Blog

Category: Beef

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 4-5 pound Beef Brisket
• Dash Salt
• 3 Onion
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 1 Sprig Thyme
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 Large Carrots
• 1 Tbsp Mustard
• 4 Mashed Potatoes

Instructions:

1 Prepare the brisket for cooking: On one side of the brisket there should be a layer of fat, which you want. If there are any large chunks of fat, cut them off and discard them. Large pieces of fat will not be able to render out completely.
Using a sharp knife, score the fat in parallel lines, about 3/4-inch apart. Slice through the fat, not the beef. Repeat in the opposite direction to make a cross-hatch pattern.
Salt the brisket well and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2 Sear the brisket: You'll need an oven-proof, thick-bottomed pot with a cover, or Dutch oven, that is just wide enough to hold the brisket roast with a little room for the onions.
Pat the brisket dry and place it, fatty side down, into the pot and place it on medium high heat. Cook for 5-8 minutes, lightly sizzling, until the fat side is nicely browned. (If the roast seems to be cooking too fast, turn the heat down to medium. You want a steady sizzle, not a raging sear.)
Turn the brisket over and cook for a few minutes more to brown the other side.

3 Sauté the onions and garlic: When the brisket has browned, remove it from the pot and set aside. There should be a couple tablespoons of fat rendered in the pot, if not, add some olive oil.
Add the chopped onions and increase the heat to high. Sprinkle a little salt on the onions. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions are lightly browned, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes.

4 Return brisket to pot, add herbs, stock, bring to simmer, cover, cook in oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Use kitchen twine to tie together the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme.
Move the onions and garlic to the sides of the pot and nestle the brisket inside. Add the beef stock and the tied-up herbs. Bring the stock to a boil on the stovetop.
Cover the pot, place the pot in the 300°F oven and cook for 3 hours. Carefully flip the brisket every hour so it cooks evenly.

5 Add carrots, continue to cook: After 3 hours, add the carrots. Cover the pot and cook for 1 hour more, or until the carrots are cooked through and the brisket is falling-apart tender.
6 Remove brisket to cutting board, tent with foil: When the brisket is falling-apart tender, take the pot out of the oven and remove the brisket to a cutting board. Cover it with foil. Pull out and discard the herbs.
7 Make sauce (optional): At this point you have two options. You can serve as is, or you can make a sauce with the drippings and some of the onions. If you serve as is, skip this step.
To make a sauce, remove the carrots and half of the onions, set aside and cover them with foil. Pour the ingredients that are remaining into the pot into a blender, and purée until smooth. If you want, add 1 tablespoon of mustard to the mix. Put into a small pot and keep warm.
8 Slice the meat across the grain: Notice the lines of the muscle fibers of the roast. This is the "grain" of the meat. Slice the meat perpendicular to these lines, or across the grain (cutting this way further tenderizes the meat), in 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices.
Serve with the onions, carrots and gravy. Serve with mashed, roasted or boiled potatoes, egg noodles or polenta.

Category: Dessert

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 100g Flour
• 2 large Eggs
• 300ml Milk
• 1 tbls Sunflower Oil
• to serve Sugar
• to serve Raspberries
• to serve Blueberries

Instructions:

Put the flour, eggs, milk, 1 tbsp oil and a pinch of salt into a bowl or large jug, then whisk to a smooth batter. Set aside for 30 mins to rest if you have time, or start cooking straight away.
Set a medium frying pan or crêpe pan over a medium heat and carefully wipe it with some oiled kitchen paper. When hot, cook your pancakes for 1 min on each side until golden, keeping them warm in a low oven as you go.
Serve with lemon wedges and sugar, or your favourite filling. Once cold, you can layer the pancakes between baking parchment, then wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 2 months.

Category: Seafood

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 400g Salmon
• 3 Avocado
• 1 Cucumber
• 400g Spinach
• 4 tbs Mint
• zest and juice of 1 Lime
• 2 tsp Honey
• 3 tbs Olive Oil

Instructions:

Season the salmon, then rub with oil. Mix the dressing ingredients together. Halve, stone, peel and slice the avocados. Halve and quarter the cucumber lengthways, then cut into slices. Divide salad, avocado and cucumber between four plates, then drizzle with half the dressing.

