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Ainsley's Mulled
Mussels (Serves 4)
Ingredients
1.75kg/4lb live mussels
75g/3oz no-need-to soak dried apricots, thinly sliced
4tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
4tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
8tbsp dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
4 x 2.5cm/1in cinnamon sticks
4cm/1½in fresh root ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
50g/2oz butter
4tbsp chopped fresh coriander
4tbsp snipped fresh garlic chives or ordinary chives
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 large squares of turkey-sized foil
Method
1. Take 2 squares of foil and place one on top of another. Working
your way around the edges, fold the foil over until you have
created a boat-shaped container which is about 25cm/10in long,
with sides which are at least 4cm/1½in high. Repeat this
process to make another 3 boats.
2. Scrub the mussels and pull out of the fibrous beards protruding
from between the closed shells. Discard any open mussles which
won't close when you lightly tap them on the work surface.
3. Divide the mussels between the boats and sprinkle over the
sliced apricots.
4. Add 1tbsp each of orange and lemon juice, a quarter of the
lemon zest, 2tbsp of white wine, a quarter of the chopped garlic,
a piece of cinnamon and a few slices of ginger to each boat,
making sure that everything is pushed in amongst the mussels
so that the flavours can permeate them during cooking.
5. Dot the mussels with 15g/½oz of the butter, season
with some salt and pepper and place over a medium-hot barbecue
for 10-15 minutes until they have opened. Discard any mussels
which remain closed.
6. Sprinkle some chopped coriander and chives over each boat,
remove from the rack on to plates and serve with either ciabatta
or foccacia bread, warmed through on the side of the barbecue
for a few minutes, to mop up all the juices.
Top^
Aubergine
Fold and Feta Rolls (Serves 4)
Ingredients
1 large aubergine, about 500g/1¼lb
120ml/4floz extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
finely grated zest of 1 lemon
1 small beef tomato
275g/10oz Greek feta cheese
8 large fresh basil leaves
8 sundried tomatoes in olive oil, drained and finely sliced
salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 fine metal trussing skewers or cocktail sticks soaked in cold
water for 30 minutes.
Method
1. Trim off the stalk end of the aubergine and then cut lengthways
into 8 x 5 mm/¼in thick slices discarding the ends.
2. Arrange the slices in a single layer on a large baking tray,
sprinkle lightly with some fine salt and set aside for 30 minutes
to 1 hour - this will make them easier to roll later on as well
as draw out some of the water.
3. Rinse the aubergines in cold water and then pat them really
dry with kitchen paper.
4. Mix the olive oil with the garlic, lemon zest and some seasoning.
Brush over both sides of each aubergine slice then season with
plenty of pepper. Place on the barbecue over medium-hot coals
and barbecue for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly charred.
Set aside and leave to cool a little. Cut the tomato into 4 thick
slices, discarding the ends and then cut each slice in half again
to make 8 slices.
5. Cut the feta cheese into 8 slices. Place the aubergine slices
onto the work surface and place a piece of tomato in the middle
of each slice. Arrange a slice of feta on top, then roughly tear
the basil and scatter on top. Sprinkle over the sundried tomatoes
and season with plenty of freshly ground black pepper. Flip over
both ends to enclose the filling and secure with a cocktail stick.
6. Brush the outside of the rolls with the rest of the garlic
and lemon oil and barbecue over medium-hot coals for 1-2 minutes
on each side or until they are heated through and slightly golden.
Serve at once.
Top^ Baked
Penne with Chorizo and Taleggio
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
300g/11oz penne
250g carton marscapone
2tsp wholegrain mustard
4 salad onions, thickly sliced
250g/9oz chorizo sausage, cut into chunks
200g/7oz diced taleggio cheese
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling, salted water according
to the packet instructions.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas6. Drain the pasta well and
return to the pan. Mix in the mascarpone and mustard, stirring
until the mascarpone melts and coats the penne.
3. Stir in the salad onions, chorizo and cheese and season, then
turn the mixture into an ovenproof dish. Bake for about 15-20
minutes until the top is crisp and golden brown.
Top^ Banana
Splits with Warm Choco-Fudge Sauce
(Serves
4)
Ingredients
4 ripe bananas
12 scoops of ice cream
150ml/5floz carton double cream, softly whipped
12 glace cherries
50g/2oz chopped mixed nuts, toasted
8 fan-shaped wafers
For
the Fudge Sauce:
150g/5oz dark chocolate
40g/1½oz butter
150ml/5floz carton double cream
100g/4oz dark brown sugar
2tbsp golden syrup
Method
1. Begin by making the fudge sauce: break the chocolate into
a pan and add the butter, cream, sugar and syrup. Heat gently,
stirring, until the ingredients are melted and well blended;
remove from the heat, but do not allow to cool completely.
