CAVOLO NERO & HAZELNUT PESTO

Cavolo nero and hazelnut pesto

200g cavolo nero, trimmed of thick stems, washed and chopped

3 tbsp toasted hazelnuts

3 anchovies in oil

1 fat garlic clove

good handful of watercress leaves

juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

25g parmesan, grated

100ml olive oil

salt and pepper

Whiz all but the olive oil in a food processor then, still whizzing, gradually pour in the olive oil until you have a thick pesto. Season generously.

Stir through pasta, scoop up with crisps, dollop onto soup.

AN ODE TO MACKEREL

Typical, isn't it, that the night before mackerel makes top news - over-fished, just like that - I cook it for supper? Delicious it was, too, with its silvery skin still on and its blue, mottled sheen swimming through the soup. But no longer, and I will miss it, alas. A quick ode to the mackerel.

I'll say 'til when, to you, oh silvered jewel.

If you e'er come back in plentiful school

I will scoop you back with a fishy kiss, 

and stir you into this lovely dish.

This noodle broth welcomes other sustainable fish. Try it, instead, with herring, sardine or dab - or search here for help on which goodly water-creature to choose.

POACHED FISH AND KOHLRABI NOODLE BROTH

 SERVES 2-4

1 tbsp groundnut oil

1 shallot, finely sliced

1/2 red chilli, finely sliced

1/2 garlic clove, finely sliced

10 fennel seeds

700ml fresh fish stock

1 star anise

1 tbsp nam pla fish sauce

1/2 tbsp soy sauce

4 fillets of sea-fished sustainable fish (300g), pin-boned

200g ribbon rice noodles

200g kohlrabi, finely cut into matchsticks

Tsuru: eat the bits or chilli oil to serve (optional)

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and add the shallot. Fry gently for 2 minutes until soft, then add the chilli, garlic and fennel seeds. Cook for another minute until fragrant. Pour in the fish stock and add the star anise with the nam pla and soy sauce. Simmer for 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, soak the noodles in boiling water until tender, or according to packet instructions, then drain under cold water.

Slice the fish into chunks and add to the pan, along with the kohlrabi. The fish will instantly begin to poach and become flaky.

Stir the noodles into the broth to heat, then serve into deep bowls, dividing up the fish and noodles equally.

Spoon a little of the Tsuru chilli oil on top of the soup and slurp.

BEETROOT DAL SOUP

Oh, hello you. It's been a while.

Time to bring in the New Year with some spice and some warmth. 

We're doing a whole month of it. Every night for the month of January my dear one and I are cooking Feel Good Food. Spicy broths, Asian salads, punchy curries and argy bhaji.  So, set the table, pull on your stocking socks, and tuck into a whole lotta love.

For this recipe: Start with a dal, change your mind and end with a soup.

BEETROOT DAL SOUP

SERVES 6

250g red lentils, rinsed

3 tbsp sunflower oil

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 onion, finely chopped

2 whole red chillies, sliced down the side

2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly cut into matchsticks

3 garlic cloves, finely sliced

1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes

1 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground coriander

4 cooked beetroot, quartered

400ml good quality vegetable stock

natural yoghurt, to serve

handful chopped fresh coriander leaves, to serve

Cover the lentils with approximately 1 litre of water and bring to the boil, skimming any froth that comes to the top with a spoon. Cover the pan with a lid, turn down the heat, and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly, until the lentils are tender. When cooked, remove the pan from the heat and drain if necessary. Stir and set aside to cool. 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan over a medium heat, then gently fry the cumin seeds until they are fragrant. Add the onion, ginger and whole chillies and fry until golden and slightly softened. Add the garlic and fry for another 30 seconds.

Pour in the chopped tomatoes, 100ml water with the ground spices and stir. Season. Bring to a gentle simmer and leave to cook, with the lid on, for 20 minutes. 

Stir in the lentils and transfer to a blender. Add the quartered beetroot and whiz until smooth. Slowly pour in the stock, pulsing the blender until you reach a thick soup consistency. You may not want to use all of the stock or you may want more depending on how you like it. 

If you're feeling fancy, push the soup through a sieve for extra smoothness. If not, give it a good old stir, season and garnish with a dollop of yoghurt and chopped coriander. 

