A wet and miserable August in the UK has made this month pretty bad for wild foragers. Wild blackberries, which you would expect in profusion really aren't lasting on the briars so it might take a few trips to get enough to be useful.
Indeed, I left much of my standard harvesting until far too late. Normally I pick Ash Keys early in August. It wasn't until this weekend that I picked them this year though. These you have to pick whilst young and green and you have maybe a week left now before they start drying out. This late in the season you will need to look for small ash trees in deep shade. This way you can still find younger, less mature keys.
Whether Ash keys are really worth picking is another rather vexed question. They're quite bitter and you will need to boil them through at least 3 changes of water to make them palatable (and to soften them). Once you've done this take about 400g Ash keys, add 300ml vinegar, your favourite pickling spices, 1 tsp paprika and 1 tbsp salt and bring to a boil. Bottle in sterilized jars and store. You will get something that tastes rather like bitter capers.
What I did discover, however, is that ash keys make a very acceptable substitute for a number of biter spices normally found in West African cookery. So this year my wife and I have developed a recipe for a Spiced Ash Key Pickle that works very well in West African soups and stews.
Just to show how this works, here's a link to a Kale and Ash Key Stew that's based on the classic Liberian dish of Cassava Leaf Stew. (You can find many more classic Liberian Recipes at the Celtnet Liberian Reicpes page which has the web's most extensive collection of these recipes.
Finding this use for Ash Keys really has changed my view of this wild food and I now have several large jars of pickled ash keys ready for use well into next year. It's amazing what you miss if you limit yourself to one type of cuisine.
This weekend I also picked my first elderberries. They're just beginning to ripen now and I had just enough to make an elderberry and blackberry roly poly (recipe below). It will probably be another 10 days before the elderberries are properly ripe, but you will have to be quick this year to get them as the birds are already stripping ripe elderberries from the trees. Pick them as soon as you see ripe ones (cut the whole spray of fruit from the elder tree and when you get home use the tines of a fork to strip the berries from the stalks).
Blackberry and Elderberry Steamed Roly Poly
Ingredients:
300g blackberries, washed and cleande
100g elderberries, de-stalked and washed
5 tbsp soft brown sugar
450g plain flour
180g vegetable suet
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
Place the elderberries in a bowl and scatter 1 tbsp of the sugar over the top. Meanwhile, sift the flour and salt into a bowl and stir-in the suet. Mix together before adding just sufficient water to form a stiff dough. Cut 1/3 of the dough off and set aside. Roll the remaining dough on a lightly-floured surface until large enough to cover the base and sides of a 1l pudding basin. Combine the fruit, mix add the sugar then tip the fruit mixture into the pudding basin. Roll out the remaining dough and place over the top of the pudding to form a lid. Allow enough room for expansion and crimp the lid to the pastry lining the sides.
Either cover with a lid or a circle of greaseproof paper then cover the entire pudding in a double layer of kitchen foil and tie securely with string. Place in a steamer (or on top of an inverted saucer in a large saucepan) and boil for 2 hours.
When ready, remove from the pot an allow to cool for a few minutes before carefully removing the foil and lid. Invert a serving plate over the bowl then turn everything over so the pudding slides out of the bowl and onto the plate. Slice and serve hot with ice-cold milk.
This recipe is based on my mother's traditional family recipe for Blackberry Roly Poly, a dish that, in our family always marked the end of harvest time and the beginning of autumn.
I have to say that I was so delighted at getting a decent collection of elderberries on my first forage that I decided to create a whole new dish to use them: Chicken Thighs with Chickpeas in a Tomato, Chilli and Elderberry Sauce! Over the next few weeks, as my freezer begins to fill with fruit, be ready for recipes for Elderberry ice cream, elderberry sorbets, sauces, preserves and jams.
For all the wild food recipes on this blog, see the wild food recipes page.
Saturday, 30 August 2008
Friday, 20 June 2008
Linden Leaf Pap (Porridge)
An African porridge with an European twist.
The use of dried leaves and mucilaginous greens to thicken stews and porridges is a well known tradition in African (particularly West African) cookery. Indeed, this is one of the many ways that the leaves of the Baobab tree are used in northern West Africa. Baobab is very versatile, with the dry pulp of the fruit being made into a drink that's very high in vitamin C. Indeed, the vitamin C content of baobab leaves is very high and the young leaves can be eaten as a vegetable. The older leaves are dried and pounded to a paste or shredded and are made into tea or are used in soups, stews and porridges as a thickener (the tree is grown commercially in Senegal for this very purpose).
What might be surprising to many people is that there is an European tree, the leaves of which have been used for a very similar purpose (and which were commonly used for these purposes in France as recently as 60 years ago). This is the Linden or Lime tree and there's a cognate species in North America.
During the Second World War, when supplies were getting scarce and even grain was a rare commodity, the French returned to a Medieval method for making flour go further. They began collecting linden (European lime) leaves which were dried in ovens before being pounded to a powder and sifted. This 'linden leaf flour' as it was commonly called was added to wheat flour to make it go further.
Linden leaves contain a mucilaginous substance which acts as a thickener. As a result linden flour was also added to stews to thicken them (useful if little meat and few vegetables are available) and it was also added to oats and wheat to make a porridge.
