Tandoori pigeon breast, black lentils, kachumber salad and naan bread

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Category: Selby Cuisine

Created on Thursday, 09 April 2015 19:19

Written by Northern Living

Tandoori pigeon breast, black lentils, kachumber salad and naan bread recipe. This recipe would work perfectly on the BBQ.

Ingredients

For the black lentils

250g/9oz black gram urad lentils, soaked in lukewarm water overnight

2½ litres/4½ pints water

1 tsp ginger paste

1 tsp garlic paste

1 tsp salt

1½ tsp red chilli powder

2 tbsp tomato purée

150g/5oz slightly salted butter

1 tsp garam masala

1 tsp ground dried fenugreek leaves

½ tsp sugar

50ml/2fl oz single cream

For the naan bread

35g/1¼oz sugar

2 free-range eggs

400ml/14fl oz full-fat milk

750g/1lb 11oz plain flour

1 tbsp salt

50ml/2fl oz vegetable oil

1½ tsp baking powder

2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander and garlic

2 tbsp black onion seeds

3 tbsp melted butter

For the pigeon

2 pigeon breasts, de-boned and skinned

2 tsp ginger-garlic paste

1/3 tsp salt

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder

½ lemon, juice only

½ tsp cumin seeds

4 cloves

1 tbsp yoghurt

1 pinch sugar

½ tsp garam masala

1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the kachumber salad

15cm/6in piece cucumber, finely diced

1 tomato, seeds removed, chopped

1 red onion, finely diced

½ lemon, juice only

1 pinch salt

1 pinch sugar

Method

1. For the black lentils, boil the soaked lentils in the water in a large saucepan until the lentils are thoroughly cooked but are not completely mashed – about one hour.

2. Add the ginger, garlic, salt and red chilli powder and simmer for another 10 minutes.

3. Add the tomato purée and butter and cook for further 15 minutes, or until the lentils are thick. Take care that the butter does not separate from the lentils.

4. Add the garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves and sugar. Taste and add salt and freshly ground black pepper if necessary, then whisk in the cream. Keep warm.

5. For the naan bread, preheat the oven to 225C/450F/Gas 8 and place a thick baking tray into the oven to heat.

6. Whisk together the sugar, eggs and milk in a mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt.

7. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and knead lightly to make a soft dough - take care not to work the dough too much or it will become too stretchy.

8. When all the ingredients are mixed thoroughly, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rest, in a warm place, for 15 minutes.

9. Once rested, pour over the oil and knock the air out of the dough.

10. Divide the dough into 16 equal-sized balls and roll out into a circle of approximately 10cm/4in diameter.

11. Spread the circles on the hot tray in the oven, scatter the onion and coriander over half of the naan and the black onion seeds over the other half. Bake for 4-5 minutes - you might need to turn the bread to ensure it is all cooked. You will also most likely need to cook the bread in batches. Brush with melted butter.

12. Marinade the squab pigeon while the dough is resting: pat the pigeon breasts dry with kitchen paper, then place them in a bowl with the ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilli powder and lemon juice.

13. Dry fry the cumin and cloves lightly in a hot frying pan and crush coarsely using a mortar and pestle.

14. Mix the cumin and clove mixture with the yoghurt, sugar, garam masala and oil to make a second marinade.

15. Add the yoghurt marinade to the breasts and set aside for 10-15 minutes. Heat a tandoor to 250-300C/480F-570F (or alternatively preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6).

16. Thread the meat onto skewers and cook in the tandoor for 4-5 minutes. Alternatively, fry the breasts in a very hot pan for about one minute each side and then place in the oven to cook for five minutes.

17. Remove the meat from the skewers, leave to rest for a couple of minutes and serve immediately.

18. For the kachumber salad, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl.

19. To serve, cut the breasts into two lengthways. Spoon the black lentils onto a plate and arrange the pigeon breasts on top. Place the salad and naan bread alongside.

Easy Chocolate Truffles

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Category: Selby Cuisine

Created on Thursday, 19 March 2015 21:33

Written by Northern Living

With Easter not far off, why not be creative with your chocolate craving and save yourself a small fortune on over priced hollow easter eggs?!

