This is a very good recipe that we use from Skye Gyngell
A video of the process:
Serves 8
For the custard base
150ml/5fl oz whole milk
450ml/16fl oz double cream
1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthwise
6 egg yolks
120g/4oz caster sugar
450ml/16fl oz double cream
1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthwise
6 egg yolks
120g/4oz caster sugar
For the rhubarb
1kg/2lb rhubarb
1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthwise
180g/6oz caster sugar
250ml/8fl oz water or verjuice
1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthwise
180g/6oz caster sugar
250ml/8fl oz water or verjuice
For the custard, pour the milk and cream into a pan and place over a low heat. Scrape the vanilla seeds from the pod and add them. Bring to just under a boil, remove from the heat and set aside for 15 minutes to infuse. Now whisk the yolks and sugar in a bowl for five minutes, until the mix becomes thick and pale. Gently reheat the creamy milk and pour it on the egg-yolk mix, stirring with the whisk. Return to the pan and place over a low heat, stirring gently until the custard thickens – about eight minutes. Remove from the heat, pour into a bowl and allow to cool.
Wash and trim the rhubarb into 5cm chunks. Put in a pan with the vanilla pod, sugar and water or verjuice. Place over a low heat and stir gently. Bring to a simmer then turn down and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. It should be soft but not completely falling apart. Remove the rhubarb with a slotted spoon and reduce the remaining liquid by half. Pour over the rhubarb and allow to cool.
Once the custard has cooled, pour into an ice-cream maker; follow the manufacturer's instructions. Just before it sets, pour in the rhubarb and churn for 10 minutes.
Tart’s spiced crab rolls
Ingredients:
10 Fillo pastry
Olive oil (for brushing on the filo pastry)
Mixture:
Crab meat 600 grams
Coriander- a handful
Mint- a handful
Ginger- 5cm peeled and chopped
Garlic- two cloves peeled and chopped
Chilli- one small chilli without the seeds
Peas- a handful
Lemon grass- one
Spring onions- 3
Lime juice and zest
A little agave syrup or honey
Dipping sauce:
3 limes- to be juiced
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
Minced ginger- 5 cm
Minced garlic- 1 clove
One hot chilli without seeds and chopped
Two spring onions chopped
A dash of sesame oil
Mix these ingredients and season to taste
Make your crab mixture by, if you have a magi mix, blitzing up the mixture par from the crab and peas. Or just finely chop. Then mix all together in a bowl, season a little.
Take a sheet of filo and half it length ways so you have a long rectangle, brush a little oil over.
From here take your made up crab mixture and place a good punch amount in the bottom centre of ur pastry. Then to be rolled folding in the sides, making up an cigar shape. The oil will act as a glue to seal the roll.
Heat a pan with a little oil and then pan fry your rolls, should take no longer then 3 mins.
Moorish pesto bread
Easy tip for a loaf of bread that is looking a little tired and needs waking up-
Spear your loaf in homemade (or store bought) pesto and grate parmesan on top with a little nutmeg. Then into the oven until the top crisps up.
Scotch Eggs
Here is the secret recipe for Tart's Scotch eggs
Ingredients
8 x Best quality, free range eggs
800g Best quality minced pork, fresh from the butchers
Chopped herbs.. chives, parsley, tarragon
1/2 clove finely grated garlic
1 tsp english mustard
(1 tsp smoked paprika if you want a spanish feel to your eggs)
salt and pepper
egg, whisked for coating
white flour
bread crumbs
First hard boil the eggs for about 7 mins, cool in cold water and peel
Next prepare the meat.. mix the pork, herbs, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper together well with your hands.
Take a handful and flatten to about 1-2 cm thick and wrap around an egg, repeat for the rest of the eggs.
Heat sunflower oil on a high temperature till almost spitting.
Dip the eggs in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.
Fry all over till a deep golden colour - do make sure meat is cooked all the way through.
