Taste the Mediterranean this Bank Holiday

I love the simplicity of fish and sea bass is particularly good at the moment. I once caught one in Poole Bay and was inspired to cook this simple recipe full of flavours from the med. A great all in one dish to impress your guests over the Bank Holiday. Romesco is a famous Catalan sauce traditionally made with pounded almonds, hazlenuts, dried peppers, garlic and tomatoes. It is served at the beginning of the year when calcots (green onions) come into season. “Calcotada” is an occasion where calcots are char grilled and dipped into large bowls of romesco. This versatile sauce is wonderful with fish, chicken, lamb or grilled vegetables and it is well worth trying my simplified recipe for a fuss free and fabulous fish dish.

Whole Baked Sea Bass with Romesco

Serves 4 people. Easily halved.

Prep 20mins. Cook 45mins.

2 x 1kg whole sea bass scaled and gutted (Available from most supermarkets)
1 large red onion cut into wedges
4 red peppers cut into large chunks
Half a red chilli deseeded (optional)
2 yellow peppers cut into large chunks
5 large tomatoes cut in half
4 whole large garlic cloves
2 lemons sliced
2 tspn balsamic vinegar
4 tblspn olive oil plus extra for drizziling
2 large handfuls of fresh herbs e.g (rosemary, thyme, coriander)
25 grms whole toasted hazelnuts
25 grms whole toasted almonds

Method

1. Heat the oven 220c/gas 7. Put all the vegetables into a deep roasting tin with the unpeeled garlic. Toss in the 4tblspns olive oil, season well and roast for 20 mins until starting to soften.
2. Slash the skin of the fish. Season the inside of fish and stuff with the lemon slices and half the herbs. Place on top of the veg and scatter the remaining herbs, drizzle with olive oil and roast for a further 20–25 mins. The fish is cooked when the flesh feels firm.
3. Carefully lift the fish onto a serving plate with half the vegetables, cover and keep warm.
4. Place the remaining vegetables and juices into a food processor. Add the almonds, hazelnuts and vinegar blending together until smooth. Season.
5. Serve alongside the fish with the vegetables. Lifting the fillets off the bone.

The Sweet Smell Of Lingering Coals

At the end of a barbecue when the coals are nice and hot you can cook some delicious, easy, fruity desserts. By wrapping fruit in foil adding sugar, spices and a dash of your favourite liquer you can transform a simple fruit into a melting delight. To grill fruit, cut into chunks, place on skewers and add some brown sugar to caramelise in the heat. Finish with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche. I can guarantee the intoxicating aroma will even entice those who couldn’t eat another bite to not be able to resist. Here are two of my favourites.

Pineapple wedges with rum butter glaze

Barbecuing the pineapple brings out the flavour, serve with a dollop of vanilla ice cream or crème fraiche to make a special end to a meal.

Ingredients Serves 4

1 fresh pineapple
2 tbsp dark muscodavo sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
4 tbsp butter
2 tbsp dark rum

Cut the pineapple into four wedges. Cut out the core.
Cut between the flesh and skin keeping the the flesh in place. Slice across to make thick chunks.
Soak 4 bamboo skewers for 15 mins to prevent them burning. Push a skewer through into the stalk to hold the chunks in place
Melt together the sugar, ginger, butter and rum and generously brush over the pineapple. Cook the wedges on the barbecue for approx 5 to 6 mins. Pour the remaining glaze over and serve.

Baked bananas with spicy vanilla filling

Ingredients - Serves 4.

4 bananas
6 green cardamom pods
1 vanilla pod finely grated
rind of 1 small orange
2tbsp brandy or orange juice
4tbsp light muscodavo sugar
3 tbsp butter

Place the bananas on a hot bbq in their skins for approx 6 to 8 mins turning until they have turned brownish, black.
Meanwhile split the cardamom and remove the seeds. Crush in a pestle and mortar.
Split the vanilla pod lengthways and scrape out the seeds. Mix with the cardamom seeds, orange rind, brandy or juice, sugar and butter to make a thick paste.
Using a sharp knife slit the skin of each banana, open out the skin and spoon in a little of the paste. Serve with ice cream or crème fraiche.

Hello!

I am back in sunny Spain after an amazing trip to the other side of the world! Our first port of call was Hong Kong an incredible culinary experience, they seem to eat every part of animal and fish and I as my chopstick skills are not great it was interesting to say the least! The tea house had to be the best experience, a place where they serve tea and Dim Sum on a big trolley loaded with baskets with all sorts of steamed delicacies, my face was a picture when I raced to the front to be presented with cockerals feet and some sort of intestine beautifully steamed! The poor lady was horrified I declined her offer and quickly retreated back to the kitchen and presented with little balls stuffed with meat and spices and the more traditional dim sum we know..... and how delicious they were, after an hour and a half of eating and providing entertainment for the locals we left very full and my goodness it was cheap!

