These are The 12 Best Seasonings you need to get sensational results in the kitchen. They should be in everybody’s kitchen at home, and in fact, I would go so far as to say I feel culinary naked without these. Some of these you will …
How To Be A Shortbread Expert. There are thousands of recipes for shortbread, and an equal number of opinions as to the ingredients, methods, and baking. I suppose really you could think of shortbread as posh pastry, uplifted to celebrity status.
These Buttermilk Bread Rolls will really impress your dinner party guests. They go well with most starters that don’t require crispy rolls served alongside.
These rolls are formed with leaves of dough layered with butter. In the oven the leaves swell and open out like a flower. Individual leaves can be torn off the roll and eaten as they are or can be spread with any savoury mousse or pateˊ.
No special equipment is needed, and as long as you can roll out a dough, you can make these rolls. Have a look at our Making Bread at Home pages in the food files to see how easy it is to make your own breads
I’m using fast action yeast here so we can make the dough by the straight dough method.
Mix the flour, bi-carb and salt together in a bowl. Fold in the dried yeast taking care it doesn’t get into direct contact with the salt.
Make a well in the flour the pour the buttermilk and honey into the well.
Don’t worry about the butter, we are going to that later.
Bring the dough together, tip it out onto the rolling mat and knead for five minutes. Clean out the bowl, rub it inside with a little vegetable oil then return the ball of dough to the bowl.
Proving the dough.
Cover the dough with cling film, and leave the dough in a draft free place until doubled in size.
Put the butter into a small pan and gently melt. We want the butter to be just liquid not separated out. Alternatively pop the butter into a small bowl and stand the bowl in warm water until melted.
Turn the dough out onto the mat once more and kneed three or four times.
There is no need to kneed this dough much. We want the dough to be light and airy.
Lightly flour the mat then roll out the dough. The aim is to create a rectangle of dough until approximately 6-8mm thick. If the doughs not behaving itself. Let it rest covered with a cloth for five minutes then gently pull the dough into shape with your fingers. You can finish the rolling with the pin.
Brush the surface of the dough liberally with the melted butter. Add the 30g of butter to the pan and use this to grease the baking tray.
Using a pizza wheel cut the dough into approximately 6cm wide strips and then cut these strips across giving approximately 9cm inch by 6cm rectangles. The dough should separate easily, but be carful not to cut into the rolling mat or your table.
Using a scotch scraper or pallet knife pick up a rectangle of dough and place it on the top of another. Pick up another rectangle and place it carefully on the stack. Keep going until you have a stack of rectangles five strips tail.
Keep repeating this until you have used all the dough and made ………
Lift one end of a stack with the tips of your fingers and crimp one of the narrow sides of the dough together. Lift the stack and set into the Muffin tray with the crimped end down at the bottom of the depression.
It is essential during this operation to take great care not to seal the sides or top of the rolls the individual leaves of dough should open up during the second proving and crispen up during baking to produce a light roll in which the individual leaves may be broken off.
Leave the tray to stand in a draft free place until the rolls have roughly doubled in size. And the leaves of dough are starting to separate.
Bake the rolls in the tray in a 200˚c oven for 10-l5 minutes. The leaves of the dough should open up and take on a golden-brown colour.
When ready remove the tray from the oven and let the rolls cool in the tray for 10 minutes before attempting to remove them.
Serve warm with plenty of unsalted butter.
You need small terracotta flower pots which need to be sealed in the oven.
Wash the pots and dry them in a low oven. Increase the heat of the oven to 180˚c then brush the inside of the pots with vegetable oil. Return the pots to the oven and bake for an hour brushing the inside of the pots with move oil every 15 minutes.
When done remove them from the oven and let cool, the pots can now be used repeatedly just with a light greasing before filling. Don’t wash the pots after use, just wipe out with a damp cloth.
Yes if butter milk is unobtainable try using 550ml of plain yoghurt with 50ml of milk whisked in.
If you want to give the rolls a more savoury aroma add a bruised clove of garlic and some thyme or rosemary to the butter as it melts. You can also sprinkle chopped herbs between the layers of dough as you from the rolls. Keep the herbs towards the bottom of the rolls where they are less likely to burn in the oven.
