Autumn Winter 2013 by HomeChef

HomeChef AUTUMN / WINTER 2013

WIN FANTASTIC HOMECHEF PRIZES ENTER OUR REAL COOKING COMPETITION

FROM GOOD

STOCK

Delicious Recipes

COMES A MILLION GREAT DISHES

STOCKS, SAUCES

& STEWS…

AND SOME SIMMERINGLY SUMPTUOUS RISOTTOS, CASSEROLES AND BRAISING RECIPES FOR THIS SEASON

EXCLUSIVE PRO CHEF INTERVIEW

WITH JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI

BEST EVER BEEF BOURGIGNON Recipe

Also inside.... Exclusive Video Cooking Demos

Recipe for Watercress Soup

AUTUMN / WINTER 2013

HomeChef Welcome

Contents

We're Essential Cuisine - The Stock People - and we've been making professional cooking stocks since 1995. We're delighted to introduce HomeChef, a magazine dedicated to home chefs everywhere.

What is a home chef you may ask? To us home chefs are those that are really passionate about cooking great tasting food whether it be everyday delicious family meals or dishes that really do raise the bar. We're sure you'll love our new magazine. We've got a great interview with one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best known chefs, Jean Christophe Novelli, some delicious recipes along with our pro chef sessions packed with hints and tips. Plus details of our Real Cooking Competitions with over ÂŁ500 worth of cooking prizes. We can't wait for you to get cooking.

HomeChef Editor www.essentialcuisine.com/homechef

Stock Feature Why use a pro chefs stock?

4-5

Exclusive interview With a pro chef uncovering the best kept secrets

Recipe Corner Stocks, sauces, soups & stews... six mouthwatering recipes Watch our videos See a pro chef cooking a range of delicious seasonal recipes

Real cooking competition Put your skills to the test for the chance to WIN loads of fantastic prizes.

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STOCK FEATURE

Why use a Pro Chefs Stock? As any good chef will tell you a great stock is the very heart of your dish so making or using the best stock you can is likely to set you off on the right path. A good stock makes a dish – and a soup without a good stock just isn’t one.

Making your own stock ... You may be a home chef who still spends hours on the telephone sourcing that precious bag of veal bones that you’ve been saving up for all winter and even more hours skimming away the froth with the precision of a surgeon (so’s not to cloud your precious liquid) If so, then I salute you.

Why use a professional stock? If, on the other hand, you’re a home chef that doesn’t have the time to make a stock then there are simply loads of supermarket pastes, gels, cubes, liquids and powders ready to ruin that lovingly made dish in an instant. But If you’re really serious about cooking and need the best stock available then use what the pro’s do and buy a professional chefs cooking stock. As any chef will tell, there is nothing that has simplified and improved their cooking life more than a high quality powdered stock.

litres of rich and balanced stock perfect for great tasting, risottos, soups, stews, casseroles, braises, sauces, gravies and pies. Now that’s a lot of cooking! And because it’s a powder just use as much or as little as you need for your dish. Which, by the way, will now probably taste as good as any you’d find in a restaurant.

A professional stock is convenient and easy to use and makes up to 6

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EXCLUSIVE

STOCK

ANSWERS FIVE MINUTES WITH JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI 1

So, Jean, I know you’re always busy – apart from your Cooking Academy (www.jeanchristophenovelli.com)

I understand you’re working on a new cook book.

Yes this is my latest exciting project. It’s called Simply Novelli and in it I try to simplify French classic cooking. For so many years top quality chefs have tried to make French cooking very complicated and time consuming but I think and know that the methods I describe will not only speed the preparation and cooking process but, where possible, made in a healthier way. I’m trying to change the styles of cooking to go with the ways of the world today.

What tips would you give to home chefs regards cooking french food at home? First and most important is to reduce amount of saturated fats and salts used in the cooking process, most of the time it is not necessary. By replacing butter with Extra Virgin Rapeseed Oil reduces the saturated fats to approx. 6g/100ml and by looking at the salt content of stocks, can reduce the unseen salt content of a meal.

