Olia Hercules

Dishes from the Black Sea and beyond: exclusive extract

 This is an extract from Olia’s new book, Kaukasis: the culinary journey through Georgia, Azerbaijan & beyond (Octopus) out on 10 August.

How to Make a Ginger Bug Starter for Natural Soda

 To make your ginger bug, you need only three ingredients:

1. Ginger

Use organic ginger. In the US, non-organic (I refuse to call it conventional) ginger may be irradiated. Irradiation kills the naturally occurring yeasts and lactic-acid bacteria on the ginger which ferment it. Only once have I made a ferment that showed zero signs of life after several days: pickled ginger. I read about irradiated ginger later and realized I must not have used organic ginger. (We almost always eat organic.)

2. Sugar

I use organic cane sugar, rapadura or sucanat. Jaggery should work too. Do not use stevia. You need real sugar. If you want to experiment with things like honey or maple syrup, I would wait until you have successfully made a bug with sugar. Sugar works and you’ll learn how your bug should smell and look.

The sugar feeds the bacteria and yeasts in the bug. The amount of sugar you add to your bug and to drinks may horrify you. I know sugar is terrible. I have read Fat Chance and have watched the documentary Fed Up. But the bug consumes the sugar—not you—and emits carbon dioxide as a result, which adds that sought-after fizz. Once your drinks have fermented, they will contain much less sugar.

3. Water

I use filtered water. If you have highly chlorinated water, fill a vessel and leave it open to the air for several hours or even a day before you’ll use it and the chlorine will dissipate. I haven’t had trouble with chlorine but I do know that too much of it will kill your microbes.

Directions

Online and in books, you’ll find varying instructions for making a ginger bug, just as you will for sourdough starter. Everyone seems to do it a bit differently. This is just how I do it.

1. In a glass jar, combine about 1 tbsp grated unpeeled organic ginger and 1 tbsp sugar.

2. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir vigorously. Cover your jar with a small breathable cloth to let air in and keep nasties out. I find cheesecloth too flimsy and loosely woven for this purpose. 

3. Feed your bug 1 tbsp grated ginger and 1 tbsp sugar daily. Stir vigorously.

4. Your bug should be ready to use in about 5 days. It will bubble and smell yeasty, have a cloudy yellow color with sludgy looking white stuff at the bottom of the jar and the ginger will float to the top. My mature ginger bug in the pic above—I named her Mary-Ann because Ginger got all the attention on Gilligan’s Island—is three or four months old.

How to maintain your bug

Once you have established a vigorous ginger bug, you can keep it out on the kitchen counter but you will have to feed it daily—and you will end up with a lot of it. I sometimes keep mine in the fridge and feed it the usual meal once a week: about 1 tablespoon ginger, 1 tablespoon sugar. First I bring it to room temperature, feed it, let it sit for a few hours and put it back in the refrigerator, unless I want to make a drink!

I compost a little ginger occasionally. Otherwise your pile will grow to huge proportions. You can also regularly strain off the liquid, compost half the ginger-sugar mixture and start fresh—add 1 1/2 cups water and feed daily until it bubbles up again.

The basic recipe for ginger bug drinks

Stir up your bug to get the good white yeasty stuff off the bottom of the jar and strain off 1/4 cup of the liquid. Add that to sweetened tea, lemonade or water in which you simmered a lot of ginger and then sweetened. You can try adding it to juice also. I haven’t tried juice because I don’t buy juice. I would need to make it myself. DO NOT ADD YOUR BUG TO HOT LIQUIDS. You will kill the microbes.

Fill some flip-top bottles with your drink and let them sit at room temperature for three days max. Ferments with sugar can explode (I have never had it happen) so you may want to put yours in a cupboard or closet or in a box in the garage. Don’t let your bottles ferment for more than a couple of days without opening.

Once you get the hang of making this, you’ll have a feel for when yours has fermented enough. Fermentations go quickly in my kitchen. Yours may go more slowly or more quickly, depending on your environment.

