Salmon with Couscous and Cherry Tomatoes

Posted on 1 March 2013 by Linda Peek

Instant or quick-cook couscous is ready in a jiffy and so is salmon, so I often team them up for a week-day dinner. With cherry tomatoes and lemons in the garden I came up with this tasty combination which you can have on the table in 15 minutes.

Any leftover couscous mixture makes the basis of a tasty salad for lunch the following day. Just add any of the following – cubed leftover chicken or other cooked meat, tomatoes, cucumber, feta cheese, canned corn, herbs, onion and a dollop of mayonnaise, French dressing or pesto. To stretch if even further, serve on a bed of salad greens and voila, lunch is served. As I write this blog I am eating my leftover couscous salad. I added leftover roast chicken, a diced perfectly ripe nectarine, some cucumber, a teaspoon of curry paste and a dollop of mayonnaise. Delicious.

1 cup couscous
1 cup water
2-4 tsp grated ginger
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 salmon fillets weighing 180-200g (with or without skin, as you prefer)
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 Tbs olive oil
Juice and zest of half a lemon
200g cherry tomatoes, halved
2 spring onions, finely sliced or ½ red onion, finely diced
½ cup chopped coriander
½ to 1 birds eye chilli, to taste, seeded and finely diced

Heat water in a saucepan and when it boils add couscous, stir then cover and turn off heat. Leave to stand while you cook the salmon. Place salmon in a dish with half the oil, garlic, half the lemon zest and juice. Season to taste and turn to coat. Pan fry salmon in a non-stick frying pan over moderate to high heat for 3-4 minutes each side, or until done to liking. There is no need to add additional oil as there is some in the marinade. Fluff up the couscous with a fork and add the ginger, tomatoes, onion, coriander, chilli, remaining zest, juice and oil. Season to taste and add any juices from cooking the salmon. Serve salmon on a bed of couscous garnished with more coriander. The couscous will be warm not hot.

Serves 2

Limoncello

Posted on 27 February 2013 by Linda Peek

Limoncello, a traditional Italian liqueur, is easy to make from alcohol, lemon rind, water and sugar. I couldn’t find any neat alcohol and decided to make it with vodka. Experts say it doesn’t have quite the same kick, but tastes good anyway. We don’t like things too sweet so I have cut right back on the sugar in this version.

Serve limoncello chilled in chilled glasses as an after dinner liqueur. It’s also nice as a pre-dinner drink served in tall glasses with lots of ice, soda and a slice of lemon. Use about the same amount of limoncello as you would gin for a G and T.

1 x 750ml bottle vodka
About 7 large lemons (use more if small, less if very large)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Pour vodka into a large jar with a wide mouth. Wash and dry lemons then remove peel with a vegetable peeler. You don’t want any white pith which is bitter. Add peel to the vodka, cover and leave for a couple of weeks or until the peel has lost its colour and the vodka is bright yellow. Strain, discarding the peel.

Heat sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring. When sugar has completely dissolved cool the mixture then add it to the vodka. Using a funnel pour the limoncello into bottles – empty vodka or gin bottles for example – and store in the fridge if you have room (so it’s always ready to serve) or in a dark cupboard.

Makes about 1 litre

Mexican Corn Soup with Avocado Salsa

Posted on 25 February 2013 by Linda Peek

This recipe is slightly adapted from one which appeared in the December 2012 edition of Australian Gourmet Traveller. My daughter made it and said it was yummy. I added some sugar and a substitute for chipotle chillies in adobo for those who – like me – are unable to find them easily. When something’s not sold in the first two supermarkets, I usually look for a substitute.

The original recipe called for two avocados, but I found one large one was plenty. A couple of fine slivers of red chilli on top of the avocado salsa would have improved the photo.

