April food

Prosenjit Sanjay Kumar

A collection of Cornish recipe gems
Preface

What to eat in April:

Recipes:
New season Spring Asparagus and Cornish Crab Omelet
Grilled Cornish Sardine Crostini with purple sprouting Broccoli and
coriander Persilade
Lentil and Stinging nettle soup
Yamam Mashwi
Mum’s, Pressure cooked Lamb Shank Rogan josh
Cornish Under roast
Sanjay Kumar’s Basic Chicken curry fix
Smoked Mackerel Rarebit
Fennel Spiced Prawns with Citrus Salad
Risotto with Smoked Trout
Curried lobster baked potato recipe
Orange Syllabub
Rhubarb Sorbet Popsicles

In appreciation:
Index:
New season Spring Asparagus and Cornish Crab Omelet
Serves: 2

Ingredients:

 8 Duck eggs
 30 ml milk
 8 ml vegetable oil
 270 g cut fresh Spring asparagus, blanched, and sliced
 340 g flaked Newlyn bay white crabmeat
 Nibbed chives
 Cornish sea salt

To Make an Omelet:

In a bowl, beat Duck eggs, milk, salt, pepper.

Heat oil in a 10-in. skillet over medium-low; add half of the egg mixture.

As the eggs set, lift edges, letting uncooked portion flow underneath.

Sprinkle with generous amount of crab meat and sliced Spring Asparagus..

Fold omelet in half.

Repeat for second omelet. Garnish with nibbed chives.

Grilled Cornish Sardine Crostini with purple sprouting Broccoli and
coriander Persilade

Ingredients

 12 fresh sardines, cleaned and de-scaled

 1 Lemon juice and grated zest
 3 tbsp Olive oil
 450g purple sprouting broccoli, trimmed and blanched
 1 clove Garlic, sliced
 2 Tomatoes, skinned and chopped
 120ml dry White wine
 1/2 tbsp freshly ground salt and black pepper
 2 tbsp fresh white breadcrumbs
 1 bunch fresh Coriander leaves

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/gas 4. Brush an ovenproof dish with a little oil.

2. Cut off the heads and tails off the sardines, sprinkle with lemon juice and set aside.

3. Spread the broccoli evenly over the bottom of the prepared dish and scatter over the
garlic and tomatoes.

4. Arrange the sardines on top, side-by-side and season with salt and freshly ground black
pepper.

5. Pour over the wine and any remaining olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes.

6. Mix together the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and chopped parsley. Remove the sardines
from the oven and scatter the mixture evenly over the top. Return to the oven and cook
for a further 5 minutes. Serve piping hot.
Lentil and Stinging Nettle Soup

1 tbsp olive oil

1 small onion, diced
1 cup lentils, picked over and rinsed
5 cups vegetable stock or water
1 tbsp fresh dill
6 mushrooms, sliced
1/2 bunch stinging nettles, chopped coarsely
juice of 1/2 lemon
salt and pepper to taste
yogurt for garnish

1. Heat oil in large pot and sauté the onion until it is translucent, about 5 minutes.

2. Add the lentils stir to coat them in the oil. Allow to cook for a minute or two and
then add the stock or water and the dill. Bring it to a boil and then reduce heat and
cook for about 15 minutes at a simmer. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook
until the lentils are soft, about 20 more minutes.

3. Add nettles, lemon and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until nettles are done, about
5 minutes. Ladle into bowls and garnish with yogurt and dill.
Yamam Mashwi
Mediterranean spice grilled quail on a pomegranate and Freisse lettuce nest

Greek styled char grilled, light fresh marinades, using the best of Cornish game bird.

To serve 4

1 Pomegranate seeded

20 ml Red wine vinegar

4 Quails plucked
1 lemon juiced, fresh
1/2 tsp Mixed Mediterranean spices (Zatar, oregano, thyme)
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
50ml extra virgin olive oil

1 head Freisse lettuce washed

How to….

