Wasabi Mayo

Ingredients:

1. Make 2 egg mayo (i.e. same quantity of oil and mustard but 2 eggs);
2. 2 tsp Light miso paste;
3. 1 tsp Rice vinegar;
4. 1 tsp lemon juice;
5. 1 tsp wasabi paste;
6. 1 tsp grated fresh horseradish;

Mix adding vinegar and lemon juice last.

Fish Curry

Ingredients for two people:

1. 300 gr white fish (cod, haddock etc);
2. 150 gr prawn;
3. 1 finely chopped shallot;
4. 2 cloves finely chopped garlic;
5. 1 finely chopped chili;
6. 1 finely chopped celery stalk;
7. 1 ½ - 2 tbsp mild korma powder (or another mild curry powder);
8. Thai fish sauce;
9. 150 ml coconut milk;
10. S&P.

Soften 3 – 6 in oil in a warm pan ideally a wok. When shallot is translucent add the curry powder and fry until it starts to darken. Add the coconut milk, fish sauce and the fish. Season and let simmer until the fish is cooked.

The coconut milk can be replaced by liquid yogurt.

Buckwheat Blinis

Ingredients for 18 blinis:

1. 40 gr buckwheat flour;
2. 125 gr strong plain white flour;
3. ¾ tsp salt;
4. 5 gr easy blend yeast;
5. 150 ml crème fraiche;
6. 175 ml whole milk;
7. 2 eggs separated;
8. 25 gr butter;

Directions:

1. Sift together 1 – 4;
2. Warm 5 & 6 until lukewarm then whisk in the egg yolks;
3. Mix milk into flour and whisk until you a think batter. Cover with a clean dish cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour;
4. Beat egg white to stiff peaks;
5. Fold egg white into batter;
6. Melt a pinch of butter in a blinie pan and fry about a table spoon of batter for 30 sec a side.

Added a tablespoon of honey (miel de Thyme).

Osso Bucco

Ingredients (for 4):

1.  4 veal shanks;
2. Seasoned flour to coat the veal;
3. 100 gr diced pancetta;
4. Chopped onion;
5. Chopped carrot;
6.  Chopped stalk celery;
7. 2 large cloves garlic finely chopped;
8. Zest of one large lemmon;
9. 500 ml white wine;
10. 500 ml chicken stock;
11. 750 ml crushed tomatoes;
12. 2 bay leaves;
13. Large sprig rosemary;
14. Handful Thyme;
15. S&P.

For the Gremolata (make this at least 2 hrs beforehand):

1. 100 gr finely chopped parsley;
2. Zest of one large lemon;
3. 2 finely chopped cloves garlic;
4. Handful of toasted peanuts;
5. EVOO to moisten;
6. Mix and let stand to infuse.

Directions:

1. Dredge veal in seasoned flour (shake off any excess):
2. Fry pancetta in a large heavy bottomed and oven proof pan, set aside when browned, keep the grease;
3. Brown veal on medium heat, set aside;
4. Add more oil and sauté onion, carrots, celery, garlic and zest on medium heat until tender;
5. Add veal and pancetta back into the pan;
6. Deglaze pan, add wine and boil off most of the alcohol;
7.  Add stock and tomatoes, bring to simmer;
8. Add herbs;
9. Cover and transfer to 180 degrees C oven;
10. Cook for 1 – 1.5 hrs or until veal is falling of the bone (may need to top up liquid).

Serve with  risotto alla milanese topped with the Gremolata;

Romesco Sauce

Made the Barrafina recipe romesco over the weekend. I played with the recipe by adding hotter cillis and by using fresh roasted Romano peppers instead of choricero peppers. Came out absolutely brilliantly. 

Makes enough for 6-8 generous portions (about 650g)

1. 1 dried red chilli, soaked in warm water for 2 hours (any chilli will do but naturally the better the chilli you use the better the result. I used Guajillo (relatively mild but with a strong finish, Chipotle meco (a smoked jalapeno) and a habanero for the intense strength.)
2. 4 dried choricero peppers, soaked in warm water for 2 hours (this is the pepper used to make paprika, you’ll get it in Brindisa or one of the speciality food stores. I could not find any in Chiswick so I used 4 fresh romano peppers that I roasted in the oven)
3. 4 large ripe plum tomatoes
4. 100ml olive oil, plus 3 tablespoons
5. salt and freshly ground black pepper
6. 1 whole head of garlic, halved horizontally
7. 100 gr blanched almonds
8. 20 gr roasted almonds
9. 1 slice of good-quality white bread, about 2cm thick (actually used Japanese panco, works just as well)
10. 50ml sherry vinegar

Heat the oven to 180°C. Drain the soaked chilli and choricero peppers, then remove the seeds and set aside. Put the tomatoes into a roasting dish. Drizzle them with a tablespoon of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Wrap the two halves of garlic in foil and add to the roasting dish. Roast in the preheated oven for 20 minutes. When cool enough, pop the garlic cloves out of their skins and set aside. Meanwhile, in a separate smaller roasting dish, toast the almonds in the same oven for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browned. Be careful – they burn fast! Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a small frying pan and fry the bread on both sides until golden brown. Put the chillies, choriceros, roasted tomatoes, garlic, blanched almonds, bread and vinegar into a blender or food processor. Add 100ml of olive oil and blitz until smooth. Season with plenty of salt and pepper and keep in the fridge until needed.

When serving sprinkle some of the roasted almonds over the meat.