Yak, cheek and squeak

You thought I had given up on Tagine Saturday but not so. And I am not shying away from the odd looking recipes which is a good thing because last Saturday's effort did look a bit odd on the page & turned out to be a winner on the plate. I will admit to passing over the tagine with chestnuts & I won't be going back but all the rest will eventually make their way to these pages.
A Tfaia tagine is apparently from Andalusia and is especially popular today in Tangiers. They are traditionally made with a clarified butter called smen which gives of a pungent aroma. (For those of you familiar with Mog in the Fog, it brought to mind yak butter.) You could use ghee. I used regular butter with olive oil.
Melt the butter & mix in 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 tsp each ground ginger & coriander and a pinch of saffron threads with a little salt. Put the mixture into your tagine and roll lamb cutlets in the mixture, 2-3 per person depending on size & greed. Sprinkle over 1-2 finely chopped onions. Pour over just enough boiling water to cover the cutlets, cover & put in the oven at 160 for 1 1/2 hours. Take the tagine out of the oven & add kalamata olives to taste & a preserved lemon, quartered. Return to the oven for another 20 minutes. I did this stage uncovered to reduce the liquid. Meanwhile boil an egg per person for about 4 minutes, so that the yolk is just firm, & carefully peel. Dissolve a little saffron in 2 tbsp warm water & roll the eggs in the liquid to colour. Lightly toast whole almonds in a little butter or oil. To serve season the tagine, sprinkle with parsley, add the halved eggs & sprinkle over the almonds.
A few weeks ago we spent the weekend in the Taranaki & went to a fabulous French restaurant in New Plymouth. I had the Beef Provencale which was delicious. I enquired about the cut of beef & the waiter replied "sheiks" while patting his face. I have been meaning to try these at home so Sunday was the day. Using one cheek per person, brown the cheeks in the casserole dish & remove. For 2 people, add 1-2 thinly sliced onions and the same of thinly sliced garlic cloves to the pan & cook until they begin to caramelise. Return the cheeks to the casserole with bay leaves & thyme, 175ml red wine & 75ml beef stock. Season, bring to the boil then transfer to a low oven (150) for 1 1/2 hours. Serve with your favourite mash. Amazing. The cheeks have a distinctive aroma ( not unpleasant but noticeable) but this will disappear during the cooking process. On the plate they just smell like delicious dinner. Many recipes suggest marinating them in the wine for up to 24 hours and this may eliminate the aroma at the outset. I will try that next time.
During the week we had a delicious Greek style chicken with pilaf. Take a chicken breast (skin on) per person - the recipe suggested supremes but that was too much chicken for us. For 2 people combine 40g butter ( a little less) with 1/4 tsp each allspice & cinnamon, 1 clove crushed garlic, zest of 1/2 lemon & a little finely chopped rosemary. Rub this mixture all over the chicken breasts & roast at 200 for 1/2 hour, basting a couple of times. Remove & rest before serving. Make a rice pilaf. Saute 1/2 onion,thinly sliced, 1 clove crushed garlic & 1/4 tsp allspice until soft. Add 1/2 cup rice & stir to coat. Add 1 cup chicken stock & simmer until done. Toast some pine nuts & pistachios & stir some through the rice. Save the rest to sprinkle over the top. Blend 50g creamy feta with 1 1/2 tbsp Greek yoghurt, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard, zest of 1/2 lemon plus 1 tbsp juice. Dollop this over the chicken to serve.
Mid week we roasted a selection of root vegetables we found in the fridge - celeriac, parsnip, potatoes, yams, baby beetroot, kumara. We served these with a mustard cream - 150g creme fraiche, 1 tbsp hot English mustard, 1 1/2 tsp each Dijon mustard, grated horseradish, mustard powder. Try leeks with greens. Soften 1-2 leeks in butter or oil. Steam cabbage, spring greens, curly kale, cavalo nero - whatever you have to hand - until just tender. I love cavalo nero & curly kale. Add to the pan of leeks & stir through for a minute or so. Do extras of everything and the next day make bubble & squeak with the left over veg & the mash from earlier in the week plus the greens. Top with a poached egg & the left over mustard cream. I always freeze left over mashed potato & if your roasted veg aren't quite the right consistency for bubble you could add some of these.

