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.
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. The fundamentals of making shortbread are very like pastry and it would be worth reading our post on ‘Getting to grips with pastry.’ To put things into perspective.
The big barrier to getting crisp, light shortbread is gluten so a low protein plain flour, maximum 10% must be used. Shipton Mill do a nice Organic Soft Cake and Pastry White Flour with just over 9% protein.
This is a gluten free agent added into the flour to further reduce the protein in the flour and make it lighter.
Cornflour, always on hand and disappears into the flour perfectly. Use if you need a biscuit with a good snap Overdoing the quantity can make a dry powdery finish in the mouth.
Rice flour gives a rougher texture to the dough with a crumbly nature.
Ground almonds, make the dough crumblier, but also heavier. They also need a dash of almond essence to boost their flavour.
Some people like granulated sugar to give a gritty texture, but I’m not a fan.
Caster Sugar is a common choice and gives a good result. Golden caster offers a little more flavour in the dough.
Icing sugar is my preferred choice, unrefined sugar could also be used.
Use the best unsalted butter you can. The lower the water content of the butter the better the shortbread will be. While it may seem counter intuitive some chef’s lower quality use a pastry butter / margarine instead of superior quality dairy butter. This is because the pastry butter has an exceptionally low moisture content. The shortbread is crisper, but the flavour suffers.
True shortbread dough should be au natural, but I sometimes use a little vanilla to enhance the flavour of the butter. You could also add some chocolate chips or citrus zest if you like. Try sprinkling demerara sugar on the surface of the dough before cooking to add a sweet crunch.
Some small tweaks here to make the lightest shortbread. I use a two to one mix of plain flour and cornflour to really reduce the gluten content. I also like to add a touch of baking powder to help the dough rise in the oven and become airier. Finally, we use icing sugar to make a nice smooth dough. I like to roll the dough into logs and then slice the biscuits off (see below). This minimises stretching, and toughening the dough.
Here the rice flour helps lighten the dough. The texture of the rice flour is coarser, hence the ‘Sandy’ nature of the shortbread
This recipe uses ground almonds to reduce the gluten content of the flour. Along with the egg yolk this makes the shortbread richer abet slightly heavier.
Mix the butter icing sugar, vanilla, and salt (Unless you’re using salted butter) on low speed in the mixer until smooth. Increase the speed of the mixer to medium and cream the butter mix for three to four minutes. The mix should become soft and lighten.
Bring the speed of the mixer back to low and add the sifted flours mixing only just enough to incorporate the flour. Take extra care not to overwork the dough! It is better to finish the mixing of the dough by hand The lighter this is done the better the final shortbread will be.
Rollout the dough carefully dusting with a little flour as you go. Don’t be too vigorous with the rolling and turn the dough as you go. This will Roll the dough to the required thickness according to use and cut out with a cutter dipped in flour on each cut.
The remaining dough can be brought together once more then re rolled and cut again. Discard and dough left over from the second rolling.
If you can’t be bothered with all that rolling, and don’t mind slightly rustic biscuits there’s another option. Bring the dough together and split into two. Roll each dough into a log 4cm in diameter and wrap in greaseproof paper. Chill for 15 minutes, then slice into 1cm rounds.
Lay the biscuits out onto a baking sheet and prick with a fork. Leave to rest for about 15 minutes, use that time to heat up the oven read for baking. Bake the shortbread in the centre of the oven at 160° for roughly until light golden brown around the edges.
As the biscuits are removed from the oven dust with caster sugar and allow to cool before storage.
If you don’t have a food mixer you can make the dough in a food processor, or by hand. The processor makes a decent job of the creaming, but great care is needed not to overwork the dough when the flour is added. I would recommend using the processor just to cream the butter and sugar and then work in the flour by hand.
Yes, the best way of doing this is to carefully roll the dough into a log about 5cm in diameter. Wrap the log in greaseproof paper, then freeze on a tray. To bake, remove the cling film from the logs and slice into 5mm thick discs. Lay the biscuits out onto a baking tray, then place in the oven for around 8 minutes, until nicely golden brown.
