Greasy Truckers Party Food

The 12 Bakes of Christmas #9 Asimov Cake

2017-01-03T18:09:00.002+00:00

The Ninth day of Christmas falls on a very important day, Isaac Asimov's Birthday! Oh, and mine too. What better thing to eat on this day, than this malty chocolatey cake, topped with Maltesers, like little naked suns. The cake you can eat between meals!

140g Softened Butter
175g Golden Caster Sugar
2 Large Eggs
225g Wholemeal Self-Raising Flour
50g Cocoa Powder
50g Malt Drinking Powder e.g. Ovaltine
1/4 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
250g Natural Yoghurt

Topping
300g Golden Icing Sugar
2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
1 tbsp melted butter
3 to 4 tbsp boiling water
1 bag of Maltesers

1. Preheat Oven to 180C & butter and line an 18 by 27cm baking tin.
2. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl till fluffy with a whisk then beat in the eggs one at a time. Unless your name is Barry Allen I'd recommend an electric whisk. It'll be ready in a flash!
3. Sieve the flour, cocoa powder, Bicarbonate of Soda and Malt powder to the bowl.
4. Add the Yoghurt and gently stir till well mixed.
5. Pour into the baking tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Stick a knife a couple of times in the middle of the baked cake, if it comes out clean it's done, if not then bake it for a few more minutes & try again. Repeat until done.
6. Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes then tip it onto a wire wrack and leave it to cool completely.
7. Make up the icing by sifting the icing sugar into a bowl, adding the boiled water and melted butter and stirring until smooth.
8. Spread onto the top of the cake.
9. Cut the cake into 12, one for each of the days of Christmas.
10. Cut the Maltesers in half with a sharp knife and use them to decorate each of the pieces of cake. Some will disintegrate in the cutting and will need disposing of .

This cake with a glass of wine will form the foundation of a very nice Christmas feast.

The Twelve Bakes Of Christmas #4 Porter Cake

2016-12-29T19:06:00.000+00:00

Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without a slice of fruitcake, eaten on its own or with a nice plate of cheeses. This one foregoes the usual festive icing, which you can add if you want, and has a moist richness to it that Santa would slay for.

175g Butter
450g Mixed Fruit
Grated Zest & Juice of an Orange
175g Light Muscovado Sugar
200ml of Stout, I wanted to use Harviestoun brewery's Ola Dubh, but couldn't get it and had to use Guinness instead
1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
3 Eggs Beaten
300g Plain Flour
2 tsp Mixed Spice

Topping
2tbsp Flaked Almonds
2tbsp Demerara Sugar

1. Butter & line a 20cm Round Cake Tin.
2. Put the butter, dried fruit, orange zest, orange juice, stout and sugar in a pan
3. Slowly bring it to the boil, stirring then simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Cool for 10 minutes then stir in the Bicarbonate of Soda, which should get it fizzing like Dr Jeckyll's potion
5. Sift in the flour and spice then stir in the beaten eggs, mixing well.
6. Pour into the prepared tin and scatter on the topping.
7. bake at 150C for an hour and a quarter to an hour and a half.
8. Leave in the tin to cool for another 15 minutes
9. Turn it out and put it on a wire rack to cool.

Try and leave it in a cake tin for a couple of days before eating, this will improve its flavour and make it even scrummier. A nice one to bake in readiness for New Years Eve.

The Twelve Bakes Of Christmas #3 Mozart Cake

2016-12-28T18:51:00.001+00:00

Many years ago I got into the habit at Christmas of drinking a glass of Cointreau, while listening to Mozart's operas, this Christmas the addition of this wondrous orange liqueur to a spiced cake made with orange juice seemed like a good idea. The holy trinity of mixed spice, ground cinnamon and ginger make for a nice Yuletide cake. Time to have a slice and break out the Marriage Of Figaro.