Ginger Bug

Ingredients

To start

• 1 tbsp grated unpeeled organic ginger
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water

To feed daily

• 1 tbsp grated unpeeled organic ginger
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar

Directions

1. In a glass jar, combine about 1 tbsp grated unpeeled organic ginger and 1 tbsp sugar.

2. Add 1 1/2 cups water and stir vigorously. Cover your jar with a small breathable cloth.

3. Feed your bug 1 tbsp grated ginger and 1 tbsp sugar daily. Stir vigorously.

4. Your bug should be ready to use in about 5 days. It will bubble and smell yeasty, have a cloudy yellow color with sludgy looking white stuff at the bottom of the jar and some of the ginger will float to the top.

Naturally Fermented Hibiscus Soda

 If you don't have hibiscus tea, use a different type of herbal tea.

Ingredients

• 1 heaping tablespoon hibiscus tea leaves
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 cups water total
• 1/4 cup strained ginger bug

Instructions

1. Steep the hibiscus tea leaves in 1 cup of hot water to make strong tea.
2. Strain the tea and stir in the sugar.
3. Add the remaining 3 cups of water. By diluting the tea this way, you cool it down faster and can add the ginger bug sooner, which speeds up preparation.
4. Once the tea has cooled to room temperature, add the ginger bug.
5. Fill glass flip-top bottles with the mixture and set aside in a cupboard or box to carbonate.
6. Burp the bottles every day or two to release built-up carbon dioxide and prevent geysers and exploding bottles. Simply open and close the bottle quickly.
7. The soda will be ready in approximately 3 days. Transfer to the refrigerator or ferment for longer for a higher alcohol content.

Notes

Exploding bottles can and do happen. Store your bottles in a cupboard or box to contain any possible explosions and subsequent messes. Burp your bottles every day or two, depending on the progress of the fermentation. If you open them too often, carbonation will not develop. After you have made this drink a couple of times, you'll have a better feel for what works best in your kitchen.

Full of flavour Broccoli Soup.

Adapted from Melissa Clark's Seared Broccoli and Potato Soup

Serves 2 to 3

1/4 cup olive oil, plus more as needed
450 g (1 heads) broccoli, separated into small florets, stems peeled and diced
1 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste
1 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 large Spanish onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, more for finishing
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 pound potatoes, peeled, and thinly sliced
1/8 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice, more to taste
Grated or shaved Parmesan, to finish (optional)
Flaky sea salt, to finish

In a large soup pot, heat 1 tablespoons of oil over high heat. 

Add about a half of the broccoli, just enough so that it covers the bottom of the pan in a single layer without overcrowding. 

Cook broccoli without moving it for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until dark brown on 1 side only (leave the other side bright green). 

Transfer to a big bowl and repeat with remaining broccoli and more oil. 

When all the broccoli has been browned, season with 1 teaspoon salt and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low. 

Add butter + remaining of oil to pan 

onions

garlic 

black and red peppers 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

Cook onion-garlic mixture until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. 

Add potato to the pot with 1 Liter water or veg broth and remaining salt.

Bring to a simmer, cover pot and cook until potato is just tender, 10 to 15 minutes. 

Add broccoli, cover again and cook until tender, another 5 to 10 minutes.

Add lemon zest and roughly purée soup with an immersion or regular blender, leaving some small chunks for texture. 

Stir in lemon juice. 

Finish with grated Parmesan, a drizzle of olive oil, black pepper and flaky sea salt.

Note: 

If you have a powerful grill, you can be even lazier in applying the half-seared technique. 

Instead of searing in the soup pot, you are grilling.

You can do a whole pan at once in under 5 minutes. 

I cut each head of broccoli lengthways and put the one side, leaving the other side barely cooked.

Same principle, just brown one side without cooking the whole vegetable.

“If it's chilly outside I want deep, rich flavors, so browning the broccoli makes sense.

In warmer times, I like to sweat the broccoli, which provides a cleaner, greener, and altogether lighter broccoli flavour.”

