How To Grow Your Own Tomatoes.
Grow your own tomatoes at home. It’s easy and if I can do it anybody can.
Tag: how-to
Easy Soda Breads to Make at Home.
Make these easy soda breads at home. It’s so satisfying and rewarding everybody should be doing it.
Boiling, Poaching, Simmering, The duffer’s guide to wet heat.
How many times have you put a pan on the hob to cook vegetables let’s say, without thinking of what’s happening to, or what’s best for the food you are cooking? I’m guessing not often. Boiling, poaching, simmering – but what’s the difference? Not a lot you may think. But understanding but the application of wet heat is one of the most misunderstood methods of cookery.
Taking a closer look.
Water boils at 100°c and boiling is unmistakable. The water bubbles vigorously and steam rises from the pan. Now try turning up the heat, the water will bubble faster, and more steam is produced causing the water to evaporate and the level of the water in the pan to drop. However, the water does not get any hotter all you are doing is bashing and stressing anything you are trying to cook in the pan.
Simple – well not that simple, the temperature of the water can be raised by increasing the pressure of the atmosphere around the water. This is exactly how a pressure cooker manages to cook more efficiently and reduce cooking time. Likewise, the boiling temperature will be reduced if the pressure is lower. If you have every wondered why the tea is never good in a plane, now you know.
Think about what you are cooking and how the heat in the liquid will affect the food. So much food especially fish is ruined by poaching at too high a temperature. I always use a Probe Thermometer to simplify the process and confirm you have the correct temperature for your purpose.
Boiling, 100˚c – Rapid movement with large bubbles, and lots of steam.
Main uses.
Sterilising utensils and storage jars – see The Golden Rules of Home Preserving
Green vegetables need to go into rapidly boiling water. By adding salt to the water, we increase the temperature slightly helping to retain colour and nutrients. This can be followed by plunging the vegetables into iced water to stop the cooking and set the colour (known as blanching). The vegetable can then be gently heated when required simplifying serving the meal. Place a lid on the pan after adding the vegetables but remove it as soon as the water returns to the boil. Green vegetables give off an acidy gas when heated. Which if recycled back into the water can spoil the colour of the vegetables.
Cooking pasta. The rapid movement of the water helps separate the pasta and helps prevent it sticking to each other. The high heat also forms a skin on the paste to prevent it disintegrating in the pan.
Simmering. 80-95˚c – smaller bubbles forming some movement in the pan, steam rising.
Main uses.
Often following boiling, to continue the cooking without breaking up the product. When cooking main crop potatoes as soon as they boil reduce the heat and simmer gently. If your spuds always break up in the pan, you’re a slave to the boil. Also used to allow a larger item of food to cook through without drying out.
Poaching. 60-80˚c – Some circulation in the pan and a little light steam present.
Main uses.
Possibly the most misunderstood and badly executed methods of cooking. Critical for the successful cooking of fish and producing the best poached egg. Plenty of energy to cook the foods without drying out and toughening the protein.
Recognisable by small bubbles forming in the liquid then rising and falling. A small amount of steam may also be visible.
Steaming – water 100˚c – steam 80-95˚c. Constant steam seen to be escaping from the steamer basket.
Main uses.
Here the food is suspended above boiling liquid to apply a more gentle heat. The heat of the steam itself depends on how well the cooking container is sealed. Under pressure the steam can reach well over 100˚c often used to cook more delicate foods like fish or broccoli.
The cooking medium.
In the case of boiling the cooking liquid is most commonly water. In the case of Simmering, Poaching, and steaming a flavoured liquid can be used. When cooking fish, it may be poached in a white wine stock. A medium known as a Court Bouillon (aromatic vegetables, herbs, water salt and a dash of vinegar). Is used to cook oily fish like salmon.
Adding a few herbs and spices to the water used to steam food will enhance the flavour of the food been cooked.
So next time you are cooking something in a liquid, give some thought to the food you are cooking, and how you want it to cook. Your, food will all the better for it!
