Farmersgirl Kitchen

Sunday, 6 October 2013

Spaghetti and Chicken with Truffles

I have had very little exposure to the flavour of truffles, those rare funghi, hunted out in forests in central and northern Italy. I have had some truffle oil before but it wasn't of the quality of the oil that I was supplied to review by Truffle Hunter, the only company manufacturing Truffle products in the UK.

Truffle Hunter supplied me with a block of Black Truffle Butter, a jar of honey infused with White Truffle and a bottle of the English Truffle Oil part of a range developed by Truffle Hunter in the Cotswolds, using Cotswold Cold Pressed Rapeseed Oil.

Spaghetti with Chicken and Truffles
Serves 2

100g good quality spaghetti (I used Garofallo)
25g Truffle Hunter Black Truffle Butter
1 chicken fillet
1 tsp Truffle Hunter White Truffle Honey
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
Parmesan Cheese Shavings

1. Cut the chicken fillet into small pieces. Melt the Truffle butter in the pan and cook the chicken over a medium heat until golden brown.
2. While this is cooking, cook the spaghetti in a pan of boiling salted water.
3. When the chicken is cooked, add the honey and stir the chicken around in the pan to coat.
4. Drain the spaghetti and add to the pan with the chicken, butter and honey sauce.
5. Add the parsley and serve, topped with the Parmesan shavings.

We really enjoyed this simple pasta and chicken dish, there was not need for any other seasoning, the truffle products added a special something, quite unlike any other flavour, gloriously rich and tasty.

I was very impressed with the intensity of the flavour of the Truffle Hunter products. A knob of Black Truffle butter on a Corn Cob elevated it to gourmet status and when I added some of the butter to our breakfast scrambled eggs we were blown away by the delicious savoury taste.

If you had to try one Truffle product I would recommend the Black Truffle Butter, it is the most versatile. You can also freeze it, so I would suggest that you slice it into portions and freeze, it may seem expensive but a little goes a long way.

Black Truffle Butter 100g - £6.55
English Truffle Oil 100ml - £5.95
White Truffle Honey 60g - £6.55

You can get 20% discount on products from Truffle Hunter until the end of October, by using the code FARMERSGIRL20

I was provided with these products from Truffle Hunter to review. I was not paid for this review and all opinions are my own.

Labels: Black Truffle Butter, Chicken, corn cobs, honey, parmesan, pasta, truffle, Truffle Butter, Truffle oil, White Truffle Honey

Saturday, 7 September 2013

Aubergine Parmigiana - Mac N Cheese Book Review and Recipe

Macaroni and Cheese is very popular and seen as a real comfort food. Until I was about 7 years old I refused to eat cooked cheese and wouldn't touch mac n cheese or cauliflower and cheese, much to my Mum's frustration. She used to sneak grated cheese into some dishes like scrambled egg to get me to eat it, but the turning point came when I went for tea at my friend, Anne's, house. There it was on the plate in front of me...macaroni and cheese, now back then you NEVER refused anything placed in front of you when out visiting, so I had to eat it. I was surprised to find that I actually enjoyed it, and learnt always to try everything before deciding that I don't like it. However, I can still remember sitting at that table looking at the mac n cheese and wondering how I would get through the meal.

Laura Washburn's book "Mac 'n' Cheese" is a celebration of this store cupboard staple. You don't have to use macaroni, you can make the dishes with other pasta shapes, but as it is the ideal shape for holding cheese sauce, I went out and bought some Marshall's Macaroni, the brand that I grew up with.

About the Author

Laura Washburn was born in Los Angeles but studied at university in Paris. She went on to train at the prestigious Paris cooking school Ecole de Cuisine La Varenne and work with Patricia Wells, best selling author of a Food Lover's Guide to Paris. She is now based in London, where she works as a cookery teacher and food writer.

The Contents

Introduction: contains information about the pasta, the sauce, the cheese and some cooking tips. Most important it features the Classic Macaroni and Cheese which forms the basis for the other recipes in the book.

Vegetables: recipes include Roasted Asparagus and Pecorino, Butternut Squash and Sage, caramelised Onions and Smoked Cheese, Jalapeno, Tomato and Monterey Jack, the gourmet Truffle and Cheese and Aubergine Parmigiana.

Fish: recipes include Crab Gratin, Tuna and Mushroom, luxurious Lobster Thermidor, and Smoked Haddock and Spinach

Meat: recipes include Spicy Beef, Greek Lamb, Chorizo, Sweet Pepper and Manchego, Ham Hock and Mozzarella, BBQ Chicken and Two Cheeses and Serrano Ham, Smoked Paprika and Spanish Blue.

