Entertaining

What are the best pairings for pancakes?

What are the best pairings for pancakes?

If you’re planning a Pancake Day celebration for tomorrow and haven’t yet decided what to drink here are few ideas.

Like pasta the best match for pancakes depends on the topping or filling which can obviously be savoury or sweet. Very sweet - and hot - which can make the choice of an accompanying drink tricky.

Simple sugar and lemon pancakes
The classic British way. To be honest I prefer them on their own or with an aromatic cup of tea such as Lady Grey or Orange Pekoe but a sweet sparkling wine such as Moscato d’Asti or Clairette de Die should work if you don’t overdo the lemon. A sparkling ice-wine (the Canadian winery Inniskillin does one) would probably be perfect

Pancakes with fresh berries like strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
A sparkling rosé (or, of course, rosé champagne) with a touch of sweetness pairs well with this lighter style of pancake topping/filling. You could also try a sparkling framboise made with a raspberry liqueur topped up with sparkling wine.

Pancakes with golden or maple syrup
Tricky especially if the topping is maple syrup and the dish also includes bacon. Black tea or a black Americano coffee for me but them I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth. If you do you could always try an Australian liqueur muscat

Pancakes with chocolate sauce
A strong sweet red wine like port would probably work but might be just too much of a good thing. Black - or white - coffee again, if anything.

Pancakes with a cherry, apricot or other fruit compote
Very good with a complementary fruit beer - kriek with cherry-filled pancakes, a peach or apricot-flavoured beer with apricot filled ones. With apple and cinnamon filled crepes you could serve a conventional dessert wine - cooked apples suit most of them but I'd be tempted by a youngish Tokaji

Savoury pancakes with cheese and ham or spinach
Dry or sparkling cider is a great match for Breton-style pancakes, particularly if they’re made with buckwheat. Otherwise a smooth dry white wine such as a Pinot Blanc, Soave or Gavi will all work fine

Smoked salmon blinis
Champagne, sparkling wine or iced vodka

Crispy duck pancakes
Not a traditional Shrove Tuesday treat but while we’re in pancake mode . . . Hard to beat a good Pinot Noir

Image By Melica at shutterstock.com

A St Patrick's Day supper

A St Patrick's Day supper

It’s a tribute to the sheer joie-de-vivre of the Irish that we regard St Patrick’s Day with much more enthusiasm than St George’s, St Andrew’s or St David’s Days (the patron saints for England, Scotland and Wales for those of you who aren’t into your saints). So your friends are going to be more than pleased to be invited to celebrate it with you.

This is another of my low maintenance menus with only the main course - an adaptation of the famous American Ham and Coke - needing last minute attention. If anyone in the party doesn’t like oysters (check beforehand) you can serve them some Irish smoked salmon instead. (Ummera and Frank Hederman are top smokers.)

Freshly shucked oysters and soda bread

Don't open the oysters too far in advance of eating them. In fact you could wait until your guests arrive - it'll give the men something to do!

Serves 6

36 oysters
Lemons, shallot vinegar and Tabasco to taste.

To open the oysters, protect your hand with a teatowel. Hold each oyster with the pointed end towards you and the flatter side uppermost. Find a point where the two sides of the shell join where you can insert the point of the knife and wiggle the blade around till you’ve got it firmly in. Work the blade round the edge of the oyster until the two sides come apart. Carefully holding the lower part of the shell so the juices don’t spill out, work away the flesh from the sides leaving the oyster meat in the base of the shell. Place the shell carefully on a bed of crushed ice or rock salt so that it can’t rock about. Repeat until all the oysters are open. Personally I would eat them without anything but soda bread and a cool glass of Guinness but you can lay on lemon wedges, shallot vinegar (mix 100ml red wine vinegar with 2-3 very finely chopped shallots) and Tabasco for those that want them

Irish soda bread

If you’ve never made bread in your life you could make Irish soda bread. It requires no kneading or rising time - you can make it from start to finish inside an hour. Everyone’s version differs slightly. This is based on the recipe the marvellous

Dan Lepard gives in Baking with Passion.