Enjoy Life!
John.
Make Your Own,- Welsh Cakes.
These homemade Welsh Cakes are easy to make and are a great addition to an afternoon tea spread. They are a variation of a griddle scone and shortbread, lightly spiced and finished with a coating of sugar.
How to portion a chicken on the bone.
The article explains how to portion a whole chicken, providing detailed, step-by-step instructions. It emphasizes the benefits of working with a whole free-range bird, including better flavor, cost savings, and the ability to create stock. The guide also highlights important hygiene practices while preparing the chicken for various dishes.
Stunning, Mango and Coconut Tarts,
with crystallised ginger and lime syrup.
These delicious, mango and coconut tarts are great served as a memory of summer in the middle of winter. Filled with coconut pastry cream and topped with fresh mango and lime syrup they never fail to impress. Serve them as a dessert, or as part of a dessert selection. And they make a stunning addition to an afternoon tea.
Working ahead.
On the face of it they may look daunting. But don’t be put off, all the component parts can be made a day or two in advance making it a straightforward process to assemble the tarts and impress your guests. I have described each component separately here as I think it’s important to think of each element independently. Any part of this could be used in different dishes. Think of this as four recipes in one.
Delicious, Mango and Coconut Tarts
Makes four.
Rich Almond Shortcrust Pastry.
This is a great pastry for smaller tarts, crisp without been tough. Half a recipe is enough to make four by 7cm tart shells. Go to our post on ‘How to use perforated tart rings‘ if you need help to produce the tarts. I’ve done this as two separate posts to simplify the process. Of course you could use the same fillings below with any small pastry tart shells.
125g unsalted butter (soft)
75g icing sugar
45g ground almonds
50g egg yolks (2 med)
210 plain flour
pinch salt
How do i make the pasty?
Place the soft butter, salt, and icing sugar into a room temperature bowl and cream together. Beat the mixture until it is light and fluffy then fold in the ground almonds followed by the egg yolks.
Fold in the flour taking care not to overmix. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and form into a flattened ball. Put the dough inside a plastic bag and chill in the fridge for at least an hour before use. You can of course make the pastry ahead of time and freeze it until needed. It should keep about three months in the freezer.
While the pastry is been made, and baked it’s a good time to make the syrup and crystallised ginger to go with the tarts. Both can be made well ahead of time and can also be stored in the freezer ready for use.
Crystalised ginger strips.
2tbsp (heaped) very thinly cut matchsticks of fresh ginger
6tbsp water
8tbsp caster sugar
Dash lemon juice
caster sugar to coat the strips
You will need a small saucepan, with a fine sieve. A shallow tray covered with a layer of caster sugar and two forks.
Half fill the small saucepan with water and add the ginger strips. Bring the pan to the boil, then strain the pan into a fine sieve discarding the water. This will take a little fire out of the ginger and soften the texture. Add the measured water, sugar, and lemon juice to the pan and return to the heat. One the pan is simmering, and the sugar has dissolved add the blanched ginger and cook on a steady simmer for about five minutes.
Coating the ginger.
The syrup should now be thickened, just a bit thinner that runny honey. Remove the pan from the heat and using a fork, lift some of the ginger strips from the syrup. Let them drain on the fork for a few seconds then drop them onto the tray of sugar. Take a clean fork and coat the ginger in sugar aiming to get individual strips of ginger coated all over in the sugar. Go back to the pan again, remove more ginger and repeat the process. Make sure you don’t mix up the forks and get into a sticky mess.
Once all the ginger is coated leave it on the tray for ten to fifteen minutes to cool and set then separate the ginger from the sugar and store it in a small airtight container until needed. If moisture is kept away the ginger it will keep for a few weeks.
Tip.
Don’t throw away the left-over sugar or syrup. Use the sugar in baking and the syrup will have a wonderful ginger kick which can be used to glaze a cake or sponge. Store it in the fridge or freeze it for later use.
