Tori hamu

"Chicken ham", or how to transform a plain chicken breast into fantastic ham, japanese style.




1 chicken breast, skin removed
3 teasp salt
2 teasp sugar
1 teasp pepper
1 clove mashed garlic (optional)


Place the chicken breast, salt, pepper, sugar, garlic in a sealed plastic bag and mix to rub all the meat evenly.
Let it rest in the fridge overnight.
Next day, rub off the salt and soak the chicken in 1.5% salted water for 1 hour.
Boil for 3 min in a large saucepan with water, turn off the heat, and let it cool down until it reaches room temperature.
Enjoy in a summer salad, or in any way you would use ham. It can also be easily frozen and kept for further occasions.

Shumai

My favorite chinese dumplings, very oishiiii!






Makes about 35 pieces (2-3 pers)

300g minced pork
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 shitake mushrooms, finely chopped
a small tin of scallops, about 50g, and a bit of their juice
1 clove garlic, mashed
1 teasp salt
2 teasp sugar
1/2 teasp black pepper
1 teasp ginger paste
1 egg, beaten
1 tablesp soy sauce
1/2 teasp corn starch

shumai wrappers


Thoroughly mix all ingredients, and fill the shumai wrappers as presented on the photo.
Steam them for 5-7min and eat right away, dipped in a touch of mustard.

Lamb Tagine with Green Olives and Lemon

Our new favorite tajine :-))





Serves 4

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, mashed
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric
One 3-inch cinnamon stick
Kosher salt
about 1kg boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 3cm pieces
1 teaspoon meat tenderizer (optional)
several cups of water
2 large carrots, roughly sliced
1 large onion, in thin slices
1 cup pitted green olives
a handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped
a handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
juice of 1 lemon


In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, garlic, lemon zest, ginger, paprika, coriander, cumin, black pepper, cayenne, cloves, turmeric, cinnamon stick and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add the lamb and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
Take out the meet from the fridge, sprinkle with meat tenderizer, mix and let it rest for 5min.
Add a tiny bit of oil to a wok, heat it up well and brown the marinated lamb, several pieces a time. Reserve.
In a large pot, add a bit of olive oil and slowly brown the sliced onion. Add the carrots and the browned meat. Pour some water until it covers about everything, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over low heat until the lamb is very tender, about 2 hours.
Stir in the olives, parsley, cilantro and lemon juice. Check the seasoning and cook for 2 minutes. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Very Yummie Lamb Kebabs

Serves 2

400g minced lamb meat
1 egg yolk
1/3rd of a red onion, grated
2 teasp lemon juice
1/2 teasp chili powder
1 teasp cumin powder
1 teasp coriander powder
1 clove garlic, mashed
1-2 tablesp fresh coriander leaves, chopped
a handful pistachio nuts, crushed
salt, pepper to taste
olive oil


Soak a few wooden skewers in water while you prepare the mix to avoid burning.
Combine all ingredients and mix well (OK with your hand). With wet hands skewer the meat into long sausage shapes. Rotate the meat around the skewer, pressing gently all round. Brush with a little olive oil and grill under a medium heat or barbecue till it's cooked well right through (about 10min).
Serve with hot pitta bread, cucumber and yoghurt, tomato, salad, humus etc...

Chinese Barbecued Pork (Char Siu)

This was a shot in the dark, as my experience with barbecued pork is about.... none. But we had been to Chinatown recently, and all these great flavors tinkled our chinese taste buds. It turned out to be very good and not that far from the real thing. I think. Mission accomplished.




Serves 2

250g pork loin (about 20cm long, 5cm thick)

2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 teasp freshly grated ginger
1 tablesp soy sauce
1 tablesp chinese rice wine (shokoshu)
1 tablesp tien mien jian (sweet soybean paste)
1 tablesp dark brown sugar
1/4 teasp five spice
1 teasp sesame oil
freshly ground pepper

1 tablesp honey


Combine all ingredients except honey, and marinate the pork loin overnight in the fridge. Turn a couple of times.

Preheat the oven to 220 degrees. Overlay the oven tray with aluminum foil. Pour about 2 cups of water over the tray. Place the marinated pork on a rack (reserve the marinade), and place in the oven. The marinade will slowly drip onto the tray while cooking. Bake at 220 degrees for 15 minutes. Turn the meat, lower the heat to 180 degrees, and bake for another 15 minutes.
Mix 1 tablespoon of the leftover marinade with 1 tablespoon of honey. Take the meat out of the oven, baste with this mixture, transfer to a broiler, and grill for an additional 3-4 minutes on each side, with basting of honey sauce.
Slice the loin and enjoy with ramen noodles, plain or fried rice, buns, as an appetizer, warm or cold, the possibilities are endless.

