Coming on strong: choosing the best flour – danlepard.com:
'via Blog this'
Saturday 31 December 2016
Friday 30 December 2016
Black bread.
Makes 2 loaves
2 packages (1 1/2 tablespoons) active dry yeast
Pinch of sugar
1/2 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
2 cups water
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
3 cups medium rye flour
3 cups unbleached, all-purpose or bread flour
1 cup bran
2 tablespoons caraway seeds
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1/4 cup cornmeal (optional)
1 tablespoon unbleached all-purpose flour (optional)
1 teaspoon caraway seeds (optional)
Special equipment: Spice grinder (optional), instant-read thermometer
1. In a small bowl, combine yeast and sugar with warm water.
Stir to dissolve and let stand until foamy, about 10 minutes.
2. Heat two cups water, molasses, vinegar, butter and chocolate until the butter and chocolate are melted.
Set aside and let cool to lukewarm warm.
3. Combine whole-wheat, rye and white flours in a large bowl.
Set aside.
4. In bowl of a heavy mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine two cups mixed flours, bran, 2 tablespoons caraway seeds, fennel seeds, salt, espresso and shallots.
At low speed, add yeast and chocolate mixtures.
Mix until smooth and beat at medium speed for three minutes. (If you don’t like whole seeds in your bread, grinding them in a spice grinder, coffee grinder or mortar and pestle allows their flavor to come through without the texture. I always make my black bread this way.)
Note: This, or any bread, can also be made by hand, simply mixing the ingredients in a large bowl with a wooden spoon and kneading the dough on a counter until springy and smooth.
5. At low speed, add half cup of remaining mixed flours at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl and begins to work its way up paddle.
It will be very sticky but firm.
6. Scrape dough off paddle, flour counter well, and knead to make a springy yet dense dough.
You might not use all of the flour mixture.
7. Form into a ball and place in a greased bowl.
Turn once to grease top.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm area until doubled, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
Combine cornmeal, flour and remaining caraway seeds, if using, and set aside.
8. Gently deflate dough.
Turn out onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide into two portions and form into two rounds or loaves.
Loaves should be placed in a loaf pan sprayed with nonstick spray, while rounds should be placed seam down on a greased or parchment-lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle loaves with cornmeal mixture, if using.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap.
Let rise until doubled and puffy, about 45 minutes to one hour.
Slash an 'X' into the top of a round before baking it; no such slashing is needed for bread in a loaf pan.
9. Bake in a preheated 180°C/350°F oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until loaves are well-browned, or register an internal temperature of 93°C to 98°C on an instant-read thermometer.
Baking time in your oven may vary — check in on the bread when it is 2/3 to 3/4 of the way through the baking time to make sure it has not super-speedily baked.
Remove from baking sheet to cool completely on a rack.
Thursday 29 December 2016
No-Knead Bread, 10 Years Later.
I was sitting at my desk at the Times 10 years ago when Jim Lahey – whom I knew only by reputation – emailed me: “I have a new method of making bread that requires no kneading and can give you professional results at home.”
I started baking bread in 1970, and, when my friend Charlie Van Over developed what I still believe is the best food processor method there is, I adopted that and never looked back. But Lahey’s invitation was intriguing.
It was a period during which the Times was experimenting with video, and I was one of the lucky guinea pigs. So on a bright November day (Jim insists it was election day 2006; I have no recollection), I walked over with two video people, we watched Jim do his thing, I wrote it up, the video people edited, and ….
It became one of the most popular stories in the history of the Times.
That level of popularity was a peculiar confluence of events, but that bread recipe (which I used yesterday, and will tomorrow, barely unchanged from the original), has legs. That original description by Jim remains true, and literally millions of people now make bread according to Jim’s instructions.
A few weeks ago, just before election day 2016, I met two video people from Food & Wine at Sullivan Street (which hasn’t changed much) and we taped a reunion, with Jim commenting on and critiquing my technique (which evidently isn’t bad).
You can watch (the extremely abridged version) here.
As you can tell – we had fun.
Tested and Proven - delicious!
So new recipe (12-06-2016):
2 2/3 Cup white flour
1 1/3 Cup whole wheat flour (Whole-wheat flour - in the US or wholemeal flour in the UK)
2 teasp salt
1/2 teasp yeast
2 Cup water
12 hour first rise
fold three times on floured surface
for 2-hour second rise
Bake 30 min at 500F/260C in covered dutch oven
Bake 15 minutes uncovered
AND old recipe (2015):
3 cups - 400 grams all-purpose or bread flour
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) instant yeast
1+1/4 teaspoons (8 grams) salt
1 5/8 cups (1+1/3 - 300 grams in book) water.
I started baking bread in 1970, and, when my friend Charlie Van Over developed what I still believe is the best food processor method there is, I adopted that and never looked back. But Lahey’s invitation was intriguing.
It was a period during which the Times was experimenting with video, and I was one of the lucky guinea pigs. So on a bright November day (Jim insists it was election day 2006; I have no recollection), I walked over with two video people, we watched Jim do his thing, I wrote it up, the video people edited, and ….
It became one of the most popular stories in the history of the Times.
That level of popularity was a peculiar confluence of events, but that bread recipe (which I used yesterday, and will tomorrow, barely unchanged from the original), has legs. That original description by Jim remains true, and literally millions of people now make bread according to Jim’s instructions.
A few weeks ago, just before election day 2016, I met two video people from Food & Wine at Sullivan Street (which hasn’t changed much) and we taped a reunion, with Jim commenting on and critiquing my technique (which evidently isn’t bad).
You can watch (the extremely abridged version) here.
As you can tell – we had fun.
Tested and Proven - delicious!
So new recipe (12-06-2016):
2 2/3 Cup white flour
1 1/3 Cup whole wheat flour (Whole-wheat flour - in the US or wholemeal flour in the UK)
2 teasp salt
1/2 teasp yeast
2 Cup water
12 hour first rise
fold three times on floured surface
for 2-hour second rise
Bake 30 min at 500F/260C in covered dutch oven
Bake 15 minutes uncovered
AND old recipe (2015):
3 cups - 400 grams all-purpose or bread flour
1/4 teaspoon (1 gram) instant yeast
1+1/4 teaspoons (8 grams) salt
1 5/8 cups (1+1/3 - 300 grams in book) water.
Wednesday 28 December 2016
Bread Stekka.
recipes for the future
Since we were talking about the bread for the day, which can be put on the table guests, how's that option?
This bread - brother of bread without kneading, the same principle, a very long fermentation of the batter to be mixed with a minimum of yeast.
The idea is not new, loved by the people pain l'ancienne is done in a similar way, but with a lot of yeast and fermentation with cold, but the result is unusual and enjoyable.
Although the name sounds very Italian, as far as I can see nothing very Italian in that there is no bread, it's our local invention.
Testreports:
400 g bread flour
3 g (1/2 tsp) salt
3 g (3/4 tsp) sugar
1/4 tsp instant yeast
350 g cold water (12-15 ° C)
1. Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast, mix well.
Add water and stir the dough with a spoon or your hand until you have a rough, wet, sticky dough.
Tighten the bowl of the film and leave the dough for 12-18 hours.
Focus more on 12 than at 18.
The finished dough will rise much, and will be covered with bubbles.
2. Generously sprinkle the board with flour, pour (I kid you not) at her dough and carefully wrap it several times over the hand or scraper until the dough almost tighten.
Lightly oil the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt (about 1/4 teaspoon).
3. Take a linen towel and generously sprinkle simple or large corn flour or bran.
Turn the dough on the towel (here you will learn enough flour sprinkled on the board.) If the top of the sticky dough sprinkle with flour, cover with a towel and leave the edges rasstaivatsya for 1-2 hours, until the dough has risen about half and no longer springy when pressed with a finger.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 260°C/500°F.
5. Take a baking tray (standard American baking with borders, so-called half-sheet size 30x42 cm, I highly recommend using steel trays without coatings) and lubricate it with olive oil.
Put the dough on a floured board and cut into 4 pieces with a scraper.
Do not cut the dough on the towel.
Take each strip of dough and transfer to a baking sheet stretching it to a length of the pan.
Simple stekka.
Grease with olive oil and sprinkle with large sea salt.
Stekka with tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half small (like cherry), press the dough in half at the same distance, place on top of a thin slice of garlic and a few leaves of thyme.
Grease stekku olive oil and sprinkle with large sea salt.
Stekka with garlic. Clean chives, lightly press down on them with a knife so that they cracked and push into the dough at the same distance.
Grease stekku olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and a large freshly ground black pepper.
Stekka with olives. Press the olives into the dough at the same distance and brush the dough with olive oil.
Pickled olives enough in themselves, and in addition to salt on top of them is not necessary.
Stekka with feta. Cut the feta into small pieces and push them into the dough at the same distance.
Grease the dough with olive oil.
Like olive stekka this salty enough on its own, in addition to salt it is not necessary.
Of lubrication oil.
From how much olive oil comes into play much depends.
If you lubricate the dough very thin layer, the crust is slightly crunchy, almost like a baguette.
If you do not feel sorry for oil, the bread soaked it becomes fragrant and soft, more like focaccia.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes until thick golden-brown crust.
Give stekkam cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer them to the grill and allow to cool completely.
from "My Bread" by J. Lahey
Since we were talking about the bread for the day, which can be put on the table guests, how's that option?
This bread - brother of bread without kneading, the same principle, a very long fermentation of the batter to be mixed with a minimum of yeast.
The idea is not new, loved by the people pain l'ancienne is done in a similar way, but with a lot of yeast and fermentation with cold, but the result is unusual and enjoyable.
Although the name sounds very Italian, as far as I can see nothing very Italian in that there is no bread, it's our local invention.
Testreports:
400 g bread flour
3 g (1/2 tsp) salt
3 g (3/4 tsp) sugar
1/4 tsp instant yeast
350 g cold water (12-15 ° C)
1. Mix flour, sugar, salt and yeast, mix well.
Add water and stir the dough with a spoon or your hand until you have a rough, wet, sticky dough.
Tighten the bowl of the film and leave the dough for 12-18 hours.
Focus more on 12 than at 18.
The finished dough will rise much, and will be covered with bubbles.
2. Generously sprinkle the board with flour, pour (I kid you not) at her dough and carefully wrap it several times over the hand or scraper until the dough almost tighten.
Lightly oil the top of the dough with olive oil and sprinkle with coarse salt (about 1/4 teaspoon).
3. Take a linen towel and generously sprinkle simple or large corn flour or bran.
Turn the dough on the towel (here you will learn enough flour sprinkled on the board.) If the top of the sticky dough sprinkle with flour, cover with a towel and leave the edges rasstaivatsya for 1-2 hours, until the dough has risen about half and no longer springy when pressed with a finger.
4. Pre-heat the oven to 260°C/500°F.
5. Take a baking tray (standard American baking with borders, so-called half-sheet size 30x42 cm, I highly recommend using steel trays without coatings) and lubricate it with olive oil.
Put the dough on a floured board and cut into 4 pieces with a scraper.
Do not cut the dough on the towel.
Take each strip of dough and transfer to a baking sheet stretching it to a length of the pan.
Simple stekka.
Grease with olive oil and sprinkle with large sea salt.
Stekka with tomatoes. Cut the tomatoes in half small (like cherry), press the dough in half at the same distance, place on top of a thin slice of garlic and a few leaves of thyme.
Grease stekku olive oil and sprinkle with large sea salt.
Stekka with garlic. Clean chives, lightly press down on them with a knife so that they cracked and push into the dough at the same distance.
Grease stekku olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt and a large freshly ground black pepper.
Stekka with olives. Press the olives into the dough at the same distance and brush the dough with olive oil.
Pickled olives enough in themselves, and in addition to salt on top of them is not necessary.
Stekka with feta. Cut the feta into small pieces and push them into the dough at the same distance.
Grease the dough with olive oil.
Like olive stekka this salty enough on its own, in addition to salt it is not necessary.
Of lubrication oil.
From how much olive oil comes into play much depends.
If you lubricate the dough very thin layer, the crust is slightly crunchy, almost like a baguette.
If you do not feel sorry for oil, the bread soaked it becomes fragrant and soft, more like focaccia.
6. Bake for about 20 minutes until thick golden-brown crust.
Give stekkam cool 5 minutes on baking sheet, then transfer them to the grill and allow to cool completely.
from "My Bread" by J. Lahey
Tuesday 27 December 2016
Bread: bread with re-milled durum flour.
- Pane con Semola Rimacinata di Grano Duro | The Fresh Loaf: bread with re-milled durum flour.
Durum Flour 60%
Bread Flour 40%
Water* 60%
Salt
- Rimacinata - STIR THE POTS: Rimacinata is a term for the finest milled semolina flour (aka durum) - bread with re-milled durum flour.
- Focaccia Barese - STIR THE POTS: "With some spare potatoes from home-made potato dumplings, cherry tomatoes from my mom's garden and some sourdough, I whipped up a Focaccia Barese. It's a supple dough, usually made from semola rimacinata, potatoes and olive oil. In my minor adaption, I used kamut. With a couple hours of proof, I then baked it in my cast iron pan."
Durum Flour 60%
Bread Flour 40%
Water* 60%
Salt
- Rimacinata - STIR THE POTS: Rimacinata is a term for the finest milled semolina flour (aka durum) - bread with re-milled durum flour.
- Focaccia Barese - STIR THE POTS: "With some spare potatoes from home-made potato dumplings, cherry tomatoes from my mom's garden and some sourdough, I whipped up a Focaccia Barese. It's a supple dough, usually made from semola rimacinata, potatoes and olive oil. In my minor adaption, I used kamut. With a couple hours of proof, I then baked it in my cast iron pan."
Monday 26 December 2016
Our Bread. Speedy No-Knead Bread.
Brian's Bread!
Tested and Proven - delicious!
3 cups bread flour (408 grams)
1 packet (7 grams) instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
50g Butter or Marg
1. Combine flour, yeast, butter and salt in a large bowl, with fingers to resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Add 1 1/2 cups Warm water and stir until blended; dough will be sticky.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 21C.
2. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; fold left side to the middle the right side over that (you have 3 layers) turn 90deg and repeat,turn 90deg and repeat again.
Place dough in the floured washed out bowl Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place 30 minutes more.
3. While the dough is proving for 30min, heat oven to 230C.
Put a 6-to-8-Liters heavy covered pot (22cm cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic with lid) in oven as it heats.
When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.
Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up.
Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
4. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 20 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.
Cool on a rack.
Yield: 1 big loaf.
Lara's Bread!1 packet (7 grams) instant yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
50g Butter or Marg
1. Combine flour, yeast, butter and salt in a large bowl, with fingers to resemble fine breadcrumbs.
Add 1 1/2 cups Warm water and stir until blended; dough will be sticky.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
Let dough rest about 4 hours at warm room temperature, about 21C.
2. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; fold left side to the middle the right side over that (you have 3 layers) turn 90deg and repeat,turn 90deg and repeat again.
Place dough in the floured washed out bowl Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm place 30 minutes more.
3. While the dough is proving for 30min, heat oven to 230C.
Put a 6-to-8-Liters heavy covered pot (22cm cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic with lid) in oven as it heats.
When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.
Slide your hand under dough and put it into pot, seam side up.
Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
4. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 20 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.
Cool on a rack.
Yield: 1 big loaf.
How to Make No-Knead Bread.
- How to Make No-Knead Bread | Food & Wine: video!
These days I usually use:
1 cup of whole wheat,
2 cups of unbleached white bread flour,
handfuls of pumpkin, sunflower, poppy and sesame seed, and
one heaping half tsp of instant yeast.
And more: - Five Seed Bread – lovinghomemade:
These days I usually use:
1 cup of whole wheat,
2 cups of unbleached white bread flour,
handfuls of pumpkin, sunflower, poppy and sesame seed, and
one heaping half tsp of instant yeast.
And more: - Five Seed Bread – lovinghomemade:
No-Knead Bread.
No-Knead Bread Recipe - NYT Cooking: 2015.
YIELD: One 680 Gram loaf.
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
- In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt.
Add 1 5/8 - 1.5 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 21C.
- Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.
Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
- Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball.
Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.
Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours.
When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
- At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 230C-260C.
Put a 6- to 8-Liters heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats.
When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.
Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K.
Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.
Cool on a rack.
YIELD: One 680 Gram loaf.
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed.
- In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt.
Add 1 5/8 - 1.5 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap.
Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 21C.
- Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles.
Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
- Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball.
Generously coat a cotton towel (not terry cloth) with flour, wheat bran or cornmeal; put dough seam side down on towel and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal.
Cover with another cotton towel and let rise for about 2 hours.
When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
- At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 230C-260C.
Put a 6- to 8-Liters heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats.
When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven.
Slide your hand under towel and turn dough over into pot, seam side up; it may look like a mess, but that is O.K.
Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes.
Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned.
Cool on a rack.
Sunday 25 December 2016
Sourdough pain de campagne recipe by Carl Legge.
Sourdough pain de campagne recipe » Carl Legge:
recipes for the future
The recipe is made over 3 days and only needs a little time at each stage. It’s a very forgiving and flexible method. If you work weekdays, you could start on a Friday evening and have beautiful bread for Sunday lunchtime.
The 3-day method allows the dough to slowly develop good structure and flavour without being too sour.
I (mainly) use a small wholemeal rye starter. There’s a great post here from Weekend Bakers which shows you how easy it is to make. I find this uses less flour and it’s very responsive. If I screw it up, I can make another starter from scratch in a couple of days with no problems. To keep things simple, I use equal weight of flour and water when refreshing: so it’s a 100% starter.
You could replace the wholemeal rye flour with any wholemeal flour. I find the rye is very good as a starter and gives an excellent flavour to the finished bread.
I normally make 3kg of dough at a time for 4 loaves to make the most of a hot oven The recipe here makes about half that, for two loaves. Just scale up/down the ingredients pro rata if you need to. I use digital scales for accurate measuring, it really does make a difference.
Finally, the flour I mostly use is from Shipton Mill: their organic dark wholemeal rye and untreated organic white flour No. 4.
Sourdough pain de campagne recipe
Day 1, evening – Starter
Wholemeal rye starter 100g
Wholemeal rye flour 40g
Tepid water 60g
In a small bowl mix this all together and cover with a lid, cling film or a clean cloth. Leave in a warm place. The following morning, you should have a little bowl of bubbly flour.
Day 2, morning – Poolish
Big Starter from above 200g
Wholemeal rye flour 35g
Strong white flour 80g
Tepid water 185g
In a bowl of about 2-3 litre capacity, mix all the ingredients together. A Danish dough whisk is just perfect for this. A spoon or fork will also work… Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place until the evening. Ideally the poolish will have at least 6 hours to stand, more is not a problem. You should end up with a bigger bowl of gently bubbling flour.
Day 2, evening – Dough
Poolish from above 500g
Strong white flour 650g
Fine salt 15g
Water 300g
Total weight is 1465g-ish
In the early evening, add the other ingredients to the poolish in the bowl and mix well to form a ragged and sticky dough. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Then fold the dough. The dough will be slighty more sticky than in this video. Just keep the surface and your hands well floured and you’ll be fine.
I fold 3 times in total at roughly 1 hour intervals. Pop the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place after the first two folds.
After the third fold, pop the dough in the bowl, cover and put in the fridge overnight. Bakers call this ‘retarding the dough’. It allows the dough to slowly develop a good flavour. Different flavour giving compounds in the dough work best at these lower temperatures to make the rounded flavour of the sourdough.
Day 3, morning – bake
Take out dough and divide it into two. In a warm place, allow the dough to rest and warm up for about 30 minutes.
Shape the dough and prove 1-3 hours. See these videos for shaping ideas.
How to simply shape bread to make rolls, a batard, a boule or round loaf and a rectangular loaf.
Once you’ve shaped the dough, put it into a banneton or just onto some baking paper, cover and allow to prove for 1.5-3 hours. The dough should increase by 30-50% and still be springy to the touch.
While the dough proves, heat your oven to 240°C. I bake on a granite baking stone which gives a good bottom to the bread.
Once the dough is proved, slash the top of the dough to give it somewhere to expand through (and to look pretty). Then bake for 15 mins with a tray with some boiling water in it placed at bottom of the oven. The water will help give you a nice crisp crust.
Then remove the water tray and bake for another 30 minutes at 190-200°C for 30 mins.
Take the bread out and allow it to cool on a rack. Wait a while and listen to the crust crackle and ‘sing’. And enjoy.
'via Blog this'
recipes for the future
The recipe is made over 3 days and only needs a little time at each stage. It’s a very forgiving and flexible method. If you work weekdays, you could start on a Friday evening and have beautiful bread for Sunday lunchtime.
The 3-day method allows the dough to slowly develop good structure and flavour without being too sour.
I (mainly) use a small wholemeal rye starter. There’s a great post here from Weekend Bakers which shows you how easy it is to make. I find this uses less flour and it’s very responsive. If I screw it up, I can make another starter from scratch in a couple of days with no problems. To keep things simple, I use equal weight of flour and water when refreshing: so it’s a 100% starter.
You could replace the wholemeal rye flour with any wholemeal flour. I find the rye is very good as a starter and gives an excellent flavour to the finished bread.
I normally make 3kg of dough at a time for 4 loaves to make the most of a hot oven The recipe here makes about half that, for two loaves. Just scale up/down the ingredients pro rata if you need to. I use digital scales for accurate measuring, it really does make a difference.
Finally, the flour I mostly use is from Shipton Mill: their organic dark wholemeal rye and untreated organic white flour No. 4.
Sourdough pain de campagne recipe
Day 1, evening – Starter
Wholemeal rye starter 100g
Wholemeal rye flour 40g
Tepid water 60g
In a small bowl mix this all together and cover with a lid, cling film or a clean cloth. Leave in a warm place. The following morning, you should have a little bowl of bubbly flour.
Day 2, morning – Poolish
Big Starter from above 200g
Wholemeal rye flour 35g
Strong white flour 80g
Tepid water 185g
In a bowl of about 2-3 litre capacity, mix all the ingredients together. A Danish dough whisk is just perfect for this. A spoon or fork will also work… Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place until the evening. Ideally the poolish will have at least 6 hours to stand, more is not a problem. You should end up with a bigger bowl of gently bubbling flour.
Day 2, evening – Dough
Poolish from above 500g
Strong white flour 650g
Fine salt 15g
Water 300g
Total weight is 1465g-ish
In the early evening, add the other ingredients to the poolish in the bowl and mix well to form a ragged and sticky dough. Cover the bowl and leave in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Then fold the dough. The dough will be slighty more sticky than in this video. Just keep the surface and your hands well floured and you’ll be fine.
I fold 3 times in total at roughly 1 hour intervals. Pop the dough back in the bowl, cover and leave in a warm place after the first two folds.
After the third fold, pop the dough in the bowl, cover and put in the fridge overnight. Bakers call this ‘retarding the dough’. It allows the dough to slowly develop a good flavour. Different flavour giving compounds in the dough work best at these lower temperatures to make the rounded flavour of the sourdough.
Day 3, morning – bake
Take out dough and divide it into two. In a warm place, allow the dough to rest and warm up for about 30 minutes.
Shape the dough and prove 1-3 hours. See these videos for shaping ideas.
How to simply shape bread to make rolls, a batard, a boule or round loaf and a rectangular loaf.
Once you’ve shaped the dough, put it into a banneton or just onto some baking paper, cover and allow to prove for 1.5-3 hours. The dough should increase by 30-50% and still be springy to the touch.
While the dough proves, heat your oven to 240°C. I bake on a granite baking stone which gives a good bottom to the bread.
Once the dough is proved, slash the top of the dough to give it somewhere to expand through (and to look pretty). Then bake for 15 mins with a tray with some boiling water in it placed at bottom of the oven. The water will help give you a nice crisp crust.
Then remove the water tray and bake for another 30 minutes at 190-200°C for 30 mins.
Take the bread out and allow it to cool on a rack. Wait a while and listen to the crust crackle and ‘sing’. And enjoy.
'via Blog this'
Thursday 22 December 2016
Bread /Denmark/.
recipes for the future from HVERDAGSMAD.DK /Denmark/.
The bread is FANTASTIC! Crispy, crunchy crust.
I've tried to bake the bread, both in an iron pot and a roaster, and both work fine. Iron pot, a white crucible was somewhat discolored, so I stick to increased sow, which I put to soak in water while I start on the bread.
Well, that's my bread!
Ingredients:
625 grams of flour (10 dl)
5 cups water
2 tsp salt
yeast the size of a pea (Yes so little use)
Method
1) Stir yeast into water in a large bowl.
Salt and flour are added.
Stir the dough together quickly to all the flour is wet - it should not be kneaded!
Leave to rise for 12 hours.
2) Carefully pour the dough out onto a meldækket board and fold it together just 3 times.
Set again to rise - like a large meldækket cutting boards for 2 hours.
Turn on while the oven at 250 degrees, it should be quite hot. Also put the saucepan or frying sow in, it must also be hot.
3) When dough has finished turned it over in the hot roaster. Sprinkle any. with a little salt and rosemary, put the lid on and place it into the oven.
It will bake in about 25 minutes at 250 degrees with a lid
4) After 25 minutes you let it bake for 15 minutes at 230 degrees uncovered.
Let the bread cool for at least 2 hour before serving.
The bread is FANTASTIC! Crispy, crunchy crust.
I've tried to bake the bread, both in an iron pot and a roaster, and both work fine. Iron pot, a white crucible was somewhat discolored, so I stick to increased sow, which I put to soak in water while I start on the bread.
Well, that's my bread!
Ingredients:
625 grams of flour (10 dl)
5 cups water
2 tsp salt
yeast the size of a pea (Yes so little use)
Method
1) Stir yeast into water in a large bowl.
Salt and flour are added.
Stir the dough together quickly to all the flour is wet - it should not be kneaded!
Leave to rise for 12 hours.
2) Carefully pour the dough out onto a meldækket board and fold it together just 3 times.
Set again to rise - like a large meldækket cutting boards for 2 hours.
Turn on while the oven at 250 degrees, it should be quite hot. Also put the saucepan or frying sow in, it must also be hot.
3) When dough has finished turned it over in the hot roaster. Sprinkle any. with a little salt and rosemary, put the lid on and place it into the oven.
It will bake in about 25 minutes at 250 degrees with a lid
4) After 25 minutes you let it bake for 15 minutes at 230 degrees uncovered.
Let the bread cool for at least 2 hour before serving.
Wednesday 21 December 2016
Roasted Beet Bread.
recipes for the future
Roasted Beet Bread.
This bread is unique, delicious and beautiful.
Filled with pastrami, havarti cheese and mustard, it makes a delicious panini sandwich.
Makes 2 loaves.
Night before:
250 ml (1 cup) bread flour
1 ml (1/4 tsp) instant yeast
250 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water
In a large bowl, combine these ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter for 12 to 16 hours.
Day of:
250 ml (1 cup) pureed roasted beets plus any juice
125 ml (1/2 cup) stone-ground whole-wheat flour, plus extra for sprinkling
3 ml (3/4 tsp) instant yeast
15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh thyme
8 ml (1 3/4 tsp) salt
675 ml (2 3/4 cups) bread flour (approx)
50 ml (1/4 cup) lukewarm water
Olive oil
Cornmeal
To “night before” mixture, add pureed beets and any juice, whole-wheat flour and instant yeast.
Mix with a wooden spoon till smooth.
Let sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Add thyme and salt; mix till smooth.
Start to add bread flour.
Once it becomes too hard to mix in the bowl, turn dough onto a flat surface and knead for 10 minutes.
This will be a sticky dough, so be careful not to add too much flour.
Add just enough to prevent dough from really sticking to your fingers when kneading.
Add a little olive oil to a clean large bowl.
Place dough in bowl and turn over a few times to very lightly coat all sides of the dough with oil.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Let dough rise for 1 1/2 hours or till double in bulk.
Turn onto a flat surface.
Cut dough in half and mould each half into desired shape.
Place shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal.
Spray tops with a little oil spray and cover with plastic wrap for 1 hour or till double in bulk.
Heat oven to 200°C/400°F and place baking stone on centre rack.
Place a cast-iron skillet (filled with lava rocks if you have them) on oven floor or on lowest rack.
When loaves have doubled, sprinkle with a little whole-wheat flour and slash an X on top of each.
Place in hot oven directly on baking stone.
Pour about 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water into hot skillet and close oven door.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or till loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom. (Or stick a meat thermometer into the centre of loaves; when it reads 82°C/180°F they’re ready.)
Let cool on a wire rack.
- No knead to fear bread-baking: Making fresh loaves at home on the rise | canada.com:
- The Knead For Bread – Bread Recipes for Baking Bread: website offers step-by-step, fully illustrated recipes for all kinds of bread and gets about 2,000 visitors a day from around the world.
'via Blog this'
Roasted Beet Bread.
This bread is unique, delicious and beautiful.
Filled with pastrami, havarti cheese and mustard, it makes a delicious panini sandwich.
Makes 2 loaves.
Night before:
250 ml (1 cup) bread flour
1 ml (1/4 tsp) instant yeast
250 ml (1 cup) lukewarm water
In a large bowl, combine these ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon.
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit on the counter for 12 to 16 hours.
Day of:
250 ml (1 cup) pureed roasted beets plus any juice
125 ml (1/2 cup) stone-ground whole-wheat flour, plus extra for sprinkling
3 ml (3/4 tsp) instant yeast
15 ml (1 tbsp) chopped fresh thyme
8 ml (1 3/4 tsp) salt
675 ml (2 3/4 cups) bread flour (approx)
50 ml (1/4 cup) lukewarm water
Olive oil
Cornmeal
To “night before” mixture, add pureed beets and any juice, whole-wheat flour and instant yeast.
