Persian delights

In March 2011, I first made khoresht-e gheimeh then in November 2013 I discovered khoresht-e ghormeh sabzi.  I revisited both of them this winter and went on to make khoresht-e mast with chicken and maygoo polow with prawns and herbs.  Most satisfying, I mastered chelow, the classic Persian rice dish and this is now my go-to rice dish.  I am also working my way through the variations.  If you want to know more about Persian cooking borrow the book, Saraban, from the library.  If you just want to make a delicious meal let me tell you how.  I always make these dishes for six because they freeze well and then there is always something delicious in the freezer during the film festival when there may not be time to cook after a movie.
The chicken khoresht is great if you don't have two or three hours to cook the lamb version.  This will only take an hour once you've sweated the onions.  To start, sweat 2 finely chopped onions with 2 finely sliced celery sticks until soft.  Stir through 1 tsp ground cumin, 1/2 tsp  ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cardamom, 1/4 tsp cayenne, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper and cook for a few more minutes.  Cut 1 kg of boned chicken thighs into 2 or 3 pieces each.  Add them to the pan and brown briefly over a high-ish heat making sure they are all coated with the spicy onion mix.  Add a bay leaf, 500 ml chicken stock, a few saffron threads, zest and juice of a lime and juice of an orange.  Season with salt and simmer for an hour or so.  While the stew is cooking whisk 350g of Greek yoghurt with an egg.  When the stew is ready, whisk a few tablespoons of the hot broth into the yoghurt and egg mix then pour it all into the stew.  Add 1 tbsp slivered pistachios and cook at a bare simmer for five minutes to thicken.  Stir in one direction only and be sure not to let it boil or it will curdle at this stage.  Now Greg Malouf adds golden raisins but I do not.  It brings back memories of terrible 70s curries and I can't quite do it.  Apricots and prunes, yes but raisins, no.
Now as I mentioned above I feel I have mastered the Persian chelow and I am not sure what I was afraid of.  You need to allow about 80 minutes but most of that time it is looking after itself so it's no effort.  The recipe is for 6 so I just do 1/3 when making for two.
Wash 300g basmati rice and leave to soak in a generous quantity of warm water for 30 mins (30 minutes doing nothing with rice).  Strain the rice and rinse it again with warm water.  Follow these steps and you will be rewarded with perfectly separating grains.  Now boil a large saucepan of water, salt generously and stir in drained rice.  Boil at a rolling boil, uncovered for 5 minutes. I bring the water to the boil while the rice is soaking to save time and I turn it off if necessary so it only takes a minute or two to reboil when needed. Strain and rinse again and drain off as much of the water as you can.  Now is the tricky bit but it's not really tricky at all.  Melt about 40g of unsalted butter with 2 tbsp warm water and set aside.  Heat 1/4 cup oil with 1 tbsp water on a medium high heat in a large saucepan - the one you used to boil the rice.  When the oil begins to sizzle spoon in enough rice to cover the base of the pan in a thin layer - this is going to form a crust.  Spoon in the rest of the rice gradually building it up to a pyramid.  Don't tip it all in because you want it loosely piled to achieve the fluffy separateness.  Use the handle of a wooden spoon to poke a few holes down through the rice to the base of the pan.  This is to help it steam.  Now drizzle the melted butter over the rice.  Wrap the saucepan lid in a tea towel and tightly cover the pan.  Leave it on the medium high heat for a few minutes until you see some steam trying to escape then turn right down and leave for 40 minutes.  Another 40 minutes doing nothing with rice.  Don't peek.  It won't hurt if you leave it for up to an extra 20 minutes.
When you are ready to serve plunge the pan into a few inches of cold water in the sink.  The sudden change in temperature cause the rice to shrink from the sides of the pan loosening the delicious crunchy bottom.  Now invert the pan into a serving dish and it may plop out as one glorious mound with a beautiful golden crust.  Or it may not.  In which case just scoop the crust, known as the tah-deeg, over the top. Once you have mastered this you can do all sorts of variations to the crust with yoghurt, potatoes or bread.
And you can make an complete dish of the rice such as maygoo polow with the addition of herbs and prawns. Wash soak and parboil the rice.  Soak 1 tsp fenugreek seeds for 10 minutes, then gently fry in a frying pan with a small finely chopped onion, 1 tsp ground black pepper, 1 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp ground ginger.  Add a chopped deseeded tomato and 200g peeled prawns with tails on.  Don't worry if they're not.  Stir briefly until the prawns just begin to colour.  Remove the pan from the heat and stir through 1/3 cup finely snipped chives, 1/3 cup shredded flat leaf parsley, 1/3 cup shredded dill sprigs.  You can also add coriander if you must.  Now start to prepare your parboiled, drained rice for steaming.  Heat the oil and put the layer of rice in the bottom for the pan.  Scatter a layer of the prawn mix and layer up your pyramid with rice and the prawn mix ending with a layer of rice.  Poke the holes, drizzle over the butter, wrap up the saucepan lid and go off and do something else for 40 minutes.  Don't peek.  When done tip out as described above. 
You can serve all Persian meals with a herb salad and flat bread.  I sometimes serve stews with wilted spinach seasoned with nutmeg.
If you would like to carry the Persian theme through to coffee whisk some mascarpone with a little honey and lemon zest.  Slit some medjool dates to remove the stone, but don't cut in half.  Pipe the mascarpone mix into the dates and sprinkle with pistachios and rose petals.

