• 2 whole Duck breasts
• Salt
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 cup ouzo (or other anise-flavored liqueur
• 1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth
• Juice of one orange
• Zest of one orange
• Small bunch of fennel fronds for garnish
• Fresh-ground black pepper
1. Score the skin side of the Duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern with your sharpest knife and do not cut down to the meat.
2. Place the breasts skin side down and cook over medium heat. You should hear a gentle sizzle.
3. Keep an eye on the fat layer of the breasts. Fat should render out very quickly and moisten the pan. Cooking this side slowly renders out more fat and keeps the skin from burning. When the skin is a lovely brown, flip the breasts, turn the heat up to medium-high and sear the cut side. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the meat is rare to medium. Remove and cover with foil to rest.
4. Add flour to the pan and stir to make a roux. Cook this flour-fat combination over medium heat until it’s golden, about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and add ouzo. The liquid will spatter, and the sauce will thicken a lot. If it begins to solidify, add the stock and stir.
5. Cook this down by half over high heat, stirring always to scrape off the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the orange juice and a little salt, then cook down until a spoon passed through the sauce leaves a trail. Think gravy consistency.
6. Slice Duck breast & any juice that drained from the goose while you were making the sauce should go back into the sauce. Stir to combine.
7. To serve, pour a little sauce on the plate and arrange goose slices skin side up on them. Garnish with orange zest and some fennel fronds; and anoint with ground pepper. Serve at once.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Jewelled Couscous with Harissa & honey Glazed Quail
INGREDIENTS
Couscous
400g couscous
Boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted & chopped almonds
6 dried apricots, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons coriander, chopped
4 small shaved radishes
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1 small bunch of blanched baby spinach leaves
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
Salt & black pepper to taste
1. Put couscous in a large bowl, pour over enough boiling water to cover by 1cm. Cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes.
2. Add olive oil and a pinch of salt and using a fork, fluff up the grains to separate.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and serve.
Glaze
8 boned out quail
1 tablespoon for frying
3 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tblsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp harissa paste
1/4 cup (60 ml) honey
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tblsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Then stir in the cumin, cinnamon, harissa, honey, tomato paste, lemon juice and salt. Cook until the mixture starts to boil, then turn off the heat.
Brush both sides of the quail with glaze and sear in a griddle pan skin side down, when skin is crispy, turn over quail and keep brushing with glaze until cooked with meat still remaining pink.
After quail is cooked, slice down the centre and place on a healthy helping of the couscous and finish with some cumin yogurt & a sprinkle of sumac.
Couscous
400g couscous
Boiling water
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons toasted & chopped almonds
6 dried apricots, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 tablespoons coriander, chopped
4 small shaved radishes
2 tablespoons mint, chopped
1 small bunch of blanched baby spinach leaves
Seeds of 1 pomegranate
Salt & black pepper to taste
1. Put couscous in a large bowl, pour over enough boiling water to cover by 1cm. Cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes.
2. Add olive oil and a pinch of salt and using a fork, fluff up the grains to separate.
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and serve.
Glaze
8 boned out quail
1 tablespoon for frying
3 small cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tblsp finely chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp harissa paste
1/4 cup (60 ml) honey
2 tsp tomato paste
2 tblsp lemon juice
1 tsp sea salt
Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Then stir in the cumin, cinnamon, harissa, honey, tomato paste, lemon juice and salt. Cook until the mixture starts to boil, then turn off the heat.
Brush both sides of the quail with glaze and sear in a griddle pan skin side down, when skin is crispy, turn over quail and keep brushing with glaze until cooked with meat still remaining pink.
After quail is cooked, slice down the centre and place on a healthy helping of the couscous and finish with some cumin yogurt & a sprinkle of sumac.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Phil’s Filo Pastry
8 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of raki
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 - 1 1/3 cups of warm water
flour for work surface and hands
Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, make a hole in the middle, add salt, oil, raki and a little bit of water. Mix it all in with your hands. If needed add more water until like a dough consistency. Take out and knead on a floured bench for a while. Put it back in the bowl and leave for at least 1/2 hour, covered with a clean table cloth.
To do this, roll the dough around the pin - then roll it up, now spreading your fingers, work your fingers along the dough, out along the rolling pin. Then, push the dough away from you, pushing the pin away in a fairly fast motion so the dough unwinds from the pin. This process helps to stretch and lengthen the pastry. Turn the dough round by 1/2 and repeat many times until the pastry is very thin. (It will not be as thin as shop bought fillo pastry).
