Venison Stew with Apple Gratin and Spaetzle and a trip to the countryside
A few days ago I mentioned our little adventure in the countryside while we visited my mother and a kitchen project which involved the whole family!
My mother found out about a little farm in her area just recently. It's a beautiful and peaceful place surrounded by green hills and dense forest. They raise and sell geese, turkey and deer, wild and farmed, and the lady who owns the farm offered one to my Mama. Ours was wild and we had to skin and dress it, something that none of us had ever done before. Luckily, my mother remembered that my cousin Thomas who is an excellent chef, is also experienced in butchering so he joined in to help us. We drove to the farm to pick up the game and I was quite excited but also a little nervous. When you see an animal that has been shot for your consumption you feel lots of respect. Buying our food from the supermarket takes this important experience away from us, but this is what happens when we buy meat, every day, all over the world, an animal is killed but we don't see the steps in between. It's cut up and wrapped in plastic and we pay for that but I believe that it's important to build up this connection again, to the animals and where they come from. This is the natural cycle of our food and not the industrial. I joined my cousin while he prepared the deer and I learnt a lot from him. These days in my mother's kitchen in the countryside were a great experience, when, as a family, we cooked for two days to use what was given to us. We made venison carpaccio, stew, paté and broth and my mother put the remaining parts, like the fillets and the back in the freezer. We used all of it and enjoyed every single meal!
My mother is the absolute queen when it comes to stew, hers are simply best! She knows how to combine the right spices and herbs, how to cook the meat so that it becomes tender and succulent. Whenever she makes a ragout it's simply perfect! We also made Spaetzle as nothing beats these little homemade Swabian noodles to soak up an aromatic sauce. Our side dish was sweet and fruity, an apple gratin topped with crème fraîche. My mother found the inspiration for this recipe from one of her favourite food journalists, she just added lemon zest and pink peppercorns on top. It was wonderful, like the whole trip!
I didn't want to share all these venison recipes with you at once, so I'll write about my cousin's delicious paté and his amazing carpaccio with a herb, spice and parmesan crust next week.
Venison Stew with Apple Gratin and Spaetzle
You can cook the stew in the oven or on the cooker like we did.
For 6 people you need
For the venison stew
venison leg or shoulder, boned and cut into chunks, 1.2kg / 2.5 pounds
leek, the white and light green parts, finely chopped into small cubes, 1
carrots, finely chopped into small cubes, 2
celery, finely chopped into small cubes, 1 1/2
medium onion, finely chopped into small cubes, 1
garlic, cut in half, 2 big cloves
bacon, a small piece, around 60g / 2 ounces
red wine 1 bottle
broth about 1l / 2 pints (enough to cover the meat)
tomato paste 2 tablespoons
salt and pepper
olive oil
bouquet garni (bound with a string):
small sage sprigs 2
small rosemary sprigs 2
small thyme sprigs 2
bay leaf 1
spices (wrapped in a spice bag if you prefer):
black peppercorns 10
juniper berries 6
allspice 6
cloves 3
cinnamon stick 1
ginger, chopped, a 2cm / 1" piece
optional: dried porcini 3
lingonberry jam to serve with the stew
In a large heavy casserole or pot, heat a splash of olive oil and brown the meat in batches, season with salt and pepper once it's done. Set the meat aside and add a little more olive oil to the casserole, add the vegetables and cook for a few minutes on medium heat until golden. Turn up the heat and add the tomato paste, stir and deglaze with a little red wine, repeating this about 5-6 times. Add the meat, the bacon, the remaining wine and the broth to the casserole until it's all covered in liquid. Put the bouquet garni and the spice bag into the liquid. Season with salt and pepper, stir and bring to the boil.
Cover with a lid and cook on medium-low heat (simmering) for about 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until the meat is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with Spaetzle (you can find the recipe here, just leave out the cheese and onions), apple gratin and lingonberry jam.
For the apple gratin
firm and sour apples, peeled, cored, quartered and sliced thinly, 3
freshly squeezed juice of 1/2 lemon
granulated sugar 2 teaspoons
crème fraîche or sour cream 300g / 10.5 ounces
heavy cream about 100 ml / 3.5 ounces
zest of 1/2 lemon
pink peppercorns, lightly crushed in a mortar, 1-2 tablespoons
butter for the baking dish
Set the oven to 175°C / 350°F.
Whip the crème fraîche with the heavy cream, add enough cream until the texture is light and creamy.
Butter 1 large baking dish or gratin form (or 4-6 small ones). Arrange the apples in circles in the form and sprinkle with lemon juice and sugar. Spread the cream on top and sprinkle with the lemon zest and pink peppercorns. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden on top.
Maple Syrup and Orange Pumpkin Tartine with crisp Sage and Walnuts
This sandwich started with a dark loaf of rye bread full of crunchy walnuts. When I held it in my hands I knew this would be the right basis for a sweet pumpkin tartine! This has been on my mind since the season began and I started piling different kinds of squash on my kitchen window sill every week. Hokkaido, butternut or Musquée de Provence (fairytale pumpkin), they are all great for a fruity sandwich!
I aimed for some contrast to the heavy bread, a light and fruity topping complemented with fried crisp sage leaves and some walnuts. I sautéed the orange meat of a Musquée de Provence for a few minutes in olive oil before I mixed it with freshly squeezed orange juice and maple syrup. The pumpkin soaked up the sweet juices within seconds and turned into soft and sticky bites. It tasted so good in combination with the strong herb I used for the topping that I decided to brush the dark slices of bread with the sage infused olive oil. The walnuts on top brought in the right crunch, hearty and nutty!
Tomorrow, I'll write about the exciting adventure in my mother's kitchen that I mentioned yesterday - it's about deer!
Maple Syrup and Orange Pumpkin Tartine with crisp Sage and Walnuts
For 4-6 tartines you need
dark rye bread (with or without walnuts) 4-6 slices
pumpkin (squash), peeled, without seeds and cut into small cubes, 350g / 12.5 ounces
freshly squeezed orange juice 50ml / 2 ounces
maple syrup 2 tablespoons plus more to taste
a pinch of salt
fresh sage leaves 12-18
olive oil 4 tablespoons plus more for the pumpkin
walnuts, broken into pieces, 4
Heat 4 tablespoons of olive oil in a sauce pan and fry the sage leaves until golden (1-2 minutes) but not dark!
In a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil and sauté the pumpkin on medium heat for 5 minutes or until al dente. Deglaze with the orange juice, add the maple syrup and season with a little salt. Take the pan off the heat when the juices are almost soaked.
Brush the slices of bread with the sage oil and put the pumpkin on top. Garnish with the crisp sage leaves and some walnuts. Enjoy!
Ginger Lemon Cauliflower with Pink Peppercorns
Last weekend we spent a few days in the countryside, we felt like long walks in the forest and good hearty food prepared by my mother. Sometimes I need a break from the city buzz and the village where my mother lives is the perfect place to rest and feast!
A couple days before we left the city she called me to tell me that she spotted a beautiful farm in the area to buy her wood for the fire place. It's a fairy tail like place surrounded by hills and forest where they also have geese, turkey and fallow deer. My mother got quite excited when the woman who owns the farm offered her a deer that her husband had just shot a few days before. It was wild from the forest which the couple takes care of and not from the farm. In the next few days, I will write more about our kitchen adventure that followed and having to skin and dress the game, but for now I'll share an easier recipe with you that my mother made for us on the night we arrived.