Sate Ayam (Spicy Chicken Skewers with Sate Sauce)

serves 3:

600gr chicken breasts or boneless thighs

marinade:
1 lemon grass, bashed up
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teasp turmeric
1/2 teasp chili powder
1 teasp red curry paste
2 tablesp (level) sugar
1/2 teasp salt
1 tablesp peanut oil
1 tablesp dried coriander

sate sauce:
1 lemon grass, bashed up
1 teasp tamarind, diluted in warm water
2 dried chili peppers, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teasp grated ginger
1 tablesp honey
1 teasp ground coriander
1 tablesp fresh coriander, chopped
1 cup peanuts or cashew nuts, finely crushed
1 teasp tahini (sesame paste)
pinch of salt
a few curry leaves
1 teasp lemon juice
water to the apropriate thickness of the sauce

wooden skewers



Cut the chicken into small bits that will easily cook on a skewer. Mix them with all the ingredients of the marinade and let them rest in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Mix all ingredients of the sauce in a saucepan and heat them up to boiling point. Remove from the heat.

Soak the wooden skewers in water for at least 20min (avoids burning), and thread the marinated chicken onto them.
Grill or barbecue them until golden, serve with the sate sauce, vegetables and basmati rice.

Thai Chicken Mango Curry *

Serves 3-4

- 2 small thai mango or a big one
- 1 can coconut milk
- 1/2 teasp powdered stock in 100ml water
- 4 teasp red curry paste
- 2 teasp fish sauce
- 1 tablesp mango chutney
- 2 teasp freshly grated ginger
- 1 teasp turmeric
- 2 cloves crushed garlic
- a pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 tablesp honey
- 1 red bell pepper, cut in pieces (2cm)
- 600gr chicken breasts, cut in small pieces (2-3cm)


Cut 1/3rd of the mango in small cubes and reserve for topping.
Blitz the other 2/3rds of the mango to a pulp, add it to a pan with all other ingredients except chicken, mix and bring to a simmer over low heat. Let it sizzle gently for 20-30min to let the flavours develop.
Add the chicken and continue cooking for about 15min.
Serve with basmati rice and decorate with the reserved mango cubes.

Edit: works also very well with pineapple as a substitute for mango!

Mothership Squash and Beef Carpaccio

This was a successful recipe from Jamie magazine, in which we replaced the squash by pumpkin, works equally well here.





Serves 2 as a dinner or 4 as a starter

1 buternut squash, deseeded, cut into 8 lengthwise (or equal amount of pumpkin)
1 level teasp ground coriander seeds
1 level teasp ground fennel seeds
1/2 teasp chilli powder
1 teasp oregano
a pinch of ground cinnamon
a few pinches of sea salt (fleur de sel OK)
freshly ground pepper
3–4 teasp extra virgin olive oil

300g beef filet
1 teasp mustard seeds, bashed up
extra virgin olive oil
mixed interesting leaves such as rocket, radicchio, watercress, dandelion...
balsamic vinegar
lemon juice
salt, pepper
shaved parmesan cheese



Prepare the pumpkin: preheat the oven to 200deg, slice the pumpkin evenly and remove the skin. Mix the ground coriander, ground fennel, chilli, oregano, cinnamon, salt, pepper, olive oil. Rub this all over the pumpkin segment and place them on a roasting tray with greaseproof paper. Get another sheet of paper, rub one side with olive oil and put it, oiled-side down, on top of the squash. Bake in the hot oven for 25 min. (take the beef out of the fridge).
Get rid of the paper and turn the temperature to 170deg, cook for another 25-30 min, or until the pumpkin is soft and roasted.

10min before the end of the cooking time, prepare the meat. Pat it dry with kitchen paper, then rub it all over with a little olive oil. Season a board with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper and the mustard seeds. Roll the fillet in this.
Preheat a thick-bottomed pan, add a little olive oil, get the pan very hot, then sear the fillet for about 1.5-2min on each side. This gives the outside some texture while the inside will be blue. Remove from the pan and let it rest for a couple of minutes.
With a sharp knife, slice the fillet as thin as you can.
Divide the leaves between the serving plates. Dress them up with a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and a touch of lemon juice. Add the slices of meat, the pumpkin from the oven, and grate over some parmesan to finish.


Another tested alternative, very good:
Marinate the meat for 1 hour in 2 tablesp olive oil, 2 tablesp balsamic vinegar, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1 teaspoon chilli flakes.
Prepare the salad bed with:
- salad mix, rocket, watercress.
- 1 avocado, cubed and mixed with 1-2 tablesp lemon juice, fleur de sel
- steamed asparagus

Remove the meat from the marinade and grill it in a frying pan for 2 min on each side, let it rest.
Meanwhile ,heat up the rest of the marinade with a good pinch of sugar in a sauce pan for a minute. Pour this dressing over the prepared salad.
Slice the meat very thinly and lay it over the salad.
Top with shaved parmesan cheese. Serve with roast potatoes.

Kefta Mkaouara (Meatball and Egg Tajine)

Serves 3:

For the meatballs:
300g minced meat
2 tablesp bread crumbs in 3 tablesp milk
1 teasp ground cumin
3 ground peppercorns
1 teasp paprika
1/2 teasp cayenne pepper
1/2 teasp dried coriander
1/2 teasp cinnamon
a good pinch of salt

For the sauce:
1 onion, finely chopped
olive oil
1/2 teasp coriander seeds, ground
1/2 teasp fennel seeds, ground
1 teasp turmeric
3 peppercorns, ground
1 teasp paprika
1 teasp ginger
1/2 teasp cayenne pepper
1/4 teasp allspice
1 tomato can
2 cloves garlic, mashed
a good pinch of sugar
salt to taste
water (about 200ml)
a hanfull of fresh parsley, chopped
3 eggs


Combine all the ingredients for the meatballs in a bowl and mix thouroughly until everything is homogeneous. Shape up meatballs of about 1.5cm diameter and set them aside.