It's this porridge that's re-created here. I've based the recipe on one from West Africa, but linden leaf flour is substituted for Baobab leaf powder (the two dried leaf products have very similar culinary properties). It should be noted that 'pap' is actually an Afrikaans word meaning 'porridge' or 'gruel' but it's a word that's come into common currency in most English-speaking African countries.
300g maize meal (or polenta)
60g linden leaf flour
300ml water
Bring the water to a boil and add the polenta until a stiff mixture is attained then stir-in the linden leaf flour. Leave to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes to prevent burning. Serve with a stew or a sauce.
You could make a version of this with porridge oats and that could be served as a breakfast.
As it turns out, recent research has revealed that linden leaves may even be beneficial when added to flour as they contain a high percentage of invert sugars. As a result they are readily metabolized by those suffering from diabetes and can be an useful addition to diabetic recipes. Thus this porridge makes an excellent start to the day for diabetics (or anyone else, come to that!).
If you are interested in the parallels between the use of linden leaves in African and Louisiana Creole cookery then read this article on Clues to lost recipes with Linden.
For more information about the European lime, linden, see the Celtnet Wild Food Guide to Linden and Linden recipes page.
If the use of linden leaves has piqued your curiosity, then you can find many more linden (and other wild food) recipes on the Celtnet Wild Foods Recipes pages.
For all the wild food recipes on this blog, see the wild food recipes page.
The use of dried leaves and mucilaginous greens to thicken stews and porridges is a well known tradition in African (particularly West African) cookery. Indeed, this is one of the many ways that the leaves of the Baobab tree are used in northern West Africa. Baobab is very versatile, with the dry pulp of the fruit being made into a drink that's very high in vitamin C. Indeed, the vitamin C content of baobab leaves is very high and the young leaves can be eaten as a vegetable. The older leaves are dried and pounded to a paste or shredded and are made into tea or are used in soups, stews and porridges as a thickener (the tree is grown commercially in Senegal for this very purpose).
What might be surprising to many people is that there is an European tree, the leaves of which have been used for a very similar purpose (and which were commonly used for these purposes in France as recently as 60 years ago). This is the Linden or Lime tree and there's a cognate species in North America.
During the Second World War, when supplies were getting scarce and even grain was a rare commodity, the French returned to a Medieval method for making flour go further. They began collecting linden (European lime) leaves which were dried in ovens before being pounded to a powder and sifted. This 'linden leaf flour' as it was commonly called was added to wheat flour to make it go further.
Linden leaves contain a mucilaginous substance which acts as a thickener. As a result linden flour was also added to stews to thicken them (useful if little meat and few vegetables are available) and it was also added to oats and wheat to make a porridge.
It's this porridge that's re-created here. I've based the recipe on one from West Africa, but linden leaf flour is substituted for Baobab leaf powder (the two dried leaf products have very similar culinary properties). It should be noted that 'pap' is actually an Afrikaans word meaning 'porridge' or 'gruel' but it's a word that's come into common currency in most English-speaking African countries.
300g maize meal (or polenta)
60g linden leaf flour
300ml water
Bring the water to a boil and add the polenta until a stiff mixture is attained then stir-in the linden leaf flour. Leave to simmer for 25 minutes, stirring every five minutes to prevent burning. Serve with a stew or a sauce.
You could make a version of this with porridge oats and that could be served as a breakfast.
As it turns out, recent research has revealed that linden leaves may even be beneficial when added to flour as they contain a high percentage of invert sugars. As a result they are readily metabolized by those suffering from diabetes and can be an useful addition to diabetic recipes. Thus this porridge makes an excellent start to the day for diabetics (or anyone else, come to that!).
If you are interested in the parallels between the use of linden leaves in African and Louisiana Creole cookery then read this article on Clues to lost recipes with Linden.
For more information about the European lime, linden, see the Celtnet Wild Food Guide to Linden and Linden recipes page.
If the use of linden leaves has piqued your curiosity, then you can find many more linden (and other wild food) recipes on the Celtnet Wild Foods Recipes pages.
For all the wild food recipes on this blog, see the wild food recipes page.
Sunday, 4 May 2008
Recipes for Spring Wild Mushrooms
Though almost everyone thinks of mushrooms as being autumnal in their bounty there are a few species that fruit very early in the spring and these are well worth hunting out and trying. Because they fruit so early they are also difficult to confuse with poisonous species and, as long as you take a few precautions they are safe to go an hut for and to pick.
Below are recipes including three of the commonest spring mushrooms and I include a link to an identification guide for each.
You can find an identification guide for St George's Mushrooms here. This is one of the earliest of all field mushrooms and is a wonderful-tasting mushroom well worth the hunt.
The recipe follows:
St George's Mushroom Croustade
Ingredients:
150g breadcrumbs (preferably wholemeal)
150g plain flour
100g mixed nuts, chopped
1 tsp basil leaves, chopped
75g butter, softened
1 large egg
500g St George's Mushroom, cleaned and sliced
75g butter
450ml milk
1 tbsp flour
3 tomatoes, finely sliced
6 asparagus spears, cooked
salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
For the base, add the breadcrumbs, flour and nuts to a bowl. Rub-in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and mix to a dough. Use this to line a well-greased 22cm flan tin. Press down with the back of your hand or a wooden spoon to compact the mixture to about 1.5cm thick.
Place in an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for about 14 minutes, or until set.
