Gravlax Sauce

A few weeks ago we were asked to do a "chef's table" seated birthday dinner for 14 people. (That is to prepare and cook all the courses in front of guests) The client told us that as it was her special evening she wanted to choose her all time favourite dishes. So in reverse order the menu included Tiramisu for dessert, Halibut and asparagus with Hollandaise sauce for the mains and seared carpaccio of beef to kick off. We had great fun cooking and very much enjoyed being so involved with the guests all evening and watching the fare disappear from the plates almost a quickly as it was served!

Afterwards we were complimented all round but quickly discovered that one item in particular seems to have stolen the show. We had decided to dress the carpaccio with a gravlax sauce more commonly seen on smoked salmon but we find goes equally well if not better with meat.  This is a great little condiment and people have been asking for the recipe ever since! So here it is...

Ingredients

2 Tbsps honey mustard
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1Tbsp White wine vinegar
1 Tbsp Castor Sugar
1 Tsp Salt
1 Egg yolk
150 ml Rape seed oil
Dill chopped
Ground black pepper

Method

Whisk the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar together in a small blender or mixer. Slowly drizzle in the oil. The mixture should emulsify, that is become thick and creamy. Stir in the chopped dill and spoon over the meat or salmon. Please take note the ingredients are intended as a guide so once the basic sauce is made don't be afraid to calibrate the levels of sweetness and sourness to your individual taste by adding more sugar, salt or vinegar as appropriate.

By the way the carpaccio of beef is prepared by dusting the beef with a mix of garlic salt chilli powder, salt and ground black pepper and quickly searing it all round on a smoking hot pan. Allow it to cool and wrap tightly in cling film. It will be much easier to slice thinly after a couple hours in the freezer.


Posted by incredibly fed

Street Food!

A few days ago a client asked us to cater for a corporate event his company was hosting. We had already catered a private party for his birthday in April and were delighted to be asked back so soon to cook again. This time it was to be an evening of corporate entertainment, the main event being a performance by the "Pop Up Opera Company" but also included was a book signing by the author Garry Hunter of copies of his study of recent street art from around the world. Our client asked us to come up with an original theme for corporate entertainment. After some thought the suggestion was a world street food fair to compliment the book's "World Street Art" subject.

We suggested the food should be served from a street stall, an idea which the client loved and provided a menu of street food from around the world which we thought would be appropriate. The list included amongst other dishes fish and chips, burgers and hot dogs from Great Britain, stuffed vine leaves from Greece, various kebabs from the middle east, bhajis and peckoras from India and noodle and rice dishes from the Far East.

"Posters" advertising our wares... 

In the end the client plumbed for Great British fish and chips, summer rolls from Vietnam, Falalels with hummus and tabouleh from the Lebanon, tandoori chicken from India and Asian rice noodle boxes all accessorised with heaps of prawn crackers, poppadums and a variety of delectable sauces and dressings!  Desserts were retro fruit skewers with salted dark chocolate sauce and poached pears with ginger and mascarpone.

Once the choice was made Andrew our trusty IT support consultant designed and printed off posters to adorn the stall. So "Alfie's Falafels", "Tandoori Junction", "Saigon Vegetarian Rolls", "The Great British Fish and Chip Supper" and "Capa Street Noodles" all made their debut but for one night only...

All hands on deck during the interval! 

On that night we erected a garden gazabo indoors which made the perfect street "stall". Very much relieved that the tent structure actually fit into the room we set up shop underneath. Serving food had to be done pre- and post- the opera perfermance as well as during the interval. Luckily with the A Team of Ghaz, Emma and Maria manning the fort all the guests were "Incredibly Fed" in double quick time!







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Asparagus Spears

"Paneed"Asparagus with Goats' milk Camambert 

Neatly sandwiched between the medal winning blooms at Chelsea at the end of May and the thrilling tennis at Wimbledon at the end of June we have what has to be one of the most pleasant periods of the year, the delightful asparagus season. The appearance of those uniquely flavoursome green spears herald the advent of the summer months and the balmy days of the season to come.

Now those of you who are regular readers will spot instantly that we have already posted about asparagus. Almost a year ago while staying at a friends' chateau in the Gers region of south west France we raved about white asparagus and bemoaning it's rarity on these shores. This time we'll talk about the green cousins which are more in favour here in the UK.

If you are one of those people who steam their asparagus, very well, but as we pointed out a few weeks ago baking, roasting and griddling will get far more flavour and sweetness from your vegetables so in this case we strongly recommend baking!

Try "paneeing" the spears. Literally "to bread". Peal off any hard skin from the base of the spears and sprinkle with a little plain flour. Beat an egg and roll the spears in it followed by the breadcrumbs. (You can use Japanese panko crumbs or more economically normal bread crumbs as shown here) then place on a baking tray in the oven at 180 C for about 20 minutes. You can finnish off by placing under a hot grill for a minute or two to bring up the colour. Serve with Hollandaise sauce and a strongish cheese such as grilled goats' milk Camambert and fresh crusty bread.

Two weeks ago we were invited with Joyce my visiting cousin from Dublin to Rebecca's North London chateau for dinner after the Chelsea flower show. We volunteered to prepare the starter and chose to use two of her favourite ingredients. Joyce is addicted to  asparagus so on this occasion the green spears were paired with smoked Scottish salmon (another of her favourites) and placed on top of a mooli and carrot slaw with lightly boiled quails eggs (boil for one minute remove from heat and leave to stand for a further minute) and walnut crumbs with an orange vinaigrette. For added panache the spears were arranged in what Rebecca dryly termed "Bonfire night" fashion!









