You Like Cottage Pie? You'll Love This One

Cottage pie is one of my all time favourite dishes, my mother made it when I was a kid, my wife made it when I was married and I have perfected it over the years to my taste.

I have to say mine is the best, as you can see modesty is not my strong point.

 

Although the potatoes have to be right, smooth and well seasoned, the mince is the most important part of the dish. Cook it gently in some red wine, season it well and you can’t go wrong.

 

As you have seen in my other posts I don’t always put exact quantities of ingredients, that’s because cooking is an art, I am an artist, I draw portraits, it’s not all about exact quantities it’s about feel and taste.

To feed 4 -6 people (depending on how hungry they are and what you serve it with)

You will need-:

 3 Large Carrots

500 gm Minced Beef
1 Large Onion
1 Glass Red Wine
Mixed Herbs
2 Beef Stock Cubes
Gravy Granules
Potatoes
Butter
Milk
Salt and Pepper
Grated Cheddar

 Right here we go, get three pans of water 1 small for the carrots, 1 medium for the mince and 1 large for the potatoes.

Put them all on a high heat and while they
are coming to the boil put the mince in the medium pan,

finely chop the carrots put them in the small pan, peel and chop the potatoes and put them in the large pan.
I normally chop potatoes quite small if I am going to mash them because they cook quicker and are easier to mash.

 

 I always boil up the mince because it gets rid of a lot of the fat. When it comes to the boil drain it and get rid of all the scum off the top, give it a good stir to get rid of all the lumps and put it on a low heat. Keep stirring it while you finely chop the onion and the add the onion to it, now add the mixed herbs and the red wine, stir occasionally while still on a low heat.

After about 10 minutes of simmering add the carrots and their water to the mince and bring to the boil.

 Now you can add the stock cubes and the gravy granules, this is one of the rare times that I use gravy granules but they work well in this dish, just add a little at a time until you get the thickness and consistency of your liking.

By now your potatoes should be ready, test them with a fork, just about falling apart should be perfect. Mash them with a masher for a minute then add milk, butter, salt and pepper to taste and use a whisk to get them nice and smooth.

 Now pour the mince into a suitable oven proof dish, spread the mash over the top and sprinkle grated cheddar cheese over, place into the oven on a high heat for about 10 minutes and when it has browned  take it out and you are done.
    

 

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The Artist Tony Rose

 

 

                                                                                                                                         

Romanian Chicken Stew just like mama used to make

I love a stew winter or summer, I wouldn’t have one on a really hot steamy day but here in the UK our summers can be a bit miserable so there are many chances to have a hot warming stew even in the summer months.

 I am writing this at the end of March a few days into spring, it is very cold and we have had a lot of snow, so stews all the year round here are not unusual.

I had a Romanian friend who occasionally cooked me a chicken stew just like her mother cooked back in her home town of Deva. Of course Romanians don't use carrots in cooking and they would normally section a whole chicken, so this is my interpretation.

I loved it so I’m going to share it with you.

You will need:-

1 Onion

3 large carrots

Vegeta  (or 2 vegetable stock cubes)1 small packet of paprika (if you buy a refill box of Schwartz paprika one of the packets is just the right amount)

Plain flour

6 chicken thighs

First of all finely chop the carrots and put them in a pan of water and bring them to the boil.

Heat a small amount of olive oil in a saucepan.

Finley chop the onion and put it in the pan on a medium heat.

While that’s going on skin the chicken, I’ve used a pack of thighs and drumsticks which you can buy skinned but they are so easy to skin why bother to pay the extra.

Now the onions should be softened so add the chicken to the pan and keep stirring until it’s browned, then add the whole packet of paprika and stir it in well.

By now the carrots should be about done so tip them into the stew including the water, enough to cover the chicken.

Cover the pan and simmer for about 15 minutes.

Mix three desert spoons of plain four with a little water in a small jug, make sure you mix it well so that it is smooth with no lumps.

When the 15 minutes is up add the flour mix to the stew and stir well, then add a sprinkle of vegeta, do it a sprinkle at a time tasting as you go ( if you can’t get hold of vegeta a couple of veg stock cubes will do). When you are satisfied stir well, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes and your done.

I like mine with mashed potato, or you can eat it like a genuine Romanian peasant with big wedges of bread.

Enjoy

The Artist Tony Rose

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Pangasious, have YOU tried it?

Pangasious, have YOU tried it?

In 2011 Pangasious came sixth in the National Fisheries Institute’s top ten list of most consumed seafood in the United States.

Pangasious is the scientific name for certain types of freshwater catfish found in Vietnam and neighbouring nations.

The kind I buy and cook for my own personal use is called River Cobbler and is farmed in the Mekong River  Delta region of Vietnam, I normally buy it fresh smoked or unsmoked , I eat it for breakfast pan fried with scrambled eggs or for dinner in a homemade  fennel and garlic sauce with mash or rice. 

