Food and Tunes

Hogging the limelight

Just as things start to heat up considerably in London, I think it’s safe to say ‘unpredictable’ would probably be an understatement for 2018’s weather so far. With past weeks switching between rain, snow, sunshine and back to sporadic snow, it was at times, a bit jarring.

There is however one thing you can always depend on.

Pork Belly.

Some of the most simple ingredients come together in the dish, and with just a bit of preparation time the day before, this crispy pork belly with butter beans is the perfect oink-ment (couldn’t resist, sorry!) for any dubious British weather.

Here are a few tracks to accompany your upcoming lazy days in the sunshine.

HNNY – Till Dig

Axel Boman – Cubic Mouth

mtbrd – Damn Fine Coffee

Flamingosis – Long Distance

Shopping list (serves 6):

Pork belly (unrolled and scored) 1kg
Smoked garlic x 1
Medium onions x 2
Fennel bulb x 1
Large carrot x 1
Fresh thyme x 1 bunch
Bay leaves x 2
Dry white wine x 1/2 bottle
Fresh lemon thyme x 1 generous handful
Butter beans x 1.2 kg
Cavolo nero x 150g

(To coat pork belly)
Pomegranate molasses or acacia honey
Wholegrain mustard
Some good olive oil
Fennel seeds

Start the night before by rubbing your scored pork belly generously with rock salt, making sure not to forget to rub the salt into the scoring on the skin.

As the time arrives, set your oven to 200 degrees celsius, and wash the salt off your pork belly under cold running water, and pat dry with kitchen paper. When dry, rub generously with your pomegranate molasses, fennel seeds, a tbsp of the mustard, some good olive oil and of course salt and pepper.

On medium-high, heat a few glugs of your olive oil in a deep roasting tray. Slice your garlic down the centre and press down the two halves into the hot oil. At this point, dice your vegetable roughly (I like to chop the carrots slightly finer than the rest), and add them into the tray as well.
Season well.

Keep them on the heat until they’re starting to caramelise nicely, around 10 minutes. Add the white wine, bay leaves and your thyme. Reduce on a high heat for another 5 minutes, before resting your pork belly on the vegetables, skin side up. Wrap the tray in tin foil tightly, before placing in the oven.
Turn the temp down to 130 degrees and leave for 4 hours.

When the time’s right, remove the belly from the oven and transfer to another baking tray. On top of the belly, place a sheet of cling film and another baking tray, weighed down with a few heavy tins of tomatoes, chickpeas etc. Leave it to cool for at least 2 hours like this.

To make the sauce, add a splash more white wine to the roasting tray, and reduce on a high heat again for another 5 minutes. At this point you may want to add around 100ml of boiling water to pad out the sauce slightly. Keep it on the high heat for a further 5 minutes, before straining into a small saucepan.
Add a chunk of butter if you want, and leave to one side.

Add your butter beans to saucepan, with a small splash of boiling water, a glug of your good olive oil, the lemon thyme and season well. Heat gently for 10 minutes.

In the meantime, place your pressed pork belly under a hot grill, until the top is sufficiently crispy and then slice into cubes to serve. Accompany with the beans, hot sauce and some steamed cavolo nero, if you like. Time to pig out (Sorry!).

Enjoy x

Fishing for compliments

Posted on July 25, 2017 by food_&_tunes

With the British sunshine apparently dwindling, there’s never been a better time to inject a bit of heat into those lazy summer evenings.

Curried lentils with cod couldn’t be easier to whip up, and the leftovers keep brilliantly in the fridge for another day. If cod isn’t your preferred choice, this recipe works well with any other white fish.

On July 14th American indie band, Japanese Breakfast released their second album, Soft Sounds From Another Planet. As with the band’s first release, the tone switches from song to song, reflecting on the overcoming of trials and tribulations. But it is the album’s scope and variety in melodies which sets it apart from their first album. With powerful lyrics and a distinct sound, the ongoing evolution of Michelle Zauner and her band is plain to see.

Boyish

Till Death

The body is a Blade

Check out the full album on Bandcamp.

