Bistro des Z'Artes - Latest Blog Entries

Cocotte of pork with winter vegetables

Sun, 05 Feb 2012 19:35:00 +0000

Cocotte of pork with winter vegetables

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients :

1kg Pork belly (brined)

Brine 25% salt brine

6 cloves

3 juniper berries

Zest of 1 orange

Zest of 1 lemon

3 sprigs of thyme

Sprig of rosemary

3 sprigs of lemon

3 bay leaves

3 cloves of garlic (smashed)

250g salt

300ml brown stock

100g black pudding

300g shallots

400g green cabbage

1kg peeled potatoes

10 cloves garlic

2 sprigs thyme

80ml olive oil

Method :

Put all the ingredients for the brine in a pot together with 1ltr of water & bring to a simmer until all the salt has dissolved.

Leave to cool & pour over the trimmed skinless pork belly.

Leave to marinate for 12 hours. To use place in a bowl of cold water for 1 hour, changing the water every 15 minutes.

Place the pork into a vacuum bag & cook in a water bath for 18 hours at 60C.

Remove from the bath & place in a bowl of ice water to cool.

For the garnish saute the peeled shallots in the olive oil until golden, add the potatoes, herbs & garlic. Season well and place in a hot oven (200C) for 45minutes basting regularly to roast all over.

Steam the green cabbage at the last minute.

For the sauce reduce the brown stock by half and break up the black pudding into it. Blend & keep warm. You can add any of the left over meat juices at the end, being careful not to oversalt the sauce.

To serve, warm up in the same bath, still in the bag for 25 minutes at 60C.

Remove from the bag, trim off excess fat & score the skin side.

Pan fry on all sides for a few minutes to crispen up the fat.

To serve get a large hot platter & arrange the vegetables on the bottom, the thickly sliced pork on top with the sauce poured over.

Enjoy

Winter salad

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 17:58:00 +0000

Winter salad

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients

1/4 cauliflower

25g onion

50ml olive oil

200ml milk

25g butter

1 pear

1 apple

40ml vinegar

50g garden peas or frozen peas

50g fresh podded or frozen broad beans

1 roasted & peeled beetroot (180C for 1hr)

1 lemon

1tspn hot curry powder

45ml balsamic vinegar (or balsamic reduction)

6 radish

salt & pepper to taste

1 bag washed & picked watercress

1 bag washed & picked rocket

Method.

Sweat the chopped onion a a little of the olive oil. Add the cut up cauliflower & cover with the milk.
Season with salt & pepper & cover to simmer for 10 minutes.
Strain off the milk & puree the cauliflower in a strong blender.
Melt the butter until it goes nut brown.
Add to the cauliflower, mix and keep warm.
Peel & cut the pear & apple into cubes and mix into the vinegar (this needs to be done quickly so as they do not go brown)
Cut the beetroot into small cubes & keep.
Heat the curry powder gently in the remaining oil & keep.
To serve, place a streak of the warm cau
liflwer puree across the plate.
Gently lay on the watercress, then the rocket.
Sprinkle with pear, apple, grated rocket, lemon, zest, peas & broad beans.
Season the salad & drizzle with the curry oil & the balsamic glaze.

Note:

Don't be daunted by the amount of ingredients in this recipe & substitute some if you wish.

Divide the work up with all the fiddly things made long before serving & just assemble everything at the last minute to be crispy & fresh.

Frisee salad with lardons

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:51:00 +0000

Frisee salad with lardons
Serves 4 persons

Ingredients :
200g bacon (cut in cubes)
1 large head frisee salad
4 slices of baquette
A drizzle of olive oil
Salt & paper
80g roquefort (or other blue cheese)
1 shallot (finely sliced)
A splash of great vinegar

Method :
Simmer the bacon 2 minutes, then skin off the fat & cool.
Pat dry the bacon & fry in the pork fat.
Sautee until it is crispy & golden.
Add the baguette (cut into cubes) with the olive oil & saute until golden.
Add the sliced shallot & mix well for a second.
Season & toss all the ingredients in a cold bowl with a little vinegar & serve immediately.

