A Taste of the Real Orient

28 02 2010

Singaporean Architecture

Singapore. Beautiful tree-lined boulevards. Fancy cars. Perfectly clean streets. Rules, rules and more rules. A perfect blend of culture and food from all over Asia.

Jakarta. Concentrated. Busy. Traffic. Smelly. The extremely poor co-existing with the affluent. Strong flavours and tradition running through its veins.

These two neighbours are, on the surface, like chalk and cheese.

Singapore is the ultra-modern city of the future…led by rules but constantly evolving, both in architecture and in culture. It is a city that truly never sleeps. Even some of its massive shopping malls are open 24 hours and you can always find a great meal any time of day or night by visiting one of its distinct districts such as Little India or Chinatown. If you think of any aspect of Asian food you will find it in Singapore. From nasi lemak to fish head curry, Singapore has it all.

Baby Mandarins

Jakarta, on the other hand, seems to be trying to be an alternative to Singapore. It has all the beautiful architecture of Singapore but concentrated in the business districts or around some of the more posh suburbs where there are huge apartment blocks sitting on foundations of massive mega-malls. However, if you find yourself travelling between the rich areas you will inevitably find yourself snarled up in a traffic-jam on a motorway or boxed in pot-holed carnage in the slums. Food-wise there is no major difference between the different classes. For one who was brought up on predominantly western food, Indonesian food is like taking a bungy jump blindfolded. You just say yes and hope for an amazing experience!

Temple Silhouette

The cuisine is what brings these two prime foodie destinations together. While on a fleeting visit recently I made a point of not saying ‘no’ without good reason and letting everyone else choose what I should eat. I am most-fortunate in having a wife whose family comes from Indonesia which means I now have relatives in Jakarta. They treated me like a star!

Kopi Luwak, as served

The food itinerary began with samples of jackfruit icecream and durian icecream. For those of you not familiar with durian, it is a large, thorn-covered fruit the size of a watermelon. It has a very distinct and pungent aroma and taste – like the marmite of fruit…either you hate it or love it. We then took the opportunity to try some surprisingly pleasant avocado smoothie and some ‘Kopi Luwak‘. At the equivalent of £7 a cup this stuff doesn’t come cheap; but as the most rare coffee in the world it has to be justified. To sum it up, the ‘luwak’ is an animal that likes to eat the red berries surrounding coffee beans. As it cannot digest the bean itself, the bean is fermented in the luwak’s stomach and excreted. It is then collected from the forest floor and processed in the usual manner. Yummy!

To accompany the coffee we had a selection of sweets and savouries including croquettes (reflecting the Dutch history in Indonesia), and puff pastry balls similar to choux buns filled with banana and cream with chocolate drizzle. After meeting with more of the family I was treated to a fine silk ‘batik‘ shirt. These shirts are very traditional and are worn to state banquets and other important events. Speaking of banquets, we headed to a traditional Indonesian restaurant where it was all laid on for us. We were joined by the rest of the family so it was a great chance for me to meet everyone and for Caroline to get reacquainted.

The Family & The Feast

Among some of the fine dishes we sampled were chilled coconut drinks sweetened with fruit syrups, a crazy-looking fried fish dish, crispy calamari, oxtail soup, prawns, chicken satays and lots of rice. While these may not seem to be too exotic it was the particular spices and sambals that gave the dishes their distinctive and special flavours and aromas.

The following day we visited a food court (food court = clean food!) for some more traditional eats. We enjoyed beef rendang, rujak juki (vegetables in peanut sauce, similar to gado gado), pempek (charred fish cake), longtong sayur (vegetable curry), Gong Xi Fa Cai cake (New Year’s cake) and kacang medan (crisp peanuts coated with tapioca flour, eggs and spices).

Snakeskinfruit

Dinner consisted of a visit to a Chinese noodle restaurant where we ate some superb handmade dumplings and succulents noodle broths. For a delicious, refreshing dessert that night we were made some teler – a sweet, wet, soup-like dessert of coconut, palm sugar, jackfruit, avocado and kolang kaling, a delicious fruit made into a sweet jelly-like candy. We ate this with some fresh snakeskin fruit and golden passionfruit.

Teler

Following our short excursion to Jakarta we headed to Singapore…the city of perfection. Staying with friends of the family we were treated to some absolutely succulent baby mandarins, rambutan, Chinese peanut biscuits, krupuk (Indonesian prawn crackers), not-so-traditional cheesecake and a delicious western-style fruitcake. For dinner we headed out to Little India and indulged in the obligatory fish head curry, complete with eyes (Mmmmmmm…….fish eyes) served on a banana leaf with plenty of rice, vegetable curries and a deliciously light and fluffy garlic naan. The following afternoon we indulged in a sitting of Chinese dim sum, those tasty morsels which came in the form of yet more dumplings, glutenous rice, abalone and pork rolls and my personal favourite – char siu bau…steamed roast pork buns.

