AIDEN BRYNE - MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN

Although purchased before Christmas i have not in all honesty had the time to have a browse, but the book has been staring me in the face for the last five months from one of the numerous overcrowded bookshelves, but what prompted me to eventually pick up this volume is BBC 2's current series of the Great British Menu(see note). Aiden bryne is one of this weeks contestants in the regional heats of this brilliant series, until recently cooking at the Dorchester hotel in London with a Michelin star to his credit, and now with his own gastro pub in Cheshire -northwest of England.

The book with it's clever outer cover conjures up images of denim with a nifty little tag proclaiming the books title, in the style of very famous branded jeans - red tab anyone! A big picture of the man himself plating a dish also adjourns the front cover with two very influential write ups on the back cover from Mr jay Raynor(Observer food critic) and Marcus Wareing(multi Michelin starred chef), the two statements on the back are shouting this is a serious cook book, not to be taken lightly and certainly not for the kitchen novice.

Recipes are inventive with clever use of flavour pairings and great use of micro herbs and salads. With just over 220 pages and some great food photography this book nearly reaches the food porn category, but is clearly aimed at the serious home cook with big ambitions. I would expect to find this on every budding Masterchef contestants book shelve.

Recipes include Halibut with Beetroot and Orange salad, Roasted Scallops with Apple and Ginger puree with Fennel Sauce, Roasted Smoked Fois Gras with Onion Mousse, Beef Fillet with Parsley Risotto, Braised Snails and Red Wine Garlic. Desserts include Apple and Rosemary Mousse with Calvados Ice Cream, Strawberry and Red Pepper and Orange and Olive Oil Cake with Candied Celery. This is just a selection of many recipes with a good section at the back on fundamentals which include sorbets,stocks and purees. My only gripe with this book is,
that you have to consult other pages during a recipe for components of different dishes.

A really great book with wonderful use of seasonal ingredients, a must also for connoisseurs of fine food and cookbook junkies alike!

• ISBN : 978-1-84773-160-9
• £25 UK price
• newhollandpublishers.com

NOTE;

The Great British menu is a TV series on BBC 2 in the UK. This current series has Chefs from around the UK challenging each other for a place to cook for homecoming troops returning from Afghanistan. The banquet that they will cook for will contain four courses and the winner of each course will cook.All contestants are at the top of there game and most have Michelin stars. Previous series have seen the winners cook for The Queen and French Ambassador.

FIVE SPICE POWDER

Five spice is a Chinese spice blend used sparingly in the cuisine of china. All though i can not claim this recipe as my own, as i do not know the origin, i do feel that it is a shame not to share this with others. Use with caution and as recipe dictates.

THE BLEND;

1 tbsp star anise
1 tbsp sichuan pepper
1 tbsp fennel seeds
1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1/2 tbsp cloves

Grind all of the spices in a pestle and mortar,clean coffee/spice grinder or use the blender attachment on the food processor. Once ground to a fine powder the blend can be stored in an air tight container for 2-3 months after which freshness will be lost leading to inferior five spice, like wise it is essential to use spices that are in date.

BANGERS AND MASH

Whenever i find myself abroad, and tired of the local fare or maybe a little homesick, you can be sure that the taste from home i crave is good old Bangers and mash with onion gravy! Hits the spot time after time, although not sure if some of the versions i have tasted around the world were actually that good, they tasted like heaven when sampled, a real taste of home to subdue the subconscious - whilst sufficient fodder to keep the homesickness at bay. At home this is a dish that i only eat rarely, with the expanding waste line to think about, and the old arteries that are narrowing of there own accord, i am pretty sure they don't need much help! Health issues aside good Bangers and mash, done right, can not be a healthy dish - nor should it be in my eyes. There are many versions some good, some bad, but the bangers for starters have to have a higher enough fat content to remain moist and succulent while a good mash just cries out for a good dose of the coronary inducing butter. I am partial to a nice olive oil mash, while healthier and still tasty, the depth of flavour is not apparent or the creaminess, that unfortunately butter provides. So for a dish that is only eaten a couple of times a year, surely it will not hurt to go the whole hog, but throw caution to the wind as this version is damn good, and temptation to over indulge could be fatal in the long term!

