Gammon slow cooked in cider

Well it's been months since my last post, but I'm still here. I wanted to put up a recipe that I cooked for a dinner party over the bank holiday weekend. The idea for using a slow-cooker to cook the gammon was given to me by a friend on a visit home to see my parents. I decided to give it a go using cider and honey to enhance the flavour of the gammon. You will need a slow-cooker to do this recipe and be warned that it does take 9-10 hours to cook so you might need to make an early start if you want this for dinner!

I have various bad memories of eating tough, overly salty, steaks of gammon topped off with tinned pineapple (why?) so it's a meat I rarely eat now. However, this method of cooking gives a well flavoured, juicy and tender result. And no pineapple.

Gammon Slow Cooked in Cider

1 1/2 lb Gammon joint - smoked or un-smoked as you prefer

1/2 pt Dry cider

1 tbsp clear honey

3-4 whole cloves

2-3 small dried bay leaves

1 apple, cut into 8 wedges

1 onion, cut into 8 wedges

Black pepper

Method

1. If the gammon has had a traditional cure (most don't now) it may require soaking in a large pan of water overnight to remove excess salt. In the morning pour away the water and give the gammon a rinse.

2. Place the gammon in the slow-cooker and surround it with the wedges of onion and apple. If your slow cooker is small, leave out a few of the fruit and vegetable wedges rather than over-packing the pot.

3. Place the cider, cloves, bay leaves and honey with a little ground black pepper into a pan. Heat until the honey has dissolved and cider is just below boiling point.

4. Pour the liquid over the gammon in the slow-cooker.

5. Immediately put the lid on the slow-cooker and switch it on. All slow cookers are a bit different, some have low, high and/or automatic settings and some have automatic timers. Mine has a single automatic setting, but basically you need to cook the gammon for around 9 - 10 hours to make sure it is thoroughly cooked. Check your own slow-cooker manual for help if you're not sure about cooking times. 

6. Once the gammon is cooked, gently lift it out of the slow cooker. Discard the apples and onions. 

7. Carve the gammon, which will be very tender, into thick slices on a serving dish. Spoon over a little of the still hot cooking liquid just before serving.

Serves 4 (with maybe just a bit left over for sandwiches :)) 

Cheese, Onion and Potato Pie

Here's one I made today! A very satisfying pie.

This is a recipe that my Gran gave me shortly before I went to University. It's a very filling dish and friendly to a student budget! This pie is best served with baked beans, bacon and plenty of brown sauce. :) The mustard and nutmeg are not part of the original recipe, but do make nice additions if you want to try them. It's worth getting a really strong cheddar for this pie, it makes a big difference.

The baking powder in the pastry is a little unusual. It doesn't cause the pastry to become cake like, rather it seems to just lighten it a little.

The glaze is also not part of the original recipe but the appearance of the finished pie is much improved by it. Without the glaze the top will be far paler, but the pie will taste just as good.

Cheese, Onion and Potato Pie

For the pastry:

6 oz Plain Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

Pinch salt

2 oz Butter

1 oz Lard

Cold water

For the Filling:

10 oz Cooked, mashed potato

5 oz strong, mature Cheddar, grated

1 small Onion, finely chopped

Salt and pepper

Pinch grated Nutmeg (optional)

1 - 2 tsp Mustard (optional)

Glaze:

1 egg yolk and 1 tbsp of milk beaten gently together.

Method:

1. Prepare the mash, use only a little butter and milk. Don't make the mash too soft.

2. Mix the cheese, onion, mustard and nutmeg into the mash while it is still hot. Season well with salt and pepper. Leave to cool a little while you make the pastry.

3. To make the pastry, mix the dry ingredients and then rub in the fat until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add some water and mix using a butter knife until the mixture comes together as a soft but not sticky dough. Divide the dough ball in half.

4. Roll one half of the pastry on a floured surface into a disk and use this to line a shallow, 7-8" pie dish. Spoon the filling into the lined  dish.

5. Roll out the remaining pastry to a disk to cover the filling. Lightly moisten the rim of the pastry in the dish, place the remaining pastry disc over the top of the pie and press together the edges. Slice off any excess pastry and crimp around the edge with a fork. Cut two slits in the centre of the pie. If you like, you can use any pastry off-cuts to make leaves or other decorations for the top of the pie.