For dinner that night we joined two of my wife’s cousins and one of their daughters for a special meal at Din Tai Fung, voted by the New York Times as one of the world’s top ten restaurants. While this is not a fine dining restaurant, they do amazing noodles and dumplings which are all made by hand and to order. Yet another great experience. We complimented the meal with a trip upstairs to the food hall where we had some moreish steamed coconut and palm sugar buns and a sweet coconut ice with jelly. This meal topped off a fantastic few days of sensory awakenings which centered around new experiences and distinct flavours. For anyone who is after a truly memorable culinary adventure, visit Singapore for a bit of everything or dive into Indonesia where there is something new around every corner!


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Categories : A Taste of the Real Orient, Food, Food Photos, Fruit & Vegetables, General Ramblings

Moroccan Lamb Tagine

10 01 2010

The tagine vessel

Lucky us – we were given for Christmas a fantastic tagine, the traditional cooking dish from Morocco. Since we have such cold weather lately, I can’t think of a more warming dish than lamb tagine with dates, apricots and a bit of roast vegetable couscous on the side.

Tagines can be cooked on the stove-top or in the oven although if your tagine is ceramic and you are using gas burners it is recommended that you use a metal tray underneath to prevent it from cracking. If you have one of the modern tagines with a cast iron base you will be able to seal your meat at higher temperatures than with a ceramic tagine. The cone-shaped lid of the tagine is designed to collect the condensation produced during cooking which then runs back into the stew, keeping it nice and moist.

The ideal cuts of meat for tagines include lamb neck, shank or shoulder as well as chicken thighs and other inexpensive cuts. Ideal seasoning ingredients include apricots, dates, quince, apple, plums and more. Vegetable tagines can also be made successfully and can include aubergines, peppers, okra and pretty much anything else.

Sealing the meat

Tagine goes well with a side of freshly-made couscous. Simply toss some couscous with lemon juice and olive oil in a bowl, add enough boiling stock (I used lamb but chicken or vegetable is great) to cover and cover the bowl with clingfilm for ten minutes or so until the couscous is nice and plump. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and add some fresh mint, coriander and a little parsley. If you have some leftover roasted vegetables or some dried apricots and almonds, these will top it off to perfection!

Lamb Tagine

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

¾ tablespoon ground ginger

½ tablespoon tumeric

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

600g shoulder of lamb, trimmed and cut into chunks

1 ½ medium onions – grated

2 tablespoons rapeseed or argan oil (Moroccan oil from the argan tree – find in specialist shops)

2 cloves garlic, crushed

200ml tomato juice

400g tinned chopped tomatoes

60g dried apricots cut in ½

30g dates – cut in ½

30g sultanas or raisins

50g flaked almonds

½ tsp saffron stamens, soaked in cold water

200ml lamb or beef stock

½ tablespoon clear honey

½ tablespoon pomegranate molasses (optional)

1 tablespoon coriander – roughly chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley – roughly chopped

  1. Place cayenne, pepper, paprika, ginger, tumeric and cinnamon into a small bowl and mix to combine. Place the lamb into a large bowl and toss together with ½ the spice mix. Cover and leave overnight in the fridge.
  2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or tagine dish – I used a cast iron tagine pan but this recipe works very well in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add the grated onion and remaining spice mix and cook over a gentle heat for 10 minutes so that the onions are soft but not coloured. Add the crushed garlic for the final 3 minutes.
  3. Add the lamb to the pan and cook until coloured on all sides. De-glaze the pan with half of the tomato juice. Scrape the yummy flavours off the bottom with a wooden spoon or spatula.
  4. Add the remaining tomato juice, chopped tomatoes, apricots, dates, sultanas, almonds, saffron, stock, honey and pomegranate molasses. Bring to the boil, cover with a fitting lid and cook over a low heat for 2-2 ½ hours or until the meat is meltingly tender. Taste and season with a little salt if desired.
  5. Serve the lamb in a tagine dish or large serving dish and sprinkle over the chopped herbs.

The finished product!


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Categories : Food, Food Photos, Lamb tagine, Main Courses, Recipes

Who needs to be in NZ for a decent pie?

9 09 2009

Whenever I go back to New Zealand one of the first things I do is buy a pie. Not Mrs Macs or even a BP Zip pie. It has to be a pie from the local baker, where mum’s and workmen indulge in an everyday treat.

