Thyme For Cooking, the Blog

Swineherd's Pie

As I was looking through my handy food guide for the posts on Styles and Sauces recently, I wasted spent a bit of time looking at British foods.

The best thing (in my opinion) about British cuisine is the names....

Well, maybe the second best....

The Brit's make some of the best, ooey-gooey desserts in the world.

This is just for fun:

• Stargazey pie - briefly, a pie with small, whole, stuffed fish, hard-boiled eggs and bacon with the fish-heads sticking through the crust.
• Black pudding - sausage made with pork fat, blood and oatmeal.
• Love in disguise - calves heart, coated with vermicelli, crumbs and roasted.
• Spotted Dick - steamed suet pudding with raisins.
• Faggots - pork bits (liver, lights) wrapped in caul fat and baked.
• Lenten Pie - pie of apples, onions and potatoes.
• Sticky Toffee Pudding - sponge cake filled with dates and covered in toffee sauce (one of the best desserts in the world)
• Fidget pie - pie of bacon, apples and onion
• Inky pinky - roast beef hash with carrots, onions and vinegar.
• Toad in the hole - fried sausages, set in batter and baked.
• Rumbledethumps - mash of potatoes, cabbage and kale.
• Hedgehog pudding - steamed meringue covered with caramel and roasted almonds.

There are lots of pies in traditional British cooking, the most famous being Shepherd's Pie, which is made with mutton or lamb.  If it's made with beef it's Cottage Pie; made with fish it's Fish Pie (not too imaginative on that one).

I couldn't find a name for a pie made with pork....

Although I did find suggestions: Stye Pie, Porker Pie and Swineherd's Pie.  I selected the latter for today's recipe.

In the past I've made a few variations on British classics:

Fish Pie

Kedgeree

Shepherd's Pie

Yorkshire Pudding Pie (Okay, I made this one up....)

And, finally, the Porker Pie (could be Pig Pie) made with leftover pork and mashed potatoes it's an easy, delicious, warm and comforting winter meal. 

Cottage Pie with Pork or Swineherd's Pie

1 - 2 cups leftover pork
1 medium onion
2 cloves garlic 
2oz (60gr) mushrooms 
1 rib celery
2 medium carrots 
1 1/4 cup beef stock 
1 tbs olive oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme
2 tsp cornstarch (maizena, corn flour) dissolved in 1 tbs water 
1 - 2 cups mashed potatoes (2 medium potatoes, cooked and mashed) 
1 - 3 tsp milk

Chop onion, garlic, celery and carrots. Clean and slice mushrooms. Cut pork into bite-size pieces. 
Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add vegetables and sauté 6 - 8 minutes, until they start to get tender. Add pork, stock, mustard and thyme. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. 
Dissolve cornstarch in water and stir into pan to thicken sauce. Pour pork mixture into a baking dish just large enough to hold it, plus the potatoes. In medium bowl lightly mash the potatoes, adding a bit of milk if needed to soften. Spoon potatoes over meat - covering as best you can. Bake at 400F (200C) until heated through - about 15 minutes. Serve.

You will note that I don't use enough mashed potatoes to cover the dish.  This serves two, and in order to keep the portions appropriate that's just how it works.

Venison Filet Mignon; are you tired?

What makes you tired?

The kind of tired that makes your mind go blank and you lose the will to move.... Unless it's to move chocolate to the lips.

For me there are two kinds of tired - the good kind and the exhausting kind.

The good kind of tired is how I feel after a brisk four-hour walk, uphill all the way or an all day bicycle ride along the back roads or even after a good ride on the stationary bike followed by 30 or 40 minutes of weight training.

My muscles are tired but my brain is sharp.

Actually, any of those activities seems to put my brain into overdrive, and, at the end of the exercise, I'm brimming with new ideas, new projects to tackle and old problems solved. I'm full of energy and ready to take on the world.... Or, at least, the puppies. 

The other kind of tired, the exhausting kind, is how I feel after driving for six hours on the motorway or having a four-hour lunch or doing the weekly shopping.

