La Terrine à l'Ancienne - Old-Fashioned Oxtail Stew

Oxtail is an all time winter classic and there are many ways to prepare this delicious cut of meat, one being in a pressure cooker and the results are pretty good, but I set about preparing it in a very traditional way and I have to say it is the best oxtail stew I have ever had.

To Serve 8
2 Oxtails
salt and pepper
2 carrots, quartered
4 large onions halved
1 bouquet garni - parsley, thyme and bay leaf.
125g butter
2 tots brandy
3 gloves of garlic, crushed.
75g flour
1.5 liters red wine (go for the good stuff its worth it)
0.5 liter beef stock
1 kg brown mushrooms
500 g Bacon cut into lardons
flour and water paste


Pre-heat your oven at 170 ºC. Season the oxtail with salt and pepper.  In a large sauté pan, sauté them with the carrots, the onions and the bouquet garni in 60 g of butter untill they are a good brown colour. Moisten with the brandy and flambé. When the flames die, add the garlic and flower and mix well. Pour in the wine and the beef stock and mix again. Bring to the boil. Transfer to a casserole and place in the oven for 2 hours.  


After 2 hours strain the cooking liquid through a sieve into a bowl and set aside. Discard the vegetables and return the oxtail pieces to the casserole.  In a seperate sauce pan gently sauté the mushrooms in the remaining butter with the bacon.  Add to the casserole with the oxtail pieces. 


Skim off any fat that has risen to the top of the strained cooking liquid, transfer to a pan and reduce till halve the quantity - the consistency of a light bodied sauce.  When the sauce is ready, pour it over the oxtail pieces and bring to a boil on the stove. Once boiling, seal lid with a flour and water paste - mix a cup of flour and a cup of water with a teaspoon of oil, make paste into a ribbon and dress along the rim of the lid, press the lid onto the pot (after cooking run a thin blade along the lid to break the seal) Place the casserole in a moderate oven 180 ºC for 2 hours to finish cooking.  Serve with ur favorite starch, I like samp. Enjoy! 

The "Vark" Word - Pressed belly of pork with smoked sweet potato and gravy.

Chef Gordon Ramsay was kind enough to demonstrate how to make this on his TV show "The F Word" also view able on youtube. I added the smoked sweet potato mash and sweetened the combination while adding a lingering Räucherkammer to the palet  Bold heart warming flavors to be enjoyed with a wine of gravitas. 

about 1.3kg belly of pork

2 heads of garlic, halved horizontally
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
handful of thyme sprigs
olive oil, to drizzle
generous splash of white wine
450ml brown chicken stock

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 170°C

Untie the belly of pork if it is rolled and lay it flat on a chopping board. Score the skin evenly in a criss-cross pattern with a sharp knife. Turn the belly skin side down and cut a slit through the thick end of the pork to open it out like a butterfly so that the meat is evenly thick throughout. Rub all over with salt and pepper and a drizzle of olive oil.

Place the garlic, halved side up, on a lightly oiled roasting tray and scatter over the thyme sprigs. Lay the pork belly on top, fat side up. Trickle with a little more olive oil and sprinkle with a little more sea salt. Add a splash of white wine around the pork, cover the meat with a piece of foil and bake for 1½ hours. Remove the foil, baste the pork with the juices and return to the oven, uncovered, for another ½-1 hour until the meat is tender. Continue to baste the pork occasionally with the pan juices.

Transfer the pork to a clean chopping board and leave to cool slightly. While still warm, place another tray on top of the pork and weigh down with a few heavy tins to flatten it. Cool completely, then chill for four hours or overnight in the refrigerator to set its shape.

Pour off any excess oil from the roasting tray and place over high heat. Deglaze the tray with a generous splash of white wine, scraping the bottom and crushing the heads of garlic with a wooden spoon to release the sediment. Boil the liquid until reduced by half, then add the chicken stock and bring back to the boil until reduced and thickened. Strain the stock through a fine sieve, pressing down on the garlic pulp with the back of a ladle. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.

Heat the oven to the highest setting, about 250°C

Cut the pressed pork into individual portions or squares and pat the skin dry with kitchen paper. Place the pork squares, fat side up, in a roasting tin and drizzle with olive oil and a generous pinch of sea salt. Roast for 15-20 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Rest the pork for 5 minutes, then serve with the light gravy and accompaniments: Peel the sweet potato and boil in salted water till cooked.  Smoke in smoker with oak chips or rooibos leaves.  Mash with butter, cream, salt and pepper.  

