The amazing thing about cooking fish and seafood at home is, providing everything goes to plan, you end up with some serious restaurant-standard food. After a number of cheesy, creamy delights, I wanted to cook up something a bit lighter, knowing that what I was putting into my body was doing it some good, so that’s where this octopus recipe came into it.
There’s definitely a risk of over- or undercooking with octopus, both sins leaving you with a chunk of chewy, unpleasant meat, and so the key with a thick tentacle like the one I used is to cook it low and slow – a ‘bring to the boil then turn down to simmer for 45 minutes’ kind of cooking. This also allows you to get on with other things whilst cooking, and so your active time in the kitchen is minimal.
The nicest octopus I’ve ever had was at a restaurant in Lisbon. It was the first time I’d realised that octopus could be that tender, and cooked so simply. Served with some basic potatoes in a garlicky, buttery sauce (more like a light drizzle), it was pretty mind-blowing. Or at least I thought at that time that this was a revolutionary meal – changing the way I viewed octopus. Now, having cooked octopus myself that turned out equally as tender and delicious, I’m no longer under the same pretence that it’s incredibly difficult to achieve this beautiful tenderness. So simplicity here is everything. The kale with garlic and chilli will add all the flavour you need, whilst getting in some greens for a satisfying side dish.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
2 large tentacles
2 cloves garlic (crushed)
butter
splash of white wine
1 red chilli
salt/pepper
100g kale
100g spinach
Put octopus in saucepan, cover with water, bring to the boil then reduce to simmer for 50 minutes until the meat is super tender.
When done, heat butter in a frying pan and add 1 clove of crushed garlic.
When fragrant, add the octopus, white wine and seasoning and cook on medium heat until liquid has reduced and alcohol evaporated.
Put the octopus to one side, keeping it warm all the while, and add more butter to the pan, adding the sliced chilli and other clove of crushed garlic when melted.
After a few minutes, add the kale, cook for a further 3 minutes, then add the spinach and allow to wilt slightly.
Serve the octopus on top of the bed of kale and spinach
The hardest part of this recipe to be honest is getting hold of the octopus tentacles. Once you’ve managed that, you’re pretty good to go. I got mine frozen from Bradley’s online, which I’ve mentioned before in various scallop and clam recipes. They have an amazing range of frozen fish, all of which has tasted delicious when I’ve cooked with it.
This dish looks beautiful and is super healthy, so don’t let your fear of cooking with seafood put you off trying it. You’ll be surprised by how little effort is involved!
This pasta recipe combines the fanciness of scallops, with the flavour of chorizo and the comfort of gooey melted cheese. Basically, it’s the best of all worlds.
Recently I did a big order of frozen fish and seafood from Bradley’s, a family-run business based in West London. They only sell frozen fish, with the concept behind that being that often, lots of the ‘fresh’ fish we eat isn’t actually fresh at all, and has spent a fair while being transported around before it ends up on our plates. Their fish however, is frozen within 3 hours of being caught, therefore ensuring that both the flavour and the nutrients are bound within the products from the outset, so they taste just as good whenever you choose to eat them later down the line.
Part of my order included the queen scallops featured in this recipe. The kilo bag has provided me with many meals so far, with plenty more to come, and texturally and flavour-wise these small scallops are pretty good quality.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
200g penne pasta
30g chorizo
½ leek
1 red chilli
2 cloves of garlic
150ml double cream
150ml fish stock
2 tsp sun dried tomato paste
small pinch saffron
1tsp chilli flakes
salt/pepper
200g scallops
chives
parlsey
50g cheddar (grated)
Chop the chorizo into tiny crumb/cube pieces then fry until beginning to crisp and set to one side.
Fry the chopped leeks with the chilli and garlic on a low-medium heat until soft and fragrant.
Cook the pasta according to packet instructions.
Add the cream, fish, sun dried tomato paste, saffron, chilli flakes, salt and pepper to the leek mix and continue to cook on medium heat for 15 mins until reduced slightly.
