Category Archives: Recipes

Five Spice Slow roasted Pork Belly

11 Replies

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I Couldn’t wait to share this with you. A great change from all things turkey.
I think Asian is pretty much the opposite of turkey and I really needed that. I love the holidays and everything about them, but it’s time for something completely different.
This five spice slow roasted pork belly is going to drive you mad with delight once you’ve tasted it.
Tender as can be with and a super crispy skin, aka crackling!
And best of all, this piece cost me around € 6, 50 is weighs around 1.3 kg. / 2.8 lbs and you could easily serve six people from this piece. Hallelujah to that.
It’s important that you dry the skin very very well, then make cuts in it with a Stanley knife but not all the way thru to the meat, just the fat.
I’ve marinated it overnight in a plastic zip lock bag, skin side facing up so that that part is not in the marinade.
Then the next day, bake in a hot oven for 20 minutes, then on slow for 2 1/2 hours. This may seem like a long time and it is, but you want to render away as much fat as possible.

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Ingredients;
1 pork belly, without bone  about 1.3 kg / 2.8 lbs.
1″grated fresh ginger, (don’t bother peeling it first)
1 garlic clove, peeled and grated
1 tsp. Chinese Five Spice
1 tbsp. Pure Sesame Oil
2 tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
1 tbsp. Honey
1 1/2 tbsp. Soy Sauce or tamari  (gluten free)
1 tbsp. Conimex Ketjap Manis

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Method;

Mix the marinade in a bowl.

Place the pork in a zip lock bag, skin side down , pour and rub all the marinade over the meat, close the bag and carefully turn the skin side up.
Place the bag on a plate and leave to marinade for at least 8 hours or preferably overnight.

The next day,  Pre heat the oven to 220°C / 430°F

Remove the pork from the fridge an hour before cooking.

Remove the meat from marinade and discard the bag and juices.
Dry thoroughly with kitchen paper.

Take a sharp Stanley knife and make cuts all over the skin side of the belly diagonally, a third of an inch apart if you can.  All the way thru the fat but not yet touching the meat. This is important!

Rub with some salt and place in a roasting tin that has been lined with a double layer of foil.
Place in the hot oven and cook for about 20 minutes.
Lower the heat to 160°C / 320°F and cook for an other 2 1/2 hours. Cover loosely with some foil if the skin gets to dark, the foil does have to be tented to keep the crispyness.

Remove from oven. Let rest for 10 minutes. Slice and serve with rice noodles, Bok Choy and some hoisin sauce. Or any other vegetable of choice. Leftovers are heavenly and it also freezes well, but you do have to remove the skin because this can get a little chewy after freezing.

If you try this recipe let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #thecookingspoonblog  on instagram! You’ll make my day.

Not quite what you’re looking for? How about Sticky Shrimp & Pineapple with Jasmin Rice.

Browned Sage Butter and Turkey Pasta with wild Mushrooms and Prosciutto.

20 Replies

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I can’t believe it’s already boxing day, and the count down to New Years has begun. I truly hope everyone had a great Christmas. Now we can sort of relax for a week or so, take a breath, relax, cook some simple meals and get ready for the end of the year.

This easy pasta dish is perfect for the “in between” days, make it with left over turkey, or use fresh turkey or chicken. And by all means throw in any left overs, like a little gravy, some vegetables or whatever you like.

This easy recipe is done in under half an hour.

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Serves 4

Ingredients;

  • 2  to 3 medium chicken breasts, or 2 cups cooked leftover turkey, torn to pieces.
  • salt + pepper, to taste
  • 4 tbsp. olive oil
  • 4 tbsp. butter, divided
  • 4 slices prosciutto
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped fine
  • 1 garlic clove peeled and grated
  • 2 tbsp. flour
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1 cup stock
  • 1/4 cup fresh sage
  • pinch of fresh nutmeg
  • 1 lb. Pasta, cooked
  • 1  cup mixed wild mushrooms
  • 1 small onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced or grated
  • freshly grated parmesan cheese to serve
  • 1/4 cup mascarpone or heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

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Method;

Season chicken with salt and pepper.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 4 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons olive oil. When the butter and oil start to sizzle, add  chicken and sage leafs and cook for 15 minutes on medium low, turning occasionally. Place the sage leafs on top of the chicken.  I like to use a cast iron pan for this because it gives the chicken a perfect crust.  Remove and transfer to plate.

Add the prosciutto to the pan and brown on both sides, for about two minutes, remove and transfer to plate.

Add the onion to the pan and cook gently for 4 minutes, add the garlic. Stir around and add the flour, cook for one minute and add the wine and stock, stirring to create a smooth sauce.

Add the mascarpone or cream, mix thru. Add the shredded chicken and two slices of torn up prosciutto.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the pasta until al dente.

Heat another large skillet over high heat, add the remaining olive oil. Once hot, toss in the mushrooms in a single layer. Without stirring cook them until golden brown, flip them over.Transfer half the mushroom to a plate.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain but DO NOT RINSE! add it to the pan with the mushrooms and toss well. Add the cream sauce with chicken heat thru. Scatter over the remaining wild mushrooms, some parsley and serve straight away. Top with some of the crispy prosciutto. And serve with Parmesan.

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If you try this recipe let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #thecookingspoonblog on instagram! You’ll make my day.