So delicious cut into quarters and dipped into some spicy ketchup
Sea Bass Carpaccio
Easy tip for a loaf of bread that is looking a little tired and needs waking up-
Spear your loaf in homemade (or store bought) pesto and grate parmesan on top with a little nutmeg. Then into the oven until the top crisps up.
Scotch Eggs
Here is the secret recipe for Tart's Scotch eggs
Ingredients
8 x Best quality, free range eggs
800g Best quality minced pork, fresh from the butchers
Chopped herbs.. chives, parsley, tarragon
1/2 clove finely grated garlic
1 tsp english mustard
(1 tsp smoked paprika if you want a spanish feel to your eggs)
salt and pepper
egg, whisked for coating
white flour
bread crumbs
First hard boil the eggs for about 7 mins, cool in cold water and peel
Next prepare the meat.. mix the pork, herbs, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper together well with your hands.
Take a handful and flatten to about 1-2 cm thick and wrap around an egg, repeat for the rest of the eggs.
Heat sunflower oil on a high temperature till almost spitting.
Dip the eggs in the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.
Fry all over till a deep golden colour - do make sure meat is cooked all the way through.
So delicious cut into quarters and dipped into some spicy ketchup
Sea Bass Carpaccio
This delicious recipe calls for the very freshest of Sea Bass. Ask the fishmonger to filet the fish for you.
Serves 4
Ingredients
600g fillet of sea bass
2 Red chillies (depending on heat)
4 Radishes
Cherry tomatoes (6-8)
A handfull of coriander leaves torn
Sesame oil
Lemon juice
Salt
To prepare: place the fish down on a chopping board and slice the flesh using a very sharp flexible knife into thin slices. Slicing against the grain.
Cover 4 plates with the sliced fish and then add the thinly sliced radishes, chopped (deseeded) tomatoes and chill and then dress with a squeeze of lemon juice, sesame oil and a sprinkle of sea salt. Finish with the torn coriander
Cod with tomatoes, mayonnaise and basil oil
I LOVE this, and do it all the time. its super tasty, light and healthy. Serve with good bread or rice.
Sauce for 4 (Just add as much cod as you wish)
Cod fillet - sprinkle with salt and pepper, olive oil and lemon juice while you make the sauce
Olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced
4 garlic cloves thinly sliced
few sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
Chilli if you wish - thinly sliced
Glass of white wine
Glass of stock
tbsp sherry vinegar
2 x tins chopped toms
To Serve
Mayo or Aioli
basil oil
spinach
Heat the olive oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onion with a pinch of salt, cook gently for 10 mins or so. Add garlic, thyme and bay leaves and cook for a further 5 mins.
Add wine, sherry vinegar, and stock and carry on cooking till reduced slightly - this is important as will deepen the flavour.
Add tomatoes, salt, pepper and a large pinch of sugar.
Add cod and cover with sauce. Place lid on pan and cook for about 5 - 10 mins. The fish should be firm to touch and slightly flakey.
Serve straight away on a bed of spinach - the sauce will wilt the spinach and become part of the dish as you eat. dollop the mayo/aioli and basil oil on top.
I would suggest to make your own mayo, which is very easy, or you can buy good quality mayo from the likes of Waitrose.
To make the basil oil simply blitz fresh basil with a clove of garlic and oil in the processor.
White Chocolate and Candied Orange Peel Cookies
Chewy, buttery, rich and divine. The small melted chunks of white chocolate are a perfect combination with the candied orange peel.
Ingredients
100g Soft unsalted butter
100g Soft brown sugar
125g Caster sugar
150g Plain flour
1 Large egg
1 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
150g White chocolate, broken up
150g Candied orange peel
1. Preheat oven to 180c
2. Cream butter and sugars together until soft and pale. Add the flour, egg, vanilla and bicarbonate of soda. Beat till smooth.
