Jambalaya

Image courtesy of bbcgoodfood.com

This is a dish I've always liked - combining several of my favourite things - a wet(ish) rice dish, seafood, meat and a warming spicy element. Its kinda like paella but the other way around. This recipe I suppose is quite generic, but it provides a means to start from and to add or deplete whatever you like to suit your palate. Its also very hearty and warming - which I think is perfect for this time of year.

Posted specially for Trudy who has struggled to find a good jambalaya recipe - may this be a good starting point on your palates journey.

You will need:

tbsp vegetable oil
3 rashers smoked bacon (copped into 1cm pieces)
3 cloves crushed garlic
1 large red onion chopped to 1cm dice
2 celery storks chopped to 1cm dice
350g long grain rice soaked in cold water for 30 mins, and drained
300ml good quality chicken stoc
300ml good quality fish stock
glass dry white vermouth or white wine
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
tsp paprika
tsp cumin
1 bay leaf
1 large pepper, chopped to 1cm dice
1 can / carton chopped tomatoes
125g cooked ham, chopped
125g prawns (raw) (king or tiger preferred)
125g cooked chicken, chopped
tsp chopped parsley
tsp chopped chives

The doing bit

Heat the oil in a pan and add the bacon, celery, peppers, garlic and onions. Cook until soft. add the cayenne pepper, paprika and cumin. Cook out for a further 2/3 minutes. Add the rice until the rice is coated in the oil, then add the wine, and then the stock and the bay leaf. Bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 mins. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil again, then reduce to a simmer and cover for a further 5 minutes.

Stir in the ham, chicken and prawns and recover the pan. cook for a further five mins (or until the meat and prawns are cooked through).

Transfer the mixture to a serving pot, and garnish with the herbs. Serve immediately.

Optional: Finish also with lemon or vanilla butter you'll find it a wonderful variation.

Pan seared chicken with mixed bean cassoulet

Image courtesy of ptcfoods.com

This recipe is wonderful and hearty, and can be served year round for a filling dish. I do however favour eating this in the late autumn through spring. It is ideal for those cold days when you want to come home to a hearty warm and filling dish. It does take a bit of time, but you can make the cassoulet and freeze it in portions for later reheating. The rest is pretty much plain sailing. With this in mind you can have this ready inside 20 minutes, if the cassoulet is ready to go.

Posted at the request for James Crown, who required a hearty cassoulet dish.I hope it fits the bill :).

(serves 2-4)
150g OF Haricot beans
150g of Red Kidney beans
150g of Black eye beans
150g of Butter beans

All these to be soaked for 2 hours before cooking, drained then covered in fresh water seasoned cook for about 5 minutes then allowed to stand in this water for 30 minutes, then drain.

100g of smoked bacon or pancetta bacon
1 onion scored and studded with cloves (about 3)
1 Carrots diced
1/2 stick of celery stringed and diced
5 peppercorns tied in muslin
Fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 cloves of garlic
1L  or roughly 2 pints of chicken stock
100g of chorizo sausage
Tomato puree to thicken

Place all the above ingredients into a pan omitting the chorizo sausage and simmer for about 11/2 hours.

Once cooked remove the onions and the peppercorns

For 1 serving:

Season the chicken and seal in a hot pan and finish in the oven

Reheat the cassoulet and add the chorizo sausage.

Serve in a pasta bowl with the chicken on top,

Finish with potato dish of choice

Smoked Salmon Risotto

Image provided courtesy of the bbc good food website

Smoked salmon is an interesting ingredient as it adds unexpected depth and dimension in terms of flavour, has a good hit of protein and is also rich in electrolytes, omega 3 oils and other benefical bells and whistles on the nutrition scale.If you're not a fan of smoked fish then by all means use conventional salmon. The best thing about smoked salmon is that for dishes liek this you cna buy smoked salmon trimmings (which are a good deal cheaper also.

Its exceptionally good from late autumn to spring as it provides a hearty meal in those colder months.

This recipe makes about 10 servings, which is good if you're feeding a large family. it also means you can store some of it and reheat it at a later point, makes a convenient lunch to take to work or wherever else also. Feel free to add other punchy ingredients such as lemon zest, herbs such as dill, fennel, tarragon, rosemary or even sage for added punch.

Ingredients


2 Onions finely diced
1 leek white flesh only finely sliced
4 cloves of garlic crushed
4 tablespoons of olive oil
700g of Arborio rice
500ml of white wine
1500ml of fish stock boiling
Seasoning
400g of Smoked Salmon sliced
A punch of parmesan shavings

Preparation:

In a heavy based pan sauté off the onions, leeks and garlic sweat but do not colour too much

Add the rice stir in and wait for the rice to start cracking

Add the liquid little by little stirring frequently until all the liquid has been absorbed

The rice such still have a bite about it and not soft

Remove from the heat and just prior to serving fold in the smoked salmon and parmesan .