HALLOWEEN!!!!!!
Despite the strange times we are all living through in 2020!
It is important to try & follow some of the traditions we all love here is my food suggestions …
SPICY MEATBALLS IN A TOMATO SAUCE …
It is up to you, if you want to make your own meatballs or you can easily purchase them from most supermarket stores, here I will give you a recipe for spicy meatballs… Obviously skip this bit if you are buying them already made! This recipe serves 4 - 6. Making your own meatballs means that you can make them - Gluten-free & there is a Vegetarian & Vegan option below.
Spicy Pork Meatballs -
2 grated garlic, you can also use jar bought garlic
Chives & Parsley - A handful of each, chopped
125 g full-fat Greek-style yoghurt
1tsp fennel seeds [Be cautious with these if you don’t like the taste of liquorish! In which case you can omit!]
1tsp of chilli flakes [I use more as we all like the flavour]
2tsp of smoked paprika
750g of minced pork [You can use, Lamb, beef or turkey too]
Put garlic in a bowl with chives parsley, yoghurt, fennel, paprika, chilli flakes & a generous pinch of salt & pepper. Add the meat & mix until combined. Now roll the mixture into the meatballs about the size of a plumb, I would say a walnut, but the meat shrinks when cooked.
Heat some oil, [Olive or Rapeseed], in a casserole dish over a medium heat, add some of the meatballs, leaving to cook, once they browned and can be picked up with some tongs without sticking to the bottom of the pan turn and continue browning on the other sides. If they stick leave them a little longer before you turn them. Don’t fiddle with them! This process takes approximately 7 - 10 minutes. Once they are well browned remove from the pan onto a plate. Leave all the bits in the casserole dish, this is the flavour, if you have to much fat in the dish then pour off some. Not down the sink!
The Tomato Sauce -
4 Shallots, chopped, or use onions if you prefer
750g if red cherry tomatoes or 2 tin of tomatoes
60ml of white wine vinegar
2tsp of mustard powder or use jar mustard
Couple of bay leaves
Juice of 1 & half lemons
Good squirt of Ketchup, 2tbs
Good dash of Worchester sauce
2tsp Brown sugar or to taste
4 garlic cloves sliced - we like garlic, but if you feel there is enough in the meatballs - Omit
Liquid Smoke, a few dashes - This gives a barbeque/smoked flavour to the dish - It can be purchased on line - Omit it you don’t want to add it!
Add some more oil to the casserole dish, if needed & pan fry the shallots until translucent, add the sliced garlic & allow to colour, gently, obviously don’t let it burn!
Add the tomatoes & season with salt & pepper. If cooking with tomatoes as opposed to tinned, let the skins burst and become a bit caramelise. Then add vinegar, let the sauce thicken a little. Add all the other ingredients & allow the sauce to cook through. Add back the partially cooked meatballs to the sauce & allow to simmer for another 15 - 20 minutes. Check the seasoning & you are ready to go!
‘Fat Boy’ Roasted Chips …
Large Potatoes - Cut the potatoes into ‘Fat Boy’ chips, leaving the skin on - This adds to the rustic look
Salt
Dripping
Dripping - Fat that has melted & dripped from roasting meat, used in cooking or if you don’t like the idea of that then use oil!
Par-boil the potatoes in salted water.
Put the ‘Fat Boys’ in a roasting tin & cover with the dripping [Vegetable oil for Vegetarian & Vegan], rolling the potatoes in the fat.
Put the ‘Fat Boys’ in the oven, already heated 180 degrees, cook for 20 minutes, then take them out sprinkle with salt & turn them, putting them back in the oven for 15 - 20 minutes. Then check them. If they are ready turn the oven right down & keep them warm until needed. When serving the chips, decant ‘Fat Boys’ into biodegradable Newspaper cones, you can find these online, it adds a touch of fun, be careful with the heat if giving these to children, but they are great for keeping your hands warm!
If I am doing this recipe for a large party, then I keep it warm on the barbeque outside so that people can come at their leisure & ladle this beautiful recipe into a bowls taking a large piece of crusty bread to dunk into the sauce. I dish-up this recipe with the ‘Fat Boys’; Also putting a big plate of grated cheese out to sprinkle over the top!
VEGETARIAN & VEGAN OPTION
This recipes converts easily to Vegetarian & Vegan -
- Omit the meatballs & the Greek Yoghurt
Instead use in the recipe
125g Porcini mushrooms - rehydrated
500g closed capped brown mushroom
Follow the sauce recipe above, after you have cooked the onions cook the brown mushrooms then add the rehydrated Porcini mushrooms. This sauce does not require the same amount of cooking time, it is delicious …. I sprinkle the Mushroom & Tomato Sause with Rocket … Looks beautiful ….
Caramelised Apple Pies
The Pastry … This pastry mix will make 24 pies. You can also freeze the pastry to use later. This is also the same pastry I use for my minced pies.
480g plain flour
240g fat [Trex or butter or mixture of both] cold & cubed
Juice of 3 Tangerines
pinch of salt
Mix the ingredients in a bowl together, either by hand [I prefer] or with a mixer, but don’t over mix. Split the pastry into 2 discs, cover in clingfilm & place in the fridge to rest for 20 minutes. Then you are ready to roll!
The pastries are made in two batches.
12 Apples Desert Apples - not cooking apples
180g soft butter - cut into small pieces
180g caster sugar
12 Apples - I like to use small apples so that they fit perfectly into the pie cases
Cut the the apples in half scoop out all the core.
Put a saucepan on the hob & heat to a medium heat add a third of the sugar & butter to the base of the pan, as the butter & sugars start to sizzle add the apples skin side down.
Sprinkle apples with the rest of the butter & sugar, making sure that the scooped out apple cores each get a bit of the mixture, don’t worry as it will all dribble over the edge. Now cook gently until the apples begin to darken, but not collapse about 20 minutes, don’t let the caramel fully form.
Whilst the apples are cooking, roll out the pastry on a floured board and fill a greased & floured pie tray with the the cut out pastry bases. Put into the fridge to cool.
Once the apples are cooked take them off the heat & carefully take each half apple & fill each pie case, scoop out some of the residue of the caramelised sauce & drizzle into the centre of the apples.
Bake in a hot 215 degree oven for 20 minutes, until the edges of the apple skin just colour/catch.
Take out of the oven and put them on a rack to cool, if one sticks, put them back into the oven for half a minute or so & then you will be able to take them out of the pie tray easily.
Use the remnants of the pastry to make the bats, & bake in the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes, keep an eye on them.
To make the Caramel Shards -
Pour the remnants of the sugar & butter liquid from the pan into a oven tin lined with baking parchment. Cook in the oven for another 5 - 10 minutes until the mixture has caramelised, remove from oven & allow to cool.
Once cooled crack the caramel into shards & stab the centre of the apple. These shards will only last for a few hours in the apple after that they will loose their hardness & will sag. They will still taste lovely though, they just won’t look as dramatic!
