Anyone for hippo?

My boyfriend Rob and I (Penny) have just returned from a three month trip around Eastern and Southern Africa, during which time we ate some exceptional and some exceptionally dull meals. One of the most interesting took place early on in the trip, and incorporated a surprising key ingredient.

After weeks of eating chicken, rice and beans throughout Rwanda and Tanzania, we were looking forward to tasting different game meats as we headed further south. I don’t think we quite expected to see what was on offer when we reached South Luangwa National Park – hippo!

Our camping site offered us a sample of their hippo biltong (a dried meat similar to jerkey) but to properly appreciate the meat we knew we had to buy some fresh fillets. As you can see from the picture, they were huge but extremely lean and tender. We decided to make a hippo stew, a bit different to mum’s old favourite cooked back in Australia.

The result was absolutely incredible – the hippo didn’t need much more than an hour over the heat and came out like high grade fillet steak. I must admit, it took some getting used to cooking and eating animals that we spotted during earlier game drives in national parks but by the end of the holiday we were enjoying everything from springbok to kudu to ostrich.

Most probably won’t be able to get their hands on hippo anytime soon, so I’ve included a generic version of a stew below where you can use beef instead.

What you'll need:

500g stewing steak (chuck or blade)
1 large onion, diced
1 large carrot, diced
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon tomato puree
3-4 medium sized potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried Italian herbs
1 cup red wine

Cut the beef into bite sized pieces, and pat with a paper towel to remove any moisture. Place a tablespoon of oil into a large casserole dish and cook the meat until browned all over. Remove from the heat and place to the side.

Add the onions and garlic to the same dish, and sautee until softened. Cut the potatoes into bite sized pieces, then add to the pan along with the carrots, tomato puree and the wine. Season well with salt and pepper, then add the herbs for extra flavour.

Pour in water until it covers the meat and vegetables, then cover the dish with a lid and cook for 1.5 hours until the meat and the vegetables are cooked through. You can cook this dish either in a moderate oven (around 180 degrees) or over a low heat on the hob.

German Apple Cake

This recipe has been a family favourite of ours for a very long time. We've always known it as 'German Apple Cake' but I can't guarantee it's origins came from Germany. It's lovely served warm straight from the oven with a dollop of cream but if you can resist eating it all then it stays fresh for a few days because it's so buttery and moist.

What you'll need:

125g butter
90g sugar
125g self raising flour
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
25g flaked almonds
3 cooking apples
3 tblsp sultanas
1 tblsp raw sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Icing sugar to serve

Melt the butter in a large saucepan, add the sugar and stir until it starts to dissolve. Add the vanilla extract and egg and mix well before adding the sifted flour. Grease a 20cm springform cake tin and line the bottom with baking paper. Spread about 2/3 of the cake mixture over the bottom of the pan.

For the filling, peel the apples and slice very thinly (I use either a mandolin or a potato peeler). Place half the apple slices in a layer over the cake mixture and scatter the sultanas evenly on top of the apple slices. Mix the raw sugar and spices together and sprinkle over the sultanas. Cover with remaining apple slices and sprinkle with lemon juice.

Spread the remaining cake mixture on top in spoonfuls. Scatter the flaked almonds over the top of the cake and bake in a 180 degrees oven for 45 mins. Leave in the cake tin for 5-10 mins then remove and sift a light sprinkling of icing sugar over the top of the cake.

Tiramisu

Another of my favourite Italian desserts is Tiramisu (which translates as 'pick me up'). During a recent trip to Italy I discovered the classic recipe includes whipped eggs which makes it much creamier and lighter than the versions I'd made before. I hope you like this recipe as much as I do.


What you'll need:

2 eggs, separated
1/4 cup caster sugar
150g mascarpone cheese
150ml thickened cream
2 tblsp coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua)
1 tblsp instant coffee powder
1 cup warm water
250g packet sponge finger biscuits
Grated dark chocolate to decorate

Beat the egg yolks and sugar together in a large bowl until pale and creamy. Gently fold in the mascarpone and liqueur. Whip the cream to firm peaks and fold into the mascarpone mixture. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form and gently fold into the mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Combine the coffee and warm water in a shallow dish, stirring until the coffee has dissolved. Dip half the biscuits (1 at a time) in the coffee, turning to coat, then place in a single layer over the base of an appropriately sized dish. Don't worry if you need to break some biscuits in half to make them fit snugly.

