Duck noodle soup.

Ingredients.

1 Duck carcass
500g of homemade noodles (see blog for recipe ) or shop noodles
2 litres of water
1 large onion
1 large carrot
25g sweetcorn
2 cups of mushrooms
1/4 cup of prawns
1 star anise
1 dash Chinese rice wine
1 dash fish sauce
1 dash dark soy sauce
1 tbs fresh chopped coriander
2 bay leafs
1 red bell pepper
salt and pepper to taste



In a large soup pot add water and  boil up the duck, carrot , onion, bay and star anise for at least 1.30hrs, fry off the mushrooms, sweetcorn and pepper just till they colour and add to the soup, add the wine, fish sauce and soy , simmer for 15 mins add noodles, prawns, coriander  and season to taste simmer with a lid on for 25min or till noodles are cooked. enjoy

Homemade egg Noodles.
Better than any take-away.

 Ingredients.

2 cups plain flour
2 eggs
4 half eggs shells of water
1 pinch of salt

In a bowl add the eggs, flour and salt and mix slowly add the water half and egg shell at a time, bring the dough together into a ball then flour a work surface and rolling pin and roll the dough out as thin as possible cut into strips using a pizza cutter and boil for 20 -30min depending on the size of the noodle and your taste.

Wild Boar sausages braised in red wine with juniper berries.
A wonderful dish made using my Father in laws homemade sausages, Thanks Tata Bala

1 lb / 450 g Wild Boar sausages
2 bay leaves
1 dessertspoon olive oil
6 oz/175g medium open cap mushrooms
8oz/225g diced bacon or pancetta
1 heaped teaspoon plain flour
1 large clove garlic, peeled
1 rounded teaspoon mustard powder
8oz/225g onions , peeled
1oz/25g soft butter
8 juniper berries
2 rounded tablespoon redcurrant jelly
1 bottle red wine (I used an Australian shiraz
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

First take a large pot and heat the oil, add the sausages and cook for 5mins until browned, remove the sausages and add the onions,garlic and pancetta  to the pot cook on the lowest heat until the onions are translucent return  the sausages to the pot and add the rosemary, wine and bay leafs, season to taste crush the juniper and add to the stew, place the lid on and lightly simmer  for 20mins remove the lid add the mushrooms, cook with the lid off reduce the sauce for 30 mins, to  make a bain marie mix the butter flour and mustard powder and whisk into the stew, stir in the redcurrant jelly and serve with fresh parsley

I served this with a parmesan polenta.

Pak choi and potato soup.

a light creamy refreshing soup.

Ingredients.

1 large pak choi
1 large leek
1 small onion
4 medium potatoes
1 bunch fresh parsley
250ml double cream
2 tsp olive oil
1 pint chicken stock
salt a pepper to taste

Peel the potatoes and roughly chop with the rest of the veg, add to a large hot oiled frying pan and cook for 5mins until they just start to colour, transfer to a large pot and add chicken stock to cover the veg, boil until soft and add to a soup blender with the parsley salt and pepper ( at least 15 turns of the pepper mill for me), blend till smooth pour back into the pot let cool for a few mins and stir in the cream and serve.

Griddled Tuna.
Just testing out my new griddle Iron from my parents for my birthday, thanks guys

Ingredients.

200ml chicken stock
50g polenta
handful mushrooms
1/2 leek
salt
pepper
tuna steak
25g parmesan cheese
1 tsp oil

Slowly whisk in the stock into the polenta while on a medium heat for 2min and cheese and cook for a further 1min, fry leeks and mushrooms in plenty of pepper, finally brush the tuna with oil and season and place on a steaming hot griddle for around 1min -1min 30sec on each side and serve.

Heart shaped cinnamon and chocolate wreath.

The heart shaped cake I made for my wife on woman's day :-)

Ingredients.
2 cups plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup warm water
1.6 grams or 0.6 oz dry yeast
1/8 melted butter
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 softened butter
4 tbsp sugar
3 tsp cinnamon
75g nutella melted
Mix the yeast and sugar with the water and leave for 15 mins till it bubbles up and foams, add the egg yolk the melted butter and flour and salt , knead into a ball, place in a greased bowl in a warm place till it doubles in size about 1hr. Preheat oven gas mark 7 dust your work surface  very well and roll out to 1/2 cm, mix melted butter sugar cinnamon and nutella and spread all over, roll up the dough and cut lengthways and Plat and shape into and heart, place on a baking tray brush with butter, bake for 10mins then reduce heat to gas mark 4 for 20-25 mins and Enjoy 

Homemade Gnocchi with fresh pesto.
A Flavourful delight you must make fresh a dish made with my new food processor from my wife and my daughter for my birthday thanks guys.

