BREAKFAST 102

PANCAKES

3 Tablespoons Flour

Half Cup Milk

1 Egg (Separate the Yolk and the White)

1 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Olive Oil for Frying

For the Sugar Syrup:

3 Tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 Cinnamon Stick

1 Star Anise

2 Tablespoons Water

In a bowl add three tablespoons of flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, the yolk of one egg and half a cup of milk and mix well till you end up with a smooth batter. The batter need not be too runny.

In another bowl whisk the white of the egg from which the yolk was separated till it fluffs up and becomes stiff. This may take some time but the effort pays off. Once that is done gently fold it into the pancake batter. Ladle the mixture into a frying pan with some olive oil and fry till both sides are cooked well and slightly coloured.

In a pan on medium heat add three tablespoons of brown sugar and a bit of water. Throw in a cinnamon stick and a star anise for flavour and aroma. The water will eventually evaporate leaving behind awesome sugar syrup to serve with the pancakes. 

CREPES

1 Egg

2 Tablespoons Flour

Half Cup Milk

Olive Oil for Frying

In a bowl beat an egg and divide it into two portions (only half an egg is required to make a couple of large crepes). To the beaten egg add two tablespoons of flour and mix well. Then add milk, a little at a time, stirring continuously to get rid of all lumps. Add just about enough milk so as to make sure the batter is not too thick and not too runny at the same time.

In a pan heat some olive oil and add some of the batter to the pan. Swirl the pan around so that the batter spreads evenly and a decent circular shape is achieved. Let the batter cook under constant surveillance and then flip the crepe so that both sides are nicely cooked.

Strawberry Syrup: Fresh strawberries can be used although canned ones are more convenient. Add a heaping tablespoon of the canned strawberries to a pan with the liquid, and a tablespoon of sugar and heat till the liquid reduces and starts to thicken. Add in a cinnamon stick and some cloves. Keep the heat going till the syrup is nice and thick and then pour over the crepes.

Chocolate Syrup: In a pan melt some cooking chocolate with a knob of butter. Keep stirring and control the heat as chocolate has a tendency to burn very quickly. Add some milk to loosen the melted chocolate and then when the chocolate is smooth and velvety, pour over the crepes.

POTATO AND CARROT ROSTI, POACHED EGG AND STEAMED VEGETABLES WITH ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

POTATO AND CARROT ROSTI, POACHED EGG AND STEAMED VEGETABLES WITH ESPAGNOLE SAUCE

2 Potatoes

1 Carrot

1 Teaspoon Cumin Powder

1 Teaspoon Chili Powder

1 Teaspoon Flour

Assorted Vegetables (Green Beans, Carrots, Asparagus etc)

1 Egg

Butter for Sautéing

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Olive Oil for Frying

For the rosti, grate a couple of medium sized potatoes and a carrot. Get rid of all the moisture from the grated potatoes and carrot by squeezing it through a tea towel or muslin cloth. This will allow the rosti to crisp up while it is being fried. Too much moisture will create steam in the frying pan and thus the rosti will braise and not fry. Transfer the contents to a bowl and to it add a teaspoon of cumin powder, a teaspoon of chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste. To bind it all together, add a teaspoon of flour. Mix all the ingredients well and shape into a decent sized circular patti. Depending on the size of potatoes used, you may be able to get two patties out of the mixture. Work the patti on the palm of your hand and flatten it to a thickness of roughly half an inch. If it is too thick you run the risk of browning the exterior while leaving it raw in the middle. In a pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and gently place the rosti in the center. Leave it to fry on a low heat till the base is nicely coloured. After giving it roughly four minutes on one side, flip it over, just like a burger, and get it to colour on the other side too. Once that is done you can pop it in the oven for another five minutes just to ensure it is cooked all the way to the center. When done leave it aside and move on to the rest of the elements of the dish.

