Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (21 page)

4
. Before serving, add the sweetcorn and courgettes and cook for 3–4 minutes until both are tender. Serve the soup garnished with crushed tortilla chips, coriander and jalapeño peppers.

HOW TO FREEZE MEATBALLS

The meatballs above freeze brilliantly and can be used in many different ways. Just remember to let the onion and garlic mixture cool completely before combining it with the mince and rolling into balls. Freeze straight away and allow to defrost completely before cooking.

BEEF MEATBALLS
WITH ORECCHIETTE,
KALE AND PINE NUTS

SERVES 4

Orecchiette means ‘little ears’, and refers to the ear-shaped pasta traditionally used in a Puglian dish of broccoli, anchovy and chilli. This dish is similar in feel, with kale instead of broccoli, and the meatballs replacing the anchovy and chilli.

1
. First prepare the meatballs. Sauté the onion and garlic with seasoning in a hot oiled frying pan for about 5 minutes until soft and lightly coloured, adding the chilli flakes after a minute or two. Place the mince in a large bowl and add seasoning. Put the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl and moisten with the milk. Add seasoning, then stir the breadcrumbs and onion mixture into the mince and combine well. With wet hands, shape the mince mixture into small balls about 2cm wide. Transfer to a lightly greased plate or tray and chill for 30 minutes until firm.

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

3
. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Brown the meatballs for 6 minutes until coloured on all sides. Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 2 minutes until tender, then add the kale and season. Sweat the kale over a medium heat for 5 minutes with a couple of tablespoons of the cooking water from the pasta. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, then stir in the pine nuts.

4
. Drain the pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan with the meatballs and stir over a medium-low heat until well mixed. Add a good handful of finely grated Parmesan, and mix well with a little cooking water to help coat the pasta. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

5
. Serve garnished with another grating of Parmesan.

HOW TO SWEAT VEGETABLES

The aim of sweating vegetables is to soften them without colouring. Start by heating a heavy-based pan over a medium heat. When hot, add a little oil (or water, as specified opposite) and your vegetable, and fry, stirring frequently, for 5–10 minutes. It is important that the veg doesn’t brown or it will develop a bitter flavour.

MEATBALLS IN FRAGRANT
COCONUT BROTH

SERVES 2–4

To me, a meatball is all about the softness and texture and the way it melts in your mouth. Adding milk to the breadcrumbs lightens the meatballs and means that you shouldn’t need to bind them with eggs. Don’t make them too small or they’ll dry out – about golf ball size is just right. This is a classic way of making meatballs, but cooking them in this beautiful aromatic broth means they really soak up the fresh, spicy flavours. Asian cuisine uses coconut milk to enrich a sauce, in much the same way as classic French cooking uses cream, but of course it isn’t as heavy.

1
. First prepare the meatballs. Sauté the onion and garlic with seasoning in a hot oiled frying pan for about 5 minutes until soft and lightly coloured, adding the chilli flakes after a minute or two. Place the mince in a large bowl and add seasoning. Put the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl and moisten with the milk. Add seasoning, then stir the breadcrumbs and onion mixture into the mince and combine well. With wet hands, shape the mince mixture into balls about the size of a golf ball. Transfer to a lightly greased plate or tray and chill for 30 minutes until firm.

2
. Brown the meatballs in a cleaned oiled pan for 4–5 minutes, turning frequently until nicely coloured on all sides.

3
. Add the coriander seeds, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, chilli flakes, lemongrass and ginger. Heat through, stirring, until aromatic, then add the stock and coconut milk and bring to a gentle simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Simmer for 8–12 minutes until the sauce is flavourful and thickened and the meatballs are cooked through.

4
. Add the lime zest and juice and serve hot.

HOW TO STORE COCONUT MILK

Leftover coconut milk can be stored in the fridge for about five days before it sours. If you don’t plan to use it that quickly, simply freeze it in ice-cube trays or small plastic pots. After freezing, the milk will look curdled, but the flavour will be fine.

BEEF MEATBALL SANDWICH
WITH MELTING MOZZARELLA
AND TOMATO SALSA

SERVES 4

A simple variation on the beef burger, with mozzarella instead of Swiss cheese and a tomato, onion and coriander salsa as a fresher take on ketchup.

1
. First prepare the meatballs. Sauté the onion and garlic with seasoning in a hot oiled frying pan for about 5 minutes until soft and lightly coloured, adding the chilli flakes after a minute or two. Place the mince in a large bowl and add seasoning. Put the breadcrumbs in a separate bowl and moisten with the milk. Add seasoning, then stir the breadcrumbs and onion mixture into the mince and combine well. With wet hands, shape the mince mixture into large balls about 4cm wide. Transfer to a lightly greased plate or tray and chill for 30 minutes until firm.

2
. Put a little oil in a frying pan and cook the meatballs over a medium-low heat with a dash of oil for about 10 minutes until coloured on the outside and cooked all the way through. Set aside to rest.

3
. Meanwhile, combine all the salsa ingredients and mix well. Leave to one side.

4
. Heat a grill until medium hot. Slice the bread rolls in half and toast the insides for a couple of minutes until golden. Remove from the grill and sit the meatballs on half the sliced rolls, pressing them down into the bread. Spoon over any cooking juices from the meatball pan. Top the meatballs with mozzarella and place under the grill to melt the cheese. Once melted, spoon the salsa on top and sandwich together with the remaining halves of the toasted rolls.

5
. Serve while still warm with any extra salsa on the side.

SPICY CHUTNEY

MAKES 750ML

Spicing is the light and shade of a good chutney, the element that gives it depth and personality, but don’t go overboard on the chillies as the heat will increase the longer you keep it. Tamarind is a tropical fruit that tastes a little like sour dates and is used in vegetable curries and chutneys. You’ll find it in paste form in most supermarkets.

1
. Toast the curry leaves, cumin, mustard and coriander seeds in a dry pan over a low heat for about 2 minutes until aromatic (be careful not to burn them). Add a pinch of salt and the dried chillies. Add a little oil, then sweat the onion in it for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook over a low heat for 1–2 minutes until soft.

2
. Add the tamarind paste and sugar and cook over a medium heat for about 2 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the coconut.

3
. Add the carrots and mix well. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently for 5–6 minutes, adding 2–3 tablespoons of water if necessary to loosen. Taste and adjust the seasoning and sweetness as needed. Remove from the heat.

4
. Pour the chutney into sterilised jars (
see here
) straight away and seal. You can eat this chutney immediately or store it in the fridge for up to a month. Serve with cold meats or cheese.

HOW TO PREPARE TAMARIND

To water down a block of tamarind, soak it in a little hot water, remove the seeds, and mash it well to create a thick juice.

SLOW-COOKED
AUBERGINE

SERVES 4–6 AS A STARTER

This vegetable stew is such a simple combination of ingredients, but they undergo this amazing transformation during cooking to become more than the sum of their parts. Another dish that just gets better and better the longer you allow the flavours to mingle.