Black Pepper & Tamarind Bloody Mary

My quest for interesting tomato juice recipes – and to find a Bloody Mary that I actually like, continues. I found this recipe from Stevie Parle, and as I love tamarind, I had to try it. I made it for the boy, but with the plan of having a sip myself.

300ml fresh tomato juice

80g tamarind pulp

2tsp fish sauce (Nam Pla)

10 coriander leaves, chopped

4 pinches coarsely ground black pepper

6 dashes Tabasco

2 pinches sea salt

70ml Tequila

Ice

I’m not a fan of Nam Pla, but the boy is, so we are going for it. We are using “not from concentrate” tomato juice from the chilled juice section of the supermarket. I don’t usually buy it as it’s weaker than the regular kind, but the Tamarind will counteract that. If you can find the kind without seeds it will save a lot of work!

Mix the tomato juice and tamarind with a muddler (or the handle of a wooden spoon) to make a thin paste. Put this into a cocktail shaker and add the rest of the ingredients. I think the coriander needs to be chopped super fine. I’ve also noticed that whenever TV chefs use a pinch of anything, it’s an absolutely massive pinch, so I have gone for the same approach. 

We’re using the clear (Silver) Tequila, as the recipe doesn’t specify. The boy is rightly suspicious of the brand that has the little plastic sombrero over the cap.

The original recipe suggested pouring Nam Pla into  saucer to dip the rim of the glass in and then dip in more black pepper to give the glass a nice crust. I can’t bring myself to do this, so have used lime juice and black pepper instead.

The boy likes it, I’m not sure. The quest continues……

Sichuan Smacked Cucumber Salad

This formed part of a picnic. I think the boy was impressed as he normally associates cucumbers with being bland and insipid. This is a Fuchsia Dunlop recipe and was the highlight of our picnic. A quick trip to the local Chinese supermarket was needed. I have found that you need to know exactly what you want beforehand as the owner doesn’t speak a word of English and therefore won’t be able to answer questions or point you towards anything you can’t immediately find.

1 large cucumber (preferably organic)

½ tsp black rice vinegar

½ tsp salt

2tbsp chilli oil

1tbsp garlic, finely chopped

Large pinch ground Sichuan pepper

½ tsp caster sugar

2tsp light soy sauce

Let the boy give the cucumber a few good whacks with a rolling pin or a steak hammer. The idea is to break up the inside, but not to pulverise it. When you slice it, it should end up in chunks, rather than mash. Restraint is required – 3 or 4 whacks only.

We bought the Sichuan Pepper whole, as it keeps better that way. The boy likes grinding spices in our old brass spice grinder, even though it takes more effort that you would imagine.

Cut the cucumber into 4 lengthwise and then into 1cm slices the other way.  Place in a bowl with the salt and leave for 10 minutes. This seasons it and draws water out at the same time.

Combine all the other ingredients, drain the cucumber and pour on the dressing. Mix and serve immediately.

As this was a picnic we bottled the dressing, and put the cucumber in a container after it’s salting and combined at the last minute.

Unfortunately the boy's comment was "Oh no, I don't like that at all!" Luckily I did!

Russian Baguette

It’s no secret that the boy is the sandwich monster. We are trying to make the most of the last of summer and are having a picnic. The boy has been sent out to get some fresh French bread. Knowing how much value he places on sandwiches, his choice will be good.

1 Baguette

75g cooked, shelled prawns

1 handful green beans

1 medium sized waxy potato

A handful cos lettuce

1 small cucumber

1 red or yellow pepper

2 pickled cucumbers (dill pickles)

1 bunch parsley, chopped

2tbsp Greek yoghurt

Salt & pepper

I am using quite large prawns as I find the small ones taste a bit fishy; I want them to taste prawny. For some reason cooked ones are cheaper than raw ones.

Peel the potatoes and trim the beans. Slice the potato and boil for 10 minutes. Chop the beans into 1 inch pieces and add them to the boiling water and give it another 10 minutes. Drain and leave it cool and dry out a little.

The boy has turned up with the baguette. Split it open.

Grate most of the cucumber and it to the baguette along with the chopped lettuce. Slice the rest of the cucumber thinly.

Put the prawns in a bowl with the yoghurt, green beans and parsley and mix well. Season well. Thinly slice the dill pickles and red pepper.

Spoon the prawn mixture into the baguette and top with slices of potato, cucumber, pepper and pickle.

Close it carefully and if not eating straight away, wrap in parchment and tie it up with string. Cling film just makes any sandwich taste of cling film.

The boy quite rightly questions its Russian provenance. No idea.

Chow Chow Hot Dogs

The boy is very happy that we are having hotdogs for lunch. He’s perfectly happy to have them with ketchup and French’s American mustard, but these are special with their sweet and sour relish.

4 hot dogs

4 hot dog buns

2 sweet white onions

2 Jalapenos

4tbsp cider vinegar

2tbsp olive oil

2tbsp brown sugar

1tbsp English mustard

1tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp caraway seeds

Salt & pepper

The hardest part these days is finding decent frankfurters. Check the ingredients and reject anything that says MRM or similar on the label. This means it will be made of stuff that I’m not happy with the boy eating. It means mechanically rendered, which frankly is unfit for human consumption. Sadly most commercial frankfurters are made from this. Herta are decent though too thin, as are Matteson's which are too thick. I have found just the right one in Lidl. If you love him hunt down the right ones. I do, so I do. I think the rolls should be soft rather than crisp.

