Recipe: Simple Naan Bread (& Supporting Local Business)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

This is a simplified naan recipe, that will give you a pretty good fluffy naan to go with your favourite curry. I’ve simplified it so you can make them with the kids! Bit of fun for a Sunday afternoon! (and you end up with a tasty naan bread) It also gives me an excuse to promote Bhavin Mistry’s great curries! (Available at Bruton Convenience Store)

Tadka Daal & Samosa made by Bhavin Mistry available from Bruton Convenience Store

Ingredients for the naan bread (makes 8 naans)

500g strong flour

200ml water    

7g yeast (dried)

30g sugar

5g salt

50 ml extra virgin olive oil (or olive oil)

1 large free range egg (beaten)

4g  garlic (1 clove, finely chopped - optional)

Note if you want to make 4 naans instead of 8 halve all the ingredients and use a medium sized egg!

Method

First activate the yeast: Boil a third of the water (simply put in the microwave for 1 minute). Mix it with the rest of the water and stir in the sugar and dried yeast until they are both dissolved. Put to one side.

(the mix will be around 35C perfect temperature to activate the yeast, any hotter and you’ll kill it!). 

It’s ready to use as soon as it’s frothy on the surface. (about 10-15 minutes)

Beat the egg and add the oil to it. (If you have a food processor skip the next two steps)

If not: Mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until they come together into a dough.

Knead the dough on the counter for 8-10mins. (the purpose here is to get gluten forming in the dough to give elasticity)

IF YOU HAVE A FOOD PROCESSOR WITH A DOUGH BLADE:

Once the yeast mix has started to froth put all of the ingredients into a food processor fitted with a plastic blade (dough blade).

Pulse the ingredients until they come together into a dough - it should be coming away from the side of the mixer cleanly. 

Knead the dough by running the machine for another 2 mins (it feels like forever!!) 

Take the kneaded dough and place in an oiled container with a lid, or cover the container with cling film to stop it forming a crust. 

(the oil will make it much easier to get out once it’s proved, and stop the dough sticking to the cling film)

Leave it in a warm place until it’s doubled in size.

When the dough is ready turn it out and cut off a 100g piece of the dough (about the size of your fist) and roll it out until its 1cm thick. Then use your hands to stretch it out and make it naan bread sized . . . . drop it into a hot non stick pan and cook until bubbly on the top and brown on the bottom, then flip it, and finish cooking the top.

Brush with garlic or plain butter if you like!

Serve with your favourite curry! In this case I’ve been dying to try Bhavin’s curry and samosas, so I had it with a Tadka Daal. I put the samosa in the oven to crisp up the pastry, absolutely lovely!! 

I mixed a raita while they were heating up . . .

Ingredients for the raita:

150g plain yogurt (low fat)

150g cucumber (2mm dice)

2tbsp chopped coriander

1 spring onion (chopped)

1/2 lime (juice)

~

Simply mix all the ingredients together. Job done!

Thanks Bhavin for a great curry! 

(Available at Bruton Convenience Store)

Naan related posts . . .

* Turkey Kebab w/ Mango & Yoghurt Sauce

* Black Garlic King Prawn Kebab w/ Cucumber & Lime 

* Salt and Pepper Fillet Steak Kebab w/ Green Peppers

Recipe: Duck Hearts w/ Fennel & Basil (Chicken hearts work too!)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

This has been an experiment after eating Duck hearts at BAO Soho (it was as good as folk say!) - the duck hearts were on as a special - they were so soft and tender I just had to work out how to achieve the same texture. Turns out it’s actually pretty simple: Brine the hearts, then halve them and trim them. Fry on a medium high heat for 2 minutes turning once! Succulent & tender!

I made this salad to demo how to use fennel for my flatmate, it’s a healthy salad and has a broad range of textures and complimentary flavours.

C- for presentation, must try harder!

Sorry about the presentation .  .  .  looks like a duck heart spider with poached pear legs sat on a cucumber birds nest!! Tastes good though!

ingredients (serves 2)

for the fennel salad

400g 1 fennel (top removed for garnish, finely sliced, leave 240g edible)

180g 1/2 cucumber (shredded)

6g basil (chopped at the last minute)

6g coriander (coarsely chopped)

4 poached pear quarters (cut into thirds & diced, keep one for garnish)

35g pickled cauliflower

60g maple dressing

1 dried chilli (finely chopped)

for the maple dressing

100g maple syrup

100g sherry vinegar

100g olive oil

for the duck hearts

300g duck (or chicken) hearts (cut into halves, fat removed)

660g brine (10% - 600g water / 60g salt)

50ml olive oil

25ml ponzu

for the garnish

fronds form the fennel

dried chilli

basil shoot

poached pear

fennel salad

Slice up the fennel first and leave in ice cold water to keep it crunchy and fresh!

