MaisonMattmoo evening of food!

What a great evening last night – lots of courses chez nous and all were really enjoyed. I’ll blog the recipes and post a few photos over the next day or so….

Mini Steak & Mushroom Puddings

Blooming gorgeous! Mrs.H. always likes a bit of flattery but this time she has to step to one side as the noble suet pudding takes centre stage!

This recipe just worked 1^st time and it is fabulous. I’m sure that if I had used a rich veal stock, then it would have been even better!

Ingredients – makes 6 mini puddings

• 450gms of lean steak
• Flour to coat beef
• 150gms Mushrooms - sliced
• Butter / rapeseed oil
• Flour
• Thyme
• 1 medium onion - chopped
• 250ml red wine
• 2 tsp redcurrant jelly
• 350mml beef stock / veal
• Salt & pepper
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

For the suet pastry:

• 250gms of self raising flour
• 125gms of Suet (I use Atora!)
• Pinch of salt
• 8 tbsps of cold water

Chop the beef into small chunks and then coat in flour. Heat a good knob of butter in a pan and add a little oil to allow the browing of the meat. When it is brown, add the onions and mushrooms and cook until soft. At this point add the wine and reduce a little. Then add the stock, thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and cook for around 30 minutes. The stock will reduce creating a thicker gravy - at this point, stir in the redcurrant jelly and cook for a little while longer. Taste and season accordingly.

Once done, remove all the meat, mushrooms and onions with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. You now can make the pastry. Sift the flour into a mixing bowl and then add the suet and mix in. Slowly add the water, mixing well as you go until you get a light pastry. Leave for 20 mins.

After about 20 mins the beef will be cool and so the final stange of prep can be done. Roll out pastry to about 3/4mm thick and line a 75mm baking basin with the pastry. Fill well with the beef mixture right to the top edge of the pastry. Spoon some of the gravy left over around the meat to fill any voids but do not put too much in each pudding. Cut a circle of pastry to completely cover the top of the pudding, wet the edges with water and tightly seal down the pastry on the top with the sides of the pastry. Cover the top then with silver foil (I put a pleat in it to help if it expands) and tie up with string.

You can now put the basins into boiling water (2/3^rds the way up) and then cover the pan. Cooking times will vary but I would allow 1 to 1.5 hours if they are small puddings. Check the water level regularly.

Turn out the puddings upside down and spoon over more gravy onto the top of the pudding. Serve with a few carrots or crushed peas and mint. I do not think potatoes are needed as the suet pudding makes up for it. I guarantee you’ll enjoy it – in fact I’m going to make another batch shortly!

The description is a little short but I think you get the principle. The better the stock then the better the flavour!

Smoking Food...!

Now I don’t mean finely chopping dried herbs and rolling up in a Rizla or dried meat rolled up in a smoke herring skin like a cigar, I mean hot smoking food to cook it or enhance its flavour – and then eat it! I was recommended this little gadget http://tinyurl.com/25xaj6g (many places sell them, not just Amazon) and I am delighted with the initial results. The only issue I have is that Mrs H has a slight issue with smoke – even a tiny bit, so I’m going to have to find a way of using it outside or in the shed. The smoker is pretty good at keeping most of the smoke inside itself but some does escape and even the hob extractor doesn’t take it all away.

It worked well, even on my electric hob and about 25 minutes was just right to smoke a gutted rainbow trout – I used apple wood dust which came with the smoker. The result was a moist and delicately smoked fish without spoiling the lovely flavour of the trout. Its goiung to take a little practice but I am looking forward to smoking some sausages and maybe even some smoked mash! Will keep you updated on the progress….

Pear, Pear & Watercress soup

This soup is simply delicious. The pear gives it a slightly sweeter edge and a nice texture. Even better if you can use pears from your own garden!

Ingredients:

• 2 onions
• 40gms of butter
• 500gms of frozen or fresh peas
• 2 ripe pears
• 1l of vegetable stock
• 80gms of watercress
• Salt & pepper
• Cream

Peel and chop the onions and fry in the butter on a gentle heat until soft. Add the peas and peeled and chopped pear to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes or so. Add the stock and gently simmer for around 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and then stir in the watercress. Allow to cool a little and then liquidise until smooth. Transfer back to a pan and bring up to a simmer and then you are ready to serve. Serve with a little cream and a sprig of watercress on the top.

Review - Pipers Restaurant, Garstang, Lancs

Well, I wish it actually was a review! I seem to have mislaid some of my notes! From memory, the dishes were very good indeed. What came over was the inventiveness of some of the dishes – one such thing being the fact that chutney was served up in a filo pastry wrap rather than just a dollop on the side of the dish – excellent idea. The food tastes great and if I ever find my notes (or a menu gets emailed to me!) I’ll run you through it. If you find yourself in that part of the world, it is worth the detour.

Spicy Prawns

I’m not really sure what to call this but it is one of those satisfying recipes that is easy to cook and tastes great. Enjoy it with a little basmati rice or similar.

Ingredients (serves 4 , or 2 greedy ones!):

• One red onion, chopped
• One onion , chopped
• Half of one red capsicum pepper, chopped
• Half of one green capsicum pepper, chopped
• One tin of chopped tomatoes 440gms
• Approx 10 cherry tomatoes – halved
• One birdseye red chilli chopped
• One red chilli (milder) sliced thinly
• 4 cloves of garlic, chopped
• One Tsp of sugar (if required – ie if tomatoes are not sweet)
• 5 tbsp of light olive oil
• Fresh black pepper
• Sea Salt
• 2 cups of peeled prawns – fresh or frozen

Fry the onions and garlic until soft (over a medium heat). Add the peppers and chilli and continue over a medium heat. After about 5 minutes, add the tinned tomatoes, cover and leave on a low heat for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally) Remove cover and add remaining ingredients and season. The salt makes a big difference to the flavour of this dish. Cook until the prawns are cooked through and the cherry tomatoes are just soft. Serve in a bowl with plain rice, feet up and a big glass of wine – perfect!