2. Cut each banana in half lengthways and place in the banana
split dishes, pushing the halves apart. Place 2 scoops of ice
cream between the two pieces of banana.
3. Spoon over the cream, then scatter over the cherries. Drizzle
over the warm sauce, scatter over the nuts, then push in the
wafers and serve immediately.
Top^
Beef
'Bourguignon' Kebabs (Serves
6)
Ingredients
900g/2lb sirlion or rump steak, cut into 4cm/1½in cubes
225g/8oz rindless smoked streaky bacon
18 button onions, peeled
24 button mushroom, wiped
olive oil for brushing
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For
the Marinade:
5tbsp red wine
3tbsp olive oil
1tbsp tomato puree
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2tbsp chopped fresh parsley
12 small fresh bay leaves
12
x 25cm/10in flat metal skewers
Method
1. Mix together the ingredients for the marinade and pour it
into a non-metalic dish. Stir in the steak, cover and leave
to marinate at room temperature for 2 hours or in the fridge
overnight.
2. The next day stretch the bacon rashers on a board with the
back of a knife. Cut each rasher in half and roll up tightly.
3. Drop the button onions into a pan of boiling water and cook
for 2-3 minutes until just tender. Drain and refresh in cold
water.
4. Thread the cubes of beef, the onions, bacon rolls, mushrooms
and bay leaves from the marinade alternately on to the skewers.
Brush the mushrooms and the onions with a little extra olive
oil and then season the kebabs well with salt and pepper.
5. Barbecue the kebabs over medium-hot coals for 6 minutes,
turning and basting with the leftover marinade now and then.
Top^
Beef
Peppa-feta Rolls (Serves
4)
Ingredients
4 x 150g/5oz sirloin steaks
2 red peppers
100g/4oz feta cheese, sliced
25g/1oz pitted black olives, sliced
1 beef tomato, skinned, seeded and cut into strips
2tbsp chopped fresh basil
1tbsp olive oil
4
fine metal trussing skewers or cocktail sticks soaked in cold
water for 30 minutes.
Method
1. Barbecue or grill the peppers over medium-hot coals for about
20 minutes, turning now and then, until the skins are quite black
all over. Drop them in a plastic bag, seal tightly and leave to
cool.
2. Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Then turn over
each piece and gently scrape away all the charred skin with a
small sharp knife.
3. Place the steaks between two large pieces of clingfilm or non-stick
baking parchment and carefully flatten them until they are about
5mm/¼in thick, taking care not to break the meat apart
when you are doing this. You don't want any holes!
4. Lay the steaks out flat on a board and cover each one with
one flat piece of grilled pepper.
5. Now place some cheese, black olives, tomatoes and chopped basil
along one short edge of each steak. Roll up tightly and secure
in place with skewers or cocktail sticks.
6. Brush the outside of the rolls with the oil and barbecue over
medium-hot coals for 8-10 minutes, turning now and then, until
browned all over and cooked through in the centre.
Top^ Butterflied
Studded Leg of Lamb
(Serves
4)
Ingredients
2-2.5kg/4-4½lb leg of lamb
12 x 25cm/10in stalks of woody rosemary
3 fat garlic cloves (optional)
6-8 very small garlic cloves (optional)
4tbsp medium dry sherry
salt and freshly ground black pepper
For
the Citrus Oil:
1 lemon
1 small orange
1 large lime
300ml/10floz olive oil
½tsp black peppercorns
For
the Onion and Rosemary Skewers:
18 small onions
icing sugar for dusting
Method
1. You will first need to make the citrus oil so that it has
plenty of time to mature. Thinly pare the zest off the lemon,
orange and lime and place it into a small pan with the oil and
the peppercorns. Leave over a gentle heat for about 5 minutes
and then remove, pour into a heatproof glass bottle and leave
to cool completely. Seal and leave for 24 hours.
2. To bone the leg of lamb, find the place where the long bone
running down the length of the leg appears to run quite close
to the surface. Split open the meat along that bone and carefully
peel it back from either side. At the fatter end of the leg
there is a small group of smaller bones. Continue to cut the
meat away from these bones until you have completely opened
up the leg and can lift them out.
3. You should now have a piece of meat shaped like butterfly
wings, hence the name. Trim off any excess fat and neaten it
up into a piece of meat about 4-5cm/1½-2in thick all
over. If this all sounds a bit too much, just get your butcher
to do it for you!
