Russ's Restaurant and Recipe Repository

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Madras Vegetable Curry

Ingredients:
1 large onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed and chopped
1 piece of fresh ginger, about the size of the end of your thumb, peeled and grated or finely chopped (or you can use 1 heaped teaspoon powdered ginger)
1 heaped teaspoon powdered Turmeric
3 tablespoons sunflower or groundnut (peanut) oil
1 large can peeled chopped plum tomatoes, or 1 heaped dessert spoon tomato puree
1 can coconut milk (optional; adds richness if that is desired, or you can use single cream)
1 ½ heaped tbsp hot Madras curry powder (or use 2 Tbsp Garam Masala recipe below and 1 tsp chilli powder)
Salt to taste, approx ¼ level dessert spoon per pound of vegetable
Cold water as required
1 heaped teaspoon cane or palm sugar
Juice of ½ lemon (or 1 tablespoon sweet cider vinegar, or a good splash of pineapple juice and omit the sugar)
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 Aubergine (Eggplant) cubed
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1 large handful of Okra (if desired) washed and cut in half
1 large double handful uncooked cauliflower florets (if desired)
1 large handful green beens, de-stringed and chopped into 1-inch lengths
1 large green pepper, cored and chopped into large chunks
1 cup of dried peas
I cup Borlotti beans or a large handful of butterbeans
3 Fresh green chillies (optional) or ½ tsp hot chilli powder

Method:

Fry the onion until transparent, add the turmeric, ginger and garlic and continue to fry until the onion is soft and translucent, add the curry powder and the sugar & salt, and fry for a further 3-4 minutes.

Add the can of tomatoes or mix the tomato puree with some water to thin it down, add to the pan stirring continuously to prevent sticking. At this point the onions will be starting to break down to form the curry gravy, so add 1/4 pint cold water to the pan, bring it back to the boil, and let it boil for a while, stirring all the time, to reduce down to a thick stirring consistency, then add the coconut milk or single cream (if desired; South Indians often use Coconut milk, cream or yoghurt, but it’s not essential, so take your pick), drop in the vegetables, and cover over a medium heat to let them cook down. This should be for approximately 30 mins.

If it gets too dry, top up with ¼ pt COLD water, this will back-off the cooking process Potatoes can be substituted for carrots, cut the potatoes into quarters and put in once the vegetables are almost cooked, drop in the cauliflower when the potato is almost cooked through, they will only take a couple of minutes to cook. The curry will be finished when the potatoes are cooked through.

All the above are guidelines only, play with the quantities and tastes to get to your own personal preference, experiment with side dishes, hotness, sweetness etc, in other words, there is no definitive curry sauce, just curries made the way you prefer them. Try varying the taste with bay leaves, or try using fresh galangal (Thai ginger) instead of ordinary fresh ginger, it has a sharper, fresher, more gingery taste. Try using kaffir lime leaves and lemon grass, these add a fresh, lemony taste without overpowering everything else, and if you want a taste that’s really special, try using Thai fish sauce instead of salt, you only need to use a couple of spoonfuls because it's VERY salty, but it can change the tenor of a curry completely.

Garam Masala:
2 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp cumin seed
2 tsp black peppercorn
2 tsp ground cinnamon or ½ cinnamon stick
1 tsp cardamom seeds (seeds from about 20 pods)
1 tsp fennel seed
½ tsp whole cloves
4 dried bay leaves

Toast the whole spices in a small pan until they are aromatic and have turned a shade or two darker. Don’t be tempted to skip this stage, as it really enhances the flavours.

Tip into a spice grinder (or use a pestle and mortar), then add the ready-ground spices and dried herbs if required, and mill to a fine powder.

Store in a sealed jar for up to six months

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Sticky Toffee Pudding With Butterscotch Sauce

Classic Sticky-Toffee Pudding

Ingredients for the sticky toffee pudding:
50g/1¾oz butter, plus extra for greasing
150g/5½oz soft dark brown sugar
1 tbsp golden syrup
2 tbsp black treacle
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 free-range eggs
175g/6oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
175g/6oz pitted dried dates
1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda

Ingredients for the toffee sauce:
100g unsalted butter
200g light muscovado sugar
150ml double cream

Ingredients for the butterscotch pouring sauce:(optional; Vanilla Ice-cream or simple creme Anglaise custard works too)
100g/3½oz butter
100g/3½oz soft brown sugar
100g/3½oz golden syrup
½ lemon, juice only
150ml/5fl oz double cream

Method:
For the sticky toffee pudding:

Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5. Grease a 20cm/8in square cake pan with butter and dust with flour.

