Crispy Calamari with Samphire & Ginger Aioli

I'm back I'm back I'm back! We fiiiiiiiinally got a phone line put in at our new house on Friday and so I am back with you in the online land of the living! Let's celebrate with some tasty fried food, deal?

Well it's safe to say that the last few months have been eventful to say the least - Pete, Cleo and I moved into a gorgeous Grade II listed terrace that we are all in love with. It was completely refurbished shortly before we moved in and has an adorable little private garden at the back with raised decking where I can sit barbecuing and drinking Pimms. I was a little worried as my new kitchen is quite a bit smaller than the last, but I'm coping ok - I am having to keep some of my kitchen appliances on top of the wall units but its a small sacrifice to pay to have such a lovely home.


I have also passed my driving test (first time, POW!) and properly opened my little bakery business www.sweet-treat-boutique.co.uk. It's still only in my free time from my full time job but its a start and its going really well - I am supplying the coffee shop of my local department store Tylers with my cakes and bakes as well as doing any custom orders I am receiving. But anyway, onto the food...



You can guarantee that if there is calamari on the menu I will order it. I love love love the stuff but find that I can often be disappointed at either a too heavy batter or over cooked rubbery squid. It's also not the kind of thing I'd like to cook a lot myself. Aside from the calorie content I really do hate deep frying stuff as I mentioned in my very first post - the things I do for you guys huh?

Now I buy my squid frozen in boxes from my local Chinese supermarket, but this means I have to prepare it myself as they are whole. One of the perks of this is that you get the tentacles, and they are my favourite part to eat. Preparing it yourself is a little messy and time consuming and I know some people will be too squeamish, but don't worry, you can buy cleaned squid tubes and even pre-cut squid rings from most supermarkets now. If you would like to try preparing it yourself, you can either shoot me an email via the link at the side, or just Google for instructions - there are even some videos on YouTube if you prefer to learn visually.


The samphire also needs a little preparation work and is now available from most fishmongers and I believe Asda now sell packets of it. I got mine from one of the stalls on Loughborough Market - a nice handful is more than you need and despite it being the new in food to eat it only cost £1.40. To prepare it all you need to do is pull off any thick roots or discoloured parts and give it a good wash with cold water. Easy. You'll probably have some leftover, so I suggest throwing it in a little potato salad or adding it to some pasta with flaked salmon, lemon juice and parmesan.

The actual deep frying itself is I admit very easy, just make sure you use a splash guard as it can be prone to spit fat when you add the squid. Don't be afraid, it is so very worth it! You want to start by preparing the aioli, so lets get straight to it...


Samphire and Ginger Aioli
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients
1 large clove of garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg yolk, from a large room temperature egg
150ml extra virgin olive oil
100ml standard olive oil
1/2 tsp ground ginger
2 tsp runny honey
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
25g samphire, steamed for 3-4 minutes and finely chopped

Method
Crush the garlic clove with the salt into a paste and put into a large bowl with the egg yolk and whisk together. You now need to combine the oils and drizzle them into the egg yolk mixture very very slowly as you whisk - I did this with the whisk attachment on my KitchenAid but you could either use a food processor or do it by hand. Just make sure the oil is added slowly and in a very thin stream - you can see the technique on one of the pictures above.

Once all the oil has been added and the aioli has thickened up it's time to add the flavourings. You want to whisk in the ginger, honey and vinegars and then mix the finely chopped samphire in with a spoon. Keep the aioli covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

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Calamari
Serves 2 as a main, 4 as a starter

Ingredients
500g squid rings (and tentacles if you can get them)
2 tbsp cornflour
4 tbsp fine cornmeal / semolina
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
enough vegetable oil to fill your pan 1.5-2" deep

Method
Heat the oil in a medium sized saucepan over a high heat.

Put the cornfour, cornmeal, salt and paprika into a zipper top food bag and mix around before adding the squid. Zip up the bag and give it a good shake around making sure you coat all the squid.

When your oil looks like it is shimmering test that it is hot enough by adding a little pinch of flour. If it sizzles you're ready to go.

Fry the squid in batches until it reaches a crispy golden brown colour - this will only take a minute or two - and remove it to some kitchen paper to drain off any excess oil.

Serve up with the aioli and a little salad and dig in!

2 Months?!?!?!?!

Yes, it really has been that long since my last post promising a Royal Wedding buffet set that never happened. I do apologise darling readers, but we are STILL awaiting an internet connection at our lovely new house. There have been many complications with getting it set up - I won't rant at you, but lets just say the thought of it brings my blood to the boil. This little post is being written on stolen time from someone else's computer, asI do feel guilty for the long silence.

Fingers crossed within the next two weeks we'll be sorted and I can start posting again. I have some grand plans for the future including possibly a YouTube channel for cooking videos and adding a few more regular feature posts to the blog. We shall see.

I can still send and receive emails from my phone, and I do love hearing from you all, so if you fancy a chat or need any cookery help or advice do drop me a line at n.whittington@gmail.com or Tweet me on @Nancy_T.

Hoping to speak at you again soon!

Excuses Excuses

Ladies and gentlemen it is I, the absent food blogger. I just want to give you all a quick update (and excuse) as to why there have been no yummy recipes posted for a good few weeks.

Firstly, Mr Inky and I are moving house next week so we have been packing and organising like you wouldn’t believe. I abhor moving house, especially as it disrupts my kitchen dwelling for a good few days!

The main reason however is that I have been spending a lot of time in London auditioning for the Great British Bake Off. The first series aired last year on BBC2; it is a baking competition to find Britain’s best amateur baker. There were over 2000 applications this year and I got through to the final auditions with just 47 other people!