This technique also works well with zucchini and butternut squash, according to Clark, and I could see it doing great things for other vegetables like carrots, cauliflower, or potatoes. 

In every case, the full range of their powers are just waiting to be unlocked, and for once, adding cream will be the last thing you'd think to do.

Link https://www.melissaclark.net

Aubergine and ricotta dumplings in tomato sauce.

These are like melanzane all parmigiana in meatball form. 

They are gloriously rich and cheesy. 

Some lightly cooked greens would go well with them. 

Serves 4

90g fresh breadcrumbs, ideally sourdough (ie, from 2-3 slices)
4 aubergines, cut into roughly 2½cm cubes (1kg net weight)
150ml olive oil
Salt and black pepper
100g ricotta
75g parmesan, finely grated, plus extra to serve
2,5 tbsp parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 whole egg, plus 1 yolk extra
1,5 tbsp plain flour
6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
4 tbsp basil leaves, roughly chopped
600g tinned peeled plum tomatoes (ie 1½ 400g tins), blitzed smooth
1,5 tsp tomato paste
1,5 tsp caster sugar
¼ tsp chilli flakes
¾ tsp paprika
2 tsp fresh oregano leaves, finely chopped
45g pitted kalamata olives, torn in half

Heat the oven to 180C (160C fan)/390F/gas 4. 

Spread out the breadcrumbs on an oven tray and bake for 12 minutes, until lightly browned and dried out. 

Remove, leave to cool and turn up the oven to 240C (220C)/465F/gas 9.

On a large oven tray lined with baking paper, toss 

- the aubergines in 75ml oil, 

- half a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper. 

Spread out on the tray, bake for 30 minutes, tossing once halfway, until golden brown, then chop into a chunky mash and put in a large bowl. 

Mix in the 

- ricotta, 

- parmesan, 

- parsley, 

- egg+extra yolk, 

- flour, 

- breadcrumbs, 

- a third of the garlic, 

- two and a half tablespoons of basil, 

- a quarter-teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper.

 

With lightly oiled hands, shape the mix into 16 golf-ball-sized dumplings, each weighing about 55g, and compress so they hold together.

Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large, nonstick frying pan on a medium-high flame, and fry half the dumplings for three to four minutes, turning them until golden brown all over (adjust the heat if they’re browning too much), then transfer to a plate and repeat with the rest of the dumplings.

Heat the remaining two tablespoons of oil in the same pan, fry the remaining garlic for a minute, until fragrant, then stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, sugar, chilli, paprika, oregano, a teaspoon of salt and a good grind of pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for eight minutes, or until thickened slightly. 

Pour in 400ml water, bring to a simmer, then lower the heat to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. 

Add the dumplings and cook for 15 minutes, or until cooked through.

Remove from the heat, scatter over the olives, the last of the basil and a grating of parmesan, and serve straight from the pan.

Adzuki Bean Meatballs.

On Stovetop. 

Rinse beans before cooking. 

Place 1 cup beans in a large pot with 4 cups water and 1 tsp salt. 

Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until tender, 45–60 minutes; drain well.

Ingredients:
for the vegan meatballs: 
1 cup adzuki bean (before soaking it), soaked for at least 8 hours, well rinsed and drained, alternatively- use 2 cups of cooked adzuki beans
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
1/2 cup basil
1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup natural oats
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

for the sauce: 
400 g crushed tomatoes
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup basil + some to serve, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup water
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions:
Cooking the adzuki beans – place the adzuki beans in a pot with plenty of water (like cooking pasta). 

It is very important to remember not to add salt, which will delay the cooking of the bean and leave it stiff. 

Bring to a boil and cook for 40 minutes. Drain.

Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C and prepare a large oven tray lined with baking paper or silicone roasting mat.

In a food processor, place all the meatballs ingredients

– cooked adzuki beans, 

- onion, 

- carrot, 

- basil, 

- pecans, 

- oats, 

- dried oregano, 

- salt and pepper, 

and grind well until the mixture is uniform.

Using clean hands, make the meatball – about 5 cm diameter. 

