A couple of nice Bass and a plate of asparagus soup

It was a fantastic weekend, with the weather up into the high 20's (centigrade that is). Linda was  quite late getting in and I had made a Spaghetti (it was actually Linguine) Vongole. So a nice gin and bitter lemon and a bottle of cold "pink wine" we settled down to watch the recording of master chef that Linda had brought, neither of us saw the end and that will have to wait until later.

Saturday was a wonderful day sun was up and the weather looked as if it was going to be nice (and it didn't fail our great  expectations, who the Dickens said that?)

We set off to Gütersloh market, our normal Saturday when Linda is in NRW is we go to the market and then meet up with our friend Tony for a couple of beers in our watering hole (well I have the beers and the other two light weights drink something that sounds like Cafe latti mucky arti!!!) This week Tony wasn't able to make it so we done a quick shop at the market, I bought a couple of nice Bass and some spargel brück (asparagus stems that have broken during the harvesting) ideal for Asparagus cream soup. I also bought some fresh green asparagus as Linda said she fancied some grilled asparagus.

I then took Linda through the Rietberg Nature Reserve, loads of breeding geese both grey lagged and Canada. We then went (I say we as Linda had nodded off  and woke up to where are we now!!!)

We had arrived at the other part of Rheda-Wiedenbrück, we went to a very nice pub (La Menge) and sat in the sunshine and watched the world go by.

Linda said she fancied an ice cream  so I said we shall go to Toledo's  this is a very nice ice cafe at the side of the Ems-see. As she  stood on the bridge eating her ice I looked across and saw a Great Crested Grebe sitting on the nest. I had left my camera back in the car, so I legged it back and got it. I then got some very nice photo's of the female sitting the male bringing her a present of water plants and of three eggs in the nest.

We then drove back home as I had some lamb chops that needed marinating, as we had decided on a BBQ that evening, so it was more gin and bitter Lemon while doing the prep. 

After the BBQ we settled down to watch the Bobby Charlton story, that was really moving as I was 10 year old  when the Munich  crash happened, I was also born in a mining village much like Ashington it was only 30km North of Shiremoor. I was a great fan of his uncle, Jackie Milburn, for me the greatest footballer of all time.  I watched enthralled and when ever the flash backs came on about playing football on the village green on a Sunday, that how it was, we started after Church, went in when dinner was called (Wor Richaaaaard ya dinners ready) out again until it was time for tea, alas for me that was it as I was a server in St Marks church and Evensong started at 18:00. But that was how life was in the 50's nobody had a lot but we had a great time enjoying the lot that we had!

Sunday was a lazy day, I done my Balcony, scrubbed the floor tiles and planted my herb boxes and pots (I don't plant anything that you can't eat so I leave flowers to my down stairs neighbour who keep the front garden immaculate, rhododendrons, roses and tulips.

I then started making my Asparagus soup and preparing the bass for the grill (I was doing them on the electric one as they where being done in aluminium foil.

Asparagus and green pea soup.

1kg of broken asparagus (brückspargel)

Peelings and cuttings from 1 Kg of Asparagus

2 heaped teas spoons of marigold  veg stock powder

1 glass of chicken stock with pieces of chicken

2 pieces on Mace

4 cloves

4 cardamom pods

2 cm piece of cinnamon bark

5 dried curry leaves

6-7 sprigs of dried thyme

2 red onions (diced)

A knob of butter

100g of frozen peas

200ml of cream


Peel the asparagus and cut into small pieces (save any tips for decoration). put in a pot with the vegetable and chicken stock, add the mace, cloves, cinnamon, curry leaves dried thyme.

Cover all with water and bring to the boil, skim,  reduce heat and let it simmer for about 1/2 hour. then remove the peelings and the rest of the stuff (I have a nice Ikea pot that has a holed insert, makes this very easy).

Now add the pieces of peeled asparagus into the stock and cook until tender, put 50g of the peas in for the last couple of minutes.

Soften the onions in butter and add to the asparagus, now blend in a blender or with a magic stick until smooth , return to the pot and heat through with the asparagus tips and the remainder of the peas, add the cream and adjust the seasoning. Serve piping hot.

The Bass

2 x 500g  fresh bass, gutted, trimmed and cleaned.