Heat a non-stick pan. Add the salmon and fry for 3-4 mins on each side until crisp but still moist inside. Put a salmon fillet on top of each salad and drizzle over the remaining dressing. Serve warm.

Category: Side

Area: Croatian

Ingredients:

• 500g Sardines
• Dash Vegetable Oil
• To Glaze Flour
• Dash Salt

Instructions:

Wash the fish under the cold tap. Roll in the flour and deep fry in oil until crispy. Lay on kitchen towel to get rid of the excess oil and serve hot or cold with a slice of lemon.

Category: Side

Area: Canadian

Ingredients:

• 1kg Ham
• 200g (soaked overnight) Peas
• 2 chopped Onions
• 2 chopped Carrots
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 chopped Celery
• 300g Frozen Peas
• to serve Bread

Instructions:

Put the gammon in a very large pan with 2 litres water and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and drain off the water – this helps to get rid of some of the saltiness. Recover with 2 litres cold water and bring to the boil again. Put everything but the frozen peas into the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1½-2½ hrs, topping up the water as and when you need to, to a similar level it started at. As the ham cooks and softens, you can halve it if you want, so it is all submerged under the liquid. When the ham is tender enough to pull into shreds, it is ready.
Lift out the ham, peel off and discard the skin. While it is still hot (wear a clean pair of rubber gloves), shred the meat. Remove bay from the soup and stir in the frozen peas. Simmer for 1 min, then blend until smooth. Add a splash of water if too thick, and return to the pan to heat through if it has cooled, or if you are making ahead.
When you are ready to serve, mix the hot soup with most of the ham – gently reheat if made ahead. Serve in bowls with the remaining ham scattered on top, and eat with crusty bread and butter.

Category: Beef

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 4-5 pound Beef Brisket
• Dash Salt
• 3 Onion
• 5 cloves Garlic
• 1 Sprig Thyme
• 1 sprig Rosemary
• 4 Bay Leaves
• 2 cups beef stock
• 3 Large Carrots
• 1 Tbsp Mustard
• 4 Mashed Potatoes

Instructions:

1 Prepare the brisket for cooking: On one side of the brisket there should be a layer of fat, which you want. If there are any large chunks of fat, cut them off and discard them. Large pieces of fat will not be able to render out completely.
Using a sharp knife, score the fat in parallel lines, about 3/4-inch apart. Slice through the fat, not the beef. Repeat in the opposite direction to make a cross-hatch pattern.
Salt the brisket well and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

2 Sear the brisket: You'll need an oven-proof, thick-bottomed pot with a cover, or Dutch oven, that is just wide enough to hold the brisket roast with a little room for the onions.
Pat the brisket dry and place it, fatty side down, into the pot and place it on medium high heat. Cook for 5-8 minutes, lightly sizzling, until the fat side is nicely browned. (If the roast seems to be cooking too fast, turn the heat down to medium. You want a steady sizzle, not a raging sear.)
Turn the brisket over and cook for a few minutes more to brown the other side.

3 Sauté the onions and garlic: When the brisket has browned, remove it from the pot and set aside. There should be a couple tablespoons of fat rendered in the pot, if not, add some olive oil.
Add the chopped onions and increase the heat to high. Sprinkle a little salt on the onions. Sauté, stirring often, until the onions are lightly browned, 5-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 1-2 more minutes.

4 Return brisket to pot, add herbs, stock, bring to simmer, cover, cook in oven: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Use kitchen twine to tie together the bay leaves, rosemary and thyme.
Move the onions and garlic to the sides of the pot and nestle the brisket inside. Add the beef stock and the tied-up herbs. Bring the stock to a boil on the stovetop.
Cover the pot, place the pot in the 300°F oven and cook for 3 hours. Carefully flip the brisket every hour so it cooks evenly.

