Moqueca Fish Stew

Originating in the eastern state of Bahia, Moqueca has become a cornerstone of Brazilian cuisine. This fragrant fish stew is made with a mix of firm white fish and enriched with tomato purée and coconut oil.

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Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1kg mixed firm white fish e.g. bass, cod, snapper; filleted, skin removed and cut into 2-3cm chunks
• 8 large prawns, peeled (tails intact), deveined
• Juice of 3 limes
• Zest of 1 lime
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 large red chilli, halved and sliced
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
• 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 500ml light chicken stock
• 1 400ml tin coconut milk
• 1 bay leaf

METHOD

Put the fish, prawns, lime juice, lime zest and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Mix well, cover and chill for 20 minutes to marinate.

Heat the olive oil in the casserole on a low to medium heat setting and gently fry the onion for 5 minutes until softened but not browned.

Add the chilli, peppers and garlic and cook for another 8-10 minutes. Add the tomato purée, coconut oil, shrimp paste and bay leaf and cook for a further 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the stock and coconut milk, bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes.

Add the fish and prawns, put on the lid, turn off the heat and leave for 5 minutes.

Cook's Notes

• Do not cook on too high a heat, or overcook, as the fish will become dry and the sauce may start to split.
• Half a jar of potted shrimp or a fish stock cube or 1 tablespoon of miso paste can be used instead of shrimp paste if preferred.
• Serve with rice garnished with lime wedges, chopped spring onions and chopped coriander.

My Perfect Fish & Chips

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

For the tartare sauce

• 4 heaped tbsp Mayonnaise
• 1 hard boiled egg (grated)
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 1tbsp chopped gherkins
• 1 tbsp chopped Capers
• 1 tsp chopped parsley
• 1 tsp chopped tarragon

For the peas

• 1 tbsp butter
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 7oz Frozen peas
• 50ml-100ml veg stock
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh mint leaves

For the chips

• 8 large potatoes (Russet Burban or Maris Piper)
• Beef dripping/fallow, for deep frying
• salt

For the battered fish

• 7oz self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
• 7oz Corn Starch
• large pinch baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• 330-400ml beer
• 4 white fish fillets/ skinned and boned (around 7oz per portion)

Method

For the tartare sauce, mix the ingredients, refrigerate until needed.

For the peas, in a small saucepan, bring the butter and stock to the boil, add the frozen peas and heat through, pulse coarsely in a food processor, season to taste with salt and pepper. Keep warm and add the mint before serving.

For the chips, cut into chunky wedges (roughly into 8). Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and blanch the chips for 5 minutes or until soft. Remove the chips with a slotted spoon and drain them on to kitchen paper and allow them to cool.

Fill a deep-fat fryer with beef dripping or veg oil and preheat to 275F.

Cook the chips for approximately 8–10 minutes, or until the oil stops bubbling. Remove with a slotted spoon on to plates lined with kitchen paper.

For the batter, in a mixing bowl, whisk the flour, salt, cornstarch, and beer together until smooth and then add the baking powder.

Preheat the deep-fat fryer to 350F.

Sprinkle some flour into a shallow tray. Dust the fish pieces with the flour, dip in the batter, drain a little of the batter off and deep fry until the batter is golden-brown and crisp (around 4-6 minutes). Allow to rest for 5 minutes on a wire rack/plate or somewhere warm.

Deep fry the chips for a second time for 4-5 minutes more or until crisp and golden-brown.

Season the chips, to taste, with salt and serve immediately with the fish, peas and tartare sauce & lemon slices.

Rooftop Cooking with The Four Seasons Lisbon

For my most recent trip to Lisbon, I was lucky to spend a night at the Four Seasons Hotel - Ritz Lisboa to meet the team and cook a few dishes with their executive chef, Pascal Meynard. Regarded as Lisbon’s foremost luxury hotel, situated in the very heart of the city, overlooking the Eduardo VII Park with amazing views of Lisbon from their rooftop running track (by far the best urban running track in the world IMO). It is only a 10-minute taxi or 30-minute stroll down to the old town and seafront. With a mix of Louis XVI style and art deco with wall decorations, tapestries and many art hangings throughout the hotel makes you feel like you're in an art gallery. But I’m not here for their spectacular architecture and art. I’m here for the food, and Chef Pascal is the 'artist' that I’m here to see.

Hailing from France, Pascal is the man in charge and upon arrival welcomes me warmly and tells me about the dishes we’ll be cooking. But first up, there's a spot of LUNCH! So lunch at the Four Seasons is something of an institution with locals and business types devouring a buffet from inside the Varanda Restaurant that can even be taken out onto the terrace. Now, I've done my fair share of travelling and the term ‘buffet’ never really fills me with any culinary expectation. But this was quite something offering a mix of well thought out and executed international and local cuisine. 

