spork me

Rib Eye Steak with Anchovy Butter, Pea Fritters and Salsa

I think I’ve finally perfected this steak, and managed to find a steak butter recipe that I really like. I went a bit heavier on the herbs, but I made the butter according to this recipe and still have some in my freezer for next time.

The bone-in rib eye steak was 600g, and I seasoned it with salt and pepper then seared in a hot pan with 2 tablespoons of butter for 3 minutes on each side, until there was a dark crust on the outside. When the pan starts to smoke, add a touch of olive oil.

Pop that into the oven at 175C/325F for 15 minutes until the internal temperature comes up to 48C. Take it out of the oven and let rest on a plate until the temperature is 52C (medium rare).

I served this with a recipe from Jamie Oliver’s app. I’ve made pea fritters before but usually not with this sort of batter. It was much nicer actually, but I kicked his up with a bit of hot sauce and lemon zest in the batter.

Harissa, Yogurt and Tomato Lamb Shanks with Zucchini, Pea and Mint Salad

I had a drawer full of zucchini when I saw this recipe from Gourmet magazine, but I hadn’t started a day ahead. I made my own version of the harissa with some different chilis I had around, and tried a slow cooker attempt at the lamb. It worked exceptionally well, it was spicy, sweet and creamy, and easy to put together.

Ingredients (lamb shanks)

1/4 cup Harissa
2 lamb shanks
1 tin tomatoes
1/2 cup greek yogurt
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup fresh oregano and cilantro
Juice of 1/2 lime
Half an onion, sliced
Salt, pepper and olive oil

Coat the lamb shanks in salt and pepper, and brown in a hot pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. Sauté the onion, then toss in the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper. Add the lamb back, and pressure cook for 40 minutes, or cook on low heat for about 3-4 hours, covered. You could even leave it in the slow cooker for the day.

Remove the lamb and reduce the sauce. Serve with a scoop of the sauce, and the zucchini salad.

Osso Bucco with Pea, Lemon, Mint and Goat’s Cheese Fettuccine, and Crispy Brussel Sprouts

This is inspired by the Maggie Beer beef cheeks recipe I made a few weeks ago, it worked pretty well with the osso bucco and I went lighter on some of the ingredients so the veal didn’t get overpowered.

Ingredients (osso bucco marinade):

4 pieces of thick cut osso bucco
4 roughly chopped garlic cloves
4 sprigs of rosemary
4 bay leaves
Rind of 1 orange
2 tbsp juniper berries
Salt, pepper, olive oil

Toss together the day before cooking.

Ingredients (osso bucco):

Osso Bucco, removed from marinade
1 chopped onion
2 chopped carrots
1 cup red wine
Juice of 1 orange
2 cups of beef stock

Sear the osso bucco in a hot pan with a bit of olive oil, then remove, cleaning the pan of most of the oil. Saute the carrot and onion until soft, seasoning with salt and pepper. Mix in the liquids and bring to a simmer before adding the osso bucco back in. Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. Before serving, remove the osso bucco and reduce the liquid so it forms a sauce.

Ingredients (brussel sprouts):

3 cups of brussel sprouts, sliced in half
Zest of half a lemon
Salt, pepper, olive oil

Mix and bake for about 30 minutes, turning halfway through, until crispy.

Ingredients (fettuccine):

2 cups of cooked fettuccine
1 cup of frozen peas, defrosted
1/2 cup crumbled goat’s cheese
Zest and juice of half a lemon
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
Salt and pepper

Saute the peas in a bit of olive oil. Once warm, mix with the rest of the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.

Barbequed Lemon and Rosemary Chicken with Pea and Ricotta Fritters and Sage Carrots

I made this chicken for a barbeque not too long ago, but didn’t end up taking a photo. Granted, I marinated the other chicken for 24 hours (at least), but this still was really good even after marinating for an hour. The grill kinda did catch on fire, but that’s a minor detail.

Ingredients (carrots):

2 tbsp butter
4 carrots, sliced in half
2 tbsp chopped sage
Salt and pepper

Saute and season with salt and pepper.

Ingredients (pea fritters):

1.5 cups of frozen peas, thawed, drained, and slightly mashed
Half cup of ricotta
2 tbsp chopped mint
1 lemon, zest and juice
2 eggs, beated
1 cup (or so) of breadcrumbs
Salt and pepper
Olive oil for frying

Mix the peas, ricotta, mint, lemon, and eggs. Season with salt and pepper. Start adding breadcrumbs, a half cup at a time, until it has the consistency of a meatball. Form 2 inch wide patties, and then fry in warm oil until brown, about 5 minutes on each side.

Ingredients (chicken):

1 whole chicken
1 lemon, zest and juice
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 bay leaves
Leaves of 2 sprigs of rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper

With the chicken, cut down the backbone so you can flatten the chicken and grill it evenly and quickly. This article looks really helpful, but I didn’t pull whatever-that-is out of the chicken and it was fine.

Toss everything onto the chicken and marinade for an hour, or up to 48 hours. As long as possible without risking the chicken going bad.

Flatten the chicken and put on a hot grill. Sear, about 5 minutes on each side, and then lower the heat and close the lid while it’s top side up. Let it cook for about 15 minutes, and then flip and cook another 10-15 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken. When it’s done, the bones will want to pull straight off without any real effort.

Pull off the heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes, covered in tin foil. Cut into quarters and serve with pea fritters and sage carrots.