Simple Wet Cure - Bacon Curing Method

BBC Radio 4 - Food Programme

Radio

Simple Wet Cure - Bacon Curing Method

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Servers: 8

Ingredients:

• A piece of 1.5 kg - belly pork, bones removed
• A strong, resealable freezer bag into which the pork will fit
• 500g of coarse grain sea salt (note: table salt has additives to stop it forming lumps)
• 500g of sugar

Steps:

Preparation

Mix the salt and the sugar and massage vigorously into the surface of the meat (feel free to add a few taste spices in here as well, I have used cinnamon, nutmeg for what I call a Christmas Bacon,  I have also used dried chilli's).

On the rind side give it a good exfoliating scrub, on the meat side, ensure that the cure is worked well into every fold and pocket.

Place the meat inside the bag, add the rest of the mixed cure, seal tightly and place in the fridge.

Each day, for five days, massage the meat through the bag and turn it over.

As the days pass the dry cure will be largely dissolved in the liquid given out by the meat, forming a brine.

On day 5 drain off the brine and discard. Rinse the bacon and soak in clear water for half an hour.

Pat dry and place back in the cleaned and dried freezer bag. Place back in the fridge for a further five days to allow the cure to distribute evenly throughout the meat.

Slice thinly, fry and enjoy.

Refrigerated, this bacon should last a couple of weeks. Once tasted however, it rarely stays around more than an couple of days.

Eating:
This bacon will taste fantastic and yield no revolting milky fluids when fried. Because it contains no nitrates, however, it will be greyer in colour than commercially produced rashers.

Mrs Plummer the 1st's Mandarin Choux Buns

Mrs Plummer the 1st

Handed down

Mandarin Choux Buns

Servers: 4

Ingredients:


Choux Pasty

• 60g - Baking Lard
• 70g - Plain Flour
• 140ml - Water
• Pinch of salt
• 2 - medium eggs
• Drop - Vanilla Essence (optional)

Filling

• 150ml - Double Cream
• 320ml - Canned Mandarins Oranges

Chocolate Sauce

• 4 tbsp - Golden Syrup
• 60g - Plain Chocolate

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 220c

Steps:

Filling
Drain and chop 1 can (320ml) of mandarin oranges.
Whip 150ml of double cream.

Choux Pasty
Sieve the mix of the 70g of plain flour and pinch of salt.
Lightly whisk the two medium eggs.

Place 60g of baking lard and 140ml of water in a pan and bring just to boiling point.
Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the sieved 70g of Plain Flour all at once.
Return to a low heat and beat with a wooden spoon until mixture leaves sides of the pan clean (estimate 1-2 minutes).
Cool slightly.
Gradually beat in whisked eggs, then the drop of vanilla essence (if used).
Next is spooning the mixture onto a greased baking sheet.
A dessert spoon can be used for large buns and should be 4cm apart.
A teaspoon can be used for smaller buns and should be about 2cm apart.
Put into pre heated 220c oven for 15 minutes then reduce oven to 190c for another 15 minutes.
Remove from baking sheet, slit the bottoms of the buns then place on a cooling wire tray.
After cooled fill the inside of each bun with cream and mandarin mix.

Chocolate sauce
Melt the 4 tbsps of syrup and 60g of plain chocolate in a heat proof bowl over a pan of boiling water.
Beat lightly until smooth and glossy.
Pour over buns.

Eating:
Don't eat alone you will eat them all :-)

Basic Sour-dough bread recipe

Channel 4

Internet

Basic Sour-dough bread recipe

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Servers: 750g loaf

Ingredients:

• 150ml - sourdough culture (see starter recipe Basic sourdough starter)
• 250g - good-quality white flour
• 100ml - warm water
• pinch - salt

Steps:

Put the 250g flour into a bowl and add 150ml of your sourdough culture. Then add the 100ml of warm water and the pinch of salt. Mix it altogether and then turn it out onto a table for kneading. It is a wet dough so you have to work it for a long time before it will start to come way from the table.

Once it's stretchy, put it into a bowl and leave it somewhere warm to rise for 2 hours.

Shape the dough on a lightly floured surface to fit a proving basket or loaf tin. To do this, stretch the dough out into a long rectangle then fold each outer third inwards. Knuckle down a seam at the bottom of the dough nearest to you, then roll the dough down from top creating a tight loaf shape.

