How to make Popcorn Pannacotta

As you know I like taking a dish and putting my own spin on things and it doesn't stop at dessert!!

This dish is far easier than it sounds but tastes great!

It does take a bit of time but well worth the effort!

So I popped my own sweet popcorn on the stove.

Get the deepest pan you have and chuck in your popcorn kernels so they cover the bottom. Now glug some oil in so they are just covered and sprinkle with sugar.

On a medium heat start to warm the pan shaking every now and then, when the first one pops get your lid on straight away and keep shaking until the popping stops.

First job done, now Pannacotta.

You need
1 litre cream
Sugar to taste
6 sheets gelatin
Popcorn

Take a litre of cream and gently warm through with some of that popcorn you made. Keep tasting until the popcorn flavour comes through and add sugar if you need it.

While thats infusing chuck your gelatin in cold water as per packet instructions.

After 5 minutes drain off the gelatin and squeeze all the water out.
Add this to your infused cream, stir in and then pass through a seive to remove the popcorn.

Pour into moulds and fridge until set.

Job done!!

I served mine with salted caramel sauce and some left over popcorn!

How to make perfect rice

I've been asked alot lately how to cook rice and if it matters what brand of rice is best to buy.

This method is so simple it even makes supemarket own brand rice brilliant.

First warm a good glug of oil in a sauce pan.

Then measure out 1 cup of rice and chuck it in. Keep stirring it so all the grains are coated. Cook the rice until it starts talking to you ( you will know what I mean when it happens, its like a sizzle ).

Then lob in 2 cups of hot water and bring to the boil.

When its boiled for a minute bang the lid on, turn the heat off and leave it. Never take off the lid until atleast 20 mins has gone.

Serve immediately or cool it down ( refresh ) with cold running water if you are going to use it for fried rice.

Because this method absorbs all the water you can muck about with flavours and use stock instead.

Never heat rice more than twice, so if you have made fried rice don't reheat the left overs. You could be very ill!!!

Piri Piri Pork

Ok so to try and help warm everyone up I knocked up this Piri Piri Pork dish.

A favourite flavour of mine and one I can't recall unleashing on the boys yet, but it went down a storm!!

The pork steaks themselves are just dusted with cajun spice and oven roasted on 185c for around 25 mins.

Piri Piri Sauce

I used
6 good sized red chillis
6 cloves of garlic
Drizzle of oil
Can chopped tomatoes
Some veg stock powder
Sugar

First roast off the chilli and garlic until they start to char round the edges and chuck them in a food blender.

Lob in your chopped tomatoes then add your stock powder to taste.

At this point slowly add some sugar and keep tasting. The sugar rounds off the flavour of the chilli and brings your tomato to life!!

Have a go!!

I served mine with new potatoes and a sweetcorn puree.