Prep the ingredients (chop the basil and coriander at the last minute and mix in).

Mix in a salad bowl, season and toss.

Put the fennel in iced water so it keeps it's crunch!

maple dressing

Mix all the ingredients in a vinaigrette bottle. Keep until required. (Will last a month in the fridge)

duck hearts

Put the duck hearts in brine for 2hrs before frying them.

Hold each heart down flat and slice through it, then remove the top part of each half where the fat and tube are.

Put into a tub with the oil and mix well so all the halves are coated with a little oil.

Place the hearts into a hot frying pan so they are not touching. (Don’t crowd them.)

Cook for 1 minute, then turn them. Cook for another minute, add a little ponzu to deglaze and coat the hearts.

Repeat until all the hearts are cooked.

Cut the hearts in two and remove the fat & tube at the top!

to serve

Pile the salad into the centre of the plate to give a little height then add duck hearts and dress with fennel fronds, dried (or fresh) chilli, basil shoots and poached pears. Add some sea salt and serve immediately. 

It's spicy!!

Low Carb Experiment - Recipe: Fruit Salad w/ Prawns, Cauliflower & Vanilla (365kcal per serving - Vegan)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

I’ve been having a go at one of those low carb / fasting days diets thingies. For each day (lunch & dinner) there’s a description of what you should eat. The brief for lunch was: 

“Fruit salad, any combination of fruits, as much as you want. Coffee/tea” 

which basically reads 

“You’re eating fruit mate!”. 

Now I’ve done this a couple of times and I can handle a banana, apple and a pear for lunch with a good chog of water melon, but watermelon is out of season at the moment so I came up with this instead. I know cauliflower is not a fruit, I know that! But you need something to bulk it out that isn’t going to blow you out of the water on the calorie front!

The flavour comes from the herbs, fruit and prawns. The  prawns, almonds and cauliflower give it a much broader texture than a normal fruit salad. 

Conclusion: At 365kcal per serving and a banging flavour profile it’s a keeper!! (and it’s vegan . . . crazy talk!!) Ahem, if you take out the prawns cough.

ingredients (serves 2)

for the fruit salad

250g cauliflower (1/2 cauliflower, blended)

140g black grapes (cut in halves)

180g tangerines (6 peeled, halved along the equator, then in segments)

50g dates (6 dates stoned & chopped)

6g coriander 

6g mint 

3g sage

1.5 dried chillies (initially I thought half this - but it was fine)

1g ea salt & pepper

50ml pear & vanilla juice

100g prawns per portion (frozen weight - thawed)

30g toasted flaked almonds (just right to give a nice texture and flavour)

Total for 2 servings = 729 (365 cal each)

method

Prep the ingredients as required and mix everything but the almonds and prawns.

Add the almonds and prawns just before you eat the salad.

thinking ahead

If you want to eat half the following day or later in the evening, add the prawns and almonds just before you eat it.

The mix will keep for a day no problem, add them when you eat it!

variations

If you don’t like coriander just don’t add it, it remains a very tasty salad.

To make it vegan simply don’t use prawns!

Recipe (Experiment): Half Pound Smoked Paprika Beef Burger

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

It’s not often I have a burger for dinner. I think it’s because I associate them with Elvis and toilets. My weight’s always been a bit, well . . .  all over the place really so they’re in the guilty pleasure category!!! Anyway I put this one together after spending most of the day in ‘the zone’ writing. I’d not really got around to eating and I’d decided to crack open a bottle of wine around 9PM by the time I’d finished the first glass, I decided to hit the kitchen!! I’d heard rumours of a 4 layer burger that had been made the night before by one of the housemates. So when I hit the kitchen, I did so possessed by raging burger envy!! 

This was the result . . . 

