Silly me. I forgot to memtion in my brief curriculum vitae that beside writing novels, my main preoccupation is cooking. Over the years I have collected quite a few recipes and I shall put them up as pages on this website. I cannot say that they are gourmet cookery, but they are all good ones, easy, tasty and varied. Bon appetit.
Fegatini Marsala.
[Chicken Livers in Marsala].
Ingredients.
300g chicken livers, cleaned and chopped.
¼ cup chopped dried tomatoes.
1 large clove garlic, chopped.
½ cup dry marsala.
¼ cup olive oil.
Salt to taste.
½ cup sour cream.
1 ½ cups chopped field mushrooms.
1 cup chopped fresh herbs.
Method.
Combine the livers, tomatoes, garlic, marsala, olive oil and salt in a bowl, stir, cover and place in a cool place for 2-3 hours.
Place a sauté pan on a hot element. Reserve ½ cup of the marinade and place the rest of the liver mixture in the pan. Chow for 6-7 minutes until cooked through and the liquid is reduced to a thick consistency. Do not allow to boil dry. Meanwhile, mix the sour cream and the reserved marinade together and beat to an even mixture. Add to the pan, stir through until boiling then add the mushroom. Stir through until fully coated with the sauce mixture, cover, reduce heat, and simmer gently for five minutes. Stir through the herbs, cook for another minute and serve immediately.
Serve with fresh steamed greens or a mixed salad, couscous, and a glass of Merlot.
Serves two.
05.04.2008.
Lebanese Chicken Livers.
Ingredients.
300g chicken livers, trimmed and diced.
½ teaspoon cinnamon.
½ teaspoon allspice.
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper.
Salt to taste.
1 tablespoon maple syrup.
Juice and zest of one small lemon.
Water to one cup.
½ cup chopped parsley.
1 tablespoon chopped coriander greens [or young celery leaves].
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
1 tablespoon cornflour.
1 ½ cup broad beans.
Method.
Trim and dice the livers and dust with the allspice, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Cover and place in the refrigerator, turning over occasionally. Combine the syrup, lemon juice and zest in a small container and top up with water to one cup in total. Microwave for one minute, stir well and reserve. Clean, chop and combine the herbs and place in a small bowl.
Heat the oil in a sauté pan on high. Add the livers and stir fry for ten minutes until well browned. Add the syrup mixture, bring to the boil and reduce heat to medium. Simmer for two minutes then quench the cornflour with a little water and add to the mixture. Cook, stirring for another minute or two until the mixture thickens then fold through the herbs and the broad beans. Serve on rice or couscous.
Serves two.
12.04.2008.
Anardana Shrimps.
Ingredients.
¼ cup cooking oil.
1 dessertspoon crushed coriander.
1 dessertspoon crushed cumin.
1 25mm cube ginger, peeled and finely chopped.
1 onion, finely chopped.
4 cloves garlic finely chopped.
1 green chilli, seeded and chopped.
1 dessertspoon turmeric.
1 400g can tomatoes.
½ cup yoghurt.
1 teaspoon anardana crushed.
2 cups cooked shrimps.
1 spring onion chopped.
Salt to taste.
Chopped coriander greens to garnish.
Method.
Heat the oil in a pan and cook the coriander and cumin for one minute then add the ginger, garlic, onion and green chilli. Stir fry for several minutes until the onion is soft then add the turmeric. Stir through and cook for another two – three minutes then add the tomatoes, yoghurt and anardana. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for ten minutes then add the shrimp and the spring onion. Stir through and add salt to taste. Serve garnished with coriander, with rice on the side.
This works very well as Anardana Chicken and Anardana Pork, in both of which cases use cooked meat.
Anardana [or Anar Dana] is the dried seed of the pomegranate.
Kidneys in Mustard Cream Sauce.
[Rognons à la Moutarde].
Ingredients.
8 lambs’ kidneys.
2 shallots, peeled and thinly sliced.
25g butter.
1 tablespoon olive oil.
Salt to taste.
Freshly ground black pepper.
½ cup red wine.
½ cup full cream.
1 tablespoon dry mustard.
¼ cup chopped parsley.
Method.
Core and dice the kidneys and set aside. Peel and chop the shallots and set aside. Melt the butter and oil together in a pan over a medium element and sauté the shallots for about five minutes until soft. Add the kidneys, season with salt and pepper and turn the element up high. Cook, tossing frequently for about five minutes until browned all over then add the red wine. Cook vigourously until the wine has almost disappeared. Beat the mustard into the cream and add to the pan. Bring to the boil. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the parsley and add the rest to the pan. Allow to reduce a little then serve garnished with the remainder of the parsley. A classic French recipe.
Serves two.
Devilled Kidneys.
1 teaspoon beef stock powder.
1 tablespoon mild curry powder.
1 tablespoon tomato paste.
1 teaspoon turmeric.
1 medium onion, peeled and diced.
100g finely diced bacon.
6 sheep’s kidneys, cored and diced.
50g butter.
2 tablespoons plain flour.
1 spring onion, finely sliced.
Stir the curry powder, tomato paste, and stock powder into one cup of water and microwave for one minute; set aside. Heat a little oil to a sauté pan over a hot element, add the bacon to the skillet and fry until starting to crisp. Remove and place in a small pot; keep warm. Add the kidneys to the skillet and fry until well browned all over. Remove and add to the bacon. Add the onion and cook until all the pan juices are absorbed and the onion is soft and beginning to brown; add to the bacon. Melt the butter in the pan, add the flour and stir well until bubbling, then add the curry mixture and stir continuously until thickened. Stir the bacon mixture into the sauce and serve sprinkled with the spring onion.
Poddimok 