Patatas Bravas

I guess it depends on where you had your first tapas on holiday in Spain, as to how you like you Patatas Bravas but it seems I must have been it a different Tapas Bar to everyone else. I remember quite dry, spicy, crispy fried potatoes. What I don’t remember, is what every recipe I can finds interpretation, which is fried potatoes, drowned in chunky tomato sauce.

Anyway, to set the record straight, here is my version. I think the real correct name is Patatas Fritas Bravas. The Bravas being the spicy, smooth tomato sauce. 

Your first Patats Bravas may also not have been drizzled in Allioli either, but believe me, once you have tried it this way, there is no turning back.

Patatas Bravas

Serves 4

1Kg waxy potatoes

Spanish olive oil

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 red chilli, finely chopped

400g tin chopped tomatoes

½ tsp sea salt

1 tsp smoked paprika

Allioli to Drizzle on Top

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

1 egg yolk

1 clove garlic, crushed

Light olive oil

Preheat the oven to 200C. Peel the potatoes and cut into rough 2cm chunks. Put a roasting tray into the oven and leave to heat for 5 minutes. Toss the potatoes in plenty of olive oil and tip into the hot roasting tray. Bake for about 45 minutes, turning regularly to ensure they are evenly crisp and golden.

Meanwhile, make the sauces. Put 2 tbsp oil into a heavy-bottomed pan on a medium heat, and cook the onion for about seven minutes until golden and soft. Put in the chilli, and cook for another couple of minutes, then add the tomatoes, salt and smoked paprika and stir well. Bring to the boil, and then turn down the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes until thick and dark. Adjust the seasoning if necessary. It should be pretty spicy. Liquidize (or hand-blend) your sauce until smooth.

To make the Allioli, put the egg yolk in the small bowl of a food processor  along with the garlic and 1tbsp sherry vinegar (or use a hand-blender). Add 1 tbsp olive oil and whizz until incorporated, then drizzle in the rest of the olive oil with the motor running, until you have creamy mayonnaise-style sauce. Season with salt to taste.

Take the potatoes out of the oven and mix through some tomato sauce. You may not need all of it. The potatoes should be just coated. Return to the oven for another 5-10 minutes. To serve, drizzle with plenty of Allioli. Serve hot.

Fondue without the Fuss

I am meant to be on a diet after the Christmas excesses but it is cold and that calls for warming, yummy food with lots of cheese and calories. What better than a traditional recipe from the Ski slopes of Savoie in the French Alps. After all, I have just been to my "Ski-fit" class at the gym, so that is practically like a days skiing (even though it was only 30 minutes and indoors) so I probably deserve some serious ski fodder. Most "mountain" recipes seem to incorporate mountain cheese. For Tartiflette the cheese is traditionally Roublechon which originates from Haute Savoie, whereas it is usually Swiss mountain cheeses such as Gruyere, Emmental and Raclette which make an appearance, namely in the famous Fondue and slightly less know "Raclette". 

Fondue made a big resurgence in the 70's when I was a child and I don't think there was a self-respecting family in Britain who could not admit to owning a Fondue set, usually hidden away on some top shelf. It was synonymous with continental sophistication but in reality was nothing more than a nasty, stale bit of bread stuck in some sickly, molten cheese, usually with too much booze in it. Raclette is a similarly disgusting - lots of equipment very little enjoyment. 

Tartiflette, on the other-hand is a thing of beauty. Like Raclette it is traditionally served with Charcuterie, gherkins and pickled silver-skin onions, but personally a plain, green salad with a mustardy vinaigrette is a much more delicious accompaniment and maybe goes a little way in excusing all those other calories.

Tartiflette
1.3kg (3lb) waxy potatoes, such as Charlotte, skins on
1 tbsp olive oil
250g (9oz) chunky bacon lardons
2 onion, finely sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons Creme Fraiche

1 Reblochon, about 350g (12oz)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Cook the potatoes in boiling salted water until just tender. Drain. When they are cool enough to handle, cut them in half lengthways. Heat oil in a sauté pan and cook the lardons over a medium heat until crispy and golden brown. Turn down the heat, add the onion and cook until soft and beginning to colour. Throw in the garlic and cook for a further couple of minutes. Add this to the potatoes and gently combine. Finally stir in the Crème Fraîche. Give one final stir and tip the whole lot into a oven-proof dish.

Slice the Reblochon and lay on top of the potato. Bake in an oven, preheated to 190°C/375°F/gas mark 5, for 15 minutes, until the cheese is melted and bubbling. Serve immediately.

Bubble and Squeak!

