Clever Confit

Cooking seems to be getting ever-more complicated. Nobody just puts food in the oven now a days.  It must be at the very least - brined for a week, smoked for a day, braised in the Sous-vide overnight and finished on the Josper grill. Well, maybe only if you are after a Michelin star but here is a trick which is super easy and extraordinary good. And what is more is really great for entertaining because it is cooked already and all you have to do is reheat it. 

Confit is a medieval method of preserving meat by salting it and then cooking it and conserving it, by submerging it in fat. The fat prevents any oxidisation and this method was commonly used to preserve meat before the invention of the refrigerator, especially in the South-West of France. The original word "confit" was the term used for preserving fruit in sugar, hence the French word for jam - "confiture", but now refers to mainly fatty cuts of meat such as goose, duck and pork, as traditionally it should be confited in its own fat. These tougher cuts of meat tend to be the cheapest but I have to admit, as much as I love a bargain, I am not fond of lumps of unctuous fat and I usually tend to steer clear of pork belly.  The beauty about this method of cooking though, is that practically all the fat is rendered away during the cooking process, just leaving you with succulent meat and the crispiest skin you ever ate. The most important thing however, is that you start with a nice meaty piece of free-range belly. You do not want a piece of solid fat, so choose carefully. For a more Kosher option try duck legs. They are equally delicious and equally versatile to use up in Cassolet and Garbure.

I salt and flavour the meat over-night with a dry rub. Some prefer to brine it but I don't think it is necessary. This cut of meat is also immensely popular in Asia, so when it comes to flavourings, I tend to go one of two ways - classic French incorporating Thyme, Black Peppercorns, Juniper and Fennel Seeds or Chinese style with Star Anise or five spice, ginger, Sichuan pepper and Soy. Interestingly these combination of flavours, from two such diverse countries, have much in common.  Time and time again we can see that the great recipes from across the world have evolved with so many similarities, simply because they work and stand the test of time. Indeed, both countries would agree that fatty meats such as duck or pork belly are best served with a sweet/sour accompaniment to cut the fat. In France this would traditionally be braised red cabbage; in China maybe a plum sauce. 

This method of cooking is once again tremendously fashionable and a modern twist would be to serve your pork belly with smoked eel, beetroot and horseradish or maybe with seared scallops, cauliflower puree and crisp pork popcorn but whatever you serve it with I guarantee it will be amazing.  After all it has withstood the test of time.

Duck Confit
If you are wish to preserve the duck legs then you will need to salt them for a couple of days, but if you are planning to eat them imminently then 12 hours is plenty. I always chuck a few cooked new potatoes in with the duck in the oven.  Cut them lengthways and place them cut side down in the pan. They will roast beautifully in the duck fat and are ready when they are crisp and golden brown.

4 large duck legs
30g rock salt
1 tbsp Juniper, crushed
1 tbsp black peppercorns
4 Garlic cloves, sliced
4 Sprigs thyme or rosemary
800g duck fat (in most supermarkets) melted

Scatter the salt into a flat dish. Lay the duck legs on the salt, skin side down. Distribute the crushed juniper, peppercorns, garlic and herbs evenly over. Cling film, press with a weight and marinate overnight (12 hours). 

Wash off the marinade and pat dry with kitchen cloth, place the duck legs, skin side down in a saucepan. Cover with the melted duck fat and bring the temperature to 85ºC, cook for 3 hours in a preheated oven (95- 100°). You know you have reached the temperature 85/90ºC, there is no bubble breaking the surface; the fat is kept just under simmering point. I cook mine in the slow-cooker on low for 5 hours. Alastair Little says you know when they are done as it will be "showing a lot of bone as the meat rides up like a mini-skirt on a white thigh." With a slotted spoon lift the leg out of the duck fat and reserve.

