A Vagabond Life - Food

This is one of my favorite pates and shhh don't tell anyone but it is actually italian. It is very simple to make and uses mascarpone rather than cream. Ingredients 200g chicken livers 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 garlic cloves crushed 1 small onion finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped sage 2 tablespoons dry marsala 2 table spoons mascarpone Method Trim the chicken livers of any sinew and chop up. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the onion for a few minutes until it is soft. Move the onions to the side of the pan and add the livers, cook until are lightly browned on both sides. Add the garlic and sage and cook for 1 minute. Add the Marsala and breifly cook until the liquid reduces. Season well with salt and pepper. Transfer to a food process and process until smooth, the gently blend in the marscarpone. Serve with toasted banquette.

Ingredients 750 g pork neck or belly, rind and bones removed 150 g pork back fat 100 ml dry white wine 3 juniper berries, lightly crushed 1 teaspoon sea salt 2 teaspoons dried thyme 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice pinch of ground cloves 1 large garlic clove, crushed Method Preheat the oven to 140°C (275°F/GaSi).  Cut the meat and fat into short strips and put in a casserole dish with the rest of the ingredients. Mix together thoroughly and cover with a lid. Bake for 4 hours, by which time the pork should be soft and surrounded by liquid fat. Put the meat and fat into a sieve placed over a bowl to collect the fat. Shred the warm meat with two forks. Season if necessary.  Pack the meat into a 750 ml dish or terrine and leave until cold. Strain the hot fat through a sieve lined with damp muslin. When the pork is cold, pour the fat over it (you may need to melt the fat first, if it has solidified) Cover and refrigerate for up to  a we

Anchoiade is a thick rich anchovy paste that can be served with either crudites or toasted bread. Ingredients 20 toil-packed anchovy fillets, drained and coarsely chopped 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped ½ teaspoon of capers (rinsed if salted) 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil 1 1/2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar Freshly ground pepper Toasted bread, for serving Method In a food processor, puree anchovies and garlic in a blender until smooth. Add the chopped capers. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and slowly stir in the olive oil, a tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Stir in the vinegar and season with pepper.  Images on this page are sourced from WikiCommons. For Licencing refer to Creative Commons

Bisque is luxurious and creamy soup, this version is quite simple to make and uses prawns, scallops and salmon. Ingredients 1 tbs olive oil 8 large green prawns, peeled, deveined, heads and shells reserved 1 brown onion, finely chopped 1 small carrot, finely chopped 1 celery stick, finely chopped 3 large garlic cloves, chopped 1 bay leaf 1Litre water 80ml dry white wine 55g medium-grain rice 50g tomato paste Pinch of saffron threads 375ml water, extra Salt & freshly ground black pepper 8 Tasmanian scallops, deveined 1 250g piece Atlantic salmon fillet, skinned, cut into 2cm pieces 4 sprigs fresh thyme  Method Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and the prawn heads and shells, and cook, stirring, for 4-5 minutes or until the shells are browned. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic and bay leaf and cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until the onion is soft. Discard the prawn heads but not the shells. Add the water, wine, rice, t

Lamb Skewers Ingredients 500g diced lamb 1 red capsicum, cut into 2cm pieces 2 crushed garlic cloves  Juice of 1 lemon 1/2 teaspoon mint 1/2 cup Greek yoghurt Method For the Skewers Soak skewers in water for 1/2 an hour. then thread lamb and capsicum alternately onto skewers and place them in a ceramic dish. Combine half the garlic, 1/4 cup lemon juice and mint and pour over the lamb skewers. Turn the skewers in the mixture to ensure they are well coated. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Cook on the BBQ for about 5 minutes on each side and serve. For the Yoghurt and Garlic Sauce Combine remaining garlic and yoghurt in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve on the side in a small bowl. Serve with a green leafy salad and boiled potatoes tossed with garlic and olive oil. Images on this page are sourced from WikiCommons. For Licencing refer to Creative Commons