We reached the hill where my mother lives in the early evening, the perfect time to arrive at her house! That's the time of the day when we all meet in her kitchen to enjoy a glass of champagne while we're busy cooking, nibbling and chatting. She had some oxtail leftovers, a recipe I'll definitely make again in the near future as the meat was fantastic, with an amazingly aromatic sauce. We made some Swabian Spaetzle to soak up all the thick juices and crunchy ginger lemon cauliflower on the side. I've already mentioned that this isn't my favourite of all cabbages but combined with the two spices, it showed its delicate side. I used the same combination of lemon and ginger for a velvety, fresh soup half a year ago and that's the best way to enjoy this vegetable in my opinion. My mother sprinkled some crushed pink peppercorns on top (her culinary obsession at the moment as you'll see in the following days) and it was great. That's exactly what this white cabbage needs, a strong spice attack!
Ginger Lemon Cauliflower with Pink Peppercorns
For 4 people you need
medium cauliflower head, broken into florets, 1
ginger, thinly sliced, 7 slices
zest of 1/2 lemon, plus more to taste
white wine
salt
pink peppercorns, lightly crushed in a mortar, 1 tablespoon plus more to taste
Put the cauliflower, ginger and lemon zest in a large pan. Season with salt, cover the bottom with white wine (1/2cm / 1/4") and close with a lid. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat to medium-low and let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until the cauliflower is al dente. Season with salt and lemon zest to taste and sprinkle with the pink peppercorns.
Sicilian Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts and Brandy Raisins
Bright as a rainbow in yellow, orange and pink! When I saw the pop coloured chard at the market I had to buy it in all of its shades although I didn't have any plans to use them. On my way home, driving through the streets lined with golden trees at the peak of their autumn beauty, I had to think of Sicily. We were there a couple years ago in July and the soft Mediterranean hills were covered in golden wheat, glowing in the sunlight like the leaves in the sky over Berlin.
So that was my inspiration, Sicily! Sicilian recipes often combine the sweetness of raisins with the nuttiness of pine and both flavours go very well with chard. I sautéed the stalks first as they need a bit longer than the soft leaves which are done in a few minutes. The vegetable is refined with Balsamic vinegar, orange juice and raisins cooked in brandy. You could also add some cinnamon and orange zest, or a pinch of cumin.
In spring, I wrote about my calamaretti in vermouth sauce which works with another Sicilian duo that's just as good, raisins and salty capers!
Sicilian Rainbow Chard with Pine Nuts and Brandy Raisins
For 4-6 people you need
rainbow or green chard, stems thinly sliced, leaves roughly chopped, 1.4kg / 3 pounds
medium onions, finely chopped, 2
freshly squeezed orange juice 50ml / 2 ounces
balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons
olive oil
salt and pepper
pine nuts 100g / 3.5 ounces
raisins 150g / 5 ounces
brandy 75ml / 2.5 ounces
water 50ml / 2 ounces
optional:
orange zest to taste
ground cinnamon to taste
ground cumin to taste
Roast the pine nuts in a pan until golden brown.
In a saucepan, bring the water, brandy and raisins to a boil, close with a lid and take off the heat.
In a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil and fry the onions until golden and soft. Add the sliced stems of the chard and sauté for 5 minutes on medium heat or until al dente. Add the chopped leaves of the chard, stir and cook for 1 minute. Add the vinegar and orange juice and the raisins in brandy. Season with salt and pepper to taste and cook for 2 minutes, sprinkle with the roasted pine nuts.
If you like you could also add some orange zest and cinnamon.
Kaiserschmarrn - an Austrian Pancake with Darjeeling Orange Raisins
This Austrian classic is one of the best dinner party crowd pleasers when the night calls for an easy rustic dessert. So many people have sat at my long wooden table and enjoyed this cozy dish, which is basically a torn fluffy pancake. Every time I serve Kaiserschmarrn, it creates joyful silence in the room, a silence that only moments of happy bliss and culinary satisfaction can create; moments that remind us of our childhood food and memories, when our mothers or grandmothers would turn the kitchen into the best smelling place in the world on a Sunday morning - simply by cooking some golden pancakes.
Kaiserschmarrn is the Austrian take on this nostalgic treat, which is also popular in South Tyrol, in the Italian Dolomites, and Southern Germany. The fluffy pancake is dotted with raisins and torn by using two forks right after it turned golden on both sides. The name derives from the Austrian Kaiser (emperor) Franz Joseph I of Austria. He used to love this dessert so much that people referred to it as his folly, meaning Schmarrn in Austria and Bavaria.
I feel with the emperor and can easily call it one of my sweet follies. I've had so many Kaiserschmarrn in my life that it's good to bring in a change once in a while. Sometimes I add fresh fruits, like apples (in my book 365), berries, or plums, or spices, like cinnamon or cardamom, but for the one that I will share with you today, I soaked the raisins in Darjeeling tea infused with strips of orange.
Kaiserschmarrn
For 2-3 people you need
raisins 50g / 2 ounces
orange peel, 2 long strips
strong black tea (like Darjeeling), 1 cup, for soaking the raisins
organic eggs 3, separated
a pinch of salt
milk 360ml / 1 1/2 cups
granulated sugar 3 tablespoons
orange zest 1/4 teaspoon
all-purpose flour, sieved, 130g / 1 cup
unsalted butter 4 tablespoons, to cook the pancake
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting the pancake
Soak the raisins and orange peel in the tea for about 10 minutes then drain the raisins for a 4 minutes; discard the tea and orange peel.
Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff.
Mix together the milk, egg yolks, sugar, and orange zest until combined. Add the flour to the milk mixture and whisk until smooth, then stir in the raisins. Using a wooden spoon, gently fold the egg white into the pancake batter.
Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 30cm /12-inch cast-iron pan or nonstick skillet. Pour all of the the pancake batter into the pan and cook over medium heat for 4-6 minutes minutes or until golden on the bottom and the pancake is just set but still soft. Flip the pancake; you can also cut the pancake in half and turn both halves separately, which is easier. Lift the pancake a little and let 1 tablespoon of butter melt underneath it then continue cooking for 4-6 minutes until the other side is golden. Carefully tear the pancake into chunky pieces, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and cook, stirring gently, over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes or until golden brown and the edges start to crisp.
Transfer to a large platter, dust with a little confectioners’ sugar, and enjoy immediately. You can serve berries on the side, or seared apples wedges, cooked in butter and deglazed with Grand Marnier (recipe in 365).
Buttery Blue Cheese Crackers
Buttery, flaky little bites of blue cheese! These crackers are the perfect savory snack, too good actually and a bit addictive but that's often the case when butter and cheese are combined in a recipe. I just made a few more than 20 crackers, that was a mistake that I regret, I should have doubled the amount!
For the right cracker texture, you need a crumbly blue cheese, mine was a Bavarian strong in taste and not creamy, more on the dry side. Stilton would be perfect as well, or Roquefort, but I wouldn't use Gorgonzola. The dough is made like a simple short crust refined with nutmeg and cheese mixed in at the end. I kept it in the freezer for 15 minutes to make it workable and less sticky. It's a little fiddly but if you roll out the dough between cling film and always use a floured knife you will have the diamond shaped crackers ready on your tray in less than half an hour.
Blue Cheese Crackers
For 22 crackers you need
plain flour 150g / 5.5 ounces
salt 1/4 teaspoon
a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
cold butter 120g / 4.5 ounces
organic egg yolk 1
crumbly blue cheese (like Stilton), crumbled, 100g / 3.5 ounces
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (fan assisted oven). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Combine the dry ingredients. Cut the butter with a knife into the flour mixture until there are just little pieces of butter left. Continue with your fingers and rub the butter into the flour until combined. Add the egg yolk and mix with the hooks of your mixer for 1-2 minutes. Add the cheese and continue mixing until you have a crumbly mixture. Form a thick disc, wrap in cling film and put in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Roll out the dough between cling film (about 1/2cm / 1/4" thick). With a floured knife, cut square or diamond shaped crackers, about 4 x 4cm / 1 1/2 x 1 1/2". Lift the dough gently with a knife (always dip it in flour when it becomes too sticky) and put the crackers on the baking sheet. Bake for 11 minutes or until golden and cooked through.
meet in your kitchen | Mimi's spicy Bulgur with Basil and Mint
Mimi and KD's apartment is a creative laboratory, an exciting place where music, fashion, painting and design come together, created by two wonderful people. Mimi, the musician, painter and designer grew up in London, while musician and producer KD lived in Haifa in Israel before he moved to Berlin. Here in the city, the two created a space where all of their ideas can come alive, the studio where they write their music and where Mimi works on her paintings and tailoring. The rooms overlooking a picturesque river, dense trees and Berlin's famous TV tower are packed with guitars, audio equipment, a piano, beautiful fabrics, boxes of wool and Mimi's paintings. On the shelves and window sills, the two have arranged a collection of little figures and old toys, hats and post cards, souvenirs from their tours, gifts from friends and memories. It's a truly magical place.
