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Author: Corinne

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Easy couscous tray bake recipe

Easy couscous tray bake recipe

This is a great recipe if you're cooking for a crowd and I have been feeding a lot of people this summer. When cooking for a large group, I always go for tray bakes or one pot meals. I have a lot of courgettes in the garden right now, and couscous is a great way of using them. It's perfect for big gatherings. So easy to make too, 1.5-hour in the oven and you have a meal. No stress.

picture of cooked chicken thighs in a spicy tomato sauce with courgettes

Ingredients:

I am not giving you exact quantities here as it all depends on the number of people. And the recipe is literally put it all in kind of thing.

I use chicken thighs because they are more flavourful, but you can use any cut.

Courgettes (use as many as you like)

Aubergine (I used one big one)

Turnip (I used one big one)

Two onions

One or two tomatoes (I used one big beef one)

Ras-el-hanout (I used 4 TBSP)

Harissa paste (I used 3 TBSP)

One tin of chick peas

Pre-heat your oven at 180º C

Method:

Use quite a deep oven dish for this.

Cut all your veggies, courgettes, turnip, aubergine and onions into big chunks (so they don’t dissolve completely into your sauce), add your chopped tomato too, pour all of the content of your chick pea tin, yes water included. Once the tin is empty, fill it half way with water and pour over the veggies. Add your ras-el-hanout and harissa paste, season with a little bit of salt, not too much salt as you will be adding salt to the meat too and mix everything well. 

Season your chicken thighs and place them skin side up on top of your veggies, all the goodness from the meat will sip into your dish as it cooks (delicious!). The overall cooking time for this is 1.5-hour, but half way through the cooking, flip the meat so the over side gets golden too. After an 1h30 your tray bake will be ready, serve with couscous.

Bon appétit!

Corinne

You can find a step by step video on YouTube

How much couscous should I cook?

I usually advise 80 g per person.  Couscous is the easiest thing to cook. Put your couscous in a pan, season with salt and add a bit of olive oil and mix. Boil some water, then pour the water over the couscous leaving about a centimeter of water on top of your couscous. Cover with a lid, leave it for a good 10 minutes and the couscous will soak up all of the water, ready to serve with your yummy tray bake.

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Chilli paste from Reunion Island

Chilli Paste from Reunion Island

"Piment la pâte" as we say in creole is a staple of Reunion cuisine. If you ever go to Reunion Island you'll see it sold everywhere including the supermarkets, but the best chilli paste is the one you buy on the side of the road, as they're home made. Now, in Reunion we use it as a little condiment with any of our main meals. But here in the UK, you can just add it to a curry sauce, or to spice up a marinade. This one is for the chilli fans. I love it and just can't leave without it! My stock is running low, so I had to make some more. So easy to make.

image featuring two jars of chilli paste with a basket of courgettes in the background and a butter bell

Ingredients:

250 g of birds eye green chilli (can be red too) 

150 g of scotch bonnet

One TBSP size of ginger 

2 fat cloves of garlic  

Two tablespoons of sunflower oil

Two tablespoons of white wine vinegar

Two tablespoons of rock salt 

Two steralized jars 

Method:

Start by washing the chillies with water and get rid of the stalks. 

Finely sliced your garlic and ginger.

Blend all the chillies in a food processor.

Sterilise your jars, fill them with water and put them in the microwave until the water boils. Get rid of the water and air dry them.

In a bowl, add your chilli paste, the salt, the oil, the vinegar, the sliced garlic and ginger, and mix.

Spoon them into your jars, top the jars with oil so the paste is completely covered then close your jars.

Leave your jars in a cool, dry place for a good two weeks before using, the longer you leave it the better as the flavour develops. Keep for a year. Once the jar is opened, keep it in the fridge.

In Reunion Island, we use the paste directly with our meal, but it’s also nice to add to a meat marinade, a curry or a spicy salad.

Bon appétit!

Corinne

You can find the step by step video on YouTube

Can I make chilli paste from chilli powder?

In Reunion Island, we don’t. But if you are making a curry for example, you can rustle up a quick chilli paste, by mixing crushed garlic, ginger and your powdered chilli with two TBSP of vegetable oil. 

