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Main courses

PAN FRIED HALIBUT WITH SORREL SAUCE

Posted by Paul Heathcote on May 26, 2008 2:51 PM

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HALIBUT is one of those wonderful fish that can be poached, grilled or fried – almost everything you add to accompany it works incredibly well. It can take robust flavours such as garlic and chilli, and also goes well with subtle, zesty flavours such as today’s sorrel sauce.
Sorrel is one of those under-utilised herbs – it takes literally seconds to cook and changes colour when heated.

I particularly like it with this sweeter sauce, which contrasts well with the acidity of the herb.

SALMON WITH WATERCRESS & HERB BUTTER SAUCE

Posted by Paul Heathcote on May 26, 2008 2:45 PM

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THIS recipe seems like there is an enormous amount of ingredients required but if you do read through it, many of them will already be in your kitchen cupboards. If you want to omit the odd one or two it won’t make a massive difference but make sure you use the watercress and herbs. The end result is not unlike the consistency of a hollandaise sauce and can split if it becomes too cold or hot – keep at room temperature – you can make it an hour or so before cooking your fish.

Quick Herb Roasted Chicken with Five Bean Salad

Posted by Paul Heathcote on May 4, 2008 12:23 PM

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THERE is nothing more satisfying than a beautifully roasted chicken – it is far superior to a chicken breast grilled or pan fried. The aroma and texture always has that comforting homely appeal.

This recipe is quick and fast – your chicken will take you only an hour to roast. I am serving it with a bean salad which can be made very quickly by buying tins or jars of cooked beans, draining and mixing together with some fresh herbs and olive oil to make a wonderful simple spring lunch or dinner.

Tuna Carpaccio with Fennel and Rocket

Posted by Paul Heathcote on April 13, 2008 12:43 PM

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TO MAKE carpaccio, particularly fish, your ingredients need to be wonderfully fresh. If you are buying a day in advance, then pop the tuna into the freezer immediately, allow it to thaw slightly before slicing thinly.

Tuna is particularly wonderful served raw with some olive oil and balsamic, and the salad rocket and fennel sets it off well. Don’t scrimp on good quality olive oil and balsamic vinegar as you can use sparingly and the flavour will be considerably better.

Sweet roasted pork with crackling

Posted by Paul Heathcote on April 13, 2008 12:36 PM

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I HAVE often written about pork being so under utilised – it is one of those great meats that can take many different flavours. Here is a slightly sweet cure that, when roasted, caramelises the fat wonderfully well.

I am frequently asked how much meat should be ordered when roasting a joint – a simple tip is to think about it as a 250g (8oz) portion of meat multiplied by the amount of people you are cooking for.

CHINESE STYLE MEATBALLS

Posted by Paul Heathcote on March 25, 2008 11:22 PM

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I HAVE been away on holiday and missed Chinese New Year so here’s a recipe – late as it maybe – which could be served with some stir fried noodles.

They are not particularly difficult to make but are much easier if you have a food processor. Serve a dip of chilli jam and soya sauce to accompany.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH OLIVES & BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND GREEN PEPPERCORNS

Posted by Paul Heathcote on March 25, 2008 11:19 PM

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THIS is a great dish for preparing a little in advance and then quickly cooking when needed.

The lemon juice helps marinate the chicken and makes it more tender and a nice tip for the even cooking of the chicken into escalopes is to make a few incisions – only a couple of millimetres on the thicker part of the meat so that one piece doesn’t become dry while the other is still cooking.
I love serving this dish with some couscous or pasta.


Trout with simple tarragon sauce

Posted by Paul Heathcote on February 7, 2008 11:20 PM

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TROUT seems to have gone out of fashion over the last few years, I wonder why – it is a beautiful subtle flavour and takes no time to cook.

Perhaps the only difference is those fine small bones but these can be easily removed from the fillets with a pair of tweezers – it takes no more than a minute to do this job.

I also find removing the scales from the skin can occasionally loosen themselves and appear a little bit like bones; these are easily removed by using the edge of a spoon and scraping them off. Wipe clean with a damp cloth before grilling or frying.

