John Torode’s Pumpkin and Nutmeg Tarts

I love food and cooking, but have confessed that I am not good at baking. I wish I were! I feel that I have a key cooking skill missing. When I do try baking I like simple recipes which have very little which can go wrong, and don’t involve the intuition and skill of an experienced pastry cook or cake aficionado. I know lots of people completely passionate about baking, and I am endlessly impressed by their patience, accuracy and attention to detail.  

John Torode is a chef who doesn’t need much introduction. He’s obviously famous from his appearances on Masterchef. Torode made his reputation working at Quaglino’s and Mezzo before opening his own Smiths of Smithfield, Cafeteria, and The Luxe. The author of numerous cookbooks, John Torode is an all-round cooking expert. 

So I am delighted to bring you a perfect Autumn/Winter recipe of his that is simple, achievable and packs a big flavour punch. It has lovely texture contrasts and is full of the tastes that you crave at this time of year.

I hope you enjoy cooking and eating this tasty treat!

Pumpkin and Nutmeg Tarts by John Torode

Pumpkin and nutmeg tarts are a small, sweet version of the classic tart, a combination that is a particular favourite of John’s. Ideally, they are better served after a cooling period rather than just cooked, as they can be brittle when hot.  Enjoy John’s Pumpkin and Nutmeg tarts as a treat, served best with a cup of tea. John Torode suggests Tassimo English Breakfast Tea.

Makes approximately 8-10 individual tarts.

You will need a medium saucepan and 8-10 small pie tins.

Ingredients:

1kg of short-crust pastry

500g pumpkin (or butternut squash) unpeeled

100g brown sugar

1 tbsp corn flour

1 egg

1 tsp nutmeg

Milk (for glazing)

1 tbsp caster sugar

Instructions:

1.       Pre-heat the oven to 200 C/gas mark 6.

2.       Chop the pumpkin into good size chunks, then place them into the oven to bake for 30 minutes, or until soft.

3.       Whist the chunks are baking, roll out the pastry until about 1cm thick, and cut into circles slightly larger than the base of the tins.

4.       Line the 8-10 small pie tins with the circle cut pastry, leaving enough for a lid, afterward place in the fridge for 20 minutes.

5.       Whilst the pumpkin is still hot, scoop the flesh from the skin. Discard the skin.

6.       In a bowl, whisk the pumpkin until smooth.

7.       Beat the sugar, egg and nutmeg together, then add to the pumpkin and whisk some more.

8.       Let the filling cool, and then spoon the mix into the chilled tart cases.

9.       With the remaining pastry, cut shapes for the top of the tarts and place on top of the filling. Brush the tops with milk and scatter with caster sugar.

10.    Place pie dishes on larger baking tray (in case any liquid leaks out) and bake for 25 minutes.

11.   Allow to cool before turning out.

Thank you to John Torode and the people at Tassimo for allowing me to share this recipe with my readers.

I have not received any payment or gift for this blog post.

Butternut squash spread by Karin Struyk

I have received another recipe suggestion from a friend (the first was from my friend Raymond for Chicken Noodle Soup -  http://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-first-recipe-suggestion-from-friend.html

Karin is an enthusiastic cook who enjoys experimenting with international flavours. I'm really pleased she has shared this recipe with me, and allowed me to post it here.

This spread is recommended for putting on bread/toast/biscuits as a snack or light lunch.

Rather than introduce the unadulterated heat of raw chilis or go to the trouble of roasting them especially, Karin uses the more mellowed earthy chili flavour of Indonesian sambal pastes. She has asked me to warn you that they are rather strong! If you are a vegetarian or vegan, please check the jar before buying, some contain fermented shrimp. You could add any hot chili sauce in its place if you are vegetarian/vegan.

For more information on sambal pastes, see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sambal

If you roasted your squash with herbs (Karin recommends  thyme, rosemary or marjoram and black pepper), then you don't need to add any more. If you didn't add any herbs, then you can add half a teaspoon of chopped thyme and a teaspoon of chopped flat leaf parsley or coriander. Just make sure that you add a herb that does not require cooking, such as sage.

