Momos with Achar

Next I travelled east from Perth to Melbourne. It is difficult to truly appreciate the vastness of Australia until you have been. The distance between the two cities is 1700 miles, thats the equivalent of travelling from England to Turkey. Yet despite this, the two cities are on a similar latitude and the climate did not alter much. However, where Perth was small and polished, Melbourne was larger and had a different vibe altogether. The city has a slightly more bohemian quality and seems to have a more varied and eclectic makeup of people. There are myriad great places to eat and a lot of beautiful architecture. Crossing the river and venturing to the Shrine of Remembrance is well worth the trip and I also enjoyed a few hours in the State Library. Not only did it have free wifi, but the library itself is housed in a stunning building, complete with a magnificent dome and other period features.

However, I probably enjoyed Melbourne so much because I was able to spend time with some friends who live a short train ride out of the city. Together we explored St Kilda, a small beachfront enclave south-east of the city, home to a small food market with a range of modest pubs and bars to frequent. We also made it back into the city and tried some of the more fashionable bars there, including a unique watering hole, ensconced between a variety of buildings in the middle of a large city block. The bar had no roof and the floor was covered with sand, what could be more Australian than that? Ideal for a balmy summer night in the city. Despite this, my favourite day in Melbourne actually came when my friends drove me to the nearby Dandenongs. A beautiful mountain range and national park; the drive took us through some gorgeous scenery, allowing me to experience a different side of Australia. The vistas were impressive and a stop off at the quaint town of Olinda allowed me to enjoy some Australian confections, including the oddly aromatic musk sticks, which I liked despite their odd texture and floral aroma, and a biscuit called a yoyo, that resembled the alfajores I had eaten in peru, but were sandwiched together with buttercream instead of the eponymous dulce de leche. My friends and I also enjoyed a traditional Aussie outdoor barbecue on the cusp of the national park.

I contemplated posting a barbecue recipe, but all we really did was purchase some good quality produce and grill it plainly. Besides barbecue season is deicedly smaller in the UK. So instead I will post a recipe that shows the diversity of the food in Australia. Their proximity to south east asia, means that there is a massive range of cuisines from this region, brought by immigrants and restauranteurs. Amongst the many dishes I tried, my favourite was a small Nepalese dumpling known as a MoMo. I had this dish twice in short succession, both at an Asian fusion restaurant and at the Victoria night market. A MoMo is probably best described as being similar to a chinese dumpling or japanese gyoza. Only here, the paper thin steamed pastry, encapsualtes a spicy minced chicken that evoked the flavours and aromas of India. These can be hot and are normally served with a similarly spicy sauce or achar for dipping.

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Level: high
Methods: novel dough
Skills: sauteeing, steaming, roasting

Time: 2 hours
Makes: 24 momos (serves 4-6 as a starter)

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Ingredients
Olive oil, to grease
4 ripe tomatoes, halved
2 long fresh red chillies, deseeded and coarsely chopped
1tbsp mustard seed oil (olive oil is fine too)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tsp grated fresh ginger
2tsp ground coriander

400g chicken mince
2 shallots, ends trimmed, finely chopped
3tbsp chopped fresh coriander
2tsp ground cumin ground cumin
1/2tsp chilli powder
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2tsp grated fresh ginger
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper to taste

300g plain flour
Pinch of salt
125ml hot water

Olive oil, to grease
40g butter

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Method

1. To make the tomato achar, preheat oven to 200°C.

2. Brush a baking tray with olive oil to lightly grease. Place the tomatoes on the tray. Roast in oven for 45 minutes or until golden and the skin loosens.

3. Set aside until cool enough to handle.

4. Use your fingers to remove the skins and discard. Place the tomatoes in the bowl of a food processor. Add the chilli and process until smooth.

5. Heat the mustard seed oil in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until soft.

6. Add the coriander and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds or until aromatic. Add the tomato mixture.

7. Reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 15 minutes or until the mixture thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

8. To make the momos, combine the mince, shallot, coriander, cumin, chilli, garlic, ginger and nutmeg in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge.

9. Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Make a well in the centre. Pour in the hot water. Use a table knife to mix until almost combined, adding extra water if necessary.

