Category Archives: egg

deep fried crispy pork

Posted by Gary in egg, marjoram, pork

crispy deep fried pork

Being interested in all things food mean I read a whole bunch of other blogs. Today Google Reader says I subscribe to 81 food-related RSS feeds. They range from bylined journalist columns to people just starting to write up their first things that I like the look of. On any given day a  rolodex of recipes rolls past me from all over the globe.

Someone I’ve recently latched on to is Going With My Gut. She’s been posting about a recent nose-to-tail pig butchery day and the latest post featured some crispy fried pork chops. Deep frying a really fatty piece of meat sounds insane. AND GREAT. So I did something similar, using lean pork and sliced thin like the Chinese takeaway classic deep-fried crispy beef.

It’s a little sickly so don’t serve too much of it. Very tasty though.

Deep fried crispy pork (serves 4):

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 egg, beaten

6 pork loin steaks, sliced into skinny pieces the size of your little finger

1 teaspoon dried marjoram

300ml chicken stock

1 litre vegetable oil

  1. First make the batter. Mix the flour, paprika and baking powder together with a pinch of salt. Stir in the beaten egg and add enough water to slacken to the consistency of double cream. Pop in the fridge until ready to use.
  2. Put a frying pan on a medium heat, and a pan with the vegetable oil on a very high heat. On a large chopping board sprinkle salt, pepper and marjoram. Roll the pork shreds in this mix so they are well coated. Add a splash of oil to the frying pan then fry the pork in batches. If you’ve cut them small enough you should only need to cook for a couple of minutes on each side until they are white all over.
  3. While the veg oil is getting smoking hot, add about a teaspoon of flour to the frying pan and stir well. Deglaze with the stock and allow to bubble away while you deep-fry the pork.
  4. Once the oil is smoking, dip the pork in the batter and straight into the pan. It will go golden brown in about 30 seconds, so fry in batches and drain on kitchen paper. Sprinkle with sea salt and serve with the reduced chicken stock sauce.

chocolate and rosemary ice cream

Posted by Gary in chocolate, cocoa, cream, egg, ice cream, rosemary and tagged with

chocolate and rosemary ice cream

Heston Blumenthal has recently created a range of ice creams for Waitrose, including chocolate and rosemary ice cream. I got the chance to try this, along with popcorn ice cream at Waitrose’s Summer party held at the V&A. I was mesmerised by the taste, deeply rich and chocolatey, but with a smooth herbal note. It’s reminiscent of choc-mint ice cream as it provides a similar mentholesque flavour, but remains distinctly rosemary-y.

At the event I also realised a big dream of mine – to meet Heston. OK, we didn’t swap phone numbers or make plans to go see Pirates 4. But I did manage to tell him what an inspiration he is to me and how much I enjoy his work. He seemed genuinely appreciative, not merely saying thanks and walking off but keen to express his gratitude.

Gushing aside, I had to try and recreate that ice cream flavour that I’d sampled. I was looking to marry that rich smoothness with a warm herb flavour. After some experimenting I’m confident that I’ve nailed it. It’s chocolatey, creamy and really interesting. It would be a good one to wheel out when friends are over for dinner as all the prep is well beforehand and you only need a little to satisfy. It’s really nice with crushed pistachios. A quick tip – this needs a good twenty minutes defrosting to get smooth and easily scooped, so remove it from the freezer just as you serve the main meal.

Be warned: bring your whisking arm with you.

You can probably make this with an ice cream maker but I’ve never owned one so I can’t help you there. A lot of people go for the ‘ break it up with a fork several times during freezing’ but it’s never made any noticeable improvement to me, so I don’t bother.

Chocolate and rosemary ice cream (makes about 600 ml in volume):

40g cocoa powder

1 large sprig of rosemary

500 ml whole milk

125g dark chocolate (about 70% cocoa solids)

¼ teaspoon vanilla salt

6 egg yolks

100g caster sugar + 6 tablespoons caster sugar

100ml double cream

  1. Put the milk into a saucepan and pop over a medium heat. Roll up the rosemary but leave it intact (this friction breaks the surface of the herb and causes it to leak more oil). Whisk the cocoa into the milk as it heats, and keep whisking until the milk just reaches the boil. Take off the heat.
  2. Melt the chocolate. You can use a bain marie for this if you like but personally I find it less faff to use a microwave on low power. Zap it for 2 minutes at a time until smooth.
  3. Whisk the egg yolks and 100g sugar together until a pale ivory colour and thick. Add the hot milk to the yolks gradually, whisking all the time. Return the mixture back to the saucepan and put back on a gentle heat. Keep on whisking and add the melted chocolate, and whisk for a further 5 minutes until thickened. Again turn off the heat and leave to one side while you make a caramel.
  4. Melt the 6 tablespoons sugar with 2 tablespoons water over a medium heat. Swirl the saucepan round to combine but do not stir. Keep it going until it turns a lovely amber colour, then add the double cream and keep on swirling. When the caramel is smooth add to the chocolate milk, again with the whisking. Pour through a sieve into a freezable container and freeze at least overnight before serving.