For a super smooth pasta sauce you can blend the creamy leek/stock mix at this point using a hand blender, although it isn’t essential.
Add the scallops, chives and parsley to the pan with the sauce then mix in the pasta.
Place in an ovenproof dish, and top with grated cheddar and the chorizo crumb. Put the dish under the grill until the cheese is golden and melted.
Sprinkle with more chives to serve.
I always like to include alternative adaptations of my recipes, and this one is no different. If you can’t get hold of, or don’t want to use scallops, other seafood would also work. Admittedly, if you’re desperate to showcase amazing scallops, you probably won’t be serving them in a pasta dish, so for me, the scallops aren’t actually the most important part here. Pasta + salty chorizo + cream/cheese + seafood is always going to be a success, whatever ocean-dwelling treat you choose to include!
Let’s just get something straight, this is DIY like you’ve never seen it before. No flat packs, toolboxes or storming off in frustration, this is the kind that leaves your belly full and your taste buds tingling.
The Coronovirus has obviously affected all of us to quite extreme extents, and the hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit. Restaurants and businesses have therefore had to come up with innovative ways to keep trading and continue engaging with their customers.
This is where DIY comes into it. It’s the latest trend to have emerged from lockdown, providing those of us at home with all the tools we need to recreate our favourite restaurants’ signature dishes.
I’ve rounded up my favourites, both sweet and savoury, plant-based and meat feasts, complete with content, prices and delivery locations.
Disclaimer: I haven’t tried all of these, so am basing my list on those that stand out the most. This list is not exhaustive and there are so many more great kits out there that you can buy to help to support small businesses.
Patty & Bun – Lockdown DIY Kit
What to Expect: This has to be the exception to my ‘in no particular order rule’ as this is the first DIY kit I ordered and it was incredible. Patty & Bun have you recreating their famous ‘Ari Gold’ and/or ‘Smokey Robinson’ burgers all from your own kitchen. They’ve even introduced a vegan version more recently. Kits include 4 patties and brioche buns, and fillings, depending on which burger you opt for include cheese slices, chipotle mayo, caramelised onions, pickled onions and bacon. Their meat is from HG Walter and is fabulous. They really will be the juiciest burgers you’ve ever made from home.
Price: £25
Location: Nationwide
Doughnut Time – DIY Home Kit
What to Expect: As well as the option to order their 6-packs of doughnuts for those in London, Doughnut Time have created a number of DIY kits so that you can come up with your own creations at home. For full creative licence, opt for the Design-Yo-Own Kit, which comes with 4 blank canvas ring doughnuts along with coloured icing piping bags and mixed confectionary including Smarties and Freddos. If you’d rather go for a classic, The Favourites Kit gives you everything you need to recreate 2 Sia Later (red velvet) doughnuts and 2 Ice Ice Bae Baes.
Price: £20-22
Location: Nationwide
Where the Pancakes Are – Chilled Pancake Boxes
What to Expect: Where The Pancakes Are’s online store not only sells the individual ingredients to jazz up your pancakes, i.e. Canadian maple syrup and their own pancake flour mix, but also has a couple of kits to keep you entertained at brunchtime. The feast box comes complete with bananas, blueberries and bacon, whilst the more modest survival kit adds maple syrup to your staple ingredients.
Price: £22-29.50
Location: Central London postcodes
The Good Egg – Bake-your-own-Babka kit
What to Expect: The chocolate tahini Babka is a fan favourite at The Good Egg, but now you can enjoy it in your own kitchen. Whilst you’ll need a few bits and bobs of your own (milk, loaf tin etc.), the kit provides you with the flour, salt, butter, eggs and flavourings to master the Babka yourself.
Price: £23.98
Location: London only (select postcodes)
Burger and Beyond – Bacon Butter Burger Lockdown Kit
What to Expect: The burger joints are really killing it this lockdown, and Burger and Beyond are no different. With deliveries going out every Saturday, the kit comes with 4 demi Brioche buns, signature 35 day aged minced beef blend, pancetta bacon, American cheese, burnt butter mayo and pickled onions.