THE RECIPE;

ONION GRAVY;

500G red onion
500ml beef stock
25 g unsalted butter
20g beef dripping
1 tsp Dijon mustard
2ml red wine vinegar
sea salt and ground black pepper

METHOD;

First slice the onions into rings. Heat a large saute pan over a medium heat and melt the dripping, once hot add the onion and saute for 3 minutes, season with salt and pepper, then turn down the heat a little and allow to cook down for 20 minutes, add the butter and Dijon mustard cook for a further 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a gentle simmer adjust the seasoning and add vinegar if required. The gravy should now be ready, or simmer for longer for a thicker consistency.
Serves 4-6

MASHED POTATOES;

1.2 kg Maris piper
150 ml of whole milk(warm)
150g unsalted butter
Sea Salt and freshly ground white pepper

METHOD;

Bring a pan of salted water to the boil. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes and cut into even sized chunks. Add to the boiling water. Once cooked through but not falling apart(check with a sharp knife- pierce the potato, if the potato slides off the blade easily they are done). Pass through a potato ricer into a bowl or sauce pan, now give the potatoes a good mashing with a potato masher to ensure that it is lump free. Warm the milk to just below boiling and add to the potato, start to fold in from the outside, once incorporated fold the butter into the potato in four stages until all used. Season to taste. ( If the potato cools to much add to a non stick pan and gently heat ensuring that the potato is kept moving at all times. A spatula is a good choice of utensil for moving the mash).

SAUSAGES;

A pork sausage with a good fat content would be my choice, but beef sausages can be used with good results. My preferred method of cooking sausages for this dish would be fried, in a little oil to give good flavour and colour. It is a naughty dish so NO half fat sausages, and the best bangers
you can afford!

NOTES;
A potato ricer although not essential, is a handy piece of kit. If you can imagine a giant garlic press, then you have a ricer. The potatoes are placed into the chamber then pushed through a series of small holes with the aid of the press attached to the handle, thus resembling rice!
In all honesty a good old potato masher is sufficient for the job if no ricer is to hand!

THE BEST NEW POTATOES

With the season for jersey royals upon us, you have to make the most of the crop when available. Although over 90% of the crop is exported to mainland Briton the season is so short you have to be quick, by the end of may they will all but disappear, until the eagerly awaited season next year. But the question remains what to do to them? It would be a sin to do to much to such a superior product, when produce tastes this good keep it simple!

Boil to just tender, season well with Sea salt and ground black pepper add a couple of pats of unsalted butter(good quality) and a sprinkle of fresh chopped flat leaf parsley. If so desired a hint of lemon can be added, but not to much only a little to help along the butter.

NOTE;
Anya is another superb variety of new potato that is a rather odd shape with a knobbly surface and skin, taste wise Anya has a masculine nutty note and fine texture. Again keep it simple.

CARAMELISED ONIONS

Slow cooked onions caramelised in there own sugars make a wonderful accompaniment to savoury foods. Caramelised onions can lift the mundane to new heights, perfect with sausages or added to onion soup, they are the last word in a simple and inexpensive condiment, that can be used to bring new pleasure to the table.

Cooking time up to 45 minutes for 400g of sliced onions

RECIPE;
White onions - allow 100g per a person
Optional - 1 tsp granulated sugar
A pinch each of sea salt and fresh ground black pepper
METHOD;
Coat the bottom of a skillet or suitable sized saute pan with a film of olive oil, place on a high heat, add sliced onions and lower the heat to medium, stirring from time to time to ensure even cooking. After 15 minutes season with sea salt and black pepper, additional sugar if using, then turn down the heat to low. Cooking times will vary but allow up to 45 minutes and a reduction in mass of at least a third. Drain any excess oil before serving.

NOTES;
Please do not be fooled by the amount of sliced onions that you start the recipe with. They will eventually with a little patient on the part of the cook, reduce down to at the minimum a third of there original mass.

Suitable for vegetarians.