Place them on the baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.

In a wide sauté pan heat olive oil, add finely chopped onion and sauté for 2-3 minutes while stirring. 

Add chopped garlic cloves and cook for another minute. 

Add crushed tomatoes, water, basil leaves, salt and pepper. 

Bring to a boil, cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes. 

If you want the patties to have lots of sauce, you can add another 200 grams of crushed tomatoes and half a cup of water.

Carefully add the baked patties to the cooked sauce and cook for a further 5 minutes, and no longer than that. 

Make sure you don't add the patties to a boiling sauce (it should simmer gently). 

Sprinkle with basil leaves on serving.

- https://www.thehappylentils.com/en/vegan-adzuki-bean-meatballs/#wprm-recipe-container-2564

Brie in Brioche by Richard Bertinet.

For the brioche dough:

100g Full-Fat Milk
2 Medium Eggs
250g Strong White Bread Flour, plus extra for dusting

10g Fresh Yeast
- for dry active yeast you generally need to use half the quantity of fresh yeast stated in the recipe 5g 
- for instant yeast you need to use 1/4 of the quantity of fresh yeast:2-3g

30g Caster Sugar
5g Fine Sea Salt
25g Cold Unsalted Butter
500g Ripe Brie
1 Cloves of Garlic, peeled and finely sliced
A few small sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme
1 Tbsp Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Dash of pernod - anise-flavored liqueur from France (optional)

For the glaze:
1 Eggs
A Pinch of Fine Sea Salt

Start the dough:
-For this recipe, you will want the oven fully saturated in heat with no flame presence.

-Put the milk and eggs into the bowl of a food mixer, then add the flour. 

Break up the fresh yeast and add to one side of the bowl. 

Add the sugar and salt on the other side of the bowl. 

Break the butter into pieces on top.

- Mix on a slow speed for 4 minutes, then increase the speed to medium and continue to mix for about 12-15 minutes until the dough comes away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.

-Lightly flour the work surface and a clean bowl. 

Use a scraper to turn the dough onto the work surface.

-Form the dough into a ball and leave to rest in the bowl for about 1-2 hour until just under double in size.

-When the dough has rested, lightly flour your work surface and roll the dough into a rough circle.

-Place a large baking ring (about 20-30cm diameter) on top of a baking tray, then press in a large sheet of baking parchment.

-Lower the dough into the paper and use your fingertips to gently press it down in the centre and outwards into the shape of the ring so that you create an indent big enough to hold the brie while forming a rim around the outside of the cheese.

Start the brie:
-Put in the brie and score the surface with a sharp knife in a criss-cross fashion. 

Push the slices of garlic into the cuts that you have made, along with the sprigs of fresh rosemary and thyme. 

Drizzle the whole thing with the olive oil. 

We like to sprinkle over a tablespoon of Pernod too, but that is up to you!

-Cover with a large freezer bag and leave to prove for about 45 minutes-2 hours. 

During this time the rim of the dough will almost double in size.

- Beat the eggs with the salt for the glaze and brush the rim of the dough with the egg glaze and transfer the tray to the oven (220C/200C Fan/Gas 7) or the wood fire oven.

Baking your brioche:
-You’ll be baking the brioche for around 40 minutes but it’s important to check regularly during the bake - adjust the closure of the door slightly through to control temperature until the cheese has melted and rim of the brioche is a dark golden brown. 

If you light up the parchment paper carefully, you should be able to see through it to check that the base of the brioche is also dark golden brown.

-Remove from the oven and holding the baking parchment, lift the brioche from the ring onto a board and invite everyone to tuck in while it is still warm.

- Serve with toast, potatoes and meats to dip into the cheese. 

Once the cheese has gone, fill the centre with a green salad.

Sour lentil soup by Yotam Ottolenghi.