For our meet in your kitchen feature, Mimi decided to take over the kitchen as she's the cook in the house. She likes her food spicy, like the curries that she used to have in London made with exotic spice mixtures that she often can't find in Berlin. When we met she cooked a delicious bulgur salad made with tomatoes, bell pepper, basil and mint. It was hot and spicy but not painfully. She used the chili pepper's seeds as well and although I was a bit worried that it would be too hot for me (I'm quite a baby when it comes to spiciness) I loved it! It wasn't the kind of growing spiciness that you still feel minutes later, it was present the moment it hit my taste buds!
A telling indication of Mimi's English upbringing is a cup of tea that follows her no matter what she does! During our lunch we spoke a lot about food, culinary memories and habits and cooking with our mothers. After we shared a bowl of her spicy bulgur, Mimi showed me her beautiful prints and designs for the silk jackets and pyjamas that she will soon present on Etsy. She only works with very fine silk, printed by two young artists in Scotland. Many of the designs show her animal characters, another great passion of hers. Mimi used to work on a farm on the weekends when she lived in England, although at the moment, the only animal in her life is Gomez, the cutest and fluffiest grey cat I've ever seen, roaming around the rooms of the flat.
Both musicians are working on various projects at the moment. Mimi is currently working on new songs for her next album and she contributed her song 'Get Me Back' to the 'Love, Rosie' movie starring Lily Collins, Sam Claflin, Suki Waterhouse and Jaime Winstone.
Mimi's spicy Bulgur with Basil and Mint
For 4 people you need
bulgur 1 cup
water 2 cups
sweet vine tomatoes, chopped, a handful
bell pepper, chopped, 1
garlic, very finely chopped, 1 small clove
shallots, finely chopped, 2
fresh basil, chopped, the leaves of a large bunch
mint, chopped, the leaves of a large bunch
fresh chillies, chopped, to taste
juice of 1 lime
yoghurt 4 generous tablespoons (more to taste)
salt
Boil the water and add the bulgar. Cook for 7-10 minutes depending on the bulgur you use, some coarser kinds can take longer.
Put the garlic, shallots, bell pepper, tomatoes, herbs and bulgur in a big bowl. Add the lime juice, yoghurt and the chillies, mix thoroughly and season with a little salt.
Mimi, you grew up in England and KD, you spent your childhood in Israel, what are your food memories of those days?
Mimi: In England we have the most wonderful Indian food. When I was tiny, my mum's friend, Chris, would bring late-night super hot curries and beer. I miss that and I'm still completely hooked on chillies. They feature in pretty much everything I make.
KD: My favorite as a child was schnitzel and mashed potatoes! Great comfort food. Later on I became quite addicted to hummus.
Why did you choose Berlin as the place to live and work?
Mimi: I loved Berlin the first time I came here. It was so exciting to find a place that felt alive and like it was still growing. I felt I had space here to create and grow too.
KD: I grew up in Haifa, Israel, but my mum is coming from a German family and I have a German passport. When I had to choose between moving to the nearest big city, Tel Aviv or moving further to an even bigger city with more opportunities for musicians, I decided to give Berlin a shot. I was 23 then and I'm still here now!
What effect did the move to Berlin have on your cooking and eating habits?
Mimi: I found it really hard at first because most of the ingredients I used back home were Indian spices or very hot chillies, which you can get everywhere. Over here I had to seek them out. I discovered new things because of that and started making more Italian-style dishes like risotto and baking my own bread.
KD: I like to eat simply and you can get great ingredients here. I'm mainly cooking fast as I work and forget I'm hungry so pasta is generally a good choice.
What are your favourite places to buy and enjoy food in Berlin, London and Haifa?
Mimi: In London I'm always headed to Brick Lane for a phial curry, or the Naz in Church Street, Twickenham for their special prawn curry. I also love Belgo in Camden for a massive pot of mussels and amazing beer. I miss pub Sunday lunch too. In Berlin we cook at home a lot but we love the tapas place round the corner from us, Gastón and we love our local Kalle Klein.
KD: In Haifa there is a really nice bourekas place in the Carmel Mountains that I always visit when I go back. In Berlin, as Mimi says, but also the hummus at Azzam, Sonnenallee is great.
What was the first dish you cooked on your own, what is your first cooking memory?
Mimi: I used to make breakfast in bed for my mum sometimes with scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and little bits of charred toast but my favorite memory (or more like the one mum always tells) is when I was 9, I read the flour packet in the cupboard and made the recipe for bread, that was printed on the back, one Saturday morning ... My mum loved it despite it not looking very elegant.
KD: I don't remember!
What or who inspired you to become musicians?
Mimi: My mum inherited a piano from her grandmother and I started by just enjoying tinkling around on that when I was a very small child.
KD: My older brother!
KD, your band NÖRD will release their first album 'Na Und? Wir kennen euch doch auch nicht' in the beginning of next year and soon you will be on tour with the band after months in the studio. How did you experience the time in the studio? What do you like about working in the studio and being on tour as a keyboard player?
We had a lot of fun in the studio. We were recording in Hamburg mainly which also allowed us to focus on the music away from home. I joined the band just a few months before we went into the studio so the time there was very important and we bonded a lot musically and personally. I'm really proud of the album and looking forward to sharing it with people live!
Mimi, you released your second album 'Nothing but Everything' together with your band The Mad Noise Factory in March which you presented on tour this year. You're also a visual artist and responsible for the band's artwork. What's the difference between working visually and as a musician? Is there a different creative approach?
My music is like a release of emotion. I need it as an emotional output. It's honest and it doesn't seem like I have much control on what happens to come out! The artwork is creating a dreamland that I see in my head and takes a long process filled with tiny detail.
What are your upcoming projects and plans for the next months?
Mimi: I have a song coming out with a fantastic new movie called 'Love Rosie' (the song is 'Get Me Back') and I am working on new songs hoping to have something ready for next year. I will also be starting a new Etsy shop selling clothes that I make using fabrics printed with my drawings. The shop will be called 'MiMi says I'm Special' and should be up and running soon!
KD: I have a new album out with a project called Hamlet. It's just me playing piano and my friend, Fran singing. I will be producing a few artists in the near future, and, of course, touring with NÖRD.
Mimi andKD, what did you choose to share on eat in my kitchen?
Spicy Bulgur!
If you could choose one person to cook a meal for you, who and what would it be?
Mimi: I'd have my mum make me what she makes when she has just a few things left in the fridge. I don't know how she does it but she can make a few eggs, some random vegetables and rice into an amazing feast.
KD: The Swedish Chef from the Muppet Show to come and make me singing vegetables! That would be awesome.
You're going to have ten friends over for a spontaneous dinner, what will be on the table?
Mimi: A big mushroom and spinach risotto with tons of parmesan.
KD: Whatever Mimi cooks (laughs).
What was your childhood's culinary favourite and what is it now?
Mimi: Curry and still is!