Blend the butter and sugar together in a freestanding mixer with a whisk attachment or using a hand-held electric whisk, and whisk until smooth.

Gradually add the golden syrup, treacle (molasses, but NOT Blackstrap molasses, it’s too harsh), vanilla and eggs and mix thoroughly. Turn the mixer down to a slow speed and add the flour. Once all the ingredients are combined, turn off the mixer.

Place the dates and 300ml/10fl oz water in a saucepan and bring to the boil.

Allow to cool slightly, then use a blender to roughly pulse-process the date mixture; don’t purée into a smooth sludge, you want the texture of the dates. Add the bicarbonate of soda. Quickly stir this into the batter while it is still warm. Don’t be tempted to add nuts, dried apricots, cherries, or sultanas, they alter the flavor and texture quite significantly.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is firm to the touch. Leave the pudding to cool in the pan. As it’s a sponge, it will rise in the middle, but you don’t want this, it will stand proud when you pour over the sticky toffee topping, and scorch under the grill when you bubble the toffee topping, so with a very sharp paring knife carefully level the top of the pudding, slicing away the rounded center to leave the top of the sponge flat.

While the pudding is in the oven, make the toffee topping:
Melt the butter in a small pan, then add the sugar and cream and cook over a low heat, stirring every now and then, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sauce is smooth, increase the heat and let it bubble for a couple of minutes. Remove and prepare the pudding as above, pour the toffee over the top, and place under a hot grill until the toffee bubbles and fizzles. Remove, let cool down to a comfortable warmth, slice, and serve with the warmed butterscotch sauce (see below)

For the butterscotch sauce:
In a small saucepan heat the butter, brown sugar and golden syrup until combined and the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a gentle simmer, then remove from the heat and add the lemon juice to taste. Stir in the double cream. Serve on the side as a pouring sauce.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Sorbet for grown-ups

Not working today, and I'm In the cooking mood, I think it's time for sorbet. My neighbour gave me some mangoes and a couple pineappples someone gave her. Her husband's allergic to both, so she passed them on to me, so I decided to make a tropical fruit sorbet with the addition of some of the really delicious Bergamots we have growing pretty much everywhere around here. I'm using Bergamots to knock back the natural fruit sweetness of the pina and mango. People say Bergamots are not edible, maybe that's true of the ones they buy, but the Bergamot is actually a sweet lemon, and the ones around here are sweet and tart, with that fresh, slight Seville Orange bitterness that gives a lovely 'zing' to the lemony-orangey fruitiness, and is a perfect counterpoint to sometimes overly sweet fruit like pineapple.

Some people use grapefruit, the stores here are full of pineapple and grapefruit pop, mainly to satisfy the tourists who recognize brands like 'Lilt', 'San Pellegino', and 'Levi Roots' and they work well, but I find grapefruit dull and bitter, rather than fruity and citrussy, so I avoid using them; to me they add nothing except an objectionably bitter aftertaste.

Pineapple, Mango and Bergamot Sorbet

Ingredients:
2 large, ripe mangoes
I medium pineapple, peeled and sliced, with the hard, woody central core cut out (crush this, it's full of juice and flavor, just make sure you discard it, it doesn't blend well)
12 oz caster (confectioners) sugar (not powdered sugar)
2 Fresh Bergamot (or 1 large lemon and 1 medium orange) peeled and segmented, make sure to do this over a bowl to catch the juice
1 1/4 cups(10 floz/300ml) water

Method:
1. Peel the mangoes with a vegetable peeler, cut as much of the flesh away from the stone as you can, put it in a food processor or blender. Roughly chop the pineapple and place in the blender, along with all the juice you can scavenge. Add the sugar, Bergamot segments and juice (or orange and lemon, plus all the juice from both) and all the water.

2. Blend for a few minutes, until the mixture is very smooth and the sugar has dissolved – rub a little of the mixture between your fingers, if it still feels gritty, blend for a little longer. Pour into a container and put in the freezer for a few hours.

