Bidmead Bites

Eat, drink and explore with Eve Bidmead

Navigation
  • About me
  • Food for thought
  • Recipes
  • Contact

Hazelnut fruit cake recipe – Ottolenghi inspired

2nd May 2020 by Eve Bidmead Leave a Comment

The words “Ottolenghi” and “simple” normally don’t go together. Yotam Ottolenghi is well aware of his fame for complicated recipes and hard to source ingredients (as he put it himself in his Guardian column: “I’ve heard the jokes…the one about “just popping out to the local shop to buy the papers, milk, black garlic and sumac”).

He is also a man who moves with the times and recognises peoples’ eternal struggle to find time to cook. This was the inspiration behind his newest cookbook Simple.

If you like Ottolenghi flavours but are put off by the faff, this is the book for you. It includes recipes with 10-or less ingredients, others you can make-ahead of serving, as well as quick meals you can have on the table in under 30 minutes. Within Simple lies one of my favourite cake recipes of all time – a hazelnut sponge with peaches and raspberries.

I’ve tweaked the recipe to give you more options for alternative ingredients because the whole world and his dog are baking at the minute and you’re lucky if you can snag up a bag of flour these days; you can flex this recipe based on what you have to hand.

I also reduced the sugar from 320 to 260 grams – not because I want to make this in any way a “healthy bake” (I think life is way too short for that nonsense). I love the tartness the fruit can provide and don’t want to dim the gloriously nutty richness of the hazelnuts by making the batter overly sweet. It worked really well and I recommend you go for this amount of sugar too.

A note on the fruit: the original recipe calls for 2 large peaches sliced into 1.5 cm wedges + 150 grams raspberries. You could sub apples, plums, apricots, pears…just think, the harder the fruit, the smaller your slices will need to be. For the berries you can use blueberries, strawberries or blackberries, and these can even be frozen. We’re flexing here, but the concept is the same: hazelnut + fruit = winning combo.

Hazelnut + fruits of your choice cake – an Ottolenghi adaptation

Ingredients

  • 450 grams of fruit (I used rhuburb and plum and it was cracking)
  • 260 grams sugar (original recipe calls for white caster, I used golden – either works)
  • 125g hazelnuts (skin off – try to buy them like this as otherwise it’s a bit of a faff, but see here on how to remove the skins if needed)
  • 200 grams unsalted butter (room temperature)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 125 grams plain flour ( if you only have self-raising, half the amount of baking powder)
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • Tiny pinch of salt

Method

  1. Turn oven to 170 degrees and line a 24cm round cake tin
  2. Mix your fruits with 1 tbsp of sugar and set aside
  3. Grind hazelnuts in a food processor and once roughly ground (under a minute) mix with flour, baking powder and salt in seperate bowl
  4. Beat sugar into the butter – easiest if you use a form of electric whisk
  5. Gradually add eggs to butter mix and then add in your flour hazelnut mix
  6. Pour batter into lined cake tin and place your fruit on top
  7. Bake for 70-80 minutes but cover cake with tin foil after half an hour to avoid it overly browning on top

Ottolenghi says this will keep for a day but I found it perfectly edible after three. In fact, I think the hazelnut flavour got richer over time, so if you do for whatever reason have some left after a day or two, don’t despair.

And then you’re done – enjoy with a cup of tea and Netflix

Filed Under: cake, dessert, easy recipe, ottolenghi, recipe Tagged With: baking, cake, hazelnut cake, ottolenghi, recipe, simple recipe

Arepas & Chicharrón recipe

18th April 2020 by Eve Bidmead Leave a Comment

While there’s much talk of how we should be using our time in isolation, I fully support the school of thought that if we just get through this, it’ll be enough.

So while you are under zero obligation to “be productive” or “try something new”, if you’re curious about Colombian food or share my inclination towards recipes involving any form of fried meat, you could give the below a go.

Today’s recipe is for Arepas con Chicarrón, or corn-cakes and fried pork belly. The arepas require a precooked corn flour called “masa harina”. You can’t sub this out for regular corn flour so I recommend looking in your local cash & carry or international supermarket for this; popular brands are Pan and Goya.

The pork belly recipe is a cracker; the meat pretty much takes care of itself, boiling down in water until the last few minutes when you fry it off in its own fat to get it gloriously golden and crunchy. Give it a bit of attention the night before with some salt and bicarbonate of soda to dry it out for extra crisp.

