Blackberry jam

Despite warnings of heavy rain, yesterday was a beautiful sunny autumnal day with only a small shower. I went out picking blackberries, which were perfect, if a little on the small side. This does mean though that they have even less pectin than slightly under-ripe blackberries which are best for making jam.

I based my jam recipe on the one in delicious. magazine but made a few tweaks. This, it turns out, was a mistake - my jam is more of a thick paste. Here is the recipe I used:

Blackberry jam ingredients

• Just under 2kg blackberries
• 2kg preserving sugar
• Juice and rind of 6 lemons

How to make blackberry jam

1. Remove any stalks and dirt from the blackberries but do not wash them or they will become soggy.
2. Place in a preserving pan.
3. Grate the zest from the lemon and squeeze out the juice - add both of these to the pan.
4.  Put on a low heat and stir regularly for about 5 minutes, till the blackberries have released their juice.
5. Add the sugar to the pan and stir for about 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. 
6. Increase the heat and boil for about 15 minutes.

 

I actually took out a teeny tiny pots' worth of blackberries to have with my breakfast cereal but since the blackberries were so ripe I thought the slight discrepancy in the blackberry/sugar ratio would help the jam set. Having dropped my sugar thermometer into the jam I couldn't tell whether it had reached the setting point, but since it looked far too runny,  I continued to boil for about 15 minutes. I potted the jam while warm as directed. 

The next day I checked the jam and it was practically solid, with a slight hint of toffee flavour. I unpotted it all back into the pan (resulting in a bent spoon) and added a little water. After cooking gently for about 10 minutes I repotted the jam into resterilized jars. Clearly it still had a slight burnt sugar taste but was slightly runny so at least can be spread on toast. But it's not right, and I feel I have wasted nature's bounty. 

Just back from holiday spaghetti

O is obsessed with spaghetti. On a recent trip to Bruges he claimed it was 'the Venice of the North', famous for its spaghetti. Sadly, he didn't manage to have any spaghetti while in Bruges, so I made some for him the day we got back from holiday.

Spaghetti with sundriend tomatoies

Since we'd only been away for a couple of days I had some parsley and an onion to hand. The beauty of this recipe, though, is that you can still make it using only store cupboard/freezer ingredients in a matter of about 20 minutes from start to finish. 

 Easy, speedy spaghetti ingedients

• 6 sundried tomatoes in oil
• A handful flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
• A handful toasted pine nuts
• 1/3 pack low fat feta cheese
• 1 onion
• 1 garlic clove
• 3 rashers streaky smoked bacon 
• Enough spaghetti for 2 people

How to make easy, speedy spaghetti

1. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat.
2. Fill the kettle and switch it on to boil. 
3. Add the bacon to the frying pan and cook till crisp then remove from the pan.
4. Chop the onion in half, peel, then slice each half into thin slices.
5. Turn down the heat under the frying pan and add the onion. 
6. Fill a large pan with the boiled water from the kettle, add a little salt, then add the spaghetti.
7. Refill the kettle and put it on to boil. 
8. Cook the onion till slightly caramelised, ie do not move around too much. Add a little olive oil if there is insufficient fat from the bacon left in the pan.
9. Finely chop the garlic or crush using a garlic crusher and add to the pan.
10. Continue to cook for a few minutes taking care not to let the garlic burn. 
11. Using kitchen scissors cut the sundried tomatoes into small pieces then add to the frying pan.
12. Drain the pasta once it it al dente - this will probably be about 3 minutes before the cooking time specified on the packet.
13. Rinse the cooked pasta with just boiled water from the kettle and shake the colander to remove most of the water. 
14. Return the pasta to the pan you cooked it in and tip in the contents of the frying pan. 
15. Add the feta, crumbled, the chopped parsley and the pine nuts.
16. Toss together with the spaghetti and serve.

Apple chutney x2

I have almost given up blogging, it's been so long since I posted anything. Yesterday, I almost gave up cooking, having experienced several culinary disasters:

1. Over-set chutney. Yes, let me just say that again: over-set chutney. How on earth did that happen? I have never, ever over-set chutney before in my life. And, according to Google, neither has anyone who has ever published anything on the web. But the apple, chilli and ginger batch I made on 1st October has over-set, bearing an striking reseblance to jam.

2. Over-set crab apple jelly. Crab apple jelly seems like more faff than its worth. Cleaning, boiling, straining then cooking. Never again. Jams are not for me. I am sticking to chutney from now on (which I will NOT over-set again).


3. Mutton curry without the mutton. I left the mutton in the fridge instead of the freezer for too long and had to throw it out (it went to the foxes, not the bin). But by this time I'd made the curry sauce, so I ended up with a sauce-only curry sauce

On a more positive note, here's a chutney recipe that does appear to have worked. The apples for this one were courtesy of Tanya's friend Diana. 