KD: Schnitzel and mashed potatoes and now it's a big bowl of mussels!
Do you prefer to cook on your own or together with others?
Mimi: On my own but with someone to chat to.
KD: On my own.
Which meals do you prefer, improvised or planned?
Mimi: Improvised.
KD: Improvised.
Which meal would you never cook again?
Mimi: I used to make Sunday roast back in England… way too much washing up!
KD: I never cooked anything that was too horrible ... yet!
Thank you, Mimi and KD!
Fish & Chips
Berlin, October 2014:
Beer is back in the kitchen! Since I used it for my Bavarian Beer Roasted Pork last week I don't want to let go of it. This time it's mixed into a batter that makes the most amazing fried fish: a thin crisp layer that keeps the fish juicy on the inside!
I had the best fish and chips in my life when I lived in the north of England. In my temporary hometown of Whitby, you can find England's best fish and chip restaurant repeatedly awarded The National Fish & Chip Award. If you ever visit this beautiful town in North Yorkshire, I can only recommend stopping at Quayside at the pier to enjoy this treat. It's fantastic! Although I know that I can't compete with them, a family of third generation chippies, I still wanted to (try to) reach the high standards that I got used to while I lived there. I bought good quality fish, beer and potatoes, the three crucial ingredients for this meal, and started my first batch of fish & chips!
The result was delicious and surprisingly easy to achieve. I used a tall, large pot (the same one I use for my jams) and lots of sunflower oil. Cod or haddock with firm meat works best, the filets shouldn't be too thin (about 1 1/2 cm / 1/2") to avoid them turning soft and mushy. For the chips, you should always use the best waxy potatoes you can find and cut them into thin strips. I wanted mine golden, slim and crisp and you will only succeed if they are cut the right size. Another secret I've learnt is to fry them twice and put them on kitchen roll for a few seconds before you sprinkle them with salt, or like I did, with some added crushed pepper.
In Germany, we like to put fried fish in a bun, but today, I enjoyed it in traditional British fashion, with only chips on the side. I left the mushy peas out, a tradition that I never really got into.
Fish & Chips
For the chips, it works best if you use a large pot with a frying basket. If you fry them without a basket you will have to take them out with a slotted ladle which takes a bit longer.The oil is very hot, so you should always keep that in mind and fry with lots of care. Although this is a child friendly meal, the preparation isn't! I fried the potatoes first then followed by the fish but you could also do it the other way around.
For 2 hungry people you need
sunflower oil for deep-frying, around 1.2l / 2.5 pints (plus more depending on the size of the pot you use)
For the chips
waxy potatoes (uncooked), peeled and cut into strips (around 7mm / 1/4" thick), 1.2kg / 2.5 pounds
salt and crushed black pepper
Rinse the potatoes and dry them well between kitchen paper, fry them in 2-3 batches.
Heat 1l / 2 pints of the oil in a large pot. Check if it's hot enough with a wooden toothpick, little bubbles should form around the toothpick.
First, fry the potatoes for 4 minutes until light golden, shaking the basket gently after 2 minutes (or use a slotted ladle to move them around). After 4 minutes, take them out, let the oil drip off and spread them on kitchen paper to remove excess oil.
Fry them a second time for 3 minutes or until they are golden brown, mind that they don't get too dark. Take the chips out, spread them on kitchen paper and put them in a large bowl. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper and continue with the next batch.
For the fish
fresh firm fish fillet (like cod, haddock or pollack), pin-boned, rinsed and dried, 400g / 14 ounces
beer 50ml / 2 ounces
plain flour 50g / 2 ounces
organic egg white 1
a pinch of salt
Add the remaining oil to the pot and heat it up.
Mix the beer and flour until combined. Beat the egg white with a pinch of salt until stiff and gently fold half of it into the beer flour mixture. You can use the rest of the egg white for something else.
Pull the fish through the batter until it's coated all around. Check that the oil is hot enough and fry the fish (without the basket) for 4 minutes or until golden and crisp. Take it out and put on kitchen paper to remove excess oil. Season with salt and serve with the chips.
Chanterelle, King Trumpet Mushroom and Thyme Omelette Sandwich
When I cook mushrooms in my kitchen, they never stay on the cooker for long. I can only eat them under one condition, they must have some bite! I can't stand mushrooms when they're soft and soggy, I'm really picky with this. Sometimes it's seconds that make or break it and here, that's the case!
Luckily, that wasn't an issue for today's sandwich. I got a handful of golden chanterelle and king trumpet mushrooms from the market, they looked fresh and crisp with strong ridges. They were an alternative as I couldn't find good quality porcini but I didn't regret it. I sautéed the two kinds of mushrooms separately and quickly, cut in half in a spoonful of butter. They tasted just as strong and earthy as a nice porcini and went extremely well with the omelette, the second addition to my sandwich which is just as delicate when it comes to the cooking time. I whipped the eggs with cream to achieve a nice light fluffiness and browned them lightly in butter while I folded the mixture into an airy omelette mixed with fresh thyme.
After the past few weeks and the rather luscious sandwiches with crayfish and beetroot, caramelized plums and sausage and lamb filet with lemon and capers, I needed a simple and clean autumn version, just eggs, mushrooms and thyme!
Chanterelle, King Trumpet Mushroom and Omelette Sandwich
For 3-4 sandwiches you need
white buns, cut in half, 3-4
mushrooms (porcini, chanterelles, king trumpet or a mixture), rinsed, dried and cut in half (lengthwise), 200g / 7 ounces
organic eggs 3
heavy cream (or milk) 50ml / 2 ounces
leaves of fresh thyme 1 tablespoon
salt and pepper
butter 3 tablespoons
If you have different kinds of mushrooms, cook them separately.
In a large pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and sauté the mushrooms for about 2 minutes on medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides (al dente). Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Whisk the eggs and cream with a pinch of salt, pepper and the thyme. In a non-stick pan, heat a tablespoon of butter and pour in the egg mixture, scramble lightly and fold onto itself. When the bottom side starts to become golden flip it around. Brown it lightly from the other side for about a minute.
Cut the omelette into 3 or 4 pieces and divide between the buns. Put the mushrooms on top of the eggs, sprinkle with a few fresh leaves of thyme and close the buns.
Spicy Cumin Fennel Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Ricotta and Lemon
A few days after we got home from our summer holidays, the two of us met in the kitchen late in the evening, not sure what to make for dinner. Usually, a night like this calls for pasta and a simple tomato sauce, but we were in the mood for more, we wanted some spices on our plates! A quick look in the fridge offered a bunch of cherry tomatoes, fresh ricotta and a jar full of my Moroccan preserved lemons. The parsley on the kitchen counter looked like it wouldn't last much longer but the leaves were still crisp and green. We pulled out the mortar and the pan, heated up some olive oil and crushed a spoonful of black peppercorns and our Maltese fennel seeds. We cooked the spices with a pinch of cumin in the oil for just a minute to unfold their aromas. When their peppery smell filled the whole kitchen, we added the chopped lemons and cherry tomatoes. After 3 minutes it was all done, ready to be mixed with the spaghetti, some lumps of ricotta and the fresh parsley leaves.
It was great, spicy and fragrant, a delicious mixture of the Italian and Arabic cuisine. Unfortunately, we had forgotten about this dinner. It was quite late, we were tired and we went to bed straight after we savored this meal. Weeks later, I remembered our spontaneous cooking session but it took me a while to recapture the recipe. So here it is, we cooked it again and loved it just as much!
Spicy Cumin Fennel Spaghetti with Tomatoes, Ricotta and Lemon
For 2 people you need
spaghetti 200g / 7 ounces
cherry tomatoes, cut in half or quartered, 400g / 14 ounces
ricotta 125g / 4.5 ounces
Moroccan preserved lemon, chopped, 1/4 or the zest of 1/2 lemon
black peppercorns, lightly crushed in a mortar, 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons (depending on the spiciness you want to achieve)
fennel seeds, lightly crushed in a mortar, 1 teaspoon
cumin, a generous pinch
salt
olive oil
parsley, the leaves of 1/2 small bunch
Cook the pasta al dente in lots of salted water.
