Portuguese Fish Stew

World Cup, Day 5 - Portugal

Fish Stew

Day 4 was an entertaining day on the pitch and in the kitchen. France had a 3-0 win against a physical Ecuador side, while Argentina overcame an impressive Bosnia and Herzegovina. Food wise, the omelette was a nightmare! I failed miserably at something so basic, which was made worse by Ali ordering burger and chips. I was determined to make up for it today!

Today we celebrate Portugal - few will be after their hammering at the hands of Germany! I don't know much about Portuguese food but I was excited after doing some research. Lots of pork and fish sound like a diet I could get on board with! I settled on a Portuguese fish stew. It was great, I recommend trying it out. Again this isn't the most authentic of recipes but it works well. I would have liked to use mussels as well but Monday isn't a great day to buy shell fish (who wants mussels that have been sitting in the fridge since Friday?!). Try using other fish if you like, I used what was cheap and available.

Serves 4

5 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
20g Hard Chorizo (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
3 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 medium Onion (finely chopped)
1 Red Pepper (diced)
1 tin of Chopped Tomatoes
100ml White Wine
150ml Fish Stock
1 Bay Leaf
300g Smoked Coley (in small chunks)
500g Pollock (in small chunks)
handful of Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (finely chopped)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Mashed Potatoes to serve

1. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil over a medium heat and add the chorizo. Cook for 5 minutes until the chorizo releases its juices. Add the chilli, garlic, onion and red pepper and continue to cook for 5-7 minutes until softened. Season and add the tin of tomatoes, wine, stock and bay leaf and bring to the boil.

2. Add the fish and season. Stir well and cover for 5-7 minutes until the fish is cooked through. Add the parsley, remove the bay leaf and check for seasoning. Serve on a bed of mashed potato.

Paella

World Cup, Day 2 - Spain

Paella

The World Cup started with a bang last night! Brazil scraped a win amid lots of controversy but that's par for the course at a competition like this. The Brazilian shrimp stew worked a treat last night and tonight's dinner was just as good! Paella is one of my favourite dishes to cook and eat. I love the mix of saffron-infused rice with seafood and the added little kick from the smoked paprika. Paella is a great recipe when cooking for a crowd as it's relatively quick and isn't too difficult. This is my take on the Spanish classic: it may not win prizes for authenticity but it's how I like it. I normally use squid too but I couldn't get any fresh today. Try to use a large pan, as you can see, mine got quite crowded!

Serves 6 - 8

6 tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Medium Onion (finely chopped)
6 cloves of Garlic (2 finely chopped, 4 with skins on and crushed lightly with the back of a knife)
1 Red/Orange Pepper (finely chopped)
1 Chilli (finely chopped)
35g Chorizo (finely chopped)
35g Salami (finely chopped)
1 tsp Smoked Paprika
200g Leftover Cooked Chicken (shredded)
500g Paella Rice
150ml Dry White Wine
1 litre of Chicken Stock
pinch of Saffron
1 Tin Chopped Tomatoes
500g Crevettes/Prawns
500g Mussels (soaked and de-bearded)
300g Frozen Peas
handful of fresh Flat Leaf Parsley (finely chopped)
juice of 1/2 Lemon
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat 4 tbsp of the oil over a medium heat and add the onion, finely chopped garlic, peppers, chilli, chorizo, salami and smoked paprika. Saute for 7-10 minutes until softened before adding the cooked chicken. Season well and cook for 4-5 minutes before adding the rice. Stir well to coat the rice and then add the wine. Cook for 5 minutes to burn off the alcohol and add the chicken stock. Bring to the boil and stir in the saffron and chopped tomatoes. Season, stir and leave to cook for 15 minutes until the rice is cooked.

2. Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil over a high heat and add the crushed garlic. Add the crevettes and lemon juice and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until cooked. Season and set aside.

