Angelfish Fishcakes

flickr cc {chooyutshing}

You know how life goes, one minute you're up, employed and struggling along from day to day, and the next, you're tossing around in the sea of unemployment, trying desperately to hold onto something familiar. Such has been my life for the past month, as I try to navigate the steps into the next stage of my life.

Sometimes I want to buck the shackles of full time employment, strike out on my own, and try to make a living off my wits and skills. Then my doubts crawl back into bed with me, and I'm convinced I'll never be able to make it work, I'll just live like a leech off my poor, long-suffering husband forever. So at the moment, I'm trying hard to come up with ways to make some bucks on the side, in my semi-employed state, and try to toss around ideas for what will come next. To that end, I've been applying to countless jobs - full time, part-time, freelance, and everything in between. I've been for a couple of interviews, but only one I really want. So while I wait to hear how that turns out, my thoughts turned to comfort, and for me, you may have realised, comfort equals food.

This is the second half of a batch of angelfish I got from Ocean Jewels Fish. I pan-fried these in seasoned cornflour at the suggestion of Jenny Morris, and while that was delicious, my sister was coming over for dinner, and we all know how she feels about fish.. So I took some of the fillets, and flaked them to create some absolutely divine fishcakes. These fishcakes were all about softness and subtlety, allowing the flavours of the angelifish to shine, while not being 'too fishy' for my fussy sister to deal with. This was an all round favourite, and one I can heartily recommend.

Angelfish Fishcakes (or Angelfishcakes, but that's a bit awkward)

Ingredients:
1 fillet angelfish
± 2 tbsp cornflour
1 egg, lightly beaten
olive oil for frying
salt and pepper to season
2 large potatoes, washed
3-5 spring onion, finely sliced
1 tbsp chilli jam (or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper and 1 tbsp apricot jam)
± 2 tbsp flour

Method:

1. Spread the cornflour on a plate and mix with some salt and pepper to season.
2. Dip the fish fillets in the flour to season, then dip in the egg, and back in the flour.
3. Heat some olive oil in a pan, and pan fry the fillets in the olive oil until lightly golden, and cooked through, about 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of your fillets.
4. Remove to a plate, and allow to cool.
5. Meanwhile, prick 2 potatoes all over with a fork, and bake in the microwave for 10-15 minutes.
6. Allow to cool, slice in half, and scoop out the baked flesh into a bowl.
7. Flake the cooled fish into the same bowl, and mix them together.
8. Add the spring onion, and stir. If necessary to bind, add some of the egg from your egg wash, but the fish is quite moist, and I didn't find I needed the egg.
9. Stir through the chilli jam, and taste for seasoning (if you haven't added the raw egg, there's nothing raw, so the mixture is perfectly safe to eat). Add more seasoning, or more jam if necessary, to taste.
10. Add a little flour, and mix, and flour your hands. Scoop tablespoonfuls out, and form them into little flat patties with your hands, rolling them in a little flour.
11. Set aside on a plate in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.
12. Heat some olive oil in a pan, and fry until light golden.
13. Serve hot

 These were delicious with some salad and sweet potato fries, but they'd also work well as an appetiser dipped in aioli, or just as a snack. It's a little bit of PT to make these from scratch, but the next time you find you have leftover fish, this is a brilliant way to use up the leftovers.

Enjoy!

Angelfish Spaghettini

flikr cc {sifu renku}

I've been working with the lovely Julie from Ocean Jewel's Fish lately, and just had to try some of her angelfish. A local fishmonger, Julie is committed to providing sustainable, SASSI green fish to the public, and works hard to keep her stocks sustainable and seasonal.

flickr cc {sifu renku}

I've got very little experience cooking with fish. For all the years I lived with my sister, she complained the few times I made it (she doesn't really like fish, preferring shellfish more), so I got out of the habit of cooking it. So while I have things like instinct and habit when cooking things like mince or chicken, with fish I'm a beginner.

I've been stalking Julie's blog (Ocean Jewel's Fish), and have been reading up on ways to cook fish that would fit into my lifestyle, and after all that.. I decided to make something up. What, you're surprised?! Do you know that I can't follow a recipe for toffee?