My personal highlights were the sushi, cold fish cuts and a bream fillet with a Provencale crust. My wife, to no surprise, will devour anything with sugar and enjoyed their mini pastel de natas and eclairs. The hotel's showpiece and a must try is their mille-feuilles (meaning a thousand leaves), all made in-house by Pastry Chef Fabian Nguyen. Paired with a glass of port while sitting in the Lisbon sunshine, it's easy to see why their lunch buffet is so popular. 

After a wake up coffee and a few more pastries (it is a buffet after all…), I headed to the rooftop to meet Chef Pascal where we cooked a dish that shouts out loud about Portuguese cuisine and produce; Seafood Cataplana!

As chef told me, “when the local produce is this good, there’s no excuse not to use it”. With onion and lots of garlic as the base with Portuguese olive oil, then roasted peppers, white wine, seafood bisque, clams, lobster, Algarve prawns, monkfish, snapper and sea bass then cooked lid closed in a cataplana for 5 minutes then garnished with coriander. The colours reminding me of the Portuguese flag, this is exactly what Portuguese cooking is all about. Simple and quick while using the freshest ingredients resulting in layers of flavour and textures. I order you to try!

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Chef Pascal's Seafood Cataplana 

Watch Executive Chef Pascal Meynard team up with Chef Andy Bates to cook a Seafood Cataplana - on the rooftop of Four Seasons Hotel Ritz Lisbon. 
Talk about food with a view!

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

• 1 lobster, cooked & cut into thumb size pieces
• 2 large Algarve shrimps or large tiger prawns
• 50-100g monkfish
• 50-100g sea bass
• 50-100g Snapper
• 100g clams
• half a green bell peppers, roasted, peeled & thinly sliced
• half a red bell peppers, roasted, peeled & thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 5-6 gloves of garlic, crushed
• handful of coriander, roughly chopped
• 1 ripe tomatos, diced
• 50ml virgin olive oil
• 100ml white wine
• 100ml of seafood bisque
• salt

METHOD

On the bottom of the cataplana dish place the ingredients by the following order; clams, then the onions, garlic, bell peppers, tomatos, monkfish, sea bass, snapper, prawns, lobster, white wine and virgin olive oil and season with salt. Close the cataplana and on a stove cook on medium heat until steam comes out from the sides of the cataplana (7-8 minutes). 

Open in front of your guests and garish with coriander. 

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Next was down to the kitchen to make a Portuguese classic sandwich called ‘Prego’. Now, I’m a BIG fan of sandwiches and I’ve long been a big fan of Bifana which are grilled pork sandwiches and the Prego is just a simple substitution using beef instead of pork. Chef Pascal took me through his take with a few twists on the classic sandwich using Bolo do Caco (muffin/scone made from sweet potato from Madeira), garlic butter, tenderloin beef steak (minute-fried), cheese, ham, thin omelette and salad then warmed through under the grill. It’s as good as it sounds. The meat cooked quickly then rested, layers of flavour and texture from the ham, cheese and omelette, freshness from the salad, the garlic butter which IMO is such an important ingredient for Pregos and Bifanas and then encased a warm sweet potato muffin like bun. WOW! I mean just look at the pic, you would wouldn’t you.

Later that evening, our excellent concierge got us a late booking at popular ‘Mini Bar’ by Jose Avillez. Once a chef at El Bulli and now returning home to make things happen in Portugals's ever growing relaxed dining scene. Very yummy yet playful, the perfect end to the day. 

The next day after a late breakfast, the hotel arranged for us to get out and see the town on one of the many tuk-tuks (ours being electric with zero emissions was a plus making it a quiet ride too). Our driver, Antonio, was the perfect guide. Being from Lisbon, he was very knowledgeable not just about the city's history but just as important to me about the bars, cafes and easy eating spots where the locals like to go. He kindly, although probably from my continuous nagging, took us for a beer and Bifana in one of his favourite spots. A nice finishing touch but to be totally expected from the warm natured people of Portugal.

Then it was back to the hotel to grab our belongings and make the quick jump back to London ;'(

Many thanks to Chef Pascal, Vasco, Diana and everyone at the Four Seasons Lisboa. I will see you very soon. 