Meanwhile, fry the mushrooms, onion and garlic in the remaining butter for about 2 minutes before stirring-in the flour and adding the milk. Stir well to combine then cook until thickened. Adjust the seasoning then spoon the mixture into the prepared base. Decorate the top with the tomatoes and asparagus, cover lightly with foil and return to the oven. Turn down to 170°C and cook for 10 minutes.
Serve warm.
The morels are some of the more regonizable of the Spring wild mushrooms (you can find an identification guide for morels here). Note that morels contain a mild toxin which is rendered inert by cooking and they should always be cooked before eating. For gourmands this is definitely one of the most sought-after of the spring fungi.
The recipe follows:
Asparagus and Morel Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthways
750ml whole milk
450g loaf of firm white bread cut into thick slices (slightly stale bread is best)
700g peeled asparagus cut at a diagonal into 1cm lengths
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely diced
300g morel mushrooms (chanterelles also work) cleaned and coarsely chopped
4 large eggs
50g frehshly-chopped parsley
3 tbsp finely-chopped tarragon (or marjoram) leaves
350g freshly-grated Gruyère cheese
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Add the garlic and milk to a pan, bring slowly to a boil then remove from the heat and set aside to cool and steep. Break the bread into chunks (much easier to do if it's stale) and pour the milk (through a strainer) over the top. Set the dish aside (but return to turn the bread every so often so that it absorbs as much of the milk as possible.
Meanwhile fill a large, deep, frying pan with water, bring to a boil the salt lightly and add the asparagus pieces. Cook for 3 minutes then drain and refresh under cold water to stop the cooking.
Melt half the butter in a non-stick pan, add the shallots and cook for 1 minute before adding the mushrooms. Increase the heat and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to brown and release their liquid, Remove from the heat, season and set aside.
Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk until smooth then add the parsley, tarragon or marjoram, 1 tsp salt and black pepper to taste. Add the soaked bread and the asparagus and mushroom mixture (along with any liquids). Add 2/3 of the cheese and mix to combine thoroughly. Pour into a gratin dish and spread out with the back of a large spoon or spatula. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and dot with the remaining butter.
Place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 50 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool a little before serving.
The fairy fing chanpignon is not the prettiest of mushrooms, but it is tasty and very common (an identification guide for fairy ring champignons can be found here.
The recipe follows:
Fairy Ring Champignon Omelette
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp water
Salt and Black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp chopped onions
90g Fairy Ring Champignon caps, sliced 1 tbsp clarified butter (or oil)
Method:
Mix together all ingredients except the butter, onions and mushrooms. Put half of the butter in a skillet heated to medium and cook the onions in this until softened (about 4 minutes) then add the mushrooms and cook until the onion browns (about 5 minutes). Remove the onion and mushroom mixture and set aside then add then remaining butter and the egg mixture. Using a small spatula run around the edges of the pan, tipping the frying pan so the uncooked egg from the center of the pan can run under the bottom of the cooked egg. Continue to do this until the egg in the center is still just a little moist. Sprinkle the fried onions and mushrooms on the egg then roll the omelette with three folds as you turn it onto the plate.
You can find a wild greens and a wild mushroom recipe at: Wild Food as a Way of Saving Money.
I hope that these recipes have raised your interest in wild foods and you can find far more information on the Edible Wild Foods Guide. There are also several hunderd recipes incorporating wild foods in the Wild Food Recipes guide and for mushrooms at the Mushroom Recipes page.
For all the wild food recipes on this blog, see the wild food recipes page.
Below are recipes including three of the commonest spring mushrooms and I include a link to an identification guide for each.
1: St George's Mushrooms
You can find an identification guide for St George's Mushrooms here. This is one of the earliest of all field mushrooms and is a wonderful-tasting mushroom well worth the hunt.
The recipe follows:
St George's Mushroom Croustade
Ingredients:
150g breadcrumbs (preferably wholemeal)
150g plain flour
100g mixed nuts, chopped
1 tsp basil leaves, chopped
75g butter, softened
1 large egg
500g St George's Mushroom, cleaned and sliced
75g butter
450ml milk
1 tbsp flour
3 tomatoes, finely sliced
6 asparagus spears, cooked
salt and black pepper, to taste
Method:
For the base, add the breadcrumbs, flour and nuts to a bowl. Rub-in the butter with your fingers until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg and mix to a dough. Use this to line a well-greased 22cm flan tin. Press down with the back of your hand or a wooden spoon to compact the mixture to about 1.5cm thick.
Place in an oven pre-heated to 200°C and bake for about 14 minutes, or until set.
Meanwhile, fry the mushrooms, onion and garlic in the remaining butter for about 2 minutes before stirring-in the flour and adding the milk. Stir well to combine then cook until thickened. Adjust the seasoning then spoon the mixture into the prepared base. Decorate the top with the tomatoes and asparagus, cover lightly with foil and return to the oven. Turn down to 170°C and cook for 10 minutes.
Serve warm.
2: Morel Mushrooms
The morels are some of the more regonizable of the Spring wild mushrooms (you can find an identification guide for morels here). Note that morels contain a mild toxin which is rendered inert by cooking and they should always be cooked before eating. For gourmands this is definitely one of the most sought-after of the spring fungi.
