The Trial

Dinner for 3 under $30.00

Chargrilled Cauliflower with Tomato and Capers (Adapted from the Ottolenghi Cookbook)

2 tbsp capers, drained and roughly chopped

1 tbsp French wholegrain mustard

2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

120 ml olive oil

1 small cauliflower, divided into florets

1 bag of mixed greens (spinach, rocket, lollo rosso, frisee, radicchio, etc.)

20 grape tomatoes, halved

coarse sea salt and black pepper

Make the dressing: mix together capers, mustard, garlic, vinegar and some salt and pepper, whisking vigorously while adding half the olive oil in a slow trickle until you have a thick, creamy dressing. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Add the cauliflower florets to a large pan of boiling salted water and simmer for 3minutes. Drain and run under cold water to stop it from cooking and leave in a colander to dry well. Once dry, place in a mixing bowl and toss with remaining olive oil, salt and pepper.

Place a ridged griddle pan over the highest possible heat and leave until very hot. Grill the cauliflower in a few batches, and make sure they are not cramped! Once nicely charred, transfer to a bowl and while still hot, toss with dressing, salad greens and tomatoes. Taste and season and serve warm or at room temperature.

Braised Veal Breast with Fettucini

As a cheap cut of meat, Veal Breast becomes surprisingly tender after it's been braised for a couple of hours. If you like sinewy tendons, this dish screams your name. I've recently acquired a torrid love for anchovies, so you will notice that many of my recipes will contain these salty but high in omega-3 critters in many of my dishes. Please omit the anchovies if you aren't swim fans.

2 lb Veal Breast

2 carrots, peeled and diced

2 celery sticks, washed and diced

1 sweet onion, diced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

2 fillets of anchovy, minced

2 cups White Wine

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup of water

Sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

1/3 cup of whipping cream

3/4 pack of Fettucini

Fresh Italian parsley to garnish

Begin by marinating the veal. Using a mortar and pestle, bash the minced garlic with a little salt, freshly ground black pepper, the leaves of 3 thyme sprigs and the 2 pieces of anchovy until you obtain an aromatic paste. Rub it all over the veal and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 170C/350F. In a dutch oven, add olive oil and heat until it's just about smoking. Caramelize the veal on both sides until it's nicely browned, about 8 minutes per side.

Add mire poix (carrots, onion, celery) in rendered veal oil and saute for a few minutes, then add the white wine to deglaze, using the back of a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan. Then add veal with its jus, chicken stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaves, cover and bake in oven for 2 hours or longer until tender.

Once the veal is tender, take the veal out and tear the meat off the bone. It should fall off effortlessly, and then shred the meat with your fork. Remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs, then place the dutch oven on the stove. Turn the heat to high, add the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the sauce until it is a thick consistency, at least 10 minutes. Once thick, turn the heat down to a low simmer, taste and season with salt and pepper, and then return the veal back into the pot.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Once cooked, add the fettucini directly into the dutch oven, toss the pasta, then serve on platter with some chopped parsley.

Cranberry and Pear upside-down Cake (Adapted from Ottolenghi)

Poached pears

3 ripe but firm pears
750ml water
150g sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
2 strips of zest and the juice of 1 lemon
Caramel Topping
90g sugar
20g butter
40g dry cranberries or 50g fresh
Cake batter
200g butter
200g sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence
200g ground hazelnuts
¼ tsp salt
80g plain flour
1 orange zest
1 lemon zest
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Peal the pears and cut into 2 lengthways. Scoop out the core. Immediately place in a saucepan containing the water, sugar, cinnamon, cloves, lemon zest and juice.

Bring to the boil and then simmer until the pears are just slightly undercooked. This should take anywhere between 10 and 15 minutes. Check with a sharp knife that they tender outside but firm in the centre. Leave them aside to cool down in their liquids.

Heat up the oven to 170C/350F. Lightly grease a 20cm round cake tin and line its bottom and sides with greaseproof paper.

