Judy's Jars

Last Class 2015 and Judy's Jars

We had the last Class of the year last week which, as I think I mentioned previously, coincided with a friend and long-time student's birthday.

I decided that I would practice what I preach and made the low key Option 2 Christmas Eve supper mentioned in “Madness III – tee hee!”

For the appetiser, Bread & Butter, aka “Cheese & Pecan Loaf” from “The alternative lunch”. As is usual I made a loaf to demonstrate – when I explained that the loaf took 50/55 minutes to cook the assembled throng looked a smidge worried. No need to panic - “here's one I made earlier”. The loaf was sliced and wrapped in foil and warmed for 10 minutes and everyone tucked in.

Whilst they munched I produced my faithful slow cooker and pulled the chicken with the scent of the marinade wafting across the room, tickling their taste buds.

Next on the list was the winter coleslaw. Never let it be said that I don't like a challenge. The mere idea of coleslaw was met with mixed feelings – the shop bought versions vary and the general consensus was not good and I can only agree. If there is one thing I love about this cooking lark it's changing a mind or two. You'll read what they actually said in a later post.

I had some baby new potatoes going spare so they were popped into one of my foil trays, seasoned and drizzled with rapeseed oil and into the oven for 20 minutes – it was already on for the loaf so hey, uses the otherwise wasted space.

Finally the dessert was assembled. I have to be honest the recipe came first and it just seemed like a fun thing to do – not everyone has a recipe named after them. Photo attached of the finished jar.

I hope you'll be suitably impressed.

Bon Natale!

Slob Out Sunday

...or – guilty pleasure day

….and you bet your life you are entitled to it.

Today is about the cook indulging so here's my idea of heaven.

Any dish that involves a combination of cheese and potatoes, preferably baked is fine by me.

There are two dishes that are up there, dauphinoise potatoes has to be one but the stand-out is a Tartiflette. An integral ingredient of said dish is Reblochon cheese. I should point out that unless you've made an impromptu trip across the Channel then you'll need a Second Mortgage for said cheese. This may not be a problem – if it's your guilty pleasure who cares. There are alternatives, for example, Camembert, Brie, Gruyere or Taleggio – any cheese that is soft and melts easily.

In an attempt to save you time, here's the recipe for the Tartiflette which I gave you in GOM: Chapter 10 – Pork tenderloin and salsa – I aim to please!

Tartiflette

1.5kg all purpose potatoes e.g. desiree, peeled and cut to

a similar size

1 large onion, finely chopped

4 thick dry cured smoked streaky bacon rashers, finely chopped

50g butter

1 garlic clove

250g reblochon cheese, rind trimmed and removed

Pre-heat oven 180c/160 fan/gas 4

Boil the potatoes until cooked, cool, then slice.

Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion and bacon

until softened.

Cut the garlic clove in half and rub the inside of an

oven-proof dish.

Place some of the potato slices in the bottom and

season with salt and black pepper, then layer with the

onion and bacon, repeat until all the potato slices have

been used, seasoning between each layer.

Chop the cheese and scatter over the potatoes and cover with foil.

Bake in the oven for 1 hour, remove foil for remaining 15 minutes

so that the tartiflette crisps around the edges.

This can be prepared ahead and feel free to use 2 tsps of garlic paste

when cooking the onions and bacon – rules are made to be broken.

My version won't include the bacon – if you are expecting company you could always serve it with crispy bacon on the side and everyone's happy.

Personally, I like the idea of fish, chips and peas – Tartiflette (no bacon), fish cakes á la The Ivy see GOM : Chapter 16 The Dinner Party ...for the recipe and petit pois or, push the boat out – mushy peas.

I did say it was my idea of heaven – each to their own!

Boxing Day

The following recipe is perfect – it can be made ahead and takes only 20 minutes when you want to serve. Note to self – it's the best time to use your dual purpose frying pan, since you can choose – cook on the hob or pop into a pre-heated oven on 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

This dish, in its original form is Tarragon Chicken and made with fresh chicken fillet. I can only tell you that everywhere I've served it the result has been the same - “is there any more?”

Here's the adapted version to use your cooked turkey.

Tarragon Turkey

Bunch of spring onions, finely diced

1 tsp dried tarragon

Fresh tarragon – chopped – approximately 2 tbsp

160ml Vermouth or white wine

Half tsp of sea salt flakes or quarter tsp of pouring salt

120ml double cream

Salt and white pepper

cooked turkey meat – enough to feed four people

Drop of rapeseed oil and a knob butter to seal. (You could use a flavoured oil i.e. garlic or tarragon if you wish)

Heat oil and butter, add the onions, then dried tarragon and mashed garlic paste and stock if you are using them **see below. Add the vermouth, let it bubble up, season with salt, cover and set aside. When ready to serve, bring the liquid to the boil, add cream and fresh tarragon, then white pepper and add the cooked turkey meat.

