Gluten Free Easter

 Some people are social smokers and drinkers. However I am a social gluten eater as I can only eat a limited amount of the stuff and so just consume it on meals out with friends. That has encouraged me to find new, gluten-free twists on classic recipes. Today I bring you an Easter Bank Holiday Monday gluten free recipe for a Simnel Cake.

The weekend prior to Easter was a time to rest up after a Covid Scare and use the downtime to prepare a gluten free cake to distribute to friends and colleagues alike during Holy Week. On the player were the summery sounds of Sedaka, the eternally unhip yet compelling singer songwriter, who on the offering being listened to was backed by members of the nascent 10cc. The record in question is called "Solitaire" and its title track tells the story of an indifferent lover. It's a cautionary tale to anybody who is thinking of passing up true love and fulfilling relationships by hiding behind indifference. 

So the ingredients of this cake which are as follows:

• 250g mixed dried fruit- a mixture of sultanas, currants and raisins 
• The juice of 1 Orange
• 300g pack marzipan
• 250g unsalted butter , softened
• 200g light brown soft sugar
• 4 eggs , beaten. The eggs I used were sourced from the wonderful Stretton Hall Farm | Facebook
• 175g gluten free plain flour
• 100g ground almonds
• The juice of 1 lemon 
• 2 tsp All Spice
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g glacé cherries , halved
• 3 tbsp apricot jam

The way to make this dish is as follows:

1. Grease a cake tin. 

2. Cream the Butter and Sugar together until a fluffy mixture is formed. 

3. Add the beaten Eggs and stir them into the mixture to form a paste. 

4. Carefully add the Gluten Free Flour, fruit juices, almonds, vanilla extract, spice and dried fruit and stir together to get a thick and pliable cake mix. 

5. Place half the cake mix in the cake tin. Then take a third of the Marzipan and roll it out. Place it on top of the cake mix in the cake tin. Then cover with the other half of the cake mix. 

6. Cook in the oven on Gas Mark for two hours. The cake will be ready when a skewer, poked into it, comes out clean. 

7. Remove the cake from the cake tin and leave it to cool.

8. Once the cake is cooled, cover the top with Apricot Jam. 

9. Roll out the balance of the Marzipan and put it on top of the cake. Take some bits to make eleven balls, representing the non-traitorous apostles, to put on top of the cake with extra marzipan to be used for a decoration of your choice. 

Prior to discovering my intolerance for excessive amounts of gluten, I wasn't able to enjoy cakes as I used to and for someone with a sweet tooth this was hard, quite literally, to swallow. However this recipe enabled me to enjoy one of my favourite seasonal cakes without any side effects. It also went down well with those I distributed pieces of the cake to. 

One of our Apostles is missing- there should be eleven on this cake.

Scotch Cornered

A trip to the country to grab some Quail Eggs and a meeting with an icon of the local town during a special night out inspired today's Quail Scotch Egg Recipe. 

I discovered Quail Eggs when , during the first lockdown, a local dealer at a nearby farm had left someone in an honesty box. That time I used them in Vol Au Vents. with Smoked Salmon. This time I picked some up at the ever-dependable Stretton Hall Farm Shop. Check them out at: Stretton Hall Farm | Facebook  

Another inspiration was a local pub that, pre lockdown, had become a cliquey craphouse but following lockdown it was reborn as an inclusive place to be that's chock full of interesting beers, its own micro brewery and Pizza of the highest order. The creator of the Pizza is an individual who knows of everything and everyone in Chesterfield. If you wanted an ambassador for the town then this bloke is your man.  I await eagerly the time when he will run for mayor of the town, with his take no kack attitude he will do a sterling job . He has also found his vocation as a talented chef. His enthusiasm, imparted to us as we sought a nightcap at his pub after risking our necks at another local pizza vendor, for his food including his innovative use of Quail Eggs on pizza was something I drew on for today's recipe.

On the player was the latest Red Hot Chilli Peppers album "Unlimited Love" . Of their three recent albums, it is probably the best one. "I'm With You" was unspectacular and sounded dangerously like a tribute band at times. "The Getaway" was more eclectic and experimental and definite leap forward that incorporated new sounds. "Unlimited Love"  meanwhile makes better use of the new sounds discovered on "The Getaway", cuts down on the cliched California themes and, on the whole, crucially leaves enough space for the songs to breathe and the instruments and vocals to be heard clearly. 