4. Break the leaves off 2 of the stalks of rosemary in small
clusters and strip the remaining pieces clean for the onion
skewers. Leave the woody stalks to soak in cold water for 30
minutes. Cut the garlic into long thin slivers.
5. Make small, deep incisions all over both sides of the lamb
and push in the sprigs of rosemary and slivers of garlic. (You
could get small whole cloves in too if you're keen on garlic.)
6. Drizzle over the sherry, some of the oil and season well
with salt and pepper. Barbecue over medium-hot coals for about
40 minutes for medium-rare lamb, turning occasionally.
7. Meanwhile, cut the onions in half and thread 3 halves on
to each rosemary stalk. Brush them with some citrus oil and
place them on to the barbecue alongside the lamb. Dust with
the icing sugar and cook for 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally.
8. Lift the lamb on to a board, cover with a sheet of foil and
leave to rest for 5 minutes while the onion skewers finish cooking.
Then carve it into thin slices and serve with the onions and
the Fire-roasted red pepper and nectarine salad if you wish.
Top^
Cardamom-scented
Hot Chocolate and Cream
Ingredients
1L/1¾pt milk
½tsp ground cinnamon
4 cardamon pods, cracked
350g/12oz milk chocolate
100g/4ozs extra thick cream
2tbsp finely grated dark chocolate, to decorate
Method
1. Place the milk in a large pan with the cinnamon and cardamom
and heat gently. Break the chocolate into the pan and gently bring
to the boil, stirring occationally, until melted.
2. Scoop out the cardamom pods and discard. Pour the hot chocolate
into four mugs and top each with a spoonful of extra thick cream;
sprinkle over some grated chocolate and serve.
Top^
Celtic
Samosa
Ingredients
250g/9oz plain flour
10g/2tsp baking powder
½tsp salt
large pinch ground turmeric
40g/1½oz unsalted butter, chilled and diced
For
the Filling:
30ml/2tbsp vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
350g/12oz floury potatoes, cubed and boiled
75g/3oz frozen peas, thawed
5g/1tsp ground cumin
salt
2tbsp chopped fresh coriander
vegetable oil, for deep-frying
Method
1. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt and turmeric into a bowl.
Using your fingers, rub the butter into the flour until the
mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Stir in about 150ml/¼pt
of water to make a soft dough. Knead well for a few minutes,
then roll into 8 balls. Cover with a damp cloth and set aside
for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onion, garlic
and chilli for 3-4 minutes until softened and golden. Add the
potatoes, mashing down roughly with a fork. Add the peas, cumin
and salt to taste; remove from the heat and stir in the coriander.
3. Heat about 5cm/2in of oil in a wok or deep-frying pan. Meanwhile,
roll out each piece of dough into a 10cm/4in round. Spoon an
eighth of the potato mixture into the centre of each round.
Moisten the edge of each round with a little water, then fold
over the dough to enclose the filling, pressing the edges to
seal, then gently flatten out each samosa. Fry the samosas in
batches for about minutes, turning until crisp and golden brown.
Drain on kitchen paper and eat warm.
Top^
Char
Sui Lettuce Rolls
Ingredients
2 x 450g/1lb pork fillets
5cm/2in fresh root ginger, peeled
1 large garlic clove, crushed
2tbsp hoisin sauce
2tbsp dark soy sauce
2tsp light soft brown sugar
1tsp five-spice powder
2tbsp sunflower oil
4-6 drops red food colouring (optional)
2tbsp clear honey
To
Serve:
½ cucumber
6 spring onions, trimmed
1 large iceberg lettuce, broken into leaves
12tbsp chinese plum sauce
Method
1. Trim any fat and membrane off the outside of the pork fillets.
2. Finely grate the ginger and squeeze out the juice into a
shallow non-metalic dish. Stir in the rest of the marinade ingredients.
3. Add the pork fillets and turn them over in the mixture until
they are really well coated. Cover and set aside for a least
2 hours.
4. Cut the cucumber in half lengthways and scoop out the seeds
with a teaspoon. Cut into thin strips about 7.5cm/3in long.
Halve the spring onions and cut lengthways into very thin shreds.
Arrange on a serving plate in separate piles along with the
lettuce leaves and a small bowl of the plum sauce.
5. Barbecue the pork fillets over a medium-hot coals for about
20 minutes, turning now and then and basting with the leftover
marinade, until the juices run clear when the meat is pierced
with a skewer.
6. Transfer the pork to a board, carve it into very thin slices
and then pile it on to a warm serving plate. Instruct everyone
to take a lettuce leaf and place a line of cucumber strips,
shredded spring onion and sliced pork down the centre. Then
spoon over a little plum sauce, roll the lettuce leaf up into
a parcel and eat it!
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