Back to reality

Why does food that's healthy and good for us look so unattractive and insipid – it's no wonder we're not impressed. It doesn't help that it's a miserable time of year.

Did you know you can buy turkey breast mince? How positively virtuous is that I hear you cry – not!

Here's my offering :

Not only cheap but cheerful too!

Serves 4

500g turkey breast mince

1 medium onion, finely chopped

glug of rapeseed oil

2 chicken stock pots

1 tsp garlic paste or 1 garlic stock pot

2 tbsp tomato paste

2 dessertspoons small chunk Branston

glug of Worcestershire Sauce

salt and black pepper

250g passata

2 large jacket potatoes, baked, peeled

if you wish, sliced thinly

50g each of Mature Cheddar and Red Leicester cheese

grated and mixed together

Pre-heat oven 180fan/200c/Gas 6.

You have options – if you are using a frying pan that is suitable to transfer to the oven then you need go no further. If not then I'd use one of my now famous foil trays – 23x23 cms approximately.

Heat the rapeseed oil gently in a medium frying pan. Add the turkey mince ensuring that you break it up – fry for 2/3 minutes to seal properly and then turn it, repeat. Add salt and black pepper.

Add the onion and garlic and fry for 2/3 minutes, stirring to combine.

Add the tomato paste and the chicken stock pots, followed by the Worcestershire Sauce, stirring to combine. Add the Branston, stir well and simmer for 5 minutes, finally add the passata mix well and heat through. Leave, covered until you're ready to roll.

If you're using a hob to oven frying pan then arrange the sliced potato over the base and then sprinkle with cheese. Cook for 30 minutes.

If you are using a foil tray then transfer the base and finish as above.

A small tip – you could decant into small foil “takeaway” type trays (with lids) and then freeze in portions if you don't need the whole batch.

The turkey breast mince is 2% fat and costs £2 for 250g packs or £3.50 for 500g packs.

My taste testers gave this a definite thumbs up!

Here's what it looks like :

More still …

There's a story here and I'll try to keep it short.

45 years ago I moved to London and began working in Mayfair and made a friend that I still have – we still spend time together even though we don't work in the same postcode any more.

Each Friday – in those days – was pay day and one of our perks was that we received Luncheon Vouchers too. We went out for lunch to the same place each week to celebrate – a great Italian Restaurant in Shepherd Market. It was not a posh place - it was family run and always busy. We chose different dishes for our main but one thing was set in stone – dessert. Each week we'd order and the waitress would call into the kitchen “Lemon Meringue and ice twice!”

It's my friend's birthday on 28^th February – I would never divulge a lady's age but to commemorate all sorts of stuff – nostalgia, friendship and the best lemon meringue I've ever tasted.

Happy Birthday Susie Q – this is for you :

Lemon Meringue and ice

Two chocolate dipped kisses

Spoonful of good quality lemon curd

A scoop of vanilla ice cream

I'll let you know what she thinks!

There's more to come …

… before we finish with sweet stuff for a while I promised there was more to come with the meringues.

The kisses can stay exactly as they are – perfect sized sweet little explosions – or, they can be added to fresh fruit and ice cream – be part of a “mess” like trifle – crumbled over the salted caramel ice cream. I have nothing against shop bought meringues at all but I will say there's a world of difference when you make your own.

If you've got the egg whites in the freezer it's half the battle for me since I don't need to faff about separating eggs. Just in case you weren't aware you can buy liquid egg whites in a carton – check out the chilled aisle for “Two Chicks free range liquid egg white” - 500g.

Whatever you decide to do it's great having your own stock of meringues.

Here's my next suggestion – dip them in melted chocolate.

150g plain chocolate – at least

50% cocoa solids

Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl over simmering water – remember the golden rule – don't let the bowl come into contact with the water.

When your chocolate has melted set it down next to your kisses :

I'd suggest you wear gloves – very gently dip the kiss into the melted chocolate – twist slightly from right to left to ensure that the kiss is coated. Lift it out of the chocolate and wait until the excess chocolate has dropped. Set aside on a tray lined with baking parchment or kitchen roll.

Here's the dipped kiss :

Lest you should think I'm wasteful – any melted chocolate left can be turned into chocolate discs – perfect to serve with your meringues and fruit and ice cream – snap in half for a chocolate decoration. Arm yourself with a sheet of baking parchment - using a dessert spoon of melted chocolate allow it to fall onto the parchment and then use the bowl of the spoon to work into a circle. There are no rules about size, thickness of chocolate or anything else – unleash your inner Jackson Pollock!

For guidance I dipped 18 kisses and had enough leftover chocolate for 8 discs – like I said it will vary – your meringues may be a different size to mine and thickness of chocolate is a personal preference.

Let the dipped kisses and discs set – NOT in the fridge – as cool a place as possible would be perfect, you can then transfer to a tightly fitting tin or a ziplok bag.

More still …

Sweet week – take 2

Let the meringues begin!

Here's my basic recipe :

4 fl oz egg whites

225g/8oz caster sugar

As is always my mantra, get yourself sorted before you start whisking.

Your oven should be pre-heated 90fan/110c/Gas ¼ – very cool/very slow.

Cut your parchment to size for two baking sheets measuring 30x30 cms.

You'll need a plain nozzle and a piping bag.

Whisk your eggs whites until they are stiff – the old fashioned way of testing whether they are stiff enough is to tip the bowl upside down over your head – if the mixture doesn't move it's ready! Add half the caster sugar and whisk again until stiff. Fold in the remaining sugar. Your mixture is now ready for the piping bag.

