recipes
Get a taste of our kitchen. Try these recipes at home!
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moo cafeteria’s curry sauce
This is a delicious versatile curry sauce that you can make in a big batch and keep in the fridge for up to a month. Once made, simply chop up your favourite firm vegetables or white meat into bite-sized pieces and stew in an amount of sauce until cooked through for a scrummy curry. If you are using darker meats such as pork or beef, brown the pieces first. We use this for our sweet potato and chicken curries.
Ingredients for 2 litres of sauce
Large onions finely sliced 2
Curry powder 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds 1 tsp
Coriander seeds 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Garlic cloves finely diced 6
Black mustard seeds 2 tsp
Ground cinnamon ½ tsp (or cinnamon stick 1)
Green cardamom pods 4
Vegetable oil 250ml
Salt and pepper
Directions
1 In a deep wide pan heat the oil.
2 Add the onions and stir till softened.
3 In a separate dry pan toast the seeds and the seeds of the cardamom then crush in a pestle and mortar.
4 Add the ground spices, curry powder and garlic to the onions.
5 Stir until the onions and spices combine into a paste.
6 Add either 275ml of water or stock or 500g chopped fresh tomatoes and reduce to a simmer for 30 minutes. Then season to taste with salt and black pepper.
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pork and chorizo cassoulet
Originally, Nigel created this dish as something hearty to have after a couple of pints at the pub. Goes down well with a glass or two of wine too. It’s called a cassoulet but you’d be glad to know it doesn’t take all day to make.
Ingredients for 6 servings
Sliced belly pork (with skin on) 1kg
Chorizo cut into 5mm cubes 150g
Large onions 2
Olive oil 25ml
Butter 30g
Garlic cloves finely diced 3
Fennel seeds ½ tsp
Smoked paprika 1 tsp
White wine 250ml
Medium tomatoes roughly chopped 8
Finger chilis finely chopped 4
Flageolet or borlotti beans 2×400g tins
Fresh basil or coriander chopped for garnish
Directions
1 Lighlty coat a large heavy duty saucepan or iron casserole dish with olive oil.
2 Place on medium/high heat and when hot put the pork in skin side down. After around a minute turn and brown all over.
3 Remove the pork to a separate plate and turn the heat down. Add the olive oil, butter and onions to the pan and simmer gently until onions are clear. Add the garlic, fennel seeds and chorizo. Cut the belly pork strips into 2cm chunks and add to the pan with the paprika. Stir well.
4 Add the white wine, chilis and tomatoes, cover and leave to simmer for 30 minutes.
5 Rinse the beans and add to the pan. Bring back to the simmer for 20 minutes and season to taste with salt and black pepper. Add water if getting too thick.
6 For best results take off the heat for an hour or more (ideal for a quick trip to the pub) and bring back to a simmer for 10 minutes before serving.
7 Garnish with basil or coriander.
Serve with mash or rice and green salad. If you don’t want to do a separate side dish you can double the amount of beans in the cassoulet and just serve with salad or green veg.
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cullen skink
A classic Scottish soup we love.
Ingredients for 3 litres of soup
Large onions 2
Floury potatoes 2kg
Smoked haddock 500g
Milk 550ml
Light vegetable stock 550ml
Salted butter 50g
Vegetable oil 100ml
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 180ºc.
2 Poach the haddock in the milk for 15-20 minutes.
3 Dice the onions and potatoes and put in a pot with the oil and butter on a low heat to soften.
4 When the haddock is cooked remove from the milk and allow to cool, then flake into chunks. Add the milk and stock to the potatoes and onion and simmer until the potatoes are cooked.
5 For a smooth soup blend the potatoes until smooth. For a chunkier soup blend half the potatoes. Add in the flaked haddock to the blended potatoes and let it warm through.
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mozzarella, tomato and basil tart
Delicious hot or cold, this lovely savoury is ideal for unpredictable Scottish summers (that means any time of year really).
Ingredients for a 12 inch short crust tart case
Plain flour 500g
Chilled butter cut into cubes 350g
Medium egg 1
Cold milk 1 tbsp
Salt 1tsp
Pepper 1tsp
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 180ºc.
2 Gently rub together the butter, flour and seasoning until breadcrumb texture.
3 When the mix is breadcrumb texture, beat together the egg and milk and use to bind the pastry into a soft dough.
4 Split into two equal size balls and wrap the pastry in cling film and chill for 30 minutes.
5 When chilled, roll the pastry on a floured surface to 0.5cm thick and line a 12 inch flan tin with 2cm overlapping the edges.
6 Blind bake in the oven at for 12-15 minutes.
7 Fill with tart filling.
Ingredients for the filling
Cows’ milk mozzarella 2 balls
Tomatoes 4
Basil leaves 8
Medium eggs 3
Double cream 250ml
Directions
1 Preheat the oven to 180ºc.
2 Cut the tomatoes into quarters and roast the oven for 15 minutes.
3 Shred the mozzarella into bite-sized pieces.
4 Arrange the mozarella, tomato and basil leaves in the tart case.
5 Whisk the eggs with the cream and season with salt and plenty of black pepper.
6 Pour the eggs and cream mixture into the tart case and bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the mixure has set.
For a stronger taste, grate some parmesan cheese over the tart before baking.