Author: Michiel and Jeen

Sharing our love for good food and excellent wine with you: mushrooms, sauces, forgotten vegetables, pies and tartelettes. Join us and Cook and Drink with us!

Cold Soup: Ajo Blanco

1 September 2021

It’s September, time fo buy fresh almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts; time to make Spanish Almond Soup. It’s made of white almonds, water, old bread, garlic, olive oil, vinegar and perhaps a pinch of salt. And trust us, there is no need to add anything else. No cucumber, green apples, jalapeño, chicken stock, pepper, flowers, white grapes, milk, aioli, Balsamic vinegar, raisins, cream, yoghurt, pine nuts or melon. We love creativity, but the ingredients people suggest to brighten up Ajo Blanco, it’s amazing. Especially because there is no need to add anything to the original.

Mention Ajo Blanco and someone will say ‘white gazpacho’. Because both are cold soups, because both are from Spain? We can’t think of any other reason, so please, please don’t even think about gazpacho when you serve Ajo Blanco.

What You Need

  • 70 gram White Almonds
  • 200 ml ice-cold Water
  • 30 gram old stale White Artisanal Bread without the crust
  • 1 medium Garlic Clove
  • 1 tablespoon Jerez Vinegar
  • Pinch of Salt
  • 70 ml Olive Oil
  • 10 gram of Roasted Almonds

What You Do

  1. Buy excellent almonds, so not the soft, bland ones from the supermarket
  2. Start by very, very lightly roasting the white almonds in a dry non-stick pan
  3. Let cool
  4. Soak the bread in water for 10 minutes
  5. Roughly chop the garlic
  6. Use a heavy hand blender or food processor to whizz the almonds, the garlic and some of the water until nearly smooth
  7. Squeeze out the bread
  8. Add bread and remaining water to the mixture
  9. Continue blending
  10. Add vinegar and salt
  11. Check the mixture for taste and smoothness; it should be very smooth, cream like; this may take 1 minute on turbo!
  12. When happy with both smoothness and taste, slowly add olive oil with the blender running on low speed.
  13. Transfer the mixture to the refrigerator for at least two hours
  14. Also cool the bowls you want to use
  15. Just before serving crush some roasted almonds and sprinkle these on the soup
Ajo Blanco © cadwu
Ajo Blanco © cadwu
Fresh Almonds ©cadwu
Fresh Almonds ©cadwu

Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Anchovies

25 August 2021

A powerful and uplifting combination, one that works very well on a summer’s evening, eating al fresco. Using anchovies is not a semi-modern twist (the Surf and Turf cliché), it’s a way of adding flavor and salt to the dish. It made us think of the Roman Garum or Liquamen, a sauce made with fish and salt. The recipe for Garum is simple: just combine fish, lots of salt and leave to ferment for a couple of weeks, until you have a clear liquid. This fish sauce (but it doesn’t taste like fish) will bring umami and depth to the dish. In this case the anchovies will have a similar effect. During the cooking process they will practically dissolve and what is remains is flavor.
We enjoyed our lamb with Ratatouille. Make sure you prepare it one day ahead.

Wine Pairing

This combination requires a red wine that will not be blown away. We enjoyed a glass from the Corbières region in France, produced by Château Coulon and made from Syrah, Mourvedre, Carignan and Grenache grapes. Flavors such as cassis, black fruit with a hint of pepper. The wine is dark red, with a liquoricey edge, a touch of smokiness, firm but supple tannins and a minerally character.

What You Need

  • For the Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Anchovies
    • 400 gram Leg of Lamb
    • 1 Rosemary Sprig
    • 4 Garlic Gloves
    • 2 Anchovies
    • Olive Oil
  • For the Ratatouille
    • 1 Red Bell Pepper
    • 1 Red Pepper
    • 1 Courgette
    • 1 Aubergine
    • 4 Excellent Tomatoes
    • Thyme
    • Cilantro
    • Olive oil

What You Do

  1. The day before prepare the Ratatouille.
  2. Make 4 slices in the meat, preferably in the fatty part
  3. Remove the needles from the rosemary and chop very fine (using a herb chopper)
  4. Peel the gloves and press them
  5. In your mortar, mix the garlic and chopped rosemary with some olive oil, creating a paste
  6. Cut the anchovies in 4
  7. Add paste and anchovies to slices
  8. Cover with foil and leave to rest for at least 12 hours
  9. Remember to remove it from the refrigerator one hour before cooking
  10. Heat the oven to 235 °C or 455 °F
  11. Transfer the meat to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until it has the right colour
  12. Open the oven, allow to cool and set the oven to a low temperature
  13. You could go for 80 °C or 175 °F.
  14. Remove from the oven when the internal (core) temperature is 60 °C or 140 °F
  15. Cover with foil (not tight) and allow to rest for 10 minutes
  16. In parallel warm the ratatouille
  17. Slice the meat at a right angle to the direction of the stuffed slices
  18. Mix the ratatouille with lots of fresh cilantro
  19. Serve on a warm plate
Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Anchovies ©cadwu
Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Anchovies ©cadwu
Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Anchovies waiting to be prepared ©cadwu
Lamb with Rosemary, Garlic and Anchovies waiting to be prepared ©cadwu