3. Scrape the sorbet back into the blender (if it’s very solid, leave at room temperature for 5-10 mins first).

4. Whizz until you have a slushy mixture, then pour back into the container and freeze for another hour or so.

5. Repeat step 3. Freeze until solid (another hour or two).

I like to serve this sorbet either layered with chopped pineapple in a parfait glass with a sprig of fresh mint and a Pimms on the side, or packed into the bottom of a large cocktail glass and frozen hard, then served with Bacardi or Akvavit poured over, with a lychee, longan, or rambutan on a cocktail stick rather than an olive or cocktail onion to give a nice sweet little chewy extra.

 

[Rustyoznail]

Lori's been trawling through the family recipe books looking for interesting ideas, but here's a lady that's taken that to a new level. She's spent 50 years compiling a list of old recipes and cookbooks.

https://thesifter.org/

Have a browse. You never know what you may find.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

We've been eating-out the last few days, it's really been too hot to even think about standing in a kitchen, or even doing anything other than laying in front of the A/C vent, but we're feeling the need for some real food tonight, so I made duck breasts braised in red wine, and neck of lamb stewed in red wine, beef stock, and shallot gravy, with caramelized baby onions and Brussels sprouts drizzled with olive oil and baked with chestnuts, garlic, and sweet-cured bacon, all things that went straight in the oven so I don't have to stand around in a hot kitchen.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Brown-Butter Blondies with Whipped Cream

Brown Butter Blondies

INGREDIENTS:

Brown butter mixture:
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 large egg
¾ cup (packed) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup all-purpose flour

Blondie:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more
2¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more
1½ cups pecans, coarsely chopped
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
1¾ cups (packed) light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Vanilla ice cream (for serving)

RECIPE PREPARATION
Brown butter mixture:
Cook the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring often, until the butter foams, then browns, 5–8 minutes, no more. Transfer the brown butter to a medium bowl, and let cool slightly. Add the egg, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt and beat until the mixture is light and falls back onto itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon, about 3 minutes. When this is obvious, fold in the flour.

Blondie:
Preheat the oven to 350°. The oven must be at this heat when baking starts, don’t make the mistake of putting the Blondie in the oven and trusting it all to cook through as the oven heats up.

Butter a 13x9” baking dish and dust with flour. Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet, tossing once, until slightly darkened and fragrant, 8–10 minutes, not dark brown and scorched-smelling. Let them cool.

Whisk the baking powder, salt, and 2¼ cups flour in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat the brown sugar and 1 cup butter in a large bowl until the batter is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Add the eggs one at a time, beating between additions, and mix until the batter is pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and keep whisking.

Reduce speed to low and mix in the dry ingredients.

Fold in half of the pecans. Scrape two-thirds of the batter into prepared, buttered baking dish and smooth the top, pushing the batter to the edges. Alternating, dollop the brown butter mixture and remaining Blondie batter on top, smooth it over, and sprinkle the remaining pecans over.

Bake until the blondie is golden brown and firm (a tester will not come out clean), 30–35 minutes. Let it cool before slicing. Serve with Maple-Bourbon or Black Cherry ice cream, or with double cream blended with mascarpone cheese, icing sugar, and a dash of Cherry Brandy, Cointreau, or Kentucky Honey whiskey and whipped to the stiff-peak stage.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Something gooey and decadent for the end of Summer

Alabama Chocolate-Walnut Fudge Cake

Ingredients:
300g walnut halves
60g equal halves milk & dark chocolate (65% cocoa min.), broken into small pieces
120g unsalted butter (1 stick)
3 large eggs
100g sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or orange liqueur (Cointreau, Curacao etc)

Fudge Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
180ml whipping cream
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 325F.

Butter a 9 inch round spring-form cake pan. Line the pan with a circle of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan and lightly butter the paper. Set aside.

Place the walnuts dry in a sauté pan and over low heat stir them until they smell fragrant. Do not let them burn. Cool and transfer 200g of the nuts to a food processor and process them until coarsely ground. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a simmering saucepan; don’t let the water touch the bowl. When completely melted and smooth, stir in the butter and mix until smooth and well blended. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and 100g sugar in a medium size bowl with a hand held mixer until the mixture thickens. Stir in the salt, orange zest, and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla or orange liquor. Stir in the ground walnuts, then stir in the chocolate-butter mix and pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not over-bake the cake; this is a fudge-cake, it should remain moist and a bit wet in the center. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes.

