Recipes, kitchen tips and tricks

[magicjuan]

It's for Christmas. lol The earlier you make it the better it matures. You dribble alcohol into it every couple of weeks or so. Takes about four hours in the oven at a very low temperature. I use my mother's recipe, but most are similar. I don't have nuts and use Royal icing for the top and sides. Here's an example sans icing :

Classic Christmas Cake

This is my original Christmas cake from the first book – a combination of my grandmother’s, my mother’s and a few tweaks from me. (There are more fruit cake recipes in our Christmas Cakes and Toppings collection here)

www.deliaonline.com

Bought my stuff. I hate nuts in it.
I rushed last years and it was awful. Cake was moist, in parts, burned, in parts, fruity, in parts, and the royal icing is to this day propping up my garage roof ?

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Bought my stuff. I hate nuts in it.
I rushed last years and it was awful. Cake was moist, in parts, burned, in parts, fruity, in parts, and the royal icing is to this day propping up my garage roof ?

What magic recipe do you use, Don Juan?

 

[summerisle]

Bought my stuff. I hate nuts in it.
I rushed last years and it was awful. Cake was moist, in parts, burned, in parts, fruity, in parts, and the royal icing is to this day propping up my garage roof ?

Made it today, burnt the top last year so lowered the temperature and it looks great. I found that if you liberally drench the cake in alcohol over the weeks it softens the charred bits lovely. I buy the ready roll Royal Icing (and marzipan) instead of faffing about with glycerine.

 

[magicjuan]

What magic recipe do you use, Don Juan?

Just a bog standard fruit cake recipe, to which I will add various alcohols in mixing and after baking. I poke holes into it once it's cooled and pour in port, sherry or brandy, maybe some Drambuie if I'm flush.
Leave for a few days in a sealed container, then turn and repeat the process. Carry on periodically until your ready to ice, leave a few days before icing and remember to not turn it before using jam/marzipan because it won't 'stick'.

 

[magicjuan]

Made it today, burnt the top last year so lowered the temperature and it looks great. I found that if you liberally drench the cake in alcohol over the weeks it softens the charred bits lovely. I buy the ready roll Royal Icing (and marzipan) instead of faffing about with glycerine.

I tend to do that myself, but last year I went all gung ho, glycerine and everything, won't be arsed again.
Have to remember when I think it's done to take it out of the tin, not to turn the oven off and let it cool in there ?

 

[summerisle]

I tend to do that myself, but last year I went all gung ho, glycerine and everything, won't be arsed again.
Have to remember when I think it's done to take it out of the tin, not to turn the oven off and let it cool in there ?

I'm using the cooling oven for your stock cube advice for flavouring crisps. I've put in beef, chicken and veg. ;if it works I might try lamb with some dried mint, that'd be lovely.

 

[magicjuan]

I'm using the cooling oven for your stock cube advice for flavouring crisps. I've put in beef, chicken and veg. ;if it works I might try lamb with some dried mint, that'd be lovely.

Once you get the process, the culinary crisp world will open up before you like a great big opening thing ?

 

[summerisle]

Once you get the process, the culinary crisp world will open up before you like a great big opening thing ?

Summerisle through the looking glass. I'll start selling them in upmarket food markets at 2 quid a bag.

 

[blue1948]

Back on the tips ideas ,we had an Indian couple come stay and one of the conditions was she would cook a meal .Anyway when she cooked the chicken in the oven she asked for a fair sized piece of charcoal and placed it on the bottom of the oven and it gave a very tandoorish flavour . That cheese and onion on toast is a goer for me ,I only eat that kind of stuff at weekends so it is on the menu for next Saturday .
Today we are having salmon soup ,we buy the whole salmon as it is quite cheap here and I fillet it then boil the trimmings to make a stock when the trimmings are cool I take any flesh away from the bones and freeze the flesh until I get enough to make soup.We have lots of recipes for salmon and we counted that a 1 1/2 kg fish gives us about 14 plates of food .
In the salmon soup are veg and also a shrimp flavoured low fat cheese and some horn of plenty mushrooms that we have dried and use them as a garnish/spice . The latin name is Craterellus Cornocopioides just so no one tries the wrong one .