Ratatouille

18 August 2021

Think summer vegetables, think Ratatouille! Which is also the title of a film released in 2007 about a rat called Remy with a passion for cooking. If you want to see how he prepares ratatouille then simply go to YouTube (or buy the DVD if you’re old fashioned like us).
Ratatouille brings back memories of summer, of the South of France, of the Mediterranean. It combines very well with a simple sausage, with lamb, with grilled chicken.
However you prepare your ratatouille, be sure to prepare it a day ahead. The taste becomes much more integrated after a day (or two) in the refrigerator. Unfortunately it doesn’t freeze well due to the eggplant.

Our recipe is very much the recipe of a dear friend. She taught us how to make ratatouille in her summer kitchen, overlooking the pool and the garden with herbs and vegetables. Indeed, fond memories.
To our surprise she added cilantro (you would expect thyme or basil) and many years later we are still grateful for this twist. The cilantro enhances the feeling of summer and it supports the various vegetables in a beautiful way.

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed our ratatouille with a glass of simple, red wine with lots of red and black fruits. Spicy with subtle tannins. A wine that brings summer to your glass. A glass of Syrah from the Languedoc-Roussillon are will be perfect.

What You Need (4 people)
  • 1 Eggplant or Aubergine
  • 1 Courgette or Zucchini
  • 1 Red Bell Pepper
  • 1 Chili Pepper
  • 4 Excellent Tomatoes
  • Cilantro
  • Olive oil
What You Do
  1. Cut the aubergine in small but not too small chunks
  2. Drizzle with salt and mix
  3. Let the mixture rest for a few hours, allowing for the aubergine to loose water and become firm. Best way to do this is by putting the aubergine in a sieve and let it rest above a bowl
  4. The tomatoes require some attention as well. You could peel them, but that’s optional. What is not optional is to separate the tomato meat and juices from the pits. First step is to remove the internal hard bits and the pits and put these aside. You now have the outer part of the tomato, which you can slice. Cut the remainder of the tomatoes roughly, add to a sieve and by using the back of a spoon make sure you capture the juices. Be surprised about the volume of tomato juice and the small amount of tomato bits and pits that remain in your sieve.
  5. Cut the bell pepper into long slices and fry these in the pan with olive oil
  6. Peel the courgette, slice in the way you sliced the aubergine and add to the pan. Continue frying
  7. Add the finely chopped chilli pepper (not the seeds of course)
  8. Add the firm aubergine after having removed the remaining salt with water
  9. After a few moments add the tomato chunks, fry a bit more, add the tomato juice and leave on low to medium heat for 60 minutes
  10. Try not to stir too much; otherwise you risk creating mashed vegetables
  11. Cool, set aside and store in the refrigerator
  12. The next day: if you have excess liquid, remove the vegetables from the liquid, reduce it until thickened and transfer the vegetables back into the pan. Otherwise gently warm the ratatouille, add some chopped cilantro, mix gently and add more cilantro just before serving

PS

Many years later we found the ‘original’ recipe of Ratatouille in Nice.

Ratatouille ©cadwu
Ratatouille ©cadwu

Fig Jam

11 August 2021

Sometimes we dream of having a small garden, with perhaps a few roses, herbs, peonies and definitely a fig tree. Being able to pick figs, all summer long, and enjoy the abundance of the tree, it sounds like magic to us. Figs don’t do well in a pot on a balcony, so we depend on greengrocers and the market. And that’s where we struggle: when you want to buy figs, you’ll notice they’re fairly expensive and hard to find. The ones we bought yesterday were individually wrapped in paper, as if they were very exclusive chocolates. But since we love fig jam, we simply had to buy them.

Wine Pairing

Homemade fig jam combines very well with Foie Gras, toasted bread and a glass of Sauternes, for instance this very affordable Dourthe Grands Terroirs. This wonderful, sweet wine from the French Bordeaux region made from late-harvest grapes affected by noble rot, comes with flavors like apricot, tropical fruit, honey and gently toast. Drinking Sauternes has become less popular, also because it’s often positioned as a wine to accompany your dessert. A concept that seems to be a bit old fashioned. Why not try a glass of Sauternes with some excellent blue cheese, a chocolate cake or simply on its own as aperitif?

