What Should I Have for Dinner Tonight?

Spicy Chicken Noodle Stir Fry for Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T13:45:00.000-08:00

If you are reading this in China - or simply happen to be Chinese - Happy New Year! Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year so what else could I feature but a Chinese dish? As 2012 is the Chinese Year of the Dragon, I decided also to add a little bit more fire to the dish than you may normally expect from a Chinese stir fry by adding some hot green chilli pepper.

Ingredients for One Serving

1 chicken breast fillet
3oz portion of dried Chinese noodles (fresh noodles work equally well)
1/2 red bell pepper
5 small closed cup mushrooms
2 small shallots
1/2 hot green chilli
Sachet of stir fry sauce
1 egg white
1 tsp cornflour
Salt
Sunflower oil for frying

Method

It is not absolutely essential but strongly advisable that you begin by velveting your chicken. This is a Chinese technique which serves to offer the chicken some level of protection from the intense heat of the stir frying process. It means your cooked chicken will be much softer and more tender when served.

Chop the chicken breast in to bite sized pieces. Put the egg white in to a small bowl and stir in the cornflour. Season with salt and add the chicken. Stir well, cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for about twenty minutes.

If you are using the dried noodles, they should be cooked while the chicken is velveting. The instructions should be on the packet but in this instance they were required to be added to boiling water and simmered for four minutes. Drain them through a colander or sieve, lay them on a plate and cover until required.

When you are making a stir fry, you should have all your ingredients prepared and ready for the wok before you start. This is because you simply won't have the time to start chopping vegetables or preparing meats once you start cooking. While the chicken was in the fridge, as well as cooking the noodles, I wiped and halved the mushrooms, peeled and finely sliced the shallots, finely chopped the half chilli and sliced the half red bell pepper.

Drain the chicken thoroughly through a colander or sieve. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil to a very hot wok and fry the chicken only until it is sealed. This is when it has turned white/opaque. Remove it to a plate with a slotted spoon. Add your vegetables to the wok and fry for about a minute before re-adding the chicken.

The stir fry sauce used in this recipe was oyster and spring onion (scallion) but you can use whichever variety you prefer. This should be added to the wok after the chicken and the mix cooked for a further minute or two.

The noodles should be added to the wok and stirred through the mix to heat through for about thirty seconds before the meal is plated and served.

Haggis with Clapshot and Breast of Partridge - A Burns Night Special

2012-01-21T13:11:00.000-08:00

Haggis, tatties and neeps is usually the main meal served at a Burns Supper, on or around January 25th each year. This recipe is just a slight variation on the traditional to hopefully spruce up what can - in all honesty - be a pretty bland creation at times. The idea for including a partridge breast with the haggis came about entirely by coincidence a few days ago. I had some partridge breasts and was scouring the Web looking for inspiration for partridge recipes when I found one for haggis stuffed partridge breasts. I thought the combination sounded interesting and was delighted the way this worked out.

Ingredients for One Serving

1 small haggis
1/2 small Swede turnip (rutabaga)
1 large baking potato
1 skinless partridge breast fillet
Canned or frozen peas
2 tsp chopped chives
1 small measure of single malt Scotch whisky
1oz butter
Salt and white pepper
A little vegetable oil for frying

Method

Clapshot is simply mashed tatties and neeps (potato and Swede turnip/rutabaga) with chopped chives. The first step in preparing this meal is to peel the potato and Swede and chop to around one inch pieces. Add the pieces to a large pot, season with a little salt and pour in enough cold water to comfortably cover all the pieces. Put on a high heat until the water boils then reduce the heat to achieve a steady simmer for twenty-five to thirty minutes until the vegetables are softened.

If you buy a haggis prepacked, the cooking instructions should be written on the packaging. If you buy it from a butcher's and need advice on the cooking procedures, simply ask your butcher. The instructions on this prepackaged small haggis were to wrap it in foil, lay it in an ovenproof dish with around three-quarters an inch of water and bake in the oven, preheated to 180C/350F, for twenty-five minutes.

The partridge breast should be cooked about ten minutes before the haggis and vegetables are due to be ready. Bring a little vegetable oil up to a medium heat in a small, non-stick frying pan. Season the partridge breast on both sides with salt and white pepper and fry on a medium heat for two minutes each side. Transfer to a heated plate, cover with aluminium foil and leave to rest.

When the haggis is ready, remove it from the oven and carefully unwrap it. Line a small round bowl with clingfilm. Remove any remaining packaging from the haggis and carefully pack it in to the bowl with a spoon. Turn the bowl upside down in the centre of your serving plate. Hold the edges of the clingfilm, lift the bowl away and peel off the clingfilm. Drizzle the whisky over the top.

Heat the canned peas gently in a saucepan, or if using frozen peas, add them to boiling water for three minutes.

Drain the potatoes and Swede and return them to the empty pot with the butter. Mash with a hand masher and season with white pepper. Stir in the chopped chives with a spoon.

Use an ice cream scoop to plate the clapshot as shown in the image below.

Drain the peas and spoon them on to the plate. Unwrap the partridge breast and slice carefully in half. Lay it on top of the haggis and serve.

If you are looking for an authentic Scottish dessert for your Burns Night supper, why not try Cranachan (pictured below)? Fresh raspberries and cream, Scotch whisky and honey, all simply combined to truly delicious effect...

Steak, Kidney and Oyster Puff Pastry Pie

2012-01-15T11:40:00.000-08:00

The traditional version of homemade steak and kidney pie has been one of my favourite meals for many years. I have always resisted the temptation to tamper too much with the recipe for what is a classic dish, believing that improvement on near perfection would be nigh on impossible. When, however, I happened to come by some pristine, fresh oysters yesterday from Loch Fyne, I decided to do an adaptation of an old steak and kidney pudding recipe and incorporate them in a version of my favourite pie. Although I normally subscribe to the belief that the best way to eat oysters is raw, with perhaps a little squeeze of lemon juice, I was more than delighted with these results.

Ingredients for Two Servings

3/4lb stewing steak
1/2lb ox kidney
1/2lb puff pastry
4 large fresh oysters
2 pints fresh beef stock
Baby new potatoes (quantity as desired)
Brussels sprouts (quantity as desired)
Butter
1 tsp chopped chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Beaten egg for glazing
A little bit of vegetable oil for browning

Begin by adding a little bit of vegetable oil to a large pot. Bring it up to a medium heat, add the steak and kidney and season with salt and pepper. Stir on a high heat to evenly seal and brown. This should take three or four minutes.

Pour in the beef stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered for an hour and a quarter. Turn off the heat, put the lid on the pot and leave for what will need to be at least an hour to cool. Do not be tempted to assemble your pie while the meat is hot as it will make your pastry soggy before it can rise and totally spoil the whole dish.

Shuck your oysters, careful to reserve the liquid in the shells as well as the oyster meat. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooled steak and kidney to a 9" x 6" pie dish. Pour the oysters on top (including the liquid) at regular intervals. Pour in enough of the cooled beef stock to almost but not quite cover the meat. Put your oven on to preheat to 220C/450F.

Roll out your pastry on a clean, floured surface to a rectangle 10" x 7" (essentially, an inch each way larger than the pie dish). Carefully lay the pastry on top of the pie dish and tuck and crimp it around the edges. Glaze with the beaten egg and make a "+" shaped cross in the centre to serve as a steam vent. Put it in to your oven for thirty to thirty-five minutes until the pastry is beautifully risen and golden.

Wash the potatoes and add them to a pot of cold, salted water. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for thirty minutes. Add the sprouts to a pot of boiling, salted water and simmer for twelve to fifteen minutes.

When the pie is ready, sit it to the side for a few minutes to rest while you finish the preparation of your potatoes and sprouts. Drain the potatoes and return them to the empty pot. Add a little butter and the chives. Gently swirl the pot to ensure all the potatoes are evenly coated. Drain the sprouts, cut your pie and assemble your meal for service.

Butterflied Rosemary Roast Chicken and Root Vegetables

2011-12-27T13:07:00.000-08:00

If you feel that you have spent quite enough time in the kitchen over Christmas and want to prepare some meals this week which are incredibly tasty but require the minimum amount of hands on cooking time, you may wish to give this chicken dish a go. Provided you are not still eating leftover turkey and sickened with fowl for the time being, this roast chicken has a beautifully festive appearance and flavour. You should perhaps, however, avoid preparing it this weekend, as chicken is considered a very unlucky foodstuff to eat at New Year. This is because chickens scratch backwards and this is seen to be regressive at a time which should be spent looking forward. Prepare it therefore during the week or wait until the year end celebrations are over.

Ingredients

1 4lb free range, organic chicken
3 or 4 medium potatoes
1 medium red onion
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C. Peel the potatoes and chop them in to fairly large chunks. Peel and quarter the red onion. Lightly oil a roasting tray with olive oil and add the vegetables. Season with salt and black pepper.

Strip the leaves from the rosemary sprigs by simply pulling them in the opposite direction from which they are growing. Scatter them evenly over the potatoes and onion.

Prior to adding it to the roasting tray, the chicken is going to be opened up by removing the backbone. Ideally, a Chinese cleaver should be used for this purpose but a very sharp and sturdy knife will do the job.

