Loop the Loop: Training Days

Remembering the invention tests keeps me in the “Cordon Bleu training days” and so, whilst we're on the subject of soup, here's another :

Cream of Mushroom Soup

1 onion, finely chopped

225g mushrooms, finely sliced

50g unsalted butter

1 tbsp flour

1 litre of milk or vegetable stock

120ml double cream

grated nutmeg

chopped flat leaf parsley

salt and black pepper

Sauté the onion and mushrooms in the butter. Cook slowly with a lid for 10 minutes. Add the flour. Pour on the liquid. Simmer for 15/20 minutes. Season well. Add the cream.

If you wish you can purée the soup if you prefer a smoother texture.

A tip or two for mushroom soup. You can use mushrooms that are past their best – they have a great flavour. A drop of either dry sherry or red wine enhances the flavour of mushrooms – in soups and in sauces – my personal favourite is the dry sherry, but don't be too heavy handed.

The ladle trick. If you are ladling soup, dip your ladle ¾ full, lift out of pan, count to three – hey presto - no drips.

These days we live in a world where we expect perfectly formed, pristine fruit and vegetables, sadly to achieve this result they are “forced” i.e. grown artificially, the result of which is there is little or no flavour. I have a vibrant memory as a child on holiday with my family. Grandad Jack went mushrooming every morning – some days slim pickings, others not. I can still smell those mushrooms cooking and mouthwatering - you bet!

By the way - DON'T PICK MUSHROOMS UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING!

Here's a thought - if you live near a market selling fruit and vegetables, check out whether you can get hold of a box of mushrooms – I say box, it actually is a basket shape made out of cardboard. Weight-wise probably about 1–1.5kg. Usually these mushrooms are a bargain because they are not what we'd call Grade 1 – in other words past their best.

Turn that box of mushrooms into a stock and freeze it – freeze it in small amounts – it's much more convenient. Freezing intensifies the flavour and you can use the stock for soup or a mushroom sauce. If you're a lover of steak then a mushroom sauce is a perfect partner.

The “Jaws” moment, or ...

Loop the Loop

“just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water” …... later the same week as the invention test, here comes another. Unlike the previous challenge, this time the core ingredients were raw – leeks, celery and onion. I apologise for the dramatic film quotation – it just seemed to fit!

I had a “light bulb” moment and the ingredients brought to mind Vichyssoise soup. The previous challenge produced a soup with texture and I wanted to produce a smooth soup. Classically a Vichyssoise “style” fits the bill – a smooth, thick soup made with leeks, potatoes, cream and chicken stock. Most people think of Vichyssoise served cold and indeed it is usually – but it can be served hot too. This is not a classical version it's more a “thinking on your feet, variation on a theme” version.

Here's the result :

Soup de Ssoise

(i.e. not quite Vichy!!!)

One old potato, 2 leeks, remains of a bunch of celery

- approximately 4 sticks and one medium onion

One litre of chicken stock + half a litre later, when thickening

As with the previous invention test, Knorr Touch of Taste was used

but Knorr stock pots would work well

Large pinch of Marjoram

Large pinch of Fines Herbes

Salt and black pepper.

Glug of rapeseed oil

Peel the potato, cut into cubes. Peel the leeks, celery and onion - chop finely.

Sweat the leeks, celery and onion in rapeseed oil with the herbs and salt and pepper until softened. Add the stock and the cubed potato and simmer until the vegetables are cooked – they should retain texture.

Blend until smooth, taste, and adjust seasoning. Blend your soup in batches. To achieve a smooth consistency you may have to blend more than once. Test with a dessertspoon spoon. In each blended amount, dip the spoon into the soup, when removed the back of the spoon should be coated with a lump free liquid. Blend again to achieve the smooth consistency if necessary.

The finished soup should be thick and smooth.

As seems to be the case these days, there seems to be conflict as to who invented Vichyssoise - the jury is most definitely out – French or American – if I were a gambling person, my money would be on French probably because the history seems to lean that way but don't take my word for it!

I hope I get a point or two, or at least a smile for the title of the soup – never take yourself too seriously!

