"Os Tavirenses comem dentro da gaveta" Tavirans eat from a drawer

Piri piri prawns flambéed with maciera and lemon,
 my interpretation ( top ) Restaurant version ( below )

There is a rare expression sometimes aired in the Algarve that "os tavirenses comem dentro da gaveta" ( Tavirians eat inside the drawer ).According to a one time Taviran town councillor the statement comes from the time when commerial businesses did not close at lunch time. The shopkeeper or trader would put his plate in the drawer of the counter and discreetly eat until a customer entered his establishment. When the occasion arose, he would close the drawer and attend to business, restarting his meal as soon as the customer  had left.Although this expression sounds a little derogatory, it should be noted that it has nothing to do with reality. In fact, Tavira, besides being a beautiful town, has a very hospitable population, quite the opposite of what the statement suggests.We had the good fortune the other night, of Eating in a drawer,so to speak.Opened on 21st March 2018 Come na Gaveta ( Eat in a drawer ) is in,for me, the most iconic municipality of  the Algarve, Tavira, a wonderful sleepy little historic town.Ranked Number 3 on tripadvisor of 238 restaurants in this small town.For this restaurant to be 3rd best  of 238 is something they should be proud of.Casa Rosada is number 57 of 469 bed and breakfasts in the Algarve and something we are proud of.On this occasion, eating at Come na Gaveta with friends, I would have been more than proud if it was myself cooking what they served us..We ordered this dish of flambéed garlic prawns with Maciera (Portuguese brandy)Well that clinched it for me.I would return home with the intention of emulating this dish.I turned to my well thumbed copy of Tessa Kiros book Piri piri Star Fish  and soon found a Taviran recipe for prawns with piri piri whisky and lemon.I thought by replacing the whisky with Maciera I would not be far off,but it was not to be.Memory of that night in Come na Gaveta had failed me,there was a distinct flavour missing.I had a second stab at it and this time put vanilla in the sauce.I was there,well not far off the same deliciousness.

Piri piri prawns flambéed with maciera and lemon

This makes the perfect tapas item or starter before a main course of grilled fish.Serve with some bread for the sauce and a lemon wedge

400 g (14 oz) x raw prawns (shrimp) 
1 x tablespoon olive oil 
50 g x (13⁄4 oz) butter 
2 x small bay leaves 
2 x garlic cloves, chopped 
1 x tablespoon chopped coriander leaves 
ground piri piri (or other chilli powder) 
1⁄2 teaspoon sweet paprika
a dash of 100% pure vanilla extract 
3–4 tablespoons Maciera 
juice of 1 small lemon extra lemons, to serve
Remove the heads from the prawns but leave the shells on the bodies. make a shallow cut down the back of each one so they take in the flavour of the sauce and devein them. Rinse and pat dry. 
Heat the oil and half the butter in a large non-stick saucepan until very hot and sizzling. 
Throw in the prawns and bay leaves gradually, trying not to lose the heat, so the prawns get crusty and golden. toss the pan and season with coarse salt and pepper. When the prawns are nicely golden on both sides, add the garlic, parsley, as much piri piri as you like, the paprika a dash of vanilla extract and the last of the butter. 
Toss until you can smell the garlic, then add the Maciera. When it’s been absorbed, add the lemon juice and toss it all together.Let it bubble up for a moment, check the seasoning, then use a slotted spoon to lift the prawns onto a plate. Add about 4 tablespoons of water to the pan and let it bubble up to thicken the sauce. Remove from the heat, return the prawns to the pan and toss through the sauce. serve with some bread for the sauce and a lemon wedge or two.

Well the experience did not end there.We ordered a wide enough variety of Tapas to satisfy all four of us:the best dishes being
"Pica pau do lombo" with great home made pickles not from a jar,"Tempura de Polvo" Chouriço polenta  and the best sweet potato chips ever ever.Well I have to say i just had to pinch this last one for my home table too......

             Chouriço polenta,my interpretation ( top ) Restaurant version ( below )

Chouriço polenta,my interpretation.... 
Chorizo and manchego croquetas
You can judge a good restaurant by the way it makes its croquetas – this recipe will make yours equally good. Make the base mix a day ahead, then you can just cook the croquetas to order. Serve with a glass of sherry or an ice-cold beer.

