Chicken jambalaya / How to Make Chicken jambalaya

Traditional Meat Paella / How to Make Meat Paella

Beef Wellington

Ingredients

For mushroom duxelles:
1 pound cremini mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper



For herb crepe:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons chives, minced
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons butter, melted, plus more if needed for pans

For beef Wellington:
2 pounds filet mignon
Salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup whole-grain Dijon mustard
1/2 pound prosciutto di Parma
1 sheet puff pastry, thawed
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon whole milk

Directions

    To make mushroom duxelles: Add mushrooms to a food processor and process until completely smooth. The consistency is similar to wet hummus.
    In a pan over medium heat, add mushroom paste, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Spread the mixture evenly over the surface and cook on a medium-low heat until the moisture in the paste has reduced and the mixture has the consistency of a spreadable pâté. Remove from heat and let cool.
    To make herb crepes: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, eggs, sugar, salt, and chives. Whisk in milk, water, and 1 tablespoon of melted butter, until smooth and emulsified.
    Heat a crepe pan or large skillet over medium heat. Add remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Add 1/4 cup of the batter. Rotate pan in a circular motion over the heat to completely cover the surface with the batter. The edges of the crepe will begin to curl slightly as the crepe cooks. Cook for approximately 45 to 60 seconds, then flip crepe to cook the other side. Each side should be a pale golden brown. Remove from heat. Add more butter if needed to the pan and repeat process with the remaining batter. Set crepes aside.
    Preheat the oven to 400º F.
    To make steaks: Pat filet mignon dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and black pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke, add the filet mignon and brown from 1 to 2 minutes on all sides. You want to create a nice sear on the outside of the steak but leave the inside raw. Remove from heat and place on a cutting board to cool.
    Cover cooled filet with Dijon mustard.
    To roll the beef Wellingtons: On a cutting board, lay out a long piece of plastic wrap. In the middle of the wrap, lay out a crepe. Spread mushroom duxelles over the crepe. Lay out the prosciutto on top of the duxelles. Place filet in the center of the crepe and gently wrap the crepe around the filet. Trim off any excess and use the plastic wrap to tightly wrap the steak.
    Lay out a clean, long piece of plastic wrap. Gently roll out puff pastry until it is a 1/4-inch thin. Place the wrapped steak on one end of the puff pastry and wrap. Pinch the ends closed and trim off any excess puff pastry. Use the plastic wrap to tightly seal the puff pastry. Pop it in the fridge for about 5 minutes to let it firm up again.

    In a bowl, mix together egg yolk and milk.
    Place a sheet of parchment paper or aluminum foil on a baking sheet. Remove Wellington from fridge, remove the plastic wrap, and lay the Wellington seam-side down on the baking sheet. Baste the top of the puff pastry with the egg wash and bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until the internal temperature of the steak reaches 125º F, or to whatever temperature you prefer your steak.
    Remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into medallions. Serve warm.

Beef Bourguignon - French recipe

Ingredients

2 lb (900 g) braising steak, cut into 2 inch (5 cm) squares
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, sliced
1 heaped tablespoon plain flour
15 fl oz (425 ml) red Burgundy (or other red w ine or dry cider)
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
12 oz (350 g) shallots
2 x 130 g packs cubetti pancetta or 225 g smoked or unsmoked streaky bacon, bought in one
piece, then cut into cubes
4 oz (110 g) dark-gilled mushrooms, cut into chunks
salt and freshly milled black pepper
Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275°F (140°C).

Equipment

You will also need a large ovenproof casserole or lidded pan.

Method

Bring 1¼ tablespoons of the oil to sizzling point in the casserole or pan and sear the beef, a few pieces at a time, to a rich, dark brow n on all
sides.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a plate as it brow ns.Next add the sliced onion to the casserole and brow n that a little too.
Now return the meat to the casserole or pan and sprinkle in the flour, stirring round to soak up all the juices. Then gradually pour in the
Burgundy, again stirring all the time.
Add the chopped garlic, herbs and seasoning, put the lid on and cook very gently on top of the stove (if the heat is not low enough, use a
diffuser). Or transfer to the oven – either w ay it w ill take 2 hours.
Then, using a bit more olive oil, fry the shallots and bacon in a small frying pan to colour them lightly. Add to the casserole, together w ith the
mushrooms, then put the lid on and cook for a further hour.
The French accompaniment of potatoes boulangères and green salad w ould be good w ith this, or else tiny new potatoes and ratatouille.

Home-made beef gravy

Ingredients

Beef trimmings, including offal such as kidney, liver, heart, etc.
1 onion, cut in half, one half chopped finely
8 black peppercorns
Handful of parsley leaves and stems
1 teaspoon of beef dripping or butter
1 tables spoon of plain flour
Gravy browning (optional)
sea salt to taste

Method

Place the meat trimmings, half of the onion, the peppercorns, parsley and a pint of water
Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour
Remove from the heat and strain the stock into a separate bowl
In the same pan, melt the dripping and fry the chopped half of the onion until it is nicely browned
Stir in the flour and mix well
Little by little add the stock, stirring as you go
Add a little gravy browning if needed
Season to taste and serve immediately

Branston pickle recipe

Ingredients

250 g carrots, peeled
3 small white turnips, peeled
10 big cloves of Garlic, peeled and crushed
1 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 cup prunes, chopped
1 cup raisins
1 medium cauliflower
2 large onions, peeled
2 apples, peeled and cored
2 courgettes, unpeeled
15 small cocktail gherkins, see Chef's notes
225 g dark muscovado sugar, brown sugar or jaggery
1 teaspoon sea salt
60 ml lemon juice
350 ml cider vinegar
200 ml Malt vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons black mustard seeds
4 small dried Chile de Árbol powdered in a coffee grinder or 1 scant tablespoon of mustard powder (see recipe notes)
1 heaped teaspoon ground allspice
A big grind of black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons of caramel colouring - see comments page
1 tablespoon of arrowroot powder

Mise en place

Chop all of the ingredients into 2.5 mm (1/8”) cubes. This is a job for your mandoline if you have one. A good one will slice and julienne in one go.

Method

In a large pan, mix all of the ingredients apart from the colouring and the thickening. Don't be concerned that there appears to be very little liquid at the start. It doesn't take long for the mixture to amalgamate.

Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer for about 1.5 to 2 hours or until the harder ingredients, like the turnips, have softened to your liking.

Take a ladle or so of vinegar from the pan and add to a small bowl containing the arrowroot and mix to a paste, then return it to the pan. Add the caramel colouring and mix well. Stir and cook for 5 minutes more then remove from the heat and allow to cool properly.

Bottle in sterilised jars, leaving for a month to mature in a cool, dark place.