Serves 4
Ingredients:
2lb / 900g potatoes
1lb / 450g onions – peeled & thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic – peeled & finely chopped
2oz / 50g butter
1ltr stock – preferably chicken but vegetable is fine
1tsp fresh thyme leaves
1tsp fresh sage – finely chopped
Salt & pepper
Method:
Peel the potatoes & place in cold water.
Put ½ the butter in a frying pan & when melted add the onions, garlic & herbs. Cook until the onions are translucent. Set aside.
Slice the potatoes into 3mm fine slices.
Take a shallow ovenproof dish and place a layer of potatoes over the bottom. Season. Then add a layer of onions. Layer more potato slices on top & repeat with the onions. Finish with a layer of potatoes. Pour the stock over the top until just below the top layer. Season. Dot the remaining butter over the top and bake in the oven at 190°C for 1 hour until crisp on top.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Boeuf Bourguignon
A tradiditional French winter dish with many different versions, this is the one we serve at the Bed and Breakfast. The quantity serves 4 as part of a 3 course dinner, if you are serving it as a supper dish, we would recommend that you increase the amount of beef by 50%.
Ingredients
1lb / 450g trimmed stewing beef in 1” or 2 ½ cm cubes
4oz / 100g smoked bacon lardons
1oz / 25g flour
8oz / 225g small onions
8oz / 225g button mushrooms
½ bottle red wine
12floz / 375ml stock – preferably beef or dark chicken
2tbs oil or preferably dripping
1tsp mixed dried herbs
Salt & pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
Method:
Fry the lardons until golden brown. Remove from the pan, leaving the juice / oil to fry the beef.
Mix the dried herbs into the flour with a little salt & pepper to season. Coat the cubes of beef with the flour & knock off any excess. Brown the beef in batches in the pan that you fried the lardons in. As each batch is browned, add to a casserole with the lardons.
Once all the beef is browned, quickly fry the onions & add to the casserole.
Add any remaining flour & stir. Put in the bal leaf & sprig of thyme. Add the stock & red wine & mix.
Put in the casserole oven, with the lid on, for 2 ½ hours at 170°C fan / 180°C normal
Remove from the oven, taste & adjust the seasoning to taste. If the sauce is too thin, sprinkle with 1 tbsp flour – don’t worry too much about lumps as they will disappear in cooking. Put back in the oven & cook for a further 1 hour.
Remove from the oven, take out the bay leaf & thyme sprig before serving.
Serve hot with vegetables of your choice.
Ingredients
1lb / 450g trimmed stewing beef in 1” or 2 ½ cm cubes
4oz / 100g smoked bacon lardons
1oz / 25g flour
8oz / 225g small onions
8oz / 225g button mushrooms
½ bottle red wine
12floz / 375ml stock – preferably beef or dark chicken
2tbs oil or preferably dripping
1tsp mixed dried herbs
Salt & pepper
1 bay leaf
1 sprig of thyme
Method:
Fry the lardons until golden brown. Remove from the pan, leaving the juice / oil to fry the beef.
Mix the dried herbs into the flour with a little salt & pepper to season. Coat the cubes of beef with the flour & knock off any excess. Brown the beef in batches in the pan that you fried the lardons in. As each batch is browned, add to a casserole with the lardons.
Once all the beef is browned, quickly fry the onions & add to the casserole.
Add any remaining flour & stir. Put in the bal leaf & sprig of thyme. Add the stock & red wine & mix.
Put in the casserole oven, with the lid on, for 2 ½ hours at 170°C fan / 180°C normal
Remove from the oven, taste & adjust the seasoning to taste. If the sauce is too thin, sprinkle with 1 tbsp flour – don’t worry too much about lumps as they will disappear in cooking. Put back in the oven & cook for a further 1 hour.
Remove from the oven, take out the bay leaf & thyme sprig before serving.
