Slack but back!

O.K. I realise I have been slack with my blog because this is the first time I have ever written a post on my iMac and I have had it for at least six months, so it is time to address this situation. I don't know where the winter has gone but I do know that spring is here and I am back on my allotment in force. Potatoes in, bean poles up, first strawberries flowering, last years fennel, chard and perpetual spinach still going, thanks to an exceptionally mild winter.

Anyway, I quickly wanted to get in my favourite Purple Sprouting Broccoli recipe in, just before it bolts and goes to flower. I was particularly proud of my crop this year, especially the fact that I had actually managed to grow something that looked like it did on the packet. 

I learnt this recipe at the River Cafe. Don't be afraid of the anchovy. Only use a little and it does not taste fishy. It is more like a seasoning and along with the parmesan provides the "umami" which makes this dish so special. As with all simple recipes, it is only as good as it's ingredients so buy the best you can afford.

Purple Sprouting Broccoli with Pasta, Anchovy, Chilli and Garlic
Serves 4
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 dried chillies, stalks removed and deseeded if preferred, chopped
2 tbsp Really good extra virgin olive oil, plus more to serve
6 good quality anchovy fillets. (The best ones are in salt and need rinsing before using.)
400 g purple sprouting broccoli
350 g pasta, such as orecchiette
Lots of freshly grated parmesan

Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Put on a large pan of salted water to boil. Cook the garlic and chillies in the olive oil in a large pan for a few minutes until the garlic is light brown. Add the anchovies, remove the pan from the heat and stir vigorously so the anchovies ‘melt’ into the oil. If necessary add a little water from the pan of boiling salted water. When the water is boiling, cook the purple sprouting broccoli – leaves and all – for about 4 minutes, until tender. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain and roughly chop. Add to the anchovy oil and cook for about 5 minutes. Meanwhile add the pasta to the same water for about 12 minutes, or according to the packet directions, until almost cooked but a little al dente. Drain well and place in the pan with the purple sprouting broccoli. Season well and add a little more olive oil and lots of grated Parmesan to taste.

So, it is back to the allotment and although the amount of work still to do for this year seems daunting, I must not forget that a year ago it looked like this!

A Christmas Curry

I seem to have overindulged on Christmas Cooking Specials this year.  Thankfully, I have always managed to miss them before, too busy dealing with the kids and Christmas and cooking, I suppose.  Yesterday, however I watched what seemed like several hours of Jamie cooking his Christmas eve, day and boxing meals.  And then tonight I somehow managed to watch another three, almost in a row.  Starting with Nigella, moving on the Nigel Slater and finishing with Kirsty.  I think I have seen enough Christmas cooking to put me off the meal for the rest of the year and there is still two days to go the actual event.  


I do find all these programs strangely addictive but Jamie just seems a bit too spoilt now, in his vast mansion in Essex, surrounded by stunning countryside and his beautiful walled garden and a kitchen twice the size of mine, in lean-to in one of his many out-houses.  I know it is not the season to feel jealous, but I do!  In fact, as the program drew to an end and he was cooking up something in one of his many  greenhouses, scattered around his estate, for the first time ever I simply couldn't take any more, turned it off and went to bed.  


As for Nigella, I have missed most of her previous programs so I can't be sure but I got a feeling that she has been re-housed.  I'm sure her previous set could have passed for a stunning town house in Belgravia but she seems to have down-marketed, to a still very large terraced house in possibly Kilburn.  I don't know who lives there, but I am sure she certainly doesn't.   I wondered whether this was a recognition from BBC 2, that endlessly watching programs about super-rich "chefs" is just getting a bit sickening.  


Of course that is the trouble with these lifestyle cookery programs.  We buy into the whole perfect dream and believe that if we make Nigella's Chilli Jam, our lives will somehow be transformed into her perfect one; that we too will be cabbing round the West End, looking beautiful and drinking Expresso in Italian coffee shops, after a late boozy night out at yet another glamorous party, before effortlessly entertaining for some influential and impotant friends at home, instead of the reality which is being stuck at home, watching T.V.


As for Nigel Slater, I can't believe, in this day and age that the BBC can't be a little more honest about his lifestyle.  Why are there these awful shots of, clearly, someone else's family inserted into the program every fiveteen minutes.  Can't you have Christmas if you are gay.  Are you not allowed to celebrate if you don't have a wife and kids.


