Take time to cook with your family

With many schools and creches closed parents may find this a great opportunity to cook with their children, With time on their hands people working from home with  or without children may also avail of the opportunity to cook from scratch and make the most of their food including leftovers! No one wants to eat pasta every day but why not learn how to make your own pasta and then put your own ingredients into it!



There is another reason why people should take notice of what they are eating and cooking.The covid 19 virus is a particular risk to everyone who has a weak immune system. Whatever your position you can strengthen your immune system by adhering to the following guidelines:

Don't smoke
Eat a diet high in fruit and vegetables.
Exercise regularly
Maintain a healthy weight
Drink alcohol in moderation
Sleep well
Wash your hands properly and frequently
Refrain from processed or junk foods.
Get out for a walk every day
Open your windows and let in fresh air as often as is possible if confined indoors.

Doctors of course are right to say there is no single cure to stop someone getting an infection. Our immune systems are complicated and can be affected by age, stress, weather. genes etc. But everyone knows that to eat well is to improve your chances of fighting infection.  That is why this current pandemic is a great opportunity to focus on eating good food and learning new and healthy recipes if you have time on your hands at home. It is a win win situation.

There are lots of healthy recipes on the internet and on this blog. A sure and foolproof recipe which will boost your immune system is a simple vegetable soup. You can make a big pot of it and it will last for a week in the fridge. Use whatever vegetables you have and don't be afraid to complement your food basket by sourcing wild herbs and plants such as nettles and dandelion leaves from safe areas away from traffic pollution.



Simple Vegetable Soup

1 large onion P&S (peeled and sliced!)
1 carrot P&S
1 butternut squash* P&S(or use any other vegetable available like a bag of frozen peas!)
1 red pepper P&S
1 fresh chilli P&S
1 leek P&S
1 litre stock
Glass of white wine
Bunch of  parsley & thyne
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method

In a large skillet add a splash of vegetable oil and heat. Saute the onions for five minutes then add the chile and vegetables. Add the wine, herbs and the stock and bring slowly and gently to the boil (about 20 minutes). Simmer gently on a low heat mixing regularly. Then remove from pan and blend in a blender.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot perhaps with sourdough bread or a sandwich. If you want to use a basil or other herbal oil  as a dressing on the soup this will heighten the experience.


*(or use any other vegetable available like a bag of frozen peas!)

La soupe du jour

Our secret to getting through the winter months is a broth shot with breakfast every morning. It is something we discovered in Asia although most folk in the west have a grandparent or two who would swear by a good chicken broth to cure ills and chills.

Ingredients 

Bones (from chicken)

Garlic

Leeks

Onions 

Any vegetable leftovers

Thyme & parsley

Chilli

Pepper black

Water 

Fresh coriander leaves to serve. 

Method

Place all the items in a pot and bring to the boil. Skim as required. Simmer gently (slow cooker cook overnight if you have it) for at least three hours. 

When ready let cool and strain the broth. Season to taste and serve with fresh coriander leaves. This broth gives your immune system a terrific boost so would be good all year round and not just for winter. 

Chestnut Cake

Chestnut cake was traditionally served during autumn and winter periods but with the availability of chestnut purée in a can we can enjoy chestnut cake all year around.

Here it is served with a delicious home made salted caramel ice cream and a strawberry coulis:

Chestnut Cake serves 8-10

Ingredients 

500 gram. sweet chestnut puree 

100 gram unsalted butter

4 egg.

50 gram. Ground almond flour, which you can make yourself by blending the almond with or without its skin

2 table spoons of dark rum

Method

Butter a cake baking form with butter and sprinkle it with almond flour. Heat up chestnut puree and butter, and mix it well together, let it chill.

Separate the eggs and add the egg yolks into the chestnut puree, the add the almond flour and at last the dark rum.

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt till they are stiff. Stir the egg whites into the chestnut dough.

Pour it into the baking tin and bake for 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. 

Serve with a dessert wine such as a Muscat de Rivesaltes. 

