| Two Fish recipes from Sicily |
| Two interesting recipes courtesy of Salvatore Barbara, chef of the fab Dubbesi restaurant at the Kempinski Hotel Giardino di Costanza, in Mazara del Vallo, Sicily. A large part of the menu is devoted to fish dishes including local specialities such as fish couscous, slightly seared fresh tuna, swordfish
Messina-style, mixed grill of fish with rosemary and also dishes in which
Sicily becomes an international crossroads, such as the trilogy of tuna
consisting of three tuna tartares, in Sici... |
| Today's lamb's liver - me messin' around |
| Apart from the lamb's liver, which I bought on a whim, this is me playing around with ingredients I had in the store cupboard
1 tbsp olive oil
180g lamb's liver, thinly sliced into rings
seasoned flour
1 medium Spanish onion, thinly sliced
5-6 thin slices fresh ginger
2 breakfast mushrooms, sliced
small handful fresh coriander, chopped
glass of port
equal quantity of water
serves 2
Toss the lamb's liver in the seasoned flour, shake well. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry ... |
| Zé's Aunt's Paella |
| The recipe below is from remembrance of thigs past - 40 odd years past!
The same sequence of informal Sunday lunch parties among fellow students that gave me my standard risotto recipe and some tasty curries also produced this 'paella' - I use the inverted commas deliberately because Zé's aunt was Portuguese (well, he was, anyway). She always referred to the dish as 'paella'. The use of a pinch of paprika is unusual, I think. Could it have been anything else? I don't think it was chilli.
The r... |
| Pork and Clams in cataplana |
| The 'Havana' thread on Amuse bouche, which devolved into a discussion of Portuguese food, inspired me to put up this recipe, which I sometimes also cook with mussels. Good rib-sticking stuff!
It's a good exercise to write down your favourite recipes from time to time, helps you analyse what you actually do and see if there's a better way. I've been cooking this for years without really thinking about how I do it.
Shoulder pork, cubed, allow 3oz/90g per person
small glass of port
small g... |
| Spaghetti with smoked salmon, mushrooms and wild rocket & parsley |
| 120g good spaghetti
60g smoked salmon, cut into fine strips
60g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
150g mixed wild rocket (120g) and flat-leaved parsley (30g)
juniper oil* or olive oil
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper
parmesan cheese, if liked, for garnish
serves 2
Since I started working from home again, my favourite lunch or easy dinner.
Cook the spaghetti until just past what most people seem to regard as 'al dente' (it usually renders as 'slightly chalky in the centre' - I... |
| New Year's Eve Dinner at Home - Moules Mariniere, Roast Duck with Pomegranate Sauce, |
| NEW YEAR’S EVE DINNER AT HOME
Lord knows what I would have spent if we’d gone out to a restaurant so tonight I want to see in the New Year with a glass of my all-time favourite fizz, Taittinger Comte de Rose (e150) and apologise to the bank manager later! Alternatives? Ruinart (e47.50) showed up well in FOOD & WINE Magazine’s recent tasting. Dunnes Stores have an excellent Lanvin at e20 that punches well above its weight. I’d be happy to drink South Africa’s Graham Beck and I really rate ... |
| Fennel & apple salad with juniper |
| Finnochio or ‘Florence fennel’ – the bulbed variety, not the feathery herb is easy to grow and I love it. This is a very pleasing autumnal salad.
1 fennel bulb
1 Granny Smith or other tart apple
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
12-15 juniper berries
Trim the fennel, but keep some of the feathery fronds for garnish. Slice the fennel thinly, against the grain. Cut the apple into very thin slices. Toss them both together with the lem... |
