Hi all,
Sorry but there is no new blog this week, Chefgarfy's kitchen is now closed until the New Year.
Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a properous and Happy New Year.
Happy Holidays!!
Chefgarfy :0)
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Friday, 17 December 2010
Saturday, 4 December 2010
The Vegetable Lowdown For The Big Day
Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. When it comes to the all important Christmas Dinner, vegetables are a cook’s worse nightmare. I think we’ve all been to dinners where we’ve had to endure either bland, undercooked or overcooked vegetable accompaniments. We’ve all had bowling ball sprouts (or worse sprouts that have turned to mush as soon as you put a fork in them), carrots while still having their “fresh crunch” could have been used in a fresh salad, peas that could have been used for ammunition, and mash that just lacked taste and imagination. Hopefully the following information and serving suggestions will avoid any upsets on the great day.
Let’s start with the demon of all vegetables ... Brussels Sprouts.
Plump, bright green heads (the smaller, the sweeter) with tightly packed leaves. If you can buy them still attached to their long central stalk, so much the better - they'll keep fresh for longer that way.
To prepare them - If the sprouts are still on the stalk, twist each one off, trim any loose, yellow or damaged leaves, wash, then trim the base. Some people cut a cross in the base to make sure they cook evenly but with smaller ones it's not necessary, as it can cause them to go mushy. Larger ones can be cut in half.
To boil - Put into a pan with some salt, cover with boiling water, bring back to the boil and cook, covered, for 5-10 minutes. They take 5-10 minutes to steam.
To stir fry - Halve or slice finely and cook for about 10 minutes. Sprouts cook very quickly, and if overcooked are quite unpleasant, so test them regularly by piercing with a knife.
Alternatively, stir fry oil with onions and ginger; add cooked chestnuts at Christmas; boil until al dente (firm to the bite), then quickly pan fry with diced pancetta and chopped garlic.
Next ... Carrots.
Carrots should be firm, with unblemished, bright orange skins. In spring, look out for young, thin carrots with their feathery greens still attached - they're particularly tender and sweet. Those on sale later in the season will be larger and tougher. Some argue that, of all vegetables, carrots that are grown organically have the most marked improvement of flavour.
To prepare them - Very young carrots just need to be scrubbed clean and topped and tailed. Older carrots may need to be peeled (but try not to take too much off, as most of the nutrients are stored just beneath the skin) as well as topped and tailed.
To cook them - Grate raw and use to make carrot cake or coleslaw. Slice into ribbons with a peeler for a salad. Slice into chunks and roast (roasts in 30-35 minutes). Cut into batons and steam (5-6 minutes) or boil (5-7 minutes).
Alternatively try Glazed Carrots. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a small saucepan, mix in 1 tbsp of honey and 1 tbsp of Wholegrain Mustard. Drain the carrots, tip into a serving dish and pour over the glaze.
Parsnips are next in the firing line.
When choosing your parsnips go for small to medium parsnips, as larger ones can be fibrous, and always choose firm, rather than limp or shrivelled examples. Avoid those with lots of whiskers or brown patches as this indicates that they may well be rotten.
To prepare them - Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling - just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away.
To cook them - Chop into chunks and roast (40-55 minutes). Cut into chunks and boil (15-20 minutes).
Alternatively try Roast parsnips with rosemary and garlic recipe by Debbie Major, Courtesy of Deliciousmagazine.co.uk.
Serves 8, take 10mins to prepare and approx. 50mins in the oven.
1kg x Small Parsnips, each 100-125g
200ml x Sunflower oil
6 x Garlic Cloves, unpeeled
15g x Butter
2 x Long Fresh Rosemary Sprigs, halved
Cut each parsnip in half lengthways. Drop into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain the parsnips well in a colander, then wait for the steam to die down. Meanwhile, pour the sunflower oil into a roasting tin and heat in the oven at 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5 for 5 minutes or until the oil is really hot. Slightly crush the garlic cloves under the flat side of a large knife.
Add the parsnips to the tin, toss well in the hot oil then pour away the excess oil – this ensures the parsnips are dry and crisp, not greasy. Dot the parsnips with the butter and scatter over the rosemary and garlic. Roast for 30 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Turn the parsnips and roast for a further 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
And finally, Potatoes.
