This is a simple and quick recipe for a very nice fish dish.

It has this Spanish feel with the chorizo and saffron.

Although Monkfish is usually expensive, I think you get what you paid for.

You need to be generous with the cream to have a nice sauce to dip into with freshly made bread or rice.

Preparation cannot be more than 10 minutes and cooking is 7 minutes!

Ingredients:

• Depending on the number of people probably half a Monkfish tail per person. Recipe here is probably for 450g of fish or one tail.
• A tablespoon of butter
• 20cl of single cream
• 5 cl of white wine
• Half a spicy chorizo (nicer if it has a bit of a kick)
• A Red Sweet Pepper
• A bit of fresh coriander to sprinkle on top at the end
• A couple of pinches of Safron (this is important, it give a nice taste to the overall dish). Buy it online if you cannot find it at the local supermarket.

How to make:

• Slice the pepper in thin long pieces. (no seeds)
• Chop the Chorizo in small cubes. About 1cm cube.
• Remove the tailbone of the Monkfish and cut large medallions. (maybe 3 pieces per half-tail/filets).
• Cook for 6 minutes (set a timer to help) in a pan the monkfish with the chorizo and the pepper and a tablespoon of butter.
• Do not overcook the fish.
• Add the cream and the saffron and the wine and cook for only 1 more minute!
• Sprinkle some chopped coriander and serve immediately.
• Goes very nicely with courgettes linguine, rice or simply a slice of bread.

Since a trip to Italy to go and see our friends Anne and Louis-Carl, I have been wanting to make these Gnocco Fritto. We had some in a small restaurant close to a lake and it was simply amazing. I knew it was not much more than bread, but the secret is using a quality “Lard”. I use the Iberico Pork fat which comes in 190g jars. You will need 2 of these to put into the pastry and to use as cooking oil.

Ingredients:

• 350g Flour
• 1 teaspoon of Yeast
• 160ml of warm Water (it is possible to do it with milk as well)
• A pinch of Salt
• 2 X 190g of Lard. 50g Lard for the pastry and the rest for the cooking

How to make:

• Dilute the yeast in the 160ml of warm water, leave until it foams a little
• Mix all the ingredients in a bowl making a small well in the middle
• Mix until you have a nice elastic dough. Probably for 5 minutes.
• Make a ball out of the dough (tuck-in), leave in the bowl covered with cling film for 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Melt all the remainder of fat into a deep pan and bring to 170-180 degrees C.
• Roll the dough with some flour to make a thin sheet of dough about 3mm thick.
• Cut the dough with a sharp knife in 5 to 6cm squares.
• Dip the square pieces of dough into the frying pan and let cook until nice and golden. They will puff up nicely!
• Move onto a plate with a towel paper and eat immediately with some charcuteries or Italian Coppa or soft cheese! Wine is optional but recommended.

[First post May 2017]. Just about to start curing some duck filets. Starting with 2 filets of Duck, I am salting using Kosher salt (sticks better to the meat) and lots of spices of all sorts. The rub will be mostly pickling spices (coriander/cloves/mustard pepper) a few dried herbs,  black pepper and brown sugar.

[update 1] May bank holiday weekend! About 10 days that the duck is in the fridge and in the muslin. Just got my meat slicer (my Xmas present from my wife), can’t wait to try the thin slices of meat with a glass of wine.

[Jan 2021: update 3] I have made this several times but always been a bit disappointed that it is too salty once finished. So I recommend starting with filet in the salt only for 12 to 24 hours. Then rinse well ad pat dry with towel paper. Then rub with spices as you see fit. I like it “simple” with only once type of pepper or one set of herbs. The mixed spices tend to make it to overpowering versus the duck. Leave in the fridge for a few days, and then take into a well ventilated cool place. If you leave in the fridge only and for the whole curing period, the meat tends to pick-up some of the smells of the fridge. So I prefer to dry it outside in the garage in the “Garde Manger” I made.

