Improv Cook

Recipes and photos (from instagram.com/hamstelot)

[improvcook-blog1]

Hot smoked fish & celeriac chips

Celeriac chips

1. Heat oven to 200*C 2. Cut celeriac into chips; toss with olive oil, salt and pepper on a baking tray and spread out in a single layer 3. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn the chips over and bake for another 5-10 until they reach a nice colour

Celeriac salad

1. Grate raw celeriac into a bowl 2. Mix with lemon juice, cider vinegar, truffle oil, salt and pepper to taste 3. Add a generous amount of chopped parsley and poppy seeds

Serve with hot smoked mackerel

[improvcook-blog1]

Purple corn empanadas with manouri cheese and peas

To make 6 empanadas (2 portions):

Dough

50g purple masa harina 64g hot water salt

Mix the dough ingredients and rest, covered, for 20 mins. If the dough cracks too much, add more water and knead until it’s soft and doesn’t crack.

Cheese filling

50g grated cheese, e.g. manouri / firm ricotta  Peas 

Shaping

1. Cut two sheets of plastic film from a freezer bag. 2. Split the dough into 6 small balls. Place one between the two sheets of plastic and press a heavy casserole or similar dish on top to flatten the ball into an even circle. 3. Place some grated cheese and a few peas on one half of the circle, leaving enough space for a border. 4. Using the bottom piece of plastic to help, fold the dough over the filling and seal the empanada. 5. Keep them covered under a tea towel while you make the rest.

(see http://www.mexicoinmykitchen.com/2009/02/how-to-make-empanadas-with-corn.html for more detailed instructions on shaping)

Cooking

1. Heat up oil in a pan (ghee also works here). 2. Fry 2 empanadas at a time. Place them in the oil and turn over after about a minute to get both sides crispy. Cool on kitchen towels to absorb excess oil.

Pea and crème fraîche puree

Blend a cup of cold peas with a spoon of crème fraîche until it is a smooth consistency. It would be interesting to try this with pea crème fraîche ice cream, too...

To serve

Red chicory: slice in half lengthways, brush with a little oil and use a blowtorch to achieve the charred colour and a smoky flavour. Salad: pea shoots are particularly useful here. I used Waitrose’s ‘butterhead lettuce, sorrel, pea shoot and viola’ salad. Spoon the pea puree around the empanadas.

[improvcook-blog1]

Red cabbage & persimmon salad

Red cabbage Persimmon, sliced Cranberries, fresh/defrosted by immersing in boiling water for a few mins Walnuts, toasted and roughly chopped Maple syrup Balsamic vinegar Nutmeg Salt and pepper

1. Shred the red cabbage. Reserve a little bit and toss the rest on a paper-lined baking tray with olive oil, maple syrup, ground nutmeg, salt and pepper. Bake at 170*C (fan) for 15-20 mins until it’s mostly soft and bits start to go crispy. 2. Meanwhile, prepare the cranberries, walnuts and persimmon. 3. Assemble the cabbage on the plate, mixing the roast cabbage with the raw cabbage you reserved at the start. Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.

This has a really nice, sweet and earthy flavour. The idea of mixing red cabbage and persimmon was mine, but a Google search revealed I wasn’t the first to think of it, and I got the dressing idea from another blog.

[improvcook-blog1]

Red cabbage with sage, red wine & raisins with white polenta & venison

1. Heat butter in a saucepan and gently fry a few chopped sage leaves until they start to turn golden; add a little finely chopped celery. 2. Chop red cabbage. When the celery has cooked for a few minutes, add the red cabbage and cook over a low heat for another few minutes. 3. Add a handful of raisins and a generous splash of red wine. Cover and cook for a few minutes, then take the lid off and allow the wine to reduce. 4. When the wine has reduced but there’s still some left to make a sauce, turn off heat; add a small splash of cream and stir through. Leave covered to keep warm, if necessary.

Venison: season in advance and pan-fry for 2 minutes on each side, then rest for 10 minutes.

Polenta: cook with water over a low heat until thick, add salt and butter before serving.

