Tag: cream

• 

  PK’S Red Wine And Green Peppercorn Sauce

  One of my favourite meals is a thick juicy beef steak smothered in a creamy pepper sauce. I make a white wine version that makes for a mean surf and turf but this is my red wine version with green peppercorns and crème fraîche. 

  

  Steps

  1. Making the sauce (~15 minutes)
  2. Serving

  Ingredients

  • 1 small handful of parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 small handful of spring onions (green tops only), sliced
  • 1/4 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 Tbsp green peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup red wine (I used a Merlot)
  • 1/2 cup beef stock (try Italian Beef Stock: Brodo Di Manzo)
  • 1/2 cup crème fraîche
  • 1 tsp brandy

  Equipment

  • 1 chef’s knife
  • 1 chopping board
  • 1 wooden spoon
  • 1 small saucepan

  Making the sauce

  1. Chop the small handfuls of parsley and spring onion tops. 
  2. Add to the saucepan along with the 1/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp green peppercorns and the 1/4 cup of red wine.
  3. Cook on low, stirring often, until the red wine has thoroughly reduced.
  4. Add the 1/2 cup beef stock and 1/2 cup crème fraîche.
  5. Mix everything well and simmer until you get the consistency you desire.
  6. Add 1 tsp of brandy and mix again.

  Serving

  I served the sauce over a pork rack replete with crackling, steamed vegetables and Yorkshire puds.

  

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  April 11, 2019

• 

  Crème Fraîche

  Crème fraîche is made from a high fat content cream that has be soured using friendly bacterial cultures. It is smoother than sour cream and much less tangy. 

  It holds up well when heated due to its fat content, making it perfect for cooking. It is also perfect for serving cold alongside cakes and pastries.

  

  I use it in my soups, stews and pastas (like my spaghetti carbonara). 

  Here is another example, baked salmon with creamy pearl cous cous.

  

  Please let me know what you like serving it with.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  

   

   

   

   

   

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  April 5, 2019

• 

  Spaghetti Carbonara With Cream

  This rich creamy spaghetti carbonara will not win any health awards but jeapers it is tasty. 🙂

  It also isn’t particularly authentic due to the addition of cream. I love the more traditional egg only version too (Spaghetti Carbonara) but this one is my go to comfort food pasta dish.

  I make it in large batches as it freezes really well. Remember to use a low power setting on the microwave though when reheating.

  

  You will be:

  1. Preparing everything
  2. Cooking the  pasta
  3. Cooking the bacon and garlic
  4. Bringing it all together
  5. Serving

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • 6 to 9 rashers shortcut bacon
    • 500g dried pasta
    • 100g Parmigiano-Reggiano
    • 200ml double cream (called heavy cream in other countries)
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 garlic cloves
    • freshly cracked black pepper to taste
    • a sprinkle or two of ground nutmeg
    • a handful of fresh basil leaves
    • half a handful of fresh oregano leaves
    • a generous slug of olive oil
    • table salt for the pasta water to taste
  •  Equipment:
    • a long sharp knife
    • a chopping board
    • a whisk or fork for the eggs
    • a fry pan
    • a large pan to cook the pasta

  Preparing everything

  1. Chop the 6 to 9 rashers of bacon (shortcut bacon is pretty lean but if you are using other types try remove most of the fat and rind if you like).
  2. Finely grate the 100g of parmigiano-reggiano  (you can use parmesan but I recommend  you try the real deal).
  3. Roughly chop the handfuls of basil and oregano leaves.
  4. Peel and finely dice the 2 garlic cloves.
  5. Whisk the 2 eggs.
  6. Fold the whisked eggs into the 200ml of double cream.

  

  Cooking the  pasta

  1. Put a large pot of water on the boil.
  2. Add a slug of olive oil and a good dash of salt to the water.
  3. Cook the pasta al dente while you do the next part.

  Cooking the bacon and garlic

  Throw a slug of olive oil into a fry pan along with the 2 sliced garlic cloves and cook the 6 rashers of chopped bacon.

