Number 1
The Complete Asian Cookbook
Charmaine Solomon
I have the 1978 4th edition and have cooked so many dishes from it.
Still going strong
http://www.charmainesolomon.com/
Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art
Shizuo Tsuji This is the bible of everything japanese food. For me at least.
Everything from recipes, ingredients, techniques, tools to history. Everything japanese.
On Food and Cooking - The Science and Lore of the Kitchen
Harold McGee
Covers everything about food, from theory, history, facts, myths
http://www.curiouscook.com/
Antonio Carluccio
A Passion for Pasta
Complete Italian Food [another encyclopedia]
jamie at home
Jamie Oliver
What a great life that guy has
http://www.jamieoliver.com/
the cook's companion Stephanie Alexander
Another encyclopedic masterwork
http://www.stephaniealexander.com.au/
thai food
David Thompson
Everything you wanted to know about thai cooking, and a lot you didn't know you wanted to know
Electronic book source
WikiBooks has a CookBook section
29 August 2008
Pea Soup
This recipe comes from Mother. I've added to it over the years. Best started a few days before you need it.
Ingredients
Amounts are difficult to determine
0.5 kilo Bacon bones or 30cm rack smoked ribs for the stock.
Get some with plenty of meat left on them if you can
2 large onions diced
2 large carrots diced
4 medium potatoes diced
3 or 4 tsps cumin
dried peas [or lentils] soaked overnight
2 litres water
Method
The bones will have plenty of salt in them, so salt at the end to taste.
Bring the water to boil and simmer the bones in them for approx 1 hour, 2 is better.
Remove from the heat.
When cool skim excess fat from the top of the stock but retain the meat and bones.
On a medium heat ina a large saucepan cook the onions with plenty of cumin until transparent.
Add the carrots and potatoes.
Sweat them to start the cooking process.
Add the stock to the vegetables.
Add the peas [or lentils].
Bring to the boil but then reduce the heat to minimum.
Simmer the soup for another 3 hours. The soup should only just be turning over. Stir it periodically to ensure it isn't sticking on the saucepan.
Cooking it so slowly allows the flavours to really come out of the bones which nearly disintegrate - the meat falls off, the vegetables almost dissolve.
There is no need to purée the soup. Because of the long cooking time everything is almost puréed as a matter of course.
Serve with nice crusty bread on a blustery winter's day in front of the fire.
Freeze what's left for the next winter's day.
Ingredients
Amounts are difficult to determine
0.5 kilo Bacon bones or 30cm rack smoked ribs for the stock.
Get some with plenty of meat left on them if you can
2 large onions diced
2 large carrots diced
4 medium potatoes diced
3 or 4 tsps cumin
dried peas [or lentils] soaked overnight
2 litres water
Method
The bones will have plenty of salt in them, so salt at the end to taste.
Bring the water to boil and simmer the bones in them for approx 1 hour, 2 is better.
Remove from the heat.
When cool skim excess fat from the top of the stock but retain the meat and bones.
On a medium heat ina a large saucepan cook the onions with plenty of cumin until transparent.
Add the carrots and potatoes.
Sweat them to start the cooking process.
Add the stock to the vegetables.
Add the peas [or lentils].
Bring to the boil but then reduce the heat to minimum.
Simmer the soup for another 3 hours. The soup should only just be turning over. Stir it periodically to ensure it isn't sticking on the saucepan.
Cooking it so slowly allows the flavours to really come out of the bones which nearly disintegrate - the meat falls off, the vegetables almost dissolve.
There is no need to purée the soup. Because of the long cooking time everything is almost puréed as a matter of course.
Serve with nice crusty bread on a blustery winter's day in front of the fire.
Freeze what's left for the next winter's day.
16 August 2008
Roasted Capsicums
Ingredients
Capsicums
Garlic
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Method
Buy large red capsicums in season.
Remove the seeds and stalk structure by cutting around the stalk, and pull the inside out.
Discard the stalk and seeds*.
Grill the capsicums on a hot barbecue [or on a gas burner] until the skin is black and blistered. Turn them to blister all over, evenly.