Aubergine Parmigiana Serves 6-8

A handful of coarse sea salt (I didn't use this much)

500g/1lb macaroni

4-5 tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1tsp dried thyme

1tsp oregano

1tsp dried rosemary

3 garlic cloves

1x 400g/14oz can chopped tomato

1 medium Aubergine/eggplant, sliced

125g/1 cup shredded mozzarella

leaves from 2-3 sprigs fresh basil, coarsely torn

50g/1 cup breadcrumbs

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Bechamel sauce

50g/3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

60g/6 tbsp plain/all purpose flour

625ml/2 1/2 cups milk

1tsp fine sea salt

100g/ 3/4 cup Fontina cheese

100g/1 and 1/4 cups grated Parmesan

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the coarse sea salt, then let the water return to a rolling boil. Add the macaroni stir well and cook according to the package instructions until very tender. Stir periodically to prevent the macaroni from sticking together. When cooked, drain, rinse well under running water and let drip dry in a colander.

2. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saute pan with a lid. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes until just golden. Stir in the herbs and garlic and cook gently for 1 minute, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Add the tomatoes and 1 teaspoon of fine sea salt and simmer very gently for 20-30 minutes until very thick.

4. Arrange the aubergine/eggplant slices in a single layer on a baking sheet and sprinkle over the remaining oil Roast for 15-20 minutes until tender and just charred. Remove, season lightly with salt and add to the tomatoes. Simmer gently while you prepare the bechamel sauce.

5. Preheat the grill/broiler to medium.

6. Prepare the bechamel sauce: Melt the butter in a a saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 minutes. Pour in the milk in a steady stream, whisking constantly, and continue to whisk for 3-5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken. Season with fine sea salt. Remove from the heat and add the cheeses, mixing well with a spoon to incorporate. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

7. Put the cooked macaroni in a large mixing bowl. Stir in the aubergine/eggplant mixture. Pour over the hot bechamel sauce and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Transfer the macaroni mixture to a baking dish and spread evenly. Top with the mozzarella, the basil leaves and a good grinding of black pepper and sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the top.

8. Grill/broil for 5-10 minutes until the top is crunchy and golden brown. Serve immediately

Who is it for: It would be a great gift for someone who loves Mac n Cheese or for those who cook for hungry hordes of starvng teenagers and want to ring the changes.

Pros: as the book concentrates on one type of dish, it's a book that you can turn to for inspiration when you want to jazz up your Mac 'n' Cheese or if you are simply looking for a tasty supper dish. There is a full colour photograph for every recipe and the recipes are easy to follow, with ingredients listed in both US and European measurements. Each recipe also has a short intro with serving suggestions or other tips.

Cons: this is not a low fat, low cal book, so these recipes are special comfort treats.

Ease of Use: Although there are quite a few steps, none of them were particularly difficult

The Verdict: The Aubergine Parmigiana was delicous, creamy and tasty. The recipe made two large dishes which served about 8 generous portions and the book is full of great ideas for variations on Mac n Cheese. My only concern would be the fat content and it would have been nice to have some lighter versions that could be made and eaten more frequently.

Mac 'N' Cheese by Laura Washburn
Photography by Steve Painter
Published by Ryland Peters & Small
RRP £9.99

Many thanks to RPS for providing me with a copy of Mac N Cheese to review. I was not paid to write this review and all opinions are my own.

Posted with Blogsy

Labels: Aubergine, basil, Bechamel, Cook book review, Eggplant, Fontina, Laura Washburn, Mac n Cheese, macaroni, parmesan, Ryland Peters and Small, tomatoes

Tuesday, 11 September 2012

Omelette Arnold Bennet for Best of British - London

The Best of British Challenge has moved on, it started in Cornwall at the Chocolate Log Blog, then I took over here on Farmersgirl Kitchen with the Scottish challenge, last month Yorkshire was the county of choice over at Lavender and Lovage. I didn't have any trouble thinking of recipes for the last three, but when Fiona at London Unattached announced that she was hosting for 'London' I was really stumped as to what to make.

I toyed with 'London Particular' a yellow split pea soup which is supposed to resemble the fog known as a London Pea Souper. Then I thought I might make bagels after learning about the long tradition of bagel-making in the east end of London. In the end, I stumbled across a recipe for Omelette Arnold Bennet and I knew I had found my London entry to the Best of British Challenge.

The Omelette Arnold Bennet was created by the chefs at the Savoy Hotel in London for the writer Arnold Bennett, he loved it so much he insisted on it being made for him wherever he travelled. It's still on the menu at the Savoy to this day.

Omelette Arnold Bennet (Serves 2)

This is a lower fat recipe using a cornflour based sauce rather than the traditional bechamel

Ingredients
200g smoked haddock (I could only get dyed smoked haddock but, for preference I would choose undyed)
200ml semi-skimmed milk
15g cornflour
25g parmesan cheese, grated
5 eggs (separate white and yolk from one egg)
10g butter
salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the fish in the milk and cook gently for about 10-15 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Remove the fish to another dish.