3. Place the mussels and peas on top of the rice mixture and cover with foil. Cook for 4-5 minutes until mussels are opened. Throw away any that remain closed. Remove the paella from the heat and lay the cooked crevettes on top. Cover again and let it rest for 10 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Eggs in Hell!

Eggs in Hell

A few weeks ago I had a message on my Facebook page recommending me to try 'Eggs in Purgatory'. A basic recipe was included with the tip that it makes a great hangover cure. Never one to shy away from a couple of glasses of red, I put it to the test! It worked a treat and I have been adapting it to my tastes ever since. 

After changing a few things I decided to call it 'Eggs in Hell' as the chilli should set your tongue alight, while the chorizo (or prosciutto) adds a slightly salty hit to balance the dish. Don't use pre-sliced chorizo: buy a stick of hard chorizo, remove as much of the casing as you need and chop off a piece. Cover with cling film and keep it in the fridge, it'll last quite awhile!

Serves 2

2 Tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Large Clove Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Green Chilli (finely chopped)
1 Inch of Hard Chorizo/Prosciutto (finely chopped)
1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano
150g Tomato Passata
1/2 Tsp Sugar
3 Medium/Large Eggs
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Caciocavallo/Pecorino/Parmesan to Serve

1. Add the oil to a frying pan over a medium heat and add the garlic, chilli, chorizo and oregano. Season and stir. Cook for 7-10 mins until softened but be careful not to burn the garlic.

2. Add the passata and sugar and bring to the boil before gently cracking in the eggs. Cover the pan and cook until the whites set but the yolks remain runny. Sprinkle the top with plenty of pepper. Finish with a good grating of the cheese of your choice. Serve with plenty of good crusty bread. Enjoy!

Special thanks to Adrienne M. Bolger for mailing me the recipe for 'Eggs in Purgatory'!

Charcuterie Frittata

Charcuterie Frittata

At the moment, after receiving a big delivery from Italy and going a bit too wild at a farmers market, my fridge is full of all types of meat! I have Salami from Brescia, Calabrian Nduja, Prosciutto di Parma and Kerry Chorizo (I know, I couldn't believe it either!) along with the usual Bacon, Beef and Chicken. I have become a big fan of all types of charcuterie lately and decided to bring a few together with the greatest ingredient known to man....eggs!!

Obviously not everyone will have different types of cold cuts available but try to mix at least a couple and where possible try to buy Salami/Chorizo whole or as a piece rather than pre-sliced, the difference in flavour is incredible! I used a mix of Salami, Chorizo and Nduja (spreadable, spicy salami) here which balanced extremely well with the Nduja adding a sizable kick in terms of heat. If you dont have Nduja but want some spice, add some chilli with the onion and proceed as normal. I used green beans in this recipe as its all I had in the fridge but I wouldnt change it now, they add a great texture and keep their crunch as are only cooked for 2 minutes. The little chunks of Cheese are like hidden gems in the Frittata and again try to use different types. Cheddar should be easy to find and if you can't get Pecorino sub in some Parmesan instead.


Serves 2

1tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
60g mixed Charcuterie (finely chopped) [I used Salami, Chorizo and Nduja]
1/2 Red Onion (finely chopped)
1/2 Red Chilli (finely chopped) [optional, not needed if using Nduja)
80g Green Beans (cut into 1cm lengths)
6 Eggs (beaten well)
20g mixed Cheese (cut into small chunks) [I used an Irish Farmhouse Cheddar and Pecorino Romano]
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the Oil over a medium heat and add the Charcuterie, cook for 5-6 minutes allowing the juices to come out and flavour the oil. Add the Onion and Chilli (if using), season lightly and cook for another 5-6 minutes until soft. Add the Green Beans and Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring all the time.

2. Add the Cheese to the beaten Eggs and season lightly. Add to the pan and stir well to ensure an even spread of filling and cheese. Continue to stir for approx 1 minute until you see the first signs of the egg setting. Cover with foil or a lid and let cook for 5-7 minutes until cooked through. Turn out and cut into 8 Pizza style slices. Enjoy!