Ingredients 

1 (200g) tub cream cheese, softened

350g icing sugar, sifted

500g plain chocolate, melted

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla essence

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually beat in icing sugar until well blended. Stir in melted chocolate and vanilla until no streaks remain. Refrigerate for about 1 hour. Shape into 2.5cm balls.

Note:

Roll truffles in ground walnuts (or any ground nuts), cocoa, coconut, icing sugar, etc. 

To flavour truffles with liqueurs or other flavorings, omit vanilla essence. Divide truffle mixture into thirds. Add 1 tablespoon liqueur (almond, coffee, orange) to each mixture; mix well.

Pan-fried salmon with chilli garlic prawns

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Category: Selby Cuisine

Created on Thursday, 16 October 2014 13:27

Written by Northern Living

Ingredients:- 

1 x salmon fillet

50g shelled king prawns

4 x cloves of crushed garlic

1 Tsp chilli flakes

1 Tsp sea salt

1/2 lemon

2 Tbsp olive oil

Method:-

(1) In a frying pan pour in 1 Tbsp olive oil

(2) Season the skin of the salmon with 1/2 a tsp of salt

(3) Place salmon skin-side down in a sizzling pan

(4) Cook for 2-3 mins on this side until the skin is nice and crispy

(5) Turn the salmon and cook for a further 2 mins, then take out of the pan and set it aside somewhere warm

(6) Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to frying pan and add in crushed garlic and the prawns

(7) After 2 mins add the chilli flakes and cook for a further 3 mins

(8) Turn off the heat and squeeze lemon juice into the pan

(9) Place prawns on top of salmon and serve with your choice of vedgetables, or a well dressed salad and perhaps some crusty bread.

Venison steak with real chips and Béarnaise sauce

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Category: Selby Cuisine

Created on Saturday, 13 September 2014 10:47

Written by Northern Living

Ingredients:-

Venison steaks
2 tbsp sunflower oil
25 g unsalted butter

For the béarnaise sauce

3 tbsp white wine vinegar
6 black peppercorns
1 fresh bay leaves
1 shallots, finely chopped
1 tarragon, sprig
1 chervil, sprig
2 egg yolks
1 pinches black pepper
125 g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp tarragon
1 tsp chopped chervil

For the chips

450 g Maris Piper potatoes
500 ml sunflower oil, for deep frying
1 pinches black pepper

Method:-

To make the béarnaise sauce, put the vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaf, shallot, tarragon and chervil into a small saucepan and reduce over a medium heat to one tablespoon and remove from the heat to stop further evaporation. In a small heatproof bowl, beat the yolks with a pinch of salt and teaspoon of butter. Set the bowl over, a saucepan of simmering water. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon, until slightly thickened. Strain the reduction into the bowl. Beat again until thickened. Beat in the remaining butter piece by piece, increasing the temperature as the sauce thickens and you add more butter, take care that the water does not touch the base of the bowl. When all the butter is added, stir in the tarragon, chervil and any juices from the meat pan. Keep warm over a pan of warm water until ready to serve and best used quite quickly.

Heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer to 180C. Whilst the oil is heating, cut the potatoes into long thick wedges. Add the chips to the hot oil and deep fry them for 12-15 minutes until the chips are a lovely golden colour. Lift the basket out, shake off any excess.

Place a large heavy frying pan on a high heat. Season the steaks well with salt and ground black pepper. Add the sunflower oil to the hot pan. When it starts to smoke add the steaks, then add the butter and allow it to foam. It's important to leave the steaks at this stage, resist the temptation to move them around. After 2-3 minutes, spots of blood will start to appear on the top, they are now ready to turn. Cook again for another 2-3 minutes. Remove the steaks and place on a metal tray in a warm place to rest for 2-3 minutes this will redistribute the juices into the meat, giving them an even colour.


Remove the chips from the oven and tip onto warm serving plates to serve with the steak, béarnaise sauce and a mixed salad and serve.