A bit of a twist of the old traditional lamb with white beans...We love this dish and it is in fact our new favorite way to eat roast lamb. Ingredients Serves 4 (with leftovers) 2 onions 3 leeks 6-8 cloves of garlic, 2 peeled and sliced the rest peeled and left whole 1.5 kg leg lamb Olive Oil A few springs of Rosemary 4 tins 400 gm white beans. 1 litre chicken stock Bouquet Garni Method Pre heat oven to 200C Stab the lamb all over with a small sharp knife and place the sliced garlic and sprigs of rosemary in the slits.  Finely slice the leeks and onions. Heat a few good lugs of olive oil in a large deep baking dish and add the leeks and onions, cook until they have softened stirring occasionally. Add the white beans along with their juices from the can, stock, whole garlic, and bouquet garni stir and gently bring to the boil. Place in the oven and then place the lamb on an over rack directly above the beans so the lamb juice drip into the bean mixtur

I ngredients Serves 8 3 cloves garlic peeled and sliced 8 cloves garlic peel and left whole 1 small bunch fresh rosemary olive oil 2 kg leg of lamb 1.5 kg potatoes, peeled and cut on to chunks Carrots Parsnip Method Preheat the oven to 200ºC and place a roasting dish for the potatoes on the bottom with a good lug of olive oil to heat up.  Place the potatoes in a plastic bag and drizzle with olive oil and add about a handful of chopped rosemary and give the bag a good shake so all the potatoes are covered with oil. Tip the potatoes into the tray in the oven. Add the carrots and parsnip and whole garlic to the tray. Stab the lamb all over with a sharp knife and then stuff sprigs of rosemary and slices of garlic in each hole. Place on the hot bars of the oven above the tray with the potatoes which allows the vegetables to catch all the juices Cook the lamb for about an hour and 15 minutes if you want it pink, or an hour and a half if you want it more

This rich sauce can also delicious over poached eggs Ingredients Serves 4 24 Asparagus Spears  2 egg yolks 2 teaspoons lemon juice 90 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes Was the asparagus and remove the woody ends.  Cook the asparagus in a simmering salted water until just tender, about 4 minutes. When tender drain, then cool under cold running water. To make the hollandaise sauce, put the egg yolks and lemon juice in a saucepan over very low heat. Whisk continuously, adding the butter piece by piece until the sauce thickens. Do not overheat or the eggs will scramble. Season with salt and pepper. Place a few asparagus spears on each plate and spoon the hollandaise over the top.

This recipe is a more traditional version and hails from Burgundy, in the SW you will often find snails stuffed with Foie Gras which is equally delicious. Ingredients 1 shallot, finely chopped 1/4 cup chopped parsley 4 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 cup red wine 1 1/2 cups softened butter 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 48 cleaned snail shells 1 can escargots, drained, rinsed, and patted dry Method Preheat oven to 200C. In a bowl combine shallot, parsley, garlic, red wine, butter, salt, and pepper and mix well to combine. Place a small amount of the butter inside each prepared snail shell. Add one snail to each shell, then fill each shell with more of the garlic-butter mixture. Place each prepared shell in the well of a snail dish and bake until butter has melted  beginning to brown.

Navarin | French Easter Lamb Stew Navarin is a traditional  Easter dish in France and uses the newest spring vegetables. In this dish the vegetable are added later in the cooking process and they retain their crispness.     Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes Makes 6 servings Ingredients 1.5 kg boneless lamb shoulder 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sugar (important don't leave this ingredient out) 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup dry white wine 2 tomatoes diced, or canned 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed Bouquet garni  1/4 teaspoon nutmeg salt and pepper 2 tablespoons butter 4 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 5 cm lengths 3 medium turnips, peeled and cubed in 2 cm  1 onion, peeled and cut in eighths 1 1/2 cups peas  200 grams green beans cut into 5 cm lengths Method Cut the lamb into chunks of about 4 cm.  In a large heavy based pot, heat the oil on a medium heat. Add the  lamb and brow