San Sebastián-Donostia, Spain

I first visited this gem of a town in 2006 and have been back on an almost yearly basis since. From trips including weekend breaks, work trips, my 30th, my parent's 60th birthdays, a 40th and even a very civilised stag do thrown in for good measure and most recently this past month. For me, it's one of the greatest food cities on earth. I'd like to think I'm the only person that knows about it and only I have the knowledge of where to go and what to eat but alas, it's just not so. See lots of us have been and If you like your food or work in the industry then you've probably have been and have had a taste of how great this town is (for those of you that haven't been. GO, just book it!). So I thought it was about time I shared some of my favourite places of where to eat whenever I'm in town. 

Group selfie ;)

Peak times in San Sebastián are between May and October and it can get very busy on the weekends so flying out mid to late April or late October for me is the best time to go. It's just starting to get busy or slowing down with mainly locals out, you can get a table/perch within 10 minutes or less in every bar, car hire and accommodation are at a better rate and flights can be nearly half price. The only thing you will be missing out on is a bit of summer sun.

We (the wife and friend's Matt and Carolina) booked our flights a month before flying from Stansted Airport to Bilbao with Easyjet (£48 return), and had arranged to a hire car at the airport (£6 per day) and our accommodation being a two bedroom apartment in the Old Town from Airbnb. Make sure to grab yourself acoomodation in the Old Town or nearby to keep it all within walking distance and personally I feel an apartment gives you a little more freedom especially if you plan to do any cooking as we did and it can work out more than half the price of a hotel room.

The drive to San Sebastián takes about 90 minutes with a toll on the way or a non-toll drive taking around 2 and half hours. A secured parking can be found around town for €12-€20 a night. There is also a bus you can catch directly from Bilbao airport to San Sebastián for €15 each way but with four of us in tow it actually worked out the same price to hire a car including parking and petrol for four days as it was to get 8 single fares on the bus.

Volcano of black pudding, apple and sultanas at Hidalgo 56

WHERE TO EAT?

Most pintxo bars are to be found in the Old Town, but never dismiss the Centre and Gros (new town) as many a delight can be found there too (I highly recommend the volcano of black pudding from Hidalgo 56. The 'lava' is an egg yolk on the top ;). An essential guidebook to take which can also can be purchased at many of the bars is 'The Pintxo Trail' which lists each bar's 'hero' dish and is a really helpful guide especially if it is your first visit. Most bars are self-service with cold offerings, picking your own pintxos, eating and then paying with an 'honesty policy' of how many you devoured off the bar. Although these tasty treats look like a 'little picker's dream' all layered in neat rows, taking up the entire space of the bar, screaming different colours and amazing flavours at you, the trick is to order hot pintxos from the menus chalked on the walls and this is when the food really steps up a gear. With hot offerings such as octopus, veal cheeks, pigs ears, hake cheeks, salt cod, foie gras, morcilla (black pudding), baby squid and offal... it's a foodie's utopia. Pintxos will generally cost you around €1-3 each. 

The Indurain at Bodega Donostiarra (tinned white tuna, salted anchovy, guindilla peppers, slice of onion, olive on a bed of olive oil)

Griddled foie gras at Izkiña

Before we begin, this isn't so much of a guide to San Sebastián but more like my 'Perfect Night Out in San Sebastián'. A gluttonous eating and drinking journey, one meal spread across five bars which are all based in the Old Town with no more than 2-5 minutes walk between each (obviously many of you who have been will have different views but this is not about you, this is my perfect meal ;). I hope you find the idea of this as appealing as it was to us, on the walk/waddle back to the apartment we all concurred that this was the most epic of meal adventures we had ever embarked on. And just so you know, be prepared to stand. Apart from the first meal we happily stood up for all the courses resting on high tables or bars. And leave your manners behind and follow Basque tradition, once finished with your napkin, raise into the air and throw it to the ground or under the bar. 

So let's begin... As always my first stop upon arriving is La Cepa, I think this may have been the first bar I ever came to in San Sebastián and there are many other bars like it but it will always be my first port of call, the staff are really friendly, food is great and they have the traveller's god-send, free wi-fi so a great place to check in after traveling. As a tradition I always kick off with a large plate of Jamon de Bellota, (acorn-fed pure breed Iberico ham) the flavour is rich and complex and a real delicacy paired with a plate of manchego cheese. The buttery texture of the manchego working so well with the ham. All rounded of with a chilled bottle of rioja to wash it all down. Ham, cheese and wine BOOM... What a start!

