Lorraine Pascale's Blog, page 8
October 13, 2014
Prawn, sweet potato and lime curry with chilli and black pepper roti bread
You could easily make this when you come home from work. The curry is extremely tangy, full of flavour and pretty filling, while the chilli and black pepper roti bread are kind of like naan bread - quick to make and great for dipping.
INGREDIENTS
For the chilli roti bread:
200g/7oz plain flour (or a mixture of 50g/1¾oz wholemeal flour and 150g/5½oz plain flour), plus extra for dusting
4 tsp baking powder
1-2 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp fine sea salt
4 tsp sunflower oil
For the prawn, sweet potato and lime curry:
2 tsp desiccated coconut
2 tbsp medium or hot curry powder
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm/½in cubes
4cm/1½in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, cut into long thin strips
1/5 Scotch bonnet chilli or 1 red chilli, seeds removed (optional), finely chopped
1 x 400g/14oz can coconut milk
250ml/9fl oz vegetable stock
75g/2½oz sugar snap peas
75g/2½oz baby corn, halved lengthways
225g/8oz raw, peeled jumbo king prawns (defrosted if frozen)
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and sliced
1 lime, juice only
METHOD
1. For the chilli roti bread, put the flour(s), baking powder, chilli flakes, black pepper and salt in a large bowl. Toss together and make a well in the centre. Pour in 125ml/4fl oz cold water and mix everything together to give a nice soft dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand or five minutes in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and then leave it in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 110C/225F/Gas ¼ (fan 80C). Put two large frying pans on the hob over a low to medium heat.
3. Divide the roti dough into four equal pieces and shape each one into a ball. Roll one out on a lightly floured work surface until it is as thin as you can get it to give about an 18cm/7in diameter circle. Dust the top with a little more flour. Drizzle one teaspoon of oil into one pan and pop the dough disc in, leaving it to cook for about two minutes on each side.
4. Meanwhile, quickly roll out the second piece of dough in the same way. Drizzle another teaspoon of oil into the second pan and cook this roti in the same way.
5. Once cooked, fold the roti in half, place on a small baking tray and put in the oven to keep warm. Repeat until all the roti breads are cooked.
6. For the prawn, sweet potato and lime curry, put a large pan over a medium heat and toast the coconut for 2-3 minutes, tossing regularly until it turns golden-brown. Tip into a bowl and set aside.
7. Return the pan to a medium heat, add the curry powder and cook for about two minutes or so, tossing regularly, until aromatic. Add the sweet potato, ginger and chilli and stir well.
8. Add the coconut milk and stock and cook stirring for a couple of minutes until it comes to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 6-8 minutes, or until the sweet potato is almost tender.
9. Add the sugar snaps and baby corn and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Mix in the prawns and cook for two minutes, or until they turn from grey to pink. Remove from the heat, throw in the spring onions, squeeze in the lime juice and season to taste.
10. Spoon into serving bowls, scatter the coconut over and serve with the warm roti breads.
Prawn, sweet potato, mango and lime curry with chilli and black pepper roti bread
You could easily make this when you come home from work. The curry is extremely tangy, full of flavour and pretty filling, while the chilli and black pepper roti bread are kind of like naan bread - quick to make and great for dipping.