Dust the proving basket or loaf tin with flour and roll the dough in flour to stop it sticking. Put it into the basket, cover it and leave it to rise in a warm place for a second time, for about 8 - 12 hours.

To bake it you will need a baking stone or a heavy metal baking tray. Get your oven very hot at 240°C/gas mark 9 and heat the stone or tray. Carefully turn the loaf out onto the hot stone or tray - be careful not to knock any air out. Give it your signature cut on the top then put the dough in the oven and throw a cup of water into the bottom of the oven to create steam. Bake for 30 minutes until golden.

Basic Sour-dough starter

Channel 4

Internet

Basic Sour-dough starter

Servers: n/a

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of plain
• 1 cup of warm water
• 8g packet of dried yeast

Steps:
Mix all items together in a clean glass bowl using a wooden spoon.
Cover it cloth and leave in a warm room.

After 24 hours it can be used with the bread recipe.

Each day transfer to a new clean bowl and replace half a cup of starter with half cup flour and half a cup of warm water.  Mix with wooden spoon.

The starter should always smell sweet and doughy and have bubbles.

Pad Gratiem Prik - Garlic and Pepper

Kata Thai Cooking - Kata Beach, Phuket

Kata Thai Cooking School

Pad Gratiem Prik - Garlic and Pepper

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Servers: 1


Ingredients:

• q00g - Meat (Pork, Chicken, Beef, Prawn, Squid)

• 1/2 TSP - Pepper

• 1 tbsp - Soy Sauce

• 2 or 3 cloves - Fresh Garlic

• 1 TSP - Salt

• 1/4 cup - Vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli etc)

Steps:

Marinate 100g of "Meat" (Pork, Chicken, Beef, Prawn, Squid) in a bowl with 1/2 TSP pepper, 2 or 3 cloves of diced garlic and 1 TSP of salt for at least 5 minutes.
Medium heat 1/4 cup of vegetable oil and put meat to cook.
Pick each piece of meat out onto the serving dish.
Into the same pan put the vegetables and stir fry until cooked.
Mix meat back in and serve.

Tom Kai - Thai Coconut Soup

Kata Thai Cooking - Kata Beach, Phuket

Kata Thai Cooking School

Tom Kai - Thai Coconut Soup

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Servers: 3 (Entrée sized)


Ingredients:

• 1 can 330ml - Coconut Milk
• 1 or 2 sticks - Lemon Grass
• 3 - Kaffir Lime Leaves
• 6 to 8 thin slices - Galangal
• 2 to 4 - Thai Chillies (depends on strength)
• 1/3 Cup - Sliced Mushrooms
• 4 - Grape Tomatoes halved- (a normal tomato cut into wedges can be used)
• 3 - Shallots
• 1/2 TSP - Salt
• 2 or 3 - Thai Fish Sauce
• 1/2 Cup - Water
• 100g - Either Tofu, Chicken, Pork, Prawn, Squid
• Garnish 1 per serving Segment - Lime (or Lemon)
• Garnish 1 per serving Sprig - Coriander

Steps:
Preparation:-

Bash 1 or 2 sticks of Lemon Grass.
Cut Galangal into 6 or 8 slices and slice the Shallots
Slice mushrooms to make about 1/3 cup.
Cut grape tomatoes into half or if a normal tomatoe cut into wedges.

Dice the Thai chillies.

Boil 1/2 cup of water and 1 can 330ml of coconut milk.
Add based Lemon Grass, cut shallots, sliced Galangal, diced Thai Chillies and sliced mushrooms.
Boil for a few minutes and add the 2 or 3 tablespoons of Thai Fish Sauce, salt and put in the 100g "meat" (Either Tofu, Chicken, Pork, Prawn, Squid) with the tomatoes.
Once "Meat" is cooked put the soup in a serving bowl.

