Butternut squash soup and saffron knots

August 12, 2015August 13, 2015 | adamcockle

Being a lazy shopper (and just generally lazy) I like to keep my visits to the supermarket to a minimum. As such its always a good idea to buy versatile ingredients that can be used in different ways to create unique dishes. This recipe has a lot of the components from my Squash and chickpea curry but presented in a delicious and different way.

Ingredients:

For the soup:

1 butternut squash
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic (peeled and squished flat with the side of a knife)
1tsp (heaped) curry powder (blend of your choice)
1/2 can coconut milk
2tbsp fish sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

For the coriander oil:

Handful of fresh coriander (leaves, stalks and all)
Olive oil
Pinch of salt

For the saffron knots (makes about 6 rolls):

Pinch of saffron
7g fast action yeast
225mls hot water
100g semolina flour
275g bread flour
1tbsp olive oil
1tsp salt
1 egg yolk

Method:

For the saffron knots;

Place the saffron in the hot water and put aside to steep until the water has come down to room temperature (or luke warm) and has become golden yellow. Strain through a sieve and discard the saffron strands. Add the remaining ingredients (apart from the egg yolk) and mix together in a large bowl until it all comes together in a sticky mass.

Tip your dough onto a clean floured surface (or into an electric mixer) and kneed until smooth and elastic (about 8 – 10 minutes). Transfer the dough to an oiled, covered container and leave until risen to twice its original volume.

Once the dough has risen ‘knock it back’ by flattening it down with your hands or by folding it in on itself. Divide your dough into roughly 100g portions and roll each piece into a thin sausage shape (about 8′ long) and simply tie into a knot shape. Place your knots onto a floured baking tray. Cover with clingfilm and leave aside for 30mins to plump up and meanwhile set your oven to preheat on full.

After 30mins brush your knots with a little egg yolk (lightly beaten with a splash of water) and pop in the oven. After 5 mins reduce the oven temp to 180C and cook for a further 10mins. Remove the knots from the oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

For the coriander oil:

Place the coriander and salt in a blender and blend at high speed while drizzling in the olive oil. Keep adding the oil until you have a smooth, pour-able consistency.

For the soup:

Preheat your oven to 180C

Peel and chop the butternut squash into small cubes and dice the onion into large chunks. Place together on a large baking tray along the the garlic. Drizzle with oil, season generously with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the curry powder. Mix everything together so that all the ingredients are coated in the spices.

Pop in the oven for about 20mins (removing from the oven occasionally to stir everything around) until the squash has softened and started to catch on the edges. The onion will have become quite dark and crisped at the ends by this point, but do not worry, this adds to the flavor.

Transfer your cooked squash, onion and garlic to the blender (ideally the same one you made the coriander oil in and left unwashed) and blitz on high along with the coconut milk and fish sauce. Blitz until smooth and add in water a little at a time until you achieve your preferred consistency (some people like a very thick soup, others a bit more runny) and season to taste.

Portion up into clean white bowls and drizzle with a little coriander oil. Serve piping hot with a couple of warm saffron knots on the side for dipping.

Mocha squares

August 11, 2015August 13, 2015 | adamcockle

So yeah, I’m a little bit obsessed with coffee cake. If I’m ever in two minds about what flavour of cake to make, coffee always tends to win by default. This delicious tray bake is given a mocha twist by the addition of cocoa powder to the batter and made extra moist with ricotta cheese.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

3 medium eggs (separated)
1 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 cups self-raising flour
2tbsp cocoa powder
1tsp instant coffee (dissolved in a splash of water)
1/2 cup of ricotta cheese
1/2 cup of melted butter (left to cool to room temperature)
1tsp baking powder
1/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

For the icing:

100g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
200g icing sugar
1tsp instant coffee
Good quality high-cocoa dark chocolate

Method:

For the cake:

Preheat your oven to 180c and grease and line a 20cm square cake tin.

Beat the egg whites in an electric mixer with the whisk attachment until firm and dry. In a separate bowl mix together the egg yolks, sugar, coffee, ricotta and butter. Add the flour and cocoa powder to the egg yolk mixture along with the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and then finally fold in the egg whites with a metal spoon until the mixture is uniform in colour. Transfer the mix into the cake tin and bake for approx. 30mins until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the tin and leave on a wire rack to cool.

