CAFE HUGO - PARIS

I spent a long weekend in Paris recently, and having not been there since I was 14, I asked friends who'd been there more recently for suggestions of where to eat. A very good friend of mine, Hugo, said that I should go to Cafe Hugo, on Place des Vosges. I wasn't sure how much this had to do with it being a good place to eat, or with it sharing his name. Anyhow, we ended up here on a lazy Sunday afternoon, and I'm so glad we did! In fact, it turns out that when I was in Paris with my family all those years ago, we stayed about 300m away from Cafe Hugo.

We got there at about 2.30pm and the place was heaving. We got a table though, outside on the pavement, covered with a see-through marquee. It was such a (naughty) treat to be able to sit at my table, in the warmth, and smoke a cigarette!!

But the best thing about Cafe Hugo was the food. Bowls of onion soup, smelling sweet and thick with melted cheese, were carried past us to many of the other diners. I couldn't manage the onion soup and a main course (after a long weekend of many meals) so opted for just a main course - a beautiful rib of beef I shared with my boyfriend. It was cooked to perfection - 'a pointe' as they call it there. And on point it was. Served with a rustic looking dauphinoise, a few grilled spring onions and half a Parmesan crusted baked tomato - not quite the seasonal vegetables I'd imagined from the description of the dish, but all the same, it was really tasty. After 4 days in Paris, eating in amazing restaurants, I had by now learnt that fresh, simple vegetables simply don't exist as part of main courses!

The service at Cafe Hugo was brilliant. We were very well attended to, and felt relaxed and really comfortable, despite the fact there must've been at least 100 people seated for food there. After conquering our main courses and some good red wine, a quick espresso got me on my feet for a stroll around the stunning square that is Place de Vosges, before heading to the station and back to London.  

A perfect way to spend our last sunny afternoon of a wonderful weekend in Paris.

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A VERY SUSTAINABLE DINNER - COLEY

Coley has been called 'the fish that could save cod'. We all know that cod is overfished, but as it is still present in EVERY supermarket, frozen, fresh and from the fish counter, it is easy to still pick it up without thinking. However, my new found love of coley has diverted my attentions, and I hope it can change your minds too. The longer we carry on eating overfished fish, the quicker it is going to run out.

This is a great recipe for cooking Coley, but you can choose any of your favorite cod recipes and replace it with coley. Coley is also particularly cheap.

1 small bag of baby new potatoes
3 leeks
1 onion
4 cloves of garlic
4 fillets of coley
4 pieces of parma ham
4 sprigs of thyme
1 lemon

Put a pan of salted water on to boil. Add some cleaned baby new potatoes once boiling.

Wash the leeks and chop into cm long slices. Chop the onion finely and add to an oiled pan with the leeks. Fry gently for 5-7 minutes until everything is starting to soften. Place the softened leek and onion in a pile in a roasting tin, and tuck the crushed cloves of garlic into the pile. Now take your coley fillets. Wrap each fillet with a piece of parma ham, and tuck a spring of thyme and a slice of lemon in between the fish and the ham. Pop the wrapped Coley fillets on top of the leek pile. Grill the fish and leeks for 20 minutes under a medium grill.

Drain the potatoes, and crush gently with a fork. Serve alongside a wrapped fillet of coley and some leeks, with a wedge of lemon.

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DELICIOUS SPANISH INSPIRED LAMB STEW

Stew is a perfect winter food, warm and hearty, and can be left to cook while you go about your day. And this one includes all my favorite Spanish flavours. It also all cooks in one pot, so there is little washing up!

This recipe serves 3 people.