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Chicken blanquette

Chicken blanquette

This is more of a winter dish than something we eat in the middle of April! But, although spring has sprung here in the UK, there is still a bit of a chill in the air. So, something warm and comforting is a good compromise while we wait for the temperatures to catch up with the calendar. So here you have it my "chicken blanquette" or "blanquette de poulet" as we say in France, in its rich and creamy sauce!

image of a cast iron pan filled with pieces of chicken, carrots and mushrooms, topped with fresh chives in a white sauce, recipe can be found on cookery school Gourmandises Academie, Cambridge

Ingredients:

  • 800g Chicken thighs or breast, cut into large chunks

  • 1 Large onion, chopped

  • 3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

  • 2 Carrots, peeled and cut into big chunks

  • 1 Leek, cut into big chunks

  • 1 Bouquet garni (thyme and bay leaf)

  • 750ml of water

  • 250g mushrooms, quartered

  • 40g Butter

  • 40g Plain flour

  • 200ml Double cream

  • a glass of white wine

Method:

Start by browning the chicken pieces in a little bit of butter, season with salt and pepper (preferably white pepper as we don’t want to darken the sauce too much). Once lightly brown, set aside and add the onions and garlic, then the carrots, leek and bouquet garnie, deglaze with a glass of white wine. 
Place the chicken pieces and all those lovely veg in a large pot and cover with the water. Bring to a light boil, lower the heat, cover, and simmer gently for an hour.

While the chicken simmers, melt a small knob of butter in a pan and sauté the mushrooms.

Once the chicken is cooked, strain the liquid into a bowl—do not throw it away! Keep the chicken and vegetables warm in the pot.
In a separate pan (remember, it has to be large enough to take chicken and veg), melt the 40g of butter. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute (don’t let it brown). Gradually whisk in about 500ml of the hot cooking liquid until you have a smooth, thick sauce. Add the double cream and stir.

Then, pop the chicken, cooked vegetables, and mushrooms back into the creamy sauce. Simmer for another 30 minutes and serve with a sprinkle of chives or fresh parsley. 

In France, we eat it with rice but mash potatoes is a good fit too.

Bon appétit!

Corinne

P.S: you can also find this recipe on YouTube

What else can I use instead of chicken?

A blanquette is traditionally made with veal in France. What makes a blanquette is its white sauce. Veal is used because of its tenderness and its light flavour as compared to beef or lamb. That’s why chicken is the best fit in this dish if you can’t get hold of veal. 

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Just a good old stew!

Just a good old stew!

Autumn has fully arrived here in Cambridge. The clock went back over the weekend as well. So, with days getting shorter, something warm and delicious like a good old stew is a must in our house. I love stews, not only are they nutritious and comforting but they are so easy to make too. I posted a picture of the one I made over the weekend on Instagram and many of my followers have asked what went in it. So here it is "Just a good old stew"!

image of a bowl of stew with dumplings, ham, chicken and vegetables, you can find this recipe at cookery school gourmandises academie, Cambridge

Ingredients:

Cavolo nero Kale (can be replaced by cabbage)

One carrot

One celery stick

A tin of cannellini beans

Two chicken legs

A bit of left over ham hock

A bay leaf 

Half a tsp of turmeric

Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Stew is easy right, the hardest bit is chopping the veggies. After that, everything goes in the pot. I had two pieces of chicken legs in my freezer, and a bit of cooked smoked ham hock too. So I started by cooking those from frozen, I popped the legs and ham hock in a big pot and covered with water, nothing else at that stage. I let it boil for 30 minutes, and got rid of the white foam on top. I then added my chopped veggies, in this one I used one carrot, one celery stick and a bag of Cavolo nero kale, salt and pepper, a bay leaf, a tin of cannellini beans (drained) and my secret ingredient half a tsp of turmeric. That’s it! Let it stew on a low heat for a good two hours, the meat will fall off the bone by that point. 30 minutes before serving I added some dumplings, but you could also add old bits of bread too. The beauty of a stew is that there is no rule, whatever is in your fridge or freezer works! 

Bon appétit!

Corinne

What can I add to a stew?

