Gordon Ramsay's Ultimate Cookery Course (31 page)

1
. Roll out both blocks of pastry to a thickness of 3mm and cut out eighteen discs, using an 11cm cutter or saucer. Cover the discs with cling film and chill while you prepare the filling.

2
. Heat a saucepan over a medium heat and add a little olive oil. Sweat the onion and garlic gently for about 5 minutes until soft but not coloured. Add the cumin, cinnamon and paprika and stir until aromatic.

3
. Add the beef, season with salt and pepper and cook for about 5 minutes until lightly browned. Mix in the olives, oregano, chilli flakes, sugar and eggs. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Leave to cool.

4
. Once the beef has cooled, spoon about 1 tablespoon onto each pastry disc, leaving a 1cm border around the edge. Brush beaten egg around half the border, then fold the pastry over and press the edges together to seal and create a half-moon shape. Crimp the edges, removing any air pockets as you go.

5
. Chill the empanadas for 20 minutes to firm up. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.

6
. Place the empanadas on a baking tray. Make a steam hole in the top of each one with a skewer, then brush with beaten egg. Bake in the preheated oven for 18–20 minutes until the pastry is golden brown.

7
. Meanwhile, make the chimichurri. Place the parsley, garlic and fresh oregano (if using) in a small food processor and roughly chop. Add the rest of the ingredients and blitz briefly to combine. Taste and season. (If using dried oregano, add it at this stage.)

8
. Once the empanadas are cooked, cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or cold with the chimichurri on the side to spoon over or dip into.

EASY CHICKEN PASTILLA

SERVES 4

Chicken instead of beef, filo pastry instead of puff, but the concept is the same as for the empanada. In Morocco, where the pastilla originated, they are fond of mixing sweetness and spice in savoury dishes – hence the combination of cinnamon, sugar and almonds in these delicate parcels.

1
. Preheat the oven to 200°/Gas 6.

2
. First cook the chicken. Place the thighs in a roasting tray, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 35 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Set aside to cool, but keep the oven on. When the thighs are cool enough to handle, chop them into bite-sized pieces.

3
. Heat a wide pan over a medium heat and add a dash of oil. Sweat the onion and ginger for 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the cinnamon and sugar. Add the chicken, season and cover with the stock. Bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes so that the stock is reduced by half. Stir the eggs into the chicken mixture as the stock reduces so that they are well combined. When the stock is reduced, add the almonds, then taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary. Leave to cool.

4
. Brush a 22cm cake tin or pie dish with some of the melted butter. Line the dish with 4 sheets of filo, brushing melted butter between each layer and letting the ends of the filo drape over the sides.

5
. Place half the chicken mixture in the pastry cases, then cover with 4 more sheets of filo, brushing with butter and overlapping the edges as before. Flatten down and spoon in the remaining chicken mix. Cover with the remaining sheets of filo, brushing with melted butter between the layers. Fold the overhanging filo onto the top of the pie, tucking any other edges into the sides. Give one final brush with melted butter before placing in the preheated oven. Cook for 10–15 minutes until golden and crisp on top.

6
. Remove from the oven, place a plate over the dish and, using an oven cloth, flip the dish upside down to turn out the pastilla. Slide it from the plate onto a non-stick baking sheet. The bottom should now be facing up. Continue to cook for a further 5–10 minutes until golden.

7
. Remove and cool before serving dusted with a little icing sugar and extra cinnamon if desired.

FLATBREADS WITH
LEMON THYME RICOTTA

SERVES 2–4

Flatbreads are the simplest of all breads to make because, as the name suggests, you don’t need any raising agent at all. They are simply a mix of flour, water and oil, and are cooked on the hob or a fire rather than in an oven. I’ve added sautéed leeks to the dough here for extra interest. Serve with any curry or Lebanese rice dish, or simply with ricotta, lemon and thyme.

1
. Finely slice the leek into half-moons. Sauté in a medium-hot pan with the butter, a tablespoon of the oil and some seasoning. Cook for 3–4 minutes until tender and wilted. Remove from the heat.

