Learning How To Make a Sourdough Starter is one of the most satisfying kitchen jobs. Watching the starter come to life and knowing there is some great sourdough bread to come. Spring and summer are ideal time to start the process. The warmer air temperature and abundant of natural yeasts helps the process along. Yes, it can go wrong, but with a few simple steps it becomes a lot more reliable.
Raspberry Flapjacks are a great snacking standby. Quick and easy to make, and the kids love them. I prefer to use frozen raspberries as it seems a waste to use fresh. But I also find adding the raspberries frozen stops them breaking up too much when been mixed into the oats. I have also used a little raspberry powder to add a flavour punch to the flapjacks. It not essential but it does add a little extra.
There is nothing better than a Real Caramel Sauce served with a dessert. Sure, you can by a readymade caramel sauce, but its often a sweet, unexciting copy of the real thing. And not only is this fantastic as a sauce, but it can also become and ingredient as well in ice creams or baking.
The process is simple but does need care and attention. The key to a good caramel is toasting the sugar to develop the caramel flavour and neutralise some of the sweetness. Now just like making toast, just enough heat turns boring bread into a taste sensation. Too much heat makes a bitter, black disaster.
This process requires the use of high temperatures and the risk of burns from the sugar and steam.
Before starting to make a caramel sauce, I would recommend you have long sleeves and wear rubber gloves to protect your hands.
The sugar and the pan get extremely hot, roughly 180˚c. Hot sugar can give you a very nasty burn, and it’s almost impossible to remove if it drips onto the skin. Having A large bowl of cold water on hand is also a good idea. Not only can you dip your hands into the water if you do get sugar on them. Its handy to cool the pan down if it gets too exited when cooking the sugar.
Read these instructions though before stating to make your caramel. The key to success if keeping your eyes on the pan, not the recipe. Watch the video below a couple of times, which will help judge when the caramel is ready.
Weigh the sugar, making sure there are no lumps formed in the bag. Sieving the sugar makes life a lot easier !
You need a wide pan that has a strong, thick base to disperse the heat. The width of the pan allows the sugar to be added thinly. Having the raw sugar too deep in the pan can allow lumps to form in the caramel, which are difficult to remove.
Place the pan over a medium heat and let it warm up completely empty. When the pan is nice and hot, sprinkle in a layer of sugar, using about a third of the bowl.
It should begin to melt as soon as it comes in contact with the bottom of the pan. As it melts, add more sugar until it’s all in the pan.
Avoid stirring at the beginning, as this will form clumps of solid sugar, but towards the end you can give it a careful stir if needed, until all the sugar is completely fluid and very hot. Have the jug of cold cream and heatproof spatula ready by the hob for later.
Don’t be tricked by the colour of the melted sugar. Using caster sugar makes melting the sugar easier but has one drawback.
To help avoid lumps forming in the sugar during storage an anti-caking agent is added to the sugar. When the sugar is heated this darkens giving the impression of caramelisation.
Its not! Adding the cream at this point will just give you a sweet creamy syrup with no character. Read on to get the key tip on knowing when your sugar is ready.
Now watch the pan carefully. As the liquid sugar heats up the colour begins to change. Your eyes and nose will be our guide to the doneness of the caramel.
Don’t stir the pan, this is a common mistake. Stirring the caramel hides the tell-tale signs of the caramel been ready.
As the sugar toasts and becomes caramel foam will begin to appear. You will see a blue haze coming off the pan, and a whiff of caramel will be in the air.
You now need to act quickly, pull the pan off the heat. Stand well back and pour two thirds of the cream into the pan.
The pan will erupt with boiling sugar and cream, immediately give the pan a stir, working from the side of the pan, not on top. The steam is superheated so keep your hand off to the side until the pan cools a little.
It’s important that you stir the pan at this point, otherwise, trapped steam can cause the boiling hot sugar to spit across the room. Do be very careful when stirring though.
