Penne with Tomato & Balsamic

This isn’t a quick supper though it is easy. It does depend on good Balsamic vinegar and decent tinned tomatoes.

350g dried penne pasta

400g tinned tomatoes

4tbsp Balsamic vinegar

2 cloves garlic, sliced

180g salted butter, cut into small pieces

100g grated parmesan

 Extra virgin olive oil

3tbsp Basil leaves

Understandably the boy is not at all convinced by this. Telling him it comes with salad and garlic bread helps.

Make the sauce first. Warm the oil and cook the garlic. Drain the tomatoes – if they are really good, not much water will come out. Add them to the pan and crush them with a fork. Simmer slowly for 20 minutes. You’re looking for a thick sauce.  Add the Basil leaves.

Let he boy have a taste. He thinks it needs a good bit of salt and pepper.

Cook the penne until al-dente. Drain and put it back in the same pan. Lower the heat and add the butter. Stir it through on a low heat and add the vinegar .This must be really good stuff unless you enjoy sour pasta.

Add half the parmesan and stir through.

Pour in the sauce. Stir again and sprinkle the rest of the parmesan on top.

Serve with garlic bread and a salad of lettuce, radishes, tomatoes and Kalamata olives.

Luckily the boy rarely complains about carbs.

Tabasco Salt

I'm rather excited about this simple recipe. The boy is less enthusiastic until I mention frying up a big batch of chips to sprinkle it on.

100g flaky Maldon sea salt
A few hefty shakes of Tabasco

That's it. Just pour the salt in the bowl and shake on the Tabasco. It's just the regular red kind. The boy likes to dip chips (French Fries) in the green kind but this will give them a similar kick.

Heat the oven to low - 100 degrees. Stir the salt and Tabasco well and spread on a baking sheet. I'm putting down some greaseproof paper first. Dry it in the oven for 30 minutes.

Let it cool and store in a screwtop jar, for chips, roasted vegetables, anything.

Visiting Avery Island, where they make Tabasco is on my bucket list. I couldn't do without it.

Supreme Burgers

This is a lovely burger suggestion from Nigel Slater. It's easy to make your own burgers though best to make them at least an hour or two in advance so they can firm up in the fridge. 

400g minced (ground) beef
1 pickled gherkin
a sprinkle of sesame seeds
a little ketchup
Salt & pepper
Hot French mustard

We don't get measurements here but I'm thinking two teaspoons each of sesame seeds, ketchup and mustard. I thought most French mustard was quite mild. The stuff we have certainly is, so I need to look into this. I am using some chipotle ketchup that I made last year but the regular stuff will still be good. The gherkin needs to be medium chopped. If they are small, use two. Add salt & pepper. Mix well - i.e. get your hands in and give it a good squidge.

Shape into burgers and chill down. Fry them in light olive oil. The better quality your beef, the better these will be. The cheap stuff will just spit water at you. Serve in ciabatta rolls. I think a dollop of chilli infused mayo on top would work nicely.

The boy wants to try these barbecued. Me too.

Mexican Pork Scratchings

The boy loves these with a bowl of Guacamole and a couple of bottles of Mexican beer. I would never have thought of pork scratchings as Mexican, but apparently it’s very popular there. Pork rind is incredibly cheap and some supermarkets sell it on its own.

A piece of pork skin (approx. 600g)

1 heaped teaspoon black peppercorns

1tsp allspice berries

1tsp fennel seeds

1tsp finely chopped sage leaves

Zest of 1 orange

2 heaped tbsp. sea salt

Grind the dry spices together (bash in a pestle & mortar or use a coffee grinder) and mix well with the orange zest and sage. Set aside.

Bring a pan of water to the boil and cut the pork rind into pieces about the size of a credit card. Drop into the boiling water and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove and drain.

Rub the spice mix into the skin side and then dry it out in the fridge for about four hours, ideally on a rack.

Get the oven to its hottest and then spread the pork rinds out on baking trays in a single layer. Give it 10 minutes at this heat. The boy is getting bored now so give him a beer with a wedge of lime in the neck. Then turn the heat down to 170/Gas 3, and cook for anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes. Check it from time to time – it should be golden and puffed up, rather than burned.

If you’re smart, drain the fat off every half an hour and use for frying other things during the week.

The boy is mellow from a couple of beers but is getting the munchies. Make up the Guacamole (recipe is here under December 2011). Serve up to one happy boy. He’s doing the world’s worst Mexican accent.

Chicken with Grapes

I think the boy will like this as it’s got a sweet kick. It’s Italian. I’ve put a Baroque Italian CD on to get the mood right.

50g butter

Olive oil

4 chicken quarters

2 sprigs rosemary

4 whole cloves garlic

150ml vin santo or marsala – sweet wine at a pinch

500g seedless white grapes

Salt & pepper

I’m getting the boy to joint the chicken with a heavy knife, as I’ve never been any good at this. You want to separate the leg from the breast.

In a really large pan or flame proof casserole, melt the butter with some olive oil. The oil will stop the butter burning. Add the chicken and rosemary.

Brown the chicken, turning once or twice. Season.

Pour in the wine and add the garlic and cook, covered for 15 mins. Remove the breasts. (check they are cooked through with a skewer).

Give the legs another 15 minutes, but take the lid off so the sauce has chance to thicken.

In a skillet, gently soften the grapes in a little more olive oil, turning them often.

When the legs are done, put the breasts back in and add the grapes and heat everything through together. Check the seasoning. I assume it wil need plenty to cut through the sweetness of the wine and grapes.

Serve with rice or baby new potatoes, and perhaps some baby carrots. I’m in a minority as I’m not usually a big fan of chicken but I like it if it’s interesting. The boy loves it as it’s sweet. As is he.