recipe: pork, chicken & chorizo wontons (dim sum / broths)

pork chicken chorizo wontons

IngredientsMakes: 1680g (60)

300g	(60)	yellow wonton wrappers	(recipe below)
1380g		pork chicken chorizo dumplings mix	(recipe below)

Method

Put a teaspoon of mix ~23g into the centre of each wrapper.

Dab two opposite corners w/ water and pull the corners in together & twist to close.

Leave as little air - preferably none - as possible inside the wonton.

Line your steamer w/ oiled grease proof paper, or spray w/ oil if it's a plastic steamer basket.

Steam for 8mins. Remove & place on another sheet of oiled grease proof paper.

Allow to cool and use as required. Perfect for freezing once cooled.

yellow wonton wrappers

pork chicken chorizo dumplings mix

mix for fried patties, gyoza, steamed naked dumplings or wontons

IngredientsMakes: 1575g

110g		soaked black fungus	(recipe below)
300g		squid tubes
5g		mustard powder
25g		plain flour
100g		eggs
10g		salt
110g		chestnut mushrooms
150g		shiitake mushrooms
5g		olive oil
5g		fish sauce
100g		red onions
5g		olive oil
190g		roast chicken	(recipe below)
450g		12% pork mince
100g		chorizo
30g		sweet pickled onions	(recipe below)
30g		pickled jalapeno
20g		chives

Method

Put the 30g wood-ear / black fungus in cold water to soak until completely flexible ~1hr.

Make dumpling binder by making a smooth paste of the squid tubes, mustard powder, plain flour, eggs & salt in a food processor.

Dice the chestnut mushrooms & shiitake mushrooms cook until starting to brown in olive oil & season w/ fish sauce.

Dice the red onion and sear in an oil glazed pan until starting to char.

Chop / break up the rest of ingredients and mix everything w/ the dumpling binder.

Fry off a small piece in a small nonstick pan to check the seasoning.

soaked black fungus

10g of wood ear fungus will weigh 40g after it’s finished soaking

IngredientsMakes: 40g (1)

10g		black fungus
30g		water

roast chicken - any of these methods will do

IngredientsMakes: 1450g (1)

1		chicken

Method

Bake 220C / 60m, rest 20m w/ oven door ajar.

Bake 230C / probe 65C rest 20m w/ oven door ajar.

Bake covered in foil 160C / 2h

Spatchcock, dust in salt & smoked paprika 220C / 45m, rest 15m

sweet pickled onions

red onions pickled in sugar & white wine vinegar - great for salads & kebabs or where you need a little lift of acidity

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here.

recipe: smoked haddock & tomato vlini w jamon serrano

The garden is starting to give now, and this is leftovers thrown together with bits - three cherry tomatoes & a courgette - from the garden. The cauliflower mash was leftover from a cauliflower humous experiment. A caramelised onion humous is a pretty good replacement - and would save making the hotdog onions & cauli-mash, which takes a little time!! Anyway a nice light lunch from bits & pieces. Smokey from the ham & the fish, sweet acidity from the tomatoes, base notes from the cauli-mash and fragrant light notes from the oregano and a touch of heat from the black pepper. All brought together with the sweet ginger chilli & yogurt symphony of the kimchogu . . . .  hmm.

smoked haddock & tomato vlini w jamon serrano

smoked haddock & tomato vlini served w/ jamon serrano

IngredientsMakes: 321g (1)

295g		smoked haddock & tomato vlini	(recipe below)
26g		serrano

smoked haddock & tomato vlini

thin discs of raw courgette w/ cauliflower mash topped w/ diced courgette kimchogu, smoked haddock & tomato

IngredientsMakes: 295g (5)

65g		courgette
35g		cauliflower mash	(recipe below)
125g		diced courgette kimchogu	(recipe below)
40g		smoked haddock
30g		yellow cherry tomatoes
0.2g		oregano
0.5g		black pepper

cauliflower mash - visual recipe

cauliflower mash w/ a light hint of cumin

IngredientsMakes: 460g (4)

25g		butter
1g		cumin seeds
520g		cauliflower
70g		hotdog onions	(recipe below)
10g		lemon juice
35g		butter
2g		salt

Method

Put the onion on to start.