Christmas is well and truly over. They have even collected the trees. The kids are back at school and there is absolutely no excuse at all for not having written a blog last week - apart from the fact that I just haven't managed to find the time.  

I seemed to be endlessly cooking over the Christmas break but funnily enough, of all the meals, I think it was Bubble and Squeak on Boxing Day which I enjoyed the best.  A classic use-up dish of all the left over vegetables from Sunday Lunch, my Boxing Day creation was a luxurious version of half my Riverford Christmas Vegetable Box including Brussel Sprouts, roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots and celeriac with added bacon, sautéed onions and a fried egg on top.  

The name originates from the sound of the vegetables cooking which are supposedly meant to make a bubbling and squeaking sound as they fry, although I have to confess mine have always let me down but even so, it is undoubtedly a perfect Brunch.  

This got me thinking about other variations of vegetables that I could use up this way.  Obviously you can add all sorts of flavourings, spices and herbs but there are endless vegetables which could also be substituted as well.  I have a glut of beetroot in my fridge this week, so I started thinking how I could incorporate them. I also had left-over cabbage from Sunday Lunch so in that went as well and I decided to served it all up with some Smoked Salmon, a big dollop of Horseradish and a poached egg. Maybe my Beetroot Bubble and Squeak was more a Beetroot Rosti or perhaps even it was more of a hash but whatever it was, it was damn good. 

So many other left-over vegetables can be given a new lease of life this way. The variations are endless, so get inventing!

Classic Bubble and Squeak
If you are worried about flipping your bubble and squeak over, you could just make hamburger shaped cakes from the mix and fry them off individually. Also makes a great vegetarian meal if you just leave out the bacon.

1 tbsp Olive oil,  ducks fat or goose fat
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, chopped into lardons
1 onion, finely sliced
1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
15-20 cooked Brussels sprouts or leftover cooked shredded cabbage
400 g cold leftover roast potatoes, parsnips, carrots, celeriac, swede  turnips or any other vegetables that you have.
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Heat the oil or fat in a heavy bottomed all metal frying pan, allow it to get nice and hot, then add the bacon. Fry until brown and crispy.Turn down the heat and add the onion and sauté until soft and golden brown. And the garlic and briefly fry. Put all the cold potatoes and vegetables together with the cooked onion into a food processor and pulse briefly. Check seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. Add back to the frying pan and push down and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes, ensuring an even heat all over the bottom of the pan. Put the whole frying pan in the oven and cook through for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place a large plate over the frying pan.  Flip over so that the bubble and squeak is on the plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Beetroot Bubble and Squeak
The ratio of beetroot to potato should be roughly equal.  If you add too much beetroot it will be too wet as beetroot has a much higher water content.
1 tablespoon of 
1 large onion
1 clove of garlic
4 roasted beetroot, skins removed
6 or 7 cooked roast potatoes
A large handful of steamed cabbage
A teaspoon of caraway seeds (optional)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees. Heat the oil or fat in a heavy bottomed all metal frying pan and add the onion and sauté until soft and golden brown. And the garlic and briefly fry. Put the onion, potatoes, cabbage and caraway in a food processor and pulse until well mixed.  Remove the processor blade and put on a grater attachment  Grate the beetroot.  Mix everything briefly together and season well with salt and black pepper. Add back to the frying pan and push down and fry over a medium heat for a few minutes, ensuring an even heat all over the bottom of the pan. Put the whole frying pan in the oven and cook through for about 15 minutes.  Remove from the oven and place a large plate over the frying pan.  Flip over so that the bubble and squeak is on the plate. Cut into wedges and serve.

Perfect Pasties

As I was making the kids sandwiches, yet again, for their school lunch-boxes, I thought how nice it would be to be able to give them something different for a change. A home-made Cornish pasty sprang to mind.  What a great way of using up vegetables and nourishing the kids at the same time. 

Cornish pasties date back to the 13th Century, during the reign of Henry III. They were eaten by poorer working families who could only afford cheap ingredients such as potatoes, swede and onion. Meat was added later. Miners and farm workers took this portable and easy to eat convenience food with them to work because it was so well suited to the purpose. Its size and shape made it easy to carry, its pastry case insulated the contents and was durable enough to survive, while its wholesome ingredients provided enough sustenance to see the workers through their long and arduous working days. The crust (crimped edge) was used as a handle which was then discarded due to the high levels of arsenic in many of the tin mines.  Luckily, now a days we can eat all the pastry but the classic mix of beef, swede, onion and potato is set in stone and it would be considered sacrilege to modify these ingredients in any way.  