2 slices of lemon

A handful of mixed herbs (sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme and parsley)

Olive oil

A sprinkling of ready made fish spices

Wash and dry the fish, slash it in a few places,season inside and out add the herbs to the belly with the slice of lemon. Sprinkle with olive oil and seal in the aluminium foil.

Place on the grill for about 20mins.

Serve with green asparagus sautéed in olive oil in a frying pan (or better still if you are doing this on a charcoal BBQ rub all over with olive oil and char grill) served with grilled Turkish sweet green peppers, new potatoes and a Greek salad.

A green asparagus and brown shrimp risotto

While driving home from work I was wondering what to do for an evening meal, I was just passing through the local “Sparglefelder” when ping went my brain (it often does that I should really get it seen to). I turned into Hof Meloh and bought a 500g bundle of the green. The Hof has now put up a marquee and they do “eat as much as you can meals at weekends and Holy days (that is Holy days as in Germany)

Now what else was I going to have with it? I looked in my store drawer and found a packet (one that I bought in the UK at Christmas) of vacuum packed Arborio Risotto Rice. Yep that’s what I would go for!

I had to go to ALDI for some other odds and ends and while looking down the shelves I saw packets of brown shrimps, well is that not a marriage waiting to happen, a green asparagus and brown shrimp risotto!!!!! I also bought a tub of mascarpone as a creamy risotto has to be creamy.

Straight round home, and looked in the fridge for a 2/3 bottle of Pinot Grigio from the evening before.

So here are the ingredients:

150g of Risotto rice

1 large shallot

1 clove of garlic

A large knob of butter

Good glug of olive oil

Wine glass of Pinot Grigio (size depends on you)

250g of green asparagus

125g of brown shrimps (Nordseekrabben)

2 heaped tea spoons of Marigold vegetable stock made up to 600ml with boiling water (put the hard ends and any peelings from the asparagus into the pan with the stock)

1 sachet of Saffron powder

2 heaped dessert spoons of mascarpone

A small handful of grated parmesan cheese

Some chopped air dried ham (about 4-5 skin thin slices)

Method

I first snapped the asparagus stalks at their natural breaking point and added the tough ends to the marigold stock that was simmering on a low heat. Cut off the tips of the spears and then slice on a mandolin the stalks.

I next diced a large shallot, crushed and diced a clove of garlic added this to the foaming butter and olive oil in a heavy high sided frying pan (or sauté pan). When translucent added the rice and stirred to get all nice and glistening and allowed to cook until they are just starting to take on a bit of translucence.

Next add the wine (if you are using a full bottle now is a good time to refill the glass and have a swig) and cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed and/or evaporated. Now start adding the hot stock a little at a time, keep stirring until it has almost been absorbed, carry on doing this until the rice is almost cooked.

Now add the shrimps, sliced asparagus and air dried ham, stir in and finish off the cooking.



 It should be creamy, have a wonderful gold colour, flecked with green and brown. The rice should also still have a bit of resistance (Al dent, who ever he is). Now stir in the mascarpone and parmesan

and add the asparagus tips a few turns of fresh ground black pepper.

Serve in deep pasta dishes (you get much more in them than if using a dinner plate) all washed down with the remainder of the Pinot Grigio.



I can say with hand on heart (yes I do have a one) that it was beyond all of my expectations, truly creamy and full of flavour. It will be done again!

Pork ribs and a sticky sauce

We where having a discussion on the wildfood board about rib and belly bbq sauces, my dear friend Carol posted what looked like a great one, this I was going to do but I got carried away and made too much, so Carols will have to wait for the weekend when I shall be doing pork belly!

The process I used was the pre-cooking one. I simmered dickerippe in a spicy stock for 3 hours and then let them cool in it over night.

I bought a 820g piece of Dickerippe (in Germany this is what is often used in a wonderful winter dish along with Sauerkraut)

This I cut into rib sections: I added this to the stock below which consisted of:

Dried thyme (I had left some fresh thyme to dry so used 3 sprigs of that)

1 teaspoon of oregano

1 dessert spoon Chimi-churri

2 teaspoons of marigold stock

3 small dried chillies (birds eye)

1 crushed garlic clove

1 red onion (that all I had) studded wit a couple of cloves and a bay leaf

1 teaspoon of cumin seeds

2cm piece of cinnamon

Enough water to cover the ribs

Brought the lot to the boil, and lowered the heat so that the surface was just moving. After 3 hours turned off the heat, put the lid on and left to cool over night in the broth.

