Ginger Jar Food
Archive for March, 2010
March 29th, 2010
Prawn & chive dumplings
These poached little dumplings filled with prawn & chive make an excellent starter for a grand Chinese meal. They are delicately flavoured, which contrasts well against some of the more robust flavours of the Orient. Make a little ginger and vinegar dipping sauce to go with them and you’ll be in heaven. more >
March 29th, 2010
Pan-fried poussin with caramelised peanut dressing & watercress
This sweet, hot and crunchy dressing / sauce was a revelation when it was cooked for us at Leiths by the creator himself, Tom Kime. He served it with slow roast pork belly (which people literally fought over when time came to taste) but it’s perfect with any roasted meat – try as we have with poussin for a light lunch, or use quail or a few slices of chicken breast for a starter portion. more >
March 29th, 2010
Seared steak with hot & sour dipping sauce
Healthy, easy to make but incredibly tasty, not much to dislike about this dish! Make the hot & sour dipping sauce first so the flavours have a little time to develop while you quickly griddle your steak. Serve with a simple salad and some stir-fried vegetables to complete a light evening meal. more >
March 29th, 2010
Herb battered squid with chilli & salt
I’ve had lots of variations of this classic chilli squid dish, from during my training at Leiths, to main stream Wagamamas, to the top of the crop to be found at the wonderful Drunken Monkey. I think this recipe gets close to their perfection, using a herbed salt & pepper batter and a scattering of raw ingredients to build up the layers of flavours. more >
March 24th, 2010
Goat’s cheese & red onion filo tarts
The recipe for this tart comes about from super sizing one of our canapés. This version is a three to four-biter, made with an egg custard flavoured with goat’s cheese & thyme… perfect for a glamorous finger buffet. more >
March 22nd, 2010
Veggie dinner party dish… What would Jenny do?
Q. I have a vegetarian friend coming to dinner next week and have no idea what to serve. My vegetarian meal repertoire doesn’t extend much beyond tomato / pasta combinations and I’d like to do something a little more special.. Thanks, Tom. A. Hi Tom, shall we go with a wonderful wild mushroom & herb risotto…? more >
March 17th, 2010
Offer: Cookery class for 2 – £200 inc. all ingredients
For £25 off the usual price, a Ginger Jar cookery teacher will come to your home and deliver a cookery class of your choice. Choose from Thai, Italian, French, Speedy Suppers or Healthy Eating, or ask us to design a bespoke lesson to match your needs. more >
March 17th, 2010
Griddled asparagus with poached egg, croutons & truffle oil
Truffle oil is a winning ingredient. After I discovered it at Leiths last year (whilst cooking tagliatelle with cracked black pepper, truffle oil & parmesan) I started using it in everything, then fell out with it, but today it’s back on the menu in this light lunch full of colour and texture. more >
March 17th, 2010
Pasta with marinated artichokes, pepperdew & olives
Walking past my local Italian deli, La Salumeria, yesterday I realised I had nothing in for lunch. This dish comes from 4 ingredients – the pasta (I got tempted by the unusual fusilli lunghi bucati), some marinated artichoke hearts, a can of olives stuffed with artichokes and a jar of hot pepperdew peppers. Oh sorry, and salt. And water. more >
March 16th, 2010
Guilty Pleasures – Bodeans BBQ
Don’t get my wrong, I love fine dining (see Maze review if you need any proof), but there comes a time when the call of smokey hickory or chipotle sauce just gets too strong to resist. At those moments, unless I have a handy return ticket to New Orleans in my possession, I head to a branch of Bodeans. more >