Golden Weather

Wellington has had an outstanding summer and we have eaten outside more than usual.  This has been very conducive to summer dining and we have had lots of salady things and summer vegetables.  The garden has really enjoyed the sun and we have been racing to catch the courgettes before they escaped to marrowdom.
Summer feels right for Spanish cooking and we remembered a while back, on Rick Stein's series on Spain, he made an intriguing Catalan pasta dish which we've been meaning to try for ages.  Catalan use Fideua noodles which are short thin pieces of dried pasta similar in thickness and texture to spaghettini.  We found something called fadennudeln, which is German but which fitted Rick's description.  You could just use spaghettini & break it up.  Whatever you decide, have a go.
The recipe said to make a fish stock with tomato passata but we actually had some tomato sauce we wanted to use up so we improvised a bit and just used that, diluted with some light chicken stock.  I would make the fish stock next time if I had the time.
In the paella pan (if you don't have one use a regular slope sided pan), fry 2 cloves of thinly sliced garlic.  Keep a close eye on it because garlic burns easily and you are looking for golden rather than charred.  As soon as it colours scoop it out & set aside.  Add 150g of the noodles and fry them in the garlicky oil  until they are golden.  Again you are looking for light golden rather than dark.  Stir in 500g of the tomatoey stock or stocky tomato sauce, a little salt & the fried garlic.  Bring to the boil, then reduce & simmer 9 minutes or so until all the liquid has evaporated.  Remove from the heat, cover with an opened out newspaper and leave to rest.  When Rick did this all the pasta strands pointed upwards but that didn't happen for us.
While the pasta is resting cook the seafood.  We had squid and prawns which worked well.  You'll want to have them prepared before you start the pasta so maybe I should have mentioned this at the top of the page.  You should always read the whole recipe before you start.  Don't you hate it when you're halfway through cooking tonight's dinner when it says "now put in the fridge overnight"?
Use 75g-100g each of peeled prawns and sliced squid.  Heat a little olive oil in another pan, add the squid & prawns over a high heat for 1-1 1/2 minutes until just cooked but nicely caremelised.  Season with a little salt and serve alongside the pasta.  To serve the pasta, dot with aioli (which the Spanish call alioli).  If you don't like seafood you could probably sautee some chicken thighs cut into quite small pieces.
Now that the aubergine season is in full swing we have been making aubergine stacks with chicken and cheese.  We were inspired to this by a delicious meal we ate at the house of one of you.  I don't know if this is what you did but this is our method.  Slice two chicken breasts into thinner slices and flatten the thicker slices by bashing between cling film.  You want thin escalopes of chicken that will sit on a slice of aubergine.  Brush the chicken pieces with oil & white wine vinegar & season.  Fan grill at 200 for about 15 minutes turning once.
Slice an aubergine lengthwise and brush with olive oil.  Grill on a ribbed hot plate or heavy bottomed pan 2-3 mins each side  then finish off with 5 mins under the fan grill.  Grill thick slices of haloumi.  Heat through a small quantity of that homemade tomato sauce you always keep in the freezer.  To assemble, lay a slice of aubergine on the plate, top with a slice of chicken, a slice of haloumi, some torn basil leaves and top with a splodge of tomato sauce.   I think you could be flexible here and think about trying different cheeses & herbs.  Maybe try oregano with the haloumi & mozarella with basil.  You'd probably have to pop the assembled stack under the grill to melt the mozarella.  Or try paneer with coriander.
Last Sunday I made an outstanding vegan pudding I had been meaning to try.  This was inspired by a recipe from the raw food people in Auckland, Little Bird.  I don't actually subscribe to the raw food philosophy any more than I embrace veganism or gluten free for its own sake, but I will champion any meal prepared with good quality ingredients that tastes great.  These chocolate ganache tarts certainly measure up.  This is the version we saw on River Cottage Veg.  I used cashews instead of pecans - cheaper.  I used Blue Coconut oil, Green & Black organic fairly traded cocoa and I substituted the maple syrup for the agave nectar.  Actual maple syrup not maple flavoured syrup!  I also made individual tarts using muffin pans and a couple of extras served in a dish as mousse.  Think about freezing & serving as ice cream.  Note that you must serve this really chilled - at room temperature you may taste the avocado.  It will taste less sweet when chilled so sweeten to a little sweeter than your taste prior to chilling.  It is really rich so think about mini servings.  It is truly delicious so hungry people may eat two but people who overfilled on mains won't manage it even if they think they want to.
On a final note, over the next month we are hosting visitors from foreign parts  - the UK & Canada.  What shall I feed them?  Any suggestions for meals which show off what we produce in New Zealand and are summery?

