Thick Oxtail Soup

March 27, 2013 by Leave a Comment

2 tbsp olive oil
1.15 kg oxtail pieces
150 grams prepared red onions – peeled and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves – peeled and finely chopped
2 celery stalks – trimmed, peeled and chopped
175 ml good quality red wine
900 ml rich chicken or vegetable stock
110 grams pearl barley
90 grams dried puy lentils
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley leaves (optional)

  1. Put the oil in a large heavy based saucepan over a medium heat, when hot add the oxtail and brown, remove and put to one side.
  2. Add the onions and celery to the pan, sweat for about four minutes without browning, add the garlic after three minutes.
  3. Return the oxtail to the saucepan, add the wine and stock, bring up to the boil.
  4. Reduce heat to low, partially cover with a lid and cook for one hour thirty minutes – check occasionally to see if more stock is required.
  5. Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
  6. Remove from the heat, leave to cool then cover and chill in the fridge, when cold remove and discard any fat.
  7. Take out the oxtail, remove the meat from the bone, return the meat to the pan, discarding the bones.
  8. Add the pearl barley and simmer for thirty minutes before adding the lentils, stir and cook for another 30 minutes.
  9. The pearl barley should swell and the lentils should be tender while retaining their shape.
  10. If the soup is too thick, add more stock then check seasoning and adjust, garnish with the parsley and serve with fresh crusty bread.
Filed Under: Lentils, Ox Tail, Parsley, Pearl Barley, UK Tagged With: , , ,

Beef Casserole with Roast Shallots

November 5, 2012 by Leave a Comment

We decided to include not only stews, but casseroles – the only difference being one is cooked on the hob, the other in the oven. This is a favourite as it included roast shallots. You can ring the changes with this casserole – omit the capers and anchovies, add one to two tablespoons of mushroom ketchup (similar to Worcestershire sauce), this product adds a lovely rich flavour to the dish.

700 grams chuck steak beef – cut into 3 cm cubes
Plain white flour seasoned with sea salt flakes and black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large red onion – peeled and chopped
2 medium sized carrots – trimmed, peeled and chopped
2 sticks celery – trimmed, peeled and sliced
1 tbsp small capers
3 anchovy fillets in oil – chopped
375 ml good quality red wine
1 litre beef stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Equipment – large casserole with tight fitting lid

  1. Preheat oven to 160ºC, 320ºF, gas mark 2
  2. Coat the beef in seasoned flour.
  3. Warm the oil in a large frying pan set over a medium-high heat, when hot brown the meat – in batches; transfer to a casserole.
  4. Put the onion, carrot and celery in the same frying pan, cook until the onions are translucent.
  5. Add the anchovies and capers, while stirring, cook until the anchovies melt before adding to the casserole.
  6. Pour the wine into the frying pan, bring to the boil then reduce by one third – scrape any solids from the bottom, pour over the meat, adding just enough stock to cover the ingredients.
  7. Cover and cook in the oven for two hours and thirty minutes, stirring occasionally and adding a little more hot stock if necessary.

Roast Shallots 

20 French shallots – peeled
2 sprigs of thyme
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp red wine (same as used in the casserole)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

  1. Place a double sheet of kitchen foil (30 cm square) into a roasting tin, brush with half of the oil.
  2. Top with the sprigs of thyme then the shallots in a single layer, drizzle over remaining oil and all the wine, season lightly.
  3. Wrap up securely and roast for 60 minutes
  4. Add the remaining ingredients and wrap up securely.
  5. Roast in the same oven as the casserole for 1 hour.
Filed Under: Beef, UK, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Red Onion Soup

October 16, 2012 by Leave a Comment

This is a warming soup, simple and quick to make. You can use different types of onion in the recipe rather than just red onions – quite often I use 400 grams each of white and red onions with 100 grams banana shallots.

I love Gruyère cheese, but you could – if preferred – replace with a lovely mature Cheddar cheese, or for a more subtle flavour, try either Lancashire or Wensleydale – both of which are good melting cheeses.