With Kiwis consuming an average fifteen pies per year (I make every effort to cram my quota into the 3 weeks I’m in NZ!) we know a good pie. In London you are more likely to eat a Cornish pastie than a meat pie as us Kiwis and Aussies know them but we are lucky to have some antipodean alternatives being Jumbucks in Shepherd’s Bush and Square Pie. One of the classic London dishes is ‘pie, mash and liquor’ (along with ‘jellied eels’) but it can be a bit hit and miss – I’ve had a few really good ones and one particularly terrible one from a ‘traditional’ pie shop in the East End.

Fear not, humble expat (and those back home). My mates in London enjoy a good pie, so here’s my recipe.

Enjoy!

This recipe will make as many pies as you like dependant, of course, on your mould. If you use a shallow muffin tin you will get heaps of mini pies, great for parties. You may be lucky enough to have some proper pie moulds – you should get at least 6. I used tin takeaway containers from my local catering supply store since they didn’t have real tins and I got 5 big ones from this recipe. You can also store them in the freezer in these containers. It may look a little daunting but it’s pretty easy – make the filling (a day in advance is a good idea) then make the pie. Sweet as!

Mince and Cheese PiesDSCF8640

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

2 medium onions

200g carrot

2 sticks celery

1 kg minced meat – beef, lamb, venison…your choice

2 bayleaves

1½ Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

500ml beef or lamb stockDSCF8645

1 cup frozen peas

2 Tbsp plain flour

Salt and pepper

Some yummy cheese

500g short pastry

500g puff pastry

1 egg and a dash of milk for the eggwash

  1. Dice the onions, carrot and celery.
  2. Heat the oil in a heavy-based pot.
  3. Add the onions, carrot and celery and sauté over a medium-high heat until lightly golden.
  4. Add the mince and break up with a wooden spoon. Stir until browned and broken up nice and small.
  5. Add the bayleaves, tomato paste, Worcestershire sauce and stock.
  6. Mix well, reduce heat to a gentle simmer and cook for around one hour or so, stirring regularly until tender.
  7. Add the peas and sprinkle the flour over the top of the sauce, mixing well.
  8. Continue cooking a further 10 minutes until thickened.
  9. Taste and season with the salt and pepper.
  10. To assemble the pie, make sure the filling has cooled to room temperature.DSCF8674
  11. Lightly grease your moulds.
  12. Roll out your short pastry on a floured surface (after sprinkling with a bit more flour so the rolling pin doesn’t stick) and cut out slightly larger than your moulds, so you can line the interior right up the sides.
  13. Put your filling in but don’t fill it completely. You need space for the cheese!
  14. Top with a slice of cheese (Monteray Jack is nice, or maybe a bit of Port Salut).
  15. Roll out the puff pastry the same way as the short pastry and cut out to fit the top of your pie.
  16. Brush the edges of your top with eggwash and place egg-down over the pie.
  17. Seal the edges with a fork dipped in flour (so it doesn’t stick) and trim with a knife.
  18. Brush the pie top with eggwash, poke a few hole in the top with a knife to let the steam out when they cook.
  19. Cook at 180 degrees celsius for around 20-40 minutes, depending on the size.
  20. Eat.DSCF8677

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Categories : Food, Food Photos, General Ramblings, Lamb and cheese pies, Main Courses, Recipes, Starters

Tomato Relish

6 09 2009

DSCF6837I love tomatoes. They are one of the things I look forward to most in summer and I always grow half a dozen varieties each year. This year I grew around 25-30 plants with varieties such as Money Makers, Golden Sunrise, Tigerella, Strawberry tomatoes and Cherry tomatoes all doing very well. Last week I was picking 500g+ each night after work…very satisfying.

One of my foodie childhood memories is making tomato relish with Mum so I’ve decided to have a bash and share my recipe.

Enjoy!

1.5kg tomatoes – quartered and ‘eyes’ removed

3 large onions – chopped

1.5 cups malt vinegar

1.5 cups demerara sugar

1.5 Tbsp mustard powder

1 Tbsp hot curry powder

½ tsp chilli powder

2 tsp salt

1½ Tbsp cornflour

  1. In a large, heavy-based saucepan simmer the tomatoes and onions over a low-medium heat until they have released their liquid and reduced by around half. Stir frequently. This will likely take around 1-1½ hours.
  2. Add the remaining ingredients and lower the temperature to a very gentle simmer.
  3. Continue cooking for around 2 hours until the relish has reduced by around 1/3 and thickened slightly.
  4. Mix the cornflour with a little water and add to the relish.
  5. Simmer a further 5 minutes.
  6. Store in sterilized glass jars until needed. For best results leave the relish to develop and integrate its flavours for a few weeks before consumption.DSCF8672

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Back to School

4 09 2009

For those who don’t know me so well, I’ve been cooking for a while – nearly 14 years to date. I’ve honed my skills in many different styles of kitchen from purely organic vegetarian cooking through to top-end fine-dining and have a penchant for the traditional, preferring the classic and ‘authentic’ methods of preparation over all this molecular gastronomy malarcy that has infiltrated the culinary world.