Steam the cauliflower until soft but not falling apart then char it in a smoking hot oil glazed pan. Rub a stick of butter all over the pan, dust it w/ cumin seeds and quickly place the cauliflower flat side down in the pan.

Blend everything together until a smooth puree is formed.

hotdog onions

slow cooked thick cut onions - soft & slightly charred

diced courgette kimchogu

IngredientsMakes: 125g (1)

55g		courgette
70g		kimchogu	(recipe below)

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here.

recipe: roast pork shoulder w crackling

roast pork shoulder w crackling

roast pork shoulder low cooked until it's 55C in the middle then cranked up to finish the centre and crisp the crackling . . . OMG melty sticky fatty goodness coated in crispy crunchy salty bliss!

IngredientsMakes: 1160g (4)

1600g		pork shoulder joint
10g		salt

Method

Take pork out of fridge first thing the morning.

If the skin isn't already scored, score it - think carving lines!

Cover the skin w/ salt - or lay it in a bed of salt if it unrolls.

Leave it to come up to room temp for at least 2 hours.

Rinse the salt from the skin and place the joint in a baking tray,

^ this baking tray will be the final resting place for the roast potatoes which will go in to soak in th pork fat & stock after transfering the pork to a tray w/ water & trivet.

Put a temp probe into the deepest part of the pork & place in the oven.

Bake 150C / until probe reads 55C safe side, about 1hour 15mins.

Boil the potatoes, get veg & the sauce on in the meantime.

Prepare a roasting tray w/ a trivet w/ just under a cm of water in the bottom of it.

The smoke point of pork fat / lard is aroun 188-190C, and the water will stop dripping fat smoking the whole kitchen out when you open the oven door! (and keep your oven clean!)

Once the probe gets to the right temp take the meat out & and tranfer it to the tray w/ the trivet.

Turn the oven up to 230C and return the joint back to the oven bottom shelf.

Put the potatoes into the 1st tray which will have loads of pork fat and concentrated pork stock - coat them in it and place them in the top shelf. #bestpotatoesever

Cook until probe hits at least 65C, and the crackling is crisp ~10-15mins.

Take the meat out and let it rest in a warm place.

If you leave the probe in place you will see the temp keep rising as the heat & juices distribute from the outside to the inside of the joint. It should be 70C or above before you carve & serve it.

Turn the oven down to 180C to finish the potatoes.

Serve w/ white onion sauce, apple sauce, roasties & your favourite veg! (coming up! . . . )

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts of seasonal veg available grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here / or for wholesale here.

recipe: fast mini sausage rolls - Christmas delights

fast mini sausage roll

succulent and crispy home made mini sausage rolls better than anything you'll get in the supermarket, easy & fun to make

IngredientsMakes: 1216g (32)

20g		butter
2.5g		dried sage
2.5g		dried rosemary
2.5g		dried thyme
160g	(1)	leek
410g	(8)	richmond sausages
400g		sainsburys sausage meat
30g		bread crumbs
55g		eggs
320g	(1)	jusrol puff pastry
2.5g		aromat (or 1.5g salt)
2.5g		black pepper
20g		eggs
10g		water

Method

First things first! No sausage roll is ever going to beat the sausage rolls that my mum's made for time immemorial for the family at Christmas! Home made pastry and everything!

That said . . . this makes 32 bite size sausage rolls ~38g / ~115kcals each but who's counting it's Christmas!

Melt the butter and add the dried herbs.

Add the chopped leaks & sweat off until aromatic, allow too cool.

Combine the leeks w/ the meat, egg, sausages w/o casing, sausage meat & bread crumbs until smoothish, but well mixed.

Unroll the pastry, then cut in two lengthways so you have two long strips.

Dust the surface w/ flour and roll each piece of pastry until its 8-10cm - 3-4inches - wide & about 60-80cm long. It will be quite thin!

Divide the sausage mix into two, roll it into a sausage the length of the pastry & place it on top. Brush and roll.

