recipe: tagine with chicken

the importance of taking/allowing the proper time to best most naturally suit each ingredient or dish, cannot be underestimated. letting things happen slowly, as with the tagine currently bubbling away on my stove top, helps transform flavours & textures. it's pretty choice; & actually a pretty choice thing to be aware of when grooving away in the kitchen getting creative.
what better time then to write the recipe, as the wafting smells of coriander/ginger/lemon conjure up the exotic, evocative & ageless, filling the room in which i sit...

so then, recipe chicken tagine:

firstly, method basically the same as with the lamb tagine

>[boned]chickenthighs/freshginger/coriander/garlic/tumeric/blackpepper: cut thighs into 6, into a bowl, set aside; mortar&pestle the rest, or blitzit in the whizzer. anyway, when finished, rub the marinate paste into the chicken & let it sit at least an hour or two, overnight even better. it should be said, & yes it's a time thing, the act of pounding this mix by hand creates a paste with personality, tho it does take longer & requires a little muscle, i guess.

>redonion/garlic/oliveoil/butter/salt/saffron: sweat gently for 20mins, remove & set aside, tagine on heat
>marinatingchicken/greenolives/chickenstock: same tagine dish, brown chicken, in batches if nec, then return onions to the tagine dish, combine gently, add a good quantity of quality green olives (some say you should blanch them in hot water first, but i dont have time for that :) then hot chicken stock to barely cover the chicken. i like to add a good dollop of honey here also, this time i used a beautifully dark strong blend from teone's family's honey, fells apiaries up north (nice one teone!)
>bring the tagine to the boil & turn down heat so the tagine barely simmers. put the lid on yr tagine dish & walk away!
>come back in 1/2 an hr, lift the lid (good idea to lean back a little then, so the scorching vapours can billow out without you in the middle of them). make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the stew, return lid, return to the flame, come back in 15 minutes, or so & turn off the heat. let the tagine sit to cool for a while.

meanwhile:
>couscous/butter/oliveoil/boilingwater: to every cup of couscous add a small lump of butter & a slug of olive oil & swirl it round in yr bowl til its all mixed, then add a cup of boiling water, ie: 1couscous/1h2o
stir one time to get water to the bottom then cover the bowl airtight, with gladwrap, or an airtight fitting lid. leave it for 5 minutes, give the bowl a good tap on the bottom to aerate the couscous a little: done.

finishing touches:
>watercress>i like to garnish my tagines with watercress
>lemonzest/driedapricots/walnuts/almonds: chopped finely & gently mixed together, sprinkle this over the top to serve

fri02dec2011: tagine of chicken

with such a great response from the lamb tagine a few weeks ago, for the last of the auckland sessions for some time i've gone for a popular choice: tagine, with chicken.

spicy&fruity&meaty&flavoursome the meat will marinate overnight & will slowly come together for friday afternoon, being served with either couscous or bulghur wheat, the standard green salad on the side.

what i love about tagines, infact so much middle eastern cuisine shares this, is the feeling of sensuous indulgence when eating it. maybe its the sweet savoury combinations that delight with their relentless saturating deliciousness, it's always so good it's almost as if it should be bad for you!!
then you realise, as you munch, that what you're eating is healthy & nutritious too.

as a takeout dinner, this fridaynightdinnerbox is the perfect solution.

AND>>>

this, as mentioned, will be the last of the auckland fridaynightdinnerboxes until i return from hawkes bay...which will be who-knows-when?!  this blog will continue, the recipes & everything else...but pakowhai rd just out of hastings will be the next local til then.

your part is easy, drop me a line via email or txt, let me know how many you'd like by late thurs;
delivery thru mid/late fri afternoon to homes/offices/sites in my ever increasing drop-off zone;
meals are $20 each & suit being warmed in the microwave - so no dishes afterwards;

txt: 021 2414 020
email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com (subject bar: fridaynightdinnerbox)

talk to you soon/see you friday

recipe: terrine, braised pork & du puy lentils

in terms of preparation, this week's terrine recipe is much the same as the last one in that, once cooked, your ingredients are simply placed inside a lined terrine dish (or something of a similar shape) with stock poured over the top at the end to fill any gaps, before gladwrap is folded over & it sits, weighted, in the fridge overnight to set into shape.
this week i've used du puy lentils, cooked separately in stock & added at the final stage, mixedGENTLY in with the onions & meat, to bind.
as an extra detail, inside the gladwrap that lines the terrine dish, i've layered blanched savoy cabbage leaves, which overhang the sides during the filling process & are folded over the top at the end. this creates a casing which i rather like, helping to hold it all together once sliced, but also offering a wonderful colour contrast to the richly textured meats & dark round lentils inside.

so then, briefly, cooking the fillings:

>onions/garlic/carrot/baythyme/stonedprunes/peppercorns/baconhocks/csabaiorkhulensausage: cover with water (or chicken stock) & simmer for several hours. i put mine in the crock pot & turn it off that evening.
>in a fine sieve, strain the stock into a ready saucepan, put it on a medium flame (reduce it by half. cool it at that point, to pour over terrine filling before closing); with the meat, the sausage should remain whole, the ham should at this point fall from the bone, leave as intact as you can; discard the bones, fatty tissue, skin, bay leaves & herby stalky bits
>dupuylentils/stock: lentils in a saucepan, quickly swipe a ladleful or so of the reducing stock + an h2o top up to cover lentils if necessary. simmer for 20-30 mins, till they reach the not-crunchy-but-firm, firm to the bite you might say (aka al-dente) stage. drain them.
>combine lentils/meat/vegGENTLY & add to the terrine & proceed as for the last terrine
(followthislink)

tips:
*think about the cross-section effect of your layering. i usually julienne some carrot, chives, baby leeks if i can get them, spring onions are pretty cool on the slice, but also are different sizes of meat, larger or smaller widths of sausage. make a pattern! what the heck
*i used a layer of blanched (to soften, also to bring out the colour) savoy cabbage leaves, but spinach is possible, really thinly sliced lengths of carrot, roast capsicum, or bacon, proscuitto...

