step 1 Pour the rice into a very large bowl under cold running water and carefully drain the water out of the bowl through a sieve. Repeat a few times until the water in the bowl is clear, then fill the bowl up with cold water and leave rice to soak for 10 mins while you cook the vermicelli. step 2 Put the oil into a medium pan over medium heat. Add the vermicelli and stir continuously until the strands turn a rich golden brown, 2-3 mins. Remove from the heat, stir through the butter until it melts and allow the vermicelli to cool for 1-2 mins. step 3 Drain the rice thoroughly through a sieve. Add the rice to the pan and stir well. Pour the hot stock into the pan, sprinkle in ½ tsp salt, stir well then return the pan to the hob over a high heat. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to the lowest it will go, put the lid on the pan and simmer for 7-9 mins. Remove the pan from the heat, cover with a couple of sheets of kitchen paper or a light tea towel and the pan lid, and let the rice sit in the pan for 10 mins. Fluff up with a fork before serving.
step 1 Tip the flours, yeast and salt into a bowl. In a jug, mix the honey with 250ml warm water, pour the liquid into the bowl and mix to form a dough. Rye flour can be quite dry and absorbs lots of water, if the dough looks too dry add more warm water until you have a soft dough Tip out onto your work surface and knead for 10 mins until smooth. Rye contains less gluten than white flour so the dough will not feel as springy as a conventional white loaf. step 2 Place the dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for 1-2 hrs, or until roughly doubled in size. Dust a 2lb/900g loaf tin with flour. step 3 Tip the dough back onto your work surface and knead briefly to knock out any air bubbles. If using caraway seeds work these in to the dough. Shape into a smooth oval loaf and pop into your tin. Cover the tin with oiled cling film and leave to rise somewhere warm for a further 1 – 1.5 hr, or until doubled in size. step 4 Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Remove the cling film and dust the surface of the loaf with rye flour. Slash a few incisions on an angle then bake for 30 mins until dark brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Transfer to a wire cooling rack and leave to cool for at least 20 mins before serving
Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Fry the onions and thyme sprigs in the oil until softened and lightly coloured (about 5 mins). Spread a layer of potatoes over the base of a 1.5-litre oiled gratin dish. Sprinkle over a few onions (see picture, above) and continue layering, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour over the stock and bake for 50-60 mins until the potatoes are cooked and the top is golden and crisp.
Place a steamer insert into a saucepan, and fill with 1 1/2 cups of water, or just below the bottom of the steamer. Cover, and bring the water to a boil over high heat. Add the sliced carrots, reduce the heat to medium, and cover the pan again. Steam until tender but not mushy, 4 to 6 minutes depending on the thickness of the slices. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the salt, pepper, cinnamon, cumin, garlic, and thyme. Cook the spices and garlic, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 10 minutes. Add the 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid and the bay leaf, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in the carrots, tossing well to coat with the spice mixture, and cook until heated through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon juice and remove the bay leaf before serving.
Preheat oven to 410° F. Pour the water into a large bowl. Make sure it is room temperature. Add the salt. Blend well with a mixer, fork or spatula to make sure it dissolves well. While you continue to beat the mixture, slowly add the corn meal—a little bit at a time. Once all the flour is added, keep mixing until the corn meal, water and salt are thoroughly blended and dissolved. Set aside the masa in its bowl. Let it rest for 5 minutes so that the flour is thoroughly hydrated. This type of corn flour does not have any gluten, so it doesn’t need to be kneaded. The masa should be smooth, firm yet malleable. While waiting for the 5 minutes’ rest, heat your budare (or comal, griddle, cast-iron pan or non-stick pan) over medium heat. Coat with a little bit of the oil. Fill a small bowl with water to wet your hands to make the arepas. Take about 2 Tbsp of the masa in your damp hands. The masa should fit easily in your palm so that it is easy to shape into a small ball. Cross your hands, so that one is on top of the other, with the masa ball between them. Rotate your right hand in a circle, so that you are at the same time both pressing the masa into a flat disc and keeping its round shape. arepa making The last step in shaping your arepa is to quickly pass and lightly press the masa disc from one hand to the other until it is about ¾ of an inch thick and 4 inches wide. Smooth the edges with your fingertips (quickly dip them into the water bowl first) so that they stay as round as possible and without cracks. arepa making Place your arepas in batches on the preheated surface of your budare griddle or nonstick pan. Let each side turn golden, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Check them often so that they don’t burn. Once they are nicely browned on both sides, place the arepas on a baking sheet in your preheated oven for 10 minutes. They should be somewhat puffy, so that if you tap an arepa lightly on top, it will sound like you are tapping an empty box. Serve
step 1 Put a sieve over a large bowl, line it with a thick sheet of non-dyed kitchen paper or a clean muslin cloth, and spoon in the yogurt. Cover with another sheet of kitchen paper and leave to strain in the fridge for a minimum of 12 hrs. step 2 Add the lemon juice, most of the olive oil and the dried mint to a bowl and stir well for the dried mint to soften and soak up the juices. Mix in the strained yogurt, then pour away the strained yogurt liquid and leave that bowl to one side. step 3 Halve the cucumber(s) lengthways and remove the seeds by running a teaspoon from the top to the bottom of the flesh, halve the cucumbers widthways to make them shorter and easier to handle, then coarsely grate each one into the bowl the yogurt was straining over. Using clean hands (or a clean muslin cloth), squeeze as much of the liquid out of the cucumber as possible. step 4 Add the strained, grated cucumber, garlic and ¾ tsp flaky salt to the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of dried mint.
