Author Archives for Cindy Duffield

Provençal Marinade (for barbecued lamb)

BBQ Provencal Lamb Marinade w

We use this marinade for lamb neck and it transforms a fairly uninspiring cut of meat into something that is absolutely luscious

What you need…

2 sprigs of thyme

2 sprigs of rosemary

2 bay leaves

4 garlic cloves, chopped

10 whole black peppercorns

150ml olive oil

50ml red wine vinegar

2 cuts of lamb neck

What to do…

Put all the ingredients except the vinegar and lamb into a small saucepan and over a moderate heat. Cook until the olive oil just comes to a simmer and than remove from the heat.

Add the vinegar and allow to cool.

Place the lamb neck into a shallow dish and pour over the marinade. Cover and pop in the fridge for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight. – barbie-ready!

Inspired by…

Rachel Allen

How easy…

I don’t need to answer that – very little effort for a great deal of taste!

Mango and Passion Fruit ‘No-Churn’ Ice Cream with Rum

Mango & Passionfruit Ice Cream with Rum w

Wow-oh-wow! What a fabulous naughty ice cream for a sizzling summer’s day: cooling mango and oh so fresh passion fruit combined with a soft creaminess and then a lovely little kick of rum at the end. It tastes like a cocktail and immediately transports you to the beach. Incredibly easy – stock the freezer up now!

What you need…

4 passion fruit

300g mango, roughly chopped

300g double cream

½ a 397g can of condensed milk (use the other half to make a different flavour ice cream – I have blogged lots of recipes)

40ml dark rum

What to do…

Start by halving the passion fruit and scooping out the juice and flesh into a sieve over your blender. Use a spoon to push through as much of the juice as you can. Discard the remaining pips. Chuck in the mango and whizz to purée the whole lot together.

In a large bowl, use an electric handheld whisk to beat the cream into soft peaks. Pour in the condensed milk, fruit purée and rum and use a balloon whisk to gently fold everything together so the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Pour into a plastic container and whop into your freezer for 6 hours/overnight.

About 15 minutes before you want to dive into it, remove your delectable ice cream from the freezer to soften up. Serve in pretty bowls on a fabulous summer day or just dive right in with a spoon and refuse to share!

Inspired by…

Sometimes, I just wake up with these weird ideas and I had a glut of passion fruit in the fridge…

How easy…

Stupendously!

Double Chocolate Vanilla Ring Cake

Double Choc Vanilla Ring Cake w

Definitely a celebration cake this one (you can just celebrate the dawn of a new baking day). Rich and brownie-like in texture, albeit a little lighter, very moreish, and undoubtedly naughty with the sweet foil that is the oh-so-chocolatey frosting. If you love chocolate, you’ll adore this!

What you need…

1 x 20cm savarin/bundt cake mould, liberally buttered

150g unsalted butter, chunked

150g dark chocolate (70% cocoa solids) chunked

125ml full fat milk

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

25g dark muscavado sugar

3 large, happy eggs

150g full fat Greek yogurt

200g plain flour

40g cocoa, sifted

1 rounded teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

150g golden caster sugar

for the frosting

200g milk chocolate (70% cocoa), chunked

40g unsalted butter, chunked

60g cocoa, sifted

120ml full fat milk

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

White chocolate shavings, to decorate

What to do…

First, to the cake: preheat your oven to 190˚c / 375˚f / gas 5.

Into a large, heatproof bowl, tip the butter, dark chocolate, milk, vanilla bean paste and muscavado sugar. Set over a pan of gentling simmering water and stir together to create a thin ‘cream’. Remove from the heat, add the eggs and yogurt and use a handheld electric whisk to beat together the ingredients.

In another large bowl, use a metal spoon to mix together the flour, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and golden caster sugar. Pour over the melted chocolate mixture and use a sturdy balloon whisk to mix together all the ingredients gently.

Pour this gooey loveliness into your savarin mould and pop into your oven to bake for 30-40 minutes or until set and an inserted skewer comes out clean.

Allow cake to cool completely in its tin before inverting it onto a serving plate.

To the frosting: in a large bowl, melt the chocolate and butter over a pan of gentling simmering water until smooth. Add the cocoa, milk, maple syrup and vanilla bean paste and use a balloon whisk to beat together to create a thick, glossy, gloopy frosting.

Generously trickle the frosting over the top of the cake – now is not a time for precision or neatness – let it dribble down the sides and keep going with the trickling and dribbling, until it’s all gone and looks as naughty as it tastes. Sprinkle over white chocolate shavings (created by grating the edge of a good quality white chocolate bar with a vegetable peeler).

Pop into an airtight container ready to serve a few hours later when the frosting is still gooey and soft – absolutely and decadently delicious.

Tip…

I made the sponge cake the day before I needed it, leaving it overnight in its mould in an airtight cake tin, so all I needed to do on the day of indulgence was the frosting – the cake remained moist and fresh and to make it was very relaxing.