When choosing your potatoes look for firm, blemish-free ones. Avoid those that are cracked, have sprouts, wrinkles or green tinges. The fine, filmy skin of new potatoes can rub off, but other potatoes should have no bald patches. Everyone has their favourite, my recommendation for the best all round potato is the Desiree, with its distinctive red skin. It is ideal for all sorts of dishes, boiled, chipped, mashed or roasted.
Prepare them - Older potatoes should be scrubbed well in cold water, and any eyes should be dug out with the tip of a peeler or a small, sharp knife. Much of the nutritional content is stored in or just under the skin, so leave it on if possible. Otherwise, peel very thinly with a potato peeler, then rinse. New potatoes just need a scrub in cold water - the skin is too thin to warrant peeling. If any area of an old or new potato is tinged with green it should be scraped or cut off, as it is mildly toxic.
Cook them - Bake whole (50 minutes -1 1/4 hours); chop into big chunks and roast (45-60 minutes for old, 30-40 for new); chop into big chunks and boil (15-20 minutes for old, 12-15 minutes for new). To make mash add a large knob of butter (salted or unsalted to your taste) to your pan of boiled potatoes and pass through a potato ricer (if you possess one) for best results.
For the perfect roast potatoes:-
cut fairly small - roughly egg size
sunflower or groundnut oil
Par-boil the potatoes in gently boiling salted water for about 8 minutes. Stop cooking before they're cooked right through. Leave to cool completely, then scratch roughly with a fork and season with a little fine salt.
Only roast around the joint if there is plenty of fat - at least ½cm/¾in in the tin - and plenty of room. It's better to preheat the oil in a separate pan, adding any beef fat from the roasting tin just before the potatoes go in. Don't add the potatoes until the oil is sizzling hot. Baste or turn the potatoes (carefully) as soon as they go into the pan so they have a light coating of oil from the start.
Roast for the last 45 minutes of your joint's cooking time, turning at least once. If they look like they could use a bit more browning/crisping, leave them in after the joint has come out to rest, while you increase the heat for the Yorkshire pudding. Then, when the preheated pudding tin is ready you'll have to decide whether the potatoes come out, or stay in for the full 15 minutes of pudding time.
Drain well and keep in a warm oven, uncovered and not too piled on top of each other. Season again with salt and pepper before serving.
Alternatively, try Celeriac Mash recipe by The Hairy Bikers, courtesy of http://www.bbc.co.uk/
350g x Celeriac, peeled, cut into chunks
800g x Maris Piper Potatoes
150ml x Double Cream
1 tbsp x Butter
Salt and white pepper
Place the celeriac and potatoes into separate pans of cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the celeriac for 15-20 minutes and the potatoes for 10-12 minutes, or until both are tender. Drain well, then place both the celeriac and potatoes to one pan and place back over the heat for a few minutes to drive off any excess moisture.
Mash the celeriac and potatoes together, then beat in the butter and the cream until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and white pepper.
If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.
Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D
http://chefgarfy.blogspot.com/
http://chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
Let’s start with the demon of all vegetables ... Brussels Sprouts.
Plump, bright green heads (the smaller, the sweeter) with tightly packed leaves. If you can buy them still attached to their long central stalk, so much the better - they'll keep fresh for longer that way.
To prepare them - If the sprouts are still on the stalk, twist each one off, trim any loose, yellow or damaged leaves, wash, then trim the base. Some people cut a cross in the base to make sure they cook evenly but with smaller ones it's not necessary, as it can cause them to go mushy. Larger ones can be cut in half.
To boil - Put into a pan with some salt, cover with boiling water, bring back to the boil and cook, covered, for 5-10 minutes. They take 5-10 minutes to steam.
To stir fry - Halve or slice finely and cook for about 10 minutes. Sprouts cook very quickly, and if overcooked are quite unpleasant, so test them regularly by piercing with a knife.
Alternatively, stir fry oil with onions and ginger; add cooked chestnuts at Christmas; boil until al dente (firm to the bite), then quickly pan fry with diced pancetta and chopped garlic.
Next ... Carrots.
Carrots should be firm, with unblemished, bright orange skins. In spring, look out for young, thin carrots with their feathery greens still attached - they're particularly tender and sweet. Those on sale later in the season will be larger and tougher. Some argue that, of all vegetables, carrots that are grown organically have the most marked improvement of flavour.
To prepare them - Very young carrots just need to be scrubbed clean and topped and tailed. Older carrots may need to be peeled (but try not to take too much off, as most of the nutrients are stored just beneath the skin) as well as topped and tailed.