The pintxos bar at La Cepa (look at those jamóns!) - photo by @afickledream_

Jamón de Bellota, bread and 2 glasses of rioja at La Cepa

Next, it's onto Bar Borda Berri and it's all about extremely intense slow cooked dishes using Basque and international flavours and technics. I can vouch for this and they certainly do not disappoint creating tasting dishes like the famous 'crunchy' pig's ear, pork rib kebab, cod tripe, melt in your mouth veal cheeks, mushroom risotto, squid ink ravioli and the most tender octopus I have ever tasted all served on little plates seasoned perfectly with sauces, garnishes and the most flavoursome of local olive oils. The pig's ear is one of the best dishes I've tasted and Matt with who we travelled with returned on a daily basis just for this dish. I believe we ordered one of each and supped half pints of local beer all poured with that perfect European frothy head. The place has attitude in the coolest of ways, rock-n-roll cuisine if you know what I mean. To the owners; Iñaki Gulin & Marc Clua, I salute you both. WOW!

Borda Berri's squid ink ravioli - photo by @afickledream_

Borda Berri's crispy pig ear with tximitxurri sauce

Borda Berri's Iberian pork rib kebab

Borda Berri's roasted octopus

For the third course and having to peel ourselves away from Borda Berri! We head to Ganbara, who are known to have one of the most varied and mouth-watering menus in the town. Famous and in high demand for their baked spider crab tartlet (A must!). They have a restaurant out back and it's always busy packed with locals with an oven in one of the corners adding even more drama to the bar. As we muscle our way through the crowds we found a corner on the bar and stumbled upon a mountain of seasonal mushrooms. We looked at the barman and gave him a look of 'we'll have some of that please' he nodded knowingly, wrote something down and poured us theatrically from a height some local white wine called txakoli. A couple of minutes later our dish arrived and it's a purist's dream. A plate of sliced and fried wild mushrooms perfectly seasoned garnished only with an egg yolk. Simple and brilliant!

Wild mushrooms & egg yolk at Ganbara

So now for mains and Bar Néstor was where we were to head. Established in 1980 and famous for their potato tortilla where only two large ones are made a day at 12:00pm and 8:00pm and they sell quickly so best to get there early. It's a fairly limited menu and in no way is that a bad thing. I recommended trying two dishes, their aged steak and heirloom tomato salad. We managed 'luckily' to grab a table, standing on the street directly by the serving hatch. We mentioned steak and before we knew it our friendly barman had thrust a platter full of Cote de Boeuf in front of us. All aged, dark with perfect marbling. We chose, well, the biggest one of course and ordered the tomato salad and gernika peppers for sides with a belting big bottle of rioja thrown in for good measure. A lot of chat and a second rioja later, through the hatch a sizzling skillet of sliced steak and bone appeared. Perfectly cooked and swimming in its cooking juices. We hastily ordered more bread so nothing would be lost. The sides were on par too, tomato salad being simply chopped tomatoes in quarters soaked in extra virgin olive oil and seasoned with salt only (For you non-tomato fans, salt really does change how a tomato tastes folks, try it) and the gernika green peppers sautéed and salted (differing from padrón peppers with the Russian roulette of sweet and spicy, gernika are always sweet and a little longer in appearance too). It's probably the first time I've ever had a steak without chips or mash. But don't fear, I got me carbs from that extra bread we ordered to mop up all those juices remember. Rustic cooking with big earthy flavours we couldn't have been happier. I remember one of us saying when finishing our last mouthful and placing knives and forks down 'that was quite something eh?!' It couldn't have been put better. A big nod to the owners; Tito, Nestor and staff who are extremely friendly and are part of what makes this place so great and why people keep coming back.

Aged beef rib chop, tomato salad and gernika green peppers from Bar Nestor 

And for the last hurrah... Dessert! The girls had declared they were 'too full for pudding' but I knew we had some room in us and there was only one place to go, La Viña. Run by Santi Rivera this traditional bar offers traditional Basque fare like croquettes, classic fish soup and clams in green sauce. The Russian salad is a favourite and the cheese and anchovy cone (looking like a mini flake 99 with the cheese as the ice cream piped into a cone and a whole anchovy as the flake) is a fun and tasty bite. But most people are here for one thing, the tarta de queso or baked cheesecake. A well-guarded secret that they will never give out "we don't give out the recipe" is said with an almost 'how many times do I have to say...' It's an utterly dreamy, no biscuit/crunchy base,  just a baked filling, I'll try to describe... From the outside in you start with a burnt crust, then the filling starts with a little soufflé like around the edges and then into a super smooth set middle. And the taste is sweet, creamy with a touch of sourness to it. But what makes it even better is that it perfectly matches with Pedro Ximénez, just ask them and they will know what to give you. The two together are insanely good with the sweetness from the wine against the cheese. Our journey was now complete, JOB DONE! On the walk back to the apartment I couldn't stop thinking about the taste and texture of that cheesecake and it continued into my sleep, so much so that I dragged the wife there early doors for a cheesecake breakfast. But to be fair she hardly put up much of a fight. FYI as it was too early a glass of wine you'll be pleased to know it worked just as well with coffee.