I always do, but some people choose to use the rubbing in method. Mix the flour and sugar together then rub the cold diced butter in with your fingers or a pastry knife.
This will make a very crumbly shortbread with very little snap.
Easy, make the dough as described above. Line a rectangular baking tin with baking paper leaving a good overlap at the sides. Press the dough into the tin to a dept of 2cm than prick the dough all over with a fork. Leave the dough to rest for 15 minutes then bake as above. When cooked, remove from the oven, and let cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Then using the paper overlap, carefully lift the shortbread out onto a chopping board. Take a cook’s knife and using a guillotine like motion cut the shortbread into fingers. Let the shortbread cool completely before removing from the paper.
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
© Copywrite, John Webber. 2024
© Copywrite, John Webber. 2024
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.
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.
I have chosen to use tinned chickpeas (also known as Garbanzo beans) for this as its less work. If you want to cook your own, make sure to buy decent quality chickpeas not the cheapest version. Open the packet and check for any small stones or debris present. Cover the chickpeas with cold water and leave overnight.
The following morning drain the chickpeas and put them into a large pan. Cover them with at least twice the amount of water as there is chickpeas and add 1tsp bicarbonate of soda.
Mix well and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour 15 minutes.
Check to make sure they are cooked through, and if ready drain the contents of the pan and run cold water over the chickpeas. If you find you have cooked to many, then can be kept in the freezer for a couple of months.
While the tinned chickpeas are already cooked, to give us a nice smooth texture its best to cook them a little longer.
Tip the chickpeas with the juices into a saucepan and top up with some more water. Add the bicarbonate of soda to the pan and bring to the simmer. Reduce the heat so the pan is sitting at a steady simmer, pop on the lid and cook for 20 minutes.
Once the time is up, drain the chickpeas into a colander and rinse with cold water.
To make a really refined smooth hummus its best to remove the skin of the chickpeas. Now this is not traditional. The original hummus was a more rustic affair with everything just pounded together. You can if you wish sit there removing the skin from each chickpea one by one. But there is an easier way.
Tip the chickpeas into a large bowl and run cold water over them to two thirds fill the bowl with water. Get your hand in and agitate the chickpeas vigorously. This will remove the skins and they will start to flat to the surface. They can know be lifted from the water using a spider or slotted spoon. I like to do this two or three times, but don’t worry if you haven’t removed every last one.
As you probably know I like garlic, but we don’t want the garlic to be the dominate flavour in our hummus. We can use the lemon juice to ‘pickle’ the garlic and reduce is potency.
Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices. Put these into a small glass dish and squeeze the lemon juice over the top. Put the dish to one side to sit for at least 10 minutes before use.
Make sure the chickpeas are well drained, then remove a few to garnish the finished Hummus.
Tip the chickpeas into the food processor and add the cumin, salt, garlic, and lemon juice, with a dash of water. Run the processor for a few seconds to break up the chickpeas.
Add the tahini and blend again, then add the olive oil. I like to use some olive oil in the recipe. Not all recipes for Hummus use it as the tahini is quite oily, but I prefer the texture and taste the oils adds.
You will need to use water to soften the texture as you blend the chickpeas. Don’t put too much in a one as you can’t remove it. Once you have a pleasing texture stop processing and have a taste.
If the Hummus tastes flat, try some more lemon juice and possible a pinch of salt. The right amount of lemon juice is crucial in getting the flavour balance right.
If you can, leave the Hummus for a couple of hours in the fridge for the flavours to develop.
I think Hummus is best served on a deep plate rather than a bowl. This makes it much easier to pick up the Hummus with flatbreads of vegetable sticks. Spread the Hummus around the plate using the back of a spoon. Pour some good olive oil into the groves made by the spoon, then sprinkle with chopped parsley. For an ideal accompaniment have a look at our post on making your own flatbreads.
