Recipe: Arepas

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Just recently I’ve been getting into my street food, London has a vibrant street food scene, Camden, Street Feast (various), Portobello road, the list is endless. I’ve I’ve tried in one form or another most of the offerings so it’s nice to try something new. 

Now this can be a risk, a lot of people like the familiar, burger, fried chicken, pizza, curry, safety init. Arepas were something I’d not tried and so when I saw a stand offering them I went in! First at mini feast in Shepherds Bush then again at Camden. Both times I got a pretty respectable bite to eat, so you can imagine my delight when I was offered one for breakfast on Saturday morning! I took the opportunity to learn how to make them taught by a cute Venezuelan teacher by the name of Valentina!

So with me and her boyfriend as sous chefs we cracked on!

Worth noting: The important thing is that you’ve got to eat them fresh, soon as they’re ready. The dough will keep in the fridge so you can keep what you don’t use for later.

Make sure they’re crispy on the outside and fluffy in the middle. Don’t make them too thick (more than half centimetre) or they’ll be a bit too stodgy in the middle!

This isn’t a purist recipe, I just watched, took notes and learned how to make some great food courtesy of Venezuela.

ingredients (serves 5 - 2 each)

for the arepas

650g coarse grain maize meal (pre-cooked)

750ml water

30ml vegetable oil

5g salt (lightly salted)

for the avocado chicken

1 onion

1 clove garlic

2 avocado

400g roast chicken

2 tbsp mayo

for the tuna (NB tuna is an endangered species -  best to stick to sustainable fish)

200g tuna

1 tbsp veg oil

for the scrambled eggs

1 onion (fine chopped)

2 tomatoes

2 eggs (whites only)

for the refried beans (quick style - original style)

1 onion (medium dice)

30g butter

250g black beans (1 tin, drained)

for the cheese

8 slices cheese (gouda, or emental, whatever you prefer)

some soft cheese ([p something])

for the garnish

Some spring onions, chopped chives if you like.

arepas

Couldn’t be easier, mix the corn flour and the water and the veg oil and a little salt until they make a “smooth masa” (a kind of dough mix), not sure I’d call it a dough. It's a kind of mash potato consistency.

Let it sit and soak up the water while you (or your sous chefs / helpers) make the rest of the fillings.

Once all the fillings are ready get a large frying pan or two, and run them up to “half fire”, take a handful of dough, bit bigger than a ping pong ball and flatten it in your hands and place it into the pan. 

Repeat until you fill the pans with flat breads.

Now it’s a patience game: cook 15mins, turning once. 

avocado chicken

Cut the avocado in half around the length. Twist it around the stone to separate the two halves.

To remove the stone using a heavy blade, hit the stone so the blade sticks into the stone then turn the blade to rotate the stone and remove it - it will be stuck to the knife!

Use the knife to cut a criss cross into the flesh, then scoop the contents out of he skin.

Tear the roast chicken into shreds and mix with the avocado pieces, and a touch of seasoning.

Add the mayo and mash it up with a potato masher.

Thats basically ready!

tuna

Empty tin, add a little oil (if it’s brined) and a squeeze of lemon, mix. Or instead of eating endangered species, you could use, flaked river cobbler, pollock, or sardines instead of tuna.

scrambled eggs

OK, so new one on me, sweat off the onions with a little oil, add a touch of butter, let it melt and add the chopped tomato, cook it out a little, then add the egg whites and mix them through until they’re cooked.

refried beans (short cut)

No excuses here, these aren’t classic refried beans but they do have the same flavour profile, with a different texture, no shame. Fry off some onions, add a little seasoning and the drained beans, leave on a low heat until everything else is ready.

what could go wrong? (notes)

You could get some uptight type giving you grief about the refried beans!

to serve

Put all the ingredients on the table, and let folk assemble what ever they fancy, take what you want to make your own crispy outer and beautifully filled arepa.

R E S U L T !!

AWESOME!!

Yeah . . . I know!! ; )

variations

Pulled pork is popular at the moment, maybe corn and ndugya, there’s plenty of scope!