You will need:

Leftover  roasted butternut squash, cut into cubes (about ? -¼ – the size of a small tupperware container)

1a tablespoon of peanut butter

around 1 tablespoon of tahini (use double if you don't like peanut butter)

1 clove garlic, crushed

A teaspoon of Indonesian sambal (chili) paste (halve if you can’t take too much heat)

Black pepper

a drizzle of olive oil (amount will depend on how much the spread needs loosening)

Method: 

1. Start by whizzing the squash, and all the ingredients except for the oil in a food processor. Once mushy, check the texture.

2. Slowly drizzle the olive oil in, pulsing as you go, until you get a spreadable texture with a light sheen of olive oil.

How to make butternut squash, butter bean and pancetta/bacon soup

Continuing with my current theme of things to do with a butternut squash, I thought it was time to revive my old recipe for soup. This soup is obviously more of a Winter dish. However, let's be honest, some days last week I've been wondering what season we have really been in what with the cold and heavy rain. Anyway, if you feel the need for a dinnertime soup for comfort or a lunchtime cockle warmer, here is my butternut, butter bean and bacon soup.

(4 to 6 servings (depending on whether it is a starter or main meal))

Ingredients:

100 g of dried butter beans, soaked in water overnight, then drained and boiled in fresh water for 40-45 mins or alternatively 1 tin of butter beans which have been drained
1 butternut squash, cut in quarters
1 white onion, very finely chopped
1 stick celery, very finely chopped
1 pack cubetti de pancetta or bacon pieces or lardons
1-3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped (how garlicky do you like it??)
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1 litre stock (chicken preferably - don't use a cube, use either the liquid stuff (I recommend knorr touch of taste) or homemade)
1 potato peeled and diced very finely
olive oil

1. Cook and peel butternut squash as per my recent instructions:

http://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-roast-butternut-squash.html 

2. Chop into fine dice

3. Fry onion, celery, and pancetta in olive oil for 5 mins
4. Add garlic and fry for about another 5 mins - until the onion and celery is soft
5. Add squash, butterbeans and spices and allow to heat through whilst stirring
6. When heated, add stock and potatoes
7. Cook for 10-15 mins
8. Blend with hand blender (or if you are flash, with a liquidiser)
9. Add a nice knob of butter (if you aren't watching your weight) and mix through. Creme Fraiche is a lower calorie substitute.
10. Serve with nice crusty bread

Enjoy!

From a recipe originally posted on Facebook by Snigdha Nag on Friday, 30 October 2009 at 20:52

More use for Butternut Squash: Snigdha’s superfood salad

The wonderful restaurant chain Leon do an amazing superfood salad, featuring broccoli, alfalfa, peas, cucumber, avocado, quinoa, feta, fresh mint and parsley, toasted seeds and a pot of vinaigrette. It is fresh tasting, with zing, texture and flavour. It is also tremendously good for you.

Inspired by this dish, which has never left their menu since they first opened, I thought I would re-imagine some of the superfoods involved in this “party-in-a-dish”. Alfalfa sprouts are hard to come by and most of the time avocados are either too squishy or rock hard. So I wanted a recipe which can be easily made from things which are readily available but are healthy and tasty.

Apparently, those in the know tell us that foods which are orange or purple are good for you because they are high in natural antioxidants. So the super-tasty roasted butternut squash and sweet crunchy red onions will be doing you a power of good as well as teasing your taste buds. Needless to say the high veg count will give your digestive system a much needed workout!

I've already shown you how to roast butternut squash, so if you made the risotto I posted last, you probably have half a roasted squash waiting in the fridge to be used for this dish.

The pan-fried pancetta is there because him indoors is loath to eat too many wholly vegetarian meals. Add or leave in, as you feel.