What You Need

  • 500 grams of Fresh Figs
  • 100 grams of Sugar
  • 1 Lemon

What You Do

We recommend using only 100 grams of sugar, so 20% of the weight of the figs. Therefore the jam must be stored in the refrigerator and the jar must be finished shortly after opening it. That’s why we prefer using small jars and cooking small quantities of jam.
Start by washing the figs. Remove the stems. Cut the figs in small chunks, add to a pan. Add the sugar and the juice of one lemon. Put on medium heat, for at least 60 minutes, no lid needed (but be careful if the fruit is not ripe). During the cooking process the jam will become bright red. Use a fork to mash some of the figs. We think using a blender ruins the texture.
Make sure your jars are perfectly clean. Fill the jars, close the lid and cool in a cold-water basin. When cool, transfer to the refrigerator.

  • Fresh Figs ©cadwu
    Fresh Figs ©cadwu
  • Fig Jam ©cadwu
    Fig Jam ©cadwu

Maitake Soup

4 August 2021

Welcome to the wonderful world of the Dancing Mushroom, better known as Maitake, Hen of the Woods or Ram’s Head. Enjoy the powerful, intense and nutty flavours and be intrigued by the aroma. No wonder it’s a much loved culinary mushroom!

Legend has it that maitake got its name because foragers danced with happiness when finding it. Nowadays maitake can be wild or cultivated. Both are fine; we actually prefer the cultivated ones. Make sure you cook maitake through and through, otherwise you may upset your stomach (and other parts of your body).

Maitake combines very well with beef and thyme. It is also great when combined with shrimps, crab, coquilles St Jacques, coriander, dill and parsley; a salad created by Antonio Carluccio and published in 2003 in the Complete Mushroom Book. The book has a wealth of wonderful, simple recipes.

Our soup is perhaps a bit odd, because it’s a thickened soup, something you would perhaps not expect given dashi is the base of the soup. It’s a gentle soup, with some umami and bitterness. The fried maitake amplifies the flavours.

What You Need
  • For the Dashi
    • 500 ml Water
    • 10 grams Konbu
    • 10 grams Katsuobushi 
  • 150 grams of Maitake
  • 5 cm Fresh Ginger
  • Soy Sauce
  • Sake
  • Mirin
  • Tablespoon of Cooked Plain Rice
  • Olive Oil
What You Do
  1. Prepare the dashi
  2. Remove the base of the maitake
  3. Set a few ‘leaves’ aside (to be fried later)
  4. Peel and quarter the ginger
  5. Add the remaining ‘leaves’ of the maitake, the ginger and the cooked rice to the dashi
  6. Leave for 20 minutes on low heat
  7. Remove the ginger and use a blender to create a smooth mixture
  8. You will notice that the maitake doesn’t thicken the soup, as a classic Champignon de Paris would do, the rice should do the trick
  9. Pass through a sieve
  10. Keep on low heat for another 10 minutes
  11. Add a tablespoon of sake, some soy sauce and mirin
  12. Taste and adjust if necessary. The quanities very much depend on the flavour of the maitake and your personal taste. You’re looking for umami, bitterness and depth
  13. Leave for another 10 minutes on low heat
  14. Add olive oil to a small heavy iron skillet and fry the remaining maitake; initially on medium heat, later on low heat. This may take 5 minutes
  15. Use the blender for the second time to make sure the soup is perfectly smooth
  16. Serve in a miso bowl.
Maitake Soup ©cadwu
Fresh Mai Take Leaves ©cadwu
Fresh Mai Take ©cadwu
Katsuobushi and Konbu ©cadwu
Heating Konbu ©cadwu

Time To Replace Your Non-Stick Pan

1 August 2021

We all know that every few years we need to replace our non-stick pans. The surface has become less smooth, there are small scratches in the coating and it has become semi non-stick. Time to buy a new pan.
Perhaps you wonder what happened to your pan? Well, the truth is that not only have you eaten lovely fried food, you have also eaten bits of your pan.

Which is not great, because the coating contains PFAS. This substance may have very harmful effects, to your health and to the environment.

The abbreviation PFAS stands for Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl substances. These (artificial) substances don’t decompose, and once present they will not disappear and continue to be harmful.

Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway and Sweden announced the intention to submit a restriction proposal for PFAS to the European Chemicals Agency by July 2022. A restriction proposal is a first step towards a European ban on PFAS.

Great news for your health and the environment, but how about your beloved non-stick pan?

