Mustard With Mutton

DIARY OF A GLUTTON

Jun 30, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Thomas Keller’s Perfect Roast Chicken

There are as many recipes for roast chicken as there are chefs and to try to find the perfect recipe is as elusive as finding the recipe for the perfect chocolate cake or perfect roast potatoes.  There are lots of good ones out there, but are they perfect? Well this is one instance where I think the search has come to an end.

Thomas Keller needs no introduction.  His string of Michelin starred restaurants are consistently featured in the top 50 restaurants of the world and his flagship, The French Laundry (in Napa) has been on the list for 10 years. This recipe which he says came about from cooking large quantities of food for staff dinners is perfect not only for it’s sublime taste but for the mind boggling simplicity.  There’s no basting, there’s no stuffing (not even a lemon!), there are no garnishes and surprisingly no oil or butter used.  The only ingredients are chicken, salt, pepper and some thyme leaves. That’s it!  It’s roasted at a high temperature for 45 – 50 minutes and not touched at all during that time.  Butter/oil is not used as Keller believes this produces steam and hinders the skin crisping. The most time consuming part of the process, and I’m talking 10 minutes tops, is removing the wishbone (to facilitate carving) and trussing the chicken.  Click here to see a video of chef Keller prepare this dish.  The only other stipulations are that the chicken be at room temperature, completely dry and the oven pre heated.  I used a 2kg chicken (organic – the quality of the chicken is important here) and cooked it at 225C for 50 minutes then let it rest for 10 minutes. Perfect.

Jun 29, 2012
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Lobster Mac & Cheese

There’s a general rule that seafood and cheese shouldn’t be combined.  I’ve never been a great believer of this, and if there was ever going to be an exception to that rule, then this is it.  Gooey, oozy, cheesy pasta taken up a notch or ten by the addition of lobster.  I usually buy lobster tails, they’re the meatiest part of the lobster and extracting the meat is a relatively easy task.  I used 2 lobster tails in the recipe below and the shelled weight of the meat was 370g.  I certainly wouldn’t go less than that for serving 3 people, but if you’re feeling indulgent a lobster tail per person wouldn’t be a bad thing at all!

Ingredients – serves 3

300g ridged penne pasta – any hollow pasta shape would work well

2 uncooked lobster tails, meat removed from shells and chopped into bite size chunks

2 cloves of garlic crushed in a garlic press or finely chopped

1 tablespoon tomato paste

50g butter

1/4 cup flour

2 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cup cream

2 cups grated fontina, about 300g – Gruyere would also work well

1/2 cup mascarpone, about 100g

1/4 cup chicken stock

1 tablespoon Cognac or brandy

1 bunch of chives finely chopped

salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

1/2 cup grated sharp cheddar

2 tablespoons parmesan

Method

Preheat oven to 180C.  Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook pasta until just slightly under done.  Drain and set aside in a large bowl.

Heat the butter in a saucepan and add garlic.  Cook until garlic has softened then add tomato paste and cook for a further minute.  Add flour and stir and cook for a further 2 minutes.  Using a whisk and whisking continuously add the milk and cream and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.  Take off the heat and add 3/4 of the fontina, the mascarpone, chicken stock, Cognac, and 3/4 of the chives.  Stir until the cheese has melted into the sauce. Season well with salt then add the cayenne and nutmeg.  Gently fold through the lobster.  Add the cheese and lobster mixture to the pasta and gently stir through until well combined.  

Transfer the pasta into an oven proof dish and top with the remaining fontina and chives, the cheddar and parmesan.  Bake on the centre shelf for about 30 minutes, until the top is golden and bubbly.  Lovely served with a sharp green salad. 

 

Jun 25, 2012
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Teriyaki Salmon with Chilli Pumpkin Mash

This teriyaki salmon and accompanying pumpkin mash is easy to throw together for a weeknight meal and has the advantage of being carb free.  For some reason we tend to normally have this on a  Monday night when we feel like something tasty but a little on the healthy side after the weekend. It makes the start of the week a little easier, knowing there’s something delicious for dinner.

Ingredients for Salmon – Serves 2

2 skinless salmon fillets

2 tablespoons grated ginger

2 cloves of garlic crushed or grated

2 tablespoons soy sauce

3 tablespoons mirin

3 tablespoons sake

2 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons soft brown sugar

1 teaspoon red miso

Olive oil

Sesame seeds

Ingredients for Chilli Pumpkin Mash

1 medium size butternut pumpkin/squash

salt

Small knob of butter

1 red chilli

Small bunch of chives

Method

Place salmon in a glass dish large enough to hold the salmon in one layer.  Combine the rest of the ingredients, except the oil and sesame seeds, in small bowl and pour over the salmon. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes, or if you have the time for up to an hour. 

