Friday 23 March 2012

Riddle and Finns Fish Restaurant


Riddle and Finns is possibly the best fish restaurant in Brighton. In the small dining room you sit at marble topped tables adorned by silver candlearbras. On the weekend we visited the place was packed but service was friendly and prompt
Being on the coast the fish is clearly fresh and perfectly cooked. There is an extensive wine and champagne list and this reviewer had champagne and guinness served in a silver tankard.






Oyster are prepared in several forms, cold or warm and always delicious, and you always need to take a look of the board were generally you can find the best catch of the day in the locals water where the source and the freshness of the ingredients has been one of the best reason for visit this tinny and atmospheric restaurant.




Another things that I really like in Riddle & Finns it is the bread basket, no just served with with good quality butter but also with fish pâté and tabasco
To eat we had brighton scallops with chorizo to start followed by tempura prawns and smoked haddock fillet with colcannon, poached egg and champagne sauce.
Having eaten here many times I cannot recommend this venue highly enough.


Reviews of the Best Restaurants in Brighton
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Thursday 22 March 2012

Stromboli bread recipes

Lemons Bottle and Stromboli Volcano. Photo by Adam Butler 
Stromboli bread is always present in Sicilian dinner parties, like the Stromboli Volcano this stuffed bread can be full of surprises and explosive simple south Italy flavours. Works very well like anti-pasti, snack or even a main dish with a side salad

Stromboli dough recipe

Stromboli bread with mozzarella and basil leaves
You need for 1 long loaf: 350g strong white flour - 5g quick dried yeast -200ml warm water – ½ tsp caster sugar – 1tsp of salt - 1 tbsp chopped rosemary leaves – Olive oil.


    

1. In a big bowl sieve the flour and stir in the yeast, sugar and salt. Make a well in the centre and pour in the warm water, mix everything with your hands until you have sticky dough.
2. Transfer to a lightly floured working surface and knead about 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic.
3. Shape the dough into a ball and put in in a big bowl previously oiled. Cover with a cling film, pierce once and keep in a warm temperature (about 25ºC) for 60 minutes.
4. Put back the almost double size dough in the working surface (previously floured) and with the rolling pin (also bit floured) shape the roll in a 30 x 25cm rectangle. Cover for 5 minutes.
5. Oil a baking tray and pre-heat the oven at 200ºC
6. Uncover the dough rectangle and scatter over your favourite filling, leaving 1 cm free- fillings from the edges.
7. Starting for the short size, roll up the dough, tucking the side edges under to seal.
8. Transfer the roll seal down to the baking tray. Cover again with a cling film and let rest again in a temperature not below to 25ºC for 30 minutes.
9. Now brush the roll with 1 tbsp of olive oil, and prick some holes all over the bread. Finally sprinkle over the chopped rosemary leaves.
10. Bake in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.
11. Let cool down a bit and serve with a salad or like a morning snack with a nice cup of tea.

For the filling

Photo by Uberculture
Mozzarella and basil: Mix 2 chopped mozzarella balls previously drained in a bowl, with 70g grated parmesan cheese, 1 grated garlic and 3 tbsp. of shredded basil leaves. Season with ground black pepper.
Mozzarella with Italian hams: Mix 2 chopped mozzarella balls previously drained in a bowl, with 100g chopped prosciutto ham, bresaola or salami or a mix of each one, plus 100g chopped roast peppers. Season with ground black pepper.

More:  


Photos of Adam Butler

Antonio Carluccio Recipes


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Tuesday 20 March 2012

Recipes with meatballs for busy days



The last week in the post about Spaghetti meatballs vs Chorizo pasta I was speaking about how great and tasty is comfort food for the whole family.
Well this week I have been very busy  with external works, trips and meeting in London that barely I had time for blogging but also I have even less time to cook, so I needed to help me out my meatballs leftover from the spaghetti meatballs  of the last week

Asian Broth Meatballs



After a long meeting in a more than ever foggy and misty London city I walked back through China Town, the Asian flavours set in my mind all the train journey to Brighton so when arrived at home only one things was for sure I needed an Asian broth for recover from my day. With some of pork mince leftovers I made more meatballs.