75 g butter

75 g plain flour

500 ml whole milk

75 g manchego, finely grated

150 g chorizo, chopped cut into small cubes

3 eggs, beaten

200 g fine polenta

2 litres sunflower oil, for deep-frying, plus extra for greasing
Melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour to make a thick paste.
Gradually stir in the milk until you have a smooth sauce. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the cheese and stir until melted, then stir in the chorizo and season really well. Scoop into a tray or dish, cool, then chill completely in the fridge. (This can take 2-3 hours, or you could do it the day before.)
Put the egg on one plate and breadcrumbs on another. Scoop out large teaspoonfuls of the mix and roll each into a ball about 3cm across. Roll the balls in the egg then the polenta. Repeat so you have a double layer of egg and breadcrumbs.
Fill a pan ⅓ full with oil and heat to 180C (or until a cube of bread browns in 30 seconds), then deep fry the balls in batches for 2-3 minutes until golden. Scoop out and drain on kitchen paper. 

Squids in,black is back

looking for something spooky to rustle up for halloween? Ask Nigella

One of the most well-known foodie trends of last year was black food. There are numerous ways to accomplish introducing your dishes to the dark side, but the most popular way is squid ink. It's surprisingly simple to add it into a dish's creation process, and the outcome is usually an elegant, aesthetically-pleasing dish.Here are some recipes I have collated for a ghoulish evening.

                                                                            Photo by Christine Willmsen
Pasta is one of the most popular squid ink-infused creations, and it's easy to see why. Whether you want to make it yourself by adding a bit of squid ink into your pasta recipe or purchase it already made, it's pretty easy to get your hands on some squid ink pasta. There are so many different varieties, including spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, and more! It's most commonly used in seafood pasta dishes - in fact, the noodles pictured above were part of a Squid Ink Pasta with Scallops recipe from The Solo Cook - but they can also be served with a simple sauce, since the noodles are a main part of the dish's flavour.

 Black battered fish and chips from https://www.therecipe.com/

Classic fish and chips is an iconic part of British cuisine.The established reliability of it makes it a good candidate for experiments. Bringing this dish into the realms of halloween is as simple as adding a little bit of squid ink into the batter that the fish is dipped into before frying. The outcome is a uniquely jet black, richly flavoured twist on a classic.

Pataniscas de peixe negros 
com sriracha sauce
makes 30
250g Cod or Pollock fillets
200g potatoes 
60g finely chopped onion
10g finely chopped parsley
20g (5 x 4g sachets) squid ink
4 eggs
olive oil
1 clove garlic
Bread crumbs as required
Flor de sal and pepper, nutmeg to taste
Sunflower oil for frying

Boil the unpeeled potatoes with a clove of garlic,salt and olive oil.Remove from the heat and when cool,mash.
Steep the pollock in some hot milk with some peppercorns and a bay leaf.When it almost comes to the boil, remove from the heat and leave with a lid on for 5 minutes then flake it.Add the flaked fish to the mashed potato, chopped onion parsley and stir in the squid ink.Add the eggs one by one and stir them into the mix.Season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.With the help of two dessert spoons make quenelles and fry them in a deep fryer at 180C.

