Nul Points....No Way!

".....Boom bang-a-bang-bang, Boom bang-a-bang-bang,
Boom bang-a-bang-bang...."

Lulu (Joint winner Eurovision Song Contest) 1969

Yes folks it's that time of year again! Just forget about Lizzie's Diamond Jubilee and the 30th Olympic bash this is so much more fun, makes compelling TV viewing and year after year never fails to disappoint. Up and down the land over excited groups of feverish enthusiasts will be huddled in front of their 40 inch flat screens screaming and shouting approval and dancing around the room. Oh the raw emotion of it all!  Have you guessed yet? Yes it's time for that infamous pan European chanson fest and this year's uber party hosted by Azerbaijan promises to pull no punches.

The Eurovision Song Contest never let's you down, it's captivating and unmissable fun! Watching on BBC we do miss Terry Wogan's drole voice-over trough out the competition so familiar for the last few centuries, but fellow countryman Graham Norton does a fine job.  The international line up gathered in Baku this time looks as eclectic as ever to say the least. So whether your preference is for Dublin duo Jedward, British veteran Engelbert or the Russian Grannies (one of whom sadly just pips the Hump in the geriatric stakes thus denying him even that dubious superlative accolade! ) sit back, relax enter into the spirit and just let the unbelievably kitsch madness wash over you.

Of course the glitzy stage performances are merely the sotto voce prelude to the voting crescendo which follows when, thanks to 21st century technical wizardry, one by one, representatives from the capitals of Europe and beyond are called upon to give their totally unbiased scores for the music on offer. Many of them it has to be said show distinct signs of being the worst for wear!  So why not take the hint and join them. Collect some like minded friends together and have a party. Russle up a few of the quick and simple party nibbles we have posted on the this blog in the past (Double Dip, Sweet Potato Parcels, Chicken Liver Pate, Pimientos de Padron or Amaze Buche or even throw together a couple of Puff Pastry Pizzas) and why not wash them down with these exotic Mango Mojitos. This glamourous cocktail is absolutely guaranteed to score maximum points from every jury, not to mention render the songs almost bearable and make your entire evening go with a big big (boom bang-a) bang!!

Incredibly Fed Mango Mojitos

Ingredients

1 Lime cut into quarters
5 Fresh mint leaves
Soda water
2 Shots white rum
1 Shot Simple syrup*
1 shot Mango nectar/puree
1 Shot golden rum (optional)
Crushed Ice

Method

Squeeze lime into a glass and add the pieces. Add mint leaf, simple sugar and muddle (bruise). Add white rum, mango and fill with crushed ice. Top up with soda water and finish off with golden rum. Garnish with a sprig of mint. Cheers!!

* Simple syrup
2 cups Muscovado sugar
1 cup water

Place in a sauce pan and heat until sugar is dissolved. (About 5 minutes) Allow to cool.

Posted by incredibly fed

Adam's spare Ribs

"....Your ribs are looking so tasty, such chewy little chops chums
So eat up...." 
The hyenas in the Lion King 1994


Once upon a time Knightsbridge was our paradise, our Garden of Eden and Adam was there nearly every week hunting for and clothing himself in fashionable labels - Absolutely Fabulous! Then on Sunday evening the buffet and dance party at the Roof Gardens on High Street Ken provided the perfect venue to show them off! Oooh such sophistication! Somewhere along the line late night shopping arrived, a welcome innovation which meant there was yet another opportunity for retail therapy one evening after work. Naturally this was hungry work and one of our favourite haunts for a post shop meal and recovery period was the very 80's inspired Chicago Rib Shack hidden just across the Old Brompton Road near Harrods. At that time there were several branches around the city but we always seemed to gravitate towards this one after navigating around and exercising the plastic in Harvey Nix and the rest of the boutiques and emporiums of Sloane Avenue.

Sadly some years ago it was demolished in a major redevelopment and replaced by the equally wonderful Zuma which we also love but that is another story. I have to confess we do miss the ritual of donning the plastic bibs and the wickedly guilty pleasures of the Rib Shack's wonderful retro bar-b-cue rack of ribs, onion loaf and fries with extra bar-b-cue sauce on the side. So naughty!

Malheuresement these days bargain shopping has been substituted for the designer variety. Now it's more Uniglo than Ungaro and Primark than Prada, and we make our spare ribs at home.

You can google many recipes and methods but after many trials and expriments here is our definitive Incredibly Fed version....

Ingredients
2 racks of spare ribs
Marinade
4 tbsp Honey
4 tbsp Soy
6 tbsp Tomato Ketchup
6 tbsp Sweet chilli sauce
4 tbsp Worscestershire Sauce
4 tbsp Hoisin sauce
Juice of one lime
2 tbsp Brown sugar
1 tbsp 5 Spice powder
2 cloves Garlic grated
1 inch Ginger grated and chopped
1 tsp Cayenne
1 tsp Black Pepper
1 tsp Cinnamon powder

Method
Fill a large saucepan with water and add two star anise, a cinnamon stick, 2 bay leaves and 4 cubes of un-peeled ginger. Place the ribs in the water and bring to the boil. Remove any scum that may form and simmer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Remove the ribs and place on kitchen towel to dry. Discard water. Cover the ribs with the marinade and massage to ensure each is covered evenly with the mixture. Place on a large baking tray and place in the oven pre-heated to 180 oC for approximately 30 to 40 minutes to glaze the ribs. It may be advisable to turn them once or twice and to re-brush with extra marinade.