[improvcook-blog1]

Cranberry & white chocolate cake

To make a three-layer cake with 8 portions, using a 15cm cake tin.

Orange + thyme sponge:

Preheat oven to 160*C (fan)/GM 4. Line a deep cake tin with baking paper.

75g butter, softened 75g caster sugar Thyme - pick the leaves from 2 sprigs and chop finely Orange zest - from about 1/4 of an orange Vanilla - scrape the seeds from a small piece of pod - save the pod for the cranberry compote! 2 egg whites, beaten until frothy 108g plain flour 8g cornflour 1/2 tbsp baking powder 83ml buttermilk

1. Beat the butter, sugar, thyme, orange zest and vanilla together until light and fluffy. 2. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. 3. In a separate bowl, mix the flour, cornflour and baking powder. 4. Add half of the egg whites to the butter+sugar and mix well. 5. Fold in the flour mix and the buttermilk in two or three stages (add a bit of each at a time and stir in carefully). 6. Add the remaining egg whites, folding in carefully to keep the batter airy. 7. Bake for 40-45 mins, until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. 8. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool on a wire rack.

Cranberry compote:

75g cranberries (I used frozen) 16g caster sugar Juice and zest of 1/3 of an orange Vanilla pod from the cake 

1. Mix these ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over a medium heat until the cranberries have broken down. 2. You may need to add a splash of water during the cooking so it doesn’t become too syrupy too quickly. 3. Set aside to cool completely (can be made in advance and stored in the fridge).

Sugared cranberries and orange peel:

25g cranberries (must be defrosted completely) Orange peel - use a peeler to make strips, then cut them into thinner strips with a knife 16g caster sugar 16ml water White caster sugar for sprinkling

1. Mix the sugar and water in a pan, heat until dissolved, then cool completely. 2. Pour the cold syrup over the cranberries and orange peel, and leave to stand for 1 hour. 3. Take out the cranberries with a fork, letting the syrup drip off before dunking them in a bowl of white caster sugar. Coat in sugar, then put on baking paper, each berry apart from the others. 4. Repeat with orange zest, separating the strands when they are coated in sugar. 5. Leave to dry for at least 2 hours. Keep the syrup for later.

White chocolate & crème fraîche icing

250ml crème fraîche (at least 40% fat) 20g white chocolate  40-50g icing sugar (to taste)

1. Melt the white chocolate. Stir in one spoon of crème fraîche. 2. Add this to a bowl of crème fraîche and mix well. 3. Add the icing sugar, tasting to check the sweetness. 4. Refrigerate for at least 30 mins before using.

To assemble:

1. Cut the sponge into three layers. 2. Spread half the cranberry compote on top of the first sponge, adding some of the cranberry syrup (from the sugared cranberries) to make sure the whole sponge is coated. 3. Spread 1/3 of the icing on top of the compote. 4. Repeat with the second sponge, remaining half of the compote and 1/3 of the icing. Top with the last sponge layer. [Here I added some double cream to the icing and whisked it to a firmer consistency, then refrigerated both the cake and the icing for about 20 mins.] 5. Cover the cake all over with the remaining icing and refrigerate for a couple of hours. There will be a little icing left over - you can use it to stick on the sugared cranberries later, or just as extra icing to eat with the cake. 6. Decorate with the cranberries and orange peel just before serving, as the cranberries get a bit moist once you put them in the fridge.

[improvcook-blog1]

Butternut squash flan with maple syrup caramel (from David Lebovitz, who took it from Ina Garten: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/maple-pumpkin-flan-recipe/)

To make 1 shallow 15cm tin + 1 big ramekin (as in picture):

Maple syrup caramel:

60g golden caster sugar 32ml maple syrup 32ml water pinch of sea salt flakes

1. Mix the sugar, maple syrup and water in a small pan. Heat until it reaches 110*C.  2. Take off heat, add the salt and pour into the tart tin + ramekin. Leave to cool to room temperature.

