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.
Make a Christmas Stollen this year and forgo the heavy Christmas cake!
Most countries that celebrate Christmas have a tradition cake enjoyed while celebrating the festival. The French have the Bûche de Noël. The Italians, enjoy Panettone, while the Polish have Makowiec, a rolled poppy seed cake glazed with icing sugar.
The Stollen, is a German fruit bread made with yeast, and contains dried fruits, candied citrus peel, nuts and spices. Traditionary marzipan is folded into the dough before baking. If that’s not to your taste, it can easily be left out of the recipe.
The classic shape of a lopsided pyramid is created by carful rolling out. I’ll show you how to do this step by step. Don’t be put off the list of ingredients, it’s not as difficult as it looks.
The night before baking, take a small bowl and add the mixed peel and raisins. Pour the warm water and rum over the fruit and mix well. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave to stand overnight.
As this is quite a rich dough, so we are going to make a ferment. This is simply a yeast batter that lets the yeast begin to work before been exposed to high volumes of fat or sugar.
Sieve the flour into the mixing bowl, then take about 100g of the flour and put it to one side.
Make a well in the centre of the flour then crumble the fresh yeast if using into the well and pour in the milk or pour in the dried yeast / milk mix. Stir lightly to dissolve the yeast then mix in a little flour but not the full amount. This will form a thin batter that will allow the yeast to get a foothold in the mixture. Cover the bowl and leave for about 10 to 15 mins so the mix begins to froth.
In a second bowl beat the egg with the sugar, salt, vanilla, lemon zest and spices then add to the flour mix and mix well to form a dough. Cover the bowl again and leave to rise in a draught free place for half an hour.
Once the dough has relaxed and the yeast is working, it’s time to add the butter.
Take the butter and work in the remainder of the reserved flour to thicken the butter a little. This will make it easier to work the butter into the prepared dough. Knead the mix into the dough without overworking it, then fold in the soaked fruits and almonds.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size. While the dough is rising make ready some melted butter to coat the Stollen.
When the dough is well risen, tip it out onto the work surface knock it back lightly. Then form the dough into a ball and place to one side. Take the marzipan and roll it out into a rectangle 25cm long and about 5mm thick.
Put the mazipan to one side and bring the ball of dough back into the table and dust with a little flour. Using your hands for the dough into a shape 28cm long, then take a rolling pin and press down the centre of the shape. Roll the pin back and forth to roll out the dough aiming for the centre of the dough to be roughly 6mm thick and the top and bottom of the shape to be about 4cm in thickness. Think of it like looking at a pair of lips on the worksurface.
Brush the centre section (the thinnest part) of the dough with melted butter, then lay the rolled sheet of marzipan on top. Take the edge of the dough nearest to you and fold it away from you over the marzipan. Now lift the top edge of the dough towards you enveloping the first fold. It should not quite fold all the way over as this will create the classic shape.
Lift the folded Stollen onto a lined baking tray. I would advise using a baking mat or layering up a few sheets of baking paper on the tray. As I found out, the rich dough will overbake on the bottom if it’s not protected. Lightly drape a piece of clingfilm over the Stollen and leave to prove until double in size.
Bake at 200˚c (180˚c fan oven) for 35 minutes, then turn the oven down to 180˚c (165˚c fan oven) for a further 10 to 15 minutes.
When ready, remove and brush the surface of the Stollen with melted butter, then dust liberally with icing sugar. You may find it necessary to dust more icing sugar over the Stollen as it cools.
When it has cooled completely, transfer the stollen to an air-tight tin. Try to leave the Stollen a day or two before eating.
Yes, it will be fine. The fast action (bread maker) yeast is a little quicker, but as we are making a ferment any type of yeast will work. The main difference between the two is that while fast action yeast can be added directly into flour. Dried yeast needs to be reconstituted in liquid before use.
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
Harissa Paste is a condiment originating from Tunisia and one of those flavours that once tasted, you become hooked on. If you like spicy, rich flavours, then this is a must-have ingredient in your kitchen.
