The Demo Chef - two new recipes

PHIL LEVERINGTON

THE WORLD'S ONLY NON-CELEBRITY CHEF

We have been fortunate to have the support of Phil, who describes himself as the world's only "non-celebrity chef" from the early days of Netherton Foundry.  Our British made cookware chimes with his philosophy of supporting local producers and championing traditional cooking.

"A passionate advocate of a return to more traditional methods of sourcing, preparation and cooking of local food"

He has taken our pots and pans around the country to all manner of foodie events and his demonstration skills and witty banter have entertained and informed thousands of people.

Seriously - if you want to draw the crowds at your food festival - book the Demo Chef.

Phil LOVES cooking and is always happy to help us with development work - he is the inspiration behind the bacon and steak presses - watch the video to see him create a restaurant quality dish using One Pan, One Knife, One Dish 

Here are two brand new recipes that he has created for us, using locally sourced produce and a selection of his Netherton Foundry wares.

Caramelised Fennel Dauphinoise

(Serves 8-10)

1kg medium-sized potatoes, very thinly sliced

2 fennel bulbs, thinly sliced, fronds reserved

300ml whole milk

400ml double cream

100g butter

Butter, for roasting dish

2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan

Maldon Salt

Black pepper

Method

Generously butter a  casserole dish

Heat the oven to 180ºC or 160º for a fan oven, gas Mark 4

Layer half of the potatoes and butter in the casserole, seasonng lightly as you go.

Our on half of the cream and milk.

In a frying pan caramelise the finely sliced fennel - gently heat a tablespoon of rapeseed oil, add the sliced fennel and cook slowly until they start to take on a golden colour -  then lay them on top of the first layer of potatoes.

Layer the remaining potatoes and butter and finish with milk and double cream, again seasoning lightly as you go.

Scatter with Parmesan. Bake for about an hour until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife.

Snip the reserved fennel fronds over before serving.

Easy!

Smoked Onion and Black Garlic Ketchup

1kg white onions

8 cloves black garlic

100g dark Muscovado sugar

Maldon salt to season

Rapeseed oil

2oz butter

Method

Coarsely chop the onions.

Set aside uncovered for 2-3 hours and allow a pellicle to form; this is a dry skin in the food that allows the "smoke" to adhere to the food, giving it more flavour without drying it out in the process.

Following the instructions - smoke for one hour in your Netherton Foundry smoker. You can do this on the hob or using the Kitchen Companion.

Remove the smoker set and wash out the casserole. Replace it on the Kitchen Companion or on the hob.

Add the butter and rapeseed oil and heat gently. When the butter foams, add the onions, black garlic, Muscovado sugar and cook for about 15 mins.

Add salt to taste and a knob of butter to add a shine.

Set aside to cool.

When cooled place in food processor / blender and puree.

Store in the fridge for up to a week.

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

One pot, two dishes

I love lentils, cheap, versatile, tasty and low fat!!  This is a dual recipe, which makes two separate vegetarian starters from a single pot of lentils.

This is an ideal recipe to make in the Kitchen Companion - making the most of one pot cooking.

Lentil pate and lentil and tomato soup

1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped
200g red lentils
10 sun dried tomatoes
1 sprig thyme or 1 tsp dried thyme
800ml water
1 fat garlic clove, sliced
1 tin chopped tomatoes
400ml stock
Salt and pepper to taste.

Put the sweet potato, lentils , sun-dried tomatoes, thyme and water in the cast iron bowl. Cover with the cast iron lid. place the bowl on the heater base or on the hob.
Turn the heater base to its highest setting and bring to the boil.
Turn down to a low heat and simmer for about an hour - until the sweet potato is very soft and most of the water has been absorbed.
Add the sliced garlic and season to taste.  Cook, without a lid, for another 10 minutes until all the water is absorbed.

Remove the thyme if you have used fresh herbs.  Blend the mixture until smooth and cool half in the fridge.  
Serve the cold pate with toast.

Use the remaining half to create a tasty and warming soup - ideal on a chilly winter day.
Add the chopped tomatoes and  stock to the other half of the mixture.  Stir well to mix, return to the heat and warm through.
Serve with crusty bread.

Netherton FoundryShropshire 2013 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

Two soups - hearty homage to the genius of Victoria Wood and Julie Walters

2 soups - with acknowledgements to Victoria Wood and Julie Walters - the 2 soups sketch is one of the funniest things, I have ever seen.  If you have seen it, you will know what I'm talking about - if you haven't, click on the 2 soups link and give yourself a giggle.

When my teenage kids were small, there were 2 authors they preferred above all others;  Dr Seuss and Helen Cooper - and one of their all time favourite stories was Pumpkin soup by Helen Cooper - I got to know it off by heart.  I am sure many of you know the feeling.

