Recipes – 10 August 2013

Chef de Cuisine – Nick Stragnell

with assistance from Greg Stragnell, Penny Stragnell, Steph Stragnell, Lucy Stragnell & Elizabeth Stragnell

An African Feast

SERVES 8

Ingredients

For the lamb

1 Whole Shoulder of lamb (bone in and including neck)

Enough olive oil to cover joint

12 heads garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

Bunch of fresh rosemary, roughly chopped

Maldon salt

For the tomato sauce

500g/17½ oz vine tomatoes

500g/17½ oz cherry vine tomatoes

2 red peppers

4 banana shallots

2 heads garlic

Small bunch rosemary, roughly chopped

Small bunch thyme, roughly chopped

200ml/7 fl oz extra virgin olive oil

100ml/3½ fl oz forum red wine vinegar

100g/3½ oz dark brown sugar

For the aubergine parcels

4 aubergines

1 onion (chopped fine)

50g/1½ oz root ginger (peeled and finely grated)

3 cloves garlic (peeled and finely grated)

½ tsp cumin

½ tsp coriander

½ tsp cayenne

½ tsp cinnamon

3 vine tomatoes, peeled, deseeded and chopped small

100g/3½ oz golden sultanas

100g/3½ oz pine kernels, toasted -dry pan until golden brown

150ml/5 fl oz rapeseed oil, for frying

300g/10½ oz goat’s cheese, grated

Small bunch fresh coriander, roughly chopped

Small bunch mint, roughly chopped

Shredded neck meat, reserved from cooking the shoulder

8 sheets filo pastry, cut in half

50g butter, melted

For the lentil salad

100g/3½ oz puy lentils

100ml/3½ fl oz red wine vinegar

50g/1½ oz dark brown sugar

2 shallots, finely chopped

2 generous sprigs Fresh thyme, picked

300g/10½ oz cherry vine tomatoes

200g/7 oz baby Spinach, picked and washed

200g/7 oz goat’s cheese, small dice

For the cous cous

1 onion, finely chopped

1 fennel, finely chopped

1 leek, finely chopped

2 sticks celery, finely chopped

60g/2 oz root ginger, peeled and grated

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 tsp Raz al Hanout

1 tsp Garam marsala

½ tsp hot Smoked paprika

300g/10 ½oz cous cous, pre-cooked

1 saffron thread

1tbsp tomato base

100g/3½ oz pine kernels

50g/1½ oz sesame seed

50g/1½ oz poppy seed

600ml/21 fl oz chicken stock, hot

100g/3½ oz fresh curly parsley, chopped

100g/3½ oz coriander, chopped

100g/3 ½oz mint, chopped

Rapeseed oil for frying

For the glaze

5 ltr/9 pts lamb stock

1 kitchen spoon tomato sauce

2 tbsp dark brown sugar

50ml/1½ fl oz single malt whisky

For the yoghurt dressing

1 cucumber

200ml/7 fl oz natural yogurt

1 clove Garlic, peeled and grated

100g/3½ oz fresh mint

For the lamb kidneys

4 lamb kidneys

Method

1. For the lamb, preheat the oven to 130C/250F/gas mark ½, place the shoulder in a pot with lid, deep enough to hold the shoulder and cover with olive oil. Roughly chop the garlic and rosemary and add to the pot. Add a good pinch of salt.
2. Place the pot on to the stove and gently bring to a simmer, place the lid on and transfer the pot to the oven for 5 hours or until the bones feel as if they could be pulled out of the joint. Allow the whole thing to go cold and once completely cold, carefully remove the meat and drain on a rack for 1 hour. Carefully remove the neck bone and the shoulder blade and leg bone, they should come out easily, pick off all the meat from the neck bone, shred and reserve.
3. For the tomato sauce, preheat the oven to 150C/300F/gas mark 2, roughly chop the tomatoes, peppers, shallots, garlic and herbs. Place them all into a baking tray, add the oil, vinegar, sugar and mix thoroughly. Place into the oven for 6 hours, turning every 2 hours to stop it catching. Once all the liquid has almost evaporated remove the tray and allow to cool slightly. Pass the base through a medium sieve.
4. For the aubergine parcels, peel and dice the aubergine, sprinkle with salt and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Place on a towel, drain and dry. Heat a little oil in a shallow pan and gently fry the onion until soft, then add the ginger, garlic and cook for a further minute, mix in the spices, tomatoes, sultanas, pine kernels and cook for another minute or so. Place this mix into a bowl.
