Kitchen Cook

Asparagus, Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Filo Cigars

2010-05-22T13:40:00.000-07:00

BRITISH asparagus is now in season and it's absolutely delicious. I love it lightly steamed with a little bit of butter or hollandaise sauce. But if you want something a little more substantial for a special starter or lunch, try this recipe. It's from the British Asparagus website where there are lots more lovely asparagus recipes.

British Asparagus, Smoked Salmon and Horseradish Filo Cigars
Serves 4
Preparation 20 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Ingredients
6 - 8 British asparagus spears
6 - 8 sheets Jus-Rol filo pastry
50g butter, melted
240g London cure smoked Scottish salmon
2 tbsp English Provender Company hot horseradish
Method
1 Preheat the oven to 200c/gas 6.
2 Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and refresh under cold running water. Set aside.
3 Cut the sheets of filo in half lengthways to give you long strips and keep covered until you are ready to use them to prevent them drying out.
4 Cut the smoked salmon into long strips, roughly the length of the asparagus spear. Don't worry if you can't get long enough pieces, it's fine to patch it together.
5 Working with one piece of filo at a time (keep the rest covered up), brush one side with butter. Lay a strip of smoked salmon at one end of the pastry, spread it with a little horseradish and top with a piece of asparagus. Roll up the filo sheet around the salmon and asparagus to give you a cigar shape. Repeat until you have used all the ingredients.
6 Lay the cigars on a baking sheet and brush with a little more butter and bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the pastry is golden and crisp. Allow to cool a little before eating as the asparagus will be very hot!

Nettle Beer

2008-09-13T09:19:00.000-07:00

IN these days of credit-crunching and frugality, let me give you the following recipe. I should warn you that I haven't tried it so have no idea how it tastes. The website it came from (www.selfsufficientish.com) says it creates "a delightful, if not usual, tasting beer". Make of that what you will!

Nettle Beer
This is an easy recipe to follow and creates a delightful, if not usual tasting beer. It is very cheap to make and follows a traditionally english recipe. Before hops were widely used in the 17th century all sorts of plant were used to flavor the ale including nettles.(Urtica dioica). It was also thought to help alleviate rheumatic pain, gout and asthma. Nettle beer can still be bought in the Czech republic and in the north of England where it is brewed with hops and is called internettle.

Ingredients
900grams (2lb) young nettle tops
3.8lts (1 gallon) of water
230 grams (8oz) of sugar, brown or demarrara sugar works best.
7.5 grams (0.25oz) of fresh yeast
small piece of toast
7.5 grams (0.25oz) of ground ginger

Method

Boil the nettle tops in the water for half an hour (you will need a very large pan for this or preferably a cauldron).

Keeping the mixture, strain and add sugar, stirring to dissolve. I mentioned keeping the mixture as the first time I did this I strained it and poured the liquid down the sink, so had to go out and pick more nettles. Also stir in the ginger. Pour mixture into a sterile container, ask at most home brew shops for details, if you don't have a home brew shop near you then a big branch of Boots should offer a Brewers bucket.

Spread the yeast onto the toast and float on the surface of the nettle liquid. Cover and leave for about 3 days at room temperature, do not allow the temperature to fluctuate too much as this will ruin the fermentation process.

Strain again and put into clean, strong screw top beer bottles, or sealable wine bottles (I used plastic bottles and it still worked). This can be drunk after about 2 days. Still not sure how alcoholic this beer is I have never drank more than one pint in a go, it does taste like it should be though.

To find the recipe in its original
click here

Stuffed Bass

2008-09-11T00:03:00.000-07:00

MY nephew has been sea-fishing again and this time brought me a lovely big bass. I often let bass speak for itself and merely flash fry fillets. As I'm not too good at filleting, this time I thought I'd try something different and stuff the fish.

Here's the recipe I used. It's from www.bassonhook.com/fishforfood/ Let's face it, they ought to be experts on cooking bass! There were lots of bass recipes here but not that many for a whole bass. This was absolutely delicious. I left the bone in as it seemed very fiddly to remove it! It didn't affect the cooking time as 45 minutes seemed ample for a 2lbs bass. There's nothing worse than overcooked fish.