INGREDIENTS
For the chilli roti bread:
200g/7oz plain flour (or a mixture of 50g/1¾oz wholemeal flour and 150g/5½oz plain flour), plus extra for dusting
4 tsp baking powder
1-2 tsp dried chilli flakes, to taste
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 tsp fine sea salt
4 tsp sunflower oil
For the prawn, sweet potato and lime curry:
2 tsp desiccated coconut
2 tbsp medium or hot curry powder
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1cm/½in cubes
4cm/1½in piece fresh root ginger, peeled, cut into long thin strips
1/5 Scotch bonnet chilli or 1 red chilli, seeds removed (optional), finely chopped
1 x 400g/14oz can coconut milk
250ml/9fl oz vegetable stock
75g/2½oz sugar snap peas
75g/2½oz baby corn, halved lengthways
225g/8oz raw, peeled jumbo king prawns (defrosted if frozen)
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and sliced
1 lime, juice only
METHOD
1. For the chilli roti bread, put the flour(s), baking powder, chilli flakes, black pepper and salt in a large bowl. Toss together and make a well in the centre. Pour in 125ml/4fl oz cold water and mix everything together to give a nice soft dough. Knead the dough for 10 minutes by hand or five minutes in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and then leave it in a warm place for about 20 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 110C/225F/Gas ¼ (fan 80C). Put two large frying pans on the hob over a low to medium heat.
3. Divide the roti dough into four equal pieces and shape each one into a ball. Roll one out on a lightly floured work surface until it is as thin as you can get it to give about an 18cm/7in diameter circle. Dust the top with a little more flour. Drizzle one teaspoon of oil into one pan and pop the dough disc in, leaving it to cook for about two minutes on each side.
4. Meanwhile, quickly roll out the second piece of dough in the same way. Drizzle another teaspoon of oil into the second pan and cook this roti in the same way.
5. Once cooked, fold the roti in half, place on a small baking tray and put in the oven to keep warm. Repeat until all the roti breads are cooked.
6. For the prawn, sweet potato and lime curry, put a large pan over a medium heat and toast the coconut for 2-3 minutes, tossing regularly until it turns golden-brown. Tip into a bowl and set aside.
7. Return the pan to a medium heat, add the curry powder and cook for about two minutes or so, tossing regularly, until aromatic. Add the sweet potato, ginger and chilli and stir well.
8. Add the coconut milk and stock and cook stirring for a couple of minutes until it comes to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 6-8 minutes, or until the sweet potato is almost tender.
9. Add the sugar snaps and baby corn and cook for 4-6 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Mix in the prawns and cook for two minutes, or until they turn from grey to pink. Remove from the heat, throw in the spring onions, squeeze in the lime juice and season to taste.
10. Spoon into serving bowls, scatter the coconut over and serve with the warm roti breads.
October 10, 2014
Travis Francis: Mum's the word
Student Travis Francis admits his mum does all the cooking, but now he wants to cook for her. Lorraine creates a menu inspired by his family's Caribbean roots, including a prawn, sweet potato and mango curry, a quick way to make bread, and some tempting chocolate and rum truffles.
Meet Travis
"My initial thoughts when beginning the show were to try something new and impress my mum and I really think I achieved both. Also I wanted to learn how to cook for myself so later on in life I could be a great independent cook!
Throughout the filming I was nervous at times but with Lorraine’s guidance and calm words I felt settled. She really made me believe that I could do anything in the kitchen which was a big benefit.
Being part of the show has shown me a lot of things about myself i.e. that I really do work well under pressure. It has also shown me that I really enjoy a good challenge. I was also very surprised that I was able to make such great dishes so quickly.
I was very happy with the way things went in terms of how it all came together at the final meal. I was so happy to see mum enjoyed my cooking and really pleased with how it all looked when served. (It looked great!)
I feel a lot more at home in the kitchen and I’m not afraid to ask questions and try things out. I will definitely be doing more cooking without a doubt.
One of the most useful things she showed me was how to be a clean and tidy cook because at first I was very messy!
Since the show I have been experimenting with pastry and have made lattices on three occasions. I'm also going to try slow roast pork with one of my cousin's recipes.
My advice would be to have absolute confidence in your ability to learn and create and you’ll be fine."
Watch How To Be A Better Cook, 8:30pm on Friday 10th October on BBC Two.