Serve hot with vegetables of your choice.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Recipe for Dry Cured Bacon
Making your own bacon is easy, it does take a few days, but very little effort. The result is a tasty additive and added water free bacon.
The following brine mixture is a suggestion, but you can use any combination of herbs & spices in the mix. They do not dramatically alter the flavour of the meat but when cooked you will be aware of whatever you have used. If on the other hand you want the simplest flavour, only use the salt.
The equipment we use is cheap and easy, just a clean plastic storage box, anything as long as it is big enough to put the meat flat in it.
The type of pork used is up to you, a belly provides streaky, the loin will give you back or middle, depending which end of the ribs you use. It is important to use whole joints of meat not slices or steaks, your butcher should be able to provide the joint you want. The quantities given will be sufficient for about 2kg of raw meat.
The following method provides a relatively mild cure, the saltiness of the resultant bacon is dependent on the length of time the bacon is left in the brine.
Ingredients
1 kg sea salt
2 Tsp Juniper Berries
2 tsp black peppercorns
8 Bay leaves
125 g granulated Sugar
Method
Finely chop the bay leaves, put into a mortar, or a herb mill, together with the juniper and peppercorns. Grind to a fine powder/paste (depending on how moist the juniper berries are).
Add the sugar and grind until well mixed.
Put the salt into a large bowl, add the spice, sugar mixture and mix well.
Rub approximately 1/3 of the brine all over the pork and put into the plastic box, cover with the lid and put into a cool place.
The following day.
Remove the lid pour off the liquid together with any of the saturated salt.
Rub in another 1/3 of the brine, repeating the process from day 1.
Day 3.
Repeat the process from day 2.
Day 4.
Rinse the salt off the meat and put into fresh cold water for a couple of hours.
Remove the bacon and dry. Place on a wire rack in a cool place for a further 24 hours.
After this, wrap in greaseproof paper and place in the fridge.
It is now ready to be sliced and cooked, however if it is left for a week, to dry out and mature, it will be even better. It can be sliced now or left whole and sliced when required, (the second method will keep it fresh for longer)
The following brine mixture is a suggestion, but you can use any combination of herbs & spices in the mix. They do not dramatically alter the flavour of the meat but when cooked you will be aware of whatever you have used. If on the other hand you want the simplest flavour, only use the salt.
The equipment we use is cheap and easy, just a clean plastic storage box, anything as long as it is big enough to put the meat flat in it.
The type of pork used is up to you, a belly provides streaky, the loin will give you back or middle, depending which end of the ribs you use. It is important to use whole joints of meat not slices or steaks, your butcher should be able to provide the joint you want. The quantities given will be sufficient for about 2kg of raw meat.
The following method provides a relatively mild cure, the saltiness of the resultant bacon is dependent on the length of time the bacon is left in the brine.
Ingredients
1 kg sea salt
2 Tsp Juniper Berries
2 tsp black peppercorns
8 Bay leaves
125 g granulated Sugar
Method
Finely chop the bay leaves, put into a mortar, or a herb mill, together with the juniper and peppercorns. Grind to a fine powder/paste (depending on how moist the juniper berries are).
Add the sugar and grind until well mixed.
Put the salt into a large bowl, add the spice, sugar mixture and mix well.
Rub approximately 1/3 of the brine all over the pork and put into the plastic box, cover with the lid and put into a cool place.
The following day.
Remove the lid pour off the liquid together with any of the saturated salt.
Rub in another 1/3 of the brine, repeating the process from day 1.
Day 3.
Repeat the process from day 2.
Day 4.
Rinse the salt off the meat and put into fresh cold water for a couple of hours.
Remove the bacon and dry. Place on a wire rack in a cool place for a further 24 hours.
After this, wrap in greaseproof paper and place in the fridge.
It is now ready to be sliced and cooked, however if it is left for a week, to dry out and mature, it will be even better. It can be sliced now or left whole and sliced when required, (the second method will keep it fresh for longer)
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