284 ml carton buttermilk or very low fat bio yoghurt
1 level tbsp black treacle
225g (8 oz) self raising flour
225g (8 oz) plain wholemeal flour (not bread flour) + extra for dusting
1 tbsp wheatgerm
1/2 level tsp cream of tartar
1 level tsp bicarbonate of soda
1 rounded tsp fine seasalt

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/Gas 5.
Warm the buttermilk very gently in a pan with the treacle until the treacle melts, stir well then take it off the heat. Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Pour over the milk and treacle mixture and mix with a wooden spoon then pull the mixture together with your hands, trickling in a little water as needed. The dough should be soft but not sticky.
Shape the dough into a ball about 18 cm (7 in) wide and place on a floured baking tray. Cut a deep cross in the centre of the loaf, dust with a little more flour and bake for about 35-40 minutes until the bread is well browned and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it. Transfer onto a wire rack, cover with a clean teatowel to stop the crust getting too hard and cool for about 20-30 minutes. Serve while still warm with unsalted butter.

Coke and Guinness-glazed ham with Colcannon

It occurred to me that if you could cook ham in Coca Cola it might be even (itals) better cooked in Coke and stout. And it is!

Serves 4

About 1.5kg (3lb 5 oz) smoked gammon or bacon joint
2 x 330ml cans Guinness or Murphy’s stout
2 x 330ml cans Coca Cola
1 onion, peeled and halved
3 tbsp dark muscovado sugar
1 1/2 tsp mustard powder
6-8 cloves

Soak the gammon in cold water for several hours or overnight. Put the joint in a deep saucepan that fits it snugly and pour in the Guinness and Coke which should just about cover the ham. Add a little water if it doesn’t. Add the onion and bring the liquid gradually to the boil. Turn the heat down to a slow simmer and cook for about 1 1/2 - 1 3/4 hours, turning the joint once during the cooking period and topping up with boiling water as necessary. (The timing will depend how slowly you manage to keep the liquid simmering. If it barely trembles - as it should - go for the longer cooking time.) Remove the joint from the pan and reserve the stock (it makes a fantastic base for a black bean soup!). When the joint is cool enough to handle cut away any rind and score the fat with a diamond pattern. Preheat the oven to 225°C/425°F/Gas 8. Mix the sugar and mustard powder together, breaking down any lumps and rub into the fat. Stud the intersections between the diamonds with the cloves. Put the gammon joint on a sheet of foil and wrap the foil around the meat leaving the fat exposed. Put the joint in a roasting dish or tin and add a cup of the cooking liquid to the dish to stop the glaze burning. Roast the joint for 15 minutes until the fat is nicely caramelised. Carve the meat into thick slices and spoon a spoonful of the juices in the roasting tin over each portion. Serve with colcannon (below)

Colcannon

The classic Irish mix of cabbage and mashed potato.

Serves 6

900g (2lb) King Edwards or other good boiling potatoes, peeled and cut into even sized pieces
250g (9oz) of sliced cabbage
50g (2 oz) butter at room temperature
75ml (3 fl oz) warm milk
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place the potatoes in a saucepan of cold water and bring to the boil. Skim off any froth, season with salt then cook for 20-25 minutes until done. Drain the potatoes thoroughly then return to the pan. Meanwhile toss the greens for 2-3 minutes in a little boiling, salted water until just cooked. Drain, return to the pan and season with salt, pepper and 10g of the butter. Mash
the potatoes thoroughly till smooth then beat in the remaining butter and warm milk. Season with salt and pepper then mix in the greens.

Bailey’s pannacotta

This has to be one of the easiest desserts in the world. You’re simply making a Bailey’s-flavoured milk - or, rather, cream jelly. You can serve it with almost any kind of fruit. Stewed or baked rhubarb or a plum compote would be the most seasonal or, for a slightly more spring-like but arguably less Irish accompaniment, you could serve it with fresh berries such as strawberries or raspberries (slightly sweetened at this time of year) or fresh mango. Or, forget the fruit, and simply serve it on its own with an espresso and a dash of Irish whiskey as a sort of deconstructed Irish coffee. (A few biscotti would be nice too) I’ve given quantities for up to 8 as someone is bound to want seconds.

