simple food, looking good
24 March 2025
Tomato tartare, cornichon tapenade
20 March 2025
Slow-fried eggs with porcini sauce
Poaching eggs for more than 2 people is tricky, but restaurant Bouchon du Centre has an easy solution: panfry them ever so slowly on a low heat: in 7 minutes or longer. The white gets firm, the yolk stays runny.
But first soak 25g dried porcini in 125 ml hot water, during 15 mins.
In the meantime finely slice 2 shallots finely and softly sweat them in 25g butter for 6 mins, then add 125 ml white wine, turn up the heat and reduce till 40%.
Use a sieve to transfer the sauce into another pan.
Lift the mushrooms from the liquid and add to the sauce, followed by the water (make sure the tiny dregs stay in de bowl). Softly boil for 5 mins.
Add 100ml double cream and thicken with a tsp (or more) corn flour. Season with salt and pepper.
Finally panfry 4 eggs slowly in 20g butter on a low heat: take your time, 7 mins or more
Season with salt and pepper, serve with toast and dill
17 March 2025
Lamb chapli, labneh and fried rice
Mix 25g cornflour with 2 tbs water in a large bowl until smooth.
Add 250g lamb mince, a coarsely gated small carrot, a halved coarsely grated potato, 1/2 red paprika (finely chopped), 1/2 green paprika (finely chopped), 1/4 red chili (finely chopped), 15g fresh coriander (finely chopped, incl stems), 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 small egg (beaten), 1/2 tsp dried mint and 1 tsp ground chili
Season and, using hands, mix well to combine (mixture will be a little sticky). Divide into 6 portions. With oiled hands, roll portions into balls and place on a tray lined with baking paper.. Refrigerate for 1 hour to firm up slightly.
Heat a large frypan with 2cm arachide oil over medium heat to 160°C (a cube of bread will turn golden in 3 minutes when the oil is hot enough). Flatten chapli slightly in the palm of your hand, then shallow-fry, in batches if necessary, turning occasionally, for 6-8 minutes until crispy, golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel and season to taste. Cover with foil and rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Spoon 6 tbs labneh (or thick goat's yoghurt) on 2 plates and top with chapli.
Serve with fried rice, scatter with extra coriander, drizzle with olive oil and serve with lime wedges alongside. Feeds 2
(Here Roya Moeen's original recipe in Delicious magazine)
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
15 March 2025
Lamb and beetroot curry
Heat 1 tbsp vegetal oil in a large cast-iron or heavy-based saucepan over high heat. Cook 20 curry leaves for 1-2 minutes until crisp. Set aside on paper towel.
Season 350g lambs neck, cut into 3-4 cm pieces and cook, in batches, for 10 minutes until well browned all over. Set aside. Discard all but 1 tbs fat from pan.
Add a thinly sliced red onion and reduce heat to medium. Stir well, then cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally at first, but more often as the onion caramelises.
Add 5 crushed garlic cloves, 25g grated ginger, 1 tbsp ground cumin, 1 tbsp ground coriander, 1 tsp ground turmeric and 3 smashed cardamom pods and stir for 1 minute.
Add 200 ml coconut milk and 150ml water and stir until combined, scraping bottom of pan with a spoon.
Return the lamb to pan with any resting juices and season. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for 1 hour 30 minutes.
Add 500g peeled smallish beetroots, cut into wedges and 200g rinsed and drained chickpeas and simmer, covered and stirring occasionally, for a further 1 hour 30 minutes or until lamb and beetroot are tender when tested with a sharp knife.
Stir through 2 tsp garam masala, then check seasoning.
Sprinkle with crispy curry leaves, top with a dollop of Greek yoghurt and serve with warm naan bread to soak up the sauce. Feeds 2.
(Here Lucy Nunes original recipe in Delicious Magazine)
1 March 2025
Salmon, red curry, Thai basil
Slice 1/2 red onion in half rings and softly fry in 1 tbsp olive oil for a couple of minutes, then add 1 heaped tbsp red curry paste, stir well and fry another minute.
