Chowder

Ingredients

Chowder, 4 portions.
In a pot medium heat
Extra virgin olive oil
Onion, medium.
Cook until translucent, five mins, salt slightly.
Diced garlic, 4 decent sized cloves,
Cook for two minutes.
Add 1 large carrot cut circular, halved,
4 potatoes in to smallish cubes,
Three Celery stalks cut length ways,
Cook for 15 mins with a lid stirring occasionally.
Lid off for the remainder.
Add a small bottle of white wine, (187ml) Pino Grigio is good,
Turn the heat to high,
Stir and deglaze the pot and cook off until it reduces, about 10 mins.
Back down to medium heat,
Add one fish stock cube in 200 -250ml of water and reduce, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add 750 – 1000ml of cream

Method

Cook for about 20 – 25 minutes until reduced a bit and thickened, cook time also dependant on the veg and potatos, you want the soft but still firm 😛
Usually around and inch reduction is what to look for, turn the heat down if bubbling like mad.
Add salt and white pepper to taste, gotta be white, usually ends up being a fair bit.
Then Add seafood of choice, I buy Salmon darnes. Salt and Pepper them and rest them 30 minutes at room temp then cut in big square chunks, skin on. You can also buy the mixed seafood packets instead and add prawns
Salmon darnes cut take 8 minutes to cook, prawns 5 to six minutes, the mixed seafood probably 6 also but check the back, they cook quicker submerged.
Add lemon juice bit by bit to taste, don’t add it all straight off the bat you don’t want to overdo it, Probably no more than 30mls I use.
Add a fair bit of cut fresh parsley and add cornflower stirred in cold water to the dish, a few spoonfuls, this thickens the texture, you don’t need too much, also do this bit by bit, until the consistency is what you want.
Everything I’ve written after the fish stage I recommend doing about two – three minutes before the fish is cooked.
Put that into a bowl, and serve with some crusty bread

Ingredients

Ingredients
Method

450g lean lamb mince
2 tablesp. rapeseed oil
1 large onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
100ml white wine or stock
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tablesp. tomato purée
1 teasp. ground cinnamon
½ teasp. allspice
A small bunch of fresh oregano or thyme leaves, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 large aubergines, cut into 1cm slices
500g cooked potatoes, peeled, sliced into 1cm slices – approximately 4 large potatoes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the White Sauce
75g butter
75g plain flour
500ml milk
50g mature cheddar cheese, finely grated
Pinch of finely grated nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten

To Serve

Greek Salad:

Chopped courgette, tomatoes, olives and cheese tossed in a little olive oil and lemon juice and seasoned with salt and black pepper.

Heat the oven to Gas Mark 4, 180°C, (350°F).

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan. Add in half the lamb and cook until browned. Remove to a plate and brown the remaining lamb. Remove it from the pan.

Add a little more oil then add the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat until softened. Pour in the wine or stock and bring to the boil.

Add back the browned lamb along with the tomatoes, tomato purée, cinnamon, all spice, oregano or thyme and bay leaf. Season with a little salt and black pepper. Bring back to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.

Meanwhile brush the aubergine slices with a tablespoon of oil. Heat a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook the aubergine, in batches for two minutes on each side. Transfer the slices as they cook to a large plate.

To make the white sauce: Melt the butter in a large saucepan and stir in the flour. Cook for a minute or two then gradually stir in the milk.

Add half the cheese and the grated nutmeg. Simmer the sauce gently for 4-5 minutes, stirring regularly. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Remove from the heat and allow to cool a little before stirring in the eggs.

To assemble the Moussaka

Spoon half the meat sauce into a large, shallow ovenproof dish – approximately 18cm x 26cm.

Cover with a layer of half the potatoes, followed by a layer of half the aubergine. Follow with the remaining meat, then potatoes, then aubergine.

Finish with the white sauce. Then sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Serve with the Greek Salad.