Open ravioli, pulled neck of lamb, artichoke, bagna cauda jus

Cut 200g neck of lamb into 2 cm cubes, then dust them with 1/4 tbsp vadouvan and flour, season with salt and pepper, then panfry them in 30g butter till nicely browned on all sides. Take out and reserve

Cut 1/4 winter carrot into mini cubes and sweat them with a minced clove of garlic, 1 finely chopped shallot and 1/2 tbsp tomato paste in the same butter, for 2 mins

Then deglaze with 100 ml brandy

Return the meat to the pan, then add 125 ml white wine and 125 ml lamb stock, add a leaf of laurel, bring to the boil, put on a lid and softly stew for 2 hrs

Cool before taking the meat from the sauce and pulling it apart. Hack 2 cooked artichoke bottoms and mix them with the meat, 4 tbsp of the sauce, 7g finely hacked parsley and finely hacked peel of 1/4 preserved lemon 

Taste, eventually add salt and pepper, plus sauce if you think its too dry

Now for the bagna cauda jus panfry 1/2 minced red onion, the zest of a lemon and the leaves of 5 sprigs of thyme in 25g butter for about 3 mins

Deglaze with 25ml white wine, 50 ml lamb or beefstock and the juice of 1/2 lemon

Add 6 anchovies and let them melt before adding 1/2 tbsp Dyon mustard

Keep stirring whilst adding, bit by bit, 50ml double cream and 1/2 tsp sugar.

Finally on a low heat, prevent boiling, whisk in 75g cubed cold butter 

Halve 4 sheets of fresh lasagna and cook them in boiling water for 4-5 mins or until soft 

Mix a handful of parsley, coriander, chervil, mint and dill with the zest of 1/2 lemon, 2 tbsp olive oil and 1/2 tsp toasted cumin seeds

Start plating with the bagna cauda.

Then a lasagna sheet, scoop the meat on one half, then fold over. and add another scoop of meat. Cover with a second lasagna and repeat the process. Repeat this on the second plate

Finish with the herbs and 1 tbsp capers

(My interpretation of a recipe by Karin Gasterland in Delicious Magazine)

Grilled flat iron steak with peperonata and salsa verde

For the peperonata, heat 40 ml olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook 1 thinly sliced red onion and 2 thinly sliced cloves of garlic, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until garlic just begins to colour.

Add 1 red en 1 yellow paprika, sliced in strips, and 2 hacked anchovies, if using, and toss to coat in oil. Add a peeled and hacked tomato. Stir continuously for 5 minutes or until starting to simmer.

Reduce heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 hour or until the paprikas are very tender but the skin is still intact. Add 1 tsp capers and check seasoning.

For the salsa verde, finely chop the leaves of 2 sprigs of basil, 2 sprigs of mint, 2 sprigs of parsley, 2 sprigs of oregano and combine with 1 crushed garlic clove, 1 tbsp Dyon mustard, 3 finely chopped anchovies, 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar and 40 ml robust extra virgine olive oil

Season with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat a chargrill pan over medium-high heat. Brush two 250g flat iron steaks with oil and season with salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Grill steak for 4 minutes each side for rare, or until cooked to your liking.

Rest, loosely covered, for 5 minutes. Carve steak across the grain. Spoon peperonata into a serving dish, top with steak and drizzle with salsa verde. 

Serve with chargrilled sourdough and remaining salsa verde alongside. Delizioso for 2.

(Here Glenn Lauries original recipe in Delicious Magazine)

Oven roasted vegetables gazpacho, laurel oil

Pre heat the oven to 65°C

First make some laurel oil: blanche 4g fresh laurel leaves for 50 sec in boiling water, then scoop them into ice water. Dab dry and put in a jam jar with 40 ml grape seed oil. Put in the oven for 1 hour.

Put in the blender for 1 min, then drain through cheesecloth and reserve

Put the oven on 220°

Hack 200g red paprika, halve 350g San Marzano tomatoes and 175g apricots, peel and hack  125g carrots. Mix in a bowl with 2 tbsp olive oil, 2 tsp salt and some black pepper.

Spoon on an oven tray covered with baking paper, keeping well apart because too close together they will be steamed instead of roasted and caramelised

Roast for 30 mins

In the meantime peel and slice a small red onion and marinade the rings in 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and 3 tbsp water

Cool the veggies, then blend them with the onion, the marinade , 10 basil leaves, 3 tbsp olive oil and 1 tsp ground cumin. Add water the reach the desired consistency 

Taste and season with salt if necessary, then keep in the fridge

Serve at room temperature, with raspberries, cubed green paprika and croutons

Finish with drops of the laurel oil (feeds  4)

Recipe by Giorgia Eugenia Goggi in Delicious Magazine

Pasta alla Norma

Slice 1 big aubergine in 2 cm cubes, sprinkle with salt and rest voor 10 mins.