Off the top of your head what’s an easy to cook, but delicious , dish to prep and cook within one hour?? Most of the new book's recipes can be made in under an hour. The way life is now, nobody has time to spend in their kitchens.

My Mother told me to use my instincts with my cooking. JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI PROFESSIONAL CHEF

What cooking mistakes do you find that home chefs make? Adding unnecessary salts, especially without tasting food before adding. Using oils or butter at the wrong time in the cooking process. Most of the time a good quality olive oil that may have cost a lot of money will be used at the beginning of the recipe, ruining all the flavours and eliminating any chance of any vitamins in the oil being retained! Always add the oils at the end to infuse the dish.

HomeChef

EXCLUSIVE 5

What can you tell us about stocks? They are like the foundation of a house, they must be good enough to bring the ingredients together to create a fantastic dish. Therefore the ingredients that are used to produce a stock are key and should be the best quality and not to use too much salt.

What’s the most useful advice you’ve ever been given on cooking? My Mother told me to use my instincts with my cooking. I learnt from her and can still hear her in my ear whilst preparing a dish!

Can you recommend 3 great cookbooks to home chefs? Well, my first two books of course and the one that I am bringing out later in the year! Seriously though .......... The Science and Lore of the Kitchen by Harold McGee, this has the core

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knowledge anyone would need in the kitchen.

If you hadn’t become a chef - what else would you have done? Footballer! I was quite a good striker when I was younger and wanted to be like the Dutch footballer, Johan Cruyff. Luckily for me the path that I chose has turned out to be a wonderful career, I love what I do and enjoy creating dishes for others to enjoy and follow.

10 What is your

favourite recipe from the book – or the one you are most proud of? It's difficult to choose just one dish, it's like asking me which of my three wonderful children I prefer. They are all good and have their own personal meaning to me.

Therefore the ingredients that are used to produce a stock are key JEAN CHRISTOPHE NOVELLI PROFESSIONAL CHEF

What are your essential ingredients, the things you couldn’t live without? I think honey, extra virgin rapeseed oil and fresh herbs. A dish can go from boring to tantalising the taste buds with the addition of these ingredients. During the week I cook up a big pot of chicken and vegetables, by the time I have added the herbs and honey it has evolved into a feast fit for a king simply from starting out with basic ingredients. My sons absolutely adore this dish. 5

RECIPE CORNER

STOCKS, SAUCES, SOUPS & STEWS…

CLASSIC BEEF BOURGUIGNON

Heres a delicious range of recipes that use a quality stock - so if you're a skilled home chef or just starting out theres something here for you.....................enjoy!

THAI SPICED CHICKEN & COCONUT BROTH

SCALLOP RISOTTO WITH TRUFFLE OIL

WATERCRESS SOUP

VEAL POT ROAST

LAMB SPET-HEURRE

COOK WITH A PROFESSIONAL CHEF

Professional chef Johnathan Harvey Barnes and amateur home chef Jem Palmer get together to take you through some easy to make step by step recipes.

WATCH VIDEO

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COMPETITION It is very exciting to see such a convenient range of products that not only offers an easy alternative to real stock but also delivers on flavour. Essentials products have proved an instant hit with our customers and we’re seeing loads of repeat business across the range REUBENCROUCH

GENERAL MANAGER LUDLOW FOOD CENTRE

I will only use Essential stocks now, they lift flavours rather than drown them, everyone here loves them LYNNECLARK FOOD BLOGGER AND HOME CHEF

I’ve been using Essential Cuisine Cooking Stocks in my restaurant for years – I think it’s fantastic that Home Chefs can now use them SIMONBLACK PROFESSIONAL CHEF

What an amazing range of stocks – it’s cooking on another level SARAHMAYHEW HOME CHEF

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WIN!!