To cook them - Grate raw and use to make carrot cake or coleslaw. Slice into ribbons with a peeler for a salad. Slice into chunks and roast (roasts in 30-35 minutes). Cut into batons and steam (5-6 minutes) or boil (5-7 minutes).
Alternatively try Glazed Carrots. Melt 1 tbsp of butter in a small saucepan, mix in 1 tbsp of honey and 1 tbsp of Wholegrain Mustard. Drain the carrots, tip into a serving dish and pour over the glaze.
Parsnips are next in the firing line.
When choosing your parsnips go for small to medium parsnips, as larger ones can be fibrous, and always choose firm, rather than limp or shrivelled examples. Avoid those with lots of whiskers or brown patches as this indicates that they may well be rotten.
To prepare them - Young, small parsnips don't really need peeling - just scrub clean and serve whole. Older parsnips should be peeled very thinly with a peeler or sharp knife, then chopped into evenly sized chunks. If the central core is very fibrous, this should be cut away.
To cook them - Chop into chunks and roast (40-55 minutes). Cut into chunks and boil (15-20 minutes).
Alternatively try Roast parsnips with rosemary and garlic recipe by Debbie Major, Courtesy of Deliciousmagazine.co.uk.
Serves 8, take 10mins to prepare and approx. 50mins in the oven.
1kg x Small Parsnips, each 100-125g
200ml x Sunflower oil
6 x Garlic Cloves, unpeeled
15g x Butter
2 x Long Fresh Rosemary Sprigs, halved
Cut each parsnip in half lengthways. Drop into a pan of boiling salted water and cook for about 5 minutes. Drain the parsnips well in a colander, then wait for the steam to die down. Meanwhile, pour the sunflower oil into a roasting tin and heat in the oven at 190°C/fan170°C/gas 5 for 5 minutes or until the oil is really hot. Slightly crush the garlic cloves under the flat side of a large knife.
Add the parsnips to the tin, toss well in the hot oil then pour away the excess oil – this ensures the parsnips are dry and crisp, not greasy. Dot the parsnips with the butter and scatter over the rosemary and garlic. Roast for 30 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/fan180°C/gas 6. Turn the parsnips and roast for a further 20 minutes or until golden and crispy.
And finally, Potatoes.
When choosing your potatoes look for firm, blemish-free ones. Avoid those that are cracked, have sprouts, wrinkles or green tinges. The fine, filmy skin of new potatoes can rub off, but other potatoes should have no bald patches. Everyone has their favourite, my recommendation for the best all round potato is the Desiree, with its distinctive red skin. It is ideal for all sorts of dishes, boiled, chipped, mashed or roasted.
Prepare them - Older potatoes should be scrubbed well in cold water, and any eyes should be dug out with the tip of a peeler or a small, sharp knife. Much of the nutritional content is stored in or just under the skin, so leave it on if possible. Otherwise, peel very thinly with a potato peeler, then rinse. New potatoes just need a scrub in cold water - the skin is too thin to warrant peeling. If any area of an old or new potato is tinged with green it should be scraped or cut off, as it is mildly toxic.
Cook them - Bake whole (50 minutes -1 1/4 hours); chop into big chunks and roast (45-60 minutes for old, 30-40 for new); chop into big chunks and boil (15-20 minutes for old, 12-15 minutes for new). To make mash add a large knob of butter (salted or unsalted to your taste) to your pan of boiled potatoes and pass through a potato ricer (if you possess one) for best results.
For the perfect roast potatoes:-
cut fairly small - roughly egg size
sunflower or groundnut oil
Par-boil the potatoes in gently boiling salted water for about 8 minutes. Stop cooking before they're cooked right through. Leave to cool completely, then scratch roughly with a fork and season with a little fine salt.
Only roast around the joint if there is plenty of fat - at least ½cm/¾in in the tin - and plenty of room. It's better to preheat the oil in a separate pan, adding any beef fat from the roasting tin just before the potatoes go in. Don't add the potatoes until the oil is sizzling hot. Baste or turn the potatoes (carefully) as soon as they go into the pan so they have a light coating of oil from the start.
Roast for the last 45 minutes of your joint's cooking time, turning at least once. If they look like they could use a bit more browning/crisping, leave them in after the joint has come out to rest, while you increase the heat for the Yorkshire pudding. Then, when the preheated pudding tin is ready you'll have to decide whether the potatoes come out, or stay in for the full 15 minutes of pudding time.