Anyway, as I said, I now feel so inundated by this Christmas cooking overkill that I decided to make something a bit different.  A Christmas curry.  This is not as mad as it may seem.  With it's blend of delicious spices; ginger, cardamom, clove, cinnamon, chilli and bay, it really is as seasonal as mulled wine.  It is infact a classic Massaman Thai curry and very delicious.  

Massaman Curry
This recipe comes for Rick Steins Far Eastern Odyssey which I have adapted for the slow-cooker but can just as easily be made in a casserole.

1.5kg blade or chuck steak (cut into 5cm chunks)

2 tins coconut milk

2 cinnamon sticks

300g waxy new potatoes (such as Charlotte)

8 shallots

1 quantity Thai massaman curry paste

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp Tamarind

1 tbsp palm sugar

75g roasted peanuts

Handful of Thai sweet basil leaves (optional)

Cut the potatoes into even size chunks. Peel the shallots.  Leave them whole, if they are not too large. Fry the beef  in a frying pan in small batches in vegetable oil, until brown on all sides. Drain of excess oil and tip into the slow cooker.  Add the shallots and potatoes to the slow-cooker. Pour off any excess oil from the frying pan add the curry paste and briefly fry.  Add the coconut milk and bring to the boil. As soon as it is boiling, remove and pour over the meat in the slow-cooker. Add the Tamarind, palm sugar, fish sauce and cinnamon sticks.  Cover and cook for 10 hours on slow or 6 hours on high. If you do not have a slow-cooker, cook slowly on the stove top.  Make sure you have a heavy bottomed saucepan and that you check often to make sure that it does not catch.  When meltingly tender, stir in the peanuts, scatter over the basil if using and serve.

Massaman curry paste
15 dried red chillies
1 tbsp coriander seeds, ground
1 tbsp cumin seeds, ground
1 stick cinnamon, ground
1 tbsp cardamom seeds
3 cloves, ground
5 peppercorns, ground
4 large cloves garlic, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
2 tbsp Tamarind
1 heaped tsp shrimp paste
1 - 2 sticks lemongrass, chopped
1 large knob of ginger, chopped
1 tbsp fish sauce

Soak the chillies in water for 10 minutes and then de- seed.  Dry-fry the dry spices in a wok to release the flavours and then grind to a powder in a coffee grinder. Add all the other ingredients and grind or blitz to a fine paste with a hand blender.
Store in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 months.

Sweet Heat is being hosted by Lemon Clouds and Lemon Drops this month with a Christmas Theme.  I thought this spicy Christmas curry was worth an entry.

Umami Stew

I can't remember when or where I first heard of this recipe for Beef Stew with Anchovies but I suppose it is just a classic.  I love using anchovies as seasoning rather than as a flavour.  Both beef and anchovy are high in umami and therefore make a winning combination.  


This idea of meat and fish is certainly nothing new.  In Asia they have been using fish sauces such as Nam Pla and Nuoc Mam for centuries to enrich meat dishes.  And what do you think you are doing when you add a good glug of Worcester Sauce to your Bolognaise.  Maybe you never told anyone, because it just did not seem very authentic.  But I bet your Italian housewife is not unfamiliar with chucking the odd anchovy into hers. But you would have no idea that there was any fish present.  It is just adds an intensity.  


The recipe I have used is from Nigella "How to Eat" and I just changed a few details to adapt it for the slow-cooker.  As I have said before, I have a grudge and will always have to change something when it comes to Nigella, but these adaptations are worth noting because it allows you to alter any recipe that you find for yourself, for the slow-cooker. Firstly you need much less liquid.  As the lid is sealing the steam in, no moisture is lost and there is no need of added stock. The meat will provide enough of it's own juices as a substitute.  In this way you get a much more intense flavour.  After 6-8 hours cooking it will need no further reduction.  But it will be as thin in texture as when you started.  I have never been one to add flour to sauces or stews cooked by conventional means but when slow-cooking, it really helps to bring the whole dish together, so that when you get home from a hard days work and lift that lid to the fantastic aromas, your dinner is hot, delicious and ready to eat.  You don't want to start reducing sauces.  


