The Railway Honiton

Spaghetti alle vongole :

JB — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:23:55 +0000

A Friday night favorite at our place is spaghetti with clam sauce, one of the signature dishes of Neapolitan cuisine. It is surprisingly easy to make, fun (if a bit messy) to eat and—if you have some good, fresh clams on hand—really, really tasty.

The only real bother, if you want to call it that, to the dish is purging the clams of their sand. Even a bit of sand will render the dish inedible. These days clams (like mussels) often come with little or no sand in them, but you can never be entirely sure, so it is best to soak the clams in very well salted water (I add a whole fistful of salt) for at least an hour before cooking. (Some recipes recommend several hours and several changes of water, but I don’t find this necessary these days.) Mixing in a bit of cornmeal is said to encourage the clams to purge their sand.

Rinse off your clams and put them in a saucepan large enough to hold them all with lots of room to spare. Splash in some dry white wine, cover and turn the heat to high. After a minute or two, uncover and mix the clams with a slotted spoon to see if they have opened. Once all of them have, then remove the saucepan from the heat and keep the clams and their juice warm. (Check out the juices; if you see a fair amount of sediment, you may want to strain the juices through a cheesecloth.)

In the meanwhile, being to cook your spaghetti in well salted water. While the spaghetti is cooking, gently sauté some crushed garlic cloves (I like to use 2 cloves per person for this dish) and apeperoncino in a generous amount of fruity olive oil and when the garlic is just beginning to turn color, add a few pomodorini (cherry or grape tomatoes), sliced in half lengthwise, to the oil. Allow them to sauté for just a minute or so, then using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams (still in their shells) into the skillet. Then gently pour over the clam juices, leaving any sediment behind in the saucepan.

Allow the clam juices to reduce a bit, mix well to season and reheat the clams. Add a handful of chopped parsley. At this point, your pasta should be ready; if not, turn off the heat so that the clams do not overcook. When the spaghetti is cooked but still very al dente, add them to the skillet and mix well, simmering the spaghetti for a minute or two to allow them to absorb some of the juice without allowing the dish to dry out. Serve immediately.

NOTES: As for many Italian dishes, the quality of the ingredients that go into the dish are critical to the quality of the dish itself. Use best quality, imported spaghetti—nothing ruins this dish like mushy pasta! The oil should be the deep green, fruity kind. The garlic should be absolutely fresh. And the clams should preferably be the small, sweet variety. In Italy, the clams known as vongole veraci are the most common variety for this dish, although the tiny clams called lupini (not to be confused with lupini beans) are especially prized for their tiny size and sweetness. Elsewhere, I find Palourde or ‘Surf ‘ clams (the first one are pictured above) are excellent; both have the small, thin shells and sweet flesh that you are looking for. In a pinch, littlenecks—although a bit too large—will also do. If you can’t find small clams, you may want to use the clams out of the shell and cut them into pieces. Some very large, hard-shelled clams, however, like the Quahog, are simply too tough to be palatable in this dish. If you don’t have peperoncino on hand, you can used crushed red pepper flakes, but add them only just before adding your claim juice to avoid them burning and turning bitter. Some versions call for black pepper instead.

Besides the right ingredients, there are two key points of technique to bear in mind: Don’t skimp on the olive oil, which should be very abundant to ensure that the pasta has the right ‘slippery’ consistency. And don’t overcook the pasta. Of course, you should never overcook the pasta, but it is absolutely critical for this dish. In fact, as indicated above, you should slightly undercook the pasta as it needs to simmer for a minute or two in the sauce.

In Naples, where this dish originated, the typical pasta is vermicelli, a spaghetti-like long pasta. Spaghetti are probably the most common pasta elsewhere in Italy. And linguine also make for a fine choice.