When I began my formal training in New Zealand we spent part of our studies covering modern cookery. Back then modern cookery didn’t even include fusion cuisine. It was more a recap of nouvelle cuisine (you know the stuff – tiny portions surrounded by a mass of empty white plate which required a visit to MacDonalds on the way home just to feel satisfied) and while the presentation ideas were valuable it wasn’t worth much more than that. It has always been proper kitchen experience that has made the difference, stealing ideas from anyone and everyone.

In the last few weeks I’ve been learning about some ideas that are fast becoming the norm in fine-dining kitchens. My favourite, being one of the most fun and biggest reaction-getter, is caviar. I don’t know about you but caviar (fish eggs) don’t float my boat. What if they didn’t taste of fish? How about if they were made of raspberry jelly?! This is quite a simple idea when we stop and think but far removed from the traditional idea of jelly.

First we put a small container of vegetable oil in the freezer. It needs to be nice and cold. Next some raspberries are placed in a stainless steel bowl covered with clingfilm and placed over a saucepan of simmering water so the steam heats the bowl. After an hour or so the raspberries will have excreted lots of juice. This method is called ‘etuve’ and translates to ’steam room’. In culinary terms it means to cook in the food’s juices.

After straining the juice, we bring them to the boil with a little sugar and add some agar, a gelatine derived from seaweed. The juice is boiled until the agar is dissolved. Using a large syringe, we suck up the liquid and then drip it into the very cold oil. As the jelly is water-based it won’t mix with the oil and as the oil is so cold (-18C) the jelly sets straight away. Also, being made of agar instead of the usual animal-derived gelatine, the jelly balls will hold their shape at room temperature and above. Agar sets at around 55C. Interesting stuff! My next project with this method will be to serve cold, rare beef fillet carpaccio with ‘caviar’ of watercress and horseradish. The green and white balls will contrast against each other nicely and are a classic pairing to beef. Lush!

The other major concept I’ve been using which has been around since the 1970’s is called ’sous-vide’. This technique involves using a precisely regulated water-bath  (thermal immersion circulators) in which the food is cooked slowly at very accurate temperatures. The food in question is vacuum-sealed in a plastic bag which maintains the integrity and structure. As an example, If I were to roast a beef rump in the usual manner, it would likely be rare in the middle, working its way to well done on the outside. Using sous-vide we first colour and seal the meat in a hot pan to give the meat that caramelised appearance and flavour. The searing also kills any bacteria present on the outside of the meat – a very important step. The meat is vacuum-packed and cooked in the water bath at 55C for 45 minutes. As medium-cooked meat is 55C it cannot be over-cooked using the sous-vide method as this is the maximum it can get to. For the professional chef, this means no overcooked bits resulting in less wastage and more consistency. The sous-vide method can also be used for slow cooking over a long period of time – we recently cooked duck legs for 18 hours at 80C and they simply melted!

Who says you can’t teach an old (ish!) dog new tricks?!!


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Home Sweet Home

9 08 2009

As far as I’m concerned, my mum makes the best chocolate chip biscuits known to man. But while my mum was a major influence in my desire to be a chef, it’s my grandmother who takes centre stage in my memories of home baking.

She had (actually, she probably still has) a simply enormous porcelain bowl that would sit in a sink of warm water while she creamed butter and sugar for cakes and biscuits. The best jobs were to sift flour through her hand crank sifter and then clean the bowls using nothing but a spoon and my tongue.

My favourites from Grandma’s cupboard were, and still are, melt-in-your-mouth shortbread, Louise cake (Granddad’s preferred version was with apricot jam), chocolate coconut slice with chocolate icing, and the cupboard staple of a deliciously moist banana cake. Always moist since it was always demolished on the day it was made! Here is a woman who brought up a family of seven children during the depression after World War II while my grandfather supported them, not to mention baking for 13 grandchildren and a growing squadron of great grandchildren.

During the 1960s and continuing through to the 70s and early 80s, there was an expectation home baking would be in the cupboard when friends and family came to visit. But over the last twenty years, the biscuit and cake tins of New Zealand have lain increasingly dormant. This can be put down to several factors – the removal of import tariffs and rise of competitively priced supermarket treats, the loss of the traditional “homemaker” to the working world, and busier lifestyles all contributing to the decline of date loaf and one-egg chocolate sponge.