to serve: 

flash it in a hot pan for just a mo, flip it, the same, or nuke it for 30 if that works for you; 

on the side a choice chutney, my current fav is the quince chutney i made last summer; 

to drink, pinot gris 2008 from millars vineyard in mangawhai was outstanding on a sunny saturday, full&warm&spicy it brought a mellow&golden depth to the richly flavoured meats.

fri25nov: terrine of cured pork, du puy lentils

bacon hocks bound by du puy lentils, layered with fresh herbs & a mildly spiced, perhaps clove-ish, finish. the terine will be accompanied by some spring veg on the side, & a garden salad as per usual.

your part is easy - just drop me a line, by txt or email, & tell me how many you'd like.
my deliver run usually starts around mid to late afternoon,
your fridaynightdinnerboxes brought to you at home or at the office, let me know which suits you best.

txt: 021 2414 020
email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com (subject: fridaynightdinnerbox)

talk to you soon

kitchen talk: go east my boy

in a few short weeks, i will travel to the east coast for hawkes bay, rejoining my chef kent baddeley's brigade at a new location, just out of hastings along pakowhai rd, at ten-twentyfour.
the fridaynightdinnerbox(es)/(ers) will continue to continue, week by week posting dishes & recipes, more of the same, & more
only the delivery geographics will alter slightly!

aucklanders, thankyou for your support in these early days. this has been a good project.
&! i look forward to hearing from you still
                                          - on dishes you've cooked from this repertoire, tips you feel like sharing, etc
                                                                                                                                                                                   whatever.
part of my early statement lays out the idea of a global kitchen, cooking & eating from the same menu, as it were. a collective culinary journey.

with that in mind then...

fri18nov2011: jambalaya

the fact is that there is a mob of fridaynightdinnerboxers who are demanding jambalaya, as seen in fridaynightdinnerboxes just a few weeks ago. the problem is, i love it too. 

for those who missed out, i use a spicy mediterranean sausage & prawns, there is saffron, there is a little cream to bind it all, there may well be roast capsicum in there, herbs from the garden, served over rice, a salad of greens to come with. a triumph.

so then, this week: jambalaya!

your part is easy, just send me a txt or drop me an email by thursday night & tell me how many you'd like, i'll be delivering mid-late afternoon to works&homes in an ever widening circumference, & i'll see you then!

txt: 021 2414 020

email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com (subject: fridaynightdinnerbox)

for this the recipe for jambalaya, scroll down to 23rd october, picture of prawns & chorizo happily sizzling, or hit this link & go straight there. i used aborio rice, cooked in chicken stock, in the rice cooker, thyme & bay in there too, of course.

recipe: tagine of lamb, prunes & coriander

tagine is both the dish & the pot it is cooked in. the pot is important; clay, domed or peaked lid, tight fitting to collect steam, a moist stove-top oven of sorts is the effect. what else is important is time; for best results, take plenty of it.

quicker versions of tagine are possible, i prefer to allow the spiced marinade mixture to work its magic into the lamb by sitting round for a night, chillun in the fridge & mellowing in intensity thru the process, tenderising. in the cooking, again slow makes the difference, but so too is keeping away from the tagine while it cooks; dont mess with it. let it go for a good hour or so, more if you can, before lifting the lid on what is gently bubbling away. ok, so it's a nerve racking hour, but the right pot on a low flame you wont kill it. go get a wine :)

a dish transformed by traditional method, this week's fridaynightdinnerbox recipe is my own of many variations. originally i learned about tagines from an old friend, chef kurt sampson, who cooked for several years with well known lebanese chef, greg malouf, in melbourne. we had a temporary kitchen set up & cooked in the markets there, massive great tagines with fresh coriander, toasted almonds & lemon, bucketfuls of couscous to accompany...it's just such good food.

this recipe follows a similar fashion:

>cubed lamb/garlic/freshginger/cuminseeds/corianderseeds/saltflakes/whitepepper: cut the lamb to bite sized chunks & put the other ingredients into a mortar&pestle, working it to a paste. be generous with your quantites. once at smooth consistency, massage the paste into the meat, in a bowl, & gladwrap it up to sit overnight.

>next day carrots/onion/coriander&parsleystalks/salt/butter&oliveoil: roughly dice the veg & finely chop the herb stalks, sweat in the tagine pot with the lid on, low to moderate heat (ie about 1/3 strength flame) until onions are transparent, about 20mins.

> seasonedlamb/chickenstock: add lamb to the tagine, turn to mix all, cover with chicken stock, place the lid on & turn the flame low & walk away. do not lift the lid for at least 1 1/2 hours. do not lift the lid for at least 1 1/2 hours, did i say that already? finally, & this part is of particular importance: do not lift the lid for at least 1 1/2 hours. then, check to see you havent murdered it! if everythings ok, the lamb will be tender & flavoursome, & ready to take off the heat. allow tagine time to sit & cool, refrigerate overnight.