Use the oil to brush over the pastry and then use as per recipe.
2 teaspoons of raki
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 - 1 1/3 cups of warm water
flour for work surface and hands
Put the flour in a large mixing bowl, make a hole in the middle, add salt, oil, raki and a little bit of water. Mix it all in with your hands. If needed add more water until like a dough consistency. Take out and knead on a floured bench for a while. Put it back in the bowl and leave for at least 1/2 hour, covered with a clean table cloth.
Taste to see if it has enough salt, if not add a bit and mix in.
Roll into a fat sausage and cut into 8 portions.
The filo dough rolls better when soft and elastic. If it feels very stiff add a little more flour and mix in to make it softer.
You will need a long very thin rolling pin. Using the rolling pin, roll the pastry out (one portion at a time),into a large circle, very thin, adding flour to the surface as needed.
To do this, roll the dough around the pin - then roll it up, now spreading your fingers, work your fingers along the dough, out along the rolling pin. Then, push the dough away from you, pushing the pin away in a fairly fast motion so the dough unwinds from the pin. This process helps to stretch and lengthen the pastry. Turn the dough round by 1/2 and repeat many times until the pastry is very thin. (It will not be as thin as shop bought fillo pastry).
Use the oil to brush over the pastry and then use as per recipe.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Fig Ice cream
Ingrediance:
350 g ready-to-eat dried figs
570 ml milk
4 large egg yolks
1 rounded teaspoon custard powder
110 g caster sugar
1 vanilla bean split
2 tablespoons brandy
150 ml double cream
Method:
First, place the figs and brown sugar in a medium-sized saucepan and add 275 ml water. Bring this up to simmering point and simmer gently with a lid on for about 5 minutes, then uncover and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the figs are plump and tender. Now remove from the heat, replace the lid and leave them until they're completely cold.
The next stage is to purée the figs, so drain off the cooking liquid, snip off and discard the tops of the figs, then place them either in a liquidiser or a food processor, along with the milk, and blend them until they have become smooth and uniform. Now press the mixture through a sieve to extract any tough, resistant pieces of skin.
Next, make the custard by whisking the egg yolks, caster sugar. Now bring the milk, vanilla bean and fig mixture up to the boil, and then pour it on to the egg yolk mixture. Return the whole lot to the saucepan and bring it back to the boil gently, still stirring with a whisk to keep it smooth. If it looks like curdling, don't worry: just whisk it together again as it cools.
Now let the custard cool before combining it with the brandy and the double cream (lightly whipped until it just holds its shape). Place the mixture in an ice cream maker and churn according to the maker's instructions – you will probably have to do this in two batches. If you don't have an ice-cream maker then whip it by hand as soon as it freezes. Pack the ice cream into a storage container and store in the freezer until ready to use. Before serving remove it to the fridge for 30 minutes to soften.
350 g ready-to-eat dried figs
25 g soft brown sugar
570 ml milk
4 large egg yolks
1 rounded teaspoon custard powder
1 vanilla bean split
2 tablespoons brandy
150 ml double cream
Method:
First, place the figs and brown sugar in a medium-sized saucepan and add 275 ml water. Bring this up to simmering point and simmer gently with a lid on for about 5 minutes, then uncover and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the figs are plump and tender. Now remove from the heat, replace the lid and leave them until they're completely cold.
The next stage is to purée the figs, so drain off the cooking liquid, snip off and discard the tops of the figs, then place them either in a liquidiser or a food processor, along with the milk, and blend them until they have become smooth and uniform. Now press the mixture through a sieve to extract any tough, resistant pieces of skin.
Next, make the custard by whisking the egg yolks, caster sugar. Now bring the milk, vanilla bean and fig mixture up to the boil, and then pour it on to the egg yolk mixture. Return the whole lot to the saucepan and bring it back to the boil gently, still stirring with a whisk to keep it smooth. If it looks like curdling, don't worry: just whisk it together again as it cools.
Now let the custard cool before combining it with the brandy and the double cream (lightly whipped until it just holds its shape). Place the mixture in an ice cream maker and churn according to the maker's instructions – you will probably have to do this in two batches. If you don't have an ice-cream maker then whip it by hand as soon as it freezes. Pack the ice cream into a storage container and store in the freezer until ready to use. Before serving remove it to the fridge for 30 minutes to soften.