There's a good smell of soup, and at night, with luck, you might see a bagpiping Cat in the window, and a Squirrel with a banjo, and a small singing Duck. Everyone has their own jobs to do. Everyone is happy... or so it seems.... until one day Duck, the littlest one, decides it's his turn to stir the soup.

And that inspired this first recipe, a grown up soup for my growing up (all too quickly) kids

Spiced pumpkin and corn soup
A spicy blend of autumn ingredients to warm the body and soul

2 tblsp oil
2 onions, sliced
500g pumpkin flesh, chopped
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp paprika
Chilli to taste - fresh or dried
25g creamed coconut
1 litre vegetable or chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
2 corn on the cob

I cooked mine on the versatile and incredibly useful Kitchen Companion

Put the bowl on the diffuser ring on top of the heater base  and pour in the oil.  You can choose what ever oil you fancy, I used some local rapeseed oil, but anything from olive to vegetable will do.
Heat over a medium heat and add the onions.  Sweat them until soft, but not coloured.
Add the spices, stir well and cook for a minute.
Add the pumpkin, stir well and cook for around 5 minutes.
Add the coconut, stock and seasoning and bring to the boil.

Simmer for 15 minutes, until the pumpkin is soft.
Blend until smooth and then add the kernels from 2 corn on the cob.
Cook for a further 10 minutes and serve.

We had ours with some crusty bread, flecked with fresh sage and topped with sea salt.

Soup 2 is made from more autumn bounty, including apples and sage from my garden.

Parsnip and apple soup

2 tblsp oil
2 onions, chopped
2 large parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 apples, cored and chopped - there is no need to peel them
1 litre chicken or vegetable stock
1 tsp chopped fresh sage - be careful with this, sage is a very pungent herb and too much will ruin the soup
Salt and pepper to taste

Again I used the Kitchen Companion for this.

Warm the oil over a medium heat and add the onions.
Cook until soft but not coloured
Put the parsnips, apples, sage and stock into the bowl .
Cover with the lid and bring to the boil over a high heat
Reduce to a simmer and cook for around 15-20 minutes until the parsnips are soft.

Blend and season with salt and pepper - it's likely you'll want to use a little more seasoning than usual,as this is quite a sweet soup.
I drizzled mine with hazelnut oil, for a luxurious and show off presentation and accompanied it with cheese bread.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2013 ©
www.netherton-foundry.co.uk

The Kitchen Companion

I would like to introduce you to the Kitchen Companion, the very  latest addition to the Netherton Foundry range.
This is the perfect product for small kitchens, holiday homes, student accommodation and as an indispensible kitchen feature when the range is turned off for the summer.

Using all the characteristics that have made our slow cooker so popular, with the advantage of a high powered heater  base, this will boil, sear, braise, poach, sauté, pot roast, fry and simmer a huge range of dishes.  Complete with cast iron heat diffuser ring, 4 litre cast iron bowl and lid, seasoned with Sussex flax oil and, of course, the Netherton Foundry oak!

Naturally, we include a selection of recipes for you to try and here is one of them, little parcels of perfect pigginess.

Highley Hoggies

1 tblsp oil

250g minced pork

250g finely chopped pig’s liver

1 chopped apple

1 tsp chopped sage

Black pepper

8 rashers streaky bacon

1 large onion, sliced

300ml stock

Mix the pork, liver chopped apple, sage and black pepper together – this is best done by hand.

Place the bacon rashers between clingfilm and beat out thinly.

Place the cast iron diffuser ring on the hotplate and place the cast iron bowl on top.  

Add the oil to the boil on heat on Max and then add the sliced onion.  Cook until translucent.

While the onion is cooking, divide the pork mixture into eight equal amounts and shape each quantity into a ball.  Place a ball of mixture on to each bacon rasher and roll up into parcels.

Place the parcels on top pf the onions and ad the stock.

Cover with the lid and bring to the boil.

Turn down the  heat and simmer for approx 40 minutes.

Season with salt to taste, but remember that the bacon may be salty, so taste first!

Serve with mashed potato and peas.

Highly versatile, this will do virtually everything you need in the kitchen from boiling to braising, poaching to pancakes, searing to simmering.
Soups, stews and sauces, puddings and pot roasts, casseroles and crepes, fried eggs and fried rice, risotto and rissoles, a cup of tea or a pot of mulled wine.

Not just in the kitchen, this is ideal for entertaining, take it to the table for cooking and serving.
Use for accompaniments for the barbecue, party buffets and a whole host of other occasions

And what about those big occasions when your cooker just isn't big enough, Christmas dinner for example?
Another cooking ring will always come in handy - warm the gravy, cook the sprouts, steam the pudding, flame the brandy.

Supplied with our iconic cast iron casserole, the Kitchen Companion is multi purpose ,
so you can also use it with frying pans, saucepans, a wok or for boiling the kettle.

Netherton Foundry Shropshire 2013 ©

www.netherton-foundry.co.uk