Mix with a wooden spoon till smooth.
Let sit, uncovered, for 10 minutes.
Add thyme and salt; mix till smooth.
Start to add bread flour.
Once it becomes too hard to mix in the bowl, turn dough onto a flat surface and knead for 10 minutes.
This will be a sticky dough, so be careful not to add too much flour.
Add just enough to prevent dough from really sticking to your fingers when kneading.
Add a little olive oil to a clean large bowl.
Place dough in bowl and turn over a few times to very lightly coat all sides of the dough with oil.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Let dough rise for 1 1/2 hours or till double in bulk.
Turn onto a flat surface.
Cut dough in half and mould each half into desired shape.
Place shaped dough on a piece of parchment paper sprinkled with cornmeal.
Spray tops with a little oil spray and cover with plastic wrap for 1 hour or till double in bulk.
Heat oven to 200°C/400°F and place baking stone on centre rack.
Place a cast-iron skillet (filled with lava rocks if you have them) on oven floor or on lowest rack.
When loaves have doubled, sprinkle with a little whole-wheat flour and slash an X on top of each.
Place in hot oven directly on baking stone.
Pour about 250 ml (1 cup) boiling water into hot skillet and close oven door.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or till loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom. (Or stick a meat thermometer into the centre of loaves; when it reads 82°C/180°F they’re ready.)
Let cool on a wire rack.
- No knead to fear bread-baking: Making fresh loaves at home on the rise | canada.com:
- The Knead For Bread – Bread Recipes for Baking Bread: website offers step-by-step, fully illustrated recipes for all kinds of bread and gets about 2,000 visitors a day from around the world.
'via Blog this'
Tuesday 20 December 2016
Sprouted Sourdough Bread for Fermentation Week.
recipes for the future
about Chad Robertson bread from Golubka
Golubka: Sprouted Sourdough Bread for Fermentation Week
Below are some things that I learned from trial and error with different flours, applying Chad Robertson’s technique:
1. You need to be patient. It may take time to get your starter going, but if you feed it every day, it will always respond to your efforts, even if it seems that it never will in the beginning.
about Chad Robertson bread from Golubka
Golubka: Sprouted Sourdough Bread for Fermentation Week
Below are some things that I learned from trial and error with different flours, applying Chad Robertson’s technique:
1. You need to be patient. It may take time to get your starter going, but if you feed it every day, it will always respond to your efforts, even if it seems that it never will in the beginning.
Monday 19 December 2016
Friday 16 December 2016
Thursday 15 December 2016
Recipe Collection | Lyukum Cooking Lab
Recipe Collection | Lyukum Cooking Lab
"Culinary coach and personal chef with extensive knowledge of various ethnic cuisines.
Great Britain, France, Spain, Singapore, Japan, China are among my culinary destinations and inspirations.
I have studied professional classic French cooking at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts with one of the best teachers in Austin, Jason Reynolds."
"Culinary coach and personal chef with extensive knowledge of various ethnic cuisines.
Great Britain, France, Spain, Singapore, Japan, China are among my culinary destinations and inspirations.
I have studied professional classic French cooking at Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts with one of the best teachers in Austin, Jason Reynolds."
Friday 9 December 2016
Soup.
I have not tasted yet!
- Sambar - aromatic vegetable and lentil soup - Saga:
A typical Indian version of garam masala contains:
Black and white peppercorns
Cloves
Cinnamon or cassia bark
Mace (Nutmeg)
Black and green cardamom pods
Bay leaf
Cumin
- Kalyn's Kitchen®: Low-Carb Goulash Soup with Red Peppers and Cabbage:
- Lentil and Bulgur Soup - Give Recipe:
- Silky Edamame Soup | Love and Olive Oil:
- Sambar - aromatic vegetable and lentil soup - Saga:
A typical Indian version of garam masala contains:
Black and white peppercorns
Cloves
Cinnamon or cassia bark
Mace (Nutmeg)
Black and green cardamom pods
Bay leaf
Cumin
- Kalyn's Kitchen®: Low-Carb Goulash Soup with Red Peppers and Cabbage:
- Lentil and Bulgur Soup - Give Recipe:
- Silky Edamame Soup | Love and Olive Oil:
Thursday 8 December 2016
Coleslaw.
Sour cabbage Russian recipe (pickled or salted cabbage, Sauerkraut) Russian Food:
- In Russia and Ukraine, a salad of fresh shredded cabbage, mixed with carrots, apples, cranberries etc., is traditionally dressed with unrefined sunflower oil.
The cabbage can be marinated before with vinegar producing cabbage provençal (Russian: капуста провансаль, tr. kapusta provansal).
A similar salad is also made of sauerkraut.
- In the United Kingdom, coleslaw almost always contains carrot and onion in addition to cabbage, usually being made with mayonnaise, salad cream, or a mixture of the two.
Some variations include nuts such as walnuts and dried fruits such as sultanas or raisins.
- The term "coleslaw" arose in the 18th century as an anglicisation of the Dutch term "koolsla" ("kool" in Dutch sounds like "cole") meaning "cabbage salad"
- In Russia and Ukraine, a salad of fresh shredded cabbage, mixed with carrots, apples, cranberries etc., is traditionally dressed with unrefined sunflower oil.
The cabbage can be marinated before with vinegar producing cabbage provençal (Russian: капуста провансаль, tr. kapusta provansal).
A similar salad is also made of sauerkraut.
- In the United Kingdom, coleslaw almost always contains carrot and onion in addition to cabbage, usually being made with mayonnaise, salad cream, or a mixture of the two.
Some variations include nuts such as walnuts and dried fruits such as sultanas or raisins.
- The term "coleslaw" arose in the 18th century as an anglicisation of the Dutch term "koolsla" ("kool" in Dutch sounds like "cole") meaning "cabbage salad"
Ricotta Recipes.
I have not tasted yet!
- Lemon-ricotta-tart: Half Baked Harvest - Made with Love:
Filling:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
228g/8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
zest of 2 lemons, juice from 1
whipped cream, for topping (optional)
You need:
Preheat the oven to 190C.
22-23cm tart pan with a removable bottom.
Ricotta mixture: In a food processor or blender, combine the ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, granulated sugar, eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla and the lemon zest of 2 lemons + juice from 1 lemon.
Blend until smooth.
Drizzle the fudge sauce in the bottom of the prepared tart crust.
Pour half the ricotta mixture over the chocolate and then drizzle the mixture with more fudge sauce.
Add the remaining ricotta mixture and yeah....drizzle with more fudge sauce.
Use a knife to swirl the fudge sauce into the ricotta mixture.
Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until just set.
It is ok if the tart still has a little jiggle to it when it comes out.
Set aside to cool.
- Lemon-ricotta-tart: Half Baked Harvest - Made with Love:
Filling:
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 ounces bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
4 teaspoons vanilla, divided
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
228g/8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
zest of 2 lemons, juice from 1
whipped cream, for topping (optional)
You need:
Preheat the oven to 190C.
22-23cm tart pan with a removable bottom.
Ricotta mixture: In a food processor or blender, combine the ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, granulated sugar, eggs, 2 teaspoons vanilla and the lemon zest of 2 lemons + juice from 1 lemon.
Blend until smooth.
Drizzle the fudge sauce in the bottom of the prepared tart crust.
Pour half the ricotta mixture over the chocolate and then drizzle the mixture with more fudge sauce.
Add the remaining ricotta mixture and yeah....drizzle with more fudge sauce.
Use a knife to swirl the fudge sauce into the ricotta mixture.
Bake the tart in the preheated oven for 50 minutes to 1 hour or until just set.
It is ok if the tart still has a little jiggle to it when it comes out.
Set aside to cool.
Wednesday 7 December 2016
Sauerkraut Basic Recipe.
Sauerkraut Basic Recipe | Wild Fermentation :: Wild Fermentation:
Timeframe: 1-4 weeks (or more)
Special Equipment:
Ceramic crock or food-grade plastic bucket, one-gallon capacity or greater
Plate that fits inside crock or bucket
One-gallon jug filled with water (or a scrubbed and boiled rock)
Cloth cover (like a pillowcase or towel)
Ingredients (for 1 gallon):
5 pounds cabbage (2.300g)
3 tablespoons sea salt
Timeframe: 1-4 weeks (or more)
Special Equipment:
Ceramic crock or food-grade plastic bucket, one-gallon capacity or greater
Plate that fits inside crock or bucket
One-gallon jug filled with water (or a scrubbed and boiled rock)
Cloth cover (like a pillowcase or towel)
Ingredients (for 1 gallon):
5 pounds cabbage (2.300g)
3 tablespoons sea salt
Tuesday 6 December 2016
Sambusak with Spinach and 4 Cheeses.
Tnuva | Starters & Snacks | Sambusak with Spinach and 4 Cheeses:
I have not tasted yet!
Servings: 20
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Dough:
4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 oz fresh yeast
1 cup water
2 packages (7.05 oz) Tnuva Butter
1 egg yolk
(Please note: the dough needs to rest overnight in the refrigerator.)
Filling:
1 lb frozen whole spinach leaves
1 package (8.8 oz) Tnuva Bulgarian Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 roll (7.05 oz) of Tnuva goat cheese
½ package (3.50 oz) of Tnuva Kashkaval, finely grated
7 oz Tnuva Muenster Cheese, grated or finely chopped
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 egg yolk
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
Topping:
1 egg, beaten
Sesame seeds for decoration
1. Prepare the dough: Put the ingredients in a mixer with a dough hook for 8 minutes until the dough is pliable and comfortable.
Put into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about two hours until it has doubled in volume or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
3. Prepare the filling: Thaw and drain the spinach.
Make sure all the liquid is squeezed out.
In a bowl add the spinach, cheese, bread crumbs and egg yolk.
Mix into a smooth mixture and set aside.
4. Shape the pastry: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1 inch thickness.
With a glass or a cookie cutter, cut the dough into 5 inch round circles.
5. At the center of each circle place a heaping tablespoon of the filling and fold in half, creating a half circle.
Press firmly at the edges with a fork or pinch together tightly.
Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Arrange on a lined baking tray.
Bake for about 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and serve warm.
** If you do not serve the same day ** These filled pastries freeze well. Take directly from the freezer and heat at 375F for 10 minutes when wanted. no need to defrost.
'via Blog this'
I have not tasted yet!
Servings: 20
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 20 minutes
Dough:
4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 oz fresh yeast
1 cup water
2 packages (7.05 oz) Tnuva Butter
1 egg yolk
(Please note: the dough needs to rest overnight in the refrigerator.)
Filling:
1 lb frozen whole spinach leaves
1 package (8.8 oz) Tnuva Bulgarian Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 roll (7.05 oz) of Tnuva goat cheese
½ package (3.50 oz) of Tnuva Kashkaval, finely grated
7 oz Tnuva Muenster Cheese, grated or finely chopped
3 tablespoons bread crumbs
1 egg yolk
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
Topping:
1 egg, beaten
Sesame seeds for decoration
1. Prepare the dough: Put the ingredients in a mixer with a dough hook for 8 minutes until the dough is pliable and comfortable.
Put into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about two hours until it has doubled in volume or overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
3. Prepare the filling: Thaw and drain the spinach.
Make sure all the liquid is squeezed out.
In a bowl add the spinach, cheese, bread crumbs and egg yolk.
Mix into a smooth mixture and set aside.
4. Shape the pastry: Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to about 1 inch thickness.
With a glass or a cookie cutter, cut the dough into 5 inch round circles.
5. At the center of each circle place a heaping tablespoon of the filling and fold in half, creating a half circle.
Press firmly at the edges with a fork or pinch together tightly.
Brush with egg and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Arrange on a lined baking tray.
Bake for about 20 minutes until the pastry is golden and serve warm.
** If you do not serve the same day ** These filled pastries freeze well. Take directly from the freezer and heat at 375F for 10 minutes when wanted. no need to defrost.
'via Blog this'
Cauliflower, almond and turmeric soup.
I have not tasted yet!
- The 10 best soup recipes | Life and style | The Guardian: "
This is Leon's winter version of the great Spanish cold summer soup of almonds and garlic called ajo blanco.
The creaminess of the almonds is backed by that of the cauliflower when it has been softened and pureed.
This should have the consistency of satin.
Serves 4-5
1 large cauliflower (about 1.5kg)
50g butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground (or whole) fenugreek
½ tsp ground ginger
70g ground almonds
1 litre vegetable stock
600ml full-fat milk
To garnish
A small handful of whole almonds, skin on, slightly crushed
Lemon wedges
Salt and black pepper
1 Cut the cauliflower florets off the central trunk and very roughly chop them.
Quarter the trunk and slice that too.
2 Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion, garlic, turmeric, fenugreek, ground ginger and sliced cauliflower stalk, and cook until the onion begins to soften.
3 Stir in the ground almonds, making sure everything is well coated, then pour the stock on top.
4 Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the cauliflower florets – the cauliflower may not all be covered at first but as it begins to cook, stir occasionally and it will all get there.
Simmer for a further 20-25 minutes, until all the cauliflower bits are very tender but not mushy – check that the stalks are soft, too.
5 Stir in the milk and blitz until completely smooth.
Top it off with some crushed whole (or flaked) almonds, and serve with a wedge of lemon on the side for a bit of last-minute freshness.
- The 10 best soup recipes | Life and style | The Guardian: "
This is Leon's winter version of the great Spanish cold summer soup of almonds and garlic called ajo blanco.
The creaminess of the almonds is backed by that of the cauliflower when it has been softened and pureed.
This should have the consistency of satin.
Serves 4-5
1 large cauliflower (about 1.5kg)
50g butter
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tsp turmeric
½ tsp ground (or whole) fenugreek
½ tsp ground ginger
70g ground almonds
1 litre vegetable stock
600ml full-fat milk
To garnish
A small handful of whole almonds, skin on, slightly crushed
Lemon wedges
Salt and black pepper
1 Cut the cauliflower florets off the central trunk and very roughly chop them.
Quarter the trunk and slice that too.
2 Melt the butter in a pan, add the onion, garlic, turmeric, fenugreek, ground ginger and sliced cauliflower stalk, and cook until the onion begins to soften.
3 Stir in the ground almonds, making sure everything is well coated, then pour the stock on top.
4 Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the cauliflower florets – the cauliflower may not all be covered at first but as it begins to cook, stir occasionally and it will all get there.
Simmer for a further 20-25 minutes, until all the cauliflower bits are very tender but not mushy – check that the stalks are soft, too.
5 Stir in the milk and blitz until completely smooth.
Top it off with some crushed whole (or flaked) almonds, and serve with a wedge of lemon on the side for a bit of last-minute freshness.