Whilst the salmon is marinading prepare the mash.  Peel, deseed and chop the pumpkin into 1 inch pieces.  Bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and add pumpkin.  Cook for 8-10 minutes until the pumpkin is very tender.  Drain and return to the saucepan along with a knob of butter.  Using a hand blender (or a potato masher) blend the pumpkin until smooth. 

Finely chop the chives and red chilli (de-seed the chilli if you don’t want too much heat) 

Add the chopped chives to the pumpkin mash and stir through to combine well. 

Once the salmon has finished marinating heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a non stick frypan.  Add the salmon and cook over medium heat, on the skin side for 3 minutes.  Turn the salmon over and add the marinade to the pan and cook for a further 3-4 minutes until the salmon is just cooked through and the sauce has thickened.

To serve, place some of the pumpkin mash on the centre of each plate and top with a piece of salmon, some of the sauce and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.

 

Jun 25, 2012
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Baked Ricotta with Spinach & Silverbeet

Side dishes in winter can be a bit challenging as they need to be heartier than the salads we normally serve up in summer.  This super tasty recipe taken from a recent issue of Delicious magazine gets rave comments and is something I’ll be serving up many times before the weather turns warmer.

Ingredients – Serves 4-6

300g spinach washed, spun dry and roughly chopped

300g silver beet washed, spun dry and roughly chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

2 shallots finely sliced

1 clove of garlic finely sliced

Salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

freshly grated nutmeg

200ml fresh ricotta

200ml pouring cream

2 egg yolks

Method

Preheat oven to 230C. Heat the oil in a large frypan and add spinach, silverbeet, shallots and garlic. Toss and turn over medium heat until the greens are completely wilted.

Wilted spinach & silverbeet

Add a large pinch of salt, the cayenne and some freshly grated nutmeg.  Transfer to a bowl, add ricotta and mix through until combined.  Beat together the egg yolks and cream and add to the spinach mixture. Mix well and transfer to a 25 cm diameter oven proof dish.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is golden.

 

Jun 25, 2012
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Roast Carrot Salad with Caramelised Garlic Dressing

There are lots of roasted carrot salads out there but this one really stands out from the crowd.  The caramelised garlic dressing lifts the whole dish and gives it more complexity.  Perfect paired with any roast or grilled meats or even as a starter served over some salad greens.

The addition of purple carrots not only enhances the appearance of the salad but the taste as well.  Carrots were one of the earliest cultivated vegetables and were first grown in the Middle East. All carrots were originally purple and it was only in the last few hundred years that they’ve been cultivated to be the orange colour which we now know.  The purple variety that is becoming increasingly more available are grown from heirloom seeds and are said to contain more than double the amount of nutrients than the orange variety.

Ingredients – Serves 4

2 bunches baby orange carrots
2 bunches purple baby carrots – I could’t find any so used 4 large purple carrots and quartered them
Salt, pepper
Olive oil
3 Tablespoons Vino Cotto – or you can substitute balsamic, but Vino Cotto is preferable and available from most delicatessens
Crumbled soft goats cheese

Dressing

20 cloves of garlic peeled
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoons balsamic
1 cup water
1 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Method

Preheat oven to 220C. Peel and trim the carrots and place onto a sheet pan.  Season well with salt and pepper.  Add enough olive oil to coat them well and drizzle on the Vino Cotto.  Mix the carrots well and distribute evenly in a single layer.

Carrots prior to roasting

Bake for 30 minutes until they are nicely roasted.

Carrots after they’ve been roasted

Whilst the carrots are roasting prepare the dressing.  Put the garlic into a small saucepan and cover with plenty of cold water.  Bring the water to the boil and boil for 8 minutes uncovered.  Drain the garlic and dry the saucepan.  Add the garlic back into the pan with the olive oil and fry for a few minutes over medium heat until garlic is starting to brown.  Add the water and balsamic and bring to the boil then simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.  Add the salt herbs and sugar and simmer for a further 10 minutes.  Take off the heat and stir in the mustard until dissolved.  Taste and add more salt if required.

