September 2013 – Scaredy-Cat Kitchen

Blackberry and Coconut Squares

30/09/201304/11/2013Posted in Cakes, SnacksTagged Bill Granger, Blackberry, blackberry cake, blackberry coconut slice, blackberry jelly, blackberry tray bake, Coconut, coconut cake, coconut macaroon, coconut tray bake, macaroon, tray bake9 Comments

This weekend, with the sun on my face, I could almost believe that the summer was still here, but a cloud passed over, the chill kicked in and I had to accept the fact that autumn is upon us and winter is coming. (Quick nod to my fellow Game of Thrones nerds there!) But, my friends, do not despair for the start of autumn heralds the arrival of the blackberry.

I long to go blackberry picking, but being stranded in central London I’ll have to settle for foraging in my local branch of Waitrose, which isn’t quite the same thing. However, the supermarket does have the advantage of an ample supply of dessicated coconut, which the British countryside is sorely lacking.

After several happy hours spent leafing through a stack of recipe books, I came upon the ideal recipe to celebrate this wonderful fruit, in my trusty copy of Bill’s Food, by Bill Granger. (continue reading…)

Fish Finger Sandwich with Tartare Sauce and Minted Mushy Peas

22/09/201304/11/2013Posted in Dinner, LunchTagged capers, cod, fish finger sandwich, fish fingers, gherkins, minted mushy peas, minted peas, mushy peas, mushy peas recipe, panko breadcrumbs, peas, pickles, tartare sauce8 Comments

The fish finger sandwich, beloved by British people of a certain age (or possibly any age, I haven’t performed an extensive survey) and the perfect handheld comfort food. Whenever I see a proper fish finger sandwich on a restaurant or pub menu, I find it incredibly hard to resist and will inevitably suffer severe food envy if someone else orders it and I don’t.

But what is a fish finger sandwich without a good dollop of tartare sauce? For some reason I’ve never made my own tartare sauce, this is a total travesty considering how much I love it and how particular I can be about it.

A lot of recipes include finely chopped raw onions, but I’ve never been a fan of their strength, as I don’t want to taste them for hours after eating. Some recipes include tarragon, but again its not for me. That’s the great thing about tartare sauce, you can really make it your own. The only indispensable elements are capers, gherkins and a squeeze of lemon juice, the perfect ingredients to add a little piquancy where needed, in this case with a potentially bland fish dish. (continue reading…)

Seeded Loaf

15/09/201304/11/2013Posted in Bread, Breakfast, LunchTagged black sesame seeds, black treacle, bread, bread recipe, brown bread, brown loaf, Dough, Loaf, seeded loaf, Sesame, wholemeal bread, wholemeal loaf3 Comments

This weekend the freakishly good British summer has finally come to a very depressing end. The skies have opened and it’s time to retreat to the kitchen and crank the oven up to a blisteringly hot temperature.

One of the finest ways to spend a rainy Saturday morning has to be whipping up a fabulous loaf to provide you with all of your weekend sarnies and toast. There really is nothing quite like the taste of a loaf that you’ve made from scratch with your own fair hands.

It takes a lot of patience to make a loaf. Even if you use a stand mixer to do the kneading, like I did here (always a good option with a wet dough like this one, but kneading by hand will do the trick too) you’ll still have to wait at least an hour for the dough to rise (or 2 hours with doughs like this one) and then another hour for the loaf to prove after shaping, but I promise it’s worth it. (continue reading…)

A French Farmers’ Market

09/09/201329/11/2013Posted in Out & AboutTagged farmers market, France, Local food3 Comments

This weekend I found myself in the very fortunate position of being a guest at a wonderful wedding near the medieval town of St Antonin Noble Val in the south of France.

Despite some unseasonably awful weather and near constant drizzle, a fabulous time was had by all. The food was amazing, the bride was beautiful (as always) and the dancing was somewhat frenetic!

The following day, nursing slight hangovers, it was time to pay a visit to the legendary farmers’ market that takes over the entire town each and every Sunday. Since I didn’t have any time to cook this weekend, I thought I should at least share some pictures of the amazing produce that was on show. (continue reading…)

Baked Chicken with Tomatoes and Olives

01/09/201304/11/2013Posted in DinnerTagged baked chicken, chicken, chicken thighs, Nigel Slater, olive chicken, olives, thyme, tomato, tomatoesLeave a comment

Nigel Slater is my food hero. If I could choose one tv chef to cook dinner for me, I would definitely choose Nige. Okay so he’s not the fanciest of chefs, I probably wouldn’t get michelin star fussy food, but it’s pretty much guaranteed that if Nigel is cooking you dinner you will really, really enjoy it.

Whenever I watch Simple Suppers, I find myself either wanting to make everything on the show immediately, or thinking of asking him to adopt me (so long as I can keep my actual parents as well, of course)

Mr Slater specialises in simple, achievable recipes, with the focus very much on making quality ingredients go a long way. This is something I can definitely buy into, for me taste always has to be the top consideration and to be honest my presentation skills leave a serious amount to be desired, so if my food doesn’t taste good then I’m in trouble!

I’ve had a lot of requests lately for savoury dishes, which isn’t exactly my area of expertise. But I knew that Nige could help me out, so I went straight to his Kitchen Diaries, specifically the wonderful second volume. (continue reading…)

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