Serves 6-8

10g leaf gelatine (about 6 leaves)
2 x 284ml cartons of whipping cream
150ml (1/4 pint) Bailey’s or other Irish cream liqueur
4 tbsp full cream (i.e. not semi-skimmed) milk
2 tbsp unrefined caster sugar
A little flavourless oil

You will need 6-8 small dariole moulds or ramekin dishes
Soak the gelatine in cold water. Tip the milk into a large, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add the Bailey’s and milk and bring slowly to just below boiling point. Take off the heat and stir in the sugar and then the soaked gelatine. Strain into a bowl and leave to cool. Very lightly grease the dariole moulds or ramekin dishes with kitchen paper rubbed in a little flavourless oil. Skim off any skin that has formed on the surface of the cream then pour into the moulds. Wrap each mould or dish with clingfilm and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. To turn out the pannacottas dip the base of each mould in hot water for a few seconds then invert the mould onto a dessert plate. Give it a shake and it should pop out easily.

* The amount of gelatine recommended will vary from packet to packet but if you follow the pack instructions use about 10-15% less than the recommended amount. You want your pannacotta to have a distinct wobble!

Irish cheeses

The Irish make the most wonderful cheeses so try and get hold of a selection if you’re serving a cheeseboard (In London Neal’s Yard Dairy is the best source) My personal favourites are Cashel Blue, Durrus and Ardrahan (all strong so don’t expect them to go marvellously with whatever wine you choose. An aged tawny port might be a better option.)

What to drink:

Well, Guinness is the obvious answer with the oysters but if you don’t like Guinness you could serve a Chablis or a Muscadet. You could carry on drinking Guinness through the main course if you’re a real enthusiast but most of your guests I suspect would rather have a red by this stage. I’d pick a fruity Shiraz. I’m not sure the dessert really needs an accompanying drink but if you’re serving fruit with it you could serve a sweet muscat such as Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise. Or, as I suggest in the recipe, an espresso with a drop of Irish whiskey in it!

 

Celebrate the Chinese New Year with this delicious seafood supper

Celebrate the Chinese New Year with this delicious seafood supper

The Chinese New Year, which starts on February 1st, is one of those annual events that really captures the imagination. It is celebrated in such a colourful and joyous way and Chinese food is so delicious, quick and simple to make that I hope you won't be able to resist having a go at it, inauthentic though it absolutely is.

Buy in the dim sum and make the ice cream ahead and all you need make on the night is the stir-fry.

Menu:
A selection of dim sum
Luxury seafood stir fry, steamed pak choi
Stem ginger and almond ice cream, mandarin oranges and fortune cookies

A selection of dim sum

Frankly I think life is too short to make your own dim sum so unless you’re already an expert at rolling miniature spring rolls and making featherlight steamed dumplings I would order them in from your local takeaway or buy them ready made. The exception are these simple sesame prawn toasts which are easier to handle than the classic Chinese deep fried ones and can be prepared ahead and baked at the last minute

Sesame Prawn Toasts

Makes about 30 toasts

350g cooked, peeled prawns

2-3 spring onions, trimmed and finely chopped

1 tsp finely grated fresh ginger or ginger paste

1 tsp finely grated fresh garlic or garlic paste

1 1/2 tsp Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce

2 tsp light soy sauce

1/4 tsp sesame oil

1 medium egg white

1 tbsp ground rice

Salt, pepper and a pinch of caster sugar

About 5 thin slices white bread, preferably 2-3 days old

60-75g sesame seeds

Put the prawns in a food processor or blender along with all the other ingredients except the bread and sesame seeds and whizz until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate for an hour or two for the flavours to amalgamate.

Preheat the oven to 230°C/450°F/Gas 8. Cut the crusts off the bread and toast lightly. Cool then spread each slice thickly with the prawn paste. Cut each slice into six. Put the sesame seeds into a shallow bowl. Press the prawn toasts upper side down lightly into the sesame seeds then lay them on baking trays. Bake for about 5-6 minutes until the toasts are warm and the sesame seeds lightly browned. Cool for 10 minutes then serve.

Luxury seafood stir fry

This recipe may look long and complicated but it’s simply a matter of assembling the ingredients and throwing them together at the last minute in a wok.