It doesn't take me long to do the shopping, my usual store is only 30 minutes away and I'm rarely inside for more than an hour. Of course, there is another 30 minutes at home unpacking and putting everything away.....

At no time does my pulse rate go up, my breathing get any more rapid or a single muscle have to strain or stretch.

And yet,when I'm finished I'm exhausted.... I have no energy to do anything.  We even have a tradition of giving the dogs big chewies when I come home from the store - just so I don't have to deal with them, either.

I sit down at the computer, poise my fingertips over the keyboard, and become still as a statue.  

Nothing is flowing from the brain to the keyboard.  All the synapses have quit firing. There is nothing but a vast emptiness.

I have no idea what it is that makes such a mundane, common task so debilitating... I just know it does, and try to plan my day accordingly.

Maybe I should try riding my bike to the store.....

Of course, I'd have to pull a trailer behind to carry the shopping....

It didn't make me the least bit fatigued to meander over to the neighboring farm to buy some venison last fall.  I was thrilled when she managed to find the last package of filet mignon (after assuring me she had none left).

Venison is a lean, red meat, and if not over-cooked, is tender with a wonderful flavor.

Rumor has it that over-cooking can lead to a gamey taste.

I can't say if that's true - these steaks we cooked to medium-rare and they were perfect.  But I also use less tender cuts in long-cooking stews and medium-cooking stroganoffs, both with excellent results.

I fixed them simply, finished with just a bit of sauce.... Nothing too strong or too complex, letting the venison be the star.

Venison Filet Mignon

1 venison filet mignon / tenderloin
1 tbs olive oil
1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) red wine
1/3 cup (3oz, 90ml) beef stock
1 tsp tomato paste

Slice the venison into 1" (2.5cm) thick slices.  Heat oil in a large skillet until very hot.  Add steaks and sauté quickly,  1 - 2 minutes per side. Season with salt, pepper, remove and keep warm.
Add red wine, beef stock and boil quickly, until reduced by half. Add tomato paste and stir well.
Spoon sauce onto a platter, top with steaks and serve.

So.....

What is it that makes you tired?

Butternut Squash and Polenta Gratin

My search for butternut squash recipes continues.

A few weeks ago an email came across my screen that caught my interest.

To be honest, I get so many, and most are not worth the effort to hit the delete button...

I tucked it away, without reading, of course, to make another day.

The day came.

I found the recipe, grabbed a pen to jot down notes and actually read it.

First, it fed 12.

As a main course.

Turns out it was in the 'Vegetarian Epicure' section of an email from 'Food and Wine' magazine (or would that be 'e-zine'?).

Now, we like our vegetables and all, still, the recipe would have to be paired down just a bit.

I read further.

It took six hours to make.

SIX HOURS!

I'm happy to make something that takes six hours if it's 20 minutes of prep time and six hours in the oven....

This wasn't.

It was 45 minutes of prep for the squash, then chilling time, then 45 minutes for the polenta, then resting time, then something else, and something else, then, finally, an hour of baking time then more resting time.

I wanted to rest.

I was exhausted just reading about it.

Still....

The flavors sounded interesting, the combination was intriguing....

And I had promised mon mari something new and terribly fabulous (from 'Food and Wine') for dinner.

Let's just say that this was inspired by a recipe from Food and Wine.....

We can also say that it was delicious.

Butternut Squash and Polenta Gratin

10oz (300gr) butternut squash, peeled and cubed
1 - 2 cups chicken stock, enough to cover squash when cooking
1/4 cup polenta, quick-cooking
1 onion, chopped
1/3 cup walnut halves, roughly chopped 
12 - 15 sage leaves, crumbled if dry, chopped if fresh
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup shredded Gruyère cheese
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese 

Simmer squash in chicken stock until very tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain, reserving stock.
Cook polenta in 1 cup of the reserved stock / cooking liquid until done, stirring constantly.
Sauté onion in olive oil until just starting to get tender.  Add walnuts and sauté together until both start to brown.  Add sage and sauté a few minutes longer.
Lightly mash the squash, leaving it chunky.  Combine everything but the Parmesan and spoon into a baking dish.  Sprinkle Parmesan over the top and bake, 400F (200C) 20 minutes, or until starting to brown.