  

  Bringing it all together

  1. Drain the pasta but keep some of the water to adjust the amount of liquid in the finished dish.
  2. Add the pasta to the fry pan and on very low heat gently mix everything.
  3. Fold in the egg/cream mix, cheese, oregano, basil and some of the reserved pasta water until you get the consistency you like.

  

  Serving

  Serve directly with a large crusty garlic bread in the center of the table. It is great to watch your family and friends literally breaking bread with you.

  Have cracked black pepper and extra cheese available of course. 🙂

  A wine site I like, winefolly.com, suggests full bodied white wines or light bodied reds.

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Here are some more Italian food and pasta recipe posts:

  Written by

  PK

  ·

  February 15, 2018

• 

  Thickened Cream

  Thickened cream has about 30-40% fat and then the manufacturers generally add gums and or gelatin. This process allows the cream to hold up well when heated (boiled even during cooking).

  I use it in my curries and pasta dishes. 🙂

  Just like heavy cream, it is also perfect for serving alongside cakes and pastries.

  

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Related Links:

  • see more cooking with cream posts here
  • go to all meal ingredients here

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  February 6, 2018

• 

  Double Cream

  Double cream (heavy cream in other countries) is rich and luxurious. The brand I am using is pasteurised cow’s milk cream and has around 51% fat content.

  Double cream holds up well when heated due to its fat content. It is also perfect for serving alongside cakes and pastries.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

  Related Links:

  • see more cooking with cream posts here
  • go to all meal ingredients here

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  January 12, 2018

• 

  PK’s Fettuccine Chicken Alfredo

  Fettuccine Alfredo is a pasta dish made from freshly made fettuccine tossed only with Parmigiano-Reggiano and butter.

  This was my first attempt at making it and I wanted to make the sauce from scratch.  I chose this ‘food network’ recipe as a base to experiment from and the results were simply amazing. The addition of 2 cups of heavy cream might have had something to do with this :).

  

  I used an Australian made Parmesan rather than certified Parmigiano-Reggiano which is only made in one of several regions in northern France.  I certainly will be using it next time for a comparison. [ edit – I did 🙂 ]

  Similarly, although I used San Remo Brand’s Traditional Egg Fettuccine No 77 and thought it an excellent product, I am going to be making my own fettuccine next time. [ edit – I did 🙂 ]

  You will be:

  1. Boiling the pasta.
  2. Cooking the bacon and chicken.
  3. Making the alfredo sauce.
  4. Combining everything and serving hot.

  You will need:

  • Ingredients:
    • a couple slugs of olive oil
    • 225g fettuccine
    • 2 chicken breasts, skin off, cut into thin but wide slices (see photos below)
    • a handful of bacon rashers, finely chopped
    • 8 Tbsp butter
    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • ground rock salt and ground black peppercorns to taste
    • ground nutmeg to taste
    • a very small handful of oregano, chopped
    • 1.5 cups Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan, finely grated
  •  Equipment:
    • a chopping board
    • a long sharp knife
    • a large saucepan for the pasta
    • a frypan
    • a bowl to put the cooked chicken and bacon in
    • a colander to drain the pasta

  Boiling the pasta

  1. You are going to need 15 minutes to get everything else ready so put the pasta into boiling water with a slug of olive oil and a generous amount of salt.
  2. Whilst doing the recipe’s other steps, cook the pasta until molto al dente (I chuck the odd bit onto the kitchen tiles to test it, if it sticks it is ready) and remember that the last step in this recipe is to mix everything together and serve quickly.

  

  Cooking the bacon and chicken

  1. Cook a good handful of chopped bacon in some olive oil until crispy, putting it aside and cleaning the frypan with paper towel. Return it to the heat.
  2. Melt 2 Tbsp of the butter in the frypan and cook the 2 chicken breasts worth of slices over medium heat. Remember that the slices won’t take long each side to cook through and the chicken will go chewy if you over cook it.
  3. Add the bacon back to the frypan and give everything a gentle toss.
  4. Put the chicken and bacon aside in a bowl and wipe clean the bottom of the frypan.