Add 200ml coconut milk, 2 lime leaves, 40 ml water and 125g green beans, cover and softly boil 5 mins.
Boil jasmine rice
Add 2 tbsp lime juice, 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tsp palm sugar. Stir, cover and softly boil another 5 mins.
In the meantime panfry 2 salmon filets, 200g each, skin side down for 4 mins, till crisp and golden brown.
Add, skin side UP to the curry sauce, cover and boil another 2 mins.. The inside should still be pink
Remove the lime leaves and stir in 2 tbsp thai basil leaves and 2 tbsp coriander leaves.
Start plating with the rice, then the curry and the fish. Serve with extra leaves on top and some sea cucumber, and lime wedges on the side. Feeds 2.
(Here Lucy Nunes original recipe in Delicious Magazine)
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
17 January 2025
Marinated grilled Romano peppers
Halve 500g Romano peppers (long paprikas) and remove the seeds, Preheat a grill to a high heat and grill the Romano peppers, skin side up for about 10 mins, until the skins are blistered and blackened all over
Crunchy chicken in chipotle ketchup
Mix a marinade with 1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp ketchup, 1 tsp chipotle sauce, 1 tsp tomato paste, a big pinch of onion powder, a big pinch of garlic powder and 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil
Cut 4 chicken thighs in chunks and marinate them for an hour
Panfry the marinated chicken in a bit of olive oil for about 10 mins, then sprinkle 3 tbsp Panko over the meat and mix well, lower the heat and fry for a couple more minutes till the Panko is nicely browned
Serve as shown with spring onions, coriander leaves, potato croquettes and a nice salad with yoghurt dressing. Feeds 2.
(Here Sake Slootweg's original recipe in Dutch)
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
7 January 2025
Crunchy egg and chervil salad
Boil 2 small eggs 4 mins, then cool them under cold water
Whisk 1.2 tsp Dyon mustard and 2 tsp white wine vinegar, then add 2 tbsp olive oil and then 1 tbsp mayonaise. Season with pepper and salt
Make a batter from 50g Tempura flour, a bit of salt and 60-70 ml ice cold fizzy water
Put 50g flour on a plate and 50g Panko on another plate
Heat arachide oil to 180°C
Start plating with the dressing, then add 1/2 minced shallot, a teaspoon capers and chervil
Peel the cold eggs carefully and roll them trough the flour, then cover them with the batter and finally with the Panko, before deep frying them in the hot oil for a minute.
Serve as shown
(A Janneke Philippi recipe from her book Canapé)
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
9 December 2024
Stuffed meaty artichoke hearts with Roquefort and pumpkin seeds
(Click here to see how Molly Watson does it)
She writes: cut off and discard the stem end of the artichoke, cut close to the base so the artichoke can stand up on its own.
Pull off and discard the artichoke leaves, starting with the outer ring and working your way around and in the entire thistle. Most of the leaves will snap off, leaving the meaty bit at their ends still attached to the heart. Don't worry if you end up pulling the whole leaf off.
Keep going. Pull off and discard the artichoke's leaves—as you get to the inner leaves, they are more tender, flexible, and yellow. Grab the tops of the center leaves and pull up to remove them. This will reveal the fuzzy, choke underneath. These leaves are often a bit stiff at the ends and depending on the specific variety, may have lovely purple tips.
Use a spoon to dig in and scrape off the fuzzy (and inedible) choke.
Use a paring knife to cut off and discard any tough, fibrous, dark green parts clinging to the outside of the artichoke heart. Be aggressive. You only want the tender, light flesh of the heart when you're finished.
Now you have a fully trimmed and cleaned artichoke heart. It is ready to cook and eat. To keep the hearts from oxidizing and turning brown rub them first with the other 1/2 lemon, then add them in the pan with lemon water.
