Dumplings, Dumplings, Dumplings

What a Shot by Aaron Towns

Chicken and Prawn Shumai with Chili and Black Vinegar  

These beauties are also going to be in my new book im writing on Asian food not this exact recipe but a version of. Here is just a taste of what will be.

Making dumplings at home can be very therapeutic and I can guarantee my way is easy, and guess what? I don’t even bother making the dough, over time getting the shape right will come naturally. The real test is in the tasting!!

You could serve these with coriander or even Vietnamese mint but to be honest I don’t like being to fussy. I just love to switch it up a bit and throw some salty salmon roe over the top plus it makes them look very pretty.

Makes 30 pieces also give yourself around 1hr

Ingredients  

170g prawn meat, deveined  

450g Chicken mince  

½ cup tinned water chestnuts, chopped  

1 tablespoon light soy sauce  

1 ½ tablespoon Shaoxing wine  

2 teaspoons sesame oil  

¼ teaspoon freshly cracked white pepper  

2 tablespoons chopped ginger 

1 spring onion, finely chopped 

2 tablespoons corn flour  

30 round egg dumpling wrappers or house made pasta sheets cut into 10cm rounds (You can use any won ton wrapper here, I use TAK ON WON TON SKINS YELLOW)

Salmon Roe (optional)

5 tablespoons Lao Gan Ma chili Oil

4 tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar   

Method:

Chop the prawns roughly and mix with the water chestnuts.

Mix all of the remainder of the ingredients (except the wrappers and cornflour) in a large bowl and mix well to combine.  

To form the Shumai (don’t be too fussy) lay out five pieces of the dumpling wrappers and cover the rest with a damp cloth.

Place one heaped tablespoon of the filling in the centre of each wrapper.  

Gather the rest of the dough around the sides, leaving the top of the dumpling open.

Dab the bottom of the dumpling in a little corn flour to stop them sticking to the steamer. Repeat until you have no more wrappers and filling.  

Prepare a steamer with baking paper and lightly brush with a little vegetable oil to help stop the dumplings from sticking. Steam the Shumai in batches for around six to seven minutes or until cooked through.  Mix the chili oil with the black vinegar and place on the side top each dumpling with salmon roe or again place on the side and let your guests help themselves.

Nona's Lamb Ragu Or Ragout ??

Lamb Ragu Not Drowned in Sauce Just The Way My Nona Made It !

Some people have asked me whats the difference between a Ragu and a Ragout? So Here it is no much! Read Below or if you want to skip the boring stuff get into the recipe and enjoy.

The difference between ragu and ragout isn’t really that much ragu is an Italian pasta sauce that is usually made with minced meat or vegetables and ragout is a French style stew that would normally be found on-top of a Paris style mash but the Italians would do this on-top of polenta. To be honest this is more of a ragout but because I’m serving this with pasta and its my Nona’s recipe today its ragu because that’s what we called it.   

In our house I cook lamb ragu at least once a month and I love using the lamb shanks as ill always keep some on the bone and serve it with a creamy mash potato or polenta you could also take this mix and make an Italian version of a shepherd’s pie.

My all-time favourite is pasta so what I’m giving you here is the recipe to serve a very large family so prepare for plenty of extras and trust me you will not be sorry.

I’m not going to ramble on about how to make your pasta but do me a favour and don’t drown the pasta in the sauce, let the sauce be one with the pasta so you can taste the actual pasta itself.

I’ve used spaghetti , a nice durum wheat style. (Dolce and Gabbana brand from Simon Johnson) This dish traditionally would be served with pappardelle but I’m not that big a fan I much rather a tagliatelle or linguini.

Finish this dish with a really good extra virgin olive oil I’ve used Lorenzo N.5 again from Simon Johnson. Two cheeses are great here Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano, if you like use a bit of both because that just adds another level of awesomeness and its 2021 so why the bloody hell not.  