As the pan calms down, return it to a medium heat then add the rest of the cream, stirring all the time. Let the pan return to a simmer and allow and small lumps of caramel that have formed dissolve.
Don’t let the pan simmer more than three minutes or you may end up with toffee, not caramel. Strain the sauce into a Pyrex bowl to cool. It’s a good idea to put a little sauce onto a cold plate to judge its consistently when cold. If its too thick a little hot water can be added.
The sauce can be served hot or cold. To store it I like to keep it in plastic squeezy bottles ready for use. It will be fine in the fridge for at least a week or can be frozen. To serve bring the sauce back up to room temperature at least or it will be too thick.
Enjoy life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
Join The ‘Westcoaster Newsletter.
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©John Webber2025
Crispy Chicken Pakora are popular ether as part of a meal, or just on their own. And ideal if you are having friends over or just having a quite night in. Packed with flavour but easy to make.
I will also show you how to make a cheats pakora dip with ingredients you already have at home. I have often heard this referred to as red dip, or Glasgow dip. I guess this might be due to the popularity of a pakora as a snack after a late Saturday night out.
The Dark Chocolate Tart offers a luxurious comfort food experience with a rich chocolate filling in crisp pastry, best served with crème fraiche. Key elements for success include using high-quality chocolate (70%-75% cocoa), a properly prepared pastry shell, and careful technique to achieve a silky texture. Testing baking times is advisable.
These Asian Salmon Samosas are a simple twist on the Indian classic. best of all they are quick and easy to make. The oiliness of salmon lends itself to the oriental flavours of ginger and garlic. With just a hint of chilli to freshen everything up
I like to serve these with my Chilli and Tomato Jam, into which I’ve added a squeeze of lime. If you are yet to make some, try mixing some chili sauce into tomato ketchup and add a squeeze of lime. Not quite as good but an acceptable cheat if you’re in a hurry.
Which ever dip you choose these are sure to be a favourite, with the crispy pastry, yielding to the soft fragrant salmon within.
Makes 6.
Oven temperature, 220˚c – 195˚ fan.
The samosas can be made some time in advance and baked later. However, the seasonings added to the salmon will in time begin to cure the fish. This is fine but some of the delicate texture and fresh flavour will be lost. If at all possible, have everything cut ready, then mix the filling, and make the samosas as close to serving as is practical. Then all you have to do is bake them just before serving. Its important the use clear melted butter (ghee) to brush the pastry. The butter will set as it cools and waterproof the pastry. This will help prevent the moist filling making the pastry soft and soggy.
Check the salmon filet over for any bones or skin still remining. Then cut the fish into roughly 1.5 cm dice. Don’t worry if it’s not too neat, no one will ever know. Lay the cut fish onto some kitchen paper and sprinkle with the table salt.
Leave the salmon to stand while the rest of the ingredients are prepared, but no longer than 8 to 10 minutes. This process not only flavours the fish. But also removes some of the moisture from the fish, keeping the pastry crisp.
Peel and finely slice the spring onions, and place into a bowl. Grate the ginger and garlic into the bowl together with the lime zest. Make sure these are grated as finely as possible using a very sharp microplane grater.
Finely chop the coriander, then remove the seeds from the chilli and very finely chop the flesh, then add them both to the mixing bowl.
Using a fresh piece of kitchen paper, brush off any unused salt from the salmon. Add the diced fish to the bowl with all the flavourings and gently mix together. Sprinkle the Thai fish sauce over the contents, together with a little juice from the grated lime.
Put the bowl to one side and clean up ready to tackle the pastry.
When working with filo pastry we need to be careful not to allow it to dry out. If left unattended, the pastry will become crisp and disintegrate into small pieces as soon as you touch it.
To prevent this as soon as the pastry in unwrapped I recommend covering it with two layers of cling film followed by a damp (not wet) tea towel.
Turn the chopping board around so the longer edge is running away from you (portrait style). Make sure the board is completely clean and dry, and you have a lined baking tray beside you ready to receive the Samosas.