Drain well and keep in a warm oven, uncovered and not too piled on top of each other. Season again with salt and pepper before serving.
Alternatively, try Celeriac Mash recipe by The Hairy Bikers, courtesy of http://www.bbc.co.uk/
350g x Celeriac, peeled, cut into chunks
800g x Maris Piper Potatoes
150ml x Double Cream
1 tbsp x Butter
Salt and white pepper
Place the celeriac and potatoes into separate pans of cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook the celeriac for 15-20 minutes and the potatoes for 10-12 minutes, or until both are tender. Drain well, then place both the celeriac and potatoes to one pan and place back over the heat for a few minutes to drive off any excess moisture.
Mash the celeriac and potatoes together, then beat in the butter and the cream until well combined. Season, to taste, with salt and white pepper.
If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.
Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D
http://chefgarfy.blogspot.com/
http://chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
Saturday, 13 November 2010
It's OCD Time - Operation Christmas Dinner
Hi everyone and welcome to the blog. This week’s blog is all about a stress free Christmas day, where you can sit down with the rest of your family instead of running around like a headless chicken – or turkey. Yes you saw right, it’s OCD time – Operation Christmas Dinner I know what you’re thinking... CHRISTMAS!!! But, it’s MID-NOVEMBER!!!! Why am I reading about preparing for Christmas dinner when it’s not even December yet?! Because it’s now that you do the preparation for the big day, to save you from having to do it all there and then. This week’s Spice of the week is Mustard and the recipe is for As-You-Like-It Christmas Cake.
This is a Christmas Countdown... with a difference. Here’s a list of what to do and how far ahead to do it.
1 Month: Order the turkey or goose If you don’t want either, decide what meat you’re having and tell your butcher (or your abattoir), so he’ll have a nice piece set aside for you.
3 weeks: Body Count Find out who is coming, then plan the menu and assign everyone a job so they know well in advance what they’re responsible for.
2 weeks: Booze Shopping online for your wine, spirits and mixers is a real time-saver. You don’t want to be rushing out for last-minute prosecco or tonic – or worse, running out of it.
Up to 1 week: Gravy and the rest Your gravy can be made in advance. Finalise what else you’re cooking, write your shopping list and place last orders. Gently remind everyone about their jobs so they’ve got no excuse to turn up empty-handed.
2 days: Do the big food shop: Unless you’ve ordered everything in, there’s no way around this. Make sure you have a list, take a deep breath and go to the supermarket. Also, if your having a very large frozen bird, best to take it out now and let it thaw naturally. Always check the defrosting instructions on the bird, saves any journeys to casualty on Christmas Day/Boxing Day with food poisoning.
1 day: Start cooking If you’re having goose, make it now, and brine your turkey. You may as well have as many veg done as you can*. Provided you cover them and have somewhere cool to store them (like a garage or secure shed), you can reheat them to piping hot the next day.
The big day Start your turkey and roast spuds. Have a check-list (after all this is a military-like operation) – it’s easy to forget things. Make sure everyone is on track with their task, then leave them to get on with it. If you haven’t, put someone on drinks duty – getting glasses, opening wine and, most importantly, pouring you a glass of fizz.
* Note: Vegetables can be done as far in advance as possible, like now for instance. Blanching your vegetables i.e. your potatoes, root veggies et al, and then freeze them giving you a massive head-start for the big day.
Spice of the Week – Mustard (brassica species
Mustard is a word that, for many of us, draws up an image of backyard grilling, hamburgers, and hot dogs. The word as we know it comes from the Middle English, mustarde, which means "condiment." It, in turn, came from the Old French, mo(u)starde, which is from the Common Romance, mosto. Mosto derives directly from the Latin mustum, from which we get our English term "must" to indicate new wine, or the unfermented juice that is being processed for wine. Originally, the condiment we know as mustard was made by mixing grape juice with mustard powder.
It is believed that mustard was first cultivated in India around 3000BC and came to Britain with the Romans. Although recipes for mustard paste appear as early as 42 AD, the use of mustard as a condiment was not widely practiced in either Greece or Rome.