Monday 5 December 2016
Take a peak inside my fridge . . . – Amelia Freer
Take a peak inside my fridge . . . – Amelia Freer:
- eating enough protein
- doesn’t eat any dairy - coconut yoghurt
- coconut milk
- fermented cabbage
- keeps nuts and seeds in the fridge, rather than the cupboard
- seven fruits a day
- making a smoothie, it’s a great way to add in extra protein and nutrients
ProBerry-Amla powder by Nutricology - Health powders
- takes probiotics every morning in her smoothie
- coconut water - a nice alternative to drinking plain water.
- hazelnut, cashew and peanuts
- cashew milk
'via Blog this'
- eating enough protein
- doesn’t eat any dairy - coconut yoghurt
- coconut milk
- fermented cabbage
- keeps nuts and seeds in the fridge, rather than the cupboard
- seven fruits a day
- making a smoothie, it’s a great way to add in extra protein and nutrients
ProBerry-Amla powder by Nutricology - Health powders
- takes probiotics every morning in her smoothie
- coconut water - a nice alternative to drinking plain water.
- hazelnut, cashew and peanuts
- cashew milk
'via Blog this'
Sunday 4 December 2016
Saturday 3 December 2016
Monty Don in his kitchen.
Turning the tables: Monty Don in his kitchen | Life and style | The Guardian:
I have not tasted yet!
"Chilled cucumber soup
This recipe was modified as a result of lunch with Nigel.
1 1/2 cucumbers
1 pint lowfat yogurt
1/2 pint light chicken stock
juice from 1/2 a lemon
good handful of chopped spearmint
salt and freshly ground pepper
ice cubes
Roughly chop the cucumbers, leaving the skin on, and liquidise in a blender.
Add the yogurt, chicken stock and lemon juice and whizz together.
Put into a big bowl, stir in the chopped mint and season.
Refrigerate for an hour before serving with an ice cube in each bowl.
I have not tasted yet!
"Chilled cucumber soup
This recipe was modified as a result of lunch with Nigel.
1 1/2 cucumbers
1 pint lowfat yogurt
1/2 pint light chicken stock
juice from 1/2 a lemon
good handful of chopped spearmint
salt and freshly ground pepper
ice cubes
Roughly chop the cucumbers, leaving the skin on, and liquidise in a blender.
Add the yogurt, chicken stock and lemon juice and whizz together.
Put into a big bowl, stir in the chopped mint and season.
Refrigerate for an hour before serving with an ice cube in each bowl.
Friday 2 December 2016
Thursday 1 December 2016
Sugar Bun.
I have not tasted yet!
We will need:
1 cup milk a little warmer than room temperature
2 teaspoons active dry yeast with a slide, or 20 grams of fresh
1 teaspoon sugar with a slide in the dough
100g melted butter + 50g for greasing baking after
1 egg medium or small
1 teaspoon salt
300-350 g flour
100 grams of vegetable oil
100g sugar for sprinkling (or 6 tablespoons)
Preparation.
1. Gently warm milk 30-40C (not hot!) Mixed with sugar and yeast. Let stand 10-15 minutes.
2. Stir in milk and yeast mixture with melted butter, egg and salt.
3. Pour the flour and knead the dough. Amount of flour, depending on its properties may vary slightly. The main thing is not to add too much of it - the dough should be soft and not clam hands on it.
4. Add to dough 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, it ceases to be sticky. Close by foil and provide hour and a half (minimum 1 hour).
5. Ready to roll out the dough floured table to a thickness of 5 mm.
6. Entire surface of the dough evenly and liberally lubricated with oil and sprinkle well with sugar.
7. Close range in roll and cut into pieces 4-5 cm in width
8. Each piece is cut into one or two times up to half the depth, slightly open and put on greased baking sheet.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes in oven preheated to 180C.
10. Ready buns with melted butter to grease.
Notes.
1. Large amounts of sugar also reduces their lightness during baking. You can add sugar less choose what you like.
2. I baked 25 minutes, the crust in this case turned out crispy. If you like softer - bake for 20 minutes until light colored.
4. Another method of forming the buns. Divide dough into 10 equal pieces. Each flatten, spread butter and sugar, fold into roll. The resulting roll fold in half and cut into the knife with one hand close to the bend, stretch.
5. In addition to sugar buns can be sprinkled with poppy seeds, cinnamon or raisins.
Bon Appetit!
And more: Pecan, Chocolate and Cinnamon Buns – lovinghomemade:
На русском: здесь!
We will need:
1 cup milk a little warmer than room temperature
2 teaspoons active dry yeast with a slide, or 20 grams of fresh
1 teaspoon sugar with a slide in the dough
100g melted butter + 50g for greasing baking after
1 egg medium or small
1 teaspoon salt
300-350 g flour
100 grams of vegetable oil
100g sugar for sprinkling (or 6 tablespoons)
Preparation.
1. Gently warm milk 30-40C (not hot!) Mixed with sugar and yeast. Let stand 10-15 minutes.
2. Stir in milk and yeast mixture with melted butter, egg and salt.
3. Pour the flour and knead the dough. Amount of flour, depending on its properties may vary slightly. The main thing is not to add too much of it - the dough should be soft and not clam hands on it.
4. Add to dough 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, it ceases to be sticky. Close by foil and provide hour and a half (minimum 1 hour).
5. Ready to roll out the dough floured table to a thickness of 5 mm.
6. Entire surface of the dough evenly and liberally lubricated with oil and sprinkle well with sugar.
7. Close range in roll and cut into pieces 4-5 cm in width
8. Each piece is cut into one or two times up to half the depth, slightly open and put on greased baking sheet.
9. Bake for 20-25 minutes in oven preheated to 180C.
10. Ready buns with melted butter to grease.
Notes.
1. Large amounts of sugar also reduces their lightness during baking. You can add sugar less choose what you like.
2. I baked 25 minutes, the crust in this case turned out crispy. If you like softer - bake for 20 minutes until light colored.
4. Another method of forming the buns. Divide dough into 10 equal pieces. Each flatten, spread butter and sugar, fold into roll. The resulting roll fold in half and cut into the knife with one hand close to the bend, stretch.
5. In addition to sugar buns can be sprinkled with poppy seeds, cinnamon or raisins.
Bon Appetit!
And more: Pecan, Chocolate and Cinnamon Buns – lovinghomemade:
На русском: здесь!
Wednesday 30 November 2016
Recipes from UK Specialist Registered Dietitian (RD).
Recipes | Nics Nutrition:
From "UK Specialist Registered Dietitian (RD).
- a healthy balanced diet.
Foods cannot be classed as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in my eyes, and I promote healthy lifestyles as a way of life, rather than fad/short-term diets."
'via Blog this'
From "UK Specialist Registered Dietitian (RD).
- a healthy balanced diet.
Foods cannot be classed as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in my eyes, and I promote healthy lifestyles as a way of life, rather than fad/short-term diets."
'via Blog this'
Wednesday 3 August 2016
Vinaigrette. Sauces.
- The Food Lab Turbo: How to Make a Simple Salad Worth Eating | Serious Eats
- Simple Vinaigrette Recipe | Serious Eats
INGREDIENTS
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 small clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine shallot, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and water in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in olive oil.
Alternatively, place all ingredients in a tightly sealing jar, seal, and shake vigorously until emulsified.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- A Salad Dressing Recipe to Rule Them All - The New York Times
A Salad Dressing Recipe to Rule Them All
- Five Sauces for the Modern Cook - The New York Times
- Simple Vinaigrette Recipe | Serious Eats
INGREDIENTS
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 small clove garlic, minced (about 1/2 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon water
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS
1. Combine shallot, garlic, mustard, vinegar, and water in a large bowl and whisk to combine. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle in olive oil.
Alternatively, place all ingredients in a tightly sealing jar, seal, and shake vigorously until emulsified.
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Vinaigrette will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- A Salad Dressing Recipe to Rule Them All - The New York Times
A Salad Dressing Recipe to Rule Them All
- Five Sauces for the Modern Cook - The New York Times
How to Make Traditional Cassoulet.
How to Make Traditional Cassoulet (And Why You Should Put Chicken in It!) | Serious Eats
First off, it's the shape of the pan.
A traditional cassole has a tapered shape that gives it an extremely high surface area to volume ratio.
More room for evaporation means better skin formation and better browning.
In fact, the last two pictures above are of cassoulets cooked in the exact same manner, the only difference being the vessel they are cooked in.
Unfortunately, it's tough to find a good cassoulet pot around here.
A regular cassoulet will form a crust in about 4 hours of cooking in a 150°C/300°F oven.
What about if you just cook your Dutch oven cassoulet for longer or hotter?
I tried a variety of time and temperature ranges.
At the very best, what you end up with is this:
Decent crust alright, but the crust is really formed by the beans and the meat, not by the liquid itself.
Underneath, the beans are too dry.
The second problem is the store-bought stock I'd been using.
Homemade chicken stock tends to be very high in gelatin, a result of the high amount of connective tissue in the bones and cartilage used to make it.
Store-bought stock, by contrast, is thin and watery.
It's this gelatin that forms the crusty raft on top of the cassoulet, giving it both crust and body.
It's these two problems—wrong pot, not enough gelatin in the stock—that lead many recipes to resort to using breadcrumbs to create an artificial crust.
So what's the solution? Well the obvious one is to just make your own goddam stock.
It's actually way easier than it sounds, though it again requires a bit of a time commitment.
I'll admit it: sometimes even I'm too lazy to make my own stock when I've already got a day-long project ahead of me.
So what's the next best thing?
Just fake it.
By blooming store-bought unflavored gelatin in regular store-bought stock, you can create a rich stock full of body that forms a raft just like the real deal.
I don't go easy on the gelatin either (remember, you have to make up for using the wrong-shaped pot as well).
A full three packets for a quart of liquid gives it the body and crust I'm looking for.
In order to get a cassoulet that stays nice and loose underneath while still building a crust up top, it's important not to drown that crust out.
If your liquid level starts to get too low, add more liquid (just plain water works) to the pot by carefully pouring it along the side of the pot so that it goes under the crust, not over it.
First off, it's the shape of the pan.
A traditional cassole has a tapered shape that gives it an extremely high surface area to volume ratio.
More room for evaporation means better skin formation and better browning.
In fact, the last two pictures above are of cassoulets cooked in the exact same manner, the only difference being the vessel they are cooked in.
Unfortunately, it's tough to find a good cassoulet pot around here.
A regular cassoulet will form a crust in about 4 hours of cooking in a 150°C/300°F oven.
What about if you just cook your Dutch oven cassoulet for longer or hotter?
I tried a variety of time and temperature ranges.
At the very best, what you end up with is this:
Decent crust alright, but the crust is really formed by the beans and the meat, not by the liquid itself.
Underneath, the beans are too dry.
The second problem is the store-bought stock I'd been using.
Homemade chicken stock tends to be very high in gelatin, a result of the high amount of connective tissue in the bones and cartilage used to make it.
Store-bought stock, by contrast, is thin and watery.
It's this gelatin that forms the crusty raft on top of the cassoulet, giving it both crust and body.
It's these two problems—wrong pot, not enough gelatin in the stock—that lead many recipes to resort to using breadcrumbs to create an artificial crust.
So what's the solution? Well the obvious one is to just make your own goddam stock.
It's actually way easier than it sounds, though it again requires a bit of a time commitment.
I'll admit it: sometimes even I'm too lazy to make my own stock when I've already got a day-long project ahead of me.
So what's the next best thing?
Just fake it.
By blooming store-bought unflavored gelatin in regular store-bought stock, you can create a rich stock full of body that forms a raft just like the real deal.
I don't go easy on the gelatin either (remember, you have to make up for using the wrong-shaped pot as well).
A full three packets for a quart of liquid gives it the body and crust I'm looking for.
In order to get a cassoulet that stays nice and loose underneath while still building a crust up top, it's important not to drown that crust out.
If your liquid level starts to get too low, add more liquid (just plain water works) to the pot by carefully pouring it along the side of the pot so that it goes under the crust, not over it.
Wednesday 27 July 2016
Sunday 24 July 2016
Parisian Flan.
“Sir Bones: is stuffed, / de world, wif feeding girls.” | Orangette
From Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets
This recipe, adapted by Greenspan from the esteemed pâtissier Pierre Hermé, makes a traditional Parisian flan, which (unlike the flan generally familiar to Americans, jiggly or gelatinous or covered in caramel) is a custardy almost-cake in a flaky pastry crust.
It is unbearably delicious.
Dorie Greenspan, I apologize for my lack of faith.
For the crust:
1 stick plus 5 Tbs (6 ½ ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
½ large egg yolk (lightly beat one yolk, and then spoon out half)
3 ½ Tbs whole milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
For the filling:
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 2/3 cups water
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
½ cup cornstarch, sifted
To make crust:
Put all of the crust ingredients except the flour in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is soft and creamy.
Add the flour and pulse in quick spurts until the dough forms a ball—then stop.
Turn the dough out onto a smooth work surface, gather it together in a ball, and flatten into a disk.
Wrap the disk well in plastic wrap.
Chill the dough for at least four hours. [Dough can be kept in the fridge for up to three days.]
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and keep close at hand. Working on a generously floured work surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of between 1/8 and ¼ inch. Cut out a 12-inch circle of dough and transfer it to the lined baking sheet. Cover and chill dough for at least thirty minutes.
Butter a 9-inch/22cm springform pan and put it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Fit the dough into the pan, pressing it evenly along the bottom and up the sides.
Don’t worry if the dough tears, as it did for me—just patch it back together and carry on!
Trim the dough so that it comes 1 ¼ inches/3cm up the sides of the pan.
Chill the dough for at least two hours and up to overnight.
Center a rack in the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180C.
Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with beans, rice, or pie weights.
Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, until it is set but not browned. Pull it from the oven, remove the paper and beans, and cool to room temperature.
To make filling:
Bring the milk and water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, preferably one with a heavy bottom, whisk the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch together.
Whisking without stop, drizzle ¼ of the hot liquid over the egg mixture.
When the eggs are warmed, add the rest of the liquid in a steady stream.
Put the saucepan over medium heat and, whisking constantly and energetically, heat the filling just until it thickens and a couple of bubbles pop to the surface.
Immediately remove from the heat, and push the filling through a sieve into a bowl. Let the filling cool for about 30 minutes.
Center a rack in the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190C.
Put the pan with the crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet (if it isn’t still on one), and scrape the filling into the crust.
Smooth the top.
Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake the flan for one hour, or until the filling is puffed and golden and just jiggles in the center when you tap the pan.
Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack, and let the flan cool to room temperature; then chill the flan for at least six hours, preferably overnight.
According to Mr. Hermé, the flan should be served cold.
From Dorie Greenspan’s Paris Sweets
This recipe, adapted by Greenspan from the esteemed pâtissier Pierre Hermé, makes a traditional Parisian flan, which (unlike the flan generally familiar to Americans, jiggly or gelatinous or covered in caramel) is a custardy almost-cake in a flaky pastry crust.
