Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (17 page)

GOOD FOOD FOR LESS

SPICY BLACK BEANS
WITH FETA AND AVOCADO

SERVES 4

This is Mexican street food at its best, and shows that you don’t need meat to make a tasty dish. Black beans are a staple of Mexican cooking because they are so robust and filling, and the spices, feta and squeeze of lime juice really bring them to life. When enclosed in crisp tortilla wraps, known as ‘tostadas’, the beans make great starters or snacks to go with beer.

1
. Fry the onion in olive oil for about 5 minutes until soft, then add the chilli and garlic and cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Add the cumin and cinnamon and cook for a further minute until aromatic. Add the beans and a couple of tablespoons of the reserved liquid.

2
. Cover the beans and cook gently for 10 minutes until they start to break down, then remove from the heat and leave to cool slightly. Mash about three-quarters of the beans roughly with a fork or the back of a spoon, leaving some whole. Alternatively, if it’s a less rustic-looking effect you’re after, pour the beans into a liquidiser and blitz until smooth. Heat through gently – if the mixture is too thick, add a little more of the reserved liquid from the beans. Season to taste.

3
. The beans can be served as they stand, scattered with the feta, avocado, coriander and lime juice. If making the tostadas, pour the vegetable oil into a large frying pan to a depth of 2cm and set over a medium-high heat. When hot, fry the tortillas in batches for 1–2 minutes on each side until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.

4
. The crispy tortillas should be assembled just before serving so that they don’t go soggy: spread them with the black bean mixture and garnish with crumbled feta, avocado and coriander. Serve with wedges of lime.

NORTH AFRICAN EGGS

SERVES 2–4

Eggs poached in tomato, pepper, chilli and onions is a typical breakfast dish throughout the Middle East and makes a great start to the day, or a late-morning brunch. The roll-call of spices varies from country to country and can include anything from fennel seeds to caraway or ginger, but cumin is generally a constant. To make a more substantial meal, you could always add some herby sausages. Prick their skins first and poach them in the tomato sauce for 20 minutes.

1
. Heat a heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Add a dash of oil and sweat the onion for 5 minutes until soft. Add the peppers and continue to sweat for 5 minutes, then add the garlic and chilli and fry for 1–2 minutes until soft and tender.

2
. Add the cumin and fry for 1 minute, then add the tomatoes, season and cook for 15–20 minutes until the tomatoes have completely collapsed (add 3–4 tablespoons of water to the mixture if the tomatoes aren’t that moist). The mixture should be the consistency of a thick sauce. Stir to mix well, taste and adjust the seasoning.

3
. Make 4 wells in the tomato mixture and break an egg into each well. Cover the pan and cook gently over a medium-low heat for 5–6 minutes, or until the egg white is set and the yolk is still a little runny.

4
. Serve sprinkled with coriander leaves and chopped spring onion, plus plenty of crusty bread on the side to mop up any juices.

CHICKEN STIR-FRY
WITH RICE NOODLES

SERVES 2

You’ll find versions of this recipe all across Asia, and it shows how good fast food can be. Because you are cooking over a high heat, it’s important to work quickly and keep everything moving around the wok, especially once the garlic has been added, as it will burn easily and taste bitter. Flattening the chicken not only means it will cook more quickly, but helps to tenderise it too.

1
. If using dried noodles, soak them in warm water until softened, according to packet instructions. (This will take about 10 minutes, depending on the brand.)

2
. Meanwhile, butterfly the chicken fillet by slicing through it horizontally, but leaving it joined down one side, then open it out. Flatten it with a rolling pin, then cut it diagonally into strips.

3
. Heat a wok over a high heat and add a dash of oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, and stir-fry for about 3 minutes until golden brown all over but not quite cooked through.

4
. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the broccoli and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes until tender; add the soy sauce to season. When the broccoli is tender, remove the contents of the wok and set them to one side. Wipe out the wok, add a dash of oil and heat through.

5
. Drain the soaked noodles. Add the eggs to the hot wok, season and stir over the heat, allowing the bottom of the egg to cook. Add the noodles and toss well, breaking up the egg as you do so. Return the chicken and broccoli mixture to the wok and heat through, stir-frying over a medium heat.

6
. Serve the noodles immediately with wedges of lime to squeeze on top.

HOW TO STIR-FRY

Tossing the contents of a pan with a smooth flick of the wrist doesn’t just look good – it means you can stay in control and keep things cooking evenly. The secret is to push the pan away from you and sharply pull it back. Push away, pull back, push away, pull back. It will take a little practice, but it’s a skill definitely worth perfecting.

HOME-MADE GNOCCHI

SERVES 4

This is another great way to use up baked or boiled potatoes. You can make gnocchi with just flour and eggs, but potato gives it a beautiful, light, fluffy texture, while the ricotta adds a rich creaminess. When you see what a beautiful meal this makes, you won’t believe it all started with leftover potatoes.

1
. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6.

2
. Bake the potatoes in their skins for 1–1¼ hours until tender the whole way through. Remove the flesh from the skins (ideally while still warm) and mash until smooth – a potato ricer works best here. Mix in the ricotta, a pinch of salt and white pepper and the flour. Make a well in the middle, add the beaten egg and begin to combine the mixture with floured hands. Work in the thyme leaves and continue until a smooth dough has formed. (Be careful not to overwork it or the dough will end up too dense and won’t expand when it goes into the water.)

3
. Cut the dough in half and shape each piece into a long cigar shape about 1.5cm thick. Using the back of a floured table knife, cut each length of dough into 2cm pieces to make ‘pillows’ or individual gnocchi. Gently press each one in the centre using your floured finger. The dent will hold more sauce and allow the gnocchi to take on more flavour.

4
. Bring a large pan of water to the boil. Add the gnocchi, tilting the pan from side to side briefly to stop them sticking together, then simmer for about 1½–2 minutes until they start to float. Drain the gnocchi and leave them to steam-dry for 1–2 minutes.

5
. Meanwhile, start to make the sauce. Heat a frying pan over a medium-high heat and add a little olive oil. Add the gnocchi to the hot pan with a pinch of salt and black pepper and sauté for 1–2 minutes on each side until nicely coloured.

6
. Add the peas to the pan with a knob of butter and the thyme leaves. Toss to heat through, then add the lemon zest. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

LEEK AND GRUYÈRE ROSTI
WITH FRIED EGGS

SERVES 2

Every good cook has a few ideas up their sleeve for using leftover potato, and this Alpine dish is one of my favourites. The Swiss will sometimes flavour their rostis with bacon, onion or even apple, but I like to add leeks, to make a kind of cheesy, European take on bubble and squeak. This would make a light supper with a green salad, or, moulded into separate patties, goes really well with roast chicken or grilled chops.