Approx. 8hrs but for best results marinade overnight

Serves 8 - 10

Ingredients

4 large lamb shanks

2 carrots, cut into brunoise

2 celery sticks, cut into brunoise

2 small red onions, cut into brunoise

4 garlic cloves, chopped finely

1 tablespoon tomato paste

3 cups red wine

4 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

300ml lamb or chicken stock, water is also fine

2 x 400g whole tinned tomatoes

100ml olive oil

To Finish

Salt and freshly ground white pepper  

1 bunch parsley finely chopped

1 packet of Spaghetti Dolce and Gabbana snapped or 2 packs of any normal pasta

Block of Grana Padano or Pecorino Romano

Lorenzo N.5 extra virgin olive oil or any one that you love  

Method

In a deep bowl place, the lamb shanks, carrot, celery, red onion, garlic, thyme and rosemary, add red wine and marinade over night or for at least 3hrs.

The next day strain off the lamb shanks and veggies keeping the wine. Pre heat the oven to 150 degrees. Grab a large heavy based pot or casserole dish, add half the olive oil and on a high heat seal off the lamb shanks until dark brown, set aside.

In the same pot add the remaining oil, veggies and cook for 15 minutes add the tomato paste and cook till split (the oil will come apart from the paste) add the wine and reduce by half, add the lamb shanks, cover with stock and tinned whole tomatoes. Bring to a boil and place in the oven for 3-hrs until shanks are soft and falling from the bone.

Strip the bones of the meat and shred being careful not to burn yourself. Remove the Thyme and Rosemary and discard. Simmer the sauce until reduced by almost half. At this stage I like to crush the tomatoes and squash some of the vegetables, add the Shredded lamb shank meat back to the sauce and season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

Place a large stock pot of salted water on the boil, add the pasta and cook for 7 minutes (if using Dolce Gabbana) or whatever your packet of pasta says cook 1 minute less. Drain the pasta and back in to the pasta pot add all the ragu sauce, mix well and add the pasta. Turn the heat back on high and cook for a further minute stirring regularly. Add the chopped parsley and remove from the heat taste for seasoning and serve immediately with the cheese of your choice grated on-top and a good drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, freshly torn basil is also a great addition here if you would like.  

As You Can See The Sauce is One With The Pasta Make Sure You Grab All The Bits From The Side Of The Pot

You could cook less pasta and save some of the ragu for another day or another dish this ragu will last about 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer.   

Up Close And Personal Thats What You Want Everything To Stick To the Pasta

To Vegan Or Not Roasted Vegetable Salad

Well Id say im sorry this took so long to post the recipes for my blog but Im a busy guy. Please bear with me haha.

The Recipe that follows is my extremely yummy roasted vegetable salad. You may use any vegetables you like but I’ve chosen to use zucchini, brussels sprouts, carrot and red onion now you may ask what makes this so special and yummy and I’m about to tell you.  

Roasting vegetables in really good extra virgin olive oil with salt and pepper really bring out the natural flavours of the vegetables they really don’t need a dressing, I know once you try this you will see vegetables in a completely different light. I hate nothing more than over cooked zucchini and brussels sprouts so in this recipe they are roasted in the pan with extra virgin olive oil and salt nothing else.

If You Dont Like Brussels Give This Ago!! TRUST ME

The dressing consists of one of my favourite extra virgin olive oils Colonna Classic which has a really light bitter ness with touches of fruit this mixed with another favourite of mine is the Forum Chardonnay Vinegar both can be found at Simon Johnson and yes they are a little more expensive but when dealing with salads like this id say dont skimp! The dressing involves Dijon with a few pinches of poppy seeds and a squeeze of lemon juice now you may think this might all sound a little tart but the Dijon gives it creaminess and actually balances out the vinegar and lemon.

I finish this salad with roasted sunflower seeds, almonds, fresh chili and sultanas for sweetness and of course lots of fresh herbs I’ve chosen parsley and mint you can use whatever you want. Also, don’t be afraid to change the vegetables, broccolini or cauliflower roasted in a pan taste amazing also slow roasting a celeriac and cutting it up is also another great addition to this salad.