10. Use your hands to bring the dough together in the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until smooth.

11. Place back in the bowl. Cover with cling film and set aside for 20 minutes to rest.

12. Brush a large baking tray with olive oil to lightly grease.

13. Roll 1 tablespoonful of dough into a ball. Use the palm of your hand to flatten. Use a rolling pin to roll out to an 8cm-diameter disc.

14. Holding the dough disc in the palm of your hand, place 1 tablespoonful of mince mixture in the centre. Bring the dough together to enclose the filling, pleating and pinching the edges to seal.

15. Place on the prepared tray and cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the remaining dough and mince mixture to make 24 momos.

16. Add enough water to a pan or wok to reach a depth of 5cm. Bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium. Brush a steamer with olive oil to lightly grease.

17. Place one-third of the momos in the steamer and cover. Place over the pan and cook, covered, for 12 minutes or until cooked through. Transfer to a large plate.

18. Repeat, in 2 more batches, with remaining momos.

19. Heat half the butter in a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Cook half the momos for 2 minutes or until bases are crisp. Repeat with remaining butter and momos.

20. Serve with tomato achar.

Humita Empanadas

Buenos Aries, came as something of a relief after my hectic stay in LaPaz. This vast sprawling metropolis is home to a whopping 12 million people (that’s a quarter of the population of the entire country.) But despite this, the individual neighbourhoods are full of cosmopolitan charm and the city itself is reminiscent of continental Europe. The city is rich in culture, being home to the highest concentration of theatres in the world and is overflowing with restaurants representing the best of the world’s cuisines.

My favourite area of Buenos Aeries was Palmero Soho, a modestly bohemian area of the city, full of beautiful boutiques, quality artwork (both traditional and street) and some of the country’s best Parilla restaurants. When you think Argentina, it is hard not to think of steaks and at La Cabrera I enjoyed my one truly great steak experience in the country. The aged, half-kilo ribeye steak was glorious enough, but most exciting were the various dips, sauces and sides that come with it. From chimichurri and tapenade, to creamed spinach and pomme puree, the sides elevated the steak to new heights. The delicious Argentinian Malbec my waiter recommended might have embellished my experience too. But publishing a recipe for steak seems a bit of a cop out, as most people already know what they like. So I had to look elsewhere.

My most exciting foodie experience was a visit to a local cookery school. Here I was in my element, discussing recipes with our host in an effort to gain as much information about the national cuisine as I could. I also tasted some glorious food, so it is these recipes I have attempted to recreate to share on the blog. The first is a Humita Empanada. Unlike the Saltena recipe I have just posted, Argentinian Empanadas are traditionally made with bread instead of pastry (in fact to empanar means to wrap in bread). In addition, the gloriously sweet and spicy humita filling is completely vegetarian and so can be enjoyed by everyone.

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Makes 12

Ingredients

For the dough:
250ml water
1tsp salt
2tbsp sunflower oil
500g plain flour

For the humita filling:
250ml whole milk 25g butter
25g plain flour
100g sweetcorn
1 large onion, diced onions
Butternut squash half, deseeded (200g approx)
50g grated Parmesan
1/4tsp chilli flakes
Ground nutmeg to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

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Method

1. Put in a large bowl the water, the salt and the oil.

2. Add 4 full spoons of flour and integrate with a wooden spoon.

3. Add more flour until you can take the dough with your hands.

4. Continue kneading on the table and adding flour until you get the right texture.

5. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 160°C.

7. In a small saucepan put the onions to cook with a bit of olive oil and a pinch of salt stirring until they turn light brown (around 30 min). 8. Put the butternut squash half, cut side up, on a baking tray. Add some salt, pepper, and olive oil and bake until soft. Scoop it out. 9. In another saucepan melt the butter over a low heat and add the flour, cook for one minute or until the roux just starts to change the colour.

10. Add half of the milk and use a whisk to dissolve the roux and break the lumps.

11. Add the rest of the milk, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg.

12. When the béchamel sauce starts to boil add the corn kernels and cook for 5 minutes.

13. Remove from the heat then add the baked butternut squash, grated cheese and chilli flakes.

14. Check seasoning and allow to cool until needed.

15. Increase oven temperature to 220°C.

16. Sprinkle a little flour on the table; divide the dough into small balls – 12 in all.

17. Roll out each in turn with a rolling pin to a thickness of 3mm. Don’t let them stick together, put some flour between them!