Topping
25g Butter chopped
25g Demerara Sugar
1 tsp mixed spice
75g of chopped nuts, I used a mixture of pecans & walnuts

Cake Mix
170ml of Orange Juice
5ml Cointreau
175g Raisins
175g Butter
175g Light Muscovado Sugar
250g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp mixed spice
1 tsp ground Cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3 eggs beaten

Icing
200g Icing Sugar
Zest of an Orange

1. Lightly grease a 23cm ring tin or round cake tin.
2. Make up the topping mix an scatter over the base of the tin.
3. Pour the Orange Juice, Butter & sugar into a pan and bring to the boil stirring and simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Pour it into a large bowl and leave to cool for at least 10 minutes.
5. Sift the flour and three spices into the bowl, add the eggs and gently mix.
6. Pour into the cake tin and smooth the hop.
7. Bake at 160C for 45 minutes.
8. Leave it to cool completely in the tin, then flip it onto a chopping board where it should fall out.
9. Make up the icing with a couple of tablespoons of water and drizzle over the Cake.

Eat with a glass of Cointreau, with a slice of Don Giovanni on the side. Enjoy!

The 12 Bakes Of Christmas #2 Christmas Buns

2016-12-23T20:42:00.001+00:00

Christmas is coming and there's a bun in me oven, what ama gonna do?

500g Strong White Flour
7g Fast Action Dried Yeast
300ml Milk
50g Unsalted Butter
1 Egg
Sunflower Oil, for Greasing

For the Filling

25g Unsalted Butter
85g Soft Brown Sugar
2tsp Ground Cinnamon
100g Dried Cranberries
100g Chopped Dried Apricots

For the Icing

200g Icing Sugar
Zest of an Orange or a Lemon

And it's off we jolly we'll go.

1. Sift the flour & yeast into a large bowl with a teaspoon of salt.

2. Warm the milk & butter in a pan over a low heat, until the butter melts. Leave it to cool until it's lukewarm.

3. Beat the egg and add it with the milk/butter mix to the flour.

4. Stir until you have a soft dough.

5. Knead the dough for five minutes, until it isn't sticky any more, and tip it into an oiled bowl covered with oiled cling film. Put it somewhere warm and leave it until it doubles in size.

6. Kneed the dough for another 30 seconds and roll it out into a 2cm thick rectangle.

7. Melt the remaining 25g of butter and brush it over the dough.

8. Sprinkle over the sugar, cinnamon and fruit.

9. Roll it up like a Swiss roll and cut into 9 pieces.

10. Put the pieces face up in a greased or lined baking tray and cover with a wet towel, leaving them to rise for a further 30 minutes.

11. Heat the oven to 190C and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden, with the fragrance of cinnamon filling your house.

12. Leave to cool on a rack.

13. Add 2tbsp of water to the Icing sugar along with the zest and mix.

14. Drizzle your Icing over the cooled buns.

Tuck in and enjoy with a nice cup of tea!

The 12 Bakes Of Christmas #1 A Midwinter Night's Brownies

2016-12-20T17:52:00.001+00:00

Cranberries, mincemeat, pecans and chocolate, the perfect ingredients for a Midwinter Eve.

100g / 4oz Unsalted Butter diced
200g bar of Dark Chocolate, broken into squares
3 Large Eggs
250g / 9oz Golden Caster Sugar
100g / 4oz Plain Flour
3 tbsp Cocoa Powder
50g / 2oz Dried Cranberries
100g / 4oz Pecan Nuts, roughly chopped
175g / 6oz Mincemeat
Icing Sugar to dust (optional, but you'd be mad not to)

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.

2. Line and grease a deep 20cm square baking tin.

3. Put the chocolate & butter in a heatproof dish, like a Pyrex, and warm, stirring over a pan of boiling water, till it has melted. Leave it to cool a little.

4. Beat the eggs & sugar in a bowl until thick enough to hold a trail when the whisks are taken out.

5. Gently fold in the chocolate mix.

6. Sift in the flour & Cocoa Powder then gently fold that in.-

7. Gently fold in the Cranberries, Mincemeat & Pecans.

8. Pour the mix into your cake tin.

9. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The brownies should be crisp on the outside but sof in the middle.