Fortunately, we have found an excellent alternative. The ceramic non-stick Prime-cook pans are 100% free of PFAS, PTFE, PFOA, GenX and nickel plus they are suitable for all cooking hobs. And given they last longer, it’s a sound investment.
Having tested it, we are convinced this is the future of healthy non-stick frying.

Bring your non-stick pan to the hazardous chemical waste disposal and buy a Prime-cook pan!

non-stick pan Prime-Cook ©cadwu
non-stick pan Prime-Cook ©cadwu

Horn of Plenty with Cumin and Pork Fillet

28 July 2021

The name Horn of Plenty refers to the shape (very much like a funnel without a stem) of the mushroom and to the mythical goat Amaltheia, whose horn would be filled with everything you whished for. It’s also called Black Chantarelle, which is very appropriate because it’s a chantarelle and truly black when cooked. The more morbid name is Trompette de la Mort, as if the buried use the mushrooms to play the Marche Funèbre.

More importantly to us: they are very edible with a pleasant fibrous and chewy texture. The only downside is that they quickly become soggy and smelly, so make sure you buy (or harvest) dry ones and use them the same day or the next.

For some reason Horn of Plenty simply loves cumin. We also added coriander and fennel seed to give some additional lightness and freshness to the combination.
And as always, only use the very best organic pork.

Wine Pairing

A medium bodied, not too complex, red wine will be perfect. Think Merlot, Tempranillo, Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Carménère.

What You Need

  • 150 grams Horn of Plenty
  • One Red Onion
  • Cumin, Coriander and Fennel (seeds)
  • Black pepper
  • Olive Oil
  • Pork Fillet

What You Do

Clean the mushrooms thoroughly. This can be time consuming. Slice the pork fillet to create 6 medallions. Heat a heavy iron skillet and fry the medallions in olive oil until just underdone. Wrap in aluminium foil and leave to rest. Slice the red onion, add some olive oil to the pan and fry the onion. Grind cumin, coriander and fennel seeds and fry the spices. Lower the heat, perhaps add some more olive oil and fry the mushrooms for 5-10 minutes. Taste, adjust and add some black pepper. Add the juices from the pork to the pan, deglaze and serve.

  • Horn of Plenty with Cumin and Pork Fillet ©cadwu
    Horn of Plenty with Cumin and Pork Fillet ©cadwu
  • Horn of Plenty ©cadwu
    Horn of Plenty ©cadwu

Lentils with Sausage and Beetroot

21 July 2021

Think France, think a nice small bistro in a small street, off centre, nothing posh, no Michelin star in sight. It’s 12.30, time for a quick lunch. You enter the restaurant, take a seat and order today’s dish, the plat du jour. It turns out to be a generous helping of lentils, fried sausages, mashed potatoes and mustard. A beer works beautifully with it. After having enjoyed your lunch, you think about the joy of good food, French mustard and the beauty of lentils. Time for a coffee. And perhaps a glass of Calvados?

In our recipe for Cod with Lentils and Cilantro we mentioned the joy of lentils, especially the joy of eating Lentille Verte du Puy A.O.P & A.O.C. from Sabarot.

We’re not too keen on mashed potatoes so we decided to combine the lentils and sausage with a beetroot salad.

Sausage wise we suggest coarsely ground (so not minced) organic porc sausages with sage, for instance Lincolnshire sausages. The texture of the sausages is great in combination with the size of the lentils. 

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed our lentils with a glass of red Pays d’Oc wine, with grapes such as Grenache and Syrah. The Syrah brings an intense colour, aromatic strength and structure. The Grenache reveals red berry flavours. For instance wine from Domaine La Colombette. This producer is well known for its innovative light wines and its Super Bio wines, made with grapes (Cabernet Noir, Souvignier Gris) that have a natural resistance to various diseases, meaning that no pesticides are needed in the vineyard.