My version took an hour, from peeling to eating.

They roasted the squash, whole, then cooled, peeled, seeded and chopped it.

They used pine nuts instead of walnuts, toasted in a dry skillet.  I have three walnut trees. 

They used real, slow-cooking polenta.

There were other differences.... 

Their's was probably wonderful.

So was mine.

Beef and Filo Cigars; the update

We're perilously close to having another room done.

All that's left is the trim (always the trim) around the floor and window. 

And then.... 

Then..... 

The hall is next in line to be finished.

And part of finishing the hall is to build book cases lining one wall.

When the book cases are done.....

I can, finally, unpack the rest of my books.  I have about 20 boxes of books that have not been opened in almost 4 years.

Yes, yes, I know I'm jumping ahead just a bit, but I am getting excited about it.

Let me have my moment.

Happy Year of the Dragon!

These are not Chinese; they're Moroccan, but I think the recipe and technique could be modified.  I can't get won-ton wrappers and I don't deep fry....

Regardless, they were good!

Beef and Filo Cigars

4 sheets phyllo dough
5oz (150gr) ground beef
2 shallots, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp olive oil
Tomato Sauce
1 cup (8oz, 240gr) tomato sauce
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp cinnamon
hot sauce to taste
olive oil for filo 

Sauté spices in olive oil for 30 seconds.  Add shallots, garlic and sauté until tender.  Add beef and brown, breaking it up as it cooks. When done remove from heat and remove any excess fat.  
Remove 2 sheets of pastry and re-wrap the rest. It's important to keep filo covered at all times or it will dry out. Lay one sheet out flat and lightly brush all over with olive oil. Top with the other sheet and brush with olive oil.  Cut the sheets into thirds, the short way. 
Spoon 1/6th of the meat mixture onto the narrow end of each strip, 2 inches from the end and leaving an inch on either side.  Roll filo over, fold the sides in and roll up like a cigar. 
Brush the top and bottom with oil and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets and filling, making 6 cigars in all. Bake at 400F (200C) for 15 - 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Tomato Sauce:
Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer 5 minutes.

Chicken Breasts Duxelles; the sauces

Last week I gave a brief primer on 'styles' in food.

This week it's sauces.

Sauces are a bit more simple.

Note I did not say sauces were simple.

Like anything in the kitchen, there are the basic sauces and the modifications made by the person wielding the spoon.

The well-known:

• allioli - garlic mayonnaise
• mayonnaise - egg yolks, vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil
• hollandaise - egg yolks, lemon juice and butter
• béarnaise - egg yolks, vinegar, white wine, tarragon, shallots, butter
• tartare - mayonnaise with hard-cooked egg yolks, oill vinegar, chives, capers
• vinaigrette - oil and vinegar
• bourguignonne - red wine, carrot, onion, bacon

The fairly common:

• demi-glace - brown sauce, reduced and strengthened with veal stock
• béchemal - white sauce of butter, flour, milk flavored with onion, nutmeg
• bordelaise - demi-glace with red or white wine, shallots, tomato sauce
• Périgueux - demi-glace with Madeira, chopped truffles
• périgourdine - Périgueux with sliced rather than chopped truffles
• rémoulade - mayonnaise with gherkins, mustard, capers, anchovy
• chausser - demi-glace with mushrooms, white wine, tomato paste
• duxelles - demi-glace with mushrooms, shallots, white wine

The less common:

• noir - browned butter, capers, parsley, vinegar
• bigerade - demi-glace, oranges, wine, Curacao
• suédoise - apple compote, mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish
• saupiquet - hare's blood, hare's liver, shallots, red wine, vinegar
• lyonnaise - demi-glace, onions, white wine, vinegar
• Miroton - lyonnaise with more onions, more white wine
• gribiche - hard-boiled egg yolks, oil, vinegar, herbs, gherkins, capers

Sauce were much less disconcerting....

