Sunday, December 7, 2008

Prawn Stir Fry with Lemon Grass

Ingredients
1/2 Cucumber (cut into thin strips)
2 Teaspoons Cornflour
2 tablespoons Water
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce (dark)
1/2 Teaspoon Fish Sauce
6 Spring Onions (halved lengthways and cut into 5cm chunks)
1 Stalk Lemon Grass (sliced thinly)
1 Clove Garlic (chopped)
1 Red Chilli (thinly chopped)
125g Oyster Mushrooms (any will do but oyster give a good look and texture)
1inch Fresh Ginger (grated)
350g Frozen Prawns (defrosted)
2 Tablespoons Sherry

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Wok
1 Spatula
1 Small Mixing Bowl

The Good Bit
  1. Mix the cornflour, water, soy and fish sauce until you have a nice paste then set aside., meanwhile with a splash of oil in your wok, add in the spring onion, cucumber, lemon grass, chilli, mushroom and ginger and fry for 2 minutes.
  2. Then add in the prawns and stir fry until the prawns are warmed through (1-2 minutes) now pour in the sauce mixture along with the sherry and cook until you have a thick sauce, serve immediately with rice.
Serves 4

Saturday, December 6, 2008

Smoked Haddock and Leek Pie

Ingredients
500g Smoked Haddock Fillet (unskinned)
300ml Milk
2 Tablespoons Butter
2 Leeks (sliced)
2 Teaspoons Mustard
1 Cup Mascarpone
3 Eggs (hard boiled and quartered)
1 Large Potato
75g Cheddar Cheese (grated)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Cheese Grater
1 Pan
1 Large Pan
1 Ovenproof Dish

The Good Bit
  1. Preheat your oven too 200c 400f gas 6. Place the fish in the heatproof dish, in the small pan, heat the bring the milk to boiling the pour over the fish and set aside for 5 minutes.
  2. In the large pan heat the butter until it melts then add the leeks and cook for about 3 minutes until it begins to soften, now add the flour and keep stirring for a minute, now strain the milk from the fish into this pan and stir well, when you have a thick sauce add in the mustard and mascarpone, mix well then season with salt and pepper.
  3. Now break off into chunks the fish and add the quartered eggs to this dish (the ovenproof one) pour in the leeks and sauce and give everything a gentle stir, at this point grate your potato and mix it with the grated cheese, season this with a little salt and plenty of pepper and then spread evenly over the top of the fish.
  4. Bake for 30 minutes (until the top is golden) serve immediately.
Serves 4

Friday, December 5, 2008

Mackerel with Tomato and Olives

Ingredients
4x375g Mackerel Fillets
3 Anchovy Fillets
250g Chopped Peeled Plum Tomatoes
24 Pitted Black Olives (halved)
150ml Fish Stock
2 Tablespoons Flour
A Good Splash of Oil
1 Clove Garlic (crushed)
A Handful Fresh Parsley (chopped)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Garlic Press
1 Large Frying Pan

The Good Bit
  1. Lightly flour the mackerel on both sides then set aside whilst you heat your oil in the pan, add in the garlic and anchovies and cook until it is a light brown colour, then add the fish and cook for a few minutes, turning just once.
  2. Next and the tomatoes and olives and a little stock, cook for 30 minutes adding more stock from time to time, test that the fish is cooked by trying to flake it with a fork, your sauce should also be quite thick now too, season with salt and pepper and sprinkle over the parsley just before you are about to serve up (you don't want the parsley to loose it's striking green colour)
  3. Serve the fish with the sauce poured over the top with some nice freshly baked bread.
Serves 4

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Salmon Kedgeree

Ingredients
500g Cooked Salmon (boned, skinned and flaked)
175g Long Grain Rice (cooked)
1 Onion (finely chopped)
3 Hard Boiled Eggs (roughly chopped)
A Handful Fresh Parsley (roughly torn)
150ml Single Cream
50g Butter
Salt and Pepper
Fresh Chives (to garnish)