Lime syrup
120ml water
130g caster sugar
Juice of a lime
2 peeled strips of lime zest
½ star anise
1 small green chilli (a green finger chilli is ideal)
1cm cinnamon stick
This is a wonderful accompaniment to any fruit-based dessert particularly tropical fruits. Try it to lift a Panna Cotta or to compliment a Lemon Tart. Its best made the day before but it’s not essential.
Place everything apart from the chilli into a small pan and bring to the simmer. Don’t let the pan simmer more than a couple of minutes or you will get too thick a syrup. Pour the syrup into a bowl and let cool slowly. This will give time for the flavours to develop.
Storing the syrup.
When the syrup has cooled take the chilli and stab it four or five times with the point of a small knife, DO NOT cut it open. Add the chilli to the syrup, cover the bowl and place the syrup in the fridge. If possible, leave the syrup overnight but remember to remove the chilli in the morning. The idea is to let the sugar gently pull the flavour out of the chilli without extracting too much heat. This recipe will make more than you need. But as with the ginger syrup this can be stored in the fridge or frozen for later use.
Coconut pastry cream.
180g rich coconut milk
2 large egg yolks
35g caster sugar
8g plain flour
8g cornflour
1 fresh kaffir lime leaf
Icing sugar to dust over
You will need,
Medium saucepan
2 Pyrex bowls
Wisk
Silicone spatula
Small sieve
Preparation.
Take the can of coconut milk and give it a good shake then measure the liquid into a pan that’s wide enough to let you mix the contents of the well. Add the lime leaf then bring the pan to a simmer and turn off the heat.
Weigh the sugar, flour, and cornflour into a bowl large enough to take all the ingredients and mix to a paste. Use a little of the left-over coconut milk to loosen the mix if needed. Have a second medium sized bowl on hand which has a touch of oil rubbed around the inside. This will avoid the finished coconut cream sticking to the bowl.
On to the cooking.
Slowly whisk the warm (not hot) coconut milk into the bowl. Don’t tip it in all at once or you may get lumps. Pour the mixture back into the pan and return to a medium heat. Give it one last whisk then change over to a flat tipped silicone spatula to do the stirring.
Keep stirring the mixture all the time working the spatula back and forth across the base of the pan and around the sides. This action, combined with the flexible flat face of the tool keeping in contact with the pan will stop the mix sticking and burning. A wooden spoon just cannot do this.
Storing the finished pastry cream.
As the mixture gets near to the simmer it will begin to thicken and should become like thick porridge. As soon as this stage is reached, or if you see any signs of boiling tip the cooked pastry cream into the greased bowl. Remove the lime leaf then scrape all the cream out of the pan and flatten slightly with the spatula. Using a small sieve cover the surface of the cream with a thin layer of icing sugar the cling film the bowl over. The steam trapped under the film will turn the sugar to a syrup and stop a thick skin forming on the top of the cream as it cools. Let the cream cool completely before use.
To assemble the tarts.
You will need,
4 x 7cm blind baked individual tart shells
1 Medium Pyrex bowl
Whisk
Chopping board and knife
I large ripe, but not soft mango
1 passion fruit
70ml double cream
1 ½ tsp caster sugar
Dash vanilla extract
Disposable piping bag
Small spoons
Icing sugar to serve
Peel the mango and cut neat 1cm slices from the flesh then cut the slices into 1cm cubes. Use the offcuts to make a smoothie or eat them as chefs treats.
Pour the double cream into one of the bowls and add the vanilla and sugar. Whisk the cream to a light peak, don’t over whish or the cream may curdle later.
Take the cooled coconut cream and give it a few beats with the whisk to break it up. Once it is smooth begin to fold in the whipped cream with a spatula. Once the cream is incorporated stop mixing, overdoing it may curdle the cream. You should have a mousse texture that will support itself if pushed up with a spoon.
Transfer some of the mousse to a piping bag. I recommend plastic disposable bags which are more hygienic than the old cloth type. They are made of recyclable plastic so once used can be washed and popped into your plastics bin.
