Lemon ice-cream

I made this yesterday and we had most of it last night with fiona and j, together with an apple and orange cake that tara made for tea.  The rest of it - as you can see, not much! - we had with the poire belle helene.  I have my new ice-cream maker for xmas, but this recipe didn't even need it.  If you don't have an ice-cream maker, then this is the perfect ice-cream to make.

- Add the zest of 2 lemons to the juice of 3 lemons, and combine with 170g icing sugar.
- Leave to steep for 20-30 mins.
- Whip 420ml double cream with 3 tablespoons iced water, till soft peaks, then whisk into the lemon juice.
- Put into a container and freeze - no stirring, required.


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Poire belle helene

Not the greatest photo ever, but the light was difficult and my food styling needs some work.  In fact, i think with better food styling, this could have got me through to a quarter final place in Masterchef!  It's on every night at the moment, and some of the offerings at the quarter final stage are not that great.  this dessert tasted great and it shows some cooking ability which is what they look for - homemade ice-cream, poached pears, chocolate sauce and crystallised violets.  Problem is that no doubt all of the contestants could cook this with their eyes shut in the comfort of their own home, let alone with a recipe to follow!  any way, one can only dream...

- Peel, halve and core 4 pears, then pour over the juice of a lemon to stop them discolouring.
- Put 300ml water 100g caster sugar and a vanilla pod/essence in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins.
- Add the pears, cut side down, cover the pears in the syrup and simmer with a lid on, for a further 10 mins.
- Turn the pears over and simmer for a further 10 mins until the pears are soft, then allow to cool.
- To make the chocolate sauce, melt 200g dark chocolate in a pan, with 120ml coffee and 90g caster sugar.
- When melted, add 120ml double cream, and when hot, pour into a jug.
- Serve the pears with vanilla ice-cream, some syrup poured over, the chocolate sauce and crystallised violets.
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Garlic chicken

These chicken wings have been marinading as instructed, for a couple of days in the fridge, and i've just finally eaten them for lunch.  4 chicken wings, straight down, nothing with them - delicious, atkins diet lunch!  The wings themselves were a bit meagre, even though i bought free range ones.  I think this recipe would work even better with chicken thighs.

- Boil 1/2 head garlic, with the cloves unpeeled but separated. for 10 mins.
- Remove the skins and chop in a food processor.
- Add 100ml olive and process until you have a milky-white mixture.
- Add the juice of  1/2 lemon and pour over 4 chicken wings/thighs.
- Leave to marinade for 24-36 hours, then cook for 45 mins at 200C.


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Thai clam pot

Tara's parents, fiona and j came over for dinner last night after just getting back from Sri Lanka.  Another great clam dish with palourdes clams from my new favourite shop - the fishmongers in primrose hill.  It tasted good, but wasn't very thai.  I couldn't find thai basil at short notice, so used ordinary basil, which might have made some difference.  I think a bit of lemon grass and more chilli would make it taste more authentic.

- Soak 800g clams in cold water.
- Cook 125g dried thin noodles (i used ramen) in boiling water as per the instructions (normally around 3-4 mins) then drain, rinse and set aside.
- Heat 2 teaspoons groundnut oil in a pan until hot, then add 3 crushed cloves garlic, 2 spring onions (chopped into 3cm lengths) and 2 chopped dried chillis.
- Fry for 10 secs, then add 300ml water and 150ml sake and bring to the boil.
- Once boiling, add the clams, cover and simmer for 3-4 mins so that the clams are open.
- Add large handful thai basil or coriander, gently stir for 1 minute, then add 2 tablespoons fish sauce.
- Divide the noodles into 2 bowls and ladle in the clams and broth. Serves 2.

We ended up with a slight round the world wine tasting with it - started the evening off with an alsace riesling, then a new zealand sauvignon blanc, then a pinot noir from beaune, then a rioja, then a cahors, then a bottle of montbazillac.  slight hangover this morning!

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Crepes parmentier with smoked haddock

I made this a while ago, and it didn't quite live up to expectations.  The ingredient list makes it sound great, but it didn't quite work, probably down to my cooking.  It was probably because i cooked the smoked haddock as well as marinading it because it wasn't that fresh.

- Peel and dice 500g potatoes and steam them for 20-30 mins until tender.
- While the potatoes are cooking, marinade 500g smoked haddock in 3 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of 3 lemons and some salt, for about 5-10 mins.
- Put the potatoes into a bowl and add 4 teaspoons plain flour, mixing well, using an electric mixer.
- Now add 3 eggs, 4 egg whites, 50ml creme fraiche, and 50ml milk, and mix to a smooth batter, adding salt and pepper to taste.
- Heat a film of vegetable oil in small pan, and when its very hot, add a ladleful of batter.
- You should get around 8-9 pancakes, enough for 4 people.
- Serve the pancakes with the marinaded smoked haddock, some creme fraiche and chopped chives and coriander.

I am going to try this again at point with fresh smoked haddock and will report back.