Place the sugar for the caramel in a clean heavy-based saucepan and place on a low heat. Without stirring watch the sugar turn into a rich caramel colour. Make sure to keep your eyes on the sugar at all times as it can easily burn. As soon as you reach the desired colour, remove the pan from the heat quickly but carefully. With your face at a safe distance, throw the butter in in a few chunks. Stir with a wooden spoon and pour onto the base of the cake tin. Carefully tilt it to spread evenly.

Drain the pears and cut each half into 3 wedges. If using dry cranberries, soak them in some of the hot cooking juices of the pears. Drain after 10 minutes. Arrange the pears and the cranberries over the caramel.

To make the cake, sieve together the flour and the spices. Use the paddle attachment of the mixer to cream the butter and sugar until light and airy. Gradually add the eggs and vanilla. Add the ground hazelnuts and mix just to combine. Repeat with sifted flour, salt and zest. Make sure you don’t over mix.

Once the batter is homogeneous and smooth pour it carefully over the pears and cranberries making sure you don’t move them out of their place. Smooth the batter with a palette knife. Bake for 35 minutes. Test with a skewer to make sure the cake is dry inside. Remove from the oven. Whilst the cake is still warm, but not hot, place an upside-down flat plate on top of the tin and briskly turn over. Remove the tin and the paper. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Here's the breakdown of the budget. The total came out to $27.45 (if my math is correct). I found the veal by chance at a local meatshop in Brooklyn when I was walking to the subway from Prospect Park, the wine was bought at Trader Joe's in Union Square, and the rest of the products were purchased at Wholefoods on Columbus Circle.

Beef au Daube

Olive oil

1 lb beef chuck, cubed

Flour

Salt and pepper

1 onion, minced

2 cloves of garlic, minced

3 carrots, peeled and sliced into large chunks

2-3 potatoes, peeled and sliced into large chunks

1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced

1 bottle beer, such as a dark Belgian ale

1-2 cups beef broth

2 bay leaves

Heat a large dutch oven with olive oil over high heat. Mix flour with salt and pepper, then dredge beef cubes in mixture and brown, about 2 minutes per side, then remove beef cubes.

Saute onions and garlic till brown, about 5-10 minutes.

Add thyme and sauté briefly, then return beef to the dutch oven and add the beer and broth so that the liquid submerges the meat. Add the bay leaves and then bring the stew to a boil.

Cover the stew and simmer on a low flame for 1.5 hours. Add carrots and potatoes, then braise for another 45 minutes- 1 hour until vegetables and meat are fork tender.

Serves 4-6

Beef Bourguignon

This recipe was adapted from the cookbook of La Regalade, a Vancouver-based French bistro run by renowned Chef Alain Raye

3/4 cup canola oil

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3 lb beef brisket, cut into 2 inch cubes

3 medium carrots, minced

2 onions, minced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed

3 tablespoons APFlour

3 cups Pinot Noir (preferably Burgundy)

1/4 cup beef stock

salt and pepper

1 bouquet garni

1/2 lb bacon, chopped

1/2 lb white mushrooms, cut into quarters

40 pearl onions, peeled and rinsed

Sugar

2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley

In a dutch oven, heat some oil and butter. Sear the meat a few pieces at a time until well browned. When meat is done, saute the carrots, onions and garlic in same pot for 10 minutes till soft and golden.

Turn on broiler, return the meat to the pot and sprinkle the flour, mixing well. Place uncovered in the oven, allowing flour to brown (about 5 minutes). Remove from oven and set aside.

Adjust oven to 400F/200C.

Pour wine and beef stock into pot, making sure to scrap the bottom with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and pepper and add bouquet garni, then cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours. Stir every 20-25 minutes, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot.

While the meat is braising, saute the bacon in a large frying pan till crispy, then remove and pat dry on paper towels. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of bacon fat, and saute mushrooms. Drain and set aside with bacon. Add remaining butter, the pearl onions and a bit of sugar and enough water to cover the bottom of the pan. Cover and simmer until the water has evaporated. Remove from the heat and let rest in the pan.

When the meat is cooked, skim off any surface fat and check the seasoning. Stir in the bacon, mushrooms, and onions. Serve in shallow plates and finish with chopped parsley.