Hola - it's a phiesta!

When a teenager asks to have a party many images leap into the mind of a parent.  Most of them are ones you don't wish to play out in your home.  Our children therefore steer away from the party word and instead suggest they would like to arrange a small gathering to celebrate their birthday or the end of exams or whatever.  I always call this thing "not a party" - until Phoebe & I were sitting down to discuss the food preparations for this year's birthday "not a party".   Her favourite cuisine is Mexican and as the event morphed from a planned barbeque and salad to a Mexican evening I coined the term Phiesta.  She made me promise not to say it in public, so this is just between us.  Don't tell anyone.
All good events start (and/or finish) with a cocktail (see last week's entry) so we began the evening with the ubiquitous Margarita.  I always thought I didn't like this drink and was pleased to see the back of a bottle of tequila which had been lurking since Phoebe made a batch of Margarita cupcakes a year or two ago.  It turns out I was mistaken and we now have to replace the bottle. 
To make the perfect Margarita, fill a glass with ice, add 1 1/2 oz tequila, 1 oz lime juice, 1/2 oz cointreau.  Stir until chilled.  You can make this in a salt rimmed glass or not.  Just one and you too will be planning a phiesta.
I should note that you need to buy a good quantity of limes, chillis of various kinds & avocados.  We started with tostaditas.  These involved topping good quality round corn chips (we used Mexicano) with a salsa, morsel of something meaty and a pinch of salad.  The first was prawns tossed in garlic & olive oil then sauteed.  This was assembled with a dab of almond salsa on the corn chip,  then a couple of shreds of iceberg lettuce, a small slice or two of perfectly ripened avocado. Then the prawn, another dollop of salsa & a sprinkling of finely chopped coriander or if like me you are averse, flat leaf parsley.  I used prawn cutlets & removed the tails after cooking. 
Make a quantity of almond salsa - it will be popular as a dip.  Take 2 dried guajillo chillis & tap out the seeds.  Soak them in boiling water for half an hour.  I bought them at Moore Wilson or you can probably buy them on line.  When they are done soaking, roughly chop them & blend them in a processor with 2/3 cup sour cream (I use Zany Zeus), 1/2 cup blanched roasted almonds, 1/2 cup grated cheddar, 2 tbsp coriander/ parsley, zest of a lime plus 3 tsp juice, salt & pepper.  Add more lime juice to taste & to get to a consistency you like.
Second tostadita was chicken.  Cut a chicken breast in half to get two thin flat pieces. Marinade in 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp lime juice, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 clove crushed garlic, salt & pepper.  This is enough for two breasts.  Cook the chicken in a pan until golden and slice or shred.
To assemble, spread the corn chip with refried beans then top with a slice or 2 of chicken, a dollop of lime crema then top with a little pile of julienned radish & coriander/parsley.
To make refried beans, heat a little oil in a pan and soften 1 finely chopped onion with 2 cloves crushed garlic.  Add 1 1/2 tsp cumin, 1 tsp dried oregano, 2 tsp finely chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce and cook for a couple of minutes.  If any teenagers mistake the chilles for tomatoes & eat three before realising the error, a glass of milk will help.  Don't ask me how you get three down before you notice they're not tomatoes! Back to the pan.  Add 2 tins of beans - you could use pintos or really whatever YOU like.  I used Westbrae organic chilli beans which was a mix of black, pinto & kidney - not flavoured which the label suggested but I assume intended for use in chilli or refried beans.  Cook gently for a few minutes to heat through then crush half the beans with a fork or other mashing implement.  Don't be precise - you just want some beans mashed & some not.  Stir through coriander/ parsley and 2 tbsp sour cream.  Oh, and add parsley/coriander to the list above.
To make the lime crema, mix 1/2 cup sour cream with 1/2 cup thick yoghurt, 1 clove crushed garlic, zest of a lime, 1 tbsp lime juice, salt & pepper.