Remove the capsicums and place in a plastic bag while still hot.
After they have cooled remove the charred skin and discard*
Dress the peeled capsicums in extra virgin, garlic and lemon juice.
Excellent as a side-dish, accompaniment or sandwich extra.
*OK in the compost
Capsicums
Garlic
Olive oil
Lemon juice
Method
Buy large red capsicums in season.
Remove the seeds and stalk structure by cutting around the stalk, and pull the inside out.
 |
| Gorgeous! |
Grill the capsicums on a hot barbecue [or on a gas burner] until the skin is black and blistered. Turn them to blister all over, evenly.
Remove the capsicums and place in a plastic bag while still hot.
After they have cooled remove the charred skin and discard*
Dress the peeled capsicums in extra virgin, garlic and lemon juice.
Excellent as a side-dish, accompaniment or sandwich extra.
*OK in the compost
Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
Ingredients
Roma or egg tomatoes have a nicer flavour but any tomatoes will do. Ripe but not too ripe - they need to hold their shape.
Sugar
Salt
Herbs
Method
Cut the tomatoes in half through the stalk axis [lengthwise for Romas]
Arrange on a rack for the oven
Sprinkle with salt and sugar and herbs
On low heat, roast the tomatoes for 1 or 1.5 hours until the have lost moisture and dried slightly. Careful they don't burn.
Roma or egg tomatoes have a nicer flavour but any tomatoes will do. Ripe but not too ripe - they need to hold their shape.
Sugar
Salt
Herbs
Method
Cut the tomatoes in half through the stalk axis [lengthwise for Romas]
Arrange on a rack for the oven
Sprinkle with salt and sugar and herbs
On low heat, roast the tomatoes for 1 or 1.5 hours until the have lost moisture and dried slightly. Careful they don't burn.
My Recipes
I have been asked to commit my recipes to some record. In the 21st century why not a blog? You've probably seen the other blogs in my collection so here we go with one more. Feel free to use these recipes as you wish. Let me know anything that doesn't work and I can fix it. A lot of these come naturally to me so I may easily overlook something. Editor's block, y'know. And have a nice time using them!
Ohitashi
For two people
Ingredients
1 bunch English spinach, washed and trimmed. Not silver beet
water
sesame oil
sesame seeds
Method
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frypan until they start to pop and remove from the pan to cool.
Boil the water in a medium saucepan.
Dunk the spinach - keep it in the water until the leaves have wilted and the bulk of the leaves is reduced. Less than 2 minutes.
Place half the spinach onto a japanese bamboo sushi mat. The final shape you're after is like a little cup about 2cm in diameter, maybe 6 cm tall.
Roll the spinach in the bamboo mat and squeeze out excess moisture.
Arrange the little cup of spinach in a bowl, one per person and dress it with the sesame oil, just a teaspoon or so and the toasted sesame seeds.
Ingredients
1 bunch English spinach, washed and trimmed. Not silver beet
water
sesame oil
sesame seeds
Method
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frypan until they start to pop and remove from the pan to cool.
Boil the water in a medium saucepan.
Dunk the spinach - keep it in the water until the leaves have wilted and the bulk of the leaves is reduced. Less than 2 minutes.
Place half the spinach onto a japanese bamboo sushi mat. The final shape you're after is like a little cup about 2cm in diameter, maybe 6 cm tall.
Roll the spinach in the bamboo mat and squeeze out excess moisture.
Arrange the little cup of spinach in a bowl, one per person and dress it with the sesame oil, just a teaspoon or so and the toasted sesame seeds.
Tomato Pasta Sauce base
Buy fresh roma tomatoes at the end of the season by the box or canned peeled italian tomatoes by the case when they're cheap [fresh less than $1 a kilo, cans down to 40c a can]
Ingredients
12 cans peeled tomatoes or equivalent
8 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp Sugar
Olive oil
Herbs
Peel fresh tomatoes
With a sharp knife cut an 'X' in the base of the tomato
Steep the tomatoes a few at a time in boiling water for two minutes, then remove to iced water.
After they have cooled, peel the skin off* - it should come away easily.