October 8, 2014
Pumpkin, brown sugar and pecan cake with cream cheese icing
Serves 12
INGREDIENTS
400g pumpkin (or butternut
squash), peeled, deseeded and
coarsely grated (to give about
300g flesh)
350g self-raising flour
275g soft light brown sugar
1 large eating apple, peeled, cored
and coarsely grated
2 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
6 eggs
250ml vegetable oil, plus extra for
greasing
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
1 tsp vanilla extract
CREAM CHEESE ICING
300g low-fat cream cheese
3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
TO DECORATE
12 pecan nut halves
EQUIPMENT
Two 20cm sandwich tins
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, (fan 170°C), 375°F, Gas Mark 5.
2. Lightly grease the bottom of two 20cm sandwich tins, line with bakingparchment and set on a baking tray.
3. Put the pumpkin, flour, sugar, apple, spices, baking powder and bicarb in a large bowl. Give them a quick toss together and then make a hole in the centre. Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl and then stir in
the oil, orange zest and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix everything together until well combined.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake tins (they will be quite full) and place in the oven to bake for 40–45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the icing by simply mixing the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla seeds together until smooth. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
5. To check the cakes are cooked, a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes should come out clean. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
6. Once the sponges are cool, carefully remove them from the tins and place one of them on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread half of the cream cheese icing on top of this sponge. Place the other sponge on top and then spread the remaining icing over evenly.
7. Arrange the pecans all around the top outside edge of the sponge to decorate and then serve.
Pumpkin, Brown Sugar and Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Icing
Serves 12
INGREDIENTS
400g pumpkin (or butternut
squash), peeled, deseeded and
coarsely grated (to give about
300g flesh)
350g self-raising flour
275g soft light brown sugar
1 large eating apple, peeled, cored
and coarsely grated
2 tsp ground mixed spice
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
6 eggs
250ml vegetable oil, plus extra for
greasing
Finely grated zest of 2 oranges
1 tsp vanilla extract
CREAM CHEESE ICING
300g low-fat cream cheese
3 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
Seeds of 1 vanilla pod
TO DECORATE
12 pecan nut halves
EQUIPMENT
Two 20cm sandwich tins
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C, (fan 170°C), 375°F, Gas Mark 5.
2. Lightly grease the bottom of two 20cm sandwich tins, line with bakingparchment and set on a baking tray.
3. Put the pumpkin, flour, sugar, apple, spices, baking powder and bicarb in a large bowl. Give them a quick toss together and then make a hole in the centre. Lightly beat the eggs in a medium bowl and then stir in
the oil, orange zest and vanilla extract until combined. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and mix everything together until well combined.
4. Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake tins (they will be quite full) and place in the oven to bake for 40–45 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the icing by simply mixing the cream cheese, icing sugar and vanilla seeds together until smooth. Cover and chill in the fridge until ready to use.
5. To check the cakes are cooked, a skewer inserted into the centre of the cakes should come out clean. Once cooked, remove from the oven and leave to cool.
6. Once the sponges are cool, carefully remove them from the tins and place one of them on a serving plate or cake stand. Spread half of the cream cheese icing on top of this sponge. Place the other sponge on top and then spread the remaining icing over evenly.
7. Arrange the pecans all around the top outside edge of the sponge to decorate and then serve.
October 6, 2014
Asparagus and poached egg puff tarts with parmesan and basil
A simple method for perfect poached egg is to have just a little water barely bubbling in a sauté pan then simply slide in the eggs and leave them to cook for a short while. The stiller water and the gentleness of adding them to the pan means that the eggs stay intact giving you an egg with a perfect poach.
INGREDIENTS
For the tarts:
plain flour, for dusting
500g/1lb 2oz puff pastry
200g/7oz low-fat cream cheese
¼ lemon, finely grated zest only
flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
30 medium asparagus spears
1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze (alternatively use a little milk)
For the topping:
6 medium free-range eggs
25g/1oz parmesan, made into shavings with a potato peeler
good handful small basil leaves
drizzle extra virgin olive oil (optional)
METHOD
1. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment and set aside.