I made an interesting dip with tomatillos & avocados.  I have sometimes bought tomatillos fresh at Moore Wilson but on this occasion I had to buy tinned.   Blend the tin of drained tomatillos with 1/2 cup coriander/parsley, 1 clove crushed garlic, 2 avocados, 2 tbsp lime juice, salt & pepper, tabasco to taste.
When I make guacamole I usually just mash avocados with a splash of lemon or lime & some hot sauce.  I went to a bit more trouble and the result was amazing.  Pound 1/2 small very finely chopped red onion, 1 lge finely chopped red chilli, 1 clove crushed garlic, 1/2 cup finely chopped coriander/parsley, 1 tsp sea salt, in a pestle & mortar until you have a smoothish thick paste.  I initially tried to blend it but you really need to go down the pounding path.  Transfer to a large bowl & scoop in 2 large perfectly ripened avocados with lime juice to get the taste & consistency you want.  Fold in some extra of the green herb you are using
For the main event we did tacos filled with pork carnitas and a vegan version with refried beans (sans sour cream).  I got 1 1/2 kilos pork shoulder, skin off, fat on, and cut it into approx 3 cm chunks.  Put it into a large roasting pan and toss with 2 cloves crushed garlic, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp sea salt, 2 tbsp water & cover tightly with foil.  Braise at 170 for an hour and a half.  It will be exceedingly tender.  When it's cooled remove the fat and drain off most of the liquid - leave about 2 tbsp.  I made this the day before & refrigerated overnight.  To serve put the pork in a saute pan & sprinkle over 2 tbsp soft brown sugar.  Cook over a high heat until the meat is golden brown & caramelised then sprinkle over the juice of a lime & let it bubble up.
We put dishes of the pork, beans, all the dips, a dish of shredded lettuce, and a pico de gallo on the table with plates and pieces of parchment paper (for ease of handling and left them to have what they wanted. 
Pico de gallo is a fresh tomato salsa.  Dice 2 cups tomatoes  - if they seem liquidy, sprinkle on a little salt & leave them to drain in a colander for 1/2 an hour.  Combine them with 1 clove crushed garlic, 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, 1 finely chopped red chilli, 1/2 cup finely chopped green herb, juice of a lime, olive oil - I used Olivo's chilli infused - salt & pepper.
For afters, I made a chocolate cinnamon chilli cake.  This is sooo easy & so delicious.  Melt 200g butter & 200g dark chocolate in a large bowl over a pan of hot water.  Use the bowl you are going to mix the cake in. Stir in 1 cup caster sugar & 1 tsp vanilla extract & leave to cool.  Mix in 4 lightly beaten eggs, 2 tbsp flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp cayenne.  Pour into a greased, lined 20cm cake tin and bake 25 mins at 170.  It may not seemed cooked but you want a delicate almost crisp crusty top with something sludge-like within.  Leave to cool completely in the tin.
 To serve dust with icing sugar mixed with 1/2 tsp each cocoa & cinammon.  I think it would be nice to dust over a paper doily to make a pretty design but we didn't appear to have one.  Must buy some.  Serve with whipped cream infused with vanilla extract, and candied pepitas.
Pepitas are pumpkin seeds.  Combine an egg white (not beaten) with 1/2 cup caster sugar, 1/4 tsp cinnamon & 70g pumpkin seeds.  Spread this on a lined baking tray & bake at 170 for 10 mins turning once.  To turn it I laid another piece of paper over the top & flipped it then peeled off the first piece.  It was still a bit sticky in parts but it crisps up when cooled.  Break it into bits to serve.
We also served Margarita cupcakes - the vegan version.  These called for coloured sugar crystals & it just happened that we had bought Phoebe a tin of these from Dean & De Luca in NYC.
And in case you were wondering, in spite of the Margaritas and Corona beer served with lime wedges and eating slightly messy food on their knees, the house looked almost as tidy when the phiesta-goers left as when they arrived.  When one reveller came into the kitchen looking for something to mop up a spill, Peter asked how large, wondering whether to provide a sheet of paper towel or the whole roll.  The response - approximately 50 millilitres!