So here we have my attempt at a spaghetti marinara, with a light, delicate tomato sauce - similar to the one I made for my Bucatini, and gently poached and flaked angelfish, served over spaghettini, also known as angelhair pasta. Which is my version of a food pun (geddit? Angelfish Angelhair Pasta? *falls over laughing*) Right, enough of my bad jokes, let's get to the food, right?

Angelfish Spaghettini
Serves 2 (with leftovers for lunch)

Ingredients:
2 angelfish fillets
1 onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tsp Italian herbs
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 500ml carton of passata (strained tomatoes)
half a packet of spaghettini (spaghetti would work too, but I did like the finer texture of the spaghettini)
Salt and pepper to season
Olive oil to saute onion
Parmesan (optional)
Lemon (optional)

Method:

1. Cook pasta according to packet instructions, while you make the sauce and cook the fish. Spaghettini is finer than spaghetti, so cooked quicker. When cooked, drain, toss with a little olive oil (to prevent it clumping) and set aside.
2. In a deep, wide pan, heat a little olive oil, and saute the onion over a medium heat until soft and slightly translucent.
3. Add the garlic, Italian herbs, and smoked paprika, and stir, sauteing until fragrant - not more than a minute.
4. Pour the passata into the pan, and bring to a light simmer. 
5. Season the fish fillets with salt and pepper, and immerse in the passata, ensuring that both fillets are covered with the tomato sauce.
6. Cook the fish for about 10 minutes per inch thick - I allowed mine go for about 5-7 minutes per side. To test for doneness, check that the fish is a solid white the whole way through. There should be no translucency when it is cooked.
7. Using a spoon, flake the fish right there in the pan - you don't need this to be perfect, just break it up into smaller, more bitesize chunks. Angelfish does have small bones, but they aren't going to choke you, and they are too small to pick out before eating, and there really weren't enough to bother anyone.
8. Serve the sauce over the pasta in a bowl, with a grating of Parmesan and a squeeze of lemon.

This light, flavourful dish is cheap, quick and delightful on a cold winter's night.

PS. Forgive me the flickr pictures, this went so quickly, there was no time for photos (I did say it was a quick weeknight supper), but these pictures are pretty close. Come to think of it, a pesto drizzle at the end would also be delightful. Try Pesto Princess for some delightful pesto options.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

To say I've been holding out on you is an understatement. I've been making these cookies for a year now (the original recipe is from the lovely Anya, via Ash, and was introduced to me shortly before my wedding last year). But you see, the trouble with these cookies is that, although the recipe makes a pretty large batch, they never last long enough to photograph! I invariably make them late at night, and by the time we've eaten a few, packaged the rest up (they make delicious gifts) and eaten the last few, I realise I've done it again, and I won't be able to blog them this time either.

So the last time I made them, for the cousin-in-law's birthday last week, I snapped a couple of quick ones on my phone. I even posed them with some milk for dramatic effect (then scarfed the cookies and the milk). They aren't great, but it will hopefully work. And for heaven's sakes, they look like chocolate chunk cookies - a light golden colour, with big chunks of chocolate, crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle. You'll love them. If you don't, you're clearly not really human.

Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cup butter, melted
1 egg
2 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp almond essence
1/2 - 1 slab of chocolate (dark, milk, Top Deck, popping candy, whatever floats your boat)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180ºC.
2. Line a cookie sheet with a piece of baking paper or Silpat. Do not try to use wax paper (as I have done) it will stick to the cookies, and you'll have to peel it off piece by piece. Frustrating.
3. In a mixing bowl, melt the butter. 
4. Add white and brown sugar, and the egg, stirring to mix.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder and salt (I use salted butter, and don’t add salt).
6. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and mix together until combined.
7. Chop the chocolate, and mix into the batter.
8. Using a cookie scoop (buy the smallest one on Yuppiechef here, and become a cookie scooping ninja) or a tablespoon measure and a spoon, or just roll into 1 inch balls, line up on a cookie tray, about 1-2 inches apart (they'll spread a little while baking).
9. Bake at 180°c for 10-15 minutes or until golden. Check at 10 minutes, and take out as soon as the edges start to caramelise, and the centre is still soft to the touch.
10. Remove from the hot cookie sheet as soon as you can, by simply lifting the baking paper off and onto a rack, as they continue to cook on the hot sheet.
11. Allow to cool.Munch (that's an order).