Begin by sitting the chicken on a chopping board on its neck (thick) end, the breasts facing away from you. Particularly where you are unfamiliar with this procedure, you may want to begin by feeling down the backbone and where you are going to cut on either side of it. You will find it is about an inch in width.

Use your cleaver to cut down either side of the bone, steadying the chicken at the top with your free hand, well away from the blade. The backbone should then simply pull free and you will be able to open out the chicken as shown below.

Wash the chicken and pat it completely dry with kitchen paper. Lay it breasts side up on top of the vegetables.

Drizzle the chicken with plenty of olive oil and rub it in with your hands. Season well with pepper and particularly sea salt. Pop it in to your oven for about an hour and a quarter.

Take the chicken out of the oven and stick a skewer in to the thickest part of the thigh. If it is ready, the juices will be completely clear. If any trace of red or pink remains, cook for another fifteen minutes and test again. Cover the tray with foil and allow to rest for fifteen minutes before carving and serving on a bed of the vegetables.

Beef and Tomato One Pot Stew with Christmas Tree Pastry

2011-12-21T15:44:00.000-08:00

Beef and tomato stew may not be a classic Christmas dish but it is incredibly simple to make and tasty. Garnished with a puff pastry Christmas tree and a scattering of freshly chopped parsley, it can make a delicious, attractive and seasonal meal option, if not necessarily for Christmas Day, perhaps for Christmas Eve or any other day over the festive period.

Ingredients per Person

1/2lb stewing beef or steak
1 pint fresh chicken stock
1 14oz can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 green bell pepper
1/2 small red onion
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6oz puff pastry
Beaten egg for glazing pastry
Chopped parsley for garnish

Method

It is important to firstly brown and seal the diced beef or steak. This beef was not particularly fatty so a little vegetable oil was firstly added to the pot. Add the beef, season with sea salt and pepper and brown over a high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon.

The green bell pepper should be halved and the seeds and stalk removed before it is sliced in to strips of around a half inch thick. The half red onion should be thinly sliced. Add the pepper, onion and chilli flakes to the browned beef. Season and fry off for a further couple of minutes.

Pour the chicken stock and tomatoes in to the pot. Turn up the heat until the liquid begins to boil then reduce to achieve the gentlest possible simmer.

The stew will take two and a half to three hours, simmering uncovered, until the beef is beautifully tender. Stir occasionally and monitor the liquid level, topping up if and when necessary with a little boiling water.

Roll the pastry out to a rectangle about four by six inches and to a thickness of around a quarter inch. You could use a template of a Christmas tree - or any other design you choose - but freehand was used to cut this tree from the dough with a small, very sharp knife. Very lightly grease a baking tray and lay the Christmas tree in the centre. Glaze with beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven at 200C/400F for twenty to twenty-five minutes, until risen and golden.

Check the stew for seasoning and ladle or spoon in to a deep serving plate. Scatter with the chopped parsley garnish and lay the Christmas tree on top.

Chicken Legs Christmas Dinner for One with Traditional Trimmings

2011-12-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

Chicken legs - or chicken leg and thigh portions - can essentially be viewed as a smaller, juicier alternative to turkey drumsticks for Christmas dinner. They can be purchased separately in many supermarkets and are fairly quick and easy to cook. Alternatively, why not buy a whole chicken, cut it up in to manageable portions and refrigerate or freeze what you don't immediately require for later use?

These chicken leg portions are from a small chicken so both have been used to make one portion. They were simply roasted in the oven, before being served with potato and parsnip mash, pan roasted baby potatoes, Brussels sprouts and a little bit of redcurrant jelly as an alternative to cranberry sauce.

Ingredients

2 chicken leg portions (leg and thigh, skin on)
5 baby new potatoes
1 medium baking potato
1 medium parsnip
3 Brussels sprouts (or as desired)
Vegetable oil
Butter
Sea salt, black pepper and white pepper
Tsp redcurrant jelly

Method

It is necessary to cook and cool the baby new potatoes before they are pan roasted so this has to be your first step. Wash but don't peel them and add them to a small pot with some sea salt and enough cold water to comfortably cover them. Bring the water to a boil and simmer for thirty minutes. Drain the potatoes well, return them to the empty pot, cover and set aside to cool completely.

Preheat your oven to 400F/200C. Very lightly oil a roasting tray. Season the undersides of the chicken leg portions with sea salt and black pepper. Lay them skin side up on the tray. Season the skin sides well, particularly with salt. This helps the skins to crisp up during cooking. Bake for thirty to forty minutes, depending upon the size of your chicken legs (thirty minutes in this instance).

Peel the larger potato and the parsnip. Chop in to approximately one inch pieces. Add to a pot of cold, salted water and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for twenty-five minutes.

Remove any dead leaves from the Brussels sprouts. They will require to be added to some simmering salted water for ten to twelve minutes.

When the baby potatoes are cool, the skin should easily peel off by hand. Pat the peeled potatoes dry in some kitchen paper and deep fry at a fairly high heat for five or six minutes, until beautifully golden brown and crisp on the outside. Drain on some fresh kitchen paper.

While the baby potatoes are roasting, remove the chicken legs from the oven and pierce the thigh at the thickest part with a metal skewer. Ensure the juices run clear. Cover the tray with foil and set aside to rest while the preparation of the remainder of the ingredients is completed.

Drain the potato and parsnip pieces through a colander and return them to the empty pot. Add about half an ounce of butter and season with some white pepper. Mash with a hand masher.

Lay the chicken legs on a heated serving plate and use an ice cream scoop to plate the mash in an attractive fashion. Drain the sprouts well and add them alongside, followed by the roasted potatoes. Spoon on the redcurrant jelly and serve and enjoy this delicious alternative take on a traditional Christmas dinner with trimmings.

Christmas Chicken Breasts Poached in Apple Cider with Chestnuts

2011-12-18T15:51:00.000-08:00

Chicken is an excellent choice for Christmas dinner or lunch, especially for those people who may not be big fans of turkey. Chicken can, however, present a similar problem to turkey when cooking for only one or two in that far too much will remain in the form of leftovers, unless an extremely small bird can be obtained. Today's recipe focuses on cooking chicken breasts with a Christmas twist, quoted in the quantities required to serve one person.

Ingredients

Two small chicken breasts (skin on)
6 chestnuts
1 medium carrot
1 Granny Smith apple
Half a medium white onion
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 pint fresh chicken stock or broth
1/2 pint apple cider
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Chopped chives to garnish

Method

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire are words contained in a popular Christmas song and also represent an extremely tasty way of cooking chestnuts. In this instance, however, the chestnuts are poached. SImply bring a pot of salted water to a boil and make a couple of small cuts in the chestnuts before adding them to the water and simmering for ten minutes. Drain the chestnuts and peel as soon as they are cool enough to handle. Do not let them cool too much or the shells will harden again and make the process nigh on impossible. Cover the chestnuts and set aside.

Put about a tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large frying pan and bring up to heat. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and quickly seal on both sides and the edges. Remove to a plate.

Peel and roughly chop the carrot. Chop the onion in half again. Add them to the pan along with the herbs and stir fry for a couple of minutes.

Return the chicken breasts to the pan, skin side up.

Pour in the chicken stock and the cider. Peel and remove the core from the apple. Roughly chop and add it to the pan. The idea is for the apple to break down and thicken the stock. Turn up the heat until the liquid begins to simmer. Reduce the heat and place the lid on the pan for twenty minutes.

Remove the chicken breasts to a heated plate. Ensure the juices run clear and that they are fully cooked. Cover with foil to rest. Turn up the heat to bring the stock to a rapid boil and add the chestnuts. Reduce for ten minutes and check for seasoning.

Use a slotted spoon to transfer the solids to a serving plate. Slice each chicken breast at an angle in to three and arrange on top.

Spoon a little of the stock over the chicken breasts and garnish with the chopped chives.

If you're looking for aeasonal s beer to serve with this dish, why not try to get hold of some chestnut beer? If you live in the UK, you can get this particular brew from your local Morrisons store in the lead up to Christmas.

Christmas Turkey Casserole with Sage, Onion and Brussels Sprouts

2011-12-17T09:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas is but a week away and around the world, people will have their turkeys in their freezers, ready for defrosting in the middle of the week and cooking on the big day. What if you are spending Christmas alone, however, or perhaps only as part of a couple? A whole turkey is unlikely to be practical but turkey is still very much a menu option. This Christmas turkey casserole recipe is as easy as abc and is in the quantities required for one modest serving.

Ingredients

1 6oz turkey breast fillet
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 medium white onion
5 Brussels sprouts
1 tsp dried sage
1 pint fresh chicken stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp vegetable oil for sealing turkey meat
Freshly chopped parsley to garnish

Method

You may be wondering why I bought a 6oz piece of turkey breast instead of simply buying diced turkey. The reason is simply that experience has taught me, when I buy turkey meat already diced, it has been cut in to pieces which I deem to be too small. If you choose to buy the turkey already chopped, therefore, try to ensure it is in decent sized pieces of at least approximately one inch.

