Tag: recipes

Your Favourites in 2023

4 January 2024

Happy New Year! Let’s begin the new year with the 2023 highlights. Your favorite post was No-Knead Bread, We have been baking our own bread for several years, based on the method of no-knead bread (see Jim Lahey’s book My Bread for more detail) and using the ingredients (Blue Poppy Seeds, Linseed) of the French Talmière. The result is delicious!

Another very popular post is the one showing you how to make Kimizu. This is a classic, golden sauce from Japan, made with Egg Yolks, Rice Vinegar, Water and Mirin. We also have a version with Tarragon, let’s say the Béarnaise version of Kimizu. The recipes for Kimizu and Kimizu with Tarragon continue to be very popular. Although this is a classic sauce, we use a microwave to prepare it. An easy and very effective way of managing temperature and consistency.

We love mushrooms. Cultivated ones, like Shiitake, Oyster Mushrooms, Enoki and Champignons de Paris and seasonal ones, such as Morels, St. George’s mushroom, and Caesar’s Mushroom. One of the most popular posts is about Cèpes à la Bordelaise. You can also use more available mushrooms for this great combination. Always a pleasure to serve, with eggs, with meat, with more present fish.
Last year we had lots of Bay Boletes, which was such a pleasure. It’s a fairly common mushroom, as tasty as Cèpes, but much more affordable.

And finally The Queen’s Soup. We didn’t expect too much of this post, but the soup turns out to be very popular.

We were of course very pleased and honored to receive an award for our Pear and Almond pie in the Great Bloggers’ Bake Off.

Let’s start cooking!

Your Favourites in 2023 ©cadwu
Your Favourites in 2023 ©cadwu

The Art of Sauces: Ravigote

28 December 2023

A classic, French sauce, traditionally served with Tête de Veau, but in general great with cold meat and cold, poached fish. A very simple, easy to make sauce with just the right acidity to brighten up your cold starter. The warm version is made with a broth, the cold one with oil, vinegar and mustard, as you would prepare a vinaigrette.
No eggs?
Indeed, no eggs. If you look at the list of ingredients, you could think of Remoulade or Tartare Sauce (both mayonnaise based) or Gribiche (made with hard boiled eggs). Ravigote is different, it’s light and uplifting. Just give it a try next time you serve cold meat or fish as a starter. Forget about the mayonnaise and enjoy this delicious, flavourful sauce.
We served our Ravigote with Pâté de Tête Persillé and crusted bread.

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed a glass of white Pontificis, made with Viognier and Chardonnay grapes by Badet- Clément. This is an oaked dry wine from the Languedoc-Roussillon region in France. It is elegant, with some oak, clear acidity and some bitterness. Creamy, with some vanilla, butter and perhaps tropical fruit. In general you’re looking for a white wine with clear acidity, oak and balance.

What You Need

  • Coarse Mustard (Moutarde à l’Ancienne) 
  • White Wine Vinegar
  • Oil (Sunflower, Avocado)
  • 3 Cornichons
  • 8 Capers
  • 1 Shallot
  • Parsley
  • Tarragon
  • Chervil
  • Black Pepper

What You Do

  1. Finely chop the shallot, slice the cornichons, halve the capers
  2. Chop the herbs
  3. Combine a spoonful of mustard with the same amount of vinegar
  4. Slowly add the oil until you have the right consistency and flavour
  5. Add more vinegar to get the right acidity
  6. Happy? Add shallot, cornichons and capers
  7. Mix
  8. Add a generous amount of parsley, tarragon and chervil
  9. Finish the sauce with black pepper.

PS

The amount of tarragon depends on the type of tarragon and your personal preference. There are actually three types: French tarragon (intense and aromatic, the one to use in the kitchen), Russian tarragon (limited flavour, no complexity) and Mexican (a touch of anise, but not even close to French tarragon). 

