Raw fish with sour plum ponzu
Raw fish with sour plum ponzu
(a riff on a Ponzu!)
Sashimi grade seafood
300g (serves 4) kingfish, salmon, tuna, snapper, scallops all great
2 green shallots sliced
1 tbsp toasted sesame
A few herbs( I used coriander and fennel fronds.
Sour plum Ponzu
4-6 ripe sour plums
1:lime, orange, lemon(juice and a little zest
1 knob of ginger grated
2 tbs rice wine vinegar
3tbsp soy 2 tbsp dashi
1tsp mirin (or sugar)
A little olive oil S&P
Mix this in a bowl, you have to taste and adjust this, depending on the citrus, if they’re super sour add a little or mien or sugar etc.
Pop the rest in a little jar, great on salads.
Mac & Cheese (Thermidor)
Australian Bay Lobster, Mac & Cheese (Thermidor)
Recipe
40g butter
40g flour
600 milk
1 lemon
1 Australian Bay Lobster (or 150g of raw Lobster, prawn or scallop meat)
1 brown onion
50g Smoked bacon (finely diced)
1 pinch paprika
Salt and pepper
30ml olive oil
A splash of brandy
1 clove garlic (minced)
100g grated Gruyère
300g cooked Macaroni (140g raw)
1 tbsp olive oil
Method
Boil the macaroni in salted water and refresh.
Foam the butter, add the bacon and a splash of olive oil, fry until crispy.
Reduce the heat add the onion and garlic. Cook until soft.
Mix in flour and paprika and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the brandy and cook off the alcohol.
Gradually add the milk, stirring out any lumps.
Cook out for a couple of minutes.
Fold in the seafood mustard, cheese and pasta
Season with salt pepper and a little lemon.
Now serve as is or pop into a shell, top with more cheese and pop into a pizza oven or under a grill.
This bought back many memories washing up in a seafood restaurant that always had Lobster Thermidor on the menu. I know bacon isn’t usually added but I couldn’t resist.
Smoked haddock Scotch Eggs
Recipe
3 large potatoes
150g Smoked Fish( picked)
1 egg yolk
80ml milk
1 tsp horseradish
1 djon mustard
4 green shallots( chopped)
4 tbsp chopped dill & parsley
1 tbsp capers
S & P
Zest of 1 lemon
5 soft boiled eggs
Coating
50g plain flour
150g breadcrumbs
3 tsp paprika
1 egg whisked
S&P
Method
Bake 3 - 4 potatoes at 180 for 50 mins(until completely soft)
Squeeze into a bowl and crush any lumps.
Leave to cool slightly, mix in all other ingredients .
Wet the palm of your hand, shape a 5th of the potato mix into a round on your hand. Place an egg into the centre.
Bring up the edges and roll into a ball.
Repeat with the rest of the eggs.
Roll the potato balls in flour, egg wash then, breadcrumbs seasoned with paprika.
Pop in the fridge for 20 mins to set.
Deep fry at 180deg until golden brown.
Season with salt.
Serve with lemon, tartare sauce and crispy leaves.
Kombucha
Recipe
4 lt of filtered water
400g of sugar
8 bags of black or green tea (or 2 tablespoons of loose tea)
500ml of starter tea (previously brewed kombucha)
1 SCOBY (Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast)
Equipment
Large pot
5 lt glass jar or other non-reactive container
Clean cloth or coffee filter
An elastic band
Funnel and bottles for storing finished kombucha
Method
Bring the water to a boil in a large pot.
Remove from heat and dissolve the sugar in the hot water.
Add the tea bags or loose tea and let steep for 4 minutes.
Strain and leave to cool.
Pour the sweet tea into your jar or krock.
Add the starter tea to the jar, then gently add the SCOBY to the jar.
Cover the jar with a clean cloth or coffee filter and secure it with a rubber band.
Let it ferment for 7-10 days. Ideally around 20 - 24 deg out of the sun.
After 4 days, begin to taste the kombucha. Once it has reached a flavour you like, it's ready to bottle.
If you prefer it tangier, let it ferment for a few more days.
Remove the SCOBY and 2 cups of kombucha to use as starter tea for your next batch.
Using a funnel, pour the kombucha into bottles, leaving some space at the top. You can add flavorings such as fruit, herbs, or ginger at this stage.
Second Fermentation (optional)
To carbonate the kombucha, seal the bottles and let them sit at room temperature for 1-3 days. Then, refrigerate to slow the fermentation process.
Always open the bottles with a little care as they can become quite fizzy.
Once refrigerated, your kombucha is ready to drink.
Fried Anchovy, cheese and onion pastries
Recipe
30g butter
30g flour
250ml milk
2 sheets of Puff pastry
1 small brown onion
2 tbsp olive oil
2tbsp grated mozzarella
3 tbsp grated cheddar
12 chopped anchovies
Pinch of chopped rosemary and lemon zest
Oil for deep frying
Method
Slice the onion, season with salt and gently fry in olive oil until caramelised. Set aside to cool.
Melt the butter in a pan, add the flour, cook for 2-3 mins. Stir in hot milk cook for 2-3 mins till smooth. Remove from heat, add, cheese, anchovies, rosemary and onion.
Set in the fridge until firm.
Once set spoon mixture into a 10cm pastry disk, brush with egg wash, firmly push down edges.
Freeze for 4 hours.
