spicy egg, meatball and tomato tagine (Kefta mkaouara) and a book recommendation

A little while ago I made a bit of an impulse buy of Rick Steins Mediterranean Escapes, a cookbook to accompany the TV series. I had just been watching the TV programme and went and bought the book straight after.The book has recipes from all over the Mediterranean, places such as Sicily, Corfu and North Africa. Rick Steins passion for the food of the region really comes across, his words inspire me to get into the kitchen and cook! The recipes themselves on the whole are easy to cook at home although there are a few more challenging recipes thrown in.
One of the great things is, these are authentic recipes he has collected from his tour of the area. I think what I like best about this book however is the fantastic photography, both of the food and the area it comes from, if the words don't inspire you the photos will!

On to the recipe! A North African dish of spicy egg, meatball and tomato tagine, or as it's properly called Kefta Mkaouara (try and pronounce that!). I was particularly drawn to this recipe as I love meatballs and this puts a different spin on my usual Italian style meatballs and pasta. These meatballs which can be beef or lamb (I used beef but I guess lamb is more authentic) are flavoured with cumin and paprika and are cooked in a tomato sauce flavoured with the same spices, they are traditionally served with flatbread.The meatballs are left to simmer in the sauce and then a few minutes before serving, another unusual twist, eggs are cracked over the top and left to cook! This seemed strange to me but good at the same time.
I served this with pitta bread and vegetables and thought it was fantastic, it looks great too and is so easy I will be doing this again.

The recipe is available here: spicy egg, meatball and tomato tagine

Easy as... Paella

Paella is perhaps one of the most controversial of foods, almost every Spaniard has the perfect, original and absolutely authentic recipe. Yet every one is different! the subject can spark heated debates in homes across Spain. Should a paella contain seafood? rabbit? chicken? there are plenty of recipes around containing these ingredients, I've even seen a recipe that contained snails!After a bit of research it seems that there is no original recipe, Paella started out as a labourers dish originating in the province of Valencia in southern Spain, this is where the rice was grown, a special short grain variety called Calasparra or Bomba which is similar to the Italian Arborio risotto rice.
As the labourers were poor it would have contained whatever was to hand, usually cheaper meats such as rabbit or snails from the fields, as well as a selection of vegetables. It is cooked in a similar way to Risotto although the stock is added all at once rather than gradually. One thing the Spanish do agree on is that it should never be stirred as this prevents a crust forming on the bottom of the pan. This is called a socarrat and is considered a delicacy.
Paella is in fact the name of the large round pan in which the meal is cooked, the meal is named after the pan in much the same way as a casserole is actually named after the pot In which it is cooked.
This meal was ideal for labourers working in the fields as large amounts could be cooked over an open fire and be shared, eaten from the same pan with spoons.
It is unlikely that the first paellas would bear much resemblance to those eaten today as the ingredients would have been to expensive. A typical paella now would usually contain a mixture of seafood, some kind of meat often chicken, and the essential ingredient of Spanish Saffron, this is what makes it really special as it is the most expensive spice in the world.
Last year we had a continental market come to town, there were stalls from all over Europe selling specialities from their different countries, such as German sausages, French crépes and delicious waffles with chocolate I think from Austria. One of the stalls was selling kitchen equipment and they had Paella pans, needless to say I bought one! I've used it a couple of times and last night I gave it another try. My version of paella included mixed seafood (mussels, squid and prawns), pork and some Chorizo sausage. I also added tomatoes onions, lots of garlic, red bell peppers and a pinch of saffron.Contrary to what you may have thought Paella is extremely easy first I fried the sausage and meat, then added the vegetables, then the rice and saffron and finally chicken stock and a splash of white wine. A Paella pan is not essential and there are plenty of recipes around, this is one of my favourite meals and I urge you to try it. One of the good things about it is you can make it extravagant with lots of expensive ingredients for a special occasion, or like the original labourers, make it with whatever you have...

At last I made a Cheese Souffle!

There are some recipes that scare me, usually they are recipes that seem far too complicated, or I have heard horror stories of it all going horrendously wrong. One such recipe was Choux pastry, even though I really wanted to try it, I could see myself making a complete mess and throwing it all in the bin!! But I overcame that and found it to be really easy.
Another recipe that has me shaking with fear is Souffle, I can just see it collapsing the second I open the oven door, or simply not rising at all.
Well after thinking "I really should try it" for over a year I finally got the courage to give it a go. The recipe I used is by Keith Floyd for a cheese Souffle, I served it with Jersey Royal potatoes and a salad.Contrary to popular belief souffle is very simple to make, it comprises a simple bechamel sauce into which egg yolks and the flavour of choice is added, to this fold in stiffly beaten egg whites and bake in the oven. For a sweet souffle it is exactly the same except a sweet custard base is used.
I am pleased to report that my souffle was a success, while it didn't rise quite as much as I hoped, it did rise and tasted really good, next time I might add chopped bacon and some leeks or mushrooms for more flavour. This makes an excellent light summer meal.

