LIVER IN WHITE WINE SAUCE

Yesterday I made chicken liver in white wine sauce. Most of you must have eaten chicken,beef or pork or lamb liver in one way or the other. I mean, boiled,cooked, fried or pate. Liver is tasty and light, you can eat it with boiled potatoes, potato puree, with rice or spinash and it tastes good.

I used to eat it often, almost every other day in bars if not at home,at eleven or 12 noon (Tapa Time). In Spain you will get a tapa of liver or kidneys, cooked in white whine or sherry, with a slice or two of fresh bread to dip in the juicy liquid and savor it,chewing slowly and sipping from a chilled glass of white wine or sherry (Jerez in Spanish)or cold beer. A beautiful way of having a late breakfast. Or a quick grilled liver bocadillo chased by a a Cafe con leche.

To prepare liver in sherry or white wine is easy. You will need:-(For two persons)
Olive or sunflower seed oil to fry.
500gms Fresh Liver (chicken,lamb,pork or beef)washed and dried on a paper towel.
200ml dry white wine or dry sherry
1 medium onion (thinly sliced in long strips)
2 tablespoon tomato paste or medium size fresh tomato
1 tablespoon oregano or thyme
1 teaspoon grinded cardamams/cloves and a small stick of cinnamon OR whole spices
1 teaspoon bruised cumin seeds
1 teaspoon bruised black pepper
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon saffron powder
Green chilly or dried red chillies (to your taste)
2cm fresh ginger and 5-6 teeth fresh garlic (thinly sliced)
Salt to taste OR one cube beef stock.
Fresh coriander leaves (optional)
In a skillet, fry onions and ginger and garlic for two minutes without browning. Lower heat (to gas mark 2-3) and add cumin and coriander seeds and saffron. And dont forget to add oregano or thyme. Now put in the liver and let it simmer in the onion juice for a few minutes. stir in tomato paste and let it simmer and fry slowly. With a flat ladle or spoon turn the liver in the skillet and pour in white wine or sherry and salt or beef cube and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes, stirring slowly. The Liver is now ready to eat.

You can have buttered garlic bread, boiled or baked potatoes, boiled rice or potato puree and drink your favorite drink. You can eat the liver at any time of day or night. Bon Appetite.

Chicken Broth. The Basic Ingredient

Both Thai and Chinese eat a lot of soup dishes, in India chicken or lamb is cooked in light broth. I have always liked chinese soups and broths and when I visited Malaysia and Thailand, I had the opportunity to taste many soup dishes. Chicken Broth is the basic ingredient for many dishes, both meat, fish or seafood. I often make this broth at home, specially in winter months as apart from it being very tasty, it is filling too and warms our belly. Chinese call it The Monks' Broth. All the ingredients listed below are of my own way of cooking.

In a deep pot, pour 3 litres cold water, add:
One whole leg of chicken (skinned and fat removed)
1 large Beef Rib
1 small bone (Pork/Beef)
l large onion, whole or chopped fine.
1 large tomatoe, whole or chopped fine
6 teeth of garlic, finely chopped
1 large chunk of fresh ginger finely chopped
l stalk rosemary
2 large bayleaves
1 tbl.spoon Saffron
2 stalks of fresh leek, finely chopped
1 tbl.spoon freshly crushed black pepper
1 Tbl.spoon Cumin seeds, 4 cardamams, 4 cloves, small piece of Cinnamon (In India it is called dal-chini which is the best)all grinded together.

Bring to the boil all the above ingredients and simmer on a very low heat for one hour. BUT PLEASE TAKE OUT THE CHICKEN LEG AFTER 10-15 MINUTES COOKING.
When the water is reduced, take out the beef rib, cut into small pieces and together with chicken pieces put back in the pot. Your basic chicken broth is now ready. You can add:

1. Cooked Chickpeas -Carrots- Beansprouts- Bean Curd (Tofu will do)

2.Shelled Prawns.
Shredded Pork,octopus,calamari,beansprouts,pork balls, dumplings etc(Sauted in Wok). Garnish the Soup with fresh Coriander leaves and a little Pad Thai sauce. It is delicious. A cold beer or Jasmine Tea is the best drink with these Soups.
Enjoy it.