Beef with Madeira, cream and Mushrooms

Posted by Paul Heathcote on February 5, 2008 11:16 PM

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HERE’S a dish to grace any special occasion. Madeira and mushroom sauce is simple to make – if you like you can always substitute the Madeira sauce for Port even though the flavour will be quite different.

When cooking any steak it is important that you cook it just how you or your friends like it. I have written a few tips below which will make it just perfect.

Hungarian Goulash

Posted by Paul Heathcote on January 7, 2008 11:24 PM

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THERE is nothing like a long walk to get rid of the Christmas cobwebs and come back home to the aroma of a good, old- fashioned casserole.

This is a dish I did many years ago and is still one of my favourites.

Take the time to source some smoked paprika – it makes all the difference and, if you want to avoid the potatoes, it goes equally well with boiled rice and a good dollop of crème fraiche or soured cream.

PERFECT ROAST TURKEY WITH RUSTIC POTATOES

Posted by Paul Heathcote on December 24, 2007 12:36 AM

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ROASTING a turkey at Christmas can be rather stressful in particular if you have a large family – usually the turkey won’t fit in the fridge and possibly not in the oven and it also takes a long time to cook.

A really simple solution to both of these is to remove the legs – this has the added bonus of not allowing the turkey to over cook – the legs can be roasted and removed once they are ready – the same applies for the double breast. It will also cut the cooking time by half.

Have a great Christmas.

Ceviche of Salmon with Pomegranate Mascarpone

Posted by Paul Heathcote on December 15, 2007 11:58 AM

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COOKING for larger numbers at Christmas is always a challenge.

Why I have chosen this recipe is that salmon is plentiful and available over the festive season.

This dish requires no cooking – it is quick, easy and the preparation can be made the day before and is pepped up by some wonderful festive flavours

Spiced Cheese & Coriander Pork Chops with Parma Ham

Posted by Paul Heathcote on November 20, 2007 1:32 AM

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PORK is such an under-utilised cut of meat, its versatility lends itself to nearly every style of cooking and it works wonderfully well with spices and oriental flavours. This week’s recipe is a bit of a cross culture using spices with Mediterranean flavours. Personally, I like to slightly flatten the meat first to make it thinner and cook quicker, retaining all those juices.

Roast Pumpkin with Garlic, Parsley & Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

Posted by Paul Heathcote on November 1, 2007 4:11 PM

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PUMPKINS seem to get a bit of a hard time. It is a wonderful vegetable that seems to spend its whole life being cut into lanterns when it has so many more uses – pumpkin soup is one of the easiest dishes to make, pumpkin pie sliced with a little onion and baked in pastry is also great and it is an even more versatile vegetable to roast than many.

It is plentiful at the moment and cheap, and will happily accompany all meats as well as fish, and is great served as a vegetarian dish with some creamy risotto.


Spicy Skewers

Posted by Paul Heathcote on September 12, 2007 2:05 PM

A simple but interesting vegetarian dish

VEGETARIANS often get short-changed. However, it is not difficult to come up with some simple yet interesting dishes.

Combinations of spices work particularly well with cheese, and I am very fond of feta.

Its creamy taste works wonderfully well with spices and most ingredients for that matter. Combine it with some watermelon, which cuts well with the creamy texture.

Don’t be frightened of experimenting with other melons or cheese, but try this first.

Gnocchi with sage and marmite butter

Posted by Paul Heathcote on August 21, 2007 4:27 PM


Unusual combination of pasta and Marmite
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IN MY book, Heathcotes at Home, I created a recipe with Marmite butter. Kept chilled in the fridge, it is a wonderful accompaniment to a fried or grilled piece of steak.

I know many of my friends swear by the recipe for its ease and taste, but recently I have found another use for it.

If you don’t want to go to the trouble of making the gnocchi then most supermarkets stock it in the fresh pasta section, although you can’t beat this freshly-made Italian dumpling.


Pepping up the beautiful banger: Sausages with lentil and bacon

Posted by Paul Heathcote on June 29, 2007 3:01 PM

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Recipe for: Sausages with Lentil and Bacon

Classic Greek

Posted by Paul Heathcote on May 19, 2007 6:08 PM

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Moussaka

This page contains an archive of all entries posted to Paul Heathcote in the Main courses category. They are listed from oldest to newest.

Desserts is the previous category. Recipes is the next category.Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.