Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (25 page)

HOW TO COOK LASAGNE WITHOUT STICKING

Simply bring the water to a rolling boil and then gently tilt the pan from side to side as you add the lasagne to stop the sheets from sticking. Allow it to simmer gently until al dente. To test if it is ready, nip it between your fingers. If you can feel them meeting in the middle, it is perfectly al dente.

TAGLIATELLE WITH
QUICK SAUSAGE
MEAT BOLOGNESE

SERVES 2

Sausages always make a great quick-supper standby. Rather than grilling them, though, I’ll often split them open to get at all the meat inside. Because it’s already beautifully seasoned, it gives you a head start and means you achieve greater depth of flavour in double quick time.

1
. Heat a frying pan large enough to contain the pasta once cooked. Add a little oil and sweat the onions and garlic together for 3–4 minutes until the onions have softened. Remove the meat from the sausage skins, add to the pan and brown for 4–5 minutes. Break up the sausage meat as you fry so that it resembles small pieces of mince.

2
. Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle in boiling salted water until al dente, according to packet instructions.

3
. When the sausage meat is lightly coloured, add the halved tomatoes and a little seasoning to the pan and continue to cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes until the tomatoes begin to break down. Add a tablespoon or two of the pasta water to the pan as it cooks to create a sauce.

4
. Drain the pasta, reserving a further couple of tablespoons of the cooking water. Add the drained pasta directly to the pan with the sauce. Toss well, and loosen with a little more of the cooking water if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

SPICY TUNA
FISHCAKES

MAKES 8 SMALL CAKES

Another miraculous transformation of the kind of ingredient we all have knocking about in a kitchen cupboard. Texture is always important in fishcakes, and the water chestnuts add a lovely light, pickled crunch. Grating the ginger releases all of its fresh, fiery juices, so make sure you catch them all in the bowl.

1
. First make the dipping sauce. Mix together all the sauce ingredients, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Taste and adjust the flavours as necessary. Set aside.

2
. Drain the tuna and place in a bowl; use a fork to separate the chunks. Add the water chestnuts, spring onions, ginger, coriander, chilli and lime leaves and season with salt and pepper. Add the fish sauce and beaten eggs. Mix well.

3
. Squeezing the mixture to tightly compress it and get rid of any excess liquid, shape it into balls the size of golf balls. Flatten them lightly into patties.

4
. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat, add a little oil and shallow-fry the fishcakes on each side for 1–2 minutes until golden on all sides and heated through. Serve with the dipping sauce.

HOW TO HANDLE CHILLIES

When you’ve been chopping chillies, rub your hands with olive oil before washing them. The oil helps dissolve the capsaicin, the source of the chilli’s heat, which is more soluble in oil than in water, and it will then rinse away easily.

CHILLI DOGS

SERVES 2

I’m a real sucker for proper American hotdogs – a juicy frankfurter covered with caramelised onions and that weirdly addictive sweet mustard. Even better when it is topped with an easy chilli con carne. The quantity of chilli here will produce enough for leftovers for another night.

1
. First make the quick chilli con carne. Heat a saucepan over a medium heat. Add a dash of oil and, once hot, sweat the onion for 4–5 minutes, then add the garlic and fry for another minute until soft. Add the cumin seeds and stir over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes until aromatic. Add the chilli powder and mix well.

2
. Season the mince. Turn up the heat and add another dash of oil to the pan. Fry the mince over a high heat for 6–8 minutes, stirring well to break it up. When it is lightly browned, add the Worcestershire sauce, turn down the heat and add the tomato purée, cooking for 1–2 minutes.

3
. Add the tomatoes, sugar and oregano along with a pinch of pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.

4
. Meanwhile, prepare the caramelised onions. Heat a small frying pan over a medium low heat and add a dash of oil. Add the onions with a good pinch of salt and gently sweat for 10–15 minutes until completely softened and turning a rich golden colour. (Don’t increase the heat to speed up this process as you’ll end up with burnt onions.) Once the onions are golden and really soft, add the sugar and balsamic vinegar. Increase the heat to medium and allow to caramelise gently. Cook for about 5 minutes until the liquid is reduced and the onions are nice and sticky. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

5
. When ready to serve, boil or griddle the sausages for 6 minutes or until heated through. Remove and drain. Divide the caramelised onions between the opened hot dog buns. Top with the cooked sausage and a generous spoonful or two of chilli con carne. Crumble over the cheese and finish with a sprinkling of chopped spring onion.

BEEF TACOS WITH
WASABI MAYO

MAKES 6–8 TACOS

This mix of Mexican and Japanese flavours – seared steak marinated in a rich, sweet sauce and wrapped in a taco (a toasted corn tortilla) – makes a really quick meaty feast. Normally, meat is marinated before cooking, but here you cook the steak and then let it cool in the marinade to absorb all that flavour. The steaks can be left to marinate fo up to four days – the longer the better.

1
. First prepare the marinade. Mix the miso paste, mirin, sugar and olive oil, stirring well to dissolve the sugar. Season and add a tablespoon of water if the mixture needs loosening a little.

2
. Leave the fat on the steaks to stop them drying out as you cook them. Season them well and fry in a hot oiled frying pan for 2–3 minutes on either side for rare/medium rare, or until cooked to your liking. (Shake the pan gently as you put the steaks in the pan to stop them sticking, otherwise they might burn.) Render the fat by tipping the steaks onto their sides and cooking until the fat is golden and crisp. Keep basting the steaks as you cook.

3
. When the steaks are cooked, remove from the pan and cut off the remaining layer of fat. Place the steaks in the marinade, coating all sides. Leave to rest, spooning the marinade over now and again.

4
. Meanwhile, prepare the quick pickled cabbage. Put the cabbage in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the rice vinegar, sesame oil and chilli flakes. Toss the mixture to coat, then leave to soften slightly for a couple of minutes.

5
. Meanwhile, mix together the wasabi and mayonnaise, taste and add a little more wasabi if you like a stronger flavour.

6
. Heat the tortillas for 30–60 seconds over a naked gas flame until charred and lightly toasted (use a pan if you don’t have gas). Roll them around a rolling pin while they’re still hot, and hold until cooled to set in half-moon shapes. In this form they are called ‘tacos’.

7
. Drain the beef of any excess marinade, then slice and place in the tacos. Top with the cabbage (drained of excess liquid) and a little wasabi mayo.

GRIDDLED PINEAPPLE
WITH SPICED CARAMEL

SERVES 2

Desserts for one or two have to be really easy or else you won’t bother. This griddled pineapple strikes just the right balance. It can be ready in minutes and adds another dimension to a familiar fruit. To test if your pineapple is ripe, try pulling a leaf from the top. It should come out easily. If it doesn’t, leave the pineapple in the fruit bowl for a day or two and try again.

1
. First prepare the pineapple. Using a serrated knife, cut off the top and base, then cut the pineapple into 8 long wedges. Cut along the inside edge of the wedges to remove the core. Slice between the flesh and the skin as you would a piece of melon but leave the last 2cm of skin attached.

2
. Heat a griddle pan. Place the pineapple wedges in the hot pan, pushing the fruit against the griddle bars to help it colour. Cook for 2 minutes on each side until marked. Sprinkle over a little caster sugar 1 minute before the end of cooking to glaze the fruit.