Editor's Pick #12: Goosegogs …

Editor's note: I feel it is worth mentioning that I now remember the first time this was posted. At the time, I loved the "goosegog" name - I hadn't heard it before. I hope those of you reading this will get the same enjoyment. Here's the original first piece for halloumi fries to accompany the goosegog sauce. 

Goosegogs …

… or gooseberries if you prefer – it's like Marmite – you either love 'em or hate 'em. Surely one of the most popular puds is gooseberry crumble?

The trouble is that it's not a long season. To add to the confusion, we've actually had a summer, so far at least, in the UK and it really has messed up what's in season and what isn't.

Traditionally gooseberry sauce goes well with mackerel – the sharpness of the goosegogs with the oily fish is perfect.

How about Halloumi fries with a goosegog dip?

To save you searching :

Halloumi Fries

500g Halloumi cheese

85g plain flour

1 tbsp seasoning of your choice

vegetable or rapeseed oil for shallow frying

I used a small wok 28cms in diameter. I used rapeseed oil - just enough to cover the base of the wok - 13cms in diameter.

As a guide – 225g of Halloumi will give you 18 or so strips 1.5cms cut lengthways. For the coating, combine the flour and seasoning in a box with a lid – secure the lid and give it a good shake.

Once you have opened the cheese pat it dry with kitchen roll – cut into strips, pat again and then coat in the seasoned flour. Heat the oil to 190c – test with a small piece of bread. Fry in batches, turning, for 3 minutes, set aside and keep warm.

Editor's Pick #11: Goosegog sauce

Editor's note: Some of my favourite posts from the archives include the historical tidbits to go along with the usual fantastic recipe and this one is no different. Being from the UK myself it's sometimes easy to forget that not everyone speaks the same parlance if you will. As usual, MiamMiam delivers where I forget! So, enough waffle, read on for an ultra-versatile sauce, good hot or cold, sweet or savoury.

Goosegog sauce

This is a really easy sauce. You can serve it hot or cold – hot I think is preferable if serving with the fries. Cold works well if you're tipping it over ice cream.

Goosegog sauce

340g goosegogs

cold water to cover

55g unsalted butter – divided into

25g (melted) and 30g

Top and tail the goosegogs and wash well. Place in a medium size saucepan (18cm diameter) and just cover with cold water – do not drown! Cook the fruit gently and when it comes to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until tender. Drain the fruit – you won't need the liquid. Mix the drained fruit with a melted knob of butter – 25g. Tip the fruit into a sieve and press through, use the back of a wooden spoon to help. Discard the remains in the sieve and tip the fruit into a clean saucepan. Add half a teaspoon of caster sugar and the remaining 30g of butter. Warm gently to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter.

Useless bits of information that you might find interesting!

In the UK cookery books, particularly of a certain age, you come across terms like “add a knob of butter” - I know what I'd add but it occurs to me that there may be someone out there who is kind enough to read this, who won't know.

A knob of butter is approximately 25g. I say approximately because it does not have to be exact as it would be if you were baking which, as we all know, is an exact science. If you look at the goosegog sauce recipe, the butter is used to enrich the sauce so a gram either way will not spoil your efforts.

Whilst I'm on the subject here's another term - “add butter the size of a walnut”. The last time I saw I whole walnut was last Christmas! You won't be surprised to learn that these terms go back to the 1850s. It may be of course that walnut trees were quite common then. Anyway butter the size of a walnut is approximately 30g.

Hey, you never know when this stuff might come in handy!

Editor's April Pick #10: Tuna and Parsley rolls

Editor's note: I could have sworn that I'd already singled this recipe out previously but after extensive research, I have not! My latest random food craving has been mustard of late, no matter what the meal or ingredients - within reason of course! Combine with tuna - without the mayo(!) - and add into that pastry... ticks all of the right boxes. Ps. You can never go wrong with poppy seeds or nigella seeds in baking.

Time on your hands - a variation on a theme …

Most of us have tuna in our store cupboard – are you bored by the same old tuna pasta bake?

I've used the following recipe for years and it never fails. I have used it as a canapé to serve with drinks and known friends who “don't like fish” inhale them. They are also great as a snack or with other stuff for a weekend “picky bits” grazing style supper.