In a large, heavy pan, heat a splash of olive oil and cook the spices on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the lemon (preserved or zest) and cook for a few seconds before you stir in the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes for 1-2 minutes until they start to soften and take the pan off the heat. Season with salt, mix in the spaghetti and top with ricotta and parsley.
Beluga Lentil Salad with Pear, Blue Cheese and Thyme
When I went through the shelves of my pantry to bring some order to the boxes and bags filled with all kinds of dried lentils, beans and seeds, an open bag of Beluga lentils fell into my hands. I could have chosen Swabian Heirloom lentils, or the red, yellow or green legumes, but this time my eyes got stuck on these pearly black beauties.
The black seeds inspired me to make a salad that looks like it came right out of a Renaissance painting, dark, dramatic and a bit mystic (although it's just food, it has its own aura). Beluga lentils don't need much preparation, no soaking in water and they're done in just 20 minutes. I cooked them with a bay leaf and a handful of lemon thyme sprigs and stirred in a little bit of olive oil after they soaked up all the cooking liquid. For my salad, I cut a firm pear very thinly with a cheese slicer and arranged the sweet slices on top of the warm lentils with small lumps of Fourme d'Ambert. You could also use a ripe Stilton or a soft Gorgonzola if you prefer a more subtle blue cheese flavour.
I like it when the white cheese melts into the warm dark lentils but you can also serve it as a cold salad.
Beluga Lentil Salad with Pear, Blue Cheese and Thyme
For 4 people you need
Beluga lentils, rinsed, 220g / 8 ounces
bay leaf 1
fresh sprigs of thyme, a small handful (if the sprigs are woody just use the leaves)
olive oil
blue cheese, broken into lumps, 120g / 4.5 ounces
ripe but firm pear, cut in half, cored and sliced with a cheese or vegetable slicer, 1
salt and pepper
Cook the lentils according to the instructions on the package with the bay leaf and thyme but without salt. Mine needed 20 minutes in 750ml / 1.5 pints of water. If the lentils don't soak up all the liquid, drain them but keep the cooking liquid and the sprigs of thyme. Stir a splash of olive oil into the lentils and season with salt and pepper to taste. Now, you can add a little of the cooking liquid if the salad is too dry.
Put the lentils into a large bowl with some of the thyme sprigs and arrange the pear and cheese on top. Serve warm or cold.
Plum Dumplings with Cinnamon Breadcrumb Butter - Swabian Zwetschgenknödel
Plums, potato dough, browned breadcrumb butter, sugar and cinnamon - this southern German sweet doesn't call for many ingredients but it puts them together in just the right way. The result is heavenly: sweet plum dumplings with browned breadcrumb butter and cinnamon sugar - or in German - Zwetschgenknödel!
My versatile Gnocchi dough makes another appearance for this recipe. For Friday's Bavarian beer roasted pork, I recommended savory potato dumplings with the same dough. For this traditional Swabian dish, I use it to wrap sweet and sour plums with a thin layer of the potato mixture to turn the blue fruits into sweet, fruity dumplings.
Whenever I make this recipe, I consider reducing the amount of butter and sugar for just a split second, but luckily I never do. This dish really needs all the lusciousness of its decadent topping. I learnt about these dumplings from my Swabian step father Uli and he taught me that a dessert is there to enjoy and not about counting calories. Every time we make the Knödel together in my mother's kitchen, he reminds us to keep the potato dough layer very thin, that's how he learnt to do it from his mother and grandmother. It's our job to form the dumplings but it's his to take care of the quality control, and he is a very picky instructor!
It can be a bit fiddly getting the little balls in shape, to make it a little bit easier you should use small plums like Damsons and keep your fingers moist while you're working with the dough.
Plum Dumplings with cinnamony Breadcrumb Butter - the Swabian Zwetschgenknoedel
For about 30 plum dumplings you need
small plums (like Damsons) 30 (about 800g / 2 pounds)
sugar cubes 30
Cut the plums open on one side, take out the seed and fill each fruit with a sugar cube, close the fruit as well as possible.
For the topping
butter 100g / 3.5 ounces
dry breadcrumbs 50g / 2 ounces
granulated sugar 50g / 2 ounces
ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon
Combine the sugar and cinnamon.
In a sauce pan, melt the butter with the breadcrumbs. Cook the mixture for a few minutes on medium-high temperature until golden brown. Don't let it burn or it will taste bitter.
For the potato dough
potatoes, cut into cubes, 450g / 16 ounces
butter 30g / 1 ounce
organic egg yolks 2
plain flour 120g / 4.5 ounces
salt 1/2 teaspoon
Cook the the potatoes in salted water until soft (around 15 minutes), drain them when they are done. Press the drained, warm potatoes through a potato ricer and mix immediately with the butter and egg yolks. Let the mixture cool completely before you continue with the next step!
With a spoon (or your hands), mix the cold potato mixture with the flour and salt until combined.
The plum dumplings
Your fingers should be wet while you're forming the dumplings, so keep a little bowl of water right next to you.
In a large pot, bring lots of water with 1/2 teaspoon of salt to the boil.
With a tablespoon, take a walnut sized ball of the potato dough. Shape a flat ball and lay it flat in the palm of your moistened hand, pushing down the middle with the thumb of your other hand. Lay the plum (cut side down) into the center of the dough and gently start pushing and rolling up the dough until the whole fruit is covered with a thin layer (the blue of the plums will be just visible in some places, see my second to last picture). If the dough starts tearing, take a little bit more to cover the fruits. Place the dumplings on a grid until you're done with all of them (when you take the dumplings off the grid you might have to even out the grid's mark with your fingers).
Poach the dumplings in batches in the hot but not boiling water (simmering) for about 8-10 minutes or until they start to float on the surface. Take the dumplings out with a slotted ladle and let them drain on a grid for a few seconds.
Put the cooked dumplings into a large bowl or onto a plate, pour over the warm browned breadcrumb butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top.
Pumpkin and Ginger Brack - an Irish Tea Cake
When we moved to England a few years ago to live in Whitby in North Yorkshire, it didn't take me too long to fall in love with the locals, the food, the little harbour and its long pier right next to the endless beach. It's a dreamy village, cut off the world - I have a weak spot for these places! I felt great from day one and when I discovered the famous local bakery (it must have been the day after my arrival) with its beautiful name, Botham's written in big letters over the shop on Skinner street I found my second home! You can send me to any village or town in the world and I will find the best bakery or confectionery within 10 minutes, I find my way intuitively and it has never let me down. Through the eyes of a bakery you learn so much about a place and its people. The bread, cookies and cakes, the local delicacies, the whole presentation but also the service tells you many secrets and gives you an insight into a new world. That's one of the many reasons why it's so important to keep up this tradition and support those small local businesses!
At Botham's, I discovered thin Shah tea biscuits, eccles cakes, English muffins, Sally Lunn loaves, millionaire's shortbread, flapjacks, Maids of Honour and fruit breads. I tried so many different kinds of loaves of this famous English tea time cake, that I lost track at one point. I love the simplicity of this sweet and cakey bread paired with the richness of dried fruits soaked in tea mixed with ginger, spices, citrus zest or nuts. Botham's Stem Ginger Brack was my favourite, an Irish fruit cake made without any fat but with lots of raisins, sultanas, stem ginger and orange zest. It's so juicy and it tastes divine with butter spread on top (the fat had to come in at one point!).