Shopping list (serves 4):

Cod fillets (or other white fish) x 4
Shallots x 6
Leek x 1
Red lentils 180g
Garlic cloves (minced) x 4
Large courgette (Peeled into ribbons) x 1
Spinach 100g
Sunflower seeds 100g
200g coconut cream
Red chilli (finel chopped) x 1
Fresh ginger (minced) 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Smoked paprika 1 & 1/2 tsp
Ras el Hanout 1 & 1/2 tsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Tomato puree 1 tbsp
Fresh thyme & coriander
Zest of one lime
Good vegetable or fish stock 540ml

(If you have your own fresh fish/seafood stock prepared, then now’s the time to use it, but it’s not essential here. Refer back to Back in bisqueness for how to make a versatile seafood stock!)

Finely chop your shallots and leek, and add to your pan with the sunflower seeds. Heat with a glug of oil over a medium heat for just over 5 minutes until soft.

Season well, turn down the heat slightly and throw in your garlic, red chilli and ginger. Allow to cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes before adding your lentils to the pan, along with your spices, mustard seeds and the tomato puree. Heat on medium for another couple of minutes. Season well.

Add all of your stock to the pan and reduce hear to a low simmer. Add the coconut cream along with a handful of your thyme, and continue to simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until the lentils have softened.

When you’re happy with the lentils, go ahead and introduce the courgette ribbons, a generous handful of coriander, and the lime zest (but save some for serving!).

From here you can simply lower the heat right down and place your fish fillets on top, season well and cover.

Taking your fish out of the fridge for 20-30 minutes prior to cooking means they should only take 10-12 minutes here before they’re cooked perfectly. Wilt your spinach as an accompaniment for the lentils.

Sprinkle with more lime zest and red chilli, alongside some toasted flatbreads to serve, if you like.

Enjoy
x

Something to fawn over

Posted on April 28, 2017 by food_&_tunes

Finding a match of ingredients that both warms and satisfies, without leaving you feeling like you’ve over-indulged is no mean feat.

This warm venison and squash salad is easily assembled from a few hearty ingredients, pulled together with a rich blackberry, juniper & sage sauce.

Given that music is the best accompaniment to food, these couple of songs should go nicely with your time in the kitchen.

Furns have a brilliant back catalogue of laid back songs, with a new album due this year.

Furns – Forever Yours

Seaside Lovers – Evening Shadows

Your shopping list:
venison leg steaks x 2
shallots x 2
1/2 butternut squash
kale 50g
puy lentils 250g
garlic cloves x 2
fresh thyme

For the sauce:
shallot (finely chopped) x 1
butter 50g
game/chicken stock 200ml
handful juniper berries (crushed)
handful fresh sage
fresh thyme
bay leaves x 3
blackberries 100g
splash of port
half tspn wildflower honey
lemon zest

Ensure you leave your venison to reach room temperature (about 3 hours out the fridge) before starting.

The sauce
Fry your shallot in the butter, add a tspn of plain flour. Add the port and reduce.
Season well and add your game/chicken stock.

At this point throw in a handful of sage leaves & thyme, the bay leaves, lemon zest, the honey, chopped blackberries and the juniper berries.

Simmer on med-high for around 15 minutes, until it starts to thicken as a sauce.
Season to taste.

Sieve and leave to one side.

The venison

Prepare your lentils by adding the required amount of boiling water, and cooking until soft. Leave to one side.
Or if you bought pre-cooked lentils in the bag, then you can skip this part.

Start by chopping your 1/2 squash into manageable chunks/cubes. Add to a pan with a splash of boiled water (enough to cover up to a 1/3 of the squash chunks).
Season well.
Cover and leave to steam for 15 minutes on medium. Remove and leave to cool, before chopping into small pieces.

Finely chop your shallots, and grate your garlic into a pan with some oil on a medium heat. Fry gently until soft and add the lentils, thyme and a splash more oil.
Season well.
Introduce the squash and fry on a high heat, without stirring too much, until the squash just starts to brown. Turn off the heat and add the kale, roughly chopped.
Season, cover and leave the kale to gently cook in the residual heat.

If you like your venison pink, fry your well-seasoned steaks for 4 minutes on each side, on med-high. Remove from the heat, wrap in foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.

At this point reheat your sauce gently.

Unwrap your delicious parcels and pour the juices into the sauce.

Slice your venison, serve with the squash and drizzle with sauce.

