Just in case you’re making a steak… 1 big shallot, fine diced 3 tsp black peppercorns, 2 tsp pink peppercorns 20g butter big pinch salt 2-3 tbsp brandy 200ml beef stock 2 tsp mushroom ketchup or worcester sauce 100ml double cream Dry-toast the black peppercorns, then crush 2 tsp of them. Melt butter and fry …
Category Archive: Lunch or supper
Smaller or more simple than dinner
Recipe: Polenta, creamy
I tried to make creamy polenta four times, following recipes, including Felicity Cloake’s usually spot-on Guardian pages. Every time it would land on the plate with a thud and be a solid block by the time we were eating. Now, there’s nothing wrong with a block of polenta: you can slice it and pan-fry it, …
Saturday night fish
After buying a whole lemon sole and then butchering it to pieces with my general purpose kitchen knife, I indulged myself in the purchase of a shiny new Sabatier filleting knife. Which is a bit weird, because I’ve always been a total minimalist in the kitchen: one knife, one chopping board, one wooden spoon and …
Recipe: Potato scone
This is useful. It goes insanely well with goulash but would work with anything you’ve got that has gravy to soak up. Or, heck, just as an alternative to bubble-and-squeak. Mash 200g potato nice and dry, then beat in 1 egg, 50ml olive oil and 100ml warm milk. Put 120g plain flour in a bowl …
Romesco sauce
This smokey red sauce is great with fish, with leeks (in Spain it is served with calcots but leeks are a much easier alternative) and almost certainly with chicken. 1 long red pepper 1 large tomato 1 tsp mixed sweet and hot smoked paprika 1 or 2 garlic cloves 20g hazelnuts 20g almonds, de-skinned 1 …