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Pea and garlic crostini

Very simple to make, although it is a slight faff having to cook the garlic in the oven for 45 mins first.

- Chop off the top of a bulb of garlic, wrap it loosely in a square of foil, with 1 teaspoon olive oil, and cook for 45 mins at 200C.
- Cook 200g frozen petit pois in boiling water for slightly longer than normal, then drain.
- Put the peas in a food processor together with the garlic (peeled), 1 tablespoon butter and 2 tablespoons grated parmesan.
- Process until creamy and serve on toast, sprinkled with mint.

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Chicken liver crostini

Mmmmm - i haven't had chicken liver for years.  It is cheap and very tasty - i bought the most expensive chicken liver i could find - organic, free range from waitrose - and its still only a few pounds.  And what great flavour you get from a recipe like this.  Definitely one to make.

- Remove any gristle from 200g chicken livers and put them in a dish covered with milk for about 10 mins.
- Chop 1/2 stick celery, 1 clove garlic, 1 shallot or spring onion, and 1 tablespoon parsley in a processor.
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the vegetables and cook gently for about 5 mins.
- Drain and dry the chicken livers, chop them by hand, add to the pan and cook until pink.
- Add 1/2 tomato puree and cook for 1-2 mins, then add 4 tablespoons marsala or vermouth/sherry.
- Let this bubble away mostly, add salt and pepper, then turn down the heat and cook gently for a further 10 mins.
- Put the contents into the processor, add 1 teaspoon capers and 2 chopped anchovies, then quickly pulse together.
- Put back in the pan with 1 tablespoon butter and cook gently for another few mins.
- Let cool before serving as crostini sprinkled with parsley.
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Dried shitake mushrooms with soba noodles

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Roast cod with upmarket mushy peas

This was a brief and simple lunch that i had the other day.  The mushy peas were a great success while the roast cod was a little disappointing.  I found that the flour outside didn't really crisp up very well, and just became a bit hard and dry.  Maybe breadcrumbs would work better?

- Cook 1 head of garlic (separated but unpeeled) in a saucepan of boiling salted water for 10 mins.
- Take out the cloves, peel them, add them back to the water, and add 800g frozen petit pois.
- Cook until slightly more done than normal, drain them, then put in a food processor together with 100g butter.
- Once processed, add 4 tablespoons double cream and process again.
- For the cod, heat up 2 tablespoons olive oil in a pan that can also be put in the oven.
- Coat 4 cod fillets (about 200g each) in 1 tablespoon flour, adding salt and pepper.
- Sear the fillets on each side in the pan on the hob, then transfer to the oven and cook for 7-10 mins at 200C.


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Gnocchi with Parmesan

This turned out so badly that I didn't take a picture of it. I will put in the recipe but i'm sure what I did wrong and I tried making them differently 3 times, but to no avail. I think it's just a bad recipe!  In fact, i've changed my mind - it was so disappointing as the basis for my new year dinner for tara, that i'm not going to bother adding the recipe.

However, the white tiramisu below, more than made up for it.  We ended up just having tiramisu for dinner - which then called for a walk to the top of primrose hill to watch the fireworks.  Marni was brave with all the noise, but i couldn't say she exactly enjoyed it!

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White tiramisu

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Vegetable stew

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Coq au vin

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Linguine with clams

Amanda is over from Los Angeles for a week or so and came over for sunday lunch.  I had finally managed to find clams in the newly opened fishmonger on Gloucester Avenue in Primrose Hill (thanks to nicola for the local knowledge!).  I cooked this linguine with clams to start with, followed by the rhubarb jelly and ice-cream.  I actually bought 2 types of clam - razor clams which are currently in season, and palourde.  The picture above is of the razor clams that i cooked separately, and then forgot to take a picture of the linguine.  However, linguine alla vongole is one of my new favourite things, and Nigella's is a great recipe for it, so i'll no doubt be making again soon.  The following serves 1:

- Soak 200g clams in cold water for around 30 mins.
- Cook 150g linguine until its nearly, but not quite, cooked.
- Finely slice 1 clove garlic and gently fry in 2 tablespoons olive oil without letting the garlic burn.
- Add 1/2 dried chilli pepper, finely sliced.
- Drain the clams (discard any that remain open) and add them to the pan.
- Add 80ml white wine or vermouth and cover.
- Cook for 2-3 mins until the clams open, then add the linguine and cook for a further 1-2 mins.
- Discard any clams which haven't opened, and serve sprinkle with parsley.

I used fresh linguine, so i figured that i would just cook the linguine in the pan.  Problem is that the linguine then absorbed a lot of the moisture in the pan, and it turned out a bit too dry, despite me adding more vermouth and water.  Next time, i'll stick with fresh pasta, but plunge it into boiling water for 30 secs, before adding it to the clams.



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Rhubarb ice-cream

Wow - delicious!  Once again it proves the rule that anything tasty can be even tastier by just putting it in an ice-cream maker.  The mixture itself was good, and as ice-cream, even better.  We were going to have it with the rhubarb jelly below, but it took too long to set, so we just had it by itself.