Stuffed Bass (serves 2)

Ingredients
2 lb bass
2 tbsp butter
onion, minced
2 tbsp parsley, minced
6 mushrooms, chopped
6 anchovies, chopped
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
10 cooked prawns cooked or 1 cooked fillet of flounder, sole, or halibut
1 egg slightly beaten
salt and pepper
lemon juice
2 rashers bacon cut in strips for larding
1/2 cup melted butter
1 onion sliced
2 tbsp parsley, chpped
1 cup white wine or fish stock
3/4 cup sour cream
Remove the centre bone but do not cut in half or behead. Wash, pat dry, sprinkle with salt and refrigerate 45 min. Preheat oven to 400.

To prepare stuffing, melt butter in skillet/frying pan and when bubbling saute onion, parsley and mushrooms 5 min. Mix in anchovies, breadcrumbs and shrimp or cooked fish. Toss and mix in beaten egg.

Rinse and dry fish, sprinkle inside with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Lard fish across back with bacon strips. Stuff the fish and truss with skewers or sew shut. Spread a little melted butter in a baking dish, add fish and top with onion slices and parsley. Pour the rest of the butter over the fish and vegetables.

Bake 45 min basting frequently with wine or stock. Add sour cream to the pan not on the fish for the last 10 min. When fish is done remove trussing and serve on a heated platter garnished with the vegetables and covered with the sauce.

Devon Dough Cake

2007-08-02T01:27:00.000-07:00

I WAS taking a look at the recipes on the UKTV food site when I came across one for Devon Dough Cake.

It brought back memories of my childhood, sitting around a big farmhouse kitchen in my grandmother's house, eating warm dough cake with homemade butter.

It was submitted to the site by a member of the public who says: "This recipe was cooked every week by my Auntie Paul in her home in Newton Poppleford, near Sidmouth in Devon. She made it every week of her life and it was made by her mother too I believe. It seems to be a Devon recipe and it is not one I've ever come across since she died 30 years ago. It is basically a fruited bread, but has a unique taste and one enjoyed by the Woodley family for generations. As a girl I would be given half a slice of dough cake and 2 chocolate buttons from Auntie Paul when I got home from school. If I was really good, she would butter the bread, but that was considered a treat!"

My grandmother was from Devon so I suspect she used much the same recipe. I hadn't tasted it for years so made some to try. It was delicious and I was immediately transported back to my days of pigtails and ankle socks!

Here's the recipe:

Devon Dough Cake

Servings: makes 1lb loaf

Ingredients

225g strong plain flour

25g butter 1 tsp fast action yeast

1 egg

50ml milk

pinch grated nutmeg

15g chopped citus peel

25g sugar

50g currants

Method

Sieve the flour with a pinch of salt and rub in the butter to make breadcrumbs.

Stir in the yeast.

Add 50ml water and the milk, together with the remaining ingredients.

Mix to a soft dough, a little softer than bread dough.

Knead well on a floured board for 5 mins, then place in a greased and warmed small 1 lb loaf tin.

Leave in a warm place, covered with oiled cling film until the dough rises to the top of the tin. Bake in a pre heated oven 375F/180c/160c fan, for 30 mins until golden and risen.

Cool and serve sliced.

Kohlrabi

2007-07-19T06:53:00.000-07:00

MY brother gave me a couple of kohlrabi. Kohlrabi is a bit like a turnip but is mild and crisp with a delicate nutty flavour. I love them but I never quite know what to do with them apart from boil them or steam them. A quick search on the internet turned up the recipe below for Kohlrabi Salad from Riverford Organic Vegetables . It's delicious - fresh and summery yet substantial enough for a lovely lunch with the addition of some crusty bread. If you love vegetables, take a look at the site; there are some great recipes there.

Kohrabi Salad

Preparation Time: 15 minutesCooking Time: 5 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 medium kohlrabi

2 carrots

1 apple

juice of 1 lemon

100g (4oz) peanuts

3 tbsp mustard seeds

3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
1. Peel and grate the kohlrabi. Wash and grate the carrots and apple. Mix with the lemon juice and add the peanuts.