If you've got leftovers, the soup will keep for a week in the fridge in a (preferably) sterilised container, or freeze it for up to 6 months.

GUINEA FOWL DUMPLINGS

I'm crazed over little wanton wrappers and, despite having to queue through the back door of Loon Fung for them, they're within (quite) easy reach for a last minute supper, or sneaky dim sum in the middle of the day.  You can even cook them in the office microwave.

They're a great vehicle for leftovers - the weekend's roast, a couple of raw prawns that need cooking, shrinking vegetables, or stray rice noodles at the bottom of the packet.

For this recipe I used leftover stuffed guinea fowl made by my darling housemate - all hard work done. Make sure you have always have fish sauce, sesame oil and rice wine vinegar on hand and you're away. Peel the wrapper, fill it, crimp it, steam it, dip it and pop it in.

 ASIAN-STYLE BROTH WITH GUINEA FOWL DUMPLINGS

SERVES 2

ingredients

FOR THE DUMPLINGS

150g leftover guinea fowl, roughly chopped

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp fish sauce

1/2 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 spring onion

10 wanton wrappers

FOR THE BROTH 

750ml guinea fowl stock (or chicken)

3 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp mirin rice wine

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 star anise

thumb-sized knob of ginger, peeled and finely sliced

1 red chilli, finely sliced at an angle, extra to serve (optional).

5 shitake mushroom, sliced

3 spring onions

Place all the dumpling ingredients in a food processor, and blitz to a rough paste. Transfer to a small bowl, cover and set aside.

Heat the guinea fowl stock in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat. Add the fish sauce, rice wine and soy sauce and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and add the star anise and chilli. Cook on a low simmer for 10 minutes so all flavours can infuse.

Meanwhile, assemble the dumplings. Lay a dumpling wrapper in the palm of your hand and place a heaped teaspoon of the mixture in the centre. Fold up the sides around the filling to form a flower shape. Press to hold, using a little water to bind if necessary. Place on a lightly floured and continue until all the mixture has been used.

Drop the dumplings into the simmering broth along with the shitake mushrooms and cook for two minutes until the pastry is soft and they are hot all the way through. Ladle the broth into two bowls and divide up the dumplings. Scatter with the spring onions and the extra red chilli. Serve with a cold beer and extra soy sauce. 

GAZPACHO

CLASSIC GAZPACHO

serves 8 bowls

ingredients

1kg ripe plum, beef, and cherry tomatoes, peeled and chopped

3 large red peppers, cored and chopped

1 large cucumber, peeled and chopped

200g white breadcrumbs

3 cloves garlic, chopped

500ml iced water

150ml white wine vinegar

150ml olive oil

salt and pepper

for garnish

3 pink echalion onions, very finely sliced

handful basil leaves

2 small dried red chillies, crushed

24 ice cubes

Place the tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, breadcrumbs and garlic into a food processor and blitz until smooth, adding the water a little at a time. You may have to do this in batches. Once smooth, add the vinegar and olive oil and season to taste. You want the soup to taste fresh, a little sharp from the vinegar, and rich with flavour. 

Leave the soup to chill in the fridge for an hour and serve ice cold with a scattering of the onions, basil and chilli. Season with salt, drizzle with olive oil and a few ice cubes. 

FRESH GARLIC VICHYSSOISE

Too hot for soup. But not for a chilled one. 

This cooled soup is smooth and light, and thanks to the surprisingly enormous amount of fresh garlic, it has a lovely, earthy sweetness.

I imagine this to be eaten from a thermos in the park, or from tiny bowls with tiny poached quails egg to garnish. Oh, and if the weather forces on our anoraks, have it hot.

FRESH GARLIC VICHYSSOISE

serves 2

25g butter

1 tbsp olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 large leek, roughly chopped, white bit only

15 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and halved

1 potato, peeled and chopped

500ml chicken stock

150ml double cream

1/4 tsp ground mace or nutmeg

1/4 tsp salt, extra to serve

generous pinch coarsely ground black pepper

2 ice cubes

2 quails eggs (optional)

handful parsley leaves, finely chopped

Melt the butter in a medium pan and add the olive oil. Add the onion and slowly cook to soften but not colour. Then, add the leek and the halved garlic cloves and fry on a low heat for 5 minutes. Now add the potato and, after two minutes on a gentle heat, pour in the stock. Simmer the soup, unseasoned at this point, for 20 minutes. Do not bring to the boil as this may spoil the flavour of the garlic.  