Then onto Australia, a fantastic country where I ate the best meat pies I have ever tasted and fell in love with Moreton Bugs a giant cray fish type tail juicy and sweet. I even tried kangaroo but felt awful the next day when I came face to face with his cousin!! Oh those lovely cute eyes! So I wont be doing that again.!! The food in Oz was all lovely,simple well cooked food and some very different fish to try. After Oz we travelled to new Zealand and was lucky enough to book a table at Logan Brownes voted the best restaurant in New Zealand and my goodness it was fab! particularly smoked eel with a horseradish pannacotta, one to try at home. New Zealand is stunning and I loved the way the locals catch, hunt and shoot then go home and smoke and cook in all sorts of homemade contraptions.

I am now back continuing my adventure in Spain, and have been busy cooking for private households, our new venture as home cooks has really taken off and I am loving it all ! Here is my website www.thehomecookingco.uk if any of you need a cook whilst out in Spain.

This lamb recipe is great I often cook this one at home, it is simple and tasty, just make sure you rest the meat before carving.

Thanks for all you comments and enjoy!

Camelia x

BRING OUT THE BARBIE!

With Father’s Day this month and hopefully some sunshine, June is a good month for get togethers and relaxed entertaining. This recipe is a great way to barbecue a leg of lamb, just ask your butcher to butterfly it - which means taking the bone out and opening up the meat, this decreases cooking time and makes carving easy. The maple syrup is a perfect partner for the lamb and won’t fail to impress your guests. Keep it simple, serve with new potatoes tossed in minted butter, a mixed leaf salad dressed with olive oil and lemon juice and perhaps some cherry tomatoes roasted on the vine. It’s important to rest the lamb for 10 minutes before carving, this gives the meat a chance to absorb all the juices and flavours. So fire up the barbie and get cooking!

Barbecued Maple Syrup Lamb

Ingredients

Leg of lamb butterflied approx 2.5 kg will feed 6 to 8 people
2 cloves garlic cut into thin slivers
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper

For the marinade
100 ml olive oil
75 ml ml sweet sherry
2 tblspns maple syrup {Plus extra to brush on}
1 tblspn balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon

Method

1. Make small incisions all over the lamb with a sharp knife.
2. Poke a sliver of garlic then a small sprig of rosemary into the holes.
3. Mix together the marinade ingredients
4. Place lamb into a shallow container season all over and cover with the marinade ensuring the meat is well covered. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge for a minimum of two hours or overnight for more flavour, turning occasionally.
5. When ready to cook bring the lamb back to room temperature and get the the barbie nice and hot.
6. Place on the hottest part for 3-4 mins each side to sear the meat, then move slightly away to cook more slowly basting with the marinade and turning frequently.Cook for approx 35 to 45 mins for pink, longer if you want it more well done. About 10 mins before the end start to brush with the extra maple syrup, the meat will go quite dark and will start to char, this all adds to the flavour.
7. Allow the meat to rest for 10-15 mins so if a little underdone don ‘t worry as it will continue to cook while resting. Ideally the outside will be charred and the inside pink.
8. Carve into thin slices and pour over any juices.

If you want to roast some vine tomatoes simply crush a garlic clove with some salt and mix with olive oil, toss the tomatoes leaving on the vine, and either cook in a hot oven or put on the bbq until they start to blister.

A Chocolate Temptation

Decadent, dark and devilish this is the one you want to have a passionate love affair with.....of course I mean the chocolate! I stumbled across this recipe on a recent trip to Granada where a chef I met cooked it for me. I have to confess to not being a chocolate lover but was converted after one mouthful, this one has the x rating as far as I’m concerned: gooey, gorgeous and it makes you want more... the secret? - use a good quality chocolate that contains more than 70% cocoa solids and don’t worry if the cheesecake mix looks a little runny, it will set as it bakes. Great cut into squares but I do prefer it as a cake served with a soft vanilla ice cream, a truly wonderful chocolate experience!

Chocolate Brownie Raspberry Cheesecake

Makes about 15 squares or 1 cake
Preparation Time 25 mins
Cooking Time 45 mins

Ingredients
200g dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa solids)
200g unsalted butter, softened
400g caster sugar
5 eggs
110g plain flour
400g cream cheese
1 tsp vanilla extract
120g fresh raspberries

Method
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees C / Gas Mark 4.
2. Grease and line a 30 X 20cm rectangular cake tin. Or to make one cake, line a 20cm spring form cake tin.
3. Place the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water until melted, set aside to cool slightly.
4. Cream butter and 250g of the caster sugar until pale, then add three of the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition.
5. Stir in the melted chocolate, then fold in the flour.
6. Spread three quarters of the mixture into the lined tin.
7. In a separate bowl, beat the cream cheese, remaining sugar and eggs and the vanilla extract until smooth, then spread over the chocolate base.
8. Dollop the remaining chocolate mixture over the cream cheese layer and use a fork to swirl the chocolate.
9. Push the raspberries into the top and bake for 40 – 45 mins. Allow to cool, then cut into squares, or if in a tin turn out, cool, before serving, dredge with icing sugar and decorate with raspberries.