In a dry heavy based pan on medium heat, crisp and colour the duck legs on the skin side 5 – 7 minutes until golden brown. If your duck legs have been in the fridge then roast the duck legs in a hot oven, skin side down for about 15-20 mins until hot all the way through and the skin is totally golden brown and crisp. 

Chinese Style Crisp Confit Belly of Pork with Caramel Sauce
You can use any herbs or spices you like to flavour the pork belly. Just decide what you want to serve it with and use complimentary seasonings.

1 piece free-range British pork belly,pork belly (skin on) around 1.25kg in weight
2 tbsp. rock salt
1 tbsp Five Spice (Peppercorns, Star Anise  Cloves, Cinnamon, and Fennel Seeds.)
Large know of fresh ginger, pealed and sliced
Small head of Garlic, sliced through lengthways
800g duck fat (in most supermarkets) melted, or pork fat if you have it.

Rub the flesh of the pork all over with the five spice apart from the skin.  Scatter a flat dish with the salt.  Place the pork skin side down on the salt and place the garlic and ginger on the top.  Cover with cling-film and press in the fridge for 12 hours. Wash off the marinade and pat dry with kitchen cloth and place the pork, skin side down in a saucepan. Cover with the melted duck fat and bring the temperature to 85ºC, cook for 3 hours in a preheated oven (95- 100°). You know you have reached the temperature 85/90ºC, there is no bubble breaking the surface; the fat is kept just under simmering point. I cook mine in the slow-cooker on low for 5 hours. You should be able to insert and remove a skewer very easily all the way through the thickest part of the meat and skin.  Remove from the fat and press once more in the fridge to insure a flat skin surface. This helps when roasting.  When ready to use, cut into strips or cubes (it is very difficult to cut the skin neatly once cooked as it is so crisp). Place skin side down in a heavy based saucepan with a little of the fat.  Start crisping up the skin, but be careful as it can spit. Roast in a hot oven until hot all the way through and the   skin in totally crisp and brown.

Caramel Sauce:
100g palm or soft brown or demarara sugar
5tbsp dark soy sauce
1 red chillies, chopped
2cm (3/4in) piece grated ginger
1tbsp Sesame oil
Freshly squeezed Lime

Put the sugar in a pan and gradually melt until boiling. When caramelised add the soy to stop it cooking.  Be careful as it may splutter. Return to the heat and add the chilli and ginger.  Heat until all the sugar is incorporated. Add the sesame oil and lime to taste.

Char-Siu Pork and some Tsukune Meatballs

I’ve got a bit of a thing about Cha-Siu Buns.  One main cause of my fascination is that soft, spongy, tasteless white bread, which the Cha-Siu pork is encased in.  Bread that white, is something I always associated with England.  “Ducks Bread” as we called it as children, presumably because it was unfit for human consumption.  So I really was surprised when first confronted, in a Chinese restaurant of some repute, with a Dim Sum consisting of barbequed meat wrapped in a slice of wonderloaf.  Anyway, I have always found Cha-Siu Buns to be delicious but a bit too much wonderloaf and a too little filling.  So I turned to the filling, and last time I was ordering Cantonese, I chose with great anticipation off the menu “Cha-Siu Pork” expecting a mound of delicious sticky, marinated and barbecued pork.  What I got was very disappointing.  A dry, quite flavourless and unexciting fillet of pork.  So, I did some research and discovered that, like Jerk, firstly the meat should really be barbequed or smoked; secondly, it should be marinated for a length of time and thirdly, stabbing or jerking the meat, helped marination. Amazing that two such different recipes from other sides of the world should have come to the same conclusion. 

I don't know why I am surprised but the more I examine traditional recipes from all over the world, so many of them utilize barbequing as its means of cooking.  It is fairly obvious that most houses did not usually have an oven.  I know that in most small villages, the locals used to take their bread and even their casseroles to be cooked in the communal oven or at the local bakers. So it is only natural that a barbeque or a house fire should have been the only means of cooking at home and that it should have remained a popular cooking method ever since.  It especially continues as the main cooking source for street food, where so many local influences prevail. 