>next day (or later that same day) prunes: bring tagine up to temperature, enough that the stock turns to liquid & the meaty chunks can be removed. (try not to sample the lamb, or you will never stop). once removed, add to the broth about 1/3 weight of prunes to lamb, adding a little more stock if necessary, cover with a lid & simmer for a further 20mins. return lamb to the pot, simmer a little before serving with couscous.

>couscous/butter/saltflakes/oliveoil/boilingwater/lemonzest: combine a squirt of olive oil & a knob of butter to the couscous, then measure 1 to 1 ration of couscous to boiling water, cover, seal airtight with a lid or ith gladwrap, sit for at least 4 minutes then shake & fluff up with a fork, add lemon zest & mix thru.

i like to serve this tagine with fresh natural yoghurt & chopped coriander/parsley/toasted almonds.

fri11nov2011: tagine lamb, lemon & parsley

sweet spicy savoury north african flavours of the mediterranean flavours linger this week, slow cooked meats, almonds, lemon & dried fruits...and my handshaped black earthernware pot will be what takes us there.

the tagine i make this week will begin on wednesday, marinating in ground spices the chunks of meat over night. & i'll use probably a leg or shoulder, if not of lamb then of mutton, tho my english butcher states the nzl lamb is aged into its mutton years anyway...
anyway, the tagine will be served over couscous, gremolata to finish, a salad on the side

hearty nutritious & flavoursome, easily re-heateable, tagine makes for an ideal fridaynightdinnerbox. there is, as always, a vegetarian option, so drop me an email or send me a txt & let me know how many you'd like. the delivery run is somewhere round mid-late afternoon, to the office or home.

email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com
txt: 021 2414 020

talk to you soon

recipe: gnocchi marsala mushrooms

having got all the ingredients together for this week's dish, i found myself struck down by a kind of cheffy version of writer's block: i mean, is there a name for that?? anyway, luckily the phone a friend option was clear, so i dialed up my chef for help...
kent baddeley, now back in hawkes bay & opening his latest venture tentwentyfour, always a phone call away for those inspirational shots: chef, help! what to do???

so then, the path fwd from ground zero gnocchi-zone:

stage1: the gnocchi
potatoes/salt'n'pepper/egg/flour(1kgpotato to 300gflour): boil potatoes whole, skins on, remove & peel with a knife (hold potatoes in a tea towel so you dont scald yr hands) & put thru the moulix or just mash to smooth. while hot, season with s'n'p, add the egg & stir in quickly before the potato cooks it. add a handful of flour or two, mix in. turn out and knead in the remaining flour on your bench until firm. roll into long & skinny, cut into pieces & drop, when shaped, into a pot of boiling salted water, 20-30 at a time. you'll know they're done when the gnocchi begin to rise to the surface; this only takes a few minutes. when floating, remove with a slotted spoon & place on a tray, separately, & drizzle with olive oil. they will firm up, but you dont want them either too soggy or too rubbery. herein lies the skill factor; it may take a little practice, but the results speak for themselves.

stage2: the sauce
onions&garlic/oilve oil/thyme/mushrooms/marsala/tomato puree/stock/cream: sweat or pot roast the onions&garlic in olive oil thyme salt; blitz the mushrooms in the blender & add to the onions; on a high heat, cook out for a few minutes, before the liquids are released, then add a squeeze of tomato puree & stir in, deglaze with a generous splash of marsala; add the stock, bring to temperature & simmer briefly. you dont want soup here, the stock to solids ratio should look saucy, ie not too thin. finally, finish with a little cream. pour this over the gnocchi.

stage3: the garnish
(risking bringing together too confusing a range of flavours, the walnuts as a garnish work nicely)
walnuts/porcini powder/icing sugar: i toast the walnuts first, then in a bowl cover them with boiling water & let them sit for 5; drain, place in a tea towel, wrap up & roll on the bench to dry off & to remove the skins; toss in a bowl with porcini powder & icing sugar; place on a baking sheet & into the oven to caramelise; sprinkle over the gnocchi when ready.

so now to confession time: as well as my discoveries & triumphs, it is only fair to catalogue the occasional disaster too...i burned two portions of the walnuts thru turning my back on them. moral of the story: they turn very quickly so keep an eye out! mine ended up feeding the sparrows, tho the semi dark handful i rescued were delicious, they were too far gone to serve to the fridaynightdinnerboxers this week...but thats just the way it goes sometimes.

fri04nov2011: gnocchi marsala mushrooms

mine will be a potato gnocchi,
to which i may yet add something else, spinach or walnuts are current favourites, ricotta or parmessan...

after in depth discussing of mushrooms, the cooking of mushrooms & the value of cataloguing mushroom moments in mind with fellow mushroom lover nico, in cornwall,
the sauce will be of mushroom with marsala

rich mouthfuls, sweet earthy flavours, creamy finish

a salad will be served alongside, oregano will garnish

but your part is easy:
to home or at work, i'll deliver mid-late friday afternoon
so call me & tell me how many you'd like
drop me a txt msg on 021 2414 020
or email to pabloskitchen@yahoo.com (subject: fridaynightdinnerbox)

talk soon,
see you friday

recipe: lamb shank terrine, arabian spices, crabapple cinnamon jelly

a joy to make, terrines seem to be a culinary tradition sadly slowly disappearing from our menus.
why? perhaps its just in the too-hard basket, takes too long, maybe its the cult of cook-inna-minute chefs who forgo the value of method skill & training for marketability & how good they look on a tv screen...
whatever
terrines take a little time i guess, but once made there is a real sense of accomplishment. i think its because they look so choice!
i remember the first time i made terrine, working at petit lyon in wellington, my chef kent baddeley brought over a cpl of rabbits & a pheasant which we boned out, holding the fillets & backstraps aside, hand mincing the rest, layering with spring onion & baby carrots threaded thru the layers, three spices (red peppercorns, coriander seed, thyme), wrapped in strips of leek, inside a pastry casing...it was cooked slowly in the terrine, not simply cold pressed as mine is this time.
it's a chef's dish for sure

