Blog

Category: Starter

Area: British

Ingredients:

• 2 tblsp Rapeseed Oil
• 1 finely chopped Onion
• 1 Celery
• 1 sliced Leek
• 1 medium Potatoes
• 1 knob Butter
• 1 litre hot Vegetable Stock
• 1 Head chopped Broccoli
• 140g Stilton Cheese

Instructions:

Heat the rapeseed oil in a large saucepan and then add the onions. Cook on a medium heat until soft. Add a splash of water if the onions start to catch.

Add the celery, leek, potato and a knob of butter. Stir until melted, then cover with a lid. Allow to sweat for 5 minutes. Remove the lid.

Pour in the stock and add any chunky bits of broccoli stalk. Cook for 10 – 15 minutes until all the vegetables are soft.

Add the rest of the broccoli and cook for a further 5 minutes. Carefully transfer to a blender and blitz until smooth. Stir in the stilton, allowing a few lumps to remain. Season with black pepper and serve.

Category: Beef

Area: Jamaican

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Kidney Beans
• 1 large Carrots
• 2 chopped Spring Onions
• 4 sprigs Thyme
• 1 Diced Onion
• 1/2 tsp Black Pepper
• 2 chopped Red Pepper
• 4 Mashed Garlic Clove
• 1 tbs Allspice
• 2 Lbs Beef
• 2L Water
• 4 Potatoes
• 1 cup Plain Flour
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1 cup Coconut Milk

Instructions:

Wash and rinse the dried kidney beans.. then cover with water in a deep bowl. Remember as they soak they will expand to at least triple the size they were originally so add a lot of water to the bowl. Soak them overnight or for at least 2 hrs to make the cooking step go quicker. I tossed out the water they were soaked in after it did the job.

Have your butcher cut the salted pigtail into 2 inch pieces as it will be very difficult to cut with an ordinary kitchen knife. Wash, then place a deep pot with water and bring to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, then drain + rinse and repeat (boil again in water). The goal is to make the pieces of pig tails tender and to remove most of the salt it was cured in.

Time to start the soup. Place everything in the pot (except the flour and potato), then cover with water and place on a high flame to bring to a boil. As it comes to a boil, skim off any scum/froth at the top and discard. Reduce the heat to a gentle boil and allow it to cook for 1 hr and 15 mins.. basically until the beans are tender and start falling apart.

It’s now time to add the potato (and Yams etc if you’re adding it) as well as the coconut milk and continue cooking for 15 minutes.

Now is a good time to start making the basic dough for the spinner dumplings. Mix the flour and water (add a pinch of salt if you want) until you have a soft/smooth dough. allow it to rest for 5 minutes, then pinch of a tablespoon at a time and roll between your hands to form a cigarette shape.

Add them to the pot, stir well and continue cooking for another 15 minutes on a rolling boil.

You’ll notice that I didn’t add any salt to the pot as the remaining salt from the salted pigtails will be enough to properly season this dish. However you can taste and adjust accordingly. Lets recap the timing part of things so you’re not confused. Cook the base of the soup for 1 hr and 15 minute or until tender, then add the potatoes and cook for 15 minutes, then add the dumplings and cook for a further 15 minutes. Keep in mind that this soup will thicken quite a bit as it cools.

While this is not a traditional recipe to any one specific island, versions of this soup (sometimes called stewed peas) can be found throughout the Caribbean, Latin America and Africa. A hearty bowl of this soup will surely give you the sleepies (some may call it ethnic fatigue). You can certainly freeze the leftovers and heat it up another day.

Category: Seafood

Area: Jamaican

Ingredients:

• 2 Pounds Red Snapper
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 clove peeled crushed Garlic
• 1/2 tsp Ginger
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 0.5 Red Pepper
• 0.5 Yellow Pepper
• 1 sliced Onion
• 1 chopped Carrots
• 1 tbs Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 Scotch Bonnet
• 1 Lime
• 3/4 cup Malt Vinegar
• pinch Pepper

Instructions:

Rinse fish; rub with lemon or lime, seasoned with salt and pepper or use your favorite seasoning. I used creole seasoning. Set aside or place in the oven to keep it warm until sauce is ready.

In large skillet heat oil over medium heat, until hot, add the fish, cook each side- for about 5-7 minutes until cooked through and crispy on both sides. Remove fish and set aside. Drain oil and leave about 2-3 tablespoons of oil
Add, bay leave, garlic and ginger, stir-fry for about a minute making sure the garlic does not burn
Then add onion, bell peppers, thyme, scotch bonnet, sugar, all spice-continue stirring for about 2-3 minutes. Add vinegar, mix an adjust salt and pepper according to preference. Let it simmer for about 2 more minutes.

