Goosenarg

Chorizo and chickpea stew

Becky Tanyar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:06:52 +0000

This evening’s humble supper started from a loop of Spanish chorizo, and grew into this stew, as I gathered ‘red’ ingredients – red onion, red pepper, red chilli flakes – from the foodhall of M&S. Surprising really, as I find that place distinctly uninspiring, as all fresh produce, aside from maybe the fruit, is overly packaged, rather unnervingly shiny, and overwhelmed by a plethora of processed dinners. This serves four with a nice, peppery green salad dressed in extra virgin olive oil and sherry vinegar. Or you could add spinach to the stew, just wilted at the end and serve on it’s own, maybe with a hunk of good bread and a swirl of extra virgin olive oil over the top.

Ingredients

Olive oil
1 medium red onion
2-3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1 large red romano pepper
Glass of red wine (a robust Spanish variety)
About 500g of potatoes
About 200g good chorizo (I used Navidul, chorizo Iberico from Ocado)
1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
400g tin of plum tomatoes
1/2 tsp sugar
400g tin of chickpeas (you could also use butter beans)
Around 4 tbsp flat leaf parsley
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Slice the onion in half, then into fairly thick slices, and fry in the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed saucepan until starting to go translucent. Meanwhile, halve, deseed and roughly chop the pepper. Cut the potatoes and the chorizo into manageable, stew-sized chunks and add to the softened onion along with the pepper, garlic and chilli flakes. Cook until the pepper is softened slightly then chuck in the glassful of wine. Turn the heat up and boil for a couple of minutes. Then add the tinned tomatoes, chopped, about half a tin of water, to cover the contents of the pan, and the sugar. Bring back to the boil, then reduce to a simmer. Add the paprika, and salt.

Leave it to simmer with the lid partially off, so a small amount of steam is allowed to escape, for about ten minutes. Then add the chickpeas and simmer, also with the lid partially off, until the potatoes are cooked and the stew has thickened. Season with black pepper. Turn off the heat and stir in the roughly chopped parsley, reserving a little to sprinkle over the top just before serving.

Iranian melons

Becky Tanyar — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 22:16:44 +0000

Walking past the Sussex International Grocers earlier today I spotted a crate of fabulous looking melons. Like a cross between honeydew and cantaloupe, only bigger, they sat on display, cushioned by regally purple tissue paper, labelled ‘Iranian melons’. Although huge, at £5.50 a pop I almost balked, if not for the beautiful sunshine and imploring excitedness of my eldest daughter and goddaughter. Armed with the cash they carefully carried their prize (between them…) up to the till like kids in a sweetshop. Then, melon balanced on the top of the pushchair, we ambled home, sat in the garden and ate it cut into slices, the juice dribbling down our chins. It’s flesh was the colour of pale straw and crisp like an asian pear. And it was one of the best things I’ve eaten of late – aside from the bowl of cherries we had this evening, straight from the fridge, in the last of the sunshine, over a game of backgammon, proving that time, place and company has an immeasureable influence on the pleasure we derive from our food.

And they are, like Alphonso mangoes, unique in time and place.

Bill Granger’s lime, paprika and honey glazed chicken

Becky Tanyar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 19:57:54 +0000

I don’t think it’s necessarily been a conscious decision, but I’ve never before considered cooking anything by this scarily sunny, Aussie chef. He is all things wholesome and happy personified, and quite frankly slightly unnerving. But healthy British cynicism aside he does always tend to cook really appealing, but health conscious food – all great summer fare. So, after trying this at my sister’s at the weekend, I’m converted, but may still have to cook him in batches so to speak…

And it’s another child-friendly winner at no sacrifice for the grown-ups…

Serves 4

(Sacha substituted lemon for the lime – either is good I’m told)

Ingredients

2 tbsp plain flour
2tsp paprika
8 chicken legs
2 red onions, cut into wedges
2 tbsp olive oil
2tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp honey
125ml chicken stock
1 lime, cut into thin wedges (unwaxed)

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas mark 7

2. Mix the flour and paprika and season with salt and pepper. Dust the chicken legs in the flour and then put in a large roasting tin with the onions.

3. Drizzle with the olive oil and roast for 20 minutes, turning the chicken once during this time.

4. Mix together the ginger, garlic, honey and chicken stock. Pour over the chicken and add the lime wedges to the tin. Roast for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken is golden and glazed.

5. Serve with steamed rice, greens and coriander leaves. (Sacha served it with basmati and wild rice, and broccoli- and spooned the lovely, sticky juices from the pan all over the chicken and rice.)

