Monthly Archives: February 2017

Stollen(Jamie Oliver)

Special Occasion, Sweets

This rich German fruit bread is particularly popular in the city of Dresden, where a huge stollen is traditionally paraded through the streets at the annual Stollenfest.

StollenIngredients

  • 1.5           oz candied peel
  • 2               oz glace cherries
  • 1               orange
  • 4               oz raisins, sultanas and currants
  • 1               oz dried cranberries
  • 2               tbsp brandy or rum
  • 3-4           cardamom pods
  • 1               tsp dried active yeast*
  • 1               oz sugar
  •  1/4          cup whole milk, plus a little extra
  • 10             oz all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 1/2           tsp mixed spice
  •  2              oz unsalted butter(at room temperature)
  • 1               medium egg
  • 1               tsp vanilla extract
  • 1               oz almomds
  • 8               oz marzipan
  •                  olive oil, or vegetable oil for greasing
  •                  icing sugar, for dusting

Instruction

  1. Finely chop the candied peel, and quarter the glace cherries.  Finely grate the orange zest.
  2. Place all the diced fruit into a bowl with the orange zest.  Squeeze the orange juice into a pan, add the brandy or rum and heat to just below boiling point, then pour it over the dried fruit.  Mix well, then set aside for 1 to 2 hours to allow it to plump up.
  3. Remove the seeds from the cardamom pods, then grind to a powder in a pestle and mortar(roughly 1/4 tsp)
  4. Spoon the yeast into a bowl of a free standing mixer, then add sugar.
  5. In a pan, heat the milk until just warm, add to the yeast and whisk to combine.  Set aside for 5 – 10 minutes, until the yeast has formed a thick foamy crust on the milk.
  6. Add the flour, spices and 1/2 tsp of sea salt.  Using a dough hook, combine the butter, egg and vanilla, then mix for 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
  7. Cover the bowl with clingfilm and leave in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.  Line a baking sheet with baking paper and set aside.
  8. Roughly chop the almonds and pistachio.
  9. Pour away about half the liquid from the soaked fruit, then add the fruit and remaining liquid to the dough, along with the nuts.  Mix again.
  10. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly for 1 minute.  Shape the dough into an oval shape, about A4 size.
  11. Roll the marzipan into a neat log, about 4cm shorter than the length of the dough , and place in the middle of the oval.
  12. Brush one long edge with milk and fold it over, completely encasing the marzipan, and press the edge together to seal.
  13. Carefully lift the dough onto a baking sheet, cover loosely with oiled clingfilm and leave to rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until doubled in size.
  14. Preheat oven to 350 degrees/gas mark 4.
  15. Remove the clingfilm, then bake the stollen for 30 minutes, or until golden, risen and the underside sounds slightly hollow when tapped.
  16. Leave to cool on a wire rack before dredging with icing sugar.

*Not to be confused with fast action dried yeast, which comes in a tub.  Unlike fast-action, it needs to be activated with warm liquid and sugar before adding to the mixture.

Cooking Tips by Madhur Jeffery

Cooking Tips

5 Tips For Indian Cooking  

GRIND YOUR OWN SPICES FOR BOLDER FLAVOUR

Dedicate a grinder for this.
“Do small amounts, and save leftovers in an airtight containers.”

LEARN ONE SKILL TARKA.

The technique of frying whole spices in hot oil takes just a few seconds, it will give them a roasted, intense flavour.

KNOW YOUR FRESH CHILLIES

Look for Bird’s eye chillies, which are thin-skinned, bright green or red, slim, and hot.  If you can not find them use serrano.

DON’T DROWN YOUR RICE

The standby ratio of 1 cup rice to 2 cups of water ends in gloppy grains.  Wash and soak rice, then use a proportion of 1 cup rice to 1-1/3 water.

MAKE IT AHEAD

Most dishes are just fine refrigerated for a day or two.  Most dishes will taste better the next day. 

