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!