18. Put 1 or 2 teaspoons of filling onto the rolled dough and paint the edges with water to seal.

19. Fold half of the dough over to make a semi circle and crimp the edges using small folds or, more simply, with a fork.

20. Place on a baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or until puffed up and lightly browned.

21. Cool slightly before consuming.

Cuñapés

Bolivian cuisine is held in much the same regard by South Americans, as English food is by the Europeans. Essentially they view the food as uninspired and bland. While there tends to be a modicum of truth as a basis for all culinary clichés, this is a largely unfair opinion. Yes, like the British, the Bolivians have a great many stews and soups as the backbone of their food culture. Likewise they are prone to a meat-and-two-veg diet and are in love with the potato in all its forms. But like the British, they are exceptionally forward thinking when it comes to modern fusion cuisine and they are excellent bakers.

My first taste of true Bolivian baking was in Copacabana. After spending 24 hours hopping on and off buses and trekking across the beautiful Isla del Sol, I was ready for a carbohydrate-packed hit to bolster my flagging energy levels. Whilst browsing the local eateries I stumbled across these delightfully light, chewy, moreish cheese buns, known as Cunapes. The Cunape is not native to Copacabana, but instead traditionally hails from the South Eastern city of Santa Cruz.

But wherever these come from, these baked delights are an ideal snack for mid morning. They are also ludicrously easy to make. I have substituted Queso Fresco for Gouda here, as it has the necessary mild flavour and brilliant melting properties. One ingredient that cannot be substituted however, is the tapioca flour, which provides the requisite chewy texture. You can buy this online or in many ethnic grocers – where it may be called cassava flour, mandioca starch or yucca, depending on its country of origin.

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Level: low
Skills: baking

Time: 30-40 minutes
Makes: 10 small buns

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Ingredients:
110g tapioca flour
220g grated Gouda
1tsp baking powder
1 egg
1-3tbsp milk

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Method

1. Preheat the oven to 230C.

2. Mix the tapioca flour and the baking powder in a mixing bowl.

3. Add the cheese and mix well until cheese is covered in the flour.

4. Add the egg to the mix and stir to combine.

5. The dough should come together in a ball, leaving the sides of the bowl clean. Add the milk 1tbsp at a time until the correct consistency is achieved.

6. Divide the dough into 10 pieces of the same size and shape them into balls.

7. Put a thumbprint in the bottom of each ball (this helps with even puffing in the oven and stops them sticking).

8. Place thumbprint side down on a lightly greased baking tray. You can use baking parchment to reduce clean up.

9. Bake for 12-15mins until lightly golden and well puffed up.

10. Serve warm.

Sopes (using Corn Tortillas)

My first morning in Mexico City was a relatively quiet one. I had my first lie-in in four weeks and then set about exploring the bustling streets of the city. The street food scene in the DF (District Federal) is not just burgeoning, it isn’t just large, it is thoroughly established and a completely ubiquitous part of life here in the world’s third most populous city. Walk down any street here and you will encounter dozens of locals selling handcrafted foods to tourists and citizens alike. Fresh, authentic, aromatic food is generously served on brightly coloured plastic plates, that would look tragic in England, but somehow come off as endearingly kitsch in this setting. The cost is generally low and you can eat well for very little money indeed. Choosing what to eat though, is a gargantuan task. Especially if like me, you suffer from the occasional bout of FOMO (fear of missing out).

However, one thing is apparent, whatever the meal, the tortilla is king. I visited a tortilleria, where one family produced literally thousands of them each day. In fact the tortilla is so essential to the Meso-American diet, that until 1999 the price was capped by law. The increasing cost of corn production and rising international demand meant that prices did rise slightly in the intervening years. So in 2007, then President Felipe Calderón, again enforced a ceiling price of 8.5 pesos per kilogram. That’s less than fifty pence for a kilo of tortilla. I was informed by a local that this was extremely important as a poor family could easily consume that volume of tortilla in just one meal.