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Oven Proof Dish
Tin Foil
1 Frying Pan
1 Spatula

The Good Bit
  1. Pre-heat your oven too 180c 350f gas 4, Drop half the butter in the frying pan and cook the onion until it goes soft, next add in the rice and season, then add in the salmon, egg, parsley and cream and fold in gently with the spatula to avoid breaking the salmon up too much.
  2. Now transfer this mixture to your dish and with the remaining butter grease a sheet of tin foil and use this to cover the dish, place in the oven for 15 minutes then serve sprinkled with chopped chives.
Serves 4

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Salmon Steaks with Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients
4x175 Salmon Steaks
4 Small Gem Lettuces (quartered lengthways)
1 Tablespoon Sunflower Oil
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
6 Tablespoons Teriyaki Sauce (bought or make your own by heating together 3 Tablespoons Rice Wine (Saki), 3Tablespoons Soy Sauce, 1 Tablespoon Sugar)
2 Tablespoons Rice Wine Vinegar (white wine will do)
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice
2 Tablespoons Clear Honey

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Pan
1 Griddle Pan

The Good Bit
  1. Start by heating together all the ingredients for the sauce in your pan (everything but the salmon and lettuce) bring to a rapid simmer and leave for 10 minutes then remove from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes.
  2. Using the griddle pan with no oil, cook the salmon steaks for 4-5 minutes on each side moving as little as possible so you get the lovely charring effect, whilst you are waiting for the fish to do, arrange the lettuce on your plates, then serve a steak on top and finally drizzle over a little of the sauce.
Serves 4

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Chinese Prawns and Asparagus

Ingredients
500g Cooked Prawns (frozen will do)
175g Asparagus (cut into inch long lengths)
4 Spring Onions (cut into inch long lengths)
4 Tablespoons Sherry
1 Inch Fresh Ginger (grated)
1 Teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
2 Cloves Garlic (thinly sliced)
A Splash of Oil
Salt

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Wok
1 Spatula
1 Pan (2/3rds full with boiling salted water)
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Mixing Bowl

The Good Bit
  1. Drop the asparagus in the boiling water for 2 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon. Whilst that is doing, mix the soy sauce, sherry and prawns together, set aside for 15 minutes.
  2. In the wok add a good splash of oil, tip in the garlic, ginger and half of your spring onions, stir fry over a high heat for 1 minute, now add in the prawns along with the sauce and the asparagus and continue to stir for 2 minutes.
  3. Serve with the remaining spring onions sprinkled over the top.
Serves 4

Monday, December 1, 2008

Spicy Onion Relish with Tuna Steak

Ingredients
4x 175g Tuna Steaks
1 Tablespoon Ground Coriander
2 Tablespoons Ground Cumin
2 Tablespoons Grated Fresh Ginger
1kg Onions (sliced)
4 Cloves Garlic (crushed)
100ml Fish Stock (vegetable will do)
Chilli Powder
Salt and Pepper

Equipment
1 SHARP Knife
1 Chopping Board
1 Frying Pan (with lid/or use a plate another pan)
1 Slotted Spoon
1 Garlic Press

The Good Bit
  1. Sprinkle some chilli powder over the tuna steaks (only a little) set aside for an hour whilst you get on with the rest of the cooking.
  2. Heat the cumin, coriander, ginger and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds over a low heat before adding a good splash of oil (4-5 tablespoons worth) and cooking for another 30 seconds.
  3. Now add the onion and garlic, cover and cook for about 45 minutes until the onion is very soft, next add the stock to the pan and then gently place the fish on top of the onions, bring this to the boil and simmer for for about 15 minutes (check that the fish is done by trying to flake it with a fork, if the fish breaks easily it is done, if not cook a little longer)
  4. Serve the fish onto warmed plates, and turn up the heat on the sauce, reduce until you hardly have any liquid left then serve a dollop of the spiced onion with your fish, enjoy.
Serves 4