2. Fry the mustard seeds in the hot oil until they begin to pop. Pour the seeds and oil over the salad and mix well.

Strawberry Delight

2007-07-01T05:29:00.000-07:00

IT'S summer (a bit soggy here in Britain at the moment but the sun is trying to peek through the clouds) and many of us will be planning long, lazy days in the garden.
No fruit says "summer" more than plump, juicy strawberries.
This versatile fruit not only tastes delicious but is full of goodness too. It's low in fat and calories and high in fibre, vitamin C, folate, potassium and antioxidants.
Strawberries are wonderful with nothing more than a dollop of clotted cream but there are lots of wonderful recipes you can try too - fruit salads, strawberry fool and strawberry shortcake are just a few.
But below I have two more unusual dishes for you to try. The first is a savoury strawberry salad with the fruit giving a fresh and tangy flavour and the second is a wonderful cooling and refreshing Strawberry Fizz by that great advocate of British food, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Strawberry Salad
Serves 8

Ingredients
8 oz of mixed lettuces (try to include a red leaf lettuce for contrast)
8 oz fresh spinach, torn into bite size pieces
1 medium avocado, peeled and sliced or chopped
Half pint strawberries, halved or sliced if they are large
Half a cantaloupe melon, scooped into balls
Half pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
4 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced

Method
Combine the lettuce, spinach, avocado, strawberries, cantaloupe, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and mushrooms in a large salad bowl. Add your favourite dressing and toss lightly. Below is a poppy seed dressing that goes very well:
Dressing:
Half cup vegetable oil
Half cup tarragon vinegar
Half cup sugar
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
Half teaspoon salt
Half teaspoon dry mustard
Half teaspoon grated onion
Quarter teaspoon onion salt
Place all of the ingredients in a jar and shake vigorously to mix. Pour enough over the salad to coat the leaves when ready to serve.

Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Strawberry Fizz
Preparation time less than 30 mins

Ingredients

4 strawberries
icing sugar, to taste
1 glass sparkling wine (champagne, cava or prosecco)

Method

Crush some strawberries and rub them through a sieve. Sweeten with a little icing sugar, mixing thoroughly to dissolve. Fill one champagne glass a third full with the strawberry juice and top up with ice cold sparkling wine. Drink quickly and pour yourself another one.

Potatoes

2007-05-30T02:56:00.000-07:00

NEW potatoes are in the greengrocers' and markets now. If you boil them they are delicious just as they are or you could add a little chopped mint and butter to liven them up. At the bottom of the page is a recipe for roasted new potatoes with garlic and lemon that's just delicious.

Different types of potato
Boiling potato, waxy potato, new potato: These keep their shape after cooking, so they are good for making potato salads or for eating early in the season as part of the traditional meal. They are not good for mashing, baking, or making chips. Examples of waxy potatoes are Charlotte, Pink Fir Apple, new potatoes and salad potatoes. Examples of waxy new potatoes: Jersey Royal, most salad potatoes, Record, Rocket.
Floury potatoes: These are good for mashing, frying, baking and for chips. For frying, the harder and drier the potato, the better it will fry; you can judge this when you cut it through with a knife. Examples of floury potatoes: Golden Wonder, British Queen, Maris Piper, Edzell Blue, Shetland Black.

Multi purpose potatoes: These are sold everywhere because they are easy to cook in any method. However, if you want a good full flavour it's better to get a variety that's suited for the purpose. Examples of multi-purpose potatoes: Desiree, Wilja, Nadine and Romano.

Purple fleshed potatoes: These are a speciality potato that have an interesting colour when mashed and in salads. They will go mushy if cooked too long. Examples: Salad Blue, Congo.