For the steamed vegetables you can use whatever you fancy. Green beans and carrots are used in this recipe, but asparagus, baby corn, spinach etc also work really well. Secure a steam basket over a pot of boiling water and place the chopped vegetables in it. Steam the vegetables for not more than a minute, as they will be sautéed in butter later on just before serving.

The poached egg is a bit technical. Fill a deep pan with water and bring it to a simmer while on the heat. As soon as the water starts to simmer, but not boil, crack open an egg into the water. Let the egg sit in the simmering water, occasionally swirling the water so that the egg white somewhat envelopes the yolk. Do so gently as you do not want to damage the egg while it is in the water. Let the egg sit on the water for roughly eight minutes. The idea is to have the yolk runny, but if you prefer a firmer yolk then leave it in for a couple of minutes more. Using a deep spoon remove the egg and set it aside.

In a pan melt a knob of butter and toss in the steamed vegetables. Sauté the vegetables for a couple of minutes and finish it off with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Secure the rosti in the center of the plate and carefully place the poached egg on top of it. Ladle a generous helping of the espagnole sauce over the egg and serve with the vegetables. (For Espagnole Sauce, refer to blog post: ESPAGNOLE SAUCE, 16^TH FEBURARY 2012)

THAI-101

When it comes down to Thai cooking, preparation is key. It is very similar to Chinese food when it comes down to execution. Hardly any cooking time is involved and dishes are ready in a matter of minutes. Once all the vegetables are chopped and the rest of the ingredients are at hand, you are just a stir fry away from a complete dish.

1. RAW PAPAYA SALAD (SOM TAM)

Finely grate the raw papaya and set aside. Then take a couple of tomatoes and quarter them. Once the tomatoes are out of the way julienne a couple of spring onions, and then do the same with a cucumber. Bean sprouts will go into the salad they way they are. Transfer all the vegetables to a bowl and set aside.

Every salad needs a dressing and this one is no different. In a pan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. As the oil starts to heat up, add in around four finely chopped cloves of garlic. When the garlic turns slightly brown add a couple of tablespoons of soya sauce, a splash of fish sauce and the juice of one lime. Cook for about thirty seconds and then add in a tablespoon of brown sugar and finally a teaspoon of chilli flakes, or more depending on how much spice is preferred. Texture in the form of roasted peanuts, ground or chopped, can be added to the salad, but it is optional.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad just before serving. Raw papaya has absolutely no taste to begin with and that is why it works very well because it acts as a sponge, soaking up all the flavours of the dressing. Add a handful of fresh coriander and basil right at the end. The salad can be served as an appetizer or along with the main course.

2. PAD THAI

The Pad Thai is yet another very common Thai dish made with rice noodles. Once the sauce is ready just about anything can go into the making of this dish.

In a pan heat a couple of large swirls of olive oil and sauté four finely chopped cloves of garlic. To it add two heaping teaspoons of chilli sauce followed by a tablespoon of tamarind paste. Mix it well and cook for a minute or so. Soon after that add two tablespoons of soya sauce and fish sauce each and continue to cook. The sauce begins to take shape gradually. Add a couple of kafir lime leaves to give the dish a citrus element. Finally add about half a cup of chicken stock and leave to simmer. To thicken the sauce, add in two teaspoons of cornstarch dissolved in a bit of water. Also add in a couple of spring onions sliced up and allow it to infuse into the sauce.

Once the sauce is ready add in the Thai rice noodles and bean sprouts. Green beans and mushrooms can also be added. Right at the end add in a handful of coriander and a teaspoon of freshly ground pepper.