That evening I made us a paella mixta with is always great the next day, some arepa dough and leftover paella & lettuce filling!! : )

Recipe: Ensaladilla Rusa (Russian Salad / Salad Olivier)

by ferdie, in partnership with Unearthed for Action Against Hunger

This is one of the staples of tapas houses all over the Iberian peninsula and into France!! What I find though is that it's rare that you get served a good one. In fact, the number of places that serve truly appalling potato salad is a bit depressing. Usually substandard ingredients with little variety, thin mayonnaise and undercooked potatoes - so disappointing because this is truly one of the kings of comfort foods. I often get a portion before ordering anything else to gauge if the rest of the tapas will be up to par. I do get excited if it's a good one cos when this is made with love it's fantastic and there's a good chance the other tapas have been made with love too : )

Ensaladilla Rusa by wiki accounts was first created in 1860 by Lucien Olivier of the Hermitage restaurant in Moscow. Me thinks the original - which apparently used venison and cray fish amongst other things - has gone through a few Chinese whispers to reach it's current incarnation.

Whenever we went to visit my grandparents in their remote little mountain village for a big old family reunion, this dish would always make it onto the feast menu. Usually in the first or second round served with fresh French stick! That aside, this is how my auntie showed me how to make it, with some small adjustments of my own.

Ingredients (makes 12 large portions or 24 small)
2.5kg  Maris Piper potatoes  (cut into 1-2cm cubes and boiled)
400g   tinned peas  (drained)
400g   tinned artichokes or from deli counter  (drained and diced)
4         carrots  (diced and boiled)
6         spring onions  (sliced - small rings)
18       boiled quails eggs peeled  (6 garnish) or 6 medium eggs hard boiled
24       garlic and chilli flavoured olives  (pitted and sliced)
6         pickled picante peppers  (finely chopped)
3         whole roast peppers  (coarsely chopped - keep 1/2 for garnish)
4         gherkins  (chopped)
750g   mayo  (150g for garnish)
100g   cured tuna  (for garnish optional - or anchovies)

I did this one so that it was vegetarian friendly (simply don't garnish with tuna or anchovy) but more often than not tuna is added to the mix, as are prawns, which I prefer. In fact a friend who was eating with us that night said it was perfect but was rather upset about the lack of prawns! Can't please everyone although this one come close.

Method
Prepare the ingredients as per the ingredients list. The important thing is to use tinned peas, not fresh or frozen, as they contribute to the texture of the mix, use fresh boiled carrots, and raw spring onions finely chopped into small rings.

If you've got the time to roast peppers then that's great but the ones that come in glass jars do a nice job too. You can also do the peppers in a heavy based pan with a lid and some extra virgin olive oil on a medium heat the way my mum does them, turn up the heat just at the end to blacken those sweet little babies off.

But the most important thing is how you cut and cook the potatoes. The secret to a good potato salad is not just nicely cooked small(ish) potato but also the gloop that binds the whole ensemble together and no! that gloop isn't just mayonnaise. It's juice and flavour from the peppers and other ingredients mixed with light mashed mayo potato hmmm : )

Question is how do you get that and it's very simple. Firstly don't cut the potatoes up larger than 2cm, 1cm - 2cm is perfect. Smaller than  that and you're potatoes will quickly turn to mush. Larger than 2cm and you end up with bits of potatoes too large to eat and the balance of potato to lovely gloop is too potatoey. Put the potatoes into the water and add salt. When the water starts to boil, set your timer for 7 minutes, when it goes off they should be perfect. But check them with a knife to be sure, I usually check them at 6 minutes just in case. Then drain them in a colander for a couple of minutes. At this point you need to fluff the potatoes. Once drained pour them back into the pot, season with salt and pepper, get a large fork, and roughly stir up the potatoes until they're kinda fluffy around the edges.

Put the eggs you're going to use as garnish aside, then roughly chop up (or grate) the remaining eggs and add them along with the rest of ingredients that aren't to be used as garnish to the potatoes and mix all together until it's evenly mixed. Check for seasoning and adjust as required.

We garnished our with cured tuna, quails egg and piquant pepper.

This is a version we did in partnership with Unearthed for Action Against Hunger
The course was Pork Meatballs in Chipotle Sauce w/ Ensaladilla Rusa
We used Unearthed pork meatballs and garnished the salad manzanilla olives and sun dried tomatoes and prosciutto. You can find the whole 8 course menu we served here.

As you can see you can present this in all sorts of ways only limited by you imagination!!

Of course if you're a Spaniard or a foodie there's a good chance you'll want to make the mayo yourself so here's how!

Tips: You can cook the potatoes with a stock cube for added flavour, this works well if you're doing a really simple potato salad, with, for example just the green part of spring onions. Which is ultra quick and quite tasty.