Roasted New Potatoes With Garlic and Lemon
Serves 4
Preparation time less than 30 mins
Cooking time 30 mins to 1 hour

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

700g/1lb 9oz British new potatoes, scrubbed and quartered

4 whole cloves of garlic (optional)

1 lemon, grated rind of

salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method

1. Heat the oil in a roasting tin then add the potatoes, cloves of garlic, lemon rind and seasoning.

2. Mix well and roast for 40-45 minutes or until tender, turning once.

Rhubarb Custard Bars

2007-03-30T23:37:00.000-07:00

EARLY rhubarb is in season so have a look around the markets. Recipes abound for this versatile fruit but for a change from the usual rhubarb pie or crumble, below is a recipe for a delicious rhubarb and custard bar.
Also in season in March: sardines, carrots, leeks, purple sprouting broccoli, lobster, sorrel, beetroot and mint.
If you want more recipes or information on how to grow rhubarb this site has everything you need: www.rhubarbinfo.com

Rhubarb Custard Bars

Ingredients:
Crust:
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, 1 stick, room temperature
Filling:
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp flour
4 eggs beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
4-5 cups rhubarb
Method:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray.
Crust: blend flour & sugar together, then cut in the butter with a fork or pastry blender. Press crust into a 9x13 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with a cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Prepare filling while crust is baking.
Filling: in a large mixing bowl blend sugar and flour, then add eggs, vanilla and rhubarb and blend well. Pour mixture over partially baked crust and continue baking for 30-35 minutes. Serve warm or cooled. Store leftovers in the refrigerator.

Cheesy Pasta

2007-03-10T00:35:00.000-08:00

Fast food: When making a pasta and sauce dish, cook a bit extra. Layer the leftovers, adding a cheese layer, in a dish which is suitable for freezing and cooking. Grate cheese over the top. Cover tightly and freeze.
When you've run out of ideas or ingredients for dinner, heat through in a preheated oven for 35-40 minutes until the top is bubbling.

Herby Scones

2007-02-21T14:19:00.000-08:00

CHIVES are now in season. This versatile herb is a member of the onion (allium) family and its leaves can be harvested from February right up to early winter. Try these herby scones - wonderful if eaten still warm with melting butter and cheese.

Herby Scones
(Makes 16)

275g (10oz) self-raising flour
75g (3oz) butter
125ml (4fl oz) milk
1tsp dried mixed herbs
4 leaves of fresh chives, snipped
2tbsp fresh chopped parsley
pinch salt

Method
Pre-heat oven to 200C/Gas 6. Rub the butter lightly into flour, lifting the mixture to add air, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the salt and mix in the milk to make a soft dough. Alternatively, put all the ingredients into a food processor.
Roll out the dough to 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick. Use a small scone cutter and cut 16 scones. Place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 14-16 minutes. Take out of the oven and cool on wire racks.

Also in season: squash, parsnips, cabbage, shallots, forced rhubarb, celeriac

Recipe: Crab & Spinach Lasagne

2007-02-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

I HAVE been asked for the recipe for my nephew's Crab and Spinach Lasagne. Here it is. Try it if you can because it's really lovely.

Crab and Spinach Lasagne (serves 8)
6 tbsp butter
6 tbsp flour
4 cups milk
Salt, to taste
Freshly-ground white pepper, to taste
1 pinch nutmeg
1 bag frozen chopped spinach
8 oz grated mature cheddar cheese
2 cups Ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 tsp chopped garlic
2 large crabs
1/2 lb fresh pasta sheets

Preheat the oven to 350C. In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, 1/2 cup at a time. Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook, stirring constantly for 4 to 6 minutes.
Remove from the heat and stir in the spinach and the brown meat from the crab. Makes 5 cups. Set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the Ricotta cheese, egg, garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Set aside.Grease an 8in by 8in by 2in square pan. To assemble, spread 1 cup of the sauce over the bottom of the pan. Season the crabmeat and lobster with salt and pepper.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the crabmeat over the sauce. Put 1/3 of the cheese over the crabmeat. Cover the cheese with the fresh pasta. Spread 1/3 of the cheese filling evenly over the pasta. Repeat the layering until all of the ingredients are used.
Top the lasagne with a plain white sauce and the grated cheese. Place in the oven and bake until bubbly and golden, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Lovely Lasagne

2007-02-18T02:37:00.000-08:00

ONE of the best meals I've had recently was one my nephew cooked for his daughter's 12th birthday.

