Monthly Archives: April 2014

Chicken in spicy coconut broth

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 THIS WONDERFULLY AROMATIC SOUP, called tom ka gai, is one of my favourite Thai starters. It is incredibly easy to make and cooks in next to no time. For a quick midweek supper, serve larger bowls – tossing in some blanched rice noodles and a handful of beansprouts and coriander leaves. Simple and delicious.

SERVES 4-6

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2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 250g sea salt and black pepper
400ml tin reduced-fat coconut milk
600ml water
3cm knob of fresh root ginger, peeled and sliced
4 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half (or pared zest of 1 lime)
1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed and halved lengthway
2 red chillies, halved lengthways and deseeded
1 tbsp palm sugar (or soft light brown sugar)
2½ tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp lime juice, or to taste
100g button mushrooms, cleaned handful of coriander leaves, to garnish

 

Thinly slice the chicken breasts, cutting across the grain, into bite-sized pieces. Place in a bowl, season with a little salt and pepper and set aside.

Pour the coconut milk into a saucepan, then add the 600ml water, using the tin as a measure (i.e. ½ tins). Add the ginger, kaffir lime leaves, lemongrass, chillies, sugar, fish sauce and lime juice. Bring to a simmer and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse.

Add the mushrooms to the broth and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken, stir well and simmer until cooked through; this will only take 1-2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning if you need to.

Serve the soup in warm bowls, discarding the ginger, lemongrass, chillies and lime leaves if you wish; traditionally, these aromatics are left in the soup but not eaten. Garnish each bowl with some coriander leaves and serve immediately.

chicken-in-spicy-coconut-broth

 

Louisiana seafood gumbo recipe

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THIS MIXED SEAFOOD STEW is popular across the southern states. To keep it simple, I’ve limited the main ingredients to chorizo, crabmeat and oysters, however, recipes often feature prawns, crab, crayfish and smoked pork or andouille sausages -feel free to add any of these. Sometimes, instead of a roux, either sliced okra or file powder (a spice made from ground dried sassafras leaves) is used to thicken the stew.

SERVES 4

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6 tbsp vegetable oil
5 tbsp plain flour
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
4 celery sticks, trimmed and chopped
2 red peppers, cored, deseeded and chopped
4 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
225g chorizo (or andouille) sausage, sliced
800ml fish or chicken stock
400g white crabmeat (or cooked crab claws)
6-7 spring onions, trimmed and chopped
pinch of cayenne pepper
sea salt and black pepper
12 live oysters
handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Heat the oil in a large, wide pan over a medium-high heat. Sprinkle in the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture turns golden brown (forming a brown roux).

Tip in the onions, celery, red peppers and garlic.

Cook, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the chorizo and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

Gradually add the stock to the pan, a ladleful at a time, stirring continuously. Let the mixture simmer, stirring often, for about 30 minutes until the stock is thick and flavourful, and the vegetables are soft.

Add the crabmeat, spring onions, cayenne and salt and pepper to the pan and stir well. Finally, shuck the oysters and tip them into the pan, along with their strained juices. Simmer for a couple of minutes, then turn off the heat.

Ladle the gumbo into warm bowls and scatter over the chopped parsley. Serve at once, with plain rice.

louisiana-seafood-gumbo-recipe

How to Make Homemade Limoncello – Limoncello recipe

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limoncello recipe

Limoncello Recipe 1

INGREDIENTS:

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  • 5 lemons
  • 1lt %90 pure alcohol;
  • 1 lt water
  • 800gr sugar

Preparation:

in a closed container mix the yellow of the lemon zest and alcohol and leave to ferment for five days. Mix sugar and cold water together making sure that the sugar is completely dissolved. Add the water/sugar mixture to the container with lemon and let ferment for another five days, after which filter well and serve cold.

