Leek & potato soup (with gratin)

Leek and potato soup is probably one of the soups out there that everybody loves. From my perspective its easy to understand why - the gentle onion flavour of leeks provides a wonder element to alot of dishes and in soups is quite unmistakable.

Here in present a twist on the original favourite, leek and potato soup with a potato gratin on top. Its a good deal more hearty than a leek and potato soup, but when i made this for mothers day I wanted a two dimensional element - a nice crisp on top with a sturdy cheese flavour, complementing the leek and bacon soup underneath.

You will need:

(for the soup)
4 leeks, washed trimmed and copped into small(ish) pieces.
1 medium sized potato peeled and cut into 1cm dice.
250ml milk
2 rashers of smoked bacon (cut into 1/2cm pieces)
pinch nutmeg
salt and pepper
250ml vegetable stock

For the gratin:
1 medium sized potato per serving, sliced very thinly (ideally on a mandolin)
mix of grated cheddar and parmesan

The doing bit:

In a large pan add a small amount of butter, heat till melted then add the bacon, potato and leeks on a moderate heat. Cover the pan and check every 3 minutes until the potatoes have coloured, and the leeks softened. At this point add the milk and nutmeg.  Bring to a simmer, then add the stock.Bring to a simmer once more until the potatoes have turned almost to mash. Remove from the heat and blend to a uniform consistency. Season where appropriate

For the gratin, sear each potato slice in a hot pan, then layer onto the soup in an ovenproof bowl overlapping until the soup is covered. Add the cheese and black pepper then put in a hot over (200C) until the soup is bubbling away, and the cheese has begun to do the same.

Devour.

Fondant Potatoes

Probably one of the most classic accompaniments to alot of main courses, the fondant potato, is held in high regard for alot of people. It's one of those dishes you can also use as a vehicle for many flavours (depending on what you're serving it with) and goes down a treat with alot of food, due to its universailty.

I put these alongside a roast shoulder of lamb for mothers day, and they went down very well.

Herein, i show you the standard way of making them - but will also suggest a variety of ways they can be tweaked where necessary. I make no promises however save one, - if you've not tried them before, you're going to love them.

You will need:

1 good sized potato per fondant potato (you can however make mini ones or large ones, the method remains the same)

Stock, of almost any variety. Usual practise is to use the stock of a meat or flavour you're serving it with.
Chicken stock, in its versatility however can be universal. If you have veal stock on hand, use that. Youll need enough to cover them when in the roasting tin.

Butter - as much or as little as you like. Bear in mind though that if there is no butter the term fondant becomes somewhat redundant. i usually go for approx 25-50g per fondant potato if making large ones. Yes you can use spread / margarine but we all know that its never the same.

A disc cutter the size of the fondant potato you want to make.

Any other seasonings / flavourings you want to incorporate. If serving with duck / game throw in a star anise or two. If serving with red meat add some mustard seeds and a good amount of crushed garlic and black pepper. Herbs are always welcome in fondant potato, and the more sturdy herbs such as rosemary, sage and thyme go with pretty much every meat. A few chopped onions and a clove never go amiss either.

The doing bit:

Wash and peel your potatoes, and discard the peel / feed to your rabbit / make crisps out of them. (I'll leave that up to you). Using your cutter cut out the fondant potato and trim accordingly. Usually i use a turning knife to trim the top into an even taper but if you wish to cut them top and bottom so they're flat, that can work also.

When your potatoes are cut out any trimmings you have set to one side for mash / other uses (dont waste them).  Heat up a large frying pan and add a small amount of oil and coat the pan until smoking hot. Sear the potatoes until coloured both sides then add to the roasting tin. Pour in the stock (preferrably hot) and the butter and any other seasonings, then cover the tray with greaseproof paper and tinfoil. Put in preheated oven to about 180C then check every half an hour to see if theyre ready by piercing with a blade in the center. If the knife goes in easily, remove from oven, and leave to cool. Extract from the stock, then keep the buttered stock to one side for a sauce or similar.

Theyre ready to eat - so reheat in oven where necessary. Oh, and lastly - enjoy.

Beer Batter (for fish etc)

A traditional element of the most famous British "fish and chips" is the beer batter. Strictly speaking its a variable as one person to the next in terms of preference and you can tweak it to your own requirements. This recipe uses elements that complement fish best, but is a good middle of the road medium for deep frying lots of other things.

The presence of custard powder here is threefold - not only will you get the added benefit of crisp from the cornflour content, but the powdered egg will also act as a colouring / raising agent. The vanilla flavour will also subtly complement the fish and bring out its sweetness.

Other additions include:

Using half lemonade / beer to bring out a lemon flavour of the fish

Usage of dried strong flavoured herbs such as thyme, tarragon, rosemary, basil or even marjoram will give a nice herby element to your batter.

You will need (makes enough for about 4 fishes)

225g/8oz self-raising flour
300ml fridge cold lager
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1 tbsp custard powder.

The doing bit

Combine dry ingredients with wet gradually until a uniform mixture is reached.

Be sure to coat your fish first with a seasoned flour first before applying batter.