Melt the butter in a small pan, but don’t allow it to become too hot. When the butter is melted you will notice a milky liquid sitting under the clear liquid butter. This is buttermilk that was lurking in the butter. Decant the clear liquid butter into a small bowl, leaving the buttermilk behind, then discard the buttermilk and return the clear butter to the warm pan.
Take a sheet of pastry, recovering the rest. Lay the sheet onto the board, again with the longer edge running away from you.
Lightly brush the left-hand half of the pastry with melted butter. Then fold the right-hand side of the pastry over the buttered side.
Bush this fresh face of the pastry with melted butter and we are ready to start filling.
If you haven’t already done so, now is a good time to turn on the oven and heat it to 220˚c – 195˚c fan.
Roughly divide the filling in the bowl into six sections, then place one section onto the pastry strip, roughly 3cm up from the bottom edge of the pastry.
Now take a bottom corner of the pastry and fold it over the filling.
Take the pastry right up to opposite side of the pastry strip, so to form a triangle
Now pick up a bottom corner and fold diagonally over towards the long edge, to make a triangle. Working in a zig-zag fashion from the longest edge of the triangle fold the samosa over from side to side until all the pastry sheet is used.
Transfer the samosa to the baking tray, give it one last brush of butter and a sprinkle of nigella seeds.
Repeat the process with all the sheets of pastry, then bake the Samosas for 15 to 20 minutes. While they are baking mix some lime juice into the tomato and chilli jam. Have that ready in a dipping bowl, and a serving dish ready to go.
Serve the Samosas straight from the oven, warning your guests that they are piping hot, sit back and enjoy.
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
Join The ‘Westcoaster Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at ‘The Westcoaster.’
©John Webber2025
Making a Blind Baked Tart Shell is not an overly arduous process but following a few basic steps will ensure success. This is quite a long explanation but is worth the effort in reading all the way through.
Black Olive Tapenade is a spread that bursts with flavour and originates from the Provence region of France. Using simple ingredients, olives, capers, anchovies and olive oil you can create a spread is right up there in the flavour steaks. The anchovies provide an umami / briny hit to the taste, but not all Tapenade recipes use them.
These Expresso Crème Caramels may seem like a throwback to the past, but they still have the wow factor if done well.
The texture needs to be just right, and the caramel cooked to perfection to provide just enough bitterness to offset the sweetness of the cream. In all it’s a good test of cooking skills to show off to your guests. All the work is done ahead of time so its stressless to serve and easy to make.
Bring the 100ml of water for the syrup to the simmer, dissolve the instant coffee into the hot water then remove the pan from the heat.
Real Caramel is not a difficult thing to make but need some concentration, and planning to perform it safely.
I would recommend wearing a pair of rubber gloves when making caramel. As the sugar cooks it reaches very high temperatures that will cause dangerous burns to the skin. The sugar will stick to the skin and believe me, it’s impossible to remove. If this does happen, plunge your skin into the cold water immediately to cool the sugar quickly.
Lock up the kids, pets and take the phone off the hook.
.
Firstly, have a bowl of cold water beside you large enough for your caramel pan to fit into.
Pour the sifted sugar evenly over the base of a wide-based pan and set over a medium heat. As the sugar heats it will begin to slowly melt and become liquid. Do not be put off by the colour. The sugar will begin to discolour before it caramelises. Stopping the cooking too soon will result in an overly sweet sauce as its not yet caramelised. You shouldn’t need to stir the sugar it will melt by itself. If you desperately feel the need to stir the pan, use a wooden or silicone spoon. Metal spoons will cool the sugar down and form a lollypop of caramel around the spoon.
When the sugar is ready it will begin to give off a slight blue haze and foam will begin to develop on the surface of the sugar. Don’t delay now; dip the pan into the cold water for two seconds to take the heat from the pan and stop the sugar cooking. If this is not done the heat retained in the pan will continue to cook the sugar and cause it to start burning.