The recipe follows:
Asparagus and Morel Bread Pudding
Ingredients:
8 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthways
750ml whole milk
450g loaf of firm white bread cut into thick slices (slightly stale bread is best)
700g peeled asparagus cut at a diagonal into 1cm lengths
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large shallot, finely diced
300g morel mushrooms (chanterelles also work) cleaned and coarsely chopped
4 large eggs
50g frehshly-chopped parsley
3 tbsp finely-chopped tarragon (or marjoram) leaves
350g freshly-grated Gruyère cheese
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Method:
Add the garlic and milk to a pan, bring slowly to a boil then remove from the heat and set aside to cool and steep. Break the bread into chunks (much easier to do if it's stale) and pour the milk (through a strainer) over the top. Set the dish aside (but return to turn the bread every so often so that it absorbs as much of the milk as possible.
Meanwhile fill a large, deep, frying pan with water, bring to a boil the salt lightly and add the asparagus pieces. Cook for 3 minutes then drain and refresh under cold water to stop the cooking.
Melt half the butter in a non-stick pan, add the shallots and cook for 1 minute before adding the mushrooms. Increase the heat and cook for about 8 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to brown and release their liquid, Remove from the heat, season and set aside.
Break the eggs into a bowl and whisk until smooth then add the parsley, tarragon or marjoram, 1 tsp salt and black pepper to taste. Add the soaked bread and the asparagus and mushroom mixture (along with any liquids). Add 2/3 of the cheese and mix to combine thoroughly. Pour into a gratin dish and spread out with the back of a large spoon or spatula. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the top and dot with the remaining butter.
Place in an oven pre-heated to 180°C and bake for about 50 minutes, or until puffed and golden brown. Allow to cool a little before serving.
3: Fairy Ring Champignon
The fairy fing chanpignon is not the prettiest of mushrooms, but it is tasty and very common (an identification guide for fairy ring champignons can be found here.
The recipe follows:
Fairy Ring Champignon Omelette
Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/2 tsp water
Salt and Black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp chopped onions
90g Fairy Ring Champignon caps, sliced 1 tbsp clarified butter (or oil)
Method:
Mix together all ingredients except the butter, onions and mushrooms. Put half of the butter in a skillet heated to medium and cook the onions in this until softened (about 4 minutes) then add the mushrooms and cook until the onion browns (about 5 minutes). Remove the onion and mushroom mixture and set aside then add then remaining butter and the egg mixture. Using a small spatula run around the edges of the pan, tipping the frying pan so the uncooked egg from the center of the pan can run under the bottom of the cooked egg. Continue to do this until the egg in the center is still just a little moist. Sprinkle the fried onions and mushrooms on the egg then roll the omelette with three folds as you turn it onto the plate.
You can find a wild greens and a wild mushroom recipe at: Wild Food as a Way of Saving Money.
I hope that these recipes have raised your interest in wild foods and you can find far more information on the Edible Wild Foods Guide. There are also several hunderd recipes incorporating wild foods in the Wild Food Recipes guide and for mushrooms at the Mushroom Recipes page.
For all the wild food recipes on this blog, see the wild food recipes page.
Saturday, 2 February 2008
Moroccan Chicken Stew
Admittedly, I don't often feature North African cuisine on these pages, as my major love is sub-Saharan African cookery, particularly West African cuisine (my wife is Liberian, after all). But Moroccan cuisine has a vibrancy and a mix of flavours and colours that no true gourmand can really ignore. As a result I'm presenting here (and nowhere else) my twist on the classic Moroccan Chicken Stew. I've made the recipe slightly richer (but staying true to Moroccan flavours). However, the dish is influenced by my wife's twist on a traditional Senegalese dish: Cëebu Jen, which itself is probably highly-influenced by North African couscous-based dishes.
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs, skinned
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp hot chilli powder
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
700ml chicken stock
400g canned, chopped, tomatoes
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced in 2cm square pieces
2 carrots, sliced
generous pinch of saffron
1 small aubergine, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp salt
550g chickpeas (canned or cooked), drained
900g hot, steamed couscous
100g seedless raisins
100g slivered almonds
8 tbsp mixed, finely chopped parsley and coriander
Add the oil to a metal casserole or Dutch oven and heat to medium hot. When ready add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes and the onion is soft and translucent. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, chilli powder, saffron, cloves and bay leaves and stir to combine. Add the chicken and chicken stock and turn-up the heat to medium high and continue to cook until the liquid comes to a boil.
Cover the pot, reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook for 25 minutes. At this stage add the tomatoes, green bell pepper, carrots, aubergine and salt. Allow to cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
Place 1/8 of the pre-steamed couscous in eight soup bowls. With slotted spoon place a chicken thigh in the centre of the bowl and arrange the vegetables around the meat. Ladle the broth over the top and sprinkle the raisins and almonds over the top. Sprinkle the parsley and coriander mix over the top and serve immediately.
If you enjoyed this Moroccan recipe then you can find more North African Recipes and more Moroccan Recipes on the Celtnet Recipes site.
For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.
Moroccan Chicken Stew Recipe
Ingredients
8 chicken thighs, skinned
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/8 tsp hot chilli powder
4 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
700ml chicken stock
400g canned, chopped, tomatoes
1 medium green bell pepper, sliced in 2cm square pieces
2 carrots, sliced
generous pinch of saffron
1 small aubergine, peeled and cubed
1/2 tsp salt
550g chickpeas (canned or cooked), drained
900g hot, steamed couscous
100g seedless raisins
100g slivered almonds
8 tbsp mixed, finely chopped parsley and coriander
Add the oil to a metal casserole or Dutch oven and heat to medium hot. When ready add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring for about 3 minutes and the onion is soft and translucent. Add the turmeric, cinnamon, chilli powder, saffron, cloves and bay leaves and stir to combine. Add the chicken and chicken stock and turn-up the heat to medium high and continue to cook until the liquid comes to a boil.