3. Add chocolate and orange peel and combine.
4. Take a walnut sized amount of dough and role in your hands. Place spaciously on a baking sheet. Bake in oven for 10-12 mins.
Cool on wire racks
Makes about 30
Quick and Easy: Roast Beetroot
Banana and Rhubarb cake
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Savoy cabbage
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INGREDIENTS:
INGREDIENTS:
Fish Dish
I make this when I am exhausted, un-motivated and starving. perfect monday night dish..
INGREDIENTS:
Some sort of white fish - I use cod if I can get my hands on it
Onion - Sliced
Garlic - Sliced
Mini Aubergines - Sliced (if using big aubergines then quater each slice)
Courgettes - sliced
Cherry Tomatoes
Stock
White wine
Paprika
Turmeric
Chilli pepper - just a pinch
Rice - any left over rice, or freshly boiled rice
METHOD:
1. In a wide pan saute the onion over a medium heat until soft and light in colour, then add the garlic and saute for a further 5 mins.
2. add the rest of the veg, stir and cook for another 5 mins
3. add the spices, wine and stock (about 100ml of each.. you want to make a sauce but you do not want the veg to be swimming in liquid). Simmer for about 10-15 mins.
4. Lay fish on top of veg, now spoon some of the liquid over the fish and season. Cover pan with a lid and simmer for about 8-10mins, this depends on the size and thickness of fish.. when ready the fish should be slightly flakey if you prod it with a knife.
5. Serve with rice and garnish with some chopped parsley, then eat.
The Rainbow cake!!
This was actually my friend Anna's idea... she was modelling for the recent Jigsaw campaign and it happened to be the stylists birthday on the first day of the shoot.. so we made this as a surprise.
This makes two cakes, this is because you must slice each cake in half otherwise it will be a mountain.. you can freeze the second one, or just give it away, a kind deed for the day...
INGREDIENTS:
4 different food colourings
550g soft margarine
550, caster sugar
550g self-raising flour
8 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
Icing:
250g cream cheese
150g butter softened
450g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
dash of lemon juice
METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 180ºC. Grease and base line 4 x 8in (20cm) round cake tins. If you only have two then split the ingredients and make the first two layers, then repeat.
1. Measure the marg, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla essence and baking powder into a large bowl and beat until thoroughly blended.
2. Divide the mixture between 4 bowls, add desired amount of food colouring to each bowl and blend.
3. Poor each coloured mixture into a prepared cake tin. Cook in the oven for about 25 mins or until it has risen and the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.
4. Leave to cool in tins for a few minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.
5. When cool get a large sharp knife and slit cake in half.
6. Make icing. Put all ingredients into a bowl and beat until blended. Layer cake with icing.
Toolbox essential
Quick and Easy: Roast Beetroot
I do these guys all the time. Delicious and sweet. After roasting I keep the skins on to eat, but if you prefer you can remove easily.. they should just slip off. Chop up and eat in a salad, wonderful with goats cheese, blue cheese, mozzarella and balsamic, apple and walnuts, spinach and horseradish. Whizz up into a soup or eat for lunch on a bruschetta. They will also keep for a while in the fridge.
Chop of the leaves (keep and eat in a salad or saute with garlic) and wash. Keep whole and spread out on a roasting tray. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and pepper. Seperate a head of garlic, keep skins on, and scatter over beetroot. Lastly add a couple of bay leaves. Roast at 200c for 45 mins to an hour, or until crispy on outside and soft in the centre.
Stuffed portobello with Taleggio
Delicious. The mushrooms could easily be served by themselves with a good salad, but I chose to serve them with seared fillet tail, sun-dried tomatos and a plain spinach salad, which was fantastic.
Ingredients
4 Large portobello Mushrooms
splash of olive oil
1 small onion
100g or so of sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped
2 - 3 garlic cloves, chopped
50g parmesan, grated
1 bunch of tarragon leaves
1 bunch of basil leaves
100g Taleggio cheese, sliced
1. Pre heat oven to 180.
Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Place mushrooms on tray, drizzle with olive oil and some salt and pepper and bake for about 15 mins.
