by Jamie Oliver
Put the wine in a bowl, then add the saffron and let it soak for 5 minutes — this will start to bring out the flavour and colour. Divide the parsley between the bags and place the fish on top. Cut the butter into 4 pieces and place one on top of each fish. Divide the mussels between the bags then carefully pour some of the infused white wine into each bag. Make sure you don’t spill any and be careful not to let it ooze out of the bag. Sprinkle in the spring onions, then seal up. Remove the hot roasting tray from the oven and carefully lay the bags side by side on it — ensure the corners of the bags are bent upwards so that no liquid can escape. Place the roasting tray on the hob to get the bags going — they should start sizzling a little bit and steam will begin to build up inside. Place the tray in the oven for 12 minutes — the bags will puff up.
Take the tray to the table and let each guest open their own bag. Serve simply with boiled potatoes and nice greens. Place a dish on the table for people to put their tin foil and mussel shells in (discard any mussels that remain closed).
steamed squid
The great thing about this dish is that everything cooks at the same time. Once it’s all in the steamer it only takes about 7 or 8 minutes, so it’s damn quick, too! Dried salted black beans are fantastically tasty and you should be able to get hold of them at Asian food shops, or use a jar of black beans instead.
SERVES 2
3 spring onions
1 fresh red chilli
½ a lemon
1 bunch of fresh coriander
½ a bunch of fresh mint
4 medium squid, gutted, cleaned
2 pak choi, leaves separated
1 handful of sugar snap peas
1 handful of yellow or green beans, trimmed
1 handful of dried salted black beans, washed
5cm piece of ginger, grated
DRESSING
2 tablespoons dried salted black beans, washed
2 teaspoons sugar
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Finely chop the spring onions, chilli, lemon, most of the coriander and the mint, mix together and season with a little sea salt and black pepper. Use a teaspoon to stuff the mixture loosely into the squid — they’re now ready to cook.
Put 2.5cm of water into a pan, then, using a colander, bamboo steamer or normal steamer, place over the heat and get it to a slow steam. Line the bottom of the steamer with the pak choi leaves. Sprinkle the sugar snap peas over the top. Gather the yellow beans together in a big bunch, cut the ends off and slice them finely. Scatter these over the peas. Sprinkle over the black beans, followed by the ginger. Place the squid on top, put the lid on and steam for 7 to 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dressing. Mash the black beans in a pestle and mortar, then add all the other dressing ingredients, finely chop and add the remaining coriander, and stir well. Place your steamer on a plate, then pour the dressing over the squid and eat it straight out of the steamer. Seriously tasty!
Try this: Flavour and scent the steaming water with things like star anise and other spices or herbs — it makes a really subtle difference.
Or this: Mix a little wok-fried minced chicken in with the vegetables before stuffing the squid and steam for a little longer. Check that the filling is cooked before tucking in.
CHOPPING & SLICING
The most important thing about using a knife is not to take off all your fingers! So here are a few key rules to get you used to your chopper, which can only be a good thing as it makes life easier in the kitchen. Do get yourself a few good knives and make sure you keep them sharp, or you will end up putting too much body weight on to them and you’ll have an accident.
1. There are many techniques for how to chop things — whether you’re preparing herbs, meat or vegetables — but for me the one I’m showing you here is the safest and quickest.
2. Firmly hold the handle. Lay your other hand completely flat along the pivot point (where the knife rocks).
3. As you chop, stuff will tend to fly all over the board, so every now and again use the knife as a scraper to bring it all back into the centre.
4. You can use the knife to pick up whatever you’re chopping, to save your hands getting dirty.
1. It’s tempting to want to slice really quickly but the thing to do is start off slowly and get to know your knife. Practice makes perfect!
2. Make sure any vegetables are on a flat edge, or slice a piece off to make a flat edge. This is important to stop them moving about.
3. The theory is that if you tuck your fingertips in they won’t get cut (see [a] below). Then use the upper part of your finger as a flat surface and guide your knife up and down (see [b] below). P.S. Don’t forget to keep pulling your thumb back as you move along the vegetable.
steamed aubergine
This is a great way to cook aubergines, and probably one that not a lot of people would think of doing. Aubergines are usually fried or roasted, which makes them soak up loads of oil, but steaming means they go really soft and tender so that they’re lighter to eat — which means you can eat a lot more! All round the world there are so many different varieties of aubergines — long, round, purple, green — so keep your eyes peeled and try cooking them all.
