PORK CHOPS WITH APPLE SAUCE, SWEET POTATO PURÉE, AND WATERCRESS SALAD

Any cook worth their salt would tell you, cooking on the bone is ten times better than not doing so. I think this is especially true when dealing with pork. Although simple to cook, it can be technically demanding, as in a matter of seconds it can overcook and become entirely dry and unpalatable. It might seem rather curious to the seasoned cook, but I always think of pork fondly because of one very unique attribute;the ability to work beautifully with apples. Coming from a background, as I’ve mentioned a few times now, where curries and stews were standard fare, reading about pork and apples seemed a bit Willy Wonka to me. It was the promise of such curious combinations, the allure of endless possibilities, which drew me closer to food in the first place. One of the very first recipes I can remember trying was Gordon Ramsay’s pork loin with crispy crackling and apples with tarragon. Clumsy presentation and poor execution were not enough to erase the fundamental culinary principles which were beginning to take shape in my young mind, and I’ve never been the same since. This dish is my homage to that memory, and I can only hope that one person somewhere tries this, and it can have a fraction of that remarkable influence.

INGREDIENTS:

APPLE SAUCE

• 4 apples (mixed varieties)
• 100 ml apple juice
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 lemon

SWEET POTATO PURÉE

• 3 medium sweet potatoes
• 3 tbsp butter
• 60 ml whole milk
• Salt and pepper

PORK CHOPS

• 4 pork chops bone-in
• 1 head of garlic
• Small bunch thyme
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper

TO SERVE

• Watercress leaves
• Optional vinaigrette (olive oil, lemon juice, water, salt and pepper)

-          Peel, core, and chop the apples and add to a large pan with the apple juice, cinnamon stick, and brown sugar. Add the zest of the lemon to the pan and squeeze in about 2 tbsp of the lemon juice.

-          Simmer for about 10 minutes until the apples have just broken down.

-          Move the contents of the pan into a blender or food processor and blend until the desired texture is achieved. A shorter time will result in a more chunky sauce, while a longer time will naturally result in a smoother purée. After this is done, set aside in a serving dish at room temperature to cool until ready for serving.

-          As the apple sauce simmers, peel and roughly chop the sweet potatoes and place into boiling salted water for about 10 minutes or until a fork passes cleanly through without resistance.

-          Drain the sweet potatoes and then pass through a potato ricer into a large bowl. Being sure to work swiftly, add the butter and milk and mix well with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Return to a pan at low heat until ready to serve.

-          For the pork chops, use a knife to score the rind to ensure even cooking and prevent the chops from curling during the cooking process.

-          Season both sides with sea salt and black pepper.

-          In a large non-stick frying pan or griddle pan, heat 3 tbsp olive oil until just smoking at just around the medium heat setting.

-          Add the chops to the pan and add a halved head of garlic, cut side down.

-          Cook for about 6 minutes on each side to achieve just over medium cooking.

-          Remove the pork chops from the pan and allow them to rest for 10 minutes on a wire rack. This is a very important step as it allows the meat to relax and the cooking process to reach completion. Sprinkle over fresh thyme leaves as the chops rest.

-          As they rest begin assembling the plates by placing a large spoon of sweet potato purée on each of four plates and then place one chop over each

-          Place a dollop of the sauce over each chop.

-          Add a generous bunch of watercress leaves to each plate.

-          To create a quick vinaigrette for the watercress salad, mix 3 tbsp olive oil with a generous squeeze of lemon juice, 1 tbsp water, and salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the salad and around the edge of the plates.

GORDON RAMSAY'S APPLE TART FINE

For anyone afraid of baking desserts, there is no simpler recipe than this one. In a very uncomplicated way, it combines all the things that make French food spectacular. The buttery aromas of puff pastry approaching crispy perfection and excitingly seasonal apples perfuming the air around the oven are enough to entice anyone, even the most cynical of dessert non-believers. This dessert makes it easy to share something wonderful with deserving friends without having to sacrifice strenuous effort and valuable time. The addition of French vanilla ice cream at the end might be caloric suicide to some, but is gastronomically essential and visually impactful. The contrast of textures, flavors, and importantly temperatures serves to promote this creation to the realm of perfection. The ingredients and recipe are as follows:

·         250g puff pastry

·         3-4 Braeburn apples

·         20g unsalted butter, melted

·         1-2 tbsp golden caster sugar

·         Icing sugar to dust

• Pre-heat the oven to 200°C. Roll the puff pastry out on a lightly flowered surface. Cut out 4 circles of the pastry using a small plate as a guide and prick to avoid the pastry rising. Place on baking sheet.
• Peel, core and thinly slice the apples using a mandolin.
• Arrange the apple slices in a circle on top of the pastry discs, overlapping them slightly, placing 2 rings in the middle to finish. Brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with a fine layer of caster sugar.
• Bake the tarts for 10 -15 minutes until the pastry is cooked. Dust with icing sugar and glaze with a blow torch.
• Serve the tart warm with French vanilla ice cream.

SALMON AND HADDOCK FISHCAKES WITH CAPER ANCHOVY DRESSING

In thinking about this dish, my mind immediately goes to the humble fish and chip shop. Combining fish, potatoes, and peas is the principle upon which the British staple, fish and chips with mushy peas, is built. Hungry working-class citizens in Britain flock to fish and chip eateries across the nation to enjoy this dish. I've seen first-hand that even their travelling cricket fans tend to resort to sourcing it to stave off the effects of home sickness. Although proprietors put individual signatures on this classic, the basic elements remain the same. It thrives on its rustic simplicity, and more importantly, it thrives on being comforting and filling. So then, why even have a salmon and haddock fishcake? Why a caper anchovy dressing? I’ll tell you why!

I adore this dish, also a Gordon Ramsay creation, for its lightness, elegance, and effectiveness; that is to say, like a fish and chip, I find it to be filling and comforting. The mixture of salmon and whitefish has been done to delicious effect in many dishes, managing to be sweet and delicate but simultaneously hearty. Fresh herbs and perfect seasoning are essential, but what begins to elevate this dish into something special is the addition of a little lemon zest and lemon juice to the mashed potatoes. The fish is immediately uplifted by citrus. That’s only the beginning! Salty marinated anchovies, sweet delicate shallots, dark green and gold olive oil, and sharp vibrant capers all brought together by fresh parsley make up the dressing. At the end of the day, this is the reason this dish is truly outstanding. The combination of flavors manages to project that ever elusive harmony that recipes strive for. This dish puts a microscope on what makes good food, respect for tradition, focus on comfort, simple ingredients prepared simply, and of course, an understanding of flavor and textural balance. One final thought, depending on where you are, once you maintain critical balance with local ingredients the dish will maintain its integrity. On vacation in the Caribbean, I used tamarind to delicious effect in the dressing, and wondered about the flavor resemblance of pickled bilimbi (also known as souree in Guyana) to capers. Don’t be afraid to experiment! 

SPINACH RICOTTA AND PINE-NUT HOME MADE RAVIOLI WITH SAGE BUTTER

This Gordon Ramsay dish will always hold a special place in my heart, and I'll tell you why. For all those days where perfection seems a distant if not impossible idea, for a fleeting moment, this dish allows me to experience perfection in my very own kitchen, an environment free from any external troubles. There is something entirely therapeutic about kneading pasta dough, almost as if for those moments the dough is your only purpose in the world, it requires your love, attention, affection, and dedication; as any relationship worth having would.

The dish itself is a glistening example of a case where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Creamy ricotta cheese, salty parmesan, earthy pine nuts, zesty lemon juice, and delicate spinach make up a perfectly balanced filling. The sage butter takes the delicate ravioli pillows and almost unexpectedly elevates them to something spectacular. I can't say enough good things about this dish, the way it tastes. More importantly, the validation one feels after putting love and effort into something, and reaping the benefits that reflect that love and effort, is what I take away from having made this dish. I encourage everyone, EVERYONE, to try it, you will not be disappointed.

MALAI CHICKEN KEBABS

The inspiration that food can provide should not be underestimated and in this regard, food from India to my mind stands in a league of its own. Just think of the plethora of desserts that are essentially made with the very minimum of ingredients, most often milk, sugar, nuts, a fragrant spice such as cardamom, and the mastery of centuries old technique. Yet somehow the variety seems to be endless; halwas, puddings, gulab jamon, flavoured milks, kulfis, and burfis, to name a few; and even more astonishing made without the help of a cuisinart or other contemporary kitchen appliance in the cook’s arsenal. Something very curious, is the fact that in some of the poorest parts of India the typical daily diet consists of stunning homemade meals from the freshest of ingredients, something the first world citizen often would be more than a little dishonest if they claimed to relate to. Necessity can indeed claim to be the mother of all invention, and for that matter creativity on a whole. It should be inspirational; it is inspirational.