Prep the cucumbers: Peel the cucumbers. Cut them into quarters, lengthwise. (If the seeds are bitter, scrape out the seeds and discard.) Cut the cucumbers again, crosswise, into 1/2-inch thick pieces. Toss the salad: Place cucumbers into a serving bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Toss with sesame oil, seasoned rice vinegar, basil (if using), and chili flakes. Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds if using.
step 1 Combine the yeast, a pinch of the sugar and a couple tablespoons of lukewarm water in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the yeast, then leave for 10 mins until foamy. step 2 Meanwhile, combine the flour, the remaining sugar and 2 tsp fine salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre, then add half the beaten egg, the yeast mixture and the oil. Pour in 200ml lukewarm water (it should feel slightly warm to the touch) and stir with a spoon, then mix using one hand, keeping the other clean while you bring the dough together. If there are a lot of very dry bits, gradually add a little water to just bring it together – you don't want it to get too wet and sticky. The dough should be moist, but not soggy. step 3 Once the dough has come together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead using both hands for 10 mins until smooth and a bit springy. If it gets very sticky, add a very small amount of flour – as little as possible. A dough scraper is useful if the dough is sticking to the work surface. Stretch the sides of the dough down and pull together to form a ball. Lightly oil a bowl, then lightly roll the dough ball around the bowl so it's coated in the oil. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hr, or until dough has doubled in size. step 4 Line a baking sheet with baking parchment. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and divide into three equal pieces, weighing for accuracy, if you like. Roll each piece into a long sausage shape about 25cm long, tapering them slightly at both ends. Lay the pieces out in front of you, parallel to one another with a couple centimetres between each. Bring the sausages together at the top end, then plait them down the length, tucking in the ends when you reach the bottom. Carefully transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet and loosely cover with a clean tea towel. Leave to rise until puffy and billowy, about 40 mins. step 5 Meanwhile, heat the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6.
1 Preheat the oven to 230°C. 2 Add the sugar and crumble the fresh yeast into warm water. 3 Allow the mixture to stand for 10 – 15 minutes in a warm place (we find a windowsill on a sunny day works best) until froth develops on the surface. 4 Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, make a well in the middle and pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil. 5 Lightly flour your hands, and slowly mix the ingredients together until they bind. 6 Generously dust your surface with flour. 7 Throw down the dough and begin kneading for 10 minutes until smooth, silky and soft. 8 Place in a lightly oiled, non-stick baking tray (we use a round one, but any shape will do!) 9 Spread the passata on top making sure you go to the edge. 10 Evenly place the mozzarella (or other cheese) on top, season with the oregano and black pepper, then drizzle with a little olive oil. 11 Cook in the oven for 10 – 12 minutes until the cheese slightly colours. 12 When ready, place the basil leaf on top and tuck in!
step 1 Heat grill to very hot. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways, then grill for 25 mins, turning occasionally, until soft – the skin will remain firm, but the flesh will soften. Lift the aubergines off the grill and leave until cool enough to handle. step 2 Using a sharp knife, score the grilled flesh and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Tip into a bowl and mash with a fork until you get a thick pulp. Beat in the lemon juice and garlic. Add the yogurt and dill, and season. Serve while still warm.
step 1 Tip the flours into a food processor. Add the yeast, sugar and 1tsp salt, then mix well. Pour in 350ml warm water and the oil, then process to a soft dough. Mix for 1 min, then leave until doubled in size, about 1 hour. step 2 Pulse the dough a couple of times just to knock out the air, then tip onto a floured surface. Cut the dough in half and roll out one half to a rectangle about 20 x 40cm. Trim the edges using a large sharp knife, then cut into eight 10cm squares. Line a large tray or two baking sheets with non-stick paper and arrange the bread rectangles over the tray in one layer. Repeat with the other half of the dough. Leave in a warm place for about 30 mins until the dough is just starting to rise. step 3 Place bread directly onto the BBQ racks and cook for a couple of mins until they puff up, then flip over and cook on the other side. Tip into a basket and serve with the dips.