Artichoke in citrus sauce

Artichoke is the symbol of Brittany and one of the most popular vegetables grown in the country. This dish brings together the artichoke of Brittany, the citrus orange of Provence and the pancetta of Italy to create a delicious dish which is one of the most celebrated recipes on our cooking course. It is also very simple and easy to follow:

Ingredients (serves 6)

6 artichokes

1.5dl olive oil

Juice and peel from 1 lemon

1 Tsp  sugar

2 bay leaves

Sprinkle of peppercorns 

Sprig of parsley

Sprigs of rosemary & thyme 

1 large onion finely chopped

Juice & peel from 4 Oranges 

4 small carrots thinly sliced into stars

Salt & pepper

10 slices of pancetta 

Method

Rinse the artichokes and remove the outer leaves. Cover the core with lemon juice to reduce discoloring.

Cut out the core heart of each artichoke using a spoon and cut into 5mm slices.place in a bowl of cold water with lemon juice.

In a large pan, mix the orange juice, lemon juice, orange peel and lemon peel with olive oil, sugar and the herbs. Bring to the boil. When boiled, introduce the  artichoke and simmer for 5 minutes until cooked.

When reduced by half, add the artichoke with salt and pepper to taste.

Fry the thin slices of pancetta. Dry off on paper. Serve the artichoke hot on a serving dish with the vegetables. Decorate with pancetta and finely chopped parsley.

Serve with a nice Muscadet such as a Clos des Orfeuilles.

 

Poul’s Thai Soup

Every one loves a good Thai soup and it’s hard to beat Poul’s version of Tom Kha Kai. This is as good as any I have had anywhere and it makes a great change to French cuisine. 

Funnily enough it is probably too spicy for French tastes which explains the shortage of Thai restaurants around us in Brittany! 

Poul’s Thai Soup, Tom Kha Kai 

Serve 4 persons

Ingredients 

2 Chicken breast or king prawns Thai red curry paste ( spicy)

1 can of coconut cream

2 spring onions

8 mushrooms

1 small courgette / zucchini

1 strong chilli pepper

Fresh coriander/ cilantro

1 lime

1

800 ml 3,5 cups of light chicken stock 

1 tbsp Thai fish sauce

Method

Chop up the vegetables for a wok.

Chop the chicken breast, (remove the skin) in slices and sauté it quickly in hot vegetable oil, add the vegetables and sauté them quickly, add 1- 2 tablespoon of the curry paste

( or as strong as you wish) and then the coconut cream and fish sauce and finally the stock ; taste the soup and season as desired.

Serve with rice or noodles and drizzle some coriander/ cilantro over it with a1/4 of a lime.

Serve with cold beer.

The secret of survival mid winter

Most people living through winter in Europe in times past knew the value of a good broth. In Ireland, which knows a thing or two about famine, the saying went

“ gan aon ocras mór nuair a bhíonn brat ann” or “no great hunger when there is a broth”! Well you simply cannot beat a good broth and in fact the Asians I met in sunny Singapore consume it for breakfast! 

I think the beauty of broth is that it’s so simple and delicious. You just need one pot! Simple ingredients. It’s also so flexible. You can tweak it so that it meets your specific and current desires. A little more garlic? A little less ginger? More chili?!

I make mine overnight in a slow cooker. It’s ideal for such broths and you wake up in the morning with a delightful aroma in the kitchen! 

Ingredients to make a pot for a week 

4 chicken legs

1 leek

1 onion

1 carrot

1 bulb garlic

1 fennel

1 celery 

6 liters of water

Bunch of parsley & thyme 

Chop all ingredients and place in the slow cooker. Switch on for overnight cooking (around 5 hours).

Strain and season to taste. I usually serve in a cup with diced raw charlottes, garlic and basil oil! 

It may well be winter outside but there is a warming glow from within! 

New Year’s Eve Dinner 2019

Sunday, 29 December 2019

New Year’s Eve Dinner 2019

Menu

Amuse bouché 

Oysters and caviar

Starter

Foie gras terrine with a pear salad

Middle

Lobster ravioli in a lobster bisque

Sorbet Gewürztraminer sorbet with Prosecco

Main

Stuffed saddle of lamb with truffles and pommes fondant

Cheese board

Dessert

Chestnut cake with saffron sauce, prune and Armagnac ice cream