Put your oven on to preheat to 180C/350F. Chop the turkey breast fillet in to one inch pieces and gently seal in some warmed vegetable oil over a medium heat, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until evenly white and sealed. This should only take two or three minutes. Meanwhile, add the chicken stock to a separate pot and bring it up to a simmer. Half the onion half again and remove the seeds from the bell pepper, before slicing it in to strips of around half an inch. Remove any loose or damaged leaves from the Brussels sprouts.

Put the vegetables and the sealed turkey meat in to a deep casserole dish. Season with the dried sage, some sea salt and black pepper.

Pour in the chicken stock and put the lid on the casserole dish before placing it in to the oven for thirty minutes.

When the casserole comes out of the oven, I like to let it rest for ten to fifteen minutes prior to service but this is a matter of choice. It should then be added to a serving plate with a slotted spoon and the roughly chopped parsley added as a final garnish.

Wine is probably the alcoholic beverage of choice most often served with Christmas dinner. In this instance, however, I served this dish with a Christmas novelty beer picked up in my local supermarket. "Rudolph the Red Nosed White Horse," is a beer produced by the White Horse Brewery in Oxfordshire, only for the Chrsitmas market. It was actually very enjoyable and comes in at 4.8% ABV.

Bell Pepper and Bacon Frittata

2011-12-10T15:43:00.000-08:00

Frittata is essentially a substantial type of omelette of Italian origin, very similar to the Spanish dish, tortilla. This frittata is made with bell peppers, bacon and onion as its principal fillings but the different ingredients and combinations of ingredients which can be incorporated are all but endless. This frittata is designed to serve one person but they will frequently be made on a larger scale and sliced in to wedges like pizza, to be served either hot or cold.

Looking for Top Christmas 2011 Gift Ideas for Cooks?

It is not always easy to think of a gift idea for someone who loves to cook. Particularly where it is a friend or family member's passion, they are likely to have many if not most of the utensils they require. Why not, therefore, take a browse in the kitchenware department of Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk for ideas? You may not only find the ideal gift, you may obtain a real bargain purchase, delivered right to your door for convenience.

Check out the relevant link below:

Amazon.com Kitchen and Housewares Store
Amazon.co.uk Kitchen and Housewares Shop

One of the greatest benefits of a dish like frittata is that - provided you have eggs - a tasty meal can be made from even the most meagre of other available ingredients. It was in precisely this way that today's recipe came about. On Thursday, a fierce storm blew in from the Atlantic across Scotland, with hurricane force winds uprooting trees, causing damage to property and sending all forms of debris flying haphazardly through the air. Although I normally visit the supermarket every day of the week for fresh ingredients for cooking, Thursday had me less than willing to venture out in to the storm. It was in this way that frittata became the order of the day.

Ingredients

3 large or 4 small eggs
3 rashers of bacon (back bacon is best)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1 small white onion or two shallots
Tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Sea salt and white pepper
Olive oil for frying

Method

The bacon could be cut in to strips while raw and simply fried in the pan before the vegetables but I honestly believe the overall effect is much better where the bacon is precooked. This bacon was grilled for a couple of minutes each side and set aside on a plate while the remaining ingredients were prepared.

Remove any remaining stem or seeds from the bell pepper halves and cut them in to strips of about half an inch. The onion or shallots should be peeled and moderately finely sliced.

Put about a tablespoon of olive oil in a small, non-stick frying pan of about 8" in diameter. Bring it up to a moderate heat and add the vegetables. Cook for a couple of minutes over a medium heat, stirring them around with a spatula.

Cut the bacon rashers across the way in to half inch strips and add them to the pan with the parsley, continuing to stir around, just to heat through. Break the eggs in to a bowl and season with the salt and pepper. Beat to combine and pour carefully over the vegetable and bacon mix in the pan, trying to ensure an even covering.

Cook on a low to moderate heat for about seven to eight minutes, until you can see that the eggs are almost but not quite completely set. At this stage, place your pan under an extremely hot overhead grill for a couple of minutes to fully set the eggs and complete the cooking process.

Loosen the edges of the frittata with your spatula and slide it on to a serving plate.

Deep Fried Goujons of Basa with Spicy Tomato Sauce

2011-11-27T15:48:00.000-08:00

Basa is a delicious, white fleshed fish, farmed and thus sustainable. It is significantly less expensive than some of the better known species of endangered fish and is becoming extremely popular around the world. One particular problem with basa - at least here in the UK, where it is also called Vietnamese river cobbler - is that although people may well see it in their supermarkets, they don't buy it because they are not sure what it is and are particularly unsure of how to cook it. This recipe sees a basa fillet cut in to goujons and deep fried in batter but you should also check out the link at the end of this article for more delicious ways of cooking basa and basa recipes.

It is important when preparing this recipe to prepare the spicy tomato sauce at least a couple of hours in advance. This is so that the varied flavours may fully infuse. If this presents a problem on the night you intend to eat the dish, simply make it the night before, cool and refrigerate. The sauce can and ideally should be served cold.

Ingredients

Sauce (Serves Two)

1 8oz can chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 large garlic clove, peeled and grated or finely chopped
1 small red chilli, finely chopped (seeds in)
Generous pinch of white sugar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Basa Goujons (Per Serving)

1 fresh basa fillet
2 tbsp plain or all purpose flour
A little bit of cold water
Sea salt

Half a head of broccoli per person as an accompaniment
A little sprig of basil may be used to garnish the sauce if desired

Method

Add all the sauce ingredients to a small saucepan and stir well. Heat on a fairly high setting until the sauce begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer for twenty to twenty-five minutes, stirring frequently, until a thick, smooth sauce is formed. Taste for seasoning and adjust as required. Turn off the heat, place the lid on the saucepan and leave to cool.

Slice the basa fillet in half lengthwise and each half in half again across the way, as shown. Put the flour in to a flat-bottomed bowl and season with salt. Begin pouring cold water in very slowly from a small jug as you whisk with a fork or hand whisk. You want to achieve the consistency of thick cream.

At this stage, break the broccoli in to florets and add it to a pot of boiling, slightly salted water to simmer for eight minutes only, after which time it should be drained for service.

Bring the oil in your deep frier or deep frying pan up to a fairly high heat. Draw each goujon of basa through the batter one at a time, hold it above the bowl to drain off the excess for a few seconds and carefully lay in the hot oil. Fry for three minutes each side until the batter is beautifully golden.

Remove the basa goujons from the oil and lay them on some kitchen paper to drain. Add the spicy tomato sauce to a ramekin and plate with the broccoli, before laying the goujons alongside. The basil sprig should garnish the spicy tomato sauce.

As mentioned at the beginning of today's post, you can find more tasty basa recipes - such as breadcrumbed and fried basa with chips - via the link below. Enjoy!

How to Cook Basa and Basa Recipes

Irish Stew: Simple, Rustic and Delicious

2011-11-24T15:08:00.000-08:00

Irish stew is a fabulous one pot recipe which consists chiefly of a simple combination of lamb chops and root vegetables. It is incredibly easy to prepare and delicious beyond belief. There is very little hands on cooking involved and it is mostly a case of getting the right ingredients in to the pot and knowing for how long to cook them.

This recipe is a little unusual in that it is designed for three people. How often do you see recipes for three published online or included in cookbooks? It is also unusual in that I had to make it in a friend's kitchen, using all his utensils and cooking equipment. Just as well he was on hand to tell me where knives and other utensils were kept or total disaster could have ensued! The reason was simply that three of us were meeting up to sort out some fishing tackle and tie up some lures for a trip this weekend and I got the job of firstly cooking us a meal...

Ingredients

9 lamb chops (loin chops, bone in)
4 medium carrots
2 large white onions
6 medium to large white potatoes
2 pints of fresh lamb stock (chicken stock if lamb is unavailable)
2oz butter
2 tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil
1 sprig of fresh mint (around a dozen medium leaves), plus three small sprigs to garnish
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

This Irish stew was made in a cast iron cooking pot, which not only reduces the cooking time, it seems to lock the flavours in to the dish. If you do not have such a pot and do like making stews, it is likely you would find this a wonderful purchase, sure to last you a great many years if not in fact a lifetime. The featured items below will give you a few ideas as to what is available.

Method

Put your oven on to preheat to 350F/180C/Gas Mark 4.

Top, tail and scrape your carrots. Peel your onions and potatoes. Quarter the onions and chop the carrots and potatoes in to bite sized pieces. Remember it is a rustic dish and also that the vegetables should retain their form and shape when cooked.

Put the butter and the vegetable oil in to the cast iron pot and on to a gentle heat to melt the butter. Lay the chops in the pot and turn up the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Brown the lamb chops by frying them for about three minutes on each side and remove them to a plate.

Add the carrot and onion to the pot and sautee for around four to five minutes. Put the lamb chops back in to the pot and carefully mix them with the carrot and onion.

Pour the lamb stock in to the pot and turn up the heat until it starts to simmer. Lay the potato pieces carefully across the top of the other ingredients but do not stir any further. The potatoes are going to mostly steam on top of the dish. Season again with salt and pepper.

Put the lid on the pot and place it in to the oven for one hour. This should see the potatoes perfectly softened.

Remove the dish from the oven and (being very careful of escaping steam) take the lid off before scattering the roughly torn mint leaves over the top of the potatoes. Replace the lid and leave to rest for fifteen minutes. Ladle on to plates and serve immediately, garnished with the small mint sprigs.

