spicy

XL Scotch Eggs

December 17, 2016 — Leave a comment

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Extra large eggs for extra large taste. Make them on News Years Eve to take to a small party – and for a easy New Years Day snack when you’re hung over as balls.

Ingredients

  • 10 large free-range eggs , 2 beaten
  • 800 g quality sausage meat
  • 1 small bunch fresh chives , finely chopped
  • 1 small bunch fresh tarragon , leaves picked and finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 tablespoon English mustard
  • 2 tablespoon caramalised onion chutney
  • sea salt
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • plain flour , for dusting
  • 150 g good-quality white breadcrumbs
  • 2 litres vegetable oil
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable or corn oil

Music I cooked to:

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Method

  1. Get quality sausage meat. Buy some sausages from a reputable butcher.
  2. Slit the sausages open and squeeze out the meat into a bowl.
  3. Put the first 8 eggs into a pan of cold water and bring to the boil. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes, then transfer to a bowl of cold water. Once cooled, carefully peel them.
  4. Add the herbs to the sausage meat.
  5. Add the nutmeg, the mustard, the caramalised onion chutney, and a teaspoon of salt and pepper.
  6. Mix together then divide into 8 balls.
  7. Make up a plate with a small handful of flour, one with the beaten eggs and a third with the breadcrumbs.
  8. To construct the Scotch eggs, flour your hands. Flatten one of the sausage balls into an round pattie. Roll a peeled boiled egg in the flour, then place in the centre of the sausage pattie. Carefully shape the sausage evenly around the egg.
  9. When the sausage meat covers the egg dip into the beaten egg, then the breadcrumbs. Repeat this process for a better coating.
  10. Heat the oil in a deep oven pot (or deep fat fryer) to about 150ºC/300ºF. Test if the oil is hot enough by adding a cube of bread or a small ball off sausage meat and leaving it for about a minute – if it sputters and browns the oil is at temperature.Use cooking thermometer if you have one. Carefully lower the eggs into the pan using a slotted spoon and cook for about 5 – 6  minutes, turning them every so often, until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
  11. If you’re worried about the meat being under-cooked pop them in a hot oven (180ºC) for a couple of minutes.
  12. Cool the eggs slightly, then serve with some more off the pickle.

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Spicy Spanish Style Chicken

October 22, 2014 — Leave a comment

DSC_0730RECIPE_INFO1_0007Pure warming, hearty, comfort food – perfect for this time of year as the nights begin to draw in. Frying the chicken before roasting it helps to give it a nice crispy skin, and then cooking it in the sauce adds loads of lovely spicy, punchy flavour to the meat. I like to eat this with some simply cooked white rice and lots of crusty bread to mop up the delicious sauce. Easy to cook, nutritious, healthy, easy on the wallet and amazingly tasty – whats not to like!

Music I Cooked to:

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Ingredients

  • 2 red onions
  • 2 medium sized carrots
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 3 Chicken thighs (bone in)
  • 3 Chicken legs
  • Tin butter beans
  • 200g smoked ham (cubed or chopped) – ideally for authenticity use Panceta Adobado (Spanish pancetta). You could use normal pancetta… if you do, it would be good to marinade it in red wine vinegar, smoked paprika and garlic for a couple of hours beforehand. Link to Spanish Panceta HERE. Waitrose do an easy version HERE.
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp Sun Dried Tomato paste
  • 2 tbsp chilli powder
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • Handful chopped parsley
  • Handful peas (fresh or frozen)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 100ml Chicken stock
  • 100ml Balsamic vinegar
  • 250ml red wine (spanish for extra authenticity)
  • Splash of red wine vinegar
  • 1 tsp sugar or honey

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Preparation Method:

