Cold Smoked Halibut

I wanted to branch out from smoked salmon this year and having enjoyed the produce from Gigha Halibut I thought I would have a try at smoking some halibut of my own. My first attempt didn't go well. I left it in the brine for 24 hours as I would for salmon. The result was just about edible but way to dry and salty. Halibut, I had just learned, is a much more delicate fish than salmon. The second attempt was delicious though:


1 - 1.5Kg Halibut fillet, skin on
Demerara Sugar
Zest of 2 Lemons
Salt


The volume of salt isn't really important but the proportion of salt to sugar should be about 4:1. Place the salt, sugar and lemon zest together in a non-reactive container (plastic, ceramic or even wood).

Mix together then place the halibut filet in the container. Scoop the salt mixture over it so that it is completely covered. Leave for 4 hours. 

Rinse of the brine with cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and leave to hang in a cool, dry place for 24 hours. Cold smoke for 4-6 hours and that's all there is to it.

Smoking Cheese

A quick experiment in smoking cheese to find out what works and what doesn't. 

From the top left, there's a slice of Emmental, a whole Camembert, a block of mild Cheddar, a slice of Brie (manufactured as a slice so that the sides are covered in rind), a log of fresh Mozzarella and a small round of soft goat's cheese.

Into the smoker (an old packing case):

I used oak, but any of the usual hardwoods would have been fine. I turned the cheeses over after three hours to get a more even finish. I took them out after six hours:

Leave to rest for a day or two in a cool place. 

My favourite was the Emmental. It's delicious on its own, but gets even better if grated and cooked in an omelette. Likewise the Cheddar. The Mozzarella also worked well, bringing its delicious smokiness to salads. The cheeses with rinds were a little less compelling, but still not at all bad. I haven't tried to do anything with them but eat them neat. If nothing else they add an unexpected twist to a cheeseboard.

Cold Smoked Cherry Tomatoes

I first came across these in Borough Market and fell in love with them. Now that I'm a long way from London, I make my own and they taste just as good to me. I suppose you could add them to salads, but I just eat them straight from the jar.

Some people use olive oil to store them, but I find it's too powerful a taste. It overwhelms the delicate smokiness of the tomatoes. I much prefer a fairly neutral tasting oil and so I've used rapeseed oil here, but go with what you like best. Likewise you can vary the spices to pretty much anything you like, or omit them altogether.

The Recipe:

Cherry Tomatoes - Lots (as many as will fit in your smoker)
Sea Salt
Sugar
Dried Oregano
Chilli Flakes
Rapeseed Oil

1. Cut each tomato in half and lay them on a baking tray.

2. Sprinkle with sea salt and, if the tomatoes are not especially sweet,  a little sugar

3. Dry them in the oven for about 4 hours at 100℃. They are ready when they are semi-dried, rather than being hard and fully dried. The time will depend on the size of the tomatoes, but they should look something like this:

4. Put them in your smoker and cold smoke for at least another 4 hours until they have developed a delicious smoky taste. I used oak, but any of the hardwoods wood have done fine: Cherry, Beech, Hickory, Apple, Maple .....

5. Put the tomatoes in a jar, sprinkling in a little dried oregano and some chilli flakes as you go. Top up the jar with the rapeseed oil and you are done. 

I've no idea how long they keep as its rarely more than 24 hours before the jar is empty in this household.

Mooli and Beetroot Pickle

I grew some Mooli (very long white oriental radishes, each the size of a large courgette) in the garden this year. This is my way of dealing with the resulting glut. The sweetness of the beetroot takes a lot of the edge of the mooli.

200g Caster Sugar
300ml White Wine Vinegar
3 Star Anise
5 Dried Chillies
3 Cloves
500g Beetroot
500g Mooli

Roast the beetroot in a hot oven for an hour. Leave to cool then peel off the skin. Cut them into bite sized chunks. Peel the mooli and cut similarly to the beetroot.

Put all the other ingredients in a saucepan and warm gently while stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to cool. Put everything in a sterilised jar and leave to mature for a week or so.

Chipotle Ketchup

1/2 cup Chipotle Paste (q.v.)

3 Tbsps Tomato Puree

2 Tbsps White Wine Vinegar

2 Tbsps Caster Sugar

1 Tsp Onion Granules

1 Tsp Celery Salt

1 Tsp Garlic Granules

Dissolve the sugar in the vinegar. then mix everything together. Adjust quantities to suit your taste.

Crab Parcels with Harissa

2 Dressed Crabs
2 Spring Onions, thinly sliced
1 Tbsp Harissa
1/4 Preserved Lemon
Filo Pastry

Finely chop the peel of the preserved lemon. Mix the crab meat, spring onions, harissa and lemon together in a bowl. Season to taste. Divide the mixture into four portions. Lay each portion on a sheet of the pastry and wrap into a flat rectangular parcel. Fry in 100ml of oil until golden brown.