3 tbsp olive oil and 3 tbsp unsalted butter
900 grams red onions – peeled halved and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, peeled and grated
60 ml dry white wine
30 ml balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp plain flour
1.85 litres chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp freshly chopped thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper
Croutons
French baguette
2 large cloves peeled garlic
200 grams grated French Gruyère cheese
To serve – 55 ml single cream

  1. Put the oil and butter into a saucepan set over a medium heat, when hot add the onions and sprinkle with a little salt, fry for one minute while stirring, add garlic and fry for 30 seconds.
  2. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to check the onions do not brown.
  3. Add the wine and vinegar, cook for one minute, add the flour, stir and cook for another minute.
  4. Pour in the stock, add the herbs and increase heat to medium – bring to a boil, while stirring vigorously.
  5. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for half an hour, remove the bay leaf and if you want a smooth soup, leave to cool, pour into a liquidiser and process until smooth, return to the saucepan and reheat without boiling.
  6. Meanwhile, make the croutons.
  7. Cut the bread into 2 cm thick slices, toast, rub each side with garlic, sprinkle over the cheese ensuring each pieces is coated, grill until light golden and melted.
  8. Season the soup with salt and pepper.
  9. Serve the soup, with a little cream or crème fraîche and top with a croûton, put the remainder onto a serving plate.
Filed Under: Bay Leaf, Thyme Tagged With: , , , ,

Autumn Minestrone

September 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment

 

The ingredients for this soup change with the seasons, this is my version of a recipe used in Autumn

200 grams dried beans – cannelloni or borlotti – soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
1 ripe plum tomato – skin, leave whole
1 small potato – peel, leave whole
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil
4 rashers smoked pancetta or bacon
2 sweet red onions – peeled and finely chopped
2 carrots – peeled and chopped
2 celery stalks – peeled and sliced, leaves finely chopped
½ a head of fennel – chopped
3 fat cloves of garlic – peeled and finely chopped
1 handful fresh basil leaves
2 x 400 gram tins Italian plum tomatoes (or equivalent fresh tomatoes – skinned de-seeded & chopped, sieved or blitzed)
250 ml good quality red wine
1 courgette – quartered and sliced
200 grams spinach – washed and sliced (or try Swiss Chard)
570 ml chicken stock
60 grams pastina (see below)
Piece of Parmesan cheese

  1. Soak the beans overnight or according to manufacturer´s instructions, drain and add to a saucepan of water along with the bay leaf, tomato and potato.
  2. Cook until tender, drain reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Discard the bay leaf and vegetables. Season and add a splash of olive oil
  3. While the beans are cooking, put a little oil into a saucepan and add the pancetta, onions, carrots, celery and celery leaves, fennel, garlic and finely sliced stalks from the basil. Retain the leaves.
  4. Sauté over a low heat, with a lid partially covering the saucepan, for 15 minutes or until softened.
  5. Do not allow them vegetables to brown.
  6. Add the chopped Italian plum tomatoes, courgettes, wine plus the reserved liquid from the beans, then simmer gently for 15 minutes
  7. Add the stock, beans and spinach to the sauce along with the pastina, stir and simmer until cooked
  8. If the soup is too thick add a little stock, taste and season

To serve

  1. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle over the torn basil leaves and provide the piece of Parmesan so people can help themselves at the table. Either provide a knife to take small pieces off the cheese using the top of a coarse grater
  2. Try Acini di pepe or small macaroni – Acini di pepe is reputably the smallest variety of pastina, pellet-shaped and made from wheat flour

 

Filed Under: Basil, Bay Leaf, Beans, Pastina, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Tomato Soup

August 1, 2012 by Leave a Comment

2 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp butter
1 large red onion – peeled and finely chopped
1 medium sized carrot – peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stick – peeled, finely chopped
2 tinned Spanish red peppers in oil – drained, finely chopped
200 ml dry white wine
1.5 kg ripe Italian plum tomatoes – peeled, trimmed at stalk end, seeds remove and puréed
2 bay leaves
1 litre hot chicken stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
100 ml crème fraîche

  1. Put the oil and butter into a heavy based saucepan, when hot add the onion, carrot and celery, stir and cook for 8 minutes over a low heat while stirring.
  2. Add the peppers, cook for two minutes more.
  3. Pour in the wine, add the bay leaf, bring to the boil and reduce by half.
  4. Put the stock into a separate saucepan, bring to the boil, then reduce heat and simmer until ready to add to the soup.
  5. Add the tomatoes, season lightly with sea salt and black pepper, cover and cook for 5 minutes; stirring occasionally; remove the bay leaves and discard.
  6. Pour in the stock, while stirring, bring to the boil – reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes; stir occasionally.
  7. Leave to cool until safe to blend, pour into a liquidiser (may be necessary to do this in batches), process until smooth.
  8. Return to the saucepan, stir in the crème fraîche, warm gently without boiling.
  9. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.
  10. Ladle into bowls, serve with fresh crusty bread.
Filed Under: Bay Leaf, Spain, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Morel Mushroom Soup

