The bags gave it away: the weekly shop has loads of fish. Apparently we’ve been eating too much meat. Fine by me.
First off then the mussels. Not from the Menai Straits here in Wales where 50% of the UK’s mussles are landed, no these were from West Scotland, via Morrisons, a pretty unusual supermarket choice for us.
So one chopped leek, a handful of spring onions, a lump of fennel all chopped and sweated in a bit of olive oil. Half a bottle of white wine, some chopped parsley, seasonings and a ten minute bubble in our largest saucepan (a Robert Welch steamer without the steamer bit).
Whilst that looks after itself, the scraping and de-bearding of the mussels – boring but not a culinary challenge, but I bet that’s what puts people off. And we had two bags – one never seems enough and the two were going to make us fuller than full and leave some for a salad tomorrow.
They seemed very fine, few broken or open ones (bin these) and were soon ready to cook. I have to admit that the other half of Belgium’s national dish (the chips) were a low fat, skins on , oven cook variety that promised lots of flavour and few calories … well you can’t have everything.
In with the mussels, on with the lid. Wait. A big stir – there was a ton of the beasts – and a bit longer. Then, when they were all opened they were piled high in deep bowls, with a large plastic mixing bowl for the debris.
Not neat or decorous eating, you have to get in there with the shell you use as a clamp for the next tasty mollusc extracted from its shell. Of course, some people hate them and assume that you’ll die from poisoning instantly.
For us, the first of our fishy suppers: quick, inexpensive and a dish quite without equal. The chips? Ok, ish.
Quick and easy
Muesli as Luxury
If you stay at Holiday Inn Expresses (which I do often and recommend as the best of the cheap brands) the best you get for breakfast is Alpen. Now once we thought that was very good for you, but now we know that it’s sugar laden (although it says not!) and tastes like, well yes, sawdust.
I remember the shock of real Bircher Muesli when staying at the Hilton in Brussels where in the little bar/breakfast room reserved for boring business men (actually all men) they served the most delicious and luxurious freshly made muesli. Hooked I was on stuff ‘invented’ in 1887.
Now Google off and see that there are 80,000 entries and most of them recipes claiming to be original. Well here’s my version, modeled on the luxurious, but healthy one I tasted that day.
I make enough in one go for about four portions – that’s two days for two of us if it doesn’t get snacked. Keeps ok, the apple will discolour whatever you do. But fresh is best. Start before going to bed.
First cast your oats – two generous handfuls of the best you can get, look for organic and not too milled. Supermarket ‘best’ is ok but never, but never try this with Quaker Oats! A further handful of sultanas and cover the lot with apple juice – not too much, when you wake up you want the oats and fruit to have soaked up the juice and be plump and squidgy, not swimming in it.
In the morning finish off: grate one large or two small apples into the mix. We’re now enjoying early Worcesters from the farmers’ market at Riverside. Call Old Sandlin Fruit apples and pears 01886 833200 07768 748 798 – use their juice for absolute heaven.
Then add a couple tablespoons each of seeds, sunflower, pumpkin, whatever and quite a lot more of roughly chopped nuts, again whatever takes your fancy, but mixed and either plain or slightly roasted. You want to end up with a ratio of soaked oats and other stuff of about 50:50, this is meant to be scrummy, not scrimpy.
When you’re convinced it’s mixed to distribute all the tastes fairly, add some creamy stuff. Yes, low fat natural yoghourt will do, but if dieting is not on the agenda – when’s that? – use fromage frais low or full fat. I have been known to use clotted cream! You want a sticky mass consistency not sloppy.
Finally put in a bowl and eat, on its own, or with a generous blob of compote, or just a chopped banana if you want a sugar kick.
After a few ‘testings’ you’ll have perfected your own particular mix of crunchy, vibrant, fresh goodness. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s not the original recipe, ‘cos it is, it’s your original recipe and that’s so much nicer.
A late Sunday lunch thanks to Waitrose
There are only two Waitrose supermarkets in Wales. We couldn’t afford to shop there much anyway, but that is still bad news. Our nearest at Barry is always empty (of customers that is) but well stocked and personed (how do we do without manned?) by very nice staff.
Enough of adverts: we were starving having been walking at Pothkerry Country Park and needed a quick fix when we got home.
Thinking of the success we’ve had twice with feeding people with various of Nigel’s Chicken Rice Salad (done with duck once for posher friends), I cobbled this together as I ran round.
This was a substantial two: double rice and stuff for four, there’s enough chicken for four easy.