2
. Meanwhile, mix together the flour, the remaining olive oil and a couple of pinches of salt and pepper. Add the leeks and bring the mixture together with approximately 100ml warm water, being careful to mix in any lumps of flour thoroughly. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little more flour.

3
. Knead the dough for 2–3 minutes on a clean floured work surface until smooth and elastic. Cover and leave to rest for 20 minutes.

4
. Divide the rested dough into 4 balls and roll these out on a floured work surface until 2–3mm thick.

5
. Heat a dry, non-stick frying pan and cook the flatbreads one at a time over a medium heat for 1–2 minutes on each side until they begin to bubble slightly and turn golden brown. Keep warm and cook the remaining flatbreads in the same way.

6
. Serve the flatbreads warm with spoonfuls of ricotta sprinkled with thyme leaves and lemon zest along with a pinch of salt and pepper.

FRESH GINGER SPONGE
CAKE

MAKES 8 SLICES

Every cook should master how to make a light, even sponge. Once you have, you can use it as a canvas for any flavours you like. Chocolate and ginger is a classic combination that works really well here.

1
. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4. Lightly butter and flour a deep 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin.

2
. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, add the vanilla extract and mix well.

3
. Sift in the flour and baking powder and fold in gently using a spatula until completely combined. Add a little milk, if necessary, to create a batter of dropping consistency.

4
. Pour the mixture into the cake tin, smoothing it down with the back of a spatula. Knock the tin on the work surface to get rid of any air pockets and to create a level mix. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes until golden and just firm to touch.

5
. To test if the cake is cooked, insert a knife or metal skewer into the middle: it should come out clean. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

6
. Make the icing while the cake is baking because it needs to thicken for 30 minutes before use. (If it is too runny, it will pour off the sides and look messy.) Put the chocolate and butter into a heatproof bowl. Place the cream and golden syrup in a saucepan and stir over a medium heat until they come just to the boil. Pour immediately into the bowl, stirring until the chocolate and butter have completely melted, and the mixture is thick and glossy. Set aside.

7
. To make the filling, whip the cream and icing sugar to soft peaks, then mix in the ginger.

8
. Once the sponge is cool, cut it in half horizontally. Spread the ginger cream over one half, then place the other half on top, pressing down lightly to push the cream to the edges.

9
. Using a spatula, spread the icing over the cake and allow to set before serving.

HOME-MADE CRUMPET

SERVES 2–4

Dripping with butter and jam, crumpets were the sort of teatime treat we all grew up with and loved. Making individual crumpets can be a hassle, so it’s much more fun to make a giant one to share. Topped with a quick home-made strawberry jam and a dollop of crème fraîche, the crumpet truly is worth rediscovering.

1
. Sift the flour, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda into a bowl. Make a well in the middle, add the yeast, and slowly pour in the warm milk mixed with 150ml warm water. Draw the flour into the centre, mixing thoroughly, and beat to a thick batter. (You may need to add up to another 100ml warm water if the mixture is very thick.) Whisk for a couple of minutes until smooth. Cover and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until it has almost doubled in size and has a spongy consistency.

2
. Meanwhile, make the jam. Heat the sugar in a frying pan for 3–4 minutes until caramelised and golden. Turn the heat down and add the strawberries, coating them in the caramel. Cook for about 10 minutes until the strawberries are tender and collapsing slightly and the sauce is nice and syrupy. Add the lemon zest and juice followed by a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Continue to heat for 5–7 minutes until the mixture has reduced to the consistency of jam. Leave to cool.

3
. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and add a little oil. Stir the batter and pour into the pan. Cook for 10–15 minutes on a low heat to prevent burning until the batter is dry and the surface is set with little holes. Dot a few little pieces of butter around the outside edge of the crumpet, and when this has melted, flip the crumpet over and cook on the other side for 1–2 minutes.

4
. Serve the crumpet with the quick strawberry jam and crème fraîche.

HOW TO MAKE INDIVIDUAL CRUMPETS

If you want to make several small crumpets, drop individual spoonfuls of the batter into the pan and reduce the cooking time to 7–10 minutes before flipping over. You might want to use a greased metal ring or biscuit cutter to help hold the mixture and prevent the crumpets from being too thin.