Making Sweet Pickled Cucumber is a great way of using up excess cucumber and giving a rather bland food an enticing lift.
These Scottish Venison Meatballs are so easy to make, and so much better that the shop-bought versions. To go with them I’m making a mushroom and whisky sauce to toss through buttered Tagliatelle. The dish uses ingredients abundant in the Scottish countryside, perfect for autumntime when a variety of wild mushrooms are available to use.
Of course, it’s great to make at any time of year. And you can change the mushrooms you use according to what’s available to you. If you are making this out of season (as I am) I would recommend you always add the dried morels into the mix.
If the idea of gathering your own dinner attracts you, great. But DON’T just go off and pick whatever takes you fancy, get some tuition first.
Picking wild mushrooms needs care and experience. A few taste wonderful, a few are ok, and some are extremely dangerous. Before you head out on your own go on a tutored course and ideally have an experience friend with you for the first few trips out. And the golden rule – if you’re not sure, don’t touch it!
If you are keen to learn on how to forage for wild mushrooms, there is a great guide available HERE.
Don’t be put off this recipe thinking the venison will be strong and earthy, not a bit of it. Been classified as game gives people an image the meat will have an overpowering flavour.
In fact, the meat has flavour, but it’s a more delicate herbaceous, almost nutty flavour. that marries will with red wine, fruits, and mushrooms.
Venison is also one of the heathiest meats to eat. Venison has less intermuscular fat that beef and because of this has less calories wight for weigh. It is high in omega 3 and nutrients and of course in one of few totally natural meats available to us. You can of course also get reared venison, and if you are looking for a more tender cut to sauté or roast it’s a very good product.
The one drawback of venison for a chef is the fat, its quite unpleasant. Because of this if fat is needed in the preparation, beef or pork fat would be added.
To make our meatballs we are adding belly pork to the mix. This will do two things, lighten the mixture, and add in some fat which will improve the texture and flavour in the mouth. It’s quite common in Italy for a cocktail of meats to be used when making meatballs. Most commonly, beef, pork, and gammon.
First of all, we need to cook the onion, so many recipes add raw onion into the meat mixture. That should never happen! Peel and finely chop the onion, pop it into a shallow pan and add the 1tbsp of olive oil. Using a mortar and pestle break up the fennel seeds then add them to the pan.
Gently cook the onion in the oil without letting it colour then scrape all the onion our of the pan into a bowl, and let it cool completely. In a second smaller bowl soak the sliced bread in milk until soft.
If you are using the dried Morels, place them in a small container and cover them with boiling water. Put them to one side to use later.
Mix the meats together in a large bowl and add the salt and cinnamon. Finely grate the clove of garlic into the bowl and add the cooled, cooked onion.
Lift the bread from the milk, squeeze it out to form a soft ball and add to the meat with the parsley, and egg yolk. Mix to make a smooth mixture then form the mix into balls of roughly 30g. you should make 24 meatballs from the recipe.
Dust the meat balls in flour and place in a tray until all the mixture is used.
Heat a shallow pan on the hob and add the 60ml of olive oil. Check the oil is hot by placing a meatball in the pan, if it sizzles in the oil add more meatballs but don’t over crowd the pan. The oil needs to be hot but not smoking, we want to cook the meatballs with a golden-brown crust but without burning the meat. If you can’t get all the meatballs in at once do the cooking in two batches.
As the meat balls are ready remove them and drain well on a tray lined with absorbent paper.
If you don’t want to serve the meatballs straight away, let them cool completely, then cover them and store in the fridge. Do this in the morning, then all you have to do is re-heat the meatballs in the oven while you make the sauce and cook the pasta, easy!
Use the same pan the meatballs were cooked in. Drain off the excess cooking oil and put the pan over a medium heat.
Add the butter to the pan closely followed by the fresh mushrooms then let them sauté in the for three to four minutes. Now we are ready for the whisky.
WARNING! When the whisky hits the pan on the hob there is a likelihood that the alcohol will burst into flames! This should not be a problem as long as you are prepared and expecting it.