Enjoy x

Foolproof baba ghanoush

Posted on April 1, 2017 by food_&_tunes

During the brighter months of 2016, there isn’t a single dish I made more of than I did baba ghanoush.

Usually served alongside other middle-eastern dishes, baba ghanoush is a wonderful (and healthier) alternative to hummus. In the summertime I’d consume bowl after bowl, with pittas and fresh tomato & avocado salads. It took me a while to come to be completely happy with what I was making – there were plenty of times it came out too runny, or lacking in flavour. I sussed out that having some really good extra virgin olive oil was key.

Get yourself:

large aubergine x 2
garlic clove x 2
juice 1/3 lemon
1 & 1/2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
tahini x 2 tbspn
za’atar
pomegranate seeds
fresh parsley

Turn your grill on its highest setting and place the aubergines on a baking tray (without any oil). Poke them both with a small sharp knife and place under the hot grill for 18 minutes, turning half way through.

After making a horizontal cut into each aubergine to let the steam out, sprinkle a good handful of salt over each of them. Leave for 3-5 hours or overnight – this will allow the majority of unwanted water to leave, before making your baba ghanoush.

Mix together the tahini, lemon juice, grated garlic cloves together with a hand blender.

Scoop out the flesh of the aubergines, together with the skin of one, and add to the tahini paste along with the olive oil.

Blend until it just holds some texture.
Season to taste.

Finish with a dusting of za’atar, a drizzle more of the oil, and sprinkle over the pomegranate seeds and parsley.

Enjoy
x

The cheek of it

Posted on February 20, 2017 by food_&_tunes

The best things in life are simple. Simple ingredients, prepared in simple ways.

Slow-braised beef cheeks with creamy mashed potato is a perfect example.

If you’ve never cooked with beef cheeks before, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. As with other cheaper cuts of beef, they simply need a bit longer in the oven at a lower heat. The result is meltingly tender meat, and a rich sauce. If you can find smoked garlic, now’s the time to use it.

If your butcher doesn’t stock beef cheeks, they should be able to order them in for you at ease.

If you’re looking for a cheeky song or 2 to accompany your prep:

Alma – Nicholas

The Answer – Apollo Brown

Get yourself:
(serves 4)

beef cheeks x 2
white onion x 2
Carrots x 3
Celery sticks x 3
Chestnut mushrooms 200g
smoked garlic cloves x 2
Red wine 187ml
cloves x 2
Star anise (crushed) x 1
bay leaves x 3
thyme sprigs x 1 handful
tomato puree x 1tbsp
Beef stock 750ml

Potatoes x 5
Leek x 1
butter

Kale to serve

Set your oven to 180c

You may want to ask your butcher to cut your cheeks into slightly smaller pieces. If you have a sharp enough knife at home, do so yourself. Make certain you remove any hanging bits of sinew or fat from the cheeks’ exterior.

Season your cheek pieces well with salt, pepper, and flour.

On a high heat, brown the pieces evenly in a casserole dish. Remove from the dish and add your veg, finely chopped. Keep the heat on medium and season well.

Add your wine and reduce. Crush your star anise & garlic, and throw into to the dish along with your thyme springs, cloves and bay leaves.

At this point add your stock, and simmer.
Season well.

Re-introduce your cheeks, cover and place in the oven. Lower the temp to 120 degrees celsius, and leave for 5-6 hours.

When the time arrives, finely chop your leek and fry gently with a knob of butter.

Boil your potatoes gently for 15 minutes with a pinch of salt, remove from the heat and add your leek.
Season well, add another knob of butter and blend with a hand blender until smooth.

Remove your beef cheeks from your dish and cover with foil, and set aside in a warm oven. Sieve the sauce into a separate pan and continue to reduce.

Serve your cheeks with the creamy mash and a healthy serving of the reduced sauce, along with some steamed kale, if you like.

Enjoy
x

Back in bisqueness

Posted on February 2, 2017 by food_&_tunes

Is this thing still on?

Bearing in mind that London seems to eat up as much of my time as it does the content of my wallet, my sabbatical is perhaps understandable (and forgivable?).

If you have the time and the patience, making a simple crab & saffron bisque can be an almost therapeutic pastime. The flavour achieved here is more than worth the wait, and just the smells it creates alone, are enough to brighten any gloomy winter day.