Chicarrón and Arepas

Arepas

Makes ten

Ingredients

  • 250 grams masa harina
  • 250 ml water
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Method

  • Pour out your water into a bowl big enough to allow you to mix in
  • Shake in your masa harina, salt & pepper
  • Combine ingredients with your hands, forming a dough
  • Cover bowl with a tea towel and leave for 10 minutes
  • The dough is now ready to mould. Separate it into 10 equal sized balls and flatten down to about ½ inch thickness and mould into a round shape, either with hands or use a cup to cut out the shape, like a cookie cutter
  • Lightly oil up a griddle or non stick pan and cook arepas until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes on each side.
Colombian Arepas

Chicharrón

For four people, served alongside arepas and other nibbles

Ingredients

  • 500 grams pork belly, cut into cubes about 4cm x 4cm
  • 1 tbsp bicarbonate of soda
  • 1 ½ tbsp salt
  • Seasonings of your choice (I used sweet paprika, cumin, garlic power)

Method

  • The night prior to cooking, place pork belly out on a plate and rub skin with the bicarb of soda and half the salt
  • The next day, when ready to cook, place pork belly in a pan big enough to fit it comfortably and add enough water to cover the meat completely
  • With the flame on very low, leave meat to simmer, checking on it every half an hour to turn the meat
  • 2-4 hours after you have started to cook the meat, the water will have evaporated off – this is time to turn up then heat and get your meat golden brown and crunchy
  • With the heat on high, carefully and lovingly fry the belly (no extra oil needed as it’s now cooking in its own fat). This should take 3-5 minutes – careful because the fat spits.
  • Once nicely golden and crunchy, remove meat from pan and place on top of kitchen roll laid on a plate to absorb extra grease.
  • Sprinkle spices and remaining salt on top – you can use the suggested sweet paprika, garlic powder and cumin or whatever your preferences are.
Chicarrón

These can be served alongside a whole host of toppings, below is what I went for: some pickled onions (left in red wine vinegar and a dash of sugar to take away the acidity), avocado, grated cheese, some chopped tomatoes with coriander and lemon and coriander to garnish.

Barranquilla in Golders Green, isolation edition

These are two very simple recipes that can serve as base for a whole Latin-American inspired meal. There’s loads of other Colombian recipes on my blog you could use as well: Colombian-style chicken wings, patacones (fried plantain slices, but this recipe does them in the oven), arroz con pollo (chicken with rice). Choices for pudding include a guava cake you could anglicise with jam instead of guava and a passionfruit and dulce de leche victoria sponge.

https://www.instagram.com/bidmeadbites/
Guava cake pulled from the archives, recipe available here

So if you’ve finished Tiger King and are at a loss for what to do next, why not give this a go? Let me know how you get on!

Filed Under: barranquilla, colombian cooking, colombian food, easy recipe, recipe, Uncategorised Tagged With: arepas, chicarron, colombian food, colombian recipes, easy recipe, pork belly recipe

The easiest tomato sauce you’ll ever make

5th April 2020 by Eve Bidmead Leave a Comment

April 2020 and here we are facing a worldwide pandemic. Well, there’s nothing like quarantine to get you taking up old hobbies again, right? While some are reaching for yarns of wool and knitting or pulling on their leggings and down dogging in the living room, I’ve picked up my laptop and decided to reignite some life back into BidmeadBites.  Enjoy!

Pre-corona, we could wander into pretty much any supermarket and grab essential food items without a second thought (I love the fact that “essentials” at Waitrose covers pate and green lasagne). This is not a luxury everyone can count on and we are incredibly fortunate to have this privilege.

But the bare shelves of the past weeks shocked us all: cue bulk buying of bog roll like it was the end of the earth and piles of pasta packets in everyone’s trolly. And did you hear that they were planning to make a lasagne the size of Wembley stadium?!

Despite the supermarkets returning to some semblance of normality in terms of stock levels, I am definitely rethinking the recipes I’ve been preparing at home. I’ve been digging around in the cupboard more, pulling out cans of chickpeas to roast and throw into things, as well as discovering many different types of lentils to be cooked in a myriad of ways.

As the government’s recommendation is now to go to the supermarket once a week at most and leave home delivery slots for the most vulnerable, it’s a great time to get a bit more familiar with your cans and basic produce. And what could be better than a recipe the requires just half an onion, a blob of butter and a can of chopped tomatoes?

Low and behold the best pasta tomato sauce you will ever make (given the absolute minimal effort required). Called “the most famous tomato sauce on the internet” by Food 52, this is the creation of the culinary goddess Marcella Hazan and is one recipe you need in your repertoire.

How to make Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce

This serves two people with a generous portion of sauce each; to double, just add an extra can of tomatoes and use the whole onion. Increase butter and seasoning as you wish!

Ingredients

  • 400g tinned tomatoes (whole or chopped, we won’t be fussy given the times)
  • 1 yellow onion, cut in half
  • 2/3 tbsp butter
  • Salt (let’s say 1 tsp but it’s really to taste)
  • Black pepper (let’s say 1 tsp but it’s really to taste)
  • A tiny sprinkle of sugar (it really helps bring out the sweetness of the toms)

Method

  1. Peel the onion and chop in half. Place face down in a medium-sized saucepan over a medium heat and add the tomatoes, butter, salt and pepper.
  2. When the tomatoes start to bubble, reduce the heat to a low simmer and sprinkle your dash of sugar. Stir every 10-15 mins until the tomatoes are no longer watery and the sauce has reduced, about 45 minutes depending on the size and shape of your saucepan.
  3. You will be left with a rich, thick tomato sauce. The onion can be removed.