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Dublin Coddle (Updated)

I can't believe that just a few days away from the year's brightest twenty-four hours we are writing about an essentially hearty winter dish but the weather is so awful here in London it somehow seems appropriate so here goes...

Way back in November 2011 when we started this blog the very first post we wrote was about a childhood memory of the dynamics between my parents in the kitchen and centred around a dish my father used to make called Dublin Coddle. Like much of Irish cuisine the dish was based on traditional Irish peasant food using ingredients that were cheap and plentiful. The recipe was as close to the original as I could remember and I noted at the time of writing how much tastes and ingredients had changed and how the idea of offal boiled in milk would probably not be taken up by many on this blog's readers these days. Ever since that I have been intending to update the recipe to create a dish that we would all enjoy today. Well recently we did just that...

Ingredients

12 Cumberland sausages
12 Streaky rashers rolled
500 g button mushrooms
2-3 Lambs kidneys (optional)
500g Small new potatoes
1 Large Onion sliced
2 Bulbs Fennel cut into wedges
2-3 Cloves garlic
300 mls Chicken stock
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tobasco
Half cup milk
2 Tblsp Creme Fraiche
Fresh parsley for garnish
Seasoning

Method

Place all the ingredients into a large casserole dish. (If using kidneys halve them and cut out any tough white sinew) Pour in the stock and a little water if necessary. Cover, bring to the boils and simmer for about twenty minutes or until you are happy that all the ingredients are cooked through, particularly the potatoes. Drain off the liquid to another pan and simmer until reduced to about a quarter or third of the original amount. Add the milk and creme fraiche, stir well and season. Return to the main dish and allow to simmer gently for a further few minutes. Serve with Irish soda bread and a garnish of chopped parsley .


Posted by incredibly fed

Poached Pears in Ginger

This is a nice elegant dessert which is not too sweet or stogy and goes well if the preceding courses have been particularly... shall we say hearty! It works well after most dishes and is a lovely way to finish a meal, the ginger, like mint stimulating the digestive juices and refreshing the pallet.

IF offer a shot glass version of the poached pear dessert at part of the party menu. This is a mini version served in shot glasses and has proved to be an extremely popular dish to finish off drinks and canape parties!

IF Party poached pears in shot glasses

Ingredients

6 Fairly unripe Pears
2 "Inches" Fresh Ginger
Jar Stem Ginger
5 - 7 Tbsps Sugar
Water
Mascarpone
Ginger Snap Biscuits

Method

Make syrup by heating water in a saucepan and dissolving the sugar. Slice the fresh ginger and add to the syrup. Peel and cut the ends off the pears so they stand upright, cover and simmer for a few minutes. Test with a small kitchen knife, the fruit should be al dente. Allow to cool and leave the fruit in the syrup for several hours if possible.

Drain the syrup and return to heat to reduce until thick enough to serve with the pears. Chop the stem ginger into small cubes and add to the syrup. Serve the pears with a table spoon of Mascarpone and crushed ginger snaps biscuits.




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"Roast" Belly of Pork

"Oooooo this is the best pork belly I've ever eaten the crackling is just amazing!" My friend purred as he munched his way through lunch the other day pausing briefly only to  iPhotograph his repast for later broadcast on a well known social networking site. The two of us had recently reconnected after a long hiatus (an estimated twenty years certainly) thanks to the wonders of cyberspace and now meet for lunch whenever he visits from his adopted hometown, Barcelona. We both share a delight in all things culinary and this time we were at "Roast" that eatery perched in the rafters of Borough Market in south London with the wonderful view of the market stalls below. London's rather feeble answer to the Boqueria.

The menu is eclectic contemporary British and was a choice on my part intended to afford him a break from the cuisine of the Iberian peninsula. My first suggestion had been Jose Pizarro's nearby but quickly thought a dose of British contemporary would be more welcome so "Roast" it was, and boy was I right..!! As he continued to sing the praises of the pork to our Polish waiter I felt my delicious rump of lamb has been well and truly trumped and privately vowed to return to order the pork belly as soon as possible!

To finish off we chose dessert. Eyeing the selection of classic Irish Cheeses on the menu, Cashel Blue, Ardrahan etc, and not content to leave well enough alone we felt compelled to compliment their inclusion to the waiter "Ah yes" he said with a broad grin, "we like to keep the ingredients as BRITISH as possible!!" OH DEAR!

As we strolled back along the south bank the pork belly encounter reminded me that we had recently experimented with the cut and come up with a couple of ideas for in the IF menu. This one is very easy and works well.

Ingredients

1 kg Pork Belly
1 Tbsp Coriander powder
1 Tbsp Five Spice
1 Tbsp Cayenne powder
Half Tbsp Celery Salt
Half Tbsp Garlic Salt
Salt

Method

Make sure skin is bone dry before starting to cook. (Some people rub vinegar into it and leave it uncovered in the fridge for several hours) Score the pork skin with a scalpel or very sharp knife. Mix powders and dry rub the meat making sure you penetrate all the score lines. Place on foil on a baking tray for 1 and half to 2 hours until skin is crispy. If you are still not happy with the crackling factor try leaving the meat under the grill for a few minutes to finish off.







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Upper Crust...

Wasabi Crusted Filet of Salmon 

It is claimed though it has to be said without much actual evidence that we inherit the term "Upper Crust" from the fifteenth century when the aristocracy would be entitled to eat the superior or best part of the baked bread loaf or pastry pies whilst the ordinary folk were left with, in the words of Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood the dreaded soggy bottoms or overcooked dregs which sat nearest the fire.