10. Cool & dust with icing powder, like a sprinkling of midwinter snow.

11. Sit down with a copy of Susan Cooper's The Dark Is Rising, which opens on Midwinter's eve, a warm drink and tuck in!

Crèpes

2012-08-05T09:48:00.001+00:00

Prior to pancake day a few years back, I discussed the relative merits of the English pancake and the French crèpe with my good friend Geraud. In the course of this we exchanged recipes. Here's his contribution on the art of the perfect crèpe. I'll post mine tomorow on the good day itself.

The crèpes you get with this one are thicker than those you can get in Britany for example, although it has to do with the fact that I just poor the liquid into the pan rather than flatten it with the special tool they have over there.

Now, how to prepare some good crèpes quickly :

in a pot, poor :
- one liter or milk (I use full fat milk, but half works as well),
- 6 eggs (yes, six),
- a tea spoon of salt,
- eventually a small pack of Vanilla sugar, if you plan to eat your crèpes sweet only,
- eventually a small pack of the chemical powder than makes the cakes grow (that's where my english is very limited...). That's not mandatory though
- 8 dL (that is, 400g) of white flour
- a small cup of sunflower oil (or any tasteless oil)
- if for sweet ones only, you can add a drop of orange flower essence, but that's strong, and not everybody like it, or a lemon or orange skin shredded, that's more subtle

Just mix the whole thing with a mixer (I told you, it's simple),
If you are patient enough, leave it alone half an hour, although it's not really needed,

use some wide flat pans (20-30 cm of diameter), and poor the content of a (replace by: the big deep spoon you use to serve soup) into a very hot pan. Use a bit of oil for the first one, and a tefal pan, if you don't have any, buy one, it's worth it just for that... some special pans exist for crèpe, extra flat (one centimeter of heigt, called crèpière ?)
I use two pans to make it decently quick. Turn them over once the first side is done, one side will be uniformly yellow, and the second side moon-like, that's normal ! The sun and the moon in your plate...
Turn them with a flat-wooden-spoon-you-see-what-I-mean, or make them twist !

One trick : if you eat them just once they are done, you'll still taste the raw taste a bit (which you may like), while if you pile them up, they'll finish cooking from the heat of each other.

Now you can serve that with all you can think about. I tend to put the garniture as a line in the middle, accross a diameter, fold in two over the line, and roll the whole thing like a cigar. Olga fold them in 4, so your choice !

Some of my favorite ones are :
-- salty ones:
- a spoon of thick cream (warm or cold, depends on what you like), some shredded gruyère, some minced mushrooms, and a bit of pepper
- simple red (salmon) caviar (yes, she's russian, they eat that like we eat nutella...), or lump eggs
- a spoon of cream, a slice of salmon, a bit of aneth (northern herbs)
- any variation on the above !
- any other thing you can think of ! you can go up to a burrito-like one...

-- sweety ones:
- sugar ! one small spoon, that's all, these are some of the best ones..
- any marmelade : orange, redberry, strawberry, apricot, plums, whatever
- Nutella, or melted chocolate
- butter and sugar (straight from Britany, you'll see it straight on the scale though !! they are solid folks over there ! ). the butter will melt
- mappled syrup or butter, if you can find some (like syrup, but more concentrated)
- honey !
- fruits (whatever you want)
- ice cream (again, whatever), with chantilly or hot cholocate on top of the roll
- a great one : a bit of sugar, a bit of lemon juice, roll it, cover with a soup spoon of rhum, and light it up, watch out !

Galettes

2012-08-05T09:46:00.001+00:00

Inspired by my earlier dialog on pancakes, I decided to make up a batch of ham and cheese galettes. The recipe for them follows: -

Ingredients

250 gr [9 oz] buckwheat flour
1 egg
1/2 liter [17 fl oz] water
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon salt

Preperation

Put the flour and salt in a bowl and make a well in the middle. Add the oil and the egg to this well. Gradualy fold in the flour from the sides using a wooden spoon to begin
to gradually add the water. Turn gently until the flour has disappeared. Finish with a whisk to make a smooth batter which should be left for at least one hour before cooking.