5 Add carrots, continue to cook: After 3 hours, add the carrots. Cover the pot and cook for 1 hour more, or until the carrots are cooked through and the brisket is falling-apart tender.
6 Remove brisket to cutting board, tent with foil: When the brisket is falling-apart tender, take the pot out of the oven and remove the brisket to a cutting board. Cover it with foil. Pull out and discard the herbs.
7 Make sauce (optional): At this point you have two options. You can serve as is, or you can make a sauce with the drippings and some of the onions. If you serve as is, skip this step.
To make a sauce, remove the carrots and half of the onions, set aside and cover them with foil. Pour the ingredients that are remaining into the pot into a blender, and purée until smooth. If you want, add 1 tablespoon of mustard to the mix. Put into a small pot and keep warm.
8 Slice the meat across the grain: Notice the lines of the muscle fibers of the roast. This is the "grain" of the meat. Slice the meat perpendicular to these lines, or across the grain (cutting this way further tenderizes the meat), in 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch slices.
Serve with the onions, carrots and gravy. Serve with mashed, roasted or boiled potatoes, egg noodles or polenta.

Category: Chicken

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Breasts
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 4 tbsp Hotsauce
• ½ Lemon Juice
• 2 Buns
• 250g Cheese
• ¼ Cabbage
• 2 tbsp Mayonnaise
• 4 tbsp Sour Cream
• 4 leaves Lettuce
• 2 Red Pepper

Instructions:

STEP 1

Put the chicken breasts between two pieces of baking parchment and use a rolling pin to gently bash them until they are approximately 1cm thick. Cut each chicken breast into two even pieces.

STEP 2

If you're using a frying pan, heat two frying pans over medium-high heat, with one of them containing oil. Fry the chicken in the oiled pan for 3-4 mins on each side until they are cooked through. Season the chicken, reduce the heat, drizzle in the chilli sauce and half of the lemon juice, and cook for an additional 1-2 mins until the sauce is reduced. Remove the chicken from the heat.

STEP 3

If you're using an air-fryer, preheat it to 180C for 4 mins. Add the chicken to the air-fryer and cook for 12 mins. Drizzle over the chilli sauce and half the lemon juice and cook for an additional 1-2 mins until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is reduced. Remove the chicken and keep it warm.
STEP 4

While the chicken is cooking, toast the buns in the dry frying pan for 30 seconds. Transfer them to a plate. If you're using an air fryer, put the buns in the air fryer for 1-2 mins until they are warm. Increase the air fryer temperature to 200C. Add the halloumi to the air fryer basket and cook for 10 mins, turning halfway through, until it's golden. Toss the cabbage with the mayo and the remaining lemon juice.

STEP 5

Spoon the hummus (or dip of your choice) into the toasted buns, then top with the rocket, chilli chicken, halloumi, and peppers. Drizzle with a little more chilli sauce, spoon over the cabbage, season with black pepper, and top with the bun lids. Serve with any extra cabbage on the side or a green salad.

Category: Pork

Area: Portuguese

Ingredients:

• 2 Pork
• 200ml White Wine
• 1/2 tsp Paprika
• 2 Lemon
• 1/2 Lemon Juice
• Dash Olive Oil
• To serve Mayonnaise
• 1 kg Potatoes
• For frying Vegetable Oil

Instructions:

STEP 1

Cut the tenderloins into 5 equal-size pieces leaving the tail ends a little longer. Take a clear plastic bag and slip one of the pieces in. Bash it into an escalope the size of a side-plate with a rolling pin and repeat with the remaining pieces.

STEP 2

Put the wine, paprika, some salt and pepper and the juice of ½ a lemon in a bowl and add the pork. Leave to marinate for 20-30 minutes, while you get your barbecue to the stage where the coals are glowing but there are no flames.

STEP 3

To make the chips, fill a basin with cool water and cut the potatoes into 3cm-thick chips. Soak them in the water for 5 minutes and then change the water. Leave for 5 more minutes. Drain and then pat dry on a towel or with kitchen paper.