500g leg of lamb, diced
1 onion, finely sliced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 red pepper, sliced
1 tsp paprika
Chorizo
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tin of olives stuffed with anchovy
1 glass red wine
3 glasses of beef or chicken stock
2 bay leaves
Bunch of rosemary
Zest of half a lemon
1 tin of flageolet beans
Parsley 

Brown the lamb in a heavy bottomed pan over a medium heat. Once brown, remove from the pan and keep to one side. Add the onion, garlic and sliced pepper, and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the paprika and chorizo cut into cm chunks to the pan. Stir for a minute or so. Then mix in the tin of tomatoes and olives. Bubble gently for a few minutes and add the red wine, stock, bay leaves and some rosemary. Season with pepper, and a little salt to taste (the anchovy olives are quite salty though so always taste first). Bring up to a slow simmer.

Replace the browned lamb in the pan with a grate of lemon zest. Part cover the pan and leave to simmer gently for 2 hours, stirring every now and again.

After two hours, add the flageolet beans to the stew. Stir and cook for ten minutes.

Serve with mashed potato, and sprinkle with parsley.

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COCONUT TREATS - COCONUT ICE

These sweet delights are perfect as a beautiful birthday gift or just a treat to yourself. Old school sweeties that are 100% homemade and a million miles better than the shop bought ones I remember from my youth.

Coconut ice is really easy to make, it takes a bit of elbow grease, but requires no cooking so really is just mixing.

397g condensed milk (1 tin)
350g desiccated coconut
320g icing sugar
Vanilla extract
Red food colouring

Take one normal size tin of condensed milk (379g) - try and avoid Nestle, there are plenty of other brands available. Add the desiccated coconut, sifted icing sugar and a splash of vanilla extract. Mix this all together, it will be very sticky and difficult to mix but persevere!!

When all the ingredients are combined, spoon half the mixture into a tray lined with buttered greaseproof paper. Ideal size for these amounts in 20cm x 10cm tray.

Add a few drops of red food dye to the remaining mixture. Mix thoroughly and press over the mix into the tin with slightly wet hands. Once you have an even surface you're done. Loosely cover with foil. Put the coconut ice into the fridge for 4-8 hours. Then remove and place in a cool, dry area for a further 12 hours. Then you're ready to cut the coconut ice into small squares, place in airtight jars and give to anyone you love!

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EALING'S HIDDEN TREASURE

The Bollo in Chiswick is one of my favorite local eat-outs. Their menu offers good hearty meals, with meat and fish, as well as vegetarian, all living up to their own. So, I was  very happy to discover that the owners have a few more gastropubs, the other one nearest to me is the Ealing Park Tavern. Located a walk through the park away from me, it couldn't be better. I booked in for dinner recently and was not disappointed.

I have a small obsession with reading restaurant's menus online before I visit them, and noted that the Ealing Park Tavern had less options on the menu than The Bollo, but seemed to be a slightly more upmarket version, with higher priced dishes - the choice of ingredient dictating the value. I love the food at The Bollo so was excited for the EPT, despite it's unassuming exterior.

The restaurant was quiet when we visited, but beautifully furnished and with a welcoming fire blazing. The service was brilliant throughout, attentive but not intrusive. Our starters of pork, pistachio & apricot terrine, apple chutney, toasted brioche and baked pecan & thyme crusted goats cheese, pickled beetroot, baby pousse, balsamic dressing were very good.

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EASY PEASY TARTE TATIN

A french friend of my mum's cooks the most fantastic tarte tatins that she brings round for dinner parties. I didn't think I had a hope of recreating her amazing tarte, without even a recipe to go on. But I'm pleased to say it wasn't actually far off. Although I have used pre made puff pastry, and I'm sure my mum's friend makes her own!

Using this recipe, tarte tatin is actually really easy to make - there are only 4 ingredients - and can be made well in advance, then reheated and served warm, or just served cold!

This recipe makes a large tatin that feeds 8 people.

7 cox apples (can use Braeburns or Granny Smiths)

80g soft brown sugar

80g salter butter

1 roll of shop bought puff pastry

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Peel, quarter and core the apples. I used cox apples, you can use these, Braeburns or Granny Smiths. Slice the apples as thinly as possible. My magimix came up trumps here, with it's 2mm slicing blade. 