Filling the tarts.
Trim about 4 cm off the point of the bag (never do that before you fill the bag!). Applying gentle pressure to the bag fill each of the tart shells just below the rim with the mousse.
Spoon a little of the lime syrup over the diced mango as if you were dressing a salad. Then using a small spoon top each tart with the diced mango. Finish each tart with a few strands of the crystallised ginger. Serve the tarts finished with flicks of the syrup, a few strands of ginger and a dusting of icing sugar.
Yes, that is a lot of work, but don’t be put off as I said at the beginning, its really four recipes in one. make the pastry the week before and freeze it until you need it. The syrup can be made a few days ahead or again frozen. The coconut cream and tart shells are made the day before. All you have to do on the day is fold the fresh cream into the coconut, dice the mango and put the tarts together. And remember very importantly, any of these elements could de used to make another dessert. So your never just learning one thing!
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.
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©John Webber. 2023
How to use perforated tart rings
Learn the technique of making small crisp tart shells using perforated rings. Great for entertaining with a variety of fillings.
Make your own, Indian flavouring Pastes .
Make these essential Indian pastes at home. To make you a master of the curry.
HOW TO MAKE INDIAN ONION PASTES
Indian onion pastes are a powerful addition to your arsenal in making curries. Both fried onion paste, and boiled onion paste are used in Indian restaurants but are not commonly featured in curries cooked at home. That’s a pity, they are easy to make and store well in the freezer. And they are not just limited to Indian cookery, just read on. Also take a look at our Indian Flavouring Pastes post to complete the picture.
Fried Onion Paste – – – – – Boiled Onion Paste
Indian Onion Pastes
How to use
There are an endless number of recipes for these pastes, some add ginger-garlic paste to the mix, others will add spices. My preference for the fried version is to produce a plain paste as this gives me the most flexibility in its use. I just love the deep richness. And quite apart from making a curry these pastes can be useful in enriching a soup or stew for the family meal.
Why not make a couple of versions. One for curries with a dash of your favourite spices added and one for everyday use with herbs like thyme or sage cooked along with the onions. Instead of thickening your sauce with stodgy starch add a spoonful of fried onion paste instead. Game dishes work well with some paste and a dash of good red wine or balsamic vinegar to provide a kick to the flavour.
Fried Onion Paste
750g red onions
3tbsp vegetable oil.
Cooking time 25- 40 mins
This principal of cooking the onions is remarkably similar to a French Onion Soup. The sugars in the onions need to be released slowly and allowed to form caramel on the base of the pan. This is where the rich depth of flavour will be produced. If you have ever had an insipid French onion Soup is because this stage was hurried during cooking.
Allow yourself a good half an hour to fry the onions. It’s a good idea to make the paste while other cooking is going on, so you can keep a close eye on the pan without getting bored.
Cooking the paste.
Peel and slice the red onions making sure you remove the root before slicing.
Choose a pan not too deep with a broad base, a deep sided frying pan is ideal. Pop the pan over a medium heat and add the oil followed by the onions. Fry the onions gently with the lid at first until they soften and release the sugary juices. Then remove the lid and turn the heat up slightly to help them colour. It’s important that the onions gently brown to from a deep rich flavour. Too high a heat will simply burn the edges and become bitter. Stir the pan frequently folding the onions over from top to bottom.
As the onions soften down the base of the pan will take on a golden glaze. Add two or three tablespoons of water to the pan and gently, stir the bottom of the pan to lift the glaze. Stir this back over the onions and return to the heat. The best tool for this by far is a flat silicone spatula, don’t use a wooden spoon as far too little of the spoon makes contact with the base of the pan.
Storing the paste.
Keep repeating this process over and over until you have a thick, golden-brown mass in the pan. Let the pan cool, then process the onions to a smooth paste. The paste can be stored in a clean lidded jar (check out on how to sterilise your storage jars). Pour a little oil on top of the paste to keep out the air and store in the fridge for up to a week. The more practical method is to freeze the paste in ice cube trays. You can then add the paste into a curry directly from the freezer.