1. Remove and discard the fat just inside the body cavities and rinse the quail, inside and out,
under cold running water, then drain and blot dry with paper towels. Arrange the quail, skin side
down, in a nonreactive baking dish and set aside while you prepare the vinaigrette marinade.

2. Combine 1/2 cup vinegar, the lemon juice, Mediterranean spices and 2 teaspoons each salt
and pepper in a large bowl and whisk until the salt is dissolved. Whisk in the oil to blend. Taste for
seasoning, adding salt, pepper, or vinegar as necessary; the mixture should be highly seasoned.
Pour half the vinaigrette over the quail, turning the birds to coat thoroughly. Cover and let
marinate, in the refrigerator, for 1 to 2 hours, turning once or twice. Reserve the remaining
vinaigrette until serving time.

3. Preheat the grill to high.

4. When ready to cook, oil the grill grate. Remove the quail from the marinade and arrange them
skin side down, on the hot grate. Grill until nicely browned and the juices run clear when the tip of
a skewer or sharp knife is inserted in the thickest part of a thigh, about 4 to 6 minutes per side (8
to 12 minutes in all).

5. Transfer the quail to serving plates or a platter and serve immediately, accompanied by a crisp
salad of crisp Freisse lettuce, and pomegranate seeds, mixed with the rest of the vinaigrette.
Mum’s, Pressure cooked Lamb Shank Rogan josh

Lamb plays a staple part of an Indian diet. This dish reminds me of a typical Indian
summer, afternoon .The sharp whistling of the pressure cooker would mark the arrival of
delicious morsels of mutton falling off the bone, draped in rich tomato gravy. Mum
would deftly distribute the choice cuts to the kids, while settling herself with a few lesser
interesting bits… Prep time….40 minutes Cooking time….(20 mins in the pressure
cooker)

6 Hours(Oven time)

) Ingredients… 300Gms Natural Greek yoghurt 1 sprig Mint (Chopped) 3 gms Turmeric
powder 1 gm Chilli powder 2gms Ground Coriander 1 gm Ground Ginger 2 Liters Lamb
stock 4 whole Cardamom pods 6 ripe Plum tomatoes (Copped)> 1 liter Water A pinch
Ground nutmeg 5 Gms Ground cumin 2 Large Onions (Copped roughly) 1 bunch Fresh
coriander leaves 4 large Lamb shanks trimmed and tied with a twine 1 pinch Saffron
strand 25 ml Vegetable oil

Method…. ~ Place the base of the pressure cooker on top of the stove. ~ Whisk, a third of
the yoghurt in a bowl, add a pinch of ground cumin and mix the chopped mint .Keep
refrigerated. ~ Dust the Lamb shanks with Chilli powder, ground coriander, ginger and
cumin. ~ Pour the vegetable oil in the pressure cooker ~ Place the Lamb shanks in the
cooker and brown them carefully without splashing any hot oil. ~ Transfer the Shanks to
a plate and keep aside. ~ Brown the onion, add the copped tomatoes and soften them.
Add the spices, saffron strands and yoghurt to the sauce and top it up with the lamb stock
and water. ~ Return the Lamb shanks to the cooker, cover with the lid and cook for 20
minutes, so that the lamb falls off the bone.
To serve… Place a generous amount of the Bombay crushed potatoes in the centre of the
plate. Spoon the Tender Lamb shank on top of the potatoes and ladle a generous spoonful
of sauce around. Serve hot with some soothing mint yoghurt.
Sanjay says…Also referred to as Autoclaves and retorts, Pressure cookers have been an
integral part of kitchens for centuries apart. Often an essential part of an Asian bride’s
dowry, they serve a great purpose in conserving energy, saving on cooking times and
retaining the nutrients of the food. Substituting the lamb shanks with diced beef
/lamb/root vegetables make excellent winter warming stews in minutes.
 Cornish Under roast

