Classic hot wings

We didn’t feel like a regular supper the other night, so I made a pub platter instead, the best part of which was the hot wings. It was also appropriate considering the US Open tennis tournament has just started and I’m in the mood for some American classics.

The wings made our eyes water and set our lips on fire, but they tasted so good that we could have eaten so much more.

Ingredients

For the wings:

• 4-6 whole wings per person
• ½ cup flour
• salt, pepper, cayenne pepper or paprika to taste

To make them hot:

• ¼ cup butter
• ¼ cup Tabasco or other bottled hot sauce
• 1 tablespoon vinegar

You can get your butcher to prepare the wings for you, but it’s easy to do yourself. Cut the skinny tips off the wings and keep for chicken stock. Cut the remaining piece in two at the joint and voila!

Put flour and seasoning in a large bowl and toss the wings in the mixture to coat well. I use corn flour for extra crunch, but plain flour is also fine. To cook the wings, heat oil in a deep fryer to 180 degrees. I use an electric wok, which I turn up to the highest possible temperature. Shake off excess flour and fry the wings in batches until crispy, draining each batch on paper towels and keeping it warm until all the wings are cooked.

For a slightly healthier version, toss the wings in a little seasoned oil instead of the flour and oven bake at 180 – 200 degrees until crispy.

While the last batch of wings is frying, melt the butter in a saucepan and whisk in as much hot chilli sauce as you like and a splash of vinegar – regular or white wine. I use 2 or 3 varieties of Tabasco (regular, garlic and green jalapeno), but you can use any chilli sauce you like. Just don’t use peri-peri sauce – the flavour isn’t right for this dish. Taste the sauce and add a little sugar and more vinegar if it’s too spicy, or melt extra butter.

The traditional way to serve wings is with blue cheese dip and carrot and celery sticks, which is exactly what I did, with the addition of sweet red pepper strips.

To make the blue cheese dip, simply blend or whisk cream cheese, sour cream or buttermilk and ½ a clove of garlic, then crumble in a blue cheese of your choice. Proportion-wise, you’ll have to eyeball it, as some types of cream cheese are thicker than others, so add enough sour cream or buttermilk to make it runny enough to scoop with veggies. Let the dip chill for a while before serving. Use low-fat cream cheese and low-fat sour cream, buttermilk or Greek yoghurt for a lighter dip. You can also leave out the garlic or add chopped chives or parsley.

Maybe I should have made mozzarella sticks in honour of ESPN’s cheesy broadcasting, but to complete the platter, I cooked some cocktail viennas and made spicy potato wedges, which I coated in a bit of oil, seasoned pretty heavily and oven baked until golden crisp.

 

Haloumi and avocado wraps

This is one of the tastiest wraps and it’s really simple to make. I started making these when the restaurant price for one portion could feed 3-4 people at home. It’s also vegetarian, with the cheese standing in as the protein.

Ingredients

• 1 package tortilla wraps
• 1 package Haloumi cheese
• 1 small bowl of avocado dip
• finely chopped tomato and onion
• shredded lettuce
• sour cream or Greek yoghurt

The only cooking involved in this recipe is grilling the Haloumi. Cut the block or patty into 1cm strips and fry on a grill pan or regular non-stick frying pan until golden on all sides.

Meanwhile, heat the tortillas either in the oven (covered in foil) or in the microwave (wrapped in a dishcloth). I have tried this with pita bread, but it’s not that great. If you’re going to use pita, rather try a different filling.

Once the cheese is done, it’s basically an assembly job. I’ve found that the trick to making a wrap that doesn’t fall apart is to not over-fill it and to place the ingredients slightly off-centre. That way, you can turn in the end, or both if you want, and roll it tightly instead of just folding the sides over. This makes it easy to eat with your hands, but you can be more civilised and leave the top and bottom open and eat with cutlery. You can also twist some foil on the bottom of each piece, restaurant-style, which is great for parties or kids.