What You Need
  • For the Lentils
    • Shallot
    • Olive Oil
    • Green or Du Puy Lentils
    • Chicken Stock
    • Parsley
  • For the Sausages
    • 2 or 4 Sausages (organic pork with sage, coarsely ground)
    • Olive Oil
  • For the Salad
    • Beetroot
    • Spring Onion
    • Vinegar (plain and white wine)
  • French Mustard
What You Do
  1. One day before serving, wash the beetroot, wrap in aluminium foil and put in the oven on 180° Celsius or 365° Fahrenheit for 45-60 minutes, depending on the size
  2. Transfer, remove foil and let cool
  3. Cut the shallot in small bits and glaze gently in olive oil
  4. In the mean time check the lentils for small pebbles; wash the lentils
  5. Once the shallot is glazed, add the lentils and heat them for a few minutes, as you would do with risotto rice
  6. Add some chicken stock and water (the stock is only intended to give the lentils a small push) and leave to simmer on low heat
  7. Fry the sausages in olive oil in a heavy iron skillet
  8. Remove the skin of the beetroot, slice the beetroot and combine with thinly sliced spring onion and vinegar
  9. Mix
  10. Drain the lentils, chop the parsley and add to the lentils.
  11. Serve the sausage on top of the lentils
  12. Definitely a good dash of French mustard on the side!
  • Lentils with Sausage and Beetroot ©cadwu
    Lentils with Sausage and Beetroot ©cadwu
  • Du Puy Lentils AOP AOC © cadwu
    Du Puy Lentils AOP AOC © cadwu

Prosciutto e Melone

14 July 2021

Is it an ancient recipe combining wet and cold (melon) with dry and hot (cooked meat, later cured ham)? Is it an invention of famous author Pellegrino Artusi? Is it a typical sixties dish? Or is it the ideal starter for a lazy chef?

Regardless what it is, the success is the result of the quality of the ingredients. You need an excellent melon, preferably a cantaloupe. Ripe and sweet, one that fills the room with honey. And you need the best ever cured ham. Could be from Italy or Spain, as long as it paper thinly sliced with nice layers of marbled fat.

Sweet and salty, moist and dry, soft and with texture, intense aromas and long-lasting flavours. Every aspect you can think of is on your plate. No need to add anything, no ricotta, no salad, no balsamic vinegar, no pesto. It’s about the combination of two very different yet beautiful products.

Wine Pairing

Enjoy your Prosciutto e Melone with a light, refreshing wine that reflects summer. A glass of prosecco, bubbly, refined and with a touch of sweetness. But if you want to open a bottle of rosé, please do so!

What You Need

  • A ripe Melon (Cantaloupe)
  • Dry-Cured Ham (Prosciutto or Serrano)

What You Do

The melon must be cold, the ham should be at room temperature.
Slice the melon, probably in eight wedges. Remove the seeds. Use a sharp knife to cut off the rind. Wrap each wedge of melon with a slice of prosciutto, making sure you can still see the melon at the ends.

PS

It’s definitely not a recipe from Pellegrino Artusi. He describes the combination of fresh green peas (also sweet and moist) with Prosciutto. 

  • Prosciutto e Melone ©cadwu
    Prosciutto e Melone ©cadwu
  • Cantaloupe Melon ©cadwu
    Cantaloupe Melon ©cadwu

Field Peas with Summer Savory

7 July 2021

Seasonal products, we simply love them! Fresh field peas are available for a few weeks in June and July only. They are easy to recognise by their purple pod. An old and forgotten vegetable, perhaps because the (older) peas tend to be starchy and not very tasteful.
Young field peas, however, are sweet and moist with a good texture. Combining them with summer savory is a great idea, but if you want to give your field peas a more modern twist, then replace the savory with fresh oregano.
Field peas, different from fresh green peas, require some fat or oil. The combination with for instance crispy fried pork belly works really well. Simple, a bit old fashioned and delicious.

Wine Pairing

We combined our field peas with pork fillet. The dish is robust, so we decided to drink a red wine from the Dão region in Portugal, to be more precise we enjoyed a glass of Prunus as produced by Gotawine. One of our favourites! It has lots of dark fruit (plums, blackberries, cherries), it is lightly oaked and its taste is fruity, long and well balanced. Grapes include Jaen (also known as Menci), Tempranillo and Touriga Nacional. In general you’re looking for a medium bodied, not too complex, yet elegant red wine.

What You Need

  • Fresh Field Peas
  • Sprigs of Summer Savory
  • Olive Oil

What You Do

Shell the peas and steam them for 4 minutes maximum. Let cool and set aside. Heat a small skillet, add olive oil, reduce heat and very gently fry the peas. Add some finely chopped summer savory. Mix. Just before serving add the remaining chopped savory, mix and serve.

If you combine the field peas with pork fillet, then use excellent organic fillet only. Fry the fillet in a heavy iron skillet until nearly done. Wrap in foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Add the meat juices to the pan, add some mustard and (vegetable, veal or chicken) stock. Reduce. Add some cold water to help the emulsification. Slice the fillet. It should be a touch pink. Serve with some black pepper and the jus.

  • Field Peas with Summer Savory ©cadwu
    Field Peas with Summer Savory ©cadwu
  • Fresh Field Peas ©cadwu
    Fresh Field Peas ©cadwu
  • Prunus Label ©cadwu
    Prunus Label ©cadwu