Yorkshire Puddings

Are you still looking for a perfect side dish for the Thanksgiving dinner? Look no further. These Yorkshire Puddings might just be the one.

Yorkshire Puddings

Yorkshire pudding is a dish that originated in Yorkshire, England, and has attained wide popularity. It is made from an egg batter similar to that used in making Popover. It's most often served with roast beef, chicken, or any meal in which there is gravy.

Food historians generally agree on the American origins of the popover recipe, albeit derived from Yorkshire pudding and similar batter puddings made in England since the 17th century.

Yorkshire Puddings

Yorkshire Pudding is cooked by pouring a thin batter made from flour, eggs, milk and seasoning into a preheated greased baking tin containing very hot fat or oil and baking at very high heat until it has risen and browned. It is then served in slices or quarters, depending on the size of the tray in which it was cooked.

In recent years, it has become more popular to cook them in batches in bun tins (baked in muffin trays or baking tins like Popovers), making individual mini puddings.

Yorkshire Puddings

Traditionally, Yorkshire pudding is cooked in a large tin underneath a roasting joint of meat in order to catch the dripping fat and then cut appropriately. Yorkshire pudding may also be made in the same pan as the meat, after the meat has been cooked and moved to a serving platter, which also takes advantage of the meat fat that is left behind.

In pub cuisine, Yorkshire puddings may be offered with a multitude of fillings, with the pudding acting as a bowl.

The pudding can also be eaten as a sweet dish, with jam, golden syrup, lemon juice or sugar.

Yorkshire Puddings Recipe (Makes 12)

(Adapted from Mary Berry's Complete Cookbook)

Ingredients

• 125 g (4 oz) plain flour
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 250 ml milk
• A pinch of salt
• Shortening

Method

1. Sift flour and a pink of salt into a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add eggs and a little milk.
2. Whisk the milk and egg, then whisk in half of the milk, drawing in the flour to make a smooth batter. Stir in the other half of the milk. Cover and stand for at least 30 minutes.
3. Put some shortening (white vegetable fat) into each cup of a 12-hole bun or muffin tin and and heat in a preheated oven at 220C (425F) until very hot.
4. Remove the tin from the oven. Whisk the batter and pour into the cups in the tin.
5. Bake the Yorkshire puddings in the oven for 15 minutes or until well risen, golden, and crisp.
6. Serve immediately.

Son-In-Law Eggs

Son-In-Law Eggs

Son-In-Law-Eggs, or 'khai luuk kheuy' in Thai ('khai' = egg + 'luuk kheeuy' = son-in-law) is a traditional Thai celebration dish. These eggs are enjoyed on new year's day or at wedding feasts, are taken as an offering to the monks when Thai people visit their local temple. They make good snacks, deep-frying gives the skins a unique texture.

Wherever the name came from, this is a killer dish - rich in texture, great in taste.

Son-In-Law Eggs Recipe (Serves 4)

(Adapted from Food of the Word Cook Book)

Ingredients

• 2 fried long chillies, about 13 cm / 5" long (* I use fresh chillies)
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
• 110 g (4 oz) Asian shallots, finely sliced (* I use ready-made deep-fried shallots)
• 6 large hard-boiled eggs, shelled
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp tamarind puree
• 5 tbsp palm sugar

Method

1. Cut the chillies into 5 mm (1/4") pieces with scissors or a knife and discard the seeds. Heat 5 cm (2 inches) oil in a wok or deep frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil seems hot, drop a slice of the Asian shallot into the oil. If it sizzles straight way, the oil is ready. Deep-fry the chillies for a few seconds, being careful not to burn them, to bring out the flavour. Remove them with a slotted spoon, then drain on paper towels.
2. In the same wok, deep-fry the Asian shallots for 3-4 minutes until golden brown. Be careful not to burn them. Remove with a slotted spoon, then drain on paper towels. Use a spoon to slide one egg at a time into the same hot oil. Be careful as the oil may splash. Deep-fry for 10-15 minutes or until the whole of each egg is golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon, then drain on paper towels. Keep warm.
3. In a saucepan over a medium heat, stir the fish sauce, tamarind puree and sugar for 5-7 minutes or until all the sugar has dissolved.
4. Halve the eggs lengthways and arrange them with the yolk upwards on a serving plate. Drizzle the tamarind sauce over the eggs and sprinkle the crispy chillies and shallots over them.

Potato Soufflés

I made these potato Soufflés to accompany the Poulet Roti - Frech Style Roast Chicken with Herb Butter from Anthony Bourdain's Les Halles Cookbook. They are very easy, quick to make and versatile enough to suit any main meal.