There are three principal variations of this dish. The ‘mother’ recipe follows the method above but is entire in bianco, leaving out the pomodorini. The second version is in rosso, calls for the addition of tomato to the garlic and oil base to make a kind of sugo di pomodoro. The above version, which adds a few pomodorini, represents a kind of middle ground and is my personal favorite, while I find that an actual tomato sauce covers up the delicate taste of the clams. The same technique can be used with just about any mollusk, including mussels. Many Italian recipes call for steaming open the clams directly in the skillet with the garlic and oil, but I find steaming them open separately is a ‘safer’ choice if you have any doubts about lingering sand in the clams.

You can find some rather horrendous versions (I’d call them perversions) of this dish online. One common variant among Italian-American sources is the addition of oregano to clam sauce, something to avoid since the assertive taste of oregano completely throws off the balance of flavors. You may be tempted to use bottled minced clams and clam juice, a common ‘shortcut’ often found in online recipes, but frankly, you’ll lose all the charm of the dish. Commercially available minced clams tend to come from larger, tougher clams and lack flavor. And I’ve even seen some recipes that call for using a roux of butter and flour to thicken the sauce—the very thought of it makes me cringe.

One final note: unless you want to commit culinary heresy—and ruin a lovely dish in the process—do not under any circumstances add grated cheese to your clam sauce! Mi raccomando…

Bistro Classic : Lapin a la Moutarde .. on the menu this week !

JB — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:07:10 +0000

You rarely come across rabbit in mainstream shops in The UK, but in the Languedoc they are always in plentiful supply, from tiny butchers to big supermarkets.

Rabbit can be slightly more pricey than chicken or simliar bird meat, but it’s incredibly lean, with hardly a pinch of fat on it.

So take extra care in how you cook it: wrapped in a protective cocoon of Parma ham, perhaps, or slow cooked on a low heat.

Lapin à la moutarde isn’t a bad place to start if you haven’t cooked one before. It’s a classic French bistro dish, called a few other names too such as Lapin à la Dijonnaise, but they are all basically the same thing.

Rabbits, rabbits, livers and all

Either you start with a sort of marinade, and slather lots of mustard onto your chopped up rabbit then roast it.

Or – as we prefer – you fry it in a pan then cook it in a stock, adding the mustard (and possibly cream) near the end.

Some recipes you come across also involve baking the rabbit in the oven. But let’s stick with the much easier way, with frying pans and hobs and so on.

The ingredients are simplicity itself:

1 rabbit, jointed (there’s no big deal – chop off all four legs, then cut the body in two)
2 tablespoons olive oil (ordinary, not extra virgin)
A few lardons or a slice of chopped streaky bacon
1 onion, peeled, roughly chopped
2 large cloves of garlic, peeled, thinly sliced
Two sprigs of fresh thyme or tarragon if you have it (or 1/2 a teaspoon of dried thyme or tarragon)
1 glass of dry white wine – a Chablis is fine – or a dry cider
2 glasses of chicken stock
2 tablespoons crème fraiche (optional) – or cream will do
2 tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper
About 4 teaspoons of Dijon mustard

This last measurement will all depend on how hot your mustard is. (You could also restrain the heat and add a little more texture by using half as much Dijon, combined with the same amount of old-fashioned grainy mustard. That’s a gorgeous combination in many “mustardy” dishes.)

Heat the olive oil in a deep casserole. Fry the lardons/bacon until they just start to brown. Remove them from the pan to a dish on the side.

Brown the rabbit pieces briefly, then remove them from the pan. Turn the heat down low.

Fry the onion gently until “transparent” and soft. Stir in the garlic.

Add the white wine/cider, deglaze, and let the liquid bubble away until half of it has evaporated. Add the chicken stock and thyme/tarragon, return the rabbit to the pan.

Put a lid on, cook slowly for 90 minutes to two hours until lovely and tender. Top up the stock with water if it looks like it’s drying out.

When almost ready to serve, stir in mustard to taste, and then the crème fraiche if you’re using it, and sprinkle with the parsley.

Now if that isn’t perfect winter comfort food, with mashed or roast potatoes, I really don’t know what is. The only thing it has going against it is that rabbit has quite an amount of tiny bones.