May 20, 2012 by Leave a Comment

480 ml vegetable or chicken stock
2 large flour potatoes – Maris Piper or Kind Edward
40 grams unsalted butter
450 grams fresh morels
1 leek, chopped and using only the white part
240 ml white wine
240 ml double or single cream
Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Optional – finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves

Preparation
1. Trim the leek, leaving only the white part, cut in half lengthways, then halve again. Chop – put into a large bowl of cold water, stir about – with your hands to release any sand which should fall to the bottom of the pan, remove the leek and put into a colander to drain.
2. Clean the mushroom in a bowl of cold water, trim the stalk, chop.
Method
3. Pour the stock into a large saucepan or soup pot, bring to the boil.
4. Add the unpeeled potatoes and cook until tender, drain retaining the stock.
5. Allow to cool – skin the potatoes, dice then put into a blender with half of the stock, process until smooth. Return to the saucepan, reserve remaining stock.
6. Melt the butter in a large heavy based frying pan set over a medium-low heat.
7. Add the mushrooms and leek, cook until the they just begin to brown.
8. Immediately pour in the wine, cook until nearly evaporated, add the reserved stock, while stirring.
9. Stir the morel and leek mixture into the potatoes, put over a low heat and slowly bring to a simmer, while stirring.
10. Add the cream and seasoning to taste, warm gently while stirring until the soup thickens – to taste.

Filed Under: Mushrooms, Parsley, UK Tagged With: , , , , ,

Tomato Soup with Crème Fraiche

April 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment

1 tbsp butter melted with 1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion – finely diced
2 garlic cloves – finely diced
1 stick celery – finely diced
1 carrot – grated or finely diced
250 ml white wine
Sea salt and black pepper
900 grams ripe plum tomatoes – or equivalent in good quality tinned tomatoes – finely chopped
1.2 litres chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp fresh basil – finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh parsley – finely chopped
60 ml crème fraîche or double cream – or to taste
Sea salt and black pepper
To serve
Freshly grated Manchego, Parmesan or Pecorino cheese
Fresh crusty bread

  1. Put a tablespoon of olive oil/butter into a saucepan set over a gentle heat
  2. Add the onion and fry gently, without browning, adding the garlic towards the end
  3. Add the finely diced celery and carrot to the pan, stirring all together over a low heat – if necessary add the remaining olive oil/butter
  4. Add the wine and seasoning, bring to the boil
  5. Pour in the tomatoes and stock, bring back to the boil, cover tightly with a lid and simmer over a very gentle heat for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally – I use a diffuser at this stage
  6. Check the seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.
  7. Add the basil and parsley – stir well, take off the heat and leave to cool.
  8. When the soup has cooled sufficient to safely blend, transfer to the blender and blend in batches until smooth.
  9. Return the soup to the pan, taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
  10. Place over a gentle heat, stir crème fraîche or cream – warm, do not boil.
  11. Serve immediately with the cheese and crusty bread.
Filed Under: Basil, Parsley, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Vegetable Soup with Pearl Spelt

February 25, 2012 by Leave a Comment

115 grams pearled spelt (or pearl barley if preferred)
1 tbsp (15 ml) each – extra virgin olive oil and melted butter
140 grams bacon lardons or lean bacon, finely chopped
1 sweet Spanish onion – peeled, halved and finely chopped
2 fat garlic cloves – peeled and finely chopped
1 medium-hot red chilli – trim, remove membrane and seeds, finely chop
250 ml dry white wine
4 ripe Italian plum tomatoes – skinned, seeds removed and chopped
1 litre chicken (or vegetable) stock and 1 Knorr stockpot
200 grams prepared winter cabbage – trim, discard stems and outer leaves, finely shred leaves
50 grams broccoli – chopped
50 grams celeriac – peeled and finely chopped
3 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tbsp chopped oregano leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Parmesan or Asiago d’allevo cheese – freshly grated