6 large vine-ripened tomatoes, halved
1 red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
¼ cup olive oil
2 banana chillies, halved lengthwise, seeds removed
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 cups (750ml chicken or vegetable stock)
2 chipotle chillies in adobo (see note)
3 cups (500g) fresh corn cut from 3-4 cobs
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1-2 tsp sugar, to taste
1-2 avocados, depending on size, diced
Juice of 1 lime or ½ lemon
½ cup loosely packed roughly chopped coriander

Preheat grill to high. Line a baking tray with foil and place tomatoes, skin side up and onions on the foil. Season then drizzle with half the oil. Grill 5-6 mins till blistering then add the banana chillies and grill for another 5-6 mins or till tender. Cool then remove skins from tomatoes. Heat remaining oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Cook garlic until tender but not brown, stirring occasionally. Add stock, grilled vegetables, chipotle chillies and bring to the boil. Add corn, season to taste then simmer 4-5 mins until tender. Pulse in a food processor or blender until chunky-smooth. Tip back into pan and check seasoning. Mix avocado, lime juice and coriander and season to taste. Ladle soup into bowls and top with avocado salsa.

Serves 4

Note: substitute ½ tsp smoked paprika and a pinch of cayenne pepper

Hanne’s Dog Biscuits

Posted on 23 February 2013 by Linda Peek

Matthew and I both grew up with dogs and feel that a house without a dog is not a home. By taking dogs from people leaving the country at about the time we were arriving and leaving them with our successors we managed to have a dog in every country where we were posted – except Paris where we lived on the 8th floor of the Embassy complex and dogs weren’t allowed. It may seem cruel to leave them, but I think it was harder on us than on them.

When we headed off to Copenhagen for 3 years it was the first time we didn’t have any of our three offspring in tow. I have often heard them telling anyone willing to listen “We didn’t leave home like most kids do, our parents left home.” A real sob story as you can see.

It’s definitely a plus having school-aged kids when you arrive in a new country because you meet people through them. Owning a dog is another good way to make friends. As Copenhagen was to be our last overseas posting we decided to buy a puppy for the first time and bring it back through Australia’s strict quarantine at the end of our posting.

Within a few months of arrival we had bought our child replacement in the form a male golden retriever puppy we called Holger Danske, or Danske for short. Six years after leaving Copenhagen Danske is now a middle-aged gentleman of eight and a half, and going strong. We are still in regular touch with quite a few “doggy friends” including Marianne the breeder and Hanne (pronounced Hannah), whom I met in the doggy park.

Hanne and her dog Boelle were regulars at the park. With her pockets full of home-made dog biscuits Hanne was popular with the canines. I liked her too and it certainly wasn’t about the biscuits! Before I left Hanne gave me the recipe and I have made them every 2 months or so ever since. If I handed them out to all and sundry as Hanne did I’d be making them every weekend! I have adapted the recipe a bit by cutting down on the eggs.

Anyone who makes dog biscuits must be more than a little crazy about their four-legged friends and I am happy to admit that I fall into that category. However, to be honest, one of the main reasons I make them is because I’ve been unable to buy a dog treat which is the right size for Danske’s Kong ball. This red rubber toy in the shape of a ball has a hole into which you feed biscuits. He then tosses it around until they have all come out. Great fun and it’s now part of his daily routine. He brings me the ball to be filled each day at about noon. If the biscuits are too small they all fall out the first time he throws it. If they’re too big they’re impossible to get out and I have to use a knife – remember getting coins out of an old-fashioned money box? So that’s why I simply cannot afford to run out of Hanne’s biscuits. Danske would go into deep depression. Even small dogs can benefit from having a Kong ball.

4 cups boiling water
1 beef or chicken stock cube
1 tsp salt
2 cups cracked wheat or rye
4 eggs, beaten
4-5 cups plain flour
4 cups porridge oats

Mix water, crumbled stock cube, salt and cracked rye and leave for a few minutes. Add remaining ingredients, using enough flour to make a stiff scone-like mixture. Take out in portions and roll into sausages on a floured surface, using extra flour as needed. Cut sausages into 1-2cm lengths, then bake the biscuits on oven trays lined with baking paper for 40 minutes at 180°C then turn the oven off. The biscuits can be very close together on the trays. When cold store in a tin.

Note: These healthy biscuits make an ideal treat but they are not designed to be everyday food. They are unsuitable for small puppies who still have their milk teeth, as they are quite hard.

Iced Ginger Cake

Posted on 21 February 2013 by Linda Peek

I decided to invent a ginger version of everyone’s favourite carrot cake – the one with the cream cheese icing – and came up with this. Using three different types of this versatile tubor – fresh, powdered and crystallised – this cake gives ginger addicts a serious overdose.