Loop the Loop

“Heebie-jeebies” ...an idiom used to describe a particular

type of anxiety – uncomfortably nervous … curious?

Back when I was working to gain my Cordon Bleu Certificate we students presented ourselves for work and to our horror were given an invention test. For those out there who watch Masterchef you'll be familiar with the concept and understand why the phrase the “heebie-jeebies” is entirely appropriate!

We were given a bowl of cooked peas, sweetcorn, carrot and broccoli. Our task was to produce a “Soup of the Day”.

It's all very well when you are throwing whatever you've got in the fridge into a pan in your own kitchen – being scrutinised and marked to boot is a whole new ballgame!

Here goes nothing :

Soup de Loop

(a catchy title I thought)

1 onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic chopped

1 green chilli, chopped, seeds out

Rapeseed oil

1 old potato, cubed

1 litre of vegetable stock to begin + half a litre later, when thickening.

We used Knorr liquid stock, Touch of Taste – Knorr Stock pots

would be as good if you can't get hold of the

Touch of Taste

Medium curry powder – to taste – 1 dessertspoon used

Mace – to taste – 1 tsp used

Salt and black pepper

Dice the carrots and broccoli should be kept in small florets.

Sauté the onion, garlic & chilli in the oil, add the curry powder and mace. Add the stock and cubed potato and bring to the boil, simmer until the potato is cooked but firm. When ready to serve 2 ladles of stock in blender until very smooth i.e. dip spoon in, look at the back of the spoon it will show the texture of the soup. Should be smooth. Add back to remaining stock, then add the cooked peas, sweetcorn, diced carrots and broccoli. As with all soups, leave the addition of salt until the end.

Taste and adjust seasoning.

Even though I say so myself not a bad effort and an added bonus - a healthy, nutritious soup using leftovers – not too shabby!

Rib stickers! - Awesome Autumn Pud

Here's a seasonal change to an old favourite – the Summer Pudding. We are ringing the changes and using mixed autumn fruits. I'm using the same principles as with the summer pudding, substituting the traditional bread with Madeira cake.

Autumn Pudding

400g of mixed autumn fruits – cox's apples, peeled and sliced

blackberries and plums – stoned and quartered

1 tbsp soft brown sugaar

3 tbsp water

1 x 370g jar of conserve – any variety or combination

that suits your fruit – damson, plum or berries

Madeira cake – I use a cheap and cheerful shop bought cake (265g - approx) – sliced lengthways into quarter inch slices and neatened. Here's where it's difficult to predict whether you'd need one cake or two – cake size varies depending which supermarket you use. I'd err on the side of caution and opt for two. For the size of basin stated, it takes approximately 10 slices of cake.

1 litre (1&3/4pt) basin.

A plain sided cutter slightly larger than the base of the basin.

Cling film

Method

Stew the fruit gently with the sugar and water in a medium saucepan over a medium heat. Simmer for 5 minutes until the fruit releases its juices. Cool.

Line the basin with cling film ensuring that it overlaps the basin.

Cut out a circle of cake for the base and place it in the basin. Line the rest of the basin – I overlap each piece of cake – but it's whatever you'd prefer.

Add half the jar of conserve to the cooled fruit and then pour the mixture into the cake-lined bowl. Top with slices of cake to cover completely. Fold the cling film over the pudding to seal.

Place a slightly smaller plate or saucer on top of the basin and weigh down with a can. Refrigerate for 12-24 hours.

To serve, remove the can and plate, unseal the cling film, cover the bowl with a large plate. Invert the pudding onto the plate and remove the cling film.

With the remaining conserve warm it through, gently in a microwave. Pour over the top of the pudding to serve, adding cream, ice cream or custard. For a grown-up version you could add a shot of liqueur.

The feedback from the “Sumptuous Summer Pudding” was really complimentary - “We all loved it, adults and children all had a slice, there were no leftovers – very easy to make” which is why I think this pud qualifies for an autumn tweak!

