This week our Teen Chef’s will be making – Beef Stroganoff.

A dish of sautéed beef in a piquant creamy sauce, the onions adding sweetness, as a counterpoint to the tangy cream and the mushrooms giving it a savoury depth.

The dish dates back to the mid 19th century, and is named after a member of the Stroganov family, who were a group of highly successful Russian merchants and landowners: the richest businessmen in Tsarist Russia.

The first known recipe shows up in the mid 1800’s in a Russian cookbook.  It became an iconic dish especially in the US however the dishes image became tarnished by those pouring canned cream of mushroom soup over poor cuts of meat.

The best cut to use in beef stroganoff is a cut that works well with quick cooking. That means you need something that is tender to start with that you cut across the grain to further tenderise.

In Russia, you will most often find traditional beef stroganoff served over fried shoestring potatoes (French fries). In the US with pasta and the UK, with rice.  All as a way, to soak up the delicious sauce.

The key to a good Stroganoff is the steak an expensive ingredient and thus important to get the cooking technique right, making this a key focal point of this week’s class.

Points to consider;

type of pan to use

when to season

length of cooking

resting time

One of the most important things to remember is the need to remove steak from the fridge at least an hour before cooking this allows the meat to cook much more evenly, resulting in a better finish. An optimum thickness for a steak is between 3cm and 4cm, any thinner results in overcooking.

Season liberally just before it goes in the pan, and avoid peppering as it will burn leaving a bitter after taste. Season to far in advance with and you will draw moisture from the steak.

Ensure a heavy based pan gets very hot before the steak goes in, so oil (neutral- no flavour with a high smoking point) is almost smoking, and only cook one steak at a time to avoid loss of heat.

The heat is important in ensuring that the Maillard reaction takes place where the exterior of the meat browns and creates a wonderful roasted flavour.  A knob of butter at the end of cooking will add both richness and flavour.

The length of time you cook your steak completely depends on personal preference. A 3-4cm thick steak cooked from room temperature will take a minute or so on each side with a few minutes in the oven to warm through the middle – the most important thing is to get a good sear on the exterior without overcooking the inside.

It is very hard to achieve any degree browning on slices of meat, so for this recipe we will sear as a steak an then slice after resting.

Resting time is very important when steak is cooked it needs time for the muscle fibres to relax – cutting into it straight away will result in a loss of moisture and unattractive blood spilling out into your sauce.

In this week’s dish we will be using the following skills: Weighing, measuring, chopping, cutting, slicing, mixing/combining, blending, simmering, boiling, straining, searing and resting.

See you Saturday Teen Chefs.

In keeping with last week’s theme and to coincide with the end of British Pie Week 2019 – which runs from Monday 4 March to Sunday 10 March we will be making – Roasted Butternut Squash, Broccoli & Stilton, Filo Pastry Pie.

Whether savoury or sweet, pies are a comforting way to enjoy a variety of ingredients.  Whether encased in flaky pastry or topped with mash, pies make a hearty, meal.

No other country does meat pies quite like Britain.  Once you’ve mastered the basic art of ingredient preparation the filling and flavour combinations are endless.   With high quality ready-made pastry easily available these days – even Mary Berry admits to using shop bought filo which we to will be using due to time constraints.

Our pie will have a crisp light, golden filo pastry top and a rich, creamy filling, not for nothing is pie considered a much loved classic of British cooking and a hearty winter warmer.

Our butternut squash will be paired with broccoli and rosemary and the English blue cheese, Stilton which is made exclusively in three counties: Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire, often crowned the “King of English cheese.  Stilton, pairs well with broccoli and is a perfect bedfellow for butternut squash, as it has a rich, flavour and a moist, crumbly texture. 

In this week’s dish we will be using the following skills:

Weighing, measuring, chopping, cutting, slicing, mixing/combining, blending, boiling/simmering, straining, brushing/ layering, baking.

See you at the weekend Junior Chefs.

Shrove Tuesday = Pancake Day!