2. Meanwhile, heat a couple of table spoons of olive oil in a saute pan and cook the onion for 10 mins or so then add the rest of the vegetables, cook for a further 5 mins.
Remove and leave to cool down.
3. Once cool add the parmesan, tarragon and basil to the mixture and season.
Take the mushrooms out of the oven and fill with veggie mixture, then top with the taleggio slices.
Return to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and started to bubble.
Banana and Rhubarb cake
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Ingredients
2 very ripe bananas
4 oz soft marg
6 oz caster sugar
2 large eggs
8 oz self raising flour
1 tbsp baking powder
2 tbsp milk
14 oz Rhubarb chopped
2 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp elderflower cordial
1. Pre heat oven to 190. Line and grease a round cake tin.
2. First make the stewed rhubarb (I always make at least 4 times the amount, eat it for breakie with some yoghurt). In a large pan mix the rhubarb with the sugar and elderflower over a low heat, leave to go soft for 20 mins or so stirring occasionally. Leave to cool.
3. Next make the banana cake. Mash the bananas in the magimix, then add the sugar, marg, eggs, flour, and baking powder. Whiz till well blended.
Add the milk and whiz again.
4. Poor mixture into tin, then spoon the rhubarb on top.
5. Bake for about 50 mins, cook on rack.
Tomato, Red Pepper and Chilli Soup
A Wonderful winter warmer..
Serves 7-8
Ingredients:
about 10 tomatoes
2 onions
2 cloves of garlic
4 red pepers, cut and deseeded
2 chilli's, finely chopped
2 tins good quality tinned tomatoes
500ml stock
1 tbsp sugar
creme fraiche
home made pesto - jarred pesto doesn't cut it, but you could use the stuff you get in the deli section of supermarkets
Method:
Pre heat oven to 200 degrees
1. cut tomatoes in half and place cut side up on a baking tray. sprinkle with olive oil, thyme, sliced garlic, basil and seasoning (or just use garlic infused oil if in a rush). Put in oven for about 30 mins, or until roasted.
2. Slice onions and garlic and saute in sauce pan until soft.
3. Add red peppers and chilli's and saute for another 5 mins, then add the tinned tomatoes, sugar and stock. simmer for about 15 mins.
Add roasted tomatoes, season.
4. Liquify, add water if too thick.
5. Serve with creme fraiche and pesto
Savoy cabbage
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So good, you want a real kick so don't be afraid of the chillis
1 savoy cabbabge, finely sliced
1-2 red chillis (depends on how spicy you want it), finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
400ml coconut cream
salt and pepper
splash of olive oil
1. Get a large pan or wok and heat the oil, add the chilli and garlic and stir for a min or 2. Add the cabbage and keep stirring on a high heat till cooked and starting to golden, about 3 mins.
2. add the coconut cream and mix, season with salt and pepper.
A hug in a dish
What could be more heart warming on a cold, wet winter evening than creamy mash potato filled with garlic mushrooms with a cheese crust.
Ingredients:
flowery potatoes
knob of butter
milk
glove of garlic
two handfulls of button mushrooms
gruyer and chedder cheese
salt and pepper
METHOD:
1. Peel, chop and cook the potatoes in a large pan of water. Bring to boil and simmer for about 30 mins, or until very soft.
Drain the potatoes and mash, preferably with a potato ricer. mix in butter, a gulp of milk and season well.
2. Chop garlic and saute lightly in some olive oil, add chopped mushrooms, keep on medium heat till soft, not browned.
3. Layer potato in a dish, next with mushrooms, then finish with the rest of the potato. Cover with grated cheese and put back in the oven for about 15 mins, at 180 degrees.
