Farro Lentils Soup.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
50g finely sliced Prosciutto
1 onion finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 small carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (400g) can chopped tomatoes
1 zucchini, diced
100 g (3/4 cup) green lentils
150 g (1 cup) farro
A good handful of freshly chopped fresh Basil
Red hot pepper flakes (optional)
Salt, Pepper

To Serve:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or
Grated Parmesan, to garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook the prosciutto for a few minutes.
Add the carrot, celery and onion and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and zucchini, continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Add the can of diced tomatoes.
Season with salt & pepper, and half a teaspoon of chilli flakes (optional).
Add the equivalent of 3 to 4 cans of water.
Bring to a simmer.
Add the farro and green lentils.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables, farro and lentils are tender.
If the soup is too thick, add more water and season accordingly.
Serve with leaves of basil, grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Farro Bean Soup from Mimi Thorisson.

Serves 4-6

Ingredients
2 ounces finely sliced Prosciutto
1 onion finely diced
1 celery stalk, finely diced
2 small carrots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 (14 Ounce) can chopped tomatoes
1 zucchini, diced
100 g/ 3/4 cup green lentils
150 g/ 1 cup farro

A good handful of freshly chopped fresh Basil
Red hot pepper flakes (optional)
Salt & Pepper
To Serve:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil or
Grated Parmesan, to garnish

Heat the olive oil in a large pot and cook the prosciutto for a few minutes.
Add the carrot, celery and onion and continue to cook for 5 minutes.
Add the garlic and zucchini, continue to cook for 2 minutes.
Add the can of diced tomatoes.
Season with salt & pepper, and half a teaspoon of chilli flakes (optional).
Add the equivalent of 3 to 4 cans of water.
Bring to a simmer.
Add the farro and green lentils.
Reduce the heat to low, cover and continue to cook for about 20 minutes, or until the vegetables, farro and lentils are tender.
If the soup is too thick, add more water and season accordingly.
Serve with leaves of basil, grated parmesan and a drizzle of olive oil.

Roast sausages with fennel & red wine gravy from Mimi Thorisson.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
12 good quality pork sausages (or any good quality meat sausages of your choice)
1 large fennel bulb, coarsely sliced
1 large onion, coarsely sliced
240 ml/ 1 cup red wine
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp mustard
A few sprigs of fresh thyme
Coarse salt & black pepper, for seasoning

Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F
In a small bowl, mix olive oil and mustard.
Place sausages in a baking dish, drizzle olive oil and mustard – mix well.
Let the sausages cook in the oven for 20 minutes, add fennel, onions, thyme, salt and pepper (salt very lightly as the sausages and mustard are already salty).
Cook for a further 25 minutes, stirring the pan halfway.
Add the red wine and butter, and cook for a further 10-12 minutes, until the wine has reduced and the sauce has become slightly thicker.
Serve with mashed potatoes.

Spinach & gorgonzola balls from Mimi Thorisson

(for 8 balls)

750 g/ 1 & 2/3 pounds frozen spinach (about 1 pack)
2 small slices of stale bread
1 tablespoon milk
1 tablespoon plain flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
8 teaspoons gorgonzola cheese
Parmesan cheese, grated/to serve
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the butter sage sauce
A large handful of sage leaves
80 g unsalted butter
Salt & freshly ground black pepper

Steam the spinach until soft and drain.
Squeeze out the excess water (very important otherwise the balls will be watery), and chop as finely as possible.
Place 2 small slices of stale bread in the food processor and pulse until you get fine breadcrumbs.
In a large bowl (or you can mix everything in the food processor, just pulse lightly) combine spinach, breadcrumbs, milk, nutmeg, flour, salt & pepper and mix until well blended.
Roll out approximately 8 walnut-sized balls. While shaping the balls, insert a small teaspoon of gorgonzola inside and reshape.

Heat a large saucepan with salted water and bring to a boil.
Cook the spinach balls for 8 minutes and drain.

While the spinach balls are cooking, prepare the sage butter sauce.

In a large pan, melt the butter on a medium heat.
When the butter starts to sizzle, wat until it turns light golden brown, then lower the heat and add the sage leaves.
Season with salt & pepper, and shake the pan for about 30 seconds.

Drizzle the sage butter sauce on top of the spinach ball. Grate parmesan on top before serving.

Plantia’s Tarte Tatin by Mimi Thorisson.

- Plantia’s Tarte Tatin by Mimi Thorisson Recipe | AGFG
Sweet Tart Dough:
1 1/2 cups / 180 g plain (allpurpose) flour, sifted, plus more for rolling
1/3 cup / 65 g caster (superfine) sugar
Pinch of fine sea salt
1 large egg yolk
7 Tbs / 100 g cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, plus more for the pan

Apples:
1/2 cup / 100 g caster (superfine) sugar
1 vanilla pod (bean), split lengthways, seeds scraped and reserved
6 1/2 Tbs / 90 g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
2 pounds / 900 g apples, peeled, cored and quartered
Crème fraîche, for serving

Method
Sweet Tart Dough:
Make the dough.
Put the flour in a large bowl and make a well in the centre.
Add the sugar, salt and egg yolk and mix slowly with your hands.
Add the butter and mix well until you have a smooth and homogenous dough.
Form it into a ball, cover with cling film (plastic wrap), and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C.
Butter a 9-inch/23-cm ovenproof frying pan (skillet).