Shrove Tuesday is our annual celebration of Pancakes simple yet delicious, traditionally marking the beginning of Lent (5 March).

A combination of flour, eggs and milk, perhaps with some sugar or lemon thrown in. Pancakes are the perfect canvas for a huge variety of sweet and savoury toppings. Enjoy!

Ingredients
100g plain flour
2 large eggs
300ml milk
1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil, plus extra for frying

Method
Put 100g plain flour, 2 large eggs, 300ml milk, 1 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil and a pinch of salt into a bowl and whisk to a smooth batter. (Rest in fridge if time permits).

Wipe a frying pan with some oiled kitchen paper and heat over a medium heat.

When hot, cook your pancakes for 1 min on each side until golden.

Keep warm in a low oven, if serving all at one time.

www.cuisinebynadine.co.uk

#pancakeday #shrovetuesday

This week our Teen Chefs will be making – Chicken, Leek & Tarragon, Filo Pastry Pie

To coincide with British Pie Week 2019 – which runs from Monday 4 March to Sunday 10 March

Whether savoury or sweet, pies are a comforting way to enjoy a variety of ingredients. Whether encased in flaky pastry or topped with mash, pies make a hearty, meal.
No other country does meat pies quite like Britain. Once you’ve mastered the basic art of ingredient preparation the filling and flavour combinations are endless. With high quality ready-made pastry easily available these days – even Mary Berry admits to using shop bought filo which we to will be using due to time constraints.

Our pie will have a crisp light, golden filo pastry top and a rich, creamy filling, not for nothing is chicken pie considered a much loved classic of British cooking and a hearty winter warmer.

Our chicken will be paired with leeks and tarragon often used in chicken, egg and fish dishes. With long stems and narrow leaves, tarragon has a strong aroma and intense flavour, which is slightly spicy with a hint of anise.
Mild, sweet and oniony, leeks are a fantastically versatile vegetable that adds flavour and bite to many dishes and is a perfect marriage alongside tarragon.
Leeks are from the same family as onion and garlic they are an allium vegetable packed with nutrients and crucial anti-oxidants.
What to look for when buying; is a leek that is nice and firm, they can be cooked in many ways, steamed, stir fried and can be used in lots of dishes like soups and casseroles and pies.

In this week’s dish we will be using the following skills:
Weighing, measuring, chopping, cutting, slicing, shredding mixing/combining, blending, boiling/simmering, straining, brushing/ layering, baking.

See you Saturday Teen Chefs.

This week we will be making – Prawn Chow Mein!  

Fitting as Chinese New Year kicks off tomorrow (5 February) and 2019 is year of the Pig.

There is so much more to Chinese cuisine than just your local takeaway.  Chinese food is fairly healthy as dishes usually contain lots of vegetables.  This country’s cuisine is fascinating and differs from many others as it lacks the creamy, butter-based sauces found in many other cuisines. 

Chow Mein, which translates as ‘crispy noodles’, is mostly associated with takeaways, but when freshly made at home it makes for a satisfying tasty meal. There is a lot of speculation as to the exact origins of the dish, as most regions of China seem to have a version, but with such an array of interchangeable ingredients you can see why it is difficult to know its exact origins.

Often considered a staple ingredient of Asian cuisine, the word noodle in fact derives from the German word nudel. Many cuisines have their own version of noodles – from Makguksu in Korea to Western European Spatzle – and the term generally encompasses any thin, straggly foodstuff made from unleavened dough.

Noodles, along with long beans, are traditionally eaten at Chinese New Year, as the long strands symbolise longevity for the year ahead. The preparation of the noodles is generally up to personal preference, as long as the noodles are not cut or broken as this would signify shortening of life, which would definitely not be a good start to the year!

Chinese New Year is also known as the Spring Festival or the Lunar New Year.  Celebrated by more than 20%, of the world. It’s the most important holiday in China and to Chinese people all over the world.

This week we will be using the following skills: measuring, chopping, and mincing, cutting, slicing, mixing/combining, boiling/simmering and frying.

See you at the weekend Junior Chefs.