      Finally for the more adventurous  

 a squid ink and anchovy sponge

Live a Lidl,Love a Lidl.A Lidl goes a long way with a Lidl less snobbery

Beautifully photographed and styled;a recipe from the Lidl "mais" magazine

You used to be able to tell a lot from a shopping bag, but it’s a little harder since plastic  recycling became de rigeur. Is yours a stout plastic number from Waitrose? Or an organic cotton thing, hand-knitted from a Gaelic-speaking vegan co-operative? The weekly shop it seems has become a pointless form of particularity; a concern with food that ignores real issues of sustainability and embraces bespoke snobbery.Class used to be about jobs, accents, fee-paying schools and the house you lived in. Now it appears to be about your lifestyle and whats in your shopping trolley.
In one of Alan Bennett's Talking Heads dramas,I can´t remember which one, someone exposes themselves in a branch of Sainsbury's. "Tesco's you could understand," says an elderly woman tartly. It's a remark that neatly sums up both the British obsession with class and its almost tribal attachment to specific supermarket brands. Tesco, the implication goes, used to be for commoner people who were slightly more likely to drop their trousers in public than Sainsbury's shoppers. Waitrose, on the other hand, is for those more likely to have second homes in the Algarve than the first two.There can be no doubt that Rupert and Fliss or Flick as her Made in Chelsea friends know her, are lured there  by the smart house style and livery, Conran grey with aureolin accents; What about Asda then? Asda is for people who aspire to have a second home anywhere but probably never will; Ahh Iceland, I hear you say,who shops there? People who have never heard of Waitrose perhaps;Budgens is for Huw and Gwenda who affect to have never heard of Aldi and have opted for a more rural lifestyle in very flat Norfolk or sedentary Suffolk.
As for who shops at Aldi or Lidl,that leaves us with a pretty broad demographic.You are just as likely to see as many Audis at Aldi as you are Land Rovers at Lidl.Four- by- Fours might look really dinky on the driveway and ab fab in front of the wine bar,but they will also pull in next to a beat up whatever or camper van outside Lidl.Oh yes, trailer trash even make a temporary home nowadays in a Lidl car park.The transient population is even offered designated camping areas at Lidl.
Wayne and Leanne and Lee and Noreen would normally shop at Morrisons when they are at home in the UK, but when in Portugal escaping the weather and Brexit they can be seen shopping at Lidl a fair bit, as they would at Kwik Save,and Netto back home.They are not however the typical Lidl demographic either.Lidl is no longer about a quest to get your pennyworth, although bargains always abound.
I have written before about the odd phenomenon that is LidlI.Is it just my local branch that’s always a hothouse of weirdness? The bizarre selection of random merchandise (sports bras one week, childrens wigwams /tents the next, and fishing tackle the next) all sitting alongside the food.I really dont feel comfortable doing my foodshop next to a packet of lady leggings or extra large mens pants .So at first glance, it’s possibly not the kind of place where you’d go to pick up the ingredients for a chic dinner.  But… surprisingly, you can find some rather good continental goodies there.Endamame beans, Wasabi peanuts John Dory fillets,Bresaola,Pecorino Romano,Amaretti cookies to name but a few of my favourites.

Already a household name across Europe, from the United kingdom to Portugal to Sweden, Lidl, like Aldi, is not known for its charm—you go there because of the prices. Load up your cart and get out. Bags are an extra charge, you won't recognize a lot of the brands, and the only thing you can really be picky about, if you're going to shop there, is saving money.So what is the main reason for shopping at Lidl? The following is an abridged extract from a newsletter published by the Portugues jornal "Agricultura e mar" in 2016

"Lidl focuses on fresh produce from local producers"

Lidl is a food distribution chain of German origin, which dates back to the 1930s. It is active in more than 29 countries and currently has about 10,000 stores in 26 countries with more than 200,000 employees. For more than 20 years in Portugal, Lidl currently has 241 points of sale and 4 warehouses.Lidl Portugal "increasingly focuses on the quality and freshness of fresh produce with an exclusive distribution system, choice of fruit of the season using local producers.
"The commitment to the freshness and quality of Lidl products and the principle of maximum quality at the lowest price are part of the company's DNA", adds the same source, saying that the company "supports its position in the market through a systematic work, where quality, a fundamental requirement, is worked from the source, from partnerships with suppliers and trading partners, through the distribution system, to the store. ""At all stages of the process are guaranteed maximum quality and freshness that meet the criteria and standards of demand of Lidl customers.Lidl guarantees that it has the daily delivery of fruit and vegetables in all its 241 stores, its distribution seeks to reduce the time from picking to the customer's home to the minimum, and that Lidl Portugal's suppliers "meet strict criteria of certification, as is the case of Global GAP which ensures safe and sustainable production. "The supermarket chain also ensures that it has a purchasing policy that favours the local purchase and whenever possible the local producers. Currently about 70% of the available supply of fruits and vegetables is bought locally. "The use of local producers allows shorter delivery times, causing several products to have a producer / store circuit less than 24 hours after harvesting in the field," the company says.On the other hand, Lidl highlights the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) Products, "which guarantees quality and promotes local development. As an example, Lidl Portugal is the distribution chain that most packaged apples from Alcobaça bought and sold during the 2014/2015 marketing year for the fifth consecutive year, according to the Association of Producers of Apple of Alcobaça (APMA) . This year's campaign reached 2.5 million kg of Apple of Alcobaça, equivalent to 20,000,000 apples, almost double the sales of the previous campaign, says Lidl.there is a spirit of partnership and innovation with our commercial partners, where we highlight the specific product lines, such as the apple of Alcobaça and Pêra Rocha in mini format for the youngest. Or the export support of Pêra Rocha do Oeste to Germany, which in less than two years of partnership with Portugal Fresh saw the volume of exports double (2,500 tons in the first year and 5,000 tons in the second), reaching 7 , 5 thousand tons. This volume is equivalent to 54 million units of Pêra Rocha, and makes an average Pêra Rocha to each German home (40 million households in 2014), "adds Lidl.