Sweet Potato and Cumin Soup.

I first had this delicious soup at my friend Willem's house and its been a favorite ever since.  My guests go gaga over it and there never seem to be enough in the pot :)

Ingredients:
1 table spoon oil for frying
4 decent size sweet potatos peeled and diced
4 leeks chopped
1 sitck of celiry chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cumin seeds
1 teaspoon tumeric powder
1 liter chicken or vegetable stock 
1 can coconut cream 
salt and pepper

Method:
In a hot dry pan roast the cumin seeds till they start popping and smoking - this releases their flavorful oils - set aside.  Fry the vegtables in the the oil till soft.  Add the turmeric powder, cumin seeds, salt and pepper and cook for 10 min. Add half the stock and simmer for about 20 min allowing all the flavors to develop. Use a stick blender or transfer into a blender and blend till smooth.  Add the rest of the stock and the coconut cream. Serve hot with fresh cream and chives.  You can drizel some port over the top for added goodness! Enjoy!

A really good chopped salad!

I just LOVE a chopped salad, having fond memories of my mother and her sisters whipping up a tomato and onion salsa with brown vinegar, sugar and loads of black pepper for the family braai.  This combination is super with fish chicken pork or lamb - or just on its very own with good fresh bread.

For the salad:
1 can black beans or kidney beans
1 red pepper
1 ear of fresh corn
1 mango
1 avocado 
fresh coriander
For the cumin dressing:
1 clove garlic
1/2 small shallot
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 fresh chilly 
Juice and zest of 1 lime/lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and cracked black pepper
Preparation1. 
Make the salad: Dice the red pepper, cut the corn off the cob, drain and rinse the beans, chop the coriander, cut the mango and avocado. Mix together in a large bowl.2. Make the vinaigrette: In a dry hot pan roast the cumin seeds to release their oils. Zest the lime and mince the garlic. Dice the shallot and chilly as finely as possible. Whisk everything together in a small bowl, or combine in a mason jar and shake to emulsify.3. Toss the salad and vinaigrette. Enjoy!

I'm ready for my close up: The Pea Shoot

I first cottoned on to these delicious greens 5 years ago when my best friend Mynhardt ran out to his garden and returned with a hand full of the most gorgeous looking green sprouty thingys I now know as pea shoots.  He used them as garnish on our steak and chips, with a drizzle of balsamic reduction and a sprinkle of pine kernels. I was dumbfounded, you can imagine, just picked organically grown and wonderful. Not only were they very handsome on my plate, but they were also utterly delectable with a sweet crisp slightly peppery flavor, starting a love affair of taste every winter since. 

Okay I've seen micro greens sold in supermarkets and they are wonderful if some what pricey, but I have never seen pea shoots offered on a general scale to the public. I'm sure you'll find them at fine food markets and specialty stores, but here is the good news, you can grow them very easily, inexpensively and quickly yourself. The best thing about them is that they are winter crops in South Africa, making them an ideal substitute for spring and summer greens. If your smart about it you'll manage a seasonal cross over combination with beat shoots spinach and leek flowers - and now were talking full on flavor!

How to grow pea shoots

Growing pea shoots is so easy and perfect if you're short on space. They grow in pretty much anything - I'm using old yogurt pots and those dishes that mushrooms often come in - just punch some holes in the bottom for drainage. Peas are sowed in winter and normal garden pea plants take months to grow and require more space and effort, but you can plant peas for shoots densely in individual containers or planters and if mother nature willing you'll be able to harvest your first shoots within 2-3 weeks! They like full sun and needless to say you should keep them well watered - that means every day peeps, at least until your plants are a bit more established.

You could go buy pea seeds from your local nursery, or you could pop into the super market and get a bag of whole dried green peas and go crazy with them :)

Grab a container of choice and add some potting soil. Don't use compost in a pot it creates a layer of gas that will impede your plans growth. You're only after the shoots here so you don't need it to be very deep - a few inch will do. Now scatter over some dried peas, I add a small amount of slow release fertilizer obtainable from any garden store or nursery. Lightly cover the seeds with some more potting mixture. Water them gently but well.

Leave them in a sunny spot, they like full sun but keep an eye out in the first 2 weeks, if they get hot and wilted move them into some shade.   

They taste best when they're young and crisp - the flavour is delicate and fresh and faintly pea-some. After that the leaves start going a little flimsy.