Lobster with Thermidor Butter
AHH MAN this is soo good. Every mouthful is taste explosion. It is rich, it is luxurious and it is worth every penny.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cooked Lobsters
150g butter, softened
1 shallot very finely chopped
150ml White Wine
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 medium lemon
1/2 tsp Paprika
dash of Tabasco
5 tbsp grated Parmesan
chopped tarragon
chopped parsley
METHOD:
1. First make the butter:
Put shallot in a small pan and add wine, bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few mins or until most of the liquid has evaporated and nearly dry. Tip shallot into a bowl, add butter and the rest of the ingredients and mix thoroughly. Roll into a log, wrap in cling film and put in fridge. This can be made well in advance.
2. Snap the claws off the lobster. Next chop the lobster in half using a sharp chefs knife. Wash out the head of the lobster under a cool water and dry. Now lay them cut side up on a baking tray.
3. Crack the claws and carefully remove the meat, distribute evenly between the head cavities. Finally cut the butter into rounds and lay on top of the lobster.
4. Turn the grill to high. Grill lobsters for 5-8mins, or until just browning and the butter is bubbling. Serve immediately with some chopped parsley.
Flavoured Oil
Flavoured oils are incredibly useful, and extremely easy to make. I personally can't stand store-bought, pre-made oils, they lack flavour and the oil is often very poor.
Sea Bass with saffron and garlic
A delicious and light summer dish, so simple and easy you can practically do it with your eyes closed
Serve 2
INGREDIENTS:
1 Sea Bass, gutted (to be honest any fish will do really)
1 lemon, quartered
a few garlic cloves, peeled and quartered
handful of parsley
saffron strands
white wine
cup of stock (fish or veg)
(other ingredients you could add.. chopped chilli, shallots, capers)
METHOD:
1. heat oven to 180˚
2. Place fish in an oven proof dish. add lemon, garlic, parsley and saffron
3. cover with wine (about half way up) and stock.
4. cover with tin foil and cook in oven for about 20-30mins.. you might want to turn the fish half way through. when cooked the meat should be flaky yet moist, and should come away easily with a fork.
Serve with veg or rice.. watch out for bones!
Oyster shooters
I made these little treats for a Champagne garden party last summer.. and have been addicted ever since (well until I got oyster poisoning at Shoreditch house.. damn you) . The first time I made them I used Terry Laybourne's recipe.. and I then made a much quicker version for myself.. SO GOOD. So easy
ps. if serving as canapes have some tooth picks on hand as oysters can get stuck at the bottom of the glass
INGREDIENTS:
Fresh Oysters
Big Tom bloody Mary mix
Tabasco
tinyyy bit of vodka
METHOD:
Mix in a small jug the Big Tom, a few extra splashes of tabasco, bit of vodka and season (add a dash of lemon if it needs it)
Place an oyster in a shot glass (I prefer smaller shot glasses if doing for canapes, otherwise can be awkward to eat)... pour the bloody mary mix over the oyster and fill the glass.
repeat for as many as you need
Pizza!!!
I love pizza.. a lot.. just thinking about it now is making me hungry. Making your own pizza is so satisfying and just so exciting... nothing better than dipping those left over crusts in garlic butter (my sis Hannah makes the best ever garlic and chive butter, soo moreish).
Pizzas are also very easy to make.. you can also make the dough in advance as long as you keep it in the fridge.
If you can get a hold of it use Italian Tipo '00' flour (the best brand to use is the Caputo Molino brand that is milled in Naples, Italy), this flour is ground much finer than normal flour.
