Easter Lamb

Here’s my blog entry from the lamb we cooked for Easter.

Take the leg of lamb and de-bone it unless your butcher has done that already

Keep the bones for stock

Make a marinade from butter, garlic and rosemary

Pulp the butter, garlic and rosemary together

Cover the meat in the marinade, and leave in the fridge for 24 hours (score the meat)

Cook the meat in the oven (covered with foil) for 1 hour and then BBQ to finish off and give us a nice colour on the outside

We served this with a lentil and red pepper salad and potato salad (Oh, and Red wine

Gnocci Bake

Fry 2 red onions and 3 garlic cloves together in butter, with oregano and a little sage. Add salt and pepper.

Add a pack of fresh spinach, cover and let it wilt down. Add a couple of tablespoons of tomato passata.

Meanwhile, boil the gnocchi for about 2 minutes, then drain and add to the mixture.

Stir in emmental cheese and plop some fresh mozzarella on top.

Put under the grill til it is browned on top.

Steamed Fish Season

Nothing like steamed fish and vegetables to get you back on track after over doing it for Christmas. Anna and I going healthy for a few weeks.

Tonight I cooked Sea Bass with Potato and Red Pepper Salad, Roasted Beetroot and Broccoli.

Marinate the sea bass in salt, garlic and soy sauce. Steam it over the boiling broccoli. For the beetroot, peel and roast them whole with oil and seasoning for around 1 hour on 150. The potato salad is made from boiled potatoes, a touch of butter or Extra virgin olive oil, seasoning, lemon juice, roasted or pickled peppers and raw onion (chopped). Tasty and healthy meal…. now what do do tomorrow?

Boiling an Egg

Ever had problems boiling an egg? This website will sort you out.

and here’s one I made earlier.

I know what you’re thinking – NO MORE FOOD. Following on from my blog about how to cook Christmas Dinner, here’s a quick update  on what we had. Went for Turkey, Sausages, Red Cabbage cooked with sugar and wine, Roast Potatoes, Parsnips, Sprouts cooked with bacon, and Carrots. Gravy was formed of the juices collected in the trivet. All in all, a good Christmas feast.

Anna knocked up a Christmas trifle for after the meal with some mince pies.

In the words of our Macedonian friend Goce Kalinov, I’m going to sue Philip Evans because he made an excellent lunch and we couldn’t stop eating until our stomach popped out. He knew that we can’t say no and he did that on purpose, and then Anna Evans gave us the PERFECT dessert (we didn’t have space for that)

Christmas Dinner

Christmas Dinner is a strange meal –  you’ve often eaten too much chocolate and snacks before its eventually served late in the afternoon, but it’s a unique meal with flavours and combinations you don’t get that often.

Here’s some of my tips from previous experiences:

Too many flavours

I’m always tempted to go over the top with flavours  - 2 years ago I cooked my first Christmas dinner, but when I shared my menu with friend and chef, Ben Piette he commented there were too many flavours. Sprouts with marsala and bacon, Honey glazed carrots, Chestnut stuffing etc. Different flavours will work well together, but you need to think through the harmony.

Do you need a whole Turkey?

Maybe this will upset the purists out there, but for me a crown is as good as a whole bird if you serving a smaller crowd. It’s easier to baste and carve; you also get the best part of the meat. If you do serve a whole bird, make sure you baste it well, and turn it upside down 1/2 way through the cooking process. This will stop the breast becoming dry during cooking.

Gravy

Cook the bird on a trivet of vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, leeks etc. You can mash them later to make a gravy with the juices.

Hob and Oven

As with any roast dinner, you need to think about timings and space. Is your meal too oven based? It’s good to use the hob as much as possible to create space in the oven. A large turkey can take the whole space. Christmas is about hospitality for me – don’t spend the whole time in the kitchen, leaving your guests to celebrate without you.

Belle and Herbs – Newcastle

If you ever get the chance to visit Newcastle in the North East of England, then YOU MUST go for breakfast at the Belle and Herbs cafe. They do the most amazing food there – the first time I went on a Sunday morning (ahead of a certain Newcastle v Liverpool game at St James’ Park), the queue was out of the door, and round the corner.  You can keep up to date with new offers from their menu at the Belle and Herbs Blog.

Click here to view 289 photos of food porn.