Cooking At Zero Degrees

Food is fun, it should be fun to make and fun to eat. For some people making a meal is a chore. If it is then don’t do it; but please, it’s better to eat something, anything, that you make at home from scratch, rather than prepared, packaged supermarket food which have about as much flavour as the plastic or cardboard package they come in. Food cultivation and husbandry is not just a moral argument.  Eggs that don’t come from battery hens taste better, cattle properly reared have more flavour – and at its most simple, if they’re not being pumped full of chemicals then you’re not being pumped full of chemicals. How good is that? If you can buy local, use your neighbourhood shops, you will miss them when they are gone.  Most of all, have fun making a meal of it!  Oh, and why at zero degrees? Because that’s where we lived when this blog started – in Greenwich, London and now we are there and in the Kent Downs. This is a blog about what we eat at home. Starters, mains, sauces, side dishes, cocktails and links to local shops. It’s all here. Enjoy!

Devilled Pigeon Breast with Wild Mushrooms on Toast.

It’s that time of year – game season. A nice way to have something in season without too much effort, and not have it as a main course, is pigeon breast on toast. Although, I confess I prefer it on fried bread – I mean if you are going to have pigeon, cream, mushrooms, shallots in butter then why bother with a bit of healthy toast? It is so much better on fried bread. It’s not like I’m eating it every day. I use two breasts per person, and cooked to remain pink. So here it is, like devilled kidneys but this is devilled pigeon. A starter for four or main course (supper) for two.

Egg Nog

Cooking At Zero Degrees

This is one of those drinks that I have always wanted to make. It’s not that Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas with out it, but until I had made my own and sipped from its delicious alcoholic creaminess I knew I wouldn’t be happy. So I coerced an American friend to provide me with her family recipe, and this is it. Let me also tell you that this is brazen in its alcoholic lure. You can change out the levels of rum and whiskey, but try it like this first and then make your own version. Have a cool yule.

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Crumble Topped Mince Pies

Now, there are two ways of doing this. Following this recipe, or buy some sweet crust pastry and some made mincemeat (which you improve by adding some of these ingredients) and save yourself some time. I suppose you pays your money you takes your choice, but part of the fun of christmas is getting in the kitchen with the carols on the radio and shutting the world out. You can also have a glass or two of wine while you do it and just tell people you are being festive, or at least getting merry.

Anyway, these are deep, rich with a nut crumble topping. You can make them in advance and store in an airtight container for a week, or freeze the pies and reheat when they are needed.

Braised Cabbage and Onions

Side dishes, predominantly vegetables, for me they really are the Best Supporting Actor – nice but not really the main event. When I discover one I like, and is easy to make, so much the better. This is it. Soft, slowly braised, yielding cabbage mixed with equally unctuous leek or onion. As a side it is perfect, never upstages the main, compliments the whole, but is straightforward and easy.  Feeds two very well, upscale for more, takes about 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Half savoy cabbage,
• 2 onions or two leeks
• 2 tbs olive oil or butter (butter is best)
• 50mls stock
• salt, pepper.

Method

1. Prep the cabbage, discard the core and tough outer leaves. Slice as thinly as possible and set aside.
2. Heat frying pan with a lid then add the oil or butter.
3. Half peel and slice the onions, again very thinly. Similarly if you use leeks, remove tough ends, clean and slice in thin rounds. Add to the frying pan, sprinkle with salt and cook until soft (about 4 minutes).
4. Add the cabbage. Mix the lot well.
5. Reduce the heat, cover and cook for about 30 minutes but uncover and stir every five minutes or so.
6. Half way through add the stock and cook for the remaining period.
7. Season to taste, mix well again and serve.

Deep Fried Oysters

Now, here’s something I thought I would never write: I love deep fried oysters. I am ok with them on shell, uncooked and with all that taste of the sea, but here with panko crispy exterior, slightly cooked through and with a lovely wash of wasabi mayo they are sheer perfection. Great Christmas starter or treat!

Ingredients

• As many Oysters (shucked) as you can manage.
• One egg beaten.
• Plain flour for dredging.
• Panko breadcrumbs.
• Oil for frying.

Method

1. Pan on with enough oil just to cover the oyster. Heat until 180deg or until a breadcrumb sizzles and browns when dropped in.
2. Mix two tablespoons of mayo with enough wasabi to your taste.
3. Roll the oyster in the flour, then in the egg and finally in the breadcrumbs.
4. Gently put into the oil and fry until golden (this will be seconds).
5. Remove and put on kitchen paper to drain.
6. One oyster, with small amount of wasabi mayo, Serve immediately.

