GOM Chapter 21 : What lurks beneath or the one that got away

Fishing is a very popular sport in this neck of the woods. My grumpy old man friend is a keen fisherman and very often sets out his stall on the bottom dock. His nemesis is the gar – aka garfish. This monster has proved to be a slippery customer. We would know it as pike. It is found in brackish water so the creek is perfect - they live close to the water surface and feast on the small fish. You can eat gar – but you'll need to catch it first!

Weekends produce a steady stream (sorry!) of boats that “park” and fish, some lucky, some not. The boats vary from a “Jon Boat” - which looks like a basic rowing boat but with a small motor added – to mega smega very expensive larger vessels. Photograph attached of the largest I've ever seen on the creek which came past and “parked” next door – gob-smacked is the word I think! You will by now have gathered that I am not in any way nautical.

Tonight it's supper at home and so am going to try something new – a cheeseless pizza! I do like pizza but unless you are fortunate enough to own a pizza oven in your back yard (garden) they vary so much. Making your own pizza base is a definite plus but it's not always convenient. If you don't want to be bothered you can buy a ready-made 12inch base or a mix that will do the job.

What's certain is that it will not take long to cook, so, pre-heat your oven as per the instructions.

You'll need :

Sour cream (half cup) or 4 fl oz

1 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped

6oz smoked salmon – slices or these days you can buy packets of the trimmings which would be perfect for the pizza topping

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp capers, drained

6 baby cornichons, finely chopped

Cook your pizza base according to the instructions and allow it to cool.

Mix the sour cream with the lemon juice and half the dill. Spread onto the cooled base, top with the smoked salmon and then sprinkle the onion, capers and cornichons. Sprinkle the remaining dill over the top – serve and enjoy, with baked potatoes (optional grated cheese), coleslaw, a huge mixed salad and beetroot. I think that'll do the job!

some time later …..

it definitely did and I'd recommend it for the “throw it all together”, easy-peasy type supper.

Congratulations your new slow cooker – a marriage made in heaven!

There are so many books on slow cooking – add one or two to your cookery book library and they are not expensive so will not break the bank. You'll have the usual instruction booklet with your cooker and no doubt a recipe book too. 

Carrying on after Falling into Autumn I thought you'd like a few basics on the finer points of Slow Cooking, á la me. 

The settings on your cooker will vary, depending on the model you've bought. The low setting is used for all day or overnight cooking and the high is for 3-6 hours which is the quicker method.

There is no end to what you can do with this magical piece of equipment.

The general rule is seal your meat or poultry before cooking. Some cookers are stainless steel and enable you to use directly on a hob, others are ceramic and not suitable, in which event you'll need to seal your meat and vegetables in a frying pan. Soften vegetables and garlic in a little rapeseed oil before adding flavourings like tomato paste which will enrich a casserole. Tomato paste should be “cooked” i.e. added to the pan after sealing your meat and before adding your stock. If you squirt tomato paste directly into the slow cooker you get a bitter and unpleasant flavour and you'll wreck your casserole. Hot stock should be added to whatever you're cooking and the general rule is that there should be sufficient stock to be half to two thirds deep.

If I slow cook a joint of gammon (smoked or unsmoked) I use vegetable stock. When I've removed the joint from the stock I freeze that stock when it has cooled. What that stock gives you is the base for anything you like, for example, a veloute sauce which, with gammon, chicken and leek makes a scrumptious pie or a base for a soup.

I suppose what I love about the slow cooker is the ability to cook cheaper cuts of meat that take forever but that have the most flavour. For example, buy braising steak or shin beef when it's on offer – add onions and beef stock - leave it to do its magic. That can be a meal in its own right with mashed potato, or you can turn that into a base for a pie. Adding (cheating of course) a puff pastry sheet as a lid.

Herbs and Spices –

Whole spices are best crushed – ground variety are fine but both should be added to the frying pan when you are softening onions, etc., to release their flavour.

Dried mixed herbs should be treated the same way. Soft herbs i.e. parsley should be added at the end of the cooking time.

Hope this has helped. As always there's more …..... and rules are made to be broken.

