Thai Beef Noodle Broth!

Hello again everyone, how are we all feeling? Good, bad, borderline? I consider myself to be sitting on the good side of life today, woke up to a very humble breakfast of Alpen museli tossed with orange blossom honey and mixed dried berries served alongside a glass of fresh tomato juice, perfect way to start the morning. Then I rushed off to the local supermarket to purchase some ricotta cheese for some orange kisses of the Nigelissima sort! When eventually I returned from my violin lesson I pursued the task of a little celestial frying and eating these little tiny Italian doughnuts that are as light as air with a good strong LavAzza espresso to wash them all down. I mean today hasn’t been that laborious at all in terms of being out and about, a quick dash here and there to get a few things and that’s all, apart from starting an English essay on stem cell research and the pro’s and con’s of the newly created lab-grown muscle tissue beef burger and how that in around 10 years time could be commercially available to the mass market. So apart from that today really has been quite uneventful. Oh I thought to let you all know that this recipe in which I am about to start typing in a few moments, is an influence from a range of different cookery books and together creates an amalgamation that is my Noodle Broth, This is fantastic body cleansing food, clears the mind and lifts the soul of any person in need of a little spice. Not to hot not to mild, just the perfect Harmonic balance of flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

750ml Good Quality Beef Stock. (stock cubes create an unclear broth).

250ml water.

300g wide sized udon or soba noodles.

200g very thinly sliced topside of beef. (raw)

2 star anise.

1 teaspoon fennel seeds.

1 cinnamon stick broke in two.

1 red chilli, seeds removed, thinly sliced.

A thumb sized piece of ginger, thinly sliced.

3 cloves of garlic crushed.

A variety of mixed herbs, coriander, parsley.

1 pak choi, finely sliced.

METHOD:

Firstly take a dry pan and heat it up gently, then add the cinnamon, fennel, and star anise. Toast gently until the aromatic oils start drifting up to your nostrils, now remove from the heat and set aside.

Now take a large soup pot, or largish saucepan and pour in the water and the beef stock. Mix the two of them together and gently heat it up. Do not boil the stock otherwise you will spoil it, now when it is warmed up, add the dried spices, chilli, ginger and garlic.

Now add the beef and gently poach the meat in thin strips for a few minutes before adding the pak choi and noodles. Ladle into warmed bowls and sprinkle with the herbs.

Enjoy!

Merci,

Ryan!

 

Orange kisses and Espresso from today!! Yum 🙂

A Veg Gathering, Happy 1st Year Blogging Anniversary!!

Hello again folks, how are we all? Feeling as though Autumn is fast approaching us in the vast open, cloudy white skies. Well try not to be saddened by the weather, as all the wonderful root vegetables are beginning to call our names to get out and dig them out of the soil i your back garden or maybe from the local market while there sellers try to grab the public’s imagination and tell them the fascinating tales about where their vegetables came from. Not exactly but you get what I mean (I hope so anyway). So today I was awakened by my mobile phones alarm system ringing in my ear followed by a not so delightful tune of my list of morning spam flowing through my inbox. Usually I would not attend to these little details but something told me to check them and so on my embarking mission I discovered that to this very day last year I started this blog about cooking and music, although that side of events left this blog fairly soon. I really still  wonder why I abandoned it, maybe for the very simple reason that there is just too many concertos and pieces to talk about in this one blog and that a venture down my culinary root would be of much more interest to you than me blabbing on about emotions throughout pieces (I do have my moments though). So anyway this post was also to say a big thank you to all of you who take the time to read this blog thoroughly and respect and listen to my many speeches about food. If it wasn’t for you people who continue to read it daily (or when I try to fit it in)  and share it around with your friends and family, I don’t think I would have followed it through to this very day! A very big thanks again to you and carry on reading and sharing at your free leisure.

Back to the subject of veg, I heard of this very good way to use up a glut of delicious root and fresh vegetables from your fridge/garden, in this very simple method of pan roasting. I learned this method from Nigel Slater who has provided me with lots of interesting ideas and twists to turn a mass of garden glut into something truly spectacular and best of all tasty!  For this recipe you can adapt it to as little or as much veg you have got, I certainly would include some sort of root veg and a few brighter additions such as radishes and beets. So here goes:

INGREDIENTS:Note: This is not really a recipe: just go with the flow: Trust me!

Carrots

Onions (red)

Potatoes (sweet is beautiful here)

Chard.