Spread half the mascarpone mixture over the biscuits to cover. Repeat the layers with remaining dipped biscuits and mascarpone mixture. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight). Sprinkle with grated chocolate before serving.

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Raspberry Coulis

Panna Cotta is a really popular classical Italian dessert that can be made using a variety of different flavourings such as chocolate, coffee and caramel to name a few, but this vanilla version is my favourite. I like to serve it unmoulded with a raspberry coulis (sauce) or with grilled figs on the side. To make life even easier you can serve it in little ramekins with a pile of fresh fruit on top. You'll be surprised how simple this delicious, creamy dessert it is to make.

What you'll need:

2 cups cream
4 tblsp caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract/paste
2 tsp powdered gelatine
4 tsp hot water

250g frozen raspberries
1 tblsp caster sugar
2 tblsp boiling water

To make the Panna Cottas:
Bring the cream, sugar and vanilla slowly to the boil so the vanilla has time to infuse it's flavour. Pour the hot water into a cup and sprinkle the gelatine over the hot water stirring until the gelatine has completely dissolved. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and stir in the liquid gelatine. Pour mixture into 4 lightly oiled moulds (about 1/2 cup size) and allow to cool. Cover and place in the fridge for at least 4 hours.

To make the Raspberry Coulis:
Defrost the frozen raspberries and place in a blender/food processor. Pour the boiling water into a cup and add the sugar stirring until dissolved. Add the liquid to the blender and puree berries until smooth. Pass the mixture through a sieve to remove the seeds.

To serve, dip the moulds into a bowl of hot water for a few seconds then turn out onto plates. Pour the coulis around the base of the panna cottas.

Thai Green Curry with Chicken

Thai food is all about combining the right levels of hot, sour, salty and sweet. The curries are no different, and often need a fair bit of playing around with before you get the balance right.

I've tried a number of Thai Green Curry recipes over the years, and while there is always a set combination of ingredients, it's very much a matter of personal taste. It's also about the ingredients you have to hand at the time - for example, the strength of the chillies may alter how many you include so testing and tasting along the way is key.

Here's my take on a yummy green curry paste:

5cm/2inch piece of galangal
2 cloves of garlic
2 lemongrass stalks
2 shallots
A large handful of fresh coriander
4 medium chillies
1 tbsp Thai fish sauce (nam pla)
Zest and juice of one lime

First remove the outer leaves of the lemongrass, and bruise it along the stem with the blunt end of your knife. Roughly chop all of the ingredients, and place in a food processer. Blend until it makes a fine paste.

To make the curry

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok, and add the curry paste. Cook over a high heat for 1-2 minutes until it becomes fragrant.

Add 6 chicken thighs which have been sliced into thin strips. Stir fry for a few minutes until the paste coats the chicken and it starts to brown.

Add a 400ml tin of coconut, 1 tablespoon of Thai fish sauce and a few kaffir lime leaves which have been thinly sliced. Turn the heat down and simmer for around 10 minutes.

Stir through a handful of green beans and chestnut mushrooms then continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Finally, tear in a handful of fresh coriander and Thai basil leaves then serve with jasmine rice.

Our First Press Article - Sheffield Star

Today is the official publication date of our book, and we're pleased to include our first piece of press coverage courtesy of Martin Dawes at our local newspaper The Sheffield Star. Big thanks to Martin!

When guinea pig doesn't fill

Published Date: 28 July 2010
By Martin Dawes

WHEN you're out travelling the world there are a lot of funny things you get the chance to eat and probably wisely decline, as Penny Paterson has found.

She avoided dog in Vietnam as well as three-quarter turn eggs, which means there's an almost formed chick inside. "I was in the same restaurant as someone eating them and they certainly have a crunch," she laughs.

