FAT MAMMA'S BURGER BAR

Tucked away in a small premises on Drakes circus, with little frontage to do this business justice, walk through the doors of what was once a record shop you may be pleasantly surprised.
"THE WORLDS GREATEST BURGER" as proudly displayed in the small window is serving as the name would suggest- well burgers! The burgers are not the worlds best, but there is no harm in selling your product, you have to survive in this day and age with the bankers living on there fat cat pensions and the rest of us struggling to survive, you can be forgiven for selling and thinking big, it's the only way to go!
What these burgers do have is realism! Yes you heard it here first -real burgers in Plymouth. I witnessed with my own eyes these being made! What a revelation, beefburgers being shaped by the gloved hands of the one guy behind the counter, this is just getting better! Being the only customer at the time, another 4-5 we would have been struggling to sling the proverbial cat, the place is small, but welcoming with the guy behind the counter happy to discarded his disposable gloves to take my order. Now the menu board is up high, very well placed for the Plymouth raiders basketball team or those with good vision, but still manageable for the rest of us, let us not forget space is an issue here! With a choice of burgers all at £3.50 and wraps from £3.95, the menu is more than adequate. I decided on the English burger. A beefburger that is topped with bacon and an egg. Very British indeed with a side of beer battered chips with choice of dips.(Sides from £1.50, Coffee 95p)
As i waited for my order i had a good scan of the premises, it didn't take long but i liked the set up. For those with a liking of nostalgic signs you will be catered for. There are of course other burgers on offer, amongst them i noticed the Swiss, American, lamb and mint and of course the Hawaiian burger topped with the old favourite of the pizza shop the "the pineapple slice".
My order arrived wrapped in white paper and handed over the counter, good to go or if you like make use of the seating, which i did, as time was not of importance on this day
The first bite was good the second better, a nice burger at an acceptable size that screamed well made(i hate massive burgers). The burger being topped with a thick slice of bacon and an egg, plus the usual salad, that hid a lovely little surprise, a wonderful cornichon. Now most of us know this is the secret weapon of the high street burger chains, but it amazes me that hardly anyone else serves these with their burgers. Take the cornichon out of high street fast food burger and what are you left with, a pretty dismal beef pattie that cost next to nothing to make plus a couple of limp pieces of salad and a clump of mayo. If we were to do the cornichon test on the average Burger king or McDonald's customer, most when faced with a cornichon would probably run a mile let alone taste one, yet they don't question the actual taste that makes ,what they eat palatable. This has nothing what so ever to do with the big companies promise of wonderful ingredients, it is a unique secret weapon that i am glad to say has found it's way into the better burgers that can be found at Fat Mamma's. At £3.50 i would much rather spend my money here, and get the real McCoy, than give the big corporations my hard earned cash and grease the palms of the nasty fat cats. My only gripe with Fat Mamma's is that they need a menu placed outside. I have stopped on many occasions and walked on because i couldn't see what was on offer, i am glad that i did venture inside, and i will be back!

FAT MAMMA'S
DRAKES CIRCUS
NORTH HILL
PLYMOUTH
PL4 8AY
TEL: 0781 9615097

BEEF RENDANG- PICTURE SEQENCE

Spices blended with a pestle and mortar. A spice mill or blender attachment can be used in lieu of a decent pestle and mortar. Onion,garlic and ginger passed through a blender. Blended to the consistency of a puree.

Coconut bought to the boil at the first stage.

Coconut milk with the addition of spices and onion puree. This is the first change of colour to be experienced during the cooking of this rendang.

You will notice the slightly darker colour of the dish at this stage. Do not give up at this stage and serve the dish a little patience is all that is required. Believe me the dish will change to the desired colour.

Towards the end of cooking time you will notice that most of the coconut milk has been reduced and absorbed by the beef. This is the stage that requires a little more attention. You will need to keep a close eye on the beef to prevent the beef from burning and drying out. Believe me at this stage it is possible to lose the dish. When most of the sauce has been absorbed and you are left with a dark mass of beef with a thick coating of sauce. You are ready to serve!

The final product. At the beginning of cooking you will wonder whether the dish is too light in colour, will it ever reduce, be patient the dish will happen!