For the icing:

Beat the butter in an electric mixer with the blade attachment until smooth. Add the icing sugar in two batches and beat on high until pale and smooth. Add the coffee and beat again. You may need to add a splash of milk to your icing to gain the ideal consistency.

To finish:

Spread a thick layer of icing on the cooled cake and grate a generous dusting of dark chocolate over the top.

Cut into generous squares and serve with steaming cups of good quality coffee.

Squash and chickpea curry

August 7, 2015August 13, 2015 | adamcockle

I am very much the carnivore (and find that I’m becoming increasingly more carnivorous as I get older), but sometimes you can’t beat a delicious vegetarian meal. This is one of my favorite go-to vegetarian recipes. The squash and chickpeas lend this dish a bit of heft and leaves you so satisfied that you won’t even notice that you’ve gone veggie for dinner!

Ingredients:

1 small butternut squash (or half a large one) peeled and cut into small cubes
1 courgette (chopped into chunks around the same size as your squash cubes)
1 large onion (roughly chopped)
2 cloves garlic (peeled and squished flat with the side of a knife)
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger (peeled and roughly sliced)
2tbsp curry powder (blend of your choice – I used my own tikka mix)
1tbsp white wine vinegar (or cider vinegar)
1tbsp maple syrup
2tbsp fish sauce
1 tin coconut milk
1 tin chickpeas
1 bag of pre-washed baby spinach
Handful of fresh coriander (finely chopped)

To serve:

Basmati rice (enough to serve two)

Method:

Scatter the squash cubes on large baking tray, drizzle with oil and season generously. Place in a medium-high oven for about 10mins until the cubes start to colour at the edges and then stir in the courgette. Cook for another 10mins until the vegetables are softened and have gained a bit of colour. Put aside until later and get your rice cooking according to the packet instructions.

Heat a tablespoon or two of oil in a large frying pan and fry the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion starts to turn golden at the edges. Sprinkle in the curry powder along with a splash of water to prevent the spices from burning. Stir for a minute or two until everything is coated and golden and then transfer the contents of the pan to a blender. Blend on high speed and add in just enough coconut milk to form a thick paste.

Return the paste to the pan along with the vinegar, fish sauce and maple syrup. Once the paste is bubbling, add in your squash and courgette pieces along with the (drained) tin of chickpeas. Add more coconut milk to the pan (you may not need all of it depending on how ‘saucy’ you want your curry – or you may need to add additional water if the curry seems too dry). When your sauce is bubbling away happily, stir in the spinach and coriander and cook for a few minutes until the spinach has wilted. Now is the time to taste your sauce and add salt and/or pepper to your liking.

Serve immediately with boiled white rice and perhaps a naan bread (or two).

BMT Spaghetti (Bacon, mackerel, tomato)

August 6, 2015August 13, 2015 | adamcockle

I don’t know about you, but my shopping can be a little . . . chaotic. Most of the time I go to the supermarket with no idea what I’m going to buy, or what meals I’m going to make in the week. I tend to grab items at random, and hope that it all comes together into something delicious when I get to the kitchen. This recipe is the product of one such shopping trip.

Ingredients:

200g spaghetti (I used wholewheat)
Packet of cherry tomatoes (about 300g)
4 rashers bacon (I used smoked streaky)
Pinch of chilli flakes
Juice of one lemon
1tbsp butter (or my citrus and herb compound butter)
4 pre-cooked mackerel fillets
Parmesan cheese to finish

Method:

Set your pasta cooking by following the instructions on the packet.

Chop the bacon into fine strips (I use scissors for this) and fry in a large frying pan, adding a little bit of oil if you need to. Once the bacon starts to turn golden around the edges, halve the tomatoes and add them to the pan. Fry on a medium-high heat until the tomatoes have released their juices and the pan looks dry.

Add the chilli, butter and lemon juice and continue to cook until the lemon juice has sizzled away. Remove the skin from the mackerel fillets and flake them into the pan. Stir everything gently together, trying not to break up the pieces of mackerel. Drain your pasta and add to the pan, stirring together with the sauce for a minute until everything is well coated.

Serve with a generous grating of parmesan cheese.