Cover the pot, reduce to a simmer, and allow to cook for 25 minutes. At this stage add the tomatoes, green bell pepper, carrots, aubergine and salt. Allow to cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the carrots are tender.
Place 1/8 of the pre-steamed couscous in eight soup bowls. With slotted spoon place a chicken thigh in the centre of the bowl and arrange the vegetables around the meat. Ladle the broth over the top and sprinkle the raisins and almonds over the top. Sprinkle the parsley and coriander mix over the top and serve immediately.
If you enjoyed this Moroccan recipe then you can find more North African Recipes and more Moroccan Recipes on the Celtnet Recipes site.
For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.
This list of African regions and African recipes is brought to you in association with the Recipes of Africa eBook. With over 1000 recipes covering each and every country in Africa, this is the most comprehensive book of African recipes available anywhere.
If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.
This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.
Don't delay, get yourself a copy of the Recipes of Africa eBook today!
If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.
This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.
Don't delay, get yourself a copy of the Recipes of Africa eBook today!
Thursday, 24 January 2008
New African Recipes: Cëebu Jen from Senegal
With my work on the Help Stefan campaign I've just returned from Dakar, Senegal after both visiting my wife and presenting the Liberian community with sufficient money to send two of their children to school for an entire year. Of course, as a result of visiting both my wife and the Liberian community I have gained a whole slew of new recipes. Many of these are presented on my African Recipes recipe list page. However, the majority of the recipes come originally either from East Africa (specifically Kenya and Zanzibar) or North Africa (Morocco, Algeria and Egypt). There are also many additional recipes from the East African country of Benin.
Ingredients
250g black-eyed beans (with a few black beans added to approximate the colour of native African cowpeas)
2 small cabbages
1 medium aubergine
2 medium carrots, halved and cut lengthways
3 Scotch Bonnet chillies
250g French beans 'topped and tailed'
3 x Maggi cubes
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
2 chickens, quartered
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
8 garlic cloves
1 large bunch curly parsley, washed and roughly chopped
5 Maggi cubes
300g cassava peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 tsp baking soda.
1 tbps chilli paste (made by pounding 12 Scotch bonnet chillies and 1/2 onion, sliced to a paste in a pestle and mortar)
500g rice
lime wedges to garnish
Put the black-eyed beans (and black beans) in a large pot and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 50 minutes, or until the beans are soft. When done take off the heat and allow to cool in the cooking liquid. Meanwhile chop and mix the vegetables and season with the Maggi cubes, salt and black pepper.
Add the garlic and black peppercorns to a pestle and mortar and pound to a paste. Add half the parsley, half a Maggi cube and pound to incorporate. Use this paste to stuff into he chicken pieces (placing it under the skin). Season with the remaining Maggi cube half and place in a large pot. Cover the pot, place on a medium flame and allow to cook slowly for about 20 minutes then take off the heat.
Heat a 2cm depth of oil in a large pan. Add the chicken pieces to this and fry until done, turning them every few minutes. When the chicken is done (About 20 minutes), add the baking soda to the oil and use it to fry the vegetables. Add 1 tbsp chilli paste and cover the pot, allowing the vegetables to cook for about 10 minutes.
At this time drain the black-eyed beans (reserving the cooking liquid) and add to the other vegetables. Allow to cook for a further 10 minutes then add about 500ml water and 500ml of the bean cooking liquid and bring the mixture to a boil. Season with 2 Maggi cubes, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Allow to cook for some 30 minutes before adding the chicken pieces. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for a further 20 minutes then lift the chicken and vegetables into a separate pot along with 2 large ladlefuls of the cooking liquid. Leave about half the beans behind if you can.
Return the cooking liquid to a pot, bring to a boil and use this to cook your rice. You will need about 500g of rice and 1l of liquid (add more of the bean cooking liquid if you don't have enough). Cook until the rice is done and all the liquid has been absorbed.
Cëebu Jen is traditionally eaten as a shared dish. To serve arrange the rice over the serving tray and spoon the chicken and vegetables over the top and garnish with lime wedges. These should be squeezed over the dish when ready to eat. Simply give everyone a spoon and let them tuck in. The dish can also be eaten with the hands. Roll the rice into balls and eat.
Please note that this recipe is my wife's original recipe and it cannot be copied without permission. It is proffered as a 'thank you' to all who have contributed to and helped with the One Million People Campaign. If you enjoyed this recipe, then please consider making a donation yourself. Only $1, if enough donate, can make a real difference to those who have nothing...
For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.
Cëebu Jen Recipe from Senegal
Ingredients
250g black-eyed beans (with a few black beans added to approximate the colour of native African cowpeas)
2 small cabbages
1 medium aubergine
2 medium carrots, halved and cut lengthways
3 Scotch Bonnet chillies
250g French beans 'topped and tailed'
3 x Maggi cubes
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp black pepper
2 chickens, quartered
1 tbsp whole black peppercorns
8 garlic cloves
1 large bunch curly parsley, washed and roughly chopped
5 Maggi cubes
300g cassava peeled and cut into large chunks
1/2 tsp baking soda.