If you are cooking on a gas hob its almost certain the alcohol will ignite. It may look good on television, but not such a good idea at home.
Insure there are no flammable materials anywhere close to where you are cooking, and your hob extractor is clean and not full of grease.
If there may be a risk of the whisky igniting, remove the pan far away from the hob before you add the whisky and let the alcohol completely evaporate safely away before returning the pan to the heat. Have the pan lid close to hand and stand well back when adding the whisky.
Add the stock to the pan and scrape the bottom of the pan with a silicone spatula to lift any flavours into the sauce. Let the pan simmer to reduce the stock by half. While the pan is simmering lift the Morels from the soaking water and give them a squeeze. Check the stem of each one is clean then slice each Morel in half longways and add them to the pan. Decant three quarters of the soaking water into the panto reduce with the stock.
Dried morels can be quite gritty, so by not adding all of the mushroom juice to the pan we can leavy any dirt and grit in the container to be disposed of.
When the stock and mushroom juices have reduced add the cream. Return the meatballs to the pan and coat in the sauce to reheat them. Put the pan on a low heat and pop on the lid to let the flavours blend while you cook the pasta.
Take your warm deep plates and nestle the buttered paster into each one. Set the meatballs into the centre of each nest of pasta arranging the mushrooms on top. Divide any remaining sauce around the plates, scatter some chopped parsley and parmesan shaving on top and serve.
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
Fattoush is a great summer salad perfect for eating al fresco with a friends or a barbeque. This is a rustic country salad from Syria and Lebanon that uses a dressing make from buttermilk. This gives the salad a smooth let sharp finish that makes it so refreshing.
How to make – Cheats Chocolate Fondant. The classic restaurant chocolate fondant is a challenge for the pastry chef needing dexterity and exact timing to be served to perfection.
This version is much easier to make and is far more forgiving in cooking and serving as it is made in advance.
Vanilla Panna Cotta must be one of the easiest desserts to make, but perhaps harder to get exactly right. Success depends on using the best ingredients and taking care to blend them perfectly. Read on to learn just how to do that.
This is a great summer dessert, and the garden is beginning to bear fruit. So, I’ve decided to marry the flavours of our strawberries from the polytunnel with the fresh thyme which is blooming with flowers at the moment.
But don’t worry if you don’t have your own strawberries, a quick trip to the pick your own will do nicely. Shop bought thyme will be fine but do use fresh and not the dried variety.
We are using leaf gelatine which is a better-quality product that the powdered type found in supermarkets, and I think easier to work with. One thing to watch out for, the leaf gelatine found in supermarkets is often cut down into small sections. The full leaf is much larger, and as recipes count the leaves, this can be a disaster. I buy my gelatine online and if you look around you will find that is offered in three types.
Bronze gelatine, this is the lowest quality and can sometimes have a bit of an aftertaste.
Silver gelatine, this is the type I use. It’s an economic and reliable option.
Gold gelatine, the best and purest form of gelatine, used by top restaurants, great if you can afford it.
It should be noted that gelatine is made from meat products, often pork. This of course is not suitable for everybody. If meat products are out of the question, you can use Agar Agar. This is a seaweed-based thickener Ideal for vegetarians.
The gelatine I am using is beef based and also a halal product so ticks several boxes and works perfectly. If you need a product like this Amazon is a good place to look.
Making the Panna Cotta and the syrup can all be done the day before. Leaving the only things to be done on the day, been adding the strawberries, and serving the panna cotta
Measure out the gelatine then place it into a bowl of very cold water to soak and soften.
Pour the double cream into one of the 1lt bowls and put to one side.
Take the vanilla pod and using a small knife split the pod open longways. Flip the knife over and using the back gently scrape out the seeds. Put both the shell of the pod and the seeds into a small pan then pour the milk over the top.
Bring the milk to the simmer then add the sugar giving the pan a stir to make sure its dissolved.