Serves 6

400g large prawns, thawed if frozen

200g fresh queen (small) scallops

1 level tbsp cornflour

200g broccoli florets (about two medium heads of broccoli) cut into smaller florets3 tbsp sunflower or light olive oil

4-6 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced

125g shitake mushrooms, wiped and finely sliced

1 large clove of garlic, peeled and crushed

1 knob of ginger about 2.5 cm square, peeled and grated

1/2 tsp Sichuan pepper or crushed chillies (optional)

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

For the sauce

225 ml light vegetable stock made with 1/2 an organic stock cube or 1 rounded tsp vegetable bouillon powder

Sieved juice of 1 large lemon (about 3-4 tbsp)

3-4 tbsp rice wine, sake or fino sherry

1 level tbsp caster sugar

1 level tbsp light soy sauce

1 rounded tsp cornflour

Reserve any liquid from the prawns and scallops. Pat them dry with kitchen towel and put in a large bowl. Sprinkle over the cornflour, season with 1 level tsp of salt and 1/2 tsp white pepper and toss thoroughly then set aside (in the fridge if you’re preparing the dish more than 30 minutes in advance) Microwave or blanch the broccoli in boiling, salted water for 2 minutes. Drain and set aside.

To make the sauce combine the stock in a jug with the lemon juice and 3 tbsp of the rice wine, sake or sherry. Stir in the sugar and the light soy sauce and check seasoning, adding more rice wine or other ingredients to taste. Mix the cornflour with 1 tbsp of water

When you’re ready to cook heat the wok, add 3 tbsp of oil and tip in the spring onions and sliced mushrooms. Stir fry for 2 minutes then add the broccoli, garlic and ginger. Stir fry another minute then season with sichuan pepper or crushed chillies if using. Tip in the seafood, the sauce and any liquid from the prawns and scallops and cook, stirring, until it comes to the boil (about 3 minutes) Add the cornflour and stir till thickened. Take off the heat and check the seasoning adding extra salt or pepper if needed. Serve with plain boiled rice and some steamed pak choi.

Stem ginger and almond ice cream

You can make this luxurious ice cream milder or stronger depending how much ginger you use. I’ve given quantities for 4 as it’ll fit into a standard ice cream machine. Just make the recipe twice to serve 6-8.

Serves 4

4-6 pieces of stem ginger + 3 tbsp of syrup from the jar

150ml Stone’s ginger wine

1 tbsp Cointreau or other orange liqueur + extra to serve

300g carton fresh custard

142ml carton whipping cream

A few drops of almond essence

Fortune cookies and mandarin oranges to serve

Chop the ginger very finely and place in a bowl. Put the syrup in a small saucepan with the ginger wine and Cointreau, bring to the boil and simmer for about 8-10 minutes until the liquid has reduced by about half. Pour over the ginger and cool for 10 minutes.

Transfer the custard into a large bowl and stir in the ginger and syrup. Whip the cream lightly and fold it into the custard, then add a few drops of almond essence to taste. Pour the custard into an ice cream machine and churn until firm, following the manufacturer’s instructions. Or, if you don’t have a machine, pour the mixture into a shallow dish or plastic container and place in the freezer then remove after 1 1/2 hours and whisk with an electric hand whisk. Repeat this freezing and whisking process 2 more times then leave until thoroughly frozen.

Store the frozen ice cream in a sealed plastic box and freeze for 24 hours.Transfer the ice cream to the fridge for 30 minutes before serving to make it easier to scoop. Serve with fortune cookies or another light crisp biscuit and tinned mandarin oranges drained and marinated in 2 tablespoons of Cointreau or another orange liqueur. Do give each person 8 segments - 8 is a sacred number in China and considered to bring luck and prosperity!

What to drink:
There are two ways to go with the wines for this menu - an aromatic white such as Riesling (I would recommend a young dry Riesling from Germany or Alsace), or a fruity Bordeaux rosé which is surprisingly good with Chinese food. I’ve also discovered that a good cold gin and tonic is exceptionally refreshing with fried dim sum such as prawn toasts and spring rolls although you could equally well serve a glass of Champagne or sparkling wine. Finish with a cup of delicate jasmine or chrysanthemum tea.


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