Leave the soup to cool slightly before pouring it into a blender. Add the cream and seasoning and whizz. Pour, through a sieve, into a jug and taste - it may be tempting to add more at this stage but I'd leave it to cool completely before adding more salt. 

Making sure the soup has cooled down completely add the ice cubes to the jug, cover and leave in the fridge for an hour or until ready to serve.

Just before serving, bring a small pan of water to the boil. Take the pan off the heat. Drop in the shelled quails eggs, one by one, from a small cup that is almost touching the surface of the water. Leave to cook for 1 minute and remove with a slotted spoon.

Serve the soup into small bowls and carefully place the egg on top. Scatter with parsley and light drizzle of oil. 

HOT AND SOUR NOODLE BROTH

For cold nights, tired heads, lazy bones and loved ones.

HOT AND SOUR NOODLE BROTH

with

SEARED SALMON and GREENS

serves 4

ingredients

2 tbsps sesame oil

4 small salmon fillets, skinned

generous pinch salt

4 handfuls flat rice noodles (roughly 75g each)

1 ltr chicken stock

3 tbsps fish sauce

3 tbsps light soy sauce

1 tbsp mirin rice wine

(keep bottles of sauce on standby just in case)

juice 1 lime

1 small red hot chilli, deseeded

thumb-size knob ginger, thinly sliced into batons

6 spring onions, sliced diagonally (extra for garnish optional)

small bunch sprouting broccoli, trimmed of leaves

large bunch pak choi, spinach or other greens

touch olive oil to fry salmon

bunch coriander, stalks finely chopped, leaves left for garnish (optional)

In a bowl, coat the salmon fillets with sesame oil and a sprinkling of salt. Leave to sit for 20 minutes.

Rest the noodles in a bowl of boiling water and leave to soften for 30 minutes or as the packet suggests.

Heat the chicken stock in a large saucepan and bring up to a light simmer. Add the fish sauce, soy sauce, mirin and lime juice and stir. Taste the broth, adding, if needed, more of each sauce. Fish for depth, soy for salt, mirin for sweetness and lime to cut through.

Add the chilli and ginger and simmer for a few minutes. Now add the greens - the onions, broccoli, pak choi and coriander stalks - and cook gently until the broccoli is just tender.

Meanwhile, heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and, when the oil starts to smoke slightly, add the salmon. Sear the salmon for 30 seconds on each side. Slice. The salmon should still be pink in the middle but warm.

Divide the noodles into deep bowls and ladle the soup over, dishing up equal portions of greens and chilli. Top with the seared salmon.

Garnish with the coriander leaves and the additional spring onion. For an extra bite beside the soup, or to start, serve with Bill's Thai fishcakes and sweet cucumber pickle.

Souper Supper

Firstly, a massive thank you to those who racked their brains for Last Supper suggestions. You all really know how to make me ravenous!

I have picked out a delicious 3 course meal from your ideas (open to debate if any more come along) but I am not going to give anything away just yet. Only when I have all the ingredients together, will I let slip what will be sizzling away in my oven...

Due to Mattie's 'Season is all' comment, I have chosen a menu which satisfies the Winter taste buds - something wholesome and warming as the months begin to freeze up...But enough with that - I've said too much already!

This week's blog is dedicated to my own last supper starter, but instead of a taster for meals to follow, I intend it to be a Sunday-Night-Supper, or the perfect Autumn/Winter lunch.
The recipe is taken from the Real Island Food Company - a fantastically friendly duo, Jackie and Rachel, who deliver to-the-door fresh goodies from local producers on the Isle of Wight.*


This recipe is SO delicious and unbelievably good comfort food. We added scrumptious Oak Roasted Tomatoes from The Tomato Stall, which give it an added smoky flavour to complement the nutty sweetness of the butternut squash - along with a hunk of still warm toasted soda bread.