However, home baking has recently experienced a resurgence in popularity. While our lives become increasingly hectic and technology intensive, today’s foodie culture has reclaimed all that is lovingly produced, simple and homemade. Promotion by TV chefs such as Richard Till of Kiwi Kitchen, beautifully produced food magazines such as Cuisine, and increasing pride in our cultural heritage have all played their part in this trend for Kiwi-style baked treats such as Anzac biscuits, afghans, lamingtons and custard squares.

Home baking remains one of the last facets of Kiwi cuisine to remain largely unchanged during the last century. The tradition developed from humble beginnings in the early 1800s, when the first settlers from the UK arrived on our shores, surviving through two world wars and several recessions. Interestingly, it has retained its simplicity over time while our savoury dishes have undergone constant revision.

With our predominantly British heritage, it is not surprising that baking has always formed a significant part of the New Zealand diet. The foundation stones of this tradition were laid in 1907 with the first edition of the Sure to Rise Cookery Book, now known as the Edmonds Cookbook. Originally released to promote Edmonds baking powder, you’ll be hard-pressed nowadays to find a Kiwi household without a copy. It remains the fastest-selling book in New Zealand with over 200,000 copies sold in one year and over 57 reprints. The iconic Edmonds has provided the recipes and basic knowledge to enable four generations of Kiwis to prepare a wide range of inexpensive meals, including baking and home preserving.

It has been suggested that New Zealanders have a sweeter tooth than our cousins over the ditch and if we look to our heritage it is easy to see why; we are predominantly from Scottish origin, where they have strong penchant for the sweeter things in life. This would explain the mass appeal of the sugar-load that is the ANZAC biscuit. It is thought that the ANZAC biscuit was a sweet version of the traditional oat biscuits of Scotland. These biscuits were reputedly made by the wives of servicemen of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and needed to be able to survive the two arduous months it took to reach soldiers in the field. The recipe doesn’t contain any eggs, the main reason being that eggs were scarce at the time as most of the poultry farmers consigned to the armed forces. ANZAC biscuits were originally called soldiers’ biscuits but the name changed after the Gallipoli landing to commemorate those who sacrificed so much for our countries.

The term ANZAC is legally protected under Australian law but the biscuits have an exemption as long as they are made to the original recipe of rolled oats, flour, coconut, sugar, butter, golden syrup, bicarbonate of soda and boiling water. In late 2008, the sandwich chain Subway tried to sell ANZAC biscuits but as their supplier could not produce them to the original recipe in a cost effective way, they were dropped. This requirement doesn’t stop cafés selling them all over New Zealand and even in some of the finer establishments in London and further afield catering to homesick Antipodeans.

The café culture in New Zealand has also grown from strength to strength over the last two decades, with traditional tearooms – those bastions of lolly cake, custard squares and cheese scones – making way for trendy temples of caffeine, especially in urban areas.

The high standard and consistency of our coffee has forced cafés to up their game in the food department in order to stand out from the competition, resulting in an increase of quality all-round. The traditional cakes and biscuits still have a place on the counter but consumers today are also used to, and expect, savoury dishes with a fusion twist, such as blue cheese and asparagus quiche, roasted kumara frittata or a chicken, brie and cranberry panini.

Today we are starting families in our thirties, after studying, traveling and establishing our careers, something that would have been extremely uncommon thirty years ago. But despite this rapid generational change, and perhaps even because of it, it seems traditions such as home baking still have a place in our lives.

Many of us are fortunate to live in a society where we don’t cook, or bake, solely for nutrition – rather it is something to be shared, to be passed down through the generations and to remind us of where we’ve been.


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Survey

3 08 2009

Don’t forget to complete my survey – Click Here to take survey

I value your opinions and appreciate any suggestions for articles. Tell me what you want to know! Leave a comment.


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So, What’s with Coffee???

3 08 2009

I’m a coffee snob. There, I said it! Nothing wrong with that is there?!

Bialetti 8 Cup

Aluminium Bialetti 8 Cup

I consider myself extremely lucky to be a coffee snob. It means I’m a bona fide Wellingtonian, coming from a city that has more cafes per capita than most cities in the world. To succeed as a cafe proprietor in my home city you MUST make exceptional coffee or you’ll be swallowed up by the competition. One particular cafe that had the earliest influences on me was Caffe Mode, up in Kelburn Village. The cafe latte that Craig Walden gave me on my first day began a voyage of discovery revolving around a beverage that becomes more intricate and refined as each new  experience layers upon another.