Add salt, bring to the boil and cook for 15 mins
Pre-heat the oven to 200°C
Toast 1/2 slice of white bread.
Beat 1/2 egg and add 65g crumbled Roquefort,1/2 tbsp hacked pumpkin seeds, 1/2 tbsp drained and hacked capers, 1 tbsp hacked parsley, 1 small minced clove of garlic and the crumbs of the toasted bread
Once the artichoke hearts are done, drain and dry them and put the in an oiled oven dish
Spoon the stuffing on them and cover with Panko and 1 tbsp olive oil
Put in the hot oven for 15 mins
Serve as shown with chervil leaves
(Here Philippe van den Bulcks orinal recipe in Flemish)
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
17 November 2024
Dorade sashimi on cold risotto
Cover 50g risotto rice with 1 cm water and softly boil for about 15 mins, drain and rinse with cold water.
Reserve in a sieve.
Cut the green from 4 spring onions in 4 cm tubes, cut them open on one side and then cut into matchsticks. Keep in ice water
Mix the rice with 1 tbsp white miso paste and 1 tsp hacked coriander.
Dry the sliced spring onion and mix with a tsp olive oil and lime juice
Use 2 spoons to make two quenelles of the rice, Put 2 slices of dorade on top and 1 tsp caviar
Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and the spring onion salade
(Here Jan Tourniers recipe in Flemish)
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
11 November 2024
Jeruzalem artichoke and potato tartare on Delice de Bourgogne crème
Blend during 7 mins 15g leaf celery with 2 tbsp water, 100 ml extra virgine olive oil and 1 tsp salt, pour through a fine sieve and keep the green oil in the fridge
Peel 75g waxy potatoes and cut into 5mm cubes, boil them in salted water for 4 mins and cool
Do the same with 75g Jeruzalem artichokes, panfry them softly in 2 tbsp olive oil for about 8 mins, nice browned on all sides. Set aside to cool.
Spoon 75g Delice de Bourgogne cheese (without the rind), 2 tbsp water and 60g sour cream in the food chopper of your stick blender to make a smooth cream, season with black pepper.
Take the leaves from some sprigs of parsley, chervil, tarragon, mint and dill and mix them with 1/2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp white wine vinegar and a pinch of salt
Peel a Granny Smith and cut 75g in 5 mm cubes
Mix the apple, potato and Jeruzalem artichoke cubes with 1,5 tbsp of the celery oil, season with salt and pepper.
Spoon the cheese cream in 2 coupes, add the tartare and finish with the herb salad and a thin cracker. Feeds 2.
(Recipe by Merijn Tol for Delicious Magazine)
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
4 November 2024
Juicy tiger prawns, crispy kohlrabi and dill mayo
Blend 7g dill, the juice of 1/4 lime and 1 tbsp water. Add an egg yolk and use the mixer to start a mayonaise, slowly adding about 75 ml grapeseed oil.
Whipped goat's cheese, blackberries, pancetta on sourdough toast
Use the blender to turn 25g blackberries, 1,5 tbsp mascarpone, 60g soft goat's cheese, 25g grated Parmesan into a smooth créme. Season with 1/2 tsp peperoncino (or chili flakes) and some salt
Keep in de fridge for 30 mins
Halve another 25g blackberries and marinate 10 mins in 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, do the same with 1/3 celery stick, thinly sliced
Panfry 2 slices of pancetta in a dry pan till golden and crispy, drain on kitchen paper
Deepfry 4 sage leaves crispy in oil, drain and sprinkle some salt on them
Use a serving ring to cut 2 6 cm circles from a thick slice of sourdough bread, butter them and then panfry on both sides.