Whatever the origin a good crust can transform your dish and does not necessarily need to be a pastry fabrication. Crushed nuts work well particularly Pistachios mixed with bread crumbs and will lend a definite Moroccan, Middle Eastern or Persian accent to your lamb for example.

Here at IF we are obsessive about not waisting food and that goes for stale bread as well, which last week we mentioned was useful for stuffing. The dried out odds and ends of loaves and baguettes make great breadcrumbs and will keep indefinitely. Just whizz the stale bread for a few seconds and you will have a very useful resource on hand in the cupboard with which you can coat almost anything. Mixed with Parmesan you can create the classic Wiener Schnitzel for example or chicken escalope.  But we have found a particularly good candidate which will make fantastic and unusual crumb and will add interest to either fish or meat.

Wasabi Crusted and French trimmed Rack of Lamb

The secret ingredient here is those little Wasabi peas which are usually served as a nibble with drinks. Simply place them in a blender and press the pulse button for a few short bursts. Add some bread crumbs and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and mix and there you are. As simple as that.  We generally use a little dijon or English mustard as "adhesive" but you can try beaten egg or just the egg white too. Simply brush on the glue and then apply the crumb generously and bake. On Salmon for example the crust can be applied before any cooking and will have the added advantage, by virtue of protecting the fish from direct heat, of helping to  keep it moist.

The lamb dish pictured here is really delicious and definitely has that certain luxurious "wow" factor. It is one of the nicest and most delicate cuts of lamb and as such should always be served pink. The pistachio or Wasabi crust and "French trimmed" lamb look very impressive and your dinner guests will think you have spent hours in the kitchen. You can buy the rack of lamb already prepared and the crust takes just a few minutes to prepare. Each rack will serve two people. We suggest searing the meat quickly to seal in the juices and then coating it with the crust in advance and then holding it until you are nearly ready to eat. You can pop it in the oven for just over 20 minutes as your guests arrive and then allow it to rest whilst the starters are being served.

Ingredients

Rack of lamb ( Serves two)

30g Course Ground Pistachio nuts (Roasted, Salted) or Wasabi Peas

20g Bread crumbs

2 Tbsp Oil and butter

2-3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180 C. To make the crust pulse the nuts or peas in the blender until blended but not too powder like. Combine in a bowl with the bread crumbs and oil and mix well.

Remove any excess fat from the rack of lamb, season and place on a hot pan to brown all over. Remove from heat. Make an incision between each of the bones and brush with dijon mustard then cover the top of the rack with the crumb. Place on a roasting tray taking care that none of the crust falls onto the tray as this will burn. Place in the oven for about 22 - 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes or more. To serve cut between the bones where the incisions were made earlier. Portion out on plates taking care that each serving is roughly similar.

Posted by incredibly fed

Get Stuffing...!

Aubergine rolls stuffed with sausage meat, breadcrumbs, herbs and spices.

Technically speaking Lucinda was my first cousin once removed (my father's first cousin). In fact because of a significant age difference she fulfilled the role of my grandmother - having first brought up my dad, partly as a result of his own mother's overloaded matriarchal duties and partly because of her life long single status and consequent lack of any off spring.  I remember her as an elegant white haired lady who was born in the Victorian era and who was a great cook. Throughout my childhood we often baked together and consequently it is to her I owe much of my love of all things culinary. Curiously Lucinda always hesitated to use the word "stuffing" preferring instead the term "concealment". A legacy I suppose from her own prudish Victorian childhood. "Stuffing" it seems always carried somewhat vulgar connotations!  Today the term concealment would be met with glazed stares of incomprehension so for the purposes of this post let's proceed unencumbered by such linguistic niceties.

So giggles aside what springs to mind when we speak of stuffing? Is it the annual ritual taxidermy performed on  the Christmas turkey or goose or the pre - Sunday lunch surgical performance on the roast chicken, or joint of pork or lamb ?

Stuffed field mushrooms.

Despite its connotations we at IF happen to believe that stuffing is highly underrated ( if that's not an oxymoron!) Sausage meat is the obvious and perhaps the most convenient choice. Lamb, chicken, beef, pork or venison sausage meat all make a good stuffing base. Alternatively flaked fish such as salmon mixed with cooked rice is a great start or for a totally vegetarian option couscous with nuts and sultanas is delicious. Meats and fish can be used either cooked or uncooked. If using uncooked just blitz them in the blender using the pulse button and flavour with your choice of herbs or spices. Lighten the mix with a fistful of breadcrumbs. We keep a jar of crumbs on the go all the time - a great way to use those odds and ends of loaves, baguettes etc that always seem to get left uneaten.

 To the left we show large field mushrooms topped with a mix of sausage meat and bread crumbs while above we show equally delicious aubergine rolls - (which have in both cases been pre-cooked for a few minutes before the concealment was added and baked again for approximately 30 minutes).




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Char Grilled Vegetables

We love our vegetables and don't really have a problem reaching our daily quota of 5-a-day. I for one am happy to eat lots of them raw and throughout this blog there are many posts dealing with vegetables in their natural state, for example the Simple Asian Carrot Salad or the Prawn and Mango Salad  or carpaccio of kohlrabi. Of course its not always possible or appropriate to eat vegetables without cooking them so as a plan B we would generally recommend roasting or baking.

Char grilled broccoli with flaked almond, garlic and chilli dressing.