Next Day

I removed from the broth and dried the ribs.



some of the ingredients

 I made the BBQ sauce, this consisted of;

Light brown sugar

Honey

Chilli sauce

Ketjap Kental

Smoked Paprika powder

Powdered Ginger

5 spice powder

Powdered ginger

White wine vinegar

Dried coriander




The rest


Boiled this all together until it bubbles,

Now pour it over the ribs in a suitable container (I used one of those foil grill thingy me bobs) now onto the red hot bbq (I have a double use one, BBQ & Smoker. but I prefer the lidded type in any case).

Boy was that finger licking good!!!! and all washed down with and ice cold Portuguese Weiss Herbst, now that's living.

So watch this space as I am making Carols belly this weekend, hee, hee, hee

Easter Weekend

I arrived in Kiel at 10:00 Good Friday morning having set off at about 06:30 from Rheda. We had arranged that Linda would get some fresh fish and a frozen sea food mix and I would bring a filet of smoked haddock that I had in my freezer from Christmas.

So it was to be Fish Pie a la Ma' Smith! My Mam (a very religious woman) always made fish pie on Good Friday.

So it was a large filet (with the skin on) of smoked haddock (please not dyed)

A piece of salmon

A piece of cod loin

1/2 pkt of frozen pre-cooked mixed prawns, shrimps,mussels, cockles, calamari and crab sticks (thawed)



The smoked haddock filet




Frozen peas, frozen shell fish, slice of salmon, a piece of cod
















Poaching liquid

1/2 ltr of full milk

3 cm piece of cinammon

5 all spice berries

3 cloves

2 cardamon pods

1/2 an onion

1 teaspoon of herb de provence

1 clove of garlic crushed

A sprig of rosemary

A few twists of pepper

A scrapping of nutmeg

No salt - the smoked haddock will give up enough salt to the poaching liquid




Poaching the haddock with herbs and spices

 Remove from the poaching liquor and flake putting into the base of a terrine.

Poaching the salmon




Poaching the cod











I first poached the smoked haddock (make sure the milk does not boil or it will split), remove when it flakes easy and flake it and put it into a shallowish terrine dish,  cut the salmon and cod into pieces (add any skin from the filets to the liquid), now poach and remove these before they ar e fully cooked through (just translucent). Place with the smoked haddock and add the mixed seafood.

The cheese sauce.

The poaching liquid

300ml of chicken stock (or fish if you have any)

50g of butter

2 table spoons of whole meal flour (had nothing else)

A good handful of cheshire cheese

100g of frozen peas

2 hard boiled eggs



Strain the poaching liquid and in a clean pot melt a nob of butter, add the chopped onion and fry until translucent, sprinkle with the flour and cook over a low heat until it comes away from the sides, slowly add the poaching liquid until all is combined, add the peas, continue to cook, adding the cheese, the sauce may be too thick, use the stock to slacken (it should coat the back of a spoon). Raise the temperature until it bubbles and pour over the fish in the bottom of the dish. Slice the boiled egg and put on top.

Next make the potato topping.

Floury potatoes

Large knob of butter

Slug of milk

Small handful of chopped fresh parsley (if you've got big mits borrow the young lad next door, but make sure they wash theit hands first).

I am not going to tell you how to make mash!!!!! enough to say it should be smooth and creamy.

Starting at the outside work in a sort of spiral so that the sauce doesn't leak out and run down the side (it will burn and will not look very nice (not that it bothers me, it's the taste that counts). Break the spud topping surface with a fork, it looks nice but also gets the topping brown quicker.

Now pop into a very hot oven (or under a grill) until the topping has browned.

We had it just by it's self on Friday (well we did have a bottle of Pique poul to wash it all down).