The beauty of a stew is you can add whatever you want. It can be made with just veg, you can add meat of course. But the one thing people don’t often think of is spices, yes you can spice it up, I like to add a bit of turmeric to mine, sometimes I also add a bit of ginger. It’s really up to you.

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Maroccan preserved lemons

Maroccan preserved lemons

I am a huge fan of North African cuisine especially Tagine. I spent my childhood in the South of France and had a lot of friends from that part of the world. Moroccan preserved lemons are a key element of a tagine. They are a wonderfully tangy, salty, and aromatic ingredient that adds a unique depth of flavor to many dishes, especially lamb. The recipe itself is dead easy, but requires patience as the lemons need time to cure. It's summer in a jar!

image of a jar filled with lemons, bay leaves and black peppercorns, you can find the recipe at cooking school gourmandises academie, Cambridge

Ingredients:

  • 6-8 unwaxed lemons (or as many as fit snugly in your jar)

  • 1/2 cup coarse sea salt preferably, but table salt is fine too

  • A few extra lemons for juicing (if needed)

  • Bay leaves and whole black peppercorns, you don’t have to add them but they do add a depth of flavour to the cured lemons.

  • You will also need a glass jar with a tight lid, I went for a Kilner type jar. You will need to sterilize it.

 

 

Method:

    • Wash the lemons.

    • Trim a thin slice off both ends of each lemon to create a flat surface.

    • Stand each lemon upright. Cut a deep cross into each one from the top, going about 3/4 of the way down towards the base, so the four quarters remain attached at the bottom.

  • Salt the lemons:

    • Open up each lemon gently along the cuts.

    • Generously stuff the inside of each lemon with coarse salt. Don’t be shy – this is key to the preservation process. You’ll likely use about 1 tablespoon of salt per lemon.

  • Pack the jar:

    • Sprinkle a tablespoon or two of salt at the bottom of your sterilized jar.

    • Begin packing the salted lemons tightly into the jar. Press them down firmly with a spoon. This is crucial for releasing their juices and ensuring they are submerged. The tighter you pack them, the more juice will be released.

    • If you’re using bay leaves and peppercorns, add them in layers as you pack the lemons.

  • Add lemon juice (if needed): As you pack, the lemons will release their own juice. The goal is for the lemons to be completely submerged in liquid. If, after packing all the lemons tightly, they are not fully covered, squeeze the juice from an additional 1-2 fresh lemons and add it to the jar until the lemons are totally submerged.

  • Seal and cure:

    • Seal the jar tightly with the lid.

    • Store the jar in a cool, dark place (like a pantry or cabinet) at room temperature for a good two days, then refrigerate.

  • Patience is key: The lemons need to cure for at least 3-4 weeks, but ideally 1 month or longer. The longer they cure, the more mellow and complex their flavour will become, and the rinds will soften to a jelly-like texture.

  • Storage:  They will keep for at least 6 months, and often up to a year or more, as long as they remain submerged in their brine.

What can preserved lemons be used for?

Preserved lemons are a key element of any tagine, especially lamb. But, they can also be used in stews, salads, dressings, and even with roasted chicken or fish. They are just a beautiful ingredient to add to your pantry. 

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Two vibrant sides for your roast lamb

Two vibrant sides for your roast lamb

If you are serving lamb for Easter, here are two sides you may like to add to your roast. Lamb is a rich meat and it's always good to have something that both enhance its flavour and cuts through the richness too. That's why mince sauce is so good with it. Inspired by the vibrant flavours of the Middle East, these two easy-to-prepare sides are the perfect companions to your succulent lamb. First, a smoky and zesty aubergine dish, followed by a bright and crunchy cauliflower and broccoli salad.

picture of bowl filled with some kind of hummus, the recipe can be found on the blog of cookery school gourmandises academie, Cambridge
image of a salad bowl containing broccoli, cauliflower and tomatoes, you can learn how to make it at cooking school Gourmandises Academie, Camridge

Ingredients:

For the Smoky Aubergine with Lime & Chickpeas:

One aubergine

One tin of chick peas drained and rinsed

Two cloves of garlic crushed 

Juice and zest of one lime

One TSP of smoked paprika

For the Bright Cauliflower & Broccoli Salad with Cannellini Beans:

One broccoli and one cauliflower cut into florets

Six cherry tomatoes halved

One tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Olive oil

The juice and zest of one lime

Method:

Wrap the aubergine in tin foil and place in a 200°c oven until soft. Once cooked, peel off the skin.