You need:  250g lean pork mince for 10 meatballs – 6 spring onions (3 finely chopped) – 1 tsp grated ginger – 2cm ginger (peeled and sliced) – 1 red chilli (1/2 finely chopped) – 1tbsp of breadcrumbs – 1 litre meat stock , 2 star anise, 100g kale (shredded and remove the woody bites) – Splash of soy sauce – splash of sesame oil

1. For the meatballs in a big bowl mix the meat with the finely chopped spring onions, finely chopped red chilli, breadcrumbs and ½ tsp sesame oil. Season with fresh ground black pepper.
2. Wet your hands with water and start to roll the meat mixture in marble sized balls (about 3-4g each) and deposit the meatballs in the dish with the flour. Lightly coat the meatballs in the flour, and shake any excess.  - Now you can freeze the meatballs that you won’t need-
3. In a wok or a deep pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil and brown all over the meatballs. Set aside.
4. In the same pan or wok, add the stock, star anise, sliced ginger and 2 tbsp of soy sauce, simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Meanwhile slice the rest of the spring onions and the rest of the red chilli.
6. Add the meatballs and kale to the simmering broth and simmer for an extra 10 minutes.
7. Remove from the heat, serve in large bowls and sprinkle over some sliced chilli and spring onions and if you like some extra sesame oil.

Meatballs with pitted olives tomato sauce 

Photo by FotoosVanRobin
Friday morning before  leaving for Chichester (last month I posted East Sussex towns, now is the turn of West Sussex Towns) I remember to defrost my leftovers salami meatballs because I knewt that after exploring Chichester for the whole day I will be looking for real comfort food without much effort in the kitchen.

You need:  10 salami meatballs for 2 serves -  3 sliced garlic -  400g can tomatoes – 3 cloves – 15 pitted green olives (chopped) – 120g tagliatelle or another long pasta. Bunch of shredded basil

1.  Heat a tbsp. of olive oil in a saucepan; add the slices garlic and meatballs, brown all over the meatballs. Then scoop out the meatballs and set aside.
2. Add the canned tomatoes, and the 3 cloves to the saucepan with the garlic and meat juices.. Let simmer for 15 minutes until you have a thick sauce.
3. After the sauce has thickened add the meatballs and the chopped olives, simmer for another 15 minutes.
4. Meanwhile start to cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
5. Serve the pasta in individual dishes and top with the meatballs and the sauce, scatter over some shredded basil

Spanish Meatball tapa

Photo by agvnono
With the last handful of meatballs and with what I knew was to be a great Sunday Football match between Real Madrid vs Malaga F.C the town team of one of my best friends I remembered a conversation that we had some time ago with him in a great traditional tapas bar in Segovia. For some reason TV chef celebrities and their books or also in much of the Spanish tapas bar in England they offer like an authentic Spanish tapa meatballs. In Spain the albondigas (meatballs) came from the Arabian times in Andalucía but despite its long history I hardly remember good tapas bars that serve meatballs like a tapa, for sure in Country Basque they have cod meatballs and are in delicatessens.  My friend was agreeing with me, but the local waitress proves us wrong when we just finish the conversation she pops up with a huge meatbals tray full of Arabian flavours.

You need: 16 meatballs for 4 serves – 60g onion (chopped) – 2 tomatoes (peeled, deseeded and chopped) – ½ lemon juice – 2 garlic cloves sliced – Bunch of flat parsley to serve.

1. In a frying pan in a medium heat with a tbsp. of olive oil fry the meatballs, moving around often to brown them well over.  Keep moving for 6-8 minutes.
2. Add the chopped onion and sliced garlic, soften for 3 minutes. 
3. Squeeze some lemon juice into the pan and add the chopped tomatoes, simmer for an extra 3 minutes stirring very often. Season. 
4. Serve in individual little earth ware dishes for an even more traditional Spanish style and sprinkle over the chopped parsley  and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

More

If you are looking for more meatballs ideas, check out this Mint and Mustard Meatballs from Mummy, I can cook! blog

My Spaghetti with salami meatballs recipe
Tomato sauce recipes


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