Enjoy with a BIG glass of milk. And several other cookies. And your friends.

Cooking with Le Creuset and Silwood Kitchens

If you hang out on Twitter as much as I do, with the group of wonderful foodies that I know, you will have noticed that many of those lovely ladies went to a cooking class held up Le Creuset at the Silwood Kitchen a few weeks ago. Linda posted about the class on her blog, The Squashed Tomato, Sam blogged on Drizzle and Dip, Bernice at Betty Bake was there too, among others. Although I was invited to the evening, I was on holiday that week, and was so upset to have missed the evening.

As luck would have it, however, the lovely Gill at Le Creuset invited me back to another class last week, so one dark and stormy night (no, really, it was pelting rain), I went over to Silwood and enjoyed a lovely evening of cooking with strangers who became friends.

We started off with the basics, and although I consider myself someone who can cook, I've had no formal training, so the small things we learnt were, for me, the most important. Take crushed garlic, for example. Most people, myself included, have used the bottle crushed garlic, or the nutcracker-like instrument specifically design to squash garlic, but gets most of it stuck in the holes. But Gary, our chef-teacher for the evening, showed us a simple, small trick, of crushing the garlic using the point of a knife and salt flakes as an abrasive. You dice the garlic roughly, then sprinkle it with salt and, using the point of a knife, gently flatten the garlic along the board, and before long, there's a small pile of lovely fresh, crushed garlic. SO much better than anything from a bottle!

Anyway, this may be old news to you, but it was brilliant, to me. We made a paste with the garlic and some chopped herbs, and rubbed them all over and into the skin of a lovely pork loin, which had been scored down to the meat, then popped into the oven to cook.

What was especially wonderful, was how, instead of doing one dish or course at a time, Gary expected us to multitask, cooking the pork, while making the dessert, a deliciously decadent chocolate fondant, which is, let me tell you, the easiest thing in the world to make.

I don't have the recipes on hand, but if you'd like more detailed recipes, I'd be happy to provide them. I want to make the fondants for a party soon, so I'll post the recipe for that as soon as I can.

In short, if you're ever invited to one of these evenings, do your best to go - you'll have a lovely evening, learn some new things, and go home with some lovely goodies from Le Creuset, as well as some show-stopping recipes!

Thursday's Masterclass

Do you remember the masterclass I attended, where I didn't learn to poach anything (my fault, not Neill's), but I did learn all about food conscience and eating ethically? Well, Neill Anthony's holding another masterclass this Thursday evening, and although I can't make it, I think you should go. And here's why:

As with all of Neill's masterclasses, he celebrates local South African farmers and producers, and this one focuses on local, South African beef. An accomplished chef, Neill will take you through every item on the menu, showing you the tips and tricks of the chef trade, and will open your eyes up to preparing food in ways you never thought was possible.

The 'steak and chips' is bound to be an eye-opener, with slow roasted rib-eye steak, truffled horseradish chantilly cream and thrice cooked chips - can you imagine that? These are Heston Blumenthal thrice cooked chips, so they'll be heaven! The whipped lemon curd will be incredible, I can tell you that with authority, since I've had it, and I nearly died.

I'll say it once more: you should go. It's R300 per person for a detailed and personalised masterclass, with wine and dinner afterwards, cooked during your class. It's like going to your favourite restaurant, where you get to ask the chef all the questions you've always wanted to know. 

Contact Neill by email to book: info (at) neillanthony (dot) com.

From Farm to Fork

So, this post was meant to open with a heartwarming story of how masterclasses show you what's possible in the kitchen, wow! Look at this amazing dish I whipped up using the mad skillz I learnt at the masterclass I went to last weekend! But, yeah. Life rarely works out like that for me, and I'm going to need a few more attempts at this before I can show it to you, my trusting readers.