You must must must try it!

Roast Tomato and Butternut Soup

Creamy, full of flavour and very warming - this seasonal soup is perfect to serve at a Bonfire party, or team it up with a Graces Bakery French stick and you've got a great lunch!

1 kilo of ripe Isle of Wight tomatoes (Cherry toms have the best flavour)
1 medium Butternut squash from Ben Browns farm in the Arreton Valley
2 cloves Isle of Wight (The Garlic Farm ) garlic
fresh thyme leaves
300 ml Coppid Hall farm double cream
300 ml good quality vegetable stock (water will be fine too)
1 tsp Demerara sugar
freshly ground sea salt and pepper
olive oil

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.

Place the tomatoes on a roasting tray and drizzle with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper. Roughly chop the peeled garlic cloves and mix in with the tomatoes. Roast in the oven for 20 – 30 minutes until softened and starting to colour (20 – 30 minutes)

Peel the Butternut, and cut into chunks. Place on a roasting tray and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with thyme leaves. Roast in the oven until soft and easy to squash with a fork. (approx 30 mins)

When cooked, place the tomatoes and Butternut in a large saucepan. Add the water or stock and sugar and bring to a simmer. Simmer gently for 5 mins. Using a hand held blender, liquidise until smooth (until you can’t see or taste any tomato skin in the liquid). Add the cream, season to taste and warm through for serving.

Enjoy with a chunk of fresh bread and butter.

A real winner! INDULLLLGE.

* delivery on hampers and gifts is now available off the Isle, so check out www.islandfoodandgifts.co.uk to get your hands on some delicious real island food! I HIGHLY recommend...

PUFF THE MAGIC MUSHROOM

Recovery time.

Bestival is over and I am catching up on much needed sleep in a big bed with duvet and mattress, a far cry from achy backs in the morning, no-pillow-neck-crunch and grass in the sleeping bag.

This time of year is perfect for body and mind rehabilitation. Shuffling about with half open eyes suits the autumn light; each day lived through the lens of a Polaroid camera with warm orange light and slightly blurred edges. It all brings back a comforting nostalgia of bonfire smoke, apple crumble in the oven, feet by the fire and walks in a warm wind. This year's forecast has hit the
nail on the head for encouraging that oh-so-sickly word 'cosy' to stream back into our vocabulary.

Today has been one of those 'cosy' days. A warming Mumsoup, with hot bread and cheese for lunch, followed by a walk in the fields at a leisurely pace, stealing berries from bushes and no doubt, this evening lighting the fire whilst tucking into one of Monty Don's garden recipes. It has reached the season when it is considered perfectly OK to stock up on fuel for the winter; baggy clothes and big jumpers hiding the extra insulation you have worked so hard to build up in preparation for Arctic winds and sideways snow. Well almost...

Perhaps I am making up too much for the glut of my next recipe. But it is only right to be indulgent when you discover two ginormous Puff Balls beneath your feet, eager to be plucked from the grass and appreciated for all that they are. The Giant Puff Ball, otherwise known as Langermannia gigantea, is a rare and underestimated beauty which, unknown to many, can be delicious fried up in a saucepan with garlic and cream and parsley. With it's strange shape, white flesh, stiff skin and spongy texture, it looks less like a member of the mushroom family and more like a ball of freshly formed mozzarella.





Bizarre fruits of the earth, but these ring all bells. Serve on its own, with a fry up or throw chopped puff ball into risotto for a delicate version of risotto ai funghi.


In this instance, I am going to show them at their most simple.

Fried Puff Ball with bacon, garlic and cream.
SERVES 2-3
400g puff ball, freshly picked, roughly chopped (This may seem like a large amount but it shrinks massively)
25g butter
2 rashers of smoked bacon. roughly chopped

1 clove of garlic, crushed
40ml double cream

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the chopped bacon and fry until brown. Throw in the chopped puff ball and keep stirring it so that it turns a golden brown colour. Add more butter if necessary, but the puff ball will become moist the more it is fried. Add the garlic and stir in.
This tastes fantastic just as it is without the cream, and I would recommend to keep it like this if serving it with a fry up. If the cream appeals to you, then let the mixture cool slightly before pouring it in. The cream will turn slightly brown because of the butter, but this adds to the earthiness of the recipe, I think.