Soup and snow

August was all about illness and snow. One we could have done without and the other was fun. As a consequence soup has been the staple for the month. One non-soup meal I recommend is spicy meatballs baked with Zany Zeus paneer. An Indian style version of the cheesy meatballs we usually do. Mix 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1/4 cup chopped flat leaf parsley, 1/2 small red onion or shallot grated, 1/2 tsp each ground allspice, cumin & cinnamon, 2 cloves garlic crushed, 1 egg, salt & pepper together in a bowl. Add 500g minced beef and combine. Roll the mixture into smallish meatballs and brown them all over in a pan. Transfer them to a plate & set aside. In the unwashed pan, add 1 finely chopped onion, 1 small carrot, grated, 2 cloves crushed garlic & 1/4 tsp chilli flakes. Cook gently until the onion is soft. Add a splash of water if necessary. Tip in 2 tins crushed tomatoes & simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the meatballs along with any juices left on the plate. Cut the paneer into cubes & add to the pan in between the meatballs Cover & simmer about 10 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve with a spinach raita. Soak finely chopped shallot or 1/2 small red onion in a bowl of cold water for 10 minutes - takes away the raw sharpness. Wilt a couple of handfuls of baby spinach & chop finely. Mix 1/2 cup thick yoghurt (I like Cyclops for this kind of thing) with a clove of crushed garlic & a handful of chopped mint. Season the yoghurt & layer in a small bowl with the spinach & onions. Grind over a little black pepper.
And back to soup. Try a spinach soup with poached egg - this sounds weird and even looks a little weird but tastes delicious. Melt a little butter in a pan & soften 1 finely chopped onion, 1 thinly sliced leek & 2 sticks finely sliced celery. Stir in a generous tbsp flour and gradually add 1.2 litres chicken stock. Bring to the boil stirring all the time so the flour doesn't turn lumpy then cover & simmer 1/2 an hour. Stir about 500g baby spinach into the soup & blend until smooth. Return to the pan & season with grated nutmeg & salt & pepper. Poach an egg per person, gently reheat the soup & ladle into bowls. Gently slide a poached egg into each bowl. Sprinkle generously with Parmesan cheese.
A good choice when you don't feel well is a soup packed full of restorative greens. It was when I was out picking broccoli to make this soup that the first snow fell in Wellington. Gather together about 700g of greens - broccoli, spinach curly kale, sorrel, corn salad, flat leaf parsley, chervil, celery with leave - just whatever you can find that you like. Saute in a little oil 1 small finely chopped onion, 2 rashers finely chopped bacon, 1 diced potato. Cook until tender then add 4 cups chicken stock & simmer 10 minutes. Add the greens and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add the spinach & sorrel at the end so it doesn't lose its colour. Blend until smooth then return to the heat to warm through. Mix a little feta & sour cream to a smooth paste & swirl over the top.
On a cold night a bowl of pumpkin soup with white beans will warm you through. Soften 2 shallots & an onion finely chopped in a little duck fat or olive oil. Duck fat is wonderful if you have any in the fridge. It keeps well and makes fabulous chips. Peel & cut a butternut pumpkin into largish cubes & add to the onions. Just cover with water, season & add a bouquet garni of bay, parsley, celery leaf & thyme. Cover & cook on a medium heat until the pumpkin is soft. When it boils bring it down to a gentle simmer. Remove the bouquet garni & add about 1/2 cup cooked white beans - I use tinned. Blend until smooth & serve with crusty bread. Season & garnish with a spoonful of the remaining white beans, a swirl of sour cream and a grating of fresh nutmeg.
When it is snowing outside a glass of mulled wine might be the answer. For one bottle of red wine - roughly cut up 3 oranges (skin on) with 225g sugar, 1/2 tsp each ground cinnamon & nutmeg & a tsp whole cloves. Bring to the boil, simmer gently & strain through a fine sieve. Bring the syrup up to the boil and add a bottle of red wine. Warm through but do not boil. Serve in warmed glasses.