delicious – style dispenser

White miso + ginger + baby potato velouté.

Published on March 24, 2019 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

To all miso addicts, you might like this. Very much!
You have been warned 🙂

An idea of this creamy deliciousness occurred to me when Mariko, one of my Japanese friends was telling me about sliced potatoes baked under cover of miso dressing – something popular in her hometown.
I didn’t have any large potatoes available, plus I was in the mood for a creamy warmer.
And so it is, creamy, tasty, and comforting meal !

Garnished with roasted onion, ginger and turmeric.

To make a portion for 4, you’ll need:
500 g of baby potatoes
1 litre of vegetable stock
2 tsp of white miso
1 tsp of barley miso
2 medium shallot onions, chopped
1 tbsp of freshly grated ginger
salt, pepper, crème fraiche
1 tbsp of turmeric

The instructions for this soup are uncomplicated;

Fry shallots and grated ginger on a glug of olive oil in heavy bottomed pan until soften, add chopped potatoes and mix it all together. Pour vegetable stock mixed with miso, and simmer covered until all soft, and ready. Season to your taste with salt and pepper.
Using a kitchen blender mix it until smooth.
Serve immediately with a dash of crème fraîche and grounded pistachios.

enjoy !

umami+beetroot velouté

Published on February 24, 2019 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

I must admit that I have a love/hate relationship with beetroot.
Yes, I know that it’s sweet and healthy purposes are hard to ignore, but if like me, you were overfed it in every possible version ( juiced, pureed, caramelised, etc., etc. ) then it’s not so easy to appreciate it years later.

Having said that, here it is, my less than usual take on this underestimated veg –
easy, delicious and yes, a bit of “once you try it”, well, you’re going to love it…again!

This recipe, like many others published here, is very simple and require:

2 medium finely chopped shallot onions
6-8 baby potatoes, chopped (I am leaving them unpeeled)
1 liter of good vegetable stock
2 tbsp of umami paste
1 medium beetroot, sliced
a small bunch of lemon thyme
2 small apples, quartered
salt, pepper to season

In a heavy-bottomed pan sweat the onions on a low heat in 2 tbsp of olive oil, stirring occasionally. Add baby potatoes, and sweat for another 5 mins or so. Once gently fried, pour in vegetable sock mixed with umami paste and simmer until all is nicely combined. Then add lemon thyme and quartered apples. As they begin to soften (about 3-5 mins) add sliced beetroot and season it gently. Be careful not to overpower the meal with salt and pepper and lose the gentle flavour of umami and beetroot 🙂

Blend it all until creamy and serve with a scoop of crème fraîche and dill.

bon appétit !

Duck like no other

Published on September 29, 2018September 30, 2018 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

It has been a while since I last had duck in my kitchen. Mostly because I used to enjoy my portion of Duck Confit when travelling to Paris a good few times a year. And from my own experience no one does it as good as in France. So instead of messing with a rather traditional meal, I decided to rebel and roast the duck breasts in a more unusual way – poached with rhubarb and cashew nuts. The result speaks (and tastes) for itself! 😋

Step One:
Season the duck breasts with salt, pepper and rub with thyme .
Marjoram could also work if you prefer a stronger flavour.
Place them skin down on a pre-heated heavy bottomed pan and fry for 7-8 mins. That’s the best way to keep the meat succulent and avoid it drying out. Finish with turning the duck breasts skin side up on a rack in a roasting tin in the middle of the pre-heated oven. Cook for 15-18 minutes, depending how you like your duck cooked.

Step Two:
Place the rhubarb stems in a pot, season it with a sprinkle of thyme, cashews nuts and a few drips of honey. Cook it for 10 mins, keeping a lid on the pan, until softened. If you like it more “al dente” then check it after 7 mins with a fork to see if the stems are firm enough to your liking. I like mine soft and juicy 🙂

Serve on poached rhubarb with nuts caramelised in honey and thyme.

Reinvented chicken sandwich.

