Prawn Noodle Soup

Prawn Noodle Soup

and Asian Style Chicken Stock

I've gotten into a really good food routine this past few weeks. My plans to be less wasteful and to try to cut down my meat consumption have been relatively successful while I've been lucky enough to eat out in some wonderful restaurants too. One thing that has really cut down on my waste is making stock. Whenever I have a chicken carcass or some beef/lamb/pork bones going spare, I fire them into a saucepan with a selection of vegetables and simmer for a few hours. It doesn't only cut down on waste however, it also adds a great deal to the dishes I then cook with the stock. I have been experimenting with different flavourings in the stocks and now have my three options for chicken stock sorted; generic, asian and heavily herbed.

The generic works great in soup, gravy and anywhere you want a fairly neutral chicken flavour while the heavily herbed is perfect for stews, cooking beans/lentils and anywhere else you want a hit of herbs. The asian option is my favourite though and it makes the perfect base for this beautiful prawn noodle soup (and would work wonderfully in this turkey noodle soup too). For the stock just put a chicken carcass into a saucepan with a large carrot, an unpeeled onion, two sticks of celery, a clove of garlic, a piece of unpeeled ginger, one stick of lemongrass and one star anise. Cover with water and bring to the boil, skimming off any scum that comes to the surface. Add ten red peppercorns, some (dried or fresh) thyme, rosemary and sage and let simmer for two to three hours adding more water if necessary. For a strong, gelatinous stock allow the liquid to reduce to one litre or two litres is fine for a milder flavour. Strain and discard the carcass and vegetation.

You can use standard chicken stock for this dish if you are in a hurry but it won't be quite as spectacular. I used whole crevettes here for extra flavour but feel free to use peeled prawns instead if convenience supersedes taste. You can remove the heads and peel the prawns before serving but make sure to squeeze the juice from the heads into the broth before discarding.

Serves 4 as starter or 2 as main

1 litre of Chicken Stock (preferably the homemade version above)
3 Spring Onions (sliced)
1 thumb size piece of Ginger (peeled and finely sliced)
1/2 Red Pepper (finely chopped)
1 Red Chilli (finely sliced)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely sliced)
7-10 Green Beans (chopped)
220g fresh Crevettes (or any type of prawns)
120g Noodles
50g Spinach (shredded)
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Heat the stock in a saucepan and when boiling add all of the ingredients except the spinach. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook for another 1-2 minutes. Check for seasoning and serve. 

Al Fresco Ideas - Fish

Al Fresco Ideas - Fish

In a country where the average temperature floats around 10 degrees celsius, it's important to take advantage of any good weather. This week has been particularly good - no better time to organize family and friends for a get together!

Growing up, our BBQ's were loaded with enough meat to feed a small army. It always worked out expensive and consequently, they were a rare event. Although occasions like these are memorable, it is possible to have a more affordable BBQ suitable for everyday dinners. The joy of al fresco cuisine is that it's simple; leaving plenty of time for beer! For a great sauce, try my recipe for the Colombian Hogao here. You can swap the coriander for other herbs to give a more unique flavour.

BBQ Sea Bream

Most fish can be BBQ'd with great success and work well if cooked whole. Ask your fish monger to gut and de-gill the fish and to de-scale it if you plan on eating the skin (I peel off the skin after BBQ-ing so I leave the scales on to stop the skin from tearing). Stuff the fish with slices of lemon, chopped parsley (or other herbs) and plenty of sea salt and pepper. Slit the fish a few times if you want to speed up the cooking process. Place on a hot BBQ until cooked through (all the flesh is flaky). Peel off the skin and enjoy.

Stuffed Mussels

Although not BBQ'd, mussels are a great treat to be enjoyed outdoors with a nice glass of white wine. Saute garlic and anchovies in butter and extra-virgin olive oil for 7-10 minutes and add dried breadcrumbs. Meanwhile steam mussels until opened (discarding any that don't) and remove the top (empty) shell. Spoon the breadcrumb mix into the bottom shells and sprinkle with chopped parsley. 

Skewered Crevettes

Soak some wooden skewers in water for an hour or so to stop them burning on the BBQ. Thread through raw crevettes/prawns and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper and lemon juice. Cook on a hot BBQ for 2-3 minutes on each side.