Preparation
Have the cans opened so you can assemble quickly, or fresh tomatoes should be chopped roughly.
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and fry the garlic, but don't let it brown.
Add the tomatoes. For canned tomatoes, squeeze the individual tomatoes through your fingers - saves chopping, produces a nice result.
Adjust to taste and add herbs.
When all the tomatoes are in the pot bring to the boil but immediately turn down the heat to slow simmer. Simmer for 2 hours.
The sauce should reduce slightly maybe to 75% of the original volume. Taste it for intensity and consistency.
Bottling
When the sauce is ready, it can be bottled into sterilised glass jars.
Have the bottles clean and ready, with metal caps. Don't use plastic-topped jars, the metal ones with the pop-up buttons are best and can be re-used over and over.
Have the sauce on slow simmer.
Boil enough water [fast simmer] to boil a couple of bottles and their caps at the same time.
Everything you use at this point should be clean and preferably boiled if it comes into conatct with the sauce - bottles, caps, tongs, funnel. Wear gloves and an apron. Use tongs and a wide mouth funnel.
Working quickly, take one bottle out of the boiling water and fill it with simmering tomato sauce.
Leave a small 'head-space' at the top of the bottle. Retrieve the appropriate cap from the boiling water and immediately seal the bottle. Set aside to cool [the bottles are red-hot!]. You'll know they're sealed when the tops 'pop' that's the sound the button top makes as it compresses into the top of the bottle.
Any bottles which don't seal correctly, button-in, should be used immediately or refrigerated for up to two days. Bottles which do seal correctly seem to last for a long time.
Science nut note - it's the same process as the 'egg in a milk bottle' trick - the cooling sauce within the bottle lowers the pressure within the bottle and the surrounding atmospheric pressure pushes the top onto the bottle, very securely.
Wikipedia page - Home Canning
USDA - National Center for Home Food Preservation
*compost the skins
Variations
Now that you have the basic sauce the uses of it are diverse.
Use it straight for a Napolitana sauce
Add chilli for Arrabbiata sauce.
Add capers and olives for Puttanesca sauce
Add to browned beef mince for Bolognese sauce
Add to Bœuf Bourguignon
Use on a pizza base for a quick pizza
Ingredients
12 cans peeled tomatoes or equivalent
8 cloves Garlic
1 tbsp Salt
Pepper
1 tbsp Sugar
Olive oil
Herbs
Peel fresh tomatoes
With a sharp knife cut an 'X' in the base of the tomato
Steep the tomatoes a few at a time in boiling water for two minutes, then remove to iced water.
After they have cooled, peel the skin off* - it should come away easily.
Preparation
Have the cans opened so you can assemble quickly, or fresh tomatoes should be chopped roughly.
In a large saucepan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and fry the garlic, but don't let it brown.
Add the tomatoes. For canned tomatoes, squeeze the individual tomatoes through your fingers - saves chopping, produces a nice result.
Adjust to taste and add herbs.
When all the tomatoes are in the pot bring to the boil but immediately turn down the heat to slow simmer. Simmer for 2 hours.
The sauce should reduce slightly maybe to 75% of the original volume. Taste it for intensity and consistency.
Bottling
When the sauce is ready, it can be bottled into sterilised glass jars.
Have the bottles clean and ready, with metal caps. Don't use plastic-topped jars, the metal ones with the pop-up buttons are best and can be re-used over and over.
Have the sauce on slow simmer.
Boil enough water [fast simmer] to boil a couple of bottles and their caps at the same time.
Everything you use at this point should be clean and preferably boiled if it comes into conatct with the sauce - bottles, caps, tongs, funnel. Wear gloves and an apron. Use tongs and a wide mouth funnel.
Working quickly, take one bottle out of the boiling water and fill it with simmering tomato sauce.
Leave a small 'head-space' at the top of the bottle. Retrieve the appropriate cap from the boiling water and immediately seal the bottle. Set aside to cool [the bottles are red-hot!]. You'll know they're sealed when the tops 'pop' that's the sound the button top makes as it compresses into the top of the bottle.