Flan:

100g roast butternut squash (I used 127g) 160g condensed milk 136g evaporated milk 50g mascarpone 2 eggs 0.6 tsp vanilla extract 0.6 tsp cinnamon sprinkle of allspice

1. Blend all the ingredients together with a hand blender. 2. Pre-heat oven to 160*C (fan). Place the tart tin and ramekin into a roasting tray with high sides. 3. When the caramel has cooled, pour the mixture over the back of a spoon on top of the caramel. 4. Fill the roasting tray with hot tap water so it reaches halfway up the side of the tart tin. 5. Bake at 160*C (fan) for 50 mins. The top of the flan puffs up and rises and looks overcooked (it may even crack), but the middle of the flan (below this crust) should still be jiggly. 6. Cool in the tin on a wire rack, then chill for at least 3 hours or overnight. You can also leave it at room temperature for about 10 hours and eat it then. 7. To remove the flan, run a butter knife around the edges, cover the tin with a plate and flip both over. You will hear the vacuum break and the flan will slide out. 

[improvcook-blog1]

Black rice with salmon, avocado, radish and spring onion

To make 3 portions:

1. Cook 100g rice according to pack instructions (18 mins for black rice). 2. Mix vegetables in a bowl: 1 avocado, cubed; 4 radishes, chopped; 2 spring onions, sliced. Squeeze some lemon juice and drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over them. 3. Descale salmon fillets if the fishmonger didn’t do it already; pat the fish dry and season the skin generously with salt and pepper. 4. Heat a frying pan over a high heat and add oil. When the pan is hot, put the salmon in skin-side down and leave undisturbed for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium after a minute. Season the top of the fish while it’s frying. 5. After 5 mins, the skin should be crispy; turn the fish over and cook for another 1-3 mins depending on how thick it is. Turn the heat down very low for this. 6. Mix the rice with the vegetables. 7. Remove the skin from the salmon. Flake the fish into the rice and vegetables. If the skin is already crisp, cut it into strips and serve on top of the rice. If it’s not crispy enough, put it back in the pan to fry for another minute or two.

Notes: - the black rice can be substituted with other grains such as white rice, cous cous, freekeh, etc. - the radish can be substituted with cucumber - to descale the fish, use a sharp knife to rub against the grain of the scales; they will fly off in different directions, so it’s better to hold the fish in a plastic bag when you do this. Or use a fish descaler for an easier time. - leftovers can be kept for 2 or 3 days in the fridge

[improvcook-blog1]

Sweet potato cocoa waffles

To make 4 waffles, + 1 scrappy one

100g sweet potato, mashed (I had 106g) 25g coconut oil, melted 1 egg 50g plain flour 1 tsp baking powder 5g cocoa powder 1 tbsp milk

1. Mix the ingredients in a bowl and blend with a handheld mixer until smooth. 2. Fry in a waffle maker for about 5 mins.

Alternate:

100g purple sweet potato 25g butter 1 egg 50g wholemeal flour 1 tsp baking powder Poppy seeds Evaporated milk - enough to make a dropping consistency, maybe 2+ tbsp

Toppings:

- Double cream whipped with a splash of hazelnut liqueur - Maple syrup - Blackberries - Cinnamon

[improvcook-blog1]

Oeuf en cocotte with crab, mizuna & cream

1. Mix brown & white crabmeat with chopped mizuna, double cream and a little soy sauce in a ramekin. 2. Make a well in the centre and crack in an egg. 3. Drizzle some double cream around on top of the egg white. 4. Place the ramekin in a deep tray and pour in hot water halfway up the ramekin. Bake at 160*C fan for 20 mins until the egg white has set. 5. Season with black pepper and sprinkle with black sesame seeds before serving.

[improvcook-blog1]

Chestnut fritters (from Bocca di Lupo cookbook)

To make 14 (2-3 per serving):

Dough:

94g plain flour 9g caster sugar a heaped 1/3 tsp of baking powder 19.5g egg 37.5ml white wine

1. Mix the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients in separate bowls. 2. Add the wet to the dry; mix with a spoon, then knead with your hand until the dough comes together. It will be a little sticky. 3. Cover with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 30 mins (I did 4 hours).