La Viña's tarta de queso 

La Viña's cheese and anchovy cone

 

To recap my 'perfect meal' in San Sebastián's pintxo bars are... 

La Cepa - plate of Iberico jamon & Manchego Cheese with bottle of rioja

Bar Bordi Berri - Crunchy pigs ear, octopus, pork rib, sweetbread ravioli (just order everything)

Ganbara - Fried seasonal mushrooms and egg yolk

Bar Nestor - Aged beef rib chop, tomato salad and gernika green peppers (eat on the street if possible ;)

La Viña - Baked cheescake with dessert wine

 

WHAT TO DRINK?

A slightly sparkling Basque white wine called txakoli – this is a light and dry wine that goes hand in hand with most pintxos. When txakoli is poured, the bottle is held from a height creating an impressive two-foot stream into a tall glass. This helps to aerate the wine, creating more bubbles. Other choices include rioja or 1/2 pint beers, they will ask if you want a full pint (probably asked because I am British) but I would recommend sticking with the halves, while a glass of wine or beer will set you back a mere €1.5 - €3.

Craft Beer too? I was lucky to find Basque Brewing Project. I'm never one to say no to a local independent brew and this hoppy little IPA is a winner. A few bars stock it the fridge so watch out for it. 

Gin and tonics. Served in those ginormous gold fish bowl type glasses with a tiny bit of tonic to go with your gin ;) A must for all G&T lovers. 

 

OTHER.

Other than eating and drinking, make sure to walk about and explore the streets or even take a walk on either of the beaches. In fact, you might need to as be aware that nearly all the pintxos bars shut between 3-7 leaving you choices of either finding a bar and drinking through until everything opens again or sightseeing or taking a deserved siesta yourself. You can even try some surfing at San Sebastian's Zurriola Beach which offers courses for beginners and also holds national and international championships, attracting surfers from all over the world. But back to food again and a must to try is La Brexta Market situated in Old Town.

Matt & I smiling in the fish market - photo by @afickledream_

La Brexta's fish market - photo by @afickledream_

Our feast from Mercado La Brexta

-Whole Baked Sole with lemon, garlic & paprika potatoes 

-Hake Glands in Garlic Butter

-Chorizo in Red Wine

-Mackerel Tartare

-White Asparagus with Anchovy Mayo

It is an underground cave filled with chef and foodie delights split into three sections; fish, meat and delicatessen. The fish section is especially beautiful and eye opening with offerings of monkish, hake, sole, snapper, roes, cheeks, salt cod and just about every type of shellfish and mussel you can imagine all laid out in ‘shop window’ esq displays worthy of an award. The markets perfect for you to stock up on cured meats, cheeses, wine and other countless goodies from the region. There’s even a well-known supermarket down there which is really handy to pick up on staples for the weekend. Upstairs and outside is where local traders sell fruit and veg with many proudly claiming that it was picked that morning from their own gardens. It's impossible not to be inspired by the produce available, the region is so fertile that you can’t help but want to cook with it. We spent about two hours walking around tasting and asking questions before finally filling our bags and heading back to the apartment to prepare a feast all cooked with usual sparse rented accommodation utensils of 1 baking tray, 1 chopping board, 2 saucepans, 1 frying pan and 2 very blunt knives.

SIDE TRIP TO GETARIA.

Between San Sebastian and Bilbao, I cannot recommend highly enough the fishing port of Gretinia. I make an obligatory stop there for Sunday lunch on every visit for what we have come to refer to as ‘Basque Fish and Chips'. See down by the harbour in this little port town are about 4-5 restaurants that all specialise in whole fish (usually turbot and monkfish) cooked over coals outside on asadores. They arrive directly from the boats, placed over the coals, then whisked to the kitchen where they are quickly filleted and seasoned with dressing of lemon juice, olive oil and fried garlic. I always order a side of chips to complete the dish and a bottle of local txakoli. The fish is cooked to perfection and eating outside with friends next to the sea is never a bad thing is it.

Monkfish

Turbot

Whole Mackerel with Orange, Chilli & Olive Oil

A super easy and quick dish to make using the heat from the BBQ to steam the fish inside the foil.

Open at the table in front of your guests for an intense citrus and spicy aromas guaranteed to win everyone over.

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Ingredients

• 4 whole mackerel
• 4 red chillies
• 2 oranges, zest and juice
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place one fish on tin foil large enough to shape into a sealed bag. Chop the chilli and place around the fish add zest and juice of the orange and drizzle with olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste. Seal tin foil to create a bag. Repeat for all fish.

