Election Night 2015

To celebrate the General Election, I'm making burgers which will be themed around the main party colours.

So far I've got: 

Red meat and tomato relish (Labour)

Blue Cheese (Conservatives)

Cos Lettuce (Greens, obviously)

English Mustard (Lib Dems/SNP)

Burger Buns (slightly yellow in colour and possibly represent the Lib Dems desperately trying to hold everything together).

AND

A sorry little bit of beetroot which was added as an afterthought and doesn't really fit in with the rest of the meal ( UKIP...quite appropriate really).

For drinks, I fancy making this red wine, curaçao and orange juice concoction which looks a bit like a Labour/SNP coalition with a sprinkling of Green.

Whatever the result, it's highly unlikely that champagne will be in order...

Wiener Schnitzel

On the surface, Wiener schnitzel seems like a simple dish but there are various rules to follow which ensure that it tastes as good as possible. From the breadcrumbs used to the method of frying, here are my tips on making it perfect.

The meat: Veal escalopes are the way to go and they should be cut as thinly as possible and across the grain. It is also a good idea to bat them out at home with a meat tenderiser before coating them in breadcrumbs.

Breadcrumbs: Fresh breadcrumbs don't quite work here - they are too soft and don't develop the satisfying crunch that you get with dried ones. The breadcrumbs should also be fine in texture. I often give mine a quick blitz in a food processor to achieve this.

Egg wash:  A splash of double cream in the beaten egg adds a luxurious richness and compliments the milky taste of the veal.

Cooking: I've found a mixture of clarified butter and sunflower oil to be the best fats to cook the schnitzel. As the impurities have been removed from the butter, it can be heated to a much higher temperature without burning, meaning that the breadcrumbs have time to go crisp without acquiring those unattractive black flecks that often come hand in hand with cooking in butter. 

A generous amount of fat is needed to cook the veal (around 0.5 cm) and if you need to keep it to one side whilst batch cooking, place it on a cooking rack under a low grill. This allows any excess fat to drip out, hence preventing the crust from becoming soggy.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

400g veal escalope, sliced thin and tenderised

80g fine, dried breadcrumbs

1 egg, beaten 

1 tsp double cream

Flour, to dust 

100g clarified butter

80ml sunflower oil 

Method

Everything has to happen very quickly here, so set up your workstation. Place the flour in one dish, the egg and cream in another and finally the breadcrumbs in a large shallow dish, big enough to accommodate the veal.

Place the clarified butter and oil in a frying pan and heat to a high temperature. Test this by sprinkling in a few breadcrumbs - they should turn golden straight away. If batch cooking, switch the grill on to the lowest temperature.

Dust the veal in the flour and shake off any excess. Dip in the egg wash, letting any extra egg drip off before placing in the breadcrumbs, making sure the meat is evenly coated.

Place the veal in the frying pan and allow to cook for a couple of minutes. Whilst this is happening, use a table spoon and pour some of the fat over the veal, coating it entirely. This seals the breadcrumbs on top and lessens the risk of them separating from the meat. 

Carefully flip the veal and cooking for a further 3 minutes. When flipping, tilt the pan so that the butter and oil run to one end, then the schnitzel won't land in half centimetre of hot fat. The schnitzel should be golden brown all over. Remove from the frying pan and place under the grill until ready to serve.

Mix any remaining breadcrumbs into the egg wash and fry as a fritter. If you have children, it can be fun to give out the 'fake schnitzel' as a reward. Leo has painful memories of fighting for it with his brothers. 

We like to eat schnitzel with champ, sauerkraut and pickled red cabbage. Truffle mustard is more than a truffle expensive but completely divine, made and sold by Fitz Fine Foods at Borough Market. Beer makes a good accompaniment. Leo likes a traditional German Pilsner or a nice cool IPA, whilst I like a crafted fruity beer. Put Schubert on Spotify, preferably the Winterreise.