Apple chutney #2 ingredients

• 2kg peeled and cored apples, cut into smallish chunks
• 5 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 1 litre cider vinegar
• 500g sultanas
• 1kg soft brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 chilli, chopped finely
• 1 double thumb-sized piece root ginger, grated
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
• 1 teaspoon cloves
• 1 tablespoon allspice berries
• 2 teaspoons salt
• Juice 1/2 lemon

How to make apple chutney

1. Put everything in a preserving pan, bring to the boil and then reduce to a simmer. 
2. Continue to cook until thick, but not too thick.
3. Turn off the heat and leave to cool down a little.
4. Pot into warm sterilized jars.
5. Label before you forget what it is.

Apple chutney #3 ingredients

• 2.5Kg apples
• 7 onions (just under 1kg)
• 800g raisins
• Approx 1.25 litres malt vinegar
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• 1 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon hot paprika
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds 

Make the chutney as for Apple chutney #2 

Lentil loaf

I don't understand people who don't like lentils - what on earth is offensive about a lentil? They don't really taste of anything, are really good for you, fill you up and are cheap. In other words, an ideal ingredient for an inexpensive lunch at work. Add a bit of cheese, onion and chili and it tastes of cheese, onion and chili. (It does not, as O once said, taste of socks.)

The original recipe for this lentil loaf was obviously written in the 70s as all the ingredients are in imperial and the first line reads 'Pick over the lentils for sticks and stones'. Luckily lentils have come on a long way since then and you don't need to worry about stray sticks and stones.

Lentil loaf ingredients

• 175g red lentils
• 100g mature cheddar
• 1 onion (today I used a red onion, but any colour will do)
• Pinch chili flakes
• 1 large egg
• Salt & black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped parsley (optional)

  How to make lentil loaf

1. Rinse the lentils thoroughly under cold running water.
2. Put them in a small pan that has a tight-fitting lid.
3. Cover with about 250ml cold water, put the lid on and bring to the boil.
4. Turn down the heat to a simmer.
5. Cook for about 15 minutes, checking regularly that there is still sufficient water - I have lost count of the times I have burnt the lentils to the pan (including today).
6. Chop the onion finely.
7. Grate the cheese.
8. Beat the egg in a small bowl or jug.
9. Heat the oven to 190 degrees C.
10. When the lentils are ready they will have collapsed and formed a stiff puree: 

• Add the cheese, onion, chili, salt, pepper and parsley (if using) to the lentils and mix thoroughly.
• Add the egg and lemon juice. 
• You now needs to turn the mixture into a prepared loaf tin. You can prepare the tin by greasing it with butter, adding a disposable loaf tin liner or, like I do, adding a strip of greaseproof paper across the base and sides of the tin: 

• Bake for about 50 minutes, till the loaf feels firm and is golden.

While you can serve this hot (in which case leave it to stand for 10 minutes before eating) I prefer it cold, in which case its best made the day before you want to eat it. The recipe states that this serves 4, but I find this gives portions that are a little too large. Slice into 5 pieces, wrap in tinfoil and eat each slice with a salad for lunch. Just vary the salad or the dressing to stop it becoming boring.

Lime pickle

Limes, marinading

Lime pickle ingredients

 

I'm getting a little bored with chutney and so am branching out into pickles. To be honest, I'm not sure what constitutes a chutney versus a pickle and would probably call this lime pickle a relish, since it doesn't contain any sugar. It is a very tangy version of the stuff you get in jars to have with poppadoms, but equally as oily. It was delicious served as a dip for cocktail sausages. 

• 12 limes
• 2 medium-hot green chillies
• 1 heaped tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 teaspoons brown mustard seeds
• salt
• 500 ml white wine vinegar
• 250 ml sunflower oil
• 3 lemongrass stalks
• 6 garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons chilli powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried chilli flakes + seeds

 How to make lime pickle

1. Slice the limes thickly into a large bowl.
2. Sprinkle with 2 teaspoons coarse salt.
3. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave overnight.
4. The next day rinse the limes under cold water and drain. 
5. Chop the chili, garlic, ginger and lemongrass finely.
6. Heat the oil in a in a large heavy-based saucepan.
7. Add the chopped vegetables and the chili powder and mustard seeds.
8. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring. 
9. Add the limes and the vinegar and bring to the boil.
10. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes, uncovered.
11. Spoon the hot pickle into hot sterilized jars and seal.
12. Leave for at least 1 week before using.
13. Store in the fridge once opened. 

 

Gingered rump steak salad

A variation on chilli beef salad. In this version I marinaded the steaks for about half an hour then served them whole with the salad on the side. 

 

The salad bit

  Asian marinade/dressing ingredients

• 1/2 JOT* grated ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon sambal oelek or 1 red chilli
• Sambal oelek is a hot Malaysian/Thai chilli sauce - I used a small amount of this as I didn't have a fresh red chilli. If you're using fresh chilli, chop it finely and remove the seeds.
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• pinch sugar

*Jamie Oliver's Thumb: the official measurement used for root ginger.