Unfortunately I didn’t get through to be on the show, but I had lots of fun meeting new baking buddies and being enamoured by Paul Hollywood and Mary Berry. It was wonderful to have my baking praised by such pros, and I loved getting to spend some time in the capital – I love London!!!

It also meant that I got to sample some delicious goodies from several bakeries and even got to visit my own personal Mecca, the French patisserie Ladurée in the Burlington Arcade. It is so beautiful and petite with its gilt walls and trays of perfect pastel treats. I spent quite a ridiculous amount of money on a few gorgeous little boxes of macarons and a lovely lilac shopper bag covered in French bulldogs, bows, the Eiffel Tower and other Parisian pretties.

I’m planning another trip in July to see The Cult of Beauty exhibition at the V&A and pop in to Harrods where I will visit London’s second, original Ladurée store. I may even treat myself to afternoon tea this time!

So there you have it, my confession! I really hope to be able to post a recipe this weekend in time for Easter, but that all depends on how the packing comes along for the rest of the week.

I promise that as soon as we are settled into the new house (which is an adorable, grade two listed cottage by the way) that normal posting will resume. Fingers crossed I’ll be able to do some recipes in time for the Royal Wedding which we are having a little buffet party for - not that we are that fussed about the wedding, but any excuse for a party you know?!

x o x o x

Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie or Pete's Birthday 'Cake'

I should have known when I handed Pete copies of the two books by the 'Baked' duo and asked him to choose his birthday cake that it wouldn't end up the way I had planned. I was hoping that he'd go for the grasshopper or chocolate malt ball layer cakes, but it only took him about a minute to hand the book back pointing at page 97 with an 'I want that one' expression on his face. My response - "Well that's not a cake but if that's what you really want for your birthday...". I couldn't exactly say no could I?

As usual the thing Pete most desired required one of the few kitchen items I didn't have so an emergency shopping trip ensued for a correctly sized pie pan and a giant bag of pecan nuts. That's where my griping ends however because I really liked making this recipe - baking up a pie makes me feel incredibly housewifey. I can imagine myself in a little wooden house in Texas whipping up pastry in a gingham clad kitchen, leaving the finished pie to cool on the window sill. Yes I am ridiculous, and I love it.

The pastry recipe was perfect coming together perfectly with the exact liquid amount stated and giving a smooth, easily rollable texture that didn't tear at all. The filling was very easy to prepare too. Please remember that the pastry needs to chill for an hour in the fridge before you roll it and line the pie dish and then needs to freeze for at least 3 hours before you add te filling and bake - I made, chilled, rolled it and then popped it into the freezer and then went to do my chores in town so when I got back I was ready to fill and bake it.

I agree with the lovely Baked boys that you should be generous with the bourbon - I used Jack Daniels Single Barrel Select which you can buy in most supermarkets now. It costs more than your standard bourbon but it's worth it - Pete likes bourbon straight up and the cheaper ones just aren't that nice that way. Unless you're exceedingly rock n roll of course, but we both drink for the taste not for the side affects!

Serve this pie at room temperature with a good quality vanilla ice cream at a dinner party or sat on the sofa while watching something appropriate like Boardwalk Empire and drift off into a time gone by where dinner parties were daily, men had impressive moustaches and ladies were only happy if they looked picture perfect. Can I go back there please?


Bourbon Chocolate Pecan Pie
Serves 8-10
Taken from 'Baked : New Frontiers in Baking' by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

Pie Dough Ingredients
200g plain flour
1.5 tsp caster sugar
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
125g unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1cm cubes
100ml ice cold water

Filling Ingredients
250g pecan halves, toasted in a 200 C / 400 F oven for 10 minutes
3 large eggs
180ml golden syrup or runny honey (or light corn syrup if you can get it)
4 tbsp dark brown sugar (packed into the spoon)
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
pinch of fine sea salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp bourbon
200g dark chocolate in chips or chunks (or a half and half mix of dark and milk if you prefer)

Pie Dough Method
In a bowl whisk together the flour, sugar and salt and then add the butter cubes and toss to coat them. Pour into a food processor and give it a few pulses until the butter is in little pieces about the size of a hazelnut. Now drizzle in the ice cold water through the feed tube while pulsing the machine until it comes together as a ball - keep your eye on it as you may not need all the water.

As soon as this happens remove the dough from the processor, give it a very quick few kneads and then flatten into a disc and wrap in cling film. Refrigerate for a minimum of one hour and a maximum of 3 days.

When chilled remove from the fridge and roll out on a floured surface to about a 12" round. Drape over the pie dish and gently work it in folding any overhanging pastry under before crimping the edge. Wrap in cling film and freeze for a minimum of 3 hours (maximum 3 months) before filling and baking.

Filling Method
Preheat the oven to 170 C / 325 F then take 100g of the toasted pecans and chop roughly before setting aside.

Lighlty whisk the eggs in a large bowl until just combined and then add the syrup/honey, sugars, melter butter, salt, vanilla and bourbon. Whisk again until combined and then stir in the chopped pecans.

Remove your frozen pie shell from the oven and evenly sprinkle in the chocolate chunks. Pour over the filling and then top with the remaining pecan halves.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 30 minutes, then remove and cover the pie edges with tin foil before returning to the oven for another 30 minutes. Test to see if the pie is done by inserting a knife into its centre - if it comes out clean it is done, if it comes out with clumps of filling stuck to it you need to bake for another 5 minutes and then test again.

Cool on a rack and serve warm or at room temperature. This pie can be kept covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.