Tag: Comfort food

Categories
MAIN COURSE

Oxtail wrapped in a herb dumpling


Serve with rice and fried glazed ginger and lemon confit with glazed baby beetroot and horseradish cream.

This can be made with leftover oxtail.
The meat should be very tender and come off the bone quite easily after the cooking process. If you prefer, leave the meat on the bone and serve the dumplings, steamed in a bamboo steamer, separately.
OXTAILServes 4 with possible leftovers
If you have the time (and inclination), prepare a separate stock to strengthen the flavor of your dish.  It is optional but worth it.  Start making this sauce before starting to cook the oxtail.
Additional flavor: (Optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
any trimmings from the oxtail
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups beef stock, heated
2 cups of water
reserved tomato peels and seeds plus 1 extra tomato finely diced
3 juniper berries
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
season to taste
In a saucepan, add all the above ingredients and bring to a boil, skimming the surface all the time to remove all the impurities.  Cook for 30 minutes and let sit for another 30 minutes whilst preparing for the cooking of the oxtail.

The oxtail:
1 oxtail, trimmed and wiped dry, reserve the trimmings
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ bottle of red wine
1 large onion, chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 cinnamon stick, whole
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
2 cups beef stock, heated (or the stock you prepared earlier, if you did)
salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and finely diced
1 onion, finely chopped

The lemon confit:
6 lemons, zest and juice
150 g (5.2 oz) castor sugar

The garnish: (optional)
glazed ginger, sliced and lightly fried in butter

The beetroot:
8 baby beetroot
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sprig of thyme
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
1 teaspoon port

The horseradish cream:
¼ cup fresh horseradish, grated
1 tablespoon mustard
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ castor sugar or to taste
1 tablespoon dill
salt and pepper
1 cup cream, whipped

The oxtail:

  • Heat the oil in a cast iron pan and add the oxtail pieces. Fry over moderate heat until brown all over, then add the red wine and bring to a boil until nearly dry, stirring regularly.
  • Add the onions, garlic, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, hot stock (or the above prepared sauce, strained), and salt and pepper, and cover tightly with the pan lid. Turn down the heat to a moderate simmer.
If you prefer to cook the oxtail in the oven, now is the time to put it in an oven preheated to 180°C/356°F.
  • Cook for at least two hours, checking at regular intervals that it does not cook dry. Top up with 1 cup boiling water and repeat every time it seems to be cooking dry.
  • When the meat separates easily from the bones, remove from the heat.  Spoon the meat in a separate container and leave the sauce, which should have formed a thick sludge by now, behind and keep warm.
  • Check the seasoning of the sauce, discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves (and cloves if you can find them!), then reduce the sauce to a syrupy consistency and remove from the heat. Set aside in a warm place.
If you plan to serve the oxtail on the bone with the steamed dumplings, your oxtail is ready to be served now.
  • If you want to serve it with the dumplings wrapped around the meat, remove the bones from the meat and discard.
  • Roughly chop the meat, and mix in the tomato and onion. Shape the mixture into a sausage about 6 cm/2.5 in in diameter, and roll it in plastic film.
  • Twist the ends to seal well, then refrigerate to set.

For the dumplings:

  • Into a food processor bowl, sift the flour and baking powder, add oil and enough milk to bind the mixture and pulse until it just comes together as a dough.
  • Add the cheese and chives and pulse again to just combine.
  • Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and knead very lightly. Roll out the pastry to a rectangle measuring 18 x 48 cm/7 x 19 x in.
  • Carefully remove the plastic film from the oxtail sausage and place the meat in the center of the dumpling dough. Roll the dough over the meat and seal the edges. Trim the two ends of the sausage then cut it into 8 even slices.
  • Prepare the steamer and line each steam basket with some cabbage leaves rubbed with oil. Place the oxtail dumplings flat on the cabbage leaves (this is to prevent the oxtail from sticking to the basket) so that the meat is visible and steam for 15 minutes.
  • Halfway through the steaming process change the steamer baskets around so that they both get equal steam.
  • Carefully remove each dumpling and put on a warm plate. Discard the cabbage leaves.