coley kedgeree

Posted by Gary in coley, egg, fish, rice and tagged with

coley kedgeree

I’m a big fan of Great British Menu and love to watch real working chefs and pros sweating and creating to challenge each other. Who are more competitive than top-flight chefs? Real gems come out of it and I’m sure bookings are a dead cert to increase for everyone involved.

This week Michael Smith made an inviting (if not entirely appropriate for this year’s sharing banquet theme) salmon kedgeree which inspired me to have one myself. I winged it, adding what felt right and what I was in the mood for. It usually features boiled eggs but they don’t really do it for me so I’ve gone for scrambled here. Fresh, spicy and filling – what more could you want?

Coley kedgeree (serves 1):

1 frozen coley steak

1 tablespoon madras powder

2 handfuls Basmati rice

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon cumin seeds

½ teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon nigella seeds

1 egg

Splash of cream

Large handful chopped fresh coriander

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  2. Mix the madras with a pinch of salt on a square of foil. Rub the fish into the powder all over and then wrap the parcel up and bake for 20 minutes, or until flaky.
  3. Get a large pan of water on to boil and add the rice and turmeric. Boil for 12 minutes or so until tender, then drain and keep warm while you get on with everything else.
  4. Beat the egg with a pinch of salt and the cream. In a frying pan toast the seeds over a medium heat. When they start to smoke add the drained rice and egg. Keep everything moving around to break the egg up.
  5. The fish should be done now so get it out of the oven and flake into the rice. When the egg is set to your liking take off the heat, stir through the coriander and serve.

creme caramel

Posted by Gary in egg, milk, sugar and tagged with

creme caramel

After sampling some beautiful desserts in Mallorca recently, I really fancied recreating some of them. One on the hitlist was creme caramel, so I gave it a go. I used this recipe of James Martin’s, and didn’t change a thing.

It turned out brilliantly! I was sure it would be lumpy and gnarly, but the mixture was smooth, the caramel golden and the whole thing sweet and jelly-like. I was gobsmacked!

Creme caramel (serves 4):

4 eggs

1 egg yolk

120 g caster sugar

500 ml milk

1 drops vanilla essence

For the caramel:

150 g caster sugar

50 ml water

  1. Preheat the oven to 140°C/gas 1.
  2. Whisk the whole eggs, egg yolk and sugar together in a bowl, then mix in the milk and vanilla essence. Pass through a fine sieve into a clean bowl.
  3. To make the caramel, boil the sugar and water together in a small pan without stirring until the syrup thickens and caramelises, turning golden brown.
  4. Pour the hot caramel into 4 dariole moulds.
  5. Pour the egg mixture into each caramel-filled moulds. Place the darioles in a roasting tray and pour hot water in around the moulds until it reaches half-way up the side of the moulds.
  6. Bake the crème caramels in the preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
  7. To serve, turn out of the moulds on to serving plates.

cheddar frittata with zingy balsamic rocket salad

Posted by Gary in egg, fennel and tagged with

cheddar frittata with zingy balsamic rocket salad

Just a quick, cheap and cheerful dinner. A simple and humble cheddar frittata with leftover spaghetti, plus a punchy salad on the side (gleefully stolen from Jamie’s 30 Minute Meals). The dressing is dynamite, really sweetly acidic with a lemony punch.

Cheddar frittata with zingy balsamic rocket salad (serves 2):

For the frittata:

4 eggs

100g cheddar

150g spaghetti

½ teaspoon smoked paprika

For the salad:

2 slices pancetta

1 clove garlic

1 tablespoon fennel seeds

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

½ a lemon

  1. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking once it’s done. Get the grill on hot and a frying pan over a medium heat.
  2. Whisk the eggs briskly in a large bowl, with salt, pepper and the paprika. Stir in the cheese and add to a large frying pan. After a minute or so add the spaghetti.
  3. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the egg has set around the sides, then transfer to under the grill until the top has browned and set in the middle.
  4. While the omelette cooks get the pancetta into an empty frying pan and the squashed, unpeeled clove of garlic. Once the pancetta’s cooked on one side flip over and add the fennel seeds. Push everything to one side of the pan and tip it slightly. All the fat should run to this side, into which you should add the balsamic vinegar and a twist of pepper. After a minute add the squeezed lemon then pour the lot on to the salad leaves.
  5. Toss the salad well and serve with a wedge of frittata.

chocolate and caramel macarons

Posted by Gary in chocolate, egg and tagged with

chocolate and caramel macarons

Apologies for the dishevelled appearance in the photo, sadly the decent ones went immediately!

