaspoon of creme fraiche on top. Sprinkle with a little cayenne pepper and garnish with either a thinly cut slice of cucumber or some celery leaves. Of course the Marys do not necessarily need to be virgins. In this case add a dash of Vodka to the tomato juice mix before pouring from the jug.

The Parmesan Snaps

Ingredients
100g plain flour
100g butter
50g grated cheddar
50g parmesan
mustard powder
Cayenne pepper

Method
Blend all the above to a dough and leave in the fridge for one hour wrapped in cling film. Roll out to a thickness of a £1 coin. Brush with egg wash and cut into desired shape. You need to work quickly before the butter in the dough starts to soften. Place on a sheet of greaseproof paper on a baking tray. For further variety top with grated parmesan, mustard seeds or sesame seeds. Bake for about 10 minutes at 180 C. The biscuits will keep in an air tight container for several days.

Dublin Coddle...

My father was the better cook in our family when I was growing up. Far better than my mother which was highly unusual when you consider I am talking about Dublin in the 1960's, a time when gender roles dictated that women should be queens of the hob and oven and males were expected to keep a respectful distance from the kitchen. The only problem was my mother could by no stretch of the imagination be considered a kitchen goddess. I don't think even now she would be offended if I told you she couldn't really cook at all! In her defence she always protested that "I have to cook every day, your father only cooks when he wants to" Maybe so but of course it's my father's recipes that have stuck in my mind and by making them he also unwittingly impressed on his only son's young mind that there was nothing unusual about a man in the kitchen wearing an apron in front of the gas stove, thereby inadvertently paving the way in me for an early interest in preparing and cooking food. 

Some of my hazy early memories of his food are pretty bizarre for instance I can still remember vividly the stomach churning smell of his cow's tripe boiled in milk which always resulted in the house being evacuated rapidly by my mother and me every time he cooked it, and another peculiar spaghetti dish which involved baking cooked spaghetti in a ceramic casserole dish topped with tomatoes and hard boiled eggs. Pasta was avant guarde for the time, but perhaps the best of all was a dish he liked a lot and often graced the table called Dublin Coddle. It is a well known dish in Ireland and like much of Irish cuisine coddle stems from a peasant origin and makes use of cheaper and left over cuts of meat and offal. As I remember it was basically a concoction of offal boiled in milk. I have googled this recipe recently but no version that I have found remotely resembles how I can recall he made it, for instance some drop the milk altogether and many call for fresh garlic (an ingredient which with the possible exception of a small jar of garlic salt for sprinkling on sirloin steak was totally absent from our larder) so I  have put together my own version based on what I can recall. I don't really expect anyone to try to cook this but it is interesting to see how much recipes, tastes, techniques and ingredients have changed over the intervening decades. 

Dublin Coddle 

8 pork sausages
4 lambs kidneys halved and white sinues removed. 
8 streaky rashers rolled up 
Several small onions 
Button mushrooms 
3 or 4 potatoes chopped into cubes 
1 litre of whole milk 
1 tsp of cornflour diluted in milk 
Salt and While pepper to season 

Place the first 6 ingredients in a large saucepan or casserole dish and cover with the milk. Bring to the boil slowly taking care the milk does not boil over. Cover and simmer for 20 to 30 mins or until you are satisfied each element is cooked and tender. Once you are happy this is the case skim off any skin from the milk and add the cornflour and stir to thicken. You may need to adjust the amount of sauce to meat. Season to taste. 

You will note that this recipe relies on the white pepper for "kick" as I have mentioned garlic was not really used and chillies were out of the question (even black pepper was unheard of so the hottest thing we had at our disposal was white pepper which is something I've started using again in my cooking). You can easily google an up-to-date version of this recipe which is probably more suitable to our present day palate.