South African Prawn Curry

The cuisine of South Africa is often referred to as “rainbow cuisine” as it has had a variety of multicultural sources and stages.  Following our safari adventure we decided to share some flavours of this incredible country with our readers.  I could probably write an entire novel about why I love South Africa.  A world in one country, full of natural beauty and breathtaking landscapes.  No where else on the planet can match the great Kruger National park.

The overwhelming range of different seafood dishes in South Africa and the straight from the sea freshness has become legendary.  This recipe might look like a lot of ingredients, but if you measure them first, it’s an easy, one pan job.  Instead of your typical chicken curry, try this delicious South African dish for an unforgettable curry night.

Serves 4

Ingredients

Olive oil

400g shelled prawns

1 tin chopped tomatoes

I tsp ground ginger

2 garlic cloves chopped finely

6 curry leaves

125ml chicken stock

1 red onion chopped finely

1 large green chili chopped finely

70g tomato puree

1 tsp ground coriander

1 tsp curry powder

250g long grain white rice.

Preparation Method

1) Heat a glug of olive oil in a pan (medium heat).

2) Saute onion and garlic until soft and translucent (reduce to low).

3) Add the chilli and curry leaves.

4) Add the ginger, ground coriander and curry powder.

5) Cook for a minute.

6) Add the tomato puree and chopped tomatoes.

7) Simmer for 3 minutes.

8) Pour in the chicken stock.

9) Reduce over a low heat to half the volume.

10) Season with salt and pepper.

11) Add the prawns

12) Cook for approximately 3-5 minutes.

13) Garnish with coriander.

14) Serve with long grain white rice.

SurreyKitchen on holiday!

SurreyKitchen just wanted to let our readers know that we are off on holiday for two weeks.  Miles has been sitting on our cases for the past two days with a very sad look on his face as he knows he is off to the cattery shortly.  We hope to bring you back some South African and Mauritian recipes from our travels in early May.  Happy holidays!

Lamb and Asparagus Risotto

Risotto would be my desert island dish.  According to this bizarre food game I invented to quell the boredom of the cold British weather one evening, a dessert island dish is the one dish you would have to eat everyday for the rest of your life.  My husband would probably say marmite even though I don’t believe that counts as a dish.  Once I made so much turkey risotto from the leftovers of our Christmas turkey that I did live on  risotto for about a week with my husband breaking and reaching for the marmite by day two.  So all in all I can safely say risotto would be my desert island dish.

This luscious risotto is a tasty and healthy way to use up leftover roast lamb.  An impressive spring dish that can be complimented by combining with seasonal British asparagus.  Asparagus is one of the most nutritionally well-balanced vegetables in existence, and the leading supplier of folic acid.

Delicious and easy to prepare, it is perfect for a weekday supper, or a relaxing dinner with friends.  Elegant, without being complex, it is the ultimate comfort food, rich filling and nourishing.

SurreyKitchen would be keen to know what you would choose as your dessert island dish!

Ingredients

Serves 2

1 cup Aborio rice

1 cup cooked, diced lamb roast

Olive oil

1 pint lamb stock

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

1 red onion finely chopped

2-3 Asparagus stalks chopped

3 mushrooms chopped

A handful of fresh/frozen peas

A dash of red wine

A pinch of mixed dried herbs

Black pepper to season

Preparation Method

1) Add two lamb stock cubes to a jug and pour in a pint of boiling hot water from the kettle. Stir and set to one side.

2) In a risotto pan or skillet, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until the onion becomes tender.  Add the rice and stir to coat.

3) Pour one fifth of the stock over the rice.  Cook until the liquid is absorbed.  Continue adding stock a little at a time, allowing it to be absorbed before adding more.  Cook until one fifth of the stock remains.  The rice should be al dente and it should take about 20-25 minutes.  Season with herbs and pepper.

4) Add a splash of red wine and the remaining vegetables.  Stir thoroughly.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes.

5) Mix in the lamb and remaining stock.  Heat through, about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from heat and serve immediately.  Delicious with a glass of good quality red wine!

 

Roast Lamb with Garlic and Rosemary.

There is nothing more delicious than a traditional roast lamb dinner.  The perfect antidote to the freezing British weather.  This roast lamb recipe is even more mouthwatering because the lamb is studded with it’s classic companions, garlic and rosemary, for a fantastic flavour. It is an easy and simple recipe that can be used to impress at a family gathering or dinner party.  A dish that will never go out of fashion.  Serve with baby carrots and seasonal asparagus for a meal that will remind you its Spring despite the cold weather. Serves 6 Ingredients Lamb 1 good quality leg of lamb (1.5kg) 3 large cloves garlic thinly sliced 2-3 large stems of fresh rosemary cut into 24 sprigs Fresh black pepper to season Vegetables + Gravy 6 large potatoes 24 baby carrots 12 asparagus spears Lamb stock cube Olive oil Mint sauce Preparation Method Roast Lamb 1) Preheat oven to gas mark 5, 375F or 190C. 2) Make 24 small deep cuts into the skin of the lamb with a sharp knife.  Then push a slice of garlic and a sprig of rosemary into each cut, and season the meat generously with fresh black pepper. 3) Cover the lamb joint loosely with foil and cook in the oven on a high shelf for 1.5hrs.  After this remove the foil and cook for another 1/2 hr. 4) Remove from oven, cover loosely with foil again and allow to rest for twenty minutes. 5) Carve and serve with roast potatoes, baby carrots, asparagus, gravy and mint sauce.  Delicious! Roast Potatoes 1) Peel six large potatoes and slice each one into quarters.  Place in a pan and cover potatoes with water.  Bring to the boil and add a little salt.  Simmer for approx 20mins or until potatoes are tender. 2) Add a large glug of olive oil to a roasting tin and heat in oven.  When oil is hot drain potatoes and place in roasting tin.  Turn oven up to 200C or gas mark 6 and cook potatoes for 20-30 minutes until crispy on the outside. 3) Remove from oven and leave to cool for five minutes and then serve with lamb. Vegetables 1) Bring a pan of water to the boil.  Place 24 baby carrots in the pan and simmer for 20 minutes or until carrots are tender.  Drain and serve with lamb. 2) Ten minutes before serving bring a second pan of water to the boil.  Add 12 asparagus spears to the pan and simmer for ten minutes or until asparagus is tender.  Drain and serve with lamb. Gravy 1) Drain the juices from the lamb when you remove from oven.  Pour into a saucepan and reduce then keep warm over a low heat.  Stir in a lamb stock cube then stand to cool for five minutes before serving.