Sauce Ravigote ©cadwu

Pork with Enoki

21 December 2023

It’s nearly the end of the mushroom season in Europe. It’s hard to find chanterelle (girolle), and nearly impossible to buy fresh cèpes. The black winter truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is an exception. It’s available until March, but the price may be prohibitive. Better to focus on cultivated mushrooms, such as enoki, available at your local Asian supermarket. A delicious mushroom with a pleasant texture and aroma. Its flavour is mild, a bit sweet and fruity. You can use it raw in a salad, in a soup or combine it with soba noodles. A few weeks ago, we wrote about an omelette with enoki and a light soy sauce. The result is a lovely sweet, rich and intriguing dish.
Combining enoki with pork is also a great idea. Feel free to adjust the recipe and make the sauce spicier or sweeter or thicker. The result will be tasty given all three elements in the dish bring some kind of sweetness.

Wine Pairing

You could emphasize the Asian influence by serving a glass of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Chenin Blanc or perhaps Soave. In general you’re looking for a light or medium bodied, unoaked, dry white wine with nice acidity. Benefits are minerality and florality. A glass of Côtes de Provence rosé will also be a good choice.
If you want to focus on the flavours of the pork, we suggest a glass of Beaujolais or a glass of wine made with Grenache (France) or Garnacha (Spain) grapes.

What You Need

  • Organic Pork Tenderloin
  • 100 grams of (Golden) Enoki
  • Soy Sauce
  • Light Soy Sauce (we used Tentsuyu)
  • Stock
  • Oyster Sauce
  • Black Bean Sauce (optional)
  • Red Chili Paste (optional)
  • Olive Oil

What You Do

Fry the pork in olive oil until pink. Turn on a regular basis. Remove the stem (bottom) of the enoki. Fry in olive oil for maximum one minute. Add some (vegetable stock), soy sauce, oyster sauce, black bean sauce and red chili paste and create a not overly sweet, intense sauce. We like some spiciness, hence the chili paste. Serve the meat on top of the enoki mixture.

Kalette – Kale Sprouts

14 December 2023

Saturday morning, when chatting to our greengrocer, we noticed purple, small vegetables. Some looked like mini Brussels Sprouts, others more like mini Kale. Let’s give it a try, so we bought 150 grams of Kale Sprouts, also known as Kalettes, Lollipops or Flower Sprouts.
When eaten raw they taste like Brussels Sprouts and we could imagine using the smaller ones in a salad. Many recipes suggest cooking the Kale Sprouts but why would you? They are very small so stir frying them is a much better option because then you’ll have all the flavours. When fried their taste is very similar to the taste of kale or in general cabbage. We could imagine using them in Cabbage Stew. We decided to be a bit more adventurous and combine the Kale Sprouts with Gurnard.

Wine Pairing

We enjoyed our Kale Sprouts with a glass of Austrian Grüner Veltiner, produced by Markowitsch. It’s a full bodied, elegant white wine with aromas of apples and a touch of spiciness. One that was great with the more intense flavours of the Kale Sprouts and the gurnard.

What You Need

  • 150 grams of Kale Sprouts
  • 25 grams of Pancetta
  • Olive Oil
  • Black Pepper

What You Do

Wash the sprouts carefully. Dry. Trim the ends, if necessary. Halve the ones that look like mini kale. Heat a pan (a wok will be great), add olive oil, add the diced pancetta, leave for one minute and then add the sprouts. Fry for 5 minutes, taste and decide to serve or fry a bit longer. Add some fresh black pepper.

Kalette - Kale Sprouts fried ©cadwu
Kalette - Kale Sprouts raw ©cadwu
Grüner Veltliner

Tomato and Halloumi Salad

7 December 2023

A simple and lovely salad, one that works very well as a starter with some crusted bread. Tomatoes, a touch of mint, parsley and warm halloumi. One of the first times we made this we used homegrown, ripe and tasty tomatoes. We also prepared the dish using tomatoes that were rather bland. That wasn’t much of a success.
The history of halloumi goes back centuries. Nowadays it’s a cheese made of goat’s and sheep’s milk. Sometimes cow’s milk is added to the mixture. In the EU it’s a protected product and must be produced in Cyprus. Because of its high melting point it’s ideal to grill or fry, although it can remain a bit firm and chewy. During the final phase of the production process the cheese is salted and sprinkled with chopped spearmint leaves.
Mint is also an essential ingredient of the salad. We tend to use it only occasionally because mint can be overpowering. It works very well in combination with the cheese and the tomatoes. It gives a boost to the flavours without being overly present.