- How to make soups with real flavour and texture | Yotam Ottolenghi | Food | The Guardian
Adas bil hamoud (aka sour lentil soup)
Versions of this soup, in which lemon is king, are found all over the Arab world.
Mine is ever-changing, depending on what kind of stock I have in my freezer, or herbs in my fridge, so feel free to play around with the ingredients as you see fit.
I like my soup super lemony, but adjust this to your taste, too.
If using vegetable stock, consider adding a couple of teaspoons of miso paste to enrich the broth.
Prep 25 min
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4-6

200g brown or green lentils
110ml olive oil
2 large onions, peeled and finely chopped
5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1½ tbsp cumin seeds
3 lemons – finely shave the skin off 1 into 5 wide strips, then juice all 3 to get 75ml
Salt and black pepper
3 firm, waxy potatoes, such as desiree, peeled and cut into 4cm pieces (650g-700g net weight)
400g Swiss or rainbow chard, leaves and stalks separated, then roughly sliced
1 litre vegetable stock (or chicken or beef, if you prefer)
1½ tbsp coriander leaves, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely sliced on an angle

Put the lentils in a medium saucepan, cover with plenty of cold, lightly salted water and bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes, until the lentils are nearly cooked but still retain a bite, then drain.

While the lentils are cooking, put 80ml oil in a large, heavy-based pot for which you have a lid, and put on a medium heat.
Once hot, add the onions, garlic, cumin, lemon skin, two and a quarter teaspoons of salt and plenty of pepper.
Cook for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until very soft and golden.
Stir in the potatoes, lentils and chard stalks, pour in the stock and 800ml water, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and leave to cook for 20 minutes, or until the potato is soft but still holds its shape.

Turn off the heat, stir in the lemon juice and chard leaves, and leave to cook in the residual heat for two or three minutes, until wilted.
Divide between four bowls, drizzle over the remaining two tablespoons of oil, garnish with the coriander and spring onion, and serve hot.

Loaf tin

As a rough guide, a

- 2lb (900g) loaf tin is about 21cm long, 11cm wide and 7cm high (8 x 4 x 3 inches approx) and a

- 1lb (450g) loaf tin is 16cm long, 11cm wide and 7cm high (6 x 4 x 3 inches).

They do vary quite a bit from brand to brand but this should help you understand what you have got if you have one already.

Oatmeal Cookies

 Ingredients:

187 g bread or unbleached all-purpose flour 

187 g oats

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/8 teaspoon salt

62 g unsalted butter, softened

155 g brown sugar

30 g veg oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 egg

- the dough seemed a little dry and I added 60 grams of buttermilk

Preparation:

With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 190 °C (375 °F). 

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt - dry ingredients. 

Set aside.

In another bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla with an electric mixer. 

Add the egg and beat until smooth. 

At low speed or with a wooden spoon, combine with the dry ingredients.

With a 60 ml ice cream scoop (if You have) or with wet hands, place six to seven dough balls on baking sheet. 

Press the balls with wet glass so that they are about 2-cm thick... or with fork.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned. 

Let cool on a wire rack. 

Serve warm or cold.

Buttermilk pancakes.

2 Eggs, separated
160g plain flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
60g vegetable oil
300g buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla essence

Separate the egg whites and whisk until foamy.

Mix all dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.
Slowly fold in the egg whites.
Ladle the pancake batter in to a non-stick pan that has been greased with butter. 
Cook on a medium heat until small bubbles have formed on top of the mix, or for around 5-6 minutes.
Flip once and cook for another 2 minutes.

Or:

1 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 cups buttermilk
1 large eggs lightly beaten
1/2 tsp vanilla extract optional

Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Whisk in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla extract just until combined. Some small lumps are okay.
Let pancake batter rest for 10-30 minutes.
Ladle the pancake batter in to a non-stick pan that has been greased with butter. 
Cook on a medium heat until small bubbles have formed on top of the mix, or for around 5-6 minutes.
Flip once and cook for another 2 minutes.

Note: Don’t over mix the pancake batter! 

Never use a mixer, mix only by hand!

Farro Soup.

