Kevin Dundon - Recipes That Work

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon

4 tsp chopped fresh mint

4 tsp Basil Pesto (see Chapter 5) Конец ознакомительного фрагмента. Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес». Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес. Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

1 Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F), Gas mark 5

2 Arrange the chopped vegetables on a baking tray, scatter the cherry tomatoes on top and drizzle with some of the olive oil. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes then allow to cool.

3 Place the couscous in a heatproof bowl. Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan and pour over the couscous. Cover the bowl and set aside to rest for 10 minutes.

4 Use a fork to shake up the couscous then add the vegetables. Season well with salt and pepper, then mix in the lemon zest and juice, mint and remaining olive oil. Add the pesto and mix to bind it all together. Taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly, then either serve immediately or chill in the fridge until ready to serve.

CAESAR SALAD

Caesar salad must be the most popular salad in existence, judging by how frequently it gets ordered in restaurants. It is a very simple dish to make at home and is suitable as a starter (appetizer) or alternatively as a light lunch.

SERVES 4–6

4 slices of bread (slightly stale bread is best)

Sunflower oil, for cooking

175g/6oz/ 2/ 3cup bacon lardons

1 large head cos (romaine) lettuce

75g/3oz/¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

CAESAR DRESSING

50g/2oz/½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3 egg yolks

3 garlic cloves, peeled

25g/1oz tinned (canned) anchovies

350ml/12fl oz/1½ cups olive or sunflower oil (sometimes a combination is nice)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 Begin by making the Caesar dressing. Put the Parmesan cheese, egg yolks, garlic and anchovies into a food processor and blitz to a rough paste. Don’t over-process or the eggs will over-thicken. It is possible to add the oil to the food processor, but the dressing may curdle and split, so I prefer to transfer the egg and anchovy paste to a large mixing bowl, then slowly pour in the oil and whisk thoroughly until the mixture has emulsified. Season to taste and store in the fridge until required. If the dressing is too thick whisk in a little milk or water to thin it down.

2 Meanwhile, cut the crusts off the bread then cut the bread into 1cm/½in cubes. Heat a large frying pan with a little oil. Add the cubes of bread to the hot pan and stir constantly until lightly browned. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper (paper towels). Store until required (these can be stored for up to 1 week in an airtight container).

3 Clean out the pan and heat it, again with a little oil. Add the bacon lardons and allow them to brown up nicely. Cooking them on quite a high heat allows them to get nice and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

4 To assemble the salad, tear the lettuce into a large mixing bowl. Add the bacon lardons and the croûtons then add a couple of tablespoons of the dressing to the salad and toss until coated. Transfer the salad to a large serving bowl and top with the grated Parmesan cheese.

VARIATION

Feel free to substitute the bacon for some poached or smoked chicken or salmon.

EGG MAYONNAISE

This recipe has really stood the test of time. It is most recognised these days as a sandwich filling, but I adore it and think it’s good enough to be served as a starter (appetizer). It is best enjoyed simply with a slice of nice brown bread.

SERVES 6 (V)

6 fresh eggs

1 small head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded

A pinch of paprika

Brown bread, to serve

MAYONNAISE

2 egg yolks

½ tsp dry mustard powder

1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed

2 tsp white wine vinegar

250ml/9fl oz/1 cup sunflower oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

POSSIBLE GARNISHES

Tomatoes

Cucumber

Finely diced (bell) peppers

Spring onions (scallions) Red onions

Grated carrot

Beetroot (beet)

1 To make the mayonnaise, place the egg yolks, mustard powder, crushed garlic and wine vinegar in a large mixing bowl and whisk well until combined, using either a hand whisk or an electric whisk. Very slowly begin to add the oil. For the first few drops beat it in very well between each addition then continue to pour in the oil and whisk well to allow the mixture to emulsify. If the mayonnaise is a little thick, you can whisk in 2 tablespoons of boiling water to correct the consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper and store in a glass jar in the fridge for 3–4 days until required.

2 Meanwhile, place the eggs in a large saucepan of cold salted water, bring to the boil and boil for 6–8 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water with a slotted spoon and place in a large sieve (strainer). Leave them under cold running water for about 4–6 minutes until the eggs are completely cold. This will prevent a black or darkened rim forming around the cooked egg yolk. Once the eggs have cooled, peel and leave in the fridge until required.

3 Meanwhile, prepare the serving plate. I normally put a little finely shredded iceberg lettuce on the plate and then arrange two halves of one egg on top of the lettuce. Garnish the plate as desired with some of the suggested garnishes and place a large spoonful of the mayonnaise on top of the egg. Sprinkle with a little paprika and serve with slices of brown bread.

CURRIED VEGETABLE SAMOSAS

This is party food at its best. These samosas have a mild curried flavour but you can vary the flavour as much as you like. This recipe is for vegetarian samosas, but it can also be a great way to use up any leftover bits of meat, such as cooked chicken or duck; just shred and add in with the vegetables.

SERVES 6 (V)

sunflower oil

1 red (bell) pepper, thinly sliced

1 green (bell) pepper, thinly sliced

1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced

3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced

75g/3oz cauliflower, broken into florets

75g/3oz/¾ cup beansprouts

75g/3oz/¾ cup mangetout (snow peas)

1 tsp Thai green curry paste

½ tsp ground cumin

2 tbsp chilli jam

1 packet of filo (phyllo) pastry, naturally thawed

About 110g/4oz/1 stick butter, melted

Vegetable or sunflower oil, for deep-frying (optional)

Mango chutney or a dipping sauce, to serve

1 Heat a large wok with a little oil, and when hot, add all the vegetables and stir-fry for about 2–3 minutes until they are lightly glazed. Next add the curry paste and stir-fry until the vegetables are coated in the paste. Add the cumin and chilli jam and stir-fry for a few minutes until everything has combined with the flavours and heated through. Transfer the vegetables to a bowl and allow to cool.

2 Meanwhile, lay the filo pastry sheets on the work surface (counter) and cut the sheets into 18cm/7in squares. Brush each individual square with melted butter and stick about three squares directly on top of each other to make the samosas strong enough.

3 Place a spoonful of the vegetable mixture in the centre of one of the pastry squares then fold over and secure tightly into a triangular shape. You can use a little additional melted butter if required, which will act as a glue to secure the pastry in place. Repeat this process with the remaining pastry and vegetable mixture. Store in the fridge until ready to cook.