6. Glaze the pie with the egg and milk mix, keeping some back. Bake the pie for 15 minutes. Briefly remove the pie and apply more glaze.

7. Bake for another 15 - 20 minutes or until the pie is golden brown on the top.

Serves 4. 

The Puy Lentil Salad Detective Story

OK, a bit of a long story this one, but I promise it does end with a very tasty recipe.

At Christmas 2010 I made a return visit to Paris. Always a city I very much look forward to spending time in. A friend and I went to eat at the 'Restaurant Chartier' near the Place de l'Opera (http://www.restaurant-chartier.com/www/visit/filsdesans.php) on his recommendation. I was not disappointed. It's not fancy cuisine, but it's homely, well done and delicious without fuss. The waiters also possess the crisp efficiency that only French waiters have. Go and try the place if you're ever in Paris, but go very early in the evening. The restaurant is extremely popular and there was a long queue outside by the time we left.

For my starter that evening I had the Puy lentil salad. Never had one before and I like trying new things. It arrived, very simply presented on the plate, chilled with the minimum of garnish. It was incredibly tasty. Very well seasoned with some sort of creamy, slightly sweet dressing. I've been pondering how to reproduce this salad at home for the last year. The closest recipe I could find that seemed to describe what I'd eaten was in the 'Ripailles' cookbook, the 'Salade de lentilles aux herbes fraiches'. However, this contained things which had definitely not been in the dish I sampled at Chartier. Nevertheless, it did give the clue as to a potential 'secret' ingredient. This is Savora Mustard (https://www.frenchclick.co.uk/p-823-amora-savora-385g.aspx). A special mustard blend containing several additional spices and, importantly, honey which I thought I had detected in the original salad. I couldn't get the mustard in the UK (at least a search of local delis and supermarkets was fruitless) so I eventually got some imported via www.frenchclick.co.uk. The jar duly arrived this week.

I had my first go at preparing the salad this weekend, trying to match the flavour to my memory. It came off rather well. Exactly the same? No not quite, but close! Give this salad a go...if you can get the Savora mustard!!

Chilled Puy Lentil Salad


Ingredients:
70g Puy Lentils
1/4 Onion, finely chopped.
1/2 Stick of celery, finely chopped.
2 - 2 1/2 tsp Savora mustard.
1 1/2 tsp Mayonnaise
Squirt of fresh lemon juice.
Salt and pepper

Method:
1. Cook the lentils by bringing them to the boil and then simmering for 20 - 25 minutes in plenty of water. They should still have a bit of bite to them. Drain and rinse the lentils and place them in a bowl to cool.

2. Once cooled, mix in all of the remaining ingredients. Pay particular attention to seasoning the salad well.

3. Chill for at least an hour and then serve on small plates garnished with a little coarse sea salt and some freshly ground black pepper.


Note: This will serve two people as a starter.

Roast Pepper Soup

Well the temperature in Oxford has taken a nose dive. This has made me long for some comforting food. I've been making this roast pepper soup for over 10 years now. I suspect it has deviated somewhat from the original recipe and I've included suggestions for variations at the foot of the recipe. The soup is bright and cheerful in winter and light and fresh enough for summer too. Good for eating informally or at the start of a dinner party. I'm a bit vague on the quantities on this one as the amount of liquid added depends on how thick you like the texture of the soup. I also think that chicken stock is nicer in this recipe than vegetable stock but you may want to keep it completely veggie.

Roast Pepper Soup

Ingredients:
4 Red peppers, de-seeded and sliced in half.
1 Yellow pepper, de-seeded and sliced in half.
1 Onion, chopped.
1 Clove garlic, chopped finely.
1 pt Chicken or Vegetable stock (possibly more if you like the soup thinner, make final adjustments at the end of cooking).
1 tbsp Plain flour
Olive oil
Salt and Pepper

Method:
1. Turn your grill on to high. While it's warming up, line a grill pan with foil. Place the pepper halves, skin side up, into the grill pan, press them down to flatten them out a bit. You may have to do the grilling in two batches. Don't crowd the peppers because if you do they won't roast properly and you'll have a hell of a time peeling them later (plus they won't develop the sweet, smokey taste that makes this soup delicious).

2. Roast the peppers under the grill until the skins are black and blistered. Once roasted, scoop them out of the grill pan and put them into a smallish bowl (a 2 pt pudding basin is the perfect size) or a plastic box which has a lid. Cover the bowl with a plate or saucer (or put the lid on the box). Leave to cool for 30 minutes. The steam released by the peppers at this point helps to finish the process of loosening the skins.