But she did have roast guinea pig in Peru. "It's a bit of a cliche but it tastes like chicken. It came with a celery hat and a cherry tomato in its mouth and there was hardly any meat on it."

At 31 Penny, from Brisbane, who has spent the last two years in Sheffield, is a seasoned traveller. When she first set off round the world - so far she's taken in Europe, South America, Australia and Asia - she didn't have a cookery book in her rucksack but she did have a lot of recipes in her head, thanks to her mum Caroline.

Now the two have got together to produce The Backpackers Kitchen, a handy stick it in your rucksack collection of 100 recipes aimed at gap year students who may not have been as lucky as Penny to have a mum like hers.

"A lot of money is spent on food. Most of us don't eat out every night at home so why do it when you're abroad. These recipes are an alternative to baked beans or noodles or a trip to McDonald's," says Penny.

They'll probably be cooking it in a hostel kitchen where facilities can range from the primitive to restaurant standard so ingredients and equipment needed is kept to a minimum.

"My favourite is the Parmesan chicken drumsticks where you only need three ingredients," says Penny, who being from Oz, has happily wolfed down crocodile and kangaroo.

She has spent the last two years living in Sheffield while her boyfriend Rob did a masters degree in journalism at Sheffield University. They met in Rio and started eating and travelling together.

"In Brazil they have these 'pay by the kilo' buffet restaurants with skewers of meat they take between the tables. One looked a bit strange and it turned out to be chicken hearts so we didn't have that!"

Rob was obviously impressed by Penny's cooking, Rio was the place where the idea for the cookery book was first suggested.

While in Sheffield Penny worked in marketing for the Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust and lived above some restaurants in Hunter's Bar so she was never far from food.

"Ecclesall Road is great for restaurants and we loved Dim Sum on London Road.

"But now Rob has finished his studies her wanderlust has resurfaced so they're about to set off for Rwanda in central Africa and spend over two months travelling down to South Africa where the national dish is bobotie - mince, mashed potatoes, apricots, raisins and almonds.

And there's always the chance to renew her acquaintance with crocodile.

The Backpackers Kitchen is published on Friday by Robert Hale at £9.99.

Parmesan Drumsticks with Potato Salad

I love this recipe, and am just as likely to make it while travelling as I am on a Friday night after a busy day at work. There are barely any ingredients required, but the final result tastes amazing and is a somewhat healthier alternative to fried chicken.

It’s also a great snack to take along to a picnic in the summer, so keeping with that theme we’ve included a recipe for potato salad to serve as a side dish.

Parmesan Drumsticks

2 handfuls parmesan cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
1 egg white
4-6 chicken drumsticks depending on their size

Mix together the cheese, salt and pepper in a shallow dish.

In a separate dish, beat the egg white until fluffy. Dip the chicken in the egg white and coat well, then roll in the cheese mixture.

Place the chicken on a baking tray and bake for approximately 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

Potato Salad

4 medium potatoes
2 eggs
2 spring onions, chopped
¼ cup parsley, finely chopped
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the potatoes and eggs in a saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to the boil and simmer gently for about 8 minutes.

Remove the eggs and refresh in cold water. Peel the eggs and chop into small pieces.

Continue cooking the potatoes until they are tender. Drain the potatoes and cut into bite size pieces.

Make the dressing by mixing together the mayonnaise, lemon juice and water in a small bowl.

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl while the potatoes are still warm and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate before serving.

Fish Wrapped in Parma Ham

Many people can be worried about cooking fish correctly and there’s always a risk of the skin or flesh sticking to the pan or burning.

This recipe avoids both of these problems, by creating a protective layer around the fish that not only means it cooks to perfection but also creates a great crunch through the crispy ham. You often see chicken cooked in this way, and I think it fish works just as well.

What you'll need:

2 fillets meaty white fish such as cod or haddock

2 pieces of parma ham or prosciutto

1 tablespoon olive oil

Lay a piece of ham out on a clean surface, then place one of the fish fillets along the top. Roll the fish so that the ham wraps around it entirely. Repeat this with the other piece of fish.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan at a high heat, then add the ham-wrapped fish fillets.