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

Fresh mint leaves, 1 handful, finely chopped

Frozen or fresh peas, about 1 small mug full

Cherry tomatoes, about 16, halved

Feta cheese, about 100g, crumbled

Salad leaf, about 50g

Broccoli florets, half a head cut into florets

Quinoa, 3 tablespoons

Red onion, 1 medium sized, sliced finely

Cooked beetroot (optional), about half, finely sliced

Half a cooked Butternut squash, cut into bite sized cubes

Topping ingredients:

Pancetta (optional), about 75g cubetti de pancetta

Sunflower seeds, 1 tablespoon

Pumpkin seeds, 1 tablespoon

Sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon

Dressing ingredients:

Olive oil, about 2-3 tablespoons

1 Lemon - juiced

Method

1. Cook the butternut squash as per my instructions in my previous post: http://snigskitchen.blogspot.com/2011/06/how-to-roast-butternut-squash.html
2. Then cook the quinoa. Since you are not making much, use the smallest pan you have. I used a milk pan. The rough amount of water you need is twice the amount of quinoa. So 6 tablespoons of cold water for the 3 tablespoons of quinoa. Put on the hob on a very low heat and cook for at least 12-15 mins. You will know it is cooked when a little curly fibre comes out of each seed. Don’t just leave the pan unattended – depending on how powerful your simmer setting is, you may need to add a little bit of water to prevent boiling dry. Stir around once cooked, take off the hob and allow to cool.
3. Now cook your broccoli and peas. You can steam or boil them. I do them in the same pan, boiling the broccoli in plenty of water for 5 mins and then adding the peas for the final minute. Drain and rinse in cold water.
4. If you are having the cubetti de pancetta, dry fry in a pan until thoroughly cooked.
   
   
   
5. You will see the cubetti de pancetta are going brown around the edges. Remove from the pan and place on kitchen roll on a plate to absorb any excess fat.
6. Now cook the seed topping. Heat a small pan until warm. Add the seeds. Cook for 2-3 mins, stirring as you go to achieve even colour. When some of the seeds start popping, turn the heat off straight away and transfer to a bowl.
7. Whisk up the dressing with fork in a mug. Keep until needed.
8. Now layer up the salad. Boiled veg first. This will be followed by salad leaf and crumbled feta. Now add the red onions and tomatoes. 
   
   
   
9. Add the squash and herbs and Pancetta (if using).
10. Re-whisk your dressing and drizzle all over.
11. Now add the seed topping.
    
    
    
12. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Butternut squash risotto

Risotto is one of my favourite dishes. I love eating it and I love cooking it; both comforting and life-affirming experiences. Risotto used to be one of those dishes you only saw in fairly posh Italian restaurants, but it is increasingly worming its way into the general consciousness. More and more European restaurants are serving it, and more and more people are gathering the confidence to cook it at home.

Nigella Lawson once said in one of her shows that people equate the difficulty of a dish with how much time it takes to cook and she questioned that view. I am with her. Risotto may take a bit of time (all told just under 1 hour), but nothing I will describe here is complicated. Anyone with basic cooking experience (frying a sausage, boiling an egg) can manage this. I'd rather cook risotto than a souffle any day of the week!

Risotto is fantastic because it has a welcoming creamy texture which beckons you in. Before you know it, you are assailed by its warm fuzziness. It is a comfort food which crosses all boundaries of age, nation and background. It is also tremendously versatile, and can be made with meat, veg, fish, seafood etc. If you are really interested in getting to cook these amazingly rewarding dishes, I would recommend Valentina Harris' excellent book 'Risotto! Risotto! 85 Recipes and All the Know-how You Need to Make Italy's Famous Rice Dish', published by Cassell in 1998. It has many classic recipes but also includes some curveballs; strawberry risotto and a risotto made with a WHOLE bottle of Barolo wine!

My recipe below is for 2 people. If doubling, matters are fairly easy; just double. However, I have found a very useful rule of thumb is to allow 65g risotto rice per person for a good size main course and 75g for greedy people.

My risottos are a synthesis of a number of recipes, techniques and mixes of ingredients. I do what I feel is right for the occasion. Once you get started, you will too!

Please don't panic that my recipe uses alcohol. It is perfectly suitable for children and other vulnerable people. I do not use the booze for its alcohol content, rather than its ability to impart flavour to the rice and its knack of starting to get the rice to ooze out its precious starch. Once the liquid disappears, which you will find is my method in the recipe below, all the alcohol will be burnt off. No risk of inebriation.

I have but one plea: please ensure you use risotto rice and no other. You can use Arborio, Baldo, Carnarole, Padano, Roma, or Vialone Nano, depending on what you can find and your budget. For this recipe I used Arborio. When I visited Venice I bought some Vialone Nano as it is the local variety for that area. It yielded extremely delicious results. It is available at Carluccio's for £5.95 per kilo.