This dish is wonderful with any meat and a green leafy salad Courgette Gratin Serves 4 Ingredients 2 Tablespoons Duck Fat 2 Onions finely sliced 4 Fat Courgettes sliced 180 Grams Basmati Rice 500 Mls Hot Chicken Stock 4 Big Tablespoons Crème Fraîche 150 Grams Emmental Cheese grated Freshly Ground Black Pepper Sea Salt Method Pre heat the oven to 190°C. Melt the duck fat in a large frying pan and add the sliced onions, cook on a low heat until soft and caramelized. While the onions are cooking wash the rice and slice the courgettes. Add the sliced courgettes and the rice and mix it all together well and then pour in the stock, increase the heat for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. The mixture needs to be quite loose so add some more stock if needed. Remove from the heat and gently add the crème fraîche and 100 grams of grated cheese. Taste and add freshly ground pepper and sea salt as required. Lightly oil a gratin or casserole dish and tip the mixture in

Serves 4 (with leftovers) For the Pork Loin 1 1.5 kg Pork Loin Pre heat the oven to 190°C. Place pork in a lightly oiled baking pan and put in the oven. Allow 30 minutes per 500 grams. For the Mustard Sauce. 25 g butter 1 onion finely chopped 150 ml white wine 280 ml chicken stock 1 bay leaf 1 sprig thyme 1 cup thick cream or Crème Fraîche (I like it best with Crème Fraîche ) 1 heaped tablespoon of Dijon mustard (you can add more/less depending on how strong a mustard flavour you like) Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onions until they are soft and translucent. Add the white wine, stock and herbs and simmer until reduced by half. Strain mixture and returned to pan. This mixture can sit for a while and the final stages can be done once the meat is cut and you are ready to serve. Gently add the cream and the Dijon mustard to the warm mixture along with a tablespoon of the juices from the meat. Pour some of the sauce over the pork and serve the rest in a

This Thai staple is along way from French food...but it is delicious and a great way to use up some of the cabbage you have in the fridge! Larb Gai Larb Gai Serves 2 - 4 2 chicken breasts minced 1 table spoon Khao Kudo 1 red onions or 3 shallots finely sliced 1/2 cup of mint leaves (or coriander or parsley also works) 1 tablespoon sugar 3 tablespoons lime juice 1 tablespoon fish sauce 3 spring onions 1/4 of cabbage sliced into wedges or shredded Serve with Jasmin Rice Khao Kudo is used frequently in Thai food, it distributes the heat and flavour of the roasted chilli evenly through the food and also acts as a thickening agent. Make the Khao Kudo Place 2 tablespoons of rice and 2 - 3 dried chillis in a dry pan and roast until the rice has gone brown and the chillis have blackened. Pound to a fine powder in a mortar and pestle. This will give you enough to store some for another day. Note: The qty of chilli you used will be dependent on how spicy you like like

Pistou comes from Southern France and is very like Italian pesto. It is usually served over soup made from spring vegetables. Ingredients 250 g dried haricot beans 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 onion, finely chopped 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 celery stalk, chopped 3 carrots, diced bouquet garni 4 pmames, diced 150 g small green beans, chopped 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock 3 tomatoes 4 zucchini, diced 150 g vermicelli, broken into pieces 150 g peas, fresh or frozen Pistou 6 garlic cloves 85 g basil leaves 100 g grated Parmesan cheese 185 ml olive oil Method Soak the haricot beans in cold water overnight then drain, put in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat. Simmer for 1 hour, or until the beans are tender. Drain well. Next make the the pistou, put the garlic, basil and Parmesan in a food processor or a mortar and pestle and process or pound until finely chopped. Slowly add the olive oil, wi

