The beaver is a proud and noble animal
Notes from a bemused canuck
Soak Chinese wheat noodles in boiling water. Stir-fry thinly sliced pork with ginger and sambal oelek and powdered onion. Add sliced mushrooms and sliced celery. Fry for a few minutes and add sliced Chinese cabbage and shredded carrots. Add a veggie stock pot. Dissolve some corn starch in a bit of water and soy sauce. Thicken the stir fry with the starch mix. Drain noodles and toss until well covered.
Ingredients
For the pastry
250g plain flour
pinch sea salt
125g unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
25g caster sugar
1 tsp cold water
1 medium free-range egg
For the filling
15g unsalted butter
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
65g caster sugar
1/2 tbsp calvados
3-4 Cox or Braeburn apples, peeled, cores removed, each cut into 10 segments
100ml double cream
1 medium free-range egg
1-2 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting
Preparation method
For the pastry, pulse together the flour, sugar, butter and salt in a food processor until you reach a sandy texture. Add the egg, water and pulse again. If you over mix the dough at this stage it will lose its flakiness.
Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead with the palms of your hands for 30 seconds, or until the dough is smooth and well combined.
With the palm of your hand flatten the dough slightly to 1cm/½in thickness, then sandwich it between two large sheets of cling film. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 220C/440F/Gas 7. Place a baking tray into the oven to preheat.
Roll the chilled dough, still sandwiched in cling film, to a 2mm thickness. Place a 22cm diameter, 2cm deep tart ring on a greaseproof lined wooden peel or baking tray. Remove the top layer of clingfilm and carefully pick up the dough, place it into the tart ring with the second layer of clingfilm facing up. Lift and tuck the dough into the edges of the ring and discard the clingfilm. By tucking in the base you will minimise the shrinking of the dough during cooking. Trim off any excess with a rolling pin.
Using your index finger and thumb, pinch and press the dough until it’s 2mm above the tart ring all around the edge. With a fork, prick the bottom of the tart. Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, for the filling, heat the butter, lemon juice and 15g of the sugar in a small saucepan until the butter has melted and the sugar has dissolved. Remove from the heat and stir in the Calvados. Set aside.
When the tart case has chilled, arrange the apple segments in concentric circles, overlapping the apple slices as you go. Brush the apples all over with the Calvados mixture. Slide the tart ring onto the pre-heated baking tray and bake for 10 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 200C/400F/Gas 6, then continue to cook for a further 20 minutes, until the pastry is pale golden-brown and the apples have caramelised.
Whisk together the double cream, egg and the remaining 500 caster sugar until well combined.
When the pastry is pale golden-brown and the apples have caramelised, sprinkle the tart with a tablespoon of sugar and pour the custard mixture into the tart, bake for a further 10 minutes, until the filling mixture has just set.
To serve, remove the tart from the oven and set aside for 1 hour to cool slightly, then carefully remove the tart ring. Dust all over with icing sugar. Serve immediately.
The key to this recipe is to sauté the rice in sizzling oil until toasted and golden brown. This helps the grains keep some of their texture after they are cooked. Next, the rice simmers in a puree of tomatoes, onions, and chicken stock to really absorb all of those delicious additional flavors. A handful of coriander, a few big squeezes of lime, and a light fluff with a fork guarantees the best rice ever, every single time.
1 large tin can whole peeled tomatoes
1 medium onion, peeled and roughly chopped
500ml chicken stock
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
neutral cooking oil, such as canola or safflower
2 cups long grain white rice
1-2 chile peppers, such as jalapeño or serrano, seeded and minced
1/4 cup finely chopped coriander
Juice from 2 limes, plus additional wedges for serving
Place the tomatoes and onion in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer 2 cups of the tomato mixture to a medium saucepan. Stir in the chicken stock, salt, and cumin and bring liquid to a boil over medium heat. (Reserve excess for another use, like Tomato Sauce.)
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling, add the rice and sauté, stirring frequently until lightly toasted and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the jalapeño and cook until they have softened, about 2 minutes, lowering the heat if necessary.