This is one of my Mam's dishes that whisks me back to my early childhood, I can shut my eyes and transpond myself back into the 50s, I still miss my Mam, she was not a kissy, kissy, touchy, touchy mother, she was a hard working, God fearing woman, that reared 8 children on my dads wages, ok later we also added to the monies that crossed the kitchen table on a Thursday and Friday, but that is a story for another day.

Friday evening was a very nice evening out with our cookery club friends (minus Kalle), we went  out to a nice Mexican restaurant and enjoyed a quiet evening just eating,drinking and chatting. The service was quick and friendly, it couldn't have been better!



Lind's (pork) spare ribs




Marianna's Fajitas




And Caroline's




My shrimp Fajita




The table


 We did finish off the evening with a few cocktails (BOGOF or as it is some times called Happy Hour(s)

Easter Saturday
This was Lindas cooking day, we where up and about very early as we had a few things (food and non-food) that required buying, it was to be a Mamta's lamb curry and a Tarka Dal. Linda had bought a shoulder from the local Turkish butcher and it had been in the freezer for a couple of weeks. Sunday was to be roast leg of Lamb with all of the normal trimmings so it as still a visit to get a fresh leg.

The link to Mamta's fantastic recipe:

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=10363



Some of the wonderful fresh lamb (Hoggat) meat



And some more



Linda trimmed and diced the meat

Added to the slowcooker with the rest of the ingrediants.

The Dal was next and here is the Link to Mamta's recipe:

http://www.mamtaskitchen.com/recipe_display.php?id=13232



softened the onions





Making the Tarka



And the wonderful Mamta's lamb curry with a split pea and lentil Dal, plain boiled rice and a cucumber/mint Riata



The evening was taken up with visiting the Kiel Theatre to watch a modern version of Julius Caesar, it was realy good and was very well produced and on the lighter side.

Easter Sunday

I was up bright and early and decided to go for a bit of a drive, to take some spring photo's, first I headed to the Förder at Loof (a favorite restaurant over looking Kiel Harbour.




The early morning sun across the Förder



 

Some of the yatches waiting for a Easter sail

I then went down to the Locks at the Kiel canal (Nord-Ostsee Kanal), when at sea I had passed through these many, many times, in fact it was after passing through the other end of these and into a massive storm in the German Bite back in 1976, that ended my sea going career´and started my new life in Germany.

The Holtenau Locks at the Baltic end of the Canal

A Blackbird watching the goings on



A white bird waiting for the next ships



I next drove to the park just below the Opera House, it was silent with the exception of the birds. I watched the sun rising into the sky in the Horishima memorial park.



The memorial fountain



towards the Opera House

The bluming magnolia tree

A Blackbird collecting its breakfast, that reminds me!!!!!!

This was while waiting for the local French Baker to open (fresh rolls for breakfast), when I got there a little after 08:00, there was a que already outside of the door. This is a true French bakery, the baker even buys his flour from France, wonderful bread and fantastic patiseries!!!

The French bakers shop



The bread, freshly baked






And for those with a sweet tooth



The Sunday lunch was meant to be a traditional roast leg of Lamb, but owing to a change of plan that had been made on Friday, it meant that we took the remainder (2/3 of it) of the fishpie round to our friends. I had also brought 1.5kg of Asparagus with me from my local "Spargelhof Meloh" in Rheda. Marianne had made a nice starter of orange duck liver pate.



The orange duck liver pate, with a small salad and grey bread



The fishpie, with Meloh aspargus and sauce Hollandaise



Martin had made a smashing rhubarb desert in the Tiramasu style, now this was fantastic and I shall reproduce the recipe when I get it from him, it is in no way heavy and contains no eggs. Quite refreshing and light.



The pud befoe being attacked



I want some as well!!!

showing the layers

Easter Monday will be the roast leg of lamb!

Linda was to have cooked the Lamb pink, alas it turned out just a bit less than pink, BUT oh, did it taste wonderful, tender and ever so tasty.

Served with 2 sorts of spuds, new and roast, Turkish beans, plain steamed Cauli with butter and an intence lamb gravy. Of course we also had mint sauce.

The Leg of lamb that had been studded with slithers of Garlic, Anchovy and sprigs of Rosmary, then cooked in the oven until the core reached 70 °C

The new and roast spuds

Cauliflower and butter

Turkish beans

The plate of grub, boy was it tasty