**You can vary your sauce by adding roasted garlic paste, mashed into concentrated chicken stock. I've tried adding this element and it's great - obviously you have to like garlic. 1 Knorr chicken stock pot melted in 250ml of hot water and 2 tsps garlic paste, mashed together.

Serve with bubble & squeak. Everyone has their own interpretation – if you want any help check out all the variations mentioned in “Mishmash or Hash, II and III” or “Spicy Spuds – the leftovers” if you'd prefer a spice hit and no sprouts!

For the cook, who, by now, is feeling distinctly fragile, nay exhausted, it's just the job.

Its beauty is its simplicity!

A post script :

If you are a Christmas Cake lover, try a small piece with a chunk of mature cheddar cheese – for us it's an extension of a Northern custom – Lancashire to be precise – of eating tea cakes with Lancashire Tasty cheese – buttered tea cakes and thin slices of cheese – don't knock it until you've tried it and you could even toast the tea cakes if you like a dribble of butter down your chin with the cheese!

Another post script :

This week I caught part of James Martin's afternoon programme Home Comforts at Christmas – he was talking about Boxing Day and, blow me down with a feather, he made a version of Tartiflette – I'd just like it on record that my post was written well before his programme – I wouldn't want you to think I'd “borrowed” the idea from him!

What a farce!

Indeed it is – in both senses of the word.

The following recipe evolved out of years of me treating myself to various nut roasts and vegetarian main course options. They had two major things in common, they were underwhelming and expensive.

I suppose I was always seduced by the advertising – seduced is the right word, these days food is designed to be sexy and whoever writes the copy deserves a literary oscar – cos it sure is a work of fiction!

I give you,

Écrou roti

nut roast sounds soooo much better in French

1 packet of sage and onion stuffing mix – from

the large boxes which contain two large pkts

- approximately 170g

1 packet of vac packed chestnuts – 250g chopped

A portion of apple sauce, a la Eliza Acton – 100-150g

1 large onion, finely chopped

Two handfuls of dried cranberries, chopped

Drop of rapeseed oil and knob of butter

Knob of butter

Pre-heat your oven 170fan/190c/Gas 5.

Place the stuffing in a large bowl, add 300ml boiling water with the knob of butter and mix. The mixture should be stiffish. Sauté the onion in a drop of rapeseed oil and knob of butter.

Add the onion to the stuffing mix, then add the apple sauce, chestnuts and cranberries.

Mix well and divide the mixture into 2 x 2lb loaf tins and bake, or freeze until required.

When baking I cover the loaf tins with foil for the first 15-20 mins and then remove the foil and let the top crisp for another 10 mins.

The best news about this dish is that it is easily made gluten free by using “Mrs Crimble's sage & onion stuffing mix”. Available in 170g packets.

If you'd prefer you can blitz your own breadcrumbs and add whatever takes your fancy – sauté onions and add dried thyme.

This Écrou roti freezes very well.

It also makes an excellent layer in a mega smega sandwich – veggie or not.

To save you time trawling through the blog, here's the Apple Sauce á la Elizabeth David and Eliza Acton :

Pre-heat oven to 140 fan/160c/Gas 3

Grease a glass dish with butter.

This sauce is so easy – the only emphasis is on the preparation of the apples. All the peel and core must be removed. There are no amounts here, you can cook as much sauce as you desire – it freezes well!! So, peel, core and slice your apples – if you can slice them a similar size they will cook more evenly.

Place your apples in your dish and cover with a lid or foil – NO WATER, SUGAR OR ANYTHING ELSE!!

Bake for 20-30 minutes. Check after 20. Apples should be soft. Here's the satisfying bit – whisk the apples until they begin to break up, sprinkle with caster sugar plus a generous knob of unsalted butter, whisk again.

I have a friend who makes me a Christmas Cake – the best I've ever tasted. Exchange is no robbery – I will give her Écrou roti in exchange – nothing like a spot of bartering - what a plan!

I've never actually costed this recipe but, what I do know is that it will be cheaper than most and tastes better than any “luxury” versions sampled in the past – so my friends tell me!

The Secret Stash – Sweet Stuff

You know what I said in The Creaking Table about feeding an army - it's fear of not being able to produce plenty of food – even when you're not expecting whoever turns up – there must be an appropriate phobia name for this condition - hmmm

So, my theory is, if you've the wherewithal to produce something sweet – you get my drift - then all's right with the world.

Check that you've got :

Pantry/cupboard

icing sugar

caster sugar

drum of shop bought meringue kisses

Madeira cake x 2 (disguise by hiding in a tin!)

vanilla bean paste

Maple syrup

soft dark brown sugar

jar of conserve of your choice

Amaretti biscuits – expensive but

justified

chocolate – 50% cocoa solids

Wright's make instant cake mixes too

If you've space in the freezer:

frozen raspberries

frozen cherries

batch of vanilla ice cream

If you've space in the fridge:

large tub of mascarpone cheese

praline

batch of microwave lemon curd

emergency large double cream

batch of sticky toffee sauce

All of the above will enable you to produce any or all of :

Awesome Autumn Pud

Lemon Tiramisu

Judy's Jars (recipe to follow)

Check out “Store Cupboard desserts & puds – the beginning

and uber-useful extras 

If all else fails, a bowl of vanilla ice cream with praline sprinkled over the top, and a large blob of warmed sticky toffee sauce and an Amaretti biscuit on the side – hello!