SERVES 4
2 medium aubergines
DRESSING
1 lemon
2 teaspoons sugar
4 tablespoons low-salt soy sauce
3 tablespoons sweet chilli dipping sauce
2 teaspoons sesame oil
4 spring onions, sliced
2 fresh red chillies, finely chopped
1 big bunch of fresh coriander, leaves picked and roughly sliced
1 big bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked and roughly sliced
1 big bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked and roughly sliced
1 large handful of pale yellow celery leaves, from the heart
Put 2.5cm of water into a pan, then, using a colander, bamboo steamer or normal steamer, place over the heat and get it to a slow steam. Slice the aubergines in half lengthways and place them in the steamer, cut side up. Steam for 10 minutes — to check whether they’re ready, simply squeeze the sides gently and if they’re silky soft then they’re done. Place in a colander and leave to cool slightly.
Now make the dressing. Finely grate the lemon zest into a bowl, squeeze in the juice, then add the remaining dressing ingredients and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. When the aubergines are warm, this is the perfect time to flavour them. Cut them up into rough 2.5cm dice, drizzle over the dressing and toss together. Serve immediately as a salad, tapas dish or as a vegetable next to any simple cooked fish. Trust me, it’s really tasty!
skate baked in the bag with artichokes, purple potatoes, capers & crème fraîche
Potatoes and artichokes are always such a winning combination with fish, so I’ve put them in this dish, using fantastic purple potatoes — if you can’t find them, ask your local store to get some in. They are a great colour and, served in this way, might help in getting your kids to eat fish if they’re not keen. They’re not floury and they’re not waxy, just somewhere in the middle, so they’re great for baking and boiling. Buy the skate as fresh as you can — it doesn’t matter if the pieces are large or small, as you’ll want to cut them up anyway. Steaming skate makes it really soft, so it will just fall off the bone when done. This dish is just as good when eaten cold as a salad.
SERVES 4
1kg purple potatoes, scrubbed
5 medium to large globe artichokes
1 lemon
4 heaped tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
4 heaped tablespoons baby capers
olive oil
4 × 225g skate or ray pieces, trimmed and halved
4 small
wineglasses of white wine
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 tablespoons natural yoghurt or crème fraîche
Preheat the oven and a roasting tray to 240°C/475°F/gas 9. First you need to make 4 tin foil or greaseproof paper bags. Do this by taking 4 × A5-sized pieces of foil or greaseproof, fold each in half, then fold up the 2 ends tightly, giving you an ‘envelope’. Cook the spuds in boiling salted water, until tender, then drain and leave to cool. Slice them up roughly. Peel back the artichoke leaves, remove the chokes with a teaspoon, then rub the artichokes with lemon juice to stop them discolouring, and slice very finely. Put the artichokes and potatoes in a bowl with the melted butter, thyme, parsley and capers and season well with sea salt and black pepper. Toss together and divide between the bags. There’ll be a little butter left over in the bottom of the bowl, so you can add a little oil to it and use this to rub on to the skate pieces.
Season the fish, then place on top of the potatoes and artichokes. Carefully pour a glass of wine into each bag, add a sprig of rosemary, then tightly seal up. Remove the hot roasting tray from the oven and carefully lay the bags side by side on it — ensure the corners are bent upwards so no liquid can escape. Place the tray in the oven for 15 minutes — the bags will puff up. Serve at the table so that your guests can open their own bag. Serve with a dollop of yoghurt or crème fraîche, seasoned with a little salt and pepper, and a nice green salad.
Stewing and braising for me are great cooking methods. I love stuff I can make in a big pot to serve at large dinner parties. I like to mush up the leftovers and put them in a cannelloni or lasagne, like the Italians do — they never have any waste! Whenever I eat a good stew it always makes me feel homely, hearty and comforted. Apart from that, it’s great for turning cheap cuts of meat into a delectable feast and all the goodness is kept within the pot.
Whether you’re stewing or braising, start off by browning the seasoned and floured meat in a hot pan or tray — this seals it, giving you good flavour and colour. You can make a classic combination or you can make up your own. By using wine, stock, different vegetables and beans, you can assemble your own stew to reflect what’s available in your cupboard or in season. And if you’re not a great cook, you’ll find it quite hard to overcook braised or stewed dishes. Both can be thrown together in minutes and can be cooking all day so that when you get home there is a beautiful welcoming smell to greet you, as well as a great meal.
Braising is generally about cooking portions or large pieces of meat, whereas stewing normally involves smaller pieces of tougher meat. Classically, stews are cooked on the hob most of the time, whereas braising is done in the oven, both covered with lids.
STEWING & BRAISINGPLEASE SELECT A RECIPE
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STEWING & BRAISING
special chicken stew
ligurian braised rabbit & rosemary with olives & tomatoes
moroccan lamb stew
cod, potato & spring onion stew
BONING A CHICKEN
lebanese lemon chicken
dark, sticky stew
quick-time sausage cassoulet
bouillabaisse
MAKING A CARTOUCHE
tender braised leeks with wine & thyme
special chicken stew
This recipe is based on the classic French fricassee of chicken that I spent so many years as a student preparing. I’ve been lucky enough to see authentic ones cooked in France, and the Italian version of the same. A fricassee means floured meat fried and turned into a stew, using the flour as a thickening agent. In this recipe I’ve bastardized an old original, using individual spring chickens, but you can use a jointed whole chicken (see page 162).