However, I think the main factor in creating a fabulous Char-Siu Pork, which I can assure you this recipe unquestionably delivers, is the cut of meat. A cut like loin is really not suitable for Char-Siu, due to the lack of fat, so I strongly recommend a cut like shoulder of pork. Just the right amount of fat and half the price.  Get your butcher to bone it and butterfly it for you if you are not feeling confident with your butchers’ knife. The recipe calls for Red Miso, which I have to admit even I had trouble finding in the most elite of ethnic shops, which is probably why I discovered that it is often replaced with red food colouring.  However, I was determined not to follow suit, so I experimented with Clearspring Organic Japanese Brown Rice Miso which was more readily available.  It worked very well even if the results are not as bright red as they could be.  This recipe is also not barbequed but roast for a few hours in a slow oven.

Since I am on the subject of pork I thought I would share with you another recipe that I tried last week.  Tsukune are little Japanese meatballs, cooked and then marinated with homemade Teriyaki sauce.  They are traditionally made of chicken but I had some minced pork to use up, so I did, and they were delicious.  The kids really liked them and I loved the fact that the adults can dip theirs into the Shichimi Togarashi to spice them up and then add a squeeze of lime.  Yum!

Char-Siu Pork

1.8 kg Pork shoulder, deboned and butter-flied.  Buy the best quality you can afford.

2 tsp Five spice

Black Pepper

4 cm piece ginger

2 cloves Garlic

50 ml soy

50 ml Rice Wine Vinegar

60 ml Honey

2 tablespoons Red Miso

3tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 tablespoons Hoi Sin

                      

Mix all the marinade ingredients together.  I wiz up all the ingredients including the ginger and garlic with a hand-blender until smooth.  Marinade the meat for at least 12 hours, turning every now and then.  Cook slowly with all the juices in a gratin dish covered with tin foil at about 160-170ºC for about 4 hours.  Check every so often, turning the meat over and making sure that there is enough liquid.  Be careful in the last hour that it does not burn.  The meat should be so soft you can flake it with a folk and the juices should have reduced to a sticky glaze.  Shred up the meat, spoon over the sauce and serve with some fluffy rice.

Japanese Tsukune with Teriyaki Sauce

Everyday Harumi by Harumi Kurihara

Ingredients

1 small onion (about 4 oz), peeled

1 stalk celery

10 oz ground meat

Salt and pepper, to season

1 medium egg

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 to 6 basil leaves

For The Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup mirin

4 tablespoons caster sugar

Sunflower or vegetable oil for frying

Shichimi Togarashi

Lime (or lemon) wedges to garnish

To make the teriyaki sauce: Combine the soy sauce, mirin, and sugar in a pan and slowly bring to a boil. Turn the heat down low and simmer for about 20 minutes, until it has thickened. Skim the surface of any scum if necessary and set aside.

To make the Tsukune: Roughly chop the onion. Remove any stringy parts from the celery and chop it roughly.  Put all the ingredients, except the basil, into a bowl and knead to combine well. Finally, chop the basil into tiny pieces and add to the mixture. It is important to add the basil at the last minute so it retains its colour. Shape the mixture into rounds about 2 inches in diameter. Drizzle a little oil in a non-stick skillet and heat. When hot, add the Tsukune and cook until nicely browned on both sides. Take the cooked Tsukune, dip them in the teriyaki sauce while still hot, and sprinkle with Shichimi Togarashi and lime according to your own preference. Serve with lime or lemon wedges on the side.

