weekend – style dispenser

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.

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! 🍓

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 ! 👨🏻‍🍳