Published on August 12, 2018 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

This moment when you realise that there is quite a sizeable chunk of chicken after a Sunday roast. What to do with it?
Or rather how to make it tasty in an inspiring way for a hot August?
My Mum used to shred leftover pieces of a roast and season ot with salt and pepper , garnishing with a bit of mustard on top, and serve it on toasted sourdough. So it wasn’t difficult for me to give life to this memory and elevate it with some more seasoning.

Place a tablespoon of butter on the frying pan. Once butter has melted add sprinkle generously with a tbsp of paprika ( smoked paprika if like me you prefer a strong flavour) follow this with a pinch of turmeric. When all blended add a handful of shredded chicken and sprinkle an additional amount of paprika. Then it’s up to you as to how flavoursome you want your chicken – you could opt for an extra tablespoon of paprika rather than pinch. You will see how beautifully coloured the chicken becomes.

At this moment you can turn the heat off and stir gently all together to blend everything evenly.
When ready place the mixture on toasted sourdough and grate parmigiano regiano cheese, and add sliced avocado.
Finish with chopped spring onion to compliment the flavour.

enjoy! x

Not-so Eton mess-y 🍓

Published on August 5, 2018August 5, 2018 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

We are having yet another hot weekend here in London, and British strawberries are still in season. Conclusion: a cooling dessert with flavour! What I like about this quintessentially English treat, is that it is not too sweet and the fruit makes it even more pleasant during the hot days. Plus, I made some fresh mousse from the rest of the fruit. Perfect combo.

Wipe the double cream to create the thick and fluffy consistence.
Cut the strawberries into quarter pieces. It is up to you whether you prefer to finish it neatly or, lets say, in a more bohemian way.
Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream to the cream.
Add crushed meringue ( the nests I have used here are from Tesco Finest ).
Place it all in the bowls before serving and garnish with the freshly blended mousse.
Finish with mint leafs and icing sugar.

Enjoy! 🍓

Chinese ginger broth 🌶

Published on April 15, 2018 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

It is that time of year – no more winter, not yet spring (unless 10C and continuous rain seems like a spring to you). I find Chinese broth just the perfect meal for when the weather is in transition. Plus, cooking in a large quantity, you could use this as a base for other meals!

To cook 4 litres ( full large pot ) of this delicious liquid you’ll need:

2 medium onions,
2 red chillies
bunch of spring onions
4 pearl onions – they’re such great flavour enhancers
1 whole organic chicken
4-5 garlic cloves
100g ot a few generous chunks of fresh ginger
3 tablespoons of cane sugar
a glass/300ml of Chinese cooking wine

Add all the ingredients – except the chicken – into the water and simmer in a large saucepan over high heat. Once boiling, add the whole chicken and depending on the size of the chicken, simmer on a reduced heat for about 30-40 mins.

Allow to cool. Skim any excess fat from the surface and discard the solids if you prefer it clear. Serve over the rice noodles with fresh chilli if you like it 🌶🌶 and garnish with yuzu pepper.

Sweet tooth Sunday

Published on March 11, 2018March 11, 2018 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

Dutch Baby, so fashionable these days, is nothing else but the pastry my Mum used to make for my siblings and I when we were in need for some dessert fix. Now that I’m older it doesn’t surprise me why that was her fix of choice. It’s surprisingly easy to make it, takes minutes to bake it and above all it looks rather spectacular whether you’re an adult or child in need of sugar rush.

So, baking this kind of pancake- Yorkshire pudding- pastry was not only fun but also a nostalgic carefree flashback of a sweet times with my sweet Mama.

To make this 26cm size pastry you need:
3 whole eggs
100g plain flour
1 tbsp of caster sugar
pinch of sea salt
1 vanilla pod
150ml whole milk
large tbsp of butter of any kind

Preheat the cast iron pan in oven at 220C.
Place the eggs and sugar in a blender, mix them well.
Add milk, vanilla beans from the pod, salt and the flour to achieve a smooth batter.
Take the hot pan out of oven and melt the scoop of butter.
As soon as butter has melted, pour the batter into the pan and place it in the oven for approx. 20 mins.

Once golden brown and high in size, take it off carefully out oven and garnish with seasonal fruits and icing sugar if you like it.

