A Thai Banquet

When I get a craving, I get it bad.  This particular one hit me hard and I could not get Thai food out of my head.  I fought it off for a couple of weeks, but eventually had to cave.  Unfortunately, by that time I couldn't decide exactly what I wanted, so decided to make it all.  I went a little bit overboard, and Steve and I had Thai food coming out of our ears for a good few weeks!  It is safe to say that the itch was well and truly scratched.

It is true that Thai food is widely available in take away format these days, but in actual fact it is surprisingly easy to make.  Yes there are a lot of ingredients, but once you have the spices in your cupboard and things like the wrappers, lemon grass and lime leaves in the freezer, you just need the meat and fresh veg and you can whip it up in surprisingly little time.  All these recipes use very similar ingredients, just put together in different ways, and make a banquet fit for a king (or some friends you happen to like very much).  Most of this can also be made a day to half a day in advance as well, so when your guests arrive, all you need to do is a little last minute frying and you are ready to go with minimal stress!  If you don't have a deep fat fryer, heat up oil in a large wok or deep frying pan and use that instead.  Obviously use a lot of care when working with hot oil, and don't overload them!  It is far safer to cook in small batches rather than trying to cook it all in one go.  Don't forget to heat the oil back up to temperature between batches as the cooking process will have dropped the oil temperature.

On the menu:

Beef and Prawn Pouches
Spring Rolls
Fish Cakes
Squid and Pork Vermicelli noodles
Beef Massaman Curry
Thai Jasmine Rice
Hot and Sour Dipping Sauce
Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

Beef and Prawn Pouches (makes 15-20)

2 tablespoons oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1 small finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
80g minced beef
60g cooked small shelled prawns, chopped into at least thirds
1 small grated carrot
2 finely chopped spring onions
1 tablespoon finely chopped basil leaves
1 tablespoon sugar
1 finely chopped red chilli
250g packet of won ton wrappers (available in the freezer section of an Asian supermarket)
1 lightly beaten egg
oil for deep frying

Quick note before we start - I said finely chop the ingredients, and I mean really finely chop.  You will have about 1 1/2 teaspoons of mixture inside each parcel so you don't want giant chunks of one particular ingredient.  Take the time and make it all small!  Once the cooking starts as well, everything happens quite quickly so make sure you prep everything before you start heating the oil.  Same goes for the spring rolls in a bit.

Heat the oil in a large pan and fry off the garlic, stirring, until lightly browned.  Add the onion and ginger and cook for 1 minute.  Add the mince and cook until the mince is browned.  Stir in the prawns , carrot and spring onion and cook for a minute.  Stir in the sugar and basil.  Turn off the heat.

Take a won ton wrapper and brush with the egg mixture.  Add about 1 1/2 teaspoons of the mixture into the centre of the wrapper, leaving a gap around the edge and making sure you get a bit of prawn in there.

Pull up the edges of the wrapper and pinch together to seal. 

Deep fry the pouches in hot oil, in batches until well browned and drain on kitchen towel.  Serve hot with a dipping sauce.  Uncooked pouches will freeze well in a sealed contained, and you can make the pouches a half day ahead before cooking and store in the fridge.

Pork Spring Rolls (makes 15-20)

If you can make a won ton, you can make a spring roll.  It's the same idea, just rolled in a different shape using a slightly different wrapper.  If you want to make a vegetarian version, simply sub out the pork for finely sliced young broccoli stems and baby corn.

50g rice vermicelli noodles (available from an Asian supermarket)
250g lean minced pork
1 tablespoon oil
1 clove crushed garlic
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh red chilli
2 finely chopped spring onions
1 grated medium carrot
1 tablespoon fresh chopped coriander root
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 teaspoon fish sauce
100g cooked prawns, shelled and finely chopped
30g spring roll pastry sheets (available from the frozen section of an Asian supermarket)
1 tablespoon cornflour
2 tablespoons water
oil for deep frying

Cover the vermicelli with warm water in a bowl and leave to stand and soften for 10 minutes.  Drain them well and finely chop.

Heat the oil in a pan and cook the pork, garlic and chilli's until the pork is browned.  Add the onions, carrot, coriander root and leaves, fish sauce, prawn and vermicelli.  Cook and then remove from the heat and leave to cool.