2. Mix the cornflour with a little cold milk and pour the warm milk from the pan into the bowl. Mix well and return to the pan, cooking through until thickened, add half the grated parmesan, season and stir in the yolk from the separated egg. Leave to cool.

3. Beat the white from the separated egg in a large bowl until it forms stiff peaks and set aside.
4. In another bowl, beat the 4 whole eggs.
5. Break the haddock into large flakes.

6. Heat the butter in an omelette pan. When it is frothing, but not browned, stir in the haddock and pour in the beaten eggs. Stir the mixture then cook for a minute over a medium heat. The top should remain moist with liquid egg in the centre.

7. Stir the stiffly beaten egg white into the Parmesan sauce and spread the sauce on top of the mixture.

8. Then put the pan under a pre-heated grill. After about half a minute sprinkle the remaining Parmesan on top and grill for another minute until the surface is spotted with brown. Slide the omelette from the pan to a warmed serving plate. Do not fold the omelette.

It's not the most photogenic of dishes, but we enjoyed the different textures of the layers and the salty, tangy flavours of the smoked fish and parmesan cheese pefectly offset by the eggs. We raised a glass to Arnold Bennet and the chefs of the Savoy Hotel, for introducing us to this exceptional omelette.

The challenge ends on 23rd September, so there is still time to enter, find out more about the challenge and the prizes visiting London Unattached - Best of British

Labels: Best of British, eggs, fish, London, Omelette Arnold Bennet, parmesan, smoked haddock

Thursday, 15 September 2011

Autumn Vegetable Lasagne

I've fallen in love with Tamasin Day-Lewis's book 'Supper for a Song', in fact, I have it on order from Amazon and can't wait for my copy to arrive, then I will be able to return the library copy for someone else to enjoy.

This recipe for Autumn Vegetable Lasagne caught my eye right away, because of course it is Autumn and I'm on a bit of a mushroom kick after the 'Art of Funghi' session I went to recently.

Autumn Vegetable Lasagne (not strictly vegetarian, but can easily be)

2 tbsp olive oil

200g/7oz chestnut mushrooms, sliced

20g/3/4oz dried sliced morels, soaked in warm water to cover for 30 minutes and drained (optional) I didn't use these, but included some ordinary field mushrooms.

2 tbsp Marsala, or port or Madeira (or red wine if you have a bottle open instead)

900ml/ 1/2 pts full-cream milk

1 bay leaf

60g/2oz butter

2 tbsp plain flour

sea salt and black pepper

nutmeg for grating

1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced

6 small green or yellow courgettes cut into small cubes

400g/14oz tin cherry tomatoes

a handful of basil leaves, torn

6 slices prosciutto, sliced into long strips (optional)

1 packet of lasagne

60g/20z each Parmesan and pecorino (I used Gran Padano as it is cheaper)

Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6. Heat 1 tbsp of the olive oil in a small pan and cook the sliced mushrooms until they begin to release their juice. Add the morels (if using) with their soaking liquor, and the Marsala and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

To make the bechamel sauce: heat the milk with the bay leaf in a pan. Melt the butter in another pan, stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so until you have a biscuit coloured roux, then add a quarter of the hot milk and whisk until smooth. Continue to add the milk a little at a time whisking well. Season and flavour sparingly with nutmeg. Ad the liquor from the mushrooms and let the sauce cook gently for a further 15 minutes, stirring from time to time. Adjust the seasoning.

Meanwhile, saute the onion and garlic in the remaining olive oil with a sprinkle of salt until they begin to soften, then add the courgette cubes and cook until they are al dente. Add the tomatoes and torn basil and simmer the mixture for 10 minutes. Season with pepper.

Add the mushrooms to the bechamel. Heat the prosciutto strips briefly in the pan used to cook the mushrooms with no extra oil, turning until they begin to crisp a little then add to the mushroom sauce mixture.

Cook the lasagne sheets, according to the packet instructions, until al dente, then drain in a colander.

Spread a little bechamel, avoiding the bits, over the bottom of a large baking dish, then add a layer of lasagne sheets. Cover with half of the remaining bechamel mixture. Add another layer of lasagne, followed by the last of the bechamel mixture. Top with the grated cheese.

Bake for 30 minutes or until golden and bubbling, and a skewer inserted in the centre meets with little resistance from the lasagne. Leave to stand for 10 minutes before serving; this is one of those dishes that seems to stay hotter for longer.

I completely forgot to take a picture of the lasagne before I served it up, so all I have is a photo of the half that was left in the dish. It served 8 easily with salad and was really delicious, it was also great reheated.

Labels: autumn, cherry tomatoes, courgettes, lasagne, mushrooms, parmesan, prosciutto

This Page