Pour the boiling tomato mixture over the rice and stir to combine. Turn heat to low and cook, covered, until liquid has evaporated and rice is done, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir the rice. Return the cover and allow to rest undisturbed for an additional 10 minutes. Add coriander and lime juice; fluff gently with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired. Serve with additional lime wedges.
INGREDIENTS
40 large pitted, unstuffed olives
1 1/2 cups gin
6 3×1′ strips lemon zest (yellow part only)
1/4 cup dry vermouth
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
PREPARATION
Combine all ingredients and 1 cup water in a large jar. Cover; shake well and chill for at least 2 hours. Divide among smaller jars. DO AHEAD: Keep chilled for up to 2 weeks.
Ingredients
1 cup high quality coffee beans
125g chocolate (dark or milk, to your preference)
3 tbsp cocoa powder (optional)
Method
Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Spead the beans on a baking sheet and roast them for 8 to 10 minutes. Let them cool to room temp.
Melt chocolate in a double-boiler until smooth.
Mix the beans into the chocolate and stir gently until well coated.
Remove the beans with a slotted spoon (or two forks) and let the excess chocolate drip. Spread out the beans on a piece of grease-proof paper so that they don’t touch each other. When the beans have cooled sufficiently but the chocolate is still malleable, roll the beans to form small balls.
Optional: dust the balls with cocoa powder and set aside until completely firmed up.
Alternatively, make a bark!
Roast the beans as previously described. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Melt 200g milk chocolate and 200g dark chocolate separately then allow to cool slightly.
Pour most of the chocolate onto the tray, roughly swirling together. Sprinkle over the coffee beans, then drizzle over the remaining chocolate. Optionallydust with cocoa powder and cane sugar. Chill until set, then break into big chunks before serving.
INGREDIENTS
KOMBU DASHI AND TARE
2 pieces dried kombu
1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp. dry sake
1 Tbsp. mirin
PORK AND STOCK
1.5 lb. boneless pork shoulder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2 lb. chicken necks, backs, and/or wings
1 lb. pork spareribs
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, peeled, cut into pieces
1 1” piece ginger, peeled, sliced
1/4 cup bonito flakes
RAMEN AND GARNISHES
3 large eggs
6 5-oz. packages fresh thin and wavy ramen noodles (or six 3-oz. packages dried)
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 toasted nori sheets, torn in half
Chili oil
OPTIONAL GARNISHES
Wilted spinach
Sweetcorn
Sliced mushrooms
Sliced leeks
Pretty much anything else you want!
INGREDIENT INFO:
You can find all the Asian ingredients listed here at Asian markets, in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets, and online. Look in the refrigerated section of Asian markets for fresh noodles. Ask your butcher for chicken necks and backs.
PREPARATION
KOMBU DASHI AND TARE
Two days ahead: For the dashi, combine kombu and 4 quarts cold water in a large bowl. Cover and let sit at room temperature at least 8 hours and up to 12 hours. For the tare, combine soy sauce, sake, and mirin in a small bowl; cover and chill.
PORK AND STOCK
One day ahead: Season pork shoulder with salt and pepper. Roll up and tie with kitchen twine at 2” intervals. (This helps keep the meat intact while cooking and makes for round, compact slices.)
Heat oil in a large heavy pot (at least 8 quarts) over medium-high heat Cook pork shoulder, turning, until brown all over, 10–12 minutes. Add chicken, spareribs, scallions, carrots, ginger, and bonito flakes. Remove kombu from dashi; discard. Add as much kombu dashi as will fit in pot once liquid is boiling (reserve remaining dashi). Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer, skimming the surface occasionally and adding remaining dashi as liquid reduces, until pork shoulder is tender and stock has reduced to about 2 quarts, 2.5–3 hours.
Remove pork shoulder from stock and let cool. Wrap tightly in plastic and chill until ready to use. (Chilling pork will make meat easier to slice.) Strain stock through a fine-mesh sieve into another large pot or a large bowl or container; discard solids (including ribs and chicken). Cover and chill.
