Chicken curry

To make curry’s is quite easy, it is just that you need some basic ingredients.

You will start to make the curry paste first.

1 stalk fresh lemongrass, smashed and thinly sliced
4 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, thinly sliced
1 red and 1 green long chillies, thinly sliced with seeds
1 teaspoon coriander root or handful of coriander leaf
1 tablespoon palm sugar
2-3 tablespoons fish sauce

Place all ingredients except fish sauce in a mortar and pestle then pound until you have a smooth paste. Add 2 tbs. fish sauce, mix well and taste. You should have an even balance of hot, sweet, sour and salty. Adjust seasonings until this is achieved. Set aside.

4 chicken tights, boneless, skinless, diced
2 small to medium carrots, julienned

1 large bell pepper, sliced

1 eggplant, diced

A few cauliflower florets

1 medium onion, sliced

450 ml coconut milk

Into a very hot wok, place a little peanut oil and swirl to coat sides. When wok is smoking, add vegetables and stir-fry until just wilting, without allowing to gain any colour

Add curry paste and quickly stir fry for approximately 30 seconds, then add stock or coconut milk (coconut cream may also be used). Bring to boil, add chicken and reduce to a simmer.

Allow to cook for approximately 7-8 minutes if chicken is thinly sliced, or a little longer if it is a bit chunky.

You can serve this with steamed jasmine rice or steamed long grain rice.

Sweetbread with lentils and red pepper coulis

Hi everyone,

A reader of my blog (Chris) asked me if I could cook some sweetbread.

First soak the sweetbread in cold water (in the fridge) for about 24 hours.

Then slowly poach the sweetbread for 20 minutes in some vegetable stock, then let the sweetbread cool down in the stock.Trim sweetbreads, remove any visible veins, gristle, or the thick exterior membrane. This is best done by using your fingers.

Slice in small pieces, about 80 gram each, flour them lightly and bake in a hot pan for 3-4 minutes.

For the lentils, fry some onion and garlic, add the lentils and cook till done.

Fry some sliced peppers and add the lentils to this, add salt and pepper to taste.

And for the red pepper coulis, roast red peppers in a hot oven, about 220 C for 15-20 minutes, take out of the oven and let it cool down a little, then peel the skin of, remove the seeds and blend the pepper in the blender.

Turbot with ratatouille

This morning I went to the market and there was some very fresh turbot, I bought some nice fresh tomatoes, eggplants, courgette and peppers to make the ratatouille, and added some deep fried Basil to this …..

· 2 tablespoons olive oil

· 2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

· 1 large onion, quartered and thinly sliced

· 1 small eggplant, cubed

· 2 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped

· 4 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

· 3 to 4 small zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch slices

· 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and onions and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add eggplant; stir until coated with oil. Add peppers; stir to combine. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep vegetables from sticking.

Add tomatoes, zucchini, and herbs; mix well. Cover and cook over low heat about 15 minutes, or until eggplant is tender but not too soft.

Cut the Turbot in nice portions ( take the skin off or let the fish monger do this) then fry the turbot in oil and butter till it has a nice color, depending on the size. Cook in the oven (180 C) for a few minutes.

Lamb Shanks

10 lamb shanks. Plain flour for dusting. Salt and freshly ground black pepper. 6 onions peeled and finely sliced, 4 carrots peeled, 2 leeks washed and cut, Couple of spring onions.4 garlic cloves peeled and chopped. One bottle of red wine, Approximately 1 litre chicken or beef stock. Preheat the oven to 130c. Dust the lamb shanks with seasoned flour, In a heavy bottomed saucepan heat the oil and brown the shanks on all sides then remove. Lower the heat and add the onions, carrots, Leeks and garlic and fry for until light brown. Raise the heat and add the wine. Reduce for a couple of minutes. Put the shanks in a large oven pan, add the vegetables and whine and chicken stock, till the shanks are covert with stock (the bones can stick out).Cook in the oven for about 4 hours. Check the shanks from time to time basting with the juices. After 4 hours turn up the oven to about 180 C for about 15 minutes. Take the lamb shanks out of the stock, strain the stock and reduce till right consistency.

Lamb Shanks slowly cooking for 4 hours

Scallops with basil mayonnaise and sundried tomatoes

Scallops with basil mayonnaise and sundried tomatoes

A favourite among the guests. Thanks to the home made fresh basil mayonnaise and some crisp parsnip chips it all comes together.

Sundried tomatoes on the market in Italy

Whole wheat bread

Making whole wheat bread

Roasted pumkin salad

My last gig was just over (6 days) t'was quiet though,clients a bit demanding.

I'm sharing with you one of my dinner menus, but don't be fooled with the simple names, it's all about the taste.

Pumpkin salad with pine nuts

Pumpkin salad with pine nuts

Sweet potato soup

Salad of king prawns

Main

Mille fuille of grilled vegetables

Spinach and ricotta cannelloni

Poached veal loin with roast vegetable and caramelized onion

Dessert

Fresh fruit platter

Crepes with chocolate ice cream and raspberry’s