For the lemon confit:

  • Peel the lemons, leaving the pith behind, and slice the zest as fine as possible. Place the zest in a saucepan and just cover it with water. Bring to the boil but drain as soon as it starts boiling.
  • Repeat the whole process twice, starting off with fresh cold water every time.
  • After the final draining, place the zest back in the saucepan and cover with the lemon juice and the sugar and, if necessary, add a little water. Cook over very low heat (barely simmering) until the zest is tender and the juice becomes syrupy.

The beetroot:

  • On a large piece of foil, place the beetroot in the centre and drizzle with the olive oil, then add thyme and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Enclose the foil and seal, then place on a baking tray. Bake for about 1 hour until very tender.
  • Remove from the oven and, unwrap the foil and tip the beetroot into a bowl. Cover the bowl with some plastic film and leave for 20 minutes to allow the skins to loosen and the beetroot to cool.
  • Remove the plastic film and discard the thyme and garlic.
  • Rub off the skins of the beetroot and cut in half. Put all the beetroot in a bowl and add the onion.
  • In a saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, honey, port and 1 tablespoon cold water. Reduce until it starts to thicken to a rich glaze. Add the cooked beetroot and stir to cover with the glaze, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

For the horseradish:

  • In a food processor blend the horseradish, lemon juice, sugar and dill.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the cream until stiff then fold into the horseradish mixture.
  • Season to taste, then strain through a sieve (optional) and refrigerate for 4 – 8 hours.

To serve:
Pour the sauce in the center of the plate and place two of the oxtail dumplings on top. Spoon the lemon confit and ginger on top of the oxtail and serve on rice with glazed baby beetroot and horseradish cream.

Categories
MAIN COURSE STARTERS/SIDES

Oxtail wrapped in a herb dumpling


Serve with rice and fried glazed ginger and lemon confit with glazed baby beetroot and horseradish cream.

This can be made with leftover oxtail.
The meat should be very tender and come off the bone quite easily after the cooking process. If you prefer, leave the meat on the bone and serve the dumplings, steamed in a bamboo steamer, separately.

OXTAIL WRAPPED IN A HERB DUMPLING, SERVED WITH FRIED GLAZED GINGER AND LEMON CONFIT AND A WARM RUSSIAN SALAD

Serves 4 with possible leftovers
If you have the time (and inclination), prepare a separate stock to strengthen the flavor of your dish.  It is optional but worth it.  Start making this sauce before starting to cook the oxtail.
Additional flavor: (Optional)
1 tablespoon olive oil
any trimmings from the oxtail
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 cups beef stock, heated
2 cups of water
reserved tomato peels and seeds plus 1 extra tomato finely diced
3 juniper berries
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
2 thyme sprigs
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
season to taste
In a saucepan, add all the above ingredients and bring to a boil, skimming the surface all the time to remove all the impurities.  Cook for 30 minutes and let sit for another 30 minutes whilst preparing for the cooking of the oxtail.

The oxtail:
1 oxtail, trimmed and wiped dry, reserve the trimmings
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ bottle of red wine
1 large onion, chopped finely
3 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
1 cinnamon stick, whole
2 bay leaves
4 whole cloves
2 cups beef stock, heated (or the stock you prepared earlier, if you did)
salt and freshly ground pepper

1 large tomato, peeled, seeded and finely diced
1 onion, finely chopped

The lemon confit:
6 lemons, zest and juice
150 g (5.2 oz) castor sugar

The garnish: (optional)
glazed ginger, sliced and lightly fried in butter

The beetroot:
8 baby beetroot
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sprig of thyme
1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small onion, thinly sliced
¼ cup apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey, or to taste
1 teaspoon port

The horseradish cream:
¼ cup fresh horseradish, grated
1 tablespoon mustard
½ teaspoon lemon juice
½ castor sugar or to taste
1 tablespoon dill
salt and pepper
1 cup cream, whipped

The oxtail:

  • Heat the oil in a cast iron pan and add the oxtail pieces. Fry over moderate heat until brown all over, then add the red wine and bring to a boil until nearly dry, stirring regularly.
  • Add the onions, garlic, cinnamon, bay leaves, cloves, hot stock (or the above prepared sauce, strained), and salt and pepper, and cover tightly with the pan lid. Turn down the heat to a moderate simmer.
If you prefer to cook the oxtail in the oven, now is the time to put it in an oven preheated to 180°C/356°F.
  • Cook for at least two hours, checking at regular intervals that it does not cook dry. Top up with 1 cup boiling water and repeat every time it seems to be cooking dry.
  • When the meat separates easily from the bones, remove from the heat.  Spoon the meat in a separate container and leave the sauce, which should have formed a thick sludge by now, behind and keep warm.
  • Check the seasoning of the sauce, discard the cinnamon stick and bay leaves (and cloves if you can find them!), then reduce the sauce to a syrupy consistency and remove from the heat. Set aside in a warm place.
If you plan to serve the oxtail on the bone with the steamed dumplings, your oxtail is ready to be served now.
  • If you want to serve it with the dumplings wrapped around the meat, remove the bones from the meat and discard.
  • Roughly chop the meat, and mix in the tomato and onion. Shape the mixture into a sausage about 6 cm/2.5 in in diameter, and roll it in plastic film.
  • Twist the ends to seal well, then refrigerate to set.

For the dumplings:

  • Into a food processor bowl, sift the flour and baking powder, add oil and enough milk to bind the mixture and pulse until it just comes together as a dough.
  • Add the cheese and chives and pulse again to just combine.
  • Transfer the mixture to a lightly floured surface and knead very lightly. Roll out the pastry to a rectangle measuring 18 x 48 cm/7 x 19 x in.
  • Carefully remove the plastic film from the oxtail sausage and place the meat in the center of the dumpling dough. Roll the dough over the meat and seal the edges. Trim the two ends of the sausage then cut it into 8 even slices.
  • Prepare the steamer and line each steam basket with some cabbage leaves rubbed with oil. Place the oxtail dumplings flat on the cabbage leaves (this is to prevent the oxtail from sticking to the basket) so that the meat is visible and steam for 15 minutes.
  • Halfway through the steaming process change the steamer baskets around so that they both get equal steam.
  • Carefully remove each dumpling and put on a warm plate. Discard the cabbage leaves.

For the lemon confit:

  • Peel the lemons, leaving the pith behind, and slice the zest as fine as possible. Place the zest in a saucepan and just cover it with water. Bring to the boil but drain as soon as it starts boiling.
  • Repeat the whole process twice, starting off with fresh cold water every time.
  • After the final draining, place the zest back in the saucepan and cover with the lemon juice and the sugar and, if necessary, add a little water. Cook over very low heat (barely simmering) until the zest is tender and the juice becomes syrupy.

The beetroot:

  • On a large piece of foil, place the beetroot in the centre and drizzle with the olive oil, then add thyme and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Enclose the foil and seal, then place on a baking tray. Bake for about 1 hour until very tender.
  • Remove from the oven and, unwrap the foil and tip the beetroot into a bowl. Cover the bowl with some plastic film and leave for 20 minutes to allow the skins to loosen and the beetroot to cool.
  • Remove the plastic film and discard the thyme and garlic.
  • Rub off the skins of the beetroot and cut in half. Put all the beetroot in a bowl and add the onion.
  • In a saucepan, bring to a boil the vinegar, honey, port and 1 tablespoon cold water. Reduce until it starts to thicken to a rich glaze. Add the cooked beetroot and stir to cover with the glaze, remove from the heat and leave to cool.

For the horseradish:

  • In a food processor blend the horseradish, lemon juice, sugar and dill.
  • In a separate bowl, whisk the cream until stiff then fold into the horseradish mixture.
  • Season to taste, then strain through a sieve (optional) and refrigerate for 4 – 8 hours.

To serve:
Pour the sauce in the center of the plate and place two of the oxtail dumplings on top. Spoon the lemon confit and ginger on top of the oxtail and serve on rice with glazed baby beetroot and horseradish cream.