Try serving on a bed of lentil salad.

Hake with Vegetables and Chorizo

1 piece Hake fillet
1 small white onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
100 gms Chorizo,
2 Handfulls Choi Sum
White wine

Fry the chorizo over a medium heat in a little oil until it is just beginning to crisp up. Add the onion and garlic and continue to fry until the onion has started to soften. Deglaze with a little of the wine, add the choi sum and cover. Cook for a few minutes until the greens are al dente. There should be enough salt from the chorizo, but adjust the seasoning to taste. Set aside.

Rub a little oil onto the hake fillet. Heat a heavy frying pan over a high heat and then add the hake fillets, skin side down. Cook for about 6 minutes until done. Serve the hake on a bed of the greens.

Sichuan Chicken Stir Fry

Quick, easy, delicious and spicy.

2 Cloves Garlic, sliced
1 Tsp Cumin
1Tsp Sichuan Peppercorns
4 Dried Red Chillies
1 Red Pepper, sliced
6 Spring Onions cut into 1" sections
1 Tbsp Chilli Bean Sauce
3 Tbsps Stock or water
2 Handfulls leftover cooked chicken, shredded

Bash the cumin, peppercorns and chillies together with a mortar and pestle.
Heat a little oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the garlic and fry for a minute until beginning to brown. Add the spices from the mortar and fry for a few moments. Add the chilli bean sauce, stock and red pepper slices. Stir until the peppers are almost cooked. Add the spring onions and the chicken and stir until cooked through. Serve with a little rice.

Vietnamese Curry Noodle Soup with Duck

Egg noodles - Fresh or Dried
Chicken Stock
1 Clove Garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Curry Powder
Cooking Oil
1/2 Onion, vertically sliced
Coriander
1 Spring Onion, thinly sliced
Duck breast, cooked and sliced. Works best with Chinese crispy duck

Cook the noodles according to the packet. Drain and set aside.
Heat a little oil in a saucepan. Add the garlic and fry until golden. Add the curry powder and cook for a few seconds. Add the chicken stock. Season to taste.

Put the noodles in a bowl. Arrange the duck on top along with the onion. Pour the soup into the bowl and garnish with coriander and spring onions.

Korean Chilli Squid

6 smallish Squid, cleaned

5 Tsps Chilli Powder

2 Tsps Sugar

2 Tbsps Sesame Oil

2 Tbsps Fish Sauce or Light Soya Sauce

1 clove Garlic, crushed

1 Tsp Sesame Seeds

4 Spring Onions, finely sliced

Mix all of the ingredients in a small bowl to make a thickish paste.

Cut the squid into 1" squares.

Heat a little cooking oil in a frying pan over a high heat.

Add the squid and cook for 2 or 3 minutes until just opaque. Add the sauce and fry for another 10 seconds.

Serve over rice.

Thai Curried Prawns with Scrambled Egg

3 Eggs

100 ml Milk

3 Tbs Fish Sauce

2 Tsps Sugar

1 Tbsp Thai Chilli Paste

1 Tbsp Black Peppercorns

2 Cloves Garlic, sliced

Equivalent quantity of ginger, sliced

1 Onion, sliced vertically

Raw Prawns, peeled

4 Spring Onions, shredded

4 Red Chillies, julliened

Combine the milk, eggs, sugar and fish sauce in a bowl and mix well. Bash the peppercorns, garlic and ginger into a paste with a mortar and pestle. Heat a little oil in a wok and add the peppercorn paste. Stir for a minute then add the onions. Cook for a couple of minutes until just softening. Add the prawns and stir until just cooked. Add the egg mixture and the spring onions and chilli. Stir until thickened and serve over rice.

Lentil Stew with Smoked Chicken

And not a chilli in sight:

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Large Carrot, finely chopped

1 Pint Chicken Stock

1 Leek, chopped

1 Smoked Chicken Breast, chopped

2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

Salt

Puy Lentils

Olive Oil

Heat some olive oil over a medium heat. Add the onions, carrot and garlic and cook for a couple of minutes until just softening. Add the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Add the lentils and simmer until they are soft - about half an hour. Add the leek and chicken and salt to taste. Cook for another couple of minutes and serve.

Chipotle Ketchup

3 Tbsps Chipotle Paste (qv)

1 Tsp Sugar

1Tbsp Sherry Vinegar

3 Tbsps Tomato Puree

Combine ingredients and mix well.

Sichuan Peas

This one couldn't be simpler, nor more delicious.