Greek Honey-Dipped Spice Cookies (Phoenikia)
FOR THE DOUGH
12 cups 1.5 kg of all-purpose flour
3 cups of olive oil
2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup of brandy
1 cup of lukewarm water
juice and grated peel of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cloves
1 cup of coarsely ground walnuts
FOR THE SYRUP
1 cup of honey
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
juice of 1/2 lemon
10 whole cloves
FOR THE TOPPING
2 1/2 cups of toasted sesame seeds
1 2/3 cups of walnut pieces
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Preparation:
Dissolve baking soda in the lemon juice. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder, and whisk until well blended.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, water, lemon juice (with baking soda), cinnamon, cloves, brandy, and grated lemon peel. Beat for 2 minutes until thoroughly combined. Continue beating and add two-thirds (8 cups) of the flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed. (If using walnuts, add now.)
Gently knead in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. Knead gently for about 5 minutes. The dough will be oily.
Notes: Don't overwork the dough or beat in the flour at high speeds or the cookies will be too dense. The cookie shape should be rounded, not flat or they will harden during baking.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
To shape the cookies, take a fistful of dough and squeeze 5 times to compress. Roll into a log shape between palms of hands. Press the dough gently with your fingers on one side to flatten slightly. The traditional shapes of the cookies are slightly rounded circles or ovals. (How to shape the cookies with photos)
Place the cookies, finger-marked side down, well spaced on a greased cookie sheet (or on parchment cooking paper, or on a non-stick cookie sheet), place on the middle rack in the oven and bake at 180°Cuntil browned (about 30-35 minutes}.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on paper towels.
Combine all topping ingredients and grind coarsely.
The cooled cookies will be dipped in the hot syrup, so don't start the syrup until the cookies have cooled.
Place all syrup ingredients in a wide pot (like a deep frying pan) and bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to lowest possible setting. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves.
Put cookies (as many as will fit on the bottom in one layer) into the hot syrup and use a spatula to hold them down for about 30 to 45 seconds. Once the cookies have been soaked, remove them with a slotted spoon, letting excess syrup drip, place on a large serving plates or platter, sprinkling liberally with the mixture of ground sesame seeds, walnuts, and cinnamon. (The cookies will darken from the syrup.)
Melomakarona are not refrigerated. Cover them well with plastic wrap to keep for several days or store in tins so they don't dry out, and they'll last for weeks or months - if they aren't eaten by then.
Yield: about 80 cookies
12 cups 1.5 kg of all-purpose flour
3 cups of olive oil
2 cups of sugar
1/4 cup of brandy
1 cup of lukewarm water
juice and grated peel of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons of ground cloves
1 cup of coarsely ground walnuts
FOR THE SYRUP
1 cup of honey
2 cups of sugar
2 cups of water
1 cinnamon stick
juice of 1/2 lemon
10 whole cloves
FOR THE TOPPING
2 1/2 cups of toasted sesame seeds
1 2/3 cups of walnut pieces
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
Preparation:
Dissolve baking soda in the lemon juice. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and baking powder, and whisk until well blended.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the oil, water, lemon juice (with baking soda), cinnamon, cloves, brandy, and grated lemon peel. Beat for 2 minutes until thoroughly combined. Continue beating and add two-thirds (8 cups) of the flour mixture, 1 cup at a time, beating on low speed. (If using walnuts, add now.)
Gently knead in remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time. Knead gently for about 5 minutes. The dough will be oily.
Notes: Don't overwork the dough or beat in the flour at high speeds or the cookies will be too dense. The cookie shape should be rounded, not flat or they will harden during baking.
Preheat oven to 180°C.
To shape the cookies, take a fistful of dough and squeeze 5 times to compress. Roll into a log shape between palms of hands. Press the dough gently with your fingers on one side to flatten slightly. The traditional shapes of the cookies are slightly rounded circles or ovals. (How to shape the cookies with photos)
Place the cookies, finger-marked side down, well spaced on a greased cookie sheet (or on parchment cooking paper, or on a non-stick cookie sheet), place on the middle rack in the oven and bake at 180°Cuntil browned (about 30-35 minutes}.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely on paper towels.
Combine all topping ingredients and grind coarsely.
The cooled cookies will be dipped in the hot syrup, so don't start the syrup until the cookies have cooled.
Place all syrup ingredients in a wide pot (like a deep frying pan) and bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 10 minutes. Turn the heat down to lowest possible setting. Remove the cinnamon stick and cloves.