Beetroot.

Radishes.

Courgettes.

Tomatoes. (cherry or vittorio – oval shaped)

Thyme.

Basil.

Chives.

Herb Flowers.

Butter

Olive Oil.

Creme Fraiche.

Oregano.

METHOD: (is there really one aha?)

Gently steam the veg that will take longer to cook such as the potatoes, carrots, chard etc, until just tender.

Pan fry the rest of the veg gently in a good knob of butter and olive oil.

Place all of the veg into a roasting tray (to serve) and then take a good knob of butter and oil and whisk over a low heat until melted, then whisk in a good spoonful of creme fraiche until thick and creamy, add the herbs apart from the basil (bruised) and then delectably pour over the veg. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Enjoy on a cool Autumnal evening and thank you again everybody!

Merci,

Ryan!

 

 

 

 

Gâteau Breton or Brittany Butter Cake!

Hello again everybody, how are we all, good I’m supposing well after a good slice of this simple 4 ingredient cake I guarantee you will be indeed. After all of this busy orchestral business this week I thought it was time to write a post on a little something more relaxing and that seems fairly effortless in the Kitchen. So to do this I have devised the idea of opening the Nigella, how to be a domestic goddess book and begin to crumble away my thoughts over this fabulous cake (well I say it’s cake) but it’s more like a shortbread/cake breed aha, if I can get away with that not so culinary terminology! In Brittany this cake would be made with the freshest Brittany butter, but unfortunately unless you happen to stay in Brittany it can be fairly complicated trying to track down a supplier of good quality proper butter, although you can find fresh farm eggs widely available in the UK at Farmer’s Markets and maybe even you have a dear friend who keeps chickens. As the cake is only made with 4 incredulously simple ingredients, then I advise you purchase the best unsalted butter you can afford and the best chicken eggs you can find also! Therefore if you wish to come home from work and have that urge to cook/bake something ever so comforting, then this recipe seems to tick off all of those little pinpoint lists. You will never have a worry in the world once you eat a slice of this cake.. rest assured (well I know I can squeeze a few slices in the old tum)… So get rid of the gloom and solemn and enter a room where only happiness and laughter should occur ( I think you can work out what room that will be for yourselves).

INGREDIENTS:

Only 4 – Life could not get any simpler than that!

250g Best quality butter (unsalted).

225g Plain flour. (although Nigella suggests 00 flour).

6 egg yolks.

250g caster sugar.

To glaze:

1 tsp of the 6 egg yolks.

1 tbsp water.

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 190c / Gas 5. Line a springform cake pan (circle) with baking paper and butter the sides.

If using a mixer, the tip the flour in a bowl along with the other ingredients and using the dough hook attachment, knead until smooth.

If by hand, make a well in the flour and add the sugar butter eggs and knead until smooth.

Scoop the dough into the prepared tin and using a floured hand, ease the dough to the corners. Don’t expect this cake to rise much at all.

Take the glaze, by the way if you forget about the tsp of yolk, just use milk instead. And brush the top of the cake all over with the glaze, don’t soak the cake though! (lightest coating possible). Then with a sharp knife edge, score deeply into the cake diagonals.

Place in the preheated oven for 10 minutes at Gas 5 then lower the temperature to 180c / Gas 4 for another 25 minutes until golden and firm to the touch.

Unlike other cakes, let this cool completely in the tin before unmoulding and cutting out the wedges.

Enjoy and have fun relaxing with a slice of this and a cup of hot choc!

Proper stuff please..

Ryan!

 

Italian Orange Rice Cake!

Hello folks once again, I do apologize for the exceedingly long five day wait or this post. Over the past three days I have had non-stop orchestral rehearsals and evening concerts, I have just had no time to sit down, relax with a cup of tea and write a post for you all (I am telling you the honest truth here, life for the last 72 hours has been pretty exasperating. I really believe I have hit the ultimate jackpot in terms of orchestral music performance, by accompanying a friend of mine play the Bruch Violin Concerto No.1 G Min. Now I tell you now that is some piece indeed, the stamina required is unreal but the outcome is so fabulous it is worth every drip of sweat and tear! The subtlety of the accompaniment is such a wonderful contrast to the solo, oh wow I could talk all night about it but I have to move on and get to the main point of topic which of course is this orange rice cake. Before you start to panic, this is not one of those dry, paper like rice cakes sold in paper wrappers, no this is a cake made with Italian arborio rice and then slowly baked in a warm oven. People always say to me that it is like a set rice pudding, but in my personal opinion that sounds not very appealing in the slightest. It is very hard to determine and tell you about this cake as I believe the making of it seems to give away all of it’s hidden secrets, and the smells are just sublime! So, off we pop the La Cucina, and whip up this wonderful Italian bake:

INGREDIENTS:

300g Arborio rice. (risotto rice).