The best way is to show you :

The great thing about disposable piping bags is that you can cut them to size. The end of the bag is snipped to fit your nozzle. If you look at the top of the bag you'll see it's turned over – this is deliberate. Fold the bag over your hand – it enables you to have a steady hold on your bag. Spoon the mixture into the bag until two thirds full and gently ease the mixture towards the nozzle expelling any air. Twist the top of the bag and hold and then use your other hand to steady the nozzle end.

Place a tiny blob of mixture in each corner of your baking trays and “glue” your parchment to the tray.

Holding the nozzle approximately 4cms above the tray squeeze the bag gently and then tilt the bag away in an upward direction so that you create a little kiss curl – not for nothing are these called “Kisses”.

  

Bake for 45 minutes.

Peel the kisses gently from the parchment and you can see there's no trace of where the meringue mixture has been.

This recipe will give you approximately 40 kisses. You can store them in strong ziplok type bags or in tins lined with parchment with well fitting lids. You can buy pretty glass jars with well fitting lids – like the one below. Store in a cool, dry place – NOT in the fridge and they'll keep for 2 weeks – if they last that long!

There's more to come …

Sweet week – take 2

What to do with all those egg whites!

I'm sure it hasn't escaped your notice that you used four egg yolks in the recipe for the parfait which leaves you with four egg whites going begging.

No prizes for the answer – of course it's meringues.

You need do nothing for the moment other than pop them in a box (with lid of course) suitable for the freezer – mark up the box and freeze.

Frozen egg white makes better meringue. 1 egg white is roughly equal to 1 fl oz. Gone are the days when you can measure the size of an egg by small, medium or large. The most accurate way is to weigh the whites. Once defrosted keep your egg whites at room temperature, your whites will whisk better.

A few notes

Your bowl should be squeaky clean – no trace of any grease at all – a glass bowl is best or stainless steel.

Did you know that egg shell attracts egg yolk. There's no need to fiddle with a spoon.

Whisk your whites until firm but not dry, with a sheen on them.  Then add half your caster sugar. The longer they are whisked the better, to really stiff peaks, 5 minutes is no problem at all. Anything added will loosen the mixture. Add remaining sugar and FOLD in DON'T knock the air out of your meringues, under fold rather than over.

Always use baking parchment, it has a silicone finish on both sides.

Consider using disposable piping bags – they are available in a roll. “Get a grip disposable piping bags” available from Lakeland – www.lakeland.co.uk £9.99 for a roll of 50.

Happy piping!

Sweet week – take 2

Pitfalls with the Parfait?

… or what the recipe doesn't say.

Never let it be said that I don't have your best interests at heart.

The recipe is described as “easy/prepare ahead/freeze” but it isn't as helpful as it could be – here's my contribution.

Grease your loaf tin with a drop of vegetable oil – then line it with clingfilm – the film will stay where it's put, ready for the parfait.

Mixing butter and egg yolks is not the easiest of methods – they have a tendency to split – or curdle – or turn into scrambled egg – whatever you want to call it.

To avoid the curdle, cream the butter on its own. Add a little of the cooled melted chocolate and gently mix, then add one yolk at a time and combine well. Continue adding a little chocolate with each yolk added until all 4 are mixed with the butter and chocolate.

Keep your After Eight mints in the fridge – it makes them much easier to chop – and less messy. The mints should be chopped as finely as possible.

Flustered and recipe gone to pot? Got side tracked, the door bell rang and the rest is history – your melted chocolate that was supposed to be cooling is a thing of the past and is now a solid block. Take a breath.

Boil a kettle and carefully place in a bowl large enough to take the bowl containing the set chocolate – not too much, remember you are going to sit the chocolate bowl in the other so that the boiling water can warm the set chocolate. Be patient, after a couple of minutes you'll see the edges of your chocolate melting and glossy. Very gently, turn the chocolate over so that it can begin to melt evenly, after another couple of minutes you'll be able to gently work the chocolate so that it's ready to use.

Similarly if your whipped cream has been deserted (couldn't resist) for a short while it'll be fine to use provided you've not added the alcohol.

When you're ready to rock and roll slice the portions whilst the parfait is beginning to defrost – it will be too soft if you leave it 30 minutes and use a large cooks knife with a straight blade – do not use a slicing motion cut your portions slowly but firmly. If you don't chop your mints as finely as possible then the knife will catch on the mints and you won't get a neat serving.

All is not lost!

Sweet week – Take 2

Parfait – perfect!

I know, I know it's a really lame title but I couldn't resist the obvious French/English thing. As I'm sure you're only too aware a parfait can be a dessert mousse as in the following recipe – it can also be a mousse-like mixture of chicken, duck or goose liver as in Mousse de foies de volaille (chicken liver mousse) – check out Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child et al – it's truly the best ever....sorry, I digress as usual!

Here's a dessert Parfait I found in Woman&Home that I think might make the grade.

Chocolate and mint parfait

250g dark mint chocolate

50g unsalted butter, room temperature

4 egg yolks

300ml whipping or double cream

3 tbsp brandy

150g After Eight mints, chopped

450g loaf tin, lined with clingfilm

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water. Stir to combine and set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk the butter and egg yolks until creamy then whisk in the melted chocolate.

In a separate bowl whip the cream into soft peaks and stir in the brandy. Gently fold in the chocolate mixture and After Eights. Spoon into the loaf tin and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Take out of the freezer 30 minutes before serving.

Here's the finished product :

Verdict :

I'm not a lover of alcohol in anything other than white wine in savoury dishes like risotto or a sauce – it should be in a glass! However the brandy in this parfait is really subtle and it should definitely be there – credit where it's due!

If this perfect parfait has piqued your curiosity can I suggest you read the next piece before you attempt to make it – I hope you'll find it helpful.