Sam and Stelios’ stuffed courgettes (revised)

Becky Tanyar — Mon, 23 Jun 2008 21:48:04 +0000

I spent Sunday lunch with my BFF and her hubby, a lovely Greek doctor, who since whisking her off to Greece and back and immersing her in a culture so richly associated with family and food, has helped to transform her from a packet popper into the wonderful Greek domestic goddess she is now. S’s idea of cooking, and bless her, it was done with love, and even planning, was M&S pasta and sauce. But now she arrives triumphantly at my door with dishes of finely stuffed vegetables, lovely lentil soup and yoghurt pots of home-soaked, home-made black beans. This Sunday was no exception, and this dish was not only delicious but so authentic that the smell alone evoked memories of my Turkish grandmother’s cooking.

(The amounts are an approximation, and the method interpreted, so this may need some editing by S.)

Serves 4-6 depending on hunger and accompaniments

Ingredients

6 large courgettes (the Greeks and Turks use the paler versions that look more like mini marrows which you may find in a continental supermarket)
Butter
1 onion
About a cup of short grain rice
A handful of flat leaf parsley, chopped
250g feta cheese, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten
1x400g tin of tomatoes
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp sugar
Black pepper

Method

Top and tail the courgettes, then parboil them. This should take about 5 mins, so they are soft enough to handle but not break up whilst you do so. Drain the courgettes and scoop the flesh out the centre of each so you are left with a firm shell. Chop the flesh quite finely. You will only need about 2 thirds for the stuffing.

Grate the onion and fry in butter. Once the onion has softened add the chopped courgette flesh. Fry over a medium heat until dry – i.e. there is no oil or liquid left in the pan. Take off the heat and leave to cool briefly. Stir in the rice, parsley, feta and eggs.

Take each courgette shell and stuff with the mixture. Place them all like a jigsaw into the base of a shallow, wide pan with a lid (you will need to halve some of them). Mix the tin of tomatoes with all the olive oil and the sugar, and pour over the top. Season with black pepper. The salt from the feta should be enough but you may want to sprinkle a little over now too.

Place on the hob and bring to a simmer, put the lid on and turn the heat right down. Leave for at least an hour.

Serve with a crisp Greek salad and bread to sop up the oily, tomatoey juices.

Smoked seabass almost nicoise

Becky Tanyar — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 22:49:33 +0000

Smoked seabass is a new discovery. I came across it in the virtual aisles of Ocado and thought I’d give it a go. I wasn’t disappointed. A little of the seabass’ subtlety may be lost, but I enjoyed it. The consistency of the eggs and optimum bite to the asparagus are central to this salad.

Serves 2

Ingredients

Smoked seabass – pack of two fillets
Mixed watercress, spinach and rocket salad
2 small organic carrots
A bundle of English asparagus
1 tbs capers (I prefer the small salted ones which must be soaked first), rinsed
2 eggs
A nice fruity extra virgin olive oil
Sherry vinegar (I use one by A.R.Valdespino, from Brindisa, a fabulous spanish deli with a concession at Borough Market and a shop on Exmouth Market, London, )
Wholegrain dijon mustard
Lemon
Black pepper

Method

Easy peasy.

Take the eggs out of the fridge (cold eggs straight out of the fridge can crack when put into boiling water).

Snap the ends off the asparagus and discard. They will give at the point they are supposed to be snapped.

Put the asparagus into a steamer, with a little sprinkling of Maldon sea salt, for about five minutes depending on the thickness of the spears. They should be soft enough to bite through but crisp enough to taste fresh still, and retain their colour. Cool under cold running water briefly, but run the tap gently or you may damage the tender tips. Put on one side.

Whilst the asparagus is steaming, put a small pan of water on to boil. Once boiling lower the eggs into the water and simmer fairly rapidly for five mins. With a slotted spoon, remove the eggs from the pan, cool under running water to take the edge off, then place on one side.

Make the dressing by mixing the oil with the vinegar (3 parts oil to 1 of vinegar), then stirring in about a teaspoon of the mustard according to taste (I like it quite punchy so use a really heaped teaspoon). Grind some pepper into it.

In a bowl, mix two really big handfuls of the leaves (these should be ready washed) with the capers and carrots, which have been peeled (normally I try and avoid peeling vegetables in order to preserve their nutrients but I find even organic carrot skin can be bitter), and then made into ribbons (carry on peeling them until all the carrot is in a mass of curls on the board). Coat with a little of the dressing with your hands so it is all shiny but not greasy or soggy. Pile this salad mixture onto two plates.