1.7 litres milk (full fat please).

1 vanilla pod.

1/2 lemon, zest in large pieces.

200g caster sugar.

5 large eggs, separated.

50ml orange liqueur (don’t splash out on this if you don’t store it just use freshly squeezed orange juice).

40g raisins (optional).

1 orange, zest only, grated (keep some behind for sprinkling on top)!

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180c / Gas 4. Line a loose-bottomed cake tin with parchment and butter the sides.

Place the milk, whole vanilla pod, lemon zest,  and sugar in a largish saucepan and apply a gentle heat and bring to a boil. Add the rice and simmer gently for around 20-25 minutes until tender but not a mush. Remove the vanilla and lemon zest.

In a clean bowl whisk the egg yolks and liqueur until creamy. In another bowl whisk the whites until stiff peaks are achieved.

Add the egg yolk mixture to the now cooled rice and fold in the whites and then the orange zest and raisins, if using. Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin a cook in the oven for 1 hour until set and golden in colour. Eat warm or cold.

Enjoy folks, Until next time,

Merci,

Ryan!

 

 

Griddled Asparagus with Flaked Almonds, Butter and Goat’s Cheese!

Hello again everyone, Lovely week? Well at least I hope it has been for you, my own week has been quite long and drawn out actually but in saying that it has gone by in a flash in terms of the school week. Honestly when that last bell rings on a Friday afternoon it is like heaven calling on Earth! As of tomorrow it is non-stop music for the next week along with rehearsals and concerts, hoo-ray hmm.. maybe not in my opinion. This looks like my last evening of freedom of orchestral repertoire for a while at least, well I drone on about it as if it is completely horrible, but I do very much enjoy it although sometimes I wish that life was so much easier on us. Also having the weight of the worlds many problems and dilemmas on your shoulders (or maybe a friends) is not all that better. The point that I’m trying to make here is that there seem to be many times we hit a brick wall in life and not matter how much pressure we apply you can never fully knock it over. Okay so you might not classify problems such as baking not turning out properly or being late for something, a heart wrenching problem but over time is may build up until one day you decide to knock it off your shoulders.. Oh my it must be the Earl Grey that’s making me say all of this psychological nonsense.

So tonight I thought of a very simple, but satisfying way to use up asparagus.. although hold on a minute (did I really just say use up) well I think that that term should not be applied in the kitchen in any shape or form, everything in your larder/pantry/fridge-freezer are all valuable items and can ALL be made into something spectacularly beautiful and incredibly explosive in terms of taste. A food technologist would describe explosive in many complex way but to me anything that tastes wonderful, is truly a culinary delight and should be celebrated! Asparagus is an extremely underrated vegetable, perhaps not though, now after further developments in people palettes, we as food eaters have become more involved with the food we eat and that makes me happy as a person.. This dish is simply asparagus grilled on a skillet type pan, tossed with a good helping- may I put emphasis on that last phrase of butter and toasted flaked almonds, for some texture contrast! Followed by the addition of crumbled sharp goat’s cheese for an acidic tang. I would advise you to explore your local cheesemonger and source the best cheese around as you will help to support dairy farmers and keep these single shops alive!!!

INGREDIENTS:

200g trimmed asparagus spears.

little olive oil, no need for extra virgin, butter is the star of the show.

40g unsalted butter.

40g toasted flaked almonds, please buy the un toasted and DIY, they are terribly dry if pre-made!

50g good soft, crumbly goats cheese!

METHOD:

Cook the asparagus in salted boiling water for 2 minutes until slightly tender. (my tip to get water to the boil faster – simply clamp on a tight fitting lid and it works a dream).

Drain and toss in a little olive oil. Heat the griddle pan on full whack and place the oiled spears on top and cook, turning every few minutes to get a charred effect all over. Melt the butter in a pan, and then plate the spears, drizzle over the butter, crumble over the cheese.. Serve immediately!

