Making Sweet Pickled Cucumber is a great way of using up excess cucumber and giving a rather bland food an enticing lift. I decided to have a go at growing cucumbers this year. And I quickly discovered that they had teamed up with the courgettes …
For these tarts we are using two distinct types of apples. Bramley apple for full on flavour, backed up with a dash of good cider. Green apples, Granny Smiths of French Golden delicious provide texture and a hint of freshness to the tarts. These tarts can be made the night before and stored in the fridge. The trick is to glaze and seal the apple with melted butter and lemon to spot the apple discolouring.
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.
The primary flavour is of course chocolate, so be sure to use a superior quality 70-75% cocoa solids chocolate. Cheap chocolate with low cocoa solids will be unable to punch through the butter, eggs, and sugar. This will give you an insipid tasteless dessert.
No fancy equipment needed, we are using tinfoil pudding basins to form the fondants and make then very easy to turn out.
This can be done in the morning for use later. If you want to be well ahead, make the truffles then freeze them so they are ready whenever you want to serve the fondants.
And of course, you could make enough truffles to serve with coffee at the same time. Don’t freeze these though, or the condensation will spoil and coating you roll them in.
Break up the chocolate into small pieces. Place the chocolate in a bowl large enough to take all the ingredients and allow you to mix them altogether. Pour the cream into a small pan and add the butter, vanilla, and salt.
Pop the pan onto the heat and watch it closely until the butter melts and the cream begins to simmer. Now tip the whole contents of the pan over the chocolate in one go and straight away begin to the mix the truffle base together. The heat for the cream should be enough to melt the chocolate and allow it to emulsify together with the butter and cream. When ready cover the bowl and when cool enough, place in the fridge to firm up.
Chefs know this mixture as a Ganache. And if you have ever wondered what that was, Congratulations, you have just made one!
When the mix is firm but not really hard scoop out a little of the chocolate with a teaspoon and roll in the palms of your hands to form a truffle. If you are just making these for the fondants, they don’t need to be perfectly round.
If you are having problems with the chocolate sticking to your hands, rub then with a little flavourless oil. Good for your skin as well!!
Before you start brush the insides of the moulds with soft butter to help the cooked fondants slide out. Don’t miss any areas but also don’t overdo it or you will have melted butter running onto your plates.
Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot but not boiling water and add the butter. Let he butter melt slowly over a low heat then once melted add the broken-up chocolate. Melt the chocolate into the butter then take the bowl off the pan and place to one side.
In a second bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together until light and fluffy. When ready the mix should hold traces of where the whisk as been. we call this, the Ribbon stage. When ready, sieve the flour and fold into the egg / sugar mix.
Fold the melted chocolate and butter into the eggs and fold together lifting the mix from the bottom. Make sure the chocolate is not too hot (blood heat is perfect) and only mix until the chocolate is barely folded into the eggs. Overmixing will spoil the dessert.
Half fill the buttered tinfoil moulds then place a truffle in the centre of each mould. Now complete the filling of the moulds and place them in the fridge to be cooked later.
My advice is to now ball the ice cream into a cold plate then return it to the freezer. We need to serve the fondants as quickly as possible and have the ice cream ready is a big help.
When you are ready to serve the dessert, have the oven and a baking tray preheated.
Place the fondants directly from the fridge onto the hot tray and cook then on the centre of the oven for 12 to 14 minutes.
When ready the centre of the fondants should still be runny. The cheat is that of course the truffle will melt and form a sauce even if the centre is a little over cooked.
Work as fast as you safely can, turn the fondants out onto plates. Place a ball of ice cream on top of each one, dust with icing sugar and sprinkle with grated chocolate.
As the timing of the fondants is quite important, I would recommend have a test run of the dessert on the family. Everyone’s oven is slightly different in temperature and efficiency. So, the only way to be absolutely sure of the cooking time is to test it.
Cook the fondants as above then take one out at 12 minutes than at 2-minute intervals until you are happy with the result. Be sure to be in and out of the oven as quickly as possible or the oven will cool too much between each test.
Melted butter tents to run down the sides of the mould and sit on the base, frying the sponge as it cooks. It’s also easier to see if you have missed any bits with soft butter.
Chefs call these ‘runouts’ It is simply melted chocolate piped onto nonstick paper and allow to cool. In fact, you don’t even need to pipe it. Just letting the chocolate fall off the tip of a spoon will give you a shape, just not as neat.
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
© Copywrite, John Webber. 2024
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.
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.
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
© Copywrite, John Webber. 2024
© 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!
Scottish Cullen Skink is one of my favourite dishes. It is a rich fish soup with leek and potatoes and its name originates from Cullen a small fishing village on the Northeast coast of Scotland. And the term ‘Skink is derived from the Gaelic for ‘essence’ a good description of the aroma of fishy peat smoke coming from the haddock.
You could serve this as a starter, but it’s a hearty soup more suited to a supper main course or Lunchtime treat. If you are in Appin and can’t, be bothered with all the cooking pop into The Pierhouse Hotel (at the pier) for a warming plate full of Skink.
