Wednesday 27 February 2008

Crab, Cream and Whisky Soup with Crab and Chive Toasts

I adore crabs, and for me, they are superior in flavour to a lobster. Their meat is sweet and succulent and incredibly versatile to a number of dishes. Quite why it does not achieve the same culinary praise as a lobster is beyond me.

Pound for pound they are also more economical, with the average meat packed hen crab costing little more than £3. With large numbers of brown crab surrounding the United Kingdom and Ireland, and despite the much highlighted problem of over-fishing in our waters, the brown crab remains a sustainable choice of shellfish.

This is a Northumbrian soup, inspired by the Jolly Fisherman in Craster who have a version of this on their menu. 

Crab, Cream and Whisky Soup with Crab and Chive Toasts
Serves 4

2 rashers of streaky bacon, chopped
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
2 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
150ml milk
150ml double cream
500ml vegetable or fish stock
300g crab meat, brown and white
Whisky
2 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Salt and pepper

1 – Heat up the oil in a large pan then add the bacon and onion. Cook until soft and slightly coloured, approximately 5 minutes.
2 – Add the potato and carrot and heat through for 1 minute. Pour in the milk, cream and stock and bring gently to the boil. Cover, then simmer for 15-20 minutes until the potato and carrot are soft.
3 – Add the crab meat reserving a little of the white meat. Stir through then taste for seasoning.
4 – Pour into bowls and place some of the reserved white crab meat on top. Sprinkle with chives then with your thumb over the whisky bottle, drizzle a few drops over the soup.

Crab and Chive Toasts

4 slices of white or brown bread, toasted
1 egg white
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp crab meat, white and brown
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Salt and pepper
Sunflower or vegetable oil

1 – Cut the crusts off the toasted bread then cut into triangles.
2 – Mix all of the ingredients except for the oil together in a bowl. Spread onto one side of the toasts.
3 – Heat up some oil in a frying pan then place the toasts mixture side down. Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden and crisp.
4 – Remove and place onto kitchen paper

Thursday 14 February 2008

Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon
Feeds 4

2 carrots, peeled and cut into cubes
2 sticks of celery, cut into cubes
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
4 rashers of smoked streaky bacon, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
A dozen shallots, peeled and left whole
1 tbsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
6 whole cloves of garlic
1kg stewing or braising steak, cut into cubes
1 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp plain flour
Half bottle of Burgundy
300ml beef stock
250g mushrooms, I used chestnut
Salt and pepper

1 - Pre-heat the oven to 150C/Fan 130C/GM2.
2 - In a large heat proof casserole dish, heat up the oil and add the bacon and vegetables. Stir for 5-6 minutes until softened and beginning to colour.
3 - Add the shallots, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, tomato purée and beef and cook for a further 5 minutes until it begins to take on a golden colour.
4 - Stir in the flour until thoroughly combined, then pour in the wine and stock. Bring to the boil then place in the oven and cook for 2 and a half to 3 hours.
5 - Halfway through cooking, slice the mushrooms into quarters and fry off in a little olive oil to take out some of the water and give a little colour. Add to the casserole for the remainder of the cooking time.
6 - When finished, taste for seasoning and serve with mashed potato and seasonal greens.

Sunday 10 February 2008

Apple, Ginger and Oat Biscuits

Apple, Ginger and Oat Biscuits

100g margarine
75g soft brown sugar
1 apple, cored, peeled and cut into tiny cubes
125g wholemeal flour
50g rolled oats
1 tsp ground ginger
Half tsp baking powder
75g sultanas
Apple juice

1 - Pre-heat the oven to GM4, 160 degrees C.
2 - In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar.
3 - Pour in the rest of the ingredients except for the apple juice and with your hands, mash together to form a stiff dough. If the dough is too stiff, mix in a little apple juice which will also naturally sweeten it even more.
4 - On a floured surface, roll out the dough to approximately 1cm thick then with your cutter of choice, cut out your biscuits.
5 - Bake on a greased baking tray for 8-10 minutes until golden. Allow to cool on a wire rack. They will keep in an airtight container for a couple of weeks.

Thursday 7 February 2008

Leek, Dill and Mussels

Mussels and leeks go remarkably well together; earthy deep orange fresh Northumbrian shellfish accompanied by sweet mild onion leeks, in a kind of gratin, make for a lovely winter warmer to be eaten with good bread and butter. 

Leek, Dill and Mussels
Serves 2

500g mussels
1 shallot, finely chopped
150 ml dry cider
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
2 leeks
50g butter
25g plain flour
300 ml milk
150g mild crumbly cheese such as Lancashire, grated
A handful of fresh dill, finely chopped
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1 – Wash the mussels and pull off any beards. Tap them sharply onto a work surface and throw away any that do not close up.
2 – Heat up the oil in a deep pan and add the mussels, shallots and cider. Put on the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan every now and again, until the mussels have fully opened. Remove the mussels with a slotted spoon and keep aside, throwing away any that have not opened. When cool, remove the mussel flesh from the shells. Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve and keep aside.
3 – Trim and slice the leeks into 1 inch chunks. Place in a steamer for 5 minutes until soft. Remove and keep aside.
4 – Make a roux by melting the butter in a pan then stirring in the flour until well combined. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, stirring, until you have a thick white sauce.
5 – Stir in 100g of the grated cheese along with the mussels, leeks, dill, reserved cooking liquid and a good grinding of black pepper. Taste the sauce for seasoning.
6 – Pour the mixture into individual gratin dishes or a large gratin dish, top with a little more cheese then cook under a hot grill until golden and bubbling.

Mexican Bean Soup

Ingredients - Feeds 4 2 tbsp olive oil 4 spring onions, sliced 2 sticks of celery, diced 1 red pepper, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, sliced 2 ...