Of all of the dishes I had that utilised tortilla, the simplest has to be Sopes. A deliciously filling breakfast food, these are made from small corn tortillas, topped with refried beans and crumbled cheese. Salsa can be added as well, for some piquancy. In order to master Mexican cuisine you MUST master the tortilla, and this recipe provides a basic route towards achieving that. It is worth trying to source some proper masa harina from a larger supermarket or online retailer to use in this recipe. Wheat tortilla are not nearly as good and have much less flavour.

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Level: medium
Methods: novel bread dough
Skills: frying

Time: 45 minutes
Makes: Serves 4

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Ingredients
170g masa harina
220ml water (approx.)
215g tin of refried beans
100g feta cheese, crumbled finely

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Method
1. Mix the masa and water together in a bowl, until a smooth consistency is reached. It should not be sticky. This takes about 3-5 minutes.

2. Masa dough is too delicate to be rolled out so other methods must be sought. Take a piece of the dough about the size of a golf ball, and roll into a firm ball in the palm of your hands.

3. Place the ball of dough on a solid work surface, in between two pieces of plastic. Make sure the masa ball is in the middle and then apply pressure evenly using a large hardback book of a solid wooden chopping board. You want the ball pushed out into a 3 to 4-inch diameter disc.
Tip: if the edges of your tortilla are cracked deeply the dough may be too dry, so add more water. However, if the tortilla does not remove from the plastic easily the dough may be too moist, so add some extra masa harina to the remaining dough.

4. Heat a heavy based frying pan over a high heat. Place the tortilla into the pan without any oil, and allow to brown on both sides, approximately 1 minute on the first side, then a further 2 minutes on the second. If your tortilla puff up after turning, you are on the road to success. Remove and let cool.

5. While still just warm, pinch the edges of each tortilla between your thumb and forefinger, thus creating a small lip.

6. Top each sope with a spoonfull of warmed refried beans and a little of the crumbled cheese.

Beignets

In my first morning in the colourful city of New Orleans (or NOLA to the locals) I rose early to avoid the crowds and stifling heat. The city itself is an extremely beautiful and unique place, that seems entirely different to the previous US destinations I have visited. It is not a city where anything is done quickly, the heat and humidity ensure everything is done at a steady pace and the locals (while often eccentric) are extremely friendly. One such local spotted me as I stood on the corner of a street trying to decipher my map and plan out my day. Knowing a tourist when he saw one the man struck up a conversation and offered his advice. I told him I was interested in trying the food and he directed me towards the legendary Cafe Du Monde, which many regard as the birthplace of the Beignet.

N’awlins Beignets are very different to their French counterparts. Anyone who has sampled a French Beignet knows that they are often small, light as air puffs of delicate choux pastry. Whereas in NOLA Beignets are more akin to doughnuts. They are made from an enriched dough that is cut into rectangles and deep fried until golden, puffed up and vaguely chewy. The Beignets at Cafe Du Monde are generously proportioned and when cooked have roughly the dimensions of a deck of cards. These pillows of fried goodness, are liberally topped with immense snowy peaks of icing sugar (we’re talking three to four tablespoons of the stuff.) If you are ever lucky enough to travel to New Orleans to sample these traditional delights with a cafe au last, do yourself a favour and don’t wear dark clothes. You’ll be dusting the errant icing sugar off your clothes for days.

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Level: medium
Methods: enriched dough
Skills: deep-frying

Time: 2 1/2 hours
Makes: about a dozen

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Ingredients
350ml lukewarm water
100g caster sugar
1x 7g sachet of fast action yeast
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/4tsp salt
250g evaporated milk
800g bread flour
50g butter (room temperature)
Oil, for deep-frying
approx 250g icing sugar

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Method

1. Mix together the water, sugar, and yeast in a measuring jug. Set aside until the yeast has activated and the surface is frothy.

2. In another bowl, beat the eggs, salt and evaporated milk together. Then stir the egg mixture into the yeast mixture.

3. In a separate bowl, measure out the bread flour.

4. Add half of the flour to the yeast mixture and stir to combine, to make a thick batter.

5. Add the butter and continue to stir while adding the remaining flour, bit at at a time. The dough will be fairly sticky but don’t worry too much.

6.Remove the dough from the bowl, place onto a lightly floured surface and knead for around five minutes or until smooth and elastic. Only add more flour if the dough becomes unmanageable as we want a soft, springy dough.