Blueberry cake with cream cheese frosting.

I was asked to make a cake for my fathers 60th birthday party last saturday so I needed to come up with something impressive.  My dad likes sponge, fresh fruit and icing that isn’t too sweet.  I’m going through a bit of a love affair with cream cheese icing as it is slightly healthier but just as tasty as more traditional icing.  Well I am pleased to say this cake was a hit and one guest even wrote a thank you note to my mother mentioning how delicious Emma’s cake was.  (Take the praise where you can get it I say!).  The blueberries in this recipe will burst in your mouth as you bite into a mouth-watering sponge.  This cake is worthy of any celebration, but also makes a wonderful afternoon treat with a cup of tea or a delicious dessert.

Cuts into 10 slices

Ingredients

175g butter

175g caster sugar

225g self raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

142ml soured cream

3 x 125g punnets blueberries

Cream cheese frosting

200g tub cream cheese

2 tbsp icing sugar

Preparation Method

1) Preheat oven to fan 160C/180C/gas 4 and butter and line the base of a loose-based 22cm round cake tin with non stick baking paper.

2) Place the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and vanilla in a bowl.  Beat with a wooden spoon until lighter in colour and well mixed.  Mix in 4 tbsp soured cream, then stir in half the blueberries with a large spoon.  To prevent blueberries from sinking while baking lightly cover with flour before adding to the mix.

3) Tip the mixture into the tin and spread it level.  Bake for 50-60 minutes until the cake has risen and springs back when lightly pressed.  Set aside to cool, then take out of the tin and peel off the paper.  Leave to finish cooling on a wire rack.

4) To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese with the icing sugar in a bowl until smooth. Spread over the top of the cooled cake and scatter with the remaining blueberries.  The cake will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.  Delicious!

Barmbrack

Yesterday was St Patrick’s day and like any self respecting person with Irish blood flowing through their veins I was in the pub.  So in true Irish tradition this post comes to you a day late.  Bambrack often shortened to Brac is a cross between a bread and a cake, best served with lashings of butter and a cup of tea.  Brambrack is traditionally eaten at Halloween but is too delicious to save for just once a year.  A beautiful loaf, packed with flavour from the mixed spice and dried fruit, which has sat in cold tea and whiskey overnight to soak up all the goodness.  Perfect for an afternoon treat or as part of your St Patrick’s Day celebrations.  La sona st Padraig!  

Ingredients

375g (13oz) mixed dried fruit

250 ml (9fl oz) cold tea

50 ml (2fl oz) whiskey

2 tsp baking powder

225 g (8oz) plain flour

125 g (4.5 oz) soft light brown sugar

1/2 tsp mixed spice

1 large egg

butter for greasing

Preparation Method

1) Place the dried fruit in a bowl and pour over the whiskey and cold tea.  Allow the fruit to soak up the liquid overnight.

2) Preheat the oven to 170C (235F/Gas 3).  Grease and line a 900g (2lb) loaf tin.

3) Combine the baking powder, flour, sugar and mixed spice in a bowl.  Make a well and break in the egg, then stir in with the dry ingredients.  Add a little bit of the liquid from the mixed fruit and combine.  You may not need all the liquid, you are aiming for a wet dough.

4) Stir in the mixed fruit until everything is thoroughly combined.  Spoon the wet dough into the lined loaf tin, place on the middle shelf and bake for 1hour.

5) Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before removing from the loaf tin and placing on the wire rack.  Serve in slices with butter and a cup of tea.  Delicious!

Tagliatelle with crab, cherry tomatoes, garlic and chilli.

If you want a super-speedy yet stylish supper that can be on the table in less than twenty minutes then look no further.  This is a healthy dish full of punchy fresh flavours.  I have used tinned crab meat in this recipe but you could use fresh crab meat if you prefer. If like me you are a lover of sea food you could experiment by making the same recipe with clams or prawns.  A dish that will wow your guests and bring a little sun and sea to any dinner party.

Serves 4

Ingredients

200 ml olive oil

A tin of good quality crab meat (170g)

3 cloves garlic finely chopped

0.5 red chilli finely chopped

salt and pepper to season

1 tbsp flat leaf parsley to season

1 squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Preparation Method

1) Pour olive oil into a deep, heavy based frying pan and heat.

2) Add the garlic and chilli and allow to infuse for 2 minutes or so.

3) Stir in the cherry tomatoes and simmer for 10 minutes, until they start to soften and the olive oil is a golden orange.

4) Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil.  Add a dash of olive oil and the tagliatelle.  Cook for 3 minutes until al dente, drain and return to the saucepan.

5) Stir the crab meat into the tomato mixture and cook briefly until warmed through.  season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

6) Add the tagliatelle to the sauce and combine.  Stir off the heat for 1-2 minutes.  Add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and the parsley and serve at once.  Delicious with a glass of crisp white wine.