BEEF RENDANG

This dish is great, but is adaptable in the amount of beef you use. I allow 250g of beef per a person up to 1kg for this recipe. Allowing 250g of beef per a person is really not that much if you consider this dish is not bulked out with other ingredients like most curry dishes. You can cook this with 500g or 750g if desired, as the rest of the ingredients remain the same. Beef Rendang originates from Sumatra in Indonesia, with Malaysia having similar versions. During research for this dish, i did come across many versions with different recipes claiming to be authentic. My recipe is not far off the mark, but this aside it is still very tasty and a dish that is cooked many times in our household. The Rendang method was originally created as a way of preserving meat before the times of refrigeration. This dish does require a lot of time to make but the results are worth the wait. The puree of onion,garlic and ginger that is used to help thicken this dish is very adaptable for other curry dishes, and is a wonderful method of thickening and developing flavour.

THE RECIPE;

The puree;

250g onion

3 cloves of garlic

10g ginger

Small pinch of sea salt

2 tbsp of water or c/milk

The spice mix;

2 tsp coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp fennel seeds

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp turmeric

2 black peppercorns

The rest;

1 kg Beef steak(cut into decent chunks)

400ml coconut milk

1 bay leaf

1 stick of lemon grass

1 tbsp fresh lemon

4 chilli peppers(de seeded)- Depending on the amount of heat required seeds can be left!

2 -3 tsp of palm sugar

Optional Garnish;

Fresh tomato

Spring onion
Sliced chilli

THE METHOD;

Ground the spices in a pestle and mortar or spice mill to a fine powder, Reserve.

Chop the onion, garlic and ginger and add to a blender to make a puree. You will need to use the water or coconut milk to loosen the mixture and help the puree along. Season with a pinch of sea salt, reserve.

Add the coconut milk to a suitable skillet, and bring to the boil, after a couple of minutes add the spices, cook for 2 minutes before adding the onion puree, cook for a further 2 minutes before adding the chilli,lemongrass and bay leaf. Allow too cook for a further minute then add the Beef. Coat the beef with the coconut then add the lemon and palm sugar.

Over a low to moderate heat allow the dish to cook until all the sauce has been absorbed by the Beef, this will take somewhere between one and one and a half hours. Do not worry during cooking as the sauce will not take on the dark Rendang colour until all of the sauce is absorbed. During the last 10 minutes of cooking more attention is required as the sauce is absorbed to prevent the Rendang from burning.

The finished dish will look like a sticky dark brown mass, lovely and rich. Turn out into bowls and serve with boiled rice.

I like to eat Rendang with a garnish of tomato, spring onion and sliced deseeded chilli.

FOOLPROOF RICE

Not a recipe but a method for long grain rice. Bring 2 lt of salted water to the boil, add 400g of long grain rice(4 x 100g, allowing 100g per a person), stir to ensure the rice does not stick, bring back to the boil. The rice will cook perfectly in approximately 10 minutes. You will need to check for precise cooking by taste. The rice should be firm to the bite but giving a little.

CHOCOLATE CHILLI PANCAKES WITH HOT CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Pancakes and chocolate sauce with a dusting of chilli, nearly heaven but not quite! The chilli is a good match with the chocolate but if not to your liking you can leave the chilli out. The chilli does add a new dimension to chocolate but a sprinking is all that is required.

THE RECIPE;
For the chocolate sauce;
100ml double cream
150g of dark chocolate 55% cocoa
1 tsp of caster sugar

For the Pancakes;
4 pancakes(made from the previous recipe which you can find on this site)
Hot chilli powder
Sugar optional

METHOD;
Heat the cream with the tsp of sugar, once hot but not boiling add the chocolate in little pieces, stir until the chocolate has melted, keep warm until required.

TO PLATE AND FINISH;
You will require 4 pancakes. Spread a little chocolate sauce on each of the pancakes and a sprinkle of sugar if using, then roll into tight cigars, cut each pancake into 4 or 2 if desired, add to a plate with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and a sprinkle of hot chilli powder.

PANCAKE FU YOUNG

A vegetarian version of a Fu Young dish. This recipe is using a pancake as a base rather than the traditional egg omelette. The beauty of this dish is that you can use any vegetables you have to hand. The Fu young is really a folded omelette with an assortment of Chinese ingredients.

THE RECIPE;

4 pancakes

2 cloves of garlic(finely chopped)

1 chilli- seeds removed and sliced

1" piece of fresh ginger(finely chopped)

8-10 chestnut mushrooms(sliced)

4 spring onions(sliced on the diagonal)

1 medium onion(roughly chopped)

1 red pepper- sliced and seeds removed

4-6 mangetout

4-6 baby corn

A handful of fresh beansprouts

1 tbsp plus 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce

Juice of half a lime

1 tsp sesame oil

sweet chilli sauce to taste

sea salt and black pepper to taste

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS;

1 tsp of 5 spice

1 tsp of sugar

METHOD;

Stir fry the garlic ,onion,ginger and chilli for 1 minute, add the mangetout and corn and cook for a further minute, then add the bell pepper and mushrooms cook for a further 2-3 minutes then add the soy sauce and lime. Continue to stir fry then check for seasoning, adjust as necessary. Finally add the beansprouts and spring onion and cook for a further minute, then add a tsp of sesame oil before serving.