In a deep frying pan, saute' the onion in a few tablespoons of olive oil, for several minutes over low/medium heat. Add the spice mix (coriander seeds, fennel seeds, turmeric, peppercorns, paprika, ginger, cayenne, allspice) and stir for a couple of minutes on low heat. Add the tomato can, garlic, sugar, salt and water. Mix well and let it simmer for about 15-20 minutes on low heat. Control the taste and adjust if necessary. Add the meat balls one by one, the parsley, and continue cooking for another 15-30 minutes on low heat with the lid on.
Make three slight dips in the mixture and break an egg into each one. Let it sizzle until the eggs are just set (about 5min).
Serve with couscous or slices of toasted bread.

Lamb Biryani with Aubergine Raita

This dish is a little bit elaborate but totally worth the fuss. At least for us spice addicts, flavour and taste are just perfect!





Serves 4:

1kg lamb shoulder, without bone and fat, cubbed
vegetable oil
2 onions, thinly sliced
9 whole green cardamon pods
1/2 teaspoon ground black peppercorns
1 teasp coriander seeds
1 teasp ground coriander
1/4 teas ground clove
1 teasp ground cumin
1/2 teasp chilli powder
1 teasp grated ginger
2 teasp salt
3 garlic cloves, mashed
juice of 1 lemon (about 40ml)
water
200ml yoghurt
1 teasp garam masala
2 tablsp fresh chopped coriander
275g basmati or jasmin rice
2-3 whole cloves
5cm piece cinnamon stick
1 teasp turmeric (or saffron if possible)
50ml milk
2 bay leaves
a handfull of sliced almonds

Aubergine Raita:
3 small aubergines (japanese size)
300ml yoghurt
a pinch of salt
a pinch of ground cumin
dried coriander to decorate



In a wok or a frying pan, brown the meat on every side in a little bit of oil, and set aside.
In a wok, deep fry the onions, in 3-4 batches on low/medium heat. It will take about 10min per batch, they should have a nice golden colour without getting dark brown. Set them aside on a plate overlaid with absorbing kitchen paper.
Grind 5 cardamon pods, the peppercorns and coriander seeds with pestle and mortar. Combine with ground coriander, ground clove, ground cumin, chilli powder, ginger.
In a large pan, heat up a few tablespoons of oil. Add the spice mix on low heat and fry for a couple of minutes. Add half of the fried onions and continue stirring for a minute. Add the lamb meat, garlic and salt and mix well, let it get coated with all the spices for a few minutes. Add the lemon juice, and water to cover up the meat. Let it go back to sizzling and remove the impurities that come up to the surface. Cook for a further 5 minutes and remove from the heat.
Incorporate the yoghurt, 1 tablespoon a time, mixing well inbetween each tablespoon. Put back on low heat and let the curry simmer for two hours, until the lamb is very tender.
Add the fresh coriander and garam masala, mix well, cover and let it rest for 30min at room temperature to develop the flavour.
Preheat the oven to 180 degreesC.
Meanwhile, wash the rice in cold water and soak it for 30min. Boil a large amount of water, add 2 teaspoons of salt, 4 whole cardamon pods, 2-3 whole cloves, the cinnamon stick, and boil the rice for 5 minutes. Drain the water, and keep the rice warm (with the whole spices) and covered.
Dilute the turmeric in milk and set aside.
Set up the Biryani. My alsacian claypot terrine work well for that, otherwise a large pot with tight lid will also do. Start with a layer of meat (half of the lamb) with 2-3 tablespoons of the curry sauce. Overlay with half of the remaining fried onions, and half of the rice. Drizzle half of the turmeric-milk over the rice.
Continue layering with the other half of the meat, fried onions, rice, turmeric milk.
Pour 100ml of the curry sauce, top with two bay leaves, cover, and bake for 30min at 180 degreesC.
Meanwhile, roast the almonds in a dry frying pan for a few minutes until they get some colour, and set aside.
Serve the Biryani strait from the clay pot, with an aubergine raita and topping of almonds.


Aubergine Raita:
Wash and cut the small aubergines in half (longitudinal) and put then under a grill until the flesh softens and can be scooped with a spoon. Collect the flesh and homogenize it in a blender. Let it cool down and add yoghurt, a pinch of salt and ground cumin and put in the fridge until serving. Decorate with dried coriander.

