Wednesday 15 June 2011

EAT Festival Newcastle

This weekend is the return of the EAT Festival Newcastle.

IM doing various bits across the weekend including manning a chilli stall, where i'll be selling my homemade chuck steak chilli with nachos, salad and sour cream.

Next i'll have a stall just on the bottom of Northumberland St selling goods from the Beehive Bakery, expect cupcakes and brownies in all flavours.  Last year i sold out in 2 hours so im going well prepared.

Finally i'll be doing a demonstration in the chefs theatre, 2pm, im cooking an easy supper dish made from leftovers you might find in your fridge.  Come along and ask questions, put me on the spot and watch me burn myself as usual in soectacular fashion.

Either way you'll catch me sometime over the weekend im sure!

Im also planning on making little tajines of rosewater jellies for my customers to eat while perusing! YUM.



Theres more info about the EAT Festival here.

http://www.eatnewcastlegateshead.com/

Cod and chorizo risotto

Cod and chorizo are culinary best friends, this is a really quick delicious supper, ready in under 30 minutes, give it a go with salmon or another fish, or leave the fish out completely, whatever you like!

If you want to splash out on your chorizo, check the Bath Pig, they are proper safe, best ive ever tasted, and they mail order.



Ingredients
1 tbsp olive oil
25g/1oz butter
1 onion or shallot, peeled, very  finely chopped
350g/12oz risotto rice such as Arborio or Carnaroli
150ml/5fl oz white wine
1 litre/1¾ pints chicken stock, hot (keep it hot in a pan on the hob)
75g/3oz parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper
200g/7oz  chorizo, diced
2x 125g/4½oz fillets of cod
chopped fresh parsley

Method
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saucepan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the chorizo and fry until golden and its released its paprika juices.
Turn the heat right down and add the onion, stir to coat it in the fat, then sweat very gently for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through cooking, until the onions are softened but not coloured.
Add the rice and stir for 1-2 minutes, turn the heat up then pour in the wine.
The wine whould bubble and boil, thats exactly what your after.
Reduce the heat until the mixture is simmering and simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the wine has been absorbed by the rice.
Add a ladleful of the hot stock to the rice and bring to a simmer. Stir regularly until all of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat this process until all of the stock has been used up and the rice is tender and the risotto is creamy. This should take 20-25 minutes.
Stir in the cheese, reserving a little for serving. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper and a knob of butter for flavour.
While the risotto is cooking, heat a frying pan over a medium to high heat. Season the cod fillets with salt and pepper and add the cod skin side down  and fry on a high heat for 3 minutes, don’t touch the fillet, just leave it skin side down.
Flip the fillets, turn the heat off and again set the timer for 3 minutes.  The fillets will cook in the residual heat of the pan.
The skin should be really crisp, sprinkle with a little salt and serve along side the risotto sprinkled with the chopped parsley.
Immense.