Dish and the Spoon

a passion for food and cooking inspired by travel, family and friends

P is for Pomegranate

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IMG_7684I have had this recipe in my mind as the P post for some time.  I have finally found some time to move forward with my alphabet of posts, but I think its time to admit it won’t be finished by the end of 2015.  Perhaps end of the financial year?

Pomegranate, the fruit that is born from the Punica granatum tree is a beautiful apple-shaped fruit.  The thick, inedible skin houses hundreds of tiny seeds (arils) that are sweet and juicy and mostly ruby red in colour.  Some varieties are white with a rose tinge to it.  This fruit is very commonly used in a arabic dishes and given the hardiness of the plant, tends to grow well in the middle easter and Mediterranean regions.  They are well known for high levels of antioxidants and medicinal purposes.

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The whole fruit is super impressive as a table decoration.  Releasing the seeds can be a pain and a bit messy so we are lucky enough here to be able to get them already seeded and packaged up year round.  At the moment they are super sweet and juicy. Did you know Grenadine (derived from the french word grenade, meaning pomegranate) is originally a syrup made from pomegranate juice and sugar.  And that’s my lesson for the day.

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Pomegranates bring a lot of travel memories; freshly squeezed as juice bought from street stalls in Istanbul and we even had them growing in our holiday villa in Spain this past July.  The colour is just so amazing.  It can liven up any dish just by sprinkling them over a pavlova, a green salad and is so festive.  Coming into the Christmas season, this fruit certainly has its place here and this dish could very well be a highlight as part of a yuletide meal.

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This recipe is from my favourite, Ottolenghi’s new book, Nopi.  I’m so excited by this book!!! This recipe uses pomegranate in the seed form, in a salsa, and also the reduced syrup (known as pomegranate molasses), thick sweet and sour at the same time.

Its a bit of a unusual combination of flavours but the saltiness and fermented nature of miso against the sharpness and sweetness of the pomegranate is a taste sensation.

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I used chicken supremes and didn’t actually use all of the miso butter so have put it in the freezer for a quick mid week dinner.

The salsa is so fresh and tasty, it could be used as an accompianment to other meat dishes quite easily.

We are camping in the desert this weekend.  The first time since having children, our packing list has somewhat altered.  We have a fancy tent, 5 sleeping bags and the essentials.  I’ll keep you posted…

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Chicken with Burnt Miso Butterscotch and Pomegranate Salsa
 
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PS - I halved the recipe but the full one is written here PPS - I didn't have mirin or sherry vinegar so substituted with no problem
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 150g white miso paste, room temperature
  • 50ml mirin (I used sherry)
  • 30g light brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (I used rice vinegar)
  • 40g unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 4 chicken breast supremes (or 8 deboned quails or 8 chicken thighs)
  • Salsa
  • 150g pomegranate seeds (1 medium pomegranate)
  • 70g walnuts, chopped and toasted
  • 35g pickled walnuts, rinsed and chopped ( I omitted these)
  • 2 teaspoons pomegranate molasses (I used 1 tablespoon)
  • 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (I used white balsamic)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 20g parsley chopped
Instructions
  1. Pre heat the oven to 160 degree celcius
  2. On a lined baking sheet, spread the miso into a thin, even layer and bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden caramel colour with burnt edges.
  3. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool
  4. Scrape the miso into a small food processor along with the mirin, brown sugar, butter, rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon of water and blitz into a smooth paste. Set aside.
  5. Place all the salsa ingredients in a bowl and stir until flavours are combined and set aside.
  6. Using a fry pan, add a little olive oil, season the chicken with salt and pepper and fry until golden, about 10-15minute.
  7. In a baking tray, place the chicken supremes, and smother with the miso butter and bake for about 10 -15 minutes until golden and bubbling.
  8. If you prefer to cook the chicken fully, do this. Smother with a layer of miso, then place under a hot grill for a couple of minutes until golden and bubbling.
  9. Serve with a generous serving of salsa.

 

O is for Oranges

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oranges toffee

This recipe is a simple one.  It is a bit retro and I remember my mum making these back in the day, and it was quite something.  Its amazing that such a basic recipe and a simple drizzle of toffee over fresh orange completely transforms the orange from yum to absolute decadence.  I’ve added my twist of a pinch of cinnamon to the toffee, possibly a nod to Moroccan flavours.

side oranges

I love making a whole orange (flourless) cake, I LOVE chocolate and orange (channelling Terrys Chocolate Oranges – we can get them in Dubai!), I mean who doesn’t love a Jaffa Cake.  Orange segments in an asian salad or seafood dish create a new dimension of sweetness and balance.

bucket of oranges

Reminiscing about our recent trip to Spain, specifically Mallorca, we stayed in a villa that had it’s own vineyards, olive groves and orchards that guests were welcome to when staying.  Every morning, we picked fresh juicy oranges for juice, and also for freezing quarters for afternoon tea by the pool.  The kids loved it and it was so great to be able to show them exactly where fresh produce came from, other than the bright lights of the supermarkets.