SALAD

What can be better on a summers evening than freshly picked leaves from the garden, soft boiled eggs and croutons with a little fresh dressing made in the present. Well lots really but those things that are better are normally not attainable. What little summer we actually have in the UK, we better make the most of , as like all good things they don't tend to last. With the short season for asparagus and new potatoes nearly over, and fresh broad beans and peas making an appearance it will not be long before autumn will be upon us with the next batch of fresh ingredients. Back to the present do our salads have to be complicated or will simple really do? Simple is best, what do you really need too do, to freshly picked produce? Now freshly picked is a new term being coined in our household having taken the plunge to try and grow some of our own food. With the allotment on the go, some enthusiasm and a very heavy handed fiance who at the beginning of our foray into the garden was more akin to killing off our baby plants while trying to transplant them into larger pots(it should be noted that i have not put as much effort in as the baby plant killer and neither do i possess her new found skills in the world of horticulture, and all references to this homicdal maniac are purely of a light hearted note). After the first mishaps, we reluctantly replanted and lo and behold we have our first crop, and boy is it good too eat fresh leaves that we have actually grown, but what to do? Keep it simple, in all honesty the leaves only need a light dressing of oil and vinegar, a little seasoning then on to the fork into the mouth. I love simple salads, spend some time in Italy and you get a salad of leaves with a dressing nothing complicated just fresh. When we do buy in asparagus we pair with a little butter and lemon, this believe me is heaven. If we feel the need to impress a little hollandaise sauce or a nice buttery sabayon, but why go to all that effort when the ingredients are fresh and so bloody tasty. When the tomatoes come -again a light dressing and some torn basil leaves, salt and pepper, leaves paired with soft boiled egg and croutons are a delight. Try Making your own croutons -it's dead easy, what i do is find some day old bread cut into cubes, rub a baking tray with some garlic for a hint of background flavour, pour a little olive oil on the tray and toss your bread in the oil so that it just coats but not saturates, season then put into a pre - heated oven for 8-10 minutes or until as crispy as required. I have debated about giving recipes for salad, but leaves, oil and acid can not really be described as a recipe more a method. Fresh herbs can be used in your salads and what you have to hand rather than a regimented amount or type. In reality there are well known herb combinations like cucumber and mint, fresh peas with mint will make a great salad with a little ham but dill is just as famous as a pairing for cucumber as well as fresh broad beans, dill is also great with finely sliced fennel. Tomatoes and basil is another well known combination, try chives with tomatoes, and a little shallot or red onion. A little chervil or parsley with your leaves or a hint of thyme in your dressing will all work wonders or use a little thyme with whatever leaves you choose. Parsley and garlic a classic Italian combination, try finding a way to incorporate these into your fresh produce and you will be happy. A little cheese combined with your salad can lift a simple salad to new meaning, and being realistic a little good quality mozzarella with fresh tomatoes and olive oil is tasty as can be, feta is a well known cheese used in salads although not to my taste. Fresh rocket with a little hard cheese such as grana pandano,parmasen or a nice pecorino is a loving match, tart this up with some olive oil and balsamic vinegar a nice hunk of crusty bread, sat in the garden or failing that anywhere you like your front room if need be, you could be forgiven for feeling all Mediterranean.

The health giving benefits of a fresh salad are not to be dismissed, but be aware even the so called fresh leaves in sealed bags harbour chlorine and crap to keep the product fresher for longer. We actually stopped buying salad packed like this two years ago, and will now only buy open lettuce. Back to oil and dressings with all the crap that is found to be circulating about oil being bad for you, the high calorie content, people still go and stock there fridge with store bought processed dressings that harbour all kinds of unsavoury ingredients such has saturated fats and trans fatty acids. A home made dressing is not only better tasting but cheaper, less calorific and actually good for you. Remember you control the sodium not some board room director with huge profits in mind at the expense of your health and waistline. I think even worse are the half fat dressings, although they might contain half the fat they usually contain twice the sodium, and encourage people to use twice as much, which in turn defeats the object as you are back to square one. So the moral of this long winded rant would be buy some cheap pots and a little compost, a packet of salad leaf seeds(cut and come again variety) and plant your own, then reap the benefits! Not only is this healthier and more tasty there is a certain amount of satisfaction to be had from seed to table in the comfort of your own backyard, or failing that a window box or sunny window sill!

OLIVE OIL CROUTONS

Don't just throw your stale bread out, it makes wonderful croutons! This recipe for Olive oil croutons makes unbelievably tasty croutons that are a welcome addition to salads or soups or eaten alone as a snack, they are that good!

Pre - heat your oven too 200c/400f/ gas 6. Cut the crusts off your day or two old bread cut into cubes about 1" square place on an oiled (olive) roasting tin or a tray and toss to coat in oil. The croutons will need to be liberally coated. Place in the hot oven for 5 minutes, remove and turn the oven down too 150c/275-300f/ gas 1-2, turn the croutons over and place back in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool, season with sea salt and a touch of ground black pepper. Can be frozen or will keep for a couple of days in an airtight container.