Cook your steak in a cast-iron pan, remove the meat but keep the pan on the heat. Add the brandy to the hot pan. Turn the heat to medium-high and simmer for a few minutes while scraping down the pan. Reduce the brandy by half and until you can no longer smell the alcohol. Pour in the beef stock, bring to a quick simmer and cook until it has also reduced by half. Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the cream. Add the peppercorns and cook for 2 minutes. Taste and season the sauce with salt and a few good grindings of black pepper. Serve as needed.
This can be served warm or cold, as a fragrant pasta salad.
250g dried pasta (I used Cavatappi) 30ml olive oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 2 handfuls of baby spinach 250ml hummus the juice and grated rind of 1 lemon a handful of small basil leaves
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve about a cup of the cooking water. Add the olive oil to a large saucepan and cook the onion over medium-high heat until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Now add the spinach and stir-fry for another minute. Turn the heat down slightly and add the hummus. Slowly add the cooking water of the pasta while stirring constantly. Stop adding water once it is of a consistency that will cover the pasta and still stick to it. Add the cooked pasta and stir to coat with the sauce. Squeeze over the lemon juice and grate the lemon over the pasta. Taste and season with salt.
Serve the hummus pasta with grated parmesan cheese and a scattering of basil leaves.
220g dry pasta of your choice – I used wholewheat 60g butter 2 large onions, sliced 2,5ml salt 3 cloves garlic, minced 60ml white wine 45ml thyme leaves 125ml beef stock 15ml Worcestershire sauce 125ml grated Gruyere cheese 60ml cream
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions. Melt the butter in a large saucepan set over medium-high heat. Add the sliced onion and sprinkle over the salt. Cook the onion for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. If you stir too often the onions will take a longer time to caramelise. It is also important to regulate the heat – if it browns too quick, it will be burnt and not caramelised. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring continuously. Now add the wine and scrape any onion bits from the bottom of the saucepan. Add the cooked pasta, thyme leaves, stock, Worcestershire sauce and stir to incorporate. Finally add the Gruyere and cream and stir through. Serve the pasta with extra grated cheese on top.
Place a heavy-bottom saucepan on medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until crispy and browned. Remove from the pan. Place the chicken breasts on a flat surface and halve them horizontally so that you have 8 thin chicken portions. Mix the flour, breadcrumbs and salt together in a shallow dish. Coat the chicken generously with the flour mixture. Pour the vegetable oil into the saucepan and allow it to warm up. Fry the breasts for 3minutes per side, remove from the saucepan and set aside. Remove the oil from the saucepan and wipe it clean with paper towel. Now add the butter and allow to melt over medium-high heat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir around until it forms a paste. Cook for one minute while stirring. Gradually pour in the chicken stock and milk and whisk continuously. Now add the Worcestershire sauce, onion powder and tarragon. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chicken back into the sauce. Sprinkle over the bacon and simmer for 5 – 10 minutes. Serve the chicken and the sauce on creamy mashed potatoes.
Filling: 45ml vegetable oil 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced 1 bunch of Kale, chopped 125ml chicken stock 6 eggs 125ml cream 5ml salt
For the pastry: Add the flour and butter to a mixing bowl and rub together with your fingers until the lumps are the size of peas. Add the egg and cheddar and mix to bring together. Knead the pastry by hand. It is very flaky and falls apart but push it together as best you can. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.
Preheat your oven to 180℃ and spray a loose-bottom cake tin or pie tin with cooking spray. Roll the pastry into a rough circle shape even if it breaks apart and transfer (even if it is pieces) to the pie tin. Gently push the pastry out on the base and sides of the baking tin. It is okay to “patch” the pastry as long as there are no gaps for the filling to leak out. Line the pastry with baking paper and dried beans. Bake for 7 minutes, remove the paper and beans and bake a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.
For the filling: Add the vegetable oil to a saucepan set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the garlic and stir-fry for one minute. Add the kale and stir-fry until slightly softened and bright green. Spoon the mixture into a blender, add the stock and blitz until smooth. Add the eggs and cream to a mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Add the kale mixture to the eggs and whisk to combine. Pour the mixture into the pastry shell and bake for 35 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow the quiche to rest for 15 minutes before serving with whipped goats cheese.