The masterclass was, however, extremely inspiring and motivating, and taught me a lot, not just about how I should not be allowed to poach anything (snigger), but how we can all change small things in our lives to make a big difference.

Hosted by Matt Allison and Neill (2 L's, please, darling!) Anthony, the class aimed to show how well it is possible to eat, while being conscious of where food comes from, and trying to eat seasonally and locally.

Neill, a chef, has trained with the best, has worked with Gordon Ramsay, and knows a thing or two about, well, a lot. He seems to love to teach, he wants to show people how easy it is, and he revels in purees, mousselines and espumas. I'm not kidding, all those items were on our menu on Saturday!

Matt is a multi-talented renaissance man. Formerly a musician and music producer, he left his company last year, to raise his son, the adorable Nathan, from home. Since then, he has cooked his way through 2 Jamie Oliver cookbooks, started an urban farming revolution among local Cape Town foodies, and even consults with various local restaurants on growing their own food for use in their restaurants. Amazing, I know, and I'm lucky enough to call these two guys friends.

On the menu was a warm salad of braised fish, marinated fennel and herb mousseline; Poached and roasted loin of rabbit, seasonal greens and artichoke puree; and whipped lemon curd, coconut and ginger espuma. See? I told you I wasn't kidding..

Neill showed us techniques for making incredible mayo or mousseline using lightly boiled eggs, and deboned a rabbit for us, to show us how it was done. While he was busy cooking, Matt took us through what he does, and told us all about the origins of the food we were about to eat. Instead of the distance we get from shopping in supermarkets, he told us about the farmers, the markets and the producers of the food we were about to eat, bringing home with his passion how important it is, not only to eat healthily, but to eat consciously.

I could go on, telling you all the things I've learnt, but for now, let me end with this. If you get the opportunity to watch this dynamic pair in action, grab it with both hands, and go! The inspiration you will leave with, and the flavours dancing in your mouth will be well worth what you paid for it.  And as if a belly full of food and wonderful wine, a head full of inspiration and ideas weren't enough, you'll also leave with a goodie bag full of NoMu products, Bosch goodies and more.

Oh, and in case you were wondering what the thing was that didn't really work out? Well, in a lucky draw, the husband won a stuffed rabbit loin (and what was he going to do with it?). I gamely attempted to recreate the heaven served up by Neill, but sadly overcooked the poor bunny, in my fear of this poaching thing. It seems anything involving timing and boiling in water just really isn't my thing.. boiled eggs, anyone?

Anyway, enough about me. Have you ever been to a show or a class that's changed your perspective on things? Something that's made you sit up, and look at your life and makes you wonder what you're doing? Leave me a note, and tell me what it is, who knows, maybe we can help change each others lives!

Ringing the changes

Source {flickr}

Well, hello there, it's me again, that blogger chick who goes missing for months at a time. Breaking all the rules of good blogging, really, arent I? If there are any of you left out there, thanks for hanging around and listening to the crickets sing the last 6 weeks, I hope they were in tune.

Thing is, the reason I've been gone is many-fold. You and I both know that I haven't been happy in my job for a long time - indeed, this blog is born a lot out of my frustration with that very job. But also, this blog, and the community that I have met because of it and Twitter, have given me the passion and the commitment to drive a change in my life. Hopefully, for the better. We can but hope, right?

So, what I've been hinting at is this: I'm going freelance.

From the beginning of August, 2011, I'm going to try to make a go of a freelance career. I'm not totally sure what I'm going to do, in which way I'm going to specialise, or how I'm going to make this work, but one thing's for sure, I'm not going to work in a dead end office job anymore! Well, that's not completely true. Due to unforeseen circumstances at work, they've had to make cut backs, and I was offered a half time contract on a month to month basis. So, while I'm getting on my feet, I'm also still working half the time. I'm semi-freelance, semi-employed. It's a weird limbo state, and today was my first day of self-employment. It was strange.