Lazy warm chicken salad al la Slater
Grab: one hot chicken, pouch of Tilda cooked rice (I used lime and coriander), bag of leaves – ought to include rocket I feel, spring onions, tasty tomatoes. (The last two items had come previously from Darts Farm very excellent shop. We also ate there really good – as good as you get – fresh fish and chips. Recommended)
You will also need lime juice, fish sauce, decent olive oil, a fresh chilli or two, some flat leaf parsley and fresh mint: but you have all those things lying around, don’t you?
How to: snip of top off rice pouch and microwave (yes, we have one! I know ….) for two minutes or a bit less. We only want it warm not piping hot.
In a big bowl mix two glugs each of oil, fish sauce, lime juice. Add chopped herbs and onions and finely chopped chilli to taste – it needs a kick.
After the rice has calmed down a bit add to the bowl and give hearty stir to ensure all the rice has a chance to soak up some more flavour. If you are using left over rice (hell of a lot cheaper of course) you may want to boost the seasoning a bit more.
Now you’ve choices. If you are following the Slater route you’ll chop up the chicken nicely, add to the rice and add sprouts. That’s good. Today I did it easier. Into deep plates I piled the leaves, made a bit of a space and put the rice in the middle – yes it wilts the leaves a bit..
Then some nice chunks of the quite warm bird on top, some slices of the flavoursome tomatoes, a splash more oil and off to table. Crunchy bread, red wine, sleep (well it is Sunday).
Prep time less than ten minutes. Cost, extravagant ‘cos lazy, but it was Waitrose so it all tasted great.
You will also need lime juice, fish sauce, decent olive oil, a fresh chilli or two, some flat leaf parsley and fresh mint: but you have all those things lying around, don’t you?
How to: snip of top off rice pouch and microwave (yes, we have one! I know ….) for two minutes or a bit less. We only want it warm not piping hot.
In a big bowl mix two glugs each of oil, fish sauce, lime juice. Add chopped herbs and onions and finely chopped chilli to taste – it needs a kick.
After the rice has calmed down a bit add to the bowl and give hearty stir to ensure all the rice has a chance to soak up some more flavour. If you are using left over rice (hell of a lot cheaper of course) you may want to boost the seasoning a bit more.
Now you’ve choices. If you are following the Slater route you’ll chop up the chicken nicely, add to the rice and add sprouts. That’s good. Today I did it easier. Into deep plates I piled the leaves, made a bit of a space and put the rice in the middle – yes it wilts the leaves a bit..
Then some nice chunks of the quite warm bird on top, some slices of the flavoursome tomatoes, a splash more oil and off to table. Crunchy bread, red wine, sleep (well it is Sunday).
Prep time less than ten minutes. Cost, extravagant ‘cos lazy, but it was Waitrose so it all tasted great.
Thanks for the cabbage
We’ve encountered sauerkraut in all the usual places: a memorable, heart busting triple sausages and ham platterful in Strasbourg (of course) where they manged to serve their traditional dish with some subtlety and well as monstrous portions; then there were the barrels of dozens of different ones at the Christmas market, we think it was Baden Baden, but it could have just as easily been anywhere in Alsace or southern Germany; and then the famous Eisbahn, eaten this time in Berlin where there idea of a piece of ham seemed to include best part of a leg, for one of course.
Thanks to the Polish invasion, the base ingredient – the pickled cabbage – comes in giant jars from Asda, well the firm is Krakus who do all sorts of marvelous things in jars. The problem then, to recreate the idea of lots of tastes of porky things, without going over the top, and encouraging heart attacks.
The first trick is to extract the cabbage – you need about half a large (900 gm) jar for two, but it’s packed in solid. I used a fork to start with, then my hands. As you pull the cabbage out, carefully pull it into its shreds, if you don’t you’ll just have an indigestible lump. Put into a large bowl with some crumpled bay leaves, some juniper berries and a real crunch of pepper. At this point I also added the last chunk of the home cooked ham diced into bite sized bits. Give everything a good mix by hand and cover.
At this point a pack of tasty sausages went in the oven to cook: flavour is what we’re after and if you’re cooking for more than two then a couple of kinds won’t go wrong either. If you want a kick a piece of chorizo would be good.
The last taste was going to come from some bacon – in this case unsmoked cubes gently cooked off in a non stick pan, but again anything goes.
Once the sausages were well cooked and sticky the cabbage, well infused with its herbs by now, goes in the microwave. Give a stir halfway through. Then assemble by stirring in the hot bacon bits (and yes, the flavoursome fat ..) distributing on plates and adding the sausages.
Traditionally the only extras are steamed potatoes, plain as they come, and mustard. There’s a very nice mustard and horseradish courtesy of the Poles’ too, so try it for a change.
Only Connect 