Serve with a wedge of Lime and a sprig of Coriander

Pad Thai - Rice Noodles

Kata Thai Cooking - Kata Beach, Phuket

Kata Thai Cooking School

Pad Thai - Flat Noodles Thai Style

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Servers: 1


Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp - Brown Sugar

• 1 tbsp - White Sugar

• 0.5 tbsp - Tamarind (slightly less amount of Tamarind concentrate if used)

• 1.5 tbsp - Thai Fish Sauce

• 2 tbsp - White Vinegar

• 50g - Rice Noodles (can be fresh or dried - if dried soak for 60 mins before use)

• 80g - Either Chicken, Pork, Beef, Seafood

• 0.25 cup - Spring Onion

• 0.25 cup - Garlic Chives

• 0.25 cup - Sliced Carrot

• 0.25 cup - Bean Sprouts

• 1 - Egg

• 0.5 tbsp - Shallot

• 1 tbsp - Firm Tofu (diced)

• 0.5 tbsp - Pickled Mixed Vegetables

• 1.5 tbsp - Vegetable Oil

• 1 TSP - Paprika

• 0.5 tbsp - Crushed Peanuts

• 1 tbsp - Lime juice

Preparation
Sauce Mix:-
Cooking
Cooking
Eating:
Eating:



Steps:

If dried noodles - soak for 60 minutes in water.
Cut chicken/pork/beef/seafood into small slices.

1 tbsp - Brown Sugar
1 tbsp - White Sugar
0.5 tbsp - Tamarind (slightly less amount of Tamarind concentrate if used)
1.5 tbsp - Thai Fish Sauce

Heat up the oil on a medium heat and add shallots & tofu into the pan when oil is hot.
After 1 minute add the meat and cook (with the meat in thin slices this should not take long).
When meat is ready, add the egg and scramble just a little then do the pancake movement and spread the egg around your pan.
After 1 minute add the noodles and start stirring it well together.
After 30 seconds add the Tamarind sauce mix. Stir for a total of 2 minutes.
Add the paprika powder for more colour.
The sauce must be soaked into the noodles.
The Pad Thai should start to become dry in the pan, then add the chives and sprouts then cook it for another 30 seconds.
Turn off the heat and serve on a plate.

Add some lime pieces and crushed peanuts on top when serving to each person.

Tom Xao Xa Ot - Prawn Lemon-grass and Chilli

Coconut Tour - Hoi An

Vietnamese Cooking School

Tom Xao Xa Ot - Prawn Lemon-grass and Chilli

Serves: 1


Ingredients:

• 200g - Raw Prawns - no shell or vein

• 1 stick - Lemongrass

• 1 - Chilli

• 3 TSP - Chicken Stock Powder

• 4 tbsp - Water

• 1TSP - Sugar

• 1 tbsp - Vegetable/Peanut Oil

Preparation
Cooking
Eating:

Steps:

Cut lemongrass in half.  One half chop fine the other half chop into 1cm lengths.
Finely chop the chilli and mix with a good pinch of the finely chop lemongrass.

Heat 1 tbsp of oil in pan and add lemongrass (both fine and 1cm parts), 200g prawns, and 3 TSP of chicken powder.
Quick stir and then add in 4 tbsp water.
Remove pan from the heat and add 1 TSP sugar - heat again with mix of Chilli and lemongrass.
Serve.

None just eat :-)

Dàu Hủ Kho Nấm Rơm - Caramelised Tofu and Mushroom Claypot

Coconut Tours - Hoi An

Vietnamese Cooking School

Dàu Hủ Kho Nấm Rơm - Caramelised Tofu and Mushroom Claypot

Servers: 1

Ingredients:

• 100g - Firm Tofu (could us fried tofu to cut out preparation step)
• 100g - Straw mushrooms (small buttons would work also)
• 1 tbsp - Sugar
• 1 TSP - Chicken Powder
• 1 tbsp - Soya Sauce
• 2 tbsp - Oyster Sauce
• 1 cup - Water
• 1 tbsp - Chopped Garlic
• 2 tbsp - Vegetable/Peanut oil
• 1 - Spring onion cut into strips
• 1 - Finely chopped chilli
• Pinch - Pepper

Steps:

Preparation
Cut tofu into cubes and deep fry.

Cooking
Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a pan and cook 1tbsp garlic and 100g mushrooms.
Add 1 cup of water, 1 tbsp Soya Sauce, 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce and stir.
Add Fried Tofu, 1 TSP sugar.
Cook until thick.
Add to Claypot and heat on stove top with lid on.
Top with Spring onion, pepper and chilli.