Quail and Herb Buttered Steak with Chips and Braised Savoy Cabbage

2011-11-06T06:39:00.000-08:00

Steak and chips is a classic and delicious combination but it can be just a touch predictable. This recipe for steak and chips is spiced up by the addition of braised Savoy cabbage and onion but particularly by a small amount of quail and herb butter. Quail are a very small game bird and this butter is made simply by laying some cooked and cooled quail meat in the base of a small ramekin, covering it with freshly chopped parsley and filling the ramekin up with melted butter. The full instructions for making this delicious condiment can be found on my Quail Recipes site.

Ingredients per Person

1 large potato for making chips
1 6oz beef steak
3 or 4 leaves of Savoy cabbage
1/2 small white onion
1/2 oz quail and herb butter
Olive oil for frying and braising
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

The three stage method of preparing chips which I use has been detailed many times before on this blog. If you need a reminder, you can get full details here: How to Make Perfect Homemade Chips, or simply use your own method.

When the chips are just about ready for their final frying, it is time to cook the steak. You will need to put an ovenproof plate in to a low oven to preheat. This will be used for resting the cooked steak. Bring some olive oil up to a high heat in a frying pan. Season the steak well on both sides with sea salt and black pepper. The cooking time for the steak will vary depending upon how you like your steak and the thickness of your steak. This three-quarter inch steak was fried for three minutes each side on a very high heat for medium rare.

Remove the steak from the pan to the heated plate and cover with foil to rest. Start the final frying of your chips.

Shred the cabbage leaves and finely slice the onion. Bring some more olive oil up to heat in a clean frying pan, add the cabbage and onion and season with sea salt and pepper. Sautee for three to four minutes.

Plate the steak and lay the chips, Savoy cabbage and onion alongside. Put the quail and herb butter on top of the steak and serve immediately.

Scottish Venison and Root Vegetable Winter Warmer Stew

2011-11-04T09:10:00.000-07:00

Venison is a delicious eating meat, provided it is cooked in an appropriate fashion. A very lean meat, venison requires long, slow cooking, if it is not to be served tough and unpalatable and one of the best ways to prepare it in this way is in a hearty, winter warmer of a stew. The venison in this recipe is from Scottish red deer and the quantites make for two large portions.

Ingredients

1/2lb diced venison
2 tbsp flour
3 tbsp olive oil
2 medium onions
2 pints fresh beef stock
2 pints of water
4 small carrots
1 small swede (rutabaga)
Stem only of one leek
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fresh parsley or other fresh herb to garnish

Method

Put the flour in to a bowl and season. Pour the olive oil in to a large pot and gently heat. Stir the venison pieces briefly in the flour before transferring them to the heated oil. Brown and seal over a low heat. This should take three to four minutes.

Peel the onions, half them and finely slice. Add them to the browned venison and stir for a further couple of minutes.

Pour the beef stock and the water in to the pot. You could use all beef stock but it's not necessary as the liquid will be well reduced to capture the flavours. Bring to a simmer and cook for one and a half hours, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot. Do note that it may at first seem you have an excess of liquid but resist the temptation to reduce the quantity. You will need every drop by the time it has cooked down and the vegetables have later been added.

When the one and a half hours is almost up, it is time to prepare your root vegetables for the stew. Peel the swede/rutabaga and chop it in to one inch chunks. Peel or scrape the carrot and chop it in to similar sized pieces. The leek should be washed and sliced in to quarter inch thick discs.

Add the vegetables to the stewing venison and stir well. The liquid level should be okay at this stage but you are now going to return it to a simmer for a further hour. Stir frequently and top up with a little bit of boiling water if required.

Taste the stew for seasoning, ladle in to bowls, garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately with some warm, crusty bread.

Homemade Steak and Ale Pie with Chips and Brussels Sprouts

2011-10-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

Steak and ale pie makes for a delicious, warming meal on a cold winter's night but can equally be enjoyed at any time of year. The variety of different ales which most people will have access to means that the recipe can be varied considerably in taste, simply by switching ales until you find the one that you most prefer. Do, however, make the effort to use a quality, real ale, as run of the mill, supermarket beers are not going to give this dish the intensity of flavour it deserves. Check what supermarkets in your area offer in this respect but also take a look at any micro-breweries which may exist in your geographical area. The real ale used in this particular pie was Tibbie Shiels Ale, made by Broughton Ales, a small brewery in the Scottish Borders. A pie of this size will serve anything from two to four people, depending largely upon the appetite of the diners.

Ingredients

1 lb stewing beef steak
1/2 lb puff pastry
1 large white onion
1 large carrot
1 pint of real ale
2 pints of fresh beef stock
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Beaten egg for glazing

1 large baking potato per person
Brussels sprouts (quantity as desired)
Butter
Pinch of dried nutmeg

Method

Put the olive oil in to a large pot and on to a gentle heat. Add the beef and stir for two to three minutes until browned and sealed. Peel and finely slice the onion and add it to the beef. Season with salt, black pepper, the dried thyme and cook the onion for a few minutes until it glistens and begins to turn transluscent. Add the stock, followed by the beer and turn the heat up until the liquid begins to simmer. Note that it may well seem like you have an excessive amount of liquid at this stage but that will reduce considerably. Reduce the heat again and simmer very gently for two hours.

While the beef is simmering, you can use some of the time to start preparing your chips. Peel the potatoes and slice and chop in to chips shapes. Add to a pot of cold water and bring to a boil. Simmer for five minutes, drain and submerge in cold water for five more minutes. Drain again and lay them in a large plastic dish with a lid. Refrigerate for at least half an hour.

Pat the chips dry in a clean tea towel and deep fry at 300F/150C for five minutes. Transfer to a plate laid with kitchen paper, cover and allow to cool. Return them to the dried plastic dish and the refrigerator for a further half hour minimum.

When the beef and stock has simmered for a couple of hours, you will see the liquid has been significantly reduced. Top, tail and scrape the carrot and slice it in to quarter inch discs. Add it to the pot and simmer for a further twenty minutes before turning off the heat, covering the pot and leaving the mix to cool. This is very important, as if you try to put pastry on top of hot meat and gravy, the steam will spoil the pastry before it has a chance to cook, causing it to collapse and be soggy.

When the meat is cool (after about an hour), put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C. Spoon the meat and carrot in to a 10" by 7" pie dish with a slotted spoon. Pour in enough gravy to almost cover the meat.

Roll out the pastry on a clean, lightly floured surface, large enough that it covers the pie dish with a slight overhang all around. Carefully lay it on top and fold and crimp it in place around the edges and under the rim of the dish.

It is not essential but you may wish to sit your pie on a roasting tray, to catch any inadvertent drips. Glaze it with the beaten egg and make a cross or couple of slits in the centre to serve as a steam vent. Put the pie in to the oven for thirty-five to forty minutes, until the pastry is beautifully risen and golden.

It is a good idea to let the steak and ale pie rest for a few minutes when you take it out of the oven, prior to service. This time can be used to prepare the Brussels sprouts and complete the preparation of the chips. Remove any loose or damaged leaves from the sprouts and place them in simmering, salted water for ten minutes. Drain and return to the empty pot with a little butter and nutmeg. Gently swirl them around to evenly coat.

When the sprouts are in the water, the chips can be fried for the second time at 350F/170C, for six or seven minutes. Drain again on kitchen paper and begin plating your meals.

Spanish Style Omelette with Bacon and Potato: A Leftovers Special

2011-10-13T11:44:00.000-07:00

Spanish omelettes are very different from their French counterparts. While not quite constituting the robust dish that is a Tortilla Espanol (especially given the absence of onion), this recipe does follow the principles of cooking the sundry ingredients of the omelette in the pan before adding the eggs to bind them all together. This is a perfect dish to have for dinner when perhaps you have had a hard day and can't be bothered visiting the supermarket, allowing you to use up those leftover odds and ends in your refrigerator at the same time. In this instance, I had half a red bell pepper, four rashers of bacon and a couple of tomatoes, all of which were still in perfectly good eating condition but were in danger of declining if they weren't used soon. (Important: The tomatoes were of course not in the refrigerator!) Waste not, want not, is the principle perhaps adhered to here - but the tasty dinner which can be prepared at the same time makes this idea a winner in all respects.

Ingredients (Serves One)

3 large eggs
4 rashers of bacon
1 medium floury/starchy potato
1/2 red bell pepper
2 small to medium tomatoes
1 clove of garlic
5 or 6 pitted black olives
2oz cheddar or other hard cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 or 3 fresh basil leaves to garnish

An Important Word About Bacon

Firstly, the bacon used in this recipe is British bacon. It is taken from the back or loin of the pig rather than the belly and that means there is more meat and less fat. American bacon will work just as well but you may have to pour off a little of the fat after the potatoes are cooked and prior to adding the pepper and garlic if you don't want your finished dish to be too greasy.

Perhaps more importantly, after you have fried off the bacon in the method about to be described, you may find that you have some unappetising looking white, "Globules," in the bottom of your pan. This simply means that your bacon has been injected with a saline solution as part of the curing process, mostly to artificially increase the weight and the profit for the source supplier. It is a procedure carried out by a great many bacon producers in the UK. All you have to do is scoop out these white bits and add a little bit of butter and olive oil to the pan to compensate for the lack of fat.