Chocolate + Water = Chocolate Mousse . . . A little Molecular Gastronomy

JB — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:53:48 +0000

I figure I am a Chemist, so it’s time to research the hot area ofmolecular gastronomy that has been on fire over the past few years. I utilize my chemistry a lot with my recipe develop already to get the flavor and texture I want. Cooking is a series of chemical and physical transformations.

While researching two main figures in molecular gastronomy, Herve This & Heston Blumenthal, I heard about making a chocolate mousse from just chocolate and water. Brilliant! Of course, chocolate is a solidified fat/oil phase with emulsifiers such as lecithin in it already! So it is possible to make chocolate mousse with no eggs, no milk, no cream, no added sugar. Brilliant! I’ve made lots of emulsions before. An emulsion is a stabilized mixture of two immiscible liquids where a surfactant/emulsifier stabilizes the phases. Many emulsions are oil/water emulsions, with dietary fats being one common type of oil encountered in everyday life. Examples of emulsions include butter and margarine, milk and cream, and vinaigrettes.

So I decided to try different methods, and see what it tastes like and how the texture turns out. I figured that the chocolate (oil phase) would be the continuous phase and the water would be the internal droplet phase. There are two major considerations for texture – the droplet size and the crystallization of the chocolate upon cooling.

My empirical results were as follows . . . okay, I’m sounding too much of a Chemist. It works! Awesome, rich, clean chocolate mousse using just chocolate and water. I tried 2 different methods and ended with different textures, depending on how quick it is chilled:

Herve This’ Chocolate Chantilly

200 ml or grams water
225 grams quality bittersweet chocolate (a scant 8 oz), chopped coarsely or chips

Place the water and chocolate into a small heavy saucepan over medium heat to melt. Stir the chocolate in the pan until completely melted.

Have ready two bowls, one that will sit inside the other. Into the bigger bowl, put some ice and a little water, and place the smaller bowl (preferably metal) on top of the ice bath. Pour the melted chocolate into the smaller bowl and whisk over ice – the mixture will gradually thicken and take on the appearance of whipped cream, at which point it is ready to serve. Portion it into cups. Mine were not thick enough, so I tried 2 different way to chill it – a slow chill and a fast chill.

For a lighter & softer mousse, put in fridge for at least 2 hours. For a more dense mousse, almost a pots de creme texture – place covered in freezer for 15-30 minutes, then move into fridge to set for 1-2 hours.

What does it mean to be Italian (Un Rital)?

JB — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:00:22 +0000

I’ ll never forget when I was very young, someone asked me if I was French, I said
yes, my Father quickly said, Oh No Battista, you are Italian, don’t ever forget that !
My Grand Mother (La mamma) gave me the best gift of my life, she took me to Italy where I experienced my true Italian culture. The feelings of Love and sharing of families I’d never meet before, how lucky to be born an Italian.
Growing up in a predominately Italian neighborhood in France really kept my roots alive.
All my friends were Italian/Sicilian or at least latin and mad about Food.

Our Home was always filled with family and friends. Saturday night my Aunts & Uncles would start arriving carrying there cakes, salami, liquors, pasta, wine and breads. My Dad would set up his famous Poker table, they would eat Sausage at Midnight, coffee, coffee & more coffee with Grappa of course, they played cards til 3 or 4 AM. I remember my Uncle Al & Aunt Marie leaving and going to 4:00 AM Mass.

Sunday, I awoke to the smells of My Mum Rabbit stew cooking……
Did my Mother ever sleep? She was still in the Kitchen where I saw her the night before. Family would stop-in all day eating my Mothers delicious food. She could feed an Army in minutes. My Mom shared her life Loving Food

Being Italian means you’ll never grow old, your culture keeps you young at heart.

Our Dancing, Singing, visiting our families all around the Country, for Weddings, Retirements and Funerals. Watching our new Italian Generation grow, I Love Being Italian

Jacques, My son.. Dark hair, Olive skin and an italian temper all ready !

Here are their collective thoughts about what it means to be Italian.