In a large frying pan (that is safe to later put in the oven) heat 80g of soft light brown sugar and 80g of butter. Leave this, on a medium heat, to bubble and foam and become golden and oozing. This takes around 5 minutes. Once it is so, quickly layer your apple slices onto the caramel, as neatly as possible. It doesn't matter if there are a few small holes in between the apple slices. Keep over a medium heat and let the caramel seep up between the apples.

Roll out a piece of shop bought puff pastry on a floured surface, until it's just less than 5mm thick. Cut a circle the same size of the pan out of the pastry.

Once the caramel is turning a dark golden, place the circle of puff pastry over the apples and tuck down the sides.

Put the whole pan into the oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until the pastry has turned golden and crisp. With a teatowel, remove the pan from the oven - be careful - the handle of the pan will be very hot.

Leave to cool slightly before turning the tarte out onto a plate, with the apples showing.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.

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GREEN TOMATO CHUTNEY for CHEESE

I planted a new veg patch this summer, and after a number of vegetable cat and slug related disasters, the one real survivor was my tomato plants. But after another typical London summer I've been left with a load of greeny orange tomotoes. So with winter and it's obligatory red wine soon approaching, I decided to cook up some green and red tomato chutney.

I used a combination of my own un ripe tomatoes and some delicious red vine tomatoes from our local market.

This makes 4-6 jars of chutney

800g green and red tomatoes
800ml malt vinegar
2 onions, finely chopped
400g soft brown sugar
400g sultanas
2 bay leaves
Bunch of thyme
Tsp salt

Chop the tomatoes and put them in a heavy bottomed pan with an equal amount of malt vinegar and the onions. Add the brown sugar and sultanas. Add a bay leaf, some thyme and a teaspoon of salt to mixture and simmer over a low heat for 80-90 minutes, stirring regularly. 

The mixture will reduce to a jammy consistency.

When reduced to the thickness you like (I like it when there is just a little liquid left in the bottom that separates when spooned away and takes a second or two to reform), pour the chutney into sterilised glass jars (to sterilise the jars place them in an oven at 130C for 10 mins or so, or rinse with boiling water). Leave to cool for a few hours, then cover with cling film.

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THE BOLLO HOUSE, CHISWICK

I have been meaning to write a post about my taste card, but normally get so carried away with eating when I go out with my card that I totally forget to take any photos/try to remember detail! But I recently discovered our local gastro pub was on the 50% off food taste card list, and today went for lunch with a girlfriend there. It was great, and I'll definitely be going back soon.

The Bollo is found on Bollo Lane, close to Chiswick Park tube station. It is a typical converted gastro pub with solid wood interiors and it's fair share of young families (most notable was a table of 5 adults with 5 children under the age of 1). However, thanks to the good manners of all such young children, we didn't feel like we'd gatecrashed a creche!

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BUTCHERY COURSE AT THE GINGER PIG

For my birthday this year, amongst other very lovely presents, I was spoilt with a magimix from my parents (how I've longed for one!) and from my very generous brother and his girlfriend, a voucher for a beef butchery course at The Ginger Pig.

So last night, apron in tow, I headed to The Ginger Pig on Moxton Street for a night of beef!

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EGGS, EGGS, EGGS

A year ago I didn't eat eggs. I hadn't eaten eggs for years, apart from the time I had rather stupidly decided to try a duck egg which was far too rich and didn't go down well at all! But now, I eat eggs at least once a day. I always eat free range eggs, and love to pick them up from farm shops if I get out of London for the weekend. And the combination of smoked fish, eggs and creme fraiche is just irresistible.

Here are two recipes I love - they are both great as a luxurious breakfast at the weekend, or, with the addition of potatoes in the second recipe, a quick evening supper.

SMOKED SALMON and SCRAMBLED EGGS

Prepare all your ingredients - slice your bagel in half, get the smoked salmon out of the packet, and whisk 2 eggs per person with a large dash of milk, ground pepper and a thinly sliced spring onion.

Put the bagel in the toaster.