Uses for pea shoots: Salads (especially when feta is involved!), stir-fries; garnishes for soups. Maybe stick them in those green smoothies. I like just munching a handful of shoots by themselves.

Gnocchi Pockets with Courgette and Feta filling

Dinner for two? These gnocchi pockets are simple, fast and utterly delicious! The perfect starter that will impress while still have the diner hungering for more.

The filling:
Now you could fill these guys with what ever you fancy most: cheese, mushroom, spinach, kale and even egg yoke.  What ever you like make sure its a delicate neutral combination as this dish is all about flavors coming together in your mouth.

I use courgette and danish feta, seasoned with gremolata - parsley, olive oil, lemon zest and juice and a bit of garlic. Grate 3 - 4 medium sized courgettes into a bowl, break up the feta (about one table spoon for each courgette) and dress with the gremolata - nothing to it

The Pockets:
If your a puritan you could make the proper gnocchi dough - see our March blog post "Cumin Pear Gnocchi with Ver Belegen Sauce", and use that to make the pockets, but here is a fast food version especially helpful if your low on time.

Rinse 3 medium sized brown potatoes, pop them in a plastic bag, sprinkle with some salt and nuke them for 12 min on high in the microwave.  Skin the potatoes and mash them in a mixing bowl.  Add 1 egg and 2 or 3 handfuls of cake flour.  Add a dash of nutmeg and ground pepper.  Use your hands to mix and keep adding flour till u have a ball of workable dough. 
While using flour break off balls of dough and flatten them into rounds in the palm of your hands.  About 10 cm in diameter.  

You can role out the dough in perfect little rounds, or you can take a short-cut: place a teaspoon or so of the filling in the center of the round and fold the edges together.  Simply press between your thumb and fore-finger sealing the pocket.  Lay to rest on a well floured surface.








The Cooking:
Get your biggest pot with water to a rapid boil. Add salt. Carefully dump the pockets in one at a time. Use a slotted spoon or basket to make sure they don't get stuck to one another.  They are cooked as soon as the pockets starts drifting to the surface. 

The Plating:

Strain and transfer to your plate. I like mine with sage butter: it is as simple as melting butter with fresh sage leaves and holding it at a low temp for a few minutes. You might want to bruise the sage leaves before adding them. Good olive oil is just as yummy though. Finish with the best parmasan cheese you can find, season and enjoy immediately!

Tip: use a splash of that gremolata you made as an added burst of color and flavor. 

Rack of Lamb with Mint and Capers

Garlic and lemon invigorate the familiar pairing of succulent roasted rack of lamb and mint in an intense marinade that infuses the meat overnight. The fresh herb then makes an encore in a sauce with capers that's slathered generously on the lamb and served on the side.

Ingredients

FOR SERVING
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
FOR THE CAPER-MINT SAUCE
1/2 cup salt-packed capers, rinsed well
2 cups fresh mint
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/4 cup minced shallots (from 2 shallots)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
FOR THE LAMB
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 cup fresh mint, roughly chopped
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons)
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
2 racks of lamb (about 3 pounds), frenched
2 tablespoons safflower oil

Directions
Make the lamb: Whisk together garlic, mint, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Place lamb in a large resealable plastic bag; add marinade and refrigerate overnight.
Let lamb stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Remove lamb from marinade, brush off any garlic and mint, and pat dry with paper towels. Discard marinade. Season lamb with salt and pepper.
Heat safflower oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add lamb; cook, flipping once, until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer skillet to oven; cook 20 to 25 minutes for medium-rare.
Meanwhile, make the caper-mint sauce: Pulse capers in a food processor until roughly chopped. Add mint, lemon zest and juice, and shallots, and pulse until mint is roughly chopped. Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream, pulsing until combined but still coarse. Transfer to a small bowl.
Transfer lamb to platter and coat racks with a third of the caper-mint sauce. Let rest for 20 minutes. Cut lamb into chops, single or double thickness; transfer to a serving platter. Garnish with lemon wedges and mint sprigs; serve with remaining sauce.

Out of stock?

Stock also called broth or bouillon, is a flavorful liquid made by gently cooking meat, chicken or fish (with bones) in water and used for making sauces, soups, glaces and can be used for braising or poaching. I have read that in order for this liquid to be called stock, it must be made with bones therefore there is no such thing as vegetable stock. Not so sure this is true but sounds interesting. I have also read that the term comes from professional chefs keeping this important liquid ingredient "in stock" until they need it to cook with.