Pour about 1 tablespoon of caramel into the base of each dariole mould. Be careful here as the molten mass is still very hot when the moulds are ready leave them to cool and set.
Return the remainder of the caramel back to the heat and add the hot liquid coffee. Some of the caramel may form into lumps as the coffee is added. Don’t worry, slowly mix the sugar over a low heat until all the lumps have dissolved then pour the sauce into a small bowl to cool completely.
The sauce will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks if needed.
Before you start turn on the oven and set the temperature to 100˚c.
Next warm the milk and cream in a small pan. Split the vanilla pod long ways and gently scrape the inside of the pod with the back of the knife to release the seeds. Add the pod and seeds to the warm liquid with the instant coffee. Bring the pan to the simmer then turn off the heat and leave to stand for five minutes to extract the flavour of the pod.
While the milk mix is standing mix the eggs, egg yolk and sugar together in a mixing bowl. Don’t whisk too much air into the eggs. This can cause the caramels to souffle in the oven and spoil the texture. Pour the warm milk mix over the eggs and mix.
Arrange the moulds in a deep roasting tray or large pan. Strain the coffee custard into a jug. Fill the moulds with the custard, then fill the tray with very hot water to about 2cm from the top of the moulds. Place the tray into an oven set at 100°c and cook for about 35 minutes.
If you are not too sure about carrying a tray of hot water to the oven, use a jug to fill the tray once its safely within the oven.
When the caramels are cooked, they should be set with just a slight wobble on top. Carefully remove the moulds from the water bath and leave to cool completely. Once cool place them in the fridge overnight ready to be served
Flattish soup or dessert plate are the best way of presenting the dessert. Unmould the caramels into the centre of the plate and pour some of the coffee / caramel syrup over the top. Sometimes this presentation is termed as ‘Drowned’ as the caramels are sitting in a moat of syrup.
Unmoulding the Crème Caramels is easy if you take a little care. If you have ever tried to unmould anything only to have it break in half, there is a simple solution. The problem is that to food isn’t stuck to the base of the mould, but a vacuum has formed between the food and the container as it cools. . Run the tip of a small knife around the top edge of the caramel cream, to release the skin that has formed. Now hold the mould horizontally and pull down the edge of the caramel cream with your finger. This should let some air in around the dessert and allow it to slide out of the mould.
Yes, your right, most domestic recipes use granulated sugar with some water added to make caramel. This does work but has its problems.
As the sugar dissolves into the water, it forms a syrup. The idea then is to evaporate all the water leaving just liquid sugar which can be cooked to a caramel.
What tends to happen in practice is that the sugar syrup becomes very dense and if stirred or exposed to any sugar crystals it will go crystalline and suddenly set in the pan. A drop of lemon juice can help resist this but its best to do as we do and avoid the water all together.
Granulated sugar is more difficult to melt in a dry pan. And as most people will be inexperienced in making caramel, caster sugar is the easiest to use.
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
Join The ‘Westcoaster Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at ‘The Westcoaster.’
©John Webber2025
Egyptian Dukkha is a mixture of nuts and spices often eaten as a dip with bread moistened with olive oil. But it’s not a one trick pony, it can be used as a crusty coating for grilled fish or try it as a finishing sprinkle on roasted vegetables, soups or hummus.
The name refers to the Arabic term for pounding, and the mix is made by pounding roasted nuts, and spices together in a mora and pestle. It should be in crushed but not powdered form, unlike many spice mixes.
These Garlic and Za’atar Knots are a tear and come again treat. Perfect for a get together and irresistible after the first bite. When you think of feta cheese, a Greek salad of filo pastry pie might come to mind. But I bet you didn’t think it could become a dip!
This Cheese, and Rosemary Christmas Tree is a terrific addition to any Christmas party, and best of all its quick and easy to make. Use it to form a centrepiece for your party table. Each branch of the ‘tree’ breaks off to become a cheese straw ready to be dipped into a suitable sauce. I like to use my Tomato and Chilli jam as a dip. But it could be anything you like.