200g chorizo, casing removed and sliced 45ml butter 2 leeks, cleaned and sliced in discs 2 onions, sliced 1 x 400g frozen puff pastry 4 eggs 125g sour cream 50g parmesan cheese, grated 15ml flour 5ml smoked paprika
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and spray a 22cm diameter loose-bottom pie tin with baking spray. Place a pan on medium-high heat and add the butter. Add the chorizo, leeks and onion and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Lightly dust a work surface with flour and roll the pastry into a 25cm diameter disc. Line the prepared pie tin (base and sides) with the pastry and prick the base all over with the tines of a fork. Line the pastry case with baking paper and dry beans/rice and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the beans and paper and bake the shell for another 8 minutes. Remove from the oven and lower the temperature to 180℃. Add the eggs, sour cream, parmesan, flour and paprika to a mixing bowl and whisk together until smooth. Spoon the chorizo mixture into the pastry shell and spread it evenly over the base. Pour the egg mixture over and bake the quiche for 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
1 litre vegetable stock 30ml olive oil 30ml butter 1 onion, finely diced 3 cloves of garlic, minced 2 x 400g cans of chopped tomato 45ml tomato puree 125ml white wine 250ml arborio rice 45ml grated parmesan cheese and more for serving 125ml basil leaves, finely chopped
Pour the stock in a small saucepan and heat it over a medium-low heat until just barely simmering. Place a wide, heavy-bottomed pan on medium heat and add the olive oil and butter. Add the onion and cook for about 8 minutes, until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the two cans of tomato and the tomato puree and cook for 15 minutes, until the mixture looks concentrated. Add the white wine and cook for another 10 minutes or so to allow most of the moisture to evaporate. Pour in the rice and stir to coat in the tomato mixture. Add two ladles of stock to the saucepan while simmering. Adjust the heat accordingly and stir continuously. Once the mixture starts to look dry again, add another two ladles of stock. Keep going, repeating the process, until the rice is el dente. Turn off the heat and add the parmesan cheese and basil. Stir through. Serve the risotto immediately with extra parmesan to grate over.
600g potatoes, peeled and quartered60g butter 60ml olive oil 2 large onions, thinly sliced 1 clove of garlic, minced 10ml wholegrain mustard 45ml sour cream 1 egg a handful of thyme leaves 150g feta cheese, crumbled 2 x 400g Today puff pastry egg-wash: 1 yolk + 15ml water whisked together
Line a baking sheet with baking paper and set aside. Boil the quartered potatoes, cool completely and crush roughly. Heat the butter and oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, sprinkle with 2,5ml salt and cook for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool completely. Add the potato, onions, mustard, sour cream, egg, thyme and feta to a large mixing bowl. Season with pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Cover the mixing bowl and refrigerate.
Unroll the pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll slightly wider. Cut one 25cm circle from one pastry sheet and place on a cutting board. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Cut a 22cm circle from the second sheet of pastry and place on the prepared baking sheet. Spoon the potato mixture on the pastry circle and form a nice even mound. Leave a 2 cm border. Brush the border with egg-wash. Lay the 25cm pastry circle over the mound and press the edges to seal. Trim off the excess pastry. Cut a small hole in the centre of the top. Score curved lines all over the top from the hole down to the edge, being careful not to cut all the way through. Brush the pie all over with egg-wash and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat your oven to 200℃. Bake the pithivier for 40 minutes, until golden. Slice into wedges and serve warm.
1 x 400g roll Today puff pastry egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 15ml water beaten together 4 large tomatoes a handful of basil olive oil balsamic vinegar
Preheat your oven to 200℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Unroll the puff pastry and place it on the paper. (Trim the pastry to fit the baking sheet) Lightly score the pastry down the centre in the length. Now score it in half and then halve each square. You should have 8 squares – be careful to score and not cut through! Whisk together the egg yolk and water and lightly brush the pastry all over. Refrigerate until needed. Fill a large pot with water and bring it to the boil. Make a cross incision (x) in the tomato skin on the bottom. Fill a large bowl with ice water. Now lower the tomatoes into the boiling water and simmer for 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and immediately plunge it into the ice water. Remove the skins once they start to curl back from the flesh. Halve the naked tomatoes horizontally. Remove the pastry from the refrigerator. Place a basil leave in the centre of each of the marked squares. Place half a tomato, cut-side down on the basil and drizzle the tomato with a few drops of oil. Season with salt and pepper and bake for 25 minutes. Remove the tart from the oven and drizzle with balsamic vinegar while very warm. Slice the tart into 8 portions and serve as a side.
30ml + 30ml butter 1 clove garlic, minced 6 onions, halved horizontally 100ml sugar 60ml water 30ml balsamic vinegar 5ml thyme leaves 5ml salt 1 x 400g roll Today puff pastry
Preheat your oven to 200℃. Put a wide-bottomed pan on medium-high heat and add 30ml butter to melt. Add the garlic and onion halves cut-side down. Cook the onions until they have caramelised and softened slightly (about 10 minutes). Gently remove the onions from the pan and set aside. Add the sugar and water to an ovenproof pan over medium heat. Cook, swirling constantly, until the sugar dissolves – DO NOT stir! Turn the heat up to high and cook undisturbed (no stirring!) for 5 minutes or until it turns to a golden caramel – this happens instantly!! Remove from the heat and add the balsamic, thyme, salt and 30ml butter. Return to the boil and swirl to combine. Arrange the onions cut-side down, trying to fit in as many halves as you can. Place the puff pastry on a lightly floured work surface and roll it slightly wider. Now cut a circle that is 1cm larger than the diameter of your pan. Place the pastry circle on top of the onions and tuck in the edges so that it forms a “basket” for the onions. Cut a very small hole in the centre of the pastry and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with aluminium foil to prevent burning. Return to the oven and bake for another 20 minutes until the pastry is cooked through. Remove the tart from the oven and leave to stand for 10 minutes. Place a flat plate/wooden board over the pan and carefully invert the tart. Season with salt and pepper to serve.
My Whisk and I 