Method

Firstly, roughly chop your bacon but do not discard any of the fat. Put it in to a dry, non-stick frying pan and on to a low heat. As the fat in the bacon begins to melt, gradually increase the heat, stirring the bacon around frequently with a wooden spoon until it is cooked. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked bacon to a plate and see the note in the orange panel above re the fat left in your pan.

Peel and moderately finely dice the potato. Add it to the hot fat in the pan and season with salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Go easy on the salt as the bacon will have imparted a lot of saltiness to the fat but potatoes are of course notoriously bland and a little salt is still likely to be necessary. Fry the potatoes on a moderate heat, stirring frequently, until softened and lightly browned.

Roughly chop the half bell pepper and the peeled garlic clove. Add them to the potatoes and fry for a further couple of minutes, before re-adding the bacon simply to heat through.

While the bacon is reheating, break the eggs in to a bowl and lightly beat them with a fork or small hand-held whisk.

Ensure that your potato, pepper and bacon mix is spread evenly over the base of your pan and carefully pour in the egg mixture. Heat at a medium setting (you don't want the underside of the omelette burned before the top is cooked) until you can see it is almost but not quite set right to the top.

Put your overhead grill on to preheat to maximum. Slice your tomatoes and cut your black olives in half lengthways. Arrange them evenly over the top of the almost cooked omelette. Place your pan under the overhead grill to finish setting the omelette and essentially heat the olives and tomatoes. This should take only about a minute, so keep an eye on it and don't let it burn.

Grate your cheese while the omelette is finishing setting under the grill. Remove the pan from under the grill and scatter the cheese over the top. A little extra freshly ground black pepper is a good idea at this stage but not essential. Put the pan back under the grill until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

The omelette should now be served immediately by simply using a spatula or fish slice to loosen it around the edges before sliding it on to a plate. Roughly tear or scatter the basil leaves over the top as an attractive but entirely optional garnish.

Turkey, Sage and Onion Burger with Chip Shop Style Fritters

2011-10-12T07:01:00.000-07:00

Sage and onion is a classic stuffing type, frequently prepared and served with roast turkey at Thanksgiving or Christmas. In the approach to the year end holiday period 2011, I was working a few days ago on coming up with Thanksgiving Turkey Recipes for One, specifically for those people forced through circumstances to spend Thanksgiving alone and for whom a whole turkey would clearly be impractical. The turkey, sage and onion burger is one idea I came up with and I prepared it for that project simply with homemade fries. As I was eating it, I started wondering what else could be served with it to provide something a little bit different from fries.

I began thinking along the lines of potato based fast foods which can easily be made at home but provide an alternative to chips or French fries. I quickly came up with the idea of British chip shop style potato fritters. If you have never tried these simple creations, I would urge you to give them a go. They normally consist of thick slices of potato, dipped in a flour, water and salt batter and deep fried in hot oil. In this instance, however, I have firstly parboiled the potato slices, to make for softer, fluffier centres for the fritters.

Ingredients per Serving

1/2lb minced/ground turkey
1/4 small white onion, finely diced
1 soft bread roll
1/2 tsp dried sage
1oz pizza mozzarella cheese (optional)
1 large floury/starchy potato (any type normally used for baking)
3 tbsp plain/all purpose flour
Cold water
Salt and pepper
1 tsp freshly chopped parsley for garnish

Method

Peel the potato and slice it lengthwise to a thickness of just under half an inch or around 1cm. If you have a clean wire basket, usually used for deep frying, it is an excellent idea to place it in to your pot before adding cold water and the potato slices. This makes it much easier to drain the potatoes without the risk of them breaking up in a colander. Put the pot on a high heat until the water boils, then reduce the heat to simmer for ten minutes.

Take the pot to the sink and simply lift the basket clear before pouring out the water. Rinse the pot with cold water to cool it, half fill it with cold water and place the basket back inside, ensuring all the potato slices are covered. Leave like this to cool for five minutes. Drain again and lay the potato slices in a plastic dish with a lid. Refrigerate while you go on to prepare firstly your batter and then your burger.

Spoon the flour in to a small plastic dish, large enough only to accommodate each potato slice one at a time. Season with half a teaspoon of salt and mix. Add some cold water to a jug and very slowly add the water to the flour in stages, mixing between each pour, until you have a batter the consistency of thick cream. If you accidentally add too much water, simply add a little more flour. Ensure the batter is smooth, place the lid on the dish and add this dish also to the refrigerator.

The turkey, onion and sage should all be added to a stone or glass mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly by hand before rolling in to a ball and flattening between the palms of your hand to a burger patty around three-quarters of an inch to an inch thick. Bring some vegetable oil up to a medium heat in a non-stick frying pan and add the burger to fry for about twelve minutes each side on a gentle heat, turning only once. This may sound a long time but keep the heat low and ensure the burger is cooked through completely before serving. Do not press down on the burger as it cooks - this forces the juices out in to the pan and makes the cooked burger dry and unpalatable. Check it is cooked by piercing the centre with a skewer and pressing on the hole to ensure the juices run clear - or use a meat thermometer, following the manufacturer's instructions.

When the turkey burger is cooked, turn off the heat and push the pan to a cooler part of your stove top. Leave the burger alone to rest. Bring your deep fryer to a high heat and fetch the potato slices and batter from the refrigerator.

This bit requires great care as it is necessary to lower the fritters in to the oil by hand, one at a time. Dip each potato slice in the batter to coat and hold it up for a couple of seconds to allow the excess to drip back in to the dish. Very gently, lower the fritter in to the oil, keeping your fingers well clear. Continue until all the slices have been actioned in this way. Do not overload your fryer. After around three minutes, turn the fritters using a metal slotted spoon or spatula with a plastic handle, carefully separating any which have stuck together. When the batter is beautifully golden, transfer the fritters to a plate covered with kitchen paper to drain.

The bread roll should be opened up and lightly toasted. If you wish to omit the cheese, simply lay the burger on the bottom half of the roll and serve the fritters alongside. If you wish to include the cheese, lay the burger on the bottom half of the roll and three slices of pizza mozzarella (or perhaps cheddar?) on top and melt under an overhead grill. Garnish with the roughly chopped parsley.

Note that salt and malt vinegar are the traditional and popular condiments for these type of fritters.

Red Gurnard Fish Pie with Broccoli

2011-10-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

What are gurnards? I am aware that a great many people will be wondering precisely this when they see the title of today's recipe post. Even those people who are familiar with them may not know how to cook gurnards, or in fact that they are even edible. Gurnards are certainly not the most attractive of fish and it is for perhaps this reason above all that they were never truly considered a good eating fish until fairly recently, in light of the publicity surrounding fish sustainability.

I have long since intended featuring gurnard on this blog, in the name of eating sustainable fish, if nothing else. The principal reason why I have never done so is simply that I could never quite describe them as one of my favourite eating fish. It always surprises me when food writers describe gurnard as having little or no real taste. I think it has a moderately powerful flavour and one which is fairly unique. It may well be one of those things which you either love or hate.

The reason why I have finally made the effort to provide a gurnard recipe suggestion comes in the wake of a fishing trip made by a friend to Loch Etive, in the West of Scotland. I was not on that particular trip and learned only a few days later that he had caught several decent sized red gurnard. I enquired whether he had kept one for the pot and he informed me that he hadn't, simply because he would have had no idea how to clean or cook it. I had a think and decided how I would recommend anyone who had never tasted gurnard before prepare and eat it for the first time. I was pretty certain right from the start that I would recommend they make a gurnard fish pie.

Ingredients for a Gurnard Pie for Two People

3/4lb prepared gurnards
12 fl oz milk
1/2 small red onion
1 bay leaf
1 small carrot
1 tbsp frozen peas
2oz butter
2oz plain (all purpose) flour
1 tbsp freshly chopped flat leafed parsley (plus extra for garnish)
2 large baking potatoes
Salt and white pepper

1 head of broccoli as an accompaniment

Method

Gurnards are usually fairly small so you are likely to need anything from two to four which have been prepared in this way to make the three-quarter pound. I got these gurnards from my local Morrisons in Wishaw, a supermarket which I always find has an excellent and extensive range of fresh fish in comparison to its major competitors. They had been headed, tailed, gutted and scaled.

Place the gurnards in a pot large enough that they all fit comfortably on the bottom in a single layer. Slice the red onion and separate it in to strands. Add it to the pot with the bay leaf. Pour in enough cold milk to comfortably cover the gurnards - approximately 12 fluid ounces. Put the pot on a high heat until the milk only just begins to simmer. Reduce the heat right down at this stage or you risk a boil over. Simmer gently for six to seven minutes.

Use a large slotted spoon to remove the gurnards to a flat bottomed bowl. Cover and allow to cool enough that they can be comfortably handled. Strain the milk in to a bowl through a fine sieve to remove the onion and bay leaf, as well as any fin or bone which may have broken off the gurnards. The milk will soon be used (still warm) in the preparation of the basic bechamel sauce for ths fish pie.

Add the butter to a saucepan and gently melt. Tip in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon to form a roux. Cook gently for a few minutes, stirring all the time, before you start to add the milk in three or four stages, combining each addition before adding more to the pan. You may need all the milk and you may not. Essentially, you want the sauce to have the consistency of thick cream. Add the parsley, stir it through and remove the pot from the heat.