Here it is :

Tuna and Parsley rolls

200g/7oz tin tuna in oil

1 onion, chopped

100g/4oz cheddar cheese, grated

2 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley

salt and black pepper

1 tsp wholegrain mustard

1 puff pastry sheet

1 egg, beaten

1 tbsp poppy seeds

or Nigella seeds, see below

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

Drain the tuna, reserving 1 tbsp of the oil. Pour the oil into a pan and cook the onion for 5 minutes until softened. Remove from the heat and stir in the tuna, cheese, parsley, seasoning and mustard until well combined. Allow to cool.

Roll out your pastry sheet and cut in half lengthways.

Divide the filling between the two rectangles, laying it in strips down the centre of the pastry.

Brush one edge with beaten egg and carefully roll up to create two long tubes. Cut each into 12 rolls. Brush with egg and put on a baking tray. Sprinkle over poppy seeds and bake for 15-20 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

You can make these rolls as large or small as you like, they don't have to be bite sized.

If you wanted an alternative to poppy seeds use Nigella seeds instead, also known as Black Cumin they have a delicious onion flavour and work well with this recipe.

This is an economical, easy but most of all tasty recipe and makes use of your store cupboard. If you're able to buy a puff pastry sheet, that's great – it's difficult to predict what will be wiped off the shelves at any given time. The fact that the sheet is a perfect emergency freezer item makes me think they may be as rare as hens' teeth – good luck and if you can't buy a sheet make your own.

Since none of us can guarantee what ingredients we're able to buy I'm going for both ends of the scale – something special and more cheap and cheerful ideas too – the common denominator - they use store cupboard items or ingredients you may have in your freezer … watch this space!

Editor's April Pick #9: Gateau a l'Orange

Editor's note: Having chosen a citrus based dessert last week, it felt unbalanced to leave it with just lemon being represented so allow me to re-present (ha!) the orange gateau. I read that word and immediately think luxurious cake! It's genius if you've run out of flour - it's always on a Sunday after 4pm too! 

 

Time on your hands … have you ever noticed 

 

… when you get the urge and have the time to bake a cake … you can't get an essential ingredient like flour! 

 

Here's my answer – bake a cake without. 

 

The following recipe is already on the blog – I make no apologies for repeating it – it's delicious and there are extra bits too. 

 

Gateau a l'Orange 

(Orange Cake) 

Serves 12 

 

2 medium oranges, preferably naval 

6 large eggs 

250g sugar 

2 tbsp orange blossom water 

1 tsp baking powder 

250g ground almonds 

 

Wash the oranges and boil them whole for 1 – 1½ hours or until they are very soft, or see below for a quicker method. 

 

Beat the eggs with the sugar.  Add the orange blossom water, baking powder and almonds and mix well.  *Cut open the oranges, remove the pips and purée in a food processor.  Mix thoroughly with the egg and almond mixture and pour into a 23cm cake tin – lined with baking parchment, preferably non-stick and with a removable base.  Bake in a pre-heated oven 170fan/190c/Gas 5 for an hour.  Let it cool before turning out. 

 

Believe me when I say that I stared at this recipe for years.  What put me off baking this cake was the boiling of the oranges for the time allotted, an hour and a half is too long for me watching oranges and it's so easy to become distracted - before you know it you have a burnt saucepan and the rest, as they say, is history. 

 

Where there's a will there's a way - instead of boiling the oranges, microwave them for 8 minutes on high. 

 

Pierce the oranges with a paring knife – carefully and microwave for 4 minutes then turn and repeat.  Make sure your fruits are in a covered vented microwave container.  Continue with the recipe marked * as above. 

 

A useful tip.  Microwave the oranges ahead of making the cake so that they can cool, it will be much easier and safer to prep them, ready to pulverise. 

 

Extra bits up next … 

 

 

 

 

Editor's April Pick #8: Asian Spiced Salmon

Editor's note: I am extremely privileged and honoured to have sampled this recipe, and do brag about that given the chance - for those who aren't so lucky I implore you to try the Asian spiced salmon. Now more than ever, the post title rings true as some of us in limbo - "Mostly working from home" - to  "Why was I dragged into an office, it could have been an email" - this is a fantastic, tasty and above all fast idea for an evening meal!