Price: £25
Location: London, Chelmsford, Braintree and Colchester
La Pepiá – Arepa Kits
What to Expect: For some Latin vibes in the kitchen, La Pepiá have created their own make-at-home arepa box, full of colour and flavour. Arepas are traditional South American corn buns, which can be filled with vegetables, cheese, beans and meat. You’ll receive 5 rainbow arepas, 5 Venezuelan chorizo sausages or a block of halloumi, 2 avocadoes, green salsa and spicy salsa.
Price: £33-35
Location: London (free delivery)
Pizza Pilgrims – The Frying Pan Pizza Kit
What to Expect: With two deliciously doughy mozzarella pizzas waiting to be whipped up, Pizza Pilgrims’ kit contains two 48 hour proved dough balls, marinara sauce, fior di latte, olive oil, fresh basil and parmesan. If you’re cooking for one, the dough and the marinara can be frozen for you to enjoy another time. At present only one kit can be purchased per order.
Price: £15 (plus £10 delivery)
Location: Nationwide
Lina Stores – Pasta Meal Kits
What to Expect: Both fresh and dried pasta meal kits are on offer from the delicatessen-cum-restaurant Lina Stores. The kits include enough ingredients for a whopping 8-10 plates of pasta, with the dry kit featuring 3 different types of pasta, 2 sauces, olives, capers, artichokes and Parmesan. The fresh kit comes with a beautiful artichoke and truffle green ravioli, 2 other fresh pastas, 2 sauces, butter and Parmesan.
Price: £32
Location: London
Chin Chin – Starter Kits
What to Expect: Chin Chin are known for they wacky, creative flours and ice cream dessert concepts, so it’s no surprise that at present, they’re sticking to some of their tamer creations to send out to us at home. As well as selling loads of their dessert toppings and snacks individually such as Bee Pollen Honeycomb and Sourdough Cinnamon Toast, you can get your hands on their Hot Chocolate and Griddled Cookie Dough Starter Kits. Both intensely indulgent, these are definitely worth investing in.
Price: £8.95-9.95
Location: Nationwide
Crumbs and Doilies – Cookie and Cupcake Kits
What to Expect: For another sweet treat, why not try Crumbs and Doilies cookie or cupcake kits which look as beautiful as they taste. With a load of flavours on offer including red velvet, double chocolate and birthday cake, the kits are packed with either cake mix, icing sugar, oil and cupcake cases, or all the fillings and flavourings you need for a batch of cookies – just add your own butter and eggs.
Price: £15.50-18.50
Location: Nationwide
Lahpet – Coconut Noodle Kits
What to Expect: Not much is yet known about the latest kit to be hitting the restaurant scene, with its release still somewhere on the horizon, however, you can be sure that Burmese restaurant Lahpet’s DIY kit will be bursting with all the spice you need to create your own deliciously creamy noodle bowl.
Price: TBC
Location: TBC
Mac + Wild – Venimoo Burger Kits
What to Expect: As well as opening up their online butcher, selling everything from burgers to sausages, venison to ‘white pudding’, Scottish-based restaurant Mac + Wild have now created their own DIY kit based on their ever popular Venimoo Burger (a burger that’s been on my bucket list for a very long time). Stepping it up from its other burger competitors, this box contains enough for 4 Venimoos, including 4 brioche buns, 4 beef patties, 4 venison patties (yep, it’s double stacked), 8 cheese slices, lettuce, gherkin, Red Jon sauce, Béarnaise and mustard. See – here’s one where you don’t even have to provide your own relish, and it’s barely a penny more.
Price: £28
Location: Nationwide
The Vurger Co – Vurger Meal Kit
What to Expect: One for the plant-based lovers out there now, you can get your hands on either 2 or 4 of The Vurger Co’s Big New York Melts with kits enabling you to recreate them at home with Beyond Burger patties, vegan brioche buns, vegan cheese slices, lettuce, gherkin, tomato, a bottle of burger sauce, and wait for it, this one even comes with a hefty portion of skin on fries for the complete burger experience.