Run a butter knife along the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then slowly and gently release the spring-form clip (DON’T JUST POP IT, the cake will shock, fracture and split) and invert the pan onto a cooling rack. Remove and discard the parchment paper. Invert the cake and place it on a cake plate.

Sauce:
Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute making sure that the paste is smooth and well blended. Slowly pour in the cream and stir in the remaining sugar and salt. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sauce is smooth and has thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the remaining walnuts and 1 teaspoon of vanilla or orange liqueur.

To serve, cut the cake into wedges and pour some of the sauce over the top. Snap dark chocolate squares into triangles and push a triangle point-first into the top of each cake slice.

This is a rich, gooey, decadent dessert, treat it as such; serve with a glass of rich red wine, and a swirl of stiff whipped cream and a scatter of fresh, chilled, pitted black cherries will set it off nicely.

 

[Emmeline]

Alabama Chocolate-Walnut Fudge Cake

Ingredients:
300g walnut halves
60g equal halves milk & dark chocolate (65% cocoa min.), broken into small pieces
120g unsalted butter (1 stick)
3 large eggs
100g sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or orange liqueur (Cointreau, Curacao etc)

Fudge Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
180ml whipping cream
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 325F.

Butter a 9 inch round spring-form cake pan. Line the pan with a circle of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan and lightly butter the paper. Set aside.

Place the walnuts dry in a sauté pan and over low heat stir them until they smell fragrant. Do not let them burn. Cool and transfer 200g of the nuts to a food processor and process them until coarsely ground. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a simmering saucepan; don’t let the water touch the bowl. When completely melted and smooth, stir in the butter and mix until smooth and well blended. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and 100g sugar in a medium size bowl with a hand held mixer until the mixture thickens. Stir in the salt, orange zest, and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla or orange liquor. Stir in the ground walnuts, then stir in the chocolate-butter mix and pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not over-bake the cake; this is a fudge-cake, it should remain moist and a bit wet in the center. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes.

Run a butter knife along the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then slowly and gently release the spring-form clip (DON’T JUST POP IT, the cake will shock, fracture and split) and invert the pan onto a cooling rack. Remove and discard the parchment paper. Invert the cake and place it on a cake plate.

Sauce:
Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute making sure that the paste is smooth and well blended. Slowly pour in the cream and stir in the remaining sugar and salt. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sauce is smooth and has thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the remaining walnuts and 1 teaspoon of vanilla or orange liqueur.

To serve, cut the cake into wedges and pour some of the sauce over the top. Snap dark chocolate squares into triangles and push a triangle point-first into the top of each cake slice.

This is a rich, gooey, decadent dessert, treat it as such; serve with a glass of rich red wine, and a swirl of stiff whipped cream and a scatter of fresh, chilled, pitted black cherries will set it off nicely.

Lori, that sounds divine!

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Lori, that sounds divine!

Believe me, it's worth the effort, Will has to hold me back otherwise it's all over my face, my clothes, the walls, ceiling, and all four dogs; think the velociraptor feeding frenzy in 'Jurassic Park'...

 

[Emmeline]

Believe me, it's worth the effort, Will has to hold me back otherwise it's all over my face, my clothes, the walls, ceiling, and all four dogs; think the velociraptor feeding frenzy in 'Jurassic Park'...

Hehe, I can totally relate!

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Hehe, I can totally relate!

Because...chocolate, food of the gods and source of all blessings. mmmm, choocolaaate....

 

[SimonDoom]

Alabama Chocolate-Walnut Fudge Cake

Ingredients:
300g walnut halves
60g equal halves milk & dark chocolate (65% cocoa min.), broken into small pieces
120g unsalted butter (1 stick)
3 large eggs
100g sugar
Zest of 1 large orange
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or orange liqueur (Cointreau, Curacao etc)

Fudge Sauce:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
180ml whipping cream
Pinch salt
3 tablespoons sugar

Method:
Preheat oven to 325F.

Butter a 9 inch round spring-form cake pan. Line the pan with a circle of parchment to fit the bottom of the pan and lightly butter the paper. Set aside.

Place the walnuts dry in a sauté pan and over low heat stir them until they smell fragrant. Do not let them burn. Cool and transfer 200g of the nuts to a food processor and process them until coarsely ground. Set aside.

