The Big Food Blog

French Braised Chump Chop

Published

6 years ago

November 3, 2014

The Felixstowe Magazine

Ingredients:

8 mutton or lamb chops (2 each for 4 people)

2 onions

2 large potatoes (plus 1 extra if needed)

1 lemon plus salt and black pepper

approx. 1/2 a pint of water

1 lamb stock cube.

1 bay leaf or a sprig of mint

Serves 4.

Method

1. Trim the excess fat off the chops and place on a tray. Cut lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the chops. Season with salt and pepper, and leave to marinate.

2. Peel onions and slice into roundels. Likewise, peel and wash potatoes and cut into roundels and 1/8th in thickness.

3. Use half the onion and spread out over the bottom of the casserole dish, likewise cover the onion in potato. Add bay leaf or sprig of mint then place four of the chops on top of the vegetables.

4. Repeat as in step number 3, but keep back some potato. Place the remaining chops on the vegetables.

5. Bring to the boil and add the stock cubes. (At this stage you can thicken the juice with either arrowroot or corn flour. Personally I prefer not to, but it’s down to your preference). Pour the stock into the dish until it just covers the top layer of chops. Cover the remaining chops with the remaining potatoes. You might find you need to peel a third potato.

6. Cover dish with foil and place into a preheated oven on the middle shelf and cook at 200 degrees centigrade for about two hours.

Remove from oven and remove foil. Check stock level and if need be top up. Place dish back into the oven on the top shelf and cook until potatoes are golden brown on top.

I like this warm wintry dish served with purple sprouting broccoli, but other vegetables of your choice will do. Enjoy!

Written by retired chef – Brian A. Blackmore

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Birdy’s Onion Bhajis

Published

10 months ago

June 28, 2020

The Felixstowe Magazine

“…A little taste of India”

The bhajis

Ingredients

4 heaped tbsp gram flour

1/2 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground coriander seeds

1/2 tsp green chillies (to taste)

1 large onion, sliced

1 tbsp chopped coriander

1 tbsp plain yoghurt

2 tbsp chopped tinned tomoatoes

1 tsp salt

2 large cups of vegetable oil

Method

1. Mix together all ingredients except gram flour. Add gram flour and mix in.

2. Over medium heat, heat oil in a wok or deep frying pan until oil is hot.

3. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and push into the oil with a second tablespoon to form fairly round balls. The bhajis should firm up quite quickly. Cook in batches of 10. Keep stiring them so that they brown evenly.

4. Drain on plenty of paper towels to allow excess oil to be absorbed. Keep warm in the oven until ready to serve.

To fill your bhajis up a bit more, you can also add sliced cauliflower, potatoes and/or aubergines (lightly boil before adding to your bhaji mixture).

The sauce

Ingredients

1 tsp ground coriander seeds (fry then grind)

1 1/2 tsp ground cumin seeds (fry then grind)

1 cup natural yoghurt

Salt and pepper to taste

Or you can simply have your bajees with tomato ketchup, or mint sauce.

Method

1. Roast the spices in a frying pan

2. Remove from heat and stir in the yoghurt

A traditional Punjabi starter brought to by Mummy Birdy

Shopping & Businesses

Felixstowe’s Hit Eaterie Branches out in Response to COVID-19

Published

10 months ago

June 12, 2020

The Felixstowe Magazine

One of Felixstowe’s favourite cafes, ‘Spud Hut’ has announced it will be extending its offering to customers in response to Coronavirus.

The much-loved lunchtime eaterie, which offers homemade filled jacket potatoes, salads, paninis, cakes and fresh coffee, re-opened on the 20th May, providing collection-only lunches.

Now, as social distancing restrictions mean that they are unable to welcome dine-in customers, the team is launching an innovative new lunch option, offering freshly-made sweet and savoury crepes to collect from the front of the shop.

Spud Hut owner Hannah Walker explains, “Along with the majority of local businesses, we’ve been significantly impacted by Covid-19, and restrictions mean it will be some time before we can welcome people to sit in the shop to enjoy their food and drink.

“We’ve not backed down from a challenge yet though, so we’ve come up with a new way to provide even more homemade foods for people to enjoy that they can collect and eat ‘on the go’ or take home.

“We wanted to come up with something that people in Felixstowe can’t already buy – so sweet and savoury crepes were the answer!

“We really hope they will be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. We can’t wait to hear the feedback and reviews of our customers, so do come along and give them a try.”

The new crepes will cater for vegan and gluten free diets and will be available alongside the traditional menu.

Spud Hut is currently open from 10am-2pm Weds – Fri for takeaways / collections only. Check the Spud Hut Facebook page for news and updates.

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