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Roast Duck with Red Wine & Sour Cherry Sauce

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 09:18:53 +0000

INGREDIENTS:

4 duck breasts, skin on
4 Sweet Potatoes
1 Small Swede
2 Tsp Single Cream
1 Small Savoy Cabbage
12 Rashers of Smoked Streaky Bacon
50g Butter

SAUCE:
100g packet of dried sour cherries (usually found in home baking section)
300ml red wine
50g granulated sugar
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Method:

Put the sour cherries, red wine, vinegar and sugar into a pan and heat gently until the sugar has dissolved.
Increase the heat and reduce the quantity by half. Check the seasoning and set aside.
Bake the sweet potatoes in their skins for about 45 mins to an hour, dice the swede and cook until soft. Then slit open the sweet potatoes and scoop out the flesh, add to the swede then add half the butter and cream. Season and mash to a creamy consistancy. If you want to go all out and make it really smooth, pass it through a sieve!!
To cook the duck, first preheat the oven to 180C, then score the skin on the diagonal with slashes around 1cm apart – don’t go too deep and cut the flesh.
Place the duck skin side down in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook gently to allow the fat to render off. After 6 to 8 mins increase the heat and allow the skin to take on a golden colour.
Now transfer to a baking tray, skin side up, and cook for approx 8 mins until just cooked through but still a little pink in the middle. Once cooked, take it out of the oven, cover with foil, and allow to rest for around 5 mins.
Shred the cabbage and cook for 3-4 minutes, once cooked, drain and rinse in cold water. Set it to oneside
Dice the bacon and add to a frying pan with the rest fo the butter, cook for 3 -4 minutes, once cooked add the cabbage, mix well, cover and cook on a low heat for about 3 minutes.
When ready to plate up, slice the duck into 5 or 6 pieces, arrange on the plate with the mash and cabbage then spoon a little sauce around it.

Thai Beef Salad

Wed, 03 Aug 2011 23:25:06 +0100

This is a great little salad, got through many a guitar tutoring session on this! This recipe serves 4!

Ingredients:

4 tbsp groundnut oil
1 tsp chinese five spice
4 sirloin steaks, (250g each)
4 spring onions, finely sliced
4 cm cucumber, sliced
2 stalks lemongrass, finely sliced
4 red onions, small, finely sliced
3 red chillies, seeds removed, chopped
4 tbsp fish sauce
4 tsp brown sugar
8 tbsp limes, juice
1 tbsp finley chopped mint leaves
1 pinches salt
1 pinches peppe r

Method:

Heat the oil in a heavy frying pan and fry the steak for 3 minutes on each side, if you like your meat medium-rare, or longer if you for well-cooked meat. Remove from the pan and sprinkle with five spice powder. Leave the steaks on one side to cool before cutting into strips.
Combine all the remaining ingredients and spoon into a serving bowl, place the beef strips on top of the salad.

If it is a bit too spicy then either reduce the amount of chillies or increase the brown sugar, either way it's a great little dish!

Breakfast Rice

Sun, 10 Jul 2011 18:32:12 +0100

A great way to reuse left over rice or just as a side dish for Chinese meal!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil
4 Eggs, beaten
150g Bacon, (smoked or un-smoked, your choice), roughly chopped
250g rice, cooked, left over rice from the day before is perfect
100g Peas, cooked
1 tbsp light Soy sauce
0.5 tsp ground black pepper

Method:

Heat a large frying pan or wok, with one tablespoon of the oil over a moderate heat, and pour in the beaten eggs. Tip the pan around so that the eggs set in a thin layer - much like a pancake. When cooked, transfer the omelette to a chopping board and cut into small pieces - about 2cm squares.

In the same pan, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the bacon and onion until crisp.

Tip in the cooked rice, followed by the peas and omelette pieces, and heat through. Season with soy sauce and a pinch of black pepper before serving.

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 15 minutes. Add the peas for the last 2 minutes of cooking time.

Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot. Add the pancetta slices and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until crisp. Remove the pancetta and place on kitchen paper, reserving a little of the fat in the pan.

Add the garlic and lemon zest to the frying pan, then cook gently for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is softened but not browned.

Drain the pasta and peas and return to their pan. Stir in the garlic and lemon zest, mint and lemon juice. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Roughly chop the pancetta slices and stir into the pasta. Serve immediately, topped with the cheese shavings and drizzled with balsamic glaze. Serve with a watercress salad

Pancetta & Pea Pasta

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 07:32:12 +0100

A great light summer dish, that can be served hot or cold!

Ingredients:

400g Fusilli pasta
210g pack fresh peas
70g Pancetta Slices
2 cloves fresh green garlic, crushed
Juice and zest of 1 unwaxed lemon
20g pack fresh mint, roughly chopped
40g Grana Padano, made into shavings with a Y-shaped peeler
Balsamic Glaze

Method:

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 15 minutes. Add the peas for the last 2 minutes of cooking time.

Add the garlic and lemon zest to the frying pan, then cook gently for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is softened but not browned.

Drain the pasta and peas and return to their pan. Stir in the garlic and lemon zest, mint and lemon juice. Season with freshly ground black pepper.

Roughly chop the pancetta slices and stir into the pasta. Serve immediately, topped with the cheese shavings and drizzled with balsamic glaze. Serve with a watercress salad.

Cook the pasta in boiling water for 15 minutes. Add the peas for the last 2 minutes of cooking time.
Meanwhile, heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot. Add the pancetta slices and cook for 2-3 minutes, turning once, until crisp. Remove the pancetta and place on kitchen paper, reserving a little of the fat in the pan.
Add the garlic and lemon zest to the frying pan, then cook gently for 2-3 minutes until the garlic is softened but not browned.
Drain the pasta and peas and return to their pan. Stir in the garlic and lemon zest, mint and lemon juice. Season with freshly ground black pepper.
Roughly chop the pancetta slices and stir into the pasta. Serve immediately, topped with the cheese shavings and drizzled with balsamic glaze.

Blue Cheese Sauce

Thu, 23 Jun 2011 11:09:28 +0100

I love steak and am always looking for different sauces to have with it. Here's my take on a simple blue cheese sauce.

Enjoy!

2 shallots, chopped finely

4 tablespoons butter

6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Cook the shallots in the butter until soft, about 7 or 8 minutes. Don't brown them. Mix in the blue cheese using a fork to smash it into the butter and eventually form a smooth paste. Add the heavy cream and mix well. Heat to just below boiling. Stir in pepper and serve warm.

Ingredients:

2 shallots, chopped finely
4 tbls butter
6 oz blue cheese, crumbled
200 ml double cream
Salt & Pepper to season

Method:

Cook the shallots in the butter until soft, about 7 or 8 minutes. Don't brown them.
Mix in the blue cheese using a fork to smash it into the butter and eventually form a smooth paste.
Add the double cream and mix well.
Heat to just below boiling, simmer for about 1 minute and season accordingly.

Welcome

Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:58:48 +0100

Welcome to my recipe blog, here you will find lots of my favourite recipes plus other stuff I've found useful while cooking!

Enjoy!