My Dad never looks too optimistic:

Arroz con Camarones

World Cup, Day 9 - Ecuador

Arroz con Camarones

Rice with Shrimp

Day 8 of the World Cup was a sad one for our nearest neighbours. A loss to Uruguay coupled with Italy's loss to Costa Rica today sends the three loins home after only two games. I may have to rethink celebrating an English dish next week! Today I decided to cook an Ecuadorian dish. A simple arroz con camarones or rice with shrimp. 

This dish isn't too extravagant but it does contain one ingredient that I haven't had with this type of meal before; cumin. I liked it. As usual I used crevettes as they are cheap and easy to get in Newbridge. After boiling the crevettes make sure to reserve the cooking water to cook the rice in, it adds a lot to the flavour. Here is my take on the Ecuadorian staple.

Serves 3-4

500g Raw Crevettes
3tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 Onion (finely chopped)
2 cloves of Garlic (finely chopped)
1 Red Pepper (finely chopped)
8 Cherry Tomatoes (halved)
1tsp Cumin Seeds
200g Long Grain Rice
100ml White Wine
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

1. Bring 2 litres of water to the boil and add a pinch of salt. Add the crevettes and boil for 2 minutes. Drain, reserving the cooking water and run the crevettes under cold water to stop them overcooking. Set crevettes and cooking broth aside.

2. Heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat and add the onion, garlic, red pepper, tomatoes and cumin. Season well and cook for 7-8 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the rice and stir well before adding the wine. Cook for 5-6 minutes to burn off the alcohol before adding 300ml of the reserved cooking broth. Cook for 15-20 minutes until rice is tender. Add the crevettes into the rice about 5 minutes before the end of the cooking time and stir well. If the pan becomes dry before the rice is cooked add extra broth.

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.

Linguine ai Frutti di Mare

Linguine ai Frutti di Mare

Seafood Linguine

Linguine ai Frutti di Mare is one of my favourite dishes and for me captures everything beautiful about Italian Cuisine. Its a wonderfully refreshing dish that is both quick and delicious and can be made very easily for two or twenty.

Every region in Italy (probably every town) has their own variation on this dish but for the most part they fall into two categories; with tomato or without tomato. I prefer without tomato as it allows the fish to shine through with less distraction. I've been trying different recipes of this for about a year and this is my favourite. The only rule is to make sure the fish is as fresh as possible!

Serves 4

4tbsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
2 Cloves Garlic (thinly sliced)
1 Red Chilli (seeds in or out, finely chopped)
100ml White Wine
500g Fresh Mussels
500g Fresh Clams
300g Fresh Prawns/Crevettes
1 Fresh Squid Tube (cut into rings)
Juice of half a Lemon
Handfull of Flat Leaf Parsley (finely chopped)
400g Dried Linguine 

1. First, soak the Mussels and Clams in salted water for about an hour and then wash each one, removing the beards from the Mussels as you go. If any are open, tap sharply on the counter, discard any that don't close.

2. Cook the Linguine in about 4 litres of well salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, reserving some of the cooking water, drizzle some olive oil over the pasta and stir.

3. Meanwhile, heat the Oil in a saucepan over a medium heat and add the Garlic and Chilli, Fry for a couple of minutes making sure not to burn the Garlic. Add the Wine and then the Mussels and Clams, put the lid on and allow them to cook until they open, Shake the pan occasionally to help them along. Discard any that dont open. 

3. Add the Prawns/Crevettes, season, add the lemon juice and cook for 2 minutes before adding the squid. Cook for 1-2 minutes more before adding the Parsley and Linguine. Add four tablespoons of the Pasta cooking water and stir well. Check for seasoning adding more Salt, Pepper or Lemon Juice if necessary. Serve with some good Bread.

Alternatives

This dish can be made a number of different ways and the easiest alternative is to add some halved Cherry Tomatoes with the Prawns. The Fish can be swapped out for almost anything but be aware that flaky fish will soak up the sauce and leave a much drier result. Another favourite of mine is to swap out the Parsley for finely chopped Spinach.