Chicken in a Cashew Nut Sauce

Serves 4-5

2 onions
1 tablesp tomato purée
40g cashew nuts
2 teasp garam masala
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teasp chilli powder
1 tablesp lemon juice
1 teasp turmeric
2 teasp salt
1/2 teasp cumin powder
2 tablesp yoghurt
vegetable oil
1 tablesp fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish
1 generous tablesp sultanas (golden raisins)
750g chicken breast fillets, skinned and cubed
about 300ml water
6-8 mushrooms


Cut the onions and garlic into thick slices, then place in a food processor or blender. Process for 1 minute.
Add the tomato purée, cashew nuts, garam masala, chilli powder, lemon juice, turmeric, salt, cumin powder and yoghurt and process for a further 1 min until homogenous.
In a large pan, heat about 3 tablespoons oil, lower the heat to medium and pour in the onion and spice mixture. Fry gently, stirring frequently, for about 2 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary.
Add the fresh coriander, sultanas and cubed chicken to the pan and continue to stir-fry for a further minute.
Add the mushrooms, pour in the water and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook over a low heat for about 10 minutes.
After this time, remove the lid and cook a little bit more until the sauce thickens and the chicken is tender. For another 10-15 minutes if necessary.
Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with fresh chopped coriander. Serve with plain boiled basmati rice.

Tajine of Lamb with Dried Apricot and Pistachios **

Maw and Paw are back on the cooking scene! :-))
This is our new favorite tajine recipe. We found it on L'Atelier Vert, and this is a slightly modified version of a lamb tajine recipe that originally contained hazelnuts and fresh apricots.







Serves 5

1 kg. lamb shoulder or leg, trimmed of fat, deboned and cut into 5cm chunks
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic
2 carrots, sliced 1cm thick
2-3 tablespoons peanut oil or olive oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon black pepper corns
2 teaspoons turmeric (replace with saffron if possible)
2cm piece of fresh ginger root, peeled and thinly sliced, or 2 teaspoons ginger paste
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon harissa
about 50ml white wine
2 bay leafs, a few sprigs of parsley
3-4 cups of water
1 cube of stock
12 dried apricots, halved
3 tablespoons pistachios, without shell (half of it reduced to a powder, the other half slightly crushed)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander
Salt to taste


Grind the coriander seeds, fennel seeds and black pepper in a mortar or spice grinder. Combine with turmeric and cinnamon. Use about half of this mixture to rub into the meat; return the spiced meat to the refrigerator for a couple of hours (This step may be done the day before).

Heat the peanut or olive oil over medium heat in a wok pan. Brown the meat slowly and thoroughly on all sides. Remove the meat to a platter and reserve.
In a large casserole, add a few tablespoons of oil and sauté the onion for 5-10min over medium heat (they shouldn't get dark). Add crushed garlic, the carrots, the remaining half of the spice mix, ginger, harissa, honey, and continue stirring for a couple of minutes to coat the vegetables with the spices. Deglaze with white wine, and add the lamb and the pistachio powder to the pan. Add salt to taste. Pour enough water to just cover the meat, and add the cube stock, bay leafs, parsley, and apricots . Bring to the boiling point, then reduce the heat to very low, cover and simmer for about two hours, until the meat is meltingly tender. If the sauce is still too liquid you can remove the lid for 10-15min.

Before serving, incorporate the chopped fresh coriander to the casserole. In a frying pan, roast the crushed pistachios without oil for a few minutes, and sprinkle them on the meat. Serve with plain couscous, and a salad.

Tunisian Style Fried Bricks

These bricks are made with minced lamb meat in the original recipe, but since it is quite difficult to find that kind of meat we simply used beef and pork, which worked just fine.
The filling of the bricks have to be well cooked before frying because once in the oil everything will be very quick.
The tricky bit is for the raw egg not to escape from the sealed brick before frying, but we succeeded with flying colours in this step! The egg came out perfect, slighly cooked and just runny enough. Oishiii...





Serves 2 (5 bricks, 2 of them with egg)
- 5 large or 10 small sheets of brick dough
- 2 eggs
- about 300gr minced meat (a mix)
- 1 small onion (or 1/2 onion), finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons white wine
- salt, pepper
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- a few drops of Tabasco
- a pinch of allspice
- a few leaves of coriander, chopped
- 2 tablespoons dried raisins, soaked in water for half an hour and drained
- flour and water to seal the bricks
- vegetable oil for frying



In a wok or frying pan, heat up one or two tablespoons of oil and sauté the onion until golden. Add the minced meat and continue stiring for a couple of minutes. Add white wine, salt, pepper, cumin, allspice. When it is cooked you can add coriander leaves, Tabasco and raisins, and mix.

Lay a sheet of brick dough on a deep soup plate (If you are using a small sheet you will need a second one on top of the filling. If it is a large sheet just fold it on itself over the filling).
Add some filling (2-3 tablespoons) and make a small well in the center for the egg.


With a brush or with your fingers, paint the edges of the sheet with a mix of water and flour. Carefully break in the egg, and immediately cover with the upper sheet. Seal it well by pressing both sheets together, and rolling them up a little. Be fast!

Deep fry the bricks for a couple of minutes on each side.
Serve as soon as they are done, with drizzles of lemon juice and a green salad.

Thai Meat Ball Curry **

I have inserted a small picture of the dish because photography was not exactly successful! The curry was very good though and we'll do it again, so there will be other opportunities.
We wanted to test our newly acquired shrimp paste (kapi), and it does make a difference.