I have attempted macarons before; often problem-laden and unpredictable. The worst part was trying to let them set to achieve the mythical ‘foot’; the gluey bit on the bottom that forms that crusty ring. So when I was invited to a pre-launch macaron class at the Waitrose Cookery School I jumped at the chance.

The training kitchens, situated in Goldhurst Terrace, London, are immaculate. Warm, open and inviting, it’s difficult not to feel completely welcome and at ease. Lots of bright lighting and muted wood tones give a relaxing feel to the lobby, giving way to the pristine whites of the actual cooking area. There’s also a TV studio-style lecture theatre.

James Campbell

James Campbell piping like a ninja

Headed up by Gordon McDermott the brigade are full to the brim with chefs fresh from Michelin-starred kitchens to train and teach. Our main chef-tutor for the evening was James Campbell, a confident and engaging Scot of undoubted skill. He took us through the recipe effortlessly before dispatching us to give it a whirl. Paired with the affable Craig of London Food Detective, we set to with jolly expensive food mixers and brand-new ovens to macaron like we had never macaron before. We had a whale of a time.

We made a few mistakes, in timings and piping, but then where better to make a mistake than under the guidance of someone who use to churn out 300 desserts a night for Gary Rhodes? James pointed out the errors of our ways and set us on the right path. His techniques in instructing me how to pipe were fascinating and obvious at the same time. It’s those pro tips that you only get from doing the job for years at a professional level that makes it all worthwhile. We’d made some cracking (no pun intended) bitter orange macarons. There was also some cocktail instruction going on but I had to get our confections out of the oven! Some mulled wine macarons were also passed around and they were sensational. Filled with a boozy buttercream and a hit of syrupy reduced mulled wine, they are sure to be a hit this Winter.

If you’re considering a cookery class, or looking for a gift for the foodie in your life, try the Waitrose Cookery School. The facilities and tuition are top-notch. As a former trainer myself, I can spot a decent coach and everyone there was great.

For these chocolate and caramel macarons (known as Makka-Pakka-Roons in our house for their beige colouring) I adapted a recipe James provided. And how delightful they were. Crisp shells with chewy interiors, and sweet gooey fillings, these were a real hit. The key trick is to make them with an Italian meringue, that is made with a syrup rather than adding caster sugar while whisking. This means you don’t have to leave them to sit which is the real trick to awesome macarons.

Chocolate and caramel macarons (makes about 30):

For the meringue:

4 egg whites

187g caster sugar

75ml water

162g ground almonds

25g cocoa powder

187g icing sugar

For the chocolate:

160g double cream

200g dark chocolate

40g butter

For the caramel:

300g sugar

75ml water

250g cream

25g butter

  1. Preheat the oven to 140°C.
  2. Get the caster sugar and water in a pan and heat it up. It needs to reach 114°C.
  3. While the syrup heats, whisk the egg whites gently in a mixer. When the syrup is the right temperature slowly trickle it into the eggs so it is incorporated gently and without hitting the whisk if possible. Turn it up to max and let it whisk for 5 minutes until thick, glossy and that you-can-hold-it-over-your-headness.
  4. While that whisks, mix the almonds, cocoa and icing sugar together and then mix in the egg whites. It will be a really tough paste.
  5. Mix the egg white into the paste a third at a time. Try not to whack the hell out of it. Spoon it into a piping bag and line a tray with baking parchment (stick it down with a dab of meringue mix if you like).
  6. Pipe the mix on to the tray, leaving a gap between each one. When piping, keep the bag at 2cm over the tray and squeeze gently until you have s mall blob about 4cm in diameter on the tray. To prevent the meringue getting a wispy ‘nipple’ on top, pull away from the tray with a swirl and a flick. This needs practice!
  7. Bake in the oven for exactly 12 minutes. While that happens, make the fillings.
  8. For the chocolate, bring the cream to the simmer and add the chocolate. When melted add the butter, stir and allow to cool.
  9. For the caramel, melt the sugar and water together until golden, then slowly add the cream. When that’s blended add the butter, stir and allow to cool.
  10. When the meringues have cooled for a few minutes, pull the parchment up and peel the macaron away from the paper. Pipe some chocolate ganache around the rim and drop a few spots of caramel in the middle. Sandwich together and watch them disappear.

heston blumenthal’s perfect treacle tart revisited

Posted by Gary in cream, egg, golden syrup, lemon, pastry and tagged with

heston blumenthal's perfect treacle tart

“Haven’t I read this before?” Why, yes you have. But for one thing, the picture is beyond ghastly. Secondly I followed even more of the rules than before. And finally I previously linked to The Times, and can’t stand the idea of the recipe disappearing behind the Murdoch paywall.