In a food processor, add the chick peas, aubergine, garlic, lime juice and two table spoons of olive oil, salt and pepper to season. Mix to a paste, garnish with the paprika and an extra table spoon of olive oil. Serve as a dip with your lamb.

Blanch the cauliflower and broccoli in hot boiling water for 2 minutes and drain.

In a bowl, add the cannellini beans, hot cauliflower and broccoli, and the tomatoes, salt and pepper to season, the lime juice and olive oil and mix. It’s important to do this when your vegetables are still hot, so they can soak up all the juices. Serve hot or cold with your roast lamb.

Bon appétit!

Corinne

What else goes well with lamb?

Lamb is a rich meat so you need something to contrast and balance the flavours. Mint sauce of course is excellent, but anything zesty also works well. If you’re serving green beans for example, add a table spoon of lemon juice. When roasting your lamb, think about adding some preserved lemons especially for a leg of lamb.

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Asian inspired chargrilled baby gems

Asian inspired chargrilled baby gems

I don't know about you but I often run out of ideas about what to have for lunch. I like it tasty, healthy and not too heavy so I don't end-up wanting a nap afterwards. This recipe fits it all. "Asian inspired baby gems". It's also super quick to rustle-up.
(P.S I do realise not everybody has the opportunity to work from home and prepare this, it's a good one for a lazy Saturday)

image of a plate filled with avocado, chargrilled lettuce and panfried fillet of fish

Ingredients:

One baby gem per person 

One spring onion

Grated ginger (the size of a tea spoon)

One tsp of soy sauce

One tsp of sweet chilli sauce

Zest and juice of one lime

You will need a griddle pan for this recipe

Method:

Prepare the Asian sauce. In a bowl, mix the soy, chilli sauce, lime and ginger. Add the chopped spring onion and mix. Set aside.

Put your griddle pan on a high heat. Halve or quarter the baby gems, brush both sides with olive oil, and grill until slightly charred and tender.

Once your baby gems are tender, drizzle them with the Asian sauce and serve with avocado and pan fried sea bass.

And that is it! As simple and as delicious as that!

Bon appétit!

Corinne

Tip: the dressing can also be used on any salad.

What vegetable can you char?

Any vegetable works, at this time of year I also chargrill leeks, it intensifies their flavour and sweetness. 

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Posh fish pie

Posh fish pie

With the cold weather snap here in the UK and the rather gloomy January, comforting food is my remedy at this time of year. And for me there is nothing more comforting and soul feeding than my "Posh fish pie", yes posh, because I decided to add king prawns, a good dollop of creme fraiche and a splash of white wine.

Image of a blue cast iron pan with a pie inside, melted, baked cheese on top, the recipe can be found at Gourmandises Academie, Cambridge

Ingredients:

  • 1 bag of frozen fish pie mix 
  • 1 bag of frozen king prawns
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, chopped
  • 1 celery stalk, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons of flour
  • 2 tablespoons of crême fraîche
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 glass of white wine
  • Grated cheddar (any hard cheese would work here)
  • 4 to six potatoes, cooked and mashed
  • Optional but highly recommended 200 g of cooked broccoli and cauliflower florets
  • Salt and pepper to season

Pre-heat your oven at 180º C

Method:

For this recipe, I tend to use my shallow cast iron pan, as it can go in the oven, so no need to transfer into a separate pie dish. I just love a one pot dish!

  • Start by melting the butter over a medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
  • Stir in the flour and cook for a minute or so. Gradually whisk in the wine and then add your crême fraîche, the sauce will become nice and thick.
  • Bring to a simmer and add your fish and prawns from frozen, as they defrost, the sauce will become a little bit thinner but that is fine, it will thicken again once in the oven.
  • Add your broccoli and cauliflower at this point, as well as a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
  • Turn the heat off and let everything cool down. It’s easier to add the mashed potatoes to a cool mix.
  • Once cooled, top with your potatoes and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
  • Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown on top.