Serves 3

For the meat balls
- 500gr minced meat (mix of beef/pork)
- 1 small clove garlic, mashed
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon sake or chinese liquor
- 1 large tablespoon bead crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed to powder
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- salt, pepper from the mill
- flour for coating the meat balls

For the sauce
- 1 can of coconut milk or coconut cream
- 1 clove garlic, mashed
- 150ml chicken stock
- 3 teaspoons red curry paste
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
- 3-4 teaspoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- a bunch of fresh spinach, roughly chopped
- fresh coriander leaves


Prepare the meat balls: combine all ingredients for the meat balls in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly (better with your hands).
Form balls of about 3cm diameter and slightly coat them with a bit of flour to avoid sticking. Reserve in the fridge.

Prepare the sauce: Pour the coconut milk in a large sauce pan. Add the shrimp paste and curry paste and beat with a whisk until they have dissolved. Add the stock, mashed garlic, cumin, turmeric, fish sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, and mix. Now turn on the gas and let the sauce cook over low heat for about 10 minutes to bring all the flavors together.
Add the meat balls one by one, and continue cooking for at least 15 minutes (longer is fine).
Finally, add the spinach and coriander leaves, cook for a few more minutes and serve with rice.

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken is a popular Punjabi dish, where chicken is marinated in yoghurt and spices, and traditionally cooked at high temperatures in an earthen oven (tandoor). If you don't own a tandoor it can also be grilled or cooked in the oven as we did.
As cooking chicken in the oven slightly dries up the meat, we served it with a spicy tomato sauce.





Serves 4

-750gr boneless chicken thighs, in chunks of about 3-4cm

For the marinade:
- 2 cups plain yoghurt (400ml)
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 4 cardamon pods, powdered
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2 teaspoons grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
- 3 tablespoons paprika powder
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt


For the sauce:
- 1 onion, finely sliced
- vegetable oil
- 2 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, mashed
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 2 tomato cans
- a pinch of sugar
- a pinch of salt and pepper
- water (about 100ml)
- 30gr butter
- 50ml milk


Combine all the ingredients of the marinade, add the chicken and mix, cover and let it rest in the fridge for at least 6 hours, or overnight.

For the sauce, sauté the onion in a wok pan with a little oil, cloves and bay leaves. Add garlic, cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric, ginger, cumin, and continue stirring.
Add the tomato cans, sugar, salt, pepper, and water. Let it simmer for one hour over low heat.

Pre-heat the oven to 210 degrees C.
Place the marinated chicken in an oven-proof dish (without too much overlapping) and cook at this temperature for about 25 minutes, depending on your oven.

Towards the end of the cooking time, add butter and milk to the sauce and adjust the taste.
Serve Tandoori chicken with the sauce and white rice.


-----


Le poulet Tandoori est un plat Indien très populaire, très parfumé grâce aux nombreuses épices de la marinade.
Comme la cuisson au four dessèche légèrement le poulet, nous le servons avec une sauce à base de tomates et d'épices. Et ça y est, on est en Inde..


Pour 4 personnes

- 750gr de hauts de cuisses de poulet, sans os, en morceaux de 3-4cm

Pour la marinade:
- 2 cups de yahourt (400ml)
- 2 c.café de cumin en poudre
- 4 graines de cardamone, en poudre
- 1/2 c.café de piment de cayenne
- 2 c.café de gingembre râpé
- 2 gousses d'ail, écrasées
- 3 c.soupe de paprika
- 1 c.soupe de jus de citron
- 1 c.café de sel


Pour la sauce:
- 1 oignon, finement ciselé
- huile végétale
- 2 clous de girofle
- 2 feuilles de laurier
- 2 gousses d'ail, écrasées
- 1/2 c.café de cannelle
- 1/2 c.café de fenugrec
- 1 c.café de curcuma
- 1 c.café de gingembre râpé
- 1 c.café de cumin en poudre
- 2 boites de conserves de tomates
- une pincée de sucre
- une pincée de sel et de poivre
- environ 100ml d'eau
- 30gr de beurre
- 50ml de lait


Dans un saladier, mélanger tous les ingrédients de la marinade et le poulet. Couvrir et laisser reposer au frigo pendant au moins six heures ou toute une nuit.

Préparer la sauce: Dans un wok, faire revenir les oignons dans un fillet d'huile avec les clous de girofle et les feuilles de laurier.
Ajouter l'ail, la cannelle, le fenugrec, le curcuma, le gingembre, le cumin, et continuer à remuer.
Ajouter ensuite les tomates, une pincée de sel, poivre et sucre, et l'eau. Laisser mijoter sur feu très doux pendant une heure.

Préchauffer le four à 210 degrés. Disposer le poulet dans un plat creux allant au four (en Pyrex par exemple), et le faire cuire pendant environ 25 minutes selon le four.

Vers la fin de la cuisson, ajouter le beurre et le lait à la sauce.
Servir le poulet Tandoori à la sortie du four avec la sauce et du riz.

Shish Taouk (Lebanese Chicken Kebab) *

I hope I am not offending any Lebanese person by calling this chicken Shish Taouk. I meddled a bit with the basic recipe, but only to improve it ;-)
We ate it with Pita bread (recipe will follow in another post), but this chicken can also be appreciated with only a yoghurt sauce of your choice and vegetables, or skewered for a great barbecue dish.