Place a large saucepan over medium heat and add oil. When hot, add chopped vegetables and sauté until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add 6 cups water, lentils, thyme, bay leaves and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a fast simmer. Simmer lentils until they are tender and have absorbed most of the water, 20 to 25 minutes. If necessary, drain any excess water after lentils have cooked. Serve immediately, or allow them to cool and reheat later. For a fuller taste, use some chicken stock and reduce the water by the same amount.
Soak: Soak corn and beans overnight in water. Cook Meats: In a large pot, brown the beef and pork. Add onions and spices, cooking until translucent. Simmer the Stew: Add soaked corn and beans, pumpkin, potato, and enough water to cover. Simmer for 2-3 hours, until thick. Serve: Enjoy hot, with bread on the side. Pro Tips: Toasting the corn slightly before adding it to the stew enhances its flavor. Add a spoonful of paprika or a dash of cumin for an extra layer of warmth and complexity
1. Prepare the Potatoes Start by peeling and finely grating the potatoes. To ensure extra crispiness, use a clean kitchen towel to squeeze out as much moisture as possible. 2. Mix the Ingredients In a large mixing bowl, combine the grated potatoes, chopped onion, minced garlic, eggs, flour, marjoram, salt, and black pepper. Stir well until the mixture forms a thick, consistent batter. 3. Heat the Oil In a large frying pan, heat a generous amount of oil over medium heat. The oil should be hot but not smoking. 4. Fry the Pancakes Spoon portions of the batter into the pan, flattening each into a thin pancake. Fry until golden brown and crispy on one side, then flip and cook the other side until equally golden and crispy. 5. Drain & Serve Transfer the cooked pancakes onto a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. Serve immediately while hot, with sour cream, garlic dip, or as a side dish.
Add all the ingredients to a large pan over medium heat and cover with a lid. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 10 minutes, reduce the heat to low and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes, until the cabbage is soft and tender. Remove from the heat and remove the stalks of thyme before serving.
step 1 Melt the butter in a heavy-based casserole, then soften the shallots for 5 mins. Add the paprika and crushed garlic and cook for 1 min until the paprika becomes fragrant. Splash in the sherry, then pour the whole lot into a bowl with the breadcrumbs. Season and cool. step 2 Add the pork mince and the egg yolk to the bowl, then beat well. Shape into 18 small meatballs. Wipe the pan, put on a medium-high heat, then add the oil. Fry the meatballs for 5 mins, just to colour, then lift onto a plate, but keep the oil in the pan. Sizzle the chorizo with the sliced garlic. Add the squid and fry to give a little colour. Now tip in the white wine and bring to the boil, scraping the bottom. Stir in the pulped tomatoes, bring to the boil, then add the meatballs and the clams. Cover and cook for 5 mins until the clam shells open. Discard any that stay shut. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, drizzle with the extra virgin oil, then serve with crusty bread.
Heat a heavy bottom pot of oil that has at least 3 inches of oil in it or use a deep fryer if you have one. Turn the heat over medium heat until the temperature reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the all-purpose flour, cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt to a large bowl and stir to combine. Add the vanilla extract and milk and stir until the dough comes together. Then use your hands to lightly form the mixture into a ball. Pinch off pieces of dough and roll them into long oval shapes. Make about 12 dumplings. Once the oil has reached the temperature of 350 degrees Fahrenheit, fry the dough on all sides, until golden brown. This should take about 4-6 minutes. Remove dough and drain off any excess grease. Serve and enjoy.
In a large bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup buckwheat flour, 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon yeast. Make a well in the center and pour in 1 cup warm milk, whisking until the batter is smooth. Cover the bowl and let the batter rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Enrich and Rest the Batter Stir 2 tablespoons melted butter and 1 egg yolk into the batter. In a separate bowl, whisk 1 egg white until stiff, but not dry. Fold the whisked egg white into the batter. Cover the bowl and let the batter stand 20 minutes. Pan-Fry the Blini Heat butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop quarter-sized dollops of batter into the pan, being careful not to overcrowd the pan. Cook for about 1 minute or until bubbles form. Turn and cook for about 30 additional seconds. Remove the finished blini onto a plate and cover them with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm. Add more butter to the pan and repeat the frying process with the remaining batter.