Inspired by…

The Mail on Sunday’s ‘You’ magazine

How easy…

Very easy, especially if you split the cake making from the decorating (see tip)

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Strawberries for Breakfast

Summer Strawberries for Breakfast w

What better way to start the day? Pull up a chair in a sunny patio spot, admire the blue skies, the warmth of the sun and the birds singing – I kid you not: absolute bliss! Add to this perfect list of ingredients some sweet English strawberries and a really good espresso….and relax…

What you need…

All of the above or a similar delightful setting

A slice or two of sourdough bread, toasted

A goodly portion of ricotta

A handful of sweet, ripe strawberries, sliced (and English if possible)

A drizzle of maple syrup

A sprig of mint, to garnish (optional)

What to do…

Load your sourdough toast with as much ricotta as you fancy. Top with as many strawberries slices as you like and then drizzle with maple syrup. Serve with really good espresso in the garden! Absolutely delicious.

Inspired by…

I had something similar in a fab cafe in Portsmouth last summer and this is my take on it – it just tastes like you think an English summer breakfast should!

How easy…

Do I need to specify that…?

 

Cheat’s Mango and Passion Fruit Soufflé

Cheat's Mango & Passion Fruit Souffle w

Heavenly, light and fluffy, tangy and bursting with sunshine, this generally rather gorgeous soufflé also has the added benefit of being ridiculously quick and easy to make: literally less than 30 minutes from gathering the ingredients together to inserting the spoon into its light lusciousness!

Serves 4

What you need…

4 ramekin dishes, liberally buttered

20g caster sugar, plus extra for sugar-coating

100ml ready-made custard

75ml mango purée (I used fresh but you could used tinned)

3 ripe passion fruit

4 large, happy egg whites

Icing sugar, sifted, for dusting

What to do…

Preheat your oven to 200˚c / 400˚f / gas 6.

Shake roughly half a tablespoon of caster sugar into a ramekin dish and rotate the dish around so that all of the insides are coated evenly. Tap out the excess sugar into the next ramekin and repeat the process, adding more sugar if necessary – repeat until all four dishes are sugar-coated inside.

Tip the custard and mango into your blender. Scoop out the seeds and juice from the passion fruit and tip them in as well. Whizz until combined and then push through a sieve.

In a large, clean bowl, beat the egg whites with a handheld electric whisk until stiff. Gradually, add in the 20g caster sugar, whilst still whisking to create a smooth, glossy meringue.

Pour in the sieved passion fruit and mango custard and use a balloon whisk to gently and evenly fold the mixture into the meringue.

Divide the mixture between the ramekin dishes and use a palette knife to level off the surface of each soufflé. Run your finger around the edge of each tone to lift the mixture away from the side slightly.

Pop in your oven and bake for 12-15 minutes until the soufflés have risen spectacularly. Dust with icing sugar and devour – light, heavenly and full of sunshine!

Inspired by…

Paul Hollywood, as published in The Mail’s ‘Weekend’.

How easy…

Really quick and easy. Will definitely be doing these again!

 

 

Mini Rum Yum Babas

rum baba w

Wow! Wow! Wow! I am soooooo pleased I found this recipe! Individual, little gorgeous very grown up cakes that, whilst saturated in a rum-infused syrup, are so light, that you could very easily devour at least two, perhaps three, in one sitting: so tempting are they!

I’ve wanted to make rum babas for as long as I can remember but was put off by the apparent complexity and time involved in their creation. I read this alternative to the traditional recipe and my first thought was ‘well, I can’t see how that will work’ but I gave it a go anyway – ridiculously quick and easy as well as spectacularly gorgeous, these little retro lovelies will be gracing our dinner party tables until all of our friends have indulged in them! Welcome back from the 1970s, a thoroughly modern version of the fabulous rum baba!

Makes 8

What you need…

1 x 12-Cavity Mini Fluted Non-Stick Pan (I bought one from Amazon for £15 – I can make all sorts of lovely treats in it).

110g icing sugar, sifted

40g ground almonds

100g egg whites (from 2 – 3 large, happy eggs)

2 teaspoons maple syrup

60g unsalted butter, melted and then cooled but still soft

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

50g flour, sifted

½ teaspoon baking powder

for the rum syrup

300ml hot water from the kettle

300g caster sugar

100 – 150ml Caribbean dark rum

for the glaze

1 rounded dessertspoon apricot jam

2 tablespoons water

What to do…

The evening before you want to indulge in your babas, use an electric handheld whisk to combine the icing sugar and ground almonds in a large bowl. Tip in the egg whites and whisk to blend, then add the maple syrup, butter and vanilla extract, still whisking. Finally, add the flour and baking powder, whisking to combine. Cover with cling film and pop into your fridge and leave overnight.