Cooking

Give the batter a turn. Heat a pan, and put a small knob of butter in (swirling to distribute). The pan must be ho but not too hot that the butter browns. Pour a small laddle of batter into the pan, while swirling it to distribute the batter evenly. Cook until golden, turn the galette upside down and add any filling you'd like, such as ham and gruyere cheese. Continue to heat untill the topping has melted and the underside is also cooked. Serve imediately.

Repeat until you've used up all the batter.

Pancakes

2012-08-05T09:41:00.002+00:00

Ingredients

125g plain flour, preferably Italian 00
1 egg
300 ml milk
15-30g cooled butter, melted (optional)

Making the batter

Make a mound of flour in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and make a well in the top. Crack open the egg and put it into the well. Using a wooden spoon gradually mix in the flour from the sides and beat in the milk to make a smooth batter. When the batter is creamy, stop and switch to a whisk, at this point you can add the butter which makes more of a crèpe mix (ordinary pancakes don't need the butter). Leave to stand for at least half an hour. If the batter thickens in this period add milk or water (or maybe some rum if you're making crèpes) to bring its consistency to that of single-cream.

Cooking the pancakes

Use very little oil and very little batter. The pan must be very hot, heat the oil in the pan first, then empty it before adding just enough batter to cover the base of the pan When bubbles come to the surface flip it (if atempting fancy multiple flips do so outside, my friends wife Rachel still hasn't forgotten the one I left sticking to her artexed ceiling after 4 rotations). Be prepared to reject (eat at the stove) the first as it usually doesn't work. Re-oil the pan after every 4 pancakes.

Eating

Traditionaly in Britain these are served with sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice. Alternatively Orange Juice, Jam, Maple Syrup or a chocolate spread (such as Nutella)and bananas make good substitutes.

Scotch Pancakes

2012-08-05T09:38:00.002+00:00

Ingredients
115g plain flour sifted
1 medium free range egg
150 ml milk
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 tsp golden caster sugar
melted butter for greasing

Making the batter
Sift the flour, cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the egg and slowly stir in the milk. Beat until smooth.

Cooking the pancakes
Heat up a griddle or frying pan for at least 3 minutes to get hot. Smear with a little melted butter using a paper towel. Pour in 4 lots of a tbsp of the batter mix. After a couple of minutes large bubbles should appear. Flip them over and cook for about another minute.

Eating

Serve warm with bacon and maple syrup, clotted cream and jam or whatever floats your boat.
Yum!

Crispy Black Pudding Wontons

2009-10-01T20:45:00.003+00:00

Thanks to Jimmy at that fine Motörhead blog Moving Like A Parelellogram for this recipe.

Ingredients...

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 clove garlic, peeled and finely chopped

450 g /1 lb. black pudding skinned and chopped

1 bunch spring onions, about 8 trimmed and finely chopped

140 g / 5 oz chicken breast boned and skinned

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

25 g / 1 oz butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

150 ml /1/4 pt whipping cream

A little freshly grated nutmeg

A few leaves fresh basil chopped

1 x 350 g/ 12 oz packet won-ton skins

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Method...

Heat the olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and sauté the onion, garlic and ginger. When they have softened, add the black pudding and cook for about a minute. Add the spring onions and remove the pan from the heat so that they remain crunchy.
Put it to one side to cool.

Take the chicken breast and blend it in a food processor with a teaspoon of salt. Add the butter and blend again. Now add an egg and continue to blend while you pour in the cream. Stop the motor from time to time and scrape the inside of the bowl with a rubber spatula so that everything is evenly combined.

Stir the chicken mousse into the black pudding mixture and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Finally, add the basil.

4. Lay out 6 -9 won ton skins on a clean work surface and place a spoonful of the black pudding mixture in the centre of each. Beat the remaining egg and use it to brush the edges of the won-ton skins. Fold each in half to form a triangle and press the edges firmly together. Repeat until all the mixture has been used.

Heat a deep pan of oil to 180 oc / 350 F. Fry about 6 won-tons at a time until they are golden brown, about 2-3 minutes.
Drain and turn them out on to kitchen paper.