Discard bay leave, thyme spring and serve over fish with a side of this bammy. You may make the sauce about 2 days in advance.

Category: Side

Area: Irish

Ingredients:

• 1kg Potatoes
• 200ml Milk
• 50g Butter
• 2 tbs Mustard
• Bunch Spring Onions
• Bunch Spring Onions

Instructions:

STEP 1
Boil the potatoes for 15 mins or until tender. Drain, then mash.

STEP 2
Heat the milk and half the butter in the corner of the pan, then beat into the mash, along with the wholegrain mustard.

STEP 3
Gently fry the spring onions in the remaining butter for 2 mins until just soft but still a perky green. Fold into the mash and serve. Great with gammon or to top a fish pie.

Category: Vegetarian

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 10 Eggs
• 1 tbs Olive Oil
• 2 finely chopped Courgettes
• 3 finely chopped Spring Onions
• 4 Red Pepper
• 1 clove peeled crushed Garlic Clove
• 1 Red Chilli
• 300g Cream Cheese
• 6 tblsp Milk
• 4 tbs Chives
• 2 tbs Basil
• to serve Rocket
• to serve Parmesan

Instructions:

Break the eggs into two bowls, five in each. Whisk lightly and season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a pan, add the courgettes and spring onions, then fry gently for about 10 mins until softened. Cool, then stir into one bowl of eggs with a little salt and pepper. Add the roasted peppers to the other bowl of eggs with the garlic, chilli, salt and pepper.
Heat a little oil in a 20-23cm frying pan, preferably non-stick. Pour the eggs with courgette into a measuring jug, then pourabout one-third of the mixture into the pan, swirling it to cover the base of the pan. Cook until the egg is set and lightly browned underneath, then cover the pan with a plate and invert the omelette onto it. Slide it back into the pan to cook the other side. Repeat with the remaining mix to make two more omelettes, adding a little oil to the pan each time. Stack the omelettes onto a plate. Make three omelettes in the same way with the red pepper mixture, then stack them on a separate plate.
Now make the filling. Beat the cheese to soften it, then beat in the milk to make a spreadable consistency. Stir in the herbs, salt and pepper. Line a deep, 20-23cm round cake tin with cling film (use a tin the same size as the frying pan). Select the best red pepper omelette and place in the tin, prettiest side down. Spread with a thin layer of cheese filling, then cover with a courgette omelette. Repeat, alternating the layers, until all the omelettes and filling are in the tin, finishing with an omelette. Flip the cling film over the omelette, then chill for up to 24 hrs.
To serve, invert the omelette cake onto a serving plate and peel off the cling film. Pile rocket on the top and scatter over the cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and a little freshly ground black pepper. Serve cut into wedges.

Category: Pork

Area: French

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp Goose Fat
• 350g Pork
• 1 large Onion
• 10 Garlic
• 1 thinly sliced Carrots
• 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
• 2 tblsp Red Wine Vinegar
• 600ml Vegetable Stock
• 1 tblsp Tomato Puree
• 2 sticks Rosemary
• Handful Parsley
• 400g Haricot Beans
• 2 tblsp Breadcrumbs
• drizzle Oil
• to serve Bread
• to serve Broccoli

Instructions:

Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Put a large ovenproof pan (with a tight-fitting lid) on a high heat. Add your fat and diced meat, cook for a few mins to seal the edges, giving it a quick stir to cook evenly. Reduce the heat to low, add the sliced onion, whole garlic cloves, carrot and fennel seeds, and cook gently to soften the veg for a few mins.
Pour over the red wine vinegar, scraping any meaty bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, tomato purée, and half the rosemary and parsley. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins, then season, cover with a lid and put into the oven for 2 hrs, removing the lid for the final hour of cooking. Stir occasionally and add the beans with 30 mins to go.
Remove the pan from the oven and heat the grill. Scatter the top with the remaining herbs and breadcrumbs, drizzle a little oil over the top, and return to the oven for 5-10 mins, until the breadcrumbs are golden. Serve with crusty bread and green veg.

Category: Dessert

Area: American

Ingredients:

• 1 large Banana
• 2 medium Eggs
• pinch Baking Powder
• spinkling Vanilla Extract
• 1 tsp Oil
• 25g Pecan Nuts
• 125g Raspberries

Instructions:

In a bowl, mash the banana with a fork until it resembles a thick purée. Stir in the eggs, baking powder and vanilla.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan or pancake pan over a medium heat and brush with half the oil. Using half the batter, spoon two pancakes into the pan, cook for 1-2 mins each side, then tip onto a plate. Repeat the process with the remaining oil and batter. Top the pancakes with the pecans and raspberries.

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.