Melt the butter in a bowl in the microwave or in a small saucepan. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over a simmering saucepan; don’t let the water touch the bowl. When completely melted and smooth, stir in the butter and mix until smooth and well blended. Set aside.

Beat the eggs and 100g sugar in a medium size bowl with a hand held mixer until the mixture thickens. Stir in the salt, orange zest, and 1 tablespoon of the vanilla or orange liquor. Stir in the ground walnuts, then stir in the chocolate-butter mix and pour the mixture into the prepared pan.

Bake for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Do not over-bake the cake; this is a fudge-cake, it should remain moist and a bit wet in the center. Cool the cake in the pan for 30 minutes.

Run a butter knife along the inside edge of the pan to loosen the cake, then slowly and gently release the spring-form clip (DON’T JUST POP IT, the cake will shock, fracture and split) and invert the pan onto a cooling rack. Remove and discard the parchment paper. Invert the cake and place it on a cake plate.

Sauce:
Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for 1 minute making sure that the paste is smooth and well blended. Slowly pour in the cream and stir in the remaining sugar and salt. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sauce is smooth and has thickened. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in the remaining walnuts and 1 teaspoon of vanilla or orange liqueur.

To serve, cut the cake into wedges and pour some of the sauce over the top. Snap dark chocolate squares into triangles and push a triangle point-first into the top of each cake slice.

This is a rich, gooey, decadent dessert, treat it as such; serve with a glass of rich red wine, and a swirl of stiff whipped cream and a scatter of fresh, chilled, pitted black cherries will set it off nicely.

This sounds excellent. I love chocolate, especially if it's served in ways I haven't had before.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Something for a warm, late-Summer evening

Peach Melba (Serves 4-8)

Ingredients:
4 fresh peaches
550 ml dessert wine or white wine
550 ml water
225g granulated sugar
1/2 vanilla pod, split in 1/2 and seeds scraped
450g fresh raspberries, picked over
1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Good quality dairy or Vanilla Ice cream
Whole fresh raspberries, for garnish
Mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions:
Score the bottom of each peach with a paring knife, making an X on the bottom of each.

Combine the wine, water, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds and pod in a saucepan.

Add the peaches and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

Remove the peaches from the syrup and cool slightly.

Return the peach cooking liquid to high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the mixture by half, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Peel and halve each peach, removing the stone. Pour 1/2 cup of the reserved liquid, which will be a light syrup bynow, over the peaches and refrigerate until well chilled.

Combine the raspberries, 1/2 cup of the syrup, confectioners' sugar and lemon juice in a food processor and process until well pureed.

Strain the raspberry mixture through a fine mesh sieve (not a cloth). Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To serve, place 1 scoop of vanilla ice cream in each bowl. Top each serving with 1 peach half and drizzle the raspberry coulis over the peach.

Garnish with fresh mint sprigs and serve immediately.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

A Classic French apple dessert eaten warm with white wine and a sweet cheese, or chilled with whipped cream and scattered redcurrants

Tarte Tatin

Ingredients:
10 tbsp melted butter, at room temperature
10 tbsp softened (not liquefied) butter
50g Confectioner’s sugar (for the pastry)
220g plain flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
1 large egg, beaten
200g granulated Confectioner’s sugar
4 tsp Calvados
6 Granny Smith or similar tart, firm, sweet apples, peeled, cored and quartered
12 in (30cm) ovenproof pan or flameproof shallow round dish

Method:

Pastry:
Cream together the softened butter and 50g Confectioner’s sugar until light and creamy. Gradually mix in the flour. Stir in the beaten egg, remove beating whisks and fit dough-hooks to the mixer, and mix just until the dough comes together. Turn the mixture on to a lightly floured surface and knead a few times until smooth and fine-grained. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least one hour, preferably up to 24 hours.

Topping:
Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
Heat the melted butter in a 12in (30cm) ovenproof frying pan or flameproof shallow round baking dish over medium heat. Stir in 200g sugar. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbling and light golden-brown, but don’t let it catch or start to burn. Remove from the heat.

Arrange the apples, rounded sides down, tightly packed together, in the pan on top of the golden topping. The pan will be full. Sprinkle the Calvados over the apples.

