Toulouse Sausage and Roasted Garlic Mash

From Fabulous French With Jun Tanaka and John Whaite on the 'Big Eat' on Food Network UK...

This recipe contains my weakness... MASH POTATOS! I just love the stuff! I've opted for a different take on the usual creamy and buttery naughtiness that we all know and love but this time I've added olive oil and roasted garlic.

Roasting the garlic pacifies and sweetens the mash potato whilst the olive oil adds richness and flavour and season with white pepper for the its unique taste but also not to discolour with specks like you would find with the black variety. 

The sausage is your choice, I've gone for Toulouse for the strong garlic and herb taste. And for the gravy, cooking the onions is the key... a good 25 minutes ticking over on the stove until golden and brown. 

Warning: This is one of those dishes that will make your kitchen smell insanely good!

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My Toulouse Sausage and Roasted Garlic Mash

Ingredients

IT'S JUN TANAKA!

• 8 good quality toulouse sausages
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Good splash of brandy
• 4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 200ml red wine
• Whole bulb of garlic
• 1kg peeled fluffy potatoes, such as Maris Piper or King Edwards
• 50ml extra virgin olive oil
• Truffle oil (optional)
• Salt
• White pepper

Method

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Wrap the garlic bulb in foil and bake it for 20-25 minutes, until the garlic is soft and squidgy. Heat the olive oil in a pan and sauté the onions in an ovenproof pan until soft and golden, this will take a good 10-15 minutes.

Once brown, push to one side of the pan and add the sausages and brown evenly. Then add the brandy and de-glaze the pan. Add the balsamic vinegar, and then put the pan in the oven.

Cook it until the onions are beautifully caramelised and the sausages are cooked through, this will take about 20 minutes.

For the mash, peel and dice the potatoes and put them in a large pan of salted water, bring it to the boil and turn down the heat and simmer it for 20 minutes until the potatoes are tender.

Drain the potatoes and leave them to steam for about 5 minutes. Put the potatoes through a ricer and put them back into the pan.

Bring the potato together with a spoon, squeeze the roasted garlic in and season with salt and white pepper. Add the extra virgin olive oil until the mash is rich and glossy.

For an extra bit of luxury, add a drizzle of truffle oil to finish.

Brioche and Seville Orange Marmalade Toasts with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

From Viva España with Jose Pizarro and John Whaite on the 'Big Eat' on Food Network UK...

The idea of this dish comes from my love of churros and a grilled cheese sandwich I once had from a food truck in Florida. The orange marmalade and cream cheese work so well with the chocolate dipping sauce. Serve as an indulgent breakfast, dessert or even better as a late night snack.

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My Brioche and Seville Orange Marmalade Toasts with Chocolate Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

In the kitchen with Jose Pizarro!

• Brioche loaf
• Seville orange marmalade
• Cream cheese
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Butter for frying
• Icing sugar for dusting

For the Dipping Sauce:

• 150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces
• 2 – 3 tablespoons golden syrup

For the Caramelised Oranges:

• 2 oranges, with the skin cut off and sliced
• Caster sugar
• 2-3 tablespoons orange liqueur

Method

Slice the brioche loaf and spread on a layer of marmalade on one slice and cream cheese on the other and then bring them together with the filling in the middle.

Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them. Dip the brioche sandwich into the egg mix to coat well.

Melt the butter in a frying pan. Add the brioche and fry on one side for 1-2 minutes until golden. Flip it over and cook it on the other side.

Remove it from the pan and slice it into halves.

For the caramelised oranges, make a dry caramel in a frying pan with the sugar by simply putting it on the heat until it melts.

Then add the slices of orange and caramelise on both sides. Add some orange liqueur to deglaze the pan and remove.

For the dipping sauce, gently melt the chocolate over a saucepan of simmering water, then stir through the golden syrup.

Dust the brioche with icing sugar and serve.

Slow-Baked Indian Spiced Brisket

From Incredible Indian With Anjum Anand on the 'Big Eat' on Food Network UK...