Lift the gelatine from the bowl of water and give it a light squeeze to remove and water clinging to it. Add the gelatine to the pan and stir again, it should melt instantaneously.
Remove the pan from the heat, then strain the contents of the pan into the double cream, mixing well to combine them together. Make sure you have captured any vanilla seeds lurking in the bottom pan. Cover the bowl containing the Panna Cotta and put the pan to be washed.
I am serving this dinner party style using moulds. But if this is too much messing about for you there is nothing wrong in setting the panna cotta in small dishes. The fruits and syrup can then be served on top. Its quicker and tastes just as good.
Take the moulds you are using, I use IKEA tea lights, or Dariole moulds, but almost anything will do. Using you finger run just a little vegetable oil in and around the inside of the mould. This will make the unmoulding a little quicker. Make sure the oil you are using is a tasteless variety. Turn the moulds over onto a sheet of kitchen paper to let any excess oil drain away.
The Panna Cotta must now be chilled until it begins to thicken before we pour it into the moulds. This is because if we simply let the thin mixture set in the moulds. All the vanilla seeds will all fall to the bottom of the mould spoiling the texture of the dish.
Set the bowl of Panna Cotta into a large bowl filled with cold water. Adding some ice or an ice pack will help speed up the process. Keep an eye on the Panna Cotta, giving it a stir from time to time. As soon as the mix begins to set and coats the back of the spoon, its time to fill the moulds and set them into the fridge to fully set.
While the Panna Cotta is setting in the fridge give the pan you used a good wash out then pour in the water and sugar. Using a vegetable peeler remove two strips of lemon zest then squeeze in the juice. Don’t worry about the pips, we will strain the syrup later.
Bring the pan to the simmer, and let it cook for 30 seconds before removing from the heat. Now take the thyme and give the syrup a stir with the herb. Have a taste and if you want more thyme flavour give it another dunking, they taste again.
This is a wonderful way of adding the flavour of herbs to a sauce but remaining in control of the result. Just adding the herb and leaving it in the liquid will produce strong flavours which can overpower a dish.
When you are happy with the flavour strain the syrup into a bowl, cover and leave to cool completely.
When you are ready to serve the dessert, wash, hull and half the strawberries. Add the fruit to the syrup with a pinch of thyme leaves. Toss the strawberries in the syrup then leave to stand for ten minutes. The sugar syrup will draw some of the juices from the fruit and the syrup will become a delicate red tone.
To unmould the Panna Cotta, hold the mould on its side and using the tip of a small knife, release the panna cotta from the edge of the mould. You should see the contents fall away letting air into the mould. Hold the mould in one hand, and the plate in the other. Steadily bring the two together and the Panna Cotta will fall onto the plate. If it’s a little off centre, tilting the plate will let the Panna Cotta gently slide to centre it.
Don’t panic as you see the dessert droop and wobble on the plate. That’s exactly what we want. A good Panna Cotta should be light and delicate. If it stands tall and proud, you have used too much gelatine.
Arrange the strawberries around the mousse then pour the syrup over the fruit and you’re ready to serve.
Yes, you are right. Originally this was made with all cream, usually of a light whipping consistency. By using double cream then diluting it with milk we ger a better infusion in the tinner liquid. Also, as we have not heated the whole thing, cooling and setting is much quicker.
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
This Asian Mussel Broth is light yet packed full of flavour. I love mussels and this is one of the best ways of enjoying them. Its full-on flavour, and not expensive, so, what’s not to like?
Why Not Make Your Own Easy Flatbreads at home? It’s much easier than you think, and makes an impressive addition served with snacks and dips when entertaining
Baba Ganoush is easy to make at home and so much nicer then the bought in versions. Serve it as a snack or as part of a mezze spread with warmed Pita breads. Why not go the whole hog and try our recipe to make your own flatbreads and impress your guests even more.
Baba Ganoush is commonly eaten throughout Syria and Lebanon and is traditionally made with aubergines roasted over an open fire. Great if you have one available, but I’ve explained how to do this in your kitchen at home.
