A Vagabond Life - Food

Pumpkin Soup Ingredients Serves 6 800 g Pumpkin peeled and cut in large cubes 200 ml Cream 1 tsp grated nutmeg 1 tsp ground ginger 1 tbsp soft brown sugar Method Cook the pumpkin in enough water to just cover it until it is tender. Once cooked puree then add the cream, spices, and sugar and cook for a further 5 - 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Mmmmm.... Delicious creamy dessert with a crunchy topping Ingredients (makes 8) 500 ml cream 185 ml milk 115g superfine caster sugar 1 vanilla pod 5 egg yolks 1 egg white 110g demerara sugar Method Preheat the oven to 120C Place the milk, cream and half the caster sugar along with vanilla pod in a small saucepan and bring just to the boil. Meanwhile, mix together the remaining caster sugar, egg yolks and egg white. Strain the boiling milk mixture over the egg mixture whisking well. Ladle into 8 125 ml ramekins and place in a roasting pan. Pour hot water into the tin until it comes half way up the sides of the ramekins. Cook 11/2 hours or until they are set in the centre. Cool and then refrigerate until ready to serve. Before serving sprinkle the demerara sugar over the tops and then caramelise with a blow torch.

Tomato and White Bean Soup This hearty recipe hails for the south of France where just about every recipe starts with.."Add a tablespoon of duck fat..." Olive oil can be substituted. Ingredients 1 tablespoon duck fat 1 onion chopped 1 slice bacon, diced 1 carrot finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped small handful parlsey finely chopped 4 ripe tomatoes chopped (or 1 400g can good quality tomatoes) 2 x 400 gr tins of white cannelli beans 1.5 litres chicken or vegetable stock  Bouquet Garni Salt and Pepper Method In a large heavy based saucepan heat the duck fat and cook the onion until it softens and starts to colour, add the garlic, bacon,parsley and carrot and cook for a further minute. Add the tomatoes and cook until they start to soften, add the white beans and give it all a big stir. Pour the stock over the top and add the bouquet garni, cook for about 1/2 an hour. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if required. The soup should b

Pate de Campagne or Country Terrine is served across France makes a great lunch, it is usually served with gerkins. Ingredients 700g lean pork cubed 200g pork belly cut into strips 200g chicken livers 100g strreaky bacon chopped 11/2 teaspoons salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper a pinch of nutmeg 3 tbs brandy 2 french shallots finely diced 8 juniper berries 1 egg beaten bay leaves 8 slices bacon Method Chop the lean pork, pork belly, chicken livers and chopped streaky bacon in a food processor and  roughly chop into small pieces.  Put the diced meat in a large bowl and add the sea salt, pepper, nutmeg, juniper berries and brandy. Mix carefully and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Lightly butter a 20 x 7 x 9 cm (8 x 23/4 x 31/2 inch) terrine or loaf tin. Add the shallots and egg to the  marinated meat and carefully mix together. Put a sprig of bay leaves in the ba

Brandied Roast Goose served with Green Beans and Garlic Roasted Potatoes This brandied roast goose recipe is very easy to prepare and makes a spectacular main course for guests. It's an old-time Christmas favorite in many regions of Europe. This impressive roast goose recipe comes with its own Cognac fruit sauce, so there's no need for an additional berry sauce. Serves 6 Ingredients 3.5 – 4 kg Goose, giblets removed 1 lemon, quartered and seeded 4 cloves garlic, unpeeled 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cups chicken stock 1/4 cup Cognac 300 grams dried fruit (apples, pears, raisins, apricots, cranberries, etc.) Method Preheat the oven to 180C. Place the goose on a rack in a large roasting pan. Stuff it with the lemon segments and garlic cloves, and then season it with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 2 and 1/2 hours to 3 hours, until a meat thermometer inserted into the meaty part of the thigh registers 80C. Loosely tent the goo

Garlic Soup Ingredients Serves 4 Soup 2 bulbs of garlic, about 30 cloves,cloves separated 125 ml olive oil 125 g streaky bacon,finely chopped 1 floury potato, diced 1.5 litres (6 cups) chicken stock bouquet garni 3 egg yolks Cheese Croutons 1/2 baguette or 1 ficelle, sliced 40 g (1/4 cup) grated Gruyere cheese Method Smash the garlic with the flat side of a knife and peel.  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large  heavey based saucepan and cook the bacon on a moderate heat for 5 mninutes  without browning. Add the garlic and potato and cook for 5 minutes or until softened.  Add the stock and bouquet garni and bring to the boil and simmer for 30 minutes or  until the potato starts to dissolve into the stock. Place the egg yolks in a large bowl and pour the remaining oil in a thin stream,  whisking until thickened, Gradually whisk the hot soup into the egg mix. Strain the back into the saucepan, pressing to extract all of

Watercress Soup Ingredients Serves 4 30g butter 1 onion finely chopped 625 ml chicken stock 250g potatoes peeled and diced 1 kg watercress chopped 125 ml cream 125 ml milk grated nutmeg 2 tablespoons chopped chives Method In a large saucepan melt the butter and add the onion, cover the pan and cook until the onion is soft but not brown. Add the stock and potato and simmer for 10 minutes or until the potato is soft. Add the watercress and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly then bend in a blender until smooth. Return to the saucepan and bring gently to the boil, stir in the cream and milk, season with grated nutmeg, salt and pepper and reheat without boiling. Garnish with the chopped chives and serve. Images on this page are sourced from WikiCommons. For Licencing refer to   Creative Commons

In my humble opinion the best way to eat freshly shucked oysters is with just a squeeze of lemon juice straight out of the shell. However they are also nice served with a dressing or cooked in recipes such as oysters kilpatrick as below. Oysters with lime and chilli dressing Ingredients 1 doz. oysters 1 long red chilli 1 teaspoon of white sugar a pinch of salt 2 tbsp of lime juice 1 tbsp of fish sauce Method For a dozen oysters, seed and finely slice half a long red chilli and combine well with a teaspoon of white sugar, a pinch of salt, 2 tbsp of lime juice and 1 tbsp of fish sauce. Serve each oyster in its shell with a dash of dressing on the top. If shucking the oysters yourself, add any liquor obtained to the dressing If you prefer cooked oysters you can serve Oysters Kilpatrick Oysters Kilpatrick Ingredients 2 cups rock salt 12 oysters, shucked 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 100g thin rashers rindless bacon, diced 2 tablespoons f