Price: £17.95 for 2, or £34.95 for 4
Location: Select London postcodes
Le Swine – DIY kit
What to Expect: One of the first off the mark when lockdown began was Le Swine offering a delicious make-at-home bacon butty experience. Opt for kits to feed 2 or 4 featuring bacon, duck eggs, bacon butter, signature milk and onion buns, fresh sage and homemade ketchup. If you’re looking to go all out, you can even upgrade to their Ultimate Brunch Kit for 4 which adds on both chipotle and mushroom ketchup, 1l of Virgin Mary Mix, a tin of olives and a voucher for later use when their Spitalfields market location reopens.
Price: £12-35
Location: London
A Pie Party
What to Expect: Finishing with one that doesn’t quite fit the bill, but that I just couldn’t exclude. A Pie Party is my favourite small business ever, dishing up incredible pies, brownies and other sugary treats that are unlike any other. Claire isn’t offering DIY kits, but why bother when you can have full-sized pies and ready-made cookies and brownies delivered straight to your door, for you to devour with no delay.
Price: £18-39
Location: Nationwide
The Peanut Butter Blondie Pie
Supporting businesses like these at this v dodgy time is so important if you want to see them back in business when ‘normal’ service resumes. There really is something for everyone, from minimal to maximum effort, covering a range of budgets. Check out their websites or Instagram accounts for further information and mouth-watering shots from each of these fab restaurants and businesses.
It’s day 3 for me. Day 3 of lockdown. No work, not even anything I can take home, and so like many people working in the hospitality sector, I feel a bit lost.
When I then think that many people have been on lockdown/self-isolating for much longer than my mere 3 days, I wonder how you’ve got by.
Things will improve, but right now, we’ve found ourselves in a mad situation. Whilst ‘key workers’ are doing a fantastic job, be it saving lives, stocking shelves or collecting bins so that our world can keep turning, they’re not the only ones bearing the brunt of it all.
I’m talking about poor old Netflix.
Never has our favourite means of procrastination had to deal with so many demands, so many fed up people desperate to find entertaining ways to pass time.
That’s why I’ve come up with my top 16 foodie shows to invest your time in over the coming weeks (or months…). Most of these are on Netflix, some can be found on BBC iPlayer if that’s accessible to you, and failing that, just good old Google should do the trick. These things can often be found somewhere on the web, even if the quality isn’t perfect.
So, if you’re going to devote more time to TV now, you may as well choose something entertaining, informative, and thought-provoking, that’ll get you super excited for all the incredible food waiting for you out there when this blows over…
Category is: Best of British
Great British Bake Off
Okay, so, chances are, you’ve seen some of this already, and failing that, you’ve certainly heard of the Great British Bake Off, so it’s an obvious choice, but there’s honestly nothing better. You can find every single series of the original BBC version of Bake Off on Netflix, and if you can actually find any eggs or flour in the supermarkets, now is the perfect time to hunt for some baking inspiration. GBBO is light-hearted, warm, and funny; a really easy watch full of showstopping cakes, pastry disasters and lots of creepy Paul Hollywood stares.
Nadiya’s Time To Eat / Nadiya’s Family Favourites
Of course there was no way I could write a post like this without mentioning Nadiya. Neither of these shows are actually on Netflix, but both can be found on iPlayer, and once again, they’ll definitely be able to provide you with some ‘isolation inspiration’ cooking-wise. Nadiya is the anti-food-waste queen, with her recipes ideal for families, using simple ingredients, and making sure not to waste a single thing. As well as her resourcefulness when it comes to cooking, her wonderful positivity and bright, sunny personality is a joy to watch on screen.