The flesh will now have to be picked from the bones of the gurnards and there is only one way to do that: by hand. Begin by removing any remaining fin or bone from the back of each gurnard. Peel off the skin. Gently open each one up and carefully pull out the spine. Flake the flesh as large as possible, feeling for any bones as you do so. Scatter the flesh over the bottom of a casserole dish, about 9" in diameter and 3" deep. It is really important to have a proper casserole dish for making a fish pie. If you don't have one, or are in need of a replacement for your old one which is past its best, see the end of this post for some hand-picked bargains which you may wish to consider.

Peel and finely dice the carrot and scatter it over the top of the gurnard flesh, along with the frozen peas. Resist the temptation to simply slice the carrot in to discs. It will not cook properly in the pie and come out hard and unpalatable. Carefully pour the sauce over the fish and smooth with a palette knife. The sauce should come up to within approximately 1" of the rim of the casserole dish.

Put the lid on the casserole dish and leave to cool completely. You may wish to prepare to this stage the night before you intend serving the pie and refrigerate overnight. That's entirely optional.

Peel the potatoes, chop them and add them to a pot of cold, slightly salted water. Put on a high heat to bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer for twenty-five minutes. Drain the potatoes through a colander, return to the pot and mash with butter and white pepper. Cover and allow to cool.

When you come to spread the mash on the fish and sauce, do not simply tip it all in to the centre and attempt to spread it out. That is a recipe only for disaster, as you will push the potato in to the sauce and the results will simply not be what they should. Instead, use a teaspoon to lay the potato over the top of the sauce in small lumps. Afterwards, dip a pallette knife (or even a wide bladed ordinary knife) in boiling water and smoothe the potato. This will give you a much better final result.

Sit the dish on a baking tray and place the pie in to an oven preheated to 375F/190C/Gas Mark 5 for forty to forty-five minutes. The baking tray is not essential and you can instead place the dish straight on to the oven shelf. The reason I always use a tray is that should any sauce overflow from the dish, you will only have a baking tray to wash and not your entire oven. Minimising washing up is, after all, a huge part of learning to cook, is it not...??

When your pie is removed from the oven, place the tray under a very hot, overhead grill to brown and crisp the potato. This is not absolutely necessary but definitely improves presentation. When your pie is under the grill, break the head of broccoli in to florets and add to slightly salted, boiling water for eight minutes.

Remove the pie from under the grill when it is nicely browned. Allow to rest for a few minutes and give the sauce time to stop boiling while the broccoli finishes cooking. Drain the broccoli through a colander and you are ready to plate up for service.

Casserole Dishes

As mentioned in the post above, below you will find a few ideas currently available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk for casserole dishes perfectly suited to making a fish pie. Click on any image for further details, or to browse Amazon's casserole dish options in full.

A Sustainable Scottish Fish Supper

2011-10-05T10:41:00.000-07:00

If you are not Scottish - or at least intimately familiar with the food culture of Scotland - your perception of what constitutes a Scottish fish supper is likely to be incorrect. This is wholly forgivable, as the name of course suggests that a Scottish fish supper is any type of fish dish served for supper in Scotland. In fact, it is a lot more specific than that. A fish supper in Scotland is something usually sold from dedicated fish and chip shops and consists of a fillet of white fish, deep fried in batter and served with chips. This is of course the most popular fast food throughout the United Kingdom but in the rest of the country, outwith Scotland, it is likely simply to be referred to as fish and chips.

There is, however, a problem surrounding Scottish fish suppers in modern times - a big problem! A fish supper is normally made from haddock, or perhaps cod, two of the most endangered species of fish - if not the most endangered - in British coastal waters and fishing grounds. This means that alternative fish species must be used in fish suppers if this incredibly tasty, traditional meal is to be available to future generations. Coley, pollack or pouting are all excellent choices in this respect but the option chosen in this instance is surely the tastiest of all the sustainable fish species in British waters, whiting.

Ingredients per Person

1 large baking potato
1 skinless fillet of whiting
2 tbsp plain (all purpose) flour
1/2 tsp salt
Cold water

Method

It is not essential to use this chip preparation method but it does make for extra special chips. Begin by peeling the potato, slicing and chopping it in to chip shapes. Put them in to a pot of cold water and put the pot on a high heat until the water begins to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes. Drain the chips through a colander and submerge them in a bowl of cold water for a further five minutes to cool them quickly. Drain again and place them in a plastic dish and in to the fridge for at least half an hour.

Remove the chips and lay them as shown on one half of a clean tea towel. Fold the other half of the towel over the top and carefully and gently pat them dry. Fry in hot oil at 300F/150C for five minutes. Remove from the deep frier to some kitchen paper on a plate, cover and allow to cool. They should then be returned to the (dried) plastic dish and the fridge for a further half hour.

When your chips are returned to the fridge, it is a good idea to prepare the batter for the fish and allow it some fridge resting time. Add the flour and salt to a plastic dish large enough to contain the whiting fillet further down the line. Slowly add cold water, stirring continuously, until you have a batter the consistency of paint or thick cream. If you do happen to add too much water, simply add a little more flour. Put the lid on the dish and pop it in the fridge.

The chips should be fried for the second time at a slightly higher temperature, around 350F/170C, for five to seven minutes, dependant simply upon how crisp and golden you like them to be. Drain again on kitchen paper and cover to keep them warm while you fry the fish. Alternatively, where you have a twin basket deep fat fryer (see the end of this post,) the chips can be given their second fry at the same time the fish is being cooked. This makes the whole procedure a lot quicker and easier.

Remove the lid from the dish containing the batter and dip the whiting fillet in to ensure it is completely coated. Hold it up over the dish for a few seconds to let the excess batter drip off before popping it in to the hot fryer. It will take four or five minutes to cook, by which time the batter should be crisp and golden.

Drain the fish on some fresh kitchen paper and plate along with your chips. A Scottish fish supper is likely to be seasoned with salt and malt vinegar, salt and sauce, or perhaps all three and eaten without any further accompaniments. If you do want to boost the presentation and flavour a little, however, try serving it with a wedge of lemon, a sprig or two of fresh dill and a dollop of tartare sauce on the side, as shown in the top photograph above.

Twin Basket Deep Fat Fryers

Deep frying food is not something which we should be doing every day. Even where oil is used instead of saturated animal fats, we should keep this cooking method to once or maybe twice a week. When we are deep fat frying, however, we want to be sure that we do so to best effect. As mentioned in today's post, a twin basket deep fat fryer is an excellent tool to have when making British fish and chips, or any dish where two separate foodstuffs require frying. Below are a couple of ideas from both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk which you may wish to consider for making your fish and chips - or even as a Christmas gift for the deep fat fryer in your family or circle of friends!

Spicy Turkey Stir Fried Egg Noodles

2011-09-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've featured a Chinese style stir fry on this blog and I was surprised myself to learn, looking back through my summary notes, that I have never featured one made with egg noodles. I was originally going to prepare this dish with beef but decided at the last minute to make it with turkey breast. You could use beef, chicken, pork, or even large prawns in exactly the same way, though from those ingredients only the chicken should be subjected to the velveting process. Do try to get fresh egg noodles if you are making this dish, as the dried ones which are reconstituted in boiling water simply do not work as well in a stir fry.

Today's recipe will make two decent servings.

Ingredients

1 bag of fresh egg noodles (just under 1lb in weight)
1/2 diced turkey breast fillet
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 green bell pepper
1/2 medium white onion
1/2 tsp hot chilli flakes (dried)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

One egg white and 1 tsp cornflour for velveting the turkey

Method

Velveting is a procedure used by Chinese cooks to help protect usually chicken from the high intensity heat of the stir frying process. It is achieved by essentially marinating the meat in egg white and cornflour (corn starch) prior to cooking.

Put the egg white in to a small glass bowl and add a teaspoon of cornflour and a pinch of salt. Stir well to form a smoothe paste. Add the turkey breast and stir well again to ensure the pieces are all evenly coated. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for twenty to thirty minutes.

When the turkey is removed from the fridge, it should be drained through a colander or sieve. Stir it around well in the colander to try to drain off as much of the paste as possible.

Put about a tablespoon of oil in to your wok and bring it up to a high heat. Stir fry the turkey for a couple of minutes until it is evenly sealed and has turned opaque. Remove to a plate with a slotted spoon.

The onion half should be halved again across the way and separated in to leaves. The bell pepper halves should be de-seeded and sliced in to half inch strips.
Add some more oil to the wok if required, bring back up to heat and stir fry the vegetables for around a minute, before adding the noodles and chilli flakes. You may of course choose to use a fresh red chilli, very finely diced, instead.

Stir fry the noodles and vegetables for a further minute before re-adding the turkey and the soy sauce for a final two minutes of cooking.

Taste the dish for seasoning, add what is required and divide between two serving plates. A fresh herb such as basil can be torn and scattered over the top if desired as a final garnish.

When you are making a stir fry, a proper Chinese wok is pretty much an esssential tool. If you do not have a wok, or your present one is past its best, below are a couple of options from both Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk which you may wish to consider.