Terrine wrapped in golden pastry, serve with a green leafy salad and pickles. This dish is a great entree or light lunch. Ingredients 600 g veal fillet, finely diced 250 g lean pork, finely diced 200 g streaky bacon, finely diced large pinch of ground cloves large pinch of allspice finely grated zest of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons brandy 2 bay leaves 2 teaspoons butter 1 large garlic clove, crushed 1 onion, finely chopped 200 g chestnut mushrooms, finely chopped 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley 1 pkt puff pastry  1 egg, lightly beaten Mix the veal, pork, streaky bacon, cloves, allspice, lemon zest and brandy together and stir well, add the bay leaves and then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight. Melt the butter in a frying pan and add the garlic and onion. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes, then add the mushrooms and cook for a further 10 minutes, until they are softened and the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporate

In the dead of winter there are slim pickings at the market in the fruit and vegetable area...but there are a number of varieties of cabbage available and while I do enjoy my mique and my cabbage soup after a while it does wear a bit thin! So as they say necessity is the mother of all invention we have had to become a little creative with our cabbages! So the next few blogs are recipes that we have tried this winter, while perhaps not strictly French they do turn that humble cabbage into a culinary delight. Cabbage and Goats Cheese Filo Scroll. Olive Oil 2 leeks, thinly sliced 1/4 cabbage finely sliced 1 tsp fennel seeds 2 tsp cumin seeds 120 grams soft goats cheese Approx. 12 sheets filo pastry 100 grams melted butter 200 grams feta cheese 1 lemon mint Pre - heat oven to 180 C Grind fennel seeds and 1 tsp cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle.  Heat the oil in a large heavy based frying pan and gently cook the leeks until soft. Add the ground cumi

While not quite French it this wonderful Italian soup works well with the vegetables available in France in winter. It is one of our favorite soups and is called Zuppa di Vedura  Italian Vegetable Soup 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 small onions, chopped 2 celery stalks, chopped 4 small carrots, chopped 2 large potatoes, diced 2 leeks, sliced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 100 g runner beans 100 g shelled green peas 1 ,75 litres (7 cups) vegetable stock 150 g cabbage 6 slices ciabatta bread crusts removed 1 garlic clove, cut in half 35 g (1/3 cup) grated Parmesan cheese drizzle of extra virgin olive oil Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan and add the onion, celery, carrot, potato, leek and crushed garlic. Cook over low heat for 5-6 minutes, or until the vegetables are softened but not browned Season, add 375 ml (11/2 cups) water and bring to the boil. Reduce to low heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Slice the beans diagonally and add to the pan. Add the peas and stoc

  Mique Sarladaise This dish is a specialty of Sarlat and is a fabulous dish in the depths of winter when the snow is piling up outside. The mique is a delicious dumpling. This dish is designed to be eaten over 2 courses, first the broth and then the meat and vegetables.  1 kg petit sale (salted pork) 2.5 litres water 4 carrots 4 turnips 4 small potatoes 4 leeks  1 small cabbage 2 onions 150g lard  250 grams stale bread 3 eggs 3 tablespoons flour 1 bouquet garni salt and pepper Cut the cabbage into 8 pieces and remove the stems and boil for 15 minutes. Drain In a large pan place the water, onions, bouquet garni and pork and slowly bring to the boil. Add the cabbage and simmer covered for 1 hour.  Make the Mique Cut the bread into small pieces and place in a bowl, sprinkle with a little broth from the simmering pan so the bread is moist but not wet. Cut the lard into small pieces and add to the bread and mix well. Beat the eggs and add to the mixture mix it all w

Margret de Canard with Raspberry Sauce. Ingredients: 1 Margret de Canard Duck Breast 1 French Shallot 300 ml red wine 100 ml Creme de Cassis 1 Tablespoon Raspberries 50 g Butter Method:  The Raspberry Sauce: Bring the wine to the boil and add the shallots. Boil gently until it has reduced by half. Add the creme de cassis and raspberries and reduce again. The sauce should be syrupy. Whisk in the butter. The Duck: Slash the fatty side of the duck with a sharp knife in a criss-cross pattern. In a hot heavy based pan cook the duck breast fat side down for several minutes until the duck fat is golden and started to render down. Place in a hot oven for 10 minutes - 12 minutes fat side up. This will give you medium rare meat. Serve with green beans and garlic roast potatoes.