If you don't need to call upon your secret sweet stash it won't be wasted.  There's New Year to look forward to and you won't need to shop!

The Secret Stash – Savoury Stuff

Creativity is a secret stash or if you like, “necessity is the mother of invention” – either way it means having certain ingredients in your fridge or your pantry/cupboards that enable you to create a dish in a nano-second – ok may be a smidge longer.

If anyone went hunting looking for a snack a particular ingredient on its own wouldn't be attractive to the rummager and so your stash will remain safe from harm.

Let me give you a few examples :

Part-baked rolls and baguettes.  Ensure that the use by date is a good one.  These products don't need freezing but you can freeze if you've room.  They can be stashed in your cupboard/pantry.  Note to self – if you open the packet to use half the contents, clip and store correctly – fridge short term, freeze if you can

Check out Wright's packet bread mixes, there are loads

to choose from and a great addition to your stash -

they have good “use by” dates too

Parmesan cheese

Large double cream for savoury emergencies

roasted garlic paste

If these ingredients sound vaguely familiar that's because they are - it's Alfredo Sauce.  Essential for every person's survival over the holidays.  With or without pasta – you could use poured over leftover meat/poultry and vegetables.

Pantry/cupboard

dried pasta

risotto rice – risotto or arancini

self raising flour

plain flour

baking powder

white miso paste – for the Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

Dijon mustard

creamed horseradish

Vermouth – recipe coming soon!

Fridge

eggs

mature cheddar cheese

unsalted butter

double cream 

chorizo

Freezer

Puff pastry sheet(s)

There will be further additions to the list – it's not meant to be complete - these are just a few ideas  - I'm sure you'll have your own.

The Sides

Roast potatoes

I first came across Nigella's roast potato recipe in “How to Eat” - page 281 and I've never cooked roast potatoes any other way - which is a little strange when you consider I have this aversion to wet and sloppy and semolina is up there with sago (posh for frog spawn) and rice pudding for me – anyway I digress, sorry.

Here's her recipe :

To serve 6

1¾kg medium to large potatoes, peeled

cut into three

From cold, par boil for 4/5 minutes in salted water

Drain the potatoes, back into saucepan, lid on

and shake – CAREFULLY

Add 1 tbsp of semolina and shake again -

CAREFULLY

Pre-heat your oven – very hot – 220fan/240c/Gas 9.  Add 2 tbsps of goose fat or beef dripping or, rapeseed or vegetable oil to your oven tray.  It's important that the fat/dripping/oil is hot before the potatoes are added.  They will take an hour – serve straight from oven.

Whatever I cook for family, I always cook roast potatoes and double what I think I need – there are never any leftovers – by that I mean should there be any, they take them home.

Maple Roasted Beetroot

Balsamic vinegar – 2 tsp

Olive oil – 2 tbsp

Maple syrup – 2 tbsp

Cooked beetroot – 500g

Salt and black pepper

Chopped fresh thyme – 2tsp or a sprinkle

of dried if you can't get fresh

You can use the vac packs you can get in the supermarket when out of season - as an indicator I choose beetroot that is approximately the same size – a 300g vac pack gives you 8 small to medium beetroots, which I will then cut in half. 

If fresh beetroot is in season, choose beets of a similar size and roast in foil until tender - @ 180f/200c/Gas 6 for an hour and test – they may need another 30 minutes - leave to cool and then peel.

Pre-heat your oven to 220c/200fan/Gas7.

Mix together the thyme, vinegar, olive oil and Maple syrup in a bowl until well combined.

Cut the beetroot in half and place into the bowl with the syrup mixture and season, to taste, with salt and black pepper.

Place the beetroot into a deep roasting tray and roast in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the beetroot is sticky and glazed.

This recipe adapts the Honey Roasted Beetroot version.

Stir fried sprouts

250g sprouts, peeled and sliced

(the smaller the sprout, the sweeter)

2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped

2 tsps garlic paste

50g unsalted butter

grated fresh nutmeg

salt and black pepper

1 tbsp redcurrant jelly – melted in microwave

on medium for 1 minute to loosen

Melt the butter in a large frying pan, add the shallots and garlic and soften for 2/3 minutes.  Add the sprouts and mix well, season with salt and pepper - cook on a high heat for 2/3 minutes so that the edges of the sprouts begin to caramelise, add 3-4 rasps of grated nutmeg  Add the redcurrant jelly, mix well and serve.

If you like gravy and I must confess I do, then I'd make double the quantity of onion sauce – for a richer sauce use half milk and half double cream – it's Christmas after all!