Wine Pairing

A glass of rosé, a simple unoaked white wine or a beer will be great with the salad. When looking for a wine to go with a salad, make sure to think about the acidity. In general a more acidic salad requires a more acidic wine. The combination will make the wine fruiter and the salad softer. In this case the tomatoes, the dressing and the capers bring acidity. However, marinating the tomatoes makes the salad softer and emphasises the sweetness of the tomatoes. 

What You Need

  • Six excellent, tasty, ripe Tomatoes
  • 6 leaves of Mint
  • Parsley
  • Olive Oil
  • Vinegar
  • Teaspoon of Capers (in brine)
  • Black Pepper
  • Halloumi

What you Do

Core and slice the tomatoes. Chop the parsley and the mint. Combine oil and vinegar, add tomatoes, mix and add the herbs. Transfer to the refrigerator for a few hours. Mix every hour.
Slice the halloumi and fry on medium heat in olive oil. Turn regularly. Add the capers to the salad, mix, top with the fried halloumi and serve immediately with crusted bread.

Tomato and Halloumi Salad ©cadwu
Tomato and Halloumi Salad ©cadwu

Cèpes, Lentils and Duck

23 November 2023

Let’s celebrate the season by preparing a very simple, tasty starter with cèpes, the all-time favourite mushroom of many people. It is great when fried in olive oil with garlic and parsley, wonderful in a risotto and equally tasty when prepared à la Bordelaise. This starter is a bit more complex. It combines the nutty, rustic flavour of lentils with the fatty richness of foie gras and smokiness. The dish is a true appetizer.

Wine Pairing

We would suggest a white wine with some floral notes and only a touch of sweetness. A pinot gris or perhaps a gewürztraminer? Sweetness will go very well with the foie gras and the smoked duck, but it’s not a great match with the cèpes.

We could also imagine opening a bottle of Arbois Savagnin 2018. This complex, white wine is made from the Savagnin grape and is produced in the far east of France, the Jura. It comes with aromas that will make you think of nuts, curry and even umami. When tasting it, you may think the wine is off, given it is slightly oxidized. In this case it’s a good thing. Enjoy the savoury, nutty taste of the wine in combination with the various flavours in the dish.

What You Need

  • 150 grams of Cèpes
  • Du Puy Lentils (from Sabarot)
  • Smoked Breast of Duck
  • Terrine de Foie Gras de Canard
  • Neutral Oil (we used Avocado Oil)
  • Butter
  • Black Pepper

What You Do

Remove the smoked breast of duck from the refrigerator. Wash the lentils and cook for some 20 minutes. Drain and allow to cool. Add one or two teaspoons of oil, to coat the lentils and enhance their flavour. Add some black pepper. Clean the mushrooms and slice. Not too thin, the idea is to have a moist mushroom with a thin crust.  Fry the mushrooms in butter. Plate up by making a circle of lentils and decorate with slices of smoked duck, cèpes and very thin slices of terrine.

Cèpes, Lentils and Duck ©cadwu
Arbois Savagnin

PS

Avocado oil seems a bit exotic, but actually it has a very high smoking point so it’s great for frying and baking. When used in a salad, you will notice the oil is light and fresh.

An invitation to Indian Cooking

16 November 2023

Recently we reviewed An invitation to Indian Cooking (published in 1973) by Madhur Jaffrey as part of the ongoing cookbook review project by Bernadette. When we leaved through the book we were looking for something special, something new and exciting to prepare. Dal soup (the classic Indian soup made with red lentils, onion, various spices and perhaps ginger or orange) was not on our radar, until we read her recipe. Interesting! Yellow Split Peas? Cloves? Croutons? Let’s start cooking!
The soup was very tasty and uplifting. The split peas brought structure to the soup, making this soup different compared to lentil-based dal soup. The combination of peas and cloves is one to remember. 