Mouthwateringly good! Savour this, it may be the only one you find.
Now it is back up North for me. Back to baked beans and regular mushrooms.
Perhaps the Yorkshire Dales will surprise me with a treat or two to jazz up old leftovers?

GOOD OL' TRUSTY SOUP

Horrah! Mumsoup has exceeded all expectations. Even Gordon Ramsay thinks it's OK.

Having got the results back from the Times Online Recipe Exchange competition my family soup has got a place in the 21 most highly commended entries. To say the least, I am proud of this chunky blend of vegetables and lentils. Thank you to my mum, her mum and her mum for passing down such goodness.





There is no stopping this soup. It is just so eager to be eaten.

To see Mumsoup in all its glory, as it deserves, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/recipes/recipeexchange/article6389911.ece

and the rest of the 21 most highly commended recipes from the Recipe Exchange go to

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/recipes/recipeexchange/article6388749.ece

I like the sound of Giles V's Rhubarb and fig jam. I think I would eat the whole lot too...

SOUL CLEANSING.

The title of this blog may sound a little daunting and deep. I am not trying to get you to sit in the lotus position and breathe profoundly with your legs behind your head. Nor am I handing out advice on how to become a more tranquil, and better person. I am, however, going to shout about the wonders of Sushi.

A few months ago I met a Japanese lady, Yoko (not Ono), and after a few minutes of discussing the greatness of Sushi she said she would teach me how to do it. I was extremely keen on taking her up on this as after almost nine months of cooking and eating Italian pasta, I was looking for new ideas...
The next time we saw each other she handed me a neat, hand written, step by step instruction for making Sushi. Along with this, a pair of beautifully painted chopsticks, a packet of Nori seaweed sheets, and a Sushi roller.


This afternoon, my untouched, authentic Japanese Sushi instructions were laid on the table. There couldn't have been a better day for it. Sheltering in my apartment from heavy city heat, I could think of nothing cooler than putting together a light and refreshing lunch.


I had almost all the ingredients for making Sushi, minus two vital condiments. The one shop in Bologna I know which sells everything you could possibly want for oriental dishes is conveniently five minutes from my flat and it would have been a sin to kick off my first attempt without lime green Wasabi and bright pink pickled ginger.




So, all ingredients in hand, the process began, with the eager help of Georgia, another BIG Sushi fan, who had made a homemade lemon iced tea to compliment our lunch.
We boiled the rice (Arborio in this case) until sticky, and let it cool in the fridge before layering it into the centre of the seaweed sheet. Sashimi of salmon, tuna, cucumber, and fried omelette were cut into thin strips and laid in along the centre of the rice, altering the flavour combinations here and there.




The act of carefully adding layers felt therapeutic and hugely artistic. I think the best thing about Sushi, apart from the taste, is also the way it looks. The contrast of the black seaweed against the white rice, with the brightly coloured fish and cucumber, made our amateur spontaneity look like a work of art.




The rolling part proved the most difficult, as it is key to get the seaweed tight enough around the rice so the filling is held firmly inside. Once it is all rolled up, it is ready to be sliced into smaller pieces - ours were a bit too big, making conversation a little sporadic - then lightly dipped into the soy sauce and Wasabi for a mouthful of heaven.


After devouring about 6 large pieces of Sushi each, the stomach was highly satisfied. A full feeling, but not too full...and cleansed down with the iced tea it was a relief on such a hot day.



YOKO'S SUSHI
INGREDIENTS: (for 12 pieces of sushi)

2 Nori seaweed sheets

Rice: 2 cups Japanese rice (Arborio will do), 4 cups water. 20g sugar, 5g salt, 25 cc white vinegar (Rice vinegar is best) - mix seasonings well beforehand.
Filling: sashimi of salmon, cucumber, tuna, fried omelette - the choice is yours.

Condiments: Wasabi, dark soy sauce, pickled ginger

RICE

1. Before cooking, wash the rice with cold water until the water becomes clear.

2. Cook the rice with the water.

If you don't have a rice cooker:

• Put the rice and water in a pot and put on a lid. Cook it on a low heat.