STEP 4

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or a deep heavy-based pan with a lid to 130C and lower the chips into the oil (in batches). Blanch for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oil and drain well. Place on a tray to cool. Reheat the oil to 180C (make sure it’s hot or your chips will be soggy) and lower the basket of chips into the oil (again, do this in batches). Leave to cook for 2 minutes and then give them a little shake. Cook for another minute or so until they are well coloured and crisp to the touch. Drain well for a few minutes, tip into a bowl and sprinkle with sea salt.

STEP 5

The pork will cook quickly so do it in 2 batches. Take the pieces out of the marinade, rub them with oil, and drop them onto the barbecue (you could also use a chargrill). Cook for 1 minute on each side – they may flare up as you do so. This should really be enough time as they will keep on cooking. Take them off the barbecue and pile onto a plate. Repeat with the remaining batch.

STEP 6

Serve by piling a plate with chips, drop the pork on top of each pile and pouring the juices from the plate over so the chips take up the flavours. Top with a spoon of mayonnaise and a wedge of lemon.

Category: Dessert

Area: Portuguese

Ingredients:

• 2 tbs Plain Flour
• 2 tbs Icing Sugar
• 375g Puff Pastry
• 250g Caster Sugar
• 2 strips Lemon Zest
• 1 Stick Cinnamon
• 2 Eggs
• 4 Egg Yolks
• 50g Corn Flour
• 500ml Whole Milk
• Pod of Vanilla
• To serve Cinnamon

Instructions:

STEP 1
Roll the pastry
Mix the flour and icing sugar, and use this to dust the work surface. Roll the pastry out to make a 45 x 30cm rectangle. Roll up lengthways to create a long sausage shape.

STEP 2
Cutting pastry into rounds
Cut the pastry into 24 wheels, about 1-2cm thick.

STEP 3
Roll out each pastry portion
Roll each wheel lightly with the rolling pin to fit 2 x 12-hole non-stick fairy cake tins.

STEP 4
Press pastry into the tin
Press the pastry circles into the tins and mould into the tins to make thin cases. Chill until needed.

STEP 5
Make the infused syrup
Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. Make a sugar syrup by bringing the sugar, 200ml water, lemon zest and cinnamon stick to the boil. Reduce until syrupy, allow to cool, then remove the cinnamon and lemon. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and cornflour until smooth in another large pan.

STEP 6
Making custard
Heat the milk and vanilla pod seeds in a separate pan until just below the boil. Gradually pour the hot milk over the eggs and cornflour, then cook on a low heat, continually whisking.

STEP 7
Add syrup to custard
Add the cooled sugar syrup to the custard and whisk until thickened slightly.

STEP 8
Pour custard into the tins
Pour the custard through a sieve. Pour into the pastry cases and bake for 15 minutes until the pastry is golden and the custard has darkened.

STEP 9
cool and dust with icing sugar
Cool completely in the tins then sift over icing sugar and ground cinnamon to serve.

Category: Dessert

Area: Croatian

Ingredients:

• 450g Flour
• 55g Caster Sugar
• 2 parts Yeast
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 6 oz Milk
• 2 Beaten Eggs
• 30g Butter
• 140g Walnuts
• 85g Butter
• 85g Brown Sugar
• 1 tsp Cinnamon
• To Glaze Milk
• To Glaze Icing Sugar

Instructions:

Mix all the ingredients for the dough together and knead well. Cover the dough and put to rise until doubled in size which should take about 2 hours. Knock back the dough and knead lightly.

Divide the dough into two equal pieces; roll each piece into an oblong about 12 inches by 8 inches. Mix the filling ingredients together and divide between the dough, spreading over each piece. Roll up the oblongs as tightly as possible to give two 12 inch sausages. Place these side by side, touching each other, on a greased baking sheet. Cover and leave to rise for about 40 minutes. Heat oven to 200ºC (425ºF). Bake for 30-35 minutes until well risen and golden brown. Bread should sound hollow when the base is tapped.

Remove from oven and brush the hot bread top with milk. Sift with a generous covering of icing sugar.