2. Dust a little flour on a clean work surface and roll out the puff pastry to a 28x30cm/11x12in rectangle about the thickness of a £1 coin. Trim the edges so that the sides are nice and straight and neat. Cut the pastry in half down the length and then into thirds across the width to give six 10x14cm/4x5½in rectangles.
3. Put the pastry rectangles on the baking tray, cover with cling film and refrigerate for 20 minutes (or freeze for 10 minutes) for the pastry to firm up. It is important to do this so that when the puff pastry goes into the oven the flour cooks before the butter melts ensuring a much lighter pastry.
4. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/Gas 7 (200C fan). Mix the cream cheese and lemon zest together in a small bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper. Trim the asparagus so that each stem is 10cm/4in long (you can use the trimmings to make a quick soup or add to a pasta sauce).
5. Once firm, remove the pastry from the fridge (or freezer) and use a sharp knife to mark a 1cm/½in wide border around each rectangle. Then, using a crosshatch pattern, mark the border so each pastry shape resembles a picture frame. Take a fork and prick the centre of each shape about 10 times, right through to the baking tray.
6. Brush the border with the beaten egg (or milk), making sure that it does not go down the sides of the pastry (if this happens, wipe it away with your finger otherwise the egg will stick the layers of the pastry together and stop the pastry from rising).
7. Divide the lemony cream cheese between the six tarts, spreading it out with the back of the spoon and making sure that it stays inside the ‘frame’. Lay five asparagus spears in a single layer, touching each other and pointing in the same direction on each tart, and push them down slightly.
8. Bake the tarts in the oven for 18-20 minutes, or until the pastry has puffed up nicely and is firm and golden-brown where it has risen.
9. About 10 minutes before the tart is ready, pour about 4cm/1½in of water into a sauté pan or a deep frying pan and bring to the boil over a high heat. Turn the heat down to bring the water to a gentle simmer. Crack an egg into a very small bowl or tea cup and then slide the egg into the water. Repeat with all of the eggs, spacing them apart. Cook them for about 3-4 minutes, or until the white is cooked but the yolk still soft. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a warm plate.
10. Remove the tarts from the oven and divide between six serving plates. Sit a poached egg on top of each tart and scatter over the parmesan and basil leaves. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and drizzle with a little olive oil, if liked, and serve.
Honey mustard and garlic spatchcock chicken with sweet potato and mint mash
Spatchcock chicken takes far less cooking time than a regular whole roast chicken so don’t be alarmed! If you are a little bit squeamish about opening up a chicken this way then get your butcher to do it for you, who I am sure will happily oblige. However it is great practice to be able to do it yourself.
INGREDIENTS
For the chicken:
1 large chicken (about 1.8kg/4lb)
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 tsp sunflower oil
flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 squidges clear honey (to taste)
½ tsp hot chilli powder
a few sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked and roughly chopped, plus extra sprigs to garnish
For the sweet potato and mint mash
1kg/2lb 4oz sweet potatoes (or potatoes), peeled and cut into large chunks
25g/1oz unsalted butter
1 bunch spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced
½ bunch mint, leaves picked and roughly torn
For the gravy:
3 tbsp plain flour
½ glass white wine (about 75-100ml/2½-3½fl oz)
500ml/18fl oz good liquid chicken stock
METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 240C/450F/Gas 8 (220C fan).
2. Place the chicken breast-side down on a chopping board and using a good pair of scissors cut along each side of the backbone to remove it, cutting through the ribs as you go. Then turn it over and flatten the breast down with the heel of your hand. There will be a small crack which means the bird will then be nice and flat. Then put the bird, breast-side up in a roasting tin.
3. Use the tip of a small sharp knife to put enough slits all over the breast and legs as there are garlic slices and then push the garlic slices into them. Drizzle with the oil, season well with salt and pepper and then pop into the oven for 30 minutes to get some colour on the skin.