1 tbps chilli paste (made by pounding 12 Scotch bonnet chillies and 1/2 onion, sliced to a paste in a pestle and mortar)
500g rice
lime wedges to garnish
Put the black-eyed beans (and black beans) in a large pot and cover with plenty of water. Bring to a boil and cook for about 50 minutes, or until the beans are soft. When done take off the heat and allow to cool in the cooking liquid. Meanwhile chop and mix the vegetables and season with the Maggi cubes, salt and black pepper.
Add the garlic and black peppercorns to a pestle and mortar and pound to a paste. Add half the parsley, half a Maggi cube and pound to incorporate. Use this paste to stuff into he chicken pieces (placing it under the skin). Season with the remaining Maggi cube half and place in a large pot. Cover the pot, place on a medium flame and allow to cook slowly for about 20 minutes then take off the heat.
Heat a 2cm depth of oil in a large pan. Add the chicken pieces to this and fry until done, turning them every few minutes. When the chicken is done (About 20 minutes), add the baking soda to the oil and use it to fry the vegetables. Add 1 tbsp chilli paste and cover the pot, allowing the vegetables to cook for about 10 minutes.
At this time drain the black-eyed beans (reserving the cooking liquid) and add to the other vegetables. Allow to cook for a further 10 minutes then add about 500ml water and 500ml of the bean cooking liquid and bring the mixture to a boil. Season with 2 Maggi cubes, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Allow to cook for some 30 minutes before adding the chicken pieces. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook for a further 20 minutes then lift the chicken and vegetables into a separate pot along with 2 large ladlefuls of the cooking liquid. Leave about half the beans behind if you can.
Return the cooking liquid to a pot, bring to a boil and use this to cook your rice. You will need about 500g of rice and 1l of liquid (add more of the bean cooking liquid if you don't have enough). Cook until the rice is done and all the liquid has been absorbed.
Cëebu Jen is traditionally eaten as a shared dish. To serve arrange the rice over the serving tray and spoon the chicken and vegetables over the top and garnish with lime wedges. These should be squeezed over the dish when ready to eat. Simply give everyone a spoon and let them tuck in. The dish can also be eaten with the hands. Roll the rice into balls and eat.
Please note that this recipe is my wife's original recipe and it cannot be copied without permission. It is proffered as a 'thank you' to all who have contributed to and helped with the One Million People Campaign. If you enjoyed this recipe, then please consider making a donation yourself. Only $1, if enough donate, can make a real difference to those who have nothing...
For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.
This list of African regions and African recipes is brought to you in association with the Recipes of Africa eBook. With over 1000 recipes covering each and every country in Africa, this is the most comprehensive book of African recipes available anywhere.
If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.
This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.
Don't delay, get yourself a copy of the Recipes of Africa eBook today!
If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.
This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.
Don't delay, get yourself a copy of the Recipes of Africa eBook today!
Sunday, 21 October 2007
European Recipes 1 - German Kartoffelklösse (Potato Dumplings) Recipe
Today I'm going to spotlight another region of my website. This is the European Recipes. Following the release of the African Recipes region of the site I'm now working on the recipes of the continent of Europe:
As you can see, this is only a selection of all European countries and I will be adding significantly more recipes and countries over the next few weeks. These are just the ountries that have the most recipes associated with them, or for which I will be adding a significant number of recipes this week. I've also significantly updated the Celtnet Recipes site so that it now has a proper start page at Cletnet Recipes. This new 'look and feel' will now be gradually transmitted across the entire site.
To whet your appetite, here's a classic German meal of Sauerbraten with Rotkohl and Kartoffelklösse:
Sauerbraten Recipe
4-6 slices bacon
1 beef roast (about 2.5kg)
flour
4 carrots cut into three pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into three pieces
3 onions, halved and separated
240g sour cream
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
Cook the bacon in a large metal casserole in the oven oven then transfer to the stove top and add the cleaned vegetables. Allow the vegetables to brown thoroughly.
Make a seasoned four by mixing the flour, salt and pepper. Roll the roast in this so that it's coverd. Remove the vegetables from the pot, add the beef and allow to brown. Once the meat has coloured nicely return the vegetables to the pot, then add sufficient water to cover. Bring to a boil, pop in the bay leaves then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 4 hours. At the end of this time remove the beef and bay leaves. Allow the liquid to cool a little then add the liquid and the vegetables to a blender along with the sour cream. Blitz to a smmth paste then pour this gravy over the roast and serve with Brod Knodel and Rotkohl.
(See the original recipe for German Sauerbraten
Rotkohl (Red Cabbage)
1 onion
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 medium red cabbage
1 apple
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp of brown sugar
4 tbsp of red wine vinegar
4 tbsp of water
salt and black pepper, to taste
Peel and finely chop the onion and apple then finely shred the cabbage. Heat a large oven-proof saucepan or casserole dish on the hob and sauté the onion in the oil until slightly golden. Stir in the red cabbage and diced apple at this pooint and remove from the heat.
Combine the lemon juice, brown sugar, vinegar, water and salt and pepper and pour over the cabbage mixture. Toss to combine and then cover the dish. Place in an oven pre-heated to 160°C and allow to cook for 2 hours. Serve hot along aside your mainmeal with Kartoffelklösse, or chill to serve with a selection of cold meats and cheese.