twnews.co.uk
Masterchef
Less home cooking, more refined, restaurant flair, Masterchef is another mouth-watering best of British option. With a current series on-going on BBC at the minute, there’s still time to catch up from the beginning before the final. The pompousness of the food critics, alongside Gregg’s caricature-like reactions creates a balanced programme filled with as much fun and disaster as there is serious cooking and creativity. Although I haven’t watched it myself, I hear that the Australian version is also worth getting into.
bbc.co.uk
Million Pound Menu
A bittersweet one up next, but definitely a highlight for me. Million Pound Menu takes street food and restaurant concepts and challenges the brains behind them to impress a number of industry figures enough that they choose to invest up to £1,000,000 in their business venture. Many of the restaurants and pop ups involved I’d either already heard of or even eaten at myself, so watching the faces behind them on screen was really interesting. It’s quite gutting to watch at this moment in time when many of them who were still trading have had to put their businesses on hold, not knowing if they will have the means to open their doors again when the lockdown rules are lifted, but on the off chance that this might inspire you to support such small businesses in any way you can, I urge you to watch this series, full of impressively creative and determined, young, entrepreneurial minds. It’s also presented by Fred Sirieux if that sways any of you…
bighospitality.co.uk
The Big Family Cooking Showdown
Last in the Best of British, is The Big Family Cooking Showdown, hosted by my beloved Nadiya, and Zoe Ball. In each episode, 3 families compete in 3 challenges, preparing home cooked comfort food with their relatives, to make it to the semi finals, as they are judged by Rosemary Schraeger and Giorgio Locatelli. If you can stand Rosemary Schraeger for more than 5 seconds then it’s definitely worth a watch, and for some added fun, why not drink everytime she wobbles her head in disapproval, babbling ‘THe TeXtUrE iS aLl WrOnG…’. This is light-hearted fun, with relatable families like yours and mine, from teenage contestants to grandparents, all cooking together.
thesun.co.uk
Category is: Baking
Zumbo’s Just Desserts
Should I be ashamed to say that I didn’t know who Adriano Zumbo was before watching this? Possibly not as a Brit, but I’m glad I’ve now been introduced to his amazing creations. I’ve often heard people say that part of the reason Americans loved GBBO was because of how lovely all the contestants were to one another, unlike US cooking shows which are much more competitive, and the same should be said for Australian shows. Zumbo’s Just Desserts is similar to Bake Off in terms of individual contestants completing baking challenges, however all of the creations, as the title suggests, are desserts, excluding things like bread and pies like they make in GBBO. The contestants are also much more openly competitive towards each other, some even verging on villainous in their taunts, but this is what makes it so entertaining. Rachel Khoo copresents, with the only downside to the show being her unnecessarily frumpy frocks.
usa.newonnetflix.info
Sugar Rush
From Australian baking shows, to the US, this time we’re sticking with Adriano Zumbo as judge, but of course it couldn’t be hosted by anyone other than a drama school-esque, lip-gloss wearing, movie-star smiled Hunter March. Yes he’s American, of course that’s his real name. The premise here is that the 4 teams of two have three challenges to complete (that’s 4 teams, 2 contestants in each and 3 challenges, got it?), with a set amount of time in which to complete all 3. The time that they save in each round is then added to their 1-hour time limit in the final test, with the least impressive team being eliminated after each challenge. You’ll see cupcakes, confectionary and giant cake masterpieces, each team bringing their own unique style into the kitchen.
medium.com
Nailed It
Onto something slightly different now – instead of focusing on those who can bake, we’re looking at those who really can’t. On Nailed It, those individuals with a terrible track record in the kitchen compete to recreate professional bakes for cash prizes, with varying degrees of success. It’s just a bit of fun, with some pretty terrible attempts that’ll likely make you feel better about your own skills. It’s also a great excuse to practise your language skills, with series set in the US, Mexico, Spain, France and Germany. I’ve only actually watched the Spanish one so far, and it is ridiculous; quite appalling TV to be honest, but in times like these we’re pretty desperate aren’t we, and it’s entertaining nonetheless.