 

[LostLegend]

Making my 'all-in-one-pan' chicken & potatoes tonight.
It's similar to an Italian cacciatore, but has a Spanish spin with the added chorizo and potatoes (instead of pasta)

You'll need a large deep sided frying pan or skillet and the following ingredients:

For 2 large servings:

4 bone out, skin on chicken thighs (Bone in is also fine, but you may need to extend the cooking time)
120g (approx) of diced chorizo
2 small shallots finely diced (regular onion is also fine)
2-4 large, minced garlic cloves (Depends how garlicy you like your food! ? )
2/3 sprigs of thyme (1 teaspoon of dried thyme if you cant get fresh)
1 400g can of tomatos
Chicken stock
500g of new potatoes halved.
2 tablespoons mascarpone (creme fraiche or heavy cream will also work)
Chopped parsley or chives for garnish

Heat some olive oil in your pan, season your chicken with salt on both sides and brown on both sides in the pan. Set to one side.
Fry the chorizo until it starts to crisp up, remove and set aside.
The chorizo should have turned the oil a deep red colour, there may be a bit too much with the added fat from the chicken, so spoon some out if needed.

Add the onions and cook until translucent and tender.
Add the garlic and cook for 30 secs-1min or until fragrant (Also add the dried thyme if you are using it at this point)

Deglaze the pan with half a glass of white wine and cook til reduced by half (optional)

Add the tomatoes, thyme sprigs, plenty of cracked black pepper cover and cook through until the tomatoes begin to break down.

Return the chicken and chorizo to the pan along with the potatoes, add chicken stock until the chicken & pots are nearly covered.
Bring to a simmer, cover and leave to cook through for approx 30 mins (Or until the chicken is cooked through and potatoes are fork tender)
If you are cooking the chicken bone-in, this may take 45-60 mins, so you may want to add your potatoes in later.

Check if extra salt is needed (The seasoned chicken & chorizo usually adds enough salt)
Spoon out any excess fat on the surface if needed.
Spoon in the mascarpone and stir.
Garnish liberally with the parsley or chives.
Serve!

You can also add some fried mushrooms, green olives or roasted peppers when adding the potatoes if you want some extra flavors & colour in there.

It's a great warming winter dish ?

 

[Sassy Colombian]

Making my 'all-in-one-pan' chicken & potatoes tonight.
It's similar to an Italian cacciatore, but has a Spanish spin with the added chorizo and potatoes (instead of pasta)

You'll need a large deep sided frying pan or skillet and the following ingredients:

For 2 large servings:

4 bone out, skin on chicken thighs (Bone in is also fine, but you may need to extend the cooking time)
120g (approx) of diced chorizo
2 small shallots finely diced (regular onion is also fine)
2-4 large, minced garlic cloves (Depends how garlicy you like your food! ? )
2/3 sprigs of thyme (1 teaspoon of dried thyme if you cant get fresh)
1 400g can of tomatos
Chicken stock
500g of new potatoes halved.
2 tablespoons mascarpone (creme fraiche or heavy cream will also work)
Chopped parsley or chives for garnish

Heat some olive oil in your pan, season your chicken with salt on both sides and brown on both sides in the pan. Set to one side.
Fry the chorizo until it starts to crisp up, remove and set aside.
The chorizo should have turned the oil a deep red colour, there may be a bit too much with the added fat from the chicken, so spoon some out if needed.

Add the onions and cook until translucent and tender.
Add the garlic and cook for 30 secs-1min or until fragrant (Also add the dried thyme if you are using it at this point)

Deglaze the pan with half a glass of white wine and cook til reduced by half (optional)

Add the tomatoes, thyme sprigs, plenty of cracked black pepper cover and cook through until the tomatoes begin to break down.

Return the chicken and chorizo to the pan along with the potatoes, add chicken stock until the chicken & pots are nearly covered.
Bring to a simmer, cover and leave to cook through for approx 30 mins (Or until the chicken is cooked through and potatoes are fork tender)
If you are cooking the chicken bone-in, this may take 45-60 mins, so you may want to add your potatoes in later.

Check if extra salt is needed (The seasoned chicken & chorizo usually adds enough salt)
Spoon out any excess fat on the surface if needed.
Spoon in the mascarpone and stir.
Garnish liberally with the parsley or chives.
Serve!

You can also add some fried mushrooms, green olives or roasted peppers when adding the potatoes if you want some extra flavors & colour in there.

It's a great warming winter dish ?

Sounds delicious and a perfect dish to make or that the weather is getting colder. What type if chorizo do you use?

 

[LostLegend]

Sounds delicious and a perfect dish to make or that the weather is getting colder. What type if chorizo do you use?

It’s a spicy Spanish style chorizo. Nothing special, just store bought.

 

[summerisle]

Will be making some hot water crust pastry later for some minced beef and veg pies.

 

[blue1948]

The loaf :

 

[Sassy Colombian]

The loaf :

Nice! It seems your loaf is already made and it looks delicious. I'm starting mine right now as it takes so long to make.