Spicy Rice is Twice as Nice!

We have been asked to post a blog as quickly as possible by two of our greatest fans one living in Kuala Lumpur and the other currently studying in Melbourne Australia. They are Julie and Josie two of my lovely nieces. Josie is experiencing living away from home for the first time and Julie too has struck out and now has a trendy apartment in KL. Earlier this year Julie came skiing with me to Baqueira in the Pyrenees where we had great fun cooking together. We even used to get up in the middle of the night to polish off the left overs of what we had made that day. Learning to ski can be a hungry business. We have blogged about this earlier and you can read about the delicious tummy filling Spanish tortilla below. 

This recipe is equally filling and just as simple. It is a one pot rice dish so makes no mess and could have been specially designed to utilise any items lying around. The ingredients are variable and so the list below is intended only as a guide. The only rule is there are no rules. Just remember you are looking for colour and the vegetable pieces should be roughly the same size. I should mention at this point that I use a rice cooker for this dish. Yes even in far away Baquiera the rice cooker travels with us along with much other kitchen paraphernalia, much to the disapproval of our host who is concerned about the damage to our image on arrival at Spain's premiere ski resort. Personally I have never worried about such things, years ago I brought one back as hand luggage from KL before they were widely available here in London. If you don’t have one you can use a large saucepan. If you like rice, however perhaps you should consider investing. They take all the guess work and uncertainty out of rice preparation. Either way you just place all the ingredients listed below together and do NOT stir. If using a rice cooker the switch will pop up when the rice is ready. If using a saucepan heat vigorously at the start and then allow to cook gently on a low heat for about 10 to 12 minutes or until you are happy with the texture of the rice. 

Ingredients (4 portions)

2 ½  cups Basmati or long grain rice

1 tbsp chilli flakes

1 tbsp cumin powder

1 tbsp coriander powder

1 tbsp curry powder

¾ tbsp salt

½  tsp turmeric powder

Vegetable or chicken stock cube

2 star anise or 1 cinnamon stick

2 or 3 Bay leaves or 8 curry leaves

4 tbsp cooking or olive oil

1 medium onion chopped

3 carrots chopped

½  cup peas

1 red pepper chopped

2 sticks celery chopped

1 small can sweet corn

1 inch ginger chopped

3 ½  cups water

Ghaz 

Braised Fennel, Celery hearts in Parmesan Jus

We notice fennel is making a welcome appearance once again on the market stalls in North End Road. Are you a fennel fan? We are. It has a unique taste and is widely used in cuisines from Southern Europe, where it is native, across Asia Minor to the Indian subcontinent where it is an important ingredient in Khasmiri, Pandit and Gujarati cooking. Further east the seeds with their distinctive aniseed flavour are key in Chinese 5 spice powder.

In Greek mythology Prometheus used a fennel stalk to steal fire from Zeus and give it to the mortals with disastrous consequences. He was punished by being tied to a rock where an eagle would eat out his liver every day only for it to grow back in time for the following day's gory fest. But let's get back to fennel.
The familiar bulbs we cook with are known as Florence Fennel which is a cultivar, that is it has been especially bred for its desirable qualities. One thing to watch out for though, particularly in larger and more mature plants is that bulbs can be stringy. The recipe below calls for over an hours braising in a hot oven which should be sufficient to soften even the toughest bulbs. We suggest teaming this delicious vegetable with celery hearts and parmesan but you can also make a meaty version by adding strips of pork or chicken into the dish. It is also a classic accompaniment for fish such as sea bass or sea bream which should be cooked separately.

Ingredients
2 bulbs fennel
2 celery hearts
1 red pepper
50 g grated parmesan
150 ml chicken or vegetable stock
150 ml white wine or vermouth
2 tbsps olive oil
50 g Butter
50 mls creme fraiche or cream
Seasoning and Celery salt


Method
Prepare the vegetables by cutting off the fennel stalk tops and chopping them. Likewise cut the leaves and tops off the celery and chop. Chop the pepper. Quarter the fennel bulbs, halve the celery  hearts lengthwise. Melt a little butter in a casserole dish and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Place all the vegetables in the dish and pour in the stock, white wine and parmesan. Season, cover with damp and crinkled grease proof paper known as a cartouche and the vessel lid and place in a pre-heated oven for 40 mins.  Cook for a further 30 mins with the lid and cartouche off. Once you are happy the fennel is well cooked spoon off some of the liquid to a separate bowl containing the creme fraiche and then put back into the main dish. This will help prevent the cream from splitting. Serve with steamed new potatoes.

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.

Out and proud!

"Once I had a secret love that lived within the heart of me..."
Doris Day 1953


"I think of you and lick my lips, You've got the taste I can't resist
Can't resist - can't resist"

Fast Food Rockers 2004 

We felt more than a ripple of intense pleasure recently when we read an interview with none other than the ultimate Catalan foodie guru Ferran Adria. A deity in the culinary world if ever there was one. When asked about junk food in general and that ubiquitous Scottish named hamburger chain in particular far from condemning it he admitted that one of his guilty pleasures was an occasional visit to his local branch! He was honest, relaxed and secure in his position. Well if he can be so can we. Yes we admit it we enjoy the very same burgers... and there is more we also enjoy the meatballs on offer at that well known Swedish hyper store and more still.... we love licking our fingers after scoffing the Confederate Colonels secret recipe for spice coated chicken pieces. Oh yes.... there are times when nothing else will do! Junk is great!