Now once you get it on the plate you can do as I’ve done and finish it with a really nice 30-month-old parmesan or you can choose to go the boring route and use a marinated goat’s cheese or even feta. Why Parmesan? Because its different and works well with the raisins it also adds a different kind of saltiness to the salad. Or if you really wanted to you can go Vegan and omit the Cheese this is totally up-to you.

Approx. 1.5hrs

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 carrots cut in half skin left on

2 medium sized red onions cut in quarters  

3 zucchinis cut in half

300g of brussels sprouts cut in half

2 tablespoons whole almonds skin on

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

2 tablespoons chopped sultanas

1 red chili, cut into rounds

½ cup lightly packed parsley leaves, torn  

½ cup lightly packed mint leaves, torn  

Parmesan cheese to grate over the top

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Chardonnay Vinaigrette

120ml extra virgin olive oil plus extra for cooking

50ml chardonnay vinegar

20ml lemon juice

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 pinches poppy seeds.

Method

Set the oven to 220 degrees mix the carrots with the onions in a roasting tray and season well with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper you almost want to season it to the point where the vegetables are gritty with salt. Place in the oven and roast for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile take a large heavy based pan and place over a medium high heat add some extra virgin olive oil and repeat the seasoning process with the zucchini and brussels sprouts. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your pan place the zucchini cut side down and cook for 10minutes do not be tempted to turn them over they will not burn. Turnover and cook for a further 5minutes. all allow to rest on a tray they should not be falling apart they will continue to cook through as they cool. Do the same with the brussels sprouts and but cook only on the cut side for 5-6minutes set aside.

Check the carrots and onions they should be starting to get softer but again not falling apart they still need crunch now add the almonds and sunflower seeds and cook for a further      5-6minutes. remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature

While the vegetables are resting make the dressing. Mix everything together in a bowl with a whisk season with salt and freshly ground white pepper.

Once the vegetables are room temperature cut any shapes you like and mix them with the dressing enough to caught the vegetables lightly season again with salt and freshly ground white pepper. Add the herbs chili, sultanas, seeds and nuts you can chop the almonds or leave them whole, either way it doesn’t really make a difference. Place on the plate and drizzle with another tablespoon of dressing grate over the parmesan and serve immediately.

If you have left overs always bring them back to room temperature before making this salad as the flavour will change if the vegetables are cold.

For something different you could grill some sourdough rub with garlic and place this salad on top for a more elaborate bruschetta.

Roast Balsamic Lamb Shoulder

Roast Balsamic Lamb Shoulder

This dish is simple and easy to knock out if your looking to cook for a dinner party and not really feeling like putting in the effort. Add a few sexy sides and your on a winner every time.

On the other hand if you want to impress that someone special and go that extra mile follow the recipe below then try this.

Pull the lamb from the bone and season it with salt and pepper add some soft herbs, I like parsley, basil and mint.

Roll tightly in clingfilm to form a cylinder shape set in the fridge for at least 8hrs.

Strain the sauce pushing everything through the sieve place back on the heat and reduce to a thicker glaze add 100ml of demi glaze or a few Knorr jelly stock cubes and reduce again by a third.

Cut the lamb into steak size portions and re heat in the balsamic lamb jus over a low heat about 15mins baste as you go.

Once soft remove the plastic and serve a-top some parsnip puree, place the onions on the side and you have a really nice dinner for two with a tone of left overs for sangas the next day.

Roast Balsamic Lamb Shoulder

APPROX. 4.5hrs

Serves 6

 Ingredients

2kg Lamb Shoulder Roast, slit and studded with 6 garlic cloves

3 brown onions, cut into wedges

2 x 400g canned cherry tomatoes in tomato juice

125ml chicken stock

200ml dry red wine

150ml balsamic vinegar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 160°C. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Place in a large roasting pan.

Arrange the onion wedges around the lamb. Add tomatoes, stock, wine and vinegar.

Cover the pan tightly with foil. Roast for 2 1/2 hours until lamb is very tender and falling from the bone.