7. Put the dough back into the bowl and cover with clinfilm or a towel. Allow it to rise in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

8. When the dough is ready, preheat the oil in a deep-fryer to 170°C.

9. Place the icing sugar in a large plastic sandwich bag and set aside.

10. Roll the dough out to about 1/4-inch thickness and cut into rectangles(2×3 inches is ideal).

11.Lower a couple of your beignets into the fryer and cook, flipping constantly, until they become a golden color (4-5 minutes). Cut open the first batch to check it is cooked through. If not, alter the temperature and cooking time accordingly.

12. After beignets are fried, drain them for a few seconds on paper towels, and then toss them into the bag of icing sugar. Hold the bag closed and shake to coat evenly.

13. When all of the beignets are cooked, top with more of the icing sugar and serve whilst still warm.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

When I arrived in Washington DC, I breathed a quiet, secret, sigh of relief. For DC, according to my research, was unique among my US destinations for not having any specific foods or cuisines associated with it. I guess that makes sense when you consider DC is a miniscule state all of its own and is nestled between two states with rich culinary traditions of their own. So I breathed that sigh of relief, knowing that I could probably be a proper tourist for the next few days and not have to think about this blog.

On my second day in the city, I was about to make my way back to the hotel, late one afternoon. I had pounded the pavements, visiting the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, White House, State Capitol and the brilliant (and free) Smithsonian museum. The sky had become overcast and rain looked inevitable. Then I turned the corner and stumbled upon a massive Food Fair, The Taste of DC… I couldn’t just ignore it, could I?

Immediately after entering the gates of the festival I encountered (and of course had to try) some seriously amazing Chocolate Chip cookies. This is an American staple, worthy of appearing in my section about the state capital, and one. we all know and love. The large, soft, chewy cookies studded with still molten chocolate chips are a treat everyone can enjoy. But don’t be tempted to buy them from those naff stalls housed in the local shopping centre. Make them yourself, they’re easy and taste so much better. I prefer a combination of both milk and dark chocolate. I find the dark chocolate tempers the sweetness and (best of all) stays melted for longer.

This recipe is one I have used at school with my students before and quite honestly has only been very slightly adapted from the original source. So it would be remiss of me not to give credit to the Hummingbird Bakery, whose wonderful cook book this recipe originally came from.

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Level: low
Methods: creaming
Skills: baking

Time: 30 minutes
Makes: 12 large cookies

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Ingredients
110g unsalted butter (room temperature)
175g light soft brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
200g plain flour
Pinch of salt
1tsp bicarbonate of soda
125g chocolate, roughly chopped (I use equal amounts of dark and milk chocolate)

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Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 170°C

2. Put the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl and cream together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy.

3. Add the eggs, mixing well and scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl.

4. Add the vanilla extract and stir through.

5. Add the flour, salt and bicarbanote of soda and mix well with a metal tablespoon until a smooth dough is formed.

6. Stir in the chopped chocolate.

7. Prepare two baking trays by lining with good baking parchment.

8. Arrange 6 equal mounds of cookie dough on each baking tray. Leave gaps between them as they will spread in the oven.

9. Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges.

10. Leave the cookies to cool slightly on the trays before turning out onto a wire cooking rack to cool completely

Bagels

With the cheesecake under my belt (both figuratively and literally), there was one more thing I needed to do. I have travelled to NYC twice prior to this current trip and have enjoyed many great American dining experiences; I had sampled the wares of many fast food joints; I had enjoyed pancakes, waffles and hash in quaint neon-lit, steel-lined diners; I had enjoyed buffalo wings and beer at many a dive bar; I had even enjoyed massive slices of NY pizza so greasy they made the paper plates they were served on transparent. But I had yet to eat at a classic Deli.

I typed a local favourite (Eisenbergs) into Google maps and off I went on my latest food pilgrimage. Entering the blink and you’ll miss it, narrow-plot, Jewish run deli was like taking a step back in time. Red faux leather stools lined the narrow bar and directly overlooked the massive flat-top grill that the chefs were working furiously at. Photos of previous owners, workers and quasi famous celebrities adorned the walls. This is what I had come for.