Place a seabass fillet (not straight out the fridge, but brought to room temperature) on top of each pile of salad. Then arrange the asparagus around the salad. Peel the eggs (carefully, as they are only just cooked, so can come away with the shell if you’re not), slice in half lengthways (the yolk should still be ever so slightly runny and deep orange – as the French do it) and also arrange on the plates.

Spoon as much dressing as you like over the asparagus and the seabass, then squeeze a little lemon over the whole lot, and serve.

Broad beans with parma ham

Becky Tanyar — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 21:39:45 +0000

Having recently acquired a garden, my in-laws by proxy have been encouraging my enthusiasm by kindly turning up on our doorstep bearing gifts of geraniums, tomato plants and packets of salad leaf seeds etc. Having noted my enthusiasm, but also my lack of any actual real gardening, they have tried to introduce me gently into the world of horticulture and greens by supplying idiot proof starter crops. So far we have produced a bumper pot of mixed lettuce leaves, and I haven’t killed the rosemary yet. The tomato and courgette plants are mere fledglings still…

Father-in-law by proxy has his own allotment, so I’m confident he can teach me all I need to know. In the meantime, they arrived with a bag of freshly picked broad beans yesterday, which I wanted to eat straight away to savour their freshness. There is no need for fussiness… the broad beans are the focus and shouldn’t be overwhelmed. This is what I had in the fridge. You could use any other ham but I think parma works best – it’s lean and fragrant. Simple and gorgeous, but the quality of the ingredients is paramount. Especially the oil, which can make or break this dish.

Serves 2

Ingredients

About 12 broad beans (or as many as you are lucky to receive and you fancy eating)
6 slices of Parma ham
Parmesan – a good quality aged cheese such as stocked by Coriander deli in Hove
A nice fruity extra virgin olive oil
Lemon

Method

Bring a small pan of water to the boil. In the meantime, pod the beans. Put them into the pan and cook at a fast simmer for about 3 mins, then drain in a colander and run some cold water over them to stop the cooking process and cool them down. Once cool enough to touch pop the beans out of their skins. If you have particularly young beans you don’t necessarily need to do this tedious task, but I think the dish looks prettier if you do.

Arrange the slices of ham on two plates, pile the beans on top (a great colour combination) and shave over plenty of parmesan. I use a peeler to do this (oxo are the best make- can’t recommend them enough).

Then drizzle with the oil and squeeze over lemon to taste. Finally grind some black pepper on the loosest setting so there’s some nice big chunks of pepper to bite into.

This makes a great starter with a lovely, crisp, dry glass of white wine. A cold dry sherry would also work well.

Ethel’s Kitchen

Becky Tanyar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 21:00:11 +0000

This is a great little cafe close to George Street in Hove. Inside is a cornucopia of fine vintage china teacups and saucers and old, wooden furniture, imparting a cosy, times-gone-by tearoom feel. And the staff are lovely. But with a pushchair it’s a little snug and hard to negotiate, so we parked the baby next to one of the outdoor tables. Luckily the sun was shining, but otherwise Blatchington Road isn’t the most inspiring place to sit – it’s a real road but not a pretty one, and the view of the parked cars and fluoro signs and the constant diesel noise don’t make great dining partners. But we were suitably expectant for our brunch - I’d made it for tea and cake before (they do a cracking, if very sweet carrot cake, topped with pistachios that I became overly fond of whilst pregnant), but hadn’t yet sampled the rest of the menu.

Rather uninterestingly we both chose the same. Smoked salmon and poached eggs with hollondaise sauce on a muffin, though I swapped the muffin for walnut and rye bread which they were more than happy to do. It arrived fairly pronto, presented nicely with watercress. It looked great, the sauce wasn’t overwhelming as it sometimes can be and I thought the walnut bread worked rather well. The smoked salmon was good quality too. My only criticism, and unfortunately it’s a crucial one, was that the eggs were far too hard. A poached egg is supposed to burst it’s unctuous, yellowy centre – these were fairly boiled looking. Disappointing, but the overall taste and good ingredients made up for it.

To drink I had earl grey tea with flowers, nice thought but quite bitter and was rather over-egging the breakfast as such – I wish I’d had builder’s. J’s coffee hit the spot though.

By all accounts the Sunday lunch is a winner.