Enjoy !!

Turkey & courgette lasagnha

Sun, 22 Jan 2012 19:45:00 +0000

Turkey & courgette lasagnha

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients :

2 courgettes

1 onion

4 cloves garlic

1 carrot

1 tsp oregano

2 bay leaves

500g turkey breast mince

1/2glass white wine

100ml olive oil

1 small tin chopped tomatoes

50g flour

1ltr low fat milk

Salt & pepper to taste

Method :

Saute off the chopped onion & garlic in 50ml of the olive oil until transparent.

Add the grated carrot & cook for 2 minutes.

Add the turkey & stir as it cooks to break it up. Bring to a simmer & keep stirring until all the meat has broken up.

Add the bay leaves, oregano, chopped tomatoes & the wine. Simmer for 1 hour.

For the white sauce Add the flour to the other 50ml of the olive oil in a pot & cook until it gets a sandy texture. Add the milk a little at a time (always stirring).

Continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.

To assemble take out a lasagnha dish and start with a layer of meat, then finely cut courgette strips. A layer of white sauce, then more courgette. Continue this until the dish is full.

For the last layer top with the last of the white sauce mixed with some freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Bake in a hot oven at 200C for 30 minutes until bubbling & gratinated.

Serve with a really crispy green salad.

Note

This dish can be even better if you grill the courgettes first which will add a smoky flavour.

Tell the kids the courgette is green pasta.

CJ's Shrimp on the Barbie

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 09:23:00 +0000

CJ's Shrimp on the Barbie

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients

24 Large shrimp, head & all

1cm ginger

1 red chilli

1 spoon chopped coriander

150g butter

1 mango

1 lemon

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Cut the prawns in half length ways. Season on the flesh side.
Melt the butter & blend with the ginger, coriander and chilli.
Brush the shrimps lightly with this mixture.
Grill flesh side down in batches on the bbq until golden.
Remove & place in an oven tray. Bake for 4 minutes at 200C. This will cook through the meat without getting that horrible burnt shell taste through the dish.
Take out the prawns & remove half the heads. Blend the heads with the melted butter & the lime juice. Strain well & add in the cubed mango.
Serve the prawns with this sauce drizzled over the top. It will go great with Vietnamese slaw or simple baked potatoes.

Enjoy

Chicken chasseur

Sun, 11 Dec 2011 18:10:00 +0000

Chicken chasseur
serves 4

Ingredients
1chicken
1 onion
2cloves garlic
60g carrot
60g onion
60g mushroom
1 sprig tarragon
1 glass white wine
3 ripe tomatoes
1ltr stock

Method :
Dust all the chicken pieces in flour.
Pan fry in small batches in the olive oil until golden on all sides.
De-glaze the pan with half the cup of wine & keep the juice.
Saute off the onions, garlic, mushrooms & carrots.
Add the rest of the wine with the reserved juice and the tarragon.
Add the stock, and the chicken.
Simmer for 45 mins until the chicken falls off the bone.
Correct the seasoning & serve with with great mashed potatoes.

Sesame crusted swordfish with tomato & black olive potatoes

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 13:01:00 +0000

Sesame crusted swordfish with tomato & black olive potatoes

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

4 good sized swordfish steaks

1 egg white

40g sesame seeds

150ml olive oil

salt & pepper to taste

6 ripe tomatoes

50g pitted black olives

a sprig of rosemary

a sprig of thyme

6 cloves of garlic

4 potatoes

Method

Place 2 of the tomatoes, cut into cubes, the olives, peeled garlic cloves, thyme, rosemary & 100ml of the olive oil into a baking tray & bake with a little salt & pepper for 45 minutes at 160C.
Peel & cut the potatoes into cubes. Deep fry until golden & drain on kitchen paper to absorb any excess oil.
In a large saute pan add the potatoes and toss until golden brown with a little olive oil, then add the tomato & olive mix and cook for another 2 minutes until all the flavours have fused together.
Season the swordfish steaks with salt & pepper, place into egg white on a plate and then dip one side into sesame seeds. Pan fry seed side down first in olive oil & turn when the seeds are golden.
Do don overcook & serve on top of the potatoes with a great salad. Eat immediately.

