Skate wings with saffron sauce

 Paul, the fish, had skate wings.  I have never cooked, or even eaten skate wings - so I thought I would give it a bash.

Most of the recipes found after a quick and dirty search of t'interweb were all about capers and gherkins and that ... but then I found one with saffron sauce ... ah hah, so I thought I would try something along those lines - and it was, though I say it myself damn good.

Baby potatoes
Saffron
White wine
Carrots
Green beans
Courgette
Stock
Olive oil
Butter
Skate wings
Creme fraiche

1.  Cut potatoes into "chips" and toss in olive oil, roast in the top of a hot oven for 30+ minutes, until done.
2.  Soak saffron in a glass of white wine for 10 minutes, then transfer to a pan add about the same volume of stock and a small peeled carrot, heat up.
3.  Steam the veg over the wine mixture.
4.  When veg is done transfer to oven dish and keep warm.
5.  Strain the saffron mix and return to the pan.
6.  Pan fry the skate wings in oil and butter, a few minutes on each side.
7.  Finish the sauce by whisking about 2 tbsps of creme fraiche into the reduced wine mix.

Serve, scoff ... the saffron really works well with the soft delicate flesh of the skate.  (Pulling the meat of the fish down the wing with a fork seems to be the best way of tackling the scoffing part).

Pollock fillet, garlicky vegetables and instant tartar sauce

Tasted better than it looked - and was super easy.  Steam pollock with knob of butter, salt and pepper. Soften chopped leek, chopped mushrooms and green beans in tablespoon of olive oil.  Add splash of water, 1 clove crushed garlic, and simmer for 10 minutes or so.  Chop chives, capers and gherkins, stir into creme fraiche, season.

Done!

Pheasant, mushroom and cabbage macaroni

One of the great things about being a bit foodie, is that periodically your mates try to challenge you with summat a bit different.  So, as a pressie for a dinner, I was presented with a dressed pheasant.  I have roasted pheasant before, but wanted something more casual, light and tasty but still autumnal, so I thought - pasta with seasonal veg... and it worked!

So, ingredients:-

1 pheasant - meat removed and cut into bite sized pieces.
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large leek, sliced
1 clove garlic
1 glass white wine
10(ish) chestnut mushrooms
Half a small savoy cabbage, shredded

Pinch of chili
Spoonful of creme fraiche

Method

1.  Sweat down leeks in olive oil, over medium heat.
2.  When soft, move to the sides of the pan and increase heat.  Chuck pheasant bits into the middle of the pan.  Brown on one side, then toss mixture together.
3.  Put pasta into boiling, salted water.
4.  Add chopped mushrooms to leek and pheasant - season, add ladle of water from pasta pan, so that mixture doesn't go dry.  Add tiny pinch of chili.
5.  When pasta is nearly done, add cabbage to veg and pheasant, toss about a bit, so that it wilts (add another ladle of water if it looks at all dry.
6.  Drain pasta.
7.  Chuck in pheasant and veg, grind black pepper - big spoonful of creme fraiche.  S
8.  Stir, scoff.

Took 15 minutes - start to finish, including getting meat from pheasant.

National Vegetarian Week: Day 2: leek and mushroom stroganoff(ish)

Well, as these things do - it started out as leek and mushroom stroganoff, but more vegetables were added as I went along.  If it were to be a more "pure" version I would have wanted a salad or something to include the extra veg - but this way it became the easier pasta and sauce option.

No complaints form victim!  even though no meat in sight, not even a chicken stock cube.

So - what I did was - chopped and rinsed 2 leeks, sauteed these in olive oil ( about 1 tbsp) with 1 (large) crushed garlic clove and about 3 inches (chopped up) of a bunch of celery.  Once this had softened a bit I added - 1 diced red pepper, chopped mushrooms - 3 big handfuls - mixture of closed cup and chestnut and about 5 stringless runner beans - chopped, good pinch of mixed herbs.  Then added good splosh of white wine (probably about a glass), splosh of mushroom ketchup  (about 2 tbsp), a squirt of tomato puree (about 1 tbsp), salt, good ground of pepper and about a teacup of water.  Stirred - making sure the bottom wasn't catching - and left to simmer over a low(ish) heat for about 15 mins.  You could have omitted some of the veg and/or add frozen peas/ corn... just try to get an interesting balance.  Meanwhile cook tagliatelle according to packet instructions - I always try the pasta a minute or so before the suggested time to test if it is al dente.  For this recipe (and for most I suspect) just under is better than just over - so drain when it's neeeearrrly done.  Chuck drained pasta into sauce and toss, stir in creme fraiche - about 150 ml, but to what looks good (or natural yoghurt, though this might curdle if it is too hot).  Serve immediately with sprinkled paprika and chopped chives (or parsley).

Chickens - all present and correct - Sophie and Rosemary still broody - chucked them off many times - but still determined.  Cats x 2 - both home and scoffing - no more squeaking from either of them, I think they have recovered from separation trauma.  Dogs x 2 - still poddling on.  Victim - exam tomorrow - big stress - but will overcome.