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Break an egg

 

Shakshuka

I was first introduced to this dish when I tried Ottolenghi’s version in his fantastic book Plenty. Its a North African dish that is traditionally served for breakfast but I love it at any time of the day- and I can promise you it’s especially good as a late night feast or restorative brekkie after a night on the town. Once you’ve tried it you can make it your own by adding whatever takes your fancy or for using up what you have in the fridge or store cupboard. A little crumbled feta on top, a chopped courgette or a few sliced mushrooms added with the peppers, even a bit of sliced cooking chorizo(not traditional I agree, but very good) are all good additions. Feeling the pinch post Christmas this is a paupers supper but with its huge hit of flavour and exuberant colours it doesn’t feel like any kind of penance.

I like to make the sauce in quantity so I can freeze some for when the shakshuka urge creeps up on me. Serve it with good bread or toasted pittas as you will need it for scooping up every last bit of the sauce and runny egg.

Shakshuka
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 20 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Servings Prep Time
2 20 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Shakshuka
Print Recipe
Servings Prep Time
2 20 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Servings Prep Time
2 20 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Instructions
  1. Quarter and seed the peppers, then put under a hot grill, skin sides up. Grill until the skins are blackened, then transfer to a food bag and leave until cool enough to handle. Peel off the skins and cut the flesh into thin strips.
  2. Heat the oil in a large wide pan. Add the onions and fry gently for 5 mins until softened. Add the peppers and cook for a couple of minutes more. Stir in the spices and cook briefly.
  3. Tip in the tin of tomatoes, then half fill the tin with water and add to the pan along with the puree, sugar, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 mins, then add the cherry tomatoes, then cook for 5 mins more.
  4. Make four gaps in the sauce and break an egg into each gap. Cover the pan and cook the eggs for 3-4 mins until cooked to your liking. Scatter with coriander and serve with warm pittas or flat breads.
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New Year-new project

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Now that our Bramble cottage kitchen is almost finished my thoughts have turned to welcoming fellow cooks here to share my recipes, tips and secrets accumulated over my many years as a food writer and teacher. Over the four years that we ran our Tasting France cookery school in the Charente my favourite moments were when I was able to show guests that kitchen skills that they thought were beyond them were totally within their reach, and could bring enormous pleasure, not just in the sense of achievement they brought but also in sharing the results with others. it could be anything from making a decent loaf of bread to mastering a perfect souffle. Next Spring we will be opening our kitchen and home for a short series of workshops that aim to inspire and offer extra confidence and pleasure in your cooking.
Our Cook and Dine sessions add something extra to the day and will offer you the opportunity to invite a friend or partner to share what we have cooked with a glass of wine or two in our candlelit salon.
For more details, dates and costings visit our workshops page http://www.marycadogan.co.uk/workshops/
We look forward to welcoming you to Bramble Kitchen
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Whole orange and almond cake

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Those of you who know me even slightly will know that I love baking. Funnily enough I don’t eat much cake but I just love the process of making one, from the weighing out of the ingredients, the mixing and folding, the amazing alchemy that goes on in the oven as the cake rises and browns, then the finishing it off in a cloud of icing sugar. And of course when friends come over a home made cake is a real treat to share over a cup of tea and plenty of news and gossip. This weekend I am hosting a Macmillan coffee morning, of course to raise money for a worthwhile cause but also as an excuse to bake my heart out. This whole orange and almond cake is a real winner, and has the bonus of being gluten and dairy free so even the pickiest eaters can enjoy a slice. It’s simple to make, stays moist for days and freezes perfectly, even cut into slices. It’s a big cake and will happily double as a dessert with berries and a scoop of cream(preferably clotted, I say!)
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Whole orange and almond cake
It really helps if you have a kitchenaid or other tabletop mixer, or failing that a hand held electric whisk as it is crucial to whisk the eggs and sugar until they are thick and light and this will take at least 5 mins, or a bit longer.
Cuts into 12 good slices

3 untreated oranges
3 large free range eggs
300g caster sugar
300g ground almonds
few drops almond extract
1 tsp gluten free baking powder
few drops almond extract
handful flaked almonds