As with most ice-creams, you just make a custard with eggs, sugar and cream, then add the fruit, and put in the magic ice-cream machine!

- Cook 1 kg rhubarb in a dish with 300g sugar, covered with foil, for 45-60mins at 190C.
- Drain, keeping the juice, and beat the fruit with a fork until smooth.
- Beat 2 egg yolks with 45g sugar.
- Heat 280ml single cream to just before boiling point, and add to the egg yolks.
- Put the mixture on a low heat and stir constantly, until it thickens to a custard.
- Plunge the whole pan into cold water, to cool it down, keeping stirring.
- When its cool, stir in the rhubarb pulp, then add 280ml double cream (lightly whipped).
- Add sugar to taste, one tablespoon at a time.
- Add vanilla before putting in the ice-cream maker.

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Rhubarb and muscat jelly

Tara took this picture, in one of our newly purchased, antique champagne glasses from chapel market in islington.  It tasted great with the muscat and the rhubarb working well together.

- Chop 1kg rhubarb into 2-3cm chunks and put in an oven dish.
- Sprinkle over 340g sugar, the zest and juice of an orange (blood if possible).
- Add 500ml water, cover with foil and bake for 1 hour at 190C.
- Strain into a jug, and add enough muscat to make it up to 900ml (using about 200ml).
- Lightly oil a 2 pint jelly mould in a flavourless oil, like groundnut.
- Soak 8 gelatine leaves in cold water until softened.
- Heat up 2 ladlefuls of the syrup in a saucepan, and before it boils, take off the heat and add the gelatine.
- Whisk these in, and when they've dissolved, add back into the rest of the syrup.
- Pour into the jelly mould and place in the fridge to set.

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Miso mustard dressing

I also made a watercress, rocket and baby spinach salad to have with the linguine and clams, and i made this dressing to use the other half of the blood orange from the rhubarb jelly.  Nigella doesn't say to use a blood orange, but it worked well for me.

- Mix together 1/2 teaspoon of miso, 1/2 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard, 1/4 teaspoon clear honey and the juice of 1/2 orange.

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Chestnut and pancetta salad

I had this as a simple lunch for 1 while tara was taking marni out to meet laura for brunch at kenwood house (rather surprisingly, they do a great brunch according to tara).  My local sainsburys in Camden only stocks packet pancetta, diced into small pieces, which had to do, but i imagine with decent pancetta, the salad would be transformed.  I though Nigella was a bit heavy on the chestnuts compared to the pancetta, so i've reduced the quantity.  She also says the chestnuts break up as you cook them, but the vacuum packed ones i used didn't, so i'd also recommend halving or quartering the chestnuts.

- Tear up 1 1/2 frissee or escarole (i hadn't heard of it either!) lettuces into a salad bowl.
- Fry 200g diced pancetta in 2 teaspoons olive oil for about 4 mins, until parts of it are crisp and golden.
- Add 200g quartered chestnuts and toss them in the pancetta fat.
- After 1-2 mins, remove with a slotted spoon and add to the lettuce.
- Mix 1 teaspoon dijon mustard with 1 teaspoon sherry vinegar, then add this to 2 tablespoons olive oil, and add any bacony fat left in the pan.
- Pour this over the salad and toss.

A great unusual salad and a reminder to use pancetta more often!

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Little gem salad

A slightly strange salad, that i'm not i'd do again.  I think it would be better without the potatoes, but there's lots of flavours in the dressing.

- Boil 200g new potatoes, and when cool, thickly slice.
- Pound 4 anchovies , then whisk together with 2 tablespoons milk, 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 6 tablespoons of creme fraiche, until smooth.
- Slowly add 8 tablespoons olive oil, still whisking, then stir in 1 finely chopped spring onion, 3 tablespoons chopped tarragon and 2 tablespoons chopped parsley.
- Season to taste and then add to 4-6 little gem lettuces in a bowl, combining with the potatoes.
- Put on a large plate, add 18 cornichons and sprinkle over 2 tablespoons parsley.

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Passion fruit fool

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Fish and porcini pie

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Almond and Orange Blossom Cake

It was Marni's 5 month birthday and it was fern's birthday week, so of course, a birthday cake!  And as you can see, i also put my new icing kit to the test, bought for me by fern for xmas - it's trickier than it should be - maybe i made the icing too thick.  It and the cake tasted great though.

- Grease a 21cm cake tin and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.
- Cream together 225g soft butter and 225g sugar.
- Beat 4 eggs and gradually add them to the creamed butter, beating continuously, and adding 50g plain flour as you go.
- When the eggs and flour are incorporated, stir in 180g ground almonds, then add 1 teaspoon almond essence, zest of an orange, the juice of 1/2 an orange and 2 tablespoons orange-flower water.
- Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 1 hour at 180C, covering with foil after 40 mins if it looks like burning.

Happy birthday fern and marni!
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