Boiled Onion Paste
4 white onions
3 whole cloves
1 cinnamon stick
Optional coconut milk
Cooking time 20-25 mins
Peel, remove the root and roughly chop the onions. Pop them into a pan with a well-fitting lid and add the spices. Add some water to the pan to come no more than halfway up the onions then bring the pan to the boil. Place the lid onto the pan and reduce the heat so the pan is at a steady simmer.
Don’t boil the pan too violently or all the water will be lost, and the onions will burn spoiling the paste and leaving you with a lot of scrubbing. The objective is to cook the onions is the smallest amount of water that is practical. The more water we use, the more flavour we lose into the water. You may need to check the pan from time to time to make sure it’s not becoming too dry.
When the onions are nice and soft, (about 20 minutes cooking) remove the lid and increase the heat a little to evaporate off as much water as possible. But be careful not to let the pan dry out completely. Take the pan off the heat and let cool a while, then remove the spices. Using a perforated spoon lift the onions into a food processor and process to a paste. Use a little of the water if needed to make a smooth paste without been runny., the balance of the water been discarded.
Ringing the changes.
Try using two thirds coconut milk and one third water to cook the onions. To store ether, keep in a sterilised jar in the fridge of freeze in ice cube trays.
You could make ether or both of the onion pastes depending on the type of curry you want to make. My advice is definitely make the fried version and try it out in your gravies and stews as well as in a curry. Give it a go, if you fall in love with the concept its easy to double the recipe as long as your pan will take it.
Enjoy Life!
John.
©John Webber. 2023
All you need to know about – Eggs
All you need to know about _Eggs. Learn about the egg itself. what each part of an egg can do, and how we can use it in our cooking.
Demystifying Perfect Pastry.
Demystifying Perfect Pastry provides an insight into the ingredients and methods of making basic pastry.
The Cutting Edge, The knives to choose, and use.
The Cutting Edge. The knives to choose, and use. There is a quote from George Orwell which goes – ‘The Secret of a successful restaurant is sharp knives’. I think he was right, like any artisan using quality tools and looking after them is an essential part of craftsmanship.
Like any other hobby, cooking is addictive, the urge to create, develop, produce, and ultimately eat food is irresistible and with any dish product is king. But before we start looking at the produce let’s look at the basic tools we need for the job. Don’t go all out and buy everything at once, but do buy the best quality that you can afford. Not only will they do a better job that cheap tools they will last a longer and reduce the amount of money you spend in the long run.
Chopping Boards
Chopping boards should be end-grain. That is blocks of hard wood set with the grain of the wood running from top to bottom not side to side. This format gives the knife more grip and is kinder to the blade. The blade can work between the fibres of the board and is less likely to form deep cuts in the wood.
However, the end grain of wood is very prone to absorbing liquid so ensure your board is regularly treated with chopping board oil. This must be a food – safe oil meant for the purpose, I like Papa Oki chopping board oil, it’s organic and anti-bacterial. The board can be quicky washed to clean it but never leave it soaking in water or pop it into the dishwasher!!
Other considerations
Glass chopping boards are awful, they will damage your knives and may cause an accident if the knife slips. They might make a good cheese board but otherwise useless.
If you intend to work with meat or fish each will require separate boards. meat is usulay cut on a Red Chopping Board, and fish on a Blue Chopping Board. I would recommend you use a polycarbonate material which will not absorb liquid and can be cleaned in a dishwasher to be hygienic.
Kitchen knives, the cutting edge.
Now we have a good surface to work on we need something to work with.
There are endless types, brands, and styles of knife on the market. Most chefs will use anywhere between five and twenty knives in their armoury, some constantly in use, others for very special and occasional use. Every chef will have a preference, but the important thing is that it works for them.