I prefer to use Roast Garlic for this recipe as its less pungent and makes for a more delicate yet flavourful dish. If you don’t want to go to the bother of roasting garlic, have a look at the F.A.Qs below for a tip to mellow fresh garlic. If you do, look up our post on How to Be a Garlic Expert, to see how to do it, it’s easy!
Take the aubergines and prick them all over with a small knife. This is to stop the possibility of the aubergines exploding when handled. Getting covered in boiling hot aubergine is definitely not recommended.
Rub the skins with a dash of oil then place them on a tray in a very hot oven. Set the oven as high as it will go. Alternatively, if you cook on gas and don’t mind the mess just pop the aubergine directly over the open flame. This is the traditional was of cooking the aubergines and adds a smokie hint to the mixture. You could of course use the barbeque to do this as well.
After about 20 minutes the aubergines should be ready. If doing this in the oven I also like to attack them with a chef’s blowtorch. This will add a little of the flavour we are missing by using the oven. If you’re not sure on how to do this safely don’t try it, it’s not essential to the dish.
Carefully slice each aubergine oven then let them cool for five minutes.
The skin should just peel off the flesh. If it’s too hot to handle place one in a sieve set over a bowl and scoop out the flesh from the skin with a spoon.
When all the flesh is in the sieve, discard the skins, then spread the flesh around the sides of the sieve, pressing it lightly. The objective is to strain off as much liquid as possible from the flesh, you will be amazed how much is released from the flesh.
Tip the flesh from the sieve into a mixing bowl, we want the mix to be rustic with some texture. But if you want the mix to be totally smooth and creamy use a small food processor. Don’t run the machine constantly, just pulse it or the mix will be too watery.
Add the roast garlic, salt, chilli flakes, Sumac and Tahini. Work the ingredients together with a spatula. If some bits refuse to break down use a table fork to soften them down.
Add the olive oil and half of the lemon juice and mix again. Have a taste and add more lemon juice and salt if needed. Be generous with the lemon juice as it will lighten the mix and give a fresh tang to the aubergine.
When you are happy with the flavour, cover the bowl and leave the mixture to stand for at least an hour before serving. Make it the day before by all means, store it in the fridge and let it come to room temperature before serving.
Spread the mixture out onto a deep plate. Using a bowl spoils the presentation and makes it more difficult to serve yourself.
Sprinkle the surface with toasted pine kernels and a few pomegranate seeds. The sharpness of the pomegranate works well against the rich mixture.
Finish with some chopped parsley and I like to use a little herb oil to top things off.
Yes, we can just use fresh garlic. I would only use 1- 1½ cloves for the recipe as its much stronger than the roasted version.
Peel and crush garlic, squeeze the juice from the lemon then steep the sliced garlic in the juice for 20 minutes. This will take some of the fierceness off the garlic. The garlic and the juice can then both be used in the recipe.
Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds and olive oil. Some varieties may also include some sesame oil for added punch. It is used as a thickening and flavouring ingredient in middle eastern cooking. Don’t just limit it to that, it makes a good dip, salad dressing, or just have it on toast!
Sumac is the ground berry of a shrub found in the middle east and parts of Europe.
The berries are deseeded, dried and ground into a powdered spice.
It has a deep crimson-red colour and is a really useful spice to lift fish and vegetable dishes. It has a tangy slightly sour flavour. Think of it like a powdered slightly sweet lemon juice. Great for bringing out flavours in food.
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
How to make Hummus. It’s easy to make this classic middle eastern snack, better and fresher than the bought version. Its smooth healthy, and full of flavour. And once you have mastered the process there is a wealth of other flavours you can add to the basic mix.
Flavoured Butters are one of the easiest ways of putting flavour onto a dish. I simply can’t think of anything else you can that make that will transform your cooking so quickly and efficiently. Imagine a simple jacket potato lifted by adding cheesy bacon butter. Boring cooked rice given a punch with lime, ginger, chilli, and coriander butter. Or a grilled chicken breast topped with harissa flavoured butter, amazing!