Lemon Sole with Oyster Sauce

Lemon Sole with Oyster Sauce

Ok, this really is something you do on a Saturday or when you have the time. I did this midweek, after work. It was a stretch then for an evening dinner, but it was sunny and I wanted to try it. In the original recipe at Great British Chefs (do go to the site it really is wonderful) it does take a few days, for mine (given the time) it was a bit quicker as is the method set out below.

Whatever, the result was lovely. The saltiness of the oysters and cucumber sauce lifts a lovely piece of fish to a delicate place. It really is worth the effort.

 

Ingredients

• 6 lemon sole fillets, large
• 200ml of vegetable oil
• 40g of tarragon
• 3 large leeks
• 1 cucumber, roughly chopped
• 1 shallot, roughly chopped
• 50g of horseradish cream
• 50ml of white wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp of caster sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 large eggs beaten
• 8 oysters, shucked
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• 300ml of vegetable oil
• 10 spring onions
• 120g of flour
• 120g of Panko breadcrumbs
• oil, for deep-frying
• salt

 

Method

1. Tarragon Sauce: The day before (but I actually did it on the day) add the tarragon and oil to a blender and blitz until smooth. Transfer the oil to a sieve lined with a double layer of muslin or a coffee filter. Set over a container to collect the oil that drips through and leave in the fridge overnight – the oil should be bright green and crystal clear.
2. Slice the leeks into rounds and blanch in salted boiling water for a few minutes. Refresh in iced water.
3. To make the oyster sauce: add the cucumber, shallots, horseradish cream, vinegar and sugar to a blender. Blitz until smooth for 3 minutes. Tip the liquid into a fine sieve and allow to strain through to remove the pulp. Set the strained liquid aside.
4. Add the egg yolks, lemon juice and oysters to a blender and blitz until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream to emulsify
5. Scrape down the sides of the blender. Turn on the blender again and slowly add back the cucumber stock until you reach the desired consistency and flavour.
6. Blanch the spring onions in salted boiling water then refresh in iced water. Drain and set aside.
7. Preheat a deep-fryer to 190°C. Dip each oyster first in the flour, then the egg, and finally the breadcrumbs. Fry in the hot oil for 2 minutes until crisp and golden, then drain on kitchen paper and season with salt.
8. Heat a griddle pan, brush the blanched spring onions with oil and cook until lightly charred.
9. To cook the lemon sole: brush each fillet with a little oil, season with salt and grill under a hot grill for around 2 minutes, until just cooked through.
10. To serve: sit the slices of leek in the centre of each plate. Pour the sauce around the leeks and drizzle over the tarragon oil. Place a lemon sole fillet on top of the leeks, arrange the spring onion on the plate and top with a crispy oyster. Serve immediately

Tarte Au Citron

I wanted a pudding. I wanted something sharp rather than sweet – but then other people become involved and they want sweet over sharp, and so it goes on. There is a balance to be struck and it’s with a lovely tarte au citron. My local farmers shop has some wonderfully large, ripe and juicy lemons that were crying out for use and so they came to the rescue. Here it is, a tart for the close of summer; one to use before the darker night and heavier puddings of autumn arrive.

Spiced Christmas Ham

Cooking At Zero Degrees

This is a real festive treat. I was never one for thick cuts of ham, it just didn’t seem right. Then I discovered a Christmas-time recipe that I now make every year; and every year it is the one thing people want more of  and never tire of eating. A boneless mild cure gammon, soaked in the flavours of fennel, anise, coriander and cloves. The whole lot is then glazed in cinnamon and smoked paprika. Not only does it taste wonderful, but the house smells even more of the Christmas cheer. I have put this on now so that you can do it if you want. When mine is done, a picture will follow.

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Not So Traditional Christmas Dundee Cake

Hands up, I don’t like Christmas Cake. I don’t apologise. It seems forced, overly fruity, almond pasted, icing sugared overload. It’s not for me. I am partial to a slice of Dundee cake. The problem with that, of course, is that it doesn’t always come up to what you Christmas cake fiends demand. So there is something to find in the middle. I think this is it – it has the fruit, and some alcoholic richness; but it pushes back the icing for a glaze and blanched almonds (so much better than the paste). It being Christmas time, the cake is fed – with the tipple of your choice –  so that it keeps moist and tastes wonderful with a great glassful of sherry. Nuts, fruit, eggs, alcohol, and in this cake a little mixed spice and cinnamon (hence not so traditional). Don’t complain, it’s not Dundee cake, I know, it’s a Dundee Christmas Cake.