(See the original recipe for German Rotkohl)
Kartoffelklösse (Potato Dumplings) Recipe
2 tbsp butter
1 slice white bread diced into 72 equal pieces
45g plain flour + 2 tbsp plain flour
450g potatoes peeled and cooked
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp white pepper
4l water
In small deep pan heat the butter until bubbly and hot, then add bread and fry, stirring constantly, until the bread has absorbed the butter and is browned then set aside.
Combine the 45g plain flour in mixing bowl along with the cooked potatoes, egg, and seasonings. Mixing thoroughly then portion the resultant dough into 24 equal mounds.
Flour your hands with the remaining flour and shape the mounds into balls. Press 3 bread cubes into each ball and seal closed, forming dumplings.
In a 5l saucepan or bring water to a boil then use a slotted spoon to gently lower several dumplings into water (they will sink to the bottom). When the dumplings rise to surface, allow to cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer then remove the dumplings from the water and place on a warmed serving plate as you cook the remaining dumplings.
(See the original recipe for: German Kartoffelklösse (Potato Dumplings)
If you are interested in this recipe, then why not check out my Guide to Spices and their Uses eBook. The eBook itself details 57 of the world's commonest (and not so common) spices and provides you with 233 recipes in 303 pages that cover all the major cuisines of the world and shows you exactly how to use the various spices detailed. Please remember that any proceeds from this eBook go to the One Million People Campaign. Remember that the eBook contains real recipes, many of which you will not have seen before. It's well worth the small donation asked and remember that you will be helping a worthwhile campaign.
All the African recipes on the site (over 800) are currently being edited to put into an eBook which will be the most comprehensive book on African cookery available today. More information on this eBook can be found at African Recipes eBook. The eBook will be avaialble from the second week of October. Again, all proceeds from this eBook go to the 'Help Stefan' Charity campaign.
Please also check out the Celtnet Recipes reviews and notices pages. Here you will find reviews of the many recipe books that I've used in my career as a cook.
All the eBooks on my site, as well as other eBooks and business opportunities are available from my new Celtnet eBook sales and marketing site. If you have eBooks that you would like to market then you can submit a description for your eBook and a link back to your sales page completely free here: Celtent eBook marketing site.
As you can see, this is only a selection of all European countries and I will be adding significantly more recipes and countries over the next few weeks. These are just the ountries that have the most recipes associated with them, or for which I will be adding a significant number of recipes this week. I've also significantly updated the Celtnet Recipes site so that it now has a proper start page at Cletnet Recipes. This new 'look and feel' will now be gradually transmitted across the entire site.
To whet your appetite, here's a classic German meal of Sauerbraten with Rotkohl and Kartoffelklösse:
Sauerbraten Recipe
4-6 slices bacon
1 beef roast (about 2.5kg)
flour
4 carrots cut into three pieces
4 celery stalks, cut into three pieces
3 onions, halved and separated
240g sour cream
3 bay leaves
salt and pepper, to taste
Cook the bacon in a large metal casserole in the oven oven then transfer to the stove top and add the cleaned vegetables. Allow the vegetables to brown thoroughly.
Make a seasoned four by mixing the flour, salt and pepper. Roll the roast in this so that it's coverd. Remove the vegetables from the pot, add the beef and allow to brown. Once the meat has coloured nicely return the vegetables to the pot, then add sufficient water to cover. Bring to a boil, pop in the bay leaves then reduce to a simmer and cook for about 4 hours. At the end of this time remove the beef and bay leaves. Allow the liquid to cool a little then add the liquid and the vegetables to a blender along with the sour cream. Blitz to a smmth paste then pour this gravy over the roast and serve with Brod Knodel and Rotkohl.
(See the original recipe for German Sauerbraten
Rotkohl (Red Cabbage)
1 onion
1 tbsp of olive oil
1 medium red cabbage
1 apple
juice of 1/2 lemon
3 tbsp of brown sugar
4 tbsp of red wine vinegar
4 tbsp of water
salt and black pepper, to taste
Peel and finely chop the onion and apple then finely shred the cabbage. Heat a large oven-proof saucepan or casserole dish on the hob and sauté the onion in the oil until slightly golden. Stir in the red cabbage and diced apple at this pooint and remove from the heat.
Combine the lemon juice, brown sugar, vinegar, water and salt and pepper and pour over the cabbage mixture. Toss to combine and then cover the dish. Place in an oven pre-heated to 160°C and allow to cook for 2 hours. Serve hot along aside your mainmeal with Kartoffelklösse, or chill to serve with a selection of cold meats and cheese.
(See the original recipe for German Rotkohl)
Kartoffelklösse (Potato Dumplings) Recipe
2 tbsp butter
1 slice white bread diced into 72 equal pieces
45g plain flour + 2 tbsp plain flour
450g potatoes peeled and cooked
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp white pepper
4l water
In small deep pan heat the butter until bubbly and hot, then add bread and fry, stirring constantly, until the bread has absorbed the butter and is browned then set aside.
Combine the 45g plain flour in mixing bowl along with the cooked potatoes, egg, and seasonings. Mixing thoroughly then portion the resultant dough into 24 equal mounds.
Flour your hands with the remaining flour and shape the mounds into balls. Press 3 bread cubes into each ball and seal closed, forming dumplings.