this week's terrine recipe then:

stage 1: the cooking of:
>lamb/goat shanks/carrot/onion/celery/leek/garlic/bouquet garni/chicken stock: in the crock pot all together, on low, cook all day or overnight, til meat falls from the bone. let it cool, remove the meat gently, leaving the muscles intact where possible. strain the liquid stock & discard the solids.
>yellow split peas/onion/garlic/thyme/a ladle or three of stock from the crock pot: all together in a casserole, cook slowly till the sauce has been absorbed & the peas are firm but not crunchy. i did mine in the oven, lid on the pot, for 1 1/2 hours, but on the flame slowly is good too, adding more liquid as necessary, just try not to stir or it goes mushy. i like the nuttiness of unstirred peas, slightly caramelised, sweet from the onions & garlic.
>remaining stock from crockpot/a cinnamon quill/allspice/a little cayenne pepper/crabapple jelly: in a saucepan, add the spices, a good dollop of port wine/crabapple/quince jelly & reduce the stock to about a cpl of cups worth. at this point it is thick & tacky, concentrated in flavour it will set to a firm jelly in the fridge.

stage 2: the assembly of:
>line yr terrine dish with gladwrap, leaving overhang that can be folded over completely covering the top. i have a terrine dish proper, but a loaf tim, or indeed any container will do, tho long & rectangular is probably best, or else perhaps the small individual timbale type shape is good too. just remember, it will be set in the fridge, turned out & sliced for service. so shape is important.
>combine meat & pea mixture, correcting the seasoning if necessary. layer longways the meat, with a good amount of the pea mixture in between to help bind it all together. i like to lay carrots or garlic chives the length of the terrine too, for the cross section effect, tho this time round i simply layered without getting fancy about it all...
>when terrine dish is full, take some warm liquid reduced stock & pour over the top to cover completely. i use my carving fork to poke in & make space inside the layers for the stock to properly seep in & fill all the empty spaces, moving the dish side to side a little to settle it all evenly. wrap gladwrap flaps over the top & gently press down till stock liquid comes over. i cut out a piece of cardboard next, laying ontop & weighted down with a cpl of containers with water in them, lay the whole thing in the fridge overnight to set.
>next day, remove, turn out, slice. its good to go.

stage 3: the presentation of:
>options include cold/warm/hot. some terrines are good cold, this one i think is improved with a little warming up. dinnerbox convenience would suggest the microwave style zap, tho i like to flash it in a smoking hot cast iron pan with a little olive oil, for about 30 secs each side. remember the jelly setting aspect, which quickly turns to liquid. so speed & gentle handling are crucial here.
>alternatively, crumbed in panko (flour/egg/crumb process - aka pane (+accent over the e, however you do that)) is good too, very good actually.
>regardless, served with a nice crunchy pickle, cornichon or whatever, as in the ploughman's type arrangement, & a sweet/savoury relish, over a nice crisp green lettuce salad is perfect.


extra stage: because i'm making something of a meal out of this dish, i have chosen to accompany some potatoes. (bernadette, this is for you:) this week fondant potatoes:
>easy version, firm flesh potatoes, cut in two. seasoned, in a hot roasting dish with olive oil & thyme, starting off like roast potatoes & get some colour on the cut side. turn them over, half fill roasting dish with hot stock, & into the oven. crisp & crunchy on top, soft & flavoursome underneath. when yr knife slides thru the potato without resistance, they are ready.
(a bundle of beans, a few carrots, just as good an accompaniment...)

happy cooking!

fri28oct2011: lamb shank terrine, arabian spices, crabapple cinnamon jelly

tho still taking shape, this week's dish: a terrine. a terrine of leg meats, lamb maybe goat if my halal butcher has them. there will be a pickle or preserve of some kind & sweet preserving type spices, as well as a lentil or split pea braise through the mix to help it bind.
to serve, the terrine is nice cold, but better warm. you can zap the terrine to warm it through, i know that's easiest, but flashed in a piping hot pan, on a bbq hot plate is perfect, with a little olive oil is muchmuch better. hmm...now my mind is wandering...i dont see why you couldnt dust it with flour or crumb it even...panko crumbs...gremolata, parmessan...
stop now lol
so then, lamb shanks terrine, a green & crunchy salad & some veg on the side, fondant potatoes perhaps..

any questions, fire away, otherwise...
simply let me know how many fridaynightdinnerboxes you'd like
this week its a thursday afternoon deadline
(terrines must be made a day in advance, y'see)
my delivery run is between 3-6pm on friday afternoon
drop-offs to work or home, no problem

txt: 021 2414 020
email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com (subject: fridaynightdinnerbox)

talk to you soon
-pablo

recipe: saffron prawn jambalaya

as mentioned, this is a dish i love; it combines some of my favouritefavourite things. i generally prepare my ingredients separately, as in i cook the rice separately, mainly for the convenience of being able to throw it together quickly, as is the case in a restaurant kitchen.

it is important to remember that this dish is a jumble of things by definition as well as by name, so that should necessity dictate one ingredient be sub'd for another, what of it? the enjoyment of food is the main ingredient; it's all in the eating.

so then, the recipe:

>onions/garlic/olive oil/butter/thyme/saffron: in an oven dish, with a lid/foil cover, in the oven for 15minutes on 220. the outer onions may caramelise a little, but they are sweet & delicious, a layer strength & depth of flavour happens to the dish as a result.

