CHINESE SPICED PORK WITH PANCAKES

Last Sunday Pascal & I planned our perfect day - relax in bed, a scotch egg, sausage roll & wine in the pub and then a slow cooked meal at home, followed by reading the papers and a movie (we watched Prisoners with Hugh Jackman - very good but an annoying ending). Anyway I therefore needed to find a slow cooking recipe that we hadn't cooked before and wasn't a "roast" as I have a phobia against those. 

Pascal always wants me to cook the roast rack of pork with thyme and shallots again so I wanted to find something similar but different if you understand what I mean. Thankfully Lorraine Kelly (my not so secret obsession) came to the rescue when she had this Chinese Spiced Pork recipe on her show. Pascal loves peking duck pancakes and I was sure that this would be even better and I was not wrong!

Ingredients for 3-4 people:

2kg pork shoulder on the bone (I actually bought off the bone as it is easier to cut)
2 huge tbsp of sea salt
1 tsp of ground white pepper
2 tbsp oil
200ml light soy sauce (I used dark as that is what we have in the house)
4 tbsp soft brown sugar
3 star anise
2 cinnamon stick
10 thin slices of ginger
5 garlic cloves, lightly bruised with the flat of a knife
2 spring onions, chopped

To Serve:

Chinese pancakes (I actually just used tortillas as they were easier to buy and worked just as well)
Hoisin sauce
Spring onions, shredded
Cucumber, cut into batons

Preheat the oven to 220 C. Score the pork rind every 1cm with a very sharp blade, taking care not to cut through to the meat. 

Place the pork into a deep roasting tray and rub half the salt, the pepper and the oil into the rind. Sprinkle with the remaining salt. Roast for 20 minutes or until the skin is cracked. I made the mistake of using a ceramic dish - huge error as I burnt the sh*t out of it! Definitely use a roasting tin.

Remove from the oven and add the soy sauce, 200ml water, sugar, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic and spring onion to the tray.

Reduce the temperature to 180 C and cook for a further one hour forty minutes or until the pork is very tender. About 8 minutes before the pork is finished, cook the tortillas if you are using them, as they take about 6 minutes in the oven wrapped in a foil parcel (see packet for instructions).

Slice and serve with the pancakes, hoisin, cucumber and spring onion.

The recipe doesn't mention what you do with the sauce you cook the pork in - it is delicious and so you don't want to throw it away. I used it as an extra dipping sauce for the pancake rolls or just dipped the pork and crackling in it on it's own and it was delicious.

This was another hugely successful meal - using the tortillas kind of made it into a cross between a fajita, a peking duck roll and a roast. We both really enjoyed it and had plenty left over the next day which we ate in a salad. It is a fun alternative way to eat roast pork and I would definitely recommend it. Just make sure you have some napkins on hand as we found it got pretty messy although I am never shy with a sauce!!

PESTO, LAMB & SWEET POTATO SALAD

I was rushing around the other morning trying to find an easy recipe to cook for Arabella, Pascal & that I hadn't blogged about, wasn't unhealthy or fattening and was easy - not a simple feat when I only have five minutes to spare!!

Consequently the recipe was a great success however it is now a week later and I still haven't blogged about it…..sometimes I do not know where time goes. It is now half term and we are in France for the week, I am actually super happy to be here away from the constant rain and grey - I have never known such bad weather in England and feel terrible for all the flood victims. I read somewhere that all this rain means a hot summer but I have a feeling that is wishful thinking!!

Anyway this recipe is a Fay Ripley one that I have made a few alterations to and is good for both winter and summer (if we ever get there)!

Ingredients for 4 people:

500g sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped into bite size pieces
olive oil
200g green beans
500g lamb fillets
Fresh pesto (I bought a pot and it was about 150g)
A handful of baby plum or cherry tomatoes, chopped in half
A bag of baby spinach and rocket
4 finely chopped spring onions
75g pine kernels, toasted (roasted or dry fried but beware they go brown quickly)

Preheat the oven to 220 C / 200 C fan / gas mark 7. Put the the peeled and chopped sweet potato in a roasting tin or ceramic dish and drizzle with olive oil. Then put it in the oven for 30 minutes to roast.