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Back to the caramelised oranges.  Make sure this is enjoyed within a few hours, otherwise the toffee melts into the orange, and make sure the oranges are the best you can find and super cold!  I found super juicy, richly coloured Navel oranges from Australia.

toffee oranges

Caramelised Oranges with Cinnamon
 
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PS Feel free to omit the cinnamon, use cardamom instead
Author:
Serves: 6
Ingredients
  • 4 large navel oranges
  • 250g caster sugar
  • 125ml water
  • pinch of cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Peel the oranges with a knife so there is no white pith.
  2. Slice the oranges in 5mm circles and arrange on a platter in one layer
  3. In a saucepan, place the sugar, water and cinnamon on a high heat.
  4. Bring to the boil and don't stir the mixture at all, swirl only, if you must.
  5. When the toffee is golden amber colour it is ready. Too pale will have no flavour, too dark is bitter.
  6. Carefully drizzle the toffee in a thin layer over the top of the oranges.
  7. Chill in the fridge until ready to serve.
  8. A good dollop of tangy greek yoghurt will cut through the sweetness nicely.

 

N is for Nectarine

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cut cake

I love finding recipes, especially reliable cake recipes that can be stored and adapted to use whatever feature ingredient you have on hand.

I found this cake recipe on a couple of other blogs that has been directly copied and adapted from Smitten Kitchen.  All recipes used different fruits or flavours…. 

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L is for Lavender

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cooked

I know its not lamb, or lentils or liquorice, but instead chose a slightly different but not uncommon cooking ingredient; Lavender.

We all know this purple fragrant flower to feature heavily in soaps, perfumes, little bags in grandma’s drawer of smalls.  It is used in aromatherapy, known for its calming qualities and the flowers make for a very pretty, rustic posy on the kitchen table.

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Lavender is over 2500 years old and there are apparently 39 species known around the world.

My mum has been visiting us and in her many bags of goodies, brought me 2 different samples of dried lavender, lavender oil and also a bunch of fresh lavender from her garden.  Coming from the Mint family, it grows just as abundantly.

lav dried oil fresh

I was going to bake something with Lavender, and a sprinkle of this floral herb in your shortbread mix would be lovely.  But I thought about tackling a savoury dish and while it pairs beautifully with lamb and rosemary, I have instead chosen a more delicate dish from Rachel Khoo’s Little Paris Cookbook.  It combines lavender with thyme, lemon and honey to create a surprisingly subtle and tasty roast chicken dish with a lovely sauce.

marinade

 

chicken

As she advises, go easy on the lavender, less is best in this instance to avoid the dish tasting like a Loccitane hand cream !  But served with a few potatoes and a green salad is ideal and what’s more it is so so simple to prepare.

We have survived the first few weeks of school and we know get to enjoy a 4 day weekend to celebrate Eid Al Adha.

Eid Mubarak!

chicken on a plate

Chicken with Lavender, Lemon and Honey
 
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P S This would be just as delicious with a couple of different herbs, such as rosemary, thyme or oregano if you can't get a hold of the lavender
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 4 chicken supremes or enough chicken pieces skin on, bone in to feed 4
  • 1 tablespoon lavender, slightly crushed with a mortar and pestle
  • 2-3 tablespoons honey
  • 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • grated zest and juice of one lemon
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • generous pinch of sea salt
Instructions
  1. Pre heat your oven to 200 degrees
  2. Prepare the chicken in advance.
  3. In a small bowl, prepare the marinade by combining the lavender, honey, thyme, lemon juice and zest and oil.
  4. In a baking dish just big enough to snuggly fit the chicken pieces in a single layer, place the chicken in the dish and cover with the marinade.
  5. Cover and set aside for minimum 4 hours, possibly overnight
  6. Place the dish in the oven and bake for 45 minutes until golden brown, sticky and saucy
  7. Serve with greens and potatoes, boiled or roasted

 

I is for Icing Sugar

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cake

A bit of a break.  Summer holidays are pretty much over but in Dubai, the fact that summer is in its last month or 2, is something to look forward to.  We have had some wonderful holidays to Spain and Mallorca and also Malaysia and Borneo.  And I’m sure a few pictures may feature along the rest of my alphabetical journey as I picked up ideas.  As you will see from a couple of snaps, this was not a diet trip…. 

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