Crispy Chris

This is one of the quickest and easiest main courses I know and is great for dinner parties as well.  It is versatile because the parcel filling, sauce and veg can all be varied to suit the seasons and the occasion.

Ingredients;

1 sheet of ready-made puff pastry

half a pound of  mixed fresh fish chunks (3 different kinds) such as cod, haddock, tuna, salmon, trout, monk fish etc.

6 raw Tiger Prawns or similar

1 courgette (or any steamable vegetables to your liking such as asparagus, carrots, broccoli,mangetout, cauliflower)

1 egg, beaten with a pinch of sea salt (for the pastry glaze)

Freshly ground pepper and sea salt

For the Liquor; 2oz plain flour, 2oz butter, 600ml fish stock, 8 table spoons of finely-chopped curly parsley

The Method;

De-frost the frozen puff-pastry according to the instructions and cut into a 9″ square.   Tip; make sure the work surface is dusted with flour to prevent sticking and keep your hands cold by dipping them in cold water and drying them before handling the pastry. Try to keep the pastry cool.

Season the fish and prawns with sea salt and pepper to your taste and arrange them in a pile in the middle of the sheet.  Brush some water around  the edges of the pastry then lift the corners one at a time and pull them over the filling to the centre, squeezing adjacent edges together to form a roof to the parcel.  Make a small steam hole where the corners meet then transfer the parcel to a well-buttered baking sheet.  Brush the parcel with the egg wash to glaze the pastry.

Put the parcel into the fridge for at least 4 hours or if you don’t have the luxury of time then pop it in the freezer for half an hour or so.  This will help the pastry rise and crisp up.

When ready, place in a pre-heated oven at gas mark 7 (220c or 425f) for about 25 mins or until risen and golden brown.

Liquor;  Melt the butter in a saucepan and stir in the flour gradually on a low heat.  Cook gently for two or three minutes then add the fish stock a little at a time, stirring constantly until smooth and lump free.  Simmer gently stirring often for 5 mins.  Add the chopped parsley and simmer for a further 5 to 10 minutes until the raw floury taste has gone. Check the seasoning and adjust to suit.

The Veg;  Steam the courgette whole for about 7 mins or to your preference (courgettes can be eaten raw which is better than being over-cooked).

Plating up;  For one person, this is a feast (which is why I haven’t included potatoes) but for a Happy and Healthy portion cut the parcel in half diagonally and place on one side of the plate.  Pour over the liquor leaving half the pastry exposed and cover the base of the plate (this dish requires a lot of liquor just like the traditional pie & mash from the East End).  Halve the courgette then slice it lengthways and place gently on top of the liquor and finally garnish with sprigs of parsley.

You may need to practice with the puff-pastry and the fish seasoning but when you get it right it is a beautiful dish that can be prepared well before your guests arrive and leave you with very little washing up.

Enjoy! (and let me know what you think).

Crispy Chris.

209 Radio

Burmese Quorn Curry is a very tasty second step for the confirmed carnivore to take into the vegetarian world.  For most of you it will be a first step into the world of Burmese cuisine as well which is a delightful fusion of Indian, Thai and Chinese cooking styles.

This curry would typically be made with chicken, pork or prawns but for this recipe I’m substituting the meat with the Quorn chunks that resemble diced chicken breast.  Having eaten this dish for many years, I can honestly say that the Quorn tastes a little bit better than chicken due to its ability to soak up the flavours of the sauce.

THE INGREDIENTS;

• Quorn; 300gm cubed chicken style
• onions;  2 medium finely chopped
• garlic;  1 teaspoon crushed
• root ginger;   quarter teaspoon grated
• turmeric;  quarter teaspoon
• paprika;  1 teaspoon
• dried chilli flakes; half teaspoon or to personal taste
• salt;  quarter teaspoon preferably sea or rock salt
• Thai fish sauce;  2 tablespoons
• coriander (fresh);  3 tablespoons finely chopped
• cooking oil;  4 tablespoons preferably ground nut or light olive oil
• basmati rice;  2 cups
• water; as necessary (see method)

THE METHOD

Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently sweat the onions with the salt until translucent and soft (about 5 mins) then add the garlic and ginger and saute for around 3 mins (do not allow the garlic to burn).

Next add the turmeric, paprika and crushed or flaked chillis.  Stir in quickly and add a few drops of water when the mixture gets dry and starts to stick to the pan.  The secret of a successful sauce is to stir it every 10-20 seconds adding a little water as needed to keep it moving.  This is not like an Indian curry with lots of sauce so don’t add lots of water.  Keep this process going for about 10 minutes until the spices are cooked.  The sauce should be  rich and red with an oily concistency.

TIP;  A great substitute for the crushed chillis is Chinese chilli oil sediment.  I always keep a jar in the fridge or spicing up lots of dishes or just as a pickle for dipping prawn crackers into.

To give the curry its uniquely Burmese smell and flavour add the fish sauce and stir well. (Not being a vegetarian myself, I’m not sure if this ingredient disqualifies it from being “suitable for vegetarians” - I would value your feedback on that one – but what the hell?..this recipe is aimed at carnivores anyway).

Have a jug of water on standby. Tip the contents of the packet of frozen quorn straight into the sauce and stir in.  You will notice that the quorn will start to soak up the sauce and you will have to add water a little at a time to keep the sauce as it was before the quorn went in.  Add a little more water, cover the saucepan and simmer gently for a further 15 minutes stiring occasionally and adding water as necessary.  When cooked, turn of the heat and allow to stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

THE RICE

Wash the rice in a sieve by running it under the cold tap for a minute, drop into lots of boiling water, bring back to the boil and stir to separate the grains, then keep at a rolling boil for 11 minutes.  Drain in a colander and leave to stand uncovered for about 5 minutes before serving.

TIP; Don’t add salt to the rice as its blandness makes it a perfect backdrop for the highly concentrated flavours of the curry and you can always add salt later if required.

PLATING UP

Form a bed of rice accross the whole plate and spoon the curry over the centre.  Sprinkle generously with the chopped coriander.  Serve with a salad of sliced ripe tomatoes sprinkled with sea salt, lemon juice and chopped coriander.  Chopped fresh green chillis on the side are a must for the seasoned trooper.

TIP;  You don’t need to serve lashings of sauce as the flavours will be concentrated so a small amount goes a long way.  Make sure the plate is hot.

Serves 4.

If you like this then ask about my Burmese Cookery Classes coming soon to a Cook’s Barn near you!

I’m afraid I don’t know the Burmese for Bon Appetit but when I find out you’ll be the first to know.

Crispy Chris.

PS. let me know how it turns out and what you think of it.

209 Radio, Cookery School