Linguine Carbonara

Often used making spaghetti, this is a dish originating from Rome, Italy. There are so many different things that have been added to it over the years and you can even buy a ready made sauce called carbonara sauce. Which to me is odd as it isn't meant to actually be a sauce.

This version sticks as closely to the original - no wine, no onions, no parsley, no mushrooms and particularly, no cream. You can, of course, add what you like but I believe the beauty is in the absolute simplicity of the dish.

You can't go wrong and you will love this simple, quick to cook, Linguine Carbonara.

Ingredients:     (Serves 2)

100g streaky bacon
40g parmesan cheese
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk
250g linguine
black pepper

Method:

Heat your serving dishes in a low oven. Bring a large pot of water to boil and add the linguine. While this is cooking, beat the eggs and egg yolk in a jug and add all but one tablespoon of the cheese, stirring well.

Snip the bacon into small pieces using kitchen scissors and dry fry (there should be enough fat in the bacon, if there isn't add 1 scant tsp. oil). When the bacon is beginning to crisp (but not brown) and the pasta is al dente, drain the pasta, reserving a small cup of the cooking water.

Add the pasta to the bacon and stir well to cover the pasta with the bacon juices. Take off the heat and add the egg, cheese mix and stir well. The heat of the pan will cook the eggs and thicken. Add a tablespoon or two of the cooking water to loosen and serve immediately. Top with the reserved cheese and serve immediately.

Note: I served this with some leftover ciabatta, toasted and spread with the garlic puree I made the other day. Delicious!

Dutch Frikandellen

I had these in Amsterdam whilst walking around a market and promised myself I would make them one day. And so, a couple of weeks ago, on the night I made the Bitterballen - I also made an apple and potato salad and a plate of hot Frikandellen! These are skinless sausages that you can make at home. No meat grinder and no sausage machine needed. They are boiled and then deep fried.

These are absolutely not difficult to make and taste home-made and delicious! Give them a go.

Ingredients:

500g chicken breast
500g beef (I used stewing steak)
225g either pork meat or pancetta (I used a fatty pancetta)
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. garlic powder
2 tsp.salt.
1 tsp. ground black pepper
180ml double cream

small water/sofa bottle (empty and washed)

Method:

Put all of the above apart from the cream into a food processor and process until fine. Add the cream and process again until you get a raw sausage like consistency.

To make the sausages boil a large pan of water. Get the bottle and cut off the bottom end. Keeping the lid on for now, push the sausage meat into the bottle and find something that has the same diameter (bottom of a sherry glass?) to be able to push the meat out of the top. Remove the lid and push out a length of about 10 inches - use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut off the meat. The sausages will shrink in the boiling water to about 6-7 inches which is about right. Do a few more but not too many in the pan. Boil for 5 minutes and using a slotted spoon, remove from the water and drain on kitchen paper. Repeat until all the meat mixture is cooked.

You can, at this stage, leave until ready to fry later - or you can fry them immediately. Pour about 2-3 inches of vegetable oil into a deep pan and heat until a scrap of bread browns in a couple of seconds. Add the sausages, a couple at a time, and cook until crispy and browned. Drain on kitchen paper and keep warm while you do the remainder.

Serve in a bowl scattered with finely chopped raw onion with ketchup, mayonnaise and some soft rolls. Enjoy!!