The idea of this recipe is a mix of North American cuisine and Indian, two of my favourite cuisines coming to together in this fusion feast. It's basically pulled brisket & slaw, INDIAN STYLE! I have used a simple but tasty beef curry to cook the brisket in and then once cooked, reduce the sauce to a glaze and pass through the 'pulled' beef. The 'riata style' slaw takes the heat from the beef and adds texture as well as freshness. Serve in a wrap or naan for tasty hand held snack.

Chef's Tip: Use a pressure cooker to speed up the cooking time of the brisket.

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my slow-baked indian spice brisket

Ingredients

For the brisket:

• 1kg brisket
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large onion
• 5 garlic cloves, pureed
• Thumb size piece of ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tablespoon garam masala
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• 3 teaspoons cumin
• 3 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 tin chopped tomatoes
• 500ml beef stock
• Bunch of coriander
• 2 red chillies, finely chopped

For the Indian slaw:

• ½ head of savoy cabbage, core removed and thinly sliced
• ½ red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled and grated
• 50g raisins
• 50g toasted onions
• 150ml yoghurt
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon poppy seeds
• Bunch of chopped mint
• Salt and pepper

 

Method

Heat a saucepan on a medium heat and add the vegetable oil and the onion and sweat for 5 minutes without adding any colour to them. Add the chilli, garlic and ginger and cook for a further 2 minutes, add the spices and cook for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, beef stock and the brisket. Bring it to the boil, cover it and allow it to simmer for 3-4 hours, or until the meat is tender.

Remove the meat from the pan and cover it with foil until needed. Blitz the remaining juices and put them on the heat and reduce it to a sticky glaze.

Pull the meat using two forks and pour it over the beef and garnish it with the fresh coriander and chilli.

For the slaw, add all the ingredients apart from the curry powder to a bowl. Heat the curry powder in a frying pan, until fragrant and add it to the bowl. Mix it all together until it is well combined and serve.

Cuban Mojo Pork with Rice and Avocados

From Caribbean Carnival With Andi Oliver and John Whaite on the 'Big Eat' on Food Network UK...

This for me is perfect no fuss comfort food at its best. Mojo (pronounced Mo-ho) can be translated to sour orange and is a marinade or sauce, sour in taste and often seen in Cuban cuisine and used all over South America and the Caribbean. It origins from the Canary Islands and was thought to be brought over by the Spanish settlers.

Usually cooked with pork 'butt' or shoulder and served with rice and beans or in a Cuban Sandwich, I'm using pork neck as it's a great alternative, as is cheap, slow roasts perfectly and really holds the marinade. The cooking juices provide a rich and extremely tasty gravy.

It takes a bit of planning for perfect results as it needs to marinade overnight.

Cook the pork the day before you plan to eat and all you have to do is reheat in the juices, slice and serve with jasmine rice, avocado and a personal fav, sriracha.

Of course if your in a hurry then all this can be done on the day. Marinade for at least 2-3 hours prior to cooking.

You have been warned, this is seriously good!

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MY CUBAN MOJO PORK WITH RICE AND AVOCADOS

Ingredients

• 1kg pork neck
• 6 garlic cloves
• Handful fresh coriander
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• Juice and zest of 2 oranges
• 100ml olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For serving:

• Avocados
• Cooked jasmine rice
• 1 spring onion, sliced
• Hot chilli sauce

Method

In a food processor, add all the marinade ingredients and blitz until smooth and mixed and season it with salt and pepper to taste.

With a small knife, pierce the pork all over with half inch cuts. Place it into a container and pour the marinade all over, rubbing it into the pork. Cover it with cling film and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Preheat the oven to 220°C. Place the pork in a baking tray with the marinade and roast for 20 minutes.

Cover the baking tray and pork with foil, turn the oven down to 140°C and slow roast it for 2-3 hours, until it’s tender. To serve, slice the pork into thick slices.

For the gravy, spoon the fat off the cooking juices, leaving a dark brown sauce. Reduce it down a bit and then spoon it over the pork. Serve with the rice, sliced avocado, spring onion and chilli sauce.