TO SERVE;

Place a 1/4 of the stir fry on each pancake and roll into a cigar shape, cut in half and plate with a garnish of sweet chilli sauce and a drizzle of the pan juices.

PANCAKE WITH PANCETTA LEEK AND PARMESAN SERVED WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE

A nice thick pancake served with Pancetta cooked with leeks and Parmesan cheese and finished with a drizzle of lemon vinaigrette. This recipe could serve 2 big portions but due to the richness of the dish and the dish itself being very filling, i would recommend a serving of four. Basically this is a tarted up version of a ham and cheese pancake, but all the better for it!

THE RECIPE;

4 pancakes

1 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp of unsalted butter

6 slices Pancetta

50g leek(white and light green part)

25g onion

20g freshly grated Parmesan cheese

3g flat leaf parsley

4 tbsp of double cream

1 clove garlic

A splash of dry vermouth/ noilly prat

1/4 tsp of lemon vinaigrette

GARNISH;

Leaf salad

Lemon vinaigrette

TO MAKE LEMON VINAIGRETTE;

Place 2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice into a shaker or squeeze bottle, add a small pinch of sea salt and shake to dissolve. Now add 5 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, shake again and add a pinch of sugar.

Taste and if required adjust seasoning. A pinch of freshly ground black pepper can be added if desired.

METHOD;

Add the olive oil and butter to a pan once hot add the onion and leek cook for 1 minute add the garlic cook for a further 30 seconds, then add the Pancetta. As the Pancetta starts to cook add a splash of dry vermouth, once the pancetta has crisped a little add the cream and 1/4 of a tsp of lemon vinaigrette, cook for a further minute then add the Parmesan and chopped parsley. Cook for a further 2 minutes and take off the heat.

TO FINISH;

Fold a pancake in half and spoon a 1/4 of the Pancetta filling into the middle, now fold again so that it looks like a little horn, place onto a plate. Dress the salad leaf with lemon vinaigrette and place alongside the pancake and drizzle some vinaigrette around the plate.

PANCAKES - SHROVE TUESDAY

For century's throughout the world, Christian community's have been celebrating the Tuesday before lent. In the Catholic communities of the Americas Mardi Gras is one such festival, closer to home it is called shrove Tuesday but more commonly known to us as pancake day. Traditionally pancakes were served with a meat based stew on the day before lent, now days you are more likely to find the sweet and sour combination of lemon juice and sugar. Possibilities for fillings are endless as pancakes can brace the worlds of sweet and savoury. Here is my Pancake recipe, which incidentally is a good time to get tossing, that is pancakes of course!

THE RECIPE;

Makes 4 thick or 6 thin pancakes.

150g plain flour(sieved)

350ml whole milk

1 large egg(preferably free range)

pinch of salt

1 tsp of oil

METHOD;

Sieve the flour and add the milk. whisk to combine and break in the egg, whisk again until all ingredients are nice and smooth and the consistency of thick cream. Season with a pinch of salt.Heat a non stick pan/skillet with the teaspoon of oil, swirl this around the pan. Once hot pour a quarter of the batter into the pan and make sure that it covers the whole of the base, after a minute loosen the edges with a spatula, give the pan a shake. If you are a tosser it makes life a little easier at this point as a good flick of the wrist will turn the pancake. If you are not a tosser, you will have to find away of turning the pancake over, if this fails you could place the pan under a hot grill till slightly coloured. Once the pancake is slightly brown it is cooked.Turn each pancake onto a plate, if desired serve with lemon wedges and a sprinkling of sugar, or alternatively serve with a nice fruit jam.

NOTES;
If you desire less oil, place 1 tsp of oil , once hot give the pan a very light wipe with a kitchen towel, but please be careful of your fingers.

MOORISH CUSTARD TART

Who doesn't like the odd tart. Well i am sure I'm not alone in the pursuit of happiness, a well made tart certainly delivers in the happiness stakes. But unfortunately only temporary happiness can be achieved with this comforting Moorish custard tart, reason being it will not stay in the fridge for long, it will be gone before you finish the oohs and ahhs of moorish delight.

