A Vagabond Life - Food

The important thing about this recipe is that it uses unripe walnuts, that is when the walnuts are still in the green outer casing.  The traditional time to make Vin de Noix is on the  Fête de la Saint-Jean (John the Baptist) on 24th June.   Ingredients 40 green walnuts still in their outer casings 1 litre vodka 5 litres red wine 1 kg sugar  Sometimes one or all of the following are added but are optional. 12 walnut leaves Zest of 1 orange 4 to 8 cloves Method Place all of the ingredients in an large glass container with a lid and mix well. Store in a cool dark place for 6 to 8 weeks, shaking occasionally. After 6 to 8 weeks strain through cheesecloth into a bowl. Taste, and adjust the sugar if you want the drink to be sweeter. Bottle and store in a cool dark place.

Ingredients 700 g salmon fillet skinned and all small bones removed 4 eggs 560 ml thick (double) cream 10 g finely chopped chervil 250 g button mushrooms 1 teaspoon lemon juice 30 g butter 1 tablespoon grated onion 2 tablespoons white wine 10 large spinach leaves 300 g smoked salmon, thinly sliced Lemon Mayonaise 1 tablespoonlemon juice grated zest of 1 lemon 250 ml mayonnaise Method Preheat the oven to 170°C. Puree the salmon fillet and eggs in a food processor until smooth. Push through a fine sieve into a glass bowl.Place over iced water and gradually mix in the cream. Stir in the chervil and season. Cover and leave in the fridge.  Dice the mushrooms and toss with the lemon juice to prevent discolouring. Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook the onion, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it has evaporated. Season and remove from the heat. Dip the spinach leaves in boiling water, then...

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 ...

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, ric...

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