Month: January 2020

2.5kg bone-in beef short ribs, cut crosswise into 2-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp vegetable oil
3 medium onions, chopped
3 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 750 ml bottle dry red wine (preferably Cabernet Sauvignon)
10 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
8 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs oregano
2 sprigs rosemary
2 fresh or dried bay leaves
1L low-salt beef stock

Preheat oven to 350F/175C. Season short ribs with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high. Working in 2 batches, brown short ribs on all sides, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer short ribs to a plate. Pour off all but 3 Tbsp. drippings from pot.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to pot and cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, until onions are browned, about 5 minutes. Add flour and tomato paste; cook, stirring constantly, until well combined and deep red, 2-3 minutes. Stir in wine, then add short ribs with any accumulated juices. Bring to a boil; lower heat to medium and simmer until wine is reduced by half, about 25 minutes. Add all herbs to pot. Stir in stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and transfer to oven.

Cook until short ribs are tender, 2–2.5 hours. Transfer short ribs to a platter. Strain sauce from pot into a measuring cup. Spoon fat from surface of sauce and discard; season sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Serve in shallow bowls over mashed potatoes with sauce spooned over.

Pastry

190 g all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
115 g unsalted butter, cold, cubed
45 ml ice-cold water

Filling

2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
375 ml maple syrup
125 ml heavy cream (35% fat content)
1 egg

In a food processor, mix all dry ingredients and pulse. Add butter and pulse in short bursts until the mix is pea-sized. Add water and pulse in busts until the dough just begins to form. Add water as needed. Tip out onto a surface and form into a disk. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.

On a flour-dusted surface, roll to a circle of 3mm thickness and line a round 9″/23cm pie dish. Chill while making filling.

Preheat oven to 200C/400F. In a large bowl, mix cornstart and flour. Add maple syrup and whisk until smooth and cornstarch is fully incorporated. Add cream and egg. Whisk again until homogeneous. Empty into pie shell. Bake for 45 minutes or until the filling is set. Leave to cool down at room temperature for 2h.

Soft butter, for greasing the pan
Flour, for dusting the buttered pan
4 large eggs
200g sugar, sifted
200g brown sugar, sifted
230g melted butter
105g cocoa powder, sifted
65g flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 300F/150C. Butter and flour an 8-inch square pan.

In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the eggs at medium speed until fluffy and light yellow. Add both sugars. Add remaining ingredients, and mix to combine.

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 8-inch square pan and bake for 45 minutes. Check for doneness with the tried-and-true toothpick method: a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan should come out clean.

When it’s done, remove to a rack to cool. Resist the temptation to cut into it until it’s mostly cool.

TIPS

Whip your eggs until light and ribbony: Because this recipe doesn’t use any chemical leavening agents (like baking powder or baking soda), it’s important that you whip the eggs for long enough to incorporate air into them so your brownies have some lift. You want the eggs to be light yellow in color and thick, so be patient.

When checking the brownies for doneness, a little bit of wet crumbs stuck to the toothpick is OK: Unlike cakes, it’s OK if a bit of wet crumbs stick to the toothpick when you check them for doneness. It’s best to err on the side of underbaking these brownies versus overbaking them, so don’t wait until the toothpick is completely clean.

Allow the brownies to cool completely before cutting into them: If you try to cut the brownies too early, they will crumble apart and stick to your knife, so give them at least one hour to cool before attempting to cut them.

CHICKEN TIKKA

600g chicken breast
400ml cups natural yogurt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons ginger paste
2 tablespoons tikka masala sauce
1 tablespoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon salt

CURRY

2 tablespoons oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons ginger paste
1 teaspoon cumin seed
2 black peppercorns
2 cloves
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
100ml natural yogurt
100ml water

RICE

400ml water
300g basmati rice, soaked for at least 20 minutes
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon cumin seed

BIRYANI ASSEMBLY

200g onion, carmelised
20g fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 tablespoon oil
200ml water, saffron-infused

Preheat the oven 430F/220C.

Combine all the chicken tikka ingredients and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Skewer the marinated chicken pieces on bamboo skewers, then place them over a baking tray lined with parchment paper, making sure there is space underneath the chicken to help distribute the heat more evenly.

Reserve the chicken tikka marinade for later use.

Bake the chicken skewers for about 15 minutes, until slightly dark brown on the edges and cooked throughout.

Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat, then sauté the onions with the herbs and spices until just browned.

Add in the chopped tomatoes and fry till soft.

Pour in the yogurt, water, and reserved tikka marinade, and mix it well with the vegetables and spices.

Bring the mixture to a boil, add in the chicken and cook for a further 4-5 minutes. Set aside.

In a large pot, assemble your biryani in the following layers: 1/3 rice, 1/2 chicken curry, 1/2 caramelised onion, 1/2 coriander, 1/3 rice, oil, 1/2 of the saffron-infused water, 1/2 chicken curry, 1/3 rice, the rest of the saffron-infused water, 1/2 caramelised onion, and finally top with the remaining coriander.

Simmer the biryani over a low heat for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed and the rice and chicken are heated throughout.