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.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
Home-Made Sausages are one of the most flexible foods we have available to us. Whether it’s a comforting plate of bangers and mash, fending off the cold weather. A quick buttered sausage roll as a snack or the compulsory BBQ sausage, it’s a year round go to treat.
Learn how to sharpen your kitchen knives, and keep them sharp in this definitive guide. Part 1, using a whetstone.
In my opinion this is the best basil pesto you can make. I hate the off green sludge sold as pesto in the supermarkets. You can be sure its not made with the best of ingredients. It’s dull, flat flavour could put you off pesto for life, if you didn’t know better.
I want to see the ingredients I am using. This version of pesto has diced Parmesan Cheese and whole pine kernels though the sauce to give texture and added interest to any Pasta Pesto.
To put this into perspective, I once bought a jar of Harissa. A Smokey, peppery, red chili paste used in middle eastern cookery. When I studied the ingredients on the jar the main ingredient was not peppers or chilli, but Beetroot! Working on that basis the best part of my shop bought pesto may be grass clippings…..
This is my version of a classic Italian Pesto alla Genovese. Rather than been totally smooth I like my pesto to have some texture and show off the ingredients it made with.
If you’re a traditionalist this is a job for the mortar and pestle. If not, or if time is short use a small food processor. DON’T use a blender it will take all the character out of the pesto and emulsify the cheese into the oil.
For the cheese use a Parmesan or Pecorino as you prefer. I use Grana Padano Parmesan as I think it’s a waste to use good Reggiano in the sauce. Keep that for serving on the pasta or treating yourself with a glass of wine.
DON’T whatever you do buy the small tubs of ready grated cheese. You can get good pre-grated parmesan buy the stuff in the tubs smells like old socks. I have a theory relating the contents of the tubs. If you grate your own cheese, you will have noticed the thick skin that sits just under the thin rind. Grate a little of the skin and you will find it smells just like the cheap grated cheese. And personally, I think that’s what is in the tubs. Its Parmesan Jim, but not as I know it!
Mortar and pestle or small food processor.
Chopping board and knife.
Small frying pan.
Fine grater.
Bowl scraper.
Small jar or ice cube tray for storage.
80g basil leaves – no stalks.
70g pine kernels.
40g grated parmesan cheese or pecorino if you prefer.
45g Parmesan cut into 4mm dice.
125ml light fruity olive oil.
large pinch flaky sea salt.
2 good cloves of garlic, 3 if they are small.
Extra sea salt and mill pepper as needed.
Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add the pine kernels and toast them gently, keeping them moving all the time, turning from top to bottom. We only want to toast the pine kernels to a light golden brown. Its very easy to burn them so be careful. If you burn them, don’t use them. It’s a good idea to have some spare on hand just in case. Keep any leftovers in the freezer to keep them fresh until you need them. When the kernels are ready tip them onto a plate to cool down completely.
Peel the garlic and remove any green shoot from inside the clove. Add the sea salt to the garlic and crust to a smooth paste.
Place the garlic / salt paste into the mortar or processor and add 40g of the toasted kernels. Throw in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and work to a smooth paste. Use a light olive oil, not a dense peppery one or it will mask the fresh flavours. DON’T as some chefs advocate use vegetable oil! They will argue that the vegetable oil allows the flavour of the basil to come through. Bull%**t, they are just trying to save money and increase their profits.
Add the basil leaves to the mix and break down to a paste adding more oil as needed. I only use the basil leaves to make the pesto. Some people will add the finer stalks to the mix, again to save money. The choice is up to you, but I find the stalks can cause the pesto to discolour.
I wouldn’t mind betting the stuff in the jars has the stalks included, and God knows what’s in the mix.
Now we have a nice green sauce add the grated parmesan and any remaining oil. Don’t overwork the mix, we don’t want the cheese to become emulsified into the oil.
Finally, stir in the diced cheese and reserved pine kernels, check your seasoning and your ready to go. Store the pesto in a narrow-mouthed jar with a layer of olive oil on top to keep the air out. It should be good for about a week in the fridge. To store it longer its best frozen, again ice cube trays are the most convenient method.