From the menu I selected two classics: a Pastrami on Rye and a Lox Bagel. The former was as decadent as I had hoped, lightly toasted rye bread filled to bursting point (we’re talking a half pound minimum) with warmed, spice crusted pastrami, sliced paper thin and accented with mustard. This is the kind of sandwich you travel for and to try and reproduce it for you here would be tough. I suspect most of you won’t brine your own meat for three weeks just to make a sandwich.

But equally memorable was the bagel, its golden domed surface, punctuated with sesame and poppy seeds. The bagel was split, buttered, then toasted and topped with cool smooth cream cheese and smokey, melt in your mouth smoked salmon. This is a dish that people can cook at home. Making bagels can be a timely process, but the results are outstanding if you follow the recipe closely

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Level: high
Methods: novel bread dough
Skills: boiling, baking

Time: 2-4 hours
Makes: 8 bagels

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Ingredients
400g strong bread flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp salt
7g sachet fast-action yeast
250ml warm water (from the tap)
3 tbsp clear honey
1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for greasing
1 free-range egg, beaten
1tbsp each of sesame seeds and poppy seeds

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Method

1. Sift the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, then add the yeast and mix well.

2. Measure the warm water into a measuring jug and then stir in 1tbsp of the honey and the oil.

3. Make a well in the centre of the flour and pour the liquid in gradually, bringing the dough together with your hands.

4. Turn the dough out onto a clean, dry and floured work surface. Start kneading the dough for approximately 10 minutes, or until the dough is firm and elastic.

5. Shape the dough into a large ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough in the oil to coat. Cover with cling film or a plastic bag and put in a warm, dry place for 1–3 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size.

6. Remove the dough from the bowl, then punch it down and knead it briefly. Divide into eight equal chunks.

7. Firmly roll out each piece into a long, thin sausage shape.

8. Bring the ends together to make a ring, sealing them closed with a small amount of water. Place onto a lightly greased and floured baking tray and repeat with the remaining the dough.

9. Cover and set aside to prove for a further 10–20 minutes.

10. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 220°C.

11. Add approximately two litres of water to a large saucepan and stir in the remaining 2tbsp of honey (this will help to give the bagels a shiny, golden crust.) Bring to a gentle simmer.

12. Gently drop each bagel into the water (do this in batches of two) and turn over after 1 minute. Simmer for another minute, then remove the bagels from the water, and drain.

13. Place the bagels on the prepared baking trays, spacing them apart.

14. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the assorted seeds.

15. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until golden-brown, then turn them upside down for a further 10 minutes to ensure an even bake.

16. Transfer to a wire rack to cool before serving.

17. When ready split and lightly toast the bagels before smearing on some cream cheese and lavishly garnishing with smoked salmon.

Lobster Rolls

It is customary for Bostonian Lobster Rolls to be served in large hotdogs buns. The pillow soft rolls can be toasted – providing the optimum contrast of both texture and temperature. For you see, the sweet and quivering tender lobster meat should always be served chilled and scantily coated by a fine, unobtrusive layer of good quality mayonnaise. The smallest amount of finely diced, barely-there celery, a squeeze of lemon and a twist of black pepper provide the only necessary seasoning for this New England classic.

The people of Boston are loathed to alter this time honoured sandwich and it’s easy to see why. Presenting the lobster in all this unadulterated glory is a a must, but throughout New England this perennial favourite can be served in a number of novel breads. My favourite is potato buns. These have a light internal crumb and a soft crust.

Lobster is horrifically expensive in the UK, so if you are fortunate enough to be able to provide one, this recipe is an ideal way to showcase it’s charms. Don’t be put of by its rustic appearance, fresh lobster in my home made potato buns, served with a delicious dressed side salad is as luxurious a dinner party meal as any other.

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Level: medium/high
Methods: enriched dough, seafood preparation
Skills: baking

Time: 2 hours +
Makes: 8 buns and enough filling for 4

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Ingredients
For the potato buns:
250g desiree potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2tbsp unsalted butter
275g bread flour
1tbsp sugar
2tsp fast-action yeast
1tsp salt
2 eggs (one for glazing)

For the filling:
400g lobster meat (or approx 4 tails or 2x 11/4 lb lobsters)
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
2tbsp fresh lemon juice
2–3tbsp mayonnaise
Freshly ground black pepper
2tbsp butter

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Method

1. Place the peeled, cubed potatoes into a medium saucepan and add water to cover.

2. Bring to the boil over a high heat; reduce to medium-low and simmer until the potatoes are cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Transfer 5 tablespoons of the potato water into a bowl and allow to cool. Then drain the potatoes in a colander.