In addition to the vegetables this dish can also be made with chicken, prawns and even mutton/beef. Should this be the case, then add in the meat at the time when the sauce is being made. Make sure the meat is cooked well before adding in the noodles and the rest of the ingredients. Scrambled eggs are another good addition to the dish, though it is optional  

3. CHICKEN WITH CHILLI AND BASIL (PAD KRAPOW GUY)

In a deep pan add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of sesame oil. While the oil is heating up finely chop around four cloves of garlic. Add the chopped garlic to the oil and cook for a bit. Soon after that add in one large onion sliced up. Baby onions, cut in half, can also be used instead (five should be enough). When the onions are cooked, add in the boneless chicken and give it a good stir.  While the chicken is cooking, julienne a couple of spring onions and do the same with about five red chillies. Set these aside and go back to the chicken. To it add a tablespoon of soya sauce, fish sauce and oyster sauce and mix well. These three components are salty enough, so no additional salt is required. Add in the spring onions and the red chillies and give it a good toss. The dish essentially is a dry one, but a teaspoon of corn flour dissolved in water can be added to lift up the sauce. Finally add in about ten basil leaves and leave to rest with the flame off.

Kafir lime leaves are used very commonly in Thai cooking. They give a wonderful citrus essence to the dish without actually using lime juice. So rip a couple of leaves to release the flovour and throw them in with the chicken to infuse. Do not forget to discard the leaves when the dish is ready as the leaves are inedible.

GOURMET CHICKEN BURGER PATTI (STUFFED WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE), ITALIAN BRUSCHETTA (ONION AND MUSHROOM TOPPING) AND TOMATO SAUCE

TOMATO SAUCE

Four or Five Garlic Cloves

One Onion

Six Tablespoons Tomato Puree

Half a Cup of Chicken Stock

Pinch of Crushed Chilli

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Olive oil

Finely chop around five decent cloves of garlic and a medium sized onion. In a pan on the heat add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil. When the oil heats up, add the garlic and sauté for a minute till the aroma of the garlic comes through. Then add in the chopped onions and continue to sauté till the onions become translucent. When that happens add a couple of tablespoons of tomato puree and mix well. At this point add in a quarter of a cup of a light chicken stock. Again mix it well and allow for the ingredients in the pan to cook. After a couple of minutes of cooking, add in another couple of tablespoons of tomato puree and mix well. Too loosen the mixture in the pan add in just a bit more of the stock again and continue cooking. Finally add in three more tablespoons of the tomato puree, another splash of the chicken stock and mix it all well. Season the sauce with a pinch of salt and also add in a pinch of crushed chilli for some spice. Cook for another couple of minutes, and then sieve the sauce making sure all the sauce is extracted leaving behind bits of garlic and onions. The residue can be discarded as all the flavours would have infused into the sauce during the cooking process.

GOURMET CHICKEN BURGER PATTI (STUFFED WITH CHEDDAR CHEESE), ITALIAN BRUSCHETTA (ONION AND MUSHROOM TOPPING)

For the Chicken Burger Patti:

250 Grams Chicken Mince

Half an Onion

One Celery Stalk

Pinch of Cumin Powder

Pinch of Crushed Chilli

Capers (Optional)

Cheddar Cheese

Oil for Frying

Bread Crumbs for Coating

One Egg

For the Bruschetta:

Once Slice French bread

One Onion

Four Button Mushrooms

A Teaspoon Each of Vinegar and Lemon Juice

A Pinch of Crushed chilli

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Olive Oil

In a bowl add roughly enough chicken mince to make a burger patti the size of your palm. To it add half and onion finely chopped, a stalk of celery also finely chopped, a pinch of cumin powder and crushed chilies, a teaspoon of finely chopped capers (optional), and a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients well and divide into two equal portions. Flatten them both out to a thickness of around half an inch. From a block of cheddar cheese, cut a two inch piece and place it in the center of one of the chicken portions. The cheese can either be grated, cut in cubes or as mentioned be in the form of a decent slab. Take the other chicken portion and place it over the first one, and then carefully seal the edges completely concealing the cheese. Shape it into a neat looking patti and then leave aside to be shallow fried later. Move on to the bruschetta topping.

Roughly slice an onion and around four decent sized button mushrooms and set aside. In a pan heat some olive oil and a knob of butter, and add the sliced onions. Sauté the onions for a bit but do not brown them. After a minute or so add in the mushrooms and continue sautéing. Then add in a pinch of crushed chilli, a splash of lemon juice and vinegar each, salt and pepper and a teaspoon of brown sugar. Toss all the ingredients in the pan well and when the mushrooms have cooked well turn off the heat and set aside.