One pasta, two options, three flavours

Published on January 14, 2018 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

There are two groups of people, apparently – the ones who love their pasta mixed with the sauce, and the others who prefer to have it just on top.
It doesn’t bother me which option I have as long as the meal is well, tasty.
Bearing in mind my friend’s preferences, I made this simple dish the way she likes it – separated. And what’s your favourite?

To make this tree flavour pasta you’ll need:
a tin of cherry tomatoes
250ml of tomato passata
100g of dried tomato pesto
1tbsp of freshly grated ginger
1tbsp of freshly grated garlic
1 tsp of sambal oelek paste
2 medium red peppers
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar glaze
a spoonful of good quality green pesto
parsley leaves and parmigiano reggiano to garnish

1. Using a glug of live oil, roast thinly sliced peppers in non-stick pan.
Stir them occasionally so they’ll caramelise nicely on both sides.
Once they soften, mix them with balsamic vinegar glaze and keep on a low heat for 3-5mins. Take off the heat and sed aside to cool.

2. In a heavy bottomed pan, fry garlic and ginger, and pour over tomato passata.
Follow with cherry tomatoes and simmer on a low heat. At this moment add the dried tomato pesto and sambal oelek ( or just chili as a substitute ) and stir occasionally until the sauce is thickened to a creamy consistence. Season up to your taste with salt, pepper and Worcester sauce – it’s a genius flavour enhancer!

Serve with your favourite type of pasta ( hint: it goes really well with penne!).
And here’s the trick; you can either add pepper into sauce and mix it all together, or serve the sauce on top of your penne with roasted peppers to taste the difference between the sauce, peppers and green pesto – used as a garnish.
The three flavours in one!

Happy Cooking ! 👨🏻‍🍳

Winter warmer anyone?

Published on January 7, 2018January 8, 2018 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

Festive season is behind us, and so is its food. But unlike Christmas, winter will stay with us for a while. I find winter warmers – like this Spiced Carrot&Sweet potato cream, I’m sharing here with you, are a perfect solution to the cold months. As usual I’ve made sure that the recipe is hassle free and the outcome filling, yet delicious.

To make this easy meal you’ll need:
3 medium potatoes
3 medium carrots
1 brown onion
some fresh thyme, ginger and a few garlic cloves – quantity to your own taste
smoked salt roasted almonds to garnish
a small chunk of freshly grated ginger
1 litre of vegetable stock

With a glug of olive oil, roast the onions in a large saucepan.
Once they soften, add grated garlic, following by the vegetable stock.
Boil the mixture for a few minutes then add chopped carrots and sweet potato and cook on a low heat for 10-15 mins until the carrots are al dente. Add the grated ginger.
The secret to the warming taste of this meal is to add the ginger at this moment (you could ad some chilli as well) so the gentle spiciness wont evaporate from the soup.
Once all the ingredients are cooked through, blend them gently to achieve a delicious cream.

Serve garnished with smoked almonds thyme and pepper if you like.
A sprinkle of finely chopped chives is also a good option for this meal.

Razor clams…Flavour sharp!

Published on November 2, 2017November 2, 2017 by wojtekvanportekLeave a comment

One of good things about the weekend is that local fishmongers are very freshly stocked with their “catch of the day”. I love that feeling when standing in front of iced shelves fully covered by sea food and you just simply don’t know what to buy?
Every time when I think I’ve had enough time to make a decision whilst queueing, and I hear “what can I get you, Sir?”, my fishmonger can read from my eyes – I DON’T KNOW! Are you after some fish? Had it last time, I reply back. Scallops? He continues. Not this time. Why don’t you have a bunch of Razor clams? Why don’t I! I reply enthusiastically. Never mind the inpatient clients behind me, waiting to be served. I just got I didn’t know I wanted! Which makes my weekend a bit more exciting.

Razor clams are this type of seafood which doesn’t require a lot of preparation; good old salt and pepper plus, shaved shallots, butter and ginger…and they’re ready to go in the oven!
Roast them at 200C for about 10min on greaseproof paper, turning the tray around to ensure that clams cook evenly. Once they open, sprinkle generously freshly grated gruyere cheese and roast for another 5mins until cooked through.
Once they’re ready, serve on a piece of bread or baguette, garnished generously with chopped parsley or chives.