Enjoy my friends:

Merci,

Ryan!

Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake!

Hello again folks, I hope everyone is doing just fine and keeping well and healthy! I am just about to round up my evening activities with a spot of blogging, after my 30 minute extravaganza getting ready for tomorrows school outing (or shall I put it as a chore), after the seven week break we have been given so generously to look over notes (aha, that was not part of the deal in my opinion). Well to make up for all of that endless reading and baking over this holiday, I have to decided to mark the end of summer 2013, with another spectacular crowd pleaser, in the form of a rich dark chocolate cake with a smooth glossy chocolate frosting = très bien..  This is also so superbly quick and easy to make as you literally bung it all in a food processor, every single ingredient for the cake batter, whiz and then bake in two tins, then sandwich with the glossily thick  frosting and devour, with no sign in guilt in mind! There really isn’t much else I can say about this cake it seems to tell it all for me in it’s own entirety.. This cake does not require much patience, but if you have hours to spare, the decorating can look spectacularly professional.

INGREDIENTS:

200 g plain flour.

200 g caster sugar.

175 g soft unsalted butter.

40 g very cocoa powder.

1 tsp baking powder.

1/2 tsp bicarb.

2 eggs.

150 ml sour cream.

2 tsp vanilla extract.

ICING:

75 g soft unsalted butter.

125 ml sour cream.

175 g dark chocolate broken into smallish pieces.

300 g icing sugar.

1 tbsp golden syrup or honey (clear, not set).

1 tsp vanilla extract.

Optional sugar flowers, to decorate!

METHOD:

Allow all ingredients to come up to room temperature, before using.

Preheat the oven to Gas 4 / 180C. Line two loose bottomed cake tins with a circle of parchment and butter the sides.

Then simply throw (not literally) all of the ingredients for the cake batter into the processor bowl, the flour, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, leavening agents, sour cream, cocoa and blitz until you have a smooth thick batter.

Divide, between the two tins, using a rubber spatula to scrape the bowl and leaven the tops of the sponges.

Place in the oven for 35 minutes, although start checking at 25 minutes. If the cakes are cooking on separate shelves, then alternate the sponges half way through the cooking time, to allow even heat distribution.

Once ready, place the tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes to cool slightly, before removing the sponges from the tins and leaving to cool on the rack completely.

Now for the icing, wash out the processor bowl ready to make icing.

Place the icing sugar in the bowl and whiz for 30 seconds to remove any lumps. Melt the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl of a Bain Marie (pan of barely simmering water) until the two have completely melted and combined.

Cool slightly to one side. Now add the golden syrup or runny honey, followed by the vanilla and soured cream. Mix to combine before starting up the processor again and with the motor running gently pour the chocolate mixture down the funnel and blitz until smooth and combined.

Choose a plate or cake stand and place the most unattractive sponge upside down on the stand. Put a third of the icing on top and smooth with a palette knife to about an inch away from the sides. Place the other sponge right side up on top and press down gently to sandwich them together.

Take another third of the icing and cover the top of the cake with a layer of icing. You not think there is enough but trust me there really is. Now do the sides and you can go for a quick rustic couple of swirls, or for the professional finish spend a little time smoothing out the entire outside of cake!

Enjoy with a mug of your favourite tea at mid-day!

Until next time,

Merci,

Ryan!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Toasted Crumpets with Warm Spiced Fruits, Honey + Yogurt!

Hello again folks, how are we all feeling today? In good spirits I hope, well I’ve certainly been running round today ahead of tomorrows early morning trip to the (hopefully sunny) destination of Loch Lomond, by train journey. A picnic lunch is definitely in my opinion the way to go before any new school term begins,  especially with the prospect of exams lurking round the corner next year, why not make the absolute most of what lovely summers weather Scotland has experienced for the past few weeks. Early morning train journeys always seem to make ones mind fall into a dreamy world of narrative thoughts, well don’t worry too much I’m not always this spiritual when it comes to train journeys (trust me). So, I’m going to get straight to the point of this post this evening, I’m pretty sure you will lovely the combination of shop-bought crumpets (yes, there is a spot of cheating going on here, but in complete honesty in the morning you would have to waken at 6am to have the yeasted batter all made up), and soft forest fruits, spices, warm runny organic honey (particularly a floral honey) and thick creamy Greek yogurt. So without any further ado, let’s crack on with this wonderfully simple and sublimely satisfying breakfast.