Lobster in Wine and Ginger Sauce

This is my favorite lobster dish, I have eaten it in Chinese restaurants in Soho in London and in Hua Hin Evening Market(Thailand) and prepared it myself.

Take 2 lobsters, cut them length-wise, chop off claws (but keep them)
200gms. baby clams
200gms. giant prawns (shelled but tails left on)
4 cloves fresh thinly chopped garlic
A good slice of thinly chopped fresh ginger
1 stalk fresh Leak
1 medium size onion (chopped)
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 whole dry red chilli to taste
50ml. dry white wine or 30ml dry sherry
4 tbl.spoons olive oil
1 cup Chicken Broth
1 egg
2 tbl.sooons Pad Thai Sauce (available from any Thai/Chinese grocer).

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan, pour in chopped onion, ginger,garlic,red chilli and leak. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add pieces of lobster and giant prawns and claw pieces and cover the pot, once or twice stirring the contents slowly. Now pour in the the chicken broth and wine or sherry and cook on slow heat for 10-15 minutes so that wine is reduced and sauce thickened. If you like thicker sauce, mix one tbl.spoon cornflour with water, mix well and add to the pot. Add freshly crushed black pepper and salt to taste. Garnish with fresh Corriander or mint leaves.
Good Appetite.

Lobster, Lobster, Lobster

When I started this blog about my favorite food recipes, I did not realise that there may be thousands and thousands others with the same idea who could also write about food and their favorite receipts too, put photos on their blogs, thus enticing people to read about them. So I stopped writing, I do not know from where to upload photos of food and wine, I write about the food I have enjoyed, and cook at home. But yesterday I had a look at my blog site and saw visitors who have logged in to it. So I am encouraged to see that some people are viewing my blog with interest, and have decided to update my blog.

Some time ago I stumbled upon a website selling fresh Lobsters online and thought about writing some recipes of cooking lobster. I have eaten lobster many times, in Spain, in England, in India and in Malaysia and Thailand. I too have cooked lobsters a few times.The best lobster I have had was in Thailand and in a Chinese restaurant in London. The usual way to prepare a lobster is either to boil it in water or steam it. The lobster has to be alive to boil, a frozen one will not do. China and India both export tinned lobster heads, which are quite tasty. Some time ago I bought a packet of frozen Cray Fish in Holland, which was also imported from China. It was alright in taste.

For two lobsters of 1/2 kilo each:
500gms fresh baby clams
3-4 cups of water,
50 ml Dry White wine.
1 tbl.spoon butter
2 tbl.spoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 shallots, finally chopped
2 clove garlic
2 cms. fresh garlic
1/2 cup fish stock
1 tbl.spoon dry tarragon or a twig of fresh herb
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
pinch of cayanne
First chop off the heads of the lobsters, remove the coral and preserve.
Chop off the claws, break their shells. Heat olive oil and butter and add lobster pieces. Cover and simmer until you see that the lobsters have a glowing red colour. Add wine, fish stock, coral shell (to thicken the sauce) shallots, garlic and ginger and baby Clams and put it in the oven, on moderate heat, in a covered dish, for about 20 minutes. The sauce should thickened by the time otherwise add little corn flour and mix it well.

You can add a little brandy to the dish when ready and set fire to it ( a la fiambre) if you like. You can eat boiled rice which is nice with the sauce. A chilled bottle of dry white wine will do nicely too.

Churrascarias and Asaderos

In Brazil, in Argentina and in Urguay charcoal grilled meat is a favorite plate. Young bulls are slaughtered and thick steaks are grilled and served with dips. Argentinian beef has become world famous and is imported in many countries. This food was for the working class, for people living and working in the Pampas. Customers sit in a restaurant and large chunks of meat are served by waiters or the Churrasquero himself who would go round the tables serving the steaks. Who could resist the mouth watering and tempting smell of grilled meat?

In Zurich there are Churrascarias, in Antwerp are Argentinian Grill Restaurants. In Spain they are called Asaderos and are very popular places to eat beef or pork steaks, spare ribs and Chuletones ( cutlets). In many towns, there are restaurants in the slaughter- houses (mataderos) where they serve fresh grilled bull meat and specially in the Bull Fighting Season, demand for meat from bulls killed in the corrida, are much in demand. The meat is slightly darker but very tender and considered to give you strength. In Morrocco in many restaurants whole skinned, stuffed goats are grilled in deep earthen ovens. It takes about four hours to grill the meat, which is then cut into pieces and served with rice and nan bread.