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Limoncello Recipe 2

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 oz lemon or Citrus Vodka
  • 2 oz. Lemoncello
  • 5 – 7 Leaves Lemon Basil
  • Juice of one lemon
  • candied lemon peel*
  • 1/2 C. plus 1 Tbsp. Sugar

Preparation:

Dip the martini glass rim in some lemon juice and then into the sugar. Chill your martini glass in the freezer. Medium chop the basil and place it in your empty martini shaker, add the lemon juice, the tbsp. of sugar and muddle this together well. Add ice cubes half way in the shaker, then pour in the vodka & Lemoncello and shake until the shaker frosts over. Drape the candied lemon peel over the rim, float a nice leaf of basil on the top and serve . ( Candied lemon peel recipe on back )

New England clam chowder

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New England

clam chowder

REGARDED AS ONE OF THE GREAT AMERICAN SOUPS, this is rich and creamy, with a delectable savoury flavour from the bacon and clams. The traditional garnish is oyster crackers. In San Francisco, clam chowder is sometimes served in hollowed-out sourdough bread bowls, as a sustaining lunch.

SERVES 4-6

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1kg live clams, cleaned splash of dry white wine
1 tbsp olive oil
10Og maple-cured bacon, cut into strips
2 onions, peeled and finely
chopped
2 celery sticks, trimmed (any
leaves reserved) and finely chopped
3 large floury potatoes, about
600g, peeled and finely diced
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped 30g butter
2V2 tbsp plain flour 500ml chicken stock 200ml double cream
2 tbsp celery leaves, chopped
(optional)
1 bay leafsea salt and black pepper handful of flat-leaf parsley, leaves torn

 

Heat a large heavy-based saucepan until hot. Tip in the clams, add a splash of wine and cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid. Give it a shake and let the clams steam for 3-4 minutes until the shells have opened.

Tip the clams into a colander set over a large bowl to collect the juices. When cool enough to handle, shell most of the clams, leaving some in their shells for an attractive presentation; discard any that remain closed.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan, add the bacon and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until crisp. Add the onions, celery, potatoes and garlic to the pan and fry gently for 6-8 minutes until starting to soften.

Add the butter, then the flour and cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes. Gradually add the stock to the pan, stirring constantly. Pour in the cream and the reserved juices from the clams. Add the chopped celery leaves, if available, bay leaf and seasoning. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20-30 minutes until the vegetables are soft and the chowder is thick.

Add all of the clams and warm through over a low heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes; do not allow to boil. Ladle into warm bowls and serve, sprinkled with parsley.

new-england-clam-chowder

Crab Cakes Recipe

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MARYLAND IS FAMOUS FOR ITS SUPERB CRAB CAKES.

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They are seasoned with the distinctive flavours of Old Bay spice blend, which is produced by McCormick s and available online from specialist suppliers. If you can t source it. make a simple version using equal amounts of ground bay leaf, mustard seeds, black pepper, ginger, cinnamon and celery salt. Make extra, store in an airtight jar and use to sprinkle onto other seafood dishes.

SERVES 6

  • 500g white crabmeat
  • 1 small onion, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 celery stick, trimmed and finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 medium egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tbsp Old Bay seasoning
  • about 50g fresh white breadcrumbs vegetable or groundnut oil, for frying

To serve:

  1. mayonnaise
  2. lemon wedges
  3. salad leaves

Pick over the crab meat and discard any fragments of shell. Put the onion, celery, mustard, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, beaten egg and chopped parsley into a bowl and mix well. Add the crabmeat and Old Bay seasoning and mix until evenly combined. ; Finally, incorporate 3-4 tbsp of the breadcrumbs – ! enough to obtain a firm mixture.

Cover with cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes to allow the mixture to firm up slightly.

With damp hands, shape the mixture into 6 or 8 neat patties. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the patties for about 2-3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Remove and drain on kitchen paper.

Serve the crab cakes hot with mayonnaise, lemon wedges and salad leaves.

crab-akes-recipe