Roasted Hake with Onions

Roasted Hake with Onions

This recipe is my adaptation to make it easier/quicker/simpler to make Ottolenghi’s Roasted hake with fenugreek onions. The original recipe can be found in his book OTK on page 191.

5ml fennel seeds
5ml mustard seeds
10ml ground cumin
5ml ground turmeric
60ml + 45ml olive oil
40g + 40g + 20g butter, cubed
6 large onions, peeled and sliced
5ml salt
1 green chilli, finely chopped
5ml + 2,5ml sugar
12 hake medallions, unfrozen and dried on kitchen paper
10ml lemon juice
3 lemons cut into wedges

Mix the fennel, mustard, cumin and turmeric together in a small bowl.
Spoon 5ml of this spice mixture out into another small bowl and set both bowls aside.
Place a large pan over medium-high heat and add 60ml olive oil and 40g butter to it.
Wait for the butter to melt before adding the onions and salt.
Turn the heat down and cook for 20 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Add the chopped green chilli and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Add the 5ml sugar and the spice mix, stir for 30 seconds and remove it from the heat. Set aside.
Preheat your oven to 200℃.
Add the 45ml olive oil, 40g butter, 2,5ml sugar, 5ml spice mix and a pinch of salt to a 24cm x 24cm ceramic dish and mix together in the dish so that it covers the bottom.
Pack the fish tightly into the dish and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the onion mixture over the fish medallions in an even layer and dot the surface with small pieces of the 20g butter.
Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes.
Drizzle 10ml lemon juice over the fish and serve with the lemon wedges on the side.

Lemon Ribs

Lemon Ribs

1.5kb lamb ribs
1 lemon, the zest grated finely
2 lemons, juiced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
15ml thyme leaves
15ml rosemary
50ml white wine
30ml olive oil
30ml honey
45ml wholegrain mustard
10ml salt

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Cut 2 pieces of baking paper, large enough to cover an oven roasting dish. Scrunch the paper into a ball, open it up and run it under cold water. Line your roasting dish with one of the wet pieces of paper. Set aside.
Add the lemon zest, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, rosemary, wine, oil, honey, mustard and salt to a blender and blitz until smooth.
Place the ribs in the prepared dish, pour over half of the sauce and spread it evenly over the meat.
Flip the ribs over, pour the rest of the sauce over and spread it evenly.
Cover the ribs with the other piece of wet baking paper and bake in the oven for 90 minutes.
Remove the baking paper and bake for another 10 minutes or so until the ribs start to brown.
Flip them over and bake the other side until golden.
Serve immediately.

Roasted Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

Roasted Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

1 head of cauliflower
80g butter, melted
5ml salt

Cheese Sauce:
15ml butter
15ml flour
190ml milk
125ml grated cheddar cheese

Preheat your oven to 180℃.
Remove the leaves and cut down the stem of the cauliflower so that it sits without rolling around.
Place the trimmed head on a roasting tray and brush a third of the melted butter onto the bottom section, allowing the butter to run through.
Turn the head upright and brush it all over with the rest of the butter.
Sprinkle with the salt and a few grindings of black pepper.
Now cover the roasting tray with aluminium foil and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the foil and brown the cauliflower – about 15 minutes.

For the cheese sauce:
Add the butter to a small saucepan set over medium-high heat and allow it to melt.
Sprinkle over the flour and a pinch of salt and stir to make a paste.
Cook the butter and flour for 2 minutes while stirring, until it reaches a golden colour.
Add the milk and whisk until blended and the sauce has thickened.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and add the cheese.
Stir until melted.
Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning to your taste.
Pour the cheese sauce over the cauliflower to serve.

Garlic Potato Puffins

Garlic Potato Puffins

750ml mashed potato, cold
30g + 150g butter, melted
150g flavoured cream cheese, room temperature
180ml + 180ml grated, mature cheddar cheese
3 eggs
30ml grated parmesan cheese
15ml + 15ml chopped chives
5ml garlic flakes
5ml salt
250ml sour cream

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and brush a 12-hole muffin tin with the 30g melted butter.
Add the mashed potato, 150g melted butter and cream cheese to a mixing bowl and mix together until the ingredients are well distributed.
Add 180ml cheddar, eggs, parmesan, 15ml chives, garlic flakes and salt and mix together.
Divide the mixture between the muffin cups and sprinkle the remaining 180ml cheddar over.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Remove the baking tin from the oven and allow it to cool for about 15 minutes.
Run a small knife around the edges of each cup and gently lift out the puffins.
Scoop a dollop of sour cream onto each potato puffin and scatter the 15ml chives over to serve.

Honey-Mustard Smashed Potato

Honey-Mustard Smashed Potato

700g – 1kg small potatoes
45ml olive oil
60ml mayonnaise
60ml wholegrain mustard
30ml honey
5ml white wine vinegar

Preheat your oven to 200℃ and spray an oven tray with cooking spray.
Cook the potatoes until just done, but fully cooked.
Add the mayonnaise, wholegrain mustard, honey and white wine vinegar to a small bowl and stir to combine. Set aside.
Smash each potato down with a flat-bottom coffee mug and place them in the oven tray.
Drizzle the olive oil over and season with salt.
Spoon half the honey-mustard dressing on to the potatoes.
Bake in the oven for 25 minutes.
Flip the potatoes over, spoon the rest of the dressing over and bake for another 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Miso Cauliflower

Miso Cauliflower

1 large cauliflower
olive oil and spices of your choice
2 cans black beans
2 cloves garlic, minced

Miso-Cheese Sauce:
15ml butter
15ml flour
15ml miso paste
500ml milk
15 ml sirachia sauce
50g cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 180℃ and line a baking sheet with baking paper.
Cut the cauliflower into steaks and place on the prepared tray.
Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and spices of your choice and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Drain the black beans in a small saucepan, add the garlic and place over a medium-low heat until warm.
Blitz the mixture to a smooth pureé.
Season with salt and pepper and a squeeze of lemon juice.

Miso-Cheese Sauce:
Set a small saucepan over medium-high heat and add the butter and flour.
Stir until the butter has melted and you have a paste.
Add the miso paste and stir to mix.
Drizzle in the milk while whisking and cook for 3 minutes while stirring.
Turn the heat down to low and add the sirachia sauce and grated cheese.
Stir until the cheese has melted.

Spoon the black bean pureé on to a serving plate and arrange the roasted cauliflower on top.
Drizzle the miso sauce over and add a few micro greens to serve.

Buttermilk Roasted Chicken

Buttermilk Roasted Chicken

This is one of the easiest ways of roasting a chicken and will leave you with juicy, fall-off-the-bone meat and a delicious gravy.

1 whole chicken
10ml salt
30ml vegetable oil
30ml butter
60ml sage leaves, roughly chopped
the juice of two lemons
one garlic bulb, halved horizontally
500ml buttermilk
100ml milk

Preheat your oven to 190℃.
Wash and dry the chicken and rub the salt over the entire bird.
Add the oil and butter to a saucepan over high heat and brown the chicken, turning it as you go along.
Turn off the heat and add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan.
Put a lid on/cover with aluminium foil and cook in the oven for 40 minutes.
Remove the lid and cook uncovered for a further 50 minutes.
Place the chicken on a serving dish.
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh/sieve and serve it on the side with the chicken.