Ingredients:

• 2 Duck Fillets (approx 400g)
• 25g Salt
• 25g Brown Sugar (Cassonade)
• Pickling Spices (or any spices you like)
• Dried Herbs
• Black Pepper

How to Make:

• As per the update above. Start with only salt for 24 hours in the fridge to start the curing process.
• After 24 hours in the salt in the fridge, rinse well the filet and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Grind all the spices and mix in a bowl.
• Score the skin of the duck filets
• Cover the fillets with the spice rub and put into a muslin.
• Leave the Duck for a couple of days in the fridge, to accelerate the initial drying of the ducks.
• Transfer to a cool and well-ventilated area to hang for a few weeks. (if you have no other option, you can keep in the fridge as well but the meat might capture a little the fridge smells. Let the meat dry until the weight is 70% of the starting weight.
• I put a small tag to keep track of the “target” weight.

• [UPDATE 2 Dec.2018] I have done this recipe a few times now. It is important to rince well the duck. It tends to be a bit salty if not. I also got into the habit of putting “only spices” on the meat after the salting period and into the “curing” period. For example I did this year a Pink Peppercorn only duck and a Provence Herbs one.

• Cut thinly and eat as an appetiser or put onto pasta.

Last-minute preparations for a very strange Christmas with all the families in different locations and shopping substantially impacted by the London confinement rules.

Still, we are all very resourceful and can always find a way to make it special…Jules & Oli making last-minute presents in the garage.

24th compulsory Xmas jumper day.

25th compulsory pyjama day for all in the house!

26th birthday Noe.

The menu has been “signed-off” and we are starting with Mojitos….

Panic for various lunches and breakfasts and dinners over the coming few days with the boys….

Usually, we are in France and simply putting our feet under the table with my mum’s cooking! Which we all know is MAMYFIQUE!

Looking for inspiration to do a few simple dishes but with a twist to make them more festive.

This is a deep-fried potato choux, a classic Xmas special for the Dehon’s!

It is a mix of the standard Choux Pastry with a puree of potatoes.

[Initially posted in 12th Oct. 2013 !]

Ingredients :

250g of Potato

250g of Choux Pastry

Salt & Pepper. Nutmeg.

for the Choux Pastry :

250g of water, 140g of flour, 115g of unsalted butter

Pinch of Salt, Pinch of Sugar.

4 or 5 whole eggs.

Put the water, sugar, salt, butter in a pan and bring to boil. Take off the boil straight away. Pour all the flour in the pan, mix well with a silicone spatula, you must obtain a pastry that does not stick to the pan. Put back on the heat for 1 minute or 1&1/2 minute. This is to dry the pastry, it is important for the recipe. Take off the heat,  put one egg at a time and mix well to obtain an elastic and shinny pastry. You can use this for Choux Pastries, desserts, very nice with cream, etc…

If you are making the Pommes Dauphines, simply cook the peeled potatoes in water for 15/20 minutes. Then mash and put on the heat for a few minutes to dry the potatoes. Add the nutmeg and Salt, Pepper or Cayenne Pepper for a bit of a kick.

Then mix with the Choux Pastry.

Make some small quenelles with 2 teaspoons and deep fry in oil at 175/180 degrees C. Maybe 10 at a time. If the pastry is a bit rough in the oil it is ok, it makes them a bit more crispy. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Shake oil and put on paper towels. season with salt and serve immediately. You can also use one of those “squeeze” things to make smaller pastries which are also very nice.

La recette familialle des truffes au Chocolat de la famille Sevin.

Ingredients pour 45 Truffes:

• 300g of good chocolate.
• 2oog of unsalted butter.
• 4 egg yokes (discard the whites)
• The recipe is missing the sugar quantity but I estimate it to be 80g to 100g

How to make :

• Mix egg yokes and sugar to get a smooth whitish mixture
• Soften the butter and add to the eggs & sugar
• Melt the chocolate in a pan.
• Depending on the chocolate it might be necessary to add up to 3 tablespoons of water
• Pour chocolate into egg/butter/sugar mixture to make a paste
• Put in the fridge until it gets medium-hard. Probably for one hour.
• Use a teaspoon to grab small quantities of the mixture and roll in your hands to make balls
• Roll into dark chocolate powder or sugar.
• Keep in the fridge or cool area….eat soon.

There is many variations possible by selecting different types of chocolate or decreasing eggs or butter etc…rolling the final product in Hazelnuts etc….