 

For the frying of the chicken burger patti, arrange two plates, one with a mixture of bread crumbs and parmesan cheese, and the other with a beaten egg. Carefully dip the patti in the beaten egg, and then coat it with the bread crumbs mixture. Repeat the process again with the egg and bread crumbs to ensure a nice uniform coating. In a pan heat some olive oil and carefully place the patti in the pan for frying. Fry each side for roughly two minutes or till the coating turns a nice golden brown

Toast a slice of French bread in butter till it browns ever so slightly. Place it in the center of a serving plate and top it with a decent helping of the onion and mushroom mixture. Cut the chicken burger patti in half and place it on the bruschetta, with the other half leaning against it. Smear the tomato sauce around and serve.

ESPAGNOLE/BROWN SAUCE

This particular sauce is prepared in two steps. An organized mise en place and proper timing is essential, not only to execute the sauce perfectly but also to achieve the desired consistency.

Quarter onion

2 Garlic Cloves

Half a Carrot

Half a Celery Stick

2 Tablespoons Tomato Puree

1 Cup Chicken/Beef Stock

A Pinch of Nutmeg Powder

Half Teaspoon Flour

Butter

Olive Oil

Salt for Seasoning

Start with the foundation of the sauce. In a deep pan melt a heaping teaspoon of butter. To it add half a teaspoon of flour and mix well. Be careful not to burn the butter so do not leave unattended. Butter does burn very quickly so control the heat at all times. If need be, take the pan off the heat occasionally while continuously stirring. Since this is a brown sauce, ideally a deep brown beef stock should be used, but a simple chicken stock will also do. Once the flour and the butter have mixed well and the butter starts to brown ever so lightly, add about one third of a cup of stock and whisk. Let the liquid reduce a bit and then add another third of a cup of stock, and continue whisking making sure all lumps are gotten rid of. Again pay close attention to the heat and keep it controlled. Now the sauce begins to take shape. Add in a decent pinch of nutmeg for flavor, but do not go overboard as a little pinch goes a long way. Finally add in the last third of the stock and whisk it well to ensure a smooth sauce with no lumps. Set the sauce aside and move on to the next step.

Finely chop a quarter of an onion, a couple of cloves of garlic, half a carrot and half a celery stick, and set aside. In a pan melt a small knob of butter with a little bit of olive oil and sauté the chopped garlic on a medium low heat. When the aroma of the garlic comes through, add in the onions and continue sautéing till the onions become translucent. After a couple of minutes of sautéing, add in the chopped carrots and celery. Toss around till the vegetables soften a bit. At this point add a couple of tablespoons of tomato puree, and season with a pinch of salt. Once all the ingredients in the pan have amalgamated, add in the brown sauce, a tablespoon at a time and mix well. Another tablespoon of tomato puree can also be added should the need arise. Once all the sauce is added to the vegetables, mix well and continue cooking for a minute or so. Turn off the heat and then transfer all the ingredients in the pan to a sieve. Sieve well making sure all the sauce passes through, and then stir the sauce around to combine all the flavours together.

The same sauce can also have mushrooms incorporated into it, in addition to a few tweaks. The first part of the sauce i.e. the foundation remains the same. The entire second part of the recipe changes. Finely chop a couple of button mushrooms, a couple of cloves of garlic and quarter of an onion and leave aside. In a pan heat a tablespoon of olive oil and a knob of butter. The olive oil stops the butter from burning too quickly. When the butter has melted add in the chopped garlic and sauté for a couple of minutes. Then add in the onions and continue sautéing till the onions become translucent. Once that happens add in the mushrooms and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Mix all the ingredients well and finally add a tablespoon of cream. Once all this is done, add in, a tablespoon at a time, the brown sauce. When everything is mixed together well pass through a sieve making sure all the sauce passes through.