Fresh Peas, as many as you want

Sichuan Chilli Oil (I'll put in a recipe for this one day)

Sesame Oil

Salt

Bring a pan of water to the boil. Add the peas and cook for 1 minute. Drain in a colander. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle on a little chilli oil, sesame oil and salt to taste.

Sichuan Beef with Black Bean Sauce

Beef Fillet, thinly sliced

1Tbsp Black Bean Sauce

100ml Xiaosing Wine

1 Red Pepper or same quantity of long red chillies

200 Water or Stock

1 Tsp Sichuan Peppercorns

1 Tsp Cornflour dissolved in 2 Tbsp Water

Groundnut Oil

Chop the red pepper or chillies into chunks. Heat a little groundnut oil in a wok or frying pan. Add the beef and fry very briefly until just browned. Remove and set aside. Return the pan to the heat with a little more oil. Add the black bean sauce and fry for 30 seconds or so. Deglaze with the wine. Add the water or stock and the peppers and peppercorns. Cook for a few minutes until the peppers have softened. Add the beef and cornflour mix, stir briefly and serve with rice.

Dill Pickle

1mg Salt

5ml White Wine Vinegar

15ml Water

Dill

Gherkins

Garlic, peeled and halved

Increase volumes of salt and liquid in proportion depending on how many gherkins you want to pickle. Bring the liquid to boil with the salt. Pack the gherkins into a jar along with some fresh dill leaves and a few halved cloves of garlic. Add the hot liquid and seal. Leave for at least a week.

Sichuan Peanuts

This one is my attempt at one of the dishes at the Snazz Sichuan restaurant near Euston in London. It's my favourite Sichuan restaurant, not that there are many serious contenders outside of China. I have been trying several different methods for recreating this dish and this is the best. I dislike recipes which include branded ingredients, but I can't avoid it here. Sorry.

Groundnut oil for deep frying
A couple of large handfulls of raw peanuts
4 Spring Onions, Finely sliced
1 Heaped Tbsp Hot Diced Radish
Salt
3 Sichuan Chillies
1/2 Star Anise
1 Tsp Sichuan Peppercorns

Bash the chillies, star anise and peppercorns in a mortar until they are powdered.

Heat the oil and fry the peanuts at 100-130C for 20 minutes. Drain. Mix the peanuts with the spring onions, radish and salt to taste. Add as much of the powdered spices as you can handle.

Delicious

Arbroath Smokie Fishcakes

The inspiration here was kedgeree. This was an attempt to recreate that dish (minus the rice) in the form of a fishcake, and I think it works very well.

1 Arbroath Smokie - Skin removed, flaked and bones removed
1 Onion - Chopped
2 Potatoes - Peeled
1 Egg
2 Tsps Curry Powder
Milk
Salt
Plain Flour
Mustard Seeds
Cumin Seeds

Boil the potatoes until they are of mashable consistency. Fry the onions for a few minutes until softened. Hard boil the egg then chop into small pieces. Mash the potatoes and mix in the fish, onion, egg and curry powder. Add salt to taste. If the mixture looks too dry to work with, add a little milk. Form the mixture into four patties. Put some flour on a plate along with some mustard and cumin seeds. Use this to coat the sides of the patties then fry them over a fairly high heat for a few minutes until browned on each side.

Redcurrant Fruit Leather

Not much of a recipe, but a great way of dealing with a glut of redcurrants:

Redcurrants
Honey

Put all of the redcurrants in a saucepan and put them in a very low oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and pour them into a sieve. Mash them through the sieve with a wooden spoon collecting the juice and residue in a bowl. Add honey to taste.

Grease a baking tray with butter and pour in just enough juice to cover the bottom. Place in an oven at its lowest setting with the door ajar for several hours. The time will depend on the heat of the oven and the depth of the juice. The leather is ready when it is soft but firm to the touch, not sticky (underdone) or brittle (overdone). Peel it off the tray, roll it up and store in a cool place.

Thai Chicken with Basil

4 Chicken Thighs
1 small Spanish Onion, finely sliced
1 clove Garlic, finely sliced
6 red Thai Chillies (or to taste), sliced
3 Tbsps Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Sugar
3 Tbsps chicken stock
1 bunch Basil, leaves picked from stalks
Oil

Chop the chicken into tiny pieces. This is tedious and time consuming but worth the effort (it might work just as well, and be a lot easier, with minced chicken, but I haven't tried it).

Heat a little oil in a wok or saucepan and add the onions and garlic. Cook for a minute until the onion has softened a little. Add the chicken and cook until it has all coloured. Add the chillies, soy sauce, sugar and stock. Cook for another minute and adjust seasoning to taste. Add the basil and cook until it has softened.

Serve over boiled rice.