Category: lemon

pork escalope milanese

pork escalope milanese with green beans and fries

You can’t beat a piece of meat in breadcrumbs. That feeling as you sink your teeth into the crunchy coating and it gives way to tender, juicy meat… A little flavouring in the breading and it’s slightly different every time. I always try to blitz a leftover loaf and chuck them in the freezer so I’ve always got a bag of breadcrumbs ready to shake over a piece of meat.

Pork escalope milanese (serves 3):

3 pork shoulder steaks, bashed to about the thickness of a pound coin with a rolling pin

Zest of 1 lemon

50g breadcrumbs

2 eggs, beaten

3 tablespoons seasoned flour

Mix the breadcrumbs with zest and plenty of black pepper.

Dip the pork steaks in flour on both sides, shaking off the excess. Then dip them in egg, then the breadcrumbs. Ensure they’re well coated.

Fry in oil over a medium heat for about 4 minutes or until browned. Turn the steaks over and dot the gaps with butter.

Fry on the other side until browned and serve with lemon wedges.

food lemon mackerel

mackerel pate

I can’t claim the slightest bit of credit for this one. A friend and I were rummaging through the Tesco cook books and I stumbled on the Fay Ripley’s book Fay’s Family Food, which was jolly homely and decidedly honest. I glimpsed this mackerel pate, which I’m ashamed to say I memorised the recipe and put the book back. However on the strength of this and other interesting things I saw, I think I’ll pick it up again – but pay for it this time…

This makes an excellent lunch on a piece of toast.

Mackerel pate:

200g mackerel

2 tablespoons cottage cheese

1 tablespoon creme fraiche

Juice of 1 lemon

Black pepper to taste

Pinch of smoked paprika

Bung the lot in a food processor and whiz until as smooth or as chunky as you’d like it. Alternatively mash with a fork.

Tags fay ripley

food garlic lamb lemon prosciutto rosemary

italian roast lamb

I was really in the mood for artichokes alla romana again, and had the thought of lamb but more so. Even though it’s mid-Summer, I was craving some roast lamb. So to go with the artichokes I put an Italian spin on the meat. I whizzed up rosemary, garlic, lemon zest and prosciutto with some oil and then smeared all over my pierced joint. A while in the oven and a pungent, flavourful piece of meat was enjoyed. Iwas very pleased with the cut too – I planned a leg but my butcher only had absolute whoppers. What he did have though was a boned & rolled shoulder, which although I didn’t expect both speeded up the cooking time and gave me a nice crevice into which to cram the tasty stuffing.

Italian roast lamb

A fragrant and tasty roast lamb dish.

Ingredients

Leg or shoulder of lamb
3 slices of prosciutto or Parma ham
Leaves of 2 rosemary stalks
Zest of 1 lemon
2 fat garlic cloves

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 230C.
Whizz the prosciutto, lemon, garlic and lemon zest in a processor. Add olive oil to slacken to a mushy paste.
Pack the stuffing / baste around the meat, poking into any nooks or crannies. Stab the meat with a knife if necessary.
Put the meat in the oven and turn down to 170C.
Cook until done to your likeness - 1hr 30mins for this one.

artichoke food lemon rice

artichoke & lemon risotto

Another fine idea from Olive magazine. You start with a fairly ordinary risotto bianco: arborio rice (two handfuls per person) fried in two tablespoons of butter for a minute, then add a glass of wine until almost dry. Then ladle in hot vegetable stock until the rice is swollen and tender. Season and add parmesan to taste.

The artful touches here are to add a tub of sliced ready-cooked artichoke (I personally recommend Waitrose or Sainsbury’s for these), and garnish with lemon wedges. You get the wonderful richness of the rice, the firm meatiness of artichoke, all rinsed through with this delicious sweet lemon. A real knockout dish.