Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (18 page)

1
. Parboil the potatoes in boiling salted water until turning tender but not soft (about 10 minutes if using 2 medium potatoes). Remove, drain thoroughly and leave to cool (you can leave until completely cooked and chill overnight if you have time).

2
. Meanwhile, heat a tablespoon of the oil and a knob of the butter in a pan. Sauté the leeks for 3–4 minutes until soft but not coloured; season to taste.

3
. When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and coarsely grate the flesh. Pat dry with kitchen paper or a clean tea towel.

4
. Gently mix the grated potato with the leeks and cheese. Season and mix again.

5
. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add another tablespoon of the oil and knob of the butter. When the butter has melted, add the potato mixture, shaking the pan to form an even layer of potato. Leave to cook for 10 minutes over a medium heat until golden brown (turn the heat down if the potato is browning too quickly).

6
. Place a plate over the frying pan and invert both plate and pan so that the browned side of the rosti is facing upwards on the plate. Add the final tablespoon of oil and knob of butter to the pan and, once melted, slide the rosti back into the pan, browned side up. Continue to cook for 10 minutes or until golden brown underneath and cooked through.

7
. Meanwhile, fry the eggs in a separate oiled hot frying pan until cooked to your liking.

8
. Serve the rosti with the egg on top and garnish with tarragon leaves.

HOW TO FRY WITH BUTTER

Frying with butter gives a richer flavour, but you have to be careful it doesn’t burn. By adding a splash of oil to the butter as you cook the potato cake, you raise the butter’s burning point, meaning you can get a better colour on the potato without compromising the flavour.

SPAGHETTI WITH
CHILLI, SARDINES
AND OREGANO

SERVES 2

Never be sniffy about tinned fish – as every student knows, it can be the secret behind plenty a quick and cheap meal. I’ve used sardines in this Italian standby, but mackerel would work just as well. The secret is to get the breadcrumbs beautifully golden, garlicky and crunchy so they add a bit of texture to the pasta and fish.

1
. Heat a small frying pan over a medium heat. Add a glug of oil and, when hot, add half the chopped garlic along with the breadcrumbs. Cook over a medium heat for about 3 minutes until the breadcrumbs are golden and toasted and the garlic tender and lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper and toss together. Drain on kitchen paper.

2
. Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, according to packet instructions.

3
. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil. Fry the remaining garlic and the chilli for 1–2 minutes. Flake the sardines into small pieces, then toss in the pan with the garlic and chilli.

4
. Drain the cooked pasta and add to the pan with the sardines. Toss to mix well. Add the oregano, taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

5
. When ready to serve, stir the rocket leaves into the pasta and divide between serving plates. Garnish with the crispy garlic breadcrumbs and serve immediately.

HOW TO USE UP STALE BREAD

While stale bread is perfect for making breadcrumbs, it’s also great for croutons, and for making the classic Tuscan salad Panzanella, based on stale bread, tomatoes, olives, peppers and capers.

EASY FRAGRANT
FRIED RICE

SERVES 4

Most of us are familiar with egg-fried rice from our local Chinese, but here I take it one step further by adding extra broccoli and greens to make it the original one-pot meal. Tasty, cheap and nutritious, it’s a great way of using up any leftover rice.

1
. Heat a large, high-sided frying pan or wok over a medium heat. Add a glug of oil and fry the chilli, garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until aromatic.

2
. Add the broccoli and greens to the pan with 1–2 tablespoons of hot water to create a bit of steam. Cook over a high heat for about a minute until the water has evaporated and the vegetables are becoming tender.

3
. Add the rice and stir-fry in the pan, mixing it into all the ingredients. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the rice is hot all the way through.

4
. Make a well in the middle of the pan and add the beaten eggs. Sprinkle over the spring onions and a couple of drops of fish sauce. Scramble the egg over a medium-high heat until cooked through and separating into clumps, then mix the egg into the rice.

5
. When the eggs are cooked and mixed into the rice, taste the dish. Add a pinch of sugar and season with fish sauce.

6
. Serve the fried rice garnished with shredded spring onions, and lime wedges on the side to squeeze over.