Over £500 worth of prizes

REAL COOKING COMPETITION! No, not another reality cooking competition but our Real Cooking Competition where you can win over £500 worth of fantastic HomeChef prizes. All of our competitions – held on our facebook page – are open to all home chefs of all ages. They’re fun, creative, sometimes challenging but really great to take part in! There are loads of hints and tips offered by fellow Homechefs too. Every two months we invite the UK’s Homechefs to simply tell us your favourite dish - for example our current competition is Risotto – if yours is something that you’ve often cooked or even just tasted let us know. The ten best sounding entries will be asked to send in a recipe which will then be judged by our panel of homechefs and pro chefs. The winner will receive a Top Range Crock Pot, a slow cooker cookbook packed with delicious recipes, £100 worth of quality cooking ingredients, an Essential Cuisine apron, as well as pro chef sauce bottles and our complete range of Chefs Stock. All runners up receive a Box of Stocks and all prizes are delivered free to your home.

ENTER NOW ON FACEBOOK 7

Serves

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Best Ever Beef Bourguignon Serves: 6. Prep Time: 20 min. Cooking Time: 4 hours 20 min.

Ingredients: • 1.5kg/3lb5oz chuck beef or braising steak, cut into 5cm/2in pieces • 3 tbsp olive oil • 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks • 1 large onion, peeled and cut into chunks • 2 sticks celery, rough chopped • 2 bottles red burgundy wine • 2 sprigs fresh thyme • 1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally • 4 bay leaves • 50g/2oz unsalted butter • 225g/8oz whole piece of smoked bacon or pancetta • 450g/1lb shallots, peeled • 2 tbsp plain flour • 375g/12oz chestnut mushrooms • 300ml Essential Cuisine Beef Stock* • 5 tbsp brandy • freshly chopped flat leaf parsley

Cooking Method: 1. Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a large saucepan. Add the

carrot, onion and celery and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine, thyme, garlic and 2 bay leaves. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool. 2. Place the beef in a large bowl and pour over the wine marinade. Cover and place in the fridge overnight. This is known as a cook marinade. 3. Preheat the oven to 150°C/300°F/Gas2. Drain the beef from the marinade into a colander over a glass bowl. Reserve the marinade and set aside. 4. Heat 25g/1oz butter and 1 tbsp of the oil in a large frying pan. Add the bacon and cook until golden and brown. Add the shallots and transfer to a large casserole dish. 5. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan. Pat dry the cubes of beef from the marinade mixture using absorbent kitchen paper. Add half of the beef to the pan and cook until brown on all sides. Remove the beef and transfer to the casserole dish with the bacon, shallots and

vegetables. Repeat with the remaining beef and add to the casserole dish. 6. Stir in 2-3 large spoonfuls of the reserved marinade mixture to deglaze or remove any sediment from the pan. Pour into the casserole dish. 7. Stir in the plain flour, the remaining marinade mixture and beef stock into the casserole dish. 8. Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven for 3-3½ hours or until the beef is very tender. 9. Halfway through cooking, heat the remaining oil and butter in a large frying pan and cook the mushrooms until brown. Add the brandy and cook for a few minutes. 10. Add the mushrooms to the casserole dish, stir and return to the oven the remaining cooking time. 11. Serve in individual dishes with 2 separate dishes of creamy mashed potato mixed with a glug of truffle oil and sprouting broccoli.

4 Chefs Stock Mix simply add one heaped teaspoon of stock powder per 500ml boiling water. * To prepare Essential Cuisine

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Thai Spiced Chicken & Coconut Broth Serves: 4. Prep Time: 25 min. Cooking Time: 35 min.

Tips: Serve your broth with some fine egg noodles in a deep pre-warmed bowl.