THE RECIPE;

1 quantity of pine nut pastry- this recipe makes three batches!

2 cups/10oz pine nuts
1/3 cup of sugar(approx 75g)
3 cups of plain flour
8oz/250g unsalted butter(room temp)
1 large egg
1 tsp of vanilla extract/essence
Extra butter and flour for greasing the tin.
METHOD;
Pulse the pine nuts in a food processor, add the sugar and flour then pulse again until the nuts are finely ground and the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Place this mixture into a mixing bowl, add the softened butter,egg and vanilla extract/essence. Mix to combine(a ball of dough should form at this point), and divide into three equal parts. Wrap each dough mixture in cling film. Place one quantity of dough into the fridge and freeze the other two if not using within 24 hours. You will require a 9" tart tin/sandwich tin with a removable bottom. Grease the tin with butter and give a light dusting of flour, now place into the fridge for ten minutes. Pre heat an oven to 180 c, take out the tart tin after the 10 minutes and mould the pastry into the tin with your fingers, making sure that a uniform thickness is achieved throughout. Place in the centre of the pre-heated oven and bake for 20 minutes. Turn the tin 180 degrees after the first ten minutes to allow for even cooking. Remove from the oven after 20 minutes, and proceed with the rest of the recipe.

THE CUSTARD;
1 pint double cream
8 lge egg yolks
80g vanilla sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
Nutmeg to taste(grated)

METHOD;
Seperate the eggs and place the yolks into a bowl with the vanilla sugar. Warm the cream in a pan, once warmed through but before boiling pour onto the whisked eggs and sugar and whisk again to combine. Add the custard to the tart shell and bake for 45 minutes at 120 c/ 250 f/ gas 1/2. After the 45 minutes baking remove from the oven and allow to cool, once cool place in the fridge and allow to chill for 2 hours or until set.

CURRIED NOODLES WITH CHICKEN AND PRAWN

In reality this dish is more about the addition of curry powder to noodles than what ingredients are actually used. This recipe is similar to a dish called singapore noodles, although the origin of singapore noodles is unknown to myself. On undertaking a little research, my findings have lead me to believe that singapore noodles are a north american adaption, with the name singapore referring to the use of heat or the blending of oriental cuisine with that of the indian use of spice. This dish can be made with other meats or poultry.

Serves 4-large portions

RECIPE;

225g raw prawns

100g chicken thigh or breast(sliced into small pieces)

250g cooked noodles

1 small onion(roughly chopped)

2 cloves garlic(finely chopped)

8-10 chestnut mushrooms(sliced into 1/4)


1 tbsp of fresh ginger(finely chopped)

1 red bell pepper(roughly chopped)

2 chillies(de-seeded and finely chopped)

1 tbsp mild curry powder( if using hot curry powder omit one of the chillies)

1/2 teaspoon of five spice

1 handful of beansprouts

1 lge pak choi(cut on the diagonal)

1 tbsp of light soy

3 tbsp of veg oil

sea salt and black pepper to taste


OPTIONAL GARNISH;


Shredded scallions/spring onion


Fresh coriander(finely chopped)

METHOD;

Add the oil to a wok or suitable saute pan and heat to hot, add the garlic,ginger,onion and chilli and stir fry for 1 minute, add the pak choi,mushrooms and peppers, then stir fry for a further minute. Now add the chicken and cook for a further minute, before adding the beansprouts and prawns, cook for 1 minute, add the curry powder, keep the ingredients moving in the wok and season with 5 spice and soy sauce, now add the cooked noodles then stir to combine. Check for salt and pepper then turn out into bowls and garnish with shredded spring onion and fresh coriander.

NOTES;

For a wetter version please use your imagination, the addition of 100ml of appropriate stock or a small amount of coconut milk will provide the desired wetness. Unfortunately myself, i am rather fond of dry noodle dishes, although i would never say no to a noodle soup- That would be rude!

BEEF CHOW MEIN

Fried noodles(chow mein) can be served with most forms of protein, a favourite of mine is beef.

In this recipe i am using rump as the beef is seared in a wok first, then cut across and tossed with the noodles when ready to serve. My version of beef chow mein is rather dry, but by increasing the soy,oyster and rice wine too 2 tbsp each you will achieve a moister chow mein, if that is your preference.