We serve it at the hotel where I work, I buy it in as Pangasious frozen and we coat it with beer batter and serve it up as fish & chips. It’s very popular I’ve had it myself, it’s gorgeous, a very gentle flavoured white fish.

I love the flavour, the texture and the price, but I think the best thing is................NO BONES.

I’ve always been a lover of kippers but those irritating little bones just spoil my enjoyment, smoked haddock was always my favourite fish but...........BONES, anyway smoked River Cobbler is far superior in taste and texture. 

Why don't you get some and try it, then let me know what you think. 


Thanks for taking the time to read this 

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Smoked River Cobbler in Fennel and Garlic Sauce

Smoked River Cobbler in Fennel and Garlic Sauce

As I've said before, my all time favorite fish is River Cobbler (Pangasius) and my all time favorite River Cobbler is smoked.

When I fancy something really nice for dinner but I don't want to spend lots of time preparing, I make this because using dried herbs makes it so much quicker and easier and just as tasty.

I have perfected this sauce over the years and when you make it you will find that fennel seeds really do add a wonderful flavour to any sauce.

For 2 servings you will need;

2 Smoked cobbler fillets

1/2 teaspoon - Fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon - Garlic granules

1/2 teaspoon - Dried parsley

30 Gm - Butter

100 Ml - Milk

1/2 table spoon - Plain flour
1 - Vegetable Stock Cube

Put the butter in a frying pan  on a medium heat and pan fry the fish for about 5 minutes each side.

While that’s cooking put the fennel seeds, garlic and parsley in a pestle and mortar and grind them up, it doesn't have to be too much just enough to release the flavour of the fennel.

 

Take the fish out and set it aside, you are now left with this wonderful smoked fish flavoured melted butter,with the pan back on the heat add the ground up herbs  and stir. 

Then add the plain flour and stir into a paste. 

Add the milk while stirring well then add the vegetable stock cube and simmer for five minutes until thickened, add some more milk if you need to.

Place the fish back into the sauce; keep on a medium heat for a further 5 minutes and your done.

Serve with rice or mash

Cook Authentic Indian Food

Spices and Flavourings

Indian food has been a favourite in the UK for some years now, usually enjoyed in Indian restaurants or takeaways. If you want to cook authentic Indian food at home the first thing you must do is to learn about the spices and flavourings and how they are used to create the wonderful taste and texture of these great dishes.

Cardamom

It’s best to buy it in pod form because as soon as the pod is opened it begins to lose its flavour.

The whole pod is used to flavour rice and meat dishes and discarded after cooking, also the pod can be opened and the seeds are crushed and sprinkled over sweets.

Chilli Powder

Powdered dried red chillies and sometimes other spices such as cayenne, paprika, cumin and garlic.

Chillies Fresh Green

For a less pungent result, discard the seeds.

Cinnamon

Ground or in stick form, if using in stick form discard before serving.

Coconut

This is used in many sweet and savoury dishes mainly in the form of coconut milk. Keep a look out for future posts on how to make your own coconut milk.

Fresh Coriander

Use chopped as a garnish or stir it in at the end of cooking, you can also pure it to make sauces.

Coriander Seeds

Very fragrant when used in ground form. Coriander seeds create a deeper flavour than fresh coriander.

Curry Leaves

Usually used in curry dishes fried along with the chopped onion.

Apparently they aid digestion and help with the break down of food.

Fennel Seeds

This is an aromatic anise flavoured spice and is one of the most important spices in Kashmiri Pandit.

Cumin Seeds

A strong flavoured caraway like seed used as a traditional ingredient in Indian curry.

Garam Masala

Commonly used in roghan josh and various types of pilaf. Look for future posts on how to prepare your own Garum Masala

Ghee (clarified butter)

This is better than ordinary butter for cooking because it can be heated to a higher temperature without burning. You can buy it or you can make your own.

Look out for future posts on how to make your own Ghee

Fresh Ginger

Grated, finely chopped or pureed

Gram Flour

Ground chick peas. Used in place of flour for making batter.

Mustard Seeds

When fried for a few seconds they smell delicious.

Oil

Groundnut oil is the most commonly used in Indian food.

Panir (Indian cheese)

A curd cheese. Look out for future posts on how to make your own Panir

Saffron

This comes powdered or in shreds. The threads are soaked in hot water or milk before using.

It gives the food a lovely yellow colour with a great taste and aroma.

Taramind

Comes in pod form or pulp, both must be soaked in water then squeezed and strained.

Used as a souring agent

Sesame Seeds

A seed with a nutty flavour, use in vegetable dishes and sprinkled on naan.

Yogurt

This is eaten daily all over India, plain, in vegetables or with fruit. Look out for future posts on how to make your own yogurt

Turmeric

Yellow in colour with an earthy taste.

Coming Soon

How to make your own coconut milk

How to prepare your own Garam Masala

How to make your own Ghee (clarified butter)

How to make your own Panir (Indian Cheese)

How to make your own yogurt

For more food pics go to http://www.theartisttonyrose.co.uk