Oven cooking brings out the natural sugars in most vegetables enhancing and intensifying their essential tastes and flavours but another method easily rivalling and perhaps even surpassing this wonderful caramelisation is to char grill. Here in this post we suggest two vegetables broccoli and baby aubergines. The former requires blanching (we think steaming is preferable) for a brief period and we mean brief, probably no more than two minutes maximum, whilst the latter can be placed directly on the char grill and cooked in one go. These two are only examples for illustrative purposes. Other vegetables which would work well are asparagus, courgettes, sweet potatoes, artichokes, fennel, red onions, spring onions, french beans.... the list is almost inexhaustible limited only by the boundaries of your imagination.

Char grilled baby aubergines with a tahini dip. 

There are just a few simple rules to follow. Vegetables should be sliced with at least one flat edge which allows maximum contact with the grilling pan and should be no more than a few millimetres thick. Those vegetables which require blanching, for example broccoli or fennel should be given short sharp shocks. Greens should be plunged into ice cold water following a brief steam to preserve their colour and then allowed to dry. All vegetables should be as dry as possible before being placed on the grill. Try to position the vegetables in such a way as to maximise the effect of the strips the grill pan will make. The pan itself should be smoking hot and a high heat maintained throughout the cooking process. Two or three minutes each side should be adequate but check the underside to see how it is doing. The intention is to burn but only up to the point where the flavour is enhanced by the caramelisation. If using any oil brush it on the vegetable not on the pan to prevent excessive smoking.

Finally a good dressing is essential in the case of the broccoli we suggest heating a little olive oil on a pan and frying some sliced cloves of garlic, chilli and flaked almonds until golden brown. Add a few drops of nut oil eg. hazelnut or walnut for an extra nutty flavour and seasoning.

For the aubergine we recommend a tahini dip consisting of tahini paste, olive oil, sweet vinegar, yoghurt, honey salt and a garnish of sesame seeds.

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On yer Bike! Quick Chicken Biryani

The Flying Bicycle repair shop, George Town, Penang

Rice in all its various forms is the staple ingredient of all of the cuisines of Southern and Eastern Asia and Malaysian cooking is no exception. Here we have featured rice dishes a number of times in the past, Sushi rice (with Teriyaki Salmon) and fried rice, for example, but this one really is special. Biryani rice is a classic from India but it's name is actually derived from the Persian word berya(n) meaning fried or roasted as the dish itself was invented in the kitchens of the Mughal Emperors, who were originally from Persia but who ruled the Indian sub-continent for centuries. It is usually served up with a cooling Raita made with cucumber and yoghurt as the rice alone can be slightly dry and spicy. There are many recipes and methods of preparation, some of which can be quite involved but we have developed a speedy version which despite the seemingly long list of ingredients takes only minutes to prepare. You'll be on yer bike in no time at all!!

The recipe we suggest here calls for uncooked chicken and cooked rice but you could substitute cooked chicken or lamb if you prefer. (It can also made with fish, mutton or vegetables, but the rice should always be Basmati as it's less starchy and gives a better finished product.) It's a handy one pan dish so minimises the washing up. We had it many times on our trips around Malaysia but back in London we served it recently to a good friend who comes from the Gower Peninsula, who came around to watch the Ireland v Wales rugby match and it went down a bomb!

Ingredients

3 Tbsp Vegetable oil
2 Cloves Garlic crushed
2 Bay Leaves
1 Cinnamon stick
1 Star Anise
4 Medium onions thinly sliced
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp minced ginger
1 tbsp Chilli flakes
1 Tbsp Turmeric powder
1 Tbsp Coriander powder
1 Tbsp Cumin powder
Half tbsp Black pepper
1 Tbsp Garam Masala
200 mls Coconut milk
2-4 chopped tomatoes or tsp paste
Handful of Peas/Mange touts (optional)
1 Kg Chicken chopped into bite size
400g Cooked Basmati rice

Garnish

Handful Coriander leaves
Handful toasted Cashew nuts
Handful dried Shallots
Boiled eggs (optional)

Method

Heat the oil in a wok or deep sided pan and add cinnamon and star anise. As they start to crackle in the heat add the onions and sautee until translucent. Add the chicken pieces and fry until brown then add the turmeric, coriander, chilli flakes, cumin powder, black pepper and garam masala. Sautee for a further minute then pour in the coconut milk, tomatoes (and peas or mange touts). Simmer for approximately 2 to 3 minutes. When almost ready to serve stir in the cooked rice and mix gently. Turn into a serving dish and garnish with chopped coriander leaves, roasted cashew nuts and crispy shallots. Serve with raita (yoghurt, chopped cucumber and seasoning)


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Malaysia's "Flying Bread" - Roti Canai

Melaka Minaret

The cuisine of most cultures around the world can usually be defined by its simple staple dishes such as bread and Malay cooking is no different. Although a largely rice based cuisine, the flat bread Roti Canai (pronounced Chanai) is very popular and is sold with various accompanying sauces from Mamak stalls run by Tamil Muslims at almost every street corner all down the Malay peninsula, Singapore and the Indonesian archipelago where it is sometimes known as Roti Prata. It is cheap and filling and as school kids we often stopped on the way home for a quick Teh (Pronounced Tay) Tarik and several rounds of roti canai and curry sauce to tide us over until the next meal time.
Curiously like so many popular dishes in Malaysia, both the tea drink and this definitive bread are thought to have been imported by Indian immigrants. The word "Roti" means bread in Hindi and Urdu whilst "canai" in Malay has come to mean "to roll out dough" although it is thought to originate from the Chennai (Madras) region of the Indian sub continent where many migrant workers to the Malay peninsula originated. In Chinese roti canai is often referred to as "flying bread" due to the way it is tossed and spun in the air to thin out the dough similar to an expert pizza maker! There are alternative methods but undoubtedly there is more than a little skill required in getting the correct shape and texture to the dough before frying. (We suggest watching a few posts on YouTube where there are many demonstrations which show the technique well). It is usually served with curry sauce or Dhal. (See the post "Cooking with Romesh") and washed down with ice cold sugar cane juice.

