Crispy Chris

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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.

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.

Chris 209 Radio, Cookery School

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

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I am honoured to have been invited to join presenter John Levine as a regular guest on his Health and Happiness Hour on 209 Radio which is broadcast between 12.oo noon and 1.00pm every Tuesday on 105fm in Cambridge and on the web www.209radio/shows/profile.php?show=happy .

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.

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