Rinse and dry, then panfry in 3 tbsp olive oil for about 10 mins, till soft and nicely browned.

Take out and reserve

Add another tbsp oil to panfry 1/2 minced onion, 1 tsp caraway seeds and 1 tsp fennel seeds.

After 5 mins add 1 minced cove of garlic and fry another minute before adding 35g tomato paste

After 1 min add 400g tomato cubes from a tin, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar and the reserved aubergine

Softly boil for 15 mins to thicken the sauce

In the meantime boil 150g orecchiette pasta, 

Mix the pasta into the sauce, with some of the cooking liquid.

After plating sprinkle 40g grated goat's cheese over the pasta and some rucola

Feeds 2

(Here Julie Teekens original recipe in Dutch)

Thinly sliced fillet of lamb, Sicilian capers pesto

Season a 250g fillet of lamb with salt and pepper and panfry in about 4 mins in butter. Then roll in alufoil and rest for 15 mins

For the pesto put 4 tbsp olive oil, 4 tbsp capers, 8g parsley (stems hacked, leaves plucked), the zest of 1/2 lemon and 1 tbsp juice in the blender and whisk into a smooth pesto

Add 1 tbsp soaked and hacked raisins and2 tbsp toasted and hacked  pistachios. Tast and season with salt and pepper. Add some water if too thick

Finely hack 3 anchovies and mix with 3 tbsp mayonaise and 2 tbsp milk. Season with chili flakes and transfer into a piping bag.

Slice the lamb as thin as possible and put on 2 plates.Top with the pesto

Finish with stripes of mayo, some parsley leaves and hacked toasted pistachios.

Serve with toasted crostini. Feeds 2

(Recipe by Hester de Goede in Delicious Magazine)

Octopus piperade, tarragon butter

Mince 1/2 onion and 1 clove of garlic, cut 1/2 Romano pepper (long paprika) into strips.

Sweat the onion and garlic 2 mins in 1 tbsp olive oil, then add the paprika and softly fry for another 8 mins.

Peel 2 truss tomatoes, quarter them and remove the seeds. Cut into 3 mm cubes

Add the tomatoes to the paprika-mix, add 2 tbsp white wine and braise in 10 mins nice and smooth

Hack the leaves from a sprig of tarragon, melt 25g butter with the tarragon and braise a couple of minutes

Brown pre cooked octopus tentacles in 2 tbsp olive oil for a couple of mins

Serve as shown, pour the tarragon butter over it

(A Janneke Philippi recipe from het book Canapé)

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

Cool and remove the blackened skins,  tear the peppers into large strips

Mix 25ml of sherry vinegar, 25ml of balsamic vinegar, 150ml of extra virgin olive oil, 50g of garlic cloves, whole cloves lightly crushed in the skins, 25g of fresh thyme, 25g of fresh rosemary, whole sprigs

Transfer the peppers to a large bowl and add marinade. Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to marinate for at least 45 minutes

Strain the marinade through a sieve and discard the garlic and herbs. Dress the pepper strips in the strained marinade liquid and set aside until required. Feeds 2.

F.i. to accompany grilled lamb

(Here Luke Holdens original recipe)

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.

(Here Dosia Brewers original recipe in Dutch)

Red mullet, veggies a la grecque

Peel and quarter a good-sized bulb of fennel Blanch the fennel until just soft (4 to 5 minutes) in a pot of boiling, salted water.

Finely chop 2 cloves of garlic, peel and dice 1/2 carrot, 1/2 stick of celery and 1 shallot.

Heat a tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a clean pan on a moderate hob. Fry the shallots, carrots, garlic and celery for 2 to 3 minutes until all the veg are starting to soften and just about to colour

Then stir in the fennel, 6 crushed coriander seeds and add a bay leaf, a few strands of saffron, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, the juice of 1/2 lemon and 50 ml extra-virgin olive oil. 

Season with salt and pepper and leave to simmer with a lid on for about 20 minutes until all the vegetables are cooked and flavoursome, but still having a bite. 

Add a tbsp oil for frying to a hot, non-stick frying pan. Ensure 2 filets of red mullet (skin on, pin-boned and scaled) are dry and the surface of the pan is covered with oil before gently placing the fish into the pan. Do this slowly, laying the fish skin-side-down, away from you so as not to splash. 