Ingredients: • 10ml cooking oil • 100g finely sliced banana shallot • Crushed garlic clove • 20g finely shredded ginger root • ½ finely sliced red chilli with no seeds • 100g sliced red pepper • 100g washed small button mushrooms • 20g Essential Cuisine Chicken Stock • 800ml coconut milk • 200ml double cream • 1tbsp barts red Thai curry paste (or to taste) • 2tbsp Thai fish sauce • Kaffir lime leaves • Lightly crushed lemon grass sticks (will be removed)

• Small skinless chicken breasts, cut into long strips • 1tbsp fresh lime juice • Salt and pepper • 1tbsp chopped coriander

Cooking Method: 1. Heat the oil in a suitably sized saucepan, gently fry the shallots and garlic until soft but with not too much colour. 2. Stir in the ginger, chilli, red peppers and mushrooms. 3. Add the Essential Cuisine Chicken Stock mix, coconut milk and cream, bring to the boil. 4. Stir in the Thai curry paste, fish sauce, lime leaves and lemon grass. 5. Simmer for 5 minutes then add the chicken strips, stirring well to separate the flesh.

6. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked through. 7. Remove the lime leaves and lemon grass stalks, add the lime juice, add hot water to adjust the consistency if required. 8. Season to your taste with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. 9. Your Thai Spiced Chicken and Coconut Broth is now ready to serve.

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Watercress Soup Shots Serves: 4. Prep Time: 15 min. Cooking Time: 40 min.

A great vegetable available from June all the way through to early December. Serve in a shot glass or little white pots. A fabulous, speedy and tasty starter to an autumn meal.

Ingredients: • 25g unsalted butter • 1 white onion, coarsely chopped • 1 potato (about 200g), peeled & coarsely chopped • 375ml Essential Cuisine Cooking Stock* • 1/2 bunch watercress, sprigs picked, washed, dried • 25g toasted pine nuts (as garnish)

Cooking Method: 1. Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until foaming. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the potato and stir to coat. 2. Add the stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, partially covered, for 15-20 minutes or until the potato is soft.

4. Transfer the soup to a clean saucepan. Place over medium heat and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes or until heated through. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the soup into a heatproof jug and divide among small serving glasses or white pots, sprinkle with pine nuts and serve.

3. Add the watercress and cook for 5 minutes or until the watercress wilts. Set aside to cool slightly. Transfer the potato mixture to the jug of a blender and blend until smooth. 2

4 Chefs Stock Mix simply add one heaped teaspoon of stock powder per 500ml boiling water. * To prepare Essential Cuisine

Serves

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Scallop Risotto with Truffle Oil Serves: 4. Prep Time: 10 min. Cooking Time: 40 min.

Ingredients: • 1 Litre Essential Cuisine Fish Stock* • 20g butter • 1 ½ tbs olive oil • 1 brown onion, finely chopped • 1 garlic clove, crushed • 1 ½ cups (330g) arborio rice • 1 cup (250ml) sparkling white wine • 2 bunches asparagus, thinly sliced diagonally • 200g scallops • 1 tbs black truffle oil • Chervil leaves, to serve

Cooking Method: 1. Bring the stock to the boil in a saucepan. 2. Reduce heat and keep at a gentle simmer. 3. Heat butter and 1 tablespoonful of the oil in

a heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. 4. Add onion and garlic and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. 5. Add the rice and stir for 2 minutes or until grains appear slightly glassy. 6. Add the wine to the rice and stir continuously until liquid is completely absorbed. 7. Gradually add the stock, stirring continuously, allowing the liquid to absorb before adding more. Cook for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender yet firm to the bite and risotto is creamy. 8. Add the asparagus and cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes or until bright green and tender crisp.

pan over high heat. Add the scallops and cook for 1 minute each side until golden or cooked to your liking. Remove from heat. 10. Spoon risotto among serving bowls. 11. Top with scallops and drizzle with truffle oil. 12. Sprinkle with chervil and serve immediately.

Chef's Tip: If your rice is perfectly cooked but you need a little more flavour, simply sprinkle in a little more stock powder and stir in.

9. Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a frying

4 Chefs Stock Mix simply add one heaped teaspoon of stock powder per 500ml boiling water. * To prepare Essential Cuisine

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Veal Pot Roast with mixed mushrooms Serves: 4. Prep Time: 20 min. Cooking Time: 2 hours 30 min.