 

Categories
MAIN COURSE

Chicken and mushroom casserole with a creamy champagne and tarragon sauce


Served with  Peccorino Swiss chard, and Macaroni and cheese

CHICKEN CASSEROLEServes 4

The casserole:
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 free-range chicken thighs, deboned (reserve the bones)
1 shallot, finely chopped
12 fresh tarragon leaves
salt and freshly ground black pepper
½ cup brut Champagne
½ cup fresh cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
500 g/1 lb fresh mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
fresh tarragon leaves

Fresh shiitake mushrooms can be replaced with dried ones, but use about half the quantity.

The Peccorino Swiss chard:
1 kg/2 lbs Swiss chard
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
½ small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons Peccorino cheese
10 cherry tomatoes, skinned
salt and freshly ground black pepper

The macaroni and cheese:
4 cups milk
40 g butter
50 g/1.7 oz flour, sifted
½ cup Fontina
½ cup mature cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon mustard
400 g/14 oz Riggatoni pasta
15 g/0.5 oz butter
4 large tomatoes, skinned and sliced in 3 mm/0.2 thick slices
1 tablespoon red onion, finely sliced
1 cup Gruyère cheese, freshly grated
½ cup Parmesan

Any leftover Macaroni and cheese is ideal for a light lunch with salad the next day. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to four days, but well wrapped, it also freezes well.

The salsa:
2 ripe pears, julienned
2 teaspoons, finely chopped
1 tablespoon pickled ginger, finely sliced
1½ tablespoon chive oil
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice
pinch of sugar

The chicken:

  • Heat the oil in a saucepan and lightly sauté the chicken and bones until golden brown all over. Add the shallot and sauté until translucent, then add the tarragon and season with salt and pepper.
  • Add the Champagne and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover and cook for ±20 minutes, remove the bones, then add the mushrooms and cook for another 15 minutes.
  • Mix the cream and mustard and pour over the chicken. Stir and bring to the boil, then cover and cook for 10 more minutes over low heat, stirring often. Serve immediately.
If you prefer to use reduced fat cream and to avoid it curdling, turn the heat right down at the end of the cooking time and only then pour the cream and mustard over the chicken. Stir gently to heat through, not longer than 15 seconds, then remove from the heat. Do not let it boil again – it will curdle.
  • Serve with some fresh tarragon leaves scattered over.

The Swiss chard:

  • Separate the ribs and leaves. Finely chop the ribs and shred the leaves, keeping them separate as the ribs take longer to cook.
  • Heat the butter and olive oil together in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • Stir in the garlic and onion, and cook for 30 seconds. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
  • Add the ribs and cook for about 5 minutes then add the chard leaves and cook until the leaves are wilted. Drain and squeeze out as much liquid as possible.
  • Put the chard, fried garlic and onions in a processor and pulse until it looks like large breadcrumbs.
  • Remove from the processor to a bowl, add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and Peccorino. Mix well and tomatoes. Season to taste and keep warm.

The macaroni and cheese:

  • Preheat the oven to 200°C/392°F.
  • For the cheese sauce, bring the milk to a boil in a small saucepan, then remove from the heat.
  • Meanwhile, in a separate saucepan and over a medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 3-4 minutes, then gradually stir in the milk and cook gently, stirring constantly, until the sauce is smooth.
  • Reduce the heat and simmer for 3-4 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat and add the freshly grated Fontina and cheddar cheese and mustard, then season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • For the macaroni, cook the Riggatoni until tender, drain and set aside.
  • In a large ovenproof dish, start the layering: First a layer of a third of the pasta, followed by a layer of a third of the tomatoes and onions.
  • Spoon over a third of the sauce and sprinkle over a third of the freshly gated Gruyère cheese, then repeat with the rest of the ingredients.
  • Finally sprinkle over the freshly grated Parmesan. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 15 minutes before serving.

The pear salsa:

  • Gently mix the pear, chives and pickled ginger in a bowl.
  • Whisk together the chive oil, mustard, lemon and sugar and just before serving, pour over the salsa.

To serve:
Spoon the sauce over the chicken and scatter the tarragon leaves over. Serve with the Swiss chard, Macaroni and cheese and the Pear, chive and pickled ginger salsa.