Place a tablespoon of the cooled mixture into the centre of a spring roll sheet and brush the edges with blended cornflour and water.  Fold the left and right corners inwards, then the bottom corner.  Flip the mixture to make a tight pouch then continue to roll upwards, making sure the last edge is sealed down.

Deep fry the rolls in hot oil in batches until golden brown and drain on kitchen towel.   Don't worry if some of them split a little.   Serve hot with dipping sauce.  Uncooked rolls will freeze well and the rolls can be prepared a half day in advance of cooking and refrigerated.

Fish Cakes (makes 25)

1/3 cup red curry paste (see below)
1kg red-fish fillets (snapper or perch)
1 egg
2 teaspoons chopped fresh coriander leaves
2 teaspoons sugar
100g green beans, finely chopped
Oil for deep frying

Blend the fish, egg, curry paste, coriander and sugar until smooth.  It will have a slightly gelatinous feel to it.

Combine the blended fish with the chopped green beans and mix well.

Roll 2 level teaspoons of the mixture into a ball and flatten slightly.  Repeat with the remaining mixture.

Deep fry the fish cakes in hot oil until well browned and drain on absorbent paper.  The uncooked fish cakes will freeze well.  They can be made a day in advance and refrigerated and the red curry paste can be made a week in advance and refrigerated.  

Red Curry Paste
1 small red onion, chopped
3 crushed cloves garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh lemon grass
3 teaspoons chopped fresh coriander root
2 teaspoons dried chilli flakes
1 teaspoon galangal powder
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
1/2 teaspoon shrimp paste (available from an Asian supermarket)
1 dried kaffir lime leaf
3 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
3 teaspoons oil

Blend all the ingredients together well to make a paste.  Leftover paste will freeze well - add coconut milk and chicken or fish to make a red Thai curry.

Hot and Sour Dipping Sauce

5cm fresh root ginger, chopped
2 teaspoons caster sugar
2 fresh chopped red chilli's
2 cloves of chopped garlic
1/2 small lime, peeled and sectioned
2 teaspoons fish sauce

Pound the ginger, sugar, chillies and garlic in a pestle and mortar to form a syrupy sauce.  Add the lime and pound to a mixture.  Add the fish sauce.  Keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 teaspoon hoisin sauce
1 small fresh red chilli, chopped
1/2 cup brown sugar

Combine all the ingredients in a pan over the heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved and the sauce is slightly thickened (about 5 minutes).  Serve hot or cold, and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Squid and Pork Vermicelli noodles (enough for 4-6 as a side dish, or 3 as a main course)

300g vermicelli noodles, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
100g lean pork, lightly browned
1 chopped red pepper
2 chopped spring onions
1 squid, lightly fried
Juice and zest of 1 lime
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon chopped fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 red chilli's, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar

Mix the cooked noodles, pork, red pepper, squid and spring onions together.

Combine the lime, fish sauce, ginger, garlic and sugar in a pestle and mortar and pound together.  Add the chilli's to the sauce and then throw over the noodle mixture and stir to lightly coat.  Stick it in the fridge and serve cold.  Can be made a day in advance (it is actually better when the flavours have had some time to develop).

Beef Massaman Curry (enough for 4 as a main course)
1kg beef cut into cubes
500ml good quality beef stock
1 diced onion
3 bay leaves
1-2 potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
Handful fresh chopped coriander
1 inch ginger, grated
4-5 cloves of crushed garlic
1 stalk of sliced lemongrass
1 fresh chopped red chilli
Handful chopped peanuts
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp white pepper
1tso turmeric
1/8 tsp ground cardamon
1 tsp tamarind paste (or 1 tablespoon lime juice)
3/4 tsp shrimp paste
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoon fish sauce
400 ml can full fat coconut milk

Place stock in a large pot over high heat. Add the meat, onion and bay leaves. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a low simmer. Cover with a lid and simmer 40 to 80 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender

Add all the other ingredients, stirring with each addition.  Return to a boil, then simmer for at least 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.

Prepare the jasmine rice according to the packet instructions, and serve with fresh coriander and the cooked rice.  Can be made a day in advance and reheated over a low heat for 20 minutes when required.

Serve the whole lot together, or keep the curry back for the main.  Pop some Thai beers and you have an amazing casual dinner for you and your friends!