Enjoy

Curried cream of pumpkin soup

Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:40:00 +0000

Curried cream of pumpkin soup

Serves 12 persons

Ingredients

1 medium sized pumpkin

2 onions

1 carrot

4 cloves garlic

50ml olive oil

2tspn curry powder

Water to cover

Salt & pepper to taste

Method

Peel & cut the pumpkin into 2cm cubes.
Lay out in a roasting tin with the cubed carrots & onions, all tossed in the olive oil.
Roast for 1 hour at 160C until very soft & most of the liquid has evaporated.
In a wide & heavy bottomed pot fry off the curry powder & garlic in a little olive oil over a low flame for 10 mins, add the vegetables & just cover with water.
Simmer for 20 minutes, blend, season & correct the consistency with water.

If you like add some whipped cream or crème fraiche.

Enjoy

Brined pork chops

Sun, 13 Nov 2011 09:50:00 +0000

Brined Pork Chops

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

200ml Vinegar

80g Salt

120g Brown sugar

1tbn Black peppercorns

1tbn Mustard powder

1 Apple

1Kg pork chops

Method

Bring the vinegar & the cubed apple to the boil, add in the rest of the ingredients (except the pork) & mix well.
Add in a dozen ice cubes to bring down the temperature. Leave covered for 20mins to infuse all the flavours.
Add in the pork chops & marinate for 2-3 hours.
Remove & pat dry. Now you can grill on the pan or bbq with a little oil & you will have the most tender, juicy & mouth-watering pork chops imaginable.

Herby crusted fillet of cod, Greek potatoes, tomato sauce & fresh asparagus

Sat, 05 Nov 2011 12:03:00 +0000

Herby crusted fillet of cod, Greek potatoes, tomato sauce & fresh asparagus

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients

1200g Cod fillet (6 skinless & boneless cod fillet steaks, the thicker the better)

1cup Mixed fresh herbs (all chopped up)

60g Butter

1 Egg

4 Tomatoes

½ Onion

6 cloves Garlic

15g Sugar

1 cup White wine

2 tsp Oregano

500g Potatoes (peeled & cut into cubes)

60ml Vinegar

150ml Olive oil

18 spears Asparagus (3 per person)

Salt / Pepper

Method

For the crust blend the butter with the herbs & salt, pepper in a good liquidizer until smooth. Mix with the egg & then mix in the breadcrumbs.
Lay out a sheet of greaseproof paper, place on the crust mix & lay another sheet of greaseproof on top & roll out the crust between the sheets until it is as thin as possible. Place this in the fridge. The butter will solidify and make it easier to cut into squares to go on top of the cod.
For the tomato sauce fry off the chopped onion in 30ml of the olive oil with 3 cloves of minced garlic. When it starts to colour add in the chopped tomatoes, sugar & 1tspn of the oregano. Simmer for a further 5 minutes. Add the white wine & cover.
Cook for a further 10 minutes on a low heat with a lid on. Blend with a soup blender, season and keep warm.
For the Greek potatoes place the cubed potatoes in a baking tray & mix with the vinegar, the rest of the oregano, the rest of the olive oil, garlic and season well.
Bake in the oven (turning all the time to coat) at 180C until tender.
To serve pan fry the cod skin side up (2 at a time) seasoned with salt & pepper in a non stick pan with olive oil until golden. Remove & place skin side down in a baking tray.
Cut the crust into 6 pieces & place a piece on each cod fillet to cover the fish.
Bake in a hot oven at 220C for 6 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish) and check if it is cooked. If not put it back in the oven and check again every 2 minutes.
Place a pool of the tomato sauce in the middle of the plate, arrange 3 freshly boiled spears of asparagus around the plate, place on a spoon of the Greek potatoes and top with the cod.
Drizzle a little olive oil around the plate and serve immediately.