Cut the giant sausage roll into 16 small rolls per pastry! Or into larger maybe ; ) desired lengths.

Place 16 rolls per tray - bake 180C / 10m.

A lot of oil comes off them, use a tray with a lip!!

Mums Christmas originals! Unbeatable scrumptiousness :)

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local on facebook/meta they currently have all sorts in stock grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!
Sign up for veg box here.

recipe: squash chorizo & jalapeno scotch eggs

squash chorizo & jalapeno scotch eggs

squash chorizo or mushroom & paprika jalapeno scotch eggs

IngredientsMakes: 1140g (6)

600g		squash chorizo & jalapeno coating	(recipe below)
300g	(6)	medium soft boiled eggs	(recipe below)
200g		egg wash	(recipe below)
30g		bread crumbs
30g		flour
30g		rapeseed oil

Method

I made these to use up some leftover squash & red pepper mash and a harvest of blue oyster mushrooms.

You can buy oyster mushrooms at the supermarket or use other mushrooms.

Boil the eggs, make the scotch egg coating then wrap and paner the eggs.

For wrapping use some cling film folded in two for extra strength - 25x25cm - place an oval of mix on top, place the egg in the middle and pull the cling film up and around to coat the egg. Squeeze it so it's even all round then roll it in flour, eggwash & bread crumbs.

Fry 180C / 2m. Place onto kitchen towel to drain. Serve imediately or place in fridge until needed.

To reheat place in 180C oven for 10m. This will preserve the soft yolk.

squash chorizo & jalapeno coating

scotch egg coating from leftover mash & mushrooms . . & cheddar & mozarella

IngredientsMakes: 600g

60g		basmati rice
110g		boiling water
2g		salt
100g		chorizo
220g		oyster mushrooms
145g		squash & red pepper mash	(recipe here)
25g		mature cheddar
100g		mozzarella
30g		pickled jalapeno

Method

Simmer the rice water & salt in a saucepan w/ the lid on until all the water has evaporated & the rice is cooked.

Small dice - less than 5mm - the chorizo & the mushrooms & fry off all together in a small pan until the chorizo has released it's oil and the mushrooms are cooked and have absorbed it and all the glorious flavour!

Brunoise the pickled jalapeno and add it, the mushroom / chorizo, grated cheddar & sliced mozarella to microwave friendly dish & uW @ 800W / 1min. IE click the start button twice so the cheese melts.

Add this to the rice in the saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon until the it's all well mixed and the mozarella is nice and stringy like a pizza!

Once it's mixed like this it will bind well around the egg. Leave it to cool to room temperature.

100g of mix is enough to coat 1 scotch egg.

-

For a veggie version you can drop the chorizo, double the mushrooms and add a knob of butter, salt and half a tsp of smoked paprika.

medium soft boiled eggs

medium sized soft boiled eggs

IngredientsMakes: 600g (12)

600g

(12)

medium eggs

Method

TLDR;

For 4 eggs 1L boiling water, 5m30, then run under cold tap to stop them cooking.

For 6 eggs 1.5L boiling water, 5m30, then run under cold tap to stop them cooking.

-

For a DOZEN eggs . .

Place a 5L pot w/ 3L of water on to boil. Put lid on bring to a rolling boil.

Place the room temp eggs in a jug of hot water from the tap while your it boils - to warm the shells up.

This stops them cracking during boiling and making a mess & weird shaped boiled eggs.

Once the water is boiling place all 12 eggs into the boiling water and start timer once all are in.

Drop basket good for larger quantities.

Remove after 5m30, and place in cold running water until the eggs are cool to the touch.

-

To shell:

With the eggs covered w/ water bash them about in a hard sided container.

Pour some oil into an egg cup, remove the shell from the fat end half way up the egg.

Remove the rest of the shell using a dull edged teaspoon dipped in oil.

It can be removed in almost a single action making the peeling process quick.

If you are in Hereford check out Growing Local they currently have Red Kuri & Blue Ballet in stock grown right here in Hereford using organic practices!