4. Return potatoes to saucepan and place over low heat. Cook, shaking the pan occasionally, until any surface moisture has evaporated.

5. Mash the potatoes well with a potato ricer or traditional masher. Stir in butter until melted.

6. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Add the warm potato mixture and mix with your hands until combined (some smaller lumps are to be expected).

7. Add the egg and reserved potato water; bring together into a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.

8. Turn onto work surface and knead until smooth (4-5 minutes). Resist the urge to add too much extra flour, the dough needs to stay moist.

9. Place back in bowl and cover tightly with clingfilm. Allow to rise at room temperature until almost doubled in volume, 30 to 40 minutes.

10. Turn out dough onto counter, dusting with flour only if the dough is too sticky to handle. Evenly divide dough into 8 pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, form dough pieces into sausage shapes around 6 inches long. Cover and allow to rest 15 minutes.

11. Arrange the buns on a lightly greased and floured baking sheet. Cover loosely with and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled in size, 30 to 40 minutes.

12. Preheat oven to 210°C.

13. Glaze rolls GENTLY with egg wash.

14. Bake rolls until deep golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes, rotating the baking trays half way through cooking if your oven is uneven.

15. Remove from oven and transfer rolls to a wire racks to cool until needed. Four rolls can be reserved for another meal.

16. Prepare/cook lobster meat as per instructions. Then cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

17. When lobster is cool, mix it with the celery, lemon juice and mayonnaise in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Place in fridge until needed.

18. Heat a large frying pan over a medium heat. Split four of your buns lengthways and spread the flat sides with butter. Cook until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

19. Fill generously with lobster mixture.

Chicago-style Deep Dish Pizza

Chicago Style deep-dish pizza is legendary thanks to clever marketing on behalf of the food manufacturers. But most of us never get the chance to taste it in its original form as it is seldom, if ever, reproduced in an authentic manner. Deep Dish is not the same as deep pan or thick crust pizza, which ostensibly is just pizza with a thick base, because deep dish pizza is encapsulated by a raised, thin, pie like, biscuity-textured crust that is in a category all of its own.

Just how this dough is made is a closely guarded secret! Some suggest the texture is achieved by adding an inordinate amount of oil to the dough, whilst others believe the dough should be filled with butter via a method known as laminating. The deep dish I tried in Giordano’s (a Chicago mainstay) definitely had a buttery flaky texture, so I’m opting for the second method.

But what is clear is that the base is best made with good old plain flour, rather than the bread flour we are so accustomed to. The logic seems to be, that in order to create a short and flaky crust, the dough should only be kneaded for a very short time, meaning that the gluten has little time to develop. Ideal. So the reduced gluten content in the plain flour proves to be advantageous.

And remember this isn’t a Chicago-style pizza unless the toppings are plentiful and added to the pie in reverse order – the sauce goes on top!

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Level: high
Methods: laminated dough
Skills: sauteing, baking

Time: 2 1/2 hours
Makes: 1 9-inch pie (feeds 4)

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Ingredients
For the Dough:
225g plain flour
35g cornmeal
½tsp salt
1tsp sugar
7g pack of quick-action yeast
150ml water, room temperature
2tbsp olive oil
2tbsp unsalted butter, softened
extra oil for greasing

For the Sauce:
240g can San Marzano tomatoes
1 garlic clove, minced
25g grated onion
¼tsp salt
¼tsp dried thyme
1tbsp tomato puree
2tbsp coarsely chopped fresh basil
Freshly ground black pepper

For the Toppings:
150g fresh mozzarella cheese, torn
50g grated Cheddar cheese
25g grated parmesan cheese
50g each of pepperoni, finely diced onion, sliced green pepper and sliced mushrooms

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Method

1. Pour 150ml warm water into a measuring jug. Add the oil, yeast and sugar, then stir.

2. Combine the flour, cornmeal and salt in a large bowl.

3. Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl, a bit at a time, stirring with a table knife. When you have one ball of lightly tacky dough, turn out on to the work surface and knead for 2-3 minutes only.