But your pasty does not have to be Cornish.  In fact it could come from almost anywhere and contain whatever you like or have to hand.  It is a fabulous way of using up left over root vegetables which always are in abundance throughout the winter months. Carrots, celeriac, parsnips, turnips, sweet potatoes and squashes all work fantastically well.  It could be meat free but it certainly makes a little meat go a long way. Just remember whatever you put in your pasty, it must be cut pretty small and must all cook in the same time. Because the ingredients go in raw, unlike most pies the filling must cook before the pastry burns.  But fear not. As long as the pieces in your filling are never any larger than about 1cm, it always somehow seems to work. 

My next top tip for busy cooks, is ready made, ready rolled shortcrust pasty.  The supermarkets have really got their acts together on the pastry front and you can find a good selection of all-butter pastries in the chilled or freezer section.  Check the ingredients and make sure that they contain little more than butter and flour and you can guarantee that they will be good.  

Last of all I recommend that you make up a large batch because they disappear really fast. They freeze brilliantly - I wasn't expecting you to get up a 5.00am and make them from scratch each morning for the kids lunch-box. I freeze them, uncooked and simply put them in the oven first thing in the morning and they are ready to go about 45 minutes later. Then straight in the lunch-box and they might even be still be warm by lunch time.  What better way to sustain your little miners.

Cornish Pasties

400g/14oz good-quality beef skirt or rump steak (very lean, no fat or gristle.)
200g/7oz waxy potatoes such as Charlotte (I didn't even peel mine.)
200g/7oz swede 
175g/6oz onions
salt and freshly ground black pepper
knob of butter
Ready rolled all-butter shortcrust pasty
1 egg, lightly whisked
Chop the potatoes into cubes, no bigger than 1 cms.  Peel the sweed and do the same.  Trim any fat or gristle from the meat and cut into small cubes, about 1cm.  Chop the onion fairly finely and mix together with the other ingredients and plenty of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Lightly grease a baking tray with butter or line with baking or silicone paper. Preheat the oven to 170C/325F/Gas 3. (If baking from frozen then 160C.) Cut your pasty in to discs roughly 15cms wide.  I use a small bowl to cut round. Spoon some mixture into the middle of each disk and top with a knob of butter. Then bring the pastry around and crimp together.  I find the ready rolled pastry stick fine. Do not get the pastry wet or that will stop is sealing. A genuine Cornish pasty has a distinctive ‘D’ shape and is crimped on one side, never on top but I like mine the other way.  It is up to you. Just make sure it is well sealed and has plenty of filling. Put the pasties onto the baking tray and brush the top of each pasty with the egg. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for about 30 minutes or until the pasties are golden-brown. (If baking from frozen allow up to 45 minutes.) 

Variations on a Theme.

It has been all work and no play at the moment so I afraid that my blog has been a little abandoned but I am back and hurrah, so is Asparagus.  By that I mean English Asparagus and it marks the end of the hungry gap - that long period between December and April when the root vegetables have come to an end and although Spring is all around us, there is still a long wait for the first spring crops.  This means that we have to make do with the end of the winter crops such as leeks, cauliflower and purple sprouting broccoli, mushrooms and potatoes. 

The current torrential rain and lack of sunshine has delayed Spring crops still further, so I am still struggling with my vegetable boxes to move the menu on from Winter. The potatoes thankfully never seen to disappoint as there is always a different variety that can be exploited to stretch the seasons and a Gratin Dauphinoise never fails to please at a Riverford lunch.  I have learnt to adapted the recipe to include all sorts of vegetables and it is certainly always one of the most popular dishes that I ever cook at my Riverford lunches or indeed, dinners. 

Through until the end of winter I was often adding leeks, mushrooms and lots of garlic. Last week I tried out a really delicious new version with spring greens and bacon but you can use any greens from pointed cabbage to savoy.  All are delicious.  Another variation is to add some anchovy and lots of rosemary.  This is classically known as Jansson’s Temptation and I often add some sautéed chard as well. Absolutely delicious to accompany some Spring lamb and guaranteed to warm you up at the same time.  Just what you need this Spring.

Potato, Leek and Mushroom Gratin

Sometimes I like to add a little truffle oil with the cream.

500 mls Double cream
500g large potatoes, sliced paper-thin
10 sprigs fresh thyme (very finely chopped)
2 tablespoons olive oil
10 sliced mushrooms
3 Leeks, cut in rings and well washed and dried to remove all grit
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan big enough to hold all the potatoes, bring the cream to the boil, being careful not to boil over. Season with salt to taste. Add the potatoes and bring back to the boil, stirring gently until the cream thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and test again for seasoning. 

