The Paper Chef - Paul's Entry

Ilva, from Lucullian delights, has resurrected a fun little monthly event: The Paper Chef, and yesterday’s unseasonably autumn weather was perfectly suited for the four ingredients selected- bacon, plum tomatoes, potatoes and swedes.

I bought all my ingredients (except the swede) from our local organic market- the tomatoes and bacon were both especially delicious. I did have trouble sourcing the swede. It is summer here, so that may explain the absence. Luckily Mike, was able to stumble on the elusive root, at the city markets.
My original idea was to make a soup, or a stew. Finally I added sausages to the mix and created my own version of Bangers and Mash. It was just the thing and the sausages and bacon added something different to our mostly vegetable based summer meals. I hope you like it.

Components.
400g fresh plum tomatoes, halved
2 garlic cloves, peeled
Extra virgin olive oil (fruity rather than peppery)
500g excellent quality sausages (I used miniature pork and veal ones)
A splash of red wine
250 swedes, cut into cubes (peeled weight
250g floury potatoes, cut into cubes (peeled weight)
Gruyere cheese, to taste
100ml cream (35% milk fat)
Sea salt
Fresh white pepper
2 slices bacon (organic is superior- no scary chemical additives)
Fresh chopped parsley

Process
Turn the oven to 180c. Place the tomatoes in a tray, cut side up. Drizzle over with olive oil and add the whole garlic cloves as well. Bake for about 20- 30 minutes or until cooked and slightly collapsed. Allow to cool and remove the skins. Roughly mash the tomatoes and garlic into a bowl.
Heat a little olive oil in a pan and brown the sausages for a few moments. Splash in the wine and cover the pan. Braise the sausages gently for 20minutes or until tender. Add the reserved tomato sauce and continue to simmer for a few moments more.
In the meantime, steam the potatoes and swede cubes separately. The swede will take twice as long as the potatoes. I lost count of the time, so judge for yourself. Pass the vegetables through a mouli to create a fine puree. Add the cream, gruyere, sea salt and white pepper. Heat gently, beating well to incorparate all the elements.
Grill the bacon until lightly brown and crisp.
Serve the sausages with the potato and swede puree, topped with crispy bacon. Sprinkle with parsley for the final touch.

Pumpkins and Soup

The cute and little pumpkins pictured here go by the name of Dumplings. I bought these, because I was seduced by their prettiness and small size (like me). They have a sweet nutty flavour and a texture which is more like a sweet potato than a pumpkin. The flesh of these pumpkins are a little too mild for soup, but they are divine when roasted with extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and black pepper.

I didn’t plan to write of pumpkin soup but this one was so lovely that I had to share the recipe. The caramelized onion, tomatoes and bacon make this soup special. Of course, if you are vegetarian you can leave out the bacon, but I think it does complete the dish.

The Laughing Cow cheese is there for a nostalgic fun, my mother would often add a spoonful of cream cheese to soups and stews when I was a little boy :)

Pumpkin and Tomato Soup

Ingredients
20g butter
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sticky brown sugar
1 rosemary sprig
1.5 kilo cubed pumpkin (cleaned weight)
400g tin Italian tomatoes, chopped
Beef stock, to cover (cubes are fine)
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
100g bacon, finely diced
Freshly grated Parmesan or Grana, to taste
Single portions of “Laughing Cow”, to serve

Method
Place the onion, rosemary, butter and olive oil into a soup pot. Turn the heat to the lowest setting and cook very gently for 30 minutes or until the onions are soft and caramelized. Discard the rosemary sprig.
Add the brown sugar and cook for 1 minute, watching the sugar does not burn.
Tumble in the pumpkin cubes and the tomatoes.
Add enough stock to barely cover and simmer for 30 minutes until the pumpkin is tender.
In the meantime, place the bacon with a few drops of olive oil into a small saucepan and over a low heat cook the bacon until brown and crispy. Drain the bacon on paper towels and discard the rendered fat in the saucepan.
Puree the soup using whatever gadget you possess. I like mine to have a bit of texture. Adjust the consistency with extra stock (if too thick).
When you are ready to eat, reheat the soup. Once the soup has boiled again, remove from the heat and season with the parmesan or grana, salt and pepper.
Serve the soup in deep bowls with a ½ cube of laughing cow cheese per serve and a sprinkling of crispy bacon.
You should get about 8 generous serves.

Wagyu and Whipped Horseradish Cream

I was curious to try the famous wagyu beef (literally “Japanese cattle”). My butcher has been offering this prime breed of beef and I must say I was impressed with the clean flavour and melt in the mouth texture of this divine Asian cow. For someone who does not really like beef (I find the taste of beef dirty), that is saying a lot. Actually, it was the best beef I have ever tasted and I think we will probably be eating more beef in my household as a result (we eat more kangaroo than any other red meat)
My butcher suggested that two minutes cooking each side was sufficient- I do not like being told what to do, so I cooked for one minute each side. And it was perfect.

Ingredients
2 wagyu porterhouse steaks
2 slices of premium smoked bacon
1 garlic clove, peeled
Olive oil
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper
A handful of rocket leaves

For the cream
100ml crème fraiche
1 tsp horseradish (from a jar, I will get around to trying the fresh stuff one day)
1 tsp of very finely chopped onion
Sea salt
Fresh black pepper

Method
Bring the steaks to room temperature and rub them with a touch of olive oil. Have ready two sheets of foil to wrap your steaks once you have seared them.
Heat a few drops of olive oil in a pan and cook the bacon slices until lightly browned on both sides. Remove them to the pieces of foil.
Add the garlic clove to the rendered bacon fat in the pan and cook until lightly golden.
Discard the garlic- it has done its job by lightly flavouring the fat in the pan.
Now you are ready to sear your “wagyu”.
The pan needs to be hot. Add the steaks and cook for one minute each side. They should brown nicely in this time. Be careful of overcooking this expensive meat-you will only end up with a pan of rendered beef fat and a dry piece of meat. It only needs to cook just long enough for all the gorgeous fat to just melt and seep through the flesh.
Place the steaks on top of the bacon slices, double wrap in the foil and place on a wooden board. Leave for 20 minutes. During this time the bacon will infuse its deep flavour throughout the beef.
In the meantime, prepare the horseradish cream. Mix together all the ingredients for the cream. Using a baby whisk, lightly whisk the cream. This will only take about 30 seconds. Refridgerate and set aside
Toss the rocket leaves with a touch of olive oil. (I hate it in restaurants when you are presented with a garnish of plain lettuce).
Scatter them other two plates and serve the steaks with the bacon underneath.
Season with a touch of salt and black pepper.
The horseradish cream is served as an accompaniment. Serves 2.