4. Meanwhile, mix the mustard, honey, chilli powder and thyme leaves together in a small bowl and set aside.
5. After 30 minutes of cooking, pull the bird out of the oven and reduce the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6 (180C fan). To help cool the oven down quickly, you can open the oven door and once the thermostat’s red light comes back on shut it. Meanwhile, smear the chicken with the mustard mixture using the back of a spoon. Once the temperature is correct, pop the chicken back into the oven for a further 15 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, for the sweet potato and mint mash, boil the sweet potatoes for about eight minutes or so (depending on the size of the chunks), or until the potatoes are just tender but not too soft. A couple of minutes before they are ready, melt the butter in a small frying pan on a medium heat and cook the spring onions for two minutes, stirring until softened. Drain the cooked potatoes well and then mash well with a masher. Stir in the spring onions and butter and season well with salt and pepper. Pop a lid on to keep it warm.
7. To check that the chicken is cooked, insert a sharp knife into the thickest part of the leg, then press the knife down a bit. If the juices run clear, and are not pink, then the chicken is cooked. Once cooked, lift the chicken out of the tray and place on a warmed platter or board and cover with aluminium foil to keep warm.
8. For the gravy, holding the roasting tin with an oven cloth, tip it up until all the fat and juices run to one corner. Spoon off as much fat as possible and discard. You should be left with around three tablespoons of juices in the bottom of the tin. Pop it on the hob over a low heat and stir in the flour until well blended. Add the wine and stock a little at a time, stirring all the time so that it does not go lumpy. Once all the liquid is added, bring the mixture to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until thickened, stirring regularly. Pour through a fine sieve into a warmed jug and season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Carve the chicken, arrange the slices on a large serving platter and garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Spoon the sweet potato mash into a serving bowl and scatter the mint over. Serve at once with the hot gravy.
October 3, 2014
Ridiculously Rich Chocolate Tart
Serves 8
SHORTCRUST PASTRY
125g butter, softened and diced,
plus extra for greasing
100g caster sugar
Pinch of salt (but only if your butter
is unsalted)
250g plain flour, plus extra for
dusting
1 egg, at room temperature
CHOCOLATE FILLING
100ml single or double cream
250ml whole milk
175g dark chocolate (minimum
70% cocoa solids)
75g milk chocolate
3 eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 large orange
EQUIPMENT
20cm straight-edged tart tin
METHOD
Grease a 20cm straight-edged tart tin well with a little butter and set aside on a baking sheet.
I prefer to make this pastry using a food processor. Put the butter, sugar and salt in the processor and blitz for about 10 seconds. Then add the flour and pulse a few times until everything is nicely mixed up.
Tip in the egg and pulse a few times again, scraping the sides of the food processor if need be. Lay a large piece of cling film on the work surface, tip the pastry mix on to it, squidge the pastry together in a ball and then wrap it up in the cling film. Place it in the fridge and leave it to rest for a good hour or hour and a half.
To make this the traditional way by hand, tip the flour onto a clean work surface, then make a well in the centre of the flour about 30cm wide. Put the butter and the sugar and salt in the centre of the well (they should not touch the flour at this time).
Use your hand to mix the butter, sugar and salt together; it is kind of messy, but great to make it the way it should be made! Then bring in the flour. I use a pastry scraper to flick the flour over the butter and the sugar, and then I kind of chop it together until it resembles fine breadcrumbs. Make another well in the centre of the pastry mix and crack the egg into it. Then, using your fingertips, mix it all together; again messy, but I find it kind of fun. Once the mixture is all mixed up and together, wrap the pastry ball in cling film and pop it in the fridge for an hour or hour and a half to rest.
The pastry needs to rest to relax the protein strands, which could cause it to be too stretchy when you roll it. This will also help make the pastry more tender. Once the pastry is rested, roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about a 25cm circle, roughly 5mm in thickness. I then put a rolling pin across the centre of the dough and flip half of the pastry over the rolling pin. Pick it up on the rolling pin and lay the pastry over the tart tin before removing the rolling pin. Gently press the pastry down into the tin, making sure that the pastry goes right into the ‘corners’, and then pop it in the fridge for an hour to rest again (rolling it out works the proteins in the pastry again, so it needs to have another rest in the fridge).