I have served this alongside some Air Fryer Bacon and Avocado Wedges, they have a basil and garlic Aioli served with them. You can dip the branches of the ‘tree’ into ether one to ring the changes.
If you have suitable fridge space, make the ‘tree’ the day before and bake before your guests arrive.
Tomato and Chilli jam
Open the two packets of puff pastry and slide the pastry out. Take the lined baking tray and carefully unroll the pastry onto the tray, removing the baking paper as you unroll.
Take the second roll of pastry and unroll it on top of the first sheet, this time keeping the backing paper in place to prevent the two layers sticking together.
Using a small sharp knife cut a tall triangle to resemble a Christmas tree shape. Trim the base of the triangle down leaving a small section to make the stump of the tree. Having a straight edge like a skewer or ruler helps a lot with this.
The baking paper makes the cutting a little more difficult, but its worth it to avoid having the prise the two layers apart if they have welded themselves together. Lift off the trimmings and put then to one side to use later, if you don’t need it straight away pop it into the freezer.
Lift off the top layer of pastry using the paper to help you. Sprinkle paprika sparingly over the base, then spread the grated parmesan over the top Put the grated Cheddar cheese on top of that followed by a dusting of chopped rosemary leaves and a few turns of the back mill pepper.
Take the Top layer of pastry and turn it over so the baking paper is on top. Lay the pastry on top of the cheese, lining up the two layers as neatly as possible. You can now remove the remaining baking paper from the pastry. Lightly press the top layer of pastry down and run your finger around the edges of the pastry.
Using the sharp knife again and starting at the top (pointed end) of the tree, make even cuts through the pastry about 1.5cm apart on one side of the tree. This will make the branches of the tree. The cuts need to be a little longer as you move down the tree, but make sure you leave the centre (trunk) of the tree uncut.
Now to finish our tree off, start at the top of the tree and take a branch in your fingers and give it a twist, lightly pinching the end together. Move down the tree twisting each branch. As the branches become longer you can put more turns on each branch, try to make the twist looking even on each piece. Once you have done all the branches on one side, repeat the process on the other side. Be careful to twist the pastry in the same direction to make each side match.
Brush the tree all over with egg wash and mix the sesame and nigella sees together, then sprinkle over the pastry.
Bake in a 200˚c (180˚c fan) oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat down to 180˚c (165˚c fan) for another 10-15 minutes. When ready it should be a golden brown and crisp.
Let the tree cool on the baking tray, then carefully lift on to a serving dish or board. A pizza peel is an ideal tool if you have one.
Serve just warm with a bowl of tomato and chilli jam on the side to act as a dip. Of course, you could just use tomato ketchup instead if you wish.
Hi yes, there is a wealth of fillings you can use. For the adults try pesto, tapenade, or sun blushed tomatoes. For the children you can use chocolate spread, jam, or fruit purees. Give the cooked tree a dusting of icing sugar and have some ice cream on hand to go with the pastry.
Enjoy Life!
John.
Hi, my name is John Webber, award winning chef and tutor, now retired to the west coast of Scotland. Welcome to our blog focusing on food, cooking, and countryside. My aim is to pass on my years of skills and knowledge together with an appreciation of the countryside.
Join us to experience the beauty of the west coast, cook some great food and be at ease in the kitchen.
Join The ‘Westcoaster Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at ‘The Westcoaster.’
© Copywrite, John Webber. 2024
Bacon and Avocado Wedges make an interesting party snack that is quick to both make, and serve.
Most people only think of avocado ether in a salad or as a support for prawns. They are much more versatile than that. This recipe makes use of classic flavours that marry well with avocado, bacon, garlic, lemon, and basil.
The ubiquitous Brussel Sprout must be the largest topic of discussion at the Christmas dinner table. Love them or hate them they are here to stay so why not make them the biggest hit of the meal.