All along the bookshelves

… decision time!

How many books do you have in your collection - how many of them have you had for years and never actually opened or may be you've flicked through once and then shelved, doomed to that cookery book box in the sky.

May be you need to make space for books that you'd like to add to your collection but how do you decide which are to stay and which are to go.

My collection falls into different categories – reference, history, classics, new discoveries, favourite cuisine. Sometimes if you're lucky the categories overlap and you'll have a fantastic history book crammed full of recipes too.

What's the definition of a great cookery book – for me that would be a book that I refer to over and over again.

Buying cookery books is an addiction, like buying shoes or handbags and we all know that sometimes we don't get it right so the “never opened” books are easier to pull off the shelves and dust before finally deciding on their fate.

May be it's time to do a spot of recycling and send a box or two to your favourite charity shop so that someone else can benefit.

I know this won't be easy - think of it as you do when clearing out your wardrobe and the golden rule … if you haven't worn it for six months then you don't need it – out it goes or rather into the recycling bag/box – alternatively ask yourself which books would you take to your desert island or rescue from a burning building.

Bonne chance!

The F Word - The art of disguise

… of fish, continued - Nasi Goreng, or not

Set down below is my standard recipe for this favourite.

 Nasi Goreng

3 eggs

1 tbsp water

1 tbsp oil

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed or garlic paste

half tsp chilli powder

8oz (225g) cooked rice

6oz (175g) cooked chicken or turkey meat, diced

6oz (175g) peeled prawns, defrosted if frozen

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp soft light brown sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

6oz (175g) cooked wafer ham, thinly sliced

black pepper

Serves 4-6

Beat the egg lightly with the 1 tbsp water.  Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or frying pan. Pour in the egg and cook until set underneath, turn and cook until set on other side.  Slide the omelette out of the pan, roll up into a cigar shape and slice into strips – set aside.

Add the vegetable oil to the wok and heat gently. Add the onions, garlic and chilli powder and fry until lightly browned.  Add the rice and cook for a few seconds then stir in the chicken and prawns.

Mix the soy sauce, sugar and lemon juice together, then stir into the rice mixture. Stir in the ham then season to taste with pepper.  Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl and garnish with the omelette strips.  (serves 4-6)

Nasi Goreng literally means “fried rice” - in effect, leftovers i.e. everything in it, apart from the onion, garlic and chilli and the sauce is already cooked.

Here's a thought or two to “perfect” the disguise.  Omit the omelette element at the beginning of the recipe.

Substitute the cooked chicken with thin strips of smoked salmon and/or smoked salmon flakes.

Substitute the ham with 4-6 hard boiled eggs, chopped.

Garnish the completed dish with chopped coriander or chopped flat leaf parsley – whichever you prefer.

Serve wok to table as part of your sharing fish salad platter.

My final tip – why not serve with a bowl/basket of Little Gem lettuce “cups” then your guests can spoon the Nasi Goreng into the lettuce cups and enjoy.  A little extra – serve individual dishes of sweet chilli sauce to each person so they can dip their lettuce cup full of Nasi Goreng.

Healthy stuff and no batter in sight!

The F Word - "It's too boring!"...

In the boring, tasteless fish camp I immediately think of salmon – you usually find it poached and plonked on a platter with a miscellany of equally boring bits and pieces.

No taste, no flavour, no wonder!

I've mentioned the following recipe previously and I make no apology for repeating it. If you haven't tried this, you should or you haven't made it in a while you'll be glad to be reminded.

Asian Spiced Salmon

Serves 2

2 x 110g Salmon fillets

2 tsps garlic paste or 2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp powdered star anise or one star anise

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Mix together the garlic, star anise and soy sauce and pour over the salmon fillets, turning to coat thoroughly, cover and leave in fridge for an hour or so.

When you are ready to cook, pre-heat your oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6. Place the fillets in a foil tray and bake for 10 minutes.

Whilst the salmon is baking bring a medium sized saucepan of water to the boil. When boiling add a tsp of salt and drop your asparagus tips into the boiling water. As soon as the water comes back to the boil, drain, add to the baked salmon and serve.

Any leftover salmon and asparagus is excellent served cold.

Note to self :

For the purpose of this recipe I would use the small, fine asparagus spears – they are tender and sweet. Asparagus comes in all weights and sizes and, for those who may not be aware, the best way of preparing it is to find its natural “break”. Hold a spear between your thumb and index finger and bend gently, it will snap where it needs to, removing the “woody” end which you discard or keep for soup. When you've “snapped” your spears neaten the edges so that they are all of a similar size – don't want to be untidy! As a guide 4-6 spears per salmon fillet.

What's not to love and I hope you change your anti-fish mind!

The F Word.. "It's too fishy!"

The fish that springs immediately to mind when using this title is smoked mackerel. It is usually presented in a paté which is fine but there are other ways.

For the following idea combine ingredients so that the fish doesn't overpower – in particular seasonal new potatoes, delicious served as part of a warm salad.

As an added bonus the following recipe can be made with sour cream or if you want to be a little more health conscious use a low fat crème fraiche.