1 Heat the oven to 160C/fan 140C/Gas 3. Oil and line the base of a 22cm round cake tin. Put 2 of the oranges into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 mins, then drain and re-cover with water(this will reduce the bitterness of the oranges). Bring back to the boil and simmer for 30 mins;drain and cool.
2 Coarsely chop the whole oranges, removing the pips. Blitz the whole oranges in a food processor to a fairly fine pulp.
3 Whisk the eggs and 200g of the sugar in a tabletop or handheld electric mixer until the mixture is light, pale and leaves a trail when the whisk blades are lifted.
4 Carefully fold in the orange pulp, the ground almonds and the baking powder, then add the alomnd extract and fold together lightly. The whisk blades are perfect for this job.
5 Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.Scatter over the flaked almonds and bake for about 50mins to 1 hour until the cake is firm to the touch and golden brown. Meanwhile make the syrup.
6 Put the remaining 100g of sugar in a small pan with the juice from the remaining orange. Bring to the boil, stirring, then boil for 2-3 mins until it forms a light syrup. When the cake is cooked pour the syrup evenly over the cake and leave to cool in the tin completely.
7 Take care when turning the cake out of the tin as it is quite fragile. You can dust the edges of the cake with icing sugar for a final flourish.
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Summer frittata

For the last few weeks we’ve been getting our eggs from a smallholder in the village- and very good they are,too. It’s weird because knowing that the hens are having a good life just a couple of fields away, pecking around, tucking into all sorts of kitchen scraps, gossiping with each other(maybe) and generally enjoying the good life makes the eggs seem much more precious and somehow more real than if I grabbed a dozen from the supermarket shelves. I was going to make a simple omelette last night for supper but then I suddenly remembered a recipe for an oven baked frittata given to me by my neighbour Nicole when we lived in France. She made it for our annual village picnic and passed it down the table for us all to try. And very good it was, too. I have to admit I have messed around with it a bit but it’s no worse for that. I have courgettes and herbs in my garden, cherry tomatoes from the farmers market and I’ve added a few sliced cooked new potatoes because everything’s better with a bit of spud(you can take the girl out of Ireland etc)
This recipe serves 2-3 but if you want to double it go ahead as it’s just as nice the next day and makes perfect picnic food.

Nicole’s picnic frittata

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2 small courgettes
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp cornflour
150ml milk
6 eggs, beaten
150ml single cream
75g mature cheddar, grated
3-4 cooked sliced new potatoes
150g cherry tomatoes, quartered
handful fresh summer herbs, such as basil, chives, tarragon, parsley
salt and pepper

1 Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Line a 20x30cm oblong tin with baking paper. Dice the courgettes and cook in the oil for a few minutes until just softened and starting to colour.
2 Blend the cornflour with a little of the milk in a jug, then add the rest of the milk, the eggs, cream and cheese. Season well with salt and pepper then pour into the tin. Scatter over the potatoes,courgettes, tomatoes and herbs.
3 Bake for 20-25 mins until golden on top and firm to the touch. Cool for 10 mins before cutting into squares, or leave to cool and eat at room temperature.

A clean plateful

There is much talk these days about clean eating. This simply means eating only natural unprocessed, preferable organic food and plenty of seasonal fruit and veg washed down with a couple of litres of water a day. That is all brilliant in my book but sticking to it is easier said than done when it’s cold outside and there’s a bacon sarnie on offer made with soft white bread and a dollop of brown sauce. But as it’s January and we are all trying to be good I thought I’d create a dish that feeds body and soul, tastes brilliant and puts a smile on your face. At it’s heart there is farro which is partially cooked wheat grains beloved in Northern Italy, now available in all large supermarkets and healthfood stores. They pack a hearty flavour punch and have a nutty taste without weighing you down. Great in soups, stews, stuffings, salads,whatever. There are also green lentils in there for low fat protein and they also have the advantage of not needing any soaking and are pretty quick to cook. Roasted cauliflower, one of my favourite veggies in winter, adds crunch and a welcome change of texture along with the nuts, cranberries and capers, keeping each mouthful interesting to the last. Don’t be put off by the longer than average recipe list, you’ll probably have most of it in your storecupboard. I like to serve this at room temperature but any leftovers will keep in the fridge for several daysto make a perfect lunch, or just scoop out a forkful as you are passing to keep hunger pangs at bay.
In other news, I have a new facebook page where you will be able to keep up to date with all that is happening in my kitchen, garden and on my travels. And it’s the best place to post comments or pose culinary questions. I look forward to hearing from you.