Spread some avo dip on the tortilla. If you don’t want to make the dip, use a ripe avo mashed with some lemon juice or just slices of avo spritzed with lemon. Follow that with strips of the grilled Haloumi, some of the diced tomato and onion and shredded lettuce. Top with some sour cream or Greek yoghurt and you’re ready to wrap.

You can heat the completed wraps in the oven or microwave before serving. Serve with a Greek salad on the side for a light lunch or summer-time dinner.

 

Herbes de Provence bread

I was inspired to bake recently by watching French Food at Home – one of the only shows on BBC Lifestyle of which I don’t mind the constant reruns. (I am fighting the urge to go off on a tangent here and am desperately trying to focus on the bread recipe rather than ranting about BBC’s programming. A few deep breaths and I think I’ve succeeded).

I have always been sceptical of baking because our oven is quite unpredictable – it randomly changes the temperature and sometimes refuses to go over 140 degrees. And before you ask, yes, we have had someone out to “fix” it.

Being a novice at home baked bread, I wanted something quite easy and I found this recipe from the show.

I liked the fact that this bread used olive oil instead of butter  and it seemed simple enough. I followed the recipe exactly, until it came to the shaping and baking of the bread, at which point I decided to use half the dough to make breadsticks. I also didn’t have herbes de Provence and substituted a mixture of dried oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme and possibly even a bit of sage. It still tasted fantastic.

To make the breadsticks, I rolled pieces of dough into long, thing strips and gave each a few twists before placing on a non-stick baking sheet. I baked them for about 10 minutes, then brushed with melted butter and grated garlic, and baked for an additional couple of minutes. The breadsticks were gone before they even had a chance to cool down, so there was no opportunity for pictures! Maybe next time.

For the bread, I rolled the dough into a ball, sliced a small cross in the top and baked it according to the directions given in the recipe. Apparently the bread is done when it makes a hollow sound if tapped on the bottom. I took it out of the oven when it looked golden enough and beginner’s luck must have been on my side because it came out perfect – beautiful crust, soft, dense middle and great flavour from the herbs. Fantastic with pasta or just on its own.

Next time I’ll experiment with different flavours. I think this recipe could do well with quite a few ingredients – onions, garlic, rosemary, olives, Peppadews, jalapenos, cheese or combinations thereof! Let me know if you try any of these, or your own variation.

 

Warm spinach salad

I bought some lovely spinach a couple of days ago and I wanted to use it to make a nice side dish for our steaks.

With the weather in Joburg having been so beautiful the last few days, I couldn’t think of anything worse than a gloopy lump of creamed spinach or the coronary-inducing salad version with hot, creamy bacon dressing.

I usually make spinach by lightly sautéing it with garlic and lemon juice, but we didn’t have lemons, so I started looking around for some ideas. I also wanted to use some avocado, as I had a bag full that had just ripened nicely.

I eventually came up with my own hybrid of this balsamic spinach salad with mushrooms and this California spinach salad.

Ingredients

• 1 pack spinach
• handful of green beans
• ½ red onion, sliced
• ½ red pepper, sliced
• ½ clove garlic
• handful of button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 round of feta, crumbled
• 1 avocado, cubed or scooped

For the dressing

• Red wine vinegar
• Vegetable or olive oil
• Dried or fresh herbs of your choice
• Sugar, salt and pepper to taste

Trim the green beans, cut into bite-sized pieces and steam or blanch until barely cooked, with quite a bit of crunch remaining.

Wash the spinach well. When dry, slice the spinach into strip and toss into a bowl with the cooled beans.

Meanwhile, sauté the onions in a splash of olive oil for about 2 minutes. Grate in the garlic and add the mushrooms, sauté another minute or so. Add in the sliced red peppers and turn off the heat.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar or bowl, shake or whisk well and pour into the pan with the sautéed vegetables. When the dressing has warmed through, pour it over the spinach and toss well. Cover the bowl with cling film or a plate to keep warm. Just before serving, toss the salad again, crumble over bits of feta and add the avocado.

