 |
||||||||
|
June 2008
This
Month:
Recipes - Asparagus Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing &
Crab Cakes
Eating Etc - Kitchen Essentials
Spice of the Month - Nigella
Welcome to the June newsletter, marking the middle of 2008..
already! The produce just keeps getting better and the
home-grown asparagus is still so good I had to include another
asparagus recipe this month. Courgettes (zucchini) are also at
their peak and my favourite way to eat them is sliced thinly
lengthways, grilled on a bbq or griddle pan and dressed in olive
oil, lemon juice and freshly chopped chilli.
The king of crustaceans, crab, can be enjoyed from May
through to October and needs little help making a masterful dish.
I love it stirred through pasta, in sushi rolls, and as crab
cakes (see recipe below).
Recipe: Asparagus & Fennel Salad with Grilled Haloumi and Preserved
Lemon Dressing
Asparagus is still the hero here, but with some lovely partners.
For a lighter starter or side dish, omit the cheese. Preserved
lemons can be bought from delis and middle eastern shops and the
dressing can be kept in a jar in the fridge and is wonderful with
seafood.
1 bunch asparagus
2 heads fennel, sliced or shaved thinly, fronds reserved
30g rocket
225g haloumi, cut into 1cm slices
Dressing:
1 preserved lemon, rind only
Juice of ½ lemon
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Pinch of salt
Poach asparagus in a sauté pan of simmering water until just tender.
Drain and rinse in cold water.
Set aside. Blend
dressing ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor until
smooth. Combine fennel
and rocket with chopped fennel fronds and toss in dressing.
Heat a non-stick pan and cook haloumi until golden brown both
sides. Place dressed
salad on serving plates and top with hot haloumi, asparagus spears
and a good grind of black pepper.
Serves 4 as a starter.
Recipe: Crab Cakes
These make a delicious snack or canapé.
Serve with preserved lemon dressing (above) or lime
mayonnaise.
250g white crab meat
1 tbsp chopped dill
1 chilli, finely chopped
2 tbsp lemon juice
Few drops Tabasco sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
6 tbsp breadcrumbs
Mix all ingredients and season to taste.
Heat a little grapeseed oil in a frying pan and mould walnut
sized cakes, flatten in pan and cook for 2-3 minutes each side until
golden brown. You can
set aside and reheat to serve if necessary.
Makes 18.
Cooking Classes
Cooking classes are on hold until further notice.
Eating Etc: Kitchen Essentials
It's surprising how much more pleasurable cooking is with some key
tools in the kitchen. Having a lot of students, it's something
often asked - if you're going to invest in something, what should it
be? Keep this guide handy come Christmas time, and I think if
you add one or two key items a year then before you know it, these
quality essentials will be your best friends for years to come.
Magimix blender
- used in most professional kitchens, there is no substitute for the
original magimix. You don't need a variety of settings, on -
off - pulse are all you need. Great for any kind of blitzing
and blending with a large main bowl. Cost approx. £250
Braun multiquick
- this hand blender comes with an attachment that is great for
griding spices and nuts and the standard hand blender is perfect for
soups and can also be a good stand-by until you get a magimix.
Cost approx. £70
SKK pans
- having a good frying pan has got to be top of the list for me.
Made from hand cast aluminium, giving excellent heat distribution
and the titanium reinforced non-stick surface means healthier
cooking. Invest in one large deep frying pan for multi-purpose use.
Cost approx. £65
Global 20cm G2 Cook's Knife
- I've had this knife for ten years and it's still the best
multi-purpose knife in the kitchen. Cost approx. £50
Bengt ek Triple Timer
- if you have a few things on the go, then this is indispensible.
As well as great design, the functionality of this 120/60/20 minute
timer is second to none. Cost approx. £25
Microplane Graters
– coming in a variety of sizes, these leave the old box grater for
dead. I find the
smallest one the best, as it allows you to take the zest off citrus
fruit without any pith at all.
Cost approx. £20
Mandolin
– these can be very dangerous where fingertips are concerned but
make wonderfully thin slices of vegetables, perfect for fennel (see
recipe above) or making dauphinoise potatoes.
There are some fancy ones on the market, but most shops in
Chinatown sell the basic ones at a reasonable price.
Cost approx. £10
Mexican Citrus Squeezer
– a cast iron gadget that turns citrus fruit inside out, extracting
all the juice in one quick squeeze.
Cost approx. £7
Spice of the Month: Nigella
Firstly, there is no relation to Nigella Lawson and nigella seeds
(yes, it has been asked many times!)
Nigella, also commonly known as kolonji in India, is also
mistakenly called black onion seed, black cumin or black sesame.
Nigella is native to western Asia and southern Europe, and is
now grown widely in Egypt, the Middle East and India.
The seeds give off little aroma; however have a pleasantly
sharp, nutty flavour with a slight lingering metallic taste.
These attributes make it a popular addition to breads such as
naan, and in Turkey are almost always sprinkled on their light,
fluffy pide bread.
Nigella seed complements vegetable dishes, chutneys and pickles, and
is one of the five seed spices in panch phora.
In case you need any more persuasion to give it a try, take note of
an Arab proverb that says ‘nigella seed is a remedy for everything
except death’.
Recipe:
Baked Kumara with Nigella, Yoghurt and Lime
4 kumara (or sweet potato), skin on
2 tsp nigella seeds
½ long red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped
8 tbsp plain yoghurt
2 tbsp lime zest
2 tbsp feta, crumbled
Roast kumara for 45 minutes at 180C, then split lengthways, drizzle
with olive oil and return to oven for another 10 minutes.
If having a barbecue, place kumara cut side down on the
hotplate for 5 minutes instead.
Meanwhile, combine nigella seeds, chilli, coriander, yoghurt, lime
zest and feta and season to taste.
Gently mash the tops of the kumara with a fork then spoon
yoghurt mixture on top and serve.
Serves 8 as a side.
Have a wonderful May, and don't hesitate to
get
in touch if you have any queries, questions or comments.
Don't forget to look up my
recipe page if you need some
inspiration for what to cook tonight.
Happy Cooking!
|
|||||||
 |
||||||||