So now, the world's my oyster, right? Well, why don't you give me some advice.. If you were to throw in the day job, what would you be doing, in an ideal world? What makes you tick? What makes you speak louder with excitement? If money was no object, what would you be doing with the hours that make up your life? Tell me what you'd do, so I can start to make a decision on what I'll be doing on my freelance days... Although, I can tell you now, I have a feeling it will somehow involve making cookies...

Artisan ham and blue cheese pizza

I think that by now you all know how much I dislike and worry about baking anything, right? So it came as a surprise event to me when I decided to try making pizza from scratch.

Now, this might not sound like a massive feat, but I'm terrified of yeast breads, and the amount of yeast in thus thing is daunting. But. I did it, and the pizza was pronounced as better than Posticino and Massimos combined! Now that's saying something! 

The recipe is Marisa's, I didn't change a thing. I will just say though, that great quality, fresh toppings are absolutely key here for a wonderful pizza. I picked up some beautiful bacon, coppa and other hams at the Good Food and Wine Show, and they really shone in this.

Artisan Ham and Blue Tower Pizza

Ingredients:
1 basic pizza dough (recipe will yield 2 large pizzas, if rolled quite thin)
Tomato paste or passata
1 wedge blue cheese (I used Fairview's Blue Tower, for it's creaminess and lovely veins)
Grated or sliced mozzarella
A handful of cherry or small Rosa tomatoes, halved lengthways
A handful of fresh rocket

Method:

1.  When the dough starts it's rise, turn the oven on to preheat to 220-250°C.
2. Once the dough is made, roll it out on a lightly floured surface until it's thin, and about the same size as whatever oven tray you're using. I used the ones that came with my oven, because their large and flat without high sides, and they fit perfectly. But if you prefer to use a pizza stone or other dish, go right ahead.
3. Spread the base with the passata, by pouring a bit on, and spreading it with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula.
4. Arrange the bacon, tomatoes and any other ingredients you like over the passata
5. Sprinkle grated or sliced mozzarella (and really, the better quality the cheese, the nicer this will be) over the pizza, as generously or sparsely as you like
6. Dice or crumble the blue cheese, and sprinkle over the pizza.
7. Pop into the preheated oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted, and the edges are starting to brown.
8. Remove from the oven, slice and spread fresh rocket over the pizza for a refreshing bite.

Enjoy your amazing creation, and have loads of fun with toppings!

PS. In the background you can see my new kettle, the adorable Le Creuset one from the Show, too! I love it!

PPS. This is the first post I've sent from my phone, what do you think?

Lemon and Pea Risotto

Source: die katrin {flickr}

You know what I love most about food, and about Italian food specifically? You can be a purist, and follow a recipe, and get a wonderful meal, or you can change and adapt, and add in what you like, and as long as you get the basics right, you'll still have a wonderful meal!

Pasta, risotto and pizza are all like this - there are recipes that you can follow that are traditional, and delicious, like the bucatini I made the other week, and then you can go out on a limb and try something different, with amazing results. The caveat to all this, is that you must start with good basics. The perfect pizza base, and fresh, simple ingredients, and you have a delicious pizza. Good quality pasta, and some roasted tomatoes, and you have a quick, easy and tasty dinner.

And after all my fears, risotto has turned out to be as satisfyingly flexible and wonderful. I've made it with chorizo and courgette, with roasted vegetables, with broccoli and blue cheese - there seems to be no end to the wonderful things you can add to the oozy, cheesy, wonderful goodness that is risotto. And if you're like I was, and you've been thinking, "rice? really? meh." remember that this isn't just common or garden rice, this is cheesy, textural, wonderful rice. A totally different bird, really.