There..... we've come out, that wasn't so difficult was it? and we feel absolutely terrific. We've blown the doors clean off the closet or should I say the larder or the pantry and we're liberated from the tyranny of foodieism!  Better to admit our guilty pleasures than to be outed or worse still blackmailed by the local foodie police, that is those tut tutting so called friends and associates!! We adore the full cuisine panoply all the way from junk to haut. One cannot be fully appreciated without the other. It's a cornucopia and all part of life's rich tapestry as they say. Life is too short for food snobbery and its associated insecurities. Don't forget some of the best dishes in the world originated from lowly street stalls and it is still where the most vibrant and innovative cooking can be found and where today's Michelin stars go to seek inspiration! Furthermore foodie fashion has proved to be as fickle as any other. Up market restaurant menus are strewn with good illustrations of this. Oysters, salmon, pork belly, black pudding, pilchards rebranded as sardines, pigs trotters, oxtails and not to mention tongue 'n' cheek (gettit?) were all the junk food of their day. Now look at them. They are just a few of the ingredients which have endured a roller coaster career and dramatic transformations in popular perception and acceptability. So what next...? Chicken nuggets, pizzas, hot dogs??? 

Incredibly Fed Prawn and Mango Salad

At the Incredibly Fed kitchen we often make Vietnamese summer rolls as a canape for parties or as a starter. They are a delicious and fresh alternative to the more commonly seen spring rolls which are heavier and usually deep fat fried. The rice paper wrappings are bought dried and are prepared by just dipping them in tepid water for a moment or two. They then become pliable and easy to manoeuvre around the shredded goodie fillings. We generally produce a cigar shaped roll and slice it in half for presentation purposes. This also helps the absorption of the accompanying dip which is essential to the canape! As long as they are kept moist they can be made in advance requiring just the minimum of presentation at the party venue or any other point of delivery. They are a favourite with both the chefs and guests alike. We vary the filling from time to time sometimes including vermicelli noodles bean sprouts shredded mange touts and peppers. Currently our favoured ingredients are mango and prawns.

In this recipe we have dispensed with the rice paper to make a fresh summer salad which is healthy and delicious and with the omission of the prawns can be a wonderful vegetarian dish in the "Raw Food" manner!

Salad Ingredients (4 - 6 people)

2 or 3 carrots shredded
1 Cucumber sliced with a peeler into strips
2 Spring onions
1 Mango (not too ripe) cut into batons
Handful Mint leaves
Handful Coriander leaves
Handful Roasted peanuts or Cashew nuts crushed
Handful cooked king prawns (if desired)
1 deseeded chilli sliced thinly

Simple Dressing Ingredients

4 tbsp Rice vinegar
4 tbsp Fish sauce
4 tbsp warm water
1 clove garlic finely sliced
2 cm ginger cut into thin matchsticks
6 tbsp palm sugar (or brown sugar)
Juice of 1 Lime




Method
Combine all dip ingredients in a saucepan and heat until sugar is dissolved and allow to cool down. Adjust flavour balance to taste. Combine salad ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing just before serving. Garnish with prawns and crushed nuts.

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!!

Mussels from Brussels

We adore mussels and while working together the other day Rebecca mentioned to us that she'd been for a meal at a well known Low Country shellfish eatery recently. This reminded us that in the 90's we used to troop all the way from Earls Court over to Camden just to eat mussels at the newly opened Belgian concept restaurant called Belgo's. This was the first branch to open in London and very cutting edge at the time but everything about going there was an experience which made the safari well worth while. The first surprise was that there was virtually no street front presence at all. You entered a discreet almost hidden door from the street and a high level walkway took you past all the open plan kitchens where everything was on view to the eating salon at the back. The room had wooden refectory style tables and the waiters were dressed in long flowing monks habits tied with rope. The menu boasted dozens of fruity Low Country beers - another innovation at the time and delicious with the shell fish - but as regards food only featured mussels, litre pots with a jus or "au gratin", grilled with bread crumbs or filet steaks and chips with the usual sweet and sticky desserts to finish.The formula was subsequently so successful it has been rolled out all over the nation.

Belgo style moules and frites chez nous! 

Luckily we do not have to go to such lengths these days. Mussels are available in all the local supermarkets but we much prefer those on offer on the North End Road at our friendly Afghan fishmongers. Strange a landlocked and mountainous country straddling the roof of the world should spawn a football team of fish merchants who run not one but two shops within 500 metres of each other. Their fish is wonderfully fresh, great quality and reasonably good value. A kg bag of mussels costs less than £5.00 and the last time we bought one none  of the shellfish had to be discarded. They also did not require cleaning or bearding and could be thrown straight into the pan. Each opened perfectly and was meaty and succulent just as you would like them!
There are many variations on how they should be cooked but we always find as with all such good quality produce the simplest method is best. There are two classic avenues to follow, Moules Marinieres with white wine or Moules Provencale with a tomato based jus. There is a third possible route which is to go down the Asian track. To be honest my personal preference is for the Marinieres but you can google many different recipes and take your pick. The cooking principle is always the same however. Heat a large pan with a tight fitting lid on the stove. Pour in a little white wine and a half tsp of finely chopped garlic and a couple of chopped celery sticks. Throw in the mussels and close the lid. Toss around in the pan for two or three minutes by which time they should be done. Season and sprinkle with torn flat leaf parsley or coriander. This is a very basic method and as we say there are many more herbs and spices which can be added according to your taste. Just have a browse. At the restaurant frites are the classic accompaniment and you can't beat a little garlic and lemon aioli to dip them into. Heaven!