250g butter at room temperature
¾ cup brown sugar
1 Tbs black treacle (or substitute Golden Syrup)
3 Tbs grated fresh ginger
1½ Tbs powdered ginger
3 eggs
2 cups self-raising flour
1 cup plain yoghurt or buttermilk
Icing:
1 x 250g Philadelphia style cream cheese, at room temperature
250g icing sugar (about 2 cups) sifted
1 tsp vanilla essence
Crystallized ginger to decorate

Preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 20-22cm (8-9″) square cake tin with baking paper. Place first five ingredients in food processor and mix well. Add eggs and when incorporated add flour and yoghurt or buttermilk. Stop to scrape down the sides then mix a bit more. Scrape into tin and smooth the top with a knife. Bake for 30-40 mins or until well-risen and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tin. When cold tip out and ice the bottom which gives you a nice flat surface. Decorate with slivers of crystallized ginger – I just used one per square, but you could use more! Cut into squares and store in a container with a lid. Keeps for a day or two outside the fridge in cooler weather, but in summer it’s best to refrigerate.

Icing: beat cream cheese and vanilla with icing sugar, either by hand or in food processor, using the pulse button, until light and fluffy. Don’t over-beat or the icing will go runny.

Makes 16 generous squares

Beetroot, Fig & Fennel Salad with Creamy Dressing

Posted on 19 February 2013 by Linda Peek

I grew up in a house where beetroot – boiled, peeled, sliced and doused with malt vinegar – was nearly always on the table. My mother made a dish full every week and we ate it as a side dish.

Since then I’ve found lots of different ways of serving this somewhat underrated vegetable. I particularly enjoy it without the addition of vinegar, so the lovely earthy taste shines through. Roasted and served in a salad with rocket, feta or goat’s cheese and maple-glazed pecans or walnuts it’s absolutely delicious. But I seldom served it raw until I came across this recipe which will please all beetroot fans. It’s even better the next day and goes down very well at a BBQ.

250-400g peeled and coarsely grated raw beetroot
70g dried figs, chopped (or substitute raisins, cranberries or other dried fruit)
lots of chopped fresh herbs – whatever you have (dill, coriander, parsley)
1 small bulb fennel finely sliced
¼ cup lemon juice, or to taste
1-2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup mayonnaise (preferably home made)
¼ cup plain yoghurt
1 Tbs cumin seeds, toasted in a dry frying pan

Mix beetroot, figs, herbs and fennel, then add oil, lemon juice and seasoning to taste. Make an hour or two before serving then tip into a serving bowl or spoon onto individual serving dishes. Mix mayonnaise with yoghurt and dollop over the top. Sprinkle with the cumin seeds.

Serves 4-6

Note: the mayo-yoghurt topping is optional

Quick Lamb Chops and Zucchini with Tarragon & Sour Cream

Posted on 17 February 2013 by Linda Peek

Getting a tasty evening meal on the table in next to no time is a challenge faced by all working parents. In his cook books 30-minute Meals and more recently 15-minute Meals, Jamie Oliver set out to show how this can be achieved.

About twice a month we have lamb chops or cutlets as a week day dinner. My favourite recipe is so quick and simple, it’s hardly a recipe at all. Mix equal quantities of Dijon mustard, honey and finely chopped fresh rosemary. A heaped teaspoon of each makes enough for two people. If you coat the chops with this mixture before you cook them the honey has a tendency to burn and go black. A better method is to pan fry the chops for 2-3 minutes each side in a smidgen of oil. Then paint or drizzle with the honey mixture and cook for another minute or so each side.

At the moment we have zucchini (courgettes) and fresh tarragon in the garden, so it’s time to make one of our favourite vegetable dishes Zucchini with Tarragon and Sour Cream. This recipe makes the most of the two main ingredients, zucchini and tarragon. You can buy zucchini pretty much all year round in Australia, but fresh tarragon is much harder to find. We have masses of it in the garden in summer when it grows like a weed. Then it dies down and I have to do without until next season. I’ve tried freezing, but it’s not quite the same.

This recipe is a good way of using zucchini which have grown a bit too big – just remove the seeds if they are starting to look like marrows!