Perhaps now is a good time to make the rum syrup: tip the caster sugar into a jug and top up with the water from the kettle. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Set aside to cool. Pour in 100ml rum, taste and then add more rum until it tastes just the way you like it (150ml for me!). Set aside.

The following morning, preheat your oven to 200˚c / 400˚f / gas 6.

Liberally butter 8 of the baba moulds and then dust with flour, tipping them upside down to get rid of the excess.

Spoon the baba mixture into the prepared moulds, filling them to just over half way. Pop into your oven for 12-14 minutes until golden and firm.

Leave in their moulds for 5 minutes, then use the tip of a knife to tease them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

Place your babas into a shallow dish and then use a cocktail stick to prick them all over. Pour the syrup all over them and leave them to soak for 40 minutes, occasionally using a spoon to baste them with the syrup – it will mainly soak into the babas, leaving only a little in the bottom of the dish.

Make the glaze by putting the jam and water into a small saucepan and gently heating, stirring to combine. Brush the glaze all over the babas.

Transfer them to serving places and share them to delighted friends and family (but NOT their children!) with sweetened, whisked double cream and fruit of your choice. Be ready to offer seconds!

Inspired by…

The ‘sponge’ recipe was in the Mail on Sunday’s ‘You’ magazine and the syrup and glaze were taken from a 1970’s classic: Supercook!

How easy…

Really easy and quick and they taste spectacular!

Thai Inspired Cod and Prawns in Coconut Milk

cod in coconut w

So simple, so wonderfully and aromatically flavoursome and so very fast with practically no prep either. What’s not to like for a fabulous mid-week supper?!!!

 Serves 4

 What you need…

 A splash of rapeseed oil

1 onion, chopped

6 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tablespoon ginger, chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced

1 stick lemon grass, bruised (bashed!), trimmed and finely sliced

4 kaffir lime leaves

½ teaspoon turmeric

400g can coconut milk

4 fillets of cod, chunked (pollack and hake work equally well)

225g raw, peeled prawns

1 teaspoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Sea salt and black pepper

A good handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped (to garnish)

What to do…

Heat the oil and sauté the onion for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic, ginger, chilli, lemon grass, kaffir lime leaves and turmeric. Stir-fry for a further 2 minutes.

Tip in the coconut milk and gently add the fish fillets, simmering for 7-8 minutes, until the cod is just cooked through.

To finish, tip in the prawns, stir through the fish sauce, lemon juice and then season with salt and pepper. As soon as the prawns turn pink, remove the lime leaves and then gaily and abundantly garnish your dish with fresh coriander before serving with steamed or boiled rice – absolutely delightful!

Inspired by…

Jane Plant

How easy…

So easy, so fast and so very lovely.

 

 

Nasi Goreng

Nasi Goreng w

An Indonesian dish that translated, literally and rather humbly merely means ‘fried rice’. But it’s soooo much more than that! Wonderfully aromatic with a lovely eclectic fusion of different textures and gently spicy flavours that wake up your taste buds and leave them zinging! A great brunch if you want to kick start your weekend or an equally lovely supper offering. I suspect that it also might be quite healthy – just a little bonus!

Serves 4

What you need…

A splash of rapeseed oil

6 shallots, finely sliced

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 teaspoon shrimp paste

2 teaspoons tamarind paste

½ – 1 teaspoon crushed dried chillies (depending on how much heat you like)

1 thumb of root ginger, peeled and finely grated

1 lemongrass stalk, trimmed, bashed and finely sliced

2 large carrots, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks

150g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and finely sliced

2 tablespoons kecap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce) or 2 tablespoons soy sauce plus 2 teaspoons soft brown sugar

900g basmati rice, cooked

6 spring onions, finely sliced

A large handful of coriander, roughly chopped

4 large, happy eggs

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

½ cucumber, sliced into batons

What to do….

Heat the oil over a moderate heat in a large saucepan, tip in the shallots and sauté for 15 minutes, stirring every now and then, until golden. Use a slotted spoon to remove from the pan and tip onto kitchen paper to cool and crisp up. Set aside.

Return the pan to the heat and add the garlic, shrimp paste, tamarind paste, crushed chillies, ginger and lemon grass and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the carrots and mushrooms and sauté for a further couple of minutes to soften.

Add the kecap manis/soy and sugar and stir in the rice until heated through. Chuck in the spring onions and coriander and stir through.

In a large frying pan over a hot heat, warm another splash of rapeseed oil and fry the eggs until just set (or in my case, get favourite son, Connagh, to fry the eggs whilst I finish off the main dish).

Season with salt and pepper and stir in the cucumber batons.

Serve this gorgeous rice dish in warmed bowls, topping the Nasi Goreng firstly with the crispy shallots and then a freshly fried egg – delicious!

How easy…

It’s not difficult at all but there’s a lot of prep here so my advice is to chop and slice everything in advance, set aside and then go and have a glass of wine – the actual cooking takes no time at all.

Inspired by…

Victoria Glass

 

 

 

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