Increase the heat to 200°C.

Roast uncovered for a further 30 mins

Rest loosely covered for 30 more minutes

Serve whole at the table with lots of bread and a simple bitter leaf salad if you got the time.

Basting Away

Baked Ricotta Gnocchi With Lamb Ragu

Baked Ricotta Gnocchi with Lamb Ragu

The Recipe below is one of the easiest home-made gnocchi recipes ever, you literally can make it from scratch in under 20 minutes.

If you really have time you could boil up about 1kg of potato and mash them into this mix for potato and ricotta gnocchi and that just really lifts this dish to the next level and gives the gnocchi a little more texture and making it a more traditional style Italian gnocchi.

Although if you are lazy like me sometimes store-bought gnocchi is fine too. Remember these recipes are guides for you to do what you want, simple dishes to make for your family and friends in the comfort of your own home with no dramas.

Essentially this is a Bolognese with lamb. Feel free to use veal, beef and even chicken can be a really good substitute. I’ve also had this with pork which is seriously yummy.

I remember my grandpa used to make his Bolognese with pork, beef and veal so you can do the old combo here as well.

I’ve gone for lamb as it’s what I had in the fridge at the time. A bold red wine like Barolo is great here but really any red will do, if you are like me you’ll want to cook with what your drinking and trust me Barolo here is the go to wine in my opinion.

Give this ago and even if it’s only two of you, you’ll have lunch and dinner for a week!

Ingredients

Serves 5-6 people

Time approx. 2hrs

For The Ricotta Gnocchi

450g whole milk ricotta cheese (drained of excess water)

3 egg yolks

1 cup (265g 00 flour)

3/4 cup (about 1 ounce) freshly-grated Parmesan

3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper

Lamb Rague Bolognese

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large carrots, finely chopped

1 large onion, finely chopped

100g thickly sliced pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice

600g lamb, coarsely minced

3/4 cup of Barolo red wine (or any red wine you wish)

1 x 450g Italian tomatoes, coarsely chopped, juices reserved

1 cup chicken stock

1 bay leaf

150g buffalo mozzarella torn

60g pecorino cheese

Extra virgin olive oil to serve

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Method

Bring a large stockpot of generously-salted water to a boil over high heat.

Add to a large bowl the egg yolks and ricotta and stir briefly to combine.  Add in the flour, Parmesan, salt and pepper, and stir until evenly combined.  Avoid over-mixing.  The dough will be a bit moist and maybe a bit sticky, but it should hold together.  If it feels too wet, just add in another few tablespoons of flour.

Shape the dough into a round disk with your hands, then transfer it to a lightly-floured cutting board and sprinkle the dough lightly with flour.  Using a knife cut the dough into eight even wedges.  Using your hands, gently roll out each wedge into an even log, approximately 3/4-inch wide.  Cut each log into individual bite-sized little gnocchi squares.  Lightly dust the gnocchi with flour once more and give them a quick toss so that they are all lightly coated with flour.  (This will help prevent them from sticking together.)

Being careful in two batches transfer the gnocchi to boiling water. Cook usually for around 30 seconds or till they float. Drain the gnocchi and set aside to cool.

For the lamb ragu In a medium size pot, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil until shimmering. Add the carrots and onion, cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown, about 12 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in the same pot. Add the pancetta and stir once or twice over moderately high heat until sizzling. Add the lamb and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the meat is browned, 10 minutes. Return the vegetables. Add the red wine and simmer until evaporated, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.

Add the tomatoes and their juices, the chicken stock, bay leaf and Season with salt and black pepper and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to moderately low, cover partially and simmer, stirring occasionally, cook for 45 minutes. Discard the bay leaf.

Set the oven to 180 degrees. Take 1kg of cold gnocchi and stir it through the ragu once evenly distributed and nice and saucy pour the gnocchi ragu into a baking dish big enough to fit all of the mixture in comfortably. Break over the buffalo mozzarella and grate over the pecorino generously.

Place in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately with sourdough bread and lashings of extra virgin olive oil.