Yes, there’s loads of options, try some of these. Add some basil pesto, ether mix it all through or leave it half mixed with swirls of pesto through the Hummus.
Sun blushed tomatoes. Chop them through the Hummus and use the oil from the jar in place of the olive oil in the recipe.
Soft green herbs, whatever you have fresh from the garden. Ether fold them in chopped or blend them in for a green coloured Hummus.
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!
Yes, try some peanut butter, Greek yoghurt or even Avocado to make the mix. You will need to bring up the seasoning. A dash of sesame oil could be added for authenticity.
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
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!
One of my favourite Scottish dishes, Cullen Skink is a rich fish soup with leek and potatoes. The 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.
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.
Have a look at our post, Fantastic garlic and chefs secret, oils for tips on growing your own garlic and how to make herb oils. And if you are looking for a source of garlic try The Garlic Farm on the Isle of White who grow some of the best garlic in Britain.
For centuries garlic has been valued for its culinary and medicinal attributes. There are Biblical references to garlic and in many cultures, garlic was given to provide strength. Garlic was given to the original Olympic athletes in Greece, as perhaps one of the earliest performance enhancing tricks. Can you imagine working out in the gym munching on garlic? You might have the place to yourself.
The romans referred to it as ‘The Stinking Rose’ recognising both its value and pungent smell. But there is far more to garlic and learning how to get the best and most subtle.
Most of the small heads of garlic we get in supermarkets is imported Chinese garlic. Most of it is dried out and has lost its freshness. My advice is to grow your own, its easy and lets you try new varieties. You don’t even need a garden, I grown mine in pots in the polytunnel, but a large window ledge or balcony would be ideal. Plant out the garlic in the winter or early spring to have a crop in spring or early autumn.
There are two types of garlic. Soft neck which is what you will find in the supermarkets and Hard neck, which has a better flavour and if you grow at home provides you with the stem and flower, known as ‘scapes’, to use in addition to the bulb. These are popular in Chinese food stores.
Most chefs will peel garlic by using a cook’s knife. Lay the garlic clove onto the chopping board and place the cook’s knife flat on top of the garlic so it site roughly halfway down the blade. Give the knife a firm tap with the heel of your hand. This will loosen the skin enough, so it almost falls of the clove.
This takes a little practice and some care. If you are not confident working with a large knife, try the same technique using a flat scraper or fish slice instead.
There is a gadget on the market that peels the garlic clove via friction. It is basically rubber tube in which the garlic sits. You then roll the tube across the counter pressing down with the flat of your hand. I have never tried it, but it may be worth a look.
You might think garlic is a bit of a one trick pony but that’s not the case, it has a number of different personalities according to its variety and most important of all how you use it.
When a clove of garlic is crushed in a press or by hand an enzyme in the bulb changes the chemicals in the garlic to produce the pungent aroma, we all know. These enzymes react with oxygen in the air to intensify the flavour. Leaving crushed garlic to stand a few minutes will enhance the flavour to its full potential.
You can of course use a garlic press but it won’t give you the full flavour. It has become very popular to grate garlic into a dish using a very fine microplane grater. I think this is a better option than the press, and a lot easier to clean!
Using your cooks knife peel and chop the garlic. Move the garlic into a small pile towards the front of the chopping board and put a good pinch of sea salt on top of the pile.
Hold the cook’s knife flat on the board and place two fingers of the left hand (assuming you are right-handed) just below the tip of the knife. Place the knife, still held flat onto the garlic using the top third of the knife where the curve is.
Now press down with the two fingers and draw the blade across the pile with a clockwise twisting motion. The pressure of the knife and the grinding of the salt should after a number of passes across the garlic beginning to crush it to a paste. When the process is complete you will have a slightly sticky garlic paste. Not only does the salt help with the crushing, but it also draws the moisture for the garlic developing the flavour.