So how was it this time? I made the pastry myself. It was alright. I am no pastry ninja, possessing of skillet-like furnaces for hands that sees any dough crumble to bits in my grasp. I need a walk-in fridge to help with this. I’d be happy enough with shop-bought pastry for this. And I aged the treacle by baking it in a low oven for 24 hours. I’d like to think it made a difference, but the flavour maturation is subtle but interesting. Worth it if you have the time, don’t weep if you don’t.

If you haven’t tried this yet, really, really do. If you think Heston Blumenthal recipes are too complicated, they’re really, really not. It’s a stunner, and will make you incredibly popular if you take it round someone’s house for tea. Do it.

Heston Blumenthal’s perfect treacle tart (an easy 10 slices):

For the vanilla salt:

Seeds from 2 plump vanilla pods

50g sea salt

  1. Work the seeds into the salt with your fingers and leave to infuse until you’re ready to serve.

For the pastry:

400g plain flour

1 heaped teaspoon table salt

400g unsalted butter, chilled and diced

100g icing sugar

Zest of 1 lemon, finely grated

Seeds from 1 vanilla pod

2 large egg yolks (about 40g)

2 large eggs (about 120g)

  1. Tip the flour and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub in the butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Given the amount of butter, you may need to add and rub it in in batches.
  2. Quickly stir in the icing sugar, lemon zest and vanilla seeds. Add the egg yolks and the whole eggs, and mix until combined. Tip onto a sheet of clingfilm, wrap it up and leave to rest in the fridge for at least 3 hours.
  3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 150°C.
  4. Dust a piece of greaseproof paper with flour. Take the pastry out of the fridge and remove the clingfilm. Place the pastry on the greaseproof paper. Cut off about one third of the dough and reserve in case it is needed to patch holes in the pastry base. (If unused, it can be frozen or baked as biscuits.) Shake over more flour, then top with a second piece of greaseproof paper. Begin to roll the pastry flat, moving the pin from the centre outwards. Turn the pastry 90 degrees every few rolls. Aim for a thickness of 3mm–5mm, and a diameter of 45cm–50cm. Once the pastry is rolled out to the correct thickness, peel off the top layer of greaseproof paper, trim off any excess, then wind the pastry onto the rolling pin, removing the other layer of paper as you go. Unwind the pastry over the flan tin and gently push it into the base and sides. Place in the fridge for 30 minutes.
  5. Once the pastry has firmed up, remove it from the fridge. Prick the base with a fork to stop it puffing up. Take a fresh piece of greaseproof paper, scrunch it up and smooth it out several times (this makes it easier to put in position), then place it over the pastry base. Put baking beans or, even better, coins on top. Return the lined pastry case to the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Remove the case from the fridge and put it in the oven to bake for 25–30 minutes, until the pastry is a light, golden brown. If, after removing the beans or coins, the base is slightly tacky, return the case to the oven for 10–15 minutes.

For the filling:

400g loaf of brown bread, whizzed to crumbs

200g unsalted butter

3 large eggs

75ml double cream

2 teaspoons table salt

900g tin of golden syrup (age this by placing in the lowest your oven will go for at least 24 hours)

Zest of 3 lemons

Juice of 2 lemons

  1. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
  2. Make a beurre noisette by putting the butter in a pan over a medium heat. When the butter stops sizzling (a sign that the water has all evaporated, after which it will soon burn) and develops a nutty aroma, remove it from the heat. Strain it into a jug and leave to cool. Discard the blackened solids left in the sieve.
  3. Put the eggs, cream and salt in a bowl and whisk until combined. Set aside.
  4. Pour the golden syrup into a pan and heat gently until liquid. Pour the beurre noisette into the warmed syrup, and stir. (Try to avoid tipping in any sediment that may have collected at the bottom of the jug.)
  5. Pour the buttery syrup into the egg and cream mixture. Stir in the breadcrumbs and the lemon zest and juice.
  6. Transfer the mixture to a large jug. Pour two-thirds of it into the pastry case. Slide the tart into the oven and pour in the remainder of the filling. Bake for 50–60 minutes, or until the tart is a deep brown colour. Remove from the oven and leave to cool before taking out of the tin.
  7. Serve the treacle tart with a few grains of vanilla salt sprinkled on top, and with a good dollop of clotted cream.

jap chae

Posted by Gary in beef, egg, food, noodles, onion, peppers, spinach, steak and tagged with

judy joo's jap chae

Following my first brush with Korean BBQ, subsequent egging on from gourmet traveller, and inspiration from Judy Joo, I knew my second dish had to be Jap Chae.