Add a large knob of butter to a medium hot pan. When melted, add the egg mix and leave for half a minute. Take a wooden spoon and mix up the eggs, continuing to do this until the egg is scrambled, but still wet. Remove from the heat.

Butter the toasted bagel and top with a dollop of creme fraiche. Serve the scrambled eggs on top of the creme fraiche with slithers of smoked salmon on the side. Add pepper and half a lemon.

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PORK BELLY & SOMERSET VEG

Slow roasting meat is my favourite kind of roast. And slow roast pork belly almost tops them all. Add to that super fresh veg from Somerset via our local farmers market in Ealing and you're onto a winner. Eating this food, I wish every day was Sunday.

Serves 4

800g-1kg piece of free range pork belly
Tbsp fennel seeds
Salt
Half a bag of potatoes
3 onions
Half a tin of Red Stripe
Curly kale
1 garlic clove
Butter

3 hours before you want to serve your food, turn your oven on full. Get the pork belly out of the fridge, and using a sharp knife lightly score the skin side of the belly. Don't score it so deep that the knife reaches the meat. Rub salt into and all over the scored skin and salt and pepper the other side of the meat. Rub the fennel seeds into the underside of the pork. Put the pork belly into an unoiled roasting tray, turn the oven down to 200C and put the meat in middle of the oven.

After 30 minutes, turn the oven down to 180C. You can leave it for an hour now.

Once the meat has been in for a total of 1hr30, put a pan of water on to boil. Peel enough potatoes to make lots of mash and add to the salted boiling water. At this point take the meat out of the oven, tip the tray, scoop all the juices up with a spoon and smother over the pork belly. Add 3 quartered onions to the roasting pan and return to the oven.

Let the meat cook for another hour (so it has 2 and a half hours in total) and then grill under a high heat for 3 minutes until the skin bubbles up into amazing crackling. Remove the pork belly from the oven and pan, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rest while you mash the potatoes and cook the curly kale. Put the roasting pan on the hob, add half a tin of beer (red stripe's my favorite!) and mix up with all the sticky onions and juices from the pan.

Wash the curly kale and chop into inch thick slices. Add to a pan with an inch of water, a knob of butter and some sliced garlic. Cook for 3 minutes or until the curly kale has reduced to about a quarter of its original state.

Drain and mash the potatoes. Add plenty of butter and mash til smooth.

Take the fat off the top of the gravy (running a piece of bread across the top of the gravy will absorb the fat off it) and pour over the creamy mash, crunchy curly kale and thick slices of pork belly and crackling.

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SQUID WITH VERDE POTATOES & GUACAMOLE

Squid is a very easy fish to cook. It takes minutes and as long as you ask your fishmonger to clean it for you, it is very easy to prepare. This is a nice light dish.

For 2 people

Half a bag of baby new potatoes
2 avocados
3 garlic cloves
Half a red onion
Handful of coriander
Juice of half a lemon
Olive oil
Bunch of parsley
Bunch of coriander
Handful of capers
3 squid
1 red chilli
Lemon zest

Put a pan of water on to boil for your potatoes. Clean small baby new potatoes. Add to the pan of water as soon as it starts to boil.

In a mixing bowl, squish the avocados, and  mix with 1 crushed garlic, finely chopped red onion, a chopped bunch of coriander, the juice of half a lemon, a drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

Take a jam jar and fill up to a quarter with olive oil. Add chopped parsley, coriander, a handful of capers and 2 crushed cloves of garlic. Put the lid on and shake vigorously. This is to drizzle over your warm baby potatoes once they're cooked.

Chop the squid into cm thick strips along the body and add the tentacles to the squid rings. Rinse all the squid and pat dry. 

Add crushed garlic, a thinly sliced red chilli and lemon zest of 1 lemon to olive oil in a frying pan and bring up to hot. Once sizzling, add all of the squid rings and tentacles. Stir fry for 1 minute, or until the rings have turned white rather than opaque. Remove from the heat, add a little chopped parsley, and serve with the verde potatoes, guacamole and a big squeeze of lemon.

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