Tamarind and Miso Onglet Steak

Onglet steak is an inexpensive cut that is full of flavour. In France this is a classic bistro and brasserie steak. In this country, we tend not to use it as a steak cut; sadly, it goes into the stewing and mincing bin, along with other similarly tasty cuts of beef. It is, however, slowly starting to gain recognition over here and some gastro-pubs are using it as their steak of choice.

In the US it is referred to as a hanger steak because it hangs from the diaphragm, which comprises the skirt - a cut we are vaguely familiar with but which we often stew. If butchers got a bit more clever with their knives they would break down some of these muscles like they do in France and sell them as prime cuts instead of stewing steak.

Because you get only about 4-6 onglet steaks per animal it may not be commercially viable, but it's worth it because it has such a unique flavour, being next to the kidney on the beast.

If you have a good butcher, he'll know what you are talking about because this cut is sometimes referred to as butcher's steak - the butcher would traditionally keep it for his family as a bit of a treat. You could ask him for a bavette or flank steak which has similar eating qualities, but they need to be trimmed of all muscles and sinew.

Try it with Asian flavours in this delicious recipe.

Ingredients:
For the den miso:
100ml sake
100ml mirin
600g white miso
300g caster sugar

For the steak:
125g tamarind paste
75ml den miso (see recipe above)
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
5ml chopped fresh thyme
6 x 150-175g onglet steaks, trimmed
50ml olive oil

For the watercress salad:
15ml pomegranate molasses
30ml cider vinegar
75ml extra virgin olive oil
2 bunches watercress

Method:
For the den miso, place all the ingredients into a saucepan and whisk over a medium heat until the sugar and miso have dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

For the steak, mix the tamarind paste, den miso, garlic and thyme in a bowl until well combined. Add the steaks, make sure they are well coated in the marinade and set aside to marinate for at least three hours, preferably overnight.

Heat a griddle or a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat until hot but not smoking - if the pan is too hot, the outside of the meat will burn before it has cooked enough.

Brush the steaks with the oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook for 2-4 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.

Transfer the steaks from the pan to a rack, cover with foil and set aside to rest in a warm place for up to 10 minutes - this helps the meat to ‘relax’ and maximises taste and tenderness.

For the watercress salad, whisk the pomegranate molasses, vinegar and olive oil together in a bowl until well combined, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Coat the watercress with the dressing.

To serve, place the steak onto serving plates with the watercress alongside.

Orange and Almond Cake

This orange cake is deliciously moist.

Serve it with a dollop of lightly whipped double cream for tasty dessert.

Ingredients:
2 oranges
225g caster sugar
6 eggs, separated
250g ground almonds
50ml flaked almonds

Method:
Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease a 9in springform cake tin.

Simmer the orange in a saucepan of simmering water for 45-60 minutes, or until very soft. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the oranges to cool in the water.

Drain the oranges and roughly chop, discarding the pips. Blend to a purée in a food processor.

Whisk half the sugar and the egg yolks in a bowl until thick and pale. Whisk the puréed orange into the mixture and then mix in the ground almonds.

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl until soft peaks form when the whisk is removed. Whisk in the remaining sugar and continue to whisk until the mixture is thick and glossy.

Fold the egg whites into the orange mixture until just combined.

Spoon the mixture into the cake tin and sprinkle over the flaked almonds.

Bake in the oven for 25 minutes, then cover loosely with aluminium foil and bake for a further 25-35 minutes, until cooked through or a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.

Pumpkin Soup

This velvety pumpkin soup recipe is great for Halloween -

It’s served with a splash of sherry in a hollowed-out pumpkin.

Ingredients:
1 x 4kg pumpkin
125g butter
2 medium onions, peeled, finely chopped
1 cinnamon stick
freshly grated butmeg
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1.7 litres chicken stock
50ml sherry

Method:

Cut the top off the pumpkin and set aside. Scoop out the seeds and fibres from the middle and discard.

Using a sharp knife and a spoon, carefully hollow out the pumpkin, removing the flesh and setting aside. It is imperative that you do not cut right up to the inside of the skin or pierce it.

Leave 1inch of flesh all around the inside.

Roughly chop the scooped-out pumpkin flesh.

Melt the butter in a large pan with a lid over a low heat and add the onions. Cook the onions gently for 10-15 minutes, until they are softened and golden-brown.

Add the pumpkin flesh, the cinnamon and nutmeg, and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Increase the heat to medium and cover with the lid. Cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent the base from burning, until the pumpkin is cooked through.

Add the stock and bring to the boil. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly. Transfer the soup to a food processor in batches and blend until smooth.

Return the soup to the pan and bring to a low simmer and cook for a further half an hour.

Forty-five minutes before eating, preheat the oven to 170C.

Pour the soup into the hollow pumpkin shell, add the sherry and stir to combine.

Place the reserved pumpkin 'lid' onto the pumpkin and place onto a large baking tray. Cook in

the oven for about 45 minutes, to bring the soup up to temperature.
To serve, carefully remove from the oven and serve the soup in the pumpkin at the table. Ladle into bowls and serve.