A PROPER HOMEMADE PIE

Think good pastry, golden and crisp with a robust filling of free range chicken, mushrooms and leeks, that’s what makes my home-made pie a comforting, warming supper dish. This is one of the favourite recipes I made on BBC2’s Eating With The Enemy. It is really simple to put together and if you prefer, use ready made shortcrust pastry but I have to say there is something wonderful and truly rewarding about a decent home-made pie. The nice thing about this pie is it is posh enough for a dinner party or can be made with normal mushrooms to make it an everyday family dish. Use free range chicken breasts as they have better flavour and texture than mass produced varieties. Happy cooking.

Chicken, Leek and Wild Mushroom Pie

Serves 4-6 people.

Ingredients

For the shortcrust pastry:

400 g plain flour
100 g unsalted butter
100 g lard or refined vegetable fat
½ tsp salt
2 eggs beaten
4 tbsp cold water

Method:

1) Sieve the flour into a large bowl with the salt.
2) Gently rub in the fats into the flour until it resembles coarse breadcrumbs.
3) Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients.
4) Mix the egg and water together.
5) Add gradually to the well mixing quickly until it forms a dough (you may not need all the liquid).
6) Turn onto a floured board and knead gently until a smooth ball is formed.
7) Wrap in cling film and place in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

For the pie filling:

4 chicken breasts preferably free range cut into chunky cubes
2 leeks sliced into 1cm slices
2 sticks celery finely sliced
A handful of wild dried mushrooms eg: ceps, chanterelles
50 ml Madeira wine
200 ml white wine
250 ml fresh chicken stock {homemade is best}
1tsp fresh thyme
150 ml double cream
100 g salted butter
olive oil
75 g flour
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Egg yolk to glaze

Method:

1) Soak the mushrooms with the Madeira and a little water until completely covered for at least 30 mins.
2) Place 50g butter and 2 tbsp oil into a large pan over a low heat to melt. Brown the chicken, then remove. Place another 50g butter and tbsp oil in pan, then cook the leeks and celery until soft.
3) Return chicken to the pan with the thyme. Add flour and stir quickly until fat is absorbed. Add the wine, stirring all the time, followed by the stock, mushrooms and their soaking juice, then the double cream. Season well with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil stirring until thickened, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 – 15 mins, until slightly reduced. Place in pie dish leaving a 1cm gap, leave to cool while you assemble pie.
4) Roll out the pastry a little larger than a 25cm pie dish. Then cover the filling with the pastry, dampening the edges of the dish with a little water (trim excess when cooked). Make a small incision in the centre of the pie to allow steam to escape.
5) Whisk the egg yolk and a small pinch of salt and glaze the top of the pie. Place into a preheated oven Gas mark 7, 200oC/400oF approx 20 – 25 mins, until golden brown.

Relaxed Easter entertaining

As Easter is right at the start of April this year, I have put together a fabulous fish stew, a great ‘one pot meal’ for easy relaxed entertaining over the holiday weekend, bringing with it flavours of sunshine, well we can dream!
The nice thing about this dish is once you have made the base you can add whatever fish or shellfish you fancy, but do stick to the firmer varieties of fish and keep it chunky or the fish will break down too much. Bring the pot to the table lift the lid and wait for the ooh! And make sure you have plenty of bread to mop up the lovely flavours.

Fabulous Fish Stew

Serves 4 to 6
Prep time 15 mins
Cook time 45 mins

1 large onion finely sliced
3 garlic cloves peeled and chopped
1 green pepper deseeded and chopped
a pinch of saffron
1x 680g jar passata {sieved tomatoes available from all supermarkets}
500ml fresh fish stock {available from supermarkets}
250ml medium white wine
3 tblspns olive oil
bay leaf
salt pepper
500g cleaned fresh mussels
1kg mixed white fish - I use 500g monkfish,
500g skinned cod loin cut into 4 to 5cm chunks
4 squid tubes (medium)
100g shelled tiger prawns raw
1 king prawn per person
{use what is best value when you buy}

6 new potatoes {charlotte variety is good }skin on,
cut in half to make approx 12 to 14 - 4cms chunks.
2 lemons cut into wedges to serve
Flat leaf parsley

Method

1) Heat oil in a good deep casserole dish or a heavy based pan.
2) Add onions, pepper, and garlic, cook to soften but not colour.
3) Add wine and fish stock, bring to the boil for 1 minute then add tomato passata, saffron, salt and pepper.
4) Simmer for 10 mins then add potatoes
5) Simmer until potatoes are just starting to go soft about 10 to 15 mins.
6) Add the white fish and bay leaf, bring back to simmer for 4 mins only {you don’t want to overcook the fish} then add the mussels and tiger prawns with lid on for about three minutes until mussel shells have opened and prawns are pink.
7) Right at the end, if using, put in the king prawns with lid on for 1 minute. Check seasoning.
8) Let the dish stand for up to 20 mins.
9) Just before serving scatter some flat leaf parsley.
10) Serve with freshly cut lemon wedges and plenty of crusty bread.

This dish is happy to stand and can be gently reheated as long as you don’t overcook the fish.