Any bottles which don't seal correctly, button-in, should be used immediately or refrigerated for up to two days. Bottles which do seal correctly seem to last for a long time.
Science nut note - it's the same process as the 'egg in a milk bottle' trick - the cooling sauce within the bottle lowers the pressure within the bottle and the surrounding atmospheric pressure pushes the top onto the bottle, very securely.
Wikipedia page - Home Canning
USDA - National Center for Home Food Preservation
*compost the skins
Variations
Now that you have the basic sauce the uses of it are diverse.
Use it straight for a Napolitana sauce
Add chilli for Arrabbiata sauce.
Add capers and olives for Puttanesca sauce
Add to browned beef mince for Bolognese sauce
Add to Bœuf Bourguignon
Use on a pizza base for a quick pizza
Agedashi Tofu
Ingredients
for three serves
1 block silken tofu
1 cup dashi
1 tbsp soy
1 tbsp mirin
potato starch or corn starch
vegetable oil
Garnish - fresh ginger, green onions, finely-grated daikon
Make the sauce first
Combine the dashi, soy and mirin bring to the boil
Serve hot
Tofu
Silken tofu is delicate, so be careful when handling it. It falls apart easily.
It can be compressed between two plates, wrapped in a paper towel but I haven't found to make much [if any] difference...
Method
Cut the tofu into medium size pieces say 3 x 3cm
Coat the pieces with the corn/potato starch. Don't let it sit too long - it may become soggy!
Fry the pieces in hot vegetable oil until golden - when the coating is golden and crisp, it holds the tofu together.
Remove from oil and drain well.
Serve in individual bowls, three pieces each.
Pour a little sauce over each, not to cover the tofu but to give a little soup.
Garnish with a combination of fresh ginger, green onions or daikon, to taste
for three serves
1 block silken tofu
1 cup dashi
1 tbsp soy
1 tbsp mirin
potato starch or corn starch
vegetable oil
Garnish - fresh ginger, green onions, finely-grated daikon
Make the sauce first
Combine the dashi, soy and mirin bring to the boil
Serve hot
Tofu
Silken tofu is delicate, so be careful when handling it. It falls apart easily.
It can be compressed between two plates, wrapped in a paper towel but I haven't found to make much [if any] difference...
Method
Cut the tofu into medium size pieces say 3 x 3cm
Coat the pieces with the corn/potato starch. Don't let it sit too long - it may become soggy!
Fry the pieces in hot vegetable oil until golden - when the coating is golden and crisp, it holds the tofu together.
Remove from oil and drain well.
Serve in individual bowls, three pieces each.
Pour a little sauce over each, not to cover the tofu but to give a little soup.
Garnish with a combination of fresh ginger, green onions or daikon, to taste
Zaru Soba
An excellent summer dish. Make the sauce ahead of time. It keeps in the fridge for a few weeks.
The dish is traditionally served in a zaru [flat basket tray] which allows the noodles to drain, but you can serve them in a standard bowl.
Ingredients
Soba noodles [try cha-soba, green tea soba, as a variation]
Wasabi
Nori, cut into thin strips
green onions sliced finely
Sauce [enough for 2 serves at least]
1.25 cups dashi [if you use instant dashi get one with no MSG]
0.5 cup of shoyu
0.25 cup mirin
1 tsp sugar
Combine the ingredients and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.
Method
Cook the soba in plenty of boiling water.
After you add the noodles, and when the water comes back to the boil, add a glass of cold water, to stop the cooking momentarily. Repeat that step three times.
The noodles should then be al dente, slightly firm to the bite If not, keep boiling and repeat the cold water step one more time.
Once the noodles are cooked, drain them from the hot water and run cold water through them until they are cooled.
Arrange the noodles on the zaru [or in a bowl]
Garnish with the nori strips.
Serve with a small pyramid of wasabi, green onions. Place about 0.3 cup of sauce into a small bowl.
To eat, put a small amount of wasabi into the sauce, with green onions to taste. Using chopsticks move some noodles in to the sauce bowl and eat the noodles directly from the sauce-bowl.
The dish is traditionally served in a zaru [flat basket tray] which allows the noodles to drain, but you can serve them in a standard bowl.