Muffins de salgados from the Lidl lifestyle magazine "mais"
Makes 18 or 36 mini muffins
2 large eggs
100ml cold milk
125g pot of yoghurt
25ml olive oil
1 teaspoon Flor de sal Salmarim
1Tablespoon piri piri chilli flakes
1 small onion finely chopped
1 handful flat-leaf parsley chopped
150g chouriço corrente ( cooking chouriço)
150g smoked ham, paio de lombo or smoked bacon
275g mixture of grated mozzarella and grated cheddar or flamengo
275g grated courgette
275g plain flour
3 teaspoons baking powder.
Pre-heat the oven to180ºC /390F / Gas mark 6. Lightly grease each mould of your muffin tray with vegetable oil.Chop the meats into small cubes and set aside in a bowl.In a large bowl, beat the eggs well with the olive oil, then stir in the milk and yoghurt and beat a little more to combine.Stir in the rest of the ingredients except the flour and baking powder. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and fold through gently, then spoon
the mixture into the prepared muffin trays almost to the top.bake for about 25 minutes until puffed and golden.
 

Espresso bolo.Afternoon tea with history

More homely than sophisticated and dainty; If push came to shove, most of us would admit to preferring the sort of cakes our grannies might have made (if they had lived in Ambridge), those ones sold on paper plates made from a WI recipe and wrapped messily in clingfilm at the village fete, bring and buy sale or the all new event The Worlds biggest coffee morning; in short, the cakes you imagine the pious Mary Berry probably feasts on for breakfast.
If I had to pick one cake to represent England, it would have to be a Coffee and Walnut Cake. The Fullers Tea Room*  version is mentioned in both Evelyn Waugh's Brideshead Revisited and Nancy Mitford's Love in a Cold Climate. That's a good enough pedigree for me! As it turns out the original Fuller's Walnut Cake had two layers with buttercream between them, as did my mothers coffee and walnut cake of my childhood, but having lost my mothers transcript, the recipe I found was for a single layer cake. I'll definitely have to try it again. However, if you want something smaller and simpler than a layer cake, this recipe will work out just fine. It's subtly walnutty,utterly butterly and not too sweet.Delicious with a cup of tea.This is a classic tea room cake as would have been served in the aforementioned Fullers who ran the tearoom for the London Coliseum,

 The London Coliseum Tea Room - From a Postcard in 1904

staffed by ladies in black and white uniform.Another celebrated tea room, Betty´s in Harrogate, the Yorkshire institution, turned 100 this year.

Growing up, this cake was a constant on our kitchen counter. My mum made it practically every week, and I would have a giant slice with a big glass of milk. It was one of the most well worn pages from her cookbook, and it wasn´t till recently that it suddenly came back to light in my head.
Coffee and walnut cake
This is a revised, more contemporary, version of one of the original sponge cakes I remember from my childhood. Now, though, since the advent of mascarpone, the icing is a great improvement. finely chopped walnuts give it amazing texture. A little cream cheese makes it especially smooth and delicious. My version however is topped with an easy espresso-infused buttercream icing. Fie on Nigel Slater or anyone else who advocates the use of instant coffee granules. I have flavoured both cake and frosting with strong homemade espresso

•  Cake:
• 3/4 cup walnuts (divided)
• 1 1/2 cups (7 ounces) all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 stick (4 ounces) butter (softened)
• 1 cup sugar (granulated)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup milk
• 3 tablespoons strong espresso or very strong black coffee
•  
• Frosting:
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter (softened)
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese (softened)
• 2 to 3 teaspoons strong espresso or very strong black coffee

Heat the oven to 350 F/180 C/Gas 4. Grease and flour an 8-inch round cake pan.With a food processor or food chopper, finely chop 1/2 cup of the walnuts. Set aside.Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; blend thoroughly and set aside.In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat the 1/2 cup of softened butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Blend in the vanilla.In a measuring cup, combine the milk with the 3 tablespoons of espresso or coffee.With the mixer on low speed, blend in the flour mixture into the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk and espresso mixture. Blend well.Fold in the finely chopped walnuts.Spread the batter in the prepared baking pan.Bake for 25 minutes or until the cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger. A toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the center of the cake.Cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and cool completely
Frosting

In a mixing bowl with an electric mixer, blend the confectioners' sugar with the 2 tablespoons of butter and the cream cheese. Beat in the strong espresso or coffee, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the frosting is fluffy and spreadable. Add more confectioners' sugar if it becomes too thin.
Coarsely chop the remaining 1/4 cup of walnuts.
Spread frosting over the top and sides of the cooled cake.
Sprinkle the coarsely chopped walnuts over the top of the cake.