That’s it. Serve with pasta and grate parmesan on top, or any cheese handy, because again, we won’t be fussy.

Enjoy!

Filed Under: easy recipe, food writing, Italian, recipe Tagged With: easy recipe, italian food, marcella hazan, recipe

Welcome!

Let’s be social

BidmeadBites on Instagram

bidmeadbites

Being sun safe whilst working at the vineyard ☀️🍷🍇 #masvincenç #nosfuimosparaelcampo
Hazelnut fruit cake adapted from Ottolenghi’s Si Hazelnut fruit cake adapted from Ottolenghi’s Simple; one of my favourite ever bakes. Recipe now on the blog, link in bio. 🍰🌰🍑#hazelnutcake #ottolenghisimple #bidmeadbakes
From fried pork belly to vegan miso aubergine beca From fried pork belly to vegan miso aubergine because I think that’s what they call balance. First time using aubergine emoji in proper context 🍆 #greenroastingtin #misoaubergine
Arepas con chicharrón - recipe on the blog, link Arepas con chicharrón - recipe on the blog, link in bio. Really easy to make and can be paired with loads of other things!🇨🇴👩🏻‍🍳🥓#colombianrecipes #chicharron #arepas #enbarranquillamequedo
Barranquilla carnival with @yorecomiendobaq, proba Barranquilla carnival with @yorecomiendobaq, probably hunting down some sanchoco de guandul 🇨🇴🇬🇧❤️#takemeback #carnavaldebarranquilla #sancochodeguandul
Pollo alla puttanesca (or something like that) wit Pollo alla puttanesca (or something like that) with chicken in black olive tapenade and other delicious savoury things. 🐓🍗🥦#winnerwinnerchickendinner #chickentraybake
BidmeadBites returns with a new blog post on the w BidmeadBites returns with a new blog post on the world famous 3-ingredient pasta sauce. A cracking store cupboard recipe for these “unprecedented times we are living in”. The link is my bio, enjoy! 🍝🍅#marcellahazantomatosauce #pastasauce #coronacooking
Rhubarb and raspberry crumble cake because it’s Rhubarb and raspberry crumble cake because it’s a great time to get back to baking 👍🍰#dianahenry #bidmeadbakes
Spending my quarantine chocolate tasting 🍫 #ton Spending my quarantine chocolate tasting 🍫 #tonyschocolonely
Istanbul’s Gran Bazaar - intense haggling over r Istanbul’s Gran Bazaar - intense haggling over rings, spices and crockery in preparation for book deal negotiations #fellowshipistanbul #granbazaar #turkishspices 🇹🇷📚
While I was seriously evaluating the menu at @eata While I was seriously evaluating the menu at @eatalytorino, my dad was taking arty snaps on his phone. 🇮🇹🍝🥩#eatalytorino #iwanttoorderitall
Patagonia - rain, sun, mucho mate and lamb everyth Patagonia - rain, sun, mucho mate and lamb everything. 🏔🌲🌧🌞🐑🇦🇷 #barilocheargentina #villalangostura
Argentine pizza - too much cheese, too thick a bas Argentine pizza - too much cheese, too thick a base...yet I keep coming back. More so if there’s an empanada on the side 🍕🇦🇷#pizzaargentina #fugazzeta
Ceviche and crazy views in Villa Langostura 🏔🌲🐠🦑#villalangostura #miradorsocialclub
Getting my five a day serving of empanadas 😍❤ Getting my five a day serving of empanadas 😍❤️#empanadasargentinas #bariloche
Manejando la pari 💪🇦🇷🐄 Manejando la pari 💪🇦🇷🐄
Katsu sando - Japanese, Chinese & Korean flavours Katsu sando - Japanese, Chinese & Korean flavours mixed with Argentine meat is genius. 🇦🇷🥩#katsusando #niñogordobuenosaires
Liming down the islands with our very special brid Liming down the islands with our very special bride👰🏻🍈🌴🌊🇹🇹💃🏼 #downtheislands #sundaylime #dayafterthebachelorette
Bake & Shark - breaded shark in a fried doughy fla Bake & Shark - breaded shark in a fried doughy flatbread with all the fillings (no pepper sauce, as our friend advised “probably lay low on that 😌). 🦈🥯🌶🥑🥬🥒🇹🇹
Curry crab, dumpling and callaloo in Store Bay 🇹🇹🦀🌴#trinifood #tobagoeats #crownpoint
Follow on Instagram

Recent Posts

  • Hazelnut fruit cake recipe – Ottolenghi inspired
  • Arepas & Chicharrón recipe
  • The easiest tomato sauce you’ll ever make
  • Etles – a taste of Northern China in Walthamstow
  • El Obrero & Pizzería Güerrin – two Buenos Aires institutions

Browse posts by month

Search the site

Browse posts by category

Copyright © 2022 · Foodie Child Theme by Shay Bocks · Built on the Genesis Framework · Powered by WordPress