To prepare the sauerkraut filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the drained sauerkraut and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then remove to a plate to cool. For the mashed potato filling, melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir into the mashed potatoes, and season with salt and white pepper. To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture until dough comes together. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth. Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut into 3 inch rounds using a biscuit cutter. Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal. Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and the sauerkraut filling. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add perogies and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until pierogi float to the top. Remove with a slotted spoon.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6 and butter 4 small (about 200ml) ramekins. Sprinkle the Parmesan into the ramekins, turning until all sides are covered. Place the milk and bay leaves in a large saucepan over a gentle heat and bring to the boil. Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 15 mins. Discard the bay leaves, add the butter and flour, and return to a low heat. Very gently simmer, stirring continuously with a balloon whisk, for about 6 mins until you get a smooth, thick white sauce. Make sure that you get right into the corners of the pan to stop the sauce from catching or becoming lumpy. Once thickened, transfer the sauce to a large bowl and stir in the mustard powder, cayenne pepper, Gruyère and egg yolks until fully combined. In a spotlessly clean bowl and with a clean whisk, beat the egg whites just until peaks begin to form. Carefully fold the egg whites into the cheese sauce in three stages making sure you fold, rather than stir, to keep the egg whites light and airy. Fill the prepared ramekins with the soufflé mix. Top each soufflé with a slice of goat’s cheese, then place on a baking tray. Bake for 20-25 mins or until springy and well risen but cooked through. Leave to cool, then run a knife around the edge of each dish and remove the soufflés. If preparing in advance, place soufflés upside down (for neat presentation), on a tray. Cover tray in cling film. Chill for a few days or freeze for up to 1 month. When ready to re-bake, heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Place the upside-down soufflés in a shallow baking dish, top with the remaining goat’s cheese slices and pour over the cream (this stops them from drying out when baked for the second time). Cook for 8-10 mins until golden. Serve immediately alongside some simply dressed salad.
Heat 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add ground beef and season with salt, allspice, cinnamon, and black pepper. Cook and stir until beef is browned and crumbly, 7 to 10 minutes. Stir chicken broth and rice into beef in the saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir pine nuts in hot butter until lightly browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix pine nuts into beef-rice mixture before serving.
Pick through your lentils for any foreign debris, rinse them 2 or 3 times, drain, and set aside. Fair warning, this will probably turn your lentils into a solid block that you’ll have to break up later In a large pot over medium-high heat, sauté the olive oil and the onion with a pinch of salt for about 3 minutes, then add the carrots and cook for another 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir it around for around 1 minute. Now add the cumin, paprika, mint, thyme, black pepper, and red pepper as quickly as you can and stir for 10 seconds to bloom the spices. Congratulate yourself on how amazing your house now smells. Immediately add the lentils, water, broth, and salt. Bring the soup to a (gentle) boil. After it has come to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover the pot halfway, and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the lentils have fallen apart and the carrots are completely cooked. After the soup has cooked and the lentils are tender, blend the soup either in a blender or simply use a hand blender to reach the consistency you desire. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if necessary. Serve with crushed-up crackers, torn up bread, or something else to add some extra thickness. You could also use a traditional thickener (like cornstarch or flour), but I prefer to add crackers for some texture and saltiness. Makes great leftovers, stays good in the fridge for about a week.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Prick the surface of the skin of eggplants several times with the tip of a knife. Place eggplants directly on grill. Turn frequently with tongs while skin chars. Cook until eggplants have collapsed and are very soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover tightly with aluminum foil and allow to cool, about 15 minutes. When eggplants are cool enough to handle, split them in half and scrape flesh into a colander placed over a bowl. Drain 5 or 10 minutes. Transfer eggplant to mixing bowl. Add crushed garlic and salt; mash until creamy but with a little texture, about 5 minutes. Whisk in lemon juice, tahini, olive oil, and cayenne pepper. Stir in yogurt. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled. Stir in mint and parsley, and taste to adjust seasonings before serving.
Mix the flour and salt then pour one cup of water and start kneading. If you feel the dough is still not coming together or too dry, gradually add the remaining water until you get a dough that is very elastic so that when you pull it and it won’t be torn. Let the dough rest for just 10 minutes then divide the dough into 6-8 balls depending on the size you want for your feteer. Warm up the butter/ghee or oil you are using and pour into a deep bowl. Immerse the dough balls into the warm butter. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 550F. Stretch the first ball with your hands on a clean countertop. Stretch it as thin as you can, the goal here is to see your countertop through the dough. Fold the dough over itself to form a square brushing in between folds with the butter mixture. Set aside and start making the next ball. Stretch the second one thin as we have done for the first ball. Place the previous one on the middle seam side down. Fold the outer one over brushing with more butter mixture as you fold. Set aside. Keep doing this for the third and fourth balls. Now we have one ready, place on a 10 inch baking/pie dish seam side down and brush the top with more butter. Repeat for the remaining 4 balls to make a second one. With your hands lightly press the folded feteer to spread it on the baking dish. Place in preheated oven for 10 minutes when the feteer starts puffing turn on the broiler to brown the top. When it is done add little butter on top and cover so it won’t get dry.