So to the ingredients for the Scotch Eggs, it goes like this:

• 9 Quail Eggs
• 100 grams of Breadcrumbs 
• 100grams of  Blanched Almonds
• Half a teaspoon of fresh Rosemary
• Half a teaspoon of fresh Marjoram. 
• 80 grams of Cooked Chorizo,
• 2 Hen's Eggs
• 3 tablespoons of gluten free plain flour
• sunflower oil

The method goes like this:

1. Place the Quail Eggs in boiling water and boil for ninety seconds. Remove them and place them in a bowl of cold water. 

2. Put the Breadcrumbs, Almonds, Rosemary and Marjoram in a food processor and blend them to a fine powder. Then place the mixture into a separate bowl. 

3. Blend the Chorizo and one of the Hen's Eggs in the food processor and put in another separate bowl. 

4. Put the Plain Flour in another separate bowl. 

5. Peel the Eggs.

6. Take one Egg at a time and wrap it in the Egg and Chorizo Mixture. Then roll it in the flour, then the beaten egg mixture and then the breadcrumb mixture so that the eggs are fully coated. 

7. Heat the Sunflower Oil in a pan and get it up to temperature. 

8. Fry the Scotch Eggs, three at a time for best results, on a medium heat turning them gradually so that all sides are evenly cooked. 

9. Serve with a side of Fresh Rocket. 

Although the weekend adventures, with eclectic and inspiring people new and old, this dish rounded off a wonderful time with the tang of the Chorizo meeting well the crunch of the battered breadcrumbs and the richness of the runny Quail Eggs. 

Lentil Gloss

 In late September, before the pandemic had reached its halfway stage, I wore a bow tie and shiny grey suit to travel to a French Themed Evening at a restaurant that lay on the edge of one the most ancient forests of them all. On the menu  that night was an exquisite Duck Shepherd's Pie with Lentils and gravy that helped inspire a fish dish one evening in February.

The ingredients for this were as follows:

Two Fresh Haddock Loins sourced from a local fishmonger. 

One Hundred and Fifty Grams of Lentils Verts. 

A Red Onion, skinned, topped, tailed and diced.

Two Carrots, topped, tailed and then cubed.

Quarter of a pint of Vegetable Stock, just enough to cover the Lentils, Carrots and Onion in a saucepan.

The zest of half a Lemon. 

Five shoots of Fresh Dill. 

On the player was the Eagles' 1994 comeback album "Hell Freezes Over", a record that showed after a fourteen  year hiatus they had regained enough juice in the tank to return as a important act that retained a huge following. 

So to the method which goes as follows:

1. Put the Carrots, Onion and Vegetable Stock in saucepan, cover and simmer for around twenty-five minutes. 

2. In the meantime steam the Haddock Loins for about fifteen minutes until the fish starts to become crumbly. 

3. When ready to serve, decorate the Haddock with the Dill and Lemon Zest and serve on top of the Lentil, Onion and Carrot Mixture.

The trick of using just enough stock to cover the Lentil Mixture meant a Lentil, Carrot and Onion mixture that was not too runny and soft and struck just the right balance between properly cooked and al dente. This was as close as I had come to replicating the wonderful lentil mixture I had consumed on the French Themed Evening on a sunnier day. 

The Lemon and Dill meanwhile leant a sharpness to the Haddock that was the perfect contrast to the earthy richness of the Lentils. 

The Great Gates of Kiev

 This blog is rarely, if ever, a political forum. However in light of the dire situation in the Ukraine, today's dish is one that is a tribute to the brave individuals who are putting up stern resistance to the unlawful and unprovoked invasion that is taking place. 

There are many different types of Ukrainian Dishes but, perhaps, the most famous is the Chicken Kiev. Those of a certain age will no doubt remember their parents purchasing frozen bags of Mini Kievs as a treat in the nineties as well as Alan Partridge having a hypothetical argument with Chris Rea about the virtues or otherwise of this dish. 

Spring and the longer days had ignited some fresh inspiration into my choice of dishes and, on the last weekend prior to the clocks jumping forward, I had a pop at making Chicken Kiev. It was a Sunday and after a very early walk, courtesy of the Dogg waking me up at 6am, I set to work. 