To serve, deep fry at 180deg till golden, enjoy with lemon and chili salt.
Smashed Pea & Lemon Bruschetta with a poached egg and pancetta
Recipe
150g frozen peas or fresh if in season
120g fresh ricotta
1/2 small garlic clove minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil plus more for drizzling
Zest of 1/2 lemon
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 slices sourdough or ciabatta bread
A hand full of fresh mint and parsley
150g pancetta (cut in to lardons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
20g parmesan
Chili flakes or cayenne to season the egg. (Optional)
Method
Boil water and pour over frozen the peas. Leave for 20 seconds then drain and refresh under cold water.
Finely chop half of the herbs.
Fry the pancetta in a little oil until crispy.
In a bowl mash the peas, leaving some texture. Stir in the minced garlic, chopped herbs, olive oil, lemon zest and lemon juice, ricotta salt and pepper.
Rub toasted sourdough with a garlic clove and drizzle with olive oil.
Tops with Pea ricotta smash, a poached egg, pancetta, picked herbs and a little grated parmesan.
An epic Roasted Pumpkin
Recipe
Half a pumpkin
Olive oil, S&P
A pinch of: paprika, cumin, fennel seeds(crushed)
1 tbsp Honey
Method
Season the pumkin with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Roast the pumpkin 185deg for around 1 hour. (For a small pumpkin, obviously more cooking the larger the pumpkin)
Top the cooked pumpkin with any or all of these for a very tasty feed indeed!
Yogurt,
Pomegranate
Macadamias
Raisins
Fried curry leaves
crispy garlic & curry leaves
Chilli flakes
Lime
Sumac
A good handful of fresh herbs
(Mint, chervil,coriander, parsley work a treat!)
Clafoutis, mulberries and blueberries
Recipe
The batter
4 eggs
160g SF flour
1 pinch salt
300ml milk
60g caster sugar
1tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla paste
Plain flour
Method
Mix all ingredients in a bowl, except milk.
This I add slowly to form a paste first which removed prevents you getting a lumpy batter.
Strain and add vanilla
350g berries ( I used 200g mulberries /150g blueberries)
1tbsp butter
1 tbsp caster sugar
A little orange zest + nutmeg
Grease the pan with butter and sugar, then top with zest and grated nutmeg.
Pop on berries, pour over batter.
Bake for around 30 mins 190 deg first 10 drop to 175 for the remaining bake.
(Optional extra, occasionally, once done I’ll top with sugar and brûlée under the grill)
Serve with ice cream or cream.
Great cold the next day too!
Kimchi
Recipe
100g course sea salt
2lt water
1 wombok
100g rice flour
800ml water
4 tbsp fish sauce
1 pinch of shimp paste
5 cloves garlic
4-5 cm knob of ginger
100g gochugara (Korean chili powder)
5 green shallots
Day 1
Mix the 2lt water and salt.
Slice cabbage, cover in brine, leave in fridge overnight.
To make chili paste, boil 800ml of water, add rice flour, cook whilst stirring until it resembles wallpaper paste.
Take off off, add chili, shrimp paste, fish sauce, grated garlic and ginger. Leave to cool.
Day 2
Strain cabbage, squeeze out all excess moisture.
Pop in a big bowl, fold in chopped green shallot and chili paste, taste the salt level and adjust if needed.
Fill a jar or two.
Leave on your kitchen bench for to ferment.
This should take around 4- 6 days, longer if you want it to taste like you’re licking a battery.
Carefully open the lid daily to release excess gas. Do this out side or over the sink if you don’t want to get into trouble for wreaking the new kitchen. To be extra carefull don’t fill the jars to the top like I did!
Option: I added some sliced carrot, and chili salt and some more hot sauce for an extra tickle.
Sliced daikon, baby radish or seaweed works well too.
Focaccia
Fennel, Orange and rosemary foccachia
500 flour
425 tepid water
10g salt
5 g honey
4g dry yeast
Topping
A generous amount of olive oil
Salt flakes
3 tbsp of cooked fennel and orange(recipe below)
A handful of rosemary sprigs(soaked in water)
Recipe
Mix the yeast into 100ml of the water to bloom.
Pour the salt and honey into the remaining water and stir to desolve
Measure the flour into a bowl and pour in both the water and yeast.
Mix until fairly smooth and leave covered for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, with wet hand, scoop up the dough and fold it onto itself half a dozen times, turning the bowl 45 degree each time. Give it 30 mins and repeat this process.
Cover and leave in the fridge over night (or at least 8 hours)
Knock back the dough, by pushing out the air.
Oil a pan or tray, pop the dough into the vessel, drizzle a little olive oil ontop, then push the dough into the corners.
Cover and leave to prove (until doubled in size.
Season with a little olive oil, a couple of spoons of cooked fennel, orange zest, a hand full of rosemary sprigs and a pinch of salt flakes.
When you add the toppings, if it collapses a little so leave to prove again before baking.
You can of course pop ingredients on before proving, but I quite like adding them after.
Bake at 220deg for around 35 - 40 minutes.
It should sound hollow once cooked.
Once out the oven, add a little more olive oil and salt flakes.
Leave to cool slightly before slicing.
(Little tip if using cast iron pans: Because it takes so long to get heat onto cast iron pans, I started mine on the stove first, as soon as it gets hot pop it in the oven for a crispy base.)