Serve hot.

It's enough to make Snaggletooth drool...

La Fleur en Papier Dore (31 of 80)

2009-09-20T13:57:00.000+00:00

After the house of puppets I felt an uncontrolable urge to sample the Lambic delights of La Fleur en Papier Dore. Almost as though my limbs were pulled by hidden strings. I also had a sense of déjà vous, a fact born out by the barkeeps walking over and saying "I know you. Last time you were in here you were wearing a Motorhead teashirt.". Memories of playing cards here came flooding back, Sylvain with some extra ones tucked up his sleave. The ace of spades, the ace of spades....

The beer this time was Oud Beersel. Flat, slightly sour and a perfect accompaniment to the blood sausage roll sitting on my plate.

The Gold Plated Flower was originally part of a 19th century nunnery. I can hear the penguins now, berating the drunken cavorting that now ensues within.

-- Posted from my iPhone

Poechenellekelder Master Of Puppets (56 of 80)

2009-09-20T12:47:00.000+00:00

Sitting opposite the Manequin Pis, Poechenellekelder is a fine place to enjoy a Sunday afternoon beer while watching the tourists flock around the wee pisser. In this case the beer is the reccomended Jambe-de-Bois tripple from the Brasserie de la Seine brewery. Nice.

Brasseurs de la Grande-Place (17 of 80)

2009-09-19T13:00:00.002+00:00

Grande Place has it's fair share of bars that do food, but what distinguishes Brasseurs de la Grande-Place is that it is only one of three working breweries in the city. Taking Around Brussels In 80 Beers reccomendation of Brasseurs Tripple, I sat down to enjoy some slightly over salted Carbonnades. The tripple was refreshing and had slight citrus overtones. All in all a nice, refreshing beer in a bar reminiscent of Nottingham's Fellows Morton And Clayton Brewhouse, all gleaming pipes and woodwork. A worthy stoppoff if you're in the city centre.

Keith Floyd

2009-09-15T14:48:00.002+00:00

Time to raise a glass, if you will, to Keith Floyd, who died yesterday.

His TV style has been imitated but rarely, if ever, bettered. Very casual and with the trade mark glass of wine always to hand, he made cooking look easy. His infectious enthusiasm certainly played its part in growing my own interest in cooking and, no doubt, that of many others.

A Trip To The Circus (12 of 80)

2009-08-25T18:52:00.002+00:00

With the possibility of being called in a distinct possibility, I decided to fortify myself with some food and drink first.

And so it was on to the circus, Le Bier Circus that is. Not a trapeezi in site, but a lot of high flying beers. On entering I was greeted by two other voyagers holding a copy of Around Brussels In 80 Beers. They'd spent the day exploring the outlying bars and were on their way in to the center to finish off.

A bottle of Cantillon Cuvee du 89 lambic washed down chicken supreme a la raspberry beer. The call came in, my remaining meal was bolted down and I departed into the evening.

I'll be back.

The Postman Calls (59 of 80)

2009-08-24T18:17:00.007+00:00

Les Postiers is situated near the main Post Office and means, the postmen. The wood paneling and mirrors give it a nice 30's feel. Another useful aspect of its proximity is the rank of bus stops directly opposite, including the ubiquitous 66. Most handy.

Taking a leaf out of Elizabeth David's book, I kept it simple with an omelette and a glass of beer. The beer in question was the recommended Tripel Karmeliet and damn fine it was too.

The observant amongst you, will have noticed the girl in my beer in the above photo. "Waiter there's a girl in my beer", I cried. "Not so loud sir" came the response. "they'll all want one.".

Postiers, stamps my card. For beer, cheap food and friendly service, it can't be licked. If you're in the neighborhood go there post haste.

View Larger Map

In The Belly Of The Raven (26 of 80)

2009-08-23T19:12:00.002+00:00

Saturday afternoon in Brussels, with a newly aquired copy of Around Brussels in 80 Beers in hand, I made my way to #26, Corbeau, The Raven.