Put cookies (as many as will fit on the bottom in one layer) into the hot syrup and use a spatula to hold them down for about 30 to 45 seconds. Once the cookies have been soaked, remove them with a slotted spoon, letting excess syrup drip, place on a large serving plates or platter, sprinkling liberally with the mixture of ground sesame seeds, walnuts, and cinnamon. (The cookies will darken from the syrup.)
Melomakarona are not refrigerated. Cover them well with plastic wrap to keep for several days or store in tins so they don't dry out, and they'll last for weeks or months - if they aren't eaten by then.
Yield: about 80 cookies
Xerotigana: Honey-Dipped Spiral Pastries
Ingredients:
For the dough:
6 - 8 cups of all-purpose flour
2/3 cup of freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice
2/3 cup of olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons of water
For the syrup:
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of honey
1 cup of water
1 stick of cinnamon
For the topping:
1/4 cup of toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
olive oil for frying
Preparation:
Combine 6 cups of flour and all remaining dough ingredients in a large bowl or plastic tub and knead well for at least 5 minutes. Add more flour as needed to make a smooth firm dough.
Let rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, make the syrup. Bring all syrup ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan and boil for 15 minutes. Turn the heat to the lowest possible setting to keep it hot without boiling.
Note: How to Make the Spirals with photos.
Divide the dough into equal-sized pieces, about the size of your fist. Roll out each piece of dough using the highest (thinnest) setting on a pasta machine or with a floured rolling pin, into a long strip, about 30-36 inches long and 5 inches wide, sprinkling with flour if needed to keep it dry. Cut lengthwise into strips 1 inch wide using a fluted pastry wheel. Each piece of rolled-out dough should make 5 long strips.
Loop the long strip of dough loosely around two fingers, then three, then all four, continuing to make a loose spiral shape.
Drop into 2 inches of hot oil. The dough is so thin that it will puff as it fries and will tend to uncurl. Place the tines of a fork in the center of the spiral and turn to keep the spiral shape. When lightly golden on all sides, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon or spatula. Let excess oil drip off and drain on paper towels. Do not stack the spirals.
Place one spiral at a time in the steaming hot syrup (increase heat if necessary) for 5-6 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a serving platter. Combine walnuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle with a little of the walnut and cinnamon mixture, followed by the sesame seeds. Layer spirals on top, sprinkling each with the toppings.
Tip: How much to sprinkle? At least a good sized pinch on each spiral... of the walnut/cinnamon mixture and of the sesame seeds.
For the dough:
6 - 8 cups of all-purpose flour
2/3 cup of freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice
2/3 cup of olive oil
1 cup + 2 tablespoons of water
For the syrup:
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of honey
1 cup of water
1 stick of cinnamon
For the topping:
1/4 cup of toasted sesame seeds
1/4 cup of finely chopped walnuts
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
olive oil for frying
Preparation:
Combine 6 cups of flour and all remaining dough ingredients in a large bowl or plastic tub and knead well for at least 5 minutes. Add more flour as needed to make a smooth firm dough.
Let rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough is resting, make the syrup. Bring all syrup ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan and boil for 15 minutes. Turn the heat to the lowest possible setting to keep it hot without boiling.
Note: How to Make the Spirals with photos.
Divide the dough into equal-sized pieces, about the size of your fist. Roll out each piece of dough using the highest (thinnest) setting on a pasta machine or with a floured rolling pin, into a long strip, about 30-36 inches long and 5 inches wide, sprinkling with flour if needed to keep it dry. Cut lengthwise into strips 1 inch wide using a fluted pastry wheel. Each piece of rolled-out dough should make 5 long strips.
Loop the long strip of dough loosely around two fingers, then three, then all four, continuing to make a loose spiral shape.
Drop into 2 inches of hot oil. The dough is so thin that it will puff as it fries and will tend to uncurl. Place the tines of a fork in the center of the spiral and turn to keep the spiral shape. When lightly golden on all sides, remove from the oil with a slotted spoon or spatula. Let excess oil drip off and drain on paper towels. Do not stack the spirals.
Place one spiral at a time in the steaming hot syrup (increase heat if necessary) for 5-6 seconds on each side. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a serving platter. Combine walnuts and cinnamon. Sprinkle with a little of the walnut and cinnamon mixture, followed by the sesame seeds. Layer spirals on top, sprinkling each with the toppings.
Tip: How much to sprinkle? At least a good sized pinch on each spiral... of the walnut/cinnamon mixture and of the sesame seeds.
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