Shish Taouk, serves 2-3
- 500gr boneless chicken legs, in bits of about 5cm
- 3 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, mashed
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper


Aubergine and yoghurt sauce
- 1 medium sized aubergine (or 2 small japanese ones)
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1/4 of a small onion
- about 4 tablespoons plain yoghurt
- 2 teaspoons Tahini (sesame paste) - optional
- a few drops of lemon juice
- a few blades of Italian parsley (or regular parsley), chopped
- salt, pepper

Plus
- Pita bread, tomato, cucumber, salad leaves....



In a deep dish, mix all ingredients for the Shish Taouk, cover with cling film and marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours to get the best flavour out of the chicken.

To prepare the aubergine sauce:
Wash the aubergine and remove the end bit. Poke a few holes with a fork, put it on a tray overlaid with cooking paper, and bake it in the oven at 200 degrees for about 45 minutes (it will wrinkle up). When it is cooked, cut it in half lengthwise and scrape the pulp with a knife. It should come off easily.
Put the pulp in a blender together with garlic, onion, Tahini, lemon juice, and blend everything.
Add this preparation to the yoghurt, mix in the parsley and adjust the taste with salt and pepper. Reserve.

There are several ways to cook the chicken. The best one is on a barbecue, if you are lucky to have one (it's a great summer dish). Alternatively, you can just use a frying pan and brown the meat for a few minutes, or grill it in the oven, or broil it.
Open the pita bread and stuff it with chicken, chopped vegetables and aubergine sauce. Yummmiiee...


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J'espère ne fâcher personne en appelant ce poulet Shish Taouk. J'ai un peu modifié la recette, comme d'habitude, mais la base est la même. On peut remplir des pains Pita (la recette pour bientôt) avec ce poulet et faire des kebabs. On peut également en faire des brochettes ou le déguster grillé avec une sauce au yahourt et des légumes frais.


Shish Taouk, pour 2-3 personnes
- 500gr de hauts de cuisses de poulets, sans os, en morceaux d'environ 5cm
- 3 c.soupe de jus de citron
- 2 c.soupe d'huile d'olive vierge de bonne qualité
- 3/4 c.café de sel
- 1/4 c.café de poivre
- deux gousses d'ail ecrasées
- 1/4 c.café de cannelle
- 1/4 c.café de quatre-épices
- 1 c.café de curcuma
- 1/2 c.café de piment de cayenne


Sauce à l'aubergine et au yahourt
- une aubergine de taille moyenne (2 petites au Japon)
- 1/2 gousse d'ail
- 1/4 d'un petit oignon
- environ 4 c.soupe de yahourt nature
- 2 c.café de Tahini (pate de sésame) - facultatif
- quelques gouttes de jus de citron
- quelques brins de persil plat, ciselé
- sel et poivre

Plus
- Pain Pita, tomates, concombre, feuilles de salade....


Dans un plat creux, mélanger tous les ingrédients du Shish Taouk, couvrir avec du film alimentaire et laisser mariner au frigo pendant au moins 6 heures.

Pour la sauce:
Laver l'aubergine et enlever la queue. Faire quelques trous avec une fourchette et la cuire au four à 200 degrés pendant environ 45 minutes, jusqu'à ce qu'elle soit bien froissée. La couper ensuite en deux dans la longueur et retirer la pulpe avec un couteau.
Mettre la pulpe dans un mixeur avec l'ail, l'oignon, le Tahini, le jus de citron, et mixer. Ajouter cette préparation au yahourt, ajouter le persil et assaisoner avec sel et poivre.

Pour cuire le poulet l'idéal serait d'utiliser un barbecue (c'est un plat parfait pour l'été). Autrement on peut simplement le faire sauter dans une poêle à frire avec un peu d'huile d'olive, ou bien utiliser le grill du four.
Pour les kebabs, remplir les pains Pita de poulet, tomates, concombre, salade, et sauce. Enjoy!

Tartare Boeuf-Vache

I wanted to try this steak tartare recipe by Péché de Gourmandise for quite a while, and I had to bring it up several times before Mr.Paw finally gave in, but I think he liked it.
Needless to say, it is absolutely necessary to get the very best piece of filet for this recipe, and eggs as fresh as possible, as they are eaten raw.

Serves 2
- 250gr beef filet (tenderloin, sirloin, tournedos...)
- 2 egg yolks
- 25gr Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tablespoon Ketchup
- 1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- a few drops of Tabasco
- salt, pepper
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 tablespoon capers
- 2 shallots
- a few blades of Italian parsley


Cut some chips out of your Parmesan block with a good knife or with a vegetable peeler and make them crumble with your fingers. Set aside, and keep some for decoration.
Pepare the sauce:
In a bowl, mix the egg yolks, mustard, Ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Slowly incorporate the olive oil while whisking vigourously.
Add the drained capers, chopped parsley (reserve a couple of leafes for decoration), finely chopped shallots.
Prepare the meat:
Cut your filet into slices of about 4-5mm. Cut each slice into equally thin strips, and each strip into very small dices. It's a bit long but totally worth it.
Mix the meat with the sauce and cheese. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Shape up a small heap in each plate, decorate with Parmesan chips and parsley, and serve with a green salad and grilled potatoes or fries.