Some Asian Influenced Vegetables

We have just had that fantastic mackerel again for dinner but Hugh, the other half, said that he wanted something a bit more substantial than cucumber salad and why did I not make the Char-grilled Broccoli with Chilli and Garlic, which is always a favourite in our family.  I first made this at Baker and Spice, which unfortunately has now been bought out by Patisserie Valerie and has gone hideously downhill, so don't go there! But it was famously where Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi of Ottolenghi met each other ,so it is no surprise that you can find the recipe in their first book.  It really is one of those recipes that somehow manages to taste so much more than its sum of ingredients.  I wish there was a term for that!  Although I am not one to change a classic recipe, I have often made a little addition to this recipe by adding a little sesame oil and a dash of soy, and for this occasion I thought the oriental flavours would lend themselves to the mackerel.  The adapted recipe is below. 

I also have been on a mission to find other uses for the large tub of beautiful Miso in my fridge, so I was thrilled when I discovered Ingénue no goma-ae.  This is a Japanese recipe for green beans in sesame and Miso dressing and is delicious.  I also have a huge supply of sesame seeds, so this is a great way of using them up too.  Incidentally both white and black Sesame seeds are meant to be wonderfully good for you and have made it onto "TheWorlds Healthiest Foods" website!

Next, a very simple dish of Wok-fried Choi Sum is really delicious. Chop the Choi Sum, flowers and all and fry in a little oil. You can add garlic, ginger or chilli to the pan before hand, if you like. Finish with a drizzle of Tamari. Really lovely with some Soba noodles dressed lightly with sesame oil.

Finally, I did mention earlier that I had once had Aubergine baked with Miso. This actually was at a restaurant in Willesden called Sushi-Say, and was a very long time ago, but I still remember it and have been working hard to recreate it for you.  It is well worth the effort.

Char-grilled Broccoli with Chilli, Sesame, Garlic and Soy.

You can try this with purple sprouting broccoli but it does not grill quite as well.  You can toast the broccoli in a hot pan if you do not have a griddle pan or barbeque.

2 heads of broccoli

Glug of olive oil

4 garlic cloves, very thinly sliced

2 mild red chillies, thinly sliced

Coarse sea salt and black pepper

Soy sauce to finish

Few drops sesame oil

Prepare the broccoli by cutting lengthways through the stalk in wedges.  This is important as when you char-grill the pieces it needs to have the most surface area possible.

Fill a very large saucepan with plenty of salted water and bring it to the boil. Throw in the broccoli and blanch for 3 minutes only. Don't be tempted to cook it any longer! Using a large slotted spoon, quickly transfer the broccoli to a bowl full of ice cold water. Drain in a colander and allow to dry completely. In a mixing bowl, toss the broccoli with 45ml of the olive oil and a generous amount of salt and pepper. Place a ridged griddle pan over a high heat and leave it there for at least 5 minutes, until it is extremely hot or use your barbecue. Depending on the size of your griddle, cook the broccoli in batches. Turn them over so they get char marks all over.

 While grilling the broccoli, place the rest of the oil in a small saucepan with the garlic and chillies. Cook them over a medium heat until the garlic just begins to turn golden brown. Be careful not to let the garlic and chilli burn - remember they will keep on cooking even when off the heat. 

Pour the oil, garlic and chilli over the hot broccoli and toss together well. Taste and adjust the seasoning.  Now drizzle with Tamari Soy and Sesame oil to your taste.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Asian Cabbage and Sesame Slaw

I love all sorts of "slaws", especially with barbecued food.  This salad does not look that beautiful but it really tastes great.  I like to use Savoy Cabbage when in season but you can use Pointed Cabbage, White Cabbage or Chinese cabbage.

Ingredients

1 small white cabbage or 1/2 a large one, finely shredded

6 shallots, finely sliced

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

Handful of finely chopped coriander

Dressing:

3 tablespoons Tahini (sesame paste)

1 tablespoons sunflower oil

2 teaspoons wasabi paste

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

3 tablespoons soy sauce

Juice of 1 lemon

1 inch ginger, peeled and grated

1 small clove garlic, crushed

1.5 tablespoons sesame oil

5 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Marinate the shallots in the wine vinegar in advance, ideally for 1-2 hours. Mix together all dressing ingredients except the water - a blender or electric beater is useful - then adds the water to thin. Mix dressing into salad, add the marinated shallots and sprinkle over sesame to garnish.