I took a good look at Judy Joo’s recipe, and dived into the challenge. Being a forthright so-and-so, I made a few adjustments. I understand they are at the heart of the dish but I had no chance of finding dangmyeon, or sweet potato vermicelli, in my corner of Essex. It’s hard enough finding an Asian store of any description, so I hope the panel will forgive me substituting fine egg noodles (if I ever see some on my travels, I will grab them and give ‘em a try). On a more personal level, I love it when beef has that black-brown seared crust on, and worried that this recipe might lose it. So I chose to sear the beef very quickly over very high heat, then leave it to rest alongside the omelette before adding back at the end. By resting it here, those lovely steak juices would wander off and get leeched by the egg, so double win there.

All told, it was a lovely plate of noodles. Dark and rich, with plenty of fresh vegetable crunch. The omelette and beef were nice little nuggets of treasure hidden away amongst it all. Thanks guys! So what’s next?

Jap chae (serves 2):

200g rump steak, thinly sliced

For the marinade:

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon sesame seeds

For the noodles:

2 nests fine egg noodles, broken up

2 tbsp soy sauce

Everything else:

2 eggs, beaten

1 large onion, sliced

4 cloves garlic, crushed

1 small red onion, sliced

1 small carrot, julienned

12 oyster mushrooms, sliced

½ red pepper, julienned

Handful baby spinach leaves

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, crushed

3 tablespoons sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

  1. Mix the marinade ingredients together, pour over the steak and leave for at least half an hour.
  2. Boil the noodles as per packet instructions, drain and rinse through with plenty of cold water. When cool to the touch pour over the soy and let it soak in.
  3. Get a pan on medium low and spread the egg thinly over the base of the pan. When it sets flip it over, cook briefly, roll it up and put to one side.
  4. Get the pan up to ferocious heat and add a splash of oil. Sear the beef quickly for about 45 seconds on either side and remove to the same plate as the omelette to rest while you get on with everything else. (I couldn’t bear to lose that leftover marinade so poured it over the resting noodles).
  5. Keep the heat high and add the onion and garlic and cook for 3 minutes. Keep it moving the whole time and it shouldn’t catch. Add the red onion, carrot, mushrooms and pepper and continue stir-frying at pace. Fry for 3 – 4 minutes more until they vegetables start to go tender, then add the spinach and beef. Slice the omelette into strips and add those too along with the noodles and the rest of the ingredients.
  6. Cook for another minute or two until everything has been warmed through and the noodles take on a glossy appearance.

leek fritters

Posted by Gary in egg, food, leeks and tagged with

leek fritters with coriander and garlic yoghurt

This is a cheeky treat from Ottolenghi’s latest, Plenty. I picked it out to cook expecting something quite nice but it simply floored me how good it was. There’s a lightness there, provided by the egg white I guess. Paired with a potent, tangy yoghurt this makes a pretty filling but very tasty brunch (or dinner when helped along by a salad – the brown specks on mine are a balsamic dressing!).

(It should be noted my method is adapted from Ottolenghi’s according to store cupboard and mood)

Leek fritters (serves 4):

3 leeks, sliced

1 onion, finely diced

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon coriander

Handful of chopped parsley

150g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

50g butter, melted

1 egg

Some milk

1 egg white, whisked to soft peaks

For the garlic and coriander yoghurt:

300ml Greek yoghurt

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Handful of chopped coriander

1 garlic clove, grated

  1. Fry the onions and leeks gently until tender, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool, adding the spices, parsley, some seasoning and a pinch of sugar.
  2. Combine the flour, whole egg, butter and baking powder and add enough milk to make a thick batter. Combine the leek mixture with this batter and fold in the whipped egg white.
  3. Cover the base of a pan with oil and get over a medium heat. Add large dollops of fritter mix to form pancakes and allow to brown underneath before flipping. This will take about 4 minutes on each side. Fry in batches until all done, draining on kitchen paper until needed.
  4. To make the yoghurt sauce, combine all the ingredients. Taste often, adding more lemon / oil / salt and pepper as required. A squeeze of lemon over the fritters wouldn’t go amiss either.