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Cela faisait un bout de temps que je voulais essayer cette recette de tartare de chez Péché de Gourmandise parce que je sais qu'on peut trouver de l'excellente viande de boeuf au Japon. Et j'avais raison...
Couper la viande en petits dés plutôt que d'utiliser de la viande hachée est le meilleur moyen d'apprécier un tartare. Il faut cependant s'assurer que le filet soit de la plus haute qualité pour ce genre de plat.
Ah oui, c'est "vache" à cause du Parmesan, vous l'aurez compris...


Pour 2 personnes
- 250gr de filet de boeuf
- 2 jaunes d'oeufs
- 25gr de Parmesan
- 1/2 c.soupe de moutarde de Dijon
- 1/2 c.soupe de Ketchup
- 1/2 c.soupe de sauce Worcestershire
- quelques gouttes de Tabasco
- sel, poivre
- 2 c.soupe d'huile d'olive
- 1/2 c.soupe de câpres
- 2 échalotes
- quelques brins de persil plat


A l'aide d'un économe faire des copeaux de Parmesan. Ecraser les copeaux en petits morceaux avec les doigts sauf quelques uns pour le décor.
Préparer la sauce :
Dans un saladier mettre les jaunes d'oeufs, la moutarde, le Ketchup, quelques gouttes de Tabasco et la sauce Worcestershire. Saler, poivrer, mélanger et ajouter l'huile d'olive en filet en battant avec un fouet comme pour une mayonnaise.
Quand l'huile est incorporée, ajouter les câpres égouttées, le persil ciselé, les échalotes hachées.
Préparer la viande :
Faire des tranches de 4-5 mm puis couper les tranches en lanières et enfin les lanières en petits dés. C'est un peu long mais ça en vaut la peine.
Mélanger la viande à la sauce et ajouter le fromage. Rectifier l'assaisonnement.
Décorer avec quelques copeaux de fromage réservés et du persil. Accompagner d'une salade et de pommes de terre au four ou frites.

Tender Pork with Prunes *

We usually cook this kind of dish with lamb, but the pork tenderloin looked particularly good at the supermarket that day, and it was indeed a good pick.
As tender and savory as it can get, and once again, perfect with couscous.



Serves 3

- 1 onion, finely sliced
- 2 large cloves of garlic
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- salt
- pepper
- 100gr thinly sliced bacon
- 500-600gr pork tenderloin, cut into about 1.5cm slices
- flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 50ml Marsala wine
- 2 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon thyme, crushed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- cayenne pepper to taste
- 12 dried prunes
- a handful of crushed almonds (optional)
- about 200ml water


Coat the slices of tenderloin with flour and tap off the excess.
Heat up the butter in a large pot, and slowly brown the onion, garlic and bacon.
Remove from the pot and set aside.
Heat up olive oil in the same pot and brown the pork on both sides, season with salt and pepper.
Add Marsala wine, the onion, garlic, bacon, cloves, bay leaves, cinnamon, thyme, honey, cayenne pepper, dried prunes, almonds, and water until the meat is covered up.
Put the lid on with a small opening and let it sizzle for 1h30min.
Towards the end of the cooking time you can remove the lid if the sauce has not reduced enough. Add salt and pepper if necessary, and serve with couscous.


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Pour 3 personnes

- 1 onion, finement ciselé
- 2 grosses gousses d'ail, écrasées
- 1c.soupe de beurre
- sel et poivre
- 100gr de petits lardons
- 500-600gr de filet mignon de porc, en tranches de 1.5cm d'épaisseur
- de la farine
- 2 c.soupe d'huile d'olive
- 50ml de Marsala
- 2 clous de girofle
- 2 feuilles de lauriers
- 1/4 c.café de cannelle
- 1/2 c.café de thym sec, écrasé
- 1 c.soupe de miel
- piment de Cayenne (si on aime un peu relevé)
- 12 pruneaux (pour ma part, je préfère avec noyaux)
- amandes
- environ 200ml d'eau


Enrober les tranches de filet mignon de farine.
Dans une cocotte, chauffer le beurre et faire dorer à feu doux l'oignon, l'ail et les lardons. Les enlever et réserver.
Dans la meme cocotte, ajouter un peu d'huile d'olive et faire brunir la viande des deux côtés. Saler et poiver, et déglacer avec le Marsala.
Ajouter l'oignon, ail, lardons, clous de girofle, laurier, cannelle, thym, miel, piment de Cayenne, pruneaux, amandes, et recouvrir le tout d'eau.
Couvrir (laisser juste une petite ouverture) et faire mijoter pendant 1h30 à feu très doux. On peu enlever le couvercle vers la fin de la cuisson jusqu'à ce que la sauce ait la consistance désirée.
Rectifier l'assaisonement et servir avec de la semoule.

Fantastic Meat Pie **

Mr.H is the Minced Meat Meister of the household, no one makes better burgers than he does. He is also "in charge" when it comes to meat pie, and this great recipe was provided by his mum (is it all genetic?).
We have it several times every winter and never get tired of it.