Sometimes it is worth taking to effort to brown off the meat as you would in a casserole.  Sometimes, it is not necessary then it obviously saves a whole lot of time and mess.  I am in the process of testing all my recipes to where you can skip this stage without any detriment to the finished dish.  It is however often worth bringing all liquids in the recipe, to a boil before transferring to your slow cooker, to allow the slow-cooker to get to simmering point as quickly as possible.  It is at this temperature that it really works it magic.  


The idea is that, although you obviously put in the work at sometime, several hours ago, to get this show on the road, it is just long enough ago to feel when you get home, that someone else has been slaving away in your house all day to serve you dinner.  Someone is looking after you!

Beef stew with Anchovies and Thyme
If not using a slow-cooker then just omit the flour and add 300mls beef stock with the wine.
3 - 5 tablespoons veg oil or beef dripping
1.5 kilo stewing beef, cut into chunky strips 
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 large onion, halved then finely sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced or finely chopped
3 medium carrots, cut into batons the size of fat matchsticks
4 sticks celery, finely sliced
1 small bunch fresh thyme
6 anchovy fillets, well drained and chopped up or minced fine
3 tablespoons Marsala
500ml robust red wine
3 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoons tomato puree

Serves: 6 to 8.
Pre-heat your slow-cooker.  Put a heavy casserole on a high flame with 3 tablespoons of veg oil to heat up. It is not worth using olive oil at this stage, firstly because you need it to get very hot which will kill any flavour and secondly because when frying at at a high temperature the cleaner  oil the better and it will cause much less smoke. Add the beef in small batches and fry until brown all over.  Remove each batch to a plate with a slotted spoon and fry the next batch. Add more oil if necessary.  Do not overcrowd the pan as the meat will steam and not fry. When done tip the meat into the slow-cooker.  Sprinkle with the flour and give a good stir. Pour off any surplice oil from the casserole pan and add a couple of glugs of olive oil and turn down the heat.  Add the chopped onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring, until they begin to soften, but not colour. After about 10 minutes or so add the garlic and thyme.  The bunch of thyme should be chopped very finely with a sharp knife for as far as you can cut.  Re-chop so that there are no stalks.  The remaining stalks can be wrapped in string and put straight into the pan. Add the chopped anchovies and stir well.  Cook for a few minutes before adding the Marsala, red wine and tomato puree and stir well. Bring to the boil and check for salt and pepper, and season to taste. Tip the whole lot over the meat in the slow cooker.  Put on the lid and cook for 8 hours on slow or 6 hours on fast.  Go out!  Come home.  Lift the lid and smell that.  Yum.  Give  a good stir and check seasoning.  Serve with boiled new potatoes or mash.

Winter Greens

One thing I love most about Winter is that the Brassicas are at their best and along with the more obvious broccoli and cauliflower, cabbages and of course brussel sprouts the markets, and my veg box, fill up with a variety of Kales including the wonderful Cavalo Nero. Kale grow excellently in our climate as they freeze well and actually tastes sweeter and more flavourful after being exposed to a frost. Fabulously good for you, they need nothing more than stripping from their stems, blanching for a few minutes in plenty of boiling salted water, draining and leaving to cool before squeezing out any excess water. Then fry plenty of garlic slithers in lots of extra virgin olive oil (preferably Tuscan), until golden brown and add your leaves, roughly chopped if you like. A quick stir, a little sea salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Delicious! I like mine on a piece of toasted Polaine (or sourdough) bread, drenched with a little more olive oil. So simple and you have one of the best and healthiest snacks around. I have a theory, though completely unsubstantiated, that winter greens act as some sort of natural anti-depressant. Winter greens beat the blues.

I have also been working with Russel on a particular fine Chicken, Chorizo and Butter Bean Stew. I have made this a couple of times but felt it needed refining.  I narrowed it down to the quality of Chorizo which I felt was laking, so I set about sourcing some better Chorizo, which can be quite hard to find.  In the end, I got some from Brindisa, who stock many local shops, as well as of course their own wonderful shop in Borough Market.  They and are also on-line. The finally addition to lift this dish from everyday to extraordinary was some Kale and on a cold winters day, I defy you to find a better stew.