If you like (or hate!) what you have read, please do let me know in the comments below or slap me with a cheeky follow, or say Hi to me on my Facebook group or Twitter or Instagram!

You shall have a fishy on a little dishy

This is not my creation.

I don't think in a million years my brain would have been wired to consider this as a meal.  The combination of ingredients just sounds so strange together, and yet, weirdly, like strawberries and balsamic vinegar, Parmesan and pears or cayenne pepper and mango's, it just works. 

Actually this is one of Steve's concoctions.  He is a much more creative cook than I am - I tend to go for a recipe or a dish I have tried before and adapt it.  He just lets loose and experiments.  Sometimes this results in us having to order a pizza (like the ill-fated time we didn't have any tinned tomato's when he was making cottage pie so he substituted baked beans instead.  Turns out that just cos something is in a tomato-esq sauce doesn't mean you can substitute it for tomato's).  Other times, like this time, his evil genius just works.

This is toasted buttered bruschetta, layered with warm tomato and pepper salsa, a slice of lightly fried fresh monk fish, homemade crispy seaweed and a poached egg.

Weird and wonderful and surprisingly easy. 

You need:

1 loaf of fresh bread
2 tomato's (chopped)
1/2 yellow pepper (chopped)
1/2 green pepper (chopped)
1 red chilli (chopped)
1/2 onion (chopped)
Olive oil
Lemon
Bag of spring greens
Brown sugar
2 fresh fish fillets (firm white fish that won't fall apart on the griddle)
2 eggs
Oil for frying
Butter

You do need to do all of this at the same time so that everything comes together at the end and is still warm.

Slice two hefty pieces of fresh bread and turn the grill on, then toast the bread on both sides until lightly golden.  Remove and butter.

In a saucepan combine the chopped tomato, peppers, chilli, onion, a good glug of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon juice and allow to heat through on a low temperature

Heat the oil in a large wok, deep fat fryer or saucepan and, when hot enough, very, very carefully throw a few handfuls of the spring greens in.  Step back - the high water content in the spring greens will spit hot fat everywhere so keep your arms covered.  When the spitting subsides, use a spider or a slotted spoon and remove the spring greens to some kitchen towel to drain.  Keep frying until you have enough for your meal, then lightly sprinkle the spring greens in a little brown sugar.

Lightly griddle the white fish in a little oil and seasoning skin side down until the skin is crispy and golden.  Flip and repeat on the other side.

Poach two eggs, keeping the centres soft if you like them like that.

To assemble, layer the bread with the warm salsa, then the fish, the seaweed and then the poached egg.

Serve immediately, cracking the egg so that the yolk dribbles over the brushetta (which is amazing for mopping up the leftovers with afterwards.

If you try this, let me know what you think! I'll pass it onto Steve!

If you like (or hate!) what you have read, please do let me know in the comments below or slap me with a cheeky follow, or say Hi to me on my Facebook group or Twitter or Instagram!

Yorkshire Pudding Roast Beef Sandwich

A few weeks ago I was perusing Angela's blog and came across something that stopped me in my tracks.  It was a twist on a classic roast dinner, a roast dinner sandwich if you will.   However this was no normal looking sandwich.  On closer inspection something was rather different about this particular option.  There was no bread....or bap...or roll....or bun...or indeed any other type of breaded product that you would normally associate with a sandwich (did anyone else just have the toaster sequence from Red Dwarf flash though their heads or am I on my own with that one?)

What you had instead was thick cut slices of beautifully rare roast beef layered with peppery rocket and sweet caramelised onions.  In between humungous slices of Yorkshire pudding.  This looked like heaven and I had to try it.

Steve happened to agree with me as I discovered when I got a text message from him asking for it for dinner soon after seeing it on my twitter feed.  It's quite rare for Steve to request something in particular so when he does, I know he is keen!

This was a double whammy recipe for me as well as the leftovers gave me an excuse to try out something I have only ever drooled over the idea of on the television before, but more of that later.

This would work with a hot or cold roasted meat joint but you want to start cooking the Yorkshire pudding and the caramelised red onions about 10 minutes before the beef is ready to come out of the oven and 30 minutes before you want to eat.

Once you have your timings worked out and your beef is merrily cooking as you want it to, you can get cracking on the Yorkshire pudding.  I've tweaked Angela's measurements slightly to work for the type of pan I wanted to use.