The warm dressing wilts the spinach slightly, so that it softens a little, but keeps its texture and freshness.

I completely forgot to put the avocado in, but it still tasted great. I also had vague intentions of adding some radishes that I had bought at the same time as the spinach, but that, too, didn’t pan out. I guess I’ll have to use them as inspiration for my next post.

Variations

I imagine that you could put just about anything in this salad and it would taste good – crispy bacon pieces, tomato, cucumber, nuts, Peppadews. You could leave the peppers, onions and mushrooms fresh or serve it cold with balsamic vinaigrette. A nice piece of grilled fish or chicken could turn this into a delicious light meal. Let me know what ingredients you experiment with.

 

Under-a-minute avo dip

This is my all-time favourite avocado recipe. It can be used as a dip for chips or crudité, or as a spread on wraps or sandwiches. It takes a few seconds to make and keeps in the fridge for a couple of days if stored in an air-tight container.

Ingredients

• Ripe avocados
• Fresh garlic cloves
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Lemon juice
• Salt and pepper

I generally use one large avo per two people. Applying that guideline will allow you to make this for as many people as required.

This dip is made to taste. We like a nice amount of garlic, so I use a small clove for every avo. Rather start with less and add more if necessary – you can’t get rid of excess garlic.

Simply slice the garlic into a blender or mini food processor and pulse lightly to cut it into tiny pieces. Slice in the avo and pulse lightly to break up the flesh.

Add a splash of olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon juice, salt and freshly ground pepper. The amount of oil will depend on how ripe the avocado is – if it’s very ripe, you may only need a teaspoon for the flavour.

Blitz until smooth, taste and adjust seasoning if necessary, and decant into your favourite bowl.

Serve with corn chips, alongside nachos or with crudité. This dip goes very well with sweet vegetables like carrots and red peppers, and not so well with watery veggies such as cucumber or celery. It is also fantastic with slices of focaccia that have been brushed with olive oil and grilled.

Variations

To turn this into guacamole, add some ground cumin, finely chopped onion and a few drops of hot sauce.

The other variations are endless. The original recipe called for chopped capers and black olives, both of which I’m not mad about, so I leave out, but I think it would taste great. You could also toss in chopped chilli, tomato or herbs.

You could blend in some cream cheese and sour cream to turn into a classic chip dip.

If you try any of the above, or your own variation, please let me know by posting a comment.

 

Creamy lemon pasta

This deliciously creamy, but surprisingly delicate, sauce is evil on the waistline and heaven on the palette. The recipe came from the book “Classics One Step at a Time: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Cookbook” by Keda Black, which landed in my mailbox courtesy of Penguin Books. I will be trying more recipes from this beautifully illustrated book, so watch out for them here.

Back to the matter at hand. Because I didn’t have some of the key ingredients and also fiddled with it quite a bit, the original recipe became more of an inspiration for my own dish.

The recipe in the book was simply the pasta and creamy lemon sauce, but my version started with sautéed sliced onions, baby marrows, baby corn and broccoli with some garlic, a splash of white wine and vegetable stock. I thought this would make the dish more substantial and add a glimmer of healthiness.

I then more or less followed the recipe to make the sauce: melted butter, added milk because I didn’t have cream, seasoned and whisked in the zest and juice of 1 lemon. I also threw in some fresh chopped oregano and thyme to give it more flavour and, because I used milk instead of cream, I added a teaspoon of corn flour that I had mixed with water and tempered with some of the warmed milk mixture.

I mixed the sauce and veggies, let it thicken and tossed in some cooked penne. I know the recipe doesn’t provide quantities, but the proportions of the sauce will depend on how much pasta you’ve cooked. One cup of cream or milk is a good starting point for 2-3 dinner-sized portions.  My advice is to begin with a smaller amount and add more as you need.

The second time I made this, I added small chicken pieces, which I browned first and sautéed with the veggies.

Serve with crusty bread and a tossed green salad, or simply on its own.