Not quite what you were looking for? How about Garlic Herb Shrimp with Bacon over Angel Hair Pasta

Cherry Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

25 Replies

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First of all I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas!

This year we decided to do the food celebration in our home on Christmas Eve, since we won’t be home on Christmas Day.

I am kind of looking forward to having my food prepared for me on Christmas day, I think it might actually be the first time in my life (as an adult) that I am not cooking.

So, on Christmas Eve we are going to have a buffet style dinner  with lots of bites and appetizers and goodies, no real cooking involved and lots of desserts. Of course, lots of desserts.

I am going to put this cake on the table too and I’m kinda hoping there will some left for Christmas morning. Fingers crossed…

It’s a pretty straight forward cake with just some glacé cherries and chocolate chips since kids don’t like to many “things” in their cake.

And the good part is you can make it a day or two in advance.

Ingredients;

  • 1 C. butter, at room temperature and cut into cubes
  • 1 1/4 C. Caster Sugar , packed
  • 3 large eggs at room  temperature
  • 2 C. Self Rising Cake Flour
  • 4 tbsp. Whole Milk
  • 1 tbsp. Pure Vanilla Extract
  • 25 red   Glace Cherries cut in half
  • 1/2 C. Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
  • 1 tbsp. flour

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Pre heat oven to 160° C  / 320° F

Butter your Bundt pan very well and dust with flour. Tap of excess flour.

Beat the butter until light and creamy in the bowl of your mixer.

Add the sugar and beat until pale and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time, waiting until fully incorporated before adding the next.

Add the vanilla.

Now add the cake flour in two times alternating with the milk.

Toss the chocolate chips and cherries with the tablespoon of flour, add to the batter. Mix it in with a spatula.

Divide the batter over the Bundt pan and even out with a spatula. Place on a rack, just below the middle in the oven.

Bake for about 60 to 70 minutes,  until a wooden skewer comes out dry.

Remove from oven and let cool on rack for at least 20 minutes before turning over the cake.

Decorate with icing or frosting.

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If you try this recipe let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #thecookingspoonblog on instagram! You’ll make my day.

Not quite what you’re looking for? How about Brownie Cookie Squares with Chocolate Fudge Layer brownie-cookies-squares-43

Duck Breast with Cherry Sauce for two

23 Replies

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I kind of feel like I am having tiny Christmas dinners all throughout the month of December. And I gotta say, I’m lovin’ it.

This is one of those dinners. Simple as can be and festive as can be.

Duck goes really well with any kind of fruit and is usually paired with citrus, but it goes equally well with berries and darker fruits like plums or cherries.

The Duck breast has been treated in a different way because I really dislike the skin. I do like the skin when it’s crispy, but how long does the crispiness last , really? By the time dinner gets to the table and you actually start eating the crispyness is almost gone.
So, what I do and what may seem as a shocker to some of you, but I remove the skin and treat the breast more like a steak. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper and pan fried. I use a cast iron pan for this because it works best in my opinion.

Then I cut up the skin in tiny bits and render the fat, where I then pan roast the potatoes and finish them of in the oven. This gives you the best roast potatoes you can ever imagine, and you’ll be surprised to see how the skin disappears in the pan almost completely.

The cherry sauce goes so well with the duck, it’s a little bit sweet and a little bit sour, perfect against the intense duck flavour, and such a festive dish.

      

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Serves 2 – 3

Ingredients Duck Breasts:

  • 2 Duck breasts
  • salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

Remove the Duck from the refrigerator at least 30 minutes prior to cooking.

Remove the skin and chop fine. Place in a cast iron skillet and render the fat over low heat, until all the skin has almost disappeared. You will end up with about 4 to 6 tbsp. fat.

Season the duck breast on both sides, heat a cast iron frying pan over high heat with three tablespoons of the duck fat.
Place both duck breasts in the pan and don’t move them for about 3 minutes then turn the over. Cook for another 3 minutes.
Remove to a plate and let sit covered with foil for about five minutes.
This is medium cooked, if you like it less done cook it for 5 minutes total. For completely done 7 to 8  minutes, it depends a little bit on the size of the duck breast and the thickness.

Slice and serve with the pan roast potatoes and cherry sauce.

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Ingredients Cherry Sauce:

  • 1/2 C. brown Sugar or sugar of choice
  • 1/2 C. Red wine Vinegar
  • 2 whole Star Anise
  • 1 Cinnamon Sticks
  • 3 C. frozen Cherries (no stones)
  • 1 tsp. corn starch
  • 1 tbsp water

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place the sugar, vinegar, star anise and cinnamon in a medium non-stick frying pan over high heat and bring to a simmer. Add the cherries and cook, turning occasionally, for 8–10 minutes or until just soft and the sauce has reduced a little. Make a slurry with the corn starch and water, add to the sauce and let thicken.

For the Roast Potatoes:
1/2 Lb., potatoes, peeled
2 tbsp. fat rendered from duck breasts.
salt

Instructions:

Pre heat oven to 220° C  / 428° F
Par boil the potatoes for about ten minutes, drain, and let them steam off.
Heat the (oven proof) pan with rendered duck fat and roast the potatoes until they start ro turn golden brown. Place the pan in the oven and roast for an other 20 25 minutes until crispy and golden all over, turning ocassionally. Season with salt.

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If you try this recipe let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #thecookingspoonblog  on instagram! You’ll make my day.