He loves fishing and his fishing mate gave him two huge crabs. He also has a pasta maker (I know there seems to be little connection between these two facts but bear with me!).

So ......... he cooked a crab and spinach lasagne, which was heavenly. His nine-year-old daughter had helped make the pasta and I'm sure his partner was his kitchen slave - she often is!

I guess not many of us will be lucky enough to lay our hands on two huge crabs but lasagne can be made with all kinds of fish, including salmon, coley, pollack, ling or huss - a nutritious and cheap alternative.

Here's a Jean-Cristophe Novelli recipe from the UKTV website (http://uktv.co.uk/index.cfm/uktv/Food.recipe/aID/554713/)

Salmon, Spinach and Goat’s Cheese Lasagne
Servings: 4
Level of difficulty: Intermediate
Preparation Time: 45 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
50ml olive oil
2 garlic cloves
800g baby spinach leaves
600ml double cream
300g goat's cheese, crumbled
600g salmon fillets
600g fresh lasagne sheets
salt and white pepper
For the garnish
thyme flowers
chervil
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 200C/gas 6. Lightly butter 4 individual ceramic lasagne dishes. Heat half of the olive oil, add the garlic and gently heat through. 2. Add the spinach and season with salt. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until wilted. Drain and place on kitchen paper. 3. Pour the double cream into the same pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, until reduced slightly. Add three quarters of the crumbled goat’s cheese and stir till thickened. Season with salt and pepper and strain through a fine sieve. Cover with an oiled piece of baking parchment or greaseproof paper and keep warm. 4. Slice the salmon fillets into escalopes and season them with salt and pepper. 5. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and cook the escalopes for 1-2 minutes on one side, untill just coloured. Remove carefully from the pan and lay out on absorbent paper. 6. Place a little goat’s cheese sauce in the base of each dish. Cover with a pasta sheet. Add a layer of spinach. Cover with another pasta sheet. 7. Add a slice of salmon and cover with another pasta sheet. 8. Spoon over another layer of the goat’s cheese sauce and scatter with crumbled goat’s cheese. Repeat with each of the dishes. 9. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and bubbling. Garnish with thyme flowers and chervil and serve with a tomato and parsley salad.

Roast Pork and Leeks

2007-01-13T04:29:00.000-08:00

LAST night it was out to my nephew’s house for dinner - roast pork with lots of veg. One of my brothers gives us each a joint of pork for Christmas, bought from the Chulmleigh butcher's and always delicious. My nephew served it with roast potatoes, leeks in cheese sauce, parsnip fritters, peas and carrots. His crackling crackled - unlike mine which usually lies like a limp pale slug on the plate. He had scored the skin, poured boiling water over it and let it rest for half an hour before salting and cooking it.
Leeks are in season now. They are delicious in cheese sauce, which would make a good veggie dish on its own. Add some bacon and it'll make a substantial meal for a non-veggie. Below is a basic recipe for Leeks In Cheese Sauce (my recipe, not my nephew's, who manages to add his own particular brand of magic to every dish he turns his hand to). Almost any cheese will do, from Red Leicester to Stilton; my nephew had used cheese left over from a Christmas presentation pack - Cheddar with chives. It was delicious.

Leeks In Cheese Sauce (serves 4)

4 large leeks, washed and cut into 5cm chunks
450ml milk
100g grated cheese
25g flour
25g butter
Pinch of mustard powder
Seasoning

1. Cut the leeks into 5cm pieces

2. Pre-heat oven to 200°C.

3. Simmer the leeks for 10 minutes. Drain.
4. As the leeks are cooking, mix the flour and soft butter to a smooth paste with a little of the milk. Gradually add the rest of the milk, stirring to remove any lumps. Put in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, whisking continuously, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes until it thickens.
5. Add the mustard powder and seasoning. Whisk 85g of the cheese.
6. Pour the sauce over the leeks. Top with the remaining cheese and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Other foods in season this month include scallops, squash, cabbage, parsnip, shallots and celeriac.