4. Coat a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil and transfer the dough into the bowl. Cover the bowl with clingfilm of a tea towel and let the dough rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, 45 to 60 minutes.

5. While the dough rises, empty the tin of tomatoes into a bowl and crush the tomatoes with your hands, until most of the lumps are gone.

6. Stir in the garlic, onion, tomato puree, herbs and seasonings.

7. Prepare your toppings – you can even saute the vegetables for a few minutes to soften them.

8. Turn the dough out onto a dry work surface and roll into a rectangle (approximately 5×10 inches). Using a palette knife, spread the softened butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a 1cm border along the edges.

9. Starting at the short end, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. With seam side down, flatten the cylinder back into a rectangle.

10. Fold the third up, then the top third down to cover it (like folding a letter). Pinch the seams together and form into a ball. Return to the oiled bowl and leave to rise for another 30-40 minutes.

11. Meanwhile preheat the oven to around 220°C.

12. When the dough is doubled in size, grease a 9-inch round cake tin with a generous amount of olive oil.

13. Roll the dough out into a 13-inch circle. Transfer dough to the tin and lightly press against the edge of the tin, working into the corners. If the dough resists and begins shrinking back, let it relax for 5 minutes before trying again. The dough should come at least 1-2 inches up the side of your tin to capture all the oozing toppings.

14. Now spread your Cheddar over the base, then the mozzarella. Now top with the pepperoni and veg, before pouring over a generous portion of the sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan.

15. Bake until the crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Astarpungar (Icelandic Love Ball Doughnuts)

Raisin-studded Astarpungar

It has long been my theory that all the world’s cuisines share a great many methods and techniques that have resulted in similar products popping up all over the world. Astarpungar are the Icelandic equivalent of Doughnuts (or Gulab Jamun or Beignet or Churros or Caribbean dumplings). Whilst their older cousin, the Kleina, is more abundantly available in Icelandic cafes and supermarkets, it is this raisin studded variant, that I found more enjoyable and a darn sight easier to make.

These fried balls of sweetened dough are soft and fragrantly sweet beneath their golden crust. The best Astarpungar I tried in Iceland were delicately flavoured with cardamon, lemon and a hint of vanilla. Traditional recipes only really suggest the addition of the cardamon, but I believe a combination of the three gives a more complex flavour profile that is ultimately more satisfying to eat (apologies to the purists!)

Love Balls are leavened with baking powder as opposed to yeast, meaning there is no real need for proving. In fact the majority I tasted were fairly dense inside, so I am only resting the dough/batter for a short time.

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Level: medium
Methods: enriched dough/batter
Skills: deep-frying

Time: 45 min
Makes: around 24 Love Balls

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Ingredients
2 eggs
75g caster sugar
1/2tsp vanilla extract
1tsp lemon zest
220g plain flour
3tsp baking powder
1/2tsp salt
1/2tsp cardamom
190ml whole milk
50g raisins (soaked in warm water to plump up)

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Method

1. Whisk the eggs, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in a measuring jug. A fork will do for this job.

2. Sift the flour, baking powder, cardamom and salt together into a large mixing bowl.

3. Gradually add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring all the time. The mix will still be quite dry at this point.

4. Next, carefully add the milk, to make a thick batter-like dough that can almost hold its shape. You are unlikely to need all of the milk, so work slowly.

5. Fold in the plump, softened raisins. Rest the dough for ten minutes whilst preparing to fry.

6. Preheat a deep fat fryer to 180°C.

7. Use two spoons to shape the dough into crude balls shapes. You may use your hands to perfect the shapes, but use plenty of flour as the dough is sticky.

8. Fry the balls in batches of 6 for 3-4 min, or until they are a delicate golden brown and well puffed. Make sure you turn the balls several times during frying to cook evenly.
Tip: it is advisable to cut open your first Astarpungar, to check it is cooked through. If not, decrease the temperature to 170°C and cook for longer. Undercooked dough is unpleasant to eat and can cause an upset stomach.

9. Remove the balls with a slotted spoon and drain on absorbent kitchen paper.

10. Repeat until all of the dough is used up.