When you put love into you're food people will notice!!!!

Sneaky Chorizo

This week we put on a few hits including our signature "Fish and Chips" which we were told we totally undersell by calling it that. The tuna sashimi together with my homemade crunchy chips always pleases our guests and their reaction to it is always lovely to hear! Uyen's carrot and coriander salad with it's super refreshing dressing, always makes my taste buds tingle with delight : )

I had a bit of fun doing the test runs for one of the the seared trout with ginger and lemongrass broth, will post recipe later this week. Who would have thought this:

Turns into this!!!!

This weeks menu:
Turkish Garlic Bread w/ Beetroot Dip
Sashimi Tuna & Chips
Spicy Chicken, Carrot, Mooli & Coriander Salad W Prawn Crackers
Miso Aubergine
Rainbow Trout w/ Lemongrass, Lime & Ginger Broth
& GlassNoodles, Pak Choi & Beansprouts
Sweet Potato w/ Chorizo Red Wine Jus & Rocket
Lime & Chilli Chocolate Topped Mousse

I love our guest's reaction to the Egyptian Beetroot dip, it's sooo bright purple, looks like it should be used to colour in crazy cartoons! "I don't really like beetroot but the dip is fantastic!" Yup, especially when combined with some fresh garlic Turkish bread, golden with butter from the oven, soft on the inside and crunchy on the out, fantastic combo! (So I'm told that is...) 

Dip me, dip me!

Love to load a bit of refreshing salad onto one of these babies, taste explosion loveiness!

Sometimes we have a little battle about my menu designs, and Uyen insists on dropping something, and sometimes rightly so (pretty rare tho!), this weeks menu was all over the place in terms of geography, South East Asia, Africa, Mediterranean, and America- key limes - India would have been there too but the spicy coconut mushrooms got culled. I'm glad I insisted on keeping the chorizo, soft and juicy spicy sausage cooked in red wine and served with roast sweet potatoes and rocket, drizzled with the red wine jus, cracking! Our guests liked it too, which is always nice specially if we've not put it on the menu before, there's always a bit of trepidation, only one leaf of rocket came back : ) taking that as a good sign! 

Must add a little note, I picked up the chorizo from a great little place just off the Holloway Road, I cannot emphasise enough how good it is. It's a cafe deli combo and they take a great deal of care in sourcing their ingredients as you can tell when you bite into anything they serve you. It's called Le Peche Mignon and I totally recommend it: great coffee, great food and very friendly folk!

Lime and Chilli Chocolate Topped Mousse

Where's mine? Do I get some? Do I? Do I?

This weeks guests were lovely - we've been very lucky in this respect - including Cass Titcombe, Chef/Owner of  Canteen and also has a funky book out called 'Canteen, Great British Food'.

Doing more test runs this week recipe posts to come! Sx

New Year's Eve/ Pesto & Tuna Pasta Recipe

Our New Year's Eve Party was brilliant!! We had 25 guests, some had to bring their own chairs because we had to return some to our neighbours who also had a party that night. We decided not to do a typical Fernandez & Leluu night - still lots of food but without a schedule, like a house party.

It started with me queuing for 40 mins outside Steve Hatt's Fish Monger on Essex Road - thankfully I had ordered the fish the day before because they had sold out of most of their stock. It was quite nice to see a big ice box labelled 'Fernandez & Leluu' - made it feel very official and formal after waiting in line for so long, and also gave me a big self gratifying evil grin.

Menu

Salmon & Tuna Sashimi With Watercress Salad & Orange, Soy & Mirin Dressing

Uyen's Bolognese Sauce With Pasta

Uyen's Pesto & Garlic & Rosemary Bread

Simon's Terrine

Lamb & Chicken Banquet With Roasties & Carrots

Orange & Vodka Panna Cotta With White Chocolate Shavings & Strawberry Sauce.

Our guests had mostly been ones who have been here at least once, Luiz (The London Foodie) & Dr G, Gail (One Million Gold Stars) & Simon, Rejina & Joe (Gastrogeek), Billy & Adele. And for those who came for the first time, were utterly over taken by the great spirit of the house. Everyone together, old and new faces with big smiles - lots of sparkling and food and roars of laughter and great hope for 2010. It was a fantastic night. We even managed to share a toast to Hamza & Natasha who got engaged. After depositing large sharing plates out to different tables (eventually - sorry guys) We joined all our guests for dinner for the first time and loved being part of the atmosphere.