Variations: Leave the sauce plain as suggested, or add different herbs, vegetables or other types of meat, or chicken pieces grilled and served on the side.

If you make your own variation on this dish, be sure to leave a comment and tell me about it.

 

Crunchy crumbed chicken pieces

I’ve finally found a good use for the hundreds of little packets of seasoned salt that you get from various fast food joints – mix them in with breadcrumbs to make this healthier oven-baked alternative to fried chicken.

I use thighs and drumsticks with the skin on, but for a lower-fat option, you can use skinless, boneless breasts flattened like schnitzels. Allocate 2-3 small pieces per person.

I also make my own breadcrumbs, as I find the store-bought kind can have a stale, floury taste. Simply dry out some rolls or slices of bread and whiz up in a food processor. If you need them straight away, toasting the bread in the oven on a medium temperature also works.

Ingredients:

• 1 pack chicken drumsticks & thighs (6-8 pieces for 2-4 people)
• 1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 cup Kellogg’s Cornflakes Crumbs
• grating of Parmesan
• 4 or 5 sachets of seasoned salt
• 2 tbsp dried herbs (oregano, thyme, marjoram, sage)
• sprinkling of garlic powder
• 1 cup flour (corn flour gives nice crunch)
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

In a deep bowl, combine the crumbs, Parmesan, and seasonings. If you don’t have any seasoned salt hanging around, simply use salt, pepper, paprika and/or cayenne.

Place the flour in a separate bowl and season lightly. Be careful not to add too much salt, as the Cornflakes crumbs are quite salty. In a third bowl, whisk the milk and egg until combined. I discovered from necessity that a teaspoon of vegetable oil is a good substitute for the egg.

Now you’re ready to dip. Try to use one hand for the dry ingredients and one for the wet, otherwise you end up crumbing your fingers and not the chicken.

First, coat the piece in flour and shake off excess. Dip into the milk mixture and drain excess. Finally, coat well with the crumbs, patting the mixture onto the meat. Lay each piece on a shallow non-stick baking sheet or grid.

I find it’s best to let the chicken sit in the fridge for about ½ hour before cooking. For some bizarre reason, this prevents the coating from crumbling off during cooking.

Bake for 20 – 30 minutes or until the coating is golden and crisp and the juices run clear when pricked with a fork. The cooking time will depend on the size and thickness of the pieces (and on your oven – ours is uncooperative and randomly changes the temperature, so I can never be 100% sure with my times).

Serve with whatever you like – oven-baked potato wedges, mash and gravy, or a salad.

 

Philly cheesesteak sandwiches

I’ve been very negligent with my posting schedule recently, but I have compelling reasons. First, our company was exhibiting at a trade show, which means we lived on pizza and burgers for a week, then I was sick in bed for the next week, which means I lived on chicken soup while The Man continued to survive on pizza and burgers.

However, I’m now back in action and, in light of the USA’s epic win over Spain in the Confeds Cup on 24 June 2009, I give you the recipe for the best steak sandwich in the world. As its name suggests, it originated in Philadelphia. There is an ongoing debate about what is authentic and what is not, but here is the version we like.

One thing I do know is that the genuine article calls for rib-eye steak, which I always use, as well as provolone cheese. Mozzarella is a poor substitute, as it goes rubbery, whereas the provolone melts deliciously and provides a delicate flavour. Some recipes suggest using prepared melted cheese as an alternative, but I think that is positively disgusting, so rather use a firm yellow cheese if you have to.

For 4 sandwiches, you’ll need:

• 4 fresh medium-sized sub rolls
• 400g rib-eye steak, half-frozen
• 10-12 round slices provolone cheese
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• ½ punnet button mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 green pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 large tomato, thinly sliced
• Handful of shredded lettuce
• Mayo

Slice the rib-eye into paper-thin slivers against the grain. I picked up the idea of doing this with the meat half-frozen somewhere and it really works. If the meat is defrosted completely, you can’t get the slices as thin as you need them.