Enjoy

Chocolate & orange cake

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:47:00 +0100

Chocolate & Orange Cake

Ingredients

425g great chocolate (plain & dark)

450g Butter

240g Sugar

6 large eggs (seperated)

Zest of 3 oranges

200ml cream

1 tspn Grand Marnier (or other orange liquor)

Method

If the chocolate is not already in chips, break it up & melt 200g in the microwave on full, stirring every 10 seconds until it is melted. Leave aside to cool a little.
Beat the butter and sugar until pale & well whipped.
Add the egg yolks one at a time still mixing.
Stir in the chocolate with a spoon.
Fold in the flour & orange zest gently.
Seperately beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until whipped up to peaks.
Fold into the chocolate mix.
Pour into a 23cm lined cake mould & bake at 170C for 35-40m minutes.
Test if it is done by inserting a knife (when done the knife will come out clean)
Turn out & cool on a wire rack.
For the topping melt the rest of the chocolate with the grand marnier & the cream in the microwave, stirring every 10 seconds until melted.
Leave aside to cook a little (it will thicken up a bit)
When the cake & topping are cool, pour the topping over the cake & keep in the fridge.

Note;

Try this recipe with other alcahols & fruit flavours.

Carrot Cake with 7 minute frosting

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 18:11:00 +0100

Carrot Cake with 7 minute frosting

Serves 12 persons

Ingredients

400ml cooking oil

400g sugar

4 eggs

1tspn nutmeg

1tspn cinnamon

400g grated carrot

400g flour

7 minute frosting

350g sugar

2 egg whites

4 tablespoons water

¼ tspn cream of tartar

Zest of 1 lemon

Method

In a food mixer beat the oil, 400g sugar & 4 eggs really well until light & fluffy
Add the nutmeg, cinnamon, grated carrot & flour stirred in by hand.
Pour the mixture into 2 greaseproof lined loaf tins &bake for 1 hour at 170C. Test with a knife to see if it comes out clean.
Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack out of the tin.
For the frosting Beat the 350g sugar, 2 egg whites, water & cream of tartar over a bain marie of hot water taking care that the boiling water does not touch the bowl.
Beat this until it is light like meringue & then remove from the heat & continue to beat until it is cold.
Mix in the lemon zest & spread over the cakes.

Enjoy

Marsala baked pears

Sun, 16 Oct 2011 11:06:00 +0100

Marsala baked pears

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients

6 pears

60g sugar

60g butter

1 cup marsala (or sherry, port or muscatel)

2 cinnamon sticks (broken up)

1 small tub of crème fraiche

Method

Cut the base off each of the pears so they will stand up easily
Scoop out the core from the bottom using a Parisienne scoop
Rub all over the pears with butter at room temperature, then roll the pears in the sugar, holding them by their stalks.
Pour the marsala & the cinnamon into a pan or pot (just big enough to sit the pears).
Bake in the oven at 180C for 50 minutes covered with tin foil.
Remove the foil & bake at 150C for a further 50 minutes.
Leave to cool & serve with some of the syrup & a good dollop of the crème fraiche.