 

Salad ingredients

• 5cm piece carrot
• 5cm piece courgette
• 5cm piece cucumber
• 1/2 red pepper
• 2 spring onions 
• 1 small little gem lettuce
• Small handful mint leaves
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted 

 

How to make marinaded rump steak salad

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish.
2. Add the steaks to the dish and turn to coat both sides.
3. Cover with cling film and set aside for at least 30 minutes - don't, however, chill in the fridge as you want the steaks to be at room temperature when you cook them. 
4. While the steaks are marinading, cut the vegetables into julienne (ie thin strips).
5. Toast the sesame seeds for a minute or two until slightly coloured and there is a noticeable aroma coming from the.
6. When you are ready to cook the steaks, heat a griddle pan till it is very hot.
7. Remove the steaks from the marinade and place on the hot griddle.
8. Leave to cook for about 3 minutes, then turn over and cook the other side for the same time - this will give you medium-rare steaks. 
9. Remove the steaks from the pan and leave to rest for at least 5 minutes.
10. Let the remaining marinade bubble for a few minutes till it becomes syrupy. 
11. Tear the mint leaves and add to the vegetables.
12. Pour the thickened marinade over the salad and toss together.
13. Sprinkle the sesame seeds over the salad then sever with the steak.

 

The steak bit

A word on toasted seeds

Toasted seeds add taste and crunch to a salad, but sometimes seem like a bit of an unnecessary hassle to bother with. I normally toast a couple of tablespoons each of:

• linseeds
• sunflower seeds
• poppy seeds
• pumpkin seeds

then keep these in a small jar for sprinkling on salads. I also keep a jar in my drawer at work, but normally forget to add them to my lunch salads. 

Asian-poached chicken salad

Chicken noodle salad

 

Feeling utterly uninspired last night I decided to poach a whole chicken with Asian flavours. 

I had no idea how it was going to taste as the recipe was loosely based on several I found online, what sounded right to me and what I had in the fridge.  

Asian-poached chicken ingredients

• 1 large free range chicken
• 2 sticks celery, cut into batons
• 1 large carrot, cut into thick slices
• 2 spring onions, cut into long sticks
• 1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters
• 2 star anise
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• I large piece root ginger, peeled and cut into rough chunks
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 fat (or 5 normal) garlic cloves, crushed but not peeled
• 1 lime, halved
• 5 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine

 

Method for making Asian-poached chicken

Poaching a chicken

1. Add all the ingredients to a stock pot
2. Cover with water 
3. Bring to the boil for 20 minutes
4. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook for 40 minutes

A couple of recipes I found online gave instructions to switch off the heat after the 20 minutes boiling and leave the chicken in the poaching liquor for 3 hours. However this would have meant eating at about 10.30pm so I simmered it for 40 minutes instead.

After 40 minutes I switched off the heat and left the chicken to cool slightly in the poaching liquor for about half an hour.

Chicken and vegetable noodle salad

 

I pulled some of the meat from the poached chicken to add to a noodle salad. 

Chicken noodle salad ingredients

Meat pulled off the chicken

• 5cm carrot
• 5cm courgette
• 5cm cucumber
• 2 spring onions
• 1/2 red pepper
• A couple of slices of a small red cabbage
• 2 nests noodles (I used medium egg noodles, but feel free to use whatever type you have)
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds 
• A handful mint leaves
• A handful coriander leaves
• As much chicken as you want to eat, torn into strips
• Chopped red chilli, to serve

Chicken noodle salad dressing ingredients

 

• 3 tablespoons sesame oil
• Juice of a lime
• 2 tablespoons peanut relish
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce

How to make the chicken noodle salad 

1. Combine the dressing ingredients in a screw-top jar and shake vigorously.
2. Cut all the vegetables into long strips.
3. Chop the mint and coriander finely.
4. Cook the noodles per the instructions and rinse under a cold tap.
5. Tip the noodles into a large serving bowl and pour over the dressing.
6. Add the herbs, vegetable and chicken strips and toss to coat with the dressing.
7. Sprinkle over the sesame seeds.  
8. Serve with the chopped chilli on the side for people to add as much as they like. 

Although this salad was good, it did lack a little oomph. I'd used the last of my root ginger poaching the chicken, but think a teaspoon or so would have been a welcome addition to the dressing. Personally, I would have added the chilli to the dressing too, but put this on the side because I was cooking for someone with a very low heat threshold. 

Chicken stock for soup

 

Today I made chicken stock to use in chicken or noodle soups.

1. Heat the oven to 180⁰C.
2. Strip the remaining meat from the carcass.
3. Strain the poaching liquid through a sieve then return to the stock pot.
4. Put the bones and carcass in a roasting tin and roast for 25 minutes.
5. Add the bones to the strained liquid.
6. Bring everything to the boil.
7. Reduce the heat to a simmer and continue simmering for 1 hour.
8. Strain the liquid through a sieve again.