Blueberry Bakewell Tarts

These delightful little tarts are a treat with a cup of tea or coffee, or even for a dessert after a delicious meal.

Ingredients:
For the blueberry jam:
125g fresh or frozen blueberries
15ml caster sugar
A squeeze of lemon juice

For the pastry:
200g plain flour
100g butter, chilled and cubed
40g icing sugar, sifted
1 large egg, beaten

For the frangipane:
55g butter, softened
55g caster sugar
1 large egg, beaten
40g ground almonds
15g plain flour

To decorate:
50g icing sugar, sifted
Fresh blueberries

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C.

In a small saucepan, combine the ingredients for the jam and heat gently until the berries start to burst. Cook for a few minutes until the mixture is very thick and has lost its watery appearance. Press through a sieve to remove the skins. Allow to cool completely.

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a bowl and rub in the butter until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Stir in the sugar. Using a palette knife cut in the egg, press the dough all together to form a ball, wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes.

Roll out the pastry between a sheet of greaseproof paper and the cling film to 3mm thickness. Use a 5cm round cutter to cut out 12 discs. Use the rounds to line the base of a greased 12-hole, non-stick muffin tray. Cut 12 strips 1cm wide and 20cm long from the remaining pastry. Use these to line the sides of the muffin tray, carefully pressing the pastry together at the seams to seal. Chill for 15 minutes.

Place the ingredients for the frangipane in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and thoroughly combined. Prick the bases of the pastry cases with a fork. Divide the cooled jam among them, placing half a teaspoon in each. Top with the frangipane.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the frangipane is risen and golden. Cool in the tray for a few minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.

Mix in the icing sugar with a little water to form a runny paste and use to decorate the tarts. Top with blueberries.

Coffee and Walnut Cake

This English teatime cake is found in every museum and gallery café for good reason.

It is a wonderful pick-me-up in the afternoon.

Ingredients:
For the cake:
200g walnuts halves
200g butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g caster sugar
4 eggs
50ml coffee granules, dissolved in 30ml boiling water
200g self-raising flour

For the icing:
600g full-fat cream cheese
100g light brown sugar
Icing sugar for dusting

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C. Butter a 20cm spring-form or loose bottomed cake tin, about 7cm deep, and line the bottom with baking paper.
Spread the walnuts out on a baking tray and place in the oven to very gently toast for about 7 minutes. They need to be just turning golden. Remove the tray from the oven and allow the nuts to cool. Roughly crush half of the walnuts with the side of a large knife and set aside. Reserve the remaining nuts for decoration.
In a bowl, cream together the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in the coffee. Fold in the flour and the crushed walnuts. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake in the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the cake is springy to the touch and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove the cake from the oven. Allow it to cool in the tin for 10 minutes. Run a knife along the inside edge of the tin and turn the cake out onto a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely –could take up to 2 hours – before icing it. In the meantime make the icing.
In a bowl, beat the cream cheese with the light brown sugar until creamy. Place the cooled cake on a serving plate or stand. Spread the mixture over the cake and cover with the reserved walnuts. Dust with icing sugar.
This cake will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.

Beef and Onion Suet Pudding

This slow-cooked pie with a suet pastry crust is comfort food heaven. Suet pastry is an old family favourite and the first pastry I learned to make. It’s as easy as pie! This pastry is typically English and can be used for savoury and sweet dishes; for the latter you might want to add about 60-100g caster sugar to use for puddings.

Ingredients:
For the filling:
750g stewing beef , diced
50ml plain flour
salt and freshly ground black pepper
60ml olive oil
150g whole baby onions, peeled
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
150ml beer
300ml beef stock

For the suet pastry:
500g self-raising flour
250g beef suet
325ml water
Pinch salt

For the cabbage:
50g butter
1 conical cabbage, core removed, shredded
50ml chopped fresh flatleaf parsley

Method:
For the filling, preheat the oven to 150C.

Mix the beef, flour and seasoning together in a bowl.

Heat some of the olive oil in a large flameproof casserole until hot. Shake the excess flour from the beef and fry, in batches, for 4-5 minutes, or until browned all over. Remove the beef and set aside.

Add the remaining olive oil and onions to the pan and fry for 3-5 minutes, or until softened and just coloured.

Return the beef to the casserole and add the garlic and beer. Continue to cook until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half then add the beef stock and bring to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 2 hours.

Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside to cool completely.

For the suet pastry, mix the self-raising flour, suet, water and salt in a bowl to form a soft dough. Do not overwork the pastry.

Roll out three-quarters of the pastry to a 1cm/½in thickness and use it to line a 1.2 litre pudding basin. Fill with the cold cooked beef filling and moisten the pastry around the rim of the basin with water.

Roll the remaining dough to a 1cm thickness and place over the top of the basin. Pinch the edges firmly together and trim off any excess.

Cover with a double layer of greaseproof paper and a single sheet of aluminium foil. Tie around the top edge with string.

Steam the pudding for 1½ hours in a steamer, or on an upturned plate in a covered saucepan half-filled with water.

For the cabbage, heat a frying pan until hot, add the butter, cabbage and 50ml water and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just tender. Stir in the parsley, salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Serve the pudding in slices with the cabbage alongside.