Roll out the pastry into a round just large enough to fit over the top of the apples.
Arrange the pastry on top of the fruit and tuck the edges into the pan, don't just trim it off over the edge of the pan like you would with a pie.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the pastry is lightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes. Heat the pan briefly over medium heat, shaking it gently to be sure that the apples aren't sticking to the pan.

Hold a round platter over the pan. Using pot holders, holding the pan and platter together, invert them to unmold the tartin.

Serve warm, with chilled white wine and sharp, sweet cheese, or thoroughly chilled with whipped cream sweetened with a little powdered sugar and a few drops of Calvados and a scatter of redcurrants

Variation:

Tarte aux Poires

Substitute 6–8 small ripe pears, such as Williams, Comice or Conference, for the apples. Smaller pears just coming into ripeness give the best results, and substitute eau de vie (Pear brandy) for the Calvados to enhance the pear flavour. Serve Tarte au Poire with Red or chilled Rosé with piped rosettes of cream whipped with powdered sugar and Eau de Vie and garnished with sprigs of mint.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Red Onion Marmalade

Ingredients:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1kg red onions (approx. 6), peeled, halved and finely sliced (not chopped!)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
150ml red wine (cheap red plonk is fine, it's only there for colour and to add background sharpness)
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 tbsp light soft brown sugar

Method:
Heat the oil in a preserving pan or a large heavy, stainless steel saucepan. Add the onions, a pinch of salt and some pepper. Cook over low to medium heat for about 30 minutes until the onions soften and turn translucent, stirring occasionally so they don’t catch and burn. Slow cooking is essential at this point as this is where the delicious caramel taste is developed.

Raise the heat a little, add the wine and vinegars and stir to combine. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat, stir in the sugar and cook on low heat, stirring occasionally, for another 30–40 minutes until most of the liquid has evaporated.

Remove the pan from the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, although the flavours will mature with time. Spoon into warm sterilised jars with non-metallic or vinegar-proof lids, making sure there are no air gaps. Cover with waxed paper discs, seal and label.

Store in a cool, dark place for at least 1 month to allow the flavours to develop fully, or eat next day with crusty dark bread and mature or goat's cheese, or as a relish on burgers, as an accompaniment to Quiche Lorraine, or with goat's cheese tarts.

Keeps for 3 months. Refrigerate after opening.

Red onion and Chilli relish

Ingredients:
2 tbsp sunflower oil
2 medium red onions, finely sliced, not chopped
2 small red chillies, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
75g/2½oz light brown muscovado sugar
5 tbsp white wine vinegar
5 tbsp red wine (any cheap will do, it’s just to add background flavor)

Method:

Heat the oil in a large non-stick saucepan and fry the onions for 20 minutes, or until very soft and just beginning to colour. Add the chilli and garlic to the pan and cook for a further five minutes, stirring regularly.

Sprinkle with the sugar and pour over the vinegar and red wine. Bring to a simmer and cook for five further minutes, or until the liquid is well reduced and the relish becomes thick and glossy.

Remove from the heat, set aside to cool for a few minutes then tip into a serving dish.

Perfect as a relish for spicy polish hotdogs, on burgers for that 'Tex-Mex' flavor, or on a baked potato with melted Monterey Jack or pimento cheese

 

[stickygirl]

How have I never seen this thread before?!
Subscribed

Has anyone done Fish Risotto yet?

 

[NotWise]

How have I never seen this thread before?!
Subscribed

Has anyone done Fish Risotto yet?

Not that I recall. Even if they did, would two recipes be a problem?

 

[Rustyoznail]

How have I never seen this thread before?!
Subscribed

Has anyone done Fish Risotto yet?

No risotto of any sort from memory. Go for it, Stickygirl, and welcome.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

No risotto of any sort from memory. Go for it, Stickygirl, and welcome.

I have a Marseille seafood risotto recipe with prawns or langoustines, crab, sea bass and squid, any takers?

 

[NotWise]

I have a Marseille seafood risotto recipe with prawns or langoustines, crab, sea bass and squid, any takers?

Can't usually get squid here, and sea bass is rare, but it sounds great. Like I said, why should we have just one recipe?