Noodles for two...

Spring is in the air how wonderful. The sun is shining and the air is warm. The days are stretching and the clocks go forward this weekend - Don't forget!! The North End Road market was buzzing under the blue sky. Having not been there for some time it was my first trip of 2012 and I have to say we've never seen the fruit and vegetables looking fresher, more colourful, or more enticing and shouting buy me, buy me and take me home. Eat me. Eat me!! Not intending to buy too much we had only brought one trolly with us.... Big mistake! We dragged it back home stuffed to the brim and groaning under the weight of all the food wedged inside. Its amazing how quickly it fills up.

Of course we were famished when we got back so to celebrate the cornucopia of wonderful spring vegetables on offer Ghaz pulled out the wok and made delicious noodles for two which we demolished in the blazing sunshine on the balcony.

This is a quick vegetarian noodle recipe which is easy, versatile and nutritious.

Ingredients

650g Egg noodles
Selection of market vegetables
(Handful of each in bite size)
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Button mushrooms
- Red pepper
- 2 or 3 sticks celery
4 tbsp Light Soy sauce
4 tbsp Oyster sauce
2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil (optional)
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 inches ginger finely chopped
5 tbsp vegetable oil



Method

Heat wok until slightly smoking. Add oil ginger and garlic until aromatic then add the vegetables - hardest first. Stir fry for approximately one minute. Add the liquid ingredients soy and oyster sauce. Fry for another minute. If necessary add a little water to prevent ingredients catching on the wok. Finally add fresh egg noodles and sesame oil. Toss until the noodles are coated with the sauce and the vegetables are cooked to taste. Serve in bowls garnished with chopped spring onions and coriander. Serve in the sunshine.

Puff pastry pizza

We are lucky to have a very close friend and neighbour whose Italian family run Santaniello's a highly successful and well known wood oven Pizza restaurant a little way up the M1 in Bedford. Our friend loves his food, so much so the term "shoving it in" has become a personal catch phrase and at lunch or dinner parties in his own home in Earls Court he always serves the biggest portions of anyone I know. Enormous amounts of anti pasta, pasta, italian bread, primi... secondi... and dolci..... all come tumbling out onto the table presenting diners with a real challenge to stay upright and last the meal. Not easy!

Anchovies, artichoke hearts, olives rocket.....

In Bedford the eatery is now being run by the third generation and like all large Italian families we hear there is usually an element of high drama rumbling around somewhere in the background but at the end of the day he and the other family members are tight knit and close and of course as a dutiful son he visits his "Mamma" religiously. We have to admit this is extremely fortunate for us too as he always insists on bringing us back a little something from the restaurant in return for keeping his herb garden watered while he is away. He tried the obvious cooked pizzas but they seemed to loose lost some of their appeal halfway down the motorway so now we are honoured to get gifts of lovely fresh pizza dough balls made by Antonio the restaurant chef of some thirty years on his return. This wonderful dough is the real McCoy and we would love to be able to say we toss and spin the pastry theatrically in the air like Antonio to make perfect thin bases but of course we can't so after several practice runs with a rolling pin to get the dough base thinned out without holes and to sit flat we can now make passable (almost) authentic if not exactly circular pizzas at home.
Sometimes sadly for various reasons visits to "Mamma" do not keep pace with our craving for a comfort pizza which can be an unpredictable and powerful force so it is essential to have alternative plans for their provision at short notice in place. Here in Earls Court there is always the popular Papperdella's around the corner but this is very often packed with no tables available without a long wait. So sometimes we just stay at home and make this quick and easy puff pastry version which when covered with our favourite pizza toppings whilst nowhere near one of Santaniellos stone baked oven masterpieces is not a bad substitute until that is, "Mamma" gets another visit from her loving son.....

Onions, chorizo, ham. mozzarella..... 

It is probably not necessary to say that there are almost an infinite number of toppings which can be used, any that work on pizza dough will work on puff pastry - all a matter of personal taste. Below is our suggestion. Perhaps the only essential ingredients are the pastry, tomato and cheese but then again even the tomato and cheese can be dispensed with. By the way pastry with a high butter content is usually the most successful.

Ingredients
1 Pack All butter Puff Pastry
Tomato or Passata
Your favourite toppings...

Method

Roll or lay the pastry flat on an oven baking tray and cut a line into it about a centimetre all around being careful not to cut right through. Prod the centre of the pastry. Bake in a hot oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven press down any air bubble in the centre and spread over the tomato paste. Then begin to arrange your favourite toppings over and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes or until you are happy with the result.

