Break,

I am taking a couple months off blogging due to a new and exiting opportunity, I'l be back after the new year.

Thanks for following and reading my blog.

Duck breast with lentils and rozemary

200 grams of lentils

1 small onion, diced

5 dl chicken stock

100 gr butter

1 tbs spoon chopped rosemary and tym

Fry the diced onion slowly in some olive oil, add the lentils and the chicken stock.

Slowly cook this till the lentils are done.

Drain the lentils and reduce this juice till a nice consistency, add the butter and whisk this till all the butter is dissolved, then add the chopped herbs and put the lentils back with this jus.

Slowly pan fry duck breast on the fatty side first. Once it is seared on booth sides put the duck breast in an oven on 80 degrees for about 10-15 minutes. The inside of the duck breast should reach about 50-55 C. Cook the duck nice and slowly

Once the duck is done leave it rest for about 10 minutes, then slice it and dress on top of the lentils

Crab cakes with marinated mushroom salad

5 portions

Marinated Mushrooms.

Take any mushroom you can find, about 250 grams, wash them and cut them in small pieces.

100 ml water

100 ml vinegar

Some sugar, salt and pepper

Add some spices like juniper berries, coriander seeds, bay leaves, pepper corns and some cloves of garlic.

Boil this and add the mushrooms, then slowly simmer for 5 minutes

(if it is to vinegary add some more sugar).

Cool down and put in the fridge for eat least 2 day’s.

Or for long term storage put the mixture in pickle jars

For the Crab cakes,

Take about 500 gram crab meat and pick all the bones out.

Mix with chopped fresh dill and parsley (or any herb you like)

1 large spoon of mayonnaise

1 or 2 hands of breadcrumbs

Season it with salt and pepper and put in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Shape the crab into patties and pan fry them till golden brown.

Heat them trough in the oven for about 5 minutes.

Mix some salad with the pickled mushrooms and serve.

Pickled vegetable and bulgur salad

This is a healthy vegetarian dish, I made two different Dishes, but they are the same, one for individual portion and one for sharing.

For the marinated vegetables

2 ea carrots cut in Batons

8 pc mini corn, cut in quarters

5 ea asparagus, cut in quarters

1 ea courgette, cut in Batons

Cook these vegetables for 1 minute, cool down and add to the dressing.

For the dressing,

50 ml rice vinegar,

1 small diced onion,

½ clove chopped garlic,

Little chopped lemon grass, some salt, pepper and a little sugar.

Leave this marinated for eat least 3 hours in the fridge.

Cook 200 grams bulgur in water with salt and a piece of lemon grass for about 20 minutes (follow cooking instructions)

Cool down the Bulgur, and mix with the marinated vegetables and any kind of choped herbs, (to your liking)

Pickled vegetable and bulgur salad

Sardines with egg and tym

This as such a simple, nice and great tasting dish.

I use this dish when I make tapas, just one of many dishes.

U can use salted sardines or you buy fresh sardines

In case you buy the salted sardines, then you only have to boil some eggs, (Perfect eggs = 8 minutes in boiling water)

If you buy fresh sardines, take out the intestine then flour them lightly and pan fry till they crispy.

Last week I was very busy so I was a little slack on my posting, I do hope to update my blog every 4-5 day’s. I am just in the process of making my website. It’s up and running but in no means it is ready. http://www.bertbakering.com/

Thanks,

Bert

Rack of lamb with lentil and spinach puree

2 ea Racks of lambs.

Pan sear the racks on both sides and put in a oven set to 110 C. slowly let the lamb cook till the inside temperature reaches 45-50 C. take out of the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

For the lentil and spinach puree,

100 gr. lentils

500 gr. spinach

1 diced onion

1 clove garlic,

Salt and pepper

Cook lentils with ½ of the chopped onion and the garlic till the lentils are cooked; this should take about 30 minutes, drain this. Wash and sauté the other ½ chopped onion and fry with the spinach. Add the lentils. Then put the lentils and spinach in a blender and puree this till it has a nice and smooth texture.

Duck breast with pickled cucumber salad

For the salad

2 large cucumber, peeled

½ red onion

½ red pepper

½ yellow pepper

Slice this finely,

Marinate for the salad

50 ml rice vinegar

50 ml water

1 table spoon of sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Marinate this for about then minutes.

Fry the Duck breast till the proper temperature and let it rest for about 10 minutes before you slice it.

Fried Chillies

Hi Readers,

Something easy today!!

Fry sliced onion and then add chopped chillies, how more spicy you like it, how more chilies you add.Fry this slowly for about 10 minutes.

You can use this as a side dish for any one whom like spicy food, without making everything to spicy.

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