Pumpkin ravioli in a Camembert cream sauce

Sun, 09 Oct 2011 08:02:00 +0100

Pumpkin ravioli in a Camembert cream sauce

Serves 12 persons

Ingredients

500g plain flour

5 egg yolks

130ml olive oil

100 ml milk (to be judged by eye)

1kg pumpkin peeled & cut in large cubes

Salt & pepper to taste

100g finely chopped onion

400ml great fresh cream

½ packet of Camembert

Method

Put the pumpkin cubes tossed in 100ml of the olive oil into the oven at 200C for 1 hour until all the liquid has disappeared & they are half their size.
Purée the pumpkin, season & chill.
In a mixer add the flour & the egg yolks with a k-beater attachment & mix for 20mins until it resembles sand.
Add 30ml of the olive oil & then the milk & mix with the dough hook attachment until the dough comes together to form a firm ball (this cannot be wet or sticky as it will soften as it relaxes)
Remove the dough from the mixer & wrap in cling film.
Put into the fridge for an hour to relax.
Cut the dough into 4 quarters & cover 3 of them with a clean tea towel.
Roll out the first quarter on the pasta roller while add the minimum amount of flour.
When the dough is on the second last setting, lay it on a well floured worktop.
Add teaspoons of the pumpkin mix at regular intervals to half the dough. Fold it over onto itself & press the pockets closed.
Cut with a zig zag pasta cutter ( it probably has a fancy name)
store in the freezer between layers of greaseproof or cook immediately
For the sauce, fry off the chopped onion in the last of the olive oil, add the cream and the Camembert & simmer until it is a little thinner than you need.
Purée the sauce & leave it near the heat to stay warm.
To cook the ravioli place them into the biggest pot of boiling water you have (a few at a time) so that the water never stops boiling. They normally take 2 minutes from fresh & another minute from frozen.
Remove from the water & toss in the sauce.
Serve with great bread, Parmesan cheese & maybe a drop of truffle oil.

Herby cod with homemade fries

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 09:18:00 +0100

Herby cod with homemade fries

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

4 good sized cod steaks (or similar meaty white fish)

2 egg yolks

60g Dijon mustard

lost of mixed herbs basil, mint, thyme, parsley finely chopped

8 large chipping potatoes

2 cups oatmeal

1 cup homemade breadcrumbs

salt & pepper

Method

Season the fish fillets with salt & pepper
mix the egg yolk with the mustard
Finely chop all the herbs & mix into the breadcrumbs with the oatmeal
Brush the cod all over with the mustard paste, pass through the breadcrumbs & place on a tray
Wash the potatoes well & cut to the size you want. Simmer for 5 minutes in boiling water.
Remove the chips & dry them.
To serve deep fry the fish 2 fillets at a time until golden & crunchy, then finish in an oven at 180C for 5 more minutes.
While the fish is finishing in the oven fry off the chips in very hot oil.
Drain them well and sprinkle with good salt.
Serve with a wedge of lemon

Snails with parsley butter

Sat, 24 Sep 2011 13:32:00 +0100

Snails with parsley butter

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients

36 large fresh cleaned snails

2 tspn garlic

½ onion

60g butter

1ltr chicken stock

1 bunch parsley

Salt & pepper

Method

Get the snails cleaned & ready to cook.
Put the snails into a lot of cold water & heat up gently so that they come out of their shells.
Bring to a simmer for 10 minutes.
Remove from the water & leave to cool.
With a toothpick remove the snails from the shells.
Put the chicken stock into the pan with half the garlic and half the butter, the parsley stems and add them too with the snail meat. Simmer for 1 hour until tender.
Strain the stock & keep the snails covered. Reduce the stock until only the butter remains.
Leave to cool a little, and blend in the rest of the parsley an garlic.
Place in the fridge.
Restuff each snail shell with a snail & top with the butter sauce.
Bake in the oven (on a bed of salt) at 220C for 10 minutes until piping hot and gratinated.
Serve & enjoy

Rabbit Meatballs

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:45:00 +0100

Rabbit Meatballs

Serves 6 persons

Ingredients

1 rabbit (get your butcher to bone out & mince the rabbit, chicken breast & bacon together)

