LACANCHE EVENING 2nd April 2009  

In our capacity as Distributors of world famous Lacanche Cookers, on Thursday evening 2nd April 2009 we hosted our first Lacanche Range Cooker demonstration.  There were some 35 invited guests who watched as Rupert Cotterell, Managing Director of Forneaux de France Ltd, prepared, cooked and served course after delicious course such as stir-fried chicken and prawn Chow Mein, griddled courgettes, crispy salmon chunks fried on the plancher with a soy sauce dip, freshly baked focaccia bread stuffed with different cheeses and herbs, roasted spatchcock chicken, barbequed whole leg of  lamb, roasted belly of pork, roasted pork tenderloin, barbequed whole fillet of beef, roast potatoes, dauphinoise potatoes, caramelised carrots, and for pudding Tart Tatin, chocolate bread and butter pudding and a lemon mousse.

Rupert, very ably assisted by Candice Selby-Grace (marketing executive – Forneaux de France), did a remarkable job of putting the wonderful Lacance “Chemin” range cooker through its paces.  Hand built in Bordeaux, this is truly a “serious cooker for serious cooks” and performed incredibly well. I am convinced that you could not produce anywhere near that quantity and quality of food on an ordinary domestic cooker in such a short space of time.

Our guests enjoyed a great variety of excellent food, copious amounts of wine, beer and non-alcoholic cocktails expertly stirred and shaken by Adam Hawkins who is a bit of a celebrity on the Cambridge cocktail scene.  Of course, all food and drinks were absolutely free of charge.

The entire evening’s proceedings were sent out to the world via Twitter and Twitpic by our Twitter and IT guru Ian McKendrick who you can check out at: www.letspresentit.com or follow Ian on Twitter. You see the photo’s Ian took on TwitPic by clicking here>>>.  Photographs of the evening will also be be posted here soon.

If you are thinking of upgrading your cooker and would like to come to the next Lacanche evening then please contact me:

Chris Eadon on 01223 811 111

or drop me a line at chris@stonetime.co.uk

Bon appetit mes amis!

Recipe For Spicy Quorn Chilli, Rice And Tortilla Chips 

(serves 4-6)

TIP; Not for the faint-hearted

Ingredients;

• Onions; 2 medium chopped
• Garlic; 2-3 cloves crushed
• Peppers; 1 red, 1 green deseeded and chopped into 1cm pieces
• Cumin; 3 heaped teaspoons ground
• Chilli; Fresh red or green, 1-2 teaspoons of chilli powder or crushed chillies, Tabasco sauce or a combination to suit your own palate.
• Paprika; 1 heaped teaspoon (optional)
• Tinned chopped tomatoes; 1 tin liquidised in a blender
• Tomato Puree; 2 table spoons
• Vegetable stock; 1-2 cubes depending on the brand used and according to your taste (you can start with 1 then add another if needed)
• Olive oil (light); 3 tablespoons
• Black pepper; 1 teaspoon freshly ground
• Salt; half teaspoon (or to taste) preferably sea or rock
• Quorn mince; 300gm
• Red kidney beans; 2-3 tins (personal preference)
• Rice; 2 cup-fulls basmati
• Tortilla chips (plain) to garnish

Method;

The Chilli

Heat the oil in a saucepan, add chopped onions and salt and sweat on a low heat until translucent (about 3 mins) then add the garlic, chopped peppers and black pepper and keep stirring gently until garlic starts to turn golden brown.  

TIP; Do not allow the garlic to burn or the dish will taste bitter. If it starts to burn quickly add a little cold water and stir

Add the Cumin, Chilli, Paprika, Fennel seeds and Peppers and stir continuously to prevent burning. The mixture will quickly become dry so keep adding water 2 tablespoons at a time to keep the mixture moving and stop it sticking to the pan.  For the best results you will need to stir for a few seconds then leave for a few seconds for about 10 minutes until the spices are cooked.

Add the Tomato Puree about 3 minutes before the end of this process.

TIP; Too much tomato and not enough or no Cumin will make the dish taste more like Bolognese Sauce than Chilli!

Next, add the liquidised tomatoes, stock cube(s) and about a half pint of water, stir well and simmer gently with the lid on for at least 15 minutes stirring occasionally to stop it sticking to the pan.

TIP; The longer the sauce simmers the better up to an hour to allow all the flavours to infuse.  As Quorn cooks in 15 minutes, the sauce needs to be properly cooked before the Quorn is added.

When the sauce is ready, add the Quorn mince, either thawed or straight from frozen, and stir well. The Quorn will immediately start to soak up the liquid so if the mixture becomes dry then add enough water to keep the sauce at the right consistency.  

After 10 minutes stir in the Red Kidney Beans then cover and simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.  The chilli is now ready to serve.

TIP; This kind of dish always tastes better the day after so try to cook it the day before if possible, store in the fridge until needed then heat thoroughly before serving.  It’s also great for freezing for a superb meal in a hurry.

The Rice;     

There are many ways to cook rice so stick to your own tried and tested method. I find the easiest way is as follows; 

Place 2 cups of Basmati rice in a sieve and run cold water through it for about a minute or until the water runs clear out of the bottom of the sieve.  Tip into a saucepan of boiling water (at least 8 cup-fulls), bring back to the boil and stir to stop the rice sticking together and to the pan.  Once boiling, simmer for 11 minutes then drain into a colander.  Place the colander back onto the saucepan and cover.  Allow to stand for at least 5 minutes before loosening up with a spoon and serving. 

Plating up;

Using a bowl rather than a plate, cover the bottom of the bowl with a good layer of rice then spoon the chilli over the top.  Add some tortilla chips on the side for dipping and for texture.

TIP; Have some Tabasco sauce or chopped chillies on the table for those who like it really hot (like me).

Buen apetito!

Crispy Chris

I am a food lover and a confirmed carnivour and used to be fairly typical of the breed, you know, the macho type who pours scorn on quiche, nut roasts and brown rice.  Since my wife became a vegetarian about seven years ago I have had to seriously review my culinary repertoire being the only cook in the house.

At first I would prepare different dishes for her whilst sticking to my meat and 2 veg. It was taking up the challenge of a 28 day Carol Vorderman detox diet that forced me to eat nothing but fruit, veg, nuts and beans for a month.  It was tough at first but it made me realise that this stuff was really good to eat  as well as being good for you (I had never had such energy and clear skin since I was five years old and lost a stone into the bargain).

But, instead of becoming a vegetarian, I decided to open up a whole new avenue of pleasure (to coin Basil Fawlty’s phrase) and add the best of the vegetarian’s dishes to my already delightful carnivorous diet.  I almost feel like I’m regularly plundering the vegetarians’ camp and running off with their prized posessions and leaving them nothing in return!

Now I want to share this haul of treasure with my fellow carnivours (if anyone can come up with a better name than carnivour or meat-eater I would be grateful) by taking small steps such as the use of Quorn which really is and excellent meat substitute if prepared the right way.

The slot on the Heath and Happiness Hour will help me to spread the word and I will be developing a series of cookery classes which will be held at www.cooksbarn.com later this year.  I would like to hear from all you meaty people who want more and may also be considering their long-term health but can’t face the prospect of dieting.  I believe moderation in all things (well, maybe most things) is the key to health and happiness, in tiny steps and imperceptible lifestyle changes to create a long and healthy future for ourselves without the drudgery of endless failed diets and fitness regimens.

When you consider the prospect of changing your lifestyle for a better one just remember the modern proverb “the mind is like a parachute, it works best when open”, something I’ve only come to appreciate in recent years.