Servings: 1 servings
Total Time (median): 0 : 00 Active Time: 0 : 00
US/Metric: [view as originally posted]
INGREDIENTS
 3 kg Chuck beef; (900gm)
 171 g Ox kidneys; (170gm)
 29 g Plain flour; (28gm)
 0 l Beef stock; (570ml)
 10 md Potatoes
 200 g Beef dripping; (43gm)
 2 lg Onions
 salt and pepper to taste

PREPARATION
Chop the beef and kidneys up into 1/2in (12mm) cubes. Peel and slice the onions then place meat and onions in bag
with flour and seasoning and now toss. Melt the dripping in frying pan and when hot tip out the contents of the bag and
cook to seal in the juices. Now add the stock and allow to simmer slowly. Pour the contents into a baking tin and add
the potatoes which have been halved so that their ends stand up through the gravy. Bake at 350 degrees F (170 degrees
C) for about 2 hours until the top of the potatoes brown. Serve with carrots and beans
Smoked Mackerel Rarebit

Serves 4

500g smoked pollack (or smoked haddock) fillet

300ml whole milk
75g unsalted butter
50g plain flour
200ml beer (good traditional ale, not cheap lager)
1 good tsp wholegrain mustard
75g medium-strong Cheddar cheese, grated
1 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
4 large slices of wholemeal bread
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Put the smoked fish in a large pan, cutting up the fillet if necessary so that it fits snugly
and pour the milk over (it should just cover the fish). Put the lid on the pan and bring to a
simmer, then remove from the heat. This should be sufficient to cook the fish through. If
it isn't quite cooked - i.e. if it does not break easily into flakes - turn the fillet over, cover
again and leave in the hot milk for a couple of minutes.

Remove the fish from the pan, reserving the liquid and set aside to cool a little. Then
break it into large flakes, discarding any bones or bits of skin.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over a medium heat, stir in the flour to make a roux and
cook gently for 2-3 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the fish poaching milk if it has cooled
down. Gradually add the fishy milk to the roux, followed by the beer, stirring all the time.
Don't worry if it fizzes up; the bubbles soon disappear. When the sauce is thick and
smooth, let it cook for a minute or two, then add the mustard, Cheddar and plenty of
black pepper. Taste and add salt too, if you think it needs it, though the fish will have
made the milk quite salty. Gently stir in the flaked fish and half the parsley.

Toast the bread. Spread the cheesy, fishy mixture on top and place under a hot grill until
bubbling and golden. Serve straight away, with the rest of the parsley sprinkled on top.
Fennel Spiced Prawns with Citrus Salad
 Cook Time:

4 min

 Yield:

4 servings

Prep
30 min
Inactive Prep
1 hr 0 min
Cook
4 min

Ingredients
 12 jumbo prawns or shrimp, about 1/2 pound total, peeled and deveined
 1 tablespoon Fennel Spice Rub, recipe
 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons
 1 blood orange
 1/2 large grapefruit
 2 naval or other large oranges
 Salt and pepper
 1 large bunch watercress

Directions
Sprinkle the fennel spice evenly over the flesh side of the prawns and let sit, covered and
refrigerated, overnight.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large skillet with even curved edge over medium
high heat until hot. Lay the prawns, flesh down, against the curved sides of the pan, tails
up and heads toward the center of the pan. Press them down with spatula or rest a slightly
smaller pan on top of the prawns as a weight, so they cook evenly and rapidly. This will
give them a gently curled shape. Cook until they begin to turn pink around the edges,
about 2 minutes. Place the pan in the oven until the prawns are evenly pink, about 2
minutes longer.

Cut the skin and white pith off all the citrus fruits and segment the fruits over a bowl to
catch the segments and juices. Season with the salt and pepper and add the remaining 2
tablespoons of the olive oil. Toss well, taste for balance and reserve.