The difference between broth and stock is one of both cultural and colloquial terminology but certain definitions prevail. Stock is the thin liquid produced by simmering raw ingredients: solids are removed, leaving a thin, highly-flavored liquid. This gives classic stock as made from beef, veal, chicken, fish and vegetable stock. Broth differs in that it is a basic soup where the solid pieces of flavoring meat or fish, along with some vegetables, remain. It is often made more substantial by adding starches such as rice, barley or pulses.

Stocks are prepared specifically for use in other recipes (sauces, soups, stews, rice, etc.) Stocks are lightly or never salted in their preparation or the finished dish will most likely end up too salty due to reduction that will take place upon further cooking.

Stocks are usually simmered for a very long time (4-6 hours for chicken & 8-12 for veal/beef) to extract maximum flavor and gelatin from the bones.

Broths aren't usually cooked nearly as long due to the fact that cooking the meat for extended periods (even chicken surrounded by the liquid) will result in tough, flavorless meat.

Vegetable Stock

I find the basic flavor of a good vegetable stock very handy and use it in many dishes.  When deglazing pans, especially when using cream and cheeses in a dish, it cuts the richness of the sauce without compromising on flavor.  I make a big batch of stock and freeze in separate portions for later use.  A handy tip is to pore the stock into an ice tray and simply defrost the ice cubes as u go along.  


Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil

½ onion, diced

½ leek, diced

1 carrot, diced

1 small bulb fennel, diced

3 garlic cloves, left whole and gently crushed

about 20 black peppercorns

8-10 button mushrooms

1 stick celery, diced

3 tomatoes, diced

3-4 fresh parsley stalks, roughly torn

To make the vegetable stock, add the olive oil to a heavy-bottomed pan or stockpot over a medium heat. Add the onion, leek, carrot and fennel and sweat for 2-3 minutes.

Add enough cold water to generously cover the vegetables and turn up the heat to high.

Add the garlic, peppercorns, mushrooms, celery, tomatoes and parsley and stir together. Bring to the boil and boil gently for 15 minutes. Pour the stock through a sieve. Discard the vegetable pieces or reserve for another use. The liquid stock is ready to be used. It can be stored in the fridge for up to three days or frozen in batches for future use.

7 tips for full-flavored vegetable stock

i. chop fine

When I make meat based stock I tend to just roughly hack the veg and not bother to peel even the onions. When you’re looking to maximise the flavour from your vegetables, however, a finer dice is better as it increases the amount of surface area in contact with the water – so it’s easier for the flavours to be infused into the broth. You don’t need to go too crazy – it’s up to you how much time you’re prepared to spend cutting.

ii. lightly brown your aromatics

Sweating your aromatic veg – the onion, celery and carrot helps them develop sweeter flavours with more complexity to add to your stock rather than just chucking them in raw.

iii. be generous with the mushrooms

Mushrooms contain intrinsically high levels of glutamic acid which makes them little powerhouses of flavour enhancing goodness – we’re talking natural MSG that imparts those lovely savoury, umami-type flavours.

iv. go for tomato

Tomatoes are another great source of savoury goodness. The colour they bring can be quite attractive, unless you want a neutral stock.

v. start with cold water

Different flavour components have different levels of solubility in water at different temperatures. By starting cold and slowly increasing the heat, you can be sure that all the flavours have had a chance to be extracted at their preferred temperature.

vi. let it simmer

To further extract all the flavour goodness, letting the vegetables gently simmer is optimum. Too high a heat and you can boil off some of the more delicate flavours, too low and you won’t coax all the flavour out of your veg.

vii. taste as you go

I find it helpful to take a little sample at regular intervals and taste the stock. It’s then fun to keep samples from different times so you can taste them all together at the end and see how the flavour of your stock has developed over time. It also helps you decide when to stop cooking: when the flavour isn’t tasting any stronger between samples.

More info

Consomme: a fortified and clarified stock. The stock is fortified in flavor by the addition of a "raft" which is a combination of lean ground meat (appropriate to the type of stock being used) with brunoise (1/16 inch) mirepoix (carrots, onions, celery), and egg whites. The raft mixture is stirred into the cold stock and as it gently heats, the proteins coagulate forming a "raft" on top of the stock. A small hole is poked in the center (if one hasn't already formed) and as the stock bubbles through the hole it leaches back through the ground meat/egg white raft which filters out impurities to clarify the stock and fortify it with flavor.

Bouillon: French word for broth.