>spicy sausage, kulen & kobasica i use all the time, chorizo, culatello i used this week/prawn tails: bring the pot roasted onions out & sit on a hi/medium flame, adding the sliced sausage & prawns, thawed if using frozen.

>rice, precooked: i use a rice cooker “one billion chinese people cannot be wrong about rice”  & the rice cooks in chicken stock, a little white wine. this is fine using aborio rice, as with a risotto, but there are lots of options here. this is a lot like a paella, where a short or medium grain rice is used. couscous, bulghur wheat...this week i used a short grain pearly brown rice. anyway, whatever yr using, add it now, stirring it in gently so that it soaks up the flavour in the pan.

>from here its about finishing. with rice, i add a little cream about now, folding it thru. with couscous or bulghur wheat i may use haloumi, coloured in a hot pan with olive oil & cut thru, either way, spring onons & fresh herbs chopped finely, & lastly lemon zest.

>the addition of olives or capers i like, & roast capsicum, when in season, is a must. 

>serve with a green leafy salad, lightly dressed, to bring freshness & crunch.

21oct2011: saffron prawn jambalaya

the evolution of a risotto dish i've loved cooking for years, combining the spice of saffron, the heat khulen sausage, the sweetness of roast capsicum & garlic prawns, brought together by brown rice, served with a green salad.

of note is the sausage, made by salash it is just sensational. serbian khulen made to traditional methods, an art form all but disappearing, i was thrilled to discover their stall at the la cigale markets one sunday morning. these days it is an essential stop on my wanderings round that market, sampling as i go. the salash sausage adds a vibrant meaty zing to an already fabulous combination of ingredients.

sound good? jambalaya is a rice dish, full of flavour, full of substance, perfect from out of the fridaynightdinnerbox style noodle box. txt me or email, let me know how many you'd like. i'll see you friday.

email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com (subject fridaynightdinnerbox)
txt: 021 2414 020

recipe: chicken cacciatora

"is there a dish more universal & more universally loved than chicken cacciatora?" writes patrica wells in trattoria, going on to say, "today, all i have to say is "chicken cacciatora' & everyone's in a cheery mood."

the very first fridaynightdinnerbox friaug05th was a cacciatora, an italian hunter's stew. it's an old fav; it's a classic. this variation uses chicken in place of the shoulder of mutton i used last time. but its rustic reference implies one pot cooking & saddlebag vegies, a living-off-of-the-land shopping list. i like to think this variation of the dish goes back to those times when chicken hunters roamed the wilds of italian mountainsides. to cook the dish, become the chicken hunter

this dish makes everyone cheery round here too. certain customers would demand it if too long went by without me making chicken cacciatora for them, so it became a regular daily feature.

method is pretty much the same...the recipe:

>onions/garlic/carrot/celery/leek/thyme/bay/cayenne pepper: sweat in a big pot, lid on, low heat til translucent, about 15minutes.
>while onions etc are cooking: chicken/olive oil/salt/rosemary/garlic: separately, combine all & brown off in a large pan. when done, add to the onions
>tomato puree/chopped tomatoes/red wine/chicken stock: in the chicken pan, squirt in some tomato puree & stir it about, add chopped tomatoes & deglaze the pan with the juices, some red wine.
>let it simmer away, til the chicken has cooked thru & the sauce has thickened. if it gets too thick, add some chicken stock.

with the chicken, i buy a whole bird, joint it & roughly cut into smaller pieces, adding to the stew, some with bones & all. with the frame, i make a quick stock which i add to the casserole. sometimes i cook this dish in the crock pot at home, coming home to the smell of tomatoes & wine wafting thru the house , the chicken is plump & succulent

14oct2011: chicken cacciatora

this week a variation on the classic cacciatora, a fridaynightdinnerbox from several weeks ago. such a versatile dish, its great. an italian casserole, tomato as the base, garlic & wine.  finshed with gremolata, parsley & lemon, toasted almonds may find their way there as garnish too.

i'll probably serve it with a bulghur wheat salad, light&fluffy to soak up the sauce, cut thru with fresh herbs & olive oil. simply, a magnificent dish.

if you havent cacciatora'd before, now's your moment. if you have, i expect to hear from you soon.

txt me or email for your order, let me know how many you'd like, i'll see you friday!

txt me: 021 2414 020
email me: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com  (please type 'fridaynightdinnerbox' in subject box)

oh! nearly forgot, i'm thinking its time to introduce the brownie factor. something sweet to follow.

this picture was sent to me by my friend sara, in nederlands, after she cooked chicken cacciatora for her birthday dinner. i love the fact she cooks dinner for her friends & family on her birthday! me too! 

recipe: risotto sforzesco

an exciting dish to cook for me, using some of my favourite ingredients, i also found in this dish the perfect excuse to open a bottle of aged porto calem secofino, for the sauce. i bought the bottle at an auction back in '91; this dish has been a while coming!

the recipe:

>packet of dried porcinis/2 oranges/white wine or sherry/boiling water: remove zest from oranges, set aside. squeeze juice over the mushrooms along with a good dose of something a little more, i used my white port, but a dark sweet sherry is nice & white wine is nice too. top up with a little boiling water & soak the mushrooms for a cpl of hours at least, turning them regularly. once soaked, squeeze them out, reserving the liquid stock & slicing the mushrooms down. sit aside
>olive oil/onion/garlic/streaky bacon/thyme/salt/arborio rice: sweat onions&garlic, seasoned. *this time i added my bacon at this stage, but i found it over-powered the end result. next time i'd cook the meat separately & stir it in at the very end. add the rice & stir it thru the olive oil thoroughly
>chicken stock/mushroom stock: in a separate pot heat the liquids to a simmer. add it by the ladle to the risotto, folding as it absorbs before adding the next
>mushrooms/cream: separately, warm together, fold into risotto. *at this point, next time, i'll add cooked bacon&khulen sausage
>sage/fresh herbs/orange zest: chop finely & fold thru before serving

to fininsh the dish i like to plop on top a good dollop of creme fraiche on top, a twist of the pepper grinder, perhaps a swivel or three of orange zest

a green salad should accompany this dish, crisp & fresh next to the risotto's creamy richness
to drink, for me this time it was monteith's pilsener, which went particularly well. there is, however, a bottle of lochiel estate mangawhai 2007 merlot malbec which was very nearly opened for the occasion.

07oct2011: risotto sforzesco, orange sage porcini risotto

one of the surprise pleasures of this little enterprise is the conversations i'm having with people about food. maybe they've enjoyed a fridaynightdinner box or two already, or there are those who have heard about it & want to find out a little more...
i mean let's face it, who doesnt enjoy tucking into some tasty scran? on a friday night no less?? the week is done, it's time to wash it all away & the fridaynightdinnerbox sounds...kinda perfect :)
well hey, i'd be pretending if i said i'm not stoked everytime i hear that
it is, afterall, kinda the whole point

so this week the dish is a request, the second in three weeks in fact, for the folks at trelise cooper (if i was a dj, i guess that's what you'd call a shout-out). it's vegetarian, but for the meat lovers out there amidst the steadily growing fridaynightdinnerboxer population, fret not: let me know you feel nervous about a meatless meal & i'll sort you out. theres a sausage i get very excited about ;) made by salash, it's traditional, it's pure, it's sensational, & there's little to compare it to, at least in this neck of the woods. my favourite is the khulen, a spicy chorizo style sausage, air dried, sliced & tossed thru, just for you.

the dish then: risotto sforzesco, orange, sage & porcini risotto, combines 'fresh & woodsy flavours, zesty & perky at first bite. fresh sage gives the dish wonderful depth of character', though i'll be dropping in to see my fav produce supplier at la cigale this wednesday afternoon to make sure the sage is up to it; parsley will substitute if need be & that's just fine. a green spring salad will be served along side.

your part is easy: drop me a txt or an email place your order. i'll see you friday.
tel: 021 2414 020
email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com (sub: fridaynightdinnerbox)

i've recently included an email subscription option on my blog page, & while i have no idea how it works, the hope is that it automatically sends email notification out each week about the dish.
sign up!

recipe: honey&ginger chicken noodles

posting now to come back to...
an afternoon's work lost thru carelessness, & the push of a button

fri20sep2011: honey&ginger chicken noodles

what i wrote in my recipe journal after deciding that the only way to make up my mind about this week's dish was to write it down:

its now tuesday, & the dish should already be posted. sitting here typing, the concept capsule that is this week's dish idea is racing thru the catalogue of flavours in my mind, taking shape. what started out as monday's chicken salad has kept changing, the typing will at least nail it down & hold it for long enough to give it form & keep it there. maybe it's sharing a coffee this morning with fast eddie tan, my itinerant malaysian super sous, then yum char at grand harbour for lunch, but asian flavours are what appeals right here right now. 
reflection? no time for that; getting writing is the thing.
so then: honey&ginger, there will be lime, sesame, mirin in the sauce...coriander, garlic is there...spring onions too, bean sprouts yea baby
the chicken, marinated - leave out the soy, dont want that kind of domination here. want orange & shades of green, sweet & warm, spiced with ginger, sweetened with honey - manuka for depth or milder? courgettes? broccoli? carrot? bokchoy?? - veg cut for colour/texture/flavour.
& noodles. hokkien i think is best, fresh, from dominion rd.                                                                                                                                                 
which roughly translates to this week's 20sep2011 fridaynightdinnerbox dish as a chicken noodle salad, with a little chili zing softened by ginger & honey, which can be eaten cold or reheated.

so get in touch, let me know how many you'd like
& i'll see you friday
mob: 021 2414 020
email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com (subject: fridaynightdinnerbox)

recipe: fresh pasta, seafood in a tomato sauce

when i was little, my mother would cook a dish once a week that we'd never had before. certain dishes emerged over the years as family favourites, many coming from the margaret fulton cookbook (1969) & evolving by my mother's expert hand. one of these was 'fish spanish style', a dish comprising a hearty tomato sauce, pieces of white flesh fish poached right at the last moment, finished with olive oil & parsley. delicious. & once again, so simple.

fridaynightdinnerbox dish 23sep2011 is an adaptation of 'fish spanish style', changing the way the tomaotes are cooked & adding variety to the seafood. served with tagliatelle freshly made on my bench top, i added a little saffron at the flour stage.

