Surrey Chump Chops

Surrey Chump Chops & Beans
Lamb Chump End Chops & Cannellini Beans

Serves 2

Ingredients:
6 X lamb Chump end chops
1 X large onion sliced
2 X cloves garlic crushed
2 X large carrots. (Halved lengthways, then cut into ¾” strips on the diagonal)
2 X 410g tins of Cannellini beans
1 ¼ pints of lamb stock
Herbs
Any herbs that you like will be ok. I do recommend using rosemary. It has a particular affinity with lamb. My preferred mix is below;
5 sprigs rosemary
5 sprigs thyme
4 sage leaves



Method:

Warm the oil in a large casseroles or large heavy based saucepan. Add the garlic and gently sweat for a couple of minutes to release its flavour. Add the sliced onion and carrot and cook for about 5 mins until the onion has begun to soften.
Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes. This also helps to rid the potatoes of steam and excess moisture.

Add the lamb chops, the stock, herbs and cannellini beans. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover the pot with a layer of tin foil and then place the lid on. The idea is for a perfectly tight seal on the pot. Place in preheated oven for about 3 ½ - 4 hours. At least until the meat falls from the bone

Notes:
Lamb Chump End chops are a very cheap part of the lamb. They may not appear to offer much meat in relation to the amount of bone you get. They are however packed with fantastic flavour and meat on the bone is so much sweeter. Cooked properly this cheap cut of lamb will always impresses.

If you are using a stock cube for your lamb stock then make it at half strength often stock cubes are too overpowering for a dish. In this recipe you want the flavour of the lamb and herbs to marry with the beans and not be overpowered by the stock cube.

Serve with a good quality bread. No need for potatoes.

Wine:
Serve with a Beaujolais Village

It Has been a while!!

Hi,

Yes it has been a while since my last post. I guess I have been busy crashing motorbikes and breaking my leg ! My time away from my blog has taught me that I do need to make more notes on what I cook. It is not uncommon for me to cook a dish and think that in a few days I will remember what I did. Gosh if it were only that simple.

So Christmas almost upon us and a time that us foodies tend to really enjoy. I wonder if you are a traditional Christmas dinner person? No turkey at my table this year. It will be roast duck as the centre piece.

I am going to do a jamie oliver recipe for dessert. I saw jamie crumble christmas pudding over sheets of filo pastry add some cooking chocolate and then roll into a filo christmas cake roll before putting in the oven to cook. I'll let you know how it goes.

Mustard New Potatoes

Mustard New Potatoes
Serves 2

Ingredients:

A couple of handfuls of new potatoes.
1tsp of French whole grain mustard
1 tbsp Greek style natural yoghurt



Method:

Wash the potatoes. Leave the skins on. Cut into quarters and cook in boiling salted water until soft.

Drain the potatoes and return to the pan. Let the potatoes cool for a few minutes. This also helps to rid the potatoes of steam and excess moisture.

Add the yogurt and mustard to the potatoes. Mix to combine

These potatoes are a great accompaniment to salad, meat especially lamb.

They are quick and easy to do. You can of course omit the yoghurt and use Crème Fraiche.

BBQ Prime Rib of Beef (French Trimmed)

Barbeque Prime Rib of Beef


Easily feeds 8

Ingredients:
4 Rib, Rib of Beef, French trimmed.
2 carrots
2 onions

Method:

Allow the rib to be a room temperature for at least 2 hours before cooking.

Use a generous coating of chopped herbs of your choice. I used a good handful of Parsley, thyme and sage. Lots of salt and pepper. Lightly oil the rib rub the chopped herbs into the meat and season well with salt & pepper.

Bring your BBQ to temperature; place the Rib in a roast / oven tray with a couple of onions and carrots. The vegetables prevent the meat drying out.

Note:
If using the indirect grilling method on a gas BBQ do ensure your oven tray is not directly over the flame, likewise on a charcoal BBQ ensure the coals are not directly under the meat. The aim is to have an indirect heat source.

Place your oven tray with the ribs uppermost i.e. fat side up. Cook with the lid closed on your BBQ at about 170 degrees for two to two and half hours depending on how pink you want your beef and the weight of your rib. You will need to periodically check the rib and move it to prevent over darkening the meat in any one spot. When the meat reaches an internal temperature of 115 to 125 degrees remove it from the grill. Place it on a large serving platter and cover loosely with foil. The meat will continue cooking and the internal temperature will continue to rise. Let rest for at least 15 minutes, but no more than 30.

To serve place on board remove string and chine bone. Simply carve the rib to the thickness of your choice. Discard the vegetables from the roast pan.

Serve with new potatoes in butter and a salad of your choice. The rib goes well with butter nut squash and chickpea salad.


Notes:
Ask your butcher to remove the chine bone but tie it back to the rib with string. The bone can them be easily removed for carving.

If you want the roast rare to medium rare, remove from the grill when the temperature is 115 degrees and let it rest for 15 minutes. If you want it more well done, remove from the grill at 125 degrees and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Wine:
This rib will go very well with good Bordeaux and an aged Rioja or Ribero Del Duero.

Vindaloo

Vindaloo

This is great curry for pork and pork leftovers.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

4tbsp oil or ghee
1 large onion sliced
6-8 whole dried red chillies
2 tsp cumin seeds (ground)
2tsp coriander seeds (ground)
2tsp paprika
10 black peppercorns (ground)
1 inch sticks cinnamon (ground)
Seeds of 6 green cardamoms (ground)
2tsb brown mustard seeds (ground)
3 whole cloves (ground)
1 inch fresh ginger peeled and finely chopped
11 cloves garlic crushed or chopped
1 tsp salt
6tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato puree
2lb pork shoulder cubed.