Court Bouillon: sometimes called a "short broth". A poaching liquid usually used for fish that is usually comprised of water, acid (lemon juice, vinegar, wine), parsley stems, bay leaves, peppercorns, and some salt.

When to use Stock vs. Broth: Use stock when a sauce is to be reduced significantly or when clarity of the final result is preferred.

Broths can be substituted for stock when the body of the liquid or clarity isn't important, and when the liquid will be thickened by addition of a starch.

Marinated Calamari Tentacles

Squid is a popular food in many parts of the world. In many of the languages around the Mediterranean sea, squid are referred to by a term related to the Italian "calamari" (singular "calamaro"), which in English has become a culinary name for Mediterranean dishes involving squid, especially fried squid (fried calamari).

Calamari tentacles are commonly seen in restaurants and eateries as starters or sides comprising of tiny, crispy or battered morels.  While being tasty bite sized delights, one can how ever buy them as rather large, fleshy more substantial individuals.  Speciality fish mongers will stock them and if they don't you could ask them to source you some on request.  I get mine from the Pretoria Fresh Produce Market's meat, fish and poultry section - good value and great quality.

Ingredients:
1kg large calamari tentacles
2 limes or 1 lemon
1 fresh paprika pepper...
        or a red pepper 
1 yellow pepper 
1 large chilly
parsley 
lemon thyme or normal thyme 
4 cloves of garlic 

1 carrot
a stick of celery
1 red onions
250 ml olive oil 
salt and pepper
250 ml white wine 

Bring a large pot of water to the boil.  Add the carrot, onion, celery (cut into large chunks). Add roughly chopped parsley (a hand or so) some thyme, salt and pepper, white wine and 2 cloves of garlic (bruise them with the flat of your blade) Add the calamari and cook till tender. This can take up to 2 hours, test them after an hour for tenderness, you must still be able to handle them so don't allow them to go to soft.  Strain and set aside to cool.  Once u can handle them remove the outer membrane. Yes Yes I know! This is proper slow food and i promise you its worth all the effort!

While your calamari cools make the marinade: Zest and juice the limes/lemon.  Chop the chilly, garlic, parsley and peppers till fine but not minced. Combine all with the olive oil, add some fresh thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Mix all together and allow to marinade for at least 12 hours.  They will keep for quite a long time in your fridge so that's a bonus to all the hard work :) Serve with fresh coriander or Italian parsley and ciabatta or pita breads! Also great in a salad.

Beef Fillet Trinchado

This popular spicy meat dish of Angolan and Mozambican origin is a favorite in South African kitchens, and this version is quick, easy and simply delicious.  Cuts of rump is traditionally used, but I've decided on strips of fillet, cutting the cooking time and lending a more sophisticated angle to the dish.  

Ingredients:

1 kg beef fillet strips

1 large onion finely sliced

50ml Worcestershire sauce

1 cup red wine

3/4 cloves crushed garlic

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

2/3 small red chilies chopped

butter and oil for frying

brandy

Vegetable stock

cream

Mix the Worcestershire sauce, garlic (minced), wine, salt, pepper, paprika, chilies and bay leaf into the strips of fillet.  Cover with cling film and allow to marinade over night in the fridge 
(YES! You'll have to do this the day before)  

Prepare on order. Get your pan well heated on medium high heat.  Saute the onion in some butter and set aside.  Add oil to the pan and use about 250 g of the fillet mix for each serving. Do not crowd the pan and don't agitate the meat to much! This way the meat will carmalize while still retaining its juices and tenderness.  If you go about it correctly your fillet strips will be grilled in about 2 minutes. Add the onions. At this stage I add a heaped teaspoon of paprika, this will help to thicken the sauce. Add a shot or so of brandy and set to flame.  Add a ladle of vegetable stock, and enough cream to just cover the meat. Add some of the marinade, 1 or 2 desert spoons.
Simmer for 5 min and plate with bread and good kalamata olives. PRESTO! 

Cumin Pear Gnocchi with Ver Belegen Sauce

Gnocchi are traditionally eaten as a first course (primi piatti).They are generally home-made in Italian and diaspora Italian households. They may also be bought fresh from specialty stores. In supermarkets, industrially-produced packaged gnocchi are widely available refrigerated, dried, or frozen. Common accompaniments of gnocchi include tomato sauces, pesto, and melted butter (sometimes fried butter) with cheese. 