  Bacon goodness:

  Cook the chicken and combine the with the bacon:

   

  Making the alfredo sauce

  1. Bring the frypan back to the heat and melt 6 Tbsp of butter.
  2. Whisk the 2 cups of heavy cream into the butter.
  3. Add the very small handful of chopped oregano, salt, pepper and at least one pinch of ground nutmeg.
  4. Keep stirring gently for several minutes and then fold the 1.5 cups of finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Parmesan into the sauce.

  

   

  Combining everything and serving hot

  1. Chuck the drained pasta, the chicken and the bacon into the sauce and gently mix everything together.
  2. Add large portions to the serving bowls and serve with cracked black peppercorns and grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

  

  Enjoy,

  PK

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  YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE

  PASTA DISHES

  MORE ITALIAN CUISINE

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  Written by

  PK

  ·

  November 27, 2016

• 

  Welchy’s Winter Warmers – Mushroom Soup!

  There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s night that to sit down and tuck into something hot! Whether it be a curry, casserole or soup…I love nothing more than eating a dish that warms right down to your bones!

  Mum has made soups all my life. As a kid, she may as well have put hearts and livers on a plate and put it in front of me. There was nothing worse than the idea of soup, let alone Mushroom soup. But as with most dishes, nostalgia tends to set in and I have a newfound appreciation of all things my mum cooked as a kid and how much I wish to be there again.

  This dish is about 10 minutes of prep (if you are slightly mad and enjoy cracking the stem of the mushroom off and then peeling each..and every…single…mushroom). And then 20-30 minutes simmering.

  Ingredients

  • 1 kg mushrooms, stems removed if you wish and peeled
  • 1 brown onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup thickened cream

  Method

  1. Melt butter in a Crock pot or large saucepan. Cook onion until partly softened. Add garlic and cook until onion is browned and softened.
  2. Add mushrooms and cook until lightly browned, stirring often so they don’t stick to the pan.
  3. Add the vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Once the mushrooms are tender and cooked through, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  6. Use an electric mixer to puree the soup (I personally like it to be slightly chunky, but puree a bit longer if you like a smooth soup).
  7. When ready to serve, stir in the cream and top with freshly chopped basil. And as always…enjoy!

  

  Written by

  lilwelchy

  ·

  May 19, 2016

• 

  Welchy’s Easy Mushroom Soup

  There’s nothing better on a cold winter’s night than to sit down and tuck into something hot!

  Whether it be a curry, casserole or soup…I love nothing more than eating a dish that warms you right down to your bones!

  Mum has made soups all my life. As a kid, she may as well have put hearts and livers on a plate and put it in front of me. There was nothing worse than the idea of soup, let alone Mushroom soup. But as with most dishes, nostalgia tends to set in and I have a newfound appreciation of all things my mum cooked as a kid and how much I wish to be there again.

  This dish is about 10 minutes of prep (if you are slightly mad and enjoy cracking the stem of the mushroom off and then peeling each..and every…single…mushroom). And then 20-30 minutes simmering.

  Ingredients

  • 1 kg mushrooms, stems removed if you wish and peeled
  • 1 brown onion, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, chopped
  • 1 teaspoon butter
  • 6 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup thickened cream

  Method

  1. Melt butter in a Crock pot or large saucepan. Cook the onion until partly softened. Add garlic and cook until onion is browned and softened.
  2. Now add in the mushrooms and cook until they are lightly browned, stirring often so they don’t stick to the pan.
  3. Add the vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper.
  4. Bring to the boil and then allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
  5. Once the mushrooms are tender and cooked through, remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
  6. Use an electric mixer to puree the soup (I personally like it to be slightly chunky, but puree a bit longer if you like a smooth soup).
  7. When ready to serve, stir in the cream and top with freshly chopped basil. And as always…enjoy!

  

  Enjoy,

  Welchy

  Here are more soup posts and Welchy recipies:

  Written by

  lilwelchy

  ·

  May 19, 2016