On the drawing board!

ingredients (serves 2 animals or makes 4 1/4 pounders)

for the burger (makes 2 half pounders)

500g of minced beef (20% fat)

10g / 2 tsp smoked paprika salt (50/50 salt/smoked paprika)

2 brown cap / shiitake mushroom (fine dice)

1 medium onion (fine dice)

3 cloves garlic (minced)

25g butter

50ml oil

2 tsp porridge oats

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 egg (optional - see notes)

for the bun, extras & garnish

2 large soft burger buns (brioche with sesame if you can get them!!!)

2 large gherkins

1 really ripe beef tomato (sliced)

150g brie (skin off)

4 slices thick cut smoked bacon (streaky if you prefer)

100g mayonaise

20g coriander (fine chop)

30g fried shallots (thai style)

apparatus / equipment

Steamer with a plate on top (optional - keep things warm before assembly)

method

Add the butter and oil to a pan on a medium heat, once the butter has melted and started to brown slightly add the onions and cook until translucent. Then add the mushroom and garlic and cook until the onions are caramelised and the mushroom is reduced. It’ll look similar to a duxelles. That it the most complicated step done!

Mix the rest of the burger ingredients together and check the seasoning by frying a tiny piece of the mix, once your happy with it

put the mix aside for 20 mins, while you collect the other ingredients together.

Mix the mayo and coriander, and set aside. Then prep the rest of the ingredients, the tomato and gherkins should be at room temperature, as should the burger mix!

For the best results it’s important to keep all your ingredients warm once they’re cooked so your burger is hot and juicy when it’s assembled! I use a plate sat on top of a steamer, specially if I’m making a lot of these for friends!

Shape burgers and cook those first on a medium high heat. These are BIG ***king BURGERS *** so slowly does it!

Once ready pop them onto the steamer plate to keep warm.

Then the bacon. Add the cheese on top of the bacon after it’s been turned. Put it with the burgers once ready.

Deglaze the pan with a touch of white wine (about 75ml) and add a knob of butter (25g) reduce this and dip the top of each bun in the sauce, then add the bottoms and toast insides of the buns in the pan until brown.

Time to assemble, quickly and accurately . . .  err . . . .sorta!

what could go wrong? (notes) 

You could get caught eating it, and get a right *ollocking from the other half for not sharing! ; )

You eat more than one of these during any 6 month period and put on 40lbs!! Yikes.

to serve

Assemble and serve on hot plates. (with napkins it’s messy)

variations

A touch of sriracha chilli sauce mixed with the coriander mayo layer is pretty good!

Next time I make this I think I’ll try it without the egg mixed in. 

Better with shitake mushrooms, but they were out at the store.

Brie is an unusual choice for a burger but it worked really well, nothing to stop you from using the cheese of your choice. It’s got to be one that melts nicely!!

Beetroot & horseradish sauce goes really well with beef, switching the coriander mayo for it makes for such a good burger.

Recipe: Sustainable White Fish Ceviche w/ Edamame (or Sugar Snaps)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

Ceviche is a great way to eat fresh fish, and in a time when sustainable harvesting habits are important, this technique and its flavours lend themselves very well to sustainable fish stocks. Ceviche has it's roots in Peruvian cuisine. For this dish I've taken a little Asian influenced cuisine too!

If you can't fine edamame, sugar snaps go well too!

ingredients (serves 6-8)

Whack the stone with a knife.

for the white fish ceviche  

1 lemons (juice & zest)

2 limes (juice)

100g coconut cream

1/2 thumb of ginger (peeled & finely grated)

15g chives (finely chopped)

15g coriander (torn)

350g white fish 1cm dice (pollock, river cobbler, bream, pouting or a mix)

1 avocado peeled, small dice (spray with lemon juice to stop oxidation)

1 tbsp fish sauce (season to taste)

for the edamame

500g edamame

smoked salt flakes (Maldon salt )

for the garnish

fennel fronds for garnish 

and some of the chives (or garlic chives if you can get them - supermarket)

Turn the knife to loosen & remove the stone.

method

ceviche

Prepare the ingredients. See ginger tip what could go wrong?

Mix the fish cubes in with the chopped herbs, store in a sealed container in the fridge for 2 hrs at least.

Infuse the coconut cream with the ginger in a pot: bring to boil then simmer. Reduce the mix by at least a 1/4. (A creamy consistency is required since the sauce loosens considerably when the fish and lime are mixed in.) Leave rest off the heat until required.

As your last guest arrives ceviche the fish with citrus 

Cut a grid into the avocado.

for 20min (15 - 45mins is fine).

edamame

Drop the edamame (shell on) into a pot of salted boiling water for 4 minutes.