Roti Canai served with curry sauce and ice cold sugar cane juice. 

Ingredients

Serves four

2 Cups Plain flour
2 Tsps Salt
2 Tsp Sugar
1 Cup Water
1 Cup Cooking Oil

Method

Mix sugar and salt in the water and add to the flour little by little mixing to make a dough. Knead until soft ensuring the texture is not sticky. Oil your hands with vegetable  oil and divide dough into palm sized balls, ensure the balls are well covered with oil and leave overnight. Next day oil a kneading board and flatten each dough ball into the size of a dinner plate. Flip like a pizza a few times until spread like thin paper. Take the edges and fold into the middle creating a square envelope shape. Pan fry on a well oiled skillet until golden brown. It is customary to fluff up the cooked pastry by crushing it between your hands. Serve with curry sauce or Dhal.





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Belacan Beware!!!

Which came first the chicken or the egg? Last week our Easter post was, naturally all about the egg. Well here comes the chicken....
One day during my visit back to KL I was pottering around my sister's house when suddenly I was drawn into the kitchen by a pungent smell which assaulted my nostrils. The cook was cooking with an unmistakable ingredient, a shrimp paste commonly known as Belacan.  Belacan (pronounced "bell-achan") is an iconic element of South East Asian cooking and is widely used in Malay cuisine. But why beware of it? Well if I tell you it is made from fermented shrimp mixed with salt you might get the idea. Just one sniff will confirm this warning. It comes in a wet form as paste or can be sun dried into blocks but whichever you choose we urge a note of extreme caution! Keep it in an air tight container at all times. In its natural uncooked state it is quite foul smelling and will leave your fridge or food cupboard with an offensive odour which is almost impossible to remove. But have faith and don't be deterred as a cooking ingredient it confers a unique depth and richness of flavour quite indispensable to many of the region's dishes. At Incredibly Fed we use it many of our dishes but one of favourites is this one....

Belacan Chicken Wings Incredibly Fed Style! 

Ingredients

2 Kilo Chicken Wings (Tips removed)

4 Tbsp plain flour

4 Tbsp Corn Starch

4 Tbsp Rice Flour

Marinade

1 Tbsp Ground Chilli Paste

1 Tbsp Garlic paste

1Tbsp Ginger paste

1 Tbsp Sugar

1 Tsp Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Light Soy sauce

1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

1 Tbsp Fish Sauce

2 Tbsp Belacan paste

1 Tsp Black pepper

1Tbsp Sugar

Half Tsp Salt

Vegetable Oil to deep fry

Method

Combine marinade ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix well, add chicken pieces and ensure each is well coated. Transfer into an airtight container or sealed freezer bag and leave over night in the fridge.

Next day mix three flours in a bowl with pepper. Drain each piece of chicken so that each is quite dry and dip into flour. Shake off excess flour and deep fry in hot oil until cooked through and golden brown (approximately 6 - 8 minutes). Drain the chicken on kitchen paper and serve with sweet chilli sauce or your favourite dip!

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Ishtar's Eggs

Scotch Quail eggs in a filo nest.

You would never guess by looking at the images of white drifts, the snow covered landscape up and down the country and watching the thermometer mercury flatline that we've just passed one of the calendar's major annual punctuations - the spring equinox and that we are rapidly heading for Christianity's most important one.. the Eastertide festival. You would also never guess in less than two days time we will be pushing our clock and watch hour hands forward by one unit. All of the above are generally considered to be indicators of warmer weather, longer days and a general ushering in of a welcome and eagerly awaited seasonal metamorphosis. Despite the extreme low temperatures and stubborn persistence of wintry conditions though familiar Easter symbols of resurrection, renewal, rebirth, fertility and fecundity have made their appearance.

One theory has it that Easter was originally the celebration of Ishtar the Assyrian and Babylonian goddess of fertility and sex. Her symbols were the egg and the bunny but Christianity hijacked much of her paraphernalia and so the egg became associated with Jesus Christ and the resurrection of the body. The egg is still a potent symbol but these days are invariably made from chocolate and no doubt we will all be tucking in this weekend!


Here at incredibly Fed we put our heads together to come up with an appropriately seasonal post for our blog which you might enjoy. Well here it is... Scotch quail Eggs. We have put them in a nest of filo pastry which is edible lined with dried nori seaweed, also edible.

They are easy and quite fun to do. Boil quail eggs for several minutes, shell and leave to cool. Remove the skin from good quality sausages and combine filling. Wet your hands to prevent the sausage meat sticking to them and take enough to cover one egg generously and flatten out. Cover the egg making sure it is sealed in all around. Dip the covered egg in beaten egg and roll in breadcrumbs. Deep fry for several minutes until golden brown! Serve with your favourite pickle!




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Malaysia's Heritage Dish - Nasi Lemak

Malaysian cultural icons - Bicycle rickshaws and Nasi Lemak.  

No series of posts about Malaysian cuisine could possibly neglect to mention an iconic dish that is considered so important it ranks as part of the country's national heritage no less! It is such an integral element of the national diet that recently raging controversy was sparked when well meaning health experts dared to suggest that it's place on school and college menus should be curtailed due to the increasing obesity problem slowly becoming evident among pupils and students around the country. When I'm visiting my family there however, I eat it so often that I take it for granted and almost forget to talk about it or that it is worthy of a post all to itself!