Rib Stickers! - Tempting Tansy

Here's a brief piece of history – tansy is a perennial herb, with yellow flowers producing a bitter sweet taste. Back in the day it had many uses, from an addition to puddings to a medicinal tea. Thankfully, it is not used in desserts these days, – too much is thought to be poisonous - it's only the name that remains which sounds like a good plan!

Damson (or plum) & Apple Tansy

Serves 4

2 large Cox's apples, peeled and thinly sliced

225g damsons, halved stoned and quartered (or plums)

15g unsalted butter

40g sugar

pinch ground cloves

pinch ground cinnamon

4 eggs, separated

3 tbsp double cream or soured cream

Put the apples, damsons (or plums), butter and half the sugar into a large frying pan.

Cook over a gentle heat until the fruit is softened, stirring continuously. Stir in the cloves and the cinnamon, remove from heat.

Beat the egg yolks with the cream and stir into the fruit. Whisk the egg whites until stiff, then carefully fold in.

Cook over a low heat until the mixture is set. Sprinkle the top with the remaining sugar then brown under a hot grill. Serve immediately, straight from the pan with clotted cream. You could even serve it with home-made vanilla ice cream – or both!

This is another candidate for the “straight from the pan” pud and not a tansy in sight.

Minimum effort – maximum yum!

Rib Stickers! - Figgy fun

Most people remember Figgy Pudding because of the Christmas carol, “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” - “Now bring us some figgy pudding”. Not surprisingly it goes way back, probably 16^th Century and is thought to be English. It's a lighter version of a Christmas Pudding and there are loads of recipes out there, some more complicated than others.

Here's my favourite :

Figgy Pudding

50g unsalted butter

110g dried apricots, chopped

110g dried figs, chopped

110g pineapple, chopped

(I use dried, cubed pineapple)

110g sultanas

200g self raising flour

1 tsp mixed spice

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

Pre-heat oven 180c/160fan/Gas4

Melt the butter – you could use a saucepan or the microwave. Tip all the fruits and the spice into a large bowl and add the melted butter and mix with the fruit. Leave to cool.

Add the beaten eggs, flour and baking powder. Fill your dariole moulds – the mixture makes approximately 9 puddings.

Bake for 20 minutes.

I've mentioned dariole moulds in both these recipes – I've added a photograph to illustrate – they are easy to get hold of – check out Lakeland Plastics. Normally I wouldn't suggest buying kitchen equipment for one recipe and I'm not doing so here. I invested in dariole moulds a while back and you can get good deals, i.e. buy 4, get 4 half price. They are a neat piece of kit. I use mine for both sweet and savoury stuff and they've been a really good investment.

Keep your eyes peeled for deals!

Rib stickers!

Strictly speaking the phrase is “stick to the ribs” and it has heaps of different meanings. I think it must be a phrase associated with the North – I've got some funny looks elsewhere. In this instance where associated with food, its meaning is “hearty and satisfying”.

Here's the first to qualify for the rib stickers club :

Go Bananas

Banana cake or pudding

250g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

150g unsalted butter

250g caster sugar

3 bananas – pureed

1 tbsp milk

You can make it as a tray bake – you can make it in sandwich tins and turn it into a cake (2x20 cm approx) or even make it posh by using dariole moulds which become Banana Timbales.

Butter your sandwich tins. Sift the dry ingredients together. Cream the butter and sugar – add the eggs gradually. Stir in the dry ingredients alternatively with the bananas and milk. Bake for 30 minutes at 180c/160fan/Gas4. If you are making a cake then sandwich with cream and dust with sifted icing sugar.

If you opt for the Banana Timbales, then you'll use approximately 9 dariole moulds. Bake for 25 minutes. When cooled turn out from the moulds and freeze if you wish – good luck – there won't be any left to freeze!

The tray bake is the standard size – 20 x 30cms approx - bake as for the sandwich cake. You'll get 12 generous portions.

I've frozen the timbales and the tray bake with great success. The timbales in particular are brilliant when entertaining or “in case of emergency” guests. You can take them straight from the freezer and microwave to serve in 1 minute.

This recipe and the next I collected from my Cordon Bleu Certificate training and I've used them many times – I hope you will too – definitely rib sticker stuff!