Drain in a colander, and put into a bowl of cold water (so they retain their colour). Put aside until needed.

thinking ahead

Prepare all the ingredients but don't combine until your last guests arrives or not too long before otherwise the fish will be white all the way through instead of having a gorgeous translucent centre.

The edamame can be cooked early, refreshed and stored in the fridge.  Then heated in boiling water for 1 minute to serve hot when needed.

what could go wrong? (TIPS)

After peeling my ginger, only half of it is left!

And push out the pieces . . simple.

TIP: Try peeling ginger with a spoon, I know what your thinking but it works really well! Turn the spoon upside down and scrape it along the surface of the ginger - the skin will come away with very little effort, and very little waste!

My avocados look rank! 

TIP: coat them in a little lemon juice after you've cut them up to stop them oxidising.

My fish is cooked all the way through! 

TIP: Don't make the pieces too small, they will cook faster in the lime juice, and don't leave them in the lime for more than 45mins.

to serve

Add the edamame to some boiling water for 1 minute then drain through a colander, serve in a large bowl and sprinkle with smoked salt.

Drain the lime from fish and mix it with the coconut sauce and avocados, season with lime juice, and fish sauce to taste.

Place the ceviche into serving bowls, garnish with chives and fennel fronds, serve with chopsticks and a spoon. (that should entertain!)

techniques used

Ceviche, refreshing, peeling ginger

Experiment - Recipe: Pearl Barley with Mushrooms & Aubergine (Vegetarian)

by Simon Fernandez of ferdiesfoodlab

I tried this with and without mint and coriander as an experiment. Wow, the fresh herbs add a light and fragrant touch to the dish and balance it nicely - they make such a difference!!

I love this dish. The barley gives it bite. It’s packed with earthy goodness from the mushrooms, nuts and aubergine, and balanced with apricot, mint and coriander! A cracking flavour profile.

ingredients (serves 4)

for the pearl barley

250g pearl barley (+500ml water / veg stock)

250g chestnut mushrooms (cut into 1/4’s)

200g onion (1 large, sliced)

6 dried apricots (medium dice)

3 sprigs thyme (picked)

200ml apple juice

1 large aubergine (large dice)

couple pinches paprika salt (50/50 smoked paprika / salt)

olive oil

25g toasted sunflower & pumpkin seeds (you’ll need some butter for toasting) (link 720)

5g coriander (chopped)

5g mint (chopped)

2 spring onion (sliced into rings)

1 tbsp apple chutney (optional)

for the garnish

1 spring onion (sliced into rings)

5g chives (chopped)

method

Cook pearl barley 2:1 by weight - up to 3:1 if you like it softer and with residue liquid. I use a rice cooker for this. If you’re doing it in a sauce pan, use a nonstick pan, bring to the boil then reduce to simmer with a lid on the pan, cook until all the water is absorbed and the grain is soft but still has bite.

Cook each of the ingredients separately, putting them aside until needed. (I use takeaway boxes, they stack well and take up very little space when stored!)

Put the dried apricots and apple juice into a small saucepan and bring to the boil then set to simmer for 10mins until they’ve softened. 

Turn off the heat and add the fresh thyme leaves, put aside to infuse until needed.

Brush the mushrooms to remove any soil, then take the stalks off, and quarter them lengthways.

Cook the mushroom stalks w/ the onions in a little oil until the onions have started to brown. Don’t forget to season them. 

Combine all the ingredients except the nuts, spring onions, chives, mint and coriander and heat up in a large pan.

Then add the nuts, spring onions, chives, mint and coriander and mix through.

to serve

Serve in a serving bowl or in the pan, dressed with the spring onion, chives and a sprig of thyme.

variations

It’s quite nice with a poached egg and garlic bread!

If you like things spicy, add a finely chopped scotch bonnet and serve with coriander and mint greek yoghurt. (season the yoghurt with salt and lime juice) 

I had it with a pork shoulder chop done in a pimientos de padron and white wine sauce with garlic bread. That, methinks, will be another post!! : )

Or use it as the stuffing for a deboned leg of lamb!! Think I'd probably replace the mint and coriander for 1/2 tsp each of nutmeg, coriander, garam masala, and 1/4 tsp of cinnamon. And bump up (as in double or triple) the amount of dried fruit and nuts. And add cranberries for a touch of acidity!