There is nothing new about me making a batch of kraut, now and again. This time I made some with a few twists - British white cabbage and caraway seeds.
I didn't add any carrots, or kholrabi this time....
Shred one head of white cabbage and pour in 1/4 c. whey from plain yogurt. Add a 1/2 tbsp. of sea salt, and one clove worth of crushed garlic, toss. Crush with the bottom of a glass, or a purpose made tool. Cover and let set at room temperature for 30 minutes. Crush again, add a tsp. of caraway seeds. Press into a jar and put on the lid. I used a swing top Kilner jar. Leave out on a counter at room temperature for 2, or 3 days, burp the jar once a day and press further into the glass.
We found some German style bangers and with the kraut, it made a good lunch. MUSTARD!
You could have slapped me with a kipper when we found some Crasters at the mongers. Craster Kippers come from their namesake in Northumberland. Raw herrings are split, gutted, washed and soaked in brine.
The fish are then slow smoked over oak and white wood. The smokehouses have a distinctive look dotted all over Craster, with white smoke coming from the stone buildings.
Kippers are delicious grilled and served with a soft-centre egg. Many enjoy a Kipper Tea - kipper on a bap with a cuppa. I made some potted pate' with one of my kippers.
Many say that kippers this way are far superior to tinned kippers.
Take one kipper and place in a pan. Run some hot water from a kettle and heat the fish through. Pick the flesh from the bones and skin. Process into a paste with; 1/4 c. soured cream, 2 tsp. dijon, zest of a lemon, a lrg. handful of roquette, 2 tbsp. sweated leeks. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of paprika. Pot the pate' and refrigerate.
Jerusalem artichoke is not really an artichoke at all. Instead, the tuber is a species of sunflowers, commonly found growing in North America.
Other names for Jerusalem artichoke include; sunchoke, sunroot, earth apple, or topinambour.
Thank you Peter Tickle for growing some in the United Kingdom. I paired the whole package of Kentish grown tubers with some parsnips for soup. The soup is garnished with roasted Jerusalem artichoke chips. Peel and slice on a diagonal, place in a lined tray and brush with EVOO. Roast at a high temp., watching carefully, until lightly browned and crisp. This should take about 15 minutes, depending on thickness of the cut.
Parsnip and Jerusalem Artichoke Soup
Steam 4 parsnips with 8 Jerusalem artichokes, until fork tender. Add a cup of single cream and blitz with a hand blender, until smooth. Thin to the desirable thickness with vegetable stock. Dot with butter and season. Top with roasted chips and serve.
To go on the side of our numerous curry dishes, I whipped up a few batches of chutney. The mango chutney has a sweet/sour flavour, and a savoury condiment with a bit of a hot bite - tomato chutney.
Both have a delightful highlight from curry leaves. These are harder to find at the regular grocers in the USA, at least in my neck of the woods. I bought a big bag of fresh leaves and used what I need for the chutney, drying the remainder. As you serve your chutney take care not to chew on any remaining leaves left in the jar. They do continue to enhance the mixture if you leave a few leaves in the storage jar.
Curry leaves source off a tropical tree and are commonly used in Indian cuisine. In other Asian regions regions curry leaves can be a substitute for tulsi.
Mango Chutney
2 red chillis, 1 seeded and chopped. The other split long ways and dropped in the mixture.
2 cloves garlic, crushed
10 g. fresh ginger, sliced thin
1 very lrg. onion half and slice
20 g. water
250 g. demerara sugar
4 lrg. mangos, peeled and sliced
120 g. vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. turmeric
100 g. mixed dried fruit (sultanas, raisins, currants, etc)1
1 lrg. sprig curry leaves
Sweat onions in pot. Add garlic, ginger, and curry leaves. Heat through, then add remaining ingredients slowly, making sure to incorporate completely as you go. Cook on med. heat until reduced and thicker, about 20 minutes. Retrieve the whole chilli and curry leaves to discard. Keep finished chutney in a swing top jar in the refrigerator and use as needed.
Tomato Chutney
1 tbsp. ground coriander seeds
1 tsp. ground cumin
3 tbsp. oil
2 tsp. Nigella seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
2 green chillis, 2 seeded and chopped. The other split long ways and dropped in the mixture.
2 cloves garlic. crushed
1 small onion, small chopped
1/2 tsp. paprika
1 1/2 c. fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded
4 tsp. tomato paste
2 tbsp. vinegar
1/2 c. water
1 tsp. turmeric
salt and pepper
Heat oil in a pot, add nigella seeds and curry leaves. Toast in oil, then add onions and garlic to sweat them. Add remaining ingredients. Incorporate completely and cook through, until bubbly and reduced, about 20 minutes. Fish the whole chilli and the curry leaves out of the mixture. Place in a jar and store in the refrigerator until needed.