You cannot use any other rice and get the same results. Basmati, patna and Thai fragrant rice are long grained rices and will not absorb the liquid stock as well. They will also fail to give you the sticky, oozy texture you need for risotto. Paella rice is short grained like risotto rice, but is not as starchy, which will mean again, you will not get the right texture. If you buy high quality risotto rice it may seem expensive (I pay £3.45 for 1kg in my local Italian deli), but having said that, I get 13 portions (6-7) meals out of that box of risotto. This ends up being pretty good value, given you can pay £12 for risotto in a restaurant!

(serves 2)

Ingredients:

Half a roasted butternut squash

1½ French/ordinary shallots, finely diced (5-7mm) (if you can't find shallots, use a small, mild white onion)

1½ sticks celery, fibres removed if tough, finely diced (5-7mm)

2-3 cloves garlic (depending on your taste) very finely diced (1-2mm) or crushed

1 wine glass vermouth (125ml) (Dry Martini/Noilly Prat) – very preferable as it gives better results for this dish, but if you don't have any then use dry white wine

150g Arborio risotto rice

750ml vegetable or chicken stock (roughly – don't worry if you don't use it all)

2tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1tbsp + 1tbsp unsalted butter

2 bay leaves

4-5tbsp finely grated parmesan cheese

Sea salt – if you are using homemade stock. Leave out if using stock cubes.

Freshly ground black pepper

Toppings:

Veggy topping: 14 sage leaves

Meat-eaters topping 100g (or thereabouts) finely sliced Italian Pancetta (NOT cubetti)

Method:

1. Start by making the topping. If you are making the Veggy topping, use all the olive oil to fry the sage leaves until they change colour to a deep oily green and start to go crispy.
2. If a meat-eater then dry fry the pancetta in a non-stick pan. 
3. You will know it is done when it goes brown and crispy but is not burnt. 
   
    
4. When the toppings are done remove them and place on a plate covered in kitchen roll to absorb the excess fat/oil. 
   
    
5. If you are making the Veggy topping, save the oil for making the dish with the sage-y flavoured olive oil.
6. Heat the oil and 1tbsp butter in a pan (large enough to make the finished dish). 
   
    
7. Add the shallots and celery. Fry gently for 5 mins. Add the garlic. Fry for another 5 mins – do not allow to brown.
   
   
   
8. Whilst the shallots are frying, put the stock and bay leaves in a pan on the heat and cover. This should be lightly steaming before it is ready to add to the risotto. 
   
    
9. Add in the rice. Keep stirring and cook for about 1 min to coat the rice in the fat and toast it through.
   
   
   
10. Now add the Vermouth. 
    
    
    
    Increase the heat. Stir frequently until all the alcohol has disappeared. I would say this takes 2-3 mins.
    
    
    
11. You are now ready to start adding the stock. You should lower the heat to a medium heat at this point. This is the main process of making a risotto. Take the lid off the stock pan. Add the first ladle of stock. You will now be 25 mins (or thereabouts) from the rice being cooked and 30 mins from serving up. Set a kitchen timer to 25 mins from this point).
12. Stir the risotto several times until the stock is completely absorbed. Be careful, once the liquid is gone, the rice will be liable to catch and burn on the bottom.
    
    
    
13. Reduce to a low heat. Add stock, ladle by ladle, stirring as constantly as possible (to release the starch from the rice) as you go.
14. Once you have 10 mins to go on your timer, add the butternut squash (unless you have taken it straight out of the fridge in which case use 12 mins as the time indicator on your timer).
    
    
    
15. You may still need to add in stock, depending on the absorbtion power of your rice or the power of your hob. Try the rice from time to time to see how soft it has got. It should not taste grainy.
16. As it gets to a soft cookedness, stop adding stock. Allow all the remaining liquid to cook off. You do not want any soupy stock at the bottom. You want an oozy, semi liquidy almost sludgy texture (sounds unappetizing, but believe me, this is right).
    
    
    
17. Now turn the heat off. Take pan onto another surface. Add 2^nd tbsp of butter and 3tbsp of the parmesan. Stir thoroughly into the risotto until mixed. Put lid on pan and allow to rest for 4 mins. 
    