Spiffin' Tiffin

I have recently been at home a lot recovering from a bout in hospital. Pretty boring you might think but one of the few advantages was the enormous amount of sympathy and attention I got from my close friends. For a few weeks they were my lifeline to the outside world. I did look forward to the visits and listening to all the news. Absolutely everyone seemed to be in the process of making elaborate travel arrangements. Callers would come, sit on my sofa and chat, telling me all and in addition to the usual tittle tattle, latest stories and gossip plans to go skiing and forthcoming visits to Italy, India, Thailand and even Tasmania were all mentioned in some depth. Even one of my long lost Irish cousins turned up en route from her farm in Clogher Head, Co Louth to a 60th birthday celebration in Cyprus! Apart from being a captive ear my role was to serve up tea (Twinings "Chai" was the blend of choice) and well...... what ? I thought buying cakes was a bit of a cop out so I needed something to keep on standby, sweet and delicious  that I could make with the minimum of effort (as I was not able to stand for very long). Well, luckily I discovered just the thing which fit the bill perfectly.....

This is an adaptation of a recipe from Eric Lanlard - "The Cake Boy"  himself. A version of chocolate tiffin which he demonstrated on his Channel 4 TV programme "Baking Mad". It is easy to do, requires no baking and no more cooking skills than melting chocolate and chopping biscuits. The version Eric makes with it's milky chocolate which he calls Chocolate Honeycomb Squares looks like it is designed to cater for younger gourmets and would be the one I would prepare if was cooking for a children's party, but as none of my visitors were likely to fall into this catagory I tweaked the ingredients to suit a more adult palate. Children of all ages as it were!! I followed his basic recipe and ratio of ingredients but substituted dark orange flavoured chocolate for his milk variety and added in some cherries soaked in liquor. The resultant tiffin biscuit cake was delicious even if I do say so myself!

Ingredients

100g Unsalted butter
200g Dark Chocolate (min 60%)
200g Digestive biscuits roughly chopped
3 tbsp Golden syrup
200g Honeycomb sweets (Malteesers)
50g Cherries






Method

Line a 20 cm square baking tray with grease proof paper. Melt together the butter syrup and chocolate in a bowl over some boiling water then add the crushed biscuits, Malteesers and cherries. Mix together quickly and pour into the tin and chill until set. You can serve the tiffin as it is or decorate with more melted chocolate (to act as "glue") and sprinkle with crushed biscuits, cherries and/or honeycomb sweets.

Home Cured Salmon

Rebecca's Home Cured Salmon

For sheer wow factor nothing beats our friend Rebecca's home cured salmon yet it’s so easy to do as long as you are prepared in advance. There are many curing marinade recipes which are easy to look up but try to use one with beetroot simply because of the dazzling purple reddish colour the salmon will turn once the curing process is complete. For taste once the essential salt and sugar are included the list of additives is almost endless, for example alcohol such as gin, vodka or tequila or citrus fruits and even treacle. Which ever route you follow cured salmon like it’s smoked cousin can be used in many ways - as a canapé, starter or to make more substantial dishes with pastas, salads and remoulades and will last in the fridge for about a week.

Ingredients:

2 skin-on salmon fillets (about 1.3kg)

200g caster sugar

140g sea salt flakes

85g fresh horseradish (little finger-length piece) peeled and finely grated, or grated horseradish from a jar

3 medium raw beetroot(about 250g), coarsely grated (no need to peel)

1 bunch dill, chopped

Served On Rye Bread With Soft Cheese

Method:
Lay the salmon fillets, skin side down, on a board and brush your hand along it.If you feel any little pin bones pinch them out with your fingers or tweezers. In a bowl, mix all of the other ingredients for the salmon together to make the cure. By the way leaving the skin on creates a colour gradation as in the photograph which I prefer. For a more consistent hue however you can remove the skin.

Stretch two large sheets of cling film over a work surface and spoon over some of the cure. Lay one of the fillets, skin side down, on the cure, then pack over most of the cure, and sandwich with the remaining fillet, skin side up. Top with the last of the cure and wrap both fillets together tightly with lots of cling film. Place in a container with sides, like a large roasting tray, put a smaller tray on top and weigh it down with a couple of tins. Leave in the fridge for about 30 hours turning over half way through. Don't be alarmed by the amount of liquid that leaks out, this is normal. You may need, to pour away the liquid.

To serve, unwrap the salmon from the cling film and brush off the marinade. Slice the salmon into thin slivers depending on how you intend to serve it.

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

Poussin Galore

If in doubt about the likes and dislikes of your dinner party or Sunday lunch guests roast chicken is always a very safe option to serve. It's high up there among the top ranking comfort foods but you do run the definite risk of being considered a little unimaginative and dare we say it boring! In a restaurant I always steer away from it for example as to us it screams default option!

Poussins on the other hand are fun to dish up. A single bird arriving on each plate has a certain medieval feast wow factor plus your dinner guests will enjoy having their very own bird all to themselves. Everybody gets everything so there will be no argument as to who gets breast, leg or wing. Starchy barriers are rapidly broken down as initial attempts to grapple with cutlery give way to fingers under your encouragement. Just make sure the table is liberally scattered with serviettes and wipes and if you want to push the boat out finger bowls might also be a novel idea.