170g plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
5 eggs
230ml semi-skimmed milk
Enough vegetable oil to cover the base of your baking tray to a depth of about half a centimeter.  Anymore than this and you won't just get a soggy bottom on your Yorkshire, you will get one that is full of oil which is rather unpleasant to eat!

So, mix all your ingredients together and whisk until really smooth and full of air (about 3 minutes).  Stick the mixture in the fridge to chill.

In the meantime put the baking pan with oil into the oven to heat up.  Turn the oven up to 230C (this is why you need to take the beef out now).  Wrap your beef up tight in tin foil and clean tea towels like a toddler and leave it somewhere to catch its breath and rest.  After 10 minutes the oil should be scalding hot.

Work very, very carefully here.  Take the baking dish out of the oven, pour the chilled batter into the dish (it may spit) and put it back in the oven for 20 minutes to cook.  Do not open the oven door during this process.

You will end up with a monster Yorkshire pudding.

 While the Yorkshire pudding is cooking and the beef is resting, get to work on the caramalised onions.

1 red onion, peeled and sliced finely
1 glass red wine
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 glass water
3 tablespoons brown sugar
4-5 springs of fresh thyme
Knob of butter

In a large shallow pan, fry the onions in the butter until soft, then add the glass of red wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes.  Add the sugar, balsamic vinegar, water and thyme and turn the heat up to high to bring it to a furious boil and let the onions reduce until you have a sticky, syrupy mixture.

Once everything is cooked, you are ready to assemble!

Carve your Yorkshire pudding into large squares (quarters makes sense) and then layer the beef and caramalised onions with fresh rocket.  Carefully fold the Yorkshire pudding in half and voila, a sandwich is born! 

I had quite a lot of Yorkshire pudding left over and so I tried out something I have only ever seen Nigella do on television.  I heated up some leftover pudding when I was peckish and poured cream and golden syrup over it.  I then stuffed my face.

Oh my.

This discovery will be dangerous.


If you like (or hate!) what you have read, please do let me know in the comments below or slap me with a cheeky follow, or say Hi to me on my facebook group or twitter!

Anti-Pasta Platter

Yes I recognise that this is a bit of a cop out post but I've been ill!  Plus which it all looks pretty and surely that counts for something? 

For the laziest, quickest, easiest yet still pretty stupendous looking starter for a dinner party or dinner for four look no further than the glorious, colourful and delectable anti-pasta platter.

This is ridiculously easy to put together and yet always hits the spot.  You need go no further than your nearest deli counter as well!

The secret to a good anti-pasta platter is variety of flavours, textures and colours.

Cheese is a must - cubes of feta are brilliant as the compliment so many of the other dishes and add a creaminess to the platter.

Salami, chorizo and parma ham provide the smokey flavours.

Sundried tomatoes add a sweetness

Whilst cream cheese stuffed pimento's and pickled anchovies bring the tartness to the platter.

Now these aren't for everyone but rice stuffed vine leaves and pickled octopus add texture and a completely different flavour dimension and are also always a talking point!

Piles of olives are a must.  Get different colours and olive stuffed with lemon, chilli or garlic to ensure added interest.

Finally make sure the whole lot is sprinkled with shredded basil leaves - brilliant paired with the feta!

You can also add toasted pita breads cut into strips with dips.  I think that hummus sprinkled with pomegranate seeds, tzatziki and moss green pesto provide a great variety of flavours and colours.

Give everyone a plate and let their fingers dive in!

Chilli Chik-Con Carne

I've always been really lazy about my chilli con carne, settling for a tin from the cupboard and a packet of mince and resigning myself to underwhelming smokiness, richness and fullness of flavour.

No more!

After some experimentation I have discovered Chicken Chilli Con Carne - a low fat (in comparison to its beefier cousin) version that packs a rich flavour punch and a deep, almost muddy (as odd as that sounds - go with it) smokey intensity.

The beauty of this dish is the fact you can make it the night before or chuck it in the slow cooker during the day and you will have a warming bowl of chilli to drive away the winter chills in the evening.