It is unbearably delicious.
Dorie Greenspan, I apologize for my lack of faith.
For the crust:
1 stick plus 5 Tbs (6 ½ ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sugar
½ large egg yolk (lightly beat one yolk, and then spoon out half)
3 ½ Tbs whole milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
For the filling:
1 ½ cups whole milk
1 2/3 cups water
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
½ cup cornstarch, sifted
To make crust:
Put all of the crust ingredients except the flour in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is soft and creamy.
Add the flour and pulse in quick spurts until the dough forms a ball—then stop.
Turn the dough out onto a smooth work surface, gather it together in a ball, and flatten into a disk.
Wrap the disk well in plastic wrap.
Chill the dough for at least four hours. [Dough can be kept in the fridge for up to three days.]
Line a baking sheet with parchment or wax paper and keep close at hand. Working on a generously floured work surface, roll the dough out to a thickness of between 1/8 and ¼ inch. Cut out a 12-inch circle of dough and transfer it to the lined baking sheet. Cover and chill dough for at least thirty minutes.
Butter a 9-inch/22cm springform pan and put it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Fit the dough into the pan, pressing it evenly along the bottom and up the sides.
Don’t worry if the dough tears, as it did for me—just patch it back together and carry on!
Trim the dough so that it comes 1 ¼ inches/3cm up the sides of the pan.
Chill the dough for at least two hours and up to overnight.
Center a rack in the oven, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit/180C.
Line the crust with parchment paper and fill it with beans, rice, or pie weights.
Bake the crust for 18 to 20 minutes, until it is set but not browned. Pull it from the oven, remove the paper and beans, and cool to room temperature.
To make filling:
Bring the milk and water to a boil in a medium saucepan.
Meanwhile, in another medium saucepan, preferably one with a heavy bottom, whisk the eggs, sugar, and cornstarch together.
Whisking without stop, drizzle ¼ of the hot liquid over the egg mixture.
When the eggs are warmed, add the rest of the liquid in a steady stream.
Put the saucepan over medium heat and, whisking constantly and energetically, heat the filling just until it thickens and a couple of bubbles pop to the surface.
Immediately remove from the heat, and push the filling through a sieve into a bowl. Let the filling cool for about 30 minutes.
Center a rack in the oven, and preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit/190C.
Put the pan with the crust on a parchment-lined baking sheet (if it isn’t still on one), and scrape the filling into the crust.
Smooth the top.
Slide the baking sheet into the oven and bake the flan for one hour, or until the filling is puffed and golden and just jiggles in the center when you tap the pan.
Transfer the baking sheet to a cooling rack, and let the flan cool to room temperature; then chill the flan for at least six hours, preferably overnight.
According to Mr. Hermé, the flan should be served cold.
Tuesday 19 July 2016
Roast chicken with dill and leeks recipe . By Diana Henry.
Roast chicken with dill and leeks recipe - Telegraph
Simple, satisfying and perfect for Sunday lunch: whole roast chicken infused with dill and lemon, cooked with waxy potatoes
You might think this recipe comes from Scandinavia – land of dill lovers – but in fact it was inspired by a dish I had in Turkey, where whole fish were cooked on a bed of potatoes and dill (and a little raki). This is a very comforting dish, but light and spring-like at the same time. Serve it with roast tomatoes or a carrot purée.
SERVES
8
INGREDIENTS
2kg chicken
10g dill
75g unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 lemon
500g waxy potatoes, peeled
4 leeks
400ml chicken stock
3-4 tbsp dry vermouth
4 tbsp crème fraîche (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Remove the coarser stems from the dill and set them aside. Roughly chop the remaining light, leafy part. Mash the butter with half the chopped dill.
Carefully lift the skin of the chicken breast and legs and push about half the butter under. Spread the remaining butter over the bird and season. Put in a roasting tin or a flame- and ovenproof dish. Squeeze the lemon over, then put the shells into the cavity of the bird with the dill stalks. Truss the chicken, if you like. Roast for 20 minutes.
Slice the potatoes to the thickness of a pound coin. Trim the leeks, discarding most of the dark-green tops. Chop into 4cm lengths and wash thoroughly.
Take the chicken out of the oven and put the potatoes and leeks around it, coating them in the juices. Season. Pour the boiling stock on to the vegetables with the vermouth.
Reduce the temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4 and return the bird to the oven for one hour. The potatoes will become tender and the cooking liquid reduce significantly. If the vegetables haven’t absorbed all the liquid, remove the chicken to a warmed platter and insulate with foil to keep it warm.
Set the roasting tin on the hob and boil until the liquid mostly disappears. Add the crème fraîche, if using. Heat this through – it doesn’t have to be completely mixed into the vegetables. Check for seasoning.
Put the bird back on top of the vegetables, throw on the rest of the chopped dill and serve.
Simple, satisfying and perfect for Sunday lunch: whole roast chicken infused with dill and lemon, cooked with waxy potatoes
You might think this recipe comes from Scandinavia – land of dill lovers – but in fact it was inspired by a dish I had in Turkey, where whole fish were cooked on a bed of potatoes and dill (and a little raki). This is a very comforting dish, but light and spring-like at the same time. Serve it with roast tomatoes or a carrot purée.
SERVES
8
INGREDIENTS
2kg chicken
10g dill
75g unsalted butter, slightly softened
1 lemon
500g waxy potatoes, peeled
4 leeks
400ml chicken stock
3-4 tbsp dry vermouth
4 tbsp crème fraîche (optional)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Remove the coarser stems from the dill and set them aside. Roughly chop the remaining light, leafy part. Mash the butter with half the chopped dill.
Carefully lift the skin of the chicken breast and legs and push about half the butter under. Spread the remaining butter over the bird and season. Put in a roasting tin or a flame- and ovenproof dish. Squeeze the lemon over, then put the shells into the cavity of the bird with the dill stalks. Truss the chicken, if you like. Roast for 20 minutes.
Slice the potatoes to the thickness of a pound coin. Trim the leeks, discarding most of the dark-green tops. Chop into 4cm lengths and wash thoroughly.
Take the chicken out of the oven and put the potatoes and leeks around it, coating them in the juices. Season. Pour the boiling stock on to the vegetables with the vermouth.
Reduce the temperature to 180°C/gas mark 4 and return the bird to the oven for one hour. The potatoes will become tender and the cooking liquid reduce significantly. If the vegetables haven’t absorbed all the liquid, remove the chicken to a warmed platter and insulate with foil to keep it warm.
Set the roasting tin on the hob and boil until the liquid mostly disappears. Add the crème fraîche, if using. Heat this through – it doesn’t have to be completely mixed into the vegetables. Check for seasoning.
Put the bird back on top of the vegetables, throw on the rest of the chopped dill and serve.
Chicken in the pot with vegetables and barley. By Diana Henry.
Chicken in the pot with vegetables and barley recipe - Telegraph
A whole chicken poached with leeks and carrots makes a substantial and comforting broth
This is one of the best things I cook. It's like a substantial version of the chicken soup my family grew up with.
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
1 medium-sized chicken, about 1.6kg
4 leeks
300g long slim carrots, preferably with greenery
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
bouquet garni, plus more parsley stalks
200ml dry vermouth
55g pearl barley
about 4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
METHOD
Remove any discoloured layers from the leeks and trim and discard the dark tops. Cut into 4cm lengths and wash thoroughly under running water. Trim the carrots, leaving a little tuft of greenery if there is any. Wash really well,
but don't peel. Cut fatter carrots into halves or quarters lengthways.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole over a medium heat and brown the chicken on all sides. Try not to tear the skin as you turn it over (I use wooden spoons), and season as you go. Remove the chicken, set it aside and add the onion and celery to the pot. Sauté gently until the onion is softening but isn't coloured, about five minutes.
Return the chicken and add the bouquet garni, parsley stalks, carrots, a good grinding of black pepper, the vermouth and 800ml of water. Bring to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat right down, cover and poach the chicken for 1½ hours. The water must not boil – it has to be gentle or the chicken will become tough. With 45 minutes of cooking time left, add the barley. With 15 minutes left, add the leeks. At the end, add the chopped parsley.
Serve in big broad soup plates, giving each person some of the vegetables, barley, broth and chicken. My mum serves boiled potatoes with this, which you can break up in your broth, or buttered wheaten (soda) bread. I must admit to gilding the lily a little and offer cream, mustard and sometimes even horseradish.
A whole chicken poached with leeks and carrots makes a substantial and comforting broth
This is one of the best things I cook. It's like a substantial version of the chicken soup my family grew up with.
SERVES 6
INGREDIENTS
1 medium-sized chicken, about 1.6kg
4 leeks
300g long slim carrots, preferably with greenery
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 celery sticks, finely chopped
bouquet garni, plus more parsley stalks
200ml dry vermouth
55g pearl barley
about 4 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
METHOD
Remove any discoloured layers from the leeks and trim and discard the dark tops. Cut into 4cm lengths and wash thoroughly under running water. Trim the carrots, leaving a little tuft of greenery if there is any. Wash really well,
but don't peel. Cut fatter carrots into halves or quarters lengthways.
Heat the oil in a heavy-based casserole over a medium heat and brown the chicken on all sides. Try not to tear the skin as you turn it over (I use wooden spoons), and season as you go. Remove the chicken, set it aside and add the onion and celery to the pot. Sauté gently until the onion is softening but isn't coloured, about five minutes.
Return the chicken and add the bouquet garni, parsley stalks, carrots, a good grinding of black pepper, the vermouth and 800ml of water. Bring to the boil, then immediately reduce the heat right down, cover and poach the chicken for 1½ hours. The water must not boil – it has to be gentle or the chicken will become tough. With 45 minutes of cooking time left, add the barley. With 15 minutes left, add the leeks. At the end, add the chopped parsley.
Serve in big broad soup plates, giving each person some of the vegetables, barley, broth and chicken. My mum serves boiled potatoes with this, which you can break up in your broth, or buttered wheaten (soda) bread. I must admit to gilding the lily a little and offer cream, mustard and sometimes even horseradish.
Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's melon recipes.
No need to laugh … Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's melon recipes | Life and style | The Guardian
Melon, cucumber and courgette salad with olives and red onion
Here, I've partnered melons with their cucurbit relatives, cucumbers and courgettes. All that delicate, juicy flesh is pointed up beautifully by the assertive flavours of olives and onion. Serves four as a side dish.
½ large cucumber (about 200g)
1 medium courgette (about 200g)
¼ small charentais or galia melon (about 200g)
50g pitted black olives, such as kalamata
½ medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
Juice of ½ small lemon
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Quarter the cucumber lengthways, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and slice into thin quarter-moons about 2mm thick. Put the slices in a large bowl. Top and tail the courgette, quarter it lengthways and cut into pieces the same thickness as the cucumber. Add to the bowl.
Scoop the seeds out of the melon. Carefully slice the melon off its skin, then cut it first lengthways into two to three slender wedges, then crosswise, as with the cucumber and courgette, and add to the bowl.
Roughly chop the olives and add to the salad with the onion. Squeeze over the lemon juice, trickle over the oil, give it a good seasoning and stir together gently. Taste, add more salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed, and serve straight away.
-----------
Melon smoothie with orange, ginger and honey
Puréed ripe melon has a lovely, velvety, almost creamy texture.
This refreshing smoothie tastes best when really cold, so chill the melon first.
If your blender isn't up to processing ice cubes, just drop a couple into each glass before you serve the smoothie.
Serves two.
1 small to medium ripe charentais or galia melon, chilled (about 1kg)
150ml freshly squeezed orange juice
1 thumb-sized chunk ginger, peeled
3-4 ice cubes
1-2 tsp honey
Scoop out the melon seeds, then scoop the flesh off the skin in chunks, dropping them into a blender as you go.
Add the orange juice.
Finely grate the ginger into a sieve over a small bowl.
Press the grated ginger with the back of a spoon, to squeeze out its juice, measure out a teaspoon and add to the blender.
Add the ice and whizz the lot until smooth.
Add a little honey to taste, just to enhance the fruity flavours, and a touch more ginger juice, if you fancy more kick. Drink immediately.
Melon, cucumber and courgette salad with olives and red onion
Here, I've partnered melons with their cucurbit relatives, cucumbers and courgettes. All that delicate, juicy flesh is pointed up beautifully by the assertive flavours of olives and onion. Serves four as a side dish.
½ large cucumber (about 200g)
1 medium courgette (about 200g)
¼ small charentais or galia melon (about 200g)
50g pitted black olives, such as kalamata
½ medium red onion, peeled and finely chopped
Juice of ½ small lemon
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Quarter the cucumber lengthways, scoop out the seeds with a teaspoon and slice into thin quarter-moons about 2mm thick. Put the slices in a large bowl. Top and tail the courgette, quarter it lengthways and cut into pieces the same thickness as the cucumber. Add to the bowl.
Scoop the seeds out of the melon. Carefully slice the melon off its skin, then cut it first lengthways into two to three slender wedges, then crosswise, as with the cucumber and courgette, and add to the bowl.
Roughly chop the olives and add to the salad with the onion. Squeeze over the lemon juice, trickle over the oil, give it a good seasoning and stir together gently. Taste, add more salt, pepper or lemon juice if needed, and serve straight away.
-----------
Melon smoothie with orange, ginger and honey
Puréed ripe melon has a lovely, velvety, almost creamy texture.
This refreshing smoothie tastes best when really cold, so chill the melon first.
If your blender isn't up to processing ice cubes, just drop a couple into each glass before you serve the smoothie.
Serves two.
1 small to medium ripe charentais or galia melon, chilled (about 1kg)
150ml freshly squeezed orange juice
1 thumb-sized chunk ginger, peeled
3-4 ice cubes
1-2 tsp honey
Scoop out the melon seeds, then scoop the flesh off the skin in chunks, dropping them into a blender as you go.
Add the orange juice.
Finely grate the ginger into a sieve over a small bowl.
Press the grated ginger with the back of a spoon, to squeeze out its juice, measure out a teaspoon and add to the blender.
Add the ice and whizz the lot until smooth.
Add a little honey to taste, just to enhance the fruity flavours, and a touch more ginger juice, if you fancy more kick. Drink immediately.
Cantaloupe Gazpacho.
Cantaloupe Gazpacho Recipe - Bon Appétit
Preparation
Purée 1 medium cantaloupe (peeled, seeded, chopped),
1 small cucumber (peeled, chopped),
2 tablespoons chopped red onion,
2 teaspoons kosher salt,
and 1/3 cup water in a blender until smooth.
With motor running, drizzle in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil;
season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve gazpacho chilled, topped with thinly sliced fresh mint.
Preparation
Purée 1 medium cantaloupe (peeled, seeded, chopped),
1 small cucumber (peeled, chopped),
2 tablespoons chopped red onion,
2 teaspoons kosher salt,
and 1/3 cup water in a blender until smooth.