Zucchini with Tarragon & Sour Cream

1 kg zucchini (courgettes)
1 tsp salt
2 Tbs butter
½ to ¾ cup sour cream
½ cup chopped fresh tarragon, firmly packed
freshly ground black pepper

Wash zucchini, remove seeds if they are really big, but leave skin on. Grate coarsely, place in a sieve with the salt mixed through to drain for a minimum of 10 minutes and up to half an hour. Squeeze and press hard to remove most of the moisture. Heat butter in a large frying pan and stir-fry zucchini for 4-5 minutes. Add sour cream, tarragon, pepper and check to see if it needs any more salt. Don’t boil and serve immediately.

Serves 6

A Long Weekend at Woodlands

Posted on 15 February 2013 by Linda Peek

We spent the Australia Day long weekend at Woodlands, the 115 acre rural property near Braidwood in New South Wales which we bought about 4 years ago.

The tussock and thistle hadn’t been sprayed for some years and gave the place a somewhat neglected look, but we could see the potential. Since then Matthew has been fighting an on-going battle with the weeds, but is gradually making progress. He has planted over 200 deciduous trees to contrast with the existing native eucalyptus which cover about 20% of the land. The rest is grazing land and in due course we plan to buy some cattle, though I can see them all becoming pets with names, which will make selling them something of a challenge. Matthew’s ambition to turn Woodlands into a park-like setting which lives up to its name certainly keeps him busy.

We were joined for the weekend by our son David, his wife Amy and her parents Ian and Bev. The purpose of the weekend was to build a pizza oven. Ian is a potter and has built kilns and pizza ovens, so he was in charge of proceedings. I took on my usual role as chief cook and bottle washer.

Each day the heavens opened at about six in the evening, with very heavy rain accompanied by spectacular thunder and lightening. Standing on the covered verandah as the water came down in sheets felt a bit like being on the set of the Titanic. Fortunately there was plenty of time each day to work on the oven and cover it with tarpaulin before it got wet. It’s now finished and looking great, as you can see from the photos.

Spectacular views across the valley towards the Great Dividing Range which forms part of the Tallaganda National Park and a very pretty fast-flowing creek on the western boundary makes Woodlands a very special place. It’s a 40 minute drive to Braidwood, the nearest town, which is a long way to go if you run out of milk. We recently had the excavators in to make a large pond with a small island in the middle. This is so the ducks and swans – which I’m hoping will turn up once the habitat is right – have somewhere to escape with their babies when Mr Fox comes looking for a quick lunch. I read somewhere that foxes can swim but don’t really like to. The pond is quickly becoming home to ducks and other birds, but so far no swans.

Two years ago we completed a stone house with all mod cons. It’s a privilege to to be able to soak up the peace and tranquility of such a remote spot, while enjoying the advantages of comfy beds with electric blankets (you really need them in winter when it can get down to minus 12), hot showers, an open fire and a dishwasher. Not to mention good food and a bottle or two of vino.

Our golden retriever Danske had the company of Hershey (chocolate lab) and Frankie (Staffordshire Terrior) for the weekend. They swam in the pond, chased kangaroos (without a hope of even getting close), rolled in mud and played rough games together. By the end of the weekend they were exhausted. Danske’s full name is Holger Danske, after a legendary medieval Danish warrior. He was acquired when we were living in Copenhagen, so he really is a Dane. Danske is petrified of thunderstorms and tries to hide behind people’s legs when he hears the scary rumbling. You would think being eight years old and having lived through quite a few storms he would be over it, but he’s not.

Peek gatherings are all about the food and I usually plan a combination old recipes and new ones I’ve been wanting to try. Lunch on the first day consisted of Gazpacho followed by some simple Bruscetta (see below). That evening we had rack of lamb with Mint Pesto accompanied by potatoes roasted in duck fat and Peas with Broad Beans and Artichokes (see below). This was followed by Italian Mince Pies with Panna Cotta and Berry Compote.

For breakfast next morning we had Ricotta Pancakes with Honeycomb Butter and lunch was Gravlax with Sweet Mustard Sauce, followed by a selection of cheeses and salads. That night I made Kylie Kwong’s Caramelized Pork Belly with Scallops and potatoes, dug up that afternoon from the veggie patch, followed by Rich Chocolate Mousse with Peanut Brittle Ice Cream (see below). Brunch next day before everyone headed home was fresh mango mixed with passionfruit served with a dollop thick Greek yoghurt and followed by Bill Granger’s Corn Fritters with Avocado Salsa. I will have to dig out some of my Dukan diet recipes this week!!

