Foodie Recipes

1. Carrot Paneer and Pea Curry
2. Deep Fried Rice Paper and Carrot Rolls
3. Pan-fried Duck Breast with Orange, Port and Julienne of Carrot

1. Carrot Paneer and Pea Curry : Serves 4

Ingredients

• 300g (4 medium) carrots, diced
• 125g frozen peas
• 200g tinned tomatoes
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 30g butter
• 1 tbsp medium strength curry paste
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 lge onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 227g packet of paneer
• 3cm fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/2 red chilli, seeded and finely diced
• 3 cardamom pods
• 1tsp black mustard seeds
• 75g creamed coconut
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 200ml vegetable stock
• 1 handful chopped coriander

Directions

In a deep pan, heat the oil and butter. Add the carrots and onion and fry for about 5 minutes. Season with the sea salt and black pepper. Add the ginger and garlic, followed by the mustard seeds, ground coriander, turmeric, cumin, chilli, curry paste and crushed cardomom pods. Add the tomatoes and vegetable stock. After 5 minutes add the creamed coconut. Chop the paneer into 1cm cubes and add it to the stock mixture with the frozen peas. (If the mixture is too thick add a little water). Serve on a bed of Basmati rice with mango chutney and poppadoms. Garnish with the chopped coriander.

2. Deep Fried Rice Paper and Carrot Rolls : Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 20-24 rice paper discs (7 inches across) vegetable oil for frying
• 225g minced pork
• 175g raw prawns, peeled
• 4 shallots finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp spring onions, finely chopped
• 30 g rice noodles
• 6 shiitake mushrooms, stalk removed and finely sliced
• 2 medium carrots peeled and finely diced
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 egg
• Juice of one lime
• 2 tbsp coriander, chopped
• 2 cm fresh ginger finely diced

Directions

Place all the chopped ingredients, mince, prawns etc in a bowl. Break in the egg, add seasoning, and mix in well.
Take a chopping board and place in front of you on the table. Fill a bowl of water and place it on the table in front of you to the right, and a plate to the left. Place a damp cloth on the board. Dip a rice paper in the bowl of water for a few seconds, then place on the damp cloth. Turn in the front edge of the disc by 2cm. Then place 2-3 teaspoonfuls of mixture along the straight edge, then roll it over, tucking in the sides as you go, until you have a little sausage of rice paper filled with mixture. Use up all the mixture in this way, and place on the plate, keeping them separate, otherwise they will stick together.
Heat a wok with a good few centimetres of oil, until ready to deep fry. Drop in a few bundles at a time and cook for 2-3 minutes, until golden and cooked. Place on a plate and serve hot with soy sauce in one bowl and sweet chilli sauce in another for dipping.

3. Pan-fried Duck Breast with Orange, Port and Julienne of Carrot:

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 Gressingham duck breasts
• 2 large oranges zested then juiced
• 2 medium carrots peeled and cut into julienne and blanched
• 125ml of ruby port
• 125ml good chicken stock
• Sea salt and black pepper
• Small knob unsalted butter
• 6 juniper berries crushed
• 1 small onion finely diced

Directions

Duck Breast:
Place all the chopped ingredients, mince, prawns etc in a bowl.To prepare the duck breasts, score the fat nearly to the meat in a criss-cross pattern. Then place a heavy-based frying pan on a medium heat, and without waiting for the pan to heat up, add the duck breasts skin side down. Leave them to cook, crisping the skins as they cook. Only turn the duck breast when the skin side is crispy and golden, then cook for a further 2-3 minutes until pink inside.
Sauce:
Meanwhile to make the sauce, fry the onion until translucent in the butter then add the stock, port, juniper berries and orange juice and zest and reduce by half. Strain the sauce, then add the julienne of carrot and reduce again until light but slightly syrupy, then serve with the duck breasts with creamy mashed potato.