With motor running, drizzle in 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil;
season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Serve gazpacho chilled, topped with thinly sliced fresh mint.
Monday 18 July 2016
Pumpkin pie and ginger cream.
A couple of days ago Maddy, the little girl from next door, brought me a bowl of pumpkin flesh, dug out of a large pumpkin she was carving for halloween.
Here is a slice of the pie I made with it following a recipe I always use and that never fails to go down well.
This pie only gets made once a year and some years I don’t get around to it at all.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / gas mark 4
Make shortcrust pastry to line a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin: 160g plain flour, 80g unsalted butter, 1 – 2 dessert spoons caster sugar, zest of half a lemon (optional), 1 egg yolk, a drop of milk or water as required.
Rub the butter into the flour, add some sugar and lemon zest if you like then bind together quickly using the beaten egg yolk, adding some milk or water to bring the mixture together and gather it into a ball.
Leave to rest for half an hour in the fridge, wrapped in cling film.
Roll out the pastry and line the buttered flan tin.
Prick the bottom with a fork and place a piece of greaseproof paper and baking beans over the base.
Bake for 25 minutes then take out the oven, remove the beans and paper and leave to cool.
Cook 600g of pumpkin flesh in a pan for approximately 15 mins with just a splash of water; as it cooks it will make its own juice so you don’t want it too watery.
Put the cooked flesh into a food processor (or use a hand blender).
Add to it, 125g soft brown sugar, half a teaspoon each of nutmeg, ground ginger and ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey, grated zest from each of 1 lemon and 1 orange and the juice from half of each.
Process until smooth.
Add 3 beaten eggs and blend together then pour into the pastry case and bake for 50-60 minutes until the centre is set.
Allow to cool then serve dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by whipped cream slightly sweetened with some of the syrup from a jar of stem ginger.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Here is a slice of the pie I made with it following a recipe I always use and that never fails to go down well.
This pie only gets made once a year and some years I don’t get around to it at all.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / gas mark 4
Make shortcrust pastry to line a 23cm loose-bottomed flan tin: 160g plain flour, 80g unsalted butter, 1 – 2 dessert spoons caster sugar, zest of half a lemon (optional), 1 egg yolk, a drop of milk or water as required.
Rub the butter into the flour, add some sugar and lemon zest if you like then bind together quickly using the beaten egg yolk, adding some milk or water to bring the mixture together and gather it into a ball.
Leave to rest for half an hour in the fridge, wrapped in cling film.
Roll out the pastry and line the buttered flan tin.
Prick the bottom with a fork and place a piece of greaseproof paper and baking beans over the base.
Bake for 25 minutes then take out the oven, remove the beans and paper and leave to cool.
Cook 600g of pumpkin flesh in a pan for approximately 15 mins with just a splash of water; as it cooks it will make its own juice so you don’t want it too watery.
Put the cooked flesh into a food processor (or use a hand blender).
Add to it, 125g soft brown sugar, half a teaspoon each of nutmeg, ground ginger and ground cinnamon, 1 tablespoon honey, grated zest from each of 1 lemon and 1 orange and the juice from half of each.
Process until smooth.
Add 3 beaten eggs and blend together then pour into the pastry case and bake for 50-60 minutes until the centre is set.
Allow to cool then serve dusted with icing sugar and accompanied by whipped cream slightly sweetened with some of the syrup from a jar of stem ginger.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Pear custard pudding. By Gloria Nicol.
Serves 6
4 large eggs
120g / 4 oz caster sugar
25g / 1 oz plain flour
small pinch of salt
250 ml / 8 1/2 fl oz whole milk and cream (mixed however you fancy)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 pears, peeled cored and quartered
butter for the dish
icing sugar for dusting
Butter a baking dish, approximately 22 by 30 cm.
Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas Mark 6.
Place the pears in the bottom of the dish, side by side.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together till light and frothy, then continuing to whisk add the flour and salt till the mixture is like thin batter.
Add the milk/cream combo and vanilla and whisk some more.
Pour the batter over the pears and bake it for 40-50 minutes till golden on top and almost set in the middle.
Leave to cool and dust with icing sugar when still warm or serve cold.
If there is any left for breakfast, then tuck in.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean. She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
4 large eggs
120g / 4 oz caster sugar
25g / 1 oz plain flour
small pinch of salt
250 ml / 8 1/2 fl oz whole milk and cream (mixed however you fancy)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
4 pears, peeled cored and quartered
butter for the dish
icing sugar for dusting
Butter a baking dish, approximately 22 by 30 cm.
Preheat the oven to 200C / Gas Mark 6.
Place the pears in the bottom of the dish, side by side.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together till light and frothy, then continuing to whisk add the flour and salt till the mixture is like thin batter.
Add the milk/cream combo and vanilla and whisk some more.
Pour the batter over the pears and bake it for 40-50 minutes till golden on top and almost set in the middle.
Leave to cool and dust with icing sugar when still warm or serve cold.
If there is any left for breakfast, then tuck in.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean. She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Carrot & rhubarb jam. By Gloria Nicol.
Makes approx 1.5Kg (3lbs 5oz)
500g (1lb 2oz) carrots, peeled, topped and tailed
500g (1lb 2oz) rhubarb, washed and trimmed
1 unwaxed lemon
800g (1 3/4lbs) sugar (use jam sugar with added pectin for a stronger set)
60g (2oz) stem ginger (approx 4 balls)
150g (5oz) candied peel (any citrus or melon will do)
Finely grate the carrots and place in a pan with 500ml (3/4pt) of water.
Finely grate the zest from the lemon, squeeze out the juice and place to one side.
Chop the lemon halves, pith and all, into chunks and place them and any pips in a muslin bag tied closed with string or a knot and add them to the carrots.
Bring to a simmer and cook with the lid on for 20 minutes, then remove from the heat.
Chop the rhubarb into 1cm (1/2in) sized cube pieces.
If the sticks are thick I slice them lengthways once or sometimes twice before chopping into equally sized small chunks.
Place the rhubarb in a bowl, add the lemon zest and juice and pour the sugar over it.
Cover and leave for an hour or two until the juice starts to run from the rhubarb.
Tip the contents of the rhubarb bowl into a preserving pan and add the cooked carrots, cooking liquid and muslin bundle.
Add the finely chopped stem ginger and candied peel cut into thin slivers.
Heat slowly, stirring all the time until the sugar is completely dissolved, then turn up the heat bring to a rolling boil and cook until setting point is reached (this took me around 25 minutes). (Test for a set on a cold plate or use a jam thermometer.)
Discard the muslin bag.
Pour into hot sterilised jars, leaving 1 – 2cm (1/2 – 3/4in) headspace, screw on the lids to fingertip tight and process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.
For more info about how to hot water process your preserves, refer to the guide here.
Leave your jars until cold and don’t forget to label and date them.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean. She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Cherry clafoutis. By Gloria Nicol.
Serves 6 (generously)
3 eggs
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4tsp salt
40g (1/3rd cup) plain flour
200ml (1 cup) milk
450g (16oz) fresh cherries, pitted or whole
(or 400g (14oz) if using bottled/canned , well drained)
kirsch or amaretto
some icing sugar (optional)
Butter a 25cm diameter earthenware or enamel dish. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F, Mk 6).
If you are using a mixer, just throw the first 6 ingredients together and beat together to form a smooth batter. Working by hand, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt together, then add the flour followed by the milk to make a smooth batter.
Pour half into the prepared dish, spread the cherries over the batter and splash with a few teaspoonfuls of your chosen liqueur. Pour the rest of the batter over the fruit. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the custard centre is beginning to set. Leave to cool for a while so the custard sets further. Serve warm dredged with icing sugar and another drizzle of liqueur if you like.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
3 eggs
100g (1/2 cup) caster sugar
1tsp vanilla extract
1/4tsp salt
40g (1/3rd cup) plain flour
200ml (1 cup) milk
450g (16oz) fresh cherries, pitted or whole
(or 400g (14oz) if using bottled/canned , well drained)
kirsch or amaretto
some icing sugar (optional)
Butter a 25cm diameter earthenware or enamel dish. Pre-heat the oven to 200C (400F, Mk 6).
If you are using a mixer, just throw the first 6 ingredients together and beat together to form a smooth batter. Working by hand, whisk eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt together, then add the flour followed by the milk to make a smooth batter.
Pour half into the prepared dish, spread the cherries over the batter and splash with a few teaspoonfuls of your chosen liqueur. Pour the rest of the batter over the fruit. Bake for 40-45 minutes until the top is lightly golden and the custard centre is beginning to set. Leave to cool for a while so the custard sets further. Serve warm dredged with icing sugar and another drizzle of liqueur if you like.
Gloria Nicol grows many of the ingredients for her preserves on an allotment close to her home in the Forest of Dean.
She writes the blog www.laundryetc.co.uk, where you can read more about her preserving.
Sunday 17 July 2016
Blackberry, apple, rose geranium jam. By Gloria Nicol.
Makes approx. 1.2Kg (2 1/2 lbs) of jam
500g (1 lb) tart apples, bramleys or wild apples will do fine, peeled cored and roughly chopped
300ml (10 fl oz) water or apple juice
500g (1 lb) blackberries
juice of 1 lemon
750g (1 3/4 lbs)sugar
4 – 6 rose rose attar geranium leaves (optional)
Cook the apples with the water or apple juice until the fruit begins to break up and becomes soft.
Add the blackberries and lemon juice and simmer for a further 10-15 minutes.
If you prefer a seedless jam, allow the fruit to cool then run it through a food mill or push through a sieve and continue with pureed fruit.
Add the geranium leaves tied together in a bundle and the sugar to the fruit and stir over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved, bring to a simmer then remove from the heat and leave for the flavours to macerate for several hours or overnight.
If you plan to can (water process) your jam, prepare the water bath and jars and place jar seals in a pan of hot water on the hob.
Using a preserving pan, bring everything to a rolling boil and maintain the heat until it reaches setting point and a blob of syrup readily forms a skin as it cools on a cold plate.
It only took me 5 minutes to reach a set with my jam. Fish out the geranium leaves and discard them.
Pour the jam into hot sterilised jars and seal. If you are canning your jam, process for 5 minutes then remove from the canner.
From: Gloria Nicol writes the blog laundryetc and is the author of 100 Jams, Jellies, Preserves and Pickles - 100 Jams, Jellies, Preserves & Pickles: Amazon.co.uk: Gloria Nicol: 9781907563614: Books
Blueberry Sage Jam.
Putting Up with Erin- A canning blog focused on pickling, preserving and "putting up" food in jars.
Yield: 9 half pint jars
Ingredients
10 cups fresh blueberries
4 cups sugar
Juice and zest from 2 lemons
2 Tbsp powdered pectin
1-2 handfuls of fresh sage
Instructions
In a large- sized, non-ionized pot combine blueberries, sage, and lemon zest and juice. Heat on low to medium heat. As the mixture begins to warm, mash up the blueberries using the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher.
Add sugar and pectin, bring to a boil, lower heat to sustain a simmer for 10 minutes, or until mixture reaches 220F. Using either the frozen saucer method or another gel point method test your set.
Ladle jam into hot, sterilized half pint jars leaving approx. 1/4 inch headspace.
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings (finger tight), and then process jars in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.
Remove jars from canner and let cool on a folded towel on the counter for 24 hours.
Can I use something other than lemon juice?
A: For those of you who can’t have citrus, try using a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in place of the lemon.
It will balance the flavor in the same way.
Yield: 9 half pint jars
Ingredients
10 cups fresh blueberries
4 cups sugar
Juice and zest from 2 lemons
2 Tbsp powdered pectin
1-2 handfuls of fresh sage
Instructions
In a large- sized, non-ionized pot combine blueberries, sage, and lemon zest and juice. Heat on low to medium heat. As the mixture begins to warm, mash up the blueberries using the back of a wooden spoon or potato masher.
Add sugar and pectin, bring to a boil, lower heat to sustain a simmer for 10 minutes, or until mixture reaches 220F. Using either the frozen saucer method or another gel point method test your set.
Ladle jam into hot, sterilized half pint jars leaving approx. 1/4 inch headspace.
Wipe rims, apply lids and rings (finger tight), and then process jars in a hot water bath for 5 minutes.
Remove jars from canner and let cool on a folded towel on the counter for 24 hours.
Can I use something other than lemon juice?
A: For those of you who can’t have citrus, try using a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in place of the lemon.
It will balance the flavor in the same way.
Lavender Ginger Pickled Blueberries.
Putting Up with Erin- A canning blog focused on pickling, preserving and "putting up" food in jars.
Ingredients
6 cups fresh blueberries
3-5 Tbsp dried lavender
1 cup honey
3 inches fresh ginger (peeled and sliced thin)
3/4 cup water
1-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Wash the blueberries (removing an stems or bad berries).
Tie loose lavender in a tea bag or ball (multiple bags work fine).
Combine the vinegar, water, and honey in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil.
Add the lavender tea bags and sliced ginger.
Once the brine is boiling vigorously, add the blueberries.
Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the brine has returned to a rolling boil and has started to turn a vivid purple.
Remove tea bags.
Ladle the blueberries into the prepared jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
Cover the berries with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Remove any trapped air bubbles from the jars.
Wipe the jar rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove jars from canner and place them on a folded towel to cool.
Let sit for at least 24 hours before consumption.
Ingredients
6 cups fresh blueberries
3-5 Tbsp dried lavender
1 cup honey
3 inches fresh ginger (peeled and sliced thin)
3/4 cup water
1-1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Wash the blueberries (removing an stems or bad berries).
Tie loose lavender in a tea bag or ball (multiple bags work fine).
Combine the vinegar, water, and honey in a medium saucepan and bring them to a boil.
Add the lavender tea bags and sliced ginger.
Once the brine is boiling vigorously, add the blueberries.
Stir and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until the brine has returned to a rolling boil and has started to turn a vivid purple.
Remove tea bags.
Ladle the blueberries into the prepared jars leaving a 1/2 inch headspace.
Cover the berries with brine, leaving 1/2 inch headspace.
Remove any trapped air bubbles from the jars.
Wipe the jar rims, apply the lids and rings, and process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.
Remove jars from canner and place them on a folded towel to cool.
Let sit for at least 24 hours before consumption.
Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam.
Guest Post: Honey Sweetened Blueberry Jam (from Food in Jars) - 100 Days of Real Food
INGREDIENTS
700 gram/4.6 Cups
⅔ cup honey (8 ounces)
½ lemon, juiced
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the berries into a low, wide, non-reactive pan and mash.
Add the honey and lemon juice and stir to combine.
Let the mixture sit until the honey begins to dissolve.
Place the pan on the stove and bring to a boil.
Cook, stirring regularly, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the jam thickens.
To make the jam shelf stable, pour it into clean, hot jars.
Apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for ten minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from the canner and place them on a folded kitchen towel and let them cool.
When the jars are room temperature, check the seals.
If the lids have gone concave and don't wiggle at all, they are sealed.
Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within a few weeks.
If you don't want to process the jam, just pour it into a jar, let it cool, and put it in the refrigerator.
INGREDIENTS
700 gram/4.6 Cups
⅔ cup honey (8 ounces)
½ lemon, juiced
INSTRUCTIONS
Pour the berries into a low, wide, non-reactive pan and mash.
Add the honey and lemon juice and stir to combine.
Let the mixture sit until the honey begins to dissolve.
Place the pan on the stove and bring to a boil.
Cook, stirring regularly, for 10 to 12 minutes, until the jam thickens.
To make the jam shelf stable, pour it into clean, hot jars.
Apply lids and rings and process in a boiling water bath canner for ten minutes.
When time is up, remove jars from the canner and place them on a folded kitchen towel and let them cool.
When the jars are room temperature, check the seals.
If the lids have gone concave and don't wiggle at all, they are sealed.
Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within a few weeks.
If you don't want to process the jam, just pour it into a jar, let it cool, and put it in the refrigerator.
Blueberries.
Growing and making jam with blueberries | Life and style | The Guardian
The only way I'll ever have enough blueberries for preserving is to grow my own.
We don't seem to get them in any quantity in the UK and those cartons in the supermarket are far too small and too expensive to use as a serious jam ingredient.
Sometimes I've been lucky enough to come across berries with a yellow sticker at a bargain price that are close to their 'sell by' date but still fresh enough to make use of. I buy them up and fill the freezer.
When preserved in combination with another fruit, a little goes a long way, so is a good compromise, but I'd love to have a plentiful supply to feature blueberries as the main player.
For that reason it's time to plant some blueberry bushes on the allotment.
Planting for preserving has specific considerations.
You are aiming to create a glut rather than avoid one and instead of varieties with staggered ripening times, you want enough to harvest all in one go.
Most blueberries you buy are also fairly sweet and nondescript and for jam making a tarter fruit works better for a distinctive flavour once cooked.
As blueberries benefit from company, it is advised to grow at least two varieties side by side for higher yields.
I've chosen Darrow and Jersey, both attributed with a sharper flavour ideal for cooking and I already have Bluecrop growing neglectfully in a pot, that deserves to be liberated.
As they need acid soil to prosper and my soil isn't quite acid enough, I've dug out each planting hole and filled with a mixture of ericaceous compost mixed with about a quarter bark chippings.
I'll be mulching them too with coffee grounds and composted pine needles and watering them only with collected rain water if need be, to keep them happy.
In the meantime, here is one of my favourite recipes using some shop bought berries alongside seasonal rhubarb.
Makes 1.25kg
600g rhubarb
300g blueberries
2 limes, the zest and juice
700g sugar
Wash rhubarb, top and tail then chop into evenly sized pieces (I usually run a knife down the middle of the stalks then chop into roughly 1cm sized pieces).
Place in a glass bowl and pour the sugar over the top.
Cover with a plate or cling film and leave overnight, by which time the sugar will have soaked up the juice from the rhubarb.
Place the grated lime zest and blueberries in a pan, adding 3 tblsp of lime juice.
Heat gently and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on, until the berries are cooked and surrounded by juice.
Pour the rhubarb and sugar into a jam pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the blueberries and lime, turn up the heat and cook at a rolling boil until setting point is reached (a small dollop of the syrup on a cold plate will readily form a skin when left to cool slightly).
It took me 10 minutes to achieve this and I advise that you keep an eye on it and give the occasional stir whilst it cooks as the mixture is apt to burn if you're not careful.
Skim if necessary.
Pour into hot sterilised jars, put a circle of waxed paper on the surface of each one and seal.
This jam has a nice soft set that suits me fine.
If you prefer your jam to 'cut' rather than dollop substitute all or half of the sugar with preserving sugar that includes added pectin.
The only way I'll ever have enough blueberries for preserving is to grow my own.
We don't seem to get them in any quantity in the UK and those cartons in the supermarket are far too small and too expensive to use as a serious jam ingredient.
Sometimes I've been lucky enough to come across berries with a yellow sticker at a bargain price that are close to their 'sell by' date but still fresh enough to make use of. I buy them up and fill the freezer.
When preserved in combination with another fruit, a little goes a long way, so is a good compromise, but I'd love to have a plentiful supply to feature blueberries as the main player.
For that reason it's time to plant some blueberry bushes on the allotment.
Planting for preserving has specific considerations.
You are aiming to create a glut rather than avoid one and instead of varieties with staggered ripening times, you want enough to harvest all in one go.
Most blueberries you buy are also fairly sweet and nondescript and for jam making a tarter fruit works better for a distinctive flavour once cooked.
As blueberries benefit from company, it is advised to grow at least two varieties side by side for higher yields.
I've chosen Darrow and Jersey, both attributed with a sharper flavour ideal for cooking and I already have Bluecrop growing neglectfully in a pot, that deserves to be liberated.
As they need acid soil to prosper and my soil isn't quite acid enough, I've dug out each planting hole and filled with a mixture of ericaceous compost mixed with about a quarter bark chippings.
I'll be mulching them too with coffee grounds and composted pine needles and watering them only with collected rain water if need be, to keep them happy.
In the meantime, here is one of my favourite recipes using some shop bought berries alongside seasonal rhubarb.
Makes 1.25kg
600g rhubarb
300g blueberries
2 limes, the zest and juice
700g sugar
Wash rhubarb, top and tail then chop into evenly sized pieces (I usually run a knife down the middle of the stalks then chop into roughly 1cm sized pieces).
Place in a glass bowl and pour the sugar over the top.
Cover with a plate or cling film and leave overnight, by which time the sugar will have soaked up the juice from the rhubarb.
Place the grated lime zest and blueberries in a pan, adding 3 tblsp of lime juice.
Heat gently and simmer for 15 minutes with the lid on, until the berries are cooked and surrounded by juice.
Pour the rhubarb and sugar into a jam pan and stir over a low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
Add the blueberries and lime, turn up the heat and cook at a rolling boil until setting point is reached (a small dollop of the syrup on a cold plate will readily form a skin when left to cool slightly).
It took me 10 minutes to achieve this and I advise that you keep an eye on it and give the occasional stir whilst it cooks as the mixture is apt to burn if you're not careful.
Skim if necessary.
Pour into hot sterilised jars, put a circle of waxed paper on the surface of each one and seal.
This jam has a nice soft set that suits me fine.
If you prefer your jam to 'cut' rather than dollop substitute all or half of the sugar with preserving sugar that includes added pectin.
Wednesday 6 July 2016
Kimchi. By Amy Chaplin.
Kimchi - Amy Chaplin
I was introduced to the excitement and delight of fermenting foods by Sandor Katz (mentioned here). After a five day workshop with him all I wanted to do was retreat to a country kitchen and experiment. He showed us how to make ferments from all over the world: miso, cheese, mead, dosa, injera and even fruit kimchi. All these recipes and his broad knowledge and unique experience are beautifully put together in his book Wild Fermentation. I highly recommend it. Kimchi was the first thing I made after that inspiring workshop and we put it on the menu at Angelica Kitchen immediately.
Kimchi is a spicy Korean condiment made from cabbage that is fermented with chili, garlic, ginger, scallions and some times fish. The recipe below is a basic fermentation method and can be adapted to any flavor/vegetable combination you want . Make it with just cabbage and it’s sauerkraut, then try adding other flavors to that like caraway seeds, curry spices, mustard seeds…the sky is the limit. Making kimchi, sauerkraut or pickles is a great way to preserve the last of the local cabbage and all those colorful chilis.
Traditional cultures from all over the world consumed a variety of fermented foods in their daily diet from kimchi and soybean ferments like: miso, tempeh and tamari in Asia; sourdough breads and sauerkraut in Russia; and fermented dairy products like kefir, yogurt and cultured butters in all parts of Europe. These days we eat far less, if any ferments, and further, many of the things we consume, like antibiotics, chlorinated drinking water, alcohol and even antiseptic mouth washes decimate the “good” intestinal bacteria, disrupting the delicate balance.
Lactobacillus acidophilus found in fermented foods is not only beneficial in restoring healthy intestinal flora, a key factor to assimilating nutrients in the digestion process, but also helps the body produce natural antibiotics (supporting your immune system) and anti-carcinogenic compounds (helping to fight cancer).
Adding just a 1/4 cup of sauerkraut, kimchi or other naturally fermented pickle to your daily diet will boost and maintain helpful intestinal bacteria. Make sure that the sauerkraut and pickles you buy are naturally fermented and unpasteurized to ensure that you are getting your daily dose of active live enzymes.
kimchi ingredients, left out the cilantro
“The science and art of fermentation is, in fact, the basis of human culture: without culturing, there is no culture…. Culture begins at the farm, not at the opera house, and binds a people to a land and its artisans.” Sally Fallon
ready to ferment
packing the kimchi
day 1
day 7
P.S. Check out rodale.com for more health tips from me.
Kimchi
1 Napa cabbage (1 3/4 pound), you can also use green cabbage
2 carrots, thinly sliced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
6 to 8 scallions or a medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 inch piece ginger
4 large cloves garlic
4 red jalapeño or other kind of chili, more if you like it hot
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
Slice cabbage and place in a large bowl. Add carrots, radishes and onion.
Peel ginger and place in a food processor with garlic and chili. Process until finely minced and add to the bowl with cabbage. Sprinkle with sea salt and using your hands mix everything, kind of massaging everything together, until the cabbage wilts and gets juicy. It should taste a little saltier than you would prefer, this changes as it ferments.
Pack into a crock or vase with straight sides, packing it down with your fist as you go, the liquid should come to the top.
Use a small plate, that fits inside the crock to keep the kimchi down and top with a jar filled with water. The idea is to keep the liquid covering the top of the kimchi, it acts as a seal. Cover everything with a cloth to keep any bugs out. Place in a well ventilated (it will smell), cool area and let it ferment for 5 to 7 days. The length of time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. Taste after 5 days and if you feel that the flavor is well developed and to your liking then it’s ready.
Remove weight and scoop off any mould or discoloration that is floating on the liquid or the top of the cabbage. Drain liquid off and drink it if you like, or use in salad dressings, chilled soups or add some to your next batch.
Pack kimchi into jars and store in the refrigerator. It lasts for months, the cold temperature will slow the fermentation but not stop it completely, so it may get stronger. Enjoy!
Makes about 4 cups.
I was introduced to the excitement and delight of fermenting foods by Sandor Katz (mentioned here). After a five day workshop with him all I wanted to do was retreat to a country kitchen and experiment. He showed us how to make ferments from all over the world: miso, cheese, mead, dosa, injera and even fruit kimchi. All these recipes and his broad knowledge and unique experience are beautifully put together in his book Wild Fermentation. I highly recommend it. Kimchi was the first thing I made after that inspiring workshop and we put it on the menu at Angelica Kitchen immediately.
Kimchi is a spicy Korean condiment made from cabbage that is fermented with chili, garlic, ginger, scallions and some times fish. The recipe below is a basic fermentation method and can be adapted to any flavor/vegetable combination you want . Make it with just cabbage and it’s sauerkraut, then try adding other flavors to that like caraway seeds, curry spices, mustard seeds…the sky is the limit. Making kimchi, sauerkraut or pickles is a great way to preserve the last of the local cabbage and all those colorful chilis.
Traditional cultures from all over the world consumed a variety of fermented foods in their daily diet from kimchi and soybean ferments like: miso, tempeh and tamari in Asia; sourdough breads and sauerkraut in Russia; and fermented dairy products like kefir, yogurt and cultured butters in all parts of Europe. These days we eat far less, if any ferments, and further, many of the things we consume, like antibiotics, chlorinated drinking water, alcohol and even antiseptic mouth washes decimate the “good” intestinal bacteria, disrupting the delicate balance.
Lactobacillus acidophilus found in fermented foods is not only beneficial in restoring healthy intestinal flora, a key factor to assimilating nutrients in the digestion process, but also helps the body produce natural antibiotics (supporting your immune system) and anti-carcinogenic compounds (helping to fight cancer).
Adding just a 1/4 cup of sauerkraut, kimchi or other naturally fermented pickle to your daily diet will boost and maintain helpful intestinal bacteria. Make sure that the sauerkraut and pickles you buy are naturally fermented and unpasteurized to ensure that you are getting your daily dose of active live enzymes.
kimchi ingredients, left out the cilantro
“The science and art of fermentation is, in fact, the basis of human culture: without culturing, there is no culture…. Culture begins at the farm, not at the opera house, and binds a people to a land and its artisans.” Sally Fallon
ready to ferment
packing the kimchi
day 1
day 7
P.S. Check out rodale.com for more health tips from me.
Kimchi
1 Napa cabbage (1 3/4 pound), you can also use green cabbage
2 carrots, thinly sliced
6 radishes, thinly sliced
6 to 8 scallions or a medium onion, thinly sliced
1 1/2 inch piece ginger
4 large cloves garlic
4 red jalapeño or other kind of chili, more if you like it hot
2 1/2 tsp sea salt
Slice cabbage and place in a large bowl. Add carrots, radishes and onion.
Peel ginger and place in a food processor with garlic and chili. Process until finely minced and add to the bowl with cabbage. Sprinkle with sea salt and using your hands mix everything, kind of massaging everything together, until the cabbage wilts and gets juicy. It should taste a little saltier than you would prefer, this changes as it ferments.
Pack into a crock or vase with straight sides, packing it down with your fist as you go, the liquid should come to the top.
Use a small plate, that fits inside the crock to keep the kimchi down and top with a jar filled with water. The idea is to keep the liquid covering the top of the kimchi, it acts as a seal. Cover everything with a cloth to keep any bugs out. Place in a well ventilated (it will smell), cool area and let it ferment for 5 to 7 days. The length of time will depend on the temperature of your kitchen. Taste after 5 days and if you feel that the flavor is well developed and to your liking then it’s ready.
Remove weight and scoop off any mould or discoloration that is floating on the liquid or the top of the cabbage. Drain liquid off and drink it if you like, or use in salad dressings, chilled soups or add some to your next batch.
Pack kimchi into jars and store in the refrigerator. It lasts for months, the cold temperature will slow the fermentation but not stop it completely, so it may get stronger. Enjoy!
Makes about 4 cups.
Kimchi Radish Pickle.
Kimchi Radish Pickle Recipe - NYT Cooking
INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ pounds radishes (a mix of different types, if possible)
1 ½ tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons Korean chile flakes (not powder)
1 inch-long piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
3 anchovy fillets (optional)
½ teaspoon sugar
PREPARATION
Scrub radishes well with a vegetable brush under cool running water. If using thick-skinned radishes such as watermelon, peel away any hairy or brown spots (you can either leave the rest of the skin on or peel radishes completely). If using small table radishes (usually red, purple, pink or white), trim away roots and most of the green stems, leaving 1/8 inch on top. Halve or quarter smaller radishes; cut larger radishes into bite-size wedges.