Hot and Spicy Roast Chicken Pizza

2011-09-06T05:24:00.000-07:00

Pizza is a hugely popular creation. Tens of millions of pizzas are sold around the world, every single day, either in the form of fast food or as premade supermarket creations, which require only to be heated up at home. I have featured pizza before on this blog but wanted to show again how incredibly easy it is to make pizza from scratch at home. Today, we are going to prepare pizza dough, pizza sauce and pizza topping right from the stage of the basic ingredients.

Very Important Warning! This recipe can be hot and it is important that you know before you prepare it the strength of the chillis you are using. If you are in any doubt, or hot and spicy food is not your thing, simply substitute the chilli peppers with chopped bell peppers, or your own topping of choice. The bulk of this pizza recipe applies to any and all toppings.

If you are intending making your own pizza at home, the one thing which you will need above all else is a proper pizza pan. Improvisation is always possible but the results will simply not be truly authentic. Before we go any further, you may wish to take a look at some of these options for pizza pans currently available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. I promise you, the modest investment is more than worth it and once you get the bug for homemade pizza, you will more than get your money's worth from such a purchase.

This pizza recipe is perfect for using up leftover roast chicken. If you had roast chicken for dinner last night and have leftovers to use, this is a great way to do so. Alternatively, you can buy a small piece of chicken and cook it for the purpose of making this pizza. A small supermarket breast quarter of chicken like the one below will easily make a couple of 12" pizzas and can be roasted in half an hour.

Ingredients per Pizza

Sauce

8oz can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 garlic clove
Pinch of dried basil
Pinch of salt

Dough

6oz plain/all purpose flour
1 tsp active dried yeast
4 fl oz lukewarm water
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp sea salt

Topping

2oz leftover roast chicken pieces
1 red chilli pepper
1 green chilli pepper
2oz pizza mozzarella cheese
2oz cheddar cheese

Method

The pizza sauce should be prepared first. The simple reason for this is that the sauce must be cooled before being spread on the pizza dough. Otherwise, it will soak in to the dough and spoil the whole pizza. The good news is that the pizza sauce can easily be prepared the night before you are making your pizza, cooled and refrigerated.

Pour the tomatoes in to a small saucepan. Peel the garlic clove and grate it in to the pot. Season with the basil and salt. Bring to a simmer on a high heat before reducing to the lowest heat possible and simmering for around twenty minutes - stirring frequently - until a beautifully lush sauce is formed. Cover and allow to cool.

The pizza dough will require to rest for around an hour, so bear this in mind when preparing the recipe. It is vital that you also be aware that the dough can easily be over rested, so early preparation is not an option for the dough.

Put the flour, yeast and salt in to a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine before making a well in the centre and pouring in the water and extra virgin olive oil. Stir with a spoon to combine and mix by hand to form a dough.

Kneading dough is fairly simple but is best explained by video rather than text. Take a look at this video below which explains the process perfectly.

Below is the pizza dough immediately after it has been kneaded...

...and after it has been rested.

Put your oven on to preheat to 450F/230C.

The chicken should be torn in to strips by hand, to the size you desire. This makes for a much better effect than cutting it with a knife.

Grate the cheddar cheese and finely chop the mozzarella. Slice the chilli peppers in to discs and be sure to wash your hands thoroughly after you are finished laying them on the pizza.

Very lightly grease your pizza pan with olive oil. Put the dough back on to a floured surface and knead the air out of it. Roll it out in to an approximate circle, slightly smaller than your pizza pan before laying it in the pan and stretching it carefully out from the centre to fill the pan.

Pour the sauce in to the centre of the dough and spread it out using a circular motion with the base of a ladle or large spoon. Be sure to leave a little border of around half an inch for the crust to form.

Mix the cheddar and mozzarella cheeses together and scatter evenly over the pizza, ensuring again to leave what will become the crust exposed.

Place the pizza in to the oven and bake for twelve to fifteen minutes, depending upon how crisp you like your base and crust. Remove very carefully from the oven and use a plastic spatula to transfer the pizza to a chopping board for cutting. Never attempt to cut the pizza while it is still in the cooking pan as this will irreparably damage the surface of your pan.

Smoked Mackerel Salad

2011-09-02T04:43:00.000-07:00

Smoked mackerel is a truly delicious eating fish. It is also very nutritious and the fact that it is bought ready to eat is ideal when the time available for preparing dinner any night is short. This is a very simple serving suggestion for smoked mackerel as part of a salad and you can find more ideas along similar lines here: Different Ways to Serve Smoked Mackerel

Ingredients per Serving

2 smoked mackerel fillets
2 handfuls of mixed salad leaves
Baby new potatoes, quantity as desired
1 egg
3 cherry tomatoes
3 pitted black olives
1/2 oz butter
1 tsp freshly chopped mint leaves
Salt

Method

Wash the new potatoes but don't peel them and add them to a pot of slightly salted cold water. Bring the water to a boil and reduce the heat to simmer for twenty-five minutes.

Put the egg in to a separate pot and add enough cold water to comfortably cover it. Bring the water to a boil and reduce to simmer for seven minutes. Take the pot to the sink and run cold water in it for twenty to thirty seconds, until the egg is cool enough to handle. Crack the shell all around by tapping the egg on a hard surface. Peel the shell away under running cold water and submerge the egg in a bowl of cold water to cool while the potatoes finish cooking.

The salad leaves used in this dish were bought from my local supermarket where they were labelled as an Italian style salad. They are a mixture of lollo rosso, radicchio and rocket (arugula). You can use any combination of salad leaves you desire, even if that just be simple lettuce leaves. Lay the leaves on half of the serving plate. Half the tomatoes and pitted olives and arrange on top of the salad leaves.

When the potatoes are ready, drain them through a colander and return them to the empty pot. Add the butter and the chopped mint leaves. Swirl the potatoes around gently to coat them evenly in the mint and butter before adding them to the plate. Take the egg from the water and pat it dry with kitchen paper. Quarter it lengthwise and add the quarters to the plate.

The skin should peel very easily away from the smoked mackerel fillets. It is best to do this before placing them across the salad and serving your meal.

Note that if you do have to buy a vacuum pack of smoked mackerel fillets which contains more fillets than you are using at the time, transfer the excess to a plastic dish with a lid and they will store in your refriegerator for a couple of days.

Beef and Tomato One Pot Stew

2011-08-23T04:13:00.000-07:00

This beef and tomato stew is incredibly easy to make and is delicious perhaps particularly on a cold Winter's night but very much at any time of year. The only possible drawback with this one pot stew is that it does require a good couple of hours' cooking time. The good news, however, is that making it one night, cooling it, refrigerating it and reheating it (thoroughly) for dinner the next night gives the flavours additional time to infuse and makes it even more tasty. Try serving it with some warmed chunks of fresh, crusty bread.

The beef I have used in this recipe is shin of beef. That is not simply because shin of beef is one of the most inexpensive cuts of beef you can buy but very much because, when the time is taken to cook it properly, it is also one of the tastiest.

Ingredients for Two People

3/4lb shin of beef
1 14oz can of chopped tomatoes in tomato juice
1 pint of fresh beef stock
1/2 medium white onion
1 green bell pepper
2 cloves of garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp freshly chopped basil leaves (plus two small sprigs for garnish)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chop the shin of beef in to three-quarters to one inch chunks. Any excess fat can be discarded but do not trim off all the fat. It is the fat which will keep the beef moist and tender during cooking and which also contains a lot of the flavour. Heat the olive oil gently in a large stew pot and add the beef to brown, stirring it frequently with a wooden spoon for three or four minutes until completely and evenly sealed.

Finely slice the half onion and the garlic. Cut the green bell pepper in half and remove and discard the seeds and white inner membrane. Slice to a quarter inch thickness. Do note, however, that only half the pepper is incorporated in the stew and the remainder is reserved to garnish and add a little bit of crunch to the presented dish.

Add the onion, bell pepper and garlic to the beef. Stir well and cook for two to three minutes, while you heat the beef stock in a separate pot. Add the canned tomatoes to the mix, followed by the seasoning (salt and pepper) and beef stock and bring to a simmer.

It will take at least two hours, perhaps two and a half, for the shin of beef to become properly tender. Stir the stew occasionally during this time and watch that it is not becoming too thick and devoid of moisture. If necessary, add a little bit of boiling water as required, to ensure there is always some liquid present and that it does not burn.

When the beef is tender, add the chopped basil, stir through and cook for a further five minutes. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately, garnished with the remaining strips of bell pepper and sprigs of basil. Alternatively, cool and refrigerate for a quick and easy dinner the following evening.

Pork Tenderloin Fillet with Blueberry and Apple Cider Sauce

2011-08-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

The tenderloin is not only the most tender part of a pig, it is also probably the tastiest. Although not the cheapest cut of meat, pork tenderloin generally remains considerably less expensive than even a moderately decent beef steak. It is important when we are cooking tenderloin, because it is so lean, that we take care that it doesn't dry out and become tough and/or unpalatable. Equally for this reason, it is nice to serve a rich, fruity sauce with the cooked tenderloin fillet.