Ingredients
Serves: 4
100g farro/barley
125g pinto/haricot beans or other white beans
1 litre vegetable stock
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery, chopped
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 sprig of fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
Parsley
I also added a parmesan cheese rind

Method
Canned pinto beans or if fresh to:
Soak the pinto beans in cold water overnight, and then boil them in 1.5 litres of salted water.
Blend half of the pinto beans, and then set both the whole and the blended beans to one side.
Heat the olive oil in a pan, and fry the onion, carrot and celery until softened.
Add the tomato sauce, and cook for a further two minutes.
Add the farro to the pan, and then pour over the litre of vegetable stock.
Season with salt and rosemary, and then simmer for 40 minutes.
Add the whole pinto beans to the pan, and also stir in the blended pinto beans.
Cook for a further five minutes.
Season, serve and garnish with chopped parsley/basil.

Strawberry "fridge jam".

Strawberries are plentiful now, too, and I've been freezing them into vanilla-scented parfaits as one way to avoid wastage.
I also won't get through the summer without making at least one batch of strawberry "fridge jam".
This low-sugar, fast-cooked preserve has a fresher, fruitier flavour and softer set than standard jams; as well as dolloping it on to toast, I use it as a kind of fruity sauce.

To make it,
combine 1.5kg of lightly crushed strawberries with
the juice of one lemon and
1kg jam sugar with pectin.
After leaving this to sit for an hour, bring it to a rolling boil and keep it there for just five minutes before potting in sterilised jars.
After opening, it will keep for about three weeks in the fridge.

Rhubarb makes a delicious jam as well, particularly when combined with ginger.
To ensure success, follow some basic preserving etiquette.
First, measure and weigh your ingredients carefully and follow recipes closely – there's some science involved in preserving, and all instructions are there for a reason.
Second, remember that cleanliness is paramount.
Don't use very damaged or slightly mouldy produce, and always sterilise jars or bottles.
This is very simple: just wash the jars or bottles and lids in very hot, soapy water, rinse them in equally hot, clean water, then put them in the oven at 120C/250F/gas mark ¼ for 20-30 minutes.
This dries them and heats them up (hot preserves should go into hot jars), but also knocks on the head any lingering bacteria.
Another sterilising method is to run the jars through a hot dishwasher cycle, then use them straight away, while still hot from the machine.

Gooseberry curd.

Mid-season gooseberries are fat, flavourful and juicy: combine ripe with slightly under-ripe berries for the best jams.
I also love gooseberries in a smooth but tart curd.
This is a little more subtle and complex than a pure lemon curd, with the floral flavour of the gooseberries dancing on the tastebuds.
There's nothing better on a scone or hot breakfast pancakes.
Makes about five small (250-300ml) jars.



500g gooseberries
100ml lemon juice (around 3-4)
125g unsalted butter
450g granulated sugar
200ml strained beaten egg (around 4-5 large eggs)

Sterilise some jars - Place your jars in the oven and heat to 140°C.
Leave them there until needed.
Put the gooseberries in a pan with the lemon juice.
Bring slowly to a simmer, stirring often, until the fruit starts to release its juice, then simmer gently for five to 10 minutes until the fruit has collapsed.
Rub this mixture through a fine sieve to get a thin, smooth gooseberry puree.

Put the puree, butter and sugar into a large basin over a pan of simmering water.
Stir until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth.
Take off the heat and let it cool for a minute – you don't want it to be too hot when you pour in the eggs, or they will scramble.
It should be cool enough that you can comfortably put your finger into it.

Pour in the strained beaten egg, whisking all the while.
Return the pan to the heat and stir the mixture over the simmering water until thick and creamy and registering at least 82C on a sugar thermometer.
This requires patience – it will take a good 10 minutes, probably more – but the curd is much less likely to get too hot and scramble than if you cooked it directly in a pan.
If the curd does start to scramble, take it off the heat and whisk vigorously until smooth.

As soon as it has thickened, pour the curd into the hot jars and seal.
Leave to cool before labelling.
Use the curd within four weeks; once opened, keep in the fridge and use within a week.