Place on BBQ for about 15 minutes.

Smoked Haddock Bhaji Scotch Eggs

For this week's BBC Food and Drink I was sent to Duck and Waffle in the Heron Tower, London to meet Chef Dan Doherty and talk about 'hybrid' food. Dan and his team are doing such great things over at Duck and Waffle and I was lucky enough to be able to try a few of their dishes, one of my personal favourites is their amazing spicy ox cheek doughnuts served with apricot jam. But that is only the beginning so please have a look at their menu to see what other delights you can devour and the views are some of the best in London. 

Dan & Tom from Duck and Waffle 

Back in the kitchen, Dan and I get to do a bit of cooking where we make scotch eggs of all things ;) bhaji scotch eggs to be exact. They reminded me of a dish I used to make on my stalls, the smoked haddock bhaji scotch egg. I used to make onion bhajis & smoked haddock scotch eggs (Buttery curried mash and smoked haddock wrapped around a soft boiled egg) then one morning I decided to use the bhaji mix instead of breadcrumbs around the scotch egg and a new dish was born. I took it to the market and sold about two, a little disgruntled I returned and handed the rest out to grateful friends. But that was 2010 and food trends are constantly changing and over the past few years with new inventive dishes like the conut by Dominique Ansel appearing thus making hybrid foods more popular than ever.

Duck and Waffle's scotch egg

Smoked haddock works so well with curried spices as we've known for a long time with dishes like kedgeree and the soft and runny yolk against the crunch of the bhaji coating is a real treat. You want a firm mash and the trick is to bake the potatoes with the skin on and then scoop out the flesh.

Enjoy and let me know what other 'hybrid' creations you have been making. 

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My Smoked Haddock Bhaji Scotch Eggs

makes 4

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SCOTCH EGG:

• 4 large free range eggs
• 200g mash potato (from 1 large or 2 medium potatoes)
• 200g undyed smoked haddock (skinned & chopped) 
• 100g butter 
• white pepper 

FOR THE ONION BHAJI:

• 2 shallots
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cardamon pods
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/2 bunch coriander, roughly chopped
• 100g gram flour (chickpea flour)
• water

METHOD

Boil the eggs for 6 minutes on a gentle simmer then place into a container of ice cold water (this will stop the egg cooking) carefully peel and keep in the cold water until needed.

Pre heat the oven 180C and bake the potatoes on a tray for around an hour or until cooked. Cut in half and scoop out the flesh (careful: HOT POTATO!) then mash with the butter till smooth. Add the haddock and season with white pepper (no need for salt as Smoked haddock will provide). Divide into 4 equal balls then flatten out and wrap each portion around your soft boiled eggs encasing and completely covering.

Chill until needed.

For the bhaji mix:

Slice the shallots and place into a bowl and salt lightly then leave for 5 minutes until the shallots begin to bleed. In a pestle and mortar place the cardamom pods and grind, then add the remaining spices. To the shallots add the spices, gram flour, chopped coriander and a dash of water. mix well until you have a dropping (double cream like) consistency.

Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C.

Remove the eggs from the fridge, dip into the bhaji mix covering all over then carefully place into the fryer and fry for 6 minutes until golden brown.

Rest for 3 minutes, slice in half and serve.

Halibut with Saffron Beurre Blanc and Samphire, Mussels and Langoustines

This epic sharing platter is perfect for any dinner party where you wish to make a dish the centrepiece. And halibut is definitely one of my favourites, a meaty fish with mild, sweet tasting white flesh with a firm but tender texture. Because of its leanness halibut can become dried-out if overcooked and the key to not overcooking is all about the timing. Hence, slightly under cooking the halibut and leaving to rest for 10 minutes will yield a perfectly cooked piece of fish. 

Place on the middle of the table for everyone to tuck in and serve with saffron beurre blanc. 

Substitute with haddock, cod, hake or king prawns for a budget alternative. 

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My Halibut with Saffron Beurre Blanc and Samphire, Mussels and Langoustines

Ingredients

• 1.5kg halibut
• 500g samphire
• Olive oil
• 1kg mussels, de-bearded and cleaned
• 12 langoustines, cooked
• 3 lemons cut into halves and grilled
• 150ml white wine
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 2 shallots
• 1 tsp peppercorns
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 spring of thyme
• 100ml double cream
• Pinch of saffron
• 250g cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• Salt and pepper

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180°C. Lay the samphire on a baking tray and lay fish on top, brush with olive oil, season with salt and pepper, wrap with foil, and roast for 18-20 minutes. Allow to rest for an additional 10 minutes.

