The day I came home from the shops with “sweet pastry” instead of flaky pastry. Having promised my son Quiche Lorraine, we embarked on “deep web hunt” for a very simple pastry recipe. I’ve never liked rolling things out. I rarely use pastry, as a result, and if I do, I buy the best quality I can find… I don’t make it.
This recipe was a game changer and has been tested for the said Quiche Lorraine as well as a dryer tart such as “asparagus & ricotta” or a Pissalidière (onion tart). Ok… it’s not exactly like a well made pastry but I’ve heard no complaints around here and it takes about 5 minutes to put together, contains 2 ingredients (plus salt and water), no rolling out, no blind baking ! My kind of recipe.
1/4 cup ice water (fill a glass full of water with ice and then measure out 1/4 cup)
Mix dry ingredients with a fork. Beat in oil and water with a fork then pour into the flour mixture then mix until it comes nicely together. Press the dough into a 9 inch tart dish using your fingers (no need to butter the dish).
Try to fill any possible holes by pushing the dough around with your fingers. Fill with your favourite filling and bake at 200°C for approximately 30min.
We wait “impatiently” for this time of year in our family. For the magical trio of broad beans, asparagus and peas to be ripe and ready at the same time. When nature is kind enough for that to happen we celebrate with this dish and good bottle of white wine.
In recent years, I’ve become a convert to the pressure cooker version of risotto which, frankly, I see little to no difference with the “stand and stir” method. I’m sure some purists may beg to differ 😉
1 onion or a few spring onions, chopped
1 small bulb of fennel, chopped (optional)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
large glug of extra virgin olive oil
300g risotto rice
3/4 cup white wine
900 ml chicken or veggie broth
30g parmesan, pecorino or hard sheeps cheese
50g butter
Sliced bacon or lardons fried with the onions and fennel (optional)
Handful each of sliced asparagus, fresh or frozen broad beans and fresh or frozen peas
Handful of fresh herbs such as mint, parsley and basil or whatever you have on hand
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Pod the peas and broad beans if using fresh. Cook the broad beans in boiling water for 1 minute then rinse with cold water. Peel them unless they are really small.
Soften the chopped onion and fennel in olive oil and add the garlic just before adding the rice. Continue stirring until the rice becomes a bit opaque (a few little minutes). Add the white wine and stir for a few seconds before adding the stock.
Clamp your pressure cooker shut. When it comes to pressure, cook on a low heat for 5 minutes and then “fast release”.
Meanwhile pan fry the asparagus on high heat until browned but still crisp.
When you open the lid you may find too much liquid, but stir for a few minutes and it should continue to thicken. When you are almost at the texture you wish add the veg to warm through and finish cooking, then the butter and cheese.
Close the lid for 5 minutes to let the risotto rest and do its creamy magic before stirring through the herbs and serving hot.
I like to pan-fry the asparagus until browned and tender/crisp. The broad beans are blanched and skinned (if needed) and the peas can be thrown in raw near the end. The bacon is totally unnecessary depending on how greedy you are feeling that day 😉 What I do consider quite important, in my humble opinion, (unless you are a vegetarian bien sûr) is a good homemade or bought fresh stock (chicken is a good choice). If you choose to keep it veggie, use the best stock you can find.
The amount of liquid is for the pressure cooker method. If you wish to do this the old fashioned way, the stock must be added hot and a ladleful at a time. You may need more or less than the amount recommended here.
An overwhelming desire for noodles but spaghetti is the closest thing you have in the pantry ? No worries… You can RAMENIZE your pasta. Ramen purists, cover your ears, this is a desperate time/desperate measures trick ! By adding salt and baking soda to the pasta cooking water your pasta turns into a pretty acceptable version of “noodles”, they even smell like noodles whilst bubbling away. They’ve been essentially Alcanized. I added about 4 rounded teaspoons of baking soda and a large pinch of salt for 2L of water. Don’t miss the “al dente” stage then rinse well with cold water !
Get your wok or sauté pan out and stir-fry your noodles with whatever you have. I had: mushrooms, sugar snap peas, jarred roasted peppers, spring onions, egg, parsley though coriander was missed. Sauce goes in last…. Thanks to @seriouseats and Ideas in Food for helping me along in this #confinementproject that started a year ago when I ran out of noodles and now makes a regular appearance on our family table.
A delightful lunch served at room temperature with some crusty bread. Signs of spring are everywhere and its so exciting when each new vegetable arrives at the market. This week its fresh peas . . . heaven ! Find yourself a good Italian style Salsa Verde recipe or mine goes like this: take a handful of parsley leaves, tablespoon of capers (salted ones if you can find them), a few strips of lemon peel (not the white bit), a clove of garlic, a couple anchovy filets, a good pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper and chop it all up by hand. Put everything in a bowl and cover with some olive oil and red wine vinegar (taste as you go until it makes you smile).
Spring is also the time for local fresh sheeps “greuil” or ricotta. Heap a few spoonfuls onto a plate and top with quickly blanched peas or broad beans (why not asparagus?), some fried or even raw spring onions or fennel and a few good quality cured anchovies if you like. Surround the cheese with your salsa verde and a generous drizzle of good olive oil and a sprinkle of mint if you have some. Quick. . . delicious . . . flavour explosion. . . spring on a plate !
Choose Real Food 