An excellent ham and cheese omellette washed down with a superb Queue De Charrue bruin beer, in a wood panelled bar oozing class in spades. Queue de Charrune is aged in oak and has a complex taste, redolant of fruit with subtle liqourice overtones. Tart, yet sweet at the same time, it's well worth checking out.

Good food and good beer, a winning combination and a great start to the guide.

View Larger Map

Footnote: A return visit to the bar later in the evening was equally as ggod. Of special note, the coconut beer, Mongozo, and the excellent roquefort sauce that accompanied the damned fine steak that constituted tonights dinner.

Here Comes The Soleil (66 of 80)

2009-08-23T16:13:00.002+00:00

A hop, skip and a jump from
Nüetnigenough and past the Classic Rock Bar, is the church Notre Dame de Bon Secours. Lying oposite it's hallowed walls sits a temple to the god of beer, Au Soleil. Taking the advice of the holy book, Around Brussels in 80 Beers, I gave the XX a go. Hoppy, smooth and tasty, like an IPA on steroids. Nice bar, nice beer.

I got my kicks, in bar 66.

View Larger Map

Nüetnigenough (52 of 80)

2009-08-23T15:12:00.005+00:00

Lazin' on a sunny Sunday afternoon in the heart of Brussels, I decided to give Nüetnigenough a try. Johnny Cash playing in the background, walls adorned with art nouveau and wood panelling that wouldn't look out of place in a church, well it is Sunday. Let us pray.

My prayers were answered in the form of a superb Bons Bravo. Voeux Lambic and a steaming plate of Chicken Kashmir (cue Jimmy Page on guitar...). Oh the things I have to do to check out bars for Truckers ...

I finished with a Mellon sorbet, an 11 out of 10 Spinal Tap of a dessert layering sorbet and omellon and marrying them to a wee pot of fruit conserve, and a draught Chimay Bleu, a rarity on draught. My Sunday afternoon was complete.

The strains of Johnny Cash faid like a distant dream as I leave happy and contented into the late afternoon sun.

Nüetnigenough means perfectionist and on the strength of the food and drink sampled today is as much a mission statement as a name for the place. Bravo.

When the man comes around to this little beauty of a bar he won't be disappointed.

View Larger Map

Note that this post was made courtesy of the free wi-fi service available to customers.

Finger Lickin' Good

2009-07-22T18:39:00.003+00:00

Like the protaganist in a Dan Brown novel, finance manager and KFC fanatic Ron Douglas has cracked the code. Not the Da Vinci code, nooo far more important than that, the KFC code. Yessiree bob the Colonels secret list of herbs and spices is a secret no more. Employing techniques from the James Bond school of culinary journalism, our intrepid financier managed to wheedle out the dirty dozen components of finger lickin' goodliness.

So here they are folks, before the colonel has them erased from Mr Douglas's blog, and sends a hit squad to erase him from the pages of history

1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground sage
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon onion salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2 tablespoons Accent

Do you expect me to talk, Sanders? The Colonel: No Mr. Douglas, I want you to fry.

Best Bars In Brussels

2009-03-26T00:15:00.005+00:00

View Larger Map

Continuing the Belgian theme here's a list of some of the best bars in Brussels.

Archiduc
Belga Queen
Chelsea
De Ultime Hallucinatie
Greenwich
Havana
Java
Kafka
Khnopff
Kolya
L'Ultime Atome
Le Roi des Belges
Mappa Mundo
PP Café
Radio Bar
Skievelat
The Fuse
Zebra Bar
La Becasse
Bizon
Monk
Walvis
Het Spinnekopke
La Fleur à papier doré
Le Stoemelings
Le Corbeau
Au Bon Vieux Temps
Chez Moeder Lambic
Cirio
Miladiou
Le Cerceuil
Le Bier Circus
Peochenellekelder
Toone
La Porte Noire
La Morte Subite
Estaminet Toone
La Brocante
A l'Imaige Nostre-Dame
Poechenellekelder
Le Corbeau
In't Spinnekopke
Au Bon Vieux Temps
A la Becasse

Thanks to Keri for providing the original list.