Mince and gravy with herby, cheesy dumplings

August 3, 2015August 13, 2015 | adamcockle

Here the mince and gravy (though delicious) play second fiddle to the moist, cheesy, herby dumplings. This recipe also features the first appearance of my patented (not really) ‘oomph’ that I love to add to all sorts of soups, sauces and stews.

Ingredients:

For the mince and gravy:

750g beef and pork mince (or just beef if you prefer)
1 large onion
1 stick of celery
300g baby button mushrooms
2 large carrots
2tbsp plain flour
500ml beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste

For the oomph:

4tbsp red wine vinegar
1tbsp maple syrup
1tbsp fish sauce
1 or 2 bay leaves
6 to 8 peppercorns

For the dumplings:

100g self-raising flour
50g of butter (cold from the fridge)
25g grated cheese (I used a mature English cheddar)
1tbsp chopped parsley
Pinch of salt
1 – 2tbsp milk

Method:

For the oomph:

Put all the ingredients in a small pan and cook on a medium high heat until the liquid has reduced to about two tablespoons. Drain through a sieve to remove the peppercorns and bay and leave aside until later.

For the mince and gravy:

Heat a drizzle of oil in a frying pan. Finely chop the onion and celery and add to the pan along with a good pinch of salt and pepper. Stir regularly until the onion is just starting to turn a bit golden. Peel and chop the carrots into generous chunks and add to the pan along with the mushrooms. Stir together until everything looks glossy and the mushrooms are staring to colour. Transfer the onions, mushrooms and vegetables into a large saucepan.

Put a drop more oil in the recently vacated frying pan and add the mince along with another good pinch of salt and pepper. Brown the mince on a high heat until the pan starts to look dry and then sprinkle in the flour. Stir thoroughly for a minute or two until the flour is incorporated and then transfer the mince to the saucepan to join the onions and vegetables. Add the stock to the saucepan. Ideally you want the mince and vegetables to be just covered so add a little bit of water at this point if you have to. Add the oomph. Cover and simmer on a medium-low heat for a couple of hours until the mince is melting and tender (you can also pop your mince and gravy into a low oven if you prefer).

For the dumplings:

Start making your dumplings once your mince and gravy is ready. Put the flour in a bowl and add in the cold butter cut into small chunks (or grated). Rub the butter and flour together for a few minutes until the mixture resembles course bread crumbs. Stir in the salt, cheese and parsley. Add the milk a little at a time and stir until the mixture comes together in a firm but sticky lump. Form your dumpling mixture into little balls (I made about 10 golfball sized dumplings) and plop them in with the mince and gravy. Do not crowd the dumplings as they will plump up as they cook. Put the lid on the saucepan and continue to cook on medium-low heat for 12 minutes.

Serve generously in big bowls and ideally with a nice bottle of beer or glass of hearty red wine.

Crumble pancakes

August 2, 2015August 13, 2015 | adamcockle

Ingredients:

For the pancakes:

3 eggs
approx. 180g self-raising flour (see below)
3tbsp caster sugar
1/2tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1tbsp melted butter or oil
3 – 4tbsp milk
25g crumble mix (see recipe)
Butter for frying

Method:

Start by weighing your eggs (in their shells) and measure out the same weight of self-raising flour. Break the eggs into a large jug and then add the flour , sugar, salt, baking powder and melted butter. Add the milk a splash at a time and stir the mixture together until you have a thick but pourable consistency.

Melt a knob of butter in a large frying pan and, once it starts to froth up, pour or spoon in your pancake mix (as much as you like, depending on what size you like your pancakes – I made about 10 small ones with these quantities). Immediately sprinkle some of your crumble mix on top of each pancake and tap down gently with a spatula. Once bubbles start to form on the surface of the pancake, flip over and cook until golden on the other side. Transfer your pancakes to a plate in a low oven until the rest are ready.

Serve with a knob of salted butter and an indulgent drizzle of maple syrup.

Simple sides: citrus and herb compound butter

August 1, 2015August 10, 2015 | adamcockle

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.

Crispy breaded pork chops

August 1, 2015August 13, 2015 | adamcockle

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.

Eating out: Spitfire BBQ, Bristol

August 1, 2015August 10, 2015 | adamcockle

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