Bon appétit!

Corinne

Can I use any fish for fish pie?

You can use any type of fish, but cod, haddock, and salmon are best for this dish. You do need to have one of the fish to be smoked as it is a key flavour for fish pie. I added prawns, you could also add lobster or crab meat.

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Christmas cooking recipe

Raspberry, choc mousse and ginger nut verrine

Raspberry, choc mousse and ginger nut verrine

I think sometimes we tend to overthink desserts at Christmas, meaning it all needs to be grand which often equals to a lot of hours in the kitchen. Who wants that kind of stress? You may think I do but actually I'm all for simple yet delicious entertaining at Christmas, what's the point of a party if you're glued to your kitchen! Well here's a showstopper of a dessert that won't take long to rustle up, my "Raspberry, choc mousse and ginger nut verrine"

Picture of a trifle with a chocolate mousse and fresh raspberries on top, you can find the recipe on the blog of cookery school Gourmandises Academie, Cambridge

Ingredients:

  • 250 g of fresh raspberries
  • 2 tablespoons of icing sugar
  • 20 g of dark chocolate
  • 100 ml of double cream
  • 6 ginger nut biscuits
  • This quantity will make roughly two to three verrines
  • You will need cocktail glasses or wine glasses work too

Method:

In a bowl crush six raspberries. Place six ginger nut biscuits in a freezer bag and bash them to a crumble with a rolling pin. Add two tablespoons of that crumble to the raspberry mix. Melt your chocolate in the microwave or over a bain marie. Add the icing sugar to the double cream and mix, then fold in the melted chocolate and whisk to a soft mousse consistency. Time to assemble your verrines. Start by adding two tablespoons of ginger nut crumble to the bottom of your glasses, then add your raspberry mix, and then the mousse. Decorate with fresh raspberries. 

Bon appétit!

Corinne

Check out my other recipes here 

Can you make a savoury verrine?

Yes you can. They are very popular as a starter in France especially during the festive season. Layers of cheesy biscuits with a salmon mousse topped with lime zest is a really tasty savoury version for example.

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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Bon appétit!

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Christmas cooking

Duck and pheasant terrine

Duck and pheasant terrine

It's the first of November tomorrow and before we know it Christmas will come around so fast. This is a dish that I tend to serve during the festive season. It was definitely a success at my Bistrot last weekend. So I thought why not share this beautiful recipe with you. You'll need to arm yourself with a bit of patience but it's well worth the effort.

Picture of a terrine dish dish with an orange lid by the side of it. The terinne has been decorated with bay leaves on top. You can find the recipe at Gourmandises Academy, Cambridge

Ingredients:

Two deboned duck legs 

Two pheasant breasts

3 chicken livers

5 slices of belly pork (without the bone and the skin)

Freshly ground pepper and salt 

4 bay leaves

Three table spoon of plum rum ( you can use whisky or port too)

Plenty of fresh thyme

One egg

Pre-heat your oven at 170º C

You will need a terrine dish for this (mine is roughly 20 cm X 17 cm and 9 cm deep)

Method:

You will need to mince your belly pork and livers first, if you don’t have a mincer you can use a knife instead (a really sharp one) that will allow you to mince manually.  The duck and the pheasant will need to be chopped with their skin (the fat coming from the skin is really important here) into small pieces, we don’t want them to be totally minced like the pork. 

Then mix everything together in a large bowl, rum, egg, thyme included. Season with salt and pepper. For that amount start with half a tsp of salt.

To see whether you have enough salt, cook a little bit of the mixture and taste it, if you need to add more salt do so. 

Pop your mixed ingredients in your terrine, place the bay leaves on top, lid on and let your terrine cook in a 170°C oven for a good 1H30. Once cooked, leave the terrine to cool and pop it in the fridge. It’s best to eat your terrine the day after you made it, to allow the flavours to develop. 

 

Bon appétit!

Corinne

How do you eat duck terrine?

Slice your terrine into small chunks. In France we tend to serve it with cornichons (gherkins) and bread. But it also works well with a good chutney or a piccalilli. It’s the perfect dish to serve during the festive season, especially at a party with a buffet.

You can find out more about my cookery journey here 

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