In a pan, sweat the onions in a knob of butter, add the white wine, herbs and peppercorns, reduce by half, then add the mussels and cook till open. Reserve cooked mussels in a bowl, strain cooking liquid into a saucepan and discard onion mix.

For the saffron beurre blanc, add saffron and cream to the strained cooking liquid. Bring to a boil and reduce for 2 minutes, remove from heat and whisk in butter cube by cube until smooth and emulsified.

Find my full episode of '12 Chefs of Christmas' HERE

Salt Cod Kedgeree Cake

I caught back up with my guide, Tereza who's promised me something special in Praia do Forte, Salvador, Brazil. The Souza Beach Hut is one of the most traditional spots on the beach. Set up in 1996, it's runs by Antonio Maurillo, and his famous snacks, Bolinho de Peixe or fish fritters are the talk about town. These are not your typical fritter, he uses a really authentic recipe of indigenous ingredients and all that I am allowed to know is that inside them there was shredded fish, coconut milk, green peppers and coriander.

For the recipe below I'll be keeping the fritter idea going but sticking with flavours more close to home.

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Ingredients

For the risotto cake:

• 100g salt cod
• 500ml hot chicken stock
• Olive oil
• 25g unsalted butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon curry powder
• ½ teaspoon ground turmeric
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• 150g Arborio rice
• Small bunch coriander, chopped
• Zest of 1 lemon
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 150g plain flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 150g dry white breadcrumbs
• Vegetable oil for deep frying

For the pea purée:

• 250g frozen peas
• 50g mashed potato (for substance to the pea purée)
• Knob of unsalted butter
• 50ml double cream
• Small bunch mint leaves
• 4 medium eggs, to serve
• Dash white wine vinegar, to serve

 

Method

Rinse the salt cod under running water for 10 minutes then place in a container and cover with cold water. Leave to soak overnight, changing the water 2 to 3 times throughout the soaking.

The next day, drain the cod, place it in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil then remove from the heat and drain thoroughly. When cool enough to handle, flake the cod into small pieces and set aside. Heat the olive oil and butter in a wide, heavy based saucepan until the butter is foaming. Add the onion along with a pinch of salt some black pepper and cook gently for 5 minutes until softened. Add the rice to the pan and fry for 5 minutes until the rice starts to turn translucent and smells slightly nutty. Add the spices and fry for a further minute until fragrant. Add a ladleful of the stock to the rice and keep stirring until the liquid is almost absorbed. Continue adding the stock in this way, stirring constantly until all of the stock has all been incorporated, this will take around 20 to 25 minutes. The rice should be soft but still have a little bite in the centre. Stir through the flaked cod, chopped coriander and lemon zest and season to taste.

Leave to cool completely then divide into four balls, flatten into cakes and lay on a plate lined with greaseproof paper. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until firm. Toss each risotto cake in flour, then in beaten egg, then in breadcrumbs. Repeat with a further coating of beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Heat the oil for deep frying to 160 degrees Celsius to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the risotto cakes and fry for 6 to 8 minutes until golden brown (you may have to do this in batches). Drain thoroughly on kitchen paper and season with sea salt.

Meanwhile make the pea purée. Put the peas into a liquidiser and pour in just enough boiling water to cover. Blitz until smooth, add the remaining ingredients and blitz again. Season to taste then transfer to a pan to keep warm.

Bring a saucepan of water to a gentle simmer and add the vinegar. Crack the eggs into the pan and poach gently for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the pan and drain thoroughly.

Serve the risotto cakes on a bed of pea purée and top each with a poached egg.

Esfihas with Tuna Steak

Thirty years ago, Marco Maciel stepped onto the crowded beaches of Rio and introduced one of the oldest middle eastern snacks, the Esfihas. 

Today, after exposing this simple Middle-Eastern pleasure to an already enormous cultural center, Marco and his camel are still going strong. As competition loomed in the street food vendor ecosystem, Marco had to figure out a way to stand out.  Marco approached a Samba School where carnival floats are built and asked for help in the creation of a 6ft camel. The camel was given life, including specialised compartments for food and sauces, and is now the trademark that sets Mr. Maciel apart... making him Ipanema’s most colorful merchant!

And does it set him apart. His sales soar every day, providing some of the best and favourite Middle Eastern treats: the esfihas or pastry parcels, he can sell up to 1,000 a day!

Inspired by its exotic taste and the camel of course, I create my very own dough filled Middle Eastern creation.