Old, new, walnut, blue

This tagine might just be the best ever edging out the beef & beetroot. This is another poached lamb kefta best done on the stove top.  Mix 450 g minced lamb with 1 finely chopped onion, a bunch of finely chopped flat leaf parsley, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp each ground coriander & cumin, 1/2 tsp cayenne, salt & pepper.  Shape into small meatballs - you'll get about 16.  In a pan, saute 1 roughly chopped onion with 3 cloves crushed garlic, a piece of grated ginger & a thinly sliced red chilli  Add 2 tsp turmeric, some roughly chopped parsley & mint and about 300ml water.  Simmer 10 minutes then carefully add the kefta & poach gently for 10 minutes.  Pour over the juice of a lemon and tuck a second lemon, cut into segments, between the meatballs.  Season with salt & poach a further 10 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley & mint.  Serve with couscous and a soft leafy salad.  This is deliciously lemony & fresh.
One of my favourite stalls at the City Market is Angie O.  At the moment she is doing a walnut pesto.  Try spreading this on a piece of toasted sourdough or French bread, then top with a rocket leaf & a slice of your favourite blue cheese.  We had Bleu d'Auvergne.  This makes a divine weekend lunch.
The weather is very up and down and although winter is over I could not resist this beef & red wine pie with spicy pumpkin mash.  The recipe called for beef shin but the butcher didn't have any & recommended a cross-cut blade steak with lovely glutinous veins of fat running through it.  You want something that loves to be slow cooked.    This is a really simple way to make a casserole because you just add everything straight to the pot without browning first.  In fact, I prepared it in the casserole dish in the morning and went to a movie.  When I got home I just took the casserole out of the fridge, heated the oven & popped it in.  To prepare, combine in your casserole dish 750g beef diced fairly large, 1 large carrot roughly chopped, 1 onion roughly chopped, 4 whole cloves garlic, 1 tbsp chopped garlic, 1 tbsp soy sauce, zest of 1 orange, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 2 whole star anise, 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes, 1 cup red wine, 1 cup beef stock, salt & pepper.  When you're ready to cook, put it into the oven at 150 for around 3 1/2-4 hours.  If the liquid is too thin near then end just remove the lid & cook until the liquid has reduced & is  a bit syrupy.
For the mash cook some pumpkin & Agria potatoes.  For two, I had about 1/4 pumpkin & 1 potato.  Mash with a little butter & cream & season well.  While the veg is cooking slowly, cook  a thinly sliced onion in a little butter or oil and a good pinch of salt, until soft & golden.  Add a clove of crushed garlic & a grating of ginger & 1/4 tsp allspice & cook another 2 minutes.  Stir through the mash.  To assemble spoon the lamb into individual oven proof dishes.  I have some beautiful pottery dishes my mother bought in Thorndon many years ago.  Do any of you remember the Courtyard Cafe on Tinakori Rd & the pottery shop next door?  These dishes served her well for many years and are now doing great service at our house.  Top with the pumpkin mix & cook at 180 until the mash is coloured & a little crisp.
We welcomed an old favourite back to the table.  This is quick and delicious and a good weekday standby although you do have to pick up your prawns on the day or the day before unless you have some in your freezer.  Skin, deseed & decore 1/2 dozen or so good flavourful tomatoes then roughly chop.  Drain them over a bowl for up to an hour so that you are just using the flesh.  Mix them with 1 clove crushed garlic, a handful each chopped flat leaf parsley & basil, 2 small dried bird's eye chillis (or use flakes), crushed, 1/2 dozen pitted kalamata olives, 3 tbsp olive oil.  Set aside.    Saute about 1/2 dozen prawns per person until just cooked then sprinkle over a pinch saffron & 2 more of those chillis.  Add the tomato mix briefly to warm and scrape up the tasty bits on the bottom of the pan.  Cook some spaghetti according to the pack then toss through the tomato and prawn mix.  Serve with a green salad.