People stick to their word. La parole é sagra (the word is blood).
People are generous
Italian men are romantic.
Hospitable with big hearts
Stubborn and proud
Not greedy
Jealous
Outgoing for others and not necessarily for each other
The taste of food is important, lot of pride about how good the food is in Sicily- especially vegetables and fish. Buona forketta (good eating).
People enjoy making things by hand
There is a pride in taking care of the land that was passed down. They enjoy working the land. They pointed out that this is particularly true of Italians.
Things here are changing because of progress
A dowry for daughters is important, and mothers make things by hand for them. They crochet blankets and bedspreads. They particularly like to make something special by hand for first born grandchildren. (When talking to some younger people before this about dowries, they shared that it wasn’t important to them anymore and that they had asked their mothers not to make one for them).
Parents are possessive of their children – mothers of daughters and fathers of sons.
People are also possessive of their ideas.

Grape Schiacciata. (My Mum’s way)

JB — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:48:31 +0000

Grape Schiacciata

here’s what I think I know about schiacciata:

Schiacciata is a Tuscan flatbread, similar to — or is it a type of, or another name for? — focaccia.
Schiacciata is pronounced something like skya-CHA-ta, and means “crushed” or “squashed” in Italian.
Schiacciata can be plain or filled with fruit, vegetables, meat, or cheese.
Grape schiacciata (schiacciata con l’uva) is a traditional version that celebrates the Tuscan grape harvest. It typically uses wine grapes (with seeds). I used seedless black grapes.
Schiacciata can be made as a rich, sweet pastry with eggs and lard, or as a rather lean dough. The one I made contains just a little sugar and olive oil in the dough, and a little more on top.
Anise seed is not an uncommon addition to sweeter versions of schiacciata. Fennel seed, which I used, seems to be less common but not unheard of.
I did not find semolina to be an ingredient in any of the schiacciata recipes I looked at. I included some in mine because I like the hint of golden color and nutty flavor it adds to dough, and because I’m wild like that.

Grape Schiacciata

Yield: one 12 x 15-inch flatbread

Time:

Infuse olive oil: one hour
Mix: 10 minutes
First fermentation : one hour
Proof: one hour and 10 minutes (with garnishing done halfway through this time)
Bake: about 25 minutes

Desired dough temperature: 75F

Ingredients:

340 g flour
100 g semolina flour
260 g water
3.2 g (1 t.) instant yeast
6 g (1 t.) salt
26 g (2 T.) granulated sugar
72 g (1/3 c.) olive oil
leaves from 5 sprigs fresh rosemary
1 g (1/2 t.) fennel seed, coarsely chopped
400 g seedless black grapes
a few additional whole fennel seeds for topping

Method:

Gently crush the rosemary leaves with your hand, and add them to a small bowl with the olive oil. Let rest for about an hour, then strain the oil and reserve the rosemary.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, semolina flour, yeast, salt, chopped fennel seed, 13 g (1 T.) of the sugar, 28 g (2 T.) of the infused oil (reserving the rest), and most of the water. Mix with your hands in the bowl until roughly combined.
Turn the dough out onto an unfloured counter and continue to mix (knead) with your hands for about 5 minutes, until the dough reaches a medium level of gluten development. Early during this time, adjust the water to achieve a medium-soft dough consistency.
Flatten the dough into a disk, spread about 300 g of the grapes onto the dough, and fold the dough repeatedly until the grapes are evenly distributed throughout. Do this gently to keep grape-crushing to a minimum.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container. Cover and ferment for one hour at room temperature.
On a parchment-lined baking sheet, press and pat the dough into a rough rectangle, about 12 by 15 inches.
Proof, covered, for about 35 minutes at room temperature.
Press the remaining 100 g of grapes into the surface of the dough. Brush generously with some of the remaining infused oil and sprinkle with the remaining 1 T. sugar, a few whole fennel seeds, and a few of the reserved rosemary leaves.

Continue to proof, covered, for another 35 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425F.
Bake the schiacciata for about 25 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the grapes are starting to burst and ooze purple juice.
Cool on a wire rack, or serve warm.