New Potatoes Leek Soup.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
bacon chopped
2 to 3 not large leek stalks, chopped
2 to 3 large potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and sliced into big chunks
1L vegetable broth
2 stems fresh thyme
1 bay leaves
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
lemon juice

for the sour cream:
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
pinch of salt

optional toppings:
reserved bacon bits
reserved horseradish sour cream
snipped chives or green onions sliced
grated cheddar cheese

Instructions
soup:
In a soups pan add the olive oil
- add the bacon.
Cook until crispy, and then remove to a paper-towel-lined plate.
Reserve for garnish.

- Saute the leeks, stirring frequently until very soft, about 5 minutes.
- Add the potatoes, vegetable broth, 1 L of water, plus the thyme and bay leaves.

For the Sour Cream:
While the soup cooks, prepare the sour cream.
Add all of the ingredients to a small mixing bowl and whisk well.
It will not be perfectly smooth because horseradish is coarse.
Taste, and add a little more horseradish, if you'd like extra heat.

Finish the soup:
Remove the thyme stems and both bay leaves.
Add a big pinch of salt to the soup, and use an immersion blender to blend the soup to your preferred texture.
Go slowly and stop frequently to scoop out a spoonful of the soup to text for texture.
In a small mixing bowl, add 1/4 cup of the sour cream, and pour a 1/4 cup of the hot soup over it.
Whisk immediately, until smooth
Stir into the soup

Taste the soup and add salt and pepper as necessary.
Add splash of lemon juice to enhance the flavors, if necessary.
Ladle into bowls, and serve with a dollop of the horseradish cream, and bacon toppings.
Notes
My recipe for 1 person!

Caramelised Apple and calvados Brioche.

Recipe from Crumb: Show the dough who's boss by Richard Bertinet!

Bulgarian sweet bread Kozunak.

- Bulgarian sweet bread Kozunak recipe - Balkan Food Recipes
Ingredients:
1 fresh yeast (40 g)
6 eggs
250 g sugar
200-230 ml of hot milk
2 bags (8 g) of Vanilla sugar (16 g)
1 kg wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
200 ml butter
1 lemon
60 g raisins

Brushing and sprinkle:
1 egg
powdered sugar

First crumble the yeast into pieces.
Then pour some warm milk (not too hot and yet not cold; make it lukewarm), stir in a teaspoon of sugar and a little flour and leave in warm place to rise for about 20 minutes.
Depending on the heat this period can be a bit shorter or a bit longer.

After you’ve prepared the yeast, mix egg and sugar well and add warm milk and vanilla sugar.
Put the flour and salt in a separate bowl, make a hole and add the egg mixture and risen yeast.
Knead the dough and add melted butter gradually.
When the dough is smooth sprinkle it with flour.
Cover it with a cloth and leave in a warm place to rise (30 minutes and then punch down and let rise for 45 minutes).
When the volume is doubled add lemon zest and raisins.

Divide dough into two parts.
Make braid.
Put shaped dough in a higher baking dish greased with butter and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
Brush sweet bread with beaten egg and bake.
Oven should be preheated at 180°C (350°F).
Bake the bread for 40-50 minutes.
Once the dough is golden brown and easily separated – it’s done.

When it’s baked, pull Bulgarian sweet bread out and leave it covered with cloth for about 15 minutes before cutting it.

Chilled Kozunak sprinkle with powdered sugar and cut.

Stuffed chicken thighs with lemon sauce.

Stuffed chicken thighs with lemon sauce recipe - BBC Food

Bread roll by Nigel Slater.