2 breasts of chicken

50g bacon

1 egg

2 onions

pinch of thyme

Salt & pepper to taste

1 carrot

100g leek

100g celery

Method

When the butcher has minced all the meat, keep the bones for stock.
Roast off the bones in a little olive oil with the sautéed carrot, leek & celery & 1 of the onions. Add a bay leaf & cover with water.
Simmer the stock for 3 hours always removing the scum that comes to the top.
Strain & reduce to 2 cups in quantity.
Add the white wine & reduce down to 1 cup.
Mix the minced meat with the egg, the other chopped onion, rest of the thyme & the seasoning. Mix really well & then form into the meatballs. Keep in the fridge until needed.
Eat a sauté pan really well and add a little olive oil. Sauté the balls one layer at a time until golden on all sides. Finish by roasting in an oven at 200C until cooked through.
Serve with some great pasta with the meat juice drizzled over the balls.

Enjoy

Cream of courgette & coconut soup

Mon, 05 Sep 2011 19:15:00 +0100

Serves 8 persons

Ingredients

600g courgettes

1 onion

50ml olive oil

2 cloves garlic

1.5ltr water

Salt & pepper to taste

1 small can coconut milk

60g Philadelphia cream cheese

Method

Fry off the chopped courgettes with the onion & garlic in the olve oil.
When soft add the water & simmer for 5 minutes.
Season & blend well.
Chill until very cold.
Blend in the cream cheese & coconut milk & check the seasoning.
Serve very cold.

Açorda de Berbigão (Cockle & bread soup)

Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:46:00 +0100

Serves 4 persons

Ingredients

1Kg Berbigão (cockles)

50ml Good olive oil

1 onion

3 cloves of garlic

3 ripe tomatoes

2 eggs

200g stale bread

Coriander

Rock salt

Method

Soak the cockles in salt water for a few hours to clean them & remove any sand.
In a heavy bottomed pot add the chopped onion & garlic to sweat off in the olive oil, add the cockles & cover over a high heat until they open.
Remove the cockle & add the chopped tomato.
Cook for 5 minutes, season lightly as the cockles will have a lot of salt.
Add 400ml water and simmer for a further 5 mins.
Add the chopped coriander and the cockles again.
Place the stale bread divided between 4 soup bowls.
Place a raw egg yolk in each bowl & pour over the boiling stock with the cockles. Serve & eat immediately.

Note:

You can remove the cockles from their shells before serving to make this easier to eat.

I love it drizzled with a little olive oil before serving.

BBQ Paella

Sun, 21 Aug 2011 09:47:00 +0100

BBQ Paella

Do not attempt this recipe if you do not have a BBQ that closes, either gas or charcoal. This recipe also needs to be watched carefully so cut everything up in advance & get it ready. If you do not have a paella pan, you can use a deep roasting tray or a very wide pot. If your pot is not 40cm wide or more half the recipe and use the widest pot you have.

Serves 10 persons

Ingredients

1 onion chopped

3 peppers (1 red, 1 green, 1 yellow)

½ chouriço

100ml Olive oil

4 cloves of garlic

10 chicken thighs

2 pkts saffron threads or powder (get the good stuff)

4 cups of rice

8 cups of water

1 fish stock cube

salt & pepper to season

3 kg mussels

1kg mixed white fish fillets in cubes

2 kg whole prawns

Method

Light the bbq, gas or wood. Get it to a hot temperature to start.
Fry off the onion in the olive oil & chopped chouriço.
Add the chicken thighs & continue frying on all sides until golden.
Add the rice & stir well to coat all the grains with olive oil.
Add the water & the crumbled stock cube with the cubed fish fillets.
Cover the bbq & leave to simmer for 10 minutes.
Arrange the cleaned & bearded mussels neatly on top & close again to cook for another 5 minutes.
Arrange the prawns on top and close again for another 10 minutes.
Take a photo as nobody will believe that you managed to do this in a BBQ.
Serve with great crispy bread & salad.

Note

This is not the most traditional Paella, but is works on a BBQ as we found out when we cooked it in a car park to demonstrate a new BBQ.

Please don't forget, if the mussels are open before cooking, throw them away & likewise if they are closed after cooking.