Caramelised Garlic Dressing

When the carrots are ready place them on a serving platter, being careful to not mix them around too much as the purple carrots bleed. I like to sprinkle them with a little more sea salt at this point.  Drizzle the dressing and the garlic over the carrots and top with the crumbled cheese.  Can be served warm or at room temperature. 

Jun 23, 2012
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Persian Rice with Dried Broad Beans & Tumeric – Dampokhtack

Dampokhtack is a popular Persian rice dish and classified as comfort food for most Persians, think of it as the mac & cheese of Iran. Unlike most Persian rice dishes which are prized for their long and separate grains of rice, Dampokhtack is meant to be a little on the gluggy side – normally an anathema to any Persian cook. This dish is cooked by the absorption method whereas most rice dishes, polow’s, are cooked by being first par boiled and then steamed.  It’s characterised by it’s strong yellow colour obtained from turmeric and is often served with a garnish of caramelised onions.

The trick to getting this dish right is to make sure that the dried broad beans are not too mushy and overcooked before you add them to the rice.  The other important factor is the ratio of water to rice.

I was unable to get hold of any dried and peeled broad beans which are normally sold in Middle Eastern grocery stores and are light yellow in colour.  So I purchased dried unpeeled broad beans which meant they needed to be skinned.  The method I’ll write below is for unpeeled dried broad beans but if you are able to purchase the already peeled variety then simply cut down the cooking time of the beans to just 20 minutes.  You will need to cheek them at this point to make sure that they are just cooked through but still have a little bit of bite.  The timing will vary depending on the freshness of the dried beans.

This meal is usually served with yogurt, fresh herbs and Persian pickles.  The rice is also often toped with a fried sunny side up egg.

Ingredients – Serves 6

500g dried unpeeled broad beans (see notes above)

2 large onions finely chopped

2 cups of good quality basmati rice

2 teaspoons tumeric

flavourless oil or ghee or a mixture of both

Method

Wash the rice in a large bowl in several changes of water until the water runs clear.  Add enough cold water to the rice in the bowl to cover by an inch and leave to soak for 2-3 hours.

Put the dried beans into a large saucepan and cover well with water, bring to boil and boil for about 5 minutes.  Test a bean to see if you can take the skin off relatively easily.  It won’t just slip off but it should be able to be peeled without too much effort.  If they are at this stage drain them and let then sit until they are cool enough to handle. Peel the beans and put them back into the saucepan with fresh water to cover by at least an inch or more and bring back to the boil.  Lower the heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes or until the beans are just cooked through but still have a little bit of bite.  It’s better for them to be slightly under done than over done.

Dried beans prior to being peeled

Beans after being peeled

Heat a generous amount of oil in a large non stick saucepan and add onions.  Fry over medium heat until the onions are golden. 

Add the turmeric and fry for another couple of minutes.  Drain the soaked rice and add to the onions along with the carefully drained beans.  Be gentle with the beans so as they don’t break apart. Add 2 generous teaspoons of salt and add enough cold water to cover the rice and beans by 1 inch. Gently stir and bring to the boil. Keep boiling the rice mixture uncovered on a medium heat until almost all the water has evaporated.  At that stage wrap the lid of your pot with a clean tea towel to prevent any steam escaping and cook the rice on a very low heat for 45 minutes.

Remove the lid and with a large spatula carefully and gently place the rice on a platter trying not to crush the very tender rice and beans in the process.  Top with caramelised onions and serve with fried eggs, yogurt, fresh herbs and pickles.

Accompaniments for Dampokhtack

Jun 23, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Pomegranate and Chicken Stew

This braised chicken dish from a recent Jamie Magazine was really delicious.  I was first attracted to making it by the accompanying photo but looking at the ingredient list I had my doubts as to how well it would turn out.  My fears were unfounded though as it really kicked a punch flavour wise.  With the obvious Middle Eastern overtones, due to the pomegranate, this would go perfectly with some rice or cous cous.  The only thing to watch is that the sauce doesn’t get overly reduced as it can then veer towards being a little too tart.  I cooked it for longer than the 30 minutes stipulated as I really like my chicken to be falling off the bone and managed to save it in the nick of time from being too thickened. Also don’t be put off by using the chilli even if making it for the family as it wasn’t hot at all, and I didn’t even take the seeds out.