Nasi Lemak is a dish eaten in Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, the Riau Islands and Southern Thailand. It is rooted in Malay culture and the name literally means "Fatty Rice" derived from the cooking process whereby rice is soaked in coconut cream and then the mixture is steamed. Sometimes knotted screwpine (pandan) leaves are thrown into the rice while steaming to give it more fragrance. Aromatics such as ginger and lemon grass may also be added for enhanced fragrance. Because of it's versatility it is now served and eaten at any time of the day. Traditionally the dish comes as a platter of food wrapped in a banana leaf with cucumber slices, small dried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, cucumber, hard boiled egg, and the all important spicy sauce (sambal). To make the dish more substantial and upmarket chicken, cuttlefish, cockles, pickled vegetables and beef rendang can be added.

Ingredients

Rice
3 Cups Rice
1half Cup Cocnut Rice
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
I and Half Cup Water
4 Cms Ginger thinly sliced
I medium red Onion thinly sliced
I Pandan Leaf Knotted
1 Stick Lemon Grass Bruised
Half Tbsp Salt
Half Tbsp Sugar

Sambal
100g Dried chillies soaked and blended
100g Red onion Sliced
60g Shallots blended
30g Garlic blended
30g Belacan
50ml Tamarind juice
100g Ikan bilis (Dried Anchovies)
Salt and sugar to taste

Condoments
5 Boiled eggs halved
150g Roasted Peanuts
1 Large cucumber sliced
150g Ikan Bilis deep fried

Method

Rice: Wash rice in cold water and drain. Put into rice cooker Add all the "Rice" ingredients. Cook for 30 minutes until soft.


Sambal: Heat oil in a wok add blended ingredients until oil separates (about 5 minutes) Add tamarind juice and cook for a further two minutes. Add Ikan bilis and onion slices. Finally add salt and sugar to taste and simmer for a further two minutes. Assemble the rice Sambal and condiments as per the photograph. Enjoy...!


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Chilli Crabs at Fatty Crabs

Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur

One evening on my recent trip to Malaysia my nieces brought me to one of their favourite restaurants in KL - Fatty Crabs. Its a very popular city eatery specialising in Malay cuisine and in particular as the name suggests crab and all kinds of shell fish. We had great fun and a good laugh slowly working our way through the fare but take note this is not a meal for the faint hearted, those in a rush or the prissy!  Now you may think tackling whole crab is a lot of work for a little reward and you are of course entitled to your opinion but in my view nothing beats the rewarding taste of the rich crab meat covered in a tangy chilli sauce won with a little effort from its tough exoskeletal armour.

Back in London I really wanted to see if I could recreate this very memorable total eating experience. If you are tempted by this recipe but the prospect is a bit too daunting we would recommend you try cooking just crab claws or indeed an alternative more meaty crustacean such as lobster. The correct tools are essential. Forget a knife and fork which are useless, its a case of fingers with much needed help from a nut cracker type implement to break the shell. Fatty Crab provides small hammers as well as a long forked prong to extract the meat which we would say are also indispensable. An apron or bib which covers you from head to foot is advisable to avoid costly dry cleaning bills, oh, and finger bowls are useful too!

Incredibly Fed Crab in Chilli Sauce 

Ingredients
2 Large Cooked Mud crabs or other shell fish
1 Large Onion (Chopped)
2 Red Chillies (Chopped)
1 Tbsp Garlic Paste
1 Tbsp Ginger Paste
8 Tbsp Ketchup
4 Tbsp Sweet Chilli Sauce
1 Tbsp Light Soy
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
2 Tbsp Rice Wine
4 Tbsp Wine Vinegar
2 Tbsp Woscester Sauce
4 Tbsp Sugar
2 Tbsp Belacan
1 Stick Lemon Grass (Bruised)
4 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
Spring onion (Garnish)

Method
To make the sauce blend onion, chillies and belacan to a paste and fry on heated wok for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic, lemongrass and ginger and fry for another 3 minutes before adding the liquid ingredients and frying for a further 2 minutes then add sugar. If mixture is too thick let down with water. Simmer for 5 minutes. Adjust to taste. Sauce should be spicy and sweet. Finally add the cooked crab pieces, crab claws or lobster into the sauce and toss for a few minutes ensuring each piece is well coated. Transfer to a large serving dish and garnish with spring onion. Serve with generous amounts of warm or toasted bread to mop up the delicious sauce!




Posted by incredibly fed

Seared Duck for a long lost Friend

We are not huge fans of social networks and communicating in cyberspace finding face to face contact far more preferable. Indeed we find mobile phones deeply intrusive, intensely irritating and not to say downright rude when given priority by their owners over those who have made the effort to be physically present with them. But hey-ho our view is "if you can't beat them join them" and there is no doubt that cyberspace communication has its benefits. I recently reconnected with a friend from my days in Dublin and with whom I had lost contact when I moved to London well over twenty years ago. Thanks to the wizardry of Mark Zuckerberg and his mates we are now in touch again and find we still have much in common. He is now married to a Catalan partner and living just outside Barcelona. Need I say that he too loves his food. That's more than enough for me, we have reignited a friendship and I am very pleased about it.

Last week he was attending a course nearby and we planned to have dinner at my flat one evening. I wanted to show him a picture album I still had and in which he figured prominently... Ooooo believe it or not we were once the bright young things in town!

I decided on this easy one much of which could be done in advance leaving me free to chat and giggle over old photographs.

Seared ducked breasts with mixed beans and chorizo.