Treat your ears to songs like this, a perfect accompaniment to a bisque journey.

Aso – Seasons

For this I used blue crabs. They’re slightly smaller than the brown crab and carry a sweeter flavour – perfect for a bisque. Blue crabs are also considerably easier to manage once cooked, although watch out for their spiney claws!

To make the stock:
blue crabs x 2
white onions x 1
carrots x 2
celery sticks x 2
garlic cloves (smashed) x 3
tomato puree
splash of dry white wine
lemon thyme
juice of 1/2 lemon
boiling water 2.5l

For the bisque (Serves 4):
crab stock (see above)
white onion x 1
carrots x 2
celery sticks x 1
garlic clove x 1
saffron threads x 3
fennel seeds x 1 pinch
single cream x 2tbsp
white crab meat, lemon zest & fresh parsley to garnish

The stock

Start by roughly chopping your veg, smashing your garlic cloves, and boiling your water.
Heat a glug of olive oil and a knob of butter in a large stock pot or pan and add your veg. Keeping the heat on high, add a squeeze of your tomato puree.
Season well.

After 5 minutes or so, add a good splash of white wine, the thyme, lemon juice and reduce. Now add the water and keep it simmering for 20 minutes.
Season well.

If you bought your crabs alive, I’d urge you to use a humane method of dispatching them before cooking them. You can find these methods online, complete with video instructions.

Boil the crabs in the stock for 10 minutes and then carefully lift them out, and leave to cool before handling. Twist off its two main claws. With the crab lying on its back, use your thumbs to push the purse (main body) away from the top shell. Now, remove the legs and leave to one side.

On the underside of the purse you will notice feather-like gills – remove all of these and discard, as they are poisonous.

Using a large knife, divide the purse into four sections, keeping aside as much of the white meat as possible.

Don’t bother scooping out the brown meat from the top shell, this will add even more flavour to the stock.

Wrapping the pieces of shell, claws and legs in a cloth, use a rolling pin to smash the pieces up finely and re-add to the stock along with the four sections of the purse.

Season well and simmer on medium-high for 80 minutes.
Use a spoon to skim off any scum that collects at the top.

Using a fine sieve, remove all the solids, and transfer to another pan.

Et voila, you have some delicious crab stock.
From here you really have a blank canvas. This stock can be used in risottos, soups, pasta sauces, paellas, curries etc. You’ll struggle to replicate this seafood flavour any other way.

The bisque

The hard part’s over, now all you have to do is use the stock to make a creamy bisque.

Finely chop the vegetables, and add to a hot pan with a knob of butter. Fry on medium until soft. Grate your clove of garlic and keep on a low heat for a few more minutes. Now add 600ml stock, along with with the saffron and fennel seeds, turn up the heat and reduce for 10 minutes.

Blend with a hand blender until smooth.

Finish by adding the cream, and turning down the heat.

Serve with a sprinkling of fresh parsley, white crab meat and lemon zest, if you like.

Enjoy
x

Honey honey

Posted on March 25, 2015 by food_&_tunes

I had a few (very welcome) days off, and the indulgence that followed left me craving something fresh and healthy. I bought a few chicken breasts to last me a whole week’s worth of lunches to take into work.

I ended up making a very simple Honey Mustard Chicken and Watercress Salad. Turns out I already had most of the ingredients at home.

For the marinade I used:
Organic runny honey, wholegrain mustard, olive oil, zest of 1 lime, ground coriander, black pepper and salt

My salad:
1 bag of watercress, 1 large white onion, 2 handfuls of fresh chives and 1 of fresh coriander, 1 bunch of spring onions, 1 sweet red pepper

I applied all marinade ingredients liberally and poked a few holes into the chicken. After rubbing the flavours into the fillets I left them in the fridge overnight.

When the time arrived, I laid out my chicken pieces with some cherry tomatoes under a very hot grill for 20 minutes.

While the chicken was cooking I sliced the white onion finely and fried on medium for 5 minutes before adding the watercress and red pepper. After another minute on a low heat, I turned off the heat and added the herbs.

Serve your chicken with the salad and a sprinkling of diced spring onions if you feel like it!

Enjoy!