If you don’t have a greenhouse or polytunnel to grow your Basil don’t worry. Buy two or three fresh plants in the supermarket. Keep then in the kitchen near a window and out of draughts. Water them regularly with some house plant food and they will triple in size. That will give you a steady supply of fresh basil, cheaper and fresher than buying it in packets.
For me this is a essential store cupboard staple. Never mind pasta, it’s a great accompaniment to vegetable dishes like my Courgette and Tomato Tarts. Brilliant with fish, and a spoonful of pesto transforms a simple mashed potato. Give it a try….
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.
If you enjoyed your visit with us, please subscribe up to our newsletter to receive regular updates of what’s new and upcoming at The Westcoaster. Subscribe Here
©John Webber. 2023
Make these easy soda breads at home. It’s so satisfying and rewarding everybody should be doing it.
The duffer’s’ guide to cooking with wet heat. Discover the correct way to use wet heat.
How to portion a chicken on the bone? It’s not as hard as you think. This is a perfect way to prepare a chicken for a casserole, quick oven roasting, or curries. This is the cutting method I use for the barbecue or making my Tandoori Chicken joints. I much prefer to have my chicken on the bone, when possible, it gives the meat a better flavour and helps keep it juicy. I’m using a free-range bird to get the best flavour from the meat.
The advantage of doing this yourself is that you have control over the type of chicken you use. It also works out cheaper to buy a whole bird and dissect it yourself rather than buy chicken joints of an unknown origin ready prepared. And as a bonus to get the bits to make a great stock. This method of cutting will provide me with ten pieces of ready to cook meat. And the ability to give each guest both white and dark meat if wished.
The last thing we want is to have bone fragments floating around in our food. You can avoid this by cutting naturally though the joints as much as possible. Before you start getting your hands dirty have a look at the bird and familiarise yourself with the layout of the bones.
I find the best way to explain this is to compare the bird with your own body. Now imagine the bird sitting up on its parsons’ nose. From the top you have the neck, down to the shoulders, then the chest with the spine at the back. Right down to the hips leading on to the thighs, knees and finally shins.
Looking at the bird in this way it’s a lot easier to find the joints and separate them rather than trying to hack through bone. These instructions are for a right-handed person. If you’re left-handed simply reverse your starting point.
You will need a sharp knife; I am using a small cook’s knife and a pair of strong kitchen scissors. Always use a separate board for cutting meat and place a damp cloth under the board to avoid it slipping when you are working. Wood is not ideal surface for meat as meat juices can seep into the wood. I use a red plastic board that is easy to clean and can go into the dishwasher.
Have a tray large enough to take all the chicken pieces and carcase. And it’s a good idea to always wear a pair of disposable gloves to keep your hands clean. Before you start read through the instructions twice and have a look at the video. If you are on a laptop follow the pictures for reference.
We need to be aware that while eggs are safe to eat underdone. The chicken meat itself may well be harbouring bacteria which are dangerous to us, unless cooked through. The last thing we want to do is spread these bacteria all around the kitchen. When dealing with raw meats, always do this before, and separately to any other cooking you may be doing.
And the big no-no DO NOT WASH YOUR POULTRY!!!! Washing the bird particularly in your kitchen sink will simply transfer the bacteria all around the kitchen. I mean would you take the raw bird and rub it all over the worktops and utensils in the kitchen? Of course not, but washing the bird will have the same affect. It the bird is damp or has juices inside dry it off with kitchen paper and immediately throw it away. Make sure you dispose of any packaging as well and don’t leave it hanging around.
Take the bird and place it on the board with the legs facing towards you. Pull the left leg away from the body and slice down through the skin between the leg and the breast. Using the left hand, bend the leg downwards away from the breast then twist the bird on its side.