Ingen no goma-ae

175g / 6 oz green beans

A pinch of salt

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

1 tablespoon caster sugar

2/3 tablespoon Dashi stock

1/2 tablespoon Miso paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce

Toast the seeds for this recipe. Simply put them in a frying pan without oil then heat while stirring until the seeds have puffed up and you can smell the distinctive aroma of sesame. Sometimes they make a popping sound.  Grind the sesame seeds in a pestle and mortar or in a coffee grinder. Add the sugar, Dashi, Miso paste and soy sauce and mix together well. Boil the beans in a pan of salted water for 5 minutes or until tender. Finely toss the green beans in the sesame dressing and serve.

Aubergines Baked with den Miso

3 medium aubergines

200g shiromiso (white Miso)

4 tablespoons sake (Chinese rice wine is good here if you have no sake)

4 tablespoons sugar

4 tablespoons Mirin

Sesame oil

Sesame seeds

Start by slicing the aubergines into two lengthways. Cut the surfaces diagonally as far as you dare, without cutting the skin. Brush with Sesame oil and bake for 15 minutes at 170C.  While the aubergine is baking, make the den Miso by combining the Mirin, sugar, sake and Miso.  Stir well to make a thick paste.  Spread this on the cooked aubergines, all over their upper surface, making sure the paste gets into the slashes. Sprinkle with Sesame seeds. Return to the oven for a further 10 to 15 minutes making sure that they do not burn. You can eat hot or cold.   It is delicious both ways but very rich.

 

Won Ton Soup

When I moved to the suburbs last year, after fifteen years in Shepherd’s Bush, I was kept awake at night worrying how I was going to survive without living bang in the middle of the melting pot.  I had been used to a Lebanese butcher, a fantastic Thai shop, Indian stores, a fabulous oriental supermarket and countless Caribbean stalls in the market, all within walking distance of my flat.  How could life in Wimbledon possibly compete?  But the great thing about London is no matter where you are, different cultures are too, and slowly I began to discover new worlds on my doorstep. 

It only took me a couple of weeks to discover Hoo Hing in Mitcham.  There are five Hoo Hings in London plus one in Essex and one in the West Midlands and apparently they also have an online store.  What I love about most about these supermarkets, is that they are in such bleak, unpromising surroundings and you are suddenly transported from an industrial estate straight into a mayhem of smells, tastes, sounds and colours of China. 

I still remember that first day that I walked from a semi-derelict car park in Mitcham into an overwhelming array of vegetables, herbs and spices, fresh noodles, live lobsters, crabs and eels, freezers full of dim sum, roast ducks, aisle after aisle of every jar, bottle and tin you could ever require in your oriental larder and finally something that can even match weird and wonderful food in absolute exhilaration – cooking utensils; woks galore, huge meat cleavers and vast collection of cooking paraphernalia.  It was a paradise in a wilderness.  The very thing to cheer me up in the depth of recession depression.

Oriental Supermarkets are just the place to stock up on store cupboard essentials.  And from a well stocked larder you can knock up an exciting meal in minutes any night of the week.  The best bit is that along with the breathtaking selection to inspire you, you will often find the prices are favourable too, especially on large bags of spices.  I stock up on Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Chinese Cooking wine, Tamari (a slightly sweet, concentrated soy) and usually a bottle of Sake to drink whilst I’m cooking. Not strictly Chinese, in fact not Chinese at all, it is Japanese, but concessions can be made.  If you want to be more authentic, try a case of Tsingtao Beer.

Next make your way to the freezer cabinets.  There you can find fabulous frozen crab, squid and scallops for a fraction of the price of unfrozen. (Please avoid frozen farmed tiger-prawns and prawns from South-East Asia.  The farming methods is having a devastating effect on the environment and destroying the Mangroves.) 