When it was used, however, diners crushed mustard seed on their plate and mixed it with wine or water to suit their taste. The Romans took the seed to Gaul and, by the ninth century, French monasteries were bringing in considerable income from mustard preparations. By the13th century, mustard was one of the items offered by Parisian sauce-hawkers, who walked the streets at dinner peddling their savoury wares.
Where is this mustard powder obtained? Mustard powder is made from crushing the seed of the mustard plant, native to Eurasia. The tiny seeds, perhaps 250,000 per pound, are very pungent. On their own, they are bitter and biting. There are two main types of mustard seeds: the relatively mild white mustard seed and the extra-strong brown or oriental mustard seed. As a condiment, as we have seen, the seeds are crushed into a powder and mixed with liquids to form a paste.
Today, powdered mustard seed is likely to be mixed with wine, vinegar, beer, or water and various spices, such as Tumeric. The leaves of the mustard plant can also be used for food, similar to kale, turnip greens, or spinach. It has been said that there is no part of the mustard plant that cannot be utilized.
Many kinds of prepared mustards can be found on supermarket shelves today, but they all have the same basic ingredients. They range from prepared mild yellow mustard (the hot-dog favourite) to Dijon and Bordeaux mustards which derive their distinct flavours from the French wines they are made with. There are also hot mustards which are peppery and brown: English, Düsseldorf, German, and Bahamian. American horseradish-mustard is also particularly spicy.
Mustard seed is used in pickling, sausage making, and in boiling vegetables such as cabbage. This is the mustard seed that yellow prepared mustard is made from. The finest Canadian mustard seeds, these are great in all kinds of meat dishes, for summer sausage, or to create your own mustard. Mustard is one of the most widely used condiments on the planet. Prized for its oils, mustard plants grow wild in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, and is grown commercially in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. During processing, the useful oils are extracted from the mustard plant, leaving mustard seed meal, or MSM, MSM has the potential to be developed as a selective herbicide for annual weed control in ornamental containers and further research could identify additional tolerant and susceptible species of both weeds and ornamentals.
Mustard is a well known spice that has a long history of medicinal use in stimulating internal and external applications. Externally, Mustard Seed causes a mild irritation to the skin, stimulating the circulation in that area, and relieving muscular and skeletal pain. The primary chemical constituents of Mustard Seed include glucosinolates (sinigrin), sinapine, enzyme (myrosin), mucilage, protein and sulphur. When taken internally, the seeds are laxative, mainly because of the mucilage they produce, but only small doses are advised as they may inflame the stomach. The stimulating, diaphoretic action can also be utilized for fevers, colds and influenza. But this well-known herb has its primary medicinal use as a stimulating external application. An infusion or poultice of Mustard will aid in cases of bronchitis and pleurisy, and it is often taken as a tea, or ground and sprinkled into a bath. Large doses of Mustard Seed (many times the recommended amount) should not be taken, especially by those with cardiovascular problems. Children under the age of six and the elderly should not use this product.
My recipe this week is As-You-Like-It Christmas Cake, courtesy of BBC GoodFood Magazine November 2010 supplement.
This recipe serves 10-12 people, takes 50mins to prepare, plus overnight soaking and takes 2.1/4 to 2.1/2hrs to cook.
1kg x Mixed Dried Fruit (any blend of raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, dried cranberries, glace cherries, chopped dried apricots, dates, dried figs or dried pineapple)
150ml x Sherry, Brandy, Rum or brewed Tea, plus extra for feeding
2 x Oranges - zest and juice (or 4 x Clementines)
2 x Lemons – zest and juice (or 4 x Clementines)
250g x Unsalted Butter – softened, plus extra for the tin
250g x Light Brown Soft Sugar
2 tsp x Vanilla Extract
4 x Eggs
200g x Plain Flour
2 tsp x Mixed Spice
100g x Whole or Flaked Almonds, Chopped Hazelnuts, Walnuts, or Brazil Nuts
Put your chosen fruit mixture into a large bowl with your choice of alcohol or tea, citrus zest and juice. Mix well, cover and leave overnight. Heat the oven to 160C Gas Mark 3. Butter and double-line a deep cake tin – 20cm round or 18cm square – with enough baking parchment to come about 2.5cm above the top of the tin. Wrap the outside of the tin with a few sheets of newspaper, securing with staples or string.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy, then beat in the eggs one by one. Tip in the flour, mixed spice, soaked dried fruit and any liquid from the bowl, plus your chosen nuts, if using. Stir everything together, then scrape into the cake tin. Using the back of your spoon, make a slight dent in the centre of the mixture, then bake for 1.1/2hrs. Reduce the oven to 140C Gas Mark1, loosely cover the top of the cake with a double sheet of foil and baking parchment, and bake for another 45mins – 1hr or until a skewer poked right to the bottom comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then lift out and wrap in greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Keep in a cake tin with a tight-fitting lid, or wrapping in a large sheet of foil, in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Open the cake every week or two to feed by poking with a skewer in several places and dribbling over more of your chosen alcohol or tea.