Start the apples.
Mix the sugar with the vanilla seeds.
Sprinkle the vanilla sugar over the bottom of the frying pan, scatter the butter over the sugar, and then tightly pack the apples in the pan in a circular fashion with one flat side down.

Put the pan on the stove over a medium-high heat and cook until the liquid starts to bubble, about 3 minutes.
Reduce the heat and continue to cook until the juices turn a golden caramel colour, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch/3mm thickness.
Using a sharp knife, cut a round of dough just slightly larger than the top of the frying pan.
Drape the dough over the apples to cover and carefully use your fingers to tuck the dough between the pan and the apples on all sides.

Transfer to the oven and bake until the pastry is golden brown, about 40 minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes.
Wearing oven mitts or using tea towels (kitchen towels), carefully (the caramel is hot) remove from the pan by placing a large serving plate on top and inverting the cake onto the plate.

Serve with crème fraîche.

Hainan Chicken Rice.

- Year of the dog : Manger:
(serves 6)
Chinese food is not complicated, it’s just about making sure to get a few steps right! Enjoy this delicious recipe, it’s my Asian comfort food, there are so many memories linked with this dish.
Growing up in Hong Kong, I would meet my best friends and we would often order this dish (especially the one at the Clipper Lounge at the Mandarin Oriental hotel, do they still serve it? I hope o!).
The chicken is blanched, dropped in an ice-bath, so it can retain its moisture.
I find this recipe beautiful to make, like an old-fashioned ritual.
And on top of everything, it’s such a healthy dish.

For the chicken and the broth
1.5 kg whole chicken
10 cloves of garlic, halved
A large piece (about the size of your palm) piece of ginger, sliced
1 large bunch of spring onions (scallions)
2 tablespoon Shao xing rice wine
2 tablespoon light soy
4 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon salt and pepper

For the chicken and broth
Remove the chicken giblets.
Rinse the chicken inside and out.
Remove any leftover feathers and trim excess fat (you will need it for the rice, so set aside).
Rub both the inside and outside of the chicken really well with coarse salt to ‘exfoliate’ the skin on the chicken.
Rinse well and pat dry.
The chicken will be smooth and ready for cooking.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
Boil a large pot of water and add a few spring onion stalks, slices of ginger and 5 cloves of peeled garlic.
Fill the chicken with a few more ginger slices, garlic cloves and spring onion.
Place the chicken into the large pot (neck-side down) and blanch for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and rinse under cold water.
Lower the heat and return the chicken to the pot, let it simmer for 30 minutes.
Turn the heat off, cover with a lid and leave the chicken to stand for 30 more minutes.
Place the chicken in an ice bowl for a few minutes, remove the ice cubes and leave aside to rest and cool for 20 minutes.
Drizzle some sesame oil and light soya sauce on the chicken.
This technique will make the chicken extra tender.

2) For the rice.
Wash the rice and soak for 20 mins.
Drain dry and set aside.

In a small pan, heat the chicken fat with 1 tablespoon water and cook until the fat has melted.
When the fat is hot, add a few slices of ginger and garlic, sauté for 2-3 minutes.
Transfer all the ingredients including the oil into the rice cooker and mix in the washed rice.
Add enough chicken stock to cook the rice according to your favorite method.
I have a classic rice cooker, and it takes approx. 15-20 minutes to cook.

3) For the broth

Re-heat the chicken stock and add salt according to your taste.
I like to add a few tablespoons of Shao Xing wine for taste, but that is optional.
Garnish with coriander and sliced spring onion before serving.

4) For the sauce

1 large piece of ginger (about the size of half your palm), peeled and cut into small chunks
1 bunch of spring onion (scallions), chopped
2 teaspoon sea salt, or more if you prefer
150-200 ml/ about 2/3 cup peanut oil, add more if you want a looser sauce

Place the ginger in the food processor and process until the ginger is finely minced.
Transfer to a bowl.
Repeat the same with the spring onions (make sure they are lightly minced).
Add them to bowl with the ginger.
Season generously with salt.
Heat the peanut oil in a pan until it is very hot, the add the ginger and spring onions.
Stir quickly for a 5 seconds and transfer to a bowl.
Leave to cool and serve with chicken.

Chop the chicken into slices (with the skin on).
Drizzle with a little soya sauce and sesame oil.
Serve with a bowl of rice, a bowl of soup, the ginger sauce and garnish everything with fresh coriander, sliced cucumber, and don’t forget your favorite chilli sauce too!
'via Blog this'