Planning Quick Meals

2006-12-12T14:06:00.000-08:00

WHETHER you work out of the home, in the home, or look after your children full-time, a mother's job is definitely straining and stressful. Mothers have to keep their home clean, do laundry, mend scraped knees, chauffeur the kids to school and activities, help with homework, and on top of all that, they still have to figure out the answer to that eternal question - what's for dinner?
For all the mothers out there looking for a way to take some of the hassle out of family meals, there are a few tips that you have to know. First of all, choose a quiet time once a week when you have enough time to sit down and prepare your menu for the week ahead. If possible, schedule this time on your calendar for every week at the same time.
Planning ahead takes a lot of hassle out of trying to decide what's for dinner each night. Look through your cupboards, fridge, and freezer. Make a mental note of all of the food you already have in there. If you're not one that can remember such things, think about taking a written (or printed) inventory.
Then, as you use things, you can add them to your next grocery list! As you think of menu ideas and plan your grocery list, you should start with the food you'll need for dinner. You should plan your next week's dinner around the food that you already have.
For example, if you have pasta, all you have to do is add a pasta sauce and ground beef to your list and there you go - spaghetti with meatballs. Plan as many dinner ideas as you possibly can around what's already available in your kitchen. Once you've run out of meal plans, then you can start planning new meals from scratch.Got dinner taken care of? Good. Now move on to breakfast. In many houses, this is fairly easy.
Children like to eat things like toast and peanut butter, hot or cold cereal and fruit in the morning.With breakfast sorted, move on to planning lunch. If you have older kids who prefer to eat the school lunch, you don't really have much that you have to worry about. If you have small children who are still at home, many times, they can actually be satisfied with leftovers from the night before!
To top off your grocery list, add all of the snacks, fruit, milk, juice, and various other little extra items that always seem to be in need.Keep your weekly food shopping at exactly that - just once a week! Plan your weekly meals - all of them - and do just one shopping trip. It saves you a lot of time and money as you don't have to keep going back and forth to the grocery store, and you're less likely to buy impulse items.Save yourself some time on food preparation too!
Stick your weekly menu on your refrigerator so that all you have to do is glance at it to know what meat needs to be set out to thaw, or what ingredients need to be put in the slow cooker. This helps a lot as you can make a mental note of how much time you'll need to prepare dinner.If you take the time to plan things out, you'll actually save more time than you lose in the planning and you'll definitely save money. It really does pay to plan ahead and be prepared!With little thought and a bit of planning, you're well on your way to almost completely hassle-free meals. If only you could get your children to eat their vegetables!

The Gentle Art Of Poaching

2006-12-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

DELICATE proteins like fish and eggs respond well to kind treatment, like being cooked in liquid kept just below boiling point. Poached, in other words.
The principle is the same in every case - keep the liquid simmering; don't let it boil; be patient.For eggs, it works like this:Put an inch of water in the bottom of a sauté pan (which is a skillet with high sides) and bring it to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and add some salt and a tablespoon of vinegar, which helps to hold the egg white together.The liquid is simmering when the surface seems to quiver without any bubbles breaking.
Now crack a very fresh egg into a saucer or similar shallow dish, and then slide it gently into the water. It will take about five minutes to cook.You can serve it straight away by lifting it out with a slotted spatula and resting it briefly on some kitchen towel to drain off excess water.You can also drop it into iced water to keep for later.
Once again you've prepared something in advance which is there when you need it.You can reheat poached eggs, by the way. Just lower them into hot water for about half a minute. FishIf eggs, why not fish?No reason at all.
You can poach fish in exactly the same way, using water, wine, stock or milk. Solid fish like cod respond best to this treatment, but any fish can be cooked in the same way.And now for the smart bit - if you pre-heat the poaching liquid, put the fish in a shallow tray, add the liquid and put the whole lot under a hot broiler/grill, you will achieve a number of things:

A slight 'crust' on top of the fish

The flesh will remain beautifully moist

It will cook through evenly

You can remove the fish from under the broiler/grill and keep it warm in the cooking liquid until you are ready to serve it.