 Poussins are young chickens and generally weigh between 400 - 500 grammes so one bird per diner is the perfect portion. Being smaller they are also quicker to cook and easier to flavour. You can fit six or eight on a single roasting tray and they will take just about an hour at a temperature of 180 C. (Always cook the meat from room temperature). The shorter roasting time also allows you to be more daring with marinades and flavours without the risk of burning the skin and the breast meat drying out. They are simplicity itself to prepare. We recommend spicing them up with a slightly unusual marinade smeared over the entire bird. You can be infinitely imaginative about this but for example dilute a little curry paste - we find bought massaman paste works well - in cooking oil and melted butter and smear over the entire bird. Alternatively try a little sweet chilli sauce. You will find the sugar content will tend to burn turning the skin much darker. If you are concerned this is happening too fast cover the birds with foil until the last 20 minutes of cooking or alternative cook the birds "up-side-down". For further flavour place a garlic clove, a baton of ginger, a quarter small onion and slice of lime or lemon inside the cavity of each bird. Finally sprinkle the skin liberally with salt and place in the oven.

Swedish Bullar

I sometimes do freelance work in a small chain of Danish boutiques where I have had the good fortune to meet many lovely people from Scandinavia. They are all foodies and we have long discussions about food swapping Malaysian and Scandinavian tips and recipes. One particularly good friend, Maria from Sweden brought Bullar, a pastry in one day for me to try. I was instantly hooked.  If you like Danish pastries you must try the neighbouring Swedish version. In actual fact Sweden is the thought to be where this type of pastry originated and in Swedish are known as Bullar from kannelbulle or cinnamon roll. They are so popular that they even have their own day of celebration, the 4th October is Kanelbulles Dag! They are a far less brash, more subtle variety of pastry which doesn't have the high sugar content and sticky glaze always found on their southern or North American cousins. Instead they use pearl sugar which leaves a much cleaner taste. The dough might be described as a cross between a scone and a Danish pastry. It consists of a sheet of yeast dough onto which a mixture of cinnemon and sugar is sprinkled over a thin layer of butter. The dough is then cut and rolled into individual portions and baked.  Finally being dusting with icing sugar and/or pearl sugar sprinkled on top.


Throughout Scandinavia various interpretations are always on offer which may vary in size and content but certainly not in popularity. They are eaten at any time in the day and chances are if you are invited into a Swedish home you will be offered a cinnamon bun.

Ingredients:

Dough
1 packet instant yeast
240ml milk
400g flour
1 tsp salt
1 pinch of sugar
57g melted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Filling
57g butter, softened
100g sugar
2 tbsp ground cinnamon

Topping
1 egg, beaten and mix with 1 tbsp water (eggwash)
Swedish pärlsocker (pearl sugar)

Method:
Warm milk at the temperature recommended by the yeast packet. Mix dry yeast with the milk and a pinch of sugar and let it activate, about 10 minutes.
In a KitchenAid mixer, mix yeast mixture, vanilla extract, and melted butter in the bowl. Attach the dough hook and start mixing on low speed. Slowly add flour and salt, little by little, until all is incorporated to the wet ingredients. Knead for 5 to 10 minutes until dough comes clean off the bowl.
Lightly oil another mixing bowl and transfer dough over. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a slightly warm place until it doubles the weight, about a couple of hours.
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees.
Roll out the dough in a form of a rectangle, about 18 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick.
Brush dough with softened butter. Sprinkle it evenly with ground cinnamon and sugar. Cut dough lengthwise into strips 3/4 inch wide. Take two strips hold at one end and twist finish by tucking the two ends underneath. Set them on a parchment lined tray, with each roll two inches apart. Let it rise again for one hour.
Brush with eggwash and sprinkle with pearl sugar. Bake the rolls in the oven for about 10 minutes or until brown.

My Goodness my Beef in Guinness!

Never has a single product been more associated with a nation. Just mention that you are from Dublin and people automatically say Guinness although its quite possible they have never even tried it. Guinness, a porter style beer which originated in the 17th century and now known as stout has been brewed in the city since 1759 and its highly distinctive burnt flavour which is derived from the use of roasted unmalted barley has become popular all over the world. By 1914 St James Gate, Guinness's 64 acre brewery in the heart of Dublin was the biggest brewery in the world. Today it is still the world's biggest stout brewery.

In the past claims that Guinness was beneficial to your health led to the famous slogans "Guinness is good for you", "Guinness for strength" and "My goodness my Guinness". Today of course such claims are banned by law in Ireland but as a kid I was often told that my aunt who had a kidney removed in the 1940's was prescribed a pint of Guinness every day to speed convalescence by her specialist. A teetotaler, so this was quite an ordeal for her, she used to tell me how she would hold her nose and down the pint in one. It is still widely believed that Guinness is indeed good for you and many of Ireland's senior citizens are said to thrive on a daily dose! In the 1930's faced with stagnant sales the company embarked on probably one of the earliest co-ordinated advertising campaigns and combined the slogans with the iconic toucan across all forms of media available at the time. The posters from the time are clever, whitty and memorable and have become highly collectable.Inevitably the black gold as it is sometimes called has worked its way into Irish cuisine. When I used to make Christmas pudding with my mother every year we always put a bottle of stout into the mix. There are recipes for cheesecake, ice cream, chocolate cake chicken casserole, lamb shanks and many more all calling for Guinness but by far the best match in our opinion is undoubtedly beef steak and Guinness stew. It's a real winter warmer and should be served with lashings of creamy mashed potatoes.