Fast food for the working week …

Here are three ideas for your protein choice. First is a recipe I've used gazillions of times – it's just as good hot or cold.

Asian Spiced Salmon

Serves 2

2 x 4oz Salmon fillets

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp powdered star anise or one star anise

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Mix together the marinade and - using an ovenproof dish – pour it over the salmon fillets, turning to coat thoroughly, cover and leave in fridge for an hour or so.

Bake in a pre-heated oven 160fan/180c/Gas 4 for 15 minutes.

If you're using whole star anise then remove before serving. The salmon has a charred look when cooked which is aromatic and delicious with the raw slaw and particularly with the pomegranate dressing.

For a chicken option :

Miso Maple Glazed Chicken

Serves 4

4 chicken breasts

1 tbsp baking powder*

4 fl oz/½ cup maple syrup*

2 fl oz/¼ cup white miso paste*

Mix * together, add the chicken breasts and

marinate for 24 hrs

Sprinkle with chopped spring onions

Bake in a pre-heated oven 180 fan/200c/Gas 6

for 35 minutes

Takes no time at all and, if you marinate the chicken in a foil tray, it can go straight from the fridge, into the oven – no washing up!

Now for the vegetarian option – that old faithful halloumi – cubed, coated in a seasoning and sealed in a drop of rapeseed oil in a non-stick frying pan. I know I've mentioned this recipe recently but it is excellent and tasty with the slaw together with a dressing of your choice!

250g Halloumi cheese

50g plain flour

1 tbsp seasoning of your choice

check out Halloumi Seasonings and dips to

go with 3^rd March 2018 or a ready made option!

Definitely food for thought!

Editor's April Pick #7: Bazzin' beetroot relish

Editor's note: You really can't beat beetroot. I do struggle for ideas with it though, I only seem to eat it on a sandwich or having a jacket potato. Hurrah! - An idea from the archives gives me inspiration - frittata with beetroot relish! You will find the recipe for the relish and the serving suggestion below - Enjoy!

Bazzin' beetroot relish

I'm continuing with “bazzin'” since the relish is just that. It's definitely a relish and not a chutney since it contains vegetables and fruit - chutney is made from fruit and additional spices et al.

It may not be the most sophisticated relish but then it doesn't mean to be – it's your own and really quick and easy to make.

Bazzin' beetroot relish

300g vac pack of organic cooked beetroot

drained and cut into small cubes

1 sharp eating apple, peeled, cored and cut

into small cubes

1 medium onion, finely chopped

75g soft dark brown sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and black pepper

Don't forget to use gloves when prepping your beetroot!

Mix well and place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan – 16cms in diameter. Simmer on a low heat, uncovered, for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. Box up and fridge until ready to use.

This is an important element of my burger construction – I sampled the relish with supper – I should not be saying it was bazzin' but, in the interests of quality control, someone has to do the job and it was!

What I loved about this recipe is its usefulness – anywhere you want a relish it fits the bill - as a side with baked salmon or honey glazed gammon to plain and simple with bread and cheese.

Finally here's the supper with the frittata sat on sautéed veggies and topped with the bazzin' beetroot relish. Give it a go, you won't be sorry!

Editor's April Pick #6: Your secret weapon - orange syrup

Editor's note: Once again, MiamMiam Cookery delivers with a two for one - a showcase of exactly how this dessert can look (Editor's note: Mine absolutely will not and that is okay.. I tell myself) and an additional recipe for a little something extra to add to the dessert. I am writing this having just eaten and I can honestly say I've never wanted a dessert more in my life!

Your secret weapon ...

... an optional extra – serve a syrup with your Tiramisu. The syrup can be made ahead and fridged. You can serve it in tiny jugs or add it to a portion before serving.

Here's the recipe :

Orange Syrup

200g icing sugar

9 fl oz/250ml orange juice (no bits)

Put the sugar and orange juice in a small saucepan and heat gently so that the sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat and simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Cool the syrup then box and fridge.

The syrup freezes well too.

Here's the finished product :

If you'd like to see an individual Lemon Tiramisu take a look at “A Tiddy Tiramisu – Desserts – Tuesday 20^th June 2017”

Just before I go, here's another trivial piece of information - Tiramisu means “pick me up” or “cheer me up” - you never know when trivia might come in handy!