  1. Finely dice and chop the onions, chilli, and garlic.
  2. Very finely slice the carrots
  3. Heat a frying pan with a tbsp of vegetable oil. At the same time pre-heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
  4. Fry the chicken pieces until they are nicely browned all over.
  5. Season the chicken with salt and pepper – cover with foil and set aside
  6. In the same pan fry the onion over a medium-high heat until they begin to brown.
  7. Add the carrots and fry for another 8 mins until the carrot begins to soften. Add a splash of red wine vinegar.
  8. Add the garlic and chilli and continue to fry for a further 5 mins.
  9. Add the red wine, balsamic vinegar and chicken stock. Turn down to a medium heat and cook for 5 mins
  10. Add the tomato puree, sun dried tomato paste, smoked paprika, chilli powder and stir in. Continue to reduce. You should end up with a thick sauce like consistency.
  11. Drain the butter beans and add to the sauce
  12. Add the chicken pieces to the sauce.
  13. Add the sugar. Simmer the whole mixture for a further 5 mins.
  14. Take the base mixture off the hob, cover with foil and place in the oven for around 30mins.
  15. After 25mins quickly fry the smoked ham in some oil for around 2mins
  16. After 30mins remove from the oven, take off the foil. Baste the chicken with the sauce, add the smoked ham to the pan and place back in the oven for another 10-15 mins until the chicken skin is nicely browned and crispy.
  17. For the last few minutes of cooking time place the peas into the pan
  18. Remove from the oven and sprinkle over the parsley
  19. To serve prepare some white rice, spoon the rice into a bowl and then place a piece of chicken meat with a generous helping of the rich, delicious sauce on top.

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The ULTI-BURGER!!!

September 16, 2014 — 2 Comments

DSC_0294RECIPE_INFO1Put together after many hours of painstaking minced meat based research, and packed full of mega flavour… this is the ultimate mother-frickin beef burger. That is all.

Music I Cooked to:

DSC_0261 Ingredients

  • 3 onions
  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2lb good quality minced beef
  • 100g dried natural breadcrumbs
  • 2 tbsp mustard
  • 2 tbsp tomato puree
  • 1 tbsp Sun Dried Tomato paste
  • 2 free-range egg
  • 100g Brussels pate
  • 2 sprigs Thyme – chopped
  • handful fresh Chives
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 chopped chilli
  • 2 tbsp smoked paprika
  • 100ml beef stock
  • 250ml red wine
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • a few shakes Worcestershire sauce
  • a few shakes soy sauce
  • Cheddar cheese, pickled Jalapeño, fresh Tomato slices and Rocket leaves for garnish.

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Preparation Method:

  1. Finely dice and chop the onions, chilli, and garlic.
  2. Heat a frying pan with a tbsp of vegetable oil.
  3. Fry the onion over a medium-high heat until they begin to brown.
  4. Add the garlic and chilli and continue to fry for a further 5 mins.
  5. Add the red wine and beef stock. Turn down to a medium heat and reduce the mixture for around 15mins.
  6. Add the tomato puree, sun dried tomato paste, smoked paprika, mustard and stir in. You should end up with a thick sauce like consistency.
  7. Add the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, sugar and finely chopped thyme and chives. Simmer the whole mixture for a further 5 mins.
  8. Take the base mixture off the heat and allow to completely cool for around 30-40 mins.
  9. Place the base mixture in a large mixing bowl and add the beef mince. Stir well with a wooden spoon before getting stuck in with your hands and giving it a good mix up.
  10. Add the eggs, bread crumbs and pate, mixing each ingredient in to the beef mince thoroughly.
  11. Season well with salt and pepper.
  12. Form the mix into 8 tightly packed patties.
  13. Heat a griddle pan on a high heat with a small amount of oil. At the same time pre-heat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan.
  14. Fry each burger patty for 1 min each side until well browned with griddle lines.
  15. Place the patties onto a foil lined baking tray and place into the oven for 22 mins.
  16. For the last minute of cooking time place a slice of cheddar cheese onto each patty until melted.
  17. Remove from the oven. Set aside for 5 mins.
  18. To serve slice a good quality burger bun in half, place a patty in each and top with a slice of tomato, some rocket leaves and a few pickled Jalapeños.

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