Do you have a top of the line espresso machine in your kitchen? You do? Lucky bugger! Can I come to your house for coffee??! Unfortunately for the rest of us, we have to make do with the classic Italian way which is why I’m going to focus on the most common and simplest way to make coffee at home, with a stovetop espresso pot.

In order to make a great coffee we need to bring together several simple but important components. Firstly, we must use the best beans we can lay our hands on. As to where the beans come from, this is secondary and we don’t need to be a coffee guru to source quality ones. Buying coffee beans is opposite to the traits of making a decent scotch whisky. Rather than being about single origins, it is the skill of the roaster that captures the best of the beans by blending to create a harmonious result. I suggest buying your beans from a cafe that makes fantastic coffee to begin with. They will usually have freshly roasted beans available to take home and if they roast their own beans, such as London’s Monmouth or Bullet Cafe, or Wellington’s L’Affare or Mojo, you can be guaranteed freshly roasted beans. When I catered for a Wellington law firm I sourced beans from Mojo, who guaranteed them to be roasted within the past 24 hours. Super fresh! Beans for home brewing don’t have to be this fresh but make sure they are no more than 1 week from roasting and that they have been stored in a sealed environment, ideally vacuum-packed or in one of those bags with a one way valve to release any excess gases. When storing the beans at home, there are varied schools of thought – freezer, fridge or simply in an airtight container. Personally I see no problem in leaving them in an airtight container at room temperature as there are other factors in extracting your coffee that will play a greater influence on the quality. As long as you only buy small quantities regularly (250g as a guide) you should get through it fast enough to not lose much quality.

Stainless Steel Pot

Stainless Steel Pot

The next step to making a decent cup is getting the grind right. In this department you have three main options: the trusty (and inexpensive) blade grinder which can also be used for grinding dry spices, a flat burr grinder and a conical burr grinder; check out Buyer’s Guide to Coffee Grinders for more info on the different grinders. I, like most people who make coffee at home on a purely casual basis, am only using a blade grinder and find this suffices though given the option, I would easily opt for a conical step-less burr grinder which gives infinite control over the grain texture and superb consistency. When it comes to obtaining the best grain for an espresso, we are looking for a texture finer than caster sugar but not as fine as a powder. If you are using a blade grinder it is best to start by grinding a little on the coarse side and then giving it a few short blasts until you reach the right grind. If the grind is too coarse, the coffee will be weak and washy as the water will pass through it too fast. Too fine and the water will struggle to find its way through and will ‘drill’ minute holes through the beans, resulting in a bitter coffee. Practice makes perfect!

The Dose

The Dose

Next comes the dose. Put enough cold water in the bottom of your pot to give you the amount and strength of espresso you desire. Less water means a stronger brew, more means weaker. There will be a valve in the side of the water chamber which is used to release the steam pressure if you have too much or too fine coffee in the basket. Under no circumstances should you fill above the valve or you may get boiling water squirting out the side! There needs to be enough ground coffee in the basket to give the coffee strength but not so much that the water can’t get through evenly. When using a stovetop pot, there is no need to ‘tamp’ or press the coffee into the basket. Simply spoon your beans into the basket until they form a slight hump above the lip. Run your finger around the edge of the lip and make sure there aren’t any grains that could compromise the seal. When you screw the top on tightly, this will press the coffee into the basket.

Disassembled - Base, Basket and Jug

Disassembled - Base, Basket and Jug

Set your pot on a medium flame and close the lid. It will take a minute or so to get going as the water heats and the pressure builds up under the basket. Once the coffee is flowing, listen for a gurgling sound. That will indicate that your espresso is about done.

If you like an espresso, great. Enjoy your brew. If you like a cafe latte or cappuccino, here’s how to get frothed milk without a steamer. Heat your milk in a saucepan or microwave. Don’t bring it to the boil – it wants to be 55-60 deg C. You should nearly be able to hold your finger in it, but not quite. Heat a metal coffee plunger under running hot water (you can use a glass one if you are careful but metal is easier) and dry. Transfer your hot milk to the plunger and plunge repeatedly to get your bubbles. This can take anywhere from 10-40 plunges, depending on the milk. Remove the lid and sharply tap the plunger several times on a firm bench to knock the air out of the large bubbles. We are looking for a silky, creamy texture. Give the jug a quick swirl to even out the consistency and gently pour over your freshly brewed espresso. Perfecto!

Tips

- Water is an important component of a good coffee. When speaking to a master barista in Naples (and the pizza guys there will say the same thing about their pizza doughs) we were told how the coffee in Naples is revered because of the minerals in their volcanic region’s water. We prefer to use bottled water rather than ‘London Tap’ which is high in lime.