In a majority of cases, people thinking of a fruit sauce to serve with pork will automatically think of apple sauce. While apple sauce is indeed an excellent accompaniment to many different cuts of pork, it is refreshing on occasion to find and try an alternative. The sauce in this instance was originally intended to be a straightforward blueberry sauce and the meal accompanied by the bottle of cider. The decision to actually incorporate a little of the cider in the sauce was very much a last minute one but definitely something I believe worked well.

Ingredients per Serving

3/4lb fillet of pork tenderloin (it will shrink significantly during cooking)
5 or 6 small new potatoes
2oz trimmed green beans
1 tbsp fresh blueberries
2 tbsp apple cider
1/2 tsp sugar
1oz butter (plus a little extra for potatoes)
Little olive oil for greasing foil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Preheat your oven to 375F/190C. Lay a large sheet of aluminium foil on a baking tray and very lightly grease the centre - where the pork tenderloin fillet will sit - with a drizzle of olive oil. Place the pork on the oiled area, season with salt and pepper and wrap the foil into a loose but sealed tent. Cook in the oven for twenty-five minutes. It should then be removed from the oven and set aside (still wrapped in the foil) to rest for ten minutes while your potatoes finish cooking and you cook your sauce and beans.

Wash but don't peel your new potatoes. Add them to a pot of cold, slightly salted water and put on a high heat until the water boils. Reduce to a simmer for twenty to twenty-five minutes until the potatoes are soft when tested with a metal skewer or the point of a sharp knife.

Wash the blueberries and add them to a small saucepan, along with the sugar and cider. Place the pan on a medium heat and cook until the blueberries burst and the sauce starts to thicken, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. This should take around four to five minutes. Reserve the remainder of the bottle of cider to enjoy with your plated meal.

The green beans could of course be blanched in water if you prefer but in this instance I have quickly fried them off in some butter. Put the 1oz of butter in to a small, non-stick frying pan and gently melt. Add the beans and season with salt and plenty of black pepper. Cook on a fairly high heat for two to three minutes, moving them around frequently with a spatula.

Drain your potatoes and return them to the empty pot with the remaining butter. Swirl them gently around to ensure even coating. Carefully unwrap the pork and lay it on a heated serving plate. The potatoes and beans should be arranged alongside before the blueberry and apple cider sauce is carefully spooned over the pork. Serve immediately - not forgetting the remainder of your cider!

Grilled Coley Fillet with Herb Baked New Potatoes and Mushrooms

2011-08-17T05:18:00.000-07:00

Coley is one of the sustainable types of fish which is perfect for eating instead of the desperately endangered Atlantic cod or haddock. It is a white, meaty fish, just like cod or haddock, and where it is cooked properly, coley can be every bit as tasty and enjoyable as its distant cousins. Coley is known by a number of different names just in the UK alone, such as coalfish, saithe or cuddlings. In the US, coley is commonly linked with pollack and the two are known collectively as pollock.

This grilled coley is one of the quickest and easiest ways of cooking fillets. It is a domestic, overhead grill that is used, rather than an outdoor grill. The potato dish made to accompany the coley is actually my own adaptation of an outdoor grilling recipe devised by a friend of mine on Hub Pages, who writes under the name, "Just Ask Susan." I would strongly recommend you take a look at Susan's original, spicy version of this potato recipe, especially where you are lucky enough to live in a climate where outdoor grilling is a regular option. You can find the details by clicking here, after you have read this coley recipe.

Ingredients per Serving

1 fresh coley fillet (skin on - very important)
1/2 oz butter
3 medium sized new potatoes
2 closed cup mushrooms
1/2 medium onion
Large clove of garlic
Generous pinch of dried thyme
Generous pinch of dried rosemary
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and white pepper

Put your oven on to preheat to 400F/200C. Wash the potatoes and add them to a pot of cold water. Put the pot on to a high heat and bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for five minutes. Take the pot to the sink and run cold water in to it for a minute or so to rapidly cool the potatoes. Peeling the potatoes is optional. Normally I wouldn't but in this instance, the skins were particularly blemished so I simply rubbed them off with the ball of my thumb. Chop the potatoes in to approximately 1" chunks.

Pour the olive oil in to a glass or stone mixing bowl. Add the herbs and season with salt and white pepper. Mix well. Mixing the seasoning with the oil before adding the remaining ingredients allows the seasoning to be distributed much more evenly and effectively.

Roughly chop the onion half, cut the mushrooms in half and peel and finely slice the garlic. Add the onion, potatoes, mushrooms and garlic to the bowl. Instead of stirring the ingredients, hold the bowl at a slight angle with one hand and fold the vegetables through the oil with a wooden spoon, similar to how you would fold flour in to wet ingredients. This method will be less likely to damage the potatoes or mushrooms.

Lay a large sheet of aluminium foil on a baking tray, shiny side uppermost. Carefully pour the vegetable mix in to the centre and wrap in to a loose but sealed tent. Bake in the oven for forty-five minutes.

If, like me, you have a combination oven and grill, it is clearly not practical to use both at the same time. In this instance, this is not a problem. When the potatoes are ready, turn off the oven and remove the tray to a heatproof board. Being very careful of escaping steam, unwrap the foil enough to test the potatoes are done with a skewer or the point of a sharp knife. Rewrap and leave like this while you grill the coley fillet. The vegetables will easily remain hot during this time.

Take about a third of your half ounce of butter and use it to lightly grease a non-stick grilling tray. Lay the coley fillet on the greased area, skin side down. Season the coley with salt and white pepper. Break the remainder of the butter in to small pieces and distribute evenly over the top of the fish. Grill under a moderately hot grill for six or seven minutes until the coley just starts to separate in to flakes and you can clearly see it is cooked.

Use a fish turner to carefully transfer the coley fillet to your serving plate. Add the potato mixture alongside and if you do wish to add further garnish, try some sliced cherry tomatoes, or freshly chopped parsley.

All Day Breakfast With A Difference

2011-08-16T04:50:00.000-07:00

The all day breakfast is a very popular concept, here in the UK at least. After all, a lot of people who love the combination of ingredients can't face a large fried breakfast in the morning before they go to work - or alternatively, they simply don't have time to make it. One of the dangers of visiting a cafe, however, for an all day breakfast, is that by doing so in the afternoon or early evening, you run the risk of simply getting that morning's unsold reheats. It will by no means always be the case but I vividly recall one experience in Central London, near Kings Cross Station, going for an all day breakfast that would have put anyone experiencing it for the first time off the idea altogether for life!

This all day breakfast is different in the sense that it uses a variety of cooking methods, as opposed to simply the one or two frying pans options. The ingredients - most importantly - are all freshly cooked. If you are someone who has a heartier appetite in the evening than in the morning, you can enjoy an almost traditional fried breakfast to full effect at the best time of your choosing.

Note: Although you may not have access to Lorne sausage, or even black/blood pudding, you can mix and match, with perhaps the likes of small burger patties. It must also be remembered that bacon is very different here in the UK to what it is in the USA. British bacon is taken from the back of the pig, while US bacon is taken more from the belly. This Ayrshire middle bacon is almost a combination of the two but bacon rashers of any type will suffice.

Ingredients per Person

2 beef link sausages
1 Lorne sausage
1 slice of black pudding
2 slices of Ayrshire middle bacon
1 large breakfast mushroom (4 to 5" diameter)
1 medium tomato
1 egg
Vegetable oil for frying

You will need ideally two frying pans for this meal, even though the bacon is going to be grilled and the egg hard boiled. Pour a little bit of oil in to the larger pan and add the two link sausages. Do not prick the sausages. This only causes the juices and the flavours to be lost in to the pan. They are going to be cooked very slowly, which should prevent them from bursting. Put the pan on to a very low heat and fry for ten minutes, turning occasionally with cooking tongs.

After ten minutes, leave the sausages where they are (they require twenty minutes' cooking time) and add the black pudding and Lorne sausage to the pan. These two items should be fried for five minutes each side.

At this point, add your egg (which should be at room temperature and not straight from the refrigerator) to a pan of cold water. Put on a high heat until the water starts to boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for six or seven minutes. Add a little vegetable oil to the smaller frying pan and bring up to a fairly high high heat. Carefully pull the stalk out of the mushroom and half the tomato. Put the tomato halves flesh side down in to the frying pan and the mushroom in, cup side up.

The sausages and black pudding should be removed from the large frying pan to a heated plate and covered with foil to keep warm while the remainder of the meal is completed. You will likely find that water has accumulated in the cup of the mushroom. Use your cooking tongs to lift the mushroom and pour the water in to a small cup or bowl to be discarded. Fry the mushroom cup side down for the last few minutes while you grill the bacon under an overhead grill for a couple of minutes each side.

Take the pot containing the egg to the sink and run cold water in to it for about thirty seconds or until the egg is cool enough to handle. Crack the shell of the egg all around on a hard surface and peel under running cold water. Carefully quarter the egg lengthwise on a wooden chopping board with a sharp knife.

Plate the mushroom cup side uppermost. Arrange the sausages, black pudding and tomato halves around it. Shake the excess grease off the bacon before laying it as a bed for the egg quarters inside the cup of the mushroom. Arrange the egg as shown at the top of this post and serve immediately, with HP Sauce or Tomato ketchup, as desired.

Important: Do remember that the skin of the black pudding is likely to be plastic and should be removed and discarded.