There is no ideal knife and it’s a very personal choice. I would always recommend that whenever possible you hold a knife before purchase. How does it feel? Too heavy or too light? Is the grip suitable for your hands? If the knife feels awkward then it’s unlikely to work well for you. Good knives are an expensive purchase, but the quality of the knife is vital to its performance and life span, with the best quality knives offering value for money in the long run.
Good manufactures include:-
Zwilling – https://uk.zwilling-shop.com
Wusthof – https://www.wuesthof.com
F. Dick – https://www.dick.de
Global – https://globalknives.uk/
Knives should be stainless steel and constructed of one piece of machined steel. If fitted with wood handles riveted right through the steel. Plastic handles must be robust and securely bonded to the blade.
For the home cook five knives will perform most tasks in the kitchen, but the quality of the knife is just as important for home cooks as it is for the professional. It’s often cheaper to buy knives as a set but be sure that all the knives in the set are what you need. You are buying a knife to use not to look at!
A knife block or magnetic rack are the best options for storage, but of course keep them well away from children. Don’t leave your good knife rattling around in a draw, it’s dangerous and will damage the blades. Sharp Knives are the safest knives, blunt knives make you put force behind the knife. This will cause the knife to jump and jerk through the food cutting anything in its way. Possibly your fingers.
Cooks Knife
The king of knives and the one you will be using more than any other. As to size 24cm to 30cm overall is a good start. Weight is important here; it must feel right in the hand and not too blade heavy. It’s the Swiss Army Knife of the kitchen, a knife that will chop, slice, crush and even act a small cleaver all in one.
The key factor here is the shape of the blade, while all are similar there are different profiles on the market. I would recommend that to start that you look for a blade where the curve at the front of the knife is nether too flat or exaggerated. Its this curve that allows the classic chefs slicing movement, one of the first skills to learn
Slicing Knife
Does what it says on the tin, used for slicing This could be vegetable, fish, or meat and generaly performs slightly more delicate work than the cook’s knife. Aim for a blade length of about 18cm and it will be suitable to carve small cuts of meat. Don’t be afraid of longer blade lengths, they allow you to have long smooth cutting strokes avoiding steps in the cut.
Vegetable Knife
This and the fruit knife are where you can save a little money if needed. The handle needs to be comfortable in the hand so it can’t slip. A blade length of about 9cm is fine. Useful for a thousand and one jobs but don’t use it for slicing. The blade is too short which will make you press down on the food. The knife suddenly jerks down, and a cut finger is the result.
Serrated Fruit Knife
Very handy for soft or citrus fruit. This can be of a basic construction with a plastic handle and thin blade. Difficult to sharpen so generally just replaced when blunt.
Vegetable Peeler
Yes, this is a knife, the blade should be of the same steel as your other knives and kept sharp. I always prefer a fixed blade peeler as its more flexible in its uses. Have a swivel peeler as well if you must, it can be quite handy for some jobs. The key in usage is like all knives to slice and not push. If your peeler jams or digs in, you are pressing into the product to hard. And remember it’s not just a peeler but a slicing tool as well.
I would also expand this selection by adding in a good pair of kitchen scissors. Choose a strong pair made for the job. High quality stainless blades and a robust hinge. They should be capable of cutting through a chicken carcase. If you like to do lots of roasts a good carving knife is a benefit.
As your cooking expands so will your selection of tools, the choice is endless. I think at one point I had over 30 knives, total overkill. Of the 30 I probably only use 6 on a daily basis.
This is my traveling knife kit for demonstrations.
This will cover just about everything I might come up against, but total overkill for home cooking, so don’t get carried away. On one occasion back in my 20s I bought a cooks knife with a 20”- 50cm blade. It was on sale and great value, of course, when I came use it, I found out why, it was lethal. Anybody working near me was in danger of losing an ear! I still have it somewhere, useful for chopping firewood.
Setting yourself up with a good set on knives and learning how to use them properly and safely will both improve the quality of your cooking and your enjoyment of the process. Take your time and practice, practice, practice.
Further in the series I will cover the techniques in using the knives and the most common question of all. ‘How do I sharpen a knife ?