Ingredients

1 kg lean stewing steak cubed
Butter/ oil
2 red onions sliced
2 cloves garlic sliced
3 carrots sliced
4 celery sticks sliced
3 tbsp plain flour
tsp cayenne pepper
sprig thyme
2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
tsp tobasco sauce
375 ml Guinness
400 ml beef or chicken stock
Seasoning

Method

Heat the oil and butter in an oven dish. Mix the cayenne pepper salt and pepper into the flour and cover each piece of meat. Brown in the oil butter mix and set aside. Fry the onions and garlic for a few minutes then add the celery and carrots and continue for another few. Add the meat, Guinness, stock, Worcestershire and tobasco sauces, thyme and season. Cover and cook in the oven at 180 C for an hour. Remove the lid stir and cook for a  further hour. Check the seasoning and garnish with roughly chopped parsley. Note : The Guinness will lend a rich unctuous quality to the jus to lighten this use chicken stock to augment it use beef.

Pad Thai

Low tide at the Phang Nga Caves Christmas Day 2004 

Luckily for us the Evason Spa Retreat on Phuket is situated on a steep hillside. It was around 10.00 am on boxing day and yet another beautiful day in paradise. We had spent the previous day, Christmas day exploring the Phang Nga Bay National Park in small canoes wandering in and out of flooded lagoons and caves so low we could only go in at low tide and even then we had to lie flat in the boat as the boatman steered us along with his feet on the roof. Its where the James Bond movie "The Man with the Golden Gun" was filmed and is unforgettable scenery! This morning we had just packed our bags and booked a taxi, ready for our immanent departure to the airport for the short flight across the Southern Thailand peninsula to Kho Samui so just time for a late hotel breakfast served in the idillic poolside restaurant down the hill right beside the sea.

The destroyed jetty and capsized boats, Boxing Day 

Breakfast was an elaborate affair with a dazzling choice of Western and Asian dishes on offer at the buffet but bacon, eggs and sausages somehow seemed slightly incongruous with the setting, the warm breeze and the bright sunshine so we usually plumbed for the Asian choice of Pad Thai. Ominously the Thai chefs who we used to chat to every morning were not their usual cheery selves and even remarking on the odd grey colour of the sea and warning against swimming today. As we sat there tucking into the noodles our experience of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami suddenly and without warning began to unfold. A dramatic drop in sea level was closely followed by a destructive wave bubbling unnaturally and sweeping perpendicularly in front of us destroying a wooden jetty, capsizing and smashing mored boats and throwing several people into the sea. The wave continued on to flood the infinity swimming pool depositing a shoal of large bewildered and dazed fish in it. Pandamonium broke out as attempts were made to rescue the people in the water whilst the Tannoy crackled out hysterical warnings for us to leave the restaurant area immediately and head back up the hill to the relative safety of the main hotel buildings. So began several dramatic days as the full tragedy and horror of what had happened slowly began to dawn....

The Pad Thai we were eating for breakfast on that memorable morning is now one of Thailand's national dishes available on every street corner but this was not always the case. Originally introduced from Vietnam rice noodles have been eaten in Thailand for centuries but it was not until a government initiative in the 30's and 40's to ween the population off its high rice dependency and encourage the production of rice noodles so there would be more rice available for international export that they became really popular. It is a stir fried dish with rice noodles, garlic, chilli and tamarind and any combination of bean sprouts, prawns, chicken and tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts, spring onion, coriander and lime.


Ingredients 
(Serves 4):


250 g Rice noodles
500 g King Prawns peeled and cooked
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp tamarind paste
2 tbsp palm or brown sugar
2 tbsp Fish sauce
2 eggs beaten
200 g Bean sprouts
2 Carrots
Juice of 1 Lime
2 Garlic cloves peeled and crushed
1 tbsp Chilli paste

Garnish:
2 Spring Onions
50 g Crushed roast Peanuts
Roughly torn Coriander
Lime wedges
3 tbsp Peanut or Rapeseed Oil


Method:
Heat 3 tbsps oil in a wok until quite hot. Meanwhile prepare the rice noodles as per the pack instructions. (Normally soak for 10 - 15 minutes in warm water - save a little of the water in case noodles become too dry). Mix lime juice, tamarind paste, palm sugar and fish sauce in a bowl. Fry the garlic and chilli in the wok and cook for 2 minutes but do not allow to burn. Add carrots and fry till slightly soft then add the liquid mixture and stir for about a minute, reduce slightly. Add beaten egg and scramble until almost cooked. Throw in prawns, bean sprouts, spring onion and drained noodles and toss well. Check for seasoning if more salt required sprinkle fish sauce over. Turn out onto serving dish and garnish with coriander, lime wedges and peanuts.

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.

Bhaji Majic!

"Bhaji on the beach" is the memorably alliterative title of that wonderfully heartwarming 1993 movie about a group of Indian women who take a trip to Blackpool which becomes a great bonding experience for them. True bhaji make fantastic picnic food for the beach or anywhere else for that matter but during dark winter days why not try bhaji on the couch? They make a great snack for a movie evening at home say or when a group of friends just come round for a chat.