On his cross country culinary adventure through India, Chef Gordon Ramsay managed to accumulate recipes from places far and wide within the geography. The regional specificity and originality of dishes came to the forefront in his book “Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape”. The Malai chicken kebabs were particularly outstanding for two reasons: their simplicity and their authenticity. A couple things to note when making kebabs, the size of the chicken cubes are essential to ensure that they are cooked before the peppers are overcooked. Additionally, the time that goes into the marinating process cannot be substituted for if the desirable and idyllic depth and intensity of flavors is to be achieved. With these particular kebabs, although generally mild, Gordon suggests serving them with a raita on the side, to provide the contrast and balance that a dish should possess as part of its repertoire.

CHILLED ALMOND AND GARLIC SOUP WITH GRAPES

This is another Gordon Ramsay recipe. As will no doubt be evident throughout this blog, most of the recipes I have tried have come from him as I really admire the understanding of food he conveys and the balance with which his dishes are constructed. This one comes from “Gordon Ramsay’s World Kitchen” and though it is not his highest rated book, there are some interesting recipes in there. In the Spanish section Gordon gives us this recipe which he calls “a Moorish take on gazpacho, in which blanched almonds, garlic, and white bread take the place of fresh tomatoes and vegetables.” My exposure to traditional gazpachos is limited to a few restaurants, and I gather they can’t compare to what I would find in an authentic Spanish home. This recipe however, is one of my favorites. It’s completely different to anything I’ve had previously. Balance is once again what makes the dish stand out; the sweetness of the grapes, the richness of the olive oil and almonds, the creaminess of the soup, and the kick of the garlic.

The recipe is as follows:

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

·         200g rustic white bread

·         150g blanched almonds

·         1 large garlic clove

·         ¾ cup (200ml) extra virgin olive oil

·         1½-2tbsp sherry vinegar (or substitute any vinegar to cut the richness)

·         1½ -1¾ cup (350ml-400ml) ice-cold water

TO SERVE:

·         150-200g white seedless grapes (halved)

·         2tbsp slivered/toasted almonds and an ice cube (per serving)

METHOD:

·         Remove crust, cube, cover the white bread with cold water (just enough water so it’s covered), and let soak for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water from the bread.

·         Put the bread with almonds, garlic, olive oil, and sherry vinegar into a food processor/blender and blend until smooth. With the motor on pour in enough cold water until the soup gets the consistency of heavy cream (if you want it thinner put a little more water but proceed with caution as you want a rich consistency)

·         Pour the soup into a bowl and refrigerate until chilled through.

·         To serve, ladle the soup into serving bowls and arrange toasted almonds, halved grapes, and drizzled olive oil as shown in the picture. Add an ice cube if you wish to keep the soup cold.

COFFEE AND ALMOND CRUNCH CAKE

I got this recipe from Gordon Ramsay’s “Cooking for Friends” cookbook. I was attending a small birthday get together and thought it would be a good idea to try this out. The strength of the cake is the play that Gordon achieves with textures, moist yet crunchy. The use of espresso elevates the cake into something special.

The recipe is as follows:

INGREDIENTS

CAKE:

170g unsalted butter

170g caster sugar

3 large eggs

½ tsp almond essence

100g ground almonds

4tbsp cooled espresso or strong coffee

100g self-raising flour

½ tsp baking powder

icing sugar, to dust

CRUNCH TOPPING:

60g plain flour

40g light brown or demarara sugar

40g cold unsalted butter, diced

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 150ºC/butter and line 20cm cake tin with removable base/

For the crunch topping mix flour + sugar in a bowl and rub in the butter (breadcrumb consistency)

For the cake cream the butter and sugar using hand-held electric beater until light and fluffy

Beat in the eggs, a little at a time. Add the almond essence and mix. Fold in the ground almonds + half the espresso. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold through then add the remaining espresso.

Spread the mixture onto cake tin and level. Sprinkle the crunch topping evenly over the top.

Bake 50 minutes until the top is golden brown and skewer comes out clean. Remove and leave to cool slightly. Dust with icing sugar when completely cooled.