Years later, back in my own kitchen, I started to bake my own bracks. The first loaf was inspired by the one I got to love in Whitby but then I got a bit more experimental. Here's one made with puréed pumpkin in addition to the tea soaked raisins, grated fresh ginger and stem ginger. I also added a nice spice composition of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves. The result is aromatic and moist, but still structured. The pumpkin makes the loaf more juicy and smooth than the one I bake without the puréed vegetable. It would be a perfect Halloween cake although it's still a month ahead. In Ireland, bracks are traditionally made for this festive season, but at Botham's (and in my oven) you can find them all year round!
This recipe has been featured on Food52 Halfway To Dinner!
Pumpkin and Ginger Brack
You need to prepare 2 steps in advance for this cake:
1. If you don't buy canned pumpkin purée, the pumpkin has to cook in the oven for 30 minutes before you can turn it into a purée.
2. The dried fruits have to soak in tea overnight.
For a 24.5 x 10cm / 10 x 4″ loaf pan you need
pumpkin purée 400g / 14 ounces or pumpkin (squash), without the fibres and seeds, cut into cubes, 500g / 17.5 ounces (Hokkaido with skin or peeled butternut or Musquée de Provence pumpkin)
strong black English tea 150ml / 5 ounces
raisins and/ or sultanas 250g / 9 ounces
stem ginger, finely chopped, 60g / 2 ounces
fresh ginger, grated, a 3.5cm / 1.5" piece
Demerara sugar 140g / 5 ounces
organic eggs, beaten, 2
plain flour 220g / 8 ounces
baking powder 2 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon
ground nutmeg or mace 1/4 teaspoon
ground allspice 1/8 teaspoon
ground cloves 1/8 teaspoon
For the pumpkin purée
Set the oven to 200°C / 390°F (fan assisted oven).
Put the pumpkin into a baking dish. Cover the bottom of the dish with about 100ml / 3.5 ounces of water. Wet a piece of parchment paper under water, scrunch it a little and cover the pumpkin in the baking dish, tucking the sides in. Cook for 30 minutes in the oven or until the pumpkin is soft. Purée the pumpkin in a blender or with a stick mixer and set aside (you could keep it in the fridge for a day).
For the brack
In a large bowl, mix the tea, raisins, stem ginger, grated ginger and sugar and soak overnight.
Set the oven to 175°C / 350°F (fan assisted oven).
Combine the flour, baking powder, salt and dry spices.
Mix the eggs into the raisin tea mixture with an electric mixer, add 400g (14 ounces) of pumpkin purée and mix until well combined. With a wooden spoon, stir in the flour spice mixture until combined and fill into the loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Bake the brack for 50 minutes, turn the temperature down to 160°C / 320°F and bake for another 30-35 minutes or until the cake is golden brown on top. Check with a skewer, it won't come out clean, there will be a few moist pieces but there shouldn't be any liquid dough left on it. Take the cake out of the pan after 10 minutes and let it cool for at least 10 minutes before you cut off your first slice. The cake is best after 1-3 days, wrapped in parchment paper after it cools down completely. The outside will be soft by then.
Bavarian Beer Roasted Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Parsnip
Update: You can also find this recipe in my 1st book, Eat In My Kitchen - To cook, to bake, to eat, and to treat.
This is the ultimate roast - Bavarian beer roasted pork, also known as Bayerischer Schweinebraten or Krustenbraten. When I visited the Deyerling siblings last week for a meet in your kitchen feature, they reminded me of this traditional roast. You can't really ask for more, tender, juicy meat and crunchy crackling on top, perfectly roasted and crispy. This is hearty, honest autumn food, for those cold nights after a long walk out in the countryside. That's exactly what we did!
A few days ago we decided to leave the city for a few hours to visit one of Berlin's beautiful lakes that you can reach after a short train ride. The Müggelsee lake is my beloved escape whenever I need a break from the buzz. It's a huge lake, peaceful and quiet surrounded by thick forest. Autumn is just starting to show, so the leaves were still quite green but I could smell the change of the seasons. We have a little tradition, we always stroll down the town's high street before we go to the lake. We visit the local bakery and butcher, for some cake and bread, sausages and to look for some inspiration. Both of them are traditional businesses, and I have to say that I look forward to checking their daily offer just as much as to walking at the lake. This time we made our choice as soon as we got into the butcher's shop. A nice big piece of pork caught our attention and reminded us of the wonderful Bavarian beer roasted pork we cook in winter. The butcher put it aside for us along with a few other delicacies while we continued our walk. On our way back to the train station we picked up our bags and couldn't wait to get started with our oven roast!
There are various ways to roast pork to achieve the perfect crackling. My mother cooks it skin side down first in a little bit of broth before she turns it around. As much as we love to share recipes, here we disagree. I cook mine skin side up without turning the meat. I rub lots of salt and crushed cloves into the scored rind and cook the meat in its own juices for 1 1/2 hours. At this point I add the beer and vegetables, cinnamon, star anise and mustard seeds. I chose sweet potato, onion and parsnip to roast in the strong juices until it's all golden and crisp on the outside and soft inside. I like to season the gravy with some Dijon mustard and fruity jelly, like elderflower or peach, but you could could also use honey or maple syrup.
I can't really say how I prefer this dish, fresh and warm out of the oven with a pint of beer and some potato dumplings on the side or the next day, sliced thinly with some chutney in a sandwich!
Bavarian Beer Roasted Pork with Sweet Potatoes and Parsnip
Update: you can also find this recipe in my 1st book Eat In My Kitchen - To cook, to bake, to eat, and to treat.
For this recipe, you need a well sized piece of pork shoulder, smaller pieces tend to dry out, it can be boned or on the bone. I have made this recipe with both. The rind has to be scored in a pattern (as you can see in the pictures). You can ask your butcher to do this or cut the pattern yourself with a sharp knife, just mind that you don't cut into the meat!
If you want to make potato dumplings on the side, the famous Knödel, you can use my Gnocchi dough. You just have to shape walnut sized balls out of the dough and fill each of them with 3 small cubes of white bread. Cook them in lots of salted water for about 10 minutes on medium-low temperature until the dumplings swim on the surface.
For 4-6 people you need
pork, shoulder piece, boned, scored, 1500g / 3.5 pounds (if you use a piece of pork with the bone leave it in the oven for 1 - 1 1/2h after you poured over the beer)
cloves, ground in a mortar, 10
salt
beer 500ml / 1 pint
medium onions, quartered, 3
sweet potatoes, scrubbed, cut into cubes, 2
parsnips, scrubbed, cut into cubes, 3
cinnamon stick, broken into 3 pieces, 1
star anise 3 single pieces
mustard seeds 2 heaping tablespoons
For the gravy
broth 175ml / 0.5 pints
elderflower (or any other fruity) jelly 1 tablespoon plus more to taste
Dijon mustard 1/2 teaspoon plus more to taste
pepper
Set the oven to 175°C / 350°F (I use the Rotitherm setting).
Mix the cloves with 2 heaped teaspoons of salt and rub into the scored rind, depending on the meat's surface you might need more salt. Put the meat on a deep tray skin side up and cook for 1 1/2 hours.
Take the tray out, pour the beer over the meat and arrange the spices and vegetables on the sides (don't add the jelly and Dijon mustard yet). Cook for another 30-45 minutes until the crackling is crisp. Take out the vegetables and meat and mix the gravy on the tray with the broth, jelly and mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Take out the cinnamon stick and star anise and pour into a gravy boat (you can cook it down in a sauce pan for a few minutes if you prefer a more concentrated taste). Serve with the meat and vegetables.
If the rind isn't crisp enough yet, turn on the grill (broiler) for a few minutes after you've removed the vegetables, gravy and spices and cook the meat until the crackling is light and crispy!
Spicy deep purple Plum Chutney
I'm running out of time! There are still so many plum recipes I want to write about but the local blue fruits are almost at the end of their season. This recipe is one of my classic preserves, a spicy deep purple plum chutney.
