BBQ Burger Buns

Sometimes I like to shake things up so decided to flavour my bread for our slow roast pork bap.

To be fair it turned out far better than I expected so here's the recipe!! 

500g flour (any will do, doesn't have to be strong bread flour)

150g warm water

150g warm milk

7g dried yeast (14g fresh yeast)

Pinch of sugar

Pinch of salt

10g oil

Knorr BBQ paste

In a bowl chuck the flour salt and sugar.

I always weigh the liquids for accuracy but roughly 1g equals 1ml.

Mix all these together then add to the flour.

Knead for 5 mins until it forms a dough and leave to prove until double in size. 

Knock it back then shape into rolls, brush the tops with a little knorr BBQ paste mixed with a little water and cook on 170c for around 15 mins, the toll will sound hollow when tapped.

I served mine with slow roasted belly pork and salad.

Big School Bake Off 2016 Finalist!!!!!

A while back I entered in to the Big School Bake Off, not thinking anything of it I was quite surprised my paper entry made it through to the semi finals!! 

So yesterday ( 7th July ) off we trotted to the LACA Main Event at the Birmingham NEC. 

Now I haven't cooked in competition for years so was a bit apprehensive but everyone there was great to get along with and made me feel at ease.

We had an hour and a half to recreate our paper entries and plate the finished product!!!

After the stressful 90 mins the judging for my heat took place with bake off legend Jo Wheatly Great British Bake Off Winner 2011!!!!

Unfortunately we couldn't stay for the results and I'm notgoing to lie, the wait had me on tenterhooks all day.

But finally at around 4pm I got the call saying I'd made it through to the finals in September!!! 

So here it is... My Pina Colada Sandwich!!!

Huge thanks to everyone involved at LACA and knorr taste!! 

See you in September!!!

Recipe to follow!!

Piri Piri and Cheddar Swirls

So seeing as I still have some Knorr Piri Piri paste ( this stuff goes really far ) I thought I'd make some of these bad boys!!

You will need

500g flour 

7g fast action yeast

40g oil

Pinch salt

Pinch sugar

290g warm water

Knorr Piri Piri paste 

2 good handfuls of grated mature cheddar cheese

Combine flour salt and sugar in a bowl,

Mix the water oil and yeast then chuck this in the dry ingredients. Knead unil a dough forms.

You don't need to wait for this to prove, roll the dough out into a rectangle about half a centimetre thick.

Spread the Knorr Piri Piri over the entire dough, I like mine spicy so I used 3 tbsp but it's up to you how much you can handle! Sprinkle evenly with the mature cheddar and roll up like you would a Swiss roll, like this.....

With a serated knife carefully cut into slices around 2cm thick like this....

Arrange on a lined baking tray about an inch apart like this...

Then let them prove for around 30 minutes, chuck them in a preheated oven on 160c for 12 minutes or until golden brown like this....

These are wicked for a picnic!!! 

For even more hints and tips check out the Knorr Chefs Hacks website here and get your free sample, you wont regret it!!!

Piri Piri Rolls

I've been lucky enough to get my hands on some knorr cooking pastes, now you probably know by now that I'm not one to use things as they were intended.

Normal burger rolls are fine but sometimes you need a bit of difference and to be honest I'm getting a bit bored of a brioche roll now!!

So these Piri Piri Rolls are great to have as an alternative, fantastic with chicken or any other burger you fancy!!

For the rolls:

500g flour
290g warm water
7g fast action yeast
Pinch of salt
Pinch of sugar
100g Knorr Piri Piri paste

Chuck your flour salt and sugar in a bowl and give a little mix, then weigh out 290g warm water (weighing out water is better for consistency, 1g is 1ml.)
Add 7g yeast stir and add 100g Knorr Piri Piri Paste.

Stir this through the flour and slowly knead until a dough, prove in a warm place until double the size knock back and shape into 8 rolls.
Prove again to double size and cook on 170c for 17 mins or until golden brown and sounding hollow to the tap. Or freeze the uncooked dough and cook from frozen when needed!! 

Let cool and serve with the filling or your choice!!

For more top tips check out Knorr chef hacks here!!!

Easy Homemade Fudge

So with the bank holiday coming up its a great time to get in the kitchen and make yourself and kids a treat for when you watch a movie right? 

This fudge recipe is so easy but really tasty. 

All you need is

300ml milk

100g butter

350g sugar

Chuck all these in a heavy based saucepan and simmer to 115c or until it starts to thicken and no longer comes up when boiling.

No pictures for this one as yet but will add as soon as poss.

Southern Fried Chicken

It's been a while since the last post but have to share this awesome chicken recipe, always goes down a storm!!

So 

Take four boneless chicken thighs (you can use breast but I find the thigh has more flavour).

Cover with milk and refrigerate for about an hour.

While that's happening, in a bowl chuck a good cup full of self raising flour 1tbsp chilli powder 1tbsp smoked paprika and 1tbsp garlic powder.

Take your chicken and shake off the excess milk then coat in the flour mix.

Shallow fry on a medium heat until golden then finish in the oven at 180 for 10 mins or until the juices run clear.

Stuffed Plaice with Fragrant Rice

I don't often ask for recipes but the dish from Jack Settle is awesome!!

Make sure you check out more of what he's doing on Twitter @Chef1Jack. 

Stuffed Plaice with Fragrant Rice

Serves 6

1 onion medium diced
1 bulb of Fennel
2 lemons zest
1 lemon juiced
1 star anise
200g long grain rice
6 Plaice
Small Bunch of Parsley and Fennel or Dill


Sauce Vierge

Onion medium diced
5 tomatoes de seeded and diced
Small bunch of flat leaf parsley
Small bunch of Coriander
Small bunch of basil
2 lemons juiced and Zested
400ml of Olive Oil
200g Capers

Method,

1) Put the rice on to boil with a star anise and cook for 10 minutes season with salt. Once cooked cool down with cold water for 15 minutes and leave to the side for later.

2) In a pan sweat the fennel bulb and onion  until translucent and add your rice. Take the pan off the heat, chop the parsley and fennel and dill put the herbs into the pan along with the lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and white pepper.

3) The plaice will require patience but hang in there. Get your plaice and season the inside with not much salt and pepper. Insert the rice and fill half plaice and try to fold it like a book. For cooking insert a cocktail stick in the plaice make sure you have soaked your sticks in water otherwise it will burn during cooking.

4) Cooking the plaice, put the oven on 150C. Put the plaice on a tray lined with baking parchment. Put the plaice into the for 15-20 minutes.

5) While the fish is cooking make the sauce Vierge. Add your onions and tomatoes into the olive oil and cook to blood temperature (37.5C). Add your herbs, lemons and capers. Leave to rest in the pan.

6) Once the fish has cooked plate the fish and serve with a simple green salad. And dress the fish with sauce vierge.

Enjoy 

Thanks Jack and keep up the good work!!

Consider this recipe well and truly nicked lol