 

 

Ingredients.

 

 

75g pine nuts

2 handfuls of basil leaves

the juice of 1 lemon

Olive oil to taste

salt

pepper

100g parmesan

4 medium potatoes

80g Plain flour

1 egg beaten

 

First put the potatoes in the microwave for 8 mins or until fluffy inside, take the skin off and mash add to the flour and  make a well in the middle, fill the well with the egg and mix in from the egg out, till you form a dough add more flour or egg if needed. roll into a  sausage shape cut 1inch thick

and roll each piece against the back of a folk to form grooves, boil in salt water till they rise to the top, about 2-3 mins then drain.

For the sauce toast the nuts in a pan and add to a food processor with basil, lemon juice salt pepper parmesan and mix pouring the oil in while mixing till it forms a sauce. serve on the gnocchi with a side salad   

 

 



Egg fried rice.
A simple modern classic that can be infinitely adapted.

Ingredients.

Rice of your choice 2/3 cup per person
Rice wine vinegar
Fish sauce
1 Egg per person
Frozen peas
Fresh parsley
Prawns
Tamarind sauce
Poppy seeds
Sesame seed oil
Unsmoked gammon ham
Garlic and Ginger paste


Amounts of ingredients are not needed for this dish, as I feel unlike say baking stir fry should just be done to taste. the only thing I would insist on is using cold boiled rice from the day before freshly boiled rice will just not work. Mix your egg in a jug and add to a very hot oiled wok cook for 30 sec then take off the heat and let it cook with residual heat, once cooled roll up and slice and save, add garlic and ginger paste to the empty egg wok add the chopped ham, peas and pawns and fry till coloured. add the rice, vinegar, fish sauce, parsley, egg  and poppy seeds. and fry on a high heat for 5mins serve with a Tamarind sauce.

Elderflower jelly with Chinese stem ginger.

A Truly easy recipe with a complex taste.

Ingredients.

1 packet of unflavoured gelatine
125ml of hot water
10 tablespoons of elderflower cordial
500ml of cold water
1 thumb of Chinese stem ginger sliced

Mix your gelatine with the hot water, make up the elderflower cordial separately
with the cold water making sure it taste strong, stir the gelatine mix into the cordial and pour into a bowl, let it set in the fridge for at least 3 hours and serve with sliced Chinese stem ginger.

Avocado ice cream.

 

Ingredients.

2 large ripe avocado's
50g caster sugar
2 tablespoons milk
140ml whipping cream

Scoop the flesh of the avocado's into a liquidiser, add milk and sugar then blend until smooth, pour the cream into a mixing bowl and whip until it form soft peaks, fold the avocado mixture into the cream pour into a shallow freezer safe container and freeze for 3-4 hours stirring every 40mins to break up any big frozen lumps

Cherry Clafoutis.

Ingredients.

4 eggs             
160 g plain flour
160 g butter melted and cooled
300 ml milk             
120 g caster sugar
2 vanilla pods, split lengthways        
60 g butter             
400 g  ripe cherries, stoned and with stalk removed
25g flaked almonds

Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas 6. 

 beat the eggs in a bowl with a fork, then lightly beat in the flour. Whisk in the cooled melted butter, then gradually whisk in the milk followed by the sugar. With the point of a knife, scrape out the seeds
from the vanilla pods and add them to the mixture.
Cut 20g of the butter into small pieces, set aside. Use the remaining 40g to generously grease an ovenproof dish, about 22cm in diameter and 3-4cm deep. Spread the cherries evenly over the base of the dish, then pour the batter mixture over them. (I pit the cherries by stabbing them with the top of a icing bag), transfer the dish to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Lower the oven setting to 180°C/gas 4, and cook for a further 15 minutes. Scatter the reserved butter pieces and almonds evenly over the top of the clafoutis and bake for another 5 minutes, or until set. To check, carefully insert the point of a sharp knife in the middle, if it comes out clean, the clafoutis is cooked

Falafel.

Ingredients.

1 x 400 g tin of mixed beans         
1 x 400 g tin of chickpeas

1 lemon

3 tablespoons smoked paprika      

1 heaped teaspoon allspice

1 heaped tablespoon plain flour

1 bunch fresh coriander

olive oil

 

Drain the chickpeas and put them into the processor Finely grate in the lemon zest, then add a pinch of salt and pepper,smoked paprika  , allspice, flour and coriander Blitz until smooth,  Scrape out the mixture and use clean, wet hands to quickly divide and shape it into 8 balls Put 1 tablespoon of oil into the frying pan and add the falafels, tossing until golden and crisp

Pitta bread.