Serves 2 (2 crumpets each).

INGREDIENTS:

4 shop-bought crumpets.

100g Greek yogurt.

150 Blackberries.

50g Raspberries.

50g Blueberries.

2 tbsp floral runny honey.

2 big pinches ground mixed spice.

METHOD:

Firstly start by toasting the crumpets under the grill until lightly golden.

Lightly whip the yogurt in a bowl. Also warm the honey in a small saucepan and set aside, to keep warm.

Place a saute pan over a medium heat and place all of the fruit in the pan and add the two pinches of ground mixed spice. This gentle heating of the fruit will extract of the natural perfumed fragrance and sugars.

Divide the 4 crumpets onto the 2 plates and spoon of the warm, spiced fruit, along with a generous spoonful of the Greek yogurt and a final drizzle of that warm field scented floral honey. Divine way to start the day!

Until next time,

Merci,

Ryan!

 

 

 

Chilli Jelly = Unleash The Fire!

Hello again folks, how are we all? Good I hope, well I am pretty happy myself if I must admit, not that anything of great interest or significance over the past few days has occurred, although I did make a rather amazing purchase online at the Patrick Rodger chocolate gallery shop last night, and should be shipped over here within the next few days. Ah the joy of chocolate, seriously though, without it life’s problems would simple go unsolved as there will be no chocolate to soak up the pain and suffering. Well, I am not that bad (quietly reaches for the box of maltesers).. anyway it was a rather expensive purchase, but you got to allow yourself a few of life’s little luxuries every now and then. Urgh, the brain seems to have many way to manipulate you into seeking temptations and loosening the strings which therefore makes it much harder to resist, in my belief that is true!

Tonight’s post is a rather unexpected early Christmas preparation, well I say this but it can be made at any time of the year, although I rather love sitting over a potting of simmering fiery red chilli jam at the festive season, followed by a label and sealing session afterwards with the Christmas tunes on in the background, winter bliss. So this little pot (I should say rather big pot) of red, coral fire is just so superbly simple to make and takes next to no time at all. I hope you find this recipe of use to you when the wintery season arrives ad it makes perfect presents to give away to friends and family, but do remember to keep a jar or two behind for yourself. The warmth of the chilli and the sweet almost intense perfume of the red pepper is completely contrasted by sharp, dry cider vinegar and a whole load of sugar!

Makes 6 250ml sterilized jars, labelled and sealed with wax lids when cool…

Keeps for around 2-3 months.

INGREDIENTS:

150g red peppers roughly sliced, deseeded.

150g long fresh red chillies, seeds removed and chopped roughly.

600ml cider vinegar.

1kg jam sugar, I.e. sugar with added pectin to help the jam set. available in larger supermarkets!

METHOD:

Place the chopped chillies and peppers into a food processor bowl with the metal blade attachment. whizz for a 30 secs until there are just tiny flecks of pepper and chilli in the bowl.

Put the sugar in a large heavy bottomed saucepan and add the vinegar, to dissolve the sugar, do not stir at all. place over a low heat.

Scrape the contents of the processor bowl into the saucepan, and bring to the boil, rapidly, viciously, outrageously (getting a little carried away with myself) and leave boiling for 10 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool for 40 minutes, until cooler and the chilli mix is evenly dispersed throughout the jam. do no stir.

Once ready, get the sterilized jars ready, i.e. jars that have been through the dishwasher cycle or washed and place in a low oven to dry out. Ladle the jam through a jam funnel into the jars, seal with a wax seal, available in most kitchenware shops. When completely cold, label and keep in a dry cool place until ready to use or hand out as fabulous ruby-tinted jars of fire!

PS. To be eaten with sharp cheeses, and rich meats!

Enjoy and until next time,

Merci,

Ryan!

Turkish Delight, From The Afar Far East!

Hello again folks, All very well and keeping in good health + all of the other little things that make your life better and well aha! Oh my well today has been an adventurous one, beginning with a rather fattening breakfast complying of a roll stuffed with butchers pork sausages, a Nick Nairn potato scone and a lashing of gently sweated onions, and large unhealthy yum… But I wasn’t all that bad, I did after all, take a walk in the park with the Labrador later on in the day, throwing his favourite ball launcher across the wide open plains for him. To tell the honest truth he lost more calories inside than I did, let’s face it, some of us are just not made to do such things in the morning, that’s at least what I tell myself. After that scrumptious start to my Saturday, I made the small departure from the house to the town centre for a spot of retail therapy or more like retail hell. Rummaging through aisle upon aisle of clothing to eventually overcome the task. A good strong coffee on the way home was definitely called for..