Heat half the oil in a heavy-based frying pan on high until hot and smoking. Quickly stir-fry the steak until just cooked, seasoning with salt and pepper as you put it in the pan. It literally takes a minute or two. Remove and set aside.

Turn the heat down and warm up the rest of the oil on medium. Sauté the onions, mushrooms and green peppers until quite soft, about 5 minutes.

Add the steak back to the pan and stir everything together. You can turn the heat down or off completely at this stage. Make sure it’s spread evenly throughout the pan and layer the cheese slices over the mixture. Cover and let the cheese melt.

In the meantime, slice the rolls and spread over a generous layer of mayo. When the cheese is melted, use a spatula to scoop the mixture into the rolls, making sure the bun is covered from end to end with the filling. Top with tomato slices and shredded lettuce.

These sandwiches are best served with chips or onion rings and/or a green salad. If the rolls are one or two days old, you can toast them lightly in the oven, but try to get the freshest ones.

Variations: I’ve already mentioned the cheese, so try whatever variety you like best. You can also leave out the additional sautéed veggies, or add others that you prefer. For a vegetarian version, leave out the meat, sauté some thickly sliced brown mushrooms and follow the recipe above.

I’m going to see what happens in the Brazil-SA semi-final match tonight. Depending on the outcome, I’ll see which inspires me more and post something experimental accordingly within the next week.

 

Ex-pat adventures: Food smuggling

My mother goes to Europe to visit the family about once a year, sometimes more frequently. Invariably, we pick her up from the airport and, after extensive analysis of weather, flight time and traffic conditions, we arrive home to dive into the delightful treasure trove.

We hold our collective breath in anticipation as mom zips open the suitcase and starts removing the stash. In most families this would comprise fragrances and booze bought at a carefully calculated discount at duty free, or souvenir T-shirts and key rings. In our household the booty is food. The occasional perfume or item of jewellery does make an appearance, as do specialty vodkas from the Eastern European motherland, but epicurean delights are the dominant theme.

Jars, pouches and mysterious bags emerge from within their protective swathes of clothing. Sweets, chocolates, preserves, spices, mixes and other comforting childhood pleasures soon lie in heaps on the dining room table, beckoning to be tasted.

Yes, we can get most of the items locally at various delis around Joburg, but somehow it’s just not the same. It’s become a ritual in our family and, luckily, mom sticks to things that are mostly legal, or at least hermetically sealed. When I lived in Canada, my friends’ parents were much worse, returning home with luggage bursting full of hams, sausages and cheeses! All very delicious, but illicit, especially in light of Foot & Mouth and other horrible diseases that have afflicted global agriculture in recent years.

I’ve noticed this trend is particularly prominent among European emigrants, but I think it applies across the board. SA ex-pats probably do it as well, although there are such large communities in certain cities that there are stores selling all the local favourites.

When you’re so far away for so long, I suppose there’s nothing like a little taste of home.

What do you think? Write a comment and let me know your thoughts on the matter.

 

New on my bookshelf

I’m still trying to get into a proper blogging rhythm, so please forgive my sporadic posting schedule. I tend to store the things that I’ve cooked in my mind and post them all when I have the time, but I promise to improve on this.

In any case, a few days ago, I got a nice surprise in my mailbox (the actual kind, not the electronic version). I received a copy of “Classics One Step at a Time: The Ultimate Step-by-Step Cookbook” by Keda Black.

The author is a French home cook and food writer born in Zambia, but of Scottish, French, Spanish and Italian descent. I’ve tried with little success to find more information about her in English, although the book came courtesy of Penguin Books SA, so you can read more about Keda and her recipes there.

The book offers 80 classics, from basic mayonnaise and salad dressings to the perfect roasts and a variety of timeless dishes from around the world. I’m looking forward to trying the recipes, so watch this space for my attempts.

In the interim, please have a look at what’s been on my stove for the past month and vote in my poll about community gardens.