Ingredients
Soba noodles [try cha-soba, green tea soba, as a variation]
Wasabi
Nori, cut into thin strips
green onions sliced finely
Sauce [enough for 2 serves at least]
1.25 cups dashi [if you use instant dashi get one with no MSG]
0.5 cup of shoyu
0.25 cup mirin
1 tsp sugar
Combine the ingredients and simmer until the sugar is dissolved. Cool.
Method
Cook the soba in plenty of boiling water.
After you add the noodles, and when the water comes back to the boil, add a glass of cold water, to stop the cooking momentarily. Repeat that step three times.
The noodles should then be al dente, slightly firm to the bite If not, keep boiling and repeat the cold water step one more time.
Once the noodles are cooked, drain them from the hot water and run cold water through them until they are cooled.
Arrange the noodles on the zaru [or in a bowl]
Garnish with the nori strips.
Serve with a small pyramid of wasabi, green onions. Place about 0.3 cup of sauce into a small bowl.
To eat, put a small amount of wasabi into the sauce, with green onions to taste. Using chopsticks move some noodles in to the sauce bowl and eat the noodles directly from the sauce-bowl.
Gazpacho
It's a fresh salad in a soup.
Chop tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, capsicums, keep them recognisable. Finely chop or crush some garlic. Chilli? Adjust salt and pepper.
Drown the vegetables in tomato juice, or V8.
Proportions are really individual - how many coming? Start with one each of the ingredients.
I like to have more vegetables than liquid, but some like it quite liquid
Bœuf Bourguignon
Ingredients [for four]
500g Chuck steak or Gravy beef, trimmed but keep some fat on, 2cm cubes
1 large onion chopped
A few cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 rashers of bacon, rind off, roughly chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
1 or two cups red wine, reasonable quality [if it's not worth drinking it's not worth cooking with it]
Four medium tomatoes, can of tomato puree, peeled tomatoes or my pasta sauce
1 cup of mushrooms, small ones kept whole or large ones sliced
4 small [pickling] onions, peeled but kept whole
Olive oil
Herbs - bay leaves, thyme, others to taste
salt and pepper
Method
Start a day or so before eating - the flavours develop
Prepare the vegetables and garlic, bacon and meat
In a medium/large saucepan over medium heat fry the onions, garlic and bacon in a tbsp or two of olive oil until transparent.
Add the meat and fry until sealed all over. Add the flour and stir to coat the meat.
Pour the red wine over the meat to half-cover, de-glazes the saucepan, starts the sauce
Add tomatoes in whatever form
Water to just cover
Add herbs [keep some to add more later]
Bring the saucepan to the boil and turn the heat right down to maintain a slow simmer.
Cover the saucepan to keep the heat and liquid in, for now.
Let it simmer for an hour minimum, two is better.
Turn off the heat and let the saucepan sit, covered until cool, then place covered in the fridge overnight.
When approaching meal time, return the saucepan to the heat and return to simmer, covered.
[Alternatively put into an ovenproof dish and finish in the oven]
Add the mushrooms and small onions.
Adjust herbs, salt and pepper.
Simmer uncovered for an hour at least, careful not to let the saucepan dry out.
Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes, green vegetables, peas.
Leftovers can be baked in a pie.
Freezes well, some say it improves the flavour even further.
500g Chuck steak or Gravy beef, trimmed but keep some fat on, 2cm cubes
1 large onion chopped
A few cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
2 rashers of bacon, rind off, roughly chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
1 or two cups red wine, reasonable quality [if it's not worth drinking it's not worth cooking with it]
Four medium tomatoes, can of tomato puree, peeled tomatoes or my pasta sauce
1 cup of mushrooms, small ones kept whole or large ones sliced
4 small [pickling] onions, peeled but kept whole
Olive oil
Herbs - bay leaves, thyme, others to taste
salt and pepper
Method
Start a day or so before eating - the flavours develop
Prepare the vegetables and garlic, bacon and meat
In a medium/large saucepan over medium heat fry the onions, garlic and bacon in a tbsp or two of olive oil until transparent.