Marco & I

Ipanema Beach

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My Esfihas with Tuna Steak 

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE DOUGH:

• 500g strong white strong flour, plus extra for dusting
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 7g sachet dried yeast
• 1 ½ teaspoon caster sugar
• 325ml lukewarm water
• 50g unsalted butter, softened
• Semolina flour for dusting
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

FOR THE FILLING:

• Olive oil
• 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• Pinch chilli flakes
• 2 tins peeled plum tomatoes
• 1 tablespoon tomato purée
• 1 teaspoon caster sugar
• 75g pitted Niçoise olives, roughly chopped
• Small bunch basil, leaves chopped
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 12 anchovies
• 200g feta cheese, crumbled
• 4 fresh tuna steaks, 175g each

METHOD

First make the dough. Tip the flour and salt into the bowl of a freestanding mixer with a dough hook fitted. Combine the water, yeast and sugar in a jug and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Set the motor running on a low speed and gradually pour the mixture into the flour. knead for 3 minutes then turn the speed up a setting and knead for a further 6 minutes. Once the dough is smooth and elastic, gradually add the soft butter and knead until incorporated. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and dust the top with flour. Cover with a clean tea towel or a sheet of clingfilm and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 ½ hours until doubled in size.

Remove the tea towel and punch the dough once to knock the air out. Divide the dough into 12 balls then cover with a clean tea towel and set aside for 1 hour until doubled in size. While the dough is rising, make the sauce. Heat a little olive oil in a heavy-based pan, add the shallots and garlic and fry for 5 minutes until soft. Add the chilli flakes, tomatoes, tomato purée, sugar and olives and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 25 to 30 minutes until thickened. Stir through the basil and season to taste. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Dust the work surface with semolina flour and roll the dough out into small rounds, about 1 centimetre thick. Using your fingertips, press and turn the centre of each dough ball to create a rim around the edge (it should resemble a small, deep sided pizza).

Lay on baking sheets and leave plenty of space between each one as they will rise during cooking. Spoon a little sauce into the centre of each disc of dough then top each with and anchovy and a little feta cheese. Mix together the egg yolks and oil and brush over the edges of the dough.

Salt Cod and Potatoes

In the streets of Manaus, Raphael took me to the Eduardo Ribeiro Fair and what a huge variety of local and unusual fish there was. Raphael took me to meet Wigson, who serves a really tasty street food dish made from the biggest freshwater fish in the world. Pirarucu, which is the Amazonian cod and can reach to six feet long and weigh up to 200 kilos. Wigson creates a street food dish called pirarucu com casaca that translates to 'cod in a coat'. The cod is salted and served with fried plantains, potatoes, eggs, onions, peppers, parsley, cassava flour, sweet potatoes and coconut milk. The salt cod is left to soak in water for several days to get all the salt off, and then is cooked and put on an oven tray as a base. All other ingredients are sprinkled on top, mixed and baked. Wigson sells around 50 portions a day. 

Wigson then tells me that the best bit of the fish to eat is the tongue. It is said to have medicinal qualities; when dried and combined with guarana bark, which is grated and mixed with water. It is given to kill intestinal worms, YUM ;)

It's the use of salted fish in that dish that intrigues me, and I'll be using that method in my very own dish.

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My salt cod and potatoes 

INGREDIENTS

• 500g salt cod
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 litre milk
• 2 litres chicken stock
• 500 grams medium-sized waxy potatoes
• Olive oil
• 2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
• 150g pitted good quality green olives
• Small handful capers
• 3 roasted red peppers (from a jar), sliced 1cm thick
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 3 soft boiled eggs, peeled and halved
• Small bunch parsley, chopped

METHOD

Rinse the salt cod under running water for 10 minutes then place in a container and cover with cold water. Leave to soak overnight, changing the water 2 to 3 times throughout soaking.

The next day, drain the cod, place it in a saucepan with the bay leaf and cover with the milk. Bring to the boil, cook for 2 to 3 minutes then remove from the heat and leave to cool for 1 hour.

Drain and discard the bay leaf and flake the cod, discarding any bones. Meanwhile bring the chicken stock to the boil in a large pan, add the potatoes and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes until just soft.

Amazonian Cod. 

Drain and leave to cool then peel and cut into 1cm thick slices. Preheat the oven to 200Cor 400F. Heat a little olive oil in a large, heavy-based pan, add the onions and garlic and cook for 5 minutes until soft.

Add the potatoes and fry for 3 to 4 minutes until golden. Add the red peppers, capers, olives then remove from the heat and carefully stir through the cod. Season to taste then spoon into a large baking dish.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes then remove from the oven and serve topped with the soft boiled eggs and a sprinkle of chopped parsley.