Salt and Pepper Squid

From Seaside Specials With Lesley Waters and John Whaite on the 'Big Eat' on Food Network UK...

If you read my tweets or follow my Instagram you'll know my feelings towards this dish... It would be served as starter for my final meal. I cannot get enough of it and served with a cold beer, it's one of the greatest food and drink combos ever!

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my salt and pepper squid

Ingredients

For the squid:

• 500g baby squid, cleaned and with the tentacles reserved
• 100g cornflour
• 100g plain flour
• 2 tablespoons Szechuan peppercorns, lightly crushed
• ½ teaspoon Chinese 5 spice
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 10 large garlic cloves
• Vegetable oil for frying
• Pepper

For the dipping sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 red chilli, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
• Fresh coriander and lime wedges to serve

Method

Heat a wok or deep fat fryer to about 160°C.

While the oil is heating up crush the garlic in a pestle and mortar, don’t over pound it as you want to keep it in good bits and not pureed. Once the oil is ready, cook the garlic until caramelised and crispy, they will float to the top of the hot oil once cooked, remove the garlic with a slotted spoon and drain on some kitchen paper.

Set aside in a warm oven while you fry the squid. Open the body of the squid, take a sharp knife and gently score the inside of the flesh of the squid, be careful not to cut all the way through.

Crush the Szechuan peppercorns and 5 spice in a pestle and mortar, you still want a little texture in the pepper so do not pound to a powder. Add the salt and crush lightly again, put it into a ziplock bag with the two flours and shake well.

Put the prepared squid into the bag of seasoned flour and toss quickly as you don’t want the squid to get over coated in the flour.

The lovely Lesley Waters!

Increase the temperature of the oil to around 185°C. You can check that the oil is up to temperature by dropping a small piece of bread into the oil; this will go golden brown quickly.

Drop the squid into the hot oil, cooking it in 3 or 4 batches, frying to 4 or 5 minutes. As soon as the squid is cooked the bodies will curl up, they will be crispy and a nicely golden brown, remove them with a slotted spoon and drain it on some kitchen paper. Keep warm in the oven while you cook the remaining squid.

Make the sauce by mixing all the ingredients together, mix well and put into a suitable serving bowl. When all the squid is cooked, toss with the caramelised garlic and sprinkle with coriander leaves.

Serve with lime wedges and the dipping sauce.

Ultimate Potato Dauphinoise

From Culinary Classics with Rosemary Shrager and John Whaite on the 'Big Eat' for Food Network UK...

The first dish I was ever taught to cook in a restaurant at Reads, Kent by my good friend James McLean. You can't rush a dauphinoise and need to make sure every layer is seasoned and placed neatly. It takes time, but when well done... It's totally worth it.  It can be cooked a day in advance, portioned and reheated for your party the next day.

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My ultimate potato dauphinoise

Ingredients

• 1.5kg floury potatoes, such as Maris piper
• 500ml double cream
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 1 small onion, peeled and halved
• 150g Gruyere cheese, grated
• Salt and pepper
• Oil

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 160°C. Peel the potatoes and place them whole into cold water.

Pour the cream into a pan, and then add the garlic, rosemary and the onion. Heat them to a boiling point and simmer for 5 minutes.

Allow them to cool slightly, then strain into a jug or another pan. Slice the potato directly into the warm, flavoured cream. Lightly cover your dish with a thin layer of oil. Once the potatoes and cream are well mixed, begin to layer the potato into your dish, adding some Gruyere cheese and seasoning between each layer.

Once the dish is full and you’ve used all the cheese. Pour a little cream over the top to help the cooking process.

Bake in a bain marie by placing the dish into a larger dish and filling halfway with hot water, then put it into the oven for 1 – 1 ½ hours. Once cooked, rest it for 10 minutes and then serve it.

'The Big Eat' with John Whaite on Food Network UK

Good News! 

Starting this Monday, January 19th. It's the 'The Big Eat' with John Whaite and I on Food Network UK, join us and your favourite celebrity chefs to create the ultimate menu featuring a range of delicious recipes.

More info over the weekend, but til then enjoy this 'small' promo...