• When the water starts to boil lightly, raise the heat to medium - shift the lid a little to let steam out.
  


• When the water starts to spout, turn off the heat.

3. While the rice is hot, put it in a wet bowl, and pour on the sugar, salt and vinegar. Mix with a wooden spoon.

SUSHI ROLL

1. Lay out the sushi roller with the bamboo bark facing down. Make sure the lines of bamboo are horizontal.
2. Cut the seaweed to size and put horizontally into the middle of the roller. It is best to leave a space on the lower and upper sides of the roller.


3. Layer the rice thinly and evenly onto the middle of the seaweed. Do not cover the layer completely! Leave a space on upper and lower sides.


4. Put some slices of the raw fish and vegetables - anything you like - length ways onto the middle of the rice.


5. Pick up the lower edge on the roller with both hands, and wrap the ingredients quickly. Do not roll the edge of the roller you picked up.


6. Roll it up to the end of the seaweed, tightening it up and letting the roller go to the other side. You should end up with a tightly rolled cylinder of Sushi. Slice up into manageable pieces and serve as a great starter.


This recipe is so easy and delicious. It is such a sociable dish - get friends round to help make it and why not experiment with ingredients and come up with your own version of sushi!

If you want a hot dish to go with your Sushi, try a warming coconut broth, made simply with coriander, kaffir lime leaves, stock, coconut milk and rice noodles, and any meat or vegetables you feel like adding!

Cleansing of the stomach and soul accomplished!

MUMSOUP.

On Friday I entered the Times online competition 'Recipe Exchange'. I decided to put in an entry that I believe is for the good of all, and having kept it under lock and key for too long is time to spread the love.

This recipe has been in my family since I can remember - I have flashbacks of my fussy childhood of wanting the soup sieved or blended so that any trace of onion could be removed or at least hidden. How wrong and shameful, in hindsight, I was. Mumsoup has always been my immediate thought when its comes to cold winter days, sheer hunger or having had a little too much fun the night before. The effort of making this is a cure in itself, let alone the feeling of intense goodness and comfort that comes from eating it!
Packed full of vegetables and pulses this thick and chunky soup has always been a hit. It is the kind of recipe that you can add to according to season or taste, and take it with you anywhere - after making Mumsoup once or twice the recipe is unforgettable.
The best thing is, you can throw all the ingredients in, and just let it simmer away. In my opinion, the longer it cooks the better it tastes. There is no limit to how much you make either - if there is too much, great! Pop it in an old yogurt pot in the freezer for another day!

MUMSOUP

INGREDIENTS: Serves 4
1 tbs olive oil
2rashers of smoked bacon
1 large onion, finely chopped (NOT TO BE SIEVED OR LEFT OUT!)
1 potato, peeled and chopped into uneven chunks
3 large carrots, diced
1 tin of chopped tomatoes
200g red lentils
500ml pint of chicken stock (just as good with vegetable stock if vegetarian)
2 bay leaves
Pinch of oregano
Salt and Black pepper.

Chop the rashers of bacon into small pieces and fry in a heavy based saucepan with olive oil until golden brown. Add the onion until soft and lightly coloured. While this is cooking, now is the time to get chopping with the rest of the veg if you haven't done so already. Add the potato and carrot to the bacon mixture and fry until covered in olive oil. This is to pack the vegetables full of flavour.

Add the chopped tomatoes. Do not put the heat up too high - this soup can be cooked for a long time so there is no rush and when the liquids go in everything boils up together.

Scatter the lentils over the vegetables - ideally you should have enough to cover the top of the contents of the pan. I always like more lentils as it gives the soup a softer texture at the end.

Pour over the stock into the pan and stir. The lentils will absorb the stock so don't worry if it looks to juicy at this stage. Throw in the bay leaves and oregano and leave to simmer for about an hour.

If you want to cook this in less time, it can be done. Turn up the heat slightly. I have managed it in half an hour before out of pure desperation, and it was still delicious.

Season before serving. Let the soup cool a little as it can be very hot.

I love this meal eaten with a freshly baked loaf of brown bread, a selection of cheese and always a second helping...