And this is suppose to be summer. What larks!
Thursday, 30 July 2009
Clips of a stream
This served as our wine cooler while camping in an idyllic campsite at Brevedent in Normandy near Pont L'Eveque
Beef Rendang
This recipe is simply awesome.
This is a mild beef curry from the Far East, flavoured with coconut milk and lemongrass.
Serves 4-6
Ready in 3 hours
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Ingredients
* 2 lemongrass stalks
* 2 large red chillies, deseeded and chopped
* 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
* 5cm piece of ginger, roughly chopped
* 1 large onion, roughly chopped
* 1/2 tsp ground ginger
* 1 tbsp ground coriander
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tbsp sunflower oil
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 12 cloves
* 2 bay leaves
* 600ml canned coconut milk
* 1.5kg braising steak, such as chuck or blade, cut into 5cm pieces
* 1 tsp salt
* Walnut-sized piece of tamarind pulp or 2 tbsp lemon juice
* 1 tbsp Billington's Dark Muscovado Sugar
Method: How to make indonesian beef rendang
1. Remove the outer leaves from the lemongrass stalks and reserve. Roughly chop the tender core and put into a food processor with the chillies, garlic, fresh ginger, onion, ground ginger, coriander, cumin, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of water. Blend to a smooth paste.
2. Heat the sunflower oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks and cloves and allow them to sizzle for about 1 minute. Add the spice paste and bay leaves and fry gently for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, 200ml water, the beef, reserved lemongrass leaves and the salt and bring to the boil.
3. Meanwhile, if you are using the tamarind pulp, put in a small bowl with 120ml of warm water and work through with your fingers to release the seeds. Strain the syrupy mixture into a clean bowl and discard the seeds.
4. Lower the heat to a simmer, add the tamarind liquid or lemon juice and muscovado sugar and leave to cook uncovered for 21/2 hours, stirring more frequently as the liquid reduces, until the sauce is well reduced and quite thick and the beef is very tender. Serve with plain rice and a cucumber, tomato, red onion and coriander salsa.
This is a mild beef curry from the Far East, flavoured with coconut milk and lemongrass.
Serves 4-6
Ready in 3 hours
Advertisement
Ingredients
* 2 lemongrass stalks
* 2 large red chillies, deseeded and chopped
* 6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
* 5cm piece of ginger, roughly chopped
* 1 large onion, roughly chopped
* 1/2 tsp ground ginger
* 1 tbsp ground coriander
* 1 tsp ground cumin
* 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
* 2 tbsp sunflower oil
* 2 cinnamon sticks
* 12 cloves
* 2 bay leaves
* 600ml canned coconut milk
* 1.5kg braising steak, such as chuck or blade, cut into 5cm pieces
* 1 tsp salt
* Walnut-sized piece of tamarind pulp or 2 tbsp lemon juice
* 1 tbsp Billington's Dark Muscovado Sugar
Method: How to make indonesian beef rendang
1. Remove the outer leaves from the lemongrass stalks and reserve. Roughly chop the tender core and put into a food processor with the chillies, garlic, fresh ginger, onion, ground ginger, coriander, cumin, black pepper and 2 tablespoons of water. Blend to a smooth paste.
2. Heat the sunflower oil in a large flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Add the cinnamon sticks and cloves and allow them to sizzle for about 1 minute. Add the spice paste and bay leaves and fry gently for 2 minutes. Add the coconut milk, 200ml water, the beef, reserved lemongrass leaves and the salt and bring to the boil.
3. Meanwhile, if you are using the tamarind pulp, put in a small bowl with 120ml of warm water and work through with your fingers to release the seeds. Strain the syrupy mixture into a clean bowl and discard the seeds.
4. Lower the heat to a simmer, add the tamarind liquid or lemon juice and muscovado sugar and leave to cook uncovered for 21/2 hours, stirring more frequently as the liquid reduces, until the sauce is well reduced and quite thick and the beef is very tender. Serve with plain rice and a cucumber, tomato, red onion and coriander salsa.
Thursday, 23 July 2009
luscious lamb curry
Serves 4
In a casserole pot pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, heat. When hot add a teaspoon of cumin seeds and a teaspoon of black mustard seed. When the mustard seeds pop add two large chopped onions, two finely chopped red chillies and three chopped cloves of garlic.
