Quick Fix Sushi Lunches

As the heat of the day really starts to kick in over summer, there is nothing I crave more than a plate of fresh sushi and a cold glass of white wine. Sadly, during the week it is unlikely I can snaffle a glass of wine on my office lunch break. Nor was there anywhere in the vicinity of the office that sold sushi.

But with the introduction of international food aisles to the likes of Sainsbury’s and Tesco, supermarkets have really stepped up the range of Asian food staples on offer. Although this doesn’t yet include fresh sushi grade fish, it does mean that packets of Nori seaweed sheets and sushi rice are readily available.

Here’s a refreshing change to your packed lunch. Give it a try.

Ingredients
Nori seaweed sheets (1 large sheet for 2 rolls)
400g Sushi rice
Smoked salmon slices, cooked prawns, ocean sticks or cold chicken strips.
Avocado (sliced)
Cucumber (julienned)
Salad (soft rocket leaves or lambs lettuce)
Mayonnaise (optional)
Sushi rolling mat or baking paper.

Method
Wash the sushi rice gently in a sieve using cold water, rinsing out any lose starch and dirt. Place in a saucepan filling with cold water (about half a pint) no further than 2/3 of the pot. Bring the pot to the boil and then immediately turn the heat down to simmer gently for 15 minutes with a lid. Remove from the heat and leave to stand and cool completely.

Lay out the Nori seaweed sheet onto your rolling mat or baking paper. Following one edge of the sheet, spread and flatten out a line of rice just over an inch wide, before making a shallow trough along the centre of your rice. If you find the rice is sticking too much to you as you do this, use wet fingers dipped in rice wine vinegar. Into the trough lay the main filling – salmon, chicken, prawns or even a mix. Then top with a light helping of salad and a drizzle of mayonnaise. Now with dry hands lift the seaweed sheet using the sushi roll mat or baking paper to help, and roll to make a tight cylinder of rice and filling in a seaweed outer shell. Place fold side down on chopping board and slice the roll to your desired length. Cut into inches for bite sized party aperitifs or longer for single snacks.

Braver sushi aficionados can spread a little wasabi paste on to the nori which will act like glue and keep the roll from unravelling.

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Fusion Roasted Poussin

The weekend – I love how it rallies around my work-addled mind and fills it with food-driven temptations. So of course at the end of a weekend is the customary Sunday Roast.

For a change to the usual roasted chicken, I decided to roast poussins – small spring chickens. These are tender young birds full of flavour, that actually offer themselves well to a barbecue  maybe with a little marinade of lemon, thyme, and olive oil or garlic, chilli, orange and oil. But today the winter sunlight is cutting through the cold blue sky and everything is covered in a crisp sheet of frost. Not the weather for barbecues. So I shall be roasting my poussins in the oven.

I grew up with a lot of chinese additions to english recipes. Here is my take on adding some interesting chinese flavours to a classic bird roast (a chickens for this recipe would be fine). The dark marinade makes the skin crispy and moorishly salty which is a great match to the moist and full-flavoured meat inside.

Ingredients:
2 poussins
An orange
Ground white pepper
Salt
2 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp Five Spice
Handful of fresh chives
Half a cup of sherry
1 tbsp sunflower oil

Method:
Start by pre-heating the oven to 190°C.

Finely chop the chives and place in the bird cavities. If you feel daring try placing them between the meat and skin, you will have separate the skin from the breast meat at the top of the crown between the two drumsticks. Be vary careful not tear the skin.

To make the marinade, zest the skin of half an orange into a bowl, but don’t discard the orange. Add the five spice, ground pepper, soy sauce and sunflower oil then combine together with a quick stir. Then rub the marinade all over the bird. Place the orange halves into the bird cavities (including the orange skin is fine).

Set the poussins on a roasting tray and divide the sherry by tipping half, into each of the cavities – don’t worry if it drains out a little into the tin.  Add a final sprinkle of salt over the skin. Roast in the oven for 40 minutes.

Serve with roasted sweet potatoes or new potatoes, and some dark green vegetables like steamed spinach or even a raw watercress and radish salad.

Chicken, Red Cabbage and Kale Stuffed Conchiglioni

In an attempt to experiment with more vegetables, here is a healthy starter, full of anti-oxidants and high in iron and other minerals in the kale and red cabbage. Not two of the most interesting veg – but the punch of garlic and the smooth cheese sauce balances out the slightly bitter qualities of the kale and the sweet red cabbage gives added crunchy texture.

Ingredients:
1 chicken breast
Kale
1/4 head of red cabbage
2 shallots
4 cloves of garlic
10g salted butter
10g plain flour
1/2 pt milk
50g cheddar cheese
About 40 Conchiglioni shells

Start by preheating the oven to 180°C.

Fry together the garlic and shallots in a small amount of oil until soft. Dice the chicken breast into small pieces and add to the mix, along with finely sliced red cabbage and kale. Stir together, cook until the chicken is cooked through and draw off the heat.

Melt the butter in a pan and stirring the flour in to form a smooth paste. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk.  Once consistent and smooth, return to the heat, melt the cheese into the sauce. The result should be a runny but smooth cheese sauce.

Cook the over sized pasta shells (Conchiglioni) in a pan of salted water until al-dente. Drain and stuff each shell with the chicken and vegetable mix. Lay in rows in a oven-proof dish, and pour over the cheese sauce, covering all shells equally. Finish with grated cheese.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the top is golden.

Chicken Liver, Port and Thyme Paté

Paté: a simple starter, a party nibble or a lavish snack – have it as and when you please. This recipe is a wonderful addition to the Christmas and New Year food list over the festive break.

Ingredients:

800g chicken livers
120ml Ruby Port
100g unsalted butter
2 shallots
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper for seasoning
1 bay leaf
Fresh thyme
Sprig of Rosemary
Orange zest
2 eggs
100ml single cream
100ml clarified butter

Chop the shallots and garlic as finely as you can. Fry gently in a of pan melted butter, until soft. Stir in the bay leaf, three springs of thyme and rosemary. Then lower the heat and pour in the port and simmer very gently on a low flame for ten minutes.

Add the livers and fry until brown with a pink centre. Do not over cook them, as this will make the livers difficult to pass through a sieve later and ultimately make the texture of the paté grainy. Take the pan off the heat and allow to cool. Crush the livers with the back of a fork to start the smoothing process and mix in the eggs and cream. Then using the back of a spoon, push the livers and port reduction through a sieve. The resulting mixture should be smooth with a rosy-grey tint from the pink livers and port. You may think it does not look all together appetising at this moment but don’t worry.

Pour the paté into six ramequins and cover each tightly with a bit of foil. Place the ramekins in a warm water bath – use a roasting tray and fill with hot water to half way up the ramekin height.

Place carefully in a preheated oven on 160° for 30 mins. Then remove and allow to cool.

Clarifying the Butter:

In a thick based pan, melt 175g of unsalted butter very, very slowly. Do not be tempted to stir it. Just watch the butter sink into itself and the liquids will begin to separate. Be careful as the butter may spit.

Skim off the white pieces – these are milk solids. What is left is a clear golden liquid; the clarified butter. Allow it to cool.

Pour the butter over the surface of the cooled paté in the ramekins. A thin layer 1/2 cm will do. Sprinkle the surfaces whole peppercorns, orange zest and fresh thyme leaves. Then place the pots into the fridge to allow the tops to harden.

This is great dish to make up in advance. Keep chilled for a couple of days to bring out the best of the flavours.