Mini Pork Pies

It's finally summer! When the sun is shining outside, there is nothing better than al fresco dining. These indiviudal pork pies are perfect for picnics and don't take long to whip up. I make mine in Le Creuset ramekins but they could also be made in a muffin tin. The hot crust pastry is easy to handle but work quickly - it's important to seal the pies whilst the pastry is hot.

Ingredients (Makes 4)

For the hot crust pastry

350g strong white bread flour 

80g lard

1 tsp flour

1 tsp paprika

1 egg, lightly beaten

For the filling

400g pork mice

1 medium onion, finely chopped

Small bunch of sage, finely chopped

1 tsp English mustard

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Pinch of salt

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

Lightly grease four ramekins and preheat oven to 180°

Gently fry the onion in the oil in a saucepan until softened. Add the garlic for the last 2 minutes of cooking and then add this to a mixing bowl with the rest of the filling ingredients.

In a medium saucepan, melt the lard and tip in the flour, salt and paprika once it hits boiling point. Then take off the heat and beat with a wooden spoon (as you would with a choux pastry) until the mixture is well combined and a dough has formed. Turn this out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.

Set aside a quarter of the pastry mix for the pie lids and place until a tea towel to keep warm whilst you line the ramekins with the rest. The pastry should be around 3 mm thick (there may be some leftover) and it's important to leave a slight overhang in order to seal the lids.

Divide the filling mixture between the ramekins and roll out your lids on a floured surface. Brush the edges with the beaten egg and place on top of the pies, crimping the edges with your fingers to ensure the pies are well sealed. Brush the top of the pie with the egg and place in the oven for 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes, take the pies out of the oven, gently remove from the ramekins and place on a baking tray. Brush the sides with the remainder of the egg and put back in the oven for another 30 minutes until golden.

Remove and allow to cool. These go wonderfully well with apple chutney - and a little bit of sunshine!

Poulet Noir Stock and Soup

Last Saturday at the Ginger Pig stall in Borough Market, we bought a gorgeous black leg chicken or "Poulet Noir". The average supermarket chicken has a life of around 39 days whereas the Poulet Noir is reared for a minimum of 81, giving it a deeper, almost gamier flavour. 

I lost my nerve a bit when I got it back to the kitchen, so Leo had to remove the intimadating head and large talons, which I reserved for stock. I also added some woody herbs, an onion, carrot and a few black peppercorns along with the leftover bones from the roast chicken. 

I boiled it slowly for a few hours, until I had around 100ml of concentrated stock. This cooled into a rich jelly which formed the basis of my spring chicken soup.

As the stock is so rich in flavour, I wanted that to be the main focus of the soup. I sautéed an onion, carrot and a large leek until soft and then added the stock with around half a litre of water. I then stirred in some spinach right before serving.

I was really impressed with the Poulet Noir and will be reluctant to go back to headless chickens... The head and talons made the stock extra tasty and the meat was beautifully moist and gamey.

Jerk Chicken on the Barbecue

Loathe to let the unforgiving British weather dictate my weekend plans, I went ahead with my barbecue last Sunday, despite the heavy rain and harsh wind. After all, there is no better way to cook jerk chicken than over hot charcoal. Fortunately, having a balcony off the dining room means we can cook outside and eat inside!

A jerk marinade can elevate the humble chicken to something wonderful. It's important to marinade overnight so that the flavours can penetrate the flesh as much as possible. Spatchcocking a chicken can seem like a daunting task, but a pair of good kitchen scissors and a cleaver make it easier.  Just cut through the parson's nose, all the way down the spine (which you should remove along with the ribcage and cartilage). Here's a demonstration: Spatchcock a chicken.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

1 large chicken, spatchcocked 

For the jerk marinade

1 bunch spring onions, chopped

4 red chillies, seeds removed and chopped

2 tbsp thyme leaves

2 tbsp allspice berries

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tbsp black peppercorns

2 tbsp agave nectar

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Juice of 1 lime

Method

In a food processor, blitz the allspice and peppercorns to a fine powder. Add the rest of the ingredients and blitz until you have a thick paste.