Being as we are, we all shuffled around, mingling and meeting each other with enormous happy faces. All our status and baggage left outside the door as we all took each other as we were. 

We were once asked what our Unique Selling Point (USP) is when we started all three months ago. It was then: good food and it is still just good food.  Happy bellies make happy people, no gimmicks necessary. It is incredibly humbling to have great food lovers and great writers return to us on New Year's Eve- (whom I admire immensely and have provided us with so much inspiration from their love of food as well as the poetry they share when expressing about it).

Before we started Fernandez & Leluu, we had no idea about the food world. We just stepped in, blind, dipping our toes into a bit of research on the way and just doing it how we think it should be done with fun (as well as tears). The reputation we have created has definately taken us both by surprise. And we are certainly blessed with very very great guests. Thank you to all those who came and keep coming back to Fernandez & Leluu.

Pesto
I used to think that making my own pesto would make a cheap dinner but after buying all fine quality ingredients for it, I wouldn't really class pesto as something cheap! However, it does go a long way - if you don't share it with anyone or let anyone have your jar!

I remember, once, my lovely friend, Anja came from Berlin and stayed over and polished the whole lot before I even stepped through the door! She said, "Sorry Uyen, it was so so good!" And if there is any in the fridge, William is sure to polish most of it off - he is English you see and will never take the last bit! hehe...

Rejina and Gail seemed to have loved the pesto I put on the table on New Year's Eve so here is the recipe: (to no surprise - it was all gone by the time I sat down!)

For a jar - about 300g

(all estimates below - use your own judgment and always taste)

3 bags of basil

About 3 tbs Pine Nuts

Half Wedge of Parmesan - grated

3 tbs Good Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salt - to taste

Lemon - to taste

Combine all ingredients into a blender and wizz away - taste and season

Put into jar and pour some more olive oil on top to prevent from drying out.

Great with pasta & parmesan & pepper

Love it with Spaghetti & Pan Fried Tuna

Great with Toast or lovely breads

Its also a nice salad dressing if you make it slightly more runny

Post New Year Brunch

Pasta With Fresh Tuna & Coriander

I have never expected in my life to ever wake up, check the iPhone for messages but to receive and read reviews about US! Ever! Its an amazing feeling that we have been having over the last 3 months -one of the things that make it all worthwhile.

Here is one we got and I read out aloud from TomEatsJenCooks: Thank you so much guys! We feel so honoured to be part of your great blog!!
Top 5 Restaurant Reviews of 2009
Fish Tales Revisted Review

Then, Simon decided to have a bath whilst I made this simple lunch from leftover sashimi grade tuna. The bits you shouldn't serve as sashimi (on the edge of the flesh) you could simply fry up for a real tuna pasta. (I do not understand how anyone can eat canned tuna - though I have been eating junk food since 2010 started and considering another kebab or curry as I write this - from the guy on the moped)

When Simon got out of the bath, we saw that Simon had actually sank the bath! Can you believe it? Who sinks a bath?! All the tiles fell off the side like a little sunk ship! I wish I took a picture. So unfortunately, he didn't enjoy this meal as much as he should have done! But it was utterly delicious in my book.

Ingredients
-Pasta - (Make sure its al dente - the packet always says you should cook it for about 3 mins more than you are suppose to - this is a crime! I usually boil most pastas for about 8 mins, check it and if neccessary add another minute. Don't forget that it will still cook as its still hot).
-Half small onion
-2 cloves of garlic
-Fresh Tuna - marinate in a bit of terriyaki sauce while the water is boiling
-Coriander (or herb of choice, basil or parsley is nice)
-Salt & Pepper
-Butter

While the water is boiling, marinate the tuna. Dice the onions & garlic.
Once the pasta is in, you have about 8 mins
You do not need to start cooking the fish.
At about 4 minutes left, heat the pan (takes about 1 or 2 mins)
With Olive Oil fry the onions until brown
Then throw in the marinaded tuna with the garlic
Brown the fish quickly then add coriander and season - tasting all the time.
The pasta should then be drained and poured into the pan with the fried tuna
Add some butter, mix all together and serve.

Happy New Year! Hope that 2010 will bring you all great feeds!
We will be doing more events fortnightly and trying out things outside our comfort zone. We seem to love living on the edge - I wish you can see the near misses, the almost end of, the drama, the tears, the tantrums and sinking of the bath... Do everything with love!