18. Stir. 
    
    
    
    Now dish up into bowls. Top with the rest of the parmesan and then the topping of your choice.
    
    
    
19. Serve and enjoy!
    
    PS: A word about the need for stirring of a risotto. Some people will have you believe that you don't have to keep stirring and that you can leave the risotto cooking and it will come out fine as long as the bottom doesn't catch. NOT TRUE! The stirring is what helps the rice release some of its starches into the pan to give you the gloopy, soupy texture that risotto is all about. Not stirring frequently will simply mean a less tasty and satisfying result. So, it will take time and effort. But as I said in my very first post; put some music on and you'll find the time passes in a most enjoyable way. I find the stirring like a form of meditation, I feel very rested and even 'Zen'. The investment of your time will never pay off so well, I promise!

How to roast butternut squash

Butternut squash is a truly wonderful vegetable. The flesh is a luscious orange colour and when cooked is sweet and tender. It is also very healthy, being an obvious source of dietary fibre. However, it also contains vitamins C, A and E. Healthy and tasty? What are we waiting for – let's start cooking! Butternut squash can be used pretty much interchangeably with most forms of pumpkin in recipes, which means it is pretty versatile. I use it in risottos, salads, as a vegetable accompaniment to dishes and in soups. It can be used in many other dishes, such as curries, tagines and pastas.

What I intend to do in this post is show you how to roast a whole butternut squash to prepare it for a couple of dishes that I like to make using this most useful of vegetables. (Recipes to follow in the next few days).  I really think that its sweetness and smoothness when cooked makes it perfect for children who are suspicious of vegetables. The orange colour is also a world away from the green that children seem to instinctively dislike.

When buying a butternut, look for one with a good even colour. Ensure that the skin is intact. It should be like a tough, hard shell when raw. When you pick it up it should feel solid and heavy. They keep for quite a while if kept in a cool dry place, up to a couple of weeks. Don't wrap in plastic or it will get moist and start rotting. When raw it doesn't need refridgeration, but when cooked, keep the cooked stuff wrapped up and in the fridge. Perhaps if you only cook part at a time, you may want to wrap the uncooked squash up and keep it in the fridge. However, I would say that it will probably save time and a lot of energy to cook the whole squash (only one preheating and cooking time of power will be incurred) and keep the rest, planning another squashy meal later in the week. 

If you are cooking for a family, you may want to cook 2 squash in this way, and use one whole squash for one recipe and the second for another. These days with gas/electric bills being what they are (not to mention the cost to the environment) we should try to get our ovens to 'multi-task' wherever possible to save energy - getting the cooked ingredients for more than one meal is just one way of doing this!

So, you will need:

1 butternut squash

2 large sprigs fresh rosemary

4 small sprigs fresh thyme

1-2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.
2. Cut the butternut squash in half vertically.
3. Do not attempt to peel the squash. When cooked the skin will come off easily.
4. Scoop out the seeds with a spoon. You can wash the orange stringy flesh off them and roast them for a healthy snack – they need about 10-15 mins in an oven at 130-140°C. 
   
    
5. Once the seeds are gone, scrape out any of the last bits of soft stringy flesh. The flesh you want should be solidly dense and quite hard to scoop. As soon as you start feeling resistance on the spoon, you are done.
6. Place on a baking sheet/tray, cut side up.
7. Pour olive oil onto cut surfaces. Rub in thoroughly. If keeping your oil/fat intake down, hold over baking tray to allow excess to drip off.
8. Place herbs over cut surfaces.
   
   
   
9. Cook in oven.
10. The time this will take will depend on your oven. Fan assisted will be about 30mins. Non fan assisted could be up to 45mins.
11. You will know it is done when you try to insert a sharp knife into the flesh. If the knife goes in easily and softly, the squash is done.
    
    
    
12. Take out of the oven, throw away the herbs, put on a plate to cool.
13. When you are able to handle the squash halves, peel off the skin.
    Variation:
    If you are thinking of having roast butternut squash as an accompaniment to a roast or other dish, you could leave out the herbs and instead sprinkle ¼ teaspoon paprika and a ½ teaspoon whole cumin on the cut surfaces of the squash before cooking. It will give a fragrant spicy smell reminiscent of Middle-Eastern and Indian food.