Sir until soft.
Then add cubed lamb chunks (750g), brown the meat all over. Then fold in approx two small pots of natural yoghurt. Ideally you should let the yoghurt become incorporated but I don't give two hoots for that I'm afraid.
Add two large chopped up tomatoes (skin removed if you can be bothered). Stir. Then add half a teaspoon of chilli powder, half a tspn of tumeric and a whole teaspoon of ground coriander. Plus salt and ground black pepper. I don't like things too salty so you'll need to gauge how much yourself.
Here comes the fun bit, either add whole 2 sticks of cinnamon, 6 whole cardamon, 6 cloves and 10 all spice and a nutmeg. Or dry roast them and grind them up then add. It all depends whether you want to extract bits of wood from your curry.
Put the lid on the casserole and simmer on a low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Ideally I would then leave it lying around for the rest of the day or 24 hours and reheat just before eating.
Fantastic with plain buttery rice, cucumber raita, daal, chutney and poppadams. Sprinkle some chopped fresh coriander over the lamb before you take the casserole to the table.
Drink what you like, lots of it.
In a casserole pot pour in 2 to 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil, heat. When hot add a teaspoon of cumin seeds and a teaspoon of black mustard seed. When the mustard seeds pop add two large chopped onions, two finely chopped red chillies and three chopped cloves of garlic.
Sir until soft.
Then add cubed lamb chunks (750g), brown the meat all over. Then fold in approx two small pots of natural yoghurt. Ideally you should let the yoghurt become incorporated but I don't give two hoots for that I'm afraid.
Add two large chopped up tomatoes (skin removed if you can be bothered). Stir. Then add half a teaspoon of chilli powder, half a tspn of tumeric and a whole teaspoon of ground coriander. Plus salt and ground black pepper. I don't like things too salty so you'll need to gauge how much yourself.
Here comes the fun bit, either add whole 2 sticks of cinnamon, 6 whole cardamon, 6 cloves and 10 all spice and a nutmeg. Or dry roast them and grind them up then add. It all depends whether you want to extract bits of wood from your curry.
Put the lid on the casserole and simmer on a low heat for 1 1/2 hours. Ideally I would then leave it lying around for the rest of the day or 24 hours and reheat just before eating.
Fantastic with plain buttery rice, cucumber raita, daal, chutney and poppadams. Sprinkle some chopped fresh coriander over the lamb before you take the casserole to the table.
Drink what you like, lots of it.
Tuesday, 21 July 2009
Camping in Normandy
Idyllic, quiet, pretty site near Pont L'Eveque. Lovely people run it and it has unobtrusive yet excellent stuff for young children: http://www.campinglebrevedent.com/en/services.htm
Our pitch was beside a lake with a small bubbling brook running behind our tent which proved invaluable for chilling our vin blanc.
Another nice site, a few miles away, though a little less fun for kids: http://www.ukcampsites.co.uk/sites/t/Clos-Du-Mont-Criquet-Moyaux-7999.htm
It is an orchard and really peaceful - nice walks around and close to all the things you might get up to in Normandy.
Both sites have excellent loos, always vital!
And are close to producers of excellent Calvados (one from Blangy le Chateau and one from Moyaux).
Nice simple camping meal: thinly sliced chicken breast marinated in honey, lemon juice, garlic and fresh herbs (+ salt and pepper), fried over ones primus stove on a hot heat and served with rice and green salad. Even the most fussy eaters seem to find this palatable.
Our pitch was beside a lake with a small bubbling brook running behind our tent which proved invaluable for chilling our vin blanc.
Another nice site, a few miles away, though a little less fun for kids: http://www.ukcampsites.co.uk/sites/t/Clos-Du-Mont-Criquet-Moyaux-7999.htm
It is an orchard and really peaceful - nice walks around and close to all the things you might get up to in Normandy.
Both sites have excellent loos, always vital!
And are close to producers of excellent Calvados (one from Blangy le Chateau and one from Moyaux).
Nice simple camping meal: thinly sliced chicken breast marinated in honey, lemon juice, garlic and fresh herbs (+ salt and pepper), fried over ones primus stove on a hot heat and served with rice and green salad. Even the most fussy eaters seem to find this palatable.
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