The cement on the pizza oven has to “cure” for a few weeks, but we are all looking forward to trying it out.

Bruscettas with White Beans, Feta and Tomato

1 French loaf, sliced at an angle (plain, wholegrain, sourdough, whatever you prefer)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Extra virgin olive oil
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Half to 3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2-3 large tomatoes, sliced
1 red onion, thinly sliced
Fresh basil leaves

Mix one clove garlic with some olive oil. Brush both sides of bread slices then bake on a metal tray in a moderate oven for 10 mins or until golden. Meanwhile mash beans with a fork, adding feta, olive oil and a crushed clove of garlic. You can also add any leftover oil from brushing the bread. Season to taste.

Spread bean paste thickly on the bread slices and arrange on serving platter. Top with slices of tomato, onion and basil leaves. Drizzle with more oil.

Serves 6

Peas with Broad Beans and Artichokes

1 500g packet frozen peas
1 500g packed frozen broad beans
1 cup artichokes marinated in oil
25g butter or 1 Tbs Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 Tbs chopped fresh oregano or marjoram or 1 tsp dried

Cook peas in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and place in large frying pan. Cook broad beans in boiling salted water. Drain and when cool enough to handle slip off the outer skins. Add to frying pan with peas. Roughly chop artichokes and add to pan with remaining ingredients. Can be made ahead to this point. To serve heat the vegetables over moderate heat for a few minutes, stirring. When hot and butter has melted serve immediately.

Serves 6-8

Rich Chocolate Mousse with Peanut Brittle Ice Cream

Mousse:
150g chocolate chip cookies, crushed
30g unsalted butter, melted
400ml thickened cream
400ml milk
6 egg yolks
1/3 cup caster sugar
400g dark/bitter chocolate, broken into squares
Ice Cream:
1/3 cup caster sugar
1 litre bought vanilla ice cream
2/3 cup salted roasted peanuts or cashew nuts

Mousse: Mix cookie crumbs with butter and tip into a square or oblong cake tin lined with baking paper. Size of tin is flexible – could be a small slice tin or loaf tin. If made of silicone there’s no need for the paper. Flatten the mixture evenly over the bottom with your hand. Alternatively divide crumbs between about 10 individual serving dishes or glasses – Martini glasses would look nice. Or use one large glass dish. Press crumbs down then chill while you make the mousse.

Heat cream and milk in a saucepan. In a bowl mix egg yolks with sugar, mix in some of the hot milk and cream, then tip mixture back into the saucepan. Continue to cook, stirring with a flat bottomed wooded spatula until almost boiling and mixture coats the back of the spoon. Remove from heat and add chocolate. Leave for a few minutes then stir briskly until thoroughly combined and chocolate has completely melted. Pour mousse into cake pan or individual dishes and chill overnight.

Ice Cream: Melt sugar in a pan over moderate heat. Cook to a golden caramel, swirling from time to time so it colours evenly. Add nuts and tip onto a sheet of foil. When cold peel off the foil and chop coarsely by hand. Remove ice cream from freezer to allow to soften a bit. Keep some praline to garnish then fold the rest into ice cream and return to freezer.

To serve, tip mousse out of tin and cut into slices or serve in the individual glasses. Top each serving with a ball of ice cream and sprinkle with reserved praline. Mousse in the photo wasn’t refrigerated overnight so it wasn’t firm enough to slice and had to be scooped. Still tasted good!

Serves 10

Spinach Salad with Red Dressing

Posted on 9 February 2013 by Linda Peek

When we were living in Pretoria, South Africa, in the late 1980s someone brought a delicious spinach salad to a pot luck BBQ we were hosting. I made a mental note of the ingredients in the salad, but it took me a while to get the sweet and sour red dressing right.

This salad is very popular as part of a buffet or to accompany a BBQ. The ingredients are unusual and the contrast of the spinach and eggs with the red dressing looks good. I used to call it Sweet and Sour Dressing, but as everyone in the family called it Red Dressing, I decided to go with the flow. Serve in a large shallow bowl, so there is only one layer of each ingredient, then spoon the dressing over at the last minute and serve without mixing.