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Marseille Seafood Risotto

Ingredients:
10 g salted butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion diced
2 cloves of garlic grated or minced
300 grams Arborio rice
500 ml (2¼ cups) shell stock (use either commercial fish stock, or make your own by boiling fish scraps and prawn shells in a medium pan with a chopped onion, stick of celery, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 clove, 1 chopped carrot, juice of half a lemon, and a generous pinch of oregano, boil until the veg is softened through, then strain through a sieve or chinois and set aside)
200g prawns or langoustines (or use crawfish tails chopped lengthwise)
200g cooked crab meat
4 Sea Bass pieces, or any firm white fish (Cod, hake, Coley, Basa etc.)
2 medium squid, beaks and skeletons removed, gristle ring removed and discarded, rubbed with salt, and chopped into bite sized pieces. (Tentacles can be chopped in half or left whole, your preference)
½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp lemon juice
Zest of an unwaxed lemon

Instructions:

In a heavy-bottomed cast iron pan, heat butter with olive oil (melt the butter in the pan then add the oil so the butter doesn’t burn)

Add diced onion and cook until onions are translucent. Add garlic and keep stirring, be careful, garlic cooks very quickly.

Add the Arborio rice, and warm stock. Keep adding the stock gradually and let it reduce until you achieve a creamy texture.

Add cooked crab and more stock, let it reduce again.

Lightly season and fry the fish skin side down with the chopped squid in 2 tbsp olive oil, turn once to cook both side, when slightly crispy remove from the pan and reserve.

Add prawns, lemon zest and lemon juice and a little bit of stock. Let it reduce.

Add parmesan cheese, and a piece of butter and stir them in.

Serve the risotto topped with sea bass (or whatever alternative you chose) and squid pieces.

Edit: If you can't get whole fresh squid, use frozen unbreaded, un-battered calamari, and any skin-on firm white fish.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Cajun Smothered Sausage With Rice & Gravy

Cajun Smothered Sausage with Rice & Gravy

Ingredients:
Fresh Half & Half Beef & Pork sausage links (or just pork, but always fresh, not smoked) 2 for every diner
Sunflower or Canola oil (just enough to cover the bottom of your pan)
1 large onion, diced
1 medium bell pepper, diced
½ cayenne pepper, diced, or ½ tsp Crystal-Brand Louisiana Hot Sauce (optional if heat is required, otherwise omit)
1 clove of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon brown sugar or ½ tsp Maple syrup
Juice from ¼ fresh lemon
Water

Directions:
Brown the sausages in a heavy cast iron pot.

Heat just enough cooking oil to cover the bottom of the pot. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the whole sausage links (use tongs) and brown each piece thoroughly, turning continuously every 30 seconds or so to brown the links all over. Don’t try to rush this part.

It’s important to brown the sausage links thoroughly – almost to the point of burning them – so that you generate a lot of gradoux (the sediment that sticks to the bottom of the pot) which is essential for making a good Cajun gravy.

Once all the links are browned, add chopped onion and peppers. Sauté them for about 10 minutes or until the onions are translucent and beginning to caramelize.

Add the garlic and continue to gently sauté the vegetables for another 30 seconds or so.

Add water to de-glaze the pot – not enough to completely cover the sausage, remove the sausages and use a wooden spoon or spatula to gently scrape away and mix in all the gradoux sediment on the base of the pot and let it dissolve in the water as much as possible; a small balloon whisk works quite well here in breaking up and mixing-in the tasty, meaty gradoux so important to the flavor of your eventual gravy.

Reduce the heat to simmer, add the sweetener, lemon juice, and hot sauce and put the sausages back in, put a lid on the pot and let the sausage simmer gently, occasionally stirring, for about 40 minutes. Add water occasionally, as needed, to keep the meat from sticking and to make sure you end up with enough liquid to make a proper gravy.

Note: After it has been simmering a few minutes, taste it and add salt and pepper if needed. Most Cajun sausages are already seasoned enough that you don’t need to add anything, but if using butcher sausages or Andouille sausage then some seasoning may be needed; taste it and adjust to suit your preference.

Depending on how thick you like your gravy, you might want to mix 1 heaped teaspoon cornstarch to a runny consistency with a little cold water and add it to the pot at the very end of cooking. If so, be sure to bring the dish back up to a low boil so that the gravy will thicken. Similarly, if you think your gravy isn’t dark or ‘meaty’ enough, crumble in a beef bouillon cube and stir to incorporate it.