I prepare my chutneys all year round so that my pantry is always filled with plums, rhubarb and apples. I try a few others once in a while but these three are my standards, the ones that I can't, or don't want to, live without. I have special combinations with each of them and the plum chutney is my favourite for cold roasts or hard mountain cheese. The one that I cook with apples is the strongest of all and it can take even the ripest French camembert!
When I wrote about one of my early sandwiches, a hearty homemade mountain bun stuffed with ham, cheese and plum chutney, I got so many requests for this chutney. I felt a bit bad as I wrote about it in December not thinking that it would take another eight months for plums to be in season again. So here it is, get started and enjoy with whatever comes into your mind. That's great about chutneys, they taste so strong but they work so well in all kinds of unusual combinations!
Spicy Plum Chutney
For a 1 l / 2 pint jar and one small jar you need
ripe plums, pitted and quartered, 1kg / 2 1/4 pounds
sour apples, peeled, cored and roughly chopped, 3 (around 300g / 10.5 ounces)
small red onions, roughly chopped, 3
apple cider vinegar 350ml / 12 ounces
balsamic vinegar 50ml / 2 ounces
granulated sugar 200g /7 ounces
garlic, chopped, 1 big clove
fresh ginger, grated, 1 heaping tablespoon
fresh red hot chili pepper, without seeds, finely chopped, 1
small dried red chili peppers 2-3
ground turmeric 1/4 teaspoon
ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon
black peppercorns, ground in a mortar, 1/2 teaspoon
star anise, ground in a mortar, 3 single pieces
cloves, ground in the mortar, 20
fennel seeds, ground in a mortar, 1 teaspoon
spirit to sterilise the rims of the jars
Sterilise the jars in boiling water for 5 minutes.
In a large pot, bring all the ingredients to the boil. Cook the chutney (slightly bubbling) without a lid for about an hour on medium temperature until it thickens. After 30 minutes, check the spiciness, either take out the dried chilies or leave them in till the end if you prefer it more hot, but take them out before you fill the chutney into the jars.
Dip the rim of the sterilised jars in spirit and wash out the lids with the alcohol as well. Fill your jars with the chutney and close well immediately.
You can eat the chutney right away but I prefer to let it sit for at least 3 weeks. You should keep an open jar in the fridge (mine stays fresh for months) and the closed jars in your pantry.
Crayfish and Beetroot Mousse Sandwich - a Swedish Lobster Roll
Today is a special day and a special day calls for a special sandwich!
My favourite Swedish baker in Berlin, Malin, releases her wonderful book today named after her exciting project, The Bread Exchange! It's a gem packed with lots of stories and recipes from her bread trading trips which took her around the world. This is a day to celebrate, so I asked Malin to give me her signature black bread for the October edition of our eat in my kitchen x The Bread Exchange sandwich. I wanted to come up with something that's a bit more spectacular and luscious, a creation that can stand up to the dramatic look of the bread which Malin achieves by mixing charcoal powder into the dough (another discovery from her bread trading adventures). One of the most luxurious sandwiches I know is the lobster roll and that gave me the idea to create a Swedish adaptation of this classic. Crayfish, also known as freshwater lobster, beetroot mousse, freshly whipped mayonnaise and dill on thick slices of black sourdough bread! The colours looked stunning but the taste was even better, sweet and creamy!
When I decided to go for crayfish for this sandwich, I didn't think about the preparation. So as soon as I called the fish monger to make my order, I realized that I would have to cook the crustaceans alive to kill them. I'd never done that before but after I got instructions from Malin (and with my boyfriend at my side for support), I felt ready to give it a go. I can't say that it's a nice experience but it's an important one. It makes us appreciate the food that we prepare in our kitchens even more. I'm not a vegetarian, therefore animals are killed for my diet, it's part of the cycle and I prefer to be involved in the whole process which leads to the food on my plate.
Crayfish and Beetroot Mousse Sandwich - A Swedish Lobster Roll
For 4 people you need
crayfish, cooked or alive, 16
sourdough bread 8 slices
dill, snipped, a small bunch
If the crayfish are alive, wash them in cold water (discard the ones that aren't alive). In a large pot, bring lots of water to the boil. Make sure that the water stays boiling hot when you put the crayfish in. Do this one at a time so that the temperature doesn't drop (wait a few seconds after you've dropped one in). When all the crayfish are in the pot cook them for another 1-2 minutes until they all turn red. Take them out of the pot, drain them and let them cool for a few minutes. Peel the meat out of the hard shells and cut into thick slices.
If the crayfish are already cooked, just slice the meat.
For the beetroot mousse
beetroot, unpeeled, 1 (you will need 100g / 3.5 ounces for the mousse)
bay leaf 1
olive oil 1 tablespoon
salt
Cook the beetroot with the bay leaf in salted water for 45 minutes or until the root is soft. Purée 100g / 3.5 ounces of the beetroot in a blender with the olive oil and season with salt.
For the mayonnaise
organic egg yolks 2
olive oil 50ml / 2 ounces
freshly squeezed lemon juice 1 tablespoon
sour cream or crème fraîche 2 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
Drop the egg yolks into a mug which should be just big enough for a stick mixer to fit in it. Start mixing and slowly pour in the oil. When the dip is thick and creamy season with salt and lemon juice and stir in the sour cream.
To assemble the sandwich
Spread some mayonnaise on a slice of bread, add dollops of the beetroot mousse and the sliced crayfish meat on top. Sprinkle with dill and a bit more mayonnaise and close the sandwich with another slice of bread.
Crespelle with Radicchio, Potato and Thyme
It took me a while to use radicchio not only raw for salads but cooked as well. It was a late discovery, but once I tried it, I loved it, especially for the Italian cuisine! One of my favourites is linguine with radicchio, mustard butter and sautéed chicken liver. My friend Judith told me about this recipe and it became a winter pasta classic in my kitchen. Or my purple risotto with spices and thyme, the colour is beautiful and the mixture of cloves, bay leaf and red wine is so aromatic and rich. Radicchio is great, it's so strong, its unique bitterness is so dominant that it asks for more flavours to be added to it.
A couple days ago I mentioned that we had family from LA staying with us, so our days were split between walking through the city for some sightseeing and food, either from my kitchen or from one of the great places we visited. Italian restaurants, German restaurants, department stores (we focussed on the fish section), various cafés specialized in German cake, American cake or chocolates from all over the world. We savored for days, as always!
Coming back to the purple radicchio and to one of our lunches at home, I cooked crespelle for us one day, filled with a bitter sweet stuffing of radicchio, potatoes and thyme. I used the herb to refine the pancake dough and the filling which made it come though quite strong. It added a bit more taste to the crepes which would have been to soft for this filling on their own. All the bitterness and sweetness wrapped in these thin pancakes with a creamy Béchamel sauce inside and on top made us all enjoy in silence for a short while, until our delicious Italian wraps were gone!
Here's a springy green version of my crespelle that I wrote about in March, filled with spinach.
Radicchio, Potato and Thyme Crespelle
For 4 filled crespelle you need
radicchio, quartered and sliced, 300g / 10.5 ounces
potatoes, cooked, sliced and quartered, 400g / 14 ounces
fresh thyme leaves 2 tablespoons
garlic, finely chopped, 2
red wine 60ml / 2 ounces
balsamic vinegar 1 teaspoon
Parmesan, grated, 2 tablespoons
olive oil
salt and pepper
In a large pan, heat a splash of olive oil, add the garlic and radicchio and sauté for about 4 minutes or until soft on medium heat. Deglaze with the red wine, take off the heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of thyme and the vinegar. Season with salt, pepper and vinegar to taste.