Method:

If using whole spices then heat them in a hot pan until they let of their aroma then grind in your pestle and mortar or as I do in an electric coffee grinder

Heat oil in large pan and fry onion until just starting to turn brown.

Remove the onion from the pan and place in a blender or processor.
Add the dried red chillies, the spices, garlic, salt, vinegar, tomato puree and 4 tbsp of water. Blend to a smooth paste.

Heat the pan, add the diced pork and cook until browned. Add the onion / spice mixture and cook for a few minutes over a high heat.

Turn to a gentle simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 hours or until the pork is very tender. Obviously leftovers pork will take less time to cook.
Notes:
I like to serve this with plain rice and some home made mango chutney and Raita

Easy Peasy Lemon Squesy Mess

Hi to my blog followers,

I haven't posted in a while. I guess I have been too busy indulging in good food. Well I have nearly finished all of my home made orange pickle and the lime pickle. They were both really very good and so easy to make, go on give it a try.

I am waiting for my various varieties of tomato and chilli to fruit then I can post some recipes based on fresh tomato and chillies.

This post is for a dessert, now I have a very savory tooth, so with me dessert can often be overlooked. The recipe below is so terribly easy. It takes no time at all and it is almost healthy, well it has fresh fruit in it after all.

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeasy Mess
Serves 2

Ingredients:

Good quality lemon curd
Greek yogurt (I prefer full fat but of course you can use low fat)

Method:

Combine two thirds yoghurt and one third lemon curd in a bowl. Fold together but take care not to mix completely together. You are aiming to achieve ribbons of yellow lemon curd through the yoghurt.

Combine with a handful or two of raspberries.

Spoon into individual serving dish or bowl and top with a home made raspberry coulis

Raspberry Coulis

Method:
Punnet or more of raspberries, sugar to taste. Place in a sauce pan with a splash or two of water. Bring to boil then simmer on low heat for 5 minutes or until fruit is soft. Pass through a sieve. Push the fruit through the sieve with the back of spoon. This should leave the pips behind. If you want a more concentrated coulis then place the coulis back in a clean saucepan and over a high heat reduce until the desired consistency is achieved.

Notes:
This recipe is really just a base. Try adding broken up meringue, or banana or both. I have just made it with strawberries, meringue and banana ..mmm yummy. Add whatever fresh fruit appeals to you.

Roast Rack of English Lamb

New Season Roast Rack of English Lamb with Crushed Peas

Serves 6

Ingredients:

French trimmed Rack of lamb
3 rib rack per person. Ask your butcher to prepare these.
1 red onion sliced.
Pint good quality lamb stock
Handful of fresh rosemary sprigs

1 1/2lb frozen peas, that have been allowed to thaw.
Handful of finely chopped fresh mint
2-3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Marinade
1 clove garlic
Handful of fresh mint
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
-
Method:
Put the peeled chopped garlic and mint in a pestle and mortar and mix to a thick paste add the olive oil no salt at this stage as it draws out moisture.
Spread the marinade by hand all over the racks of lamb. Leave for at least 4 hours to marinate.

You can make the lamb jus in advance. Add a little oil to a saucepan and add the onion. After about five minutes add 2-3 sprigs of rosemary then continue to cook the onion until it begins to brown then add the lamb stock. Bring to the boil then reduce to the heat and leave to reduce. Remove the rosemary sprigs and discard. Continue reducing the lamb stock until reduced by about ¾. You are looking to achieve an intense flavour there should be about ¼ pint left. Pass through a fine sieve into a small pan. Discard the onions. You can if you wish reduce the jus a little more to get the depth of flavour you prefer. Just remember you want to have enough to spoon a couple or three table spoons over each rack of lamb.

Take the marinated lamb racks and season with salt and pepper. Do ensure that if you have kept the lamb in the fridge that it has been at room temperature for at least an hour before you start to cook it. Heat a large heavy bottomed pan. Add the lamb racks and brown well on all sides. Once browned turn all the racks rib side down / skin side up and place in preheated over at 180 degrees centidraed for no more than 10 minutes. This will give medium cooked meat. For rare to medium reduce the time by 3 minutes. If you want you rack of Lamb well done then please doesn’t read my recipe any further it is a waste of good lamb to cook it well done.

Meanwhile place the peas in a food processor with about 2tbs of the chopped mint. Now just pulse the thawed peas and mint until the peas are looking crushed but not pureed. The peas must retain some structure you are not looking to make a soup! The peas can be prepared well ahead of time and only need then to be cooked through.

Place the crushed peas in a saucepan and add a good glug of extra virgin olive oil (2-3 tbs). The peas will only need to be heated through just before you plate up. They do not take more than a few minutes to cook.

Remove the cooked lamb from the oven and leave to one side to rest for a couple of minutes whilst you prepare the crushed peas.

With a pastry cutter or some other such thing, an empty tin (washed) with top and bottom removed will suffice. Lightly butter or oil the inside of the tin. Place the tin on the warmed serving plate. Add a serving of the crushed peas to the round (tin) and spread to fit with a spoon. Remove the tin and you should have a vibrant green circle of crushed peas. !! Repeat this for the remaining plates. You can of course omit the round tin for the presentation and just place a portion of the peas on the plate.

Now place the rack of lamb on the crushed pea base. Over the lamb spoon a little jus. Top the lamb with a sprig of rosemary or fresh mint and serve.

I like to serve this with a large bowl of simple buttered Jersey Royal new potatoes

Wine note:
A good Rioja or Loire red would work very well with this beautiful spring time dish. Enjoy!