Boil some water for the green beans as I find this always takes longer than I think.

Meanwhile fry or griddle your lamb fillets to taste, turning regularly. Fay says this takes about 15 minutes however it took me only 10.

While the lamb and sweet potatoes are cooking, cut up the spring onions and tomatoes.

Cook the green beans in the boiling water for just 3 minutes so they are crunchy, then drain and cool under running cold water.

Once the lamb is cooked, take it out the pan and wrap it in foil. You need to let it rest for a further 10 minutes.

I used this time to fry the pine kernels in the pan I had used for the lamb (I know it did have some oil in it but I couldn't be bothered to wash it up in between or use another one)!

Hopefully the lamb will be ready around the same time as the sweet potato give or take a few minutes (that is the beauty of this recipe, it doesn't matter if your timing is out). Slice the lamb into pieces.

Then mix all the ingredients together (including the salad) in a big bowl with the pot of pesto until all is covered.

Finally serve and enjoy - easy peasy!

We all loved it. I rarely cook with sweet potato, despite it being a superfood and loaded in vitamin A & C, potassium and calcium, so this is a great way to incorporate it into your diet. All the ingredients together compliment each other and taste delicious. If you are a vegetarian I am sure halloumi would work brilliantly instead of the lamb, I might even try it next time. I adore the pesto as a dressing as did Arabella, and although pesto pasta is her favourite (along with Pascal's carbonara), this comes a close second!

This is a great family supper but also would work well as a lunch or light supper with friends, as it is not difficult or time consuming….I would recommend giving it a go as I am sure everyone will like it!

BRINKLEY'S, CHELSEA

One of my favourite places to go for a girls' night out is Brinkley's on the Hollywood Road in Chelsea. Whenever I go I have so much fun that now my darling Pascal has banned me from going there without him as it always turns into a crazy crazy evening and last Friday night was no exception!!

Brinkley's is one of 6 restaurants owned by Mr Brinkley - there are a few tables outside, then it has a fantastic buzzy bar at the front and the restaurant is at the back, half of which is under a glass conservatory. I always ask for a table in the middle bit as then you can see everything that is going on (it is great for people watching). The menu is "modern contemporary international" and it includes dishes such as sashimi, oysters, deep fried brie and smoked salmon salad for starter. Mains range from spinach and ricotta ravioli, pork belly to a red thai curry and the puddings like chocolate brownie or hot toffee cake with vanilla ice cream are also excellent. It will be no surprise to you that I always have the same thing!

I have been a regular here for several years and before that I used to visit their sibling restaurant next door The Wine Galleries which is slightly cheaper - Pascal and I do still go there in the summer as it has a gorgeous walled garden. The main attraction of these restaurants is the very reasonably priced wine. They have a impressive selection and they are sold at retail prices rather than restaurant prices hence why I have "overdone it" here at times!!

Anyway this time I went with my gorgeous friends Fran and Laura. We firstly had a couple of G&Ts next door at The Hollywood - we then moved to Brinkley's and despite being only 8pm, the place was heaving. I didn't even have to look at the menu to know what I wanted - tuna and avocado tartare with capers, lemon, shallots and crostini. It is my favourite - I feel it needs a touch of salt but it is still absolutely delicious - really fresh and full of flavour. Laura had the same.

Fran had the burrata, prosciutto, grilled courgettes, red peppers, basil, chilli and lemon zest which she also said was incredible especially the creamy burrata - it certainly looked good.

For mains we all had the same - the Brinkley's burger with blue cheese, crispy onions, rocket and fries. This is actually one of my favourite burgers ever - I like the fact it is only on half the bun, there is plenty of blue cheese (you can have cheddar if you prefer) and then I adore the crispy onions. It is simple in that it has no extra sauces or salad in it and it works perfectly. The chips are also another favourite of mine - thin and salty! I would recommend it.