RECIPE;

serves 2

150g egg noodles

175g rump steak(APPROX)

2 tbps groundnut oil or vegetable oil

1 tbsp light soy

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp of rice wine(shaoshing)

1 large clove garlic

1 pak choi(sliced on the diagonal)

6 chestnut mushrooms

pinch of sugar

beansprouts(1 handful)

sesame oil

salt(to taste)

pepper(to taste)

METHOD;

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil, meanwhile add a tbsp of oil to a wok or saute pan and cook the beef for 2 minutes a side, then set aside. Reserve the cooking juices in the wok. Add the noodles to the boiling water and cook according to the manufacturers instructions. Now reheat the wok and add the other tbsp of oil and stirfry the garlic then add the mushrooms,pak choi and the bean sprouts, cook for 2 minutes. Then add the oyster and soy sauce, stirfry and add the rice wine and a pinch of sugar. Drain the noodles and add to the wok, toss to combine then add the sliced beef,toss again then adjust the seasoning if required and turn out onto a plate with a drizzle of sesame oil to taste.

NOODLES - PRAWN WITH CHILLI AND GINGER

A simple meal for one that can be increased in quantity. Egg noodles cooked with chilli and ginger with a garnish of fresh coriander and spring onion. A lovely combination that is simplicity in itself.

RECIPE;

6 prawn/shrimp(cooked)

2 tbsp groundnut oil or veg oil

1 chilli( deseed, if required)

5 g root ginger

1 clove of garlic

3 spring onions

125g egg noodles

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine(shaohsing)

1 tbsp fresh coriander

Pepper (to taste)

Salt (to taste)

METHOD;

First cook the noodles according to manufacturers instructions. While noodles are boiling, finely chop 5g ginger, 1 chilli, 1 clove of garlic. Reserve the white part of one of spring onions for garnish and cut the rest of the spring onions on the diagonal(green leafy part as well). Heat a wok or saute pan on a high heat add the oil, once hot add the garlic, ginger and chilli cook for one minute add the spring onion and prawns cook for further minute then add the noodles. Toss all of the ingredients to combine now add 1 tbsp of light soy and 1 tbsp of rice wine. Cook for a further 2 minutes while keeping the ingredients moving! Add a turn of black pepper and check for salt. Turn onto a plate and garnish with 1 tbsp of fresh coriander and shredded spring onion.

Note; When checking for salt bear in mind that soy sauce is salty! You might not need as much as you think.

VANILLA ICE CREAM

A great classic that can stand alone or become part of a more elaborate preparation. Unfortunately due to commercial preparations, real vanilla ice cream is rarely eaten or understood. By omitting the vanilla you have the base for many different ice creams and flavour combinations. Once you have tried this you will understand what ice cream is all about.

RECIPE;
600ml whole milk
600ml double cream
100g vanilla sugar
12 lge egg yolks
2 vanilla pods

Makes just over 2 pints of ice cream

The beginning of the preparation is the same as for creme anglaise, at the end stage when the custard is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, you will need to allow your custard to cool. Once cool add the custard mixture to an ice cream machine and churn according to the manufacturers instructions. Place the firm mixture into a seal able container and place into the freezer until set firm(2-3 hours).
If an ice cream machine is not to hand, place cool/chilled mixture into a seal able container place into the freezer and remove every 2 hours and whisk or beat with a fork to break down ice crystals.

Note;
Make sure that the ice cream is covered in the freezer to ensure that odours from other foods do not find there way into the flavour.

APPLE CRUMBLE

What is the key to a good crumble? Well apart from the obvious a crumble in my mind should have at least an equal balance of fruit to crumble. Too much fruit, stewed for too long you just as well eat baby food, too much crumble you just as well have a giant biscuit! A crumble should be buttery,rich and well- crumbly. The dish itself can be forgiving and lends itself to many different seasonal fruits. Here we are using apples, but many combinations are known and have become classics in there own right.

Recipe;



CRUMBLE TOPPING;

150 g plain flour

100g sugar

100g porridge oats

100g unsalted butter - softened and cut into cubes

small pinch of sea salt

grating of nutmeg optional( half a grated nutmeg used in my recipe)



FILLING;

500 g apples- this recipe uses braeburn

100g vanilla sugar or caster sugar

1 tsp of ground cinnamon



Method;

Add the oats to a food processor and blitz a couple of times, add the flour and blitz again, now add the softened butter,sugar and optional nutmeg, and pulse until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.

Peel and core the apples, cut into bite size pieces and place into a mixing bowl, mix with 100g of vanilla sugar/caster sugar - add 1 tsp of cinnamon and combine until all of the apples are coated in sugar and cinnamon, now place into a suitable oven dish that will hold all of the ingredients.

Cover with the crumble topping and pat down with the back of a spoon. Place in a pre-heated oven at 180c/gas 4 and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or creme anglaise