Month: August 2015

Simple sides: citrus and herb compound butter

| adamcockle

butterblog

Add extra zipp to steak and seafood, or stir into risotto and scrambled eggs . . .

Ingredients:

  • 250g salted butter (at room temperature)
  • 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
  • Zest of 1/2 a lemon
  • Zest of 1/2 an orange
  • Pinch of chilli flakes (or more if you like it spicy!)
  • 1tbsp fish sauce
  • 1tbsp maple syrup
  • Ground black pepper to taste

Method:

Place the butter in an electric mixer and, using the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high speed until smooth.  Add in the rest of the ingredients and whip for another minute or two until everything is incorporated.  Splodge your herby, zesty butter onto a large piece of parchment paper or clingfilm and roll into a tight, sausage shape.  Pop in the fridge until firm.  Simply slice off pieces as you need them.

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Crispy breaded pork chops

| adamcockle

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Ingredients:

For the pork:

  • 4 boneless pork chops
  • 50g breadcrumbs (I used panko)
  • 2 medium eggs
  • Flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • Vegetable or sunflower oil

Method:

Trim the fat from the chops with a sharp knife.  Place the chops between sheets of parchment paper or fold inside a piece of clingfilm.  Using a rolling pin (or meat mallet) gently bash the chops until they are 1cm thick.  Take 3 plates – sprinkle one thickly with flour and season the flour generously with salt and pepper,  crack the eggs into another and lightly beat with a fork, and then onto the last plate put the breadcrumbs.

Take your flattened pork chops and first dip into the seasoned flour until well coated, shake of the excess and then dip into the egg followed by the breadcrumbs until thoroughly coated.  You can stop here if you like, but I like to ‘double dip’ by dipping the chops into the egg and then breadcrumbs for a second time – the final product will be extra crunchy!

Cover you chops and place in the fridge for about half an hour to set up.  Remove from the fridge and fill a large, deep frying pan with about 1cm of oil.  Heat the oil on medium high until a pinch of breadcrumbs dropped into the centre of the pan sizzle immediately.  Carefully place the chops into the pan (don’t overcrowd the pan – cook in batches if you have to) and cook for a few minutes on each side until crunchy and golden.  Remove from the pan and leave to drain on sheets of kitchen paper to remove the excess oil.

I served my pork chops with roasted broccoli and green beans, mashed potatoes and a simple gravy.

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Eating out: Spitfire BBQ, Bristol

| adamcockle

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Spitfire BBQ is a new addition to the popular Bristol Harbourside. Boasting ‘caveman style’ cooking and speciality dry rubs and sauces, it promises to be a carnivores paradise.

The first thing that strikes you when you enter Spitfire BBQ is the reassuringly authentic smoky atmosphere. Combined with the cosy American diner style booths and quirky decor, one immediately gets the feeling that the food is going to impress.  The waiting staff are casual, friendly and efficient.  The drinks menu boasts a fine selection of classic cocktails and other more original creations, along with an impressive number of beers and ciders.

And so to the food, and meat is certainly the word of the day.  From starters to sides and mains, meat is the star.  Burgers, sausages ribs and steaks, all topped with, wrapped in and adjacent to even more meaty treats.

My starter was one of the few options that came sans-pork (plenty of that to come later) – the Braai bread, a gorgeous, moist bread dough cooked directly on hot coals and served swimming in scrumptious garlic butter.

This was followed by a main of Spitfire ribs.  These signature ribs are available in three sizes – small, big and huge.  I ordered the ‘big’ – and boy do they mean big!  I was presented with a slab of pork belly that could easily have fed 4 people.  The meat was smoky and charred on the outside, but deliciously melting and moist on the inside, and all coated in a delicious, but not overpowering, BBQ glaze.

My sides consisted of the aptly named dirty fries – chunky, skin on chips topped with pulled pork – and some rather pedestrian onion rings (the only disappointment in an otherwise thoroughly satisfying meat-feast).  This was all washed down with a couple of pints of wonderful FUBAR pale ale from Welsh beer heroes Tiny Rebel Brewery.

In conclusion – leave your vegetarian friends at home and embrace your inner caveman, Spitfire BBQ offers a selection of food guaranteed to tickle any carnivores fancy.

Spitfire BBQ

Tiny Rebel Brewery

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