I obviously polished the plate off. 

It is impossible to leave Brinkley's without having a drink or two at the bar. The music is pumping, everybody is happy and in a good mood and so it is a great place to spend an evening. It is incredibly busy but that is part of the atmosphere - I have to say it makes me feel young again without having to go anywhere dreadful like a foam party (can you imagine the germs?!).

I don't know anyone who doesn't like Brinkley's - Hugh Grant is a regular and my favourite royals William and Kate used to pop in regularly when they were dating. However I don't think Kate got as carried away as my friends and I do as we certainly weren't looking as immaculate as she always does when we left!!!

Brinkley's

47 Hollywood Road
London
SW10 9HX
Tel: 020 7351 1683
Email: brinkleys@brinkleys.com

BRASSERIE ZEDEL, PICCADILLY

When I booked Brasserie Zedel (another by Corbin & King), I maybe should have paid more attention to the website as I was completely shocked when I arrived - the restaurant is so not what I was expecting. I thought Brasserie Zedel would be very similar to its sister restaurants such as Colbert, The Wolseley and my own personal favourite The Delaunay (Review here) however it had a completely different atmosphere and was absolutely HUGE!

You walk in through The ZL Cafe and then you go downstairs and there is The Bar American (a classic art deco American bar), Le Crazy Coqs (a cabaret and performance venue) and then there is the Brasserie Zedel - the biggest restaurant I have ever seen! I felt like I was in a dining room on a cruise ship.

We were late for our reservation as our taxi had been delayed so we were told we would only have the table for an hour and a half - I hate it when restaurants do this especially as I had phoned to let them know and the restaurant was so enormous - surely they can't have that many reservations coming in at nearly 10pm.

Anyway we were shown to our seats and we ordered some drinks - a Ricard for Pascal and a g&t for me. They arrived very promptly with the most gorgeous warm fresh bread and salty butter. The menu was jam packed and despite having studied it before I came I was still undecided (menu) - there were so many different starters I wanted. I couldn't decide between the Quiche Lorraine, Pate de Campagne Maison, Crabe Mayonnaise, Tartare de Saumon - it all sounded too good.

I ended up for for snails in parsley butter.

These were OK, chunky snails with lots of butter however they were not the best. I was disappointed, I did add some salt which helped but I was expecting more.

My second shock of the evening was that Pascal ordered a fish based starter and fish for main. Never in 5 years has he done this!!

He ordered Soupe de Poisson et sa Rouille which he did enjoy although I found it full of pepper.

For mains I had the Steak Hache, Sauce au Poirve et Frites. This was nice, cooked medium rare and a delicious sauce. The chips were my favourite kind, thin, crispy and salty and were perfect to dip in the sauce - I was even kind enough to share a couple with Pascal!

We shared the Epinards a la Creme which was very good, you could really taste the hint of nutmeg. I could have easily just had one to myself.

Pascal ordered Dourade au Four en Croute de Sel with Lyonniase Potatoes. The potatoes were cooked inside the fish and as before he really enjoyed it - I was too busy with mine to have a bite plus still in shock that he had ordered fish.

We were tempted to order the cheese plate to share as it had a great selection, plus the bread was so soft and warm but we were both too full and tired. We ended up just paying the bill and heading home - all done and dusted in just over an hour.

We were both satisfied and enjoyed the meal however it was not amazing. Service was good, the food was nice but it wasn't memorable and did not live up to it's "sisters" standards. If I was in the area and I didn't have anywhere booked I would happily go there again but I wouldn't make the effort to reserve a table etc….there are many other better restaurants in the area such as Polpo or Bob Bob Ricard.

I think it is better for lunch or pre / post theatre - one thing that does have to be mentioned though are the prices, it is extremely extremely reasonable which is very rare in the West End!