This will allow you to bend the leg right back and dislocate the hip joint. To remove the leg from the carcase we simply slice the skin away between the thigh and pelvic bone. If you can, try to capture the piece of meat known as the ‘oyster’. This sits on the pelvic bone in a small depression at the head end of the bone. It’s a shame to leave good meat on the carcase and boosts the size of the thigh. Rotate the bird and remove the other leg. Then place both legs on your tray
Open out the wings but don’t pull them right out or they will be more difficult to cut. Place your knife on the left-hand wing (assuming you are right-handed) just on the tip of the first joint out from the body and slice downwards. Your knife should slice though between the bones removing the wing and wing tip.
If it won’t go, don’t push harder, try repositioning the knife making sure you’re not pulling the wing outwards. Put the wing onto your tray, we can use these for the BBQ, have them spiced as a party snack or use then to boost a stock. Rotate the bird around and repeat the process on the
Turn your attention to the breast meat. One of the key skills to learn with poultry is removing the wishbone. It’s a small bone running from one side of the neck to the other and down to the breastbone. It’s quite small but if not removed will trap quite a bit of good meat on to the carcase. Even if you’re just going to roast the bird whole, remove the wishbone. If you are picking up your Christmas turkey from the bitcher, ask him to do it, it makes the carving so much easier.
At the neck end of the bird, trim off any excess skin and examine the cavity. You should see a faint line just under the meat at both sides of the breast. Use the point of your knife to scrape back the covering and you will see the bone below. With the bird flat on the board carefully place the tip of the knife under the bone and cut down. The knife should slice down with very little resistance. Repeat this on the other side, then with index finger and thumb you should be able to twist the bone out.
All that’s now left to do is deal with the breast meat, we are going to remove two mini chicken Supremes first. Put the bird with the neck end towards you. Each side of the breast will still have a wing bone attached. Place your knife on the left-hand side of the bird sitting on the skin where the wing bone joins the carcase. The knife should be slightly angled out from the breastbone, then slice down.
Once again don’t use pressure to cut through, let the knife be guided by the carcase. All been well the knife should find its way down to the wing joint when we can cut though. Release the supreme and add to the tray.
To remove the second supreme, it’s the same process but don’t rotate the bird, keep it facing towards you.
The next thing is to cut off the centre section of meat still on the carcase. If you are skilled with the knife that will do the job. If you’re not 100% sure use a good pair of kitchen scissors for this.
Put the carcase on its side and snip down the bones from the parsons’ nose end to the neck just where the meat finishes. Turn the bird over and repeat, lift off the meat section and one or two small snips should release it.
Place the section horizontally on the board skin side up and simply cut straight down across the joint to create two equal pieces. Then add to your tray.
It’s a good idea to separate the thigh and drumstick of the legs. The meat on each cooks differently and benefits from been used correctly. The drumsticks again can go on the BBQ, roasted, or be poached, skinned, breadcrumbed, and fried for the classic fried chicken. The thighs are the best part of the bird. If you are looking to make a chicken casserole or curry, its thighs every time. Breast meat is dry and stringy by comparison.
Take one of the legs and lay it on the board skin side down. Place your finger on the hip joint of the thigh and slowly run it longways towards the middle of the leg. You will notice a line of fat following the same line. This directly over the thigh bone and is a major help in locating the bone if you wish to remove it later. Where this line finishes is the ‘knee’ joint. There, you should then see a second line of fat running across the leg. This indicates the line of the joint between the bones.
Place your knife on this line and slice down. With luck you will separate the drumstick and thigh without cutting through any bones. If you can’t get through, try a slight repositioning of the knife. Make sure you are slicing, not just pushing the knife through. When done add to your tray and bingo – you have just mastered dissecting a chicken.
Well, that’s a very long explanation of a reasonably straightforward job- honestly! Do try it you wont regret it and after a couple of goes you will do it without thinking. There are other options in breaking down the bird, ill cover these on other pages or its just toooooo much information.
But here’s the good news, the configuration of all poultry and feathered game is similar. So once you have mastered a chicken you are set up to tackle a duck, pheasant, pigeon, or turkey, its just a matter of scale.
Enjoy Life,
John
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 provides an insight into the ingredients and methods of making basic pastry.
How to choose the best knives for the kitchen and improve your cooking.