Ingredients

2 Duck breasts
Small handful Cardamom pods
Cinnamon stick
Star Anise
Half tbsp 5 Spice powder
1 Tsp Garlic salt

Mixed Beans

1 Tin Chick peas
1 Tin Broad beans
1 Tin Canaloni beans
1 Onion sliced
2-3 Celery sticks chopped
Chopped Parsly stems
2 Cloves Garlic chopped
5-6 cms of Chorizo sausage
1 Tbsp Tomato paste
300 mls Chicken stock
1 tsp Paprika
Half glass red wine
Dash Worcester Sauce
Dash Tabasco sauce
Seasoning
Chopped Parsly Leaves (Garnish)

Method

Place the ingredients for the dry marinade in a coffee grinder or blender and reduce to powder. Score the fat layer on each of the breasts into diamond shapes and rub in the powder. Leave for a few hours or overnight in a sealed container in the fridge.

Place the breasts on a cold pan and slowly bring up the heat melting much of the fat away. (approx 4 minutes) When nicely browned and crisp turn over and leave for a further 2 minutes. This will result in rare meat but you can adjust the length of cooking to taste. Meanwhile slice the chorizo fairly thinly and place in a separate pre-heated pan. Add the onion, celery, parsley stems, garlic and Paprika and cook until translucent. Add the red wine, Tabasco and Worcester sauces and chicken stock and simmer for a few minutes until stock reduces. Finally rinse the beans and add to the liquid. Season to taste. This can all be done well in advance. (Indeed its better if you do!) The duck breasts can be heated gently under tin foil in the oven. Slice diagonally and serve on top of the mixed beans with a garnish of fresh green parsley leaves.



Posted by incredibly fed

Kuih Koci

Kuih Koci, (pronounced Kway Kochi) is a Nyonya dessert of steamed glutinous rice flour filled with delicious brown sugar and grated coconut all wrapped up in banana leaf parcels. Nyonya cooking is very popular in Malaysia and developed as a result of the intermarriage between Chinese immigrants and native Malay over several centuries. Melaka and Penang are the main centres of Nyonya population, culture and cuisine to the present day.

Buddhist Temple in Melaka 

For a touch of Far Eastern Exotica which is guanteed to amuse your guests we suggest serving these delicious little treats for afternoon tea.

Ingredients

2 Cups Glutinous Flour
1 Cup Coconut Milk
2 Tbsp Salt
2 Cups Grated Coconut
1 Cup Brown Sugar
1 Stalk Pandan (Screwpine) leaves
Banana Leaves
Vegetable oil

Method

Cook the brown sugar with a little water until melted add in the Pandan leaf and leave to simmer for a minute on medium heat. Place the grated coconut and half the salt in and stir until the mixture dries out (approx 5 minutes).

Meanwhile make a dough by mixing the glutinous flour with  the remainder of the salt and coconut milk and a little water if necessary. Knead till a soft dough is formed. Divide the dough into ping pong ball size and flatten. Place a tsp of the sugar filling and surround with the dough making sure the filling is sealed inside. Cut the banana leaves into rectangles of approximately 6 cm x 12 cm and gently warm over heat to render them pliable. Coat the non shiny side of the leaves with a little vegetable oil and place the dough ball in the middle and fold into small parcels as shown in the photograph. Place in a steamer for about 15 to 20 minutes. Allow to cool and serve.


Posted by incredibly fed

Christmas Crackers... Clouds in my (Irish) Coffee

"I had some dreams they were clouds in my coffee, clouds in my coffee and...." 

Carly Simon 1972 

Cumulus, Nimbus, Cirrus, Stratus, sadly Carly's lyrics don't elaborate further ( not the only conundrum associated with that song ) but from the undoubtedly cloudy island of Ireland where all of them are frequently in evidence, come not one but two world famous beverages celebrated for their iconic, milky cloud cover. One is a well poured pint of Guinness and the other is of course an equally well dispensed and expertly crafted stemmed glass of Irish Coffee.

Irish whiskey can be distilled nowhere else in the world except in Ireland. It is a heavenly golden spirit which has conquered the world and helped put that Emerald Isle on the tourist map. Irish Whiskey - in Irish uisce beatha or "water of life" is smokier and some would say a less smooth version than its closest rivals. An acquired taste undoubtedly, it's the whiskey drinkers' whiskey, a whiskey connoisseur's first choice but for those of us not so lucky to be so well acquainted the best introduction is probably via another quintessential Irish classic - Irish Coffee. The combination of excellent coffee and Irish whiskey topped with rich cream with its classic monochrome good looks makes a uniquely elegant and delicious drink.

How to make one...If there's one skill you perfect this seasonal holiday let it be this one! Prepare all your ingredients in advance as time is of the essence. There is nothing worse than a luke warm drink. Make strong black coffee a long shot of espresso is ideal and keep hot. Lightly whip double cream with a half tsp castor sugar added. Hold in the fridge. Heat a stemmed goblet by dipping it in hot water. Dry and put a teaspoon of brown sugar in the glass followed by a measure of Irish Whiskey. Ideally the whiskey should be warmed so the sugar will dissolve easily. Pour in the hot coffee and stir until the sugar is completely dissolved. Now for the slightly tricky bit. Pour the cream over the back of a desert spoon so that it falls gently onto the coffee mixture. Under no circumstances should the cream mix with the coffee. Black and white, hot and cold......clouds in my coffee! 

Christmas Crackers...!

" I pull my aubergines on..." 
David Dundas (misheard) 1976

Aubergine biscuits with parmesan.

Slice aubergine. 

Coat first in flour, then beaten egg and finally grated parmesan.