Meanwhile, coat a frying pan with olive oil and place over medium heat. Sauté the mushrooms until golden brown. Add the thyme and season. Remove. Heat another frying pan and sauté leeks in butter and olive oil without colour until soft for about 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Arrange 1/2 of the potato mixture on the bottom of a gratin dish. Top potatoes with the mushrooms and the leeks. Finish with another layer of potatoes. Press the layers down with a spatula to condense. Bake in a low oven at about 160 degrees. Cook for 1 -1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender. A blunt knife should easily sink in.  

Potato, Spring Green and Bacon Gratin

You could use any greens including Kale or cabbage in this. They are all delicious. You can easily omit the bacon if you are vegetarian.

                   

500 mls Double cream
A handful of rosemary (very finely chopped) 

500g large potatoes, sliced paper-thin 

1 packet of good smoked streaky bacon, cut into lardons
3 cloves of garlic, very finely chopped or crushed

2 tablespoons olive oil

Large bag of spring greens, Kale or a cabbage (stems removed and shredded)

Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan big enough to hold all the potatoes, bring the cream to the boil, being careful not to boil over. Season with salt to taste. Add the potatoes and bring back to the boil, stirring gently until the cream thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and test again for seasoning.

Meanwhile blanch the greens in a large pan of salted boiling water. Return to the boil and cook for about three minutes. Remove and lay out flat on a dry tea towel and allow to cool. When cool, use the tea towel to squeeze out any excess water. In a frying pan with olive oil fry the bacon until golden brown and crisp. Add the chopped garlic, fry for a few seconds and add the greens. Stir fry for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Arrange 1/2 of the potato mixture on the bottom of a gratin dish. Top potatoes with the greens. Finish with another layer of potatoes. Press the layers down with a spatula to condense. Bake in a low oven at about 160 degrees. Cook for 1 -1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender. A blunt knife should easily sink in.

Potato and Chard Gratin with Anchovy 
This is a variation on a famous potato dish called Jansson’s Temptation which I first found in a Jane Grigson Book 

500 mls Double cream
A handful of rosemary (very finely chopped) 

500g large potatoes, sliced paper-thin  
A few handfuls of chard 2 garlic cloves thinly sliced  
6-8 good quality anchovy fillets
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a large saucepan big enough to hold all the potatoes, bring the cream to the boil infused with the rosemary, being careful not to boil over. Season with salt to taste. Add the potatoes and bring back to the boil, stirring gently until the cream thickens. Remove the pan from the heat and test again for seasoning.

Prepare Chard by removing the leaves from the stems. Chop the stems into strips. Blanch first the leaves and then the stems in a pan of boiling salted water for a few minutes each. The stem will take a minute or two more than the leaves. Remove and lay out to cool on a flat surface such as a clean teatowel. When cool, squeeze the excess water from the leaves and roughly chop. In a fryingpan, first saute the anchovies and garlic in the olive oil. The anchovies should dissolve. Next add the stalks and finally the leaves. Season with salt and pepper and stir really well. Taste for seasoning.  In a gratin dish arrange 1/2 of the potato mixture on the bottom, top with the chard mixture and finally top with the remaining potato. Press the layers down with a spatula to condense. Bake in a low oven at about 160 degrees. Cook for 1 -1 1/2 hours until the potatoes are tender.  A blunt knife should easily sink in. 

Eat Your Veg

As I may have mentioned, one of my many jobs is trying to inspire people how to use up a weekly organic veg box. I go to peoples houses and in two hours cook up a lunch for up to 10 people, from a medium veg box. None of the recipes are complicated, but I have to admit that when I get home from work, often the last thing I feel like doing is cooking. So I am going to share with you the ultimate easy, quick recipe for using up lots of veg, which also keeps kids and adults happy alike and it is none other than "a bake".

A "bake" really doesn't conjure up a good image for me - vegetable bake, tuna bake, cheesy bake - just the names fill me with repulsion. But there is no reason why a bake should not be a beautiful thing and happily it is always all baked in one pan, which saves on washing up.

I don't know about you, but when it comes to it my kids, aged 5 and 7, they are happiest eating nothing more complicated that some meat or fish, some potatoes and some vegetables. But it is so important to keep it varied, interesting and full of flavour. So this first recipe is just very simply a selection of all your families favourite vegetables, baked all together with a lovely piece of fresh wild salmon.. Choose a selection of seasonal vegetables which compliment rather than overpower the fish. This dish also makes a great alternative to a roast at the week-end especially when entertaining. If you want to impress, make a lovely Salsa Verde , some Salmoriglio or even a delicious Anchovy and Rosemary Sauce to drizzle over your fish.