Mambo Italiano :) Kitchen favorite song

JB — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 19:54:07 +0000

watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6S-7Ap6J_FU

2 courses Menu for Christmas parties

JB — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 07:32:22 +0000

Christmas Menu £21.95

2 courses

Please choose for either Antipasti and mains or Mains and desserts

* * *

Our Delicious Wooden Planks of Italian Meat, Vegetable Fritti & “Fish Fight” Antipasti to Share

* * * *

Natale Porchetta- Locally Bred shoulder of Pork filled with Local winter game meat , Italian Salumi & herb stuffing, roasted slowly for 6 hours, served with Brick oven roasted vegetables, goose fat roasted potatoes & Vin Santo Gravy.

Branscombe Beach Fish Stew: (Originally cooked on an open fire by the sea) Beautiful Brixham Market fish & Shellfish chunky chowder cooked with Potatoes served with some Chunky Farmhouse bread for the delicious sauce, ripped herbs & Wild Garlic aioli

Sustainably Farmed Welsh Seabass steam baked fillet served with Pea, Mint & Ricotta tortellini & Lemon Butter sauce

Le Poulet Wellington : Oven baked Free range Chicken breast filled with a Mushroom & herb stuffing, wrapped in a buttery pastry served served with Brick oven baked vegetables, goose fat roasted potatoes & Grain mustard cream sauce.

Risotto al funghi : Italian Risotto with Pan Fried Scottish winter Forest Mushroom, Crumbled dolcelatte Blue cheese, roasted walnuts and a Drizzle of white truffle olive oil

* * * *

Espresso scented Pannacotta, alongside mulled winter berries

Warm Brioche Bailey’s Bread & Butter pudding

Gooey dark Chocolate Brownie with Pistachio ice cream

Celebration of Italian Cheeses with hand made Biscuits & fig Chutney

Roger’s amazing warm Mince pies & Coffee/Tea

Please note: A deposit of £5 per head per person is required on the day of booking. We require 48 hours notice to cancel a guest or a party otherwise deposits will be withheld. Thanks for your understanding

Twistgates Farm Cottages – self catering holiday cottages in Devon

JB — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:14:05 +0000

http://www.twistgatesfarm.co.uk/

Click here to enlarge picture

Welcome to Twistgates Farm Cottages – self catering holiday cottages in Devon.

Located in the heart of the Blackdown Hills, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, near Honiton in East Devon and close to the borders of Somerset and Dorset; an ideal base for exploring the South West.

The three charming cottages sleep between 2 and 5 people and combine quality self-catering accommodation with traditional character. Each holiday home is equipped to a high standard with attention to detail.

Discover for yourself this special part of Devon where the pace of life seems slower and there is time to relax and unwind. Enjoy bird watching, walking, the Jurassic Coast, fishing, golf, riding, National Trust properties, historic gardens and all that the West Country offers from the comfort of a country cottage.

Click here for MESSAGE BOARD, LATE AVAILABILITY & SPECIAL OFFERS.

BlogSpot Highlight : Children Menu from the Hardboiled Chef

JB — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 09:05:54 +0000

The Children’s Menu

The standoff

‘Children’s Menu’…The very words beckon a red mist to my beleaguered chef’s brain. Children’s menus are unnecessary, cheapen the establishment and are, quite simply, naff. Surely, now that Britain is basking in a golden age of celeb chefs, influential restaurants and general foodie madness; we can do away with this sad and cheesy little document. Half portions from the a la carte or starters should suffice, no? How condescending to our little people that they aren’t ‘allowed’ to eat the delicacies of which we partake. I’m not even going to touch the hot topic of what many parents are feeding their presumably precious ones at home. There oughtta be laws.