Brasserie Zedel

20 Sherwood Street
London
W1F 7ED
Tel: 0207 734 4888
Email: reservations@brasseriezedel.com

PASCAL'S PASTA CARBONARA

Pascal's pasta carbonara is Arabella's favourite - she would eat it all day everyday if she could and as would Pascal to be honest! So when Pascal suggested he cook it tonight, I didn't really have a choice….not that I minded too much as it is delicious.

Pascal's eyes are far bigger than his stomach and so he always overcooks  - we cooked the below for 3, we all had seconds and we have two portions left over to freeze for Arabella! Therefore I would say this amount would easily feed a family of 5.

Ingredients for around 5 people (depending how piglet you are):

500g pasta (whatever shape you prefer - Pascal likes big shapes, I prefer spaghetti, Arabella always wants fusilli - guess who won?!)
600g lardons
400g-500g creme fraiche (I buy half fat, Pascal doesn't like too much cream so he adds it bit by bit)
Parmesan / Grated Cheese
5 egg yolks (depending on how many you are cooking for)

First things first, boil some water for the pasta as this always seems to take the longest and don't forget to salt the water (it makes the pasta taste so much better). If you are using dried pasta it will take longer, about 10 minutes to be al dente, whereas fresh only takes about 4 minutes. I used dried so I put this on first and then started frying the lardons.

Pour the creme fraiche into a saucepan and add a generous amount of pepper, and then heat over a low heat.

I then used this time to separate the egg yolks and chop the Parmesan.

If you are using fresh pasta, put it on now.

Once everything has cooked, immediately drain the pasta and then mix it together in the pan with the lardons and creme fraiche.

Finally serve with an egg yolk mixed in and a sprinkling (or handful) of cheese - couldn't be simpler - and eat asap!!

As I mentioned earlier we all had seconds so it obviously went down extremely well. Arabella was even the dinner winner which never happens. Pascal has cooked this for us as a family and for friends as well and it always works very well and is absolutely delicious considering how simple it is. We often talk about adding mushrooms, but never do as it would break Arabella's heart, but I am sure it would be a delicious addition. 

FENG SUSHI, FULHAM ROAD

I said in a previous blog that I never order take aways and now I have had two in a month. My first Chosen Bun was delicious but this time I went for something a little healthier - sushi. We only have Yo Sushi in Fulham Broadway which I don't really rate and so if I have a craving I have to either nip up to Itsu or order in from Feng Sushi.

Feng Sushi has 8 sushi delivery branches across London serving delicious sushi rolls and Japanese food at good value and the ingredients are all incredibly fresh and MSC certified. You can eat inside their restaurant or they pretty much deliver all over London.

The menu is varied (Menu) - you can order starters such as edamame, soups and salads, maki rolls, hand rolls, nigiri, bento boxes and hot dishes such as tempura or katsu curry. The choice is immense.

Ordering is simple - you can do it over the phone or online and delivery is usually about 45 minutes. Pretty slow compared to some companies so you need to be organised!!

Being a creature of habit I always order my favourite - the tempura tuna rolls with tuna, spring onion, cream cheese and kimchee sauce. These are incredible - I eat them all and don't even want to share one - I wish they served these in all Japanese restaurants, I cannot recommend them enough!

I then vary what else I order - sometimes tuna tartar or black pepper and sesame tuna tataki and other times a Japanese bento box which is what I had here. It is a great selection so you get a little bit of everything - tuna and salmon sashimi, tuna and salmon nigiri, a couple of pieces of vegetable tempura and two nippon "mock duck" which is inari, spring onion, cucumber and hoisin sauce in pancakes.

It was all delicious and such fresh top quality ingredients. Even though I didn't need it, I also had a miso soup, it comes just as a paste in the cup and you add hot water.

It is a perfect accompaniment.

This really is fantastic take away sushi, great fresh ingredients, delicious combinations and plenty of choice. It is my number one take away, perfect for just you or for a group of friends. I want it again now!! Plus a little tip, sign up for their offers as they email great discounts on a Wednesday and a Sunday.

Feng Sushi

218 Fulham Road

London

SW10 9NB

Tel: 020 7795 1900