Add the meat and fry until sealed all over. Add the flour and stir to coat the meat.
Pour the red wine over the meat to half-cover, de-glazes the saucepan, starts the sauce
Add tomatoes in whatever form
Water to just cover
Add herbs [keep some to add more later]
Bring the saucepan to the boil and turn the heat right down to maintain a slow simmer.
Cover the saucepan to keep the heat and liquid in, for now.
Let it simmer for an hour minimum, two is better.
Turn off the heat and let the saucepan sit, covered until cool, then place covered in the fridge overnight.
When approaching meal time, return the saucepan to the heat and return to simmer, covered.
[Alternatively put into an ovenproof dish and finish in the oven]
Add the mushrooms and small onions.
Adjust herbs, salt and pepper.
Simmer uncovered for an hour at least, careful not to let the saucepan dry out.
Serve with roasted or mashed potatoes, green vegetables, peas.
Leftovers can be baked in a pie.
Freezes well, some say it improves the flavour even further.
15 August 2008
Garlic Prawns
The key to this recipe is the little cast iron pots that the prawns are cooked and served in. It just doesn't seem right without them
Ingredients
o.5 kg green prawns, shelled and de-veined
two cups olive oil
4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
2 chillies coarsely chopped
fresh crusty bread
Method
Prepare the prawns, garlic and chilli
In the cast iron pots heat enough of the olive oil to cook the prawns but not too much that they'll boil over when you throw the prawns in!
Bring the oil to just below smoking and put one server of prawns into the hot oil.
Careful - they boil immediately!!
Let them cook for a minute, two at the most and add the garlic and chilli.
Don't let the garlic burn!
While still boiling and with suitable safety gear [apron and heatproof pot-holders], move the cast iron pot containing the prawns to the table.
Eat them with the bread - don't forget the oil and garlic
Ingredients
o.5 kg green prawns, shelled and de-veined
two cups olive oil
4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
2 chillies coarsely chopped
fresh crusty bread
Method
Prepare the prawns, garlic and chilli
In the cast iron pots heat enough of the olive oil to cook the prawns but not too much that they'll boil over when you throw the prawns in!
Bring the oil to just below smoking and put one server of prawns into the hot oil.
Careful - they boil immediately!!
Let them cook for a minute, two at the most and add the garlic and chilli.
Don't let the garlic burn!
While still boiling and with suitable safety gear [apron and heatproof pot-holders], move the cast iron pot containing the prawns to the table.
Eat them with the bread - don't forget the oil and garlic
Basic Risotto
Ingredients
1 cup Arborio rice [don't wash it - you want the starch]
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups reasonable white wine
pecorino cheese grated
herbs - flat-leaf parsley, thyme
Method
Have the stock slowly simmering on the back burner - simmering stock means the rice doesn't stop cooking.
In a medium sized saucepan on medium heat, with 1 tbsp olive oil, fry the onions and garlic until transparent
Add the rice and stir it with a wooden spoon, through the oil, onions and garlic so that it is coated with the oil, about a minute.
Pour in the wine, enough to cover.
Continue stirring so that the rice doesn't stick and until the wine has been evaporated/absorbed. When the rice is just about dry, ladle in heated stock to cover.
Keep stirring.
Adjust the heat so that it is neither too fast nor too slow. Should be bubbling, but not violently.
Repeat the ladling of stock, stirring all the while.
Keep repeating, keep stirring
When the risotto is about 3/4 cooked add whatever other flavours or ingredients you are using [mushrooms, bacon, peas etc]
The rice is cooked when the grains are al dente - neither hard nor soft and cooked right through.
At the very end and just when you take the risotto off the heat, add the pecorino and fresh herbs. Stir through. Have some more grated cheese available to top the dish when serving.
Notes
If you run out of stock - might indicate that the heat was too high - you can use water, but not too much.
The process should take about 20 minutes - practice will teach you how long.
---------------------
Variations
The basic risotto can accommodate so many different flavourings and ingredients. Here's a few suggestions.