Serves 6-8

Beef and Lamb Meatballs baked in Tahini

This dish, which comes from the Ottolenghi cookbook, makes an unusual use of tahini, adding it with meatballs to create a creamy, sesame consistency that tastes rich when smothered with the meatballs and some greek yogurt. This dish and variations on it, common in Lebanon, Palestine and Syria, makes this a peculiar and bold dish. I did not have beef or lamb, so I replaced it with minced pork meat.

35g stale white bread, crusts removed

300g minced beef

300g minced lamb

3 garlic cloves, crushed

35g flat-leaf parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

2 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinammon

1 free-range egg

light olive oil for frying

1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley

grated zest of 1 lemon

1 lemon, quartered

Greek Yogurt to serve

Tahini sauce

150ml tahini paste

150ml water

70ml white wine vinegar

1 garlic clove, crushed

pinch of salt

First make the tahini sauce. Whisk together all ingredients until it turns smooth and creamy, with a thick sauce-like consistency. You may need to add more water. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 200C. Soak bread in cold water for 2-3 minutes, then squeeze water our and crumble bread into mixing bowl. Add meat, garlic, parsley, salt, spices and egg and mix well with your hands.

Shape meat into balls the size of golf balls. Heat olive oil in frying pan and fry in small batches till golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side.

Soak the meatballs with kitchen paper towels, then place on oven for 5 minutes.

Carefully remove from oven, pour the tahini sauce over and into the roasting pan, and roast for another 8-10 minutes. The tahini will take on just a bit of color and thicken up. The meatballs should be cooked through.

Transfer to individual plates, garnish liberally with parsley and zest and serve at once, generously squeezing lemon juice over meatballs.

A plate of the meatballs with Greek yogurt, pomegranate seeds, cherry tomatoes tossed with basil and olive oil, fried haloumi chips and leftover rice pilaf.

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Tamarind and Balsamic Vinegar

This decadent pot roast was the signature dish of Saturday night's dinner. I cooked it to celebrate the return of Auntie Shahla, who lives in Bahrain/London and flew in from Karachi last night. She's stopping over in HK to catch up with old friends before heading to NYC on Monday, where she will be visiting Fahd (her eldest son and my good friend). The ribs are spoon tender and melt in your mouth, while the combination of sweet and tart come from the aged balsamic vinegar and the tamarind paste, an Asian and Middle Eastern fruit that brightens a slow-braised dish with a subtle citrusy undercurrent. This must be eaten with Vanilla-Glazed Carrots (see next posting).

8 beef short ribs, weighing 5-6 pounds

4 tablespoons kosher salt

Black pepper

1 large onion, roughly chopped

1 bay leaf

1 cup sweet balsamic vinegar

1 cup white wine, such as Riesling or Chardonnay

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

2 tablespoons tamarind paste, mixed together with 1 cup hot water to dissolve and break most of it down (see images below).

Preheat oven to 350F.

Season each short rib generously with kosher salt and pepper. If using long and thin slabs, cut into pieces of 3 (each separated by a bone).

Lay them side by side in a large heavy roasting pan.

Scatter onions and bay leaf over ribs.

Combine vinegar, wine, brown sugar and garlic in small mixing bowl and pour over short ribs. Then pour tamarind that has been loosened in water into pot.

The liquid should come 3/4 up the sides of the short ribs. Add more water if necessary.

Cover the pan tightly with 2 layers of foil. Place in oven and braise for 3-3 1/2 hours. Remove the foil and check that the short ribs fall apart when poked with a fork.

Carefully remove ribs with tongs, place them onto a serving dish, cover and set aside at room temperature.

Strain the liquid (you should catch tamarind seeds or bits of garlic/onion) through a fine strainer into a large container.

Chill for at least an hour so that fat rises to the top. Remove the fat.

Over high heat, bring the skimmed braising liquid to a boil and add the short ribs. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer the short ribs for 20-25 minutes, until they start to glaze in the sauce. The sauce will thicken after 15 minutes.

Roll short ribs in their sauce, then place short ribs on plates and spoon extra sauce over it.