netflix.com
Category is: Global Cuisine
Ugly Delicious
A new one out there, Ugly Delicious follows US-Korean chef Dave Chang as he chases the trail of some of the most popular foods out there, questioning the concept of authenticity as he goes. Can we really compare the typical foods eaten across the vast space that is China, with our narrow-minded and potentially misguided attempts at Chinese food elsewhere in the world? Is pizza still pizza when crafted by innovative chefs in Japan? Covering tacos and kebabs, curry and fried chicken, this show will have you questioning authenticity vs flavour vs branding, with a group of passionate and grounded friends and colleagues guiding you along the way.
netflix.com
Street Food
It almost seems like a phenomenon of the past, but Street Food took Netflix by storm when it came out last year. With no host or recurring voiceover, we’re left in the company of the mostly non-English speaking cooks, who have mastered their crafts in major cities across Asia. Meet Toyo in Osaka, Florencia in the Phillipines and Jai Fay in Bangkok, who even went on to earn a Michelin Star for her street food café. Off the back of this series, people have flocked from all over the world to try this incredible street food from humble beginnings, but here you get to see these masterful chefs before their work gained international notoriety.
netflix.com
Somebody Feed Phil
The best kind of food-travel doc series, Somebody Feed Phil follows writer and producer Phillip Rosenthal as he embarks on an international food tour, landing in cities including Lisbon, Saigon and New Orleans, bringing a dose of (albeit American) humour along the way.
arts.tioh.org
Chefs’ Line
We’re heading back to Australia with this unique competitive series, in which 4 home cooks compete against ‘the chefs’ line’ composed of 4 chefs, ranging in experience, from hugely successful Sydney restaurants, including the head chef himself. Every 4 episodes centres around a different cuisine, covering Turkish, African and Italian to name a few. Contestants often have strong ties to that particular cuisine, whether they were born in Turkey or are third generation Italians, making them even more determined to showcase their skills and beat the professionals.
wikipedia.org
Category is: Celebrities/Chefs
Chef’s Table
Each episode of Chef’s Table tells the story of one of the world’s greatest chefs at present, from their background and visions, to inspiration and professional journeys. Travel to Argentina to hear from Francis Mallmann and his Patagonian cuisine, and then to Bo Songvisava for an insight into her rise to success as one of Thailand’s most successful chefs. A highly-acclaimed Netflix Originals series not to be missed.
lorriegrahamblog.com
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
If you got through Ugly Delicious and decided you needed a bit more Dave Chang in your life then don’t you worry, as Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner is here for you. This time around Dave calls in the help of some familiar faces including Seth Rogan in Vancouver, Chrissy Teigan in Marrakesh, Lena Waite in LA and Kate McKinnon in Phnom Penh, as they explore the city, indulging in 3 delicious meals and learning more about local culture and customs.
whatsnewonnetflix.com
Category is: Informative/Scientific
Rotten
Something a bit different this time round; Rotten encompasses a series of documentaries uncovering the controversial truths surrounding the supply chain of some of our favourite foods. Chocolate, avocado and peanuts are all on the list as foods hiding ethical issues when it comes to their production and supply. Meet those who are affected as they discuss their plight, and come away with a deeper understanding of how your food consumption habits may be affecting others half way across the world.
hitc.com
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat
The final show to mention is another travel-cum-science-cum-all round mouth watering content kind of show. The show is hosted by chef and food writer Samin Nosrat, and is based on her own book of the same name. Travel with her to various locations to each time examine one of the 4 essential components of great cooking – fat in Italy, salt in Japan, acid in Mexico and heat in California.
anz.newonnetflix.info
And there’s my round up complete.
Netflix is an absolute blessing at this time, and whilst I admittedly am already slightly fed up of staring up at a screen, it is the only thing I can find to occupy my time once I’ve finished cooking, writing and working out. A lot can be learnt from the shows above, and they certainly offer a huge amount of inspiration, whether that’s for your next trip abroad when we’re finally allowed outside the confines of our own homes again, or simply your next kitchen cooking project to while away the hours.
¡Comemos! 