Note that this post is a work in progress and will be refined and added to as time goes by.

Flemish-style beef stew with beer

2009-03-22T09:19:00.008+00:00

Working in Brussels for so long, I though it was about time I tried cooking a bit of the local cuisine. And what better place to start than with Flemish-style beef stew with beer.

A visit to Amazon and a copy of The Food and Cooking of Belgium by Suzanne Vandyck later and it was off to the kitchen, bottles of Belgian Brown Beer in hand.

Ingredients

500g / 1/4 lb of Braising Steak cubed
Plain Flour
Butter
Olive Oil
1 Large Onion Diced
2 Garlic Cloves pealed and chopped. Whack them with the flat of your hand or a knife blade (careful) prior to pealing.
1 or 2 330 ml/11 1/2 fl oz bottles of Dark Belgian Beer such as Chimay (I used Chimay Bruin), plus a few more bottles for drinking.
A bouquet garni lashed together of 3 sprigs of thyme, 6 of parsley and 2 bay leaves
2 tbsp Red Wine Vinegar
2 tbsp Brown Sugar
2 or 3 slices of rustic bread
2 tbsp (ish) of Dijon Mustard
A fistful of fresh parsley chopped
Salt and Freshly Ground black pepper

Preparation

First add a couple of pinches of salt (if possible Maldon Sea Salt) and 6 or so turns of a pepper mill to a food bag containing a couple of tablespoons of flour.

Add the meat in batches to the flour, shaking the bag, in a closed state to coat. Shake off any excess flour and put to one side. If you run out of seasoned flour before the end, hey it's not the end of the world as we know it, add some more.

Heat a good knob of butter and add a tbsp or two of olive oil to a large flame proof caserole dish, preferably cast iron, over a medium to high heat.

When sizzling add the meat and brown in batches. As with the flour, add a tad more oil if it runs out. Put the browned meat to one side on a plate.

Add the onion and cook on a low heat for about 6 to 8 minutes till soft, then add the garlic and give it another 3 minutes. In this time stir, shake and otherwise agitate your veggies to stop them burning.

Return your browned meat to the pan and combine with the onions.

Add enough beer to just cover the meat. If like me you used one and a half bottles, hurrah, celebrate by drinking the remainder.

Bring the mixture to just below boiling point, then add the herbs vinegar and sugar. The sourness of the vinegar should be offset by the sweetness of the sugar. Have a taste, as with Thai cooking, if too sour add more sugar, if too sweet, add more vinegar. If just right, fantastic!

Cover and cook over the lowest heat your hob can muster, stirring every now and then. If your herbs went in loose, try to keep the together, it makes removal easier.

After an hour and a half, or when the meat is tender, remove the herbs (hey I did warn you).

Slice your bread, if unsliced, carving off enough to cover the surface of your stew in a single layer. Spread with a generous amount of the Dijon mustard and lay mustard side down on the surface of the stew. Spoon over some of the liquid, cover the pot and leave to cook for a further 20-30 minutes.

The bread should by now have absorbed some of the juices and dissolved to thicken the stew. If needs be help the dissolving along with the aid of a spatula.

Taste and if needs be add some more salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with fries, mashed potato or breads, sprinkling the chopped parsley over the stew for garnish.

For drinks to serve with it, I'd reccomend more of the beer you used in it's cooking.

If you've got them, also serve with Belgian pickles, or a suitably rustic local equivalent.

This stew was wonderful and thoroughly recommended. If you do it some time, make the effort to get a good quality Belgium Brown beer to use in it. It makes all the difference. It also warrants a damn fine piece of braising steak, in my case I paid a visit to Edinburgh farmers market to get some quality coo.

I'd also strongly recommend that you get yourself a copy of The Food and Cooking of Belgium. This is a marvelous cookery book, doing full justice to what has to be one of the most underrated cuisines on Earth. Beautifully illustrated it delves into the history, culture and traditions of Belgian food, before launching into 60 mouth watering recipes. The author, Suzanne Vandyck, was born in Belgium and runs a cookery school, Worldchefs, specialising in world cooking. Check out their website at www.worldchefs.net, there a few recipes there for you to try (after giving the beef stew a go that is).