- Bread roll recipes | Nigel Slater | Food | The Guardian
Soft rolls with feta and kefir
These rolls prove more slowly than usual because of the cold kefir.
Speed things up by using a warm bowl and by warming the flour in the oven for a few minutes before adding the yeast and liquid.
You will also need a rectangular baking dish or bread tin, approximately 25 x 16cm. Makes 6 rolls

plain flour 500g
fast-acting yeast 1.5 tsp
sea salt 0.5 tsp
kefir 200ml
olive oil 3 tbsp
warm water 100ml
feta cheese 200g
rosemary 3 bushy sprigs
thyme 5 bushy sprigs

To finish:
olive oil a little
thyme and rosemary a few sprigs

Put the flour (500g), yeast (1.5tsp) and salt (0.5tsp) in a large, warm mixing bowl.
Put the kefir (200ml) in a jug, add the olive oil (3tbsp) and the warm water (100ml) and stir well.
Combine the kefir mixture and flour with a wooden spoon or your hands and mix until you have a soft and slightly sticky dough.

Crumble the feta (200g) into a small bowl.
Remove the leaves from the rosemary and thyme and finely chop them to give you 1.5tbsp, and add to the crumbled cheese.
If you are making the dough by hand, tip on to a floured board and knead the cheese and herbs into it.
If you prefer the easy way, use a food mixer fitted with a dough hook to knead the cheese and herbs into the dough.
Continue kneading for a couple of minutes, adding a little more flour if necessary to stop it sticking, then put the dough back in its bowl, cover with a clean, warm cloth and put it in a warm place.
Leave the dough in peace until it has risen to almost twice its original size.

Line a deep-sided baking tin with a piece of baking parchment.

Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces then shape each one into a round bun.
Place the buns in the baking tin, three down each side, then return to the warm place, cover with the cloth and leave for about 30 minutes, until nicely risen and touching one another.

Set the oven at 220C/gas mark 8.
Toss the herbs in the olive oil and scatter them over the rolls then bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

Michel Roux’s brioche (fresh yeast) .

- Michel Roux’s brioche dough | French recipes
Recipe from Michel Roux, basically
70% butter,
60% eggs,
14% milk,
7% sugar,
1.4% salt,
1.4 % instant yeast.
Bulked overnight in the fridge.
Warm milk, plenty of butter and a yolky glaze are the secrets behind the perfect melt-in-the-mouth classic French brioche.

22/12/2018
Michel Roux's brioche dough recipe
The perfect breakfast bake

Ingredients
70 ml tepid milk
15 g fresh yeast
500 g plain flour
350 g butter, slightly softened, plus extra to grease
30 g caster sugar
1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tbsp milk, for egg wash
6 eggs, beaten

Directions
Pour the milk and yeast into a bowl and stir to dissolve the yeast.
Put the flour, one teaspoon fine salt and beaten eggs into an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook and pour in the milk and yeast mixture.
Mix on slow speed to combine and knead the dough for 5 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then knead at medium speed for about 10 minutes.
By this stage, the dough should be smooth, elastic and combined well.
Meanwhile, in another bowl, mix the butter and sugar together.
Add a few small spoonfuls of the butter mix to the dough, then with the mixer running at low speed, add the rest a piece at a time.
When the butter mixture is all incorporated, increase the speed and work for 6 to 10 minutes, until the dough is very smooth and shiny and comes away from the bowl with perfect elasticity.
Remove the dough hook, leaving the dough in the bowl.
Cover with a tea towel or cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in volume.
Knock the dough back by flipping it over two or three times with your hand.
Cover the bowl again and refrigerate for at least six hours (but not more than 24 hours).
The dough is then ready to use and mould.
To shape a large brioche: divide 600g dough into two-thirds (400g) and one-third (200g).
Shape the larger piece into a ball and place it in the bottom of a well-buttered brioche mould, measuring 16 centimetres across the top, eight centimetres across the base.
Make a deep indentation.
Shape the small piece of dough into an elongated oval and gently press into the indentation in the large ball, so that only a little is left visible, resembling a ‘head’.
Lightly brush the dough with egg wash.
Leave to rise in a warm place for about one and a half hours, until it has at least doubled in volume.
Preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6.
Brush the brioche lightly again with egg wash.
Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the setting to 180C/gas mark 3 and bake for another 30 minutes.
Leave the brioche in the mould for 5 minutes, then tip out onto a wire rack and leave the bread to cool before serving.
Recipe: The Roux Legacy, Good Food Channel