Frying pan dishes
My inspiration this week comes from one of the most used pieces of equipment in my kitchen - a large non-stick frying pan. Great for frying, stir frying, pancakes, omelettes, panini, tarte tatin and upside-down cakes; its ovenproof handle means it can be used on the hob as well as in the oven.
Equally delicious warm or cold, frittata is perfect picnic fare. It makes a more-ish lunch, and is also good cut into pieces and served as part of an antipasto platter. Frying and pressing a sandwich makes the outside crispy and the filling all warm and gooey. Swap the gruyere for cheddar or mozarella, swap the ham with salami or cooked chicken, add some sliced olives, or anything you like - there are no hard and fast rules here.
Ham, cheese and chutney panini
2 slices Italian style bread
Olive oil or butter
1 tablespoon sweet relish or chutney
Gruyere cheese
Ham
Brush one side of each slice of bread with a little oil or butter. Spread the un buttered side of one slice with a little chutney, then top with a layer of sliced gruyere, a layer of ham and then another layer of cheese. Place the remaining slice of bread on top, making sure that the buttered side is on the outside. Press the sandwich down to flatten it slightly.
Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Place the sandwich in the pan and place a weight on top; I use either a smaller frying pan, or a saucepan or even a small brick that has been covered in foil. The weight helps to compress the sandwich, giving it that professional panini look. When golden, turn the sandwich over and cook until both sides are golden and crisp. Makes 1
Mascarpone, zucchini and parmesan frittata
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium zucchini, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
6 large organic eggs
150 ml mascarpone (or double cream)
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
125 g parmesan, freshly grated
Preheat the oven to 190C. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof frying pan over medium heat and sauté the zucchini for 3–4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Whisk together the eggs and mascarpone until just combined, then stir in the parsley and three-quarters of the parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
Place a non-stick frying pan with the zucchini back on the heat and pour in the egg mixture. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring once or twice, for 7–8 minutes or until the bottom is set firm and the top a little soft. Sprinkle with the remaining parmesan.
Cook for 5–10 minutes, until the top is puffed and the cheese is golden. Serve straight from the pan or place a large flat plate over the top of the pan and invert the frittata onto it. Serve warm or at room temperature with a rocket salad. Serves 4
Pistachio and apricot upside-down cake
50g butter
150g light brown sugar
8 large ripe apricots, halved and stoned
200g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
2 eggs, lightly beaten
200ml buttermilk
50ml sunflower oil
25g shelled pistachios, roughly chopped, to serve
Preheat the oven to 180C. Melt the butter in 25cm ovenproof non-stick frying pan, add half the sugar and cook until the sugar has dissolved and is beginning to caramelise. Tip the apricot halves into the pan; the sugar will harden a little, but it will melt again in the heat of the oven. Spread the apricots out in a single layer and remove the pan from the heat.
Sift the flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda, cardamom a pinch of salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and the remaining sugar. Whisk until smooth. Pour over the apricots, transfer to the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the cake is golden on top and feels firm when gently pressed in the middle.
Remove and allow to cool for about 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. Scatter with the pistachios and serve warm. Serves 8
No comments:
Post a Comment