Once the pastry has been in the fridge for 40 minutes, turn the oven on to preheat to 200°C, (fan 180°C), 400°F, Gas Mark 6 with the middle shelf at the ready. After the pastry case has had an hour in the fridge and the oven is ready, line it with a circle of baking parchment slightly larger than the size of the tart case and tip in ceramic baking beans (or you can use dried beans for this, which are cheaper and work really well). Bake in the oven for 20 minutes until crisp, golden and almost cooked through.
Meanwhile, to prepare the filling, put the cream and milk in a medium pan and bring it almost to the boil, then immediately remove it from the heat. Snap in the dark and milk chocolates and leave it aside to melt. Once the chocolate has softened and melted, mix it all together and add the eggs and the orange zest. Mix together again and then set this aside.
Remove the pastry case from the oven and leave the oven open to cool down a bit, turning the temperature down to 180°C, (fan 160°C), 350°F, Gas Mark 4. Carefully lift the bean-filled baking parchment from the pastry case.
Once the oven has reached temperature (which will be indicated by the thermostat light coming back on), close the door. Pour the chocolate mix into the pastry case. I like to pour the last bit of filling into the case once it is safely resting on the oven shelf, that way it avoids any spillover. Then very carefully place the pastry case back into the oven for 20–25 minutes.
Once baked, remove from the oven and leave to cool for a bit. Then carefully push the tart out of the tin, remove the base, place on a plate or cake stand and serve.
Will Neil make a meal of it?
In tonight's episode of How To Be A Better Cook, Lorraine meets Neil Forster, an impatient cook who reaches for the takeaway menu rather than making food from scratch. Lorraine shows him recipes including asparagus and cream cheese puff pastry tarts, a quick way to do roast chicken and an irresistible summer fruits pudding with a neat shortcut.
Meet Neil
Neil Forster lives almost entirely on takeaways. Despite professing a desire to be a chef as a younger man, Neil never learnt the essential skills to be able to make a meal in the kitchen. Prior to meeting Lorraine, his most popular place to eat was the local fish and chip shop.
When Neil first cooked for Lorraine, his omelette quickly became scrambled eggs, and his partner Jonathan thinks this is because Neil doesn't like paying attention to detail!
Neil says he is too impatient and won't follow a recipe, or simply gets bored and never completes a meal, often leaving things undercooked or raw. His children say he often just chucks everything together in a pot and calls it casserole.
But after only one day, Lorraine was able to teach Neil to follow the recipe, and that complicated looking food needn't be fussy or take a long time to prepare.
After the series, Neil had learnt not to rush things and was even able to plan a full meal cooking everything from scratch. He created a chicken risotto with roast chicken, even boiling down bones to make the stock. Now if that's not follwing a recipe then nothing is!
How To Be A Better Cook airs Friday, 8:30pm on BBC Two.
Discover the accompanying book full of deceptively easy recipes and fantastic tips.
Get literary with Lorraine at the Cheltenham Festival
Lorraine is to take part in this year's Cheltenham Literary Festival, "sharing her inspiring journey from a childhood in foster care to one of the nation’s best- loved and bestselling TV chefs."
On Tuesday 7th October, Lorraine will be taking the hot seat at the acclaimed literary feast.
For ten days every Autumn Cheltenham is transformed into a literary lover’s dream, welcoming over 600 of the world’s finest writers, actors, politicians, poets and leading opinion formers to help celebrate the joy of the written word.
Established in 1949, The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival is one of oldest literary events in the world – and with a feast of superstar speakers, an unrivalled setting at the heart of Cheltenham, and the chance to meet your favourite authors and characters.
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