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.

recipe: roast chicken & kale tagliatelle, walnut cream sauce

while the ingredients on their own, in this dish, are worth going on about (organic, flavour-licious, crunch, etcetc...) the true hero of this dish is the pasta. made from scratch on the kitchen bench, sleeves rolled to the elbow, flour dust in the air...
-hmmm, i mutter my way thru the pantry, what am i looking for today & where are you?...yes, porcini powder: you are just the thing!
...rolled/cut/hung to dry a little; magic happens when pasta is stretching thru my ancient little machine.
i have to indulge: i was a working as a cocktail bartender, just starting out in hospitality some 20 years ago, when i approached the fearsome person of executive chef in his office deep within engine room of the regent hotel, where i worked, to ask that he ok an order for me, a pasta machine like the one i'd seen the cooks using. it was my first piece of cooking equipment. i had not seen pasta machines in the shops, indeed the kitchen store phenomena as we know it now had not begun. it cost the grand sum of $25. it was my baby, i was so thrilled.
more than 20 years on, it is still my baby, it has seen many many campaigns, & it's still a thrill every time i fasten its bracket to the bench & fit the handle to turn the latest dough.
as for the recipe, it's a personal preference thing of course. plenty out there:
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/pasta-recipes/a-basic-recipe-for-fresh-egg-pasta
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/freshpastadough_3067
the principle is the same regardless: flour/egg & work it, baby. the recipe i use was passed on to me by my chef, kent baddeley, while i held the post of entremettier at petit lyon in wellington. amazing chef; amazing restaurant; amazing pasta. i roll my pasta thinly, poaching it gently; i like delicate long threads of pasta, to roll round the tip of my fork for a decent greedy-size mouthful.

& so, the recipe:

>take an organic chicken & using a heavy knife cut thru the breast bone & lay the bird out flat in a tray
>chunks of ginger/garlic/lemon & a nice big glob of good dark honey; baste the bird
>cover the tray with foil & put into a moderate oven, mine sits on about 200. 20-30mins, remove foil & return to the oven to get some colour & finish off the cooking
>cool a little & shred the meat from the frame, set aside

>garlic/onion/leek/thyme into warm pan, sweat in butter/olive oil/salt, covered, until translucent & sweet
>add the kale, i add my toasted walnuts at this stage, so they soften & impart their nuttiness to the sauce
>turn the flame up a little , add a splash or so white wine, cream in generous proportions
>i add my roughly shredded chicken to the sauce at this point
>simmer on a medium flame until it begins to thicken. add a splodge of creme fraiche, stir it in
>add chopped fresh herbs basil/parsley/cracked pepper

>in boiling water, sprinkle a good measure of salt to season, olive oil to stop tagliatellerettes sticking
>stir to keep pasta moving until you're sure theres none stuck together
>the pasta will cook in a matter of minutes, if using fresh, or roughly 10mins if using bought in a packet

>drain pasta well, pouring some olive oil thru it to keep the pasta from sticking together into a single solid lump. i sprinkle thru some salt flakes, lemon zest
>add it all together & let it sit, covered, for a few moments...& eat it!