  
* Years ago, Fullers Tea Rooms were a familiar sight in many English towns and Fullers cakes, which came surrounded with paper straw and packed in shiny, white boxes, were a nice reminder that bought cakes could be good. Fullers Walnut Cake with its crunchy white icing was legendary. 

Assinatura

Signature pan seared cajun pork with turmeric and Singapore slaw,recipe below

The question “what’s your signature dish?” is one that all us cooks and chefs will face at some point in a culinary career. The older you get,and more people get to recognise your style, the more frequently you will hear this. It’s always a good idea to have a fluid menu that you can adapt and change, but a signature dish provides an essential anchor,and something people will remember you by.
A signature dish can even play a part in helping you to build a brand as it has done here at Casa Rosada.

What makes a signature dish? there seem to be differing views on what a signature dish really is. There’s general agreement that it’s the one dish that is really “you.” Some  feel that a signature dish is the one that you are the most confident in making and displays a balance of impact and ease. Others might say that a signature dish is one that sums up your passions and cooking style – or it’s the most technically difficult dish you do.Food for thought and room for interpretation when developing one.

What makes a signature dish significant? For me its simplicity – The ideal signature dish should be innovative or one´s own interpretation of something classic that you have put your own stamp on,it can be both adventurous and creative – but simple. You know you can prepare it and you know what it’s trying to say.The personal touch is all important – Eggs Benedict is a classic brunch dish but if you add a twist of your own to it then it can become your signature dish. I mutated Eggs Benedict into Eggs Benedict Cumberbatch by adding smoked salmon, avocado and trading the muffin for grilled polenta.  
Perhaps it can be about adding an unexpected flavour to something or an unusual glaze to a pastry.This is innovating the construction of the dish.It is all about showcasing something that others might not otherwise have thought about.I applied this to both a traditional and a savoury version of pannacotta.To the traditional recipe I infused the cream with lemon geranium and for a savoury version I added slow roasted tomatoes and angostura bitters. Another unexpected combination I put together was  Panna cotta de trufa boletus or Porcini mushrooms with bacon marmalade.
That astonishing pair of culinary geniuses The Clarks of Restaurant Moro in London put a very simple twist on something I have always loved,that age old classic rum and raisin ice cream.By soaking the raisins in sherry and pouring some more sherry over the top before serving gave this retro dessert a more modern context.Helado de pasas de Málaga Malaga raisin ice cream with Pedro Ximenez.
Many a signature dish has been built upon fantastic flavour combinations, which makes this a great place to start when your are in the development process. Make a list of the ingredients you love to use and go through a tasting process. Which combinations make sense classically and where could you add a different taste to produce something completely new? My signature pesto for instance is Ginger, mint, basil and coriander ,which when combined with dry roasted peanuts as opposed to pine nuts gives the pesto an excitingly fresh twist. and opens up an avenue of new serving options.
Presentation – if this is the dish that says everything about you as a cook then it should be presented with pride. Great signature dishes usually arrive to an awed intake of breath from the diner.It´s always worth taking the time to factor in plate design and the best way to present the ingredients you’re using so they make the most impact.I recently drew breath when I served a Caesar salad in a giant crouton box.
As a child, I was absolutely revulsed by bread and butter pudding.I even balk at modern interpretations using brioche and fresh grapes or adding citrus tones,but by making it with anchovies, ricotta and parmesan and by substituting olives and capers for the sultanas and raisins, it suddenly transformed into something more than acceptable to a more matured and sophisticated palate.
Anchovy bread and butter pudding

Signature pan seared cajun pork 
with turmeric and Singapore slaw (above)

Cajun seasoning is essential for creating many of the best-known dishes from Louisiana’s legendary food culture. Its blend of familiar, savoury flavours can be used to enhance a variety of dishes from elsewhere as well.
Cajun seasoning blends typically contain onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt
These are not exactly the most exotic ingredients. In other words, it is a relatively simple task to find them and then to blend them all yourself.Its not that difficult either to amp up the formula and arouse the senses a bit more. I omit oregano, paprika,and salt but introduce turmeric and thyme, in addition to the other spices.
I have fine tuned the spices in this rub to make it one of my signature rubs, It works best with pork or any other white meat
to start 1 heaped tsp.good quality cajun spice mix
1 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 3/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more
2 1/2 tsp. light brown sugar, divided
2 large boneless pork loin chops (about 600g total)
Working one at a time, place pork chop flat on a work surface. First, butterfly the pork chop so that it’s thinner, which will reduce cooking time and create more surface area for seasoning. Using a sharp knife and starting from an outside edge, slice three-quarters of the way through the centre of chop, as though you’re slicing a bagel in half, then open it up like a book. Place butterflied chop between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or inside a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag and pound to 1/4" thin. Repeat with remaining chop. Rub chops with turmeric mixture and let sit 10 minutes.Heat oil in a large heavy skillet over high until shimmering. Cook chops one at a time until browned and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Slice into 1/2"-thick strips.  

