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Minced chicken and bacon tagliatelle

Kieron Edwin Allen conjured up the taste of Italy with his dinner party starter in Come Dine With Me Bristol (S6). Serves 4

500g free range minced chicken breast
500g rindless streaky bacon, minced or finely chopped
½ large green pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 bunch fresh parsley (around 25g), leaves finely chopped
200g dried tagliatelle
300ml double cream
345ml can beef consommé

1. Put the chicken and bacon in a large, deep non-stick frying pan or shallow saucepan and cook over a medium heat, stirring constantly until the meat separates and browns. Half fill a large saucepan with water and bring to the boil. Transfer the chicken and bacon to a bowl with a slotted spoon and return the frying pan to the heat.

2. Put the pepper and onion in the pan and cook in the meat fats for 3-4 minutes until beginning to soften. Add half the parsley and cook together for a couple of minutes more, stirring. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and stir to separate the strands. Return to a good boil and cook for around 8 minutes until tender.

3. Pour the cream and consommé soup into the pan with the vegetables and bring to a simmer. Cook together for about 5 minutes until the liquid reduces by half. Return the chicken and bacon to the pan and cook until heated through, stirring regularly.

4. Drain the pasta and return to the saucepan. Carefully add the chicken and bacon sauce and the remaining parsley. Toss together well and serve.

Spiced pork belly with creamed cassava and a cider jus

A spicy pork medley
Serves 4

1 tbsp ground allspice
1kg free range pork belly, scored
4 tbsp guava jelly
2 tsp Caribbean all-purpose seasoning
1 long rosemary stalk, leaves removed and finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
500g free-range pork tenderloin (fillet), trimmed of fat and sinew
1 tbsp sunflower oil
500ml dry cider
1-2 tsp caster sugar, to taste

cassava:
750g cassava or yam, peeled and cut into even pieces
1 rosemary stalk
25g butter
4 tbsp single cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

rosti potatoes:
4 medium potatoes
1-2 tbsp plain flour
2-3 tbsp sunflower oil
Method: How to make spiced pork with creamed cassava

1. Preheat the oven to 180˚C/Gas 4. Rub the allspice into the pork belly. Put in a shallow roasting tin and cook in the centre of the oven for about 1½ hours until the skin is crisp and golden brown.

2. Mix the guava jelly, all purpose seasoning, rosemary, garlic and ginger in a shallow bowl. Add the pork tenderloin and turn to coat in the marinade. Cover and leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

3. Cook the cassava in a pan of boiling water with the rosemary sprig until tender. Drain well and remove the rosemary. Return the cassava to the pan and mash until smooth with the butter and cream. Season to taste and keep warm until ready to serve.

4. Grate the potatoes and put in a new J-cloth or muslin cloth and squeeze out all the excess water over a sink. Transfer to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Separate into 4 large balls and flatten into rosti shapes. Dust with flour. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and fry the rosti until crisp and golden on both sides, turning carefully with a spatula. Remove from the pan and transfer to a baking tray. Keep hot on a shelf in the oven below the pork.

5. To cook the tenderloin, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Fry the pork for about 10-12 minutes until well browned on all sides and thoroughly cooked. Do not allow to become dry. Remove the meat from the pan and put onto a board. Remove the pork belly from the oven and place on the board.

6. Pour the juices that have collected under the pork belly and the cider into the frying pan and simmer with the tenderloin juices until the sauce reduces to a spoonable consistency, stirring regularly. Sweeten with a little caster sugar if liked. Carve the pork belly into four pieces and thickly slice the pork tenderloin.

7. Spoon the cassava onto four warmed serving plates. Top each one with a rosti potato and a piece of pork belly. Next, spoon over a little of the sauce and finish with the sliced pork tenderloin. Serve with carrots, beans and buttered spinach.

Lemon and ginger biscuits with lemon mousse

Kieron Edwin Allen sent his guests home on a citrus high with this zingy dessert
Makes about 16

1 medium free range egg
100g polenta
100g butter, softened
200g caster sugar
100g plain flour
Finely grated zest 1 unwaxed lemon
2 stem ginger balls, drained and finely chopped

For the mousse:
Juice of 2-3 lemons, about 150ml
140g golden caster sugar stalk
2 large sprigs of basil
2 gelatine leaves
2 large egg whites
200ml crème fraîche

1. Beat the egg, polenta, butter, sugar, flour, lemon zest and ginger together in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until well combined. Cover and chill in the fridge for an hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 200˚C/Gas 6. Line a large baking tray with baking parchment. Drop 16 spoonfuls of the biscuit dough onto the baking sheet, spaced well apart. Bake for about 10 minutes until pale golden brown.

3. Leave to cool on the tray, then store in an airtight container for up to two days or until ready to serve.

4. To make the mousse, put the lemon juice in a measuring jug and top up with enough cold water to give you 200ml liquid. Pour this into a pan, add 50g of the sugar and stir over a low heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the basil. Increase the heat and bring to a simmer. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to infuse until cold.

5. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for a few minutes to soften. Meanwhile, remove the basil from the lemon syrup and return the mixture to a simmer. Drain and squeeze out the excess water from the gelatine leaves. Off the heat, stir the gelatine into the lemon juice mixture until fully dissolved. Leave to cool.

6. Put the egg whites in a grease-free bowl, and beat with an electric whisk until they form stiff peaks. Beat in the remaining sugar, a tablespoon at a time, until fully incorporated and you are left with a thick and glossy meringue mixture.

7. Soften the crème fraîche in another bowl, and then fold in to the meringue mixture, followed by the lemon mixture. Then chill for a few hours to allow the mousse to firm up.

8. Caramelise lemon zest and serve with biscuits on top of the mousse.

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