The recipe can be found here: Cheese souffle
Note: it is crucial that you eat this as soon as it is cooked as it starts to collapse immediately!

Warm Chicken Salad

Summer is finally here! At least I hope it is, this time last year I can remember a coach trip to the beach in the lashing rain and freezing cold. This year however things are looking up, the sun has been shining and it's warm, that means out with stews and casseroles, and in with barbecues, cold drinks and salads.

Today I made a warm chicken salad to make use of some delicious Jersey Royal potatoes we had in our vegetable rack. These potatoes are unique in that they are only grown on the tiny island of Jersey which is the most southerly point of Britain, just 14 miles from the French coast. They enjoy Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) which means they cannot be grown anywhere else, they have a very short season and are highly sought after for there unique flavour. The story goes that they were discovered in 1878 in a field of ordinary potatoes but, the potatoes from one particular plant were all kidney shaped, this become known as the Jersey fluke and it is from this plant that all Jersey Royals originate.

I wanted to make the most of them while they're around and so I found a recipe from the blog Fig and Cherry which looked fantastic, I followed it almost exactly except I have just returned from Spain with some delicious Chorizo sausage so I added some of that as well.

The Result?.... Well I was very impressed with this recipe, it looks great and the addition of toasted pine nuts add a wonderful contrast in texture and flavour, I will definitely be making this again. Next time though I think I will add crispy bacon and maybe a diced avocado. 

The recipe taken from Fig and Cherry can be found here.

Friday Thai-day, Thai Green Chicken Curry

Last Friday I finally got around to using a jar of Thai green curry paste that I've had in my cupboard for at least a year! I trawled the Internet for a recipe but found so many variations that in the end I just went my own way. My version is really very simple and absolutely delicious (good because I have enough paste for about ten more!) I don't know how authentically Thai this is but i'll be making it again and soon.
Mine was a chicken curry although I think it would be good with prawns as well.

I served this with Jasmine rice, it was the first time I'd tried it and I'm so glad I did, it's slightly sticky and just right with this kind of food.

Roughly this is how to make it

• First fry a finely chopped onion and a couple of cloves of garlic until just softened but not brown.
• Then add a chopped sweet red pepper.
• followed by diced chicken, I prefer thighs but breast is fine, I allow 1/2pound per person.
  
• Stir in a good dollop of Thai green curry paste. (sorry I can't be more precise, it really depends how hot you want it)
• When everything is cooking nicely add a tin of coconut milk stir and simmer for about 20-30 mins.
• Towards the end of cooking time add baby corn, sugar snap peas and fresh coriander, season with Thai fish sauce to taste. (this takes the place of salt)
• Serve on Jasmine rice with fresh coriander and a wedge of lime.
  

Chocolate beetroot cake, a strange combination?

For anyone who has seen The Vicar of Dibley this recipe might remind you of Mrs Cropley, the character famous for her "interesting" recipes, Lard and fish paste pancake anyone?
Well when I first heard of putting beetroot in a chocolate cake I must admit Mrs Cropley came to mind!
That was a long time ago and ever since I first heard of chocolate beetroot cake, strange though it sounds I've been intrigued. There are quite a few recipes around so obviously there are a few people out there who think it's a good idea, rather than just one mad cook!
Anyway I finally got my chance to try it this week when we received three beetroot in our veg box.
The result was surprisingly good, it was very moist and certainly not disgusting, we ate the whole thing pretty quickly! Unlike in carrot cake however where there is no carroty taste at all, there was a definite hint of beetroot in the background, I think I might try this cake again substituting carrots for the beetroot as they have a milder flavour. Overall a good cake and worth trying.

Chocolate beetroot cake recipe

Gruesome Grey Mullet

Although this picture looks a bit gruesome, like a fish spewing it's lemony guts, it is in fact a stuffed Grey mullet.Right now my culinary challenge is to expand my fishy horizons, there are so many fantastic looking fish out there that I have never tried So when I saw this Grey Mullet, even though I had never cooked or eaten one before I decided to buy it.
I was however assuming there would be plenty of information about it on the internet, as it turns out there isn't!
So I did what I do with a lot of fish, stuffed it with sliced lemon, parsley onion and butter and roasted it in the oven wrapped in foil.
It tasted great, I think this fish is highly underrated, it's a bit like Sea Bass and Silver Bream, oily and mild in flavour, well worth trying if you get the chance.

While I was looking at the fish stall I saw they were selling Catfish and a strange looking fish called a Garfish. If anyone knows what to do with them I'd love to know!