Singapore slaw
2 cups chinese leaf,green cabbage or 1 small pack of pre-shredded coleslaw mix
1 cup turnip or radish peeled and cut into thin strips
1 sweet orange sectioned (optional)
1 cup green,red and yellow pepper cut into thin strips
1 shallot,thinly sliced into rings
1/4 cup fresh coriander 
1/2 cup dry roasted peanuts

DRESSING
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 tbsp rice vinegar
tsp golden caster sugar
tbsp sesame oil
tsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
Combine the cabbage,turnip/radish,orange sections if using,peppers,shallot and coriander in a large salad bowl.Cover and chill till ready to serve or up to 4 hours.
For the dressing,combine peanut oil,vinegar,sugar,sesame oil,soy sauce, and dry mustard in a screw-top jar.cover and shake vigorously.(This dressing can be made up to 1 week ahead and kept chilled in the jar.
To serve, toss the slaw with dressing and sprinkle with peanuts.

Middle Eastern Meatballs in tomato pomegranate sauce

How To Put a Syrian Spin on your favourite meatballs recipe.

Middle eastern meatballs made with mince and spices offer endless possibilities for combining flavours and textures.Bread can be replaced with potato,cous cous or bulghur wheat, and many alternative herbs and spices also work.Try playing around till you come up with your favoured combo.
This particular spice mixture is so different from the ones I have become used to in my repertoire and I love eating something new and trying to decipher what is in it.Baharat is a blend that can be sprinkled on anything from devilled eggs to dry rubs for meats and fish. It’s smoky, rich, intoxicating aroma is perfect for grilling too,and meatballs will never be the same once you top them with a bold tomato and pomegranate sauce. A perfect twist on the classic savoury meatballs,that will change your world for the better.The meatballs on this occasion can be cooked up to two days in advance and re-heated in the sauce.The  benefit here is that the flavour of the spices intensify the longer you leave them.
Since discovering this sauce i have become enamoured with it. It’s unapologetic and it is in your face! What I most love is the sweet and astringent taste it carries that seems to transform whatever it is added to. I let these faggotesque dumplings swim in the sauce before serving because they can really take on the flavour of being fresh from the oven.
Have them alone, as a light snack or part of an evening of tapas, or pair them with some couscous, bulghur wheat or lentils for a more substantial meal.No story or anecdote I hear you say."He usually gives us a ripping yarn that sets the mood for the recipe" - well here it is.I had no idea why these meatballs were called dawood basha. There was a nobleman Da’ud Basha in the Ottoman Empire – maybe he liked meatballs?  Well the fact is he did, the story goes that Da’ud Basha loved these meatballs so much, he ate them every day.  I also read online that it is good luck to hide a silver ring in one of the meatballs.  I am not a fan of hiding non-edible choking hazards in my food, so I passed on that one. Nonetheless, dawood basha meatballs. These are fiery, moist meatballs, swimming in a light tomato based sauce flavoured with fruity pomegranate.

Syrian Meatballs "Dawood Basha"

These meatballs are like no other! they are are not like your typical Italian meatballs. This is a classic Syrian dish with rich flavours from simple ingredients. Besides the baharat blend of spices in the meatballs themselves, the pomegranate molasses and tomato gravy set this dish apart from your typical meatball dish.I tried something unusual in this recipe The meatballs,I first boiled in stock before being fried then baked in the sauce.There's a few reasons for utilizing this method: You'll end up with a juicier meatball, as it is cooked in liquid. It'll be rounder and more plump because it was cooked in a liquid,and you'll be 100% sure that it was cooked thoroughly without being burned.
FOR THE BAHARAT SPICE MIX
Serves: 4
2 tbsp black peppercorns
2 tbsp sumac
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp allspice ground
1 tsp cardamom ground
1/2 tsp cloves ground
4 3-inch cinnamon sticks, ground
2 tbsp ground sweet paprika
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg

Toast the black peppercorns, cumin, coriander and cinnamon sticks in a sauté pan. Remove from the heat and add to a spice or coffee grinder to create a powder. Set aside and allow to cool.
In a small bowl, add the paprika, sumac, nutmeg, clove, allspice and cardamom. Whisk in the ground, It will last about 3 months, after that the potency diminishes. Makes about 3/4 cup.