To get the very best flavour from the dish look for pale, sometimes called peat smoked haddock. This is fish which has been cured and smoked in the traditional method. Try a good fishmonger to find it. In the supermarkets you are more likely to find its bright yellow cousin which has not had much if any time in the smoker. And has been coated in colour and flavour. If that’s all you can get, it will still work but will not as deeply be flavoured as the real thing. You will just have to travel to Scotland and experience real Skink.
750g skin on peat smoked haddock fillet, about 600g after trimming.
Take the smoked haddock and remove the skin (it should just pull off with a bit of persuasion) and any bones. Cut the fish into roughly 3cm chunks and set aside. Place the skin bones and any trimmings into a saucepan along with the rest of the ingredients. Bring to the boil then simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Pass the stock though a fine strainer and refrigerate until needed. This can be done the day before cooking the Skink.
Don’t be tempted to add salt at all until the very end of cooking and then only after tasting. The smoked haddock itself is salty, which should be enough for the whole dish.
Give the leek a rinse then cut into two longways. Open out the two halves and slice into strips about 1.5cm wide. Turn the strips around and then slice across to make squares of leek. Finely chop the shallot then slice the garlic into thin slices. Crushing the garlic would make it too strong in the dish.
Add the butter to the saucepan and place over a low heat. When the butter has melted, add the leek, shallots, and garlic. Notice we are not using any onion in this recipe. Onions contain too much sugar and will put a sweet tone into the skink, that we want to avoid. Cook the vegetables for about five minutes and while they are cooking, deal with the potatoes.
Cut the potato into chips with about 1.5cm sides. Slice the chips across approximately 3mm thick to produce little square slices of potato.
Add the potatoes to the pan followed by the stock milk and cream. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cook for 6-8 minutes then add the fish.
Return the pan to the simmer and cook for another 6 minutes stirring occasionally. Don’t worry is the fish and potatoes break up a little, that will thicken the Skink. Add two or three turns of the peppermill and taste.
Serve in deep wide plates scattered with chopped chives and plenty of crusty bread to soak up the juices.
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 Become a Garlic Expert, every time you cook is often a mystery to the British. While other cultures across the world utilise garlic in many forms, we simply push a clove of garlic into a crude metal press and squeeze the life out of the clove into whatever we think will benefit from a hit of flavour. Leaning how to use garlic properly will open up avenue in your cooking.
One of life’s guilty pleasures has to be a bowl of hot mashed potato. And it is one of the most versatile products that we can use to create a great plate of food. They can be used to form a foundation for the presentation, provide a contrasting texture on the plate, and become ‘a vehicle of flavour’. That is, they become a method of adding a complimentary flavour to a plate. Such as horseradish mash with beef, or saffron mash with fish. In a similar way, they can absorb flavour on a plate such as the gravy of a stew or braise.
How to make Ricciarelli Biscuits, these Italian delicate almond cookies with a melt in the mouth centre are usually enjoyed during Christmas time in Tuscany. Try them out as an alternative to or in addition to mince pies when entertaining guest over the holiday. And note to self, remember to try our Luxury Cranberry and Whisky Mince Pies.
Ricciarelli Biscuits, also make great gifts, wrap them in cellophane bags and hand them out to friends for a very personal gift.
To get the best flavour we are going to make our own ground almonds. If this is a problem for you, shop bought ground almonds will work. Try and get the best quality you can to get the freshness. I avoid using shop bought almond essence as its closer to paraffin than almonds. You can buy a very good almond oil but its quite expensive, and may be hard to find.
Using a small food processor, grind the almonds down. This is best done in two batches to avoid the almonds becoming too warm with the friction created. If the almonds are overdone, oils will be released from the nuts and they will begin to form a paste, spoiling the mix.
Split the vanilla pod longways and using the back of a small knife scrape out the seeds.
Take a mixing bowl and add the vanilla with all the dry ingredients. Using a very fine grater remove the zest from the lemon and add to the bowl. Mix everything together and set aside.
Take the stainless-steel bowl and insure it is spotlessly clean. Any traces of fat on the bowl or the whisk will prevent the whites from aerating.
Separate the eggs allowing the white to fall into the bowl keeping the yolks separately for other uses. Add a pinch of salt to help the whites expand then whisk to stiff peaks.
When the whites are ready, tip them out onto the dry ingredients and fold the white into the mix to make a soft paste.
I like to leave the bowl to stand for about 10 minutes at this point to allow the mix to settle. paste.
Take a large flat plate and add a liberal amount of icing sugar. Using two dessert spoons scoop shapes of dough a little smaller than your thumb onto the sugar. Roll the shapes in the sugar, then transfer each one to a lined baking tray pressing the flat of your finger down to flatten the dough slightly.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges are a light golden colour and the centres are just soft. Cool the biscuits on a wire then sieve icing sugar over the top.
When complete cooled store in an air-tight container where they should be fine for 3-4 days.
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 Webber. 2023
This simple Duck Confit is both rustic and refined. The process of curing and cooking the meat in fat produces a flavour unobtainable buy any other method. And I love it! I’m serving the confit with a Lentil, Bacon, and Chestnuts Stew, a great winter warmer.
These Chocolate Custard Cookies are so easy to make, which is a good job as they don’t last long when people start tucking in. They are great just served as a cookie adults and children both love them.