Ingredients:

Cooking Method:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil • 800g veal mini roast • 4 large portobello mushrooms, sliced • 200g brown mushrooms, quartered • 1 medium brown onion, chopped • 6 garlic cloves, peeled • 2 celery stalks, chopped • 2 tablespoons plain flour • 1/2 cup red wine • 300ml Essential Cuisine Cooking Stock* • 1 bunch baby carrots, trimmed, peeled • 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves • Mashed potato, to serve

1. Heat half the oil in a large heavy-based, flameproof casserole dish over medium-high heat. Cook veal for 2 to 3 minutes each side or until browned. Transfer to a plate 2. Heat half the remaining oil in dish. Add mushroom. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until mushroom is browned and softened. Transfer to a bowl. 3. Heat remaining oil in pan. Add onion, garlic and celery. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until onion is softened. Add flour. Cook for 1 minute. Add wine. Simmer until reduced by half. Stir in stock. Bring to the boil.

4. Return veal to dish. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. Add carrot, mushroom and rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until veal and vegetables are tender and sauce has thickened. Serve with mashed potato.

4 Chefs Stock Mix simply add one heaped teaspoon of stock powder per 500ml boiling water. * To prepare Essential Cuisine

Serves

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Lamb sept-heurre Serves: 6. Prep Time: 20 min. Cooking Time: 7 hours - 7 hours 40min.

This is a classic French recipe which can be cooked in a slow cooker or in your oven. By the time this dish is cooked you could eat it with a spoon.

Ingredients: • 1 tbs olive oil • 2.5kg leg of lamb, excess fat trimmed • 2 brown onions, peeled, thickly sliced • 1 head garlic, broken into cloves, unpeeled • 2 bunches baby carrots, trimmed, scrubbed • 500ml (2 cups) white wine • 500ml Essential Cuisine Lamb Stock* • 1/3 bunch fresh thyme • 4 dried bay leaves

Cooking Method: 1. Heat the oil in a large flameproof roasting pan over high heat. Season lamb. Cook, turning, for 8 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a plate. Cook the onion, stirring often, for 2 minutes or until soft. Remove from heat. 2. Preheat oven to 110°C. Place lamb in pan. Place garlic and carrots around lamb. Add wine, stock, thyme and bay leaves. Cover tightly with foil. Bake, basting occasionally, for 7 hours. 3. Transfer lamb and carrots to a platter. Keep warm. Discard thyme and bay leaves. Transfer onion to a food processor. Squeeze in garlic cloves and discard skins. Process until smooth.

Skim fat from the surface of the liquid. 4. Add onion mixture to liquid. Bring to the boil over medium-high heat. Simmer for 30 minutes or until reduced by half. Serve with lamb and carrots.

Slow Cooker Method: Simply prepare and put the lamb, onions, garlic, carrots, white wine, stock, thyme and bay leaves in the slow cooker – cook on low for 7 hours.

4 Chefs Stock Mix simply add one heaped teaspoon of stock powder per 500ml boiling water. * To prepare Essential Cuisine

T H LIT LE P AC

ALL THE TASTE IN NO TIME AT ALL Professional cooking stocks for the home chef As any good chef will tell you a great stock is the very heart of your dish. Rich, robust and made with the finest ingredients. The UK’s home chefs are now discovering for themselves that our cooking stocks are every bit as good as a kitchen made stock – just far quicker to make. NEWTOCK BS LAM ED BEST VOTWDERED PO TOCK S

Made into a powder for convenience and ease, each pot makes 6 litres of delicious gluten free, low salt† stock for great tasting dishes all year round. From winter warming casseroles, summer risottos to seasonal soups and stews our stocks really do make the difference to your recipe.

www.essentialcuisine.com/homechef directions are followed, each container should prepare at least 6 Litres of stock. *If serving † 0.56g per 100ml prepared stock. Up to 50% less salt than the brand leader.