On the playlist was the Smiths Third, and by a hair's breadth, best album "The Queen is Dead". The post punk guitar firepower of Johnny Marr and sardonic wit of Morrissey combine to best effect on the title track, "Cemetery Gates", "Bigmouth Strikes Again" while "There is a Light that Never Goes Out" manages to be poignant and uplifting with its keyboard and synth-bass textures. 

So to the ingredients of this dish:

125 grams of Gluten Free Breadcrumbs. 

100 grams of Gluten Free Plain Flour.

5 beaten Eggs.

1 teaspoon of Smoked Paprika. 

2 Chicken Breasts, mine were obtained from the dependable Stretton Hall Farm | Facebook 

2 Diced Cloves of Garlic. 

5 shredded Chive Sprigs.

2 knobs of Butter. 

The method goes like this:

1. Stir the Eggs and Breadcrumbs together in a mixing bowl. 

2. Add the Plain Flour and Smoked Paprika and stir into the mixture.

3. Make an incision into the middle of the Chicken Breasts and insert the Garlic, Butter and Chives into the incision. Fold the Chicken Flesh back over the incision so as it covers the filling. This gives the best chance of avoiding the filling bursting out during cooking. 

4. Coat the Chicken Breasts in the Breadcrumb, Egg, Smoked Paprika and Flour Mixture. Then place on an oiled baking tray, cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge for a couple of hours. 

5. Cook for 40 minutes on Gas Mark 6 before serving.

The mixture of melted butter and herbs that had diffused inside the Chicken while it cooked, coupled with the thick, flavoursome breadcrumb batter made this a recipe to return to time and again. 

Fare Thee Well, Jamaica

 When times get challenging, some of us head to the coast and others to the hills to get our heads together. I'm in the latter category. Heading to the hills is just what I did recently before making a Jamaican Jerk Chicken Recipe. 

It was one of those Sundays that happen in March; not quite winter and not quite spring. The sun was high and the way was clear for miles. I could see a panorama to almost  all points of the compass to places over fifty miles away. The lingering chill in the air reminded me that it was not yet spring, but the sun and the long-distance views gave real hope of exciting travels in sunny summer weather as well as long, light days being just around the corner.

There had been some potentially game- changing decisions made since before the holiday season, in a manner not seen for about four years. Now as then, it seemed I would have to  ride the Tiger.

One way of gaining perspective on all this is to go the hills for a walk and look at the long-distance views to remind yourself there's a huge wide world outside of your comfort zone. Another is to cook good food and listen to quality music while doing so. I followed those tips by pulling out Mark Knopfler's bouncy and folky 2002 effort "The Ragpickers Dream", a record I often associate with the start of spring, positive renewal and important change. The record was the soundtrack to the making of some Jamaican Jerk Chicken. 

There are several different ways to make this recipe that all involve a mix of sweet and savoury spices plus liberal doses of Chilli. I like to make mine like this:

Two Chicken Breasts, mine were sourced from the ever wonderful Stretton Hall Farm Shop. Check them out at: Stretton Hall Farm Shop | Facebook  

The juice from two fresh Limes.

A diced Clove of Garlic.

A diced White Onion. 

A teaspoon of Jerk Seasoning.

A teaspoon of All Spice.

A teaspoon of Nutmeg.

A teaspoon of Chilli Flakes.

Twenty-Five grams of sliced Fresh Ginger. 

Half a teaspoon of Black Pepper. 

The first step is, a good four hours before cooking, to marinate the Chicken Breasts by rubbing them in Sunflower Oil with all the other ingredients so that these ingredients are spread evenly around the Chicken. Once the ingredients are rubbed into the chicken, put it on a deep and oiled baking tray and seal with clingfilm to keep the flavours in and allow them to infuse with the chicken.

When you are ready to cook, remove the clingfilm and cook the chicken for around thirty to thirty five minutes on Gas Mark Six. 

The difference early infusing makes is that the chicken is much more flavoursome than it would be otherwise and has that classic sweet and sour flavour that makes Caribbean Cuisine special. 

I served the chicken with another classic Caribbean Dish which comprised of boiled white rice mixed with Kidney Beans in Chilli Sauce. 

Cake Five

 It was my Dad's birthday recently and he needed a cake. I decided to take a risk and make a cake recipe I had never tried before all just a matter of hours before his birthday celebrations began. Here's what happened next...

