Sarah - Focaccia Bread
- 4 cups Flour
- 1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon yeast
- Rosemary/thyme
- 1 teaspoon fleur de sel
- Optional black olives
( 1/2 Cup is equal to 64 g) Combine the warm water, yeast and sugar in a small bowl. Put the bowl in a warm, not hot or cool, place until the yeast is bubbling and aromatic, at least 15 minutes.
In mixer bowl, combine the flour, 1 tablespoon salt, 1/2 cup olive oil and the yeast mixture on low speed. Once the dough has come together, continue to knead for 5 to 6 minutes on a medium speed until it becomes smooth and soft.
Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface, then knead it by hand 1 or 2 times. Again, give it another sprinkle of flour if the dough is really sticky and tacky.
Put the dough in a bowl lightly greased with oil and cover it with plastic wrap and put it in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, at least 1 hour.
Coat a baking pan with oil.
Put the dough onto the baking pan and begin pressing it out to fit the size of the pan. Make finger holes all the way through the dough.
Put the dough in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour. While the dough is rising a second time, preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Sprinkle the top of the focaccia with Fleur de Sel, Rosemary and thyme. For the picture I used some black olives pressed into the dough. lightly drizzle a little olive oil on top. Bake the dough until the top of the loaf is golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes.
Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool before cutting and serving.
Jay - Roasted Pesto Cod on Mash
Serves 2:
Ingredients:
Two thick cod fillets, 500g desiree potatoes, 50ml milk, 50ml double cream, trimmed fine green beans, 2 garlic cloves, salt and pepper, chilli sauce (optional), 100g butter.
Method:
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 7 (220 degrees C).
First, wash and peel 2 large potatoes (roughly 500g). Cut into roughly 2 inch square cubes and place into a large pan of boiling water. Salt and leave to boil for about 12-15 minutes until easily punctured with a knife.
Meanwhile, dry the cod fillets by gently patting the tops with kitchen towel. Next, place each fillet into a lightly oiled oven dish (skin side down) and smear a healthy teaspoon of red pesto onto each so that the entire tops are covered with a thin layer. Place on the top shelf of the oven for between 20-25 minutes (or until the pesto has started to go crispy).
Once the potatoes have softened, drain the water add back to the pan. Crush 1 clove of garlic into the pan before mashing the potatoes until light and soft and no lumps remain. Add the cream, milk and 50g of the butter and gently reheat for a couple of minutes, stirring all the time until you have a smooth creamy mash. Finally, add salt and pepper (and chilli sauce if you dare...) to taste.
Roughly five minutes before the fish has finished cooking, rinse and trim the green beans and add them to a pan with 50g butter. Peel and thinly slice the other garlic clove and add this to the pan as well. Fry for a few minutes over a high heat until the beans are starting to brown and the garlic has become crispy.
Take the fish out of the oven and serve over the still warm mash, with the beans and garlic on the side.
Enjoy!
Charlie - San BoiyChow
Serves 2/3
Pork mince 500g, oyster sauce, soya dark, soya light, chinese five spice, cornflour, chilli flakes, 1x onion, garlic, teryaki sauce, pack of Spring Onions.
In a Wok or non stick pan, fry onions, spring onions and garlic (I wont lie i put too much in, but i love garlic!) in a little bit of oil. Then after they are caramelised throw in the chinese five spice and chilli flakes, this is at your choice as too the flovour however i put a tsp of each. Then put the pork mince into the pan and seer, whilst cooking use a utensil to break the pork mince up. In a seperate container mix together a tsp of cornflour and a dash of water. Then add tsp of dark, tsp of light soya, two tsps of oyster and a tsp of teryaki. Mix together and pour into the pan. Using utensil keep chopping up the pork mince whilst stiring in the sauce. Serve on a lettuce leaf with a sprinkle of pepper.