Cook with a little salt and pepper for 2 to 3 minutes, then turn the fish over, remove the pan from the heat and season again.

To serve, season the fennel dish and stir through 1 tsp chopped parsley or chives. 

Arrange onto plates, spooning the sauce over the fennel before placing the fish alongside. Dress with a squeeze of lemon and serve at once.

Feeds 2

(Here Café St Honoré's original recipe)
 

Spaghetti, artichokes, Gorgonzola and pumpkin seeds

Panfry 390g grilled artichoke hearts (from a jar) 3 mins in 2 tbsp oil, then add a minced onion and a minced clove of garlic      

After another minute crumble 120g Gorgonzola over the artichokes, 1 min later add 120g double cream and stir well.

Keep warm on a low flame.

Tear a slice of brown bread and crumble in the kitchen machine, then panfry crispy in 1 tbsp oil with 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds and 1 minced clove of garlic

Boil 100g spaghetti al dente, drain and add to the Gorgonzola sauce, taste and season with black pepper.

Serve as shown, with the breadcrumbs and pumpkin seeds on top. Feeds 2

(Here Janneke Philippi's original recipe in Dutch)

Quails, estragon, grapes

Put 8 sprigs of tarragon in 2 quails, season with pepper and salt

Brown on all sides in 2 tbsp clarified butter, add 150 ml white wine and boil for 30 sec, then add 350 ml chicken stock and 150g white grapes. Bring to the boil again, put a lid on the pan and boil for 9 mins.

Remove the bird and the grapes and keep warm in a 70°C oven, then reduce the cooking liquid till syrupy 

Serve as shown

(Great Recipe from The Food In France)

Turnip greens, anchovies and spaghetti

Looking good? No, it's not an elegant dish, but believe me: it's fingerlicking good. So I decided to share it with you

Toast 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds, 2 tbsp pine nuts and 2 tbsp sunflower seeds in a dry pan, reserve,

Thinly slice 2 cloves of garlic and hack 8 anchovies and panfry them in 3 tbsp olive oil till the garlic is golden brown and the fish melted in the oil

Boil 200g spaghetti

Add 50 ml white wine to the anchovies oil, drain the pasta and stir into the anchovies oil.

Serve with 200g turnip greens, the toasted nuts and a mozzarella.

Season with pepper and eventually some extra virgine olive oil

(Here Yolanda van der Jagt's original recipe in Dutch)

Lemon and mascarpone mousse, amaretti crunch

Soak 2 leaves of gelatine in plenty cold water.

Scrub one lemon and grate, then bring the juice (plus the juice from a second lemon) to the boil with 75g caster sugar and the zest. Stir till the sugar is dissolved.

Take from the heat, squeeze the soaked gelatine well and stir into the hot lemon juice. Cool.

Whisk 50 ml double cream and add 250g mascarpone, finally trickle in the cold lemon juice

Pour this cream in 4 ice glasses and keep in the fridge for 2 hours to firm up

Softly dissolve 25g sugar in 1 tbsp water and 2 tbsp limoncello, then turn up the heat a bit to create a golden caramel. Don't stir but shake the pan from time to time

Crumble 4 amaretti morbidi (the soft version) on baking paper, then pour the warm caramel over it and cool. Hack the result 

10 mins before serving take the mousse from the fridge and sprinkle with the amaretti crunch (feeds 4)

(Here Janneke Philippi's original recipe in Dutch)

Pasta with fried fennel and a lemon&herbs sauce

Cut 2 fennel bulbs lengthwise into 6 segments. Boil them in salted water for 5 mins.

Grate 75g Parmesan

Warm 35g butter, add 2 tbsp hacked Italian herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano), 2 sliced spring onions, 75 ml double cream and the zest of 1/2 lemon. Softly boil for 2-3 mins

Add 2 tbsp lemon juice, season with salt and pepper, boil for another min. and keep warm

Take out the fennel (keep the water for the pasta), drain well and pan fry in 15g butter with the zest of 1/2 lemon during about 5 mins

Boil 110g tagliatelle, following the instructions on the package

Drain the pasta and mix with the sauce and the grated cheese

Serve as shown, with the nicely browned fennel, fennel green and extra Parmesan on top

(Here Trudelies Schouten’s original recipe in Dutch)

Gamberi Gratinati: juicy gratinated Carabineros with lemon and parsley

Looks simple. Is simple. But what an amazing great taste.