FOR THE MEATBALLS 

1 lb ground beef or lamb
1 medium sized onion 1/3 cup minced the remainder sliced
1/2 cup breadcrumbs

2 tbsp baharat spice mix (above)
500 ml (2 cups) organic chicken stock
2 tablespoons pomegranate molasses
1 tablespoon tomato puree
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 tsp salt
Soak the breadcrumbs in milk for 5-10 minutes
Squeeze out the milk from the bread and mix with minced onions, ground beef, salt , pepper and form into 1 inch balls (makes roughly 25 meatballs) 6 per portion.
Bring a pan of water to the boil and drop the meatballs in.Lower the heat and cook for about ten minutes.Drain and dry the meatballs completely, then In 1 tbsp oil sauté the meatballs in deep pan for 3-4 minutes on each side, do not cook all the way through or else they will be dry.Set aside.

In the same pan add 1 tbsp oil and sauté the remaining sliced onions for 2-3 minutes on medium heat.
Add the tomato sauce, chicken stock, pomegranate molasses, salt and pepper to taste
Let the flavours cook together for a few minutes.Stir in the lentils. Cover and simmer for 25 mins or until the lentils are almost tender.Return the meatballs to the pan,cover and simmer for a further ten minutes until everything is cooked and all the flavours have melded.

Thou shalt not mix fish and cheese,nonna says.

 A fish-focused pasta with cheese would have many an Italian nonna rising from their graves to deliver a hefty slap on the wrist.

 If the idea of combining seafood and cheese is such a widely-accepted global phenomenon, why is the concept so distasteful to so many Italian home cooks? And, hey, let’s not just point fingers at Italians here. A lot of people all over the world have adopted this notion, if for no other reason than that they’ve heard it from their mothers.
 Italian culinary doctrine – a constitution held up by Italian home matriarchs where infractions can be punishable by no supper or death – is very clear on the subject.Cheese and seafood shall not be mixed. Ever? Yet, if you stumble around France long enough you’re bound to find someone who prepares mussels in an earthy blue cheese broth spiked with white wine and garlic. In Chile, you’ll find both millennials and retirees ordering plates of Machas à La Parmesana, clams baked in wine, butter, and a mild-tasting Chilean version of Parmesan. And who can forget social gatherings in the nineties where no party was without oyster dip packed with enough cream cheese to send a marathon runner into cardiac arrest?

When it comes to eating seafood, people seem to have a lot of stigmas: they won't eat fish with red wine, they won't eat it raw, or they won't eat it at all. They don't like the texture --- it's too rubbery -- or they don't like the smell -- it's too fishy!

Fish and cheese is a no-no, right? Wrong. Seafood can absolutely be eaten with cheese -- in fact, you might be surprised how often the pairing comes ups.

 Pizza bianca with anchovies potatoes and mozzarella

So how come two great Italian incarnations sneaked  through? Caesar salad brings together anchovies and parmesan cheese, and many many pizzas are topped with anchovies, smoked salmon, sometimes tuna and customary mozzarella.I even unearthed a pizza pescatore which incorporated prawns, squid,and mussels along with mozzarella in the topping.

 Prawn risotto with asparagus and parmesan

Parmesan is essential to any risotto regardless of seafood.I also very often stir through mascarpone at the end of cooking.
 A creamy, buttery  seafood mornay would be unthinkable without the inclusion of a cheesy bechamel made with gruyére, emmenthal or any other Swiss cheese.
 There's no official legislation outlawing the presence of fish and cheese on the same plate, but for many Italians — and those of us who would wish to remain in their gastronomic good graces — there is no greater offence. To finish a fish-focused pasta with cheese in the sauce would have many an Italian nonna rising from their graves to deliver a hefty slap on the wrist.Don’t ever disrespect tradition.Nonna knows best. She learned the recipes from her nonna, who learned from her nonna, who learned from her nonna and so on and so forth.
 So where did this commandment originate?