1 cup Arborio rice [don't wash it - you want the starch]
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 cups reasonable white wine
pecorino cheese grated
herbs - flat-leaf parsley, thyme
Method
Have the stock slowly simmering on the back burner - simmering stock means the rice doesn't stop cooking.
In a medium sized saucepan on medium heat, with 1 tbsp olive oil, fry the onions and garlic until transparent
Add the rice and stir it with a wooden spoon, through the oil, onions and garlic so that it is coated with the oil, about a minute.
Pour in the wine, enough to cover.
Continue stirring so that the rice doesn't stick and until the wine has been evaporated/absorbed. When the rice is just about dry, ladle in heated stock to cover.
Keep stirring.
Adjust the heat so that it is neither too fast nor too slow. Should be bubbling, but not violently.
Repeat the ladling of stock, stirring all the while.
Keep repeating, keep stirring
When the risotto is about 3/4 cooked add whatever other flavours or ingredients you are using [mushrooms, bacon, peas etc]
The rice is cooked when the grains are al dente - neither hard nor soft and cooked right through.
At the very end and just when you take the risotto off the heat, add the pecorino and fresh herbs. Stir through. Have some more grated cheese available to top the dish when serving.
Notes
If you run out of stock - might indicate that the heat was too high - you can use water, but not too much.
The process should take about 20 minutes - practice will teach you how long.
---------------------
Variations
The basic risotto can accommodate so many different flavourings and ingredients. Here's a few suggestions.
- Bacon, mushroom and peas. And some freshly grated nutmeg.
- Asparagus. Only use fresh asparagus [canned asparagus turns to mush], steamed and cut into 3cm pieces before adding to the risotto.
- Dried porcini mushrooms - soak them in boiling water for 10-15 minutes before using. Use the water in the risotto.
- Prawns - fry prawns before adding them to the risotto, maybe with extra garlic and/or chili!
Ginger Beer Plant
Ingedients
Plant
8 sultanas
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp of lemon pulp
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups cold water
Feeding the plant daily for a week
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp of sugar
Making the beer
1 kg sugar
5 cups boiling water
Juice of 4 lemons
More water
Method
Make the plant
Combine the first ingredients into a screw top jar, leave for 2 to 5 days depending on weather till it starts to ferment
Then each day feed the plant with 1 tsp ginger and 2 tsp sugar for 1 week.
Make the beer
To make beer Pour 5 cups boiling water on 1kg sugar, stir till dissolved. Add juice of 4 lemons. Strain beer plant into syrup through a piece of muslin. Squeeze the cloth dry so as to extract as much as possible. Add 8.75 cups cold water, pour into clean airtight bottles and seal. Keep it for 3 days before opening.
To keep plant alive, halve residue in muslin, place back into a jar with 2 cups of water and feed as before.
Plant
8 sultanas
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tsp of lemon pulp
4 tsp sugar
2 tsp ground ginger
2 cups cold water
Feeding the plant daily for a week
1 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp of sugar
Making the beer
1 kg sugar
5 cups boiling water
Juice of 4 lemons
More water
Method
Make the plant
Combine the first ingredients into a screw top jar, leave for 2 to 5 days depending on weather till it starts to ferment
Then each day feed the plant with 1 tsp ginger and 2 tsp sugar for 1 week.
Make the beer
To make beer Pour 5 cups boiling water on 1kg sugar, stir till dissolved. Add juice of 4 lemons. Strain beer plant into syrup through a piece of muslin. Squeeze the cloth dry so as to extract as much as possible. Add 8.75 cups cold water, pour into clean airtight bottles and seal. Keep it for 3 days before opening.
To keep plant alive, halve residue in muslin, place back into a jar with 2 cups of water and feed as before.
Crêpes Suzette
You can make the crêpes the day before
Crêpes
1 cup plain flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
pinch salt
swig of olive oil
Sauce
Butter
Sugar
Fresh orange juice [bottled orange juice is not right]
cognac optional
Roasted almond slivers
Roast them yourself in a dry frypan before preparing the sauce
Method
Combine ingredients until a smooth and runny batter is achieved.
Let the bowl sit for half an hour before making the crêpes.