Dal Soup ©cadwu
Dal Soup ©cadwu

Asafoetida

We’re always interested in new ways to prepare mushrooms, so when we spotted a recipe with cumin and asafoetida (asafetida) we immediately knew we wanted to prepare this dish. But what is actually asafoetida and where to buy it?
The first thing to know about asafoetida is that it has an extremely powerful aroma. Its taste and smell are a combination of onion and garlic. We bought 25 grams at Jacob Hooy which is Amsterdam’s premium shop for spices. The Dutch name is Duivels Drek and the German name Stinkasant. Both names are a clear indication of its pungent smell.
Mushrooms, tomatoes, various spices and asafoetida: we didn’t know what to expect of the dish. The result was delicious, aromatic (in a subtle way) and a tribute to the tomatoes and mushrooms, with a long-lasting taste. We loved it. Mrs. Jaffrey suggest serving the mushrooms with chapatis or pooris. Recipes are included in her book, obviously!

Mushrooms with Cumin and Asafetida ©cadwu
Mushrooms with Cumin and Asafetida ©cadwu

The Book

An invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey is a comprehensive introduction to the Indian kitchen, one with reliable, easy to follow, tasty recipes and useful background information. The book includes chapters on meat, chicken, fish, dal, soups, vegetables, chutneys, breads and desserts. Which reminds us of our plan to make Kulfi (ice cream with milk and cardamon pods).
An invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey is available via your local bookstore or the usual channels for 15 euro or 18 US$.

Recipes can be found on Bernadette’s website.

An invitation to Indian Cooking by Madhur Jaffrey ©cadwu
Mushrooms with Cumin and Asafetida ©cadwu
Dal Soup ©cadwu

Farfalle with Fennel and Zucchini

9 November 2023

It was our last evening in Paris and we wondered what to do? Book a table at a nice local restaurant? Or enjoy drinks and dinner in our lovely apartment? Obviously, we decided to stay in. We looked in our refrigerator, did some shopping and sat down with a nice glass of Pinot Blanc and some shrimps. The plan was to make a rich, creamy pasta dish with fennel, zucchini and pancetta.
Thanks to the mild aniseed flavour of the fennel, the dish has a surprisingly uplifting taste. The (peeled) zucchini also benefits from the aniseed flavour and remains tasty and present.

Wine Pairing

Being in France we opened a bottle of Côtes du Rhône produced by Maison M. Chapoutier. This is a red wine made with Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah grapes. The wine has some fruit, a touch of pepper and mild tannins. A traditional French red wine.

If you prefer an Italian wine with the pasta, then we would suggest a glass of Bardolino, for instance the one produced by Monte del Frà. The wine has a beautiful deep red colour, and the aromas made us think of red fruit and perhaps pepper. The wine is medium bodied with some acidity. It will combine very well with both the lightness in the dish and the creaminess.
In general, you’re looking for a fruity red wine with a touch of acidity, for example Chianti Classico, Montepulciano or Barbera.

What You Need

  • 1 small Fennel
  • 1 small Zucchini (Courgette)
  • 1 Shallot
  • 80 grams of organic Pancetta
  • 1 Garlic Clove
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • Piment Doux
  • Cream
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil
  • Farfalle

What You Do

  1. Finely chop the shallot and the fennel
  2. Add olive oil to a warm skillet and gently fry the shallot and the fennel
  3. Peel the zucchini, slice and quarter
  4. Dice the pancetta
  5. Chop the garlic
  6. Now add the zucchini and the pancetta to the pan
  7. Increase the heat and fry for one or two minutes, just to add colour
  8. Reduce the heat, add the garlic, the bay leaf and the piment doux
  9. Add the farfalle to the boiling water and cook according to the instruction on the package
  10. Leave the pan on low heat for a few minutes
  11. Now add the cream and the Parmesan cheese
  12. Stir and taste
  13. When the farfalle is ready, add it to the pan
  14. Combine and add some cooking liquid to the sauce if needed
  15. Remove the bay leaf, add some fresh black pepper and serve
  16. We decorated the dish with a slice of grilled pancetta
Farfalle with Fennel and Zucchini ©cadwu
Farfalle with Fennel and Zucchini ©cadwu

Pike Perch with Shrimps and Dill

2 November 2023

Pike Perch (zander, snoekbaars, sandre) is one of the tastiest, flavour-packed freshwater fish. The flesh is white, firm and lean and the taste is delicate, mild and perhaps a touch sweet. It combines very well, for instance with this delicious shrimp-based sauce with dill. It seems to be a bit of work, but when you prepare the bisque-like sauce in advance, then it’s actually a very quick recipe.