Cut the belly side of 4 big carabineros, (the Cadillacs under the gamba’s, about €9 a piece but worth it), fold them open, rinse under the tap and remove the intestine 

Blend 70g fresh breadcrumbs, a handful or two hacked parsley, 1 hacked red chili, 1/2 clove of garlic, 2 tsp lemon zest and 3 tbsp extra vergine olive oil into a coarse mix.

Pre-heat the ovengrill to 230°C

Fill the prawns with this mix and press firm with a finger.

Put them in an oven dish on their sides and grill for 4 mins, turn them on their other side and grill for another 4 mins.

Serve with lemon parts, don't be fussy and eat them with your hands

Can be done with tiger prawns of course, more prawns for your money)

(Here Silivia Colloca's recipe in Dutch)

 

B'stilla (Moroccan chicken pie)

De-frost 10 sheets of filo pastry 2 hrs in advance.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large heavy-based saucepan with a lid over medium-high heat. In batches, cook 1 kg skinless, boneless  chicken thighs for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low and add 1 finely chopped onion, 2 finely chopped garlic cloves, 25g grated ginger, 1 tbsp ras el hanout and 1 tsp turmeric, and cook for 5-7 minutes until the onion has softened.

Return chicken back to the pan with 500ml of water. Add 1/4 tsp saffron threads and season with salt and pepper. Cover with the lid and simmer for 15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, place 80g blanched almonds in the bowl of a small food processor and whiz until finely chopped. Set aside.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside to cool. 

Increase the heat to high and cook stock for 15 minutes or until reduced by more than half and thickened. Remove from the heat and slowly pour in 4 lightly beaten eggs, stirring the whole time. Return to a low heat and cook for 2-3 minutes until the mixture resembles soft scrambled eggs. Remove from the heat and transfer mixture to a large bowl.

Shred the chicken and add to the egg mixture with the almond, 1 tbsp icing sugar, the leaves of a bunch of parsley, zest and juice of 1 lemon. 

Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool completely. This will cost you at leat another half hour!

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Melt 100g butter

Butter a 20cm springform cake pan. Brush 1 sheet of filo pastry and lay vertically in the pan, allowing the excess to hang over the edges. Butter another sheet and lay it over the first sheet horizontally, in a cross pattern, carefully pushing into the pan.

Repeat with 8 more sheets. 

Add the cooled filling, smoothing over the top.

Fold overhanging pastry in to enclose the filling. Brush the top with the remaining butter and sprinkle with 1/2 tsp black sesame seeds. Bake for 60 minutes or until the pastry is golden

Meanwhile, for the sweet and sour currants, heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add a small finely sliced  onion and cook for 15 minutes or until softened and starting to caramelise. 

Add 2 tbsp brown sugar and cook for a further minute. Add 35g currants and 125 ml red wine vinegar and simmer for 4-5 minutes until thickened slightly

Scatter b’stilla with extra parsley and serve with sweet and sour

currants alongside.

Feeds 6

(Here Kirsten Jenkins original recipe)

Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle   

Paella with sea bass, mussels and chorizo

Soak 1 tsp saffron in 500ml warm chicken stock.

Clean 500g mussels.

Remove the skin from 1 beef tomato and dice

Peel 2 carrots and cut in 3 cm pieces

Cut 65g chorizo into small cubes  

Finely slice an onion and a clove of garlic 

Softly fry the chorizo for 2 mins in a wide sauté pan in olive oil, then add the onion and garlic and fry for another 2 mins 

Add the carrots

After 3 mins add the tomato and 150g paella rice, stir well and then add the warm chicken stock 

Bring to the boil, lower the heat and softly boil for about 25 mins.

After 15 mins add 160g sea bass (cut in 3 cm pieces) and 80g frozen peas.

10 mins later add 3 green asparagus, cut into 3 cm pieces

Bring 100ml white wine to the boil in a big pan, then add the mussels. Add the lid and steam for 5 mins. Then drain and discard any shells that did not open.

Hack 10g parsley leaves.

When the rice has absorbed almost all the chicken stock add the mussels and the parsley to the paella

Feeds 2-3

(Recipe from Delicious Magazine and Sneakyveg website)

Follow me on Instagram @peterschoenmaker7 and have a look at my book 'Breakfast in Gascony' on Amazon for your Kindle   

Ratatouille on merguez

Of course everybody says that opening a can is cheating, but why make your own ratatouille when Bonduelle sells a great one?

Then slice 3 merguez sausages lengthwise open and fry the minced meat for about 3 mins.

Drain and use a serving ring to make this great tasting starter on a day you don't have a lot of time. Finish with cherry tomatoes and cress

(Here Onno Kleyns original recipe, incl homemade ratatouille)