Make the relish first. Slice the onions finely and chop the jalapeno. I have deseeded them and am saving the seeds to plant next year as jalapenos are so expensive in the UK. Saute for 10 minutes in the oil (use cheap olive oil), and add the vinegar, mustard, sugar, turmeric and caraway seeds. Keep on a low heat and mix until it thickens into a relish texture. About another 10 minutes.

Fry the frankfurters for a few minutes – they should be already cooked, so you’re just improving the flavour and texture. At this point the boy and his cat will pad in, having smelled something good going on. Give his cat an inch of sausage and tell the boy to wait.

Assemble the hotdogs – this doesn’t needs instructions. Stuff in as much chow chow relish as you can manage. I can’t resist a shake of Frank’s Red Hot Sauce on mine.  Wrap in kitchen paper and make sure the boy isn’t wearing a white T-shirt. 

Lebanese Chick Pea Salad

As summer is waning, the boy wants to have a last barbeque. Whilst he is busy charring lamb chops, I am whizzing up this Lebanese inspired salad.

1 can chick peas (Garbanzo beans, drained & rinsed

1 medium red onion

2 tomatoes

1 bunch coriander (cilantro)

½ a small cucumber

1tsp Za’atar

Olive oil and lemon juice to dress  the salad

Salt & Pepper

The recipe is pretty much just chop, chop, chop, chop. I have put on a CD called The Rough Guide to Bellydance, as it amuses me. I’m not trying it, even though the CD comes with a free instructional DVD.

Za’taar is the secret ingredient  - there are endless variations, and I’m sure the closely guarded family secrets are the best ones. It is essentially a blend of dried oregano, marjoram, sumac, sesame seeds, salt and sometimes cumin. Ours is Palestinian, from Oxfam. It’s super – buy some.

So after doing chop, chop, chop, put it all in a bowl and do mix, mix, mix.

I haven’t given amounts or proportions for the oil and lemon juice dressing as I think this is a really personal decision. The boy and I like our dressings sharp and would do a 1:1 ratio. If you can find it, Kalamata olive oil is awesome. I think the chalkiness of the chickpeas can take it on the sharp side so am generous with the lemon juice. If you don’t like coriander, a mix of mint and flat leaf parsley would also be great.

Check for seasoning, bearing in mind the Za’atar should have done a lot of the work.

Enjoy with the burnt lamb chops. The boy is looking winningly sheepish.

Mojo Verde

As summer draws to a close, I feel the need to eat as much fresh produce as I can. The boy has made crudités – carrot, cucumber, red pepper and celery batons to have with some hummus. I’m having mine with this, which is too hot for him.

1 large bunch coriander

6 green chillies

1 garlic clove

200ml  extra virgin olive oil

Juice of a lemon

1 tbsp sherry vinegar

½ tsp ground cumin

Some decent salsa music will lift this no end.

Roughly chop up the coriander, including the stalks. Deseed the chillies and roughly chop. Ignore the derisive looks from the boy. Slice the garlic clove.

Blitz in a food processor along with the lemon juice, vinegar and oil. White wine vinegar with a pinch of sugar would also work.

Decide whether you want it smooth or rough. The boy prefers it with a bit of texture and less chilli but this is for me so it’s hot and smooth.

Fresh Pea & Bacon Soup

I have posted a recipe for pea and ham soup using dried marrowfat peas and I have to confess it is my favourite. This uses the last of the summer’s fresh peas.

25g butter

5 spring onions,

500g fresh peas

250g  smoked bacon lardons

500ml ham stock

100ml full fat milk

I almost always start with a bit more than 500g of peas as I know how many the boy will eat while we are podding them. As it is September now, thoughts turn Autumnal so we are being frugal and making our own stock, though the “jelly pots” are very good these days. Ours is water, a chopped onion, peppercorns, a carrot, a stick of celery , a handful of the pea pods, a little thyme and a ham bone that the butcher gave us for free. See if you can get a pancetta rind or anything that will be cheap or free but is full of flavour. Just simmer for an hour and skim off any foam that rises to the surface. Fry the lardons and add any pan scrapings to the stock. Set aside.

Oddly, our cat, Ragout loves chewing on pea pods! He doesn’t eat them, but enjoys a good chew. This soup is all about enjoyment so we are happy to indulge him.

If you have made your own stock, feel extra virtuous and strain it.

Slice the spring onions (the green bits went into the stock), and fry gently in the butter. Add the stock. Once it comes to the boil, get the peas off the boy and add them too. Let it cool a little and then blend it. I always feel that when we blend soups we only do it for a few seconds and it needs much more than that. Put it back in the pan to warm it back up and add the milk to thin it a little. I prefer soups that are not too thick. Pourable rather than only spoonable.

Add the lardons and stir through. I have left the boy to the rest of the meal and he has come up with crusty bread, thickly spread with cream cheese. Wise boy.