Cool the toasted bread then cover them thickly with the cheesecrème
Put the blackberries, celery, pancetta and sage on top
(Recipe by Merijn Tol for Delicious Magazine)
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
28 October 2024
Beetroot and potato rösti, smoked wild salmon and horseradish cream
Peel and roughly grate 200g Nicola potatoes and 1 big cooked red beetroot, add 1 finely hacked garlic, 1 tbsp flour and 1 beaten egg. Mix well and season with pepper and salt
Divide in two heaps and flatten. Melt 20g butter and pour over the cookies. Put in the fridge for at least one hour.
In the meantime mix 50g mascarpone, 1 tbsp mayo, 1 tsp Dyon mustard, the juice of 1/4 lime and 1 tbsp horseradish cream, season with salt and pepper. If you have one, grate some fresh horseradish into the mix.
Panfry the cookies in 3 tbsp olive oil, 3-4 mins per side, until browned and crispy.
Serve with slices of smoked wild salmon
Finish with lime wedges and dill
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
16 October 2024
Lamb chops, sea aster, corn
Panfry 4 lamb chops in a little butter, 2 mins per side. In the meantime wok a handful of sea aster in a little olive oil
Serve as shown with some corn from a tin
Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle
6 October 2024
Carne crude with anchovies and lemon zest
Slice 200g fillet of beef in 4x4 mm cubes. Roughly hack 50g hazelnuts and toast them in 1 tbsp olive oil. Drain and finely hack 4 anchovies.
Mix the meat with 2/3 of the hazelnuts, 2 tbsp good olive oil, the anchovies and the zest of 1/2 lemon. Taste and season with salt and pepper
Serve as shown with watercress, finish with olive oil, fresh pepper, the last of the hazelnuts and more lemon zest.
23 August 2024
Nori “Fish Finger” Tacos with Tartar Sauce
11 August 2024
Red snapper with ginger and coconut curry
Heat oven to 70°C
Season 2 red snapper (or red sea bass) filets generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high. When the oil is hot, add the fish and cook until browned on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the fish to a baking sheet and place in the oven to keep warm while you prepare the rest of the dish.
Add 2 teaspoons oil to the skillet. Add a julliened spring onion and cook, stirring frequently, until lightly browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp minced ginger and 1 tsp dried turmeric and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute. Add a julliened carrot, 80g halved snow peas and 80g green peas and cook, stirring occasionally, until crisp-tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add a tin of coconut milk to a saucepan and 1 tablespoon red curry paste, bring to a simmer over medium, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until liquid is reduced by about one-third, about 6 minutes. Whisk in more curry paste according to taste, if desired.
Divide the sauce among 2 shallow bowls. then the vegetables and the fish, garnish with coriander (and as I had some left over courgette flowers I added them as well) and serve.(Here Patrick Jamon's original recipe)
21 July 2024
Iwashi Mirin Boshi (grilled sardines)
Start with a marinade: bring 50 ml soy sauce, 15 ml mirin, 1 tbsp sake, 2 tbsp caster sugar and 1/2 tsp salt to the boil, then take from the fire
Mix 25g potato starch with 50ml water, mix with the soy sauce, but... by bit and stirring well
Remove the heads from 4 sardines, slice the belly side open, remove the innards, put them skin side down, flatten and remove the spine but leave the tail
Marinade in the soy mix for at least 3 hrs.
Preheat the oven at 230°C
Pat the sardines dry with kitchen paper, put on parchment paper in een oven dish and put in the hot oven for 3-5 mins.
Sprinkle with furikake, serve with sea aster and lemon
Feeds 4
(Recipe by Hokkai Kitchen)
16 July 2024
Spiced beef with aubergine
Preheat oven to 220°C.
Line a baking tray with baking paper. Deeply score cut sides of 2 small aubergines, halved lengthwise, in a 1.5cm cross-hatch pattern. Place cut-side up on tray. Brush with 1 tbs oil, season and roast for 25-30 minutes until browned and tender.
Heat 2 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add 250g minced beef and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, for 7-8 minutes until browned.Mix 100g Greek yoghurt, 1,5 tsp sumac and the juice of 1/4 lemon in a bowl. Season.