Fucking Good Chips

Here is how to make some fucking good chips;-

You need PO-TA-TOES, I use Maris Piper 'cuz my veg shop sells them cheap, but any potatoes which are good for boiling, roasting and mashing should do the trick.

Preheat the oven to 180C, put a generous amount of oil in a roasting dish.

Put the dish in the oven to heat the oil. I like to use olive oil.

Slice the potato into large wedges, about 1cm thick... or thicker, if you prefer. S'all about chunky chips.

Blanche them- that means put them in a pan, covered with cold water, add salt and bring them to the boil. Then take them off the heat, strain them and run them under cold water to stop them from cooking any further.

While this is going sort out your seasoning for your chips... since you have to add them to the chips quickly I suggest mixing it in a bowl beforehand.

I usually make spicy or herby chips. This basically means grabbing any herbs or spices which I'm in the mood for, mixing them in a bowl until it tastes right.

I'm fond of thyme and rosemary, or various kinds of paprika with caynne pepper, corriander, cumin and sometimes a bit of oregano for smokey chips. (Which NEEDS to be eaten with mayo or BBQ sauce.)

Anyway, get the roasting tray out of the oven and add the chips as quickly as you can, and toss them in the oil with the spices/herbs. Do this as quickly as you can so the oil doesn't cool off.

Hot oil creates a coating and seals food, if it goes cold your chips will simply sit there and soak up cold oil.... blergh. The chunkier your chips, the longer they will take to cook.

Roast your chips until they're starting to go brown, at which point add salt to them and return to the oven. The salt absorbs the moisture from the chips and so makes the skins nice and crispy.

Leave them in the oven for five more minutes and they should be most excellent chips. :)

Jacket Potato

Wash, prick with a fork.

Microwave for 5-10 minutes, depending on the size of yer spud.

Pre-heat the oven.

When the potato is done, coat it in a little olive oil and salt.

Bake.

When you're happy, cut a cross in the skin and push the flesh of the potato out by squeezing the sides, this lets water evaporate and makes scrummy fluffiness. :)

And you've still got a wonderfully crispy skin.

Using garlic-olive-oil is also very good.

Yummy fluffy couscous

I am very fond of couscous.

Simply heat oil in a pan, and coat the couscous in a little oil.

Add herbs and spices as you see fit.

Add the same measure of hot stock to the cous cous, take it off the heat and distribute the cous cous evenly across the pan.

Leave for four minutes, then fluff with a fork.

If you'd like to learn more about couscous check out;- http://homecooking.about.com/od/specificdishe1/a/couscoustips.htm

Variations:

Sundried tomatoes

Flaked almonds and grated lemon rind

Thai Green Curry Paste

Keeps in the fridge for ages. Fry the paste, add fresh food and serve with rice or noodles or use in a soup.

Need:

1 Green Pepper

1 Stalk lemongrass

1 shallot

Ginger

Garlic

Cumin- ground

Lime zest/lime juice

Soy Sauce (or fish sauce)

Fresh Corriander

Green chili

Coconut milk

Vegetable Oil

Basically... stick everything in a blender. Add as much garlic, ginger, corriander, lemongrass pleases you.

You need the liquids to make sure everything blends, I like coconut milk as it soothes the heat of the chili a little, and since I find soy sauce a bit too salty in large amounts I offset it with a tiny bit of oil.

But again, do as pleases you.

Spiced Paprika Butter

You will need;

Butter

Various Paprikas, I tend to use normal paprkia and a smoked paprika

Chili powder (if you want it really hot)

Melt the butter over a low heat and stir in the spices.

Done.

Tailor the paprika to the dish you're serving it with.

Red Potato and Kale Soup with Chili

From 'The Greens Cookbook'

I like to serve this with a spiced paprika butter and a sprig of fresh parsley on the creme fraiche.

The Stock-

Use the stems of the kale

The Soup-

1 bunch of kale

3 tablespoons virgin olive oil

1 Medium red/yellow onion, diced into 1cm squares

6 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced

1 Small dried red chili, or 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes

1 Bay leaf

4 medium red potatoes, diced into 1cm cubes

1.75 litres/3 pints stock

Salt

Pepper

Creme Fraiche

Cut the ruffles leaves of the kale, use the stems to make the stock. Cut the leaves into 5cm square and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a soup pot, add the onion, garlic, chili, bay leaf, salt.

Cook over a medium-high heat for 3/4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the potatoes and a cup of the stock- or use water if you prefer.

Stir, cook slowly for five minutes.

Add the kale, cover and steam until it has wilted, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the stock/water, simmer slowly- covered. Leave for 30-40 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

Either use the back of a wooden spoon to smush some of the potatoes, or blend some of the soup and return to the pot to create a background for the rest of the soup.

Best left for at least an hour to let the flavours deepen, add salt to taste.

The Greens Cookbook recommends to serve this without a garnish, with the exception of some creme fraiche. I like to make a spiced paprika butter and serve the soup with this however. Shocking eh? I follow the Greens book to the letter most of the time.

Dollop the creme fraiche in the center, add a sprig of fresh parsley on the top and drip a ring of paprika butter around the edge. Delicious.

Glamorganshire Sausages

I haven't typed up this recipe up myself as THIS is a good recipe.

For a twist, use smoked cheese and serve with a spicy relish.