Serves 4

- 300gr pie crust
- 700gr minced meat (a mix of beef/pork)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, mashed
- 50gr bacon, finely sliced
- 6 mushrooms, finely chopped
- 1 small green bell pepper, finely chopped
- olive oil
- 50-80gr processed cheese, chopped into small bits
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tablespoon white or red wine
- 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 1 egg, beaten
- 40ml milk
- 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon dry oregano
- 1 teaspoon dry sage
- salt and pepper to taste


Soak the bread crumbs in milk.

In a frying pan, sauté the onion with garlic, then bacon, mushrooms, bell pepper, in a bit of olive oil. Set aside and let them cool down.
When cold, add them to the minced meat in a large bowl, together with the bread crumbs, milk, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, wine, soy sauce, half of the egg, nutmeg, oregano, sage, salt and pepper. Mix well, and add the processed cheese.

Roll out the pie crust. Use one half to cover the bottom and sides of an oven-proof dish (at least 3-4cm high, as on the picture). Add the meat, and cover with the other half of the pie crust. Try to seal the pie, and use the leftovers of dough for decoration.
Brush with the other half of the beaten egg and bake at 200 degrees for 40-50 minutes.
Enjoy with a green salad.


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Nous faisosns cette tourte plusieurs fois chaque hiver, on l'aime beaucoup. C'est une recette de la maman de H qui a même été testée avec succès en Alsace, l'autre pays de la tourte...


Pour 4 personnes

- 300gr de pâte feuilletée
- 700gr de viande hachée (un mélange boeuf/porc)
- un oignon, haché
- 2 gousses d'ail, ecrasées
- 50gr de lard ou lardons, coupé en petis morceaux
- 6 champignons de Paris, coupés en petits morceaux
- un petit poivron vert, coupé en petits morceaux
- de l'huile d'olive
- 50-80gr de fromage fondu, coupé en petits morceaux
- 2 c.soupe de ketchup
- 1 c.soupe de sauce worcestershire
- 1/2 c.soupe de vin blanc ou rouge
- 1/2 c.soupe de sauce de soja
- 1/2 tasse de miettes de pain
- 1 oeuf, battu
- 40ml de lait
- 1/2 c.café de noix de muscade moulue
- 1 c.café d'origan
- 1 c.cafe de sauge
- sel et poivre


Verser le lait sur les miettes de pain et réserver.

Dans une poelle, faire revenir les oignons et l'ail avec un peu d'huile d'olive, et faire de même avec les petits lardons, les champignons et le poivron. Mettre de côté et laisser refroidir.

Ajouter ensuite le tout à la viande hachée, avec le pain, lait, ketchup, sauce worcestershire, vin, sauce soja, la moitié de l'oeuf, les épices, sel et poivre. Bien mélanger, et incorporer ensuite le fromage.

Etaler la pâte. Utiliser la moitié pour recouvrir le fond et les parois d'un moule à gâteau ou d'un plat en pyrex. Répartir la viande, et recouvrir de l'autre moitié de pâte. Utiliser les restes pour décorer. Dorer avec l'autre moitié de l'oeuf battu, et faire cuire à 200 degrés pendant 40 à 50 minutes.
Servir avec une bonne salade verte.

Saag Gosht (Lamb in Spinach Curry)

We had this curry at the restaurant a couple of times and I really loved it, so we gave it a try at home, and it was a success.
The only problem with this curry is that it is not photogenic, to say the least... I challenge anyone to take an apetizing photo of Saag Gosht. So once again, don't get turned off by the picture, just try it!


Serves 4

- 800gr boneless leg or shoulder of lamb, cut into appr. 2.5cm cubes
- 2 onions, finely sliced
- 3-4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter)
- 2 teaspoons cumin powder
- 2 teaspoons turmeric
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ginger paste (or freshly grated ginger)
- 2 teaspoons coriander seeds, crushed to powder
- 4 cardamon pods, crushed to powder
- 10 black peppercorns, crushed
- 3 cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- a pinch of nutmeg
- 3 garlic cloves, mashed
- salt (at least 1 teaspoon)
- 1 can of diced tomatoes (400ml)
- about 100ml water
- 300gr yoghurt
- 2 teaspoons dried chili flakes (optional)
- 400gr fresh spinach


In a frying pan, brown the lamb with a little oil, and set aside.

Heat up a wok pan and then the ghee. Lower the heat and add the sliced onions. Keep frying for about 20 min over low heat until they are soft and golden.
Add the cumin, turmeric, chili powder, ginger, coriander, cardamon, peppercorns, cloves, nutmeg, bay leaves, and fry for a couple of minutes. It will smell fantastic.
Add the tomato can, water, garlic, salt, and cook for a couple of minutes. Remove the cloves and the bay leaves and set them aside.
Stir in the yoghurt, mix and remove from the heat.
When it is somewhat cooled down, purée everything in a blender or a food processor.
Put the mixture in a large pot together with the lamb. Add the chili flakes, 2 of the reserved cloves and one bay leaf, and let it sizzle over low heat for 2 hours (lid on with a small opening).
Boil the spinach for 2-3 minutes and purée with a blender or a food processor.
Fifteen minutes before the end of the cooking time, add the spinach to the lamb curry and mix.
You can do this curry in advance, let it rest for a while and heat it up again just before eating.
Serve with Naan bread or rice.