There is also a vast selection of frozen Dim Sum but by-pass these as they are usually not that great and instead make your own.

You will need some wrappers.  There is a huge variety of fabulous fresh noodles, Won Ton and Dim Sum wrappers in the fridges.  (Make sure you choose Won Ton for the recipe below.) These freeze well too.  Fantastic for whipping up some Won Tons for a canapé at a party.  Or why not pick up a Roast crispy duck, some pancakes, a jar of Hoi Sin Sauce, some spring onions and a cucumber.  You can have your own crispy duck pancakes at home for a fraction of the price of going out.  Don’t forget the jasmine tea.  You can even buy the teapot.  Check out the chopsticks and the pretty Chinese bowls. I love the ones with the blue Carp painted on them or pieces of translucent rice mixed in with the china.

The selection of rice and noodles is phenomenal and once again usually much cheaper than the supermarket.  Don’t forget some packets of instant noodles.  These are vastly superior to any western equivalent and fantastic for a cheap and instant lunch, although I wouldn’t look at the list of ingredients too closely.  Whilst talking about ingredients, please try not to buy anything with palm oil in it.  Many everyday foods list it as an ingredient.  Please think of the orang-utans. 

Finally some vegetables.  Apart from the obvious, great selection of peppers, chillies, mushrooms and bean sprouts my latest passion is for leafy vegetables of the bok choy family such as Choy Sum, distinguishable by its light green leaves and tiny yellow flowers.  This is such a versatile vegetable and can be steamed or stir-fried or even deep-fried but I like is best because the leaves wilt like spinach but the stalk retains its crunchy texture.  Also on my last visit I found beautiful flowing chives, fresh Tamarind, fresh Turmeric and fresh green peppercorns and they had live Turbot swimming in a tank.  But most beautiful was the branches of flowering peach blossom and pussy willow which I brought home and now, every time I look at them, I have a little glimmer of hope that spring will once again return.

My recipe is for Won Tons poached in a light spicy, chicken broth which is really easy to make.  I have added coriander to my mix which I know is not authentic but I think it gives these little dumplings a real lift.

Won Ton Soup

250 g raw prawns, (responsibility sourced), peeled and de-veined

250 g lean ground (minced) pork, outdoor bread

4 teaspoons soy sauce

4 teaspoons Shaoxing rice wine

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon roasted sesame oil

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 knob of finely grated fresh ginger

A little finely chopped fresh red chilli

A handful of finely chopped coriander

1 tablespoon cornflour

30 square won ton wrappers

1.5 litres good quality home-made chicken stock

2 spring onions, green part only, finely sliced or flowering chives

A few, very fine slithers of fresh red chilli

Place the prawns in a tea towel and squeeze out any moisture. Then mince the prawns using a sharp knife or a quick blitz in a food processor. Try and retain a little texture, not too smooth. In a large mixing bowl, place the minced prawns, ground pork, soy sauce, Shaoxing rice wine (or dry sherry, if not available), salt, sesame oil, black pepper, ginger, chilli, coriander and cornflour. Mix well, ensuring all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Set aside. Now take a teaspoon of the filling mixture and place in the centre of the won ton wrapper. Brush the edge of the wrapper with a little water, fold in half (not diagonally), ensuring all the air is pushed out. Now bring the two folded corners together over the top of the filling and press firmly. Place on a cornflour dusted tray. This recipe will make 25 - 30 won tons. 

Gently bring the chicken stock up to just below the boil (to a gentle simmer).  In a separate saucepan bring some very lightly salted water to the boil, reduce the heat a little and add the won tons. Cook for a minimum of 5 minutes. The won tons are cooked when they rise to the surface. Remove with a wire sieve and place in the bottom of the serving bowls. Immediately ladle the hot stock over the won tons, spring onions and chilli.