the recipe:
>tomatoes (canned if out of season)/a red onion/garlic/olive oil/a little paprkia/an orange cut in half/a cinnamon quill/a spoonful of brown sugar into a shallow oven dish & covered with foil. keep the foil.
>slow roast the tomatoes on about 180 for 45 minutes, or til nicely cooked
>remove the foil & return to the oven heat for another 10 minutes or so, to give them a nice top heat.
>remove the tomatoes from the oven, taking out the orange/cinnamon
>a pile of medium sized half shell green-lip mussels makes this a delish dish all on its own, but nice too is some firm white flesh fish, gurnard is my good, snapper, some prawn tails too & calamari. have it ready arranged in the bottom of a casserole dish (i preheat it), chopped italian parsley too.
>pour the roasted tomatoes into the casserole dish & covering the seafood. cover the casserole with foil to stop any more steam escaping & return to the oven. turn the oven off & let it sit for up to 10 minutes
>the fish & mussels should be cooked by now, still soft.
>lovely on its own, equally lovely as a pasta dish, serve with a little grana padano & fresh rocket leaf, & some nice crusty white bread (with butter!)

fri23sep2011: fresh pasta, seafood in a tomato sauce

in tight spots i've used a wine bottle for a roller, free hand cutting the pasta on a floured bench into strips of  ruffenuffetti; when my trustee pasta machine is at hand however, it cuts to a uniform spaghetti or tagliatelle width. this week's fridaynightdinnerbox is my tagliatelle, with seafood & a tomato sauce.

at this early stage of the week i have spanish flavours in my mind,
& this is probably the way this dish will evolve thru the week; perhaps saffron thru the pasta itself, the compliment of caperberries & lemon thru the sauce.

note to self: checklist for friday:
               1. order cooking wine, a good red or two should do it;
               2. don't forget the gypsy kings cds.

i'll be heading down to the fish markets early friday morning to choose what looks good on the day, so this week orders can be made as late as thursday night before you go to bed...or reeeeally early friday morning. send me an email or send me a txt msg with your order, i look forward to hearing from you & i'll see you on friday.

email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com
txt: 021 2414 020

thailand, kanchanaburi markets, fish monger

kitchen basics: recipe: beef stock

in a recipe book, this would go in the last section, the one called 'basic recipes', or some such title. these are items which often have a frozen/packaged/dehydrated alternative on a supermarket shelf near you, & i have to say, there are some pretty good products available out there these days

-check out jamie oliver's 30 minute meals show on tv, he uses this stuff all the time

-even marco pierre white endorses a range of stocks, & i refuse to believe it's cos he needs the coin

anyway, as with all things, getting the basics right sets you up for everything that follows & while bought varieties are available, nothing beats making yr own. certainly it is no small matter in a professional restaurant kitchen, where as a cook it is a proud moment when the job of making the restaurant's stocks becomes ones own! indeed, the success/failure of a dish, especially one with as few ingredients as french onion soup, rests with the quality of a good stock. 

so then, the recipe:

-beef bones: ask the butcher for bones which will 2/3 fill that nice big pot in the cupboard at home. scrappy, with meaty bits & marrow, you'll pay only $3or$4 for a bag;

-carrot/onion/celery/leek: chopped into a mirepoix of big chunks;

-bouquet garni: bay leaf, parsley stalks, peppercorns, thyme, loose or tied in a wee bit of muslin ;

-put the lot in a big pot, cover them in twice the amount of cold water required;

-bring quickly to the boil, then immediately turn down to a gentle simmer, where it stays for 6-8 hrs. scummy greasy froth may form on top & that's just fine, skim it off & pigbin it;

-strain it well, keeping the liquid & putting it back on the heat & reduce it. the broth will go a deep rich golden brown colour, sticky to touch & will set like jelly overnight in the fridge. at this point, i freeze mine & cut into cubes, storing it in the freezer til i have a use for it (chicken/beef/fish/buerre blanc)

-you can repeat this process every day or every other day, adding yesterday's stock to the new stock pot. over a few days your stock will develop in strength & character.

things NOT to do -boil it/cover it/stir it/add potatoes or cabbage/put it hot in the fridge

recipe: french onion soup

for this week's 16sept,2011 fridaynightdinnerbox dish, the beef stock took a week to make, daily improving it, then simply butter/thyme/salt/a little white wine. oh, & time. what an utterly exquisite, sweet delicious moment, that first taste; it fair sets the mind alight, the sheer possibilities that dwell within such simplicity


the recipe:
-brown/white/table onions: peel & slice a good number of onions. opinions differ on the final consistency of this soup, some puree & some do not, i do not so i'm quite particular about the cutting of the onions, as this will be visible at the end:
slice in 1/2 length ways, thru the tip&heel of the onion, then cut across the grain in even, fairly fine slices. 

-butter: put a good sized lump of butter in a good sized pot, with a lid. warm the pot, melt the butter, then put in the sliced onion. (to 6 or 7 large onions i'd use roughly 50g of butter)

-bay/thyme/salt: sprinkled over the onion, mixed thru, sweat the onions (lid on) for about 20 minutes. by this time they should become soft, sweet & translucent

-flour: a small handful of flour sprinkled over evenly, i use an organic stone ground flour, or buckwheat flour is also a nice choice

-beef stock/white wine (1litre/125ml): heated separately in another saucepan, then pour a little over the onions, stirring in gently to make a smooth paste with the flour, taking care to leave no lumps, the onions are well covered.