These gorgeous cloudy dumplings are best eaten freshly prepared and I have never had 
pre-made gnocchi that tasted nearly as good. Making fresh gnocchi is simple but it needs a bit of time and attention.  When your get waxed it really is quite quick to prepare. There are many variations on the theme, with good olive oil and parmasan cheese or with fried butter and sage. Often enjoyed with a creamy sauces and blue vain cheeses.

Here we experimented with some balanced flavors: Cumin infused blush pears, grilled in olive oil and flamed with brandy.  Pan deglazed with cream, rich mature cheese added and allowed to reduced.  Finished with parmasan shavings, roasted pine kernels and fresh pomogranet seeds

Ver or Extra Belegen cheese is a dutch gouda or Graskaas, made from the first milkings after the cows return to the grassy polders from a winter spent inside. Ver Belegen is matured for 7 to 8 months, is ideal for cooking and has an immediate vivacious flavor. A blue vain cheese such as Gorgonzola may also be used in moderation. (Bleu de Graven is a blue vain dutch Gouda that is rich and creamy and not as salty) 

Tip: looking for a local producer of Ver Belegen cheese? Contact Johan at Van Der Poel Kaas

Rich? yes - instead of the fillet go for the goods.
Flashy? perhaps not for the high table.
Delicious? Absolutely and good looking as well.

The Gnocchi

Ingredients:

1 kg brown starchy potatoes
300g Double Zero wheat flour
1 large egg (try for free-range/organic)
salt to taste
a pinch of nutmeg.

Boil the potatoes skin on in a large pot or pan with a fair amount of salt. Heat them up gently to prevent them from bursting open and becoming water logged.  Cook till tender (poke a table knife right through and retract, if it slips of the blade they are done). Strain and set about pealing the potatoes. They need to still be warm when you mix the dough so work with a tea towel to shield your hand against the heat.

Mash the potatoes as well as u can. Add half the flour and the rest of the ingredients. Mix well and add more flour until you have a workable dough.  Get your largest pot, mine is the pressure cooker, filled high with water and well salted to boiling 

Tip: use two eggs if your eggs are a bit small.

Break fist size chunks off the dough and use your hands to role it into a long sausage shape, about 2cm in diameter. Use flour as needed and don't be shy, it becomes a sticky mess if u are. With a flat blade knife cut 2cm lengths off your sausage. Toss them in more flour and separate them on a floured surface.  Using a fork press grooves onto the gnocchi to allow the sauce to be picked up by each dumpling. Ask the kids to help its great fun ;) It really doesn't matter what they look like as long as they are all basically the same size - if you want to call it rustic so be it.

The water should be boiling rapidly. Add the uncooked gnocchi little by little, some cooks bounce them of the board, so they cook separately.  Gently stir the pot at intervals. As soon as the dumplings float to the top they are cooked, use a strainer spoon or basket to collect them and douse with olive oil while resting.

Tip: Your gnocchi may be frozen in a single layer container for up to 3 weeks and still taste wonderful after defrosted and revived in some boiling water.

The Rest

Ingredients: per serving
1 blush pear
a dusting of ground cumin
some cumin seeds
a dash of brandy
olive oil
100 ml fresh cream
100 ml vegetable stock
125 ml Ver Belegen cheese grated
salt to taste.

The rest happens a la minute so one could prepare the gnocchi in advance. Try and find sweet tasty pears. Cut your pear down each side of the stem to leave a thin slice of the whole pear shape.  Cut the rest of the pear into wedges, remove the seeds if u like but I couldn't bother and coat all with olive oil. Dust some ground cumin over each side. If your pears happen not to be sweet add a little castor sugar (its the sweetness of the pear and the tangy bite of the cheese that make this dish) 

Heat up a large skillet and add some cumin seeds.  Wait till the cumin releases they fragrance and add olive oil.  Grill the pear on high till well caramelized.  Add a shot of brandy and allow to flame. Setting the pears aside we deglaze the skillet with some vegetable stock and cream, add the Ver Belegen cheese (go on add more if u want) and allow to reduce. Keep an eye out, if it reduces to much add some more cream. 

Tip: If you feel your sauce needs seasoning add a little black pepper and parmasan cheese instead of salt.

Plate some of your fresh home made gnocchi in a pasta bowl and add just enough sauce to coat the dumplings. Arrange the pear wedges around the edge and make the center slice stand akimbo in the middle. Finish with shavings of parmasan cheese and garnish with the roasted pine kernels, pomegranate seeds and a drizzle of olive oil. Season with cracked black pepper and Maldon salt. Enjoy!

Tip: pre-heat your pasta plates in the oven for a hot meal at serving. 

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