Eating:
Use hotpot to serve in (careful not to burn hands)

Ga Nuong - Chicken Lemon Leaf in Banana Leaf

Coconut Tour - Hoi An

Vietnamese Cooking School

Ga Nuong - Chicken Lemon Leaf in Banana Leaf

Serves: 1


Ingredients

• 200g - Chicken Sliced

• 50g - Lemon Leaf (bitter)

• 1 tbs - Red Onion or Shallots finely diced

• 1 tbs - Vegetable/Peanut oil

• 1 tbs - Chicken Stock

• 1 tbs - Vietnamese Fish Sauce (half of Thai and half of water)

• Pinch - 5 Spice Powder

• Pinch - Sugar

• 0.5 tbs - Garlic

Steps:


Marinade the 200g sliced chicken with:-
1 tbs - Chicken Stock
1 tbs - Vietnamese Fish Sauce (half of Thai and half of water)
Pinch - 5 Spice Powder
Pinch - Sugar
0.5 tbs - Garlic

Cooking

Heat 1 tbs - Vegetable/Peanut oil in pan.

Add 1 tbs - Red Onion or Shallots finely diced along with Chicken and Marinade.

Season with pepper after cooking.

Mix lemon leaf with the chicken.

After flaming banana leaf to soften put mix in the middle and fold to a parcel.

Surround parcel in foil and grill or BBQ for 2-3 mins.

Turn the parcel over and cook for another 2-3 mins.

Eating

Remove foil and present using banana leaf open but cutting into the top and opening up.

Banh Xeo - Country Pancake

Coconut Tour - Hoi An

Vietnamese Cooking School

Banh Xeo - Country Pancake

Serves: 3


Ingredients

• 100g - Rice Flour

• 75ml - Water

• 8 - Straw Mushroom Sliced / Diced

• Pinch - Turmeric

• 1 - Egg Yolk

• 1 - Spring Onion

• 2 tsp - Chicken Stock Powder

• 100g - Small Sliced Pork (if cooked cut out cooking step)

• 100g - Prawns (if cooked cut out cooking step)

• 100g - Bean Sprouts

• 1tbsp - Vegetable Oil

• Vietnamese Rice Paper

• Cucumber

• Mustard leaves.

• Lettuce

• Mint

• Holy Basil

• Vietnamese Coriander

• Spring Onion

• 4 tbsp - Lemon Juice

• 2 tbsp - Sugar (4tbsp with Vietnamese Sugar)

• 1 tbsp - Thai Fish Sauce (4 tbsp with Vietnamese Fish Sauce)

• 1 tbsp - Garlic

• 1 tbsp - Chili

Steps:-
Batter
Making the pancakes
Herb Bundle
Create a pancake
Dipping Sauce - Sweet and Sour
Eating:-



Add water to flour and mix - leave to soak for an hour.
Consistency should be like double cream (we found we needed to add more water with UK rice flour).
After an hour - pour surface excess water away.

Mix into batter the yolk, mushrooms and spring onions.
Put the tbsp of Vegetable oil into a small frying pan (10-15cm) and cook.
Add ladel of mixture and roll frying pan to cover the bottom with a thin layer.
On one half cover with bean sprouts.
Cover and cook for a minute or two.
Fold over the half without the bean-sprouts on.
Put on a plate and repeat process until all batter/prawns/pork is used.

Slice cucumber in long thin strips.
Mustard leaves.
Lettuce
Mint
Holy Basil
Vietnamese Coriander
Spring Onion

Cut pancakes in half.
Check rice paper - some need dipping on hot water first.
Dip whole of rice paper in hot water.
Put half a pancake on one end of the rice paper
Put a good hand bundle of mix herbs ontop of the pancake.
Now roll the pancake tucking herbs/pancake underneath.
You should end up with a cigar shape.
Repeat the above for all pancakes.

4 tbsp - Lemon Juice
2 tbsp - Sugar (4tbsp with Vietnamese Sugar)
1 tbsp - Thai Fish Sauce (4 tbsp with Vietnamese Fish Sauce)
1 tbsp - Garlic
1 tbsp - Chili
Mix all together, use water and/or more lemon juice to weaken

Dip cigar roll into dipping sauce and eat.
Repeat until all eaten :-)