Place radishes in a bowl and toss with salt. Let rest for 20 minutes. Drain radishes in a colander set over a bowl, reserving brined juices. Rinse radishes quickly, then shake them to remove excess water.
Prepare the chile paste: In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup water with chile flakes, ginger, garlic, anchovies (if using) and sugar. Add drained radishes and mix well to coat with paste. Pack into a 1-quart jar (or 2 smaller jars), then pour the reserved brine into the bowl with the chile paste residue, swish it around to capture leftover seasonings, and pour brine into jar (the liquid will not cover the radishes). Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Refrigerate and eat within 1 week.
INGREDIENTS
1 ¾ pounds radishes (a mix of different types, if possible)
1 ½ tablespoons coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons Korean chile flakes (not powder)
1 inch-long piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
1 large garlic clove, minced or grated
3 anchovy fillets (optional)
½ teaspoon sugar
PREPARATION
Scrub radishes well with a vegetable brush under cool running water. If using thick-skinned radishes such as watermelon, peel away any hairy or brown spots (you can either leave the rest of the skin on or peel radishes completely). If using small table radishes (usually red, purple, pink or white), trim away roots and most of the green stems, leaving 1/8 inch on top. Halve or quarter smaller radishes; cut larger radishes into bite-size wedges.
Place radishes in a bowl and toss with salt. Let rest for 20 minutes. Drain radishes in a colander set over a bowl, reserving brined juices. Rinse radishes quickly, then shake them to remove excess water.
Prepare the chile paste: In a large bowl, stir together 1/4 cup water with chile flakes, ginger, garlic, anchovies (if using) and sugar. Add drained radishes and mix well to coat with paste. Pack into a 1-quart jar (or 2 smaller jars), then pour the reserved brine into the bowl with the chile paste residue, swish it around to capture leftover seasonings, and pour brine into jar (the liquid will not cover the radishes). Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight. Refrigerate and eat within 1 week.
How to Make Any Kind of Kimchi Without a Recipe
How to Make Any Kind of Kimchi Without a Recipe
Kimchi is the solution to an overload of just about any vegetable.
Prepare to get your hands dirty and dedicate some serious fridge space to the cause.
Here's how to do it:
1. Gather equipment and ingredients.
Many Korean families have a mini fridge just for their kimchi—I’ll call that optional. You will need a very large bowl (plastic, glass, doesn’t matter) or plastic tub. That’ll be the place where you salt and prep your vegetables—oh, you’ll need a considerable amount of coarse salt, too. Think about how you’ll store your kimchi: Plastic containers will retain the orangey-red color and garlicky smell of the kimchi. Mason jars can work, or you can find a gallon-sized glass jar online, if not at a local kitchenwares shop, to store your whole batch.
Then, think about what you’re going to turn into kimchi. Those items that make you say, “What am I going to do with all of this!?” They’re usually great candidates. After napa cabbage, radishes take the number two spot on the kimchi totem pole. (Think daikon, not spicy French radishes.) You can julienne a large radish with a mandoline or cut it into cubes. Other great options are cucumbers (slice large ones in rounds and small ones in quarters lengthwise), zucchini, squash, tough leafy greens, or scallions. Those would be the traditional choices, but there’s nothing stopping you from testing out other farmers market finds.
As you’re shopping, eyeball about a gallon’s worth of veg—that’s a good amount to start with for your kimchi adventure. You can also mix and match what you decide to kimchi: Watercress, daikon, and scallions all in one jar? I’m not stopping you.
Things that won’t work would include anything with too distinct a flavor (beets, most fruits—kimchi’s powerful flavor doesn’t play well with others), or anything too dense to tenderize during marinating (carrots are tricky, for example, unless they’re julienned).
2. Prepare the vegetables and get layering.
Now, clean up your vegetables. Depending on what you’re fermenting, preparation can differ. The goal here is to get everything thoroughly covered when marinating, but to keep some texture intact. If using cabbage, trim tops of leaves, cut in half, and remove the core, separating out each leaf. Green onions and leafy greens are usually left whole. If using daikon radish, peel and cut into cubes. If using cucumbers or zucchini, large ones can be cut into rounds and small ones into quarters lengthwise.
Next, pack in a single layer of your prepared kimchi base (cabbage, radish, or whatever you’ve chosen) into your large container/tub. Sprinkle with coarse salt and repeat until you’ve layered in and salted all of your vegetables. Be careful not to go salt crazy; you’re just using enough to remove some moisture and clean the vegetable, not enough to create a super-seasoned kimchi. Let the salted vegetables sit for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature. You can cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towels if you’re concerned about cleanliness, but it’s not necessary.
3. Make the “sauce.”
Meanwhile, you can get to work on the seasoning. Combine roughly chopped onion, chopped apple or pear, and two small palmfuls of your briny addition (Saeujeot, miso) to a food processor. Toss in a knob of chopped ginger, about the size of your pinky finger. Finally, go garlic crazy. About 10 peeled cloves should be added to the mixture. Purée. You can add a little bit of water if the mixture is too pasty. You should end up with something that’s about the consistency of applesauce.
Stir in a bunch of scallions that have been roughly chopped, and a julienned carrot to give some texture to the purée. (If you’re making scallion kimchi, you can skip the scallions here.) Finally, toss in two big handfuls of gochugaru, the Korean red pepper flakes. Let the kimchi sauce sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours—the longer the better—at room temperature. Again, cover if you wish.
4. Test the salted vegetables.
You’ll know your veggies are ready for saucing by their taste and texture. After a few hours of sitting in the salt, cut off a small piece, rinse off the excess salt, and taste. The salting will have given it a slightly sour flavor and tenderized it to the point where the snap is gone but there’s still a bit of bite. Think of a favorite kimchi you’ve had and match that texture. The kimchi won’t change much texturally as it ferments.
5. Combine the vegetables and the seasoning.
Time for the fun part! Rinse your vegetables to remove excess salt and pat dry. You might want pull on some rubber gloves now to avoid having bright red, garlic-scented hands for the next few days. Gather your large bowl/container from before and the jars you’ll be using to store your kimchi. Now, pretend you’re making a lasagna: Pack in a single layer of vegetable and then cover generously with the sauce, like topping lasagna noodles with tomato sauce. Spread around and use your hands to gently massage sauce into crevices if need be. Repeat until you’ve used up all of your marinade. Pack your jar(s) with your sauced kimchi if you haven’t been already. Cover the jar’s opening with a layer of plastic wrap (it helps to contain the odor) and place the lid tightly on top.
6. Let it sit.
Leave your kimchi outside of the refrigerator overnight to kickstart fermentation. Taste it in the morning to make sure the funkiness has set in and then transfer to your refrigerator. Pro tip: After a few days, flip the jar upside-down and to distribute the goodness; just make sure the lid is secured tightly to prevent kimchi juice from spilling all over the fridge; flip back to right-side up a day or two later.
Kimchi can be eaten right away, though each day that passes will deepen its flavors, and will keep for a few months. Some people believe kimchi never goes bad, but if you taste it and there’s an unpleasant “fizz,” you might want to skip. Kimchi’s shelf life decreases if you’ve included fresh seafood, like oysters, in your mix. But not eating the kimchi fast enough probably won’t be a problem.
Kimchi is the solution to an overload of just about any vegetable.
Prepare to get your hands dirty and dedicate some serious fridge space to the cause.
Here's how to do it:
1. Gather equipment and ingredients.
Many Korean families have a mini fridge just for their kimchi—I’ll call that optional. You will need a very large bowl (plastic, glass, doesn’t matter) or plastic tub. That’ll be the place where you salt and prep your vegetables—oh, you’ll need a considerable amount of coarse salt, too. Think about how you’ll store your kimchi: Plastic containers will retain the orangey-red color and garlicky smell of the kimchi. Mason jars can work, or you can find a gallon-sized glass jar online, if not at a local kitchenwares shop, to store your whole batch.
Then, think about what you’re going to turn into kimchi. Those items that make you say, “What am I going to do with all of this!?” They’re usually great candidates. After napa cabbage, radishes take the number two spot on the kimchi totem pole. (Think daikon, not spicy French radishes.) You can julienne a large radish with a mandoline or cut it into cubes. Other great options are cucumbers (slice large ones in rounds and small ones in quarters lengthwise), zucchini, squash, tough leafy greens, or scallions. Those would be the traditional choices, but there’s nothing stopping you from testing out other farmers market finds.
As you’re shopping, eyeball about a gallon’s worth of veg—that’s a good amount to start with for your kimchi adventure. You can also mix and match what you decide to kimchi: Watercress, daikon, and scallions all in one jar? I’m not stopping you.
Things that won’t work would include anything with too distinct a flavor (beets, most fruits—kimchi’s powerful flavor doesn’t play well with others), or anything too dense to tenderize during marinating (carrots are tricky, for example, unless they’re julienned).
2. Prepare the vegetables and get layering.
Now, clean up your vegetables. Depending on what you’re fermenting, preparation can differ. The goal here is to get everything thoroughly covered when marinating, but to keep some texture intact. If using cabbage, trim tops of leaves, cut in half, and remove the core, separating out each leaf. Green onions and leafy greens are usually left whole. If using daikon radish, peel and cut into cubes. If using cucumbers or zucchini, large ones can be cut into rounds and small ones into quarters lengthwise.
Next, pack in a single layer of your prepared kimchi base (cabbage, radish, or whatever you’ve chosen) into your large container/tub. Sprinkle with coarse salt and repeat until you’ve layered in and salted all of your vegetables. Be careful not to go salt crazy; you’re just using enough to remove some moisture and clean the vegetable, not enough to create a super-seasoned kimchi. Let the salted vegetables sit for 3 to 4 hours at room temperature. You can cover with plastic wrap or clean kitchen towels if you’re concerned about cleanliness, but it’s not necessary.
3. Make the “sauce.”
Meanwhile, you can get to work on the seasoning. Combine roughly chopped onion, chopped apple or pear, and two small palmfuls of your briny addition (Saeujeot, miso) to a food processor. Toss in a knob of chopped ginger, about the size of your pinky finger. Finally, go garlic crazy. About 10 peeled cloves should be added to the mixture. Purée. You can add a little bit of water if the mixture is too pasty. You should end up with something that’s about the consistency of applesauce.
Stir in a bunch of scallions that have been roughly chopped, and a julienned carrot to give some texture to the purée. (If you’re making scallion kimchi, you can skip the scallions here.) Finally, toss in two big handfuls of gochugaru, the Korean red pepper flakes. Let the kimchi sauce sit and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 4 hours—the longer the better—at room temperature. Again, cover if you wish.
4. Test the salted vegetables.
You’ll know your veggies are ready for saucing by their taste and texture. After a few hours of sitting in the salt, cut off a small piece, rinse off the excess salt, and taste. The salting will have given it a slightly sour flavor and tenderized it to the point where the snap is gone but there’s still a bit of bite. Think of a favorite kimchi you’ve had and match that texture. The kimchi won’t change much texturally as it ferments.
5. Combine the vegetables and the seasoning.
Time for the fun part! Rinse your vegetables to remove excess salt and pat dry. You might want pull on some rubber gloves now to avoid having bright red, garlic-scented hands for the next few days. Gather your large bowl/container from before and the jars you’ll be using to store your kimchi. Now, pretend you’re making a lasagna: Pack in a single layer of vegetable and then cover generously with the sauce, like topping lasagna noodles with tomato sauce. Spread around and use your hands to gently massage sauce into crevices if need be. Repeat until you’ve used up all of your marinade. Pack your jar(s) with your sauced kimchi if you haven’t been already. Cover the jar’s opening with a layer of plastic wrap (it helps to contain the odor) and place the lid tightly on top.
6. Let it sit.
Leave your kimchi outside of the refrigerator overnight to kickstart fermentation. Taste it in the morning to make sure the funkiness has set in and then transfer to your refrigerator. Pro tip: After a few days, flip the jar upside-down and to distribute the goodness; just make sure the lid is secured tightly to prevent kimchi juice from spilling all over the fridge; flip back to right-side up a day or two later.
Kimchi can be eaten right away, though each day that passes will deepen its flavors, and will keep for a few months. Some people believe kimchi never goes bad, but if you taste it and there’s an unpleasant “fizz,” you might want to skip. Kimchi’s shelf life decreases if you’ve included fresh seafood, like oysters, in your mix. But not eating the kimchi fast enough probably won’t be a problem.
Monday 9 May 2016
Tuesday 3 May 2016
Chahohbili – Georgian Chicken Stew.
Chahohbili – Georgian Chicken Stew Recipe on Food52
Author Notes: Chahohbili is a traditional Georgian poultry dish. Originally, Chahohbili was cooked from wild game birds, but nowdays chicken is the main source for t (…more) —Kukla
Serves 6
• 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in with skin trimmed but not entirely removed
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3-4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 small hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 dried bay leaves
• About 6-7 strands of saffron
• 1 tablespoon of each: chopped cilantro, parsley, basil
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Put all spices into a spice grinder and pulse until they turn into a powder.
Wash and dry the chicken.
Preheat the heavy skillet.
Add the chicken pieces and fry on medium-high flame for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Season with salt and black pepper,
Transfer the chicken to a large casserole.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Preheat a clean skillet with 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Add the sliced onions and sauté’ until just softened.
Transfer the onion to a casserole; add chopped tomatoes and hot pepper.
Season with salt and sugar to taste and 1 tablespoon of spice powder.
Cover, bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Remove the casserole from heat stir in minced garlic and chopped herbs.
Let stand for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.
Author Notes: Chahohbili is a traditional Georgian poultry dish. Originally, Chahohbili was cooked from wild game birds, but nowdays chicken is the main source for t (…more) —Kukla
Serves 6
• 3 lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in with skin trimmed but not entirely removed
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 3-4 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 small hot pepper, seeded and finely chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
• 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
• 2 dried bay leaves
• About 6-7 strands of saffron
• 1 tablespoon of each: chopped cilantro, parsley, basil
• Salt, freshly ground black pepper to taste
Put all spices into a spice grinder and pulse until they turn into a powder.
Wash and dry the chicken.
Preheat the heavy skillet.
Add the chicken pieces and fry on medium-high flame for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden brown.
Season with salt and black pepper,
Transfer the chicken to a large casserole.
Reserve 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Preheat a clean skillet with 2 tablespoons of chicken roasting fat.
Add the sliced onions and sauté’ until just softened.
Transfer the onion to a casserole; add chopped tomatoes and hot pepper.
Season with salt and sugar to taste and 1 tablespoon of spice powder.
Cover, bring to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 30-35 minutes.
Remove the casserole from heat stir in minced garlic and chopped herbs.
Let stand for 5 minutes, serve and enjoy.
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