3. Now the messy bit! Peel the skin from the peppers and discard. The skin should come off quite easily. If you haven't roasted the peppers enough this can be difficult though! Don't worry about getting every tiniest scrap of skin off, but do try and remove all of the blackened pieces. Once all the peppers are skinned, roughly chop them. Don't worry if the flesh underneath is a little brown or blackened. That's how it should be!

4. Heat 1-2 tbsp of olive oil up in a large pan over a moderate to low heat. Add the chopped onions and saute gently for a few minutes. Don't allow them to brown. Add the garlic and cook a minute more. Finally, sprinkle over the flour and stir continuously. After another minute add the peppers. Gradually add the stock.

5. Turn up the heat and bring to the boil. Now reduce the heat to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Remove the soup from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

7. Using a food processor, blender or hand-held blender, process the soup until it's smooth and without any lumps of pepper or onion left. Check the texture of the soup. If it's too thick for you, add more stock.

8. Re-warm the soup but don't allow it to boil again. Check the seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste. This soup looks lovely served in wide, shallow bowls garnished with a little swirl of yogurt and thin strips of yellow pepper. It goes well served with Italian breads like Ciabatta or Focaccia.

Serves 2-3 as a main and 4 as a starter.

Variations:
Chili and lime - Substitute one or two finely chopped fresh red chilies for the garlic. When the stock is added, add the grated zest of a lime, the juice of half a lime and a pinch of sugar. Add more lime juice when you do the final seasoning if wished.

Smoked paprika - Try adding some sweet or hot smoked paprika. Do this just before adding the peppers and allow the spice to cook for a few seconds.

Plum Tomato and Dolcelatte Tartlets

This is one of my favourite recipes, created some years ago by accident because I wanted a new starter and I happened to have some Dolcelatte cheese. Dolcelatte cheese is a very creamy blue Italian cheese. It has a much milder flavour compared to other blue cheeses like Gorgonzola or Roquefort. Even people who claim not to like blue cheeses really enjoy this recipe. It's very easy to find Dolcelatte in supermarkets or on cheese stalls.

There are two variations of this recipe depending on (A) if you can get fresh plum tomatoes and (B) if you can be bothered doing the extra work of roasting and peeling the fresh tomatoes. If neither (A) or (B) apply, good whole tinned  Italian tomatoes make a perfectly satisfactory substitute for the fresh ones.

I have tried making this as one large tart before rather than tartlets but I have to say it wasn't a great success. This makes a wonderful starter served warm with a salad of rocket leaves. Also a nice basis for a vegetarian main course.

Plum Tomato and Dolcelatte Tartlets (makes 4)

Ingredients:


8 Fresh plum tomatoes OR 2x 400g tins of Plum Tomatoes, well drained and roughly chopped.
1 pkt (150g) Dolcelatte Cheese
Large bunch of fresh Basil.
Olive Oil
Salt and black pepper.
150g of shortcrust pastry, either shop bought or home made.

Method:

If using fresh tomatoes: Cut the tomatoes in half length ways. Lay cut side down in a roasting tin that has been lined with foil.  Drizzle the tomatoes with olive oil and roast for about 15 minutes in an oven at 240 C. Let the tomatoes cool and then pull off the skins, which should now be very loose, and discard them.

1. Take the flesh of either the tinned tomatoes or freshly roasted ones and place in a sieve over a bowl. Press lightly to remove excess liquid. Leave to drain completely while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

2. Roughly cube the cheese and chop the basil and place in a bowl. Add the drained tomato flesh and a tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and then mix everything together well. That's your tartlet filling made.

3. Heat the oven to 200 C. Lightly grease four, 4"-5" tartlet tins.

4. Divide the pastry into four lumps and then roll out each one on a lightly floured surface and use to line the tartlet cases. If you have time, chill the cases for 15 minutes in the fridge.

5. Divide the tomato and cheese filling between the prepared cases and then slide the tartlets into the oven (this is easiest if you put them on top of a baking tray first).

6. Bake the tarts for 25-30 minutes until they are getting some nice little brown spots over the surface.

7. Leave the tartlets to cool for a few minutes and then remove from the tins and serve.

Note: You can make the filling a few hours in advance and leave it covered in the fridge.