Leeks and Peas

Leeks are good just now so for Soup Monday we had this variation on leek & potato soup. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil & a knob of butter in a large saucepan & add 2 leeks, finely sliced; 500g floury (I usually use Agria) potatoes cut up small; 2 cloves garlic, crushed & some chopped thyme. Heat gently until the leeks are very soft but not browned. Patience is required. Then add 5 cups of chicken or vegetable stock and 1 cup milk. Season & bring to the boil, then simmer 30 minutes. Don't worry that it looks a bit curdly - you're going to blend the curdle out of it. Add 3 cups frozen peas & cook another 5 minutes. Blend until smooth. Drizzle with a little cream to serve. What a colour! You'll notice this makes quite a bit, so freeze the leftovers. It's always good to have soup in the freezer in the weather.

On Tuesday I had to bin the chicken I had planned & this is why you should always have pasta & pesto at the ready. Boil egg pasta ribbons according to the instructions on the packet. Gently warm a large pan & when the pasta is done use a slotted spoon or tongs to lift the pasta from it's saucepan into the clean one. Stir through a tbsp per person of creme fraiche, the same of pesto. Season and add a knob of butter. Grate over some Parmesan. Serve with a green salad that you've prepared beforehand because once you start cooking the pasta you are less than 6 minutes from the table. If you've got pasta in your cupboard you've always got a meal.

On Thursday we had pea & prawn risotto. This combination is beautiful. Just make a regular risotto base (see May 09). You could substitute fennel for the leek and use Pernod instead of wine. Remember to be patient when softening the leek. You don't want crunchy leek. When the risotto is done, stir through 1/2 cup frozen peas & 1/2 cup frozen cooked prawns with the juice of 1/2 a lemon. You could use raw prawns and just cook them through in the pan. Cook a little more until the peas & prawns are ready then season, drop in a knob of butter, cover & leave with the heat off for a few minutes to rest. Serve with Parmesan.

The next night, if you've got some left over, make risotto cakes. I recently learned a clever trick to make these. Butter some ramekins & put a circle of baking paper in the bottom. Lightly beat 2 or 3 eggs & mix with the risotto & some Parmesan. Tip the mixture into the ramekins & bake in a moderate oven about 15 minutes until the egg is set. This is much better than trying to fry them as I have done in the past. They turn out really well. You could make it in one large shallow dish & cut into wedges like a cake.