Salmon Cakes with Sauce Tartare

Boeuf Bourguignonne

Poached Eggs Bourguignonne

Tournedos with Marchand de Vin Sauce

Macaroni and Cheese

Duxelles is more commonly served with veal chops - but it's equally good with chicken.

Chicken Breasts Duxelles

2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
1/4 cup white wine
1 tbs olive oil 
Duxelles Sauce 
2 shallots (2oz, 60gr)
4oz (120gr) mushrooms
1 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp paprika
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
1 tbs tomato paste
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

Duxelles: Finely chop the shallots and mushrooms. Heat the butter in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat until bubbly. Add the shallots and mushrooms and sauté, until golden brown, 6 - 8 minutes. Add the white wine and scrape up any brown bits. Cook until wine is almost completely reduced, about 1 tbs left. Add stock, tomato paste and herbs. Stir well, simmer until thickened. Remove from heat and cover to keep warm.
Chicken: Heat olive oil in medium nonstick skillet. Add chicken breasts and sauté until golden, about 5 minutes per side. Add white wine. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Arrange on Duxelles and serve. 

Tomato Flan with Couscous Salad

I'm in love!

Assuming one can be in love with a store.

During my search for cranberries before Christmas, my neighbor mentioned a 'vegetable market' across from a DIY store in Bergerac that had an amazing variety of produce.

In my mind I saw a warehouse-type building filled with crates of vegetables.

I was wrong (and so early in the year!)

Le Grand Frais - The Big Fresh (?)

It was huge; it was modern; it was cold.

Around the outer walls were a butcher, a small dairy case and a very extensive foreign and exotic foods section - with hard to find Asian and Mexican and South American and Italian and Spanish stuff.... Stuff I've only read about but never seen.

The rest of the (did I say huge) store was filled with the most amazing selection of fruits and vegetables I have ever seen anywhere. 

That's why it's cold

There were several kinds of orange carrots, but also yellow and red and purple carrots.  I've heard about them / never seen them.

There were orange and yellow and white sweet potatoes.

There were lots and lots of kinds and colors of regular potatoes and onions and garlic.

We sometimes get grapefruit in winter.... We had a choice of three different kinds.

I saw lemon grass for the first time.... As well as a dozen or so things I didn't even recognize.

To say I'm excited is an understatement.

I didn't buy much, just a few basics.  I was both unprepared and overwhelmed.  I didn't even get all the way to the back of the store.  (We were on are way to somewhere else.)

But next time..... I think I'll spend the day.

It makes me excited about cooking for the rest of the winter!

In the meantime, here is a simple flan for a first course or light lunch.

Tomato Custard! Light, and easy to make. 

Tomato Flan with Couscous Salad 

2 eggs
2/3 cup, (6oz, 175ml) tomato sauce
6 pimiento-stuffed olives
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 tsp basil 

Prepare ramekins: Butter ramekins and line the bottom with buttered wax or parchment paper. Thinly slice olives and lay on the bottom of the ramekins.
The flan: Whisk eggs, tomato sauce, paprika and oregano together well and pour into the ramekins, dividing evenly.  Put into a roasting pan with deep sides (I use a metal bread pan) and add hot water (hot tap water is fine) so that it comes half way up the sides of the ramekins.
Bake for 30 minutes at 450F (220C) They should be set, firm on top.
Remove from oven and from hot water. Run a table knife around the sides to loosen (if necessary). Put a small plate over top of ramekin and flip over. Remove ramekin, and paper from top (formerly bottom) of flan. Put on plate and spoon Couscous Salad around.

Couscous Salad

1/4 cup medium couscous
3/8 cup chicken stock
2 ribs celery, roughly chopped
1 tbs Greek yogurt
1 tbs mayonnaise
1 tbs Dijon-style mustard 

Heat chicken broth to a boil. Put couscous in a medium bowl. When broth is boiling pour over couscous, cover and let stand for 10 minutes...Do not stir it. 
Mix yogurt, mayo and mustard.  When couscous is ready, add celery and fluff with a fork. Add salad dressing and stir gently.