- Don’t use hot water. It will get too hot in the pot before enough pressure is obtained to force it through the grounds resulting in burnt, bitter coffee.

- I prefer to use semi-skimmed organic milk. Organic milk is proven to have more nutrients than regular milk and semi-skimmed won’t bloat you as much as full fat milk will (and it’s better for the waist-line!). The time of year can also influence the quality of milk, depending on what the cows have been feeding on.

- If buying a top-of-the-range machine, do your research. Check out Caffe Italia for all you need to know about coffee machines.

- When it comes to stovetop pots, there is no need to spend a fortune. We’ve bought several lovely stainless steel coffee pots over the years with the mindset that since they cost more they must be better. The chef school of thought also teaches that since aluminium reacts with acidic substances such as wine, vinegar and lemon juice and, as coffee is acidic, why would I want traces of aluminium in my coffee? My favourite pot is an aluminium Bialetti 8 cup. It performs more consistently than the steel ones – my theory is that it expands more than steel, creating a better seal. It makes too much for me alone but for a group of afficianados it is great!


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Categories : Coffee, Food, Food Photos, So What's with Coffee???

A Chef’s Guide – Ravioli

19 07 2009

Ever bought a shiny new pasta machine with all the intentions of making your own fresh pasta every week, only to have it sit in a cupboard gathering dust?

Raviolono

Ham & Mozzarella Raviolono, Saffron Broth & Rocket

Fear not! You are not alone. I too have a pasta machine that sees the light of day only once a month at the most but it is nonetheless a task that I get a great deal of enjoyment from. The hardest part is, fortunately, taken care of at the start – making the dough. The rest is pure pleasure. Once the dough is made, you can wrap it in cling-film and leave it in the fridge until you need to roll it, though not longer than a day or 2 – fresh is best. You can also make your filling in advance, whether it be ricotta, spinach & nutmeg, roasted pumpkin & pinenut, or (my favourite) truffled corn-fed chicken.

Raviolo (meaning one; ‘ravioli’ is the plural) are one of the most popular pasta dishes in the world and there are countless varieties which originated from all over the northern part of Italy, as well as new variations being created in kitchens worldwide. ‘Raviolini‘ are the smallest and are best served ‘in brodo’ (in broth) or in a light tomato sauce. ‘Ravioloni’ are the largest and traditionally come dressed in melted butter, sage and freshly grated grana padano.

Flour & EggsMaking Ravioli

We begin by making the dough. The finished dough can be stored wrapped in clingfilm in the fridge until needed. Just let it come up to room temperature before rolling. The other main component we need is the filling. This is best kept relatively simple.

The Dough

200g ‘00′ flour
2 large eggs
a pinch of salt

Pasta DoughIn a large bowl or on a bench, mix the flour and salt. Add the egg and mix well until combined. Knead the dough until it holds together well. You may need to add a splash of water or flour if the consistency is to dry/wet but bear in mind that the dough should be very firm, not sticky to the touch and does take a bit of hard work to knead to this point. If you have a bench-top mixer, you can use this to make your dough – much easier!

Filling ideas:

- Blanch some spinach in boiling water for 15 seconds to wilt then plunge into very cold water. Once chilled, drain and squeeze the water out. Chop and mix with some ricotta, an egg yolk, grated parmesan, freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper.

- Sweat some diced onion or shallot until sweet and soft. Allow to cool. Put in a blender with some diced, raw chicken. Blend until smooth, blend in an egg white and a dash of cream. Season and add a touch of white truffle oil or some freshly chopped herbs.

- Roast some diced pumpkin. Mash and mix with grated grana padano, some sweated onion and garlic and a little sage. Toast some pinenuts and add to the mixture. Season.

- If you have some meat stew left over from another meal, let it cool down and dice it quite fine. It makes a delicious, rich filling.

- Dice some ham with some buffalo mozzarella. Add grated grana padano, an egg yolk and season.

- Sweat some wild mushrooms with shallots and garlic. Add a dash of white wine and reduce. Add a dash of cream (just enough to bind it) and also reduce. Season and allow to cool.

The fillings are only restricted by your imagination. Some will work better than others and will go with cream sauces, fresh sauces (such as tomato) or broths better than others. If you keep the flavours simple I am sure you will have great success!

Rolling Your DoughRolling Pasta

Start by clamping your pasta machine to the right-hand side of a long bench. You will need lots of room at the left of the machine for the pasta to be laid on. Lightly dust the bench with a little flour. Flatten your dough by hand or rolling pin to 5-8mm thick. Lightly dust with flour and dust off the excess with a dry pastry brush. With the machine on its widest setting, feed the dough through. Repeat again on the next smaller setting, continuing until you get to the third thinnest setting.

