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| Contact me about any recipes at cookingwithchess@gmail.com April - A Fridge Prepared for Punting Goats Cheese and Caramelized Onion Tart - Firstly, make your own puff pastry. Don't be scared just look up a basic recipe and go for it, I'm sure the way to a successful pastry is all in the mind. - To caramelize the onions slice them (do not finely chop) and cook on a low heat in a frying pan with olive oil. Let them cook until they are soft and their natural sweetness has been drawn out. Then add sugar and mix in with the onions until melted. Keep on adding sugar until you have a sticky but loose consistency. If it gets too dry add a splash of water. - Lay your pastry into a round dish and rub half of a whisked egg onto the base of the tart. Cook this empty pastry for 10 minutes on a low heat in the oven as to give it a head start when you put it back in. - Now layer your ingredients, start with a layer of caramelized onions then crumble goats cheese roughly on top. Alternate and end with goats cheese but allow the onions to be seen underneath to avoid too much cheese. It also looks better! - Rub/brush over the rest of the egg to the top of the tart and cook for about 20 minutes, but check regularly as to not burn your pastry you slaved over. - Decorate with basil leaves and dribble a tiny bit of balsamic vinegar over the top. |
Squid & chorizo on a bed of rocket, home-made harissa and a slice of lime
- Cut your squid into length ways slices and cut your chorizo into medium sized slices.
- Prepare all your plates with a central little bunch of rocket leaves, half a spoon full of harissa and a thin slice of lime.
- Heat your frying pan up and add olive oil. Fry the chorizo until darkened and place on a kitchen towel to drain.
- Quickly fry the slices of squid, in the same pan, a minute or two each side and place on top of the rocket in a coil.
- Serve immediately and drink chilled white wine
Boeuf Bourguignon with fried bread, celeriac mash & glazed beans
To make the Boeuf Bourguignon (use chuck steak cubed or stewing beef) :
- Using a large pan heat up olive oil and sauté the pancetta then remove to a side plate.
- Sauté your beef in the same oil and remove to a side plate (bowl).
- Roughly chop the onion and sauté in the same pan. Then add back the pancetta and beef.
- Meanwhile fry the finely chopped chalots and mushrooms in a frying pan in butter and olive oil.
- Add the red wine to the beef and cook the meat.
- In a bowl mix some flour and butter into a paste and add the the beef when it is cooked.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for an hour.
The key to this is taking your time and keeping the heat fairly low at all times. Cook it the day before as well because it takes a long time and reheat before serving.
- Fry triangles of bread in olive oil
- Boil potatoes and celeriac then mash with butter, milk, salt and pepper
- Boil the green beans and serve it all together.
Raspberry tart served with vanilla ice cream
- Roll out your pastry and fit into a large circular tin.- You can cook just the pastry on a low heat in the oven for a short while if you wish
- Then add the raspberry jam and spread out.
- With any left over pastry roll long, thin strips out and trellis across the top of the tart.
- Cook for 30 minutes max.
- Serve with a ball of vanilla ice cream.