5. Fill a deep pan with 1/3 oil and heat until beginning to smoke, add the aubergine carefully and cook until golden, remove and drain on kitchen paper. Place the cooked aubergine into the bowl with the other ingredients and gently combine the two. Mix in the grated cheese and herbs. Now mix in the shredded neck meat.
6. Place a half sheet of pastry onto the work top and place a spoonful of mix at one end. Fold in the sides and then fold up the parcel as neatly as possible into a spring roll like shape, brush the end with the melted butter and stick. Place on a baking tray and repeat with all 16 halves of pastry so that you have 2 per portion.
7. For the lentil salad, boil the lentils until tender to the bite, drain and rinse under cold water. Mix equal amounts of the vinegar and sugar well, then add to this the chopped shallot and fresh thyme. Chop the cherry tomatoes neatly, place in a bowl with the spinach, lentils and cheese then add the dressing and mix.
8. For the cous cous, in a shallow pan with lid gently fry the vegetables in a little olive oil until soft. Add the ginger, chilli and spices and continue to cook gently for a further 2 minutes. Now add the cous cous, saffron, tomato base, kernels and seeds and cook for 1 minute more. Turn up the heat and add the stock placing the lid immediately after. Remove from the heat, leave for 10 minutes then fork through the cous cous to fluff it up. Mix in the herbs and keep warm.
9. For the plantain fritters, peel and grate the plantains through the large holes of a grater into a bowl. Add the garlic, coriander and season. Mix well.
10. Heat a deep fryer to 170C/325F/gas mark 3. Roll little balls of the mix, about the size of ping pong balls and fry until golden and crispy. Drain well and keep warm.
11. For the glaze, reduce the lamb stock to 900ml, add tomato sauce, brown sugar and whisky place on medium heat and boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until you get a sticky glaze consistency.
12. For the yoghurt dressing, peel and grate the cucumber, place in a napkin and squeeze out the juice. Mix with the yogurt, garlic and mint and season to taste.
13. Before serving, preheat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4, place the aubergine parcels into a roasting tray and the lamb shoulder into a separate one. Remove the parcels after 20 minutes or until golden and crisp. Turn the oven up to full heat, place boned out lamb shoulder into a shallow baking tray and pour over the glaze, place into the oven and this should take no more than 5 minutes.
14. For the lamb kidneys, with scissors, cut the kidneys in half and snip out the white fat that is inside, halve again and with a knob of butter in a frying pan, season and cook  for 3-4minutes until nicely coloured all round 15. Spread the cous cous on a large serving dish and place the shoulder on top. Serve with the various accompaniments.

Liquorice Ice Cream

A creamy, spicy ice cream flavoured with tasty black liquorice candy.

INGREDIENTS

6 egg yolks

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups milk

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

150 grams soft black liquorice candies

2 tablespoons Pernod liqueur

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Whisk the egg yolks with the sugar in a large bowl. In a nonaluminum saucepan, combine the milk, heavy cream, and liquorice and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently so the liquorice melts. (If the liquorice resists melting, purée it with some hot milk.)
2. Beat a little of the hot milk mixture into the eggs and then, in a steady stream, slowly whisk in the rest of the hot milk. Return the mixture to a pan over medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens visibly and registers 165°F on a candy thermometer. Do not boil.
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the Pernod liqueur and vanilla extract. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding any solids. Cool, then chill in the refrigerator. Freeze as directed in an ice cream maker. (I don’t strain the ice cream – I think whatever small pieces of solid liquorice remain are a bonus!)

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