Beer Onions - great for the BBQ

As we head into barbecue season these are a great accompaniment to grilled meats - fantastic with sausages - a great all rounder.
Made with beer - you want something dark, but not too bitter.
The onions are cooked slowly - you are looking for the sweetness to come out.
You can make these in bulk - and I find they keep in the fridge for a good few days.

50g butter
1 tbsp oil
2 large onions - sliced
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
150ml beer

1 Melt the butter and oil in a large heavy bottomed pan that has a lid.
2 Add the sliced onions - give a good stir and cook gently, for 10 minutes, with the lid on.
3 With the onions now well softened, add the beer, honey and mustard.
4 Cook gently with the lid off until the beer has reduced and you are left with a relish like consistency - as in the photo.
5 Enjoy hot or cold - really great with sausages!!

Asparagus wrapped in pancetta - one for the BBQ

This is a really quick, really straightforward recipe - it's so simple it doesn't really need a recipe.
The 'bundles' can be cooked on the barbecue - which gives an added flavour - or under the grill.
The English asparagus season runs from St Georges day to the summer solstice and we are promised a bumper crop this year.
I used pancetta in the photo - but you can use any thinly sliced bacon, prosciutto or pancetta.
When the pancetta is cooked the asparagus will be cooked.
I have finished with a shop bought balsamic vinegar glaze (from Waitrose) - which works brilliantly to cut through.

1 bunch asparagus
1 pack pancetta
To dress - Balsamic vinegar reduction

1 Bend the asparagus spears until they break and throw away the woody end (younger, smaller asparagus may not require this)
2 Arrange the asparagus into small bundles - how many spears will depend on their thickness, probably a minimum of 2, a maximum of 5.
3 Wrap the bundles in the pancetta
4 Secure one end of the pancetta with a cocktail stick for cooking
5 Cook on the barbecue or under the grill.
6 As soon as the pancetta is crispy you are ready to remove the cocktail sticks and serve.
7 I drizzle with the Balsamic Vinegar glaze

Enjoy

Szechuan Style Prawn

This is a great, authentic tasting dish- the heat can be turned up a bit by adding more chilli flakes - or perhaps a fresh red chilli, sliced.
Really straightforward to make - and check out some of the other chinese dishes on the blog to try it with.
The level in the recipe is warm - rather than hot!

Serves 4

600g cooked, peeled large prawns
1 tin chopped tomatoes
3 large onions - sliced
1 tbsp grated ginger
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
3 tsp chilli flakes
salt and pepper

1 Heat the oil in a heavy casserole
2 Add the onions and ginger and cook until the onions are soft and translucent.
3 Add the tomatoes and soy sauce, sugar and chilli flakes.
4 Season and leave to simmer on a low heat until you have a smooth, thick sauce - approximately 20 mintues.
5 Add the prawns to the sauce, and warm through.
6 Check the seasoning and serve.

Prawn Cocktail - back to the old school!

For Valentines I decided to go back in time - with an old school favourite - prawn cocktail, followed by a T-bone steak!

For the prawn cocktail I struggled to find the appropriate glasses - but managed to source a couple in a local charity shop.

For the basic sauce I reverted to my old recipe for mini prawn cocktails:

500g prawns

200 ml mayonnaise

3 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tbsp lemon juice

Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper

1 Make the marie rose sauce. The only thing that is important here is to add everything to taste. Put the mayo and tomato ketchup in a bowl and mix, add the lemon juice to taste, and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, which adds a background hint of heat.

2 Season the sauce and then add your prawns and mix well.

For the salad - I had thought it was traditionally just iceberg or little gem lettuces - but found there were lots of different versions. This was what I went for:

3 little gem lettuces

10cm piece of cucumber

1 avocado

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 Cut the cucumber lengthways - use a spoon to scoop out the seeds

2 Cut the cucumber into small dice

3 Peel the avocado and cut into cubes.

4 Place the avocado and cucumber into a bowl with the lemon juice and toss well

5 Shred the little gems and mix well with the avocado and cucumber.

6 Split between four bowls - leave a dip in the middle to scoop in the prawns.

7 Dress with a lemon slice, or a prawn with the shell on for full 70's points - and perhaps a sprinkling of cayenne pepper.

Get some Demis Roussos on the gramaphone - live the dream........