Potato Soufflés Recipe (Serves 4)

(Recipe adapted from Donna Hay Magazine Aug/Sep 2008 issue)

Ingredients

• Melted butter, for brushing
• 1 kg sebago (starchy) potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 100 g butter
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper
• 60 g butter, extra
• 1/4 cup (35 g) plan (all-purpose) flour
• 1 cup (250 ml) milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup (80 g) finely grated Parmesan
• 5 egg whites

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200C (390F). Brush 4 x 1 1/4 cup-capacity (310 ml) ovenproof dishes with melted butter and set aside.
2. Place the potato in a saucepan of cold salted water over high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 20 minutes or until tender. Darin and return to the pan.
3. Roughly mash the potato, add the butter, salt and pepper and mash until smooth. Set aside.
4. Melt the extra butter in a saucepan over low heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until mixture is a sandy texture.
5. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook, stirring, for 3-5 minutes or until thick.
6. Place in a bowl with the mashed potato, egg yolks and Parmesan and mix to combine.
7. Place the egg whites in a bowl and whisk until soft peaks form. Fold through the potato mixture.
8. Spoon into the buttered dishes and place on a baking tray.
9. Cook for 25-30 minutes or until puffed and golden.
10. Serve immediately.

Pineapple Relish

The sweetness of pineapple combined with fresh chillies and spices makes this relish a perfect side dish for a curry meal.

The recipe is so simple and you can make it in advance, refrigerate for up to a week.

Pineapple Relish

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 small fresh red chillies, thinly sliced
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 pineapple, chipped

Method

1. Heat oil in pan, add onion and chillies, cook, stirring for a few minutes.
2. Add ginger, nutmeg, sugar and pineapple. Cook, stirring occasianlly, for 8-10 minutes.
3. Cool, place into a jar, cover, refrigerate.
4. It's best served cold directly from the fridge.

Roasted Dutch Carrots with Honey and Garlic

Dutch carrots measure about 5-8cm long, they are sold in bunches with the leaves still attached. With a slightly sweeter flavour than other carrots, delicate Dutch carrots look fantastic as a side dish and are extremely tender.

Dutch carrots are extremely versatile. They can be eaten raw or roasted, steamed, microwaved, boiled or even juiced.

But why Dutch?

In the 16th century, Dutch carrot growers invented the orange carrot in honor of the House of Orange, the Dutch Royal Family. They did this by cross breeding pale yellow carrots with red carrots.

Picture credits to Orange Journey

Newly orange, carrots traveled England with Dutch travelers during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The carrot soon caught on in England as both a food and a fashion accessory. Ladies would often use carrot tops to decorate their hats.

The settlers at Jamestown in 1607 introduced carrots to North America.

Source: Perfection Fresh and Eat This.

Roasted Dutch Carrots with Honey and Garlic Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 bunches Dutch carrots (1 kg)
• 1/8 cup (30 ml) olive oil
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp honey
• 1/2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 220C.
2. Trim carrot tops, leaving 2 cm of the stems intact. Wash carrots well.
3. Place carrots in medium baking dish with combined oil, garlic and honey; toss well. Roast, uncovered, 15 minutes.
4. Add thyme leaves, roast further 3 minutes or until tender.

Accordion Hasselback Potatoes

Named after the Stockholm restaurant that first introduced them in the 1700s, "Hasselback Potatoes", adopted as "Accordion Potatoes" by other European cuisines, provide an elegant alternative to baked potatoes.

I reckon the name "Accordion Potatoes" is better - more descriptive and free of any reminders of David Hasselhoff.

When properly made, the potato should have opened like the folds of an accordion into a fan shape.

This looks like a very fancy side dish, but is actually easy to do. Definitely a unique way to serve potatoes.

This Accordion Potato Recipe is a truly rustic side. Cut thinly like fans, these potatoes will crisp up but still have soft interiors. White or waxy potatoes keep their shape when roasted.

Let's hear what Nigella Lawson has said about Accordion / Hasselback Potatoes:

"I think of these Swedish roast potatoes as being rather like sauteed potatoes on the stem: each one is cut into think slices across almost right through, but not quite, and then roasted in buttery oil; as they cook, the potatoes fan out, like slightly fleshy crisps with their bottoms still attached. Traditionally, maincrop potatoes are used, but I love these made with new potatoes, too; in which case, Charlotte or Ratte, which are waxy-fleshed and taperingly oval in shape, are best. If you are using maincrop potatoes, avoid those huge floury monsters; moderately proportioned Cara potatoes, or similar, would be just fine for the job. The advantage of using new potatoes is that they take less time to cook, but the disadvantage is that they take longer to prepare. Finely slicing a lot of little potatoes is a much more fiddly exercise. But whatever size of potato you're using, the important thing is not to cut the whole way through. I find the easiest way of doing this is by putting the potato in a bowl of a wooden spoon while I slice it; the outer edges of the spoon - if you understand what I mean - prevent you being able to get your knife right through to the bottom of the potato which is cradled in it, so you couldn't botch the job even if you wanted to. The potato has to fit in the spoon for this to work, so use a larger one for maincrop potatoes, small one for new potatoes. It's as simple as that. If you want to peel the potatoes, do, but I find it isn't necessary. And if I buy those shinny, pebbly supermarket ones, I don't even scrub them."