Having a kid really threw me. No two ways about it. My little dude is now 1.5 years on our crazy ol’ planet and it really is a great bit of luck to discover that he is the most handsome, perfect and advanced lad that ever blossomed from the union of two. But, my oh my the challenges. At 1yr he was well past the blitzed pap stage and was wanting some bite to his diet. He refused to wear a bib and ceased to let us feed him. I approach every meal, (my wife deals with far more than I) with trepidation. Is he in the mood? Will it be floor scrubbing and wall scraping for dessert again after the latest foray into self nourishment? I mean, how much banana squishing, raisin tossing, plate flipping and juice pouring can one toddler achieve in a day. Quite a lot actually. As you can imagine, I am pretty keen that he grows up with more than a passing knowledge of food, and, at the very least, a decent palate. As far as I am concerned it nearly goes without saying that he isn’t munching on rich tea biscuits, chips, candy or any rubbish. If we are on the go, we are obsessive over what packaged food to purchase. All of us have to buy the stuff sometimes, just be sure to check out the ingredients. If you start the man off on rice cakes, he won’t hanker for wotsits. At least that’s the theory. There will be enough time later when he has grown beyond our reach for him to indulge in processed crap.

So, what does a chef cook for his most vocal and violent little critic? Pretty much whatever the wee man will eat. When you find something that works, and is healthy, it becomes part of your homespun ‘children’s menu’. It really has been strange making scrambled eggs without salt, seeking out the very ripest fruit to puree so as not to have to add sugar, and dealing with the rejection of putting in a heck of a lot of effort to see it swept onto the floor with a smirk. My sure thing is softish scrambled eggs with buttery soldiers. They always seem to do the trick. Other success stories seem to be anything colourful cut into the right size for his little hands to grasp. Ham and roast beef also fare well and yogurt is a must. A warm bowl of porridge in the morning usually does the trick and a firm favourite for sometime has been pureed cauliflower with a little smoked salmon.

I love watching him explore a new texture, examine a new colour. The expressive wonder of his blessed countenance, rolling a bit of melon around his mouth for the first time. It really is all about initial impressions, finding his way around a new flavour. Freud likened these little monsters to pure Id, and I think he may have hit the nail on the head. The snatch and grab constant robberies that occur when, heaven forbid, you might be trying to pop something into your own mouth…it’s all gimme, gimme, gimme. Trickery abounds. When I pretend to covet and hide broccoli, sure enough he screams until I let him have it. ‘Oh, ok, if you must have Daddy’s special overcooked brassica.’

I look forward to his first bit of foie gras on toast. His first juicy steak. His first asparagus and poached eggs. I see these as important and fun as when he first watches Loony Toons or Stars Wars, listens to Beethoven or Led Zeppelin, reads Kipling or Hemingway. It’s my job to lead him to the water, it’s up to him whether he takes a big drink. But if all else fails, a toy with tea usually helps.

Gammon Steak & Green Stuff

½ Just Us Organic gammon steak
Assorted green stuff- broad beans, courgette, peas, green beans, broccoli etc. Cooked just beyond a crunch.
Pile it up and let him pick it apart, throw it around, mash it into the wood grain of the table and hopefully swallow some.Fruit Fun

All manner of fruits peeled where necessary and heaped together in a kaleidoscope of I-can’t-resistness.Surefire Scrambled & Soldiers

Bright yellow yolked free range egg whisked with a little cream and cooked in butter.
Brown buttered toast soldiers.

3 courses Menu for Christmas parties

JB — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 10:07:18 +0000

Christmas Menu £29.95

3 courses

* * *

Glass of sparkling Prosecco on arrival

* * *

Our Delicious Wooden Planks of Italian Meat, Vegetable Fritti & “Fish Fight” Antipasti to Share

* * * *

Sustainably Farmed Welsh Seabass steam baked fillet served with Pea, Mint & Ricotta tortellini & Lemon Butter sauce

Risotto al funghi : Italian Risotto with Pan Fried Scottish winter Forest Mushroom, Crumbled dolcelatte Blue cheese, roasted walnuts and a Drizzle of white truffle olive oil

* * * *

Espresso scented Pannacotta, alongside mulled winter berries

Warm Brioche Bailey’s Bread & Butter pudding

Gooey dark Chocolate Brownie with Pistachio ice cream

Celebration of Italian Cheeses with hand made Biscuits & fig Chutney

Roger’s amazing warm Mince pies with coffee/tea