Lemon and Pea Risotto
Serves 2 (easily doubled)

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely diced
Olive oil
Small knob of butter
250g (1 cup) Arborio rice
125ml (1/2 cup) white wine
± 1l (4 cups) stock (I use NoMu lamb, because that's what I have at home, but chicken, or veg will be fine. Use a good quality stock, not from a cube - that stuff is full of preservatives and salt)
1 lemon, juice and rind
250g (1 cup) frozen peas
grated Parmesan, to taste
Sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Method:

1.  Fry the onion in a little oil and butter until soft and translucent - do not allow it to colour.
2. In a separate pot, boil a litre of water, and add stock. Turn down to a simmer, and keep warm throughout the cooking process - add a little water if you think you'll run out.
3. Add the rice to the pan, and toast in the oil and butter, making sure all is coated in oil, and it gets lightly toasted - a few minutes.
4. Pour the wine into the rice, and allow to heat through, absorbing and evaporating the alcohol.
5. When the wine has been absorbed, add the warm stock by the cup full, stirring to absorb between each addition. This should take 30-40 minutes.
6. Using the small grater or a microplane, grate the rind from your lemon, and set aside, then juice it, being careful to extract the seeds.
7. Add the rind and juice to the mostly cooked risotto, and add the frozen peas. Allow to stand with the heat off, while you grate the Parmesan.
8. Add the Parmesan, stir to melt and mix, and allow to stand for a few minutes. 
9. Add a knob of butter, stir, and serve.

This is fresh and light, a wonderful antidote to the exceedingly cold weather we've been having, but would be as good as a spring dish. The lemon keeps this bright and wonderful, and the peas give it a sweet touch. I also had some maple cured bacon on hand, which I fried up and chopped small, and added in at the end.

If you haven't tried risotto yet, do it! I was terrified, but now I'm making it once a week. It's neither difficult, nor onerous - give it a try!

Enjoy!

Bucatini All'Amatriciana

Source: Kevandy on flickr creative commons

Bucatini is one of those things that remind me of my honeymoon. On our last day in Rome, when we'd walked and walked for three days, until our feet were little worlds of pain, we sat down at a funny little fast food pasta shop right by Termini, the central train station, and just ate lunch while we waited for our train to the coast. I didn't know it then, but our bucatini was served with a traditional tomato sauce, with bacon, known as Bucatini All'Amatriciana, which is native to Amatrice near Rome, and to Rome itself. A quintessential Roman dish, if you like. What a brilliant choice!

So, when we were wandering around the Cheese Festival on the weekend, and I spotted bucatini on sale, I pounced on it like a diva on discounted Manolos! This was my chance, I thought, to recreate some of the wonderful food we had on holiday, and I was so happy! 

With all the cold weather we've been having, I thought a comforting pasta would be just the ticket, but I didn't want anything particularly fancy or complicated. I did a quick google search for what goes best with bucatini, and I realised that the way we had it in Rome, what the way it's traditionally served. Bingo! That sounded right to me - short prep and cook time, minimal fuss and ingredients, and maximum satisfaction!

Just a few ingredients, about 30 minutes cook time, and you can have a warm bowl of comforting pasta on the table. And it's so simple!

Source: Kevandy on flickr creative commons

Bucatini All'Amatriciana
Adapted from ItalianFood.com

Ingredients:
250g dried bucatini (if you can't find bucatini, I think linguine would be a good substitute)
100-150g bacon, diced (you can use pancetta or guanciale, but I didn't have any)
1/2 onion, finely diced
1-2 cloves garlic, diced finely
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 cans whole Italian plum tomatoes, drained and roughly chopped
Grated Parmesan to taste

Method:

1. Put the pasta water on to boil, and when it boils, add salt and pasta. Cook according to packet instructions, until just before it's cooked. It will finish cooking in the sauce.
2. Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a little olive oil, until cooked, but not crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel covered bowl, to be added back later.
3. In the same pan, fry the onion, and add the garlic as it begins to get some colour.
4. When the garlic is fragrant, add the paprika and chopped tomatoes and simmer for 5-10 minutes. If you prefer your pasta more saucy, add back some of the drained tomato water.
5. When the pasta has cooked, drain it and add it to the tomato mixture in the pan. Stir to mix thoroughly, and heat through.

Serve with grated Parmesan, slurp it up and enjoy! The hollow bucatini grabs the sauce deliciously, and the sauce is beautifully simple. Because you use so few ingredients, make sure they are good quality.

Enjoy!