For this chilli you will need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons chilli powder
1 tablespoon ancho chilli powder
1 tablespoon chipotle paste
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 teaspoons cumin powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon salt
ground black pepper
1 tin drained kidney bins
1 tin drained black beans
1 tin chopped tomato's
1 pint chicken stock
25 grams dark chocolate
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 packet chicken breasts
Juice of half a fresh lime
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Pre-heat the oven to 200C and bake the chicken breasts in olive oil, paprika and black pepper until the juices run clear (about 20 minutes)

In a large pan saute the onion and the pepper in the olive oil until soft, then add the garlic and cook until fragrant.  Add the dried spices and dried herbs and cook for another couple of minutes.  Now add the tomatoes, chicken stock, kidney and black beans, chocolate, salt, pepper, tomato paste and chipotle paste and bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low and simmer for two hours or in the slow cooker.

When you are ready to serve flake the chicken breast into the chilli, add the lime juice and apple cider vinegar and cook for another 30 minutes.

Serve with corn bread, tortilla chips, sour cream, coriander and salsa.  I'll post a recipe for the corn bread on Thursday!

Jambalaya

Jambalaya, that smokey, spicey rich dish that tastes of the deep south, a dish that evokes thoughts of warm Louisiana nights down by the bayou as the lighting bugs flit or heady jazz floating through the streets of New Orleans.  Every family will have their own version and their own secret ingredients that go into it.

Remember to rhyme the 'Jam' with 'Tom' if you want to pronounce it right!

I must admit, I romanticise this dish having never been to the deep south of America (and it being on my bucket list of places to visit).  For now, to indulge my fantasy, when I dream of Mardi Gras and Haitian magic, I will put my own spin on this classic Creole meal, aided by The Spicery.

If I was being true to the origins of this dish I would flavour it with alligator and turtle meat, however these ingredients are a little difficult to find in Kent!  There are a few rules that you must follow though.

You always start with the holy trinity - onion, celery and pepper.  You also need a white meat, chicken thighs are my favourite, and good smoked sausage; chorizo or andouille.  Finally (although I left them out of this version as I was feeding a pregnant lady) you want good shellfish, normally prawns or mussels, and finally, rice.  Beyond that, the sky is really your limit.

This version has been taste tested by us a number of times and it is really good.   If you are craving the heat and spice that only the deep south can provide, I recommend this.  

Jambalaya with Hot Sauce

1 medium onion - chopped
2 sticks celery - finely chopped
2 bell peppers - deseeded and chopped
3 cloves garlic - finely chopped
1 tin chopped tomato
3 chicken thighs, skin removed and chopped into chunks
1 large, good quality chorizo sausage, chopped
3 good quality smoked sausages, chopped
1 packet raw prawns
300g long grain rice
2 tsp Cajun seasoning
2 tsp chilli flakes
2 tsp Cholula hot sauce
2 tsp sweet smoked paprika
1/2 tsp ground bay
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp chives
1 tsp thyme
1 tsp basil

For the hot sauce

You don't need to make this, you can use shop bought but I just love the smokey rich hot flavour that this adds and end up sloshing it all over my jambalaya.  I would serve it separate in a jug and allow people to help themselves though as the heat levels can be a bit surprising!

2 chipotle chillis
1 birdseye chilli
2 tablespoons tomato puree
2 tsp white wine vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
100 ml water

Cooking wise, it's pretty simple.

In a large, heavy bottomed pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and gently fry the onions, celery, garlic and peppers until they are soft.

Add the chicken, sausage, chorizo, cajun seasoning, chilli flakes, hot sauce and paprika and mix well together, letting the meats slowly brown and allowing the chorizo to release its oils, then add the tin of tomatoes.

Add the rice, bay, parsley, chives, thyme and basil and enough water to cover the jambalaya half way up (you may need to top this up as the rice cooks and the water absorbs).  Bring to the boil and keep an eye on it, stirring occasionally to stop the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan and adding more seasoning and spices if required.

For the hot sauce, soak the chipotles in a mug of boiling water for about 10 minutes, then put the softened chillis and the birdseye chilli (minus the seeds and stem), tomato puree, vinegar, salt and water into a blender and blend until smooth.

When the rice is cooked you are ready to serve!  We like this with salad, fresh baked bread and a scattering of chopped spring onions on the top for crunch!  This is a fantastic meal to serve if you have people coming over for dinner as it is relatively quick and you can just stick the lid on and let it cook on its own without worrying about it.

Just go easy on the chilli if you aren't sure about tolerance levels!

Grab your friends, make some Sazerac's and stick some Dixieland on.  Laissez les bons temps rouler.