Black garlic is manufactured by storing heads or cloves of garlic in carefully controlled conditions of temperature and humidity. the pungency of the garlic almost disappears, and the garlic develops flavours of Liquorice and caramel with a sharp finish. Its quite morish and great on sourdough bread as well as been an interesting ingredient. Its well worth trying, the only downside is that it’s too complicated to make at home.
This is a great way of adding a mild, rich flavour of garlic to soups and stews. Its really good on toast as well!
Trim off the tops of the garlic heads to reveal the cloves below Place the cold milk into a pan and add the heads of garlic. Bring the pan to the simmer and allow to cook for one minute., then remove from the heat and let the pan stand for five minutes This will remove some of the strong flavour from the garlic and make it more mellow.
Remove the pan form the heat and drain off the milk them cool the garlic under running water. As the garlic is cooling wash off any scum or fat in the bulbs.
Take some tinfoil and make some double thickness squares of foil, large enough to completely enclose a head of garlic. Place a head of garlic on each square cut side up. Add a pinch of sea salt, then pour a teaspoon of olive oil over the garlic. TIP. If you set the foil into a small bowl, it makes the process a lot less messy.
Wrap each head of garlic in a square of foil, insuring it is well sealed. Then place the garlic parcels on a tray, (cupcake trays work well) and roast in the oven for 45 minutes at 180˚c.
When ready remove from the tray and let cool.
If you want to roast a large volume of garlic, set the blanched heads in an ovenproof casserole.
Add the oil and salt as before, you will need less oil this method. Place a sheet of tinfoil on the pan followed by the lid. This will help seal in the moisture. Cook for roughly 75minutes at 180˚c.
When cooked let the garlic cool in the pot. Remove and store in the fridge. The garlic will keep for a week or so dependent on your fridge.
Confit garlic is a method of cooking and preserving garlic for later use. The long slow cooking mellows the astringency of the garlic. This makes it great for using in hummus, making garlic mash or using in salad dressings.
Pull apart the heads of garlic to produce individual cloves. These is no need to peel the cloves, but you can if you wish. The skin comes off easily once the garlic is cooked.
Place the garlic into a small pan and cover with the olive oil. Don’t use your best quality oil, a mid-range version is fine. Ensure the garlic is covered but don’t swamp the pan, it’s just a waste of oil.
Place the pan over a really low heat. We need to cook the garlic but without letting the pan boil. Ideally You want the oil to be at 90°c and stay there. I think this is best done without a lid on the pan as you can see exactly what’s happening. A probe thermometer is also very useful to be sure the garlic is cooking.
Leave to cook for 30-40 minutes or until the garlic cloves are soft. If the pan starts to simmer remove it from the heat for a while and then return it to keep on cooking.
When the garlic is ready have your sterilised jars on hand then transfer the contents of the pan to the jars. Ensure the garlic is completely covered in oil then secure the lid.
Let the jars cool until you can handle them, then stand them in iced water to cool quickly.
If you are unsure on how to sterilise preserving jars look up our post, Home Preserving, The Golden Rules.
Store the jars in the fridge, where they should be fine for a month, unopened. Always use clean spoons to remove the garlic from the jars to avoid contamination. Do not use and jars which have bubbles of gas forming within them. If you want to store the garlic for longer, Keep in in the freezer for up to six months
And finally. Never put raw garlic into oil to make flavoured oils. Bacteria can form within the oil from the raw garlic, resulting in food poisoning from Botulism Toxins.
Fry sliced garlic with coriander seeds or leaves then spoon over rice.
Fry garlic stems with bacon.
Making garlic mashed potato with new season garlic stems (scapes)
Slicing the garlic without crushing produces a milder more refined flavour great with pasta and olive oil.
Use the garlic whole and cook long and slow and it melt into your stew wrapping the dish with a sweet mellow richness.
Adding an unpeeled clove of garlic to the pan when cooking meats, fish or vegetables will add a scent of garlic to the food been cooked.
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
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.
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.
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.