Serve the sausage links sliced diagonally over cooked white rice (or Dirty Rice) with butterbeans and corn Maque Choux

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Cajun Dirty Rice

Cajun Dirty Rice

Ingredients:
1 (14-ounce, 400ml) can clear chicken broth (NOT creamed)
1 bay leaf
1 ½ cups (290g) long-grain rice
1 tablespoon bacon fat or Vegetable oil
½ pound (225g) ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 celery rib, chopped
½ green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
½ cup 90g) finely chopped chicken livers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning (see below)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme

Instructions:
Set aside1/2 cup (120ml) of the chicken broth and pour remaining chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 (350ml) cups water and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Add rice, cover and cook 20 minutes.
Heat the bacon fat or oil in a cast iron Dutch oven or deep casserole dish (Le Creuset or similar).
Add ground beef and crumble it with a wooden spoon.

Once you have the ground beef crumbled, add onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are softened. Add chicken livers and garlic and continue to cook 5 minutes.
Add salt, Cajun seasoning, and thyme.
Add reserved chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the brown pieces (‘gradoux’). Let simmer 1 minute.
Remove bay leaf from rice and add rice to pot. Stir it into the ground beef mixture. Keep the heat on while you stir. Once it is combined well, remove from heat.

Cajun Seasoning Spice mix:
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Garlic powder
2 tsp Cayenne Pepper
3 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 tsp Onion Powder
1 large tsp Dried Oregano
1 large tsp dried Thyme
1level tsp chilli powder
2 large tsp soft brown sugar

Mill the ingredients to a fine texture in a spice or coffee grinder or similar, and store in a tightly sealed container out of the light and away from any radiant heat source.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Louisiana Corn Maque Choux

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 3 medium ears of corn)
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon (or more) hot pepper sauce
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Coarse kosher salt

Method:
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add and sauté the onions for about 5 minutes, until translucent.

Add the bell pepper and sauté until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.

Add the corn and sauté 2 minutes, then add the cream, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce.

Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes, and then mix in the green onion, parsley, and basil, and season to taste with coarse salt, pepper, and more hot pepper sauce, if desired.

 

[Lori_the_Hoosier]

Chocolate and Whisky Charlotte Truffle Cake

Chocolate and Whisky Charlotte with a Truffle Topping

Ingredients:

Sponge:
200g caster sugar
5 whole eggs
200g plain flour
100g clarified butter

Coffee syrup:
2 shots of espresso (or 2 heaped teaspoons of Nescafe full roast coffe powderor similar diluted with a little water)
100cl of water
2 shots of whisky
50g of caster sugar

Chocolate Truffle Mix:
450g (16oz) of dark chocolate, broken in pieces
1 shot of whisky
1 shot of espresso
600ml of double cream
Whipped cream
Seasonal berries to decorate (frozen berries are fine)

Method:
Line a high-sided cake dish or spring-form cake tin with cling-film, pushed all the way into the sides and corners and hanging over the sides to give you something to hold when you un-mold the Charlotte.

To make the sponge:
Whisk the sugar and the eggs together. Fold in the flour then the butter. Spread the mixture over a baking sheet covered with parchment paper which has been buttered and dusted with flour. Bake at 160c for about 8 to 10 minutes until the sponge is cooked. It must not be dry. It should be kept fluffy.
Once cooked, leave to cool. When cooled, cut the sponge to the shape of your cake dish. You will need a round base and strips of sponge to go around the inside of the cake dish. Put the sponge pieces into the cake dish and press them all around the inside of the dish and leave the center hollow.

[/b]To make the coffee syrup:[/b]
Mix all the ingredients together and heat together until sugar is melted. Then soak the sponge with the coffee syrup (whilst in the cake dish).

To make the chocolate truffle mix:
Melt the chocolate with the whisky and a shot of espresso (without stirring) over a bain-marie or in a glass bowl over a pan of boiling water. Once melted, remove from the bain-marie. Mix together, add half of the cream, whisk the rest of the cream separately to ribbon stage and then fold into the chocolate mixture. Fold together until the mixture becomes slightly firm. Pour into the cake dish over the coffee-soaked sponge and leave to cool then set in the fridge.

To Serve:
Unmold the truffle cake by carefully and evenly pulling the Clingfilm out of the mold, cut a portion, plate and serve with a quenelle of whipped vanilla cream and seasonal berries. (Make the quenelles[/b] using a large spoonful of mixed fruit and cream moulded between two large spoons into a sleek football shape).