Fall into Autumn – or what's coming next!

My original posts began with the multi-tasking morning (MTM) and then the sequel, resulting in a week of suppers from the MTM - making the best use of the time you spent in the kitchen and getting the best out of your oven.

Coming next is a repeat of that same formula but using different ingredients and therefore different recipes and suppers for a new week and the Autumn. As the season begins so our needs and requirements change, the kids are back at school and although the weather isn't immediately horrible, it is certainly more changeable.

Reacquaint yourself with your slow cooker – if you haven't got one, may I respectfully suggest that you treat yourself, although treat is the wrong word – a slow cooker is an absolute must on every level. An electric slow cooker saves on your fuel bills – much cheaper than using a traditional oven – economical, saving time, money and waste. I could drone on, and on.

If there is anyone out there saying “but they are huge, I'm only cooking for one” - wrong on two counts – I cook for one carnivore using a medium/large slow cooker – I never slow cook for just one meal – I cook and freeze. I would accept that the larger versions take up space and not everyone has a large kitchen – you can buy tiny slow cookers, ideal for one person. If you've never used one, you'll never look back. The smallest capacity is 1 litre for one person, 1.5 would be sufficient for 1-2 people. They are inexpensive but shop around, the cheaper supermarkets have great deals so keep your eyes peeled!

Check out reviews – personally I'd go for a larger capacity than you think you'll need – you'll regret not buying a slightly larger version - give it some thought before you invest. Just imagine coming home to liver, bacon and onion casserole on a chilly Autumn night. I rest my case!

Just before I go, if you're new to the blog you might want to glance at the early post called “The joys of meal planning and grated cheese” – it poses questions and answers that you may find helpful.

I shall stop waffling on and finish off by saying thank you for reading my blog and I hope you'll carry on and enjoy the next season.

Mwah

Mélange de Champignons or a mixture of mushrooms! - Part 3

In my continuing quest for an outstanding “veggie burger” or even a version that doesn't look and taste like its a pile of sawdust, the following recipe is my contribution. If you are a lover of the archetypal chip butty with all that loveliness dribbling down your chin then this is for you. You also get two recipes for the price of one.

Mushroom and Taleggio Burgers

or

Mushroom and Taleggio as a starter

Serves 4

4 Portobello mushrooms

2 tbsp olive oil

300g Taleggio cheese

4 tbsp caramelised onion marmalade or chutney

2 tsp cider vinegar

4 wholemeal buns (burgers)

4 slices of wholemeal bread, cut into circles (starter)

Chopped flat leaf parsley (starter)

Pre-heat your oven 180/160 fan/Gas 4. Brush the mushrooms with the oil and season. Cook in the oven for 10 minutes, turning once until soft and juicy – you could alternatively place under a preheated grill for 10 minutes if you prefer. Towards the end of the cooking time place 75g each of the cheese on each of the mushrooms and let it melt slightly.

Heat the marmalade or chutney in a pan with the vinegar and 1 tsp of water until bubbling slightly.

Serve the mushrooms in the buns, topped with a spoonful of the marmalade or chutney.

As a starter, serve the mushrooms on toasted circles of wholemeal bread and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

You don't have to use Taleggio cheese, you could try Mozzarella, Brie, Camembert, goats cheese or any cheese that tastes good melted.

Hope this tickles your taste-buds and you've found the mushroom mixture tempting.

Mélange de Champignons or a mixture of mushrooms - Part 2

I mentioned the following recipe in the “Risotto” post. I'm repeating it here because, as they say in the advert, “it's worth it!”

Mushrooms in Balsamic

4 tbsp rapeseed oil or similar

500g chestnut mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

pinch of salt

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

60g grated/shaved parmesan

Heat the oil, add the mushrooms and garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook on high for 5 minutes until browned. Mix the vinegar with the sugar and pour over the mushrooms.

Stir until syrupy – 1-2 minutes, serve on toasted broad. Sprinkle with parmesan to serve.

Would serve 6 as a bruschetta/crostini topping

or

quarter the mushrooms and serve as a topping on a risotto and add shavings of parmesan – would not recommend using grated parmesan.