In a 5l saucepan or bring water to a boil then use a slotted spoon to gently lower several dumplings into water (they will sink to the bottom). When the dumplings rise to surface, allow to cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer then remove the dumplings from the water and place on a warmed serving plate as you cook the remaining dumplings.
(See the original recipe for: German Kartoffelklösse (Potato Dumplings)
If you are interested in this recipe, then why not check out my Guide to Spices and their Uses eBook. The eBook itself details 57 of the world's commonest (and not so common) spices and provides you with 233 recipes in 303 pages that cover all the major cuisines of the world and shows you exactly how to use the various spices detailed. Please remember that any proceeds from this eBook go to the One Million People Campaign. Remember that the eBook contains real recipes, many of which you will not have seen before. It's well worth the small donation asked and remember that you will be helping a worthwhile campaign.
All the African recipes on the site (over 800) are currently being edited to put into an eBook which will be the most comprehensive book on African cookery available today. More information on this eBook can be found at African Recipes eBook. The eBook will be avaialble from the second week of October. Again, all proceeds from this eBook go to the 'Help Stefan' Charity campaign.
Please also check out the Celtnet Recipes reviews and notices pages. Here you will find reviews of the many recipe books that I've used in my career as a cook.
All the eBooks on my site, as well as other eBooks and business opportunities are available from my new Celtnet eBook sales and marketing site. If you have eBooks that you would like to market then you can submit a description for your eBook and a link back to your sales page completely free here: Celtent eBook marketing site.
Saturday, 6 October 2007
Southern Africa (Chicken Curry Potjie Recipe)
Today I'm going to spotlight another region of my website. This is the Southern African Recipes. A summary is presented, as well as recipes from every country in Southern Africa, as follows:
Admittedly, the recipes of Southern Africa are dominated by the cuisine of South Africa. This is partly due to South Africa's economic importance and also due to South Africa's European-influenced traditon of recipe books. As such South Africa's recipes have been written about and most of the country's neighbours have been culinarily ignored as a result.
I do have recipes from all the countries in the list above. But I'm afraid that the recipe below is a South African one mea culpa
To whet your appetite, here's a classic South African recipe for Chicken Curry Potjie:
2kg skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts
3 large onions, grated
5 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
1 large tin tomato paste
4 generous tsp masala
3 bayleaves
2 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
2 large cinnamon sticks
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1l red wine
6 large potatoes, halved
Fry the onions and garlic in a little oil until soft (but not browned) then add the spices and allow to fry for 2–3 minutes, or until aromatic. Add the tomatoes along with the tomato paste and add a little red wine to form a thick sauce. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes then add the chicken pieces and potatoes with about half the remaining wine. Cover the pot and allow to simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes (check the liquid level regularly, adding more red wine when needed).
About 15 minutes before the dish is ready add sugar to taste, season with salt and black pepper then allow to finish cooking. Serve the stew on a bed of rice (typically rice thas has been steamed in combination with mustard seeds, turmeric and onion flakes).
For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.
Admittedly, the recipes of Southern Africa are dominated by the cuisine of South Africa. This is partly due to South Africa's economic importance and also due to South Africa's European-influenced traditon of recipe books. As such South Africa's recipes have been written about and most of the country's neighbours have been culinarily ignored as a result.
I do have recipes from all the countries in the list above. But I'm afraid that the recipe below is a South African one mea culpa
To whet your appetite, here's a classic South African recipe for Chicken Curry Potjie:
Chicken Curry Potjie Recipe
2kg skinless chicken thighs and/or breasts
3 large onions, grated
5 tomatoes, blanched, peeled and chopped
1 large tin tomato paste
4 generous tsp masala
3 bayleaves
2 tbsp crushed garlic
1 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground fennel seeds
2 large cinnamon sticks
2 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1l red wine
6 large potatoes, halved
Fry the onions and garlic in a little oil until soft (but not browned) then add the spices and allow to fry for 2–3 minutes, or until aromatic. Add the tomatoes along with the tomato paste and add a little red wine to form a thick sauce. Allow to simmer for 5 minutes then add the chicken pieces and potatoes with about half the remaining wine. Cover the pot and allow to simmer on low heat for about 45 minutes (check the liquid level regularly, adding more red wine when needed).
About 15 minutes before the dish is ready add sugar to taste, season with salt and black pepper then allow to finish cooking. Serve the stew on a bed of rice (typically rice thas has been steamed in combination with mustard seeds, turmeric and onion flakes).
For more African Recipes, see the Celtnet Recipes Blog African Recipes page.
This list of African regions and African recipes is brought to you in association with the Recipes of Africa eBook. With over 1000 recipes covering each and every country in Africa, this is the most comprehensive book of African recipes available anywhere.
If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.
This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.
Don't delay, get yourself a copy of the Recipes of Africa eBook today!
If you love African food, or are just interested in African cookery, then the Recipes of Africa eBook is a must-buy. You get information about every region of Africa and every African country along with a selection of classic and traditional recipes from that country.
This is a must-get book for anyone interested in food. Learn about a continent that to this day remains mysterious to many people. The recipes presented here are written by someone who has travelled extensively in Africa and who is a published Author. The book is a properly-produce and published eBook and the collection is immense.
Don't delay, get yourself a copy of the Recipes of Africa eBook today!
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