Stay tuned for my next foray into the wonderful world of Belgian cooking. Coming to a table near me soon.

Eet Smakelijk!

Trucking at Novacon 38

2008-11-16T16:08:00.002+00:00

When shall we three meet again? How about on Friday night at the launch of Ian R Macleod's new book,Song Of Time?

Messrs Wright,Ternent and Stocks take time out from culinary pursuits to avail themselves of free nibbles and wine at the book launch on the opening night of Novacon 38. The wine was a Calafornian merlot that would have been the ideal companion to a chip supper. Poured on the chips in lieu of vinegar that is...

A Crooked Little Lamb Recipe

2008-10-29T19:14:00.009+00:00

I recently read a copy of Warren Ellis's most excellent novel Crooked Little Vein. After it finished Warren listed a number of recipes, including this one for Lamb with a garlic, wine and rosemary sauce. Warren also suggests a sprinkling of pomegranate seeds over the top at the end. Not something I personally think is necessary. This dish meets my criteria for most excellent food, simple to prepare, a classic combination of ingredients and a tasty end product.

Ingredients
A joint of Lamb
A bulb of garlic (that wee plump thing composed of lots of cloves), cut in half across the middle.
A sprig of rosemary
A glass of White Wine (don't use a wine you wouldn't be happy to drink on its own)
Tinfoil (do not eat)

Preparation

Pre-heat the oven to 190C

Rip of about 3 feet of tin foil and fold in half. Repeat with a second strip and lay at right angles across the first. Like a modern day Robert Harbin, give it the old Origami Kung Fu and make a (hopefully) leak proof pocket of the foil.

Add the bisected bulb of garlic, the glass of wine and rosemary.

Time to dust off the abacus, the next two items need a wee bit of math to work out what hits the oven first and when the second item goes in. Aim to have the sauce cooked at the same time your lamb has finished resting.

Seal the pocket and whack into the oven for at least 1 1/2 hours.
Roast the lamb for 30 minutes a lb (450g) and rest for 30 minutes (the Lamb that is not yourself).

Slice the lamb and strain the sauce over the top.

Eat swilled down with the remainder of the wine (hic), then dig out an issue of Transmetropolitan to read.

Bon Apetite.

Ana's Dumplings

2008-10-29T18:07:00.007+00:00

Hailing from the land of Dan Marino, this Southern belle provided me with this delightful recipe for Bread Dumplings. The perfect accompaniment to thanksgiving turkey or your Chrimbo dinner if you're from the other side of the pond. Just make sure you don't fumble when taking them out of the oven, or they may end up incomplete. I'm sure when you get the first down, you'll want ten.

Ingredients for 6-8 Dumplings

6 Hard Rolls ( I use the Chicago hard rolls, that are a day old)
1/8th Liter of hot milk
1 small onion
30 grams of butter
2 Tbl spoons of parsley (the straighter. leafy version)
2 eggs
Pepper
Salt
A little flour

Preparation

Tear apart the rolls in small pieces or cut it in small pieces, pour the hot milk over it. Cut up the onions in tiny pieces and heat them up in a pan with the butter until they turn all glassy, throw in the parsley and let that heat up with the onions.

Then put the onions and parsley mixture and the eggs into the bowl with your bread, mix it and let it sit for a few minutes. Put in the salt and pepper. Dust the mass with a little bit of flour, not too much otherwise they’ll get hard as rocks. Moisten your hands with water, grab a handful of the mixture and form a ball. Dust with a little flour and put aside.

Fill a big pot with water, a little salt. Bring it to a gentle boil, turn the heat down, put in the dumplings and let them cook for approximately 20 minutes, don’t boil them and don’t cover the pot. When they float to the top and stay there, then they are ready.

These are great with roasts and gravies.

Touchdown !!!

For the curious amongst you, the picture of Ana shown above was taken at a John Mayall concert at Ancienne Belgique in Brussels. Go Rock Chick go, go,go !!