 

 

 

Ginger Pound Cake

Entrees

Although ground ginger is made from the same rhizome as ginger, it has a different flavor, so using fresh ginger is key in this cake.  When buying ginger, look for a root with smooth skin that is not dried out.

ginger pound cake

 

 

 

 

 

 

Serves 16

Ingredients

  • 1             cup butter
  • 5             eggs
  • 1             cup milk
  • 3             cups all-purpose flour
  • 1             tsp baking powder
  • 1/4         tsp baking soda
  • 1/4         tsp salt
  • 2             cups granulated sugar
  • 3/4         cup packed brown sugar
  • 2             tsp vanilla
  • 1/2         cup finely chopped crystallized ginger
  • 2             tbsp grated ginger
  •                Citrus Topping(optional)

Instructions

  1. Allow butter, eggs and milk to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
  2. Grease and lightly flour 1 10 inch tube pan; set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degree F.
  5. In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add granulated sugar and brown sugar, beating until combined.
  6. Beat in vanilla.
  7. Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition and scraping sides of bowl often.
  8. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to butter mixture, beating on low to medium speed just until combined after each addition.
  9. Gently stir in crystallized ginger and fresh ginger.
  10. Pour batter into prepared pan.
  11. Bake for 60 – 70 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centre of cake comes out clean.  Cool in a pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan;  cool completely on wire rack.
  12. To serve, place cake on a serving platter.  If desired, spoon Citrus Topping over cake.

Citrus Topping

Ingredients

  • 1-1/2       cups granulated sugar
  • 1               cup water
  • 1               cup thinly sliced kumquats
  • 1               orange thinly sliced
Instructions
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water.  Bring to boiling; reduce heat.  Boil gently for 15 to 20 minutes or until mixture reduces to about 1 cup of thick syrup, stirring frequently.
  2. Add fruit to syrup.
  3. Return to boiling, reduce heat.  Simmer, uncovered, about 5 minutes or just until fruit is tender, gently turning fruit in syrup several times.
  4. Using a slotted spoon, gently remove fruit from syrup.  Continue to boil syrup, uncovered, for 10 – 15 minutes more or until reduced to 3/4 cup.
  5. Cool about 15 minutes.
  6. Arrange fruit on cake; drizzle syrup.

Gwadry Style Machi Bhatt

Entrees, Seafoods

Ingredients

  • 3               cups rice
  • 2               lb Fish(I use Halibut)
  • 1/2            tsp salt
  • 1               lemon(juice)
  • 1/4            cup vegetable oil
  • 5               cardomon
  • 1               piece cinnamon stick
  • 5               cloves
  • ½              teaspoon black pepper
  • 5               cloves
  • 4               medium onions(thinly sliced)
  • 4               medium tomatoes
  • 1               bunch cilantro
  • 1               bunch fresh dill weeds
  • 2               green chillies
  • 1               tsp chopped garlic
  • 1               tsp chopped ginger
  • 2               tsp dhania jerra (corriander and cumin) powder
  • ½              tsp turmeric (haldi)
  • 2               teaspoon salt 
  • 1               can coconut milk
  • 3               medium potatoes
  • 1               fresh lemon
Instructions
  1. Rinse the rice with cold water and soak it in cold water.
  2. Cut the fish in 4 oz pieces, sprinkle it with salt and  lemon juice.
  3. In a large saucepan heat the oil.  Add cumin(jerra), cardamon, cinnamon stick, black pepper, cloves.  Add the sliced onions and fry them till they are transparent.
  4. In a blender or food processor, blend the tomatoes, jalapino, half the cilantro, i/2 dill weeds, garlic and ginger.  Add this to the onions, add coriander and cumin powder and turmeric powder.  Mix well and cook for 5 minutes stirring a few times.
  5. Add the coconut milk, mix, turn the heat to medium and cook till the sauce is reduced to half.
  6. Add the lemon juice, chopped cilantro, and dill weeds.
  7. Take two thirds of the sauce out.  To the third sauce add 4-1/2 cups of water and bring to a boil.  Add the rice and potatoes.  When the rice starts to boil, turn the heat to medium cover and let it cook for about 10 minutes when most of the liquid will have evaporated.
  8. Sprinkle garam masala and put the sauce in a preheated oven  for 15 minutes.  The rice should be dry and fluffy.
  9. Rinse the fish in cold water and pat it dry on paper towel.
  10. In a fry pan cook some sauce, add a few pieces of fish at a time for about 3 minutes on each side(the fish is done when it starts to flake).  Transfer the fish in a serving dish, repeat with the rest of the fish.
  11. Cook the rest of the sauce if any and pour it on the fish.

To serve:

Put the rice on a platter and fish on top.  Decorate with lemon wedges and cilantro.
or
Serve rice and Fish in separate dishes.
 
 
 
 

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