Summoned to the kitchen when I arrived home, I was whisking up a batch of rosewater scented Turkish Delight, wow does the kitchen smell utterly fantastic indeed. I urge you to seriously consider making this recipe at home, I have tweaked it a little to make it slighter easier for you, omitting the sugar thermometer steps which even in my case are a real pain. Mine are still not completely set and so I will leave them overnight to fully set and become luscious and silky soft, ready to cube tomorrow and roll in a icing sugar and cornflour medley. So to be fully transported to the wonderful cultural and secretive lands of the far east we must begin the journey… Please note that if you do not like rosewater, you can substitute it for orange blossom water, lavender extract, violet extract, lemon extract, almond etc etc!

Makes about 40 cubes, never store in the fridge and easily given out as presents tied up in pretty boxes and ribbon:

INGREDIENTS:

sunflower oil, or other neutral-tasting oil, for greasing

25 g powdered gelatine

255 ml water

4 tsp rose water

450 g caster sugar

3-4 drops red food colouring

3 tbsp icing sugar

1 tsp cornflour

METHOD:

Lightly oil a 20cm square cake tin with the greasing oil.

Mix together the water, gleatine and rosewater together in a large heavy based saucepan, then add the sugar.

Bring this to the boil without stirring.

Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 20-25 minutes.

Remove from the heat and stir in the food colouring, before leaving to cool for 2-4 minutes.

Pour this mix into the cake tin and cover lightly with a sheet of greaseproof paper, loosely, overnight is best 24 hours!

Tip out gently and cut into 40 cubes.

Mix the cornflour ad icing sugar together on a plate and coat each cube thoroughly, before placing into a little box.

NEVER store in the fridge!

Enjoy your delicacy from the afar….

Until next time,

Merci,

Ryan!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Spiced Cranberry Chutney!

Hello folks, everyone having a lovely break to enjoy the glorious summer sunshine we have been experiencing for the past few weeks. Although these past two days have been pretty miserable, drenching rain heaving down for the heavens and splattering off the dusty warm roads to relieve the dry earth from any further pain. Tonight I’m on a sort of Christmas planning mission since I have acquired quite a few books from that special season over the last week or two.  Really excited to start the preparations for the cake and all the handcrafted gifts, for the wonderfully scented spiced cranberry chutney I am about to share with you and a ruby red chilli and pepper jelly/jam, = Xmas Yum!

I can’t ramble on for a long time this evening, so to get straight to the point, this cranberry chutney is a real Christmas standby for me, I can make it in November and have it waxed, sealed and labelled ready to hand out to friends and family along with new acquaintances along the road during the sparkling season of joy and festivity. It has the most dark, intensely rich red colour and the scent when it’s comfortably bubbling away is just mesmeric!

INGREDIENTS:

450g fresh cranberries.

2 cinnamon sticks.

1 teaspoon grounds cloves.

2 tbsp grated fresh root ginger.

1 medium red onion, chopped finely.

350g demerara sugar.

2 oranges, zest finely grated and juice.

425ml good quality red wine vinegar.

1 teaspoon salt, Maldon flakes for preference.

METHOD:

Really all you do is just bung everything in a wide saucepan and bring everything up to the simmering point. Ignore the scum that will accumulate on the surface, it will gradually disappear. Keep the heat at a simmering temperature and let it bubble away for around 45 minutes. Or until a wooden spoon dragged lightly across the surface does not leave behind a trail of vinegar. Don’t let it get too thick, as on setting and cooling it will continue to thicken. Close to the end of the cooking time for the chutney, sterilise the jars (I am using two 350ml jars, although I sometimes use very small jars). To sterilise jars wash the jars in hot soapy water then turn the oven onto the lowest temp, and place the jars in upside down to dry out completely. Or place the jars in a dishwasher on the highest heat setting cycle. When sterilised watch carefully, not to touch the inside of the jars to avoid contamination! Pour the hot chutney into the jars, place a wax disc on top, seal with a lid and cool them down and finally label!

Enjoy it with cold meats and hard pungent cheeses, until next time…

PS. this is not just for Xmas…

Merci,

Ryan!