INGREDIENTS:
1kg Tipo '00' flour
(or 800g strong white bread flour and 200g semolina)
2 x 7g sachets of Dried Yeast
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
650ml warm water
salt
topping:
mozzarella
oregano
basil
salt and pepper
Tomato Sauce - you can buy a jar of tomato sauce for pizzas at any supermarket or you can make your own.. by the time I have made the dough I can never be bothered to make mine, however if you can then of course it will be even tastier.
topping suggestions:
olives, salami, peperoni, smoked sausage, chicken, artichokes, mushrooms, egg (just crack the raw egg in the middle of the pizza just before it goes in the oven), prosciutto, cheese (the more the merrier), courgette, chilli, shredded pork.. and the list goes on
METHOD:
Measure water into a jug, add the dried yeast, sugar and oil... stir and leave for a couple of mins
place flour and salt in a big bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the water mixture into the well.
With a fork gradually bring in the flour from the sides and mix with the water.. keep doing this until it becomes a think glue. Loose the fork and get stuck in with your hands. sprinkle flour on the table top, take dough out of the bowl and kneed with your hands for a good 10 mins, until the dough is soft and springy (as my sister says.. she just wants to rub it all over her face due to the softness)
Place dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and cover. leave in a warm area for about 15 mins or until dough has doubled in size.
Take dough out of the bowl and place on a flour-dusted surface (or you might want to use semolina). Divide into required amounts.. either 4 largeish ones or 6 individual ones. Roll out.. make it as thin as you can.
Leave the pizza for about 15 - 20 mins before cooking.
Add your toppings, drizzle with olive oil and cook for about 15-20mins at 220° or until golden and crisp. YUM
Oyster shooters
I made these little treats for a Champagne garden party last summer.. and have been addicted ever since (well until I got oyster poisoning at Shoreditch house.. damn you) . The first time I made them I used Terry Laybourne's recipe.. and I then made a much quicker version for myself.. SO GOOD. So easy
ps. if serving as canapes have some tooth picks on hand as oysters can get stuck at the bottom of the glass
INGREDIENTS:
Fresh Oysters
Big Tom bloody Mary mix
Tabasco
tinyyy bit of vodka
METHOD:
Mix in a small jug the Big Tom, a few extra splashes of tabasco, bit of vodka and season (add a dash of lemon if it needs it)
Place an oyster in a shot glass (I prefer smaller shot glasses if doing for canapes, otherwise can be awkward to eat)... pour the bloody mary mix over the oyster and fill the glass.
repeat for as many as you need
Pizza!!!
I love pizza.. a lot.. just thinking about it now is making me hungry. Making your own pizza is so satisfying and just so exciting... nothing better than dipping those left over crusts in garlic butter (my sis Hannah makes the best ever garlic and chive butter, soo moreish).
Pizzas are also very easy to make.. you can also make the dough in advance as long as you keep it in the fridge.
If you can get a hold of it use Italian Tipo '00' flour (the best brand to use is the Caputo Molino brand that is milled in Naples, Italy), this flour is ground much finer than normal flour.
INGREDIENTS:
1kg Tipo '00' flour
(or 800g strong white bread flour and 200g semolina)
2 x 7g sachets of Dried Yeast
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
650ml warm water
salt
topping:
mozzarella
oregano
basil
salt and pepper
Tomato Sauce - you can buy a jar of tomato sauce for pizzas at any supermarket or you can make your own.. by the time I have made the dough I can never be bothered to make mine, however if you can then of course it will be even tastier.
topping suggestions:
olives, salami, peperoni, smoked sausage, chicken, artichokes, mushrooms, egg (just crack the raw egg in the middle of the pizza just before it goes in the oven), prosciutto, cheese (the more the merrier), courgette, chilli, shredded pork.. and the list goes on
METHOD:
Measure water into a jug, add the dried yeast, sugar and oil... stir and leave for a couple of mins
place flour and salt in a big bowl and make a well in the middle. Pour the water mixture into the well.
With a fork gradually bring in the flour from the sides and mix with the water.. keep doing this until it becomes a think glue. Loose the fork and get stuck in with your hands. sprinkle flour on the table top, take dough out of the bowl and kneed with your hands for a good 10 mins, until the dough is soft and springy (as my sister says.. she just wants to rub it all over her face due to the softness)
Place dough in a large flour-dusted bowl and cover. leave in a warm area for about 15 mins or until dough has doubled in size.
