Scrumptious Sunday Supper

Having had the pleasure of a plethora of new cookery books arriving this week I thought I’d use today to really dive into them and get cooking.

   

With the exception of my Dad’s ‘special pork’ (more details coming up) and my ‘maple carrots‘ all the other recipes are from the new arrivals. So what was on the menu?  

 

Well, for the savory course we had marinated pork loin wrapped with Parma ham (my Dad’s recipe which he’s let me acquire for my book, but sorry folks it’s not appearing here).  This was accompanied by Patate alla Veneziana (Venetian Style Potatoes) from Francesco Da Mosto’s latest book Francesco’s Kitchen, Finocchi alla Giudia (Braised Fennel, Jewish Style) from Cucina Ebraica Flavors of the Italian Jewish Kitchen by Joyce Goldstein, my maple carrots and an adapted version of Donna Hay’s Lemon Butter Pan Spinach from Instant Entertaining.  

 

 

All the components of the meal worked so well together, although I did cook rather too much of it; so typical of me though – a family of three with army style catering going on, lol

Fennel is my favourite vegetable of the moment (you’d never have guessed would you?) and, braising it was a fabulous thing to do.  The flavour was really mellow and the texture light but slightly chewy with the caramelization, stunning.  I can’t believe I’ve never cooked fennel this way before, how could I have missed out all this time. 

The spinach was very flavoursome  and tasty although I wish I’d left the cream out, the meal was rich enough in itself without the added dairy produce.  Having said that the lemon juice did cut through some of the cloying of the cream.  

The Venetian potatoes are really lovely, crisp crunchy cubes with a hidden secret; slivers of sweet onion enveloped in them. A find that awakens the senses and really gets the taste-buds going.

Personally I wouldn’t have made the maple carrots but they were requested and thus cooked.  I was so surprised when they actually ‘went’ with the meal, not a perfect flavour combination by any means but it wasn’t a bad one. 

Now to the main focal point of the dinner – the pork.  It was so good, melt in the mouth tender, slightly salty from the ham and delicately scented by various herbs and a little vermouth.  Absolutely divine.   

 

 

The dessert was a rhubarb and apple crumble adapted from The Matthew Hayden Cookbook 2 (Matthew Hayden) served with Birds Custard -  what a great end to a meal, how trashy

 

The crumble was very disappointing, not the fault of the recipe but of mine.  Had I just stuck to using apples (and maybe a few fresh berries), all would have been tickety boo; but I didn’t, I went and added a tin of rhubarb.  Yes a tin of rhubarb, and yes I can hear you all gasping and shouting at the screen, but that is what the supermarket sent me when I ordered fresh organic rhubarb – don’t ask.  So it had to be used somewhere and I thought this would be as good a place as any.  I was wrong, very wrong, the rubarb had no flavour, it was just a kind of grayish green sludge that did nothing other than add a slight graininess to the crumble.  The crumble topping was delicious though, very light and very fragrant, owing to the coconut that was included.  I will definitely cook it again, but without the tinned fruit.

A totally scrumptious Sunday supper. 

 

The Recipes:

 

Lemon Butter Pan Spinach:

serves 4 as a side dish

• 60g butter
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon rind
• 2 cloves garlic crushed
• 400g spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• sea salt and cracked black pepper

1. Place the butter in a frying pan over high heat. 
2. Add the lemon rind and garlic and cook for 1 minute till garlic is lightly golden.
3. Add the spinach and turn with tongs till soft and wilted. 
4. Pour over the lemon juice and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. 
5. Serve immediately

 Braised Fennel Jewish Style: 

• 12 small or 6 large fennel bulbs
• olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 cup water or vegetable broth
• salt to taste
• 1/4 cup toasted, slivered almonds (optional)

1. Cut off the stalks and feathery tops of the fennel bulbs and reserve for another use. Trim off the rough outside leaves. Cut the bulbs in halves or quarters lengthwise. Remove the tough central core.
2. In a pan large enough to hold all the fennel in one layer, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until pale gold.
3. Discard the garlic and place the fennel in the pan. Saute, turning often until the fennel pieces take on a golden color, about 10 minutes.
4. Add the water or vegetable broth and salt and cover the pan. Braise until tender, about 20 minutes longer. Add additional water or broth if needed until the fennel is tender and golden. Do not be afraid to let it get rather brown and the sauce syrupy.
5. Note: You can make this dish without the garlic. Toasted slivered almonds can be sprinkled over the top just before serving. 

  Venetian Style Potatoes: 

•  1 onion, chopped
• 40 g butter
• 60 ml olive oil
• 600 g potatoes
• 25 g fresh parsley, chopped
• salt

1. Saute the chopped onion in the butter and oil. 
2. Peel and eye the potatoes and cut each one into large bite size pieces.
3. The add to the pan, turn the potatoes and saute at a moderate heat, being careful that they neither break up nor stick to the pan. 
4. When they are almost cooked after 15-20 minutes, add salt and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
5. Now cook for a further 5 minutes and serve hot.

  Crumble: 

•  800 g bakers apples, diced
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup sultanas
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3/4 cup desicated coconut
• 125 g butter, diced

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Spread the apple into a 5 cup capacity ovenproof dish.  Sprinkle the cinnamon and sultanas over the apple,
2. Combine the flour, sugar and coconut in a mixing bowl.  Using your fingertips, rub the butter into the dry ingredients to make a crumbly mixture.
3. Spread the crumble over the apples and bake for 20 minutes, until brown.
4. Serve hot.