Accordion / Hasselback Potatoes

(Adapted from Nigella Lawson's Forever Summer)

Ingredients

• 18 medium oval-shaped potatoes, about 125 g each, or 36 new potatoes, approx 60 g each (I used Kipfler Potatoes)
• 45 g butter
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• salt

Method

1. If you are using the larger potatoes, preheat the oven to 210C; for roasting new potatoes, preheat to 200C.
2. Put each potato, in turn, in the bowl of a wooden spoon, like you would carry an egg in an egg-and spoon race, and cut across at about 3mm intervals.
3. When you've cut them all, put the baking tin on the hob with the butter and oil and heat up till sizzling.
4. Turn the potatoes well, putting them in upside down (ie, cut side down) first, then the right side up, and spoon the fat over them.
5. Sprinkle each potato well with salt and put in the oven: cook the large potatoes for about an hour and 10 minutes, testing to see whether the flesh is soft (you may need another 10 minutes for this); 40 minutes should be fine for the new potatoes.
6. Transfer to a warmed plate, and serve.

Parisian Potatoes (Pommes Parisienne)

Parisian potatoes is one of the most elegant and simple ways to prepare potatoes.

I have always loved Pommes ParisiennesI have had them countless times in Europe and I have found a recipe that is so good that I now can cook them at home!

It's called Pommes Parisienne because the potatoes are cut into small balls using a Parisienne scoop (1" diameter).

Sometimes, I can't be bothered with scooping small balls from large potatoesInstead, I use new baby potatoes and they turn out equally well.

Parisian Potatoes (Pommes Parisienne) Recipe

(Adapted from SBS Food)

Ingredients

• 9 Desiree potatoes
• 3 small shallots
• 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 3 tbsp butter
• 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves only
• 1 tbsp parsley - finely chopped
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Peel the potatoes.
2. Using a Parisienne scoop (or melon baller), scoop out balls of potato, approximately 1.5cm in diameter.
3. Place the potato balls in a pot and cover with cold water.
4. Bring to the boil and then drain, and add the shallots.
5. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat and add potato balls, shaking the pan occasionally to ensure they are cooked evenly.
6. Once cooked, drain, then return to the pan, adding butter, thyme, parsley and salt

Malaysian Lacy Coconut Pancakes (Roti Jala)

It is currently the final week of Masterchef Australia. Six contestants are battling it out to become the first Masterchef Australia winner this week.

One of the finalists, Poh, who has a Malaysian Chinese background, decided to cook this interesting combination of Lacy Coconut Pancakes and Chicken Floss Curry during last week's challenge. The challenge was to dish up dinner for four mystery special guests - who turned out to be four of Australia’s most respected chefs (Margaret Fulton, Jacque Raymond, Amando Percuoco and Cheong Lui) - and Masterchef judge Matt Preston.

I have special interest in Poh because we share a similar background and she has cooked some interesting Malaysian dishes during her Masterchef journey. Two of her most notable dishes are: Hakka Abacus Beads Yam Dumpling (???) and Sweet Potato in Coconut Custard (Bubur Cha-Cha). These dishes are not readily available in Australia and probably most Australians have not yet tasted them.

For some reason I can't explain, I was expecting Poh to cook this Malaysian Lacy coconut pancake (it's called Roti Jala in Malaysia) and when she finally did it last week (you can watch the episode HERE), I was ecstatic. She also did a Malaysian Chicken Floss Curry to pair with the pancakes. I couldn't resist but to recreate the same dishes for our Sunday dinner: I was very very happy with the results.

The name Roti Jala is derived from the Malay word 'Roti' (Bread) and 'Jala' (Net). It is usually eaten spicy with curry or sweet with serawa. Serawa is made from a mixture of boiled coconut milk, brown sugar and pandan leaf.

We use a Roti Jala Mold - A special ladle with a five-hole perforation - to make the pancake look like a fish net:

This roti jala mold is easily available in Malaysia but if you can't get hold of it, don't be put off. Poh cut a tiny hole from the corner of an empty fresh cream container and used it to make her pancakes!

Here is the recipe for the Roti Jala. Chicken Floss Curry recipe can be found HERE.

Malaysian Lacy Coconut Pancakes (Roti Jala) Recipe

Ingredients

• 100 g all purpose flour, sieved
• 100 ml water
• 100 ml coconut milk
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Method

1. Mix all ingredients well to form a smooth batter and strain it through a fine sieve.
2. Add more water if the batter is too thick.
3. Grease the frying pan with oil, then add in some batter into the roti jala mold and sing a circular motion, let it drip to form a thin layer of pancake.
4. When cooked, fold it into desired shape and serve with curry or sugar.