Bake on a tray at 180 C until golden (about 20 mins) 

Serve with your favourite dip. 

Christmas Crackers...

What could be more refreshing than ripe sweet and chilled fresh pineapple slices? When looking for some ideas to post over Christmas this one "Acar Timun Nenas" popped out! On our last visit to Malaysia we had it a lot and thought it would be a great recipe to serve at home particularly during this season as it would be a fantastic condiment for all those Christmas cold meats or indeed that turkey curry!

Its an easy but unusual  pineapple and cucumber salad which removes pineapple from its usual fruit companions and launches it into the world of savoury dishes - a kind of "trompe l'oeil" for the palate!

Acar (pronounced Achar) Timun Nanas is such a popular sweet sour salad it is served as an accompaniment to almost everything. It is a terrific counter balance that cuts through the heat and spices of the many Malaysian curry dishes or the Malay national dish of beef rendang and adds a uniquely fresh and tangy note which would also be ideal with grilled or roast meats or barbecues.

Ingredients

1 small cucumber un-peeled
halved and deseeded cut into batons
Half small sweet pineapple cut into chunks
Handful coriander leaves coarsely torn
1 fresh red chilli thinly sliced (deseeded)
2 tsp sugar
i tsp salt
1 tbsp rice vinegar
Tbsp crushed roasted peanuts (garnish)







Method

Dissolve sugar and salt in vinegar and add cucumber pineapple chilli and coriander. Toss to mix. Re-fridgerate until ready to serve. Just before serving garnish with a sprinkling of crushed roasted peanuts.

Christmas Crackers...

Hand cut crisps... Why not liven up your fajitas or slices of cold meats and game with this classic accompaniment?
Thinly slice potatoes or root vegetables such as parsnip, beetroot, sweet potatoes or celeriac. A food processor or mandolin (mind your fingers) is probably best for this. Pat dry and gently drop into hot oil. Once lightly coloured remove and allow to cool on kitchen paper. To finish off repeat the process until a pleasing colour. Don't forget to season. The crisps will crispen nicely when allowed to dry on kitchen paper. Alternatively serve with your favourite dip. See posts below for suggestions



Posted by incredibly fed

Christmas Crackers!

Fajitas...Try this tasty way to finish off any of those left over Christmas cold meats. Slices of turkey, ham or game, with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, avocado seasoning and chopped coriander or mint all wrapped in warmed flat breads.

For more relaxed fun why not put out the ingredients and just let your guests assemble their own and for an extra twist smother in Coronation dip - Mix together yoghurt, mayonnaise, teaspoon curry powder, mango chutney, lime juice and seasoning. Adjust to taste! Simples!!

Posted by incredibly fed

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. 

Kohlrabi

Some time ago we posted an item on cassava and this one on kohlrabi was set to follow in the 'series" on somewhat unusual and underused vegetables. We were also drafting a separate item on saag aloo, one of our favourite Indian vegetable dishes but when looking for a recipe which would make use of kohlrabi we had a brain wave - why not combine the two? So here goes...

Baby sputniks

Definitely not a looker in the beauty steaks and sometimes nicknamed the sputnik of the plant world which perhaps accounts for the fact that this wonderful and versatile little autumn vegetable is so overlooked in this country. Although very popular in Central Europe and Asia for years kohlrabi was thought good enough only for cattle fodder here. Happily things are changing though. It has been making it's appearance in the markets for some time now and will be with us for the next few months. Although strictly speaking it is a cultivar of cabbage and not a root vegetable it can do everything a root vegetable can do and more. It is delicious eaten hot or cold, think carrot, parsnip and celeriac. It is terrific shredded in a remoulade with carrot and a mustard dressing. Sliced finely carpaccio of kohlrabi served with anchovies is delicious, alternatively it can be peeled and cut into batons and steamed for about 8 minutes and served with butter and seasoning or pan fried with your favourite herbs or spices.











Equally aesthetically challenged Saag is a spinach or mustard leaf dish from south Asia. It is combined with various ingredients to create classic Indian dishes. Saag gosht pairs the vegetable with meat whilst saag paneer makes use of cheese and in the dish Saag aloo spinach and potatoes are coupled! We are suggesting saag kohlrabi. The purists may protest but we find tinned spinach the easiest and best as it is just the right consistancy to form a creamy spinach sauce.

Ingredients

1 kohlrabi peeled and diced into 1 cm cubes

1 Can spinach puree

1 Onion (finely chopped)

Garlic paste

Ginger

Cumin seeds

Cumin powder

Mustard seeds

Turmeric

Seasoning

Method

Sweat off the onion, garlic and spices in a pan for a few minutes. Add the kohlrabi and sautee for 7 to 8 minutes or until soft but still "al dente". Add spinach and cook for a further 2 minutes until all ingredients are warmed and combined. Season to taste.

Posted by incredibly fed

Brazilian Night

Last weekend IF catered for it's greatest challenge yet a Brazilian themed 21st Birthday party for 100 guests in a spectacular marquee.... Rio's Mardi Gras comes to north London in November...

Chris lines up with the other dancers for his IF supper between performances, then gives it all on the dance floor...

 

Fresh Tropical Fruit Kebabs with rich Dark and White chocolate dips mirror the Latin American mood...

Colour and spectacle created by feathered head dresses and wings... Notting Hill was never like this!

More Tropicana... Merengue drops topped with whipped Elderflower cream Kiwi and Pomegranate!





Meanwhile backstage with the dancers....

.....Ghaz becomes VERY popular with the ladies when they catch a glimpse of his chocolate brownies!!












Posted by incredibly fed