SERVES 4
4 spring chickens or poussins
½ a bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked, stalks reserved
1 bunch of fresh tarragon, leaves picked, stalks reserved
4 teaspoons wholegrain mustard
2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
olive oil
1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
½ a celery heart, trimmed and finely sliced
2 good knobs of unsalted butter
2 wineglasses of crisp white wine
550ml quality stock
3 gem lettuces, quartered
1 small bunch of seedless grapes, halved
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4. Season the chickens inside and out with sea salt and black pepper and stuff each with the parsley and tarragon stalks. Using your forefinger, carefully part the skin from the breast meat and spread 1 teaspoon of wholegrain mustard on to each bird. Rub the flour all over the chickens so they are covered in a thin layer, keeping any flour that falls off.
In a casserole pan, fry the chickens in 3 good lugs of oil for 10 minutes, or until golden all over. Remove to a plate and then fry the onion, garlic and celery in the pan. Add the butter and spare flour and fry for a further 4 minutes, scraping up any goodness from the bottom of the pan. Add the wine and allow to reduce by half, then put the chickens back into the pan. Pour in the stock — it should come about halfway up the chickens. Make yourself a cartouche (see page 174). Wet it so it’s flexible, then tuck it in and around the pan.
Place in the oven and cook for 50 minutes to an hour, or until the chickens have crisp skin and the thigh meat falls off the bone. Remove the chicken to serving bowls — ones that can hold a bit of sauce — and place the pan back on the hob. Add the lettuces, grapes, parsley and tarragon leaves, and simmer for 2 more minutes. Taste and correct the seasoning, then spoon into the bowls.
Try this: A fricassee can also be made successfully using white fish.
Or this: Sometimes I tie the birds up (see page 228) to stop the legs sticking out all over the place when they cook.
ligurian braised rabbit & rosemary with olives & tomatoes
The main reason that a lot of people don’t eat rabbit is because they had one as a pet or think of them as sweet little things. Which is right, they are sweet — but they taste sweet as well! I know for a fact that Jools won’t even try rabbit on principle and I’m not going to argue with her — I gave up many years ago!
This dish cooks quite quickly, especially if you find yourself a nice young 1kg rabbit (preferably no bigger). It will feed 2 people and will be so tender. With this dish, less is definitely more — for instance, fewer olives are better than overdoing it with loads, as you’ll get a really subtle flavour. Ask your butcher to joint the rabbit for you.
In Liguria this is always made and served with the stones still in the olives, which is great because they taste so much better that way. If you don’t like the idea of having stones in them then feel free to remove them yourself, but please don’t buy those horrible stoned olives as they have absolutely no taste at all.
SERVES 4
2 × 1kg rabbits, jointed
2 heaped tablespoons plain flour
olive oil
1 bunch of fresh rosemary
6 cloves of garlic, unpeeled and squashed
½ a bottle of white wine
4 anchovy fillets in oil
1 handful of small black olives, stone in
3 ripe plum tomatoes, halved, deseeded and finely chopped
Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Toss the rabbit joints in the flour with a good pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Place the rabbit in a hot, casserole pan with 4 tablespoons of oil and fry until golden on one side. Turn the joints over, add the rosemary and garlic and continue to fry until the garlic has softened but not coloured. Pour in the white wine and wait for it to come to the boil before adding the rest of the ingredients. Put a lid on or make a cartouche (see page 174) and tuck this over the pan. Place in the oven for 25 minutes, or until beautifully tender — the lovely flavoured liquor will cook into the rabbit, making it very tasty, also leaving you with a little intensely flavoured sauce. If you find that the sauce is a bit t
oo watery, keep the pan on the heat and reduce it a bit more.
Try this: Serve the rabbit with some dried cannellini beans which have been soaked overnight then boiled until tender with a little chunk of potato, a piece of tomato and some herbs to tenderize and flavour them. Drain, discard the potato and tomato, season the beans to taste and dress with some good peppery extra virgin olive oil.
Or this: Also nice with some steamed greens.
moroccan lamb stew
I made this dish up the other day on a kind of Moroccan vibe, when I was mucking about with ways of marinating and tenderizing a lamb neck fillet, which is a really tasty and cheap cut of meat. I trimmed the meat of all sinews, bashed it flat, and made two incisions down the length of each fillet, but not quite to the end, so it looked almost like a tripod. I then marinated it with lots of spices and herbs and plaited it, to give a contrast between crispy and soft meat which I thought would be interesting. You don’t have to plait the meat but it does increase the surface area, meaning the marinade can get right in there. Needless to say, Jools thought I was mucking around with it too much and being very camp — you decide!
SERVES 4
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