Ingredients – serves 4 -6  Adapted from Jamie Magazine

3 Tablespoons olive oil

8 Chicken thigh cutlets

2 teaspoons paprika

2 large onions sliced

4 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 red chilli finely sliced

2 tablespoons chopped coriander

300ml passata

1/2 cup water

4 tablespoons pomegranate molasses

200 ml pomegranate juice

Method

Heat the oil in a casserole over medium heat.  Season chicken with salt, pepper and paprika, then brown in the hot oil until chicken is nice and golden brown. Remove to a plate and set aside.

 In the same pan, add another splash of oil with the onions.  Stir well being being sure to catch the sticky bits at the bottom of the pan.  Cook slowly for 15minutes, till onions are soft, adding the chilli, garlic and coriander for the last 5 minutes.  Stir in passata, molasses, pomegranate juice and water.

Season well, then bring to the boil. Return the chicken with any juices to the pan, cover and lower heat.  Simmer for 45 minutes – 1 hour, until the chicken is falling off the bone and the sauce has thickened.  Check often to ensure it’s not sticking and if the sauce is getting to thick add another tablespoon or two of water. 

Jun 22, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Baked Brie with Caramelized Onions

A great and easy appetizer to serve with drinks.  Normally the Brie is enclosed in pastry but I find that can be a bit heavy, not to mention more time consuming to prepare.

Ingredients

Olive oil

1 large onion finely sliced

Salt & freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon of sugar

1 small round of Brie

Method

Preheat Oven to 180C

Heat olive oil in a small frypan and add onions.  Cook over a low to medium heat until the onions are nicely caramelized, making sure to stir them often so as they don’t burn or catch.  Season with salt and pepper and in the final few minutes of cooking add the sugar.

Cut brie in half horizontally and place the bottom half in a small oven proof dish just large enough to hold the brie – I used a round small Pillivuyt gratin dish.  Place the onions on top, evenly spreading them out and place the other half of the brie over them.  Place in the middle rack of the oven and cook for 10 minutes until the cheese is soft and gooey and just starting to escape from the rind.  Serve with thinly sliced baguette.

Jun 22, 2012
mustardwithmutton

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Braised Fennel with Butter and Parmesan

I’ve recently been enjoying the new series by Simon Hopkinson – The Good Cook.  His recipes are simple and timeless, reminding me very much of Nigel Slater’s style of cooking – in fact I believe they’re good mates.  This braised fennel dish looked particularly good and I decided to serve sit with some fish for dinner.  The results were excellent.  The aniseed flavour of the fennel was nicely muted from the long slow cooking and was buttery soft.  The sauce of parmesan and pan juices adding a wonderful savouriness.  I’ll definitely be making this one again.


Ingredients – serves 2-3

750g fennel bulbs, trimmed, halved, trimmings reserved

50g butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp dry vermouth 9or white wine if you don’t have any)

splash pastis (optional, alternatively add more dry vermouth)

60g parmesan grated, plus extra for serving

Method

Preheat the oven to 170C

Melt the butter in a casserole dish over a low heat. Place the fennel into the butter cut-side down, and scatter around the trimmings. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and increase the heat.

Add the vermouth and pastis. Cover with a sheet of foil loosely pressed down on the vegetables, and put the lid on top. Place into the oven to cook for 30 minutes.

Remove the dish from the oven and turn over the fennel. Return to the oven and cook for a further 30 minutes, or until very tender when poked with a small, sharp knife.

Preheat the grill to high.

Remove the fennel from the dish. Place in a warmed shallow oven-proof dish cut-side up, cover with foil and place in the oven while you make the sauce.

Pour the trimmings and cooking juices through a fine sieve suspended over a small pan. Warm through and add 45g/1½oz of the parmesan. Blend with a hand blender until smooth and creamy (about the consistency of pouring cream).

Pour the mixture over the fennel and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Place under the grill and cook until the surface is pale golden-brown and slightly bubbling around the edges.

Serve with extra parmesan for sprinkling over.

Jun 18, 2012
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Whitlof Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

An easy salad to throw together and a great accompaniment to steaks.

Ingredients – serves 2- 3 as a side salad

2 Whitlof

1/4 cup whole egg mayonnaise (I prefer Hellmans)

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

2 spring onions (scallions) finely sliced, including white and green parts

salt & pepper

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

A handful of walnuts halved

Separate the whitlof leaves and assemble on a platter.  In a small bowl mix together the remaining ingredients, bar the walnuts, until well combined.  Check for seasoning – depending on the strength of your blue cheese you may want to add more salt or vinegar. Drizzle the dressing over the whitlof and scatter the walnuts on top.

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