Although traditionally associated with onion many shredded vegetables can be used either alone or in a mix. Carrot, courgette, celeriac, sweet potato and fennel for example all make great bhajis or you can even go down the tempura route and use small florets of broccoli, cauliflower, french beans or baby sweet corn. We find a mix probably works best and should contain at least a little onion for flavour. No bhaji would be complete without a dip - sweet chilli is probably just about the best possible match! By the way the gram flour the recipe calls for is made from chick peas and is gluten free.

Ingredients

2 level cups of Gram (chick pea) flour
1 tsp cumin seeds or powder
1 tbsp of roughly chopped coriander
1 tsp salt
Half tsp chilli powder
Quater tsp bicarbonate of soda
2 medium white onions sliced
1 grated carrot (optional)
Pinch turmeric (for golden colour)
Seasoning


Method

Mix ingredients in a bowl with a 150 ml of water to a thick batter and season generously. Set aside for five mins. Heat oil in a deep saucepan or deep fat fryer to about 190 C. Take a heaped tbsp of mixture at a time and drop into the hot fat and fry each for about 3 mins or until crisp and golden. Allow to dry on kitchen paper and serve.

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.

Piggy Chef!!

Cooking the bacon

Culinary obsessions start young! When I was a small kid, about four or five I was fascinated by all things to do with cooking and the kitchen and my parents duly humoured me and played along. One of the first toys I can remember which arrived in the arid Yemen desert via Santa's sleigh and which gave me hours of fun was a simple "Piggy Chef". This was a grinning mechanical pig which stood in front of a small white stove dressed in full chef's regalia complete with red bow tie, apron and tall white hat. In his right hand he held a large frying pan over the cooker and in his left an oil container which sprinkled imaginary oil on the pan.  He was cooking bacon and eggs! The skillet contained a light metal disk which the pig could flip up and catch. One side of the disk was painted with two large eggs supposedly being fried sunny side up and the other was covered in red and cream stripes representing the streaky bacon rashers! I loved it and still  remember it well but it has since occurred to that this was a curious toy on many levels. We were after all in a Muslim society and no doubt it had been bought by my dad from Aden's biggest toy emporium - a Jewish establishment called Yahooda's! Not to mention the cannibalistic connotations of a pig cooking bacon! I have to say that to this day bacon sandwiches are one of the main reasons I could never become vegetarian!

The obsession with the kitchen did not end there. The only time I can remember being severely disciplined by my father was when for some unknown reason I decided to lock myself in the kitchen and play with the cooker. I turned on all the electric hob burners to red hot and put the door key in the fridge which promptly fell to the bottom where I couldn't see it. When my parents realised what I had done they panicked, terrified I would hurt myself on the hot stove. Frantic my mother kept me occupied by talking to me through the kitchen door keyhole and well away from the cooker while my father raced down to the cook's quarters to get his back door key! Luckily I was liberated from the kitchen without any major mishap but boy I was in such trouble!!

Kieron

Paella

What could be more quintessentially Spanish than Paella? A dish we always have to have at least once when in Barcelona and up to quite recently one we could only enjoy in a restaurant. The purchase of a paella pan however changed all that and now we enjoy making it at home with the ingredients of our choice. They are always guaranteed to elicit a "wow" response and make a really fun sharing dish when everyone is sitting around the table helping themselves. People will always remember "pa eee a" a unique combination of Spanish sunshine and seafood on a plate! 

There is nothing sacrosanct about the ingredients listed below and almost every one of them can be dropped or substituted with something else. Indeed there are numerous varieties of paella, they can be meat or seafood and some feature more unusual ingredients such as squid ink to make black paella. 

They are relatively easy to prepare - think risotto without the slow addition of stock and endless stirring. In fact paella preparation is the exact opposite. Counterintuitively all the stock is put in the pan first and only then the rice is added, stirred once then left alone to cook. It is important to get the quantities of stock to dry rice correct otherwise  as noted above everything else is flexible. For a little extra kick we like to add chilli flakes, paprika and cayenne pepper. By the way you can substitute turmeric for the saffron to achieve that sunshine colour! 

Spanish sunshine on a plate 

Ingredients

125 g chorizo sliced

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion finely chopped

1 red pepper deseeded and chopped

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

3 large tomatoes skinned and chopped

2 large pinched of saffron 

soaked in 2 tbsp boiling water

Sea salt

16 mussels

900 ml stock

200 g Bomba paella rice

8 whole large and 8 small uncooked prawns

100 g green beans tops removed 

and cut to 3 cm pieces

100 g peas

300 g king fish cut into 8 pieces 

Lemon wedges 

Method

Fry the chorizo in the paella pan for about 2 mins and set aside leaving any oil behind. Add the olive oil and fry the onion pepper and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the tomatoes and saffron plus water and mix well. Boil about 300ml salted water in a pan  and throw in the mussels, cover until they are all open. Strain reserving the water which should be added to the paella pan with the stock. 

Scatter the rice into the stock season and cook for 5 mins. Add the beans and prawns and cook for a further 4 mins then turn the prawns over. When cooked remove the prawns. Push the king fish into the rice and cook for 5 mins. Finally arrange the peas, prawns chorizo and mussels over the rice and heat through until the rice is cooked to your liking and allow to stand for a few minutes or if a little too wet place under a grill for a minute or two. Serve with lemon wedges. 

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.