Wine Pairing

We opened a bottle of Domaine Font-Mars Picpoul de Pinet. This is a white wine from the South of France between Narbonne and Montpellier. The terroir (think calcareous soil, clay, quartz) is influenced by the sea, which is reflected in the mineral taste of the wine.
If you feel like spending more money, then we suggest a glass of Chablis. In general you’re looking for a refreshing, unoaked white wine with minerality and fresh acidity.

What You Need
  • Pike Perch fillets
  • Butter
  • For the Bisque
    • 300 grams of unpeeled small Grey Shrimps
    • Tomato Paste
    • 1 small Shallot
    • 1 Garlic Clove
    • Dill
    • Olive oil
    • pinch of Saffron
    • Cognac
    • pinch of Salt
    • Butter
What You Do
  1. Start by peeling the shrimps. It’s a very simple, mindfulness exercise
  2. Remove the heads and discard
  3. Use the shells for the bisque and transfer the bodies of the shrimps to the refrigerator
  4. Chop the shallot and the garlic
  5. Gently glaze the shallot for 10 minutes or so in olive oil
  6. Add the shells and the garlic
  7. Increase the heat for a few seconds
  8. Add some water and stir
  9. Add tomato paste, dill and saffron
  10. Add a splash of cognac and a pinch of salt
  11. Allow to simmer for 20 minutes
  12. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve. Make sure you get all the lovely juices
  13. Reduce the liquid until it’s powerful
  14. Cool and set aside.
  15. Transfer the shrimps from the refrigerator some 15 minutes before serving
  16. In a non-stick pan heat some butter and fry the pike-perch
  17. In parallel warm the bisque
  18. Use ice cold butter to make the sauce thicker and richer
  19. Plate up by creating a pool of sauce
  20. Place the fried fish somewhat in the middle of the sauce
  21. Add the shrimps and finish with some fresh dill
Pike Perch with Shrimps and Dill ©cadwu
Pike Perch with Shrimps and Dill ©cadwu

Orecchiette alla Barese

26 October 2023

A traditional dish from the city of Bari in Puglia, Italy. The main ingredients are orecchiette and rapini.
Orecchiette is an ear shaped pasta, typical for this region. Its surface is a bit rough, and the centre (the dent) is thinner than the edge. Its shape makes it ideal for a sauce with structure.
Rapini (Cime di rapa) will no doubt make you think of broccoli, which is not our favourite vegetable. Rapini has more bitterness and character. It is completely edible, including the stem and the leaves. If broccoli is about the florets, rapini is about the stem. If your greengrocer doesn’t sell rapini, then feel free to go for bimi or broccoli and make sure to add bitterness (we added one anchovy to the sauce).
As more often with traditional dishes, it’s not completely clear what the other ingredients are. Anchovies? Italian Sausage? Breadcrumbs? Peccorini? Tomatoes? Garlic?

Wine Pairing

A wine from Puglia will of course combine very well with this dish. Red wines in this region are made from the primitivo grape (also known as zinfandel). In general the wines are fuller bodied, with some acidity, good structure and lots of sunny flavours (blackberries, perhaps chocolate).

What You Need
  • 200 grams of Rapini
  • 150 grams of Italian Sausage
  • ¼ teaspoon Chilli Flakes
  • Orecchiette
  • One Anchovy
  • Parmesan Cheese
  • Olive Oil
What You Do
  1. Steam or blanch the rapini
  2. Drain and chop (1 centimeter or inch pieces is fine)
  3. Heat a pan, add some olive oil and the sausage meat
  4. Fry until nicely brown
  5. Remove the meat from the pan
  6. Add some oil and the anchovy
  7. Cook on low heat until the anchovy dissolves (a fork may be useful)
  8. Add the orecchiette to a pan with boiling water and cook until al dente
  9. In parallel prepare the sauce by adding the meat, the chilli flakes, and the vegetables to the pan with the anchovy. Mix
  10. Happy with the sauce?
  11. Remove the pasta from the water and transfer to the sauce. Combine. You may need to add some cooking liquid to the pan.
  12. We served our orecchiette with some freshly grated Parmesan cheese (optional) on warm plates.
Orecchiette alla Barese ©cadwu
Orecchiette alla Barese ©cadwu