Fry the crepes in an oiled frypan– thin is good but not too thin.
Cook the whole batch.
As each one is made remove it from the pan and fold twice for storage.
Sauce
Melt a tbsp of butter and a dessertspoon of sugar into the warmed frying pan. When starting to sizzle add half a cup of orange juice.
Reduce the sauce but before it gets caramelised add three crepes per person. Leave them folded up – you can fit more in the pan and they’re easier to turn over [with tongs].
Heat the crepes in the sauce so that they are ready by the time the sauce is starting to caramelise.
Option: Flambé the crêpes with cognac before serving, in the sauce for a slight caramel - careful with your eyebrows
Top with roasted almond slivers.
Serve hot.
Crêpes
1 cup plain flour
1 cup milk
1 egg
pinch salt
swig of olive oil
Sauce
Butter
Sugar
Fresh orange juice [bottled orange juice is not right]
cognac optional
Roasted almond slivers
Roast them yourself in a dry frypan before preparing the sauce
Method
Combine ingredients until a smooth and runny batter is achieved.
Let the bowl sit for half an hour before making the crêpes.
 |
| Here's some I prepared earlier, ready for sauce |
Cook the whole batch.
As each one is made remove it from the pan and fold twice for storage.
Sauce
Melt a tbsp of butter and a dessertspoon of sugar into the warmed frying pan. When starting to sizzle add half a cup of orange juice.
Reduce the sauce but before it gets caramelised add three crepes per person. Leave them folded up – you can fit more in the pan and they’re easier to turn over [with tongs].
Heat the crepes in the sauce so that they are ready by the time the sauce is starting to caramelise.
Option: Flambé the crêpes with cognac before serving, in the sauce for a slight caramel - careful with your eyebrows
Top with roasted almond slivers.
Serve hot.
Basic Rice
Rice is one of the mostly widely used ingredients in the World. But so many people can't cook it. Try these
Thai-style rice
Use jasmine or basmati in this recipe. Jasmine for vietnamese and thai, basmati for Indian, Sri Lankan.
Ingredients
1 cup Rice for two people
Water
Method
Wash the rice until the water runs clear.
Boil it in plenty of quickly-boiling water.
Stir it with a fork as soon as the rice is in the water to avoid it sticking.
Keep stirring periodically to keep it moving in the water.
Check the colour of the rice grains.
When the grains are of uniform colour, through the grain, the cooking stage is complete.
Remove from the heat and strain the rice using a sieve.
Return the drained rice to the same saucepan, put the lid on.
Leave it for 10 minutes to steam.
Fluff the rice with a fork.
Serve.
------------------------
Calrose japanese-style
Ingredients
1 cup Rice for two people
Water
Method
Wash the rice until the water runs clear.
Put the rice into a saucepan and cover with cold water to a depth of 1cm.
Bring the water to the boil.
Cover and turn the heat to low and cook until the water has been absorbed.
When the water has been absorbed, turn the heat off but leave the rice covered for 10 minutes to steam.
Thai-style rice
Use jasmine or basmati in this recipe. Jasmine for vietnamese and thai, basmati for Indian, Sri Lankan.
Ingredients
1 cup Rice for two people
Water
Method
Wash the rice until the water runs clear.
Boil it in plenty of quickly-boiling water.
Stir it with a fork as soon as the rice is in the water to avoid it sticking.
Keep stirring periodically to keep it moving in the water.
Check the colour of the rice grains.
When the grains are of uniform colour, through the grain, the cooking stage is complete.
Remove from the heat and strain the rice using a sieve.
Return the drained rice to the same saucepan, put the lid on.
Leave it for 10 minutes to steam.
Fluff the rice with a fork.
Serve.
------------------------
Calrose japanese-style
Ingredients
1 cup Rice for two people
Water
Method
Wash the rice until the water runs clear.
Put the rice into a saucepan and cover with cold water to a depth of 1cm.
Bring the water to the boil.
Cover and turn the heat to low and cook until the water has been absorbed.
When the water has been absorbed, turn the heat off but leave the rice covered for 10 minutes to steam.
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And
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