This method of cooking meat originated with the need to preserve meat before the days of refrigeration. The general method of cooking the meat is similar to Rillettes but in this case the meat is cured then cooked slowly in fat. The cooked meat would have then been stored in jars covered with the cooking fat to exclude the air. This would have allowed the meat to be kept for several months. Of course the whole portioned bird would have been cooked but to day as we have no need to store the meat its generally the legs which are cooked. The breast been fried or roasted. Cooking the meat in this way produces a flavour unobtainable by any other method. And the gentle cooking renders a tender moist meat falling off the bone.
Chop the juniper berries and garlic cloves and add to the salt. Coarsely crush the peppercorns and stir into the salt along with the thyme leaves.
Using a sharp knife, make a cut down to the bone around the ‘ankle’ of each leg and trim off any excess fat. Don’t throw the fat away we will add it to the cooking fat to gain flavour.
Place the legs skin side down in a glass or stainless steel shallow dish and sprinkle with the salt cure. Rub the slat well into the meat using all the cure. Cover the dish and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours and a maximum of 12 hours for the flavours to penetrate the flesh.
Have a look at our Food Files page Astonishing Salt to get a better understanding on how salt works and how to use it.
Remove the legs from the dish, (some brine will have developed around the duck). Brush off the excess cure and rise under running water for 5 seconds, do not leave the legs sitting in water. Dab with a clean towel to remove any traces of moisture.
Set the legs into the casserole and pour the fat over, enough to cover the meat.
Add the thyme and bay leaf, then bruise the garlic with the back of a knife and add to the pan (do not season).
Bring the mixture up to almost a simmer, if the fat gets too hot the meat will start to fry and dry out. Place on the lid and cook in a very low oven for 2 to 3 hours. It’s very difficult to give an exact cooking time according to the thickness of the legs.
When the legs are cooked allow them to cool in the fat. When cool carefully lift the legs from the casserole onto a clean tray. Once completely cold cover and refrigerate until needed, )they should be good for about three to five days in the fridge.
Be sure to keep the cooking fat. Strain it into a heatproof bowl and cool completely. The fat can now be lifted from the meat jelly below and frozen until needed again. its also great for making the best roast potatoes possible. The jelly can also be frozen and used in making stews and sauces. Use it with care as it will be a little salty,
Heat the pan and add the oil. Tip the lardons into the pan and begin to fry. Don’t allow the pan to become too hot and burn the bacon. After 3 – 4 minutes reduce the heat slightly and add the shallots. Peel and slice the garlic and add to the shallots with the diced celery and carrot.
Cook carefully for another 3 minutes or so. Watch out you don’t burn the garlic as it’s a flavour that can’t be masked and will spoil the dish. If you are unlucky enough to burn it – start again, its not worth carrying on! Mix in the tomato puree followed by the stock, and sage, then bring to the simmer.
Rinse the lentils under running water checking from small stones. Add the lentils to the pan mixing well, don’t season yet. Bring the pan to a bear simmer, pop on the lid and cook for 40 minutes. Check the pan every 15 minutes stirring to avoid the lentils sticking to the bottom of the pan.
Turn on the oven and set it at 200˚c – 180˚c fan then remove the cooked duck from the fridge. The knuckle end of the leg should pull off easily due to the cut we made before cooking. This gives a clean end of bone which presents well.
Lay the legs skin side up on a tinfoil lined baking tray with a gap between them. Pop the legs into the oven and cook until heated through (83˚c if you’re using your probe thermometer) and the skin is golden and crispy. When ready brush with runny honey and keep warm
On your last check of the pan, slice the mushrooms and stir into the lentils with half the chopped parsley. When the lentils are cooked pull the pan to one side and heat four deep plates.
Remove the rosemary then ladle the stew between the plates. Place a duck leg on each plate and garnish with chopped parsley.
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
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.
If you are a lover of long cool drinks, then this is for you. They are easy to make and all you really need is some space to store the gin while it is steeping and the patience not to get stuck in too quickly. I always fill hold of some 250ml bottles to use as Christmas presents, always welcome gifts.