As always,rules are there to be broken. No one is saying that you shouldn’t pair fish and cheese. Rather,we should become enthusiastic advocates for smartly coupling seafood and dairy, and in the hands of a skilled chef, recipes combining the two can raise the roof, elevating both ingredients to new heights. When used correctly, cheese can enhance the flavours of many seafood dishes.It seems old customs like this are falling by the wayside as chefs have become more creative with the blending of flavours.

Don’t believe the stigma- fish and cheese can go together quite well.I for one would like to destroy this stigma once and for all:I feel a Cod and Prawn Lasagne with Ricotta and Mozzarella  coming on.Delicious bubbling layers of fish sauce pasta sheets and creamy spinach filling.

Recipe from Ocado Life magazine

Cod and Prawn Lasagne with Ricotta and Mozzarella

250g lasagne sheets
690g passata 

400g skinless cod fillet, cut into bite-sized chunks
350g large prawns, halved
450g spinach
250g ricotta
200g mozzarella
30g parmesan, finely grated
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 pinch ground nutmeg
1 tbsp fresh oregano, chopped - or 1/2 tbsp dried.
 
Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6. Heat the oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic and cook for 10 mins, until soft.
Meanwhile, wash the spinach and wilt in a saucepan – press out excess water in a colander afterwards.
Finely chop the spinach and place in a bowl with the ricotta and nutmeg, mix well and season to taste.
Add the oregano to the softened onions, cooking briefly before pouring in the passata. Simmer for 10 mins, until thickened, season and mix in the fish and prawns.
Place a layer of lasagne sheets in a large baking dish (about 34 x 24cm), and top with half the fish sauce.
Cover with lasagne, then all of the spinach mixture and another layer of lasagne.
Top with the rest of the fish and a final layer of pasta. Tear and scatter the mozzarella over the top with the parmesan.
Bake for 30-35 mins, until the top is golden, and serve with a green side salad.

"not a tomato and egg sandwich"

an ode to late summer tomatoes

There is something magical about mayonnaise....when you look at the ingredients before making it:egg yolks,olive oil,lemon juice or wine vinegar,salt and pepper...a little dijon mustard and out of that amalgamation comes on of the greatest cold sauces ever, a flavour without which summer would be incomplete. Purists claim that true mayonnaise must be made by hand in a stone mortar with a wooden spoon.This is time consuming and the mayonnaise is prone to separation during the early stages.True food processor mayonnaise is a poor imitation of the real thing, but mayonnaise made using a hand-held electric whisk or a food mixer is excellent, and I would challenge anybody to tell the difference between one made in minutes using a whisk and one made by hand.I accept that,given the time,there is an almost sensuous pleasure to be had from making mayonnaise the old-fashioned way.It is an elemental process which is deeply satisfying. However I have never had that half an hour needed to indulge myself in this way.
More often than not I make a sandwich for our lunch.But in this hot weather I often feel the call for a simple salad, and sometimes when I want a break from leaf greens, this is the sort of recipe I hanker for,a nearly end of summer but not quite autumn yet dish. It is basically a deconstructed egg mayo and tomato sandwich. I call it  "not a tomato and egg sandwich".All the makings of a sandwich, but just not one.It is missing the sandwich part of the equation and so becomes a salad.Something else that differentiates this tomato salad from all the others  I make is that there is absolutely no olive oil being drizzled. Just big dollops of luscious home made mayonnaise. This salad is all about the  unique texture and taste sensation that happens when you combine tomatoes and egg with home made mayonnaise. Just boil some eggs for six minutes, slice the tomatoes in thick slices, and spoon on dollops of home made mayonnaise.Just to show it was a deconstructed sandwich I served it with bread too.Well after all, that is what we do in Portugal. There is always bread on the table. 
 "not a tomato and egg sandwich"
2 x medium sized eggs
1 tsp flor de sal
1/2 tsp ground pepper
300 ml /1/2 pt sunflower oil
2 heaped tsp Dijon mustard
juice of 1 lemon
300 ml /1/2 pt olive oil
Separate the eggs* and put the yolks into a bowl with the salt and pepper.at full speed,beat the yolks and begin adding the sunflower oil a few drops at a time, until it starts to thicken.Start to pour the oil in a thin stream until all the sunflower oil is incorporated.The mixture will now be very thick,so beat in the mustard and half the lemon juice before adding the olive oil.if it is still too thick,add the rest of the lemon juice and some boiled water, a tablespoon at a time.When you have incorporated all the oil,taste and add more salt and pepper if needed The final mayonnaise should have a dropping consistency.
*for a less rich mayonnaise do not separate the eggs and use the whites also