If you have enjoyed my blog, or have tried out the recipes I have included and wish to comment, please feel free to comment using the comment button or by visiting my guestbook, all comments and suggestions will be gratefully received.
Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D
http://chefgarfy.blogspot.com/
http://chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
This is a Christmas Countdown... with a difference. Here’s a list of what to do and how far ahead to do it.
1 Month: Order the turkey or goose If you don’t want either, decide what meat you’re having and tell your butcher (or your abattoir), so he’ll have a nice piece set aside for you.
3 weeks: Body Count Find out who is coming, then plan the menu and assign everyone a job so they know well in advance what they’re responsible for.
2 weeks: Booze Shopping online for your wine, spirits and mixers is a real time-saver. You don’t want to be rushing out for last-minute prosecco or tonic – or worse, running out of it.
Up to 1 week: Gravy and the rest Your gravy can be made in advance. Finalise what else you’re cooking, write your shopping list and place last orders. Gently remind everyone about their jobs so they’ve got no excuse to turn up empty-handed.
2 days: Do the big food shop: Unless you’ve ordered everything in, there’s no way around this. Make sure you have a list, take a deep breath and go to the supermarket. Also, if your having a very large frozen bird, best to take it out now and let it thaw naturally. Always check the defrosting instructions on the bird, saves any journeys to casualty on Christmas Day/Boxing Day with food poisoning.
1 day: Start cooking If you’re having goose, make it now, and brine your turkey. You may as well have as many veg done as you can*. Provided you cover them and have somewhere cool to store them (like a garage or secure shed), you can reheat them to piping hot the next day.
The big day Start your turkey and roast spuds. Have a check-list (after all this is a military-like operation) – it’s easy to forget things. Make sure everyone is on track with their task, then leave them to get on with it. If you haven’t, put someone on drinks duty – getting glasses, opening wine and, most importantly, pouring you a glass of fizz.
* Note: Vegetables can be done as far in advance as possible, like now for instance. Blanching your vegetables i.e. your potatoes, root veggies et al, and then freeze them giving you a massive head-start for the big day.
Spice of the Week – Mustard (brassica species
Mustard is a word that, for many of us, draws up an image of backyard grilling, hamburgers, and hot dogs. The word as we know it comes from the Middle English, mustarde, which means "condiment." It, in turn, came from the Old French, mo(u)starde, which is from the Common Romance, mosto. Mosto derives directly from the Latin mustum, from which we get our English term "must" to indicate new wine, or the unfermented juice that is being processed for wine. Originally, the condiment we know as mustard was made by mixing grape juice with mustard powder.
It is believed that mustard was first cultivated in India around 3000BC and came to Britain with the Romans. Although recipes for mustard paste appear as early as 42 AD, the use of mustard as a condiment was not widely practiced in either Greece or Rome.
When it was used, however, diners crushed mustard seed on their plate and mixed it with wine or water to suit their taste. The Romans took the seed to Gaul and, by the ninth century, French monasteries were bringing in considerable income from mustard preparations. By the13th century, mustard was one of the items offered by Parisian sauce-hawkers, who walked the streets at dinner peddling their savoury wares.
Where is this mustard powder obtained? Mustard powder is made from crushing the seed of the mustard plant, native to Eurasia. The tiny seeds, perhaps 250,000 per pound, are very pungent. On their own, they are bitter and biting. There are two main types of mustard seeds: the relatively mild white mustard seed and the extra-strong brown or oriental mustard seed. As a condiment, as we have seen, the seeds are crushed into a powder and mixed with liquids to form a paste.
Today, powdered mustard seed is likely to be mixed with wine, vinegar, beer, or water and various spices, such as Tumeric. The leaves of the mustard plant can also be used for food, similar to kale, turnip greens, or spinach. It has been said that there is no part of the mustard plant that cannot be utilized.