The bowl in the photo is hand made and was bought at the craft market at Los Dominicos in Santiago, Chile. We lived in Santiago for 4 wonderful years and every time I return I end up bringing back a salad bowl for someone who has admired mine and asked for the spinach salad recipe. It’s a perfect size and shape for this salad.

2-3 packets baby spinach leaves or use half spinach and half lettuce leaves
1-2 cups bean sprouts
4-6 hard boiled eggs
4-6 rashers bacon, diced
1 can water chestnuts
Red Dressing (see below)

Wash and dry spinach and remove stalks. Wash and dry bean sprouts and sprinkle over. Drain and slice water chestnuts and sprinkle over. Cut eggs into halves or quarters, lengthwise and arrange over the salad. Can prepare ahead to this stage. Just before serving fry the bacon in a pan without oil until crisp, dry on paper towels and sprinkle over the salad. Vegetarians can leave out the bacon. Just before serving spoon over some Red Dressing.

Serves 8-10 or more as part of a buffet

Red Dressing

¼ cup sugar
a pinch of salt
1 small onion or ½ medium
½ cup cider or white wine vinegar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce
½ cup tomato ketchup

Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth. Keep in the fridge in a jar with a lid. Shake well before using. Goes well with any salad but especially with Spinach Salad.

Ricotta Hot Cakes with Honeycomb Butter

Posted on 7 February 2013 by Linda Peek

Bill Granger owns three busy cafes in Sydney where he has made his name serving fantastic breakfasts and brunches. We went to the one in Surrey Hills on Sunday a couple of weeks back. You can’t book and by the time we arrived it was nearly 10.30 so there was quite a queue. We were told the wait would be 20-30 minutes, which unfortunately ended up being fifty.

Fortunately the meal was worth waiting for. I chose the Gravlax which was good, but not as good as the Ricotta Hot Cakes with Honeycomb Butter, ordered by one of our party, who generously gave me a taste. I’m sure you know the feeling when you realise you should have ordered what someone else is having!

Bill’s recipe was easy to find online. It says it serves 6 to 8, but it’s not something I would make if I had to serve that many people for breakfast. Let them eat toast! I halved the recipe which made a filling breakfast for two. By making the hot cakes a bit smaller, or serving two per person instead of three, we could have served a third person.

The Honeycomb Butter is delicious, but if you want to serve the hot cakes for breakfast you need to make it the day before as it needs to chill for a couple of hours. If you don’t have time for that just spoon it into a small bowl and serve it in dollops. Or forget about the Honeycomb Butter and just drizzle them with honey. At Bill’s they serve maple syrup on the side, for those who want to add more sweetness, but I don’t think you need it.

To serve the hot cakes as a dessert, make them half the size so you end up with 12 little cakes which will serve 4. They would also be delicious with stewed rhubarb or indeed any fruit – cooked or fresh – that you have available.

¾ cup ricotta cheese
1/3 cup milk
2 eggs, separated
½ cup plain flour
½ tsp baking powder
pinch salt
butter for frying
fresh strawberries, halved or sliced banana
icing sugar for dusting
Honeycomb Butter:
125g unsalted butter at room temperature
50g Honeycomb or a Crunchie Bar
1 Tbs honey

Remove chocolate from Crunchie bar with a sharp knife and discard (or eat!). Place all ingredients in food processor and blend until smooth. Shape into a log on plastic wrap, roll up, seal and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Mix ricotta, milk and egg yolks in bowl. Add sifted flour, baking powder and salt. Whip egg whites in another bowl until stiff peaks. With a metal spoon, fold thoroughly into batter in two batches. Lightly grease a large non-stick frying pan with butter. Make three hotcakes using about 2 heaped tablespoons of batter for each. Cook over medium-high heat for 2 minutes or until golden on the underside. Turn and cook on the other side. Transfer to a warm plate while you make three more, adding a little more butter to the pan.

Serve hotcakes with halved strawberries or thickly sliced banana and a slice of honeycomb butter. If you don’t have time to make the Honeycomb butter just serve drizzled with honey instead. Dust with icing sugar.

Makes 6 large hot cakes which serves 2-3

Note: if you can’t find ricotta you could use cottage cheese, whizzed in the food processor to remove lumps. South American readers could use queso fresco.

Café Cat

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