When I was young and living in Spain, for many years I went to Pamplona in the province of Navarra (north Spain) to participate in the Corridas celebrated every year. Outside the city and up in the hills there used to be a restaurant serving fresh meat of the bulls killed in the corridas. The place had a thatched roof and the interior and the ceiling of the house was full of vines. A big log fire was burning and over it were hung large slabs of meat. We barely sat down on low round tables than small tumblers (jaras) of wine were placed, together with fresh warm bread and olives. Small cups of onion soup were served and it broke the ice and you felt welcomed. Then you ordered the size and the side of meat you wanted and it was cut from the slabs and thrown on the sizzling fire. I have never forgotten the food we used to eat there. Some times I went there in winter and the first thing I would do was to meet my friends, have a Tinto or a Pintado ( red wine or red & white mixed) in a bar in the city, have a few tapas and then go to this restaurant. In the evenings it was nice to sit in its warm and cozy atmosphere, a roaring fire in front, drinking Vino de Navarra and eating fresh bread with olives and savor the smell of grilling meat and getting hungry until the food was placed on the table.

Pamplona is famous for its cheese & ham and fish croquates and ice cream and if you ever head towards Navarra, do visit Pamplona. It is a treat of a place.

Grilled Pork Spare Ribs

Now that I have written about the ingredients which I use for grilling meat dishes, I will write about oven grilled pork spare ribs. This is a favorite dish for us all and I am sure you also like it. It is easy to make and with the right ingredients it will taste good. For one kilo of spare ribs (trimmed of all fat) take:

4 tbl spoonful Tandoori Paste
1 tbl spoonful coriander powder
1 tbl spoonful cumin powder
1 teaspoonful ginger powder
2 teaspoonful mixture of cardamom seeds,cloves and cinnamon
1 teaspoonful thyme or oregano
2 cups plain yoghurt
1 cube beef stock dissolved in 1/2cup warm water
1 teaspoon black powder
Salt to taste

Marinate spare ribs in the above ingredients for at least one hour. Preheat oven at mark 250 and in an aluminum foil covered oven tray, pour in the ribs and marinade. Grill the ribs at gas mark 180 for 30 minutes., turning over once. The ribs will be ready, richly browned all over. Serve with baked or boiled potatoes, green beans or mixed vegetables and green salad. A light red wine will do nicely.

What is in my kitchen cupboard

If you enjoy cooking for yourself or your family and friends, the ingrediens for different dishes are important. These give flavour, colour, aroma and taste which you like.There are some herbs which I use for all dishes, beef, lamb, poultry, pork, vegetables. Then there are herbs which I use in winter dishes for making them warm in taste. So I will first list here the names of herbs which will go with every dish:-
Dried Herbs (Pounded,grinded or whole)

Coriander powder- Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,fish,vegetables
Cumin powder- Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,fish,vegetables
Basil - Beef,lamb,weal,poultry
Marjoram - Beef,weal
Thyme - Beef,lamb,pork,weal,fish,shellfish
Oregano - Beef,lamb,pork,weal,pizza,pasta,fish,carrots
Anise (seeds) - Pork,poultry
Tarragon - Beef,pork,fish
Rosemary - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,game
Cinnamon - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,game,fried pillaf rice,briani
Cloves - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,game,fried pillaf rice,briani,vegetables,
cabbage,sweet pickels
Cardamom - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,game,vegetables,sweet pickles.
Bay leaves - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry,cabbage,spinash
Black Pepper - For use in all vegetables and meat dishes
Ginger Powder - Beef,lamb,pork,poultry and game
Mustard seeds - Fish (I use these seeds when I prepare a light sauce for fish)
Tandoori Powder - For grilling beef,lamb,pork,poultry and game and fish

Apart from coriander and cumin seeds, I have also a mixture grinded cloves,cinnaman stick and cardamom seeds which I use in marinade for grilled beef,lamb,pork,game and poultry dishes. This mixture is very aramtic. I use it in mince meat to make meatballs,kebabs and koffte.

Fresh Ginger - For all dishes. Fresh ginger has effect of warmth, I use it liberally in food, sweet and other pickles
fresh Garlic - Use for all dishes.