Pork Crackling

Hi Joy I want to cook to impress, but I can never achieve satisfactory pork crackling. It always turns out rubbery, why?

Can You Help Me With My Fear Of Hosting A Dinner Party?

Dear Joy,

My friends often invite me to their dinner parties and I don’t have the cooking confidence to host one myself, and I am getting slightly embarrassed.  Could you give me any fail safe recipes or hints so that I could have a dinner party that we would all enjoy?

Much obliged.
Helen.

For a start, do not feel under pressure to impress your friends, I am sure they will appreciate just the fact that you are cooking for them; they are your friends and not critics.

My favourite kinds of dishes to cook for dinner parties are one pot, slow cook dishes. That way you can prepare early, get cooking and be bright and unflustered when your guests arrive.  There is nothing worse than attending a dinner party and only being able to talk to your host in brief intervals when he/she is red/sweaty and stressed.  The object of any form of get together is to enjoy yourself, relax and entertain your guests.

An idea may be a Spanish themed night.  Perhaps start off with some simple tapas; you could buy these from a deli, such as olives, stuffed peppers, and artichokes etc., served with a glass of chilled sherry.  This could lead on to a main course of Fabada, a Spanish pork stew which is rich, tasty and not difficult to prepare; served with some good rustic bread and a bottle or two of Rioja.  To finish this feast, I would suggest something light and cleansing, like sliced fruit attractively presented on a large sharing platter – some plump grapes, sliced melon and peeled and sliced sweet oranges for example… the choice is yours.  Play some Gypsy Kings or Flamenco in the background to make the evening go with a Spanish swing.

Here is a good recipe for Fabada:

Ingredients:
400g dried white haricot or great northern beans (soaked overnight in cold water)
600g smoked ham hock
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
150g streaky bacon (chopped)
1 onion (chopped)
2 garlic cloves (chopped)
pinch saffron threads
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon paprika (smoked)
200g black pudding (or Morcilla if you want to be super authentic) (chopped)
200g chorizo sausage (chopped)

Method:
Cover the ham hock with 2 litres boiling water and add the bay leaves then simmer gently for 1 hour, until the meat begins to fall off the bone. Take out of the water and retain about 1.5 litres of the cooking liquid. When the ham is cool enough, remove and discard the fat and bone, chop the meat into small chunks and set aside.
In a large deep pan, heat the oil over a medium heat and fry the bacon, onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until golden.
Add the beans, ham, saffron, paprika, salt & pepper and stir for about a minute.
Add 1 litre of the reserved cooking liquid and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook partially covered for about 50 minutes-1 hour hour stirring ocassionally (very carefully) until the beans are soft but not mushy. If the liquid reduces too much add a ladleful of stock at a time till you reach the desired consistency. It should be a soup like sauce - not too thick.
Heat a seperate frying pan until hot, then add the chorizo and black pudding and fry for 3-4 minutes until golden and a little crispy on the outside. With a slotted spoon remove the sausage, leaving any excess fat, and add to the sauce, cook for a further 5 minutes remove from the heat and serve or set aside and warm through later.

I wish you well.

Joy.

How Long Does Duck Fat Keep?

Dear Joy,

3 weeks ago I drained some oil off my duck to use for cooking roast potatoes, is it still ok to use, it’s been in the fridge.

Thanks,
Ray.

Duck fat can keep for a very long time if treated and stored correctly.  It is actually used as a natural way of preserving food, such as Confit duck leg.  When you drain your duck/goose fat make sure you do so using a fine sieve or preferably a muslin cloth or even a clean tea towel.  This way all of the fragments of meat etc will be removed – which is what makes the fat go off or rancid. 

Store the fat in a clean container with a lid, or covered, in the fridge or freezer – yes it freezes very well.  You can keep the fat for months and if in doubt, give it a sniff before use, if it smells off, well then it is – trust your nose.

Hope that helps!
Joy.

Do You Have a Low Fat Chicken Curry Recipe?

Dear Joy,

I am dieting and finding it difficult as I love my food.  I have one meal a day and so look forward to it.  I love curry and wanted to know how to cook a healthy chicken curry.   Plus what veggies can I add to bulk it up?

Thanks so much,

Bea.

Dear Bea,

Dieting can be a struggle – as I well know!  Making sure you have a variety of tasty and healthy meals is a key to success and I might just be able to help you here.  Now this is not an absolutely authentic recipe, more of a curry I cook at home for friends.  It is quick to prepare, slow to cook and healthy as well as very tasty.  

There are quite a few spices used in a curry and although you could use a curry paste instead, it is worth investing in the actual spices as they keep well and can be used in many dishes.

As for filling out the curry, I love to add red lentils which make the sauce thicker and are very tasty and nutritious.  Good vegetables to add are potatoes, sweet potatoes, spinach, cauliflower or broccoli – experiment!

Ingredients
2 Chicken Breasts (skin removed and chopped into bite size chunks)
1 large onion (peeled & chopped)
2 cloves of garlic (peeled & chopped)
1 inch of ginger (peeled & grated)
2 medium chillies (chopped)
1 Can of Tomatoes
1 pint of chicken stock (a good cube is fine)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 tbsp of olive oil
A small bunch of fresh coriander (chopped)

Method:
Heat the oil in a large pan and quickly brown your chicken, then remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside. 
Add the chopped onion to the pan and cook on a low heat until the onion looses its colour and becomes opaque.
Add the garlic, ginger & chilli and cook for another minute, stirring now and then.  Add the cumin, coriander and turmeric, stir well.  Allow to cook for a minute.  If the spices start to stick to the pan, add a splash of water and stir.  
Add the tomatoes and the stock to the pan and stir well.  Turn up the heat and bring to a gentle boil.  Once boiling, reduce the heat and cover.  Gently simmer for 45 minutes, until the gravy is quite thick. Add the garam masala, stir and cover and cook for another 5 minutes.
Chop the coriander and add to the curry.  Stir and serve with steamed or boiled rice.

Happy Cooking!
Joy.