For the Béchamel sauce
milk 600ml
butter 30g / 1 ounce
plain flour 30g / 1 ounce
bay leaf 1
a pinch of nutmeg, grated
salt and pepper
In a saucepan, bring the milk with the bay leaf, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the boil.
Melt the butter and whisk in the flour, let it cook on medium heat for 1 minute. Take off the heat and slowly add the hot milk, whisk until smooth and cook for about 3-5 minutes on lowest heat until it's thick and creamy. Discard the bay leaf and season to taste.
For the crespelle
milk 160ml
organic eggs 2
plain flour 130g / 4.5 ounces
salt 1/4 teaspoon
fresh thyme leaves 1 tablespoon
butter for frying
Mix the ingredients well and let the dough rest for 5 minutes. Heat some butter in a large pan and fry 4 thin crespelle, one at a time, golden on both sides.
To assemble
Set the oven to 200°C / 400F (top/ bottom heat).
Lay a crespelle flat on a plate, spread with 1/4 of the radicchio and potatoes and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the Béchamel sauce on top, roll into a wrap. Continue until all four are done and put them next to each other in a baking dish. Pour the remaining sauce on top and sprinkle with parmesan. Bake for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Switch on the grill for the last 1-2 minutes, this makes the crespelle a little bit crisp.
Green Beans, Pear and Walnut Salad with Bacon Bits
Pears and walnuts are not only visually a perfect match, be it mixed in a salad with chicory or on a sandwich with melted Stilton, this sweet and nutty combination is the start of many great dishes!
For today's salad I mixed in some local green beans before their season finishes. As much as I like them sautéed with some wine, thyme and summer savory, I almost prefer them in salads. I blanche the beans until they are al dente to keep their freshness and leave them quite crisp. The dressing for my salad comes from the juices of the crunchy bacon bits which I added as a topping. I fry the tiny cubes in their own fat until they turn into crumbly crisps and deglaze them with white Balsamico vinegar. The vinegar's smooth acidity combines perfectly with the oily juices and makes a hearty dressing, a bit salty but fruity!
Green Beans, Pear and Walnut Salad with Bacon
For 4 people you need
green beans, ends cut off, 500g / 1 pound
crisp pear, cored and cut into slices, 1
bacon, cut into small cubes, 100g / 3.5 ounces
walnuts, broken into pieces, 10
balsamic vinegar 40ml / 1.5 ounces
olive oil 1 tablespoon
salt and pepper
Blanche the beans in lots of salted water for about 5 minutes until al dente, drain and rinse for 1-2 seconds with cold water.
In a large heavy pan, heat the olive oil and cook the bacon on medium-high temperature for a few minutes until golden brown and crunchy, stirring in between. Deglaze the bacon with vinegar, stir and take off the heat.
In a large bowl, mix the beans with the bacon and vinegar juices and season with salt and pepper to taste. Arrange the pear, bacon and walnuts on top.
Hazelnut and Buckwheat Cake with Cinnamon Icing Sugar
Family guests from LA! Our American grandfather Jim and his wife Gina came to visit us and - as always when guests stay with us - we let the feast begin from day one! When they arrived at noon, we sat down at our long wooden table and we only got up in the early evening, after hours of savoring. I carried one dish after the other to the table, so much so, that at one point my boyfriend stated I must have mistaken his grandparents for goats! There was so much to talk about, so many memories and stories to share, so much to show after years of not seeing each other, that a good amount of nice food seemed like the perfect company for a day like that. Also, it was a very successful way to fight their jet lag. 9 hours of time difference and my food kept them awake till 9!
One of my personal table highlights of that first day was my hazelnut and buckwheat cake. I love to welcome friends and family with a cake on the table. The sweet smell of freshly baked food in the house wakes you up even after the longest flight and makes you feel home right away! I had been in the mood for a cake like that for days, simple and spongy with the deep flavour of hazelnuts and I got what I asked for. I made the dough with ground nuts and buckwheat which adds a nuttiness to it that I wouldn't have achieved with wheat or spelt flour. It's a very popular combination in the Tyrolean mountains which always start to have a growing influence on my cooking and baking as soon as the temperatures drop. So it's a mountain cake, honest and rich in taste, refined with lots of cinnamon mixed in and sprinkled on top with some icing sugar.
I wanted to put even more food on the table, but at one point, they all stopped me. My plan was to finish the day off with my famous Swabian Cheese Spaetzle, hearty cheese and onions with homemade southern noodles, but they didn't let me go back to my kitchen! I saved it for another night and dinner and they loved it, like the Blue Cheese Crackers, Beluga Lentils with Pear, Tyrolean Plum Dumplings, Sicilian Chard, Radicchio Crespelle and all the other goodies I will write about in the coming days!
Hazelnut and Buckwheat Cake
For one 26cm / 10" springform pan or two 18cm / 7" pans you need
ground hazelnuts 225g / 8 ounces
buckwheat flour 225g / 8 ounces
granulated sugar 200g / 7 ounces
ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon plus more for dusting
baking powder 4 1/2 teaspoons
a pinch of salt
butter, at room temperature, 250g / 9 ounces
organic eggs 6
icing sugar for dusting
Set the oven to 180°C / 350°F (fan assisted oven).
Combine the dry ingredients.
Beat the egg whites and salt until stiff.
Beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time and continue mixing for a few minutes until the mixture is thick and creamy.
Gently fold the dry mixture and the egg whites with a wooden spoon into the butter and sugar mixture, alternating, 1/3 at a time, combining well in between.
Bake for 35 minutes (or a bit shorter if you use smaller pans) or until golden brown on top. Check with a skewer, it should come out clean. Let it cool for a few minutes.
Combine 2-3 tablespoons of icing sugar with 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the cake.
Zucchini Risotto with crisp Sage
There's something about fresh sage cooked in a little olive oil to the point of perfection! When the thick leaves become all glossy and golden, crisp and so full of flavour that they turn a simple dish into a fragrant composition with such ease - that's exactly what this bunch of herbal crunchiness did with my simple risotto!
Our dinner started innocent and pure, I just cooked my Arborio rice with some chopped onions in white wine and broth before I mixed in juicy slices of golden sautéed zucchini. The vegetable added a fruitiness which made the whole composition light and fresh, but the crisp sage leaves on top put it on another level. The rich oil they cooked in was an aromatic concentrate of the herbs best qualities, warm and strong! When I arranged the risotto on the plates, I poured this herbal essence over the rice to coat them with this golden syrup.
That's the secret to a great risotto (and not only for risotto), combining just a handful of ingredients that allow their individual qualities to spark!
Zucchini Risotto with crisp Sage
For 4 people you need
zucchini, cut in half and sliced, 350g / 12.5 ounces
sage leaves 30
Arborio rice 400g / 14 ounces
medium onion, finely chopped, 2
vegetable broth around 1800ml / 4 pints (depending on the kind of rice you will need more or less liquid)
white wine 120ml / 4 ounces
salt and black pepper
olive oil
butter 1 tablespoon
Sauté the zucchini in a little olive oil in a pan until golden on both sides and soft. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
In a small sauce pan, heat 6 tablespoons of olive oil and add the sage leaves. Let them fry until golden and crisp, for about 1 minute but mind that they don't turn dark, set the pan aside.
In a large pot, heat a splash of olive oil and the butter, add the onions and cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes until soft. Stir in the rice and cook on medium heat for about a minute. Add the wine and some of the broth, the rice should be covered, stir and turn the heat down to medium-low. When the liquid has been absorbed add more broth, a little at a time stirring in between. Depending on the rice, it will need more or less liquid. When the rice is al dente and the broth is more or less absorbed take it off the heat and season with salt and pepper to taste. Close with a lid and let the risotto sit for a minute.
Divide the risotto and zucchini between the plates, sprinkle with some of the sage oil and top with crisp sage leaves, serve immediately.