Many kinds of prepared mustards can be found on supermarket shelves today, but they all have the same basic ingredients. They range from prepared mild yellow mustard (the hot-dog favourite) to Dijon and Bordeaux mustards which derive their distinct flavours from the French wines they are made with. There are also hot mustards which are peppery and brown: English, Düsseldorf, German, and Bahamian. American horseradish-mustard is also particularly spicy.
Mustard seed is used in pickling, sausage making, and in boiling vegetables such as cabbage. This is the mustard seed that yellow prepared mustard is made from. The finest Canadian mustard seeds, these are great in all kinds of meat dishes, for summer sausage, or to create your own mustard. Mustard is one of the most widely used condiments on the planet. Prized for its oils, mustard plants grow wild in North Africa, the Middle East, and the Mediterranean, and is grown commercially in the United Kingdom, Canada, and the United States. During processing, the useful oils are extracted from the mustard plant, leaving mustard seed meal, or MSM, MSM has the potential to be developed as a selective herbicide for annual weed control in ornamental containers and further research could identify additional tolerant and susceptible species of both weeds and ornamentals.
Mustard is a well known spice that has a long history of medicinal use in stimulating internal and external applications. Externally, Mustard Seed causes a mild irritation to the skin, stimulating the circulation in that area, and relieving muscular and skeletal pain. The primary chemical constituents of Mustard Seed include glucosinolates (sinigrin), sinapine, enzyme (myrosin), mucilage, protein and sulphur. When taken internally, the seeds are laxative, mainly because of the mucilage they produce, but only small doses are advised as they may inflame the stomach. The stimulating, diaphoretic action can also be utilized for fevers, colds and influenza. But this well-known herb has its primary medicinal use as a stimulating external application. An infusion or poultice of Mustard will aid in cases of bronchitis and pleurisy, and it is often taken as a tea, or ground and sprinkled into a bath. Large doses of Mustard Seed (many times the recommended amount) should not be taken, especially by those with cardiovascular problems. Children under the age of six and the elderly should not use this product.
My recipe this week is As-You-Like-It Christmas Cake, courtesy of BBC GoodFood Magazine November 2010 supplement.
This recipe serves 10-12 people, takes 50mins to prepare, plus overnight soaking and takes 2.1/4 to 2.1/2hrs to cook.
1kg x Mixed Dried Fruit (any blend of raisins, sultanas, currants, mixed peel, dried cranberries, glace cherries, chopped dried apricots, dates, dried figs or dried pineapple)
150ml x Sherry, Brandy, Rum or brewed Tea, plus extra for feeding
2 x Oranges - zest and juice (or 4 x Clementines)
2 x Lemons – zest and juice (or 4 x Clementines)
250g x Unsalted Butter – softened, plus extra for the tin
250g x Light Brown Soft Sugar
2 tsp x Vanilla Extract
4 x Eggs
200g x Plain Flour
2 tsp x Mixed Spice
100g x Whole or Flaked Almonds, Chopped Hazelnuts, Walnuts, or Brazil Nuts
Put your chosen fruit mixture into a large bowl with your choice of alcohol or tea, citrus zest and juice. Mix well, cover and leave overnight. Heat the oven to 160C Gas Mark 3. Butter and double-line a deep cake tin – 20cm round or 18cm square – with enough baking parchment to come about 2.5cm above the top of the tin. Wrap the outside of the tin with a few sheets of newspaper, securing with staples or string.
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla until creamy, then beat in the eggs one by one. Tip in the flour, mixed spice, soaked dried fruit and any liquid from the bowl, plus your chosen nuts, if using. Stir everything together, then scrape into the cake tin. Using the back of your spoon, make a slight dent in the centre of the mixture, then bake for 1.1/2hrs. Reduce the oven to 140C Gas Mark1, loosely cover the top of the cake with a double sheet of foil and baking parchment, and bake for another 45mins – 1hr or until a skewer poked right to the bottom comes out clean. Cool in the tin, then lift out and wrap in greaseproof paper or baking parchment. Keep in a cake tin with a tight-fitting lid, or wrapping in a large sheet of foil, in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Open the cake every week or two to feed by poking with a skewer in several places and dribbling over more of your chosen alcohol or tea.
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Hope you enjoy!!..... ChefGarfy =D
http://chefgarfy.blogspot.com/
http://chefgarfy.blog.co.uk/
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