Cook for four minutes on each side, so that the ham is crispy and the fish is soft and cooked through.

I usually serve this with mashed potatoes and peas. If you’re in a hostel and can’t remember how to make mash, here’s a quick reminder.

Quick and Easy Mash

Firstly, boil some salted water in a saucepan and then add the peeled potatoes which have been chopped into bite sized pieces. For two people, you’ll need around 3-4 medium potatoes but you’ll need to judge this yourself depending on how hungry you are. Leave them to boil for around 15 minutes or until you can pierce through them easily with a sharp knife. Drain the water out, and mash the potatoes using either a fork or a potato masher. Add a splash of milk, a knob of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly until the mash is a creamy texture, then serve!

Moroccan roast lamb with pomegranate couscous

Mechoui lamb is usually roasted whole on the spit, but this is my version using lamb shoulder. By shocking the meat in the oven at the highest temperature to start it develops a wonderful crispy skin, but the slow roasting means that it falls apart when you eat it.

What you'll need:
Half shoulder of lamb
50g softened butter
1 large clove of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon paprika


Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the lamb in a roasting tin and cook for 30 minutes. Mix the garlic, salt, pepper, coriander, cumin and paprika then stir in the butter until you create a paste. Remove the lamb from the oven and smear on the flavoured butter. Cover in aluminium foil and return to the oven. Turn the heat down to 180 degrees and cook for a further 2.5 hours. Allow to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Pomegranate Couscous

To cut through the heaviness of the lamb I like to serve the lamb with a light couscous salad flavoured with pomegranate, lemon and fresh coriander. Simply follow the instructions on the couscous packaging and once the water is absorbed add the juice of one lemon, a drizzle of olive oil, the seeds from one pomegranate and a handful of freshly chopped coriander.

Quesadillas with Chorizo and Chicken

Traditional Mexican food is simple, cheap and tasty. That’s why this basic quesadilla with a choice of fillings is one of my favourite backpacking recipes – you’ll find the ingredients in most parts of the world, and you’ll certainly make friends when you offer to share your guacamole and salsa with other travellers!

The basic concept behind quesadillas is creating a filling that is combined with grated cheese and fried between tortillas. You can either use two tortillas for each quesadilla and layer the filling like you would a sandwich, or you can use one quesadilla and fold it in half similar to an omelette.

You can use a range of fillings to accompany the cheese such as refried beans, ham, potatoes, mushrooms and even scrambled eggs. Here I’ve included two different fillings – one with chicken and one with chorizo.

Quesadilla with Chicken
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cut into strips
1 tomato, chopped
2 tablespoons black olives, pitted
Handful of cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

Turn the frying pan down to a medium heat and place in a tortilla. Sprinkle half the cheese across one half of the tortilla and then add half the diced tomatoes and olives.

Layer half the chicken over the top of the cheese, tomatoes and olives.

Using a spatula, fold the tortilla so that you have a half moon shape. Flip the tortilla over and cook the other side until the cheese is melted.

Quesadilla with Chorizo
1 tablespoon olive oil
200g chorizo cooking sausage, chopped
½ onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, chopped
Handful of cheese, grated

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the chorizo, onion and garlic. Cook over a medium heat until the chorizo darkens in colour and becomes fragrant. Remove and set aside.

Follow the same process as above, by placing the tortilla in a clean frying pan and sprinkling the cheese across one half before adding the chorizo mix.

Fold the tortilla and flip so that both sides are cooked and the cheese is melted.

Quesadillas are usually served with some kind of accompanying sauce, such as soured cream or salsa. Below are a couple of recipes for sauces that can be enjoyed on their own with some tortilla chips, or served alongside the quesadillas.

Guacamole

To make your guacamole, scoop the flesh out of one avocado and mash with a fork. Add a finely chopped red onion, ½ large green chilli finely chopped and a tablespoon of lemon or lime juice. Mix well, and add salt and pepper to taste. Finally stir through some freshly torn leaves of coriander – this isn’t necessary, but adds a bit of extra flavour.