Spring pasta

Every now and then we get a day that reminds us spring is imminent and on those days I like to eat as if it were already here. Pasta & salad make a lovely spring meal and as well we are getting back into dinner salads. There will be plenty of those over the coming weeks.Ribbon egg pasta with a light sauce of fish or vegetables is the ultimate spring dinner for me. Try tagliolini with peas & prosciutto. Boil the water for the pasta. Gently heat about 50g butter in a pan, gently saute 1/2 dozen spring onions, thinly sliced, about 1 minute. Add 1 cup frozen peas - I only use fresh when I have them in the garden - with a splash of water and simmer a minute or so, then add 75g roughly sliced prosciutto and cook another minute or so. Put the pasta on at about the same time as the peas and cook for 2 minutes. Drain leaving a little of the cooking liquid. Put into the pan with the pasta & reserved cooking liquid, add 50g grated Parmesan & salt & pepper to taste. Serve with a salad.
Or try a variation on an old spaghetti favourite in our house. Everyone liked this when they were younger and fussier and they all still do. The basic idea is spaghetti with fried breadcrumbs. Apparently, the crumbs, known as pangrattato, historically were used as a substitute for Parmesan by people who couldn't afford cheese. Process 1/2 cup fresh white breadcrumbs and bake in the oven at 200 for 8-10 minutes. Season with salt & pepper. Cook your spaghetti according to the packet and try these alternatives. Heat olive oil & garlic until the garlic begins to colour, then add a good handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley with 1/2 tsp each of chopped rosemary & thyme. Cook about 30 seconds. When you have drained the pasta, add it to the herbs in the pan & toss with about 1 tsp chopped basil and the baked crumbs. This was how we started but have now discovered this works beautifully with the addition of fish, or prawns or chorizo or salami. Try this version from Cuisine. We recently did a lemony version with gurnard which was really delicious. Make the breadcrumbs as above. Cook the spaghetti according to the packet. Heat some olive oil in a largish pan, add 400g well seasoned gurnard fillets and fry 2-3 minutes each side. Add chopped flat-leaf parsley and zest of a lemon, season with sea salt, pepper & toss well, breaking up the fish. Drain the pasta & add to the fish. Always reserve a couple of tablespoons of the pasta water when you drain and add to the sauce. I don't know why but it works. Sprinkle with the crumbs. The plain herb version is good for a vegan.
And lastly another family favourite. Spaghetti with chilli prawns & fresh tomato. Leave out the prawns if you don't eat them. Our vegetarian loves this sans prawns, although with prawns was probably the very last non-vegetarian meal from which she weaned herself. First get your tomatoes ready. Take about 500g good quality, well ripened tomatoes. Score a cross across the core, place in a bowl, pour over boiling water & let sit a couple of minutes. Drain, cool slightly unless you have asbestos fingers like my grandma. Then peel off the skin, it should come away easily. Don't leave it in the water for too long or it will start to cook the tomato. Quarter the tomatoes and with the point of a knife flick out as many seeds as you can. Chop out any hard bits of core, then chop the flesh into small pieces. The original recipe said leave to drain for an hour but we are impatient so 10 minutes is enough while you're getting everything else ready. You may be thinking this all sounds a bit fiddly for me & you're right. This is a Peter recipe & I suggest that you hand over the tomato preparation to a man in your household who is sure to have more patience for it than I do. E, this is a job for you.Cook spaghetti according to packet. Chop 2 tbsp parsley & mix in a bowl with 2 tbsp small basil leaves, 1/2 tsp chilli flakes (I've long given up chopping fresh chillis), a clove of crushed garlic, a dozen pitted black olives (the recipe suggested chopped but they're more easily avoided by non olive lovers left whole). Add 3 tbsp best extra virgin olive oil you can afford then add the chopped tomatoes. Heat a little more oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook prawn cutlets (that's skinned but with tails on, and 1/2 dozen per diner) for a couple of minutes until starting to pink up. Turn them over and crumble over a generous pinch of saffron and a little more crushed chilli. When it's cooked add tomato oil mix and quickly incorporate the prawny residue. Add the drained pasta, add a little more olive oil if you like.
For all these meals choose spaghetti, spaghettini, or linguine - whichever you prefer. And I like to serve followed by a green or garden salad.
You may be wondering two things. What have I been doing the last couple of weeks? Banned from the study due to exams... And what keeps me cheerful when I am in here blogging...?