  1. Rinse the spelt under cold running water until the water runs clear, soak in fresh water for 15 minutes, drain.
  2. Warm the oil and butter in a large saucepan set over a medium-low heat, add the bacon lardons and fry until a light golden colour, stirring to prevent burning.
  3. Add the onion, garlic and chilli, stir and cook for one minute or until lightly fragrant.
  4. Pour in the wine, add the tomatoes and bring to the boil while stirring until incorporated.
  5. Cook for five minutes before adding the pearled spelt, stock and stockpot – stir well.
  6. Return to the boil, cover and cook for 10 minutes, add the cabbage, broccoli and celeriac and cook for 15 minutes more or until the spelt is very tender.
  7. Stir in the parsley and oregano, taste and adjust seasoning, cook for a couple of minutes.
  8. Serve with the freshly grated cheese and fresh crusty bread.
Filed Under: Chilli, Cloves, Oregano, Parsley, Pearled Spelt, UK, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Tomato and Herb Soup

February 14, 2012 by Leave a Comment

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
1 red onion, peeled and finely chopped
White part of 1 leek, chopped and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 sprig lemon thyme
1 medium sized carrot, peeled and diced
1 celery stalk, peeled and diced
800 grams prepared ripe Italian plum tomatoes – peeled, seeds removed, finely chopped or sieved
3 tbsp tomato purée
100 ml dry white wine
700 ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp organic orange flower honey
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh basil leaves
2 tbsp flat leaf parsley leaves – divided
1 tbsp sea salt flakes and 1.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper (or amount to taste)
120 ml EACH single cream and crème fraîche
350 grams pre-cooked red kidney beans
60 grams frozen sweet corn kernels

  1. Put the olive oil and half of the butter to a large saucepan, when hot add the onion and cook until translucent, but not browned.
  2. Add the leeks, garlic and lemon thyme towards the end of cooking.
  3. Add the carrots and celery and sauté for about 10 minutes.
  4. Season with salt and black pepper.
  5. Transfer to a plate, put to one side, leaving as much of the oil as possible in the saucepan.
  6. Pour the tomatoes into the saucepan, along with the tomato purée plus half of the Mirepoix including the sprig of lemon thyme.
  7. Stir, add the wine and stock, bring up to the boil.
  8. Reduce heat to low, simmer gently – covered – for 45 minutes.
  9. Take off the heat, remove and discard the sprig of thyme.
  10. Add the honey, basil and half of the chopped parsley.
  11. When cool blend the soup in batches then return to the saucepan, check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
  12. Add the rest of the Mirepoix along with the cream or crème fraîche, kidney beans and sweet corn kernels.
  13. Cook for 10 minutes, stir in remaining of the butter.
  14. Ladle into bowls and, if using, garnish with remaining chopped parsley.
Filed Under: Basil, Parsley, Thyme, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,

Cream of Tomato Soup

February 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment

55 grams unsalted butter
2 onions – peeled and sliced
2 rashers lean bacon – finely chopped
Pinch sea salt
900 grams ripe plum tomatoes – peeled and quartered
2 sprigs each of: parsley and thyme – leaves finely chopped
55 grams crushed Tapioca
2 whole cloves
8 whole peppercorns
140 ml dry white wine
1 litre chicken stock
850 ml semi skimmed milk and 1 tbsp plain flour or cornflour
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  1. Put a large saucepan on a medium, add the butter and allow to melt.
  2. When melted, add the onion and bacon, cook for five minutes without browning the onions.
  3. Add the tomatoes, parsley, thyme, tapioca, cloves, peppercorns and seasoning.
  4. Pour in the wine and stock, stir then cover and simmer gently for forty five minutes.
  5. Pour through a sieve into a clean saucepan, discard sieve contents.
  6. Mix the flour to a very thin paste with a little milk, add to the pan and stir while the soup simmers for 5 minutes, remove from the heat.
  7. Heat the remainder of the milk, pour it into the soup while stirring.
  8. Blend in batches, return to the saucepan and reheat, do not allow the soup to come up to the boil.
  9. Measure the liquid – if you have less than half a pint, top up with a little chicken stock, return to the heat and cook for about 5 minutes, if too thin – reduce, if too thick.
  10. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper
Filed Under: Bacon, Parsley, Thyme, UK Tagged With: , , , , ,
«Older Posts