Parsnip & Chestnut Soup (Another winter warmer)

Image courtesy of mistress-of-spices.com

I made this some years back during the winter, thinking along the lines of something to complement parsnips and the mid range in flavour tones they have, which is not to dissimilar from vanilla. I had thought along the lines of honey or similar, but then it hit me - a can of chestnut puree eyed me suspiciously from the shelf and thus this hearty winter warmer was born.

It is a very filling, sweet and comforting soup. If you are a fan of parsnips and generally sweet vegetables this will be right up your alley. Posted at the request of Jaffacake - this recipe hits all the buttons for the budding soupmaker. It works on a number of levels and can be applicable to alot of vegetables such as carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash and even turnip or mooli radish.

Feel free to play around with the recipe a little - use of mellow spices such as turmeric and cumin can make this dish even more pleasurable.

You will need (makes a large batch of about 4-6 portions)

3 or 4 parsnips, cleaned and peeled into ribbons. Chopping them up works but will take alot longer.
Can of chestnut puree
500ml milk
250ml vegetable or chicken stock.
1 large onion diced finely.
Teaspoon of butter or margarine

Heat up a large pan, add the finely diced onion and the butter. Cover the pan and allow the onions to sweat and soften, then add the parsnips. Allow the parsnips to colour slightly then turn the heat down to low and cover the pan until the parsnips begin to break up. Add the milk and allow to come up to temperature, but not boil, When the parsnips have turned to a mash texture, add the chestnut puree then blend to a uniform texture.

Add the stock, bring to the boil then simmer for approx 20 minutes. Taste and season appropriately

Serve while piping hot, and add a spoonful of honey if feeling adventurous.

Classic Italian Tomato Sauce

image courtesy of www.grow-tomato-sauce.com

Surprisingly enough i hadnt gotten around to adding a tomato sauce recipe until now. How i had overlooked such a rudimentary sauce for my online food arsenal is beyond me - but fear not. Here it is.

Tomato sauce is one of those base sauces that has a number of applications from everything to pasta to parmesan and everything in between. You can also use it as a combination ingredients for other things too.

You will need:

3 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 Onion, Diced to same proportions as the garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cans chopped Tomatoes or passata (passata will perform better and cook in less time)
glass red wine
1/2 tsp sea salt.
Handful Fresh Basil, Finely Chopped, If dried 1 Tbsp,
Handful Fresh Oregano, Finely Chopped, If dried 1 Tbsp,
2 Tbsp Tomato Puree,

The doing bit

In a pan heat up the olive oil and add the onions and cover the pan until the onions soften. Add the garlic and red wine and allow to cook for about 2 minutes.

Add the salt and allow liquid to reduce to a syrup consistency.

Add the tomatoes and herbs, bring the mixture to a boil then reduce heat to a simmer for about 5 minutes, Once mixture has simmered add tomato puree and stir in. Simmer for a further 5 mins then remove from heat.

Serve as necessary or cool and store.

Sauce Au Poivre (Peppercorn sauce)

Image courtesy of bigoven.com

I love peppercorn sauce - it goes well with alot of things and its meaty flavour helps accentuate most meats from chicken to veal and everything inbetween. Its a popular steak sauce and simple and quick to make, so i've included it here for those of you wishing to make it for your own culinary curiosity,

You will need:


2 knobs of butter
Finely chopped shallot
Half a handful of parsley finely chopped
Roughly ground black pepper and a 8-10 of peppercorns
Shot of brandy
Ladle of beef , lamb, chicken, or veal stock
Salt
2 tbsp. double cream

In a pan melt the butter and add the shallot. Cover the pan and allow to sweat on a moderate heat (but dont let the butter burn). When the shallot has softened add the peppercorns, and ground pepper. Cook for 3-4 mins still covered, then add the brandy. Flame until alcohol has burned off, then add the stock. Reduce by a third and taste. If more punch is required reduce until half of liquid has gone, then add the cream and parsley. Cook for a further minute then serve.

Broccoli & Stilton Soup

image courtesy of lovefoodhatewaste.com

A classic soup - this combines helathy broccoli with tasty Stilton in order to crate a hearty and welcome soup. Back in the day i used to make this virtually daily, and as such this recipe employs a few tips and tricks to bring out the flavour of this wonderful soup to new heights. You wont be disappointed.

 Posted here at the request of Josh Brown, may he long enjoy this recipe :)

You will need (makes about 4-6 portions)

1 pint bechamel sauce
250ml vegetable or chicken stock
100ml white wine or dry cider
1 head of brocolli (chopped into roughly 1cm pieces - stalk included)
100g stilton
tbsp butter

The doing bit

In a large saucepan, add the butter and heat until bubbling. add the chopped broccoli and cover the pan and allow the broccoli to sweat until it begins to soften. Add the stock, bring to the boil then simmer.When the broccoli is completely soft, blend.

In a separate pan add the wine and stilton and heat gently until the cheese melts into the wine and forms a uniform paste.Heat the bechamel separately and add the cheese mix to the bechamel.

Combine cheese / bechamel mix with the broccoli blend. Cook at a simmer for a further five minutes and season if necessary.

Serve piping hot.