Red-Braised Pork Ribs with Sticky Rice

These spicy, sticky ribs are tender and wickedly moreish.

You could use pork ribs, lamb ribs or beef flat ribs.

Ingredients:
For the red braised ribs:
1.5kg pork ribs

250m water
125m shaoxing rice wine
5ml salt
60ml dark soy sauce
3 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
4 garlic cloves, crushed
5 large slices of fresh ginger
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
pinch chilli flakes
2 pieces dried tangerine or lemon peel
100g Demerara sugar

For the rice:
400g glutinous rice, soaked overnight in 1.litres pints water

For the sweet shallots and peanuts:
60ml vegetable oil
2 banana shallots, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, finely sliced
2 large red chillies, finely sliced
15ml caster sugar
2 spring onions , finely sliced
50ml crushed peanuts


Method:

Preheat the oven to 180C.

Cut the ribs into 2-3 pieces and place in a large, flameproof roasting tray.

Mix the remaining ingredients until well combined and pour over the ribs.

Place the tray over a medium heat and bring to the boil. Cover tightly with foil and place in the oven for 2 hours. Turn the ribs in their cooking liquor every 20 minutes.

Increase the oven temperature to 220C. Continue basting the ribs every 5-10 minutes or so, or until the sauce is well reduced.

Drain the rice, line the steamer with clean damp cheesecloth, spread the rice on the cheesecloth and cover lightly. Cook in the steamer for 15 minutes, or until tender.

Meanwhile heat the oil in a large heavy fry pan, add the shallots, garlic and a pinch of salt. Cook for 4-5 minutes, or until golden-brown. Add the chillies and the sugar and continue cooking until lightly caramelised.

Stir in the spring onions and drain through a sieve. Finally stir in the crushed peanuts.
Allow the ribs to cool slightly then serve with rice and the sweet shallots and peanuts.

Curried Three Bean Salad

Ingredients:30ml olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 red medium chilli, finely chopped
5ml curry powder
1 tin (410g) chopped green beans
1 tin (410g) butter beans, drained
1 tin (410g) baked beans with tomato sauce
15ml tomato paste
150g natural yoghurt
Spring onions chopped to garnish

Method:Sweat the garlic, shallot, and red chilli in the olive oil over a medium heat until the onion is translucent. Add the curry powder and mix into the vegetables. Add the green beans, butter beans and baked beans and fry for 4-5 minutes. Add the tomato paste and yoghurt and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring from time to time. Allow to cool, place in a salad dish and garnish with chopped spring onions.

October Fruit and Vegetables

The days are growing shorter, autumn winds are blowing and the harvest is being brought in from the orchards and fields. October is sometimes thought of as the ugly sister of September, but the reputation is not deserved. Summer, when orchard and vine are exploding with juicy, sun filled abundance, may be passed, but the warm months have helped breed new things for autumnal abundance, some being uniquely enjoyable. This year the apple trees are especially heavy laden with succulent fruit, ready to be made into jams, preservers and beverages. Wild mushrooms are abundant and squash and pumpkins are ready early for Halloween.

Americans think of pumpkin as something you put in a pie and serve at Thanksgiving. Europeans know it primarily as a savoury ingredient. In this case, the old world and the new both have it right. Pumpkin is delicious in sweet pies, but it can be put to good use in all manner of savour dishes as well. The simplest is to cut the pumpkin into pieces, removing the seeds and strings from the central cavity and steaming or baking the pieces for serving with a little butter as a vegetable. Some care needs to be taken with cooked pumpkin as it becomes fragile when cooked because of the high water content. This may be acceptable if the flesh is to be drained of excess water and served mashed. One of the nicest ways of preparing this vegetable is to roast it in pieces at low temperature for an extended time, which cooks them and simultaneously evaporates much of the water.

Some vegetables from summer are still available, especially in the early part of the month: beans, courgettes, peppers and aubergines from Europe, and beetroot, sweetcorn, sweet potatoes, celery, carrots and marrows are available in abundance.

Root vegetables are now coming into their prime. Look for parsnips, celeriac, Swedes and turnips this month to use in soups and stews as we progress into colder weather. There should also be a good selection of onions available in October. If you like to make pickled onions, now is the time to make them.

The last, but not the least, of the vegetables to be considered for consumption in October are spinach, chard and cabbages. These seem to come into their own as the days become shorter and the nights grow colder. Red cabbage is especially good when cooked with onions, pears or quinces.

Most of the berries of summer are now gone, but other fruit make up for their depletion. The apple season is in full swing, and with them come delicious pears and damsons, perfect for preserves and puddings. Autumn is also the season for nuts, with fresh walnuts being the first to be seen. They are never better than at this time of year, before the flesh has lost its moist, delicate freshness.

Figs are another October highlight, picked from the tree when fully ripe, they offer their incomparable sweet flavour for a short time before they become too soft. They are perfect torn open and savoured raw, but are also delicious baked with honey and feta cheese.

Quinces are another top choice for October, especially for jam and jelly making. Pomegranates, coming from the Mediterranean, are also abundant now. They may be one of the hardest fruit to eat, but the succulent pits are delicious in both savoury and sweet salads.