Rating

Food – 7/10

Atmosphere – 7/10

Service – 8/10

Ethel’s Kitchen - 59 Blatchington Road Hove 01273 203204

Courgette and Quinoa salad

Becky Tanyar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 20:33:14 +0000

This recipe is a true goosenarg concoction. For those of you who don’t know the term, goosenarg means the bits and pieces in your fridge that need using up, and aren’t obvious pan-fellows. This recipe came from just those humble beginnings, but was a big hit with my 8 year old daughter. The fact that quinoa is a complete protein (meaning it contains all of the essential amino acids required for nutritional health) was a bonus. Quinoa was previously only available at health food stores but can now be found in most supermarkets. It’s a wholegrain, originally from South America. Please don’t be put off by the ‘health food’ label – even my lentil-adverse boyfriend begrudgingly admits to liking it.

Serves 4 as a side dish

Ingredients

A large glug of olive oil
4 large courgettes
Salt and pepper
About 75g dried weight cooked quinoa (I used about a cup’s worth of leftover cooked quinoa)
Half a lemon

Method

Preheat oven to 220ºC, gas mark 7.

Chop the courgettes by top and tailing them, halving them lengthwise, then again, and then slicing them into 1/2 inch pieces (or thereabouts). Taste a piece raw. If it tastes bitter put the courgettes in a colander sprinkled with Maldon sea salt flakes, and weighed down with a small plate, for 20 mins. You will need to put a plate underneath the colander as well to catch the bitter juices that will come out of the courgettes. After 20 mins rinse the courgettes and dry on kitchen roll.

Toss the courgettes in the olive oil in a roasting tin big enough to accomodate all the courgette in one layer, and season with salt and pepper. Put into the hot oven for about an hour, or until they are browned and sticky from caramelisation. Leave to cool.

Put into a bowl with the quinoa that has been cooked according to the instructions on the packet. Squeeze over the lemon to taste, and mix well.

And that’s it. I served it with a tuna and bean, and a tomato and basil salad.

A lesson in semantics…

Becky Tanyar — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 13:14:37 +0000

A friend of mine recently tried out the porcini red rice recipe and gave me a good lesson in being precise in my instructions. What’s obvious to me, may not be to someone else. Instead of half a 500g packet in total she used half of both types of rice, which changed the recipe completely. It is now revised again.

Any feedback like this is always welcome so this blog is as user-friendly as possible, so please give me your comments on usability, or even how you think recipes could be improved.

Pot-roasted Chicken in White Wine and Redcurrant Jelly

Becky Tanyar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 20:36:44 +0000

This recipe is from the Waitrose Food Illustrated magazine, sadly, my favourite read these days. I’d like to pretend I have the time or capacity for something more intellectually challenging but I’d be lying – activity of choice these days is a long bath with the eagerly awaited, latest edition. From Candide to cupcakes in a few short years. Nigella’s, of course. Does that validate me culturally once more? She is married to Charles Saatchi after all…

So, I cooked this for Sunday lunch for 4 grown-ups, a seven and a five year old, and served it with my Porcini red rice, asparagus and fine green beans, followed by lemon cake with raspberries and Green and Black’s vanilla ice cream. It’s incredibly simple, and produces the most delicious, fragrant gravy, ready-made in the pot. Though you will need, I believe, a really good, free-range, organic bird. I prefer to eat it less often and buy the best.

Serves 4

(Amendments/comments in brackets)

Ingredients

300ml white wine
2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
6 garlic cloves, quartered lengthways
1/2 x 20g pack fresh rosemary
1 large free-range, organic chicken, about 1.7-2kg (use your common sense and add a smidgeon more of everything if your bird is bigger – I cooked a 2.2kg bird and added a little more)
Small knob of butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC, gas mark 4. Place the wine, jelly, garlic and rosemary sprigs in a large casserole dish and mix well together (once again I use a round 24cm Le Creuset ).

2. Check the label of the chicken for the exact cooking time – it should be about 2 hours but will vary depending on it’s exact weight. Place the chicken in the dish, cover and cook for one hour. (Make sure the lid doesn’t sit on the skin or it will stick to it, coming off at the next stage, making the breast less tender – you may need to butter the lid if it’s a big bird.)

3. Remove the lid, rub the top of the chicken with the butter and season. (Don’t be tempted to use more than a small knob of butter or the gravy becomes too buttery, separating at the table.) Return to the oven, uncovered for the remainder of the cooking time until cooked through and golden.

4. Lift out the chicken and place on a board to carve. (Cover with foil and let it sit for a few minutes before carving.) Strain the juices into a small jug, and use for gravy. (I like to return the garlic pieces to the jug as it’s a shame to waste them.) Serve with green beans and rosemary and garlic roasted potatoes. (Or rice and seasonal vegetables as I have.)