The second recipe is similar but involves sausages instead of fish. I choose a selection of sausages. Some plain ones for the kids, some spicy ones for the adults. Chorizo style sausages work particularly well and add a smoky note. The sausages stand up to stronger flavoured vegetables - onions, shallots, swede, celeriac or parnips. This is a really good way of using up vegetables at the end of the week from your veg box. And, if you have got a lot of veg to use up, you can always leave out the fish or meat and just have the baked veg. It is just delicious on it's own.

Fillet of Wild Salmon and Vegetable Bake 
I only eat wild salmon, when in season, as I find farmed salmon is too fatty for me. There seems to be a good supply of sustainable Alaskan Wild Salmon available, very reasonable and full of flavour. ObviousIy I would prefer to shop more locally than Alaska so If you are worried about your carbon footprint then at least make sure that the vegetables are locally sourced. The selection of vegetables is up to you but the is my favourite. Beetroot or bitter leaves such as Radicchio or Trevise are also lovely with salmon.  One last tip about salmon: don't over cook it.  As soon as you see white liquid coming out of the salmon, that is albumin and it’s a protein, and is a sign that you salmon is done. Remove immediately from the oven and your fish should be still pink and juicy inside.

2 generous slices of wild salmon, with or without skin
2 bulbs fennel, trimmed of excess outer leaves, save fronds 
2 baby courgettes, cut in half
Large handful of cherry tomatoes
Couple of handfuls of New Potatoes, boiled in salted water until cooked
1 Bunch of Asparagus, woody stem snapped off
Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
Cut the fennel into 4 or 6 pieces lengthways, depending on size.  Cut the potatoes in half or if very small leave whole. In a large baking dish toss all of the vegetables with 3-5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Make sure the tin is big enough.  If the vegetables are too crowded they will sweat instead of bake. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Try and make sure that the potatoes are facing down and that the fennel is also flat side down.  The more surface area that comes into contact with the bottom of the pan, the easier the vegetables will brown. Bake for 20 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove the pan from the oven and push the vegetables to one side. Season the salmon with salt and pepper and place it in empty space you made in the baking dish. Return the dish to the oven and bake
for another 10 minutes, based on thickness of the salmon. Scatter with the chopped fennel
fronds.

All sauce recipes are adapted from The River Cafe.
Salsa Verde
I vary this recipe according to what I am serving it with.  I prefer to go easy on the mint as it can end up tasting a bit toothpasty and instead I opt for basil, dill, chives or the fronds from the fennel tops.  Just get a good tasting balance.
1 large bunch Flat-leaf parsley leaves
1/2 bunch Mint leaves
Very good extra-virgin olive oil
3 Garlic cloves
100g Capers
50g Anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons Red-wine vinegar

In a food processor chop the garlic, capers and anchovies. Add the mustard and vinegar, season and add some olive oil and purée until well amalgamated.  Add all the herbs and whiz and more olive oil to achieve desired consistency.

Salmoriglio
In a pestle and mortar, pound 4 level tablespoons fresh Thyme or Marjoram or a very good quality dried Oregano with 1 teaspoon sea salt until completely crushed. Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice. Pour 8 tablespoons of very good, peppery extra virgin olive oil slowly into the mixture. Add a little freshly ground black pepper. 

Anchovy and Rosemary Sauce

2 tbsp. fresh young rosemary leaves, very finely chopped
12 anchovy fillets
Juice of 1 lemon
150mls very good extra-virgin olive oil

Place rosemary leaves in a mortar and grind as finely as possible. Add anchovy fillets and grind to a paste. Add lemon juice, mix well, and then, stirring constantly, add oil, a few drops at a time. Transfer sauce to a small bowl.

Sausage Bake with Vegetables
You can use all sorts of vegetables in this dish. I like to use up whatever I have left in the fridge.

Some good quality sausages
1 Red Pepper, cut into largish chuncks
A handful or two of cherry tomatoes
1/2 a butternut squash, peeled and chopped into 2 cms chunks
2 parsnips, cut in 4 or 6 lengthways, depending on size
4 small shallots, pealed
1 or 2 Red onions cut into 8 wedges
A handful of New Potatoes, cooked in pleanty of salted water, cut in half
1 Bunch of Asparagus, woody stem snapped off
Extra Virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
A bunch of thyme

Preheat your oven to 200°C. Toss all the vegetables in plenty of olive oil, salt and pepper. Place in a large roasting tray with the sausages.  Make sure they are not overcrowded or they will sweat rather than bake.  Cook for about 30 minutes, stirring well half-way through.