HOW TO ENSURE FLUFFY COOKED RICE

To get fluffy grains of rice that don’t stick together, you should always wash rice in a sieve under a running tap to rinse away the starch. Once cooked, if you are not serving it straight away, the rice should be cooled down as quickly as possible by spreading it out on a tray and placing it in the fridge. When stir-frying rice, it is essential to use cooked rice that has spent at least a few hours in the fridge, as this helps to dry it. Otherwise you will end up with a mushy mess.

CHEAT’S SOUFFLÉ
WITH THREE CHEESES

SERVES 6

This is either a giant eggy pancake or a giant doughy omelette, depending how you look at it. You can play with the cheeses as much as you want, but I like to keep things light by always including cottage cheese.

1
. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Butter a 20 × 30cm baking dish.

2
. Mix together the flour, sugar and baking powder in a bowl. Make a well in the middle and add the beaten eggs, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper. Beat well.

3
. Stir in the cottage cheese and grated cheese. Dot small lumps of the cream cheese and butter over the egg mixture, then fold in with a spoon.

4
. Pour into the greased baking dish and bake in the preheated oven for 30–40 minutes until golden and set all the way through. This is ideal served with a light tomato and watercress salad.

HOW TO MAKE A LOWER-FAT BAKE

This bake is deliciously creamy, but if you’re worried about the fat content, use semi-skimmed milk and half-fat versions of the cottage cheese and cream cheese.

EASY ARANCINI

MAKES 18 ARANCINI

You might like to double up the ingredients here, because this is effectively two meals in one. You start by making a wonderful, rich mushroom risotto, which you could serve warm one night (perhaps finished with a drizzle of olive oil), and then you could make these ‘rice balls’ for the following evening. They are perfect with a glass of prosecco (or champagne if you haven’t really got the hang of this economising business).

1
. Soak the mushrooms in 250ml hot water for 20 minutes.

2
. Heat a heavy-based, high-sided frying pan or saucepan over a medium heat. Add a generous knob of butter and a glug of oil and sauté the onion and garlic for about 5 minutes until soft but not coloured.

3
. Add the rice and stir vigorously around the pan for a couple of minutes until the grains start to turn slightly translucent at the edges. Deglaze the pan by pouring in the wine and scraping up the bits at the bottom. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for a minute or two to burn off the alcohol.

4
. Meanwhile, heat the stock and add the soaking liquor from the mushrooms. Add a ladleful of the hot stock mixture to the rice and stir over a medium heat until absorbed, then add another ladleful. Repeat until all the stock is used up or the rice is tender but still al dente. Make sure to stir regularly to create a creamy risotto. (This should take about 20 minutes.)

5
. Chop the rehydrated mushrooms into small pieces and gently stir into the cooked risotto. Add a knob of butter and the Parmesan, then stir to mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then leave the risotto to cool (it will do this more quickly if you spread it on to a baking tray).

6
. If using mini mozzarella balls, halve them; if using part of a large ball, cut it into 1.5–2cm cubes.

7
. Lay out 3 plates or shallow bowls. Put the beaten egg in one, the flour (seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper) in another and the breadcrumbs in the final one.

8
. Once the risotto is cooled (it doesn’t matter if it is still a little warm, as long as it has stiffened up a bit and is cool enough to handle), roll it into balls the size of golf balls. Push a piece of mozzarella into the middle of each ball, ensuring that the cheese is completely enclosed. Leave to set in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

9
. Heat a deep-fat fryer to 170°C or fill a large saucepan one-third full of flavourless oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped into the hot oil sizzles and turns golden brown in 30 seconds.

10
. Dip a rice ball into the flour, shake off any excess, then dip into the egg, allowing any excess to drip off. Finish by coating completely in the breadcrumbs. Repeat with the remaining balls.

11
. Deep-fry the balls in batches for 2–3 minutes until golden brown all over. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Serve immediately while the middles are still melting. Drizzle with lemon juice if desired.

HOW TO SHALLOW-FRY ARANCINI

You can make arancini with leftover risotto, if you happen to have some to hand. They can also be shallow-fried rather than deep-fried. Cook them over a medium heat and make sure you turn them frequently, basting with the oil.