Cabbages are another Brassica that are wonderful right now and the King of all Cabbages has to be the Savoy. One of my favourite recipes is this bizarre Italian mountain soup, Zuppa di Aosta. The combination of cabbage, stale bread, cheese and anchovy, sounds nothing short of  horrid. But somehow these flavours merge together to create a harmonious yumminess that is beyond words.  It is actually a big bowl of Umami. Almost addictive, just don't tell anyone what is in it!




Zuppa d'Aosta
The original recipe that I used to use was in the first River Cafe Cook Book, but Jamie Oliver adds bacon in his more recent version in Jamie at Home and I do rather like it, so here is his recipe.  Fontina is an Italian mountain cheese from Aosta.  If you cannot find it then use Gruyere instead.

3 litres good-quality chicken or vegetable stock
1 Savoy cabbage, stalks removed, outer leaves separated, washed and roughly chopped
2 big handfuls cavolo nero and/or kale, stalks removed, leaves washed
and roughly chopped
About 16 slices stale country-style or sourdough bread
1 clove garlic, unpeeled, cut in 1/2
Olive oil
12 to 14 slices pancetta or smoked streaky bacon
100g can anchovy fillets, in oil
3 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves picked
200g Fontina cheese, grated
150g freshly grated Parmesan, plus a little for serving
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F.
Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan and add the cabbage, cavolo nero and/or kale. Cook for a few minutes until softened (you may have to do this in 2 batches). Remove the cabbage to a large bowl, leaving the stock in the pan. Toast all but 5 of the bread slices on a hot griddle pan or in a toaster, then rub them on 1 side with the garlic halves, and set aside.
Next, heat a large 10cm deep ovenproof casserole-type pan on the stove top, pour in a couple of glugs of olive oil and add your pancetta. When the pancetta is golden brown and sizzling, add the anchovies, rosemary and cooked cabbage and toss to coat the greens in all the lovely flavors. Put the mixture and all the juices back into the large bowl. Place 4 of the toasted slices in the casserole-type pan, in 1 layer. Spread over 1/3 of the cabbage leaves, sprinkle over a 1/4 of the grated Fontina and Parmesan and add a drizzle of olive oil. Repeat this twice, but don't stress if your pan's only big enough to take layers - that's fine. Just pour in all the juices remaining in the bowl and end with a layer of untoasted bread on top. Push down on the layers with your hands. Pour the stock gently over the top until it just comes up to the top layer. Push down again and sprinkle over the remaining Fontina and Parmesan. Add a good pinch of salt and pepper and drizzle over some good-quality olive oil. Bake in the preheated oven for around 30 minutes, or until crispy and golden on top. When the soup is ready, divide it between your bowls.  Add another grating of Parmesan.

Chicken, Chorizo, Butter Bean and Kale Stew

If you do not have a slow-cooker just cook on the stove top, covered, for about two hours.

8 Chicken Thighs or 4 Chicken legs, Free-range or Organic
Olive oil
3 sticks of celery, finely chopped
3 medium onions, finely chopped
6 fat cloves of garlic, very finely chopped
Fresh Rosemary, Thyme or Dried Oregano
200g of Chorizo, Picante, chopped into cubes
2 tins of plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 tsp Smoked Paprika 
2 tins of Butter Beans, drained
2 large handfulls of Kale or Cavalo Nero, stripped from the stem, washed and dried.

Fry the chicken skin side down in hot oil.  If you do not like the skin, then skin the chicken and place in the slow-cooker.  In a large saucepan heat a good glug of olive oil and place just a medium heat.  Add the onion and celery and fry for about 10 minutes until soft and just beginning to go golden. Add the garlic and herbs and fry for a few minutes more.  Next add the chorizo and then the tomatoes, some salt, freshly ground black pepper and the paprika.  Bring to the boil and tip the whole lot over the chicken in the slow-cooker.  Add the butter beans, put on the lid and cook for 5 hours high or 7 hours low.  If you do not have a slow-cooker, cook covered on the stove top for 2-3 hours, very slowly, checking regularly to make sure that it does not catch.  15 minutes before the end of cooking time, remove the lid and check the seasoning.  Add more salt, pepper or Paprika to taste.  Roughly chop the Kale/Cavalo Nero and add it to the slow-cooker or saucepan. Make sure it is submerged in the liquid. Cook for another 5 minutes.  Turn off the cooker leave to sit for a further 10 minutes or so before serving.