Farro and cauliflower pilaff with nuts and seeds
Print Recipe
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Farro and cauliflower pilaff with nuts and seeds
Print Recipe
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
20-25 mins
Ingredients
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Heat the oven to 190C/fan 170C/Gas 5.Spread the cauliflower florets and red onion in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle over 2 tbsp of the oil, a good sprinkling of salt and pepper and toss everything together. Roast for 20-25 mins, shakking halfway through until the cauliflower is just tender but not too soft.
  2. Tip the lentils into a large pan and cover with plenty of cold water(no salt) Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 10 mins. Add the farro and more water from the kettle if necessary and continue to simmer for a 10 mins until both the lentils and farro are just tender but still with a bit of bite. Drain well.
  3. Toast the cumin seeds in a small dry pan until they start to release their fragrance, then grind in a pestle and mortar. Add the juice of the lemon, the honey, salt and pepper. Add the remaining 3 tbsp of the oil and mix well.
  4. Toast the nuts and sunflower seeds in the same pan you used for the cumin seeds until they just start to catch a bit of colour. Tip onto a chopping board and roughly chop.
  5. Tip the lentils and farro into a large bowl and add the nuts and seeds, cranberries, capers , half the herbs and half the dressing. Mix well. Fold in the warm cauliflower and onion along with any pan juices and fold everything together well. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.
  6. Divide between 4 dished plates and drizzle over the remaining dressing. Add a lemon wedge and dollop of yogurt on the side and scatter with the remaining herbs. Serve warm or cold.
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A good loaf

One of the skills I was asked to teach more than anything in the four years of running our cookschool in France was breadmaking. Not fancypants bread, just a good loaf that our guests could make successfully at home with minimum fuss and maximum pleasure. Just going through the processes of mixing, kneading, proving and baking to show how easy it is the make a good loaf was something I never tired of. When we returned to England after our 10 year French adventure I vowed to make bread each week. I have to admit I haven’t stuck to this but I have gradually started to make bread regularly and with a huge sense of satisfaction. We can buy good bread here, notably from the Hobbs House bakery run by the Fabulous Baker boys, but at three quid a loaf it doesn’t come cheap. A big bag of Wessex Mill wholemeal flour costs £1.50 and is enough to make three large loaves, so it really is worth the effort. If you follow my recipe I promise you can’t go far wrong. You can shape the dough however you wish, make rolls or small loaves, or even use it as a pizza base. The little tins I used to make my little loaves were picked up from a flea market but you can buy similar cutely shaped tins from Lakeland.

So reach for a big bowl, follow my recipe and I promise you’ll be in for a treat. You can pick up fresh yeast from bakers or at the bread counter of most larger supermarkets.

Simple bread

Makes one large loaf or 10 rolls

500g strong bread flour. White, brown, granary, spelt, whatever

7g sachet easy blend dried yeast or 10g fresh yeast

2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

300-350ml hand hot water

2 tbsp olive oil or melted butter

1 Tip the flour into a large bowl. If you are using dried yeast stir this into the flour. If using fresh crumble this into the flour and rub it in with your fingertips. Stir in the salt and sugar.

kneading bread loaf

2 To get the water to the right temperature mix one third hot from the kettle to two thirds cold. If you are using white flour 300ml should be enough. For granary or wholewheat flours use 350ml. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour in the water and oil or butter all at once. It’s better to add too much water than not enough as a tight dough will not rise well and you’ll end up with a brick.

3 Mix quickly using a wooden fork or your hands until you have a soft dough. Knead the dough for 5 mins on a lightly floured surface until it feels silky and smooth and no longer sticky. When the dough is ready it will feel springy and elastic.

shaping bread loaves

4 Drizzle a little oil into your mixing bowl(no need to wash), add the dough and turn it over to coat with the oil. Cover the bowl with a teatowel and leave to rise for 1 hour, after which time it will have doubled in size and the dough will spring back when you poke it. Heat the oven to 240C/220C fan/Gas 8.

5 Shaping the dough. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly.

To make a loaf Generously oil a 1kg loaf tin. Press the dough to an oblong the length of the tin and three times the width. Fold it into three and drop into the tin. Leave to rise for 30 mins. Bake for 30-35 mins.

To make a cob Shape into a large ball, put on a floured baking sheet and leave to rise for 30 mins. Slash the top with a sharp knife and bake 30-35 mins

To make rolls divide the dough into 10 equal sized pieces(about 80g each) and shape into balls or drop into well oiled tins shaping as for the large loaf. Put the rolls on a floured baking sheet and leave to rise for 30 mins. Bake 15-20 mins.

When the bread is cooked it will feel hollow when tapped on the base. Cool on a wire rack and eat within 2 days or freeze for up to 1 month.