Warm smoked mackerel salad

Serves 2

350g new potatoes

1 tsp horseradish cream

juice of 1 lemon

2 smoked mackerel fillets, skinned and

flaked (200g approx)

black pepper

100g sour cream

bunch of spring onions – approx

85g when trimmed and finely sliced

handful of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped

OR use baby spinach

Cook the potatoes in salted boiling water until tender. Whilst the potatoes are cooking mix the sour cream, horseradish cream and lemon juice in a large bowl. Season with black pepper.

Drain the potatoes and cut in half lengthways – let them cool and then tip into the sour cream mixture so that it covers the potatoes – the mixture will loosen. Add the flaked smoked mackerel and the spring onions and combine gently. Sprinkle with finely chopped flat leaf parsley and serve whilst warm.

Ps. If there is any left, box it, fridge it and lunch it next day! If you like cold leftovers so be it – if you don't then just pop into the microwave (at home or the office) for a minute to warm through and instant lunch!

I think that's one or two boxes ticked!

Here's a photo of one I made earlier.

Back to salad sharing plates - The “F” word ...

After our brief interlude it's back to salad sharing plates.

The one ingredient that we've not covered yet is fish (and seafood too) hence “the F word”.

Fish is tricky - it always seems to produce quite definite reactions – like the “don't do green” scenario.

The comments go something like, “it's too fishy”, “it's boring and has no flavour” or “I only like it when it's covered in batter and comes with chips”.

Do you feel that you should eat fish (without the batter) because it's good for you – oily fish being rich in Omega 3 oils and forms part of a balanced diet?

There's no doubt that the strong flavour of some fish is overpowering.

There's a way that you can make “strong” fish more palatable and that's to put it with other ingredients that are more neutral – for example, potatoes.

The other extreme – it's boring and has no flavour is decidedly underwhelming. There's a way you can make “boring” fish more appealing and tasty by adding spices and herbs.

Do you avoid fish and seafood but will eat it under sufferance? You could try the art of disguise – in other words include it in a dish with other interesting ingredients so that it doesn't either take over completely or is so boring and tasteless it needn't be there at all.

As with previous sharing plate ideas, variety is the spice of life – serve both hot and cold.

The final element to be considered - what is in season? There are two particular candidates that certainly fit the bill – new potatoes – Jersey Royals in particular and asparagus.

Lets begin with “it's too fishy”.

A Brief Interlude ...The taste test

The best thing about this recipe is that it doesn't really matter what variety of cherries you use. You can, for example, buy Morello cherries frozen from Asda - £2 for 350g or Sweet dark cherries frozen from Sainsbury's £2 for £480g. It really is a matter of personal taste.

Here's the test :

The test team were given the jar of compote made from morello cherries shown in the photograph - each team member armed with a tasting spoon. Morello cherries produce a sharper, zingy flavour and the team loved exactly that – it wasn't too sweet.

I served the test team the compote made from the sweet dark cherries warm - leaving the cherries whole, ladled over white miso ice cream.

11 minutes well spent! The compote is brilliant whatever form it takes - it sets perfectly if you prefer it that way - it has a glossy shine because arrowroot is used and not cornflour. If you use cornflour the result is cloudy and opaque – not a good look!

P.s. If you want the recipe for the ice cream it comes from Nigella Lawson's latest book, “Simply Nigella”

No churn white miso ice cream

Makes 1 litre of ice cream

100g sweet white miso

397 tin condensed milk

300ml double cream

Combine the miso paste and condensed milk in a bowl, mix well so that it loosens. Add the cream and whisk until it begins to thicken.

Decant into suitable containers – I'd suggest 2 or 3 smaller pots – freeze overnight.

Take out of the freezer to allow it to soften for 10 minutes before serving.

If you've never tried using miso and you like the flavour of salted caramel then you'll like this ice cream.

and the Team's final words ...

“...great. Next time I entertain it will on the menu

...well it was beautiful

…the ice cream has a smooth taste and is less sweet than vanilla. Compote is to die for – love cherries!

...delicious

...yummy.”

A Brief Interlude ...the latest experiment

whilst I think about it … 

Thought you might like to have this recipe up your sleeve for emergencies. All you need to do is add a bag/box of frozen cherries to your shopping list - oh and have 11 minutes to spare.

Cherry Compote

350g cherries, defrosted if frozen

50g granulated sugar

2 tbsp cherry juice

¼ tsp almond essence

2 tsps arrowroot

1 tbsp cold water

Place the cherries, sugar and juice in a saucepan heat gently, stirring. Cook for 10 minutes then break up the cherries so that there are no whole cherries left. Add the almond essence.

Blend the arrowroot and water together then add to the cherry mixture, on a gentle heat, stirring continuously. When the mixture has thickened heat for another minute.

Use over ice cream when warm or set aside to cool and decant into a clean screw top jar and “fridge”.

This cherry compote has many uses – apart from warm served with ice cream. Spread it on toast, serve with yogurt, on top of cereal and definitely with scones.

Here's a photo of the cherry compote. The recipe given fills the 370g jar shown.

Can't think of a down side to this recipe – unless of course you don't like cherries!