The choice of music to cook to was one my younger self, as well as my dad's younger self, could well have scoffed at. On the player was not only Frank Sinatra's first album, but one of the first album's ever made. In fact original copies came with the records comprising it presented in a booklet that was like an old style photograph album. The record is more primitive than Sinatra's more polished and slickly produced later efforts. It contains lots of songs that seem about adversity and staying power as well as the simple joys of life. Check it out here at: The voice of Frank Sinatra album - YouTube 

Like my Dad before me, the teenage me disliked the Frank Sinatra listened to by the parents before growing to appreciate his music after seeing a bit more of the world and life generally. Plus Ca Change down the generations clearly!

So to the ingredients which were as follows:

The Cake Mix:

150 grams of Gluten Free Self Raising Flour.

2 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder.

4 tablespoons of Instant Coffee. 

150 grams of Unsalted Butter Cut Into Cubes.

125 grams of Demerara Sugar.

25 grams of Ground Almonds. 

3 Duck Eggs beaten well. 

The topping:

150 grams of Icing Sugar.

25 grams of Unsalted Butter.

2 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder.

2 tablespoons of Instant Coffee.

3 tablespoons of lukewarm water. 

The method goes like this:

1. Cream the Butter and Sugar together until they are light and fluffy.

2. Add the Flour, Cocoa Powder, Instant Coffee and Ground Almonds and stir them together with the Butter and Sugar until they are fully combined. 

3. Add the Eggs and stir them in until there is a pliable, semi solid paste.

4. Put the mixture in a greased Cake Tin. Cook in the oven for twenty minutes at Gas Mark.

5. After this stage the interior of the cake will still be pretty moist, so turn the heat up to Gas Mark 6 and cook for a further twenty-five minutes ensuring the cake does not burn. Check it is ready by poking it with a skewer. If very few bits come out on the skewer the cake is ready. 

6. Leave the cake to cool on a wire rack. 

7. While the cake is cooling, combine the topping ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir hard to form a sweet paste. 

8. After the cake is cooled, spread the paste over the cake's top and allow it to solidify. 

The cake and I made it to the celebrations where my Dad enjoyed consuming it as we talked of the way the world is falling about our ears as well as engaging in critical appraisals of our favourite Velvet Underground and Miles Davis Records. 

Steak's Too, Baby

It was a Friday in late February. To celebrate my Dad's Birthday we had took a walk in the White Peak and discovered an ancient carving in a cave, which was like the set from one of the better Indiana Jones Movies.  

On the way home I picked up a fillet steak from my favourite farm shop the excellent Stretton Hall Farm Shop. Check out their website at: Stretton Hall Farm Shop | Facebook  

The sun was shining and it was time to be inspired by something from a place that fate had allowed me to understand a lot more over the past three years. Using that inspiration I made a Chinese style Fillet Steak with a special sauce and freshly steamed Broccoli. 

The album on the player, to help conjure up a feeling I was cooking the dish on a hot beach at the height of a hot August Night, was Santana's sophomore scorcher "Abraxas". The record is chock full of Latin Funk and contains a well-taken cover of Fleetwood Mac's Classic "Black Magic Woman".  Check it out at: Santana Abraxas Full Album - YouTube

The ingredients were as follows:

One Fillet Steak. 

Three crushed Garlic Cloves. 

A teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice

One head of Broccoli cut into smallish florets. 

For the sauce 

Three tablespoons of Chicken Broth.

Two tablespoons of Oyster Sauce.

Two tablespoons of Soy Sauce.

One teaspoon of Chinese Five Spice.

This is a simple dish to make. The first job is to steam the Broccoli for fifteen minutes until it is a little soft but with hints of being still crunchy. Then take it off the heat and leave to one side. 

After that it's time to fry the Garlic Cloves for around five minutes on a medium heat until they start going golden brown. Once that's happened, add the Fillet Steak and fry for three minutes on each side so that it is cooked rare. Meanwhile add the sauce ingredients together in a jug and stir well. Combine them on a serving plate with the Steak and Broccoli. 

Although there is an element of frying, this is still a flavoursome and healthy meal thanks to the iron of the Broccoli and the protein of the Fillet Steak while the sauce gives the flavours a pleasing and different twist.