Ingredients.

1 1/2Tsp  dry yeast

250ml warm water

3 cups plain flour

1 Tsp salt

2 Tsp extra-virgin olive oil

1 Tsp sugar

 

Add the sugar to the water then sprinkle in the yeast, wait 20mins for the yeast to activate. Add the flour to a mixing bowl, slowly add the yeast mix to the flour while bringing it together with your hand, till it becomes one ball of dough add the salt and oil to the dough and knead in for 3mins, cover bowl with a tea towel and leave for 20 mins, separate into 6 or 7 equal parts and roll then with your hands into balls, cover for 20 mins , roll out on a floured board around 3-4mm thick and bake at gas mark 7 in batches of 2 for 5mins.

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Coronation chicken.

A quick, simple and easy way to jazz up your leftover Sunday roast chicken.

Ingredients

500g roast chicken
50g creme fraiche
100g  mayonnaise

75g  mango chutney

1 teaspoon curry paste 

1 teaspoon curry powder     

1 dessertspoon lemon zest      

4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice       

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 tbsp chopped coriander

cashew nuts, sultanas, apple, pineapple or almonds (optional)

 

mix all in to a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 30mins simple.

add some cashew nuts, sultanas, apple, pineapple or almonds

 

 

maqlooba.

Belive it or not I have a Palestinian friend who lived in Poland for 23 years, before moving to England, he told me about his national dish and of course that weekend  I made It (Thanks Mo) a fantastic treat for a large group.

Ingredients

500g chicken legs/thighs  1/2 cups oil

1 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

1 teaspoon allspice

1 teaspoon cumin powder

Salt

4 saffron threads

2 cinnamon sticks

5 whole cardamom seeds

3 peppercorns

5 cups water

Freshly ground black pepper

1 head cauliflower , trimmed into florets

1 large potato, peeled, cubed, and salted; make sure to place in a colander so water can drain

2 onions, halved through the root end and thinly sliced, core still attached

4 cups medium grain rice

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/2 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon fresh nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground cinnamon

 

In a saucepan, brown both sides of the chicken in  oil. Once browned, add nutmeg, allspice, cumin powder, salt, saffron, cinnamon sticks, cardamom seeds, and peppercorns

Add approximately 5 cups of water to just cover the chicken and bring to a boil. Season with freshly ground pepper. Cover and over low-medium heat for about 50 minutes or until the meat begins to pull away from the bone. When done, set the chicken aside and keep the broth.
Fry the cauliflower in a large pot with oil until  brown. Remove  Once that is done, repeat this process with the potato  aside. Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in the pot . When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until they sweat, about 10 minutes. Add the cooked chicken, taken off the bone cook together for a few minutes  rinse the rice about 5 or 6 times until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a pot, stir the  into the raw rice, and mix well. Add the fried potato and cauliflower to the chicken mixture and then put the seasoned rice on top. Pour broth into the pot to just barely cover the rice. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cover. Approximately 10 minutes later add a 1/4 cup of oil and re-cover. When the water is completely gone the dish is done, about 25 minutes or until rice is cooked.
Remove the pot from the heat and let rest for about 10 to 15 minutes. Place a large serving plate on top of the dish and flip the pot and plate over. Season  to taste, with salt and pepper
serve with salad and Greek yogurt

 

Baby octopus in Puttanesca sauce with Almond Breadcrumbs.

An old youtube clip of mine from 2011

Salmon mousse with a saffron sauce.

Ingredients
Salmon mouse

400g sliced smoked salmon
10g unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 gelatine leaves
100ml fish stock
150ml whisked double cream
2 tsp olive oil, plus extra to drizzle
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp lemon zest

Saffron sauce

 

10g softened butter

150ml fresh fish stock

small pinch saffron strands

3 tbsp crème fraîche

Place half the salmon in a food processor with the butter and process until smooth.
Soak gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes to soften, then drain. Warm the fish stock, add gelatine and stir to dissolve. Add to food processor with cream, lemon juice and zest, mix again.
rub a little butter and oil around ramekins,  Fill each ramekin with mousse and  Cover with plastic wrap and chill in fridge for 2 hours. For the sauce gently fry butter in a small pan. Add the stock and saffron, bring to the boil, then boil until reduced by about two-thirds. Stir in the crème fraîche and bubble for a minute or so until slightly thickened. serve with honey chilli prawns sautéed sweet potatoes/asparagus