Pico de Gallo

This fresh, spicy salsa is a great accompaniment to any Mexican meal and certainly packs a punch. All you need to do it mix together two diced tomatoes, one finely chopped onion, one finely chopped jalapeno pepper and the juice of two limes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pasticcio di Radicchio e Pancetta (Radicchio and Pancetta Pie)

On a recent trip to Verona we went to the incredible Cappa Café where we ate on their beautiful outdoor terrace (with the white umbrellas) overlooking the Teatro Romano di Verona.

For the first time, I tried Pasticcio di Radicchio and knew I had to try to replicate it as soon as I got home. It was a simpler version of a lasagne, with a creamy béchamel sauce layered with fresh pasta sheets and braised radicchio. I couldn’t get radicchio so substituted red chicory, and added pancetta to my version for a bit of extra flavour. If you can't get either of these at your local supermarket, you can use leeks and bacon instead.

What you need:

Fresh lasagne sheets

300 grams of red radicchio (or chicory), washed and cut into strips

150 grams pancetta, cubed

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 clove garlic

30 ml of dry white wine

100 grams of grated parmesan cheese

40 grams butter

6 tablespoons flour

1 litre of milk
Nutmeg

Salt

Pepper

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan then add the garlic, pancetta and radicchio. Fry over a medium heat for a few minutes then add the white wine, salt and pepper. Stir through before covering the pan with a lid and cooking on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Drain the liquid from the radicchio and pancetta and set aside.

Make the béchamel sauce by melting the butter in a saucepan and then adding the flour. Stir vigorously until you have a smooth paste, then start pouring in the milk a bit at a time. A good tip is to heat the milk first so that it doesn't cool down the sauce. Add a pinch of salt and some nutmeg for flavour. Continue to stir the mixture until it thickens.

Place a layer of lasagne across the bottom of a buttered oven dish. Next place a layer of the braised radicchio, cover with a layer of the white sauce and finally sprinkle with a layer of grated cheese. Repeat this layering process three times.

Place the baking dish in a pre-heated oven and cook for 35 minutes at 200 degrees or until the top is golden and crispy.

Now I just need to learn how to make the incredible Torta Della Nonna that we had for dessert!

The cheaper side of Venice

When planning our week's visit to Venice, there were certain dishes that would be mandatories when eating out - Calves Liver Alla Veneziana for mum, Spaghetti Vongole for me, and Tirimisu for both of us.

We realised quite quickly that although you'll be charged €8 for a coffee on St Mark's Square or €15 for a Bellini at Harry's Bar, there's reasonably priced and wonderfully tasty food to be had throughout Venice.

Bellini

Before enjoying a few dinners out on the town, we decided that the best way to start our trip would be with a homemade (and significantly cheaper) version of the Bellini.

We started by purchasing a bottle of Prosecco from the local supermarket for a bargain price of €4 as well as a couple of white peaches.

When back in our kitchen, we peeled the peaches and mashed the flesh into a thick pulp. This pulp was then pushed through a sieve and into a jug before the Prosecco was poured over the lot. We drank this from our balcony overlooking an amazing view of the Grand Canal.


Tagliatelle Aglio E Olio

Our second homemade effort was Tagliatelle Aglio E Olio (Garlic and Oil) served with a classic Insalata Caprese. This may sound complicated, but there were only about 7 or 8 ingredients in both dishes combined and barely any cooking required!



We used fresh egg pasta which only took a few minutes to cook, which allowed us just enough time to make the "sauce". You could easily use dried pasta but will need to change the timings slightly to allow for a longer cooking time.

A good glug of olive oil was heated in a large frying pan while the pasta cooked, and 4 cloves of garlic along with a good teaspoon of chilli flakes. Once the oil is heated through and the garlic is fragrant, take the frying pan off the heat.

Drain the pasta when ready or "al dente" and put back into the saucepan. Pour the flavoured oil over the pasta so that it coats everything, and then at the last minute stir through some rocket if you have it.


Insalata Caprese


For the salad, we sliced up fresh tomatoes, mozzarella and then layered them on a plate along with the basil. A drizzle of olive oil, some salt and pepper and we were ready to go.

Such a quick and easy meal to make, and it probably cost about €15 to feed 4 of us.