OYSTER MUSHROOM PEKING ‘DUCK’
4 persons
Preparation time:- 20 minutes.
Cooking time:- 10 minutes.
500g medium oyster mushrooms
4 tbsp Chinese five spice
4 tbsp plain flour
pinch five spice
pinch salt
pinch sugar
pinch ground pepper
1 carrot, very finely sliced
4 runner or green beans
4 shallots, peeled and sliced very thinly
½ small red chilli
1 tbsp Nam pla
1 clove garlic, crushed very finely
2 tbsp light brown sugar
finely grated zest and juice 2 large limes
handful honey roasted nuts
2 tbsp fresh coriander
4 tbsp fresh Thai basil
Finely slice the carrot, runner or green beans and add to the shallots and mix well.
Add the chilli, nam pla, garlic, palm sugar, lime zest and juice and nix well.
Just before serving add the coriander and basil and mix well.
Finely slice the oyster mushrooms as thin as a matchstick roughly.
Mix the five spice and flour together well.
Sprinkle over the sliced mushrooms and dust well.
Fry the mushrooms in 2 batches until crisp and nicely coloured.
Drain well on kitchen towel.
Leave to set for 2 minutes, they will crispen up nicely.
Dust with a little salt, ground pepper, five spice and a little sugar.
Serve the salad in a deep bowl and top with the Peking duck mushrooms.
WARM TOMATOES WITH YOGOURT LEMON & SEASALT
4 persons
Preparation time:- 15 minutes.
Cooking time:- 10 minutes.
4 tbsp sherry vinegar
2 tbsp runny honey
pinch ground seed coriander
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt
ground pepper
400g ripe, medium sized tasty tomatoes
200g thick Greek yogourt
finely grated zest of 1 large lemon
seasalt
fresh parsley
baquette
Pre heat the oven to 200C gas 6.
Slice the baquette on a long angle and brush with olive oil and bake in a hot oven ‘til crispy.
Heat a medium sized non stick saute or frying pan.
Place the Sherry vinegar, honey, coriander, olive oil, salt, pepper into a bowl and mix well.
Add the tomatoes and coat really well but carefully.
Add to the warm pan cut side down and warm through on a gentle heat for 2-3 minutes, then flip over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes depending on the ripeness of the fruit.
Remove the pan from the heat and top each half with a little yogourt, lemon zest, sea salt and picked parsley.
Serve in the pan with the crispy baquette slices.
SPANISH SHRIMP FRITTERS
Tortillitas De Camarones
Preparation time:- 20 minutes.
Cooking time:- 3-4 minutes.
140g plain flour
160g chickpea or gram flour
400 – 450mls iced cold water
6 spring onions finely chopped
4 tbsp chopped flat leaf parsley
200g tiny brown shrimps, or chopped prawns
Place the flours into a bowl and add 400mls of the water slowly until you have a nice thin batter.
Leave for a couple of minutes the re mix adding more water until you have a very thin batter.
Add the spring onions, parsley and shrimps amd mix well then re chill for 30 minutes to get as cold as possible, this ensures and crisp fritter when cooked.
Heat the oil until 175C.
Re mix the chilled batter and using a dessertspoon, spoon the batter into the hot oil making sure you spoon the mix away from you, this makes sure the batter dosen’t sit in a lump in the hot oil.
You want to see a thin almost spidery fritter once cooked.
Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, then lift out and drain really well.
Season with a little salt and serve hot.
SAUTEED PADRON PEPPERS WITH GARLIC & BABY SPINACH
4 persons
I love the taste and texture of Padron peppers from Galicia in Spain once sautéed. There is a rumour that one in 10 are very hot, almost like chilli peppers. However I have been cooking them for 10 years now and have never had a hot one. I like to eat them on their own or with grilled meat or fish. Adding a little garlic and spinach works really well, even a little spice can work well also.
Preparation time:- 3 minutes.
Cooking time:- 8-10 minutes.
2 tbsp olive oil
500g Padron peppers, leave the stalks on
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
50g fresh baby spinach leaves
salt
pepper
Heat the oil in a wok or large frying pan.
Add the peppers whole and cook until blistered on one side over a medium heat.
Turnover and blister again, don’t rush.
Once blistered, add the garlic and sauté together well and season with salt and pepper.
After a minutes or so add the spinach and wilt for 20-30 seconds.
Serve straight away.
These can also be chilled once cooked and eaten as a salad.
SOUR ORANGE CHICKEN KOPUN STYLE
4 persons
Preparation time:- 20 minutes.
Cooking time:- 30-45 minutes.
4 tbsp any oil
8 chicken thighs, skin on, bone out
2 small onions, very finely chopped
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger
4 cloves garlic, finely crushed
2 level tsp ground coriander seeds
2 small carrots very finely chopped
150g raisins
1 x chicken stock cube
500mls fresh orange juice
juice 4 lemons
4-6 tbsp runny honey
orange zest
chopped flat leaf parsley
soaked raisins
Heat the oil and add the seasoned chicken thighs, skin side down and brown well.
Flip over and brown the inner side.
Lift out then add the onions, ginger, garlic, coriander seeds and carrots and cook over a high heat.
Add the chicken stock cube, chicken skin side up, sprinkle with raisins.
Pour in the orange juice, lemon juice and honey and bring to the simmer.
Cook covered for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is just cooked, then remove the lid and reduce the sauce down until nicely thickened, keep spooning over the sauce over the chicken, almost glazing the thighs. This also intensifies the flavours.
Serve in deep bowls sprinkle with chopped parsley, raisins and finely grated orange zest.
