Going Dutch

This week we stuck with the old standbys with just a couple of new things to share.
We haven't had a fish soup for ages and this week we tried a variation on an old favourite.  For 2, steam a dozen mussels in 1/2 cup white wine until the mussels have opened.  Set the mussels aside and strain the cooking liquor through a fine sieve.  You'll want about 3/4 cup of liquid.  Set a couple of mussels aside to garnish & halve the rest.  Rinse out the pan and put it back on the heat with a little olive oil & butter, 1/2 leek finely sliced & 1/2 fennel bulb finely sliced.  Season, cover & cook over a low heat about 10 mins until tender.  Add a clove of crushed garlic, some fresh thyme & a pinch of saffron.  Cook about a minute.  Add the mussel liquor, 1 1/2 cups chicken stock & 1/4 cup cream.  Bring to the boil & simmer 10 minutes. Add about 300g firm white fish cut into bite-sized pieces.  We used  porae from Yellow Brick Road - responsibly caught via long-line on day boats, traceable, certified by Friends of the Sea.  I added that because, if you check the app I mentioned last week, porae is listed as a bad choice.  Simmer 3 mins or so until the fish is just cooked then take off the heat and add the mussels & some chopped parsley.  Add a reserved mussel to each bowl along with some fennel fronds & a grind of black pepper.  Serve with freshly baked sourdough.
A real find this week was the Dutch favourite Stamppot.  This is Dutch sausage & mash & is divine.  I found the recipe on a Dutch blog along with other interesting ideas so we may be trying some Dutch fare over winter. I pretty much followed this recipe to the letter and although I was sceptical about the vinegar it was perfect addition. The recipe recommends adding a stock cube to the potato cooking water but, in fact, I boiled the potatoes in our home made stock.  I bought the rookworst at Moore Wilson and again I didn't expect to like it but it was delicious.  I also think this would be nice with a good pork sausage and a blob of apple butter.  Did I mention that I had made it again this year, but this time with more sugar because last year it didn't keep well?  This year's batch is much firmer & could be spreadable but still delicious.
We also went back to that old favourite kedgeree. We got some beautiful smoked fish from YBR but I can't recall what it was.  I was reminded how much I love kedgeree and I'm sure it will reappear on our table before too long. 
Next week is going to be interesting.  Harriet has challenged us to spend no more than $21 on the entire week's food including coffees and other treats.  I feel confident we can do it.  I'll let you know how we go.  If you have any suggestions please share.  Alternately if you have any suplus in your gardens they would be welcome too.

A Quiet Life

Back to the quiet life. A few weeks ago Nikau were at the City Market serving doughnuts and selling kedgeree tea towels. I bought the tea towel and at last got around to making the kedgeree. I can't tell you how to make it, you'll have to buy your own tea towel. I will let you in on the curry secret. Paul told us they use Vencat curry powder and now so do we. Ours was good but doesn't quite match up to the real thing. Kedgeree is a good quick thing to do after work.
I'm not usually a fan of Asian meals. Although I do love cabbage with Asian flavours and one of my all time favourite meals was the Thai beef salad from the Sugar Club in Wellington. I still miss that restaurant. Back to our dinner. We made an amazing Asian beef salad. I realise what I really dislike about Asian food is not the flavours, which I love, but noodles which I loathe. And yet I love pasta. Can't explain.
I digress again. This salad was delicious and a definite do again. First saute a couple of finely sliced shallots until crisp & set aside. Make a syrup by dissolving 1/4 cup rice vinegar & 1/2 cup grated palm sugar in a small pan over a low heat. Then bring to the boil & cook about 3 minutes. Tip the syrup into a bowl & whisk in 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp fish sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 clove garlic crushed, 1/4 tsp chilli powder, 2 tbsp chilli sauce, 1 tbsp vegetable oil.
Rub a piece of sirloin or rib eye steak with a little oil & salt & pepper and fry in a saute pan 2-3 minutes each side. Put it in a flat dish with half the dressing & leave at least 10 minutes, turning a couple of times. We used 250g beef for 2 but the dressing will suffice for up to 600g. (We bought a beautiful piece of sirloin from Ryan, the "boy" at the Gipps St butcher - aged to a deep red.)
In a large bowl add thin juliennes of carrot, some baby spinach, 1 cup finely shredded red cabbage, 2 thinly slice spring onions, a handful Vietnamese mint (regular will suffice) and a handful of bean sprouts. Bean sprouts are really delicious but they spoil quickly and I find it hard to buy them in small enough quantities. We always end up wasting some and I hate waste.
Return to the beef and slice thinly & return to the dressing. Toss the salad and 1/2 the reserved shallots in some of the remaining dressing then toss through the beef. Sprinkle the remaining shallots & some more mint over the salad once plated.
We have just pickled a batch of onions. This year we included both red and brown onions. I hope it works.
This morning Harriet's centre had a gala and she made a multitude of vegan cup cakes. I bought agave nectar cakes & green tea ones. They look so pretty on the plate. I have to comment on the delicious food that was being served. On the barbecue they were doing yummy looking burgers and vege skewers. Someone was making chick pea toasties (Channa Mania was the pitch!). If I hadn't been rushing home to a loaf of San Francisco sourdough, a slab of goats cheese & a dish of herbs, I would have succumbed to temptation.