Take dough out of the bowl and place on a flour-dusted surface (or you might want to use semolina). Divide into required amounts.. either 4 largeish ones or 6 individual ones. Roll out.. make it as thin as you can.
Leave the pizza for about 15 - 20 mins before cooking.
Add your toppings, drizzle with olive oil and cook for about 15-20mins at 220° or until golden and crisp. YUM
Fish Dish
I make this when I am exhausted, un-motivated and starving. perfect monday night dish..
INGREDIENTS:
Some sort of white fish - I use cod if I can get my hands on it
Onion - Sliced
Garlic - Sliced
Mini Aubergines - Sliced (if using big aubergines then quater each slice)
Courgettes - sliced
Cherry Tomatoes
Stock
White wine
Paprika
Turmeric
Chilli pepper - just a pinch
Rice - any left over rice, or freshly boiled rice
METHOD:
1. In a wide pan saute the onion over a medium heat until soft and light in colour, then add the garlic and saute for a further 5 mins.
2. add the rest of the veg, stir and cook for another 5 mins
3. add the spices, wine and stock (about 100ml of each.. you want to make a sauce but you do not want the veg to be swimming in liquid). Simmer for about 10-15 mins.
4. Lay fish on top of veg, now spoon some of the liquid over the fish and season. Cover pan with a lid and simmer for about 8-10mins, this depends on the size and thickness of fish.. when ready the fish should be slightly flakey if you prod it with a knife.
5. Serve with rice and garnish with some chopped parsley, then eat.
The Rainbow cake!!
This was actually my friend Anna's idea... she was modelling for the recent Jigsaw campaign and it happened to be the stylists birthday on the first day of the shoot.. so we made this as a surprise.
This makes two cakes, this is because you must slice each cake in half otherwise it will be a mountain.. you can freeze the second one, or just give it away, a kind deed for the day...
INGREDIENTS:
4 different food colourings
550g soft margarine
550, caster sugar
550g self-raising flour
8 eggs
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
Icing:
250g cream cheese
150g butter softened
450g icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
dash of lemon juice
METHOD:
Pre-heat oven to 180ºC. Grease and base line 4 x 8in (20cm) round cake tins. If you only have two then split the ingredients and make the first two layers, then repeat.
1. Measure the marg, sugar, flour, eggs, vanilla essence and baking powder into a large bowl and beat until thoroughly blended.
2. Divide the mixture between 4 bowls, add desired amount of food colouring to each bowl and blend.
3. Poor each coloured mixture into a prepared cake tin. Cook in the oven for about 25 mins or until it has risen and the tops of the cakes spring back when lightly pressed.
4. Leave to cool in tins for a few minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack.
5. When cool get a large sharp knife and slit cake in half.
6. Make icing. Put all ingredients into a bowl and beat until blended. Layer cake with icing.
Toolbox essential
This is a Skye Gyngell recipe, and something I ALWAYS have in my store cupboard. Skye says "I use this combination of spices a great deal, because their flavours work particularly well together, lending a depth and sensory aroma to purees and slow-cooked dishes".
My two favorites is when added to a beetroot puree.. or used to marinate lamb.
You can keep the roasted spice mix in a sealed container for up to a month, after that the flavour will start to fade. (the image above is the recipe x 5 - dont worry you wont end up with that much!)
1-2 cinnamon sticks
50g coriander seeds
50g cumin seeds
50g fennel seeds
50g mustard seeds
50g fenugreek seeds
5 cardamon pods
2-3 star anise
Place a dry, heavy based frying pan over a low heat.. once a clear smoke starts to rise from the pan add all the spices.. stir frequently.
Be careful not to burn.. once the seeds start to pop they are ready! Remove and grind with a pestle and mortar until a fine powder.
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