Folding PastaAt this early stage, your pasta is not likely to be very smooth. To obtain the smooth texture and to strengthen the pasta, we need to fold it. Laying the pasta on a bench, fold one side to the line 1/3 away from the opposite end, then fold the other end over so you end up with 3 layers of dough 1/3 their original size. Return the machine setting to the thickest setting and repeat the whole sequence 2 more times until you have a silky-smooth sheet of dough. Continue rolling the dough thinner until you reach the thinnest setting. You should be able to faintly see your hand through the dough. Correct Thickness

The next stage is to add the fillings. Brush half of the sheet with eggwash (egg and milk), place your fillings on the dough evenly-spaced apart and lay the other half of the dough over them. Most importantly, press any air out of each ravioli. If you don’t do this, the air will expand on cooking which could explode your ravioli filling all through your cooking water.

The fillings

The final stage in the making of your ravioli is to cut them out. Firstly, I recommend sealing the filling in by pressing a cup or rounded edge of an upside-down pastry-cutter around the filling. Then all you need to do is cut out your ravioli. Easy!

Sealing the RavioloCutting the Ravioli

Tips

- Always keep your bench and pasta dough very lightly floured. Brush off any excess flour from the pasta with a dry pastry brush.

- Don’t start rolling your pasta until your filling is made and ready to use.

- KEEP YOUR PASTA MACHINE DRY!!! This means NOT cleaning it in hot soapy water. Simply brush it with your pastry brush after use. Once it gets wet, it will never stop squeaking!

- Don’t let your dough dry out. Work quickly.

- If not using your ravioli immediately, store in a tray with fine semolina underneath and on top. This will absorb any excess moisture and keep them separated.

- Use your ravioli on the day you make them. They dry out overnight and don’t cook as well.

- Cook in LOTS of boiling, salted water. The quantities required rely on the rule of 10’s. For 100g pasta, use 1 litre water and 10g salt. The more water the better so your pasta doesn’t stick.

- Try using the dough for lasagne sheets. It works great! Or cut out squares and cook in water. Serve layered with a bit of bolognaise sauce (sauce ragu) as ‘handkerchief’ pasta.


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Categories : A Chef's Guide - Ravioli, Food, Food Photos, Pasta, Recipes, Starters

Tiramisu – The Ultimate Pick-me-up

2 07 2009

While the concept of a layered cake is nothing new, Tiramisu in its current form may well be. One common theory of its origin is that it comes from 1600’s Siena, where it was made to honour Grand Duke Cosimo III De’Medici, but historical cookbooks from the time don’t mention it and it is also not mentioned in several more recent gastronomique works of note, including La Scienza in Cucina (published in 1891), Il Talisamno della Felicità (published in 1929) or La Mia Cucina, a comprehensive 10-volume set published in 1978.

Although the origins of tiramisu appeared in the 1600’s as the precursor to English trifle, using a custard cream instead of the more modern marscapone, the earliest mention of tiramisu in its current name and form reputedly date back to only 1971, when it was created by the restaurant Le Beccherie in the city of Treviso, Italy.

When I first learned to make tiramisu, I was taught to use savoiardi or lady finger biscuits, Kahlua or rum, instant coffee and marscapone with beaten eggs and sugar. While these are among the most common ingredients used, I have been fortunate to have been re-educated on a recent trip to Italy by an Italian friend from the small mediaeval village of Vicopisano, in the heart of Toscana. The recipe in question uses pavesini biscuits which are much thinner and crunchier than the traditional savioardi biscuits. They soften nicely once the cake is assembled and, as they are so thin, allow you to get around 5 layers in a 7-8cm deep dish, giving the cake more integrity and structure. It has also been suggested by some that the alcohol is not traditional, instead using only strong espresso to dip the biscuits into. The version I would like to share with you also includes the delicious touch of grated dark (71% cocoa) chocolate between each layer. Simple. Delicious. Will make you popular! ENJOY!!!

Tiramisu – by Massimo Lenzi

500g marscapone
5 Tbsp sugar
5 eggs
Pavesini biscuits
Dark chocolate
Cocoa powder

Whisk the yolks with the sugar until pale.
Fold in the marscapone.
Whisk the whites to soft peaks.
Fold the whites gently into the yolks and marscapone.

Dip the pavesini into espresso for 1 second each.

Layer with the marscapone and grated dark chocolate.

Dust with cocoa powder or more grated chocolate.

DSCF7211


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Categories : Cakes and Pastries, Coffee, Food, Food Photos, Recipes, Tiramisu

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