Chestnut, chocolate & liqueur filling:

75g cooked chestnuts 19g cocoa powder 31g caster sugar 1/3 tsp cinnamon 37.5ml coffee liqueur or hazelnut liqueur (see step 2)

1. Blend the chestnuts with sugar, cinnamon and cocoa powder in a food mixer. 2a. Add the liqueur and blend; OR 2b. Divide the chestnut mixture into two bowls. Add 19ml coffee liqueur to one bowl and 19ml hazelnut liqueur to the other. Mix each with a spoon.

To assemble:

1. Start at least 1 hour in advance. Prepare a baking tray or plate lined with baking paper. 2. Split the dough in half (it’s easier to work with it like this). On a floured surface, roll out as thinly as possible, about 1mm. Stamp out 7cm circles. Repeat until you’ve used all the dough. 3. Start filling the circles: place a teaspoon of chestnut filling on each one, brush half of the circle with beaten egg, then seal into crescent shapes. Press down gently on the filling to flatten the crescents. Seal tightly using your fingers or a fork. 4. Place the filled crescents onto the tray/plate, cover with a cloth and leave at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. You can also refrigerate or freeze them at this point. 5. Cut the remaining scraps of dough into strips or some other shapes.

To cook:

1. Heat lard in a saucepan (I also added some groundnut oil to reach a level of about 2cm). 2. Over a high heat, fry the crescents in pairs; turn them over to brown on both sides, and lift out quickly. It takes less than a minute. They will puff up. 3. Drain on kitchen paper.  4. Fry the scraps of dough in the same manner.

Notes: - serve dusted with icing sugar, and with whipped cream, which will fit nicely into the space created when the fritters puff up. - leftovers can be kept in a lunchbox lined with kitchen paper, then reheated in an oven.

[improvcook-blog1]

Braised pork, mushrooms & chestnuts

1. Cut pork leg/shoulder into small pieces and season well. Brown over a high heat and remove from the pan. Lower the heat. 2. Fry chopped onion for a few mins, then add finely chopped rosemary. 3. Deglaze the pan with hazelnut liqueur and balsamic vinegar. 4. Put the pork back in and cover with water. Stir to combine, cover, then move to the oven for 1.5 hours at 120*C (fan).  5. Fry mushrooms in butter with torn sage leaves. Deglaze with hazelnut liqueur. 6. After 1.5 hours, add the fried mushrooms and halved cooked chestnuts to the pork. Put back in the oven for 15 mins. 7. Leave to cool - best served on the next day.

Blue cheese & apple polenta:

1. Simmer 30g polenta with water and a pinch of salt for about 3 mins. 2. Turn off heat and add butter and a small wedge of chopped blue cheese. Stir, cover and leave to stand for about 5 mins. Meanwhile, peel and chop 1/4 of an apple. 3. Just before serving, stir through the apple (to make sure it stays crunchy for the textural contrast).

[improvcook-blog1]

Tahini chocolate cookies

To make 5 small cookies:

1. Mix 12g soft butter with 12g light brown sugar and 12g caster sugar. 2. Add 1/4 egg (12-13g) and 20g tahini. 3. Add 50g plain flour and 1/2 tbsp cocoa. The dough seemed a little too dry to me, so I added 1 tsp crème fraîche here. 4. Add 30g chopped chocolate - white and dark. 5. Shape the dough into a sausage with your hands and pinch off five pieces; roll these into balls and flatten them onto a lined baking sheet. 6. Bake for 6 mins at 160*C (fan). The cookies should still be soft in the middle when you take them out. 7. Sprinkle with white and black sesame seeds. Eat warm.

Notes: - Try self-raising flour next time - Reheat briefly in the oven when eating on subsequent days, to melt the chocolate

[improvcook-blog1]

Chicken liver in crème fraîche

This is one of the few recipes that must be followed to the letter in terms of cooking the liver perfectly - even 30 seconds too long will ruin it. The liver should still be pink inside at the end.