The next recipe is ideal for those that do – eat meat that is.

Chorooms!

200g diced chorizo

500g mushrooms – chestnut, portabellini

or portabello would be suitable,

finely sliced

Drop of Amontillado sherry

4 cloves garlic, crushed

4 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

60g parmesan – grated or shavings

paninis to serve

1 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

Heat a frying pan, then add the diced chorizo so that the oil is released and the chorizo is crispy – put aside, leaving the oil in the pan. Add the mushrooms, garlic and a pinch of salt – cook on high for 5 minutes until the mushrooms are browned.

Mix the vinegar with the sugar and pour over the mushrooms, stir until syrupy (1-2 mins), add the cooked diced chorizo.

Serve on toasted paninis, sprinkle with parmesan and chopped parsley.

Above and beyond the normal lunch or supper and can be made more substantial served with a huge mixed salad.

I hope you also think “it's worth it!”

Mélange de Champignons – or a mixture of mushrooms!

Part 1

Mushrooms have always been up there on my top ten list of favourites.

My first contribution is a recipe that I invented in the USA when catering for a houseful of guests, some of whom were vegetarian. It proved to be a hit and has been repeated more than once since – even the most stalwart of carnivores enjoyed it. The plus with this recipe is that it stands on its own as a vegetarian dish but also lends itself as part of a larger menu.

Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

(or Portabella!)

4/6 large Portobello Mushrooms

1 medium onion, finely chopped with a drop of rapeseed oil and a knob of butter

85g breadcrumbs (or if you want an alternative

use an 85g packet of sage & onion stuffing mix)

Garlic paste or 2 crushed cloves of garlic

Pine nuts (or walnuts if you prefer) – 50g (chopped chestnuts would also be good)

Small double cream - 150ml

3oz (75g) each of grated

Extra Mature Cheddar Cheese

Red Leicester

Gruyere

Salt and black pepper

4/6oz (100/150g) grated parmesan

Pre-heat your oven 200/180fan/gas 6.

Soften the onion and garlic with the oil and butter.

Remove and discard the stalks and set the mushrooms aside on a baking tray.

Place the breadcrumbs or stuffing mix into a mixing bowl, add the softened onion and garlic together with the pine nuts. Gradually add double cream to the mixture, it should be stiff. Add the grated Cheddar, Red Leicester and Gruyere, season well with salt and black pepper.

Dampen your hands. Take a handful of mixture and work into a firm mound and pack into each mushroom.

Sprinkle grated parmesan over each mushroom.

Bake and check after 15 minutes – depends on the size of the mushrooms, they should be nicely browned.

And my final tip - you can use the mixture, with less cream, to achieve a crumble consistency and use as a topping for roasted vegetables or fish.

Hope you like!

Mid-week mosey

Messing about in the kitchen developing a veggie dish, I needed a goats' cheese – a hard cheddar style version that would grate well and melt, as a topping for my dish.

I didn't need to look very far – Neneview Dairy is five minutes away – how great is that, artisan goats' cheese on my doorstep. I had spoken ahead to Chris at the Dairy and made an appointment to visit, and, to taste!

I know that there is a big divide out there – those who love it and those who loath and detest it – goats' cheese that is. I'm not sure what it is the “nays” are against – the archetypal image of a log or puck shape and the fact that it appears rolled in herbs, the flavour – usually sharp and salty, or the texture.

I implore you to get out there and taste these artisan cheeses. All of them made by Chris at Neneview Dairy are the hard variety and at present there are seven to choose from. I had a particular type in mind but nevertheless sampled them all – it would have been rude not to!

What I thought was really clever was that six out of the seven are named after the boot and shoe trade, so famous in Northamptonshire.

Needless to say I came away with three – one for my dish, called “Cordwainers” - a “Cheshire” type, “Redlands” a “Red Leicester” type and “Togglers” - a “Wensleydale” type. Check out the website, www.neneviewdairy.co.uk or email: NeneviewDairy@outlook.com.

Chris has plans for the Dairy in the pipeline so keep your eyes peeled!

Btw, the recipe is coming along nicely, so thank you for your cheese Chris