Place the spatchcocked chicken into a large, shallow dish and massage in the marinade, making sure to distribute some underneath the skin. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge overnight, to allow the flavours to permeate. 

Technically this could be cooked in the oven (at 180°C for around an hour) but you would be missing out on the tasty chargrilled skin, so it's worth breaking out the barbecue. On mine, this takes around an hour. We cook it with the lid on to get lots of lovely smokiness in the flavour. For cooking time, as all barbecues are different, what you should be looking for is for the juices to run clear when probed.

All this needs is some buttery baked potatoes and a large napkin. Enjoy!

Banana Nut Loaf

As much as I love bananas I can't bear to eat one that has gone even slightly black. I think this is a hangover of often finding a long forgotten one mushed up in amongst the books in my schoolbag... *shudders*. Instead of confining these tasty treats to the compost box, I made a loaf cake out of them. In baking, the riper the banana the better. At this stage their natural sweetness is at its peak, making them ideal for cakes. I add nuts to my batter, as I love how their woody notes compliment the sweetness of the banana. A warm slice of this with a cup of freshly ground coffee is like a little bit of everyday heaven.

Ingredients 

3 ripe bananas, mashed up

100g unsalted butter, at room temperature

200g plain flour

2 tsp baking powder

2 eggs

120g caster sugar

100g nuts (I used Brazils, almonds and walnuts) roughly chopped.

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp mixed spice

Pinch of salt

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C and grease a 1lb loaf tin.

Using a wooden spoon, or an electric hand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until well combined.

Sift the flour with the salt, baking powder and spice and add this to the egg mixture gradually, until a batter forms.

Using a spoon, stir in the bananas, honey and nuts until evenly distributed.

Place the batter in the loaf tin and bake in the oven for 1hr- 1hr 15 mins, until the cake is golden and feels springy to the touch.

Allow to cool slightly before serving. This keeps well for up to three days in an airtight container.

  

Nuts about Coconut Oil

Coconut oil has soared in popularity lately, and rightly so. It is infinitely useful - I use it to condition my hair, cleanse my face, as a mouthwash and in the bath when my skin needs some extra TLC. Not all coconut oils are equal though - here are my thoughts on the ones I've tried so far.

Superdrug Coconut Oil £2.29 125ml

This was the first coconut oil that I tried and I bought it without paying much attention to the ingredients. I assumed that all coconut oil was the same, but further research told me that hydrogenated oils (like this one) block pores, making them unsuitable for facial cleansing. The instructions also say that it isn't for "internal consumption" so unfortunately it can't be used for oil swilling either. It's not all bad though - this oil is fine to use as an intensive hair mask. As with all coconut oils, a little goes a long way, so it is good value and an effective conditioner. I'll keep using this until it runs out, but most likely won't repurchase as I'm not fond of the artificial coconut scent it contains.

2/5

Biona Organic Coconut Virgin Oil (Raw) £4.49 200g

This is my favourite oil as it ticks ALL the boxes. It is carefully produced, with no pasteurisation or bleaching and it is cold pressed, meaning the oil is as natural as possible. It has a beautiful, naturally occurring coconut fragrance and it really is a pleasure to use. After over a month of having this oil and using it in so many ways every day, I've yet to make a dent in the jar. It is a wonderful cleanser and leaves skin feeling soft and supple. It's nonhydrogenated so it won't block pores like some other coconut oils. I'll definitely repurchase this if the jar ever runs out - it's my coconut oil holy grail

5/5

Cocofresh Coconut Oil £1.59 250ml

I picked this up on impulse at my local green grocers. The packaging is pretty coy about the processing of the product - it simply claims to be "100% Pure Coconut Oil". As I don't know whether it's hydrogenated or not I avoid cleansing with it, but have found it really good to use on hair and for shaving my legs. It is an absolute bargain, so I would recommend it for everywhere but the face. 

3/5