RAMEN AND GARNISHES
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Carefully add eggs one at a time and boil gently for 7 minutes. (Egg yolks should be shiny yellow and almost jammy; egg white should be just set.) Drain eggs and transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking; let cool. Peel; set aside.
Remove string and thinly slice pork; cover and set aside.
When ready to serve, bring stock to a simmer; it should be very hot. At the same time, cook noodles in a large pot of boiling water according to package directions until al dente; drain (no need to salt the water, as ramen noodles contain more salt than pasta).
Just before serving, divide noodles among 6 deep bowls. Top with sliced pork, placing it off to one side. Add tare to hot stock and ladle over pork to warm through (stock should come up just to the level of the noodles).
Halve eggs and place next to the pork. Place a small pile of sliced onions next to egg. Tuck half a sheet of nori between side of bowl and noodles so it’s just poking out. Put any other optional topping you want :)
Serve ramen with chili oil.
DO AHEAD: Eggs can be cooked 1 day ahead. Keep unpeeled eggs covered in cool water. Cover and chill.
For the filling
1.25 kg large waxy potatoes, halved
85g butter
2 onions, chopped
1 tbsp black mustard seed
2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
2 red chilies, halved, deseeded and sliced
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander seed
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp garam masala
400g bag fresh spinach
4 tomatoes, chopped
small bunch coriander, chopped
For the pastry
270g pack filo pastry (6 large sheets)
50g melted butter
1/2 tsp poppy seeds seed
Method
Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
To make the filling, heat a pan of salted water. When boiling, add potatoes and boil for 15 mins until tender.
Melt the butter then fry the onions for a few mins. Combine tomato paste, spices and some water. Add spice paste, mustard seeds, ginger and chilies and fry, stirring occasionally, for about 7 mins until soft.
Wilt the spinach by immersing in boiling water. Drain and squeeze out as much liquid as you can, then chop it.
Drain the potatoes and crush lightly to break them up into chunks rather than mash. Toss in the spice mixture with plenty of salt to coat them, then add the spinach, tomatoes and coriander.
Carefully unroll the pastry and brush 2 x 20cm loose-bottomed sandwich tins with some butter. Brush the first sheet of pastry and lay it in and across the tin so that it hangs over the side. Do the same with another sheet of pastry to cover the other side of the tin (so the two form a cross), butter and fold the final sheet in half and lay it in the base of the tin to create a firm base. Do the same with the other tin and remaining pastry.
Spoon the filling into the tin and fold up the pastry that is overhanging so that it covers the filling. Brush generously with the remaining butter and sprinkle with seeds. Bake for 35 mins until golden and crisp.
Marinated some chicken in lime juice, ginger, coriander, onion powder, sambal oelek, salt, pepper, turmeric, paprika, olive oil and Greek yogurt. Oven baked for 30 minutes. Served on Lebanese pita with homemade tzaziki, pickled carrots, mixed salad, onions and Dijon salad dressing.
I have collated all of my recipes into a single file:
185g unsalted butter
185g best dark chocolate
85g plain flour
40g cocoa powder
50g white chocolate
50g milk chocolate
3 large eggs
275g golden caster sugar
Melt 185g unsalted butter, cut into smallish cubes, and 185g best dark chocolate, broken into small pieces, in a double boiler. Leave the melted mixture to cool to room temperature.
While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven and turn the oven on to fan 160C/conventional 180C/gas 4 Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to line the base.
Sieve together 85g plain flour and 40g cocoa powder over a medium bowl.
With a large sharp knife, chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board, so you end up with rough squares.
Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar until they look thick and creamy, like a milk shake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful your mixer is. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about double its original volume.
Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together with a rubber spatula. The idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you like.
Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly. Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing. Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout. Now your mixing is done and the oven can take over.
Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula from side to side across the top to level it. Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 minutes. When the buzzer goes, open the oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from the tin. Take out of the oven.
Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you’re using the brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its base. If you’re using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters, then cut each quarter into four squares. They’ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to a month.