To serve, place 1/4 of the watercress on 4 plates. Toss the citrus mixture again and spoon
around and over the watercresss, moistening with juices. Arrange 3 prawns around each
salad, standing them in a circle, tails up, and serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

Risotto With Smoked Trout

Time: 40 minutes

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2/3 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup finely chopped fennel bulb

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup risotto rice, preferably Vialone Nano

1/2 cup dry white wine, preferably verdejo

About 4 cups warm chicken stock

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1/2 pound boneless, skinless smoked trout, in small chunks

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon minced chervil.

1. Heat oil in a heavy 3-quart saucepan. Add onion, fennel and garlic and sauté over low
heat until soft. Stir in rice. Cook a few minutes. Add wine. Cook over medium heat,
stirring, until most of the wine has been absorbed.

2. Add stock, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring, adding more as each portion is absorbed. After
adding 1 1/2 cups, season with salt and pepper and fold in trout. Keep adding stock until
rice is al dente but mixture is still creamy, about 17 minutes total.

3. Fold in lemon zest and chervil. Check seasoning and serve.

Yield: 4 servings.

Curried lobster baked potato recipe

This healthy, fast and easy to make fancy baked potato recipe makes a great lunch or
dinner side dish or main course for all ages. This recipe serves 4.

INGREDIENTS:

4 large baking potatoes, scrubbed and washed

2 tbsp. sunflower oil

4 oz. lobster meat, diced

2 cups premade mild curry sauce

1 cup golden raisins

1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped

1 tsp. lemon juice

seasoning to taste

natural thick set Greek yogurt to serve

margarine or butter for mashing potato

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 400 F (200 C). Bake potatoes for 1 hour until skins are slightly browned
and crisp.

Meanwhile, heat sunflower oil in a frying pan. Add lobster pieces and brown on all sides,
about 5 minutes. Add curry sauce, golden raisins, cilantro, lemon juice and seasoning.
Fry gently for 15 minutes, covered.

Remove potatoes and cut each one in half. Divide butter or margarine between each half
and mash into potatoes. Put halves on serving plates and spoon curried lobster mixture on
top. Serve hot garnished with yogurt as a great lunch or quick family dinner.

Orange Syllabub
Syllabubs are usually made with cream, but this zesty low fat orange dessert retains all of
the flavor with little of the fat.

Ingredients:

 4 medium oranges, peeled and membranes removed

 2 1/2 cups plain low fat or fat-free yogurt
 6 tbsp nonfat dry milk
 4 tbsp confectioner's sugar
 1 tbsp grated orange peel
 4 tbsp orange juice
 2 egg whites

Preparation:
Cut peeled and skinned orange segments into pieces and divide between four dessert
glasses. Mix yogurt, milk powder, sugar, orange peel and juice in a bowl. Cover with
wrap and chill. Beat egg whites until stiff. Fold into chilled yogurt mixture, and spoon on
to orange segments. Chill until ready to serve. Garnish with orange zest.
Rhubarb Sorbet Popsicles
Ingredients

 3 1/2 cups of chopped fresh rhubarb (4-5 stalks)

 2 1/2 cups of water
 1 2/3 cups of sugar
 1/4 teaspoon of salt
 2 teaspoons of orange zest
 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh ginger
 2 tablespoons of corn syrup

Method

1 Place rhubarb, sugar, water, salt, orange zest, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a boil
over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 5 minutes, or until the rhubarb
easily falls apart and the sugar has dissolved.

2 Cool for 10 minutes. Working in batches, purée in a blender until smooth. Press
through a fine mesh strainer to remove the pulp; discard the pulp. Stir in corn syrup.
Cover and refrigerate until totally chilled, several hours or overnight. (Can more quickly
chill in the freezer if you check it and stir it every 15 minutes.)

3 Process in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. The
sorbet will have a soft texture right out of the ice cream maker. If you would like a firmer
consistency, transfer the sorbet to an airtight container and place in freezer for several
hours. Once frozen, you may need to let it sit for a few minutes at room temperature to
soften before serving.

Makes about one quart.