1. Chop 1 onion (I used banana shallot) and 1 garlic clove finely. Leave to one side. Prepare a plate with generously seasoned flour, to coat the chicken livers. 2. Pat the chicken livers dry with a paper towel and cut them into equally-sized pieces (some will be naturally smaller and some larger, so you need to cut the larger ones). 3. Coat the chicken livers in the seasoned flour. Melt butter in a frying pan. 4. On a high heat, fry the chicken livers in the butter quickly, just enough to brown both sides (about 30 seconds each side) and remove to a plate. If you have a lot of livers, fry them in batches - don’t overcrowd the pan.  5. Add a little more butter to the pan and fry the onions and garlic until soft. 6. Add a spoon of the leftover seasoned flour and fry for 3 mins. 7. Add the crème fraîche (90g crème fraîche to 150g liver. The recipe still works if you don’t have enough crème fraîche for this ratio, but there will be less sauce.) 8. Add a splash of water to loosen the sauce and stir well. When it is simmering, tip the chicken livers back in the pan, turn the heat very low and cook for 1 minute, turning them over to coat in the sauce. 9. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and leave to stand for 5 mins. 10. Plate up and move leftovers to another container immediately. Serve with bread and herbs such as dill or parsley.

Leftovers:

Store in the fridge, then eat the pieces cold or reheated. Good with bread, pasta, potatoes...

Blend the chicken livers and sauce to make a pâté; seal with melted clarified butter.

Freeze the livers as whole pieces or as portions of pâté (in silicone mini-muffin cases). 

[improvcook-blog1]

Saffron rice with paneer, raisins & cashews

1. Soak 30g jasmine rice for at least half an hour, or more. Also soak a handful of raisins and some snipped saffron strands in a little boiling water. 2. Drain and wash the rice. Heat a knob of butter in a saucepan, then fry the rice until the grains are well-coated with butter. 3. Add the saffron, raisins and their water. Cover, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 mins. 4. Cut paneer into cubes. Toast some cashews in a pan and chop roughly. 5. When the rice has simmered for 5 mins, tip in the paneer and cashews, cover and leave to stand (not on heat) for 5-10 mins. 6. Cook some peas and add to the rice when plating. Serve with crème fraîche or yoghurt.

[improvcook-blog1]

Steamed aubergine in kecap manis sauce

1. Chop the aubergine into cubes and steam in a bamboo basket (on a layer of baking paper) for 30 mins. 2. Sauce: mix kecap manis with lemon juice, a little apricot kernel oil, white pepper, ground coriander, chopped dry chilli with seeds, lots of chopped fresh parsley and toasted sesame seeds. 3. When the aubergine is soft, tip it into the sauce, stir well and leave to marinate at room temperature for at least 3 hours.

Wrap with paneer and carrot:

1. Fry some paneer in oil quickly, just to brown all the sides. 2. Leave to cool, then cut in half and add to the aubergine and sauce to marinate until needed. 3. Spread the wrap with crème fraîche; grate carrot on top; then place the aubergine and paneer on top. 4. Wrap up in foil and heat through in an oven at 200*C (fan) for 5 mins.

With freekeh and poached quail egg (aubergine served cold)

[improvcook-blog1]

Saag paneer 

2 portions:

1. Blanch 180g spinach, drain and blend into a paste. 2. Chop 1 small onion and 1 green chilli; grate a thumb-sized piece of ginger and 2 garlic cloves. 3. Fry 1 tsp cumin seeds in oil; add chopped onion and fry until soft. 4. Add the chilli, ginger and garlic; fry for a few mins. 5. Add 1 tsp ground coriander. 6. Add spinach paste; fry for 3 mins, adding more water if it’s too dry. 7. Cut 110g paneer (1/2 pack) into small cubes and add to the pan along with 1 tsp garam masala and some cream/yoghurt. Warm through. 8. Take off heat and add lemon juice to season. 

Notes: - does not need any salt or pepper; the lemon juice and chilli are enough - goes well with a gnoccho (fried dough)

[improvcook-blog1]

Lemon sole with porcini powder, fried polenta & wakame