Now take the next step up in excellence - poached salmon or trout for lunch. First you'll need something to cook it in. A fish kettle is ideal of course, but expensive for a dish you may not cook that often. I use a large, oval casserole dish that will also cook pot roasts, whole chickens and so on.Whole fish are easily poached in a bouillon made up of water (enough to cover the fish), some slices of onion, two or three peppercorns, a bay leaf and some vermouth. How much? How much do you like vermouth?About a wine glass full. Now bring all this to the boil on top of the stove, turn off the heat, slide the cleaned fish into the hot liquid, cover and leave overnight.

In the morning it will be perfectly cooked.Lifting the fish out can sometimes be a little tricky, but with care you can manage it. I use my hands and I strongly advise you to do the same. It's much easier to spread your fingers under the fish than a rigid spatula.You'll find the skin peels off easily and you can dress the fish with cucumber or mayonnaise or whatever takes your fancy. So simple. Such a stunning result.

Don't forget to make your own mayonnaise which, as everyone knows, is a very tricky thing to do. Don't believe a word of it. Forget the stories you may have heard and follow me (as well as Keith Floyd who taught me this trick).Put two eggs in the goblet of a blender. Add a pinch of salt and a dessertspoon of vinegar. Switch on. With the motor running, drizzle the oil of your choice (I use grape-seed oil) into the top of the blender until you achieve the required result. You'll use about half a pint of oil. If the mixture is too thick, simply add a little hot water and whisk again.Tip: Avoid olive oil! Yes I know what it says in the recipe books and if you like mayonnaise with a bitter flavor, ignore me. But I promise you your guests will not be asking for seconds if you do.

How To Get Children To Eat Their Vegetables

2006-12-10T07:05:00.000-08:00

WE all know by now how important it is for us all, but especially children, to eat their “five a day” vegetables and fruit. But what can poor parents do if their kids absolutely refuse to eat up their greens?

Get crafty. That’s what.

Here’s a few ideas to add fruit and veg to their diet – and they will hardly know they’re eating the dreaded spinach or broccoli!

Make vegetable soup, and then add some fun pasta or noodle shapes. You can use alphabet noodles or look for some fun novelty shapes.

Pour some vegetable juice over ice and add a straw, a cocktail umbrella or a stick of celery. Float a few slivers of vegetables on the top like cucumber and carrot.

Make some dips to have with raw veggies like carrot sticks, peppers and cucumber. Or dip with vegetable ‘chips’ (see below).

Make vegetable ‘chips’ by thinly slicing root vegetables like parsnips, carrots and swedes, spraying with olive oil and baking in the oven.

Hold an art session and let them create a ‘masterpiece’ out of vegetables. They can make a picture or a pretty pattern. Then eat the results!

Let them help themselves at the ‘salad bar’. Turn your kitchen into a self-serve restaurant with lots of little bowls of different vegetable or fruit-based dishes. Rice salad, pasta salad, fruit salad, dips, mixed peppers with a creamy dressing, grated vegetables like carrot and cucumber would all be suitable. The secret, I’ve found, is to have lots of small dishes and lots of variety. It seems to be the great pile of cabbage on the plate that puts them off.

Children don’t seem to know that the 70s are over and still love cheese and pineapple on cocktail sticks (or any mixture, as long as it’s on a cocktail stick!) and fondues.

Make a pizza with lots of vegetables on top – or doctor a ready-made one by adding more vegetables.

Encourage them to help with cooking and preparing meals. They’ll eat practically anything if they’ve made it themselves!

If none of this works, be devious and hide the vegetables in other food. Try orange mashed potatoes – not fruity but coloured orange by mashing carrots into it. Include fruit in your baking. Make your own tomato sauce for pasta. Chop up fresh fruit very finely and mix it with yogurt or desserts. Stuff cabbage leaves with something they love.

Be inventive and they will soon be eating up their “five a day”.