-simmer this on a gentle heat for 1/2 an hour or more, checking the consistency, not too thick not too thin.

to serve, slice some good sourdough croutons & grill with some cheese over the top, to lay on top of the soup itself. i grated parmesan this time only because thats all that was left in my fridge this week, but gruyere cut into little pieces is more traditional. elizabeth david's advice leans toward an aversion to german cheese substitutes; "german emmental", for example, "is a cheese which is expensive, smells of drains & is marketed in wrapped wedges so you do not find this out until you get it home -& in consistence is more suitable for mending tyres than for the cooking pot" ('exigez le veritable cheddar francais')

sounds simple, & it is, which means that the quality of yr choice of ingredients is paramount. organic simply tastes better. but the stock is what makes this dish; take the time to get it right. see the next post for recipe/method of a good beef stock.

fri16aug2011: french onion soup, smashed potatoes & aioli, green salad

this week's fridaynightdinnerbox will be french onion soup. the simple combination of onions in a beef stock, served with crusty crouton & gruyere melted on top. i'll be visiting my butcher tomorrow to get a few juicy beef bones & by friday the jus should have a deep rich flavour, just right for french onion soup. the soup to be accompanied by smashed potatoes with a homemade roast garlic aioli & a fresh spring garden salad.


a farewell to winter, welcoming spring.


your part is simple: drop me an email, send me a txt, let me know how many you'd like to order, & i'll see you on friday

tel: 021 2414 020

email: pabloskitchen@yahoo.com

recipe: gaeng keow waan/thai green curry

Yummmmmmm yumyumyum-m-mmm thai food: aroi makmak, kitung krab. 
last week's 09sept2011fridaynightdinnerbox dish was gaeng keow waan, aka thai green curry; green&green&green, coconut&lime&chilli, spicy & sososo good. usually served as a chicken dish, this particular version went the kai moana way, prawns&shrimps, & there's absolutely no reason squid&scallops&mussels shouldn't've been in there too
….hmmm sauced-up baby squid cooked & caramelised over hot coals, coconut&lime&chilli basil&mint…maybe pineapple somehow…(sidetracking: note to self: cook that later!)

where was i...oh yea, i think its fair to say that really, you could think of thai green curry paste as an asian style salsa verde, grinding together predominantly green ingredients in a concentration of flavour; in this case, the flavours of thailand. making it yrself is not only a simple matter, the difference between yr own, freshly made & vastly superior paste to what is available in a jar is one you must simply experience yrself. it's a point of no return.

thai food is freshly made, it uses cheap & locally available ingredients & produce, it is generally simply to make & is best eaten straight away. It is cooked more often than not by a little old lady with a gas bottle wok & a pot of bubbling water who can cook pretty much anything, & does so, everyday for the countless masses. her food is delicious & she is pretty much always amazing to watch/while eating.

I have a sister in thailand, her name is mim, & I love her! she cooks fluently with love & she’s the best chef of thai food I’ve known. living under her roof for months at a time, her groovy guest house inside the walls of old chiang mai, everyone sits down to dinner together, & plates of amazing food appear from her little kitchen while a bottomless rice cooker does the rest. The extended spicy house family of locals, travellers, relatives are constantly passing thru, often round dinner time, bringing in the odd bottle of bier leo or chang…or maybe that colourless rice wine stuff that kicks you sideways

this week's recipe is from mim’s spicy house cooking class cookbook, tho I’ve taken a liberty or two mim, hope you don’t mind!

for the paste then:

>10-15 fresh green chillies/1T chopped up lemon grass/1T kaffir lime peel/1T coriander root/some garlic/toasted cumin/chopped shallot or 2 + some salt, all together in a mortar & pound til the texture is smooth.

(too hard you say?? blender you say?? If you must, tho mortar & pestle for a better result-take turns! -have a race! –get into it!)

>this paste can be kept in the fridge for a few weeks, in an airtight jar, & is perfect for a quick throw together meal by following a few simple steps…read on

to make the dish:

>can of coconut milk in a wok, stir 2 mins til the oil separates, add a few big spoonfuls of paste in there & cook it out over a low heat for a few minutes (really important) it will be lovely & fragrant

>uncooked chicken which you’ve sliced up/or in this case prawn tails & shrimps, add to wok & cook for a few mins til ready

>a splash of fish sauce/2 or 3 kaffir leaves/a spoon of palm sugar if you can find it/a few whole chillies & the remaining vegetables, thinly sliced pumpkin/carrot/small round egg plant if you can find it/I like to use courgettes (this is easily a vegetarian dish too btw) add it all to the wok & bring to the boil. Any combo of veg is fine, but try to get a contrast of colour happening, & don’t cut the veg too thick or it wont cook thru.

>herbs coriander/basil chopped roughly & added last

>as an extra, i like to add lots of watercress too, peppery & green, it works nicely

>serve it with jasmine rice

once the paste is made, the rest of the dish basically takes the time required to cook yr rice. so easy & so delicious. alter the chilli factor to meet yr spice resilience, & change yr ingredients to suit whats available.

& if yr ever in chang mai, check out mim & sign up for a cooking class at spicy house

42/1 ratchamanka rd, mueang chiang mai, 50200, tel 08-4613 4776, http://spicymim.com

fri09sep2011: gaeng-keow-waan/thai green curry

the firdaynightdinnerbox dish this week is one i learned from my dear friend mim, chef & owner at spicyhouse in chiang mai, thailand. gaeng keow waan is one of my all time favourites, & it starts by finding the right, quality, fresh ingredients you can source for making the paste. after being pounded together, it is cooked out with coconut cream & the veg/meat/seafood added, finished with kaffir/ginger/lemongrass & served with steamed rice.

the dish will be mild-moderately chili-ed up, so nothing to fear for those nervous about the c-word. if you'd like it hotter, please specify when you txt/email me with yr order.
meals come with a carton of jasmine rice, & there are 3 options this week:
freerange chicken (gai) prawn (goong) or vegetarian (prak)

your part is easy, just let me know how many you want & i'll see you friday:
call me on 021 2414 020
or email pabloskitchen@yahoo.com


aroi means delicious; aroi makmak means very delicious.